The Sales Evangelist

Latest Episodes:

TSE 1248: How To Tell A Story That Connects & Sell Feb 07, 2020

Show notes

How To Tell A Story That Connects & Sells

In this episode, we are going to talk about how to tell a story that connects and sells. We tell stories to inspire others, show empathy, and more. The problem is, we don’t know how to tell stories in a way that consumers will be compelled to buy our products. This is what Jude Charles is going to teach you in this episode.

Jude Charles is a story-driven filmmaker, brand strategist, and a speaker who’s been running a video production company for the past 13 years. He’s been helping entrepreneurs tell stories effectively to be able to connect with prospects and clients.

What is a story?

Stories are universal. There is no difference between a story about your normal day and a story you might tell during a sales meeting. The only difference is the ending and its goal.

Stories are about a specific moment in time. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end. What happens at the end will make your story impactful.

When you’re telling a story in sales, you want the listener to buy into the service you’re selling. This story has to matter in a way that by the end, they will want to buy your product or service. Stories can make a connection.

Case Example: Money Heist

Storytelling works because it’s relatable. A Netflix show called Money Heist has a story that pulls you in. It includes a group of nine guys that are getting ready to rob a mint in Spain. Although viewers aren’t robbers themselves, as the movie unfolds, the audience begins to relate to these men and become more invested in the characters and the plot. The viewer gets to know these nine guys and sees their reasons for wanting to rob the mint.

The same is true in selling. You want to share a story with your client that he/she can relate to. Instead of just selling your products and services outright, or presenting bullet points of the benefits, share a success story instead. Set the scene by beginning with the problem. You’ll then go into the actual journey that leads to solving the problem. As the story unfolds, the client or prospect should be able to picture themselves in the scenario. By the end, they will see themselves as the one rescued from the problem by the solutions you have to offer.

The basics of presenting a story

When forming a story, think about how you will sit with the client and talk to them about what you’re doing.

The number one question in your client’s mind is about who you are and why they should do business with you. It’s during this assessment your story telling should be an integral part of the sales process. It will become part of the conversation you’re having with your client. The basic framework of storytelling is pretty much the same:

Start with a problem
How you went on the journey of solving the problem
Reveal the solution
Share the results of the solution

Jude keeps a story bank and saves story notes throughout the day, from the biggest details down to the minute ones. It’s these pieces that are used to create a story that is meaningful to the client.

Kinds of Stories

There are different kinds of stories. When you talk about yourself, then you are telling the Who are you? story. Other stories include Client Success stories. These kinds of stories not only build your credibility but they prove your process has worked for someone else.

There are also Closing Stories and Value Stories. These are your core values. Clients like to see integrity and transparency so you can tell a story that illustrates these values.

To see examples of great stories, a recommended book is The 10 Great Stories That Leaders Tell by Joseph Lalonde.

Raising the stakes

Let’s look at Money Heist again. The objective of the movie is for nine robbers to be able to get into the Royal Mint of Spain. The first thing they did was to pose as cops. The story raised the stakes when the police commissioner decided to try to break into the Mint of Spain while the robbers are there. The robbers say they have hostages and that one of them is the daughter of Spain’s ambassador. The police could rescue all the people but the stakes are high because the ambassador’s daughter will die.

Raising the stakes is getting to the moment in the story where it looks as though you think the journey is way too hard. A great story will illustrate how the characters overcome.

What happens at the end

The end is where you become very strategic about your story. It will include the lesson you want the client to learn. Your goal is for the client to understand that they need to be all in.

The important factor at the end of the story is how you frame the lesson. What are the results after the solution? That’s a question you need to answer.

A great way story lets your client know you have an understanding of who they are, what their problems are, and the solutions they need. You want to set the vision of what the future looks like with, or without, your product or service.

Another book called The Story Factor by Annette Simmons also talks about storytelling. While it’s not in the concept of framework, it shows you how to use storytelling in everyday life. It shows you how you can influence the person you are talking to so you can get your message across.

You can get better at telling stories by doing it every single day and observing how people react. It’s a skill worth learning.

The most important thing to know about storytelling is you can use it in everyday life to connect, influence, and get the message to the person you’re sitting across from. #SalesStory

“How To Tell A Story That Connects & Sell” episode resources

Connect with Jude Charles via his website, judecharles.co

Do you have sales questions? Suggestions? You can also talk to Donald about it via LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for any sales concerns.

This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can also call us at (561) 570-5077.

We have a new semester beginning on February 14th and we would love to have you and your team join us. Follow this link to apply to the program.

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to.

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial.

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

TSE 1247: Best Sellers In History Series 7 -" Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Feb 05, 2020

Show notes

Best Sellers In History Series 7 -" Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

This is the seventh episode in the Best Sellers in History series. We celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. day on January 20, a legendary man who was the face and voice behind the civil rights movement. We have freedom today and now have opportunities that weren’t available for many people before him. Martin Luther King Jr. fought a tough battle but he never gave up and his efforts paid off. Through his actions and his character he was able to move people closer to justice and freedom.

Today’s episode is about Martin Luther King Jr., one of the best sellers in history. We’re going to focus on the characteristics that made him so persuasive and how he was able to inspire a nation to change its ways.

Sales Spotlight - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was originally named Michael King Jr. He was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He passed away on April 4, 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee. Martin was a Baptist minister and a social activist who led the civil rights movement in the United States from the mid-fifties until he was killed in the sixties. Dr. King’s leadership was fundamental to the success of the civil rights movement. His involvement helped to end segregation in the South and in other parts of the country as well. He rose to prominence as head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1964 and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his continued effort to realize equality among his fellow Americans. King was among the youngest individuals to receive this award.

His early life

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was 15 when he entered Morehouse College in Atlanta under the special wartime program. It was created to help boost enrollment by admitting promising high school students like King. Before he officially began his college education, he spent his summer on a tobacco farm in Connecticut. It was his first time to be far from home and what he experienced there opened his mind. He saw how people with different races interacted with each other, he saw what life was like without segregation. He was shocked and he wrote about it to his family back home. He wrote about how negroes and the whites went to church together. He never thought people of the same color could share a meal together. That summer deepened his hatred towards racial segregation.

His oratorical skills came from his father and the time he spent going to church. It was further honed when he went to Morehouse College, especially when he met the school president, Benjamin Mays, who was also committed to fighting the battle against inequality and racial injustice. Benjamin accused the African-American community of being complacent in the face of oppression. King saw how strong-willed Benjamin was and this was not lost on the mind of a young Martin Luther King Jr.

