ALLISON DECLEIR

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT – VECTOR MARKETING CANADA

When I first started working within the London Sales Support office, I didn’t know much about Vector Marketing or what the company was all about. A couple weeks of working within the office and I already felt like part of the Vector team.  My position allows me to speak daily with Vector Marketing head office, the Executive team and all of the managers and reps.  I quickly learned that one thing this company strives for is teamwork.  Of course there is much, much more that Vector Marketing stands for, but as a new employee I was astonished at how much effort Vector Marketing takes into ensuring we as a company are working together.

You may have heard the old sayings “There is no “I” in Team” and “The sum is greater than its parts” and this is very true with Vector Marketing.  Everyone on the Vector Marketing team is there to encourage, support and recognize others accomplishments and achievements.  There is a real team focus and it’s something to be very proud of.

Some companies may not take into consideration how crucial it is to ensure all their members are working and striving for the same goals.  Institutions around us such as schools, our own family structures or our very own past experiences emphasize being the best, the winner, and being on top.  Everyone that works for Vector Marketing and Cutco wants these things but we also have people who desire to be a part of a team, a place where you can succeed with others, and still be recognized for how hard you work.  Together as a team, we work towards ensuring everyone succeeds.

We have several summer conferences to teach people how to sell more as well as to recognize them for their accomplishments.  S.S.C.I – Summer Sales Conference I is coming up on May 28 & 29^th!  This will be my first summer conference and I am so excited to see what it will be like.  I heard it’s crazy fun, intense, loud and a place where people learn so much!  I can’t wait!  Hope to see you all there!  Remember, Together Everyone Achieves More!  Let’s get all our office TEAM members to S.S.C.I.!

JOE CARDILLO

NATIONAL SALES MANAGER, VECTOR MARKETING CANADA

It has been my dream since being a very young boy to be the National Sales Manager of a knife company.  Not quite.  Back then it would have been hard to compete with being a NHL player, fireman or astronaut.  As I grew older and realized the NHL wouldn’t be calling my name out on draft day anytime soon, I did know I wanted to play a role in life that made a difference.

In today’s world there are endless opportunities where someone can positively influence others. One profession I admire immensely is teaching.  That was the path I was on before finding out about the Vector Opportunity.  It all appealed to me because I knew I could be a positive influence in the classroom and as a coach on the field or ice.

Several years into my Vector career after telling my story – my original aspiration to be a teacher, a teacher working part-time with us shared his love of teaching and for making a difference.  He also explained that he had a limited chance from September to June to impact a student.  What impressed him about the leadership role in Vector was that the influence could be much longer than just ten months, as he had witnessed many on our team had been with the company much longer than that.

I truly believe we were all meant to provide leadership to others in whatever role we pursue.  Sometimes we make a difference with our quiet work ethic or maybe it’s with our daily warm smile and greeting of others.  It could be with our loyalty or the strong virtues we live by.  How about being there when others need us or someone that keeps us believing the future will be brighter.  There are so many ways that we can positively influence others and we don’t have to be the smartest or the best in anything to accomplish this either.

We all have our lives to live and so much of that is figuring it out as we go, but if we can keep in mind the opportunity we have to make a difference for others along the way, then we will all live much richer lives and yes the world will be a better place too.

LEIGH KIRSCHNER

SALES SUPPORT SPECIALIST – VECTOR MARKETING CANADA

Seventeen years ago, fresh out of college and with a little boy to support, I found an ad in the paper (in the newspaper…yep, it was a long time ago!) for an administrative position at a company called Vector Marketing Canada. I had never heard of the company or CUTCO knives before, and little did I know this was not just a new job I was starting, but my first step in a long journey. Vector Marketing is where I met my husband, and Vector is the place I returned to after two more maternity leaves. It’s where I’ve worked, thrived and grown while starting and raising a family.

My career and the opportunities I’ve been offered are fueled by the amazing people I work for and the incredible people who sell CUTCO. Although I’ve never sold a single CUTCO knife or run my own sales office, I’ve been lucky enough to work closely with the entrepreneurial spirits who do. The relationships I’ve formed with the individuals in our sales field and my daily interactions with these people have only encouraged my on-going evolution! I’m so lucky to be able to travel to and attend numerous sales conferences every year, to ‘rub elbows’ with the experienced Vector leaders and listen to their sage advice and inspirational messages. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this job is my contact with the brand new sales reps and leaders, whose enthusiasm and excitement is always refreshing and invigorating!

