A.J. Vassar's guest appearances

A.J. Vassar

The Sales Evangelist

Powers Hour

Sales Wolves Podcast

Selling In Color

Donald Kelly

DeJuan Brown

Reginald F. Lewis

Roderick Jefferson

Kevin Cummings

Ruben Alvarez

Donald C. Kelly

Oprah Winfrey

Cynthia Barnes

Natasha Hemmingway

Jerry Brooner

Lin Hart

Jose Quiroz

Anita Nielsen

Kimberly Seltzer

OwlTail

Prospecting is a critical element of the sales process. After all, how can you expect new business if you aren’t finding new prospects who can benefit from your product? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by entrepreneur and speaker AJ Vassar to discuss how to prepare yourself for better prospecting.  Salespeople need new clients in their pipeline.   Despite this, it’s an area where people are frequently challenged. In sales, we learn ABC - always be closing. But, just as important is the idea of the prospecting ABC - always be connecting. Connecting and establishing a network is integral to being a successful salesperson. But don’t just connect with random people; find people you can provide value to (and vice versa.) When you also focus on connecting people with others, you’ll be top of mind in all instances. And that is a critical element to have.  What if a salesperson doesn't have time to connect with new people?  You have to make time. Connecting people with other people makes you an asset they’ll want to interact with (and hopefully do business with.) If you help enough people get what they want, you’ll get what you want. Relationships are like a bank account: Don’t make a withdrawal before making a deposit.  Using this skill on LinkedIn:   If you’re connected on LinkedIn, what can you do in 10 minutes per day to find success? One of AJ’s mentors is Ronald Jackson, retired three-star army general, ex-referee for the NBA, and professor at Georgia Tech. The very first thing AJ asked him was, “tell me your goals, and what can I help you achieve?” People don’t mind talking about themselves - they love it. And everyone, no matter how wealthy, has goals you might be able to help accomplish.  One major takeaway: The saying “your net worth is your network” is incredibly apt. But, more importantly, it’s not who you know, but who knows you. Follow AJ on  LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook for more great content. This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn Sales Navigator. The Great Resignation has become the Great Reshuffle, meaning it can be difficult for sales professionals like you to find leads and close deals. Luckily, Sales Navigator from LinkedIn is here for you! Sales Navigator from LinkedIn is the only tool that uses real-time alerts and up-to-date insights to help you know when prospects are ready to buy. And, with over 30 advanced filters, sales professionals can quickly find genuine leads with the intent to purchase. Gain the advantage of accurate, quality lead generation data from LinkedIn Sales Navigator. You can get a 60-day free trial of Sales Navigator at www.LinkedIn.com/TSE.  This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This episode is brought to you in part by mParticle. Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the one perfect for you? Well, look no further. mParticle is one of the leading independent customer data platforms out there, and they’re looking for motivated remote sellers (just like yourself.)  With top-name clients from Spotify and Burger King to Airbnb, we don’t want you to let this opportunity go to waste! For more information and to view open positions, go to https://www.mparticle.com/careers/. This course is brought to you in part by the  TSE Sales Certified Training Program, designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the  first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on  Apple Podcast,  Stitcher, or  Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to!  Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial.  Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Prospecting is a critical element of the sales process. After all, how can you expect new business if you aren’t finding new prospects who can benefit from your product? In today’s episode of The Sales Evangelist, Donald is joined by entrepreneur and speaker AJ Vassar to discuss how to prepare yourself for better prospecting.  Salespeople need new clients in their pipeline.  <ul> <li>Despite this, it’s an area where people are frequently challenged.</li> <li>In sales, we learn ABC - always be closing. But, just as important is the idea of the prospecting ABC - always be connecting.</li> <li>Connecting and establishing a network is integral to being a successful salesperson. But don’t just connect with random people; find people you can provide value to (and vice versa.)</li> <li>When you also focus on connecting people with others, you’ll be top of mind in all instances. And that is a critical element to have.</li> </ul> What if a salesperson doesn't have time to connect with new people? <ul> <li>You have to make time. Connecting people with other people makes you an asset they’ll want to interact with (and hopefully do business with.)</li> <li>If you help enough people get what they want, you’ll get what you want.</li> <li>Relationships are like a bank account: Don’t make a withdrawal before making a deposit.</li> </ul> Using this skill on LinkedIn:  <ul> <li>If you’re connected on LinkedIn, what can you do in 10 minutes per day to find success?</li> <li>One of AJ’s mentors is Ronald Jackson, retired three-star army general, ex-referee for the NBA, and professor at Georgia Tech.</li> <li>The very first thing AJ asked him was, “tell me your goals, and what can I help you achieve?” People don’t mind talking about themselves - they love it.</li> <li>And everyone, no matter how wealthy, has goals you might be able to help accomplish.</li> </ul> One major takeaway: The saying “your net worth is your network” is incredibly apt. But, more importantly, it’s not who you know, but who knows you. Follow AJ on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/aj-vassar-7898ba41/?originalSubdomain=co" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> LinkedIn</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ajvassar/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ajvassarfreedom/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a> for more great content. This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn Sales Navigator. The Great Resignation has become the Great Reshuffle, meaning it can be difficult for sales professionals like you to find leads and close deals. Luckily, Sales Navigator from LinkedIn is here for you! Sales Navigator from LinkedIn is the only tool that uses real-time alerts and up-to-date insights to help you know when prospects are ready to buy. And, with over 30 advanced filters, sales professionals can quickly find genuine leads with the intent to purchase. Gain the advantage of accurate, quality lead generation data from LinkedIn Sales Navigator. You can get a 60-day free trial of Sales Navigator at <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/TSE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.LinkedIn.com/TSE</a>.  This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at <a href="https://www.skipio.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.Skipio.com.</a> This episode is brought to you in part by mParticle. Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the one perfect for you? Well, look no further. mParticle is one of the leading independent customer data platforms out there, and they’re looking for motivated remote sellers (just like yourself.)  With top-name clients from Spotify and Burger King to Airbnb, we don’t want you to let this opportunity go to waste! For more information and to view open positions, go to <a href="https://www.mparticle.com/careers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.mparticle.com/careers/</a>. This course is brought to you in part by the <a href="https://the-sales-evangelist.teachable.com/p/the-sales-evangelist" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> TSE Sales Certified Training Program</a>, designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the <a href="https://the-sales-evangelist.teachable.com/p/the-sales-evangelist" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> first two modules free</a>! You can visit <a href="http://www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals</a> or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: <a href="https://tsesales.typeform.com/to/lc5yAa8P" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">thesalesevangelist.com/survey</a>. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-sales-evangelist/id788738885" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Apple Podcast</a>, <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-sales-evangelist-sales-trainingspeakingbusiness-marketingdonald" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Stitcher</a>, or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1NjzsFjQwVrgboUfDvbzd5?si=LdQOJDc1T-WBPMxr1h3RsA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Spotify</a>. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to!  Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on <a href="https://www.audible.com/ep/creator?source_code=PDTGBPD060314004R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Audible</a> and explore their huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day trial. Audio provided by <a href="https://freesfx.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Free SFX</a> and <a href="http://www.bensound.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bensound</a>. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Mentally Program Yourself to Become a Prospecting Expert | A.J. Vassar - 1535

