How to Become the Salesperson People Love
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Mr. Biz Radio: How to Become the Salesperson People Love
Unedited transcription of the show is included below:
(00:02):
Welcome to Mr. Biz Radio! Biz Talk for Biz Owners. During the next half hour, Mr. Biz, Ken Wentworth, a leading business advisor, and two-time best-selling author will cover topics that'll help business owners run their companies more profitably and more efficiently. If you're ready to stop faking the funk and take your business onward and upward. This show is for you. And now here's Mr. Biz, Ken Wentworth.
(00:27):
All right. Welcome to another episode of Mr. Biz radio with me, Mr. Biz, Ken Wentworth. In this week, we are going to be talking about a topic that affects everybody. Yes, everybody. I don't care. What you who, what you're listening. I, how you're listening from you're an entrepreneur. You're a business owner. You're you're a mom, you're a wife, you're a husband. You could be a stay-at-home mom. You could be a stay-at-home husband. You could be 15 years old. You could be 12 years old. We're gonna talk about sales and not just sales. But we're gonna talk with someone who's had a to, and that's, that's a new word. I'm gonna use a crap ton of success in the field itself. And for those of you guys watching on the Mr. Biz network or on the YouTube channel, you can see our guest already, but we are gonna have this week, Mr.
(01:14):
Rob Cornilles. He's a bestselling author, speaker and business owner. He's transforming how the world sells. And that's why I think it's gonna be interesting for us. We've talked about sales before, but not quite like this. He's the first to provide sales training to the powerful and high stakes world of sports and entertainment. He has been invited into more team front offices to train executives and sales than any person on the planet. He is the sales coach for sports, and he's got a lot of cool anecdotes that go along with this. We're gonna get into those as we get into the show since launching his company Game Face Inc. In 1995, Rob has advised, coached and mentored more than 50,000 executives at over 400 diverse companies throughout north America. You think he might be able to help us he's the author of an international bestseller, "The Sales Game Changer: How to Become the Salesperson People Love" and recently launched his own masterclass.
(02:09):
Rob's been featured in the wall street journal, LA times, Fox news and numerous local television and radio programs, newspapers and podcasts worldwide. So without further ado, Rob, Cornilles welcome to Mr. Biz radio. Hey, thank you, Mr. Biz. Let's talk, let's talk business and sales, shall we? Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. So we're gonna, we're gonna talk a little bit of course, about Rob's entrepreneurial journey and, and then we're gonna get a little bit more into the book and, and some of his experiences, like I said, he's got all kind of cool anecdotes that go along with his experience that I just meant. And then in the last segment, which we all are wait for every week is he's gonna tell us how to become that salesperson that people love. But before we get into all that, Rob, tell us about your entrepreneurial journey. What led you to where you're at now? Well, perhaps like many
(02:59):
Of your viewers and your listeners can I, I did not anticipate that I'd be an entrepreneur. I didn't know. It was really in me. So I had no aspirations to start my own business, nor did I have aspirations to be a salesperson, quite frankly, cuz I think very few of us grow up, you know, around the dining room table, announcing to our parents that we wanna be in sales. So I had other other pursuits, but as life happens, I was given an opportunity to take a sales job in Los Angeles, California. This is back in the early 1990s and I left the career that I was pursuing to take this job kind of on a whim. And it, it be came the ticket salesperson for the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team. Now back in the 1990s, as you know, well Ken and perhaps some of your audience does as well.
(03:50):
The Clippers stunk back in that era and played in a really rough part of town, a really bad arena with a lot of competition, taking attention away from them in Los Angeles. And so I, but I thought my enthusiasm would carry the day because I had heard that 90% of selling was enthusiasm. And then of course, whoever said that never had to sell season tickets for the LA Clippers because <laugh> the more enthusiastic I was the crazier people thought I must be so enthusiasm, wasn't working for me. And I finally figured out that the reason why people would buy sports tickets, especially for our bad team, was not to watch a win, cuz that was a near impossibility <laugh> they were coming and they were willing to invest because they knew that through our game, through our association, with our brand, they could accomplish certain outcomes for their family, for their nonprofit organization, for their business.
(04:46):
And when I, when I finally latched onto that concept, which I now call a principle, I realized that I've been selling the wrong thing. I was selling X's and O'sand W's and L's. Instead I need to sell what I like to call results. Meaning by utilizing my product, you can get important results that matter to you. And it doesn't matter if we're winning or losing or who's on our roster. It matters. Do you wanna win new clients? Do you wanna retain clients? Do you wanna recruit good talent to your company? Do you wanna raise the profile of your nonprofit? Do you wanna build memories with your kids and your me in your circle of friends? If you wanna do any and all of that, you could utilize my product to get it done. And that's what led to frankly, being able to sell at a record pace for the Clippers. And from there, it launched to me consulting around the NBA, eventually other sports teams in other leagues. And that's when I realized, Hey, I think I've got a business here. And so I started a company called Game Face, Game Face Inc, in 1995.
