Dee Dee Bates

Experience

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  JCPenney

  Nov 1993 - Apr 2000

  Human Resources Director
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  Bank One

  Feb 2000 - Jan 2006

  Vice President - Branch Manager
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  State Farm Dee Dee Bates Agency

  Jan 2006 - Jan 2015

  Chief Executive Officer & Owner

  At this position, I established my practice from the ground up in a new US state by implementing and administering complete operations, including marketing, budgeting, and HR. I identified my target market and drove competitive differentiation while formulating the business plan and sales strategy.To secure customers, I rolled out a 6-touch promotional campaign comprising direct mail, print, website, billboard, and car wrap marketing. I also built strategic relationships with potential leads, advocates, and centers of influence by participating in multiple leadership events.By organizing varying community and volunteer initiatives, I boosted brand awareness and won awards from city and state departments. Ultimately, I earned a position among the top sales performers in Texas.I onboarded, supervised, and mentored ~12 personnel during this role.Key Skills: Business Establishment & Growth, Sales Forecasting, Market & Competitive Analysis, Employee Management & Training, Continuous Sales Growth, Market Penetration & Customer Acquisition. Show less

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  New York Life Insurance Company

  Jan 2015 - now

  Help to manage sales growth and agency recruiting within two zones consisting of 56 offices. To this end, I placed a major emphasis on developing high-value partnerships. By cultivating solid relationships with community impact leaders, I augmented revenue by $1M+ and client appointments by 1,000+ over a short course of time.As an example, I nurtured a major partnership with a national organization to provide financial literacy workshop and seminars. This lead to increasing community impact, sales growth and brand recognition as a result.In addition, I elevated brand visibility by establishing various internal and external target market campaigns, including fundraising programs and bi-yearly conferences. As a result, I drove customer awareness and highlighted the organization’s commitment to community advocacy.For instance, I executed a national commercial by supervising the messaging, visual advertising, and collateral. On the same note, I acquired over $200K in funding from the New York Life Foundation by launching company-wide walkathons.I collaborate with sales managers and over 1,200+ financial agents. While doing so, I provide resources to improve their performance by implementing training sessions, engagement events, and recognition programs.SELECTED ACCOMPLISHMENTS:- Enabled competitive differentiation by evaluating key industry trends; continually improved yearly KPIs and KLIs.- Promoted social justice advocacy by organizing multiple events, such as a national walkathon to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities as well as NAACP regional offices.- Drove retention, recruiting and sales growth; leveraged warm introductions and recruiting events.Key Skills: Market Penetration & Brand Awareness, $MM Revenue Generation, Employee Career Development, Racial Equity & Community Advocacy, Partner Relationship Development, Staff Productivity & Morale, KPI Monitoring & Enhancement. Show less I converted new hires into independent business owners by conducting full-cycle recruitment and development. Besides attending job fairs and university events, I identified high-quality talent by fostering relationships with centers of influence in leadership conferences and conventions.Then, I transformed employees into high-performing sales teams by delivering in-depth coaching on entrepreneurship, product knowledge, and customer acquisition.I also enhanced team motivation by orchestrating lunch and learns, teambuilding activities, and peer-to-peer learning exercises. Additionally, I mitigated silos, built a diverse and inclusive culture, and encouraged my staff to pursue continuing education.As a result, I empowered personnel to achieve 100% sales objectives and retention, receiving the Impact Leader of the Year award from both corporate and general branches.Key Skills: Employee Sourcing & Onboarding, Staff DEI & Engagement, Strategic Relationship Development, Brand Visibility & Recognition, Continuous Learning, Team Performance Enhancement, Staff Morale & Retention. Show less

  • Corporate Vice President

    Feb 2020 - now

  • Partner

    Jan 2015 - Feb 2020