932 Andee Hart:

Wings of Inspired Business Podcast EP932 – Melinda Wittstock interviews Andee Hart

Melinda Wittstock:

Coming up on Wings of Inspired Business:

Andee Hart:

One of the things that I like to do is actually lead them and get them to start saying yes. A lot of people, you know, will say, is there any reason, reason that you would not do this or you would not move forward? And it’s easy to say no, but I actually flip that script. My preference is to actually ask an open-ended question because you’ll actually get to more of a root of a, of the objection if there is one. There’s lots of different ways that you can phrase this, but when it gets down to, you know, opening your checkbook, you know, what is a specific reason that you may not move forward with this project, and you can frame that maybe a little bit better specifically to your sales process. But my point being is that you ask an open-ended question that’s not a yes or no.

Melinda Wittstock:

Sales is scary for a lot of people, but at the end of the day, it’s really about asking the right open-ended questions that help identify if a solution fits a problem. Andee Hart is a sales expert on a mission to help women business owners shift their mindset around sales and overcome the fears that keep us from mastery. With 17 years’ experience in corporate sales before taking the leap as an entrepreneur, Andee shares how to turn customer objections into opportunities for lasting partnerships, why asking the right questions is more important than having all the answers, and practical ways to ask for the sale without feeling “pushy”. You’ll also hear why follow-up is your biggest advantage. 

Melinda Wittstock:

Hi, I’m Melinda Wittstock and welcome to Wings of Inspired Business, where we share the inspiring entrepreneurial journeys, epiphanies, and practical advice from successful female founders … so you have everything you need at your fingertips to build the business and life of your dreams. I’m all about paying it forward as a five-time serial entrepreneur, so I started this podcast to catalyze an ecosystem where women entrepreneurs mentor, promote, buy from, and invest in each other. Because together we’re stronger, and we all soar higher when we fly together and lift as we climb.

Melinda Wittstock:

Today we meet an inspiring entrepreneur who says she began her career much like anyone else—by making mistakes and learning from them. Andee Hart’s journey mastering sales spans 17 years, and she says getting good at sales is just like building muscle memory, strengthened over time by facing challenges head-on. Throughout her years in the field, and now helping female founders turn objections into opportunity, Andee says every sales interaction is simply a series of open-ended questions to create exceptional customer experiences. So, coming up, we break all that down into practical strategies and tactics that anyone can master.

Melinda Wittstock:

Andee will be here in a moment, and first:

[PROMO CREDIT]

Eight years ago, I started this podcast because I wanted to help women succeed as entrepreneurs. Over the years, I’ve driven more than $10 million in sales to the women I’ve featured on this show, and this year I’ve taken my investment in female founders to a whole new level as a venture partner of the new firm Zero Limits Capital, where we’re dedicated to investing in highly scalable seed stage startups founded by women and diverse teams. We’re looking for mission-driven innovators with exciting new applications of AI, Blockchain and other emerging technologies that make a social and sustainable impact to change the world. If this is you, please take a moment and tell us about your opportunity at bit.ly/ZLCintake – that’s bit.dot.ly/ZLCintake – capital ZLC lowercase intake. 

Melinda Wittstock:

I remember years ago when I was trying to master a complex enterprise sales process. It seemed like every sales conversation was going really well. I was generating a lot of enthusiasm and buy in, but I just wasn’t closing deals. So, I asked one of my mentors to sit in on a couple of sales calls, and what he said shocked me. I was never actually asking for the sale—worse, I had no idea I was not asking for the sale. He gave me an intriguing assignment. He challenged me to get at least 50 “no’s” in the week ahead. Yeah, I was a bit confused by that, but did it anyway. If success was a “no”, I suddenly felt liberated to ask for the sale. My tally ended up being 25 yesses, and it changed the game for my business at the time.

Melinda Wittstock:

I tell that story because sales is about mastering your mindset. I also came to learn that that meant knowing my value and the value of my solution, but also the confidence to simply explore with people whether it was a good fit, and even say “no” to some prospective clients. So today I’m excited to share my conversation with sales maven Andee Hart, because we talk about all the ways you too can master sales. 

