From an early age, U.S. Navy veteran Dustin Hall was never one to back down from a challenge. Throughout his life, he has been in charge of logistics units, co-founded a business while studying at a highly accredited university, and is now embarking on a career in the insurance industry with Amsure. Between his work ethic and dedication to helping those in his community, it is clear that Dustin has a bright future ahead of him.

Dustin graduated from Glens Falls High School in 2013. He was unsure of his plans for the future, but came from a long line of men that had served in the military. Both his step father and grandfather had been in the Navy, so following their lead he enrolled. “It started a Navy tradition in a sense,” he explained. After attending bootcamp, he traveled to Pensacola, Florida to begin his A school training. Dustin went into Aviation Boatswain’s Mate, Aircraft Handling (ABH) training, where he learned how to supervise the movement of Naval aircraft and perform rescue duties. Once he had completed his A school, he traveled to Virginia where he was assigned to the USS Theodore Roosevelt.

About a year later in 2015, Dustin set out on a world tour. The Navy was doing a port change for three aircraft carriers: USS Theordore Roosevelt, USS Ronald Regan, and the USS George Washington. Overall, he visited seven different countries, seeing places like Australia, Dubai, England, India, and more, before ending the tour in San Diego, California.

Afterwards, he traveled back to Virginia where he was reassigned to the USS George Washington. Once back, Dustin became in charge of managing a logistics unit at only 22 years old: “Day to day, I was in charge of about 40 people in our unit,” said Dustin. “It was a learning curve because when you’re the supervisor to someone who is 33 years old, and they have 10 years on you, you kind of have to figure out ‘How do you talk to this person?’”

Despite the challenge, Dustin excelled at his job and had plenty of support from those around him. “I had a couple great mentors in the Navy that took me under their wing, a couple officers, and they gave me that opportunity and I learned from it,” he explained. “Those individuals were people who pushed me to start doing my education.”

Taking their advice, Dustin began to take classes at Tidewater Community College. Dustin took four classes every semester, and was able to finish all of his prerequisites. He had to decide between staying in the Navy or continuing his education… However, once he was accepted into the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, his decision was clear. “I was a C+/B- student getting into Syracuse’s number one program in the country,” explained Dustin, “I was like, I need to do this.”

Syracuse is well-known for their commitment to helping veterans further their education and as a proud alum, Dustin would agree: “I almost felt like I was recruited in a sense, kind of like what they do for sports players. They want veterans to come,” he said.

In addition to the GI Bill, Syracuse participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which covers the education costs that the GI Bill does not. This allows veterans, like Dustin, to attend the university without needing to take out private loans.

Having grown up with an interest in politics, Dustin majored in policy studies, but found it challenging to adjust to the college lifestyle: “Being a veteran there is a learning curve,” explained Dustin, “You get into math classes and professors say ‘You remember this from high school.’ Well high school was at that point seven years ago for me.”

However, Dustin had lots of support from professors and mentioned Sean O’Keefe – who served as the Secretary of the Navy under President Geroge H.W. Bush and the Administrator for NASA under President Geroge W. Bush – as having an impact on his experience at Syracuse: “He kind of took me
under his wing in the sense of applying myself,” said Dustin, who continued to explain how with O’Keefe’s encouragement, he took more challenging courses.

In addition to being a full-time student, Dustin co-founded the business College Truckers. Functioning similarly to a franchise, the business existed at other universities, but Dustin brought it to Syracuse. Completely student-run, he hired other students and friends to be the “movers” that would pick-up their customers’ boxes and transport them to a storage unit. Once the semester was about to begin, customers would give them a date and room number and all of their belongings were dropped off and waiting for them. Eventually, the business became so successful during Dustin’s last year, they began shipping boxes for students who lived out of state.

In addition to running a successful business, Dustin kept himself busy by completing an internship. He attended a lecture from a former Syracuse alum who explained how his company insured the Superbowl, which, being a huge football fan himself, piqued Dustin’s interest. “It was the first time ever where I was like, ‘Oh, insurance sounds kind of cool,’” said Dustin.

