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Syndication

Today’s guest is Nelson Leitao and he’s going to share important lessons learned about perseverance during a 10-year climb up the customer ladder. In this episode we’ll discuss what that means. 

The art of selling

  • Nelson loves his job for two particular reasons: Interacting with people and getting the chance to improve patient experience. 
  • For Nelson, being in the medical sales field, he isn’t only dealing with devices, he is helping people through his products. 
  • Their company’s vision is A day without passion in healthcare is a lost day. 
  • Nelson worked for his company for 25 years already but he’s only been working in sales for 10 of those years. 
  • One hard lesson came from offering the same solution to three different companies. He focused on the sale more than unique customer needs and it cost him two of the three prospects.
  • What Nelson didn’t acknowledge was that there were three different customers, three different processes, and three different needs. Instead of customizing the offer to each company, he mistakenly thought giving them the same solution would solve everything. 
  • Nelson is now quicker to subscribe to his company’s vision to listen more than he talks.
  • Nelson had to reframe his mindset and though it was a huge challenge, he was able to pull through.

Climbing the customer ladder 

  • It’s similar to marriage in that it has its ups and downs and there may be challenges you have to overcome everyday.
  • Climbing the customer ladder is about how you improve your relationship with your customer. It’s dynamic because your customers all have different needs. Climbing the customer ladder means climbing their trust.  
  • First, you need to be present and customers need to feel that focus everyday. They want to know they can ask for your help and you’re there even when you don’t have all the answers. 
  • Be committed to helping people and opening doors for the customers. 
  • The motivation is knowing you will win with them, you will gain more experience and learn the process, and you will understand their needs. 

Looking outside the box

  • Being in the healthcare sector, most people focus on technology and clinical solutions but there’s more to it. 
  • The technology and the devices are good but they also need to implement a good workflow. 
  • With Nelson managing accounts for financially depressed countries, he is prompted to think of the financial implications for his customers. 
  • It is important to be creative and to show something different to separate you from other companies. 
  •  Help the customers bring out the solutions the best they can.

Motivation: Important Lessons I Learned About Perseverance During My 10-Year Climb Up the Customer Ladder” episode resources 

Connect with Nelson Leitao on LinkedIn. You can also send him an email at nelson.leitao@siemenshealthineers.com.

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. 

This episode is also partly brought to you by Wingman. Wingman uses AI-software to empower remote sales teams with conversation intelligence, actionable insights on successful playbooks, and delivers real-time coaching.

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1389.mp3
Category:Sales -- posted at: 12:00pm EDT

Gary Manske, the Executive Director for Sales and Marketing of Dakota Micro, Inc suggests that salespeople should approach sales as an art and a science instead of a grind, but what exactly does that mean? 

It’s a mindset thing 

  • Have the mindset of always being curious and ready to learn something new. 
  • People who are defeated say “it’s not working anymore.” They make excuses and often, the current excuse is COVID. 
  • While that is a legitimate view, you still have to look at things from a different perspective in order to keep going. Instead of your circumstances limiting what you can do, look at it as a new environment and an opportunity to see new ways you can reach out to your prospects. 
  • Regardless of the situation, sales is all about relationships, so find a way to connect with people. 
  • The old school sales approach of getting on the phone, playing the numbers game, and needing to have consistent activity makes the sales process a grind. 
  • Go into sales with a different mindset. Instead of getting caught up in the grind activity, reflect on what you learned yesterday. 
  • Sales is not just about coming into the office, booting up the computer, picking up the handset, and calling. You can find ways to enjoy the process. 

Sales as an art

  • Enjoying sales starts with the right approach to leadership roles. It involves supporting your team and having the desire to help other people get better. 
  • Don’t start a team meeting by talking about numbers. Get personal and let them know you’re all in this together. 
  • Sit down with all the members of the team and have a practice game, a dialogue, a conversation. Focus on how you can help each other. 
  • From an individual perspective, if the leader isn’t taking the team in that direction, then create the opportunities yourself. There’s nothing better than the opportunity to be yourself. 
  • Be the catalyst for change. Be the person that helps and motivates others. As you gain more knowledge, share it with your colleagues. 

Getting out of the box

  • It is hard to work from home in this pandemic. It can be stressful so look for a way to get out of the box.
  • Make time for watercooler conversations and the things you are missing. 
  • Be responsible and professional. 
  • As a leader, hire salespeople with the right attitude, especially in this pandemic. 
  • Don’t ever sell out of your own shoes. This means not putting the clients or prospects in your shoes. That’s not your job. You can’t judge their purchasing decisions based on your financial capabilities. If you are selling a Rolls Royce and you yourself don't own one, you can’t really judge if a person coming into the showroom can or cannot afford your car. 
  • When you enjoy what you’re doing, you will eventually see good results. 

Motivation: Approach Sales as an Art and a Science Instead of a Grind” episode resources 

Connect with Gary Manske on LinkedIn. You can also send him an email at gary.manske@outlook.com

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. 

This episode is also partly brought to you by Wingman. Wingman uses AI-software to empower remote sales teams with conversation intelligence, actionable insights on successful playbooks, and delivers real-time coaching.

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1388.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Many sellers have sales goals but we must focus on making sales goals a part of your daily activities. Let’s join Joel Malkoff and Donald as they talk more about the importance of organizing these tasks. 

Making Sales Goals a part of your daily activities

  • Joel thinks empathy is a priority. It’s a conscious way of selling and it puts the seller in the buyer’s shoes. 
  • Salespeople need to sell with integrity. 
  • Many salespeople set short-term goals and become so engrossed with this list they become very self-centered. 
  • You want to set long-term goals and build long-term relationships because it keeps integrity at the center of these interactions and facilitates trust.
  • Look beyond the one-shot sale. This means being able to walk away from the situation if your product or service doesn’t fit. Don’t just focus on closing the deal.  Maintain focus on your long-term goals. 
  • Transparency and full disclosure are very important in sales. 

Maintaining integrity

  • As a salesperson, you want to present your product the best that you can without misleading people. 
  • Don’t slam the competition. Focus on putting your product in the best light possible. 
  • Always look for a way to connect with prospects within your territory. Send them an email, allow them to get to know you, and don’t immediately go into sales mode. 
  • Sales is more than art and science. You need to learn sales from other people, like mentors, who have a lot of experience to share. 
  • Sometimes, salespeople set goals that aren’t realistic so they don’t reach them. This is why it’s so tempting to create short-term goals instead. 
  • Maintain integrity and work smart by looking at low hanging fruit. Understand that referrals and references are the biggest part of your business. 
  • Be willing to share the customer relationships you’re building with upper management. By doing so, they know you’re still working on building a future even when you aren’t able to reach your goal for the month or the quarter.
  • When you sell ethically you’re answering to a higher authority. 
  • By developing customer relationships that lead to referrals and recommendations, you’re selling in a way that creates a profit. 
  • Being ethical is smart for business. 

Goal Setting: Translate Your Sales Goal into Meaningful Daily Activities” episode resources 

Connect with Joel Malkoff on LinkedIn. You can also visit his site and get his book, Selling Ethically: A Business Parable Connecting Integrity with Profits on Amazon. 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. 

This episode is also partly brought to you by Wingman. Wingman uses AI-software to empower remote sales teams with conversation intelligence, actionable insights on successful playbooks, and delivers real-time coaching.

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1387.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

In this episode, we get to know The Sales Evangelists team and what they do for TSE as they share with Santa Claus what they want for this Christmas. 

From the Philippines to Thailand please! 

  • Mae Mar assists with email support and sends messages to the guests who appear on the show. She also manages some of Donald’s mails and works on lead generation for the sales team. 
  • Mae has been with the TSE team for about four years now.
  • For Christmas, Mae wants to spend some time with her husband who is in Thailand. She wishes to fly from the Philippines to Thailand and surprise her kids on Christmas eve. 
  • You can reach out to Mae via email at mae@thesaleevangelist.com

Let’s Create a Startup

  • Rael Ramirez is in charge of the show notes for all the podcast episodes and also does some content writing for a few of our TSE clients. 
  • Rael is interested in creating a startup company herself and although she knows that can be difficult, she’s got episodes from The Sales Evangelist to help her jump into it.
  • You can reach out to Rael via LinkedIn and email

I’d Like a 2020 Redo

  • Jermaine Wishart is the BDR lead business development team leader in TSE. He didn’t start with sales but eventually went back to B2B and improved his skills. 
  • 2020 has been wild and Jermaine would love a redo. The pandemic has impacted so many people and he believes we all deserve to have a fresh start. 
  • Jermaine is on LinkedIn and on Facebook

Broken is Beautiful

  • Michelle Ruschman is the Podcast Production Coordinator for TSE Studios. She edits the show notes, interviews clients for case studies, and occasionally writes relevant  articles about sales. 
  • She’s written a book entitled, Jesus and Me: The Year that I Wrote Down Our Conversations, and is currently looking for a publisher.
  • Michelle is also a fused glass artist and is most known for her cross pendants called Beautifully Broken. For the holiday, she’s wishing for more glass so she can get a gift that keeps on giving. The pendants she makes serve as a source of encouragement and inspiration to many people.
  • Reach out to Michelle via her website, www.michelleruschman.com, through email,  on Facebook, and Instagram

Inner and Peace and Career Growth

  • Deson Cunado takes care of the graphics for The Sales Evangelist. He creates the images for the podcasts and does the graphic maintenance on TSE’s websites. 
  • His next artistic goal is to create films where he can showcase the beauty of nature. You can check out his portfolio here
  • When Deson made a video showing a Philippine map created from a cork board, it went viral, and inspired a lot of people to create their own as well. 
  • This Christmas, Deson just wants some peace and joy in his life. There’s not much he wants materially, but would love to have more inner peace , happiness, and growth in his profession. 
  • Connect with Deson on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram

Letting Go of Negative Vibes

  • Nancy Paul is the business development rep for The Sales Evangelist, and handles many of the appointments. 
  • She is passionate about connecting with people, building relationships with clients, and getting the message to  many. 
  • Travelling is something that Nancy has been waiting for. For this holiday, she’s wishing for a getaway and to let go of her negativities. 
  • Connect with Nancy via email.

A Healthy Family Above All

  • Jeron Obial has been with the TSE team for the past five to six years. 
  • He started with audio editing when his friend introduced him to radio broadcasting. He was then assigned to production for commercials. It’s been a great experience especially with the changes brought about by modern technology. 
  • Jerson is pretty content with what he has right now - the family, the blessings, the good health. He couldn’t ask for anything more. 
  • Reach out to Jerson via email.

A Vaccine for COVID-19

  • Aaron Conjelado sets appointments for TSE. He is going out there talking to people about The Sales Evangelist. 
  • For this holiday, he wishes for COVID-19 vaccine and he wants it first. 

Let’s start talking to each other 

  • Shannon Rasmussen is in charge of the operations for the The Sales Evangelist team. She’s taking care of all things “behind the scenes.” With team members all over the globe, she keeps everyone moving forward together.
  • Through working on the TSE podcast, she has learned three major things:
  1. Great sellers ask powerful questions.
  2. They listen.
  3. They challenge the status quo. 
  • Shannon’s wish is for Americans to reconnect with each other and not allow politics to be a divisive area. She wants US citizens to remember the government belongs to us, the people, not to the Republicans or the Democrats. 
  • Shannon is hopeful that the whole TSE team will continue growing and serving its listeners. 
  • You can check out Shannon’s blog here

Goal Setting: Christmas Day - The TSE Team Pitches Its Wishlists to Santa” episode resources 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. 

This episode is also partly brought to you by Wingman. Wingman uses AI-software to empower remote sales teams with conversation intelligence, actionable insights on successful playbooks, and delivers real-time coaching.

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1386.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Before you jump into creating a goal, make sure the goal is a SMART goal. It's S for specific, M for measurable, A for attainable, R for realistic, and make sure it's T, time bound.

Direct download: TSE_1385.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

We set goals and we try to achieve them. The truth is, however, goals must meet a few requirements for them to be achievable. You need SMART sales goals. What are smart sales goals? Let’s talk about that in this episode. 

Aiming for SMART sales goals 

  • SMART stands for: 

S - specific

M - measurable

A - attainable

R - realistic

T- time bound

  • A goal that says, ‘I want to be successful by the end of 2021…’ is not realistic. 
  • When you set a goal, you need to evaluate specific elements first. Ask yourself if it is specific enough, measurable, attainable, realistic, and if it is time-bound. 
  • Setting SMART goals is important because you can easily run out of steam if you don’t seem to be making progress. 
  • People move forward with vision and motivation.
  • Your life has more meaning when you have something to look forward to. 
  • Generic goals are often not accomplished. 
  • Make micro SMART goals to help you accomplish your big SMART goals. 
  • Use SMART goals for your team to encourage them to accomplish more. It will collectively help toward the overall vision. 
  • Use a chart or an excel sheet where you can record and track your goal. This will help you check your progress and give you visual support as you get closer to your goal. The little check marks will inspire you. 
  • The TSE team uses a leaderboard where performance can be tracked and that visual inspires us towards accomplishing our goals. 
  • Examples of SMART sales goals: 
  1. I want to set 10 appointments per week. 
  2. I want to have at least 95% of my appointments be accepted by the account executive over the next 10 days. 
  3. I want to be able to close 20 deals in the next month. 

Goal Setting: What are SMART Sales Goals and How Important Are They For You” episode resources 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. 

This episode is also partly brought to you by Wingman. Wingman uses AI-software to empower remote sales teams with conversation intelligence, actionable insights on successful playbooks, and delivers real-time coaching.

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1384.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Sales people have so many goals they are working toward it’s inevitable that there will be goal-setting mistakes made along the way. In this episode, Dr. Jason Scott Earl is going to help us avoid these mistakes. 

Errors made when setting goals

  • A common goal-setting mistake that’s made is trying to do too many things at once. 
  • What’s helpful in goal setting is the ability to focus on just one or two. This will help you prioritize your actions as you move toward accomplishing these goals.
  • What leads to failure is trying to be everything to everyone. Identify your specific role. 
  • Focus on the one thing that you can accomplish that will improve your life financially, mentally, or spiritually.  
  • Make a short list of goals and a new list of priorities. If you’re avoiding these actions, it’s important to make changes that will get you moving in the right direction again.
  • When Dr. Earl was working through his own goal-setting mistakes, his biggest problem was not setting clear expectations.  He found that you couldn’t meet the objectives you weren’t clear about. 
  • What imaginative scenario can you create that has your back against the wall? It isn’t a comfortable feeling but it prompts you to make the serious changes that your organization needs. 
  • When you make a decision to change something, it puts you in a different position mentally. Things start to shift and line up.
  • Don’t be afraid to face brutal facts. For example, ask yourself how you feel about 2020 and what you could have done differently. 
  • A whole new world is unfolding. All you need is a little bit of insight and discipline to learn many amazing things. 

Goal Setting: Top Goal-setting Mistakes Salespeople Make (and How You Can Avoid Making Them)” episode resources 

Connect with Dr. Jason Scott Earl on Link

edIn or shoot him an email at jasonscottearl@gmail.com. You can read Elbert Hubbard’s A Message to Garcia here

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. 

This episode is also partly brought to you by Wingman. Wingman uses AI-software to empower remote sales teams with conversation intelligence, actionable insights on successful playbooks, and delivers real-time coaching.

