Create Better Habits & Education vs. Training [Episode 663]

Dave Blanchard, CEO of The Og Mandino Leadership Institute and Bridget Gleason, VP of Sales for Logz.io and my regular partner, join me on this episode.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

First guest: Dave Blanchard

• Dave is writing the screenplay for the movie of The Greatest Salesman in the World. He prayed for inspiration and had an incredible experience outlining the script. He is going to Israel for a cultural immersion.
• The mission is to bring Og Mandino’s legacy into the 21st Century. The latest generations of salespeople are not familiar with the name but the principles resonate with them. They know what you achieve depends on you.
• Dave talks about the mathematical measurements of habits. The Habit Finder is a tool for learning your habits of thinking that serve you and those that hinder you. Our habits of thinking impact every facet of our lives.
• To change your actions, change your thoughts. Don’t wait for your manager to manage your bad behavior. Get to the thought process that forms those habits. Learn to become the very best version of yourself.
• Dave helps people get to “the real stuff” that controls what they do.
• Even in an adversarial work situation, some salespeople are good at listening, understanding, and serving. They are that way despite the culture where they work. They break the rules and become top sellers.
• Dave describes the dichotomy salespeople feel who are naturally empathetic and intuitive but are pressured into observing quotas and processes more than meeting the customer’s needs. This leads to self-sabotaging thoughts.
• When salespeople are selling out of fear and obligation, they are not happy. They have no self-esteem and they are not optimized. Dave teaches people to “embrace your mediocre” and take one step up (not too far). Repeat.
• Dave asks the audience a question: write down what the word mediocre means to you. Then Dave explains what the word really means. Stop chasing “the perfect.” It’s unsustainable. Take small steps to raise your baseline.
• Dave describes the process of taking the Habit Finder assessment. It is free now. It helps you to build on your strengths and build new habits of thinking and get rid of those things in the way of your maximizing your gifts.
• Always go deeper and ask the right penetrating questions. Don’t delude yourself. Pay attention and get to ‘the next millimeter.’ Sales are won by millimeters, not stages. Dave expresses habits mathematically.
• Andy foresees the ‘return of the human’ in sales. Don’t be a metrics jockey.

Second Guest: Bridget Gleason

• The topic is on learning and educating yourself. Why do we train salespeople instead of educating them? Sales managers and salespeople need to invest in themselves to maximize their potential. Be the best you can be.
• Bridget is starting a Sales Leadership Team, to grow and develop them into their best version. It’s about mentoring. She will do this for her team, and expect them to carry it down to their direct reports.
• Andy does not endorse a specific sales methodology. He has been trained in many methods and keeps the best principles and practices from each of them.
• Bridget finds that the people who are curious are always trying to extend their knowledge even into areas where they have no personal experience. Effective salespeople educate their customers as well.
• Andy talks about innovation versus luck. Learn, keep learning, and apply what you learn into your work.
• Conversations give you more data points that can be used in other settings. More knowledge can make you more interesting.
• Andy coaches companies to reshape how they educate salespeople. Some have set aside time every business day for a company-wide sales book club: 20 minutes of reading and 10 minutes of journaling reflections.
• Many managers will not send their team for educational seminars, or even online education. Andy asks them to consider why they are turning over SDRs every 12 months. Do they want to be leaders or managers?
• Bridget Recommended Winners Dream, by Bill McDermott to her CEO. After reading it, he said it was the best book he had ever read. They agreed it would be good for the sales team and the whole company.