THE ART OF PASSIONATE SALES WITH MATT ARRUDA
Regardless of if you are directly in a position of sales in your career or occupation, there are so many powerful insights when we look at the foundations of successful selling that can be applied not only in business, but in our relationships and many other aspects of our lives! I got to sit down with my favourite co-host, my husband Matt Arruda, but instead of our usual chatty podcast episodes, I chose to interview him on the art of sales. Not only did he persistently and tenaciously get into the luxury vehicles sale industry, but he knows how to deliver intentional and quality customer service and I want to share a few highlights from our insightful conversation!
I think it’s important to remember that sales does not have to be an ugly word. It can be meaningful when it's surrounded by something you love, and showing up as your best and most passionate self to others.
One of the first things Matt said in our conversation was that “Sales is speaking about something you are truly passionate about.” -and if you are lucky enough to know Matt, then you would know that for him that has always been cars, and specifically Porsche! Growing up absolutely loving them and finally reaching that in-between stage of figuring out what he wanted to do post-grad, Matt enjoyed speaking and thought he would give sales a try. There was a company that was hiring at the time, and at the ripe age of 24, Matt sent an email every Sunday morning to the president and CEO of this company, asking for an interview! He did this for four months before getting a response and interview!
When it was brought up that there were other employees who had been working for the company for years, hoping to get one of these coveted Porsche spots, Matt noted that his intentions came from a genuine belief and passion that he could represent the company and brand better than anyone else there. You can learn and education yourself about anything, but there is always that unspoken connection to the product or service that is immediately recognizable to the person you are sitting across from. That is what separates you from the person trying to get the deal done vs. the person trying to make the connection of why this will benefit the customer. This is why I think passion is such a powerful and significant aspect in relation to sales.
“If you lead with wanting to be genuinely helpful, adding value to the person you are sitting with, the ROI is already calculated.”
It doesn't mean you have a closing ratio of making the sale 100% of the time, but the people who do buy from you and see you light up when you talk about that thing, then with being in close proximity to that light, begin to do the same. They will never forget you for that!
I went on to ask Matt about what his best advice would be for those looking to improve in sales, or who have experienced other people getting the “ick” from it!
His best tip: finding someone who you know who succeeds in the sales you want to master, and become a student of them! Observing and using them as an example in their people skills and follow up skills, while adapting these techniques to fit your own style can be a game changer when you can see first hand that it works! He specifically highlighted that the ‘follow up’ is a key point to focus on from this and some factors to lean into:
• Follow up in a timely manner.
• Mark down the date you want to follow up with them, and record details you might want to include, like personal things you may have picked up from your last conversation and how you could connect with them on that.
• Perhaps sharing news or a piece of information you may not have shared with them prior.
• Suggest the underlying urgency that this product, service or price point “might not be around forever.”
• But most importantly, making it evident that you are following up because you care for the client or customer, and not just because you want to make the sale. In Matt’s own personal follow up process, he makes it a priority to say when he will be reaching out again if he doesn’t hear from them. If a client does not respond, he asks them to let him know so he can structure his messages moving forward, clearly asking how they would like to be communicated with.
His last remark was to never close the door or leave a bad impression! Doing a follow up 6 months later, even after they may have purchased a product for someone else, shows not only your kindness, but gives them the opportunity to touch base with you down the road if they happen to not have a great experience with their current product or service.
There are so many amazing personal touches you can apply from a simple follow up that can positively impact a client's past experience or thoughts about your own industry. If you win people over enough times, you will become known for that!
In closing, the last two key principles to take away in the art of sales was to first, find a product or service that you are in love with and truly feel over the moon about sharing with others. The second, in focusing on the follow up, remember that sales always comes back to relationship building. Sales doesn't have to be an ugly word simply because you are bringing the best parts of yourself to the table, and if you are honest, people will be able to feel that and will remember how you made them feel!
I loved getting to hear Matt share on a topic he is incredibly talented in and hope you got something out of how you can apply to your business or even in relationships! I encourage you to take a listen to the full podcast episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or with the links below for more wisdom in sales! Let me know what you think of it by leaving a rating, review or connecting with me over on my Instagram @InspireAndMove!