Finally, it’s an election year.

What once was a single year encompassing candidates’ declarations to run, fundraising, speeches and votes has now stretched into two years and then some.

How many live debates, or captured footage on YouTube, or articles including quotes, opinions and plans do we need to see and read before we confidently make up our mind and cast our vote?

What does it take from each candidate to convince us that he or she is the right choice?

You are looking for a job. Maybe you want to change companies but remain in the same industry. Maybe you want to change industry altogether. In either case, paralleling a political candidate’s race for elected office is a good way to help prepare you to run your own personal campaign for a new job.

First you must look at your current and former work experience and determine if the time is right for you to pursue a career move. A political candidate completes a self-evaluation that asks the question, “Do I have what it takes to run for this office?”

They already have defined the word “it.” “It” includes confidence, work experience with positive results and support from family. “It” includes the ability to defend their experience and answer the simple question: “Why have you done what you have done?”

The political candidates know the direction they want to take the country and they are ready to tell the American people why they should be the next leader. The timing is right and after much self-evaluation, they make their public declarations to run for office.

After self-evaluation, you declare you want to make a career change. Like a political candidate, you must prepare for the campaign trail. Updating your resume is the first step. Your resume is a tool that introduces you as well as gives the framework of your work history. It acts like your campaign notes.

Be clear and concise. In the first round of skimming through resumes, hiring authorities may spend literally seconds per resume. They look for clean, crisp structure and organized work history. They look for action verbs that describe your performance and success.

There are many free resources online offering guidelines as to how to structure a reader-friendly resume. Use them. Have someone read and evaluate your resume. Proofread know your resume inside and out.

Give serious thought as to why you chose your career path and be able to defend it.

Contact a recruiter in your field letting them know you are entering the campaign trail. Tell them, as if talking with your campaign manager, why you are entering the job market. Know what you want. Sell them on selling you.

A good recruiter is going to sit down with you, review your resume and make a plan.

They are also going to be forthright and honest, just like a campaign manager, giving you advice on which position best fits you, your personality, your background and your work experience.

In this strategy meeting, the recruiter takes an objective stance and is able to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. They may ask questions such as “Why did you leave your previous company? Why do you want to leave your current company? Where do you want to go in your career path?”

The voter asks the politician, “Why should I vote for you?” The hiring authority asks the applicant, “Why should I hire you?” The politician claims to know what the American people want. Know what you want as well as clarity on the job description and what the prospective company wants.

Pre-interview preparation is a must. Use the Internet to familiarize yourself with any available news or information on the company. Have a list of questions that you want answered during the interview. Remember, the company is interviewing you but you also are interviewing the company.

Job campaigning can be tough. Competition can be fierce. Be patient and persevere. When you win the election and begin your new job, be committed to follow through on the promises you made during the interview. This may be the only difference between a politician and an employee.

Kari Utley has 20 years of experience in international business development and is manager of public relations and marketing for Stout Executive Search in Springdale, which focuses on the WalMart supplier community. She may be reached at kari@stoutexecutivesearch.com.

Copyright © 2008, Arkansas Business Limited Partnership. All Rights Reserved.

Stout Executive Search opened its doors in November. Dealing strictly with vendors to Wal-Mart Stores Inc., owner Marvelyn Stout has tapped into a growing niche, as well as her own strong suit. She has an “overexperienced” team of four, but said she will soon add more staff to keep up with business. And to accommodate the growing demand, will absorb adjacent office space.

“The supplier community has been very affirming to us being here,” she said. Stout is in tune with suppliers because she used to be one, spending 18 years in the consumer product community. She worked at KimberlyClark for 10 years and another eight years with Doane’s Pet Care, manufacturer of Wal-Mart’s Ol’ Roy dog food.

In her tenure as a Wal-Mart supplier, Stout said she was constantly contacted by recruiters, and also used recruiters to build her own team. Her contact with recruiters gave her experience in the client and candidate perspectives, but she believed it was missing something — a personal touch.

“We get to know our client,” she said. “We sit down with each of them facetoface to really understand what kind of opening they’re trying to fill.” Stout said being a local business gives her company a competitive edge because only a few Wal-Mart recruiters are in Northwest Arkansas.

Don Marr, president of HR Factor, said being close to the vendor community is important and can make it easier to sell candidates on positions. “Where the local advantage becomes beneficial is when you have that premier candidate that you want to bring and attract to that area,” he said.

