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6 Social Selling Lessons From Arnold Schwarzenegger

Daniel Ku
Daniel Ku

Arnold Schwarzenegger has done many things the ordinary man can only dream of. He’s been a 7-time Mr. Olympia, one of Hollywood’s highest paid actors, the Governor of California and the list goes on. You start to question yourself, “what can he not do?” Throw him in sales and you’d most likely see him thrive in Social Selling, not because of his name but because of his unique mindset and traits.

So what can Arnold Schwarzenegger teach us about Social Selling? Read on to find out.

1. Having A Vision

“The mind is the limit. As long as the mind can envision the fact that you can do something, you can do it, as long as you really believe 100 percent.”

You don’t become the youngest Mr. Olympia (at aged 23) without starting with the goal in mind. Arnold knew what it took to achieve success, he envisioned how his physique would look and how he would attain that goal. He knew his biceps needed to be a certain size so he worked hard to go beyond it.

No matter what you define as success, whether it’s generating more revenue or crushing quota, you must first determine what your goal is and plan how you will achieve it. Without a proper plan, you’ll inconsistently stumble without purpose. To properly create a vision, you’ll need the right mindset.

2. Mindset Shift

“Bodybuilding is much like any other sport. To be successful, you must dedicate yourself 100% to your training, diet and mental approach.”

Putting just 50% work in the gym and 50% eating potato chips on the couch was not the key to Arnold’s success. He knew he had to dedicate his time to the right process to guarantee the results he wanted. There’s no voodoo or magic here, it’s simply staying dedicated to a prescriptive process to success.

Similarly, start with a Social Selling routine, you need to shift your mindset from just sometimes doing inconsistent social activity to 100% dedication. Without the proper mindset shift, you’re bound to fail.

3. Helping Others

“Help others and give something back. I guarantee you will discover that while public service improves the lives and the world around you, its greatest reward is the enrichment and new meaning it will bring your own life.”

Arnold knew the value of helping people, you may agree or disagree with this political stance however you can respect his philosophy of helping people. As someone who has accomplished almost every feat in bodybuilding, he was always open to helping others. From giving solid advice to just minor tips and tricks, he always goes above and beyond to help those that he can.

Are you helping your buyers? Go above and beyond to not sell to your buyers but to educate them. Standout from the noise and resonate your buyers by offering great resources such as guides, ebooks or blogs that focus on helping them attain success. Help your buyers resolve their pain points and find the right solution for them.

4. Starting Conversations

“I just use my muscles as a conversation piece, like someone walking a cheetah down 42nd Street.”

As funny as that quote may sound, if you dig deep enough, you’ll find a golden morsel of advice – start conversations uniquely. Arnold started conversations off of what he was passionate about and what he truly believed in. This was why Arnold is Arnold, he’s just unique.

Ever get a generic LinkedIn Connection request or InMail with zero context or thought put into it? As you’re connecting with buyers on social, you want to personalize the experience by offering context to relationship. Connect with a purpose and show who you are and what value you bring to your buyers.

5. Getting The Right Support

“It was important for me to be with Franco during a time when I wanted to adhere to a grueling workout schedule.”

Arnold couldn’t have climbed his way to the top without his good friend Franco who was also his training partner. He understand the necessity of having a great support system, which is why he also trained with several other people throughout the years. Arguable the greatest bodybuilder of all-time needed support to become successful. So in your road to Social Selling success, are you getting the right support?

Just like a workout program, your Social Selling strategy needs to include support and coaching to be successful. It’ll take time and effort to adopt a new process however support (e.g. from your manager, a mentor, or a trainer) can make the difference between a successful process versus a lagging one. It’s critical to schedule follow-up meetings and to keep everyone accountable.

6. Maintain Relationships

“I’ll Be Back.”

Sure you most likely aren’t a cybernetic robot disguised as a human being sent back in time to cause destruction (hopefully) but you know Arnold’s famous words prove to be another great tip for Social Selling.

Let’s take this quote and put it into a Social Selling context. In order to build and maintain a relationship with your buyers, you have to consistently educate, service and provide value to them. Share content consistently and come back to maintain your relationship instead of leaving your buyers wondering where you are. Let them know, you’ll be back.

Let your Buyers know that You Will Back

Arnold Schwarzenegger has proven to be a great reference for social sellers without ever stepping into the sales space. He’s a living proof that with the right mindset, vision and the hard work to follow, you can pump pipeline and terminate quota. Luckily, action flicks are his forte but you can take these 6 lessons from Arnold as an inspiration to your Social Selling success. Until the next blog, hasta la vista, baby.

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