Life’s a Pitch: Personal and Professional Sales Skills | Eric Janssen | TEDxDundas Place Youth

Summary

Eric Jansen, a sales professor, recounts how he took a year off to travel the world with his family, teaching his children valuable lessons about life and sales. He shares how sales skills are life skills and emphasizes key components for success: will, skill, strategy, and luck. Through stories and practical advice, he illustrates the importance of resilience, asking the right questions, and knowing that not every opportunity is for everyone. His message encourages embracing challenges and stepping out of one's comfort zone to thrive both personally and professionally.

Takeaways

• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The speaker, Eric Jansen, is a sales professor at Ivy Business School and a father of four who took a year off to travel the world with his family.
• ✈️ His children learned that sometimes it's not just about paying for first-class seats on a flight, but about asking the right way at the right time.
• 💼 Life is a pitch: Whether you're asking for a first-class upgrade, a job interview, or a business investment, sales skills are essential life skills.
• 🎓 Despite the prevalence of sales in careers, few colleges offer sales courses, which inspired Eric to teach sales at Ivy Business School.
• 📈 Success in sales (and life) boils down to four factors: will, skill, strategy, and luck. These factors interact in an equation to determine outcomes.
• 🏒 Will and skill are additive: having one or both can help you succeed, as demonstrated by his daughter's first time ice skating, showing willpower can compensate for lack of skill.
• 🏋️ Resilience is like a muscle: it needs to be exercised through overcoming challenges, as illustrated by his story about a young entrepreneur knocking on doors for sales.
• ❓ Questions are key in sales. Asking the right questions is like a diagnosis, and proper discovery is essential before offering solutions.
• 👟 We are not for everyone: In sales (and life), it’s important to be selective about who you work with. You don’t have to appeal to everyone, but rather focus on those that align with your values.
• 🎤 Life requires getting on stage: Whether pitching ideas or making big life decisions, it’s about stepping out of the backstage (preparation) and into the onstage (action) for real success.

Q & A

What prompted Eric Jansen to take a year off from teaching and travel the world with his family?

Eric Jansen and his wife decided to pull their four children out of school, sell their house and car, and travel the world for a year to create unforgettable experiences and memories with their family.

What lesson did Eric Jansen’s children learn when they asked for first-class seats on a flight?

They learned that life's a pitch, and although they didn’t get the first-class seats, they gained valuable experience, met the pilot, got great snacks, and had proud parents. The key takeaway was that sales skills are life skills.

Why did Eric Jansen decide to start teaching sales at IVU Business School?

Eric Jansen realized that despite his experience as an entrepreneur and the fact that many graduates end up in sales, very few universities teach sales. This motivated him to fill the gap by teaching a sales course at IVU Business School.

What is the 'secret sauce' for success in sales according to Eric Jansen?

The secret sauce for success in sales boils down to four factors: will, skill, strategy, and luck. Will and skill are additive, while strategy and luck are multiplied, meaning that each side of the equation is essential for success.

What lesson about resilience does Eric Jansen teach his students, and how does he reinforce it?

Eric teaches that resilience is like a muscle, and it can be strengthened by doing hard things. To reinforce this, he gives his students a 'resiliency challenge' where they step outside their comfort zones by performing uncomfortable tasks like cutting in line or asking a stranger out.

What is the 'sales hypocritic oath,' and why is it important?

The 'sales hypocritic oath' is the idea that you must diagnose before prescribing. In sales, like in medicine, offering a solution before understanding the customer's problem is malpractice. The process of diagnosis in sales is called 'Discovery,' and it involves asking the right questions.

What are some better alternatives to common questions asked at social events, according to Eric Jansen?

Instead of asking typical questions like 'Where are you from?' or 'What do you do for work?', Eric suggests asking more engaging questions like 'Are you working on anything exciting?' or 'What was the best part of your day or weekend?' These questions evoke positive emotions and deeper connections.

Why is it important to understand that 'We are not for everyone' in sales?

Eric emphasizes that being selective about your audience or clients is key to success. Not everyone is the right fit for your product or service, and it’s important to identify and work with those who align with your values and goals.

How did Eric Jansen’s team decide which music festivals to work with, and why was it important?

Eric's team developed a set of questions to assess potential festival partners, ensuring they were experienced and well-organized. This was crucial to avoid potential disasters like the one at TomorrowWorld in Georgia, where poor planning led to chaos. They learned to be selective about their partnerships.

What does Eric Jansen mean by 'getting on stage,' and why is it significant?

‘Getting on stage’ refers to stepping out of the comfort zone and taking action, whether it's pitching a business idea, having a job interview, or asking someone out. It’s where the 'magic' happens, and Eric encourages people to embrace these opportunities to live a full life.