{"id":37632,"date":"2019-12-12T12:55:36","date_gmt":"2019-12-12T20:55:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/?p=37632"},"modified":"2019-12-12T12:55:40","modified_gmt":"2019-12-12T20:55:40","slug":"smile-difference-maker-joe-reeves-seeks-to-be-problem-solver-and-trusted-partner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/the-week-in-imaging-twii\/editors-blog\/2019\/12\/smile-difference-maker-joe-reeves-seeks-to-be-problem-solver-and-trusted-partner\/","title":{"rendered":"Smile Difference Maker Joe Reeves Seeks to be Problem Solver and Trusted Partner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Joe Reeves, Smile Business Products<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Joe Reeves is every kid on the first day the community\nswimming pool opens, racing toward the edge before jumping into a full\ncannonball that sends water splashing everywhere. The smile on his face shows\nit was well worth the effort and the risk of being ejected by the lifeguard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

OK, maybe it\u2019s a bit of an exaggeration. But after 37 years\nin the office technology industry, the president and CEO of Smile Business Products\nin Sacramento, California, still maintains a youthful exuberance and an undying\npassion for tackling new and innovative solutions and technologies. Skating on\nthe bleeding edge of technology is no big deal to Reeves, and he readily admits\nto having a penchant for jumping in feet first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSolving business problems\u2014that\u2019s what sales is all about,\u201d exclaimed Reeves, a 2019 ENX Magazine<\/em> Difference Maker. \u201cDiscovering business needs, providing solutions and creating long-lasting partnerships. People do business with people that they trust, and to solve a customer\u2019s problem is very rewarding, especially with all of the challenges businesses face today.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reeves is the captain and head cheerleader of one of the\nbiggest providers of Sharp equipment in the country. He even concocted an\nacronym from his company\u2019s name (Super, Magnificent, Intelligent, Loyal\nEmployees) but the smiling sun that rests atop the \u201cI\u201d in its logo tells people\nall they need to know. Smile feeds off Reeves\u2019 positive, high-level energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding His Way<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The University of California, Davis, graduate happily found\nhis way into the industry almost by chance. Just prior to graduation, he\u2019d been\ninterviewing with some of the period\u2019s major computer manufacturers (IBM,\nBurroughs and NCR). The company that caught his eye, however, was Diablo\nSystems, which then was Xerox\u2019s computer division. The interview paved the way\nfor an opportunity at Xerox and, eventually, a small Sharp-authorized\nindependent dealership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of Reeves\u2019 biggest influences along the way was Lindann\nFleig, his first female boss and one of the few female presidents at that time.\nHe was struck by Fleig\u2019s work ethic and drive, two traits that made her highly\nsuccessful and respected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe would always say, \u2018You get out of it what you put into\nit,\u2019\u201d Reeves recalled. \u201cAlthough we were all intimidated by her, she admired\nher employees and instilled in us to work hard and results would follow. Aside\nfrom work ethic, she always stressed the importance of remembering your\nemployees.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Reeves has also followed the adage that cautions against burning one\u2019s bridges because paths frequently cross. That has helped him in reconciling challenges. For instance, following three acquisitions and double-digit growth, Smile had accrued five new or remodeled branches and needed to right-size its business from an operating expense standpoint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur executive team came together and everyone contributed\nto the effort by making some tough decisions,\u201d Reeves said. \u201cIn the end, we had\nless revenue, but we were the most profitable in company history. It was a team\neffort, with every employee contributing by optimizing for maximum\nproductivity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Setting Goals<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company is reaching the conclusion of a five-year plan set in 2015 to attain $20 million in revenue and 20,000 customers. While Smile nailed the revenue piece, Reeves is still working toward the client goal and wants to have 20,000 devices on contract\u2014a challenge in an environment that calls for selling more hardware for less margin than in previous years. But he is confident Sharp will help guide the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m taking from the theme of the last Sharp national dealer\nmeeting\u2014we need to Own It,\u201d he said. \u201cOwn the office space, all devices,\nservers, PCs, copiers, signage and phones.