Selling In Color

We’re kicking off season three of Selling in Color, which features the sales tips, tricks, and strategies to succeed in the sales industry. Today’s topic? We’re learning Donald’s personal strategies to identify and approach prospects on LinkedIn.

If you aren’t using LinkedIn, you need to.

• The platform boasts an impressive 756 million members, about half of which are active.
• However, of those people, only three million post content on a weekly basis. 
• LinkedIn gets nine billion impressions per month, meaning that an insane amount of views goes to a relatively small number of creators.
• What does this mean? There’s a huge space with relatively little competition currently on the LinkedIn platform.

Donald’s strategy is a three-part plan: Connect, share, and engage.

• Connect with people who fit your ideal customer profile (at least ten of them per day).
• Don’t send a boring request; view their profile and send a personalized request that shows you put effort into the connection.
• Think about the top ten problems or questions you get from prospects and use those ideas to develop content.
• Prompt people to engage and contribute to the conversation. 
• When your connections start to engage and respond to it, you’ll then be viewed by second and third-degree connections, some of who will be prospects and leads.
• If you don’t have time to create new content, share podcast episodes or third-party blogs. But provide your own thoughts or spin as you share these posts to contribute to the conversation.
• Whenever someone likes, comments, or engages with your post, continue the conversation! Start the dialogue and create relationships that make cold leads warm.

We’re excited to learn all the tips and tricks that are to come in the season ahead. So make sure to subscribe and tune in each week to upgrade your sales game!

This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.

Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real.

But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com.

This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, designed to help new and struggling sellers master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey.

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

We’ve hit the end of a fantastic season. Here’s a recap of some of the highlights over the last season of content. The first season highlighted people of color in sales, and season two focused on people of color who’ve thrived in sales. And season three? Stay tuned to find out!

• For example, Jose Quiroz uses his Mexican heritage to help him in sales (and found out his grandfather was a salesman.)
• Felix Montelara showed the importance of focusing on your audience is critical for salespeople.
• Amanda Abella finds success in sales thanks to her heritage and family. 
• Simon Tecle made sure he was a leader in his sales role, and Wendell Jordan Jr. discussed the importance of overcoming cultural bias in the sales industry. 
• Donald himself broke down his experience as the first in his family to join the sales community
• Ruben Alvarez leverages his color without abusing it, and Patrick Carter gave us several tips to advance our careers. 

• Oprah Winfrey and Harriet Tubman were two of the salespeople ever to exist, even if they weren’t traditional “salespeople.”
• Kevin Cummings made more money as a salesman than his cousin (who was a doctor.)
• DeJuan Brown fell into sales without meaning to, and it’s lead to an incredibly successful career.
• Lin Hart spoke about Reginald F. Lewis, the richest black man in the world, and what he did to get there.

Selling in Color will take a two-week break, returning in October for another season of great content. The theme? Selling skills, strategies, tips, and ideas from fellow salespeople of color that they use to help in their sales efforts and that you can use in yours! It’s a season you won’t want to miss. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.

Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real.

But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com.

This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, designed to help new and struggling sellers master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey.

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes, tune in on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to! 

Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial.

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Today’s episode of Selling in Color features the second part of Donald’s archived interview with Lin Hart. He is the author of Reginald F. Lewis Before TLC Beatrice and was a close friend of Reginald F. Lewis, the richest black man on Earth, before Reginald’s untimely passing. His book focuses less on the makeup of Reginald’s money and more on the makeup of the man himself.

From Part One, a brief synopsis: 

• Reginald went to an HBCU, then attended law school, became a lawyer, and went on to be a businessman.
• He came from an inner-city background with little money. He also wasn’t a naturally gifted student and worked hard for every good grade he got.
• Reginald was a very proud person, preferring to operate behind-the-scenes instead of in the limelight.

Lin subscribes to the idea of how you find your passion. 

• Those who are most successful do things they love, but for money. (But really, they’d do it for free.)
• People are often worried about success or failure in a field they have no love or passion for. Instead, ask yourself what you really enjoy doing.

Geniuses understand the importance of details.

