When David Levitt took the position of senior vice president (VP) of worldwide sales for LiquidFrameworks, he believed the company could become a market leader, if it implemented a strong sales process and executed it with diligent recruiting.
David Levitt, Senior VP of Worldwide Sales, LiquidFrameworks
Levitt turned out to be correct, as LiquidFrameworks' sales, market share and customer growth reflect its success. BIC Magazine recently visited with Levitt to learn more about his time as a sales leader and why LiquidFrameworks has been so successful.
Q: What led to your position at LiquidFrameworks
A: After creating and leading the oil and gas business unit at Salesforce. com, I came to LiquidFrameworks nearly eight years ago as a result of being recruited by a private equity firm. The firm was preparing to invest in LiquidFrameworks and wanted to insert new sales leadership who could help spearhead a faster growth trajectory. What inspired me to join LiquidFrameworks was the opportunity to provide a specialized "fit-forpurpose" vertical solution for a very underserved market.
Q: Why is LiquidFrameworks successful?
A: What makes LiquidFrameworks successful is our clarity of focus and the consistency of that focus. For example, while we have a broad "quote-to-cash" solution that could potentially be applied to many industry segments, we recognize our product differentiation lies within the capabilities specific to the oilfield, industrial and environmental services segments. In baseball vernacular, we maintain a very small "strike zone" and maintain the discipline to only "swing at pitches within that strike zone."
Similarly, we have not pivoted in our direction or market segments since the company's inception in 2005. This, in itself, is remarkable for a company of our size to retain the consistency of focus for such a long period of time.
Q: When you retire, what do you want to be remembered for?
A: At this stage of my career, I do think about my possible legacy. When I do, I break it down into two categories: the first half of my career as a direct salesperson and the latter half of my career as a sales leader. As a salesman, I would like my legacy to be as someone who provided products and services that delivered all the value promised, which, in turn, enabled many companies to achieve successes they might not have achieved otherwise.
As a sales leader, I would like my legacy to be that I helped many people achieve all they could and positioned them to advance their careers as a direct result of working for me. I'm proud of the fact that nearly half the salespeople I hired have gone on to become sales leaders and that they continue to use (and hopefully refine) my sales playbook to support their sales processes.
Q: Do you have a favorite quote? Why is it your favorite?
A: "The will to win is not as important as the will to prepare." While the "glory" is in winning and everyone loves to win, the effort that goes into properly preparing for a meeting or presentation is what determines ultimate success.
Q: What is a "fun fact" about you people might not know?
A: Early in my career, I spent time as the publisher, managing editor and writer of all the stories for the World Wrestling Federation's first internally produced magazine. At the time, it was called "Victory." This experience gave me unique insight into a world that, at the time, was just beginning to come of age, emerging from what had been a regional business and exploding into a global brand.
For more information, visit www.liquidframeworks.com or call (713) 552-9250.
