Today, we have the pleasure of interviewing Jordan Levent, Co-Founder & COO of Fully Invested, a mentorship & learning community.
In his eleven years in direct sales, he has sold and managed over $200 million in revenue and was a District Manager for a publicly-traded company, running the top office in the region. Learning how to pitch a sale without appearing too eager or pushy has become the cornerstone for Levent’s business and a striving force in his career.
Great to have you with us today! Please tell us about what it is that you do.
I am a leader in direct sales and have spent the past 12 years helping others develop the skills needed to excel in sales & business,
Please tell us more about your journey.
I started in direct sales at the age of 17 and have really taken the time to learn the psychology of sales and the language behind what motivates people to make buying decisions. My co-founders & I have recently been working with multiple companies & individuals to help them create more opportunities in their business and life.
That’s great! How did you manage to become an authority on the topic of sales?
In its simplest explanation, sales have been my entire life. I excelled in a very competitive market and led one of the top direct sales teams in America for a publicly-traded company on the NYSE. Over my career, I have a long list of accomplishments and records, which I view more as placeholders than anything else.
I think the reason I’m labeled as an “Authority” on the topic of sales is that my style of selling is based on psychology and how the brain responds to words, more so than any specific “tactic.” By understanding the sales process on a deeper level, I’m able to teach others to sell and use the right terminology without alienating themselves or their customer.
Can you share the most interesting or amusing story that occurred to you in your career so far? Can you share the lesson or take away what you took out of that story?
I was terrified on my first day in sales. I had just moved to Atlanta, and I got dropped off by my manager in a neighborhood to go knock on doors. I was honestly too afraid to knock on anyone’s door, so I spent most of the day walking around in the summer heat. After about 6 hours of walking aimlessly, my thirst kicked in, and I began to realize that I was a few miles from a store.
Instead of doing the logical thing and asking someone for water, I ran up to the side of a “vacant” house and started to use the hose so I could hydrate a little. As soon as the hose turned on, a car pulled into the driveway & a woman, almost as stunned as I was, began to walk towards me. I raised my hands in embarrassment and pleaded how I was just thirsty from working all day. She laughed a little and invited me to wait there for a bottle of water.
I explained to her I got dropped off for work and that I was in sales. We had a conversation about what I was selling, and I ended up making her my first customer! The reason why I share this story is that without that interaction, I probably would have never knocked on a door, and I would have quit my first job in sales. I became one of the top reps in that office, and by the next year, I was co-managing a team in a different state.
This showed me a few things:
- Overthinking leads to doing nothing. Execution over strategy.
- Comfort zones actually make for uncomfortable lives. There is no joy in fear.
- Sales are life. If you can speak words, you can create value for others. The difference between being decent or great is just fine-tuning.
What are the strategies that helped you become successful in your journey?
Looking back over the past, I think what has helped me become successful is always focusing on the solutions instead of the problems in life. It’s very easy to make an excuse or come up with a reason as to why something isn’t possible, but when you take ownership of the situations in your life, you usually are able to get more out of them.
Any message for our readers.
My advice for anyone reading this would be to really invest in yourself and your learning. I think it’s really easy to get farther in life when you surround yourself with the right knowledge and insight.
A good mentor is worth more than a college degree for most situations.
Fantastic! So tell us, how can people find out more about you?
If you’d like to get involved or hear more about what my partners and I are building, you can find us at our website or Instagram @FullyInvestedMentors. To ask me any questions or work with me directly, the best way to get in touch would be @jslevent on social media handles.
Thank you so much, Jordan, for giving us your precious time! We wish you all the best for your journey ahead!