Hey hey! Welcome back to the amazing Bullpen Sessions! Today’s episode is incredible — I’m bringing you a  special guest who will rock your world with great insights, value, and game-changing directions for your life. So, sit back, relax, and don’t forget to take down notes as we unveil the million-dollar sales secrets our special guest will be sharing in this session.

Today, I’m excited to introduce to you Chris Ross — he’s the popular podcast host of the Win-Win Effect (check out Episode #72 with yours truly!). During that interview, Chris told me about his life’s journey from childhood. Early on, he was faced with financial and family problems, but now, he’s earning a strong income while making an impact in other people’s lives. His life story is too inspiring enough not to share, and I knew then that I needed to have Chris on the Bullpen Sessions to personally share his expertise in the exciting world of sales with all of you. 

In this interview, we talked about what it will take to excel in sales in 2020 and beyond. We also discussed how we can become 1% better every single day. Right now, Chris Ross is one of the sought-after motivational speakers, helping salespersons and sales teams how to reach the top 1% in sales. If you’re someone struggling with poor sales numbers, you’ll be astounded by what Chris has to share to get to the top.

So, let’s get the ball rolling!

Who Is Chris Ross?

Chris Ross is the founder and creator of TCR Consulting Agency, or TCR Education, whose educational TCR programs are used by more than 60 trade schools in the United States of America. Graduates of their programs have excelled in their respective careers when it comes to driving revenues and increasing sales. 

As a host of the top-rated podcast, the Win-Win Effect, Chris Ross is instrumental in preparing top corporate executives for the radical transformation of the business development process, benefiting both sides of the seller and buyer relationship. It’s a “win-win effect” — both parties experience exponential revenue growth! 

After assuming the board’s Chairman role of TCR, Chris further ventured to the podcasting powerhouse business, creating Winject Radio, which gained more than a million downloads in the first year. As a CEO and co-founder of Winject, Chris continues to add more shows to the network to sustain its growth by injecting a winning mindset into corporations, into their sales, their marketing, and their operations.

Despite all his success today, Chris didn’t start at the top. He experienced an extremely hard childhood, and his family constantly battled with financial insecurity, but through all those challenges, Chris was molded into a great man. Keep reading to learn how!  

How Great People Are Molded from Challenges

To put it simply, the early days of Chris Ross were not lived in luxury. But all those challenges tested his limits and molded him into the man he is today. 

“We were not in a good financial situation. But all the things that I learned throughout my younger years were molding me for my future success. And [I] went into the military after my older sister passed away. … She passed away when I was 16. She was born handicapped, and she had a lot of complications. …My parents … could not afford [her care], and [we] didn’t have a really good health care back then in those days. So, [my dad]had to work two to three jobs sometimes to provide for his family. And that’s where I get my crazy work [ethic]. …I’m not scared of hard work.” – Chris Ross

As Chris Ross said, his life was full of struggles. His family was poor, and his sister experienced several health problems due to her disability. When she died, the family was devastated, but Chris did not let that terrible situation determine the course of his life. . Instead, he fought back with a positive mindset. After running away from the pain for a while, Chris decided to move on — he joined the military, took other jobs, and took a great leap forward, knowing that every difficult experience was molding him to become successful.

“I picked the job that my grandfather, my mom’s dad, had, .. and I drove a SEAL boat … before 9-11 happened. … So I learned from great leaders. … [Joining the military] was probably the best decision I ever made because it got me away from my surroundings. And I was exposed to a lot of cultures from there. … [I also] made a sacrifice to be able to go to college. Back in those days, you had to get at least a four-year degree to make something of your life.”- Chris Ross

As new opportunities unravel before him, Chris took every chance to meet with people and learn from their expertise. His exposure to different cultures, traditions, organizations, and corporations molded him to become great. If you find yourself stuck in your current career (or want to start a new one), the key to moving forward is networking — when you meet new people and experience new things, you open up the door for endless opportunities to come your way! 

“If you’re great at what you do, you don’t have to tell people you’re great.” – Chris Ross

Despite his massive exposure to different types of jobs, Chris knew that he needed to polish the fundamentals — the knowledge and skills to succeed. He made a lot of sacrifices to complete his bachelor’s degree, which later served as his ticket to the corporate world.

Eventually, Chris ended up in sales (which many of us can relate to!). He took several sales gigs, and he viewed each as an opportunity to meet new people and practice his communication skills.  Chris also spent time studying the traditional sales techniques and adapted them to applicable strategies that work today! 

Chris was fortunate enough to get proper sales education in 2008, and since then, he was involved in education sales, achieving small successes. But this wasn’t a stopping place for Chris — he did not stop learning but continued to hone in his skills to achieve greater heights in his career. From starting as a missions rep to becoming a regional director, Chris collaborated and connected with top executives and popular personalities in lead generation. And what’s truly amazing is that all of this happened BEFORE the social media boom.

