RCI Employee Spotlight: Director of International Sales

As you may already know, every newsletter we celebrate facilities that have recently had their new RCI attractions shipped or installed. Well, we thought it would be fun to turn that spotlight back around on our very own staff and regularly feature someone here on the blog!

This week we spoke to Dan Mooney, director of international sales for RCI, and asked him a few questions about his day-to-day routine, history at RCI and how he likes to spend his time outside of work. Without further ado, meet Dan if you haven’t already!

  • Describe your position at RCI for those who might not be familiar with what a Director of International Sales is responsible for.

Dan: My position has two main facets. First, I work directly with our international distributors to ensure that they are being supported in their sales efforts by obtaining designs, quotes, contracts, timelines, information, etc. from our various international departments. Second, through my attendance at trade shows and other networking events, I sell directly to international clients not already being represented by one of our distributors.

  • What does a typical work day look like for you?

Dan: Because my contacts are working in every time zone, I tend to start looking for important emails and text messages around 5:30 in the morning and am able to correspond with these contacts in real-time until around noon. After that, I spend the rest of my day catching up on emails that I have sorted as not immediate, having meetings with my Project Managers about current projects, and reaching out to potential prospects whether they are sales leads or potential distributors.

  • You originally started at RCI in another department, correct? Tell us about what you’ve learned since then.

Dan: Yes, I originally joined RCI in the Services Department and slowly moved into other positions as they became available or the company saw the need to create a new position. Having the experience of working with new clients in a service role as they prepared to open their new business or attraction to the public has been greatly beneficial to my current job. I have a good understanding of the concerns clients have whether it be ROI, installation, safety, or operations and can anticipate their questions even before they ask them. Hopefully, I am able to convey a sense of calm because, after 31 years in the business as a company, we’ve seen almost everything!

  • Often you are attending trade shows around the world. What is your favorite part about making those trips?

Dan: I love the interaction with people from around the world who have never seen a product like ours before. It’s so much fun to watch a person stumble upon our booth, watch their jaw hit the floor, and then jump in with a cheesy line like, “I know you’re going to buy one. The only question is how much space do you have…”

  • What would you say is the most challenging part of your position / what took you the longest to adjust to?

Dan: In my current role, learning to turn off my brain in my spare time was a little challenging at the beginning. Unlike a position where most contacts have backed away from their computers by 5 PM, there’s always someone who is emailing or texting me at all hours of the day. So, it can feel like there’s always work to do… even though most things can wait until the morning. My contacts are wonderful though and sometimes will question why I’m answering them when I should be asleep!

  • Outside of RCI, what do you like to do in your spare time?

Dan: I’ve been an avid golfer since I was in middle school, but I took up whittling when I moved to Michigan to join RCI. Something about the process of spending countless hours turning a normal piece of wood into a little animal or human figurine brings me peace. I am forced to focus on the project at hand and other worries or other concerns just fade away. If my focus starts to slip, the sharp tools have a tendency to do the same… I even have a few scars to prove that point!