Becoming the face of the movement

King furthered his education by going to a Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania and proceeded to Boston University where he got his degree and married his wife Coretta Scott. They got married in 1953 and had four children. King became a pastor at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. A year before, the civil rights movement had already begun when everyone started talking about Rosa Parks. She had refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white female. This small group of social activists approached Martin Luther King Jr. because he was admired in his community, he was charismatic, and he was outgoing. Martin Luther King Jr. had ties in the ministry community so he was thought to be the perfect individual to be the voice for the civil rights movement. This launched his campaign to promote freedom and justice for all people.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a great salesperson for 5 reasons:

Built relationships well
Set a vision
He was a great orator
Created unconventional solutions to conventional problems
Was willing to take action and go into battle for those he lead

Building rapport and connecting with individuals

Dr. King was new to Montgomery, Alabama. He didn’t know many people but they knew about him. They knew of his stellar reputation and they saw something in him. The small group of activists who approached him were already doing taking action but they knew they needed Dr. King to help. They needed him because of his ability to connect and build rapport. It was a risk that Dr. King was willing to take.

Build rapport as a salesperson

As a sales representative, people will do business with you only if they trust and like you. The community rallied behind Dr. King because they trusted him. As a salesperson it’s important to build trust with your clients as they get to know you. Show them you’re trustworthy, understand them and you empathize with their problems. Reflect similar behavior and language. They need to see that you are in the same tribe.

Start with your LinkedIn profile. Check out your social circle and try to connect to one person a day. Send them a note of positivity. Practice this everyday until deeper connections are made.

Creating a vision

In Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous speech, I Have a Dream, he painted a picture of hope for people who otherwise may have felt there was no hope for their race.. He encouraged them to take action and challenge the status quo.

“I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. Yes, it is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day, this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day, on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. I have a dream.”

All of the great people we’ve had in this series all had a vision and they helped other people to recognize that vision too.

Create a vision as a salesperson

As a salesperson, it is your job to show your clients a better tomorrow, especially those who are stuck in the status quo. Help them realize that there is a solution to their problem even if they see them as insurmountable, and they need to do something about it. Show them how much better their lives could be if they implemented the solutions you provide. Paint a vision for them, even as simple as getting home to the kids early, being able to spend more time for the family, etc.

Having oratorical skills

Dr. King came from a family of ministers so he’d been in church all his life. As he observed people at the pulpit and learned from his mentors, it became natural for him to speak in public. These experiences helped him hone his skills. His words were profound and conveyed messages of great importance. No one can listen to his I have a Dream speech without feeling something, regardless of what side you are on. In the final speech before he died, he said,

“We’ve got some difficult days ahead, but it really doesn’t matter with me now because I’ve been to the mountaintop… like anybody, I would like to live a love life, longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will and he’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. I’ve looked over and I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know the night. And we as a people will get to the promised land. So tonight I’m not worried about anything, I’m not fearing any man. My eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”

He was clearly passionate and had a gift.

Practice your speaking skills as a salesperson

King didn’t become a great speaker overnight. He practiced. As a salesperson, you should be able to speak to your prospects well enough to understand your message. Read books and become familiar with the words, terminologies, and concepts that apply to your industry. Give yourself a chance to dive into the challenges your prospects are facing. This will allow you to understand their experiences and speak to their struggles in your communication.

A great training opportunity to become a more effective communicator is Toastmaster. It’s an inexpensive way to learn and you can go regularly to practice your speaking skills and speeches. Your experience with Toastmaster will help you get the practice you need to speak confidently. Find a Toastmaster club nearby and register as soon as you can!

He had an unconventional idea

Martin Luther King Jr. had an unconventional idea. He thought of using Gandhi’s civil disobedience in America as well. It was an unconventional solution to a conventional problem. Dr. King was able to amplify this method of civil disobedience and pushed it forward.

Salespeople face problems all the time and it may be an unconventional solution that you or your client needs. Bring something to the table that is innovative for your client and it will help you stand out among the competition. The point is to think outside the box.

Take action

Dr. King was willing to take action. A great salesperson understands that in order to persuade a new prospect, they have to be seen in motion, either in service, in working, or coming alongside.

This is how you convince people to take action with you as the lead. Model what you’re asking them to do.

“Best Sellers In History Series 7 -" Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” episode resources

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a persuasive leader because he was able to build rapport with people and he was able to set a vision. He was also a great orator and he created unconventional solutions to conventional problems. Lastly, Dr. King was willing to take action instead of just telling people what to do.

Do you have sales questions? Suggestions? You can also talk to Donald about it via LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for any sales concerns.

We have a new semester beginning in January and we would love to have you and your team join us. Follow this link to apply to the program.

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial.

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

TSE 1246: How To Rapidly Grow Your Sales Through An Effective Message & A Powerful Sales Script Feb 03, 2020

Show notes

How To Rapidly Grow Your Sales Through An Effective Message & A Powerful Sales Script

A message and a powerful sales script are important to rapidly grow your business. These strategies can take your sales game from zero to hero.

Matthew Pollard was a customer before he became a game-changer and a rapid growth expert. He was 21 when he met the most unbelievable salesperson he’d ever met. The man was part of the Wine Selector’s club. Matthew grew up in a relatively poor neighborhood so beer, straight vodka or bourbon had been his drink of choice. He wasn’t a wine person but the salesman’s script was so good he bought it. Matt signed up for a club membership and collected wine for 7-8 months before he moved houses. He started drinking wine and has become a huge fan.

When Matthew told this salesman he’d purchased the wine because of the sales pitch, he was told the secret was to tell the same story every time. What made it so effective was that because he knew the script so well, he could guarantee a great performance consistently, and was developing better versions of his story each time.

That resonated with Matthew. The idea of a sales script was something new for him and he wanted to work on it.

What is script sales?

A sales script can initially sound robotic and monotone. It’s similar to an actor who is reading a script for the first time. In that first run, there’s no guarantee that it’s going to sound great. What will develop the performance is practice. It’s practice that will give life to the scripted words.

Actors can embody their characters so well because they run their lines repeatedly. The same is true in sales. When you’re able to connect with your customer from a script, then you know you’ve practiced enough to make the script a natural part of your pitch.

Practice and more practice

Practice a sales script until it becomes who you are. Tell the jokes and stories repeatedly, watch what works and doesn’t work, and continue to hone the storytelling until you are getting positive reactions in the places you want your client to react. The story could be as simple as how you met your spouse to how you tried and failed to climb Mount Everest. You will get better about crafting your joke or story so it’s more engaging. It’s going to take time before you get comfortable but once it does, your sales script will be so effective.

