Power to Sell
Power to Sell is a student-led podcast focusing on mastering the underlying skills of persuasion, leadership, and sales. It's focused on how we transform these 'ordinary' human skills into the extraordinary and how we can differentiate ourselves based on how we sell versus the characteristics of what we sell.
Power to Sell
John Roberts - Power of Influence
Students kick off season seven of the Power to Sell podcast from Northwestern Mutual’s corporate headquarters in Milwaukee, sitting down with Chief Field Officer, John Roberts. Roberts, who is responsible for supporting the company’s 22,000 independent financial advisors and team members, explains why mastery of human influence is crucial for his leadership role.
Dive into a dynamic conversation covering the essential traits needed to thrive in modern business. Roberts reveals the key to earning trust is focusing on being "interested" in others, understanding what they need, rather than trying to be interesting yourself. As he must influence independent business owners rather than commanding employees, Roberts leans heavily on "tools of influence" and change management, recommending foundational texts like Robert Cialdini's Influence. Roberts also offers frank advice for students: don't be afraid of making a mistake, looking silly, or asking the wrong question. He shares a lesson from his CEO: if you didn't fall while skiing, "you didn't learn".