Gain a competitive advantage by listening to Mind Your Biz Today, hosted by Jaynie L. Smith, CEO of Smart Advantage, Inc. Jaynie is the best-selling author of Creating Competitive Advantage, and a business consultant with over 35,000 hours consulting c-suite executives. Her firm helps companies communicate their competitive advantages, often increasing their sales by 10%-40%. She will help you navigate today's business hurdles and maximize your opportunities with thought provoking discussion ...
…
continue reading
Beyond the bottom line. Creating true success in sales is creating real solutions for your clients. Product knowledge is great but relationships, and understanding your client’s goals will help you stand out from the crowd. You’ll be able to anticipate their future needs and troubleshoot a potential problem. This means listening and focusing on the person you are working with, even if it’s on zoom. Connie Whitman knows sales. Heart-Centered Sales Leader will help you tighten the gap between ...
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Moving Forward Together in a Fractured and Divisive World with Eric Allan Eaton (episode 192)
40:47
My motivational quote for today is by – R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr. “Let's stop believing that our differences make us superior or inferior to one another. A diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone.” - R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr. I love this quote and find its relevance extremely timely in today’s divided w…
…
continue reading
“Taking initiative pays off. It is hard to visualize someone as a leader if she is always waiting to be told what to do.” – Sheryl Sandberg. I have shared the Gallup Global Workplace Surveys about employee engagement at work over the years. Well, a new study just came out, and it’s not good! The study shows that 33 percent of American workers descr…
…
continue reading
“People buy from people they know, like and trust. At the start of building a relationship with your buyer the only thing you can shoot for is ’Trust’. Building trust has to be very obvious from the very first contact you make with your buyer or you kill any chance of starting a dialogue.”- Michael deGroot YouTube: https://youtu.be/7VLfEVq5ifA Chec…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
The Untapped Potential of LinkedIn for Business Strategies with Indrek Põldvee (episode 189)
32:44
“The sale most often goes to the most interested party.” – Steve Chandler. Being interested and curious about what our clients need today and in the future is critical to our sales success. So, how do we show that we care, are curious, and are interested in helping our ideal client? One way is to use resources available to us to spotlight our geniu…
…
continue reading
“The confidence you have going into the sales call will determine the level of profit you have coming out.” – Mark Hunter. Being in sales for many decades, I have had my share of prospecting wows. Sometimes, I didn’t feel like prospecting. Getting motivated to make cold calls, follow-up COI calls, and warm prospect calls to meet my revenue goals ha…
…
continue reading
“The secret to change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” - Socrates. To make your email marketing efforts successful, one of the major components is building your list. Essentially, we are always doing two things: fueling our email marketing “machine” with leads and working to improve the conversion r…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
AI and the Upcoming Augmented Technology Revolution for Business Growth with Ethan Robert Casin (episode 186)
41:06
“When deploying AI, whether you focus on top-line growth or bottom-line profitability, start with the customer and work backward.” – Rob Garf. This quote is essential for sales teams to understand that sales have always been about building relationships and the human touch or experience. At least, that has been the source of my success. Early in my…
…
continue reading
"Your customers are the judge, jury, and executioner for your value proposition. They will be merciless if you don't find the fit!" - Alexander Osterwalder. The percentage of businesses that do not know customers’ top buying criteria is frightening. A ton of research shows how few businesses know what their customers value, so they miss the mark wi…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Cultivate a High-Performing Sales Team to Achieve Outstanding Results with Ryan Charterina (episode 184)
43:28
"To say my fate is not tied to your fate is like saying, 'Your end of the boat is sinking.'" - Hugh Downs. I have always been part of a team, even as a business owner. I have learned, probably the hard way, that I can’t achieve success alone. Both while raising my kids and starting my business, I needed experts to help me understand business, techn…
…
continue reading
