Paul Cherry was in trouble. Personally, he was doing fine, earning a solid salary with nice benefits, but he worked for a floundering company that would likely soon fall apart. He had considered striking out on his own for awhile, but fear held him back. He wanted to provide a good life for his stay-at-home wife and two young children. Starting his own business seemed too risky until he had no other choice. An abrupt layoff yanked out the rug of security from under him.
Cherry sprang into action, calling everyone in his professional network. He printed business cards and began offering sales training, leadership development and coaching from his home. “Fast forward 12 months and wow! I had doubled my salary,” Cherry said. “My only regret is that it didn’t happen sooner.” Instead of a paltry commission and no support from superiors, Cherry’s own efforts brought about his income. He also received recognition for his expertise.
It’s understandable that he enjoys working with companies who want to invest in their sales force. “I’ve worked with more than 200 of the Fortune 500 companies, but love to work with clients in the $8 million to $50 million [range], because that’s where I can create the most impact and drive performances.”
Most of his sales he makes are over the phone, but for the training, he prefers face-to-face. Referrals, social media, webinars, sales prospecting calls, Google keyword searches, and networking at association meetings all help him generate sales.
Working with a ghostwriter, Paul Cherry completed “Questions that Sell: The Powerful Process for Discovering What Your Customer Really Wants” (American Management Association: 2006). He also wrote “Questions that Get Results: Innovative Ideas Managers Can Use to Improve Their Team’s Performance” (John Wiley & Sons: 2010) with Patrick Connor, his managing partner at Performance Based Results. Writing the books are accomplishments that have brought him great satisfaction and helped him promote his business.
Paul Cherry has enjoyed working at home to be available for his family, and to travel whenever he needs or desires. He said, “I have literally no overhead except a computer.” He wants to continue to grow the business, using independent contractors as needed. For more information, visit www.pbresults.com.