• It takes a lot of work to understand running a company, and Reginald was thorough in understanding the facets of his business.
• That doesn’t mean become mired in details. But Reginald was willing to invest more time to understand what makes a successful venture. And most people aren’t willing to do that.
• As a lawyer, Reginald took on a case during the civil rights movement. Instead of putting up the cash, he found some way to pay it off in securities and interest. (His autobiography has a detailed story.)  

The most impactful limitations are the ones we put on ourselves.

• Before you start selling stuff, you have to first sell yourself. Because if that sale doesn’t come off right, it’s very difficult to take the next step.
• Reginald was highly opinionated and outspoken. (Meaning he could be challenging to be around.) As a result, he and Lin had many arguments.  But when it was all over, they had a productive conversation. 
• No matter who you’re speaking with or what subject, that is the most beneficial and powerful way to produce a meaningful conversation.

Connect with Lin on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, and check out his book on Reginald, Reginald F. Lewis Before TLC Beatrice.

This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.

Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real.

But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com.

This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, designed to help new and struggling sellers master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey.

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes, tune in on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to! 

Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial.

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Many of us want an opportunity to be successful. In today’s episode of Selling in Color, we’ve pulled a recording from The Sales Evangelist vault featuring Lin Hart. Lin was friends with Reginald F. Lewis, who was the richest African American in the world. But who was Reginald before the fame, and how did he get to where he got? Turn into this episode to find out.

Who was Reginald?

• While he, unfortunately, passed away in 1993, he was arguably the richest African American man in the world.
• Reginald had conducted and concluded several business deals, such as the international buyout of Beatrice Foods.
• Lin and Reginald’s relationship stemmed from growing up together in Baltimore, where they became friends, competed against each other in sports, and both won athletic scholarships to play football at Virginia State University. While at college, they became roommates, fraternity brothers and stayed in close contact throughout their professional lives.

What happened that made Reginald the man he was?

• At his core, Reginald was unusual. He didn’t come from wealth and had average grades, but he was a man who frequently told you he was going to do something meaningful.
• Reginald had many things that make him unique. Reginald was incredibly sustainable in his beliefs of success. He never doubted for a minute he wouldn’t be successful.
• From 1956-1965 a lot was going on in this country (but especially for African Americans) that would prevent people from success. But Reginald had a passion and dedication for his drive. 
• We’re all born with certain instincts. But we have to discover the thing that lights our fire.

When did you know there was something different about Reginald?

• In 1961 (the beginning of the civil rights movement), they attended the HBCU Virginia State University. The two were looking for jobs their freshman year and entered a predominantly white bowling alley looking for work.
• Lin didn’t think they could work there apart from cleaning, but Reginald didn’t want to do that. 
• A while later, Lin noticed Reginald kept coming home late and at odd times. When he finally asked Reginald why he revealed he now was a manager of the bowling alley. 
• He was playing a ball game most people never play.

Connect with Lin on LinkedIn, and check out his book on Reginald, Reginald F. Lewis Before TLC Beatrice.

This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.

Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real.

But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com.

This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, designed to help new and struggling sellers master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey.

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes, tune in on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to! 

Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial.

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Today’s episode of Selling in Color, an archive from The Sales Evangelist, features DeJuan Brown. Dejuan, like 40% of salespeople, did not plan to join the sales profession. In fact, his initial dream job was to be a chemist. And in today's episode, you’ll find out how DeJuan fell into sales.

DeJuan realized chemistry wasn’t for him.

• After realizing chemistry and systems analysis involved too much math, DeJuan chose to major in psychology and philosophy. 
• He wasn’t super passionate about psychology, but at this point, he decided to stay on that path. It would be a while before he fell into sales.

He had a mixed perception of salespeople.

• Because DeJuan’s father sold door-to-door insurance, DeJuan had an intimate relationship with salespeople. However, he noticed people’s aversion to his dad as he went up to the door; the pulled curtains, the slammed door, those experiences impacted DeJuan and his idea of salespeople.
• This was a huge turn-off for DeJuan. He liked the money and rewards, but he didn’t like this negative perception and didn’t want to be associated with it.
• Even though people told DeJuan he would be good at it, he didn’t want to be the sleazy salesperson. He saw sales as a poor use of his talents.
• Because sales have such a low barrier to entry, you can encounter all sorts of people that might not be the best for the industry or perception.