Marr said competition in the supplier segment is always positive and that there is room for new faces like Stout. The vendor community is growing, and many companies are expanding their Wal-Mart teams. Teams often started with one or two people now have multiple accountants and analysts.

Stout said she has received hundreds of referrals and met with more than 100 candidates. And while she was unable to share individual names, she said she has several client companies, including some “big hitters” on her list.

With her database of candidates, a couple of keyword searches can narrow down the field of candidates for a company. She has helped supplier teams find those with the needed skills and qualifications, but through the relationships she has developed, can also match based on a corporate culture.

“The biggest thing that we’ve found that helps us in sitting down with our clients is understanding the culture needs,” she said. When the placement is made with the client company, the client pays Stout a percentage of the candidate’s first year salary. Client and candidate referrals have traveled quickly through the supplier community, and business has snowballed.

The firm’s office is tucked away in Springdale’s HarBer Meadows. Stout specifically chose the outoftheway location as it provides more discretion for candidates. “You don’t ever want a candidate’s current employer to see their car at a recruiter’s office,” she said.

Copyright © 2008, Arkansas Business Limited Partnership. All Rights Reserved.

Arkansas DemocratGazette/ BOB COLEMAN Marvelyn Stout, owner of Stout Executive Search, examines resumes from executives currently working for WalMart suppliers who are seeking employment with other vendors.

SPRINGDALE — When Marvelyn Stout worked for a WalMart supplier, she used recruiters to help build her team. However, she saw there was a need for another approach in recruitment for the WalMart supplier community and thought she could provide what was needed when she decided to start a new business.

“We are committed about getting to know each of our candidates and our clients — one at a time. This business is about building relationships,” said Stout, 45. She owns Stout Executive Search, which opened in November.

She sees the firm’s focus as connecting the best and the brightest among executive candidates and companies in the consumer goods industry that currently sell to WalMart Stores Inc. and Sam’s Clubs.

Stout Executive Search is looking for the toptier talent currently selling to the world’s largest retailer. Positions might include vice president, team leaders, national account managers, category advisers, category managers, consumer insights, sales analysts, and supply chain and replenishment managers.

“Most of the WalMart suppliers in this community do require previous supplier experience or are not willing to use a recruiter for this type of candidate,” Stout said.

That practice leads to a policy at Stout Executive Search: Candidates must be currently working for a WalMart supplier to seek services from the firm. Candidates can email their resumes to resumes@stoutexecutivesearch.com. Fees are later paid by the employer once the candidate has been engaged.

Stout or a staff member first sets an appointment to talk with the candidates in the attractive office overlooking the fountains at HarBer Meadows. The staff of four can input keywords describing each candidate’s experience and background into the computer database to link their particular strengths with the needs of the companies. That specialized computer software was the most expensive element of the firm’s November startup, but it allows special attention to individual needs.

“They sell us on selling them,” Stout said of the initial candidate interviews.

Stout Executive Search must get specific permission for a particular position and company before sending out a candidate’s resume. That’s one of the practices that leads to the firm’s assurance: “Your placement. Our passion.”

The face-to-face relationships developed with candidates and companies establish a true fit that is right for both, Stout said.

Her own background gives her particular insights on those supplier companies and their employment needs. Stout has 18 years’ experience in sales and marketing, including 10 years as a brand manager with the KimberlyClark Corp. and she served as WalMart team leader for the largest manufacturer of private label U.S. pet food, Ol’ Roy.

“When you call on WalMart, you learn to appreciate the WalMart culture and this firm is strongly influenced by that culture,” Stout said.

For anyone without supplier experience on his resume, she recommends the marketing analyst program at Northwest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville as preparation for work as a category manager.

“This is a great place to start. The candidates also must be willing to get out there and knock on doors to find their first position with a supplier,” said Stout, the first woman to lead an executive search firm in Northwest Arkansas.

“Everybody wants to get into the WalMart supplier community, but you have to earn your position there,” Stout said. “The skill set of the traditional salesperson is not enough anymore. Now they need higherlevel analytics, strategic thinking and a mastery of consumer insights.”

If you recently opened a business or know of a new business in the area, please call Sue Morris at (479) 7708468 or email: smorris@arkansasonline.com

DETAILS LOCATION: 6878 Isaacs Orchard Road, Suite E (HarBer Meadows), Springdale
PHONE: (479) 3611114; fax (479) 3611125
WEB SITE: www. stoutexecutivesearch.com
OWNER: Marvelyn Stout
PRODUCTS/SERVICES: Executive placement HOURS: 8 a.m.5 p.m. weekdays or by arrangement
START DATE: November 2006
STARTUP COSTS: Would not disclose
FUNDING: Would not disclose

Clockwise from left: Kim Ratcliff, Dan Vinson, Kari Utley and Marvelyn Stout of Stout Executive Search in Bentonville.

