You're Going To Be Great At This!

I recently had a great talk with Dave Campbell from True Media Solutions and host of 9 (!) podcasts. We discussed how people don't take action and delay their goals because they are waiting to learn more and their desire to make it "right the first time".  If you are in the process of starting a business, a podcast or any other project, and you keep putting it off until you think the time is right, now is a great time to listen. And please subscribe or follow. 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 several states.

Years ago I realized that I needed to work on my public speaking skills because I was winding up in situations where I would have to stand up in front of a crowd and talk about myself or my business. A prospective client told me about his great experience at Toastmasters, so I looked into it and joined my local chapter.  One of the added benefits of joining an organization like Toastmasters is the opportunity to meet some awesome people from all walks of life. And even though it's not a networking group per se, I have managed to get some clients and great friendships through the club. One of those people is my friend, Rachel Pitts.  Rachel is a Master Sales Coach who brings her experience as a realtor, mortgage loan officer, entrepreneur and fitness coach to Sales Gravy. She understands the challenges that realtors face, which helps her relate to her realtor partners as she assists their buyers get a mortgage. After 10+ years as a realtor, she made the switch to the mortgage s...

In the last post I discussed meeting with a client and keeping everyone focused on the subject at hand. Using some basic leadership skills by setting the tone of the meeting, along with reining in conversations were helpful (I hope) tips that can be implemented immediately, or as soon as your clients allow you back in their homes or offices after the pandemic is done.  The same basic rules apply for larger group meetings. I have led meetings for groups that range from a half dozen people to crowds of over a hundred with no two talks being the same. Some were at networking events where each person stands up and gives a one minute commercial, which sounds easy, but can be much more difficult than you would think. Getting my message to the masses in under 60 seconds with a bit of humor is tough. Then there are the talks that last anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes. To make it harder on myself I go without notes. That takes preparation and a lot of mental organization. There are times when...

If you were to meet someone new at a networking event and they asked you what kind of work you did, how would you respond? "I'm in sales," or "I own my own business," may be your response. You may talk about your product, its benefits and such. But you would not be describing the kind of work you do. If you are in sales, an entrepreneur, a business owner or otherwise self-employed, the product we sell is just a small part of the work we do.  I have previously mentioned my old sales manager who would say that "between 10-4 you should either be seeing a client or fighting to see a client." In other words, concentrate on the work, and that work is your business. In my business, prospecting for insurance clients can take up to 75% of an agent's time, and maybe more than that when they are just getting started in the business.  The insurance business isn't the only industry like that. Realtors, chiropractors, financial professionals and artisans are...

Imagine having to stand up in a room full of prospects and give a sales talk. For many people, public speaking is unbearable and, as we all know, one of the biggest fears of a large number of people. Now consider giving that same talk to a group of people, but this time you are with your coworkers next to you waiting to present as well. It doesn't matter if there are five of you giving a presentation to a large group or just two of you in the home of client, you have to be prepared ahead of time. Determining who is going to do most of the talking, the order in which you speak and where you will sit when others are talking are important in keeping the audience engaged. Years ago when I first got into the selling professionally, my sales manager would take me with him (or ride along with me to my clients' homes) to critique each other's talks. Mostly he was there to make sure I didn't say something stupid. Before we would go inside a home we would discuss the plan of atta...

It's been said that one of the biggest fears in life is speaking in public. My first attempts speaking to groups of people were horrible, for me and the audience. I could feel my nervous lips begin to quiver as I mumbled my way through a presentation, all the while trying to remember the order my presentation was supposed to be in.  Trying to work through this, I took a stab at stand-up comedy. People have always told me that I was funny (I have to agree sometimes) so I put together a few jokes and went for it at an open mic night. Quickly I realized that the expectations from the crowd were higher than I expected. With arms folded and a look that said "entertain me", I did get a few laughs. It was tough but when I finished I felt accomplished. A couple of years went by and I decided to join my local Toastmasters group. It was one of the best moves I ever made. Learning to speak in a "safe environment" with constructive criticism and encouragement, I picked up t...

As in any profession, it it important for the rookies to seek guidance from the ones who have been around for a while and have experienced the good and bad. This helps the new person solve problems before they become headaches and even out the learning curve a bit. In sales this is especially important since most of us work on commission and don't have the luxury of a salary to keep us going while we figure it all out.  Just to be clear, there is a difference between a mentor and a sales manager. The sales manager is wanting you to sell, but because it affects their bottom line, as well as their income. In the insurance world, for instance, mangers get an "override" from the company when the producer (the agent) sells something. They want you to be successful, but mostly because it helps them be successful as well. There's nothing wrong with that as long you understand that their best interest isn't necessarily the same as yours. On the other hand, a mentor typica...