“Marketing is no longer about the stuff you make, but about the stories you tell.” – Seth Godin. A component of marketing ourselves and our companies is becoming memorable to potential clients so they choose to do business with us. This involves different forms of media exposure. Publicity is one form of media exposure that helps us market our prod…
…
continue reading
“This is not hard sell-it’s heart sell. Good questions get to the heart of the problem or the need very quickly, and the buyer doesn’t feel like he or she is being pushed” – Jeffrey Gitomer. Selling from the heart and building long-term relationships were intuitive for me and helped me quickly stand out from my peers in the financial industry. By c…
…
continue reading
“In sales, a referral is the key to the door of resistance.” – Bo Bennett. For over 35 years, I have been blessed to live off referrals. It’s all about building relationships so deeply that your ideal clients know you and know who to refer to you. I have learned that the key is harnessing the power of magnetic marketing with LinkedIn and PR, which …
…
continue reading
“Even when you are marketing to your entire audience or customer base, you are still simply speaking to a single human at any given time.” – Ann Handley. I always say this: Sales and Marketing are different. They support each other; they are like a marriage. Marketing gets people to agree to speak with you, while sales get the client or prospect to…
…
continue reading
“Humans are not ideally set up to understand logic; they are ideally set up to understand stories.” - Roger C. Schank. I use stories in my sales conversations with prospects and when teaching. Years later, people approached me and said, “Do you remember when you taught us XYZ? I still think about that and remember how to use that concept with my cl…
…
continue reading
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill. Boy, this quote hit home for me. I know I have failed many times in my life. We see quotes like this when we are in a crisis or facing failure and think, BS, I failed, I’m not good enough, or I don’t deserve the success. And there lies the issue—our mind…
…
continue reading
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” — Nelson Mandela. I love this quote. If we didn’t continue to rise after we fail or fall, we wouldn’t have innovation, growth, new opportunities, and potentially a better life. Most people think it’s only about having the ability to achieve X, Y, or Z. The r…
…
continue reading
“If you don’t have a defined process that moves your people forward so they can achieve greater results, then what is it you are managing? You’re managing the status quo.” – Keith Rosen. I often see managers managing numbers or metrics versus coaching someone to grow and build new and improved skills. Those who know me have heard me often say, “We …
…
continue reading
“Great things are done by a series of small things done together.” – Vincent van Gogh. After COVID, I was forced to pivot and create an entire digital library of training and new business outreach. Understanding this new world of online automation, branding, and client outreach required a huge learning curve. So what did I do? I buckled down, took …
…
continue reading
“A bad habit appearing at many companies is to put reps in the unenviable position of trying to hit their quota by feverishly working through as many opportunities as they can. But this isn’t necessarily the ideal solution. Data-driven sales teams are finding that it is usually more effective to spend more time on qualification earlier in a sales c…
…
continue reading
"Let tech do all the heavy lifting. Let it do all the research. Let it even write all the emails. But right before you engage with the human, that’s where you have to put that human factor in.” – John Barrow. Unless you have been living under a rock, AI is everywhere. So, how do we use AI effectively without watering down our brand and, more import…
…
continue reading
“If people like you, they’ll listen to you, but if they trust you, they’ll do business with you.” - Zig Ziglar . Trust is such an interesting and important word. We think we know what it means but don’t always know how to earn it. Becoming a trusted partner isn’t about discounting the fees you charge; it’s about the relationship you continue to bui…
…
continue reading
“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”- Zig Ziglar. I had a huge paper to write for one of my business classes in college. As part of my research, I read a Zig Ziglar book (yes, a real book, not online references), and my life was changed forever! His brilliant approach to business and life was all I needed to know I had …
…
continue reading
“When you say ROI, do you mean return on investment or risk of inaction?” – Paul Gillin, I love this quote. Having been in sales for many decades, I know the importance of measuring ROI. However, many leaders try to measure ROI by managing their sales teams solely through numbers. I believe using numbers as your only metric may be dangerous. If we …