But DeJuan had a change of heart. 

• While DeJuan was waiting tables in 2001, his friend got a job at Intuit. In 2002, he came to DeJuan (for the 5th time) and encouraged him to apply.
• To appease him, DeJuan applied. He went to the interview and landed a part-time job.
• This was the first time he thought about sales as a “clean” career path, and it was lucrative.
• But he still had some concerns. Most of his fear revolved around the belief he had to push people. He didn’t want to drive people to something they didn’t necessarily need.
• But that never happened. The lightbulb went off relatively quickly; he was helping people understand the options they had at their disposal.
• There have been times DeJuan thought he should quit and move onto something else. But his time at Intuit made DeJuan know that he was legitimately helping people and their companies perform better and solve problems.

DeJuan started to see the success he wanted.

• His final mental shift was an acceptance of the sales roller coaster. Results will never always go up. But if you control the inputs, the outputs will eventually take care of themselves.
• He applied this mindset both personally and professionally.
• DeJuan is now a director at Microsoft, and his career is progressing. And he’s looking to continue where he’s left off. To follow his success or learn more about him, connect with DeJuan on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Are you sick of crickets? The pain of sales reps continually reaching out with phone calls and emails and not receiving a response is real. 

85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation. All text messaging is not equal. Customers respond to people, NOT BOTS. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in conversions. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com.

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey.

Did you wake up one day and think, “wow, I really want to be a salesperson!” Yeah, I didn’t think so. But even if it wasn’t your childhood aspiration, sales is a great industry that has the opportunity for growth and compensation many people look for, even to the point where you make as much as a doctor! Today’s episode of Selling in Color features Kevin Cummings, a man who has sold in multiple industries and found the sales success we’re all searching for. 

Kevin had no intentions of becoming a salesperson. 

• After working for years towards a B.S. in Biology, Kevin realized his senior year he had no desire to be a doctor. 
• Because of his personality, his friends encouraged him to work in pharmaceutical sales. However, after being rejected by multiple companies and organizations, Kevin felt dismayed and disheartened. 
• Eleven months after graduating, Kevin got a call from Grainger, and they were looking to hire 30 sales reps for a salesforce expansion.

Kevin knew this was his chance. But luck was not on his side.

• On the day of his interview, there was a terrible blizzard. Halfway to the interview, Kevin realized he left his wallet at home and was unable to pay for parking.
• Desperate, Kevin illegally parked next to a Chase bank, hoping he could get money to pay. He parks, only to be approached by the police. 
• He explained the situation, and the officer told him to leave his car parked illegally while he grabbed money. (And wished him luck on his interview.)
• Kevin got to the interview and entered a panel. He ended up speaking to the hiring manager, who then introduced him to the regional director. He got the job three days later.

Kevin joins the sales profession.

• He got his first promotion at Grainger after two years, but his new position required an entirely different sales technique from his previous role. 
• He now had to be strategic. He was expected to research and be a trusted advisor to his accounts, not just a salesperson.
• It took him four months before he began to be successful, but he learned a great new skill set.

Kevin has since worked in many sales roles.

• After leaving Granger, Kevin sold medical supplies. When he was interviewing for that role, he had to explain why he should be hired with no medical sales experience. 
• He explained he wanted to marry his sales accolades and experience with the biology degree that’s been catching dust on his top shelf. And they hired him.
• He worked there for almost three years before his current job at LinkedIn. 

The big takeaway Kevin wants listeners to know? Sales is the one profession that transcends every single industry. While you might not have a passion for sales, find your passion and see where sales fits in. You can make legitimate money in sales, so match your passion with a lucrative career for an all-around great solution. To reach out to Kevin, connect with him on LinkedIn.

This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. 

Are you sick of crickets? The pain of sales reps continually reaching out with phone calls and emails and not receiving a response is real. 

85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation. All text messaging is not equal. Customers respond to people, NOT BOTS. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in conversions. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com.

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey.

