048: Stop Being a Salesperson, Be Yourself! with RACHEL CROCKER

Host Allan Langer - 7 Secrets Sales & Marketing
Workspace Grain Recordings
Length 39m
Start Time 11:00 AM on Feb 3, 2021
Exported 10:27 AM on May 12, 2021
Highlights 3
Recording Link https://grain.co/recordings/7f2ee157-71ea-4a0f-bda7-908fb4d415e4
Rachel Crocker - Podcast Interview w/Allan Langer
Participants (2)
Allan Langer - 7 Secrets Sales & Marketing
Rachel Crocker
Transcription
0:05

Hello, everyone. And welcome back to another episode
of marketing and sales over cocktails. This is your host Allan Langer, and we've got episode 48 coming at you
tonight 48 already. It's amazing how quickly this goes by and I'm enjoying every single minute of it. And I'm
going to enjoy tonight as well as you will, as we've got a sales coach. Rachel Crocker joining us in a few
seconds. So before I introduce Rachel, and she's awesome, by the way, um, just a couple of housekeeping notes.
Remember the website is marketing and sales podcast.com marketing and sales podcast.com. And don't forget the ask.
Alan segment, go to the top of the page, click on the ask. Alan button. Send me a question. If we read your
question on the air, you get a free autographed copy of my book. So get that going. I've got a great question.
Coming up later. From Rio de Janeiro. So they actually, the internet actually goes to Rio and people are
listening. At least Debbie's listening to my podcast in Rio. So thank you, Debbie, for the question. We'll get to
that later. So anyway, without further delay, I would love and like to introduce our guests, Rachel Crocker,
welcome to the show today. How are you? I'm doing amazing. Thanks so much for having me. So I met Rachel. I
shouldn't say met her. I found her on Instagram. Probably. I'm gonna say. I'd say two years ago now, or whenever
she started posting, she was in Australia doing some boxing stuff. Um, and I remember all those videos, but she
was also giving sales tips. So she was talking about how her life was improving and just had to do some, some, a
lot of self improvement as well as how to improve your sales. So I started following her and at one point I'm
like, I really have to get her on my podcast. And here she is, and I'm very excited. So Rachel, tell us. Give us
your journey. Um, first of all, you're a sales coach to tell it, tell people what you do, but give us your journey
from now you're in the UK, but you were in Australia for a little while and tell us how you got to where you are.
Sure. So, um, now I'm helping people who are professionals, experts, um, academics, people that, uh, amazing at
what they do, but they don't know how to transfer those skills and represent themselves online with a business.
And sales and all the other things that come along with being a business owner or a solo preneur as it's very
fancily code now. So I'm helping those people who don't necessarily feel like salespeople. I'm helping them feel
empowered and confident to be able to represent what they do, um, and close business and charge the money that
they're worth. So those are the things that I'm focusing on now, but, um, yeah. It's been a kind of a crazy, crazy
journey up to this. No, I know. That's why I want you to tell people about it. Yeah. So, um, I guess I got into
sales, um, at 18 I was, I was selling cars to car dealers. Um, that was my first ever intro in sales, literally
the cold calling. Um,
3:22
I'm trying to get car dealers to listen to me, not hang up on me. Um, and I was terrible for maybe two or three.
Three months, but then like ultra competitive nature came in and I just decided I had to find a way of being good
at it. So I figured it out and, um, you know, then got promoted and promoted a few times and worked my way up the
corporate ladder. So, um, after 10 years of doing different roles in different industries, I ended up more in like
partnerships and, um, business development. And, um, I found myself doing that in Australia. So I left England.
About 23, um, baked over to ours and yeah, so I, I sort of picked up my career over there. I did sales management
for a while, had a team of like 15, um, lots of high level sales, but, um, but yeah, in February last year I left,
I just left my 12 year career. Um, after seven years I left us and, um, I meant to get back to England because my
mom was sick. But what actually happened was that I stopped in Bali, um, and the airport's closed.