Melinda Wittstock:

Let’s put on our wings with the inspiring Andee Hart.

[INTERVIEW]

Melinda Wittstock:

Andee, welcome to Wings.

Andee Hart:

Thank you so much for having me. I’m so glad to be here, Melinda.

Melinda Wittstock:

Well, you’re doing great work helping women overcome any fear of sales and, you know, really develop that sales muscle, which is necessary to succeed in entrepreneurship. So, let’s get straight to it and talk about of the mistakes that you see women entrepreneurs making in particular.

Andee Hart:

Yes, absolutely. And there are so many that I see, and I want to start off by saying that the ones that I see are all ones that I have made. I say that because I don’t know that anyone just starts off being an amazing salesperson. It’s really a muscle that you build. And so having been in sales for 17 years, it’s something that you just work on, and you’re constantly refining the art of being a good salesperson. And so, you start to recognize some of the challenges and some of the mistakes because you make them yourself. One of the big mistakes that I see is not turning objections or problems, because you’re always going to see problems in the sales cycle, but not turning those into opportunities to truly craft and create an amazing customer experience. And so, I’ll give you a specific example from my own candle company, if that would help.

Melinda Wittstock:

Yes.

Andee Hart:

Yeah. So, I actually had a customer not too long ago. This is a wholesale customer, and she sent me a message, and she had a boutique down the street from her. Now, in wholesale, we have exclusivity clauses, and she thought she still had that with my candle company, Heart Design Company, and it had actually, actually lapsed. And the boutique down the street now I sell to hundreds of retailers, so there’s no way I can keep up with all of them. But the boutique down the street had. They bought my candles and carried them, and so they were competing with each other. She was extremely upset, and how dare I sell to her? But once again, there was no way I could have kept up with that.

Andee Hart:

But I listened to her and completely understood where she was coming from. It turns out this. This other boutique did this often and copied a lot of the products that she bought. And instead of being defensive and just looking at this as, okay, well, I’ve lost this retailer. What I did is I got to the root of what her objection and her problem was, and it actually wasn’t with me. It was a problem that had nothing to do with me. But I turned that into an opportunity to create a custom candle for her that no one can replicate. And it’s actually something that I charge more for to my retailers to do a private label.

Andee Hart:

And now she’s one of my best retailers and I’ve created just an exceptional customer experience for, for her and she’s ecstatic. So, it was a situation where I was able to turn a really upset customer and a problem into an opportunity create. To create just an amazing customer experience for my client.

Melinda Wittstock:

And thank you for sharing that story because this really gets into the root of sales. There are two things, right? Like really good listening to actually understand.

Andee Hart:

Right, Right.

Melinda Wittstock:

But really good questioning to get to the root of what the object objection actually is. So, take me through that process of like, what sort of questions were you asking to uncover that objection for that customer?

Andee Hart:

So, I want to point back to a lesson that one of my early mentors in corporate America taught me. And I truly believe that when you are asking questions in the sales process or any process, this is a great lesson for anytime that you’re asking questions, the lesson is seek first to understand. Seek first to understand. And so, whenever you are maybe having a problem with a spouse or you are, you know, there’s a, a problem when you’re out and about and, and you’re sitting and with a waiter or, or what have you, right. In just everyday life. But also, as we’re sitting here talking about sales, when there is a customer objection or problem, if you truly have the mindset to seek first to understand instead of jumping in and trying to solve the problem first, then you’ll actually ask questions that truly get to the root of the problem. And you’ll also take a more partnership stance instead of a defensive posture. And I have always found that my mindset and the response that I get from customers is so much more collaborative than it is one of anger and frustration.

Andee Hart:

I’ve always thought of that advice that my mentor gave me early on in my career. Seek first to understand. And so your, your questions, your line of questioning will naturally flow to get to the root of problems when you take and, and have that mindset.