Six months after founding the executive search firm that bears her name, Marvelyn Stout is looking to double the size of her staff to eight people within the next few months.

The former Kimberly Clark executive and team leader with Doane Pet Care is counting on her experience as a supplier to Wal-Mart and ability to develop relationships to crack into a market long dominated by Cameron Smith & Associates.

“I just saw the need in the supplier community for another recruiting firm,” Stout said of her decision to launch her company last November. “I feel like there is room for everyone.”

As she looks to grow the business, Stout’s philosophy is to recruit from within Northwest Arkansas, rely on referrals from a network of contacts to fulfill client needs and develop relationships with candidates and clients.

“I won’t send a candidate out unless I have personally met them. The candidates appreciate that we want to meet them and get to know them and so do our clients,” Stout said.

The decision to start an executive search firm is a long way from how her own career began after earning a teaching degree from Evangel University in Springfield, Mo. She taught second grade at a private school in Dallas for two years before deciding to pursue a career in sales.

“No one would have me because I didn’t have a business degree,” Stout said.

That changed in August 1987 when she secured a regional sales job with Kimberly Clark’s Dallas office calling on chains and independent stores throughout Texas in off-the-beaten-track towns such as Sulphur Springs and Paris. Her big break came when she was assigned the Albertson’s account.

“That was a big deal for me because I had only been with the company a few years,”

Stout said. Stout took advantage of the opportunity and developed some creative promotions involving the Dallas Cowboys and a Huggies Baby Derby during the halftime of the team’s annual Thanksgiving Day game at Texas Stadium. Not long after that the offer came to relocate for a position at Kimberly Clark’s Neena, Wis. headquarters. Although initially reluctant, she took the job and moved north in 1994.

“When I got off the plane and it was eight below zero I thought, ‘What have I done?’”

Eighteen months later the opportunity arose to return to Northwest Arkansas where she spent her teenage years after her family relocated to the area from Memphis when she was 13. A few years later the opportunity arose to become team leader at Doane Pet Care, which at the time was based in Joplin, Mo. She commuted to Joplin for three years before convincing Doane to establish an office in Northwest Arkansas. After building a local team of 12 people, Doane was sold and the local office was closed.

Out of a job and with her mother in need of health care, Stout’s professional career took a back seat. After her mother passed away last year, Stout decided it was time to start her own business and settled on becoming an executive recruiter.

Retailing Today – Connecting Northwest Arkansas, June/July issue

“Know what you want” and “sell me on selling you.”

These are common statements made throughout the day in dealing with companies and candidates who solicit the services of recruiters. Stout Executive Search is an executive search firm focused exclusively on placing professionals for WalMart Supplier teams. Although we are specialized in the supplier field, here are some basic questions helpful for anyone finding themselves in the job search market, who chooses to use a recruiter:

• Will you meet with me in person? Our firm believes there is an advantage in meeting face to face with each potential candidate.

The individual knows he or she is important. We have set aside time to meet with them because we believe the investment is priceless.

We want to hear their story and know where they came from as well as where they want to go in their career.

We want them to know they are important as a person, not just a resume. In this fast paced, drive thru society we live in, it is easy to feel lost and unimportant in the search.

• Enough “machine gunning” of resumes. Ask the recruiter you are considering, what is their method of submitting resumes? Are you informed that you are being presented to a potential company? Have you been given opportunity to give your permission or will the recruiter call you later, after the fact, or maybe not at all?

We have heard horror stories of individuals who found out through the grapevine that their resume had been sent to a company for consideration. In some cases, a conflict of interest would have caused them to say “no, you cannot submit my resume or at least, not at this time.”

You, the candidate, deserve to know the path your resume is on. It is not wrong to expect your recruiter to inform you of opportunity and seek your permission. It is after all, your resume.

• The million dollar question is “how long before I know something?” Ask your recruiter what their method of follow up is. Let’s say you have given permission to be submitted for a position. Your recruiter is responsible to keep you informed of the process.

Realistically, there is never going to be a set time for the process nor is it going to be the same for any two companies or positions. However, work it out with your recruiter in the beginning as to how you will communicate and what is to be expected.

We inform our candidates throughout the process, as soon as we receive new information from the company. We also are very honest in feedback with our candidates.

