The Sales Evangelist

Best Sellers In History Recap    The Best Sellers in History has been a hit and we’ve been doing it for the last few months. We have highlighted individuals and classified them as the best sellers throughout history. Over the course of the series, we’ve talked about:  Who they are What made them great at selling What separated them from everyone else How we can take those ideas and apply them to our selling career   The Recap In this series, Donald has talked about several individuals who made their mark. They were influential and persuasive people who were able to make a difference in their lifetimes. We’ve talked about Jesus Christ, Oprah Winfrey, Reginald F Lewis, Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, Benjamin Franklin, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and Abraham Lincoln. They were amazing sales people even though they weren’t in sales for a living. For example, Abraham Lincoln wasn’t a salesman but he did sell a major idea.      Abraham Lincoln - sold the whole country on the idea of unity and the need to abolish slavery.  Mother Teresa - sold to the Catholic church the idea of leaving the convent and personally helping the needy to create her own ministry.  Mahatma Gandhi - sold to the whole country the idea of a peaceful revolution.  Martin Luther King Jr. - sold the idea of civil disobedience.  Harriet Tubman - sold to people the idea of running away toward freedom, despite the danger     They all had vision  All of the individuals we’ve discussed are tied to a vision we are still talking about today. Websters defines vision as a thought, concept or object formed by the imagination. You can have a vision but that doesn’t necessarily mean your vision is going to compel people to take action. For people to join you, your vision must reveal and alleviate the pain. If people understand how your vision can help them, they will want to know more and be more compelled to come alongside. People need to understand why they should sacrifice their time, effort, and resources for your vision.   Martin Luther King Jr., illustrated this beautifully in his speech,  I Have a Dream. He didn’t offer a detailed plan of execution, Martin Luther King Jr. simply stated his vision and invited our imaginations to join him in a better world.     Sell a dream, sell a vision If you want to become a great salesperson, you too must be able to learn to sell a dream.  As scripts are recycled, sales reps are saying the same things. How are you going to stand out in the way you communicate with your prospects?  By recognizing your clients’ pain points and offering a vision of what life would be like without these challenges. Here’s an example:    “60% of what your sales reps are doing today are non-sales related activities and will not generate business for  your organization. Based on what you’re paying them, that could cost you anywhere from $2000 to $5000 in wasted resources, not to mention lost opportunities. If we can demonstrate how we have helped other organizations like yourself show their sales reps how to become more productive and increase sales by 30 to 40% per rep. would you be open to learning more about that?”   You can do this in the form of a video or a phone call. Regardless of the platform you use, be able to paint a picture for your prospect. Speak about the pain that most sales leaders and other businesses face. Help the culture change within the organization by making them see the problem, quantifying their pain, and helping them see how bad it impacts their business. You are giving them a vision of what life could be like for their organization if they keep going in the same direction.  As the sales rep, show up as the solution.     It’s a fact that not everyone will buy into your vision, just like the other individuals we’ve talked about in this series. The greatest sales people in history faced opposition but they showed up and they were brave. Be brave.   Do not fear the challenge The second lesson from this series is to not fear the challenge of going against the status quo or your own organization. When organizations find themselves in a rut , they can do the same things over and over again even if they’re still not seeing positive results. Disrupt the rhythm by showing how you can provide the opportunity for these systems to get better.    When you offer change, be respectful and be ready to show the data. Stand out from other sales reps by being prepared and taking chances.     Welcoming the new series The new series will be coming in after the month of March. We will be focusing on SaaS and we’ll be interviewing individuals who are in the SaaS world. This series is called BDR, business development representatives and it’ll be rolling out by April. We’ll be getting on people from Donald’s team. It’s almost like a reality TV show and they are going to talk about their journey and experiences as salespeople and how they were able to become successful. This series may run for six episodes and will be posted and played every Wednesday.    “Best Seller In History Recap” episode resources  If you want to hear more and review this series, you can just head on to The Sales Evangelist podcast site and type Best sellers in history series in the search bar.  If you want more stories, you can just reach out to Donald. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about 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 | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Selling SaaS To Doctors vs. Selling Traditional SaaS    SaaS stands for Software as a Service. In this episode, Justin Welsh will teach us how to sell SaaS to doctors and how the language in these transactions can be applied in other areas of selling.    Although Justin Welsh is an accomplished seller, he is also a buyer who makes note of his purchasing experiences.  He recalls one such experience, about eighteen months ago, when he went to the Atlantic Center Terminal to buy a new TV. He and his wife had just moved to a new apartment and Justin wanted a large 60” TV so he could enjoy college football. He went to the store and told the salesman exactly what he needed.  The salesman, however, had other plans. Justin no sooner had asked about the 60” TV before he was hearing about 65”, 67”, and 72” inches TV. Justin was even taken over to the curved and 3D TVs. Justin admits he was a little intimidated by such an aggressive sales tactic. He’d just wanted to get the TV he was ready to purchase so he and his friends could enjoy the game.  He didn’t buy a TV that day.   The good salesman Justin, still needing a TV, eventually went back to the store and had a very different experience. A different salesman approached and asked Justin what he needed. Again, Justin said that he was interested in a 60’’ TV. Instead of being shown the selection right away,  he was asked a series of questions relevant to what he wanted.    How big is your room? What angle do you watch the game from? Where are the windows in your room? How much light do you have in the room?   At the end of that conversation, the salesman told him that he didn’t actually need a 60-inch TV, and that a 55-inch TV would work better for the space he had available. The salesman had considered Justin’s needs based on the information given to him and showed Justin he had his best interest at heart.  As a result, Justin was able to buy a 55-inch TV that was $300 below his budget. You can bet Justin will be looking for that salesman the next time he’s shopping again.   So who is Justin Welsh? Justin Welsh is the Vice-President of Sales at a tech company called Patient Pop where he manages a strategy team of 30  people. In the last couple of years, they have grown about 400% and has become one of the fastest growing software as a service (SaaS) healthcare platforms. They have defined a new category of software called Software Category Practice Growth Platform. It essentially integrates with healthcare professionals to their electronic medical records and practice management systems. Patient Pop’s role is to manage the patient experience from the first impression online until the patient is in the exam room.    The software picks up again after treatment. They manage and nurture the patient relationship to ensure that the patient continues to be a customer in the practice. Patient Pop is a tremendous opportunity to redefine and reshape the way that patients experience healthcare today.    The basics of SaaS Conducting a pharma sale is different from the usual product selling. In pharma sales, a sales rep goes into a doctor’s office where the doctor is the expert. They are the ones who know how to treat the patients. Pharma sales reps are looking at a healthcare discussion. They meet a doctor, discuss the drug they represent, discuss a treatment plan, the patient profile, and more. Their job is to be an influencer. You’re doing a good job when the doctors think about your product when they see a patient with the profile need that was outlined in the sales meeting. You want them to remember the drug and write the prescription for that drug.   Selling software is different. In selling the software, it’s the sales rep who is the expert.  They don’t help doctors treat their patients better from a medical perspective. The software addresses  the business side of the office. In order to talk to a doctor about his business, you need to be an expert, not just in selling, but about the product itself.    Having the right approach As a sales rep with expertise, when Justin approaches his doctors, he doesn’t just reveal the pain points. He makes sure clients are being approached with respect and discusses how his company can add value.  