[E237] Security, Safety & Sales, with Zack Knight (Part 2)

Jason: Welcome to my conversation with Zach Knight. This is part two. If you didn't check it out, make sure to listen to yesterday's episode where he and I started the conversation talking about what it's like as a police officer when the sales process breaks down. You might not think about sales and persuasion when it comes to police, but it's definitely there and there's a point at which it doesn't work and it fails relative to what you might think when you're selling copiers or cell phones or debt relief or mortgages. Like there's a process, the point which sales break down and that's it. So here we are, part two, we're going to continue this conversation and enjoy this episode. Zack: We call it in the military, we call it bluff bottom line up front, where I'm just going to tell you straight up, here's the authentic truth behind what I'm offering, what the price is going to be and take it or leave it. And that's like a beauty of what I've learned in businesses and from law enforcement is like, take or leave it. Here's the deal. And this is what you're going to get or what you're not going to get. Jason: Here are the options or the option and here's what's going to happen. And I think an important lesson from that as well. You said the gift of gab. I see a lot of people in sales and life. They have the gift of gab. They can talk. They can talk a lot. They have stories for days. They can go on forever, but there's also a point at which. I see people not successful in sales because they're not making that transition to using that and then going into the conversation about the actual sale, the product, the service or the end result, right? Like you're saying, like, okay, so gift a gab, but then also there's an outcome that is always important. It's not just rapport for rapport sake, and let's just sit on the couch. In your house because of this domestic violence call, we're just hanging out and now we're best buddies. And now we're following each other on Facebook. It's like, no, there's some kind of result that needs to happen. And a lot of times salespeople forget that if they're afraid they think, okay, if they like me enough, they're just going to say yes to whatever I tell them. Zack: It's interesting. Something I have really had to learn in business was you have to ask for the sale, right? I can talk all day, but if you've never asked. For the close and it's that simple. And it really correlated from law enforcement where you just simply ask somebody, Hey, would you mind X, Y, and Z that situation would go so much easier because then it's their decision. Right. But literally looking into the boardroom when I'm selling. I own a security consulting firm now when I'm selling security solutions to people. Hey, would you think this would be a benefit to you? You ask for that sale and that totally changes. You can gift of gab all day and give all the data, give all the numbers. People don't care about that. They just want to know like the bottom line, what's it going to cost me? What's the benefit? And then you ask for, are you ready to make a move on it? Jason: Yeah, when I've been talking about this a lot online as well recently, which is the value, helping them see the value, helping them see the benefits, right? Like I use the analogy, some people are selling drills, but you should really be selling holes. Like people don't want to buy a drill. They want the hole for something. There's some kind of outcome. It's about helping them see that value and then making it happen. Whether, Some situations I agree with you. It's ask like is this something that you want to do? Do you see the value in this? Should we move forward other times depending on the sales situation? I teach reps not to ask like us talking. You've given me the permission. You've answered my questions. I've given you the diagnosis like a doctor. I don't need to ask you if you need to fix your broken leg like. I'm the professional and we're going to fix your broken leg. Do you have any questions before we begin? And so depending on the situation, I teach people ask or don't ask. I had on the podcast recently, Dr. Wayne Baker, which wrote a book and he teaches about asking for what you want. So I think it's important, especially if you're wanting to achieve things in business, in sales, in life, you got to ask. Zack: You do. And I think it's a huge piece of it. And to your point, there are times where you have to assume the sale, right? Like that's a big thing about. Grant Cardone, like love him or hate him, that dude can sell anything. Right. And there's something about him that he just assumes, Hey, this is the best product for you. And I'm going to assume you want what's best for you. And there is that little bit of, if you're careful with it, I think Grant Cardone goes too far. Jason: I'm glad you're about to say what you're going to say. Cause I was going to jump in. Zack: If you're careful with it, that little bit of confidence, not arrogance. Grant Cardone is very arrogant. You can have that confidence to say, I know this is the best solution for you, but you better believe it better be the best solution for them. Be confident that it really is. And then that you didn't, you're right. You don't have to ask. You can just assume, Hey, this is what's the best for you. It's what's best for me. Let's do this. Jason: And I think it's always that blend in