4:38
Um, that was that. And, uh, I did lots of networking, sort of ingrained in my nature and I met lots and lots of
people that had online businesses. Bali's a real hub hub for, um, you know, entrepreneurial, entrepreneurial
space. And I need help with Sarah
4:56
that's me.
5:00
And that's where I first started seeing your stuff. I think you were, is that where you were doing like the boxing
class or was that a model? Because it was always like this beautiful, you know, you were, it wasn't in a gym. You
were like in this kind of indoor outdoor place with beautiful trees and ocean breezes. I'm like, where is this?
Bali is beautiful. It's one of my favorite places on earth for lots of different. I never punched. I, you know,
I'm not a punchy, aggressive person.
5:31
30 in my bucks, it was like outside of my comfort zone and I've just left my career. I'd done at least everything.
So I just wanted to try things that were outside of my comfort zone. And that was one. So I learned, I learned how
to do boxing and Tai.
5:50
I still close my eyes sometimes when I punch
5:58
that's awesome.
6:01
So, yeah, I am smile and I've been told both of those things I need to work on.
6:07
All right. So, so you were in Bali, you got stuck because the airport was closed. So you were actually there for a
lot longer than you were expecting, obviously. W what happened from there? Yeah, so I was there for eight months.
Um, yeah, it was, um, yeah, it, it started off, I was trying to get back to England. Um, but then it just, wasn't
really possible to get back and. And people kept asking me for help. And, you know, I hadn't really thought about
going into the coaching space, but that's essentially what I was doing. Um, and then other people were kind of
like, Oh, can you help me with sales? Okay, sure. Instead of doing that too. Um, and then I started networking and
doing like workshops and different things. And then people were asking, they were like, okay, like, you know, I'd
like you to coach me. And I sort of ended up in, in coaching and I thought, well, gosh, I probably need a website
then.
7:02
The social media and do all these different things. So I really, um, you know, learned from being thrown in at the
deep end, um, and kind of taking a bit of a bird's eye view on other people's businesses and seeing where they're
generating leads and what's working and what isn't, and using all that strategy, strategic background to help help
them with their businesses. So, um, so yeah, I ended up, I was in ballet for about eight months, um, a couple of
my favorite clients, um, that have been with me for a while. Uh, from there and I then managed to get that expense
and time with my family. And then I had a client in Portugal. So I went and spent, um, five weeks in Portugal, six
weeks in Portugal. Um,
7:45
uh, yes. And that was in October, October. Yeah. So that was really beautiful. I haven't been to Portugal in
years, so that was really cool. Came back and Christmas with my family and, um, you know, Jenny. It's all very
chilly, but very beautiful.
8:04
So yeah, I've just been, yeah, it's been a real whirlwind of a year too. So are you settled now? Like, are you
going to be in the UK for a while or are you, are you still have your, your wanderlust wings on? I think, um, I
don't know, but yourself, I know that you have a sales background as like a big sales kind of corporate
background. I don't know what your setup was like there, but for me, um, being full time, Employed. I really felt
the constraints of, um, lack of flexibility and this was before COVID. So, um, you know, I, I was from England.
You get a limited number of days per year that you can actually be away. And when you factor in 29 hour flight,
um, and jet lag, it was leaving me with really very little time with my family who were all sailing. So lucky I've
got, you know, comedians as family and people that are just amazing, inspiring. And I was like, wow, seven years
has been kind of long. Not, not to see them. So even though it kind of happened really fast, um, yeah, I, my, my
goal, what I'm working towards is to have summers in England and winters, um, continuing on this kind of nomadic,
um, you know, freedoms free. I'm honest, any more places I want to see, and if I can still serve clients the way
that I'm serving them, you know, through online, through zoom and supporting them that way from some of you. Yeah,
that's, that's my goal. That's what I'm working on now. I think one of the, you know, there's a lot of, you know,
as awful as the pandemic has been, there's a lot of positives that have come out of them. And I think one of them
has been how the world has opened up to so many people. Like,
9:47
I don't know if I've ever would, would have gotten on a zoom or tried to contact you without the pandemic. The
pandemic turned me into what I am today. Cause I had to completely pivot, you know, there's the COVID word pivot,
but I had to reinvent my. Entire business to online and stuff. So, uh, but now I, you know, I have friends in
Trinidad and Tobago and many UK friends now, and I would never would have happened before COVID so, um, and you're
right. You can take your business out. You don't need a brick and mortar office you're going anywhere you want and
have your coaching business. It's amazing. Yeah, it is amazing actually. And, um, I really like, I don't know
about you. Like when I think back to like being on the phones or like meeting people face to face, um, like I. I
feel that with like zoo, it takes quite a lot of your presence. You know, like it's, it's a lot of energy to
really show up to someone for an hour or 90 minutes or whatever it is and give them your full undivided attention.
