All Selling Aside with Alex Mandossian | "Seeding Through Storytelling is the 'New' Selling!"

Somewhere in Asia, a hermit was meditating by a river when a young man interrupted him to ask to become his committed disciple. "Why?" the hermit asked. The young man answered, "Because I want to find enlightenment." The master grabbed the young man by the scruff of the neck and plunged his head underwater. After a long moment of the young man kicking and struggling, the master released him and asked gently, "Young man, what did you want most of all when you were underwater?" "Air!" the young man replied. In response, the master instructed the young man, "Go home, and come back to me when you want enlightenment as much as you wanted air."

If you don't immediately All businesses do three things: production, operations, and marketing. As you'll probably recognize, most people don't want to sell as much as they want to breathe! And yet, sales is marketing oxygen; without it, you suffocate your business. In fact, I recommend allocating 50% of the total amount you spend on your business to marketing, with 25% each going to production and operations.

When I'm thinking about what my sales proposition will be, I use a simple three-part sales formula that works like magic. Ask three questions:

1. Why this? This addresses the relevancy of what you're selling.
2. Why me? This is the credibility that you offer, or why you've earned the right to sell this.
3. Why now? This digs into why a customer should buy now, not next year.

As you're selling, you'll encounter objections. In my experience, there are five to nine objections to every sale, and it's most productive to approach each potential objection as if it's a lock. You need the right key for each lock. Tune in to learn more about these topics, as well as why you should begin with the end in mind, how using a story can eliminate objections, Alex's five-part formula, the three necessary factors in creating a movement, and much more!

In This Episode:

[02:45] - We learn about which three key insights Alex will cover over the course of today's episode.

[03:39] - Alex shares an insightful and powerful story that reveals the importance of wanting something as much as oxygen.

[04:50] - We learn about how Alex's story relates to sales.

[06:30] - Alex recommends changing the percentages you spend on production, operations, and marketing to 25%, 25%, and 50% respectively.

[07:08] - We hear about a simple sales formula that Alex has used over the years that works like magic.

[08:19] - The toughest sale is the front-end sale, or the first sale, Alex explains. The second and third sales, and onward, are a lot easier.

[09:57] - Alex talks about the sales plan in creating a process where the sale becomes easier and you want the sale as much as the young man in his story wanted oxygen.

[11:01] - There are 7 (+ 2) objections to every sale, Alex explains, and talks about how to address them.

[13:28] - Alex shares a story to illuminate his point about the power of storytelling in selling.

[16:29] - We hear about five-part formula that Alex starts with: support their dreams, allay their fears, confirm suspicions, justify failures, and identify enemies.

[18:49] - Alex gives listeners another helpful nugget about the three necessities for creating a movement.

[20:50] - Alex offers a quick review of the specific points and insights that he has covered in today's episode.

[22:01] - If this episode helped you out, please take a moment to help Alex out in exchange! It's simple; just go to this link and write down the biggest takeaway you got from this episode as a review.

[23:18] - In honor of this 21st episode of the podcast, Alex offers listeners a final gift: a completely free copy of his book Alexisms! To learn how to get your completely free copy, tune in to the episode.

Links and Resources:

Alex Mandossian

MarketingOnline.com

Skipio - where mass business texting gets personal!

Alexisms by Alex Mandossian

All Selling Aside on iTunes

Guerrilla Business Intensive

Harv Eker

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

Benjamin Disraeli

Gary Halbert

Gary Bencivenga

Eugene Schwartz's 8 Great Rules of MarketingGenius Network

Perry Belcher

The Warroom

Herman Miller was founded by D. J. De Pree in 1923 and is one of the most profitable in the Fortune 500. While it's #456 in revenue, it's #7 in profit. Isn't that incredible? This is because revenue never equals profit. Revenue is top-line, and profit is bottom-line. Are you wondering how to get more profit, and why Herman Miller has been so profitable relative to its revenue? The answer is leadership, specifically servant leadership.

At Herman Miller, the concept is that leaders don't inflict pain. Instead, leaders bear pain. In other words, leaders aren't command and control, they're engage and enroll. Another reason I love using Herman Miller as an example is that Max De Pree, one of my mentors, taught me the three responsibilities of a leader.