that fine balance between confidence, empathy, Ego, right? Which is wrapping around all that in a healthy ego, which is like, I know I'm good. I'm going to bring that to you. And you're going to want what I tell you because I'm literally with the empathy. I see what's best for you. I can see the future. I know what you need. You need my help. And that's what we're going to do. And then you're taking them along. That journey with you. But yes, there's also a way which is the classic over the top model, which somebody like a Grant Cardone, where people are turned off by it. Like for me, it does not fit my style. There's little gems from it, but it's harsh over the top in your face and pushy, which some things you're selling. Maybe that works. Some people it's going to work, but not everybody. Zack: No. And a big thing that I like to use, and I learned it in law enforcement and I've carried it into the military. I've carried it into the boardroom. And it's emotional intelligence and everything you just described, I feel like totally encapsulates what is emotional intelligence, right? It's empathy. It's having that confidence, sometimes a little bit of sympathy to the situation, especially in the security industry. I'm usually called on after a pretty serious incidents happen, right? So I have to have a little bit of sympathy, a little bit of empathy, and I have to understand our potential client at this point is feeling. Before I can truly develop what the best solution for them is. And it's just having that EQ attached to everything just gives so much more to the conversation because it feels like you're truly listening, which you should be. During a sales process, right? Jason: Yeah, and that's so important because that is just like everything else that helps somebody be successful in life that's not taught in school. Right? No financial stuff, no psychology, no EQ, no self awareness. Like, good luck. In the world, but at least, you know, who the third president was, right? Which I don't, because I wasn't very good at history. Hey, it's Jason here. We'll be right back to the podcast, but first, are you ready to change the way you view your selling role and become a sales professional? Do you have a team that is hungry for new ways to improve and grow? If so, I have various coaching and consulting programs available that might be. Great tools to help you achieve your goals to learn more about the ways we can work together and to book your free sales power call, go to Jason cutter. com. Now let's get back to the episode. So yeah, the EQ you're thinking about it. I love it. Zack: I have no idea. I don't want to answer that. I'm we're recorded. I'm not answering my answer. Jason: But it's not taught and it's a tough journey for most people. I know for myself, it wasn't until my late thirties when I was really discovering who I was. And embracing everything I'd been through that I thought was embarrassing and shameful that was actually powerful and made me who I was. And then using that as a way for myself to be successful in my own head and then help other people. Zack: Absolutely. It's interesting. Something just came to my mind. Talking about EQ, not being taught in school. I was actually homeschooled, middle school and high school. So seven years of my developmental period of a teenage, I was homeschooled. So you think about the lack of socialization that's at that point, right, where you're learning emotional intelligence, you're learning how to deal with people. You're learning different cultures, different backgrounds. I was literally at the house learning from my mom, right? So it's something that. The audience, I think should know when you're at that point of you're kind of hitting that brick wall, it is a learned aspect of business, emotional intelligence learned sales is learned. There are some granted that are so gifted, but I had to learn it. My very first job out of that I got ever was the front desk at a hotel where I was literally forced to answer the phone. Great people say hi to people as the face of a hotel. And I literally got that position so I could learn how to engage with people in a non awkward manner. Cause if you've ever met a homeschool kid, they're kind of weird. Right. And I mean, you know, it is what it is. We'll call it what it is. Right. So to get from there and into knowing I wanted, knew I wanted to be a cop by the age of like 14, 15, like that's what I wanted to do. I was dead set on that, but knowing having the like self realization that I'm not socialized to other cultures. I don't know how to interact with people for the three years between 18 Could become a cop. I literally forced myself. I was a bagger at a Piggly Wiggly. Like I literally forced myself into situations that you had to deal with people. And I learned, I learned what mannerisms there were. I learned how to engage with people. And that's something that a lot of people have to get out of that comfort zone. You know, true growth comes outside of that comfort zone. And once you put yourself there, you can learn how to be a great salesperson. And then at the end of the day, I'm a self proclaimed introvert. 