He knows that it’s mission critical to do research on potential clients,and study a healthcare provider’s online presence, so he can show up with solutions from that first conversation.    For example, Justin’s team wants to talk to Dr. Smith so they do a thorough analysis on his private practice online to see the gaps in his strategies. A sales rep from his team then makes an initial call and says, “Hi, Dr. Smith. I know you’re busy but really quickly, I was doing some research on  your practice in terms of your online presence and I came across three specific things that I thought might be interesting to you…   This is why I’m calling your practice specifically. What I found is ___, ____, ____. Were you aware of these things? I’m not sure if those three things are impactful to what you’re looking to do or if you’re looking to grow the practice, but I’ve talked to other orthopedic surgeons like you who are looking to grow their business and those three things are generally things they'd like to fix. Does that sound like you?    Great! What's the easiest way for me to get 10 minutes on your schedule so we can take a deeper dive, and see what else there is to fix? I can show you how we might be able to help.”   Different atmospheres Pharma reps get about a month or two of training. They are equipped with some great studies. This is another difference between pharma sales and SaaS and there are more.  When pharma reps walk into the practice, they’ve got great access and are able to talk with the provider. Their job is to move the percentage of prescriptions over time and that’s how they make money, by influencing the numbers.    With SaaS, sales reps have continuous training. They utilize their LinkedIn, their new sources, and they keep up-to-date with the current trends. Their access to doctors is poor and they only have one or two chances to talk with physicians. If they blow that chance, they don’t get to walk back in the same clinic the following week. They need to move fast and they need to really show the physician’s future, in that first meeting, if they don’t choose to change to their software system. They can’t afford to act slowly and over time. They have to show up sharp and with expertise.     The Sales Cycle  While pharma rep sales contacts are ongoing, Justin’s team has to sell within a week or two. When you’re a pharma rep, there are multiple chances to influence a physician. If the job is being done well, habits are changed over time. A software sales rep needs to influence change immediately and make the most out of the very first meeting.    When you talk to a doctor about their practice, the conversation is going to be focused on revenue.  Are they losing or not making as much? How does the software you offer make the process more efficient so more patients can be seen?  Once a sales rep understands the office’s capacity for seeing patients, they can quantify how much revenue is being lost and how much can be gained with the proposed services.    Knowing when to call It’s good to catch the physicians at the right time. The best hours to talk to physician directly are from 8AM - 9AM or 5 PM - 6 PM.  These are the times there are no patients and the receptionist has probably not clocked in. This is when the doctors are catching up with paperwork or dictations. When the phone rings, they are picking up the phone.    Often times, doctors ask for your elevator pitch right away. You may give it right away or offer some credibility by sharing the common relationships of people or doctors you both know, especially if it’s a referral.    Learn to say no A good software sales rep knows how to tell a client no when it doesn’t benefit the client’s needs, and is ready to walk away if they aren’t ready to purchase with the conditions you’re offering.  If you do the right research, however, become an expert in your product, and know how to add value to their practice, you should be walking away with a closing. “Selling SaaS To Doctors vs. Selling Traditional SaaS Solutions” episode resources Stay up to date with Justin and his company. Find Justin Welsh on LinkedIn and Twitter.  You can also check out his website, Patient Pop.   If you want more stories, you can just reach out to Donald. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about 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 this March 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 | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Three Sales Principles I Learned While Visiting Jamaica   Donald Kelly, our podcast host, recently traveled back to his home country, Jamaica. The trip was beautiful and an eye-opener. In watching the work ethic and ingenuity of the Jamaican people, Donald learned 3 key principles that can be used by sellers in the U.S. and abroad. His experience in Jamaica can strengthen and help sales professionals to persevere in their roles.    Jamaica is a beautiful country. It has beaches and looks to be a people with an easy-going lifestyle. People picture Jamaica as a beautiful country but the way it looks doesn’t tell the whole story. It has its fair share of challenges too, just like any other country. The average salary of an individual is $149,000 (Jamaican dollar). That’s $138.72 in the US. People have to learn how to live off a meager income. While it’s not easy, they are still able to make it work. Parents are still able to send their kids to school to get a great education.    Principle 1: Sell lemons  Despite its current economic state, Jamaica has a high-quality education system. The challenge is to translate that education into opportunities for the graduates. Many receive their education and leave Jamaica so they have a greater chance to apply their degrees to a career. To do that, they must go to western countries to look for opportunities. Once established in their work, they are able to send money to their families back home. This is the way they can continue to help with their communities even if they aren’t there.    There are a few who choose to stay but it’s not guaranteed there will be jobs available for kids who graduate from college. There are many things to do after finishing your education, such as paying a mortgage, bills to pay and more. In Jamaica, though, they know that if life gives you lemons, sell it and buy food. Because of tough conditions, Jamaicans are very creative and crafty.    This is the spirit of the Jamaican people. They know how to make the best out of hardship. They are willing to go through the difficulties and have a good time while going through it. They know how to have fun using music. Jamaicans don’t whine about their situation. Whenever a tough situation comes their way, they figure out how to make it better.    As a sales professional, there may be times when it feels like your situation is dire but you have options. You can be your greatest catalyst for change. You may feel you don’t have enough leads but the only way around it is to take what you have and make it work. The ability to create something out of nothing is powerful.  In the United States, there are lots of opportunities but you have to have grit and be clever.   Principle 2: Outwork everyone  Donald was partly raised by his aunt when his mother came to the United States looking for opportunities. It wasn’t always easy. They had their fair share of struggles.    His aunt went back and forth to the US and Jamaica. She’d buy items and products from the West and brought them back to Jamaica to sell. Donald’s aunt and his cousins would spend the night setting up the shop and watching over the products. They slept outside the marketplace and would take turns selling. They all hustled together. Everyone in the family was part of the business.    What Donald saw in his family taught him to outwork everyone else. People who didn’t stay in the market at night didn’t get the prime positions in the morning. They didn’t have the same opportunities to sell because they had taken it easy.    As a sales professional, you have to out-hustle everyone else. Most importantly, you need to outrun and out-hustle the person you were yesterday. If you closed $5,000 yesterday, then close at $6,000 today. Sometimes we look at others’ pacing and want to run with them without looking at their experience. We don’t look at their length of service. You become better when you beat your old self, not someone else. That’s how you’re going to be better in the long run.    Principle 3: Be happy  Learning to be happy and content with who you are is important. A $500 income a month doesn’t go far in Jamaica, and it would certainly be a struggle in the US. No matter how poor people are in Jamaica, however, they know how to be happy and take care of themselves.    Whatever happens, at the end of the day, you’re still breathing so take the time to count your blessings:  the people in your life, the provision, the shelter, the transportation, the food, running water, and so much more.  There are many different things you can look to in life to be grateful for.    Successful people didn’t become successes overnight.  Their success took years in the making. Moving toward your own success, you can either do it whining and complaining or you can enjoy your life along the way.  The latter seems like a better choice.    Live life, love life. Be grateful for your family, for your health, for your loved ones. While money is important, it’s not everything. There are far more important things than material possessions.    “Three Sales Principles I Learned While Visiting Jamaica” episode resources Remember to hustle and the three principles: sell lemons, outwork everyone, and be happy. If you want more stories, you can just reach out to Donald. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about 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 | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

