05.04.16
Insights with J.B. Bernstein
This is J.B. Bernstein. Is he famous? Well, if having a movie made about you defines famous for you, then yes, he is. Is he kind of important? Yes, he is. J.B. has managed the names and brands of athletes like Emmitt Smith, Barry Bonds, and Barry Sanders.
Inspired by the popularity of professional basketball player Yao Ming and the untapped opportunity in talent acquisition for professional baseball, he’s made a name for himself as a sports agent and most importantly, entrepreneur. His keynote speech at the Northeast Indiana Innovation Center’s Ideas@Work event on Where’s the Big Idea? shared how to identify your big idea, is it plausible, and tips on moving forward.
In his workshop, J.B. elaborated on something important to all of our businesses: Sales! Sales doesn’t just mean selling a physical product or service. As entrepreneurs, selling your business and what you do to the public is crucial if you want to keep moving forward. So that raises the question: How do I keep moving forward?
Create relationships: J.B. couldn’t stress this enough – It’s all about relationships. Making a meaningful connection with your customer/buyer is important in getting that new deal.
How do you build a relationship with someone who doesn’t have anything in common with you? Expertise is your common ground. You are the expert at what you do. Do your research and know about trends in your line of work and know how different industries can affect you. You never know what your clients or customers will ask next, so it’s best to be prepared!
No is the beginning of a negotiation: If you aren’t prepared to hear the word “No” over and over and over again, then maybe you’re not in the right field. No isn’t the end of your interaction with your customers. If your potential customers listen to your pitch, but ends up saying no, they’re in the market. Think of their “No” as a “Not yet.”
Understand the factors weighing on the buyer: The more you understand about the sales process from all sides, then you’ll have a better understanding on why they said “no” and become better prepared to convince them to say, “Yes!”
Utilize your creativity in solving your problems or roadblocks. Be creative in how you relate to your customers, be creative in how you sell, and be creative in what you do.
