When I Really Learned How to Sell.

What you are about to read is a story about how sales changed my life. No, this is not some hokey story that is filled with tired, old clichés that you have undoubtedly heard time and time again. This is a real and raw account of the single-biggest moment in my professional life and one of the biggest moments in my life in general.

I got into sales at the urging of my girlfriend because I was in a job that I absolutely hated after being out of the military for a few years. I was making ridiculously, good money for what I was doing but I was lost, seriously miserable, and a borderline alcoholic. Seeing a “Now Hiring” sign outside of a dealership, the woman I was with pulled in and told me to apply for a sales position because she couldn’t be with me one more day in the job I was in. I went in and applied and was hired on the spot. Little did I know that about 2 or so months later, I would experience the biggest, pivotal moment of my career; a moment that set me down the path to where I am at right now.

So, where am I? I’m a two-time bestselling author, have been featured in Selling Power magazine, labeled a disruptor in my industry by Authority magazine, and rubbed elbows with the Cubans (Yes, the Shark Tank Cubans).  I’m also in the process of putting on the biggest business summit that Central PA has ever seen and am a sought-after speaker around the world.

What could have possibly happened to this kid in Amish country at a local car dealership to set him on this trajectory? What could have happened that led to him devoting all of his efforts to ensuring that those he worked with succeeded in business beyond their wildest dreams? The answer is simple. I stopped being selfish and I started being selfless. Listen, I’m not going to tell the entire story here, just the message. I have told this story on many stages, on YouTube, during seminars, in my first book, and in Selling Power, so you can find the story anywhere. But what you can’t find just anywhere is the value that I am about to drop in this blog for my dear friend, Dave Romeo. Here is a very little-known fact: Dave heard me tell this story at a networking event and asked me to come to speak at one of his events. I happily obliged and I have been proud and honored to call Dave a friend ever since. So, when he asked me to run an entire seminar for him and for people who take their business seriously enough to attend his events, I was happy to do so.

You see, I wasn’t joking when I said I stopped being selfish. I realized after this event that every, single person who makes a purchase is motivated by an emotional need. Even if they think they are purchasing a very extrinsically, satisfying need, they are doing so to fulfill an underlying need or problem. With this mindset shift, I started to see a drastic shift in more than just my closing rate. I saw that my customer satisfaction was skyrocketing over the status quo salespeople at the car dealership. I saw that these transitional employees were not providing a “rockstar” customer experience and were getting less referrals. When you completely focus on the customers’ needs over your own paycheck and when you put your clients before your commission, you are going to see an astronomical increase in the things I listed above.

I will be going into much more detail about this and more in my upcoming seminar, so I look forward to seeing you there! 

“Selling is not something you do to someone. It’s something you do for someone.” – Zig Ziglar  

Let me hear from you.

Kyle Slaymaker of The Slaymaker Method will be my guest speaker for the Selling With Integrity seminar. I encourage you to click here to register for the Selling With Integrity seminar on Thursday, October 5, 2023 from 9 AM to 12 noon Eastern Standard Time at the Comfort Suites in Manheim, PA. This event will also be available through live streaming.