Success Secrets from Sales Coach, Sarah Jo Wood

On Monday, Jan. 16, 2012, I had the opportunity to interview Sarah Jo Wood, Founder of Evolving Advisors, Inc. She shared helpful insights and tips explaining what attributed to her unbelievable success! She has been awarded internationally and cited on TV for her achievements. I am thankful for her time and all the Value she shared during this interview.


Question #1: Tell me a little bit about your background and what led you to where you are now

Sarah’s response: I’m a transplanted American living in Toronto, Canada for the last 30 years. After graduating from a University, I tried the Corporate route for about 3 Fortune 500 companies, and I could see the glass ceiling all too well – not to mention feeling claustrophobic. So, I went out on my own. My 1st venture had me digging in dirt as a plant wholesaler. My grandmother had taught me all about plants. She was a rare individual in that she studied the hybridization of rare orchids and she trekked through Africa and China studying plants, so I learned all about plants that way.

I started to save up my money, and I bought real estate. As my passion for real estate grew, I became an agent. That lasted 20 years, and I did very well in it. I learned through the school of hard knocks at first. It wasn’t easy. My 1st 2 years in real estate were really difficult. I didn’t think I’d make it. But, I learned and I persevered, and I just kept at it. I was like a dog with a bone. So, eventually, I was awarded internationally and cited on TV for my achievements.

Then, several years ago, my passion for Coaching superseded that of real estate. So, I referred out my real estate practice and went into Sales & Marketing Coaching. And I’ve just joined the internet community 7 months ago.

Altogether, I’ve authored 3 books: 1 in real estate, 2 in coaching. And then, my internet coach told me how important it was for me to have a target niche – saying I wouldn’t be effective until I had found my strength and power. So, she had me take tests and questionnaires and ask friends questions and do a lot of reflection over a 2 month period which was an extreme time of frustration for me because I kept coming up empty handed. I couldn’t find any answers, and I didn’t think I’d ever find my passion or strength. Then, one day it came to me that my passion had been in negotiations, but I didn’t see how that could apply to coaching – what did that have to do with coaching? Then, I dug a little bit deeper, and I realized that within negotiations, my forte had been in overcoming objections. So, that became my signature series, and also a specialized niche that I have today and the rest is history, so here I am.


Question #2: What are your top 6 must read books of all time?

Sarah’s response: My favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird. My other books that I love and have read over and over again are from Dale Carnegie and Napoleon Hill. Those are just re-reads for me every year.

I also read periodicals. I read Newsweek. I read Success Inc and Entrepreneur.


Question #3: What are you currently reading?

Sarah’s response: I’m reading The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. It’s about staying in the present. It’s an incredible book. I would highly recommend it to anyone. It’s so powerful. I can’t even begin to describe it. It has you working at staying in the moment. If you can imagine keeping all sound out, keeping your senses out, not thinking about anything at all – just nothingness and being right in the present moment. You can keep sound in, you can think about sound, but not think about sound. The sound could be there, but you’re not thinking about it – if you know what I mean? I don’t know if this makes any sense, but it’s very meditative. It’s emptying your brain totally of all thought and all judgment. And, it’s just powerful. I’ve gotten up to about 60 seconds to be able to be in the “now” moment. It’s just so powerful to be able to do it. A strength comes over me when I do.

Eckhart Tolle has a whole selection – he’s got a great website – http://EckhartTolle.com

It’s worth checking out. He’s got quite a following. He has several other books, and he’s got a lot of DVD’s and CD’s.


Question #4: What sales CD’s do you recommend for new sales people?

Sarah’s response: I would recommend going to the Nightingale Conant Company – http://nightingale.com

I think that they sell a lot of good quality products. I would warn against the Law of Attraction with the following provisions: I believe in the laws of attraction, but I don’t think you can go sit on a mountain top and visualize what you want and expect them to come to you. I think there are some people who think that they can just do that, and it’s not going to happen. You have to put in the work and also visualize – have a Vision Board or have pictures. You have to have some kind of creative vision of what you want & have affirmations and have some kind of tools to get to where you want to go, but you have to do the work on top of it. I think there are a lot of misconceptions around the law of attraction.

I also love The Power of the Mind to Heal by Joan Borysenko. It’s excellent. It applies a little bit of medical as well as holistic healing and a lot of meditation, gentleness, and spiritual healing to the body. She believes that you know within yourself, within your own body what’s going on if you can find that message from within you.


Question #5: What colleagues/friends inspire you and challenge you to be a better person?

