Digital transformation is one of the most popular topics these days. Thus, in this Expert Insight Interview, Justin Esgar discusses the significance of digital transformation for companies. Justin Esgar is a Founder and CEO of a Virtua Consulting Group with many divisions as Software Development Group, Apple Certified Consultancies, and Business Growth Conferences.

The interview discusses:

• Increased need for technology
• Selecting the right technology
• Staying lean
• Emerging from pandemic with technology

Communication Tools

With the expansion of virtual work, everyone had to figure out how to keep the communication since they could not just walk into someone’s office anymore. Some used video tools like Zoom, while others used non-video tools like Teams or Slack. These new tools might feel overwhelming at first but can be very beneficial if used right.

The Selection Process

From the human standpoint, people have to like what you propose. For instance, if they do not want to use Slack, implementing it within your team would be a waste of time. On the technology side, the best way is to pivot and try out different tools. If some does not work for you, move on, and look for other ones. If it works well, use it until it stops being useful. A tool does not have to perform 100 percent because that kind of tool does not exist. If a tool performs around 80 percent, that tool can help you maximize your productivity. The missing 20 percent you can build in later. For instance, if your ticketing system does not connect with your invoicing tool, find a way to integrate those too, and you will be at 100 percent productivity.

Stay Lean

People are not even aware of how much technology they have in their companies. Staying lean with the amount of technology you use keeps your team knowledge easily transferable if something goes wrong and keeps your client base organized. People tend to add more tools to their lists without removing the unnecessary ones. Thus, before adding new technology to your team, think about whether it will allow you time to do more high-value things.

Current Marker Demand

The main question for many companies nowadays is what is the optimal way for people to continue their work and which technology do they need for it? Is it continuing remote work, bringing them back to the office, or implementing a hybrid model? Thus, leadership needs to forget about their long-term plans and focus more on the direction they want their organizations to go in the next 6 to 24 months. That way, they can adjust their technology to keep productivity levels.

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

Increasing productivity in Sales is one of the greatest challenges facing sales teams today. Ago Cluytens of the RAIN Group joins #SalesChats to provide insight and advice on how this can be achieved. There are only so many selling hours each day so how you use this precious time can be the difference between achieving quota and missing out. 

The 30 minutes you spend with us live on YouTube could be your greatest investment this year!

Recorded Live – 18th June at 9am PT

EPISODE QUESTIONS:

Q1:  What are the three “keys” to productivity that you’ve uncovered?

Q2: What’s a simple trick to ignite your proactivity?

Q3: Can you describe the Habit Loop you’ve uncovered?

Our Guest

Ago Cluytens

Ago Cluytens is Practice Director EMEA at RAIN Group, and a recognized global B2B sales thought leader on understanding the buyer’s perspective in sales, Insight Selling, and selling to the C-suite.

Links › Rain Group | linkedin.com | Twitter

Our Hosts

John Golden

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

Martha Neumeister

Martha is a social media strategist, responsible for all social media platforms of Pipeliner CRM. She is a communication expert with social media affinity, which she has been focusing on throughout her professional career. She has a bachelor´s degree in Entrepreneurship & Management and a master´s degree in Online Marketing which supports her in her career as Social Media Strategist.

About SalesChats

SalesChats is a fast-paced (no more than 30 minutes) multi-media series that provides leading strategies, tactics and thinking for sales professionals worldwide. It can be found on Twitter (#SalesChats), as a live Google+ Hangout, and as a podcast available on iTunes, SoundCloud and right here on SalesPOP! If you think you would make a great guest for #SalesChats, please contact co-host Martha Neumeister.

SalesChats is co-hosted by John Golden, CSO Pipeliner CRM, and Martha Neumeister, Social Media Strategist Pipeliner CRM.

How much digital transformation has happened in your company? In this Expert Insight Interview, Kris Nicolaou discusses the importance of digital transformation within the company and how the pandemic has accelerated that need. Kris Nicolaou is a Web Consultant and Strategist at Brain Box Labs, building automating web solutions for all types and sizes of businesses.

