Donna Walker

One of the hardest things to do as a salesperson is to continuously reinvent yourself.

Donna Walker came to Valin through the Tri-Star acquisition, where she excelled as an automation salesperson, and as the acquisition continued, she became more involved with process heat. As the business unit concept grew and gained traction, she spent the bulk of her time selling heaters and control panels.

Process Heat is a very technical line and without significant training, it is very easy to quickly be out of your depth in front of a discerning customer. Donna is one of the most technical salespeople, researching with admirable tenacity the answers to the most challenging questions. She does not give up until she can provide a solid explanation to her customer.

There has been a tremendous emphasis on heat trace this year and Donna, with her usual vigor, dove in with both feet. Sales is never a straight path. You have a goal (sell heat trace) but the ways to achieve that goal are myriad and it is really hard to try one strategy, have it not produce the results you need, then try another strategy and another and another until finally, you start to gain traction. This learning journey is a fact of life for a salesperson and exactly what Donna has had to work through. Finally, she found the key to success with electrical contractors using a turnkey capability. Donna has sold a large amount of heat trace solutions in the Houston region and secured solid relationships with two new contractors that are excited about their partnership with Valin. This is all because of her willingness to try new things and her persistence in finding the best path to market.

Donna’s persistence recently won another order as well. She was calling on one of her key customers and discovered the need for a heat transfer skid. This is a complex sale with a tremendous number of specifications and requirements. After 6 months of negotiating, hardcore selling, and high-level conversations not only on the technical side but also on the commercial terms and conditions, Donna was able to secure a sizable order for a unique and highly technical system.

Lastly, COVID-19 has forced a significant change in the way sales interact and prospects with their customer base. The old methods do not work and to be successful, sales must re-invent and optimize new tools. Donna has done a tremendous job using Teams to walk through applications with customers. She brings internal resources, contractors, and customers together to discuss the scope of work and job design parameters. She has truly proven herself to be adaptable and dedicated to continuous improvement.

Donna is the essence of sales at Valin. Finding the customer need, taking the time to deeply understand it, matching that need with the proper solution, and having the tenacity to be committed to the journey through literally hundreds of e-mails, meetings, and negotiations.