Specialized Elevator was one month into using Convex when John Bory joined as business development manager.
Bory dove into Convex, learning as much as he could about the sales and marketing platform. His work and the efficiencies within Convex led him to identifying 42,000 potential commercial customers in five New England states – Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
“I took this tool,” Bory said of Convex, “and just tried to utilize it to the max.”
Before Bory’s arrival, Specialized had contacted perhaps 20 people in that area using Convex, Bory said. For the math-inclined, that’s an increase of 209,900% since Bory took over.
“When they hired me and started the position that I'm in now, it really allowed me to look at Convex more, and then actually grow it to where we needed to be utilizing it from the beginning,” Bory said. “Before, we had the license, we were paying for it, but collectively, we just didn't have the time to utilize it how it should have been.”
There’s no blame here. Branch managers had a license to use Convex, but with all the demands not everyone had the wherewithal.
“You have so many different things going on, you really can’t take time to prospect,” Bory said.
That was why he was hired. He became the chief prospector. And he brought with him experience with Convex, an automated platform that helps businesses identify, target and earn clients. Signals, a part of Convex, identifies warm leads by detecting companies actively searching for services.
“If I go into Home Depot and see a new tool or I look at a new mower, I’m thinking, ‘OK, this is next level,’” he said. “That’s how I saw Convex.”
Identifying potential customers, in bulk
Convex provides a map-based view of potential customers. It allows sales teams to identify potential customers and provides the name and contact information of the decision-maker in a business. Signals, a platform within Convex, tracks buying activity, and flags prospects to prioritize potential.
Bory had previously worked at Cintas, so he understood the notion of prospecting. After joining what was called 3Phase Elevator – now owned by Specialized Elevator -- in September of 2025, he researched Convex, watched videos and learned whatever he could to learn how to maximize its use.
He found he could export CSV files from Convex. From there, he converted them into Excel, and ran mail merges through Word. He separated contacts by industry and management level, and adjusted his pitch accordingly.
The response rate came in at 8-10%, he said. That’s 3,360-4,200 potential new customers in a five-state area. And that response was fine with Bory. Because of the long-term contract nature of the elevator business world, his goal was to get his name out, not an immediate close.
“A lot of my (return) emails are like, ‘Hey, reach back out to me in a year, reach out in two years, reach out in six months,’” Bory said. “Which is great traction.”
His work week now starts with a review of Convex and Signals reports. Bory said the return rate from Signals is better than what he gets from database searches, though he still uses both.
Bory said there are four “major players” in the elevator world, with long-term contracts often signed at installation. Specialized Elevators promotes its work in servicing original equipment and sourcing non-proprietary parts, often at lower costs.
“I reach out just to introduce us in the market,” he said. “Let people know that we’re here to help. A lot of the contracts that are in place for the elevator industry are for years. So, it's like you just want to always be there until that point comes up.”
Start using Convex ‘yesterday’
Convex exceeds what he can get in other applications.
“I love the map function,” Bory said. “I love the CSV function. I love the ability to click on a building and see the companies that are in it.”
Specialized Elevator has 16 local, independent brands in more than 30 markets nationwide. (Think 3Phase in Massachusetts, Vantage Elevator in California and Gables in Ohio.) Specialized now is expanding Convex’s use to branches, and is adding business development reps nationwide.
Bory is the expert who walks new hires through the process.
“It’s something that’s very easy for them to understand and move,” he said.
With elevators in hundreds of thousands of buildings in the five New England states covered by Specialized Elevator 3Phase, Bory estimates he has reached perhaps 4% of the market in New England. The potential to scale is massive.
“The only thing I don’t have is enough time,” he said.
His advice to companies about Convex: Start using it. Yesterday. Then use it more.
“The more you utilize it,” he said, “the more you’re going to get from it.”
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