Ep. 179 INTERVIEW – Brian Sexton

People Buy From People – INTERVIEW  Joe’s guest, Brian Sexton is author of the best selling book “People Buy from People” . He discussed the power of consistency for customer engagement.

The Sales Edge Episode 179 Transcript

Get ready for an unfair advantage over your competition. This is The Sales Edge Podcast. Where globally recognized sales expert and trainer Joe Pici helps you sharpen your skills for booking more appointments and closing more deals. And now here’s your host. Joe Pici.
Joe Pici (JP):
Hey team this is Joe Pici your host of The Sales Edge. Thank you so much for your loyalty while the growth around the globe is incredible, and we certainly appreciate it. We’re humbled by it. The Sales Edge Podcast is sponsored by Pici and Pici which is a speaking, coaching, training, consulting company. Right now our whole focus is to recapture lost Revenue with our clients. Help them get back the money that they lost and SMV that’s sell more virtually membership platform. Same goal. Same process, different medium, whereby every Thursday night I’m on live with coaching and training. There’s tremendous downloads. Tremendous interviews and so these very interviews we’re working right now will be posted there. So today we’re I’m kind of excited, you know when Brian and I get on the phone and we’re supposed to be talking business. We always seem to slide into college football, but we’ll talk about that later. Let me tell you a little bit about Brian, you know, it’s our what we do is we send out we always ask for people to give us a bio and I get Brian’s bio and I get like two sentences. So we’re going to have to dig a Little Deeper with him because he’s a special guy, you know, Brian is been in sales and Sales Management customer engagement for over 25 years. He’s set sales records including territories and new business development. But what I know him as, is he is the ultimate encourager. In fact His podcast that we’ll be promoting later is about that very thing. So hey, hey Brian, welcome to the show.
Brian Sexton(BS):
Joe Pici, This is this is the honor of honor’s man. I listen, listen. I did my hair for you today. I put on a
nice shirt for you today and you know speaking of promoting, I’ve got my Calvary Baptist. I have been the voice of the Calvary Baptist Academy Patriots in Hurricane, West Virginia for the last four years. so,
so that’s that’s my son’s alma mater. And right now we’re not able to play basketball until January. So I
need opportunities like this to warm my voice up and get it ready for the good folks in Hurricane, West
Virginia. But Joe, this is a this is a tremendous honor and you’re exactly right you and I have had some
fantastic conversations. Can’t wait for this one as well.
JP: Well, we’re going to move right in to give people an opportunity to get to know you first before you
spill your wisdom. If you would just let me
BS- Oh boy
BS- my initials are BS. So whatever wisdom comes out
JP- I have the same feeling about me But yeah, if you would give our audience a little understand, what
are you doing now? Who do you do with for? And maybe what is your secret sauce or something about
your uniqueness?

BS- My secret sauce, I believe is is always being intentional and and so I have a word, you know, I try to
have a word for every year this year was fulfillment and as a Christian I spend time in prayer daily. I try to spend time in prayer every day, but I’ve really intentional about that last week of the year trying to really seek out, Okay, What do I want the next year to look like and I have the Lord drop a word into my heart and this past year in late. 19 for 2020 was fulfillment. I would have never guessed in the midst of a
pandemic that I would have launched a podcast and written a book but for me fulfillment was the word.
And so for 2021 it’s intentional. So my secret sauce is I try to be intentional with everything that I do and
say and try to encourage others to be intentional with encouragement and understand that we can
Empower, impact, and embolden people with encouragement like Nothing else.
JP- So tell me what what you’re doing right now professionally.
BS- So right now I am in patient access in the pharmaceutical industry again around customer
engagement. I’m speaking to customers everyday, granted over the phone and so a lot of my sales
background, I’m still utilizing in what I’m doing now just doing it differently. Look Joe. Here’s the thing. I
and I said this in my book People by connection people by I don’t care. If you’re selling or if you’re at a
patient access or customer service or whatever role you are when you’re touching a customer they want
to be connected to you and your company. And so that’s what I try to do in every interaction, umm, when I’m talking to somebody on the phone. I’m asking about how their family’s doing if they have
grandchildren. I may say hey Grandma, how are you today? And I get a smile and a laugh because
people love to talk about their kids, they love to talk about their grandkids or dog. Especially in West
Virginia. Because that’s about all we got is grandkids, kids, and dogs. So, you know, we have much else.
So but the People by connection Joe and that’s the thing that I’m trying to do in every interaction that I
have, is just Foster and promote great connection.
