“The discrimination against women was almost mind-boggling for my generation, but I never let that stop me,” says Elinor Stutz. She is the CEO of Smooth Sale and leads with the motto, “Believe, Become, and Empower.”
Smooth Sale provides training, speaking, blogging, and coursework for both sales and career advancement. The blog is an extension of community service designed to help people advance their endeavors. Guest posts further contribute to an extensive distribution. The Smooth Sale website features the blog, and you may find all of my work on the Kred page. Recently, Kred chose to feature my work here: https://ElinorStutz.kred
Never give up; find a better way!
Upon graduating college, and her friend began a party-giving business. Their first client was a standout music radio station in Los Angeles. She asserts, “Mademoiselle Magazine featured us on the cover of their magazine. Success is a fleeting moment; the market crashed, the radio station re-structured to providing news, and I was left to seek work.” She adds, “A secretarial position became mine. I asked and received the answer to why his advertising is so successful.”
In an interview with World’s Leaders, Elinor Stutz shared her journey from an emerging enthusiastic entrepreneur to a successful business leader and motivational speaker.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Brief our audience about your journey as a business leader. What challenges did you face to reach where you are today?
“Communicate as if you are sharing a cup of coffee in your kitchen with your best friend.”
International travel, another entrepreneurship during my tenure as a stay-at-home Mom, followed by needing to help pay for college educations, led to my entering the sales profession. I drove to work every day with my hands clenched. As a pioneer saleswoman on an otherwise all-male team treated as another stupid female, sales training was not an option because I would fail anyway.
Not knowing what I was to sell or how to sell, I asked prospective clients to train me per their preferences. Instead of using a script, I had fun-filled conversations. By the fourth month, I was the team’s top producer without knowing anything about the business equipment or traditional selling. Confidence was still lacking, so I enrolled in a three-month-long Dale Carnegie public speaking class. I moved from being terrified to announce my name to become the Grand Prize Winner.
“Use negativity as the motivator to prove, Yes I Can!”
Each year management gave my accounts to the men, tripled my quota, and I had to find a new job. The same treatment continued for eleven years.
To sell well: “Question, Listen, and Clarify.”
Life Is Fragile
Two traffic accidents found me on a stretcher with an ‘irreparable broken neck.’ I am a rare person who lived through a near-death experience. As I lay on a stretcher awaiting admission to the hospital, two visions came to me. The first vision was that of a speaker. I wholeheartedly vowed that speaking was what I wanted to do! That vision faded for a brilliant gold light to encase my entire body and a second vision to appear in the form of a life report card. High life marks were on the left-hand side, but the right-hand side, labeled ‘Community Service’, was blank. I vowed to begin giving back to communities. The vision faded, followed by the gold light.
Sales skills and speaking up saved my life.
I knew I’d be well. But moments before the medication was to take over, I heard the surgeon say, “Mrs. Stutz, when you awake, most likely you will be paralyzed.” The ‘most likely’ told me he didn’t believe I’d survive. Given what transpired the night before, I quickly shot back, ‘Doctor, when I awake, I fully expect to be well!’ The last thing I remember was him jumping backward! Later, he and the staff on duty referred to me as ‘the walking miracle.’
‘Believe, Become, Empower.’
Smooth Sale, a sales training company, was born. Clientele thrived until we moved to a new City. People laughed, believing that a woman couldn’t know enough to be a sales trainer. I was advised to write a book. My first manuscript turned into a corporate tell-all, revealing all the awful stories and how I dealt with them. ‘Nice Girls DO Get The Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results’ was featured in TIME Magazine became an International Best-Seller and is Evergreen.
“Sharing hard lessons develops credibility and trust.”
Community service began with teaching job seekers how to sell themselves on interviews. Many thank you notes led to the writing of HIRED! How To Use Sales Techniques To Sell Yourself On Interviews. This book also received much attention to become a best-seller.
Upon social media launch, I joined a group to learn strategies. The platforms combine the enjoyment of meeting business leaders plus a love for travel. My global audience grew, and I became known as a Top 1% Influencer by Kred.
“Trust is the soul of sales and all else that we do!”
3. What impact in this industry have you made through your expertise in the industry?
Due to my writing and sharing, Advisorpedia, Vunela, BizCatalyst360, SalesPop, and LinktoExpert, asked me to be a content contributor. In order, they represent the financial, leadership, inspirational, sales, and entrepreneurial endeavors.
• Stutz’ Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Elinor-Stutz/e/B001JS1P8S • CEO Magazine Declares “One of the brightest sales minds to follow on Twitter” • The Smooth Sale Blog provides a Global Distribution to Executives, Salespeople, Entrepreneurs, Subscribers, and Media.
4. What are the challenges you and your team at Smooth Sale come across in your day-to-day operations?
Technical issues, remaining current on business news, and complementary industries affect time and focus.
5. What people, what books, what life factors have influenced and impacted you?
Childhood impacted me the most; my parents trained me to ‘never give up and always be nice.’ The bullies taught me to look for inconsistencies between facial expressions, body language, vocabulary, and actions. Helpful books include, ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People,” “SPIN Selling,” and “Raving Fans.”
6. Considering the current pandemic and its impact on global economies, how are you driving your organization to sustain operations and ensure the safety of your employees at the same time?
People believe that I have built a large company, but I am a solo entrepreneur. To be successful:
“Follow your passion and serve communities at large.”
7. Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives Smooth Sale.
Our brand is how people define us; we proceed with integrity and consistency in all that we do. The ultimate goal is to develop a returning and referring clientele known as the Smooth Sale.
8. Where do you envision yourself in the long run, and what are your future goals for Smooth Sale?
My goal is to encourage equality for all, and I am on the social media committee for Inclusion Allies Coalition dedicated to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. I will never give up.
9. What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs?
Be willing to: • Ask for help from those more advanced and offer support to those following you. • Learn from every error and failure, and then revise your plan with a better strategy. • Keep your long-term vision in mind at all times.
