Cliff McDonald was an awesome guest on our recent episode of Stride to Freedom. He is a serial entrepreneur. He’s done so many things in his life, it’s hard to keep up!
From college athlete to Irish pub-owner to corporate America—Cliff has gained knowledge and experience in diverse industries. And all this has led to what he does today: accelerating revenue in companies by shifting the way sales are done.
Cliff is the founder and managing partner of Brainheart Growth They are consultants for mid-market companies on market strategy and revenue generation. They do this using positive psychology techniques and shifting the perception of sales from product-centric selling to problem-centric helping. Here are some takeaways from our conversation with Cliff on the Stride to Freedom podcast.
Positive Psychology & Sales
Coming from a background in professional sports, Cliff was used to being coached and mentored. But once entering the corporate world, he found this to be lacking. It sparked his interest in psychology and organizational behavior—how can we make the most out of people in the workplace?
Cliff pursued studies in positive psychology which is the scientific study of what goes right in life. How cool is that? Through positive psychology, Cliff and his team and Brainheart Growth can coach and mentor companies from a place of strengths rather than focusing on what’s lacking.
Positive psychology connects with sales in a few ways:
- All sales teams have strengths that can be maximized; focusing on the strengths will be more effective than focusing on what’s going wrong.
- Hiring should be done based on character strengths—what does each employee bring to the table?
- Positive psychology shifts the mindset from “selling” to “helping.” At the end of the day, companies want to help people, not just shove products and services in their face.
How to Build Sales Teams
Cliff’s expertise is around building teams with heart. He collaborates with companies to evaluate where they’re at, and how they can create systems and processes to transform the way they do sales to boost revenue.
There are a few steps to building successful sales teams:
- Start with a mindset shift: Sales is a learned skill that can be taught to employees who are willing to learn and grow.
- Re-define the narrative: Sales is not about pushing products, but solving problems. It’s about helping customers and clients. With this mindset change, teams can focus on creating genuine sales strategies that pull people in instead of pushing them away.
- Develop processes and a methodology on how to do sales, evaluate what’s working, training, and coaching. Don’t just wing it! Create and implement a thorough methodology that works.
Sales Misconceptions and Roadblocks
Cliff has worked with a ton of companies, so he’s heard all the misconceptions and myths when it comes to sales! Here’s a few that he shed light on:
- Myth: Salespeople just exist. Reality: Sales is a learned skill that can be developed through a methodology and training.
- Myth: Only the CEO or founder can sell the product well. Reality: Through systematic training, anyone can learn. Once you free up the founder to be a visionary leader again, your company can get to the next level!
- Myth: There’s only one way to get leads. Reality: Thanks to the internet, there are tons of ways to get leads and procure clients. Try something new and see what works.
- Myth: All salespeople are the same. Reality: Most salespeople are “farmers,” who manage existing relationships. Some are “hunters,” who bring in new clients—they’re different skillsets and you need both!
We learned a lot from Cliff McDonald in this interview. His care for people and drive to help businesses succeed is evident in how he speaks! Catch his entire interview on the Stride for Freedom podcast or check out his company Brainheart Growth to learn more about what he does.
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Show Notes + Transcript:Â
Cliff McDonald: LinkedIn
Brainheart Growth: Website/LinkedIn
Cliff McDonald: Email
Webinar Transcript:Â
Positive Psychology and Revenue Acceleration, with Cliff McDonald
