Nothing Brings About Success Like Walking Through The Right Doors
Those close to me, who know the real me, know I have no problem asking for help. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. It's an opportunity to expand your horizons. I'm simply amazed by the amount of people who simply fail to ask for help.
I've made it my mission to educate, engage and excite all those inside the sales world. Sales leaders and their sales teams must stand up, unite and transform how they go to market in a world full of sales mediocrity (I'm being nice).
I believe every sales rep, every sales manager and every sales leader must be able to articulate a strong value proposition; tailoring to different stakeholders. They must have strong business acumen, strong conversational skills, know how to tell their story and furthermore, know what it means to sell from the heart. They must be able to devote a tremendous amount of effort to understanding the customer, their needs, their wants, their issues and desires; packaging all of this up by focusing on adding value every step of the way.
I spent 27 years inside an extremely 'old school' sales channel, laggard in nature and slow to adopt to modern ways of growing business; the office technology channel. I've directed many pointed blogs and articles right at them, speaking to how they must transform themselves or face the road to irrelevance.
The same message can be directed to every sales channel out there... How well are you innovating? How well are you adapting to what is happening around you? What's standing in your way?
EVOLVE OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES
In life, **** happens! The spring of 2015, I found myself in a position where life took a massive turn. We all face challenging times in life. We can either let it consume us as we fade into a downward life spiral or we can use it as a launching pad to reinvent, reinvigorate and reignite passion; a passion to challenge ones mindset and skill set to start something new.
I've had the fortunate experience of meeting many amazing people throughout my lifetime. A special thank you to someone near and dear to me, Darrell Amy. Without a doubt, the most genuine, authentic and caring individuals I know. His belief in me and more importantly his ability to push me out of my comfort zone has changed me for the better, and I am forever grateful!
THE LAUNCH OF SOMETHING SPECIAL
Evolve or perish! Two words being thrown at sales reps all over the world. Evolve to me means trying something new, adapting and adopting; constantly being on the look out to improve everything about what you do.
With the heartfelt support of Darrel Amy, we launched to the sales world the Social Sales Academy. We're fully committed to helping B2B sales teams integrate social into their sales process to ignite and fuel sales growth. We want you to get results. We're passionate about doing this the right way, the real way, the authentic way! Straight from the heart!
VALUE AND VISIBILITY
"How do you expect to get noticed in a marketplace when nobody knows you exist?"
In a digitally driven, socially connected and highly networked business world, how do all those in sales get noticed? How do they all rise above all others to stand out?
You have to be willing to put yourself out there. Integrating social is jet fuel to anybody in sales who uses it in conjunction with all forms of outbound prospecting. I threw myself out into the marketplace to get noticed. Combining a strict work ethic, discipline and desire; I leveraged outbound strategies coupled with a commitment to social and shared with the world what I was all about. Everyone soon found out, I do lead with a servant's heart.
I pounded the phone. I drove emails. I spoke at B2B industry events. I wrote articles in industry magazines. I started blogging. I leveraged every single stinking business development tool available to get noticed. I made this a non-negotiable deal to myself.
In the span of three years, I've written well over 180 blogs, published over 50 articles and have spoken at events all over the United States, Canada and Australia.
I've worked with sales leaders and their teams throughout the United States, Australia and Canada. I've infused excitement and proof that social integrated into the sales process does work if done from the heart.
"I like to consider myself the biggest excuse remover out there!"
SELLING FROM THE HEART
September of 2018, Selling From the Heart... How Your Authentic Self Sells You was launched to the world. Within a few short days, I became an International Best Selling Author as my book went number 1 in the United States, Australia and Canada.
Selling From The Heart goes against everything that standard sales training teaches you. So how do you sell in this current environment? From the heart!!! You put the needs of your clients first. You place them up on a silver business platter. You intently listen to their every word, what they need and how you can best fill it. You care about them as people and develop strong relationships with them. You don’t go in for the kill, make the sale and abandon them. You take care of them each step of the way.
I share this as all of you have the capability of making this happen. We've all been giving the same sets of tools to use, it's how we choose to use them. The commitment I made to myself matters the most.
My personal goal and commitment... I want to positively make a difference by helping sales reps become sales professionals.
