A Navy veteran of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, Kyle Slaymaker transitioned into a career in sales at the urging of his girlfriend, now his wife. The journey led him to entrepreneurship when he realized that he was able to teach his unique style of selling in a non-aggressive way to those who were looking to skyrocket their sales numbers.
Kyle has written 2 bestselling books devoted to increasing sales skills and has been featured on podcasts all around the world. Both teams and individuals have utilized The Slaymaker Method and have seen massive increases in their numbers!
Tell us about your business?
The Slaymaker Method is a sales strategy and training company that is devoted to providing world-class sales strategy and training to individuals and companies, worldwide. It is our firm belief that a person or company can’t have enough sales training and a well-trained sales team is what can take your business from surviving to thriving. Using a unique and hybrid blend of our own tried and true sales strategy, a mold between strategic and relational selling, we can proudly provide each business and individual we work with a custom-made sales strategy that will create not only higher revenue, but a brand loyalty.
Through making our content easily accessible and our bestselling books, The Slaymaker Method prides itself on being able to provide each of our followers with a non-aggressive sales plan without the usual boast and bravado that is found all over the business world in today’s climate.
Tell us about your business background
I got into sales at the request of my girlfriend, who is now my wife. I was in a dead-end job that made me absolutely miserable. She pulled into a car dealership and demanded I apply. I walked in and did so, in jeans and a t-shirt, and they hired me on the spot, despite me knowing nothing about cars and even less about sales. Fast forward to the pandemic and it dawned on me that I could make a big difference in the world by teaching what I have learned through my years of selling a plethora of products in various environments. I quickly realized I was able to teach my unique brand of selling in a way that was welcoming to people and it helped even season veterans of the sales game get over the fears they had about either sales in general or specific areas. As things started to grow, I found myself being featured in publications, writing books that became bestsellers, creating digital content, and holding live seminars. I almost couldn’t believe it, but I knew I was so sure of my ability to teach anyone to sell better, no matter if they have zero experience or decades, that I refused to fail. Now, here I am.
Top 3 Skills Needed to be a successful Entrepreneur?
- A larger-than-life mindset- Some days are going to flat out suck, but the difference between surviving as a business owner and truly thriving, truly making a splash and changing the world, is the ability to stay moving forward every single day. It is the discipline to get up early and outwork everyone around you.
- The ability to sell: Are some people made to be sales professionals? Of course, but I wholeheartedly believe that a person, if they are WILLING to be taught, can be mega-earners. Especially when you are just starting out, having a game plan in place on how to sell your product or service can be a game-changer and set you worlds ahead of your competitors. The world is flooded with bad salespeople, so why be part of that crowd?
- Understand what is important and what isn’t: here is the truth, the hard truth, about what is REALLY important. You’re home life. It is no secret that making it as a business owner is not an easy task and it will take support. Before people give you their support, you will have to show them you are WORTHY of their support. My wife and kids will always come first. That is an unspoken rule, for me, or perhaps it is now spoken. I would not have achieved any of this without the support, and even guidance, of my wife.
- Here is an unsolicited fourth: If you were fortunate enough to ride somebody’s coattails, if somebody brought you along to the dance, pay it forward. If you see an up-and-comer in your industry, do the right thing. You may not be where you are if it weren’t for that person who brought you along, and you never know when that person you invite to the dance will be your greatest ally.
How have the pandemic and lockdown changed your business?
I firmly consider myself a Pandemic-preneur. I firmly believe that, as a whole, Covid has set business forward by 10 years. We are, today, where we would be in ten years, had Covid not came into the picture. I considered myself incredibly fortunate that what I had predicted at the beginning of Covid and my business, had come to fruition. The first thing I said was that as soon as the lockdowns are over and Covid starts going in the right direction, businesses would experience massive booms as buyers returned to the market in a more aggressive manner. I also said that Covid would drastically change the way these buyers are buying and those individuals and businesses with a Rockstar sales strategy that utilize the opportunities the new buying patterns present, are poised to capitalize in huge ways.
I have seen a massive influx in viewership, readers, followers, and clients as these realizations are being made by the general public and business world. People and businesses are realizing these new buying behaviors and motivators and are starting to truly grasp that the selling world has completely changed. Far gone are the days of pushy tactics, aggression, and half-truths to get people to buy. The days of truly caring about your customer and their problems and placing the customer before the commission are here and they are here to stay.
What are the top 3 mistakes you made starting your business and what did you learn from them?
