How to Connect with your Buyers for Sales Success with Bruce Scheer and Ginger Johnson

Bruce Scheer: Welcome to the ValuePros Show where value pros get value ready. Hi. My name is Bruce Scheer, the host of the ValuePros Show. In this episode, we are talking with Ginger Johnson, a high energy keynote speaker, author, and expert in human connection. Ginger has spent years helping leaders and teams cultivate genuine connections that drive trust, collaboration, and business success. She's the author of connectivity canon and a sought after speaker for organizations looking to create meaningful cultures of belonging. So today, we're diving into a topic that's absolutely critical for sales success. How to connect with buyers. Research shows that 59% of the influence on a b to b buying decision comes from the experience buyers have, not just the product or service itself. That's why mastering connection is absolutely essential. Ginger will break down what true connectivity means, what it isn't, and how to build real trust in your sales relationships. Now let's jump in. Well, Ginger, I'm so excited to have you on the show today, the ValuePro Show. Thanks for being here. And I'm excited about this topic, how to connect with buyers for sales success. And, Ginger, you know, we had done this major study. We did a huge degree of secondary research looking at all the recent b to b buying studies out there, and we wanted to push into the b to b buying experience. Because it's it's right now, it's 59% of the influence on the buying decision, the b to b buying decision, actually comes from the buying experience. Only 41% of the influence on a b to b buying decision comes from the offering itself. So you've got to nail the experience, and and most enterprise sellers and seasoned sellers, they know they matter. They're the ones that get the deals done at the end of the day, I with with everybody behind them supporting them, of course. But Right. Driving for a better b to b buying experience is just critical. So your your topic on how to connect with your buyers for sales success is so critical. It's part of, the 3 key pillars under gaining trust. Trust and transparency, educational value, and then emotional connection. If you don't nail that, you're not gonna get the subsequent buying conversations or they're gonna lead, it'll be a road to nowhere. No nobody's buying anything. You know, you really need trust to establish that basis in order to proceed and have all those wonderful, subsequent selling conversations, get on all the buyers on the bus so that that buyer can buy. And that's where your topic just really nails it. So you sent me the book. Absolutely loved it, the connectivity Canon. It's been one of my best friends. I've got it right here in my hand. It's nice. It's small. It's practical. Ginger even sends you a pencil with it so you can start marking the heck practical. Ginger even sends you a pencil with it so you can start marking the heck out of it. It's one of the best book packaging, I've ever seen. I I really loved it, Ginger. Super well done. But even more importantly, the content within, it'll move your heart and your mind and allow you to start making better connections in your world. So, Ginger, you know, based on that setup, I'd like to kick it over to you just to, give us some context on what is connectivity. Just your definition of that, just to level set with us.

Ginger Johnson: Absolutely. Connectivity is human to human contact, Bruce. It is knowing why you wanna connect with somebody on purpose and with purpose. So sales, buyer, offering, whatever it is, looking at who you wanna be in the world, you wanna focus on the human to human. I call it h to h, Bruce. It's the human to human connection. That's That's what it is. It it feels good. It it is positive energy. It is the get to want to of the connector's mindset that I teach to a lot.

Bruce Scheer: Okay. Awesome. So great definition. Love it. And then to let's talk about what connectivity isn't.

Ginger Johnson: Bruce. Bruce, Bruce, Bruce, my friend. I know we've both been in the room, and I'm sure you find listener have been in the room too, where you've gotten a card shove or a phone shove, like, let's do this and it and it feels forced, it feels fake, it feels phony. That is not connectivity. That is not human to human. That's a numbers game. Now I know we're talking sales and sales absolutely relates to numbers and has everything to do with numbers in it. But what we wanna do is we wanna get rid of the the have tos and the shoulds. It's kinda like a doctor Seuss book. We want the get tos, want tos instead of the have tos, shoulds. So it's never fake, forced, phony. It's very genuine. Like, one of the things I have shared with you before, Bruce, that I really like about you is your your ebullience, your buoyancy. That's what connectivity should feel like. It should never feel like a chore or a drag. And so connectivity isn't exactly the opposite of what connectivity is.