Famous Australian comedian, Jim Owen, does stand up comedy and his shtick is to riff on topics people want him to talk about or he’ll find random objects in the room. He finds humor in all of it. He admits that it’s a huge amount of work for a comedian to come across as original and authentic in the moment. He also adds that part of what he does is scripted and then he practices and rehearses the script until it makes people laugh. How he prepares is to make sure he thinks of all the variables in the room so he can be ready for any eventuality.

The key to sales scripting

As comedians practice to hone their craft, so should salespeople sharpen their scripts.

There are generally four or five problems when you’re selling a specific product or service. If you’re good at creating a unified message, finding a niche of clients to target, and you’re able to sell, then you have most of the problems solved. The only thing that should vary is how you respond to the problems and questions that come up. Your answer should highlight the benefits that fit their special needs.

Salespeople want to get really good about differentiating their products and services from their competition and they need to know the profile of their ideal customer. They need to know what their sales goals.

Steps to looking for the right customers

You never want to pick a market that your competencies can’t support. You can’t classify yourself as an expert in something you know nothing about. Instead, look for a specific person or group of people that benefit from your offer the most. What is the profile of the client that provides the best revenue? Knowing this will allow you to offer a product or service that is specific and work best for their needs. It makes selling so much easier and helps to alleviate competitions because you’ve already differentiated your niche market. This is the perfect time to present your sales script, when you know the specific group of people will move you to rapid growth. When your script is well-crafted, you have a higher rate of closing.

Case example: Beijing Language Academy

One of Mattew’s clients was a language institute called Beijing Language Academy. They were having a difficult time charging more than $50-80 for a one-on-one consultation. It was a massive problem for them. Matthew was called in to help and helped them come up with their sales goals and customer avatar. When they looked at their existing clients, they found that they weren’t only giving language lessons but their academy was also teaching their customers how to become successful in China. Hence, China Success Institute was born. It’s now an education course for executives, their spouses, and their children who are being relocated to China. They now charge $30,000 for the program and they don’t have any problem selling it. They key was thinking about their branding even before they came up with the sales script.

Focus on your branding

John McEntire is a podcaster and he sells an autoresponder for $1,200. Although he was doing okay and was able to sell his premiums, he had the wrong messaging. He was fighting against bigger competitors who assumed that people knew what an autoresponder is. With Matthew’s guidance, they changed their branding. They went to educating their customers on inquiry re-engagement and focused on going into real estate agencies using a sales script that would allow them to grow their platform. By creating a unified message that highlighted the benefits, they were able to change John’s niche market from online businesses to people who are established in brick and mortar businesses.

What should you do?

Matthew’s podcast is called Better Business Coach and his focus is to share how a salesperson can become successful using a sales script. He suggests salespeople write down three business goals and three personal goals. One of them should be to be absolutely selfish because this will serve as their driving force. He then tells them to use the smart criteria and directs them to summarize their goals into 250 words or less, including their “why statement” and why these goals are important to them. The next step is to write down their avatar and mind dump every single person they’ve successfully worked with. After they have their list of customers, they write down everything they do for these customers. The last piece is to find the higher purpose and make it the end goal. Matthew’s point in this exercise is for his clients to see if their goals conflict with the people they associate with and adjust accordingly.

As a salesperson, it can be scary to try new things but think positively and put your best foot forward. Having a script allows you to work smarter, not harder.

“How To Rapidly Grow Your Sales Through An Effective Message & A Powerful Sales Script” episode resources

Find Mathew Pollard at matthewpollard.guru. He is also on LinkedIn, so you can check him out there as well.

Do you have sales questions? Suggestions? You can also talk to Donald about it via LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for any sales concerns.

We have a new semester beginning in January and we would love to have you and your team join us. Follow this link to apply to the program.

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial.

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

TSE 1245: How To Create An Environment Where People Thrive At Work Jan 31, 2020

Show notes

How To Create An Environment Where People Thrive At Work

A healthy work environment allows people to thrive and grow. But what can we do to create that environment where people thrive?

Kingsley Grant is focused on helping leaders get better results by using a framework of emotional intelligence and leadership. He helps sales leaders create environments that support positive output.

Reasons why salespeople don’t thrive at work

The research group, Aussie Tanner, interviewed people who left their companies. Based on that research, it showed that people leave because they felt unacknowledged, under-valued, and unimportant. The best way to address these problems is to create an environment that supports employees and allows them to feel they are part of the team. This engagement can be a challenge for many leaders.

Another reason why salespeople fail to thrive is they don’t feel safe to share their ideas. There is a fear that sales leaders will use those ideas against them. Sales leaders need to create an environment where their team can share ideas they know will at least be considered. When employees feel they’re in an environment that offers room to experiment and make mistakes, these salespeople grow and thrive.

How does thriving look like?

A salesperson who is allowed to unleash their talents is a person who thrives. For example, L’Oreal is a huge cosmetics company that wanted their people to thrive with their company. They had some of their salespeople trained in the area of emotional intelligence. The rest of their sales team weren’t given the training. What they found was that their trained personnel and sales staff were able to sell more. Their value increased and their net revenue rose to $2.5 million in just a month.

Helping salespeople acquire emotional intelligence can greatly impact the company. Allowing your sales team to learn self-awareness is a powerful tool to build their confidence and increase revenue.

Defining emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, and regulate your emotions. It is the ability to have a level of awareness of how you feel and manage your relationships around you. Every salesperson is building relationships around them, whether it’s with their team or their customers. Having emotional intelligence provides the ability to manage a variety of relationships.

A sales leader plays a huge part in building their sales teams’ emotional intelligence. The leader must be sensitive to the needs of the members of their sales team. This includes an awareness of what their team is going through, what the sales reps need to learn in order to make better sales decisions, and more. When the sales leader is tuned in to the feelings of their sales team it helps them have a feeling of belonging. This helps the sales reps stay motivated, thrive, and bring in more sales.

Building a safe environment for salespeople

The sales team should be encouraged to share suggestions they think will help the company. Kingsley shares an experience he had at a previous company when he wasn’t supported. He wanted to help the company by sharing an idea he had and brought the idea to his coordinator. When his coordinator didn’t agree, instead of talking to Kingsley, the coordinator went to the vice president of the company. As a result, Kingsley could no longer trust his coordinator. After his idea was received so badly, he didn’t share other ideas he wanted to offer and quit the company six months later. He could no longer work for someone who would shut down his ideas and talk to the executives behind his back.

Sales leaders are often focused on the bottom line, only seeing the end results, and they fail to acknowledge the people who are delivering those results. They fail to see their most important resources, the sales team. The way teams are treated can determine whether or not goals are met. Salespeople have to feel safe. They need to know if they don’t make a sale, they won’t be reprimanded but instead, be mentored about how to be more effective next time. It doesn’t mean a sales leader ignores a sales rep who can’t or refuses to learn but unfortunately, sales people leave a company long before the company realizes their true skill set. People don’t leave organizations. They leave bad bosses.

