If She Can Make It There, You Can Make It Anywhere w/ Jennifer Gluckow

ABOUT TODAY’S GUEST

Jennifer Gluckow is a renowned national sales and sales management expert. She’s the best-selling author of “Sales in a New York Minute,” CEO & Founder of her own sales training organization, and hosts the very popular “Sell or Die” podcast with Jeffrey Gitomer. Jen has made it in New York City, and her mission is to help you make it anywhere.

Q&A WITH JENNIFER GLUCKOW

Q: I heard your sales career actually started when you were just 6 years old. Is that correct?

I didn’t like going grocery shopping so I made some bracelets and brought them with me one day and told my grandma I was going to stay out front and sell my bracelets while she goes in to shop.
I quickly learned that customers didn’t want “my bracelets” they wanted “their bracelets.”
I started offering to custom make people’s bracelets by request and charge them upfront.

Q: So years later you started selling Cutco for a summer, tell us, what do you remember from your experience selling Cutco and what was some lessons you feel came out of it?

My friend was working for Cutco/ Vector and she told me about the amazing opportunity and I wanted to work there too so I went in for an interview but they told me I was too young.
So I looked up another Cutco/ Vector office and went in there for an interview and I had this whole pitch as to why they should hire me and why I wasn’t too young and they hired me.
That taught me a lot about not giving up and not taking the first “no.”
I had no idea going in how amazing the training was going to be, I had no idea how life-changing it was going to be. It was a defining moment in my life.
When I first started my practice appointments most of my family already had Cutco so I learned early on how to adjust my pitch for an existing customer which lead me to realize that people who already had Cutco were great because they already knew how great Cutco is.
I learned how important belief plays a role in whatever it is you’re selling. You have to believe in your product.
At the end of every appointment I would call my manager and he would help me by celebrating if I made a sale and most importantly help me reframe my thinking if I had a no-sale.
Attitude causes results!

Q: How does someone maintain the right mindset when they are experiencing any sort of challenges in their business.

It begins with your morning ritual. That sets your thoughts and attitudes.
I take time to meditate daily.
It’s also important to keep a check on the “Social Media scroll”
What you feed your mind and your soul is going to come right back out of you.

Q: After you left Cutco and you graduated Washington University in St. Louis, what did you do when you got out of college?

I traveled for a few months after college. I went to Australia and Europe.
After my travels I worked for a software company for 6 1/2 years originally as an executive assistant and eventually I went into selling. After some time in a sales role I moved up to sales manager and then managed a sales division.

Q: Tell us how you went from that to what you’re doing now.

The company I was with had grown from 150 people to 1,500 people and the dynamics had changed and it was no longer the right environment for me.
I had always known I was going to own my own company but I didn’t know what I would do, so when I was thinking of leaving this company I thought I should start a sales training company. But I chickened out and decided to go work for someone else.
90 days later I realized I had made a mistake and I started to make arrangements to start my business and that was 6 years ago and was the best thing I’ve ever done.

Q: I’m sure there are a lot of people listening who have a mind to be an entrepreneur one day and are going to face that same decision to leave the secure world of a job or to venture out on their own. What advice do you have for people to overcome any hesitancy to do their own thing?

Write down your beliefs.
You have to believe in yourself and that whatever you offer your customers.
You can’t transfer your beliefs to your customers if you don’t know what your beliefs.
Surround yourself with the right people. Positive and encouraging people.
If people tell you you’re crazy, you’re probably on the right track but you can’t listen to them.
And don’t give up. Fail forward and turn your failures into lessons.

Q: What are some of the challenges you see for sales people or for sales managers that you’ve helped them overcome?

Everything from basic sales aspects such as closing the sale and handling objections to the things most people just gloss over.
How do you identify limiting beliefs? How do you overcome them?
The next level of growth really comes from yourself; your personal development.
Your thoughts create your reality. So if you think you’re going to win the sale, it’s probable you’re going to get it.
Another big thing is networking. And not networking to see how many people can do something for you, but rather how many people can you help. What you give around comes back around.

Q: What about from a sales management perspective, is there a particular challenge or opportunity you see for those teaching sales to be able to improve and get better at what they do?

Really figure out what your sales rep is going through.
Make sure you take time out of your day to invest in yourself so you can become a better manager.
Find ways to inspire and educate your people daily through stories and encouragement.

Q: You co-host a podcast with Jeffrey Gitomer, one of the most famous sales trainers in the world, can you offer any nuggets you’ve learned from working so closely with Jeffrey for so many years?

He has the ability to talk to anybody. He makes a game out of it and just tries to make people laugh and some people he’s met have become really close to or have become clients.

Q: Your book is called “Sales in a New York Minute” tell us a little bit about it.

Its 212 pages of easy to implement sales strategies that will help you make more sales, build better relationships, and make more money.
Every page or 2 is a different strategy that you can learn in 2 minutes.
With the book you also get a free download of my Imple-mentor (workbook) that will help you implement what you learn.

Q: As you look ahead in your life and your career, how do you want to inspire people?

My goal in life is to help sales people and business owners create financial freedom.

FINAL THOUGHTS

It’s important to get teaching from people that’s relevant to what we’re trying to do in our business and in our life.
Attitude antioxidants
Belief in your own offering- I believe in this, I can sell this.
Surround yourself with the right people so you can fail forward.
What you give around you’ll get around.