You've got video, you've got everything. Um, you know, it's quite, it is quite intense. And, um, you know, being
on the phones before, you know, it wasn't, I don't know. I don't know whether that is easier or like whatever.
Nice off a coffee. Um, like I do think that zoom, if you took. If you show up and give that person everything for
that hour or 90 minutes is, you know, on both sides, it does take a lot. Um, but it's still very powerful.
There's, there's obviously ways of doing it really well, but, um, but yeah, it's, it is really powerful and I
think it's still, um, yeah, it's, it's still, uh, an amazing impact for people. You don't need to be face to face.
Like I still love face-to-face and I hope that I still get to do lots of networking in the future, but, um, yeah,
I'm still, I am enjoying.
11:31
Yeah, absolutely. So before we get into how you can help people, because I want some tips from you, I totally
forgot you have a glass of wine cause you are five hours ahead of me. I have a coffee, so it's in the morning. So
cheers through virtual tears, into the camera. Thank you for being here, Rachel. Very appreciate it.
11:51
All right. So the one thing that I've always loved about you is you're always very positive and you have this
amazing energy about you, which I'm sure that's what makes you part of what. You're successful, but so
12:04
you coach, do you specifically coach people that have like want to make a career transition and try to get their
stuff online? Are you kind of like direct, you know, someone says, I just need sales help, or someone comes to you
and says, I need everything. Like, what are you actually, uh, you know, what are the most things that you're
helping people with? Um, so what I found really interesting about the online space is that, um, when, when someone
identifies that they have a sales problem, Often it's, you know, they come to me and they're like, I need help
with sales. Um, but that, it actually can mean lots of different things. Like sometimes it's that the branding's
not quite right or the messaging is not quite right, or they don't have the right strategy and piece or structure.
So, um, can mean so many different things. I, the things I love to help people with is to get really clear on what
is it that they want to help people with. How do you want to show up? How do you want to showcase that expertise?
What do we need to do to be winning you? The types of clients that you want to be attracting consistently. So
that's what I like to do. I initially intended to help people specifically with that. Cause because ultimately
whether you're running ads or whether you're doing networking or whatever, however it is that you're generating
your business. Typically it ends with a phone call or a zoom call and you still need to close the client. So, um,
I initially set out to really help people with that. But through my branding. And I think because I'm sharing
quite a lot of outlet, but journey as well. There's a lot of people that are coming to me that have a professional
background and they're sort of in these, like, I know that I want to do coaching. I knew that I want to represent
myself online. I just kind of at this early stage. So even though I set out to initially just kind of help people
with that sales strategy, the sales calls and the follow-ups and the systems and everything that goes along with
just the sailors, I think, um, it's actually been quite helpful for people to have someone go, okay, these are
your strengths. This is how we're going to represent your line. And this is going to be an action plan kind of
earlier stages than you intend to tell it with, but I'm, I love boats. So it, it, it's a great, uh, philosophy
and, and, and really a benefit for your clients because I'm very similar. I was just, I've been in sales for
almost 30 years now. Um, so when I started the consulting and the training, it was always about sales, but I found
out quite often, if I was dealing with a company specifically, their marketing sucked. I'm like, you're going to
have the greatest sales presentation in the world, but if you don't get clients in front of the salespeople, it
doesn't matter. And your website's terrible, your message is terrible. So I actually found out, found myself
working on that for clients as well. And you become much more well-rounded for your customer. So, yeah, exactly.