The Best Sellers in History Series 10 - “Oprah Winfrey”   Welcome to yet another episode for the Best Sellers in History series. For this episode, we are featuring one of the most influential individuals in our century. She isn’t only known among the African-American community. Her fame reaches worldwide and this individual is now worth over $3.5 billion. She started from nothing but didn’t let that stop her as she overcame obstacles all the way to success and influence. She is Oprah Winfrey    Sales Spotlight - Oprah Winfrey Oprah Winfrey was born on January 29th, 1954 and her parents are Vernita Lee and Vernon Winfrey. She grew up in a humble community where she was raised by her grandmother on a farm. Oprah entertained herself by playing and acting in front of an imaginary audience. She had her first speaking gig in front of the congregation at church, where she spoke about Jesus and how he rose up from the dead on Easter Sunday. It was the beginning of her knowledge that this was something she could do.    She’d listen when sisters in the congregation would tell her grandmother how talented and gifted Oprah was. Oprah heard it over and over again and she eventually believed it. Her grandmother was strict and forced her to learn how to read by the time she was three. When she was in kindergarten, she wrote a letter to her teacher telling her why she deserved to be in the first grade. She eventually skipped another grade was in third grade when she had to move to  Milwaukee with her mother.    Growing up in a difficult environment    It was difficult as they lived in some poor and dangerous circumstances; however, being Oprah, she didn’t focus on the negative things. She kept moving, living, and enjoying life. When she turned 12, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee to live with her father. She began writing speeches for social gatherings and churches. At one point, she earned $500 for a speech! It was then Oprah knew that she wanted to become an orator and get paid for speaking. Unfortunately, she had to go back to her mother’s home and the dire circumstances strained the mind of young Oprah. She became disobedient and problematic.    At 9, Oprah was being sexually assaulted by men she knew, even family. This eventually led to an early pregnancy and losing a baby. She was around 14 years of age when she was sent back home to her father.    Having structure and expectation  Oprah’s father was very different from her mom. With her father, Oprah was given structure and the expectation that she would not perform below what she was capable of. She became an excellent student and participated in several school activities. Her track record helped her get a scholarship to Tennessee State University. She was  invited to the White House the following year for a youth conference.    Oprah would also be crowned Miss Fire Prevention by a local Nashville radio station, WVOL. She didn’t think she’d win because there were other girls that looked more like “typical” pageant girls. At one point, they were asked a question about what they would do if they received $1 million. Oprah’s answer was authentic and from the heart and the judges took notice.    Oprah then went on to study journalism and worked for some radio stations. People liked her so she was then brought over to do television and eventually had her own talk show. Through all these experiences, Oprah Winfrey is the woman she is today.   Oprah Winfrey was successful because of five key elements:  Relatable and knowing how to build relationships Creativity and willingness to act in difficult circumstances Hard worker Thinking big and pushing herself Being selfless    Relatable and knew how to build relationships When Oprah first got into the industry, she wanted to be like Barbara Walters. Oprah would imitate Barbara and wanted to be as great at her job. It would take practice. In one situation, she was reporting a story and reading from a script. Oprah was reading the names of places and read Canada as “kah-nay-da.”. On air, she acknowledged her mistake and corrected herself. Oprah was told not to talk about her mistakes on air but Oprah did the opposite. She made fun of herself and made herself vulnerable. She knew that she couldn’t be perfect and there was no point in trying to pretend she was.. She wanted to be real with her audience.    Oprah was also empathetic to the people she was asked to interview and chose not to pressure people who were going through a difficult time. Producers were upset because she wasn’t interviewing people like other reporters. She would see them in their humanity, grieving over the loss of a family member or how they’d their homes in a fire.   Oprah also didn’t have a fear of embarrassment. Because she didn’t have that fear, she was able to do what she needed to do. She was comfortable with being vulnerable and it made her easy to connect to. People could relate to her and that encouraged people to listen to her, and to talk to her.  When her story of abuse was released by a family member,  Oprah used it. Instead of being embarrassed, Oprah leaned into the story, and it made Oprah even more human. People felt like they knew her on a personal level.  She wasn’t just a TV host, she was Oprah, a person like them, and she had troubles too.    As a sales rep, it’s impossible to be perfect in everything you say and do.  Making mistakes is part of the process and when you do, some buyers may not want to work with you anymore. Or, it may be the very thing that draws them to you. Being honest about a mistake is going to be infinitely better than trying to fake an answer.  Your buyers will know you don’t have their best interest at heart. You’ll lose their trust and their confidence that they are safe in your hands.. Be honest and be vulnerable. Be okay saying you don’t know the answer and then be quick to do the research.  People need to see that you are a human being but still ready to work hard. Connect with them on a personal level.    Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. People will never forget how you made them feel.”    Be creative and be willing to act At one point in her career, Oprah was demoted. She was removed from her position of being in the main anchor position and was given a five-minute slot during the early morning show at 5:30, not a popular time for their viewers. Instead of resigning herself to a tough situation, Oprah took the position and dove in headfirst. The segment was a cooking show and while she didn’t have a particular interest in cooking, she was creative. She brought in awesome guests and made something amazing out of a slot that had been previously considered a dead end.    Oprah didn’t sit back and complain.  Instead, she took action and turned things around. This can be used in B2B applications. You may be in a position where you need to sell in a difficult territory and it’s not as fruitful as the top territories in your organization. Maybe you’ve inherited a team that doesn’t perform well. You may have been given a situation that is historically underperforming and you have to be creative to get around it.    Perhaps the account that doesn’t work and doesn’t sell is because the previous manager didn’t put in the work. Just like Oprah, you need to take the initial action. Go in, be vulnerable, and share a relatable story - the next thing you know, you’re already building strong relationship with your prospects.    Work hard  Oprah worked hard, she didn’t get her success overnight. She didn’t start speaking in her teenage years, she didn’t start speaking in her college days, she started speaking when she was two. She started speaking at a very early age with animals as her audience. She read books, memorized poems, and started to share them. Oprah worked and she hustled.    She knew all the churches in Nashville and gave sermons. When she was working on a set, she could just pick up a script and read it right away without having the need to study it.    Sales representatives need to have the same mentality. You need to master speaking and articulating yourself. There’s no need to be flawless and perfect but you need to be able to speak with confidence in your conversations. Master the principles before hand, master how to ask effective questions, master how to liste, master how to research, master how to look, and more.    Think big and push yourself As a kid, Oprah wanted to become an actress. Like others, she wanted to be the life of the party. However, she got into a different ballpark, she got into journalism which is in a different stratosphere. A lady told Oprah that if she wanted to become an actress, she needed to do anything to make that happen. She was told to make a vision for it and to start doing things that would lead her towards her goal of becoming an actress.    Oprah did become an actress and debut in the film called The Color Purple. She read the book and started to share the book with everybody. Oprah evangelized the story because she can relate to it, she became the person in the book because she felt like it was hers to begin with. Eventually, she was casted for the film and won awards for her role.    