Kris Wool, residential sales consultant at CertaPro Painters of Northwest Indiana recently reached a major landmark with the company, securing over $1 million in booked work. More impressively, he did it as a part-timer.
For over two decades, Wool has taught physical education to students in the south suburbs of Chicago. About four years ago, he started toying with the idea of taking on a part-time job. He had a few ideas, but it did not take long for him to run into John Jordan, the owner of CertaPro Painters of Northwest Indiana, whom he had met through a mutual friend some years back. They hit it off, and Jordan pitched Wool the idea of joining the team at CertaPro.
“I had no background in sales, but I’ve been a lifelong resident, and he felt I’d have some good connections to help me get started,” Wool said. “I started out in commercial sales, but it was hard to balance with teaching full-time. I made the switch over to residential sales after a year and had a lot more success.”
During the summer months, Wool works full-time at CertaPro. He travels around the Region, visiting the homes of potential customers who have requested estimates, explaining CertaPro’s approach, and helping them bring their visions to life. He serves as a key point of contact between customers and CertaPro, taking responsibility for communicating the customer’s needs to his team.
“It was a bit of an adjustment at first, but I found that I have a personality that really helps me work with customers,” he said. “One of the bigger hurdles was understanding all the paint systems and machines, but it’s always been fun visiting people’s homes and talking about our work. As a teacher, I’m used to talking and providing information whether it’s to kids or adults.”
Wool’s hours shift during the school year, when his focus is on teaching. He still fits in a few estimates each week after school, and steps up to fill in for CertaPro team members taking vacations or holidays – when school is often out.
“I like to help keep the sales team rolling so that we’re not missing out on opportunities,” he said. “I’m grateful to the team for picking me up when I’m not accessible to customers while I’m at school, they do extra work on their part to work around my schedule. They do an outstanding job of supporting me.”
His favorite part of the job is seeing the final outcome and then hearing the customer’s feedback.
“I love hearing that they’ve had an outstanding paint experience,” he said. “Whether it be interior, exterior, or garage floor, they’ve trusted us with their homes. Seeing customers happy means that we’ve delivered on our promise.”
Passing the $1 million sales milestone this summer was a major accomplishment for Wool – one he is proud to have achieved while balancing both of his careers.
“I’m a very competitive person, so I want to sell every job that I’m on,” he said. “Reaching $1 million means that I’ve been holding my own and helping out the business, and that’s important to me. I’m happy to be a small part of CertaPro, contributing where I can.”
Wool is a lifelong Crown Point resident and an Indiana University graduate – with two sons, Jake and Nick, following in his footsteps at the college. In his free time, he enjoys golf and live music, as well as spending time with his friends and family.
To learn more about CertaPro Painters of Northwest Indiana, visit certapro.com/nwi.