Latest / The Action Catalyst / From Overlooked to Overbooked, with Luis Baez (Sales, Intrapreneurship, Social Media, Tech)

Transcript

From Overlooked to Overbooked, with Luis Baez (Sales, Intrapreneurship, Social Media, Tech) · The Action Catalyst

0:51
Adam Outland: Hello, Action Catalyst listeners. Today, our
0:54
guest is Luis Baez. He has been a sales enablement strategist at
0:59
companies like LinkedIn, Uber, Tesla, and Google. Luis Baez has
1:03
spent 14 years of his experience in sales and marketing, bringing
1:07
a breadth of knowledge and experience that spans digital
1:09
advertising software and sustainability with a revenue
1:12
impact of over 600 million to date. Good to meet you!
1:16
Luis Baez: You as well.
1:17
Adam Outland: So Luis, talk to me a little bit about your
1:20
background, how did you get started in the world of sales?
1:24
Luis Baez: It was really by chance. I am the first
1:27
generation versus my family, every single college education
1:30
and you know, wanting the best outcome, of course, it's like
1:33
doctor, lawyer of business person, trying to being a doctor
1:37
hated it, went to law school, dropped out, hated it. And then
1:40
after that, I had a friend who was working on the marketing
1:42
team at WebMD. And she said to me, you don't know this, but
1:46
you've got this magnetism about you. And you have a way of just
1:49
commanding people like you, you have a presence. And I wonder if
1:53
sales might be for you. And so she referred me in and I went
1:57
through eight rounds of interviews for an ad sales job
2:01
knowing nothing about advertising, or online business
2:04
or tech or even working in corporate because I've been
2:07
filled in and we're nonprofit, and legal, that experience
2:10
cemented if nothing else, my capacity to sell myself, we then
2:14
went through eight rounds of interviews, and I got a job
2:17
offer.
2:17
Adam Outland: All right! I'd love to hear a little bit more
2:20
about that. I know one of your big talking points is
2:22
intrapreneurship. What did that look like for you at a few of
2:26
these different companies?
2:27
Luis Baez: Yeah, I want to say that I didn't really realize
2:30
that I was an intrapreneur. I didn't understand what that
2:33
meant, or the capacity for that until I stepped away from
2:37
corporate and became an entrepreneur. And I started an
2:40
online business and a consultancy. I would sell online
2:43
programs and consult other startups. And it was then that I
2:46
realized that I had it so good as an account executive, because
2:50
they handled my legal, they handled my marketing, right,
2:54
they took care of everything, all of the overhead and all I
2:56
did was sell and walk home with the cash. And that's when it
3:01
clicked for me that I thought that I didn't have the capacity
3:05
to be an entrepreneur, I thought I was starting from scratch. But
3:07
I realized that I'd been conditioned for working in that
3:10
way. Because I've been an individual contributor, working
3:13
in enterprise sales and closing over half a billion dollars for
3:16
these bigger companies, right. And so I developed that
3:20
awareness of the fact that I was worrying or capable were in both
3:24
of these acts of managing a book of business within a business on
3:28
behalf of the business, but also being able to do that for
3:31
myself, and for my own team. And so with the intrapreneurship,
3:37
apple fell on my head when I stepped away from corporate. And
3:40
as I stepped back in, I moved in the path of revenue enablement,
3:45
because I had done all the sales things I had walked the path of
3:49
or climbed the ladder from sales support to sales executive to
3:53
sales leader. And what I came to realize is that my happy place
3:58
was really in that sweet spot around people development and
4:02
coaching and guiding people through the sales process. And
4:05
that's ultimately, you know, what led me down the path I'm
4:08
walking down now and because I had a friend who looked at me
4:10
and said, well, at some point Olympians that qualify for
4:15
events, and they can continue to compete and other events, but
4:20
they ultimately pivot towards coochie and training the next
4:24
Olympian and so maybe that's your path. And and sure enough,
4:27
it was.
4:28
Adam Outland: What were some of the key differences for you,
4:29
though, from building your own practice versus working for one?