(05:51):
Yeah. So look for those of you are old enough to remember and or follow the NBA. The Clippers were dare. I say, Rob, and don't be offended. I'm I'm sure you won't be, but they were kind of the laughing stock of the NBA back then. Very unsuccessful. Like they were the butt of jokes left and right. And of course completely over chatted. As you mentioned by a lot of other, not only activities within LA of course, crazy stuff going on, but their cross town Rival not even cross town, but they're, they're in town rival of the Lakers who had a lot of success. Especially during that time as well. So I can't even imagine how daunting that task was of trying to sell season tickets, et cetera, for the Clippers.
(06:33):
And you know, a lot of people can think that in sports, it's all about wins and losses and performance on the core to the field or the ice. But what I learned is while that's important, it's not the main reason people continue to go to sporting events. They go because they like the outcome and it's not just the experience. I think that's a, I think that's a misconception people think, well, I just go for the experience. No, the experience only lasts about two to four hours, but you go because you like the results of that experience the next morning, the next day, the, you know, that coming Thanksgiving, when you're talking to your grandfather at the table about that cool game you went to in the summertime. And so, or, or the client that you developed that night, who's now a repeat customer. So I was selling the results, not the product itself. And, and I was assuring people that if they would invest in our club and put their trust in me, that I would see to it, not that we're gonna win the game, but that you accomplished that important result while you're at the game and after the game. So I really became a, a partner of my clients as opposed to just a transactional salesperson. And I was able to parlay that concept, that principle, not only to other sports and other markets, but also to other industries.
(07:50):
Yeah, it makes, makes perfect sense. I know there's a, we're, we're running short on time for the segment here, but a couple examples that I can think of off top of my head of, of entrepreneur folks in the space of, of a person like Jesse Itzler, who I talk about on the show a lot that he was starting Marqui Jets and he bought season tickets to the New York Yankees when they didn't have money to do it. But he said, you know what, just what you're talking about, Rob, it's the experience. It's the being able to offer third base seats, you know, on, you know, I forget second, third row, something like that, really good seats and, and the business. And he said, that's the best investment they ever made. He said his business partner thought he was crazy. Like, we don't have the money for this.
(08:29):
How are we gonna make it happen? He said, I just know I can make this happen. Because again, just like you're talking about the results that he can conjure up from those seats and being able to invite people down and things like that were, were very, very profitable for their business. So just one example, I think that just illustrates what you're talking about, Rob. So again, this week we're talking with Rob Cornilles of gamefaceinc.com. We hit the break here, get the Mr. Biz tip of the week. And then we're gonna continue talking with Rob about how to become the salesperson that everyone loves.
(09:00):
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(09:31):
Thank you for listening to Mr. Biz radio. Did you know our show airs seven days a week for more than 30 hours. Now, if you are in the B2B space and we'd like to reach thousands of business owners every week, including our more than 250,000 social media followers are thousands of daily internet radio listeners, our email list fans and Mr. Biz solutions members email us at
(10:01):
Check out both of Mr. Biz national bestselling books, "Pathway to Profits" and “How to be a Cashflow Pro" on Amazon. Now, once again, here's Mr. Biz.
(10:12):
All Right. Welcome back to the show. And as we always do at the begin of the second segment, we'll give the Mr. Biz a tip of the week. And this week's tip is, is a new one. I actually learned this or heard this, I should say from, from oddly enough, Jesse Itzler who I mentioned at the, at the end of last segment, but he talks about establishing when you're establishing goals. And when you break down your goals, establish a weekly goal approach and what, what, what it all boils down to is when you have an off day, we all have off days down again, right? Some, some more than others, right? But when you have an off day and you don't get done what you needed to get done that day, don't sweat it. You got six other days with this weekly approach. Instead of, of course, you get need to set daily goals.