My longstanding employment with Vector Marketing Canada is an anomaly in a time where career satisfaction is low, jobs are switched frequently and full time positions are scarce. Not only can I say I have a good job; I can say I work for an incredible company which produces an equally incredible product. MORE importantly – I am proud to say I work for a company where I’ve met and worked with the most marvelous, spectacular and inspiring people on the planet!

Sherri Dickie

Campus Recruiting Manager – Vector Marketing Canada

Why is “sales” such a scary word for so many?  When we think of sales, it often conjures up a stereotype of a pushy, aggressive used car salesman.  The salesperson is slick, and the customer is always on the losing end of the relationship, right?

I think selling is like sushi for many people.  Until about 4 or 5 years ago, I’d never had sushi before because “I didn’t like it.”  I had come to that conclusion of course without ever actually trying it.  I mean, something that is made of raw fish and seaweed, how could I possibly enjoy it?  Just the thought of the texture turned me off.  However, my good friend, Sally, convinced me to try it.  Not only was it not as bad as I had made it out to be, I actually liked it.  The past few years I’ve become more adventurous, ate at some exceptional sushi restaurants, and I’d go as far as saying that it’s one of my favourite foods!

If I had not let go of my preconceived notions, I would have never tried sushi and never realized how much I enjoyed it.  I think many students also have stereotypes about sales thinking, “I don’t like sales”.  Yet, with sales experience they’d gain transferable skills in communication, leadership, negotiation, public speaking and time management- that they could use to propel themselves into their chosen profession, or perhaps even discover a field they never knew they had a passion for.

I studied French and biology in university, I always thought I’d be a teacher, but in the back of my mind I wondered if there was something else that I hadn’t thought of yet.  That something, was certainly not sales.  I was super shy, quiet and didn’t like asking questions in class.  However, the summer of 1996, I had applied for numerous positions and had yet to secure summer work.  I came across Vector Marketing, and I’m so grateful that I reluctantly took that first bite!  That I decided to set aside those stereotypes and give it a try.  However, the truth of the matter is, I had sold before, and so have you. You’ve sold your parents on why they should once again let you borrow the car, or you’ve sold your professor on why you deserve an extension on that term paper that’s due.  In fact, we’ve all been selling since we were 3 years old and sold our parents on staying up an extra 15 minutes and reading yet another story.

Selling, if done correctly, isn’t a “you versus them” scenario, where you win and they lose.  Sales is meeting a need, helping to solve a problem.  In today’s labour market, students need the life skills that selling teaches, more than ever before.  I just read a statistic that said, “Taking underemployment into consideration, the job prospects for bachelor’s degree holders fell last year to the lowest level in more than a decade.”[1] Students need to find ways to separate themselves from their peers, to show prospective employers what they can bring to the table.

Whether you ultimately decide to make a career of it, as I have done with Vector Marketing or use it as a launching pad for a short time, I encourage you to at least take that first bite.  I bet more often than not, it will surprise you, and you’ll like it!

ASHLEY PELLEY

SALES PROMOTION COORDINATOR – VECTOR MARKETING CANADA

This will be my sixth summer with Vector Marketing Canada.  Six years at any job is a milestone- but six years with the same company when you’re a twenty-something?  That must mean you LOVE what you do.  In those six years, I’ve learned a LOT!

1)      BE GENUINE – Vector Marketing has taught me that being myself is the best thing that I can be.  The first thing I remember liking about Vector Marketing was that the people I met during my interview who worked there were all their own person- and that’s what Vector Marketing has helped me to be.  Learning to be genuine has helped me to connect with people, create better relationships, and enjoy life more.  Learning to be authentically myself has made my life more fun because I’m not worried about pretending to be perfect- I’m just worried about making sure that I’m being me!

2)      MAKE MISTAKES – Mistakes are a part of life- and the bigger the mistake, the greater the success.  School doesn’t really prepare you for this though- making a huge mistake on an exam does NOT ensure a great success.  What Vector Marketing did teach me is to think through my mistakes and figure out where I went wrong- and learn from it.  This is a skill that not only has been really valuable in my work (bosses always realize that you’re going to make mistakes- but the important thing is whether or not you’ll make the same one again), but also in my life.

