Janice Porter: Hi, everyone, and welcome to this week's episode
of relationships rule. I'm very excited to have as a guest
today, Liz Wendling. Liz I met. Wow, I think through some
connection book we were in, or
Liz Wendling: was it a book Summit? It was the summit Mary.
Yeah, that's
Janice Porter: right. Yes. And I make it a point of finding all
those keen people, key people that were part of the event or
the summit or the book or whatever, and connecting with
them. And when I came across the list, I found a goldmine. I was
so excited to meet Liz, and so glad that you're here. Liz,
welcome to the show.
Liz Wendling: Thank you, Janice. Let's do it. Yes, absolutely.
Janice Porter: So Liz, I just want to tell my audience a
little bit, because this is where we're going to dig right
in. Liz is a nationally recognized speaker, a sales
consultant and author of six books. Her two most recent are
the heart of authentic selling, and sell without selling your
soul. That one is specifically for women in business. And we'll
get into that in a little bit. Liz is driven by the mantra,
it's not what you sell. It's how you sell that matters. And I
love that because here we all are women, man doesn't matter.
We're entrepreneurs or business owners were even in a career
sales, you know it for corporations. Doesn't matter
what we do we have to sell. But that seems to be the most hated
thing that people want, you know, have to do. So sorry about
that. So tell me, Liz, how do you turn people around? Why is
that the most hated thing? What is it?
Liz Wendling: Well, it's always because someone has a negative
mindset around that no different than someone that says diets
don't work, love, relationships don't work, all men suck all
women suck. It's a mindset. And I most of the time, people will
say to me, I love what I do. But I hate to sell, I love my work,
but I hate to sell. And every time I hear someone say I love
what I do, but I hate to sell I have them say I love what I do,
but I hate to make money. I love what I do, but I hate money. I
love working with clients, but I just hate money. And and it's
not about going out there and selling people something they
don't need your service or products. Product is an
exchange, you're exchanging your expertise for money. That's how
an orthopedic surgeon gets gets paid, right? And there is. So
there's a point where women especially have to stop hiding
behind the fact that they hate to do something they don't know
how to do. And most of the time, they hate it because of what
they think they have to do to get someone to buy from them. So
they think they've got to push and be aggressive and make
people do things they don't want to do when in fact that's not
selling at all that's being a jerk. And so, when ever I hear
women say I don't want to be salesy. I don't want to be self
serving. And I don't want to be pushy, Janice. I'm hoping we
dive into this today because every time a woman says I don't
want to be self serving pushy, aggressive, they're actually
showing up that way. They actually sound self serving
aggressive salesy and pushy because of the language choices,
they're making. The words they're putting in an email, the
messages they're leaving in a voicemail actually makes them
sound as salesy as it gets. So a lot of people will be surprised
with some of the words and language language that people
use that make them sound like an old school salesperson, the very
thing they want to avoid is what they sound like,
Janice Porter: sound like, wow, you know, I'm going to age
myself. But back, back in the day, I used to teach customer
service. And I taught a lot through the I was a trainer at
the local telephone company. And we'd sell big phone systems to
organizations and we would go out and train them on how to use
them. And then the soft skills. I take the receptionist and the
first point of contact in the different departments and I do
phone, conversation, you know, phone courtesy with them. And
back in those days, I used to hear all the time when I
listened to those people answered the phone, they would
say things like, and they were always women, nine, nine out of
10 times say things like I'm sorry, he's not here at the
moment. He's you know, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I missed you
or I sorry, I missed the call or they're always apologizing. Yes.
They were always making excuses. And that was I realized and
showed those people what they were doing is it was more about
again, their belief or lack of belief in their in themselves in
the power that they had to take action. He's out for lunch right
now. May I take a message not sorry, he's out for lunch. Okay,
can you help me that you know, right, right. Yeah. Have lots of
things. It's the same principle I feel. And think about with the
sales piece of languaging around sales, and not apologizing,
which women do all the time.
