Jen Wagstaff Helps Salespeople Strategize To Become Top Performers

Jen Wagstaff has not always been your typical businesswoman. At 18, she donned bright dreadlocks, had 16 piercings, and spent her weekends dancing to rave music. But over the course of two years, she transformed herself into an internationally renowned sales expert.

Since setting up her own company, CreativeMind, she has designed and delivered training across Europe for big name brands such as Total Jobs Group, Asics, and Wild & Wolf through Natural Training. She’s also created sales strategies for hundreds of British businesses.

What motivated and inspired you to start your own business?

In business, I’ve always been driven by a desire for freedom and the desire to help other people find freedom. I wanted to have the freedom to do what I want and to help who I want. To achieve that freedom, it only made sense for me to set up my own business. I like helping people find freedom. Whether it’s financial freedom, freedom to be more confident, or emotional freedom. Running my own business allows me to do that.

Tell us about your business.

CreativeMind is a Bristol, UK-based group of success-driven fanatics who help salespeople create the strategy, mindset, and habits to become top performers in sales.

Are you currently running any promos/contests/giveaways that you would like our readers to know about?

We are currently fundraising for my new book, the Top Performer Journal, on Kickstarter. The Top Performer Journal is a powerful daily planner designed to help people develop the strategy, mindset, and habits to become a Top Performer in sales. You can find it here.

List awards/certifications/accomplishments.

Within top 5% of sales people worldwide at FedEx Express
Promoted to sales facilitator at FedEx Express, age 24
Designed and delivered training across Europe for brands like Total Jobs Group, Asics, and Wild & Wolf through Natural Training.
Created sales strategies for hundreds of British businesses
Tens of thousands of hours of Association of Coaching Accredited coaching and training experience, to all levels of seniority
Certified NLP Practitioner
Certified in CBT

Where is your business based?

Bristol, UK.

What were the first few steps you took to get your business up and running?

The first step, honestly, was panic. Going out on your own is scary. But after panicking, I went and asked as many people as possible for their advice on how to run a good business. I had literally hundreds of meetings with people who had started their own businesses and asked them for inspiration. I got out there as much as I could in my first year, putting my face around, making myself known. After that, I spent about a year trying to figure out what my niche was, and what it was that I had to offer customers.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness of your business and getting new customers?

Identifying a really strong supportive network of people who are dream customers. I keep in really close touch with these people, and they refer me business. I also have a list of dream companies who I’d like to work for. I try to keep on their radar at all times.

For me, it’s about being strategic about who I want to work with. I try not to undervalue myself and turn down business I’m not interested in. At times that’s a tough decision, but it’s been vital for me.

What have been your biggest challenges so far?

I have found it hard to just keep going in the really low times. I often find myself racked with self-doubt, and thinking, “Is any of this worth it?” When pressure gets overwhelming and tasks build up, it can get hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

How did you overcome these challenges?

When I’m feeling low, I look back at my habits of my past week or so. I generally realize that those habits haven’t helped me to be positive. I haven’t been doing the things that keep me positive. These are activities like doing yoga and seeing my friends. I take a step back, look at my habits. and change them back to things I know make me happy.

How do you keep motivated through difficult times?

It’s important to have a clear picture of your goal. When I first started, I identified my goal as buying my own house. I kept that picture in mind at all times, especially when I was struggling. Ultimately, I hit my sales targets for 21 consecutive quarters, and bought the house I now live in.

How do you distinguish yourself from your competitors?

A lot of sales trainers are about “one-hit wonders.” They put on one big event that leaves you feeling motivated, but it only lasts a day or two. But I’ve found that sales development is actually a continual process. It doesn’t happen overnight but through daily reflection and growth. It’s not about one-off sessions. My methodology, which is laid out in the Top Performer Journal, allows me to continually develop and always be moving towards a goal.

What is the best advice you have received recently?

Everything on your to-do list is something you’ve decided to do, so it’s your choice whether you do it or not. Once you realize that, it reminds you have freedom to decide what you actually want to do with your time. It encourages you not to become a victim of your own demands.

What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?

My advice comes in three parts. In terms of strategy, I would say this: be really clear of your sales goals and how much revenue you want each week. For mindset advice: approach every sales conversation with the attitude of “how can I help this person in this conversation?” And on habits, the old saying: good habits are as addictive as bad habits and a lot more rewarding.

What are your favorite business tools/resources and why?

I’m a bit biased, but I’d say the Top Performer Journal, every day it helps me maintain good habits, keep a positive mindset, and keep progressing toward my goals. Also Canva. I find that you can use Canva to make any sales message exceptionally clear and really beautiful. And finally the meditation app Headspace. It always helps me to sort out my mind and focus on the good things in life.

What is a good article or book you have read recently?

To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others – Daniel H. Pink
The Chimp Paradox: The Mind Management Program to Help You Achieve Success, Confidence, and Happiness – Steve Peters
The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down: How to Be Calm and Mindful in a Fast-Paced World – Haemin Sunim

What are you currently learning about for your business or looking for help with?

How to run a successful Kickstarter campaign.

What are your goals for the next few months and how are you striving to achieve them?

As mentioned above, we’re currently focusing our efforts on fundraising for the Top Performer Journal. We were fortunate enough to hit our initial £10,000 target in 4 days, but we’ve now raised our sights to 15K.

We’re actually working to get there using our own methodology, breaking down our bigger abstract goals into smaller, scalable parts. With any luck we should be able to boss our target.