Josh LaPoint’s Post

*What's your favourite part of being in and around sales?* I don't profess to having great wisdom on the matter but personally I love to see sales done well. Like: ⭐ Unexpectedly good customer service ⭐ Making you feel at home ⭐ Being prpared for requests Like this place, Coffee Junction in Shoreditch. What do you do when an overweight "runner" appears, out of breath and sweaty, at your door before opening time? You know the answer already I'm sure: "Course we're open, coffee is it? You should come here for lunch too! 17 different salads, and look at the sandwiches!" 👨🍳🥑🍞 I know where I'll be going for lunch, and all because of opening the door with a smile. Be like Coffee Junction. #customerservice #sales #tuesdaytip

April fools day! There is widespread debate as to the origin of today, but one thing we can all agree on, and that is we need to to be more critical of new information-especially on April 1st. Remember that time Taco Bell said they bought the Liberty Bell and was going to change the name to the Taco Liberty Bell? Why do we feel the need to try and “fool” someone anyway? Now I still like to have fun, but #salesprofessionals if you are trying to fool a customer you are in for a rude awakening! Buyers are more informed, and smarter, than they have ever been, and I haven't found one that forgets when a sales rep tries to mislead them. This week, share new information honestly, you will gain your customers respect. Who knows you might just create a lifelong customer in the process! #mondaymotivation #sales #aprilfools

Close your eyes and imagine the person most ideal to pitch a high-end, non-Bourbon whiskey to a room full of Texans. Who popped into your mind? A whiskey bro in a tailored suit and cowboy boots?  Who was in the room? A sea full of well-dressed, all male whiskey snobs? Well - here I am, 6 months pregnant with my first, lavalier miked and sending nervous selfies to my husband while I try to get over the fact that the baby pushing on my diaphragm is going to make me sound like I'm presenting while running a marathon. My sales chops were first developed in restaurants, where my naturally competitive spirit and consultative approach consistently landed me at the top of the server sales board on any given shift. But they were really put to the test for the first time selling an expensive American Single Malt whiskey in the closest thing to bourbon country outside of Kentucky. Texans did 𝑛𝑜𝑡 get it. And yet, I was not to be deterred. As the Texas Market Manager for Westward Whiskey (based out of the Pacific Northwest), it was my job to sell an expensive craft spirit from a little-known category into on-premise (restaurants and bars) and off-premise (liquor stores) across the entire state. Despite my colleagues in Washington, Oregon and California being closer to home base, I maintained the highest rate of sale in the division, pulling a higher ratio of cases through the accounts I sold into than anyone on the team. But how? Finding the perfect product fit, baby! I learned quickly that forcing the sale by offering discounts and pleading with buyers who didn't get it was 𝑛𝑜𝑡 the way to go. It does nothing but lead to product sitting on the shelf, requests for demos to force depletion, and ultimately, no reorder (aka churn). It also erodes trust, which you want and need in any sales process. I carry this with me today in the SaaS world. I want my buyers to be confident that we have a partnership - that if they buy what I'm selling, it's because we both agree that we have that right fit. #SaaSSales #ProductFit #BuyerTrust

I used to wish that I owned a pizza place instead of a cleaning business. It looked and sounded so easy compared to the hassle and headaches I had. “How nice it must be to have your clients and employees all under one roof where you can be there to manage and make sure everything is perfect,” I thought to myself. Plus, let’s face it, everyone loves pizza. At the time, I thought that people just bought it and you didn’t have to sell it. It seemed easy. However, that wasn’t true. Even when people buy, they still have to be sold. Everything that is bought needs to be sold. That takes us right back to the definition of sales. Sales isn’t just getting someone to buy something. Sales is the transference of the emotion of certainty. In short, it’s about giving people what they want. As a sales pro that’s what your job is. When I started to realize this, I also started to realize that there was a reason I went to Zuccarelli’s when I wanted pizza and why I drove by a dozen other places each time. It’s because Ralph and Fran Zuccarelli built a level of certainty in me and I depended on that certainty every single time. Then they pulled back from the day to day running of the place. Things started to slip and the truth is no amount of nostalgia could keep me there. One day I thought “let me give Vinny’s a try.” And, sadly, I’ve never been back to Zuccarelli’s. Just like your own reputation, certainty takes a lifetime to create, but can be lost in a second. Remember that people are always watching and evaluating you. What you say, how you say it, how you act and carry yourself matters. Don’t take it for granted that what you are “selling” is something that people are just going to buy. Maybe they WILL buy it, but maybe not from you. Always create certainty in the minds of people. Do this and you’ll be able to write your own ticket.

