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Sell Anywhere: How to Conquer Rejection and Find Your Purpose | Donnie Tuttle

/ 48:23/E36
Donnie Tuttle, a passionate coach, author of "Sell Anywhere," and professor at the School of Professional Design, shares his transformative journey of relearning sales while living a nomadic life with his family, moving from one Airbnb to another for over two years. He discusses how to move from "the grind to working from your design" by infusing sales with genuine curiosity, joy, and purpose. Donnie explains how he overcame the sting of rejection by adopting an alter ego—the "Joyful Farmer"—and focusing on ulterior motives like having fun and making someone's day better. The conversation explores the importance of authenticity, the power of unconventional follow-ups to create curiosity, and why our smartphones can act as "pacifiers" that kill the boredom necessary for creativity and human connection.
 
Takeaways:
  • Smartphones can be "pacifiers" that stifle creativity. When we're bored, we become curious and adventurous, leading to new relationships and ideas. However, most people turn to their phones during moments of downtime, like waiting in line, which negates a significant part of human purpose by eliminating the opportunity for curiosity to spark.
  • Reframe rejection with an "ulterior motive." To handle the constant rejection in sales, Donnie adopted the persona of a "Joyful Farmer," shifting his goal from simply making a sale to having fun and making someone's day better. By focusing on a positive ulterior motive, the sting of rejection lessens, and the work itself becomes more enjoyable, leading to better results.
  • Create curiosity with uncommon, authentic outreach. Instead of traditional cold calls, Donnie found success by creating curiosity through unique, physical items, such as sending messages in a bottle. This approach led to a 90% meeting rate because it was uncommon and genuine. He stresses that whatever method you use, you have to believe in it, or it will feel like a gimmick.
  • The best way to grow is through referrals. Above all other methods, the most effective way to grow your business is by leveraging your existing happy clients. Serve people so well that they are eager to talk about you. Then, ask them to connect you with other people who think and act like them, expanding your network through trusted relationships.
  • Embrace consistency and follow-up relentlessly. Success in sales requires consistency and repetition. It is critical to have a system for continuous follow-up and to not stop contacting a prospect until they explicitly tell you to stop.
  • Use AI as a tool to unlock your own genius. Donnie encourages the leaders he coaches to use AI tools like ChatGPT to prepare for coaching sessions. By inputting details about a person's personality (e.g., from a DISC test), AI can provide directional suggestions and questions, which the leader can then use to operate from their own genius and make meetings more effective.
  • Find your "joyful work" to unlock strength. True strength and effectiveness come from joy. Donnie helps leaders and their teams find their "joyful work," where their gifts and talents are used purposefully. When you can identify moments where you love the person you are, you can tap into that version of yourself to tackle challenges in business and in life.

Quote of the Show:
  • "Where there's joy, there is an abundance of strength".

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Creators and Guests

Steven Pivnik
Host
Steven Pivnik
Amanda Goyette
Producer
Amanda Goyette
Sell Anywhere: How to Conquer Rejection and Find Your Purpose | Donnie Tuttle

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