But I noticed that, um, you know exactly what you're saying, like you can't just kind of go to market and say, I
helped with everything because.
15:00
Okay.
15:03
Yeah, exactly. And like, yes, you become like this person that helps things. Um, but yeah, like people identify
and usually it's like a sales program or something. And then, um, you kind of go from there. Right? I, when I
first started marketing myself, I started marketing as sales and marketing health. I had both and I actually, it
was too broad. Uh, people either had sales or marketing, so I just, you know, now. Just sales. That's what I lead
with. But usually it turns into, can you help me with my marketing as well? So yeah. Good stuff. You just, so you
just mentioned something that, um, every salesperson who has ever been born and still alive today wants to know
how to close better. And you said, you know, people call me, how do I close better? So give us a tip. What is
Rachel Crocker's tip on? You know, I hate the term closing, but it's the, it's the sales term that we all use, but
how do you give us a temperature? How do you close better? I know that's a very broad question, but what would you
say? Well, that's okay. I like it. Um,
16:08
say for me, I I'm quite soft by nature, so I'm like, you know, real impact and I'm quite a sensitive type person.
Like I'm really sensitive to people's personalities and energies. And, um, I think, I think that's it's class is
emotional intelligence. So, um, I from quite early on in my sales career, I realized that I wasn't this kind of do
or die pushy, pushy closing person. Um, so what I did was, you know, although I've done lots and lots of different
sales courses over the years, lots of different businesses, they teach you all these amazing little clever tricks
and things. I kind of found my own way of doing it. And, um, my way of doing it is to be so and pushy that someone
was like, wait, she really doesn't care whether I do this. It makes it, there's nothing in it for her. And. Uh,
it's like, like it's, it's really no big deal to me. It's like, if this is the right thing for you, I'm really
happy to hear that. If it's not, that's completely fine. You know, I just want a great outcome for you and my
business. So I'm not going to push you and do anything cause like that's not what this is about. And I, I think
that makes people feel comfortable enough to know that I'm not just in it for money. I'm not just in it to make a
quick buck, um, out of, out of a situation. And I'm really in it to get a great outcome for people. And if that's
not with you. K2 when people go and it makes me sad. It's really one of the reasons that I wanted to help people
with desk. People are downloading these scripts online, these pushy sales that are like, fuck they're from the
eighties or something. And it's like,
17:46
space is going through what you will. I maybe went through like 10 years ago and realized in work. And a lot of
these companies burned to the ground with crappy reputations. Um, but it's like the legacy of pushy shocky sales
has lived on and reborn. On the online in the online space. And I feel really passionately about this because some
people will find that they try one of these scripts and they feel about horrible person. It's a super awkward
situation and someone gets ghosted and it's not nice. And especially for professionals, the people that I'm
working with, like, you know, I don't, I don't want anyone to feel like they have to give up on this whole idea
because they try to push a sales script that people are not interested in working with them because of it. Cause
it's not the person. It's the stupid script. Right.
18:34
You're saying so many incredibly important things. Um, my mind is racing right now, but the, the one thing that
you said, and I preach this a lot is, you know, scripts, turn people, uh, they, they take away their personality.
They, they, they completely strip you of the person that you are, and you just become the sales rep that the
customer doesn't want to meet with because they know you're going to read them a script, but that's what they're
expecting. So if you actually do it, they're expecting you're going to be a mediocre. Average salesperson. If you
actually use your own personality around the, you know, script or figure out what you need to say within how
you're built in your personality, you're just going to be much more successful. You have to be you, you can't be
the salesperson. Would you agree with that? Couldn't agree more. And I say it a lot in my, in my content is like,
there's like a one liner build rapport at the top of the sales script. And then they just move on to like asking.