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1383.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

There can be several reasons why you’re not hitting your sales goals. Today we discuss the number 1 reason you don’t hit your goals.

Accomplishing goals

  • With all that happened this year, many are looking forward to 2021. 
  • It’s always important to set your goals and make sure that you accomplish the goals.These are actual goals that you can be accountable for and that will help you become successful. 
  • Say goodbye to the status quo and look forward to the challenges and opportunities. 

Failing your goals

  • People fail and don’t win their goals because they aren’t really goals, rather, they’re wishes. 
  • Example of which is: I want to be successful in 2021. It’s a very wishy-washy goal. 
  • Make SMART goals: specific, measurable, attainable, and time-based. 
  • Goals should be something that you can focus on. 
  • Another reason why people fail is because of their lack of visuals of the goals they want to achieve. You need to paint your goals vividly. It’s important to be able to imagine your goals with closed eyes. 
  • The lack of emotion toward your goals can impact your ability to achieve them. We are emotional creatures and these emotions impact the decisions we make. 

Planning your goals

  • List as many little goals as possible and tie them toward bigger goals. 
  • The micro goals will help you accomplish the big goals. 
  • Follow the specific plans you have for your little goals and set a schedule when to do them. 
  • Go for constructive motivation instead of restricted motivation. Constructive motivation stems from yourself; it’s the push that’s not coming from the managers setting this quota or that. 
  • If you do have a quota, make sure to own it. In this way, the restrictive motivation turns into constructive motivation. 

Goal Setting: The Number 1 Reason You Don’t Hit Your Goals” episode resources 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. 

This episode is also partly brought to you by Wingman. Wingman uses AI-software to empower remote sales teams with conversation intelligence, actionable insights on successful playbooks, and delivers real-time coaching.

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1382.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Sales reps can get overwhelmed with administrative tasks without even realizing it. In this episode, Anthony Iannarino talks about ways to ensure that admin tasks don’t overwhelm your day.

The black hole of admin tasks

  • Growing in sales means more non-sales related work can find its way to your desk. With more success comes more clients and execution can become a challenge as sales reps have to learn to manage all the new information.
  • As a result, a lot of people end up feeling busy but not productive. Busy means you’re running from one thing to the next while being productive means making progress towards your goal. 
  • What can happen is that people get tied up in the transactional work of selling. 
  • Sales reps and sales leaders are the ones who look for prospective clients. We sit down with people and have a conversation about the impact our services or products can make on their business. We create the opportunity. When you’re stuck with admin tasks, however, you’re unable to pick up the phone and make cold calls. Too much of this can cause opportunities to be non-existent. 
  • You can get caught up helping other people with their tasks and assisting clients but only do so after you’ve completed the tasks that are going to help you move toward your own goals. Not deciding how to spend your time well can put you at risk to be in the bottom 50%.
  • Prioritize the activities that create and capture opportunities. 

The blocking system 

  • Anthony encourages sales reps and leaders to have a 90-minute block where all they do is focus on creating opportunity
  • When the time is up, they can check their inbox for anything interesting. Afterwards, they give themselves a second 90-minute block for additional tasks that are important in the work day. 
  • You become more proactive when you learn to focus on a task and not get distracted by emails and calls. Make sure those are separate from your task time. 
  • When you're doing the work you need to do, you owe the work your best effort and energy. 
  • Aggregate all the admin tasks you need to do. Organize your tasks according to category and then designate time for them. Don’t go back and forth between different tasks as that takes too much time and energy. 
  • Selling comes from opportunity creation and opportunity to capture. Everything else that we do is secondary to that. The only things you’re going to get paid for is creating opportunities. 
  • Everyday, do what’s most important first, without fail, and don’t negotiate with yourself. Get to the point where whatever the worst task is, you do it without hesitation. 

Productivity: How to Ensure that Admin Tasks Don’t Overwhelm Your Day” episode resources 

Follow Anthony Iannarino on LinkedIn. 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. 

This episode is also partly brought to you by Wingman. Wingman uses AI-software to empower remote sales teams with conversation intelligence, actionable insights on successful playbooks, and delivers real-time coaching.

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1381.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Due to the pandemic, most businesses have transitioned to working remotely. In this episode you’ll learn how to maximize sales productivity when working with a remote team

Ensuring sales productivity 

  • At a very young age, author, speaker and organization improvement consultant

Brad Jeavons watched his mother selling over the phone. He saw how she used trust and value to make an impact on her customers. The consultative approach his mother used was effective. 

  • Brad made note that using the phone can cover a lot of turf. 
  • Brad also studied the strategies of big companies such as McDonalds and Apple, and how their practices are applicable to productivity and sales performance. 
  • Some of the best practices and operational/enterprise excellence in the world today come from the largest organizations. 
  • With working remotely, we can take all these practices to another level.

The 4 Ps in Productivity 

  •   The 4 Ps in Sales Productivity: 
  1. Plan - you need to be able to focus and create a plan of attack. Know who is still currently buying and learn how to adjust the plan. This plan has to be done with people, not to people. 
  2. People - We need to show empathy toward our sales team because everyone is feeling the effects of the pandemic. Build trust within your team. 
  3. Process - Collaboration is important in team processes. It enables everyone to be in on the plan and adjust the plan as a whole. 
  4. Partner with your customers - Go into these relationships as an abundant consultant, not just as a merchant selling to customers. Sell with a purpose. The only way to do so is by helping the sales team form a process they will practice with consistency. 
  • Brad uses the customer journey mapping technique to help sales teams develop an abundant sales approach in which they become highly skilled as they practice. 
  • Agile sales and marketing processes start with the customer’s buying journey. This is before the discovery phase. It’s focusing the team on the customer’s pain points and their needs. It enables them to connect to the customers on a deeper level. 
  • The Devotion phase allows you to focus on how you can serve your clients so they become people who are devoted to your product or service. 

“S1: Maximize Sales Productivity When Working With a Remote Team” episode resources 

Follow Brad Jeavons on LinkedIn. You can also get his book, Agile Sales: Delivering Customer Journeys of Value and Delight. You can also visit his site to learn more 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. 

This episode is also partly brought to you by Wingman. Wingman uses AI-software to empower remote sales teams with conversation intelligence, actionable insights on successful playbooks, and delivers real-time coaching.

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1380.mp3
Category:sales productivity -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

There are times that we feel unproductive. How do you combat that feeling? Join Donald and Andres as they talk about the lack of productivity and how to overcome it. 

What unproductivity looks like

  • Andres has subscribed to many methods and ways to become productive. Entrepreneur on Fire’s John Lee Dumas is one of the podcasts he listens to. There’s also the Freedom Mastery Journal where you write down four things that you want to accomplish in a day. 
  • Often, though, it’s difficult for many to finish their list of tasks to do for the day. 
  • The most productive times are in the early mornings or late at night. But always pushing out your workday to late night isn’t healthy. It eventually leads to burn out. 
  • Feeling unproductive doesn’t necessarily mean that you didn't get any work done in a day. It may also mean that you weren’t able to do what you intended to do because you were side-tracked with other tasks. 
  • For Andres, sometimes the inspiration for doing his listed tasks happens at the last minute. 
  • Andres is now trying a new exercise where he prepares for his tasks beforehand. He also considers the productivity tools he is using. 
  • The TSE Mastermind has been helpful for Andres as it provided accountability which then equates to goals reached. 
  • Sometimes, Andres wants to get things done and loses sight of other things. 
  • It is important to learn how to allocate and delegate tasks. 
  • It is not easy to do the hard things but they’re the ones that are going to be the critical pieces moving forward. 
  • Oftentimes, when you have many things to do, you tell yourself that you are most productive at the last minute and that you work better under pressure. 
  • Write down the things you need to do and scale the tasks in levels of importance. 

Productivity: ‘I Feel Unproductive Every Day’” episode resources 

Follow Andres Escobar on LinkedIn. 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. 

This episode is also partly brought to you by Wingman. Wingman uses AI-software to empower remote sales teams with conversation intelligence, actionable insights on successful playbooks, and delivers real-time coaching.

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1379.mp3
Category:unproductive -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Ensuring sales productivity while working from home may still be a challenge for many people. How do you maintain sales productivity even with the work-from-home order? 

Getting to know Jas Takhar

Jas Takhar has been in the sales and service industry for over 25 years. Soon after deciding to try his hand in real estate, he co-founded the REC, and over the course of 15 years, has successfully propelled his team to the 1st place position in Canada under Royal LePage.

Ensuring sales productivity

  • High-level sales refers to how many people you’re speaking to and how many conversations are specifically about sales. 
  • Most people who were in sales for a long time had an advantage before COVID. Because they were able to speak with people face to face, they had a higher chance of closing a sale. 
  • Every sales person is now playing on a level field because we can’t meet people in person. Conversations are now happening virtually.
  • Sales reps now need to structure their day and prepare for the virtual meetings.
  • Jas calls his warmest prospects first thing in the morning. These are prospects who have already shown interest and are already in the last phases of getting the deal. 
  • The warmest prospect is where you are going to get the highest return. Create momentum for your day by having this conversation to launch. 
  • The best time to reach out to new prospects is right after you make a new sale. This is when you feel lighter, happier, and that elation radiates into the conversation. 
  • Jas thinks of his prospects like apples. Green apples are people who like to keep in touch with him and red apples are prospects who are ready to go. Rotten apples are cold prospects.
  • Jas calls his ready-to-go prospects first, willing-to-have-a-conversation second, and his cold prospects last. 
  • It’s all about momentum. Always do your highest producing activities first thing in the morning. 
  • Even when you're working from home, you still need to be active. Keep learning and educating yourself. Study the numbers and get as much positive information as you can. 

“S1: How to Maintain Your Sales Productivity Even While Working From Home” episode resources 

Connect and follow Jas Takhar on LinkedIn. Follow his podcast as well! Visit his website for more information about Jas. 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. 

This episode is also partly brought to you by Wingman. Wingman uses AI-software to empower remote sales teams with conversation intelligence, actionable insights on successful playbooks, and delivers real-time coaching.

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1378.mp3
Category:Sales -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Sales leaders, are members of your team really using their time to prospect and sell? How do you know if your team actually spends their time working towards closing a sale? Let’s talk about. 

Getting to know Skip Miller 

Ski Miller is the author of Outbounding: Win New Customers with Outbound Sales and End the Dependence on Inbound Leads. This time last year, Skip observed that people were running short and the inbound leads were running dry. It was a problem he knew he needed to address. Salespeople thought they’d be able to hit their sales and unfortunately, they didn’t. He started to write the book to find out the best practices in good salesmanship. 

Ensure that they keep prospecting and selling through best practices

  • Revenue is a trailing indicator rather than a leading indicator. 
  • You can start measuring proactive and leading activities, as well as competencies. 
  • Ask your sales team to share their sales pitch, how they talk to a senior buyer, and ask them to share emails they send to prospects or buyers. These frequencies all create opportunities to coach.
  • Good managers are focused on frequencies and competencies. A great way to get everyone involved is to make them a challenge or game.  
  • Great managers are now huddling with their team to get their numbers up before the year ends. 
  • On Miller’s team, they make it a game. They have contests to whose email gets the best response rate and give out awards. 
  • It’s a dual purpose activity. Not only do they enjoy their work but they’re improving their skill sets. 
  • Miller discovered that when you put people into fit teams of three to four members, the group will call out any member who isn’t doing what they should be doing. 
  • Good sales managers are good at disqualifying leads. They don’t allow deals to just sit in the funnel. This qualification skill set is built with guidelines. They decide when to drop a lead and leaders can only do that if they’re in constant communication with their sales reps. 
  • Emails that initiate curiosity get the best response. Keep that in mind when crafting the email. 

How Can You Ensure That Your Team Spends Its Time Actually Selling?” episode resources 

Follow Skip Miller on LinkedIn. You can also check out his website to learn more. You can get his new book on Amazon or check the site here

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. 

This episode is also partly brought to you by Wingman. Wingman uses AI-software to empower remote sales teams with conversation intelligence, actionable insights on successful playbooks, and delivers real-time coaching.

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1377.mp3
Category:Productivity -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Change is the only constant in this world and The Sales Evangelist Podcast is no exception. TSE has changed over the years and another is on the horizon. Listen to this episode as Donald talks about what you can look forward to doing with The Sales Evangelist podcast. 

Welcoming the change

  • The first change is the length of the episodes. Based on a poll, 37% of our listeners said that a good podcast length is somewhere between 20-30 minutes. 
  • Less time with introductions. Instead, we will focus more on the expertise they offer and the wealth of knowledge that will benefit our listeners. 
  • With all the episodes we’ve already published, it gets harder for new listeners to locate the episodes they want to listen to. To remedy that, we’re going to organize the episodes into seasons. The seasons will also be categorized into parent topics such as productivity, goal setting, and more. Finding episodes will be much easier! 
  • The content will be focused on answering your questions and the concerns that come directly from our listeners.
  • New live coaching sessions will be available in the episodes where we’ll get to feature customers, prospects, and other community members.

Season 1 "Why We Changed Up The Show"” episode resources 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. 

This episode is also partly brought to you by Wingman. Wingman uses AI-software to empower remote sales teams with conversation intelligence, actionable insights on successful playbooks, and delivers real-time coaching.

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1376.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

The goal for salespeople is to close more deals. In this episode, Sean Doyle talks about the secret to closing. 

Sean M. Doyle is with FitzMartin, a sales first consultancy firm that helps companies with their sales, marketing, and alignment. Their approach towards marketing and sales is based on science that drives revenue for their clients, while integrating sales and marketing. 

The idea of science-based framework 

  • Most of us love superheroes. As the last touch, salespeople can be seen as the hero for their clients.
  • Most salespeople don’t want the marketing team involved because they have a different process.
  • While the marketing team complains about bad leads, science has a different view. 80% of these leads should be considered to be in a cycle of consideration, preparing to change, and then retreating. 
  • Behavioral science is the transtheoretical theorem of behavioural change according to Prochaska & DiClemente. 
  • There’s more to human behavior than just awareness. 
  • When interviewing an ad agency, ask them to articulate what they feels is the most effective marketing approach just before closing a deal.  If they fail to answer the question,  move on. 
  • A good marketer knows how to impact a deal all the way through the process. 

Looking back, Looking forward 

  • The book Changing for Good: A Revolutionary Sic-Stage Program for Overcoming Bad Habits and Moving  your Life Positively Forward by James O. Prochaska is recommended reading. It talks about the change of behavior that is applicable to everyone who seeks to change. 
  • From a  marketing and sales point of view, there are specific ways to help when the customers want to move forward. 
  • When people are contemplating a purchase, they go to your website. Just because the prospects haven’t bought, it doesn’t mean they forget what they know of your company and their needs. They don’t need any more brand awareness. They need the later stage processes to help them finalize their decision. 
  • Marketers need to help people move from contemplation to preparation, and eventually to action. 

Looking Back/Looking Forward - The Secret To Closing More Deals” episode resources 

Follow Sean M. Doyle on LinkedIn or visit his personal website.  You can also get his book, Shift for free by clicking this link.  

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. 

This episode is also partly brought to you by Wingman. Wingman uses AI-software to empower remote sales teams with conversation intelligence, actionable insights on successful playbooks, and delivers real-time coaching.