When salespeople feel heard, and their ideas matter, they will stay at a company longer and make more money. Win-win! #SalesWin

Reprimand at the right time

Sales leaders are effective when they praise publicly and reprimand privately. A sales rep should never be embarrassed in front of the team. Tough love isn’t going to work.

As a mentor, build an environment where you can watch your sales team interact and help them modify any actions that aren’t working. Help them to overcome and face a variety of situations that may be keeping them from success. You are learning with them and will see some skill sets you didn’t know they had. It’s these very skills that will prove to be useful in the sales process. You may even be able to reposition them to areas they are even more effective for the company.

Be the thermostat and the thermometer of your organization. You are not only setting the temperature in the environment but also making note of the temperature so you can adjust your team accordingly.

“How To Create An Environment Where People Thrive At Work” episode resources

Kingsley Grant is also a published author of the book, The Emotilligent Leader: The Story Where Others Failed. You can check it out on Amazon. You can also check out his website, kingsleygrant.com.

Do you have sales questions? Suggestions? You can also talk to Donald about it via LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for any sales concerns.

We have a new semester beginning in January and we would love to have you and your team join us. Follow this link to apply to the program.

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial.

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

TSE 1244: Best Sellers In History Series 6 - "Mary Kay Ash" Jan 29, 2020

Show notes

Best Sellers In History Series 6 - "Mary Kay Ash"

It’s the sixth episode for out Best Sellers in History series. We’ve talked about Jesus Christ, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, Mother Teresa, and Mahatma Gandhi. This time, we’re going to talk about someone who helped get others promoted but was overlooked for promotions herself. She noticed how unfairly she was being treated at her job but instead of begging for a piece of the pie, she went ahead and created her own pie! Let’s talk about Mary Kay Ash and how she built her empire from the strong skill sets she developed as a salesperson.

Sales Spotlight - Mary Kay Ash

Mary Kay Ash is world-renowned for being the makeup and skincare queen. Her pink Cadillac has become iconic. How did this come from someone who kept getting passed over for promotion? Because she is considered to be one of the best sellers in history. Here are five reasons why:

Had a purpose and a why
Created a vision or a common cause
Had a strong and impressive work ethic
Had the desire to create and give rewards
Willing to take action

Mary Kay Ash was born on May 12, 1918, in Hotwells, Texas. She took care of her sick dad for most of her childhood while her mother did the earning for the family. At 17 years old, Mary Kay married Ben Rogers and had three children with him before Ben went to war in WWII. Their marriage eventually came to an end and Mary Kay was left with three children to take care of.

She needed to make money to feed her children so she started working for Stanley Home products in 1939. She’d go into someone’s home and host parties with the sole purpose of encouraging people to buy household items. Mary Kay was great at her job and she became a top seller. By 1952, Mary Kay was hired by World Gifts. After 10 years,however, she quit her job. At that time, the sales force was mostly made up of men and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get ahead because she was a woman. She saw the men she was training were getting promoted, going onto better jobs, and they were getting a much higher wage.

Had a purpose and a why

With $5000, Mary Kay used the money to build her empire. Mary Kay had a purpose. She was a mother who needed to take care of her kids and a woman who wanted to see other women succeed. Mary Kay also had a vision that helped her achieve her dreams. She had a why.

As a salesperson, a vision and purpose can propel you beyond a bad sales day. For many people, a paycheck isn’t enough. There has to be a deeper connection, something bigger. Having a purpose is the motivation that moves you to show up even when things get hard.

Have a purpose that pushes you to create an opportunity for the people you care about the most.

Mary Kay had a purpose that was even bigger than herself. While she wanted to take care of her family, she also wanted to create something that would help other women.

Created a vision and a common cause

Every great salesperson in this series had a vision and created a common cause. Mary Kay recognized that women were undervalued in the sales industry and other workplaces. Women were not considered as capable as men. This misconception prompted Mary Kay to build an empire that would give women the opportunity to succeed and do more. Her business opened doors for women to become six-figure earners and as a result, became the breadwinners for their families and they had a community where they were valued. The company grew and by the end of its second year, it was making $1 million in product sales.

A salesperson can also achieve greater success if they can communicate a common cause to their clients. Creating a brand message that solves problems and identifying a common struggle can create a unifying purpose.

Had a strong and impressive work ethic

Mary Kay had an impressive work ethic and worked hard. She got up everyday at 5:00 AM. She said, “If you get up at 5 o’clock three times a week, you’ll gain an extra day. You need to try it a few times because you realize a great feeling of satisfaction at 8:00 in the morning when you’ve already finished what would have taken you six hours to do after 8 o’clock because of the interruptions.”

Make it your goal to wake up early, put in the time, start working, and be productive without the distractions. Give yourself an opportunity to practice and challenge yourself as Mary Kay did.

Had the desire to create and give rewards

According to the Harvard Business Review, the three reasons why people leave their job is because they don’t like their boss, they don’t see an opportunity for promotion, or they were offered a better job. Mary Kay understood this and set up a system with four levels of promotion:

Independent beauty consultant
Red jacket beauty consultant
Independent sales director
National sales director

As sales people hit their numbers, they would be promoted to the next level,and get different rewards. This motivated people and gave them room to grow. The system made them very successful. The ultimate success for any employee in Mary Kay is winning the pink Cadillac.

As a sales rep or sales leader with a small business, give your team a path and an opportunity to grow. Give them a goal and when they hit that mark, offer a reward. They will see that as an opportunity to earn and achieve. It helps your company because you’ll have an employee who works hard to earn the reward.

Willing to take action

Mary Kay left her full-time job and decided to create her own company but she didn’t have the capital. She borrowed the $5,000 from her son and bought the rights for the makeup and skincare brand from a previous client. She could have used the money to save up and pay the bills but she didn’t. She saw an opportunity and she grabbed it. She struck while the iron was hot.

Don’t talk yourself out of opportunities. Be brave and take calculated risks. Reach out and make something happen. Don’t miss an opportunity because you’re afraid. Notice when you’re in the right place at the right time and position yourself around people who can help you make things happen.

Mary Kay knew how to create a vision and a common cause. #SalesWoman

“Best Sellers In History Series 6 - "Mary Kay Ash" episode resources

Mary Kay Ash did five things right and that made her a great businesswoman. She had a reason which enabled her to create a vision. Mary Kay adopted a strong work ethic and she used the power of rewards to motivate people. Lastly, Mary Kay was willing to take advantage of the opportunities and struck while the iron was hot. Learn more about her from this link.