Bruce Scheer: I I love it. No. You you you conjured up in my mind. Have you ever been to a networking event and somebody's shaking your hand, but they're actually looking past you as they're shaking?

Ginger Johnson: Oh, it's so rude. Like, there's somebody better back there. Yeah. Yeah.

Bruce Scheer: No. That's not what connectivity is. I I absolutely not.

Ginger Johnson: You're gonna do it.

Bruce Scheer: Yeah. Yeah.

Ginger Johnson: Oh my gosh. True.

Bruce Scheer: Makes me laugh. Yeah. When you talked about the numbers game, etcetera, and speed networking and and trying to work the room and all that stuff. Yeah. Very very often, you can end up not not fostering that sense of connection. So so thanks for a hot yeah.

Ginger Johnson: Go ahead. One of one of the key points that you just brought into the room on this too, Bruce, is that networking is very different than connecting. So I want you to be really, really clear. The connecting is the human part. The the networking think of network as a noun. It's a structure, and the connecting is the human interaction. It's the verb.

Bruce Scheer: Oh, cool. Okay. Got it. Love it. Well, let's get into the big why. You've got a a a lovely section in the book on this that that really lays this out, and and, how I was perceiving that really helps people get into the mindset. But please, Ginger, tell us, you know, why connectivity?

Ginger Johnson: Absolutely. Thanks, Bruce. When I decided to put the connectivity shingle out into the world into this wild, wild world, I really wanted to get clear on my own reasoning why. Like, what is my purpose? What is the big deal that I want my life to be? Does it change over your life? Sure. It does. So your connectivity will evolve. You will grow. You will change. I mean, they're the same thing. There's transformation. All of those are the same thing. So why do we wanna focus on human connectivity? Because number 1, when we know ourselves best, then we can get to number 2, which is to get to know other people better. And then number 3, it goes out to the community. The way I teach this often, Bruce, is a self team community, the ripple. We throw that pebble in or that boulder in. Once we're really solid in in what we really wanna be in this world, not necessarily what we wanna do, but who we wanna be, then the what we wanna do, boy, there's more ease, there's more enthusiasm, your your body feels better, your brain's all clicking up and firing off, and and people are magnetized by that kind of charisma, to use one of your words. When people are really solid in who they are, their connectivity is really strong. They are they are who they are. Now I'm not talking about arrogance or anything that is kind of not helpful. I'm talking about this core feeling of, god dang it, life is great, and there's a lot of possibilities. This is who I wanna be, and then what will I do?

Bruce Scheer: I love it. What are some of the attributes, some of the words that you'd use to describe that? And confidence came to mind to me just now.

Ginger Johnson: Yes. Absolutely. Confidence is huge. And for the record, it's not somebody else's to give you. You've got it. You get to exercise confidence. It's a skill that comes from having the courage to get into something, Bruce. We need to know that we are capable in our own unique way to do the thing that we say we wanna do. So when we do, it's a double helix. Right? We start doing it, and it starts swirling, and our confidence starts increasing, and we think, oh my gosh. And one thing leads to another, but it's not all of a sudden or an overnight. It's because we have diligently said this is who I wanna be and therefore, this is how I'm gonna build. In the connectivity canon, I have the framework, the elements of connectivity. I that came to being because I had friends who said, Ginger, you can walk into a room and talk to anybody, or Ginger, you know everybody when you walk in a room. I mean, my first reaction was just like, I'm glad it looks that way. But my second reaction was, oh, that's interesting. What do people want from that statement? So that framework is literally a very simple ladder of how do I connect so that I wanna be the person I wanna be fully? How do I connect so that other people are drawn to me? You talk about sales. Sales, sales loves marketing because if we do both of them right, Bruce, it's a magnet. People realize that you have something that fulfills a need, not just a want. And it doesn't matter if it's a huge solution or a tiny solution. They're all solutions. And connectivity, just like in the electronic and fiber world, that is the conduit that helps us then keep going and keep growing.

Bruce Scheer: Awesome. Awesome. Any other single words? Confidence? I was thinking of curiosity, you know, as well.

