Ep. 205 INTERVIEW – Rob ‘YB” Youngblood

Key Prospecting Questions – Connect with others effectively! INTERVIEW with Rob ‘YB” Youngblood  who  is the Chief Connecting Officer of YBConnects, LLC, a Relationship & Referral Marketing Firm that focuses on enhancing the Visibility, Credibility & Profitability of Entrepreneurs. Rob shares his 5 most effective prospecting questions.

Podcast Transcript:
Voice over:

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):

Welcome to The Sales Edge. Have you ever wondered what it takes to generate relationships, relationship marketing, utilizing LinkedIn, networking? We’ve got an expert with us today and just so you know, this is The Sales Edge podcast and we’re excited. This is podcast number 205 and we want to thank you for your loyalty. We want to thank you for helping us expand the globe. Magnificent amount of downloads. There’s so much We appreciate from you and I do also want to thank you from the bottom of a Pici and Pici heart. Global gurus, two years ago ranked me number three, last year number one, this year I got ranked number two. And we’re waiting for the final vote because our sales training was ranked number one in the world. They’re waiting for that to come. But it’s because of you, your votes, and your support. Today We’ve got a very special guest. We’ve known Rob “YB” Youngblood for years. He’s a client. He’s a friend, you know our relationship Has passed that client relationship.

And I want to read to you a little bit about YB and you know, Robert T. YB Youngblood is the chief connecting officer of YB Connects LLC. A relationship and referral marketing firm that focuses on enhancing the visibility, credibility, and profitability of entrepreneurs in many circles. YB is known as the LinkedIn locksmith because of his ability to unlock the power of LinkedIn for his clients. For over 20 years YB has built a reputation of being the go-to resource for individuals and organizations that need assistance with creating awareness, empowering leaders, promoting philanthropy, and facilitating connections that lead to outstanding outcomes. I’m going to let him tell you a little bit about himself in a minute, but I do want to say this and knowing Rob on a personal basis. He’s a native of the Bronx. Okay, he’s a proud graduate of Virginia Union University where he obtained a degree of Business Administration. He’s happily married with two beautiful daughters. And in his spare time. He loves to travel to warm places with palm trees. So come on down Rob welcome Rob.

Rob Youngblood (YB):

Peace and blessings coach Pici, how you doing, sir?

(JP):

Yeah. I’m great and don’t call me sir. I have no stripes and and we’re buddies. What I’d like to do to start. I’d like you to tell our audience what you’re doing right now, who you’re doing it for, and maybe some uniqueness has that you have?

(YB):

Yeah, absolutely. So recently decided to transition back to building YB connects full time. I was in the education space working for a Local College here in Richmond, Virginia that focused on skilled trades. And Allied Health. And I got to a point where you know, I felt like that I felt like an eagle in a tweeting bird cage and decided to make the transition to go back to what I was doing before going to the college which was building my consulting firm YB connects. And so right now I’m really focused on empowering and inspiring entrepreneurs making an impact. leveraging my skills that I’ve developed from folks like yourself, too. Go out and increase the visibility, credibility, and profitability of my clients. I also developed a relationship with the number one self publishing company in the world out of Texas. And so they have me as their President of Sales and it’s in complement with what I do. And so now I strategically work with authors to increase their visibility, credibility, and, profitability specifically.

(JP):

You know, that’s I’m really glad you said that about the publishing because you and I both know so many people that have a dream, have a book in their heart, don’t know what to do, don’t know how to get it published. And so I’m excited that you’re in that space right now. Let me ask you a question that maybe a little curve. How did you get here? In other words, What was the road to entrepreneurship for Rob?

(YB):

Yeah, I would say if I had to choose one word its, relationships. You know, as you mentioned. I’m a native of the South Bronx. I grew up in a single-parent home. My father was actually murdered when I was two. I share that not to gain any sympathy but to let folks know, I’m not a big deal, I just had great coaches. And I’m teachable and coachable. The relationships that I’ve established has opened up tremendous doors for me, you know, I ended up leaving school for about 18 months and when I went back home to New York at a fraternity brother reach out to me and said I had a guy coming to my house to talk about some business ideas. Do you want to come in and check it out? And I didn’t have an idea of what he wanted to show me but I had a lot of respect for this guy. He was a well-known in our fraternity and when I got to this person’s house and I watched the presentation, the one thing that stood out was the importance of leaving a legacy. And notice how I mention that my father was murdered when I was 2 and so the presentation was about being an entrepreneur and owning your own business. And when I heard that, that stuck with me and that’s something that I had a desire to do. And so the way I got here in terms of Entrepreneurship was relationships, you know one connection. I often tell people this, one connection can literally set your life on fire because it’ll open up doors that you couldn’t have imagined or couldn’t have opened up by yourself. So that’s how I got here today.

