Perfect Sales Language To Get Engagement! with Keri Maletto

You can find Keri Maletto at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kmaletto
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KeriMaletto
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kerimaletto/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kerimaletto

Keri Maletto Podcast Transcription

[00:05:37]Kris Ward: Hey, everyone. Welcome to another episode of Win the Hour, Win the Day. And I am your host, Kris Ward. And today we have Keri Maletto in the house. Now, you may not even know that name, but you have probably seen her on the Home Shopping Network. And boy oh boy, I have the opportunity to be in a situation to listen to Keri speak before, and I could not believe how much I learned from her. And I could not believe how much science and depth and bandwidth there was to being, do I call it a host carrier? Are you a host? Is that what we call it when you’re on the home? Home shopping network? 

[00:06:17]Keri Maletto: Yeah. They call us guest, host, or experts. So we are experts in our area, but we are also as much as knowing about our product, we are on television, so we do have to know how to still be a host and operate within that realm. So we’re guest hosts. 

[00:06:31]Kris Ward: Okay. Guest hosts. And your expertise is culinary and food products. And boy oh boy. Okay. Where to start with you? So what I found interesting with your history was you were talking about how you started out before you were on tv. You started out in timeshares and you learned a lot there because every single word counted.

[00:06:50]Keri Maletto:  Yes, absolutely. If you really wanna go back and where I have to give props, it’s to being in the service industry. So I started off as a server and you really learn a lot. My husband and I always comment all the time cuz both of us came from the service industry.

[00:07:04] We feel like it’s like something that every human being should do, at least at one point in their life to really experience that, right? And service and hospitality and just how to deal with several things happening all at once. So I think a lot of my skill sets started there. I then worked for Autotrader Publishing for a while doing advertising and magazine sales.

[00:07:25] And then after that is when I found myself in Timeshare which how I got there is hilarious because we were hanging out with some friends and at the time I was trying to figure out, I wanted to leave Autotrader, but I didn’t know what came next. And I was hanging out with one of my guy friends and his girlfriend and we were watching the movie Boiler Room, which you’ve never seen the movie.

[00:07:44] It’s intense. It’s a very intense environment. It was more about stocks and all that sort of thing. And she goes. Oh wow. That’s like my job. And then within like the same breath said, “You should come work with me.” And I said, “You just said your job was like that and I don’t think I’m interested.”

[00:08:00] That sounds horrible. But I took her up on it to come check it out and Timeshare for me became… it was my Mount Everest to climb because I think it was, I knew what I knew coming in. But by the time I left there, I think I took some skills with me that are lifelong skills.

[00:08:20] How you’ve just mentioned every word matters. What’s in your thoughts and what you’re thinking that day will permeate how you are with people. Like so many things. So it’s a vault of information that has made me who I am today. So I’m super grateful for it. But yeah, the every word matters thing.

[00:08:38] We have to think about it in a sales environment especially, but we have to think about the words that are coming out of our mouth because how they come off to someone else and how they make you come off to someone else is important. And in a sales situation, you really only have so many seconds.

[00:08:56] I mean, even with us on HSN, when you think about it, if you’re flicking the channels, or if you’re doing other things in the house, you just so happen to have it on, which is we know that that is our customers kind of maybe cooking or cleaning, and they have it on and and they’re listening to it, what’s gonna pull them over to the television?

[00:09:18] What’s gonna make them stop what they’re doing? Or stop turning the channel and stick with you. And that’s why things that we always hear in sales, don’t be monotone, have a cadence to what you’re saying. Have some excitement about what you’re saying. Just the same as that ties back into, I think we were also talking about

[00:09:39] talking to your friend. Everything that I do in my business, even though I’m talking to a camera, I’m still talking to my friend. And when you talk to your friend, you talk differently about things then you would say, if you knew you were in a sales situation or a business situation, there’s kind of this wall in business generally that you believe you have to put up.

