Rebranding the Sales Industry, with Sean Sheppard, Episode #22

In our society, the sales industry often gets a bad reputation. Most of this negative reputation is due to the bad taste that the retail sales experience leaves with customers and salespeople alike. What if there was a way to rebrand the sales industry and help recover its value and standing in our collective imagination? On this episode of #SellingWithSocial, you’ll hear from sales expert Sean Sheppard. Sean is the co-founder of Seed-Stage Venture Capital Fund and Market Development Accelerator GrowthX and GrowthX Academy, an immersive education program that trains individuals who want to transition into a career in tech Sales, Marketing or UX Design. Sean is a serial entrepreneur who has successfully grown dozens of early-stage companies across a wide variety of products and markets. Don’t miss Sean’s valuable insights on this episode!

Rethinking the Sales Industry

What will it take to change the public perception of the sales industry? A primary tool to begin this rebranding is educating others on the impact of sales on the current employment marketplace. Did you know that fifty percent of ALL four-year college graduates will end up in the sales industry? However, the traditional education environment does not prepare students to succeed in a sales based career. On this episode of #SellingWithSocial, Sean Sheppard walks through this issue and the steps his company, GrowthX is taking to provide a solution. Sean brings a helpful and fascinating perspective to this complicated issue, make sure to listen!

The Mindset of an Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurs are an amazing bunch of driven and forward thinking individuals. They are at the forefront of innovation and economic growth in our society. But what REALLY makes them tick? What is it that sets entrepreneurs apart from most business leaders in the workforce today? On this episode of #SellingWithSocial, Sean gives a peek into the mindset of today’s entrepreneurs. Here are four attributes from the mindset of an entrepreneur.

• They see what’s possible not what’s impossible.
• They see a future state in their mind.
• They have a compelling blend of confidence and arrogance.
• They don’t follow the herd.

To hear Sean expand on these attributes, discuss next steps for budding entrepreneurs and much more, make sure to catch this episode!

Why do most Startups Fail?

Launching out as a small business owner is NOT for the faint of heart. The horror stories and cautionary tales are ubiquitous. One of the scariest statistics on startups is the often-cited figure that ninety percent of all startups fail. On this episode of #SellingWithSocial, Sean goes over the primary factors he’s observed why most startups fail. It might surprise you to find out that most startups do NOT fail because of their product. Most startups fail due to factors surrounding their marketing efforts and the people they have on their team. If you’d like to hear Sean dive deeper with the reasons behind why most startups fail, make sure to listen to this episode!   

What is The GrowthX Academy

The GrowthX Academy was created in response to a glaring hole in the sales industry that Sean and his business partners discovered. They observed that the majority of the great product founders they encountered and tried to invest in didn’t have a clue on how to develop markets. The fact of the matter is, in today’s marketplace it is easier to start a company than it is to grow one. Sean and his team at GrowthX have set out to change that reality and give leaders like you the tools you need to grow your business. Make sure you listen to this episode of #SellingWithSocial to hear more from Sean and the service they are providing with GrowthX Academy.

Outline of This Episode

• [1:50] I welcome Sean Sheppard to the podcast.
• [3:00] Sean tells his story, the cliff notes version.
• [6:20] Rethinking the sales industry.
• [14:00] The mindset of an Entrepreneur.
• [21:00] Why startups fail.
• [27:00] What is GrowthX Academy?
• [32:30] The four pillars of the GrowthX Academy.

Resources Mentioned

• GrowthX
• GrowthX Academy
• GrowthX Academy’s Blog
• Sean’s LinkedIn page: linkedin.com/in/seansheppard
• Sean’s Twitter page: twitter.com/seanasheppard
• BOOK: What Got You Here Won’t Get You There
• Movie: Caddyshack
• Movie: Animal House
• Movie: Grosse Pointe Blank
• Movie: Strange Brew
• Movie: Anchorman
• Movie: Dumb and Dumber
• Auto Text Expander

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