Your Coaches

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Kurt is passionate about coaching, inspiring and motivating sales managers and sales executives to think and dream big, deliver results and grow the bottom line. He's an experienced professional with nearly 20 years of consultative sales, sales management and client-side marketing (traditional and digital) experience, encompassing a diverse set of industries including financial and broadcast/digital media. Kurt believes that culture drives revenue and is driven by bright, positive, highly competitive and results-focused team members who are passionate about their work. Procedures, policies, etc. are must haves, but creating an atmosphere of high individual accountability while establishing a positive, energetic and fun-filled culture is critical to a successful organization. 

Sales/marketing processes, incorporating digital technology into marketing plans, team building and team/culture management, negotiating and closing new business, copy writing/editing, branding and identity, interpersonal communication and public communication, budget/P&L management, industry networking, conflict resolution 

Present

SALES PERFORMANCE COACH - RAINMAKER PERFORMANCE COACHING

2017 – 2018

CORPORATE SALES DIRECTOR, DIGITAL REVENUE, LOCAL MEDIA GROUP - MEREDITH CORPORATION

Indianapolis, Indiana Area

• Recruited from Valassis. I oversee digital revenue and business development for Meredith’s Local Media Group which includes a TV and digital content and advertising solutions portfolio. 
• Accountable for +$4 million revenue growth in slightly less than 2 years across our national footprint. 
• My primary day to day role was to lead, coach and mentor a Team of 35+ TV and Digital Sales Managers and 120+ Sales Executives within Meredith’s local media group, invigorating everyone to think and dream big as we solve client marketing challenges in an integrated, big-data and digital-centric advertising landscape. 
• From cross device programmatic display and video strategies utilizing deep 1st, 2nd and 3rd party data sets fueled by our identity management platform (DMP), to the latest OTT/connected television technology, distribution and attribution, I coordinate group product and sales process training, new digital product development and actively assist our Local Teams to sell these solutions to SMB’s, Tier 2 and Tier 3 ad agencies. 
• Lead role in the Meredith OTT product development, group training and go-to market-strategy. 
• Actively recruit and hire new Digital Sales Managers. 
• Division point of contact for technology partners 2AdPro, a creative development company, Matchcraft, a self-managed SaaS SEM platform and CSS, a sales performance consulting company. Data Xu DSP, and Tapclicks, marketing analytics software, experience.

2016 – 2017

NATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR - VALASSIS DIGITAL

Indianapolis, Indiana Area

• Recruited from Media General. Led, mentored and coached a regional sales team of 7 Regional Sales Executives that delivered online and offline advertising success for businesses across the Midwest via the Valassis Red Plum brand and Valassis Digital’s vast product portfolio. 

2013 – 2016 

MEDIA GENERAL CORPORATE SALES DIRECTOR, DIGITAL REVENUE - LOCAL ACTIVATION (FORMERLY LIN MEDIA)

Indianapolis, Indiana Area

• Led, coached and mentored a group of 22 Sales Managers and Directors and 250+ Sales Executives within Media General’s local digital sales activation division, an omni-channel media company that operated over 70 TV stations and digital properties. Ensured all TV and Digital sales managers and sales executives were selling cross-screen and integrated strategies.

2010 – 2013

DIGITAL SALES DIRECTOR - LIN MEDIA

Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan Area

• Led, coached and mentored a local sales team of 12 Sales Executives at WOOD TV, WOTV andWXSP, a Lin Media company, to achieve digital revenue goals. 
• Nearly tripled revenue from 1.2 million to 3.5 million (+133%) in 3.5 years.

2007 – 2010

DIGITAL SALES DIRECTOR - LIN MEDIA

West Lafayette, IN

• Integrated TV and digital seller quickly transitioned to full time digital sales management . 
• Led, coached and mentored a sales team of 8 Sales Executives to achieve digital revenue goals at WLFI TV, a Lin Media company. Grew local annual revenue an average of +60% each year.

2005 – 2007

ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT, REGIONAL MARKETING AND ADVERTISING MANAGER - REGIONS BANK

Lafayette, Indiana Area

• Oversaw and managed all marketing and advertising (POP, traditional and digital advertising) activities to drive loans and checking/savings accounts for up to 3 states and 80 sales branches, including competitive analysis, advertising development and distribution (from concept to execution) and sports sponsorship management, including partnerships with Purdue sports, Indiana University sports and the Indianapolis Colts. 
• Managed, supported and drove select sales initiatives in conjunction with executive leadership, such as call blitzes and revenue contests.
• Managed, trained and mentored division marketing assistants. 
• Conducted routine market visits to provide marketing and sales support. 
• Prepared press releases and actively supported implementation and continued PR/Media Relations support for the region. 
• Accountable for regional marketing expense budget. 
• Actively purchased digital advertising solutions, primarily targeted banner display and online sponsorships to drive loans and checking accounts and increase brand awareness. Also included TV, radio and print into our marketing mix. 
• Worked closely with over 100 media outlets to support PR initiatives.