Chip Ervin - Why You Want To Study Other Industries to Be Able to Sell Well

Chip Ervin is a DJ, a professional poker player with an impressive list of accomplishments, and an insurance broker. His thinking is not limited to just one profession, one field, or one occupation.

A lot of business owners limit their scope of business interests and thinking to just their own business niches and their own capabilities and opportunities. The only exception when a typical business owner goes beyond that is when it comes to money. That’s when most business owners think in terms of someone else’s money, usually in the form of credit or investments.

Such thinking usually also limits selling capabilities and the flow of new ideas. In most the business ventures, great ideas come from the outside.

For example, today the drive-through windows are mostly associated with the fast food industry. However, the first recorded use of a drive-through window comes from the Grand National Bank of St. Louis, Missouri, in 1930. The idea was then copied by a number of different industries, from fast food to funeral homes where visitors can drive by and look at the remains of their loved ones through a window of a car.

This is what you want to be doing, too. You want to be looking for new ideas everywhere. One of the best options is to find a group of progressive sales-oriented business people where you can discuss new ideas, explore potential alliances, and discover what’s working.

Learning from different experiences and areas of life is one of the factors that played a role in Chip Ervin’s success.

Chip Ervin - Using Free Gifts to Increase Your Sales

Chip Ervin has been playing poker professionally since 2007. He is one of Alabama’s top poker players. He is also an insurance broker and a DJ. This vast experience gives him unique insights into the psychology of sales and human interactions.

Every sane, reasonable person knows that there is no such thing as a free lunch. However, we are all hoping for it and looking for it. This is why you want to use free gifts, or premiums in your selling.

A premium is something the customer gets for free when buying something else. A premium can be everything and anything. Some expensive homes even come with a Rolls Royce that a buyer gets as a free gift.

Chip Ervin

You want to choose a premium that is different from what you sell. Simply giving away products or services similar to yours devaluates your core business.

The best premiums are premiums that people want for themselves, but usually wouldn’t buy.

There can be plenty of reasons why someone may be able to afford an item, but never buy it. It may be that they will feel guilty about the purchase or others seeing them making the purchase. It may be that their household members wouldn’t approve of the purchase.

Figuring out what your prospects want and then giving it away free as a free gift with a purchase can be a very powerful strategy. In this scenario you will have prospects buying from you not just for your core offer, but also because you are fundamentally giving them a way out by using your gift without feeling guilty about it.

As a DJ, Chip Ervin witnessed nightclubs use this strategy very effectively when selling expensive tables and packages to affluent customers.

Chip Ervin - How to DJ On A Budget

Chip Ervin has been a DJ since the age of fourteen, when he established himself as DJ Chip Hop at Super Skate. He eventually moved onto the underground rave scene, spinning discs with the likes of Evol Intent and Knick Bro Safari, even spending a period of his life working as a DJ in Atlanta. He is always interested in seeing new DJs ply their trade, with the following tips proving useful to those who are trying to do so on a budget.

Buy Second Hand
Having flash new equipment is all well and good, but it may restrict your purchasing options if you are working to a tight budget. Don’t be afraid to speak to other DJs to see if they have any older equipment that they are trying to sell. This will allow you the chance to work more dates, thus building the reputation and earning the money you need to improve your kit over time.

Use Good Music Sources
The likes of Spotify and Soundcloud are going to prove important to any DJs who have little to spend, as they offer you access to a huge variety of music at a low cost. This means that you get to spend less of your budget on building a collection of records, allowing you to funnel your money into buying new kit.

Take Lots of Gigs
While you may see yourself as a specific sort of DJ, Chip Ervin notes that all gigs give you the chance to earn money. Consider all opportunities that come your way and take as many paying gigs as possible.

Chip Ervin - How To Putt Properly

When he is not busy working as an insurance broker or honing his skills as a professional poker player, Chip Ervin likes to unwind by playing a few rounds of golf at his local course. In order to develop into a good player, you need to focus on your short game as much as your long game. This means developing your putting skills by making good use of the following advice.

  Read The Green

With wind becoming less of a factor with the ball on the ground, you need to spend more time reading the green and understanding how it will affect your putt. You need to be able to manipulate the contours of the green properly to ensure you are accurate and use the right amount of power. This takes a lot of practice, especially as many new players are guilty of under-reading their putts, resulting in wasted shots.

Constantly Assess

Each missed putt is a learning opportunity so you need to treat it as such. If you don’t assess the way you putt, you are unlikely to make any long-lasting improvements. It is crucial that you fully understand your reasoning behind the shots that you make, as this will allow you to pick out flaws in your decision making that you can correct on later putts.

Keep Practicing

It may seem like a simple tip, but Chip Ervin understands the importance of regular practice. Try to get out on the greens as often as possible so that you can apply what you learn. Even your local crazy golf facility can prove useful in this endeavor.

Chip Ervin - How to Know if Sales if for You

Chip Ervin experienced much success as an insurance broker over the years. That success has hinged on Mr. Ervin’s salesmanship skills. Being a salesperson is not a career for everyone. It requires a certain kind of mindset, ability, and work ethic. Here is a list of a few things to consider when deciding if sales is the right career path for you:

• Freedom and Challenge: The perks of working for commission is that you have freedom to pursue whatever you want, setting your work schedule and creating your own ‘economic environment. However, this approach requires considerable discipline, as you only generate income with good, consistent performance.
• Uncapped Potential: A commission-based salesperson has limitless potential to earn. The more sales you close, the more money you make. Getting a sale often requires a considerable amount of work however, and requires being able to be your own boss.
• Skill Sets: A successful salesperson can sell lots of products or services in a small period of time. Being able to accomplish this is often a matter of having the proper skill set. Good salespeople tend to have good presentation skills and people skills. A good salesperson also knows how to network, is creative, and has the ability to set and achieve goals. The most successful salespeople are constantly looking for ways to improve, and are also liked by many of the people they interact with.

Chip Ervin has developed his salesmanship skills over the years. His success has often been attributed to his social aptitude and networking skills