Born to Fly
From Cessna’s to T-34 turboprops, one rep satisfies a lifelong dream to fly jets
By Laura Thill
It’s not that his head was in the clouds. His heart was. For Joshua Crawford, a sales rep with Henry Schein (Melville, N.Y.), becoming an aviator was a lifelong dream. "It was always my number one goal to become an aviator," he says. "I always knew I wanted to fly jets. I watched Top Gun way too much!" he jokes.
With two years of college behind him, Crawford decided that joining the United States Navy was a realistic means to attaining his dream. Especially since both of his grandfathers had served in the U.S. Air Force (one following World War II and one during Vietnam), he saw this as a rite of passage. "I joined the Navy for my love of our country," he explains. "And it was a means of paying my respect to those [before me] who gave so much."
As it was, he was supposed to begin boot camp on Sept. 11, 2001. The tragic terrorist events that transpired that day set his start date back six days and motivated him all the more to begin his work with the Navy.
Proving himself
Upon enlisting, Crawford was selected into the commission program, which was no easy feat, he recalls. "It requires letters of recommendation and is a huge honor," he points out. That said, he started "at the bottom of the barrel" and had to prove himself as a hard worker, he recalls. His first step was to join the dental technician program (the equivalent of a dental assistant program in the civilian world). "I have two dentists in my family and had considered becoming a dentist myself," he says. At first, he found the work boring. "Then I began assisting an oral maxillofacial surgeon and loved it," he says. Once he was confident he had proven himself, he could approach the board of commissioned officers about pursuing his aviation dream.
"You need a bachelor’s degree to become a commissioned officer and a Naval aviator," says Crawford. "So, the Navy sent me back to Louisiana State University for two years." When he returned to the Navy, he dove into aviation training. "There are so many physical and mental tests involved," he recalls. The Aviation Preflight Indoctrination Program is rigorous to an extreme, he notes. "The program tested us physically," he says. "Three days a week, we swam a mile and ran three miles [followed by] pushups, sit ups and more. Our final test was a three-mile swim at a certain speed, followed by a 1½ – mile run."
Then there was parachute training, which was a blast, he recalls. The same could not be said about the water survival regimen, he adds. "For water survival, they strap you into a helicopter shell," says Crawford. "The copter is on a robotic arm, which drops you into the water. The water [rushes] into the copter and turns you upside down. Once you are completely submerged and all movement stops, you can swim out. Many panic, but, with all of our past training, [most of us] were like dolphins. In the Navy, water survival is the biggest thing stressed."
In addition to the water tests, the Naval officers had to pass rigorous written tests. "We had to become meteorologists and engineers," says Crawford. "We had to memorize 110 emergency flight procedures verbatim. Some were three steps long; others were 20 steps long. The whole experience (including all tests) was the most difficult thing I ever had done!" But, it more than paid off.
Flying jets
After 1½ years of flight school, Crawford had accumulated 90 hours of actual flying and 70 hours of simulated flying. The first flight he manned was 20 hours on a 172 Cessna, followed by 70 hours on a T-34 turboprop. "My first thought when I had control [on my first flight] was, ‘Well, you did it!’" he says. But, he soon decided that flying a Cessna was "boring" compared to a T-34. "Flying the T-34 is a fully aerobatic airplane. Flying it was an absolute adrenaline rush. Within 15 or 20 seconds, you are moving at 180 miles per hour!"
Crawford had completed over half of his aviation program when the Navy was forced to downsize its pool of officers and he was let go. "It was a hard pill to swallow," he says. He did have enough training under his belt to apply for and receive a private pilot license, and has flown once since leaving the Navy.
In spite of his disappointment at being cut from the Navy, Crawford has fond memories of his time there. "The best part about my Navy experience was the friends I made, hands down," he says. "Because we were there voluntarily, we all had a common goal. And, the camaraderie was amazing, since everyone was away from their family. In the Navy, your friends become your family. I have never experienced this bond anywhere else."
In sales, ‘No’ means ‘not yet’
For many months, Crawford had considered making a career of the Navy. With that option suddenly off the table, he had to change gears quickly. He again considered going to dental school, but his bachelor’s degree was in biology, which meant he needed two more years of undergraduate college, followed by four years of dental school. "That called for a lot of money," he points out. Plus, he was losing interest, he admits.
"I took a career test and sales looked to be my number one interest," says Crawford. "Given my dental technician experience, dental sales made a lot of sense. Before I talked with my family and friends, I hadn’t even realized a career in dental sales existed!" Recently, he joined Henry Schein, a move that has proven to be one of his wisest.
His experience in the Navy has provided an excellent starting point for his new sales career. "One of the most valuable things [I have brought with me] from the Navy has been my experience working with so many different personality types to accomplish a common mission or goal. Today, I can assess and work with many different people." Indeed, the whole experience taught him to become much more flexible, he adds.
Crawford may be a rookie rep, but he has quickly acquired some tricks of the trade. "Product knowledge is very important," he says. Reps need to get their hands on as much product and motivational selling material as possible, he notes. And, it’s just as important for sales reps to develop strong personal relationships with their customers and to be consistent in their selling approach. But, one of the most valuable lessons he has learned to date has been that a positive attitude goes a long way. "I have read that sales reps must take a ‘No’ for a ‘Not yet,’" he says. As he learned when he was let go from the Navy and lost his opportunity to fly jets, doors may close, but they don’t necessarily lock.
|
|
|
