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

In 1960, Anthony J. Mahavoric was born in North Hollywood, California. Not sure who that is? Let me give you a hint: his mom remarried a man named Jim Robbins, who adopted young Tony as a 12-year-old. That's right, today's episode is all about Tony Robbins. This man has had the most profound influence on the coaching and consulting business, and has changed personal development as we know it.

I believe that Tony has had three major inflection points over the course of his career. The first came when he was 17 years old and began working for Jim Rohn. The second came in the early 1980s, when he met John Grinder and started teaching NLP and Ericksonian Hypnosis. Tony's third inflection point occurred in the early 1990s, when he met Bill Guthy and Greg Renker.

My favorite quote of his is just three words long, but carries so much wisdom and insight: "Proximity is power." If you want to turn your dreams into reality faster, you need to get yourself in physical proximity with people who are playing the game at a higher level than you are. These are people with higher status and more success than you, who make more money than you do. Surrounding yourself with these people allows you to model what is proven to work.

Don't miss today's episode to hear more about the power of proximity, which is the common thread that runs through today's key insights! In this episode, you'll learn why...

...being the proximity of other leaders can change your life.

...who you spend time with is ultimately who you become in your life.

...your environments will influence your future more than your personal willpower.

In This Episode:

[03:47] - Alex introduces today's episode and mentions the three key insights that you'll learn as you listen.

[05:21] - We hear the story of Anthony J. Mahavoric, better known as Tony Robbins.

[07:34] - Alex explains when Tony Robbins' first inflection point in his career occurred.

[11:53] - We learn about Tony's early infomercials, which featured celebrities, and how successful Tony became as a result of this exposure.

[13:26] - Alex's favorite saying by Tony Robbins is just three words: "Proximity is power." He then talks about the importance of modeling.

[16:22] - We hear about how spending physical time with specific people has changed Alex's life and career.

[20:45] - Proximity people can turn the dial and move the needle for your business, Alex points out.

[21:44] - Alex shares an example of the power of proximity from his own business.

[23:25] - We learn that Alex is an introvert (except when he's on stage), and find out how proximity started for im.

[25:21] - Who you spend your time with is ultimately who you become, Alex explains.

[27:26] - What about proximity with groups?

[29:33] - We hear a quick review of the insights about proximity that Alex has covered over the course of today's episode.

[30:52] - Speaking of reviews, if you haven't already reviewed the podcast, please take a moment to visit this link and write down your biggest takeaway from this particular episode as a review of the show.

[32:26] - Alex gives away free access to his four-part video e-course series in honor of this 41st episode of the show! You can find it here.

Links and Resources:

Alex Mandossian

MarketingOnline.com

Marketing Online 4-Part Video Training Series

Alex Mandossian on YouTube

Alexisms by Alex Mandossian

All Selling Aside on iTunes

Tony Robbins

Jim Rohn

John Grinder

NLP

Ericksonian Hypnosis

Bill Guthy

Greg Renker

All Selling Aside Episode 1: Confessions of a Serial Entrepreneur

Harvey Mackay

Jack Canfield

Roy H. Williams

Wizard Academy

The Monday Morning Memo

Harv Eker

Joe Polish

Dan Sullivan

Strategic Coach

Patrick Gentempo

Roland Frasier

In the late 1930s, Patrick McDonald opened a food stand in Monrovia, California. Originally, the stand sold hot dogs, but—as you might guess from his last name—hamburgers were later added to the menu. A few years later, his sons Maurice and Richard moved the entire operation 40 miles east to San Bernardino. "McDonald's Bar-B-Que" later shifted its focus from barbecue to a streamlined menu of burgers, drinks, and apple pie.

The restaurant McDonald's was born on December 12, 1948. Within a few years, other companies followed this lead and transformed into fast food establishments. Several of these, including Burger King and White Castle, are still familiar and successful today.

Ray Kroc entered the picture in 1954. Ray, a milkshake mixer salesman, learned that the McDonald brothers were using eight of his machines in their restaurant, instead of just one like most other restaurants. Intrigued by the success that led to needing so many milkshake mixers, Ray offered to work as a franchising agent for the McDonald brothers in exchange for a cut of the profits.

