Big News for Ben Bacca!

We are proud to announce that Ben Bacca has been promoted to management! Ben has been an invaluable member of our team, here at Peak-Inc., and this promotion is well-deserved!  

Ben and some of our team members will be heading out to Indianapolis on Saturday, August 30th to open up a new office, working with AT&T U-verse. 

Here is a little bit about Ben;

Out of High School Ben decided that he wanted to go into Law. However, after graduating in December of 2010 with a degree in Legal Advocacy and Interpretation, he decided that he wanted to start a professional career sooner rather than later. Having worked in sales while going through college, Ben decided to pursue a different path.

"I found a perfect career opportunity here at Peak Incorporated.  A place where I was not only awarded based on my level of work but was also in a competitive environment that fostered my desire to grow and develop my professional self. I am now working though the program so I can reach all my goals and build the personal and professional life I always wanted."

Congratulations, Ben! Best of luck in Indianapolis!

Life Lessons from Billionaire Mark Cuban

A lot can be learned from entrepreneur, owner of The Dallas Mavericks and panel member of Shark Tank, Mark Cuban, as exhibited in this article from daveramsey.com. Here is a brief synopsis of the article. 

This article, "3 Practical Lessons from Billionaire Mark Cuban", illustrates how Cuban cultivated his strong work ethic from a very young age and how his unwavering fortitude led him to become the success he is today. 

The article opens with a story of a young Mark Cuban, who asked his father for a new pair of basketball shoes. When his father told him no, and that he could get the new shoes when he got a job, Cuban secured his first job with the help of a family friend. He sold garbage bags door-to-door, and he soon fell in love with business. This taught Cuban a lesson which he took to heart; If you want something, you have to work for it. 

Ramsey highlights a few key inspirational lessons from his conversation with Cuban in this article. 

1. There's no reason it can't be you. Cuban talks about adversities he faced after completing college. He wasn't always successful; he tended bar, sold software, and even resorted to eating ketchup and mustard sandwiches at times. However, no matter how hard times got he never gave up...he just worked harder. Cuban says, " The one thing in life you can control is your effort.If you are willing to put in the effort to start the business and you are willing to deal with the challenges and the fact you might starve or live like a student . . . If you are willing to fight through those via effort and brain power, anything is possible. There is no reason it can’t be you.”

2. Selling ultimately comes down to connecting and serving. Through his endeavors, Cuban learned another valuable lesson; "If you can sell, you can accomplish just about anything." He also points out that selling is about making life easier for your customers, not about trying to push or convince them of something. He also stresses how important it is to connect with your customers.

3. Don't be a slave to the bank. Cuban is passionate about staying debt free, particularly concerning businesses. Surprisingly, he says that 99% of new business can be started without capital! “If you take a loan, you are no longer the boss,” Cuban says. “And your customers are no longer the bosses. Your banker is the boss. And if you hit any adversity, like every startup does, the priority becomes taking care of your banker . . . You’re no longer in a position to do whatever it takes to survive.”

Click the link above to read the whole article and to access links to the "EntreLeadership Podcast with Mark and Dave".

Full Plate Epidemic

Have you ever left a meeting with a prospective buyer completely confident that you sealed the deal, only to find that months later, you still haven’t closed the sale? You met with all the right people, said all the right things and addressed all of the buyer’s concerns. They tell you they love the product and you’re positive you’re home free. You’ve followed up with phone calls and emails and still, no verdict. You’re sure that your competitors have not gotten their business either...So what gives??? 

Now, you have to answer questions from your sales supervisor in meeting, after meeting. “Have you landed the deal yet? Why not? Did you adequately represent the product? Did you tell them A, B and C?” And of course, you did. So now, you’re speculating as to why they haven’t come to a decision, spewing out a list of excuses which surely include “They must be busy. They’ve got a lot on their plate.”

I’m sure most people who work in sales can relate to this situation. This situation has been deemed “full plate syndrome” and has been showing its ugly face in a rapid succession in sales companies far and wide. 

Sure, maybe your prospect does, in fact have a full plate. Surely, they are very busy. However, for the right circumstance, some things can be willingly scraped off that plate  to make room. If your product is the solution to a particular area in which your prospective buyer is having difficulty, “full plate syndrome” doesn’t stand a chance. 

You need to ask yourself, “Why should our product be a priority among all other important aspects of what is filling up this plate?” If you can’t answer, well...there’s your answer! If you can’t find a reason for why your product should be prioritized as a solution to an area of difficulty for your potential buyer, why would they? Make sure you bring it to their attention that this product is absolutely necessary and NOW. 