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1375.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

There are many things we can look forward to with direct mail. In this episode, Chelsea Martin, the co-owner of Nom’s Bake Shop, talks about how direct mail is the new email. Chelsea and her partner didn’t begin their journey with direct mail immediately but as they grew the company, they ventured into the direct mail space. This strategy became even more important as they shifted from a cookie company to a gifting company. 

From a cookie company to a gifting company

  • A lot of people forget about direct mail and how it’s an effective way of communicating with clients and prospects. 
  • The bake shop started out as a family project for their father who recently retired. It was a hobby that he could enjoy while getting a chance to interact with other people. 
  • The company was built with her husband, father-in-law, and sister-in-law. They started with a cookie company and expanded into a gifting company. 
  • Entering into the gifting industry as they created cookies that are individually packaged with the customer’s or recipient’s logo, the cookies are then mailed out in customizable gift boxes. This shift moved them into direct mailing at the same time.

The power of direct mail

  • Direct mail allows them to send gifts conveniently and still make the gift meaningful.
  • For companies and clients, it’s important to know the specific person you are gifting to versus blindly sending to a company and hoping that it lands in the right hands. 
  • To ensure that their cookies don’t go stale, they employ different campaigns to reach out to prospects/clients/recipients in order to ask about their shipping addresses and inform them a package is coming. 
  • They aren’t sending out emails through an automation platform. People are more receptive when there’s another human on the other end. 
  • Chelsea has been seeing their range and she thinks that it’s due to how warm their leads are. They also make case studies to present to their clients/prospects. 
  • Regardless of the marketing strategy you employ, it all comes down to who your ideal client is and where your leads are.
  • In business, people generally respond positively when they’re treated warmly. There should be an underlying motivation to connect with people. 
  •  Be authentic in your giving. People are attracted to an energy that is genuine.

“Why Direct Mail is the New Email” episode resources 

Connect with Chelsea Martin on LinkedIn. You can also visit their site to get Instagram-worthy delights. 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. 

Do you want to increase your deals by using conversation intelligence? Visit trywingman.com and see how AI-chatbots help in supercharging your revenue. 

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1374.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

There are many metrics in measuring B2B success. In this episode, Darrell Amy brings us some of the best metrics for B2B companies. 

Getting to know Darrell Amy 

Darrel Amy helps companies grow their revenue. He started his career in 1993 and was in the office technology world. He got involved in sales training and launched a sales training company in 2004. Darrell has already helped thousands of people through his sales training programs for global technology companies. He’s also been involved in the digital marketing journey. 

Growing revenue for B2B companies

  • There are two metrics for growth: 
  1. Net new clients 
  2. Cross-sell. 
  • Net new growth is the number of clients you have this month versus last month. 
  • The measurement for cross sell is revenue per client. 
  • Different companies, sales teams, and different industries have sales reps who are good at either netting new clients or cross selling. 
  • Your goal is to drive reasonable growth in each area simultaneously to get magical things happening. 
  • For one of their clients, Darrell’s company grew both simultaneously and were able to increase their revenue within 3 years.
  • There’s only one metric to know: How many clients do I have? 
  • These are the two drivers of revenue: The number of clients you have and the revenue per client. These are the things you need to track. 
  • If you look at business from its most basic levels, you’re left with people and process. Every business is a combination of the two.
  • Sales teams need to learn the processes after the sale. 

The importance of knowing the process

  • It’s important to do periodic business reviews and put a process in place to do it. 
  • The lack of a cross sell metrics is a big red flag for a company. 
  • There are so many opportunities inside your client base, especially your ideal clients. 
  • Your ideal clients are clients that are a perfect fit for the business. They are the ones who will buy everything that you offer and they represent your business for you. 
  • Most companies have the 80/20 rule, where 80% of their revenue comes from 20% of their clients. When you identify what this 20% looks like, then you’ll be able to identify your ideal prospects. 
  • Get close to your ideal clients, write down their characteristics and hang out with them. .Find out what they really want. 

“Best Metrics to Help B2B Companies Gauge Success” episode resources 

Follow  Darrell Amy on LinkedIn or text revenue to 210-00 to get their free tool kit. You can also check out this book from the website. 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. 

Do you want to increase your deals by using conversation intelligence? Visit trywingman.com and see how AI-chatbots help in supercharging your revenue. 

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1373.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

There are many ways you can convert prospects to clients but one way is by using text messaging tactics. What are these tactics? In this episode, Matt Baglia talks about this conversion opportunity. 

Getting to know Matt Baglia

Matt Baglia considers himself as an accidental CEO. He is the co-founder and CEO of SlickText. Over the past nine years, his roles have varied between marketing, sales, development, design, support, and more. 

Use text messaging tactics to convert prospects 

  • With SMS, you must get permission before you can text prospects. It’s different with emails because a prior business relationship is enough reason for you to start messaging them. 
  • Every prospect needs to opt-in and every single person and message needs to be treated like gold. 
  • B2B gets a little tougher as opposed to B2C when it comes to SMS marketing. There’s a lot more catching up in B2B. 
  • In B2C, you always need to bring value to the end consumers. On the B2B side, it’s more about knowing and understanding the risks of every outreach, the wants of the customers, and the reasons they’d be willing to let you into their personal network. 
  • SMS marketing works best when you have a subscriber base that wants to continue to receive messages over and over again.  
  • The reason we send text messages is because we care about the person and want to reach out to them. 
  • Segmentation is important to be able to start hyper targeting the prospects based on their interests. Responses are also necessary and as messages come in, it’s important to be able to have a one-on-one communication with them. 
  • Think of SMS marketing as an inbound marketing strategy. 
  • Matt’s team is developing a feature that’s about ready to launch. It’s called automated workflow. The goal is to get to a place where you can hyper target your customers in an automated fashion. 
  • Ask yourself the question, “Are my customers repeat buyers?” The answer to this question helps decide the path your customer will follow.  
  • Work on an inbound strategy that offers value. 

“Convert Prospects Using Text Messaging Tactics” episode resources 

Reach out to Matt Baglia via LinkedIn or send them an email at info@slicktext.com. You can also check their website here

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. 

Do you want to increase your deals by using conversation intelligence? Visit trywingman.com and see how AI-chatbots help in supercharging your revenue. 

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1372.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Crumble is a great tool to help sales reps schedule more sales appointments. In this episode, Joseph Villegas talks about how to use the tool more efficiently in scheduling appointments. 

 

Joseph Villegas has been in pharmaceutical sales for two years now and still, his passion in the challenge of the industry is unwavering. The game has changed so much over the years that Joseph and other sales reps have to rely on their selling skills. 

 

Schedule More Sales Appointments 

  • Sales pharmaceutical is not the typical B2B sales where they reach out to doctors or customers via email with an attached clinical prescribing information. 
  • The opportunities for sales reps to reach out with doctors is restricted as a lot of doctors don’t allow sales reps to barrage in their clinics, offices, or even do lunches with them. 
  • It’s even worse now with the pandemic as seeing other people in person has become even more difficult. 
  • Sales reps now rely on tools such as Zoom to adapt to the changes brought about by the pandemic while keeping their sales up. 
  • There are always limitations when it comes to setting appointments but sales reps have to work around these limitations and go from there. 
  • Joseph used to make do with excel sheets to remind him of his schedules and appointments but it was disorganized and affected his sales. The lack of a platform to help organizing the papers and documents wasn’t as effective as he thought. 
  • It took a while for his team to build a virtual platform, they now use the tool called Viva Engage which is similar to Zoom but with product details and has slides. It allowed them to make detailed presentations. 

 

Tools impact sales 

  • Joseph’s decreased number in sales prompted him to evaluate his mindset. He changed his mindset and he also aimed to become more organized. He also started listening to several podcasts including The Sales Evangelist and heard about Trello and Crmble. 
  • Trello and Crmble allowed him to be more organized and allowed him to see his appointments, schedules, and other tasks. He was able to have all necessary information in one platform. 
  • With these tools, you can schedule your appointments and other tasks months ahead. Crmble also tracks your sales pipeline. 



“How to Schedule More Sales Appointments Using Crmble.com” episode resources 

Connect with Joseph Villegas on LinkedIn. 

 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. 

 

Do you want to increase your deals by using conversation intelligence? Visit trywingman.com and see how AI-chatbots help in supercharging your revenue. 

 

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1371.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Getting to know Christina Mautz

Christina is the chief marketing officer and head of sales at Moz, an SEO platform search engine optimization.  

Know your ideal customers

  • The biggest current problem is the abrupt changes that have happened throughout this year. As a result, we are now in a place where we are having to do things differently. 
  • With so many changes, it’s important to really understand your customer and meet with the people who need what you’re offering. 
  • It’s important to slow down instead of speeding up. Take a step back and assess if you really know who your ideal customers are. 
  • As sales reps, we should be building awareness and driving consideration and interest so the customer is ready to purchase. 

Understand the buyer’s journey

  • Since the introduction of the internet, the buyer’s journey is no longer linear. The ability to connect and talk with other people online, has made information easy to share across channels. People are now trying to find their own solutions. 
  • Sales reps need to understand what the clients and prospects are asking and at which part of the sales journey they’re in. They may still be in the stage where they need help understanding that there is a problem. 
  • Researching gives you insight into the things that your customers are trying to figure out. 
  • In every stage of the journey, the opportunity is in knowing what they need. 
  • Christina recommends mapping their journey as it helps sales reps check where their customers are at any given time. 
  • Think about their journey and develop content for each stage. It doesn’t have to be huge but it has to be effective and it needs to be a  solution that the customer is looking for. 
  • Headline the content with the words that the customers are using and searching for. This is where SEO comes in. 
  • In this time of COVID19, businesses need to put effort into their local SEO especially for businesses with physical store locations, regardless if it’s open or not. You need to get the message out that the business continues to serve its customers and you do that via local SEO. 
  • Do not assume you know what’s best for your customers until you truly have empathy for what it’s like to be in their shoes.  

Meet Revenue By Understanding the Buyer's Journey” episode resources 

Connect with Christina Mautz on LinkedIn. You can also check out their company website. 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1370.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Getting to know Kim Fredrich

Kim Fredrich helps small business sales reps feel more comfortable and confident about having sales conversations. With this pandemic, salespeople are having an especially hard time talking to potential clients. For Kim, there’s no right time like the present. Even as the future is uncertain for other business owners, Kim is building her second business which includes outbound sales for small service-based businesses and she’s authored the book, If You Can Have a Conversation, You Can Sell”. 

 

Use Questions as Unique Selling Propositions

  • Listening is an important part of selling. It’s how you are able to ask the right questions and make value propositions. 
  • Always ask open-ended and conversational questions. Don’t give them the chance to stop the conversation with questions that can be answered with “no.”
  • Raise questions in a way that the answer is useful and valuable to both of you.
  • A lot of salespeople aren’t clear on what their value proposition is. They’re not aware of what will make their company better. 
  • Be clear on your value proposition and put some time and effort into crafting good questions. 
  • Have three to four questions that address the different parts of the value proposition. You can bring any of the four that is appropriate to the conversation. 
  • Before you go in-depth into the sales process, you need to make sure that your products or services are actually a good fit for the person/business you're speaking with. 
  • Be clear and be able to articulate your value proposition. For small businesses, you can talk to the owner and if you’re speaking to a big company, reach out to their marketing department. 
  • The sales conversation must be tied to emotions. Don’t focus on the features. 
  • Ask the right kind of open-ended questions and get them talking and listening. Let them share with you as well and in so doing, you’ll be building rapport.  

 

Using Your Unique Selling Proposition to Generate Good Sales Questions” episode resources 

Connect with Kim Fredrich on LinkedIn

 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1369.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Emotional intelligence is an important factor in making sales reps effective in their jobs.This includes being kind throughout your business practice. How is emotional intelligence going to further your sales revenue? Let’s find out in this episode. 

Cole Baker-Bagwell has been a Yogi for 26 years and one of the first rules of Yoga is the ethical rule to do no harm. This entails practicing compassion and kindness which are powerful enough to change the perception of their experiences and other outcomes. 

Emotional intelligence - Be Kind

  • Many sales reps today, especially the beginners, can get caught up in product knowledge and competition. As a result, there may not default to compassion and kindness as a practice. This can hinder them from getting to a solution that is beneficial to the customer. 
  • Awareness and mindfulness are important but these concepts have been diluted and misinterpreted in today’s society. 
  • Jon Kabat-Zin’s says that mindfulness is awareness. It means paying attention in a particular way, on purpose ,without judgement. We need to cultivate that awareness, the first level of emotional intelligence, before you can engage. 
  • Developing that mindfulness makes it easier for you to show up and uphold a commitment to do no harm in every single part of your business. 
  • Many sales executives and sales professionals are held to a quota. When the quarter almost ends, the pressure brews and some and them may feel this pressure inside their own bodies. This pressure can be difficult to manage if there isn’t a state of mindfulness.

Choose kindness and awareness

  • The pressure then prompts the sales professionals to work from a place of desperation. These feelings can increase the likelihood of missing out on awareness, of connecting thought with word and action. 
  • The whole idea of the race is created by human beings, a pace we have chosen. Everyone is running in a race and multitasking and somehow, people forgot about collaboration, generosity, and
  •  compassion. It all boils down to the choices people make. 
  • Remember who you’re serving, what you’re doing, and why it matters to them. 
  • Business is about offering value and building relationships. It’s not limited to just reaching your quota for the quarter. 
  • Ask yourself these questions - what kinds of sales motions do I put in place? How do I create policies as a sales executive? 

“Emotional Intelligence for Sellers: Be Kind” episode resources 

Connect with Cole Baker-Bagwell via LinkedIn. You can also check out her website. 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1368.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Prospecting is not an easy part of the sales process and sometimes, sales reps don’t have much luck with it. How do you change your luck for prospecting? Let’s talk about that in this episode. 

Bad Luck in Prospecting

  • Some sales reps just find prospecting is difficult. Donald finds that acknowledging and correcting cognitive dissonance can be helpful in amending that problem. 
  • When it comes to cognitive dissonance, it’s basically a thought, a theory, or an idea that can be opposed to the reality we want to achieve. You can’t have two opposing thoughts going on at the same time. 
  • When prospecting, a sales rep will believe that someone will, or will not, pick up the phone or answer the door. There are these two opposing forces within each salesperson. 
  • When a sales rep leans into a more optimistic point of view, it changes the way they perform, their demeanor, confidence, and the words they say. 
  • The optimists are probably the most willing to solve the clients’ problems and more willing to help other sales reps who are struggling in prospecting as well. That optimistic nature is felt by the prospect and the prospect is more likely to respond positively.
  • Sales reps shouldn’t listen to their negative thoughts or to their bad wolves. Lessen “bad luck” by lessening cognitive dissonance and not feeding the more negative aspects of your mind. 

Get rid of bad luck in prospecting 

  • Focus on the most important things. The brain doesn't have any idea what’s real and what’s not when it comes to perceiving the truth so you need to define the reality you want your brain to follow. 
  • Your chances of performing better in your prospecting increases significantly when you're feeding the right thoughts. 
  • Surround yourself with people who help you develop a positive outlook in prospecting. 
  • Become a part of the sales community who help you and look for programs to learn more about how to prospect effectively. 
  • Luck is the intersection of opportunity and hard work. Focus on the positive side aspects of the work and your success. 
  • Believe that you can do it and start thinking accordingly. Your actions will follow.

