For every proclamation that print is dead, one need not look any further than the image just to the left to know the next generation of stewardship is already among us. Sure, Kimberly Doyle’s photo makes us want to gaze in the mirror and check for wrinkles, but her youth masks what is certainly an old business soul.
A 2018 graduate of Rowan University in southern New Jersey, Doyle racked up an impressive list of apprenticeships. She’s interned with Ricoh USA and Stratix Systems, among others, to grow her marketing knowledge with practical experience. And during her current 18-month journey with Epson as a field marketing specialist, Doyle’s already left her mark by demonstrating keen insight into the complementary relationship between sales (which her background also includes) and marketing.
Epson’s field sales team has bestowed her with favored nation partnering status; her appreciation of, and propensity for, developing meaningful relationships mirrors contemporaries who have been in the game for 10 years. It’s tough to illustrate Doyle’s attributes without using the “already” descriptor, and her advanced sensibilities fly in the face of all the negative associations that have maligned Generation Z.
Doyle follows the “most sales occur within the fifth to twelfth touch” mantra based on her sales background. “That being said, I like to make a personal relationship with whomever I am working with, continuously following up to stay top of mind and really understand our partners’ business so we can develop plans specific to them and have the highest chance of succeeding,” said Doyle, a 2022 ENX Magazine Difference Maker.
“When you are personable, specific and focused, it’s a recipe for success. I have been in their shoes; I know what it’s like.”
Spreading the Gospel
Doyle is a staunch advocate of Epson’s PrecisionCore Heat-Free technology and does her part in evangelizing its benefits to the reseller channel. It’s truly taken a team effort to help the OEM garner a foothold in the space, and Doyle is no stranger to that concept. She played women’s lacrosse with the Rowan Profs and continues in the game as a coach on the travel circuit. It’s a sport that is heavily dependent on each participant executing his/her role in order to achieve team (read: organization) success. Sound familiar?
“My sports background allowed me to recognize that it really does take a great team, and I think that is one of the great assets that puts Epson in front of its competitors,” she said. “We have such an engaged team on all fronts.”
Doyle has gleaned tremendous insight from a wide circle of influencers, including Debra Merritt, Epson’s commercial channel marketing manager. She loves drawing on Merritt’s experiences and often seeks out support and advice from other team members.
“I am a huge team player and wouldn’t be where I am today without their support,” she added.
Doyle spent much of her first year immersing herself in Epson’s messaging, technology and processes, which enabled her to have more meaningful conversations with team members, sales reps and other partners. This year, she’s been focusing on growing Epson’s dealer network, participating in webinars, new-hire training and communicating the wealth of programs and sales tools at the resellers’ disposal.
“Epson has made a huge investment in sales enablement tools that provide value to the dealer sales teams,” Doyle noted. “The more individuals that we see taking advantage of those tools, the more mindshare we will be able to achieve.”
While her educational process continues, Doyle is also mindful of maintaining open lines of communication with Epson’s dealer partners. “The more we know about their successes and needs, the more we can support them,” she added.
Away from the office, Doyle enjoys spending time with her parents and siblings (“My family is my rock,” she said). She loves to go hiking with her dog, read, and watch true crime series and movies on Netflix. Her passion for lacrosse continues; in addition to coaching and holding instructional clinics for young players, Doyle also finds time to play. A new resident of Boston, she’s enjoyed exploring all the city has to offer, from restaurants to making new friends and taking part in co-ed recreational sports leagues.
