Sales legend Daniel Guaragna, Canada’s number-one sales agency owner, explains to us “the secret formula” To Making An Effective Sales Pitch. Like the famous book says sell or be sold.
Paula Henderson: Tell me a bit about yourself, Daniel.
Daniel Guaragna: Where to start… I am the founder of Canada’s number-one sales agency and sales training company and have been recognized as an internationally renowned speaker on sales and business.
PH: At age 26, you have already accrued more than $35 million in sales, yet you say you haven’t even scratched the surface yet.
DG: That’s right. Having already achieved so much with my own professional sales agency, I now hope to take my expertise and share it with other entrepreneurs. As the founder of “The Sales Agency” and one of the world’s top sales trainers, I am now focused on taking both of my companies collectively to $100 million in sales in the next 12 months.
PH: That’s a lofty goal… Any idea how you’ll hit $100 million in sales during a worldwide pandemic?
DG: I’m glad you asked, Paula. My goal has always been the same: Impact first, income second. Over the last two months my company has actually been able to train more than 50,000 entrepreneurs all over the world using Zoom and through adapting our business to other online tools.
PH: Did you say 50,000? That seems a little hard to believe!
DG: The simple word for it is “pivoting.” Instead of holding back during a time like this and thinking that it’s bad to push and sell products, we did the exact opposite. If you really believe in your product and service and you think it can make a significant impact, there is no reason that you can’t market it, even in times like these.
The truth is that there are going to be losers and big-time winners when this pandemic is over. The only thing that will decide them is their ability to adjust and pivot their strategies. My goal over the next two months is to help another 100,000 business owners and salespeople focus time and energy on prospects who most likely to become profitable, long-term customers.
PH: But how can you expect to produce success while training so many other entrepreneurs?
DG: It’s quite simple, actually. We use a common language and common process for going after sales opportunities in every industry possible, from b2b sales companies, to network marketing companies and direct sales companies. My main focus is on helping not only my own sales team but other sales companies thrive by determining early on in the sales cycle when to go after deals, and when to walk away from those with a low probability of success.
PH: When you say “common language and common process,” what does that mean exactly?
DG: It means that we train each client and prospective entrepreneur with a powerful set of questioning and uncovering tools that can help them determine whether or not a deal is the right in the first minutes of conversation. It’s something I call the “world-class conversation formula” and it hasn’t let me down yet.
PH: Alright, so if I understand you correctly, there’s some type of “secret formula” to making an effective sales pitch. Is that what you’re getting at?
DG: I promise it’s not as complicated as it sounds! My secret sauce is simply ensuring that the buyer is the one begging for a sale to be closed and not vice-versa.
After selling for the last decade, I have realized that every sales trainer and manager teaches their team the same basic principle: how to “push” their clients to a decision. I’m just the first one to cut through the fat and get straight to the meat of the matter. The modern day sales rep and entrepreneur really just have to focus on these three things:
- Dig deep and discover the issues behind the potential purchase
- Assess whether or not the deal is truly right for the prospect.
- Then educate, share, and help prospects understand what they’re buying
PH: Not so complicated after all! Daniel, do you have any advice for those out there hoping to follow in your footsteps?
DG: Don’t wait! No matter what you see outside your door or hear on the evening news, there is no better time than the present to start your own sales career. My goal is to help each entrepreneur I train focus time and energy where it counts, something that every salesperson should strive for.
PH: Thank you Daniel.
DG: Thank you Paula.
Find Daniel Guaragna’s award-winning sales course here or follow him on Instagram for updates on all the latest sales techniques.
Interview Took Place on June 2, 2020 and this transcript has been edited for clarity and length.