Just a few years later, there were 100 McDonald's locations… but Ray still wasn't making significant money. It wasn't until 1961 that he hit upon the key and defined the business that McDonald's is really in. Instead of taking a percentage of the profits from each franchise, he set up a system in which the company bought land, leased it to new franchises, and made their money that way. In other words, McDonald's is actually in the real estate business rather than the hamburger business. The company's unique ability isn't to make amazing burgers, but rather to research and source ideal locations for their real estate acquisitions and franchises.

What lesson can you take away from this? You're not in the business that you think you're in. For example, if you're about to launch something, you're probably selling the emotion of hope. If you're in the coaching or consulting business, you're selling the emotion of confidence.

Interested in understanding this better? Tune into this episode! By the end, you'll:

• Know the specific emotion you are selling to your target audience.
• Discover the true purpose of the business you're in: precession.
• Learn why it's easier to change market segments versus business model.

In This Episode:

[03:04] - We hear the three key insights that Alex will explore over the course of today's episode.

[04:23] - Alex shares the story of the early days of the McDonald's empire.

[09:36] - In 1954, Ray Kroc (FIND AND LINK THIS) came into the picture. Alex talks about Ray's ascension.

[11:55] - We hear about Ray's big idea, and the secret to building the McDonald's empire.

[14:30] - If you're in the retail business, your best strategy is to find out where the next McDonald's will open in a city near you, because they've already done the research.

[15:27] - Alex shares a takeaway from the story of McDonald's and Ray Kroc.

[17:45] - Alex makes a point about McDonald's by exploring the story of the honeybee.

[20:41] - We hear about a mistake that Alex has made over the years.

[23:02] - Alex offers a quick review of the insights that he has covered in this episode.

[24:56] - What was your biggest takeaway from this episode? Head to this link and post your answer as a review of the show!

[26:36] - In honor of this episode of the podcast, Alex is giving away free access to his four-part video e-course series! You can find it here.

Links and Resources:

Alex Mandossian

MarketingOnline.com

Marketing Online 4-Part Video Training Series

Alex Mandossian on YouTube

Alexisms by Alex Mandossian

All Selling Aside on iTunes

Ray Kroc

Richard and Maurice McDonald

Peter Drucker

Buckminster Fuller

Precession

Ryan Deiss

Henry J. Kaiser isn't talked about in modern business books, the way Elon Musk, Sir Richard Branson, Oprah Winfrey, and J.K. Rowling are. In fact, many (even most) people have never heard of him. This remarkable man, however, deserves acknowledgement and recognition for the incredible things that he accomplished during his lifetime. He was a larger-than-life man with big ideas who created industries that have yet to be matched in any American business endeavor.

Henry's building career began in 1914 with a road construction project in British Columbia. By 1930, he had completed several highway projects in California and Cuba. As his career progressed, he had many incredible accomplishments:

• He led the contracting consortium commission to build the Hoover Dam, which was completed two years early under his powerful leadership. Kaiser also led the construction of the Bonneville Dam and the Grand Coulee Dam.
• During World War II, Kaiser's Pacific Coast shipyards built the famous Liberty Ships, which Winston Churchill credited as the main reason that the tides were turned in the Pacific Theatre.
• Henry went into the automobile business, and his corporation became the fourth-largest car-maker in the United States. It also kicked off the car industry in Argentina and Brazil.
• This remarkable man also went into home construction, building thousands of homes in California and Hawaii.
• Perhaps Henry's most remarkable achievement involves medical care and hospitals. He created a health maintenance organization (or HMO) for his shipyard employees; today, it's a major healthcare system servicing almost 12 million people.

Isn't it incredible that he accomplished so much, and across such dramatically different fields? Tune into the episode to learn about how being a "happy elephant" helped him accomplish these remarkable feats. You'll also discover the relationship between Kaiser's success and today's Alexism: "The cost of doing the same thing without getting different results is higher than the risk of making change." Finally, I'll explore these three key insights:

• Why vision is not about the past or present; it's about the future.
• How to transform big ideas into profitable, innovative achievements.
• How success parlays more success utilizing relationship capital.

