Tell us your name and a little about yourself.
Stephen Pacinelli
I’m a sales guy masquerading as a marketer. I’ve always loved sales; from a young age, I can remember family members and friends telling me that’s what I needed to do when I was older. But my passion for sales isn’t derived from the actual sale or the revenue that the sale brings. Instead, it comes from the feeling I get when I watch someone’s face light up as they learn something new or see a better solution to their problem. Helping them make that connection is what really drives me. If you have the heart of a teacher, you can be a great salesperson.
What exactly does your company do?
BombBomb helps business professionals humanize their digital communication and get better results through simple, personal videos. If you were in front of more people more often, you would do more business, right? The problem is we’ve relegated our most important messages to a form of digital communication (text-based email, text messages, etc.) that strips out your personality, your tone—and, in essence, you. We believe in you. You are the most important part of the sale and the customer-experience process. So, we help you get face-to-face earlier and more often with your prospects, clients, team members, and others.
What were the biggest challenges you have faced and how did you overcome them?
The main challenge we’ve faced as a company is getting people comfortable with recording videos. Some people don’t like the way they look or sound on camera. We all have a perception of the way we appear, and often it doesn’t align with reality. The video puts a spotlight on that. However, with more and more people recording videos for the multitude of social media applications, the “fear of video” is starting to become less of a problem. If you’re still nervous after a few attempts, here are three quick tips that we’ve found to be helpful:
- Start by sending videos to people who already know, like, and trust you. This reduces the pressure on you to create the “perfect” video and will allow you to practice with a forgiving group. Also, the goal isn’t perfection. The goal is for your personality to come across and for you to make a connection with someone. All of your imperfections are what make you perfect. Small mistakes in your videos are actually beneficial. There’s a shiny/authenticity inversion, and the shinier something is, the less authentic it can feel.
- Before you record a video, spend 15–30 seconds thinking about something you are grateful for. In the book that Happy People Know, Dan Baker explains how fear and gratitude can’t exist simultaneously. Be grateful, and feel the anxiety of recording videos wash away.
- Finally, just remember that the way people receive you in real life is the exact same way they will receive you in the video. You don’t let a bad hair day prevent you from that face-to-face meeting. Likewise, you shouldn’t let it prevent you from recording a short personal video to someone.
What piece of advice do you wish someone had given you at the start of your career?
Don’t wait to be told what to do; just go do it. The biggest hindrance in someone’s career or personal growth is having a mindset of boundaries. If you’ve said to yourself, “I don’t get paid to do that,” it basically ensures you never will get paid to do that. Make yourself indispensable by doing the things that others won’t.
Who are your biggest influences and people you admire and why?
My wife, Gretchen. And the co-author of Rehumanize Your Business, Ethan Beute.
My wife, because she has taught me to slow down and appreciate the things that sometimes go unnoticed in life—but that shouldn’t. We work on two entirely different speeds; I would go at 100 miles per hour, at all times, if it wasn’t for her going 15 miles per hour. She has taught me to take my time and appreciate the little things. Doing that has made me a better husband, coworker, and dad.
Ethan, because his work ethic and drive are unmatched. Plus, he wraps that up in a demeanor that just makes you want to be around him. Spending time with Ethan will make you up to your game. He’s thoughtful, intelligent, and is always ready for a lively debate or conversation. He’s also taught me the importance of sweating the details. Working together with Ethan to cocreate Rehumanize Your Business will always be a highlight in my life.
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?
Conor and Darin, the cofounders of BombBomb. They gave me a chance to break out of a monotonous role where I wasn’t growing and gave me an opportunity to learn more in four short years at BombBomb than I learned in the ten years prior. Coming over to the team has been a major stepping stone in my growth as a person and as a business professional. The resources they allow the employees to access, by allocating time and funds, are unmatched by any other company I’ve worked with in the past.
What do you see as your greatest success in life?
I’m happy. Is there anything more important than bringing love and joy? If I can truly be happy with who I am, where I am, and the people I’ve surrounded myself with, what’s better? Happiness is contagious, and I want to share that positive energy with my kids, family, and friends. I strive to be a positive influence on anyone I interact with on a day-to-day basis. I feel my success is measured by helping people around me. If happiness is contagious, which I believe it is, there is nothing more important.
Please list your social media URLs
Instagram bombbomb
Twitter @bombbomb
Facebook www.facebook.com/BombBomb/
For the past fifteen years, Stephen Pacinelli has delivered more than 1,000 presentations on the benefits of sales automation and online marketing. He co-founded Tech Savvy Agent and is now Chief Marketing Officer for BombBomb. Stephen has built businesses around several of his successful websites and blogs utilizing the power of video and coauthored Rehumanize Your Business: How Personal Videos Accelerate Sales and Improve Customer Experience(Wiley, April 2019) with his BombBomb colleague and friend, Ethan Beute. Learn more athttps://bombbomb.com/book/.