She then started out doing her own TV show, bought the rights, and created her own production company. Still, that wasn’t enough. Oprah thought bigger and said she wanted to create her own brand, start a book club, and more. She also wanted to retire from doing TV shows and so she created her own network. It started out rough but she was able to pull it off and now she’s valued at $3.5 billion. It all started because she was willing to push herself and she didn’t become complacent. She didn’t remain at being just a host, she had to move further.    Speak and act As a sales representative, you need to speak and act. We want to be the tops sales rep but we don’t do the things to close big deals. It makes us look like complacent sellers. We are not pushing ourselves hard enough when, in fact, you have to. Start with a morning routine, have a vision, and act accordingly.    Sales representatives need to have big dreams, need to be able to push themselves, and get outside your comfort zones.    Be selfless  Oprah is famous for being selfless, she’s helped a lot of people and gave many things. She has an organization for young girls in South Africa. These girls have different stories but most of them are young girls who have lived in difficult situations. Their stories will tug your hearts. Oprah helped them and she is one of the top celebrities who donated to the said charity.    Just last year, she went to Tyler Perry’s studio celebration and stopped by Morehouse College to donate $13 million which will go to the Oprah Winfrey scholarship program that she helped create back in 1989. There are now about 600 students helped by the program.    Sales representatives may sometimes feel the need to give things with strings attached. But you don’t have to, like Oprah, you can act selflessly and just do things without asking for anything in return. When you do, things will start to open up for you. Doors that you didn’t know were there will start to appear. The next thing you know is that you’d start getting referrals.    Bob Burg has a book that discusses the concept of endless referral mentality, it’s called Go-Giver. The book talks about giving and being selfless. Be like Bob Burg and look for ways on how to be a Go-Giver.    The Best Sellers in History Series 10 - “Oprah Winfrey” episode resources Oprah Winfrey became a successful woman because of these five things: she’s relatable, she’s creative and willing to act in difficult circumstances, she worked hard, she thought big and pushed herself, and she is selfless.  Sales reps like you can be successful too by imitating the good example set by Oprah Winfrey.  If you want more stories, you can just reach out to Donald. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns.  This episode is brought to you in part by the 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 just started a new semester and there are still few seats left. This semester will begin late this March. Enroll to the program for $549 that would run for eight weeks. 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 | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

How To Train Salespeople That Aren’t Natural Salespeople   Getting training as a salesperson is part of the process and it is especially important for those individuals where selling doesn’t come naturally. How do you shape them to become great salespeople?   John Martinez is a sales trainer and has been training salespeople exclusively for about six years. Before that, he’d had a sales career for over 20 years. Working in corporate America training and building sales teams, he eventually decided to leave to start his own sales training company.    Becoming a great salesperson With proper training, anyone can learn the skills to get better at their job and sales is no exception. Not all salespeople are born for sales but with the right exposure and training, a skillset can be gained to excel. In these cases, one needs the desire to develop the strategies to help them overcome the inevitable hurdles and challenges that can come with a career in sales.  John wasn’t a natural-born salesperson himself.  He had a speech problem growing up and the only person who could understand him was his mother. In sixth grade, he was in therapy five days a week. He was also getting bullied at school so for his own safety, he just learned to blend in.    How to train salespeople When training new salespeople, great training doesn’t start with sales tactics and strategies.  It starts with the belief system. The sales team needs to know why they sell what they sell and do what they do. People are often held back because they don’t want to be pushy. No one wants to be in an uncomfortable situation, whether they are the sales person or the prospect. Unfortunately, most sales processes are taught in a way that puts salespeople in an awkward position and they get stuck in a battle with their discomfort.    John starts with the basics and teaches salespeople to believe in what they do. When they’ve built up enough trust in themselves, John teaches them the strategies and tactics that make conversations comfortable again.  The training process:  John’s sales training is done once a week with teams from around the country. They spend about 45 minutes talking about the why and work toward getting a complete buy-in on the sales strategy. Another 10 minutes is spent on starting to reverse the paradigm. 95% of the sales training is about getting sales reps to understand why they do the things they do and say the things they say.    Salespeople can fail to be successful  because they don’t understand the reasons behind what they are told to do. Even when others do understand, they still may not completely buy into the concept. The why is more important than the how because the how can always be taught.    Becoming a trainer  John’s choice of being a sales trainer comes from personal experience. While he was successful in training, there was still a shift that occurred between failing and succeeding in his career. The shift came from learning that he could succeed if he followed a step-by-step process. He learned he didn’t have to be a natural salesperson to excel in what he is doing.    John is invested in helping other salespeople find their way. His mission is to give them the process and to help business owners equip their team to become more successful. His training not only helps salespeople find their way but it also helps their prospects get the help they truly need.    The need for a compelling reason It is normal to be knocked down and face challenges. Hurdles are expected in sales. Having a compelling reason to keep going helps to keep you grounded and it will propel you forward. This  vision is important because it is capable of getting you through the tough times. Without a vision, it is much more difficult to stay motivated. Without a vision and a skillset the chances of bail-out greatly increases.   Scripting is part of John’s process. John thinks of sales scripts as training wheels. New salespeople need to start somewhere and scripting is a good introduction. Once the basics are modeled, over time sales people will find their own voice and develop their own conversations. John’s initial scripts help new trainees find their balance. He urges salespeople to read between the lines to find their own way.    In John’s training, they script deal-breaker moments that could prevent closing well.  Compelling reasons why prospects may hesitate to work with the sales person are also looked at. It’s this information that creates the foundation of questions that can help move through tougher conversations.   They prepare six-seven questions that will help connect the dots between the prospect’s problems and finding the answers through the products and services being offered.. John then creates a sales playbook with 10-15 questions that can be used by his clients when working with their customers.   Laying the foundations  Having a strong foundation helps. If you give new salespeople too much information at one time, it can set them up for failure. Start small and slowly build the foundation. Once that’s established, you can  add some strategies and build a skillset.     Salespeople need to understand that it’s not just about reading a book and learning the process once, there is always room for improvement. No athlete became skilled immediately.  They continue to play and practice the basics. The same is true in sales.   Let your prospects know  immediately and continuously, a no is okay and you’ll see your prospects open up to you. This gives you the window to talk about your products and services comfortably and will set you up for greater success.     “How To Train Salespeople That Aren’t Natural Salespeople” episode resources Check out his website, midwestrev.com. They do hundreds of free training in a day and more. You can also talk to Donald if you have more sales concerns. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about 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 | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

