Craig Johnstone Of Cheers Global On How To Be Great At Sales Without Seeming Salesy

Gain trust — show empathy and actively listen. For example, spending an hour with a customer who has explained why they do not need another type of product for you to then offer that exact thing when trying to close.

As a part of my series about how to be great at closing sales without seeming pushy, obnoxious, or salesy, I had the pleasure of interviewing Craig Johnstone.

Today, as the driving force behind Cheers Global www.cheersglobal.com, a beverage export sales agency specialising in helping SME drinks businesses to achieve their international ambitions, Craig Johnstone the visionary founder continues to embody the spirit of adventure and innovation, reshaping the landscape of the beverage industry one partnership at a time.

Thank you for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us the “backstory” about what brought you to this career path?

The pathway that brought me to establishing Cheers Global began with my ability to connect and form relationships with people.

When I was at primary school in the UK, we were relocated to Singapore due to my father’s job. This allowed me to attend an international school, where there were over 100 different nationalities. Being lucky enough to have that exposure to varying faiths and cultures from such a young age helped me develop as a person, in particular my communication skills.

This transformative journey profoundly influenced my career trajectory.

While studying for my degree in Glasgow, I worked at Majestic Wine part-time, which allowed me to complete my intermediate WSET certification, sparking a deep interest in the drinks industry.

This initial exploration led me to join Majestic Wine’s graduate programme upon degree completion, where my commitment saw me achieve my advanced WSET certification and eventually transition from retail to B2B sales.

I then went on to hone my skills at renowned companies like Britvic Soft Drinks and Coca-Cola Enterprises, culminating in an opportunity to join Sovereign Beverage Company in 2018 as an Export Sales Manager.

I progressed rapidly to a Head of Sales role, before winning a promotion to Sales Director, underscoring my impactful contributions to the company’s growth and supplier relationships.

I have spent the previous two decades gaining valuable insights and forging relationships in Europe, North America, Asia, Australia, and South America, alongside representing industry giants such as Pepsi, Robinsons, J20, Mountain Dew, Coca-Cola, Old Speckled Hen, Hobgoblin, Trooper Beer, and Thatchers Cider.

Taking this into my chosen career in sales was hugely helpful. For me, it always has and will continue to remain the most important aspect of selling, creating a connection and gaining trust from your prospective customer.

Can you share with our readers the most interesting or amusing story that occurred to you in your career so far? Can you share the lesson or takeaway you took out of that story?

During my first year working in drinks export, I took over a territory that included South Africa. It was mainly a transactional market for the business, centred around gifting SKUs, so holidays such as Father’s Day and Christmas represented the main opportunities.

However, I was tasked with developing new opportunities for this market, so proceeded to plan and execute a multi-channel market visit, securing meetings with prominent retailers, importers and distributors. After months of work, I flew out to Johannesburg and Cape Town to conduct the visit.

It was a successful trip and managed to get buy-in and formalised agreements to develop our portfolio. However, by the time we were set to launch COVID struck, completely unravelling everything I had done.

However despite this setback and losing the opportunity due to force majeure, I still to this day retain the relationships formed during that visit. It reminded me once more of the profound value of relationships, leaving a lasting impact. Even though nothing materialised at that moment, I’m confident that in the future, there will be another chance to collaborate there.

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

I have recently launched my new business, Cheers Global, having spotted a gap in the market for a dedicated service to help SME drinks brands from the UK sell internationally.

I believe that exporting should be accessible to everyone and not exclusively for companies with the biggest brands and budgets.

Plus, it will help the many overseas distributors I work with to pass on the incredible drinks brands we have here in the UK to their customers!

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

It would be challenging to single out one particular individual, however needless to say family has been key throughout. My father’s work ethic and guidance which allowed us to live abroad and experience cultures, to my mother’s continual unwavering support and belief in me.

My wife is an inspiration and gave me the confidence to start my venture as I have spent the last four years watching her successfully build and run her own company. She has also supported me unquestioningly throughout my career and as I launched Cheers Global.

