Table of Contents

• You love to buy, so why not sell?

• All Einsteins Are Not Created Equal

• AlikeAbilityTM: The Key to Effective Communication

•  Coastline Shark

You love to buy, so why not sell?

by Lana Potgieter

As a professional, how do you view sales? Hard? Uncomfortable? Maybe you believe people who can’t find real jobs go into sales? A necessary evil? Sleazy? If any of these are true, you are not alone.

Now, think about how you view buying.

When we contract a provider for a service or acquire a ‘big ticket’ item, we want to feel like our purchase was successful. It adds to our ‘feel good’ when it works out.

The truth is we buy things all the time. We buy into ideas. We read or listen to articles, posts, blogs, books, etc., and decide whether or not to buy into that opinion. (in fact, you’re doing it right now ��)

Have you ever heard the phrase: “We need the teams’ buy-in.” That implies you are selling them an idea.

Assuming you offer a valuable service or the idea you are presenting to your team is in everyone's best interest, sales is simply your ability to influence and persuade, and both require high trust. We need to answer the buyers' questions, internal or external, and allow them to make an informed decision. They experience a win, and so do we.

As a practice owner, you understand leadership, which also comes down to persuasion and influence. Sure, you can try to ‘force’ your team, and although they may comply for a time, we all know it will never get us optimal results and will most likely lead to things like ‘quiet quitting’ and actual resignations as people look for a work environment that is not toxic.

Getting their buy-in will allow them to take ownership and initiative—two of the most valuable commodities among our employees.

A successful sale is always about the mutual benefit we both gain. And there is nothing sleazy about that.

So go ahead and sell with everyone's best interest at heart; you will contribute to the greater good, benefiting everyone involved. People love to buy. We don’t like being manipulated, but manipulation is not sales.

Once you accept that you are in sales, you can develop the interpersonal skills necessary to excel at it.

Lana Potgieter: Imaging building a business you genuinely love with enthusiastic teams & clients. 💡Experienced global leadership coach 💡 Tailored solutions to meet your unique challenges as a Business Owner💡Speaker💡

All Einsteins Are Not Created Equal

by Hersh Rephun, The MESSAGE Therapist

Two of my favorite people are named Albert Einstein. One is famous for unruly hair, and the other for flop sweat. One proved that the speed of objects is relative while the speed of light is constant. The other proved that life is at its funniest when it goes wrong.

One made his most recent appearance in the Oscar-winning film OPPENHEIMER. The other is the subject of the new documentary ALBERT BROOKS: DEFENDING MY LIFE (Hulu, Prime, Max).

If you are unfamiliar with Albert Brooks (born Albert Einstein, in 1947), I highly recommend the aforementioned doc, directed by the subject’s lifelong friend, Rob Reiner. If you have not heard about the Theory of Relativity, watching OPPENHEIMER may not be a productive first step.

I bring up the two Alberts to illustrate that people are not potato chips. That is, while two potato chips made with the same recipe and ingredients may be identical, no two human beings—even “identical twins”—are the same.

Personal Branding begins with identifying the individual spark that sets you apart. This goes beyond the superpower so many people talk about. Take filmmaker Roger Roth, for example. If you ask me what Roger’s superpower is, I’d say he has the uncanny ability to heighten reality for comedic effect. His “Lifeumentary” project spans two decades and is a living chronicle in which he has played a version of himself.

Roger is also deeply committed to financial equity for artists who participate in web series and other content, including “Lifeumentary.”

In January of this year, Roger presented me with a quandary: he was about to attend the Sundance Film Festival with IMBOXO (Internet Movie Box Office), his new business model around equitable profit participation for creators. During one of our MESSAGE Therapy™ sessions, I suggested to Roger that it would be nearly impossible to stand out if he presented himself as a “filmmaker” at Sundance. In the alternative, he might take on the moniker “Creator Advocate,” a much more apt descriptor for his mission and certainly something that might pique the interest of filmmakers (aka creators). The move was transformative (Roger shares his perspective here).

The spark I’ve referred to becomes your brand's foundation—the spine—followed by language, tone, visual support, and strategy. My clients range from neurodiversity consultants and hospitality CEOs to academics, authors, and community developers. They have in common that we develop their unique makeup into messages and brands that make them relatable while defying comparison. And that is the stuff of true thought leadership.

To see what I meant by “flop sweat,” watch this scene from Albert Brooks’ Oscar-nominated turn in 1987’s BROADCAST NEWS, directed by James L. Brooks (no relation).

And if you want to explore what's possible on the way to INCOMPARABLE, let's chat!

Hersh Rephun. Crafting incomparable Personal Brands for Innovators, Disruptors, and Thought Leaders.... || You don't need a rebrand, you just need some MESSAGE Therapy™!

AlikeAbility^TM : The Key to Effective Communication

“I don’t know what to say,” Winnie blurted in frustration.

This heartfelt statement revealed her deep worry and desire to succeed in her newly established law practice.

She’s anxious about saying the right thing to convert prospects into clients and build referral partnerships with other professionals.

As a single mom, Winnie values the flexibility of working for herself. She has strong ideas about running her practice and serving clients, driven by a passion for helping people and strong expertise in family law. Yet, she finds it challenging to keep her finances stable. Why?

Winnie’s struggle stems from her negative experiences with salespeople.

She recalls being bullied into buying more promotional items than she wanted, only to receive subpar products. Her car purchase included insurance and accessories for which she grossly overpaid. Fast-talking telemarketers convinced her to make poor investments.

These unpleasant encounters have made Winnie wary of interactions that could be viewed as transactions. She thinks every potential client and referral partner shares this viewpoint.

But here’s her mistake: Stop selling. Start Relating.

Rather than transacting business, Winnie must approach each situation by striving to build relationships.

With this revised perspective, she can relax. People will feel comfortable. Trust builds. Sales resistance vanishes. And the door opens to doing business together.

Nancy Zare, Ph.D. Author of Stop Selling. Start Relating,

 Coastline Shark

by Hunter Mestman

Meet "Coastline Shark," a creation about the thrill of the catch and the charm of Montauk. On aluminum canvas, I've translated my client's passion for fishing into a scene that's alive with the energy of a good day out on the water.

The leaping shark and the focused fisherman are a tribute to the spirit of the sea, with Montauk’s iconic lighthouse keeping watch in the distance. This piece captures my client's mindset and highs, crafted to reflect their goals.

Each time they look at it, they'll remember the pull of the line and the promise of the horizon—this is their passion, their Montauk, shining back at them.