Do you have sales questions? Suggestions? You can also talk to Donald about it via LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for any sales concerns.

It’s also brought to you by B2B Sales Show with a different podcast format. It has a rotating co-host and they brought in multiple sales though leaders and half a dozen other co-hosts that are either interviewing the guests or sharing quick hit tactical content themselves from their own lessons throughout their sales career. They have multiple episodes a week.

We have a new semester beginning in January and we would love to have you and your team join us. Follow this link to apply to the program.

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial.

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

TSE 1243: 5 Ways Exercise Will Help You Become A Better Sales Professional Jan 27, 2020

Show notes

5 Ways Exercise Will Help You Become A Better Sales Professional

Everybody wants to be better and be the best version of themselves. There are ways to help you become a better sales professional.

Austin Rolling is the founder and CEO of a software company based in Houston, Texas called Outfield. It’s a web and mobile-based software application designed for organizations that compete for outside sales, field marketing, and field merchandising activities.

They created a platform to help companies acquire the necessary data to be effective in rolling out and executing their field marketing strategies.

Austin wrote an article about 5 areas we can become a better sales professional through exercise. To be better, exercise doesn't just refer to physical fitness. Mental health is just as important for someone wanting to be a great salesperson. The 5 areas we’ll be reviewing include:

Mental fitness
Having various outlets to relieve stress
Appearance
Energy to make it through the day
Self-reflection

Mental fitness

Sales can be mentally taxing, especially with a challenging sales cycle. They have to be able to show up and be ready to do critical tasks month after month. Because of this they have to be mentally tough. You need to be in the right mental state to remember even the tiniest tasks in order to remain organized. With the hormones released by the body during a physical exercise is one way a clearer mind can be achieved.

Have an Outlet to Relieve Stress

The second area that can help someone become a better sales professional is to have various outlets to relieve stress. We typically feel better after a great workout. The body releases endorphins that help reduce stress and anxiety. The hormones released by the brain due to exercise helps with mental clarity. For Austin, he relieves his stress with hard-core exercise. He suggests sales people look at a variety of outlets like golf, basketball, art, music, and more.

Presentable appearance

Appearance and grooming play a vital role for salespeople. In sales, it’s important to maintain a level of confidence and you only have one chance to make a first impression. When you want the value of your presentation to be heard, you need to make sure there are no distractions. An example of a distraction may include a wrinkled shirt or dirty shoes. You want to present yourself in such a way that you appear fit, carry yourself well, and seem confident.

Having the right energy

Salespeople have to be excited about the value they are going to provide to their customers. You want to go into a meeting with contagious energy so your customers will also get excited about your company’s value proposition. Make them believe in what you’re selling by believing in yourself first. If you want them to believe in the value and the services you’re able to provide show the energy that conveys that.

In his book, Social Intelligence by Daniel Goldman, a Harvard Ph.D. graduate, he talks about how our bodies are wired to connect with people. We have mirror neurons that allow us to synchronize with other people based on their emotions. These emotions are also based on the emotions we exude. If we are coming off negative, the client will sense it. Make sure that what you’re sending out is positive energy. Two sales reps can share the exact same message but the one with more passion and excitement will get the deal.

Exude a level of energy that’s contagious and believable! If you don’t, your competition will. #SalesMindset

Self-reflection

Setting aside time for self-reflection is another way to become a better sales professional. Self-reflection allows you to see what mistakes you might have made and gives you time to think about how you can become better. It’s a time to think about your missed opportunities so you can make a note of vulnerable areas and allocate your energy to the right activities next time. Taking the time to do this will enhance and sales professional.

Even more important than talent and intelligence, is attitude. Do the things that will move you toward a more positive energy and clients will see that in the work.

“5 Ways Exercise Will Help You Become A Better Sales Professional” episode resources

Talk to Austin Rolling via Austine@outfieldapp.com. He is also on LinkedIn so you can just go check his LinkedIn profile. Do you have sales questions? Suggestions? You can also talk to Donald about it via LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for any sales concerns.

We have a new semester beginning in January and we would love to have you and your team join us. Follow this link to apply to the program.

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial.

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

TSE 1242: The Psychology of Sales Jan 24, 2020

Show notes

The Psychology of Sales

Behind the sales process there’s a whole psychology of sales that is part of the interaction between sales reps and customers. What does that entail?

As a sales performance consultant and coach, Anita Nielsen answers this question for her clients. She works with sales leaders and salespeople to help them up their game and get them to where they want to go. As a sales coach, Anita does one-on-one training and offers sales enablement services. She is known as a fixer when sales aren’t going smoothly.

Anita is also the author of the newly published book, Beat the Bots.

In recent years, sales reps have been ringing their hands about how robots are going to take away jobs. Anita’s book was the result of hearing these same fears over and over again. She doesn’t agree. She believes people who are great at customer service and building relationships will always have a job. The AIs won’t be able to learn empathy or trust and they can’t build that human connection. Buyers crave that connection more than ever due to the rise of technology. Customers want to work with people who they feel have their back and want them to succeed. They want sales reps they can trust and interact with.

How AIS help the sales force

Computer-based programs can do many things. AI can help with jobs that entail just dialing or deal with a template but they will never promote trust or empathy. The complex purchases won’t be handled by AI and technology. When they need specific business outcomes, customers still want a sales rep to help them figure out how to achieve those outcomes. Trust and empathy are two of the biggest factors that keep human connection in the sales force. Buyers want to work with people who can provide both.

There are many things that a bot and AI can do. Some of the AIs are helping people to screen phone calls and can determine how long a salesperson spends talking to a customer or the length of time the customers is speaking. The technology won’t take away the jobs of salespeople. Tech is there to make sales people better by supporting their work. It’s not there to replace the valuable things salespeople do for their customers.

Value is in the eye of the customer

When Anita talks with sales leaders, one of the first things they say is that their sales team doesn't know how to articulate value to the customers. She then asks what they mean by value and Anita has yet to hear the same answers. What she does is break down value in three layers:

There’s the basic inherent value, the general value. The general value is the reason why customers are buying.

The second one is the company’s value. This value reflects what a company does that sets it apart from its competitors.

A customer looks at who you are and what you stand for, and how well you understand your customers. As a company, these need to be brought together to bring personalized value to the customer. What can you offer to make your customers feel better or more successful?

For salespeople and companies, the only thing that should matter is your customers’ perception of value and being to articulate how you can support those values.