“The Real Reason Why You Are Having "Bad Luck" When Prospecting” episode resources 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1367.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

How do you grab your prospects’ attention? Sales reps all have their unique strategies and in this episode, Brandan Kane talks about his methods on capturing peoples’ attention. 

Getting to know Brendan Kane 

Brendan Kane is a growth strategist who helps brands, corporations, celebrities, B2B, and B2Cs stand out in saturated markets. He started out in the entertainment industry managing the digital divisions for two movie studios and realized he was an entrepreneur. That’s when he started building technology platforms and licensing them back to big media companies. 

Grab your prospects’ attention

  • It’s important to understand that there are over 60 billion messages sent out on digital platforms each day. It’s a noisy and saturated world. This means you’re no longer just competing against your direct competition, you’re now competing against every piece of content. 
  • Crafting a message is a skill. You must use hook points to grab your prospect's attention. The first 3-5 seconds are your only windows to create that pattern interruption. 
  • Hook point is designed to win the first part of the conversation. There are three pillars to design hooks: Getting somebody to stop, formulating a story to maintain their attention, and doing it authentically. 
  • One of the biggest mistakes that people are making is saying the same things repeatedly. Create a pattern interruption and be creative. 
  • Brendan Kane uses subversive expectations. It’s a great way of flipping things on its head. It’s different from a clickbait. 
  • When the interruption has been made, the next step is to maintain interest by telling a story that correlates to the interruption. This story is actually a message about how you can provide value while offering solutions for their pain points. 
  • Most people make the mistake of creating a story based on how they perceive the world when it should be from the prospect’s point of view.
  • These days, it’s less about the content and more about the context. Most people have solid content but they don’t contextually package it in a way people listen and latch onto it. 

How Grab Your Prospect's Attention In 3-5 Seconds Using Hook Points” episode resources 

Check out Brandan Kane’s LinkedIn profile or watch his free masterclass on creating hook points. 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1366.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Getting to know Cody Butler

Cody Butler is a marketing coach and consultant for lead generation sales. He helps companies with the toughest aspects of their businesses. In this episode, Cody Butler shares his expertise on how to get responses by crafting effective outreach messages

Crafting effective outreach message

  • One of the biggest mistakes people make is the lack of brevity. Everyone is so busy they’re sending messages that are dense and hard to navigate.  
  • The messages Cody sends taps into clients’ biggest existing desires. You need to figure out what they want before sending an outreach message. 
  • The goal is to get the person to engage so don’t ask too much in the first email. In this initial email you only need the prospect to raise their hand and say yes! 
  • The second email provides the overwhelming your solution is what they need and you offer a very low key call to action. 
  • In all your communication, what you are looking for is to mitigate potential objections to get the outcome that you want. 
  • Go to Reddit, Quora, and other forums if you’re not entirely familiar to get more acquainted with people who fall in your niche.
  • In forums, you don't have to present the answer, you just need to ask the question. Ask questions pertaining to your brand and niche to really narrow down the interests of your target audience. You also need to understand the questions people are asking. 
  • The people reading your outreach message shouldn’t be able to answer with, “So what?” It should be a message that requires a Yes or a No. 
  • Keep it simple and benefit-driven. At maximum, an outreach message should be two sentences long. Don’t let it sound like  you’re deciding for them. Let the market decide if the message is going to work. 
  • Personalize your messages and instead of the subscribe/unsubscribe link, go for the stop receiving these emails or don’t email me again. 

Crafting an Effective Outreach Message That Gets Responses” episode resources 

Connect with Cody Butler via LinkedIn and also check out Cody Butler’s book, The 90 day Marketing Plan. Visit his official website to learn more. 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1365.mp3
Category:outreach message -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Donald didn’t believe in sales mindset training and it affected the sales process. Eventually, that belief changed. In this episode, Donald talks about how and why it changed. 

Sales Mindset Training 

  • Teaching somebody how to prospect means you’re also teaching them how to land more deals.  
  • Donald went through a program called Thought Pattern for High Performance on CTV. It helped him understand that there’s more to a sales mindset than just the idea of a pep rally or giving somebody a quote. 
  • Sales mindset is more about behavioral changes. It’s about making positive changes and looking at things you can control.                                                                                                                                                                                   
  • The pandemic has affected the mindset of many people and some of the changes haven’t been for the better. There is a need to regulate our thinking and look at our behaviors. 
  • Underperforming salespeople would say that they don’t have time for prospecting because they’ve been busy doing other things. Top performing salespeople, on the other hand, are prospecting consistently. 
  • Underperforming sales reps have excuses while top performing sales reps have successes. 
  • Thoughts and desire lead to our beliefs and our belief leads to action. 
  • Top performing sales reps have the belief or the desire to succeed. This belief system leads them to action and as a result, they find people to help. 
  • Don’t stop learning and keep validating your beliefs. Teach yourself to make it a habit to have good beliefs that lead to great actions. 
  • An individual must change his/her belief to change the pattern of what he/she is doing. 
  • Sales leaders need to be aware of what their sales reps believe before they can help them improve their skills in prospecting.
  • Use tools like Pipedrive and Wingman. These tools, however, won’t help you if you don’t change your mindset first. 

“Sales Mindset Training is a Joke” episode resources 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1364.mp3
Category:mindset training -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Getting to know Joroen Corthout

Jeroen Corthout is co-founder and CEO of SalesFlare, an intelligent CRM for SMBs selling B2B. It’s most popular among agencies and SaaS companies. In this episode, Jeroen talks about his CRM platform and all the other ways to use LinkedIn to win deals. 

Use LinkedIn to win deals

  • LinkedIn doesn’t share as much information on this platform as truly required. Sales reps have to do serious excavating to get the necessary information they need. 
  • SalesFlare’s system is built around emailing, meetings, calls, and pulling out basic information from social media.  With their services, all these sources come together. When a sales rep adds people to the system, it automatically pulls in the email exchanges they have including the person, meetings, and calls. Other members who are on the team have access to all these exchanges as well. 
  • Automating data means having the ability to follow-up leads easier. 
  • When making a LinkedIn connection, make it as authentic as possible. Try to imagine the clients’/prospects’ perspective and translate that to empathy in the contact.
  • Connect only when it makes sense. A lot of people appreciate when sales reps reach out after they sign up for the software. 
  • It’s often more effective to first send several messages manually, tailor the message and do it several times. See the pattern before you automate the system. Think about your target audience in the narrowest way possible. 
  • Be very targeted with your messaging and try not to generalize the process of reaching out.
  • There are many things that sales reps can do with LinkedIn, but it’s not enough to send people resources and links. Think of LinkedIn as an Instagram for business. Use images, build relationships, and get the conversation going. 
  • Focus on building relationships on LinkedIn. It’s the best place for business. Don’t look at it as a networking party. Instead, think of it as a place to meet new people, share information, and engage. 

Use LinkedIn to Connect With Customers and Win Deals” episode resources 

Reach out to Jeroen Corthout via his LinkedIn profile. You can also visit their site to learn more. 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1363.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Getting to know Scott Roy and Roy Whitten

Scott Roy is the co-founder and CEO of the Whitten & Roy Partnership. It’s a sales consultancy that works with organizations to transform their sales performance. They work with 45 countries in the B2C and B2B markets. 

Roy Whitten has been friends with Scott Roy for many years and they’ve journeyed through their sales careers together. Roy started in door-to-door selling but later on, transitioned into applying transformational work to B2B and B2C companies. He used his education and works in transformative learning to coach and train more than 100,000 people. 

Managing attitude to increase sales

  • The issue is that when sales are going well, the attitude is great. When the sales aren’t going well, the attitude takes a downturn. 
  • As a sales leader, Scott is looking for ways to help his team manage their attitude and drastically increase sales. 
  • Managing attitude is more than just a causative attitude. It’s maintaining a purposeful attitude. It means having the ability to stay on track and see how things are going to work out positively. 
  • The first part in managing attitude is by getting a clear picture of what the purpose is for your selling activity and conversations. The second part is no longer being a victim of circumstances and taking control of the process instead of being affected by the situation. 
  • Scott volunteered in Cambodia and he discovered that the fundamental belief in selling is shared by many people whether they’re from a developing country or in the U.S: That selling is about pitching, convincing, and sometimes, pressuring people to make a decision.  
  • Decision intelliegence can help salespeople to become so much more effective than the pitch, convince, and persuade strategy. This means being committed to help clients make the best possible decision. 

Drastically increase sales with these 4 steps

  • Step one: Find a problem, stay on the problem, and not get off the problem until it’s solved. It’s about taking the customer through the journey of discovering their pain point and helping them identify the causes in order to eventually come up with a solution.
  • Step two: Know the impact of these problems on the company, employees, the brand, and additional touch points. 
  • Step three: It’s all about the solution. It’s how the products or eservice meet the problems in a way that the problems are solved. 
  • Step four: Calculate the return on investments and make sure that what you’re spending is worth it.
  • R = A+C+E. Result is based on three things: The attitude you bring to every moment of the conversation. C is the competence you have in how well you are able to get you customers to explore the problem. E is effort or execution as you do the activities at the right time to effectively sell. 
  • Approach the customers with a problem proposition, not with what you can do for them. 

“The Best Way to Manage Attitude and Drastically Increase Sales” episode resources 

Reach out to Scott and Roy via their LinkedIn accounts. You can also visit their official website to learn more. 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1362.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Getting to know Shruti Kapoor 

Today’s guest is Shruti Kapoor the co-founder of Wingman, a company that looks at the call data to provide overall analytics to sales leaders and sales teams. She started her career in finance a decade ago as an investment banker and from there, went on to build the business she has today.

Analyzing B2B sales calls

  • Since the pandemic, Shruti has learned three things: First, there is a big dip in call volume since March but the number is slowly going up. Second, some businesses froze for a time but it's slowly going back. People have other reasons for not buying and it’s not just due to budget.  Third, people love to talk about their kids so salespeople need to incorporate that into their discussions. 
  • During March, phone calls dropped to almost half. There is also a significant dip in the types of phone calls. 
  • Sales cycles are much longer with many more touch points due to the pandemic and people being remote. 
  • With the changes in call volumes, sales reps must look for other avenues. Shruti’s team uses voice calls and voice messages for their outreach. 
  • Salespeople today are curious whether it’s okay to talk about the pandemic, working from home, internet issues, and other topics, with their clients/prospects during a call. 
  • People are struggling with their budgets. Sales reps must listen to how their prospects are speaking of budget during the conversation. 
  • A sales rep can ask their prospect/client about the decision makers involved in the process early on. It is better to have someone from the finance team involved in the conversation. 
  • Sales reps need to develop more empathy as they talk to clients.  People seem to be more open about sharing their struggles and salespeople need to be able to navigate sensitive topics. 

3 Things We Learned Analyzing More Than 1 Million B2B Sales Calls” episode resources 

Connect with Shruti Kapoor via her LinkedIn account. 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

This episode is also partly brought to you by Wingman. Wingman empowers remote sales teams with conversation intelligence, actionable insights on successful playbooks, and delivers real-time coaching. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1361.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Getting to know Martin Heibel

Martin Heibel’s career has centered around software sales and he is now the co-founder of Ciara, the company where you can find the CRM software tool he calls The Conversation Assistant.

Win deals on the Phone

  • Right now reps are having to go back to the beginning of sales relationships and take a look at what the needs of their customers actually are as their needs may have changed. This involves revisiting their USP, their pitch, and how they will approach their customers.
  • As the situation changes, it’s important not to make any assumptions. Make sure that the pitch is inline with the customer’s most current needs. 
  • Martin’s messaging detects the customer’s needs and  pain points. 
  • It used to be that customers would go take part in outbound cold-calling in order to be qualified and these leads would be passed on to sales people. This has changed.
  • It’s time to rethink the process from the first contact and marketing to a qualified lead to actually closing of the deal. 
  • Good rapport isn’t just about the flow of a conversation but also the care you give to the meeting environment. Having the zoom call in a kitchen is vastly different than having it in a studio. 
  • When everything starts shaking and moving, a good salesperson must be able to put all the pieces together and act on them quickly. 
  • At Ciara, they provide a conversation assistant. It’s software that records the conversation as you’re talking to a customer so you have feedback to consider the best next steps. 

From Call to Close: How to Win Deals on the Phone” episode resources 

Connect with Martin Heibel via Crunchbase and LinkedIn. Check out their official website as well. 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. "We value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our 2 mins survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1360.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Getting to know Adam Springer

 Adam Springer helps B2B startups with their technical sales process by offering his expertise in building systems to help businesses get to a million dollars in a year or less. 

Uncovering customer pain points

  • Uncovering pain points is especially important during the qualification stage. Pain points include the prospects’ frustrations, what causes fear, and the goals they want to achieve. 
  • A business must have its ideal customer profile because each person that a sales rep speaks to has their own pains and these pains affect them in different ways. It’s important to understand who you’re selling to in order to come up with the best approach to address their pain. 
  • Sales reps must understand what their prospects are dealing with if they want to know their customer pain points. 
  • When making calls, the goal of helping must be mutually beneficial. If you see that your products or offers aren’t the answer to their problems, you need to tell them and respectfully let them go. 

Bringing up your customer’s pain points during a call

  • Bring up the pain points wisely during sales calls. Ask open-ended questions based on what you’ve already mapped out. Know your clients on a deeper level by asking difficult questions without making any assumptions. 
  • It’s more impactful for somebody else to tell you about their pain points than you telling them of the pain they may have. 
  • You don’t have to ask the same questions but you can have a format. Start with small talk and qualifying questions, tell them about yourself, and continue with whatever process falls in the sales cycle.
  • Adam also asks the client which tool they’re currently using and the cost of the tools. By doing this he gets clues about their budget and where they may be financially. 
  •  Don’t be afraid to ask questions and listen carefully. 

How to Properly Uncover Customer Pain Points” episode resources 

Connect with Adam Springer via his LinkedIn account

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

This episode is also partly brought to you by Wingman. Wingman empowers remote sales teams with conversation intelligence, actionable insights on successful playbooks, and delivers real-time coaching. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1359.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Getting to know Will Batista and Heidi Peters 

Heidi is a digital marketing strategist and consultant. She works with Republicans, the candidate campaigns, state parties, and anyone in the political organization looking for digital efforts. Heidi specializes in various causes and online fundraising programs.      

Will calls himself a reformed campaigner. He’s been doing political campaigns since he was 14 years old. Will also worked on digital strategy for a few political campaigns, did communications work, and acted as spokesperson for various efforts. Right now, Will is focused on sustainability efforts for a major utility in the Southwest. 

Effectively selling a candidate

  • Oftentimes, people don’t see the need for political markers. They just vote for whomever they want. At the end of the day, Will and Heidi’s job is to go after the gap made up of those who may not have all the information they need. 
  • The first step in effectively selling a candidate is to know exactly what they stand for and what the message is. You must identify the strengths  you want to push forward. 
  • Campaigns lose because they lack branding and messaging. It’s not about having the position for every single issue right away, but it’s about knowing who you are right away. Social branding is one of the first steps you need to do if you want to effectively sell a candidate. 
  • People today need to understand the political market because most of the time, they don’t know the facts. 
  • There are different marketing strategies for every group of people being targeted. 
  • Regardless of what you’re marketing, you need to have an overall brand image and brand message. You also need to know how to pivot as well. 
  • A winning candidate must be confident and authentic. Being confident means when somebody comes at you, it’s not going to knock you off your game. It’s the ability to maintain your brand identity even with the opinion of other people coming down on you. 
  • Always reflect the value of the people you are representing. 
  • There are two schools of thought in marketing in the political world: The people who say endorsements don’t matter and those who say endorsements can make a huge difference. 
  • At the end of the day, people vote based on their personal experience. Treat people with dignity and respect. 