In This Episode:

[03:05] - Alex lists the three main insights into becoming a highly skilled ethical influencer that he'll cover in today's episode.

[04:16] - We hear about the life and accomplishments of Henry J. Kaiser, a larger-than-life entrepreneur who was all about the future.

[08:21] - How did Henry Kaiser do so much in one lifetime across so many different industries?

[09:35] - The Alexism for this episode is this: "The cost of doing the same thing without getting different results is higher than the risk of making change."

[11:31] - There are three types of fear. The first is the fear of trying (or being embarrassed in public).

[13:11] - The second type of fear is the the fear of failing despite making your best efforts.

[13:38] - The first two fears don't even hold a candle to the third fear: the fear of being wildly successful and no longer relying on excuses.

[16:16] - Alex digs into the principle of parlaying, and talks about how it relates to Henry Kaiser's success.

[18:45] - How can you apply all of this into your everyday work, rituals, and routines?

[19:28] - We hear a quick recap of the main points and key insights that Alex has explored in today's episode.

[21:12] - Alex talks about why Dr. Robert Cialdini originally wrote his book Influence for the consumer.

[23:37] - Please take a moment to write down your biggest takeaway from this episode. If you haven't already, please do so at this link as a review of the show! If you've already left a review, write down your takeaway on an index card instead.

[25:00] - In honor of this 39th episode of All Selling Aside, Alex gives listeners complimentary access to his video e-course, which you can find here.

Links and Resources:

Alex Mandossian

MarketingOnline.com

Marketing Online 4-Part Video Training Series

Alex Mandossian on YouTube

Alexisms by Alex Mandossian

All Selling Aside on iTunes

Henry J. Kaiser

Hoover Dam

Bonneville Dam

Grand Coulee Dam

Kaiser Shipyards

Liberty Ships

Dr. Robert Cialdini

Influence by Dr. Robert Cialdini

Pre-Suasion by Dr. Robert Cialdini

Cialdini's Six Principles of Influence

You might guess that the best-selling food in America is the hamburger. But if you guess that the second-place food on the list is pizza, hot dogs, steak, or wings, you'd be wrong. In fact, it's potato chips. Worldwide, they're second only to rice.

Despite the immense popularity of this food, many of us have no idea how it originated. It all started in New England in 1853. George Crum, a chef at a resort, grew frustrated as a guest repeatedly sent back his French fries, insisting they should be thinner and less soft. In his exasperation, Crum sliced a potato as thin as possible, fried it until it was completely crunchy, and sent it out to teach the picky customer a lesson.

Instead of learning his lesson, though, the customer was ecstatic. He loved the crunchy, lightly browned, paper-thin potatoes. Soon, other diners started requesting the dish, and it eventually showed up on the menu as a house special. The chips were eventually packaged and sold throughout the region.

In 1932, Herman Lay decided to start selling potato chips to Southern grocers, not just in New England. He went from restaurant to restaurant and grocery store to grocery store to sell potato chips from the trunk of his car. You might recognize his name as being part of Frito-Lay, the major snack manufacturer that still exists today. Isn't it interesting how being rejected can be transformed into an ultra-profitable innovation?

Think about your own business. If someone rejects you or your product, do you look for the opportunities that the rejection points to? Take a lesson from potato chips, and keep in mind that rejection can turn into a multi-million dollar empire!

From this story, you've already learned from how rejection transformed into an ultra-profitable innovation because of a happy accident, and how a traveling salesman built a billion-dollar industry out of the truck of his car through grocery stores. Those are two of today's key insights! Tune into the episode to learn all about the other: why replacing a proven winner is less risky than improving a proven winner.

In This Episode:

[03:02] - This episode will cover three key insights that will help you become a highly skilled ethical influencer. Alex explains what they are.

[04:11] - We hear the story of the potato chip, and its popularity both in the United States and the rest of the world.

[05:12] - Alex talks about how George Crum invented potato chips in a fit of frustration.

[07:39] - We learn about the next episode in the evolution of potato chips' popularity.

[08:28] - Alex draws a lesson out of the story of potato chips.

