Simon Leslie, How to Combat Challenging Economic Times – InnovaBuzz 346

Simon Leslie, Ink Global

In this episode, I’m really excited to have as my guest, Simon Leslie, CEO and Founder of Ink Global and the author of the book “There is no F in Sales”.

Ink is the global leader in connecting with travelers. They write, design and produce print and video content for over three dozen airlines, in 17 languages, and sell advertising in over 100 countries. Their clients include American Airlines, Air France-KLM, EasyJet, Etihad, Qatar, Singapore Airlines, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, plus many more.

In our discussion, Simon talked to me about:

• Providing a special experience to their readers, with information that isn’t easily found in other places
• His “never stop learning” philosophy combined with the willingness to ask for help
• The failures of the “copy and paste” society.

Dr. Mark Goulston in episode 305 introduced us to Simon.

Listen to the podcast to find out more.

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Show Notes from this episode with Simon Leslie of Ink Global

Key points and takeaways from this episode include:

• People trust something in print more than they trust something on the internet. Print gives credibility.
• All businesses go through challenges every single day.
• Success takes time. Success is a long journey and process, but there are things that you can do to speed up that journey.
• Success is driven by belief.
• Faith is a muscle that needs to be exercised every day.
• Believe that whatever you are doing, you are going to be good at it.
• There are no limiting beliefs nor limiting languages. It’s all about living a life with optimism and belief.
• It takes practice. Anybody who is good has practiced for years.
• Be open to learning. If you think you know it all, you know nothing. If you think you are the most clever person in the room, you are in the wrong room.
• In everything that you do, you have to believe deeply in your heart that you are doing it for all the right reasons. Have the confidence that when you do something, you are doing it for the benefit of the other person and not just for your own self-gain or self-worth.
• It’s true that you need to have a lot of touchpoints with your customers. They need to know you’re engaged, but it needs to feel personal.
• The art of doing business over the phone is a superpower. It will differentiate you from anybody else.
• We live in a copy and paste society.
• We are all average. Average is the best we can be because when you achieve the best you can, that becomes your average.
• Be the best version of yourself because everybody else is taken.
• The bigger the problem you solve, the more money and changes happen.
• Problems are the best things in life. The more problems you solve, the better your life would be.
• You will get anything you want in life as long as you help enough people achieve what they want to achieve. 
• Always make sure that you are serving relevant content. Don’t bombard your customers with irrelevant messages. Bombard them with something that will help enhance their experience with whatever it is that they are doing at the moment.
• The pandemic has been a fantastic reset for all of us to look at our businesses closely, to look at the value we are adding, and why we’re doing this. It gave us a chance to really look into what we do and how we can do it better.
• The only way we can come out of this stronger is if we work together and support each other.
• Worry is a belief that the future isn’t going to be better than the present. Faith is believing that the future is better than the present.
• Life is full of challenges and surprises that you don’t expect but it’s also full of opportunities everywhere we turn.
• When you operate with the right energy level and at the right state, it’s amazing what goodness you attract. 

The Buzz – Our Innovation Round

Here are Simon’s answers to the questions of our innovation round. Listen to the conversation to get the full scoop.

1. #1 thing to be more innovative – Don’t copy and paste. There is no such thing as an original idea but there is definitely an original spin to everything. You’ve got to have your own point of view. 
2. Best thing for new ideas – Reading, listening, and watching videos. Life is one big learning. The best people are those who never stopped learning and making mistakes. 
3. Favourite tool for innovation – Spotify. Use the resources that are available to you. Don’t take them for granted. Find people that you really like and absorb their message. 
4. Keep project/client on track – Tight measurements. What doesn’t get measured, doesn’t get done. Measure the things that are most important.
5. Differentiate – Be the best in whatever it is that you are going to do at that moment. Be present. Be consistent. Listen not to respond, but just listen. 

To Be a Leader

Be a nice human being. Be the best version of yourself. Be the person that you want to be hanging out with.

Reach Out

You can reach out and thank Simon through their website and on LinkedIn.

Suggested Guest

Simon suggested we have a conversation with author, motivational speaker and coach Tim Storey. So Tim, keep an eye on your inbox for an invitation from us to the InnovaBuzz podcast, courtesy of Simon Leslie.

Links

• Website – Ink Global
• Twitter – @SimonLeslie21
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Instagram

Book

• There is no F in Sales: A book about selling in every market condition 

Cool Things About Simon

• He started his career in door-to-door insurance sales at the age of 17.
• He’s an ambassador of Beam.org, a non-profit that supports homeless people into stable careers. 
• Every cent of profit from his book is donated to Beam.org.

Listen to the Podcast