Creating an Impact in the Sales Landscape 

It’s no secret —  the internet and social media have completely changed the sales and marketing landscape. When this change started happening, Chris adapted to the evolution by going online, which expanded the global footprint of his business. He taught people how to enroll in coaching programs that will teach them how to succeed, making an impact in their lives. 

“I was good at what I did, but I knew that I could be great. And I had to put myself in a situation where I was forced to be great. … I’m a guy that makes an impact on companies, corporations, or individuals. That’s what I do for a living. … I’m there to make an impact and a lifelong impact if they’re willing and be receptive to what I have to say.”- Chris Ross

If you’re looking to have a career in sales, you may be wondering, “How can I keep the focus on impact while also making a steady income?” It’s easy to get focused on the monetary compensation side of sales and ignore the impact, but Chris believes that focusing on impact is the way to go: 

“Whatever the [sales] situation is, … I’m going to ask [the client] really detailed questions. And I’m going to ask a lot of other questions [that] 99.9% of salespeople aren’t going to ask. Why? It’s because I’m looking for the barriers to entry. I’m looking for information, and sometimes maybe, they’re not telling me. And I’m going to ask ‘who, what, when, why, how’ questions. And these questions lead me to diagnostic questions. … ‘Why do you feel that you need that product?’ … Nine times out of ten, it’s not even that product they actually need. They want the product. They don’t need that product just yet because there are different levels to this. I reverse the table. I take it away from them. You no longer have the ability or the freedom to buy what I’m selling you because it’s not available yet.”- Chris Ross

While the majority of the salespeople are focused on commissions (how much earnings they will get from an account), Chris focuses more on providing value and making an impact in their lives. He sets him apart from the rest by taking a different approach. He flips the tables on the customers by checking their fit for the valuable services he’s offering. This helps not only the company he’s working for but also the customers themselves! It ensures that they are getting the service they truly NEED.

“Have them beg you. I’m telling you, man, there are times I’ve had people get on the phone with me, and then I completely flip it in about 15 seconds, and they’ll go, ‘Whoa, I didn’t expect this conversation to happen.’ I’m like, ‘Well, the reason why we’re having this conversation is because I’m looking for X, Y, Z. Can you fit these requirements? If you can. Great! I’m not saying you have to meet or exceed these requirements. I’m saying this is my standard. In order for you to get this, you’re going to have to come up to my standards. … If you want my help, I will help you. But you’re going to have to put forth the effort and have the right attitude.’”– Chris Ross

So there you go! Chris just spilled the secrets you need to be successful in sales. Hard work and a positive mindset will get you to your goal. You have to be willing to be taught and not just understand the lessons but turn them into actions with a winning attitude. This goes for both the seller and the client! If you’re trying to sell a product, ask the client questions to really gauge if that product is for them. And if you’re looking to invest in a coaching program or purchase, do your research to know if that product is really for you. Will it be a waste of money? Or will it help you reach your goals? 

Applying an Athlete’s Mindset to Business Values

Since I love hearing life stories of successful people, I shifted the conversation back to the days of Chris Ross’ life when he joined the Navy. He actually was offered a  baseball scholarship with Charleston Southern University, but he didn’t take it. While he was good at baseball, Chris was also an avid fan of football. However, he lost interest in sports when his sister passed away. After finishing his stint in the Navy, he attended Clemson University of South Carolina.

Since he is a huge football fan, I asked Chris if he thought Clemson is going to be successful this season. Chris said that he is CERTAIN that Clemson will not lose a game, and he is 100% confident in this because they are true to who they are and their core values.

“You have to have a 100%live and die by your choices and decisions; a 100%! And take full accountability of your life.”– Chris Ross

He further added that no one in this life can save you. And it’s going to become way easier for you when you realize that. Whether good or bad, you have to live with the repercussions of your actions. Taking full responsibility for your actions is the first step to future growth. Once you have set your mind on your goals, you can start connecting with people and align them with your goals.

“I’m just all about connecting with others. And if you connect with others, you can drive people to do anything you want them to do.”– Chris Ross

As you connect with people you want to impact, you also need to train their mindset to match yours. His entrepreneurial mindset and firm belief in abundance made a huge shift in this life, allowing him to build the corporations and the businesses he is doing right now. While most people shy away from challenges due to fear of losing, Chris loves challenges as they allow him to grow and improve his skills. His winning formula is 80% mindset and 20% skills. 

While skills are important, it’s more important to prioritize your mindset to manifest success.  It can be hard to change your mindset at first, but when you slowly take away the negativity, you will start experiencing positive changes in your life. But first, you must determine your desired outcome before you can manifest those changes.