Melinda Wittstock:

And so, then when you get to the point of understanding, you know, whether your product or service at that point can actually solve the problem. And what would it take to solve the problem? And then presumably, what would the value be to that customer if you were able to solve that problem, you might not be able to, you might be able to say, well, oh, look, I, I understand your problem now. We’re, we’re not necessarily the right people for this, but I could refer you to other people that goes a long way. If it’s really not a fit, if it’s something that would torque your business, you know, a direction that you can’t sustain or be too costly for you or whatever. But if you can solve it, you get into that lovely collaboration conversation where you can. You mentioned before that your solution actually ended up being more expensive for the customer. But she’s happier and you’re happier, you’re making more money from it, right?

Melinda Wittstock:

So presumably somewhere in that conversation you established what the value would be to her of, of solving that, did that into how you priced…

Andee Hart:

Because when you are getting to what the value is for a customer, then, and actually when you’re asking those questions and you’re seeking to understand you’re not articulating the value for the customer, a good salesperson will ask the right questions to where the customer is actually articulating the value for themselves. So really you are getting them to sell themselves on the value that you’re providing, right? And so, when it comes to the point where you are then presenting them with a solution, they are ready to put their credit card down and say, sign me up. Because you have led them straight into the value that you provide. So that is what I love about taking that posture of seeking first to understand and asking those questions. Because you are truly leading your customer to their own value proposition.

Melinda Wittstock:

Exactly right. Because it’s the classic thing in sales, right. Especially in what you’re describing is a very consultative sales process.

Andee Hart:

Right, right.

Melinda Wittstock:

Establishing that kind of, you know, gap between where they are now and where they could be. And sometimes, sometimes I suppose your potential customers or clients may not actually know that. So, to what extent can you lead them to that sort of self-discovery on their end where, where they’re kind of come, they think it’s their, you know, solution. Right. They feel invested in it. So more likely to, you know, you know, convert that sale.

Andee Hart:

Right. And when they feel more invested in it, Right. When you have ownership in that, you’re 100% more likely to sign up. But when you feel that someone else is trying to sell you on something or it’s their idea, then there’s, there’s no ownership, right? You have to be bought in, and you have to take the time to convert your own mind in that. And so that’s where, yes, that, that is another term for consultative selling process, but along the line there too. And I want to talk about this as well, because this is just as important, just as much as you are asking the questions Whether you are handling an object, objection or a problem, or you are actually in the sales process, right.

Andee Hart:

And you’re asking the questions to sell or serve your client, your customer, you are also making sure that your product or service is the right fit for this customer. Because the last thing that you want to do is to sell them on something that is not the right fit. Because in hindsight, you are going to have more objections and more problems that you have to deal with. And then that is also part of your integrity as a business owner. And so there have been plenty of times where I have sat down with a client and I have asked those questions and talked about what they want to accomplish in their business, and they have actually been ready to hand over their PO And I have talked them out of purchasing the product that we sat down to talk about, because it was not a right fit. And I actually pointed them to someone else that could better serve them because I knew that it was not going to accomplish the goals for them. 

Andee Hart:

And a lot of people would say, that’s crazy, Andee. You should never talk someone out of handing you money. Right? But that’s also selling with integrity. And when and if the time comes that my product or service is a right fit for them, I know that they will come to me 10 out of 10 times because I have built that trust. And so that is just as important. You want to make sure that you have those boundaries and you have confidence enough in your product and service to be able to say no when you cannot serve them to the best of your ability.

Melinda Wittstock:

100%. So, you’re describing a long game, and I think where a lot of entrepreneurs get tripped up, especially in the early stages, where they’re like, oh, my God, how am I going to make payroll? I need to close this sale. Oh, if I don’t close this sale, like, the world’s gonna end, right? And in that scarcity, we can end up repelling people because there’s such an urgent need to bring money into the business. So how do you advise people to balance that? Because that can be a very real thing. You need to close sale. You need to keep your business operational. You have costs, you have payroll, you have all these things. I’m like, oh, my God, if this sale doesn’t close, I’m down. Right?

Andee Hart:

Yeah. I have been there before, too. Melinda, Like, I think we’ve all been there as entrepreneurs where we feel that pressure. And I have also made mistakes where I have not set the right boundaries, and I have said yes to too many things. I believe that it’s, it takes making those mistakes to realize that you have to set those boundaries. And I’m sure, I’m sure you would say, you know, I’ve made those mistakes as well. But, you know, setting those boundaries to say, and learning that when you do, when you are able to say no, then that actually opens up the door to being able to say yes to the right opportunities.

