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As a person-of-the-world and budding entrepreneur, you’re probably already well aware that success is widely available to those who are willing to open their minds and learn from the influential people around them. When we become students of those who have gone before us, only then can we truly unlock our potential, our opportunity, and our own sphere of influence.
And with this article, that’s precisely what we intend to do. Here, we’re taking a deeper look at four very famous, very influential names in our modern sales world. These top four sales experts are renowned for their determination, innovation, and hard work. If you’re an entrepreneur who’s looking to climb to the top of your industry and is ready to learn from the best of the best, look no further than these four successful sales experts.
Grant Cardone
If you dabble—or plan to dabble—in the real estate industry as part of your entrepreneurial journey, then you’re likely already familiar with the name Grant Cardone.
Grant is, without question, the embodiment of the coined term real estate empire, and further, is a New York Times Best Selling Author for his books “If You’re Not First, You’re Last,” an internationally renowned speaker, and 2017 titleholder of Number One Sales Trainer in the World by Forbes.
Grant is also the author of seven sales and business books, the creator of an online sales training tool known as Cardone University, and is—at 60 years old—one of the most social media savvy CEOs on Instagram, collecting over 10,000,000 followers and fans.
In a commentary he wrote for CNBC in 2018, Grant advises that paying attention to the successful, goal-oriented people around you is an influential factor that can drive your own success.
“Study, watch, learn and emulate the moves and behaviors of wealthy, successful people,” Grant Cardone said in his commentary. “Read the books these people write and watch the videos they create. Read autobiographies and profiles written about them. Build an understanding of what they’ve done and what they haven’t done. Keep notes and keep track of what you want to implement for yourself. You might be inspired by something they did and convert it into something that aligns with what you are doing.”
Dan Lok
Dan Lok is best known for his ultimate success, being the founder and chairman of Closers.com—the #1 SaaS platform in the world for connecting companies to closers. Dan Lok is a man who understands success because he’s tasted the desperation of self-reliance. Naturally driven, this self-labeled Chinese Canadian businessman began his relentless hunt for success when he was just 16 years old, living with his single mother in a one-bedroom apartment in Canada. After 13 failed business ventures, mountains of piling debt, and becoming very acquainted with the feeling of being backed into a corner, Dan found a mentor.
Though Dan has credited dozens of factors for his success—his own determination, his drive, his ability to try again and again despite failure—it was this moment in his life, finding a mentor, that he ultimately sources as his initial success. In fact, he calls that year “the million-dollar year” of his life. That was the year he began running his own advertising firm, which snowballed into taking a deep-dive into the internet-marketing industry. He never looked back.
By 27, Dan was a self-made millionaire. Now, he’s sharing his knowledge and offering mentorship through his High-Ticket Closer Certification Program (a global movement of men and women from over 127 countries who help businesses close high-ticket offers). With millions of fans on his social media pages and YouTube channel, all which grow by the thousands every day, Dan Lok is, undoubtedly, an expert that modern-day entrepreneurs should learn from and emulate.
Ben Buckwalter
Global educator. Modern Sales Innovator. Sought-After Mentor.
Ben Buckwalter can be described by all of these titles, but he’s best known for his work helping global brands sell their products using his proprietary science-based selling system, NeuroSales™ which enables any company or individual—no matter their story or background—to create an abundance of success in sales and marketing without ever sacrificing ethics or integrity.
Ben is also the founder of multiple million-dollar companies and has won innumerable awards for his expertise and success within the sales world. The kicker? He’s only 26 years old and has no formal business education.
Ben’s humble career began shoveling dirt in the heat of the summer after dropping out of college. Now, years later, despite reaching million-dollar success, financial security, and the sales expert gig of his dreams, Ben never stops learning, working, and helping others succeed. There’s evidence of Ben’s studentship and culture of giving littered throughout his authored articles, his massive social media presence, and the numerous interviews he’s given.
Ben’s advice for being a successful entrepreneur? Use the tools in front of you to learn and cultivate. Life—your life, your experiences, your trials, and your errors—are what’s going to matter most in becoming what you want to be. “The best classroom is life and doing something,” Ben Buckwalter said. “No matter how much knowledge someone has, it can never replace being in the trenches. Never discredit your life experience. Your life is oftentimes the best teacher.”
Jordan Belfort
If you don’t recognize Jordan Belfort by his given name, we can bet that his infamous nickname will give him away—The Wolf of Wallstreet. Jordan Belfort is, well, exactly as his nickname portrays him—tough, ruthless, cunning, and truly extraordinary.
If you’ve not seen Hollywood’s interpretation of Belfort’s trials, tribulations, and skyrocketing successes, we’ll give you some spoilers: In the 1990s, Belfort built a truly dynamic and successful sales organization on Wall Street, earning him over $50 million yearly and his nickname, too. On this journey, Jordan Belfort suffered a very public, very dramatic fall from grace—losing money, respect, and his reputation. But now, Jordan’s back and better than ever, and through his proprietary Straight Line Persuasion System, he’s helping individuals use their natural talents to achieve selling success and find their unique sales voice.
For Jordan, selling is an integral part of everyday life, in fact, he believes “you’re either selling or you’re failing.” However, the biggest lesson we can learn from Jordan is that actions are everything when it comes to success—in life, in your personal relationships, and in business, too. “Without action,” Jordan Belfort writes on his own website,” the best intentions in the world are nothing more than that: intentions.”
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