About Matt Pearson
So how does a mid-west boy become a sales coaching expert? Read on to learn about Matt Pearson.
Like most people, Matt is a product of his life experiences. He grew up with Midwest sensibilities in northern Minnesota. From selling a variety of products and owning businesses, Matt has learned lessons he relies on today.
The Value of Relationships
When he was 19, he sold a real estate guide in Chicago, and when it folded, he started one of his own. He learned to negotiate distribution deals all over the city and built his publication into the largest real estate guide in the MidWest.
Lesson Learned
It was here that he learned the value of business contacts, of meeting with customers face to face, and of investing time in relationships. Those relationships may not always pay off immediately. But they will always add value in the long run.
No Opportunity is too Small or Insignificant
Matt returned to his roots, selling advertising for the NBC television station in Duluth, MN. A small market, especially compared to Chicago. His sales team was tasked with selling advertising in the television coverage of a local parade.
Matt got in the car, drove the parade route, and talked to all the business owners. He closed 35 new clients that day. Even though each was small, they combined to a large total and impressed his station management.
Lesson Learned
Many of those 35 clients came back after the event was over and bought other products the station had to sell. While working in Duluth, Matt learned that no opportunities are too small because each has the potential to grow into something big.
The Customer’s Perspective Matters
By 2001, Matt was climbing the corporate ranks at the St. Petersburg Times. He became the manager of website sales when the digital space was just emerging as a force in advertising.
Matt dove deep into the space and learned everything he could about it. He coached his sales reps on what it was, how to sell it, and why it is important to the customer.
Lesson Learned
He went on thousands of sales calls and learned it’s not what you think about your product. It’s the customer’s perspective that matters the most. This fresh perspective meant listening to the customer. It also requires probing for a deeper understanding of their perspective.
When you know how the customer thinks, you can present solutions in a way that resonates with them.
Today
In 2022, Matt Pearson decided to open his own company, Matt Pearson Consulting. His years of coaching sales reps in the field can help all sales organizations. Best of all, his experiences and lessons learned can help all sales professionals grow and thrive.
For more information or to book Matt to coach your
sales team, just click on his contact page.
Learn how Matt is different from other sales coaches and why he’s successful.
Find out why the most effective sales coaching happens in the field.
Discover how Matt makes his coaching stick.
"Just Show Up"
It sounds simple, but this little mantra passed on to Matt many years ago by his Uncle Csaba, are words Matt lives by.
The way Matt sees it, “Just Show Up” means more than being physically in a space. Just Show Up requires three things:
Active Participation
As Matt describes it, “You just don’t stand in a conference room, in front of a screen or whiteboard, and try to coach salespeople. You jump in the car and make a sales call. You participate, actively observe, and advance the sale. And if the time is right, ask for the sale.”
Positive Attitude
Matt says, “A positive attitude is more than a rosy outlook. A positive attitude is being open to all possibilities, both good and bad. Recognize reality and take the next right step. Most importantly, a positive attitude will help you succeed where others fail.”
Can-do Spirit
Matt knows, “having a can-do spirit allows you to seek out alternative solutions to any problem. So many people give up at the first objection or the first brush with failure. But if your response to “no”, is “how about if we try this?” you’d be amazed how many doors will open.”