Ginger Johnson: Yes. Confidence, curiosity, courage is a goodie. Mindset is really, really powerful as you and I both know. There is a willingness, in the connector's mindset, which is positive, objective, and willing. There's 3 great words for you. When we line those up and stack them together, then we have an unstoppability to ourselves. If we frame ourselves in the positive, what's possible, what's good, then we go into objectivity. We suspend judgment because I don't think anybody thinks we need more judgment. We suspend judgment, then the possibilities really start to flourish. And then the willingness, just like a CEO, just like an HR director, just like a sales director wants somebody who is willing to say, oh, that's that's how we're gonna do it. Okay. Let's get in there and do it. That willingness, Bruce, is very, very powerful because what we do is we we drop any ego, and we say, alright. Here I am. Let's see what we can make happen together.

Bruce Scheer: Cool. Cool. Okay. Alright. Is that what we wanted to say about the the the big why behind this? Anything else, Ginger, before we move on to some practicals on this?

Ginger Johnson: I would I would encourage people to really really focus on the personal residence resonance. Excuse me. Yeah. I'd encourage people to really focus on personal resonance because connectivity guides everything. And when we know what our why is, then everything moves differently. It's usually better because we understand what we're doing this world based on who we wanna be based on our own connection and therefore connection with other people. So it's pretty straightforward. You gotta listen to yourself. And the best teams, the best sales teams especially, have a cohesion of purpose. There is a there's a mitochondria, if you will, in the middle of that that unites us all.

Bruce Scheer: I love it. I love it. It it reminds me of me talking with my son when he was on the job hunt. You know, I I was telling him, son, the universe will provide. Absolutely. Problem is the universe doesn't know what you want. Right. I could do that. You know, what what what what's your why? You know? And if you can articulate that and exude that, hey, man. It is it is like a magnet. You know? The, you know, the universe will provide. People will provide. You know? It just happens.

Ginger Johnson: You're so true, and you're so right, Bruce. One thing I would, encourage people who are listening also is that, like, well, that feels really big and it feels really intimate. Yes and yes. So you know what? You don't have to share the really personal version with other people. You can share what version feels best for you. Like, I know what my vision is. It's not on my website. It's not any of my materials. It is to connect the world. That is how I feel about my work. That's my why. And then my execution, my implementation is everything else that everybody sees.

Bruce Scheer: Yeah. My why. I I do articulate that. I think it's on my LinkedIn profile, on our website, etcetera. I I boy, I coined it with a a couple of guys, and a a gentleman named A. Lee Judge actually helped me and, you know, just answering the question, what's your why? And mine is to inspire others to inspire others, and and and it's always kind of, in the back of my mind, a filter of why I'm doing what I'm doing. Yeah. Why am I you know, we met through the National Speakers Association. Why am I volunteering for 5 years now, Ginger, on the board, etcetera. But, you know, my my my why is to inspire others to inspire others. Hence, even the ValuePro Show that we're on today. I'm hoping

Ginger Johnson: Right.

Bruce Scheer: People will get this message about how to connect with others, you know, to improve your sales performance. And, that that delights me. That inspires others to inspire others. Yeah.

Ginger Johnson: Yes. Yes.

Bruce Scheer: Cool. Cool. Well, let's turn the corner then. And, Ginger, if you could just talk to us about the how to connect, just ideas there and some, you know, strategically, practically. Anything you've got to offer.