Andee Hart:

So, it is learning from your mistakes and when you’re able to say no. And I don’t know if any, if you have read this book or any of your listeners have read the book Good to Great by Jim Collins. I remember reading it.

Melinda Wittstock:

Classic.

Andee Hart:

Yes. Yes. I remember reading this in business school. But the very opening line in that book said it says, good is the enemy of great. And so often we have to say no to some good opportunities because we need to pause and wait for the great opportunities. And that takes patience, but it also takes just making the mistakes. Just making the mistakes. But when you do that, when you truly do that, you can also be confident and learn that you can charge what you’re worth.

Andee Hart:

Because when you are saying yes to all of these opportunities, often you’re, you’re charging too little, you’re saying yes to the wrong clients, and then you often have this guilt about what you’re selling, and you have. This is when we start to have this fear of being perceived as pushy and salesy as well. And so, there’s all these emotions that get wrapped around that. But when we set those healthy boundaries and selling, then that’s when we can have a confidence in what we are providing, the level of service, and we can actually charge and be confident in what we are charging and what we’re providing as well.

Melinda Wittstock:

This is true. If there’s any desperation within you, whether you’re aware of it or not. I mean, it could be subconscious, but other people feel it. Like, we’re all energetic beings, right?

Andee Hart:

Yes.

Melinda Wittstock:

Sales, conversation. The minute you have any desperation, even if it’s a great solution, people are just going to run from it. So, you can’t want it too much.

Andee Hart:

Yes. And like I said, that is just a muscle that you have to flex. You know, it really does come from just making those mistakes, but also just experience. And so that is, that’s a tough question, you know, but finding that Balance is just a matter of persistence and taking the time to, you know, just to keep going and, and, and moving forward and knowing that you’re going to make mistakes, but having the ability to have grace for yourself when you do, you know.

Melinda Wittstock:

Right, exactly. Everything about entrepreneurship is, Is an iterative learning process. Right. So first off, just a mindset of curiosity.

Andee Hart:

Yes.

Melinda Wittstock:

And learning and being willing to make mistakes. One of the other things is being willing to actually ask for the sale. I’ve mentored so many women over the years, and this was something that I also went through. I think we all go through these issues. We have to overcome them ourselves to be able to advise anybody else. But a lot of women don’t actually ask for the sale. Like, do the amazing presentation, show all the value, do all the things, create this rapport. Poor do, do all the things. Right. But at the very end, don’t actually ask. Okay.

Andee Hart:

Right.

Melinda Wittstock:

Let’s just go through that, you know, scary moment. I think for most people, selling anything is where you’re actually going to ask for the sale. What’s your process for that? How do you do that best?

Andee Hart:

I love that you brought this up because I always. This is. If any of my clients, I’m sure a lot of them will listen to this, they’re gonna laugh because they hear me say this on repeat. I always say 10 seconds of courage. It takes 10 seconds of courage. But I also, and this is one of the things that I always talk to my wholesale clients about, because when we are talking to retailers, what I always say is you assume the partnership.

Andee Hart:

So, a lot of times we don’t ask for the sale. But I see all the time, whether it’s an email or, or a message or anything like this, they. I see this, this sign off of let me know that is not asking for the sale. And that sounds like everyone else. What I like to do is assume the partnership and looking at something like looking forward to working with you. And that is a confident stance on that you are going to partner with them. And you also drop some hints in the email. I work with my clients to craft a, you know, confident email pitch that talks about the number one concern that retailers look for, and that is, are your, are your products going to sell in their shop? Right.

Andee Hart:

And so being confident that you are going to have a successful partnership with them. Two, outside of asking for the sale, what a lot of people don’t realize, and this statistic is staggering. But 90% of people will never follow up after that first email or the first, or the first phone call. And so, whether you ask for the sale in a first contact or not, the follow up is crucial. And so, if you forget, that’s okay, give yourself grace, but contact your customer again and ask for that sale. It takes 10 seconds of courage, and you will absolutely set yourself apart from the rest of your competition simply because you followed up. And the reality is, is that your customer will probably appreciate it because out of sight, out of mind and they need that reminder. So simply follow up, put yourself at the top of their inbox, give them a call, give them a kind reminder and ask for the sale.