A good recruiter not only informs the candidate of any news, but also coaches the candidate on issues that have been pointed out by the company as to why they are not moving forward with them. It is understood that not everyone fits the same company culture and while this may be a disappointment to find out, it can be turned into a positive tool for future searches as well as future interviewing skills.

• Ask your recruiter what is the best way to stay in touch if you haven’t heard of a position in a while. In a perfect world, all candidates who come through a search firm would be placed, and of course, be placed in a perfect job, therefore never needing recruiting services again. However, until the perfect world is created, a good recruiter will let you know up front that if you have not heard from them, do not hesitate to call and/or email them.

Find out your potential recruiter’s background, experience and field of expertise. Anyone can hang up a sign that says “Recruiters ‘R Us.” We are talking about your career. Find a recruiter who has experience in your career field. Stout Executive Search has recruiters who themselves have been WalMart suppliers, as well as colleagues who have both national and international business experience.

We know Wal-Mart supplier culture and language, yet we are always studying to educate ourselves on trends and patterns of corporate behavior, economic development, and issues of local and international interest such as diversity and the growing demand for sustainability. Is your recruiter staying informed?

Find a recruiter who takes leadership in the search and lets you know by his or her actions that you are more than just a resume and your career is more than just a job.

Marvelyn Stout is owner and founder of Stout Executive Search in Springdale, which focuses on the WalMart supplier community. She may be reached at marvelyn@stoutexecutivesearch.com.

Copyright © 2008, Arkansas Business Limited Partnership. All Rights Reserved.

Q: When applying for a position, what can you do to help distinguish yourself from the crowd?
A: Know your brand. Answer the question: Why should this company choose you? Instead of just restating your job responsibilities focus on your results. Unless you had a very unique position, your job title likely states the obvious. Quickly state your unique focus or dollar volume responsibility, and then move on to what you did above and beyond the expected tasks required by your position. Explain, and if possible quantify, how those efforts made an impact – whether it be through increased sales or improved efficiency. Show that you are a strategic thinker, someone who can come up with new, “out of the box” ideas rather than just doing things the way they have always been done. Continuous improvement and new ideas keep a company ahead of the curve in a market defined by change. If the company that you are interviewing with discourages strategic thinking or challenging of the status quo, is this really a company that you want to work for? They probably won’t be around very long with that mindset.

Q: Many people talk about the importance of constantly improving and adding new skills. Do companies look for these qualities when selecting potential candidates?
A: WalMart suppliers are the best of the best, and come here from all over the world. With that said, companies want people who understand the big picture, but also have a good foundational understanding of the individual pieces of the puzzle that fit together to create that big picture. For instance, for the National Account Manager positions on WalMart supplier teams, we are seeing high demand for quality, wellrounded candidates. Rather than someone who has only held sales positions, companies now value candidates who have a strong analytical background, candidates who understand the tenets of category management and the foundations of replenishment and logistics. This broad base of knowledge is critical for success in this factbased selling environment.

Q: In softer economies, when companies are not adding new jobs at the rate they once were, can unemployed professionals be “picky” about their new positions?
A: It depends. It is obviously very stressful to be unemployed because the bills are still coming in even when the paycheck stops.

That’s why financial planners recommend keeping 3 to 6 months of salary in liquid emergency savings. That buys you time so you aren’t forced to rush into something just to get a paycheck.

If you find yourself in a layoff situation, it is always good to try and negotiate a severance package. A severance package gives you some time with income to search for a new position. Oftentimes severance packages take into account your tenure with a company, so that is another reason to try and avoid too much job hopping.

Regardless of your situation, you want to be sure you are selective in choosing a strong company with a culture and a position you will thrive in. If you rush into a job just to get a paycheck, you may find yourself in a position or company culture that does not match with your skills, values and temperament. You will likely end up unemployed again due to the mismatch, and then you could be perceived as a job hopper, or come across as just making excuses in trying to explain away poor choices or poor performance.

Take the time now to find the right company and the right position that will offer you growth and stability in the long run. After all, this is your career. (Marvelyn Stout is the owner of Stout Executive Search in Springdale.) Copyright © 2008, Arkansas Business Limited Partnership. All Rights Reserved.

Marvelyn Stout took the challenge to become a leader in sustainability by choosing lighting designer Derry Berrigan to create a high quality sustainable lighting solution for Stout Executive Search’s new office in HarBer Meadows Business Park in Springdale, Arkansas. This installation is one of the first of its kind in Arkansas to demonstrate how LED solutions are a viable general lighting option for office applications. By adopting this forward thinking approach Stout can now enjoy the benefits of excellent light quality and energy savings as well as taking steps to help mitigate negative environmental impacts.