100%. The way I recharge is by myself. I love my wife, but by myself with a book with my headphones, my big thing is gym time. I got to get in the gym and work out. That's how I decompress. So I'm very much an introvert. But you have to learn to flip that switch and turn it on to be a salesman. And that's a learned aspect of something. So don't ever like think, Oh, I can't be a good salesman because I can't talk to people. It's such a learned aspect of things that there's always hope for anybody that wants to learn how to do it. You just have to put yourself in a situation for it. Jason: The key with that, especially, I'm glad that you said sales can be learned. EQ can be learned. All that could be developed. Because a lot of times I know this was true for me and still it flares up because our brain just wants to keep us safe in our comfort zone, but I see somebody else and we see other people. Let's say the other end of the spectrum, which would be a Gary Vee, Grant Cardone is one, Gary Vee would be another that a lot of people might be familiar with where It seems so natural and so easy and you think, okay, that's somebody who was born that way. He does have some characteristics that were for that, but literally he started his sales and persuasion career when he was like six years old, ripping people's flowers out of their flower beds and selling it back to them at their front door. Right? Like he's been at sales a long time. If you put in those Malcolm Gladwell, 10, 000 hours, you will get there no matter when you start. Which is, that's the key for like emotional intelligence, for sales skills, business skills, whatever you want to do. It's never too late to start, you just gotta work on it. I literally firmly believe you can develop any skill you want to some level. Now, will you ever be a professional basketball player? Unless you have some naturally gifted things that lend itself to that, probably not. But short of things like that, I mean, you can learn it. Zack: Absolutely. And granted, the people that are natural in those situations, natural at networking, you're always going to be a little bit better naturally, but those are usually the people that don't put in the effort because it comes naturally. Right? Right. And in my transition out of law enforcement, I went directly into military. And it was gone for 15 months, came back and started my first business. I literally spent that time that I was gone in training, reading books about sales. Cause I didn't know the difference between sales and marketing. I just thought it was all the same stuff. And that's the ignorance I had coming into business where I'm just like, well, I'm very smart on security. I know I can help people be safer, but I had no clue about the difference between sales and marketing. Right? So I literally had to study. Read books. Um, a great book I read was Sell It Like Sir Hunt. He's a real estate agent. He had a TV show on one of those TV shows called Sell It Like Sir Hunt. And he wrote a book about it. And it was just a fantastic seeing that perspective of somebody totally different than me and learning the intricacies of this is what he does to sell a 10 or 20 million dollar property in New York City. I'm like, if he can do that, I'm getting shot at, I know I can sell something, right? This is too easy. It's so much less stressful than getting shot at every day, right? So definitely just like put yourself into that situation where you're learning, you're networking, you're reading, studying, and you can really start to get a great baseline on those techniques for sure. Jason: And one thing before I move on to the next part I want to talk about is. For people listening, I think one of the most valuable things you can do when you're in that learning phase, which is hopefully perpetual, is reading and learning about lots of industries and topics inside and outside of sales or what you're selling, right? So you're reading a sales book about a guy who sells million dollar properties in New York City as a military member deployed overseas wanting to start your first business selling security consulting or something like that. And so always be open to lots of disciplines. The best people I know at their craft are always looking at, okay, what can I learn from? What could I learn from law enforcement or beautician? It like literally doesn't matter. What can I learn? And then what can I apply? Zack: A hundred percent. And that's such a great point to make because you can always learn something from somebody. And a lot of what I always gear back to is like leadership. You can always learn the type of leader you want to be or the type of leader you don't want to be. And you can, all this content you're ingesting. I mean, think about how much is out there from books to YouTube to podcasts like this one. There's so much content you can pull. Maybe you don't like how I sell something, but you just learned how you don't want to be a salesperson, right? So there's always that nugget that you can pull out of it. So, I mean, it's a fantastic point. You just made definitely worth realizing there's always something to learn. Jason: That's it for part two, again, make sure to go to cutter consulting group. com slash podcast. You can find Zach's links. Everything for him. It's Zach Knight. He's on social media. He's on Instagram. He's on Facebook. He's got his websites. Make sure to go to the show notes and check that out. And as always, keep in mind that everything in life is sales and people remember the experience you gave them. Thank you for listening to the sales experience, find show notes, more episodes, and join our email list by going to cutter consulting group. com forward slash podcast.