Liz Wendling: He makes men do it too. And it isn't only I'm so
sorry. Think of it this way. I know you're busy. So I won't
take up too much of your time. I know you have a lot on your
plate. So I'll get to the point. I know you have way more going
on than I do. I'm just sitting here trying to make a living and
you're busier than me. It isn't. Yes, it's about the words, but
it's the energy and how it lands on someone. So when you say to
someone, I know you're busy, I won't take up too much of your
time. That isn't for the other person. That is typically for
the person who's using it. You feel like you have to apologize
for doing your job. You feel like you have to say I'm so
sorry, I know you're busy. I'm not because of how you feel
inside you.
Janice Porter: That's your, your mindset and your lack of
confidence. Right?
Liz Wendling: So when someone says I don't want to sound
salesy or self serving, and they say something crappy like that,
I know you're busy. And I won't take up too much of your time.
The person who you just said that to is thinking, all right,
well, you just took up too much of my time with that stupid
saying stop and get to the point. So all this time when
someone says I don't want to do this, what they don't realize is
that it's like playing golf and you say I don't want to go in
the sand trap. Well, your brain only hears go in the sand trap.
So when you say I don't want to sound salesy, and you show up
salesy anyway. So you're not doing yourself any favors
declaring what you don't want to be, let's talk about who you do
want to be and how you do want to show up.
Janice Porter: Okay, so can you give me a perfect example of
turning that around and showing up the way you in today's world
the way you would do it?
Liz Wendling: Well, I would first say Stop apologizing, stop
minimizing yourself, stop putting yourself in a less than
position by apologizing for you being a strong business person,
stop making you look like you're less than everyone else, by
showing up with the energy of I'm less than you, I'm just
trying to get your attention. My time, your time is more valuable
than mine. So I tell people leave it out. Why do you have to
say I know you're busy, I won't take up your time are you I'm so
sorry to bother you, sorry, to be a pest. We'll take that
language out. It doesn't belong in that conversation and step
into the power that you own versus giving away your power in
the first sentence of a phone call. So it doesn't belong
there. Get to the meat of the message. So I am, if you said
something like, I know you're busy. So I won't take up too
much of your time. What if in your head, you said it didn't
come out of your mouth? What would be the next sentence? You
start with the very next sentence. All right. So if you
don't, if you want to get to the point, sorry, you're busy, I
know you're busy. I'll get to the point, well then get the
hair. So the whole idea is then get into the meat of your
message. I can't tell someone what to say. Because I don't
know what they're calling about. But when you call and say,
Janice, I'm glad I caught you. Or oh, Janice, I'm so glad
you're I got you live reason I'm calling is yes. Very right. I
mean, take the not control. You don't want to be controlling,
but you're taking charge of what you're doing. People are busy,
they don't have five seconds to waste on lame language that puts
you in a bad spot. Okay, add up and own it.
Janice Porter: I think it's would you agree that it's that
it's fine to say hey, I'm glad you're there. Thanks for taking
my call, or thanks for picking up the phone. I always like that
today because nobody does. And those that do. I appreciate
that. That's so lovely. You know, I want to see now I could
stop myself right away, right? Or I'm calling about or want to
share with you or something like that. Just read into it that I
would assume would be okay. But and
Liz Wendling: not to use three or four of them. Oh, I'm so glad
you picked up the phone. It's so nice to talk to you. I'm so
like, okay, just pick one and get to the point.
Janice Porter: Got it. Okay, so language is really important.
And there are, I've heard you, in some of your videos talk
about that. So many of those trite phrases that we use, and
that are outdated. And I know one of your phrases is to say
when you change your language, you change your results. And
that's a good thing to keep in my head. So. So let's talk about
follow up because now follow up is the same thing. It's whether
you write the email or whether you pick up the phone and leave
a voice message, or however you do it. Do you have a rule of
thumb around how to do that effectively?
Liz Wendling: Well, I tell people that follow up is not
activity, it's a process you have to look at follow up as a
process in your business. It isn't one activity. Oh, let me
follow up with Jan. No, it's not that. So what I first of all, I
call it the F word because it is you might know that's done you
want to type out I'm just following up treat it as if you
use the real F word. But it isn't only follow up. It's
following up touching base reaching out checking in. We're
talking about 40 years ago, we've been using that same
phrase. And sometimes will say Just following up just touching
base just wanted to try you one more time. Thought I would
follow up but I haven't heard from you. I sent you 17 other
messages. So I always tell people, first of all, strip out
those words strip out following up touching base reaching out
and checking and they don't belong in our conversations.