[00:09:58] And yes, there’s a professionalism. But I also think there also needs to be that rapport building that can only happen when you bring the wall down a little bit and you say, “Hey, look human to human. Here’s what we’re talking about.” And that’s what we really do well at HSN, because we even call our customer “her”, we have a name for “her” and everything.

[00:10:20] And the reason we do that is because we wanna know who she is, who we’re talking to. And we really want… for me, when I get a product, I start thinking about what I like about it or how I would explain it to my best friend or to her. And that helps me kind of cater my entire presentation to what I’m gonna say.

[00:10:43] And it all stems from understanding that I am just, I’m talking to somebody I wanna share something cool with. And in any business, this can help because think about the time you bought a car, you bought a suit. You bought shoes, you bought anything, and you really like the salesperson? 

[00:11:04]Kris Ward: Yes. Yes. Hold on. I wanna unpack some of the things you said cuz I’m making furious things here because it’s so important. I think starting at the top was, you know what, we all had this false sense. Even when you’re building a website or anything that you think, because what you do, you’re so passionate about that they’re gonna start reading like a story book to a child, page one to page 10, and that idea of when people are flicking the channels or walking by.

[00:11:27] You know, it’s always easy to look at the other thing to, Oh, she’s on tv so she’s got our attention. You know, that’s the holy grail. But you bring up a really good point in all sales. It’s like the moment is fleeting. So yes, I’m walking through the room or I’m doing something else, or I’m flicking channels and you absolutely have to get my channel, I have to get my attention.

[00:11:48] Cause nobody signs up to that channel to be sold. Nobody says, All right, I’m gonna go see here and see if I can, you know, there’s times my mother would say, I won’t even go on there. Because they’re so good, right? And then I think too, what you really are talking about is sometimes I’ve seen it and it is so good on the shopping channel.

[00:12:05] Cause I know sales talk about that too. Like if you wanna learn how to sell, watch infomercials or shopping channel. And sometimes you look at something you think, I don’t, I wish I had a purpose for that because I want to want that, I want it and I can’t justify buying it. Right? Yes. So I think that friend thing and the idea of you guys, I didn’t know there was the research and the depth and I didn’t know that was your responsibility because you do really make it look like you just get up there, wander in five minutes before you know they hand you this.

[00:12:38] And maybe it’s a pro, like, I guess I thought it’s a product. That maybe you’ve been working with for years? So you just kind of show up like five minutes before the plane takes off and be your perky self and chit chat. But you have to do research and create the sales script and everything. 

[00:12:55]Keri Maletto: Yes. So like the way it works for me is I would get a product. So right now I’m working on a really cool water bottle and it’s very different features. You think water bottle, what’s this person has, this company has put a lot of work into making sure that anything and everything you could think of that you would want your water bottle to do this.

[00:13:15] So it starts off getting the products, then having meetings with the person who’s created it or the company. In those meetings it’s discussed what are the features of this that make it different? What is it we really wanna talk about? And then once that’s done, then I do my own authentic story building just by having, like, I’ve been having the bottle everywhere I go.

[00:13:34] So I took it to the gym, I took it in my card, does it fit in the cup holder? You know, when I took it out, did anybody say anything to me? Like, “Hey, cool bottle.” So any of that kind of stuff, I can kind of start to build my story. So what’s interesting about what I do that you are kind of right about.

[00:13:51] There’s a track to run on and there’s what we call like a demo plan, right? So we do kind of know where we’re going and where we wanna end up, and the points that need to be discussed, how we get there is what changes because it’s live television, so of course you know much like your sales calls or anything else in life.

[00:14:09] Every person you’re talking to is different. And so, my hosts are always gonna be different when I go on air. My 1:00 PM show may be completely different than my 7:00 PM show. So I really do need to know my product in and out. I need to know all those things. And that’s why I say it’s a lot of research and a lot of time spent to understand “the why” with this.

