Chris Castanes is a professional speaker who helps salespeople succeed through workshops and humorous presentations. He’s also the author of “You’re Going To Be Great At This!”, a humorous look at sales, which chronicles his 30+ years in the business. After graduating from North Carolina State University in 1985 he went to work selling and marketing insurance, office supplies, retail, and even did some telemarketing.
He’s also the president of Surf Financial Brokers selling life, disability, and long-term care insurance in several states. He resides in North Myrtle Beach, SC.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you ended up writing a book?
I had been in sales for over 30 years and had read all kinds of books on selling, motivation, and keeping a positive attitude. I noticed that there was an extremely high turnover rate in industries like insurance, for example. In my opinion, the reason for this was tied directly to the hiring process and how recruiters would always portray the job through rose-colored glasses instead of letting the new sales rep know how hard the job can be. And I was extremely frustrated trying to find a book on sales that just had practical advice instead of success stories or metaphysical theories.
When I wrote my book I intended it to be the book that I wished someone had given me before I got into the business. I made notes for years on scraps of paper and eventually found time to put my notes together.
What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
I want people to have useful tools they can use in the real world. Many times when a new salesperson is being trained, the majority of the time is spent with product training and telling them what a great company they have gone to work for. I spent two weeks in a training for one company and all they did was make us memorize a sales pitch and preach to us about having a positive mental attitude. You wouldn’t tell a new plumber to have a great attitude. Instead, you would show the plumber what the tools are and how to use them. I want someone to be able to take my lessons on networking, for instance, and put them to use immediately.
What were the top mistakes you made writing or publishing your first book?
Since I self-published my book, I made a lot of mistakes, mostly when it came to proofreading and correcting small grammar errors. I had to learn from scratch how to edit photos, design my cover art, and things of that nature. I tried to enlist a few people to do some objective editing but they wanted to change the whole tone of the book, which wasn’t cool with me. I think if I had to do it again I would try to find a real publisher or at least a freelance editor.
When will you consider your book a success?
I will know it is a success when I get some groupies or a fan club. Kidding aside, if my book should ever go viral I’ll consider it successful. Since I don’t have a marketing team to promote it I have had to do it all on my own. It has a bit of a cult following because of its snarky and sarcastic nature. Someone told me I should promote myself as a demotivational author. It’s definitely not a Zig Ziglar kind of book.
What is the one thing you wish you knew before publishing your first book?
I didn’t realize I was going to be learning every aspect of self-publishing. It was actually fun in a weird way because I have some great insights on that part of the process now. Luckily, I had a couple of friends who showed me how to find photos that I could use without fees and other little tips and tricks. I didn’t rush into the process and spent most of my time writing and editing before submitting it. I would say that one thing that was a bit of a surprise was the e-book side. Probably a third of my book sales were e-books, which makes it difficult to sign for someone.
Once it was published I went on Facebook and said, “Hey everyone, I wrote a book!” and added the link. For about a week that was all I posted, with additional stuff like “share with your friends” or “This book would make a great stocking stuffer”, which was funny since it was in June.
Then I carried a copy of the book with me everywhere I went and would take pictures of people holding the book. I posted these pictures on all of my social media outlets with captions like “Another happy reader”. It was pretty cheesy but effective.
From the beginning, I had a three-pronged strategy. I would use the book to promote my insurance business and my speaking business. When I spoke to groups I would plug the book and my insurance business and when I was with an insurance client I would talk, very briefly, about the book and speaking to groups. Using all three to promote each other worked well until Covid arrived. That knocked out my speaking opportunities but my insurance business continued to do well on its own.
If you had the chance to start your career over again what would you do differently?
First, I would seek out mentors who were not my managers or bosses. It would have been awesome to have an objective person who has no financial relationship with to talk honestly. I didn’t find anyone like that early on in my career and when I finally did it was like finding a whole new resource of information. One gentleman became my ersatz mentor and would check in on me from time to time with advice and just ask me how I was doing.
Secondly, but in the same vein, I would have taken everything my sales managers said with a grain of salt. I had one manager, for instance, who tried to scoop up one of my clients and give the client to her husband. I actually caught them red-handed, so to speak.
With all of that in mind, if I were starting out now I look for a good mentor and make sure that any promises made during the hiring process were in writing.
What helps you stay driven and motivated?
It’s important to me that people see the serious side of me because I kid around a lot. Ever since I was a little kid I was telling jokes and goofing around, but deep down I am a fairly thoughtful person. I know I have more to offer than just quick-witted comments. If I can mix some useful information with some practical advice I know I did something right.
Also, I am a fairly competitive person. Oddly enough, I didn’t realize how competitive I was until I read a book called “Everything I Know About Business I Learned From Monopoly” by Alan Axelrod. It was like lighting a fire under me all of a sudden because I loved the game but had never been given strategies or insights. And it had led me to read biographies on other sports figures as well. From Joe Namath to Tiger Woods, each is a fierce competitor and the more I read their stories the more I want to win.
What is a productivity tip you swear by?
I put EVERYTHING in my calendar and assign a time for that task. If you need to spend time making phone calls, carve out that time and put it in your calendar. Lunches, making memes, answering emails – they all have time in my calendar. At the end of the day, when all is done, I can take time to enjoy my family and friends. If some new task should occur, I can just pull out my phone and find a time for it on my calendar.
With that being said, things happen. For example, my daughter was involved in a fender bender in the middle of my workday. I had to make some adjustments to my schedule to help her out. Luckily, no one was hurt but I had left some flexibility in my plans to move things around.
How do you personally overcome fear?
I ask myself, “What is the worst thing that can happen if this doesn’t work or I don’t make the sale?” No one is going to die or anything serious. It just puts things in perspective.
I also think preparation can help build confidence, which always beats out fear. In my book, I talk about the world’s best opening line. Back when I was single my friends and I would try to meet girls in local clubs, and our success rate was horrible. We came up with the line “I thrive on rejection. Can I buy you a beer?” It was funny and removed the sting of rejection. I guess I made the situation a win/win. Years later I translated that to my own sales meetings. When a client would turn me down I would just think to myself, “At least I thrive on rejection” and chuckle. The fear of rejection was gone and replaced with a dumb joke at the client’s expense (in my head).
What are you learning now? Why is that important?
I am still learning about SEO and marketing in the digital age. The last 20 years have turned so many industries upside down or put them out of business altogether. The internet has made people adjust and adapt. Also, younger consumers have a different set of values and ways of making purchases. Old methods don’t necessarily work anymore.
How can we get in touch with you?
The best way to reach me is through my website. I have my calendar on there for those who want to book an appointment to speak with me.
I have a website for my insurance business, Surf Financial Brokers, and one for my book and speaking business.
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