JP- You know, and and you epitomize that I mean, I’m really looking forward and we’re going to let you
promote your book, but I’ve been reading about your book. I’m looking forward to getting into it and
hopefully it’ll be here this weekend, but what I like to enter.
BS- It may be this time next year by the time the mail the Postal Service the book copy that I sent you
down. You may get it this time next year.
JP- If I don’t get it this weekend, I’ll just run over to Amazon and get it and then I’ll give the one you give
me a as a gift.
BS- I appreciate that
JP- And so before we get into the book I want I have a question. I’ve been holding off on and it’s a
question you asked me on your show, but you are an avid athletics fan you are but you are an avid
college football fan. Now you’ve been in business for a long time you understand Athletics. I’d like you to
give a few things that you believe is crossover in other words, what are some of the principles and
practices that are both in business and in athletics to be successful?
BS- Well, the guy that that that you would say is the epitome of of a winner in college football is West
Virginia native, Nick Saban.
JP- I knew You would take credit for Nick Saban.
BS- Yeah, Yeah inherent. Well, here’s the thing that Nick Saban has always done wherever he is gone.
He has had a model of consistency. So in other words Nick Saban believes in his process, he believes in
what he does very well and he recruits the athletes that will fit into that system that he’s created. In other words Nick Saban from you know, what I love about Nick Saban is he is always coached the defensive backs. He started as a defensive backs coach and even at the University of Alabama with everything that he’s got going on. He still coaches DB’s. Still does it and it still wants to do it. And so it’s not any surprise that when an Alabama DB gets ready to go into the NFL draft. He is prepared probably more so and the general managers and the Personnel directors know what kind of talent they’re going to get. And so Nick Saban recruits five star athletes, but they understand they’re coming to Alabama to fit into their system, not the other way around.
JP- Okay
BS- And so the consistency piece is what I think crosses over very well, is that when you’re consistent in
your sales process and you’re consistent in customer your interactions and you’re consistent in your
delivery of product, Then that consistency is going to cross over. And and I believe this, the number one
thing that I would tell a salesperson “is customers crave consistency”
JP- And would you say that again?
BS- customers crave consistency
JP- why is that?
BS- We’ll look at look at Chick-fil-A I mean you guys have Chick-fil-A’s where you are we have Chick-fil-
A’s here West Virginia. I can go to Chick-fil-A right now and I’d be sitting in the parking lot for about 15
minutes waiting to order. Parking lot’s packed. People know that every time they pull into Chen I’m just
using Chick-fil-A’s an example.
JP- Sure
BS- Every time they go to Chick-fil-A, they know that the experience is going to be consistent. They
know the food’s going to be consistent. They know the customer service experience is going to be
consistent. Why do you think people lined up to get in the door there? It’s because they know what
they’re going to get time and time again, you can say the same thing about McDonald’s Joe. I’m not
necessarily a huge fan of McDonald’s, but I know a McDonald’s french fries and Barboursville West Virginia is going to taste the same as it does in Las Vegas, Nevada.
JP- Yeah
BS- McDonald’s has built their business on incredible consistency. So if it works for Chick-fil-a and it
works for McDonald’s, we can see the modicum of success they’ve had. Then why wouldn’t salespeople
try to replicate that same level of success and consistency in their own business?
JP- Okay, so let’s break this down a little further coach. I don’t know if you know this or not, but my
favorite position to coach as a college football coach were defensive backs.
BS-I know that that’s why I went there.
JP- and it’s also a place to get fired, you know, I mean because when bad things happen somebody
scores and it’s always the defensive backfield coach’s fault.
BS- Well as we as we record this I was watching I was I was I happen to be tuned into ESPN the other
day. And in the Las Vegas Raiders, they gave up 44 points to the Indianapolis Colts and Philip Rivers.
And their defensive coordinator Paul Gunther who was the Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator
under Marvin Lewis Gruden comes in the Jon Gruden the head coach comes in the next morning and
says, we’re making the change.
JP- ya
BS- got fired. Yes and there that you know, of course they lost last night with a new defensive
coordinator. But but the Raiders had it that the Raiders were a playoff team and probably still are playoff team. But you give up 44 points and you haven’t had real good success for two or three weeks or four weeks and the head coach says time to make a change.
JP- I remember I was a defensive backfield coach and we would have those Sunday afternoon actually
late morning afternoon meetings. And you know, I had some great players. I had great players, in fact all
I defensive backs wound up playing on Sunday afternoon in the NFL, but I remember this one particular
game. Were one of my defensive backs who actually led the nation in punt returns that year. The wind
was blowing. The ball was going all over the place. He opted not to take the ball, which was the right
decision, to which the ball bounces down inside the 5 and the head coach looks at me and says Joe,
what do you think he was thinking? That’s what they do to defensive backfield coaches. Oh, well, they
always want to know what they think your mind reader’s and now in the 21st century where everybody’s throwing the ball over the lot, you know, it’s not a good job to have I’m going to go deeper with you here first.
