Terry and Marv Stevens
Want to know how to sell? It’s easy:
- Be honest
- Be prepared
- Practice your presentation skills
- Strive for clarity in your speaking
- Throw in a little showmanship
- Make the customer feel good about the selling experience
- Make that customer your friend
Well, maybe not so easy after all.
But that’s how manufacturers rep Marvin Stevens did it, says his son Terry Stevens, an independent rep in Northern California. The elder Stevens died in March after a 50-year career as an independent rep.
Born in Chicago in 1928, Marv moved to Southern California in the early 1950s to work with his father-in-law in a beer/liquor business. In 1953 he began working for Burton, the medical lighting company, covering the western United States, Hawaii and Alaska. He started Marv Stevens & Associates in 1959, which eventually grew to a firm with 15 or so associates.
Stevens represented Midmark when that company was still IE Industries, says John Lee, a veteran of med/surg distribution, now retired. He gave the company a strong foothold in the West, representing many other firms as well, including Graham-Field, orthopedic company Frank Stubbs and Monoject (now Cardinal Health). Stevens also represented Medical Products Development Inc. (now Bovie Medical), which at the time made disposable penlights for the medical industry. He worked actively until 2008, after which he did some small consulting gigs.
Stevens is said to have been the consummate salesperson.
“When Marv walked into a room, everybody recognized him, acknowledged him,” says Lee. “He was a very outgoing person on the surface, but actually, shy.
“When Marv started selling your product, he became part of your business. He was a mentor to many sales reps and a quasi-consultant to a lot of distributors. He was extremely loyal, too.”
Says Terry Stevens, “Marvin was my parent, mentor, someone I could trust. I met just about all the sales managers who came to Los Angeles to work with Dad from the time I was 10 years old until I left for college. I always thought I would finish college, then go to work for Marvin Stevens Associates. And I did just that.”
Stevens was the type of person not easily forgotten, according to those who knew him. Always tanned and well-dressed, he preferred not to wear socks. He might show up at a meeting with shirt, tie and shorts. He was pleasing to be around, and he owned the relationship with just about everybody in the supply chain, at least those on the West Coast.
“Marv became a great business associate as well as a good friend to all he dealt with,” says Lee.