Andee Hart:

I’m looking forward to working with you. I love the assumption sale. So that is, is my favorite way of asking for the sale.

Melinda Wittstock:

And so okay, so assuming you get there, but it’s time to ask them to actually pay.

Andee Hart:

Yes.

Melinda Wittstock:

So, so where does that fit in? So, shall I send you the contract right now or like how do you, how do you do that? Like literally.

Andee Hart:

Yes, it’s, it’s as simple as here are the different ways that you can pay. You can send and this is one of the things I do in my intro entry. Email. Intro email is I actually list, here’s the different ways that we do business together. You can purchase from me A, B or C. And so, if you’re in person, you can say how would you like to, to purchase? I can send you an invoice. I can, however your business works, right? It does not have to be awkward. You can simply say how would you prefer to do, you know, to do business right.

Andee Hart:

Or how would you prefer to pay? If they have any objection, then that will probably come up right then. And then you can’t, if you haven’t already uncovered that and then you can address that right there. And so, it’s, it does not have to be awkward. You can either ask them a question or you can say something. A general comment of generally we send an invoice through QuickBooks. Does that work with you? And see how they respond. If, if they are ready to do business with you, they are going to say absolutely, go ahead and send us an invoice. If they are nervous or they have objection, they are going to say let me think about it or I need to talk to my business partner.

Andee Hart:

And then you can go back to exactly what we talked about at the beginning and say, and ask those questions to seek to understand and take that posture of understanding to get to the root of the objections and the problems.

Melinda Wittstock:

Yeah, because questions I found very useful at different phases of a sales pitch is to say, is there any reason you wouldn’t do this? And people like to say no. So, you get it right out of them, but they’re actually saying yes. Right, right, right. Or you get the objection. Right. And because you’re trying to, you know, bring that. Right. Bring that to the, bring that to, to the fore.

Melinda Wittstock:

I said just a moment ago that people like to say no. But another complication, Andee, is sometimes they, they, they don’t really want to say no because they don’t want to offend you. So, they kind of, they’re sort of saying no without saying no and you’re sort of left hanging. You don’t really know where you stand. And it sort of dangles a little bit because they’re kind of, yeah, sure, yeah, let’s, let’s do this. But then nothing ever happened. Like what do you do in that scenario?

Andee Hart:

So, I’m going to kind of flip this a little bit. One of the things that I like to do is actually lead them and get them to start saying yes. A lot of people, you know, will say, is there any reason, reason that you would not do this or you would not move forward? And it’s easy to say, to say no, but I actually flip that script. And you can do this in one of two ways. So, you can either say, and my preference is to actually ask an open-ended question because you’ll actually get to more of a root of a, of the objection if there is one. But I prefer to ask a question like this when it gets down to. And, and there’s lots of different ways that you can phrase this, but when it gets down to, you know, opening your checkbook or, you know, we’re ready to pull the trigger if there is a, you know, what is a specific reason that you may not move forward with this project or maybe, and you can frame that maybe a little bit better specifically to your sales process. But my point being is that you ask an open-ended question that’s not a yes or no.

Melinda Wittstock:

Yeah.

Andee Hart:

And the reason for that is because it’s easy to answer yes or no.

Melinda Wittstock:

Without giving any information, actually.

Andee Hart:

Yeah, like you’re not right.

Melinda Wittstock:

So. So I’m a recovering journalist very early in my career, before I became an entrepreneur. Right. And this was a classic journalistic tactic as well. Like you just never ask an ‘are you’ or ‘did you’ or whatever.

Andee Hart:

Right, right.

Melinda Wittstock:

What, why or how, right? Every time.