[09:11] - Here's today's Alexism: "Delegating your vision is a mistake. It's like giving up your newborn baby to an orphanage."

[12:36] - Alex makes a point about attitude and competence, pointing out that a good attitude isn't enough.

[14:57] - We hear a rumor about something that Tony Robbins did as he was starting out.

[16:12] - Alex quickly goes over the insights that he's covered already in a brief review of the key points of the episode.

[17:58] - To get the most from this episode, head to this link and write down your biggest takeaway as a review. If you've already done so for a previous episode, write it down on an index card instead!

[19:35] - Alex gives away a free gift to listeners of the podcast: instant access to his video e-course! You can find it at this link!

Links and Resources:

Alex Mandossian

MarketingOnline.com

Marketing Online 4-Part Video Training Series

Alex Mandossian on YouTube

Alexisms by Alex Mandossian

All Selling Aside on iTunes

George Crum

Herman Lay

Frito-Lay History

Roy H. Williams

Tony Robbins

You don't need to have sales ability to learn sales technique. You just have to memorize sales technique! If you're intimidated by sales or wish that you had been born a great salesperson, the idea of being able to learn sales technique probably sounds reassuring. You're in the right place, because that's exactly what I'll teach you about today!

My friend Ted is known industry-wide as a closer. He closes sales, and seals the deal. He doesn't do it by being pushy or through manipulation, or even at the end of his presentation. Instead, he uses trial closes and statements hundreds of times during a 90-minute presentation.

If you're bad at sales, trial closes will make you good. And if you're already good at sales, trial closes will make you great! A trial close is like a seed being planted for your audience to give them an opportunity to give you compliance. I like to cluster them in trios, which takes advantage of the remarkable power of three, as you heard about last week. Tune into the episode to learn more about how I use trial closes, and to hear quite a few examples!

As you'll learn today, when you're using good sales strategy, there's no such thing as one final close. Instead, there are just trial closes, with a final push at the end. You build all the tension and energy throughout the course of your presentation, until you ethically have your audience eating from the palm of your hand.

Tune in to the episode to hear all about trial closes. You'll also learn...

...why closing sales starts the moment you begin your presentation, not at the end.

...why trial closes prevent embarrassment and personal rejection, because you're closing as you're presenting.

...why a planned set of persuasive sentences can triple your sales conversion.

In This Episode:

[03:11] - Alex shares the three key insights that he'll illuminate throughout the course of today's episode.

[04:58] - We hear about Alex's friend Ted, who is known across the industry as a closer.

[07:02] - The key principle behind closing a sale isn't to take a sledgehammer and split the rock in half at the end of a presentation, Alex points out.

[08:18] - Alex likes to give trial closes in sets of three, taking advantage of the remarkable power of three.

[10:58] - What is a trial close?

[13:51] - If you're bad at sales, Alex points out, trial closes can make you good. He then gives more examples of trial closes.

[17:45] - Trial closes don't always have a yes/no answer, but they get the prospect to visualize something.

[18:23] - Alex talks about how he likes to use trial closes: in groups of 3, with 36 trial-close trios in a 90-minute talk.

[19:52] - Selling is all about persuasion, entertainment, and enthusiasm, Alex explains.

[21:51] - Today's Alexism is this: "Turning obstacles into opportunities are the defining moments in your business you'll remember most."

[23:32] - Alex gives listeners a gift: 23 Persuasive Selling Sentences for the Stage.

[25:26] - We hear a quick review of the points that Alex has made throughout this episode.

[26:50] - If you haven't already reviewed this podcast, please take a moment to go to this link and leave a star rating and review along with your biggest takeaway from this particular episode.

[28:12] - In addition to his previous gift of 23 Persuasive Selling Sentences for the Stage, Alex is also giving away free instant access to his video e-course, which you can find at this link!