 Politics and Sales: How to Effectively Sell a Candidate” episode resources 

Connect with Heidi Tagliaferri and Will Batista on Twitter

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

This episode is also partly brought to you by Wingman. Wingman empowers remote sales teams with conversation intelligence, actionable insights on successful playbooks, and delivers real-time coaching. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1358.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Getting to know Jeff Fromm 

Jeff Fromm has written four books over the last 10 years on Gen Z. He uses thought leadership to stimulate his sales funnel and content marketing as his inbound tool. 

 

Diving into brand loyalty 

  • Jeff thinks of loyalty in terms of frequency of use and price elasticity. Loyalty to a brand equates to using its products more frequently. It doesn’t doesn’t mean using the brand exclusively; it means I’m willing to pay a small premium for it. 
  • Loyalty should matter to salespeople because when you’re helpful to your customers, they’ll want to work with you over and over. It’s the difference between average outcomes and making a lot of money.
  • Professional salespeople are empathetic, they have great listening skills, and they collaborate to solve problems. 
  • Buyers don’t want to buy your product; they want to solve their problem.
  • Questions are your friend, because they help the seller become smarter about the buyer, and they lead to a sale that is a better fit to the buyer’s needs.
  • You have to have BANT: budget, authority, need, and timing. If you have those things in a buyer, then your job is to find the right solution.
  • When you provide possible solutions, consider giving three different options and the cost range of each. That way you’re guiding your customer to a solution that best fits his needs. 
  • Show your customers the risk associated with their approach and point them toward the approach that is most likely to succeed.
  • Give facts, and give customers places to cut corners if you can. 
  • “You have to be willing to lose what you do not have to win what you want.” Jeff Fromm
  • Culture is wildly important with brand loyalty. Create your culture by being inclusive and innovative. Hire people who are motivated and then empower them and give them good tools.  
  • Be willing to collaborate. Leverage the power of your team by hearing their ideas. Find the people who are better than you at certain things. 
  • To build loyalty with Millennials, spend time with them. Nurture them. They are looking for mentorship. Members of Gen Z are looking for opportunities to prove they are capable of doing something.
  • If you want to sell more, ask better questions. 



How B2B Sellers Can Build Brand Loyalty With Customers” episode resources 

 

Connect with Jeff at jfromm@barkleyus.com. If you reach out to him directly, he’ll send you a free copy of his book, The Purpose Advantage. If you guy a copy on Amazon, 100 percent of the proceeds go to The Brand Lab, which supports racial equality in marketing. 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1357.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Using Past Stories in Your Close 

Stories are powerful as they can help promote your product or service in many ways. How can you use stories to close deals? Nathan Hirch is a long time entrepreneur who started with an Amazon business when he was still in college, selling over $25 million in product. He built his company using virtual assistants and other freelancers and within four years, he was able to scale it to an eight-figure business. 

Stories are effective

Stories make you relatable and as a result, it’s easier to build relationships with other people. The more specific your story is, the better the reception will be and the more you tell your stories, the more comfortable you become in sharing them.

As you tell your story, you want to watch for their reactions and listen to the feedback. Adjust your stories accordingly so it’s sharper the next time you tell it.  There’s a certain amount of trial and error when crafting your story as you tweak it and see what works. It’s not necessary to always share success stories because people also appreciate how you coped with failure. Success stories aren’t always relatable. 

Create stories around objections 

Start by creating stories around objections. The most common objections are fear of losing money and the fear of wasting time. Take these objections and turn them into stories. Phil Knight’s book, Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike is a good reference book on how you can create and tell your own stories. 

The Outsource School

Nate’s goal is to help businesses hire A-players quickly. Nate’s company also has a system, a process built-in for operations and marketing to help grow others’ businesses. You can take advantage of it for $997/a year. Today, it’s dropped to $800. 

Nate believes that hiring is the number one skill you have to learn in the business. People who learn how to hire early are typically more successful down the road. 

Using past stories in your close” episode resources 

Connect with Hirch via his LinkedIn account. You can also check out his Outsource school and learn more. Try the trial here. 

Nathan Hirsch also founded Ecombalance.com a monthly bookkeeping service for Ecommerce Sellers and Agencies

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals and also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1356.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

I Don’t Need Anymore Training!

It's a mistake for salespeople to believe they don't need any more training. This mindset isn’t productive and it certainly won’t help you improve your skills as a salesperson. 

There are many people who don’t think they need to improve upon what they already know. It’s a pervasive issue and it's due to several reasons: 

  • There is a hypocrisy that’s often present in the sales arena
  • Training is expected in many industries so it can be taken for granted.
  • People don't look at areas they can improve on

Hypocrisy in sales

Salespeople know how to handle an objection like “We have this product already. We don’t need yours." We understand this is a challenge and can share how our product may help them due to the changes in trends. The same is true in sales where trends change there too. We can’t be hypocrites and expect our sales to improve when we don’t improve as well. The change should start from us. 

Training is expected

Sales is a continuous learning process and there are many opportunities through podcasts, books, conferences, and more. People who excel may already have the experience, but they still want to learn more. The individuals, however, who don’t desire to improve start to become stagnant and decline in performance. When your role is critical and you’re not getting any training, people who don’t stay on top of their sales training wash out because they’re not equipped with enough tools. 

Areas you can improve upon

There are numerous training sessions  available  for the areas that you need to improve. Be the sales rep the executives are looking for. Be a sales rep that executives are willing to take a risk for. 

I Don’t Need any more Training!” episode resources 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

This episode is also brought to you by Wingman. Wingman empowers remote sales teams with conversation intelligence, actionable insights on successful playbooks, and delivers real-time coaching. Get Insights. Get Intelligence. Get Revenue.

Check out their website at trywingman.com

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1355.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Using Direct Mail To Move Prospects Through Your Funnel

Salespeople use direct mail to move their prospects through their sales funnel but how does that impact the business? Let’s talk about that in this episode.

Nick Runyon loves everything about marketing. He started out promoting his parents’ and friends’ business and ever since he’s been fascinated by connecting people with problems to people who have solutions.

Direct mail defined 

Traditionally, direct mail has included letters, solicitations, and mailboxes. These can be personalized for marketing messages and are called tactile marketing. Nick started personalized direct mail when he needed to reach out to a gentleman with a portfolio of assets who had an interest in their mission. It was difficult to connect with billionaires but Nick was able to. 

Without much information, Nick was able to get his location and send him a package that included his book. Nick wrote a personal message in that book and called the gentleman fifteen minutes after he got the notification that his parcel was delivered. That got him a meeting. He was invited for lunch and they were able to build a business relationship. That is the power of direct mail. People want to know that they matter and this is an opportunity to go beyond marketing automation. 

Tactile marketing automation 

Tactile marketing is the coordinated and personalized orchestration of your digital and tactile efforts coming together. While email has an open rate of 1-2%, direct mail show a higher rate of 2-4%. When efforts are coordinated and worked in a timely way, sales reps can capture a person’s attention and move the conversation forward. 

Effective implementation starts with the identification of your ideal customer profile and you only mail people who fall under your customer category. Direct mail isn’t just about sending, it’s about giving personalized, valuable, timely, and intentional solutions to your target customers. You can also use traditional principles of marketing and incorporate them into your present strategies. 

Using Direct Mail To Move Prospects Through Your Funnel” episode resources 

Connect with Nick Runyon via his LinkedIn account and visit his website

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1354.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

How 5-Star Reviews Can Increase Conversion Rates

Reviews are a great marketing strategy to increase conversion rates. Have you been using your reviews well? In this episode, let’s talk about reviews as a way to increase conversion rates.

 

Brian J. Greenberg, aka The Salesman Who Doesn't Sell, has founded businesses in e-commerce, marketing, and financial services. He has generated over 50 million in revenue from his businesses and collected over 10,000 reviews and testimonials from customers. Brian is the founder and president of True Blue Life Insurance, and Insurist, whose mission is to be transparent, honest, and helpful to their customers without ever bugging or pushing them. Brian also runs e-commerce websites at Touchfree Concepts and Wholesale Janitorial Supply and is the chief marketing officer for Love Fitness and You

 

Reviews are critical in sales

Customers look up companies on the internet and read reviews and complaints before they make they ever make a buying decision. Building a good online reputation is imperative and reviews are the best way to do that. Another method is to list as much information as possible - names of people, their cities, the items they bought, and snippets of their testimonials. If you’re giving this information to people for free, a reciprocity effect takes place. 

 

The key to getting positive reviews is to ask customers for a review when they are happy. Satisfied customers are more inclined to say good things about the company and the product. They are also more willing to go to the process of sending you their reviews. 

 

Leverage your reviews

Leverage your reviews and share them with other channels. Include local business listings, use Yelp, Google listings, and others to increase the likelihood of your reviews getting seen by many people. Collect reviews that are genuine and authentic. Happy people want to write reviews that will help others share the joy. The aim is to provide high-quality service in order to keep the customers happy and satisfied. 

 

Bad reviews happen but you can change it if you proceed well. Call them and ask for the why and change their perception by making it right. Once they’re satisfied, ask them permission to take the review down. 



How 5-Star Reviews Can Increase Conversion Rates” episode resources 

 

Check out Brian Greenberg on LinkedIn and download his audiobook and book on pdf for free.

 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1353.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

4 Steps to Systematic Sales Growth 

Salespeople and business owners employ different strategies to achieve sales growth. In this episode, Jimmy Burgess talks about steps to systematic sales growth. 

Jimmy has been in real estate for 27 years and the years have let him experience all the different marketing cycles. He was able to build a time and had over a million dollars income in a year and he’s also experienced bankruptcy with just $500 to his name. He is now with Berkshire Hathaway Homeservices Beach Properties and starting his own podcast show. 

Systematic Sales Growth

Systematic sales growth can be achieved by either doing more of what you’re doing at the moment or trying new things. The whole business pattern is about birth, growth, maturity, and decline. Businesses need to look for more ways to add value to the market and ensure that people will come back to you. 

Competence

Jimmy talks about ABL or always be learning. Build competence by learning new things to improve the business. Look at your weak spots in the business and learn more about it, become the expert in it. Get to the point where you are able to understand the business, the products and services more than anybody else. There are somany learning materials available in it’s a matter of discipline to get to where you want to be. 

Repetition builds reputation 

Consistency of providing value to the marketplace is where you build the confidence that the buyer has in you as the person selling the product. It’s now the perfect time to use videos and send video updates to a client base. The consistency helps in building your reputation. Once you build your reputation, your next goal is to keep communicating with people and have a referral basis. Find your systematic approach to consistency and providing value to the clients. Even when the whirlwind comes, you still need to stay consistent. 

Conversations lead to conversions

You can send videos and post all posts in social media but at the end of the day, people do business with people. Salespeople need to connect, to have conversations, and ask questions. You need to get out there and find out how you can help others. Figure out their needs, their pain points, and you won't be able to do that without having the conversation. 

Confidence 

The first phone call will always be difficult but if you are confident, you will be able to answer the questions asked. It is critically important now to invest in yourself. Keep learning and connect with people. 

4 Steps to Systematic Sales Growth” episode resources 

Connect with Jimmy Burgess via his Facebook and LinkedIn account. He also has his own website and podcast show. 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1352_.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Three Skills to Help You Overcome Objections

Being in sales, there needs to be a level of optimism but objections are also part of the process. How do you handle objections? Alison started her career in the human resources field before she jumped into entrepreneurship. She tried building her own business four times but failed each time. It was her fifth try in 2019 that she became a success.

 

Skills to overcome objections

 

Alison has 3 C’s to guide her in being successful in sales: Clarity, confidence, and connection. 

 

Clarity starts with customer discovery.  It’s in this stage that prospects are able to share their needs and sales reps are able to define how they can be part of the solution. Objections often fall under three categories - budget, time, and necessity. Prospects either don’t have resources to proceed, don’t have the time to engage, or they have no need for the product or service. When you’re clear where their objections fall, you’ll have a better understanding about how to overcome these obstacles. Clarity is also about building rapport. 

 

Japanese scientist Masaru Emoto’s book Hidden Messages in Water talked about how spoken words can impact water molecules. In a video, he shows how the shape of these water molecules can reflect negative and positive speech that’s been spoken over these samples. In the same way, well-spoken words can also make a positive impact.

 

Confidence is also tied to clarity. Words can make or break a person’s esteem and interest. Use positive words and fuel optimism. 

 

The connection is important in overcoming the objection. Connection is about letting a prospect know that you are listening and want to help them with their problem. Connecting comes from asking deeper questions. 

 

Clarity, confidence, and connection are skills that can start with the sales call. 

 

Three Skills to Help You Overcome Objections” episode resources 

Connect with Alison Proffit via LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. You can also check out her website here. Alison has a Free Energy of Sales 3 mini-course that you can get as well!

 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1351.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

How Recognizing Intent Signals Can Help Overcome Objections

 

Objections are common in sales but many struggle with knowing how to overcome them well. Today’s guest will talk about recognizing intent signals as a tool to overcome objections. Ernest Owusu leads a sales team at 6sense, an account-based orchestration platform that helps companies identify when an organization needs their help in prioritizing and engaging with them in a meaningful way. Ernest leads their SDR and BDR team. 

 

Intent signals defined

Intent signals are interactions, like digital interactions, with a prospective company, or even one person, that is an indicator that they want to have a conversation with you. The intent is an interest in either you, your competitors, or your industry. It tells you they are interested and you can engage.

 

COVID-19 has become one of the most common objections that salespeople face today. The budget objection won’t come from a company that shows intent in the offered solution. Salespeople can overcome objections by focusing on the accounts that show intent. Ernest’s company uses keywords and value cards to see and gauge intent. 

 

Understanding the intent to overcome objections

Buyers have changed and everyone now does research before deciding to purchase. It’s more efficient to see this intent and have the tools to gauge the prospects’ reasons for visiting your site before an approach. The sooner you identify these prospects, the sooner you can target the accounts. You can use sales engagement tools with the ability to track clicks.

 

It  also helps to engage in constant repetitive practice, role playing and right or wrong, being familiar with your strategy. 








How Recognizing Intent Signals Can Help Overcome Objections” episode resources 

Reach out to Ernest Owusu via his LinkedIn account

 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1350.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Vulnerability - The Key to Landing More Sales Appointments In 2020

 

The key to surviving this year’s pandemic is being vulnerable. Donald explains the reason why in this episode.

 

Donald was talking to another gentleman about his experiences during the pandemic and asked how he was coping and making sure the family was doing well. This man could have skirted the issue but he didn’t. He told the truth and said that the situation isn’t going great. While it isn’t going great for everybody, few people will share the areas they are suffering from. 

 

This conversation affected Donald and it allowed him to connect with the person on a human level, not just a professional one. Having a deeper conversation opened up a more meaningful dialogue and an opportunity for more conversations in the future. The vulnerability of this gentleman allowed him and Donald to talk more honestly with each other. They were able to share their experiences and challenges through this pandemic in a more authentic way.

