Building Relationships with Elinor Stutz

This week on BullyBuster, I am very fortunate to have Elinor Stutz as my guest.

Elinor breaks barriers and records everywhere she goes. She’s the author of several best-selling books, starting with her first one titled, “Nice Girls Do Get the Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results.”

I just finished reading it! The pearls from decades of Elinor selling in a man’s world are still relevant today! I can see why her book is considered evergreen.

Elinor has decided to forge ahead with her skills, foresight, and bravery to continually help women.

She’s a popular inspirational speaker.

Elinor’s mom and dad were great training coaches, with her mom telling her to always be nice to everyone … check, she had the highest sales (by far) amongst the men she worked with. Elinor’s dad said, Never allow anyone to count you out … check – check!

Bullies were great training for Elinor, too, because she learned to listen, observe and (get this) ask questions. When their meanness took over, she would match their effort and up it a level to end the bullying!

Elinor’s Bio

Elinor Stutz managed to break barriers and statistics at every place of employment.  Entering corporate sales, the men did everything in their power to get her to quit.  They did not know with whom they were dealing.  Her goal was to prove that their only choice was to accept her.  How did she have the foresight, skills, and bravery to continue on her path without allowing disruption to kill her vision?

Elinor reflects on her childhood, which proved to be the best sales training of all. “My father was the ultimate motivational coach.  An avid sports enthusiast, each time a team was predicted to lose but managed to win, became my training ground.  He would tirelessly say, never allow anyone to count you out.  The phrase he repeated was when the going gets tough; the tough get going.  And then he would add, you are the only one who has to believe you can achieve whatever your heart desires.

My mother’s training was on the opposite side.  Almost daily, I heard her say, ‘you need to be nice to everyone.  It does not matter what they say or do; what matters is your behavior.  Be honest, and hold a high standard of integrity.  When people mistreat you, smile to realize you know better, and then walk away.’

The third factor was my encounters with bullies.  Those also proved to be outstanding training.  I learned to listen, observe, and ask questions.  When meanness took over, I would match the effort and up it a level to end the bullying.

The three main training elements during my childhood were the perfect platform for my excelling initially in sales and later earning recognition as an entrepreneur and leading influencer.

How did all of the above play out in corporate sales?  On my first job, I was expected to fail because I am a stupid woman.  Training would be a waste of money.  Thankfully, I had no familiarity with the script.  Instead, I had fabulous conversations with my prospective clientele.   And my mother’s words, ‘Be nice to everyone no matter what’ for me applied to eliminating the totem pole syndrome.  I soon realized that the guard and the receptionist would often make recommendations for the CEO to purchase from me.

By the fourth month, not knowing a thing about the business equipment I was to sell or even how to sell, I became the branch’s top producer.

The men, including management, upped the ugliness of their games.

Years later, I wrote the book, “Nice Girls DO Get The Sale: Relationship Building That Gets Results.”  I detailed every horrible corporate event in the book and how I addressed it for a better outcome.  The book became an International Best-Seller and was featured in TIME Magazine because women worldwide were having similar issues.  Unfortunately, not much has changed.

One more unusual fact about Elinor is that her determination and speaking up saved her life.  She is a rare survivor of supposedly an ‘irreparable’ broken neck.  While on the stretcher, awaiting admittance to the hospital, she had an unusual near-death experience.  The vision was everything she needed to aspire to, becoming a speaker and giving her best to communities in need, which motivated her to speak up.

To her dismay, Elinor heard the surgeon say, ‘most likely you will be paralyzed,’ Stutz knew he didn’t believe she would survive.  Instead, she shot back, ‘Doctor, when I wake up, I fully expect to be well.’

Her motto became, ‘Believe Become Empower’ and she relishes the fact that she does break barriers!

Elinor’s company website: SmoothSale.net

Book: The Wish: A 360 Degree Business Development Process That Fuels Sales

Book: Hired!: How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself On Interviews