I think this is a big thing and especially I appreciate you putting this thing this whole podcast together around individual contributors because I think that is it’s a it’s an unsung hero podcast we’ve got going on here. We we literally don’t control the majority of what’s coming out so I’ll just I’ll give you an example and tell you how I deal with it. So in the last three years I’ve been asked to focus on three separate focus areas. Every year it’s changed. And what I built up the prior year really couldn’t be used the next year so that I think happens a lot. And so the way I deal with it is I really try to go back to my number two which is focusing and mastery. I really try to to to create I read this concept and I really use it which is something called thinking time have you heard about this in general but maybe not the specific you’re thinking of. Right. So. So there’s a there’s a we haven’t gotten to books yet but I’m at say one here because I think it’s a really it’s a really great one. It’s a new one but the guy that wrote his name is Keith Cunningham. It’s not a sales book. It’s a business book. And then the book is called the road less stupid. And so his there’s a concept in this book that I had heard of in a speech a few years ago. So I got a preview to this the book just came out maybe a couple of months ago maybe six months ago. But the concept has been in my mind for about three years and it’s something called thinking time. And it’s really where you think about a problem. And so the answer to your question to me is I get thrown a curveball and that could be a KPI could be a minimum expectation. It could be changes to the plan. And so what I really try to do is stop for just a little bit and think about what this new problem has for me and a lot of times I’m able to to think about that problem and ask myself better questions to give myself better choices.
Clip: Paul DiVincenzo The biggest challenge is all mental
I would say for me the biggest challenge is all mental. So I think we talked about this a little bit before and communicated on it. But for me it’s you know depending on the company. But I think all of our companies now year by year seems to be become very dynamic. And what I mean by that is things are constantly changing around what’s required not only to your number and max your comp but what’s required in the marketplace to make it a success. And so mentally really every year that you get a curveball thrown at you whether that’s an internal curveball because they change the comp or what they want you to focus on or what they feel that the company needs. To how are you going to position that in the market place those things that mental toughness and consistently overcoming that and being able to adapt and execute around it. That to me is the biggest challenge in sales and continues to be so, the days I forget it. I think I feel like it wasn’t as productive as it could have been and the days I keep that in my mind and I know that I’ve overcome these things before so don’t get overwhelmed by whether it be the minusha or the CRM requests or the proposal items that need to happen but really just know that you want to fight through that every day and make sure that your mental state is where you know it needs to be optimal.
Clip: Paul DiVincenzo on the sales books that have most impact
So I guess I would break it up maybe into you if you’re a new seller for me when I was a new seller I read very tactical books on sales. So they asked the first people might laugh at this but the first book I ever read on sales was Selling for Dummies by Tom Hopkins. And it was a very good book and had a lot of really standard great tips and sales. And as I progressed in my young sales career where I did a lot of cold calling one of the books that saved me because I absolutely hated cold calling by phone or in person but by phone specifically. And there’s a book by Stephen Schiffman. It’s called cold calling techniques that really work. And it is a very applicable book even for experienced sellers just in transitionary conversations. So those those really helped me in the beginning of my career and I know they sound really ridiculous and basic but but those are those. And other than that in sales I’ve you know just if you’ve been around sales a long time I’ve read the Spin Selling and Challenger Sales kind of the classics almost if you will and I haven’t as I have moved into my more experience selling years. For better or worse I’ve moved into more business or entrepreneurial books.
Clip: Paul DiVincenzo on his top 3 things for sales success
So I think the top three things for me have been relationships and what I call being battle ready focus and mastery. We’ll talk about these and that adaptability in action. So it’s a total of six but I combine them into three because I think they go together. So really you know with relationships and being battle ready. You know I think this is a core of being successful in sales and probably more than just that but in sales specifically at least I’ve found being in a couple different industries. You have to be very quick to build relationships with the customer as well as with with internal folks whether that’s V.P. or people that you need to approve or deals internally building those relationships quickly and really understanding each element that goes into it is what I call being battle ready meaning you are prepared to make that deal happen. And the more you know and the more you truly understand what you’re talking about. That leaves me into into number two. You’re able to really focus with your customer on what they need. Then you also have a mastery of what you’re talking about and that can be anything from the actual product or solution or service you’re providing all the way to internally whether you’re having a business conversation about how this makes business sense for the company and then leading down into Number 3. So really being adaptable and taking action you know things change consistently in business and so being able to adapt to those different scenarios you know and able to take action on those items. For me has been the key to success so running through those in depth we can go into them even more but I think those things are what I keep in the forefront of my mind.