[00:14:29] To me it’s “the why”, why is somebody gonna buy? What’s the reason? Why this and not something else? And so “why” is a very big word. There was, if you’ve heard of Forbes Riley, Forbes used to always drill down on that. She would say, Why? Why? Over and over again for whatever the question was.

[00:14:50] And the reason is because we tend to live on the surface of things more often than not. It hurts our heads to think deeply all the time. So we make surface decisions a lot. And when you’re pressed why over and over and over again? You start to get to the deeper meanings and the deeper thoughts and the deeper reasonings of things.

[00:15:10] And so for me it’s to keep asking why, why this bottle? Why this color, why this, you know, whatever. So in that instance and that helps me drill down on all the why’s and all the reasons that someone would say yes to this, and that’s what I have to make sure I cover. So even though it seems very conversational and it is, we are

[00:15:31] kind of enjoy each other’s company. And I love when the host asks me questions and that kind of helps me to kind of answer some things that I might not have thought about because a different person’s gonna ask a different question than maybe I thought of. I do have to know where I’m going and what I’m trying to accomplish.

[00:15:50] And so if I get too off course, I have to bring it back on course, but I can’t look at, make it look awkward either, because it can’t be just like, “Hey, we’re talking about straws.” And then I go, “By the way, this is BPA free and blah, blah, blah.” 

[00:16:04]Kris Ward: Yeah, you have to get there, so you have to get your points in. But at some point, here’s my list. I gotta get these in, I gotta keep, and I can’t get lost in the, like the minuteness of it. Right? And then, and I think it’s fascinating too because we all, as a service based business, you’re like, okay, my product like this, whatever, all the things that are so important and then yet works, your job is to sell that like so passionately and you’re just doing research or you may have had the product a week.

[00:16:35] Right, so it really does lend itself to expertise of sales. And I think the beauty of what you do is the art of hiding the art like you do literally. You know? And especially where I think part of your craft, and I think you talked about this, is being likable and talking to a friend. So now we’re watching Keri, she’s likable, she’s chitchatting, and so it looks like.

[00:17:00] Again, it’s like you just wandered out, brushed your teeth, as you make it look so easy, right? And I think that to me was so fascinating is that there was so much to it and yet you made it look, I think anything done well looks easy. You see somebody in the Olympics, you’re like, Oh yeah, look. Yeah. Right, Right.

[00:17:20]Keri Maletto: They say when people recognize people, they’ve probably been doing it for at least it takes about 10 years to become a professional in something. And so, I’m in my 12th year at HSN, but as far as being in sales, I’m definitely over 20 years doing sales, so, yeah. You’re watching people who have been practicing and doing this a very long time, and I’m certainly not perfect, and I certainly get nervous still.

[00:17:43] And I think that’s also an important thing to talk about. Whenever you move into something that’s new or you move into something that maybe you’re not that confident in, it’s okay to be nervous. It’s okay to be in an uncomfortable feeling. And even though I’ve been doing this for 12 years, I can point out, you’ll probably watch the same show that I did and I’ll be like, Oh.

[00:18:04] I was so nervous on this one, or I wasn’t on my game on this one. Because naturally when I have something brand new, that’s my brain trying to still remember all the facts and the figures and all the things as opposed to the nut company I’ve been doing my favorite company, Ferris Nut Su Outta Grand Rapids, Michigan.

[00:18:24] I’ve been doing that since 2010. I could literally roll out of bed and talk about them with absolutely no problem whatsoever. It’s like ingrained in me versus the thing I just got last week that I’m still not, you know, so I always like to express to people that even the people who’ve been doing this a long time still get nervous.

[00:18:43]Kris Ward: But I would also say, and I like to think, I get compliments, I’m a savvy business person, but if I was in that meeting at the shopping channel and they said, “We’re gonna sell nuts on the shopping channel, or we’re gonna sell chocolates. I know you spoke of that too, and I think. Listen, come on guys. You can throw a rock in any direction and hit nuts and chocolate.” Why? What is there to sell here? You know,, they have nuts and chocolate. I’m sure they’re probably eating nuts and chocolate while they watch this show, right?

