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Our interview with Roshni Baronia on Sales and Entrepreneurship
Besides being a strategic sales expert, Roshni Baronia is an author, host of Ace the Sales Podcast, conversion specialist, TEDx Speaker and a lifelong learner. She established her business RB Consulting in India, achieving her childhood dream of becoming a businesswoman.
She works with ambitious, purpose-driven women entrepreneurs to equip them with all the tools, systems, and strategies that help them step into their best version when it comes to selling.
1- Can you tell our readers about your background?
I am a Sales consultant and coach for women entrepreneurs, and the Founder of RB Consulting, a boutique firm providing bespoke sales and strategic planning advisory for startups and non-profits. I work with solopreneurs within my VIP Day intensives to help them with their sales system and process.
Besides hosting the podcast Ace the Sales where we talk all about mindset, skills and personal growth for small business owners, I am also a TEDx Speaker and Author of the book ‘How to revolutionize your Sales Mindset.’
I have been on the entrepreneurial journey for more than 12 years and am mission-driven about being the catalyst in the growth journey of women entrepreneurs.
In my personal life, I am a mother to a teenager, wife to a beautiful soul, and in love with everything that’s chocolate. I am a workaholic and recovering perfectionist who enjoys yoga and sunrises.
2- What inspired you to start your business?
I got into sales and strategic planning advisory four years ago as I had been observing a lot of my peers and fellow entrepreneurs at various forums and groups struggling to grow their businesses. This was primarily for two reasons – one is a lack of business acumen because people are excellent in their core expertise but scaling up the business is at times beyond it. Secondly the fear of selling. A large number of women find selling to be a dirty, manipulative, or difficult task. This certainly stalls their business growth.
Hence I put together a solution for both problems and started my consulting business to help women overcome their sales fears, learn authentic selling, and get strategic with their business growth.
3- Where is your business based?
The Cultural and heritage land of India which is soon taking the global economic centre stage with women playing a pivotal role in the same.
4- How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?
At the very start of my consulting business, I had no clue what I was getting into. I had been selling products in the first business which can be seen, sampled, and described in terms of dimensions and colours. But I had no idea how to sell services! That was new for me.
To move from a product-based online retail business to a service-based offline B2B consulting business was not easy for me. It took me time to work on my niche services. Once that was done I consciously worked on building my personal brand around it. And the third thing I did was to get a coach who helped me through the process of transformation. Changeovers are not easy and it helps to have a coach and a close group of business buddies who can hold that space for you.
But I would say my intuition and purpose guided me in choosing the kind of work I wanted to do. The first few projects came via friends but then since I had a very well-defined purpose that I wanted to help women in their business growth journey. Therefore I was able to spot the businesses and entrepreneurs in my network and local area with whom I wanted to work with. So I reached out to businesses with cold emails.
5- What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?
Connecting with people, their needs, and desires.
Since I serve women with sales coaching and consulting, it becomes imperative to first understand what is coming in their way of achieving their goals and then do the solution-finding. That was the initial approach I took.
Now having worked across industries and sizes of businesses for over 4 years, I have a deep understanding of what kind of a sales process and system a particular business needs and thus have now developed my frameworks around which I help my clients. That is the Strategic intensive and VIP Day that I offer my clients.
But even today – networking and speaking engagements are the most effective ways to raise awareness about my business.
“I have embraced and adopted the mantra of “Do Less with More Focus”. Efficiency is key for me and having systems and support in business helps me in overcoming the challenge of burnout in my current business.”
6- What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
It’s an unsexy dichotomy that we sign up for entrepreneurship thinking we will have flexible work hours, be our own boss, and can take it easy. But we are jolted out of the dream when we find ourselves working 16 hours a day and trying to finish tasks even in our sleep.
As a result of this overwork and overwhelm, we are soon pushed to burnout and drained out of the passion with which we started the business. This is quite typical for women and my story is no different. There was a time when I used to wear my business as a badge of honour. I have experienced first-hand, going down that rabbit hole of “I can do it all” in my first business.
