A complacent salesforce is the leading cause to decreased revenue and profitability in an organization. When revenue and profitability suffer, salesforce retention become a major challenge. Every Wednesday join Anthony Garcia, author of the book Catapulting Commissions, as he interviews top sales executives from around the world. If you find yourself trying to get the most out of your sales organization or you are a sales professional looking to elevate the mental approach to your sales career, this is the podcast for you.
Join us on this episode of the Catapulting Commissions Sales Talk Podcast as we delve into the inspiring fitness and life journey of Amy Shilling, a personal trainer, bodybuilder, and nutrition expert. Through her story, we highlight the crucial lessons that entrepreneurs can learn from the fitness world.
Amy’s fitness journey started modestly, inspired by a desire to improve her health after becoming a mother. A supportive instructor ignited her passion for fitness, encouraging her to dive deeper and become a certified trainer. This narrative parallels many entrepreneurs' journeys, as they often uncover their passions in unexpected places.
Driven by her dedication, Amy acquired multiple fitness certifications. She navigated through various aspects of the industry, including a detour into cosmetology, demonstrating the resilience and adaptability crucial for entrepreneurial success. Her return to fitness, particularly during a challenging period, underscores the importance of resilience and the role of passion in driving us forward, applicable both in fitness and business.
Amy discovered the transformative power of fitness and nutrition in physical health, resilience, and mental strength. Her experience mirrors how entrepreneurs can leverage challenges into opportunities for growth. Furthermore, her emphasis on the role of nutrition reminds entrepreneurs that fueling their bodies right is as crucial as fueling their businesses.
Amy acknowledges the inevitable obstacles that arise in fitness journeys. However, she emphasizes that anyone can overcome these hurdles with determination, commitment, and the right support system. This mirrors entrepreneurship, where obstacles are common, but success is within reach with the right mindset and network.
Finally, Amy advocates finding a fitness routine tailored to each individual’s needs, much like entrepreneurs need to find unique business strategies that align with their goals. Accountability, in both fitness and entrepreneurship, is critical.
Amy Shilling's story provides invaluable insights for entrepreneurs looking to enhance their health and business journey. If you're an entrepreneur aiming to get back on track with your fitness, please contact Amy. Let her guidance fuel your fitness journey and, in turn, energize your entrepreneurial success. Tune into our podcast and start transforming your life today.
Connect with Amy at https://www.instagram.com/dumbbellsndisasters/
Looking to learn more about the Catapulting Commissions Podcast:
https://anthonypgarcia.com/podcast/
Welcome to another riveting episode of Catapulting Commissions, where we delve into an often-overlooked facet of the sales world - the power and prowess of women in sales. Our guest for this episode, Estefania Campo, founder of BeYou Selling, boldly ventures into this vital discussion. Studies suggest that women close more deals than their male counterparts. Estefania brings this data to life with her ten years of experience and dedicated focus on empowering women in sales. She sheds light on the unique strengths that women bring to the table, the transformative approach they often adopt, and how these can be harnessed to achieve phenomenal results. Get ready for an empowering journey that reveals how the often-untapped potential of women is shaking up the traditionally male-dominated field of sales. It's time to uncover why women outperform men in closing sales and how you can leverage these insights for your sales success!
Top 5 Key Takeaways from the Episode:
Estefania's journey, which started with a unique professional selling degree, showcases the advantages of specialized education in sales. She explores each part of the course, from understanding different buyer psychologies to learning effective sales management techniques. The detailed insights she provides from her education will give listeners a new perspective on how formal education can empower sales professionals, as it opens up advanced strategies and techniques that can be game changers in the industry.
In this segment, Estefania discusses the nuances of the SPIN method, a popular sales technique that can be incredibly effective if implemented correctly. By sharing her experience and wisdom, Estefania sheds light on using situational and problem-solving questions to make the most impact. She also emphasizes the importance of being prepared and not overusing situational questions to ensure a more engaging and productive conversation with potential clients.
Longevity in the sales industry is a challenge that many professionals face. Estefania shares her strategies for maintaining a fulfilling and successful career in sales over the long term. Her advice around keeping a positive mindset, finding a purpose in work, and having a solid reason for being in the field not only offers a way to maintain resilience in sales but also adds a new dimension to the discourse around career satisfaction and personal motivation.
Estefania brings to the forefront the distinct approach women often take in sales, emphasizing their propensity for a consultative approach. Backed by research, she reveals how this approach can lead to higher sales closure rates. Her insights provide a fresh perspective on gender roles in sales, highlighting how women can leverage their unique strengths in the industry and encouraging a more diverse and inclusive sales environment.
Through her work with BeYou Selling, Estefania not only provides support to women in sales, but she also tailors strategies to each individual's strengths and weaknesses and helps align their roles with their personal goals. She shares empowering anecdotes and techniques to help women harness their natural abilities in persuasion and negotiation. Her stories demonstrate how personalized strategies can play a crucial role in sales success and offer an inspiring blueprint for other women in sales.
About Estefania Campo:
Estefania has a decade-long career in sales, beginning with her professional selling degree from Florida State University. Despite her initial interest in finance, a personality test steered her toward sales, and she has never looked back. After selling custom suits for men in Miami, she transitioned into the medical sales industry and now uses her expertise to empower women in sales through her company, BeYou Selling.
Remember, you can connect with Estefania on Instagram @estefacampo and LinkedIn at Estefania Campo to continue the conversation and gain more insights and tips. This episode is a treasure trove of practical advice, in-depth discussions, and empowering stories about women in sales. Don't miss it!
Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/estefacampo/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/estefania-campo-8214b342/
Are you looking to promote your business and attract more customers? Do you want to build a positive online reputation for yourself or your brand? If so, Google reviews can be an effective way to do this. With the ever-increasing importance of online customer reviews and opinions when it comes to buying decisions, managing how people view your brand is essential.
In today’s episode of Catapulting Commissions Sales Talk, we invited the CEO of Local Partnership Joint Market Solutions, the digital marketing agency that helps you get new customers. We'll take a look at online reputation management and all the advantages of utilizing Google reviews for online reputation marketing—from improving local SEO rankings to helping foster trust with potential customers.
Topics discussed:
Connect with Mike Larkin Mike Larkin has been the founder of Local Partnerships' Joint Market Solution for over 25 years. He recently earned and certified as a retargeting specialist. His goal for 2023 is to utilize video SEO. He also prioritizes change in the first page of Google with the patent pending proprietary system that he produces, renders and ranks our 62nd Hollywood style five star review commercials for clients’ Google search first page.
LinkedIn: Mike Larkin
Website: localpartnershipjointmarketsolutions.com
Grow your business and sales Starting a local business is an ambitious endeavor that takes commitment and hard work. With increasing competition, it can be difficult for small business owners to keep up with larger companies.
Wouldn’t it be helpful if you could have access to the same training and resources as big corporations? Now you can level the playing field and increase your competitiveness in the market with personalized one-on-one training from experienced instructors.
Get the advantage you need to succeed with the Catapulting Commissions Sales Academy. Benefit from a tried and tested program taught by experienced instructors who have built their own teams and businesses. Schedule your strategy call and take the first step toward success!
Are you looking for new ways to grow your business or increase sales? Are you looking for a creative way to reach new customers? Look no further than Influencer Marketing. When leveraged correctly, influencer partnerships can offer incredible ROI and on top of that, these marketing tactics enable businesses to expand their reach beyond traditional advertising channels. But how do you get started? In today’s episode of Catapulting Commissions Podcast, we invited Alex Sunshine, CEO of Rising Suns Agency a boutique influencer marketing agency for DTC brands. We will cover the fundamentals of influencer marketing and how companies can successfully use it to support their business goals.
Topics discussed:
See also:
Why I Deleted My Instagram Account? | Avoid these Common Instagram Mistakes!
Lead Generation That Converts - Marketing Strategy
Connect with Alex Meet the founder of Rising Suns Agency, Alex Sunshine. He believes that INFLUENCERS HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE LIVES. They often introduce us to the very thing we are missing — sometimes, without even knowing it. I founded Rising Suns Agency in 2019 to make more of those moments happen.
RSA is here to connect you with opportunities that excite you. Whether that’s launching a campaign to become the next big brand name in your industry… or living life on your own terms, as your own boss… we start with your dreams and take a personalized approach.
“WE GET TO HELP PEOPLE CHASE THEIR DREAMS. THAT EXCITES THE HELL OUT OF US.”
Website: risingsunsagency.com
LinkedIn: Alex Sunshine
Do you want to learn from the best in the business? Then Catapulting Commissions Podcast is for you! International Best-Selling Author and Keynote Speaker Anthony Garcia interview top sales executives and entrepreneurs every Wednesday. Get their insider tips on how to succeed in today’s ever-changing sales environment. Our guests will teach you the latest strategies and tactics for boosting your commissions and taking your career to new heights.
Whether you are looking for ways to get more out of your team or simply want guidance on achieving success with less effort, this podcast is sure to provide invaluable insight into what it takes to become an unstoppable force in sales. No matter where you are in your career or business, this podcast will help skyrocket both personal growth and team performance levels.
Subscribe here – don’t miss another episode!
Do you wish there was an easier way to manage your sales process – from lead through to close? If so, then a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Sales System is just what you need. A CRM system can help streamline your day-to-day sales activities and reduce the manual work involved in tracking customers, prospects, and leads.
In today’s episode, we invited Wes Schaeffer, an expert CRM & sales trainer. We’ll explore how CRMs can help businesses increase efficiency and promote better customer relationships over time – from optimizing workflow processes to improved analytics performance. Leverage the power of technology and get ready for significant business growth!
Topics discussed:
See also:
Why 'The Wolf of Wall Street' Sales Techniques Won't Work Today?
Sales Technology Trends to Scale Your Business
Connect with Wes Wes Schaeffer is a pigheaded entrepreneur who rehabilitates salespeople and trains their managers. He's also a copywriter, sought-after speaker, and marketing automation expert. He's the author of two and a half books on sales, marketing, and CRMs, and the host of the Sales Whisperer podcast and CRM Sushi podcast. He will help you grow by mastering the overlooked truth in life that you can make any sale. His company works incessantly to develop, find, create, launch, test, and perfect the coolest, most effective, easiest to use and maintain and leverage tools, from software to hosting to marketing platforms, to help professional salespeople, sales managers, business owners, and entrepreneurs grow.
Website: thesaleswhisperer.com
Podcasts: The Sales Podcast
The CRM Sushi Podcast
Struggling to keep up with large companies in sales and marketing? Feeling overwhelmed by complex sales techniques and strategies? Catapulting Commissions Academy is here to help! Our experienced instructors have built successful teams and businesses, so you can be sure they’re sharing only tried-and-true knowledge that works. We make sure each person gets personalized attention throughout their journey toward success!
Ready for an insider look into the high-caliber program offered through Catapulting Commission Sales Academy? Take advantage of our complimentary strategy call with one of our experienced instructors that will help you get a better understanding of what we can do for your business. Get customized advice that pertains directly to you and quickly learn powerful tools from the best in the field.
Book your free strategy call today and get started on mastering sales faster than ever before!
Are you an entrepreneur or a sales leader looking to stand out in the market and maximize your business growth? Sales technology provides powerful tools to help bridge the gap between strategy, tactical execution, and customer success. As businesses adjust to the ever-changing marketplace, staying on top of the latest trends will be essential for success.
In today’s episode of Catapulting Commissions Podcast, we invited Gary Garth, founder of Elev8.io and author of 'The Zero to 100 Million Sales Blueprint' book. We will explore some of the current tech trends helping drive growth with best practices for leveraging these solutions to scale your business. Tune in to see how you can use sales technology effectively today!
Topics discussed:
Get 'The Zero to 100 Million Sales Blueprint' book discounted from $30 to zero for the first 50 people! Visit www.0to100million.com and use the code: catapultingcommissions
See also:
5 Ways to Use AI for Sales and Business Growth 🤖📈
How to Use Video to Increase Sales?
Connect with Gary Gary Garth is a serial entrepreneur, Founder & CEO of Elev8.io, Author of 'The Zero to 100 Million Sales Blueprint' book, and 'The Goals, Grit & Greatness' planner. He also leverages his resources as a sales leader and angel investor, helping high-potential startups go to market, scale, and become profitable via 360 degrees sales and marketing support, incubator programs, advisory services, and proprietary technology, engineered with the purpose of empowering entrepreneurs.
Featured in Inc., Forbes, Success, and many other prominent publications. A serial entrepreneur since 2002, Gary has started and successfully exited six companies, including large outbound sales call centers, radio advertising networks, and an award-winning, eight-figure digital marketing agency.
Born in Denmark, Gary now lives and works in Medellín, Colombia.
Website: garygarth.com
Looking for more ways to increase sales and profits in your business? Catapulting Commissions Sales Training Workshop is the perfect solution for you. Our comprehensive workshop utilizes the latest techniques and can be tailored to your company’s needs. We will work with you through either an in-person or virtual setting, so it’s convenient no matter what! Plus, our workshops are ideal training sessions that specialize in helping attendees generate more revenue.
Having expert professionals will help guide you and your team on how to boost sales. You’ll gain insights into new strategies that will take your business to the next level - plus get ready to say goodbye to limited profits! With us by your side, success awaits!
Book your free strategy call and see increased sales results soon after our program ends. Don't wait - become one of our satisfied customers now!
If you're a sales and marketing professional, the stakes are high when it comes to lead generation. Generating leads is useless unless they convert - and this requires an effective marketing strategy. You must create campaigns that meet your objectives, attract qualified leads, and drive conversions. In today’s episode of Catapulting Commissions Podcast, we invited Dina Buchanan, a highly sought-after real estate investor, and motivational public speaker. She will share essential tips for creating a successful lead-generation process with proven tactics for turning prospects into customers - so tune in to find out how!
Topics Discussed:
See also:
The BEST Customer Engagement Strategy (Plus startup business tips!)
Why YOUR SALES Follow-up is not working?
Connect with Dina Dina is a proficient and highly sought-after real estate investor educator and motivational public speaker. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology as well as Certifications in Life & Business Coaching, NLP, and Sales Training and Development. She has traveled across the US and Canada helping individuals find their true path and purpose to reach their full potential.
Dina is currently the Director of Business Strategy for the High-End Client program which specializes in helping business owners, contractors and entrepreneurs generate more, quantity, and quality, High-End Clients through a system that has proven results.
Get a FREE breakthrough session with Dina’s team at bookcallnow.com
LinkedIn: Dina Buchanan
Looking for a motivational speaker for your next event? Anthony's story of adversity and success can help motivate you to keep pushing forward. He has seen the darkest times and comes out victorious, showing that life-changing obstacles can actually fuel greatness. With his inspiring story along with tips and tools on how to move past adversity and reach your goals, you’ll be sure to take away valuable lessons from Anthony Garcia as the next speaker to your event.
Imagine never having a limit placed on how much success you can achieve in life – that's what Anthony believes is possible if we use our experiences as fuel for growth! By utilizing these same teachings, entrepreneurs and sales professionals will be able to overcome looming challenges while sharpening their skills at the same time.
Anthony Garcia is the perfect speaker for your next event: learn from a successful leader who overcame many struggles in this competitive industry! You won't regret it! Book Anthony
Are you struggling to find an effective customer engagement strategy for your business or startup? Are you trying to increase customers and maximize their loyalty? Well, look no further!
In today’s episode of Catapulting Commissions Podcast, we invited the CEO of Simply Noted, Rick Elmore. He will share with us the BEST customer engagement strategy plus provide valuable tips to help entrepreneurs create a successful business. With these strategies and tips in hand, you’ll be able to take full advantage of every opportunity that arises when it comes to engaging with your clients. So let’s dive right in!
Topics discussed:
See also:
Why YOUR SALES Follow-up is not working?
What is the Best Sales Strategy? 💰
Connect with Rick Rick Elmore is an entrepreneur, and sales and marketing expert. As the Founder and CEO of Simply Noted, Rick developed a proprietary technology that puts real pen and ink to paper to scale handwritten communication, helping businesses of all industries scale this unique marketing platform to stand out from their competition and build meaningful relationships with clients, customers, and employees.
Founded in 2018 and based in Tempe, Arizona, Simply Noted has grown into a thriving company with clients of various sizes across the country including in hospitality, real estate, insurance, nonprofit, franchise, B2B, and others. Rick has served as the company’s CEO since its founding, for more than four years, and has over a decade of sales and marketing industry experience. “I help businesses of all industries to stand out from their competition & build meaningful relationships by using unique marketing platforms”
Interesting facts/background
2X All PAC10 College & 3 Year NFL Athlete
Top 1% Corporate Medical Sales
Fastest growing handwriting platform in the world
$800,000+ invested in developing the world's best handwriting robot
6 patents pending (3 design, 3 utility)
Our platform has 380,000+ users per month
Get ready to experience the power of SimpleNote with their amazing free sample kit! Just head over to their website and request your own today!
Website: simplynoted.com
LinkedIn: Rick Elmore
Need to increase your customer base and maximize your sales? Catapulting Commissions Sales Training Workshop is the perfect workshop for any size team. Our workshops are customized specifically for your company, and teach you how to find new leads, close more deals, and attract even more clients. Plus, we offer both in-person and virtual training sessions – so no matter where you’re located, our expert trainers can still equip your team with all the skills they need to succeed!
With our help, you will become a sales powerhouse with unbeatable techniques and cutting-edge technology that will make what was once a tedious task into an enjoyable experience. You don't have to be afraid of growing pains anymore - join us today and see how much potential lies within every prospect contacting you!
Book your free strategy call today!
🚀 Get ready to be inspired as David Meltzer, renowned entrepreneur, and motivational speaker, joins us on the Catapulting Commissions Podcast, sharing his journey to success and valuable insights on overcoming adversities.
🌟 In this episode, you'll learn:
The reality of the entrepreneurship journey and how it's not a straight shot to success
How to overcome adversities and challenges in both entrepreneurship and high-income sales
The importance of surrounding yourself with successful individuals to elevate your success
💪 David delves into the concept of behaviors and how they contribute to one's success, stressing the importance of taking small, consistent steps toward your goals.
🏁 Why do people give up before they reach success? David discusses the role of social media and the impact of having the right circle around you to help you overcome challenges and reach the finish line.
🙏 Gratitude and its power in attracting abundance: David shares his perspective on incorporating gratitude into his personal and professional life and how it has affected his journey.
📈 As businesses grow, do the problems diminish? David shares his thoughts on the misconception that more significant revenues mean fewer problems and provides insights on how to handle and approach business challenges at different stages of growth.
🔌 Adapting to technology: Should we be early adopters or wait it out? David offers his take on embracing technology and how it can serve your business.
🎧 Don't miss out on this enlightening conversation with David Meltzer, packed with valuable advice for entrepreneurs and high performers! Find out how to connect with David and access all the resources mentioned in the episode.
Tune in to the Catapulting Commissions Podcast and level up your entrepreneurial game!
About David Meltzer:
David Meltzer is a highly sought-after keynote speaker, best-selling author, and successful entrepreneur. As the Co-Founder of Sports 1 Marketing and the former CEO of the renowned Leigh Steinberg Sports & Entertainment agency, David has built an impressive career in the world of sports and entertainment. He is also the Executive Producer and host of the top business podcast, "The Playbook." With his unique blend of passion, purpose, and profit, David is on a mission to empower over a billion people to be happy by sharing his principles for success and personal fulfillment
Do you have an idea for a business and have no idea where to start? Starting a business is always intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. With the right knowledge and resources, building a successful company from scratch can be easier than expected. We invited Stephen Scoggins, a multimillion-dollar entrepreneur, to explore the basics of starting a business - from preparing yourself emotionally and financially to set up key processes for organizational growth. Hop on to today’s episode of Catapulting Commissions Podcast and discover tips on how to develop your startup into a business success!
Topics discussed:
See also:
How to Overcome Fears as a New Entrepreneur and Develop Your Own Brand
How to Generate Sales? 💰 | 4 Simple Steps to Generate Sales 🤑
Connect with Stephen Stephen Scoggins is an award-winning successful serial multi-million-dollar entrepreneur of multiple businesses, a highly sought-after motivational speaker, host of the hit podcast “Unstoppable,” and the creator of Unstoppable Solutions, offering hope, encouragement, and empowering education to aspiring leaders and early-stage entrepreneurs in any area of their life and business.
Scotland's International is a media production and event-hosting organization that helps entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Through the Unstoppable Startup program, they provide guidance to avoid common pitfalls of entrepreneurship while doubling or tripling business value within 12 months.
Website: stephenscoggins.com
Podcast: stephenscoggins.com/unstoppbale-online
Are you looking for ways to increase sales and profits for your startup? We offer workshops that can help your team become more efficient in selling and generating more revenue for your business. Our training is tailored specifically to the needs of your company, and we use the very latest techniques on how to maximize commissions from every sale.
With our Catapulting Commissions Sales Training Workshop, you’ll have an experienced trainer leading a workshop that will leave everyone with a deeper understanding of how to generate higher profits – no matter what type of business you run! Plus, if you’re pressed for time or want to save money on travel expenses, we also give customers the option of attending virtually.
Transform your sales process today by booking one of our Catapullting Commissions Sales Training Workshops now! Book your strategy call
No matter what type of business you're in, video content has become an essential tool to increase sales and engage customers. From short how-to clips on social media to longer explainers on your website, video has become the preferred choice when it comes to communicating with prospects and customers. But creating effective videos isn't always easy (especially if you are camera-shy!)
In today’s Catapulting Commissions Podcast episode, we invited Ruben Dua, CEO of Dubb, a popular video series platform that helps businesses 30x their sales. He shares with us how we can create videos that can help businesses to create more opportunities to increase sales! Tune in to explore some of the top tips for leveraging video marketing to build awareness and drive conversions!
Topics discussed:
Get this exclusive FREE trial through dubb.com/catapultingcommissions
See also:
How To Be On Camera And Use Media To Drive Sales? 📸
Signs That Fear Is Holding You Back (And What To Do About It)
Connect with Ruben Dua Ruben Dua is the co-founder and CEO of Dubb, a popular video series platform that helps businesses 30x their sales. They've worked with over 65,000 businesses, including well-known organizations like Keller Williams, Grant Cardone, Fannie Mae, and eXp Realty, whose sales team used the platform to produce personalized video messages that boost connections, conversions, and revenue. Ruben Dewey has over 20 years of marketing experience and is also the author of Click Record, How Overcoming Fear, Storytelling, and Video Marketing Can Change Your Life, which was an Amazon best new release book in the direct marketing entrepreneurship categories.
Website: dubb.com
Linkedin: Ruben Dua
Looking for help to boost sales and conversions? Take your knowledge of sales to the next level with Catapulting Commissions Podcast! Every week, Anthony Garcia interviews top entrepreneurs and executives around the world. You'll get deep insights on strategies and tactics that will have you speaking like a pro in no time. This podcast is your one-stop shop for success stories and game-changing advice!
Whether you’re working as an individual consultant or managing a team of reps, there’s nowhere else to look but up when it comes to advancing your career. With these actionable tactics from renowned leaders throughout the industry, you can kickstart your own personal renaissance—one interview at a time! Plus unlock exclusive access to bonus materials only available through the podcast.
Tune into Catapulting Commissions now by subscribing today!
Are you ready to embark on your journey as an entrepreneur but feeling a bit overwhelmed or fearful of the unknowns? You’re not alone! Starting your own business can be incredibly intimidating and anxiety-inducing, especially if you don’t have all the experience of a seasoned professional. However, with due diligence and consistent effort, it is possible to overcome any lingering doubts you may have around starting your own enterprise and hone in on developing a brand that stands out in the marketplace!
We invited Stephanie Kimberling, founder of two purpose-driven brands, to give us advice on how to face these fears head-on! Jump in to today’s episode of Catapulting Commissions Podcast and learn tips for emerging entrepreneurs about creating and honing their unique brand.
Topics discussed:
See also:
Sales Training Tips from the Legends: Grant Cardone, Zig Ziglar, and Chet Holmes!
How To Get Motivated In Your Business Ventures This 2023? 💪🏅
Connect with Stephanie Stephanie Kimberling, a native of Oxnard and passionate about human behavior, left her corporate digital marketing career to create two purpose-driven brands: Jade Collaborative and Unapologetic Society. Jade Collaborative provides pure and potent CBD products to help those affected by the negative impact of hustle culture. Unapologetic is a pro-aging skincare brand on a mission to combat toxic masculinity and the shame associated with aging. Stephanie's goal is to inspire individuals to be the best version of themselves, share their gifts with the world, and live fulfilled lives. She teaches digital marketing and business courses at local San Diego universities and holds a master's degree in sociology and an MBA.
Instagram:
@stephanie_jade.222
@jadecollaborative
@unapologetic_forhim
Are you an entrepreneur or small business owner looking to take your sales skills to the next level? Through a combination of interactive workshops, one-on-one coaching, and online resources, The Catapulting Commissions Academy will teach you all the strategies and techniques you need to successfully sell your products or services. You’ll learn how to build a sales process that works for your business, target the right customers, communicate the value of what you’re selling, close deals more effectively, maximize marketing efforts—and ultimately increase your revenue.
Our proven approach makes it easy for entrepreneurs and small business owners to gain real confidence in their sales processes so they always feel prepared and ready for any customer interaction. With this comprehensive training under your belt, no deal is too big or too complicated!
Book a call with us now at the Catapulting Commissions Academy and start growing your business!
From small start-ups to large corporations, successful businesses all have one thing in common: they understand the power of a loyal customer base. Without customers who are passionate about your brand and what you do, it can be difficult to stay ahead in a competitive market. But, how do top brands create true loyalty amongst their customers? The answer lies in creating superfans – turning your customers into lifelong advocates for your business!
In today’s episode of Catapulting Commissions Podcast, Brittany Hodak shares with us how to create superfans, plus sharp business insights you don't want to miss out on!
Topics discussed:
See also:
Questions You MUST Ask to Close More Sales!
The Psychology of Selling: Understand Human Behavior to Make More Sales
Connect with Brittany Hodak Brittany Hodak is an award-winning entrepreneur, author, and customer experience speaker who has delivered keynotes across the globe to organizations such as American Express and the United Nations. She has worked with some of the world's biggest brands and entertainers, including Walmart, Disney, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, and Dolly Parton. She found and scaled an entertainment startup to eight figures before exiting. She is the former chief experience officer at experience.com. Forbes just said her debut book, "Creating Superfans: How to turn your customers into lifelong advocates"
Website: brittanyhodak.com
Get her book: Creating Superfans: How to turn your customers into lifelong advocates
Are you looking to increase your sales and profits? Our Catapulting Commissions Sales Training Workshop is the perfect solution for any business that wants to see an immediate boost in its revenue! We use the latest techniques and have customized options for every company, so you know that our training is specifically designed for YOU.
Our workshop will save time and hassle by taking all the guesswork out of improving your team's sales performance. You can rest easy knowing that from here on out, your people will always be equipped with the most up-to-date strategies - no matter what changes or trends happening in the market.
Book now for a sales training workshop and start making more profits!
Are you an ambitious salesperson looking to move up in the ranks? Taking on the role of a sales manager is an excellent step toward career success, and in today’s episode of Catapulting Commissions Podcast, we will provide you with the roadmap and all the tips you need to ensure you’re successful in your pursuit. To give you a comprehensive guide to getting promoted, we invited Brett Barrie, an accomplished sales leader and author of the books "The Selling Edge: How to Reach the Top in any Sales Industry," and “Promoted: The Proven Path To Career Advancement.”
From developing essential leadership skills to branding yourself that captivates and persuades colleagues, we’ll show you how to get promoted to sales management. So hop on to today’s episode – after all, if ambition drives us forward then preparation guides us there!
Topics discussed:
See also:
How To Be On Camera And Use Media To Drive Sales?
Signs That Fear Is Holding You Back (And What To Do About It)
Connect with Brett Barrie Brett Barrie is an accomplished sales leader and author whose success has earned him a spot in the Hall of Fame Presidents Club. He recently wrote "The Selling Edge: How to Reach the Top in any Sales Industry," and his newest book “Promoted: The Proven Path To Career Advancement” is now available for preorder! When he's not working on becoming a world-class salesperson, this fitness enthusiast can be found enjoying baseball games with family or spending time outdoors near Sacramento.
Website: brettbarrie.com
LinkedIn: Brett Barrie
Get his book
Aim higher in your sales career You're good at sales, but you want to take your skills to the next level. You've tried other sales programs, but they never seem to work for you.
With the Catapulting Commissions Academy, you'll learn how to increase your sales and revenue by targeting the right customers, effectively communicating the value of your products or services, and closing deals like a pro!
Our program is designed specifically for entrepreneurs and small business owners who want to take their sales skills to the next level. Through a combination of interactive workshops, one-on-one coaching, and online resources, we'll teach you everything you need to successfully sell your products or services.
Book your strategy call here
Did you know AI ChatGPT is one of the most efficient and creative ways to leverage your business? As entrepreneurs, we’re always searching for new and innovative ideas that will take our businesses to the next level. Leveraging this Artificial Intelligence tool can help us free up time to focus on revenue growth. ChatGPT provides an AI-driven chatbot platform with powerful features that can easily gather data, provide suggestions, and generate content for you. Learn how you can use this powerful tool to grow your business today!
Topics discussed:
Is there something you want to learn more about leveraging your sales and using AI ChatGPT for business? Shoot us a DM!
See also:
5 fun ways to use ChatGPT to make life easier
5 Terrible Ways to Use AI ChatGPT in Your Sales & Business
Learn how your business can keep up in the coming years Don't get left behind - start leveraging what other experts already know about staying ahead of the competition. Take advantage of our free podcast to access tips and resources from seasoned professionals who have developed successful businesses themselves. Keep yourself informed on how to maximize your own successes while avoiding costly mistakes as a salesperson!
Subscribe to our channel: Catapulting Commissions Sales Talk
Podcast: Catapulting Commissions Podcast
Do you ever feel like no matter how much time and energy you pour into your business, success is still just out of reach? If so, it may be time to think differently. In this episode, we invited Dr. Jean Oursler, one of the country's top business consultants, author, top-rated speaker, and world-class business performance coach. She shares with us how integrating insights from the world of neuroscience can not only make you a smarter entrepreneur but also help increase efficiency and grow your bottom line more quickly.
By understanding the science behind our own decision-making processes, we can gain insight on how to become better business strategists and problem solvers—leading us down the road towards achieving our professional goals!
Topics discussed:
Connect with Dr. Jean Oursler Dr. Jean Oursler, otherwise known as the Results Queen, has a Ph.D. in business psychology and is considered one of the country's top business consultants, a top-rated speaker, and a world-class business performance coach. She is the author of "Give up Goals and Results are Yours". Using Innovative Brain Science, Dr. Jean is the creator of a groundbreaking business growth system called the Caveman Brain Business Growth System powered by Caveman Brain®.
Website: cavemanbrain.com
Facebook: Caveman Brain
LinkedIn: Jean Oursler
YouTube: Jean Oursler
Want to take your sales skills to the next level? At Catapulting Commissions Sales Academy, we believe that success requires more than just a great product or service. That’s why we offer an interactive training program designed specifically for entrepreneurs and small business owners who want to learn how to effectively sell their products or services with confidence.
Our comprehensive program will teach you the strategies and techniques needed to build a successful sales process, identify target customers, communicate the value of what you're selling, close deals and maximize your marketing efforts - so that you can increase your revenue from every sale!
Enroll in our online academy today! Learn all about our programs and sign up here. We look forward to seeing your amazing results!
Are you looking for an innovative way to promote your business that can reach a wider audience? With the rise of social media, one of the most effective strategies for doing so is creating viral, short-form videos. In today’s Catapulting Commissions Podcast, we invited Hilary Billings, viral video strategist and co-founder of Attentioneers, to bring us tips on to create short-form videos that go viral.
If you’re new to this form of content production and aren't sure how it works or how to get started, tune in and discover exactly how to create viral content videos that will increase your conversion rate!
Topics discussed:
Connect with Hilary Hilary Billings is a viral video creator and strategist. She's also the co-founder and CEO of Attentioneers, a creative agency that helps brands and their partners grow revenue and reach through their short-form content strategy. Hilary understands the psychology of capturing and keeping attention online. She uses expertise to demystify short-form videos for her clients and help them build genuine relationships with their followers, all while leveraging the science of virality. Hillary is also a certified personal brand strategist. She's worked with a gamut of high-performing entrepreneurs, including billionaires Victoria's Secret models, and New York Times bestselling authors. She is a former Miss Nevada journalist, on-camera host, and TV producer. And she has worked with national trade traditional media outlets, including USA Today, E-news, and Extra Entertainment. She's also been featured on Huffington Post and Forbes.
Website: Attentioneers.com
Looking to stay ahead of the curve in sales? The Catapulting Commissions podcast is the perfect resource for sales professionals who want to learn from the best in the business. Every week, International Best-Selling Author and Keynote Speaker Anthony Garcia interview top sales executives and entrepreneurs worldwide. They will teach you the latest strategies and tactics for succeeding in today’s sales environment.
Whether you are trying to get more out of your sales team or looking to take your career to the next level, this podcast will help you achieve your sales goals.
Subscribe to our Youtube channel: Catapulting Commissions Sales Talk
Fear is a powerful force that can either hold us back or push us forward– depending on how much you let it control you. Whether you're starting a business or hoping to succeed in the corporate world, fear can present many roadblocks on your journey toward success. But how do you recognize these signs of fear? What should be done if you see them in yourself or others around you?
In today’s episode of Catapulting Commissions Podcast, we'll look at some surefire signs that fear is holding you back and what actionable steps you can take to overcome it. Tune in to learn more about recognizing the telltale symptoms of this all-too-pervasive emotion - and taking control of it!
Topics discussed:
Ready to overcome your entrepreneurial fears and grow your business? We’re excited to help you catapult your commissions using our step-by-step system that is simple, straightforward, and honest. Learn how to overcome your fears in business and in life. You deserve to make more money – and we can show you how. At Catapulting Commissions Academy, we will help you achieve your goals so you'll be able to live the life you want.
Click here and find out how Catapulting Commissions Academy can help YOU!
Understanding human behavior is essential for sales leaders and entrepreneurs looking to increase their revenues. Through an exploration of basic and advanced psychology concepts, today’s episode will share practical advice for improving sales results by tapping into customers' needs, desires, and motivations.
Catapulting Commissions Podcast invited St. John Craner, founder of Agrarian Marketing and author of “How to Succeed in Rural Sales - The Secrets and Psychology Every Rural Sales Professional Needs to Know.” Tune in to discover key principles of sales psychology that can have a direct impact on your bottom line!
Topics discussed:
Connect with St. John Craner St. John Craner, founder of Agrarian Marketing and a renowned sales expert from New Zealand. He is also the author of “How to Succeed in Rural Sales - The Secrets and Psychology Every Rural Sales Professional Needs to Know.” He's mastered the art of effectively influencing people in his role as a salesman - something he loves teaching others about.
To find out more about St John and connect or follow him on LinkedIn and the many articles he shares on sales psychology: www.linkedin.com/in/stjohncraner
To get a FREE copy of St John’s “How To Succeed In Rural Sales” Ebook visit: www.ruralsalessuccess.com
Or visit his rural sales and marketing training company website: www.agrarian.co.nz
Ready to close more deals and take your sales skills to the next level? Discover the secrets to sales success inside the Catapulting Commissions Academy. Our proven methods can help you achieve your desired results in record time. Imagine what it would feel like to confidently sell anything to anyone, without feeling pushy or sales-y. With our help, that’s exactly what you can achieve.
Click here and request a free strategy call today and get started on your journey to catapulting commissions!
Are you spending your days hustling to keep up with the endless stream of meetings, emails, and customer demands? Are you feeling overwhelmed and stressed as deadlines approach? You're not alone – many corporate employees are finding it hard to keep their heads above water in today's fast-paced work environment. But burnout can result from this ‘hustle culture’ mentality and before long, everything starts to feel overwhelming. So how can we break free from the grind of hustle culture and start thriving again in our roles at work?
In today’s episode, we invite Jennie Blumenthal, author of Corporate Rehab, to share insightful tips for breaking out of the hustle trap and creating a healthier balance between ambition and personal well-being - something that every leader should prioritize!
Topics discussed:
Connect with Jennie Blumenthal Jenny Blumenthal is a 20-year veteran of Fortune 500 companies and author of Corporate Rehab: Ditch the Hustle Culture and Thrive Again, she is on a mission to help executive women reinvent their corporate careers. After leaving her own successful career during the pandemic pivot last year, she now coaches other ambitious business professionals in navigating growth strategies while transforming digital landscapes. Her inspiring message encourages individuals to reclaim control over their lives by unlocking true potential - it's time for you to do your own corporate rehab!
Jennie's Website
Jennie's LinkedIn
Jennie's Instagram
Jennie's Tiktok
Live the life you want Discover how to increase sales, income, and lifestyle with Catapulting Commissions Academy. Inside you'll find the proven methods to increase your sales without pushy tactics or dishonest marketing.
Schedule a FREE strategy call today and find out how this academy can help you succeed in your business! With Catapulting Commissions Academy, you can make your dreams a reality and live the life you've always wanted.
Click here and schedule your free strategy call! You won't regret it!
In this week's episode of the Catapulting Commissions podcast, we’re going to discuss how to land high-ticket clients and sell high-priced services! We interview Jessica Yarbrough, known for being one of the best business strategies for coaches and consultants who want to sell and scale utilizing ultra-high-end services. She shares her top tips for attracting affluent clients and offers advice on increasing sales rates with confidence. This episode is essential listening for any business owner looking to boost their income by selling premium services. Listen now!