How To Develop An Unstoppable Drive To Sales Success   Salespeople and startup entrepreneurs all strive to have an unstoppable drive toward sales success; however, this isn’t an easy feat. There are hurdles to face before that success can be attained. How do you get the unstoppable drive to sales success?   Dre Baldwin was a professional basketball player. He graduated from Penn State and played overseas for nine years across eight different countries. He is now an author and speaker. Dre creates programs for both athletes and non-athletes and does coaching and consulting, among his many jobs. He is also considered as an influencer with YouTube views of over 40 million.     The beginning of his basketball career  Dre started playing basketball at the later age of fourteen. With other players starting out much earlier, many were better than he was and had a greater skill set. With this in mind, he knew the only way for him to get better and earn their respect was to do more than everybody else was doing.    He practiced way before others were coming to the court. While people started playing when the sun went down, he started playing between 10 AM to 4 PM, when it was too hot for others to join him. He didn’t have a coach or a mentor so there was no one  he could ask for help. He had to drive himself to improve.     Dre went on to college and tried out for the basketball team as a walk-on. Fortunately, he had improved enough to be recruited in his freshman year and by summer, he was invited to go to another Penn State branch that was a NCAA division three school.   Developing the drive  Many success stories have a rags to riches origin story but that wasn’t Dre’s case.  He grew up comfortably with both parents. When you’re comfortable, where does the drive come from that pushes you to do better?  For Dre, it was seeing the success of people who’d truly had rags to riches stories, like 50 Cent and Jay Z. Dre’s favorite entertainer is the rapper 50 Cent who was shot nine times and almost died. 50 Cent ended up making it big in the industry, working hard to get out of the ghetto and into a glamorous life. Jay Z came from the projects, didn’t know his father, was selling drugs on the streets, and became wildly successful as a rapper.    These people grew up in some of the worse situations but they turned their lives around. You might ask yourself how you can have the same success story by finding ways to motivate yourself to do better.   Having the force within Many people have to find the drive within themselves to strive for better. You have to force yourself to find inspiration and get motivated.    Dre works hard and keeps himself motivated to strive harder. He’s published books on self-discipline and he’s talked about it on podcasts and a variety of other platforms. Knowing that he’s created so much content himself, he realizes that information is available if you’re driven to apply it. How to move into success isn’t a secret.  Being successful is more about your willingness to show up and take action over and over again.    The lies keeping you from success The most common lie that keeps people from realizing success is I can’t do this because ________ and they fill in the blank with all kinds of reasons. The other lie is I need more information. This is something that we hear a lot. More often than not, people already have the steps and the training but they’re just not sure if they’re doing it correctly. This is especially true if they are looking at other people who are doing it differently.    We need to understand that not everything works immediately. Starting the process doesn’t mean immediate success. In the same way that buying an SEO online course doesn’t mean that your website will rank number one within a week. You need to put in the work over and over again. Success is not a matter of what you’ve done or what you’re doing in the moment, it’s a matter of showing up and doing it repeatedly.   When you don’t see immediate success you don’t have to question all the information you’ve gathered and go back to information-gathering mode. You must take action and not stop.   Taking the leap Dre’s basketball team in college got a new coach and he wanted new players. Dre was kept on the team initially but was eventually let go.  He didn’t play basketball the last year and a half he went to school. When he got his degree, he went back home to Philadelphia and his parents asked him what he was doing next .He told them that he was going to play professional basketball. At this point, his parents hadn’t gotten to him play. He was 22 years old with a degree in business but he was choosing to play basketball. It made no sense.    When he graduated, Dre had no resume or experience  and that became his drive. He went to an exposure camp, where you bring your sports gear and play against other players. This is where you prove your worth in front of coaches, managers, agent scouts, power brokers in eSports, and other power players. Dre got a video from the camp and that became his golden ticket to professional basketball. He emailed every basketball agent he could find and he sent his video to those who replied to his initial message. Dre also uploaded the video on YouTube, beginning his YouTube career. He finally found an agent and this agent negotiated Dre’s first game in Lithuania.    Explore social media platforms  Dre was doing social media before it boomed and became the business it is today. There were no ads on YouTube then and wasn’t yet a platform where you could monetize your content. Dre’s videos were mainly uploaded for safekeeping but people saw his videos and kept asking questions.   Dre realized that YouTube was an underutilized resource. He decided to bring his camera with him to the gym and started filming everything. He then uploaded these to YouTube thinking his videos may help other people improve their game. It wasn’t about the money, it was about helping others. Viewers responded to Dre because they could see his genuine desire to help and he was authentic. He didn’t pretend to be anyone else in front of the camera.  Dre was himself and his viewers kept coming back.     “How To Develop An Unstoppable Drive To Sales Success” episode resources There are so many resources that sellers utilize. Social media is one of the most powerful ways you can increase brand awareness. Whatever competition you may face, the one competitive advantage that can never be duplicated is your individuality. When you talk authentically with other people, you’re not only sharing your products and services, you are also allowing them to see you as a person and with customers, that goes a long way. Dre Baldwin is in every social media: Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, etc. Let us answer your sales inquiries. You can also talk to Donald directly via LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about 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 | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Best Sellers In History Series - "Harriet Tubman"   It’s another episode from the Best Sellers in History series. This month, we will be focusing on African American individuals who have been very persuasive. One such individual was Harriet Tubman, also known as the Black Moses. Harriet was born as a slave but managed to escape and rescue more than 300 slaves. In this episode, we’ll focus on why Harriet was so successful in convincing people to leave the life of slavery, even if getting caught meant death.    Sales on Spotlight - Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman was born as Emerita Ross in March 1822. The exact date was never known because a slave’s birth date wasn’t recorded. Slaves were considered property and weren’t valued as individuals. She was born in Dorchester County, Maryland and growing up, she was beaten and whipped by her masters.  There was one incident Harriet endured when a slave owner threw a heavy metal object at another slave and hit Harriet instead. This injury caused a scar she would wear the rest of her life and she suffered hypersomnia as a result.    Harriet had a Methodist upbringing and was deeply religious. That faith helped carry her  through the worst times of her life. Harriet escaped to Philadelphia in 1894 and immediately returned to Maryland to rescue her family. She brought slaves out of Maryland, one group at a time, into a life of freedom in Philadelphia. This is how she got the nickname “Moses” from the other slaves.  They saw her as bringing people out of slavery and leading them to the promised land. She was a modern-day Moses who used the Underground Railroad to save hundreds of people.   Drive to help others    When the Fugitive Act was passed in 1850, Harriet could no longer bring escaped slaves to the northern states. This didn’t deter her, however. Instead, she went further north and brought them all the way to Canada. There, she helped them settle as free people and they were able to  experience building their own lives.    During the Civil War, she became an armed scout and spy. She was actually the first woman to lead an armed expedition in the war. Included in her tasks was to raid a Combahee ferry which liberated over 700 slaves. After the war, she retired to her home in Auburn, New York and cared for her aging parents.    Even after her impressive feats during the Civil War, she kept fighting for rights and this time, it was in women's suffrage. She was an impeccable icon for courage and freedom. When Harriet Tubman made a decision she stuck to her guns.    Harriet Tubman’s persuasiveness made an impact on history. It was the following five traits that made Harriet Tubman a force to be reckoned with.  Vision  Cause and bravery Selfless Passion and strong drive Creative   Having the Vision Like all the other individuals talked about in this series, Harriet Tubman had a vision. Regardless of what your role is in the sales industry, you need a vision of what you want your life to look like. This vision is the hope that pushes you when things get hard.   Harriet didn’t always have a vision for a better life. She was just trying to survive from one day to the next and hold onto hope.  