Working in sales isn’t hard if you work with the right mindset. In today’s episode of Selling in Color, Donald is joined by International Speaker and sales expert A.J. Vassar to learn why sales and entrepreneurship are B.S. (and by that, we mean a Belief System.) People value things they think are rare.  Gold, diamonds, and silver are rare, so we value them. But would you rather have water or a diamond? After all, only one of those things keeps you alive.  Value is relative to the situation and the amount of something available. When selling, refer to things as “complimentary” instead of “free” because the word complementary implies a transaction and a payment, making people subconsciously attach more value to the product.  “Entrepreneurship is just a fancy word for sales.”  This quote is from A.J.’s first millionaire mentor, Dennis. At the time, he was worth roughly $20 million. Everything is sales - whether that’s entrepreneurship, dating, or deciding on a movie with the family. Until you make a sale, you don’t have a profitable business. Simple as that. Entrepreneurs need to believe in and sell their product to others, be it a customer or potential team member, to bring the necessary people to the table.  What words do you think about when someone mentions sales?   Is it the slimy car salesman? While people love to buy, they hate being sold to. Therefore, salespeople must be transparent and leave the purchase decision up to the buyer to encourage them to purchase.  Bill Gates was able to sell his product before it was even created. And A.J. thought, why can’t I do that? A.J. pre-sells courses before he makes them, and includes surveys and questions in the presale to ensure participants get what they want out of the program.  A.J.’s bump-down method: Call the owner or CEO of a company, and they’ll refer you to the right decision-maker, and you have the name of an influential person in your back pocket.  A.J.’s takeaway for someone new to sales? You need enthusiasm, but enthusiasm isn’t false positivity or extroversion. It’s being genuinely yourself. You sell yourself to sell a product. Reach out to A.J. on any social media platform at @ajvasser; DM him and ask for his calendar link to schedule a meeting or jump on a call. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at www.Skipio.com. This episode is brought to you in part by mParticle. Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the one perfect for you? Well, look no further. mParticle is one of the leading independent customer data platforms out there, and they’re looking for motivated remote sellers (just like yourself.)  With top-name clients from Spotify and Burger King to Airbnb, we don’t want you to let this opportunity go to waste! For more information and to view open positions, go to https://www.mparticle.com/careers/. This course is brought to you in part by the  TSE Sales Certified Training Program, designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the  first two modules free! You can visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on  Apple Podcast and  Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to!  Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Working in sales isn’t hard if you work with the right mindset. In today’s episode of Selling in Color, Donald is joined by International Speaker and sales expert A.J. Vassar to learn why sales and entrepreneurship are B.S. (and by that, we mean a Belief System.) People value things they think are rare. <ul> <li>Gold, diamonds, and silver are rare, so we value them. But would you rather have water or a diamond? After all, only one of those things keeps you alive. </li> <li>Value is relative to the situation and the amount of something available.</li> <li>When selling, refer to things as “complimentary” instead of “free” because the word complementary implies a transaction and a payment, making people subconsciously attach more value to the product.</li> </ul> “Entrepreneurship is just a fancy word for sales.” <ul> <li>This quote is from A.J.’s first millionaire mentor, Dennis. At the time, he was worth roughly $20 million.</li> <li>Everything is sales - whether that’s entrepreneurship, dating, or deciding on a movie with the family.</li> <li>Until you make a sale, you don’t have a profitable business. Simple as that.</li> <li>Entrepreneurs need to believe in and sell their product to others, be it a customer or potential team member, to bring the necessary people to the table.</li> </ul> What words do you think about when someone mentions sales?  <ul> <li>Is it the slimy car salesman? While people love to buy, they hate being sold to. Therefore, salespeople must be transparent and leave the purchase decision up to the buyer to encourage them to purchase. </li> <li>Bill Gates was able to sell his product before it was even created. And A.J. thought, why can’t I do that? A.J. pre-sells courses before he makes them, and includes surveys and questions in the presale to ensure participants get what they want out of the program. </li> <li>A.J.’s bump-down method: Call the owner or CEO of a company, and they’ll refer you to the right decision-maker, and you have the name of an influential person in your back pocket.</li> </ul> A.J.’s takeaway for someone new to sales? You need enthusiasm, but enthusiasm isn’t false positivity or extroversion. It’s being genuinely yourself. You sell yourself to sell a product. Reach out to A.J. on any social media platform at @ajvasser; DM him and ask for his calendar link to schedule a meeting or jump on a call. This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio. Are you sick of crickets? As a salesperson, the pain of reaching out with phone calls or emails and not receiving a response is real. But all text messaging is not created equal. 85% of people prefer text over email and phone calls because they want to engage in a conversation, not listen to bots. Be more like people and start having conversations that end in the conversions you want. Try Skipio at <a href="https://www.skipio.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.Skipio.com.</a> This episode is brought to you in part by mParticle. Are you tired of wading through thousands of open sales positions to find the one perfect for you? Well, look no further. mParticle is one of the leading independent customer data platforms out there, and they’re looking for motivated remote sellers (just like yourself.)  With top-name clients from Spotify and Burger King to Airbnb, we don’t want you to let this opportunity go to waste! For more information and to view open positions, go to <a href="https://www.mparticle.com/careers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.mparticle.com/careers/</a>. This course is brought to you in part by the <a href="https://the-sales-evangelist.teachable.com/p/the-sales-evangelist" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> TSE Sales Certified Training Program</a>, designed to help new and struggling sellers master sales fundamentals and close more deals. Help elevate your sales game and sign up now to get the <a href="https://the-sales-evangelist.teachable.com/p/the-sales-evangelist" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> first two modules free</a>! You can visit <a href="http://www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals</a> or call (561) 570-5077 for more information. We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: <a href="https://tsesales.typeform.com/to/lc5yAa8P" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">thesalesevangelist.com/survey</a>. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/selling-in-color/id1554975228" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Apple Podcast</a> and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3kYTXPDJIHJXkosjIPXYEM?si=15e656114ada437b" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Spotify</a>. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings for each episode you listen to!  Audio provided by <a href="https://freesfx.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Free SFX</a> and <a href="http://www.bensound.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bensound</a>. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Entrepreneurship: A Fancy Word for Sales | A.J. Vassar - 045

