Sales Lessons From a Top Music Producer with Bryan Gentry

0:01Boom! Shake the room, Fire Nation. JLD here and welcome to Entrepreneurs on Fire. brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals with great shows like No Straight Path. Today, we'll be breaking down sales lessons from a top music producer. To drop these value bombs, I am brought to Brian Gentry into EO Fire Studios. Brian is an entrepreneur, songwriter, music producer, and author. He's the founder and CEO of SunTap Power, a solar sales agency, and Lucid Dream Music, a music publishing company. And today, Fire Nation, we'll talk about being a salesperson because we're all salespeople.

0:40We'll talk about being genuine with your customers, with your clients, with your prospects. We'll talk about sales skills and 21 hacks to get more deals and so much more. And a big thank you for sponsoring today's episode goes to Brian and our sponsors. One of my favorite conferences to attend each year is HubSpot's annual inbound conference and is coming up fast. Join us in Boston from September 5th to the 8th, 2023 for an event like no other. Inbound brings together leaders across the business space, including sales, marketing, customer success, and operations teams. The goal at Inbound to help you discover all the latest trends and tactics you can implement in your business right now.

1:23Learn, be inspired, and walk away with practical tips to help you tackle your next challenge, supercharge your sales and marketing, and ignite your customer service. Inbound is featuring many must-see speakers this year, including Reese Witherspoon, Guy Raz, and Neil Patel, just to name a few. Whether you choose a general admission ticket or go the VIP route, you're sure to leave Boston feeling on fire. Visit inbound.com to get your tickets today. Is this your year? Visit thrivetimeshow.com to see testimonials of how Clay Clark's business coaching has helped over 2 ,000 entrepreneurs to dramatically increase profitability.

2:02It's month to month and less money than an average minimum wage employee. Schedule your free consultation today at thrivetimeshow.com. Brian, say what's up to Fire Nation and share something that you believe about becoming successful that most people disagree with. What's up, what's up? When it comes to achieving success, at least from my perspective, is that most people seem to look at achieving a goal as the end game, you know, like kind of like Thanos, you know, you snap your finger and you achieve your dream. So now all your problems go away and there's nothing left to do now that you've made it right now that you made your dreams come true.

2:41But the truth is the idea that once you've attained a certain level of success, that you've arrived and it's over, right? Um, it's far from the truth because the truth is the real work has just begun, right? So many people perceive successful people as reaching their end goal, like that this person has made it. Let's say they're a songwriter, they're an actor, they got their first gig or something like, oh, wow, they made it. But in reality, most people who are considered successful continue to hustle and work hard as if they're just starting out. And the reason behind this misconception, from my perspective, is that a majority of people are not successful themselves.

3:23And they kind of hold success or like the dream, right? This idea of what a dream is on a pedestal. And they kind of like stay in this loop of perpetual dreaming rather than, you know, like actually going towards your goals. So it's easy to look at someone who's made it and, you know, has had some type of success and think that, you know, they can now rest, they can enjoy their martinis on the beach, but that's seldom the case, right? Kanye West is a good example of this. his dream was to get a record deal from rockefeller records and after years of relentless hustling he finally achieved it but it didn't necessarily mean that he made it it was far from it because rockefeller records actually shelved kanye for years before they actually released his album so it wasn't until kanye kept like pushing really hard he continued to hustle and you know prove that he has what it takes to succeed without their support.

4:18So because of that, they recognized that his hustle, even after getting the record deal, they shelved him, they recognized his hustle, and they finally released his first album, which obviously was a big, big success. So his story, to me, touches on the fact that achieving a certain level of success doesn't necessarily mean you've arrived. It just simply means that you're operating at a different level, and you have to continue to work really hard to make those dreams come true. So yes, it's important to recognize the journey towards success. It is, to me, it's an ongoing thing. And that just because you've reached some milestone doesn't mean it's the end game.

4:56Work still has to be done. So once you have that perspective shift, that can really help inspire you knowing that success isn't a destination, but rather just a journey that requires constant effort and constant dedication. So for me, it's just crucial, to pursue a career that actually brings you joy, if that makes sense. Relentless, Fire Nation. Relentless. And that's why we're talking about sales lessons from a top music producer. Because you, Brian, actually believe that we are all salespeople. Tell us more. Selling is not just confined to those who work in the sales industry. In my opinion, I think that every single person, every one of us is essentially a salesperson, whether we realize it or not.

