The Advantages Distributor Salesperson of the Year and award finalists were determined by a panel of ASI staff using the following criteria: annual sales, year-over-year increase in sales, colleague testimonials, prestige of clients and creativity in recent promotional campaigns.

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Diane Ciepiela
Corporate Imaging Concepts LLC (CIC, asi/168962)

In her previous job as a recruiter, Diane Ciepiela made her living by placing qualified hires in new job positions. Meanwhile, she was looking for her own career change, and it turned out her next opportunity was close at hand. Brian Abrams, the founder of Corporate Imaging Concepts (CIC), knew from working with Ciepiela that she had the natural talent to make it big in promotional products. So he showed her the CIC offices and filled her in on their long-term plans.

“I got really excited,” says Ciepiela. “So I came on board and Brian trained me himself.” She started as an account manager and now has a team of six direct reports as director of strategic accounts; together, they generated $7 million in sales for 2017.

Things have certainly come full circle for Ciepiela, whose largest client is a staffing agency for which CIC runs 10 online stores. The sales star spearheads big projects such as custom overseas orders, internal holiday gift programs at about $1.5 million a pop, and a bevy of high-end events, including golf tournaments, national meetings, top sales incentive trips and more. Her expertise and interpersonal skills make her a vital asset at CIC. “Her ability to motivate others to be their best is peerless,” says Abrams. “I regularly turned to her for insights into how to maximize sales to key customers, grow new accounts and motivate her fellow salespeople.”

Ciepiela says her ability to relate to people and quickly establish rapport with them is a “natural spiritual gift” that she’s honed at her various positions. “I’m a good listener and I’ve always been able to discern situations quickly,” she says. “It’s a life skill I’ve developed over the years. I’ve always been client-facing in my jobs. I really want to be helpful and make a connection with someone.”

That talent also means she’s comfortable asking for referrals. And ask she does: she estimates that 70% of her business comes from them. “I’m always asking for referrals and finding out who my clients know,” she says. “I build rapport with them and then they’re happy to refer me. You always have to ask, because sometimes they’re just not thinking about it. I don’t need to reach everyone, but I build strong relationships with those I can reach.”