Her religious upbringing helped to keep her hope alive. Jesus Christ and God gave them hope that they’d eventually be saved and delivered from slavery, in this life or beyond   To fortify one another, the slaves would meet in secret and sing songs to signal one another about where the meeting would be held. At these meetings they started to discuss other slaves who had runaways to the North and were living a free life.  They began to hear about the underground railroad.    The catalyst of Harriet’s change of vision   Harriet only knew the life of a slave, not a life of freedom. She didn’t grow up thinking she could own anything or make choices for her own life. Hearing the stories about freed slaves inspired Harriet and it awakened a vision. At the time, Harriet was married to a free man and when their slave master died, her family had the option of running away or getting sold to another master. With the vision of freedom firmly planted in her mind, Harriet talked to her husband about running away. He opposed the idea and even threatened to tell someone about Harriet wanting to run.    Like many people, her husband feared change. Even though he was free, he didn’t feel free. He still had the mindset of a slave.   Be the mastermind   As a salesperson, you need to protect your mind and only surround yourself with people who are there to elevate your vision. Harriet could have stayed and shut her vision down, but instead, she moved toward people who elevated and encouraged her. She listened to the people who told her stories about freedom in the North.   Even when her husband opposed her idea and others told her it was dangerous, she still went. Salespeople need to be the mastermind of their thoughts and actions. Make sure that you have a vision, regardless of what your vision may be. It just has to be something you want to reach for and accomplish. Don’t sign up for easy. Sign up for what you want to accomplish in this life. Create a vision, surround yourself with people who can elevate you, and seek help from people who will take action.Whether that is to create your own organization, build your business, or increase your sales, just keep going.    Having a cause Harriet Tubman had a cause. She wanted to do something and make an impact. She reasoned that she had the right to liberty or death and if she couldn’t have one, she would have the other. With liberty being her driving force, she put a plan together and ran with her brothers. On the first day, they got scared and went back, leaving Harriet alone. She pressed forward and made it to the North where she claimed her freedom. Her vision helped push her forward.   The same can be true for sales reps. You need to have a vision that will push you forward. This vision will help you overcome the challenges you may face. It’s just reality that deals fall apart but get to a new day where you could close a new deal. Always make sure your why is bigger than the circumstances.   Develop bravery Harriet Tubman was able to be persistent because of her bravery. She didn’t let her fear get in the way of her freedom. Her husband threatened to tell on her, and her life was at risk. She was left on her own the first time she ran; however, all those things didn’t matter because she had a strong purpose and an even stronger belief. She believed that God would empower her when she got into trouble. Her purpose made her powerful.    As a B2B sales rep, you need to be brave. You have to be willing to do things that are scary, including talking to “whales” in your industry. Speaking with executives from a large organization takes more than just confidence, it takes bravery. While it won’t always turn into an opportunity, it is a practice in overcoming fear.    Develop selflessness  Escaping slavery wasn’t easy. The Underground Railroad wasn’t an actual railroad. It was running, walking, traveling through the night, and battling the elements. They were exposed to potential attacks from animals and they were being chased by people who wanted to kill them. It was a dangerous trip but Harriet did it 19 times and rescued over 300 people. In all those trips, she never lost an individual. She put herself in danger to help other people so they taste freedom as well.    B2B sales reps need a burning desire to care and help others. This doesn’t mean you have to go back to being the pushy salesperson. Instead, be the sales rep who sees things from the buyers’ perspective. Put the interests of your clients above your own.   Stephen Covey’s says to seek first to understand and then be understood. Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes.  Dig deeper, discover, and understand your client before you present your solutions. Closing the deal can’t be your only priority. Just as important is how the client can benefit from what you have to offer.    Have a strong passion  Harriet kept going back and forth, rescuing people. She had a strong passion for helping people.  She was willing to do whatever it took to save people from slavery.   Salespeople need to have the same mindset and have the willingness to go above and beyond if they want to be successful in what they do. You may have to do things outside the norm and make sacrifices.   While on the run, Harriet carried a gun to make sure that people stayed committed to the journey. Are you committed to the journey?   Creativeness  Harriet Tubman was also creative. She utilized a variety of disguises every time she made a trip, even dressing as a man when needed. She thought outside the box.    In sales, creativity will set you apart from your competition.    Harriet Tubman had vision, she had a why and bravery, she was selfless, she was passionate and she was super creative. #HarrietTubman   Best Sellers In History Series - "Harriet Tubman" episode resources Harriet Tubman was a great seller because these traits made her a force to be reckoned with.  Vision  Cause and bravery Selfless Passionate and strong drive Creative Let us answer your sales inquiries. You can also talk to Donald directly via LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about 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 | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Three Things Small Businesses Get Wrong When Marketing     Businesses often make mistakes in their marketing campaigns and as a result, don’t maximize their exposure. Let’s discuss how strategic decisions about your online presence can make a bigger impact.    Stephen Hart is the host of the Trailblazers.fm podcast and is also a digital brand strategist. Stephen enhances marketing and communications for a global software firm by coaching individuals and businesses to improve their own brand. Through his experience, Stephen is seeing the need for people to address their brand presence and their digital footprint. It’s important for your brand to represent your product well and this is done by your prospects associating your online presence with a reputation of quality..    Digitally sophisticated  People today are more digitally sophisticated. Employers and consumers often end up going to Google or asking Alexa and Siri for answers to their questions. The same is true when consumers are looking for products or services.  They research and ask relevant questions using social platforms before making a final purchasing decision. People look at company websites, verified reviews online, the company’s social platform, and their customer service and support.    People want confirmation online long before they ever speak to their first salesperson. There are many touchpoints that consumers look for and by the time they make the decision to meet a product or service rep, most of them have already made up their minds.    Five key areas of branding Branding is critical because it’s a visual representation that lets the consumer know what you and your company are all about. Stephen has five key elements that entrepreneurs should consider to define their personal brand. These 5 elements that will help your digital presence include: Color Font Mood and vibe Logo Voice or the tone of your written content   Colors in branding Color is  important because it’s one of the elements that offer people the first impressions about your brand presence. Research has shown that people make a judgment within 90 seconds based on color tone alone. This is especially important for salespeople and business professionals with a global touch who are dealing with people from a variety of cultural and religious backgrounds.    There are websites that can help you decide what color palette works best with your vision.  Think about two or three colors that set the tone, and an additional one or two colors you might use as an accent.  The website can help you work out these different combinations.     Hex Code  The hex code is a hexadecimal code that refers to the specific color that you want to choose. You can use this hex code to have a consistent color for your brand. You can document your six-digit color code throughout different platforms so you’re consistently getting the right color and shade.. This will come in handy when making PowerPoint presentations, images in Canva, and more. Just type in the hex code and your color will automatically appear.    Even beyond your website, the colors you should choose should carry into  your social media. Use them when you create motivational graphics for your social media posts and other areas you want a digital footprint. You want to create a cohesive visual feel across all platforms. This trains people to think of you when they see your color combinations.  