4:33
Luis Baez: I think, starting your own business, you have to
4:37
be an adrenaline junkie, it's all on you. Right? That's it to
4:40
get started. You're going to get help from other experts. You're
4:44
going to you know, pull people into projects, launches,
4:48
development, etc. You're gonna iron people as you go. But at
4:51
the onset, it's it's actually a really lonely process, and
4:54
you've got to work really hard and diligently to build a
4:57
network around yourself. But the thing that I am clear about
5:00
after having had these experiences is that the method,
5:04
the methodologies or the approach when it comes to
5:06
selling or sales, it's really the same, right? When you think
5:09
about taking someone from not knowing you are understanding
5:13
what it is that you offer, to visualizing the transformation
5:18
after having worked with you to seeing results at the end, and
5:22
your capacity to influence and guide and consult. Those are
5:26
skills that I think are universal, no matter how it is,
5:29
you're showing up, whether you're an entrepreneur or an
5:30
entrepreneur.
5:32
Adam Outland: And I guess for our listeners, how would you
5:34
define intrapreneurs that you help?
5:37
Luis Baez: An intrapreneur is someone that has a share of the
5:41
business, and operates and functions as someone who holds
5:46
himself accountable for their shares of the business? Right.
5:49
And so the context for that is coming up in the tech industry.
5:54
It's no secret that part of the incentives that you see well for
5:59
working in tech include a salary and equity in the company or
6:03
options, right. And so when you think about it, if you're
6:08
receiving shares in the business, that means you own a
6:10
piece of it, right. And if you aren't a pizza, then the way
6:14
that you show up needs to be aligned with that, rather than
6:16
having a passive experience and just clocking in and clocking
6:20
out, let go of the title, let go of the ego, and just assume and
6:25
claim the title of being a boss in this business and show up
6:29
like one. Think about how you spend the first hour of your
6:32
day. Think about the people that you surround yourself with
6:35
building your own board of advisors, think about even the
6:39
way that you run point on projects, holding yourself
6:41
accountable and leaving nothing to chance. And that shift has to
6:45
happen with that realization that I own a piece of this
6:49
business, I'm not just an employee of it.
6:51
Adam Outland: Yeah. So what I'm hearing you say is almost like a
6:54
mindset of treating your job less like a job and more like an
6:59
owner.
6:59
Luis Baez: Exactly. Mindset and a work ethic for sure.
7:02
Adam Outland: What are some organizations or companies in
7:04
your experience that do this well?
7:06
Luis Baez: The best career experience I've ever had was at
7:08
LinkedIn, the culture is bar none. And I mean, you would
7:12
expect so right there, the world's largest professional
7:14
network. And so the the ways that you build your career and
7:18
the kind of career experience that you have, are very
7:20
carefully designed. So I borrow a lot of, you know, my ideas and
7:26
my playbooks from the experiences that I had there.
7:28
And from the leaders that I engaged with while I was there.
7:31
Adam Outland: I'm always intrigued by companies that are
7:32
able to create that culture.
7:34
Luis Baez: And it's not, not impossible, right, I'm gonna say
7:38
that it certainly takes some time and some effort and
7:40
investment. It takes some shedding of old skin and old
7:44
assumptions about how we do business and how we should be
7:47
doing business. But once you let go, and you put your faith in
7:52
the process, and in the methodology, it can be a really
7:56
wonderful experience for everyone. Right? It can be a
7:58
really wonderful experience for you, as a leader to see that
8:01
your team is optimally productive when people are
8:03
happy. And, you know, you are, you know, trending to hit your
8:06
own goals, you know, for your higher ups. And then the people
8:09
who are engaging directly with customers, right, they, they
8:12
feel a sense of responsibility to the customer in a very
8:15
different way. They feel like a stakeholder and an owner in it.
8:18
Adam Outland: You know, we talk a lot on our podcast about the
8:22
different levels of confidence and expertise at something and
8:27
how that's developed over time. What was your journey in sales?
8:31
When did you make some big leaps? And what were some of the
8:34
setbacks?
