Chuck Reaves Has Big ‘Impact’ on Vistage Community
(June 10) During one of Chuck Reaves’ first Vistage presentations, a Chair pulled him aside and spelled out just what the members expected from the talk and what they wanted to take away at the end of the day. Chuck took that advice, and all the other suggestions that followed, to tailor his talks and in the process to become one of Vistage’s most popular presenters on sales.
Now, almost 20 years later Reaves reached the pinnacle of the Vistage speakers community by receiving this year’s Vistage Impact Speaker of the Year Award.
“I’m tickled to death to be picked out of so many speakers out there,” Reaves said from his home in the Atlanta area on a rare day off.
This award is given to a speaker who has made a significant impact on the Vistage community through their presentations during a period of five years or more. It requires recipients to have a minimum of 200 Vistage presentations with an average score of 4.5 or greater in both content and delivery. Scores are for their entire Vistage speaking career ending 12/31/2007.
Chuck began speaking for Vistage in May of 1990 and over the course of his tenure has presented 593 times, including 46 times in 2007. He consistently delivers a high quality program with scores of 4.5 on content and 4.7 in delivery on programs that range from “Value-Added Selling” to “Customer Servicing.”
Vistage staff noted that Chuck is flexible with travel and works well with everyone on staff, especially the Chair Operations Advisors. Heather Cohan, a Chair Operations Manager, commented: “He is open and eager to making last-minute presentations for Vistage and provides exquisite value to our members. Chuck is also an advocate and supporter of Vistage. He consistently promotes what Vistage stands for and firmly believes in Vistage goals. He is consistent with maintaining the Vistage brand through various forms of communication. Chuck has taken part in different marketing campaigns, nomination drives, recruiting prospective members and has partnered with our Alliance offices.”
Added Chair Operations Manager Elena Vasquez, “Chuck is such an amazing person to work with and we are all honored to know him. He is kind, understanding and always willing to help us out no matter how strenuous the request. He is not only a top notch speaker; he is a valuable part of the Vistage community.”
Reaves sales presentations are based on his experience in the telecommunications industry, where he rose from entry-level to the highest producer out of 1,100 salespeople. His ability to manage difficult situations gained him distinction within the Bell System and made him a frequent speaker at AT&T sales schools.
His first book, “The Theory of 21,” is the result of his years of success in the corporate environment. As a consultant, he has worked with large and small companies to assist them in achieving their goals. He has served as the president of a $30 million bakery, made sales calls for a multi-billion-dollar corporation and even served as press secretary for a congressional candidate.
His ability to deliver a powerful, concise, useful and entertaining message has earned him recognition from two U.S. presidents and other dignitaries, and he has also received numerous honors including Veteran's Advocate of the Year (he is a decorated Vietnam veteran) and Outstanding Georgia Citizen. Out of the 4,000 members of the National Speakers Association, Reaves is one of only about 100 people to have received both the Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) and Speaker Hall of Fame designations.
Like other award winners, Chuck has great respect for members of the Vistage community. “The typical Vistage member is a unique creature,” he said. “When they join Vistage, they’re telling the whole world there’s something about business they may not know. It takes a brave person to admit that.”
Providing sales advice to chief executives can be tricky, given most approach sales on a strategic, rather than tactical or operational level. But Chuck sees this as a unique opportunity to fill in gaps in their formal or informal education that lacked extensive sales leadership.
A good Vistage speaker will spark ideas and spur on new thoughts, he said. And while a speaker should know a chosen topic exceptionally well, he or she shouldn’t go into a program believing they know it all. “you’re the expert, not the authority. You’re not the ultimate authority on something. Trust me, every person at that table knows something I don’t know about sales, even though I probably know more about sales than any one of them individually. Sales is where I have concentrated my career.”
He advises newer speakers to remain facile and willing to change their presentations over time since the world does not remain stagnant. As such, they should attend seminars and trade association functions to stay up on the latest developments in their field.
You also will learn from Vistage members just as they learn from you.
“Be willing to listen,” he concluded. “The members have something to tell you.”