Jun 4, 2021
There are people who you talk with in business, or just in life that you tend to bond with for no apparent reason. My next guest is one of those people. I've known Tim Healy of Healy Success Solutions and podcaster of The Profit Express for many years now. Pre-COVID we would meet up and have business lunches, post-COVID we’ve been talking on the telephone. The one thing about this guy is that I feel like I've known him my entire life. He's excellent at what he does. And I know today's show, you will learn a lot. I'm Hilary Topper and this is Hilary Topper on Air. Tim Healy, welcome back to the show.
Tim Healy- I think this officially goes down as my best interview introduction ever. That was, that was fantastic. Thank you so much for the kind words and yeah, we just have this chemistry, when we chat, we talk business over lunch. We've just always had a great back and forth together.
Hilary - Absolutely. So let me ask you to remind our listeners about who you are and what you do.
Tim Healy - Sure. Uh, as you mentioned, I own Healy Success Solutions where my purpose is to help my clients turn their prospects into profits. Right? That's what I get up every day doing, helping my clients turn prospects into profits, and I do it very simply very directly by helping them create winning sales organizations through the power of personal communication. That's how I do it. That's what I do. And that's how I do it at Healy Success Solutions.
Hilary - Okay. What about your podcast?
Tim Healy - The podcast is, as you've mentioned, The Profit Express, it's like over 11 years now and I've always had a focus, obviously, in the business side, Healy Success Solutions. I'm very focused on the sales process, everything from the first point of contact to close. But when I created, it was started as a radio show. It still is, it's evolved into a podcast, obviously. When I created the profit express, I did decide not to be just so specific on sales, but more focused on the journey of the small business person, the entrepreneur, the startup, what they go through each and every day to win the battle for business because listen, Hilary, you know what, and I know it each and every day, some days it's more challenging than others. But it's a battle and we are here to win at each and every day, each and every day to me is a competition and we're competing. And it's a matter of bringing on guests to the show who can help the small business owner who can help the start-up in everything from sales and marketing and branding, finance, anything and everything that can positively impact a small business owner. Because so many of them I have found that's been a big focus of the show. They kind of operate on an island to themselves, and I've always wanted to just be a resource for entertainment, for education, for information, for motivation, as they head in the direction of success for their small business.
Hilary - So today we're talking about sales. And let me ask you something and I really want you to be really serious with me about this. Can everyone sell or are some people just natural salespeople?
Tim Healy - That's a great question. Can everybody sell? No. But the reason I say no is if you don't want to sell, you're never going to sell. That's probably true for most professions. And actually, the people say, oh, some people are natural-born salespeople and they could be, but I think there's been a misnomer over the years that, oh, you know, that person has the gift of gab and they can talk to anybody. Believe it or not, I've seen over the many years, working with my clients, helping my clients interview and recruit some of the sales professionals who have the quote-unquote gift to get, who can talk to anybody that can make them a good networker, might not make them a good salesperson because, and I've had conversations about this, I wholeheartedly believe one of, if not the most important characteristic of a great selling professional, is listening and putting the prospect first. And if you were the kind of person who's got this great outgoing personality and you're gregarious and all that, and you know what, you might not give consideration in the conversation to the other, you might interrupt, you might not listen enough. And it's having the discipline to listen, to ask great questions, to have empathy for the prospect that I think can make a great salesperson.
Hilary - I mean, how many people do you come in contact with and they just talk about themselves. It's all about themselves.
Tim Healy - Well, it's good. Cause it kinda, it kind of keeps me in business to a certain extent because when the business is eventually not doing as well as it should, they reach out to people like me. But it, you know what, so much of sales is human nature. I mean, you have to understand human nature in order to relate to somebody because I think long gone are the days of feature and benefit selling. Because then you can't relate to, and you can't understand why somebody would need your products and services. So again, it starts with the conversation, starts by asking great open-ended probing questions. So those people who talk about themselves or about just about the products and services, there's no connection. There's no emotional bonding whatsoever. And I think it goes back to human nature. People like to talk about themselves, they want to show how smart they are. And again, if they don't listen, if they interrupt they never going to, I won't say never, but their chances of making great connections are greatly reduced. And I think somebody who's a great listener will eat their lunch every day.
Hilary - Now, what about if you have a company and you hire a salesperson. What can you do to motivate them? I mean, you know, you and I both know that sales are tough and there's a lot of rejection. So how do you get people to be motivated?
