Sales Manager

MICHAEL S. FERGUSON

** ****** ****** *****: 630-***-****

Hinsdale, IL 60521 Email: *************@*********.***

Sales/Sales Management Team Builder

Focused sales and management professional with over 20 years experience helping to establish sales teams and grow companies/divisions of various size and maturity, educating and advising businesses in a variety of industries, developing sales professionals and managing growth. Expert communicator with the leadership skills necessary to build teams and hire and train associates.

Areas of Expertise

Client Acquisition

Strategic Planning/Analysis

Networking

Relationship Management

Sales Management

Negotiating

Training and Development

Startup Consulting

Target Market Identification

Key Skills Assessment

Client Acquisition and Development – Developed and implemented sales and marketing effort to higher education institutions for tech start up YouBthere. Added $12M in assets under management to Genesis Asset Management book in six months by developing a program to target recently “retired” American Airlines pilots. Built client book at Edward Jones Investments from $0 to over $10M within two years in a poor financial environment – during the “Great Financial Crisis.” Added brokerage and consulting to the service offerings of Genesis Partners, LLC. Expanded the Private Client division of LFG, LLC, from two brokers to thirty-six brokers, and increased monthly commissions from $40,000 to over $600,000.

Entrepreneurial Skill – Extensive experience in establishing new companies, to include: YouBthere, Genesis Asset Management new Chicago office, First Command Financial Planning new Chicago office, and Open E Cry, LLC, new Chicago office to name a few. Key contributor and participant in establishing the following companies: YouBthere, Ice Boxx, Paint Station, and Daniels Trading. Established the first fully-integrated online futures brokerage firm, www.futuresonline, while with LFG, LLC.

Professional Experience

YouBthere, Hinsdale, IL 2015 – Present

Vice President of Sales and Marketing

Consulting job for company’s founder led to taking over as VP Sales and Marketing once this higher education software application was ready for demonstration and successful integration into any LMS portal.

Brought this tech startup to market by establishing referral relationships with the leading Learning Management Systems companies in the college and university space.

Designed, implemented and executed a sales and marketing strategy to include personal referrals from LMS’s to warm contacts, targeted marketing to high-value prospects, and cold calling to tech oriented faculty.

Top Dog Management, Hinsdale, IL 2008 – Present

New Business Consultant

Work with new entrepreneurs to clarify their ideas and plans and layout their best path to success using opinions based on extensive industry research and time tested business building methods.

Assisted in startup of various service and manufacturing companies, such as: American Personal Consumption Tobacco Growers Association, On Call Tailors, YouBthere, Genesis Asset Management, Ice Boxx, Mark Bar and Paint Station.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE CONTINUED

GENESIS ASSET MANAGEMENT, Chicago, IL 2012 – 2014

Financial Advisor/Partner

Established new Chicago office for New York City based money manager, offering a variety of services, such as: wealth management, investment banking, and private equity.

Raised capital for investment in startup company, bagged ice industry disruptor (Ice Boxx).

Designed and initiated client acquisition program targeting American Airlines pilots resulting in new assets under management of $12M in first six months of program.

Developed a client base and advised same on sound portfolio investments, stressing fundamental, statistical analysis of clean, publicly available data. Utilized key metrics and numbers from company balance sheets, income statements, and cash flows that tend to drive valuations and investment risk.

FIRST COMMAND FINANCIAL PLANNING, Chicago, IL 2011 – 2012

Financial Advisor

Recruited to lead company initiative into brokerage as first Series 7 financial advisor for this planning, insurance, investment, and banking company.

Advised clients on various types of individual securities, including: common and preferred stocks, call and put options, bonds, individual fixed income investments, and all forms of packaged products.

Voted “most likely to succeed” by peers in company sponsored, intense, 50-person training class.

Aided in establishing financial advisor office in Chicago.

EDWARD JONES INVESTMENTS, Chicago, IL 2008 – 2011

Financial Advisor

Participated in “best in class” training” program, consisting of several months of classroom and one-on-one training and mentoring.

Identified early in career to train new advisors in client prospecting and acquisition.

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE APPRAISER, Chicago, IL 2005 – 2008

Licensed Real Estate Appraiser

Performed commercial appraisals of office buildings, industrial properties, and developments, allowing investors and lenders to make informed decisions regarding future involvement.

Inspected properties and conducted research, utilizing government databases and other public records.

Reviewed comparable properties, previous appraisal records, future development in the area, and considered other factors affecting values. Prepared reports, including property descriptions and explanations of the assessment.

OTHER SIGNIFICANT CAREER EXPERIENCES:

LFG, LLC, Private Client Division, Chicago, IL, Sales Manager

The Hospitality Group of America, Inc., Chicago, IL, Sales Manager (sporting event entertainment)

Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), Chicago, IL, Professional Commodity Trader

Linnco Futures Group, Chicago, IL, Operations and Floor Manager (CBOT, CME, MACE)

Education & Training

Bachelor of Business Administration, Management, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

University of Kentucky Rugby Team

Awards & Distinctions

“Most Likely To Succeed” in First Command training class of 2011

Awarded new Edward Jones Investment Office in 2009 for outstanding performance during the “GFC”

Recognized as leading money raiser for National Kidney Foundation (IL Chapter) in 2001

Set multiple international sales and sales team records for The Hospitality Group

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