Meet Kevin Norton, District Manager for the Central Region, and read about his career journey at AMP.
I graduated from Illinois State University in 1994. Shortly after that I began my professional journey at Ameritech Cellular, now known as Verizon Wireless, in the Financial Services sector. However, over time, I found myself gravitating towards Information Technology. In 2000, I earned my MBA and continued working in IT for several years. Ironically, a career in IT wasn’t something I actively pursued. My degree was in Economics, but the opportunities that came my way steered me into the IT field.
While I achieved success in my IT career, I didn’t feel a sense of fulfillment. That’s when I made the decision to pursue a career change in May of 2015. Unsure of which field to enter, I turned to my Dad for advice. His response was straightforward, “Well Kev, you’re no genius, and you ain’t going to win any beauty contests. So maybe you should try Sales.” Taking his words into consideration, I joined AMP as an Outside Sales Representative a month later.
Embarking on this new path was daunting as I had no prior sales experience. However, I used my unwavering competitive drive to my advantage and hit the ground running. To my surprise all of my hard work led to winning the prestigious Rookie of the Year award for 2015, just six months after joining the company. Year after year, my success continued. I’ve been honored with the title of Top Sales Representative of the Year for the past five years. I’ve received multiple accolades such as Assistant District Manager of the Year, Trainer of the Year, and Closer of the Year. Every year with AMP, I’ve also earned the esteemed President’s Achievement Award.
One of my favorite aspects of working at AMP is that we are in a results based business. We keep score, and rank our performance. I am a very competitive person and I like that we are rewarded for high performance. At the same time, we move as one team. We all have a competitive spirit, but we support one another, and help each other grow. It’s never about competing against the top performing reps in the company, it’s about being better than you were yesterday.
Luke Wasowski, the Vice President of Sales and my mentor since the beginning of my AMP career, was once asked about the secret behind my success. He said, “I have never met an individual who is as competitive as Kevin. He competes against himself and strives to accomplish more than what he has done in the past. He doesn’t rest on all of his accomplishments and awards. He sets goals for himself and if he is not pacing towards achieving those goals he takes it personally. He is driven and will accept nothing less than winning.”
My competitive drive has taken me very far in my career. Not only have I met goal after goal, and received many accolades, but I’ve also secured five promotions during my tenure at AMP. I’ve grown from an Outside Sales Representative, to Mentorship Manager, all the way up to my current role as a District Manager for the Central Region, where I get to lead a team of seasoned and accomplished sales professionals. Along the way I have had the chance to work with and mentor a lot of sales reps, as they travel on their own path and grow within the company.
To new sales reps joining our team, I would advise you to manage the six inches of real estate between your ears. While AMP provides an excellent opportunity to learn from industry-leading professionals, personal drive and mindset are crucial for success. Set goals, make a plan, and work relentlessly towards achieving them. Maintain a winning attitude, and watch your career grow.
Another important principle we uphold at AMP is “Find a Why.” It means discovering the reason why you do what you do. Why do you pound the pavement and knock on doors each day? Why do you step outside of your comfort zone to do our work? Find a motivating factor, something that you are willing to move mountains for that will absolutely keep driving you toward success. Is it to support your family? Is it to buy a new car? Is it to prove your 8th grade Biology teacher wrong who said you were a slacker and didn’t believe in you? Whatever your why is, hold it close, and it will propel you to great success.
For me, my why is my wife and high school crush, Jennie. Together, we have seven children, two cats, and one dog. We reside in Herscher, IL, a small town that doesn’t have a stoplight, but has seven churches, and nine bars – small town America at its best!
During my time at AMP, team success has stood out as the defining factor. We have experienced tremendous growth, expanding our teams, product offerings, and overall company. I’ve witnessed the launch of products like Google Street View Trusted, OPTIMA™ +Social, and AMP Video™. It has been exciting to witness the change because it means that we are growing, expanding, and developing. Looking ahead, I am excited to witness our ongoing growth, as we launch new markets, expand our product portfolio, and welcome talented individuals to our team. Being part of this growth is incredibly rewarding, and I am looking forward to seeing the future success of our team at AMP.