Vulnerability in sales

Vulnerability is opening up to someone with the possibility of being attacked or harmed and for many people, it can be a scary place to be. Keep in mind, being vulnerable shouldn’t be confused with being desperate.  Human beings are social creatures. We genuinely need to be heard and being vulnerable allows us to say what we need others to hear. It fast tracks a deeper conversation.

 

When you’re dealing with prospects, try to be vulnerable without being desperate. It involves being real and honest from the onset of the conversation. Look for opportunities to have a deeper exchange and let them know you want to connect. 

 

Vulnerability - The Key to Landing More Sales Appointments In 2020” episode resources 

 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1349.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

The Top Three Issues Killing Your Sales Deals

 

Are your sales suffering because your deals are getting cut off? In this episode we will address some of the issues that can kill deals. George Bronten is the founder and CEO of Membrain.com, a sales enablement CRM. 

 

Things killing your sales deals

Even before the pandemic, assumptions are one of the reasons why deals get killed. Salespeople make decisions based on assumptions and with sales being a very broad profession, it involves a lot of processes and complex solutions. Because it can be complex, you can’t make decisions based just on a “type” of person or solution. This can lead to wrong conclusions.

 

Many salespeople think they’re disciplined people but they may not be consistent. True discipline isn’t a one-time thing. It has to be repeated daily.

 

Selling is about helping someone improve their situation. This means you don’t have to sell to everyone, but you do want to offer help. 

 

People are rational and emotional beings. Sales reps may be complicating their sales process without meaning to. It’s best to slow down and look at the problem. It’s important to know what you want to accomplish in order for that goal to guide your steps. 

 

Keep learning

For sales reps to keep evolving, you must continue learning the new information that comes out. Ask questions if you don’t understand the information you need to be successful. A little vulnerability is effective. Keep it simple and look for just one or two things that you can improve and start from there. Identify the one thing that’s holding your sales back and fix it. 

 

The Top Three Issues Killing Your Sales Deals” episode resources 

Connect with George Bronten via his LinkedIn account. Check out George’s book, Stop Killing Deals: How to avoid deadly assumptions and achieve sales excellence. 

 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1348.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Important Business Lessons You Can Apply Across All Areas of Life

 

A successful business learns from what it experiences, either through its own history or the history of others. Let’s talk about some of the important business lessons you can apply in all areas of life. 

 

Kevin Harrington is an entrepreneur and a mentor. He’s worked with celebrities who have become entrepreneurs and with his help, they have been able to achieve success. Mark Timm is also an entrepreneur and they met through their mutual mentor, Zig Ziglar. 

 

The pandemic has impacted businesses of all sizes. These have been challenging months but this has also been a learning curve for Kevin. Kevin’s aggressive curiosity allowed him to start his career and it has sustained him to this day. He succeeds by watching where people begin and how they get to their destinations.



The importance of mentors, the right pitch, and a great mindset

Having the right kind of operational and finance team is imperative to help growth but Kevin also realized the importance of having a mentor, the experts, and leaders you want to emulate and follow. 

 

As a salesperson, the right pitch is also going to serve you well. Kevin uses the tease, please, and seize strategy: Sales reps tease the prospects with just enough information to get their attention, please them by solving their problems, and seize the close by offering a deal they can’t refuse. 

 

The right mindset is the foundation of success.  You will face different obstacles and circumstances and attain different levels of success, but how far you go begins with what you think.  You can fortify your mindset by what you choose to learn. It’s why reading consistently is so critical. Sales require on-going education. The more you learn, the better your grasp what the business of prospecting, selling and closing is all about. 





Important Business Lessons You Can Apply Across All Areas of Life” episode resources 

Connect with Kevin Harrington and Mark Timm via their LinkedIn accounts. Check out the book, Mentor to Millions as well! 

 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

 

Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  http://go.thoughtleaders.io/1988320200907 or use your code: pipedrivetse.

 

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1347.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Will B2B Sales Be Impacted by The Elections?

 

The presidential election of 2020 is coming. The question is, will this impact B2B sales? Let’s talk about that in this episode. 

 

An article published in NewNorth stated that the political season impacts B2B sales but it depends on the industry and the type of customers you’re looking for. Studies have shown that multi-million dollar organizations tend to be less shy during the election. The large organizations expand because they have more consumers, stockholders, and others that have a stake in the success of the company. They have the ability to make more solid predictions and see the bigger picture. They determine how the elected leaders will affect the organization. 

 

The election is different for the mid-sized companies as they aren’t immediately impacted by the results. This is also true for smaller companies. For sales reps, you may have more challenges in the time of the election. Brandon Julio, a professor at the London Business School said that during elections, firms reduce their investment expenditures by an average of 4.8%. Companies try to reduce expenditures but they continue to make investments. 

 

Preparing for it

The B2B market doesn't have to feel the strain of an election year. First, sellers must have the proper mindset. This isn’t the end of the world and the impact may not be felt for a long time. Second, ensure that your company is prepared. Evaluate your sales pipeline and look into your CRM. Third, look at the fourth quarter every year. The book, The 12-week year, focuses on how companies tend to do well during the fourth fiscal quarter. The last thing is to plant seeds by building relationships whenever possible. 

 

Will B2B Sales Be Impacted by The Elections?” episode resources 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

 

Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  http://go.thoughtleaders.io/1988320200907  or use your code: pipedrivetse.

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1346.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

How to Reach Decision-Makers When Selling to Enterprises

 

When selling, we want to talk to the decision makers but how do you reach them in order to qualify them as a prospect?  Let’s talk about that in this episode. 

 

Erik Kostelnik is the CEO of Postal.io,  a sales marketing engagement platform that generates leads, increases sales, and improves customer retention by optimizing offline engagement and interactions. 

 

Challenges in reaching out to decision makers

There have always been obstacles in selling; however, in the last 20 years, it has gotten a lot noisier due to sales and marketing automation. As a result, it has become more difficult to grab the attention of potential clients. People are just overrun by messages and have become desensitized. You need to be different if you want to interrupt this massive flow of data to the decision-makers.  

 

How to reach decision makers

Historically we have operated on “five touches” to get to a yes or a no response. Operating within these parameters, sales reps standardized the workflow with these five touches in mind. The number of touches has increased, however, due to the volume of people trying to do the same things. It’s become even harder to get a hold of decision-makers. 

 

The solution is to go back to personalization. Formatted emails need to be removed from your own sequences and be replaced with persona-based selling. Sequence your outreaches using social media platforms, emails, and phone call pitches. You can use this steps: 

 

  • Send an email with a gift, like an ebook.
  • Reach out through LinkedIn.
  • Make a personal phone call.
  • Email them.
  • Repeat this process three times.




With this process, you can reach decision makers, even offline.

 

During this process, sharpen your sales sword and differentiate yourself from the competitors. 

 

How to Reach Decision-Makers When Selling to Enterprises” episode resources 

Reach out to Erik Kostelnik via his LinkedIn account. You can also check out the website

 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. Try Pipedrive today for FREE! As a TSE listener, PipeDrive is offering you an EXTEND trial beyond the typical 30 days + 25% off your first three months after trial. Try it today at  https://pipedrive.live/tse use your code: pipedrivetse. This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1345.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Mistakes Salespeople Make When Prospecting

 

Prospecting is one of the hardest stages in the sales process. It’s where salespeople commonly make mistakes that impact the entire pitch. Learn some of the common prospecting mistakes in this episode. 

 

Diane Helbig works with small business owners and salespeople in overcoming their struggles. She works out realistic ways for salespeople and entrepreneurs to get things done in an authentic manner. 

 

Common prospecting mistakes

Here are the top 3 common mistakes that salespeople make when prospecting. 

 

  1. Salespeople believe that everyone is a prospect
  2. Believing that what they seek is a sale rather than a meeting
  3. Talking more than listening

 

Sales is about solving the problem and connecting your product to your client’s need. This isn’t about convincing people to buy from you. Unless you have what they need, convincing someone who wasn’t ready to buy can lead to buyer’s remorse. If you approach the prospect with the closing in mind, the sales process becomes about you and not about them. 

 

Not everyone is a prospect

It’s hard for salespeople to realize not everyone needs your products and services. As sales reps, you need to evaluate your prospects and approach the process in a more curious way. You want to be able to recognize the people you’re supposed to work with and understand not everyone is going to be a good fit for you.  When you work with people you connect with, and they with you, you’re setting yourself up better for a long-term relationship.  

 

Seek sale rather than a meeting

When looking for sales, sales reps are focused on closing a deal. As a result, you may not recognize that prospects are signaling you that you’re being pushy. Your main goal isn’t the sale but the meeting, a chance for discovery. This is where you build a relationship with prospects. This is where you figure out if it makes sense for you to continue the conversation. 

 

Talking more than listening

Sales reps can talk at length about their products and services long before they get permission. It’s presumptuous and off-putting and can push prospects away. The more a salesperson is talking, the less they’re learning. If we’re not learning about the prospects, we won’t be able to build that relationship and trust and we certainly won’t know what’s best for them.

 

“Mistakes Salespeople Make When Prospecting” episode resources 

Reach out to Diane Helbig via her LinkedIn account

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

 

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1344.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Discuss and Understanding Women Leadership 

 

Understanding women leadership is becoming an important facet of sales success today. Women now play the same roles that men have but it’s not a typical subject to talk about the challenges that women face in their careers. Linda Yates helps people and organizations tap into their most positive, profitable, and professional image. 

 

Obstacles to women leadership 

Even though it’s 2020 women are still facing this challenge - the lack of pay base across the table. Males typically make more than their female counterparts, even in the same role. Leadership roles have been primarily populated by men over the course of time, women have flooded that role. 

 

Even then, there’s still a disparity. Women often feel like an imposter when the reality is that  they are capable of doing the job well.  Women will, however, have the tendency to hold back because they still don’t have the bravado. 

 

The critical point to being successful, however, is striving to be the best and making sure you have a solid support system among your partners, family, and friends. Women are often put down in the workplace so it’s important to set up  boundaries. They shouldn’t allow others to dictate how they should or should not feel. 

 

Look for mentors

Men can help by being a good foundation and support system but women should look for unbiased mentors who will pull them up, get the respect they deserve, and help them find a seat at the table. 

 

Discuss and Understanding Women Leadership” episode resources 

Connect with Linda Yates via his LinkedIn account and watch out for her upcoming podcast as well! The podcast will be about the many challenges the women are facing right now in various industries and how they are able to overcome these obstacles and challenges. Listen to IntHerRupt podcast produced by tsestudios.io/intherupt. You can also mail Linda at linda@lhyatescnsulting.com

 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

 

This course is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1343.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Knowing the Right Time to Ask for the Sale

 

Sales is about the timing - when to pitch, when to close, and when to ask for the sale.
Sales reps need to learn how to nail down this timing to get the desired outcome. Tim Kintz is the president of the Kintz Group, a training and consulting company for the automotive industry. He’s been in the car businesses for 30 years and recently published his book, Frictionless, which talks about closing and negotiating with purpose. 

 

Best ways to ask for the sale

Customers today have choices. Every dealership is just a click away from buying the car and the failure to deliver exceptional experiences will cause sales reps their deals. 

Today’s lifestyle is different than it has been. People worked and could afford to change cars every two-three years. Now, many are battling unemployment. With everything so unsure, everyone is having to navigate a variety of financial struggles. 

 

Sales reps must focus on building the relationship because with so much competition it isn't just about selling a car, customers expect excellent service and a great experience. People are willing to pay as long as they have a stellar experience. 

 

Negotiating the right way

Salespeople need to learn how to make the customers feel good. People want to feel they got a good deal at the end of a negotiation. Don’t negotiate out of fear, but from inspiration. You won’t make every shot but you need to believe that you could.

 

How to close a sale

If you want to be great, you must be willing to pay the price. Practice your closing pitch by saying it out loud over and over again. Listen to your voice and pay attention. Sales reps shouldn’t practice their techniques on their customers, but during the time in between. Challenge yourself to get better and have fun. A sale is made when you transfer your enthusiasm to your customers. 





Knowing the Right Time to Ask for the Sale” episode resources 

Connect with Tim Kintz via his LinkedIn account. 

 

Speak with Donald directly for more sales talks. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1342.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

How to Reach Executive Decision Makers, and Why They are Listening Right Now

In previous episodes, we’ve covered that sales reps have to touch base with several people within their industry, especially the executive decision-makers. This may seem a  daunting task in today’s climate but it’s necessary. 

 

In this episode, we talk to Jeremy Miller, the founder of Sticky Branding. His experience in moving through recessions with the family business, and with his own brand, prepared him for the economic downturn that resulted from covid. With the knowledge he’s accumulated, he’s helping other businesses turn it around and in many cases, launch even better. 

 

Reach out executives

The pandemic leveled the playing field for all - every sales rep and even the executives are going through the same experiences together. Almost all businesses are in a state of change as they push the threshold of what they’ve known as common business practices.  They’re having to relearn where to listen. Sales reps who are equipped with the right knowledge and who are positioning themselves to talk with the right executives are going to see success despite current industry standards. 

 

Bring value to the executives 

There are three ways to sell: 

 

  • feature benefits selling 
  • solution perspective selling 
  • provoking the customer

 

Jeremy suggests that the last one is the best approach today as businesses right now are changing. As a sales rep, ask yourself, “Who needs the expertise of our company most right now? Approach your customers with the question, “Who in your organization knows about the need first?”  Ask them what their problems are and offer them a solution. 

 

The business executive team should be looking at the market and asking the important questions: Where do we play? How do we win? What are the issues that our clients are facing? 




It’s a team effort

Have a team meeting that talks about value proposition and the sales efforts on a weekly basis. Make it a dedicated meeting and discuss how you sell right now. What are the shifts you are making as a company? Talk about the strategies that work and get feedback from everyone on the team.

 

Sales is the sharp end of the spear when it comes to business development. The organization must learn to adapt with the trend and make the necessary changes to have a competitive advantage. Sales teams who are thriving keep everyone in their organization from getting laid off. 

 

How to Reach Executive Decision Makers, and Why They are Listening Right Now” episode resources

Follow Jeremy Miller on LinkedIn now to learn more. 

 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1341.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Will Sales Make Me More Confident and Improve My Social Skills?

Sales is a career where people develop their social skills and deepen relationship building. What happens, however, if you’re starting from a place of anxiety and it’s hard for you to talk to people?  Is it still possible to have a successful career in sales? Unfortunately, sales isn’t the solution to these issues and in this episode, we’ll talk about the reasons why. 

 

The wrong idea of getting into sales

Sales is a career that deals with interacting with people and the point of it is not to boost your confidence. Being a salesperson who is looking for ways the customer can benefit you means that you’re thinking more about fulfilling your needs rather than helping the buyers solve their problems. 

 

Nobody should get into sales exclusively thinking about what they’re going to get out of it. This mentality makes sales reps people pleasers. They’re afraid of offending their prospects so it keeps the sales rep from asking the important questions. Wanting to please people means losing the ability to speak of the problem upfront in fear of ruining business

relationships. In the long run, this doesn’t serve your customers well.

 

Sales is more than just talking

Just because you love talking doesn’t mean you should get into sales. There are other career opportunities that would give you the platform to talk. Get into sales with a desire to succeed and with existing mental fortitude. Sales is a demanding job - it has deadlines, pipelines, and goals that need to be met. If you go into sales without the right mindset, it will be difficult to improve and succeed. 