Ginger Johnson: Absolutely. Absolutely. The how to connect really is going to get robust, be what you want it to be if you focus first on the connector's mindset. That's that positive objective and willing. If you're willing to live in that space, that's gonna be your launch pad. That's your fuel. Once you are thinking in that way, because I know you and I were talking about mindset before and we've talked about it in previous conversations. You know, sales can feel like the wrong profession if we're not focused on our why, if we're not focused on truly connecting with people. Because the the widget, the thing, the solution, that's that's the academic part. Yes. It's part of it, but let's make sure we know how to connect. So in this day and age when we're recording this and frankly forevermore, some of the keys to connecting is number 1, make the first move. How to connect? Make the first move. This is waving at your neighbor. This is waving to other people in cars, on the street. This is giving somebody a greet. This is very common civility, Bruce. We will build more common ground when we remind ourselves that it is age to age. It's human to human to one person at a time. Pants go on the same way. Nobody is better than another person. So starting with that connectors mindset and then making the first mood, being willing. My fine husband, who I adore, and I moved to a new town, great Missoula, Montana, little over 3 years ago. And it's been really interesting, Bruce, to be the new kid in the neighborhood again. It's been a huge refresher of, like, what does it take to actually connect? Now, like you, I'm pretty outgoing. Some of that's a practice. Some of that is who I have chosen to become. All the same, you're gonna feel some things once in a while. First time I volunteered, I'm like, oh, okay. This is what it feels like to be new again. It taking that first move, making that step, opening the door, exercising courtesy, asking simple questions that get somebody else talking. Those are some of the best and simple and classic how to's for connect. Another really important piece is to think about the different whys in the road that we get to. This is in my framework in the connectivity canon and and it's to part of what I teach to with leaders and teams and from keynote stages. There's a why in the road. It's a choice point as I call it, Bruce. We can either stay or we can go. Notice I didn't say stop or go. We can stay and keep going, which the next step is pursue your path. What do you want that to be? Make that happen. Maybe there's another why, probably is. Or you can go. This isn't the right thing for me. This isn't the right buyer. This isn't the right moment. I need a different solution. Whatever that might be, as long as, like, you teach to the pillars are intact. Like, trust trust is huge in connection. Mhmm. People can smell untrustworthiness a mile away. We we know what it feels like. We know what it looks like. So making the first move, being willing to say that I'm at a choice point. That's not a judgment point, Bruce. That's a point where we say, is this where I'm going to continue or is this where I'm going to turn? And so I really think that that's an important piece. I love sales, and I'm not saying that to pander to anybody listening to this. I love sales because sales is symptomatic of service. When we help somebody seek and find, when we inspire people to inspire people, that's the sale. That's the success. That's symptomatic of us being a good human, of us wanting to connect, of us connecting in an authentic way. So those are some of the bigger pieces. We pursue our path and the absolute key, the absolute key to any success, especially in sales, especially in connection is what I call FOFT. Follow-up, follow through. It's in the book, of course. It's something that I teach too. You wanna step ahead. You want to be world class. You wanna be category of 1. You want your customers to be like, your only person I'm going to is Bruce. I only need Bruce. He's got it all. I trust him. Like, everything is intact. Follow-up and follow through. They are different pieces. The follow-up is the immediate action upon the connection, the contact. What am I gonna do now that we've had a phone call? What am I gonna do now that we're back from the conference? What am I gonna do now that the first order has been placed? What am I gonna do now that we met at the coffee shop? And then the follow through is the care and nurturing. It's really the long term picture. And, Bruce, you and I both know that that's truly the key to a successful sales career.

Bruce Scheer: Mhmm.

Ginger Johnson: If you are as good as your reputation, you have followed up and followed through as a part of your DNA. As a part of who you are as a person, it's it's enormously connective. It's like our fascia in our body. If we don't follow-up and follow through, we're gonna get stiff, we're gonna get creaky. People, we're not gonna be able to go dancing. We can all all the things we wanna do. So we've gotta keep that limber. It sets us apart, and I can tell you that it's a hallmark for how I do business. The follow-up and follow through is nonnegotiable. I want people to know that they are seen, valued, and heard. That is an enormous part of human connection to help people know they're not just an order. They're they're not just a an email. They are a human, and we must remember that if we want to even start thinking about how do we connect.

Bruce Scheer: Absolutely. Oh, I I I loved a lot of the distinctions you've made. Ginger, you'll you'll find this interesting. Mark Hunter, the sales hunter, was on the show as well, and, he gave me a distinction that I I can't unhear. And it's sale sales is not something you do to someone. Sales is something you do for someone.

Ginger Johnson: Mhmm.

