Episode 148: Not A Solo Sport: Finding the Fun & Joy in Sales with Terryberry’s Mike Anderson

Mike Anderson is the Top Strategic Account Manager at Terryberry out of Chicago, Illinois. Mike strives for excellence and aims to meet all of his customers’ needs. For Mike, sales is an adventure, one that should be joyous and fun. Today, Mike talks about his sales origin story and what has kept him at Terryberry for over thirteen years. Mike shares the three things he most attributes to his success. These include having a growth mindset, being a member of the Sales Success Community, and entering every situation from a place of joy, fun, and professionalism.

Mike and Scott share a rich discussion on what it means to have a ‘Growth Mindset,’ the importance of embracing change, and why it is critical to invest in yourself both personally and professionally. Mike shares his proudest accomplishment, speaks to some of the rewards and challenges of being an individual contributor, and what keeps him motivated and driven. Mike takes the audience through a typical day in the life, from his usual 6:30 am wake-up and morning run to playing with his kids outside at the end of every day.

Mike speaks to his sales style as well as the importance he places on being transparent. He continues by dishing out some solid pieces of advice to both upstart and seasoned professionals. Finally, Mike issues an actionable challenge to the audience. He challenges listeners to jump out of their comfort zone and attend the 2022 Sales Success Summit. Invest in yourself and reap the benefits and rewards of that investment because you are truly worth it.

What We Covered:

00:01 – Scott thanks today’s sponsors, The 2022 Sales Success Summit
00:31 – Scott introduces today’s guest, Mike Anderson
00:52 – The top three things Mike attributes to his success
01:10 – Number One: Having a growth mindset
01:47 – Number Two: Being a member of the Sales Success Community
02:47 – Number Three: Entering every situation from a place of joy, fun, and professionalism
03:55 – What it means to have a ‘Growth Mindset’
09:06 – Mike talks about his role at Terryberry and quantifies his sales results
11:58 – Embracing change and leaping into a different client set and product offering
15:16 – ICB (Individual Case Basis) calls
17:35 – Mike’s sales origin story
19:43 – What Mike would do differently if given the chance
23:26 – Scott takes a moment to thank one of today’s sponsors, the 2022 Sales Success Summit
24:01 – Mike’s proudest accomplishment
25:11 – The rewards and challenges of being an individual contributor
28:59 – What keeps Mike motivated and driven
33:48 – Mike takes the audience through a typical day in the life
37:59 – The books, news, podcasts, and trade information that Mike consumes
44:58 – Mike’s tech stack
48:15 – Mike’s sales philosophy and style
51:03 – The importance of transparency
54:03 – One of Mike’s beliefs that the average sales professional would think is crazy
55:42 – An average sales professional’s belief that Mike thinks is crazy
57:24 – Advice Mike would give to an upstart sales professional
1:00:03 – Scott takes one final moment to promote the 2022 Sales Success Summit
1:04:06 – Advice Mike would give to his younger self
1:04:54 – What Mike wants to know about other top sales professionals
1:07:22 – Mike issues an actionable challenge to the audience

Read the full transcript & show notes →

Tweetables:

“I always thought sales was a solo sport. I had my targets. I’m competing against other sales reps that are selling the same thing I am. We’re all jockeying to see who can be considered the best of the best. So there was a little ego there. I quickly learned to toss that aside.” (20:09)

“As an individual contributor, when you’re crushing it and knowing that you’re putting the company in a better position for the coming years, that’s fun. I enjoy that. I enjoy the challenge and I also enjoy the accolades that come with that.” (26:34)

“One of the sales philosophies that I adhere to is the idea of a Mutual Action Plan, which again is just being more transparent in the sales process.” (42:09)

“The best salespeople talk about problems they solve and not product.” (44:10)

“Sales isn’t a solo sport. It’s not you against the world. I think the more I’ve gone through my career I’ve noticed that the wins I’ve had usually involve some sort of collaboration with colleagues or leadership.” (55:54)

Books Mentioned:

Fanatical Prospecting
The Molecule of More
Who Moved My Cheese?
The Transparency Sale

Sponsors Mentioned:

2022 Sales Success Summit