 

What sales is 

There’s a lot of processes involved in sales. For example, administrative work involves emailing clients and prospects, cleaning up the CRM, and more. Sales is a great career but it isn’t for everyone. Don’t get into sales if you just want to help boost your confidence and build social skills. If you are shy, don’t like talking, and you have anxiety, these are things you’ll need to resolve before you think about a sales career.  Otherwise, it could exacerbate the problem for you and any future clients. Anyone going into sales should want to help other people find solutions to their problems. 




Will Sales Make Me More Confident and Improve My Social Skills?” episode resources 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by IntHerRupt, a podcast designed to empower women leaders to take their seat at the table and talk about timely topics, challenges that women face in the workplace towards leadership, and more. Guests come to the show to share their stories and personal experiences of overcoming the challenges and beating the odds. 

This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1340.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

A Simple Exercise to Understand Your Customers' Values

Solving customer needs are core to any business. For your organization to achieve success, you need to understand what’s valuable to your customer. Let’s talk about that in this episode. 

 

David Priemer had the opportunity to work with Salesforce and saw how sales machines were built operationally and culturally. His time in sales made him realize that people naturally love to buy things but they don’t like speaking with salespeople. David aims to combine his experience as a salesperson and research scientist with the curiosity-based approach to help make sales better for all.  

 

Sell the way you buy

Modern selling and buying have changed dramatically over the past 5-10 years. With the advent of social media, people no longer have the mental bandwidth to care about everything equally. Unfortunately, many salespeople are stuck using the same tactics that worked 10-20 years ago and that can be disastrous. Salespeople must step up and use modern approaches to connect with buyers as they become more driven, skeptical, and information-rich. 

 

Let go of closing tactics

Many sales reps tend to default to out-dated closing scenarios that corner people into buying their products. They push people in making purchasing decisions without considering and understanding customer value. Instead of forcing people to purchase using generic and scripted methods, use personalization. Reciprocity is more likely to occur when you put in the effort of doing homework before reaching out to prospects. 

 

Unconscious selling

This refers to people who are executing certain sales tactics because someone told them to and they don’t always work. The idea is to be curious about how the sales approach is perceived and knowing why a particular pitch worked or didn’t. 

 

One solution is to identify the enemy - what are the challenges your customers face? Understand what your customer values. Tap into their emotions because this is how people connect. Sellers are the solutions to pain points and when we solve problems,  we put ourselves in a position of credibility. Don’t lead with the solution, lead with the problem, and be indispensable. 

 

A Simple Exercise to Understand Your Customers' Values” episode resources

Connect with David Priemer in LinkedIn and check out his book, Sell the Way You Buy. 

 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1339.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

How to Be Indispensable to Your Customers

How can you become indispensable to your customers? Let’s learn the important facets of our clients’ businesses in this episode. 

 

Nick Casale is the director of Sales at Sendoso, a company that makes it easy to send anything everywhere so you can ship gifts to your clients and prospects. Their services can help you engage, acquire, and retain customers.          

 

Becoming indispensable to your clients

The challenge is understanding the difference between what your buyer can get exclusively from you versus what they can get from Google or other sources. There are two ways to become indispensable to your clients. The first is by being helpful and approachable and the other is recognizing that both you and your clients are human beings. You should  be able to maintain a business relationship while delivering business value. 

 

Salespeople can make the mistake of forgetting that clients and prospects are more than that. They are also people with families and at the end of the day, just  normal people who are all going through the same things we all are. If you treat your clients just by dollar value, you risk losing the connection and trust. 

 

Bridging gaps using events

This may not be possible now due to the pandemic but when we’re  able to host events again, we should. Going to events allows us to meet prospects face to face, shake their hands, and have a conversation. When you get to meet people and share a meal, it’s easier to see the person, even beyond their title or position in the company.

 

Becoming indispensable to your customers starts with creating a genuine relationship with them. You earn this by becoming a trusted advisor and being consultative. Don’t fake authenticity.  Lead with empathy and understand that people are trying their hardest in a very difficult time. You need to understand that the product you’re selling is not the most important thing in the whole world. What’s important is the connection and remembering your client is a human being first. 

 

How to Be Indispensable to Your Customers” episode resources 

Connect with Nick Casale via his LinkedIn account. 

 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1338.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

What To Do When Co-Workers Try To Steal Your Deals

Most salespeople respect boundaries and defined territories but human nature can get the best of people and lines are crossed.  Sometimes areas have not been well-assigned. When that happens, what should you do? How should you handle it in a civilized manner? In this episode, we provide the answers to these questions. 

 

Be indispensable 

When you are working with a client or a potential client, make your presence known. Don’t reach out to just one individual in the organization, reach out to multiple individuals who are at multiple levels. Talk to their director of sales, their HR rep, the VP of sales, and if you’re able, talk to their executive. As much as possible, have three conversations or interactions with these people so the company identifies you as the rep for the products you represent. Make sure that you are indispensable to the client and provide value. 

 

To maximize your interactions use the technology that’s available to you and omnichannel to connect with the people in your target organization. For example, there’s LinkedIn, email, and more. Just make sure you’re reaching out  and show your interest in working with them. 

 

Stay calm 

When you see somebody in your deal or pipeline, it’s important you don’t make a scene. Stay calm and take deep breaths. Bad things happen when you let your emotions get the best of you. Don’t give your client, that team member, or your boss any opportunity to see you as unprofessional. The person who’s level-headed wins the battle. 

 

Understand the rules

Make sure you know your company’s policy when it comes to pursuing opportunities and working in the boundaries of your territory . It keeps you in line and it keeps you in accountable to respecting someone else’s territory. You want to know the rules before you play the game. 

 

Approach the teammate calmly

When it comes to approaching a teammate about encroaching a territory, be level-headed and investigate what their reasons might be. Perhaps they don’t know how the company policy works, so educate them. But if that teammate does know the rules, your approach will tell them you are serious and professional. Clarify the status and solve the problem head-on. If the management allows such a situation to happen multiple times consider another organization with better morale. If you’re finding this happens to you repeatedly, it’s time to put your foot down and have a serious conversation so it doesn’t occur again.  

 

“What To Do When Co-Workers Try To Steal Your Deals” episode resources 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by IntHerRupt, a podcast designed to empower women leaders to take their seat at the table and talk about timely topics, challenges that women face in the workplace towards leadership, and more. Guests come to the show to share their stories and personal experiences of overcoming the challenges and beating the odds. 

This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1337.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

The Secret Weapon for Selling Anything

Learn the secret weapons for selling in this episode and apply these selling tips to your sales journey as a salesperson. Flynn Blackie dropped his education and pursued his thirst for success.  He started creating websites for friends and as word of mouth grew his reputation, he was able to build his website development business. 

 

Secrets of successful selling

Learn their names

A person’s name is the first and easiest information to obtain. Knowing someone’s name is important and it immediately sparks their interest. Using a name means you are giving an individual importance and you value them. That sparks the clients’ interests. 

 

Understand what’s important to them

The next thing you need to know someone’s interests. Genuinely learn what they need and how your services can help them. Personalize your approach and choose businesses and clients’ causes that you are passionate about. Salespeople need to go the extra mile if we want to grab the attention of our prospects. We want to set ourselves apart from our competition. 

 

Take advantage of social media channels

One of the most common resources salespeople will use is social media. It’s a great way to find common ground between you and your clients and support them through their interests. Prospects feel appreciated when you personalize your approach. 

 

In the midst of this pandemic, you can help your clients for free with Flynn’s COVID-support website. He’s offered free strategy calls and solutions to people who need help. Flynn discovered that in this time of crisis, people who were coming to him are those who have wanted to kickstart their career in business but didn’t have the time before. 

 

Have the desire to learn from other people

Another secret tip to selling is learning from other people. Build a connection with like-minded salespeople and mentors who have already walked the path you want to follow. 

 

The Secret Weapon for Selling Anything” episode resources 

Connect with Flynn Blackie via his LinkedIn account. Read the article that featured the mind of Flynn here too! 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1336.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

Why Sales Executives Should Look to the Midwest When Hiring After COVID-19

 

Sales executives need to plan with optimism. We may not know when the pandemic will be over but when the health crisis ends, will companies be ready to launch well?

 

Matt Hunckler is the CEO of Powderkeg. His company works with people in the tech industry to reach their full potential by helping them to get established in a career in tech, regardless of their location. Due to the pandemic, there’s been a shift in the unemployment rate from 2% to almost 20%. All industries have been affected, including technology. However, many companies that are well-capitalized and those with a good business model are now getting back to hiring talent. 

 

Hiring in the Midwest  

Start-up companies are not for everyone, but if you can get on the front end of a rising star, there are incredible opportunities and potential for growth. For example, businesses in the midwest are raising considerable money. They are investing in talent and they are growing and selling. The opportunity is enormous.  Tech hubs outside of Silicon Valley, like those that are found in the Midwest, are unique in each of their own ways and are showing encouraging growth.

 

It should be noted that unlike the companies in Silicon Valley, these smaller startups don’t have the same level of capital. They need a sound revenue model from day one and have to be profitable to survive. This should help salespeople to focus on companies with a strong revenue model in order to have the best-earning potential.  

 

Life in the Unvalley

Tech hubs outside of Silicon Valley are also known as the Unvalley. The cost of living and the quality of life is different in the Unvalley in that the competition for jobs is lower. 

 

Many sales reps believe that working for a startup company in the Unvalley is more rewarding in terms of achieving success. Each tech hub is very different and there is an advantage in knowing these communities well. The startup companies aren’t as well-mapped so their data is sparse. When making work-related decisions, look at the culture of the company, and make sure their values align with yours. 

 

Even with layoffs, there are enormous opportunities particularly in the tech communities in the Unvalley. 



“Why Sales Executives Should Look to the Midwest When Hiring After COVID-19” episode resources

Connect with Matt Hunckler via his LinkedIn account. 

 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1335.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

Secret Ninja Hack For CRM Updates and Meeting Recaps

The task that many salespeople find cumbersome is updating and maintaining the CRM. If you have CRM hacks, however, the task can be faster and less tedious. 

 

CRM hacks you need to know

Updating CRM isn’t an easy job. When you meet a prospect, and you have a great conversation, ideally the relationship will continue to progress. Although the relationship building is gratifying, most salespeople don’t enjoy spending time recording the details, updating the information on the CRM, and organizing the details as the relationship moves toward a closing. Working on CRM is not the most exciting aspect of the sales process, but it is necessary.

 

The importance of CRM

An organized CRM helps salespeople understand their customers more, and this knowledge offers a better idea about how to help the customer. A salesperson can only be as effective, however, inasmuch as the data in the CRM is useful. One of the CRM hacks you can use is utilizing Google Doc for its accessibility and straightforward layout. Check out the features and tools within the app and take advantage of their many uses. One feature that can help with speed and efficiency is the typing feature. Use it the next time you have a meeting in order to take quick notes. You can then copy all the little notes you have and put it in the CRM. 

 

The other CRM hack available is Otter, a transcription website that can transcribe all your recorded audios. You can record your Zoom meetings and import it to Otter to get a breakdown of your conversation per second. This allows you to go back to your meetings to review parts of the conversation you want to revisit. Use these CRM hacks to make the most of your CRM. 

 

Secret Ninja Hack For CRM Updates and Meeting Recaps” episode resources 

Connect with Donald via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. This episode is brought to you in part by Intherrupt, a podcast that is all about empowering women leaders. Every episode, Linda Yates interviews some of the most intriguing women in the business world. She finds out what they do to be able to gain an opportunity in the business world. The podcast launches on August 24 and if you want to get on an early adopters list, go to www.salespodcastnetwork.com/intherrupt.


This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1334.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

Using Video To Improve Lead Generation

 

There have been huge improvements in lead generation tools that salespeople can use with much more efficiency. In this episode, Sean Gordon will discuss the video technology he and his team created called vidREACH and how it can be used to improve contact with prospects.

 

Ideas to improve lead generation

With  technology available today, people are seeing video as an effective tool to improve lead generation. Forbes projects that 80% - 85% of all content by 2022 will be sent through videos as people are turning to mobile-based apps. A 30 second video easily replaces 500-word content. 

 

Salespeople want a platform that allows them to stand out in their industry so they need a personalized approach to make a human connection, especially when the pandemic has made it difficult for people to gather. This human connection leads to more conversation, then appointments, and eventually, closing more deals. Regardless of the channel you use to connect with other people, whether it be through LinkedIn, email, traditional email, messenger - you need a workflow. 

 

Sean’s system allows you to figure out that workflow as you send personalized messages. With Sean’s plug and play approach, you can  load your contacts with their first name, last name, and email and once that’s done, you can then create a video or an email template that can be used again.

 

Video to increase lead generation

Anyone can just send a video at any stage but it’s the format that matters. Remember that 

videos are more like wallpapers that are clickable, and they’re hyperlinks that allow you to pick-up thumbnails you want to go into. 

 

Effective Video formats

Everyone is different. There are some progressive companies. Some would use a breakup email and others go for personalized formats to give that raw and authentic feel to it. The standard best practices are some of the basics in video creation. This includes the proper lighting, the camera angle, the background, good audio, a good video quality, the use of a teleprompter script, and other equipment. 

 

For Sean, a 30-45 seconds video is enough. The key to improve lead generation using videos isn’t the length but the message - the shorter the message, the more effective it becomes. Create your message in a way that personalizes it to the person you’re targeting so think about their industry and their challenges. 

 

Using Video To Improve Lead Generation” episode resources 

Connect with Sean via his LinkedIn account. You can also visit their website to get a chance to speak with him personally. 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1333.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

Discover Your Strengths, Sell Authentically, Increase Sales

 

We all have strengths that will help us become great salespeople. The problem is, we don’t always know what these strengths are or how to use them to sell authentically. Eddie Villa is both a life and a sales coach and in this episode, he’ll speak about using our strengths to help us sell authentically.

 

Strengths of a Salesperson 

There are 34 different strengths that fall under 4 themes: Relationship building, strategic thinking, influencing, and executing. Everyone has different motivations and strengths when it comes to selling. Are you someone who wants to deepen relationships?  Are you driven by checking off a list?  Do you like to learn new skills?  Are you motivated by the process? Once you realize what your strengths are, and you lean into your motivators, selling becomes easy!



Balancing your strengths

Company culture may not align with your strengths. In that case, focus on the required activities to get the job done. Once you know the fundamentals, find a way to add your own flair and authenticity into the execution. If your company wants you to send emails, then send them in a way that is a reflection of your strength.  For example, you may enjoy making a video more than you do writing.  If you’re a relationship builder, find a way to connect with your prospect.  Maybe you want to gather information to strategically plan out what is best for a client’s needs.  If you like to do research, learn about your prospect’s company or personal interests in order to put a unique package together just for them. 

 

You are the solution

We are all unique and it’s these differences that drive the various outcomes. Businesses and clients are facing a variety of problems and you are the only one who can bring a solution based on your strengths.  You are that special. Realize that some of your most celebrated successes came from moments you were just being you and build your sales career on who you are, in your strengths. It’s what your client needs.