This newfound interest led to him finding OneGroup, where he applied for an internship. Due to him being slightly older than the average college student, OneGroup designed an internship around him, allowing him to work in every department. He completed many challenging tasks, like researching Spartanburg, South Carolina while living in New York because the company was expanding. He also had the opportunity to survey many county buildings and airports, although he was more of an observer for these trips: “Basically I was a notetaker; glorified notetaker as I like to call it,” joked Dustin. This experience confirmed that insurance was the industry Dustin wanted to pursue.

After obtaining his bachelor’s degree, which he completed in only three years, Dustin moved back to Glens Falls and despite knowing what he wanted to do, he didn’t jump into the insurance industry right away: “Having the mentors I had at OneGroup, they encouraged me to really try to find the right agency, the right insurance company to land at, not just to go right out and find a job,” said Dustin.

While interviewing and looking for insurance jobs, he worked as the deputy commissioner of elections. Eventually, he found Amsure, and knew it was the perfect opportunity for him. “They’re willing to put the time and effort into me and teach me. They’re willing to team me up with a mentor so I can learn from someone who’s been doing it, not just getting help here and there,” explained Dustin. He works closely with his mentor Dave Meager, who has worked in the insurance industry for more than 50 years.

Passionate about his work, Dustin is constantly networking and building connections with those in his community: “My philosophy is that you build the network and worry about the sales later,” explained Dustin. “While obviously growing a book of business in the future is the overall goal, I’d rather grow that book of business through friendships, and networking, and connections versus the typical go out and pick someone randomly.”

One way he has made genuine connections was through the Adirondack Chamber of Commerce (ARCC) Veteran’s Business Network (VBN). He mentioned Sean Dion and Juan Gonzales, who both serve leadership positions on the VBN. Being veterans themselves, Dustin can relate to them in a way many people cannot. As a bonus, he is able to help them on the insurance side of their businesses as well.

Dustin also enjoys helping fire districts when he gets the chance: “Fire districts, that’s one of my soft spots in the insurance industry. I love fire districts in the sense of, I was an aircraft firefighter, so I can go in and I can talk to firefighters or a fire district and I kind of understand them. It’s always nice knowing I have their back in a sense on the insurance side,” said Dustin.

While still early in his career, Dustin is proving that he has the dedication and drive needed to succeed: “I’ve learned that the best approach that you can do coming into the insurance industry is just be true and genuine, and if you don’t know something admit that you don’t know something, but then come back and [say] ‘Here, this is the answer,’” shared Dustin. “At the end of the day, an agent or broker should become a trusted advisor to your business.” He makes sure that he is always thinking of the people and keeping their business’ best interest in mind when giving advice.

Outside of work, Dustin spends lots of time with his wife, Bailey, and Vizsla dog, Trigger. They enjoy going on walks and exploring trails together as the weather warms up. He also has a love for cars: “My wife would tell you it’s probably a little more of an obsession,” he admitted… Specifically, he loves Porsches, and is always excited to find someone else to talk to about his interest.

Additionally, Bailey and Dustin are preparing to become first-time parents, with an upcoming due date this August.

For years, Sellers of real estate have had to provide very little information about the property they were selling, and the mantra was “buyer beware.” That may be about to change…

The Property Condition Disclosure Act of 2002 began the requirement for the Sellers to answer a series of forty-eight (48) questions about the various areas of the home and property and their condition on a document referred to as the Property Condition Disclosure Statement (PCDS). The PCDS was to be provided to a prospective Purchaser of property at the time of signing of the contract for the purchase of the subject property. The Sellers could answer the questions on the PCDS with the following responses: Yes, No, Unknown, or N/A. If a Seller refused or chose not to provide a completed PCDS with the contract, the Act stated that the penalty was for the Seller was to provide the Purchaser with a $500.00 credit at closing for failing to provide a completed PCDS. The Act also provided a few exemptions for
parties or entities who were not required to provide a completed PCDS, with the idea that certain persons or entities may not have personal knowledge sufficient to meaningfully complete the disclosure.