When I wrote my book, "You're Going To Be Great At This!" in 2017, I had a strategy in mind for marketing it. I had been attending my local Toastmasters group for a couple of years and was working on my speaking skills. There I had met some people who were aspiring authors and were also working on presentation skills to support their books.  My plan was to use my book, my speaking engagements and my insurance agency to all promote each other. If I spoke, I could mention the book and my agency. When meeting insurance clients, I could mention my book, etc. I could also speak locally to civic and other organizations on insurance topics, hoping to attain to clients, as well as talk up my book.  Things were starting to happen. I was asked to speak to some new real estate agents about sales, and in my talks I mentioned the book and insurance. One of the interesting things that happened was that I was enjoying it all. The change was fun and interesting.  As I mention in the boo...

Are you in sales and having a hard time working due to the lockdown? Have you stumbled through your first Zoom meeting? Are you bored yet? Well, I don't have a panacea but I can make a small suggestion. As a sales professional who is also trying to wrap my head around this whole new way of marketing, I've discovered that it's quite the learning process and the learning curve is a long one. Hell, there are sales people throwing their hands into the air and either giving up or waiting on the sidelines for the virus to pass. But I'm not going out that easy and I'll take advantage of the down time to learn, market and get my pipeline full. One of ways you can make your time useful is to get a copy of my book, "You're Going To Be Great At This!" It's a sarcastic and humorous look at sales with a few valuable sales lessons sprinkled in. Isn't it a coincidence that the book and this blog have the same name? Actually, the book was the inspirat...

Have you ever walked into an important appointment, knowing that closing the deal could mean huge commissions or a treasure trove of referrals, only to stammer your way through the presentation? It's happened to all of us at some point of a career in sales. And there is only one thing you can do to prevent this disaster and that is to rehearse. Just like an actor, you need to learn your lines. You'll need to rehearse your pitch, over and over. Whether you're in your car or in the shower, you should be able to give your presentation in your sleep. And while you are at it, you may as well factor in any and all objections that may be thrown at you. What will all of this practice do for you? You will have actual confidence . Not that swagger you thought you had before, but now you can answer any questions because you already know the answers. And people will have confidence in you. You'll earn the trust of your client . People buy from those they like and trust, an...

Over the course of my insurance career, a few years involved helping people with their auto insurance. I cut my teeth on life and health insurance, so selling auto coverage involved obtaining a Property and Casualty license. I passed the exam, as well as a kidney stone, on the same day. Both were extremely painful. I was used to working a specific market, mostly B2B sales. Needless to say, my learning curve was different when all of a sudden I was dealing with the general public. It was like retail all over again. And the reason I got out of retail was because I wanted a career where I could choose who my customers would be.  Generally speaking, it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. I started out as a "staff member" in a well-known large insurance office. The clients were pretty good and I was supposed to call the current book of business to discuss life and health insurance, but it didn't work out. I was offered a job at a "substandard" auto insur...

As you know, I've written a humorous book on sales, titled " You're Going To Be Great At This! " And before I wrote the book I began working on my speaking skills at Toastmasters. Since the book's release, I've spoken to civic groups, teachers, and even had some seminars. I think I'd like to do  more. So I'm looking for groups who need a speaker. "What kind of groups?" you ask. Since my talks are based on sales, marketing and networking, my favorite groups are people who are just getting into sales, such as realtors, insurance agents and network marketers. If you are someone who falls into one of these categories, or a state or regional manager of an organization, please contact me. I'd love to talk to you and find out how I can speak to your sales team. But what if your group doesn't do sales? That's okay too. You see, we all are in sales everyday, trying to get family members, co-workers and others to "buy in" to...

Over the years I've tried every traditional prospecting method out there. From "warm markets" to cold calling, I've done it all. Eventually I became exhausted of the fair to middling results. Something had to change. In my book , I mention that the first thing we need to sell is ourselves. Getting on a soapbox and telling everyone how great your company is will work sometimes, but first and foremost, we need to promote ourselves. With this in mind I've refocused my energy. And I ran across a great article by Dew Tinnin, which confirmed my suspicions. Instead of promoting my business, Surf Financial Brokers , which I've done for the last few years to mediocre results, I've decided to market myself. Surf Financial will still be there. It's not going anywhere, but looking for people one at a time is a slow, hard process. And trying to get referrals from them is tougher. I took an honest look at my business recently and decided that in order to i...