Rock Connections' Connect Magazine

1. Tim Bezenah:
Leading Automotive
ISSUE 8
AUGUST 2018

2. 2
When we think about the strengths of Rock Connections, we’re best at connecting people and brands,
making life simple. The average time spent at a dealership making a purchase is 187 minutes… that’s more
than three hours! There has to be a better way. With Rock Connections’ current partners, we have proved
there is!
Today we are helping people sell their existing car and buy a used car, all without having to visit a dealership
- saving time and money! That’s why Rock Connections is focusing our strengths into our automotive sales
site: The Lot. Tim Bezenah is heading up the new site. The Lot is about capturing all of the great parts about
the auto transaction process and removing all the pain points. The transaction happens from the comfort of
your home, and we bring our partners to you!
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QUICK FACTS: WHY AUTO
Learn about the opportunities in the automotive space for Rock Connections
WHATS YOUR WHY?
Get to know RC’s first two-time Rockstar Award winner, Nabil Elmawari
MEET TIM BEZENAH
Our new VP of Automotive Sales talks about culture, automotive partners,
and changes in the Site
TRANSITION TIPS:
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Hear from two of our team members working on automotive campaigns
COMMITTED TO
THE COMMUNITY
A recap from the Blight Busters volunteer event from one of RC’s own
WHY AUTOMOTIVE
QUICK FACTS:
INDEX
Jeff Raab
VP, Business Development
JeffRaab@rockconnections.com
x81150
HAVE QUESTIONS?
REACH OUT:
Current automotive partners:
Vroom.com – an online retailer of used cars. Great prices.
Better Cars. Shipped to You.
Peddle.com – an easy way to sell your car. Easy. Instant Legit.
What we’ve done so far:
The Vroom campaign launched in December 2017. In August,
we crossed over the 5,000 total sold cars mark! We’re closing
in on 1,000 sold cars per month and should hit that goal in
September.
We launched our campaign with Peddle in July 2018. In less
than 2 short months we’ve helped more than 700 people sell
their car without setting foot in a dealership!
Rock Connections is expanding our automotive sales site in
Arizona!
We’re going to be adding our first 50 team members in
Phoenix, AZ starting in September! Expanding out west will
help by extending our hours of operation and supporting large
car markets in states like California and Arizona.

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Where are you from?
Dearborn, Michigan. Born and raised.
What is your favorite hobby?
I love a good challenge, so I love
playing Speed Sudoku.
Tell us a random fact about yourself.
I am a first-generation American.
My parents came to this country as kids.
Who is your role model?
My mom is a superhero.
I love her to death.
What does winning the Rock Star award mean
to you?
It’s humbling to know that our leaders and
teammates really take notice when we go above
and beyond. The award is a great testament to
our culture and it makes this place a great place
to work.
What does “make yourself the obvious choice”
mean to you?
Make yourself stand out. Go above and beyond
what’s expected. Why be in the background, or
be in second place, when
you can be in the spotlight? It’s all up to you.
Many of your fellow team members have said
that you’re their “go-to” person on their team -
a real team player. Why is it important to you to
be that kind of resource for your team?
Because in order to truly be a leader, people need
to resonate with that. They need to really feel that
you can lead them. I’m always trying to help in
every area that I can.
How have you created success in your life -
both inside and outside of work?
Here at RC, I create success by continuously
helping to grow campaigns to add to the flow and
to help the company grow. Outside of work, I think
I maintain a great work/life balance; making it a
priority to always make time for my many family
members and friends. That is a success to me.
If you could give yourself from 5 years ago
advice, what would it be?
Invest in your future. Take chances and see where
it takes you. I wasn’t much of a risk taker 5 years
ago; I was always playing it safe. But now I’m
much more of a risk-taker and the payoff is great!
What is your why?
I have a fierce dedication to continuous growth.
We can only learn if we try and make mistakes, so
I want to take every chance to learn new things
and jump at new opportunities whenever I can.
This is my motivation.
HUMAN INTEREST
2X
ROCKSTAR
AWARD
WINNER!
Nabil Elmawari
Account Executive x81594
What’s
YOUR WHY?
Get to know RC’s first two-time
Rockstar Award winner, Nabil Elmawari

