Businesses of all types will typically use door-to-door sales or cold calling as a lead-in to provide services and sell a wide range of products. Popular in Australia, this practice is often regarded as a way to generate leads and promote one’s business in the process.
Joe Wanner, who coaches high-performing entrepreneurs and sales professionals, understands that developing an initial connection with a customer is important. His mission to turn what he describes as “sales athletes” into business professionals has helped him redefine the way he and others do door-to-door sales and cold calling.
From sports internship to high-pressure sales
Originally from Portland, Oregon, Wanner began his journey as a student-athlete before he attended Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After being selected for a prestigious internship with the men’s basketball team, he left the world of athletics at the age of 19 and entered the high-pressure world of sales.
Over the course of his 14-year career, Wanner would eventually become known as the “King of Cold Calling,” a practice in which he would generate over 100,000 calls, knock on 1,000 BsB doors, and approach more than 3,000 prospects in person.
Wanner’s approach, which emphasizes the use of emotional intelligence as well as deep questioning, allows him to place prospects in specific moments in time. He then uses curiosity to dig deeper and to emotionally connect to not just build trust, but challenge the beliefs of the people he speaks with.
Turning curiosity into coaching
Wanner’s belief in promoting a skills-based approach to sales involves utilizing a model he learned from sales expert, Jeremy Miner, called “ABD,” otherwise known as “Always Be Disarming.” This contrasts with the outdated “Always Be Closing” (ABC) model, which he believes reflects a broader change in sales, especially in a post-pandemic world, where trust is at an all-time low.
The coach has not always been at the top of his game, though. During his initial foray into the world of sales, Wanner had to deal with coaches who he felt never truly took the time to understand his life and perspectives. This lack of support led him to be the coach and mentor for others that he never had for himself.
“Significance in life isn’t about what happens to you, it’s what happens through you,” Wanner often says. Rather, it is about what happens through your life that allows you to become the person you want to be, while achieving what you believe are your worthwhile goals. This would become a crucial part of his business goals, especially in 2023, when Wanner would be offered a high-paying leadership role, which would unfortunately dissolve overnight. This would drive him to rebuild not only his confidence, but his business as well.
Peak performance prospecting
Through his time as a salesman, Wanner has developed a well-regarded sales training system. Peak Performance Prospecting is designed not only to transform sales burnout into sustainable, high-performance systems but also to give people looking to enter the business the tools they need to succeed.
Wanner believes that the future of sales lies in showing clients where “the puck is going,” and in solving problems they haven’t yet anticipated. By doing this, salespeople can not only develop the expertise they need but also build a future in the process.
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