(10:54):
You break down your monthly and to weekly, weekly, daily, et cetera. But when you have a bad day or you just, something comes up, it could even not even be a bad day, just, you know, family stuff happens an emergency, an accident, something like that happens. And derails you from attaining your goals that day. Don't worry about it, you know, recalibrate for the rest of the week. You got the rest of the week to figure that out. And, and when with that weekly goal approach, it helps you from getting too down on those days when you maybe fall short and those are gonna happen. So that is Mr. Biz tip of the week, basically courtesy of Jesse Itzler love that guy and, and follow him pretty, pretty closely. He's got a lot of great things to to share if you don't fall him on social media, I definitely would recommend that. But let's get back into talking this week's guest, Rob Cornilles, Rob. So talk a little bit about now how you help folks. So I, I we've mentioned that the outset and the introduction, all of the different businesses, obviously in the sports world, as well as other businesses as well, that you help. But I, you know, what does it look like when you, when you work with an organization?
(11:56):
Well, the first of all, can I just comment on your tip of the week? Sure, absolutely. Because I just love what you said and love the wisdom that comes from Jesse. But, you know, I wanna just parlay that into a sales scenario. In sales. Sometimes we get down because we lost today. Someone, you know, after working with them for days or weeks, they come back to us and say, you know what, it's just not gonna, it's just not gonna happen. So sorry. And we think all that effort has been wasted, but one of the things that I like to really try to impress upon our clients and those that I work with is this no is not forever. No is. So when you get a no in sales, don't look at it as the end, look at it as just, this is on pause, right?
(12:43):
A no is a dormant. Yes, it's, it's I'll be a little flowery with you here, Mr. Biz. It's like, it's like a, a flower that hasn't sprout yet. And so you continue to water that seed and give it nutrient and give it light, give it some tender care. I believe that the law of the universe is that eventually it's gonna come back and it's gonna blossom into a sale. And so that's why you continually follow up with your prospects. Hey, I know that three weeks ago, it wasn't the right time for you, but some things are changing here in my business and I'm sure they are in new. I wanted to circle back with you and, and share with you some new things I think might be helpful and see if this might be better time for us to work together. So forgive me for that diversion, but I just had to throw that in.
(13:27):
No, and I love it because you know, I, I, I follow Grant Cardone as well. And you know, he talks about that as well. He's said, you know, no is an answer. And it's not necessarily, as you mentioned, it's not a negative, it's a no for now. I've got another close friend of mine. Who's in the sales world as well, and has been for 30 plus years, Ken Hasty. And he talks about the same exact concept as you know, that is a form. It it's a, it's a miniature form of commitment. The commitment is no for now, but they didn't throw you out on your ear. They didn't, you know, report you to the police. You know, there's nothing crazy there. They they're, at least they know your product, they know what you're offering, so there's something there. And so, you know, going back to, to, to make a little bit of humor out of it, the movie dumb and dumber I'm sure a lot of people are familiar with that, but Carrie says the woman's like, oh my gosh, I would never go out with you.
(14:18):
You're terrible. You're, you're this you're that all these negative things. And he said, so you're saying there's a chance. Yeah. And I think that's kind of plays into what you're talking about here, Rob. Yeah. She
(14:29):
Said one in a million and he, he took that. Right. and so, you know, that kind of philosophy is what we've taken. We certainly started in the sports world 26 years ago. And especially in sports when your product is never good enough for the local market, and it's always, what have you done for us lately? And so we really focused on, you know, demonstrating that through my experience of the Clippers. If you sell results, as opposed to just focusing on your product, that's something people agree on. If you just focus on the product, it's something that people can easily dispute and debate, et cetera. So we parlayed that idea into a business. So now we work with kind companies, large and small startups, as well as enterprise businesses international, as well as domestic, we go in and we try to as establish with them a stronger sales culture.
(15:23):
Now a sales culture means a lot of things, but the first thing we do is we try to identify what the imperative product is that that company has, whether it's a service or a product, and then anything that's ancillary can only be positively in, in affected or impacted if that imperative product is being sold properly. So we really dive down into that imperative product to make sure the sales approach that it's addressing prospects needs more specifically the results that they're clamoring for every single day. We identify what those are. We help the client do the same, of course. And then we create messaging around that. And then we come in through sales training workshops increasingly their virtual, but obviously for years, we've been doing live as well. They, it could be one day, they could be multi, multiple day. They could be in, in a, in a natural routine over the course of months or even years. And, and that is how we work with our clients, from sports teams who are just won the championship, who need to stay on top or teams that nobody likes or companies where product is faulty or their brand has dam has been damaged in some way, or they're just launching and need to establish that proper messaging, that proper sales culture from the get go.
