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Have you heard of the power of vulnerability? Being vulnerable is often considered to a sign of weakness. Today's guest is Rohit Bhargava, who is a best selling author and an expert on the non-obvious path to success. We talk about perfection and imperfection. Do you have the courage to show your imperfections? Listen to the show to find out how to use that courage.
Get the show notes for 151 | Being Imperfect: A Non-Obvious Path to Success with Rohit Bhargava
Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Leaders in the Trenches with @GeneHammett @rohitbhargava #powerofvulnerability #Imperfections #Success #Episode151 #Podcasts
Give Leaders in the Trenches a review on iTunes!
Have you heard of the power of vulnerability? Being vulnerable is often considered to a sign of weakness. Today's guest is Rohit Bhargava, who is a best selling author and an expert on the non-obvious path to success. We talk about perfection and imperfection. Do you have the courage to show your imperfections? Listen to the show to find out how to use that courage.
Share the LOVE and TWEET about this episode.
Rohit’s Target Audience: Rohit is the founder of the Influential Marketing Group. IMG is a consultancy founded to help brands and marketing leaders improve their digital strategy, realize the potential of social media, and create more human organizations.
[spp-tweet "“Integration is a huge topic right now” ~Rohit Bhargava"]
Rohit (aka “reformed agency guy”) is also the author of Non-Obvious where the mission is to help people be more human and empower them to create their own marketing tactics. More importantly, it is about genuinely connecting with people. His pal Matthew Goldfarb (also a previous guest on the show) also talks about this. You can listen to his interview here. People out there are seeking to follow people who are more real and human. The are seeking imperfection and people confident enough to put their selfies out there. In short, people who are unafraid to be who they are!
[spp-tweet "“My method is to help people be more human” ~Rohit Bhargava"]
So why did the book Non Obvious have to be written? Rohit was behind the scenes writing a trend report for last 5 years. His purpose was to take people behind the scenes and show how they can create their own trends. The book provides a representation of how to give people an think this way to use habit and processes themselves.
The main trend here is the concept of “Unperfection.” It is for companies and entrepreneurs who are want to share a more human story, be more vulnerable and are no longer want to concern themselves with perfectionism.
Rohit recognizes the courage it takes to be an entrepreneur. He claims there is no shame to being an “intrapraneur” - which is working full time (or having a “bridge job”) while being an entrepreneur. Being that “intrapreneur” can very well be what allows you to get started and there nothing wrong with that.
[spp-tweet "“We don't always need to be perfect” ~Rohit Bhargava"]
Like most of us, Rohit has spent and still finds himself in the trenches. He recently realized that he was overestimating my own ability, for example. Rohit admits that he had a certain vision about what his wordpress site was going to look like but was having difficulty completing it on his own. He then realized he could of simply paid someone. To Rohit, that’s what being in the trenches is sometime - doing things in an “idiotic” way. It’s sometimes best to just step back and get help or a team. Otherwise you send yourself deeper into the trenches.
Rising out of the trenches takes knowing what leads to the most business. So for Rohit, it’s being on the stage which means consciously spending less time on other things that don't pay off towards the business. This is about knowing where your time is the most productive.
[spp-tweet "“Part of it is knowing what leads to the most business for you” ~Rohit Bhargava"]
In this episode we’ll coverMake sure you aren’t emulating what the competition is doing. It is better to be yourself. When you think about marketing and the way to present yourself, most people aim to write in “marketing” language. Rohit says everything that we write should be written to be read out loud. If it doesn’t sound like something a human would say- don’t use it!
Resources and Links
Do you have questions about today’s episode!?
Did you know that you can apply to chat with me by phone? This is a limited time offer to help anyone that is serious about refining their business as well as developing a clear & compelling strategy that will drive them forward. Complete the questions and our team will follow up with you to schedule time for your “Business Breakthrough Session”. These are limited to 30 minutes, completely free and oh, so valuable. Apply Now!
A QUICK FAVORAnd lastly, please leave a rating and review for the Leaders in the Trenches on iTunes (or Stitcher) – it will help us in many ways, but it also inspires us to keep doing what we are doing here. Thank you in advance!
Who doesn't want to be more charming? Well you should want this. With more charm you will add more to the lives of others than trying to beat them into submission. You get my point, right? Charm is rarely thought about in the busy lives of us leaders. Today we explore deep into charm with Jordan Harbinger, from "The Art of Charm". We talk about increasing social influence and building trust. Get all the charm you can handle with this episode and add some to your life/business too.