First of all, you're already doing the act of follow up. Why
do you have to announce I'm going to take an inhale Now
Janet, at Janice. And now I'm going to exhale, Janice, what
you don't have to announce what you're doing. You're breathing?
Just do it. You're following up, just do it. So it's stripping
that out? And understanding that follow up is a continuation of
what you've already started. Right? Isn't that what the what
it really is. And if people are not getting back to you, it has
nothing to do with your message you can send 15 Follow up
messages. If people are avoiding you. What that tells me is that
you missed the mark in your sales conversation, it means
someone doesn't feel connected and confident to get back to
you. You've you did something in the conversation that caused
them to completely disconnect from you and avoid all your
communication. So good. Yeah, I thought
Janice Porter: I did have a thought because I'm in a process
right now with somebody who I had a an initial sales call, I
guess. Okay. Yeah. And they they asked lots of questions. They
were looking at, you know, different ways that they could
do this for LinkedIn training. And it's a strange time right
now with July, August, they're in a, I don't want to say who's
busy what business it was. I was just looking at on their
LinkedIn profile their their posts, and they've been busy and
whatever, because I haven't heard back from her. Okay. And I
thought maybe I'll just send a quick message by LinkedIn. And I
don't even know what now what I said. But I would be curious to
know, let's do it. Because maybe I was thinking this, okay. Let's
see if I did. I said, I hope you had a great July 4 celebration,
and that you've survived the crazy weather happening in the
Northeast. And here it is, I thought I'd check back with you
to see if you're still thinking of doing some LinkedIn training
or if you have any questions for me.
Liz Wendling: Okay, that was in. Okay. All right. All right, a
couple of let's just be transparent, because if I'm
honest with you, someone will learn from it that's full of a
couple of fails inside of that. So okay, I am in unless you
really know someone, first of all, if you and I know each
other now, a couple of weeks. Yeah. I still wouldn't even put
in an email. Hey, Janice. I hope you had a great Fourth of July
weekend. I wouldn't start there. I would end there. That's so
funny,
Janice Porter: cuz I had it the other way around. And then I
changed it today.
Liz Wendling: Because when you say to someone, hey, I hope
you're doing well. Hope. I hope you had a great weekend. I hope
all as well, I hope this email finds you. Well. The recipient
is thinking No, you freaking don't. You are. Do I really
think you sat there and thought, Oh, I hope Liz had a really
wonderful weekend. No, nobody believes that anymore. So I'm
not suggesting you not be nice, Janice. I'm suggesting there's
there's a way to re engineer an email these days. So I would put
that at the end PS I hope you survived. I saw the crazy
weather in the northeast, something like that. But But
here's where i where i i try to dig in first is how did you end
that meeting with this particular person? How what was
the last communication you had with? Let's call her Mary Smith.
Would you say to Mary at the end of that,
Janice Porter: I was weird because usually what I do is I
try to book a follow up call with them. Because I felt like
she was definitely in control. And she was saying I'm going to
review all of this over the next while I do have a project and
doing she said but I'm going to review it and I will get back to
you. You know, the kiss of death. I'll get back to you but
that but I didn't think it was over. Okay. And so that's how it
ended.
Liz Wendling: How do you typically end up? Do you
typically try to get a meeting booked?
Janice Porter: Yeah, I typically will say, I don't know what,
what, why I didn't do that, in this particular instance. She
wasn't a typical type of client for me. And so there could have
been something there from my side, internally. But, um, but I
normally will say something like, you know, absolutely,
would it be okay, if we set a time on our calendar, we get so
busy, and I'll just, we'll just do a quick follow up call either
way, doesn't matter, like something to take the pressure
off, but to book the call,
Liz Wendling: okay. But all the language you just used when you
when you listen to this recording everything you said,
you gave away your power? Would it be okay? Could we get
something on there just to check in just to make sure you stay
Janice Porter: connected clients.