(16:44):
Yeah, I should, I should say. So I love everything you said, Rob, and I should mention, I should have mentioned this to the outset when Rob and I first talked about having him come on Mr. Biz Radio. He had me at LA Clippers <laugh> because they they've been successful the last, you know, decade or so in the, in the NBA world. But again, as I mentioned way back then I thought, oh my gosh, if this guy could sell clipper stuff back then when they were so unsuccessful, he has to know what the heck he's doing. And you can't, as you mentioned, no matter what the results on the court, the field, the ice, et cetera, are kind of almost never gonna be good enough. Right. unless you only one team wins each league right. Every year and that's, there's only one champion each year. So unless your team's coming off that, and then by the way, and I'm sure you could speak to this, even if that your team is the team that won the championship. Gosh, the pressure, God, we have really to take advantage of this situation because we are the champions. So how do we push even harder to, to, to continue to build that brand and
(17:44):
Meet people's expectations, right? Because it's, unfortunately, it's what have you done for me lately? So what we did is not only build this program, this game faced way of selling, but then during the COVID era, we've been able to take our years of experience working with such diverse brands and such diverse sales people from, from new sales people, all the way to season veterans, we collate all that experience and all that we've learned from them and all that. We've tried to train them in and put it into the sales game changer, how to become the salesperson. People love the book they came out in 2021, which fortunately has become an international bestseller.
(18:25):
Yeah. So I wanna mention that as well. And you can see it over Rob shoulder, but we're gonna talk a little bit more about that because he's gonna give us tips on how so to be a sales game changer and become that salesperson because sales people get a bad rap, right? They, you got the push in the pool, right? You got the, the pushy, cheesy sales people sometimes. And then you got the people who are too passive and how do we become that person that is an effective salesperson, but is not just over the top and just drives you crazy. I know we've all probably dealt with people like that before. So come back after the break to get those tips,
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(20:01):
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(20:10):
All right. Welcome back to this show. We're talking again this week with Mr. Rob Cornilles, and you can find out more about everything that we've already talked about and what we're going to be talking about at gamefaceinc.com. And I would also strongly suggest you go and follow Rob on LinkedIn. So Rob Cornilles on LinkedIn as well. I, I know when we got booked on that, we booked him on the show. I'm like, I gotta go follow this guy. I always go out and try to follow the guests. Anyway, obviously, as we share the show and we wanna tag you and all that kind of stuff, but it helps me indirectly as I'm scanning social media to learn more about the types of things you share and some of your philosophies and principles and everything. So I've definitely been impressed with that. So, Rob I wanna mention real quick, I know in the book you talk about, and I kind of tease this a little bit during the introduction, talking about sales and everyone sells, and you mentioned that in the book, you say everyone sells. And I think you, I know from the, you and I are on the same page on this, but explain to, to the listeners and viewers, what you mean by everyone sell.
(21:11):
Well, first of all, as you've indicated for many people, the word sell is a four letter word and they, they just, you know, they just, they, they put a stiff arm up against it. Like don't make me do that. I don't want to do that. What we try to impress upon the reader right away. And we're pretty successful at doing this is helping them understand that selling is really five other words, which I like I call 'em the five synonyms of sales and selling is persuading. Selling is influencing. Selling is educating. Selling is motivating and selling is inspiring another person or another group. And anytime you're doing that in life at home today, when you're trying to convince your kid to do their homework, or you're trying to convince your significant other, we should go out to Mexican food, not Italian food, or whether you're trying to convince a boss to give you a promotion or a raise, or even to give you the job you are selling. So it's nothing to be ashamed of. It's simply something to, to recognize and to embrace. And if you learn how to do it, well, I think you'll have greater, greater success in life. It'll make you happier. The income isn't bad either because you're getting, you're helping people get the results they're looking for. And so I learned a long time ago, don't shun the title, embrace it. It become as good as you can at it, no matter your job or role.
(22:33):
Yeah. And that's what I was talking exactly. The same thing is, you know, as a parent, when you're trying to get your four year old to eat their green beans, you're selling right. You don't realize it, but that's what you're doing. You're selling them on. Why should they, they don't wanna eat the green beans. Why should I eat the green beans? You get this, sell them on the idea and the concept of why they should eat those darn green beans.
(22:53):
But, and I would add green beans are like the old LA Clippers, right? Nobody wants 'em. So you have to ask yourself, what's the result. My child will get for eating the green beans and you sell the result, not the product. And it's it's game changing when you learn how to do that.
(23:09):
Yeah. So, I mean, I guess that's a good Segway into some, some tips on helping us become the salesperson that people love.