19:31
Knowing the fact that this is actually the most important part, because if you don't feel the point, you didn't
use your personality or you just ask like one thing about like, Oh, haven't had good day yet. Great. And then,
okay, I'm going to ask you loads of questions. People are never going to connect with you, and it's just such an
important part that people skip over. And, um, yeah, I, I really agree. It's just, it's one of those things. If
you're going to learn anything about sales, you just learn that that connection with someone is probably more
important than anything else. Um, because yeah. They're going to open up to you about what's really going on. And
if you just follow the script and you might be asking the right questions, but they didn't trust you. So they're
not going to give you the real pain or the real challenge that takes trust. You're not going to just say, Oh,
these are all my business problems.
20:16
Not yet. It's just not going to happen. And
20:20
their walls are up. And if, and if you give them a reason to keep their walls up, they're just going to keep them
up. And, and, um, the relationship is everything. And you said at the beginning was also very important. And it's
something that it's one of the, not the pushbacks I get, but when I'm training, I get, I get people like, huh,
they tilt their head. I'm like, you know what, it's okay to not make a sale. It's actually okay to not sell your
product. If the customer doesn't need it, or it's not the right fit, you're not there to make a sale all the time.
You're just not. And you know, when you're talking to a group of 20 sales reps and their goal, and they're, you
know, they've got to hit their numbers and their quotas, it's like they got to sell it all costs. And it's just,
it's not a long-term solution. It's not. And I had 'em in my team back when I was in Australia. They're absolutely
amazing. Like, you know, I had some that were more, it was, it was more about the client and what that bread was
more referrals and more, um, you know, loyalty over time. And then I had like the superstar reps that, you know,
they overachieved every month. Um, but they ended up, I handled a lot of complaints as a result of that bad
reviews and things. Yeah. It's not without consequences. Absolutely great point. You know what I mean? So I guess
you can make money in sales and yes. So always that you can close pretty much everybody, if you really, really
want to do much, if it's not the right thing. Um, it does come back and bite you in the backside later. Yeah.
Cause it's not, it th there's, you know, the world used to be in the eighties and nineties used to be one and done
sale. So you just, you know, you marketed the shit out of everything. You sold people and you moved on, you didn't
care about the customer, man. If you do that today, Dead. You're dead in the water. It's all about reviews. And
it's all about how you leave a customer, even if they don't buy something, because that's even more important.
Like you get online. And, you know, I read a statistic the other day, 97% of people buying something, they start
their buying process online, looking at reviews, 90, 97 out of a hundred. And yeah, everybody does, unless you're,
you know, you're, you're elderly and don't really know how to use a computer, but then you're calling your kids
and saying, can you look this up for me? So, uh, If you, if you haven't figured that out by now, you better
because you're not going to be in business law, but it's not what is being taught. And a lot of the courses and
that's God is like, I feel like it's like way less sexy to be like, Oh, sustainable business building. And have it
go sounds that I'm so passionate about doing that because, you know, yeah. I'm not going to make you an overnight
millionaire, which is what a lot of the courses and a lot of the information on sales available to people setting
up their own businesses is saying like, it's way less sexy to be like, Oh, Okay. You're not going to close every
sale, but you are going to have the long term, but you know, it's, it's much more difficult to sell that, but
that's okay. Right. And, and, and by the way, you'll probably feel a lot better about yourself. If you have any
type of, you know, it might be a good person. If you're a S you know what, this is not for you, if you're a
psychopath. So if you're, you know, just go out and do what you want, but for a normal person, you know, sales, I
think is the second highest turnover rate of any profession in the world. And it's simply because of, yeah, second
highest. I think the first is, uh, I forget, you know, retail or something, you know, something where people just
go in and out of the job. So actually from a professional standpoint, I think it's, you know, it's retail sales.
And then I think the tech industry is pretty high pressure. So yeah, that says something. And you think about the
money that it's costing to constantly re onboard new salespeople all the time because people get so discouraged,
they, they lose their optimism and like this sucks sales sucks. It's not an easy profession. That's for sure. I've
been on in my sales career.