SELLING FROM THE HEART PODCAST, JEB BLOUNT AND OUTBOUND 2018
During the spring of 2017, the Selling From The Heart Podcast was born. This was another avenue for Darrell Amy and I to get our message out to the sales world. The podcast is all about being real, being authentic and speaking from the heart as we help the sales community all over the world.
The guests that come onto our podcast share our same mission and are advocates of selling from the heart.
It was this podcast that change my world...
Jeb Blount, CEO of Sales Gravy. As the author of Sales EQ, Jeb shared his research about curiosity as a core sales skill on our podcast. Here's where it took a turn... later that same evening I hear my cell phone ringing, looking at it and not recognizing the number I almost didn't answer but I did.
"Hey Larry, it's Jeb... Just wanted to call to say thank you again for having me on the podcast". I'm saying to myself, "Wholly crap!" For the next hour and a half we had a phenomenal conversation. The turning point in the conversation came when Jeb mentions to me that in April of 2018 he along with Mark Hunter, Mike Weinberg and Anthony Iannarinoare putting on the Outbound Conference. Jeb mentions, I've been following what you've been doing, what you've been writing about and I like what you stand for; would you like to share your story, your journey and how you have tied outbound with social strategies to get to where you are and speak at Outbound? Oh my freaking bleep, bleep, bleep, "Hell yeah Jeb I would be honored!" (I'm in the middle under the B)
Let me tell you this ... If you never put yourself out there, how do you plan on getting noticed? How do you plan on attracting new sales opportunities? How do you plan on rising above all others, your competitors? Share the real you and not some facade in hopes this impresses others to help you get noticed. I call these EMPTY SUITS!
The path I chose and carved out for myself has be done my way! The authentic way! The no B.S. way! The human way by staying real and being real by saying things that need to be said.
"People will see, smell and sense B.S. a mile away and social exposes this in two seconds. If you can't be the real you then who are you?
MY STORY, MY WAY, THE WAY I KNOW HOW
I share this with all of you for one reason and one reason only - everyone has the ability to change the course of their own lives. It's believing in yourself, staying true to yourself and not allowing the voices of others take you down.
We all have stories to tell. It's how well we tell those stories. We all have a voice and the message needs to be told our way, your way; your unique way as you help to change the lives of those around you.
I encourage all sales leaders and every sales professional to create a plan. This plan revolves around and encompasses leveraging every single business development tool available to help you get noticed in crowded marketplace. Think of your clients, your future clients, your network, your inner circle and your fellow teammates... How can you help them become better versions of themselves? How can you help them all in doing better business?
I know you have it in you. If a 54 year old guy can continue to reinvent and repackage himself then I trust you can do it. I promise you it will change your life! I'm having the time of my life. I wish the same for you.
OUTBOUND 2019
Outbound is the biggest, baddest conference in the Sales Profession and the only conference focused exclusively on sales prospecting, pipeline, and productivity.
In a few short years, my authentic journey has taken me all over the world. However, being able to speak once again at Outbound 2019 is something I will cherish. My message is being heard loud and clear... when you sell from the heart good things happen.
A special thank you to Jeb, Mark, Anthony and Mike. I have nothing but mad respect and love for you guys.
I hope this inspires you to take action. You owe it yourself, your career and your family!
I understand, I get where you all are coming from. Every day, I walk in your shoes. I am fully committed to helping your sales team integrate social aspects and modern strategies into your current sales process to grow new business. I want you to get results. This is why I am passionate about doing this the right way, the genuine way, the authentic way! It's about understanding value before visibility.
Selling From the Heart is making a difference! I poured my heart into every page of this book and I think you're going to love it. You can find it on Amazon in paperback and Kindle. You can click on the book image below and this will take you to Amazon.
You can find more material inside Selling From The Heart.
In a world full of empty suits, I'm passionate about helping sales reps succeed by getting valuable before they get visible. I help sales teams understand the true value they bring to the market.
I appreciate getting the opportunity to share my stories. Integrating the use of social and sharing my story on LinkedIn was my “game-changer” in the highly competitive office technology world. With great pride I transform, challenge, coach and inspire sales teams to grow new business by helping them share their story and how they communicate it out by integrating the use of social inside the sales process. You can follow me on LinkedIn, Twitter, Social Sales Academy and on my podcast by clicking on Selling from the Heart.
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