[00:19:13]Keri Maletto: Yep, yep. But not these one. 

[00:19:14]Kris Ward: Ans yet, they sell this all the time. 

[00:19:17]Keri Maletto: Yeah, my net company has been 12 years that we’ve been on the network and it’s a num mix.

[00:19:22] Yeah.  And we always laugh about it because it’s like, well, who would’ve thought Num Mix would just sell like crazy? Again, it’s about the why. Why is this different? Why this one, why this company? The truth of the matter is, especially in this, I feel this marketplace, people wanna either do business with companies that care.

[00:19:44] So a lot of the companies who are doing like, “Hey, you buy a pair of shoes from us, we buy a pair of shoes for somebody kind, you know, kind of thing.” People really love that. To give back. And they also love companies that are relatable and accessible. So for example, this company is an American company out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

[00:20:01] They’re family owned. There’s all those stories to tell about how they really are artisan about the way that they create these nuts. And so when you tell that story, people, people, people love stories. I do. I mean, like, I would much rather go around the corner and buy from my local farmer than to go to the big Box store and buy it there. Like are the deals sometimes better? Okay. Yeah. But I’d rather give the extra dollar or two to the person that I know it’s directly going to their home. We love stories. We buy stories. That’s why we buy books. That’s why we watch movies. It’s why we do, everyone wants to feel like they’re part of a story.

[00:20:38] And that is, I think, what makes a difference. So there’s been foods along the way that have come to the network and they didn’t really have a story and they didn’t do well. And the ones that have an incredible story, whether it’s how they came to be or I have a cake company that this is the seventh generation that they, that this recipe was in their family vault and that the the great great grandson pulled it out of the vault and did it.

[00:21:05] It’s nut free, it’s dairy free. It’s all these things. So it’s speaking to the world as it is right now where people have allergies and issues and it’s a story. Right. So you can say, this cake is like, you’re getting a recipe from 1817, you know, that kind of thing. And you go, Ooh, that sounds interesting. So without a…

[00:21:23]Kris Ward: Let me jump in for a sec. Just, you know, it’s so profound, and we hear this all the time. Stories. I know it stories, stories, stories. But then when you show how you can sell a nut mix, like there’s no exaggeration. This is a nut mix. A mix of nuts, right? They’re not gonna be able to make you do extra pushups or anything, but when you lend it to something like that, It does remind me, like say during the Olympics, I’m flicking the channel and all of a sudden there’s some sport on the, I don’t even know what this is.

[00:21:25] And then you’re watching three minutes later about how his father went to his practices, whatever. And now all of a sudden you see his dad on the sidelines and you’re like, Ed, his dad showed up. I hope he wins. Oh my gosh. And now you’re in it. You’re like part of the family now. I don’t even know his first name.

[00:22:09] I barely understand the sport, but I’m all in it. Cause look at his dad. His dad wasn’t feeling well last year, but he got on the plane, whatever. Right? So I think that’s another thing that is so simple, but so profound. Talk to this person or any person you know, anyone you’re connecting with in a sales opportunity as a friend and telling the stories literally can sell anything because you just, the ebb and the flow of which where you speak, like as they say, where I am, you could talk a trucker out of his keys, but it’s just the farm and the personality and the sincerity there layered with a plan I guess.

[00:22:47]Keri Maletto: Yeah. And for many, many years, I’m actually trying to… this is probably another times charism, but it was, cAnd I think that’s something that has been, it’s permeated the sales world, you know, but I distinctly learned it in Timeshare, don’t start with all your stats and your things and just like, go after the sale because then you just

[00:23:13] lost the front building, the report, building everything, everything that matters. Their ears are not open yet. You have to show how much you care first, and then they will care about what you know, because if they feel like you’re just another person trying to get in somebody’s pockets or anything like that.