3)      DREAM BIG – No other job will teach you to dream as big as Vector Marketing will.  Before Vector Marketing, I worked at an ice cream shop (where I worked 80 hours to save up to buy 1 ridiculously expensive pair of jeans and the biggest dream I had was that they might install air conditioningone day…), I waitressed, and I bartended.  None of those jobs taught me to dream about going anywhere with them, none gave me chances for advancement like Vector Marketing does, and none were filled with staff who cared SO INTENSELY about my dreams and helping me to accomplish them than the Assistant Managers, District Managers, Division Managers, and national staff that we are lucky to have.

Every job teaches you something but Vector Marketing teaches you the skills that you need to become a better version of yourself.  Whether you’re looking for a summer job or something more long term, the skills you learn will stick with you for a lifetime.

KRISTINE GICK

SENIOR FIELD SALES MANAGER / VANCOUVER OFFICE / PACIFIC COAST DIVISION

Almost five years ago I was a University  Student with $122 in my bank account looking for a summer job. That’s when I first heard about CUTCO Cutlery. I spent $105 of those dollars on a sample set of knives and set out to sell knives to people I knew.  Some of my friends called me a sucker.

Now as a Senior Field Sales Manager in the company I get to hear lots of different stories about how other people heard about CUTCO. Especially as they enthusiastically approach our Fair and Show booths announcing, “These are my favourite knives!”

Ninety percent of the time it is a different version of the same story. It’s always some variation of a poor University student making their way through the sea of tuition payments and living expenses until they moved on to their “real job” and they “wound up with a set of knives”. That was me remember?

This weekend Maureen from Kelowna had a slightly different CUTCO Cutlery story that got me thinking about why I love my company and why I feel so good about having started out selling CUTCO Cutlery to my friends and family.

Maureen first saw CUTCO Cutlery from her grandson 15 years ago. Her biggest regret is that she didn’t actually buy her CUTCO Cutlery from him!  His mother (her daughter in law) said he was not allowed to ‘sucker’ his Grandmother into placing a CUTCO Cutlery order. (She later bought it on the spot at a home show knowing the quality) As I sat with Maureen (A feisty 80+ Mother to four, grandmother to 6, and Great-grandmother to 9) sharpening her knives I couldn’t help but giggle at the idea of her being ‘suckered’ into anything!

I realized though that some of our new customers suffer from the same apprehension and I honestly don’t blame them. Look how we’re usually treated as consumers! Most companies don’t stand behind their guarantees and most things are made to be continually replaced. Working these shows and seeing customer reactions to being signed up for free service (pleasantly surprised) or being told that they can send their paring knife with the broken tip back and it will be replaced (too good to be true confused) or that they could send back the melted knife they left on the stove and get half off a new one (shear shock) has made me realize that MOST of our CUTCO customers need to have what I call the AHA moment!

The AHA moment is when they realize that there is a company out there that wants to create a WIN-WIN situation not just a WIN for themselves.  My pleasure and satisfaction with my job comes in that moment that I reassure them that they are going to receive the service that they paid for above and beyond the quality they have already enjoyed. Furthermore I really do hope that I have reaffirmed their conviction not just in CUTCO Cutlery but in the industry of direct sales. Direct sales companies in case you haven’t heard have some of the BEST guarantees and customer service out there!

In a world so focused on the 99% vs. the 1%, direct sales has figured it out–spend amongst the 99% and get what you pay for from people you trust!

So the next time someone wants to show you a product because they have a previous relationship with you, whether it’s a university student or friend that has stumbled upon something they think is great, why not hear them out? We have millions of Customers including many of my friends and families that will tell you …you might just get ‘suckered’ into the best product of it’s kind -with the absolute best Customer Service! I sure did!

MIKE McDONALD

NATIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER – VECTOR MARKETING CANADA

Although many of our conversations revolve around knives, and we are surrounded by pictures of knives and we are often handling knives; most of us Vector employees wouldn’t consider ourselves knife aficionados.   In fact, it would be a huge exaggeration to say that anyone that works here at Vector Marketing Canada Corporation is a hard core knife enthusiast.   Despite this, we do all share one common trait. We are all raving CUTCO fans!

Simply put our product is amazing.   On my very first day here at Vector, every single employee I met bragged about how incredible our product was.  This bravado was born of their own experiences and not people simply towing a company line. This is a product that we all use in our homes with our families every single day.  This is a product that we buy and gift to friends and loved ones. The employees here all sincerely believe that we offer an amazing product with a superior lifetime guarantee.

The amazing thing about CUTCO is that our customers all echo our admiration for the product. Our customers love their CUTCO!  Each day we get countless letters, emails and phone calls expressing people’s love for our product. What other products do you use every day that you can honestly rave about?