Bruce Scheer: And that distinction is all about, you know, like you said, sales is is is an extension of service at the end of the day. That that's what you're doing. And to serve, you need to get everything in motion. You, them, everybody behind them, etcetera. As part of that service, you need to get everything moving. And I I love the follow-up and follow through paradigm around that. Just a, hey. We're gonna go on a journey together, a buying journey. And and at the end of that day, we're all gonna win, but we need to get going. And and real really moving through the critical stages of that journey and and having a valuable experience at every critical touch point. And that's where I started off with the, you know, the the b to b buying index. Those are the touch points that you really need to nail in order to build that trust and and that momentum to to, you know, consummate a a deal and help that customer serve that customer by, allowing them to achieve the value that's expected.

Ginger Johnson: Absolutely. Absolutely, Bruce. And and here's a here's a little side note. If you have ever connected with somebody and your intentions were good, there was the fit was right, and you've forgotten about them. Maybe it was in the days of business cards. You still get business cards. You stash them in the the drawer and forget about it. You come across it. You come across that email that got buried. You come across and, like, oh, no. I totally forgot to follow-up with Bruce. Here's the thing. Be kind to yourself and still follow-up. We have all done this. I have people who I've heard from, like, 3 or 4 or 5 years ago. I just went to dinner the other night on one of my trips with somebody I met, oh, gosh, I'm gonna say 8 years ago. She sent me a connection request on LinkedIn, like, Ginger, I don't know if you remember me and blahdy blahdy blah. I'm like, Erica, of course I remember you. We were at Chamber

Bruce Scheer: of

Ginger Johnson: Commerce together. Like, you were such a daymaker, Bruce. So don't beat yourself up because we all drop small balls once in a while. The key then, especially in sales, is to pick it up and acknowledge, Erica, I'm so sorry. I this got berry. I don't have a good excuse. Can we reinvigorate? Being humble has everything to do with being effective in sales and being a really strong, authentic connector.

Bruce Scheer: Absolutely. Hey. Have you, ever heard that story that or, the quote? I was trying to, tie this back, and I think it was, Theodore Roosevelt, believe it or not, is is comes up most often as the person attributed to this quote. But people people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Ginger Johnson: Mhmm. Remember that? Mhmm. Yes.

Bruce Scheer: And, that that is so powerful. Like you're saying, you know, kinda picking up that ball again and reconnecting.

Ginger Johnson: Yes.

Bruce Scheer: That is showing that you care. And, also, for me, you know, being self serving, very often I'm curious. Hey. Time's gone by. What's going on in their life today? You know? What what's what's new for better or for worse? But, you know, just just checking in and and, reconnecting, seeing what we can do for each other in in, you know, at at a new time, new place.

Ginger Johnson: Absolutely, Bruce. The epidemic of loneliness and disconnect was documented well before the pandemic. We're going through a different stage right now in our world. I mean, we always are. That could be a truism no matter. But I what I'm seeing is a boomerang. And this example, like, we're just talking about, Bruce, is part of the boomerang. We've reached a certain breaking point. And just like bone, bone then heals and it can be even stronger if we own up to our humanness because everybody has and also is if you're a sales leader especially, and you've got other people looking to you, that is behavior. That is leadership behavior because you're trying to be a good human. You you don't have to apologize for dropping something. You simply say, nuts. Let's start this again. And there are so many good, kind, gracious ways to engage and to reengage. So that that grace and like, I teach grace and space. Like, start with yourself, give yourself some grace and space, give other people grace and space because you wanna build a world class sales team. You wanna have a world class sales team. You wanna be on 1, then continue to perpetuate that feeling of we're all truly in this together, and we are better together when we're focused on the power of human connection.

Bruce Scheer: I am telling you. Yeah. You you've just conjured up an old story for me. Really, really good friend of mine, former head of Disney consumer products for Asia Pacific, and, we we had both founded a a a the same organization, funny enough, a not for profit. I refounded it after him, but we became quite bonded. But during the Asian crisis, that was, in the, late nineties, he had to lay off a whole bunch of people. Oh. And he had his executive assistant create a spreadsheet so they could track what was happening with those people after they were laid off so he could stay connected with them. Yep. And, and, you know, his heart was just going out to them big time.