Finally, my son and daughter: being a father makes me realise how much I want them to have options and afford them the kind of life experiences I was given while being available and present during their school years.

For the benefit of our readers, can you tell us a bit why you are an authority on the topic of sales?

Even before graduating from university, my career has always been in sales. Upon completion of my degree, I took a graduate B2C position at Majestic Wine before transitioning into B2B with Britvic PLC and continuing that with Coca-Cola.

This gave me exposure to selling into different channels including retail, on-trade, wholesale and contract catering. I then had the opportunity to move into export, where I spent six years working for the leading independent exporter of British beer and cider starting as an export sales manager, then being promoted to head of sales and finally sales director.

This experience and expertise has culminated in starting my own business Cheers Global, an export sales agency specialising in UK beverage brands, dedicated to assisting SME brewers and distillers with achieving their international ambitions, whether at the start of their export journey or looking to expand existing distribution.

Ok. Thanks for all that. Let’s now jump to the main core of our interview. As you know, nearly any business a person will enter, will involve some form of sales. At the same time, most people have never received any formal education about how to be effective at selling. Why do you think our education system teaches nearly every other arcane subject, but sales, one of the most useful and versatile topics, is totally ignored?

From a UK perspective, the current focus within our education system leans heavily towards academic subjects, yet it may not adequately prepare individuals for their future career paths.

For instance, had someone told me when I was at school that I would end up taking the career journey I have been on, I would not have believed them. More emphasis should be on communication, relationship-building, and understanding how to build rapport, as these are core skills for success in the real world.

There is also neglect of the fact that everyone is selling something all of the time. Whether it’s a service, a product, or ourselves at job interviews — we all need those soft skills.

This discussion, entitled, “How To Be Great At Sales Without Seeming Salesy”, is making an assumption that seeming salesy or pushy is something to be avoided. Do you agree with this assumption? Whether yes, or no, can you articulate why you feel the way you do?

Regarding my own experiences in sales, I have received several different types of training and seen how different individuals go about selling. Some I certainly did not agree with in terms of hounding people for a sale. There is a fine line between being persistent and overwhelming prospective customers. I would like to think I have always avoided being “pushy” as I know it would turn me off wanting to buy from someone.

Reading people and identifying their preferred approach to being sold requires intuition, observation, and empathy. It’s about tuning into subtle verbal and non-verbal cues to understand what resonates with them. Some individuals might respond best to a logical, fact-based pitch, while others are swayed by emotional appeals or storytelling. By keenly observing their body language, tone of voice, and the language they use, one can decipher their preferences. Adapting the sales approach accordingly demonstrates respect for their individuality and increases the likelihood of a successful interaction. It’s about crafting a tailored experience that aligns with their needs, desires, and communication style, ultimately fostering a deeper connection and building trust.

The seven stages of a sales cycle are usually broken down to versions of Prospecting, Preparation, Approach, Presentation, Handling objections, Closing, and Follow-up. Which stage do you feel that you are best at? What is your unique approach, your “secret sauce”, to that particular skill? Can you explain or give a story?

My core strength has always been prospecting and retaining clients. This again for me, is down to how you treat and interact with people. I was formally trained in a previous role regarding the rapport triangle and making sure you strike a good balance of generating strong rapport but not allowing this to prevent getting business done.

As for my unique approach — that would give away the game! I keep that to benefit Cheers Global suppliers.

Lead generation, or prospecting, is one of the basic steps of the sales cycle. Obviously, every industry will be different, but can you share some of the fundamental strategies you use to generate good, qualified leads?

Perhaps it may sound cliched however carrying out appropriate due diligence is key, make sure you spend time thoroughly researching and doing appropriate background checks. Look at what products or services they are already representing, carry out credit checks, and get references or testimonials from other companies or businesses already working with the prospect.

Making a cold approach as warm as possible in sales hinges on establishing a genuine connection and demonstrating empathy. Start by researching the prospect to understand their needs and challenges. I would recommend personalising your approach by referencing their industry, achievements or any other relevant information.