You will also learn:
Connect with Jessica Jessica Yarbrough quickly developed a reputation for being one of the best business strategies for coaches and consultants who want to sell and scale utilizing ultra-high-end services. Her background is in international business and has built multiple companies. Her expertise is showing entrepreneurs how to build an expert platform, rapidly raise their value, build credibility, and attract high-paying clients. She loves teaching entrepreneurs how to grow their influence and make the income and impact they desire.
Jessica's LinkedIn
Jessica's Youtube
Jessica's Website
In this episode, I share some of the lessons I’ve made from my mistakes in podcasting and in the sales business. Tune in so you can start your business on the right foot and avoid making the same mistakes. If you're an entrepreneur or thinking about starting your own business, don't miss this episode!
You will also learn:
Be sure to subscribe to the Catapulting Commissions podcast so you don't miss future episodes. They're packed with helpful tips and advice for entrepreneurs just like you. Thanks for listening!
Going forward Challenges are a part of the entrepreneurial journey, but you don't need to go at it alone; reach out and connect with me through my website AnthonyPgarcia.com where there are lots of resources available – I'm excited to hear what’s going on in your business so let's book a call today!
Thank you Catapulting Commission's podcast has come a long way since its humble beginning four years ago when it started with only seven downloads. Today the show is growing in reach and influence both nationally and globally - all thanks to our loyal listeners! We are thankful for everyone who has been part of this family from day one, as well as those newcomers; we will continue striving forward by producing amazing content that won't stop anytime soon.
After the successful years of organically producing this show, we are looking forward to creating more stuff for you! If you've gained value from the program and would like to support us as we enter another year, reach out on social media or leave a review for Apple Podcasts or YouTube. We love hearing from you - let us know what's resonated with you most so far!
No matter what business you are in, success depends on strong leadership. And if you're looking to improve your business leadership skills, this episode is for you. Victor of Iron Coaching is here with us to discuss the key factors that contribute to a leader's success.
(Spoiler: Leadership is more than just having an idea and telling people what to do...)
Tune in as we also talk about:
About Victor Santa Cruz Victor helps his clients master the people skills that cultivate winning. He is fanatical about developing the champion within the individual as they strive to lead a group of diverse individuals to success. His philosophy is that the business of college football is no different from a dynamic nonprofit or growing corporation. It’s all about the fundamentals, win/loss record, recruiting, data fluency, critical decision-making, and executing initiatives that align with strategic goals. He understands the tremendous pressure organizational leaders face and maybe even more since his big moments came exclusively on Saturday nights with fans watching.
Victor holds a BA from the University of Hawaii and a Master’s in Organizational Leadership from Azusa Pacific University. He has authored and been the subject of articles on Emotional Intelligence in Athletics and is a sought-after and dynamic speaker.
Victor Santa Cruz Website
Victor Santa Cruz LinkedIn
No matter what business you are in, success depends on strong leadership. And if you're looking to improve your business leadership skills, this episode is for you. Victor of Iron Coaching is here with us to discuss the key factors that contribute to a leader's success.
(Spoiler: Leadership is more than just having an idea and telling people what to do...)
Tune in as we also talk about:
About Victor Santa Cruz Victor helps his clients master the people skills that cultivate winning. He is fanatical about developing the champion within the individual as they strive to lead a group of diverse individuals to success. His philosophy is that the business of college football is no different from a dynamic nonprofit or growing corporation. It’s all about the fundamentals, win/loss record, recruiting, data fluency, critical decision-making, and executing initiatives that align with strategic goals. He understands the tremendous pressure organizational leaders face and maybe even more since his big moments came exclusively on Saturday nights with fans watching.
Victor holds a BA from the University of Hawaii and a Master’s in Organizational Leadership from Azusa Pacific University. He has authored and been the subject of articles on Emotional Intelligence in Athletics and is a sought-after and dynamic speaker.
Victor Santa Cruz Website
Victor Santa Cruz LinkedIn
When it comes to driving sales, there's no better way to reach more people and create a lasting impression than through media. If you're uncomfortable being on camera or don't know how to use media to your advantage, now is the time to learn. In today’s episode, you will get insider tips from TV personality and media professional Ilyanna Capellan on how you can start using media to sell your product or service. With video becoming an increasingly popular medium, it's important that you get on board and start using it to your advantage. So what are you waiting for? Join us and start learning today!
We will also discuss:
About Ilyana Capellan As a media professional, Ilyana can do it all – produce, shoot, edit, interview, report, and host. She worked in Reality TV for a few years as a Logger and Associate Producer. You can catch her work on Bravo, USA Network, Lifetime, and E!
She has an authentic presentation style that connects with and captivates viewers on all platforms. She will undoubtedly bring passion, originality, and commitment to the job every day! She cares about telling entertaining and informative feature stories while connecting to her interview subjects and viewers.
Please contact Ilyana if you have any questions or story ideas. Don’t let language be a barrier, Ilyana is Bilingual in English and Spanish. She’s excited to be a part of such a welcoming community and wants to make sure your voice is heard!
Facebook: IlyanaCapellan
Twitter: @IlyanaCapellan
Instagram: @IlyanaCapellan
When it comes to driving sales, there's no better way to reach more people and create a lasting impression than through media. If you're uncomfortable being on camera or don't know how to use media to your advantage, now is the time to learn. In today’s episode, you will get insider tips from TV personality and media professional Ilyanna Capellan on how you can start using media to sell your product or service. With video becoming an increasingly popular medium, it's important that you get on board and start using it to your advantage. So what are you waiting for? Join us and start learning today!
We will also discuss:
About Ilyana Capellan As a media professional, Ilyana can do it all – produce, shoot, edit, interview, report, and host. She worked in Reality TV for a few years as a Logger and Associate Producer. You can catch her work on Bravo, USA Network, Lifetime, and E!
She has an authentic presentation style that connects with and captivates viewers on all platforms. She will undoubtedly bring passion, originality, and commitment to the job every day! She cares about telling entertaining and informative feature stories while connecting to her interview subjects and viewers.
Please contact Ilyana if you have any questions or story ideas. Don’t let language be a barrier, Ilyana is Bilingual in English and Spanish. She’s excited to be a part of such a welcoming community and wants to make sure your voice is heard!
Facebook: IlyanaCapellan
Twitter: @IlyanaCapellan
Instagram: @IlyanaCapellan
Business owners are always looking for ways to grow their businesses. But what if the key to growth is taking care of yourself first? In today’s episode, we'll talk about how can taking care of yourself help you succeed and grow your business. Whether you're just starting or you've been in business for years, this is for you!
We also talk about:
About Jennifer Wright Jennifer is currently the only female-owned, veteran-owned gym in Bakersfield, California. Over the years, she has trained 20 coaches to help others and taught thousands of people how to transform their lives and take ownership of their health. She learned from and trained with some of the most brilliant minds and forward thinkers in the fitness business and continues to do so. Jennifer has laid a firm fitness foundation for her children to understand the power of discipline, resilience, and community at their core. Emersion Community Fitness cuts through the noise and gives you the tools to rise – rise to your calling, rise and confront your challenges, and find your true potential with emersion!
In today's competitive sales world, it's essential to be unique and uncopyable. However, this isn't always easy - your product or service might just be good enough and not that different. But what sets you apart is what you offer as your total package. In today’s episode, Kay and I will be discussing the secrets to becoming Uncopyable in sales so that you can create an unfair advantage over your competition!
You will also learn:
About Kay Miller Kay Miller was the first woman ever hired for outside sales by Amaranth, a division of Anchor Hocking. She was later hired by Walker Exhaust, the largest automotive muffler manufacturer in the world. At Walker, Kay was named “Salesperson of the Year” and earned the nickname “Muffler Mama.”
Kay’s been a top performer in sales ever since, and now she consults and speaks to help others find more success in sales. Kay is the author of the recently published book “Uncopyable Sales Secrets: How to Create an Unfair Advantage Over Your Competition.”
Kay Miller LinkedIn
Kay Miller Website
Did you know that 80% of your revenue comes from just 20% of your client base? The Dream 100 Strategy will help you target those fewer, but bigger buyers. It's based on principles of modern selling, and when implemented correctly, it can help you achieve success like never before.
In today’s episode, Amanda Holmes of Chet Holmes International will share how to use the Dream 100 strategy and become the ultimate sales machine!
You will also learn about:
About Amanda Holmes She is the CEO of Chet Holmes International, which has worked with over 250,000 businesses worldwide. At the age of 24, she inherited her father's multimillion-dollar enterprise, which specializes in helping companies double their sales. Amanda has merged her father's proven process with her own forward-thinking ideas to connect the old-school sales process with hybrid online-offline instant gratification, the short attention span we see in consumers today.
Amanda's mission is to teach the last and most crucial message her father never got to reveal to radically change the lives of those passionate about success in sales.
Amanda Holmes Website
Get her book: The Ultimate Sales Machine (New Edition)
Amanda Holmes LinkedIn
If you're looking to take your sales team to the next level, today's episode is for you. We'll be talking about how to hire key performers, identify killer salespeople, and build a team of top performers that can help your company grow. By following these tips, you'll be able to create a sales team that is second to none. So don't miss out, tune in now!
Tune in as we discuss:
About Nigel Green Nigel Green is a sought-after sales advisor. He's the author of Revenue Harvest, a Sales Leaders Almanac for planning the perfect year. He's widely regarded authority on improving sales team performance and has worked with dozens of B to B sales teams across the globe to more than double their sales results. With over ten years of executive experience ranging from Fortune 500 companies to early-stage growth companies and certification and talent optimization, he is sought after by executives to improve sales team performance. His insights have been featured in top business publications such as Forbes, Inc magazine, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, and Business Insider.
Nigel was recognized as a top consultant by selling Power magazine in 2021 and in 2022. And as a consultant and advisor, he can help any sales team with big sales goals experience consistent sales growth through utilizing his seven sales leadership principles.
Nigel Green LinkedIn
Nigel Green Website
Hiring Sales Reps Course
Upgrading your skills You're tired of not making enough sales and want to learn how to close more deals. You've tried other sales workshops in the past, but they never seem to work for you.
Imagine learning from a top salesperson who has achieved success in a $500M Sales Organisation. In this workshop, you will learn techniques that have helped salespeople achieve success in any industry. Plus, you'll get access to exclusive resources that will help you increase your sales and close more deals.
The Catapulting Commissions Sales Academy Workshop is the perfect opportunity to learn from a top salesperson and increase your chances of achieving success in your career. With strategies that actually work, this workshop will teach you how to sell like a pro. Click here to register!
Businesses need to think about who they can trust when making decisions in their businesses. It's difficult for entrepreneurs, but there are tools out now that will help them make better choices and avoid mistakes! For example- did you know an AI has been built which predicts human behavior around lending money?
Tune in as we discuss how tech startups can break through in the business!
About Evan Chrapko Evan started Trust Science® with his brother Shane. Evan is a serial entrepreneur and investor having served as CEO or advisor for numerous innovative start-ups including FloNetworks (acquired by DoubleClick for $80 Million) and PlateSpin (acquired by Novell for $205 Million).
Prior to Trust Science, Evan and Shane founded and, within 30 months, sold cloud storage pioneer DocSpace for $568 million. Evan is a CPA, CA, and holds a Juris Doctor (Law Degree) from Columbia University. He is a Henry Crown Fellow and member of YPO and has been named to the Real Leaders Global 100 (alongside Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Elon Musk, Peter Diamandis, and others.)
Evan Chrapko LinkedIn
Trust Science Website
Going further Sales professionals, this workshop is for you!
Learn from the best in the business. The Catapulting Commissions Academy Workshop will teach you how to increase your sales and close more deals. You’ll learn techniques that have helped salespeople achieve success in a $500M Sales Organisation.
If you want to take your career to the next level and learn from some of the top sales professionals in the world, then this workshop is for you. Register now and join us for an exciting 2-day live event. You won’t regret it!
Click here to register for the Catapulting Commissions Academy Workshop today!
The real estate industry is a tough one to be in, but if you're someone who's really committed and competitive about their work then it'll show. In this episode, I chat with Loida Velasquez about how she was able to achieve exponential growth as an agent for years now! Take notes because we talk about real estate -from motivation to online presence– and what would make or break your success in the real estate business!
Tune in as we talk about:
Meet Loida Velasquez Loida is a real estate agent with Team BC of eXp Realty in Southern California. She specializes in helping homeowners to sell their properties, no matter what type of market they are in. Through her vast social media presence, marketing, and negotiation skills, Loida is an agent well known in the industry that'll do whatever it takes to ensure her clients get the best results they are looking for best prices and terms.
She is a great real estate agent who helps thousands of agents subscribed to her YouTube channel, where she provides Real estate-related content.
Loida Velasquez LinkedIn
Loida Velasquez Website
Subscribe to her channel: Loida Velasquez
Whether you're looking for a new job, seeking to promote your business, or simply want to be known as an expert in your field, developing and promoting your personal brand is key to becoming successful in the digital age. In this video, we will teach you everything you need to know about creating an effective personal brand, from developing a strategy to staying top-of-mind! We cover:
What is a personal brand and how does someone build that personal brand?
Building authority to be the expert in your field
Mistakes in building a personal brand
Why personal brand is an asset that is leverage
How to create content that stands out
The four-phase process for building and monetizing a personal brand
Should you give everything away for free?
Can lack of technology prevent you from launching that personal brand?
Meet the Guest
Jeremy Weber is a founding member and the director of Brand strategy services at Brand Builders Group. Over his 17-plus-year career, he has founded, sold, and helped grow multiple companies. He has worked as a personal brand strategist that has supported New York Times bestselling authors, ted speakers, celebrity influencers, and seven-figure entrepreneurs across many industries. As a founding member and senior leader within Brand Builders Group, he has supported and launched he has supported the launch and growth of one of the fastest-growing personal brand strategy firms in the world. His work has spanned, leading a team of 25 plus strategists, overseeing the platform, supporting over 500 personal brands, and managing the company's global partner network.
As a former thought leader in the tech and technology industry, he has spoken for an audience of over 15,000 people and he sat on the advisory board of a global software company with annual revenue of over $1 billion.
Jeremy Weber LinkedIn
Website: brandbuildersgroup.com
Get a free brand call
You see, hitting your sales goal and guaranteeing that you're going to hit your sales goal is a huge confidence booster. And here's the confidence booster you need in order to guarantee that you hit your sales goal in the next year. You need one simple word on a consistent basis in your life. And that word, my friend, is accountability.
And Catapulting Commission Sales Academy provides you with the accountability to hit your goals.
Goals and accountability How many of you have scheduled or how many of you have set a New Year's resolution and didn't hit it? Right now, virtually, I'm seeing nine out of ten of you raising your hands, because that's what the data says. 92% of all New Year's resolutions are never hitting.
They fail. They don't succeed. The American Society of Training and Development recently issued some data that says, if you have a goal and you commit to someone to achieve your goal, you've given yourself a 65% better chance at achieving that goal. And if you come into the Catapulting Commissions Academy, we create those accountability groups for you.
We create those systems for you so you can be held accountable. You join the group program, and we are going to push you to what you said you were going to do. I don't know about you, but I definitely want a 65% chance of improvement in hitting my sales goal. So to simply do that, get some accountability.
Where to find accountability The reasons you don't get accountability are you’re sometimes embarrassed to ask for it, you don't have a system in place, or your sales manager isn't giving you the accountability. And micromanaging the spreadsheets and accountability are two different things. So get someone that's going to hold you accountable and come join the workshop.
Instead, come join the Academy. For those that are overachievers and exclusively in the Academy, I have rejected one on one coaching directly through me for a really long time. If I'm coaching somebody, it's because they've been referred to me through an organization that I do contract work with. They are working with me through the branding organization I do work with. But to get directly to me for the sales coaching, I have told everybody, no, the only way you get access to that is through the Catapult and Commissions Academy.
And here's why that's important. If you have a scheduled appointment with someone to hold you accountable, say a coach, a weekly appointment, a monthly appointment, whatever it is, you have a 95% increased chance of achieving that goal. 95% is damn near guaranteed for me. I want to hit that goal. I have health and wellness goals, and right now, I have accountability through the Crossing gym I work out in. It's not always fun I got to be honest. Accountability kind of sucks. However, the results are happening, and I want to help you get those same results in your business. At a bare minimum, give yourself a 65% chance.
Get in a group. Get in the accountability system. Get in with us at the Catapulting Commissions Academy. We wanted to put together a program that was robust, based on science and data guaranteed to make a change in your life. And that's what we've built. The introduction to that is the Catapulting Commissions workshop.
It's a two-day workshop at $17. If, for whatever reason, you don't like it, let us know. We will refund you 100% of the money, no questions asked. If you can't make the live recordings and still sign up, you'll get copies of the books, you get all the workbooks, and you'll still get the opportunity to learn about the Catapulting Commissions Sales Academy. This exclusive academy has only gotten to, or only applied through, joining the workshops.
After the workshop, you get the opportunity to join me or someone on my team for a brief call. We outline the details of the twelve-month program. We guarantee the results we're going to deliver for you. So come and join us for that Academy workshop so you can guarantee you hit your sales goal in the next year. Register here!
You see, hitting your sales goal and guaranteeing that you're going to hit your sales goal is a huge confidence booster. And here's the confidence booster you need in order to guarantee that you hit your sales goal in the next year. You need one simple word on a consistent basis in your life. And that word, my friend, is accountability.
And Catapulting Commission Sales Academy provides you with the accountability to hit your goals.
Goals and accountability How many of you have scheduled or how many of you have set a New Year's resolution and didn't hit it? Right now, virtually, I'm seeing nine out of ten of you raising your hands, because that's what the data says. 92% of all New Year's resolutions are never hitting.
They fail. They don't succeed. The American Society of Training and Development recently issued some data that says, if you have a goal and you commit to someone to achieve your goal, you've given yourself a 65% better chance at achieving that goal. And if you come into the Catapulting Commissions Academy, we create those accountability groups for you.
We create those systems for you so you can be held accountable. You join the group program, and we are going to push you to what you said you were going to do. I don't know about you, but I definitely want a 65% chance of improvement in hitting my sales goal. So to simply do that, get some accountability.
Where to find accountability The reasons you don't get accountability are you’re sometimes embarrassed to ask for it, you don't have a system in place, or your sales manager isn't giving you the accountability. And micromanaging the spreadsheets and accountability are two different things. So get someone that's going to hold you accountable and come join the workshop.
Instead, come join the Academy. For those that are overachievers and exclusively in the Academy, I have rejected one on one coaching directly through me for a really long time. If I'm coaching somebody, it's because they've been referred to me through an organization that I do contract work with. They are working with me through the branding organization I do work with. But to get directly to me for the sales coaching, I have told everybody, no, the only way you get access to that is through the Catapult and Commissions Academy.
And here's why that's important. If you have a scheduled appointment with someone to hold you accountable, say a coach, a weekly appointment, a monthly appointment, whatever it is, you have a 95% increased chance of achieving that goal. 95% is damn near guaranteed for me. I want to hit that goal. I have health and wellness goals, and right now, I have accountability through the Crossing gym I work out in. It's not always fun I got to be honest. Accountability kind of sucks. However, the results are happening, and I want to help you get those same results in your business. At a bare minimum, give yourself a 65% chance.
Get in a group. Get in the accountability system. Get in with us at the Catapulting Commissions Academy. We wanted to put together a program that was robust, based on science and data guaranteed to make a change in your life. And that's what we've built. The introduction to that is the Catapulting Commissions workshop.
It's a two-day workshop at $17. If, for whatever reason, you don't like it, let us know. We will refund you 100% of the money, no questions asked. If you can't make the live recordings and still sign up, you'll get copies of the books, you get all the workbooks, and you'll still get the opportunity to learn about the Catapulting Commissions Sales Academy. This exclusive academy has only gotten to, or only applied through, joining the workshops.
After the workshop, you get the opportunity to join me or someone on my team for a brief call. We outline the details of the twelve-month program. We guarantee the results we're going to deliver for you. So come and join us for that Academy workshop so you can guarantee you hit your sales goal in the next year. Register here!
So let's talk about the underlying issue that is impacting the sales community right now.
And for you, the salespreneur, small business owner, and sales leader, this is for you. Salesforce turnover is at a near all-time high. The war for talent is so high that we have to do a better job at keeping our talent. Stay tuned for the rest of this micro episode as I break that down. This is to give you a preview of the Catapulting Commission's Sales Academy, as the program kicks off very soon. Join me for the two-day workshop, august 31 to September 1. And in that workshop, we'll give you a preview of Catapulting Commission Sales Academy.
We're going to teach you some of the skills to increase your income 5x. We're going to teach you the skills to ensure your prospects are always saying yes. The workshop is $17. If you don't get 100% value out of your time with me, we refund you your money, no questions asked. And if you can't make the live showing, you will get access to the recordings. The big benefit here is that this is the only way you can get introduced to the Catapulting Commission Sales Academy, the hidden gem for sales professionals in service-based industries.
For the sales professional And here is one of the things we discuss in the sales Academy: salesforce retention. Let's talk about it to retain your talent in your sales team right now. And for you, the high-performing sales professional, if you aren't being treated properly in your current sales company, get the hell out of there right now. Point blank.
If you aren't being treated right at your current sales company, get the hell out of there. Because there are over 50% of sales professionals looking for a job right now. There are 2 million open jobs right now. And the war for talent is at an all-time high. The pay raises you're getting from your current company aren't matching the raises that inflation is taking place on. So you naturally get a pay raise if you go to a different company.
So f your sales company isn't treating you properly, messing with your comp plan, or doesn't have clear quotas or changes quotas, then get the hell out of there. You'll be happier and healthier guaranteed.
Three-part strategy for sales retention Now, for you, the sales leader that wants to retain these salespeople, execute the three-part strategy. Every company that I've worked in or coached in, or consulted that implemented this three-part strategy saw an immediate reduction in salesforce turnover.
Sometimes it's financial education, real estate education, or even retirement planning. There are a lot of different ways that your people want to be developed. And when you, as the sales leader/organizer/president of the company, show that you're vested in the personal development of your people, they are going to want to stay with you. It's the law of reciprocity.
You do something for me, I'll do something for you. I personally stayed with companies in my corporate life way longer than I ever should. But it was because they had done something for me. They've invested in me. Some took a chance on me.
Some gave me opportunities to develop and work on other skills. I wouldn't have had the opportunity elsewhere. So I stood probably longer than I should have. But development is part one to retain your people.
You see, there's this crazy strategy we talk about in content creation, which is a completely different tangent, that is saying something over and over and over and over. So you're sick of talking about it, because that's when finally people are listening. That same strategy should apply to you selling your vision to your people. You should always talk about the vision and how this person will play a role in the vision of your company. Because if you're not doing it, a competitor or a recruiter is trying to steal your top talent.
And getting told no a lot is demotivating. It can be depressing, it can put you in a spiral of depression. So the last thing you want to do is be told ‘no’ numerous times and not feel appreciated for the work you do. So express gratitude to the people in your organization. And this should be authentic, consistent, and constant.
How do you deliver gratitude that's consistent? Quick emails, quick voicemails. There is so much power in the three-minute phone call. You, the busy director of sales, pick up the phone, call your sales reps, and say, “Hey, man, I got three minutes. I'm running to another meeting. I just wanted to let you know thank you for your work last month. I know the numbers weren't where you want them to be. However, I do appreciate the hard work. I know we're going to turn around. If there's anything I can do for you, reach to my office. We can schedule more of an official time. But I just want to let you know I appreciate the work you're doing.”
Express some level of gratitude and people will want to stay with your company a little bit more.
If you're a salesperson, tell your manager, to listen to the Catapulting commissions. You will find out that what we're talking about is true, valid, and tested. This is not a theory. And nothing in the Catapulting Commission sales Academy is theory. It's all based on data, experience, and science. So do me a favor and go to catapultingcommissionsacademy.com/workshop, and sign up for the workshop.
There are sales jobs that have six-figure salaries, six-figure commissions, and six-figure bonuses. I know this because I've hired them before. I know this because I've recruited them before. I know this because my previous students have gotten these jobs. And I'm here to share with you and give you insights on how to ace your next sales interview, how to ace your interview by someone who's been interviewing, who has interviewed, who has hired.
I literally, at my desk, have the first interview questions for one of the top sales companies in the world. I have a roller deck of 300 questions that they use at their disposal. I have the systems that they follow. I have the questions they ask, the answers they're looking for.
We do that training on how to ace your six-figure sales interview exclusively in the Catapulting Commission Sales Academy. You do not want to miss this. Here's a snippet of the top three.
There are my top three out of the top 20 interview questions you should be prepared for in your next sales interview. Now, this is for sales jobs that are high paying, high salaried, high income, and high bonuses. This is not, ‘hey, I'm going to get my first sales job down at Blank's Mechanic shop.’ No, this is the big boys, where your email has clout.
Question #1 One of the very first questions you're going to get in the sales interview process is a question along the lines of asking you about your sale.
Have you ever had the leverage of a relationship to get a sale? Have you ever had to go over someone's head to get a sale? Or can you share with me a recent sale you've had in your industry?
Many reps make the mistake and they tell a good sales story. Like, “I went and visited XYZ Company, generated a six-figure, seven-figure contract. It was awesome. It was amazing.” That's cool. I got to tell you something. Everybody else we interviewed had that same story. Everyone else told me the glory story. So far, you have done zero to stand out from your competition.
So when it comes to telling a story in your interview about how you generate the sale, tell a story that is entertaining. Think of it like a movie. Tell a story that has a climax. Tell a story that has adversity. Tell a story that overcomes the odds.
Tell a story that has a happy ending. As an interviewer, I'm looking for a story that shows me you've been able to get kicked in the face and you're able to deal with adversity. That you've been able to convert that adversity to potential interest, and you've been able to convert that potential interest into a paying customer. So the next time someone asks you, ‘tell me about a previous sale or some question about a previous sales opportunity,’ tell them an entertaining story.
Question #2 Tell me the greatest adversity you've ever faced and what did you do to overcome it.
Your answer to this can definitely be personal or professional depending on your comfort. Nine out of ten interviewers are going to say whatever they're comfortable telling me. That means personal, right? That means tell me a story. Tell me something that is going to wow me.
Tell me something that's going to be memorable again. When you're interviewing for these types of jobs, at this type of caliber, everybody is good. There isn't a bad person in the interview pool, and if there is, the recruiting department has an issue. But usually, you have a team of quality candidates you're interviewing again. So when you tell the greatest adversity you've ever overcome, you have to share a story that can demonstrate your ability to get kicked in the face, overcome it, and rise to the occasion.
Many times in this, people would share some boring adversity story, “oh, in high school I got an F and then I was really disappointed and I went home and then I came back and I finished the school year with the B plus.” That's not going to get it done. Instead, think of an adversity story that is going to wow that person. The more vulnerable, the better. You want your interviewer to know you can get kicked in the face and overcome it.
Question #3 It's a trick question, and it's really how we separate true sales professionals from entry-level sales professionals.
“What is more important, generating revenue or building a relationship with the customers?” If you are an entry-level salesperson or you aren't a salesperson, you're going to say something along the lines of this building a relationship or both. And I'm sorry, both of those are wrong answers because you can definitely generate a relationship. But not every relationship you generate or develop is going to generate revenue. It can't be both because that means you're not fully committed to one.
Your job in a six-figure sales job is to generate revenue, period. Everything else is a lie. Your job is to generate revenue. So when the question gets asked, ‘what is more important, to generate revenue or develop a relationship with my customers?’ The answer is now and always generate revenue.
That is what high-performing sales professionals do. And when you're in that interview stage against other high-performing sales professionals, it's not the resume that's going to make you win the job. It's not the brag book that's going to make you win the job. It's not even the letters of recommendation that are going to make you win the job.
It's who can tell a better story in an interview process that convinces the interviewing team that you are the absolute perfect fit for that job.
And to ace your next interview and get the interview coaching, come join me in the Catapulting Commissions Academy.
It's a two-day, two-hour workshop for $17. If, for whatever reason, you don't love it, let me know. We'll refund you 100% of your money back.
But if you do love it, you can get admitted to the Catapult and Commissions Academy, which is a twelve-month program designed to help you generate five extra incomes this year.
Register and get your slot here.
Now, let's talk about this. Your sales manager has lied to you.
The biggest lie your sales manager is telling you is this: people buy from people they like and trust. If that is the sales training you're receiving or the sales coaching you're receiving from your sales manager, he or she is lying, and he or she is bad at their job. Point blank.
Here's why.
Likability and trustability are factors in the decision-making process. Yeah, the prospect has to like and trust you. The difference is that the likability and trust factors that we were taught (and I say we, the people of my generation 20 plus years ago in sales training,) are different from the decision-making factors of the modern consumer. People before would buy from me if they like and trust me because they didn't know me. They had no idea who I was.
This was the day we pick up the phone, cold-call unsolicited, schedule an appointment, and tell them who was coming over. I used to describe myself to my prospects and say, “hey, I'm a six foot three, shaved-head Mexican man.” You will see me walking up, wearing a tie that has Daffy Duck on it or whatever it was, and I would describe myself to my prospects to let them know that I was coming over. That doesn't happen anymore.
The modern selling Today, the likability and trust factor is established long before you ever get to your sales presentation. It's established by your company. It's established by your personal brand. It's established by your online presence. All of those things contribute to your likability and trust factor. The number one thing that contributes to your likability and trust factor is your ability to solve the problem of the person you are presenting to. If you can't solve a problem, it doesn't matter how much they like or trust you, they will not buy from you.
I've even bought stuff from people that I genuinely didn't like. Because they solved a problem better than anybody else.
What’s in it For Me? The modern consumer is only listening to one radio station. It's We FM. What's in it for me? We FM. So if I could solve that problem, I can sell them that service.
Likability & trustability is secondary. So if your sales manager tells you that likeability and trustability are primary, then most likely they have not continued their own education. And yes, I'm going to be polarizing and say that because I'm tired of seeing the sales managers in the sales industries tell people what to do without continuing their own education. So here's the deal. I'm giving you the opportunity to continue your education in numerous ways you can do it through podcasts, books, and courses.
You pick it. It's out there. There's some free. There are some paid for.
And here's an invite. Come join me for the Catapulting Commissions Academy workshop on
August 31 September 1. It's $17 to join the workshop. If, for whatever reason you don't like it, you don't love it, send us a message. And we would refund you 100% of your money back. If you do like it and love it, you will get the opportunity to come and join my team for a free strategy call. During the call, we'll break down your goals, will ensure that the academy matches the alignment of what you're looking for, and we'll enroll you in the academy. Simple as that. The Sales Academy is a twelve-month program where we specialize in taking your sales to the next level.
Join us in the workshop to know what other outdated sales tips you need to know. Time to commit to your personal development! Register here.
We are back with another micro episode and I’m hyped for we are doing these daily micro episodes 1) To give you immediate value that you can implement in your sales day to day and 2) To let you know about the upcoming Catapulting Commissions Academy Workshop that is launching next week!
So is sales training worth it? Whether you are a small business owner or a sales professional, you're going to want to listen to this. The average small business organization spends about $2,000 per salesperson on sales training. That's their investment for the year. Now, compare that to other areas of the company, it's significantly less. The problem with setting small or having no investment in sales training is that you’re missing out on something. Because here's the deal about sales training.
If you are a small business owner and every dollar you invest in sales training generates an ROI of 353%. So every dollar that you invest in sales training, you get back $3.53. I mean, holy cow. Show me another portion of your business that you can get that ROI. So is sales training worth it from a business ownership standpoint?
Absolutely. You get a 353% return on your investment. Now for the sales professional and you're an individual contributor. Top-performing sales professionals are more likely to spend time with their sales managers and receive training from outside experts. If you're in the sales industry and you work for a company and you're doing well, chances are you're pretty close to your sales manager. The top 1%, the top elite, also get support from an outside expert.
You, too, get the same ROI as a small business owner on your time invested in sales training. Now, I want to share something with you. We have talked about this data multiple times this week. Forbes believes that more sales reps aren't properly trained. And if you're a company owner and you're still on the fence, read on.
Is sales training right for my team? Companies that provide a decent sales coaching program will increase their revenue by 10% year over year. And if they do that, they will get a 95% improvement over companies that didn't invest or don't implement sales training and sales coaching. So to answer the question, is sales coaching worth it? Absolutely.
The modern consumer that you're selling to today is not going to buy from you because you're likable. It's not going to happen. Right?
And I want to share that with you. I want to be crystal clear, and tomorrow's episode is the worst advice your sales manager gave you. But this whole mantra people buy from people they like and trust, it's a fallacy. Because it says, if I do this, people will buy. And that's not the whole story.
That story of likability and trust, with all honesty, is developed before you even arrive. So to understand how the modern consumer works, you got to get modern consumer training. You have to get modern consumer accountability, and you have to spend time with the people who are committed to the research to ensure you're at the top of your sales game. Whether it's the Catapulting Commission Sales Academy or another reputable respectable sales trainer, you have to do something.
Join the sales training If you're not ready to invest in sales training, listen to the Catapulting Commissions Podcasts for one. I can recommend a few other ones. Shoot me a DM. I'd love to show you some.
You can also read a modern sales book. But do not just sit there and think what you were trained on 20 years ago is still going to work now because it's not. So that's what I got for you.
If you want to hop on to your sales training to increase revenue in the coming months, join me at the Catapulting Commission Sales Academy workshop.
Learn how to increase your sales and commissions by attending our 2-day live workshop!
Our Catapulting Commissions workshop is designed to help you go from $60k to $350k a year in sales. You’ll learn techniques that are proven to work, so you can start making more money right away.
Imagine what it would feel like to have an extra $290,000 in your bank account. That’s what you could make by learning the techniques we teach in our Catapulting Commissions workshop.
Register for the Catapulting Commissions Academy workshop today!
The greatest profession in the world is being a salesperson. Because if you're a salesperson, you have a high-income skill. Point blank. There's no alternative. Being a salesperson is a high-income skill.
Every successful entrepreneur, in whatever industry they're in at one point or another, has had to sell something. Every successful entrepreneur will tell you everybody should have a sales experience at some point in time in your life. I've worked in incredibly technical and scientific industries before. I work with some of the most outstanding surgical minds in the world. I worked with some of the most significant legal minds in the world.
And you know what? They, too, need help generating sales. So if you're a salesperson, embrace that. You have a high-income skill. You have a skill that can take you far in life.
And the beautiful thing about being a salesperson is you do not have a cap on your income. Hence, the name Catapulting Commissions. I live by this mantra, “if I eat what I kill, the revenue I generate helps provide for my life, and I'd rather live that way than being capped on a salary.”
When I left corporate America, the amount of job offers that came was great, but they were capped. And I got to be honest with you, that's not the life I want.
The Current Salesforce Over 50% of sales professionals are actively looking for a new job right now. This is data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This isn't just made up from some random poll or some random social media poll. This is genuine, actual data.
And in the US alone, there are 2 million open sales jobs right now. So half the salesforce is thinking of quitting. There are 2 million jobs available right now for sales professionals. So if you have the skill set to sell something, the opportunity to make money is there.
Now, if you listen to the episode we shared yesterday, we talked about the impact and scary statistics you should know.
Because truth be told, Forbes suggests that a lot of current sales professionals aren't as well-trained. But even if you're half skilled, the market is still there. And because sales is a high-income skill, you'll never convince me otherwise. Why not advance that skill to the next level? And in doing so, take the opportunity to improve your skill.
Take your sales skills to the next level If you're a salesperson selling for a company, or you're a salespreneur small business owner trying to generate revenue for your company, you have to look at sales as a skill that you develop, practice, and invest time in. Many people just show up with their product and features and think the market is going to say, ‘Buy me.’ It doesn't work that way. Because you have this high-income skill, I'm going to highly recommend that you practice this skill.
So if you were to ever ask me what is the greatest job in the world? Hands down, no questions asked, it's being a salesperson. And the only people who say being a salesperson isn't a good job are those who haven't developed their sales skills or haven't had a level of success that they become addicted to. Maybe I said it is a level of success that they become addicted to. Because once you compete in the sales industry at a high level with high income in six and seven-figure commissionable years, you're like, Holy crap, I can do this.
So I'm here to tell you that high-income skill meets high-income coaching. Why don't you come to join me at the Catapult Commission's Academy workshop?
It's no secret that the average person isn't making enough money to live comfortably. In fact, many people are stuck in jobs they hate because they can't find anything better.
The Catapulting Commissions workshop is here to get you out of that rut.. This 2-day workshop will teach you sales techniques that have been proven to help people go from earning $60,000 a year to $350,000 a year.
Register now and start making the money you deserve!
I have spent 20 years working with sales professionals and salespreneurs from all around the world. And every salesperson believes they are a good salesperson. I've never met a salesperson that says “I'm bad.” How? I myself believe I'm a good salesperson. We all do. But when we take an objective look at the sales industry and we look at the data that is out there and this is data by our consumers, it's a gut-wrenching opportunity.
When you look at the data, it's going to scare you a little bit. Because 55% of sales professionals are anticipating a decrease in their pipeline. We don't want to call it the recession, and I'm not going to get to the political conversation, but 55% of sales professionals are anticipating their pipeline is going to get slow.
And 60% of all sales professionals are anticipating that in the next twelve months, they will miss their quota. So six out of ten salespeople are saying “I'm going to miss quota this upcoming year.” This data recently came out on a 100% reliable LinkedIn article, The State of Sales and Hubspot article.
The need for skills Here's another one. Another report recently came out called Sales from the Buyer's Perspective. Right now, consumers look at salespeople as they are untrained. 34% of the B2B buyers strongly agree that their point of contact to purchase a product or service from a business is not helpful. If you are that 34%, that is not helpful. You are in a tough spot. And you are ruining that industry for the rest of us.
