Synergy brought together 63 attendees for the 2025 Sales Forum held May 4–6 in Oak Brook, Illinois. With more than 60% of participants attending their first Sales Forum, the event offered a chance to connect across regions, roles, and levels of experience—all while sharpening sales skills and exploring practical ways to improve performance.
The program kicked off with opening remarks from Jim Bartolotta and a brief overview of Synergy resources, followed by a full day of peer interaction, expert facilitation, and idea-sharing. Steve Horwood challenged attendees in his session, Does Value Matter to Clients Anymore?, exploring whether clients truly buy based on value—or if price is the ultimate decision-maker. Small group discussions focused on building meaningful value propositions, avoiding commoditization, and identifying when and how customers are open to a value-based approach.
Jared Lockwood, a facilitator with Sandler Training, led a powerful session titled Attitude & Outlook, highlighting Sandler’s IR Theory and emphasizing that sales success starts with mindset. He encouraged attendees to “never manage the number—manage your behavior,” reminding them that identity, purpose, and self-discipline are essential in navigating the ups and downs of a sales career.
Participants then broke into three targeted breakout sessions—PM sales, project sales, and sales managers—where they explored role-specific challenges and strategies. The afternoon included Steve Horwood’s Differentiation Survivor Island, where members worked together to define and evaluate what makes their company stand out. Jared Lockwood followed with a session on prospecting and planning, using the metaphor of a gumball machine to represent different types of prospects and behaviors that lead to meaningful results.
“Meeting other people and talking about how they do things in their area was the best part,” shared Brian Mansur of Expert Services.
Day two shifted into hands-on application. During a group role play and case study exercise, members worked in small teams to review a request for proposal, prepare qualifying questions, and simulate a client meeting. Owners and sales leaders acted as clients, giving real-time feedback and insights to help sharpen presentation skills and challenge assumptions.
“The role play was the BEST PART! I really got my sales knives sharpened,” said Lauren Graham of Pacific Rim Mechanical.
The day also featured a presentation from Synergy Partner Mike Elliot of Chill-Pro, who discussed how mechanical contractors can use full-maintenance agreements to reduce customer risk and improve profitability. The forum concluded with Serve, Don’t Sell, a session from Steve Horwood focused on deepening client relationships, acting as a trusted advisor, and embracing a service-first approach to sales.
Throughout the two-day forum, one thing was clear: peer learning remains one of Synergy’s most valued resources. “The best part of the Sales Forum was the connections made and picking the brains of those that have already walked in my shoes,” shared Jimmy Bartolotta of Atomatic.
Whether it was a first-time attendee reconnecting with others or a returning member learning new techniques, the 2025 Sales Forum reinforced Synergy’s belief in learning through shared experience—and the power of showing up with a willingness to grow.
