Excellence in Partnerships
Steve May, CFI, Retired CEO and President, LP Innovations (DTT)
“I started my loss prevention career working for my father’s small family loss prevention security business,” said May. “This was a great learning experience, providing an opportunity to work in a variety of retail, wholesale, distribution, and manufacturing environments. I learned very quickly that as a service provider, customers could be very demanding-but also very fair.”
In 1988, May moved to J. Baker, which he considers the most important move in terms of personal and professional growth. Spending ten years with the company, he climbed the career ladder to eventually become first senior vice president. In 1998, he became a president and CEO at LP Innovations (LPI). After running LPI for over twenty years, he offers some advice for up-and-coming solution providers.
“Never assume,” he said. “Solution providers must actively engage with customers on the value of our service, whether or not we’re meeting expectations, and what we can do to help exceed expectations. Always ask how you’re doing, provide customers different ways to comment on their experiences, and act quickly on their recommendations. Most customers genuinely appreciate efforts to raise the bar. You have to believe that the services provided will help them become a better, more profitable business. Rather than simply trying to sell a product, focus on being a genuine partner. Execute, act on their behalf, and become a vital part of their success.
“Being a vendor is not a dirty word. You need to believe in your bones that what you’re providing is critical to your customer’s success. It’s your obligation to become a vital part of your customer’s team. You need to be engaged with your customers, recognized as a trusted advisor, a source of information, a problem solver, a professional colleague, and most importantly, a friend.”
Nominations Are Encouraged
The LPM team is privileged to have a front-row seat to the very best in the loss prevention industry, providing a unique opportunity to present positive, productive ways to promote loss prevention, build successful and constructive partnerships, educate and inform the LP community, and support the thought leadership that drives us forward.
The LP Magazine “Magpie” Awards are a means to celebrate industry accomplishments on an ongoing basis, recognizing the loss prevention professionals, teams, solution providers, law enforcement partners, and others that demonstrate a stellar contribution to the profession. Steve May is among our September–October 2018 recipients.
We want this to be your program. Those of you working as LP practitioners witness these exceptional performances on a regular and ongoing basis, and we strongly encourage you to provide us with nominees for each of the award categories. We encourage creative nominations and want the program to cast a positive light on the many tremendous contributions of the loss prevention community. Nominations can be submitted via email to excellence [at] LPportal.com.
Find out who else has been recognized in the September–October 2018 issue – check out “LPM “Magpie” Awards: Applauding Excellence.”