Harnessing Humor: Finding Creative Solutions in Business and Life

Starter Girlz Podcast

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In this episode of the Starter Girlz podcast, host Jennifer Loehding interviews Merit Kahn the CEO of Select Sales Development and a stand-up comedian. Merit shares how she got into stand-up comedy and how it became a way for her to cope with difficult experiences. She also discusses the importance of using humor in business and life to create a positive mindset and find creative solutions. Merit emphasizes the need to shift from selling to being selected, and the importance of asking the right questions to understand the client's needs. She also highlights the value of having an open mind in sales and building relationships. Studying comedy and performing standup has taught Merit Kahn a lot about the sales process. She emphasizes the importance of knowing your material well enough to be able to improvise and be present with your audience. Jennifer Loehding agrees and adds that practicing your craft enough builds self-confidence and self-worth, which are important attributes of strong closers. Merit also mentions that top-performing sales professionals have strong self-regard, interpersonal relationships, and optimism. They see the close as a result of building rapport and setting expectations from the beginning of the conversation.
Takeaways

• Stand-up comedy can be a powerful tool for coping with difficult experiences and turning pain into humor.
• Using humor in business and life can create a positive mindset and help find creative solutions.
• Shifting from selling to being selected involves creating an environment where clients feel comfortable sharing their challenges and needs.
• Asking the right questions is crucial in understanding the client's needs and finding the best solutions.
• Having an open mind is essential in sales and building relationships, as it allows for new possibilities and better communication. Studying comedy and performing standup can teach valuable lessons about the sales process.
• Knowing your material well allows you to improvise and be present with your audience.
• Strong closers have attributes such as self-confidence, self-worth, self-regard, strong interpersonal relationships, and optimism.
• The close happens in the beginning of the conversation through building rapport and setting expectations.

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1. Introduction and Background of Mara Kahn (00:00:00)

2. The Power of Having an Open Mind (00:06:43)

3. Selecting Clients Instead of Selling to Them (00:11:10)

4. The Close Happens in the Beginning (00:29:09)

5. Performing in Unique Venues (00:36:00)