Get the show notes for 150 | Increasing Your Levels of Charm with Jordan Harbinger
Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Leaders in the Trenches with @GeneHammett @JordanHarbinger #Charm #Leaders #SocialInfluence #Episode150 #Podcasts
Give Leaders in the Trenches a review on iTunes!
Who doesn't want to be more charming? Well you should want this. With more charm you will add more to the lives of others than trying to beat them into submission. You get my point, right? Charm is rarely thought about in the busy lives of us leaders. Today we explore deep into charm with Jordan Harbinger, from “The Art of Charm”. We talk about increasing social influence and building trust. Get all the charm you can handle with this episode and add some to your life/business too.
Share the LOVE and TWEET about this episode.
Jordan’s Target Audience: Includes Men and Women that want to level up in their relationship development skills (dating or business). Most people want both. But there’s more demand for business these days. Jordan encounters all types from entrepreneurs, to high end sales guys to intelligence and military force representatives. His Art of Charm podcast listeners are rather broad and hard to categorize. Jordan’s podcast gets over 1 million downloads per month.
runs the art of charm podcast
[spp-tweet ""The definition of social influence is TRUST" ~Jordan Harbinger"]
So what is the real definition of social influence? It is the amount of people who trust who you are and what you have. Do they trust you to recommend things, entertain, etc? It all comes down to TRUST!
[spp-tweet ""People want to do business with people they like and trust" ~Jordan Harbinger"]
Relationships are a big part of success and happiness. Jordan arrived at this big revelation when he learned this from a lawyer (a colleague) while he was working on Wall Street. This lawyer never spent any time in the office. He was constantly out building relationships and bringing in the business. This motivated Jordan to start delving into the study of psychology of influence and persuasion that transformed into the “Art of Charm.” Essentially the mission behind Art of Charm is about teaching people how to become Friends before business. People who are your friends like and trust you. There is a sense of warmth that people gravitate to that isn’t achieved with other methods.
This is the highest leverage scale set you can have. Because people want to do business with people they like and trust, there’s an advantage to having a network like that. There’s a clear advantage when you have a huge network of people who can recommend you. People in other countries base who they do business with on familial connections. Jordan says that in the west we sort of lie to ourselves and say we will be “fair” about who we choose and choose our friend anyway. This is so true!
[spp-tweet ""People always want to do business with their friends" ~Jordan Harbinger"]
What are mistakes people make when they are trying to make this change?
Jordan says they’re fake and inauthentic. People don’t think through how to connect with people. When people say things like, “hey, I want to pick your brain” - there is no value for that person on the receiving end of that message and that is why it doesn't work. Or sending invaluable or irrelevant information (which was not well thought out) also doesn't work.
[spp-tweet ""Relationships are key" ~Jordan Harbinger"]
Be aware of your EGO. When you feel someone’s bigger than you and feel resentful about it, it is bad news from the start. But people sometimes go ahead and build a relationship with them because they need something from that person. This foundation is weak because it becomes about using people, which is NOT what building relationships is about.
[spp-tweet ""People will always deal with the warmth first" ~Jordan Harbinger"]
If you need something from someone but you are not thinking about how you can HELP them- it’s problematic. It’s easier to just be kind and helpful to others all the time because it ends up working for you. You even end up connecting with people degrees away from the primary person. Be sure you are giving value always!
In this episode we’ll cover:[spp-tweet ""As you grow, you have to jealously guard you time" ~Jordan Harbinger"]
Practical and ActionableCreate a double intro optin. Make a list of 5 introductions you can make and do it. The worst case scenario you may experience is that they say no or don’t respond. These don’t have to be business intros! It’s being helpful not to expect something in return. It’s about being personal.
Resources and Links
Do you have questions about today’s episode!?
Did you know that you can apply to chat with me by phone? This is a limited time offer to help anyone that is serious about refining their business as well as developing a clear & compelling strategy that will drive them forward. Complete the questions and our team will follow up with you to schedule time for your “Business Breakthrough Session”. These are limited to 30 minutes, completely free and oh, so valuable. Apply Now!
A QUICK FAVORAnd lastly, please leave a rating and review for the Leaders in the Trenches on iTunes (or Stitcher) – it will help us in many ways, but it also inspires us to keep doing what we are doing here. Thank you in advance!
Join us for our final episode in a 3 part series of Hiring and Managing a Sales Rep! We'll dig into the process of hiring and firing in this one too. Reflecting back on this series, episode 147 with Mark Jamnick focused on how to motivate your team for heightened performance, while episode 148 with Joe Kouffman focused on hiring traits you should look for. This episode builds upon the series and expands into how to fire a sales rep too. Listen in to get the full scoop on why you MUST take your time on this one!
