Some of you have asked why we are doing a podcast miniseries on international sales expansion. What does that have to do with presentations? You’ve asked why I am interested in this subject. What is my tie to this subject?

These are very good questions. The answer is that my tie to this subject is, in fact, very up close and personal.

When I stepped off that plane in Istanbul 20 years ago I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do for a living, and ever since, I have depended 100% on my ability to sell outside my home country.

I started out by selling jewelry, then I taught English, and then I taught presentation skills.

It started with Turkey, and then I added Romania, and then France, and then Spain, and then the UK, and then Belgium, and then Poland, etc.

Selling outside my home country is how, for 20 years, I have put a roof over my head and food on the table. It has gone on to the extent that now, at any given time, more than half of my income is coming from outside my adopted home country, Turkey, and my goal is to not stop the expansion until that number is above 80%.

So in a way, I guess you could say that selling jewelry, teaching English, and teaching presentation skills, those are the freaks, and my interest in international sales expansion is actually me coming home, me helping others do what I’ve been doing myself for years.

Anyway, the following is one of the first episodes Alper and I did in that miniseries, and I look forward to doing more with others…