The Earth isn't flat anymore

Celebrating the Lappin180 Community

Welcome back to the 8th issue of Disrupting Conversations!

Recently we did some brand work and some focus groups. There were many helpful and insightful take away points. One theme that stood out was community. Because of the nature of what we teach and coach—quite often the opposite of what everyone thinks they understand about sales—going through our programs is hard.

It requires a courage to question the conventional, debate the new, and experiment with something different.

The result is, it has become a shared bond amongst high performers who go through our programs. I think this experience holds true for anyone trying to break free of the norm, and trail blaze a new path. Key to this is the process of unlearning - which is scarier than the practice of learning.

Included this week is a podcast episode highlighting three major triggers that lead to poor performance in sales conversations, some insight into the “think and do different” culture we’ve created for and with our clients, and as always, some lighthearted humor.

I hope you enjoy it. Thanks for joining me again, and please reach out by responding here any time you have questions or feedback.

–Dan

Breaking Sales is my podcast to connect with those who are ready to break free from the chains of old sales methodologies that don’t work.

🎙 Three Universal Poor Performance Triggers

We are all creatures of habit, and all of us have our own set of thinking and reactionary routines. As a result, when someone enters a situation with a statement, question, or demeanor that rubs us the wrong way, it has a tendency to trigger our scarcity and attachment.

In this episode, Pam and I explore three common poor performance triggers (eagerness, demeanor, and competition), and discuss how to avoid the most common pitfalls that professionals experience when they encounter these triggers.

Think Different: The Impact of Un-learning the Old Ways

There was a time when people believed the Earth was flat.

There was also a time when people said TV would never replace the radio. A time when people thought the internet was a silly social experiment. A time when they said "No one's going to want to walk around with a phone in their pocket and be available 24/7.”

And there was a time when even the most renowned leaders in the sales industry taught that rapport was everything, that the elevator pitch was crucial, discovering the pain point was paramount, and gaining commitment was key. For many not much of this has changed.

But things change.

In the process of teaching and coaching how these approaches are very flawed - we’ve started to build a community. It’s industry-shifting - different. It’s disruptive.

We teach the opposite of all this BS, and the psychology behind why it fails to deliver. And what we’ve found is that the people who work with us and “get it” move forward in life with a new perspective.

And that shift in perspective is unifying—it creates community, centered around courage and conviction. The courage to slow down and challenge the standards, and the conviction to experiment with new ideas. All creating a shared experience of unlearning, facing uncertainty, and betting on oneself.

The “detox” of learning to think differently

Change is hard—I know that. It can be even harder when we try to change something as fundamental as the way we do our entire job, the way we interact with other people, or the performance beliefs we have.

A lot of my clients use the word “detox” to describe the process of learning to think differently. In a sense, it literally is a detox: They’re awakening to the realization that the ways they learned to sell aren’t effective or helpful, and they must let go of them.

When we let go of the old ways of selling, we have room to adopt new practices—ones built on the psychology of trust, high performance practices, and research. Some of the basic principles of the Lappin180 culture include abundance, benevolence, and the ability to compartmentalize.

You probably have an idea of what these terms mean in general, but let me contextualize them in the framework of Lappin180 and the culture our community shares.

Abundance – no matter what the experience and anticipation, there’s something worth celebrating.

Going into conversations with an abundance mindset helps open our eyes to the opportunities in front of us, even if they aren’t what we expect.

Benevolence – it’s important to look out for and give to others. Prioritize understanding and avoid judging.

This intent ensures we approach conversations with the prospect’s best interest in mind, and are willing to challenge them when needed, put our own objectives aside, and explore their needs with integrity.

Compartmentalizing – avoid the trappings of expectations and emotions, they can often blind you from the happiness found in each moment.

We have to learn to compartmentalize our own desires and feelings, so we don’t allow our biases to impact conversations. If we are focused on our own desired outcome of a conversation, we won’t ask the right questions or hear what we need to hear to help the prospect or client.

These concepts are easier said than done and navigating the tough moments is part of the hard work our clients and community are committed to. We walk them through the tough scenarios where outdated practices are no longer effective.

The Lappin180 Tribe

I pulled together some clients who’ve gone through the Lappin180 program, to get their thoughts on how it impacted them, what they learned, and how it’s changed the way they work.

Their takeaways were encouraging to me as a coach, but the thing that really stuck out was how even though they’re coming from different walks of life, industries, and experiences they all speak the same language. 👉 They share an understanding. They share a bond through the way they approach their work, mistakes they’ve made, and the growth and success it’s brought them.

They’ve become a community—a tribe.

One tribe member said, “There’s definitely community. When I talk to peers of mine, there’s a common accountability and understanding that naturally grows.”

Another said, “From a community perspective, I feel like Lappin180 has become part of our fabric and we trust them… It’s not like someone from the outside is trying to tell us what to do.”

Taking a leap requires trust in the process, and trust in the person offering you the chance to change. The Lappin180 training provides a common un-learning experience, followed by a shared re-learning that leads to trust and accountability between team members.

Unlearning the old ways is scary and challenging, but it’s infinitely better and more rewarding than continuing down the same—unsuccessful—path.

And the best part of all is that you don’t go at it alone. Whenever you embrace change, you’re not alone - you’re joining a community.

Laughter Can Drive Performance—If You Let It

It’s awkward to acknowledge our ways of thinking are outdated or misaligned and make an effort to change them. Don’t worry, you’re in good company with the Lappin180 crew 😉

Thanks for reading!

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