“ You can create and manifest a beautiful life, hundreds of million dollars of whatever success [means] to you. And if I told you that I could help you, get you there quicker, you would pay me anything”– Chris Ross

What’s your desired outcome? What goals do you want to meet this year? Due to COVID-19, many of our goals have been set aside or even forgotten as we try to navigate this pandemic. However, Chris had some amazing advice on how we can still make positive changes in the middle of this chaos! 

Getting to Know your Desired Outcome During the COVID-19 Pandemic

I asked Chris how sales professionals, who are way behind their sales goals due to the effect of the COVID pandemic, can prepare themselves for 2021 and get their momentum back.

“One — get organized.”– Chris Ross

You have to get organized with your daily routine and operations and remain focused on the tasks at hand. Even if these things don’t excite you, you will learn to love the process because it is the pathway to your success. Instead of complaining about the mundane tasks, try to make a challenge out of them by finding ways to make an impact on whatever tasks you are doing. Ask yourself why you are doing what you are doing, and start peeling back the layers. In the end, it will still bring you back to the primary question — what is the outcome you are seeking? It should be your genuine outcome and not the desired outcome of your boss or superiors. 

“What is your outcome? And then you start peeling back the layers on how you’re going to get to that outcome from your daily task. And that’s what you focus on. When you start seeing some type of growth, and you move that needle a little bit, then it’s going to motivate you.”– Chris Ross

According to Chris, most people spend their time the whole day doing things that they don’t like to do. However, Chris doesn’t do that because he knows his worth and value. He is getting paid for his value — not by his time. One of the reasons why many people fail is because they cannot handle the monotony of success. But if you keep track of your desired outcome, you will learn to love what you are doing. 

So, instead of complaining about why things are happening this way or why sales are low this year, make a complete shift in mindset by learning from the experience. Get back to your desired outcome and start working on the action plans that will get you there. When you know what you are doing and why you are doing it, no one can beat you!. 

“When God’s behind me, there’s nothing going to stop me, if I’m in my right frame of mind.”– Chris Ross

Do you love what you do? Are you focusing on the end results? Do you have goals in mind as you work toward the finish line? If you’re not clear on these things, your work will be much less enjoyable and less impactful as a result. Today, I want to encourage you to take some time to get clear on your goals (either for this year or the years to come). COVID-19 has definitely thrown a wrench in things, but we don’t have to let it stop us. 

Why You Should Listen to This Chris Ross Podcast Episode Right Now…

Before we ended the interview, I asked Chris one more question about sales — “What advice would you give to somebody today about how to gain the attention of your target audience?” Here was his answer: 

“[The secret] comes from your heart. If there is one thing in life, you can never fake, it is passion. If you’re passionate about what you do, you’ll eventually find the answers.”– Chris Ross

If you have a passion, you can develop skills and eventually become good at it. And what’s more, people notice passionate people and are attracted to them. If you’re passionate about what you’re selling, you are so much more likely to sell more of it. You don’t have to be perfect. You just need to be you.

“Don’t be me. Don’t be Andy. Don’t be someone named Steve. Don’t be them. Don’t try to do what they’re doing. Do what you want to do. And eventually, you’ll find the answers. But it’s going to take some time for you to really sit down and really go into your core values. But once you’re plugged-in to that energy source, man, it’s not going to stop you.”– Chris Ross

If you want to learn more wisdom from Chris, make sure to listen to the full interview to hear all of his sales secrets! I know that I learned so much from our conversation that I’m going to start using it in my own business, and I hope you did too! You can also catch episodes from Chris Ross on the Win-Win Effect. He also has live Q&A sessions from the show on YouTube. And if you wish to meet him personally for a life-changing session, you may contact Chris Ross through his official website!

And if you enjoyed the interview, be sure to let us know! You can tag Chris, @thewinwineffect, and me, @andy_neary, on Instagram with a screenshot of the episode and your greatest takeaways! We’d love to hear from you!

Thanks so much for joining me today, guys! Before I go, I want to give you two special offers: First, I want to invite you to join my Complete Game Mastermind. This is my coaching program, and it starts in just a few days! Masterminds are a great way to get coaching and put yourself in rooms with other entrepreneurs just like you. You can start building your community and gathering people around you who will support you and your growth.

You can also join my FREE text community! Just text the word “Mindset” to 414-622-1462, and I’ll give you access to a TON of free weekly coaching. If you’re not quite ready to take the plunge and join the Complete Game Mastermind, this text community is a great way to see if my coaching might be right for you.

To reach your goals in 2020 and beyond, you need to first determine your desired outcome and put forth actions to achieve those expected results. But this must be also coupled with the right mindset and attitude. So, friends, don’t give up 2020 just yet. As long as there is a day left in a year, you still have a chance of ending the year at a respectable level while also gaining the necessary momentum to start the next year with a big bang. 

I believe in you! Until next time —

Resources:

• Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyneary/
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