Let's shift gears for a moment and talk about agreements, their three functions, and the three ways to handle them. The functions of an agreement are who's in charge, what's getting done, and when is it due (or who, what, and when). The first way to handle an agreement is to keep it. The second way to handle an agreement is renegotiate the agreement. The third way to handle an agreement is to un-make it.

You may be surprised to learn that Max De Pree, former CEO of Herman Miller, didn't make agreements with his team members. Instead, he made something even more powerful: he made covenants. Tune into this powerful episode to learn more about agreements and covenants, what the nine reasons are that a leader should weep, what the Mona Lisa's value can teach you about leadership, and much more.

In This Episode:

[03:01] - Alex introduces today's three key insights, which he'll explore throughout the rest of the episode.

[04:04] - We hear about Herman Miller, the iconic furniture company.

[04:55] - Alex returns to the concept of servant leadership, which he talked about in a previous episode.

[05:56] - Let's talk about agreements. You've probably thought about these, but have you clearly defined their three elements?

[08:44] - Alex learned all of this about agreements from his mentor David Allen, he explains.

[09:31] - We learn that Max De Pree didn't make agreements with his team members.

[11:30] - Why is the original of something, whether it's a painting or an incredibly well-made designer chair, so much more valuable than a knockoff or a copy?

[13:32] - Alex explains what his explanation about the value of something means for you as a leader.

[14:02] - The Alexism for today's episode is this: the most terrifying feeling an entrepreneur can have is thinking about fulfilling their default future.

[15:02] - Alex explores the nine reasons why leaders should weep, including lacking dignity, unexpected gifts, and confusing pleasure with meaning.

[22:55] - There are three responsibilities for any leader. First, to define reality. Second, to protect confidences. Finally, communicate compassionately.

[24:10] - Alex digs into the word "compassion," and the three words it contains: "compass," which means direction, "passion," which means having heart, and "ion," which is the smallest source of an element.

[25:21] - Leadership is an art, Alex explains, as part of his review/recap of the points he's covered in this episode.

[26:26] - Did this episode help you out, or teach you something meaningful? If so, it would mean a lot if you'd take just a moment to go to this link and write down your biggest takeaway from this episode as a review.

[27:30] - Alex gives away a gift in honor of the 20th episode of this podcast! If you enjoyed the Alexism in this episode, you'll love learning many more in the book Alexisms! To learn how to get your completely free copy, listen in to the episode.

Links and Resources:

Alex Mandossian

MarketingOnline.com

Skipio - where mass business texting gets personal!

Alexisms by Alex Mandossian

All Selling Aside on iTunes

Herman Miller

J. De Pree

Max De Pree

David Allen

Leonardo da Vinci

Keith Cunningham

Tony Robbins

Leadership Is an Art by Max De Pree

Roland Fraser

Dan Sullivan

The Dalai Lama

Harv Eker

In 2010, in Los Angeles, my good friend Dave Buck (the CEO of CoachVille) taught a session to my students at the Ultimate Internet Bootcamp. While on stage, he talked about how life is a game, and in all coaching, the best way to coach someone is to identify what game they're playing and how they're playing it. The most noble, easy, and consistent way to develop permanent change in your life is by changing the game you're playing, and the way you're playing it.

With all that said, here's my question to you: what game are you playing right now?

Answering this question lets you take the step from unconscious incompetence to conscious incompetence. That eventually evolves to conscious competence, and finally flow state or unconscious competence.

What Dave taught me is that there are four ways to play any game in your personal or professional life, and if you're playing a winnable game, there are only two results you'll get. The four ways to play the game are these:

1. Refuse to play.
2. Pretend to play.
3. Play not to lose.
4. Play to win.

You probably won't be surprised to learn that playing to win is the best option. But that alone isn't enough; you also have to choose a winnable game. If you're playing a winnable game, there are only two results. First, you might win. Can you guess what the second result is? If you guessed "lose," that's not it. In fact, you either win or you learn. (If you guessed wrong in this little game right now, remember that you didn't lose; you learned!)