Links and Resources:

Alex Mandossian

MarketingOnline.com

Marketing Online 4-Part Video Training Series

Alex Mandossian on YouTube

Alexisms by Alex Mandossian

All Selling Aside on iTunes

Ted Thomas

All Selling Aside Episode 36: The Remarkable Power of Three

Ron LeGrand

Dan Kennedy

Bill Glazer

Russell Brunson

Expert Secrets by Russell Brunson

23 Persuasive Selling Sentences for the Stage

Once upon a time, Goldilocks stumbled upon a home inhabited by three bears. You know the rest of the story, but do you know the selling and influence lessons it can teach? Today, I'll tell you this story with some commentary to illuminate its relevance to selling through storytelling. Don't roll your eyes; instead, do as Marcel Proust recommended and look for discovery by viewing the same landscape through new eyes.

You probably remember that Goldilocks always had three choices in the story: three bowls of porridge, three chairs, and three beds. She tried each until she found the one that was just right. What I want to dig into today is the fact that she always had three choices, and why this particular number is so important.

You see, if you give someone one option, it's not a choice. If you give two options, it's a dilemma. But if you give three options, you're giving someone the chance to make a discerning decision, and they feel as if they have the freedom to choose. They're buying; you aren't selling them. Without choice, you can't be decisive. Instead, the decision is forced upon you. And there's no ethical influence unless you activate a choice. Three is the remarkable number that allows a choice to feel right.

If you have too many choices or too much information, it can be harder to decide. Think of the experience of being at the grocery store and having too many options for a particular product. The decision would actually be easier if you had only a few choices instead of so many. That's why three is the magic number that can lead to your prospect letting out a sigh of relief and saying, "Ahh, this one is just right," just like Goldilocks.

Tune into today's episode learn about to the power of three in everything from fairy tales to sales to even the military. You'll also discover three key insights:

• Why three examples of anything are better proof and more persuasive than one, two, four, or five. More is not better!
• Why the first and third example (or option, or reason) are more critical than the second.
• Why giving three options to any sales offer increases the average purchase price and the value of what you sell, and will increase the amount of money you make.

In This Episode:

[03:02] - We hear about today's three key insights, related to the number of examples, options, or reasons to give.

[04:48] - Today's story is that of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, which is one of the most popular fairy tales written in the English language.

[06:44] - Alex tells the tale of Goldilocks, interjecting with some points about her boldness and the importance of having options.

[08:47] - We learn that Keith Cunningham says that one equals slavery, two equals a dilemma, and three is the beginning of freedom.

[10:37] - If you get the essence of what Alex is expressing, it can change your life and the way you communicate with others.

[13:32] - Having concluded his telling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Alex shares the moral of the story.

[14:42] - Our ability to decide is one of our most remarkable skills.

[15:30] - If you have more than three options, you likely have too many, Alex points out.

[17:25] - Alex gives some examples to illuminate the point that he's been making about the power of the number three.

[20:20] - We hear more examples of the remarkable power of three, including Alex's three reasons for why entrepreneurs fail (procrastination, perfectionism, and lack of building momentum).

[23:09] - Alex shifts into talking about high-ticket sales and how this theory of three options applies in that case.

[26:08] - The Alexism for this episode is this: "the three key responsibilities of business leaders are to: 1. Define reality. 2. Protect confidences. 3. Communicate compassionately.

[28:31] - Alex quickly goes over the insights that he has explored throughout this episode.

[29:38] - If you enjoyed this episode or took something away from it, please take a moment out of your day to leave a review at this link.

[31:48] - In honor of this 36th episode of the podcast, Alex gives away instant free access to his powerful new video e-course. Head to this link to accept your free gift!

Links and Resources:

Alex Mandossian

MarketingOnline.com

Marketing Online 4-Part Video Training Series

Alex Mandossian on YouTube

Alexisms by Alex Mandossian

All Selling Aside on iTunes

Robert Southey

Marcel Proust

Keith Cunningham

The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz

TED Talk by Barry Schwartz

Dr. Robert Cialdini

Joe Polish

Strategic Coach

Max De Pree

The Dalai Lama

Jim Collins

The environment always wins. If you've ever had an exhausting day full of too many decisions (and haven't we all?), you know all too well that willpower is finite. World power, on the other hand, doesn't run out. World power means designing an environment with just the right balance and harmony to support you and challenge you to grow and get results, so you can rely on your environment instead of your limited willpower. This is why designing your environment sets up a framework for success, whether in business, ethical influence, teambuilding, or even with family and friends.