Be involved in building your brand While it may be a good idea to have experts and professionals handle the execution of your branding campaign, it is equally important to be involved in building your personal brand. It’s important that the final product accurately and authentically reflects the message you want to portray. Suggest color and tone so you can give the experts a launching pad and a sense of the energy you’re trying to create.    Focus on the personality of your brand as well. What kind of message do you want to convey? If it’s hard to see with clarity, consider creating a visual mood board.  Similar to a vision board, your mood board will be the place you can put images that capture the tone and the vibe of your business, and you. The more specific your vision is, the easier it will be for your marketing team to put a package together that will make your brand stand out from your competition.    Another thing to consider is the tone and the voice in which you write your copy throughout your website, social media, and marketing tools. Is it playful, technical, serious?  Make sure you have a consistent voice that reads the same, across the board, to avoid consumer confusion about what they can expect from your business.   Branding is the promise you're making to your customer. #PersonalBrand Optimize Your Profiles Your social media accounts are mission critical for your brand. With that in mind, make sure you optimize your profile. Use a profile picture that can be found on all platforms, duplicate your cover photos from your website, and use uniform fonts and colors to show consistency and professionalism.    Use your LinkedIn account to expand your network.  For your profile, be strategic about how you use the different fields.  Your summary, your positions, experience, and education, for example, should keep pointing back to your central message. Be mindful of keywords that are high on the search.    “Three Things Small Businesses Get Wrong When Marketing” episode resources Stephen advises business owners to take care of the story you share online. Begin by creating a personal website and optimize your social channels. Take care of your personal brand and your digital footprints.    He is having a free webinar on October 4th where he will talk about the things that he’s mentioned in this podcast. This is a digital brand workshop that Stephen is leading for individuals who are looking to maximize their personal brand.    You can check out his website and social media accounts including LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  Satisfy your thirst and let us answer your sales queries. 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 | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Abundance Now: Amplify Your Life & Achieve Prosperity Today   We all want to amplify our lives and achieve prosperity. Entrepreneurs want to prosper in their business, but how is that achieved? Sales professionals all have the desire to be successful. The definition of the word can be pretty broad and it may differ from one salesperson to another. Lisa Nichols is a transformational coach and her clients achieve massive succes through her use of education, motivation, and inspiration.   Getting to Know Lisa Nichols  Lisa Nichols was academically challenged in school. She had a difficult time learning and in her twenties discovered she’s functionally dyslexic. While she gets by, she’s slower than most. C was her highest grade in school and she was told she was the weakest writer her English teacher had ever met. Even her speech teacher said, “Ms. Nichols, I recommend that you never speak in public. Get a desk job.”   Education was challenging and when she had her son, she had to get government assistance. She applied for WIC (Women, Infant, Children), an organization that gives out free cheese, pasta, milk, and other necessities. There were a couple of days she had to wrap her infant son in a blanket because she hadn’t had enough money for diapers. Why? There wasn’t enough in her bank account to make a twenty dollar withdrawal.  That was her all-time low. She was broke and broken and in that state, she learned a valuable lesson. When you’re broke, you’ve just got to figure out how to make money. But when you’re broken, you have to figure out how to be inspired enough to get up and go do something.    The beginning When she hit rock bottom, she made a decision to reinvent every part of her. Lisa was willing to become unfamiliar with every part of her journey so that she could become familiar with everything new. She wanted to explore her potential and know who she could be. That was the beginning of how she became the woman she is today.    What is abundance? People tend to look at abundance in just two ways - monetary and assets. These things are part of abundance but it doesn’t show the total pictures. Money and assets fall under wealth and wealth is just a slice of the abundance pie. Abundance is a 360 experience and most people fail to see how abundance differs from wealth until they’ve achieved some level of wealth.  When wealth is achieved, they realize they want to have abundance. Abundance is not only having wealth and assets. It’s only fully achieved when you also  have good health, great relationships, and a spiritual center. Instead of just going for wealth, you might as well go for abundance. #SalesProsperity   Lisa works with wealthy people who are fiscally in the top 1% but she’s not coaching them to achieve wealth. She's helping them to achieve abundance. Many people believe that it can only be achieved because of a particular zip code or nationality but the truth is, abundance is everyone’s birthright. Anyone can achieve abundance. The limiting belief  Every so often, we live with a limiting belief that was embedded in us from an early age. It can come down through the generations, come from the gender we live in, start from our geographical origin, come from our cultural origin, or from our spiritual background.  Carrying limiting beliefs can hinder your future. Salespeople need to let go of these limiting beliefs. When you move toward a more positive, abundant mindset, you will see your world start to shift for the better. How do we begin?   The first thing is to feed yourself with better mental food. This will help you produce a different emotional and physical outcome. Learning something new enables you to do something new and when you are doing something new, you also produce something new.    Getting abundance  Many think they’re getting a good picture of what they want by repeating what they don’t want. The truth is, the more you spend energy thinking about what you don’t want, the more you’re living a contracted experience. Energy grows where energy goes. You are a creator, an artist.  You lead where your energy follows. Ask yourself, how far out are you planning? Think about what you want your future to look like in 5 years.    Create a plan then work that plan. Most people are living without having created a plan. Ensure that you are being an abundant thinker and live your life intentionally with a plan in mind.    As you look five years ahead, ask yourself these questions:   What are you driving? Where are you living? What’s the balance of your bank account on a monthly basis? How many vacations are you taking a year? What does your relationship with your children look like? Your spouse?  How many times a week do you engage with your parents? How often are you praying?     Be specific about the details. Remember that it may not happen exactly that way, but now you have a plan, even if you have to tweak it along the way. Based on your five-year plan, figure out your three-year plan. You will notice the alignment of your plans and start making decisions based on your five-year plan. It will keep you in check and keep you focused on your goals.    Making a life plan By creating a five-year plan, you begin to create an abundant life. The blessing is in the details and the more you see these details, it will make you hungrier and more inspired to taste more. You learn to identify the smell and color of your future and it makes you want to run toward your success. Your mindset and emotional state go together.    People fail to make plans down to the minute details because of two things - one, we weren’t taught how to make plans and we aren’t taught to pay attention to the details. We make macro goals to get macro wins. The reality is, we need micro details to achieve macro wins. The more detailed you make your goals, the more likely it is you can achieve your dreams.  You are more fully engaged.   When you set a goal for yourself and don’t hit it, you lose a little bit of faith in yourself. It’s important you set yourself up to win. It’s important to set a goal you can achieve. These goals should stretch you to your full potential, not stress you from reaching your maximum potential.    When your goals stress you, then look at where you can adjust. This may be the number of goals or your timeline in achieving your goals. Give yourself time to make it happen. In Lisa’s book Abundance Now, she talks about how abundance isn’t something  you can just get. It’s what expands from what you already have access to.   12 Life-changing areas   In the book, there are 12-life changing areas that make an impact. Some of these include:    Romantic relationships Family relationships Peers, Colleagues, and social circles Mentors  Career Investments and future legacy   Love relationships will help you shape your life. As a person designed to have human connections, we are spending more of our energy in our relationships. This is a great time for people of color because now, you are also able to create investments and future legacies. Your legacy can be like Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and other great people who have made a lasting impact. They did this by speaking to inspire, not impress. Speaking to inspire has a ripple effect.    