.STEP 2025 Sessions
We’re thrilled to be announcing the full list of sessions for STEP 2025 — provided below, in alphabetical order.
View the STEP schedule with dates and times.
Accelerating New Business Relationships
Speaker: Ed Wallace, Managing Director, AchieveNEXT Human Capital
Salespeople invest a great deal of time into setting up initial meetings with prospects. However, many initial meetings do not advance to future discussions because the sales rep did not come across as credible during their interaction. Ed Wallace, best-selling author and business relationship expert, shares a proven, repeatable approach to launch and advance meaningful relationships with new prospects.
The AI Advantage: Hands-On Strategies for Everyday Impact
Speaker: Sam Richter, CSP, CPAE, Founder of KnowMore and SBR Worldwide, Creator of Intel Engine and ERA SearchLink.ai
Sam Richter, industry-recognized expert on AI, will share the latest updates and enhancements to ERA SearchLink.ai, along with new developments in the world of artificial intelligence and how they impact our industry. This will be a “hands on” session with real-world takeaways to help you use AI in your day to day jobs!
The Electronic Components Industry: Challenges and Opportunities Ahead
Speaker: Michael Knight, Corporate Senior Vice President of Strategy, TTI, Inc.
Join industry visionary Michael Knight as he explores the exciting opportunities on the horizon for our ever-evolving field. Known as a true “big thinker,” Michael will offer insights that challenge conventional thinking and inspire forward momentum. This uplifting session celebrates those already in the industry and encourages you to aim high as you shape your future and seize what’s next.
The Four “I”s of Selling
Speaker: Eddie Smith, New CEO of ERA (as of Sept. 2025)
The four “I”s of selling is a dynamic approach that highlights the importance of being Intuitive, Innovative, Interested and Invaluable. Learn how these key traits can elevate your sales strategy and strengthen client relationships. Ed’s many years as a sales and marketing leader promise to make this both an informative and lively session.
From Now to Next: Planning Your Career in an Aging Industry
Speaker: Mike Calabria, PEAC, Inc., ERA Expert Access Consultant
Mike is a former senior vice president in distribution and CEO for a major manufacturer, with more than 40 years of industry expertise for this session. He will provide some suggested road maps to help you plan your career as the industry is “aging out” and thus opening up new positions. Plan today to gain an advantage in achieving these career advancement roles.
Creating Block Diagrams for Sales and Marketing Teams
Speaker: Leighton Burgess, General Manager, Arrow Electronics
This session will empower non-technical sales and marketing professionals to confidently promote their portfolio of components to synergistically maximize their potential opportunities at their customer as they help provide solutions. This will be a great tool to accelerate the sales process!
Qualify Hard, Close Easy
Speaker: Daniel Litts, President, Sandler Training
Unlock the secrets to successful selling with a deep dive into sales styles, qualification criteria and effective questioning strategies. This session explores how to uncover your prospect’s true pain points, understand their decision-making process, and align your resources to empower buyers to champion your solution.
Speak the Language of the Customer
Speaker: Ed Wallace, Managing Director, AchieveNEXT Human Capital
The moment of truth in any initial sales meeting occurs when the prospect asks, “Why should we work with you?” Salespeople generally start talking about their company and why they are the largest, first, or most innovative and forget about how they will help the customer solve their problem or meet their needs. Ed Wallace, best-selling author and business relationship expert, explains how to translate your company benefits into the language of the customer at that exact moment of truth.
Speaking with Authority
Speaker: Annelise McCarthy, Professional Speaking Coach
Get ready for a high-energy masterclass designed to elevate the communication skills of frontline and field sales teams. This session arms participants with practical tools to build instant rapport, speak with clarity and confidence and leave a lasting impression-whether on Zoom, over the phone or in person. Through real-time practice and powerful insights, your team will learn how to avoid common credibility pitfalls, show up like true experts and truly own the room.
**Interested in accessing past years’ STEP training modules? Visit the STEP library.
ERA thanks the TTI Family of Specialists for generously sponsoring this program. By partnering to producing this annual live sales training, ERA and TTI FOS aim to show continued support for the rep model and frontline sales professionals.
