Meet a Member: Trent Nole, Water Environment Federation

Trent Nole is an account executive for new business development at the Water Environment Federation, a technical and educational nonprofit based in Alexandria, Virginia, that represents water quality professionals around the world. He joined PAR in 2025 and is a member of PAR’s 2026 Accelerator Group for Sales Practitioners. Here, Nole shares his highly consultative, client-first approach to driving sustained revenue growth, including the key questions he asks that disrupt the status quo.

Burning Questions

PAR: What’s a recent project or initiative you're especially proud of?
Nole: One initiative I’m especially proud of is how I’ve been able to significantly enhance value among several top-tier partners by taking a highly consultative, client-first approach. Rather than leading with predefined sponsorship packages, I focus on deeply understanding each client’s goals, priorities, and long-term vision.

A question I often ask is, “If you could do anything you wanted as a sponsor, what would that look like?” That conversation opens the door to more strategic, customized solutions. From there, I work closely with clients to design tailored sponsorship and media packages that align as closely as possible with their ideal outcomes and will ultimately be of interest to water professionals and WEF members.

The results have been extremely positive in terms of revenue growth and relationship strength. Clients have shared feedback like, “You really listened,” and, “It’s nice to be heard,” which reinforces the value of this approach. Ultimately, it has helped build deeper trust, strengthen long-term partnerships, and drive meaningful, sustained revenue growth.

PAR: What’s in your secret sauce for success?
Nole: 1 cup of listening, 1 cup of creativity, and 1 cup of taking risks. My approach to growth and partnership development is rooted in a simple philosophy: The best opportunities don’t come from selling harder — they come from understanding better, thinking differently, and being willing to challenge the status quo.

1 cup of listening: Listening is the foundation of everything I do, but it goes beyond just hearing what a client says — it’s about uncovering what they really need, even when it’s not explicitly stated. Many organizations are used to being presented with prepackaged sponsorship options. I intentionally disrupt that by starting with open-ended, strategic questions like, “If you could design the ideal sponsorship experience, what would it look like?”

This approach often reveals gaps between what clients have historically invested in and what they actually want to achieve — whether that’s brand positioning, lead generation, thought leadership, or deeper industry integration. By actively listening and reflecting those insights back to them, I position myself as a partner in solving their business challenges. That shift builds trust quickly and opens the door to more meaningful, higher-value opportunities that are mutually beneficial.

1 cup of creativity: Once I understand the vision, creativity becomes the bridge between idea and execution. I don’t view sponsorships as static inventory — I see them as flexible platforms that can be shaped into something unique and impactful.

For example, instead of recommending a standard sponsorship package, I might combine elements across events, media, and digital channels to create an integrated campaign that extends well beyond a single touchpoint. This could include aligning a client’s presence at WEFTEC (WEF’s Technical Exhibition and Conference) with targeted media placements, thought leadership opportunities, and on-site activations that reinforce their brand story.

Creativity also means finding ways to say “yes” within organizational constraints, working cross-functionally to align internal teams and develop solutions that are innovative and executable. This not only differentiates WEF as a global federation serving water professionals but also demonstrates to clients that we are invested in bringing their ideas to life.

1 cup of taking risks: True growth doesn’t happen without a willingness to take calculated risks. This can mean proposing a new sponsorship concept that hasn’t been done before, rethinking pricing structures to better align with value, or encouraging a client to invest in a more ambitious strategy than they initially considered.