In this episode, Jeff and Christie interview Chi Chi Okezie.  As owner/producer of SIMPLEnetworking, LLC in Atlanta, GA, Chi Chi Okezie enjoys helping university students, professionals, companies and state / government agencies polish their professional approach.

"Some people don't realize they needed to invest more in their network until they need that network to help them.  You have to plan, build, and pay it forward first." - Chi Chi Okezie

Chi Chi discusses her path to entrepreneurship and the networking approach she teaches others:

• INDUCT
• INFORM
• INQUIRE
• INVITE

Listen in for more information on this simple, yet effective approach.

In this episode, we discuss the importance and process of developing Unusual Creativity with Don The Idea Guy. This one is a little longer than some of our previous episodes, but trust me, you will not be disappointed.

Who is Don The Idea Guy you ask?

"The most creative person I know" - Jeff Bajorek

Don has sold, shared, or traded ideas with the likes Sears-Kenmore, Ford Motor Company, Palm, American Airlines, Coca-Cola, Kelloggs, The American Marketing Association, Doug Hall, Seth Godin, Daniel Pink, Jeffrey Gitomer, and The Tom Peters Company who described Don The Idea Guy as “the perfect example of a strong and successful brand“.

In this episode, Don discusses:

• Connecting with customers in new and exciting ways
• Idea creation vs idea execution
• How to guarantee a win on your next pitch
• The appeal of chocolate scented shirts

"I guarantee you, that one or two of those worst ideas, the worst solution possible, is going to be the seed from which the ideal solution grows." - Don The Idea Guy

In this episode, we discuss the role that fear plays in our success or failure as a sales person.

"Do one thing that scares you every single day" - Anonymous

Fear is an incredible motivator.  It is what kept us safe from predators  during caveman times.  It is what keeps you from walking off the edge of a cliff, and unfortunately, it is often also what holds us back from success in business and in life.  There are several types of fear that we discuss in this episode such as:

• Fear of failure
• Fear of non-action
• Fear of action
• Fear of success
• Fear of missing out!

In this episode, we dissect the importance of data in business, baseball, and even daily life

Some of the questions we tackle in this episode:

• How are you measuring success?  What story does your data tell you?  When is there too much data?
• Why is it important to challenge your long held beliefs or preconceived notions?
• How do you evaluate your daily/weekly/monthly activities to ensure you are focused on the right things?

In this episode, we discuss the concept of sacred cows.  What is a sacred cow you ask?

Merriam-Wester definition

sacred cow – one that is often unreasonably immune from criticism or opposition

In our last podcast, we covered the concept of personal biases and beliefs vs data that proves otherwise.  Preconceived ideas and long held beliefs are being challenged everyday in our society.  Some of the topics we address include:

• How are you challenging your preconceived notions about your business?
• How is your competitive landscape changing?  What about your customer’s competitive landscape?
• How are you challenging yourself?  Does your current role suit you best or are you doing it because that’s what you have always done?
• How are you evaluating your performance?  How are you challenging your ideas about how you should spend your time?

In this episode, we discuss the importance of personal preparation.  What do you every day to ensure success?

“It is not often that a man can make opportunities for himself.  But he can put himself in such shape that when or if the opportunities come he is ready”  – Theodore Roosevelt

We started this podcast with the concept of preparing for the sales call.  Although we will address that topic in the next podcast, it became apparent to us both that we couldn’t discuss preparing for a sales call if we didn’t address the importance of personal preparation first.

• How do you start your day?
• Are you focusing your energy on habits that set you up for success?
• What are your goals for this week and how will you accomplish them?
• Do your short term goals and habits tie back to your long term plan?  If not, why?

In this episode, we continue our discussion about preparation by focusing attention on how you prepare for a sales call.

Some of the questions we tackle in this episode:

• How well do you know your audience?
• Why would your product/service matter to them?
• Can you talk their language?
• What are you hoping to accomplish in this meeting?

In this episode, we discuss the secret to a YES! attitude.  Attitude is the single most important element of success in our business, social and spiritual lives, yet we spend virtually NO time studying attitude formally.

“Positive attitude is defined as the way you dedicate yourself to the way you think.  The definition for a negative attitude is exactly the same.” – Jeffrey Gitomer

We spend a LOT of time thinking, teaching, and working on the subject of attitude.  Working with Jeffrey Gitomer and some of the other Gitomer Certified Advisors has been pivotal to our success because of the team’s focus on getting and maintaining a YES! attitude.  So how can you get your YES! attitude?  In this episode, we will discuss techniques such as:

• Visualizing your YES! moments
• Maintaining the proper perspective
• Focus on those things within your control
• Controlling what goes into your mind