Tune into today's powerful episode to learn much more about the games involved in the selling process, how selling through storytelling fits into this framework, the value of identifying the game you're playing, Albert Einstein's three rules of work, and much more.

In This Episode:

[02:43] - Alex introduces today's three key insights, which he'll explore throughout the rest of the episode.

[04:47] - We learn that Alex (along with some of the best coaches in the world) teaches his clients how to play the game of their personal or professional life.

[06:58] - What are the four ways to play any game in your personal or professional life?

[08:48] - Alex explains why playing to win isn't enough.

[11:35] - We learn what the only two results are in a winnable game.

[14:24] - Here's the Alexism for this episode: the most important rule of any game is to play by its rules.

[15:35] - Alex quotes Albert Einstein about the three rules of work. #1. Out of clutter, find simplicity. #2. From discord, find harmony. #3. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.

[16:32] - We hear about something that T. Harv Eker taught Alex.

[19:16] - Alex quickly recaps the specific insights that he has been discussing throughout this episode.

[21:23] - If you enjoyed this episode and learned something valuable, please take a moment of your time to go to this link. Once you're there, write down the most valuable thing you learned from this episode as a review.

[22:22] - In honor of this 19th episode of this podcast, you're welcome to have a completely free copy of Alex's book Alexisms! To learn how to get yours, listen in to the episode.

Links and Resources:

Alex Mandossian

MarketingOnline.com

Skipio - where mass business texting gets personal!

Alexisms by Alex Mandossian

All Selling Aside on iTunes

Dave Buck

CoachVille

Harv Eker

Thomas Leonard

Steph Curry

LeBron James

Michael Jordan

Albert Einstein

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker

Massage Envy

In 2016, my friend Ryan asked me if I would support him for his first product launch, The Ask Method Training. It ended up being pretty successful, and generating over $3 million in revenue in just two weeks. The problem, though, was his profits. After the fees, advertising, joint venture payouts, refund requests, and affiliate contest payouts, the typical profit margin is about 20%. Ouch! I prefer to be in the 50% to 60% range. In my own launch, I used the PLUS Method, which stands for Post-Launch Upsell Strategy. This term was coined by one of our top producers of sales.

Jeff Walker created a powerful formula for the front end of a product launch. It involves two weeks of creating pre-launch content, typically three videos, followed by a final video that leads to the cart opening and closing. Here's the problem: when the cart closes and you're done, 15% to 20% profit is considered good. Typically, at this point when the cart closes, the game is over.

I knew there had to be a better way. Jeff's powerful formula is fantastic for the front end, but there needs to be a back end too. This is why I came up with the PLUS method for my own launch. Imagine doing $350,000 in a failed product launch, and then generating over $1 million the back end. This is how powerful the PLUS method can be. The net profits on a PLUS campaign are generally 60% to 70%. Compare that to the 15-20% I mentioned for a typical front-end launch, and you'll see why this is so important!

Back to my friend Ryan, who has perfected the art of surveying and asking question. His offer was a $35,000 mastermind and a $10,000 intensive. The $35,000 mastermind included the intensive, but that wasn't good enough for me. Tune into the episode to learn how we moved forward, why I was reluctant to work with someone who I see as being smarter than me, how things turned out for Ryan, and how you can apply these methods to your own business.

In This Episode:

[02:56] - We learn about the three key insights that Alex will explore in depth throughout this episode.

[03:44] - Alex shares a story about a friend asking for help with his first product launch.

[05:42] - We hear about an opportunity that Alex used in his own launch, The PLUS Method. (FIND AND LINK THIS) [08:06] - As a marketer familiar with the front end and the back end, Alex knew there must be a better way than just having everything stop when the cart closes.

[10:03] - Alex returns to the story of his friend Ryan, and explains why he was reluctant to work together.

[13:20] - We hear more about the cumulative funnel that Alex has been talking about, in which everything at the top includes everything below it as bonuses.

[14:20] - Alex talks about what ended up happening with Ryan after the cart closed.

[17:14] - What's important is that the back end didn't involve affiliate commissions or prizes, Alex points out.

[18:10] - Alex covers the impressively successful results of the story he has been talking about involving his friend Ryan.