(JP):

Wow that is so powerful. I think people always want to know you know what those turning points were, what the Catalyst was? You know to take that that road now. I know you graduated from Virginia Union.

(YB):

Yeah I got degree in Business Administration with a concentration in finance and economics. And but if I had to look back or side to go back I would have taken marketing and psychology because that’s pretty much all I do. That’s all I focus on is, How do I Market, how do I help people to develop the thought process to be successful? So yeah, finished with the degree in Business Administration concentration in finance and economics and it is the finish a four-year degree. Not because I was slow or lacked intelligence, but I was too much of a social butterfly. I was so much engaged on connecting that I wasn’t as focused on my schoolwork. So it was a gift that would have been a curse.

(JP):

Brother, I understand. I I used to go to The end of the semester to introduce myself to my professors and so yeah, and don’t forget me when you giving out those grade brother. Well because this is called the sales edge, because the focus of our podcast is so much develop about sales, marketing, business growth, productivity, lead generation, What do you think is your fastball and maybe dive in a little bit on maybe part of your methodology for for that strength?

(YB):

Yeah, I would say so did the anybody’s key terms or lead generation and you know, so I used term because people know about that. But I’ll be honest, I prefer the focus leads. I prefer to focus on prospecting, all prospects which are qualified leads or individuals that fit a specific qualification. And I do understand the importance of lead generation because you have to go from something and build from Nothing, build something from it. So I would say my strength on my, You know, my ability comes from lead generation. Being able to identify a prospect, understand what their needs are, and then provide them with a solution or a referral to someone who can fulfill that particular need. I kind of relate myself to a point guard, like a Chris Paul, that can dribble the ball real well, but if I see that I see the cutting Men floating towards the basket throwing that ball right Over the Hoop so that they can then dunk it into the hoop and score those two points.

(JP):

So give us an idea of some of the verticals you work in? Target Market type of companies or individuals that you focus on.

(YB):

Yeah, absolutely. So now you know now I’m in transition, I’m one of my verticals is working with membership organizations like Chambers, alumni association’s, fraternities, sororities, because each of those organizations, they have some entrepreneurs who are either just getting started or they’re stuck. My specialty is simply helping people to gain Clarity and confidence so they can make the right connections. And as I mentioned before those connections could literally change the life of someone’s business or you know change their life personally. So really working with Chambers or nonprofit organizations, like rotary, organizations that have entrepreneurs in there that need to learn how to connect better. And also how to leverage LinkedIn as a means of attracting your ideal clients so that they can generate more Revenue.

(JP):

So in your vast experience because you’ve been doing this a while. You’ve been doing this for companies and individuals. What do you see as three or four of the biggest challenges that that entrepreneur is facing?

(YB):

Yeah. Absolutely. I would say the three biggest challenges, number one is, my mindset. Second one is, methodology. And the third is, discipline or lack of discipline. So the first the first part we talk about mindset, is that the way that people think. Especially when they transition into entrepreneurship. Many people still possessed an employee mentality, which means that they may just work from nine to five or they made that do just they do just enough, they don’t do the extra stuff. They don’t go to extra mile. And so, you know that that’s a big challenge for most people that they want to be successful and they want to build a big business. They have to develop an entrepreneurship mindset. So the first challenge I would say is mindset. The second is methodology, most people will lack a methodology. They don’t have a system, they don’t have a means of being able to operate from point A to point B. They just throw mud on the wall and pray that it sticks. And then lastly is his dedication or discipline or the lack of it. You know, you have to be willing to put the word game even when you don’t see the results. And so those are the three big challenges that I see many of my colleagues clients facing when it come to me when they hired me to help them to get over those those three hurdles..

