LarryMuzzy.com

Driven to Succeed

Recommendations

“Larry came to AB&C Group when the call center operations did not have any direction.  He quickly added upsells to the mix, increasing sales by 15%.  Larry has a very positive personality and works great in peer-to-peer relationships.  He also managed to reduce costs as a percent of sales by 10% during his tenure.”  Gary Kazmer, President, and CEO, AB&C Group

 “20+ years . . . that’s how long I have been lucky enough to know Larry.  I was privileged to have worked with Larry at HSN back in the late 1980’s and now again I am fortunate to have Larry provide Call Center services in support of our business – Palm Beach Jewelry.  If you look up the work “enthusiasm” in the dictionary, you will undoubtedly see a picture of Larry Muzzy!  Simple put – Larry is the best!"    Tim Holody – COO SETA Corporation 

 

Employment History

Marketing Alternatives, Inc.                   Taylorville, IL

A $20MM provider of  business process outsourcing, offering  full service of fulfillment, marketing, I.T.,  and customer care, sales, and support in both an inbound and outbound environment..

Director of Call Center Operations – Dec/2008 – Dec/2009 (contract position)

 Reported directly to President.  Responsible for multi-client customer service with staffing over 250.  ¨   P&L responsibility for $7MM annually.¨  Introduced proactive leadership team meetings resulting in a complete site culture change.  ¨  Developed a cross-training platform, which reduced payroll by $40,000 a month.  ¨  Created programs to increase adherence and attendance by 10%.  ¨  Negotiated new vendor contracts resulting in more than a 10% site savings.  ¨  Established upsell and cross-sell programs, effective promotional contests, and strong team interactions.  ¨ Managed up to six direct reports.  ¨  Marquee clients include Palm Beach Jewelry, Sara Lee Coffee & Tea, All State, Bridgestone, Illinois Tourism, and Chicagoland Star 9.

 AB&C Group                                                                    Ranson, WV  

A $50MM provider of multi-channel inbound direct response fulfillment solutions for direct marketers within the catalog industry and non-profit groups.

Vice President of Operations – Jun/2007 – Nov/2008

Reported directly to President.  Responsible for multi-site call centers with staffing over 500.  ¨ P&L responsibility for $12MM annually.  ¨  Marquee clients included National Wildlife, The Smithsonian, Winterthur, and USOC.  ¨ Responsible for management of six direct reports.  ¨ Introduced client calibration sessions with leadership team and agents, resulting in increased customer satisfaction by proactive complaint resolution, underperforming employee identification and resolution, and communication improvement.  ¨  Championed positive culture change and improvement in interview/testing process by implementing best practices, resulting in 30% increase in retention.  ¨ Installed PCI Compliance standards.  ¨  Established upsell and cross-sell programs, resulting in 15%+ return ($300K monthly) while reducing overall costs by 10% ($100K).

 NuComm International                  St. Catharines, Ontario

A $625MM ISO-registered provider of contact center services to Fortune 500 customers in the United States, Canada and the Philippines; named one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies for six years running. 

National/International Sales Manager – Oct/2006 – Jun/2007

Reported directly to Vice President of Operations.  Managed 14 call centers with direct report center managers (Canada, US, and Philippines); responsible for finding areas of opportunity within sales, retention, repair, and customer service inbound/outbound environments.  ¨  Key success was improving both the Bright House retention rate by 10% and Comcast repair division’s customer service satisfaction ratings by more than 15%.  ¨  Clients included Comcast, Bright House, Adelphia, Cogeco Cable, Qwest, and Canada Life Insurance.  ¨  Implemented team-designed best practices to train sales reps in call scripting for various clients, resulting in increase of positive agent morale and 7% increase in first call closes.   

Coverall of North America                      Milwaukee, WI

A $195MM global provider of commercial cleaning franchising companies serving over 50,000 customers through 90 Support Centers and more than 9,000 Franchisees.

Call Center Manager – Jun/2005 – Oct/2006

Reported to Director of Operations.  Designed 50-seat, start-up call center for outbound sales.   ¨  P&L responsibility for $3MM annually; managed 2 direct reports, 4 indirect reports.  ¨  Designed operations metrics, and updated training platform and motivational incentive programs, resulting in 60% increase in productivity (from 3 to 5 appointments per day); doubled sales within first 90-days, outperforming like agents within a standard office.    Managed, coached, and motivated Inside Sales Representatives ¨  Implemented VOIP technology for start-up call center.

 Presentations Plus                                              Knoxville, TN 

A self-owned full-service resource company providing Visual Merchandising Presentations on Electronic Retailing Outlets, items visual sales display, and procurement. 

Product Spokesperson/Consultant – Dec/1996 – Jun/2005

Principal/owner.  Responsible for product representation on national direct response electronic retailing networks and national infomercials; seen on QVC, HSN, Jewelry Television, and Gem Shopping.  ¨  Clients include Pawley’s Island Hammocks, Sunlogic Sun Shelter, and CleanSweep Brooms.  ¨  Voice and on-camera talent; producer and director of corporate videos.  ¨  Contributed to strategic direction and provided input into product and market development strategy for various products on direct response electronic retailing outlets.