Forbes magazine recently released some data that said 55% of all sales professionals lack the basic skills of being a professional salesperson. So if you're part of that group and you work in sales as part of your living, your sales professional or sales premier, and Forbes is saying that one out of two of you, for lack of better words, sucks.
That's a problem, right? Other data from Forbes suggests that 84% of all sales training is lost within 90 days. This is mostly due to the lack of our ability to retain that information.
Now you might hear these sales statistics and say, “hey, that isn't me. I'm the person who does well.” If this is you, then you need to hear this. I know some absolute monsters in the sales industry that work for companies that run sales training, organizations that are top leaders, that make income, that would make most Americans jealous, and they are still committed to their sales training craft. So when I meet a salesperson or salesperson that says I no longer invest or I no longer contribute to the education of my sales process, I instantly know that person's skills are regressing. And your ability to generate sales with the modern consumer who's constantly changing is going to slowly regress.
Get the sales training advantage A good colleague and mentor of mine recently said this sales training isn't an event. It's an ongoing process. And that is true. Too many times I see sales professionals or even people in professional development space that go to these events and say, ‘oh, I did this one time.’ Well, if you did it one time, the data out there says that 84% of it, you've lost after 90 days. So sales training and sales improvement is an ongoing process, and I'd love to share more about that. I'd love to share more about that with you.
So come join me at the Catapult Commission's Academy workshop on August 31 and September 1. Learn sales techniques that have helped other entrepreneurs go from making $60,000 a year to over $350,000. You don't want to miss this!
Imagine what it would feel like to make more in commissions in just 2 days than you have in the past year. With this workshop, you can achieve that goal and so much more. The skills you learn will be applicable to your business for years to come - so register today!
Register now by clicking this link and secure your spot for the Catapulting Commissions workshop!
Welcome to the second micro episode that gives you a preview of some of the lessons inside the Catapulting Commissions Academy. It is less than ten days away so make sure you have registered!
Let’s talk about the discovery call. The number one mistake you’re making right now in your sales processes is that your discovery call may suck. Now I apologize if this offends you, but I want to be direct in calling out the common mistake of salespreneurs that I have observed in the last 20 years. And like many successful sales professionals, I want you to improve in that area too.
Your discovery call is an opportunity to build value in the problem you’re solving. It is when your prospect starts to acknowledge the problem they’re having. And for your prospect to further realize the pain they’re experiencing by not solving that problem– and that YOU are there to provide a pleasurable solution to solve that pain.
A discovery call is your opportunity to uncover everything. And this is how you do it:
First, set a clear agenda upfront. Set a time limit, and let them know you’re going to ask questions along the way. Then ASK what you’re prospect is hoping to get from your discovery call. (See also: 7 must-ask questions in a discovery call.) Remember that your prospect is already investing their time with you. That means they are hoping to learn something in that call. So at the beginning of your discovery call, ask this million-dollar question:
“Mr./Ms. Prospect, thank you for your time today. What prompted you to schedule this discovery call today? Or what are you hoping to learn from our meeting today?”
By asking this from the start, your prospect could provide so much information to you— and that will help you tailor your message.
We discussed how to run a discovery call here.
And we will get more into it in depth at the catapultingcommissionsacademy.com
You want to make more money in your business, but don't have the time or money to invest in expensive courses or programs.
Most business owners struggle with making more sales, and as a result, their businesses plateau at a certain income level.
The Catapulting Commissions Academy is the solution. This 2-day live workshop will teach you techniques that have been proven to increase sales by 350%. You'll learn how to sell your products and services with confidence, and get the skills you need to take your business to the next level!
Register now at catapultingcommissionsacademy.com
What’s up Catapulting Commissions Family! I’m excited to launch our Catapulting Commission academy on Aug 31 - Sept 1. And on the coming days leading up to the launch, we will have micro episodes so you can get a glimpse of what you will learn inside the training!
One of the most common questions in my DMs is, “Anthony, how can I get my prospect to say YES to my product or service every time?
And if you are a Salespreneur— a business sales rep that has to generate revenue to make a living— this message is for you.
I get that sales professionals are always trying to compete for prospects’ attention and approval. But what makes selling difficult for salespreneurs is that they often fail to understand the psychology of sales. And this is how you can get buyers to say YES to anything. And you have always to keep this in mind. The psychology of sales says,
“a consumer will purchase a product or service based on emotional needs and wants and then justify the purchase with logic later.”
Read that again. When you begin to understand this, you can tailor your message to get someone to say YES consistently. This works because people will purchase from you if can fulfill one or two of the basic emotional necessities in life:
1.) the need to avoid pain or loss
2.) the need to experience pleasure
So the next time you ask somebody to purchase with you, remember if you are appealing to their emotional needs or wants. Is your offering going to help them ease their pain or is it going to provide pleasure?
Craft your offer that addresses these emotional needs and your prospect will say YES to you!
Need more tips on how to grow your sales revenue? Go to capatultingcommissionsacademy.com
The Catapulting Commissions workshop is a 2-day event that will teach you how to sell like a pro. You will learn techniques that have helped others increase their income from $60,000 to $350,000 per year.
Imagine what it would feel like to make an extra $290,000 in just one year. With the skills learned in this workshop, that’s definitely within reach! Register now and start making the money you deserve!
So you are a small business owner that is scaling your sales team. And you’re tired of pursuing clients through outbound marketing and sales processes. You want to reverse that so leads are coming in on inbound.
I get you. And that’s why I dedicated this episode for you. I invited Jonathan Milligan, author, blogger, speaker, and online business coach. He spent the last decade guiding and directing creative professionals on how to pursue meaningful work.
So you can finally get clients coming to you, instead of you coming to them!
Listen to the episode here:
The current trend in marketing When people nowadays have a problem, they search it on Google or Youtube and find content to help them with their problem. So if you can position yourself there, you become the expert in that niche, and your leads would want to go further to your paid offerings. So speak about what you know. And maximize social media so people can easily find you.
Using social media for your business Social media is not the only avenue and there are other ways to display the expertise you have. You could start a podcast or display your credentials on LinkedIn. But at the same time, you got to ask reasons as to why not use social media?
If you are not a fan of social media, have a clear strategy that makes sense for your business. For example, you can develop a process where your appointment setter would reach out to members in your Facebook group and invite them to your products. There are a bunch of other strategies you could develop too.
Utilizing expertise to drive revenue First, find your niche. Figure out the big problem you’re trying to solve here then narrow that problem on who to solve it for.
Second, share as much expertise as you can for free. You might be thinking, it’s counterintuitive that if you're doing all this free stuff, why would anybody want to move into your paid products?
Well, there are a lot of reasons. There's convenience and accountability. You’re structuring your content in a better approachable way, that if your leads are getting so much value from your free content, then it’s no brainer to move on to the ‘much better’ paid products. And when you do that, you just create so much goodwill that they would want to follow you.
Third, utilize social media tools for lead generation. Lead your audience to your community, where you can better connect and follow up with them. For example, you could use email marketing, website pop-ups, and Facebook ads to lead people into your Facebook group.
Tip to increase engagement in your Facebook group: Only do a few posts that pique the interests of your members. For example, “If you’re interested to know more about how you can sell your book, comment ‘book’ below.” Then let your setter connect with them via messenger.
The key to utilizing social media for sales professionals is to develop relationships more than just selling stuff.
Igniting your message Remember the three Ps:
Purpose is how you show up best for others.
People is the niche of who are you actually helping? You can't help everybody, so you got to get specific.
Passion is being passionate and excited about solving a certain problem for the next two to five years. Think about your lifestyle, impact, financial freedom, and effort to help you keep going.
In addition, remember to stay focused!
Getting help Switch your perception of hiring people from cost to investment. When you recognize it is an investment, you can do so much more in your time that could help you grow your business further.
Then document before you delegate when you hire people. Record your XYZ process so that once it's documented, it becomes easier to delegate that task to the candidate.
About Jonathan Jonathan Milligan is the author of Your Message Matters: How to Rise Above the Noise and Get Paid for What You Know.
He is also a blogger, speaker, and online business coach. He has spent the last decade guiding and directing creative professionals on how to pursue meaningful work. Since 2009, Jonathan has run his own portable lifestyle business online.
Today he teaches others how to build a business with their passion, story, or message. He lives in Jacksonville, Florida, with his wife, Charity, and their two kids.
About Your Message Matters: How to Rise Above the Noise and Get Paid for What You Know
The book is about helping an individual realize and recognize that their message absolutely matters, and how to get those messages across. It also includes content marketing tips where you can get people to come to you.
Website: jonathanmilligan.com
Avail his book here: yourmessagemattersbook.com
Selling and marketing for today’s consumers according to behavioral science You got to start with a belief that selling is about helping people, not manipulating people to do something. In Marketing, we call it a consumer decision journey or a buyer's journey. Sales know the pipeline report, which is just a codification of that. We all know that.
But the behavioral science that we follow is called the Trans theoretical theorem of behavioral change. There are nine codified best practices to help people as they make the decision, from no action to action, from being unaware of your product to understand the need of your product, to buying your product.
And there are some things that sales can do intuitively and intuitively that can be codified by these nine best practices. It's countering. It's environmental controls. It's rewarding for private, for good behavior. It's helping relationships. It's social liberation. That's a bunch of scientific terms. That's what sales do.
(If you want to grow your sales from $60K to $350K per year, I invite you to join the live Catapulting Commissions workshop this Aug 17-18! Get your slot here)
Buyer-centered We call it centricity because it's centered not on sales need, not on marketing need. It's centered on the buyer. And if you center all your company's thinking, your sales teams, and your marketing team's thinking on the understanding of the buyer, there's an alignment that's created out of that. Sales and marketing should never align with each other. They should align with the customers. The result that is they'll be aligned with each other.
What is Private-Public commitment? Private-public commitment is effective from the middle of the buying journey to the very end. In sales barrier analysis we break down a pipeline and understand where there are problems in this pipeline. And in a client's pipeline, we almost always find there's more money to be made in late-stage deals and fixing late-stage deal problems than there is in creating more awareness where most marketing advertising starts.
So private public commitment is one of the most powerful tools because you've got to equip both sales and marketing to understand what it is. So if you can fix that, you'll close more deals that get stuck.
Why you should have Private Commitment in sales Buyers have to have safety first as they make a change. So if you’re going to buy a new service or product, if you’re going to put risk, you’re not going to do it without understanding privately first whether this is good to proceed.
Founders, you're leading your sales and marketing efforts. Have you created an intentional way where a buyer can, without revealing to anybody else, explore your product or your service? And if your marketing team and your sales team don't have a way to create a private commitment, then that's a gap that you've got to add. You've got to fix that. It's going to stop people from moving forward.
Take a look at what Sean did with his company FitzMartin. His prospect has eight agencies to choose from. So Sean offered to pay $10,000 of service for his prospect so they could see if it’s going to be a good fit. (It cost him around $5,000 in actual employee time and materials and costs. He lowered his internal cost of sales and given his prospect value, and gave the prospect enough safety in that journey.)
So the prospect gets to (safely) experience the service, while Sean’s company gets to evaluate his company’s ability to help him and the prospect’s capability to purchase. FitzMartin gave them the equipment and eliminated the risk through this journey and lowered his cost of sales.
*Take note that Sean said he, as a founder, is going to pay for it and not say it’s free.
Frictionless buyers journey Remember that time you decided you were going to get in shape and lose weight? Right? You didn't post it on your social media first. You went to the gym and you're like, ‘okay, I've been going for a month now. I might post it on my social media. I've lost ten pounds.’ Now you are comfortable telling people about it.
Well, think about your salesperson. You've set up a commission structure or some sort of motivator, and your goal as an owner is to fire up that salesperson to close deals. So now they're in front of a prospect, and they are fired up to slow the deal down. But the buyer isn't where you are. If you’re a buyer, it's taken you a long time to understand and get to the point of preparation to purchase.
Slowing down, offering a helping relationship and a private commitment where there's no risk, gives the buyer the time to come around and understand the solutions with full transparency. It’s giving frictionless buyers' journeys.
We would call it Stage five closed or exchange relationship. But you should have a stage five closed deals, diagnostic or private commitment stage. It is a true engagement. It's an ongoing relationship. So add that little step to your pipeline.
Triage Use triage as your scaled-down version of the private commitment stage. So you've been pushed out of late-stage deals by sales for a long time. Why? Because sales don't trust marketing when the deal is close to the finish line.
Why? Because you don't know what the buyers need. You're good at early stage stuff, but you've never studied this late stage. You've never studied what it takes to close a deal. So you should be understanding things like private-public commitment and you should be bringing ideas to the table.
Role of marketing And by using marketing automation technology, you'll know if your prospect read the report or not or how far down the report they read. Marketers, you can do so much to help a salesperson close late-stage deals. If your marketing team is not doing this, then that's a gap in your organization.
You're going to close more deals, you're going to make more revenue. If you get somebody that understands how to close deals in the marketing role, you don't need a salesperson in the marketing role. You need a marketer in the marketing role. Marketers have long views. Marketers are not driven by this week's commission or this quarter. Sales should be focused on this week. Marketers should be focused, though, on a full pipeline approach.
So in finding an agency for you, ask about the agency’s theology, understanding of a full pipeline, buyer's journey, and how marketing impacts every step in it.
Build a deal page Build a deal page for your most important deals. If you build a page where you look at this business and you know from your experience with other clients, you know that they're looking for safety, right? So build a deal page where a previous client does a little video or has a dialogue with you, or be a written quote that says, ‘I trusted Anthony when we were at this stage in my series, as investors said he was the best thing that happened to us.’
Build a deal page where you know there are specific weaknesses that you don't want to be public about, per se, and then guide and direct people to that deal page. It's marketing. It's not closing deals.
So deal pages are incredibly effective if you've got an agency helping you. There's a term called account-based marketing where you can deliver advertising just to one business.
So at the very least, your marketing should equip your sales team with a deal page. It's not a page on your website that anybody else can find, but it would say, ‘ABC Manufacturing rapid Growth Medical.’ The language changes. It becomes very specific. You could use people's names.
It's a way to represent. Privately looking at it, the prospect might forward it to other people in the executive team and say, ‘hey, Anthony sent me this. I'd love your opinion, and marketers can track that engagement.’ It's a trackable metric that you can realistically, you can learn a ton.
About Sean Doyle Sean is a principal at FitzMartin, and our leading mind and voice on sales and marketing strategy. Sean is particularly adept at applying the science of behavior change to the art of sales and marketing. It’s an approach that he and FitzMartin have developed over thousands of client engagements since 1992.
Sean is an author and speaker. His first book, Shift: 19 practical, business-driven ideas for an executive in charge of marketing but not trained for the task, was published by Rockbench Publishing in 2018.
Website: seanmdoyle.com
Company website: fitzmartin.com
Get Free Help from FitzMartin
How to Build a Personal Brand in Sales
A lot of salespeople have heard about how beneficial personal branding is to increase lead magnets and overall revenue. But most of us struggle with how to build one.
So I invited the chief marketing officer at Kelly Roach coaching, Danielle. And we’re going to talk about how can salespeople build a personal brand, its impact on their lives, and how can they apply it in their marketing strategies.
Why You Should Build a Personal Brand In today's world, so many people push back against sales, specifically online.
And you’re already swimming upstream when you think about leveraging online platforms to prospect, generate leads, and sell. So without a strong personal brand, you just add far more resistance
to that stream you're swimming against.
A personal brand turns the sales conversation around for you. It’s the thing that gives you immediate credibility, and what makes the process less pushy or less uncomfortable for the person on the other end.
Because when you build an effective personal brand, it's built on service, it's built on credibility, and it's built on trust. And as you guys know, there is nothing more important in the sales process than trust.
So if you can establish that before anyone gets on the phone with you, you are ten steps ahead in the sales process.
Common mistakes in building a personal brand Inconsistency. If you're not consistent, it doesn't matter how incredible your content is, people will forget you as soon as you stop showing up.
Consistency and frequency are not sexy. They're not fun, they're not exciting, but they're like the magic and the secrets of building a personal brand.
Being passive. We do not live in a world where anyone cares about what you have to say. So you have got to not only create great content, but you've got to learn how to engage with the right people.
It’s wrong to think ‘I'm going to build my brand and they will come.’ You need to build your brand, and then you need to act like you're in a room networking. If you walked into a networking room, you would dress a certain way. You would show up with a business card or something and then have meaningful conversations.
Jumping on any trends. Unless you're an influencer or you’re trying to make it in a singing career or a dancing career, there is no reason for any respectable business person to be dancing, lip syncing, or pointing at nothing.
If you are someone who is a real estate agent or a broker and you are trying to build a database of people who are buying million-dollar homes, they don't need to see you dance, or do other stuff that makes you feel embarrassed.
Lying to your audience. If you want to create a long-term connection with your audience, stop making any unrealistic promises to the audience. Like telling them “in 1 minute you put one funnel up and
you're going to make a million dollars.”
People could connect with you more if you make relatable claims like, “it's going to require a significant
amount of work, but it’s going to pay off in the end. Athletes don't just wake up one day and go to the Olympics. They train for years and fall on their face.”
Because if you make unrealistic claims and people realize it’s not working for them, they would think they are a failure. So your audience is waiting for you to say the things that they feel in their heart. Remember, you have to inspire them!
The levels of building a personal brand How-to marketing This is simple transactional information. And most people stop here. It is you, as a realtor talking about
the interest rates going up. Or how to find the right mortgage, how to get a better price from your house, how to sell, etc. It's all the “how to” informational content.
We see that everywhere. But if you are telling someone how to improve their close rate on a sales call, they would find it helpful, but then they will watch the next YouTube video. This is what happens when you don’t have a connection with your audience. This brings us to the second level of marketing…
Hope marketing This is where you look at what are the things that stand in the way of people taking action. What are the things that they need to believe and how can you inspire them?
You can do this by one, talking about the wins your prospects have gotten (you can use testimonials.) So if you are a realtor, you could say, “You know what, I just closed three houses for clients that were only $2,000 above asking price, not 80 grand above asking price.”
Another is by inspiring them and you could say, “Hey, your perfect home is out there. It may take some time,
it may take a little effort, but I promise you, I will be the bulldog who finds you what you're looking for.”
They have to believe it's possible or they're never going to have a buying conversation.
Conviction marketing This is when you look at your industry and your landscape. You look at everything that's not right and everything that you do differently, then you speak directly to it.
So for example, you could be that real estate agent who talks about why you hate Zillow and what alternatives you do (and why home-seekers should too.) When you build your brand around that, you become someone who stands out. And you get people to be curious about your content.
So when you add these three layers of marketing, your brand doesn’t just become transactional. It becomes a connection.
Facing internal struggles while building a personal brand The real secret to winning is just to stay in the game. Because a lot of people do now, especially at this time of uncertainty, is quit. But guess what? It is those who keep going that reap the rewards.
And in creating content, you don’t have to pretend to your audience that everything is going well. Because they know that it is not the reality. Instead, you can write content that's like,
“Listen, the world has changed. It is not what it used to be. We used to be able to turn on some Facebook ads for $6 a lead and just get a beautiful, steady flow of leads coming in with zero effort, right? Those days are gone. But it's okay. Here are three things you can do.”
And in my experience in Catapulting Commissions, when I share vulnerabilities or struggles, it inspires somebody. And they believe in me even more. Social media made everything look inauthentically perfect, so people crave authenticity even more.
Staying motivated There is no shortcut to building a personal brand that gets a lot of revenue. It takes time. At the end of the day, it is your brand. It's more than just something that's going to grow your business, and it's more than something that's just going to give you success right now.
It's your legacy. So whatever you're building right now, that's what you’re going to be remembered for in 25 years. You can't outsource that too much and can't automate it too much now. But what you can do is commit to creating some good, needy content that comes from you and then has somebody repurpose your ideas into several pieces of content for you.
Just remember to stay committed!
At what point do you separate your online personal brand image from business to personal? This is a matter of preference. First, consider whatever it is you're comfortable with. If your daughter or dogs are part of your brand and you’re comfortable sharing them online, then go for it! If not, you don’t have to!
Second, think about who your market is. if you're talking to corporate and you're not coloring outside of any lines and who you're selling to, then your brand needs to follow suit. And if you're working in a more entrepreneurial market then you can create something a little bit personal with a little bit of business.
The important thing is to build the brand you want to build. And the more you build a brand in alignment with who you are and what you believe, the better. But you don't have to share everything with the world. Eventually, you will attract the right people for your brand.
How long does it take to build a successful, credible brand that generates revenue? It depends on how experienced you are in your industry. So there is no time limit. When you show up
frequently and consistently, if you show up every day on a social media platform for 90 days, you would be in a position where people are paying attention. If you do that for six months, more people would pay attention.
So it just depends on how committed you are. Nothing will speed up the process more than consistency and frequency!
About Danielle Danielle is the brains behind the implementation of Conviction Marketing and helps hundreds of entrepreneurs inside the company to bring their genius to the world.
Danielle’s background in psychology, education, and copywriting give her a unique pulse on the current marketing landscape and culture. She gives strategic, creative brand direction to their clients and remains involved in the day-to-day content creation, to ensure clients stand out from the crowd.
Danielle has helped countless 7 and 8-figure well-known brands prior to joining Kelly Roach Coaching and brings a wealth of knowledge to clients.
Website: convictionmarketingagency.com
Instagram: @daniellecmarketing
LinkedIn: Danielle Cevallos
How to Build a Personal Brand in Sales
A lot of salespeople have heard about how beneficial personal branding is to increase lead magnets and overall revenue. But most of us struggle with how to build one.
So I invited the chief marketing officer at Kelly Roach coaching, Danielle. And we’re going to talk about how can salespeople build a personal brand, its impact on their lives, and how can they apply it in their marketing strategies.
Why You Should Build a Personal Brand In today's world, so many people push back against sales, specifically online.
And you’re already swimming upstream when you think about leveraging online platforms to prospect, generate leads, and sell. So without a strong personal brand, you just add far more resistance
to that stream you're swimming against.
A personal brand turns the sales conversation around for you. It’s the thing that gives you immediate credibility, and what makes the process less pushy or less uncomfortable for the person on the other end.
Because when you build an effective personal brand, it's built on service, it's built on credibility, and it's built on trust. And as you guys know, there is nothing more important in the sales process than trust.
So if you can establish that before anyone gets on the phone with you, you are ten steps ahead in the sales process.
Common mistakes in building a personal brand Inconsistency. If you're not consistent, it doesn't matter how incredible your content is, people will forget you as soon as you stop showing up.
Consistency and frequency are not sexy. They're not fun, they're not exciting, but they're like the magic and the secrets of building a personal brand.
Being passive. We do not live in a world where anyone cares about what you have to say. So you have got to not only create great content, but you've got to learn how to engage with the right people.
It’s wrong to think ‘I'm going to build my brand and they will come.’ You need to build your brand, and then you need to act like you're in a room networking. If you walked into a networking room, you would dress a certain way. You would show up with a business card or something and then have meaningful conversations.
Jumping on any trends. Unless you're an influencer or you’re trying to make it in a singing career or a dancing career, there is no reason for any respectable business person to be dancing, lip syncing, or pointing at nothing.
If you are someone who is a real estate agent or a broker and you are trying to build a database of people who are buying million-dollar homes, they don't need to see you dance, or do other stuff that makes you feel embarrassed.
Lying to your audience. If you want to create a long-term connection with your audience, stop making any unrealistic promises to the audience. Like telling them “in 1 minute you put one funnel up and
you're going to make a million dollars.”
People could connect with you more if you make relatable claims like, “it's going to require a significant
amount of work, but it’s going to pay off in the end. Athletes don't just wake up one day and go to the Olympics. They train for years and fall on their face.”
Because if you make unrealistic claims and people realize it’s not working for them, they would think they are a failure. So your audience is waiting for you to say the things that they feel in their heart. Remember, you have to inspire them!
The levels of building a personal brand How-to marketing This is simple transactional information. And most people stop here. It is you, as a realtor talking about
the interest rates going up. Or how to find the right mortgage, how to get a better price from your house, how to sell, etc. It's all the “how to” informational content.
We see that everywhere. But if you are telling someone how to improve their close rate on a sales call, they would find it helpful, but then they will watch the next YouTube video. This is what happens when you don’t have a connection with your audience. This brings us to the second level of marketing…
Hope marketing This is where you look at what are the things that stand in the way of people taking action. What are the things that they need to believe and how can you inspire them?
You can do this by one, talking about the wins your prospects have gotten (you can use testimonials.) So if you are a realtor, you could say, “You know what, I just closed three houses for clients that were only $2,000 above asking price, not 80 grand above asking price.”
Another is by inspiring them and you could say, “Hey, your perfect home is out there. It may take some time,
it may take a little effort, but I promise you, I will be the bulldog who finds you what you're looking for.”
They have to believe it's possible or they're never going to have a buying conversation.
Conviction marketing This is when you look at your industry and your landscape. You look at everything that's not right and everything that you do differently, then you speak directly to it.
So for example, you could be that real estate agent who talks about why you hate Zillow and what alternatives you do (and why home-seekers should too.) When you build your brand around that, you become someone who stands out. And you get people to be curious about your content.
So when you add these three layers of marketing, your brand doesn’t just become transactional. It becomes a connection.
Facing internal struggles while building a personal brand The real secret to winning is just to stay in the game. Because a lot of people do now, especially at this time of uncertainty, is quit. But guess what? It is those who keep going that reap the rewards.
And in creating content, you don’t have to pretend to your audience that everything is going well. Because they know that it is not the reality. Instead, you can write content that's like,
“Listen, the world has changed. It is not what it used to be. We used to be able to turn on some Facebook ads for $6 a lead and just get a beautiful, steady flow of leads coming in with zero effort, right? Those days are gone. But it's okay. Here are three things you can do.”
And in my experience in Catapulting Commissions, when I share vulnerabilities or struggles, it inspires somebody. And they believe in me even more. Social media made everything look inauthentically perfect, so people crave authenticity even more.
Staying motivated There is no shortcut to building a personal brand that gets a lot of revenue. It takes time. At the end of the day, it is your brand. It's more than just something that's going to grow your business, and it's more than something that's just going to give you success right now.
It's your legacy. So whatever you're building right now, that's what you’re going to be remembered for in 25 years. You can't outsource that too much and can't automate it too much now. But what you can do is commit to creating some good, needy content that comes from you and then has somebody repurpose your ideas into several pieces of content for you.
Just remember to stay committed!
At what point do you separate your online personal brand image from business to personal? This is a matter of preference. First, consider whatever it is you're comfortable with. If your daughter or dogs are part of your brand and you’re comfortable sharing them online, then go for it! If not, you don’t have to!
Second, think about who your market is. if you're talking to corporate and you're not coloring outside of any lines and who you're selling to, then your brand needs to follow suit. And if you're working in a more entrepreneurial market then you can create something a little bit personal with a little bit of business.
The important thing is to build the brand you want to build. And the more you build a brand in alignment with who you are and what you believe, the better. But you don't have to share everything with the world. Eventually, you will attract the right people for your brand.
How long does it take to build a successful, credible brand that generates revenue? It depends on how experienced you are in your industry. So there is no time limit. When you show up
frequently and consistently, if you show up every day on a social media platform for 90 days, you would be in a position where people are paying attention. If you do that for six months, more people would pay attention.
So it just depends on how committed you are. Nothing will speed up the process more than consistency and frequency!
About Danielle Danielle is the brains behind the implementation of Conviction Marketing and helps hundreds of entrepreneurs inside the company to bring their genius to the world.
Danielle’s background in psychology, education, and copywriting give her a unique pulse on the current marketing landscape and culture. She gives strategic, creative brand direction to their clients and remains involved in the day-to-day content creation, to ensure clients stand out from the crowd.
Danielle has helped countless 7 and 8-figure well-known brands prior to joining Kelly Roach Coaching and brings a wealth of knowledge to clients.
Website: convictionmarketingagency.com
Instagram: @daniellecmarketing
LinkedIn: Danielle Cevallos
This week Anthony welcomes MJ Gordon. She’s a world-renowned lifestyle and business coach specializing in health, high performance, and energy management. Her time-tested strategies help her goal-oriented clients level up to regain balance, joy, and resilience in their health, business, and life. Her goal is to inspire positive energy and help people maximize their resources of energy, time and money, to create a better life and community.
As a high performer in all aspects of her life, she was used to being on the go constantly. After losing a few big contracts and going into debt, she got a wakeup call when her husband told her it was time to slow down and reevaluate their life. Unable to continue that breakneck pace she was used to, she saw a specialist and learned she had a cortisol deficiency. Rather than treat it with meds, she chose to play the long game and go on a journey to regain balance in her life and her body. Now, she is passionate about sharing all she’s learned with her audience.
The first step to high performance
The most important first step is to be aware of what is going on inside your body. You have to go beyond the typical blood panel you get from a primary care physician. Find a specialist who will at least do a full hormone panel, gut mapping, and allergy testing. The highest performers in all areas constantly monitor what helps them feel better or worse. Approach it like a NASCAR racer. When you’re going at high speeds, monitor your gauges constantly and take a break every few laps so that you don’t overheat.
Rest and recover
The next phase of step one is to make sure you’re not at a deficit, and if you are, get out of it. The way to do that is to create a supportive lifestyle that helps stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system. That means you need to rest and recover– which is the opposite of fight or flight. To be in fight/fight mode at all times is taxing. Instead, you need to give yourself frequent breaks from stimulation.
Fuel and move your body
MJ says most people focus on the diet aspects of wellness. But she emphasizes that step one– knowing your body and fighting deficits– is really the most important part of the equation. Once you have that in place, you can determine what fuels your body most efficiently and effectively. Every person is different. What fuels you might not be what fuels your neighbor. Likewise, how you move your body will vary at different stages in your life, and it’s unique to each person. MJ says not to impose performance expectations on yourself. One day you might be able to hit the gym hard, but the next the best thing for your body might be a long walk and yoga stretches. Listen to your body and give it what it needs.
Waste time on yourself
The non-negotiable for MJ is to have 30-60 minutes to herself per day. That might be gardening, reading, or connecting with her kids, but whatever it is it has to be fully enjoyable and engaging for her. As a business owner, mom, and wife she knows it can be hard to find time to do that, but she makes it happen. She does it by living a minimalist life and knowing when to outsource and delegate. Rather than waste time aimlessly scrolling social media, she puts her phone down. The 10 minutes a day she used to spend vacuuming got outsourced to a robot vacuum. Little changes like that buy back time for her to waste time on herself.
The Everyday Vacation
MJ hosts the everyday vacation podcast. People hear the phrase and assume that means she is suggesting that you sip cocktails by the pool all day. Not so. To her, the everyday vacation means getting your life to a point where you have the feeling of excitement when you wake up every morning, like the one most of us get when we are on vacation. It means having a passion and interest in your everyday life. Phase 1 is getting your energy levels in check, moving/fueling/resting your body, and spending time on yourself. Phase 2 is creating a life where you live on your own terms so you always feel like you are on vacation.
Everyday Vacation Podcast
MJ on Instagram
MJ on LinkedIn
MJ Gordon website
Chris Chapman is executive director at Capital Analytics and the founder and host of the Next Level Minds podcast. Chris has been doing sales since he was a kid when he went door-to-door trying to sell services that might help the busy homeowners in his neighborhood. In his first post-college job in IT staffing, he learned how to build relationships with IT managers, CTOs and VPs. Then he transitioned into his current role with Capital Analytics, which publishes local business magazines. He project manages the development of each publication in his region, but he also then sells digital ads and event sponsorships to CEOs who are featured in the publication.
It’s not easy to immediately get in touch with a CEO. Chris learned the hard way that you need to build relationships with the gatekeepers around the CEO. Treating the admin staff like the enemy isn’t going to get you very far. If you’re trying to reach the CEO of a smaller company– say 50 people or less– you can sometimes get lucky by dialing directly very early in the AM or after 5:00 PM and they’ll answer their own phone. With larger companies, there are likely to be more touch points before you can reach the CEO. Be prepared to talk to at least 4 to 5 people before you win that call. When cold calling doesn’t work and you need to do a drop by, you have to go in with confidence and kindness. Sometimes, you’ll get lucky and the CEO will have a moment to meet; if not, you can leave behind a business card and a good impression.
When you’re dealing with busy CEOs, you have to build rapport and add value quickly. Before he makes a cold call, he does all the research to learn everything he can about the CEO. He looks for mutual connections, finds out where they went to school, what other companies they’ve worked for, etc. He also taps into his network of other CEOs that he’s worked with and exploits the FOMO effect. “This CEO is getting in on this opportunity. I’d hate for you to miss out on this.”
It’s important, however, not to lead with rapport-building strategies. In fact, Chris and Anthony both agree that you have to lead with why you’re calling. Get the point across about what you’re trying to sell. Once they’re warm to the idea, then you can work on building an authentic, personal connection. As he gathers rapport-building information about the prospect, he tracks every detail in his CRM. So when a CEO says she’s gotta go because she has a tee time, he makes a note in the CRM that indicates the CEO has an interest in golf. Next time they meet, Chris can reference that in their conversation. For reps who aren’t great at CRM management, he suggests putting rapport notes in the calendar invite to keep track.
Once you get that meeting with a CEO, Chris says selling to them is not much different than selling to a lower level executive. People are people. No matter who you’re selling to, it’s about building relationships with a person and helping find the proper solutions to the problems they experience. That really doesn't change based on the size of the company or the title of your prospect. And no matter who you’re meeting with, pay them the respect of being prepared and dressing for success.
Chris always asks his prospects to rank on a scale of 1 to 10 how strongly they are considering his offer. He’s essentially immediately asking for feedback, and he’s open to accepting it whether it’s good or bad. When he has that information, he asks what’s holding them back from getting to a 10. That arms him with the information he needs to get them closer to a deal.
Chris’ Next Level Minds podcast is a top-ranked business podcast that has been listened to in over 45 different countries. The podcast is dedicated to those who want to reach a massive next level in their career, business, or personal life. He interviews people who are successful in a variety of fields– founders, entrepreneurs, athletes, authors. He asks them to share their journey to success. He’s learned two important things about successful people. First, they remain humble, no matter how successful they become. When you lose that, you sometimes lose the habits that got you to success in the first place. The other thing he has learned is that the most successful people never stop learning. They all have an insatiable desire to learn and to be masters of their craft, no matter what that might be.
Chris Chapman on LinkedIn
Next Level Minds podcast
Chris Chapman on Instagram
This week on the Catapulting Commissions podcast Anthony welcomes Chris Larsen. Christopher Larsen is the founder and Managing Partner of Next-Level Income. Since “retiring” after 18 years in the medical device industry he dedicates his time to helping others become financially independent through education and investment opportunities. Since his first single-family rental investment at 21 to real estate syndication (and everything in between), Chris has been investing in and managing real estate for over 20 years. He has also invested in equities, oil & gas, and small business lending. Today he’s going to talk about how to make, keep, and grow your money to achieve financial freedom.
Chris and Anthony both agree that it’s possible to be too successful. Some new sales reps find themselves making more money than ever, but they haven’t been taught how to manage it. At best, they are trained to do the basics. Pay off your house. Buy term life insurance. Invest in a 401k. Yet somehow they are still living paycheck to paycheck, and they are anxious about their future. That’s not a plan for financial freedom. True financial freedom requires you to have a plan to replace your active income.
Like a lot of successful sales professionals, Chris has a background in athletics. He was a competitive cyclist. When a friend of his died young, he had an awakening; there’s so much more to life than racing around in circles. He wanted to live life to the fullest, and that required him to get financially stable. Money can solve a lot of problems, so he started a career in sales, and set his sights on becoming accredited to gain access to elite investment opportunities. In the end, he saw medical device sales as a way to make and save money that he could later invest in real estate.
Then Chris did what he suggests everyone does. Keep your lifestyle in check and save 50% of your income. When you’re making two, three or $400,000 per year, you can be financially independent in under 10 years if you live like this conservatively. Make more money. Keep more money. Grow that money. It requires discipline, but soon you’ll be able to replace your active income. Set a savings goal every month and meet that target before you spend anything. Have it deposited automatically into your accounts, and don’t ever touch that money. Then when a big bonus check comes in, meet that savings target, then go out and enjoy the rest. You have to allow yourself the opportunity to enjoy life with the money you’re making. But don’t spend until you’ve saved.
Chris didn’t just know how to do this stuff naturally. He made mistakes along the way.
Chris Larson on LinkedIn
Get a free copy of Next-Level Income book
Email Chris for a free version of Money Insights book (put “Money Insights Book” in subject line)
Next Level Income Podcast
This week on Catapulting Commissions Sales Talk Anthony is joined by Jeremy Miner. Jeremy is the Chairman of 7th Level, a Global Sales Training company that was ranked as one of the fastest growing companies in the US by INC magazine. He is also a contributor for INC magazine and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Entrepreneur magazine, and several other publications. During his 17 year sales career, Jeremy was a top producer. His earnings as a commission-only salesperson were in the multiple 7-figures, every year. He is also the host of the podcast, Closers are Losers, and his new book, The New Model of Selling Selling to an Unsellable Generation, will be out later this year.
Always be closing is dead Buying behaviors have changed dramatically over the years. Jeremy says it’s no longer true that people buy from people they like for example. Instead, people buy from people who can get them the best result. Period. If the prospect likes the person selling the product, it’s just a bonus. The old methodology of “always be closing” (ABC) is also dead. It’s an adversarial approach that has made society look at sales reps as slimy. Top salespeople don’t think that way anymore. The top professionals think of selling as collaborative. He says the best way to be a top producer is to be a problem finder and a problem solver– not a product pusher.