8:35
Luis Baez: How much time have you had left? So you know, for
8:38
context, again, I, I'm someone that's first generation didn't
8:42
have any family that have worked corporate, so I didn't have any
8:45
sense for like, how to navigate these spaces. I'm also an old
8:48
gay man. And so I inherently have connected with leaders and
8:52
colleagues and people that didn't really make me feel
8:55
welcomed or found ways to try to throw daggers at my back or
8:59
interrupt my sales flow or my relationships with customers,
9:02
right? Like I've had some issues like really navigating my
9:05
career. And so I want to contextualize all of that I
9:08
think it's really important to recognize that not everyone has
9:11
this sort of work experience where we get to clock in and
9:13
clock out. Some of us have to do double time while we're on the
9:16
clock. At first I fumbled when it came to sales and Sally I
9:20
wanted to control the conversation and be the smartest
9:23
person in the room and I didn't want to lose face right then
9:27
there was so much anxiety because I'd never been trained.
9:30
But as I progressed and I was moving up the ladder I started
9:33
to become methodical in my approach. I started to think
9:37
about okay in when I walk into conversations with customers,
9:40
typical profile, same anxiety, same line of questions I'm going
9:45
to make you know, make sure that I'm prepared with answers
9:47
examples, case studies that etc. So it took some time to build
9:51
that fluency and understanding the customer very confidently
9:54
addressing their hesitation and objection, right that was like
9:57
one big skill and very Have confidence that I developed over
10:01
time. And then there was this other thing about the the
10:04
mindset shift, right? Like once I got comfortable with like a
10:07
methodical repeatable process to selling that took away the
10:10
anxiety from me showing up for that customer, but also ensured
10:15
that like I wasn't showing up and throwing up and actively
10:17
listening to the customer, right, then there was the
10:20
pursuit of bigger deals, we're going from selling $200,000
10:24
deals to $2 million deals to $20 million deals, the mindset
10:28
shift, as I kept going up in my career from you know, from
10:32
selling mid market and enterprise sales, what I came to
10:36
realize is that, it actually takes the same amount of
10:40
anxiety, effort, process, resources, etc. To close a
10:46
$200,000 deal as it does a $20 million deal. The difference is
10:51
my capacity and my self awareness and self confidence,
10:55
that swagger that I really only developed from, again, all the
11:00
experiences that I had messing up deals, getting the feedback
11:03
and fighting against all things against me to get my place to
11:06
the starting line of the race. But then even just thinking
11:09
about, like, the mistakes that, you know, I experienced with
11:12
customers, the fumbles, etcetera, like all of that
11:14
conditioned me eventually to get to a place where I was
11:18
comfortable with my process, and I just needed to trust that it
11:21
would help me and that I would succeed moving on to bigger
11:25
accounts. You know, truth be told, you know, it was messy
11:29
throughout, right. But as I moved up, so did my confidence.
11:33
Along the way, I had some examples of really amazing
11:36
leaders, one of the best examples of leadership that I've
11:39
experienced today was at LinkedIn, you know, this was my
11:42
first tech job, I'd been recruited to work at the company
11:45
super excited. But I'd come from very toxic sales environments
11:50
and sales floors, where, you know, it's that always be
11:53
closing mentality, people yelling at you running, you
11:56
know, drilling you on your numbers, you know, like it was a
12:00
high pressure, high anxiety environment. So I was
12:04
conditioned to just like, always know, my numbers, always be
12:07
ready to talk about them on the spot, you know, just being on
12:10
online, logged on. And it was a vastly different, it was a
12:14
totally different experience than I was expecting, because my
12:16
director steps into the row, she was two minutes late, and she
12:20
apologized to everyone in the room, plugged her laptop and
12:23
projected her laptop on the screen. And on the screen was
12:27
her calendar, and it was wild and color coded and filled to
12:32
the brim. And she opened up by holding herself accountable. I'm
12:36
sorry, I was late. Here's where I was, here's what I was doing.
12:39
This is what I'm working on this week. This is how I prioritize
12:41
our requests. These are the time blocks that I've dedicated to
12:44
working on these things. These are the meetings that are happy
12:46
to move on these things before drilling us. She held herself
12:50
accountable, and demonstrated to us the way that we should be
12:54
thinking about our time and how we manage I was blown away.
12:58
Adam Outland: Yeah, I love that. You know, it sounds like you're
13:01
also pretty self taught. What were some of the key books,
13:05
things that you've read or listened to around the world of
13:08
sales that helped you develop and hone your craft?
