There’s a lot of movement happening in the leasing business of late, particularly at EverBank Commercial Finance, Inc. where they’ve added a couple of leasing industry veterans to the mix, including Jody Salino as the Office Products Sales Director for the firm’s Western region and Jeff Stellinga as the Office Products Sales Director for the firm’s Eastern region. Both report directly to Fred Carollo, General Manager of Office Products at EverBank Commercial Finance. Salino will be based in California and Stellinga in Florida.Last week we spoke with Stellinga about his new position, EverBank Commercial Finance’s strategy moving forward, and the leasing industry in general.
Jeff Stellinga
How’s the new job been so far?
Stellinga: I couldn’t be more pleased and I’m really excited about what they have going on here. The team that’s already in place both externally and internally, the people are amazing, and I could not be more excited about the opportunity to work with those folks.
Why is EverBank a good fit for you at this stage of your career?
Stellinga: Again, when the opportunity arose, it was too exciting to pass up. It’s an opportunity to help run a team, the very talented people that are already here, and for an organization that truly understands that the dealer is our primary focus and our customer. The laser-like focus we have on that is something we want to continue. The culture is committed to the industry, there’s an opportunity for growth with both our people and our clients. It couldn’t be better.
What are some of the initiatives you’re working on now?
Stellinga: Expanding our sales team, guiding and directing the organization, and making sure that focus on supporting our dealers continues. We’re also making some heavy investments in technology; we have an enhanced Web portal and mobile products on the horizon that will give our clients more control, simplify and connect information for enhanced clarity, and provide meaningful insights that help them achieve their goals..
Do you see an opportunity for growth in the Eastern Region and what will that take to make happen?
Stellinga: The opportunity for us is a significant part of what we’re calling our smart growth strategy. We’re looking for talented people with deep industry knowledge to enhance our penetration in key geographic areas where we want to have a little more coverage. Our dealers really know us, and we know them. So, we would like to put more dedicated sales associates in the field to provide personal support to our dealer partners. Our expertise in cost per copy, managed networked services, and MPS, that’s going to be key for us.
Are you able to mention some of the geographic areas you’re looking to bolster?
Stellinga: Up and down the East Coast; it depends on where we find the right people and the right fit.
What do you see as some of the challenges you’re going to be facing in your new position and that the leasing industry in general is facing today?
Stellinga: During an expansion mode like we’re in right now, the most critical factor for us, like I said, is finding those quality people that fit within our culture. They’re going to have to have a sincere desire to grow with our clients and our dealer partners, and with EverBank.
As far as the industry goes, rates are at a level we have not seen for years. That pressure is probably going to continue. Thankfully, our portfolio is performing extremely well. The other thing you’re going to see is the convergence of information technology with software and equipment hardware. It’s really blurred the financing piece of this, so that traditional sales has evolved into something that we’re going to have to deal with more creatively and think out of the box to offer relevant solutions to our dealers that furthers their success.
What do you think dealers are looking for in a leasing company these days and has that changed all that dramatically since you were first in the business?
Stellinga: I don’t believe the things the independent dealer are looking for have changed all that much. They need a true partner who understands and focuses on their needs and the challenges they face. They need a funding source they can trust with their most important asset, which is their client base. Not only do we have to provide the proper products and programs for our dealers, we’ve got to have the right people in place in order to carry through on that promise.
What’s the best way to get that message across?
Stellinga: Having quality people in their offices as often as possible to deliver that message in person.
You’ve been doing this for a while now, what do you know now about this business and working with office technology dealers that you wish you knew when you first started?
Stellinga: One of the things that’s been interesting to me over this career is the fact that long-term partnerships are key to success. The key players you’ve met always seem to be in the business at some point or some place so hopefully you can establish that relationship again. That’s been part of the fun of this business as well.
When you meet with dealers and they ask, ‘Why Everbank?’ how do you respond to that?
Stellinga: We absolutely understand that the dealer is our client. That is our customer and that’s our focus. Through our Dealer Advisory Council Boards, through our membership in key industry associations such as BTA and MPSA, we drive that home. The second piece is you need to have people in place that understand the needs of the dealers. The tenure for our sales force is 10+ years in almost every single territory. And then you need a back office that absolutely supports that sales team. We have some fantastic people in the home office that our partners rely on every day to execute flawlessly. The last piece is the technology. We already have some cutting edge things out there and we’re going to continue to invest heavily in IT.