Avoid commission breath There are lots of mistakes that sales professionals make, but Jeremy says one of the big ones is that they get too aggressive and needy right out of the gate. Conventional wisdom would say you should be enthusiastic and eager to share how you can solve the prospect’s problem. Jeremy says no. Keep that enthusiasm to yourself because it comes off as “commission breath.” The minute your body language and tone convey the needy and attached approach, the prospect wants to get rid of you. Instead, Jeremy says to remain calm, neutral, unbiased, and (especially) detached from the expectation that you’ll make a sale. Of course the goal is to make a sale, but you have to keep that to yourself. The minute the prospect feels you are there to “sell them” something, they shut down and lose interest.
Unlikely role models In his 20s Jeremy spent a lot of time taking seminars to learn more about how to be a successful sales professional. In the end he learned the most from two unlikely sources– Socrates and Jesus Christ. While both men were “selling” very different ways of life and thinking, their ability to gain a following boiled down to the same thing. Their easy-to-answer questions motivated their audience to challenge their own way of thinking. Being in that state of questioning ultimately triggered the audience to become more accepting of what Christ and Socrates had to say.
Ask the right questions Jeremy teaches that you need to ask commitment questions. These questions get them to commit to taking next steps– whatever those may be at any given point in time in your process. Sometimes it might be a commitment to buy your product or service, but other times it might be a commitment to another meeting with other gatekeepers. Jeremy recommends using verbal pauses. Slowing down your questions and your pacing will cause the prospect to think more deeply. “Do you think this could be… the answer for you?” That verbal pause might get them to reveal an objection that you can work to resolve with them in a collaborative way. Instead of ABC Jeremy recommends you should go with ABD– “Always Be Disarming.” That means you are always asking the right questions that continually disarm your prospect so that they want to open up and engage with you.
A nerdy approach Jeremy is a self-proclaimed nerd thanks to his deep study of behavioral science and human psychology in college. He’s interested in how and why human beings make decisions. Over the years our understanding of how people make decisions has grown, and the way we sell should line up with that. The typical “boiler room” selling that we’re used to seeing in movies won’t work anymore. It’s too pushy and causes people to push back. Consultative selling is a good counterpoint to that, but it fails to tap into human emotion- a key component in most people’s decision-making process. Instead Jeremy says to focus on his Neuro Emotional Persuasion Questioning (NEPQ) methodology. In this approach you allow prospects to persuade themselves and sell themselves. The prospect pulls you in rather than you trying to push them forward. His NEPQ approach offers a step-by-step structure that will get the prospect to want to engage. It humanizes the sales process. It’s a skilled conversation– the right questions at the right time that trigger the prospect to want to pull you in and take what you’re offering.
Handling objections Of course objections will always come up, but the NEPQ formula should limit objections. Make sure to design your questions in a way that eliminates objections before they even come up. Pay attention to the way your prospect reacts to you, looking for cues that they are uncertain about your product or service and then address it. “I noticed you seemed a bit hesitant when I mentioned XYX. Can you tell me what’s behind that?” This will lead the prospect to share with you something they might never have explicitly revealed, and instead disguised it as, “We just need some time to think about it.” It gives you the opportunity to have a dialogue with the prospect and collaborate with them to see if there is a way to get past that hesitation.
Sales Revolution Facebook group
7th Level
Jeremy on LinkedIn
Jeremy on Instagram
Adam Rosen on Catapulting Commissions Sales Talk This week on Catapulting Commissions Sales Talk Anthony welcomes Adam Rosen. Adam is an entrepreneur that loves to support business owners and share his rollercoaster startup journey to help those on a similar path. As a founder of a tech startup, Adam spent 5 years leading a college recruiting startup that was acquired in 2019 by a leading college marketing firm. His primary focus now is on helping startups get more sales appointments, hassle-free, through his lead generation business, Email Outreach Company.
As a cofounder of Email Outreach Company (EOC) and serial entrepreneur, Adam knows a lot about successful prospecting. He never really held a true 9 to 5 job. After getting his MBA, he started his first tech startup business. It was acquired after 5 years, but that doesn’t mean he retired to a beach house before 30. He immediately got back to work, and he now advises many startups through EOC. Though he has worked in tech startups, he really thinks of himself as a sales entrepreneur.
What kind of companies should do email outreach? Adam’s company EOC can make a big impact for nearly any B2B company. He launched the business because at the end of the day almost every company needs more sales appointments. The problem is that most sales development reps hate cold email outreach. That’s because generating solid, qualified leads through email is hard. Its challenging nature means lots of people think email outreach doesn’t work. Adam says that’s just not true. People think it doesn’t work because they don’t know how to do it well. Email outreach can work for literally any B2B business when it’s done right.
The basics of good email outreach require you to keep details to a minimum because too many details confuse a prospect. A confused buyer is not a buyer at all.
Common founder mistakes The biggest mistake Adam sees is that a brand never finds its true product market fit. When you have a true product market fit, you go beyond just getting that first sale. It’s about creating a product that customers want to keep buying from you over and over again. You have to make sure that every single customer is happy, renewing, and giving you more money because you’re providing more value all the time. In Adam’s experience, there are two types of founders. There are product-focused founders and sales-focused founders. Product-focused founders can get that product market fit dialed in quickly, but they might not be great at the sales side of things. The opposite is true of the sales-focused founders– great at sales, unclear on the product market fit. Ideally, you need both of those minds working at once.
As we’ve heard on the Catapulting Commissions podcast before, a founder should create systems that somebody else can plug into and replicate– for every aspect of the business. That said, you can’t be too rigid. Allow for humanity and flexibility with the systems you create. Find a way to let players be their most authentic self while having systems in place that anyone can operate. It’s about hiring the right people to fit in the system in a way that allows them to shine.
Hire good talent When you are making your initial hires in a startup, it’s good to have a mix of the “green,” hungry types and the tenured, experienced types. Some roles really call for that hungry hire. Others really demand a tenured hire. Overall, there are three things Adam looks for when hiring for startups:
Adam Rosen on LinkedIn
The Rise with Skirzz & Adam
This week on the Catapulting Commissions podcast, Anthony welcomes Simon Severino. In 19 years of entrepreneurship, Simon has executed hundreds of go-to-market strategies with B2B teams around the globe. He’s a father of three, author of Strategy Sprints, and a business coach specializing in B2B sales/marketing. He has a blueprint for CEOs to achieve financial freedom with a firm that runs on its own. His Strategy Sprint method helps CEO’s double their revenue to get out of the way of their business to accelerate growth.
CEOs should consider firing themselves from operations as soon as it is possible– even at the $1-3 million range it’s too late. If the CEO never stops running the business, your business will run the CEO. It will be hard to scale because no one will ever take over big decisions. When that happens, the CEO is not using the intelligence of their people. Every time the CEO needs a vacation or isn’t available to make a big decision, it creates a bottleneck, and it slows the business down. Everybody needs to be not just doing the work but improving the work.
In his 90-day Strategy Sprints, Simon works with founder-led B2B teams with up to seven years in business, 35-50k per month. The founder wants t to get out of the weeds but they don’t know how to do it or if it’s even possible. He helps them scale their business so it can eventually run without them. It’s a smarter way to do business. When a business runs without any single person making all the major decisions, the multiple by which it can grow is so much higher. For example, Simon turned his own 90-day Strategy Sprint system into a repeatable process that he could turn into a certification program. So now he added a certification business on top of his consulting business. He doubled the revenue and decreased his risk. Simon believes all CEOs can do this to some extent. There is always a smarter way than dealing with the constant bottlenecks created by a founder-led company.
To determine where the bottlenecks are and how to solve them, Simon starts by asking founders to consider what would happen if they had 10x growth overnight. He then tackles those week by week in the training. They segment the business into marketing, sales, and operations teams, and most of the time it’s clear that the CEO is doing all of it. When the founder realizes they are doing all that work that could be done by others, they realize they need a change. Which one can be systemized first? And they work week by week to systemize each of those segments. After 12 weeks the CEO has created an SOP playbook, and regains 10-14 hours per week of their time to work ON the business rather than IN the business. When you work IN a business you are planting, weeding, and laboring in a garden every day; when you work ON a business you are a gardener who harvests the vegetables and casually waters the flourishing plants and flowers as needed.
Once you’ve made that transition to gardener, you should not allow yourself to get back in the weeds– no matter how strong the pull to do so. At first, your ego will tell you that you need to go back, but you should never do it. It sends the signal that you don’t trust the process you put in place. There may be times when you need to have a discussion with your team about certain metrics that aren’t being met, but getting involved will only cause your team to think you don’t have faith in their ability to deal with it.
Of course Anthony wants Simon to talk about building a sales team– this being Catapulting Commissions Sales Talk. He says you have to explicitly write down the minimum expectations for the closers and setters. What does the perfect closer do? What does the perfect setter do? What KPIs will you measure daily, weekly, and monthly? Then you go on LinkedIn and post it. Simon has applicants send in videos first, and then they select top candidates to meet in person or virtually. He says turnover for setters is higher, and that’s to be expected. He recommends compensating setters with commission only. People who work on commission only tend to be more motivated. When there is no cap on their income, people have more skin in the game. As long as you keep taking care of those people and help them develop and grow, they will stick with you. Give them everything they need quickly and without question, and they’ll flourish with your company.
When you align marketing, sales, and ops, you have to have consistent weekly meetings. They all see the numbers and collaborate on how to get the most out of each other. It’s an open dialogue about what each department can do to support the other. When you don’t meet regularly, assumptions are made in ignorance. Holding weekly meetings that foster open dialogue allows everyone to get on the same page. Everyone speaks to each other. They hold each other accountable. They work in unison and feel they have skin in the game. This is the dream for any founder.
Simon Severino on LinkedIn
Strategy Sprints website
This week on Catapulting Commissions Sales Talk Anthony sits down with Dave Young. Dave is a co-host of the Builder Nuggets podcast, which is focused on building and scaling a valuable business that requires less of your time. He’s also a business coach, entrepreneur, real estate investor, and a regional partner for Alair Homes, which builds luxury custom homes around North America. He’s joining us today to talk about how to separate yourself in a crowded market and stand out by being just a little bit different.
What was meant to be a 30-minute discovery call with the founder of Alair turned into a new career path for Dave. The founder proposed finding a way to bring together the otherwise-fractured construction industry. Though Dave had a background in real estate and had worked with builders over the years, he wasn’t sure how he could fit into something like this at first. But as he talked to the founder, he became convinced this was the new way forward, and he had the confidence to bet on it. Through the podcast and his coaching business, he wants to elevate the construction industry, figure out ways to get people collaborating, and demonstrate that it’s not about price, it’s about value.
Making that leap into a new career path required him to take a lot of chances, but soon he was able to consistently deliver an exceptional experience to his clients, his team, and the trade partners. He says it’s important to take inventory on what you’re good at, and focus only on those things. That way, you’re constantly working in your effortless ability zone. Instead of labeling things that you hate doing as ‘crappy tasks to get done,’ think of them as an opportunity to hire others for whom those tasks fall into their effortless ability zone. Dave always seeks to elevate those around him; in turn he has elevated himself.
As a team builder, you need a clearly defined story and a compelling mission. If your story is not compelling enough, people won’t come along with your ideas. Others need to see and experience your value, and then be the ones who amplify it for you. If it’s just a business owner going around telling others how great you are, you’re just a typical sales rep. For example, in the world of custom homes, it takes a huge team of people to bring that home to life. With the trade shortages out there, the best way to attract the top tradespeople is to show the quality work your tradespeople do. They’ll see that you value quality work, and they’ll apply for a job with your company.
To be more than a commoditized company, you need a strong culture where you make investments in people. Your people will then invest back in you, your organization, and in each other– and they won’t take a chance on a new job for a minor bump in pay. There has to be real opportunity for people to grow and lead. At every level, team members should have an opportunity to shape the mission and add their layer of core value to it. That creates buy-in and allows for something special to grow. You have to be worth it as a leader– be worth the investment of your team’s time and energy. The same is true no matter what industry you’re in. Whether you’re in home building like Dave, B2B like Anthony, or something else entirely. In every case, the need to invest in people is always the same.
Dave says it’s important to avoid the pitfalls of inaction and negativity when building a team. If you’ve identified a problem, you can’t just sit on it. You have to immediately make moves to improve it. Stamp out negativity whenever you can. Don’t make time or space for negative people in your life or your team. He also says understanding yourself as a leader is an important piece of the puzzle. Dave recommends everyone take the Kolbe A Index and the Clifton Strengths Assessment. He also has read several books that he’s found helpful, but he says to listen to thought leaders that speak to your core values and start following their work for inspiration and ideas. Networking with others in your industry and finding a coach are key as well.
Dave Young on LinkedIn
Builder Nuggets Podcast
Kolbe A index
Clifton Strengths Finder
Traction by Gino Wickman
Who Not How by Dan Sullivan
This week on Catapulting Commissions Sales Talk Anthony is thrilled to welcome Andy Paul. Sitting at number #8 in LinkedIn’s top 50 global experts to follow, he is a bonafide thought leader in the sales industry. Though he has never been the prototypical salesperson, he’s been in the business for more than four decades, selling everything from shoes to complex communications systems that sold for tens of millions of dollars. He had closed hundreds of millions of dollars in products and services over the years before starting his own company. Now, he is a published author and podcast host who has grown and managed large sales teams from scratch and coached average performers into being top producers. Today, Anthony is going to pick Andy’s brain on just about everything and discuss his latest book Sell Without Selling Out.
We all know “being sales-y” doesn’t work. Buyers instinctively resist sales-y techniques. Andy believes some sales managers have an insistence on conformity– forcing all reps to use a prescribed playbook. It leaves no room for sales reps to experiment and try other processes, which leads to that sales-y vibe. He believes that professionals need to be allowed to explore different strategies. Sellers should be given autonomy to sell in a way that’s more aligned with them as humans, in a way that feels natural and authentic to them. When a manager won’t allow that, sellers can push back and provide metrics to show a different strategy works, or find an employer that allows for more freedom.
Andy’s latest book was born out of his realization that sales isn’t getting better. He says that’s because businesses are “selling out,” or leaning more into sales-y techniques, only now they are amplifying those through automation. It makes the buying experience worse than it’s ever been. He also said he seeks to provide solutions, which he discovered through his own experience, research, and collaboration with other professionals. The opposite of selling out is selling in. Selling in is based on human attributes most of us are wired with– connection, curiosity, understanding, and generosity. People naturally want to connect with others, learn more about the world, understand the world around them, and to give to those around them. Those attributes come together to shape a positive buying experience.
Sellers need to keep these two questions in mind when they are planning every single interaction with their qualified opportunities.
If you can’t answer those questions, you aren’t ready to have another conversation with your prospect. When the buyer (which might be an entire team of busy decision makers) invests time and attention in the seller, the seller needs to provide that value, and value is really just progress. Is the buyer closer to making a decision than they were before? If so, the seller has provided value.
There will always be a need for a great discovery process, but the basic problem with discovery is that it stops too soon. It can’t just be compartmentalized and checked off a list. The buyer is continuing to evolve in the buying process, and it is the seller’s job to make sure they understand at every step of the way how they can be helpful. The point of discovery is to uncover what is really most important to the buyer. What really drives them? In the absence of human connection and trust, the seller will never find the answer to that critical question.
In his new book, Andy lays out 6 types of questions to ask. One of the most important types are impact questions. You want to ask the buyer questions that will get them to consider the impact your product or service will have on their organization, on their team, and on them. This forces them to take a ‘mental test drive’ of what it would be like to use your product. When they buy your product, they aren’t really buying a product; they are buying a vision of what success looks like. Be the first seller to make connections with them, to be curious, to show them the vision of success. At the end of the day, a lot of products and services offer very similar features. As such, a buyer just wants you to shorten their decision cycle so they can make the “good enough” decision and move on to solving their next problem. The marginal gain they may make by spending months looking around for other solutions won’t be worth it if you offer that ‘good enough’ solution and create a vision of success.
Connect with Andy on LinkedIn
Visit Andy’s website
Read Andy’s book, Sell Without Selling Out
Listen to Andy’s Sales Enablement podcast
This week on the Catapulting Commissions podcast, Anthony is going solo. He’s talking about how to know if you have a toxic culture and how to fix it. Anthony has worked for many companies over the years that developed a strong culture. A strong culture helps a business thrive. It’s the key to the most successful companies. But he’s also seen companies that have lost their culture. When you lose culture, you start losing talent.
Anthony says the importance of culture is most evident on championship sports teams. Listen to the way the players on championship teams talk about the team they’re on, the people they play with, their coaches, and the organization. What they say about those around them speaks volumes about their culture. In your business, the salesforce is like the athletic team. If your reps are telling you great things about their colleagues, it’s a sign of a strong culture. If they’re complaining to one another about leadership, then it’s a sign of a toxic culture.
There are four signs you have a toxic culture.
Negative reactions to turnover: Speaking negatively about people who move on contributes to toxicity. The best way to deal with turnover is to not take it personally. It happens. Speak positively of people who leave. Even if you feel slighted in some way, keep it to yourself and stay positive.
Top-down innovation: If the only innovation you see in your company comes from the top-down, you have a toxic sales culture. The truth is, great ideas can come from anyone. If your sales reps aren’t bringing you innovative ideas, it’s not because they don’t have them; it’s because they’ve been trained to keep their mouth shut because innovation comes from the top.
People don’t speak up: If your sales team doesn’t ever express concern with anything, it’s not because everything is perfect. In fact, it’s probably the opposite. Just like innovation, your team has to believe that they have a voice. If you have a bunch of sales professionals who are too timid to speak up, you have a bunch of yes men and yes women. And you have a toxic sales culture as a result.
We don’t talk about sales culture: Like the championship team mentioned above, if you’re part of something that is exciting, innovative and fulfilling, you want to tell people about it. If your culture is the best thing about your organization, your sales team will be talking about it. If you don’t hear people talking about the great things that happen at work, it’s because great things aren’t happening.
To fix it, you have to do the following:
April Garcia is an international business adviser, performance coach, and speaker on productivity and time management. She also hosts the entrepreneur and personal development podcast PivotMe. As creator of breakthrough digital course Get More Done in Less Time, she’s a time management and productivity guru. She’s passionate about helping people get to that next level of success without working 14 hour days. She’s been there, and she wants to share with other professionals a better way to work.
Covid changed the way we all do business, and some people have had a hard time with time management now that they are remote (or hybrid). Remote work sounds good at first, but it’s easy to fall victim to the unique distracractions that come with working from home. You can’t just assume time management will fall into place. You have to put techniques to work that will help you manage distractions. If you don’t, you’ll just keep expanding your working day to make up for lost productivity because you were doing the dishes or petting the dog.
April says the most important strategy is setting your priorities and blocking time out for those. With time blocking, you set aside time to focus on one thing. Set a timer for the necessary chunk of time, and focus on only that one task during that window. If you’re managing people who are prone to interrupting you, let them know that you have blocked out time to do a critical task and you won’t be available for the duration of that block of time.
The first block of your day should be reserved for the top priority– for that which matters most on that day:
April says you don’t need any specific apps or tools to manage this. It doesn’t matter how you want to record it. Write down somewhere (in your planner, on a sticky note, on a digital calendar) the ‘one thing’ for the day (every single day) and then plan to get that task done by 9:27 am.
Accountability is a huge factor in this as well. Some people can hold themselves accountable to the most important thing. The only motivation those folks need is seeing the ‘one thing’ on the calendar. Others will need an accountability buddy for this, but it’s important to pick the right one. Pair yourself up with someone who is good at the thing you need to be held accountable to. This is true for any aspect of your life– not just work. So, for example, if you want a buddy to hold you accountable to a fitness goal, choose someone who is already committed to their own fitness routine.
At the end of the day, most people will look at the items on their to-do list that didn’t get done. April says that strategy doesn’t work. You leave the office feeling negative because you spent the last part of your day focusing on what you did wrong rather than what you did right. April says you should still check on your productivity in the afternoon, but spend a good chunk of time before you leave focusing on what you did get done. Reviewing what you accomplished allows you to leave work feeling good about yourself. Your mood will be better for the rest of the night, and you’ll return to work the next day with a positive outlook.
Part of the problem with the to-do list is that we’re putting too much on it. April says you have to be realistic about what you can accomplish in a work day. She suggests practicing ruthless prioritization. The ‘one thing’ strategy is a part of that. You have to get comfortable with the idea that not every email will get answered. You will let someone down during the day. There will be things that don’t get done. But when you determine the priorities, you get to be in control of what gets done on any given day.
TheAprilGarcia website
PivotMe podcast
Brian Beers is the president of the Prenlyn Automotive Group. It’s a successful family-run business that operates 24 franchised auto shops in the Philadelphia and New Jersey region. With his podcast (Business with Beers) and coaching business, he seeks to inspire entrepreneurs to massively grow their income and contribution by investing in people, process, and technology. Today he’s talking about his strategies for building generational wealth.
Most businesses don’t survive past the first five years, but Brian’s is in its12th year. He says the key to longevity is to hire great people and give them the tools they need to be successful. Once he has a well-equipped, talented team in place, he makes sure he holds them accountable to high standards. To keep the best talent long term, Brian thinks it’s important to build a culture that focuses on positivity. He does that through using technology tools like slack, where they celebrate birthdays, collaborate, and share wins. They have weekly virtual meetings that begin with good news. Training is also an important piece of the puzzle too. Training team members helps build confidence in their ability to provide service to their customers, and you’re more likely to keep the best talent on your team. Culture, training and technology.
Though Brian is in his 12th year running the business, he inherited it from his dad, who’d started it with one shop more than 30 years earlier. Brian came in and breathed new life into the business, growing it from 6 to 24 locations. He did that by being intentional about growth and always reinvesting in the business. He strategically puts money into different accounts with the intention of reinvesting it back into the business. There’s a lot of discipline that comes with it, but it pays off. He runs his personal finances the same way. He has his emergency fund, an investment fund, and he budgets the day-to-day money. He resists lifestyle creep and intentionally directs money into the appropriate places. After a good quarter, instead of rewarding himself with a raise or buying a fancy watch, he’s focused on putting his money to work and investing it to create generational wealth for his family.
In his coaching business, he advises people it’s best to keep it simple for the investor. ’ If something sounds flashy and you don’t understand the investment, stay away from it. He believes in the power of compounding and continuing to put every dollar to work. He has personally chosen to get out of the stock market. Instead, he’s focused on syndications. He partners with operators who pool together time, money, experience and resources to invest in big real estate projects. He does his due diligence before investing, looking at the opportunity like a business. Does he like the team, the cash flow, the risk, the reward, the liquidity? Do they have a solid business plan appropriate to the geographical location of the project? Once he’s decided to partner, he writes a check, gets a distribution, and someday down the road an even bigger payday comes. He says private, non-market correlated real estate investments like these provide a lot of opportunity for wealth. He tracks every investment and sets monthly goals for growth. It’s not sexy or fast or exciting, but it’s a slow growing snowball of generational wealth.
Brian on LinkedIn
Business with Beers podcast
BrianBeers.com
Matt Ferguson is an expert on taking unpredictability out of the equation for sales leaders who have just been promoted to management. He was in this situation more than 10 years ago, and he wants to help others avoid the same mistakes he made. Since becoming a leader, he’s helped his team land accounts with giants like Peloton, Nordstrom, Bed Bath & Beyond and more. He believes that leadership comes down to tracking the metrics that allow you to eliminate unpredictability, helping you to focus on spending more time with your team. Today he’s talking about hiring the right people, avoiding the mistakes he made, and identifying the metrics that matter.
He came into sales with no experience, and it took him less than two years to become a top earner on his team. When he transitioned to leadership, he thought that he could just teach others to do things exactly the way he did. In fact, thinking he could save everyone with his own strategies was his biggest mistake. Even though he had a great mentor, he failed miserably and beat himself up for it. It took him nearly two years to really find his leadership legs.
Matt believes in focusing on the metrics that matter. It takes time to really figure out what matters for your team and your business. You make mistakes, you pivot, and you adjust. But in almost any situation, the most important information is the ideal customer profile. Who are you calling, why are you calling, and are you talking to the right people? It might seem like common knowledge, but a surprising number of businesses get this wrong. Matt thinks people call on the wrong people because of the need to feel productive. A rep hears dozens of “Nos” on the bigger fish, so they reach out to a smaller one that’s easy to convert. The manager’s job is to coach reps to not fall into that trap.
Putting the right team together comes down to what he calls the A.T.M approach. You have Awesome Reps, Typical Reps, and Reps that are Mess. The dynamic of the team is centered around the awesome reps. These are the culture warriors, the professionals that other reps are likely to follow. Matt likens having an awesome rep to the Chicago Bulls building a dynasty around Michael Jordan. Reps like this can make life easier for the leader because they will be the role model who can help the manager lead the charge. Awesome reps care about more than just their commissions. They care about the whole team succeeding, and they have real leadership potential.
When it comes to hiring, he sends candidates an audio book called Fanatical Prospecting and tells them to listen to a portion of that book. He can tell a lot about a person based on the way they react to that assignment. He wants candidates who read it, share their insights, and get excited about the challenging career it portrays. It doesn’t matter what book it is, giving an assignment like this allows the candidate to really prove how serious they are about a position.
When transitioning from individual contributor to leader, Matt says his top three priorities in first month as manager are as follows:
Fanatical Prospecting
Matt Ferguson on LinkedIn
This week on the Catapulting Commissions podcast Anthony welcomes Jeff Riseley. Jeff is the founder of the sales health alliance, which was created to empower sales professionals and sales leaders to reach peak levels of performance and well-being through better mental health. The company seeks to align sales leaders with health experts and tech providers on building awareness around mental health within the sales industry.
Jeff started his journey in sales in the classic “sink or swim” sales environment. He did well in that space, but behind the scenes he was not okay. He had insomnia, anxiety and panic attacks. It was after a panic attack landed him in the hospital that he realized something needed to change.
That led Jeff to try to learn everything he could about living his daily life in a way that protected his mental health while still allowing him to do this job he loved so much. He knew that stress and anxiety were not optional in sales; he just had to figure out how to navigate that.
Today he and Anthony discuss how to eliminate and improve the most toxic elements in the sales industry to optimize the mental performance of everyone involved.
Jeff Riseley on LinkedIn
Sales Health Alliance
This week on the podcast, Anthony is thrilled to welcome Barry Karch. Barry has been a realtor in El Paso for over 35 years. Along with his wife, he is the broker/owner of a real estate company. He has consistently sold 90-100 homes per year, putting him in the top 5% of the industry. He says he's not a "natural born salesperson." Far from it. He's quiet and introverted, but that doesn't stop him from selling houses-- and lots of them. In fact, he thinks being an introvert gives him an advantage. He's talking to us today about how introverts can excel in sales.
Introverted realtors have an advantage according to Barry. For one, apprehensive buyers prefer a more introverted realtor. An introvert can make that kind of client feel at ease with a more understated approach. Another advantage is that an introverted realtor can make connections with their clients more easily. It’s hard to build a connection with someone who is trying to sell to you the minute you make contact. An introvert will let the buyer dictate the pace of the process. Finally, introverts are more likely to listen rather than talk. That means they can take on more of an advisory role, which helps the buyer feel confident the introverted realtor is on their side.
While Barry thinks being introverted works to his advantage as a realtor, he doesn’t believe there is a ‘mold’ of the ideal realtor. In more than 30 years in the business, he’s met peers with all different personality types. One of the tough lessons he’s learned is you’re not going to be right for every home buyer. You can’t take it personally when a potential client chooses to work with a different realtor.
Using a script has never worked for Barry. It’s more effective to use a relational technique, which he learned from real estate coach Brian Buffini. With this technique, asking for referrals is the best way to grow your business. His favorite way to do that is to drop off a gift (usually Girl Scout cookies) and ask for referrals. They may say no in year one, but when he does that year after year, eventually the client is conditioned to refer Barry when a friend says they want to list their home. It’s nothing fancy. Consistently stay in touch with your clients and you’ll get those referrals.
Barry has outlived some of the worst times to be a realtor. He says the key to surviving the booms and busts is to be adaptable and willing to grow. What worked for him 30 years ago isn’t going to work today. It’s easy to want to give up, but Barry hasn’t ever really considered quitting. What keeps him motivated in those more challenging years is the connections he builds with people. Starting over in a new career doesn’t appeal to him. He loves what he does enough that he’s chosen to weather the storms of the housing market.
For those new to the profession, Barry has two pointers. First, get a coach. Barry didn’t do so until he had been in the business for about 10 years. A coach can help you master your craft and learn the business much faster. Second, save your money. It’s easy to get excited and start spending money when the market is booming. If you do that though, you’ll be in big trouble when the bubble inevitably bursts. He recommends saving at least 10% of your commission every month.
Real estate unsalesperson website
Un-salesperson podcast
Un-salesperson on Instagram
Michelle Cox is an executive life and leadership coach. She helps executives level up their business to create a bigger impact, and increase engagement and productivity while surpassing their key performance indicators. As a business strategist, she is in the corner of C-suite executives, helping them (and by extension their teams) grow. She’s here today to talk about how executives can make a bigger impact– in a time when they’re facing more challenges than ever. Michelle says what’s keeping her clients up at night is the challenges that come with working remotely. Leaders can see their teams meeting goals, but they are struggling to really build relationships and collaboration among teams. The social aspect of the workspace is really limited in a remote workplace, so Michelle helps leaders figure out how to keep that social element alive. Instead of just diving into the agenda during a virtual meeting, Michelle says it’s important to show up to those virtual meetings in the same way we did in-person– greeting each other, asking about your weekend or your family. That workday small talk that helps build connections among colleagues is still as important as ever. In order to insulate yourself from “great resignation,” those connections are just one piece of the retention puzzle. Leaders have to build authentic relationships and be honest about the challenges they are facing. It can’t all be sunshine and roses; when you’re vulnerable as a leader, your employees will pay you back with their trust and loyalty. Another important piece is development. That means really finding out where your people want to go (both personally and professionally), then giving them the tools and resources to get there. It’s a risk because a well-developed employee may leave; but it’s also an insurance policy because they may choose to stay because you’ve invested in their future. And then if they do leave, they’re going to speak highly of you and your company to anyone they meet. With these components in place (along with fair compensation), you won’t be a victim of the great resignation. Everything the executive does impacts the levels under them, which is why Michelle believes development falls into the lap of the executive leader. It’s like a butterfly effect. If the leader values development, everyone below them will as well. Like Anthony, Michelle doesn’t believe human resources should be responsible for development. She doesn’t believe that’s what HR is there for. She thinks HR should be used as a resource. Once you get the necessary resources from them, it’s up to the executive to implement those tools. Michelle coaches on 5 different areas of leadership: Life, work, relationships, and organization. When you have all 5 components in place, you’ve created a powerhouse for goal achievement. Anthony asked for clarification on the areas of life and relationships. In terms of the personal, all aspects of your personal life impact your professional life and vice versa. That means you need to really be following through on what matters to you in your personal life. You want to be a part of your community? Then you better be doing the work to build those connections among your community. You want to lower your cholesterol? Then you better not be eating taco bell every night of the week. Michelle said the relationships have to be authentic. Ask powerful questions and really engage with your employees on a deeper level. Your people want to be seen and acknowledged for who they are, not just what they do. It’s not a real relationship if the extent of your interactions is a high five because an employee closed a deal. Instead, praise them for their hard work. Tell them that you see and appreciate the resiliency and focus it took to get that deal. The same is true for your personal relationships. You have to see and engage on a deep level with everyone in your circle. Even with these five pillars in place, people still fail. Michelle says that happens when people haven’t put in structures sufficient to their resistance. That means they aren’t preparing for the roadblocks most likely to enter their path. For example, if you know you have a busy week, you have to prioritize and say no to the things that aren’t important right now. If you don’t do that, you will take on too much, and you risk not achieving the most important tasks. It’s about really putting structures into place to set yourself up for success. When people hire Michelle, she provides a level of objectivity and shows them what’s getting in their way. Michelle’s website Michelle on LinkedIn
Welcome back to the Catapulting Commissions Podcast with your host, Anthony Garica. Our guest today is Scott Leese, one of the top startup sales leaders in the country. Through domestic and international consulting as a strategic advisor, he has trained an army of salespeople and sales leaders thousands strong.
Scott focuses on helping businesses put scalable systems in place to grow from $0-$25 million APR. He says it’s absolutely crucial to lock in on your ideal customer profile and stop wasting time chasing accounts you cannot serve in the right way. From there, it’s about being able to articulate what’s going on in their lives, which turns into credibility, which grows to trust. Get that ICP out of your head and onto paper so the systems you use to build credibility with that client can be replicated.
A lot of the pushback that happens when creating a process can certainly slow things down, but just like a formula 1 racer slows down before a turn so they don’t crash into a wall, businesses do the same. Everything needs to be broken down and documented, so when you bring in a new cohort of sales reps, everything blasts off.
Retaining top sales talent is all about helping them achieve their goals. It's a lot less likely for somebody to leave when they are hitting their target and overperforming. Then, you’ve got to provide coaching, training, development, and mentorship. They want to learn about things that are pertinent to their life, so provide those kinds of training opportunities to people and have an inclusive and supportive kind of culture and environment. Today’s climate requires increased flexibility.
Scott co-founded the Surf & Sales conference, an anti-establishment, small event in Costa Rica. There, you spend 6 hours or so a day with like-minded people in leadership and sales training sessions, and the rest of the time you’re resting and surfing. It’s about a small community supporting each other, regardless of where they are in their career.
Your job as a sales manager, Scott says, is to remove barriers for your sales reps. It could be product feature requests, rebuttals, demos, you name it. Your job is to make their job easier for them to succeed. Your goal is to get them to where they want to go next in their lives.
https://scottleeseconsulting.com/
Welcome back to the Catapulting Commissions Sales Talk Podcast with Anthony Garcia. This week’s podcast is part two of two. Anthony is excited to welcome back Charlotte McKay and Cari Nokes for a live coaching session. Both women are active in the world of direct sales. In this episode, Anthony advises Cari and Charlotte on how to overcome challenges and set goals for 2022. Like a lot of sales professionals, the biggest challenge for Charlotte and Cari is to avoid coming off as “sales-y.” The way they avoid that now is to make the process fun, stay connected to their team, and share their journey in direct sales. That includes sharing both struggles and their successes– as well as their vulnerabilities. Anthony says doing this means they are connecting with their teams on a human level. Doing this allows them to sell by educating and influencing–not by being “sales-y.” With a peek into Charlotte and Cari’s private lives, buyers and team members see them as approachable and authentic. It’s not just about selling products, it’s about sharing their own lives. It’s easy to focus too much on having a huge audience but that’s not important; if you can influence one person, you’re making a difference. It’s also challenging to set boundaries and stay motivated. Charlotte says there’s no such thing as a nail emergency, and she makes sure her team understands that. Cari likes to teach self-sufficiency so they don’t call on her at all hours. Anthony suggests adding a system of automation to help with boundaries. That way if someone reaches out with a question that is commonly asked, there is a system in place where they can find the answer. It takes some time on the front end to set it up, but it will save time in the end. To stay motivated, Charlotte says the motivation isn’t always there, but she shows up no matter what. Cari’s motivation is the desire to avoid going back into corporate America. Anthony says at the end of the day mindset is everything. Let go of your fear of failure and do the work, it’ll be easier to stay motivated, overcome challenges, and have success. To finish out the session, Anthony runs through a goal exercise with Cari and Charlotte. They share their goals, which he helps turn them into SMARTer goals. Going through this process shapes the way they will attack their goal. The SMART goal is a common tool, and it’s a good starting point. We all know the elements of a SMART goal. Specific. Measurable. Attainable. Relevant. Time bound. Anthony challenges them to add an ER. What are the “Emotions” you will feel and what is a meaningful, specific “Reward” you will get when you achieve those goals. He also recommends writing down what you “must do” and what you “must eliminate” in order to achieve your goal. Cari Nokes website: https://www.colorstreet.com/Cnokes/products Cari Nokes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dont_worryb_happy/ Charlotte McKay website: https://linktr.ee/phenomenailswithcharlotte Charlotte McKay Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phenomenailswithcharlotte/
Welcome back to the Catapulting Commissions Sales Talk Podcast with Anthony Garcia. This week’s podcast is part one of two. Anthony is excited to welcome two guests over two episodes– Charlotte McKay and Cari Nokes. Both women are active in the world of direct sales. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to have Anthony as a coach, this is the episode for you. It’s full of teachable moments as Anthony advises Cari and Charlotte on how to handle objections when recruiting new team members.
Cari and Charlotte don’t have the same type of sales background that many Catapulting Commissions Sales Talk guests do. But make no mistake; they are just as inspiring as some of the biggest names Anthony has hosted. Both women had careers before direct sales– Cari in retail and Charlotte as a preschool teacher. They also both had the same epiphany when they had children. They wanted to continue to contribute financially to their family, but they also wanted to be able to spend more time at home. Direct sales was the answer for both of them. Now they each own their own dry nail polish strips business, for which they recruit and manage a team. This career path allows for personal development, family time and financial freedom.
When recruiting new team members, Anthony says it’s important to understand the difference between an objection and a condition. The most common reason people say no to joining Cari or Charlotte’s teams is that the prospective team member doesn’t have enough time. Not having enough time can be an objection or a condition. As an objection, it translates to “I don’t have time because this isn’t a priority, or because I don’t know how to make time.” As a condition it is much different. “I don’t have time because I’m a caregiver for my aging parent, I work full time, and I’m a single parent.” The former person has real conditions in their life that drain their time and resources. In this case, you don’t want to invest too much time trying to convince that person to join your team. The latter person is objecting, can be coached, and may be a good fit for direct sales. Anthony says Cari and Charlotte have to help the person see how they can make direct sales work in their life.