Clip: Paul DiVincenzo on how top sellers have the same struggles as everyone else
But I think that number one is is that I do it all myself. The number two is that we don’t have the same struggles as somebody just starting out. I think that the answer is we absolutely do. So that’s everything from organization activity. Struggling with how to follow up best with customers. There is no shortage of those challenges and I think that we’re the top performers. The only difference that we do is we make sure that we have a great team and we have everybody on our team. So we’re not doing it by. And we’ve committed to pushing ourselves beyond what we’re supposed to do and into the realm of what we get the opportunity to do. So looking at challenges and routines and all those things we don’t look at those as things we have to do we look at those things as opportunities that we get to do and refine and we’re naturally curious being able to push ourselves to do that. I think a lot of people at least internally in the companies I work for and at Cintas is they think that he does it all himself. He’s got it all figured out. Never worries about his number and doesn’t have any stress and I’m out on the golf course by 2:00 in the afternoon every day. Literally that’s what I think they think. And it could not be further further from the truth. I’m like the hardest working man in show business. Emailing at one thirty in the morning helping people that’s not my not my responsibility to help but I’m doing it anyways because I know that it’s reciprocal and that will come back when I least expect it. So literally the opposite of what people outside looking in and think is the way I actually operate. And I think that’s been what’s allowed me to even be successful.
Clip: Paul DiVincenzo on being battle ready
What I say being battle ready meaning really knowing what I’m talking about whether that’s selling or something personal. I use that every day focus on what I’m doing. You know really being in the moment is a huge thing for me and then being masterful at what I’m doing.
Clip: Paul DiVincenzo on how top performers really win
I think the average performer would think of us all say at us meaning the top sellers. I think what they think is that we do it all on our own. And I say that because at least in my industry. Once you and I think in every industry if you’re a top performer and you’re at a good company you’re put on a pedestal and so it’s funny because you’re put on a pedestal and internally in my company people in my region specifically they’ll go oh Paul does this oh this this this. Paul this Paul that. So your name gets thrown around in a lot of conversations in many cases you don’t even know that it’s getting thrown around and it’s almost like I almost call it like the sibling mentality where you know a mom or dad get as well if you can only do it like Scott. You could only do it like Paul and that these other sellers go Oh that I need to do this. And their assumption is you’re doing it all on your own. But what they’re not realizing is you have everybody’s on Paul’s team and I literally have gathered up an army of people that helped me get to where I need to go. So that’s the difference is you’re almost looking across the aisle going oh I see how they do it. They all they do it on their own because people talk about them this way. They’re number one but really they don’t realize it. It’s completely opposite of that. I can never get there on my own.
Clip: Phil Terrill on why you should enjoy Sales with a passion to be successful
Clip from Episode 39: Microsoft’s #1 Inside Sales Corporate Account Manager – Phil Terrill:
And the third part for me is I just had a lot of fun like this sounds so ridiculous. But I enjoy sales like I enjoy talking to people. So you know I enjoyed that part. But yeah you will make money if you do other things but you really should enjoy it right because you’re going to be asked to do a lot and learn a lot and get stretched a lot of different ways. So you should enjoy it and enjoy it like with a passion or you should do something else that you won’t be successful. So I would do those three things.
Clip: Phil Terrill on think about that territory or book of business as your own business
Clip from Episode 39: Microsoft’s #1 Inside Sales Corporate Account Manager – Phil Terrill:
You mentioned this Scott, you know around what’s coming up you know at the conference right at the summit is really thinking about as you enter you know a sales role just think about that territory that book of business or whatever it is as your own business. And I say that from my my own background is I was able to put that lens on my territory just because of my upbringing where anybody can look at you know their territory and say I’m going to own this and do what it takes to make my business quote-unquote my business right, successful. And so you go into any sales role with that mentality. Like what comes from that. The reverberations are you’re going to work harder. You’ve got to think differently. You’re going to react differently proactively. You’re going to do things that your competitors other sellers next to you and competitors at other companies are going to do because they’re looking at how am I going to pay my quota versus how am I going to grow the business which are very different mindsets.
Clip: Phil Terrill on how are you going to differentiate yourself from other sellers
Clip from Episode 39: Microsoft’s #1 Inside Sales Corporate Account Manager – Phil Terrill:
Are you going to prepare yourself just one be able to differentiate yourself from the millions of other sellers that exist today. But two how can you really go in into your customers or whatever you’re doing you know in a way that still unique to you so you don’t lose yourself like lose who you are. Because there is a corporate process or a corporate X Y or Z that you have to follow like you can’t that thing makes to me that made me you know successful was I never lost who I was right by trying to do any other processes or talking a certain way to a customer or whatever it is that you have you know recommend. My tip is figure out how you can one stay true to yourself while still executing corporate priorities because that will help give you these relationships or that the contexts are comfort to go have conversation with customers that are genuine or authentic because you’re presenting your authentic self at all times regardless of any of these other you know I’ll call external pressures of you being you.
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