Liz Wendling: So this is the kind of stuff Janice and I
appreciate you being a model and showing that I know you and I
know you're a kind lady, and I know you're only trying to keep
that momentum going. But here's where that language, we take all
the air out of the tires, and then we think the car is going
to go somewhere. Okay, frame it for me. So it sounded like when
you were describing this person, she was asking all of the
questions versus you. Okay, so let, she might have just been
one of those people that had no interest in doing business with
you. Someone who's interested answers questions, because
you're the driver, the you're the person.
Janice Porter: He did ask what? Oh, okay. All right. It was a
back and forth. And she had her social media guy on the call.
Liz Wendling: All right, yeah. So then I personally would have
handled it a little differently. And it's what I teach my clients
is at the end of the meeting, asking to book a next meeting is
a little, there's a little pressure in that. That's making
me behave on your timeline. Versus you behaving on mine, the
buyer? Yeah. So when so? To me, it sounds that languaging is a
little outdated. Everybody will say, Oh, you got to book that
next meeting. Don't leave one call without the next one. All
right, if it was still 9995, I'd say all right, that's perfect.
We're not anymore. Okay. So it is. So remember, follow up is a
process. It's not an event, you treat it like an event. So I
would say, if let's I'm going to channel that woman that you are
on the phone with, I might say, Janice, I appreciate your
honesty, and you're going to review everything. And it's you
know, it's nice to know you're looking at some options, and I
appreciate your communication. How would you like us to stay in
communication now? This is you on the phone or a zoom call with
someone collaborating around follow up, not you saying, hey,
I want to get you on my calendar, so I can try to sell
you a little more. And I know that's not what you said. But
that's what they heard.
Janice Porter: Yes, yes. I love that. Okay, Mike has to move
forward.
Liz Wendling: So if I said to you, hey, Janice, I know you're
gonna get crazy. I'm gonna get crazy. We're in that July August
timeframe where people are on vacation. What what do you want
us to do next? What's the next step? Let me tell you versus you
telling me, the buyer is I don't want you to completely give up
the control to the buyer. But I want you to be collaborative. I
want everyone to think that this is a we situation, not me trying
to tell you what, here's what I want. I want to talk. Yeah,
that's awesome. And you will, and when the language does get
changed. So when I say change your language, change your
results. It is amazing when I get in there, and I work with
someone and we shift all the language and then they'll say to
me, holy crap, plus, I sent one, one message and that person got
right back to me. Or it only took two tries to get ahold of
this person. Or I've emailed this person 10 times and they're
not responding. And then I give them some language to kind of
kick up the dust again. And they're like, Oh, my God, that
person got right back to me. But you sound like everyone else
inside their inbox. Everyone else sounds a lot like the
message you left. Everyone says, just checking in following up
touching base. You're ready to get started. I know we talked
about that. It isn't enough to get people to keep the momentum
going.
Janice Porter: Can I can I save her? Can I salvage this? If she
doesn't answer me?
Liz Wendling: Yeah, you might be able to go back and say to her,
said there was no problem in that email, meaning you didn't
say to her, you and I talked about the potential of XY and Z.
You mentioned you were struggling with this or wanted
some help around that. I don't know if that's still a priority
or still on your radar. But it lets either to keep the momentum
going or figure out what the next step looks like if there is
a next step. So there's a lot more, there's just more ways to
engage someone than your basic boring, bland, vanilla generic
and outdated, same old, lame old language of just following up.
Janice Porter: Perfect. I fell right into your trap. And it's
perfect.
Liz Wendling: Thank you. Thank you for showing everybody that
this is not intuitive. This is not this is why people call me
and say I need a makeover. I need your sales clinic, I need
to be in your messaging makeover. And once you do it and
fix it, you never need me again. That's the best part. You
Janice Porter: gonna say? So tell me tell me how you feel
about Do you ever do LinkedIn messaging for working messages
on LinkedIn? That kind of thing? Like a
Liz Wendling: prospecting message? Yes, absolutely. All
the time? Yes.
Janice Porter: Okay. So, obviously, none of us want to be
pitched. So we don't want the first message to be a pitch,
right? And it happens all the time. And it happens all the
time, then we've got some people who, okay, it's, it's the the
complete opposite, where it's just that that generic, you
know, let's book you know, nice to meet you. Let's book a call
and see how we can help each other on LinkedIn or whatever.