The interview discusses:

• Realizing the problem and finding solutions
• Increasing interest in automation
• Levels of technical sophistication among people
• The future of technology

Problems and Solutions

Many companies think they are doing well because they lose only around five percent of clients annually. Other businesses see they have a problem, and they use many different tools to find a solution but unsuccessfully. The problem with both types is that they lack the external set of eyes to see the picture more clearly and find the root of the problem. That is where the consulting companies are of great benefit.

Consulting companies are the best way to find the problem and automate it so that people do not have to spend too much valuable time on it but refocus their work on things that they do the best. With automation, the computer handles manual processes, so people can focus more on people skills that computers cannot do as feelings, intuition, judgment perspective, etc.

Interest for Automation

Nowadays, especially post-pandemic, people are starting to think about how to make their processes more efficient. They see that their employees spend too much time on low-value tasks, and to scale their business, they will have to hire more people. Thus, this is the time to be proactive at automating business processes.

Technical Satisfaction

While people are starting to understand the possibilities that technology offers, they are still surprised at which extent. Thus, consulting companies should educate people on how thinking differently and looking for the pain points can enable them to get effective solutions.

The Next Big Focus

The future is definitely in artificial intelligence and machine learning. We already automated the process. Thus, the next is trying to teach the machine to mimic how people think. For instance, in sales, to learn the computer to understand converting or what closes the most sales.

Also, to break the misconception that machines will take on the world and force people out of their jobs. There are things that AI does better than humans. Thus, business-wise, to use the advantage that AI offers to find and deliver the most efficiency on the human side.

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

How to be a bank on your own? In this Expert Insight Interview, Sarry Ibrahim discusses making sure that your money is somewhere safe and accessible with infinite banking. Sarry Ibrahim runs the Financial Asset Protection company and hosts Thinking Like a Bank podcast.

The interview discusses:

• What is infinite banking?
• Do people know about it?
• How to set it up?
• Any limitations?

Infinite Banking

Infinite banking means utilizing your Whole life insurance and using it as your source of financing. The Whole life insurance has cash value because it has a saving account to grow, receive dividends, compound interest, etc. It satisfies your leverage needs because you can borrow money while using it. It also eliminates the liquidity issues that many small and medium business owners deal with, allowing them to get business funding without stressful bank applications.

Unknown Concept

This concept is still half known to the public. Some people did hear or read something about it, while others are not aware of its existence. The reason might be because media, banks, and other large institutions heavily promote the stock market and bank accounts. And since this is an option to grow your wealth “outside of the Wall Street,” it is a less-known option.

The Process

If you are interested in this option, you should first get familiar with the concept online. The second thing is to schedule a call with the company for consultations. Next comes financial analysis, in which the company gets to know your current financial situation and future goals and objectives. You will also learn about how the policy works regarding funding, borrowing, paying off, etc. Then, it gets submitted to the underwriting, and if it gets approved, you can start funding it. The whole process takes approximately six months.

Through the whole process, the company makes sure that you have the support and necessary information. Also, every six months, your policy gets reviewed to ensure that everything is on the right track.

No Limitations

A good thing about infinite banking is that it does not have any limitations. The process has to go through medical underwriting being a little riskier for older people, but it is still achievable. That is where the financial analysis step comes in to address all the factors. In that case, an elderly can be an owner of the policy, but a grandkid, kid, business partner, somebody else will be insured.

Moreover, how much money you put into your account depends solely on you. The more money you put, the more you will have in the future on a tax-favored basis. Returns on infinite banking are conservative, four to six percent annually. However, this is an excellent savings and risk mitigation strategy that allows tax benefits and the use of other investments.

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

Are you satisfied with yourself and what you have achieved so far? In this Expert Insight Interview, Tracy Litt discusses becoming the next level of yourself. Tracy Litt is a mindset teacher and spiritual advisor for women leaders, TEDx speaker, thought leader, and author of the book Worthy Human.

