Sales is for everyone, no matter the race or color. It’s not just for white people. Today’s guest is Toya Brown-Riberdy. Tune in and listen as Toya Brown-Riberdy and Donald Kelly talk about why recognizing that black people sell every day is now important.

The ‘black people aren’t good salespeople’ notion

• The notion probably stems from the truth that a lot of black people work nine to five jobs, they have a minimum wage, and that the six-figure jobs are not something that black people should strive for.
• Toya believes that it’s about the opportunity and the conversations we have around the dinner table. What we see with the people around us prompts us to put ourselves in this certain box and in this box, we can only do limited things.
• Success for black people often means that you have to be an athlete, a TV personality, or a musician.
• Not all black people know that sales is also for them.
• In truth, black people are the consummate customer service representatives but unfortunately, it’s not the kind of job that’s presented for most of us.

The limiting belief

• It somehow comes from the fact that we don’t know that there’s an opportunity. The position of the world and the society is that sales is not a position that you see a black person is doing. In the movies, black people have always been the assistants and the sidekicks.
• Valuing and getting an education is one way of setting yourself up on the opportunities and roles that you think are outside your realm.
• Not everyone has the financial capacity to get a college degree. If you have something that you’re good at, then use that edge to get to school. Use the system to your advantage. If you’re good at sports, use that to get an education.
• Take advantage of any opportunity and don’t pack it up. Stay for the education because that will take you to the next level.

Sell yourself every day

• We sell ourselves every day in a way that we put our best foot forward at all times.
• Black people know how it feels to walk into a room and be the only black person there. Sell yourself well and make a friend. Introduce yourself and start a conversation. It’s the same with sales. We pick up the phone and start a conversation first.
• We have so much more to offer. Other people see so much potential in black people even when sometimes, we don’t see these potentials in ourselves.

Handling objections

• Black people always face objections, every single day, from the moment we walk into a room full of people and sense that we’re not expected.
• People always have the perception of how black people talk and act. Until they hear you speak, they won’t really know that you have a proper tone or that you’re articulate.
• The important thing is that we continue our story and not let that objection get to us.
• We are resilient and adaptable. Use that to handle objections.
• Believe in yourself. If you know you have the capabilities to pin down the role, then go to the table with confidence.

“Changing Perceptions: Recognizing the Black People Sell Everyday” episode resources

Reach out and follow Toya Brown - Riberdy on LinkedIn.

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns.

This episode is brought to you in part by Skipio.

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