5:45Like a good example is like, you know, from convincing your spouse on whether like what restaurant you want to dine at. Right. You know, expressing your political viewpoints takes a lot of skill to get across to others like what you're trying to say. Even, you know, selling your personality on social media, you're a good testimony to this. You know, you have to have some level of sales skills to get it out there. so we're all constantly engaging in some form of selling right um and it might sound foreign to some but when you think about it the the act of selling is simply just like a part of everyday life right it's something that we all do subconsciously um almost subconsciously right we take for instance the concept of persuasion which is at the core of cells there's a um what's his name Robert Cialadini he's a famous psychologist for this but according to him there are six principles of persuasion that influence people's decisions which is um and I can't remember all off the top of my head but social proof uh authority scarcity uh yeah but I mean there's there's quite a few of them but scarcity is a pretty big one but these principles are not only used by sales people but they're applied by everyone like in our daily interactions.

7:00So whether we're, again, like whether we're engaging in a political debate or trying to get a girl or guy to go out with you, these principles guide our actions, making us all kind of, you know, natural born salespeople, but we just haven't perfected them. Does that make sense? Makes all the sense in the world. And something that you've always stood by, at least, you know, for the foreseeable past is the power of being genuine with people that you're working with, with your prospects. As you're selling to people, you're still selling with you being genuine, being open, honest, and transparent.

7:34So give us a real world example of how this led to your success. I mean, I've been in the music industry since 2007. I got a publishing deal right out of high school, starting off writing songs for Walt Disney and a few other pretty big record labels. I got featured on some of those tracks as well. Don't look them up. they're kind of embarrassing you know disney disney projects are kind of embarrassing but you know i mean it paid the bills but i wrote a song for a brazilian artist named whenessa carmigio she's on sony music that was a pretty big one um i've even wrote songs with britney spears but uh that never got anywhere but um i've also produced tracks for varieties of shows like tmz fox netflix uh of course disney bravo i co-wrote the theme song for housewives of miami I mean, it's terrible, but it does pay the bills, right?

8:23But what I learned over the years is that at least success in the music industry goes beyond mere talent and creativity. It actually demands a strong sense of salesmanship. The ability to promote yourself is crucial to the industry because you're dealing with industry players, right? You're dealing with executives. You're dealing with artists, potential collaborators, other producers. So it's important to establish yourself as a salesman, right? In your own head, think of it that way, because the industry is so competitive. So you have to learn to sell yourself. And a good example of this is, at least from my perspective, when I look at Jay-Z and Timberland in the studio, if you go to YouTube and you look this up, Jay-Z and Timberland in the studio, when Timberland is showing Jay-Z his beats to see which one Jay-Z likes, maybe they'll collaborate on a song together for Jay-Z's album.

9:18you'll notice that people like Timberland, people like Kanye really get into the music, like with their body language, they show how they're feeling when the track is playing, right? They nod their head, they get into it. That's their way of selling the beats to the artist. So what I've learned over the years, you know, being in this industry is that talent gets you nowhere. Talent is just a basic requirement to the industry, right? It's all about selling yourself. It just sells in general because the music industry is much like navigating a very complex web of connections, you know, where each interaction that you have with people can open new doors or, you know, new opportunities.

9:56That's like the story of my life. But some of those opportunities literally change your life. So having the gift of salesmanship, knowing how to sell yourself to others allows you to nurture, uh, like meaningful connections with others, convey the value that you bring to the table and ultimately negotiate better deals for yourself, if that makes sense. Fire Nation, there is a power being genuine, being open, being honest, being transparent. And you have to understand at the end of the day, you are a salesperson. You are going to have to ask for that sale. You are going to have to make that sale.