Salespeople’s job

As salespeople, it is our job to tap into the emotion behind the purchase and figure out what the customers’ motivations are. This discovery, however, has to come from a place of good intent. Be a salesperson who truly wants to help your customers succeed. People can sense your intention and good intention goes a long way.

It is this mindset that will guide your interaction with your customers. High performers are the ones who are instinctively tapping into these driving emotions.

Anita was working with a saleswoman a few years back who was selling medical devices. The device was sold to emergency departments and it helped get quicker results with less errors when checking for blood pressure and other stats. Everytime a sale was done, training was provided to show the nurses how the device worked.

After once particular sale, Sharon the sales rep was working with a nurse director named Florence ( both names changed) and she wondered why Florence wasn’t scheduling the training for her team. Florence had been living in the States for 20 years but still had a thick Philippine accent. As a result, Florence was insecure and stressed about conducting the training. Sharon understood and so she offered to do the training herself. Six months later, Sharon got a call from six different hospitals. She had gotten referrals through Florence, the nurse she’d helped. Florence was a customer for life and was pointing new customers to Sharon. Be the salesperson who is able to anticipate and address a customer’s problems and challenges.

Be good at discovery

The first thing you need to learn is to be great at discovery. Learn to ask questions that are going to help evoke emotions. Use high-impact questions. For example, if you’re selling technology, you might ask:

Help me understand how you guys are using X technology today.
How well do you think your team is performing with that technology?
What are the reasons that’s happening?
How do you think the team feels about leveraging the technology?

When asking questions, consider the hows and whys. Be humble and ask questions that will help you understand what your customer’s values are. Be real and sincere about learning your customer’s needs before introducing your product or service. You first have to know the problem you’re there to solve first.

Anita teaches her clients the question exercise. In her book, Anita offers questions that can help launch these conversations and suggests picking out three that will help them master discovery. Her client gets to pick out the questions that feel most authentic them. Otherwise, methodologies don’t work if it goes against their nature. These questions can be practiced and implemented over time.

Language of the Elephant

A social psychologist talked about the idea of change as a human rider sitting on top a six ton elephant. The rider represents the rational system of the brain and the elephant is the emotional system of the brain. The path is the change that needs to be made.

When talking to the rider, you’ll talk about the data and the features. If you’re talking to the elephant, you understand what the team’s pain is, what the initiative is to them. At the end of the day, if you want to sell, you have to sell to that elephant so the rider and the elephant can move together. If a salesperson gets this, they can change the way they interact with customers immediately and it changes the whole dynamic.

Care about the customer, make them matter, and go be you. That’s how high-performers become successful. #SalesPerformers

“The Psychology of Sales” episode resources

Find the book on Amazon, Beat the Bots. You can also connect with Anita via her LinkedIn account.

Do you have sales questions? Suggestions? You can also talk to Donald about it via LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for any sales concerns.

We have a new semester beginning in January and we would love to have you and your team join us. Follow this link to apply to the program.

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial.

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

TSE 1241: Best Sellers In History Series 5 - "Mahatma Gandhi" Jan 22, 2020

Show notes

Best Sellers In History Series 5 - "Mahatma Gandhi"

Depending on who you ask, hearing the name Mahatma Gandhi may bring up the titles of leader, spiritual guide, person of nonviolence, The Father of India, and many more. You may think about the man who defied the British Empire. How did one man make it possible? How was he able to get millions of people to follow his ideals and eventually shape the rest of Western culture?

For this episode, we will look at Mahatma Gandhi and explore the traits that made him an influential person.

Sales Spotlight - Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869, in Pordabander, India. He studied law in London but moved to South Africa in 1893 where he spent 20 years opposing discriminatory legislation against Indians. Gandhi was from a successful family, his father a successful merchant. Gandhi’s experience in working for a law firm in South Africa led him to focus his efforts on helping those who are disenfranchised by society.

One particular day, Gandhi was riding on a train in first-class. Being a man of means, he’d the money to pay for the ticket. However, another passenger in first-class didn’t like that an Indian was riding there as well. The conductor tried to encourage Gandhi to move to the lower class but he had paid for the ticket and had broken no laws. He defended himself and was thrown off the train.

Gandhi went back to India and supported the home rule movement, where Indians could rule themselves, independent from the British Empire. The British had come into India and raked the country’s resources for 200 years. The British originally talked about how they were going to help the people and the economy, and would create jobs, but it didn’t happen in India’s favor. Most of the money went back to England and English people started to look down on the poorer Indian people. The English people were able to take the whole of India because India wasn’t united.

Indian Revolution against Britain

The largest rebellion against the British took place in 1857 and it lasted for 18 months. The British called it the Indian Mutiny and it started to spread even though the British downplayed the rebellion and by calling it a mutiny. Both sides had a difficult time but the British eventually won. Many of the Indians were conditioned to think they couldn’t fight against the British despite their huge number. Instead of fighting for their own battle, the Indian army became the backbone of the British empire.

The British Viceroy, Lord Curzon said that as long as they ruled India, they would be the greatest power in the world. The Indians, however, wanted their freedom and their own democracy.

The lack of unity

Imagine the same situation in the B2B world. Suppose a new client has a huge problem? They have tried to fix it in the past but they weren’t able to win against it. As a result, they started to just live with the problem. Within the company there could be groups of people who have great ideas on how to solve the problem but there’s nobody who is unifying them. Every department keeps doing the best they can and everyone just lives with the pain. They need a powerful leader who can recognize there’s a problem, bring all the groups together, and create a solution as a team.

Mahatma Gandhi showed that kind of leadership.

Going to the masses

Unlike other politicians and wealthy people, Mahatma Gandhi spent time with the masses. This was very similar to what Jesus Christ, Mother Teresa, Abraham Lincoln, and the other personalities in this history series did. They wanted to make a lasting impression so they spent most of their time with the masses. If you want to make a massive impact, you need to go to the people.

The same is true for Mahatma Gandhi. He went among the people and built relationships with them. He tried to understand what was going on in their everyday lives. This allowed him to see the challenges they were facing as the oppressed people of society. He was able to articulate their problems and speak for the people. He became the unifying voice.

Sales reps understand the clients’ pain

Much like with Mahatma Gandhi, sales reps need to understand their clients’ pain and see where they’re coming from. You shouldn’t just be a salesperson who comes in trying to get the money and resources. You are a person who should be able to identify with the pain of your clients. Being able to relate to people at that level will earn you their trust. People will respect you and have confidence in you. They don’t give you money for nothing. They give you money because they believe you can solve their problems. Build rapport and talk to your customers regularly.

How can you do that?