…
continue reading
“The confidence you have going into the sales call will determine the level of profit you have coming out.” - Mark Hunter. Being in sales for many decades, I have had my share of prospecting wows. Sometimes, I didn’t feel like prospecting. Getting motivated to make cold calls, follow-up COI calls, and warm prospect calls to meet my revenue goals ha…
…
continue reading
“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Wishing is not enough; we must do.” – Johann Wolfgang. I love this quote because it is about taking action. Everything was analog when I started my business, so there was no internet or social media. Wow, how times have changed! Looking back, the learning curve for using social media, email campaigns, and othe…
…
continue reading
Connie's motivational quote for today is by – Andrea Mignolo, “I want to do business with a company that treats e-mailing me as a privilege, not a transaction.” When COVID hit, and many business activities stopped, the one thing that continued was email campaigns. Now that things are kind of back on track, are email campaigns still relevant? This i…
…
continue reading
Connie's motivational quote for today is by – John D. Rockefeller, “Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.” Good is the enemy of great, yet sales leaders hire the wrong team members or hire correctly but don’t provide long-term support. I have more stories than I’d like to admit here where I’ve had the worst of the worst sales lea…
…
continue reading
Connie's motivational quote for today is by – Nick Haase, “You only have so many hours in a day; let others make the money for you!" I always felt like no one could deliver or duplicate my deliverables in my career and business. Well, our working life teaches us differently. This quote nails today’s topic. We can’t do it alone, and if we do it righ…
…
continue reading
Connie's motivational quote for today is by – Napoleon Hill, “If you can't do great things, do small things in a great way." Okay, I am a Napoleon Hill geek and love his quotes. The one I’ve chosen for today’s show is no different. For the past 40 years, I have lived my personal and professional life working on or creating micro habits that I could…
…
continue reading
Connie's motivational quote for today is by – Bruce Lee, “Knowledge will give you power, but character respect.” I love talking about sales. Most of you have been following me for a while and know my motto for sales is selling through love, care, and respect. Respect is probably my most important word to live and sell through! We have one of the mo…
…
continue reading
Connie's motivational quote for today is by – Carlos Ghosn, “Every single time you make a merger, somebody is losing his identity. And saying something different is just rubbish." I remember that in the ‘90s, banks underwent a huge metamorphosis of banks merging. We called it “merger mania. “ Being part of the transition team for two different merg…
…
continue reading
Connie's motivational quote for today is by – Brian Cornell “Technology is going to disrupt the future of work, perhaps sooner than we thought. We are exploring everything from AI to VR, but we see no substitute for our stores and employees. We focus on building talent and personal service.” Since starting my career in the 80s, I have learned to go…
…
continue reading
Connie's motivational quote for today is by – Ryunosuke Satoro, “Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.’” Recently, have you read any articles about new leadership skills needed to succeed? Leadership skills like agility, empathy, respectful communication, listening to employees, and more. As I reflect, leaders from around the gl…
…
continue reading
Today James Clear and I are going to discuss his book Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. We are going to break down how to actually change or form a habit that will stick. Do you have any bad habits? Come on, you know what I am talking about! If we know what is considered a good versus a bad habit, why do we …
…
continue reading
Connie's motivational quote is by - Harvey Mackay, “To me, job titles don’t matter. Everyone is in sales. It’s the only way we stay in business. I love this quote. Whether your child is trying to sell you that a dog or cat is a must for your household, or you’re trying to get an idea out to stakeholders in your organization or business, we are alwa…
…
continue reading
Connie's motivational quote for today is by – Lou Holtz, “Your talent determines what you can do. Your motivation determines how much you are willing to do. Your attitude determines how well you do it." As the new year fast approaches, many of us are either looking for a new sales position or need to hire quality sales professionals. The cycle is n…
…
continue reading