Begin the conversation by showing a sincere interest in their well-being and goals. Listen actively to their concerns and respond thoughtfully, showcasing how your product or service can address their specific pain points. Use language that is friendly, respectful, and tailored to their communication style. Additionally, offering valuable insights or resources without expecting anything in return can help build trust and rapport. By focusing on building a relationship rather than pushing a sale, you can transform a cold approach into a warm interaction that lays the foundation for a fruitful business relationship.

In my experience, I think the final stages of Handling Objections, Closing, and Follow-up, are the most difficult parts for many people. Why do you think ‘Handling Objections’ is so hard for people? What would you recommend for one to do, to be better at ‘Handling Objections’?

It is important to have full discretion over what you are selling as a product or service. Understanding the needs and benefits of what you are selling is vital. Creating a clear rationale for that customer to want to buy it, what are the USPs for example? If I am proposing a new product to a prospective distributor I want to choose the SKU that is different to what they already have. Alternatively, if that’s not possible, having a compelling selling story (awards, PR, data, ROS etc) to convince them it can generate incremental sales in perhaps a more congested category.

‘Closing’ is of course the proverbial Holy Grail. Can you suggest 5 things one can do to successfully close a sale without being perceived as pushy? If you can, please share a story or example, ideally from your experience, for each.

• Build rapport — understanding customers’ preferences and needs.
• Gain trust — show empathy and actively listen. For example, spending an hour with a customer who has explained why they do not need another type of product for you to then offer that exact thing when trying to close.
• Flexibility — be prepared to have to pivot based on what the customer has told you, which could be price, format, style etc.
• Focus on the value, not the cost — for example, the key features and benefits vs. their current offering.
• Be clear on the next steps — making it clear without being pushy about how you intend to follow up to get feedback.

A successful sales closure is not about manipulation or coercion but about genuinely helping solve the customer’s problems and achieve their goals.

Finally, what are your thoughts about ‘Follow up’? Many businesses get leads who might be interested but things never seem to close. What are some good tips for a business leader to successfully follow up and bring things to a conclusion, without appearing overly pushy or overeager?

To be honest, just because a particular opportunity presented may not be of interest now, you still want to be able to reapproach that prospect in future. If you have been clear on your follow-up in terms of when it will happen including your expectations i.e. a definitive answer it will help all parties. An example might be a limited edition product that genuinely requires feedback otherwise there would be no stock to sell come release. Make sure the customer is clear on the timelines and requirements to take advantage of it.

Consistency, authenticity, and value are the pillars upon which a memorable presence is built. In a digital age inundated with constant streams of information, mastering the art of communication is paramount.

Social media platforms offer an expansive network for engagement, allowing individuals and businesses alike to cultivate their presence and connect with audiences on a global scale.

In addition, newsletters deliver specific content directly to subscribers’ inboxes. So even if they are not ready to engage with your product or service you are always front of mind come that time.

As you know there are so many modes of communication today. For example, In-person, phone calls, video calls, emails, and text messages. In your opinion, which of these communication methods should be avoided when attempting to close a sale or follow up? Which are the best ones? Can you explain or give a story?

Each to their own, I have come across all different methods and also experienced failures and successes with all of them too. The conventional answer would be “face to face” but as we know that is not always possible. The modern workplace is no longer conventional so why should methods of communication?

This is especially true in export, someone selling a UK product or service cannot be expected to turn up outside someone’s office in Singapore to get an answer on whether they are interested in buying or not.

I lean towards ‘the customer is always right’ when it comes to communication, and follow their lead as to what suits them.

Ok, we are nearly done. Here is our final “meaty” question. You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the greatest amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

Understanding that formal education is not for everyone and should not be the only barometer in certain professions to gauge how successful one will be. More emphasis in secondary education on life skills, tangible things we all do daily that will benefit the younger generations come the time they will need it. Finally, relaying that not everyone can or should be expected to take a conventional career path and that’s ok too!

How can our readers follow you online?

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjohnstonenqnp/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/cheers-global/

Thank you for the interview. We wish you only continued success!