Andee Hart:

Right. Another frame of thought is that you lead the customer to always say yes. So, does this sound like a great plan for you? Yes. Does this sound like it would fix the problem that we’re trying to solve? Yes. So, you’re always leading them to yes. And then they are, you know, the kind of, the thought is that they’re, they’re ready to, you know, pull the trigger. Right. I much prefer the open-ended questions and then because you’re, you’re really uncovering any objections, and you can address those early on.

[PROMO CREDIT]

Let’s get honest: Women founders face challenges men don’t. Less funding.
More juggling. Constant second-guessing. And a world that tells us to “play nice” and not ask for too much. Let’s stop playing small. If you’re feeling stuck right now — plateaued, under pressure, isolated, exhausted — I get it. It’s not easy leading a team or raising investment in a male-dominated space, navigating complex markets, AI disruption, economic headwinds all while balancing family, relationships, and your own wellbeing. But here’s the truth: The problem isn’t you. It’s that you’re trying to do it all alone. That’s a recipe for burnout, not breakthroughs. That’s why I’m inviting you to join the Zero Limits Growth Club. It’s led by VC investor and serial entrepreneur Steve Little, who’s built 6 of his own businesses to 9-figure exits, helped 470+ companies more than 20X their value, and now also invests in female-founded businesses. I’ve known Steve for a decade, and what I’ve learned from him along the way has been nothing short of transformational. Here’s what you get: A 24-Point Value Growth Assessment—custom-crafted for your business to uncover hidden risks and unearth hidden opportunities along with a custom Growth Strategy—built just for you and the impact you want to have on the world – all with monthly masterminds, office hours for real-time decision-making, Steve’s personal guidance and access to bold supportive founders like you, plus allies and investors. So, if you’re waiting for the “perfect time” – spoiler:  it never comes.

This is for women who are done with guesswork, isolation, and being underestimated.

Because you deserve more than a seat at the table. You deserve to OWN the table.

Check it out at growthclub.zerolimitsventures.com and hope to see you on the inside.

 (2 second gap with music change into …)

Melinda Wittstock:

And we’re back with Andee Hart, sales strategist and host of the podcast, She Sells Differently. 

[INTERVIEW CONTINUES]

Andee Hart:

I think one of the big challenges is that we get to kind of the end of maybe a lengthy sales cycle and all of a sudden a big objection pops up. Right. I’ll give you a specific example. One of my consulting clients, she owns a window treatment company, and she does in home consultations. And you know, a lot of times us women, you know, they’re, we’re picking out window treatments, blinds for our home, a new home we just built, and we may be sitting there for three hours in walks our husband and we’re, we’re saying, hey honey, look at this, this, these blinds that I just picked out. And he’s like, I don’t know, back to square one after three hours. So, one of the things that I’m working with her on is asking that question up front about decision makers and uncovering any objections and problems that could arise at the end of that process. So that you’re not back to square one.

Andee Hart:

Right.

Melinda Wittstock:

So this is a really important thing you raise Andee, because early in the sales cycle, like in my case, you know, selling technology or all the different things, some of them have had long sales cycles, say for some of my businesses that have been kind of enterprise tech, for instance, where you have a first meeting and the first meeting doesn’t necessarily have the decision makers on the call right there, maybe the cheerleaders that are going to go back and talk to their bosses or other people. So, who are the decision makers on this? Even at that, in that earliest, earliest phase.

Andee Hart:

Right, right, right.

Melinda Wittstock:

That’s happened to me where you get to the end and it’s like oh, you know, so and so. And, or you have a situation where you’re relying on the sales ability. You may have some really excited people at a company that want to buy what you’re selling, but they are not equipped to sell it as well as you.

Andee Hart:

Right, right.

Melinda Wittstock:

So, you need to create the opportunity to get in front of the right people if it’s not the right. Right. Like so, so that’s very important. So, you asked that question pretty early on in the process, I would, I would imagine.

Andee Hart:

Yes, absolutely. And that’s important to just uncover early on what, what could potentially arise so that you’re not wasting your time or your customers. Time is money. Time is money.

Melinda Wittstock:

Well, the other thing too is how to finesse what their budget is. And sometimes people are pretty cagey about answering it because they’re sort of like, okay, if I say what my budget is, you know, maybe I could have gotten this cheaper. Like, I don’t know, there’s all kinds of weird maneuvers going on here.