[00:23:30] And I actually feel that for real. I don’t want anyone to ever feel like I pushed something on them. And I will say that to people. I’ll be like, look, and I mean it, you might not need this, but if this is for you, you should listen. You know what I mean? Cuz this might solve a really big problem for you.

[00:23:47] So it’s never being so pushy to the people who… not everybody is for everything. So, you know, recognize when that’s your situation. Recognize if you’ve just met someone and you’re just sitting down with them, don’t jump the gun and go straight to your thing. And I’ve had that, I’ve had people do that to me.

[00:24:08] I had a guy once, you know, I’m an actor as well as a host, and been doing that full time in my life since about like 2008, 2009, and it was some years ago. I sat down an event and this person knew me from another friend. We weren’t even like us friends, per se. We knew of each other. He sat down next to me and he goes, So I heard you been, you know, doing all this food stuff and this and that and, and travel, you know, I was trying to put together a travel show at the time and all of that.

[00:24:39] And he goes, so hook me up with your contacts, like, who you working with? Like blah, blah, blah. I mean, literally said those exact words to me, and my husband was sitting next to me and I just stare. I couldn’t even believe there was no, “How are you, how have you been?” I would’ve, even if that was something I was trying to get to, I would probably have talked to that person for 20 or 30 minutes before going there.

[00:25:02] Like at least. At least maybe. And maybe not even in that meeting. So it’s just some, some people don’t understand. You will cross lines and you will ruin everything if you don’t read the… it’s called reading the room. Yeah, read the room. Take a breather. Let somebody talk to you first. Yeah. Build that rapport first. Yeah. 

[00:25:27]Kris Ward: Another one you talked about which I found interesting. Can you tell us a chocolate story about like, you got chocolates and you’re trying to sell chocolates on the shopping channel. Again, they’re everywhere. Even Halloween Candy now I think can get 12 months of the year, like it’s everywhere. So how are you gonna sell chocolates on the shopping channel? 

[00:25:47]Keri Maletto: So, Right. This company had already been on for about a… close to a year. And the owner of the company was doing it and he was doing a fine job. Obviously, he knows his product. But he definitely got in touch with me because as time moves on, if you’re running a company, you can’t always be doing the television aspect either.

[00:26:08] And we were earing from home at this time. It was the pandemic and setting up for Skype and setting up everything in your house to be TV ready is a whole production. So he got in touch with me and I was looking at what he was doing, and while it was fine, I think what was missing is, as I was saying before, you have to create why this one?

[00:26:29] Why is this one special? And you’re absolutely right. There are gazillion chocolate companies out there, and if you go to any confection shop or anything like that, you got even more choices to choose from. This was a no sugar added chocolate. It is created in Europe. It’s European chocolate. So you’re talking about using non G-mode, German cow milk, there’s a lot of different things going on, but what I loved about it and what spoke to me, so this is going back to, I always like to look at my products in how I feel about them.

[00:27:03] You have to put yourself in the position of your customer, whoever your customer’s gonna be. You have to take out your preconceived notions, what you know, how you feel, and you have to look at it from a human perspective. So I looked at this chocolate, I looked at the packaging, and I thought, how does this packaging make me feel?

[00:27:20] Like when I open it up and I look at it, how does that make me feel? Okay, now I’m tasting it. What kind of experience am I having? So I really had to go all the way through the whole experience. And what I realized that he was missing was that his packaging was really beautiful. It was really sleek. When you looked at the chocolate, it was cut kind of like gems.

[00:27:41] So they kind of did this kind of etching, you know, that when you opened it up, it listens in the light. So I realized that when I held it and I kind of did this, I’m like, Oh, look how the light just jumps off of, it’s kind of like jewelry. And I went, oh, it’s kind of like jewelry. And I thought that is something that we treat ourselves with is jewelry, right?

[00:28:01] Like we don’t just go buy jewelry all the time. Yeah. When we buy jewelry, we buy jewelry cause we feel like it’s a big event or we wanna like gift ourselves something and be good to ourselves and like I’m gonna get that bracelet or that ring. This is what this chocolate needs to be. It needs to be the jewelry for when we just need a moment.