(JP):

What has your biggest hurdle been or hurdles been as you’re developing your entrepreneurship?

(YB):

Yeah, I would say the biggest hurdle is wanting to be in the business versus working on the business. Realizing that there are things that I need to delegate. You know, I used to I heard a wise man say you either delegate or stagnate. And often times, I like to just be in the we’d sometimes or so, I’m learning how to give some of the work that I need to do away. I literally just hired a virtual assistant to handle some of my back and work on my CRM. You know so really being being confident enough to put it in other people’s hands and Coach them up where I need you so I can stay in my Lane. Which is connecting and supporting those entrepreneurs who need to get unstuck.

(JP):

Right Now, you’re speaking to your ideal client. You’re sitting across the table from them. Meeting one. What are you saying to them?

(YB):

Meeting one is all questions and all listening.

(JP):

So if you were sitting with me, a potential client, what are you going to ask me?

(YB):

Well, the first thing I’ll say is Joe. I understand that you’ve been in business for about 20 years. So what prompted you to schedule this meeting with me?

And after you tell me that I say well, we’ll Joe what has been some of the successes that you had in these 20 years?

And then I’ll set it up to ask. So Joe these successes, Have lead you to you being able to reach certain levels. But what has been maybe one or two challenges that you’ve had to overcome or that you’re overcoming now?

And then I would say well what, what what impact has that challenge or your ability not to you address that challenge. What impact has that had on your business?

(JP):

I’m doing this for a reason Rob. You are interviewing our audience. They can decide whether or not they want to work with Rob. What’s the fifth question?

(YB):

And then I would say well, what would it take in your opinion, to be able to overcome this challenge?

(JP):

Very good. So in asking those questions based on how many meetings you do a month, how many people can answer those questions?

(YB):

I would say I would say in terms of a percentage, Is that what you’re asking Joe? Yeah, I would say I would say 80% of the people because and keeping in mind, These are prospects Now. These are not leads, yeah when I’m talking to the right person because of my ability to prospect, they’ve already indicated something that allows me when I asked those questions to get them to see me as the solution to their challenge, right? So it’s not for me to sell them on me being the solution, it’s them coming up with the Realization themselves because, when they make the decision, now they’re in the buyer seat versus me selling them and now they’re in the passenger seat. And so the goal is for them to be in the driver’s seat. So they can make the best decision that’s best for them and not for me.

(JP):

Well done. That is great coaching right there. So in our next episode we’re going to ask you a couple questions because it sounds to me like you’ve created a prospecting way of bringing the right people to the table, for the right reason, at the right time. Is that true?

(YB):

That’s correct. Yes it is.

JP):

All right. So Rob we’re going to be getting ready to wind this one down and start our next interview, but would you kindly tell our audience how they can find you? Okay, how they can reach you?

(YB):

Absolutely. So the best way to reach me would be through Linkedin. For those of you who use LinkedIn you can type in the search, Rob YB Youngblood and I’ll be able to pop right up and you can send me a note. I highly recommend you send a note. Let me know that you heard about me on The Sales Edge podcast with Joe Pici and we will then establish the connection from there. That’s the best way to reach me. You can also visit me at www.ybconnects.com. But i would Highly recommend you start with LinkedIn first.

(JP):

We’re going to be moving Rob over to sell more virtually.com for interview Number, two, three and four. Right now, What I’d like you to do is take out your cell phone type the word sales Edge and send that to five five six seven eight. Make sure it’s one word. That’s going to take you to a Pici and Pici link, which will take you to a splash page. There is a 5 e-course video set. Recapture lost Revenue through virtual selling. There’s links and information on the sell more virtually.com membership platform. There’s also free ebooks and links to our podcast. Hey team, If this has been valued to you. It’s certainly been a value to Pici and Pici. Would you like it? Share it? Write a positive comment. Give us a five star review. So thanks so much Rob. We’re going to move you over to interview number two

Voice over:

Thanks for listening. New episodes will air each Tuesday and Thursday. So make sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and give us a five star review. The Sales Edge is sponsored by Pici and Pici Incorporated. A firm which provides training, consulting, and keynote presentations. Empowering corporations and individuals to attract and retain quality clients, for higher revenues and growth. Make more money in sales, speak with Joe in person by calling 407 947 2590 or visit www.piciandpici.com