Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 00:00:05 Welcome to the Clear Impact Podcast, brought to you by pg t I University. Thanks for joining us today. My name is Sherry Connor and I am your host. So good morning. We are here on the Clear Impact Podcast and we are being hosted by the folks at Western Window Systems this week. And today we have Brian Zeitz. Did I say it
Speaker 2 00:00:32 Right? You said it very well.
Speaker 1 00:00:33 Thank you. Ah, nice. I've been practicing <laugh>. Nice. So have I. Nice <laugh>. You can identify telemarketers pretty quickly. They're just like, Hey Brian, what's up? Right? Yeah. So Brian, this is just an introduction. So tell us a little bit about yourself, your history, your education, and then what your roles and responsibilities are here.
Speaker 2 00:00:52 Okay. So my name is Brian Zeitz, as you said, so clearly and well thank you. Umm, the Vice President of Custom Sales for Western Window Systems. I've been here for about four and a half years. I actually came to Western in early 2018, so just enough time to kind of get my feet wet before the PG t I acquisition happened. Okay. So I've kind of seen both sides of, uh, private ownership versus corporate, and I've been through that process with other businesses as well. So I'm very familiar with the transition in an acquisition. This one's gone really smoothly. Happy to be here. And yeah, it's been a learning process and quite an experience I would say. I've been in the industry for actually about 34 years at this point. I know I don't look old enough.
Speaker 1 00:01:35 I was gonna say you started when you were like three. Exactly. How did that happen
Speaker 2 00:01:38 Exactly? Well, I, I grew up in a family business that was fenestration specific. So I grew up working for my father in a residential entry door manufacturing and distribution business. So I kind of cut my teeth there. We sold that business when I was in my mid twenties after college. And then I went to work for a vendor and got involved in the architectural glass industry. And then from there just kept kind of progressing through sales roles and sales leadership roles transferred from glass into architectural metals, so commercial and architectural windows, curtain wall, storefront systems like that. And yeah, that's been the bulk of my career really has been in the commercial side of the industry. But then I'm reintroducing myself to residential as we get deeper focused on the western side. So I, I came to Western actually in a commercial role to develop a commercial division within Western that would just focus on multi-family resort, retail, restaurant, that type of application where, you know, our products work, large format openings, big moving glass walls, bi-folds, multis slide, things like that, and window walls.
Speaker 2 00:02:45 That could act as a storefront system in a lot of cases. But over the last few years as we've really tried to refocus the business and really just dive in deeper into what we're really, really good at, I've been pulled back into a role as vp, first director of the state of California for custom division, which focuses on high-end luxury residential. And then as a few changes have gone on within the business, I've actually rolled into a VP role in that same division. And now I lead the team of sales directors, regional sales managers, territory managers, architectural consultants, inside sales. So really everybody that touches the front end of our business. So our, our customers being professional window and door dealers, and then all the buying influences that are involved with them. So builders, architects, general contractors, engineers, consultants, and you know, really talking to the whole design and construction community.
Speaker 1 00:03:41 Wow, that's impressive. We're glad to have you. Thank you. That's amazing. Thank you. And so as part of the leadership team, I always like to pick everyone's brains and ask them about what kinds of advice they've received that has been valuable to them. And so what would you say would be a really key piece of advice you've received in your career?
Speaker 2 00:04:02 I think what's really helped me to, you know, develop and progress, take on more responsibility, especially in developing sales strategies, is really understand your audience and more specifically in my role, you know, as we're developing sales strategies, especially now that we're part of a business that has multiple channels to the market, we work in different geographies. You know, I've had the benefit over my career of working really in every market in the US and some international as well. So I really got a sense of the fact that hey, just because it works in Los Angeles, sure doesn't mean it works in Nashville or Chicago. And it's not all just about the product and the product fit, but it's really about how you go to market, how you present the product. Focusing on what products work in particular, architectural preference, owner preference, and code compliance obviously as well.
