In this concise "6 questions in 7 minutes" interview, Professor Pete Alexander talks with sales growth consultant Doug Brown. Brown explains that most people underestimate their innate sales ability, noting that children are natural salespeople and that a simple, repeatable process can unlock performance. He stresses the need for strategic thinking over linear tactics, encouraging salespeople to treat a "no" as an opportunity for referrals or internal navigation. Brown advises leaders to experiment with at least six new revenue‑generation methods over the next year, prioritize initiatives that show a 30‑day ROI, and rigorously measure results. He recommends fellow leader Andy Miller of Big Swift Kick as a future guest. Brown shares a personal anecdote about his first job sweeping floors for his father's company at age three, linking early work ethic to his current approach. Listeners are directed to his website (businesssuccessfactors.com), LinkedIn profile, and his book (winwinsellingbook.com) plus a free checklist for self‑assessing sales and marketing health.
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This is Professor Pete Alexander with the Winning at Business and Life podcast, where business leaders share their insights. It is 6 questions in 7 minutes because successful business leaders are busy and rarely have more time to spare. So let's get to it. Question number 1: In a few sentences, please tell me who you are and what you do.
I'm Doug Brown, and I help companies raise their revenues and expand upon their profitability within their company.
Well, Doug, it's a pleasure to have you on the show. Question number 2: What is something that makes you smile and/or laugh about working in your industry?
Oh, there's so many things, Pete Alexander, but one thing that would be, um, is it never ceases to amaze me that most people don't think they can sell, right? It makes me laugh because people are by nature— I mean, we're— I mean, if you ever had children, they're the best salespeople in the world. So what ends up happening is they have some learned behavior over time that they think is causing them not to be able to sell. So once we put a process in for them to be able to follow, then magically people who are highly methodical, the ones who are a little bit shy, there's all different types of sales personalities. And that's—
it makes me laugh every time when somebody says, "I just can't sell." And you know, you made me laugh when you said the kids are the best salespeople because I have 3 and I totally, totally can appreciate that. It's a great point. Question number 3, I have a fictitious book with all the answers for business. What chapter would you think most companies should read?
Strategy versus tactics. I think if it's— strategy is what do we have for multiple outcomes for everything that we're trying to do in our companies? Because this is where a lot of people are linear. They miss the point of, you know, they make a sales call, for example, or, you know, let's just stay with that one. They make a sales call and the person says no. They go, okay, and they hang up. That's a linear call. But what if we had the intention of having, hey, if this person says no, we ask for referrals. What if this person says no, we look for another avenue within the company. You know, if this person says yes, okay, what are our 2 or 3 things that we want to have come out of that yes? And a lot of people do not think through strategically, and this is where they get myopically stuck. In their sales process, and they have blind spots. So, you know, my company comes in and finds those blind spots and opens them up, and all of a sudden their companies grow.
I love that. It's so important to realize that when, when, you know, somebody says no and then they, they don't realize that there is that other opportunity, like a referral. That's, you know, and just that alone can open the door to another bit of business. So that's very insightful. Thank you. Question number 4: Other than the generic work harder, have a great attitude, and care for customers, what advice or insight would you give to business leaders to grow their revenues?
Add 6 new ways of getting business over the next 12 months. Hmm. Right. So you don't have to do it every month, do it every other month. Just add 6 different ways. They're not all going to work out 100%, but, you know, we're on a podcast right now, right? I mean, it took me about 6 or 7 months before I first got my first call off a podcast. And, you know, I did probably 70 of them. But, you know, it was a couple hundred thousand dollars in coaching business quickly, right, off these calls. So that one would work for me, and I'd continue to keep doing these. The— however, there are certain things that you could just do that are, that are quick. I mean, and what I recommend is people, when they look at what they're going to implement, look at short-term, you know, what, what gives you an ROI within 30 days? Because if you can get one of those working then you can get another one working, then you can work on the longer ones like podcasting and things like that. But have 6 different things that you try, a minimum of 6 different things over the next 12 months. And don't forget to measure and grade those particular methods.
Very insightful. Yeah, and especially having to measure if they're working or not, because you could be doing those 6, and if they're not doing— moving the needle at all, how do you know whether or not you're gonna be able to make them work? So it's very, very, very powerful what you're saying there. And I think the audience is going to really appreciate that. So thank you. Question number 5: What other business leader like yourself would you like to acknowledge and invite to be on my podcast?
Andy Miller. Andy Miller from a company called Big Swift Kick. And Andy is— I can't say enough great things about him. I mean, he's a very intelligent person. He looks at things from a different perspective than most people do. Uh, he and I have worked together many, many years, um, and, you know, we're— I consider him a brother. My kids call him Uncle Andy. So, um, Andy Miller would be the guy that I think would be great for your audience.
Perfect. I look forward to talking to him, and thank you for that referral. Our final question, question number 6: please tell me about your first job.
My first job, I started at the age of 3, uh, sweeping floors for my father's company. And I'm still not sure if I did a really good job sweeping floors or not, but I did push the broom around and I know my shoulders and arms ached, you know, after a few days. But it was the best thing that I could ever probably experience at a young age because it got me exposed to a whole nother world of business that I would have never been exposed to. In turn, I've done the same with my children. You know, they were at their first tax seminar when they were 5 years old. They didn't understand a thing, but they were They were absorbing the information coming through. They're doing extremely well today, even in their young 20s. It was something my dad did. I don't know if he did it out of he needed labor or free labor. It was $0.25 a week. That's what I got paid. But I remember taking that quarter down to the penny candy store the first time, and all my friends were surrounding me, and we bought a bunch of candy and ate it and celebrated. That was my first job, and I worked with my dad for, oh, about 18 years of my life till I went into the military.
What a great story, and congratulations. After almost 270 episodes, um, you are by far and away the youngest, uh, age for taking your first job, and I love that you were pushing a broom at 3. I mean, talk about the work ethic. So it's an awesome story, and Doug, thank you so much for being on the show. How can people find you?
They could go to businesssuccessfactors.com. I just heard my Boston accent— factors. And they can find me on LinkedIn at Doug Brown 1234. Or if they want to get a copy of my book, they could go to winwinsellingbook.com, which is a book on unlocking the power of profitability by resolving objections. It's all on communication. And as a gift to your, your guests, if they want to go to businesssuccessfactors.com/checklist, uh, it, it will contain a checklist of questions that people can self-assess their business to see how they're doing with their sales and their marketing.
Well, thank you for that. Really appreciate that. And this is Professor Pete Alexander with the Winning at Business and Life podcast. Get hundreds of amazing business insights from previous guest episodes on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening.
