SHOW NOTES

Background

-Galem was born and raised in Sweden, growing up in a town of about 7,000 people in which she became accustomed to being the only Black person in a room.

-After 20 years of living in Sweden she moved to an area just outside of Boston and was shocked by the fact that she could be in a room with only Black people.

-She spent 9 years in the Boston area before moving to London this past year to continue her role as an Account Executive at Flywire.

Being the Only

-Galem has frequently experienced the challenge of being not just the only Black person, but the only woman in a room as well.

-The immediate challenge when it comes to being the only person of a particular ethnicity is the judgement and the perception of being a threat. When it comes to being the only woman it’s often being dismissed.

-Though you may not be able to draw a fully equivalent experience, Galem challenges you to put yourself in a situation in which you’re the only and then reflect. This hopefully will give you a little bit more empathy.

-You can also use your position as the only to create change in smaller communities by getting over the fear of uncomfortable conversations and allowing them to unfold.

Community

-Having only been raised with her biological family until the age of eight and then passed to two different foster families, Galem never felt she had a solid community or support system.

-This is why she makes it a priority to create a community both at work and in her personal life so that she and others can share experiences and feel both belonging and acknowledgement.

-Success often comes from this connection as well. Oftentimes it’s not the most talented individual that’s given the promotion, but the person that has created the best connections and white people have the advantage of having a base-level of connection right off the bat.

Selling in the US vs the UK

-Internally the corporate sales culture of Flywire varies vastly between the United States and United Kingdom. Galem has found that US sales teams are much more competitive and not as collaborative as sales teams in the UK.

-While Flywire’s London office is more diverse, she is still the only Black woman and one of only a handful of Black people in the company as a whole.

Advocating for Yourself

-To move up into leadership positions you need to take on more than just the tasks tied to salary or commission, but you also need to document everything. Find a method that works for you and keep track of the initiatives you implement and the impact they have.

Motivation

-One thing Galem wishes leadership better understood is that they should never make assumptions about motivation. Take the time to get to know your team members and what individually drives them.

Resources

-Gap Selling by Keenan

Connect with Galem

-Twitter

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Show Notes

Hiring Diverse Candidates

-If a hiring manager is serious about interviewing and hiring a diverse array of candidates they will seek out the avenues to reach those in underserved communities. You can come up with a variety of excuses, but if you care to put in the effort it will show.

Stop the Excuses

-An easy first step to take is to pick up the phone and create a dialogue with people that are underrepresented. Start that conversation and really listen to understand their story. After listening, process what you’ve heard, and then take action.

Balancing Emotions and Work

-Larry has a couple of mottos: “fuck it, drive on” and “figure it the freak out”. At the end of the day there are bills that need to be paid so, though it’s not easy and the system is not set up for someone like him to win, he puts on his happy face and does what he needs to do.

Mentors

-Throughout his career he’s had many allies and what he calls “mini-mentors” that have truly cared about and supported him.

-He makes it a point to meet with someone everyday and take notes on both what their conversation was about, but also what actionable steps he can take to build on what he’s just learned.

-Having a mentor is a give and take relationship. You need to be able to bring something to the table that will help them grow as well.

-When it comes to finding the right mentor for you, Larry recommends trusting your instinct.

Being Black in Corporate America

-Larry’s experienced some instances where he’s come in to lead a team of three and two made it clear that they did not respect him simply because of the color of his skin as well as had other instances of reporting to managers that discounted his value.

Going from Good to Great

-It’s great to have a work ethic, but having just that won’t make you a successful salesperson. You need to nail down your process as well and that takes time and a little bit of help.

-To be a good leader it takes care and understanding. Figure out what your individual team members want to accomplish and put in the work to move from good to great.

Resources

-SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham

Connect with Larry

-LinkedIn

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Welcome to another episode of the other side of sales - I’m Ashleigh Early - and today I’m alone.

Earlier this week Kasey was brutally attacked by a dog she’s had for two years. She is alive because her neighbors heard her screams and came running.