Speaker 2 00:05:03 I mean, that's a big disparity between what pg t does so well in Florida and what we do so well on the west coast. There are very different code requirements. So we've gotta be attuned to that and really understand how to speak to the audience that wants our product for a specific reason. I think to take that a step further, when you look at segmenting a market and segmenting your focus to the market, let's say a homeowner, an architect, a professional window and door dealer, a general contractor, a consultant, all of these people have different problems that they encounter on a daily basis that their businesses are all very different. So we have to kind of create an overarching value proposition, but we have to be able to fine tune the value proposition to really speak to that specific problem that that user has. So not just trying to go out there and broadcast one message to everybody, again, know your audience. And that's really helped me kind of, let's look at the, the country overall. Let's focus on the markets where our product works first and then break it down into how do I influence each one of those touchpoints to wanna buy my product, to want to use my product, to trust my team, that they're the resource that's gonna help them get their problems
Speaker 1 00:06:15 Solved. Yeah, because I think there's a marketing mantra I heard years ago about if you speak to everyone you're speaking to, no one.
Speaker 2 00:06:23 Yeah, well
Speaker 1 00:06:24 Said. Okay. So just one last question. How do you see P T T I University, which is our team becoming an asset to the Western family?
Speaker 2 00:06:35 So I'll start by saying we've done a good job educating here at Western over the years, and again, I've been here just under five years now, but we've never really put together a formal process for training. We've never had certifications or hey, these are the step stones that you need to, you know, accomplish this certification, then this one, then this one, and kind of move your way up through the ranks. So I think laying out that format is fantastic. I'm really happy to be a part of it. And I'm a huge proponent of industry specific education. It's hard to get that anywhere, but it's not that popular in industry and there's so many nuances to it. You can't just go get a book off the shelf and learn it. Right, right. So I've taken steps through my career to really focus on industry specific education, csi, construction Specifications Institute.
Speaker 2 00:07:23 So I'm a C D T construction document technologist. I'm a C C P R certified construction products representative this year, actually got my F G I A fenestration Master's certification. They're tough things to do. You gotta put the time into it, you have to put the effort into it, you gotta kind of shut everything off for a while. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, which is almost impossible to do, you know, in sales you're on 24 7, but you gotta make the time and build those steps that help you get to the next level. I dunno what the next level's gonna be, but certainly focusing on the educational courses that we're developing here, I'm gonna master every one of them because I know that brings more value to my customer when I know my product inside and out. I know how the industry works inside and out and I really, you know, if nothing else, I can keep them out of trouble by helping with product selection. I want my team to be the trusted resource. I want them to be the trusted advisor. I don't see any more value that we can bring to our customer every single day than being able to answer their questions clearly, concisely and factually. So this is a great place to start.
Speaker 1 00:08:29 Well that was great. And you've never done a podcast before. You were No. So eloquent. Good job. Thank you. Anything else you wanna share?
Speaker 2 00:08:35 I'm really happy to be a part of this and I hope to be a big part of the educational process as well. Whatever I can lend to even promoting, Hey, we're all part of F G I A as P G T I and Western. All of our individual, uh, business units are. So I highly recommend fenestration masters. I'm not being compensated by them in any way, <laugh>. But, uh, wow, what a process to go through it. I think it's great. Same with csi, if you can do that, but always look for ways to better yourself.
Speaker 1 00:09:01 That's excellent. Brian, I really appreciate your time today. It was a pleasure meeting with you and talking with you. And thanks for sharing. Thank you. Have a good day. You
Speaker 2 00:09:08 Too.
Speaker 1 00:09:10 P G T I University is the customer education team for an entire family of brands. We began with the original Easy Breeze, porch and closure line, then became P G t, America's leading brand of impact resistant windows and doors. We then added cgi, C G I C window, Western Windows Systems, new South Windows, echo Windows and doors, and Lynn Windows and doors, and our latest acquisition Martin Garage doors. We create products built to withstand major storms, keeping people safe, secure, and prepared. Our exceptional brands give you the protection you need without compromising design or functionality. PPG t I University is here to educate you, our listener, so that you can be a more informed consumer of window and door products.