Send them birthday cards and email
Send them articles and information you find online
Keep in touch with them
Touch base with your current customers

As a sales rep, it is important to build rapport, understand where they’re coming from, learn about their challenges, and be involved with their lives.

Give them a solution

The second thing that Gandhi did was that he gave people a solution. He wasn’t focused on raising an army of who would fight the enemy on the battlefield. He didn’t have an army but he was able to suppress and bring down a British Empire without having to set foot on the battlefield. Gandhi gave them an unconventional solution to a conventional problem. If he had tried to fight the British in a physical battle, he would have faced an uphill battle.

The British didn’t know that. As a salesperson, adopt a mindset different from other salespeople in your field. Instead of trying to fight a losing battle, look for another strategy. Do the opposite of what everyone else is doing.

For instance, Gandhi boycotted the British mill and textile industry and that hurt the British economically. Because Gandhi had built a good relationship with the people, they listened to Gandhi.

Gandhi presented an unconventional solution. One of Gandhi’s significant protests wat the Salt March. The salt tax affected mostly poor people. Even though India had salt as a resource, they weren’t able to use it and instead, had to buy salt from England. Seeing the problem, Gandhi started a protest that gained momentum as it went on.

Solve your clients’ problems

As a B2B sales rep, think of the ways you can solve your clients’ problems and look at it from an unconventional standpoint. Do some research and look for unique ways to solve their problems. Always bring something to the table your competitors haven’t done before or don’t already do. Be a new resource, think outside the box, and paint outside the lines.

If there is a bid and you’re up against competitors who are trying to solve the same exact problem, try to look at it differently so you can provide a different and better solution. Even head to head with all things remaining constant, you can still find ways to stand out.

Every problem needs a great solution. That’s where salespeople come in. #SalesSolutions

Translate their pain into words and feelings

The third trait of Gandi is the ability to translate peoples’ problems into words and feelings. He was able to paint a vision for them of what life would be like in an independent India.

Say a company offers sales training. Instead of saying what the training is all about, we paint a picture of what the company and profits can look like after the training. Sales reps need to dig deeper to be able to come up with specific solutions. If you want to become the top seller of your organization then you have to figure out your clients’ problems and simplify the way you present your solutions.

Death of a great man

Mahatma Gandhi was eventually assassinated and at his burial, over 1 million people came to mourn. He was known as the person who inspired nonviolent solutions. People followed Mahatma Gandhi because he helped with a sincere heart and a mind for the people. His protests weren’t just political stunts. He loved his people, he loved his faith, and he loved his country.

Best Sellers In History Series 5 - "Mahatma Gandhi" episode resources

As a recap, Mahatma Gandhi showed three traits:

Going to the masses
Give them a solution
Translate their pain into words and feelings

Do you have sales questions? Suggestions? You can also talk to Donald about it via LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for any sales concerns.

We have a new semester beginning in January and we would love to have you and your team join us. Follow this link to apply to the program.

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial.

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

TSE 1240: The 3 Foolproof Secrets to Get Rid of Your Head Trash Jan 20, 2020

Show notes

The 3 Foolproof Secrets to Get Rid of Your Head Trash

What does it mean to have head trash and how exactly can you get rid of it? Let’s talk about 3 foolproof secrets to get rid of your head trash.

Noah St. John is known as The Power Habits Mentor because he has helped thousands of people master their inner game and outer game to help them make more and work less.

He works with sales professionals, entrepreneurs, celebrities, CEOs, athletes, and more. Noah helps them get rid of their head trash about money, relationships, and everything else holding them back. He is the author of 15 books and his most recently published book is entitled Power Habits: The New Science for Making Success Automatic. Through his work, Noah and his team have helped entrepreneurs and sales professionals increase their sales to six, seven, and even eight figures by using his methods.

Defining head trash

Noah discovered the notion of head trash many years ago. Head trash is the negative voice in your head that constantly tells you, “I can’t because … “ It’s the voice that states all the reasons why you can’t do something you want to do. People consistently approach Noah and tell him they want to reach for more and do bigger things but they can’t because they’re too busy or they don’t have money for it. They have so many reasons why they can’t do the things they want to do. When you tell yourself something your mind is going to believe it. When you say you don’t have the time, then your inner self will believe you truly do not have the time. You are going to make that belief true even when it’s a lie. We all have 24 hours a day regardless of who you are. Time is irrelevant so it’s not an excuse that many people think they have. Head trash is damaging because it’s holding people back.

Identify your head trash

The first step to getting rid of head trash is identifying what it is. For most people it’s repetitive but people fail to realize that it’s the head trash telling you the same lies over and over again. Ideas such as, I’m stupid or I’m not good enough can go through your mind in a loop and you don’t even realize it. Because these lies are repetitive and habitual, many people aren’t even considering the damage it can cause.

Identifying your head trash is fairly easy. Write down the negative beliefs you’re carrying about yourself. Most of the negative things we say to ourselves aren’t true. Writing down your negative thoughts will help you become aware of them.

Noah has a client who was a sales professional. She was making about $5,000 a month in sales but she knew she was capable of making more. This salesperson spent time and money to train with gurus but for several years was still stuck at $5,000 a month. She attended Noah’s event called Freedom Lifestyle Experience and hired Noah as a coach. Within a year of using Noah’s Power Habit System, her revenue jumped from $5,000/month to $75,000/month! This is proof that understanding your own head trash and being able to overcome the negative noise will lead to good results.

You need to look at your inner game in all the different aspects of your life.

Knowing your outer game

The outer game includes the systems and strategies, the blocking and tackling. These would be all the sales tactics invested in and studied. By working with salespeople for the last two decades, Noah found that success is attained only when someone has mastered both the inner and outer game.

Understand that you can change your beliefs

The first step to transformation is awareness. It’s only when you are aware of something that you’re able to change. If you want to change your life, you need to change your beliefs - these are your thoughts. The human brain automatically searches to answer the questions you ask it. Noah thought about that and realized can’t just make statements the way we do in affirmations. We don’t believe it. Instead, we need to start asking ourselves questions to put the brain to work. Start asking empowering questions that will lead to phenomenal answers.

AfFORmations

An affirmation is a statement of something you want to be true. One of the things Noah loves doing during keynote speeches is using the old-school affirmation method. He instructs people to stand up and say, “I am rich.” Immediately after, the attendees start laughing. When Noah asks why, they say, “I’m not actually rich.” This is why affirmations don’t work. You have to believe in the statements for them to work. Noah, realizing affirmations were ineffective, created The Afformation Method. It is the most direct and powerful yet simple method you can use to change your beliefs. This method uses the act of asking the questions that will lead you to look for the answers. Using the Afformation method, you can change the question to change your beliefs, habits, and eventually your life.