Since then she’s had surgery - hundreds of stitches - met with trauma specialists, hand specialists - physical and occupational therapists.

It’s been a terrifying and traumatizing experience in the extreme. The why and how of the attack doesn’t matter. What does matter is that Kasey WILL BE OKAY.

She has a long road to physical and emotional recovery - and she has told me how grateful she is to have such an incredible community who has rallied around here. All the messages of support mean the world to her. As she said in a LinkedIn post this week “I don’t think I would be alive without you”.

Yet while dealing with ALL of this Kasey has been clear with me - Other Side of Sales needs to keep going. Especially with our decision to feature only interviews with black sales pros for the foreseeable future.

The challenges our society and community are facing have not changed. Kasey’s and my resolve has not weakened - but our method will shift slightly.

Kasey has to take a step back from the recording of Other Side of Sales for a while while she focuses on her recovery. I doubt we’ll be able to keep her off Linkedin and Twitter - but she sets the pace and I can’t wait for her to be back.

Until then I’m thrilled to announce Brian Smith will be joining me as a temporary co-host until Kasey is ready to return. If you don’t know Brian you’re in for a treat - he’s a dear friend and an incredible sales pro (not to mention a bbq master and amazing father/husband). Kasey and I are so grateful to Brian for jumping in and taking this on with us.

We will keep working to drive responses to the State of Sales survey, share the stories that should have been told ages ago and continue to have conversations that while difficult and painful will allow our community to grow and evolve.

We will not stop supporting Kasey’s recovery.

We will not stop amplifying voices that need to be heard and fighting for a sales culture that recognized black lives matter and is fundamentally set up so anyone can thrive in this incredible career we love.

If there’s more you think we should do - let us know. If there are people you think we should feature - let us know.

For all the details on upcoming episodes and to get links to nominate guests and take the survey go to Othersideofsales.com

With that I thank you for listening - and I hope you’ll join us next week.

If you’re interested in helping Kasey directly consider contributing to the GoFundMe set up on her behalf to cover out of pocket medical expenses (and so she can donate the remainder to charity).

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Currently a BDR at Factor 8, Kira Hills has over 10 years of experience in inside and outside sales and talks to Ashleigh and Kasey about how she got into sales and her experiences in the industry as a Black woman.

Show Notes

Feeling Seen

-Kira knew she had found an environment that genuinely cared for, supported, and heard her when amid the sociopolitical, health, and personal crises she was experiencing she knew she could be transparent with her leadership team and be met with compassion and understanding.

-Organizations will have better employees by giving a damn about them.

Intersectionality

-Being both the only Black person as well as woman in the room amplifies the feeling of isolation and led Kira to edit herself in the hopes of not coming across as “too much”.

-She notices that people also have the tendency to believe they hold permission to speak to or treat her in a certain way and expect her to take it. No one has to take it, it’s okay to stand up and be vocal about what has offended you.

Getting Into Sales

-About a year after having her son Kira went to an employment agency and found a job as an administrative assistant at a company specializing in education training for EMTs and firefighters.

-Her good friend and top sales representative at this company urged her to consider sales as a career and Kira agreed, but only if this person would teach her the ins and outs of the industry.

-Kira then followed her around trade shows as well as sat in on calls and soon became their first inside sales rep.

Encouragement

-Men don’t generally wait to be tapped on the shoulder or encouraged to join the sales industry. A lot of women need this encouragement, keep encouraging those that you meet and believe would be a great fit to give it a shot.

Women of Color in Sales

-Kira has never worked with another woman of color in sales. The woman that she currently works with is in the marketing department.

Empathy

-This term has been talked about a lot over the past few months, but despite its overuse it’s still extremely important to care about what your team is going through though you might never be able to fully understand the depth of it.

-Not having the ability to fully understand is not an excuse to not try to learn. Educate yourself and use your voice. You will make mistakes, but this is a learning process.