In late 2023, the Property Condition Disclosure Act received a facelift. The amendment, which takes effect on March 20th, 2024, deletes the subsection which provided for a $500.00 penalty for Seller not providing a completed Property Condition Disclosure Agreement, effectively trying to make the completion of the PCDS mandatory, and adds seven (7) more questions to the PCDS, primarily
related to flood plain issues with the property and flood insurance. Again, as before, there are a limited number of exempted persons and/or entities… However, the amendment does not provide any new penalty should the Seller refuse to complete a Property Condition Disclosure Statement.

The following language remained in the amendment: “Nothing contained in this article shall be construed as limiting any existing legal cause of action or remedy at law, in statute or in equity.” However, the amendment, as in the original Act, only provides for liability for actual damages to a Purchaser from a Seller who provides a completed PCDS or fails to provide a revised PCDS. The Act, as amended, does not speak to what happens if a Seller refuses to complete and provide a Property Condition Disclosure Statement in the first place, and it is not likely that practitioners will know the answer to this question until the Courts have had an opportunity to weigh in on any litigation brought before them.

The Act also does not specifically preclude parties to a real estate contract from waiving this requirement, if agreed between the parties. Could this potentially usher in a new era of Sellers requesting a waiver from interested Purchasers of the PCDS requirement in order to get around having to provide one? We currently see a similar trend in this very competitive Seller’s market where Purchasers are waiving their right to an inspection in an effort to make their
offer stand out.

Some have offered that interested Purchasers could try to force the issue and require a completed PCDS before they would sign the contract, but in this very competitive market, it is likely that there will always be at least one interested Purchaser willing to undercut that requirement and sign a waiver. Others have offered that a Purchaser may bring an action to compel the Seller to provide a completed PCDS. However, an action to compel a completed PCDS would be costly and take time, and Purchasers may decide to rely more on an official inspection report they would order from a licensed inspector.

If the goal of the Act is to require a Seller a provide a completed PCDS at the time of contract signing, maybe a better option would be to increase the penalty credit to Purchaser rather than remove it. If, for example, Sellers were required to provide a $5,000.00 credit to Purchaser in lieu of a completed PCDS, imagine how many more PCDS’s would be completed.

As the world of real estate continues to evolve, both real estate brokers and attorneys will need to educate their clients as to the amended Act and closely watch for any new trends that emerge.

How much longer will buyers need to “beware?” Stay tuned.

Cornell’s Used Auto Parts is happy to announce they will be hosting their second annual car show. After an extremely successful show last year, Cornell’s is once again welcoming the public to come out and enjoy a fun car-filled day. The event will take place on Saturday, May 4th from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM right at Cornell’s Used Auto Parts (located at 62 S Greenfield Road, Greenfield Center, NY 12833). All makes and models are welcome to participate and people can expect food, yard tours, trophies, and most importantly, lots of cars!

Cornell’s Used Auto Parts is dedicated to providing customers with high quality parts, for a fraction of the cost compared to a dealership. Family-owned and operated, the business was first established in 1972 by Duane Cornell. Today, the business is run by Duane’s son Casey, who took over after his father’s death.

With over one million parts available for next day delivery, Cornell’s is committed to providing their customers the best possible service. All of their parts come with a standard six month warranty and there are many different extended warranties available for purchase.

The car show is returning after an unexpected popularity among the public. Originally Cornell’s General Manager, Mike Colvett, had the idea expecting that it would be a fun cookout event for the employees. However, to their surprise, hundreds of people showed up to enjoy the car show and spend time with those in their community who shared a similar interest.

This year, the car show is expected to once again bring the community together to admire and appreciate many different kinds of cars.

Additionally, people will have the opportunity to take a tour of Cornell’s lot and see what goes into running their business. All of the funds received during the event will be donated to the Double H Ranch, which provides specialized programs and year-round support for children and their families dealing with life-threatening illnesses.

Join Cornell’s and the community to support a great cause on Saturday, May 4th at 10:00 AM at Cornell’s Used Auto Parts. Whether you consider yourself an expert on all things car related, or have never been to a car show before, come out and enjoy a fun day at Cornell’s Used Auto Parts.

For more information about Cornell’s Used Auto Parts, please visit cornellsusedautoparts.com

Managing long sales cycles is one of the problems we hear about the most as marketers.

Specifically at SIX, where we work with many B2B clients who have very technical products or services. New clients often come to us frustrated by how slow their sales process is.