A.J. Vassar is a Transformational Hacker and International Speaker Trainer who helps people find life hacks to get results and radically change their lives for the better. Find A.J. on social media @ajvassar.If you're looking to grow your skills through mentorship or to share your expertise as a mentor, all online, Acadium is a new platform that lets you do just that. Learn more and enjoy $50 off by visiting www.tinyurl.com/acadiumTo find out more about Laura and her speaking, coaching, and other hosting work visit her website at powershour.biz.  You can also find Laura on twitter @thatlaurapowers, on Facebook @thatlaurapowers and on Instagram and TikTok @laurapowers44.

A.J. Vassar is a Transformational Hacker and International Speaker Trainer who helps people find life hacks to get results and radically change their lives for the better. Find A.J. on social media @ajvassar. If you're looking to grow your skills through mentorship or to share your expertise as a mentor, all online, Acadium is a new platform that lets you do just that. Learn more and enjoy $50 off by visiting <a href="http://www.tinyurl.com/acadium" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">www.tinyurl.com/acadium</a> To find out more about Laura and her speaking, coaching, and other hosting work visit her website at <a href="http://powershour.biz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">powershour.biz</a>. You can also find Laura on twitter @thatlaurapowers, on Facebook @thatlaurapowers and on Instagram and TikTok @laurapowers44.

The State of Speaking with A.J. Vassar