And that’s why now, I have embraced and adopted the mantra of “Do Less with More Focus”. Efficiency is key for me and having systems and support in business helps me in overcoming the challenge of burnout in my current business.
7- What personal sacrifices have you made throughout your career?
Oh, there have been quite many. Don’t they say ‘No Gain without Pain’
So yes there have been parent-teacher meetings that I have missed, graduation ceremonies of my son I was not able to attend, and Saturday nights when I could have watched a movie with my husband but was instead fixing codes in my website backend!!
But all those were learning lessons that taught me that when you choose to do a business, you also choose your lifestyle. You ought to design a business that aligns with your lifestyle and not the other way round. At least that’s what I want. Thus today – I am really intentional and strategic about the way I build my business, the kind of offers and services I have. And I am thankfully not saying no to things that matter to me.
8- How do you stay focused?
Planning helps me a lot. I build out my quarterly vision and break it down to monthly milestones and weekly targets. I deliberately follow the 30-60-90 day format of planning because it gives me the flexibility to make adjustments according to the massively uncertain external influences and also since they are smaller goals, I am able to achieve them and celebrate them more often. That is the motivation for me – the power of small wins.
9- How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
Since I run a business based on my personal brand – that’s what makes it unique. Me.
And I guess it is the same for every business out there. The idea is secondary. The entrepreneur, her vision, passion, and execution makes all the difference.
“Be very mindful about the kind of people with whom you are interacting. The five most frequently talked people should be those who encourage you and believe in you.”
10- What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
Launching my podcast.
11- What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Women entrepreneurs should trust their instincts, especially when it comes to business.
12- What’s the best work-related advice you’ve ever received?
Be very mindful about the kind of people with whom you are interacting. The five most frequently talked people should be those who encourage you and believe in you.
Even a plant needs a conducive environment to grow. So do human beings.
13- How do you manage self-doubt?
I journal it out. Another thing that helps is EFT or tapping technique.
14- What’s your favourite app, blog, and book? Why?
App: Notion – This is a project management tool I use in my business. It is the most intuitive and creative all-in-one tool I have used.
Blog: I have moved away from reading blogs to listening to podcasts. So I would rather mention that. Topping the list is Tara McMillan’s ‘What works’. I love the way she breaks down a particular aspect of running a business from various angles. So if it is about the sales process, she will give her view, then her client’s views, then her student’s views, and also everyday entrepreneur’s views. It is very holistic learning she brings across in her podcast.
Book: My favourite is forever ‘Start with Why’ by Simon Sinek. It illustrates the power of attaching purpose to whatever you do which played a pivotal role in my exiting my first business to get into consulting which is driven by the purpose of being the catalyst in the growth journey of women entrepreneurs.
15- What’s your favourite business tool or resource? Why?
A business tool that is definitely making life easier for so many entrepreneurs including myself is Canva. I especially love it because it helps me feed my creative hunger and lets me experiment with design because I was a design student earlier!
16- Could you name a woman who’s inspired you the most?
Oh, there are so many but I particularly am inspired by Indra Nooyi, Former CEO of Pepsico. Hailing from similar cultural roots, she went on to become a leadership icon displaying humility at all times.
17- How do you balance work and life?
Ah, that’s a question we need to stop asking because it is not about balance but about prioritizing. Every day we make choices. Some days we win. Some days not. And that’s the way it is. I don’t think I can or ever will balance it. I manage it every day.
18- How do you unplug from work?
Going back to my homemaker role is actually therapeutic. I cook and bake for my kiddo or clean out drawers and cupboards. Lately, I have picked up cross-stitching also!
19- What do you have planned for the next six months?
Guest interviews for my podcasts. A couple of collaborative workshops inside FB groups. Two Virtual summits. And yes the big one….seeing off my kiddo to college!! Yes, he will be a freshman soon and I am so looking forward to that!
20- How can our readers connect with you?
Website:
Social Media & Podcast:
www.instagram.com/roshni_baronia