4. 6 7
Meet
TIM BEZENAH
VP, Automotive Sales x52095
“I AM ELATED
TO BE PART
OF THE RC
FAMILY AND
READY TO
MAKE A
DIFFERENCE.”Where are you from?
The Alief neighborhood of Houston, Texas.
Or the SWAT – Southwest Alief Texas -- as it’s known.
Where did you go to college?
Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, Arkansas.
What is your favorite hobby?
Telling random stories to make myself laugh.
Tell us a random fact about yourself.
The last time I had someone else cut my hair was Saturday,
September 1, 2001 in Magnolia, Arkansas. The guy who did it
was an unlicensed barber by the name of Kenneth Aaron Pettway
– who was eventually drafted in the 7th round by the Houston,
Texans in the 2005 NFL draft. Random.
Tell us about the best piece of advice you’ve received in the
journey through your career.
In work, in leadership and in life… there are no neutral
interactions. All interactions are either positive or negative.
All interactions matter.
What is your personal view on the Rock Connections culture?
As a businessman who is always talking to other businesses, my
motto is: “Anything you do, our people [at RC] can do better.” Our
people outperform the business models of any other customer-
facing contact centers out there. We don’t have to invent the
game to win at it! And that’s the result of our amazing culture.
FEATURE
Rock Connections Business Development site is
changing to focus on Automotive Sales. Learn about
how our culture is shaping the future of this new Site.

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“WE ALL GOT AN
ACCESS BADGE AT
JUMPSTART – THE
REST IS UP TO US! ”
What lead you to Rock Connections?
Family and impact. My immediate family and I
moved to Michigan to be closer to extended family.
I’m an only child and I have always lived quite a
distance away from my extended family members.
When my father passed away about two years
ago, I realized that connections and close-knit
relationships matter. That’s what triggered
my move here.
Shortly afterward, I became the VP of Sales
for Protect America and I directly managed the
relationship between PA and Rock Connections –
from PA’s point of view. But during my time at PA, I
watched RC grow substantially. So, I jumped on an
opportunity to join RC because I knew that I could
make a positive impact on the company’s emerging
partnerships and help to grow the company even
more. While I’ve technically only been at RC for six
months, I feel like I’ve been here since the beginning.
I am elated to be part of the RC family and ready to
make a difference.
Which one of our ISMs has been most helpful for
you in guiding your RC career?
“You’ll see it when you believe it.” I have experienced
this ISM play out in my life way before I even heard
it. Really the secret to success is a microscopic
opportunity, and a huge vision mixed with positivity
to go along with it. I love this ISM because it is a
reminder that this company is a place where anyone
can be a leader. We all got an access badge at
Jumpstart – the rest is up to us!
Exciting things are happening in your site. Can you
give us a gump version of the changes?
1. The Automotive site will be the first arm of Rock
Connections to head out West to launch our Arizona
team in September.
2. We have committed to our Vroom teams to do
everything that we can to get them in front of the
most relevant and actionable leads we have. The
launch of TCPA certified leads and the Power Dialing
team will help us to make this commitment a reality!

6. 10 11
“CARING ABOUT FINDING
THE CLIENT’S TRUE NEED
IS NOT NECESSARILY A
SKILL – IT IS A CHOICE.”
How is Rock Connections helping our
automotive partners, Vroom and Peddle?
We are helping Vroom to improve processes so
that they can improve their client experience. Our
increased focus on sales execution is allowing
them to laser focus on overhauling the delivery
and fulfillment side of their business.
Our relationship with Peddle is new, but we are
challenging the status quo and bringing to them
new perspectives and logic that will help better
their client purchasing process and help their
business evolve.
As the new VP of Automotive Sales, what goals
do you have set for the site?
By creating a top notch car buying experience
that adds value to any automotive business and
disrupts the automotive industry. Our goal is that
our best month of sales in 2018 will balance out
to our daily average by 2020.
What skills will make a team member
successful in the new site?
The car sales market is extremely competitive,
so team members have to be interesting. And
to truly be interesting, you have to really be
interested. Caring about finding the client’s true
need is not necessarily a skill – it is a choice. And
those that make the choice will more often than
not be seen as skilled.