13:11
Luis Baez: I actually hate most of the sales content that
13:14
exists. I think it's a matter of there are things that are
13:18
lacking in the sales content that I often consume. And I
13:22
think that there's a lack of focus on wellness and mental
13:24
health. When I approach coaching someone, I understand that the
13:29
way that they think influences the way that they behave and
13:32
therefore influences their outcomes. When I think about a
13:36
lot of these authors, gurus and the content that exists out
13:40
there, a lot of it is about squeezing the opportunity,
13:44
squeezing the micromoments, squeezing and cornering the
13:47
customer and maximizing the value and doubling the deal. But
13:51
I think that over time, what I really what has helped me stand
13:56
out from the crowd is that I actually don't have that
13:58
approach. I'm not Sharky or sleazy, I'm not the high
14:02
pressure seller. Over time, I figured out my style. And it was
14:05
really after reading all the books, and not feeling that they
14:09
really spoke to me and then going off and trying my own
14:12
thing. And I think that actually, the books that have
14:15
helped me the most are actually not the sales books. It's the
14:17
psychology and the copywriting books, right, that capacity to
14:23
master neurolinguistics and persuasion and reading a room, I
14:29
think has helped me a lot more than a 10 step process for
14:33
discovery that is, you know, known to yield 10x results that
14:37
didn't do it for me.
14:38
Adam Outland: So maybe coming back to you kind of are a double
14:41
duty, right. You work for deputed today, but you also have
14:45
your own consultancy still. So what's been the balancing act of
14:49
that?
14:49
Luis Baez: It's it's an imbalanced act. That is for
14:52
sure. Right? There are moments where my career requires a lot
14:56
more of my time and my attention and focus than I have to allow
14:59
for them. and create the space for that, because I'm still very
15:02
committed to the work that I'm doing in the ways that I'm
15:04
growing this tool row that I'm walking, I haven't quite
15:07
achieved everything I want to walking down that path. At the
15:10
same time. I'm in Enneagram two, I'm an empath. I'm an introvert,
15:14
I love to just help people. And even though I don't actively, I
15:19
don't have a full roster of clients at all times, like I
15:23
used to, when I was doing it full time solopreneur ship, I
15:26
still get people reaching out to me working on some really
15:29
amazing ideas, really brilliant business models that have you
15:33
know, social and equity component to it that I really
15:37
admire and respect. And as these opportunities come up, I can't
15:41
say no to the chance to step in and advise and consultant, and
15:46
to help implement sales processes or to help interview
15:50
their first sales hire, or even write the job description or
15:54
that right and thinking about, you know, ways that I can help
15:57
other businesses that deserve a standing chance, get that
16:00
jumpstart, and honor the trust that they're putting in me, but
16:04
it's hard, I'm not going to sugarcoat it ambition is, is
16:08
like playing with fire, sometimes you've got to know and
16:10
you've got to dip out. And I think that over time, I have
16:15
learned to recognize those moments where my cup is
16:18
overflowing, and I need to set boundaries. And I need to also
16:23
go offline. And that's really important too. Because when
16:26
you're grinding, you stop producing good ideas. When
16:31
you're tired and exhausted, not just like the physical fatigue,
16:33
when we when you reach that mental fatigue, no one's going
16:36
to benefit from it. And so you have to go offline, you need to
16:39
get your sleep you need to get your workouts in. I've also
16:43
gotten into the floating spa, I don't know if you've ever had
16:47
that experience. If you get into a sensory deprivation pool. It's
16:51
a saltwater, you just lay there and it's like you just melt into
16:55
time and space. You have to you have to actively do this. Why I
16:59
mentioned earlier like one of the things that's missing from
17:02
the books that I read often around leadership and sales.
17:06
It's like, you got to take care of number one. And that's the
17:08
conversation that we don't have enough. It's like I am not AI
17:12
powered. I'm human. I have my batteries need add, you know,
17:17
and intentional recharging.
17:19
Adam Outland: So it's really important to recognize when that
17:21
is for sure. When you got into your consulting practice. I
17:25
mean, this is something that a lot of listeners have thought
17:27
about doing. A lot of our listeners did make that jump for
17:30
themselves, whatever that business was, what were the
17:33
biggest surprises for you?