Connie's motivational quote for today is by – Alexa Von Tobel, “A good financial plan is a road map that shows us exactly how the choices we make today will affect our future.” Being a Financial Advisor and Wealth Manager for over 18 years before starting my business helped me understand the importance of having a financial plan for my personal and…
…
continue reading
Connie's motivational quote for today is by - Matt Cutts, “SEO is like a resume, you polish it, so you have your best foot forward.” As you can see from today’s quote, our topic is SEO rankings. I have asked my guest today to come back for a second time to discuss SEO since I am still working on leveraging SEO for my business because I still lack k…
…
continue reading
Connie's motivational quote for today is by – @iSocailFanz, “You have to stop treating your social media like a billboard. Turn one-way broadcasting into a two-way conversation. NO ONE has ever had a relationship with a billboard.” YouTube: https://youtu.be/oInZCVGWfk8 Check Out These Highlights: Since COVID, I have spent a lot more money and time …
…
continue reading
Connie's motivational quote for today is by – Fergal Glynn, “A bad habit appearing at many companies is to put reps in the unenviable position of trying to hit their quota by feverishly working through as many opportunities as they can. But this isn’t necessarily the ideal solution. Data-driven sales teams are finding that it is usually more effect…
…
continue reading
My motivational quote is by - Daniel Lubetzky, “Empathy is one of our greatest tools of business that is most underused.” OMG, when I found this quote, I knew it was the winner for today’s topic. For the past 40 years, Empathy and understanding have been a core piece of how I developed my career and, for the past 22 years, my business. Empathy isn’…
…
continue reading
Connie's motivational quote for today is by – Napoleon Hill, “If you can't do great things, do small things in a great way." Okay, I am a Napoleon Hill geek and love his quotes. The one I’ve chosen for today’s show is no different. For the past 40 years, I have lived my personal and professional life working on or creating micro habits that I could…
…
continue reading
My motivational quote for today is by – Red Adair, “If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur.” You know that old saying, penny wise, dollar foolish? I see it when organizations hire to fill a job and are not necessarily the perfect fit for long-term growth and employment. The revolving door is the circumsta…
…
continue reading
Connie's motivational quote for today is by – Timothy M. Houston , “Referrals are the privilege of the opportunity given to you by someone else to potentially do business with someone who wants, needs or desires the products or services you offer.” OMG, when I found this quote, I knew it was the winner for today’s topic. For the past 35 years, I ha…
…
continue reading
Connie's motivational quote for today is by – Jim Rohn, “One customer, well taken care of, could be more valuable than $10,000 worth of advertising.“ After finding this quote for today's show, I began to reflect on the money I see many companies spend on advertising versus the value put on deliverables after new sales are made. Too often, I see eve…
…
continue reading
Connie's motivational quote for today is by – Sally Gronow, “Good customer service costs less than bad customer service." This short quote says it all. As a business owner, for me to not be responsive and over-deliver every time I speak and engage with my clients, I would not see the success and repeat business I am blessed to have. There is always…
…
continue reading
Connie's motivational quote for today is by – Nelson Mandella, “Do not judge me by my success; judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.” I love this quote. For a moment, think about how many times you’ve hit hard times or fallen. I’ll bet it’s a ton! We have all had hard times, uncertainty about the next best step to take, and …
…
continue reading
Connie's motivational quote for today is by – Hendrith Vanlon Smith, Jr., “If you want your business to be resilient, you gotta improve cash flow and widen margins.” I love talking about money with my guests. It’s an important topic since it is a measure or an energy exchange based on efforts and outcomes (ROI) we share with our ideal clients. I’ll…
…
continue reading
Connie's motivational quote for today is by – Brian Tracy, “Keep your sales pipeline full by prospecting continuously. Always have more people to see than you have time to see them.“ Throughout my career and business, I have had ups and downs with the number of sales I have made. There is one constant that has worked well for me. That is always bui…
…
continue reading
Connie's motivational quote for today is by – Tim Nadela, “Cold calling is not dead. Have the conversation mapped out in advance. Make it your guide for structuring your next sales calls.” When I started in sales 40 years ago, cold calling was our only strategy. There was no internet, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, or even the internet. We had to bu…
…
continue reading