Janice B. Gordon enjoys her work. She loves to mentor, speak, and advise business owners and executives and that joy comes through when you speak to her.
“I love to see the light bulb come on. I love it when I am mentoring business owners, or managers struggling with a particular problem and I can add insight that helps solve their problem. It makes me more motivated to help make a difference and help others be the best they can be.”
Sales is the core component to any business. You can make the best widget in the world, but until they are sold to someone your business will never get off the ground.
Janice helps business owners and salespeople overcome their fears and negative attitudes to excel at the sales experience, which in turn will help their business grow and flourish.
She approaches sales not as an unenjoyable task that needs to be completed, but rather a way to serve customers.
“Many people in business don’t like sales, they think it is icky. If they stop to think why they got in business in the first place, it was to create a product that would help someone solve a problem. Sales should be thought of as serving a client and helping improve their business, or life.”
Janice resides in London and for over 35 years, she has been self-employed creating new businesses, running ongoing concerns and advising other businesses.
In her book, “Business Evolution, Creating Growth in a Rapidly Changing World,” Janice urges small business owners to help their employees emulate that owner’s personality and passion for the business.
Inserting your personality into a virtual world, where so much business today is done through the Internet, becomes a challenge for many small business owners. Your digital presence must entice the user to be intrigued and want to learn more about you, your services, and your company.
Janice also feels it is important to find all the information possible on the prospect you are wanting to contact. Visit their social media, or LinkedIN posts to find their hot buttons and be prepared to interact when a Zoom, or face-to-face meeting is arranged.
“I’m a little bit cheeky online because I’m a little bit cheeky in life so many of my connection request demonstrate this aspect of my personality. The Golden Rule is read their profile, have a look at what they are posting. If there are flowers in their video background, start the conversation about those flowers or something that genuinely interests you both, always find something to make an immediate connection.”
Janice said, if you engage in online conversations and establish the relationship, it is much easier to find a need you can serve and then transition to solving that problem.
“Make sure you have the appropriate message to send to your new connection that is relevant to them. I recently received a short video from a new connection on LinkedIN and the title was, “Been A Long Time.” The video should have been sent to an existing acquaintance, not to a new connection like me.”
She immediately had a negative impression of this person and didn’t watch the entire video.
She feels that sending a video after the first introduction may be a bit presumptive. Not enough people are using video in their messaging but get to know the person whether via email, or LinkedIN.
Most importantly, never sell directly to a new connection on the first reply and not before you understand that they do have a specific need.
“If someone tries to sell me on their first LinkedIN reply, I will unfollow them.”
Janice advises to do background research on the person you wish to engage and connect. Read their content and comments on other posts and add your own replies. The person will notice you and it will help warm up any future business relationship.
“By replying to someone’s posts on LinkedIN, or other social media, you are touching, or making a contact with that person. The more they see your name and comments, the more they will feel they know you. They will be much more receptive to a conversation or actual meeting.”
Do not treat people like they have a target on their back. The person you are connecting with may not be a future client, but they may be an influencer, or may put you in touch with someone that may become a future client.
“I notice anyone that makes comments on my profile. If you are trying to make an impression on someone, what easier way than to comment on their social media posts over a period of time?
Simply popping up on their radar with a comments and sharing relevant insights positions you later when comments have been traded back and forth to reach out for a formal connection. Be someone they want to get to know better, not the person who is trying to sell them at first blush.
“As you find out more about the connection and they find out more about you, the relationship is already built and strengthened. Business comes from a place of friendship and mutual understanding.”
Janice also cautions that when you make comments and engage with someone, they will search your profile. What does your profile say about you? Will your profile turn them off?
She urges everyone create a customer-centric profile.
“They don’t want to hear about your accolades and achievements, or how wonderful you are and what you’re selling. They’re only interested in what you can do to solve their problem.”
Janice believes that it’s important to focus on creating the best LinkedIn headline possible. She suggests using the formula: I help aaa to bbb so that ccc. Where aaa is your ideal client specifically, bbb is the problem you solve and ccc is the result they experience.
She also has a few other tips to maximize your LinkedIN experience.
-Make your profile relevant to your specific customers.
-Make your banner representative of your personality and what you do
-Have a clear image of your face
Check out Janice’s profile on www.linkedin.com/in/janice-b-gordon
“My vision is to travel around the world meeting new people, speaking to entrepreneurs and businesses leaders. With the advancements in technology and the internet all I need is my computer; I can accomplish a great deal from anywhere in the world.”
Janice B Gordon is a ‘Customer Growth Expert.’ She hosts ‘Scale Your Sales’ Podcast and Framework – Reimagining Revenue Growth Through Customer Excellence and Sales.
She is listed as one of the Top 50 Global Thought Leaders and Influencers on Customer Experience, plus a LinkedIn Innovating Sales Influencer.
Janice is a Consultant, Speaker, Trainer and Facilitator, as well as the author of “Business Evolution: Creating Growth in a Rapidly Changing World.”
To contact her, or to find out more visit: https://janicebgordon.com/. We truly enjoyed our upbeat and fast paced interview with Janice. You can find it on iTunes and YouTube.
