#8: Selling in the real world, with Harvey Mackay

On this episode, Harvey Mackay is back – this time to talk about how persistence and integrity still win the day, even in our nanosecond world. Harvey Mackay’s book The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World is full of his wisdom. That doesn't mean that it’s slick with trendy concepts. Harvey reveals how to build solid success with knowledge he's earned from decades of running an enormously successful envelope business. Plus, he delves deeper into concepts from his newspaper columns and bestselling books such as “Swim with the Sharks without Being Eaten Alive,” where he introduced the Mackay 66 customer profile checklist. Harvey talked a lot about that in Episode 7 of Ignite – be sure to check it out.

SHOW NOTES:

02:00  Harvey talks about the importance of persistence and determination to the insurance industry.

03:10  When Harvey first started out in the business world, he had a phenomenal lesson in persistence.

04:15  In his book, Harvey talks about "The Law of Large Numbers." How does that relate to persistence?

06:25  How can someone keep motivated when they feel like they've had their teeth knocked in for a solid week?

07:10  In his book, Harvey discusses a seismic shift in the marketplace, with technology being a huge factor. How does he think that has affected clients' buying patterns?

08:10  Clients have a dangerous amount of information. How does Harvey’s company overcome that – especially in a business like envelopes, where it appears that so much is just cut-and-dried?

11:00  Harvey is quick to point out that he was never creative – until he taught himself to be.

12:20  Another great example of using creativity to take care of a client – from something Harvey did when he was president of the University of Minnesota Foundation.

15:50  Harvey has said that integrity is the backbone of sales. As he puts it, “Honesty is the best policy, even when it has a high premium.”

19:00  Both the Mackay 66 and the Mackay 25 are vital for getting to know your customer on a deeper level, and giving you that unbeatable competitive edge. How can a salesperson about asking these questions without appearing to be a stalker?

20:45  Harvey has some great motivational tips – in all of his books. How does he personally get motivated every day?