FROM THE FEBRUARY ISSUE: SECRETS OF A SUPER SELLER

The entire MR team proudly presents our February 2025 issue. If you haven’t received a hard copy, please page through  our digital version, and we’ll continue to post individual stories here on  MR-mag.com. If you haven’t been getting MR in print, be sure that you are on our mailing list for future issues by completing  this form.

“IT’S ABOUT HAVING A SMILE ON YOUR FACE AND STARTING A CONVERSATION.” — JIM HINES, RODES

Not too many clothing salesmen can sell $1 million worth of suits per year, but just shy of his 80th birthday, and after almost 60 years at Rodes in Louisville, super seller Jim Hines has broken through the million-dollar milestone. There’s no one more delighted than Rodes president Howard Vogt, who describes Jim as “a terrific guy who started working here right out of the military, where he’d spent three years as a clerk and typist in the U.S. Army. He was the first man of color to work at Rodes at a time when racial tensions in Louisville were high… He started as a stock clerk unloading trucks and quickly proved himself as a seller.”

Jim never let the color barrier stop him. “It’s about having a smile on your face and starting a conversation,” he explains. Other success secrets: He is incredibly organized, keeping hand-written lists of his customers’ preferences. He has an innate feel for which colors/models/fits/fabrics will make a guy look his best. He personally dresses to the nines. He’s helped style thousands of men in high-end clothing, becoming one of the top Zegna sellers in the country. He genuinely loves the team he works with at Rodes and considers them family. He truly believes in the transformative power of fine clothing. “Once you make the investment and put on that perfect suit, the change is amazing!”

Zegna rep Mattia Serafino appreciates Jim’s talent and wrote this note after Jim’s recent record-breaking Zegna trunk show. “Mr. Hines wakes up at 5:30 am to get ready for work, rocking the floor in his elegant 15MilMil15 Zegna Made to Measure suit, the same floor he’s rocked since 1966 when he started his career, the first black person helping customers at Rodes.

“Although Zegna week officially started yesterday, Jim began his CRM activation a month in advance, writing in his notebook a customer list, specifying dates and times of his texts and follow up calls to confirm attendance at the trunk show. His customers always show up: to listen to his advice or simply to say hi. Everyone is happy to meet with him.

“This picture was taken yesterday evening at 9:30 pm after a very
long day of work and a super successful trunk show. In the photo, Mr. Hines is smiling, proud of his great achievement. May his smile motivate us all to wake up each morning, eager to hit goals or simply to live a glorious day. I thank Jim not only for his immense dedication, hard work and passion for Zegna, but most importantly for his inspiration.”

Another nice part of the story: Jim met his future wife in 1983 when Cheri, then a new Rodes employee, was tasked with shadowing him on the selling floor. They’ve been married for 36 years, working together as a team: Jim presenting the suit, Cheri the shirts and accessories. “There’s an art to sharing the stage,” Cheri explained to writer Anne Marshall for Louisville Magazine. “If I step in, he steps out. Not a lot of people can do that…” Clearly, this dance has worked well for them: the duo has been number 1 and 2 sellers for several consecutive years, with Jim now joining Cheri at the million-dollar level.

While Jim has no immediate plans to retire (he’s considering a special trip and perhaps a family celebration for his February 11th birthday), Cheri has said that when the time comes, she hopes he will retire gradually. “His presence on the selling floor is worth a lot. Even if he no longer sells every customer himself, Jim just being there is a key part of the sale.”