Most of us will put up walls the moment we realize somebody is trying to sell something to us. Colin Coggins and Garrett Brown noticed a stigma towards salespeople—that they’re generally perceived as pushy and manipulative.
“But when we ask people who they think of when they hear the greatest salesperson on the planet, the top two answers are Martin Luther King Jr. and Steve Jobs,” Coggins says on this week’s episode of Brilliant Thoughts with Tristan Ahumada.
As adjunct professors at the University of Southern California, they teach how to sell authentically, finding that people will buy from you based on your imperfections. Many new salespeople overthink it and believe they have to act in a certain way. Instead, having an engaging conversation can drive the deal. Coggins and Brown discuss leading with vulnerability and pathological optimism, being purpose-driven and giving more than receiving.
“We’ve always been firm believers that sales and personal growth live on the same plane,” Brown says.
Colin Coggins and Garrett Brown are the authors of The Unsold Mindset: Redefining What It Means to Sell. Follow them on Instagram and Twitter @colinandgarrett. Find them on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/colincoggins/ and linkedin.com/in/garrettjbrown/.
Brilliant Thoughts with Tristan Ahumada is no longer releasing new episodes on the SUCCESS Podcast Network, but you can still listen to the full conversation below.