[19:53] - The Alexism for this episode is this: entrepreneurship is like skydiving. You don't need a parachute to skydive. You just need a parachute to skydive more than once!

[21:51] - For most people, cart close day is the beginning of the end. With PLUS, it's the end of the beginning! Alex explains this, then walks listeners through the five stages of conversion.

[24:38] - We hear a quick review of the insights and wisdom that Alex has covered throughout the course of this episode.

[26:22] - Did you take away something valuable from this episode? If so, please head over to this link and write down that takeaway as a review!

[27:22] - Alex offers listeners a completely free copy of his book Alexisms in honor of this 18th episode! To learn how to get yours, listen in to the episode.

Links and Resources:

Alex Mandossian

MarketingOnline.com

Skipio - where mass business texting gets personal!

Alexisms by Alex Mandossian

All Selling Aside on iTunes

Jeff Walker

The Sideways Sales Letter

Guerrilla Business Intensive

Harv Eker

Suzanne Evans

Kevin Harrington

Ron Popeil

Suzanne Somers

Tony Robbins

In 2002, I tapped into a 2400-year-old technology that the most revered universities across the globe embrace: the Socratic Method. This method involves asking questions. When you're thinking about applying this to your sales presentation, keep this in mind: the question mark looks like a hook. It draws people in. The exclamation point, on the other hand, is like a spear that can shoo people away.

Back to 2002: my children were very young, and so I didn't want to travel as frequently as my colleagues did. Instead, I focused on teleseminars and creating courses online, on CDs, and in three-ring binders. The teleseminars were free, but the recorded interview and transcripts available afterward became a course for sale.

In this process, I created a database that became my secret weapon. It would take data after surveying someone, put the data into the database, and make it keyword-searchable. For example, if I wanted to do a teleseminar with Brian Tracy, we would set up a time. He would ask what we would talk about in terms of selling, but instead of answering him myself, we would survey our lists using my database to find out what they wanted to learn from him. Do you see how this ties into the Socratic method of asking questions?

Tune into this episode to learn exactly how well this strategy worked out! (Hint: it was successful.) You'll also learn about other ways of using this method, why trying to give people what you think they want is problematic, how porcupines are related to the sales exchange, and much more.

In This Episode:

[02:13] - Alex introduces the three key insights that he'll be exploring in more depth in today's episode.

[03:17] - We hear about Alex's views on the Socratic Method, as well as why the question mark is a more powerful sales tool than the exclamation point.

[04:43] - How can you create shared excitement and energy?

[05:50] - Back in 2002, Alex did lots of teleseminars because his daughter had just been born and his son was a toddler.

[08:33] - Alex began to create a list and then a series of leaders, and this database became his secret weapon.

[09:17] - We hear an example of what Alex is talking about, and how the Socratic method applies in this case.

[11:57] - This allowed Alex to create Socratic content, we learn.

[14:10] - Alex also used the Socratic method using his database for book tours.

[14:42] - We learn more about Socrates' life.

[16:17] - The Alexism for this episode is this: there is no such thing as a self-made successful entrepreneur.

[17:20] - In the world of asking questions, remember the porcupine.

[18:17] - Alex offers listeners three world-class questions: "What don't I see?" "How do I make money when others steal from me?" and "What are we split-testing today?"

[22:06] - Alex explains what a split test is.

[22:57] - Alex reviews the specific insights that he has covered throughout this episode.

[23:49] - Please take a moment to go to this link. Once you're there, take a moment to write down your biggest takeaway from this episode as a review. Of course, a five-star rating would also be appreciated!

[24:49] - In honor of this 17th episode, Alex is giving away his book Alexisms completely free! To learn how to get yours, listen in to the episode.

Links and Resources:

Alex Mandossian

MarketingOnline.com

Skipio - where mass business texting gets personal!

Alexisms by Alex Mandossian

All Selling Aside on iTunes

The Socratic Method

Socrates

Brian Tracy

Harv Eker

Les Brown

Jack Canfield

What Is an MP3 File?

