Bernadette McClelland - THE STORY STRATEGIST % SALES LEADERSHIP SPEAKER

I’m not a big on-line shopper 😲 so when I do get something ‘parcel-like’ delivered, it’s exciting 😃.
But a couple of weeks ago, what initially would have excited me, ended up impressing me so much more.
A beautiful box arrived, custom designed with botanical exquisiteness.

Bernadette McClelland - StorySelling Keynote Speaker
An inside was an array of ‘value’ that told me more about the sender than anything else might have.
You see, Stu Heinecke, a colleague and friend, author of ‘Get The Meeting‘ and ‘How To Get A Meeting With Anyone‘, cartoonist for The Wall Street Journal and many other hi-brow publications, had just launched his next bestseller, ‘How To Grow Your Business Like A Weed‘. 

So aesthetics aside, let me dive a little deeper for you because it is a book that MUST be on your bookshelf if you are any type of self-respecting business leader or boots-on-the-ground, bag-carrying, zoom-hybrid seller wanting to market themselves in a very noisy world.

This might be a cleverly written book on strategically growing your business leveraging botany and the unstoppable weeds in our midst, but let’s get clear, it does not include THAT weed!

As I sat down last Sunday morning and began reading it, I confess, I teared up. Not real crying, but watering eyes kind of tears.

And I messaged Stu telling him that I had just gone through a bit of a sensitive patch and reading the first few chapters snapped me out of it. I wrote:

“First off – HAPPY BIRTHDAY you spring chicken, you 😊

Secondly, your words are amazing. I have been up since 5.30am continuing to read this book and just read out three separate passages to Tim over breakfast that relate to us being over here in a new environment. We have had a setback already and are now committing to adopt a weed strategy in a new environment – focussing on 

So, what was it about this book that was so game-changing for me in that moment, and what was my interpretation of Stu’s words that is worth sharing with you today? 

Well, here’s my breakdown of 3 of the many weed mindsets we need to have:

RESILIENCE IMPROV – Times are tough but they are not insurmountable! We all know that at a logical level. But, more often than not, our emotions will decide to take the lead over logic . And for all of us who have done IMPROV, we know that it is not so much about ‘YES, BUT ‘versus ‘YES, AND’, it’s also about pivoting and being nimble enough to lose the attachment to one set of emotions that keep us ‘fixed’ and in our head, and amp up the other emotions that enable us to ‘perform’. Well, imagine if you could do that with your resilience when it comes to business building. Stu provides practical examples of how so we can be like that dandelion that found its niche in the crack of the concrete wall along the Santa Monica Freeway, and continues to thrive, even though it may not want to be there.

BRUTAL URGENCY – Put enough value on your own time so that you create a sense of urgency around everything you do. ‘Because…’, to coin L’Oreál’s phrase, ‘you’re worth it!’ I remember messaging a colleague suggesting we catch up because I was contemplating the move to the USA and wanted to hear his story of doing the same thing. He suggested a 3 month lead time to speak to him! Because it wasn’t as high on my agenda at that time as a business opportunity might have been, I rolled my eyes, muttered some words and booked a slot. However, if it was a business opportunity, I would have placed more urgency on my time and value and also because what I have to share is urgent for that buyer’s success. If you are wanting to do the same thing, then Stu has your back and shares some amazing ideas. 

ACTIVITY LED EMOTIONS – And the kicker for me was realising the tweak I needed to make in my own personal situation was to act, and by doing so more resourceful emotions would follow. As someone who teaches businesses how to go to market and be more competitive with a StorySelling (not just telling) approach, stories help my clients help their clients make decisions and they do this by learning to access emotions vs dumping product data and losing opportunities. But for us sellers… well, we need to flip that – we need to go to market leading with our rational brain, not our emotional brain and that means activity first, how we feel about those activities, second. If we continue to lead with our emotions, then guess what? We won’t make those calls! We won’t fill our time well! We won’t speak to the right people! And we won’t build our business! Right? Well, Stu introduces the weed mindset and shares practical go to market ideas on how we can do exactly the same as that dandelion.

Bernadette McClelland - StorySelling Keynote Speaker
I don’t promote many books, but I’ve gotta say – get this one!
🌿 Beautiful.
🌿 Different.
🌿 Practical.
And on that note,
Stay Bold, Brave and Brilliant! 

Keynote Speaker - Bernadette McClelland - Sales Leadership and StorySelling Speaker Selling in the Connection Economy. A 5-step sales philosophy for franchises, associations and corporates

 

EVENT ORGANISERS (Video below) – As a speaker, my programs help CEOs of future-focussed sales organisations, who are concerned as to how to help their sales teams stand out more in a heavily competitive environment, gain the lead by securing more profitable and purposeful sales.

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