Marketing savvy helped author earn riches
Patrick Evans started a business selling mailing machines and electronic scales from his home about 28 years ago.
He grew the business, Evcor Systems, until it became one of the largest suppliers of UPS-based shipping systems. He sold to Oprah's Harpo Studios, Morningstar, Sears and 16,000 other firms.
The industry changed when UPS announced it would start giving their shipping systems away for free. Evans was forced to reinvent his entire company. Working 14-hour days, he quickly altered into a large software shipping system integrator in North America.
His customer base shrank to 3,000, but he controlled the shipping of packaging for GE, Abbott Labs, Oracle, Dell and Intel.
About five years ago, he sold Evcor Systems for $60 million to an English company.
After spending some time traveling with his wife and doing some public speaking, he wrote a book detailing the sales and marketing techniques he utilized over the years.
The new book, "SalesBURST: World's Fastest (entrepreneurial) Sales Training," hits the shelves of bookstores and online venues today.
Evans, 55, said the 38-chapter book, published by Wiley, is filled with ideas that work.
"Entrepreneurs need to be thinking differently and they have to do things faster than the traditional timeframe," Evans said.
In his book, he suggests making little tiny changes that make a big difference in the end. For example, he suggests using voice mail to your advantage. If a voice-mail message is not returned during the day, he suggests to leave another quick message at 7:30 p.m.
"Tell the person you'll call back at nine the next morning and make sure you call at that time. This shows the potential client that you're organized and trustworthy," Evans said.
He teaches functional organization in his book and at his seminars.
The book retails for $22.95 at bookstores. Evans is donating 55 percent of the net profit to help fight Spina Bifida. His niece, Bridget Evans, who suffers from the disease, will receive the profits to help fund her next two experimental operations at Children's Memorial Hospital. An additional 5 percent will go to the Spina Bifida Association.
Evans and his wife, Josie, raised three children in Naperville. In his personal and professional life, Evans knows what he wants and makes it happen. He jokes that when Josie was 16, he saw her for the first time walking out of church.
"I looked at her, turned to my friend who was with me and said, 'I'm going to marry her.' " At the age of 27, he did just that.
Evans will now take some time to promote the book.
Book parties are scheduled for Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville at 2 p.m. Thursday and at Barnes & Noble in Naperville from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2.
Many industry heavyweights have endorsed his book, including Ken Blanchard, author of "The One Minute Mgr.;" John Calamos, Chicago billionaire and mutual fund investor; and Peter Handal, CEO of Dale Carnegie & Assoc.
Evans also offers sales assistance through his Web site. "I'm good at getting deals back. I'm a confident salesperson," he said.