The interview discusses:

• Willingness to make a change
• Emotional suppression
• Spirituality
• Personal growth

Willingness to Change

Many people default to a career and life by setting limitations for themselves. There is another level to go to, but you have to be willing to change. We can achieve the transformation we desire by learning how to utilize it through our inner power. However, as a society, we are great at negative self-talk. The key is not to overcome it but to heal and push through it. Our negative self-image comes from early childhood that we kept in our adult life too. Thus, we have to heal the little child in ourselves. But again, we must be willing to take a look at our past and to collect valuable data to make a necessary change.

Even though we live in a culture that opposes taking time for yourself, slowing down allows you to experience your growth journey. It is necessary to break the habit of thinking that the more you do, the more worthy you are. Instead, allowing time for your feelings and relaxation gives you the space you need to become the next level of yourself.

Emotional Suppression

Today’s corporate leadership model is wrong because it focuses more on a title and authority than vulnerability, transparency, compassion, and support. We should support one another and not reward others for being strong while suppressing their emotions.

Spirituality

Contrary to many beliefs, spirituality is not a religion but believing in something higher than yourself, whatever that is. We are all spiritual beings with human experiences. By being spiritual, you are also more productive and connected at work because you trust something higher to guide you. Spirituality requires a high level of fate and trust, and it might be hard for some people to achieve it because we live in a world where everyone wants tangible proof.

Personal Growth

Furthermore, people sometimes deny themselves living by their own truth to satisfy other peoples’ expectations. But then, they won’t have their authentic life experience. If some people are blocking you from experiencing that, you should remove them from your life. In order to grow, we have to let go of people and things and allow ourselves to expand. And the more you grow, the less you need. Your needs and wants change because now you are satisfied with yourself internally.

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist

Some salespeople seem highly confident, but as human beings, we all have our doubts. Thus, in this Expert insight Interview, Marc Pitman discusses his new book: The Surprising Gift of Doubt: Use Uncertainty to Become the Exceptional Leader You Are Meant to Be. Marc Pitman is the Founder of The Concord Leadership Group, an executive coach, speaker, and author.

The interview discusses:

• Dealing with imposter syndrome
• Realizing and accepting your gifts and abilities
• Embracing coaching
• Honoring and operating with integrity

The Imposter Syndrome

A good part of the imposter syndrome encourages people to stretch out of their comfort zone and grow. But, it also has a negative side when one feels inauthentic and phony. Sometimes it happens that a person is learning something new, but it does not feel right. For example, if an introverted person would train for a job position that consists only of making calls and going among people for networking. In that case, the inner nudge pushes the people to incorporate what they learn to become part of their authentic selves. Many introverts write a letter they never send, but that gives them time to think about what they will say to people before they speak.

Gifts and Abilities

Many people do not recognize their gifts because they are so used to them. However, once we accept the things we can do, we also start acknowledging our limitations. Having self-awareness and knowing what you should and should not do is critical for managerial roles. Moreover, focus on your strengths rather than your weaknesses. Do things that come naturally to you, and leave other things for people that come naturally to them.

Realizing our abilities does not come easy to people. A good practice is to think of a fictional character that you most identify with or admire. By doing that, you see yourself but in a different light. However, this is not a linear process, and this approach might not work. It is okay to invest time into professional development and to try new things.

Professional Help

The best sales managers are good at coaching people. They are not trying to force people to act like them. Instead, they agree on the outcome they want with people and then coach them to make that happen. Accepting coaching and investing your time and money into coaching is very beneficial.

The Integrity

Working with integrity is one of the best tools that you can have today. It means incorporating your stories, core values, goals, and personal mission and vision to work together in complete solidarity. Also, knowing your values, your why, is a powerful thing because it enables you to make better decisions for yourself and people who depend on you.

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

How to leave your shell and show your shine to the world? In this Expert Insight Interview, Jessica Zemple discusses how to live and lead personally and professionally from the place of love rather than fear. Jessica Zemple is a Founder at Life Schucker, life and business coach, motivational speaker, and author of the book Shuck This Way: 44 Ways to Shuck Open Your Shell and Shine.