Andee Hart:

Oh yes, yes.

Melinda Wittstock:

So, you’re trying to figure out, well, do they actually have any money? Like can they actually afford? Right. So, so how do you find that out in a kind of non-friction way where you actually get the information that you need?

Andee Hart:

I think that is all about framing the question. And I’m one of those people too, that when someone asks me that question, I can get a little bit put off by it. It’s all about framing it. And so, I frame that in a way of I want to make sure that I point you in the right direction for your specific needs and that we’re not wasting your time. And I’m not trying to sell you on something that is way out of line or way above your specific price range. So, can you give me a ballpark range of what your ideal budget is? And so, when you do that, and even not so much the words that you use, and I sometimes, I know we’re doing this over email, but the tone that you use when you’re talking to someone can also set the, the friendliness. Right. With, with a customer as well.

Andee Hart:

And whenever I set that stage, usually customers are very receptive to it. Maybe one out of 100 will say, we’ll talk about budget later. And if they’re doing that, then maybe that means that they have a huge budget. If I’ve ever had that happen. Usually budget’s not, not a limitation. So, so it usually hasn’t been a problem.

Melinda Wittstock:

Yeah, right, exactly. And this all comes down to, you know, sales qualification and whatnot. Before you’re even time you know that you’re actually talking to the right people and you’ve done that, you’ve done that work before you get to this, before you get to this point. So, I want to pivot a little bit and talk about your journey because you were doing this in corporate for 17 years before you went out on your own with your candle business in, during the pandemic. So, you obviously learned a lot about sales and what worked which stood you for sure in good stead in setting up your own company. What was that transition like from corporate to entrepreneurship?

Andee Hart:

Oh man, I don’t think anything can prepare you for entrepreneurship except for just diving on in like, because everybody’s journey.

Melinda Wittstock:

Is different and it’s, it’s hard. Whatever.

Andee Hart:

Yes. So, I absolutely loved working in corporate sales. I was in technology sales for 17 years and so I ended the last job I had in corporate. I was the global sales director for a Fortune 100 company and absolutely loved it. But I just definitely felt like the Lord was calling me to do something more with my skill set. And really I just have an absolute passion for helping women overcome the fear and the anxiety of selling their products and their services. I truly believe that we all have a gift. And I say this all the time to my clients, that when you have a gift that brings value, whether you know a service or a product that brings value to others, then you owe it to the world to share it with them.

Andee Hart:

And so, when you have that mindset, then it’s easier to think about talking about your product or your service. I have loved using all of my selling skills and combining that with my experience with my candle company, Heart Design Company and teaching product entrepreneurs how to get their products onto boutique shelves. It’s, it’s been absolutely a blast. And so, I left in 2023 and walked out the doors of my corporate job. I have never looked back, and I love, you know, waking up every day, every day. It looks different now. I was in face-to-face sales and so, you know, being online and learning the world of digital marketing and online sales has been very different. But at the end of the day the things and really the process that we just walk through, you know, seeking to understand and setting those boundaries, asking those open-ended questions, assuming the sale, following up all those principles for sales are really the same.

Andee Hart:

You just have different tools whether you’re selling online and in the digital world or whether you’re selling in person. And so, it has been just a, a blast to get to wake up. I still feel like I pinch myself, you know, getting to wake up every day and do what I love.

Melinda Wittstock:

That’s wonderful. The big lesson for entrepreneurs, whether they come to it with, say, the sales expertise that you had. A lot of entrepreneurs come to it without the sales expertise, but, like, expertise in a domain of actually doing something, like being great at making candles, for instance, or like being really good AI tech innovator, for instance, but without the sales expert. So, there’s always a gap somewhere for any founder.

Melinda Wittstock:

And so, recognizing that early enough. So, say if you’re coming into entrepreneurship with no sales expertise, I suppose that’s what you’re there for, to kind of help them.

Andee Hart:

Right, Right.

Melinda Wittstock:

We all kind of need coaches, but, like, what were some of the gaps for you where you’re like, oh, crap, I think I really don’t know this. I’m gonna figure it out.

