Donor Spotlight - Craig Williams

December 1, 2022 - Anna Dykeman

Frank Schilling, Craig Williams (middle) and Craig SteinerCraig Williams, a 30-year sales professional, graduated from Anderson in 1977 with his Bachelor of Business Administration degree. He gained firsthand experience in sales while attending Anderson and working at American Furniture Company, knowing he had the "gift of gab" and could engage with any customer. This experience set him on a path to spend his career in technical sales in the oil and gas and commercial heating, ventilation and air conditioning industries.

Craig's career journey through sales sparked a passion for working with people and helping solve their company's problems with his products, which he believes was the key to his success. That passion motivated him to make an estate gift to Anderson's Center for Sales and Business Development.

For Craig, establishing this gift was critical in helping students gain firsthand experience. He believes that experiential learning is the best form of education in sales. "At a center like Anderson's, a student can learn and practice different techniques and strategies, but most importantly to learn if they have the personality for the field," he said.

He describes the ideal sales personality as one that "allows for and accepts temporary failure, that can regularly withstand 'no' for an answer and be able to dance the line between being persistent without being overbearing."

Conversely, Craig also shares, "The flip side of that coin is that salespeople need to listen, hear and process what their prospective customer is telling them. That way, they can construct their offering to meet that need."

The Center for Sales and Business Development can help with both of these strategies.

Because the Sales Center is run entirely by external donations, Mr. Williams’ financial gift will directly impact our students' future career success.

Please contact us if you'd like to learn more about supporting Anderson beyond a lifetime. Email Joe Weiss for more information.