The next business article features a transcript of practical training with business coach Clay Clark (US SMall Business Administration Entrepreneur of the Year) and Mickey Michalec, the 7-foot pharmaceutical sales rep, that will teach the concept of “dress to impress” on one of the most affordable business schools in Florida, Thrive15.com!
Clay Clark: My name is Clay Clark and I am the COO and lead business coach of Thrive15.com. I’m also America’s palest man and I’m joined today here with Mickey Michalec. This guy is a seven foot former division one basketball player who’s going to be teaching us a little bit about sales and specifically about how to sell yourself first.
You see, Mickey no longer plays basketball on a professional or collegiate level and he had to learn to transition from being a basketball superstar into being a sales superstar. He’s one of America’s top pharmaceutical sales reps and he’s going to teach us specifically how he’s been able to learn to sell himself first so he can learn how to amass a small fortune and do very, very well financial. So today’s episode may just turn out to be worth millions and millions of dollars for you or it may just affect your business in a very positive way.
Clay Clark: We’re here with business coach Mickey Michalec. Mickey you are a sales guru. You actually do sales. You took time out from your sales…I guess you didn’t take time out technically it’s after the work day but you are here to teach us how to do sales and you are one of the top pharmaceutical sales reps in the region and maybe in the country and I just appreciate you being here. So I want to say thank you so much.
Mickey Michalec: Hey, I appreciate it. Thanks for having me. You’re the best business coach.
Clay Clark: So here we go. I want to dive into it as a business coach and give you just a bunch of rapid fire questions here so here we go.
One, about the only thing ordinary sales people agree upon is the idea that you must sell yourself first. We agree but that’s about the only thing people could agree on. Sales people.
In your mind, what does it mean to sell yourself first?
Mickey Michalec: Well, I think before you can talk about your product, people are going to see you first so the person selling the product has the first perception that someone’s going to think about that product. So does this person look like he can be valuable? Does he look like he can study the material? Does he look smart?
Clay Clark: Yeah.
Mickey Michalec: Does he look like he’s going to do the due diligence to learn the product well enough for my valuable time to listen to his business coach.
Clay Clark: One example of this is today I think I’m wearing a Brian Reeves jersey. A fellow seven footer. No this is a Utah Jazz. This is Karl Malone. I’m wearing Karl Malone today. But if we started off, you want some Karl Malone? I’ll give you some Karl Malone.
But if you were meeting me on the mean streets and I’m out there in my Karl Malone jersey trying to convince you how you should come to this website to learn about online education your perception of me would be different.
Mickey Michalec: Sure. Yeah. Correct.
Clay Clark: The perception of you would be different if you weren’t dressed the way you are today. We really do have to make sure that our packaging is correct right?
Mickey Michalec: Yeah. The appearance on the outside first. The book by it’s cover. I never really agreed with ‘Don’t judge a book by it’s cover’ because I think the cover’s the first thing you see. You’re not going to pick that book up unless you agree with how that cover looks first.
Clay Clark: There’s a phrase that a lot of entrepreneurs say. A lot of these millionaires I keep interviewing. They say “You need to dress the way you want to be addressed.
Mickey Michalec: Exactly right.
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Clay Clark: Can you talk to me a little bit about some specific action steps that every entrepreneur can take right now to maybe step up their game in terms of the dressing?
Mickey Michalec: Well, the first thing is if you don’t know how to get to point A to point B, find somebody that’s a professional in that realm. What if I don’t have access to somebody that’s a clothed ear, that knows about clothes and addressing your wardrobe.
Clay Clark: Some guy named Vlad who’s really down with the tailored suits?
Mickey Michalec: Exactly. Simply turn on the television and look at somebody. Flip the channels and say “You know what? That guy looks like he’s got it.” And then when you see that guy, pause the TV or stay on or keep watching it again until you find out and you say “What does he have that I don’t have in my dress code?”
And when you stop and look don’t re-invent the wheel. My favorite way, don’t tell my wife, my favorite way to shop is to go look at the mannequins at Christmas. If it’s good enough to be on the mannequin, it’s good enough to look good on my wife.
Clay Clark: Really, that’s your move?
Mickey Michalec: Yeah. Just walk in. Hey, that shirt matches those pants with that purse, I’ll take it.
Clay Clark: I’ve never done that before.
Mickey Michalec: It’s a great way to do it.
Clay Clark: This is, you know I never reverse engineered a mannequin for Christmas here. This is. That’s beautiful.
Mickey Michalec: Man secrets.
Clay Clark: Man secrets. You guys can just keep this between everybody and who might subscribe and you might share a complimentary subscription.
Mickey Michalec: Sure.
Clay Clark: Just let it be our secret that we won’t share.
Mickey Michalec: Yeah. So once again, you don’t have to go to somebody and go through this whole fit and something like that. Flip open an magazine and the next time you’re at an office and you see a GQ sitting there, flip through it and say “Hey I really like how that guy looks right there. What is he wearing?”
Clay Clark: I’m just going to write down this here. This is the…I’m going to put here, this is my Christmas tip. I’m not going to let this fall out of my mind here. I’m going to write it with my mystery marker, my Christmas tip. That’s something I’m going to hold on to. I’m not going to forget that. It’s beautiful. That’s beautiful. Okay. Now next question I have here for you is how important is the overall attitude when you start a career in sales? Because I’ve seen people who they’re attitude is terrible and just the other day we had a guy who applied for a job. Super mega talented and dude, if you’re watching I think you’re a beautiful man, I’m sure you’re a great person, I’m sure you’re just going through something weird for the last five or six years of your life with a business coach.
But this guy has been really, he has a skill, this amazing portfolio and his attitude was adversarial.
Mickey Michalec: Yeah.
Clay Clark: I’m like, “So what have you been doing the last couple of years with your career?” And he says “I’ve been doing this for twenty years.” I’m like, “Okay well I know you’ve been doing video for twenty years.” “Look, I’m not here to beg for a job.” And just the whole attitude was antagonistic.
Mickey Michalec: Yeah.
Clay Clark: Or some people without even saying it. That non-verbal stuff? What are some things you can do if you want to have the right attitude in just your first impression there? If you want to make sure that you sell yourself first and look attitude correct. What are some things you can do to kind of let people know you’re a person they want to do business with?
Mickey Michalec: Well, I think before you go in to that place where you have a customer before you have that job interview, off-load your thoughts of the day. Take out a piece of paper and write down “Hey, this hasn’t went good today, this went well today and get those all out of the way and then talk about how successful this opportunity is going to go. So give yourself the right mentality before you go in because attitude is infectious. Give yourself the right mentality before you go in because attitude is infectious.