Ginger Johnson: That's You

Bruce Scheer: know, had to make a hard business decision, but also wanted to help his people be successful and and actually tracked and for that. Yes. Thanks for helping me remember that story. Powerful.

Ginger Johnson: Yes. When we don't do that too, like your friend did, Bruce, that's where a lot of not just malaise. That's where a lot of our mental well-being can really spiral. There were several industries as we know. I worked a lot I worked a lot with the events and, exhibitions industry too. 80% furlough and layoff. Brutal. And as long as we stay connected, like, you call me and Ginger. Wow. I see that your facility shut down. I'm here. You wanna talk about anything? Is there anything you know, can I can I bring you some cookies? Can I decide I'm thinking about you? That is incredibly powerful, and and so simple, and we're all capable of doing that.

Bruce Scheer: That is human. As you say, human to human, big time.

Ginger Johnson: Yes, sir.

Bruce Scheer: Well, hey, Ginger. We should probably round the the corner here. And, are are there any other thoughts that you might have just in conclusion for for this, brief interaction that we've had? Of course, we'll ask everybody to connect with you. But any other kinda closing thoughts you have that you'd like to leave us with?

Ginger Johnson: Yeah. I'll I'll leave you with a a goodie that's pretty evergreen and especially impression right now. Think about how connection builds common ground. We think we are this far apart when in actuality, we're this far apart. We share the same values. We all have different versions of those values. So whether you're in sales or you're the seller, the buyer, whatever, manufacturing, wherever you're at in the ecosystem, keep in mind that when we think we have a disagreement, we actually are simply trying to find the common ground. So focusing on the values, have the small talk. You can't have the big talk without small talk, friends. And so make sure that you get better at having conversations that can build rapport. Rapport builds trust. Trust, we know where that goes. But, you know, your pillows really illustrate that well, Bruce. So think about the common ground, how we will always have more alike than we have differences, and we will pull back together. We will do some really big work, you know, healing nations, communities, cities, relationships, and we will be able to thrive more. We will be able to have better businesses because we're focused on the fact that we have so much in common, and we're all trying to be our best person.

Bruce Scheer: Yep. Yep. Thank you. Lovely summary. I I would just say, and it this all starts with connection. It it's just such a critical thing. And very often, I'd argue it was a blind spot, that, you know, you know, it re really begins here. So, Ginger, thanks a lot. I wanna encourage everybody here. Certainly, pick up the fantastic book I'm holding in my hand. It's wonderful connectivity canon. And then, connect with Ginger. I've got her beautiful LinkedIn profile here for people watching this, but you'll just, you know, your LinkedIn for us, Ginger, is, let me just see here. Ginger Johns, Johnson connector is is what you can type in to find Yep. Ginger on LinkedIn. And then if you go to Ginger's website, gingerjohnsondot com, Ginger, you were telling me there's a newsletter they can become part of.

Ginger Johnson: Absolutely. And that comes out on the regular, and I give all kinds of insights. I base it on my own research, on my experiences, on what people share with me. I share other resources as well. So it's a it's a goodie. It's not a flood. It's a fuel.

Bruce Scheer: Awesome. Awesome. Well, hey, this has been a really fun episode with you and, just really appreciate the time and you sharing with the audience today, Ginger. Thank you so much.

Ginger Johnson: Absolutely, Bruce. It's always good to share time together. Thanks so much. We'll see you soon.

Bruce Scheer: You bet. Wow. What an insightful conversation with Ginger Johnson. A few key takeaways really stood out. 1st, true connectivity is about human to human connection. It's not about pushing for a transaction, but creating an authentic bond. 2nd, the power of trust and emotional connection in sales cannot be overstated. Buyers need to feel seen, valued, and heard before they'll engage in meaningful conversations. And finally, follow-up and follow through are the hallmarks of a great connector. Staying engaged and showing you care over time makes all the difference. One of the things I personally loved about this discussion was Ginger's emphasis on the connector's mindset, being positive, objective, and willing. It's such a powerful framework for building relationships in both business and life. If you enjoyed this episode, please like and subscribe to the ValuePro Show. And if you're feeling kind, leave a review so others can find and enjoy it too. See you next time.