
Julio Meza started as a yard employee with TW Perry in 2001. Throughout his career with the company, he’s been shipping and receiving manager and an assistant store manager. Now, Meza works in inside contractor sales at TW Perry’s Leesburg, Va., location. He cites his cross-training as a key part of his success.
“I’ve worked in pretty much every department in the operation,” Meza says. “I understand every process the product goes through when we process orders and prepare deliveries.”
He adds that his knowledge helps him to better serve his customers and it’s clear that Meza is customer-focused at all times. When he started at TW Perry, Meza’s English was limited. He decided to take ESL classes in the evenings through a reimbursement program the company offers. Now, Meza is a lynchpin in TW Perry’s business with the Spanish-speaking community.
“I keep getting more Hispanic customers because word is spreading,” Meza says. “I’m able to explain the products to them, how they work, and how we operate. They’re more comfortable coming to me [because I speak their language] and they are referring more new customers.”
This is where other companies who serve Spanish-speaking communities may fall short, according to Meza. Meza says that, in his experience, Spanish-speaking customers need more education about products. They need sales reps to take the time to explain the benefits of one product or why one product may better suit their needs than another.
Meza's goal is to become an outside sales rep and have his own sales team.
“There’s a need in the Hispanic community for an outside sales person in Northern Virginia [who speaks Spanish] and be able to work closely with those guys in the field,” Meza says.