If you are in an environment that’s negative and draining, you can do several things. Number one, understand you have a choice. Don’t slide over in the passenger seat of your life. You should be in the driver’s seat. Number two, hunt for positive people and surround yourself with people who foster positivity.    “Abundance Now: Amplify Your Life & Achieve Prosperity Today” episode resources As a salesperson and as an individual, remember that you are the designer of your destiny. You are the true author of your autobiography. It doesn’t matter what chapter four looks like. All that matters is that your chapter four is a blank page and you are the one holding the pen in your hand. Give yourself a powerful chance to be the brilliant being you are meant to be and write a good story.    Get the free abundant checklist by visiting this link.  Catch up with Lisa Nichols via her LinkedIn profile. Satisfy your thirst and let us answer your sales queries. 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 | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Best Sellers In History Series 8 - "Reginald F. Lewis"   This episode of the Best Sellers in History series is different from the other episodes we’ve had. We are going to do an interview not with the person himself, but with his friend, Lin Hart. He wrote a book about a period of Reginald Lewis’ life. As we talk to Lin, we discover how Reginald was able to inspire us to achieve our goals and become great sellers as well.    Knowing Lin Hart Lin had a great experience when he was still a customer, back when he first purchased his own computer. His brother had told him to get a computer and with the help of his colleague’s daughter, who was a salesperson with new computer company, was able to decide what computer to buy and make all the purchasing decisions    He was reluctant but the young lady was excellent. She came over to his office and explained to him all the things he needed. She also picked out the right package for Lin. The computer came with a lot of instructions and she explained how it worked, and explained the purchase price in detail. Her attitude was great. She called personally, came, and delivered the product herself.    The beginning  Lin started working for Western Electric,  a company that later became AT&T Network Systems. This company manufactured all the telephone equipment for all the telephone companies back when they were still in a monopoly arrangement. Lin left the company in 1995 and decided to work for himself as a professional speaker.   With success as a professional speaker, the company expanded into executive coaching. The job allowed him to travel around the country. By 2011, he decided to relax and began to limit his traveling. It was then that Lin was asked to write down his thoughts and record his experience. Lin wasn’t keen to do it until Reginald’s wife and mother personally asked him to write about Reginald. There weren’t many people who were close to Reginald Lewis, as he was an extremely private individual. Being so close to Reginald, he was in the perfect position to write about him and Reginald F Lewis, The young man before the billion-dollar empire was born.   Sales on Spotlight - Reginald F Lewis?  Reginald Lewis passed away in 1993 and at the time of his death, he was arguably the richest African-American on the planet. He had several business deals including that last one, the International division of Beatrice Foods. It was a company that was doing an excess of $2 billion a business. When he closed a deal, they didn’t realize that he was a young African-American businessman. Reginald was an extraordinarily successful businessman with extraordinary wealth. Unfortunately, he was gone too soon.    Linn and Reginald’s relationship started when they were young men growing up in the same Baltimore neighborhood. He lived three blocks away from Lin’s family. They would see each other often and eventually, they became friends and competed against each other in high school sports. While Reginald went to Dunbar High School, Linn went to Edmondson High School. They both won athletic scholarships to attend Virginia State University for football where Linn and Reginald became roommates and close friends. They remained close and would stay connected through their professional careers as well.   Attributes of Reginald F Lewis  Reginald didn’t come from wealth. He was a man who had sustainable beliefs about the inevitability of his own success. He never doubted for a minute he was going to be successful despite many shortcomings. Regardless of the situation, Reginald didn’t let those things deter him from his path to success.  While people talk about how to think in terms of a  box, he, on the other hand, never saw a box. He was always upbeat and was able to overcome his lack of money with good grades in school.    Every salesperson has the innate ability to survive. This instinct is embedded in their brains. We are all born with a desire to be good at something, whether it’s in sports, speaking, or some other skill. The trick is to find what lights our fire.  We have to figure out the drive that propels us to go where we want to go in this life. Discovering what lights our fire requires a certain amount of determination. Reginald was certainly driven and it took him a long way.    Ability to think ahead Lin and Reginald started to look for jobs so they decided to apply at a recently opened bowling alley. It didn’t take a long time to note that it was a predominantly white institution. While black people can come in, there were certain lines they didn’t cross. Reginald didn’t see those lines and didn’t want to work under such limitations. After a time, Reginald began getting to school late. Apparently, he’d gotten the job and was running the bowling alley as the night manager! It was extraordinary.     Lin was working for AT&T and he had the responsibility for network systems engineering in the Western part of the country. He had a little workgroup of guys who came up with ideas about how to provide the propagation studies for towers in Australia. The cellular phone business was just starting to ramp up and the propagation studies were designed to know where the towers should be placed. Lin had 30-40 engineers working for him. Reginald heard about this and called to suggest buying assets from Lin’s company. It was a considerable business and through their discussion, Lin discovered Reginald had the money to afford the assets. It was then that Lin realized Reginald was playing in a different league.    There are so many things that people didn’t know about Reginald. He was a private man and he was a behind-the-scenes guy. The inspiration to write the book stemmed from the desire to let people know who Reginald really was as an individual and not just a person who made a fortune.    No straight line to success Reginald didn’t have a straight line to success. He had some rough patches as well, with bumps and obstacles he had to overcome. The most important thing was that he understood when there was a need to change direction and change plans. Most people are reluctant to change because they fear the outcome that may come after the changes.    Change is difficult and is never free.  If you think about the resources that a person brings to their job, whether it’s a salesperson, a businessman, or other career, you only have certain things that you can invest your time, your capital, and your money in. When you make significant changes in your life, you see you don’t have to expend all of these.    Overcoming the failures  Reginald was able to overcome failures. Salespeople can do the same thing by loving what they do. You need to make sure that whatever you do, it takes you in the direction of something you feel good about. You need to feel proud about it and see that it’s meaningful work. Examine yourself and ask yourself if you are really doing what you could be good at.    Do a deep dive and understand your business at a granular level as opposed to a surface level. Sometimes people are in the right place but they’re not getting any success in their business because they haven’t spent time truly understanding what it is that they do.    Details matter You can be brilliant even if you don’t have a command of the details but there’s a big chance you’re going to miss some steps in the process. You don’t need to be mired in detail but you do need to have a deep understanding of all the details. We fail when we put limitations on ourselves. Again, the most impactful limitations are the ones we put on ourselves.    The most impactful limitations you will face will be the ones you place on yourself. #SalesFacts Best Sellers In History Series 8 - "Reginald F. Lewis" episode resources Lin’s very first client was a man named James White, a young African-American business man who worked for Nestle Purina. He’s now the chairman and CEO of Jamba Juice. That’s his life now as an executive coach and a writer. You can follow Lin via his LinkedIn and  Facebook.  You can also talk to Donald anything about sales 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 | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com