Episode 8 - Nic Hanzelik

Nic Hanzelik is a strategic sales and marketing leader, business coach, and startup junkie. Currently, he is the Global Sales Manager for Funovation, an attractions and technology company.

In this episode, Nic explains how he got into sales. After college, he had no clue what he wanted to do. So, Nic took a job as a Sales Consultant at Mountain States Toyota. Unfortunately, Nic wasn’t the biggest fan of car sales; no customer loves talking to a car salesperson. The interactions at work were less than ideal. Then, Nic took a job at a nonprofit instead. Eventually, Nic landed a job at Trada and later scored his current gig at Funovation.

Nic describes the difference between working for a bootstrap startup vs. a venture back startup. First, Nic says it depends where the product is in its life cycle and the industry. The product cycle of what you are selling will be the most significant component of how you need to sell it.

Then, Nic explains the importance of relationships. People are social beings, and it feels good to help others. With a sales mentality, people need to get past the whole “yes” or “no” scenario. If you caught up in that kind of situation, you have lost the battle to begin with. Instead, you should be thinking, is what I’m doing going to help the person I’m talking with? If the answer is no, then don’t waste your time.

Nic reveals the qualities of top performers in salespeople:

-      Enjoys people

-      Personable

-      Relates well with others

-      Empathic

-      Solutions-oriented

Plus, Nic describes strategies on how to get motivated for selling. Every interaction Nic has leads to a smile. If Nic is unmotivated, it only takes him a few seconds to realize that he will be creating smiles in the community. Then, he is ready to get in there and sell more for Funovation.

Later, Nic reveals his morning routine:

-      Checking on his computer

-      Phone calls

-      Emails

-      Catching up with industry news

-      Calendar

 Stay tuned as Nic explains how to bounce back after a challenging day, quarter, or year. Plus, Nic answers the rapid-fire questions!        

In this Episode: 

• [ 3:10 ] How Nic got into sales
• [ 6:15 ] About Funovation
• [ 8:30 ] Bootstrap vs. venture back startup environment
• [ 14:15 ] Qualities of a top performer
• [ 17:50 ] How to get motivated to sell
• [ 21:50 ] How to break into an industry
• [ 24:35 ] About Nic’s routines for success
• [ 29:20 ] How to bounce back after a challenging day
• [ 31:30 ] Rapid-fire questions

Quotes: 

• “Is what I’m doing going to help the person that I’m speaking with. If the answer is no, then don’t waste your time beating a dead horse.”
• “How can I best utilize my time to help others?”
• “Those who continue to crush it, continue to be personable and innovative with how they can help people.”
• “It’s easy to stay motivated when I change my perspective.”
• “I’m always trying to break the glass ceiling.”
• “Success means that I acted with integrity.”

Links Mentioned: 

Nic’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nhanzelik/

Funovation: https://funovation.com

How Can I Help?: https://rb.gy/1fi01o