(23:17):
Well, I'll, I'll be quick about this. We have over 300 pages of tips in the sales game changer book. Mm-Hmm <affirmative> 14 chapters. But let me just, as you say, let me give five quick ones. So the first one I have to say, just to reiterate, don't sell the product. Don't focus on the product. Don't promote the product, rather promote emphasize focus on the results your product brings because here's, what's the, the sad truth, no matter your product or service, as proud as you are of it. As hard as you've worked to invent it, it's objectionable to somebody it's too expensive. It's too big. It's too small, et cetera, but what's not. Objectable the objectionable are the results. Your product or service brings. So focus on what's agreeable, not what's. Objection. Second tip would be to remember that urgency is not a device that salespeople use to hurry and get a sale so they can make their commission or hit a quota.
(24:15):
That's urgency go muck urgency done right, is helping the buyer or the perspective buyer realize that the sooner they say yes, the faster they'll see the results that are important to them. So urgency benefits the buyer just as much, if not more than it benefits the seller, but you have to learn how to communicate that, to prove that out. And that will accelerate the sales process and everyone wins. The, the third tip that I would share is related to objections. Most people think that an objection, when you hear it is your cue to start debating and start defending yourself or your product or your company. But rather an objection is usually a sign of two things. Well, more than two there's five things that it's a sign I'm gonna share too right now. Okay. The first is they probably are through an objection saying I have a question which has not yet been addressed or answered.
(25:16):
And the second thing they're saying, which they'll never admit is that the objection is my way of reflecting something positive about myself. For example, when someone used to say to me, back in the day, Ken, Hey, we're Laker fans. I'd never be a clipper fan rather than get defensive and start debating the merits of Clippers versus Lakers, which was always a losing argument for me. <Laugh> I would instead recognize when they say, or they're a Laker fan. That's something positive about them. They like basketball. They like to go to games. They like to spend money on basketball. They use it maybe for family or business purposes. These are positive acknowledgements on my part as a salesperson. And I would articulate that back to them. So now we're in a better environment to go on and solve the concern rather than to argue about it. Tip number four would be don't look at closing as closing anymore.
(26:13):
Look at closing as opening, see the old stereotypical salesperson says, I'm closing this prospect. And in their mind when it's done, the transaction's completed, they're finished with this person. But in the buyer's mind, that's not the end of anything when they said, yes, it's the beginning of everything beginning, right? Yeah. It it's when they expect results to begin, not for anything to end. And the fifth tip real quick, when it comes to referrals, the, the first rule of getting a referral, I've got, Rob's four rules of referrals in the book, but here's the first one. If you wanna get more referrals, give more referrals. Because when you're talking to a prospect and you're learning about their business and who their target audience is, you're in a really good spot it to lend them a referral. And if you do that, they are more likely to reciprocate and share a referral with you. So people think, well, that's not my job to give referrals. My job is to get referrals. Well, this is the quickest way to do it is to put your attention on them. And the laws of the universe will come back and reward at you with a referral. Yourself
(27:26):
Makes all the sense in the world. I mean, that whole rule of reciprocity is, is alive and well for sure in the world. I mean, when you think about it and it sounds, you know, there's a lot of syllables there and people go, oh my gosh, reciprocity. And it <laugh>. But if you think about it it it's, it's, it's a, it's the alt ultimate win, win the way I look at Rob in that, you know, you're giving someone something and without expecting anything in return, but often now that you receive something, you know, the customer, whoever it may be has received something from you, they want to help you as well. I mean, think about it. When in life, when someone does something for you, especially unexpectedly mm-hmm, <affirmative>, you, you almost feel obligated in some ways, not in a negative way, but to, gosh, you know, this person helped me. I wanna try to help them as well.
(28:10):
That's right. And even if in those unusual circumstances, when they don't reciprocate, I believe if you have that mentality somewhere, somewhere, and by some you're going to receive a referral when you leave expected it. So if it it's, it's a, a new way of looking at referrals. It's refreshing, it's exhilarating, it's transformative. It's really game changing. If you're not getting enough referrals today.
(28:38):
I love it. I love it. So again, check out. So we've been talking this week with Rob corns. You can find out more gamefaceinc.com check out his book, the "The Sales Game Changer: How to Become the Salesperson People Love" and follow him on LinkedIn as well. Rob, gosh, I can't believe the time has flown by as quickly as it has, but you've shared tons of insight. I've got a whole page of notes here for myself selfishly. So I really appreciate you coming on the show and and sharing all your insight with Mr. Biz nation.
(29:07):
Well, I thank you. I congratulate all your listeners and your viewers for their pursuits to, to, to be as entrepreneurs as business people. I wish them well, reach out to me. See if I can be of any service to you. I'd love to, I'd love to contribute in any way I can.
(29:24):
Sounds good. Thanks again, Rob and guys. Thanks for watching. Don't forget Cash Flow is King.
(29:32):
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