Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Nobody wants to be broke, and nobody wants to earn less. Everyone would like to build a 6 figure business and smile all the way to the bank. However, building a sustainable business is not a walk in the park. It requires one to master sales and to build an effective sales team.
This episode is about an interview with John Paramore, where they talked about the mindset of sales, building sales teams, and building strong relationships with prospects. John owns a multi-million dollar construction company and has successfully built sales teams that have sold over hundreds of millions of dollars in the past 15 years. The conversation here is about how he did that and how you can take some of those principles and apply them to your business.
Who is John Paramore? Everything you need to know about him is covered below.
John Paramore is a sales expert, entrepreneur, business coach, speaker, CEO, and visionary leader. Since 2001, he has owned, operated and managed a wide range of businesses in several states including Minnesota, Missouri, Arizona, Florida, Mississippi, and Texas.
John is one of the successful entrepreneurs that never had much of formal education. He attended Wentzville High School between 1993 and 1996, never went to university and has no professional training in any class. From the beginning, he had an entrepreneurial mindset and he knew he didn’t want to work for anybody but for himself. However, his wisdom and genius made him get several offers from various companies to fill the managing partner’s position. Since then, he has done consulting for companies seeking growth opportunities as well as companies seeking to rebrand and revive their business through a solid new image.
His current endeavor is The Program and the S.M.A.S.H. Group where they work with entrepreneurs from all walks of life. They help these entrepreneurs to develop strong action plans that take their businesses to the next level. He is also the managing partner of Bolt Restoration, a St.Louis based Construction Company. His mandate is to manage and bring financial and social success to the company.
His working experience, professional networking, and hard work have helped him become one of the most successful company start-up specialist and high energy sales professional in the United States. He possesses a broad range of skills and abilities which allow him to handle the day to day tasks without any hassle. These include skills in sales, marketing, leadership, team building, customer service, strategic planning and much more.
John also knows about New Business Development, Marketing Strategy, Negotiation, Sales Management, Storm Restoration, Public Relations, Recruiting, Insurance, Construction Management, Renovation, Contract Management, Training, Project Planning and much more.
When it comes to his own startups, one of the most successful companies that he founded is Paramore Development and Construction. This is a multi-million dollar construction company located in St. Louis Missouri.
Having read this piece, John is the right person to tell you how to master sales and build an effective sales team that will help you realize your dream of building a six figure business. The conversation here is about how he did that and how you can take some of those principles and apply them to your business.
WHAT YOU WILL HEAR
[01: 00] James introduces the show by shading more light on who is John Paramore and what he does. He reveals that John has among other things been responsible for building sales teams that have sold over $100 billion in services over the last 15 years.
[02:06] John shares the strategies and tactics he used to build high-level sales teams in the past. He reveals that he started building his sales teams by searching for those the right people, relating, networking and connecting with them.
[02:45] Key lessons that he has learned from building out those teams
[03:12] Key traits those who want to build a sales team must look for in a sales person
[03:44] What constitutes someone who’s effective at selling inside any marketplace. Specifically, things to look for when creating a sales team. One of factor John reveals is the ability for an individual to relate to the other person on the phone. Another one is the ability for a salesperson to ask the right questions and know when to begin the sales cycle.
[05:52] In this episode, they also discuss the mindset that differentiates an ‘order taker’ from a salesman. James shares that professional salespeople are not the type who want to have somebody buy their product if that product is not a good fit for them.
[07:48] John discusses what part of a person’s mindset that takes them from order taker to salesperson. He points out that a professional salesperson is like a hunter. A hunter salesman can go out to search for real prospects, to ask them right questions, and to direct them to the correct solution they are looking for even if they don’t know they are looking for it.
[10:14] John believes that selling is both a skill that can be learned and also a talent. He says that there are several people whom he knows were born with certain personalities. These people possess a very high ability to connect and relate to people and thus become successful sales person without any hassle. He also says that getting somebody who has these two abilities is really worth investing in.
[15:54] John discusses how he pays sales people and reveals the incentives and compensation that have worked for him. He says that he does not put a ceiling on his sale team’s earning potential. He also points out that having a clear pay plan and sticking to it can help one build a sales team that works hard and one that does not work to leave.
[19:05] They discuss things that motivate salespersons. They point out things such as security of a sales team and understanding their lifestyles
[22: 40] How is difficult or easier to get sales people? Do companies or employers make it harder than it has to be? John says that it depends on the stigma around the organization. He also says that finding high-end sales reps is an art.
[24: 00] They discuss top things that a business owner or CEO can do to create an environment that is conducive to attracting great salespeople. Here, John points out that some of the things that great salespersons like are being motivated and working with a company that has vision.
[27: 58] They also discuss things that those who are not talented in sales or lack the required skill set can do to attract a really high caliber person in sales. John points out that conducting a number of assessments can help one bring people in and put them in positions where he knows with 100 percent certainty that they’re going to succeed and thrive.
[32: 08] John also discusses the ninja tricks that he uses when hiring salespersons and maintaining them. He says that he trains his sale team and make them understand from the get go that sales and marketing is a competitive game in a competitive workplace, competitive environment, and a competitive market. So, he advises his sales people to be committed both in the field and the marketplace.
[36: 16] A lot of people are concerned about ways to grow their companies and build a good relationship with their customers. John reveals how he manages to stay focused on representing his company at the same time making sure that his customers feel great.
[40: 01] John discusses things that made him a great sales guy even before managing sales teams. He says that the number one trait that helped him is the ability to relate to other people. James also adds that listening is probably the most one of the most important skills when relating with people.
[46: 30] John tells those who want to get a hold of him and further dialogue with him, to reach him through Facebook. He does a lot of coaching where he answers questions and certainly helps his members walk through the process of recruiting great salespeople and then leading them as well.
Resources and Links
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-paramore-96a6ba69
- https://web.facebook.com/theprogram4u?_rdr
- https://web.facebook.com/boltconstruction?_rdr
- https://www.amazon.com/Talent-Overrated-Separates-World-Class-Performers/dp/1591842948
- https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Sales-Machine-Turbocharge-Relentless/dp/1591842158
- http://contractceo.com/optin360431