Episode #3: Selling in Three Directions: The Art of Distribution Sales with Kyle Raffel

In this episode of the Redlist Distribution Download podcast, host John welcomes Kyle Raffel as the guest speaker. Kyle, the sales manager at Palmer Holland's Plastics Additives group, shares his industry journey, emphasizing the importance of relationships with suppliers and customers.

This episode discusses his career at Palmer Holland and highlights topics such as early fieldwork, pioneering new markets and products despite limited initial knowledge, and balancing personal and professional commitments. This conversation explores the multifaceted nature of distribution sales: selling to suppliers, customers, and internally. Kyle shares insights into identifying market opportunities and understanding customer needs, specifically in the niche field of plastic additives.

This discussion touches on resilience and motivation in sales, drawing inspiration from family, financial goals, and personal achievements. Kyle emphasizes the importance of maintaining a positive mindset and knowing that success always comes in cycles.

Tune in to gain valuable perspectives on the distribution industry and strategies. Whether a sales professional or simply interested in the fuels, lubricants, and chemicals industries, this podcast will offer you insights into strategy, leadership, and selling in a complex market.

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John Keller

John is a serial entrepreneur and investor that is obsessed with helping companies fulfill their missions to "Build the World." John has been involved in scores of start-ups and high growth businesses; including companies in the E-commerce, and B2C and B2B services and retail spaces. John is driven by the possibilities of scalable businesses with impact and purpose. He loves the challenge and excitement of his current role as President of Redlist, LLC a B2B Software as a Service (SaaS) company in the industrial space–where his teams work to unite the enterprise asset community of equipment owners, OEMs and suppliers. His software platform provides maintenance, safety and operational software solutions to medium and large enterprise customers that are involved in building fundamental building blocks of civilization. In addition to being pretty nerdy, John also lives a wannabe farmer's life in Utah.

Kyle Raffel

Kyle Raffel is the Sales Manager for the Plastics Additives group at Palmer, Holland. With a career spanning over a decade at Palmer Holland, Kyle has been instrumental in pioneering new markets and territories within the chemical distribution industry. From his early days at Palmer Holland, he embraced the opportunity to work directly with customers, building relationships and driving sales growth. Kyle's journey included venturing into uncharted territories, where he faced challenges and learned through trial and error. He believes in the power of building trust, selling the company's capabilities, and forging lasting connections. As a sales manager, he oversees a vast territory across the United States and Canada, constantly traveling and supporting his team. Despite the demands of his career, Kyle values his family and strives to find a balance between work and personal life. Join him in this podcast episode as he shares his experiences, insights, and strategies for success in the dynamic world of chemical distribution.