17:35
Luis Baez: I thought I had a leg up because I knew business right
17:38
before going into business. For myself, I worked as an executive
17:41
selling to Fortune 500 C level executives Running the Numbers
17:45
working with all the analysts, etc. I got bought, I knew how to
17:50
run a business. And so even before I stepped into that
17:53
space, had the website together had the offer together sales
17:57
pages, the emails, everything like setup and running. I was
18:00
like, yes, I've got this right. If you build it, they will come
18:03
and I built it. And then I no one should know it. So it was
18:10
like, Okay, I'm not competing against anyone, it's just me at
18:14
the starting line of this race, right? It doesn't matter a solo
18:17
marathon that I'm about to go on and in my fever to get started.
18:23
And to get everything looking just right. I overlooked the
18:26
fact that like, I didn't have like an email list or following
18:30
or anything I was starting from scratch, got the LLC set up
18:34
about the accountant and all these things going on in the
18:36
background, because I thought I knew how to run a business. But
18:39
it is very different when you are out here putting yourself
18:41
out there. And there are probably 1000 ways to crack this
18:44
egg. And it's a matter of testing, refining and
18:48
optimizing. But also like showing up authentically or like
18:52
if it took me a while to step away from running ads, and doing
18:56
all those things that the Guru's and everyone said you should do
18:58
when you're running an online business, right? I found my
19:02
sweet spot and teaching and guests teaching and, and guest
19:06
speaking. And this is what I love doing this is the
19:10
intersection of doing something that I love and doing something
19:12
that's super effective for my brand and my business. And so I
19:15
just want to encourage anyone who's listening to this and
19:17
going Yes, I hear what you're saying. I don't know, you know,
19:20
I've tried cracking the eggs, you know, 800 out of 1000 ways,
19:23
like what should I do next? Do what feels right and do it well.
19:28
Adam Outland: Yeah, great advice. And so you're you found
19:31
part of the solution to your one of your challenges on starting
19:34
your business was providing education to your audience as a
19:38
way to build trust. You chose LinkedIn as a platform for that?
19:42
I feel like that's what I read.
19:43
Luis Baez: LinkedIn and Instagram and Facebook groups
19:46
because I a lot of folks that step into online business and
19:49
solopreneurs solo practitioner sort of work will often join
19:55
communities on Facebook, they'll follow other online teachers and
19:59
things like that. have communities and so one of the
20:02
ways that I would build my roster of clients is like
20:04
jumping into these communities adding massive value. And then
20:07
eventually people, you know, would tap my shoulder and say,
20:10
I'd love to talk to you and learn more. Same thing on
20:12
Instagram. And then same thing on LinkedIn. LinkedIn for it,
20:15
for me, will always be Bay. And it's not just because I worked
20:18
there like I, I ended up being recruited at LinkedIn, because
20:21
of my activity on LinkedIn. Like, literally the recruiter
20:24
was like, You're active, do you want to come talk to us about
20:28
teaching other people how to use LinkedIn, and it's been the
20:31
perfect place to showcase my myself in the work that I do
20:35
across every space that I move.
20:38
Adam Outland: You know, a lot of folks will, you know, ask where
20:41
do I build my community?
20:44
Luis Baez: Different customer intent, if everyone had like,
20:47
break it down from there, but the same person that I might be
20:50
engaging with will spend their time on LinkedIn differently
20:53
than on on Instagram, when I engage with them on LinkedIn,
20:57
I'm offering advice. When I'm hanging out with them on
21:00
Instagram, we're sharing memes, you know, it's the watercooler
21:04
versus the boardroom, right. And when you think about engaging
21:07
with your colleagues, or co workers or customers in everyday
21:11
situation than physical spaces, yeah, there are moments where
21:15
you button up because it's time to do business. And there are
21:17
moments where you let your hair down. And so I have to think
21:20
about how to create those experiences and in virtual
21:24
settings, and that's ultimately what was my approach, you know,
21:27
I had a different presence on each channel. I was engaging
21:33
with the same pool of business owners who were on these
21:37
platforms for their own marketing needs, or maybe
21:39
researching and sourcing customers for themselves.
