Bill Jones

2059 Edgewood SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546

P: 616.949.5335
C: 616.446.6833

email: diane@cjonesgroup.com
cjonesgroup.com

Bill Jones

William T. (Bill) Jones brings value to his consulting clients, customers, and students through his combination of skills and experience in sales, sales management, engineering, product development, team building, turnaround strategies, and innovation.

Through WMTJ Consulting, Jones consults on product development, industrial process improvement, and sales and marketing. He develops and delivers in-house and manufacturer’s representative sales training courses, which include role playing and negotiation strategies. He works with clients to re-engineer products and industrial processes for energy efficiency, cost reduction, and improved performance and marketing position.

Jones also works with clients to integrate front-end and back-end engineering functions with standard practices for labor efficiency, faster customer response, reduction in opportunities for mistakes, and overall cost reduction. As an entrepreneur and innovator, he strategizes start-up businesses, facilitates the growth of small businesses, and provides turnaround services to struggling businesses.

A native of Ohio, Jones earned his B.S. in Science Engineering and his M.B.A. in Marketing from Northwestern University. While in college he served as a co-op engineer for General Electric. After graduation, Jones worked in sales and sales management for Application Engineering and Themal Care, both in the Chicago area. In 1980, he moved to Grand Rapids as Vice-President of Sales for Plant Specialties Co., a firm that he purchased in 1984. As President/Owner of Plant Specialties, Jones expanded the firm to include Controlled Air Systems (make-up air systems) and Therm-Tech (industrial cooling and heat transfer systems).

In 1998, Jones joined Conair Group in Pittsburgh, a supplier of auxiliary equipment to the Plastics Industry. As Vice-President of the Heat Transfer Division, he provided direct customer sales and sales support to manufacturer’s reps, managed direct salespeople and engineering, developed strategic partnerships, and developed new products for niche market applications.

Jones established WMTJ Consulting in 2003, and earned his Green Belt in Six Sigma through the University of Michigan that same year. His industrial patents focus on heat recovery and temperature control, and he has innovated numerous project and product designs in the fields of agriculture and plastics.

Jones is the author of the textbook Professional Selling: Eight Keys for Sales Success in Business and in Life (Kendall Hunt / Ames, Iowa). He developed this book during five years of teaching sales, sales management and advanced selling at the college level. In 2009, he was named “Most Influential Professor” and “Distinguished Faculty of the Year” by the two largest student groups (Professional Golf Management and Professional Tennis Management) in the College of Business at Ferris State University. Currently, he teaches Business-to-Business Direct Marketing online for West Virginia University’s Integrated Marketing Communications master’s degree program.