Shaking Up the Sales Game: A Nimble Move That Packs a Punch! Sometimes, the beaten path is overrated, you know? I stumbled upon a gem of an article that shook up my thinking cap. It talked about changing how a business sells its stuff. Imagine you have more friends helping you sell lemonade at your stand. Suddenly, everyone's sipping your sweet concoction! That's what these folks are doing but with bigger toys. "It’s like rigging the game to win big, and frankly, I’m here for it!" Now at Supergay Spirits, we've always marched to the beat of our own drum, believing that an expanded crew sharing our vibrant vibes just means more love and laughter in every glass. Here's to shaking things up and pouring joy, one bottle at a time. Take a peek at the buzz: [Article link]https://buff.ly/45p6ZJa partners with Spirits Platform for domestic distribution - Inside FMCG

"I'm not going to get meetings for that" Is what I hear from senior salespeople in specialty coffee when I bring them an "amazing" new coffee product. Unless... There's something unique about it. I've heard it over and over from companies: "Our product is great, but we're not getting enough sales." Because a great product isn't enough in specialty coffee. There are tons of great products out there. So when I hear about another RTD cold brew or a new concentrate...and I bring it to one of my sales collaborators? They know they won't be able to sell it. "How is it differentiated?" They won't be able to break into new wholesale markets with just another coffee product... Even if it's awesome. Which is why I don't start with the product when I'm helping develop a coffee brand. I start with the market. And the competition. Knowing what's out there...and what the whitespace is in the market... Helps you develop a product that will sell. 

We’re all salespeople in our own way. Think about it: we convince our kids to brush their teeth, take a bath, or finish their homework. We pitch ideas, promotions, or raises to our boss. We persuade our partner to try a new restaurant, plan a vacation, or even consider a move. EVERY DAY, WE’RE MAKING OR LOSING A SALE. It all comes down to understanding the other person—who they are and what motivates them—that makes for a successful negotiation. #SalesSkills #GailKasper

How to sell so people will wanna buy your stuff. I was once talking to a chef about how to present a table of food. Focus on the smallest of details, he said. People may not consciously notice, but the impression it makes will be major. You might have a bowl of apples, and spend the extra 5 minutes taking off the stickers. That’s what will make you stand out from the pack. It’s the same in sales. Focus on improving the smallest of details, things like: - Tonality - Confidence - Sales script Improve by 1% every day, and your results will be drastically better in 3 months. What are some small details you focus on that make a world of a difference?

A while back, I shared some recollections I had as a new store manager that led me to realize some important things. To briefly recap, I was recently promoted and was trying to figure out the whole "managing people and performance" thing. The company I worked for had sales contests and awarded prizes like many companies do. It seemed like the same people were always winning. The first updates would come out, and they were out of the gate quickly. By the time others realized or reacted, it was almost pointless to get involved. To be honest, it was quite demoralizing. Why try? Do you know what I mean? Have you experienced the same in your career or witnessed the same during your existence? Well, I have always been the analytical type. I started thinking about how to secure my first sales contest win. It was announced that the next sales contest would be about which stores could sell the most popcorn. I devised a plan that would allow me to start quickly while preventing others from doing the same. Boxes of popcorn have a long shelf life. They also had a high-profit margin. I made sure to order a lot of boxes every week leading up to the beginning of the contest. When the contest started, managers started complaining that the supplier was out. My store smelled like freshly popped popcorn 24 hours a day. I sold a lot of popcorn (and beer) and added extra profit to my bottom line. My employees and I won some money, too. We gained some new skills and confidence. I realized how important planning, executing, and building moats could be to achieving my desired results. I also learned that everyone else fell behind when I focused on doing my best. In the years since, I have become more oblivious to the noise around me and more focused on my goals. This has been key to helping me become more creative. For me, it has never been about competing, but rather achieving.

I remember sometimes back I was heading home in the evening after an outing, and decided to enter a shopping mall to probably make a decision as to what to buy so I could eat that night While making a decision, I looked at their shelf where bread is displayed I noticed they had just one bread left on the shelf One bread keh! I ran to the shelf to pick up the last bread so that if at all it's bread I want to eat it, i won't be in a situation of 'bread is finished' Well; since I brought bread already I went to the payment stand and made payment, the moment I was debited and my bread was packed; I just looked back only to see a staff stacking up fresh breads again 😂😂 I almost felt like fainting!😂😂 Why do you think they didn't stack up the bread until that set was finished especially at evening time? Majorly, it is to Send a message of 'scarcity' and yes; it's one of the major triggers of sales when it comes to the human mind You see that in my case, the moment I realized there was one bread left; I didn't even think about getting another thing, I just thought that I'll want to get that bread so another person doesn't before I get to make my decision If the breads were more; I probably might not have gone for that option that night 😒 Scarcity, whenever it is included in a sales format always puts a sense of urgency to the buying! An example you must have seen around is stuffs like "Early Bird" registration having a reduced cost. People register because they don't want to be found missing out on the offer even when they've not made a decision about attending the conference 😂😂 There's a big deal about when your sales pitch ends with a time frame; it subtle gets your buyer on his toes to buy almost immediately!