Liz Tolin is the top strategic account executive at Chargify, a globally recognized leader in the Recurring Billing and Subscription Management space that empowers its clients to launch products quickly and effectively. Liz’s career history has been varied- but in the most interesting and beneficial way. She’s been referred to as a “fire-and-forget weapon of choice,” and a “bulldog.” Simply put, Liz gets the job done no matter the circumstances. She is passionate about people and helping them solve their business problems.
In this episode, Liz talks about her military background, the work she has done for NATO, and the role she currently holds at Chargify. Liz has been able to leverage a myriad of experiences to become a top sales performer in her field. Liz identifies the three things that have attributed to her success. These include having a diverse background of experience, never fearing rejection, and avoiding sales pressure tactics. While she does not subscribe to a specific sales philosophy, she does have a very specific style and approach to sales. Servant leadership, as Liz defines it, is the ability to serve clients but in a leadership and teaching capacity.
One of the keys to Liz’s success has been the emphasis she places on continuous education. That education isn’t necessarily exclusive to sales. Liz is a curious person by nature and that is what has led her to try new things. After all, it takes a tremendous amount of self-confidence to learn new crafts such as the art of making cheese. Liz is a believer in having self-confidence, listening to your intuition and being true to yourself. Finally, Liz leaves the audience with some sage advice. She urges them to take immediate action on one difficult challenge that they may have been procrastinating.
What We Covered:
00:24 – Scott takes a moment to thank the sponsor of today’s episode, Dale Carnegie
00:37 – Scott Ingram welcomes to the podcast, Liz Tolin
01:08 – Liz speaks to her background with the military and NATO
01:43 – The top three things Liz attributes to her success
01:53 – Number 1: A diversified background
02:37 – Number 2: Not fearing rejection
03:07 – Number 3: Avoiding pressure tactics
06:39 – Liz gives a glimpse into her work and personal life
07:35 – Liz’s role at Chargify
09:03 – Scott talks about an upcoming webinar she is doing in partnership with Dale Carnegie
09:40 – Liz’s sales results as the top performer at Chargify
12:17 – Liz talks about one of the biggest deals she has worked on
13:04 – Making the transition from the military to sales
15:15 – Why Liz wouldn’t change anything about her career path
15:55 – The expectations Liz sets for her clients
18:48 – Liz shares her favorite sales story
22:17 – Liz’s proudest accomplishment
23:28 – The aspects of sales that Liz struggles with
26:59 – Liz describes a typical day in the life
31:19 – How Liz structures her workday
32:36 – Liz’s workout regimen
33:18 – The books, news, and trade information that Liz consumes
34:16 – Tools and apps Liz uses on a daily basis
35:12 – How Liz structures her whiteboard
35:54 – Why Liz does not subscribe to a specific sales philosophy
36:41 – Servant Leadership
38:34 – Liz’s sales style and approach
39:45 – What drives and motivates Liz
40:57 – Liz shares a cheesy story with the audience
43:38 – One of Liz’s beliefs that the average salesperson thinks is crazy
44:25 – Lessons Liz has learned throughout her career
47:04 – Advice Liz would give to someone thinking about getting into a career in sales
49:20 – How Liz discovered her true self as a salesperson
52:32 – Liz’s approach to collaborating with her fellow sales colleagues
54:08 – Other ways Liz has developed herself as a salesperson
59:02 – Parting words of wisdom from Liz
1:00:21 – How Liz balances her sales career with raising four young children
1:02:29 – Liz’s actionable challenge to the Sales Success Stories Podcast audience
1:04:24 – Scott announces an exciting crowdfunding campaign initiative
Tweetables:
• “I focus more on honest and meaningful conversation with my clients so I can understand their businesses, understand their needs, and really help them get to a solution.” (04:01)
• “Success in sales isn’t just about the one salesperson, because it involves everyone. It includes a successful product. It includes successful support.” (20:34)
• “Everything that I do in my day in scheduling I try to keep it focused on what the client’s needs are. And then really allowing that to dictate how the flow of the day goes.” (32:02)
• “I think servant leadership sums it up nicely because it’s me being here to serve you but in that teaching and leading capacity.” (37:05)
• “Every opportunity that you don’t take is automatically a ‘No.’ So, everything that you say ‘no’ to or that you’re afraid to try is a loss of something on the backside.” (44:43)
• “If you’re comfortable then growth doesn’t happen. So, you have to be uncomfortable to get that growth and change.” (52:59)
Links Mentioned:
Daily Sales Tips Podcast
Daily Sales Tip Podcast on iTunes
Sales Success Stories Book
Sales Success Summit
Dale Carnegie Webinar
Liz Tolin on LinkedIn
2018 Sales Success Summit Videos on Vimeo