Bob Paradiso, Listen Closely. Solve Problems.

“We are a nation of terrible listeners,” says Bob Paradiso, President of Durasein Solid Surface. For Bob, the best salespeople are really listening to their customers, and working hard to identify and solve the problems of their customer. On this episode of Sales Lead Dog, host Chris Smith talks with Bob about his forty year career in sales, and what he’s learned along the way. 

But for Bob, sales wasn’t really on the radar. In fact, he got into sales when his boss called him into his office one day and offered him a sales role in San Francisco. Bob had never considered sales before -- and despite his wife’s skepticism, he eventually persuaded her that life in San Francisco would be a nice change. That moment, where he took a leap into sales, has defined his life. 

What has Bob learned as he moved from sales to sales leadership and beyond? First and foremost, he highlights the power of listening, and solving problems. If you can really solve their problem, he says, the customer will always find value in your business. He also discovered that sales leadership is about more than just customers. It’s about striking the balance between customer needs and company needs -- and finding creative solutions so everyone leaves the meeting satisfied. 

For more on transitioning into sales leadership, creative problem solving, and the power of getting to know not just your customer but also your team, tune in this week to Sales Lead Dog. 

Quotes:

• We are a nation of terrible listeners. We don't listen enough. We are always too concerned about what we want to say … we talk first, and we don't even listen to the reply. (22:28-22:54)

Links:

www.linkedin.com/company/duraseinsolidsurface 

www.duraseinusa.com 

Empellor CRM Website

Empellor CRM LinkedIn

Podcast production and show notes provided by FIRESIDE Marketing