Get the show notes for 149 | Hiring and Managing Sales Rep Series 3 of 3 With Gene Hammett
Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Leaders in the Trenches with @GeneHammett #Motivation #FireaSale #heightenedperformance #Episode149 #Podcasts
Give Leaders in the Trenches a review on iTunes!
Join us for our final episode in a 3 part series of Hiring and Managing a Sales Rep! We’ll dig into the process of hiring and firing in this one too. Reflecting back on this series, episode 147 with Mark Jamnick focused on how to motivate your team for heightened performance, while episode 148 with Joe Kouffman focused on hiring traits you should look for. This episode builds upon the series and expands into how to fire a sales rep too. Listen in to get the full scoop on why you MUST take your time on this one!
Share the LOVE and TWEET about this episode.
Gene’s Target Audience: Gene works with entrepreneurs who want to find the perfect match between their unique value and the people who will become their best clients and biggest fans.
[spp-tweet "It’s better to hire right the first time ~Gene Hammett"]
You want to hire the best person you can. But before we get to that, are you ready to hire someone? Here are some questions and aspects you want to have in place before you jump right into this one.
Once you’ve got those pieces together, you’re ready to step (slowly) into the hiring process. Do you have profile of the person: their years of experience, background, target market they’re interested in/staying in; their personality (what are you looking for as far as personality goes?); is it a culture fit?
Remember, it’s better to hire right the first time than invest in someone and have it turn out to be not so right. This is a big decision you really don’t want to take lightly. I ran 2 multi billion companies by age 40. At one time, I had 15 employees and 5 sales reps. My experiences have provided me with the knowledge of putting together functional systems. So my guidance is not based on theory but drawn from my experience.
[spp-tweet "You always train skills, but not personality and culture ~Gene Hammett"]
INTERVIEWSIt is better to have interviews “back to back” style- in a series. It makes it easy for you to compare in that way. This also gives you the ability to continuously filter out people who are not a good fit. DO NOT rush this. Also, have your questions ready beforehand. Set up the intention to get the same info from everyone so you can rightly compare. You may even want to invite them to a special event you are having to see how they interact with others. And then there’s always some background research you can do by checking platforms like Linkedin.
Decide if you want to use an assessment test (see episode 147 for assessment tools in the "resources" section). The Kolby assessment is one example. Assessments are great because they allow you to measure how people think and behave.
[spp-tweet "“Weekly meetings can be HUGE” ~Gene Hammett"]
Managing Employees:Your intention to hire someone, is not just for the added help but because you want a strong ROI. Remember, you can always train skills, but you cannot train personality and culture. Also, if you bring someone in for sales, they should be 100% focused on sales (not wearing multiple hats).
Is your system documented? You can do this inexpensively by creating a series of training videos. I use screenflow ($99 program) which you can export to your team. A video allows you to plan out the training step by step and is available for them to turn to anytime they want.
[spp-tweet "“Look for SUPER STAR sales reps” ~Gene Hammett"]
ClarityDo you have a clear direction on what you want your sales reps to be doing day to day and week to week. Is it clear to them?
Take inventory (have a “stand up” meeting) every day by asking your team the following (one-one or in a group):
You will learn a lot about where they’re thriving or failing. The sales reps could also learn from each other if these meetings are held in a group format.
[spp-tweet ""The right person is willing to fail" ~Gene Hammett""]
Have your Weekly Pipeline Review:This necessary when you have a team. It is best when you have stages of the pipeline. For example: signed deals; verbal deals; final pitch/meeting; proposal submitted/request; discovery meeting; interest meetings. Of course, this is individual to you and your business. Ask yourself, how can you step up to your game to support them better? Weekly meetings are huge in getting your team to run effectively. Give them a chance to explore. if they are not successful, they will lose motivation and passion.
Seek out SUPER STAR SALES REPS. Don’t just hire anyone- but someone who will CHALLENGE you and raise the bar. They should inspire you. The right person is willing to fail- they’ve got that courage
In this episode we’ll cover:
Resources and Links
Connect with Gene on LinkedIn or Twitter @genehammett.
Do you have questions about today’s episode!?Did you know that you can apply to chat with me by phone? This is a limited time offer to help anyone that is serious about refining their business as well as developing a clear & compelling strategy that will drive them forward. Complete the questions and our team will follow up with you to schedule time for your “Business Breakthrough Session”. These are limited to 30 minutes, completely free and oh, so valuable. Apply Now!
