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How Entrepreneurs Can Nail Sales with Marty Park, Ep #254

Nn 254 marty park

If someone builds their own business, they’re likely an expert in their thing. They are brilliant at that one thing. But now—to get to the next level—they have to sell. How do they make the transition? In this episode of Negotiations Ninja, Marty Park shares what’s required to be great at sales as an entrepreneur.

Marty started his first software company at 21. Since then, he’s operated 13 different businesses in seven different industries. Eighteen years ago, he got started in the coaching space. Marty is actually my business coach. He helps entrepreneurs take their businesses to the next level and shares how you can be great at sales as an entrepreneur. Don’t miss his expert insight!


Outline of This Episode

  • [2:04] Learn more about Marty Park
  • [6:10] The biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make in sales
  • [10:01] The transformation from expert to salesperson
  • [16:20] How to overcome a lack of consistency
  • [21:38] What gets people from being average to being great?
  • [29:32] How to connect with Marty Park

The biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make in sales

Marty commonly sees that entrepreneurs know their product and service inside and out. Because of that, they automatically think they’ll be good at sales. They take their knowledge and confidence and presume that they don’t need a process or methodology. Because of that, they fumble. They don’t guide people through the process correctly. Then they can’t figure out why people won’t buy.

What’s one reason this might happen? Head trash. So much of the sale is done in your mind before you show up. You have to get out of your own way. You also have to understand how your beliefs are getting in the way of the sales process. Do you feel like sales are dirty? Do you hate the pressure it places on you? That can’t be helping you. You have to be aware of your head trash.

Are you comfortable with the steps you’ll walk someone through? Are you comfortable asking if they want to buy your product or service? If you can get that sorted out, you’ll be more successful. Much like rehearsing a golf putt, you have to rehearse the sales process in your head.

The transformation from expert to salesperson

Marty believes that there are times you show up in different roles. For me, sometimes I’m the President and CEO, and other times I’m the expert trainer. Everything presented is from that perspective. The role people forget to adopt is that of a sales professional. It’s a new set of skills.

You have to appreciate that people need to trust you. You have to be a student of sales and understand what variables influence the buying decision. How do you walk them through the explanation without overwhelming them? You can’t just dive into the features and the benefits of the product. Someone may end up saying, “It seems like a good product, but we don’t know much about this company or this guy.”

Being an expert/owner has to become a supporting role to the sales position. There is no shortage of sales books that cover the best sales strategies and tactics. But Marty points out that the biggest thing to be aware of is embracing, “I have to become a sales professional.”

What makes your top salesperson exceptional?

Some entrepreneurs are so passionate about what they do that you can’t help but think, “I want to work with you.” But they scale and add people to their team, and suddenly things fall apart. These people don’t always realize that they’re embodying the salesperson and the expert naturally. Not everyone is like that. So what do you do?

If someone is an exceptional salesperson, you have to break down what makes them exceptional and figure out what you can embrace. Some individuals may be great at closing. If they are, find out what that person does and duplicate it whenever possible. Videotape them, and use it for training purposes. Map the steps that they take, and make it more scientific. It helps you nail down the best practices within your own organization. That’s how you scale.

To learn more about how to be great at sales as an entrepreneur, listen to the full episode!

Resources & People Mentioned

Connect with Marty Park

Connect With Mark

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