But the sales cycle isn’t a marketing problem, right? Traditionally speaking, no it’s not. But any marketing professional could probably tell you about a time they ran an objectively great campaign that generated leads, but no sales. And that’s frustrating for everyone involved.

It’s one of the reasons we decided, a long time ago, to expand our own services to include not only marketing, but also sales and technology consulting. We’ve found that working with our clients to improve sales cycles helps them see more success in their marketing.

1: Streamline Your Sales with the Right Technology.

There are many elements of the sales cycle that you can’t control. Maybe the leads at your target companies must go through a lengthy buying process with multiple decision-makers and compliance. Perhaps you manufacture parts that must be included in design specifications long before your customer is ready to place an order. Or maybe your customers are just incredibly indecisive… This might just be the way it is in your industry. And other than changing your industry (usually not a realistic option), there isn’t much you can do about it.

But what you can change is your approach to outreach. Using the right technology to identify, communicate with, and keep track of leads can streamline your side of the sales process and shave off valuable time. You can make your outreach more effective by using intent data to generate more refined prospect lists. This will allow your team to focus on communicating with prospects who not only meet your ideal customer profile (ICP), but are also most likely to buy.

Technology can also help you automate outreach and follow-up, document and keep track of all leads and communication, and nurture any leads stuck in the pipeline. By cleaning up your processes with technology, you can speed up your side of the sales cycle to help compensate for time-consuming processes on the prospect’s side.

2: Support your Prospect’s Decision-Making Process.

While you can’t directly control how long your prospects take to complete their buying process, you can help speed up their buying process by ensuring they have all the information necessary to make a decision.

Understanding your customers and how they make buying decisions is important. Analyzing ICPs and personae helps us understand: your audience, how they conduct research, what sources of information they trust the most, what kind of information they need to make a decision, and more. A detail-oriented person will need more in-depth content, while fast-paced decision makers might want high-level information that’s clear and concise.

It depends on your target companies, but you may need to sell a buying committee on your products or services. Buying committees involve multiple stakeholders who might have very different personalities and priorities. For example, if your buyer personae include both engineers and supply chain managers, it’s important to realize that it might take different strategies to reach them. Engineers tend to be highly skeptical buyers and need detailed information and specifications to make an informed decision. Supply chain managers will likely be less concerned with the specs, and more concerned with your ability to deliver products on time and on budget. It’s essential to have marketing materials that speak to each buyer’s needs.

What kinds of educational content you need will vary greatly depending on your product or service, industry, and buyers. Some examples include: service/product pages, spec sheets, helpful blogs, newsletters, informational guides, infographics, videos, FAQs, case studies, and testimonials. Content takes some time and effort to build out, but eventually you’ll have a strong foundation of content to support your sales team.

3: Scale Up and Refine Your Lead Generation.

Once you have better processes in place, you can increase the volume of leads in your funnel and scale up your outreach. Streamlining your sales process and marketing content will allow you to communicate with and market to more leads at a time.

The best way to generate leads depends on your industry and where your target audience is best reached. You’ll need to determine which channels (email, display ads, social media, etc.) are the most effective.

Account-based marketing (ABM) can be the best approach for companies with long sales cycles. ABM combines highly targeted and personalized outreach with advertising and other marketing support. Using the right technology, you’ll identify specific, high-value accounts that meet your ICP and send messaging to the right contacts at those companies, with content tailored directly to their needs. In addition to direct outreach, you’ll also serve highly relevant ads to your prospects and provide them with personalized educational supporting content. This lead-generation approach focuses on spending your time and effort in the most effective way possible. It helps shorten your sales cycle by ensuring that the leads entering your sales pipeline are high quality and likely to convert into long-term customers.

Speed Up Your Sales Process.

Long sales cycles are frustrating, and in many industries, they’re unavoidable. But streamlining processes, creating educational content, and refining your lead generation can make a crucial difference in your sales cycle.

If you’d like to learn more about how to speed up your sales cycle, visit our website at SIX.marketing to schedule some time to discuss your company’s unique needs with our VP of Business Development, Leah Parillo, or email leah@six.marketing directly.