Tim Healy - There's, well, when it comes to motivation, I'm sure your listeners are probably familiar with extrinsic reward and intrinsic extrinsic is the compensation, the commission, the dollars, the bonus, the intrinsic is a sense of accomplishment. You know, doing the right thing, helping a client out, right.
Both are very valuable, but how do you motivate somebody? A really good sales manager, a really good sales coach has an understanding of the salesperson and believe it or not sure money is a motivator. Of course it is, but it's not the only motivator. It really isn't. And if you just going to do the carrot and the stick for a commission, you're really going to miss, I think a lot of opportunities to increase somebody's ability to become a better salesperson. So you really have to understand what they want to accomplish, what they want to do. And it often goes beyond just the dollars and the commissions and the quotas. And, is it, you know, getting to another level of relationship, really just cracking into a client or a prospect that they've gone after for years and have never made headway. That could be a huge sense of accomplishment and reward and really connecting to clients. I think the best way to answer that is, as a sales manager, never make an assumption that your people are only motivated by money. Is it a key driving factor short, but it's not the only one that takes time to get to know your sales team, your salesperson, and you can often find out there are other things that they can relate to that can help positively impact their behavior.
Hilary - So let's take this one step further and look, and can you offer our listeners some tips on how, if they are a salesperson, how they can be irreplaceable?
Tim Healy - That's a great question. That's a great word. Think about that in, in just about, I never want to say a hundred percent, but in just about any industry, you've got competition in your field and what you do. So, most of us do some more than others and a lot of our products there's, people can't get across the street. While you may think that you have the world's greatest products, and you should absolutely think that it should be absolutely excited and pumped up about what it is that you offer, there are other good competitive products and services, and that's fine. So with that in mind, knowing that we are going up against the competition on a daily basis, I think it is a great way to start off a great mindset to develop. To ask yourself, how can I be irreplaceable in the mind of my client? So what does that mean to be irreplaceable? It's a big word, right? Not easy, not easy thing to do, what to do to, to accomplish, to achieve. So, typically, it goes beyond just offering and selling your product to service. So what can you do beyond that? What value can you offer your client beyond? You know, the exchange of money for service or money for a good, the better relationship that you have with the client and Hilary, it goes back to listening, the more that you know about what they're looking to accomplish, the more that you can help them. And I've often said, in becoming irreplaceable, when you get known as the guy or the gal, the go-to person, and somebody would just let me call Tim, maybe he can help. When a customer asked you for advice and something that you don't even offer, you know you become irreplaceable. Do you know what I mean? Because then they're like, they see you as such a resource that, well, I know Tim, I know Hilary doesn't sell this, but she probably knows somebody. And then if you just make a simple introduction, whether it's to a person or a resource or a book or link or a website, and you just help that client help your client.
That's one more opportunity became irreplaceable. And that's another chance that they remember you again in the future. So you always want to be selfless and say, what can I do to be irreplaceable? Here's one thing I want to share with you. I think your listeners would love this. I like to remind myself every time I deal with a client and I try my best to do it as often as humanly possible. Sometimes I forget. I'm not perfect, but here's a great thing. Write this down. This is a pen and paper moment, Hilary, remind yourself that today may be the last time you see your client and I'm talking about a great client. I'm talking about clients, you’ve being do business for years. They love you. You've gone to their kid's wedding. It doesn't matter. And the reason I say this may be the last time you deal with them, may be last time you see them, it keeps you humble. It keeps you humble and you never take the relationship for granted because we all have, if you've been in the business, you're a sales professional, you have clients for years. If you're doing the right thing, right. We all have clients. If you're doing the right thing for years, never take them for granted and remind yourself: This may be the last time I see them. So what can I do value today for them? What can I bring different to the table?
Let's not take this relationship for granted. And that's another way. Do put you in a place to be irreplaceable.
Hilary - Love that. That's awesome. So before we move on, I have to say that I'm so appreciative of our sponsors and must take the time out to thank them. Please support our sponsors and tell them that you heard about them on Hilary Topper on air. Special thanks to the Russo Law Group, The Profit Express, Pop International Galleries, Gold Benes LLP, and the Pegalis Law Group.
Now back to you, Tim. So we're talking about sales, but I'd like to shift gears a little bit and I want to ask some personal questions as they relate to sales. So for starters, what did people call you when you were a little boy?