A sustainable lighting solution complements Stout’s personal and corporate commitment to the environment. The choice of LED lighting will help reduce future overheads both in terms of electricity consumption and maintenance costs while maintaining a high quality of lighting for her clients, candidates and the Stout team.

In terms of energy reduction the savings speak for themselves. The Stout office is highly efficient using only 574 Watts for the entire lighting system. The new design is 53% better than ASHRAE 90.1 2007 (Energy Standard for Buildings) and 78% energy reduction from the previous existing lighting solution. This reduction in energy consumption is significant given that 40% of the electricity typically used in offices is for lighting.

The Stout Executive Search office features new 12 Watt LED lamps designed to last 50,000 hours. General ambient light is supplemented with personal lighting systems used by each employee that allow for flexibility based on personal lighting preferences and employs an occupancy sensor to further capture energy savings.

Given the fact that one kilowatt-hour of electricity will cause 1.34 pounds (610 g) of CO2 emission and assuming the average light bulb is on for 10 hours a day, one 40-watt incandescent bulb will cause 196 pounds (89 kg) of CO2 emission per year. A 12-watt LED equivalent will only cause 61 pounds (29 kg) of CO2 over the same time span. A building’s carbon footprint from lighting can be reduced by 68% by exchanging all incandescent bulbs for new LEDs.

Certainly, Stout Executive Search has broken new ground in the early adoption of this revolutionary technology.

Bianca Ramsey is the CEO of DBPower of Three Lighting Company, New York, New York

Our customer is what? To be serviced.

Customer service. Two words that when heard bring either really bad experiences or really good experiences to mind. We want the wait staff to get it right the first time. Medium well please, not medium rare and still mooing. And hurry. We want our fine dining experience quick and efficient. We want all surfaces spotless, shiny and clean. We want the atmosphere just right for the occasion — candles lit, live jazz and excellent ambience. Is that too much to ask from Pete’s Barbeque? Wait a minute. It really doesn’t matter if it’s “fine dining” or a “throw your peanut hulls on the floor” bar and grill. The difference in any business — whether it’s a restaurant, a bank, a discount store or a local garage — is customer service. We want to be treated well. Don’t get me wrong. Quality steak is important. Properly managing my investments is huge. Installing the correct tires on my car is essential.

All that said, if every “thing” is perfect and in its proper place yet we are not treated well from beginning to end, then we have had a bad experience and the lack of customer service may have just lost you a customer. But when we are treated well and shown that our need for service matters, then on the occasion when a business makes an error, we are more likely to return and give them a second chance.

This seems like a no-brainer but for some reason people still need reminding of the value of customer service. Small business. Big business. White collar. Blue collar. No collar. When you open your door of “service” you are saying “trust me with your money, your time, your hair, your product that needs repaired.” Trust is a big deal, especially in this era of forced regrouping that our society is experiencing. No one is exempt. Now is a great time to evaluate where your business stands in the customer service arena. Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, customer service is the same. It involves basic human kindness and how we treat each other. It’s about respect for the individual and how we speak to each other. Big isn’t always better and small doesn’t always get it right. However, small businesses that focus on customer service by building relationships can build a very successful and rewarding business.

There is no such thing as “bad customer service.” If it’s “bad customer service” it’s not called customer service, it’s called a “bad experience.” Either we get it or we don’t.

Customer service is an investment. It means you look beyond the invoice to the face of the person writing the check for your services. Even if the nature of your business is servicing a one-time passing-through customer, you can still treat the individual with respect and dignity. It means listening. It means making eye contact or focusing on what the customer is telling you they need. Mistakes are made when the lone priority is speed. We are a speed demon society. We want that done yesterday. And we want it done right. Certainly there is a need for speed, but there is a greater need for efficiency. Customer service includes both.

As recruiters for Wal-Mart supplier teams, one of our firm’s greatest rewards is when a company calls us back to the table to help with a job search. Hard work has paid off. Efficiency has paid off. Quality people with the right skill set presented to that company has paid off. Trust has been built. We heard them — our customer — serviced.

We often hear customer service starts at the top. That’s not always true. I consistently use the drive thru-services at my bank. I purposely try to time it so my favorite teller is working. Jamie is awesome. She is quick, efficient and is a walking smile. She knows my name. When I pull up, she greets me before I even send over my documents. Sounds crazy, but for the next few minutes while Jamie does her work, I literally can catch my breath, know that my business is in good hands, and that my needs are being met.