It was expanding my LinkedIn thing, and you know, you came up
and and then I, so do you ever do something like this, and I
haven't done this, but I want to just test the waters with this.
So where you've done a search, you found a group of people that
you would like to try and connect with in terms of their,
their job function, or their, their business or their
location, whatever the filters are, that you want, and you
found a group of people. Now you start on your outreach, I always
check. Because I teach LinkedIn, I taught I teach people to look
at that person's profile to see number one, if they're active.
Number two, if it feels like it might be a fit, and you want to
pursue it. So now the first message goes out. So would you
ever do something like this? Let's say my, my, my audience
are all business consultants. Okay, there. Yeah, so let's say
I've created a an ebook around how business consultants can use
LinkedIn with my tips or something like that. So my first
message now, I would say you have to connect first.
Liz Wendling: Let's assume you're connected. So
Janice Porter: in some format, some form of saying, you know,
would you be interested in in my top 10 tips for using LinkedIn
as a business or growing your business on LinkedIn as a
business consultant? If so, just say, yes, I'd be happy to send
it to you, something like that. Does that seem pitchy? A little
bit
Liz Wendling: the term would you be interested,
Janice Porter: you know, like that. Right?
Liz Wendling: That is that screams. salesy. Yeah. Would you
be interested if I could show you a way to save money on your
car insurance? So without getting into a full blown
training here, that's, that is a way to get in and asking them to
reply back is better than just dropping it in there. And
Janice Porter: I'm looking for a way to to qualify people, right?
They obviously say, yes, they're interested. They're more
interested in that, you know, that at least you can send it to
them. And, but I'm just wondering if that approach is
still salesy. So instead of would you be interested? How
would you frame it?
Liz Wendling: Well, it would be a whole rewrite of that email,
because, first of all, why them? What's inside these 10 tips that
I couldn't go google or Go to chat? GPT what is it in your
stuff that's unique or different or insightful? So there's,
there's has to be more meat on the bones is the only way that I
can describe it.
Janice Porter: And yet the reason I'm asking this is
because I was listening to someone talking about this the
other day on a podcast. One of the things that this person was
saying is that he had a really good first email that he had
used for yours and similar to that, but longer so it had a bit
more meat in it. But it wasn't getting a response today and
that's why he changed it to one sentence type of deal. It is
working. So that kind of brings me to the question of like,
what's different today with with the audience then it was you
know, because you keep saying those are outdated, these things
are outdated. So what, how, what's different today about the
audience and more sophisticated or they
Liz Wendling: are within their She's so much more skeptical.
their inboxes are bloated, and they're filled with pitches.
They're filled with messages that sound like, Hey, I hope you
had a good weekend. Yeah, it looks like you're a busy
consultant or Oh, you like the color blue soda? Why isn't that
crazy. And then they pitch someone. So there if your
message isn't written, here's the key, written to me, not at
me write a message to me, not at me make it feel like Janice sat
down and wrote it to me, a message that feels like it's
landing in my inbox with intention, not generic, see,
generic just doesn't do it any more. Because of how bloated my
inbox, I could spot an email, that is a sales pitch. Sometimes
even before I log on to LinkedIn, I could feel it coming
through my computer. And too many people don't want to put
the time in and the energy and the thought in and what word
choices feel good to me. Who am I as a business owner? And how
do I want to show up? What do I want to convey? How what
intention do I want to start with, so that my very first
interaction with someone actually starts to build
momentum. So, and I hear this a lot, Oh, I heard on a podcast or
one trainer told me this, or oh, I downloaded a template and it
worked. Somebody made $8 million dollars in five minutes on this
thing. Just because something is popular doesn't mean it works.
It just means it's popular. Okay, just because everybody's
doing it doesn't mean it works. And just because it worked for
one person might not work for you. So this is why people are
spinning their wheels. This is why so many people are hitting
brick walls, whether it's on LinkedIn, or email or any part
of their business, because they're looking for a tactic.
