About Us

My Story by Wayne Dehn (deen), President, 3D Sales, LLC

Before learning about the Sandler Sales Institute® in l992, I worked for fifteen years in the non-profit charity field. In fact, the national chairman of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Jerry Lewis, once told me, "Wayne, you will never get rich working for MDA, but you will have a rich life." After two Emmy nominations for Telethon productions and raising over $30,000,000 for national charities, I realized Jerry was absolutely right. I had enjoyed a great life and was proud of my accomplishment. And though I certainly was not rich monetarily, I was comfortable. I was content with my lot in life and my career. I was running a multi-million dollar operation and helping other people everyday. What a great way to earn a living....I thought.

All that changed on August 3rd, l992.

During my routine weekly meeting with my supervisors, I was basically told  that I had done a great job building the development department, but they could now hire someone at half my salary to "do maintenance". So after working many nights and weekends on NFLPA Golf Tournaments, Leadership Giving Campaigns, Telethons, and countless other special events, I had worked my way out of a job. I had hit that "glass ceiling" in annual income for non-profit. I was making too much money for a charity.

But while I had made too much for a non-profit, I had not earned or saved much for my family. Actually, just two weeks prior to my termination, we had taken every cent of savings we had to close on a new home. My wife, who at the time was working for a non-profit health clinic for low-income people, was scared and so was I. Now we had a big monthly mortgage and no job.

Other organizations were willing to hire me, but for how long? Would not the same thing happen again? Might I not find myself looking for another job in a few more years? I had decided that I would never again work for someone else. I did not want to be in a situation where no matter how hard I worked, someone else could control my destiny. At that time I remembered a quote from Senator Everest Dirksen that hung on the entrance to my old fraternity house, "Yesterday is gone forever, tomorrow is yet to be, your destiny lays today with thee."

So, in the summer of 1992, I decided I would start my own business. I had a wealth of leadership knowledge and experience, so I wanted to start by own consulting business. However, I had two problems, no money to start a business and no clients to buy my products. So pursuing my "American Dream" of running my own business seemed like a pipe dream. But I kept looking for the right opportunity. On September 7, l992, I attended a career fair for Sales Professionals. Like most job fairs, there were many multi-level marketing, direct sales, commission sales and entry level openings. In fact, several companies were making offerings right on the spot. If you could "fog a mirror " they would hire you. So I interviewed for a sales job with a company that provided benefits and services to small and mid-sized businesses. I was very excited about the opportunity.

After the orientation I went home and told my wife about the sales opportunity. Of course, she asked, "How much does it pay?" And I answered, "They have a great stock program." And she asked again, "How much does it pay?" And I responded, "And they take a lot of trips." And she asked a final time, "What does it pay?" I was afraid to tell her, I didn't know. I really wasn't sure how the compensation worked, but I saw a lot of people in sales that looked like they were doing pretty well. I figured if I could sell, I would always have a job. So I explained to her that I really, really liked the fact that as a salesperson I was basically going to run my schedule like my own business. The company would give me the products to sell. I would just have to find the clients and go “sell” them. It would be easy I told her. "So what's the issue with the money", she asked. "Well I don't know if there is any security in selling," I answered.

To my last day I will not forget her response. "So what security do you have now? We have $204 in employment compensation that runs out in eight weeks. You worked for someone else for 15 years and have no security. The only thing secure in life is your own ability to sell to make money. You have the rest of your life to work for someone else. Now is the time to work for us."

So with a mandate from my wife, to pursue my dream of running my own sales business, I set out on my new sales career. And for the first several weeks, I failed! I gave great presentations. I understood the product. I worked hard. But nobody was buying. I did not understand that the clients knew more about the sales process than I did.

Then I heard about a sales seminar by the Sandler Sales Institute® on Why Salespeople Fail. So I scraped up the money to attend the program. What I learned at the seminar changed my sales career and my life. On October 15, l992, I made my first sale to a local restaurant. Three months later I won the Quick Start Contest for new reps. In l993, I was "Rep of the Year" in my Region. I was on "President's Council" and have won many, many other awards since. And, of course, I made a great living at the same time. I went on to be a 28 million dollar producer and started teaching other sales reps what I learned from the Sandler Selling System®.

All I did was follow the Sandler Selling System. Oh, and some daily advice from my wife, "Sell, Sell, Sell!" Every morning as I set out for my appointments with business owners, Lori would say those three words. And each night that I came home I could not wait to tell her I sold, sold, sold. Now I want to take what I have learned from the Sandler Selling System and help your organization.

Wayne F. Dehn