2009 Sales Rep of the Year: Tracy Lynch
“Everyone has their own approach to customer service,” says Tracy Lynch, the wholesale accounts manager for Lee Tennis of Charlottesville, Va. “The first thing we do is listen to our customers, then ask questions to find out what they need and come up with solutions.”
Lynch — who manages each of Lee’s 320 wholesale accounts in the U.S., Mexico, Canada and the U.K — has been listening to his customers for 11 years. And he’s become an expert at it — and in giving his customers what they need to run a successful court-building business. That’s why Lynch is RSI’s Sales Rep of the Year.
“Tracy’s great,” says Stephen C. Dettor, COO of Fast-Dry Courts Inc. and president of 10-S Tennis Supply. “He makes sure we get the technical and marketing support we need. But more than that, he’s a trouble-shooter and problem-solver for us.”
“Tracy is a great leader, educator and manager,” says Pat Hanssen, Lee’s director of sales. “He’s an expert on clay courts, clay-court construction and maintenance, and court lighting. He’s proactive in learning our accounts’ businesses, spending time with them on job sites, supporting and training their staffs, and creating buying programs to make them more profitable.”
In his spare time, Lynch plays league tennis, but he’s also a high-level football official — he’s officiated in the NFL and currently works NCAA Division I and UFL football games.
“I think my personality type is to run to the problem, don’t take your time getting to it,” says Lynch. “Often mistakes should be treated as opportunities. No one expects you to be perfect, but customers do expect you to make good on your product.”
Tips for success
- Listen to customers and ask questions to find out what they need.
- Partner with customers, so that “there’s a benefit for both sides,” says Lynch.
- Be available to customers. “We take a team approach. I’m in touch personally, and we have three in-office sales reps devoted to specific territories.”
See all articles by Peter Francesconi
About the Author
Peter Francesconi 
is editorial director of Tennis Industry magazine.
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