To do that, Anthony says to go back to the fundamentals of sales. People say yes or no because the opportunity in front of them provides pleasure or helps them avoid pain. Charlotte and Cari have to be authentic, listen to the prospect’s story, and find out their “why.” Determine the pain points in their lives. Show the prospect how being on the team can provide pleasure or avoid pain. Paint a vivid picture of what their life is like without this opportunity in it, and what life would be like if they took advantage of the opportunity. When you do that, you can help overcome almost any objection.
Another common objection is that the prospect says they don’t know enough people. Anthony says that masks the real problem. The prospective team member doesn’t think they don’t know anyone who will want that product. But really, if the potential team member is surrounded by people who want to see them succeed, they’re surrounded by people who will want that product. And if they’re NOT surrounded by people who want them to succeed, then they really need this direct marketing community to bring positive influence into their life.
The process of selling scares off other potential team members. There are many stylists out there from whom people can buy a similar product. According to Cari and Charlotte, people buy from them because of the whole experience they provide. Cari and Charlotte make their customers feel special and valued. And that’s exactly what they need to focus on to convince people to join their team. Show the prospect that they don’t need to be intimidated by the sales process. The customers will like the products because they are affordable and fun; they’ll keep coming back for more because of the top-notch customer service they get.
Cari Nokes website
Cari Nokes Instagram
Charlotte McKay’s website
Welcome back to the Catapulting Commissions Podcast with your host, Anthony Garica. This week, Anthony is talking with Brandon Fluharty, a former pro soccer player turned sales veteran. He’s a VP at LivePerson and founder of Be Focused. Live Great. Today he’s sharing how he found success and how he’s passing that on to other top-tier sales professionals.
Brandon got his start in sales in an unconventional, non-dedicated sales role developing talent of young soccer players on Long Island. From there, he recognized that he had to have an abundance mentality to make things work, so he supplemented his income learning to DJ. That quickly transformed into a sales role, where he started to build his sales career.
It’s all about creating opportunities and being excited to learn. Brandon insists on falling in love with the process. You have to hustle and have a sort of grit that doesn’t allow you to stop pursuing knowledge. Sales is a craft, and you have to treat it like one. That means putting in the time and effort to improve.
Brandon is a SaaS sales guru. He got into the space by recognizing, as a marketing and ad salesperson, that things were going digital. So, he adapted and brought his print and television customers into the digital age. He then worked his way up through to Fortune 100 companies. He took a strategic step backward by selling print ads to grow into something much, much bigger.
The truth is, you’re either learning or you’re earning. Brandon was learning about technology but realized he could be earning more by bringing this information into a solutions environment. He left his now comfortable position to dive into the AI space, understanding that he would be in on the ground floor of a massive market. The moral is, complacency is going to halt progress.
There are seven steps Brandon looks to when he thinks about his catapult from 200k to 1.5 million in a short period of time. First, get in the right environment to close big deals. Take bets on yourself and have the abundance mindset. Two, be strategic about your account lists. Work within your expertise! Think about companies that will move fast. The third step is this: when you do this, welcome imposter syndrome–it means you’re doing something right. You DO deserve a seat at the table. Four, create a standard that no one else can deliver. Take research seriously! Step five is building a transformational mindset–elevate your sales potential. Six: you can’t do this alone. Put your team in a position where they aren’t doing everything themselves, but free you up to hand the sale off when you need to tag someone in. Finally, step seven is about developing a personal operating system. Think of yourself as a mini CEO and operate in a way that integrates your work and life.
https://befocusedlivegreat.com/
https://brandonfluharty.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandonfluharty/
Welcome back to the Catapulting Commissions Podcast with Anthony Garcia. This week Anthony welcomes Shannon Eckroth. Shannon is the Founder of The Eckroth Sales & Marketing Agency, LLC and has over 10 years of progressive sales and marketing experience including providing coaching, team accountability management, lead generation, marketing services done-for-you, and recruiting sales and marketing professionals from entry-level to executive. Today they’re talking about how to use outbound marketing to find your customer and market directly to them.
Her sales and marketing agency exists to do sales coaching services, but they also do marketing and recruiting where necessary. Though she worked with small businesses when she first launched the agency, the businesses she’s attracting have grown as her business has grown. Now she’s working with sales teams who are in growth mode, who have the capacity and systems in place to handle more leads.
Even knowing that the average consumer has a short attention span, Shannon doesn’t believe you have to put on a show. She believes consistency and knowing your client avatar are the key ingredients of successful marketing. Showing up over and over– in an authentic way– to educate, inspire, and provide value to your target audience is what’s most important. With the right data, she can help a client reach their target audience at any point in their journey, and speak to them in a way that resonates, leading to more conversions.
Shannon works with clients on a LinkedIn marketing strategy and essentially flips the traditional sales funnel. She doesn’t focus on inbound marketing. That’s where you put your content into the world, hope the right buyers find that content, and then wait for conversion. Instead she does outbound marketing. Outbound marketing puts the narrow part of the funnel at the top. You have to identify and truly understand the people who fit your very deliberate buyer persona. If you go find those people and share your best content, tailoring that content exactly to their needs, it’s far more likely you’ll close. When you reach the right people, educate them, and provide a valuable service, it creates loyalty– and eventually leads to more business through referrals.
Once she overcomes a client’s objective that their potential clients aren’t on LinkedIn (they are), she helps them optimize their profile. It’s not about just uploading a resume and sharing some accolades from your past. The LinkedIn profile has to tell your story. When someone gets a connection request from you, they need to be able to look at your profile and tell immediately if connecting with you is beneficial to them. The most important section to get right is the LinkedIn header because it follows you everywhere on LinkedIn. Use the header to tell them what you do in 10 words or less and how to contact you.
Shannon Eckroth on LinkedIn
Ekroth agency
Thanks for tuning into Catapulting Commissions Sales Talk with Anthony Garcia. This week, Anthony welcomes JamieLynn Fajardo-Cota. She has an MBA, is a serial entrepreneur, and is a full-time, home-schooling mama to her two children. With her husband of 14 years, she owns two family businesses, and as a certified life coach, she runs a successful health coaching business of her own. All this while being a lover of Jesus and a servant in her community. Today she and Anthony discuss just how she balances it all.
JamieLynn has a long history in sales– from network marketing to door-to-door sales and everything in between. But it was never just about making money. Instead, it was about building relationships. By doing that, she was able to bring clients with her everywhere she went. After years in the grind, she achieved her goal of exiting the corporate world, and now her top priority is using those finely-honed entrepreneur skills to run her home and family. Then she uses those skills to run her businesses. Of course it’s exhausting, but she loves that she is able to be present with her family while also making meaningful financial contributions to their lifestyle and goals.
The old adage of “always be closing” doesn’t hold as much weight when you’re running your own business. JamieLynn believes that if you put your integrity in the forefront of everything you do, the close is going to happen. It’s the mission before the commission for JamieLynn. She wants clients to feel valued first and foremost– not like she’s trying to sell them.
Even with the burden of having to provide financial stability for a family, at the end of the day, the mission is still the most important. Now that she’s in network marketing, she knows if she helps others get what they want, what she wants will follow. This dynamic is more rewarding than her days of closing her own deals in the corporate rat race. It’s no longer sink or swim; it’s about swimming along-side her team, helping them learn the strokes as well.
Juggling so many roles– mom, friend, wife, business owner, community servant– requires intentionality in all she does. JamieLynn is able to find balance by making her physical, mental, and spiritual health a priority. She fills her cup first so that she can fill the cup of those around her. And when it feels like it’s too much, she has a strong support system (the center of which is her husband) to help her put things back into perspective. Her mantra is to have a SYSTEM: Save YourSelf Time, Energy, Money. Having systems in place– and communicating them clearly to those around her– has helped her gain clarity in all her roles. She and her husband have regular family business meetings to make sure all those SYSTEMs are functioning smoothly.
In her health coaching business, her relationship-building muscles come in handy. She creates customer-tailored wellness plans to help her clients achieve their optimal health. That means more than helping people lose 20 pounds or completing a 10K. JamieLynn helps her clients reach optimal wellness in the mind, body, spirit and even in finances. After reading “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, she stopped tying her goals to her specific result. Instead she ties it into her identity. That identity is being in optimal health to serve her clients.
LINKS
Follow her on instagram at jlcota_mamapreneur
JamieLynn Cota on Facebook
JamieLynn’s Health Coaching business
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Welcome back to the Catapulting Commissions Podcast with your host, Anthony Garica. This week, we’re sitting down with Lon Graham, a sales veteran with more than 25 years of sales experience. Using a logical approach to storytelling that combines inspiration with action, Lon will help your team get the sales they want by clearing up confusion and creating real connections.
The old mentality of hardcore, in-your-face sales, is on its way out. It’s less about “always be closing” and more about adapting to what your client needs. You want to continue to work with this client, so you have to get a good understanding of what you can do to help advance their work together.
This is a trust game–and it takes doing the work researching your client’s business to help accelerate the trust process. Be interested enough to be able to communicate how your product or service fits into what they do. You want to establish credibility with them, and you have to believe you can. In an industry with such high turnover, it can be hard for businesses to offer that trust–they don’t even know if you’ll be back.
There are a few questions that Lon feels are important when working with a new client. First, find out what they feel they are good at–this will point you in the direction they are facing and understand what they focus on. Second, what is their ideal client? Finally, ask them for a moment where they felt validated and the “this is why I do this” feeling arose. When they dip into those memories, it’s energizing and they’ll want you back.
It’s crucial to make sure you’re on the same page as your client. It’s as simple as allowing them time to process what you’re saying and finding moments to ask “does this make sense?” Have confidence enough to say “I don’t know” if you don’t. It shows that you want to give them the right answer and allows you to see them again with the information they want to be presented.
You have to hire to fit your culture. That’s the first step to combating that high turnover rate. Spend the time necessary to really understand who you’re hiring for what position. Secondly, remove as many barriers from your sales team as possible. The more admin work they have to do, the more “in the way” things are from making a living. And always offer recognition!
longraham.com
Lon Graham on LinkedIn
Thanks for tuning into the Catapulting Commissions Podcast with your host, Anthony Garcia. Joining the show this week is Matthew Coatney, seasoned C-level product and technology executive, entrepreneur, advisor, author, and speaker with decades of experience helping business and technology work better together.
Matthew’s book, The Human Cloud, is all about the future of work–freelancing, AI, and the automation revolution. This sort of change was thought to happen in 10 years or so but gained incredible relevancy when the pandemic hit and fast-forwarded this transition. Hand-to-hand combat sales–pounding the pavement–is no exception. Matthew believes we will adapt.
Retention and the talent war continues on, and Matthew attributes the turnover to the massively evolving space of sales. The truth is, salespeople will follow the money–that means they will go sell a product that is selling–period. Products that used to have a decade-long cycle now are less than a year.
Automation is a hugely discussed topic in sales, as we know. Where it becomes useful is in spaces where a lot of time is spent and not a lot of outward value is created–things like CRMs and other administrative systems. The problem is introducing these new technologies. It’s important to not always try to strive for 100% adoption. It’s about incrementally reaching benchmarks. Once you get value, it’s in a good place.
Transitioning into sales leadership, especially from a manager to a VP or higher, can be difficult. This is because what you care about changes. You’re going from an individual contributor to having to turn an eye towards the longer-term goals. It’s easy to get sucked in a micro-managing mentality, but you have to adapt your leadership style to how your team needs to be led. Give people low-risk tasks where they can learn by failing without impacting their overall success.
Freelancing is becoming more and more a part of companies’ successes as we move into the future of work. Freelancers are effectively independent contractors with frequent and varying project work. It’s often a viable, cost-effective way to get top-level talent.
LINKS
Matthew Coatney on LinkedIn
https://www.matthewcoatney.com/
Welcome back to the Catapulting Commissions Podcast with your host, Anthony Garcia. Today’s guest is widely regarded as a legend in the sales field. Dan Casetta is an author, podcast host, and rose the ranks to become the most successful field manager in Vector/Cutco history leading the company’s growth from $14 million in sales to over $300 million. Now I’m grateful to he runs the company’s Western Region, producing over $30 million in sales per year.
Dan got his start selling knives when he was just 17. He cut his teeth in direct sales, knowing that those skills apply to all areas of life.
Dan is an expert at training and retaining the best sales professionals out there. It revolves around culture creation and building a place that’s foundation is in belonging. It’s easy to quit a job, it’s hard to quit a relationship. Things about the job that are hard are suddenly made easier when you have a community supporting you. Building that culture is all about trust. It starts with the small things--being on time, following through, etc. That foundation allows everything else to fall into place. Things like personal growth, positive focus, and the ability to change and adapt through adversity. It’s contagious. In a digital age where Zoom is king, it’s about engaging people to maintain those aspects.
For those breaking into the sales game, it’s about setting and achieving small goals. In addition, building rapport. It doesn’t have to be a long-term relationship, but creating a connection is essential. Your salesperson presentation skill are also crucial. Whatever product it is that you're selling, there are key points that must be presented. Taking massive action is critical and sales. You have to be willing to just put yourself in the game, occasionally fail, often struggle, make plenty of mistakes, and learn through that process. And during that time, you have to have the ability to maintain that positive focus. To do that, it takes self-accountability to continue to get better and hone your craft.
Being a successful salesperson and a successful sales leader are similar but in different ways. It's getting people into their own action. It's a mistake to assume that just because you're a great salesperson, you'll be a great manager. You have to be able to paint a vision for your team of what's possible for them so that they set their own goals. As a leader, your goal is to build a long-term relationship with your salespeople. The leader has to have total integrity to their word. The Spirit of cooperation is where everybody has an abundance mentality. The sharing of support starts with the leader. Outside of that, it’s about work ethic. That doesn’t mean grinding out 100 hour weeks every week, but it does mean having moments of greatness where you choose to. Developing the next leader is all about recognizing when someone is successful. Let people know what you see in them.
https://dancasetta.com/
Thanks for tuning into the Catapulting Commissions Podcast with your host, Anthony Garcia. On today’s monologue episode, Anthony is breaking down a major aspect of your sales practice that could be holding you back from achieving your goals this year--that’s being selfish. But it isn’t that simple--it’s about prioritizing just that. Join Anthony as he outlines what this means, how to avoid the pitfalls, boost yourself into next year, and catapult your commissions.
Whether or not you achieved your 2021 goals, you’re not alone. Either way, you need to understand that 1) yes, you either hit your goals or you didn’t. 2) You can’t give up on yourself. So, what is it that could be holding you back from your 2022 goals? What if you put yourself first? What if you were the priority, and the goal was secondary? We’ve dived into how you can achieve those goals before, but consider this the asterisk.
There are four ways you can show love to yourself that will help you get over the hump and power through adversity when it arises. You’re carrying a heavy load on your shoulders, so it’s critical that you take the time to do so. You weren’t the person you were 12 months ago.
The first way you can show yourself love is through taking care of your physical health. So many other aspects of your life--your relationships, your work, and your mental health will all suffer. Moving in any way you can will benefit you greatly. This is more of a mental health exercise than it is physical. Taking it seriously will offer you clarity and motivation.
Second, evaluate your personal relationships. Personal relationships in your life that bring out negative energy can have a detrimental impact to the overall process of success and goal setting. Consider who you spend the most time with within your day-to-day. Colleagues, co-workers, peers, and even significant others. If that person brings negative energy into your life, it may be time to take a closer look at what serves you from that relationship. If you love yourself, the way you're supposed to love yourself, you're not going to allow a relationship to have that type of impact on your life. If it’s not there, are you willing to do the work to get there? If not, that relationship has got to go.
Another way you can love yourself is to love your finances. When you’re stressed about money it negatively impacts personal and professional relationships. Your skills as a sales manager, partner, parent, and entrepreneur all slide when your attention is honed in on how you’ll pay your bills. The consequences are grave when you are consumed by that stress. Get a finance coach if you can--if not, there are plenty of free resources that can help you get your money in order.
Finally, and this one is tied into many of the other steps, is to prioritize your mental health. It shouldn’t be secondary. What can you do to better your mental health? Is it a staycation? Is it one of the other aspects we talked about earlier? Don’t be too proud--this is something necessary for the health of you, your relationships, and your work.
Welcome back to the Catapulting Commissions Podcast with your host, Anthony Garica. Today’s guest is visiting from New York. Amy Hrehovcik is the host of the Revenue Real Hotline. certified Sales B.A., and sales pioneer. She’s here to share with us what she’s doing and how we can have fun with what we do in sales.
Amy was raised by a Sales VP, so her relationship with sales and things related to it comes from a different perspective. For her, it's about being able to help someone hone in on what is most important to them and help them get it. Coming from a career path in politics, Amy felt like she wanted to do something true to her. Her father gave her this advice: when you work to develop your work, producers, skills, and the ability to create something from nothing, they will serve you very well throughout your career.
As a sales professional at a high level, Amy realized her passion was in sales enablement. Empowering peers and those around her became the foundation of her mindset. In a world where both consumers feel like a number, and it’s no surprise based on how salespeople are treated and trained. In many cases, it comes down to reputation and management of your reputation. Amy focused specifically on mental health, which is something that has been left out of the conversation in the past.
In regard to sales enablement, we are in a place where salespeople cannot remove themselves from their reputation. This happens when you aren’t doing a good enough job connecting and learning about your prospects. Sales professionals are taught to persuade, which doesn’t feel good. We need to shift from persuasion to influence. When we pigeonhole sales teams into working in a system that doesn’t work for them, resentment builds. If you feel this way, you’re not alone. When you’re presented with a system that doesn’t align with you, consider saying “I’ll think about that” and move forward with your process. Sales processes have been designed for the company, not the buyer. It’s about shifting the mindset and understanding buyers work on their own terms now more than ever.
LINKS
Amy Hrehovcik on LinkedIn
@amy_hrehovcik
https://revenuereal-hotline.simplecast.com/
Thanks for tuning into the Catapulting Commissions Sales Talk with your host, Anthony Garcia. This week, we’re sitting down with Sarah Jolley-Jarvis from Warwick, England. She's an international best-selling author and speaker, and she is helping businesses secure more sales. She’s going to break down her Selling Without Sleaze philosophy and share how she catapults her and her team’s commissions.
Sarah’s brand, Selling Without Sleaze, is built around helping people with sales techniques where they don't actually have to feel compromised, as far as their own ethics are concerned.
When we think about leads, there are two totally different skillsets: generation and conversion--convoluting the two is not a good idea. Sarah works with clients who may not be ready to scale up either through paid ads or otherwise. Sometimes it’s about nailing down your messaging before you put your product under a microscope. Throwing money at Facebook ads when your messaging isn’t clear is just paying for feedback--you can get that for free. Get your organic engagement in a healthy place first.
Sarah’s mission is to show people you can do sales successfully without having to sell yourself without having to do things that don't sit right with you. It's about equipping people with the resources with the tools with the skills to be able to go out and sell their product to their ideal clients.
Salespeople can be trained, Sarah says. There's a lot of skills you can take from normal life -- a lot of scenarios where you're naturally selling. You're just taking those skills, they're all rough around the edges, and you're molding them into something a lot more succinct.
Being introverted doesn’t mean you won’t have success in sales. At the same time, it’s important to get out there. You wouldn't let your best friend pass by an opportunity. If you're really passionate about your product, and your product can truly help that perfect customer, are you really going to sit by and let that person sail past when they could have been a perfect example of how great your offering is? Sometimes, you just need that person to get you to that point. Confidence comes from structure, and that doesn’t mean reading off a script. It’s about having signposts that can guide your conversations.
So, how do you close without the sleaze? It’s about understanding whether it's a want or a need, how important it is, what the priority is for them, and you're driving it based on what their needs are, and what their outlook is. The customer should be doing most of the talking. Then you'd move on to explaining and relating how your product and its features and benefits relate to that need.
Thanks for tuning into the Catapulting Commissions Podcast with your host, Anthony Garica. Today, Anthony is sitting down with Raphael Collazo, a commercial real estate agent who has seen massive success thanks to his ability to pivot in a time of turmoil and launch his business into success.
When Raphael first got into sales, he wasn’t sure what to expect, but he did know that in order to be successful, he had to produce on a consistent level. Just as he was getting his name out there, the pandemic hit. Conversations suddenly came to a halt. In that moment, he knew he had to make the move online. He began producing Youtube videos and before long, he had a community of 600 members in his LinkedIn Group. Now, the results start to pay off.
Raphael built his success in a way other than the tried-and-true calling prospects dozens of times. He knew it would take time to build a personal brand. It’s about consistent action. When you’re interacting with a potential client, they have to know you, like you, and trust you. For that to happen, a video of you allows them an opportunity to get insight into your personality. That way when you meet them in a social setting, they feel like they already know you. It breaks down the barrier of initial trust.
Imposter syndrome--so many sales professionals face this challenge every day, but especially when moving into a new or unknown space. The key is to have the confidence to trust the process in becoming a good communicator and translate that to wherever your audience lives.
Raphael’s new book, “Before You Sign That Lease” is a comprehensive guide to commercial real estate. Especially as a start-up, signing a bad lease can cripple you in a big way. First and foremost, evaluate if you really need a space--don’t get trapped into thinking having a space legitimizes your business. Don’t rely on residential leasing experience for commercial--it’s an entirely different beast. Knowing and understanding different kinds of leases, how costs factor in, and risk all play a major part in choosing where to land.
Competition in a sales space is natural and occurs frequently. Raphael suggests focusing on something you can produce with confidence. Consistency combats limiting beliefs! Start by documenting your journey of professional development and consider producing content based on that. There aren’t a lot of people doing this on a consistent basis.
https://www.raphaelcollazo.com/
Welcome back to the Cataptuling Commissions Sales Talk with your host, Anthony Garcia. Today, we’re sitting down with Anthony for a monologue episode in which he’s discussing a recent blog he wrote entitled “Don’t Let ‘The Great Resignation’ Impact Your Salesforce.” We’ll break down why is turnover important, and how you can prevent its impact.
“The Great Resignation” is a term that was first coined by Philip Kane in an article from 2019. He writes about its impact today and how it continues to happen. In June 3.9 million people voluntarily quit their jobs. A survey of over 30,000 workers conducted by Microsoft found that 41% of the people are considering quitting. In his article that the cost of turnover is expensive, especially at this rate. The bottom line here is if you feel this way, you're not alone. But let’s dive into why it’s happening.
The reality of corporate America is businesses want to provide revenue and pay their shareholders. The disconnect between caring for people over profit can be helped by prioritizing the people. If you’re acting in a narcissistic, quota-first mentality, there’s a good chance your team is thinking of joining the resignation movement. You may get a short-term burst by putting profit over people, but in the long-term, it’ll lead to burnout.
Every sales corporation claims to put people over profit, but the time is now to walk the walk. People want to perform at a high level. If you exploit and take this for granted, they’ll take that foundational talent elsewhere. We’re talking about a heightened level of empathy. Sales professionals have families, and their worlds are turned upside-down right now. Their lives are filled with uncertainty. Let people know it is okay to take some time for your family first because we're always going to be here, we're always going to drive the number we're always going to get it. You always find a way to succeed, you just need someone to support you along the way. When it happens, people will run through a brick wall.
It’s also important to realize all your reps are consuming news in today’s age that can absolutely suck the life out of them. No matter where they fall on the political spectrum, information is out there and easy to find, and it can be overwhelming. Empathize and touch-base to see how people are doing mentally. Listen to what they have to say and connect with them on a human level first. Compassionate listening is how you can demonstrate how much you care about your team as people first. Remember--any time you give a command, consider what’s in it for your team. Don’t stop holding people accountable for their responsibilities, but also take into account the compliment sandwich. Put your ask between two opportunities to improve. Sometimes it’s less about an iron fist and more about a compassionate heart.
Thanks for joining us for another episode of the Catapulting Commissions Sales Talk with your host, Anthony Garcia. Our very first guest on the show is here again--Lauren Gibbs, Olympic medalist, conversationalist, sales guru, and manager. Today, she’s back to share with us her growth and approach to success on every level.
The last time Lauren and Anthony spoke, Lauren had just won silver at the Olympics. Now, she’s looking ahead to Bejing 2020. This time around, it looks a little bit different--she’s at the end of her career, COVID has taken its toll, taking on a full-time job, among other pressures. Not only has she taken on so much, but she’s performing at the highest possible level in everything she’s doing. The training looks and feels different and requires a different mentality. It’s one thing to reach a certain level of greatness, but it’s a different beast to maintain that level of greatness. Now, the motivation is different. You have to find a reason to keep going, not get there. For Lauren, she wants to see how good she could be. Consistency, muscle memory, and being able to show up and be excellent at any point drives her. Success is identifying opportunities and running with them. You always have the power to leave whenever you want, but if you’re going to do it, do it to the best of your ability. Otherwise, what’s the point? Just like winning, quitting is habit-forming. That’s the mentality.
It’s hard to go from the highest level of competition back to everyday life. Lauren’s advice to those who are next up to find massive success and return to normalcy is this: reflect. Think about the things you do and don’t enjoy and identify what was integral to your success. Remember the work you had to do to get there, which can be scary, but find the little things you can do that can get you, and keep you, there. You can’t skip steps.
Lauren is currently the Director of External Sales at Parity, where her mission is to improve the lives of athletes and their families and close the pay gap for female professional athletes’ sponsorships. There, she connects with brands with women athletes to promote and amplify brands while getting women paid. Her process is the same no matter the scale--it’s the sales professionals who overthink and muddy their sales process. Every level deserves the same effort.
Lauren’s speaking career is a major part of how she motivates people. She did a TEDx talk, and from there she got herself out there. Through social media, LinkedIn, and other important connections, she was able to share her goals with others. Then, your network builds and feedback rolls in. When you surround yourself with great people, you do great things.
LINKS
https://paritynow.co/
@lagibbs84 on Instagram and TikTok
LinkedIn: Lauren Gibbs
Today on the Catapulting Commissions show is a guest very near to Anthony’s heart--in fact, he was his mentor. Visiting us is JP Arlie, a legendary salesperson and sales leader at Cutco, now in a senior management position at Vivint. JP and Anthony are going to sit down to break down some essential tactics and key skills salespeople and sales leaders can use to bring their operation to the next level and develop methods necessary for success.
JP and Anthony dive into the episode by breaking down how we can develop a sales representative under such extenuating circumstances. For JP, it’s all about managing a master life calendar--somewhere where you can see everything laid out in front of you and keep track of the relationships important to you. He recommends bookending breaks in interaction to maintain influence as you develop your team. By having a calendar, you ensure that you’re keeping up the trust you’ve built by showing up every time. As JP says, “What is right is what is agreed upon in advance.”
When you’re a new leader, building and retaining trust can be a massive challenge. JP reminds us that having a clear 30-60-90 day plan for your work is essential--both in promoting and being promoted. In many cases, that first 30 days should be all about relationships--learning about your team, establishing connections, and laying the foundation of trust. Additionally, having teams that are young and malleable and those who have been doing the same thing for a long time will necessitate different approaches to leadership. Give yourself time to earn the respect of your peers--remember, you got the opportunity for a reason that wasn’t always just management.
From both sides, it’s crucial to be clear on how you are best managed--if something isn’t going to work for you, it’s okay to let your boss know. Saying “This is what I need from you” is okay! That makes leadership easy. In cases where there is shyness, approaching the situation by meeting them where they are is the way to go. They won’t be shy in every environment. Find out where they want to go and help them get there. In JP’s house, the number one rule is telling the truth. They understand that they won’t get in trouble if they tell the truth the first time. That concept can be applied to sales leadership. If you punish someone for coming to you with feedback, they won’t do it again.
Leadership and friendship can be a complicated relationship, but there are certainly benefits. JP would rather cry with someone at the end than run an inefficient team and not achieve with them. Sometimes it doesn’t work out, sometimes somebody moves on. But because you gained trust, there is an amount of respect that has been built up. While they are there, it’s important to maintain an authentic connection with your team. Anthony adds that being friends is okay, but we need to work together to get things done. Lead from the heart and work with people you enjoy being around. In situations where there is underperformance, it often falls on the sales leader. Getting to the root of “why” they’re working is a key step in allowing them to perform at their highest capacity. Give them 30 minutes every week and guarantee facetime, then if someone ends up leaving, they are in control and they are making the choice for themselves.
JP and Anthony chat about his role at the Professional Leadership Program at the Harvard Business School and lets us know that it doesn’t matter what you’re selling or who you are, you operate with confidence. If your confidence is high, your performance is high.
Tune in to listen to JP’s 1-minute answer to becoming a leader in sales.
LINKS
@jparlie on Twitter
Welcome back to the Catapulting Commissions podcast with your host, Anthony Garcia. Today’s guest is Robert Gonzales. Robert is the COO and Co-founder of MyBooks.Pro, which offers profitability and bookkeeping services to real estate agents, sales professionals, and investors. Before founding MyBooks.PRO, Robert was the National Sales Trainer at Trumaker and the National Sales Director at VP Marketing Solutions. He was responsible for recruiting, training, and developing Sales Representatives (Outfitters) throughout Northern California and other major markets in Denver, NYC, Seattle, & LA. He created and refined a full sales program for VP Marketing Solution in addition to onboarding Sales Reps (territory leads). During his time there, annual sales grew from $1 Million in 2013 to $4 million the next year, and again to $7 Million in 2015. Before that, Robert build is foundational knowledge of sales at Vector Marketing as a District Manager of the #1 sales team in 2009.
On today’s show, Anthony and Robert are going to dive in and discuss how sales professionals and entrepreneurs can keep more of the money they make. How do we become more profitable in today’s climate?
First, Robert talks about some of the lessons he learned early in his career that has given him lifelong practices. For Robert, sales begin by transferring enthusiasm from one person to another. Management was the same thing--transferring that enthusiasm to your team who can offer it to their clients. He also remembers trying to balance the excitement of running a business and managing a team and the reality of keeping tabs on everything that comes with being in charge of an enterprise.
Robert then breaks down how he developed and wrote a sales curriculum and sales training materials for his team. He says it mostly comes from his own experience as a sales representative, but he also pulls from the feedback he got from the expertise he shares with his team and their clients. This allows him to gather a wealth of knowledge on what clients like, dislike, and their perspective. He quickly learned that a major component of building a relationship with a client is understanding how they feel.
Now, Robert works as the COO of MyBooks.Pro. He is in the business of profitability coaching, which gets to the core of today’s episode--how can entrepreneurs keep more of the money they make? Robert breaks it down to two categories: sell more and spend less. Selling more is certainly more fun, but Robert is in the business of helping you spend less.
Robert dives into some mistakes that some entrepreneurs make in their first year of doing business that has a direct impact on their income. The first, he says, isn’t actually related to sales. It’s spending outside of their means. There are countless numbers of examples of people who feel like they aren’t making enough money, when really, they are spending too much. Living like a broke college kid can go a long way. Entrepreneurs are the most sold to business demographics. There will always be expenses. It’s important to be sure about your revenue before deciding how much to spend.
It’s important to prioritize what you need to spend money on as a business owner. Robert says it’s important to ask “is this essential?” and then if it’s a yes or maybe answer, ask “how much revenue is this generating?” It can be as small as $30 a month. That adds up! Are you getting that much value out of it? It’s also important to keep track of overdraft fees. Those can haunt you when your paycheck comes.
Robert and Anthony discuss in-depth becoming incorporated, self-employment taxes and separating business and personal expenses to keep more money.
What You’ll Learn
In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Robert Gonzalez dive in and discuss how sales professionals and entrepreneurs can keep more of the money they make. How do we become more profitable in today’s climate?
Links
Special offer for listeners: A free Strategy Session with Robert at calendly.com/mybookspro
Mybooks.pro
@askrogo on Instagram and LinkedIn
Thanks for tuning in and welcome back to the Catapulting Commissions podcast with your host, Anthony Garcia. On today’s episode, Anthony is sitting down with his guest, John Israel. He’s the founder and Chief Gratitude Officer of Mr. Thank You, a consulting firm focused on client and employee retention. John is one of the most sought after speakers and trainers who teaches companies big and small how to become irreplaceable by creating thriving relationships both inside and outside the organization. His work has been featured on ABC News, Fox News, and Good Morning America. In October 2016, John’s love of people lead him to start a social experiment that became a book and TEDx talk and then eventually the Mr. Thank You project.
The Mr. Thank You Project started when John was selling Cutco knives as a young man. He had built a relationship with a customer who eventually ended up canceling her order. Naturally, John was impacted by this, but not in the way he thought. It wasn’t the lost sale that he was upset about, but the relationship itself. After a conversation with his mom, he decided to write a letter of gratitude to that customer. The thing about gratitude, John says, is that it’s a reflective state. You have to pause and think about the experience and ask “what is good about this?” A few years later, that same customer called back asking to place an order larger than any in John’s career. Suddenly, it was clear. People want to feel like a person, not a customer.
This experience kickstarted the Mr. Thank You Project, which began as a commitment to handwrite 5 thank you cards every day for a year. When he speaks to companies about loyalty, he speaks to them about gratitude.
Today, he gives keynote presentations that inform companies on how they can become irreplaceable. As our society moves further and further into automation, it’s hard to compete. In fact, there are many jobs that have as high as 98% likelihood of being automated in the next 20 years. The question John looks to answer is what is that 2%? It’s the human aspect that cannot be imitated. There are three aspects that allow people to stay relevant:
Next, John talks about how to apply it. It starts with getting connected. Think about interpersonal, everyday relationships. What goes into a relevant relationship? There are three questions you want to know the answers to.
By keeping these in mind, you stay irreplaceable. Until then, you become a commodity.
John talks about how to apply all of this, how to acknowledge difficult times, and how we can be better, irreplaceable sales leaders.
What You’ll Learn
On today’s show, John Israel fills us in on what it means to be truly grateful and how we can use gratitude to create meaningful, genuine relationships that last (and pay off).
LINKS
@themrthankyou on Social Media
mrthankyou.com/ir
Welcome back to the Catapulting Commissions Sales Talk with your host, Anthony Garcia. This week, Anthony is coming at you solo, and he’s going to break down, unravel, and dissect everything surrounding consulting. How valuable is experience? Today, listen to Anthony’s monologue as he shares with us his personal experience, perspective, and advice when working with consultants.
Anthony starts us off by reminding us to ask ourselves these questions when interviewing a consultant: what will I gain by working with this consultant that I can’t get by myself? Sometimes, it’s a different perspective that brings a valuable lens to help you identify new opportunities, new avenues for revenue, and new salesforce additions. That relationship can be positive in that the consultant is objective, brings years of experience, and confidence in their trade.
When Anthony mention’s ‘years of experience’ he isn’t talking about years in age. If you bring success to 10 companies just this year, you have 10 years worth of experience.
As a business owner bringing a consultant into your world, the next question you need to ask is this: is this person credible? Do they have the authority to speak on what they are speaking about? This is a tough one because when you do your research, social media simply isn’t enough. Think about their consistency, impact, and demonstrable results as they relate to the work you do. That’s how you separate the pros and the shows. Pros can easily provide you with quality referrals, they’re transparent about what they can and can’t do, and are generally really good salespeople. But when it comes to execution, you’ll see some discrepancies.
The third thing to look for when hiring a consultant, is the guarantee they provide. What they can offer is everything. Some will go as far as to refund their fees if they don’t generate their guaranteed revenue increase. That’s where rubber meets the road--how comfortable and confident are they in identifying this opportunity? Build a structure for your consultant that works for you. Do you need a salesperson? Someone to identify opportunities? They need to stand behind what they do.
Anthony’s advice to those trying to grow their consultant business or if you’re just trying to grow a business in general: you only have one reputation. Protect it at all costs. There should never be a time where it’s questioned, and if it is, do everything in your power to redeliver the results you were entrusted to do. If you lose that, your marketplace is small, and your reputation precedes you.
When do you start closing your prospect? At what point do you ask for them to say yes? This problem can lead to a lot of headache and lower commissionable dollars. The answer is this: you start influencing that decision process from the first interaction. But just because you know you have a sales process doesn’t mean it’ll be executed properly. Today’s Friday Focus is breaking down how you can start selling from the beginning and close more deals.
Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of the Catapulting Commissions Sales Talk with your host, Anthony Garcia. Our guest today is Zee Slingsby--she’s a health and wellness coach, but also a lifelong sales and business guru. She laid her foundation in door-to-door sales and landed in sales leadership. She’s passionate about building people up to become successful leaders. Today, we’re breaking down her mentality and how she elevates those around her.
From the get-go, Zee found herself searching for places she could help her fellow salespeople out. It started as something she just liked doing, but then she realized it was a better fit for her than what she was currently doing. She was excited by everything that comes with a sales leadership position--watching people develop their skills, the excitement of month-end work, you name it. Now, she’s in the health and wellness space--something she’s passionate about inside and out. But, that doesn’t mean she isn’t still a business coach. She helps women run, live, and grow their own fitness businesses. Especially as mothers and parents, it’s important to be physically and mentally emotionally healthy.
Zee’s leadership style has evolved over time. In corporate America, you’re interviewing first. You’re looking for someone who is going to fit the model and philosophy of the company. In the roles you’re filling, like anything else in life, there is a phase where you’re past the honeymoon, and the reality of a position sets in. Many leaders resisted that moment of discovery, but Zee embraced it. Now that she isn’t anyone’s boss anymore, Zee’s style has changed. She shows up for the people who choose to do the work. She shares resources and coaches, but she can’t force anyone to do anything. Zee runs alongside people--no one gets fired. There are no quotas set, no goals too small or too big, just make sure you’re doing the work. Zee’s role is to push you to wherever you want to end up. She believes in helping her team truly understand what it’ll take and committing to it. Effective leaders, Anthony adds, manage people to their dreams, not the company’s goal.