[00:28:18] And I start to think about also, when do I go for chocolate and it’s when I feel really stressed or I just wanna finish up that after dinner experience. That was delicious. Or it just always for me was just a little moment that I could just have that little square chocolate. It just kind of popped up in my head, but I just thought of moment of elegance and I just thought, moment of elegance.

[00:28:44] That’s what I need to say. I need to elevate this chocolate, that this is unlike any other chocolate experience you’ve had and this is gonna be your moment of elegance. And I invited her in with me. To have a moment of elegance because who doesn’t want that? Who doesn’t want to feel special for a minute and kind of break away from the world for a minute?

[00:29:02] And so I’d be talking about the chocolate, but then I would lower my voice and I’d say, “Listen. This is your moment of elegance. This is your moment when you take this and you look at it and you could just see in the light how beautiful it is, and then you break it off, and then you take a bite and it just brings you to this just

[00:29:23] warm, comfortable, relaxing place. Wherever you are, you’re transported to that moment of elegance. Don’t we all need that?” And if you’re at home, you’re gonna go. Yeah, I need that. Because who’s gonna say no? Like we all have hectic days and hectic moments. And yeah, first time out we sold out, I think it was over 2000 units or something crazy.

[00:29:45] And we just, it just flew out the door. And even the owner was like, Oh my gosh. I said, “Did you like that?” And he goes, “I love that.” And so now that has become how I have trademarked this brand so that every time the customer sees it, they go, Oh yes. Moment of elegance, I gotta get some of this.

[00:30:02] So it’s branding, it’s just branding work. We’re really just trying to make people see something and think something immediately, as soon as they see it. And building it takes time. It’s not always like it doesn’t always happen right away. But it’s something that you have to think about the product.

[00:30:21] How does this differentiate? How am I gonna make it different if it doesn’t already know? Like, sometimes you don’t already know how to sell, separate it out and you gotta kind of go through that thought process. And I’d like to think, I got done watching Mad Men and I thought, My goodness. I would see there’s sessions where they would come up with all these ideas for all these commercials.

[00:30:38] Yeah, that’s kinda what I’m doing. Like I’m going through these different ideas and these different word choices and these different whatever. So while it feels like it’s happening in the moment, I have put all this time into every word I say and how I present the product. Yes.

[00:30:56]Kris Ward: Yeah, and it really is just listening to talk. Now to me it’s almost like listening to a symphony, listening to music. It’s like, oh, you know, the change of the voice and everything like that. And I mean, I knew what they did on the shopping channel. Obviously they did it well, or it wouldn’t, especially now I’m sure there must have been some discussion at some point in some room where you can get things online

[00:31:19] and that wasn’t the way when the shopping challenge started. Oh, well mail it right to your house and now where you can get anything at your fingertips. Clearly there is an infrastructure that’s unbelievable in there for it to be with able to withstand that change in the marketplace. But I was astounded at how much responsibility you had. How much do you have to put into it? Like how much work in science, all to make it look effortless, like you’re just showing up and chatting away, right? Yeah. So, oh my gosh, as well.

[00:31:48]Keri Maletto: Thank you. 

[00:31:49]Kris Ward: You have been a treat. If anybody wants to learn more about you or anything from you, where would they find you?

[00:31:57]Keri Maletto: Oh gosh. Okay. So yeah, I’m on all the socials under Keri Maletto. So it’s K E R I  M A L E T T O. And usually if you put that in, you can find me on Facebook, Twitter, I’m doing the TikTok thing. I’m working, I’m having fun with it. It’s little film producer of your own. But yeah, I’m on there and Instagram, of course. So yeah, find me on socials and you can follow all my new products.

[00:32:25]Kris Ward: Excellent. All right. Thank you, Keri. You’ve been such a treat. Everyone else, we will see you in the next episode. [00:32:31]