You're Going To Be Great At This!

In a recent episode of You’re Going To Be Great At This! , I spoke with Mandie Sue Mills, Branch Manager at Integrity Home Mortgage Corporation in Myrtle Beach, SC. Building on her previous discussion about marketing to older demographics, Mandie talked about practical strategies for bridging the digital divide when serving senior clientele. In industries like mortgage lending and real estate—where processes are increasingly automated—understanding how to introduce technology to older adults without overwhelming them is essential for building lasting business relationships. Mandie emphasized that working with seniors requires a fundamentally trust-based approach rather than a transactional one. While younger generations readily adapt to new apps, online portals, and e-signatures, older clients often approach new tech with caution or skepticism. The key to success isn't avoiding technology, but rather positioning it as a tool that simplifies their experience rather than a barrier th...

In a recent episode of "You’re Going To Be Great At This!", I talked with email marketing expert Amy Benicewicz about the evolving landscape of digital communication. The conversation centers on how businesses can move beyond basic newsletters to create meaningful, high-converting connections with their audience. Amy shared her "awesome advice" for anyone looking to refine their strategy, emphasizing that email remains one of the most powerful tools in a marketer’s arsenal when used with intention. One of the primary takeaways was the importance of "knowing your why" before hitting send. Amy explained that many businesses fail because they treat email as a chore rather than a strategic opportunity. She encourages marketers to define the specific goal of every campaign—whether it’s to educate, entertain, or sell—and to ensure that the content provides genuine value to the recipient. By focusing on the user’s needs first, brands can build the trust necessary...

In a world where automation and AI are becoming the standard, human-centric service is no longer just a "nice-to-have"—it is a competitive advantage. In a recent episode of the "You're Going To Be Great At This" podcast, Dave Gulas,  co-founder of EZDC 3PL and host of the Beyond Fulfillment podcast, tells us about how he makes customer service a priority while making the most of his competitors' complacency. We also discuss 3PL's (third party logistics) and how they help online businesses. He also  shared his philosophy on how to bake customer service into the very DNA of an organization. Dave emphasizes that you cannot provide world-class service to your clients if you aren’t providing it to your employees first. When employees feel supported, valued, and empowered, that positive energy naturally overflows into their interactions with customers. One of the simplest yet most effective ways to stand out is through responsiveness. Dave discusses the impor...

On a recent episode of the "You're Going To Great At This" podcast, I interviewed Stone Payton, the co-founder of Business RadioX, about his journey in entrepreneurship, the mechanics of scaling a business, and the power of professional coaching. Stone shared his background and how he transitioned into the world of business media. One of the key takeaways was that scaling isn't just about getting bigger; it's about creating systems and processes that allow the business to run without the constant intervention of the founder. Even those that may sound easy, but it can be a long and time consuming process.  Unlike traditional "hard sell" tactics, Payton also advocates for building genuine relationships. His "pro-relationship" approach to business development, which focuses on providing value first. This process also can take time, but it can also produce much more success and help grow a much more sustainable business.  Of course, this all goes h...

I recently had the pleasure of guesting on Dave Campbell's "Living The Next Chapter" podcast, which focuses on authors and their books. I had a great time talking about the writing process and my unique way of promoting them. When I was in the process of starting my podcast, I did a search on Spotify and discovered Dave's "How To Podcast" show, which I suggest to anyone considering starting a podcast. At the end of the episode, Dave mentioned that he had a meetup group and that they discussed the podcasting world.  I tuned in and immediately felt welcomed by the group. I learned a lot about the process, but more importantly, I met some great people who were also beginners, as well as others who were veteran podcasters. An interesting note about Dave is that he has 9 podcasts, and how he does it, I'll never figure out. But his knowledge and willingness to help others demonstrate what a good guy he is. Give it a listen and check out Dave's other podcas...

As someone who is self-employed, I have found that a great way to get my message out and to network with people I want to meet. By joining my local chamber of commerce, I've met great people, become referable and learned about all kinds of businesses that I didn't know existed. In an episode of the "You're Going To Be Great At This" podcast, I talked with Wendy Malenfant of the Little River (SC) Chamber of Commerce and we discussed the perks of joining a chamber.  I sincerely hope you find value in our podcast and ask that you follow/subscribe.  Chris Castane s is a humorous speaker who helps sales people succeed through workshops and humorous presentations. His new book, "Nearly Motivated" is available on Amazon. For booking information,  click here . His new podcast,  "You're Going To Be Great At This!"  is available on most platforms.   He's also the president of  Surf Financial Brokers  selling life and disability insurance in sever...