Getting the correct mindset

It’s important to talk about your goals. In regards to goals, Noah has been telling his clients, “We don’t rise to the level of our goals, we fall to the level of our systems.”

We all have big dreams and that’s all good. You won’t, however, be able to reach these goals if you haven’t mastered your inner and outer game. Use the power habits system to improve your inner game and use the marketing and digital sales systems to improve your outer game. Focus on the system, not just the goals, to be able to achieve mastery of both inner and outer games.

When to use the system

The inner game has to do with The Power Habits System. More often than not, successful people don’t realize what they’re doing to cause their success because many things they’re doing are subconscious. Napoleon Hill’s book, Think and Grow Rich talked about what successful people did to attain success. Many salespeople have read the book and tried to replicate what these successful people did, but most didn’t become successful. Why? Because what was shared in the book was what people were consciously doing, and what they were doing subconsciously wasn’t discussed.

Napoleon talked about the conscious ways that people became successful and Noah tackles how people became successful by focusing on the subconscious.

“The 3 Foolproof Secrets to Get Rid of Your Head Trash” episode resources

Identify your head trash, understand that you can change your beliefs and throw your head trash away, and then use the afformation method.

Order the book PowerHabits on Amazon or from the website, Powerhabits.com. Noah will send out a gift package worth $299. If you’re listening to this podcast, Noah will give our two tickets for his Freedom Lifestyle Experience event.

Do you have sales questions? Suggestions? You can also talk to Donald about it via LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for any sales concerns.

We have a new semester beginning in January and we would love to have you and your team join us. Follow this link to apply to the program.

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial.

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

TSE 1239: What Is The DISC Assesment Profile And How Can It Help My Sales Team? Jan 17, 2020

Show notes

What Is The DISC Assessment Profile And How Can It Help My Sales Team?

The DISC Assessment profile is an important training opportunity for any sales team. It is one of the tools many sales reps have started to utilize as its reputation for personality assessment has grown among sales leaders and their companies. So what is the DISC Assessment and how can it help your sales team?

Mads Singers is a management coach. He has been in the management field for 15 years and has worked with industry giants such as Xerox, IBM, and more. For more than seven years, Mads has been running his own business.

What is DISC?

DISC is a behavioral framework similar to Myers-Briggs. It’s a framework to help people understand themselves and other people. The acronym DISC stands for:

D: Dominance
I: Influence
S: Steadiness
C: Conscientious

Everyone is born unique; however, there are traits that certain groups of people share. If you look at a sales team, for example, you can see that many members have similar personalities. Salespeople, as a whole, tend to be assertive and focused. Typically, they are also comfortable around other people. These are traits that most successful people have so sales managers tend to be drawn to these types of personalities when hiring sales reps.

DISC is immensely effective when looking to hire the right people for the right jobs. Many assume that people are motivated by money but the truth is that people are motivated by goals and having the ability to achieve their goals.

Facing the challenge

There is a challenge when you are selling to someone who is not like you. Salespeople need to understand the different ways other people think. Sales don’t just happen from a meeting. Rapport has to be built and it’s not as easy when the seller and the buyer don’t connect to people in the same way. For instance, people from software and technology companies aren’t your typical salespeople. They don’t talk as much and they want to cut straight to the point. This can be a very abrupt style of communicating for buyers who need more of a relational approach. For such different personality types, it’s harder to build rapport because the style of communication is so different. The salesperson has to be mindful that they will not always get to sell to a client the way they themselves want to be sold to. It’s up to the salesperson to uncover what style is needed for each unique client.

Different Personality types

There are four personality types reflected in the DISC Assessment:

D - Dominance

The high D personalities are very driven people. These are the people who don’t usually smile a lot because they’re constantly thinking. They are focused, law-oriented, money-oriented, and power-oriented. They are the people who will do whatever it takes to get whatever they want to get. You will find a lot of these people at the highest level in big organizations because they are willing to do whatever it takes to meet their goals. These personalities push people to the extreme but they are willing to work just as hard or harder.

I - Influence

High I personalities are typically salespeople. They tend to be loud and talk a lot. They are the storytellers. Sales managers hire these personality types because of their ability to network and talk to strangers. Because of this they usually know a large pool of people. In sales, referrals are essential and high I’s know how to call in favors. They have a very positive mindset and know-how to inspire people to follow them toward their goals.

S - Steadiness

The high S groups are the moms and uncles of the team. They are the ones who are more focused on others than on themselves. Their happiness comes from drawing out other peoples’ joy and they don’t adapt well to change. High S’s are people-focused but aren’t the ones who are going to start a conversation. They’re in the corner wanting someone to initiate the discussion first

C - Conscientious

Lastly, the high C personalities are the accountants and financial people. They love learning every minute detail and will ask a lot of technical questions. They are generally shy, however, and prefer not to have verbal communication. They are very detailed and want to know everything about everything. Salespeople who don’t know their product well fail to make a sale with Cs.

Hiring the right sales reps

Most salespeople are high Ds and high Is. These are the people who have a mix of high drive and are also excellent networkers. One challenge with having an assessment test for salespeople before hiring them is that most people will tell you what they think you want to hear. Some can tweak their tests to have a result similar to what you’re looking for. The other challenge is that people don’t know themselves well enough to give accurate answers.

Just realize that natural behaviors do not change. Even when your personality changes, your natural behaviors stay the same. There is hope for people who are hiring. People can learn coping traits. Someone who is naturally loud, for example, can train themselves to be quieter around quiet people.

Identifying the person you’re talking to

There is an easy way to connect with someone who has a different personality trait or communication style. Watch them and mirror their speech and/or body language. Try to adopt some of what you observe as you’re talking.

When you meet a person with a different personality and you want to sell to them, adjust more to their behavior to build a significantly stronger rapport with them. If you are a high D and talking to a high S is a challenge, mirror them and they will likely warm up to you.

From a management point-of-view, you can hire people even when they don’t share the same personality as long as they help you build value for your business. If you want to be more effective with people around you, try and behave more like them. It doesn’t mean you turn into them but you’re going to have a much better relationship if you can match the behavior.

If you are selling to someone different than you, you can mirror behavior to help build rapport. #SalesTips

“What Is The DISC Assessment Profile And How Can It Help My Sales Team?” episode resources

Reach out to Mads Singers via his website. He also has a training course called Management Mastery that’s designed for business owners. If you have more sales concerns, you can also talk to Donald about it via LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for any sales concerns.

We have a new semester beginning in January and we would love to have you and your team join us. Follow this link to apply to the program.

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial.

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Mentioned in this episode:

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS

HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected