Reason-Driven Selling With Phillip Swan

Jul 31, 2024

Wes Schaeffer

The Sales Podcast Professional Development Entrepreneur

Avoiding Hallucination in AI-Generated Content & The Importance of Trust in Sales

Sales Tips you'll learn today on The Sales Podcast ...

In this conversation, Wes and Phillip Swan discuss various topics, including their love for Scotland, the importance of customer-centricity in business, the role of AI in marketing, and the need for critical thinking in the age of AI.

Phillip shares his journey in sales and marketing, emphasizing the value of understanding the customer and creating simple, impactful experiences.

He also provides insights on leveraging AI tools to enhance marketing efforts and the importance of avoiding hallucination in AI-generated content.

The conversation highlights the need for businesses to adapt to changing buyer behaviors and the potential of AI to automate and scale processes.

In this conversation, Phillip Swan and Wes discuss various topics related to business, technology, and sales. They touch on their experiences at the Air Force Academy, the importance of trust in sales, the role of data in decision-making, and the need for reason-driven decisions.

Phillip emphasizes the significance of creating a seamless customer experience and the importance of culture in building a successful brand. He also shares that his company works with C-suite executives and helps companies unlock revenue growth and scale.

Overall, the conversation highlights the need for critical thinking, effective communication, and a customer-centric approach in business.

00:00 Introduction and Love for Scotland
03:08 Creating Impactful Experiences and Understanding the Customer
08:22 The Power of Customer-Centricity in Driving Business Growth
13:30 Leveraging AI Tools for Marketing Success
17:57 Avoiding Hallucination in AI-Generated Content
24:22 The Importance of Critical Thinking in the Age of AI
26:25 Adapting to Changing Buyer Behaviors and Building Digital Relationships
30:08 Reason-Driven Decisions vs. Data-Driven Decisions
33:58 Creating a Seamless Customer Experience
39:22 The Role of Culture in Building a Successful Brand
45:18 Unlocking Revenue Growth and Scaling a Business

"I'm not cheap, I'm thrifty!"
Originally from Scotland.
Started a paper route at age 8.
Got friends to deliver for him.
Was buying baby clothes by the container in Hong Kong at age 16 with wads of cash.
Graduated from university at age 20 and paid cash for his house.
Came to the U.S. in 1988, got married in 1990, and are still married.
Got into technical sales and got tired of making the salespeople all the money so he got into tech sales.
Eventually joined Microsoft and ran three global divisions.
Microsoft got too big, so he went back to his entrepreneurial routes.
Now he helps you sell by putting the customer at the center of your outreach.

Sometimes, your customer is internal as you move through the pipeline stages.
76% of buyers do not want to talk to a salesperson until much later in the buyer journey, so form a digital relationship.

Everyone is a salesperson.”

Most companies miss "pre-awareness."
AI can help you mimic and produce the type and volume of work of 5-6 staff when done correctly.
What future are you solving for? Reverse engineer from there.
People who use AI will replace you.
Trial and error is key. Dive in. Test.
Prompting is vital in leveraging AI.
You must be resilient in learning and leveraging AI.
Hallucination is a risk when using AI. Use several to get to a higher level of truth with AI results.
Change happens around us.
People don't want their beliefs challenged.
Create a digital twin of your superpowers to grow exponentially.
He builds swarm teams to swarm a problem and fix them.
The functional sales process with BDRs is broken.

Reason-driven vs. data-driven decisions. (The former is better.)
The data is only an indicator.
You must be willing to kill your sacred cows.
Understand your customer.
Your culture requires that you build a cult around your leader.
We're social creatures. We want to belong to the club.
It's creepy to use all of the customer data you have and niche down too much.
AI has been programmed by a bunch of white, pimply-faced, 24-year-olds.
Simple sells.
He coaches entrepreneurs and CEOs.
Usually works with Series B and beyond.
He helps you unlock your revenue and sales.
Give away your best stuff for free upfront.

GUEST INFO:

Phillip Swan is the Managing Partner at Pi Partners and CRO at LingoAid, specializing in customer-centric go-to-market strategies. His expertise lies in enhancing marketing, sales, product, and operational synergies to create seamless customer experiences throughout their journey. Phillip leads Pi Partners, a GTM Advisory firm known for its innovative solutions in customer engagement and business growth. He is passionate about sharing insights on effective business strategies through various platforms, aiming to inspire and empower businesses to innovate and grow.
Guest Site: https://phillipswan.com/ (Get his free newsletter.)
Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillip-swan/