This company just had their second workshop with me last night!

They will tell you what they want. LISTEN to what your client needs.

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They come for the team building. I give them more.

This team sells software. Not one of them is a software engineer. I took AP Comp Sci in high school. But I failed. I had a severe case of senioritus in 1989/90.

In 2003 I worked as an actor at a Trade show, helping get attention for new software company. After an hour, I knew the pitch better than the sales team. I got more clients to the boss for a close.

That same year we performed our forst show at a k12 school, corporate event and college campus. We embraced the internet ahead of most. These clients found us on MySpace. L ut it was me on the phone that closed the deal.

I am far from brilliant as sales go. But I am geniune. I was authentic before it was cool.

But I was always the top sales guy. I worked in restaurants for nearly 10 years. THE KING OF THE UPSELL, I could sell more apps, drinks and desserts than anyone. I had some great training at Hamburger Hamlet and Clydes of Georgetown. I had brief stints in telemarketing and even a month at cutgo in my Ceasars of day job hell.

I learned how to be a pitch man playing Harold Hill in college. THE MUSIC MAN is a conman though. I learned the art of the fast talk. But I’m no used car sales shmuck today.

I genuinely care about my clients. I am bold and loud. I can get the attention of many, but that gets old. Turning sincere holds their attention.

You can learn tricks from a sales manager, but hear is how you get great.

EMBRACE WHAT I TEACH IN IMPROV

1. My #1 Rule HAVE FUN but NEVER at another’s expense. My version of the Golden Rule.
2. YES AND… Accept your team, your client, your family, etc AND… support them. Live a life of service! Deliver what they need and reap the rewards. (If they abuse it, cut them off. Never live a life of servitude. But give EVERYONE. Achance..suspend judgment!)
3. LISTEN WITH YOUR EYES! LISTEN WITH THE WILLINGNESS TO CHANGE! Replace thinking with listening. Be more engaged. Prepared answers to Objections are Amateur. They will tell you what they want. LISTEN to what your client needs.

LEARN WHAT I TEACH STAND UP COMEDY STUDENTS

Stop trying to be great. Don’t TRY to be funny. Don’t TRY to be clever. Don’t TRY to be better than Bob in the next cubicle. But EVERY DAY become 1% better than YOU were yesterday. How?

1. PREPARE. Know your material. Know the product. Know the client. Do the research.
2. HAVE FUN! It’s time to execute. Don’t be a head hu ter. SERVE. LISTEN. When others get stuck in mediocre scripts, you will be able to pivot. It’s basically the art of BS the shmucks practice. BUT because you are prepared and knowledgeable, because YOU care about the client’s NEEDS, it’s genuine. JUST DO.
3. ANALYZE THE WORK. Remove ego and insecurity. Celebration is as bad as beating yourself up when you lose the sale. While others get trashed at happy hour, review your work – THE GOOD THE BAD THE UGLY!

Here is the secret sauce:

The above works in any scenario. Today you may be limited by lack of knowledge or proficiency. You can only fake it so far. A rare few can BS their way into success. Most cannot. The younger you are the better, but it’s never too late to change your story!

The second you move past the ego and insecurity, your ability to learn and develop magnifies overnight. Simply removing those blocks opens you up to YOUR full potential today. Removing those blocks allows you to learn new faster.