Larry King

Jeffrey Gitomer

Plato

Aristotle

Alexander the Great

In 2006, I sat in a converted office in my home in California. My wife and children were asleep, and I wondered what the topic should be for the next course I wrote. In 2001, I had developed the course Marketing With Postcards, which earned me nearly $1 million. At that point, I wasn't great at creating traffic, but I was very good at converting traffic. The success of this course led to my next course, Traffic Conversion Secrets, which I sold for $1,800. That course, in turn, led to TeleSeminar Secrets, which made over $14 million in under six years.

These courses brought me great students, some of whom are now my teachers. They also taught me about the different types of students. There were those who asked "what" questions. Others asked, "Why?" Others asked, "How?" And still others asked, "What if…?"

Going back to 2006, I created the course Web Communication Secrets. In that course, I developed something that I've been utilizing ever since: shifting the curriculum to appeal to all four of these learning styles. I did a lot of research, and studied David Kolb's theory of the Experiential Learning Model. It includes four different styles: concrete experience (the style of feeling), reflective observation (the style of watching), abstract conceptualization (the style of thinking), and active experimentation (the style of doing).

To clarify these for myself and make them easier to remember, I described them with different words (which you may already have noticed if you've been actively paying attention). These are the "what?" learner, the "why?" learner, the "how?" learner, and the "what if?" learner. As you teach all of these learning styles, though, you should do so in a specific order, taking care of the "what" and the "why" learners first. Tune in to learn the details of all this, and much more!

In This Episode:

[02:31] - Alex introduces the three key insights that he'll explore in more depth throughout today's episode.

[03:14] - We hear about a specific day in 2006, as well as a course that Alex created in 2001.

[05:25] - Marketing With Postcards was the course that got Alex on the map, and led to Traffic Conversion Secrets.

[06:28] - Alex talks about the different types of students he got during his courses.

[08:04] - We learn about how Alex responded to learning about the four different types of learners.

[10:34] - Which of the four styles of learning do you have a bias toward?

[12:10] - Alex explains why understanding and being aware of the four styles of learning is so important.

[13:57] - There's a sequence between the what, why, how, and what if, Alex points out.

[15:39] - We hear about audio scripting, including the audio script that Alex has for this episode.

[18:29] - What could happen in your life in the future if you learn these four learning styles, and change the way you teach or communicate accordingly?

[21:42] - Alex shares his method for remembering the four learning styles.

[22:30] - Today's Alexism is this: what makes a good entrepreneur great is their ability to manage uncertainty.

[24:47] - Alex talks about selling media for infomercials in 2002 and 2003.

[26:43] - Alex explores what it means to have high intention and low attachment.

[28:40] - The context of your presentation or course is more decisive than the content, Alex explains.

[29:20] - We hear a review of the topics that Alex has covered in this episode.

[30:16] - Did you enjoy this episode and learn something valuable? If so, please take a moment to head to this link, and type in your biggest takeaway from this particular episode as a review.

[31:18] - In honor of this 16th episode, Alex is giving away his book Alexisms completely free! To learn how to get yours, listen in to the episode.

Links and Resources:

Alex Mandossian

MarketingOnline.com

Skipio - where mass business texting gets personal!

Alexisms by Alex Mandossian

All Selling Aside on iTunes

Traffic & Conversion Summit

Ryan Deiss

Perry Belcher

Roland Frasier

Russell Brunson

Vishen Lakhiani

ClickFunnels

Virtual Book Tour Secrets

David Kolb

Experiential Learning Model

Web Communication Secrets

The Platinum Rule by Dr. Tony Alessandra

Skipio

Dale Carnegie was the author of the book How to Win Friends & Influence People, one of the best-selling self-help books of all time. Perhaps surprisingly, Carnegie was born into poverty in Missouri. As a boy, Carnegie won friends through his knack with words. At various assemblies he attended in high school, he became inspired by speakers, and joined the school's debate team. During his horse rides to college, he practiced his speeches and style.

After graduating, Carnegie's various jobs as a traveling salesman earned him enough to quit his job and move to New York City to try his luck as an actor. He landed a leading role in Polly of the Circus, which allowed him to continue practicing his public speaking skills. However, he hated acting itself, so he enlisted in the army instead, before working as a business manager of a traveling lecture course taught by Lowell Thomas.

