Introduction
In this episode of Business Insanity Talk Radio, we first talk about the changing demographics of the United States and how this is going to affect your small business in the future. Then, we’ll show you why your bad listening skills are bad for business and what to do about it. Plus, your quirky communication habits are distracting from your message! We’ll show you how to identify and eliminate these habits so you can become more influential. Finally, we’ll show you why being an effective salesperson does not start with talking, but listening.
Listen
Segment 1: Kenneth W. Gronbach is a demographer, futurist and generational marketing expert whose uncannily accurate predictions are transforming how we look at demographics. An in-demand keynote speaker, he has been studying demographics for more than two decades. His new book is Upside: Profiting from the Profound Demographic Shifts Ahead.
1:30 – What demographic shift did you accurately predict that affects small businesses?
2:30 – Why our love affair with cars is waning thanks to Generation Y.
3:45 – Why our healthcare system is about to be hit by a tidal wave it’s not ready for.
5:45 – What else can demographics tell us about what’s coming next?
6:30 – What retailers need to do in order to stay relevant for the future.
8:15 – Are physical retailers in danger of extinction?
9:30 – Will we see a shift in city vs. rural populations as Generation Y ages?
Segment 2: Leslie Shore is a professor, national speaker, communication expert and author. She is the owner of Listen to Succeed, a consultancy that focuses on using listening analytics to help clients achieve their highest level of effective communication. Her book is called “Listen to Succeed”.
15:30 – Is it true that people prefer to talk than listen?
17:15 – Are women better listeners than men?
18:45 – The first steps to becoming a better listener.
20:45 – Leslie helps Barry break his habit of interrupting the other party in a conversation.
22:45 – How to remember what you’re going to say after the person is done speaking.
23:45 – How do you handle long-winded people?
Segment 3: Stacey Hanke has a passion for teaching others how to communicate with influence. She is the author of the #1 Bestseller “Yes You Can! Everything You Need from A to Z to Influence Others to Take Action”.
31:30 – Why do we all have quirky communication habits?
32:15 – How do you break these distracting communication habits?
33:15 – How to be authentic without being distracting.
34:15 – Signs that you’re not as influential as you think.
36:00 – Another step you can take to make positive changes in your communication in order to become more influential.
Segment 4: John Asher is the CEO of Asher Strategies, a high-level growth strategy consulting firm focused on improving sales. Asher has held a variety of positions, but a lot of what he learned about leadership and sales he picked up in the Navy, where he served as captain of two nuclear-powered fast attack submarines before becoming the program manager for a billion-dollar software development program. After co-founding an engineering firm in 1986, Asher and his team grew the company at a compounded growth rate of 42 percent per year for 14 straight years. He later started a sales and marketing advisory business, training over 70,000 salespeople in 22 countries on his efficient and effective sales process to quickly close new business. He is the author of the book “Close Deals Faster”.
41:00 – The three key techniques to be the perfect sales listener.
42:00 – Differences in approach to be effective when selling to men and women.
43:00 – The power of mirroring or matching personality styles.
44:15 – How to make the best first impression on a buyer.
45:30 – What you should never say to customers.
Segment 5: Kenneth W. Gronbach continued.
49:30 – How a small business can profit on the demographic changes coming over the coming years?
51:15 – Small business owners have to be sensitive to which states are gaining population and which states are losing population.
51:45 – The demographic information for your product and service IS available!
52:15 – Industries with the most potential profit.