Andee Hart:

Oh, man.

Melinda Wittstock:

Someone who does know or, like, get a mentor over here or whatever.

Andee Hart:

Yeah, there’s lots that I’ve had to learn. For me, one of my biggest struggles has been perfectionism. And I know that’s probably, you know, different from a gap perspective.

Melinda Wittstock:

Right.

Andee Hart:

But I’ve had to learn that I am not supposed to do it. All right. And so, a lot of entrepreneurs, what we do is we hire, you know, we. A virtual assistant or things like that. But I have had to work to find, in the way that I’ve approached my business, find people that are really good at a niche skill, and I have outsourced specific things to them. So, you know, I started a podcast, and I hired a podcast manager and different skills like that that I have outsourced. And then I have found, you know, different courses that have filled the gaps that I needed. So, I have never been good, Melinda, with numbers and math and finance, and so finding a great CPA that can help with that gap that I have.

Andee Hart:

And so, things like that, that as a small business owner, you realize, okay, if I’m really going to be successful and have a sustainable business, you can’t do it all. And you have to let go of that perfectionism and find people that are really good at what they do and turn it over to them to use their gifts to support my business.

Melinda Wittstock:

Exactly. A lot of people have this idea, both of salespeople, but also entrepreneurs that somehow were these kind of rugged individuals that, like, I don’t know, you know, can I like do it all and like.

Andee Hart:

Right.

Melinda Wittstock:

Sort of forces of nature and all this sort of stuff. But actually, to succeed, it really requires great humility.

Andee Hart:

Oh yes.

Melinda Wittstock:

And listening and, and being able to get the humility of just recognizing like you don’t know everything. And that’s okay. You can find out. It’s about how you use and deploy the resources that you need. Like how you, how you even recognize your own weaknesses.

Andee Hart:

Yes.

Melinda Wittstock:

And I mean if you, if you, if there was a single thing that, that separates someone who succeeds and doesn’t. Because bluster doesn’t get you very far in the end.

Andee Hart:

Yes. I would also say tenacity, that, that would be a huge characteristic. I remember when I first, you know, set off, set off on my own and was self-employed. I was sitting across the lunch table from my brother who has been an entrepreneur since he graduated college. He started a construction company and, and it’s grown and he’s very successful. And I remember him looking me in the eye and saying, Andee, don’t give up, don’t give up, don’t give up. And I was kind of like, okay, chill out, I got it. And he was like, no, you don’t understand.

Andee Hart:

Don’t give up. And now, several years later, I get it. Because there are days, I mean, entrepreneurship is a roller coaster. There are days that you’re like, I got this. Like, I am good. You know, I’m doing well. And then there are days that you lay your head on your pillow at night and you’re like, what am I doing? You know? And so, it really takes that tenacity and just that never give up attitude that no matter what, if, if what I’m doing today fails, then tomorrow I’m going to pick myself up, dust myself off and I’m going to pivot and.

Melinda Wittstock:

Try again, 100%. This is so important. So, for everybody listening, I mean, I think everybody can always get better at sales. So, Andee, tell me a little bit about the type of women that you work with. I know you really focus on this kind of wholesale piece, but who are your ideal clients?

Andee Hart:

Yes. So, I do have a very core focus on product makers that want to scale their business by getting by through wholesale, so by getting their products on boutique and retail shelves. And then I also have a very small, select few small businesses that I do sales strategy and marketing automation with. And that’s very one on one personalized tailored consulting work. And so that is kind of heading in that direction. It’s very, very work that I do, kind of combining my sales and my technology background. And so, any small business that is really struggling with lead generation and automation optimization from a sales and marketing perspective, I would, you know, welcome a consultation. They can reach out to me on my website at andeehart.com, wonderful.

Melinda Wittstock:

Well, thank you so much, Andee, for putting on your wings and flying with us today.

Andee Hart:

Thanks so much for having me, Melinda. It was a blessing.

[INTERVIEW ENDS]

Melinda Wittstock:

Andee Hart is a sales strategist and host of the podcast, She Sells Differently. 

Melinda Wittstock:

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Melinda Wittstock:

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