[E220] Closing out Season 2

Hey there, welcome to the season-ending episode of the sales experience podcast. My name again is Jason Cutter. This is episode 220 I can’t believe it. It’s been a lot. When I first started this show just over a year ago. My goal is to do a hundred episodes, five episodes a week and see where things went and see if I wanted to do it. And here we are, 220 episodes in season two and we’re wrapping this up. Interestingly, uh, season one was 110 episodes. Season two is going to be 110 episodes. Season two if you haven’t been listening or if you’ve been following along, was filled with a lot of amazing guests. So season one was mostly me talking. Season two was just guest after guest in these bite sized mini series types of conversations with tons of insight across a lot of industries and different focuses by people you know, at different levels.

Some consultants, some in charge of sales organizations or companies, some authors, other podcasters, and hopefully you listened to all those episodes if not go back. There’s definitely some amazing people who have given their time to share this message and be a part of this sales experience focus that I have on helping people sail in the right way, close deals in the right way, and then also provide a great experience for their customers as they’re moving forward. So, and then obviously it’s definitely been an interesting time for everybody over the last few months when we look back at what’s happened and how much the world has changed in the last two months. And depending on where you live, like how much that’s affected you in your part of the world, some more extreme than others. And definitely with the uncertainty in the world, that changing in business, sending people home to work remote and everything is different.

How long will it last? What will happen when people go back to their offices or out in public like normal, like literally nobody knows. But here’s what I do know is that these events have exposed companies’ vulnerabilities, right? So when times were good for 11 years, it’s easy to think that your business was built on a solid foundation, right? But when things changed overnight, it was a wake up call for a lot of companies and salespeople. Some of them got it, some of them put their head in the sand and hope that it would just get better, but it’s not. Some thrived and moved forward. Others crumbled and fell apart or on the verge of falling apart. It really comes down to, was your corporate culture strong enough to withstand this? Did you have proper systems in place to continue operating? Were your sales reps skilled enough to be capable of succeeding without having a manager stand over their shoulder?

I mean, that’s one of the things that can make companies, I wouldn’t say lazy, but just kind of not putting the same processes in place when it’s very easy to go out onto the floor and talk to reps or stand over shoulders or listen or have those conversations. When you do that, that’s great, but you’re micromanaging and you’re not coaching and you’re not leading. You’re just managing and so what happens when you don’t have that and you’re seeing a lot of companies out there. I’m talking to a lot of companies who just literally are struggling because what they thought they had, they didn’t, and it’s not there specifically for anyone listening to this, if you need help with your sales team, operation, systems, processes, skills training, definitely get in touch with me. You can email me [email protected] now, during this time, I’ve also been speaking with a lot of salespeople and managers about pushing through and still selling.

I’ve also, if you’re following me at all online on social media, you know that I’ve launched a program that I call Authentic Persuasion, which is really this combination and blend of everything that I have done over the years to be successful in my own selling career and then also training people and using these two words that when you hear them together, it makes instant sense, but how do you do it? Right? Authentic Persuasion, and I know that, I know that. I know that. I know that that is the key of what’s been missing for a lot of sales people out there and is missing right now for their success. If you’re underperforming, if you’re concerned about long term success, you just want to continue learning and growing. Please go to AuthenticPersuasion.com, download the free book and then check out the online sales training program. And again, not in a sales pitch, but more in a like, I just, as part of my mission through the sales experience podcast and everything I’m focusing on and how much I just want to help salespeople be more effective.

This key, the Authentic Persuasion key is what is missing. And again, the phrase that I use a lot is to “go from order taker to quota breaker.” And what’s missing in there for a lot of sales reps is the empowerment and the strength and the courage and the ability and the skills to use something like authentic persuasion. Also, if you’re a business owner or a manager, I’m running group Authentic Persuasion Program courses for companies who want to have their whole team improved in the way that they do sales and their effectiveness. So please reach out. If you’re on LinkedIn, make sure to follow the #authenticpersuasion. I’m posting daily videos, they’re about authentic persuasion topics and so you can go there and hear more about that and also get your daily dose of listening to me talking here while we take this break before season three, if you’re on Facebook, I started at authentic persuasion Facebook groups.

You can check that out. And of course if you’re ready to chat and you want to talk more about your sales, your business, get some guidance for yourself, for your career or for your team. Find me on LinkedIn, Facebook, go to the cutterconsultinggroup.com site as well. And really the key is, is that I want to just remind everybody that in times like this, just like anytime, there’s always opportunities, so there’s always an opportunity to sell and be successful if you provide value to your customers. So even right now, and a lot of people were challenged, especially early on with this, and they didn’t feel like selling and they didn’t feel like they could have those conversations. The key is when your intentions are clear and their intentions are right and you’re focusing on opportunities not being opportunistic, then there’s no reason not to be selling because if you’re selling and you’re a professional, then you’re providing value to your customers.

You’re taking them from this point here to a higher state, a better state, whether it’s a goal, whether it’s solving a problem, helping them buy something that they need or want, whatever that is, there’s always a chance to have an opportunity for sales and to continue to grow. When you’re doing the right thing and you’re providing value and you’re solving problems. One of the things I see right now is there’s a lot of companies who are struggling and worried about making sales and sales reps who are making them worried about making sales. And the underlying theme that I see is that at the base level, inside, there’s just, I think missing confidence, a lack of belief that what they’re doing is actually helping their customers. Because when you know you’re helping somebody with what you’re selling, A. you have no problem moving forward with the transaction, which is what I teach through the authentic persuasion program, and then B. you have no problem also winning.

They’re gonna win. You’re gonna win. You’re going to charge for that service, for that product, for whatever it is that you are doing that’s providing that value. You’re going to get rewarded for that, and that is reasonable. That is commerce, that is life. If you’re giving value to somebody else, then you should definitely get something in return. So want to leave you with that on this closing for season two, episode 220 it’s been a fantastic journey. I appreciate everybody who’s been listening with supporting downloads, it’s amazing and I take none of it for granted. I’m excited every time I go in there and I look at the numbers and see the downloads and see the locations and see all the different places where this is being listened to and I just think of if there’s any way that one of these episodes or any of this is impacting anybody doing sales in some positive way and changing the way sales is done for the benefit of both the customer and for you, the salesperson or your organization.

If you own or lead a sales team, if just a single one of these 220 episodes affects one person. Then I am super excited and of course if this is something that’s impacting you and you have some feedback, you want to tell me how it’s made a difference for you, please reach out to me. You can email me again, [email protected] find me on LinkedIn, Facebook, go to the website, send me a message, let me know. I love hearing that. Also in season three, I’m not quite sure exactly what I’m going to do. I’m going to shift the focus a little bit. I think I might talk to more sales people and kind of answer questions and help them overcome challenges. So if you’re listening to this, you’re in sales and there’s things that you’re struggling with or you want some advice or you want to chat with a sales nerd like myself, talk through some stuff, sales related, please reach out to me as well. And of course, make sure to subscribe to the show for when it returns, leaving a rating or review if that’s possible. Wherever you’re listening to this, it’s amazing. Helps get this out. And that’s it for season two, episode 220 thanks again for being a part of this journey. Please stay safe. Stay sane, which is the harder part for a lot of people during these unprecedented times. And as always, remember that everything in life is sales and people remember the experience you gave them.