- Learn to say no. there are so many things you will want to say yes to when you are just starting out, or even in infancy. A quick yes to a cheap job so you can make a buck, an opportunity for cheap or free advertising, or collaborations, there are so many situations you will find yourself in as a new business owner that will be imperative to say no to, for both your own well-being and the well-being of your business. I walked away from big contracts early on because I knew that the overall result of working with said client would be much more harmful than missing the dollar amount of the contract. This could be for a plethora of reasons, but saying yes to the wrong situation can crush your business. When I really started to see success, I was approached by people who were wanting to “collaborate.” In reality, they just wanted to ride my coattails and I spread myself too thin.
- Learn the difference between leveraging your drive and overdoing it: This is a super easy mistake to make. I wanted to do anything and everything when I started and I found success. I was working feverishly. Writing the books, putting out the video content, actively prospecting, you name it. At a certain point, the quality of your work will suffer, so be sure that you force yourself to take some breaks. As hard as it was, and still is, for me to take a weekend off, I know the importance of hitting reset and starting Monday off like a bull in a China shop who has the best focus in the world.
- The adage of “There are no friends in business” is BS: I started off very defensive, which was healthy, to a point. The reality was that, at the level of just starting out, especially at a local level, a great majority of the people and business owners around you, want to see you succeed. Yes, you will have some that are jerks and want you to fail and get even more fervent and jealous as you succeed, but at the end of the day, we are all in this together. As stated in an above question, you never know when you may need some of these people. I would NOT be where I am today if it weren’t for some of the other local business owners who were willing to help me out and guide me in this journey.
What has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
This is a difficult question to answer, as I may not answer in a traditional or expected sense. I consider word-of-mouth my most revered form of marketing. But this only comes, ethically speaking, from delivering a world-class product. I deliver a product like nobody else out there and I take a world of pride in this. Yes, writing 2 bestselling books, appearing on a bunch of podcasts, and being featured in articles online and in print always help, but in reality, I want to hear the word-of-mouth referrals. I feel that there is no greater validation to any business owner than a customer having so much confidence in their business, having such a great experience with the business, that they tell a friend and the friend comes to you, too. Go out there, be authentic, and deliver that Rockstar product like NOBODY else can!
If you had $1,000 to start a new business, how would you spend it?
Another fantastic question that has been seriously influenced by Covid-19. Due to the statement, I made above, about Covid setting the business world forward by ten years, starting a business has never been easier. Barriers to entry, generally speaking, have been drastically lowered for so many would-be entrepreneurs. So, how would I spend that grand? I wouldn’t spend it on advertising. I wouldn’t spend it on hiring somebody to set my appointments for me. I would spend it on a single thing, and that would be learning. Call it learning, call it self-development, call it whatever you want. One of the most sure-fire ways to really accomplish the dreams that you have, aside from having the strongest work ethic you could imagine, is to develop your knowledge and your skills. Whether it is a sales training program or a marketing program, a business owner, or even a person, will always have a leg up on the competition if they are always learning.
What valuable advice would you give to new entrepreneurs who are starting?
Try. The last thing I will tell you is to not be afraid. It is a terrifying choice to make. You are undoubtedly going to wonder if any decision you make is going to be the right one. Here is a bit of a secret: EVERY decision you make is going to be the right one. Whether that decision works out for the betterment or the demise of what you are doing, one thing is certain, you are going to learn.
Remember what I said above? LEARN. So get out there and learn, and learn by trying. If something doesn’t work, guess what? You are the boss and you certainly won’t fire yourself. This is your dream, and the ONLY one in the world who can get you where you want to be is yourself. You are also the only one who can truly guarantee you will never accomplish your goals, so which will you choose?
What is your definition of success?
This is a question that has changed throughout various stages of my personal and professional life. Of course, I want to say tons of money, wouldn’t all business owners? The truth, however, is that I have already found success. I realized that I will never be able to fail. If The Slaymaker method ever goes belly up, which I refuse to let happen, I will still have my wife and kids. I will still have the people who brought me to the dance. Looking at it from a different angle, I want to tell you why I also feel like I have already found success. Because I look around at what I have done and am so proud of it, so impressed by it. I realized I achieved my success when I got my first positive review. I heard the first person I ever trained as a client tell me they have sold more than they ever thought possible, that I also could never consider myself or The Slaymaker Method a failure. Do I have goals that I still want to achieve? Of course. But I realized that my true success is not what I thought it would be. I can’t put a price on that.
What helps you stay driven and motivated in your business?
As I mentioned above, it is seeing the positive change I am making. It is seeing people buy my services or my books and they say that I actually helped them. It is insanely motivating to know that my sales strategy, the training I provide my clients and followers, is helping them place food on their table and take their kids on that vacation they didn’t think they would be able to afford that year. I can’t even begin to express how incredible of a feeling that is and how motivating it is to know I am making a difference.
How can people get ahold of you?
I can be found all over social media including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok under my company name, The Slaymaker Method, and of course on my website theslaymakermethod.com.
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