21:42
Adam Outland: Yeah, were you kind of a super user, I guess,
21:44
of this form of like, does this how you digested your content?
21:48
Luis Baez: A lot of trial and error, and a lot of coming up
21:51
against like, I actually did not, like the idea of using
21:55
Instagram for Business, right? Like, it's where I hung out
21:58
with, like my cousin, my Auntie's my bestie is that to
22:01
set up a business account for business purposes, and I am
22:05
someone that like, it was so like, buttoned up and corporate
22:08
and like, you know, didn't want to lose face. It's like, I was
22:11
coming off too serious on the platform, right, and I wasn't
22:15
getting the results, or I wasn't making the connections that I
22:17
wanted. Lots of learning about how to show up learning from
22:20
everyone else. And, and that's a time committed, I'm also someone
22:24
that doesn't actually like to spend a whole lot of time on
22:27
social media, right? I try to say, I literally set a timer,
22:31
open the app, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, timer goes off.
22:34
We're done. You have to have boundaries, because you could
22:37
literally spend an entire day on LinkedIn or Instagram and not
22:40
make a single dollar.
22:41
Adam Outland: Yeah. Great. You know, with all the experience
22:44
that you've had to date, what feedback or advice would you
22:48
give a young version of yourself like a 21 year old Luis that's
22:51
coming up? What do you say that 21 year old version of you would
22:56
need to hear from yourself today?
22:58
Luis Baez: Start sooner, and it's going to be messy no matter
23:00
how much you try. So just get used to that. The younger me was
23:05
like this perfectionist about a 10 year plan. I grew up in
23:08
poverty. first in my family receiving education, I wasn't
23:11
going to blow my shot, like I had a method, there was a way
23:14
that I was going to continue to grow and come up in my career.
23:17
And I think because of that I delayed starting things. Or, you
23:22
know, because it wasn't the right time. Or I didn't start
23:25
because it didn't look right. Or it was messy or wasn't perfect,
23:28
right. But over time I've learned and the power of
23:31
progress over perfection. So if I could go back to my younger
23:36
self, I would impart that knowledge on them and say,
23:40
everything you want is going to happen. Everything that you
23:43
deserve is already in motion. Start now done slap lipstick on
23:48
it later.
23:49
Adam Outland: That's good. We're gonna get you a t shirt made
23:52
that says that. So we always ask our guests how success is
23:59
defined by them. Because you know, it's such a generic word.
24:03
When you define success, what does it mean to you? And how do
24:06
you know when you've achieved it?
24:08
Luis Baez: That's an excellent question. Success for me, means
24:12
being in control of my time and working on the things that I
24:16
want to work on when I want to work on them. What influences
24:20
that is some you know, I have been working since the age of
24:22
14, when it was legal to work in the state of New York. My first
24:26
job was scrubbing toilets at McDonald's. And I have to do
24:29
what I had to do to save up for college and I worked three jobs
24:32
while in college to get through it. Right. I have always done
24:36
what I had to do to get to where I wanted to be. And my ultimate
24:40
goal is to be in control of my time and not do the things that
24:44
I don't want to do and only work on the things that I want to
24:48
that will be the indicator of success when I have that time
24:51
and those options.
24:53
Adam Outland: I love that. Luis, this has been an
24:55
enlightening conversation; anything you want to guide our
24:58
our viewers or listeners to?
25:00
Luis Baez: I appreciate that. I think we've spent some time
25:02
talking really high level today. But I'm really a tactical person
25:06
step once that to start doing start moving, take action,
25:09
right? And if you are feeling fired up after listening to this
25:13
and want to do something to elevate yourself or your sales
25:16
process or whatever that might be, add on over to learn from
25:20
luis.com. And you'll be able to check out all of my programs and
25:24
free courses there.
25:25
Adam Outland: Awesome. Yeah, appreciate it. Luis, thanks so
25:27
much for your time today.
25:28
Luis Baez: Thank you. This has been a really fun conversation.
25:31
Super easy, breezy. I just appreciate the space to just
25:34
show up as my whole self tell my story and thank you so much.