A QUICK FAVORAnd lastly, please leave a rating and review for the Leaders in the Trenches on iTunes (or Stitcher) – it will help us in many ways, but it also inspires us to keep doing what we are doing here. Thank you in advance!
Today is all about the hiring process for your first or your next sales rep. Don't take this lightly. Hiring the wrong person will derail you in many ways. Be smart about bringing in the RIGHT person. Our guest today is Joe Koufman with AgencySparks. Joe didn't start out as a master of sales. It took years of work and likely a kick in the pants too. Joe shares insights on what characteristics make for high performing salespeople. Joe shares one book that he recommends to all businesses, especially digital agencies. Listen in to this episode to be enlightened on what it takes to hire right when it comes to sales.
Get the show notes for 148 | Hiring and Managing Sales Rep Series 2 of 3 With Joe Koufman
Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Leaders in the Trenches with @GeneHammett @markjamnik #enlightened #Business #SalesPeople #Episode148 #Podcasts
Give Leaders in the Trenches a review on iTunes!
Today is all about the hiring process for your first or your next sales rep. Don't take this lightly. Hiring the wrong person will derail you in many ways. Be smart about bringing in the RIGHT person. Our guest today is Joe Koufman with AgencySparks. Joe didn't start out as a master of sales. It took years of work and likely a kick in the pants too. Joe shares insights on what characteristics make for high performing salespeople. Joe shares one book that he recommends to all businesses, especially digital agencies. Listen in to this episode to be enlightened on what it takes to hire right when it comes to sales.
Share the LOVE and TWEET about this episode.
Joe’s Target Audience: Includes marketers and vetted, specialist agencies.
[spp-tweet "“There are different kinds of sales leaders” ~Joe Koufman"]
Joe is the CEO and founder of AgencySparks. The mission at AgencySparks is to ignite relationships between brands and specialist agencies. Joe felt there was a need for this type of service because he found that there is a sort of “lie” that exists within most agencies. It’s common for clients to expect agencies to be perfect at everything and so agencies take on anything and everything thrown at them (they fail to say “no”).
[spp-tweet "“Whether we know it or not, we are all in sales” ~Joe Koufman"]
What agencies then often do is outsource so they don't have to give up the revenue to another marketing agency. Joe felt this was a disservice because the client wasn't getting the best expertise. He wanted to start focusing on connecting clients with agencies who have an expertise. AgencySparks helps agencies to find prospects who they can provide a specific service for, develop relationships with them and ultimately, convert them into new clients. Clients are then appreciative of these agencies who are really specialized in the problem area they are trying to solve and grow in.
Joe enlightens us in this episode by sharing that the #1 trait to look for in a new hire is their level of curiosity. It is a trait that is important because it means they are willing to put time and energy into new things and creative solutions to problems. A recommended book around this is “The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation.” The main idea in this text, is about bringing an insight to the new prospect that is not obvious to them and how to explain the pain. You want the prospect to acknowledge that pain too. The punchline is- that a solution exists. The value in this is you set yourself up as the best possible solution to the problem.
[spp-tweet "“Look out for that person who is a challenger!” ~Joe Koufman"]
“The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation” is really a life book and a philosophy about taking control of the customer conversation. If you think about it, we are all selling in a sense all the time
So, what’s the biggest mistake people make in hiring a sales rep? Joe says that people expect to get a “rainmaker” -meaning- they believe there’s some magic pixie dust that when sprinkled on, a magical business conversion occurs. But the real value in a salesperson is whether they’ve got the courage to ask the right questions, and their willingness to go deep.
[spp-tweet "“The #1 trait to look for in a new hire is their curiosity” ~Joe Koufman"]
The archetype of “The Challenger” as explained in “The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation” is the person you want because this is someone who is going to challenge you. This is what creates a long lasting relationship: tenacity and persistence.
In this episode we’ll cover:Go and buy the “The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation.” Read the book and look out for that person who is a challenger, possesses tenacity and follow up skills. That’s all you need in a sales person!
Resources and LinksConnect with Joe on Twitter me too on LinkedIn or Twitter @genehammett.
Do you have questions about today’s episode!?Did you know that you can apply to chat with me by phone? This is a limited time offer to help anyone that is serious about refining their business as well as developing a clear & compelling strategy that will drive them forward. Complete the questions and our team will follow up with you to schedule time for your “Business Breakthrough Session”. These are limited to 30 minutes, completely free and oh, so valuable. Apply Now!
A QUICK FAVORAnd lastly, please leave a rating and review for the Leaders in the Trenches on iTunes (or Stitcher) – it will help us in many ways, but it also inspires us to keep doing what we are doing here. Thank you in advance!
