Summary:

Today's episode is with Stephen Steers, a sales consultant, keynote speaker and author. We explore the art of storytelling in sales. Not how to tell your story but how to help people tell a better version of their own story. When you can help someone better understand themselves and through your interaction you better understand them., that's where magic happens.

Stephen has come through the ranks of sales as a business development rep an account executive, and now owns his own sales consultancy business around how to tell effective stories as part of a sales process.

We discuss how human connection, story telling, and emotional intelligence can transform the sales process, moving away from traditional pushy sales tactics to a more empathetic approach. Stephen shares his personal journey with storytelling, the importance of understanding client needs, and effective questioning techniques to foster genuine conversations. The episode emphasizes the significance of emotional responses in decision-making and how to leverage personal stories to build trust and rapport with clients.

You'll learn how to ask questions to help people tell a better story of their problems. You'll help tell stories in a way that gets people to reframe their own stories, and you'll learn how to build trust through understanding wh

Key Moments:

02:19 Redefining Sales: From Selling to Problem Solving

11:43 The Power of Storytelling in Sales - Helpin People Tell Their Stories Better

16:49 Learning from Experience: The Journey of a Salesperson

21:07 Emotional Connection: The Key to Effective Selling

26:02 Building Rapport in Sales Conversations

28:52 Effective Questioning Techniques

33:51 How to Craft A Better Story in Sales

40:50 Humanizing Customer Stories

45:51 Finding Authentic Connections

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Summary:

Alot of people reach out to me to inquire about being a guest but this one stood out amongst almost 150 episodes. Dre Baldwin was the first to make me a personalized video and it landed with me.

Dre Baldwin is a former professional athlete turned entrepreneur and performance coach. Dre shares his unique framework for success, emphasizing the importance of discipline, mental toughness, and authentic communication in both personal and professional settings. He discusses his transition from basketball to business, the significance of understanding one's audience, and the common pitfalls that many face in sales and performance. Dre really dove into discipline in his sport and he realized a lot of his skills translated to business professionals once his playing days were over. It takes a talent to sell your skills on the court to people in a boardroom and Dre does that every day with his consulting practice, his online presence, and his speaking business.

Throughout the conversation, Dre highlights the role of mental conditioning and decision-making in achieving success, while also sharing insights on how to effectively coach others by asking the right questions.

You'll also learn how to reframe what discipline means to make it easier for you to continue at whatever you're working towards. You'll learn mindset techniques that will serve you when you're inevitably faced with a no or a failure to help you keep getting back up. Dre has got you with this one.

Books Mentioned:

1. "The 48 Laws of Power" by Robert Greene
2. "The Art of Seduction" by Robert Greene
3. "10X is Easier Than 2X" by Dan Kennedy and Ben Hardy

Key Moments:

03:00 Dres Framework of Selling by Being Human

05:48 Transitioning from Athlete to Entrepreneur

08:58 The Importance of Authentic Communication

12:02 Techniques for Effective Selling

15:03 Infusing Authenticity in Personal Life

17:58 Understanding Your Audience

20:57 The Work on Your Game Framework

24:01 Common Pitfalls in Sales and Discipline

26:43 The Challenges of Entrepreneurship and Parenthood

29:19 Understanding Mental Conditioning

32:01 The Role of Discipline in Achieving Freedom

36:17 The Importance of Decision-Making and Discipline

39:07 Influences of Family on Discipline and Work Ethic

41:34 Coaching: Asking the Right Questions

47:01 The Unique Traits of Dre Baldwin

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Summary:

Have you ever wondered if or how human connection happens in the military? For someone that's never been in the military like myself, I've often thought the military is about a chain of command and an order structure. That's it. You follow orders or else. Human connection and order seem to be opposing forces. But today's guest says that's not always the case. People get sold on staying or leaving the military by the people they report to.

Today I interviewed Enrique Acosta Gonzalez, a leadership expert and former Navy veteran. We discuss the importance of human connection in leadership, the transition from military to civilian leadership, and the significance of building trust and relationships. Enrique shares his experiences in the military, the impact of different leadership styles of his commanding officers, and how authenticity plays a crucial role in effective leadership. We touch on the concept of 'selling by being human' in the military and in his current practice of coaching his clients. This is for you if you've ever wondered how these skills show up in any of these places!