In other words, do your research. Make sure to listen carefully to the concerns and needs of your prospects and confidently endorse your product as the solution. Happy sales! 

Meet the Team; Vann Ellerbruch- Professional Development Trainer!

Get to know Vann Ellerbruch, one of our Professional Development Trainers, here at Peak-Inc! 

 - What was your upbringing in Colorado like?

“I grew up in Northglenn, which is suburb of Denver. Sort of in between Boulder and Denver. I have two younger brothers, Shey and Trace. Growing up in my family required two things: an intense love of sports (as myself and both of my brothers played baseball our whole lives), and an intense love of learning (my parents were both teachers). It was because of my upbringing that I was able to develop such a wide variety of interests and experiences.”

- What extracurricular activities did you participate in when you were younger? 

“In high school, I played baseball all four years (all at center field) and basketball for three (point guard). But beyond that, I was very involved in the theater department at Northglenn High. The proudest moment I had in high school, was when I was given the opportunity to write and direct my own One Act play, which was performed for the entire school!”

- What was your first job?

My first job was at Boondocks Fun Center when I was sixteen. I was assigned to attractions, which meant I was in charge of all of the fun stuff outside (i.e. go karts and bumper boats).

- Where did you go to college and what did you major in?

I went to college at the University of Colorado at Boulder. For me, it was the only choice I really had because I was practically raised on that campus. For instance, I haven’t missed a football game since I was 5 years old. Even worse, my dad went to the CU football game the day I was born, which pretty much sealed my fate. 

I went into college as a Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental biology major, in the 

hopes of going to medical school. In retrospect, I think I really just liked the show Scrubs! In my junior year, I switched to a major that I was much more suited for, and that was Comparative Literature with a double major in Philosophy. I decided to go down this route, not only because it is infinitely interesting, but also because it helped me to learn about myself, both in terms of me as a person and how I fit into the bigger 

picture. 

- How do you like to spend your free time?

I spend the majority of my free time reading, going to local breweries, and playing music! As you can tell by my choice in majors, I am a sucker for literature. Right now, I’m working my way through my William Faulkner collection. At the moment, I’m reading, "The Sun Also Rises".

In terms of breweries, living in Boulder gives me a fantastic opportunity to try both well-established institutions, like Avery, but also smaller startups, like Gravity (my favorite). And playing music is just flat out fun! I’ve played in over 15 bands throughout high school and college, and I don’t plan to stop any time soon!

- Did you always want a career in this field? If so, what first sparked your interest and if not, what made you navigate toward this arena of work?

When I was in college, I switched my major to Comparative Literature and Philosophy with the plan ofattending law school. I wanted to be an environmental lawyer and work on the water rights in Colorado. 

I initially started at Peak because I thought that having sales experience would help me greatly in law school. However, that was before I fully understood the opportunity that this company gave me. By working really hard, sticking to the systems already in place, and by fully committing to the process, I would be able to achieve all of my goals, and then some. Now, I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything differently. I’m incredibly thankful for the way things turned out.

- What has the process been like working your way up through this company?

This is a tough one! The process of working my way up through the company has, for me, been both incredibly enlightening and challenging at the same time. With all of the systems we have in place, the path towards success is clearly defined. It just came down to my own work ethic and willingness to learn. When I started, I was more than eager to learn. I soaked up everything and tried my very best to apply the lessons I had been taught. And I did do very well.

However, in order to take the next step in my career, I had to shift my focus away from myself, and gauge my development on my ability to help others. This was a foreign concept for me up until this point. My whole life, I had been able to accomplish 

my goals by focusing only on myself. For example, as long as I did the research and wrote the paper, I would find success in college. But this company has challenged me to extend the opportunity onto others, both in the forms of training, coaching, and by being the example. And in the end, I found this to be far more fulfilling. My success is gauged by my ability to help others, and that it what I truly love about this opportunity.

- What are you goals with Peak?

My goals with Peak are to be a managing partner. In order to achieve this goal, I need to continue learning as much as I can, following the systems in place, and incessantly work to make those dreams happen.

- What is your ultimate goal for your career?

I want to be a platinum level consultant in this company. I know this is an ambitious and aggressive goal, but I trust in myself, my work ethic, and my ceaseless student mentality enough, that I know I can make this happen.

- What advice do you have for those embarking on a career in this field?

My advice would be to take coaching seriously. The beauty of this business is that you will never encounter something that hasn’t been encountered before. Everyone goes through the same trials, challenges, and successes. If you remain open, listen, and apply what you learn, success is inevitable.

Thanks for sharing, Vann! We really enjoyed getting to know you more and we can’t wait to see where all of your hard work will take you!