Sarah’s response: I have a girlfriend who gives me prayers, and she reminds me to pray more. It always helps me when I remember to pray. I don’t remember to pray a lot, so she’s there for me. When I call with a problem, she says “Well you know Sarah, here’s this prayer for you.” I don’t get to dump on her very much. I get a prayer instead. So, she’s like a life-saver to me. She listens to me for awhile, and then she just says, “What I find that helps me Sarah is this prayer.” Then, she’ll email it to me. We’ll say it over a few times together and that’s helpful. Then, she’ll call a few days later and ask how it’s going with the prayer. And I’ve said it a few times by then, and it does help. Prayer does help. It solves problems.

My other inspiration was my grandmother whose spirit of generosity was overflowing. She was just a wonderful woman.

Sarah’s response: I don’t go to the movies to be inspired, but I go to be entertained, and I love Gangster Flicks. I’m addicted to Breaking Bad.


Question #7: What motivational quotes and poems do you read/hang on your wall?

Sarah’s response: The Dalai Lama, and his quote would be: “Our prime purpose in this life is to help others, and if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.”

I, myself, write poems that are like Haiku poems. They follow a restraint of syllable count. So, for instance, the 1st stanza would be 5 syllables, the 2nd would be 7, and the 3rd would be 5. So, I try to follow that restraint, and I find that there’s a lot of beauty in limitation. So, I write a type of Haiku poetry. I can’t say that I’m a Haiku poet because I don’t have the art of centralization that they do – whereas they’ll write about a leaf, and the whole thing will be about a leaf. I’ll write about a varied subject. I’ll write about a ballerina or lemon pie. I went off course last year, and I wrote about Post Traumatic Syndrome with the soldiers and all kinds of things.

I posted 1 of my poems online on my blog. It’s a poem about winter in Canada.
http://www.evolvingadvisors.com/winter-in-toronto/

My other inspirations are my animals. I have 3 cats and a dog, and they’re very inspirational for me. I have a Yorkshire Terrier, 2 Burmese and a Tabby. My Yorkie is smart, affectionate. He does whatever you tell him. The cats and the dog endure each other. My Yorkie would like the cats to be friendlier. He tries, but they just endure him.


Question #8: Who are your hero’s? Why?

Sarah’s response: My heroes are the underdogs, the mentally ill, the people who can’t get ahead through no fault of their own. Why? Because they struggle more than I could ever know. I couldn’t do that. I wouldn’t have the courage to do what they do.


Question #9: What are the top 5 things you’ve learned as a result of being in sales?

Sarah’s response: I’ve learned 1 main thing – that it isn’t as easy as it looks. Within each task, there are about 10 mini tasks. They have within them – many, many tasks. And within them, there are even more mini, mini tasks. So, there’s a lot of patience and endurance required.

When I start to do a new project, not being a project manager, I’m not aware of what all is entailed. And I start doing it and then I delve deeper and deeper and I see what all is entailed and I think I have it. Then, I find out, no, it requires more & more research here and there. I like it because I’m a very creative person, so I like delving into things. But, it can take a long time.


Question #10: What habits have you developed that have helped you become a better version of yourself?

Sarah’s response: Patience, Perseverance, & Endurance


Questions #11: What would be your personal 5 keys to success?

Sarah’s response: A Belief in Yourself, Prayer, Goal Setting, A Coach, & Consistency


Questions #12: What will it take to surpass 6 figures in this market?

Sarah’s response: Same answers as above – A Belief in Yourself, Prayer, Goal Setting, A Coach, & Consistency


Question #13: What is your life outcome?

Sarah’s response: I want to support a mentally ill person. I want to travel. I want to not have to worry about finances. I’d like to help my nieces and nephews. They’re financially strapped.


Question #14: Tell me about any upcoming events, products, or services that you’re offering.

Sarah’s response: Sure. I have 2 books, “How to Turn a No or a Maybe into a Yes!” It’s about responding to objections like “I’ll think it over,” “It’s too much money,” “Send me the information,” “You’re too new,” etc. I go into the anatomy of the objection and give you 16 essential tips of what to do, so you won’t leave money on the table. I also give you 52 pages of responses to use although you can craft them in your own authentic voice.

My 2nd book is “Magnetic Phrases.” I love words and the power they have to cause persuasion. So, I developed “Magnetic Phrases.” It is a toolkit of plugin phrases and hypnotic words to add to your website, landing page, newsletter, teleseminar or any advertising copy that you can think of. They can turn bland and boring into supercharged, sizzling, and sexy. They also get the creative juices running and make you feel like a copywriter. So you can basically enhance your copy at a fraction of the cost of a copywriter.

My website is: http://www.EvolvingAdvisors.com

After I’ve sold enough books, I will be offering a Tele-Series on the same topic of overcoming objections.

I also offer a book for real estate agents on overcoming objections.

In the fall, I will be hosting a Tele-Summit and look for my interviewing some fascinating people during Spring including yourself, Joy.