10:37And we're going to talk about why sales skills actually matter more today than ever, as well as 21 hacks to sell more deals when we get back from thanking our sponsors. The Product Boss, hosted by Jacqueline Snyder and Mina Kunlo-Citep, is brought to you by the HubSpot Podcast Network, the audio destination for business professionals. Take your physical product sales and strategy to the next level to create your dream life with hosts Jacqueline and Mina as they deliver a workshop-style, hour-long episode filled with social media and marketing strategies so you can up-level as the boss of your business.

11:11A recent episode covered the ins and outs of whether you can have a successful product business as a side hustle. Listen to The Product Boss wherever you get your podcasts. Are you ready to grow your business now? What if you could learn the proven systems and processes that have been used to grow thousands of multi-million dollar success stories? At Thrivetimeshow.com, see testimonials of how Clay Clark's proven business coaching has helped over 2 ,000 clients to increase profitability, dramatically. Clay's proven business coaching program is month to month and less money than hiring a minimum wage employee.

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12:19Schedule your free 13-point assessment today at Thrivetimeshow.com. Brian, we're back. And as I alluded to before the break, you believe that sales skills actually matter more today than they ever have before. Why is that the case? There is a study conducted by Daniel Pink. He's the author of To Sell is Human. He found that people typically spend 40 % of their work time engaged in non-sells selling, which includes persuading people, influencing, convincing others to give them time, attention, anything. Right. And I think there was also a study that indicated that couples have an average of seven disagreements per day.

13:04So that's about, you know, two thousand five hundred, you know, two thousand five hundred fifty five opportunities to sell our point of view a year. I know it sounds kind of cheesy, but like the point is, is that we're we're doing this more than we think. And then the digital age, the ability to sell ourselves and our ideas has become even more important. Right. There's three point six billion people using social media worldwide. we're all fighting for attention, right? We're all fighting for eyeballs. So, um, yeah, it's a, it's a very competitive digital landscape. So people like you is a good example of this too, but like most influencers who have any type of spotlight, they've harnessed some type of power of pers or of persuasive communication.

13:46They understand some ability of how, how to sell to people um which works beautifully because now you can you can do it in front of a mass audience so i see now more than ever and i'm preaching to the choir here because for the longest time you know i was behind the scenes you know being a songwriter i wasn't in the spotlight i wasn't a big artist or anything but you know it wasn't until recently that i decided to become more in the spotlight you know start doing social media and start playing that game because business landscape today is changing dramatically and you know if you're a business and you're not taking advantage of branding and social media the way that it exists today, you're going to get left behind, right?

14:23So mastering the art of sales, whether it's selling yourself, your brand, your business, right? It matters now more than ever. It's not just about convincing others. It's about understanding your audience, understanding your prospects, needs, and desires. It's understanding them at a much deeper level than just like, hey, here's my product, by it, right? You got to get into their head. You got to get into their, into who they are, right? And that's why I talk about being genuine with people because if you're not genuine with them, you're just becoming another sleazy salesperson. So by acknowledging and embracing that you're, you're inner salesperson, we can not only enhance our communication skills, but also we will have deeper connections with others and create more meaningful experiences in all areas of our lives.

15:10And if you don't mind, I want to touch more on, you know, being genuine with people because that, I mean, that to me is the biggest part of why I wrote that book, 21 Hacks to Sell More Deals, is because people are more intuitive than we think, okay? People, and I'm talking about anyone, like people that are watching your show as an audience, people that watch people's social media content, people that are looking to buy solar, right? Because we sell solar. But people are intuitive enough to know when someone is a sleazy salesperson and when someone is manipulating them just for the sake of getting money.

15:48Right. So this book covers why it's so crucial to be genuine, because for the most part, I would say that most people intuitively can pick up on the intentions of others. Right. Even with subtle sales tactics, like even if you have salespeople that are really good and they're very subtle about it, people are still intuitive. and you know what happens is that when they pick up on those slight um subtle things when they can see that you're just trying to get money out of them right they tend to not buy they tend to say things like i need to think about it but on the other hand if you if you feel i'm just talking from the perspective of a customer right because i'm a customer too i buy things all the time i buy courses and books if i feel like someone is being honest and genuine with me they're going to to earn my business.

