Seven Figure Selling (part 4)

by J.B. Bernstein @JBBERNSTEIN

Part 4 in this series will cover the challenge of finding common ground with an Ultra-High Net Worth Individual or C-Level executive.

I always like to say that I am the poorest rich guy in the room. By most standards I would be considered well off, but unfortunately for me, every client, every customer, basically everyone I know makes me look poor in comparison.

This is the case for most seven figure salespeople. They make a great a living and if they are like me, they appreciate every penny. I am so grateful to have this job, there is not a day that goes by that I don't thank the employment gods for smiling down on me and blessing me with the opportunities I have. That being said, the people we sell to and the circles we move around in order to make these sales is a whole other universe.

I mentioned in Part 1 of the series that a seven figures salesperson is in the unique position of not being able to afford the products or services they sell.  There is such a huge gap in income, lifestyle, resources, and power between the salesman and customer in this market that it is almost impossible to find common ground.

Think about how you establish relationships in your daily life. You try to find experiences that you share in order to create bonds and build trust. When you are sitting across from the CEO of a fortune 500 company like Exxon, where the guy makes around $12,000.00 an hour, you are going to be hard pressed to find experiences you both share.

The other factor working against you is that fact that these Ultra-High Net Worth individuals and corporate executives are constantly being solicited. No matter where they are, no matter what they are doing, as soon as someone finds out who they are, they almost immediately barraged.

It is almost like an athlete going out in public. A person sees Michael Jordan on the street, and they figure this is their one chance to get a signature from him. It does not matter if MJ's in a hurry, or with his kids... most people will take their shot.

It is the same for these powerful businessmen. You could be at your kid's little league game talking to the guy next to you just as normal as can be. Until you realize that it is the guy who started Twitter, or Charles Schwab's grandson, and you immediately see this as your chance to get a break. Pitch your idea. Ask for investment. Even ask for job.

So what happens, is that like celebrities, these captains of industry constantly have their guard up.  That coupled with the gap in lifestyle makes finding common ground the toughest thing a seven figure salesman has to do.

In my experience the only way to find common ground is through expertise. Most Seven Figure buyers make a practice of surrounding themselves with experts, especially in the areas where they are not specialists. The only thing I have of value from the perspective of one of these buyers is that I am in expert in sports business, and specifically in milestone marketing. My common ground is that I can help them.

There have been many times in my career that my expertise in Milestone Marketing has opened a door for me. I signed Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, and Barry Bonds as marketing clients based solely on the marketing programming we could create and implement to monetize all the records they were breaking. Obviously none of these guys needed me. Yet together we were able to mirror their success on the field, with historic campaigns off the field, many of which still stand as the model deals athletes get when breaking records.

In the end, over many years, we were able to find other common ground and build real friendships, but I know if not for my expertise, I never would have gotten a shot with any of these guys.