How Do Our Childhood Beliefs Impact Our Future Sales Careers? | Joel Burstein - 011

Apr 27, 2021

On today’s episode of Selling in Color, we welcomed Joel Burstein, CEO at Keep it Simple Training and Development and board chair and MBEIC for the Eastern Minority Supplier Development Council. Joel gives us an in-depth look at his perception of sales and how his childhood beliefs shaped those beliefs.

Joel’s childhood shaped his perception of selling.

• Only 20% of salespeople are people of color. The reason? Speaking from his Caribbean-American background, money was a culturally weird thing to talk about for Joel. And, essentially, that’s a guiding component of sales.
• His parents told him he could be anything he wanted to be. But he never thought to look to sales because there was nobody like him in that career.
• Joel didn’t believe a lucrative job existed because he had never been exposed to one.

How to sell when you’re unexpected:

• Childhood beliefs only change through actions. Once you start to do something and see its possibilities, you can see the shift in momentum.
• There are two sales: the first is selling that you belong in that room, and the second is the product.
• Connect with the people you’re selling to based on common ground. Connect on a shared business or family values, something that will prevent the conversation from becoming uncomfortable.
• Sometimes some people take too much pride. Acknowledge that it might be an uncomfortable situation, and look for ways to make it a good position.

Joel’s main takeaways:

• Lots of things we do are habitual. The question then is can you identify them and use them for your benefit.
• It’s not about you. Sometimes it’s about them. Don’t internalize what happens in the sales environment, and try not to take professional conversations to heart.

Want to get in contact with Joel? Connect with him on LinkedIn.