I’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart! I began my professional life in sales (which is as close to entrepreneurial as you can get in a J-O-B) as a rep for USA TODAY, working with luminaries like Cathie Black (president of Hearst Magazines), Tom Curley (CEO of the Associated Press) and Jacki Kelley (of Martha Stewart Living and now Universal McCann), then spent 10 years as a top investment advisor for an investment firm.
Along the way, I broke sales record after sales record, winning trips all over the US and the world. My secret? Keeping my pipeline FULL of eager, qualified prospective clients and buyers.
I learned early on about the importance of self-marketing and have always made it my #1 priority. I sometimes joke that I am a “lazy” high achiever – success is simple when you work smarter, not harder! I put together systems to make marketing easy and for the most part, it was easy. But all of that was about to change…
In 2005, I made the move of a lifetime, from Texas to South Africa to live. I’d gone on a trip to help plant gardens in the Rural areas and loved it. I began my career in South Africa as an independent Real Estate agent with one of the most prestigious firms in South Africa.
At first I was excited, but then reality started to settle in. I was in a new country. I’d left my entire life (and all of my possessions) at home. I didn’t know anyone at all, besides the people in the office and a few friends. I was away from my family and friends, with no network of business people to connect with. (And did I mention the language barrier?)
Result: I couldn’t sell a thing. I try every marketing angle I can think of (including putting my picture and phone number on trash cans in high traffic areas – there’s a story for you!) but nothing worked.
As a top sales professional, “not selling” is NOT fun. As an independent contractor for my firm, I was essentially in business for myself: No sales meant no income; period, end of story. I slipped intoa spiral of negative thinking, which quickly gave way to a deep depression.
Henry Ford says, “Think you can, think you can’t… either way, you’re right.” If there’s one thing I learned from that experience, it’s that our mindset is THE number one factor that determines our success. I had all the right tools, but my “inner game” was thrown off thanks to the challenges of living in a new country. And I let it get the best of me.
Finally, I made a decision: I would do whatever it took to keep my pipeline FULL of ideal, qualified potential buyers. Within10 months, I broke yet another sales record, selling more units in my Province than anyone else that year. This at a time when there was a huge slump in the market and nothing was selling! I was back on top!
But there was another problem. I’m guessing you’ve had experiences with “bosses from Hell”… well, let’s just say that my manager at that real estate firm was a challenge! That’s when I knew it was time to move on. I made another decision: I was DONE working for someone else, even as an independent rep.
In my life, I have always been passionate about one thing: that we alone hold the keys to our own success. But we all need mentors. I had enjoyed phenomenal success, and now it was time to share what I knew with others. I asked myself, “Who could really benefit from my experience, systems and past success?”
As I said, I am an entrepreneur at heart. I know what it’s like to have to create your entire income, from scratch, starting from nothing! The choice was clear.
I began to share my marketing and selling secrets with small business owners, showing them how to achieve success quickly and easily by attracting a consistent flow of highly qualified clients AND keeping them happy, so they invest more with you, for years to come. Along the way, I tapped into my passion to help other high-achieving women entrepreneurs who are driven to achieve phenomenal success and live life on their own terms, as I have. And lo, Brilliant Success Marketing & Sales was born!
Sharon's Bio
An author, speaker, and mentor, Sharon Killion teaches women entrepreneurs how to build successful, financially prosperous businesses in record time.
An entrepreneur at heart, Sharon’s journey to become The Brilliant Success Mentor began in her previous life as a top international sales professional, first for USA TODAY and then as an investment advisor. After building several thriving businesses (and breaking countless sales records along the way), Sharon created her signature 3Factor Client System to help other high-achieving women entrepreneurs build the business of their dreams quickly.
The 3Factor Client System (Find ‘Em, Get ‘Em, Keep ‘Em) contains Sharon’s proven secrets to attracting a never-ending stream of ideal, high-paying clients who buy from you again and again. She is also a certified Money, Marketing And Soul™ coach, personally trained by the creator of the Money, Marketing And Soul™ systems, Kendall SummerHawk.
Sharon mentors phenomenal women entrepreneurs worldwide through teleseminars, workshops and one-on-on mentoring. For more information on her products and programs, and to sign up for her newsletter, Brilliant Success Strategies, visit her online at www.BrilliantSuccessMarketing.com.
P.O. Box 40307
Shelly Beach, KZN, South Africa 4265
