Ryan Hanchey
DISTRIBUTOR SALES MANAGER
SAGE
before he stopped in at the Dallas offices of industry technology services company SAGE to return a book to his cousin, who worked there. Hanchey had a good job selling technology staffing and wasn’t looking to make a change. Once inside, though, his thoughts began to churn. “I met everyone, exchanged stories and decided if they ever had an opening, I wanted to go for it,” says the 33- year-old, who ended up joining the SAGE team in 2010.
With a degree in emergency management from the University of North Texas, Hanchey was trained to keep a cool head while quickly handling multiple problems. At SAGE, he put that preparation to good use in assisting distributor clients to get the most out of SAGE products and programs. But his biggest challenge wasn’t keeping up with the work, it was being promoted from team lead to sales manager. “There is a transition period there that can go one of two ways and you’re certainly tested,” says Hanchey. “I had to quickly ramp up my managerial skills, but luckily I have amazing mentors who helped me make the transition and they continue to give me advice.
One important lesson he learned is to listen more and talk less. “Listen to your customers’ needs, complaints, suggestions, praises, but also listen to your teammates.” He quotes financial author and radio host Dave Ramsey who, he says, talks about having a servant mentality by putting your team and customers first and establishing that you are all in this together.
Hanchey truly admires his coworkers and they admire him. One of his nominators, Bille Walchek, SAGE’s director of marketing, says two characteristics that instantly come to mind when she thinks of Hanchey are commitment and attitude. “If you expect your team to work hard and produce, you need to lead by example and that is exactly what Ryan does,” she says. “Ryan works alongside everyone else on his team and there is no greater motivation. He has proven to his team that he is not only committed to SAGE but more importantly he is committed to them. He truly cares about their success and is willing to do anything to help them succeed on a day-to-day basis. When one of his team members succeeds I think sometimes he is even more excited than they are. Ryan is one of the most passionate leaders I know, which is such a hard trait to find. And with this passion is a strong desire to better himself personally and professionally.”
SAGE Director of Sales Blake Bozeman, MAS, who also nominated Hanchey, says his attitude inspires everyone around him to elevate to the next level. “He is consistently positive and excited day after day for what the next achievement is, or the next great idea. This positivity keeps his team motivated and keeps their energy level up. Ryan has quickly gained a vast understanding of the industry overall and is a natural behind the camera, and delivers our messages in videos with precision and enthusiasm. He is a tremendous asset to represent our company, our passion and our professionalism.”
Hanchey says his favorite part of the job is seeing his team tackle goals and then celebrate their success. Since he joined SAGE, he has won a number of awards including Rookie of the Year during his first year at the company, Top Sales Producer when he was an account executive and the All Star Award during his first year as a manager.
When called on from time to time to share advice, the words come easy. “If something makes you miserable and there is no light at the end of the tunnel, get rid of it,” he says. “It’s not good for you or anyone around you. However, if there is a light at the end of the tunnel it’s probably worth it. My dad always said, ‘You’ve got to spend time in the gutter, son.’ I don’t know where that came from, but spending time in a gutter doesn’t sound fun so I guess it makes sense. On the other side of the coin, don’t take for granted the great things you have in your life. They might not always be there.”
When he needs to relax and recharge, Hanchey gets energized by spending time outdoors—sitting on the porch, backpacking in the woods or cruising around in his old Bronco. Just the same, he confesses to being a spreadsheet nerd. “I love looking at numbers.”
HIS INSPIRATION
Hanchey admits he’s inspired by a long list of heroes. “My wife inspires me to be a good person, appreciate my family, to be caring for others and to work hard. My mother’s work ethic inspires me to suck it up on tough days and work hard. My dad inspired me to be myself. My sister is the most solid, grounded person I know and definitely inspires me to do the right thing. My brother is a successful entrepreneur who is always challenging himself physically and mentally. Many of my team members inspire me with their work ethic, constant brainstorming and excitement for their jobs. And, of course, there’s Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.”
THE INDUSTRY IN FIVE YEARS
I want to see more young entrepreneurs enter our industry and challenge the status quo; find new products that I’ve never seen before; see distributors building entire marketing campaigns not just fulfilling orders; and realize the value in information being shared live across the distribution channel. I also want to strike ‘trinkets and trash’ from everyone’s vocabulary.
ON HIS TO-DO LIST NOW
Record how-to videos, implement the SAGE Web 2.0 rollout strategy and wrap up The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey.