This interview discusses:

• Opening up our shell
• Starting to see things differently
• Scheduling time for yourself
• Having big dreams

Shuck Your Shell

Just how pearls come from the grits in the oysters, that is how all the gritty experiences we go through in life create the beauty of our lives. However, we also sometimes have shells around ourselves, usually to protect us from the fear. But if those shells stay around us for too long, they start limiting us. Thus, to let our pearl free, we must check our shell, and the way to do it is – love.

Baby Steps

Sometimes when we are struggling, it is hard to see things from a different perspective. Thus, the best thing is to slow down. Slowing down forces us to start looking at things differently. By slowing down, we realize that what we thought of as a challenge might be a blessing instead. For example, losing an employee might feel shocking at first, but then we see that space has just opened up for a new person to come to our business. And the second thing is not to take things personally. Having a mindset that people operate from positive intentions even if they operate differently will help you create connection and collaboration instead of parting ways.

Block Your Time

However, slowing down to think when struggling is pretty counterintuitive to the culture we live in nowadays. Thus, scheduling some time for yourself in your calendar will actually force you to leave some space for yourself. That can be walking, running, anything that will make you think more and react less. Also, start looking at how to schedule your business obligations. Everything does not have to be immediate. Removing our false sense of urgency and pressure will allow for things to flow and grow naturally.

Dream Big

We all should be allowed to dream big, but many people have things that hold them back from that. Some are afraid of failure, but more have a fear of success. Thus, they start coming up with excuses preventing themselves from doing things they want. It is crucial to redefine what success means to you. Success is not always money or fame, but something significant and valuable to you personally. Also, surround yourself with the people who dream big too, fight their fears, and bring positive energy and encouragement.

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

How to get fit, strong, and confident on the inside? In this Expert Insight Interview, Kate Eckman discusses taking time for yourself and your mental and emotional well-being. Kate Eckman is an entrepreneur, certified executive leadership coach, keynote speaker, mindfulness expert, and author of the book The Full Spirit Workout.

This Expert Insight Interview discusses:

• Lifting ourselves from our current mindset
• Getting out of the comfort zone
• Starting with baby steps

Change the Mindset

Nowadays, we live in a world of comparison and competition with others on social media. But by doing that, we start to lose ourselves. We have to think of our mental and emotional well-being and make it a routine to unplug from the pervasive culture we live in and take time to connect with our thoughts.

Many people excuse not taking time for themselves by saying they do not have time for that. But who has the time to be angry and miserable all the time? Working on yourself indeed requires an investment of time and a commitment to it, but it brings astonishing results. And the more you do it, the more your body, mind, and heart want it because you start feeling better, your relationships become better, more opportunities open up for you, etc.

The Comfort Zone

The comfort zone is only a boundary in our mind that we create based on our fear, and we can get out of it any time. All we need is to take a risk and put ourselves out there. It builds confidence, makes us feel better, leaves expectations behind, and allows us to have fun, fail, learn, and grow. We tend to look at the things from our past as mistakes, but instead, they only lead us to new experiences and paths in life. By trying new things and being uncomfortable, we get to know our true selves and what we really want to do and achieve in life.

Baby Steps

The key is to take the baby steps, enjoy, and trust the process. Confidence comes from believing in yourself, so trust that you can do things you were once scared of doing. Start with setting an achievable goal. When you see that you can do it, your mind starts craving it, and then it becomes a routine that you build on and cannot imagine going back to the old ways.

Other beneficial practices are to have an accountability partner and to know your purpose. Telling another person creates another level of accountability because now you are not accountable to yourself only but also to another person. And lastly, knowing your purpose, why you are doing something, will give you an energy boost instantly when you start feeling exhausted or unmotivated.

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist, he has conducted over 1500 video interviews of thought leaders for Sales POP! online sales magazine & YouTube Channel and for audio podcast channels where Sales POP! is rated in the top 2% of most popular shows out of 3,320,580 podcasts globally, ranked by Listen Score. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.