24:07
Those are pretty down low sometimes. But, um, but yeah, like when you do get the wind and it's right for a while
you get a referral or an amazing testimonial or something, it just seems to make it all worthwhile. And I think
people get so discouraged, um, you know, with the wrong, would that advice? Yeah, absolutely. So this, this is
really great stuff. I love how you're putting everything and we're, we're. Aligned in our philosophy. So before I
get to the question of, of, of the week, um, I want to ask you, so you're online. You teach people how to get
online. How do you get business? Like what do you, what is your number one way of getting businesses a referral at
this point? Or do you, are you actually getting business from your, I know your Instagram account has like 7
billion followers. So how do you, are you getting any business from, from social or what are you doing for that?
Yeah, so I, it's been really interesting. I, the first, the first class. I got to be honest with my own coach. So
I was really stressed when I was in sales and I had a coach to help me with my stress. I was super stressed and I
was at burnout. And this guy, he is a psychologist by trade and he uses hypnosis and lots of other things. So he
helped me a lot. Um, why I ended up choosing the coaching niche because I felt really passionately about him. Um,
having helped me so much, he helped me out of a really, really tough time. Um, so he was someone who I wanted to
give back to, you know, I wasn't trying to make money. I was just like, okay, you've, you've helped me. So I
really want to help your business. So I was kind of in the weeds, in his business, um, helping him with getting
the right things in place so that he could showcase his expertise. He's not just a coach, he's a coach with an
academic, you know, he's not just a, like anyone wanting to give out advice on your life. You know, he's a
psychologist and, um, you know, High-level people. So I was with, I was working with him and because in the first
month that we were working together, he had a really, really great result. You know, he, he landed some very high
value deals and he was just like, woo. It was amazing.
26:17
So do it together. And he became a walking advertisement for me. Um, as in, you know, he, he told lots of people,
so I was getting referrals. Um, and then I started to cry. Put the feelers out for my own business. Like I like to
understand lots of different lead generation techniques so that I can be teaching the right types of things to
other people. So I, in the company I worked for before I went online, there were, um, STRs that would, you know,
sort out basically I'd go, just turn up to the meetings and get people to drink wine. And, you know, I had to kind
of relearn, okay, let's get back to lead generation back to my 12 years ago. Um, kind of how do we, how do we do
this now? Um, So the online space has changed a lot. Lead generation has changed a lot. There are so many tools
available. Um, there isn't a one size it's finding the right tool for the right audience, for the right business
model and for the, the outcome they actually looking for. Um, I've explored lots and lots and lots of different
ways of getting new leads. Um, it's a really cool algorithm kind of hack that I've found in Facebook, um, which
I've. I've gotten more business from Facebook than I have from Instagram, interestingly. Yeah. For my particular
niche. Um, there's a really cool tools for LinkedIn that would work possibly for other niches, better than mine.
Sometimes I help agencies too. So, um, I have an agency partnership background, so like quite easy for me to help
like social media managers and people that provide services online, help them with closing that. Cool. So I have
dabbled a little bit in LinkedIn, too, but for me, Facebook has been. Where I've seen the most success,
28:04
is it because you have, I don't, I haven't seen him on Facebook. So do you have a group or is there something
specific that you do that you can share or is it just, you just consist being consistent? Um, so actually, yeah,
you can't, so with Facebook, um, you have like, obviously if you'd have like your business page and your personal
page, and I found that through doing the white kinds of behaviors, Facebook rewards you quite well. So, um, If
you're like giving value and you're not just using cookie cutter approaches, like, you know, like copy paste,
posts or scripts or things like that. Um, you know, I was just sharing the things that were going on, sharing some
sales tips, sharing some like good content. My Facebook personal page performed much better than my Facebook
business page. So I kind of honed in on that and I, I kept doing that and, um, Facebook's very clever. So it, it.