I was pretty surprised when I saw that my last blog post was several months ago. Time really does fly when you're having fun, or in my case, just having a busy workload. In the last few months I've been on the road for an approximate total of 9 weeks. Needless to say I get less than motivated to work in a hotel room after selling insurance for 8 hours, so blogging isn't on my "to do" list. While driving in my car during these trips I try to make my time productive my listening to podcasts on business and marketing. I'm not sure if someone was trying to tell me something but over the course of a week or so, I heard 4 episodes on how starting a podcast can help boost your business. After mulling this over and considering my options, I decided to take the plunge and start one myself. I've had a YouTube channel for a while which is fine, but I wanted to do something a little different. So I decided to start the "You're Going To Be Great At This!"...

Over the last few years I have realized that I really enjoy being a guest on podcasts. I've been featured as a guest on about a dozen and they have always been fun. The hosts are as diverse as their podcasts. One host was apparently in the Middle East while others were comedians or local entrepreneurs.  Recently I was asked to share my experiences on the Sales Hindsight with Patrick Kagan of the PK Solutions Group. I met Patrick through a group on LinkedIn and he has been a great supporter of my work, even contributing a blurb for my newest book, "Nearly Motivated".  He's an internationally renowned author and speaker as well.  We had a great talk and I wanted to share it with you. We discuss branding yourself and using humor, among other topics. Patrick is a skilled host and makes the podcast informative AND interesting.  Take a listen here and let me know what you think. Ch ris Castane s is a humorous speaker and former comedian who helps sales people succeed thro...

As an author of a book on sales I am asked to speak to groups of sales people. There are times, however, when I give a presentation to a civic group or some other kind of organization that isn't necessarily a sales group. For those I adapt my talk to let everyone in the audience know that they are, indeed, in sales. I will usually ask the audience who is in sales. A few hands go up. Then I ask who is not in sales and more hands are raised. That's when I break the bad news to them. They are in sales whether they think so or not. As the old adage goes, the first step is admitting you have a problem. It makes me want to put the audience's chairs in a circle and have a "sales intervention".  As discussed previously, we are all in sales in some form or fashion. Luckily,  basic sales techniques are easily transferable to other parts of our lives. Anyone who has tried to convince a coworker to try a different approach to a problem is in sales. Singles bars (are they stil...

One of the biggest hurdles I've faced in my career has been finding prospects, moving them through the sales process, and turning them into clients, all while constantly being on the hunt for more prospects. It's an endless cycle. (In my industry, it can be even harder to sell something when people ultimately don't want to buy. If your client is a young couple with kids and a mortgage, do you think they would rather spend money on a vacation or a life insurance policy?) Having a good referral system and making networking effective are the best ways to start the process of keeping the pipeline full. Having a center of influence or creating a friendly relationship through networking can save a lot of time and be much less expensive than buying leads.   One of the most effective things you can accomplish is to establish a "referral network". This may take some time to get going but if you can find four or five good sources who are willing refer to each other, you can...

When I graduated from college, the idea of a career in sales was not scary, as much as it was just strange. In my head, sales people were pushy, manipulative and a bit underhanded. There was no way I was going to be the stereotypical sales guy.  However, I was in need of a job, so I used some sort of twisted logic to believe that if I could do well selling crappy accident insurance plans, I could move up in the organization. I apparently was incorrect on several parts of that argument.  It didn't work out that way at all. But I did get some basic sales training, which helped me in my next career move, which was at an office supply company.  The owners of the company had decided that they needed to add an outside sales person to the mix, something their competitors had been doing for years. They took one of their employees, Ed, who worked part-time in the retail store, and moved him to a newly created outside sales position for a summer. With no training, Ed managed to get...

In the previous post, I discussed how companies, and their management teams, react when sales drop. The numbers affect the bottom line, which affects the profitability of the company, which in turn can lower bonuses and other perks, like profit sharing. The company, not sure what to do, begins to institute a program of micromanagement, making everyone more accountable for their time, while at the same time, making all the sales people miserable. That's the macro perspective. On the other hand, what happens to the sales person is a bit different. Especially if they are dependent on commissions, which are a reflection of their sales numbers, to pay their bills. Yes, they are miserable because they are under a microscope from management. Suddenly the sales person has to copy their bosses on items like details of appointments, how many phone calls were made, why the customer didn't buy and so on. Along with getting pestered by management, the sales person is also having to figure o...

There are those of us in the sales profession who get paid only by commission. If we don't sell, we don't get paid, so there is a bit more pressure to produce. I've worked in various kinds of pay situations, which include commissions and a draw, a salary plus commission, salaries that increase as production numbers go up, and of course, the 100% straight commission scenario. People who work on "full commission" are a bit different than most others. When you speak to these people you notice that there is a totally alternative attitude. It's almost like a financial version of one of the danger acts you see at the circus or carnival. To say they are "all in" in an understatement.  At the same time, they may have a support system in place. Perhaps a spouse who works and can assist with paying the bills when sales are slow. Or they may have some sort of passive income, like rental properties. Those kinds of safety nets provide some stability, as well as t...

