You only wish your boss would write something like this about you: "As vice president/sales of Starker Services, I consider the hiring of Kandas to be the single greatest contribution I've made to this company." Kandas Myer, who drew this accolade from her boss, last week was honored by the Professional Saleswomen of Nevada as "Sales Woman of the Year." Myer, who has been regional manager for Starker Services, a company that specializes in tax-free property exchanges, said she approaches each transaction with more than a desire to provide service.
Instead, she seeks to serve her customers.
"It's more than putting them first," she said.
"You have to be ready to put yourself in a subservient position."
That starts, she said, with an eye toward the grandfather clock in her office.
As Myer meets with clients, she tries to create a situation in which the pendulum on the clock appears to stand still as she focuses all her attention so strongly on the client's needs.
A strongly committed Christian, Myer said she draws inspiration in her professional life as well as her personal life from Christian-oriented self-help materials.
She also finds support in individual and group Bible studies.
A 1988 graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno,Myer earned her real estate license in 1992 and has undertaken ongoing education in taxation and tax planning.
She is a certified continuing education instructor in Nevada and four other states and serves on the education committee of the Reno-Sparks Association of Realtors.
Myer worked as an outside sales representative for Kinkos and as a real estate agent before joining Starker Services.
She has won numerous professional honors and was selected as a 2002 Woman of Achievement by the Nevada Women's Fund.
Runner-up in the Saleswoman of the Year competition was Magda Martinez, who sells for Fox Channel 11.
Martinez has devoted more than 20 years to the broadcast industry, starting in radio in 1982.
She has worked for Channel 11 for eight years.
Last year, she was one of 15 people nationwide to receive a development leader award from Cox Television, and she has won recent honors for the station's sales performance.
Other finalists for the award were Michelle Gibson of Western Title Co., Susan Moss Redman of SBC Nevada and Photo's For You and Jennifer Risdon Palmer of Northern Nevada Business Weekly.