Resources

-Anti-Racism Resources

-More Anti-Racism Resources

-Guide to Allyship

-ABC’s of Social Justice

Connect With Kira

-LinkedIn

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SHOW NOTES

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1-800-273-8255

Stop Suicides. Remember ACT

Uncrushed - A community by and for sales people to de-stigmatize mental illness in professional settings. Their website, podcast and Linkedin Group are a fantastic resource to connect with others, read their stories and get help.

Self-Screeners to take and discuss with a medical professional:

• Help Yourself - Help Others - Brief screenings are the quickest way to determine if you or someone you care about should connect with a behavioral health professional. This program is completely anonymous and confidential, and immediately following the brief questionnaire you will see your results, recommendations, and key resources.
  
• Mental Health Alliance - Select from a variety of screeners to cover many conditions from depression and anxiety to stress on caregivers and parents.
  

WaPo article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/05/04/mental-health-coronavirus/

Google and NAMI parter to provide anxier screener to help people during COVID

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Why Leverage Video in Sales?

-Video is a low-cost and easy way for your personality to shine through in ways other mediums, like email or phone call, don’t permit.

-People don’t really buy from companies, they buy from people. Harnessing video while it’s still underutilized puts you at a competitive advantage by allowing you to build a rapport with prospects in a way that your competitors most likely aren’t.

-This is the future of sales. Years ago there was a shift from emails and phone calls to social selling, now there’s a shift to video.

-Nailing down your points for a video helps you to sharpen your dialogue with a prospect.

Creating the Maximum Impact

-Let your guard down and your personality show. Lean in to whoever it is that you are.

-Over time you’ll recognize your idiosyncrasies (maybe you use too many filler words or you ramble too much) and make changes to try to improve, but steer clear of sounding robotic.

-Don’t forget lighting and background. Paying attention to these details makes your video easier to watch and digest.

Can You Have Too Much Energy?

-As long as it feels authentic to you and you’re getting good feedback, it shouldn’t matter.

-If you are giving your prospect a great value proposition, have delved into what their problems are, and clearly show how you can help, the likelihood that over-the-top energy bothers them enough to get a negative response is low.

Overcoming Anxiety

-As with anything new there will most likely be that feeling of anxiety until it becomes familiar. When it comes to video, take comfort in knowing that most everyone feels this same anxiety and that you can always delete, restart, or come back to it later.

-Remember that the authenticity of mistakes or getting your thoughts in order is good, it makes you more human.

-Prospects are inundated with automatic messages now and it’s refreshing to be able to see a real person on the other end, so don’t let self-consciousness about looks or sound stop you from trying to make a connection.

Reva’s Backstory

-After graduating college Reva began in recruiting. A friend was working at Oracle and convinced her to join their business development team.

-While there, Oracle acquired Eloqua and she began working for their sales team.

-Eloqua introduced Reva to application sales, marketing technology, and startup tech. Seeing these, she was inspired and wanted to dive deeper into the startup world so she joined the sales team at Vidyard as employee 75.

Motherhood and Leadership

-The kind of leader and mother that Reva strives to be are aligned. She hopes to empower her team and daughter to feel confident in working independently, making mistakes, and learning.

-There’s a level of empathy needed in both roles. She’s no longer a business development rep, but she understands the exhausting nature of the role.

-Both require her to be completely present. A leader needs to be there to listen to and support their team.

Resources

-Vidyard’s guide to video production

Connect With Reva

-LinkedIn

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Ashleigh and Kasey help you to get past feeling awkward so that you can begin reaping the all of the benefits video has to offer.

Feeling Awkward

-There is a mental game involved in posting videos or utilizing them for sales and that is getting past what you look or sound like.

-It’s scientifically proven that most people don’t enjoy watching or listening to themselves, so you’re not alone in feeling awkward and everyone is capable of creating successful video content regardless of look or voice.

Why You Should Try

-It’s a lot harder to say no to somebody when you either know them personally or at the very least can put a face to a name.