Don’t skip over the challenges you’ll face as a leader. If you try to jump through all the moments where it’s hard, you’re going to miss out on a massive opportunity to learn and grow, and eventually become a better leader. Do the personal development, and everything will improve. Return to “how do I help somebody?” If you’re running your own business, share value even if it doesn’t pay you. Offer your audience the trust that they’ll never know what you’re getting paid for and what you aren’t. You can avoid that icky sales feeling by ensuring that what you’re providing will always be helpful. Give more than what you’re asking for in return.
Often, failure is a big deterrent to growth for sales people. But even beyond that, it’s failing in front of others and/or those you care about. Ask yourself, “what’s the worst that could happen?” What does failure look like and what result are you afraid of? Usually, that's unknown. The only thing people will see is if you quit. So, let’s not quit! There will be posts that don’t get public interaction immediately, but that doesn’t mean the value isn’t there. People are watching. Keep doing the action to get better at it. The community you’ll build over time will absolutely be there to cheer you on in your stories and posts. There is authentic care that is shared and invested. You’ll get more the more you put into it.
Zee’s company is called Shaklee. She’s bringing the work they do to social media. They’ve been well-loved for years, proof, and an incredible foundation for health and wellness. Zee helps people get healthy and build a business with a child on their lap. She reminds us when you transition from one company to another, do it in a clean, respectful, and amenable way. With that being said, don’t change your standard of living when you make that transition, and make sure you won’t have to.
LINKS
https://zeeslingsby.com/
zee.slingsby on Instagram
Have you ever wondered how you could create a clear, open line of communication with either your new manager or your new hire? When you’re new to a company or are working with someone new, communication requires a lot of initial work upfront. But, if established correctly, it’s well worth it. Today’s Friday Focus is breaking down how you can get that vital line of communication open often and early.
Welcome back to the Catapulting Commissions Sales Talk with your host, Anthony Garcia. We’re back with Part 2 of our conversation with Ashley South, National Executive Director of Color Street and CEO of Ashley’s Nail Addiction. Today, they’re continuing their conversation surrounding sales and breaking down Ashley’s perspective on sales leadership.
We met Ashley last episode where she shared how she made the transition from a “traditional” job to sales leadership.
Ashley believes ‘motivation’ can be misleading. Many people believe that you need to feel motivated at all times in order to show up to achieve their goals. The truth is, motivation isn’t constant. It’s not always rainbows and unicorns. You make the decision to run a business--you show up whether you feel motivated or not. You have to keep the doors open. As Anthony puts it--motivation without execution is just waste.
Ashley has developed dozens of leaders, she feels that there are natural-born leaders, but that isn’t the only way to become a leader. With the right nurturing, people without that natural edge can still be incredible leaders. If you don’t believe that, you’re missing out on a lot of talented people. The number one job to do as a sales leader is to recruit, develop, and retain top talent. You’re selling and executing the dream, not the product. The culture you create will reflect that. It’s hard to walk away from a culture that you want to be a part of, and it’s attractive to want to be a part of for new talent. Empower your team to get something out of their life that they don’t yet see for themself.
Failure is a part of the job. The difference maker that sets apart a bump in the road from a catastrophe is shifting the mindset. You have to prepare for failure and talk yourself into coming in if it happens. It is learning--the more you’re willing to fail and the higher tolerance you have, the more successful you can be.
Ashley and Anthony flip the tables and Ashley asks a few of her own questions. The first of which being redefining goals as you find more success. The goal has to get bigger and scarier--that’s it. You get to a point where it’s not always monetary. Have some people count on you, that’s the simplest way to get there. Accountability goes a long way. From there, think legacy. There’s wealth, generational wealth, and generational legacy. It’s easy to pass down money to your kids--what about their kids? And those after that? Create an independent drive.
Excuses always rear their head when goals aren’t met. Anthony’s least favorite is when someone doesn’t even try. If you don’t try, that means you believed the circumstances and refused to apply your skills. You need to care more about your success than your manager. Communicate what will happen when failure happens.
Ashley and Anthony are partnering in an exciting new collaboration. Everyone on Ashley’s team will be reading the Catapulting Commissions book as a part of their book club, which will be followed by a goals workshop with Anthony, who will be speaking on the topics covered in the book.
Interested in doing the same? Reach out to Anthony’s team to find ways to collaborate.
LINKS
http://ashleysnailaddiction.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ashleysnailaddiction/
So, you just landed a new job at a new company. The question now bears itself: how can you make an immediate impact? When you’re an overperformer, you’re looking to achieve at the highest level possible. But, ambition can be met with challenges. Today’s Friday Focus is breaking down two factors that are constant and will directly impact your success.
Welcome back to the Catapulting Commissions Sales Talk with your host, Anthony Garcia. Today’s guest is Ashley South, National Executive Director of Color Street and CEO of Ashley’s Nail Addiction. She found her stride in sales, quickly becoming a top performer in her space and steadily rising as a leader in sales. She manages a team of 1,600 people and finds joy in being authentically herself. This week, we’re diving into her success.
Ashley is the elite of the elite in her company, but has no background in sales or business. She got her start during an online party a friend was hosting to share the nail system she now sells. Ashley wasn’t big on sales, but the barrier of entry was low and there was little risk. So, she signed up to have fun with it and ended up paying off medical bills, paying off credit cards, student loans, you name it. It wasn’t easy, but she doesn’t have a special sauce. Ashley has a powerful combination of consistency and zero fear of failure. That willingness to mess up allows her to take risks and find success through failure. Anyone can do that if they are willing to put in the work.
Ashley’s advice: you’re a salesperson before you start selling. When you find a product that you use and are passionate about, using social selling to maximize your efficacy comes easy. You don’t have to be good on social media -- just be relatable. Be a human and people will respect that.
Here’s the question: can direct sales be a lifelong opportunity for everybody? For Ashely, sales aren’t for everybody. But, for those who want to learn it, live it, and commit to it, it’s entirely achievable. So, how do we combat the stigma surrounding direct sales? The thing is, it requires an amount of relationship building and connection. It gets a bad rap when people aren’t authentic. Bring your real self to the table and you can avoid the heebie-jeebies. Getting leads in that space takes tact. Hosting parties where friend circles can join allow for natural, organic referrals to happen. By doing that, even if people aren’t interested, there’s a good chance they know someone. That way, you don’t have to creep into people's inboxes. Don’t always try to sell to people--just be friends with them. Build trust first, it’s not rocket science! The point is, you have to long-game it. It’s not an instant gratification--set expectations that are realistic and allow you to grow into those goals.
The biggest reward Ashely found when she transitioned from the stability and safety that comes with a job in law enforcement is freedom. Ashley can sell flexibility and freedom--something many people crave now more than ever. Quality of life is more important than ever. You’re replaceable at work, but you’re the most important person in your home. It’s not worth losing important time with your family for that check when you can have both. What it takes is putting in the work, finding the time, and grinding out what you need to do to become not just a salesperson, but a sales leader.
LINKS
http://ashleysnailaddiction.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ashleysnailaddiction/
What mistakes do people make when they first get promoted to sales leadership? There are three major missteps that can delay the growth and progression of those you lead. So, how do you lead a team and excel in your new role? Today’s Friday Focus is breaking down those moments so you can effectively maximize your sales team.
Welcome back to the Catapulting Commissions Sales Talk with your host, Anthony Garcia! On today’s show, Anthony sits down with Anton Gunn, former Senior Advisor to Barack Obama, author, speaker, and leader in the consulting space. He was the first African American in history elected to the South Carolina legislature. He’s spent his life building diverse, high-performing teams in world-class leadership culture.
Anton’s background and history is one that he has kept close to him in his personal and professional spaces. Four--yes, four--generations of Anton’s family have served in the military. And that same service-based mentality translates into the leadership work Anton does today. He emphasizes the importance of coming from a place of service first. He breaks it down into three questions that leaders should be able to not only talk about but act on.
That same mentality overlaps with many aspects of leadership. Anthony and Anton discuss diversity and inclusivity, and how these topics start from the top down but are seen and heard from the bottom up.
They go on to talk about communication. More specifically, how consistency impacts your company's turnover. The most successful companies, Anton says, have two things: good habits, and good rituals. It’s one thing to make a statement, but it’s another to do it every day. A good ritual sets you up for success.
Anton’s tip is the “Sacred 60.” This is an hour of your day, every day, where you make it a point to touch base and connect with those you lead, uninterrupted. Showing your care makes a massive difference. When you only care about outcomes, they’ll quit on you. People won’t quit on those they care about. When people leave, it’s more often NOT about pay and more about a toxic culture. In short, to lower that turnover, improve the workplace culture. People are more than a cog in a wheel--treat them like it!
Being vulnerable, Anton says, is how you build trust. Be transparent about what motivates you. As a leader, connecting on a friendship level doesn’t have to be buddy-buddy, but there is mutual trust.
Anton walks us through some of the concepts in his book, Presidential Principals. He titled his book based on his understanding that the President is the highest office, or leader, or influencer, or impactful person in our world today. When you’re in that position, you have a disproportionate ability to impact lives beyond those who you see every day. Even today, we feel the impact of past Presidents. His book lets us know that you don’t have to be president to have the same sort of impact. Inspire people to action and leave a lasting impact. The most authentic leaders are living proof of what you do. Here, leadership is a verb, not a noun.
Finally, Anton shares his experience working with President Barack Obama. There are a few pillars to emulate:
What You’ll Learn
In today’s episode, Anton Gunn shares with us his tips on shifting culture in the workplace. He talks about his practice, building habits and rituals, and how to make a lasting, meaningful impact on the world.
LINKS
Antongunn.com
Anton J. Gunn on LinkedIn
Also on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
Get a free chapter from Anton Gunn’s best-selling book The Presidential Principles: https://www.antongunn.com/freechapter
https://www.amazon.com/Presidential-Principles-Inspire-Action-Lasting-ebook-dp-B07H7W8BZH/dp/B07H7W8BZH/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=
How many time have you heard the phrase "work smarter, not harder"? Anthony breaks down the 4 ways to do just that in sales.
1) Track your results, not your activity level.
2) Create a daily/weekly routine.
3) QUIT MULTITASKING. It does not exist.
4) Automate your tasks. Especially automate non-revenue generating tasks.
Thanks for tuning into the Catapulting Commissions Sales Talk with your host, Anthony Garcia. This week on the show, Anthony is sitting down with Casey Jacox, a devoted father, husband, coach, friend, and business leader who strives to lead by example through authenticity and positivity. Casey has over 20 years of sales and business experience where he left his company as the all-time leading salesperson, and today, he’s sharing how adversity shaped his success.
Adversity has helped Casey build a foundation for success in many aspects of his life. From his perspective, it’s how you learn and grow. In school, Casey was a quarterback who found himself competing for the starting job. He invested months of every ounce of hard work he had in his body. When it finally paid off and he got the starting position, it led to him winning Most Outstanding Quarterback at a college camp, which resulted in serious recruiting attention and intention. The stars had aligned until his senior year when, in the last game of preseason, he broke his foot. The QB that replaced him found massive success while Casey sat and watched. He was feeling sorry for himself and was dealing with massive shame. That lesson taught him the importance of asking for help to overcome adversity. At that moment, his coach offered him an offensive coordinator role. Clarity, purpose, and meaning flooded in and shaped him in his personal and professional life.
That same lesson led him to being a top sales leader at his company and prepared him for the similar flop and adversity that comes in the professional space. As a sales leader, consider ‘how do I get them to where they want to go?’ In his personal life, it applies to parenting--all because adversity builds motivation and education. From a dad’s perspective, Casey sees adversity as a massive learning moment.
The ability to hold 10 years at the top of sales in his company came from the mentality that anything and everything could be taken away at any moment (sound familiar?). You are only as good as your last rep. Casey never wanted to be the person who burnt out. It took an intense amount of consistency, clarity of goals, purpose, and coachability. Have the basic mindset of treating others the way you want to be treated. Enter the office with a servant mindset. Set expectations, focus on listening, and document everything. Check your ego at the door and have patience in the process. Don’t let the house fall over while you build it.
Employees work with “what’s in it for me” on their minds. As a sales leader, bridging that came is as simple as this: You are what you allow. Humility plus vulnerability equals leadership. Do not be afraid to ask for help, feedback, or advice from the people you manage. No one is good without practice, and practicing on your clients isn’t the move. Sometimes you have to believe in the call that your coach calls--sales is the same way. Encourage those you manage to prepare. Create a learning environment where you ‘watch film’ to get better.
Adversity can often snap someone back into reality and growth. Early in his career, Casey experienced a situation where he was given direction that resulted in him losing an account he had been working on. In that moment, he was faced with a divergence--he could sit in negative energy, or use it to propel him to his next client and make it his best yet. Failing is authentic and can lead to better things.
Casey’s book WIN the RELATIONSHIP, not the DEAL: Six Common Sense Strategies to Succeed in Life & Business breaks down what it takes to truly catapult your commissions. Firstly, start your day with positivity and treat those around you as you want to be treated. Second, expectation management. Third, listening versus hearing. Fourth, documentation. Five, ditch your ego. And six, have patience. If you can win a person, you win future deals. When you win a deal, it could fall apart. The long-term vision centered on the customer is what will land meaningful deals.
LINKS
https://www.caseyjacox.com/
https://www.amazon.com/Casey-Jacox/e/B083PRZLR8?ref_=dbs_p_pbk_r00_abau_000000
One of the most impactful and powerful self-developing choices Anthony has made in his sales career was to read a book. Not just any books, but some high-powered, meaningful, and intentional pieces that can make a real difference. On today’s Friday Focus, Anthony is sharing the top five books that he found value in.
Thanks for tuning into the 100th episode of the Catapulting Commissions Sales Talk with your host, Anthony Garcia. Thank you for listening! The journey has been incredible so far and we’re excited for the next 100. Today, Anthony is breaking down 3 things he wishes he knew sooner, 3 wins, and 3 challenges when it comes to the show.
We’re just getting started with the Catapulting Commissions podcast. In the first 100 episodes, the podcast has gone from almost zero listeners to building a loyal following of fans. The name itself--Catapulting Commissions Podcast--was named after Anthony’s international best-selling book and has become trademarked, exclusive to Anthony’s brand. At the end of 2021, Anthony is launching the Catapulting Commission’s Sales Agency, further growing the brand.
Anthony dives into 3 challenges he’s run into on his journey of the first 100 episodes of the podcast.
First, imposter syndrome. When you’re trying to generate revenue through yourself, it’s easy to struggle with this problem. It always hits the further you get in your journey. The thought “you don’t belong to do XYZ with XYZ because you’re not qualified.” All these things come to mind, it happens to everyone, and it can cloud your progress.
The second mistake was booking people for the show. In the beginning, it was intimidating to have guests on the show. With some high-powered guests, it is hard to convince oneself that the show is worth their time. Getting rejected was difficult, but now that the show has grown, it has little effect on how great the show is.
Thirdly, the desire to be impressive, entertaining, and valuable can pull you out of yourself and turn you into something you aren’t. Great interviews can happen, but being too corporate isn’t authentic. The real you is the best version. At the end of the day, it’s better to be that than someone you’re not.
You can’t make mistakes without having some victories.
First, once Anthony had the confidence to be on his own show, he had the confidence to be on other shows. Being a guest on other, bigger shows is not only fun, but it’s helpful and a useful tool to solidify the Catapulting Commissions brand and spread the good word. When they hear you, they can come find you.
Secondly, having the ability to speak and share a message with other people is incredible. Having the live, keynote interaction is something really special. While events have been paused, the conversations built a platform and re-introduced Anthony to speaking events.
Third--there are two guests that were on the show that were on Anthony’s vision board when he launched. Rory Vaden and John Lee Dumas are some of the most experienced, intelligent, and successful figures in sales, and became guests of the show and shared some incredible value.
Finally, three things Anthony wishes he knew when he first started the Catapulting Commissions podcast.
Number one: hire a “Tara” sooner. Tara is the executive assistant for the show, and she has done nothing but made the show and brand better. She has elevated the quality of Catapulting Commissions and become a genuine game-changer. Hiring her and getting the process locked down early on would’ve only sped up the growth.
Number two: promoting episodes. Right now, everything is competing for attention. True promotion--getting it out on LinkedIn, paying for ads on the right episode, and getting the show in front of potential audience members makes a huge difference.
Number three: using video. In the beginning, the show was audio-only. Video content has been incredibly impactful in a time where ‘windshield time’ didn’t exist. Using video makes the content more accessible and available in different forms.
One of the biggest challenges outside leaders have is not seeing their team daily--they may not work in the same office, the team is spread out or traveling in the field. Trying to manage in that ecosystem can be difficult, but getting in the field with your team is absolutely essential. The most important aspect of the leadership position is spending time with those who trust you. Today’s Friday Focus: 3 ways to better prioritize that valuable time.
Welcome back to this week’s episode of the Catapulting Commissions podcast with your host, Anthony Garcia. Our guest today is Riccelli Mordecai, a lifelong hustler from Rio de Janeiro and an author, personal development, and marketing expert with more than 20 years of professional experience. She’s here to break down her assessment techniques and talk about sales, recruitment, and retention.
Riccelli’s book What Dog am I? certainly stands out. The premise of the book is this: there are differing personality types among individuals. This book not only acts as a simple way to assess and understand personalities, but it also nudges us to learn more about who someone really is. Through 4 different breeds of dogs, Riccelli is able to do just that. She can look at a person and know what dog they are--that can tell her a lot about a person. Her book shares what to look for. It’s a simple, yet effective way to understand what motivates people and encourage that behavior to maximize potential.
The first dog in this process is Saint Bernard. This is a laid-back caregiver that is motivated by a cause. These people seek to benefit others and the greater good. They feel like a warm blanket on a cold day. That greater good impacts every choice in their life.
In contrast, the Doberman is the visionary. They seek prestige and profit. Their energy can be a bit scary, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t refined. These individuals see the world as “what’s in it for me.”
Again in contrast, the Labrador is the dreamer. They are motivated by recreation, recognition, and reward. They are collaborators who thrive in situations where they can work alongside others to achieve a goal.
Finally (and in contrast once again), is the German Shepard. They need a sense of completion of a mission. They seek stability, structure, and systems to perform. Their emotional fuel is found in achieving a set objective.
The point is what drives you comes from within, but you can better yourself by becoming more refined. If you try to be something you aren’t, that refinement gets more difficult. You can learn to adapt, but there is a core truth of who you are. There are secondary, additive aspects of personalities that can enhance performance, but you are who you are, no matter the language you’re speaking.
Making that assessment quickly and effectively starts with identifying what people are not. Can you tell by their mannerisms, tone of voice, speed of speech, etc. what they are not? Chances are you can tell if someone is or isn’t a Doberman or Saint Bernard. The process of elimination allows you to get through the layers of who a person is. Think about how they talk about their jobs, their family, and what they do for fun.
Emotional fuel is based on the concept of emotional intelligence. If you don’t know what fuels your passions, you’re in trouble. A ford on the right fuel will run better than a Ferrari. When you dive into the personality types, you cater to what excites the core of what and who they are.
LINKS
https://www.amazon.com/What-Dog-practical-understanding-PERSONALITIES-ebook/dp/B07TPJCPCN
Connect on Instagram: CoachRiccelli
LinkedIn: Riccelli Mordecai
Why do some customers say yes and some no? The problem people have is they don’t fully understand the psychology of either answer. Consumers are a unique group of individuals--we purchase based on emotional needs and wants and justify with logic afterward. On today’s Friday Focus, Anthony is breaking down the reasoning behind the ‘yes’ and the ‘no’.
Today on the Catapulting Commissions podcast, Anthony is sitting down with Nigel Green, a consultant, author, and advisor who is widely regarded as the leading authority on building high-performing sales teams. He helps sales teams with large sales goals overcome underperformance to create consistent sales growth by utilizing his effective seven sales leadership principles. This week, he’s breaking down what it takes to demonstrate genuine sales leadership.
Our episode starts off with a bang. A tactic Nigel uses once a year with his team may seem extraordinary, but there’s a method to the madness. He suggests inviting your sales team to interview elsewhere every year. If they leave, then great--you did your job as a sales leader to further progress your team’s professional goals. For those who stay, there is a renewed sense of purpose and are reminded why they decided to work with you. This allows your team to focus on the tasks at hand. If you’re doing your job as a sales leader, you’re prepared to replace those who leave. This tactic is reliant on the understanding that your team knows you want the best for them. If you’re just checking boxes, you’ll have a mass resignation. Do the work and know what’s going on in their lives. Hire a team of sales reps and ensure the chemistry is there ahead of time before committing to the tactic.
It’s not management, it’s leadership. We’ve got the CRM in place to manage. It’s your job to recruit, retain, and develop. The sales narrative and the strategic narrative are very different. The strategic narrative is where the CEO sees the business going, but the sales narrative falls in your lap, and it’s shorter-sighted. Create space in your schedule to work with your team to think about how you need to pivot to serve your area. It’s not just hitting monthly targets--it’s the value you bring to bring a competitive edge to the marketplace.
There will be situations where sales reps have the mentality “I’ve hit my metrics, leave me alone.” We accept it because we’re handcuffed by top-performers who carry the team and end up making excuses or fixing problems that arise as a result of their attitude towards growth. It falls on you as a leader--you chose to keep them. You’ve got to have a plan that doesn’t just reward attainment exclusively. Move the incentive--yes, revenue is important, but if you aren’t doing other important things, then you aren’t getting the full benefit of the compensation plan. Imagine if Tom Brady told his team he was going to skip practice. It doesn’t matter that he’s a top performer, but it feels wrong. He’s not bigger than the team and the coach. It’s no different in sales.
Nigel has learned a lot about sales from an unexpected place--farmers. He noticed that despite all the uncontrollable variables--weather, temperature, product price, soil health--they produce their goods day-in, day-out. And if they don’t, they don’t consider themselves a farmer. The harvest comes from 7 careful steps being taken: planning, positioning, preparing, planting, tending, harvesting, and restoration. These principles allow them to hit the number. Nigel took those principles and overlaid them on the sales year. Positioning is crucial--it’s more than having a good plan that looks good on a spreadsheet. If it’s not positioned well, it won’t be executed. You have to do a good job of anchoring the mission to the purpose and allow the outcomes to be important to your team as much as it is important to the company. Also important is restoration--this is about bringing something back to its original state. It’s about stopping, training, and working on something that will make your team better for the next season.
LINKS
https://nigelgreen.co/
therevenueharvest.com
Nigel Green on LinkedIn
How do I become the best sales representative I can possibly be? What is the best strategy to set myself apart? Today’s Friday Focus is all about the best tool to be your best: Know your competition. How do you give your best pitches, outsell your competitors, and achieve your best sales potential. We’ll talk about how to build that knowledge and how best to use it to always keep your competitive edge!
Welcome back to the Catapulting Commissions Podcast with your host, Anthony Garcia. Today, Anthony is sitting down with Darren Reinke, founder of Group Sixty, an executive coaching and training company based in San Diego, to bring his purpose to life and to transform leaders, their teams, and their organizations. He’s diving into everything leadership and how to build those skills from the inside, out.
First things first, much of leadership is learned through experience--putting ourselves in situations that demand growth over time. Are there people who are more natural at it than others? Sure, but everyone has it within them to develop those skills.
Darren’s book, The Savage Leader: 13 Principles to Become a Better Leader from the Inside Out, was written because there’s an inner journey to connecting to your values, but also becoming more authentic. It starts from the inside--greatness is something we define individually. Darren believes to become great, you have to first have a burning desire to be great, secondly, you have to be willing to be introspective. Without accepting feedback we can’t get better. And thirdly, how do you activate those things? There, it’s about adapting your communication to your audience to what is going to motivate them most. You can empower people to become leaders this way and create a culture by investing in people.
Transitioning from a contributor to a leader of your former peers can be difficult--not everyone is equipped for that, but you have to earn it either way. Most importantly, don’t assume because your title says you’re a supervisor, that you’ve earned being a leader. Start with listening and ask people what they’re trying to achieve--what’s important to them? Check your title at the door. You’re all on the same field with the same goal, but you have different roles to reach it. Quarterbacks talk to their Wide Receivers about how/when they want the ball. Being a leader is a position of service.
Being an authentic version of yourself while being in a position of leadership can pose challenging hurdles to overcome. Darren reminds us that it comes down to your personal values and beliefs within the context of your work. The same way people have different styles of sales, styles of leadership start with your personal strengths. If you’re more authentic, you’ll be more confident. Be who you are vs. who you think you should be. When you do that, the people you lead will do it to. If you can create that alongside your team, you’re winning--talking the talk and walking the walk are two different things.
LINKS
https://www.groupsixty.com/
thesavageleader.com
@darrenreinke
https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenreinke/
Welcome back to the Catapulting Commissions podcast with your host, Anthony Garcia. Our guest today is Jefferson K. Rodgers, who worked in construction, auto mechanics, pressure washing, and door-to-door sales. Jefferson felt stuck at those jobs. He knew he was destined for more. He dreamed of having his own business now, he helps others achieve theirs.
Not long ago, Jefferson was the guy on the couch. Struggling with addiction, shifting his mentality was no easy task. He reminds us that we all have an internal voice yells at us when we are about to do something that doesn’t align with our true purpose or with who we actually are. The more we suppress that voice, the quieter it gets until you’re justifying choices that are beneficial to you anymore.
If you feel or have ever had that secret feeling, Jeffersons reminds us that we are not alone. Confronting it is a daunting task, but refocusing the energy you spend on your vices to self improvement, development, reaching your goals, you’ll meet your potential. The first step is surrounding yourself with people with high-level drive. What you’ll see sets them apart is integrity and showing up day after day, embodying what they’re talking about.
Going from zero to over $10 million in 2 years comes back to the coaching Jefferson received, which allowed him to tap into his work-ethic and maximize his skillset to grow. It’s important to develop yourself as a leader with coaching, become a culture builder, and keep perspective from those who have been successful in their own work. Getting direction is key. The rest is just execution.
For a long time, Jefferson personally trained every single person who helped his business achieve 10 million. Now, much of his training is repeatable and digitized, a mixture of his own work and outside structures. Developing his people brings change. It’s hard to let go--but you have to trust people to pick up where you left off. Most people will pay for marketing and advertising, but few will spend that on investing in the development of their people. Jefferson knows he’ll get a return on that.
Getting someone over being stuck is hard--but consider how what you do can help them in their lives. Leadership is about offering opportunities to get better and move the needle--it’s about inspiring people first.
LINKS
https://jeffersonkrogers.com/
https://www.instagram.com/jeffersonkrogers/
https://www.facebook.com/JeffersonkRogers
How do I get promoted to the next level of my career? A question often asked by sales professionals to their managers. Historically, the answer has been cookie-cutter and repetitive: do your current job well, and you’ll be in a position to uplevel. That stops today--it should already be a given. Today’s Friday Focus is all about how you can navigate that conversation with more direction and guidance.
This week on the Catapulting Commissions podcast, Anthony is sitting down with Katie Connelly, a talented and decorated Real Estate Agent. Katie was selected for the prestigious VCCAR Leadership Academy and graduated from that program. In 2019, she served as the Leadership Development Committee Vice-Chair, and in 2020 will Chair that committee. Her motto is “give for the sake of giving,” and today, she’ll tell us how that impacts her professional life.
Getting someone comfortable with buying a property can be a rollercoaster, but Katie handles it with transparency. She bases her business on referrals, and many have had positive experiences already, so the trust is already there. Having a high-powered network and influential circle lay the foundation for that inward-bound business. She got there by coming from a place of providing service.
In the times where people are panicking, it’s important to understand that everyone has the same goal--we will all get there together. Katie tells us that you have to be in the driver’s seat from the get-go. Do the work ahead of time and take ownership of what you’re doing.
The real estate agent ecosphere is competitive as can be. To stand out, Katie returns to honesty. She tells people off the bat--she wants to work with people that she loves and trusts. She knows her worth and values the relationship between the buyer and the work she does. It’s the difference between working for and representing. Throughout the ‘interview’ process, providing value, setting goals and expectations, and demonstrating why she is the person to go through the journey with.
Katie is volunteering her time to help her community. Because of that, her brand got more credible, her sales process became more efficient, and she became one of the most influential real estate agents in the country. Doing what she loves, giving value, is at the root of success.
Tune in to hear Katie’s tips on overcoming income and revenue ruts, hear how she breaks down the sales process in different situations, and some key things to remember when buying and selling.
LINKS
http://katie-connelly.com/
@katie0024
What is the difference between a sales process and a sales methodology? Chances are, you’ve heard the terms before. But why should you care? On today’s Friday Focus, Anthony is breaking down what these phrases mean, the differences, similarities, and why they’re both massively important to being a successful sales professional.
Thanks for joining us on this week’s episode of the Catapulting Commissions podcast. One of the most common questions Anthony has been asked throughout his nearly two decades of professional sales is about the transition from contributor to leader. It’s a new job, and many sales managers feel like they have a truly “new” job. Today, Anthony is breaking down the top five challenges these managers face and how to overcome them.
The first challenge is the transition from individual contributor to team leader. Many people have the aspirations of becoming a leader in some capacity, and that’s great. But, just because you’re a good sales rep, doesn’t mean you’ll be a good sales manager. When you transition from rep to manager, it’s no longer about you. No one is going to care about the level of success you had as a rep when you become a manager. The reason people struggle is because their identity is tied to their results. Here’s the fix: remember you can’t be a “super rep.” You cannot be at every appointment and close every sale for your team. You’ll run yourself ragged. This is a long game. Secondly, empower your people. They can do the job they are hired for. They may not be as good as you are or were, but your job is to coach and teach, not to do.
The second challenge new sales managers face is time management. As a sales rep, you know your schedule better than anyone. When you move into management, you’re in a position to manage not only your time but the time of your people. Plus, you have a significant increase in administrative responsibility. Needless to say, there is a lot on your plate. Anthony’s feedback is this: first, acknowledge that you can’t do everything in one day. You CAN make a priority list of your tasks and break them into achievable, bite-sized things. Additionally, don’t take responsibility for minute tasks. For example, if a rep needs you to send an email on their behalf, have them write it up for you. Then, you can tweak it as you need and send it out.
The next challenge sales managers face is finding the right people. Hiring a skilled sales representative is incredibly difficult. Recruiting salespeople--it’s easy to get resumes. How you filter them is what is challenging. To combat this problem, understand that you’re going to make mistakes. The only way you get better at finding the right person is by hiring the wrong person. Consider the series of interviews you have--hold the standard that they must be better than the last. It’s a sales interview, there has to be selling throughout the entire process. It’s about every story having a point that's relative to what they’re talking about. Also know--past results indicate future results.
The fourth challenge is retaining your team, especially during challenging times. There is no cookie-cutter approach. Keeping your team motivated is about ‘off self, on purpose.’ To keep a team’s energy high, remember what they're thinking about; what’s in it for me. Every conversation should be about that. What’s in it for the sales rep is an individual conversation that needs to be had with every person on your team. As you climb the org chart, at a certain point, your customer changes. If you’re seen as people over profit, they’ll know they have an ally in their corner.
Finally, a huge challenge sales managers face is consistency. You have to be consistent with how you manage your sales team. There can be a tendency to treat top-performing reps differently than a lower performer. Accountability should be the same across the board. What’s good for a tenured rep should be good for the new one. It’s also about being consistent with the relationships you have. If you take one rep out to dinner, every rep should be invited out to dinner individually. If you’re going golfing with one rep, everyone is going golfing. There are certainly challenges that come with this, but find a way to have a similar level of relationship. It will be your friend down the road.
In the world of sales and sales leadership, we have a problem. Sales force retention is the biggest challenge facing your company. The average tenure for a sales professional at any given company is only 18 months. Why are people leaving companies? Today, Anthony is answering the most expensive question you can ask in sales, and how to solve it in a three-part strategy.
Welcome back to the Catapulting Commissions Podcast with your host, Anthony Garcia. Our guest this week is Joseph Fung, CEO of Uvaro, a tech sales career accelerator. He’s a repeat founder and CEO and often speaks on sales, leadership, diversity, and corporate social responsibility. Joseph sits on the board of Communitech, the KW Symphony, GTAN, and volunteers with several other local not for profits. Today, he’s here to talk about tech sales, getting there, and thinking well ahead.
Joseph is the CEO of Uvaro, a tech sales career accelerator. They run a 12-week training program for driven, talented individuals who are looking to transition into technology and sales roles. They believe in their work so much, they don’t even charge tuition until you’ve landed a full-time job. This is all so doable because they believe information should be free. All the content they make is available for free, but--you can’t learn the piano just by reading a book. In their program you’re doing actionable things, getting hours under your belt, and building important sales muscles. They’re looking for things like grit and tenacity. People who know how to bring value instead of just pushing a sale--people who want what the outcome will be.
Part of what they teach at Uvaro are sales methodologies. The truth is, many companies fail not because they have the wrong methodology, it’s that their people just aren’t executing. It’s about knowing all the methodologies and pulling them in when it matters. What else sets Uvaro apart is their approach to what is being taught and what is needed. Often, companies are looking for fully-formed sales people--that doesn’t happen. Talent needs to be developed, and those who do it now are going to be far ahead.
To make yourself a valuable candidate in the future, especially in tech, Joseph turns towards an often overlooked aspect of the sales process--how you carry yourself when you meet a client. The way you run yourself on Zoom makes a huge difference. Did you start on time? Do you know how to mute and unmute effectively? Is your lighting well positioned? All of these things greatly impact your success. Getting comfortable with online etiquette is essential.
The second actionable thing you can do right now to prepare for the transition into tech sales is video content. Building a human connection when you can’t be in-person is a valuable skill to have. Most reps aren’t doing this well yet. If you can get ahead, you’ll have the advantage.
Tune in to hear more about Joseph’s company and his philosophy on sales, leadership, and more.
LINKS
https://uvaro.com/
youtube.com/uvaro
joseph@uvaro.com
We will all come to a point in our career where we have to have a difficult conversation. It can be with a customer, prospect, coworker, manager, or employee. Difficult conversations are what make us grow--they are what push us to be better versions of ourselves. However, not everyone is comfortable with it. There is a risk of losing a relationship there. Today’s Friday Focus is breaking down how you can prepare for these important moments.
Thanks for tuning into the Catapulting Commissions Podcast with your host, Anthony Garcia. This week, Anthony is chatting with a highly sought-after individual, Rory Vaden. Rory is an NYT bestselling author, has been inducted into the Professional Speaker Hall of Fame, and is the co-founder of Brand Builders Group. Today, he’s breaking down some of his top tips and best practices as a sales leader.
Rory has been around sales his entire life--his mom sold Mary Kay, he worked in retail stores, and in college, he took the leap to door-to-door sales with straight commission for 14 hours a day, 6 days a week. That was where he really learned about sales. Then, it was corporate sales making hundreds of cold calls every day. From there, he and his wife AJ built an 8-figure sales coaching business, which they ended up selling their share of the company. Now, they own and operate a brand-building business helping others, from influencers to authors to executives, to generate leads.
Rory spoke for free over 300 times before his first paid gig. His first best-seller is entitled “Take the Stairs.” What he means is, it’s a numbers game. Successful people form the habit of doing things they know they should be doing even when they don’t want to do it. This philosophy is woven into the core of being a salesperson.
A personal brand is a powerful tool when it comes to generating leads. Influence is about trust. And trust is typically built over time. When you’re knocking on doors, it’s hard to build enough trust to make a deal. With personal branding, it’s the digitization of reputation. Just like with referrals, it’s accelerated trust. This kind of personal branding automates that. If someone is listening or watching you consistently, they trust you. People trust those they can see, learn from, and know on a personal level. The content you put out there can cover all of those bases. You could knock on 300 people’s doors, or you could create a video that 300 people watch. Now, instead of going to them, leads are coming to you. Personal branding is an incredible long-term strategy, it’s not a great short-term one. The fastest path to cash is a human-to-human connection--it condenses trust. In this form, it’s elongated to reach more people. This doesn’t mean you can’t generate immediate revenue, but in the end, you’re opening the door to opportunity.
The reality is, you just need to talk to more people. The reputation formula is: results x reach = reputation. It’s not that you have a bad product or are a bad salesperson, it’s that you’re not getting in front of enough people. Reputation can be exponential, while reach is linear. The shortest path from stranger to lifelong fan is learning from you for free for one hour. That isn’t that far off from knocking on a door. You give value first, then people will pay for the next step. People don’t pay for information, they pay for organization and application. People think “I need to tease people to buy, and then I’ll give the value.” Save the best for first. Give away the best advice you have as soon as possible, because you may not get a second chance. They should receive $10,000 worth of value before they even spend their first $1,000. How can you deliver so much value that they’re sold before they even talk to you?
The good news is, you don’t have to be big to be successful. Too many times we are consumed with and intimidated by our own credibility. All you have to be able to do is solve a person’s problem at the moment they have it. If your plumbing is backed up, you don’t need the world’s greatest plumber, you need one you trust, you can get a hold of, and who you know can fix the problem at hand. In order to serve your audience, you have to be specific about who you serve and what problem you solve.
So, how do you become known as a leader in your space? Go to anthonypgarcia.com/brandcall to schedule a free call and find out.
LINKS
roryvadenblog.com
Welcome back to the Catapulting Commissions Podcast with Anthony Garcia. Our guest today is Rob Kosberg, founder of Best Seller Publishing. Rob has been described as “one of the kings at helping people get their idea out of their minds, onto pages, & into the market place.” This week, Rob is going to share with us the impact having a successfully published book can have on your sales career.