Customer service is a belief and an attitude. If genuine, it permeates throughout the organization creating the foundation for your company’s culture. Customer service needs to be brought back to the forefront and emphasized not only in training, but in the maintaining and running of our businesses. Our customer is why we are in business. Service them.

Kari Utley is the manager of public relations and marketing for Stout Executive Search in Springdale, which focuses on the Wal-Mart supplier community. She may be reached at kari@stoutexecutivesearch.com.

Copyright © HUArkansas Business Limited Partnership.UH All Rights Reserved.

SPRINGDALE– If you’re someone with no experience in selling to Wal-Mart Stores Inc. but have a notion you’d like to work for one of its vendors, don’t come knocking on Marvelyn Stout’s door.

“Wal-Mart is the largest retailer in the world. This is not an account that you can just break into. You have to earn your position within the Wal-Mart supplier community,” she said.

Stout knows whereof she speaks. She spent 18 years working for two Wal-Mart/ Sam’s Club vendors and now has opened her own recruiting firm, called Stout Executive Search, in Springdale.

“We specialize in locating toptier talent that currently sells to Wal-Mart and Sam’s Clubs in all supplier categories. We connect the best and the brightest with companies that want the best and the brightest,” Stout said.

Her agency operates a little “below the radar” to protect its clients’ privacy, meaning Stout doesn’t interview candidates in public places but insists on meeting them one on one in the office.

Taking a personal approach is what makes her agency different from other executive recruiting firms, she said.

“We believe in getting to know each of our candidates one at a time. We try to build relationships. We didn’t set out to be the biggest, but the best,” Stout said.

Not only that, Stout’s agency is also the first Northwest Arkansas executive recruitment firm specializing in the Wal-Mart vendor community that is headed by a female, she said.

Stout should know. She dealt with recruitment firms often during her 10 years working for supplier KimberlyClark and another eight as team leader with Doane’s Pet Care, manufacturer of Wal-Mart’s Ol’ Roy dog food, the largest selling pet food in the United States.

It was only natural that when she decided to start her own business, Stout called on her contacts within the vendor community.

“I received tons of referrals. People take care of their friends in this community,” she said.

Stout, who is 45 and single, lives in Rogers and attended school in Springdale. She later graduated from Evangel University in Springfield, Mo., with a degree in teaching. Stout taught second-grade students until she realized teaching wasn’t her calling, she said.

Ignoring her own advice to inexperienced people seeking jobs with a Wal-Mart supplier, Stout went knocking on doors and persuaded KimberlyClark that “sales is a lot like teaching,” she said.

Today, however, she tells vendor candidates who lack sales experience to enroll in the marketing analyst program at NorthWest Arkansas Community College before trying to get a job with suppliers. The vendor of the future is going to be heavily invested on the analytic side of the business, Stout said.

“They’re going to need people with strategic thinking and customer insight people who can do market research. NWACC is a great place to start,” she said.

Marshall McCall is executive director of retail programs at NWACC. He said the marketing analysis class it offers was created by Wal-Mart and its suppliers back in 1999.

“Prior to that, the only place to find people trained in the industry was to steal them from Wal-Mart,” he said.

The program, taught by retail specialists who work in the industry, has been popular, with almost 100 percent of graduating students finding jobs after completion, McCall said.

Stout opened her agency only in November but is already planning to expand her office and her staff of four to handle the “hundreds” of resumes that have poured into her office, she said.

There are not many executive search firms in Northwest Arkansas that specialize in recruiting people for Wal-Mart vendors, Stout said. Indeed, just three executive search firms in all are listed in the local Yellow Pages the top one being Cameron Smith Associates of Bentonville, self-billed as the country’s largest recruiter for Wal-Mart vendor teams.

Smith, who knows Stout, said she is entering a “tough” market.”

Our business is tough in that we have to make three sales in order to make a deal. We have to sell the company on our service, sell the company on the candidate and the candidate on the company,” he said. “And we have the only product that can refuse to be sold. Our products think, walk and talk. That’s what makes our business very difficult.”

Stout seemed to agree, as she said candidates have to “sell us on selling them.” But she doesn’t flinch from competition.

“I feel like there’s room enough for everybody,” Stout said.

*1,200 Approximate number of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Sam’s Club suppliers in Northwest Arkansas.

*12,000 Approximate number employed by the suppliers.

SOURCE: BentonvilleBella Vista Chamber of Commerce