Title: Agent Manager

Years in position: 2

Years in channel: 20

Main channel goal: “To help my agents grow their business and to grow their business with Cavalier. To make configuring, pricing, ordering and installation as painless and trouble-free as possible. I would like my agents to think of me as an extension of their business.”

Biggest challenge: “Work-life balance. I love what I do and it’s sometimes very hard to shut off supporting my agents.”

What traits do you exhibit that you think make a top channel manager? “There are several things that any channel manager needs to bring to the table if they’re going to be effective supporting their agents: an understanding of the industry and underlying technologies; knowledge of their company’s offerings, ordering processes; a network of internal contacts who can get things done; and a good understanding of an individual agent’s goals so you can help them achieve them. In addition to that, you have to give agents the support they need in pricing and presenting services, issuing orders, and resolving problems during and after installation.”

Favorite superhero: Silver Surfer.

What agents say about Kurt:

“Kurt’s technical expertise combined with knowledge of the Cavalier ordering system is the reason cutovers go well. His commitment to post-sale support is the reason customers stay with us and Cavalier. Prior to Kurt’s arrival at Cavalier, we had difficulty selling Cavalier services because cutovers and support were disastrous. Kurt turned all that around in our local market within nine to 12 months on the job. In instances where there are issues, Kurt helps resolve them as quickly as possible because he understands (where other channel managers do not) that agent/customer support is as important as landing a new sale.”

—Laura T. Leggett, President, DataVoice Connect

“Kurt has been a phenomenal manager, providing us with sales support to help win deals and internal advocacy to ensure that our issues are resolved promptly, regardless of order size. He’s a master at working the system, both inside Cavalier and with the carriers, to ensure that delivery dates are met.”

— Cris Daniluk, President, Rhythmic Technologies Inc.