This is a long one, so read at your own risk- but for those aspiring professional sales people that want to better understand their craft:

I would never ask you do something I have never done or wouldn’t do myself.  It wouldn’t be fair, it wouldn’t be authentic, and it wouldn’t be me…and, in fairness, I wouldn’t expect you to listen. So for those that want to know how I sell, feel free to hear me on this:

– I have been in your shoes.

– I have pitched to literally thousands of Realtors.

– I have pitched to literally hundreds of Loan Officers.

– I have pitched to numerous banks and affinity partners.

– I have pitched to a plethora of executives from all different companies.

– I have vetted out multiple investors and service providers.

– I have been to countless networking events…and I’ve felt the awkwardness.

– I have failed.

– I have won.

– I have failed again.

– I have had great pitches.

– I have had God-awful pitches.

– I have worried about my family financially in a commission-based environment.

– I have left some personally fulfilling creative pieces of myself (music, etc) so I could work more

– I have used creative pieces of myself to fill the void mentioned above in my business.

– I have worried about bills.

– I have worried I wasn’t good enough.

– I have worried about what people would think of me.

– I have worried about past failures setting a tone for my future.

– I have worried that my best was never good enough.

– I have worried that no matter how many hours I work or how hard I try, that there will always be someone who doesn’t think I’ve done enough (and there will ALWAYS be someone even in a 90 hour work week- trust me, I’ve tested).

– I have worried about the next 7 tiers of potential fallout from a decision I have made.

– I have been debilitated by fear.

I’ve been lauded in my career for being a “great” salesman.  I’m not sure that’s true because most of it is just trying to be authentic, but I know I get asked by a lot of folks “how” I sell.

And I have coached a lot of people in my industry on sales…and most of them don’t know the things I just told you. They still always believe there is a magic sauce. There isn’t one. There are strategies and learnings, but there is no magical top 5 that works for everyone.

I fear like you do. I worry like you do. I am insecure sometimes like you may be.

The “secret sauce” is more complicated than a magical top 5 list of success in sales. Success in sales is a very complicated, ever-changing thing…and it’s a different version for everyone.  My version is this:

– Refuse to give up. Ever.

– Study your craft and choose to see sales as an artform.

– Study the tools available to you. Every day. No matter how long you’ve done it or how much you think you know.

– Never allow yourself to linger on the darker sides of you for more than a few hours of “woe is me” time…bc every day you need to start again.

– Package your sales pitch…and literally practice it.

– Allow yourself to wallow in your self-imposed perspective of ineptitude when you lose a deal…for a night, when needed…and then start the new day as the BOSS you ought to be.

– Work. Every day. Unrelenting. Until your bones are tired. Like every blue collar worker in the country (except you’ll make MORE than they do if you actually WORK the way they do).

-ALWAYS guide your customers in a way that is good for THEM, not for you or your commission check!  You will sleep better than your less-scrupulous competitors, and you will get more referrals and do more business in the long-run because of it.

– Read. Read a lot. For me now it is global industry publications and new-aged motivational books, but there was a time it was just me, a handful of beers, some FHA regulations and some Zig Ziglar and John Maxwell.  Become the expert , bc your referral partners will find one if you’re not (SOMEONE else will be, if you’re not in that role). Whether your expertise is in marketing, industry news, rate environment, or all of the above. Take your sales pitch seriously. Like a professional.

For those that lasted this long, I love you…and I love those that didn’t too.  I’m here for you if you want to brainstorm sales ideas -day or night.

Have a great week!

Ian Aubourg

Regional Director, Movement Mortgage