In today’s episode of Selling in Color, Donald looks at another one of the best sellers in history: Harriet Tubman. Harriet was born as a slave, but she escaped and rescued more than 300 slaves throughout her life. In this episode, Donald discusses why Harriet was so successful in convincing people to leave the life of slavery, even if being apprehended meant certain death. 

Harriet’s history:

• Harriet Tubman was born as Emerita Ross in March 1822 in Dorchester County, Maryland. 
• Harriet was deeply religious, and that faith carried her through the many ordeals she had to endure as a slave. 
• When she escaped to Philadelphia in 1894, she immediately returned to Maryland to rescue her family. She brought slaves out, one group at a time, into a life of freedom.
• She received the nickname “Moses” from other slaves because she brought people out of slavery and into the promised land. 

Harriet’s drive to help others:

• When the Fugitive Act was passed in 1850, Harriet was undeterred. Instead of leading escaped slaves to Philadelphia, she went further north and brought them to Canada.
• During the Civil War, Harriet became an armed scout and was the first woman to lead an armed expedition in the war.
• After her impressive feats in the Civil War, she continued to fight for rights, directing her attention to women’s suffrage. 
• Harriet Tubman’s persuasiveness made an impact on history, and it was these five traits that made Harriet Tubman a force to be reckoned with:
• • Vision 
  • Cause and bravery
  • Selflessness
  • Passion and a strong drive
  • Creativity
  
  

How to apply Harriet’s mentality to your own sales process:

• As a salesperson, you need to protect your mind and surround yourself with people who elevate you. Harriet could have stayed with people who shut down her vision, but instead, she moved toward people who encouraged her. 
• Her husband opposed the idea of freedom, and others told her it was dangerous. But Harriet didn’t listen because she was confident in her beliefs. Like Harriet, make sure you have a vision of what you want to accomplish. 
• As a B2B sales rep, you need to be brave. You have to be willing to do scary things, like speaking with high-level executives from large organizations. While it won’t always turn into an opportunity, it’s a key differentiator between average and above-average salespeople.
• B2B sales reps need a burning desire to care for and help others. Be the sales rep who sees things from the buyers’ perspective and puts their interests above your own.
• Salespeople need to have the willingness to go above and beyond to be successful in what they do. You may have to do things outside the norm and make sacrifices.
• Harriet Tubman was creative. She utilized various disguises every time she made a trip, even dressing as a man when needed. She thought outside the box. Creative thinking will set you apart in sales as well.

This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. 

Are you sick of crickets? The pain of sales reps continually reaching out with phone calls and emails and not receiving a response is real. 

85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation. All text messaging is not equal. Customers respond to people, NOT BOTS. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in conversions. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com.

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey.

What does being one of the best sellers in history entail? In today’s episode, Donald Kelly focuses on Oprah Winfrey as one of the world’s best sellers in history. 

Oprah’s introduction to public speaking:

• Oprah realized she loved public speaking after speaking to her congregation on Easter Sunday. She began writing and selling speeches at the age of 12, earning as much as $500 from her work. 

• Oprah’s success stems from five elements:

1. She is relatable, and she knows how to build relationships
2. Her creativity and willingness helped her act even under challenging circumstances
3. She’s a hard worker
4. She thinks big, and she continues to push herself
5. Oprah is selfless

Oprah builds relationships with everyone.

• She is vulnerable, and she values authenticity regardless of whether there’s a camera or not. 
• She shows empathy to everyone she interviews. Instead of just asking point-blank questions, she sees the humanity of every person and asks them like a fellow human being instead of a reporter. 
• Oprah isn’t afraid of making mistakes and owning them. 
• The same is true for sales: salespeople can’t be perfect in everything we do. Making mistakes is part of the process and being honest about your mistakes makes you a relatable salesperson. That’s the kind of salesperson people gravitate to. 

On being creative and having the willingness to act:

• Oprah doesn’t just sit and wait for things to happen. She takes action and turns things around. 
• In sales, you may find yourself in a variety of difficult situations. But instead of being upset by your circumstances, make the best out of the conditions.