Rob is a sales guy. At 18 he got his real estate license. He learned to be the first one in the office, look at old listings, and start cold calling. His second month he sold five houses. Naturally, he bought a Corvette and investment property. His father’s advice stuck with him, even today. Pounding the pavement, though, wasn’t always the best method. It definitely works, but there are other ways of marketing. He discovered that you could shift the game from hunting to being hunted by clients. He does that with a best selling book.
So, when an individual is ready to make the change from outbound to inbound, what do they do? First, it’s important to remember that there is a hierarchy of desire. As you become more desirable, your value increases. When the market sees you as an authority, your become more desirable. You want to move from a generalist to an expert and thought-leader. How? A best selling book. Everyone knows that people at the top of their field “wrote the book on it.” When you add media to that, there’s no other way to classify that person as a celebrity on their subject. Simply put, the more people who know who you are, the more you can charge.
Conceptualizing an idea into a book is a process. Rob suggests starting as narrow as possible. If you’re an expert in a small arena, that’s what you should write about. The money is not in the royalties of the book, the money is in your expertise in your marketplace. You need a book you can make millions of dollars with even if it only sells 10,000 copies.
A framework Rob lays out in his own book, Publish. Promote. Profit. is built on a number of ideas. One of which is understanding how many “failed authors” there are. They either fail to ever finish the book, publish, or sell the book despite the effort invested in it. You still need to market! Most people fail because they feel they need to write 1,000 words a day--that doesn’t work for everyone. Or, they’re writing on the wrong subject. Rob’s book breaks down the thousands of failed efforts and pinpoints the boiling points.
A massive problem in traditional ghost writing is a lack of the author’s unique voice. Rob and his team have found a formula that incorporates context into content. The foundation is based on offering insight into the author’s life and story. In that way, it’s going to be ‘your’ voice and your story.
LINKS
https://bestsellerpublishing.org/
publishpromoteprofit.com
What is the difference between being a sales manager, sales leader, and boss? In the world of outside sales, every organization has a hierarchy. Today’s conversation is for those in the front lines--those who directly manage salespeople. Here’s the key--you work WITH people, people don’t work FOR you. Our Friday Focus this week is breaking down how you can stop JUST telling people what to do, and start teaching your team to be successful.
Today’s guest on the Catapulting Commissions Podcast got his start selling Speedos--yes, you read that right. And now, he’s selling seven-figure contracts, and on a mission to help one million salespeople achieve their dreams. Marcus Chan is our founder and president of Venli Consulting Group, and this week, he’s breaking down what he does and how he does it.
Marcus got his start in sales selling Speedos. Growing up poor, his goal was to work enough at his family’s restaurant. In 2002, his family sold that restaurant. Immediately, he knew a normal job listing for a 9-5 wasn’t for him. So, he looked into sales and landed a job at a decent retail provider. What he did differently was taking that stock and driving 2 hours away to a swim meet to sling speedos on the weekends. He didn’t know it at the time, but he was really good at what he was doing.
Marcus wasn’t a born salesperson. The truth is, he went to college to become an architect but ended up going undeclared. The job he took out of graduation didn’t pay well, but it did give him an opportunity to build something from scratch. When he started in sales, he was the worst. It was easy selling speedos when people would come to him, but now the circumstances have changed. Eventually, he figured it out and ended up building multiple seven-figure teams. From there, he considered replicating his success elsewhere. When he made the jump, within months he was the youngest sales manager of a multi-seven figure group. At that point, it was time for him to make a move and start his own business.
It wasn’t all fun and awesome. When you’re experiencing success, it can be scary to rock the boat. Getting results can draw some attention--this lead Marcus to write a book and learn about digital marketing. When he started considering building an online course, he realized he could fill in gaps in sales training that he could’ve used when he was getting started. He learned that in order to scale, you have to find the sweet spot of pricing, audience, and timing.
So, what would Marcus do if he had to start over on LinkedIn? Number one is optimizing your profile. Your profile is your sales page. When people show up there, you want to establish credibility, trust, and demonstrate that you can help them. Change your banner. It’s a platform to showcase what you’re all about. Marcus put how he could help somebody. It’s also a call to action! Then, it’s all about your tagline. They need to know what you do, but you need to stand out. For example, Marcus has to do from going from speedos to seven figures. From there, it’s a story about you. There are links, credibility, personal stories, etc. These are things your target market will find of value. Include recommendations--these are reviews for your work.
When you start commenting, putting out content, and engaging, the first thing people are going to do is look at your profile. You want to make sure the house looks good before people come over. Remember to write simply. The easier your profile is to read, the more content they will consume, and the more they will like you.
Now that your profile is good to go, the next step is to understand what your content is doing. Ask yourself, does the audience you currently have the audience you are targeting? If you’re putting out content and it’s not getting to who you want it to, it’s wasted time and effort. Consider upgrading to LinkedIn Sales Navigator. You can create a super targeting search for people you’re looking to reach. When you connect, leave the message blank unless you can HIGHLY customize it. Now your content strategy has to be just as specific. Text gets the most eyes, but you need a mix of mediums. Think about what your target market wants to see and how you can provide them with it. Know that your content should be easy to digest through a phone. Hook, Story or Value, Call to Action--every single time.
Next, think about hashtags, micro, and macro-influencers. Look at the hashtags that are trending and solve problems with posts that you can provide value in. When you do that consistently, people will see that and do some research. That gets people to your optimized profile. Include an outbound strategy to bring people in. Start DMing the people you’re adding to your profile--drop a video message! Most people get spammy messages, and video stands out among the noise. Offer something of VERY high value for free with a VERY soft call to action. It could be an ebook, a cheat sheet, whatever it is that is irresistible. Film within the app to minimize the effort to watch the video. It can be as short as 20 seconds! On top of that, type out what you said in the video in case they’re somewhere they can’t watch. Be consistent and over time, it will build up.
LINKS
Connect with Marcus Chan on LinkedIn
https://www.sixfiguresalesacademy.com/cash-1
The difference between marketing your product and selling it is huge. There are many people who know how to market, but not how to sell effectively. A big problem sales professionals have is finding the key difference between marketing and sales. The difference is this: when you’re marketing, you’re trying to gain interest to have a further conversation. Selling is something entirely different. On today’s Friday Focus, we’re locking down those differences and discussing how you can make the shift from marketing to selling.
This week on the Catapulting Commissions Podcast, Anthony is sitting down with the founder of D2D and the D2D Podcast, and high-caliber sales professional, Sam Taggart. Today, Sam is breaking down the foundations of how he revolutionized the Door-to-Door industry, and share with us an AI Texting Platform to help customer communication that we can employ in our businesses today.
Sam got into the business young. At age 7, Sam was selling golf balls and lemonade at the golf course. Early on, he developed the skills he uses to this day, recognizing the value of creating your own income and dictating your growth. For him, it isn’t something you’re born with, it’s a combination of circumstance and passion that lay the ground for a successful career in sales. There is no archetype of person in sales--even quiet, passive salespeople can blow metrics out of the water. It’s a series of formulas--once you have that, the rest is up to you.
The sales landscape is changing, and it’s changing fast. What works today may not work 20 years down the road. For Sam, an essential skill that has risen to the surface is personal interest and influencers. What won’t change is that people will find value you what you bring and will buy from you. What is changing is the perceived value. In today’s world, people are quick to move on. You have got to be creative, build trust quickly, and grab attention even quicker. If the value is higher than the money they’re holding, they’ll transact--it’s up to you to open that door.
There are countless pitfalls when you’re getting started in sales. Often, people forget that the journey is the work that nobody sees. They’ll see people making huge commission checks without realizing the amount of behind-the-scenes effort that goes on. You don’t see the hours Lebron James spends in the gym--we only see him dunking in the playoffs. Yes, he’s athletic, but hours have gone into perfecting his craft. Sales are the same way. Don’t oversell sales and don’t undersell the work it takes.
Sam is the founder of D2D, the D2D Podcast, and D2Dcon. He has the vision to bring unity, honor, and integrity to door-to-door selling and sales in general. Often door-to-door gets a bad rap, but in reality, it’s one of the purest forms of sales. Through events, training, online education, technology, and other resources, Sam is showing how valid this work is. These tools all support the space in an incredible way.
Sales professionals saw a turnover of 34% in 2020. That’s expensive. That also means it is all the more important to keep their talent and improve retention. Sam looks to improving leadership to improve retention. You can recruit the top talent in the country, but if leadership cannot handle, maximize, or retain them, it’s useless. Is your company organized enough, is there a system in place to be successful? Culture is a byproduct of your design. It’s about having a positive predisposition--assuming success--over a negative one--assuming failure. No one should have a job with a cap.
In the end, a massive part of sales is the follow-up. Elevating your follow-up is all about the senses. How do you hit them from all modalities? Sam developed an AI texting platform, Vanilla, that gets a 97% open rate. That being said, follow-up and reach out on the platforms and areas that they exist on and are most comfortable on. That could be texting, it could be email, LinkedIn, or even Instagram. Remember the organizational element of follow-up. Hire an assistant or team to help you if you need it. If you know you’re on the go, put automated systems in place that don’t let anyone slip through the cracks. Either 7 competitors will hit them up, or you can hit them up in 7 ways and make the sale. Having that automated system can massively boost the number of sales you close JUST by ensuring you’re following up often, consistently, and in good taste. Vanilla does just that--and more.
LINKS
https://thed2dexperts.com/services/door-to-door-tour/
https://thesamtaggart.com/
www.vanillamessage.com
@d2dexperts
Losing control of the conversation is causing you to cause more deals. The big problem sales professionals have is coming across a prospect who is going to try to dominate the meetings. They may know more, they may have been in the industry longer than you, or maybe they just like to talk. Before you know it, you’re stuck answering a lot of questions and not extracting any information. So, how do you deal with it? Today’s Friday Focus covers just that.
Welcome back to the Catapulting Commissions podcast with your host, Anthony Garcia! Today, Anthony is sitting down with Natalie Alcantara, founder, and Chief Inspirer at ion Marketing. She has over two decades of experience providing strategic counsel to major global brands and has worked as part of the senior leadership teams at several top businesses around the world. A hands-on leader, Natalie continues to expand and explore learning and mentoring opportunities. She’s going to share with us what is holding brands back from scaling in today’s climate.
There is a monumental shift happening in the international marketplace. The days of mass-marketing through ads and vision are over. We’re finding that companies are struggling to build trust with their consumers. The short of it is that no one is listening because there is too much noise, Natalie says. Your customer can’t sift through all that information when they’re so connected to the digital world. There’s really only one way to connect with your audience--the power of story. Humans are programmed to react to meaningful stories. As we grow, we adapt our lives to how we feel about those stories and apply them to what we want from others.
The science behind overcoming the connection barrier through story is nothing to ignore. Stories sell, but more so, they create trust. When we hear a story our minds start to change and we start to get into the dynamic of the situation. The front part of our brains light up and neurons begin firing in a way that only happens while consuming stories. Oxytocin is released--the ‘love’ hormone. This creates connectivity. When you’re more connected, you build more empathy and listen more, retain more information, and establish understanding, leading to further trust. Plus, who doesn’t want to hear a great story?
Sometimes, though, the story isn’t there. If you’re trying to close a deal, creating a story that is impactful is important. Natalie suggests getting back to roots--why are you in this line of business in the first place? What problem are you solving? What do you have to offer? How did you make that decision? This is the big ‘why.’ Use it as leverage to share a story that helps provide a solution. It doesn’t have to be absolutely remarkable every time. In fact, ordinary stories often resonate with audiences. You may be an expert now, but you weren’t always. Put yourself in the shoes of the person you’re telling it to. Identify with them! This is a great place to start your story. Give it personality--how are you creating an impact? It shouldn’t be transactional, it’s transitional. A story is not marketing material, it’s not a sales pitch, and it’s not an ad. It’s an authentic window into you, your brand, and your world. Evoking emotion through demonstrating that you, too, are human, is an effective way to show relatability and allow them to empathize.
Practicing your story-telling skills and finding how to use them is crucial. Understand that your story is yours, so be comfortable with it. Share ordinary moments on social media! If you hold things too close, you’ll come off as less relatable. In a virtual world, what is going to make someone stop the scroll? Be consistent and remember -- transitional, not transactional. There’s a huge difference between inspiration and motivation. Motivation is an outward action that others receive as an outside force. Inspiration is a feeling you create that is drawn and felt on the inside. When you are inspired you can be moved to act. Inspired people are resilient, excited, and driven. It’s far more important than motivation and much more sustainable. At the end of the day, it’s the mindset. What brings you joy? What inspires you? That will push action. Use your story to remind yourself and inspire something inside of you! Don’t like your story? Change it. You’re the only person who can rewrite it, and if you want to live in tomorrow, you should. Create a story for yourself that you can believe in, and that feeling will be communicated naturally. The power sits with you. Own your own story.
With this framework, you can immediately increase your online-only sales by identifying the problem you’re solving, who you’re solving it for, and create content there. Don’t show up in places your audience isn’t. Show up where they are and create conversations through stories.
LINKS
https://www.instagram.com/natalieionmarketing/
http://ionmarketingltd.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliealcantaraionmarketing/
https://mailchi.mp/ionmarketingltd/storysellingwebinar
Someone recently asked, “What do you do to start your day?” This brought to mind a problem: many sales professionals know how to sell, but very few have a solid strategy to get their day rolling. Today’s Friday Focus will hone in on one actionable, implementable tip that you can use TODAY to make sure your time is structured and effective day in, day out.
Today’s guest is going to help address a challenge many sales professionals face: increasing sales, but they’re lacking something. Joining Anthony this week is Doug Brown. Doug is America’s number one expert in revenue expansion and sales optimization, and works with businesses of every size, helping them generate over 500 million dollars in sales. He’s breaking down his process and secrets for us on the Catapulting Commissions Podcast.
When you’re looking to improve your business’s revenue (as most entrepreneurs and sales professionals are) Doug reminds us to take a close look at your ‘truthful mission’ -- a mission you can measure. Then, get clear on the realistic setting and timeframe for hitting those goals. Once you’ve set the foundation, look at what you have, what you’re missing, and what your blind spots are. Make an assessment and build a growth plan that makes sense and is achievable for your business. Gain clarity upfront to set expectations and grow.
There are lots of challenges that can creep up in your blind spot. There are about 10 facets to growing sales revenue, but what happens is people focus myopically on one or two aspects. For example, if you’re too focused on attaining new clients, you may be ignoring the buying frequency of your existing base. It could be follow-up, prospecting, or any number of things. The point is, there are usually areas that aren’t getting the attention they need for you to hit your goals. Many companies pick the low-hanging fruit and ignore the others. Assess the people, skills, and system behind it and optimize.
When companies come to Doug, there are different processes that could undergo, or it could be multiple. In fact, it’s a formula more than a process. When you’re baking a cake, you look at the ingredients you have and identify what ingredients you’re missing, or maybe you have too many ingredients--sales are the same way. There are often places where businesses get stuck--that’s the blind spot. When you can close those gaps, you increase revenue.
During the implementation of the strategy, there are moments where you need to bring in new talent and opportunities to cultivate existing team members--it all depends on the situation. Doug uses sales-specific assessments to determine the sales DNA of the salesperson. Sometimes, that can reveal that people are in the wrong position, sometimes it’s getting rid of someone or multiple people who are disruptive to the growth of your organization. When you’re hiring, you have to make sure you can handle a team of top producers. Everyone wants the A-player, but not everyone is an A-caliber company.
A-players are always A-players for a reason. It isn’t like they are going to object at every opportunity, it depends on their goal. Every company needs to be clear on what role that A-player fills. Is it to win back clients? Blaze a new train? Start an independent agency? Define what you’re looking for before you look. These A-players are going to expect that the delivery will be exactly what they’re told. Every A-player has a recruiting score that measures their metrics against their peers. Once you have the persona, it’s about finding where they are. Organizations, clubs, and groups of networks are good places to find highly competitive players. One of the biggest mistakes companies make is being in too much of a rush and not working with a process that is measurable. You’re better off taking 5 months to find the right person than hiring 2 people in 3 months and having both burn out. Don’t hire because you like them, hire who can do the job.
Tune in to hear Doug talk about his philosophy on sales. For Doug, “the root of all objections is fear.”
LINKS
https://businesssuccessfactors.com/
http://winwinsellingbook.com/
Email Doug to self-assess: doug@businesssucessfactors.com and ask for the checklist!
DougBrown1234 on LinkedIn
Generating revenue or building relationships--which one is more important to you? The truth is, paying the bills and feeding your family is going to come before building relationships. At least, that’s what makes sense, right? Sometimes, it’s not that simple. Right now, meaningful connections are more critical than ever--but not forever. Today’s Friday Focus is taking a look at when, and more importantly, why establishing relationships during times of uncertainty will pay off in the long run, and why and when driving revenue should come into play.
Thanks for joining us on the Catapulting Commissions Podcast with your host, Anthony Garcia. At every level sales professionals and entrepreneurs are looking to scale and take their brand to the next level. However, many times they’re not utilizing the most common resources out there. Our guest today, Giselle Mascarenhas, is a social media branding coach whose passion is helping small businesses and her community overcome the immense intimation social media presents and show up boldly to thrive.
First things first--it’s NOT too late to get into the social media game. The only question you ever have to ask yourself in regards to social media, Giselle says, is “where is the attention?” It doesn’t matter what people are doing--what matters is that you can show up to serve. Once you get through the learning curve of how you’re going to provide value, you need to work on the backend to be seen. You HAVE to learn it, but the good news is this: you can do it. You just have to be engaging and bring value! People often post and think people will just...arrive. Think about why people should follow you? Be consistent and allow yourself to be vulnerable and it will happen.
Make sure that you’re giving love as much as you are getting it on social media. A few moments of double-tapping your follower’s posts, your mutual follower’s posts, and others will go a long way. They will see your next post--it’s an algorithm. It’s all about engagement. That same algorithm is watching to make sure you’re engaging because when you do, you’re rewarded with attention from people who are also engaging. The point is, you have to stand out. Your posts should fit one of these three identifiers: entertainment, curiosity and education, and problem-solving. None of these posts NEED to be about business--it’s about opening the door to your audience into your life and being authentic. When that happens, you build trust.
There are six facets to Instagram that are all extremely impactful when used properly.
Stories are your reality show--this is how you communicate with people through their feed. It’s often the first place people go to get a feel for who you are, a massive defining factor in their choice to engage. They are now in your world. They can interact with you directly through it.
Your homepage, where your posts live, is the magazine of your brand. This is where stories, interviews, ads, and other content go. Think about what makes you ‘you’--the pillars of what is constant in your life. That is how you create your grid.
Instagram Live--the only space where you can give presentations with slides, a place where you can have Q&As, interviews, guests, and other immersive, real-time experiences. Don’t be afraid to explore! Mess around and learn what works best for you and your business.
Reels are the only editing mechanism across all social platforms. You can create entire commercials on Reels. You can talk creatively about upcoming offers, releases, launches, searches, whatever it is you need. The thing is, you can start a project and pick it up later when you have the content you need. It can be the film of your brand.
IGTV is your “show.” You can bring anything to life through this method. You could do something on Live and create a series (with episodes!) on IGTV, just like a television show. It can be as high production as you want. The point is, this is a way for your to show people how they can level up. This is another way to become a resource--your audience can learn retroactively about you and your brand.
Finally, Guides are the best way to shout people out and give you the ability to do so with businesses, posts, products, and other important areas of your business. Sponsors, partnerships, and general love-showing can live here.
So, you’re successful in your career, but some obstacle is holding you back from building your community. It’s important to remember that you’re not alone. There is a generational gap--when you’ve achieved already, it can be overwhelming to dive into an all-new way to network and market. At the end of the day, you don’t know what you don’t know until you do. Once you do, you open yourself to opportunities. There are millions of people on social media, why aren’t you showing up?
These IG skills can be applied to other platforms. The idea is that you find what content you are comfortable producing and are good at, create at least one chunky piece of content, whatever it is, and use it on as many platforms as the medium of content allows. Videos can go on IG, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more. Give your audience added value by pulling highlights, quotes, etc.
Running a business and a social media account can be difficult. The key is time-blocking. Once you’re clear on your content strategy and flow, you can set time aside to generate your posts. Have a filming day, a writing day, an editing day, etc. built into your work. Pick one day a month, turn off all distractions, and write down what pops into your mind. You’ll end up with a foundation of ideas to write content. It doesn’t have to be deep or long--it can be whatever resonates. After a few hours of writing, content and visual creation, and scheduling, you’re golden. From there, you can post different things on different days to provide value across all platforms.
Ensuring you’re getting the maximum amount of engagement is dependent on what you’re going to minimally post, and never falter. Never falter from showing up on your bare minimum. The easier this process gets, the more you’ll naturally post. You don’t need to post every day, but post what you’re committed to every week. Show up and learn how to do it better so you can do more. You won’t get the most engagement until you’ve invested in showing up and invest in nurturing a team to support you.
Prospecting on Instagram is powerful. Think about how you’re showing up and how you’re posting. Posting with intention brings in genuine engagement. The easiest way to nurture your following is to show love to those who are engaging with your content. Like, comment, and organically engage with THEIR content first. This will post your engagement and will lead to inbound prospects. Write 30 people on a list, and for 30 days, you’re going to go to a person’s account and engage with one of their clips or posts. When you’re done, write a new list. The people on this list come from your research looking for people with problems across large communities with similar interests.
LINKS
Follow Giselle on Instagram! @thebrandingprofessor
Sales professionals spend too much money. If you could go back and talk to a younger version of yourself, what would you say? Would you tell yourself you can’t afford what you think you’re going to buy? The pandemic has forced us to take a really close look at how prepared we are for unexpected situations. The truth is, if you can’t afford to buy more than one, don’t buy one. Today’s Friday Focus is on how we can stop spending money and changing our approach to sales, and start setting a healthy foundation for your professional and personal future.
One thing we all have to know is how to excel in your revenue metric. Our guest this week on the Catapulting Commission Podcast is absolutely on fire and knows how to maximize profit. John Lee Dumas is the founder and host of the award-winning podcast, Entrepreneurs on Fire. Past guests include Tony Robbins, Barbara Corcoran, and Gary Vaynerchuk. With over 1 million monthly listens and over 100 million total listens of his 3000+ episodes, JLD is spreading entrepreneurial FIRE on a global scale.
First, JLD breaks down the number one reason entrepreneurs fail at such a high rate and at every level. The truth is, you’re going to fail if you’re a pale imitation of someone else. Who wants weak knock-offs of someone else? However, you ARE unique and there is a BIG IDEA inside of you that is YOURS. It’s there, you just have to identify and evoke it. Someone can motivate you to start your journey, but you have to be the best version of yourself, you can’t be the next someone else. People want the best possible version of you. If you become the best solution in your zone of fire, you’re going to win.
When we think about ‘big ideas’ it’s important to know that passion is part of the equation, but it’s only half of the story. You can be excited about something, but how does it solve a problem for someone else? If it doesn’t, it’s a hobby. What you need along with your passion is your expertise, skills, and value that you can add to the world. Your passions need to comingle with your expertise. No one is going to care what you’re doing unless you’re solving a problem for them. In the same way, if you have the expertise and no passion, you’ll fizzle out, and people will recognize that you have no spark in your work.
John Lee is the author of the must-read book, The Common Path to Uncommon Success: A Roadmap to Financial Freedom and Fulfillment. In the book, there’s a 17-step framework to building success through uncommon uniqueness. It’s a culmination of 3,000 successful entrepreneurs sharing their most valuable lessons. JLD’s favorite is step 7. It’s “Design your content production plan.” John Lee attributes this step to his massive successes and profits. Chances are, your content production plan isn’t so great. But, you can (and have to) improve! This chapter can help you change your life.
If you have a voice, a message, or a mission that you want to share with the world, this is how you boost success. If not, then maybe it isn’t--and that’s okay. For those who ask “why me?” JLD reminds us that 1. You aren’t special until you are special. And 2. You become special when you solve a very real problem in the best possible way. If you can become the #1 solution to a real problem, then you win. It’s going to take you finding your big idea and filling a void that has not been filled.
So, what do people really want? It’s okay to want different things, but at the core of everyone, we want three things: do what we want to do, where we want to do it, with who we want to do it with. If you have that freedom, what else is there? There may be a fear of the hurdle between you and that--it’s okay, that’s normal, you’re a human. Understand that you have to find the right mentor--someone who is currently where you want to be. Additionally, join or create a mastermind. Include 3 or 4 peers--never more, never less--and follow the format JLD outlines in his book. If you’re in the right mastermind, it’ll grow with you and you’re supporting each other.
LINKS
https://uncommonsuccessbook.com/
https://www.eofire.com/
https://www.instagram.com/johnleedumas/
Selling during COVID-19 IS possible. Things are different--people aren’t buying the same way they used to, the decisions their making have shifted, and so have their priorities. Yes, you need to make revenue, hit your goals, and importantly, provide for your family. However, these current circumstances demand the highest level of emotional intelligence. Today’s Friday Focus is on just that--selling your product with compassion and empathy first.
Welcome back to this week’s episode of the Catapulting Commissions podcast with your host, Anthony Garcia. Today’s show is going to bring to you some seriously high-level sales coaching. Joining us on the show is Bob Lantelme, an expert in all things sales from top to bottom, having more than 25 years of experience in the space. He’s here to break down his philosophy and share some wisdom we can take home with us.
One year out of college, Bob worked as a laborer--it didn’t take long for him to make the switch to sales in the form of time-sharing. He dove into the fire headfirst but ended up getting his real estate license. For Bob, sales was a perfect fit and lead him to explore a plethora of sales positions, from ATM to luxury cars to services and public-private partnerships.
When you’re selling directly to consumers, there are always reasons as to why they say yes or no. Bob tells us that our biggest mistake is that we simply think too much. When Bob was working selling vacuums, the first seven doors he got in he made a sale. When he experienced that success and was contacted by higher-ups, he started to overthink what it was he did to become successful. As soon as that happened, he experienced a drought. The truth is, the product sold itself--he was just demonstrating it. It about connecting with your potential client--talking about what they want to talk about. We can be our own worst enemy if we don’t.
When the product can’t sell itself, the art of salesmanship and influence comes more into play. For example, if a client comes in to purchase a Porche, you have to give them the experience they want. If they ask you about an alloy screw, you need to tell them about the varieties of screws in the vehicle--it doesn’t matter if you’re a car guy or not--you need to cater to the customer. You have to be honest, in that, if there isn’t a good fit or good deal, you have to let them know. In the long run, it’ll pay off in the form of referrals. It’s about trust and being willing to risk losing a short-term sale to invest in the future. You’re not here to make one sale. This is how you build credibility.
So, how do you approach the ‘big whale’ in B2B business? These are sales that can change your financial situation for good. You want to treat them like everybody else. No one wants to be treated as though you’re their fanboy or fangirl. They are people--successful people--just like us. People want to talk about ‘me’ -- let them! Consider looking at things like their charitable giving to find insight into their passions. There is a good chance they have a reason for being passionate enough to give to a cause. This allows you to build rapport in a meaningful way.
When you’re selling something, it has to be a quid-pro-quo transaction. It should be mutually beneficial and no one should feel like they were just played. If you’re trying to increase your commission, this is the number one way to do it. If you sell strictly through persuasion, you allow remorse to set in when the adrenaline wears off. You want to look after their best interests just as much as your own.
Mistakes and pitfalls in sales happen. For Bob, the times where he has let his emotions get to him are the hardest. In the end, you have to own up to foolish mistakes or risk throwing away entire relationships and opportunities. When he thinks too much or worries, it can get in the way of effective sales practices. It’s about staying authentic to yourself and not be the sleazy salesperson people expect. When you lose money, you don’t want to make the mistake twice.
LINKS
Connect with Bob on Facebook and Linked in:
Bob Lantelme
What happens when the customer tells you ‘no’? In theory, we should be used it, but it’s not that simple. No one likes it, but we get rejected more times than we get told yes. So, how do you change than narrative and turn the ‘no’ into a ‘yes’. Today’s Friday Focus is centered around sifting through objections and listening to what the customer isn’t telling you. Get the information you need without yanking it from your customer’s hands. Let’s talk about it.
Thanks for tuning into the Catapulting Commissions podcast with your host, Anthony Garcia. On the show, we’ve sat down with sales coaches, leaders, and experts. Today, we’re talking to the Direct Sales Dominatrix--someone who owns and leads the direct sales world--and her name is Jennie Bellinger. She’s the host of the Badass Direct Sales Mastery podcast and founder of Level Up Coaching, where she operates with a commission-first mentality.
Jennie started in the direct sales world with her own business where she had all the metrics you could ask for. What she saw happening was people coming and going from the sales space, which motivated her to show people that it really isn’t that hard. She realized she had a system that worked as far as recruiting and sales--she could stay and live in the bubble or leave and spread success. Now, she has fallen into her BDSM brand (Badass Direct Sales Mastery) and coaches people to reach the same levels of success (no whipping involved).
At one point, Jennie was #1 in the WORLD in her space of direct sales, but it didn’t come without its fair share of challenges. In her first four months in her business, she didn’t recruit a single person to her team. She was killing it on the sales side but just didn’t have the experience--until 2 years later. The light switch flipped after she recruited her first individual. The ah-ha moment was understanding that she entered the situation believing someone would want to work with her. She recognized that her passions moved the needle. Once she figured it out, she was unstoppable. Driven by what the business was doing for her, she taught her team that same mindset and conversation. It wasn’t a side-gig, it wasn’t something she was doing for fun--it was an obsession and her business.
The easiest way to distinguish direct sales from other types of sales is understanding that it is a party-based model, where the sales professional is looking to get in front of as many people as possible in the shortest time frame possible.
Excelling out of the gate when transitioning to sales is everyone’s ideal situation. To get on that fast-track, it’s going to take a few different aspects. The first is attitude. You have to be all in and preserve--your first ‘no’ can’t turn you off. Neither can any other ‘no’ from then on. You are forbidden to give up. The second thing that sets people apart is consistency. This isn’t a secret--having a process and system in place that allows them to react accordingly. It also allows you to schedule your day that will always lead to more business. That doesn’t mean just posting on Facebook--social media should be social, not a business model. The third key to success is understanding that it’s based on relationships--people buy things from people, not just the thing. No one has a personal relationship with Amazon. You’re not selling just your product, you’re focus should shift to relationships. That will build a foundation for your business that will stand the test of time. That means following up and providing additional value beyond the first, second, third, fourth follow-up. The stats show that the purchase usually happens around the 6th follow-up. Worth it? Yes.
Jennie’s group coaching program is for direct sales moms who are ready to get to the top. They’re looking for the leader they wish they had. This is where a supportive community who cares and looks out for one another shares their wins. In the group, there are hot-seat moments where someone works through an obstacle with the other group members. Every session has a teachable moment where thoughts, concepts, and high-level processes are broken down. At the end of the session, you discuss your takeaways and most importantly, what you’re going to do next and how Jennie can hold you accountable for that. This is a time to work ON your business, not IN or FOR your business. People are quadrupling their income and 10x their recruiting by investing their time and effort in their coaching.
LINKS
Jennie Bellinger on Facebook
jennie@badassdirectsalesmastery.com
Join Jennie at her free virtual summit for people who want to mastery their business and hear from experts in Direct Sales:
March 18-20
https://badassdirectsalesmastery.com/summit/
Have you ever heard “sales isn’t for everyone”? There’s probably some truth in that. It can be difficult--but the skill set of being in sales isn’t. It requires practice, learning, and implementation. When people say that sales aren’t for everyone, they mean the mental approach--it’s what sets great sales professionals apart from average sales professionals. You can be as motivated as possible with no direction. On today’s Friday Focus, Anthony is talking about how you can reach your desired outcome through laser focus intensity.
Our guest on the Catapulting Commissions podcast this week has a firm grasp on what leadership really is. Right now is one of the most challenging times in sales history for leaders to adapt and pivot with their people. Jerome Myers is the preeminent authority on dream realization. He believes dreams can, and should, be real. He left his corporate job when he realized his role offered financial gain, but little significance. Now, he’s sharing how he created a life of impact with those he works with.
Jerome took the red pill. He had a career built on financial security and made the choice to leave. From his perspective, he put a lot of his efforts, skills, and knowledge into a company that felt little to nothing about him or his team. He didn’t eat, he didn’t sleep, all he did was toil about who he would decide had a job and who wouldn’t. After that experience, he knew he would never do it again. You can either be complacent to that culture, or you can say that “the buck stops with me.” The difference-maker was that he started to bet on himself--he became the decision-maker. He notes that you find out a lot about individuals when it comes to career progression and money. Jerome aimed to make those difficult conversations as objective as possible. When he was asked “why me?” he had to get to the math--who was the most productive with the time they had?
Jerome finds himself making objective choices or teaching others how to every day. He believes that the way you do one thing is the way you do everything. If you’re making emotionally-driven decisions everywhere you go, you’re going to be in a space where you can be controlled and one where you’re not making the best choices. Everything boils down to two aspects: the math problem and how it feels. Once you get through the math aspect, you now know that the math gave you one answer--if you chose to go against it, you have to be aware of the consequences that could come with it. If you go with it, you have to make sure it still stands the eye test.
Avoiding direct feedback is avoiding the problem. When that happens, says Jerome, things can blow up into a catastrophe. People get blindsided, confused, and angry. If you can clearly communicate expectations, you can clearly discuss outcomes--positive or negative. That gives people their ability to plan their lives. As leaders, it’s important to show compassion through feedback so your team can make adjustments. You can guide people to your system so the impact is felt everywhere. The best relationships are ones that are invested in the person. Don’t romanticize the business either--there are no participation trophies in sales. At the end of the day, sales professionals need to complete the cycle. If not, there’s no paycheck. Getting clear on that will allow you to communicate even more clearly what it is you need from your team. Remember, recognition is a powerful tool in this space--either giving or withholding--it evokes emotion. When you set the bar for everyone, you’re not excluding anyone from the recognition, they are excluding themselves. As Jerome says, the place is set--come sit when you’re ready to eat.
It’s about not becoming a puppet to HR, to the toxic, tight-lipped culture. As a leader, you are a person who is entrusted with the wellbeing of a team and the people you oversee. When you become a puppet, you lose their respect.
Jerome’s philosophy in his work is that everyone should take the red pill. His model is built on six levels: Self Image, Relationships, Work, Health, Prosperity, Significance. Being able to positively impact those around you is the end game for everyone--that’s significance. You give your overflow to prosperity--we believe in abundance. If you have prosperity before health, your health will rob you of your prosperity. Work, Relationships, and Self Image are the nucleus of where stress starts. When you can control those three you can control influences that can negatively impact your life. If you’re not who you want to be, then become the person you feel you should be. That authenticity will change the world.
When it’s time to create a life of significance and make the transition Jerome is talking about, you have to have a conversation about your needs and wants and the differences between the two. We’re doing the math here. Consider what you’re spending on, how much you’re spending, and if you absolutely need it. It’s not about what you want, it’s about what you’re willing to sacrifice to get what you need. We have a fear of “going backward” or “downgrading” but if your freedom is what’s most important to you, you’ll be willing to do that (temporarily) to make it happen.
Fix the hole in your soul, and you won’t need the extras.
LINKS
Jeromemyers.co
If you work in professional services or sales, there’s a high likelihood you’re working from home. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. The problem is, usually, “home” is “home” and “work” is “work.” Right now, those lines are blurred. So, how do we get the most while we’re working from home? On today’s Friday Focus, Anthony is sharing three key areas that can help you maximize your day without sacrificing sacred time and space with what you care about most.
One of the biggest fundamentals we talk about on the show is the ability to sell. But, to sell your vision, your idea, is the definition of catapulting your commissions. Our guest today is Justin Breen, who built BrEpic Communications LLC, where he writes clicky stories that highlight you or your business and find the right pitch for multiple media outlets. Justin has clients coming to him, so let’s hear his process and philosophy on sales.
BrEpic is foundationally simple, and Justin believes the formula is the same: you see a problem, you create a solution, solve the problem, create a successful company. He built his PR firm based on how PR firms annoyed him for twenty years. The bigger the problem, the bigger the solution, the bigger the success.
Justin grew his business exponentially using this method--something many people struggle with. Meanwhile, in less than three years and with no business background, he’s working with exclusively the top people in the field. He says if you have the right mindset, it creates the right network, which creates the right opportunities. Therefore, he focuses on improving his mindset first. He only partners with people with three similar attributes to their mindset: visionary, abundance, and investment. People with those attributes are either running a high six to seven-figure business and see their family whenever they want to, they do what they want and they’re good at it, OR they will be that person because they have the right mindset. The difference is that he acts on it.
He identifies visionary, abundant people by the questions he is asked while they talk--if the first questions they ask are related to cost, or if cost comes up too often, they may lack those traits. Once you can find people who can understand where he is coming from, it snowballs into more ideal client avatars. If they don't fit that mold, then they don’t fit in the network. He knows who he is, but he really knows who he is not. Either they are or they aren’t--it’s really that simple. People with the right mindset make the investment, people without make the excuse. Confidence weeds out nonsense. Don’t compromise who you are for the business.
In the end, we have a limited amount of time on earth. For Justin, it only makes sense to work doing what you love, with who you want to work with.
A key aspect to Justin’s success is knowing who he’s not. By collaborating with and listening to peers at the highest level. When you have this mindset, all it does is attract more people who operate there. This creates opportunities in perpetuity.
