1. Michael Curry, CBDO, Conexion One INTERVIEW
Wanda Ramirez
Monday 21 June 2010 09:41 SALES MOTO
Michael Curry is Chief Business Development Officer of Conexion One, an industry leader of contact center outsourcing
solutions focused towards the Spanish language market. In this role, Curry leads the creation and implementation of Conexion
One’s award-winning channel strategies and partner programs.
I had a chance to visit with Michael recently and we talked openly about the origins of his lead generation skills along with his
role at Conexion One.
Michael Curry brings more than 25 years of successful sales, marketing and
business leadership in the telecommunications industry. Originally starting his
career as a degreed electrical engineer, he realized within a few years that sales
was his true calling and moved from designing telecommunications networks to
selling services into the newly deregulated long distance market. “Honestly, the
move into sales was brought upon my realization that account managers for the
company had covered parking and I didn’t”. Curry jokingly states. “Interestingly
enough, I decided to complain to the general manager and after a few minutes of
him laughing hysterically he explained the basic facts of business and how it all
revolves around sales”. Shortly thereafter Curry decided to move into sales and
has never looked back. “The transition was very difficult along with a huge pay
cut, quotas and cold calling, I was terribly shy”. Curry remembers. “It took two
years for me to finally feel comfortable in my new role however I was happy to the
fact I now had cover parking”. Curry eventually came out of his shell and
propelled his new sales career at the top provider of telecommunications services.
Several years forward and Michael Curry was now leading the sales department within the Western Region. The company
was getting ready to sell and he was offered an option. The majority stockholder of the company also owned a local
Interconnect company so Curry traded his options in the long distance company for the local company of 36 employees and
1,500 customers. “Believe me this was not a fairy-tale story”. Curry remembers. “My ego and refusal to listen to the
employees that made this company successful almost bankrupt the organization in a little less than one year”. Curry calmly
detailed how the company experienced severe financial and operational doom and his decision to assume more debt and try
to salvage the once prominent company. He also explained to me how this was the lowest point in his career however the
best thing that ever happened to him. “Everything I do today within lead generation and sales is based upon this past
experience.” Curry now says with a huge smile. “I’m not embarrassed to the fact I purchased a company, drove it into the
ground and then spent three years re-building it”. The lessoned learned early-on by dedicated his entire day to lead
generation and sales is what saved the company and eventually grew it 3-times its original size. He eventually sold the
company and moved to a global telecommunications manufacturer where he managed channel sales organizations in the
USA, Philippines and Latin America. Based on his past experiences, he focused on teaching companies how to maximize
lead generation efforts, competitive strategies and closing techniques which ultimately gained market-share within select
vertical markets.
“I have been on the top and without-a-doubt at the bottom and in all cases the ability to generate sales leads has never failed
me. If you treat lead generation as a life-or-death situation you will not fail and I guarantee it”. Curry is now standing looking
out the window of my office. “Look you see the lease sign on that building? Well as economically bad as you may think,
someone will rent that office space. The first priority would be to find that person and larger is to find the 15 to 30 companies
who looked at that space and still looking. This is what I’m talking about; it’s all about lead generation every-hour every-day”.
Michael is now writing down the address of the office for lease across the parking lot and turns to me. “Who gets the covered
parking?”
Michael Curry has received numerous awards and recognitions along several articles and books have been written about his
sales lead generation philosophy. He lives in Miami and spends weekends sailing his boat and looking for the next best
Cuban restaurant. Look for him at industry trade-show events and speaking engagements for I guarantee you will walk away
motivated and confident that lead generation is not as bad as you think.