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TRANSITION TIPS:
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
TRANSITION TIPS
We heard you had
an interesting story
about being referred
to work at Rock
Connections. Tell
us about how your
previous job opened
the door to RC?
Previously, I was
going door to
door in hopes of
creating leads for
a home remodeling
company. I stumbled
upon Zach Taylor’s house, and he told me that
I had great confidence in what I was doing. He
believed that I could be a perfect fit for the team
here at Rock Connections! He ended up referring
me and I was working with the company within a
month. Everything happens for a reason.
How has the culture of Rock Connections
impacted your business so far?
The culture is my favorite thing about working
with this company. When I am comfortable with
my work environment I am able to work very
effectively. All of the leaders at Rock Connections
care about personal development and they make
it their number one priority to make sure the whole
team is executing effectively.
What positions
have you held prior
to your current role
and how did they
prepare you?
I started with Rock
Connections as an
Account Specialist
(before LOLA!).
From there I moved
to the Business
Development region
where I became a
Product Specialist.
Then I transitioned to the Sales Team where I
am now an Account Executive on our Vroom
campaign!
After almost 5 years at Rock Connections on
many different campaigns, what has been one
of the universal key factors to perfecting your
role here?
Flexibility. Having the ability to change with the
company and to move to different campaigns
without hesitation. I am always ready to adapt
when needed and I always feel confident that my
leaders will help me prepare.
How do you create success in a sales role?
The most important thing is your mindset. Stay
positive and focus on the things that you can
control. Another important aspect of success
is within your team and your leaders. Ask for
feedback always and actually apply it! Listening
and understanding other points of view is a
priceless tool that will only benefit you. This is
how I’ve created success in sales.
What are the biggest differences between your
previous roles and a sales role? What are some
similarities?
My current position is actually much like other
roles that I’ve had in the company. Maybe it’s
because I’ve been lucky enough to have the
same leader who has been with me since my first
year here! I started with home refinance / home
purchase transfers before moving into Business
Development. They are both production-oriented,
however I now have the ability to help clients
through the process of buying a car as opposed
to a home.
What advice would you give to someone looking
to transition to a new role at RC?
Any transition can be scary. But you should
absolutely give it a shot – even if you have
reservations! If you have passion for something
that you’re not fulfilling in your current role, odds
are that there is opportunity elsewhere in the
company. And remember: If you’re not growing
you’re dying.
What kind of skills do you think are most
valuable to have in a sales role?
Communication and active listening are very
important skills to master in a sales role. You have
an advantage if you are able to understand a
client’s situation. Listening to respond will get you
nowhere. Listening to understand will keep you
engaged and ready to overcome objections.
As a rookie team member, what has been your
strategy in becoming productive and successful
quickly in a new environment?
One of the things my previous job taught me is
self-motivation. I was walking door to door 8
hours a day and sometimes in the rain. Coming
from a strictly commission job, I knew I wasn’t
going to get payed unless I kept myself motivated.
I took the hunger for self-motivation and applied
it here at Rock Connections which is the biggest
reason I am able to be productive and successful
in my position.
What’s a mistake that you made in your first
few weeks that other new team members can
learn from?
One mistake I made was focusing too much on
the negative. I kept telling myself that face to
face engagement was more effective than over
the phone. I came to realize that they were
exactly the same. Even though someone can’t
see you over the phone, your body language still
matters because your tone and expression plays
a big factor in the overall mood of the call. If you
are comfortable on the phone, the client will
be as well.
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Hear from two of our team members working on automotive campaigns
Elvis Zrinic
Account Executive x81594
Marie Lambert
Account Executive x81207

8. Committed
TO THE COMMUNITY
What inspired you to volunteer for Blight Busters?
I have a general interest in community service that was
really sparked by Rock On! Orientation. A fellow team
member asked me to attend this Blight Busters event
and my community service interests made it easy to
accept the invitation.
What neighborhood were you helping? Were you
familiar with this neighborhood prior to volunteering?
This particular Blight Busters event was in what’s
known as Artist Village, near the McNichols and Lahser
intersection. I actually live in the Grandmont Rosedale
community, which isn’t far from Artist Village, so I was
familiar with the area prior to volunteering.
What are your thoughts about this community after
volunteering?
I couldn’t help but feel a sense of fulfillment. Seeing
how much we accomplished in just a few hours was
just amazing! However, there is still quite a bit of work
that needs to be done there, so this was a great start to
an ongoing development project.
What specific work did you do
to contribute?
I helped to clear some debris that was
scattered about the grounds at the area
and in the backyard of the abandoned
home at the site. Then we all came
together as a group to bring down the
garage – which was awesome! That
demolition left quite a few larger pieces
of debris, so we worked to break that
down with a sledge hammer. Talk
about Girl Power!
What did you like most about Blight Busters?
Seeing the smiles on the faces of the family we helped.
The way their eyes lit up as they started to see things
come together was a real heartwarming experience. At
one point I overheard the mother speaking to a fellow
volunteering team member about the grass being cut
down in the vacant lot next door. It was so high that
it had become a safety hazard for the children in the
neighborhood and she could no longer see her children
walk to and from the bus stop for school. Seeing how
excited she was to have a seemingly sense of safety
restored in the neighborhood was very touching.
Have you volunteered with other organizations?
Yes, I have volunteered as a mentor with
Winning Futures.
Why do you volunteer?
At a young age my mother instilled in me the
importance of giving back and helping others who
may not have the same opportunities or resources that
I do. Since then, I’ve always been the type to lend a
helping hand. Volunteering allows my actions to lead
from a place of intention and to become a part of the
community that I am helping to restore.
COMMUNITY RELATIONS
14 15
Krystal Starghill
Account Specialist x81452

9. Be conscious of your surroundings at all times.
Immediately report ALL suspicious behaviors
and unattended items.