16:36Right? So if you're being honest and genuine with your customers, with your prospects, they're more likely to trust you and to open up to you about what you have to offer. So I always say, and it sounds funny, but like, I swear to you, this works. I've closed hundreds of deals, if not thousands. Right? I always say that if you want to close more deals, you have to imagine that your prospect is your mother. Okay. Cause you immediately would adjust your pitch to ensure that she's getting the most honest you. So when you adopt that mindset, pretend that's your mother, right? You're going to treat them differently.

17:10Um, not only do you build strong lasting relationships with your prospects, um, but you also feel good about the products and services that you're offering. So you're going to naturally want to stand behind products and services that you truly believe in. So you're going to be honest with yourself, right? So in my case, it's solar, because I know that when I'm selling solar to someone, I genuinely believe that I'm making a positive impact into someone's life I know that i'm saving the money. I know that i'm doing something environmentally sound And that is incredibly rewarding and your bank account's going to thank you fire nation I know you want your bank account to be thanking you So this is why this is great to consume this type of content and you didn't mention this brian I want to dive a little deeper into the 21 hacks to sell more deals.

17:56I mean, this is your book, you wrote it. What does Fire Nation need to know about this book to get more excited about it? And where can we go to pick up a copy? You can expect to get the most up-to-date, polished sales hacks to ensure that you're going to close more deals. I've always been fascinated by psychology of people. I've always been fascinated the idea of influencing people's decision-making process in an ethical and genuine way. And that's why I wrote the book. So in 21 on hacks to sell more deals, you know, I'm definitely going to cover things like overcoming objections, you know, handling difficult questions, uh, perfecting your sales pitch, mastering referrals because referrals is really where it's at, especially when, when you're being genuine with customers, they're going to naturally be giving you referrals anyway.

18:41But more importantly, it's just understanding the way people think and adjusting your approach accordingly. We can close more deals that way when you adjust your approach accordingly based on how people think. Um, but Yeah, and being genuine obviously is a critical part of this with your prospects. That opens the door to tons of referrals. I call it the referral machine. I mean, it all starts with just being genuine and it starts with your mindset. So if you're someone who wants to become a master of sales, I highly recommend the book. You can find it at bryangentry.com. That's B-R-Y-A-N, Gentry, G-E-N-T-R-Y.com slash sales.

19:20I'm actually giving away the book for free. So you don't even have to pay for it. You can get the PDF version. You can find it at briangentry.com slash sales. Fire Nation, you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. You've been hanging out with BG and JLD today. So keep up the heat. And Brian, if you wanted to leave Fire Nation with one takeaway, one thought, one final theme of our conversation, what would that be? Be genuine with people. That will open the doors to more things than you think. Fire Nation, if you type Brian in the search bar, the show notes page will pop right up at eofire.com.

20:00And Brian, I want to say thank you for sharing your truth, your knowledge, your value with Fire Nation today. For that, we salute you and we'll catch you on the flip side. Hey, Fire Nation, a huge thank you to our sponsors and Brian for sponsoring today's episode. And Fire Nation, successful entrepreneurs are great at three things. productivity, discipline, and focus. That's why I created the Mastery Journal so that you can master these three things in 100 days. And we're talking step-by-step. Visit themasteryjournal.com and I'll catch you there or on the flip side. One of my favorite conferences to attend each year is HubSpot's annual Inbound Conference and is coming up fast.

20:42Join us in Boston from September 5th to the 8th, 2023 for an event like no other. Inbound brings together leaders across the business space, including sales, marketing, customer success, and operations teams. The goal at Inbound, to help you discover all the latest trends and tactics you can implement in your business right now. Learn, be inspired, and walk away with practical tips to help you tackle your next challenge, supercharge your sales and marketing, and ignite your customer service. Inbound is featuring many must-see speakers this year, including Reese Witherspoon, Guy Raz, and Neil Patel, just to name a few.

21:21Whether you choose a general admission ticket or go the VIP route, you're sure to leave Boston feeling on fire. Visit inbound.com to get your tickets today. Is this your year? Visit thrivetimeshow.com to see testimonials of how Clay Clark's business coaching has helped over 2 ,000 entrepreneurs to dramatically increase profitability. It's month to month and less money than an average minimum wage employee, schedule your free consultation today at thrivetimeshow.com.