When Carnegie realized that his skill at public speaking was what helped him succeed as a traveling salesman, he successfully pitched the idea to teach public speaking to adults at the YMCA in New York. His classes were an immediate success because he focused on their personal stories.

Importantly, Carnegie realized that the most successful business people in any given industry weren't those with the most technical know-how, but rather those with the best people skills. He noticed that no textbook existed on the subject, and after years of intense research, he finally published his famous book How to Win Friends & Influence People.

In today's episode, you'll learn Carnegie's three-step magic formula. First, incident: what's the specific incident that you want to be talking about? Second, action: what's the action you want your audience to take because of what they learned from that incident? Third, benefit: what's the benefit your audience will gain as a result of taking that action? Tune into this conversation to learn more about how this formula works, why Carnegie was so successful at what he did, and much more!

In This Episode:

[02:40] - Alex talks about the three critical insights that you'll learn all about in today's episode.

[03:31] - We learn a basic biography of Dale Carnegie, the author of How to Win Friends & Influence People.

[04:45] - Alex continues the story of Carnegie, talking about the high school assemblies that he attended.

[06:08] - After college, Carnegie took a job as a traveling salesman. Alex explores the next steps of Carnegie's life.

[07:49] - Alex talks about why Carnegie's classes were an immediate success.

[09:10] - We learn that Carnegie spent the next two decades gradually refining his curriculum to meet the needs of his students.

[10:04] - Alex talks about where the title of Carnegie's famous book came from.

[11:15] - Any time Alex is feeling low or in a rut with his business or mindset, he watches biographies of successful people.

[12:10] - What was the magic formula that Carnegie taught thousands, and now millions know?

[13:12] - Alex explores one of the biggest challenges that he has with many TED Talks.

[14:22] - We hear a story about two speakers of antiquity.

[15:03] - Here's the Alexism for today's episode: you can't be 100% committed sometimes.

[15:42] - Alex goes through a quick review of the insights that he has explored throughout this episode.

[16:54] - Please head over to this link, where you can type in your biggest takeaway from this episode as a review, as well as rate the episode.

[17:58] - In honor of this 15th episode, you're welcome to a completely free copy of Alex's book Alexisms! Why pay for it when you can get it for free? To learn how to get yours, tune into this episode!

Links and Resources:

Alex Mandossian

MarketingOnline.com

Skipio - where mass business texting gets personal!

Alexisms by Alex Mandossian

All Selling Aside on iTunes

How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Dale Carnegie Institute

Polly of the Circus

Lowell Thomas

Public Speaking and Influencing Men in Business by Dale Carnegie

Lincoln the Unknown by Dale Carnegie

Little Known Facts About Well Known People by Dale Carnegie

Five Minute Biographies by Dale Carnegie

Biographical Roundup by Dale Carnegie

How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie

TED Talks

Jim Rohn

Cicero

Demosthenes

Maya Angelou

In the summer of 1992, I learned an important fact that has stuck with me ever since: leadership is a choice. On the day I learned this, I was climbing a wall in an obstacle course as part of a team-building exercise. I was dripping with sweat, my shoulders were aching, and my legs were throbbing. I felt battered, but ready to take on the challenge. (This feeling probably sounds familiar to you, even if the battering is a mental or emotional rather than physical one!)

The pain didn't matter to me. If I could prove my mettle and see the competition through, I knew I would impress both my fellow competitors and myself. There I stood, with over 20 other people all equally bent on climbing that wall. There was no way to get over but through physical strength, stamina, determination, and help from the others. My instincts told me that if I scaled the wall first, I would inspire the others to do the same. That was leadership, I believed.

Within seconds of being told, "Go," I made it over the wall. There I was, all alone. Everyone else was on the other side, trying to get over the wall, and I couldn't do anything to help them. In other words, I put myself in a powerless position, and my "leadership" turned out to be just cheering people on from the sidelines. In contrast, one of my closest friends in the competition stood at the base of the wall and help others climb the wall and reach the other side. Once everyone else was over, he made a leap of faith, and others' hands clasped him and pulled him over the wall.

