LIZOTTE o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-10-06 published
Albert LIZOTTE
Businessman, innovator, renowned human resources motivator. Born
October 20, 1936, in Clair, New Brunswick Died April 10, in Laval,
Quebec, of cancer, aged 66.
By Claude CORMIERL
Monday,
October 6, 2003 - Page A20
Albert was always passionate about books. Perhaps this love for
the printed word stemmed from his degree in classical studies.
However, it was his interest in innovation and creativity that
led to his first full-time position in the field of photography.
Always in search of new and more realistic horizons, he quickly
realized that opportunities in photography were limited and he
moved on.
Arriving in Montréal in 1955, he started his Bell Canada career
in 1957, serving first in general network operations, then in
sales.
From the outset, it became obvious that Albert was a very gifted
salesperson. Highly motivated, competitive, results-oriented,
monthly quotas were surpassed as he set new sales records. In
spite of being a very demanding and driven individual, he repeatedly
demonstrated his dedication to teamwork in developing sales strategies
and helping others in their professional development.
His professionalism and engaging personality resulted in his
being promoted to sales manager, a position that he successfully
maintained for many years.
In 1977, Albert became one of the founding members of Phone Power,
a group dedicated to educating Bell clients in the art of using
the telephone to increase sales, collect overdue accounts and
provide customer service. Here Albert was in his element, having
learned about the successful implementation of telemarketing
strategies from a variety of specialized magazines in the United
States.
At the end of the 1970s the growing competition on different
Bell products and services incited Albert to start doing telemarketing
trials within Bell Canada to sell the company's customers new
telephone equipment and services.
Soon after, in 1980, Albert's burgeoning success resulted in
his being asked to head up a new Bell telemarketing division.
At the time he was assigned a mere three employees. Within a
short few years the number of agents had risen to 90.
Speaking invitations and industry-specific conferences followed.
Other telephone companies throughout Canada and France invited
Albert to share his experience and success. Many wanted to share
his vision and most wanted to emulate his success in this new
approach.
It was nothing less than a revolution at the time. Those types
of jobs had not previously existed; the training material for
inside sales people had to be developed, pay scales and hiring
procedures had to be put in place.
From that point on, Albert and his knowledge had a major impact
on all aspects of the emerging field of telemarketing. In spite
of his enormous contribution, we remember Albert most as a people-oriented
person. He was always on the sales floor, challenging his team
as well as offering encouragement and recognition.
In 1985, he launched his own telemarketing service bureau --
PlusCom Marketing Inc., in Laval, Quebec, specializing in offering
business-to-business telemarketing solutions. His absolute dedication
to quality and constant improvement led him to servicing a niche
group of customers, selling high-end products and services in
various market segments.
Throughout his 35 years of business experience, thousands of
hours of specialized reading and research in the field he had
helped create, his objective was to offer his clients the best
value for their respective customers, rather than strive to be
the biggest agency in the area.
Now, because one of his protégés has stepped forward to join
his widow, Greta, as a business partner, Albert's legacy will
continue with the same vision and energy.
Claude CORMIER is a friend of Albert.
L... Names LI... Names LIZ... Names Welcome Home
LIZOTTE - All Categories in OGSPI