Episode 176: Connie Kadansky
Meet
Connie Kadansky
Connie is the President of Exceptional Sales Performance, an international sales training and coaching practice. She is a recognized expert in identifying and eliminating Sales Call Reluctance, the emotional hesitation to prospect and self-promote. Connie has a proven track record in diverse industries i.e., financial services, insurance, real estate, banking, print media, software, public broadcasting and executive search. She sells the only pre-hire assessment in the world that measures the 16 types of Sales Call Reluctance. Connie has been interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Business, Investor’s Business Daily, Forbes and Inc. Magazine. Connie helps salespeople get their “ask” in gear.
Our Mission Is To Change The Negative Perception Of Sales People
Our Vision Is A World Where Selling Is A Profession To Be Proud Of
Emotional literacy—sometimes also referred to as self-awareness—is the ability to appropriately understand and express your feelings. It is key to becoming a productive sales professional. Why? Understanding your emotions and what keeps you from being a successful salesperson gives you the steps to move in a positive direction.
Here to talk with Paul about emotional literacy and sales call reluctance is Connie Kadansky. She is the president of Exceptional Sales Performance and a notable coach in the industry, specializing in sales call reluctance. If you’re ready to overcome what’s holding you back and become a productive and effective professional—don’t miss this one!
Outline of This Episode
- [0:20] Paul introduces Connie Kadansky.
- [1:20] What is productivity?
- [1:40] Why is being productive important?
- [2:00] Why aren’t sales professionals productive?
- [3:10] Steps to improve productivity
- [5:40] Attributes of a salesperson
- [7:30] Productivity tools and strategies
- [9:30] Top 3 do’s and top 3 don’ts
- [13:55] Favorite productivity story
Sales call reluctance and its impact on productivity
Connie’s definition of productivity is “aligning and integrating all activities with the salesperson’s goals and the goals of the company”. If a sales professional is struggling with productivity and unable to reach their goals—they’re not aligned with the goals of the company. So, why aren’t they productive?
Connie points out that it is often tied to sales call reluctance. Sales call reluctance is an emotional hesitation to prospect. She recommends facing the reluctance head-on. There is always a purpose to the emotion, but you must learn how to identify and navigate those emotions to become productive.
Keep listening as Connie and Paul discuss steps to improve productivity and attributes of a productive sales professional.
Emotional literacy and other tools for success
Emotional literacy and sales reluctance go hand-in-hand. You must face the emotions that are holding you back from prospecting—not ignore them. When you accept the emotion for what it is, then you can decide to move into a more productive emotion.
Connie points out that it becomes much easier when you acknowledge that the sale isn’t about you.
You are offering a potential client a product or system that will offer them value! She also notes that finding an accountability buddy can be instrumental in reaching your goals. In fact, your chances of achieving a goal go up to 72% if you have someone to keep you accountable.
Connie’s top tips to become more productive
Connie’s top 5 tips to become a more productive sales professional include:
- Take on call reluctance head-on!
- Use scorecards: Score yourself on activities, because whatever you measure, improves.
- Learn how to center yourself; don’t waste time transitioning from activity to activity.
- Don’t go to lunch with colleagues—go with prospects! Or anyone you can learn from.
- Learn how to say an “enlightened no”. Say no to things you know will distract you and sidetrack your day.
To hear more details about Connie’s tips make sure you listen to the full episode!
How to assess your priorities
A great quote from Jim Collin’s reads “If you have more than 3 priorities, then you don’t have any priorities”. Connie took this quote to heart, and wrote out a lost of her top priorities—and came up with twenty-seven. Knowing she needed to narrow this list down, she asked herself three questions:
What is the most important task? What is most urgent? What priorities have deadlines?
Once you have narrowed down your tasks to three works in progress, an effective way to knock them out is by chunking out the work. Break the tasks down into manageable steps and be disciplined enough to carry them out. Planning and prioritizing can make all the difference.
To hear more of Connie’s advice, tips, and strategies, listen to the whole episode of Sales Reinvented!
Resources & People Mentioned
- The Unopened Book by Dan Newby and Lucy Nunez
- Good to Great by Jim Collins
- Sales Call Reluctance by Connie Kadansky
Connect with Connie Kadansky
Connect With Paul Watts
Audio Production and Show notes by
PODCAST FAST TRACK
https://www.podcastfasttrack.com
More About Connie Kadansky
What was the last book you read?
Retooling on the Run, Real Change for Leaders with No Time, by Stuart Heller Ph.D.
Who / What inspires you?
People who truly want the highest and best for others.
Are there any aspects of your own productivity skills that you are working on improving at the moment?
Working diligently on setting priorities, having only three projects as “works in progress”, centering myself when moving from one task to another so I show up fully present. Discerning when to say “yes” and when to say “no” so I can be in control of my calendar and day.
Hobbies, Interests?
People, Hiking, Studying different cultures, mastering the skill of Coaching.
How can our listeners connect with you?
602-380-5431 or connie@exceptionalsales.com
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