When Jill Mazur saw the email announcing her induction into ETS’s vaunted million-dollar club, it marked the realization of a long-held ambition. “To hit that was amazing. It meant a lot to me to get there, to show the company that I really love what I do and I really want to help people,” she reflects.
This seven-figure sales feat catapulted Jill into rarefied company. She first set sights on this summit after respected colleague Geoff Kimmel blazed the trail. “I always used his achievement as that beacon out in the distance to aim towards,” Jill recalls. Though the magnitude of the number initially seemed daunting, Jill took inspiration from a peer proving it was possible.
The Quest to Reach the Sales Stratosphere
Galvanized by Geoff’s benchmark, Jill viewed the milestone not with intimidation but aspiration. Still, her quest was not fueled by simply chasing some abstract target. “I didn’t live and breathe every day thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, a million. A million,' because then you’re controlled by that,” Jill explains. Her motivation ran deeper than just hitting a number—it signified her commitment to her clients and reaching the fullest expression of her talents.
Jill compares the daily demands of sales to sporting contests, where positive stress breeds urgency but not panic. She takes pride in conquering each new inning, seeing each year as a stepping stone to mastery rather than obsessing over immediate results. This long-view perspective allowed her to steadily scale sales without being consumed by short-term fluctuations.
The Means Matter as Much as the Milestone
Far more vital to Jill than numerical milestones themselves are the underlying values guiding her work. Her service ethos revolves around education, not transactions. “The conversation is to educate,” says Jill. “If a sale comes out of it, great. But if it doesn't, that's OK.” This patience to nurture clients for mutual reward, rather than quick gain, fosters real trust and genuine care.
Such an approach requires eschewing hardline sales techniques, states Jill. “I'm not going to be a used car salesman.” Her approach entails deep listening, subtle adaptation and finding common ground. She doesn’t memorize scripts or construct one-size-fits-all pitches, but instead takes a nuanced approach fine-tuned to the needs of each individual prospect.
The Strength of Human Connections
At the heart of Jill’s methodology lies profound human connection. Her conversational openers focus on finding commonalities—whether geographical, cultural or situational—to spark natural rapport. “I always start with something that we could find in common, and then when you've got something in common, the rest of the conversation is easy,” Jill explains.
Jill is an astute and active listener, keying in on her prospect’s priorities and preferences. Some people prefer friendly banter and small talk, but certain personalities like data-driven CPAs would rather get right down to business. Early on in the conversation, Jill can typically identify what the client is looking for, and she makes real-time adaptations to reflect this. Such bespoke treatment breeds client comfort and showcases Jill’s dexterity. Through relatable humanity and humility, Jill becomes a trusted advisor.
Habits of Effective Client Cultivation
Delving deeper into Jill’s daily work habits reveals the careful balancing act at which she excels. Since she prefers to meet clients in person, she strategically clusters her meetings to minimize time spent driving back and forth to the office. Administrative needs like emails and proposals get diligent attention between visits.
Jill also prioritizes networking. “I do great amount networking, which takes a lot of time, but I look at it is self-promoting,” she explains. She views sales as an ongoing journey rather than a quick sprint, where cumulative actions of relationship maintenance compound into wins. By upholding high standards without cracking under short-term pressure, Jill sustains a positive trajectory.
The X Factor: Team & Culture
For all her personal excellence, Jill insists her sales stardom is only possible thanks to ETS’s sterling culture. She feels empowered rather than constrained under leaders who offer the autonomy she needs to thrive, stating that “this company affords all of us the opportunity to excel without being micromanaged.”
Jill further notes that collaboration is key: “You can’t just be an island, and it takes the interaction of talking with your team members to find out how they are doing things.” Far from internal rivalry, ETS fosters collaborative competition where high performers lift each other higher. For Jill, her million-dollar feat happened “because there was awesome company leadership, motivated colleagues and positive workplace energy spurring things on collectively.”
As for what’s next, Jill has already stretched her sales goals skyward for 2024. But despite ascending personal heights, her underlying formula remains unchanged: establish authentic emotional connections and sales achievement will follow.