Sales is a critically important part of your business success. In fact, it's arguably the most important part. Most business owners have to learn to sell and position their products and services with blood, sweat and tears. When they figure it out, they hold on to this part with tenacity and refuse to let go. Meanwhile, there are others eager to hire someone to do the networking, relationship building and the endless calls to prospects. Well, one of the most important hires you will make as a business owner will be the one that makes it rain (rain with money that is).
Get the show notes for 147 | Hiring and Managing Sales Rep Series 1 of 3 With Mark Jamnik
Click to Tweet: Listening to an amazing episode on Leaders in the Trenches with @GeneHammett @jessemoskel #Networking #BusinessOwner #LearntoSell #Episode147 #Podcasts
Give Leaders in the Trenches a review on iTunes!
Sales is a critically important part of your business success. In fact, it’s arguably the most important part. Most business owners have to learn to sell and position their products and services with blood, sweat and tears. When they figure it out, they hold on to this part with tenacity and refuse to let go. Meanwhile, there are others eager to hire someone to do the networking, relationship building and the endless calls to prospects. Well, one of the most important hires you will make as a business owner will be the one that makes it rain (rain with money that is).
Today's guest on the show is Mark Jamnik, who helps his sales team do more and sell more. Listen in on the conversation as we discuss hiring and managing sales reps. If you want a team or have a team, this series is for you. Tune in to all three episodes to get the full picture.
Share the LOVE and TWEET about this episode.
Target Audience: Mark serves business owners who have been in business for some time. Their business has become bigger than them and they are trying to grow by 1 million or more. They’ve also got a team and so Mark directly with their sales team.
[spp-tweet " “Sales is simply serving” ~Mark Jamnik"]
Mark used to feel that sales was a dirty word because of how it is most frequently perceived. But now Mark has a different take on sales because he knows it is really all about serving and asking the right questions. When businesses become bigger than their business owners, outsourcing must happen. This can be a scary thing for business owners to do.
[spp-tweet " “What type of salesperson do you need in that role?” ~Mark Jamnik"]
What are some of the biggest mistakes people make in hiring sales reps? According to Mark, it’s rushing into hiring someone. Mark advises to take into account of whether the sales rep is a good fit culturally. Are they aligned with the overall objective and mission of the company? You may use assessments to determine this. Mark gives us two examples of assessments: “Disc platform” and Kollbe helps you to find out.
Additionally, get clear on what exactly your sales rep will be responsible for. What are their strengths? Align the right people into their right roles because anything outside of that is inauthentic. This is how you can expect your team to show up as their best selves. Also, pay attention to how they interview? How are they approaching the process? Are they bringing new ideas?
[spp-tweet "“Sales is the biggest investment you can make in your company” ~Mark Jamnik"]
Mark says that sales is integral and the biggest investment you can make in your company because that is what is going to grow and scale beyond you. Eventually business owners are able to grow in ways they didn't even see possible before.
Hiring a team is really an opportunity of understanding and embracing everyone’s uniqueness and their best skill sets so they can follow a process in such a way that they can duplicate themselves. As long as you believe in what you are selling wholeheartedly, as long as you believe you are the one to offer and sell to that particular person, then you can sell. No techniques are needed- it’s just strategy and process to follow. Help your team through those steps.
[spp-tweet " “Align the right people into their right roles” ~Mark Jamnik"]
Mark recommends having a dashboard to keep track of metrics that matter and where things are in the pipeline. Be absolutely clear with the vision and goals and make sure that everyone on the team is on the same page with that. Get this free Dashboard download from Mark right here!
In this episode we’ll cover:
Practical and Actionable:
Take a look at your numbers. What will it take for you to achieve those goals for the year? How many clients is it going to take? Taking a look at your numbers will allow you to make those key decisions so that your team may also follow and hit the goals you have set.
Resources and Links
Connect with Mark on Twitter me too on LinkedIn or Twitter @genehammett.
Do you have questions about today’s episode!?Did you know that you can apply to chat with me by phone? This is a limited time offer to help anyone that is serious about refining their business as well as developing a clear & compelling strategy that will drive them forward. Complete the questions and our team will follow up with you to schedule time for your “Business Breakthrough Session”. These are limited to 30 minutes, completely free and oh, so valuable. Apply Now!
A QUICK FAVORAnd lastly, please leave a rating and review for the Leaders in the Trenches on iTunes (or Stitcher) – it will help us in many ways, but it also inspires us to keep doing what we are doing here. Thank you in advance!
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