As I have mentioned in my book, we all are selling something. Whether you are selling cars, books, workshops, financial services, real estate, or even yourself (see: applying for a job), we are at some point trying to sell something. My definition of sales is trying to get someone to do something, right now, that they could do later or don't want to do at all.  That all sounds pretty opaque, so let me give an example. Let's say that Mary needs a new car, but she's been putting off the purchase for various reasons. She shows up at your lot "just to see what prices are like these days". Mary honestly has no intention of purchasing a vehicle, but thinks she is doing research.  First off, Mary could be doing this on the internet, but Mary is old school. By showing up on the lot, we can assume that she is interested in a car, even though she says that "now isn't a good time." Sorry Mary, but you should know that you have walked into a den full of closers....

There is a family in a nearby town that is pretty affluent and owns multiple businesses. These folks have been involved in an array of organizations, from the chamber of commerce to local government and anywhere in between. The third generation of this family is now in the process of running their operations, with the adult children taking over some of the responsibilities.  Over the years I met a few of these people at various functions and I felt I had built some sort of rapport, as I had worked alongside them at cookouts and fundraisers. My relationship with them was friendly but not personal. However, I had become a bit closer with the one young lady, who I will call Ann. Ann was married to one of the adult children (we'll call him Frank) who was starting to take over the business.  Ann was also involved, in an ancillary way, with some networking groups I attended. She and I, along with a few others, would sometimes grab a bite to eat or discuss businesses that were refera...

A few months back I ran into a nice lady who had purchased a life insurance policy from me many years ago. We had stayed in touch for a few years but I lost touch with her. Needless to say I was a bit surprised when she responded to one of my posts on Facebook regarding some new policies my agency was offering.  After speaking to her for a while I realized that a lot of things in her life had changed since we had last spoken. She had made several career changes and was currently working for a non-profit organization. Her personal situation had changed as well, as she had a new beau who seemed to be a good guy. During our conversation she mentioned that the life insurance policy she had purchased from me years ago had lapsed and now she was in the market for a new policy. Her concerns had also changed a bit over the years. Her parents were now deceased, but before they died she had been one of the principle caregivers in their later years. With that experience she had come to realiz...

For those of us who do a lot of B2C (and some B2B) sales, keeping files on those clients is important. I like to take notes during my initial meetings about the client's wants and needs, but at the same time, I write down a lot of personal information, like dates of birth, addresses and other vital information that I can refer to later. Making sure you keep that information safe and secure is of utmost importance. The news is rife with stories of security breaches involving millions of people's personal information. Most of those kinds of lapses are caused by hackers who break into large financial institutions, but there are those times when a smaller business becomes a victim of a cyber attack.  On the flipside are those instances when hard copies of personal information fall into the wrong hands. There are no hackers to blame here, just plain old carelessness.  A few years ago I was working with someone who left her work computer in her car in a restaurant parking lot, but i...

If you are in sales you are either a W-2 employee, with a nice benefits package and salary. On the other hand, you may be like myself and countless others who are independent contractors, which means we are on our own when it comes to benefits, wages and overhead. In other words, we are self-employed. With any situation like this there are advantages and disadvantages. A few of the advantages are: You work when you want . You are not bound to a schedule, generally speaking. But if you want or need a vacation, you can do so whenever you care to. Personally, I like to work late at night or early in the morning when I don't have a lot of interruptions. If my work is finished I can "clock out" when everyone else is starting their day.  Lots of tax deductions . I write off everything I can because I'm self-employed. If I take a client out for coffee or a meal, I write it off. Travel expenses, including gas and lodging, are also written off. Work from home? I have a home of...

For anyone who is a business owner, entrepreneur or otherwise in sales, you need to know people. Even if you haven't gotten your business going yet or if you are still in school, networking can pay off for you in spades. Getting your name out there and building relationships is one of the best ways to grow your business. How you do it is up to you, but making it part of your daily routine is of utmost importance. There are several reasons why you should be networking. The most obvious one is to get referrals. Word of mouth recommendations don't cost a penny but are so much more effective than paid advertising. Having someone in your corner as an advocate for you lets others know that you are trusted and good at your job.   Of course, it's important to make sure that the person speaking on your behalf has a good network to refer you to. Sure, it's great to meet the new person in town, but if they don't know anyone their recommendations of you will be limited.  Then t...

Growing up in North Carolina, we were like most kids on April 1, who would carry out mildly dumb jokes and pranks on our friends and teachers. "You're shoes are untied!" was a classic to use. The other person would naturally look down to see that their shoes were tied just fine, only to get "April Fools!" yelled at them. It was even funnier when the other person had shoes with no laces, like loafers.  In my opinion, the best jokes were simple and harmless, like the above example. No one got hurt and it was over in a few seconds, so we could move on with the rest of our day, or to the next victim. And the most important rule was that if you were going to dish out a joke, you better be prepared to take one as well.  However, there were those people who just couldn't take a joke very well. For instance, there was a tightly wound kid (I'll call him Bill) who lived in the dorm room next to me. I spoke to him rarely because I always sensed he had all the attri...