They're looking for that pie in the sky, that one little nugget,
that hack that they could use, versus stepping back far enough
and saying, wait a second, if I'm going to do the work, I'm
going to type out 456 emails to someone. Why don't I first
figure out what I want to convey? What's the intention?
How do I want to keep the momentum going with them? How do
I even send an email that? And I would never suggest anybody say
this, but just to get the meat here is? How do I stop
connecting with someone? If there's nothing there? How do I
let them know that I'm done? I'm pausing our outreach? How do you
talk to someone the way they like to be talked to, versus
sounding like, I'm not trying to sell you anything, when every
word you use makes it sounds like you are. So the
Janice Porter: in order to be authentic. And to be real, I
think involves really two sides to that coin. One is that you
the person writing it sending the message has to come from the
heart, they have to be real. The only way I find that I can be
real with someone I don't know, is by paying attention to like
what's on their profile or, or what I've learned about that
person before I reach out so that if I can include something
in my message that shows that I paid attention. Would that be
like 10 times better? Or is it still not still?
Liz Wendling: Make Janice Think about how many people say, Oh, I
popped on your LinkedIn profile? It looks like again, you were
you written two books, or oh, it looks like we went on the scene
on knowledge. Yeah, okay. That isn't enough anymore. In fact, I
would rather someone leave that out, then use it. Because it
brings me back from eight years ago, it brings me back to the
LinkedIn training that says, find something on their profile,
and mention it. Like that's going to open me up and fillet
me like a fish. And now I'm going to be the favorite person,
your favorite person in the world. It's not enough people,
our whole art. They're on guard. So when you say something like,
oh, I What a great article you wrote last week. All right.
Okay, but that doesn't make me want to know you and if any more
than I do. So
Janice Porter: this really because there's people that will
respond and say, basically, they'll respond and say, so I'm
very busy. Basically, what? I can help you with that, right?
And so
Liz Wendling: those aren't my people. Not only is it not your
people, it tells you you missed the target. Yeah, target
completely. So I appreciate people who do the work, who are
getting on LinkedIn, who are sending outreach who are doing
podcasts who are doing so much of the good meaty stuff in their
business. But I feel bad when they don't take the time to
close the loop. So they're doing all of the good stuff and they
forget that say Sales is a process sales is a conversation.
Sales is a service piece, following up as a is not an
event, it's a process. And how do you button up all your hard
work in the beginning to ensure that somebody even wants to
communicate with you, and then maybe eventually hop on the
phone with you, and then maybe eventually say, hey, Janice,
tell me about your LinkedIn program. And so it's it's
building that momentum. And I know people will say it's all
about relationships, it's all about know, like, and trust, and
I call BS on both. Here's why. It I know a lot of people, I
like a lot of people, and I trust a lot of people. But that
doesn't mean you get a penny of my money. Know, like, and trust
only gets you a ticket to the game. Relevance. And value is
where I'm going to start communicating with you if what
you tell me is relevant to my world, and really will help me
in my business, and there's value in that. I'll give you a
sliver of my time. Other than that, you're getting deleted.
That's it. So it's taking the time, all that time, all that
energy and money, people invest on programs that do fill up a
pipeline, but then will not invest in the piece that I
teach, which is the right language and the right
messaging. So it feels like you are in the in the process with
them not trying to sell them something. And it's hard to
watch Janice it really is it's, it's like you watch people in
the gym, they just ran 20 miles on the treadmill. But then you
go see them and they're at the drive thru at McDonald's eating
for Big Macs, you know, that it's something is wrong with
their workout. They'll say I'm not, I'm not losing any weight.
I don't understand. Well, I just saw you at the drive thru. Same
thing with my clients. They'll say, Listen, I'm doing this, I'm
doing that I have all this in place. And then I asked them my
top 10 favorite questions, and then we figure out oh, you're
going to the drive thru at McDonald's now again. So then,
and only then are they willing to close the loop, finish that
last portion, so that everything they do has has value and
meaning and starts to make money, move the momentum?
Janice Porter: So are you then saying though, that it is about
building relationships first or not? No, you're saying not see,
relationships? You're challenging everything I am,
Liz Wendling: I am counter to everything. Because for 50
years, we heard it's all about relationships. Everything's
about a relationship.
