72. Value Selling for B2B Services with Julie Thomas

Welcome back to another episode of Life After Corporate! Today, we're having a very important discussion with Julie Thomas, the CEO of Value Selling Associates, which is a global sales training company that offers a very practical methodology for selling on value not on price. There are a lot of topics that I want to cover in this conversation today, including how Julie, instead of launching a new business, bought an existing company, and how that might be a great path for you to become an entrepreneur. We also talk about how value selling applies to not just big companies, but to individuals who are selling their services, and why women in particular need to pay attention as sales is a path to executive leadership, as well as entrepreneurship.  So make sure to tune in because Julie and I are going to dive deep into how women can leverage their innate skills like nurturing, listening, and being empathetic to be a good sales person.    [00:01 - 09:24] Opening Segment I welcome our guest: Julie Thomas Julie shares about her entrepreneur story Getting into corporate by accident  How she was able to acquire a company  [09:25 - 17:31] Women and Sales  Having the right skillset to help differentiate your offer Having high value conversations Stepping into the high value mindset  Teaching people what to do not what to know "Drinking our own champagne" Challenges for women in their sales career Women are naturally good sales people  Leverage our innate skill in listening, having empathy, and nurturing Selling is building relationships Facilitating buying, not pushing a product   [17:32- 27:01] The Mindset of A Woman Entrepreneur Spending too much time defining a product Failing to make relevant connection with buyer Importance of niching down  Business challenges Figuring out the early stages of the business Having good mentors around  Opportunities for women who are not in sales     [27:02- 33:51] Closing Segment Know more about Value Selling Associates! See links below Follow us on social media and leave a review Final words   Tweetable Quotes: "I was one of those moms that knew I would be a better mom, if I had somewhere else to go during the day, at least for part of the day." - Julie Thomas "A lot of people think, well sales you have to be an extrovert, I have to be able to pitch. And that is not what selling is. Selling is building relationships, building trust, and then solving relevant problems for people who have the ability to take action and solve those problems with your products and services. So it's pure communication." - Julie Thomas Connect with Julie through her website at www.valueselling.com and connect with her on LinkedIn! SUBSCRIBE & LEAVE A FIVE-STAR REVIEW and share this podcast to other growing entrepreneurs!  Get weekly tips on how to create more money and meaning doing work you love and be one of the many growing entrepreneurs in our community. CLICK HERE to join our private Facebook Group!  Connect with me on Instagram, LinkedIn, or checkout our website at www.lifeaftercorporatepodcast.com