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Away from the office, Reeves enjoys spending time with his 5-year-old daughter, who is \u201calways positive and full of energy. She keeps me young and engaged.\u201d He also likes scuba diving, biking and spending time with his family.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Joe Reeves is every kid on the first day the community swimming pool opens, racing toward the edge before jumping into a full cannonball that sends water splashing everywhere. The smile on his face shows it was well worth the effort and the risk of being ejected by the lifeguard. OK, maybe it\u2019s a bit of an exaggeration. But after 37 years in the office technology industry, the president and CEO of Smile Business Products in Sacramento, California, still maintains a youthful exuberance and an undying passion for tackling new and innovative solutions and technologies. Skating on the bleeding edge of technology is no big deal to Reeves, and he readily admits to having a penchant for jumping in feet first. \u201cSolving business problems\u2014that\u2019s what sales is all about,\u201d exclaimed Reeves, a 2019 ENX Magazine Difference Maker. \u201cDiscovering business needs, providing solutions and creating long-lasting partnerships. People do business with people that they trust, and to solve a customer\u2019s problem is very rewarding, especially with all of the challenges businesses face today.\u201d Reeves is the captain and head cheerleader of one of the biggest providers of Sharp equipment in the country. He even concocted an acronym from his company\u2019s name (Super, Magnificent, Intelligent, Loyal Employees) but the smiling sun that rests atop the \u201cI\u201d in its logo tells people all they need to know. Smile feeds off Reeves\u2019 positive, high-level energy. Finding His Way The University of California, Davis, graduate happily found his way into the industry almost by chance. Just prior to graduation, he\u2019d been interviewing with some of the period\u2019s major computer manufacturers (IBM, Burroughs and NCR). The company that caught his eye, however, was Diablo Systems, which then was Xerox\u2019s computer division. The interview paved the way for an opportunity at Xerox and, eventually, a small Sharp-authorized independent dealership. One of Reeves\u2019 biggest influences along the way was Lindann Fleig, his first female boss and one of the few female presidents at that time. He was struck by Fleig\u2019s work ethic and drive, two traits that made her highly successful and respected. \u201cShe would always say, \u2018You get out of it what you put into it,\u2019\u201d Reeves recalled. \u201cAlthough we were all intimidated by her, she admired her employees and instilled in us to work hard and results would follow. Aside from work ethic, she always stressed the importance of remembering your employees.\u201d Reeves has also followed the adage that cautions against burning one\u2019s bridges because paths frequently cross. That has helped him in reconciling challenges. For instance, following three acquisitions and double-digit growth, Smile had accrued five new or remodeled branches and needed to right-size its business from an operating expense standpoint. \u201cOur executive team came together and everyone contributed to the effort by making some tough decisions,\u201d Reeves said. \u201cIn the end, we had less revenue, but we were the most profitable in company history. It was a team effort, with every employee contributing by optimizing for maximum productivity.\u201d Setting Goals The company is reaching the conclusion of a five-year plan set in 2015 to attain $20 million in revenue and 20,000 customers. While Smile nailed the revenue piece, Reeves is still working toward the client goal and wants to have 20,000 devices on contract\u2014a challenge in an environment that calls for selling more hardware for less margin than in previous years. But he is confident Sharp will help guide the way. \u201cI\u2019m taking from the theme of the last Sharp national dealer meeting\u2014we need to Own It,\u201d he said. \u201cOwn the office space, all devices, servers, PCs, copiers, signage and phones.\u201d Away from the office, Reeves enjoys spending time with his 5-year-old daughter, who is \u201calways positive and full of energy. She keeps me young and engaged.\u201d He also likes scuba diving, biking and spending time with his family.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":166,"featured_media":37200,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3626,80,1650,82,84,1638],"tags":[3754],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37632"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/166"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37632"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37632\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37634,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37632\/revisions\/37634"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37200"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37632"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37632"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.enxmag.com\/twii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37632"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}