There's the types of people that you enjoy engaging with and enjoy engaging with your content and it actually
rewards you over time. So, um, that, that has worked really well for me. Like you can use your personal page and
your business page to compliment each other. Um, but do you post mostly on your personal page and then just mirror
it on your business page? I do both actually, um, the business page, like I didn't have a business page for a
while. Um, I use just my personal page. Um, there's lots and lots of things. And things that you can do on
Facebook as, as you probably know, but seems to reward you for doing the right behaviors more so on Facebook than
Instagram. I don't know why, but, um, yeah, so I was getting lots and lots and lots of, um, like friend requests
from coaches, professionals. Like it was very specific. I, you know, people were finding my stuff, um, more so
through my personal Facebook than through my Facebook. So, um, yeah, I don't, I don't know why. Um, It, it did.
And, um, you know, I've successfully secured clients as have my clients. Um, it's not for everyone there. And
that's why I say like, there's so many different ways to get leads. Um, you know, like if for some people it's
just not the right place, like Facebook would be the wrong platform to invest any time LinkedIn or Instagram would
be better. Um, but ultimately the skills that you really need to be comfortable with, what your message is. Like,
why are you doing it is like the first thing I work out with people, like, what is this for? Because if it doesn't
form any part of your strategy and you just posting willy-nilly or if the sake of it, there's absolutely no point.
Um, if it forms part of your strategy, then the right people, um, you with the right strategy are going to find
you and think, Oh yes, this is great. This is exactly what I need to see right now. Um, so, you know, having a
strategy, being comfortable with direct messaging, like why, you know, What to say and how to view that
compensation, um, to, uh, cool. And then having the cool, especially as well. So, um, yeah, getting comfortable
with those skills is super helpful. Wow. Great stuff. All right. It is time for the ask Alan segment of the
podcast. How's your wine by the way, is it good?
31:21
No, they haven't had white wine in ages.
31:24
I'm glad I could force you into having a glass of wine.
31:30
Our question today, this is really cool. Comes from a woman named Debbie from Rio de Janeiro. And, and she asked
it's actually a very simple, but I think a incredibly important strong question, because she says, uh, I am a
young sales rep for a startup. It doesn't say what the startup is, but I'm a young sales rep for a startup. What
would you say? The top three sales skills I should focus on right now as I start my career. Great question,
Debbie, how would you answer that? Debbie. I think that's a fabulous question. And I think, um, that the most
important thing is to work on your rapport building skills. So just getting comfortable with like, okay, how do I
want to connect with people? You can, you can find your own groove of sales. It doesn't have to be a hi. My name
is, and then go into like launch mode of, you know, the sales script and yeah. So that it can be okay. I like, I
like to have a bit of a laugh with people and like, you know, make someone like, be happy that they had, uh, an
interaction with me. And if that's your thing kind of being really comfortable, that that's your thing. Um, if it
is that you really enjoy being really professional and, you know, you want to present yourself as a Uber
professional, then, you know, really owning that and, you know, whatever your thing is, um, you know, really
embracing that part of your personality and comfort. Would it be presenting that to whoever it is that you're
talking to? Um, that would be number one. The second would probably be
33:09
poor. And
33:13
so I found that through using lots of scripts and doing lots of different training and everything else that I
threw all of that out the window, um, and figured out the five things that I need from an interaction, a call or
whatever. Um, to be able to assess if this person I can actually help them. Um, so I always just had, in my head,
this is the thing, whether it be like timeframe, budget, outcome, whatever, that these five things that I need to
know, um, it doesn't matter how this comes out. It could be that it's a really personable conversation. Um, it
could be that we're having a laugh or whatever, and then it just kind of drops into conversation or it could be
really professional and they prefer it to be really structured or whatever it may be. I just know that I need
these five things. Um, and I think that's. This helps give you a little bit of confidence that as long as I come
out with these things that I need to know, it doesn't really matter how I obtain that information. Um, I think
that really simplified it for me. Um,
34:12
uh, practicing Uber resilient.
34:18
Okay. If it doesn't work out or it doesn't well, really difficult skill to masters to just be able to dust it off
and go, okay. That was, yeah, that sucked.
