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I came to VISCOSITY from the waste management industry about six years ago. During my first
years at the Company, I held a supporting field role. We did a lot of in-house training and customer events
but, as VISCOSITY has changed and evolved, so has my position. Today my role as Territory Manager is
much more about active and on-field responsibilities, showing our legacy and solutions to new customers
to keep moving forward and growing together.
VISCOSITY is a fantastic company to work for. It is wholesome, very much like a family, since we
look out for each other, and the company takes care of its people. Now with COVID, I miss going to the
office. Out of the territory representatives, I live the closest to the office itself, so I used to go there very
often.
I travel all around, all the time. I cover the Midwest territory: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota,
and Wisconsin. We prepare the work weeks thoroughly, scheduling meetings and calls to get everything
ready before we set out. These areas hold the largest amount of gallon requirements in the US, and I
travel through them four or five days a week. The great thing is that we’ve always been well received and
well-loved by the dealers; we have a long history with them, and they have a really good opinion of us.
Week to week, the greatest challenge is finding the right people to talk to. Once we get to those
decision-makers, we can show them our portfolio of products through an honest and open conversation.
I graduated with a degree in agriculture, so it is a strong part of my life story, but there are many things I
don’t know, and I like being real with my clients. I try to be authentic— humble if I must— because that
is the basis for a real partnership and the trust VISCOSITY builds with its people. I’m not going to fill the
exchange with flattery and empty words; I rather go to the point directly and explain how we can help
them move forward with their business through great products and great plans. It’s a mutual thing: I learn
many things from our dealers, and I hope they learn some things from me as well.
Traveling has allowed me to see the diversity of the countryside and all its different communities.
Whether it is food or a beautiful landscape, I love learning about these locationsthat are so close to home
but are so distinctive and special. I stay in places I’ve never stayed in, look up the parks and unique sights,
read about the history of the town… all to try and take something away from the visit aside from closing
a deal, which is my favorite part of the job. I like bringing a new customer on board and getting to that
moment when they take that first order and start using our products. Then comes the other part: when
they see the features and benefits of VISCOSITY Oil, not just regarding the products, but everything from
the support we provide to the people they can contact. For me, there is no better feeling in the world.
Mark Shultz lives in Champaign, Illinois, with his wife and son, and has been a valuable part of
VISCOSITY for six years. He enjoys taking long walks, exercising — especially if that includes some degree
of adrenaline! —, watching the news, and taking in the sights of the many Midwest locations he gets to
visit due to his work.
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