During my 16 years here, I have toured the factory at least once a year. I never tire at the sight of watching our hard working CUTCO employees using their personal craftsmanship to create our CUTCO knives.  CUTCO’s dedication to quality is unbelievable.  I have witnessed first-hand the pride our founders feel for our product and that attitude filters downs to everyone at CUTCO and Vector.

It is an absolute pleasure to work at a company where you are confident that the product you sell is the best of its kind in the world.  It is exciting to work at a company where all employees believe in what we are doing. It is incredible to work at a company that guarantees its product FOREVER.

Rhancha Connell

National Sales Promotion Manager, Vector Marketing Canada

Just spent the most incredible 4 days with the best of the best in Vector Canada!  From Thursday to Sunday, we had all our current managers & future managers all together to kick off the summer of 2012!  We had incredible special guests like DVM Drew Frank, Trent Booth, Mike Monroe, Jake Koon, Betsy Crouch and Dr. Derek Hassay!  It was a star-studded event!  Everyone was engaged and excited to hear from some of our key managers and our special guests.   The Honey Badger video kick started the event in style. (If you haven’t seen the video you have to see it on YouTube.)

Everyone in attendance is excited about having the best summer of their lives as well as changing everyone’s life they come in contact with.  We are going to help people design the life of their dreams.  This summer thousands of new people will have the Vector Opportunity presented to them.  Some will accept the challenge and some won’t.  Those that will, will be better for it. 

At our event we had people that just started a few months back but are excited to be an Assistant Manager this summer and impact people’s lives in a positive way.  They have no idea what to expect from a Vector summer but they are excited!!!  It was amazing to see someone like an Ian Lypps who started in September (so 7 months ago) choose the path of being a District Manager- pursing a career with Vector!  He gets it!  He understands that he can build a thriving business, help people achieve their goals and leave a legacy!  That is what the Vector Opportunity is all about.

Whether people stay with Vector for 3 weeks, 3 months or 3 years, the experience will stay with them forever!  This is a place like no other.  We are Team Canada.  We are a family.  We take care of each other and we help others to become the best version of themselves.

At our event we celebrated Mike Smith’s 20-year anniversary with Vector and Jim Kalil’s 25-year anniversary with Vector.  Those types of anniversaries don’t happen in the world these days.  Vector is a place where people can grow and develop into amazing individuals.  It’s a place where people create lasting friendships and moments that they will cherish for a lifetime.

The Vector Summer of 2012 will be different than all the other summers – every summer has it’s own uniqueness to it.  That is what makes Vector so exciting.  The thrill of changing people’s lives for the better.  So get ready for the best summer of your life!  The best is yet to come!

KIRSTEN WONG

Office Assistant – Vector Marketing Canada

I just recently started working for Vector Marketing in August 2011 and have found my time with the company to be very enjoyable and fulfilling. The reason is that the team of people that work for Cutco/Vector Marketing are like a real family; they make you feel welcome and appreciated.

Growing up in London, Ontario my parents were always involved in different direct sales companies and Vector Marketing was one of them.   I didn’t really know what they were getting into but I knew it had to be a good company to have gotten their attention. Now looking back I realize it was so much more than just some sales company.  Vector Marketing / Cutco is a company for people of all ages.  They are able to provide various opportunities for students in school, as well as parents and families.  Scholarships, trip incentives and cash prizes are only a few things among the huge list of rewards for Vector Marketing / Cutco representatives, management and leaders. 

The majority of the senior level management team has been with the company for 20+ years and this shows stability and strength within the company’s core roots.  The people at Vector Marketing are huge believers in giving back to the community.  Last December, we took part in the Annual Basket Brigade.  We collected food donations from local grocers and various household supplies from companies such as 3M and Wal-Mart. This allowed us to donate and feed 52 families in London for the Christmas season, which was very rewarding.

CUTCO is not just cutlery, it’s a way of life.  The products they manufacture and sell enable people to design and shape the lives of their families.  They provide people with a product that can make cooking fun and the ability to stay healthy by cooking foods at home.  So whether you are young or old, looking for part or full time work, Vector Marketing is definitely a company to consider.  They stand by their product, employees and ensure complete satisfaction.  When people ask me now where I work, I tell them I work for one of the greatest companies; who have been around for over 63 years.  Vector Marketing can help you design your life with products guaranteed forever!