BS- Hey Joe, Let me let me jump in there second.
JP- Yeah
BS- you just hit on something really really good there. You have to have the mindset as a punt returner, I
don’t want a fair catch anything. Because if I’m if I’m a good punt returner, I can break a game open with
one play
JP- absolutely
BS- and I want to I want to give some encouragement to some sales people that are listening out there
right now. Never be afraid to catch the ball
JP- there you go
BS- don’t be afraid to catch the ball because here’s something here’s the thing you got to remember, if
you’ve got an opportunity, you can make something with it with any customer that you have. All you need is an opportunity to catch the ball. Because as a salesperson, I wanted those opportunities to catch a ball because I knew I could do something with it.
JP- Right
BS- And if a customer gave me an opportunity, we could score together. We could we could do
something together that was going to be great that help them. So never be afraid salespeople to catch
the ball, you what the ball. If you’re a great player, you want the ball in your hands because you know
what you can do with it, you know the value you bring to the team.
JP- and you know, You’re you’re right. I mean I used to teach my punt returners, I coach the Special
Teams too. two put two fastest places to get fired is the special teams coordinator and the defensive
backfield coach and I did that at the same time and.
BS- Joe one of my favorite scenes.
JP- and i got fired.
BS- Yeah, one of my favorite scenes in the movie is from the movie The Replacements.
JP- Okay
BS- earlier in the Kianu Reeves’ character, Shane Falco in a big spot gives up the ball. And the head
coach played by Gene Hackman says winners always want the ball. So there’s a scene late in the movie
where it’s 4th down they’re up against it and and Falco trots to the sidelines and Jimmy McGinty the
coach. He says, okay Falco. What’s it going to be? and he says I want the ball
JP- yep
BS- and and and Jimmy McGinty he played by Gene Hackman. He said winners always do. and and in
the last scene is goes out and makes a play. They scored touchdown get the team to the playoffs and
I’ve never forgotten that winners always want the ball.
JP- I’ve got a curveball for you. This this came out of nowhere. But
BS- okay
JP- based on what you just said. You’re now hired to be a sales manager. And part of your job is hire the
right person. You need a sales rep. You need somebody can take the ball. What are you looking for?
BS- I want somebody that’ll look me in the eye and connect with me immediately. Because if they’ll
connect with me, they’ll connect with customers. I want somebody that has the ability to not get rattled
when things get tough. I want somebody that understands the the changing Logistics of the marketplace
and I also want somebody that is good enough to understand that the most sensitive mechanism in the
world, is a customer.
JP- It’s great. Awesome. Now. Here’s what I’d like you to do because we’re going to be moving you over
to the SMB platform for interview number two, three and four, but what I’d like you to do is I’d like you to
promote your book. Give us an idea of the categories because we’re going to want a little deeper dive in
our in our next show, but the title of the book what it covers in how to get to it?
BS- Yeah, so the book is called “People buy from people”. It’s right here. umm People buy from people
me turn it to where I can see.
JP- Here you go.
BS- Yeah blocks my face. That’s probably better anyway
JP- it is a lot better.
BS- Yeah, that’s exactly right. Ten powerful people lessons from the ultimate people person, my dad. So
if you want to connect deeper, better, stronger, there’s ten principles passed down to me from my dad
that I’ve enhanced and refined. My dad was The Ultimate Sales guy. He was my hero the best sales
person I ever knew was my dad. And so if you want to connect deeper powerful more stronger, pick up
this book. It’ll help you, you can get on Amazon.com. I have a few copies left that that I can sign for you
you can connect with me at SextonBrian13@gmail.com and I’ll get you set up with how you can get the
book. But it’s on Amazon and Kindle and again in 2021 if your goal is to be a better connector, whether
you’re a salesperson, minister, leader, business owner, if you want to connect with people better pick up
this book, it’ll help you do it.
JP- Thank you so much Brian. This has been great. But this is only been one and know Brian Sexton,
what a great interview this has been, a lot of fun. I know we got off track and talked about football but
football and business are so close. So we’re going to be moving over to the smv platform. And so hey
thanks for tuning in and get ready for the next show.
Voice over- Thanks for listening. New episodes will air each Tuesday and Thursday. So make sure to
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