According to Thomas Leonard's theory, there are nine environments. These surround you, where you're the unchanging core at the center of a pie chart. The nine environments are:

1. The memetic environment, composed of ideas, surrounds the inner core.
2. The body environment, which is your appearance, clothing, and so on.
3. The self environment, such as your strengths, talents, and character.
4. Your spiritual environment.
5. The relationship environment, including your close friends, family, and close colleagues.
6. Your network environment. This is the professional connections and greater community in your network.
7. The physical environment: places, things, and technology.
8. The financial environment, including money, wealth, and budget.
9. The nature environment includes the great outdoors, nature, and the seasons.

This framework offers a powerful way to see and design the world around you. In other words, it helps you to design the context of your world, not just the content. Either you control your environment, or it controls you. Without significant environmental design, no process of change is sustainable, because it relies on your (finite) willpower. To achieve sustainable success, always design these nine environments to be the picture of your next evolution.

Tune into this episode to learn how you can use your knowledge of these environments to shape your world and life, what I believe the tenth environment is, how to decide which environment to focus on first, why momentum is the most powerful force in the business universe, and how to create a more adaptive, predictable, and successful outcome.

In This Episode:

[03:03] - Alex gives a quick overview of the key insights that he'll be talking about throughout today's episode.

[04:05] - We learn about willpower, world power, and the incredible benefits of creating an environment instead of relying on your willpower alone.

[06:57] - Alex offers a quick overview of the nine environments.

[09:19] - Either you control your environment or it controls you, Alex points out.

[12:38] - Alex's goal for you in this episode is for you to understand that environment always wins, and that willpower is overrated.

[13:32] - Willpower is always shackled by environmental design.

[15:26] - Alex explains that environment equals context, and context is the determining factor in your life. If environment is context, willpower is content.

[17:21] - We hear what Alex believes is the 10th environment, as well as how to prioritize your environments.

[19:21] - Here's today's Alexism: "Focus on building momentum, not just growth."

[20:38] - Alex talks about how momentum applies to the idea of environmental design.

[22:05] - We hear a quick review of the insights that Alex has covered today, including why environment is more powerful than willpower.

[23:06] - Did you enjoy this episode? If so, please head to this link and leave your biggest takeaway from this episode as an iTunes review!

[24:52] - Alex gives away a powerful free gift in honor of this 35th episode of the podcast: instant free access to his powerful new video e-course, available at this link!

Links and Resources:

Alex Mandossian

MarketingOnline.com

Marketing Online 4-Part Video Training Series

Alex Mandossian on YouTube

Alexisms by Alex Mandossian

All Selling Aside on iTunes

Thomas Leonard

CoachVille

Werner Erhard

When my daughter Breanna was about a year and a half old, she would look up at me after bath time and put her arms up, as if asking me to pick her up and lift her out of the tub. This was a defining moment for me, and I believe it defined her interdependence on me for her future. When she put her arms up, instead of lifting her out of the tub, I would give her my finger so she could grab it and step out of the bathtub with my assistance. This way, she would know how to get to the other side herself.

Not surprisingly, she didn't like this! I figured, though, that if I just lifted her to the other side, she would be codependent on me and wouldn't learn how to get out of the bathtub on her own. Of course, this is also relevant in other parts of her life! Giving her too much help would only lead to struggle and trouble. She eventually took my finger and climbed out of the tub, banging her knee and ankle in the process. She started to cry loudly, and I held and comforted her.

Two days later, my daughter reached up her arms from the bath for me again. And again, I put my finger out so she could take it and climb out of the tub herself. She still wasn't happy, but she managed not to bang her knee this time! A few days that, she reached up her arms again. This time, though, she reached up as if to say "assist me" instead of "help me." She went for my hand instead of expecting me to just lift her out.Helping other isn't the same as assisting others. This is relevant not only to raising children, but also to business. Helping leads to codependence, and assisting leads to interdependence. Codependent customers and prospects have a sense of entitlement, and expect you to do more for them than what they do for you. Instead of collaboration, they want a one-way relationship.

