7 Minutes to Better Selling Podcast - S2 - Ep.1

Hey, welcome everybody to season two of the seven minutes to better selling podcast. I'm your host

Colin Lake. In season two, we're going from like the foundational sales process to really how we

sell the most important person, which is the person we look at in the mirror every day

meaning how do we sell ourselves to perform at the highest level we can. And so that's what season

two is all about. And so I think no one better to do that than Kevin Newby. And again, really

looking forward to this conversation. So Kevin, you graduate college, University of South Carolina

And you slowly grow in this professional career to where you are today and to a very lofty role doing great things for your clients

How do you go from there to here? So, Kyle, I'm so happy you asked that question

You know, obviously, everyone's story is unique. And I was very fortunate in that growing up, I experienced success, at least to some degree in several different aspects of life

whether it be success athletically, success academically, socially. But in my teenage years, my life changed very drastically

It was at that time in my life that I tried an opioid drug for the first time

And over the next several years, as my addiction progressed, while I was able to graduate college and enter the professional marketplace

I was burdened with this secret and this constant effort to put band-aids on my life situations

And that can only hold the weight for so long. And due to the disease of addiction, I faced challenges and experienced deaths that I never could have foreseen as being a part of my story

But during this time and this struggle of strife I was very blessed to have the unconditional love and support of some very wonderful people in my corner And you know I think you well aware that one of those individuals is you Kyle

And, you know, amidst this turmoil, you know, I was very blessed on October 23rd, 2014

Very humbly, I was given a second chance at life and I found a life in recovery

And, you know, from a professional scope, as much as I'd like to say that my transition back into a professional setting was seamless, you know, I needed to build a foundation within myself and I needed to learn who I was again

I needed to learn how to be accountable again. I needed to learn how to show up again

I needed to learn how to set goals and see them through. You know, initially, my first job was working overnights on a road crew outfit through a frigid Northeast winter

And I was constantly faced with the question, when are you going to step back into the professional environment

And it was a question that I couldn't answer. I didn't know how to. I didn't know what I wanted to do

I didn't know how I could explain the gaps in my resume to a potential employer

I didn't feel like I had real professional experience to lean on, nor did I possess the professional confidence to express why I deserved an opportunity

And I'll never forget the fear that I felt on the first day. Was I worthy of this opportunity

But I promised myself that I was going to put everything I had into this. My first several months in the role were spent in a more strategic setting

And as I transitioned forward, my next stop was within our sales organization

Needless to say, it was a fit right away. And while the job wasn glamorous by any means it allowed me to build a foundational understanding of the marketplace that I was in I had several incredible mentors that invested in me because I cared And one would always say to me I can teach you everything else

but I can't teach you to care. Great share, by the way, like talk about answering that question

in a detailed, well-organized, well-thought-out way. And so like if you're listening to this

you're saying, oh, now I get what it means to like sell yourself. Like, because, you know

One of the things we're all challenged with is I'd like to look better

I'd like to be leaner. I'd like to work out more. I'd like to work harder

I'd like to be the number one salesperson in my organization. We all have those type of things

But it's really hard to convince yourself to do the things that enable you to get to those places

So one of the things that impresses me so much about you and the thing I'll ask you to share with your listeners is how do you sell yourself every day to win that day

day from like the most basic things of keeping your addiction at bay to like then going out and

being an amazing husband and then going out and being an amazing account executive for this

humongous firm that relies so heavily on you? How do you do it? How do you commit yourself to do that

God, once again, I really love how this question is posed because this is something we are really

called to do, you know, as human beings, as salespeople on a daily basis. You know, first

and foremost, from a personal standpoint, and I think you know this, faith has been the monumental

piece for me. It allows me to reflect, to self-assess, allows me to practice humility and

gratitude and remember the path and the people that got me here. And it reminds me it's okay to

be fearful. We all have fear in life. I always love the saying, our greatest fear in life should

not be failure, but being successful in the things that don't really matter

My relationship with my faith allows me to assess what really matters Then in turn turn you know how do I go out that day and achieve this Colin you know early in my career you press this upon me

And I am forever grateful the mantra win today. Control the controllables in this 24-hour period

Define your goals for today. Don't worry about the meeting next week

Don't worry about the opportunity next month or next quarter. Stay present yourself

Win the hour, win the conversation, win the client. And this daily commitment is a refusal to lose

And that doesn't mean the results are always positive or a success, but it means I'm always a success in my process

And to win, I need to remind myself that persistency is key or tasteful aggressiveness, if you will

I'll pick up the phone when sending an email would be easier

You know, I'll win today. It's a really important point. We're going to wrap this up here, Kev, and I'll give you the last thoughts

Sure. So first one is know what to do, which is win today

Know why to do it for the people who helped you. That sounds like that's your why

When you surround yourself with great people, you surround yourself with really good people who care and are living what we believe to be the right way

you tend to like just like float up to that level, that higher level

So I thought that was a really, really well executed set of thoughts that you shared

And I love your quote. Don't don't be afraid of failure. Be afraid of succeeding in things that don't matter

They weren't your exact words, but boy, that is a power thought. So last thoughts for you, Kevin, and we'll wrap it up

Sure. And, you know, obviously this is the playbook. I am far from perfect. I fail time and again

But I always try to remain coachable, try to remain hungry, committed to the self-care

So, Kevin, thank you so much for being a guest. Thanks so much for starting out season two and good selling everyone