34:31
Yeah, that might be the most important one yet. I have some thick skin because everyone's not going to say yes,
that's right. And some people are just mean
34:41
just to just meet people in the world. Well, those are, those are three great points I would add here. Here's how
I would answer the question. Um, or I'll give one tip because Rachel already gave three, but one of the biggest
mistakes that I see reps make, especially young reps is they, they want to make the sale so bad or that they just
leave it. With the product or the service, they don't lead with the problem that they solve. So they walk right in
and like, you know, let's say they sell a widget and they just start talking about their widget without finding
out what the customer's needs are. Does the customer actually even need a widget? You know, the famous line sell
me this pen. Well, the first question is, do you actually need a pen? Like, is this the right customer in front of
me? Um, so the best way to, to, to, to approach a customer is not with your product, but find out what their
problem is first. And then you become the solution or the product or service becomes the solution to that problem.
If you start with the product, uh, without listening to the customer, you're, you're dead in the water and that's
what most sales reps do. So that, that would be my point or my, my piece of advice, Debbie and I've definitely
had, um, I don't know what it's like for you as a sales person experiencing sales pitches, but I've definitely, I
actually know that I really enjoy it,
35:56
but I've had it where people are obviously they're like super nervous. Sort of pitch what they're doing and, and,
you know, tell you, tell you, well, this thing that they're doing, um, and at no point, have they asked any like,
you know, open questions and things and like, yeah, it's getting, getting comfortable with just, just asking.
Yeah. And it's funny. I have fun with like, you know, you're on LinkedIn, I'm on LinkedIn every single day. That's
where I get most of my business and you get the, you get the sales pitch DMS, you get the messages, the
unsolicited stupid scripted bot messages and, and you. You like, I kind of have tried to have fun with them by
almost saying like, do you actually really think this works?
36:37
You know, what, if it didn't work?
36:43
Like people like, well, why do they sell these, send these all the time. I'm like, well, it has a, like a 1.8%
success rate. So they're just going to keep doing it. Cause they, they think 1.8% is successful and they're not
thinking about how many people they're pissing off, you know, the other 99% are mad. So, but they don't think
about that. Yeah. Crazy. Well, this has been great, Rachel. Um, I could talk to you all day, actually about sales.
You really refreshing, and I love your energy and this is, this is really good stuff. So I always end by asking if
there's one thing you want to end with, or one piece of advice you want to give to, to a sales person or even a
solo preneur or anyone, what would that be? My one piece of advice for someone who is nervous about sales, they're
nervous about whether it be pitching or presenting their price or that. Expertise or charging what they're worth,
um, would be just, just get, just feel comfortable and confident that you are providing a solution to a problem.
And that it's actually your responsibility as a business center, preneur service provider, whatever it is that you
may be to help that person understand the value that you bring. And that's really what the sale is about is that
you're helping that person see that you are the right solution or not for them. And be really comfortable. That's
an important role. And it's, you know, you really do have a responsibility because if you are the best person to
help them, then you are, you're not helping them by being nervous to present your price or your solution in that
way, because they're going to go to someone who's not as good as you and probably pay more money and they may care
less. So you actually have a responsibility to have that conversation and to ask those right questions and brush
up on your sales skills, feel comfortable doing it because if you really are the right solution, That person and
you really do care, then it's, it's an important role that you're playing in that conversation.
38:36
That is some best advice. Bottle that, write it down, pause this, rewind and listen to it again. That's amazing
advice right there. Rachel Crocker. Thank you for joining me on marketing and sales over cocktails. We're going to
say goodbye. Uh, you enjoy the rest of your day in the UK. Finished that, that wine for me. I will have wine
later. Let's keep in touch and maybe one day when I'm near Wales or wherever you are. We'll grab a glass of wine
together. So thank you everyone else for joining us on marketing and sales over cocktails. Remember go to the
website, marketing and sales podcast.com. Send me a question. If we read your question like Debbie did, Debbie is
getting a free signed copy of my book. That's it for today? That's it for episode 48. Thanks everyone. We'll see
you next time.