-None of us will be going to events in the near future and video is the next best opportunity to connect with others in a visual manner.

The Truth

-It’s not great, but here’s the plain truth: highly attractive people have a better chance of getting great reception to their video content. Most of us are not these highly attractive people, but serious buyers don’t care about your looks, they care that you know what you’re talking about.

-Keep yourself focused on the content and the value you’re providing to your viewers because what really sells is authenticity and confidence.

Struggle and Passion

-There are a ton of people out there that share your insecurities. One of the amazing aspects of social media is the ability to connect with others like you. Sharing what you’re struggling with makes you more human.

-Believe in what you’re saying. This is what really resonates with audiences.

Hesitation

-If you’re hesitating to create a video try to understand why. If it’s for a purely superficial reason just turn the camera on and see what happens. However, if you’re unsure of what to say take a step back and begin to notice what gets you and other people fired up.

-It will feel awkward and uncomfortable for awhile, but push through those feelings and it gets easier. Put yourself out there.

Resources

-Why Do I Hate the Sound of My Own Voice?

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SHOW NOTES

SDR Chronicles

-In 2014, inspired by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Morgan decided he needed to begin building a personal brand so he posted a video to Facebook.

-He continued to make videos and this evolved to live streaming and then eventually to the creation of a YouTube channel.

-After seeing Gary Vaynerchuk’s keynote speech emphasizing the power of building your own brand at 2016’s Rainmaker conference, he began the SDR Chronicles.

Mastering Video

-Not only did he continually create videos, Morgan studied the best video content creators and reached out to their audiences to get a better grasp as to why people wanted to watch them.

-Morgan came to the conclusion that great creators were open, concise, told a story, and left you with something actionable. They were able to find a balance between being true to themselves and creating content that resonated with their audience.

-You don’t need fancy equipment. While it’s nice, the most important aspect is that you talk about something that you care about. This is what people will connect with.

Video for Sales

-When selling, think about your video as a movie trailer: if the trailer is good people will want to move forward and watch the movie, or in the sales industry, move forward with a discovery call.

-Keep your video to 90 seconds or less and use a repeatable formula. Morgan starts by laying out the reason for the video, mentioning a trigger or problem the audience is going through, defining a solution, and then ending with a call to action.

-Remember to smile and have a nice background.

Sales Background

-After graduating with degrees in Sports Management and Finance, Morgan realized the world of being a sports agent was not for him so he began public speaking.

-While speaking was a passion and he began to be paid, it wasn’t making a ton of money, so he turned to sales.

-While attending an event in Atlanta a friend mentioned a company that had just been funded and Morgan cold-called the VP of Sales. He eventually interviewed for an SDR position.

Heroes

-While people admire superheroes, it’s hard to connect with someone that’s perfect. We adore the people that we see as heroes, but that are vulnerable and show us what’s happening behind the scenes.

-What drives Morgan is creating impact. With the SDR Chronicles he wanted to create something that he needed while working as an SDR.

Resources

-The SDR Chronicles

-Secrets of Question Based Selling by Thomas Freese

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Ashleigh and Kasey explain how their State of Sales Survey came to be and why it’s so important that you share your stories, whether you’ve seen discrimination in the sales world or not.

How It Came to Be

-When we started this podcast we did a ton of research on what it meant to be somebody underrepresented in the sales world and we quickly came to find that there is very little information out there.

-Almost every sales-driven organization has an article about why diversity in sales matters, but there’s no comprehensive collection of data or stories about discrimination in this industry.

Why Does It Matter?

-Most of the discrimination we see today is subtle and as a community we need to see where we are right now and where there’s room for improvement.

Once It’s Closed?

-We’re anticipating closing the survey in early June then the data will be analyzed by Ashleigh, Kasey, and a third party data analyst before being shared publicly.

-We want to emphasize that everything shared will be anonymous.

Resources

-We Need to Talk - Women in Sales Webinar

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How To Write Good and Do Other Things Good Too

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