Key Moments:

00:00 Introduction to Leadership and Human Connection

02:56 The Military's Human Element in Leadership

06:06 Building Trust and Relationships in Leadership

09:07 The Impact of Leadership Styles

11:59 Lessons from Military Leadership Experiences

15:05 Transitioning from Military to Civilian Leadership

20:07 The Importance of Authenticity in Leadership

24:00: Selling by Being Human in his current role

26:54 Nurturing Relationships for Long-Term Success

31:59 Working with Strong-Willed Leaders

36:44 Final Thoughts on Leadership and Legacy

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Summary:

Have you ever wondered what the best people do to build high quality business relationships? Today I talk to a guy that devoted seven years of his lif studying just that. And the insights he's gained from asking exdecutives one simple question.

"Can you think of the best person you've ever worked with from a vendor/partner perspective and what made the so great?"

Today, Dr. Ryan O'Sullivan comes on the podcast. He's originally from Brittain but lives in Spain. His work you can find in the book, "Building B2B Relationships". We dive into significance of human connection in sales, emphasizing authenticity, and the importance of investing time in relationships.

We also talk about the role of humor and banter in building rapport. What is banter and how he's seen people use it feectively.

Dr. O'Sullivan shares insights from his extensive research on business relationships, highlighting the distinction between personal friendships and professional connections, And the key components that contribute to successful business interactions.

You'll leave understanding how to leverage strong lifelong business relationships by doing the little things for others that can have a profound impact on them. Ryan will also show you how when he's done that, how it's come back to him.

Key Moments:

00:00 Introduction to Human Connection in Sales

03:08 The Importance of Authenticity and Being Human

06:03 Learning Relationship Skills from Early Life

08:57 The Role of Banter in Building Relationships in the UK

11:54 The Value of Initiating Conversations

14:55 Understanding the Dynamics of Business Relationships

18:07 The Distinction Between Personal and Business Relationships

20:58 Insights from CXO Interviews on Relationship Building

24:06 Key Components of Successful Business Relationships

29:04 The Art of Intelligence Gathering

32:04 Building Trust in Business Relationships

36:00 Navigating Different Personalities

40:08 Cognitive Capital and Relationship Building

43:50 The Dynamics of Social Exchange Theory

46:09 Creating Lasting Connections

52:08 The Personal Side of Professional Relationships

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Summary:

We've got a force of nature on the program today. She is a 16 year professional athelete. One of only 270 women in history to wear the jersey of the US Womens National Team. She was the first woman in Washingto Spirit history to have her jersey retired.

Joanna Lohman played at the pinnacle of her sport and now owns stages where she speaks on leadership, performance, courage and resilience.

We speak. Joanna shares her journey from sports to business, emphasizing the importance of authenticity, storytelling, and teamwork. Joanna has a unique perspective on how the art of selling through human connection showed up for her as an athelete and on her teams. It

Those lessons also go to explaining how creating a culture of safety and belonging can build influence on those around you. . Joanna also introduces her concept of 'refiring' after retirement, focusing on the idea of continuing to contribute and impact in new ways. The episode concludes with practical advice on how to connect with others authentically and the importance of self-awareness in building relationships.

If you never thought a soccer player was ever in sales, this episode might just prove you wrong. Her value is in how she creates spaces for people to let people be more of themselves and how that skill can some back to you in ways you may never realize.

Key Moments:

00:00 Introduction to JoAnna Lohman

04:09 The Power of Storytelling in Selling

07:35 Teamwork and Individual Contributions

11:46 Celebrating Uniqueness in Teams

20:09 Transitioning from Sports to Business

26:18 Harnessing Resilience and Leadership

30:15 Chasing Feelings Over Strategies

33:52 Authenticity in Leadership and Sales

39:57 Creating Safe Spaces for Authenticity

42:02 The Three Steps to Authentic Impact

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Summary:

In this episode, I chat with Francie Jain, founder of Terrawatt, to explore the intersection of sales, human connection, and entrepreneurship.

Francie shares her journey from the hedge fund industry to founding a company that connects individuals with executive coaches. The conversation delves into the importance of relationships in sales, the challenges of career changes, and the role of coaching in personal development.

Whenever people make big career shifts, it always amazes me how well their sales skills can transfer from one role to the next. Francie will show you what that looks like as an entrepeneur.