Tim Healy - Oh my God. How did you, we’ve never talked about this before we’ve never chatted. Okay. So this is, I talk about transparency and I know it's a big topic of yours and something you've helped me with. And by the way, for everybody listening to Hilary's podcast, keep listening and tell five friends because the things you can learn on this podcast from Hilary alone on branding, are phenomenal, it's worth the lessons. So as a kid, my name is Timothy Joseph. My middle name is Joseph. I always wanted to be called TJ when I was a little kid. And I grew out of that. So everybody calls me, Tim, I can't stand the word. Now people might use this against me now. I'm exposing myself here, Hilary.
Hilary - No, I was wondering if they call you Timmy.
Tim Healy - Oh, I hate it. I did have your father. May he rest in peace. He was, he was a sweetheart of a guy. He called me Timmy. I dealt with it cause I loved the music. Great guy, but that's the one thing I hated, but I was a little kid, it was TJ, since grew out of that. So Tim is, Tim is fine now that that's.
Hilary - So if somebody calls you Timmy in business, do you correct them?
Tim Healy - I really do because it's like nails on a chalkboard. I do correct them. Yeah.
Hilary - What about now? I know your, your name is very easy to spell Tim T I M but what if someone spells your name or wrong or mispronounces, should you say something?
Tim Healy - I don't think there's anything wrong with that. Like if somebody really botches your name, I actually did this. I won't say who she was a sweetheart of a guest and I take great pride. It's funny. She says, take great pride in pronouncing my guests names correctly. And for the love of God, I don't know how I butchered this poor woman's name. Her first and her last name, like three times on the show and she was so sweet about it. She ended up like, oh, I'm so sorry. But like if somebody, mispronounces it say, Hey, that's a great pronunciation. That's, I've never heard that before, but actually, it's pronounced, have some fun with it, thank them for the unique pronunciation.
Hilary - How many times people call me, uh, say, write down Hilary with two L's. I usually don't even say anything at this point, but this one person said to me the other day, oh, I was looking you up online and I couldn't find anything on you. Maybe that's because she spelled my name with two L's. Then is it's impossible not to find Hillary Topper, uh, online is you're everywhere. It's impossible. So. Let me ask you another question. This is also sales related, how often is too often to close the deal. You know, for example, somebody, you have a great relationship with somebody, you meet somebody. They love you. You love them. You write a proposal and then they go MIA, how often should you keep calling them or reaching out to them when they are MIA?
Tim Healy - We could do a show just on this one topic. So, If the cause you are now, what you did say in the setup of the question was, you know, a great relationship and all this, then you give your proposal, then they go dark on you and it's MIA. For that to happen, there are a few, a number of things you probably did not do correctly as a sales professional.
As far as qualifying as far as urgency, as far as timeline, as far as a decision-making process, in how I do it and how I train my clients and work with my clients, you qualify in the front end. You know, really you leave nothing to chance because it's on the one-yard line that you get surprised in this scenario that you just described. And there's a great scenario to describe Hilary because so many people get kicked in the backside with this, and I get so excited about it because it can be prevented. If somebody spends a time, they sit down and you do a meeting, you put together proposal presentation, do yourself the favor. And usually just a handful of good questions.
Find out how they're going to decide on this is their competition. What factors are they going to use? Who else is involved in the decision-making process? And by the way, there's always somebody else involved when they're going to decide, okay, is having this something you'd like to have? It's something you must, that's a powerful question right there.
Cause you don't get paid for proposals. You don't make a dime a proposal because here's one thing I would say, you have to earn a seat at my table. I don't deal with pipelines in sales. Okay. We've all heard of pipelines. Pipelines can be very dangerous. We just throw lots of stuff in them hoping that they'll close. It's a seat at my table. And you Mr. Or Ms. Prospect have to earn a seat at my table because I know that it takes time for me to put my presentation together. And I know that there are more people in this world. Forget the world, even, even just New York, I can't even, I don't have time to get to. So I have to talk to the ones who are most qualified, cause they deserve my time and attention. I don't want to waste my time with somebody who's not qualified because it prevents me from helping somebody who really needs Healy success solutions...
Hilary - All right, let's take another route. So you're at a business meeting, you're at a lunch meeting and the salesperson decides to show you photos of their babies or their dogs. What do you say do you show your photos too? What does that say about them?
Tim Healy - Well, it's what it says is it's a completely natural element of human nature. Everybody's favorite topic is themselves or an extension of their children or their dog, their cat, their Chinchilla, whatever. You look at it. Oh my God, Fantastic is beautiful that, you know, oh, what's the name of that? You have fun with it, you know? And then your next few, the second part is, should you show your pictures? Maybe you do, maybe don't you, you honestly played by ear because if they're so engrossed in their own stuff. Okay, fine. I'm here to learn about them anyhow.