Tune into this episode to learn how to create a healthy interdependent relationship with your clients, what exactly the difference is between codependence and interdependence, what overcare is and why it's a problem, and much more. I'll also explore these three key insights that are critical to making you a highly skilled ethical influencer:

1. Why helping others can lead to destructive and even abusive relationships.
2. The distinctions of codependence, dependence, and interdependence as it relates to your prospects and clients.
3. Why the principle of interdependence can lead to more profitable clients and expand their lifetime value.

In This Episode:

[03:03] - We hear about the three key insights that Alex will talk about in this episode.

[04:19] - Alex shares a story about his daughter, Breanna Marie.

[06:30] - We learn how Alex's point about codependence relates not only to raising children, but also to business.

[09:38] - Alex talks about what happened with his daughter a few days later, after her first couple of experiences getting out of the tub mostly on her own.

[10:28] - What is the moral of this story?

[11:28] - We hear about what, exactly, codependence means.

[13:13] - Alex now explains what interdependence is, and why it's so much more positive than codependence.

[15:29] - Here's the Alexism for this episode: "It pays to polarize your prospects, because they'll either turn up the volume or they'll change the channel."

[17:20] - Alex talks about the role of overcare in a codependent relationship.

[19:58] - We hear about how overcare can function in a romantic relationship, or a joint venture partnership.

[20:52] - Alex quickly recaps and reviews the points and insights that he has explored throughout this episode.

[21:56] - Alex asks listeners for a favor in exchange for this episode: take a moment to go to this link. Once you're there, leave your biggest takeaway from this episode as a review, and leave a star rating.

[23:51] - In honor of this 34th episode of All Selling Aside, Alex is giving away instant access to his powerful new video e-course! Go to this link to get started.

Links and Resources:

Alex Mandossian

MarketingOnline.com

Marketing Online 4-Part Video Training Series

Alex Mandossian on YouTube

Alexisms by Alex Mandossian

All Selling Aside on iTunes

Let me tell you about Harvey, a 26-year old who decided to go into the envelope business as a salesman. Keep in mind that envelopes are only used once, so people need to buy them over and over. One day, at 5:30 AM, Harvey was sitting in a car with one of the best salespeople in the company, right outside the manufacturing plant of the biggest envelope manufacturer in all the city.

Soon, a delivery truck came out of the stockyard. Harvey and his mentor followed the truck, taking notes on where it stopped. This continued for the better part of the morning, before the truck returned to the factory. They did the same thing the next morning, and the next. Within a week, they had a record of over 100 accounts of the top manufacturing company in the area.

Once Harvey had his list, he asked his mentor what to do with it. His mentor told him not to try to steal the business away. Instead, Harvey was to go in and acknowledge who they were already buying envelopes from, acknowledge that he didn't want to steal the business, and asking permission to be #2. He made this sales pitch to those 100+ accounts that he and his mentor had found in their research through following the truck.

Within five years, Harvey had over 100% of the accounts that he had recorded. Wondering how you can earn over 100%? Curious about who Harvey really is? Tune into this episode to find out! You'll also learn why being #2 makes you stand out, how to make potential clients find you interesting, and much more.

In This Episode:

[03:08] - Ready to hear an introduction to the three key insights you'll learn about in today's episode? Here they are!

[04:22] - Alex shares the story of Harvey, an envelope salesman.

[07:50] - In a quick break from the story of Harvey, Alex points out that his mentor allowed Harvey to experience the process instead of telling him what to do.

[10:06] - We hear about Harvey's very simple sales pitch, and the power of asking to be #2 instead of #1.

[12:46] - Alex confesses who the Harvey in his story really is: Harvey Mackay, international bestseller of books including Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.

[14:06] - We hear some ways that it's possible to go from #2 to #1 by default, without necessarily involving any further action on your part.

[15:15] - Alex asks listeners to consider seeking to be #2 in a sales transaction, and to look for a "yes" for a relationship rather than a transaction.

[17:47] - We learn another point about bonding with potential clients or candidates.

[19:42] - Harvey eventually ended up owning the envelope company, which he called Mackay.

[20:42] - Here's today's Alexism: "Caring is the ultimate competitive advantage in starting and maintaining any business today."

