Contest Winners Take a Bow--DeWese

Worth Higgins was founded in 1970. The company has nine salespeople who generated $14 million in 2002, a 20 percent increase over the previous year.

Sales Manager Benny Bowman attributes this growth to several factors. "We have a very diverse sales force with a broad range of personal styles, which enables us to meet the needs of a large variety of customers," Bowman observes. "They stay focused and keep things simple. We use a prospecting method that includes a script and a plan for the first few sales calls, but it is tailored to the needs of the individual customer. Our reps operate as a team and support each other enthusiastically."