About Tessa

Professional Bio

Current

I teach small businesses owners and recovering salespeople 10 simple steps to turn conversations into clients without being sales-y or pushy.

I've appeared on numerous radio shows and am a regular teleseminar guest speaker. My articles are published regularly on countless sites on the Web as well as in offline magazines such as Sales & Service Excellence and Choice Magazine.

Background

How I got my first sales job was via the Yellow Pages! This is absolutely true. I was working in Johannesburg, South Africa, for a computer company. I wanted to move into sales and asked my company but they said no. So I simply got out the Yellow Pages, looked up computer companies, and started ringing them and asking to speak to the CEOs. It was when I got to the S's that I actually got through to a CEO and got an interview! He hired me within 30 minutes of being interviewed.

Well now I had this sales job but no sales experience. I was very concerned I would be "found out". So over the next few weeks, I listened to a mountain of motivational tapes (Jonathan Livingston Seagull was one of my favorites). I did not read any books on sales techniques; I just focused on getting a powerful mindset. I thought this was the key and the rest would follow, which it did. Well within 6 months of joining this company, I brought in their biggest deal ever and went on to become their top sales achiever 3 years in a row, all without knowing "normal" sales techniques. I went on to several other sales roles and was consistently a top achiever.

Overall I have 20+ years of successful experience in selling. The sales I have made have ranged from a few hundred dollars to over US$10 million. I have made these sales using my Sales Conversation process which I have evolved and refined over 20+ years.

The biggest compliment I receive is that I do not act like or seem like a salesperson. I just love it when people say that to me. Selling to me is not about selling; it is about being a facilitator and helping people solve their problems. Hence, when people say to me I am not like a salesperson, that is a compliment and I know I am doing a good job.

In case you are interested, I have a Bachelors degree in mathematics and economics from Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand. I will admit that my arithmetic is now absolutely terrible and I am calculator-dependent!

Personal Bio

Did you know that kiwi birds can't fly? Well I am living proof this is not true. I am originally from New Zealand (i.e. I am a "kiwi") and left there many years ago to see the world. Well my original intent was to be only gone for 2 years but so far I have been away for 26 years and what a lot of fun and adventures I have had.

I lived in London for three years. My then boyfriend and I had a campervan and just about every weekend went off touring the UK. We would explore Europe on our holidays.

After London I went to live in Bahrain, in the Middle East. My then fiancé was transferred there. Getting a job in the Middle East was a challenge. Still challenges and I are best mates and I landed a marketing role which resulted in extensive traveling throughout the Middle East. I had some interesting experiences!

After London, I went to live in Johannesburg in South Africa (minus the fiancé). Nothing like turning up to live somewhere and you know absolutely no one. Character building is one way of putting it. It was here I met and fell in love with Michael and we married and then went to live in Sydney, Australia.

I now live in Sydney, Australia, with Michael. We have a beautiful house overlooking the bush. Michael has been renovating the house for nearly 6 years now (he promises me it will be finished soon).

We both love traveling and every year we travel as much as possible. In 2007 we went to Thailand, Malaysia, Fiji, USA and Belize in Central America. So far for 2008 we plan to go to Thailand in April and South Africa, Europe and Japan in June. Should all be fun!