Sears Marketing Center                           Philadelphia, PA

A wholly owned subsidiary of $50B Sears Holdings Corporation, providing retail merchandise and related services including revenue-generating telemarketing arm. 

Sales Development Manager, Call Center Manager, and Regional Director – May/1998 – Oct/2001

Reported directly to Vice President of Operations.  Developed award-winning training and leadership program; implemented nationally to more than 20-Sears Marketing Centers; received successive promotions; oversaw three call centers in Northeast (150-seats each/2-shifts each).  ¨  P&L responsibility for $3.6MM annually.  ¨  Managed staff of 300 in 90% outbound telemarketing environment.  ¨  Focused areas were sales training, retention, development of positive customer service, team building, staff management, and sales management; implemented new training platform, improving retention by 20%+; boosted overall sales 30%.  Continuously ranked in top 5 of 20+ centers. ¨  Established “nesting area” for new hires, improving retention by 20% for 90-day or less agents. 

Global Shopping Network (GSN)              New York, NY

A start-up national electronic retail-shopping network featuring manufacturer-direct pricing through its 16MM cable subscribers and regionally owned television stations.

Director of Operations/National Spokesman – Mar/1995 – Dec/1996

Reported directly to Company President.  Led start-up implementation of programming; managed 60 professionals (including studio technicians, product coordinators, and talent).  ¨  Preparation of operating/capital budgets in excess of $3MM annually.  ¨  Closeout products from America’s largest (including Fortune 1000) specialty jewelry retailers.  ¨  Managed 3 direct reports and 3 indirect reports.  ¨  Collaborated with vendors for product information and pricing.

Home Shopping Network (HSN)           St. Petersburg, FL

A $1.5B Electronic Retailer of  Home Shopping Television Network reaching more than 90MM US homes, offering  computers; electronics; fashion items; home and kitchen goods; jewelry; and health, beauty, and fitness products.

On-Air Host/Sales Host Trainer – Feb/1986 – Mar/1995

Reported to Director of On-Air Programming.  One of the original show hosts; sales host trainer, sales team representative for purchasing and customer service.  ¨    Sales leader, consistently achieving record sales and profits; delivered sales in excess of $750MM over employment tenure.  ¨  Chosen to introduce multiple new products and celebrity lines.  ¨  Responsible for oversight of 30 new-and-veteran show/sales hosts.  ¨  Selected to manage creation of HSN's "Spree" network including personnel, programming, and bottom line.    

Résumé

Printed Version - PDF 

 

 

Larry Muzzy

 Contact me at:

Larry Muzzy

 

Education

VINCENNES UNIVERSITY  Vincennes, IN

¨ A.A. Communications                                                    ¨ Honored by University as Homecoming Grand Marshal; received Key to the City.

 

Professional Development, Notables

¨  Sales training includes Spin Selling, Power of Positive Selling,  and Franklin Covey’s 7-Habits 

¨  Six Sigma, green-belt trained

¨  Train the Trainer, Mentoring Program, and Leadership Development

¨  Motivational speaker for club/group meetings

¨  Formulated sales training materials and chaired training seminars; recognized for exceptional organization building skills and ability to motivate others (HSN, Marketing Alternatives, NuComm International, Sears, Coverall, AB&C

 

 

More Reccomondations

“Larry is the kind of Manager that expects a lot from his people but he gives a lot in return. He holds people accountable, gives them room to grow and above all is reputable and honest. He is very outgoing and knows how to motivate others to get the job done. He has been my cheerleader and mentor during some tough business times. I thoroughly enjoy working with Larry, and would recommend him for any business endeavor”  Kathy Chastain - Marketing Alternatives

 

“Larry is a true results driven Team Leader. His creative ideas and motivation inspires all levels of the Call Center Staff and Departments within the Organization. He understands the importance of good leadership and communicates his appreciation to his staff members.”  Alesia Smallwood - AB&C Group

 

“Larry is a dynamic individual who has a innate ability to connect with people. He is ideally suited to manage customer service and sales arenas because of his people skills. Larry instinctly knows what makes people "tick" and responds accordingly to reach the desired objective. I believe that is one of his greatest strengths as a business person and manager. He senses what drives people, whether it be to purchase something or to perform as an employee. He is a natural motivator with charisma to spare. Larry is also quick witted, highly intelligent, and an excellent problem solver. Of the thousands of people I have worked with in my military and civilian careers over the past 27 years, Larry is in the top ten on my most admired list. I would work for him again without hesitation and with great pleasure.”  JoAnne Wright - AB&C Group

 

““Larry Muzzy is a talented executive with a proven track record. Larry has built a solid Sales and Marketing organization at Coverall of North America based on his many years of experience.. Under Larry's leadership, Coverall has experienced exceptional revenue growth. Larry is able to create accurate sales forecasts, quality business plans, and comprehensive marketing strategies. Larry is skilled at New Business Development and is eager to conquer new markets. He is an excellent negotiator, understands contracts, and wins deals. He is also very dedicated and has a strong work ethic. Larry is often the first to arrive at work and the last to leave. He is a good mentor for his employees and helps to make them successful. Larry can always be counted on to offer sound advice when presented with a problem. Coverall of North America is privileged to have Larry Muzzy "Muzz Man" as our leader!”  Corey Hammel - Coverall of North America