Many a CEO and VP of sales have professed a preference for hiring former college athletes. After all, they understand the team concept and how their role is essential to the overall success of the unit. They understand supporting and sacrificing, doing their part to enable others to be positioned for success as well. They understand strategy and game plans. Plus, they know how to handle defeat and diagnose what went wrong in those situations and can self-correct.
More than anything, however, it’s the competitive fire, that drive to be the best, which makes athletes attractive candidates for sales. So when Nauticon Office Solutions was on the hunt for sales superstars, John-Austin Shepard’s record screamed potential. After all, the former collegiate pitcher struck out 2024 American League Most Valuable Player Aaron Judge twice, which said more about his makeup and ability to overcome tremendous obstacles. Forget about Shepard’s mid-90s fastball and knee-buckling slider. He knows how to go one-on-one with the best and emerge the winner—a trait that is more ingrained than taught.
“I wanted to get into an industry where, just like in sports, the harder you work, the better results and success you’ll have,” said Shepard, a 2024 ENX Magazine Difference Maker, of his decision to move into sales.
It’s no surprise that Shepard credits his team with much of Nauticon’s success. He advocates for the dealer’s “Process = Results” core value, and believes what sets the company apart from its competitors is a value-add sales process, which is instilled in sales newcomers from onboarding and training.
“I truly believe that this approach allows our team to work with the right types of customers who value our service, technology, and people,” he noted.
Getting Started
Shepard’s office career actually started at TML, a D.C.-based member of the Xerox Global Imaging Solutions (now Xerox Business Solutions) chain. He proved a natural fit for sales, recognized as a three-time Rookie of the Month and a two-time Rep of the Month for both MPS and production equipment.
He’s shifted from player to assistant coach, in a sense, and positively impacting the careers of other sales neophytes. “We’ve made a conscious effort to continue to invest in our teams’ development where they can build a career that’s both fruitful and fun,” Shepard noted.
As influences go, it’s tough to find an individual who has impacted Shepard in a profound way more than Nauticon President Carter Hertzberg. In four short years, Hertzberg has instilled a “lead from the front” mentality in his protégé.
‘While the business is fairly simple and straightforward, Carter’s wisdom and advice has allowed us to navigate many of the macro-economic challenges—such as COVID, supply chain, rate hikes—while we continue to grow year over year,” Shepard noted.
By every measurement available, 2023 was a rousing success and a record-breaking sales year for Nauticon. One major plus was the conscious decision to be more deliberate and selective when it comes to hiring account representatives. By investing time to become better acquainted with potential hires, the team can not only identify high performers, but also ensure the candidates will be a better cultural fit—all geared toward getting off the “sales turnover merry-go-round,” Shepard observed.
Game Plan
The acquisition and integration of Digital Office Products has gone especially well. The aim for 2025 is to bolster the dealer’s presence in the Baltimore marketplace, where Shepard and Co. see tremendous growth potential.
“We’re also going to continue to use technologies like HubSpot, ZoomInfo, and ConnectAndSell to become more efficient in uncovering sales opportunities throughout the whole marketplace we serve,” he added.
Constantly absorbing new skills is one road toward self-improvement that Shepard embraces. Propelling Nauticon forward will require the sales and executive teams to seek out every advantage possible, in his estimation.
“While the industry is and likely will continue to be a direct sales model, we’re using different technologies to reach businesses faster and stay ahead of our competition,” he said.
On the home front, Shepard and his wife, Katie, will be celebrating their third wedding anniversary on New Year’s Day. They welcomed a daughter, Charlotte, back in January of this year. The Shepards relocated to a more rural community in Maryland, where their dog, Penny (Australian Shepherd) can run free and chase after deer.