• Sales reps can learn from Oprah Winfrey and her elements to success.
• The door will still open if you are generous and give more to other people. The goal in sales is to help others and to give them solutions. 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

Are you sick of crickets? The pain of sales reps continually reaching out with phone calls and emails and not receiving a response is real. 

85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation. All text messaging is not equal. Customers respond to people, NOT BOTS. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in conversions. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com.

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey. 

Because people of color only make up 20% of the sales community, there’s a perception that we need to “fit in” to be successful. But, do you need to suppress culture to thrive in your organization? The short answer: heck no.

“Fitting in” betrays the entire point of diversity. 

• Your company might think you need to show certain behaviors to be successful, especially depending on the area you sell in.
• However, the diversity people of color bring to an organization provokes diversity of thought and experiences that could be invaluable to the company’s success.
• If you find yourself in a situation where a boss wants you to do certain things to fit in, it's probably a place you don't want to be.

Suppressing your culture doesn’t help your bottom line.

• You might want to prove yourself in the organization and prove people wrong. While you certainly can, remember that you have no obligation to prove yourself when others do not.
• If you're hitting quota, nobody cares. If you're able to bring in the largest deals in the organization, nobody cares. You can put your head down and hustle, letting your numbers speak for themselves.
• You're not there just for the company; you’re there for your family and your own success. 
• You can't always change someone's views because it has to be up to that person to make a change.

You’re advocating for the next sales generation of people of color.

• As a person of color in a predominantly white space, you’re pioneering for the students and other incoming people to understand they have the potential for success in the sales industry.
• You're forging a path for those who come after you. You aren't just providing for your family; you’re showing the current youth that they can do great things and break barriers.
• Ultimately, make sure you're at a company where you like to be. Find somewhere you fit in and feel comfortable.

Check out Sales for the Culture to join a community of people of color in the sales industry.

This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.

Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real.

But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com.

This course is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Certified Training Program, a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey.

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes, tune in on Apple Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to! 

Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial.

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

How can people of color accelerate their careers? Today’s guest Patrick Carter explains that it wasn’t only his ambition that led to success, but his drive to help and support others like him that led to victory. That and finding the peers, mentor, and sponsor in your industry will lead to success.

Patrick has been in the sales industry for several decades.

• He has sold anything that plugged into a wall, financial services, and now sells furniture.
• Throughout his sales career, he’s learned not just from work itself but also learns from his mentors and people in the room who’ve walked down the same path as him.

How did Patrick accelerate his sales career? 

• As he matured in his career, Patrick was introduced to a gentleman named Walter Booker- the first black man Patrick saw in a senior leadership position.
• Walter understood that others observed his actions and attitude in the organization, and he made it his business to see them and give encouragement.
• After meeting Walter, Patrick’s career growth came from his mentality shift from a lone wolf to somebody who gives more than they get.
• Patrick started looking to his peers and giving them the support they needed, and Patrick now looks for and wants to be in a position to mentor and sponsor others.
• Patrick believes that's where many people of color feel marginalized, especially when people are hired as diversity tokens.

How can you overcome the lone wolf mentality?

• Remember that an open door does not an opportunity make. Just because a door is open, you still need to walk through it and perform. 
• If a mentor or sponsor spends their influence opening a door and you underperform, you've done a disservice to both you and your sponsor. And that, unfortunately, can close off opportunities for those second, third and fourth in line.
• Recognize that you will need help in sales, and recognize that you need the right team to succeed.

How can someone maybe they're in an industry where they don't have many people in leadership that looks like them? 

• Social media has allowed us to get outside our silos. You can start a social media relationship where you never actually connect with that person beyond messaging.
• You can get on the phone and speak with someone, even if you meet over social media.
• It's that “lead the horse to water, but you can't make them drink” analogy. The water is here and available. At some point, you need to recognize that others are performing at a higher level than you and learn from them.
• Mentoring is a relative term, and you can do it at any point in your career.

Patrick’s major takeaway:

• You don't have enough time in your career to make all the mistakes you need to. So learn from the mistakes of others.
• By listening to your mentors, following their instructions, and zigging when others zag, you don't have to suffer all the pitfalls people in front of you suffer.

To get in contact with Patrick, connect with him on LinkedIn or follow him on Twitter.

This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.

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Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.