Hilary - And on that same topic where you are going out to lunch, and maybe the prospect asks you to go out to lunch, who pays for the lunch, you or the prospect, or do you go Dutch treat?
Tim Healy- So this is a great question. It is never worth. Even if you go to a really nice lunch and you drop a hundred dollars, right. And that's not that common. Right. But even if you do that and you're in business, It's never worth the 50 bucks. If you split it to make an uncomfortable moment, you know what I'm saying? Can you believe Dutch? You know, especially if diner, you know, what is it going to be? 40 bucks. They eat it, you take it on it always because you know what, they can never take away from you. Hey, Tim bought me lunch. He's a nice guy. Even if we don't do business, I'm a nice guy. It was worth the 40 bucks. Always, always, always, always, always. And don't cry about it.
Hilary - So you're at a networking event and the person that you are talking with is sitting there chewing gum. Well, I mean, what do you say to them? Do you say like, I swallow it, spit it out or you just ignore it and walk away?
Tim Healy- Part of me would love to stay. Would you like a napkin? Cause it will be funny but I would, I would ignore it, you know, it just is sometimes, you know, but that's the funny thing about business. Again, you're dealing with human nature and there's a lot of you. One great thing is you can, I will never say I've seen it all. Because something's going to happen tomorrow that I haven't seen yet. So by the way, you're a fantastic host. I love I'm having a blast.
Hilary - Right. Here’s another one. So now you are at a coffee shop and you both order cookies and milk. So the person that you're out to lunch with, or, you know, out for cookies with he’s dunking their Oreos or chocolate chip cookies into the milk? What's your reaction?
Tim Healy- I think my internal reaction, which I do not share is I think cookie dunking is disgusting. That's me, my wife, who I love dearly, she loves to dunk cookies. So you know what is the great thing about life. She gets to dunk her cookies and I can be a dunk less cookie. You know what? Listen, some of your listeners may know me, some many, many, I'm sure don't. I could be a little wound-tight sometimes, I'm a type a personality sometimes. As long as, this is how I'd answer it, as long as they didn't dump their cookie in my milk, Hey, you know what enjoy life. If they decide to dunk their cookie in my milk, then I'd have to say. Wow. You know, what, can I get you to know the glasses?
Hilary - Isn't it the same as when someone takes a fry off your plate?
Tim Healy- Oh God. Oh, geez. God. I, yeah, I just, I can't I'm I don't know. In a business setting I'm talking about not, not personal. I mean, personal is not the greatest either, but what it is, this setting, you know what I, I would, I would let it slide and oh, okay.
Here's a true story. I can not mention the client. True story. I'm at a dinner with a dear client, a great client. And there are 12 of us there. It's the owner, his wife, one of the VPs of sales and about seven or eight sales guys were there. Dinner comes out. We dinner, dessert and I saw an apple crisp pile mode kind of thing. I'm like, Aw, that sounds delicious. The owner sitting next to me, he goes, what are you getting for dessert? And I tell him, Oh, that sounds good. He's like, I'll have a piece. Oh my God. I love this guy. Can't say enough good things about him. So that's what he does. That's his thing. So the dessert comes out. The second it comes out, I dive bomb the dessert and I want to eat as much as I can. And then he goes, oh, and he grabs the piece. I'm like, okay. Oh yeah, good, good, good, good. And that's the last I have of it and I just, oh, okay. I start talking and I just let it, do you know, I'm fine. I got my couple of pieces in first. I'm good. My client was happy. He went to my plate, okay.
Hilary - You're you're terrific. And you just one of those people that just keep making me laugh. Thank you. I want, I just want to find out how people can get in touch with you and learn more about Healy success solutions and also listen to the Profit Express.
Tim Healy - Well, thank you. Uh, it's healysolutions.com you know, for and anything from anything and everything. Sales management, reach out to me. healysolutions.com and the show of course, you can follow me on Instagram at The Profit Express, at the profit express page on Facebook, that'd be great.
Hilary - Terrific. All right. Well, thank you again for being on the show. And I want to thank our sponsors, the Russo law group, The Profit Express, Pop international galleries, Gold Benes LLP and the Pegalis law group.
And last but not least, I want to thank you, our listeners for tuning in each week. If you want to know more about this show or any other show, visit us at hilarytopperonair.com or you can find us on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, apple podcast, Amazon Alexa, you name it. We're out there. Have a great week. And we'll see you next time.