Do you see the lesson here? My choice in attempting to be a leader left me feeling inadequate and ineffective. This became a defining moment in my life, and sparked a new way of thinking about leadership. Back then, I tried to lead from the front, by command. The sustainable way is to lead with the "engage and enroll" style of leadership, or leading from behind. Tune into this episode to learn much more about leadership, the key insights listed above, and more!

In This Episode:

[02:13] - Alex introduces this episode's three key insights.

[03:13] - We hear about a day in 1992 when Alex learned a specific lesson.

[05:06] - Alex continues his story, explaining that there were two dozen other rivals bent on climbing the same wall.

[08:13] - Alex shares what he felt and learned after his incorrect leadership decision.

[09:16] - Leading from the front is the classic leadership position. Servant leadership, or leading from behind, makes you more sensitive to the immediate needs of the people you are leading.

[11:06] - Many leadership books ignore the leader from behind. Alex explains why this is the case.

[13:01] - On the day Alex described, he learned what "all in" means.

[14:41] - In 711 AD, the Muslim commander Tariq ibn Ziyad ordered his ships to be burned. In 1519 AD, Hernán Cortés did something similar. Alex explores how this concept relates to what he's been talking about.

[15:56] - Alex shares this episode's Alexism. There are two types of problems entrepreneurs face each day: the ones you currently have, and the ones you will have.

[16:37] - We hear a quick review of the specific insights that Alex has covered in this episode, and shares the story of the cliff divers in Acapulco.

[19:58] - Did you like this episode? If so, please take a moment to head to this link and write down your biggest takeaway as a review!

[21:28] - As a final gift, Alex offers listeners a complimentary copy of his book Alexisms! Tune into the episode to learn how to get your free ebook.

Links and Resources:

Alex Mandossian

MarketingOnline.com

Skipio - where mass business texting gets personal!

Alexisms by Alex Mandossian

All Selling Aside on iTunes

Mother Teresa

Mahatma Gandhi

John the Baptist

Lao Tzu

Harv Eker

The All-in Principle by T. Harv Eker

Tariq ibn Ziyad

Hernán Cortés

La Quebrada Cliff Divers

I want to introduce you to someone I like to call Coach Carla. Most of my list is made up of Coach Carlas. These women are consultants or service professionals, typically in their 40s, and typically making under $100k. Coach Carla hates to sell. She's not very good at technology. She has fears, frustrations, and foibles, but she's a really good coach. She lives a simple lifestyle, but spends rich for continuing education and has a habit of hiring mentors. She's proud of the quality of her work. She desires a passive income, but her business model forces her to consistently trade dollars for hours.

If you're Coach Carla (or Coach Carl), you probably recognized yourself in the paragraph above. If you're ready to stop trading dollars for hours, you're in the right place. You're probably so busy working in your business that you don't have time to work on your business. Through All Selling Aside, Coach Carla (or Carl) learns that seeding through storytelling is the new selling.

Many of my colleagues and many very smart sales trainers have taught three stages of conversion: candidates go from cold to warm to hot. I believe that this isn't enough, but rather that there are five stages of converting candidates to cash-paying candidates. The key is to move prospects from one stage to the next instead of trying to skip stages. Imagine the process as converting an ice block into steam.

First, you melt the block of ice into cold water. Next, you convert the cold water into warm water. From there, you convert the warm water into hot water, like a spa. Finally, that hot water turns to steam. When you get to steam, that translates to making a sale. It's important to keep in mind that a new customer or client may cool down a bit. If that happens, you need to bring them back through the stages, not just try to head straight back to steam. Tune into this episode to learn much more about this, as well as the other key insights of the day!

In This Episode:

[02:13] - Alex introduces this episode's three key insights into becoming an ethical influencer.

[03:07] - We hear the story of Coach Carla.

[05:12] - Alex describes a few more of Coach Carla's aspirations, affiliations, and attributes.

[07:17] - Coach Carla has yet to develop a proven conversion process to grow and sustain her business, but she really wants one!

[08:06] - Carla, like Alex, loathes manipulative sales techniques.

[09:36] - Alex refers back to the story of pigeons in a previous episode.