Justin discusses the Kolbe A Index test. This is the most important test, Justin says, he’s ever taken inside or outside of school. This test is broken into four scores in four categories that analyze your brain strengths. The categories are fact finder, follow-through, quick start, implementer. Each of these aspects offers key insight into what you’re good at, where you can find help, and how you function in an entrepreneurial space. What this assessment does, is it allows you to make adjustments. The object of taking this test is to show you how you can maximize yourself. For example, if you have a high quickstart score, low follow-through, the adjustment would be to hire more people to aid you in getting things done. When you have your team take the test, you can better build an efficient, effective workplace. If you don’t know who you are, you don’t know how to improve.
Justin has a book, Epic Business, out now, is a multi-national bestseller. In his book, he discusses 30 secrets to building your business exponentially and give you the life you want. Every lesson is a chapter--no fluff.
LINKS
https://www.brepicllc.com/
https://brepicbusiness.com/
Justin Breen on LinkedIn
Want to feel liberated? Give your team permission to tell you what they need. We have a fear of accountability. When you have a system in place that only focuses on metrics--the praise and otherwise--you lose credibility. The people you manage should feel empowered to tell you where they don’t feel supported. Leadership is a two-way relationship. Today’s Friday Focus is locked in on how to embolden, fortify, elevate, and maintain a healthy and productive bond with your team.
Welcome back to the Catapulting Commissions podcast with your host, Anthony Garcia! Today, Anthony is having a former guest return to share even more of what they know. Erin Hatzikostas is a CEO, author, career coach, TEDs/keynote speaker, and podcast co-host. She’s determined to create a massive authenticity movement to eradicate the all-too-fake Corporate world and enable people to have a big career, without compromising everything else.
Erin’s new book, You Do You (ish) hurls aside the crusty, centuries-old career advice you’ve likely heard for way too long: lean in, executive presence, network, blah, blah, blah. Instead, the book will help you see that there's a better way to have success and get great results. An approach that will produce a massive win-win: you succeed, you don’t sell out. This book is full of stories, information, tactics, and philosophy that was begging to get written down. When she had this idea, she NEEDED to get it out. When the pandemic hit, Erin knew she would have the time a book needs to be fleshed out properly. The message was on her heart and mind, and the timing was right.
Erin states in her book “unleash your authentic superpowers to get the career you deserve.” As corporate America evolves, sometimes authenticity gets clouded. For her, authenticity in the workplace is not simply about being yourself. There is permission to be yourself, unafraid of what makes you unique, however, there is more nuance. The Greek origin of the word “authentic” means to be genuine, but also original and autorotative. This is an intersection of being yourself and being a badass. Most of her book is about how you can put in the framework to use authenticity as your secret weapon--a way to stand out and drive the chains. She developed an acronym for this sort of thing--HUMANS: Humility, Unexpected, Model, Adapt, Narrate, and Spark. Within each of those components is a weapon to equip yourself with. The underlying message is you can do things your own way. This isn’t about changing people, it’s about changing addictions. There will be some internal work rewriting the “sucky songs” or limiting beliefs that needs to be done, and Erin’s book breaks that down. Also in this framework and in Erin’s book is understanding that this is the groundwork to start experimenting. When you do, it gets you addicted to the next step.
Corporate politics are no one’s favorite, but it’s certainly prevalent these days. Anthony and Erin discuss ways to combat this behavior through authenticity. By making yourself, your team, and the work you do more human, you build genuine connections with people that have real, measurable business results. There will always be bad actors, but don’t let that deter you from going after a leadership role. You can be the person to shift the culture by being genuine and authentic. If you’re not in that role yet, this system can help you. This isn’t a leadership book, it’s a person book. The “Spark” part of her framework, or the inspiration, is a circular reference. When Erin got her job, she thought her role was to be that energizer bunny. She realized soon after her employee surveys came back that it would take more. She realized her job as a leader is to create an inspiration platform. Your job is to put in place the things that encourages inspiration to fly around the workplace from person to person. Inspiration doesn’t come from the top down--it’s a circle. You don’t need a reason to wait to make that change.
It’s hard to ignore how the pandemic has changed the workplace. Erin sees it like this: there’s been no greater tailwind for authenticity in the workplace. She fears that if we don’t act purposefully and strategically--dropping the bad and bringing along the good--we will lose momentum.
LINKS
Bauthenticinc.com
https://www.amazon.com/You-Do-ish-Authentic-Superpowers-ebook/dp/B08W5C9HV7/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
@ErinHatzikostas
When you step into a position of sales leadership, you’re faced with an entirely new set of challenges. You have responsibilities that you didn’t handle as an outstanding salesperson, and they can take you away from what all sales leaders love--being with their people. The truth is, there is an incredible amount of power in making time for that. On this Friday Focus, Anthony is breaking down how you can stay connected and the impact it has.
Today’s guest, Daria Vodopianova is the co-founder of the Thought Leadership Academy and the LinkedIn Funnel Blueprint. She’s on a mission to empower leaders and ambitious coaches to step-up in their visionary role and build a sustainable business around their knowledge. We’re going to pick her brain and talk about how she operates and her philosophy around thought leadership.
Daria helps people transition from traditional salespeople to the experts and experts to thought leaders. Sales is a core skill of any profession--it’s something you have to master. When it comes to competitive markets, you need to stand out from the rest. When you have authority and thought leadership, a customer who may have previously not been able to differentiate your product from someone else’s suddenly has seen you, you have provided value to them, and they’re more inclined to trust you and what you do. When you can create that momentum, you build a sustainable income with a steady inflow of leads.
It’s important to remember that content isn’t just content--it’s your traffic source. When your potential client wants to check you out, they will do their research. If people like you, they will listen to you, if they trust you, they’ll do business with you. When they can’t find enough information, you’re losing an opportunity. You can build out an evergreen, ever-present trust machine with your content. You’re showing your prospects that you’re capable before even having a conversation. Don’t be afraid of putting yourself out there--your content is for your customers, not you, not anyone else. How can you serve them? What could your community use from you? You aren’t serving everyone, you’re becoming an expert in what it is your ideal client needs.
As a salesperson, your goal may be to get someone on the phone, either to ask questions about a product or service you’re selling or have sold. By creating content and providing value related to what you do, you’re opening the door even wider for people to contact you to get on that all-important phone call. Your audience has beliefs that you can break with your content. This sells the call for you! By the time you’re on the call, it’s just logistics.
To maximize profitability in your space, it takes the right mindset. There are three stages to thought leadership: profit, time, and leverage of influence. It’s crucial to realize all your actions at your business’s outset should lead to profit, down to the market in which you work and your content strategy. Think about your niche--you’re creating content for someone who is in your price bracket, looking for what you provide, and is open to working with you. You’re not creating it for everyone! You cannot solve problems for everybody, so don’t speak to everybody. From there, you can clone and scale what you’re doing and the problems you’re solving.
How long it takes is down to your sales mindset. If you really understand your customer’s beliefs and what it is you need to provide, you can skyrocket and bring courses wherever you want. If that person is comfortable in sales and at a higher ticket price range, it can take 1 year to get to 6 figures. As a thought leader, you want to be the master of your skills, and that includes the drive to become better and commitment to your art. Clarity is at the core. You have to be bold and understand that you can’t hide from your potential clients. Get out in the field and get a “no” and get comfortable with rejection--it’s not a bad word. It’s not about you, there are so many things that are out of your control. All you can do is prepare and make yourself better to set up the situation that best serves your goals. The only way to get a yes is to get a no.
Online course completion is very, very low. Many people will buy a course and never finish it because there is no deadline or urgency. Then, they don’t get results and it becomes harder to retain them as a client. If you get someone to come to a program with intention, you position yourself for success because your client will get results from your product. By charging more, you get clients who are serious about results. Find a client who you know is aligned with what you do, otherwise, you aren’t serving them. Sometimes, it makes more sense to say no when the needs aren’t met. Not every client is a great client. Find people who are in it to win. Make the low ticket offers optional--the high ticket clients drive revenue.
LINKS
DariaV.com
Connect with Daria on LinkedIn!
One of the challenges, when you move into sales management, is the way you handled objections as a sales rep doesn’t always apply anymore. Being in the trenches and driving revenue is a different situation than being out of the field. On today’s Friday Focus, Anthony is breaking down how we can teach objection handling with perspective. He’s sharing tactics you can apply today if you’re a sales rep, and advice you can use right now as a sales manager.
We chose a career in sales because we are rewarded based on results. Because that’s where the focus is, sometimes a do-to list can get out of sync. The best sales leaders know how to manage both. How do you drive high-performance activities while staying on top of what you need to do to be complete in your sales career? On today’s Friday Focus, Anthony is breaking down how you can handle it through compartmentalizing and reverse engineering.
Welcome back to the Catapulting Commissions podcast with your host, Anthony Garcia. This week’s guest is Danny Nessim, founder of A&C Management Group, LTD. a boutique PEO and Insurance Brokerage Firm, whose number one priority is to ensure that your company receives the best benefits at the best rates. He’s here today to talk to us about PEO, how he builds relationships, and the application value has.
A true PEO model is able to take small and medium-sized businesses and leverage them to give them fortune-500 benefits. Usually, rates are fixed regardless of the demographics of your company. By aligning and pooling with other companies, you’re able to go to large insurance providers with a pool or group of 30-40,000 employees. From there, you can get better insurance for less. It offers the flexibility of plans, lower price points, and generally better for employees, better for employers circumstances. Additionally, it allows you to outsource your back-office work. Rarely do small businesses have a team in HR--it comes down to one or two people. When you can work with PEO, you gain access to an entire set of HR and back-office team members. If you’re ever audited, you send them to the PEO, who is handling all of that work.
A main concern regarding PEOs is a misunderstanding of the relationship. In the past, the relationship has been seen as a “lease,” when in reality, it has become a cooperative, symbiotic understanding. You make the decisions for your company, the PEOs are on the back-end.
When you’re trying to recruit and retain employees, a good place to start is benefits. PEOs increase both the attractiveness and the stability of a small business. Top executives will see a benefits package and instantly be more interested than if there was one that you couldn’t afford. In the same way, you don’t want to hemorrhage your top employees because you can’t offer what they want. PEO’s flexibility brings the perks of a large company without the risk.
Danny breaks down how he himself runs his business. For him, it’s two-fold. The first part is having a relationship with centers of influence--HR consultants, CFOs, and people with multiple clients. When you can unveil the value you can bring to people of influence, you can educate first. In a time like we’re in now, everyone is searching for new and creative ways to save. Benefits are a massive expense, so why not open their eyes to another option for their business?
The second area is LinkedIn, Facebook, and other social media. Advertising and connection-making through online platforms are an easy way to reach a large group of people, some of which are curious about PEOs. It’s all about building warm leads. They close at a much higher rate and allows you to build more meaningful relationships.
Danny’s approach to cultivating relationships is centered around simple communications. There are phone calls, lunch, golf, informational flyers--anything that he can share, he shares, usually monthly. If you’re a client to someone, ask them to refer you to their other clients. Allow yourself to provide opportunity at the same time. Bring value to ask for value. It’s symbiotic! It should always be two-sided.
Remember--it takes time. Sometimes years. This is a trust-building relationship that will take effort and ongoing care and attention to establish. Once that happens, the floodgates open.
Finally, let your client talk. The client wants and enjoys talking about what they do, and you can learn as well. You can adapt to what they need based on what they share with you. Listening with intent allows you to educate in return about your product. Give first.
LINKS
Acmgmt.com
516-829-4880
LinkedIn: Daniel Nessim
The truth is, adversity is going to happen. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. If you’re not prepared for it, you’re going to feel it. You either quit, or you persevere. The solution to overcoming adversity is to prepare for it. The world is ugly--there is no easy pathway to success. In today’s Friday Focus, Anthony is breaking down how we can prepare for any challenges life throws our way.
Welcome back to the Catapulting Commissions podcast with your host, Anthony Garcia. Today’s guest is going to dive into sales leadership that we often don’t spend too much on. Caitlin Doemner is the co-founder of SalesMAP.me where she turns recruiting into a revenue stream. Caitlin has managed sales teams for some of the biggest names in the industry and is a proven success.
Caitlin built her foundational sales team through word of mouth at first, attending conferences, meetings, summits, and the like. Now, she’s transitioned the company to have the ability to flesh out her team through an online process. As she began the process of bringing in an internal sales team, a deciding pressure was time capacity. She reached a crossroad where there was too much to do for too few people--timewise. When hiring, she looked at hiring and recommends a COO or a salesperson--someone who can help maintain their pipeline. Think about what you LOVE to do, and allow yourself to commit to that and hire someone who can support you in other areas. Having a salesperson, even as an accountability buddy, has value and can make sure you have a steady cash flow.
When looking at building connections for potential clients, Caitlin’s marketing strategy can be broken down into four steps.
In a four year process, the first year is all about organic, real conversations with real people. It’s effective and easy to meet and reach out, but it isn’t the end.
The second year is all about content marketing. This is where you start posting articles, publishing in magazines, and creating content, all driving back to a real conversation with a real human being.
Level three is collaboration. Get on podcasts, get on other’s content, invite others to be a part of yours. This will flesh out your audience and drive them back to a real conversation.
Finally, in year four we focus on clicks. This is where you use automation. You’re building funnels and driving traffic. You get here when you’re confident in your lead production.
The point is, you can build a client base with one or two good salespeople. If they can stay busy, the cash flow will allow you to focus on operations to increase profitability.
There are bigger things at play here: there are three steps of a sales process.
First--Engage. This step is the hardest because you’re shooting arrows into the dark and you know have a starting point until you get information back. Here, you’re using the potential client’s language in your marketing, customer service, and training.
Second is Education. This step is up to your brand. This is how you let your potential clients know what you’re about. It’s about giving context so they book a sales call.
Third and finally is Enrollment. This is the moment of sale. This person has all the information they need, they have been properly engaged, and rapport has been built. Here you get to use all of your time conversing with them while they already know your pricing and the rest of the relevant things. It makes every conversation valuable.
Recruiting can be a driver of revenue, not a cost. Caitlin’s company takes a launch-based approach where they plan a sequence of hiring in line with an already scheduled launch. This creates a moment for your marketing team to start raising awareness and boost numbers and interest. Many people build lists from emails. Start collecting phone numbers--emails aren’t being opened.
A really good place to start looking when you’re recruiting for your internal sales team is your current following. If you’re big enough to have a list of numbers to call, you probably have someone interested enough and equipped with enough “heart” to be a successful addition to your brand.
Caitlin’s company reverse engineers the hiring process. By co-creating a compensation model, you get the personal investment of the individual who is being hired. It also allows the hirer and hiree to become aligned on expectations and willpower--you can coach skill.
Tune in to the end of the podcast to hear Caitlin Doemner’s top tips to generating more revenue fast!
LINKS
SalesMAP.me
BookOfExperts.com
Welcome back to the Catapulting Commissions podcast with your host, Anthony Garcia. Today’s guest is going to dive into sales leadership that we often don’t spend too much on. Caitlin Doemner is the co-founder of SalesMAP.me where she turns recruiting into a revenue stream. Caitlin has managed sales teams for some of the biggest names in the industry and is a proven success.
Caitlin built her foundational sales team through word of mouth at first, attending conferences, meetings, summits, and the like. Now, she’s transitioned the company to have the ability to flesh out her team through an online process. As she began the process of bringing in an internal sales team, a deciding pressure was time capacity. She reached a crossroad where there was too much to do for too few people--timewise. When hiring, she looked at hiring and recommends a COO or a salesperson--someone who can help maintain their pipeline. Think about what you LOVE to do, and allow yourself to commit to that and hire someone who can support you in other areas. Having a salesperson, even as an accountability buddy, has value and can make sure you have a steady cash flow.
When looking at building connections for potential clients, Caitlin’s marketing strategy can be broken down into four steps.
In a four year process, the first year is all about organic, real conversations with real people. It’s effective and easy to meet and reach out, but it isn’t the end.
The second year is all about content marketing. This is where you start posting articles, publishing in magazines, and creating content, all driving back to a real conversation with a real human being.
Level three is collaboration. Get on podcasts, get on other’s content, invite others to be a part of yours. This will flesh out your audience and drive them back to a real conversation.
Finally, in year four we focus on clicks. This is where you use automation. You’re building funnels and driving traffic. You get here when you’re confident in your lead production.
The point is, you can build a client base with one or two good salespeople. If they can stay busy, the cash flow will allow you to focus on operations to increase profitability.
There are bigger things at play here: there are three steps of a sales process.
First--Engage. This step is the hardest because you’re shooting arrows into the dark and you know have a starting point until you get information back. Here, you’re using the potential client’s language in your marketing, customer service, and training.
Second is Education. This step is up to your brand. This is how you let your potential clients know what you’re about. It’s about giving context so they book a sales call.
Third and finally is Enrollment. This is the moment of sale. This person has all the information they need, they have been properly engaged, and rapport has been built. Here you get to use all of your time conversing with them while they already know your pricing and the rest of the relevant things. It makes every conversation valuable.
Recruiting can be a driver of revenue, not a cost. Caitlin’s company takes a launch-based approach where they plan a sequence of hiring in line with an already scheduled launch. This creates a moment for your marketing team to start raising awareness and boost numbers and interest. Many people build lists from emails. Start collecting phone numbers--emails aren’t being opened.
A really good place to start looking when you’re recruiting for your internal sales team is your current following. If you’re big enough to have a list of numbers to call, you probably have someone interested enough and equipped with enough “heart” to be a successful addition to your brand.
Caitlin’s company reverse engineers the hiring process. By co-creating a compensation model, you get the personal investment of the individual who is being hired. It also allows the hirer and hiree to become aligned on expectations and willpower--you can coach skill.
Tune in to the end of the podcast to hear Caitlin Doemner’s top tips to generating more revenue fast!
LINKS
SalesMAP.me
BookOfExperts.com
This week’s Friday Focus tackles a difficult problem: not seeing eye to eye with your sales manager. Anthony is breaking down how to manage your manager and make sure your expectations are set and met with clear and direct feedback. Misinterpretations happen, but it’s important to remember that communication is a two-way street. Tune in to hear Anthony’s tips to have a healthy, flourishing, and effective relationship with, or as, a manager.
Our first guest of 2021 is Collin Mitchell. He’s the founder of Monster VoIP and the podcast host of The Sales Hustle. He’s a serial entrepreneur who shifted his model from Always Be Closing to Always Be Helping. Today, Collin is breaking down his mindset and dives into how we can maximize our results and make 2021 the best year yet.
Always Be Closing is still taught to this day. The fact is, transitioning to a servant-leadership mindset makes sales so much easier. You’re no longer shoving sales down the pipeline. You’re still asking for the order, but your approach is from “how can I make this person’s life better.” Your goal when you’re selling from this mindset is quality over quantity. When you can narrow your focus to only those who you know you can bring value to and genuinely help, you open the door for steady, consistent growth. Without this mentality, you’re focused on hitting quotas, and the fear of not those quotas manifests as a fear of uncertainty. You’re not sure if you’ll be able to hit those numbers because you’re looking at the sale as just that, not from the relationship perspective. When you’re always helping, you can be confident in knowing that you’ll be able to close, because you’ve already done the work trimming away deals that wouldn’t have gone through in the first place.
Going into 2021, many people are either looking to build the momentum they started, or turn the year around into the best year yet. Collin shares a few of his tips to make that happen.
First, it’s time to take inventory. Take a look at your last year and identify what worked, what didn’t, what you can bring with you into the new year, and what you need to leave in 2020. In addition, think about what new things you can bring to the table and how you can change the game in your field.
Next, figure out what your big, lofty goal is--whatever size. Then, drill it down. Reverse engineer it as granular as you can be. That means taking that one-year goal, narrowing to month-by-month, day-to-day, even down to how many conversations you’ll have to have to reach those goals. When you’re setting them, make sure you’re realistic and incremental in your goals. Then, write them down twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the evening. This will change your relationship with your goal and motivate you to hold yourself accountable.
They discuss your sphere of influence and who has an impact on you. Collin reminds us that there is a difference between people with a sales job and sales professionals. The difference is clear--those who are motivated to improve, looking to help those around them, not those who complain and make excuses.
When making the transition to Always Be Helping, there can be downfalls to keep an eye out for. Collin tells us that the discovery makes or breaks people. A good, deep discovery meeting should tell you if you can help them or if you need to move in another direction. You can have a great relationship with a potential client, but if you don’t have the discovery down, it doesn’t matter. You being likable isn’t going to be the reason they buy. A good discovery meeting will make sure the people you’re working with qualify. When you can identify a problem in that discovery, try to quantify it and contextualize it to how it’ll impact them personally. Remember, time and money are both valuable.
LINKS
Collin Mitchell on LinkedIn
Sales Hustle podcast on all major platforms
Introducing the Catapulting Commission Friday Focus Series. Every week, Anthony offers up his sales knowledge in a short and concise segment telling you exactly what you need to hear. This week Anthony tackles the "follow-up." We've all heard it..."I'll sign the contract next week" or "I'll get back to you later." Anthony teaches you the power of "following through" in order to create value and land the sale.
Welcome back to the Catapulting Commissions podcast with your host, Anthony Garcia. Virtual presentations. They’re not going anywhere. So, there’s no reason yours should suck! Today, Anthony is taking a look at how to make that presentation impactful, professional, and leave you with something you’re proud of.
Virtual meetings are important, and if you do them correctly, they can save you a lot of time. However, you can take someone seriously if they can’t take themselves seriously. If you aren’t able to have a clean, professional presentation under these circumstances, it appears as a reflection of your ability to adapt to unique selling situations.
The first step to adapting is easy. Get the correct lighting. The light from your laptop isn’t enough. There are ways to use a window, there are ways to use a lamp. Don’t have your camera facing the sun or the light! It’s critically important that you consider your lighting--take a look at ring lights.
Secondly, have the right background. What’s behind you is almost as important as what you’re presenting. Don’t allow it to distract from your message. Make sure it’s tidy, at least. If you can, consider a green screen to allow yourself the flexibility of changing your background. Whatever you’re comfortable with.
If you’re going to run a presentation, know your technology ahead of time. Know how to share your screen properly, know how to mute guests, know how to chat correctly, know what buttons to press. You can be the best salesperson in the world, but if you don’t know the tech, no one will listen to your message. At this point, it’s 2021--there’s no excuse.
When you speak, speak to the camera, not the screen. When you speak to the camera, you’re talking directly to your audience, whoever they may be. When it’s time for you to listen, then it’s okay to look at the screen.
If you know how to take a selfie, you should know how to position your webcam. Too low or too high is unflattering. Have it eye-level. Your eyes should be in the top third of the screen. If you’re presenting and only have an internal camera, prop up your laptop on top of a stack of books, a trashcan, anything.
As you’re speaking, be aware of how your image is projecting to your audience. For example, sitting too far away from your camera doesn’t help anyone. You want to be face, neck, and shoulders on the camera. You want to highlight what’s important when you’re speaking, not your shoes.
Be an appropriate amount of animated. You want people to be looking at your screen. It’s time to perform. Give your best effort without losing genuineness. It’s all about inflictions.
Have a pace and rhythm and keep it going. Be smooth in your cadence. When you’re speaking to a crowd, be aware of the speed at which you normally speak. When you’ve found the sweet spot, it shows intelligence.
Don’t allow bad audio to ruin your presentation. Invest in an external microphone. There are a wide variety of microphones for all different uses. You can undo all your work with just a poor microphone. Do an audio check to make sure you’re clear and there is no feedback loop and consider headphones.
Your internet is obviously critical. A higher speed, though, is certainly better. If you can afford to upgrade to the highest level of download/upload for your home, do it. It’s certainly a higher cost, but consider eliminating cable TV and streaming your entertainment. If you can afford that, plug into the modem to eliminate lag. Don’t lose an audience because your internet sucks.
Engage with your audience. You have to find ways to make a connection with those you’re speaking to. Answer questions or have a chat, whatever--but you have to ask for it. Feedback helps! Ask those questions and allow for an answer. If there is anything they enjoyed, ask them to let you know.
If you’re going to have a PowerPoint, they have to be top-notch. What you say and show in your presentation is impactful. Spruce it up--making it appealing. If you’re going to pop up a slide to take over your face, it needs to be equally as beautiful.
Finally, the last thing you can do to ensure your presentations are impactful is to be yourself. Have fun and be an authentic individual. People retain information when they’re engaged. Entertain, but remain yourself.
If you need any sort of help with anything we talked about today, don't hesitate to text 661-228-8967 and say hello!
This is a reposting of Episode 34 & 35 featuring Chris Ross as a part of Catapulting Commissions' Best of 2020 series. It features a new introduction from Anthony where he talks about the episode and the exciting things to come in 2021.
Today’s guest is an incredible Sales Leader, Chris Ross. He’s lead corporations to award-winning and high-performance sales teams, as well as pioneered profitable business development programs for his own companies that are Nationally Accredited. He specializes in training international business executives, companies, and corporations on methods, techniques he has developed over the years on adopting both sides of the buyer-seller relationships. He’s here today to break down how he’s breaking records and performing at the highest level.
Winning is something we discuss all the time. Chris embraces the losing more than “winning”. You don’t win or lose, you win or learn, according to Chris. You either have a quitting mentality or a winning mentality--and when you take a break, someone else will catch you. Having an abundance mentality allows you to put in the work without worrying about the haters or the accolades. It isn’t a finite game--as long as there are resources to continue, it’s crucial to get better. It’s one long game, Anthony adds.
Chris talks about his practices to get just 1% better every day. While it’s different for everyone, it’s important to have an overall goal--that will change with time. Your goals will uplevel and get bigger as you experience more success. Equally as important is having a target you can chase. The hardest battle Chris wins is at 5 am when he makes the choice to get to work and win. He removes distractions--phones and other people’s wants and needs. Then, he can attack the day by starting with a plan set in place the night before. Sure, somedays you get knocked out, but that’s why you prepare to adapt and adjust. Small, incremental improvements lead to massive changes. Making progress means you’ve gotten a win. If you focus on where you’ve failed, it can ruin you over time.
Progress is made when no one is looking. For Chris, being the Michael Jordan of sales means being 100% authentic within himself. He’s studied every sales technique there is and just found himself poking holes in it. Having a conversation from a script isn’t authentic nor is it useful. Ask yourself what you can do differently--how can you stand out? It’s not about reading and regurgitating information and methods--it’s about adapting information to your experience and the individual you’re talking to. Every person has a different story tied to different emotions. In fact, the two skills Chris says are essential to learn: anchoring and framing. If there is a negative response to something, re-anchoring the feeling into a positive emotion and reframing the situation to a beneficial one is a much easier way to communicate. This can only happen if it comes from a place that’s authentic. It allows you to pivot and move forward with the conversation.
Chris breaks down how we can eliminate buyer’s remorse for potential sales by dissolving the “pitch.” He sets standards for his conversations and brings the client to them. When you take the decision away from the client and take it upon yourself as the salesperson, you want it more. From the start, focus on what’s in the buyer’s best interest. What barriers are there for them to make a purchase? Beyond that, the language that is used in marketing is foundationally important. The phrase “for those who qualify” immediately shifts the power to the salesperson. Recommending a customer can turn them into a life-long client.
Anthony and Chris talk about what it means to be selective about the people they work with and what it means to truly help a person in the most meaningful way possible. They dissect the relationship between a coach and a client and how it can be beneficial for everyone if everyone is 100% committed.
Chris is in the process of expanding his organization, Winject. This endeavor has spearheads teaching companies and corporations on his methodology and aligning his sales process to increase sales numbers to astronomical transformation. His success as a salesperson is transferred into any industry--but he reminds us what he mentioned last week; you need to prove that you’re in for the long-haul. To see success, you have to approach with intention.
https://chrisrossofficial.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thisisChrisRoss
https://www.instagram.com/thisischrisross/
https://twitter.com/thisisChrisRoss
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisChrisRoss
https://www.youtube.com/c/ThisisChrisRoss
@thewinwineffect
@tcrconsultingagency
This is a reposting of Episode 24 & 25 featuring Elyse Archer as apart of Catapulting Commissions' Best of 2020 series. It features a new introduction from Anthony where he talks about the episode and the exciting things to come in 2021.
Today’s guest on the show is Elyse Archer. Elyse is a founding team member and Personal Brand Strategist with Brand Builders Group whose insights have been featured in major media including Forbes and Inc. She is a keynote speaker and host of the podcast Instant Impact with Elyse Archer, where she shares best practices from top business leaders who have created extraordinary personal brands and world-class networks. Elyse is an expert in Visibility, Personal Brand Strategy, and How to Master Video for Business. She helps people understand how to become known as a visible leader in their industry in order to multiply their inbound opportunities, impact, and income
When Elyse left her position as a Partner in an 8-figure international sales coaching organization, she felt a little lost. What she learned throughout the journey to where she is today was centered around understanding that just because it has been said before, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t say it. There are people out there with your name written on their hearts. They want to hear what you have to say, but more importantly, they want to hear it from you.
When you’re building a personal brand, there is often a fear of “why me?” This hangup can prevent serious growth. Elyse discusses how building a brand is foundationally finding your unique perspective on a problem. She recalls learning that to rise above the noise, you find your uniqueness and exploit it in the service of others. It’s not how are you better, but how are you different. She suggests finding a few close friends and asking them some of the things that make you stand out. Think about what sort of adversity you’ve overcome! Sometimes we are too close to see it.
Elyse talks a bit about the “what comes after” when you build a brand and how we can monetize it. In the end, you are your story and you are your experiences. When we think about monetizing that, we have to remember that people follow people, not brands. When you’re a sales leader, know that the branding of your team members can help you and your organizations. Elyse talks about PAIDS--Products, Ads and affiliates, Information, Deals, and Services. These are the three ways you can increase your inbound cash flow without trading time for money.
Then, Elyse touches on a concept called Sheehan’s Wall. This concept breaks down what it is that influential brands do differently to rise to the top. In any industry, there are two groups of people: the well-known and the unknown. On the unknown side, they often WANT to go to the other side but aren’t sure how to get there. What happens is they approach the challenge from all different angles and speak on 20 different topics and take lots of dispersed opportunities. This is what is called brand dilution. The people who break through are hyper-focused and can get very clear on their messaging and the problem they solve and how they solve it.
Elyse continues the conversation by discussing video as it relates to sales professionals. Why should a sales executive, a sales expert, a sales entrepreneur want to create video content? By 2021, 82% of all sales will be made through video content. People are looking online for information and they are watching videos to get the answer they need.
Elyse shares some of the biggest mistakes she sees people making with video content. A primary one is watching the video before you post it. This opens the door for nit-picking and re-recording. 17 takes later, you realize it’s not worth and you do nothing. Another mistake is trying to script out word-for-word a video. Elyse suggests bullet-points so you can sound more natural and still stay on track.Additionally, many people are concerned with the tech it takes to make video content. The truth is, the only tech you need is in your phone.
Elyse touches on who she serves and how she can help cater her coaching to your needs. Tune in to listen to the incredible value Elyse brings to this series!
What You’ll Learn
On today’s show, Elyse shares with us what she learned when she left her position as a Partner in an 8-figure international sales coaching organization to become a personal branding coach, how to get through the “why me?” challenge, and talks about a concept called Sheehan’s Wall--something that could be the reason why you haven’t risen to the top. Finally, she tackles video and the value it brings to your brand.
LINKS
www.ElyseArcher.com
Elyse Archer on LinkedIn
@elysearcher on Instagram
This is a reposting of Episode 28 as apart of Catapulting Commissions' Best of 2020 series. It features a new introduction from Anthony where he talks about the episode and the exciting things to come in 2021.
Thanks for tuning into the Catapulting Commissions podcast with your host, Anthony Garcia. Today’s show is a little bit different--it’s a monologue. We’re talking Anthony by himself in his office delivering fire directly to your ears. The subject this week is one of the biggest questions entrepreneurs encounter. It’s about sales. Sales professionals have the high-income skillset. However, there are some that don’t know how to drive sales. Anthony is going to break down why it’s important to work in sales in some capacity before you embark on the journey of entrepreneurship.
There are three incredibly important reasons why every entrepreneur should gain experience in sales:
What you’ll learn
On this episode, Anthony shares with us three essential skills you learn from sales that you can apply to your entrepreneurial endeavors.
LINKS
https://anthonypgarcia.com/
This is a reposting of Episode 8 featuring Ian Koniak as apart of Catapulting Commissions' Best of 2020 series. It features a new introduction from Anthony where he talks about the episode and the exciting things to come in 2021.
Today’s guest is a classic example of excellence and demonstrates time and time again that he is a top performer in sales and beyond. Ian Koniak is a career sales professional, entrepreneur, and expert at investing in himself. He’s on the show today to talk about his story, how and why he puts so much trust into himself and his skills, how to bust through difficult walls, and much, much more.
Ian talks about his top practices and mentalities that he has used to maintain a top sales representative position at his company. He says that it’s important to remember that you can’t change people who don’t want to be changed. He talks about his early success and some struggles he faced shortly after. It starts, he says, with the understanding that you should to identify and change what you need to do to fulfill your goals. You have to get to a point where you’re sick and tired of sub-par performance, and you need to believe that you can achieve more. By shifting his focus from himself to his client, he was able to provide a service to those around him, and the rest followed. Ian shares with us his personal wake-up calls that push him to get better, every day.
Anthony and Ian chat about company culture and what an organization can do you improve the retention of those important people. Ian talks about the importance of longevity and how it impacts success. Developing sales reps is essential--people don’t leave companies, they leave managers. Second, it’s about making them money. Closing their deals leads the way in teaching them the ropes and showing you want them to succeed. And third, it’s about caring about people. Someone who is going to bring value to them and getting out of the way when they’re ready is an effective manager.
Next, they discuss personal development. Ian joined a mastermind group, or a group of like-minded individuals with a similar goal, coached by a mentor. He discusses vision setting and how they began by laying out the most important people in their lives, who they’re doing ‘it’ for, and the most important things they’ve taught them. He mentions changing habits, both personally and professionally. His commitment to improving himself returned ten-fold. There are time-stealers that they do in private that slow the progress of moving the needle. Weeding out things that don’t do anything for his business allowed him to reach his potential.
Finally, Ian chats about his coaching business and what you can expect when you work with him.
What you’ll learn
In today’s conversations, Ian shares the top practices he uses to maintain the highest level of performance in sales--consistently, how to improve company culture and lessen rep turnover, and how important it is to improve, develop, and boost yourself to reach your true potential.
LINKS
Iankoniak.com
Ian Koniak on LinkedIn
Links to purchase the Catapulting Commissions book can be found at
http://anthonypgarcia.com/book/
This week’s episode of the Catapulting Commissions podcast is going to be a journey, y’all. Recently, Anthony was in a position where he needed to purchase a new vehicle. What happened though, was Anthony walked away from one dealership to another further away, to purchase the same vehicle at almost price point. Why? Today Anthony is breaking down the four biggest mistakes he saw from the consumer’s perspective.
For the sake of anonymity, the dealership Anthony purchased his BMW Sedan from will be called Dealership A, and the one he walked away from, Dealership B.
The first mistake Anthony saw during his experience at Dealership B was there was no needs assessment. The car wasn’t really SOLD to him. There was no discussion on where he was driving, no questions regarding what his family or he wanted out of a car, nothing of the sort. There was no rapport building at all!
The second mistake is key. In car sales, there is turnover--a moment where the sales manager comes in to close. When that happens, it’s essential to set them up for success. In this situation, the sales person’s approach was “my manager can negotiate more than I can.” When he said that, expectations went through the roof. That made the conversation much different.
The last two mistakes fall on the sales manager. This person is the closer, the defining voice of the sale, and a person who should excel in their industry. But, this individual actually gave Anthony reason to drive over an hour away to purchase the same vehicle at nearly the same pricepoint.
The third mistake was a lack of professionalism. You cannot lack this in the sales process, you’re under a microscope. This is one of those mistakes that has a lot of weight. The way you dress, act, and carry yourself means a lot. As a consumer, we don’t care what your day has been like. There is an understanding that there would be a professional conversation. This individual wasn’t dressed professionally, and the first thing he said was “Today has been horrible. It’s Friday and I’m trying to get out of here.” Yikes. How does that make the consumer feel? That moment turned the tide.
When the time came to discuss the price of the car, there was a clear disconnect between the price points. When Anthony brought this up and asked what it would take to get closer, the response was “You’re looking at the wrong vehicle. We’re wasting each other’s time.” Then, he stood up and left. When you’re the closer and you act like that, you disrespect your customer and the salesperson who is trying to feed their family.
The fourth mistake during this process was a lack of respect. DO NOT DISRESPECT YOUR CUSTOMERS. DO NOT DISRESPECT ANYONE. As Anthony and his family got up to leave, the salesperson attempted to re-explain the value in the car they were looking at. During that moment, the manager returned, threw a piece of paper at Anthony, said “This is the final offer. Take it or leave it.” and walked away. Anthony has two daughters at home. They don’t throw things. Was it a better offer? Yeah. But it didn’t matter. Despite follow up, no deal could be done. The disrespect was immovable.
Dealership A, the shop Anthony DID purchase from is Valencia BMW in Valencia, California.
Anthony met this salesperson online through email and then by over the phone. Immediately, that person conducted a needs analysis. When they discussed pricing and they were separated, Anthony again brought it up. But this time, the response was “I can take care of that for you.” Because his next offer was close and he was so helpful, they made the trip. There wasn’t one customer there being disrespected or being made felt like a bother. Because of that, it wasn’t a price issue.
As they waited for their paperwork to be processed, they overheard a sale that wasn’t going through. Even then, there was no disrespect. No one felt uncomfortable. It was about trying to solve a problem. That salesperson shook the person’s hand and walked them out, didn’t allow them to leave alone.
In the end, it hurts to know someone with a bad attitude can hurt a community’s well-being.
LINKS
https://anthonypgarcia.com/