John Whalen is a consummate salesman. He started with the Yellow Pages after college, and 50 years later, he’s still selling.
As the volunteer sales manager for the North Shore Senior Center’s annual Yearbook & Buyer’s Guide, John has generated more than $300,000 in revenue—all of which goes directly to the center—over the last six years. You can tell he relishes a challenge.
“What’s interesting is being successful in getting people to advertise,” he says. “You can always run into somebody who isn’t interested, and the main thing is to be a good enough salesperson that they feel like, ‘Okay, I’ll take a shot at this.’”
John also enjoys being part of the NSSC’s long and illustrious tradition—it’s been publishing the yearbook for 39 years. With 23 communities covered, the yearbook is one of the top publications of its kind in terms of coverage area – in fact, last year, the book had more than 99 advertisers. John manages a staff of 20 volunteer ad sales people, and devotes hundreds of hours to the project between March and October each year.
John was honored as one of the NSSC’s 2010 Super Seniors, and he is the first person from the NSSC to receive the award. “The yearbook has become John’s passion,” wrote Vivian Mitchel of the NSSC, who coordinates the awards. “He is a true gentleman, who never touts his own contributions and always represents the Center in the best possible light.”
