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HAVING A BALL

by JIM MORGAN

Take Craig Wagner's words at face value and you might be inclined to feel sorry for him. "I never feel as if I'm selling anybody anything," he confides. Considering that Craig is a salesperson by trade, that could seem like a pitiable confession.

Dig a bit deeper, however, and you'll see what Craig really means. It's not that he's unsuccessful in sales; rather, it's that, in his heart, he doesn't see what he does as "selling" in the traditional sense.

"It's unfortunate, but salespeople are stereotyped," he explains. "We're hard to trust. We have ulterior motives. We're pushy. I avoid playing into those expectations, and I honestly don't ever feel like I'm trying to sell anybody anything. I don't have an agenda. I don't plan what I'm going to say during a sales call. I just like meeting new people and building relationships. My job isn't 'to sell.' My job is to help my customers look good, and to make their products better."

As a territory manager here at RL Hudson, Craig has opportunities every day to overcome the stereotypical perception of salespeople. Thanks to lessons he learned as a star athlete, he's careful not to squander those chances.

BORN ATHLETE "Athletics are what really shaped me," says Craig. "From as early as I can remember, I was driven by a love of competition. As a kid in Broken Arrow, I played pretty much every sport - soccer, football, basketball, and baseball. But you don't have time for everything, so in high school I focused on football and baseball."

That focus paid off. All-state on the gridiron his senior year, Craig was also the high school baseball Player of the Year for all of Oklahoma in 1991. Though major league teams repeatedly drafted him over the next few years, he chose to pursue his education and graduated in 1995 with a communications degree from Oklahoma State University. He credits his adoptive parents with encouraging his scholastic pursuits, and for their support in every aspect of his life.

"I am so fortunate to be where I am," he says. "The decision that was made to give me up for adoption allowed me to have the life I have, and I'm more thankful for that than anything. There are many other ways it could have gone. I've been very lucky."

STEEL RESOLVE Luck aside, Craig has contributed to his success by applying lessons learned on the baseball diamond to his post-college career endeavors. These efforts initially centered on sporting goods sales and later transitioned into sales for a steel company.

"Baseball teaches the best life lessons," he reflects. "As a batter, you fail seven out of every ten times and are still considered successful. That teaches you a lot of discipline, and that you have to keep working hard. It also teaches you resolve, and about having a good work ethic."

Though he was happy selling steel, informal meetings with Hudson CEO Rick Hudson and President Roger Stair prompted Craig to reevaluate his status. After much reflection, Craig became a Hudson territory manager in May 2004. "Leaving my previous job was the hardest part," he admits. "I was very happy there. But the future vision of this company is what made the decision for me. I love the freedoms I have here, and being part of the Hudson team is as close as I can be to owning my own business."

TEAM SPIRIT Over the past year and a half, Craig has successfully made the transition from the steel industry into the world of rubber and plastic. He concedes that getting up to speed - especially from a technical standpoint - has sometimes been a challenge, but he's quick to praise the help he gets from his Hudson teammates.

"I could not ask for anything more in terms of support," he says. "Rose Rhodes is my new project manager, and Dawn Lytal is my account manager. They are key ingredients to my success. We at Hudson also have our own design engineers and rubber chemist, and our quality department is second to none. Being successful is commonly a result of being surrounded by great people and support. We definitely have that."

As enthusiastic as an athlete being interviewed after a major victory, Craig cannot say enough good things about the Hudson team. "I'm just impressed with this entire company," he continues. "As a salesperson, you cannot be successful unless you really believe in what you're offering. And I really, really do. I truly think, as a company, we are the best at what we do, and it's my job to convey that to my customers."

SOCCER DAD When not in the office or on the road, Craig and his wife of nearly ten years, Shannon, can often be found at one of the many local soccer fields with their two daughters, Tatum (age 8) and Taylor (4). Tatum has been an avid player for the past three years and is currently a star on both the girls' and boys' competitive teams in her age group. Though Craig and Shannon are careful not to pressure Tatum, it's easy to see how proud Craig is of his daughter's abilities.

"When you have other parents tell you that it's awesome to watch your daughter play, that definitely makes you feel good," he nods. "And I do hope she stays with it, because there's nothing I like more than watching her on the field."

As supportive as he is, however, Craig does make it clear to Tatum that winning is not what the sport is really about. "I want her to learn the same life lessons I've learned," he says. "I tell her, 'Scoring goals is not what makes me proud. What makes me proud is that - win or lose - you give 100 percent. Winning is a worthwhile goal, but how you get there is where you learn everything."