Get to Know Our CEO! As told by little sister, Nicole

For those of you who don’t know our President/CEO, Eric Norregaard that well, (or even those of you who do!) we thought we should let you know a little bit about his background. Luckily, I, as his little sister have  access to the inside scoop! 

1. Eric was born on April 8th, 1987 of Christine and Frederick Norregaard. Exactly two years later, baby sis was born on April 8th, 1989. (And was probably the best birthday present he ever got.) He also has an older brother, Daniel who works in the restaurant industry.

Danny and Eric

Nicole and Eric

Eric, Danny and Nicole

  

2. From a very young age, Eric showed great determination and spunk! He was a natural born saver and business man! When Eric was about twelve years old, his dad ripped a one dollar bill in half. He kept one half for himself and handed the other half to Eric and told him that if he kept it until he turned 18, he would give him $500.00. (Imagine the shock on poor ole’ Freddie’s face when Eric walked up to him on his 18th birthday holding that half of a bill, grinning ear to ear.) 

3. We lived up the street from these wonderful people; the O'Briens. Sue (mom), Tommy, Courtney and the legendary Big Guy (David). We have known them our whole lives and consider them to be family more than friends. 

4. Eric used to rock out on the drums and played football throughout his childhood for Dracut Pop Warner. 

5. Eric’s first job was scooping ice cream at Heritage Farm in Lowell, MA at 14 years old.

6. Eric spent a lot of his childhood at his family’s log cabin (which he actually helped build along with his father and uncles) in the White Mountains in New Hampshire.

7. Eric attended a vocational high school in greater Lowell focusing in culinary while also taking part in the school’s football and wrestling programs. He also worked at Todd English’s restaurant, Olive’s, in Charlestown, MA, while in  school. 

8. After graduating from high school, Eric attended college at Johnson and Wale’s University in Rhode Island, majoring in Culinary Nutrition. (And he can make a mean risotto that would leave even the great Gordon Ramsay speechless!)

9. While studying at JWU, he worked at Summer Winter at the Marriott Hotel in Burlington, MA as well as The Stonehedge Inn&Spa in Tyngsboro, MA. 

10. After graduating College, Eric worked at the Charter Oak Country Club in Hudson MA and also worked as a nutritional consultant for some professional athletes including Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Vontae Davis, and Matthew Stafford.

11. Although Eric enjoyed his culinary career, he decided to explore a new avenue and dove head first into the wonderful world of sales. He always wanted to own his own business and had never experienced working in sales before so he jumped right in and quickly worked his way up to where he is now! 

12. In 2011, Eric left his home town of Dracut Massachusetts with a small crew and together, along with the new additions to the team, they turned Peak-Incorporated into what it is today! 

Peak-Incorporated Gives Back!

On June 23rd, Peak-Incorporated hosted a fundraiser at Rickoli's Brewery to continue our efforts in supporting a great cause, Operation Smile. Operation Smile is an incredible, nonprofit organization that provides free surgeries to children and young adults worldwide, who suffer from clefts and other life-threatening facial malformations.

On Sunday the 23rd, the employees of Peak-Inc. joined together with their families and friends at Rickoli's Brewery for some good brew and some beer pong fun! Proceeds from the event went directly to Operation Smile, an organization which Peak-Inc. has been working with for years, now.

Though the beer pong games were full of rivalry and certainly brought out the competitive side of our employees, the purpose and goal of our fundraiser remained in our thoughts and hearts throughout the day. We are honored to be able to contribute to such an amazing organization. To learn more and see how you can give back as well, check out their website here: http://www.operationsmile.org/ways_to_give/

Overcoming the Stigma of Sales

So, in our last blog we talked about how we sales people have somehow developed a bad rap in the public eye. Now, how do we overcome this stigma and avoid being known as "that slimy sales guy" ?The number one goal here is to change your prospects’ view of you from a stereotypical salesperson to a provider, an advocate, an advisor, an assistant buyer, or even a friend! There are a few ways you can earn the trust and respect of a sales prospect:

1. Never represent a product or service that you wouldn’t buy yourself were you in a similar position. If you don’t truly believe that your product or service will be of value, do not push it on someone and do not waste their time. 

2. Adopt a new sales philosophy. Ask yourself, “ How can my prospects prosper by using my products?”, not “How much stuff can I sell today?”.

3. Do your research. Read everything you can about your client and come prepared to explain why your product is a perfect match for them.

4. Ask questions. Make it all about them. Ask what areas they need help in and how you can be of assistance. Don’t subject them to torturous broad PowerPoints or sales drones. Make is precise and personal.

5. Follow up and Follow through. Do what you say you’re going to do and do it in a timely fashion. Follow up by checking in and making sure they are satisfied with your product or service or maybe sending a small gift their way. 

6. Use/Make referrals. If you come by way of a legitimate referral, that increases the likelihood of a sale before you even walk through the door. If you make a referral for your prospect in some other area, you are opening up all kinds of lines of connections here. Your prospect will appreciate your effort and will hopefully return the favor. Whoever you have referred will likely do the same. 

7. Be prepared to walk away. Your product is not for everyone at every time. If you are not a perfect match, walk away. And fast. Apologize and say “I’m sorry, I don’t think I can be of service to you right now, but please don’t hesitate to contact me in the future if you see yourself in need of our services.” You will earn their respect and perhaps their future business. 

8. Most importantly, build yourself up! Remember, the first and most important sale you will make is yourself. If you view yourself as merely just a salesperson, so will everyone else. If you view yourself as a kick-butt advocate, advisor and trusted friend who works to help others run their businesses as efficiently as possible, your prospects will view you this way as well. You've got to portray yourself in a way that lets everyone know how fabulous you are! Now, go get your sales on!