[10:24] - If Alex could offer listeners one piece of advice today, it would be what he describes here.

[11:20] - Unlike many of his colleagues, Alex believes that there are three (not five) stages of conversion. He describes what these are, comparing the stages to the process of melting a block of ice into steam.

[15:35] - When you make a sale, that customer or client cools down a bit, Alex points out.

[17:07] - Alex asks people to be like bamboo when he's on stage, and explains what he means by this.

[20:28] - We hear how eucalyptus differs from bamboo in important ways.

[22:08] - The Alexism for this episode is this: your professional life is always a projection of your personal life.

[23:34] - Alex offers a quick review of the insights that he has explored in today's episode.

[24:37] - Please take a moment to head to this link! Once you're there, write down your biggest takeaway from this particular episode as a review.

[25:55] - Alex offers listeners a gift in honor of this 13th episode: a completely free copy of his book Alexisms! Tune into the episode to learn how to get your free copy.

Links and Resources:

Alex Mandossian

MarketingOnline.com

Skipio - where mass business texting gets personal!

Alexisms by Alex Mandossian

All Selling Aside on iTunes

Alex's link for Friday Live

Jack Canfield

In 2016, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in front of 850 crazy, outrageously influential and enthusiastic Brazilians. I was there for the first time for what's called Guerrilla Business Intensive. It's a three-day intensive that starts at 8 AM and goes until 10 or 10:30 PM each day. On day two, I was making a mention that Brazil is the 8th largest sovereign nation in terms of GDP, but 1st in natural resources. In other words, Brazil is a testament to unmet potential. The key to any nation's success is entrepreneurship.

I asked everyone in the audience to raise their hands if they believe that Brazil is a first-world nation. Only about 20% of the hands went up. I then asked them to raise their hands if they believe that Brazil is a third-world nation, and the majority of the hands went up. This is a problem, because believing that you live in a third-world nation gives you mental constraints to never meet your potential.

Finally, I asked them to raise their hands if they were passionate and committed. All the hands went up. At this point, I explained to them that passion doesn't produce commitment. Instead, commitment produces passion. The lesson you should take away from this is that to meet and exceed your potential, you need templates to make your life easier when you're presenting ethical influence strategies or opportunities to an audience.

Let's move onto my three-part formula, which I've been using successfully for over a decade. It starts with "why," and involves three questions. First, ask yourself, "why this?" In other words, why this offer or presentation? Second, "why me?" This is about why you're uniquely qualified to offer this. Finally, ask yourself, "why now?" Why is now the right time, instead of next week or next month?

Tune into this episode to learn more about all of these points, and how following the principles I describe throughout this podcast will spare you the frustration and disappointment of being rejected by future prospects.

In This Episode:

[02:13] - Alex introduces this episode's three key insights into becoming an ethical influencer.

[03:03] - We hear a story about Alex's experience in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2006.

[04:48] - Brazilians have enthusiasm and influential outlooks of what could happen in their lives, Alex points out.

[06:40] - Commitment produces passion instead of the other way around, Alex explains.

[07:43] - Alex explores why the story he has just told about his experience in Brazil is so important.

[08:13] - Alex shares his three-part formula that has worked for him for over a decade.

[10:07] - The most important oversight is the third question, Alex reveals.

[11:24] - The Alexism for this episode is this: you are not as good as you think you are. You're better!

[12:57] - One of the promises of the patterns that you'll learn in this podcast is that if you follow them, there will be no rejection.

[13:37] - Alex talks about the program that he and Joe Vitale offer.

[15:27] - Alex goes over the specific insights that he has covered in this episode in a quick review.

[16:22] - If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to head to this link and type in your biggest takeaway as a review!

[17:18] - Alex offers listeners a gift: a completely free copy of his book Alexisms! Tune into the episode to learn how to get your free copy.

Links and Resources:

Alex Mandossian

MarketingOnline.com

Skipio - where mass business texting gets personal!

Alexisms by Alex Mandossian

All Selling Aside on iTunes

Harv Eker

The Success Principles by Jack Canfield

Roy H. Williams

Wizard Academy

Start With Why by Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek's TedX talk

Joe Vitale