Janice Porter: It was more it was more transactional back
then.
Liz Wendling: Right? But when I hear it's all about
relationships, don't sell, just serve. All those little mantras
mean nothing anymore. People are busy. They they, I don't need a
relationship with everybody I do business with, right. I mean, I
have my kitchen and bathrooms done right? totally remodeled. I
don't need a relationship with the guy who did it all I don't,
I just need you to show me that you're the right person for the
job. And that when someone asked me who did my kitchen and
bathrooms, your name comes up. I haven't talked to the guy in
three years. But we have a working relationship, but not
yet we would people think is Oh, you have to build relationships.
I'm not saying they're not important. Where the
relationship becomes important is when you agree to do business
together. And you treat each other like the human beings we
have the capacity to do. And that's where the relationship
gets solidified. I might know you like and trust you to get
you to talk to you. But I'm going to need some relevance and
some value. That's where the relationship really gets
enhanced. So the pieces on the chessboard have moved. So
anytime you want to throw out a mantra that says it's all about
this, or oh sales are about listening, you know what course
it is? But is that all? It is? No, it's the whole package. So
it's having me the ability to step far enough back and say,
Where do I plug the holes in a new world? That's so different?
And it's plugging those holes. And I bet you have a decade if
you plug the holes, you probably have a decade of runway to
continue to use those. That process.
Janice Porter: Hmm, interesting. Okay, so the two most recent
books that you've written, which I mentioned earlier, the heart
of authentic selling, sell without selling your soul, which
one's going to help me the most?
Liz Wendling: Well, I because you're a woman, I would say go
to sell without selling your soul because it does go into a
lot of what we talked about today. And even the heart of
authentic selling, it really comes down to being a good human
being is really what it comes down to. Now in both of those
books, there's examples there's ways to build value. There's
ways to show people that I'm not here just for the sale, and
actually mean it and it's felt it's not just you saying I'm
authentic. It's being it's so much that somebody else is the
one who says you're so authentic. Yes, it's having
being such a good human being and so good at asking questions
and helping people see the value in your offering. That's when
they say, Janice, how do we get started? Not. Thank you for your
thank you for your information. I'll get back to you.
Janice Porter: Yes, I know there recently somebody said to me on
a first call. Wow, you've given me such value already. Yes. You
know, is now the opening, you know, and I loved that. And so
it's paying attention to those kinds of things that work, I
think, yes. Well, I have to say, Liz, you, you challenged me in
more ways than one today, I'm glad that I was able to be the
guinea pig in a way because I'm always open to learning. And I
know, for me, I didn't come up through sales, even though I
know we're always selling. I was a teacher. And so I was a school
teacher than I was a corporate trainer. I never had to sell
anything. All I had to do was go out and show them how to use it.
Right. Right. So I everything I've learned is self taught and
and there's always room for improvement. So thank you, thank
you for sharing your viewpoint and your expertise with us.
Liz Wendling: You're welcome. And thanks for being coachable
live for everybody to say. Yeah,
Janice Porter: absolutely. And I would like to just end with with
one question for you to just leave for my audience is, what
would your top tip for sales be for being the best salesperson
you can be? What would be the best thing that you could leave
with my audience?
Liz Wendling: Oh, gosh, I guess I'm gonna stay up there with the
topic that we're on is watch your language. Watch what comes
out of your mouth. Watch what you tell yourself, and then what
leaves your lips. If you say to yourself, oh, I don't want to be
salesy, but then you look at your language and you are
salesy. That's a sign right there that you're not congruent
in your language and who you're being and how you're showing up.
And if you don't think your potential clients notice, you're
lying to yourself, they feel it. And when they don't respond to
you, they don't call you back. They don't hire you. They keep
saying, Oh, not yet. It's a sign that something isn't lined up
inter externally and internally. And once you get those, like a
piece of velcro stuck together your internal and external way
of being, it's going to be a little challenging in a world
that's getting more and more challenging to sell every single
day.
Janice Porter: Thank you. Thank you for that. Thank you, Janice.
And thank you to my audience as usual for being here and
listening. If you liked what you heard, please leave a review and
let us know. And remember to stay connected and be remembered