293 - How Top Performers Master Sales Skills with Practice Lab Cofounders Jonathan Mahan and Jordana Zeldin

Have you ever had one of those dreaded moments on a client sales call where they give you an objection and you realize you are completely fumbling your way through it? That’s what my whole early sales career was built on and mistakes are certainly part of the process. Unfortunately, I know I lost a lot of deals and opportunities I could have won and could have helped people if I had better tools in my toolkit. That’s why today’s guests are here! Jonathan Mahan and Jordana Zeldin are the cofounders of The Practice Lab. The Practice Lab is a place where sellers come together to develop their selling skills in the same ways performers, athletes, and musicians develop theirs. They practice with their peers, not their prospects. For anyone excited to try on this approach to skill building for themselves, Jonathan and Jordana have recently launched a free monthly meet-up called The Practice Club where you can sharpen your sales skills in the same ways discussed during this episode. Sign up for their next practice session here: club.thepracticelab.co.  Show Notes: [2:35] - Jonathan shares an experience that created the idea for The Practice Lab. [4:17] - If Jonathan wanted to become the seller he wanted to be, he knew he needed to actually practice. He reached out to friends to practice together. [5:18] - Jordana shares her background and how she found herself in sales. [7:32] - By breaking down the sales conversation into bite sized chunks, Jordana couldn’t unsee the difference and the impact on her own self confidence. [10:01] - In many sales environments, sellers are required to follow a script strictly. [11:20] - There are different types of scripts and the extent to which you plan it out dictates how scripted and rehearsed you come across to clients. [12:20] - Practice does not always mean memorization and scripts. [13:50] - The most powerful selling skills are human skills. [16:07] - The skill sets that women naturally bring to sales don’t typically get celebrated, but they are strong human skills that translate to sales strongly. [17:07] - You can train your curiosity to ask questions about more impactful skills. [19:30] - You can see the parallels between sales conversations and other life scenarios. [21:32] - We want to know a customer’s problems to help them solve them, but we are strangers. We need to be grateful that they want to share. [24:21] - The three steps are to welcome, empathize, and ask questions to understand. [25:19] - An objection could actually be the thing that pushes the conversation forward. [27:29] - Your emotional state is so important. [30:26] - Connect with the emotion that you want to convey in a conversation and say it outloud. Visualize the outcome. [33:10] - We have a lot more leeway in conversations and can make humbling disclaimers. [35:20] - You can be fragile, robust, or antifragile in your responses. [37:50] - The Practice Lab offers a lot of opportunities and Jordana shares what they are and how they can benefit your process. Connect with Practice Lab: The Practice Lab’s Website The Practice Lab on LinkedIn Links and Resources: Your First Six Figures Masterclass  Join the $10K Club Apply for the $50K Club