[22:09] - Alex shares a quick review of the insights that he has covered over the course of today's episode.

[23:01] - Did you learn something from this episode? If so, please take a moment out of your day to leave your biggest takeaway as a review at this link!

[24:42] - In honor of this 33rd episode of the podcast, Alex offers listeners a gift: free immediate access to his powerful new video e-course! To get started, head to this link.

Links and Resources:

Alex Mandossian

MarketingOnline.com

Marketing Online 4-Part Video Training Series

Alex Mandossian on YouTube

Alexisms by Alex Mandossian

All Selling Aside on iTunes

Harvey Mackay

Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive by Harvey Mackay

MackayMitchell Envelope Company

I heard this story from Steven Covey in his book First Things First. One day, a teacher was speaking to a group of high-achieving students. The teacher was trying to drive a point home using an illustration that the students would never forget. (I don't think you'll forget it, either!) The teacher pulled out a one-gallon wide-mouth glass jar and set it on the table in front of him, and carefully filled it with fist-sized rocks until it couldn't possibly hold another.

The teacher asked his students if the jar was full, and they all said, "Yes!" The teacher then reached under the table and pulled out a jar of gravel. He poured it into the first jar, shaking it to let the gravel sift down among the fist-sized rocks. With a smile, he asked the students again, "Is the jar full?" The class was onto him by now, and the response was, "Probably not." This time, the teacher brought out a bucket of ocean sand, and dumped the sand into the jar of rocks and gravel, filling all the small spaces.

He asked his class again if the jar was full, and the students shouted, "No!" They were right. The teacher grabbed a pitcher of water, and poured into into the jar until it was full to the brim with rocks, gravel, sand, and water. Finally, the jar was actually full.

Are you wondering what the point is? One student piped up with his opinion, claiming that the point is that no matter how full your schedule is, you can always fit more in. The teacher pointed out that this wasn't actually correct. The point is that if you don't put in the big rocks first, you'll never get them in at all. The key is knowing how to prioritize what goes into the jars of your time. Priority is the new productivity.

Tune into this episode to learn the difference between efficiency and effectiveness, the definition of productivity, how you can figure out what your big rocks are, why you need to focus on what's important instead of what's urgent, how Steven Covey's time management grid of quadrants can help you live more effectively, and more!

In This Episode:

[03:09] - Alex introduces the three key insights that he's going to cover in today's episode of the podcast.

[04:28] - We hear a story that Alex read in the book First Things First by Stephen Covey.

[07:05] - Alex gets to the end of his story, and begins to explore the point taught by the powerful example.

[08:09] - We learn about the difference between efficiency and effectiveness, as well as what productivity is.

[10:34] - The goal here, Alex explains, is to find your big rocks, your gravel, your sand, and your water.

[12:15] - Alex works on three projects at a time. He talks about how this functions for him.

[13:49] - Alex takes a moment to define "priority" in a way he learned from Steven Pressfield.

[16:18] - We hear another example from Stephen Covey, involving his time management grid of quadrants.

[19:03] - Imagine that there's a giant square divided into four quadrants. Alex describes what's in each of these quadrants, and what that means for you.

[23:09] - Today's Alexism is this: "True growth demands to temporarily sacrifice your security."

[24:11] - Alex makes an important distinction for listeners involving the size of a contribution and the resistance to it.

[24:59] - We hear a quick review of the powerful insights that Alex has explored throughout this episode.

[26:17] - Please take a moment to help Alex out! Go to this link and leave your biggest takeaway as a review.

[27:25] - Alex offers listeners a final gift in honor of this episode of All Selling Aside. For free instant access to his powerful new video e-course, head to this link.

Links and Resources:

Alex Mandossian

MarketingOnline.com

Marketing Online 4-Part Video Training Series

Alex Mandossian on YouTube

Alexisms by Alex Mandossian

All Selling Aside on iTunes

Stephen Covey

First Things First by Stephen Covey

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

Peter Drucker

Michael Gerber

Steven Pressfield

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

The Legend of Bagger Vance by Steven Pressfield

Image of Stephen Covey's time management quadrants

Warren Buffett