What’s the real secret to doubling or even tripling your sales book? Is it relentless hustle, or is it working within a supportive system that’s custom-built for growth?
Meet KJ Summers, a BAMKO Account Executive and sales expert who has been in the thick of it for nearly a decade. KJ’s approach is proof that sales isn’t just an art; it’s a science—a predictable process that can be strategically optimized for massive results.
In this exclusive Q&A, KJ takes us behind the curtain at BAMKO. Get ready to learn the growth hacks, leadership lessons, and other secrets of sales success that empower BAMKO Account Executives to consistently build huge books of business.
Q: How does BAMKO’s culture manifest in the sales environment, and what resources are provided to help you meet challenges head-on?
The sales environment at BAMKO is built on two pillars: unwavering support and a leadership team fully dedicated to growth. This is why most reps here double or triple their book of business in a few years, because we eliminate everything that gets in the way of selling.
Our culture starts with executive commitment: Our CEO, Jake Himelstein, is in every sales meeting and is eager to jump on client calls. Plus, success is celebrated immediately—I get “way to go!” texts from the C-suite after every big win.
All of these things working together remove operational friction. Instead of wasting time on small tasks like ordering samples or chasing tracking numbers, I leverage a deep bench of support staff, from US-based Account Managers to our teams in India. This structure ensures my focus remains 100% on revenue growth.
Q: What is a complex client challenge you’ve solved recently, and which BAMKO capability was the linchpin of your success?
My largest client loves BAMKO for reasons that have nothing to do with promo products. With their 9,000 retail locations, my team and I primarily help them with Retail Marketing Activation.
The core challenge we solved was time: they never had enough calendar days between a marketing concept and its full store activation. They used to operate on a six-month turnaround, but over the years, we’ve streamlined their process by increasing “store-ready pack-outs at the factory” in low-cost countries.
By aggressively fine-tuning production and logistics, even while shipping almost everything by ocean, we’ve collectively saved days and weeks that have now aggregated into a full two-month reduction. We took their activation timeline from six months down to just four months. Ultimately, our logistics and sourcing moxie were the linchpin, turning BAMKO into an indispensable retail activation partner.
Q: Could you share a specific story about a time when BAMKO’s tools or environment provided an opportunity to grow your skills?
Every time I start an outreach session now, I’m using cutting-edge strategies. For example, I’ll take a list of 100 potential companies and quickly narrow it down to the 10 best targets that are a perfect fit by leveraging tools, strategies, and one-on-one support provided by BAMKO. Over the last six months, AI-enabled tech and platforms have completely transformed my process, dramatically shortening the prospecting curve and teaching me how to be hyper-efficient.
Once I’ve identified those target companies, I have access to top-tier databases that help me pinpoint the exact organizational roles most likely to buy our solutions. From there, we utilize powerful back-end multipliers: a suite of tech tools that automate a sophisticated nurture campaign. This doesn’t just save me time, it multiplies the effort of my outreach, essentially forcing me to evolve my skills from simple cold calling to sophisticated, tech-enabled business development.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice or mentorship you’ve received from a leader at BAMKO that has changed the way you approach your job?
The best piece of advice I’ve received came from Matt Whiteley, the best coach of my career and our Global Head of Sales. We meet weekly to optimize my outreach strategy and targets, even utilizing AI to shorten the prospect qualifying curve. This combination of freedom, leadership support, and world-class coaching is what truly sets us up to build massive books of business.
and it fundamentally changed the way I view my job. He taught me that sales isn’t just an art form that occasionally yields exceptional results; it is, in fact, a science. What he means is that success isn’t dependent on random luck or rare talent, it’s about building a predictable process that can be continuously analyzed and improved.
This mindset has replaced the anxiety of hoping for a big win with the confidence of consistent, predictable results, making my entire approach to business development far more strategic and data-driven.
Q: If you had one piece of advice for a BAMKO new hire, what would it be and why?
Act Now, Always. The core philosophy here is one of aggressive urgency and taking initiative. I say this because I wasted years at my previous company, having outgrown them without realizing it, and I see the same paralysis happen in business every day.
Act Now means tackling the hard things first: earlier in the morning, earlier in your career, and earlier in the sales cycle. If you wait for the “perfect time” to pull the trigger on a career move or a major pitch, you’ll still be waiting ten years from now. It also applies directly to every outreach target: you are offering solutions they genuinely need, and most prospects will eventually tell you, “I wish I’d known about BAMKO sooner.” Don’t wait; the momentum is here, and the resources are set up for you to charge forward immediately.
Q: What is your favorite promo product you’ve ever received and why?
Let me tell you what I tell my clients: the perfect promo product has three qualities. It needs to be USEFUL, a unique tool you wouldn’t buy yourself; FUNCTIONAL, something you’ll use often; and MEMORABLE, so when you see it, you immediately remember the giver.
I’ve had my favorite promotional product for over 20 years. It’s a $2.00 night light a factory owner gave me on a tour of his facility. Today, it’s still with me seven moves later, in the master bath. Every time I get up at 3 am, I see it in the bathroom and remember the factory owner and his factory tour.
The Science of Unlocked Potential
KJ made it clear: success at BAMKO isn’t left to chance; it’s engineered. The entire ecosystem is designed to solve the biggest problems faced by any ambitious account executive: lack of time, lack of tools, and lack of support.
Ultimately, the secret to the double or triple growth that many reps see here comes down to one simple, non-negotiable cultural mandate: act now, always. It’s the urgent belief that you have the solutions clients need, and the support to deliver them immediately.
Ready to trade the anxiety of traditional selling for the confidence of predictable growth? Learn more about sales careers at BAMKO!
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