President and founder of Sales Dynamics Inc., Lorne I. Ordel says of his business success: “It’s all about relationship. Develop a relationship first, the rest will follow.”
“Sociology was great training for my business because we talked about people in groups,” Ordel says. “A lot of people study the facts, but they don’t get the big picture of how we communicate and share our thinking with the people around us. That’s where I was looking to excel.”
And he certainly did excel. Ordel’s promotional products agency, Sales Dynamics, recently celebrated 41 years of success. He believes that although a textbook knowledge of business can be helpful, it’s the relationships you make that matter the most.
Based out of Toronto, Sales Dynamics creates and manages promotional campaigns that involve branded products like apparel, technology and awards.
“Today, a tremendous amount of advertising is done by putting logos and messages on product,” Ordel says.
“Promotional products are a very powerful way for people to communicate with one another. That is, where one person has something interesting to give the other person. This helps to break down walls.”
However, unlike many promotional product services, Ordel explains that Sales Dynamics doesn’t simply sell products. “If somebody calls up or emails us to explain that they want an attractive $5 coffee mug, we tell them we could sell it to them, but that’s not what we do,” he says.
“We sell what you need the mug to accomplish for you. It is not about the mug itself. Sometimes a promotional product that is $2.50 may be more effective compared to a product at twice the price. We end up being an extension of the marketing arm for many of our clients.”
Sales Dynamics focuses on guiding their clients, working with them on their promotional strategies and making sure the entire campaign runs smoothly. “The relationship between ourselves and our client is key,” Ordel says.
“Our clients give us a promotional products project, and then leave it up to us to put it together and to ensure it gets to where it is going, properly decorated and on time.”
“Canadian father”
Ordel relates that his university training in sociology encouraged him to not only foster strong relationships with his clients but also with his employees, which are key for a number of reasons. For instance, as bright young people move from company to company as a part of their training and burgeoning careers, they will return to Sales Dynamics for their promotional products needs.
“While studying sociology, I learned that if we put a bunch of kids in an institution and don’t give them enough personal attention, many of them will grow up lacking. When I got into business, I put this information into action,” he says.
“I took great care and interest to try to be a part of the lives of my staff at their place of business.”
Ordel recalls one young employee in particular, a troubled, possibly suicidal high schooler. “I told him I could see him from my office and that, whenever he got upset, he could simply put on his coat and just go for a walk,” he says.
“It was winter. It didn’t matter how long, anytime he felt under pressure, he could simply get up and go for a walk. When he came back, even if an hour or two later, I would assume he had taken a five-minute bathroom break.”
The tactic worked. “After he finished with Sales Dynamics, he ended up getting a job in an IT department at a major Canadian bank,” Ordel says. “Today, many years later, he still keeps in touch with me, and he is ready to talk of how we cared for him at an integral crossroad in his young life.”
Beyond helping troubled youth find purpose, Ordel has always been keen to welcome new Canadians to Sales Dynamics, and focused on teaching them to become valuable Canadian businesspeople.
“New immigrants want to do what they should be doing to succeed, but not being from Canada, they don’t know what that means,” he explains. “When they work at Sales Dynamics, which is a microcosm of a big company, they start understanding what it means to succeed in a Canadian business environment.”
Many of Ordel’s former employees have gone on to land successful positions in related and unrelated industries. Because of the extra care he gave them, over time some have affectionately called Ordel their “Canadian father.”
Sales Dynamics is now a true family business. “My wife Raisy has been with us from the start, and a big contributor from the get go,” he says. “My daughter Carolyn truly enjoys the meaningful relationships that she has with many of her clients. All of us at Sales Dynamics strive to be exemplary relationship builders. My son Rob, who’s been with us 18 years now, is certainly capable of taking over,” Ordel says.
“But I feel, even at 71, it might be detrimental to my health to stop working. And so I continue on as the president of Sales Dynamics, and with great happiness and contentment.”
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