Company: Blinds.com, Houston, TX
Company Description: Blinds.com is the largest online window covering store in the world. At our heart, we are a passionate customer service and marketing company that connects our community to home decor trends and high quality window coverings. Blinds.com has been featured in numerous magazine, newspaper, and radio publications.
Nomination Category: Sales Awards Individual Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Senior Sales Executive of the Year

Nomination Title: Stephen M. Riddell, Chief Sales Officer

Tell the story about what this nominee achieved since the beginning of July 2013 (up to 650 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

Stephen M. Riddell is Chief Sales Officer at Blinds.com. During his 7 year tenure, Riddell has consistently delivered 20 - 25% growth annually and has helped establish the company not only as the ‘World's Largest Online Custom Window Covering Store”, but also as a nationally recognized contact center with an award winning company culture which in 2014 became attractive to The Home Depot and purchased the company in January for its innovative approach to décor retailing. (1)

Under Riddell’s leadership annual revenue has grown from $32MM to $130MM and projects revenue to grow to $170MM in 2015. Conversion rates to inbound calls top 54% up from 17% and an ASV of $540 up from $120 in a down economy and down housing market over same time period.

In early 2014, Riddell orchestrated the additional construction of a new 30,000 square foot state-of-the-art contact center featuring collaborative work spaces, company cultural themed coaching rooms and interactive screens to stay connected to the work-from-home force using Adobe Connect along with an innovative “Voice of The Customer Wall” which connects all social media buzz and internet feeds and displays it real time at the company headquarters. (2)(3)

New for 2014, Blinds.com in association with Signage Live, Riddell’s team created an innovative enterprise wide communications platform using 104 flat screen TV’s to independently display performance data, achievement, customer feedback and sales performance utilizing high definition video feeds with data and people displayed in high definition video in an engaging and fun format. Signage Live was so impressed they created a video lauding the company’s success and innovation. (4)

Globally, Riddell is regularly sought after as a keynote speaker and seminar leader at conferences internationally. In 2014 he once again taught a ‘Masters Classes’ at the IQPC Call Center Week (fourth time in a row) and pioneered a new Master Class at IQPC Asia Summit in the Philippines.(5)(6) In 2014 he keynoted over 12 conference events including UN!eash WD Innovation Summit.(7)

In 2014, Riddell was named a Master Faculty Member for the first IQ-ED Master Strategist Certification program for Professional Certification in Sales and Customer Service.

Blinds.com was a “Best and Brightest Companies to Work For™” which identifies and honors organizations throughout the regions that display a commitment to excellence in their human resource practices and employee enrichment.(8)

A repeat for 2014, Blinds.com was recognized as one of Houston’s top 150 workplaces based on employee surveys by the Houston Chronicle.(9)

Employee health and wellness remained on top of Riddell’s mind in 2014 as he led the charge in creating a wellness-oriented culture through workshops, employee weight loss and exercise initiatives and re-structured the company’s break room vending machines and weekly fruit deliveries. Because of these efforts, Blinds.com was nationally recognized as a “2014 Best and Brightest in Wellness” by the National Association of Business Resources.(10)

On the national front, Internet Retailer ranked Blinds.com and The Home Depot as #46 on the 2014 Top 500 Guide for its fast-paced sales growth and service innovation.(11)

In 2014 Riddell and his sales and service teams garnered more than 1500 letters from customers extolling praise to his teams for their excellence in service delivery.

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