Francie emphasizes the need for authenticity and respect in sales, and discusses the key questions that can lead to personal growth. Things as simple as "What Do You Want?

She emphasizes the need for effective communication of the benefits of coaching, overcoming common objections, and the significant return on investment (ROI) that comes from employee development. Francie shares success stories that highlight the impact of coaching on reducing turnover and improving organizational performance. She also reflects on personal growth and the importance of self-awareness as a founder, encouraging others to embrace their strengths and remain curious.

Key Moments:

00:00 Introduction to Human Connection in Sales

03:00 The Role of Relationships in Sales

05:57 Navigating Career Changes and Entrepreneurship

08:55 The Origin Story of Terrawatt

12:02 The Importance of Coaching and Mentorship

14:54 Defining Success and Overcoming Fear

18:02 Key Questions for Personal Growth

21:11 Evaluating Coaches and Personal Development

25:22 The Value of Executive Coaching

27:03 Communicating the Why Behind Coaching

29:44 Overcoming Objections to Coaching

30:41 The ROI of Employee Development

35:22 Success Stories in Coaching

39:27 Self-Discovery and Personal Growth

44:35 Connecting with Terawatt

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Summary:

John Barrows is the CEO of JB Sales, a sales training company focused on elevating the people and profession of Sales. He’s been in Sales his entire life and held every position from making 400 cold calls a week to being the VP of Sales at one of the fastest growing companies in Massachusetts that they eventually sold to Staples and is now the CEO of his own company where he still actively sells every day.

John came on the podcast to talk about how to stand out as a human in sales despite the world of AI that we live in. He dives deep on ways to use AI to augment your sales process over automating your sales process. While AI can write some uncanny human like emials, it still can't replace your soul. Or being the "last mile" in how you can humanize your process.

We discuss the importance of maximizing meeting efficiency, doing AI research to show someone you respect their time, the human element that will never die in sales, and the impact of AI on the sales process. John also covers common questions that sales people ask that we should remove from our vocabulary completely in the world of AI that we live in. This is a good one gang!

Key Takeaways: (using AI)

Sales has always been a human-human interaction.

AI can enhance sales processes but should not replace human connection.

People buy based on emotions and justify with facts.

The essence of sales is helping people solve problems.

Empathy and curiosity are crucial traits for sales professionals.

AI can personalize content but lacks the human touch.

Sales is not about convincing but about understanding needs.

The 'give a shit' factor is something AI cannot replicate.

Automation in sales can lead to a loss of personal connection.

Successful sales depend on how you sell, not just what you sell. Maximizing meeting efficiency is crucial for productive conversations.

Focus on the client's needs rather than your own agenda.

AI can enhance sales processes but cannot replace human empathy.

Avoid asking generic questions that waste clients' time.

Research is essential before engaging with potential clients.

Sales professionals must adapt to AI or risk becoming irrelevant.

Custom AI solutions can enhance personal and professional productivity.

Authenticity in communication builds trust with clients.

Curiosity drives engagement and effective sales conversations.

Investing in AI tools is necessary for modern sales success.

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Summary:

This conversation, I invite someone who got to intentionally know me and who I've worked a little harder for because of how he's made an impact on me. In sales, we sometimes overthink the experience we need to give to people and Sean has found ways to simplify that.

Sean met me at a company event and we've developed a great friendship. What I love about how Sean sells is he is constantly thinking about how we can "over index" on his gives. He tells a story about how a tattoed pizza owner taught him everything he needed to know about sales and networking.

You'll learn how to emphasize the importance of understanding others' needs and being thoughtful in interactions, whether in sales or your personal life. We also cover networking strategies and the value of making genuine connections, highlighting how small gestures can have a profound impact on relationships.

If you can think of a person in your life that just sells you on them as a person and people enjoy being around because of that, this is the episode for you!

Key Moments:

00:00 Introduction to Human Connection in Sales

02:46 The Importance of Genuine Relationships

06:12 Sean's Unconventional Career Path

08:59 Influential Figures in Sean's Journey

11:55 Deepening Conversations for Meaningful Connections

14:52 The Power of Networking and Introductions

18:01 Skills for Connecting on a Human Level

21:45 The Importance of Preparation in Conversations

27:29 Proactive Relationship Building

32:38 Networking with Intent

37:54 Unique Personal Connections

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