James Salzman

Sales Leader | 19 Years in Sales & Team Management

Hurst, Texas, United States

About

I've spent 19 years building something that most people in finance spend their careers trying to teach: the ability to walk up to a stranger, earn their trust, and build a lasting relationship. Starting as a door-to-door sales rep in 2007 and working my way to Sales Manager overseeing a team of 20, I've learned that the fundamentals of sales — disciplined prospecting, consistent follow-up, handling rejection, and genuinely caring about the person in front of you — transfer to any industry where client relationships drive results. Now I'm making a deliberate move into the securities industry. I'm actively studying for the SIE and Series 7, targeting Financial Advisor roles where I can put 19 years of sales production, team leadership, and client development to work in a field I'm genuinely passionate about. My background also includes two years in consumer lending at Cottonwood Financial (The Cash Store), where I was promoted to Store Manager within five months and consistently hit sales targets in a regulated financial services environment. If you're a hiring manager at a brokerage, wealth management firm, or financial services company in the Dallas or Houston area — I'd love to connect.

Experience

  • COLORADO STEAKS OF ARLINGTON, LLC (Full-time · 10 yrs 3 mos)
    • Sales Manager
      Jun 2023 - Present · 3 yrs 2 mos

      Lead a team of 20 door-to-door sales representatives across daily operations, performance accountability, and individual coaching. Achieved or exceeded quarterly sales targets in 5 of the last 6 quarters Design and deliver hands-on onboarding and sales training for new hires, with a focus on prospecting, objection handling, and closing Actively manage field performance through ride-alongs, one-on-ones, and weekly team reviews Remain personally active in the field alongside my team

    • Warehouse Manager
      May 2016 - Jun 2023 · 7 yrs 2 mos

      Oversaw daily warehouse operations, inventory management, and logistics while maintaining an active door-to-door sales route in parallel. Balanced dual operational and sales responsibilities simultaneously across a 7-year tenure. Consistently grew and retained a personal client base through relationship-driven outreach. Maintained an estimated 83% repeat client rate across a personal door-to-door sales route, driven by consistent follow-up and relationship management.

  • Grillmasters Meat Company (7 yrs 4 mos)
    • Warehouse Manager
      Jan 2010 - May 2016 · 6 yrs 5 mos

      Managed warehouse operations while maintaining a consistent door-to-door sales route, building client relationships through repeat visits and personalized service.

    • Independent Contractor
      Feb 2009 - Jan 2010 · 1 yr

      Generated new business independently through door-to-door prospecting, managing the full sales cycle from cold contact to close with no existing book of business.

  • The Cash Store (Cottonwood Financial) (2 yrs)
    • Store Manager
      Jun 2008 - Dec 2008 · 7 mos

      Promoted to Store Manager within 5 months of joining the company. Oversaw store operations, staff, and customer-facing consumer loan transactions in a regulated financial environment. Met or exceeded monthly sales goals in 4 of 5 months as store manager

    • Assistant Manager
      Jan 2007 - Jun 2008 · 1 yr 6 mos

      Processed consumer loan applications, managed customer accounts, and provided financial product guidance to walk-in clients in a regulated lending environment.