 

Discover Your Strengths, Sell Authentically, Increase Sales” episode resources

Reach out to Eddie Villa via his LinkedIn account , his website, Facebook, his podcast, Unleash Your Strengths, or email at eddie@eddiepvilla.com

Connect with Donald via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse

 

This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1332.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

How Salespeople Can Use Abraham Lincoln's War Strategy To Close More Deals

 

Abraham Lincoln is one of the most iconic individuals in American history for many reasons, but specifically his strategy in winning the Civil War. The Civil War was one of the darkest times for the American people, a pivotal time, and it caused the bloodiest wars fought on American soil. Abraham Lincoln brought the nation together and unified the two opposing beliefs of the North and the South people. Why bring this up on a sales podcast? Believe it or not, salespeople can use Lincoln’s strategy in closing more deals.

 

Going out there

It was Lincoln’s idea to visit the troops and see their issues and difficulties first-hand. That experience helped him understand what they were fighting for and he was able to communicate his observation to key leaders and generals. Lincoln listened and gathered information to know what was going on in the field.  As a result, The Situation Room was created in order to discuss the intel that was gathered.  Lincoln used the advancement of industrialization, such as the railroad. He deployed troops by railroad so their travel time happened in a matter of days instead of weeks. That was efficiency at its best. The soldiers were able to get where they were needed. 

 

As a sales rep

The use of technology will also distinguish a good sales rep from a great sales rep. Great sales reps are taking advantage of new trends like personalized videos. They take the time to personalize emails by attaching video with content specific to the prospect. Use tools like LinkedIn Navigator and Postal to speed up your close rates and shorten the sales cycle.  

 

How Salespeople Can Use Abraham Lincoln's War Strategy To Close More Deals” episode resources

 

Connect with Donald via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. This episode is brought to you in part by Intherrupt, a podcast that is all about empowering women leaders. Every episode, Linda Yates interviews some of the most intriguing women in the business world and finds out what they do to be able to gain an opportunity in the business world. The podcast launches on August 24 and if you want to get on an early adopters list, go to www.salespodcastnetwork.com/intherrupt.


This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1331.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

Becoming the Best Storyteller Possible

 

Jim Benton is the CEO of Chorus AI, a leader in conversation intelligence, who helps people understand the conversation that their sales teams are having with their customers. 

 

Technology is more important than ever as it can be used to tell stories that help your clients understand what it is you offer. However, with the pandemic, it is all the more challenging to know these stories within your sales team and what their activities might include.

 

Becoming the best storyteller

Three ways to become great storytellers: 

 

Authenticity 

A sales rep can be authentic and relaxed when he’s prepared. He has to understand what’s required of him to be present in the conversation and not be distracted.

 

Experience

Experience is tied to authenticity. The  most authentic stories come from those that you have personally experienced. New sales reps who don’t have stories of their own can share what they observe. This means paying attention to the details of what is going on around them and the colleagues they work with.  

 

Data

You need to have a way to validate and anchor the story so it connects to you and your client. The story is an effective way of building trust because people are more laid back when they’re sharing their stories. They’re more likely to exchange better information. As sales reps, this is where you need to be attentive. Once the story and rapport is established you can also add metrics and other relevant statistics to anchor a data point  and enhance credibility. 

 

Storytelling and technology 

It’s critical to connect with people  and technology helps us do that. It bridges the gap between sales reps and prospects. Once meetings have taken place, the sales team can use AI to share conversations everyone can listen to and learn from. It becomes an automated tool for coaching that comes straight from the customer. 

 

“Becoming the Best Storyteller Possible” episode resources

Follow Jim Benton via his LinkedIn account. 


Connect with Donald via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1330.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

How Sellers Can Build Trust With Buyers in Remote Settings

 

Virtual and remote settings are now part of the sales process due to the ongoing pandemic. As a result, it can be hard for a salesperson to build trust with your buyers you can’t meet face to face. In this episode, we’ll look at ways trust can be built regardless of proximity. Russell Wurth is the global VP of Sales Enablement at Showpad and has had an expanding range of experience over the last 20 years.  

 

One of Russell’s favorite books, The Trusted Advisor, has a great formula for trust: Trust is credibility plus reliability plus intimacy divided by self-orientation. Trust is about developing credibility and reliability with a bit of intimacy. The thing about intimacy is that it’s hard to develop virtually. This is something that you build by personal interaction through dinners, lunch meetings, and other events. With the lack of personal meetings, however, sales reps now need to rely heavily on their credibility and reliability.  Developing personal relationships is the natural way to build intimacy but what elements help the process? One way is to invest time in doing research about the other person’s personal interests and focus on topics that have nothing to do with business. That research will offer insight to common ground that could lead to a great conversation. You don’t want to come across as a salesperson looking to cut a deal right away. Step out with your authentic self. 

 

Building credibility 

Once a relationship starts to build, you’re then able to build credibility by focusing on what the buyer is going through. Bring value to the table. Share beneficial information that will help their pain point and present it in a way they’ll be able to understand.  Don’t limit yourself to presentations that come from PowerPoints, PDFs, and videos. Think about the nurture path and feed the clients bit by bit. Provide insight instead of just unloading a pile of digital content, assuming that the client is going to read it. 

 

There are a lot of digital tools available that would vastly improve your presentations but as a salesperson, your goal is to make it more personal. Be authentic and show you truly care. You need to learn how to use your emotional quotient by showing empathy toward their challenges. 

 

Developing emotional quotient

Salespeople used to just focus on what was good for their commissions and their  company. They focused on product knowledge and how prospects could help their business.  You can still share information about your products and services but only offer as much as it is truly helpful to your client. Sell them the problem solvers.  Dive deeper and share the challenges that aren't’ just case studies but something that is relatable to them. 

 

As you build intimacy, make sure you don’t forget to focus on information that isn’t business oriented. #SalesCredibility

 

Video is the way

The best way to be out there right now is through video. Don’t be embarrassed about your background, what’s going on, or if there are kids everywhere. Be a little bit vulnerable and let them get a peek into your life. That will help you connect with your clients. You won’t just be a disconnected voice but someone they can see on camera, smiling and talking. Just be sure not to multitask while you are on a video call. Give them your full attention. The more you can show how invested you are in the conversation, the more they will return in kind. Showing them a bit of who you are can open into a friendlier conversation as it puts their guard down. 

Video calls aren’t about having the best background, it’s about finding your most comfortable spot. 

 

Sales reps need to be sensitive about time management especially when making calls. Set up your Google Calendar and be in 10 minutes before the scheduled time. Don’t try to wrap everything up within the hour. Your clients and prospects don’t want to feel rushed.  If you can’t finish the presentation, then break it down by segments. Open your calendar again and set up another time the prospect can continue.

 

You are only as good as the people who are going to vouch for you so explore how to do that in this digital world. Use this time while you’re home to build your social network and build your portfolio. 

 

“How Sellers Can Build Trust With Buyers in Remote Settings” episode resources

Connect with Russell Wurth via LinkedIn and check out his official websites.


If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1329.mp3
Category:Building credibility, Sales credibility -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

The One Thing Holding You Back From Massive Success

 

Regardless of the industry we are in, success is the goal, but it isn’t easy to achieve. It takes time and effort and oftentimes, we have to overcome mental blocks that keep us from attaining that success. In this episode, we’re talking about breaking through that upper limit to achieve sales success. 

 

Limiting your sales success

Gay Hendricks wrote the book, The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level. It is a powerful book that talks about how we set limitations and don’t take big leaps because of fear. As a salesperson, we set limits on ourselves about what we do on a day-to-day basis. This may include calling clients or setting appointments. We  have these upper limits, the proverbial glass ceiling,  we impose on ourselves. These are the limits we don’t go beyond. 

 

For example, one salesperson may limit himself to three appointments a day and when they try to go beyond that, they somehow find ways to sabotage themselves. This is because he isn’t comfortable with success that is outside of his norm. He feels the need to move himself back into his comfort zone, a place where he feels like he belongs. 

 

The same is true in relationships. Sometimes when things are going well, fighting starts. This isn’t just a mystical force suddenly showing its face. The fight is something we conjure up in our minds. We allow it and find ways to let it intrude on our lives. It turns a small incident into a big deal. It keeps us at a lower level. 

 

Go beyond your comfort zone

The sales reps that go beyond their comfort zone are the ones who typically thrive but this requires you to put yourself in an uncomfortable position. It requires you to take the big leap. 

 

How can you achieve your sales success? How can you go to the next level of your sales performance? 

 

In this pandemic, some of you may have already set your proverbial glass ceilings. You may have decided that your opportunities are limited and convinced yourself that you’re not going to be successful in this current season. The truth is, sometimes the worse things happen because we stop taking action. Are you showing up on time for virtual meetings? In what areas are you showing a lack of effort?

 

The Sales Evangelists are still offering the same services now as they did before.  The organization, however, is receiving more opportunities, even with this pandemic. Donald realized that this was because he didn’t limit what he could do as a leader of the organization. 

 

Constantly look for areas to improve 

There is always room for success when you break through the ceiling. This may be through prospecting, your LinkedIn outreach, or your social selling. Whatever those limits are, go beyond them, and position yourself as someone who can solve the problems of your ideal customers. 

 

It’s not easy to take the big leap, especially if you are making big changes, but there’s no other way except to break through the limitations you’ve set. 

 

Be the person who can solve the problem for your ideal customer. #SalesSolution

 

“The One Thing Holding You Back From Massive Success” episode resources

 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. This episode is brought to you in part by Intherrupt, a podcast that is all about empowering women leaders. Every episode, Linda Yates interviews some of the most intriguing women in the business world and finds out what they do to be able to gain an opportunity in the business world. The podcast launches on August 24 and if you want to get on an early adopters list, go to www.salespodcastnetwork.com/intherrupt.


This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1328.mp3
Category:Sales Success, Sales Training -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

Use virtual tools to do more, in less time, with better outcomes

 

Out of necessity, we are moving into a digital world in which almost every step of the sales process involves the use of virtual tools. The challenge is, not all salespeople know how to use these virtual tools and it’s inhibiting sales growth. 

 

Jeb Blount has been doing virtual sales since 2015. As he recognized the increasing need for sellers to be tech-savvy, he wrote  Virtual Selling and realized that there is so much more than integrating videos in the sales process. Virtual sales include integrating all the virtual communication tools, both the synchronous and asynchronous. The question was how to utilize all these virtual tools for sales and blend these into a viable way to sell and prospect. We say “blend” because face-to-face selling isn’t always available, especially in this season of people’s social distancing. Being able to use virtual tools makes the sales process more efficient and productive. 

 

Virtual calls, for example, is a good prospecting technique. Instead of getting on a traditional call, try getting your potential client on a video conference.  Face-to-face offers a better opportunity to build a relationship with your prospect. You can also save time with a virtual call because you don’t have to travel for a meeting. This frees up time to manage other activities in the sales process. The more people you get to talk to, the bigger your pipeline will be. Virtual tools are starting to reshape the way we think about selling as these tools help in shortening the sales cycle and improving closing ratios. 


Changes in the sales methods

The great recession brought about the existence of BDR and SDR. Now, with the pandemic, the landscape of sales is changing again. We have to make changes in the process and technology is the answer. Necessity is the mother of virtual selling but not all salespeople are keen on using technology. Even Gen Zs and millennials are struggling to use technology in effectively running omnichannel. Salespeople have to learn to adapt and adjust to stay competitive. 

 

People who are looking to go virtual have to learn new skills like email etiquette and working with a camera. Fear of being in front of the camera, and speaking to an online audience, has to be overcome. 

 

Familiarity isn’t something that comes easy without face-to-face conversation. With people becoming more tech-savvy, however, you can achieve the same level of familiarity using social selling and personal branding. Ask prospects if they would be interested in a video call. You will be amazed by the number of clients who jump at the opportunity. Organizations need to teach their reps that virtual calling and using virtual tools for selling is the closest facsimile to face-to-face. There are now multiple ways to build and create relationships. Studies show that there is almost a 50% increase in closing when someone is able to see a face, even virtually. 

 

Internet traffic is rising. It’s projected that in a couple of years, 86% of the traffic will come from videos. HubSpot also did a study on prospecting and video messaging. The study revealed that video messaging is a powerful virtual tool as it increases email conversation rates to 400%. 

 

Video is king. Are you part of this selling process? #VideoSales

 

Learning video calls etiquette

You may not be comfortable facing the camera but that can be remedied. It’s important to consider perfect framing so that your clients can see you properly. Position yourself so your clients can see your hands as trust is built when hands are visible. When you’re talking to the client, lift your hands up, make gestures, and don’t be afraid to emote with your hands. If you’re able, you can stand up. You can create depth by leaning forward or stepping back.  You can use your body to attract attention. A study revealed that people look at themselves 70% of the time when on a video call. This is something salespeople should avoid. Instead of looking at yourself, look at the camera in order to be perceived as making eye contact. Because of the limitations of video calls, you want to be mindful of projecting in a way that builds trust.  Consider investing in good quality equipment to ensure high-quality video call content. As you’re able, you can hire people to set-up your mini studio but know that you don't have to wait for that as you learn, practice, and build your skillset. 

 

Choosing the right virtual tool for sales 

Productivity comes from choosing the right communication channel that will give you your desired outcome while spending the least amount of time and energy. This current season is a good time for sales leaders and CEOs to take their entire sales process and research the best communication channels so their sales reps can meet buyers wherever they are. This would allow sales reps to be more productive, make more sales calls, and reduce the total cost of the sale. 

 

Combining video messaging with direct messaging such as WhatsApp, Messenger, and LinkedIn will improve your chances of closing sales even more. We are at a time where we have more channels and more avenues at our disposal so build your skillset and connect with people more than ever before. 

 

“Use virtual tools to do more, in less time, with better outcomes” episode resources

Connect with Jeb Blount via LinkedIn, Twitter, and his official website.


If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1327.mp3
Category:Virtual Sales, Virtual Tools for Sales -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

Using Trello to Manage Business and Sales Efforts

 

Trello is an emerging platform that helps their customers manage and organize tasks. On one screen, Trello is an amazing “white board” that shows your to do list, doing list, and done list, especially when you have multiple projects and ideas being generated at once.  How do you use Trello so you can focus more efforts driving sales? Check out this episode. 

 

Brittany Joiner is a self-proclaimed Trello nerd as she’s been using the program for about a decade. She works full-time in marketing and is learning programming on the side. Productivity has always been something she’s passionate about learning more of. Since she saw the movie, Cheaper by the Dozen as a kid, she’s loved the satisfaction brought about by efficiency. 

 

Brittany has been using Trello as a tool to organize all aspects of her life and it’s been a great help in keeping track of all her tasks and schedules in one place while keeping other team members in the loop about what’s going on. Trello helps her accomplish all the things that need to be done.

 

Defining productivity

There’s no magic bullet when it comes to tips and tricks about how to increase productivity. What makes people productive is different for everyone. For example, one of the most common pieces of advice that is offered by experts is to wake up early, but some people are night owls and are actually more productive in the evenings. 

 

With the pandemic going on, people have been working from their homes and have the biggest opportunity to be able to set their work around how and when they want to do their tasks. It’s a great way to experiment with scheduling to see when the most work is getting done. 

 

Trello and productivity

Trello helps with general productivity. David Allen, the author of Getting Things Done, said that the mind is for generating ideas, not for holding on to them. The mind makes an effort when it keeps track of what needs to get done and this is where Trello can be of tremendous help. It’s a tool that allows you to organize all your thoughts so your brain can process better and creatively connect the dots. The brain can then solve the problems instead of just holding onto information. 

 

Think of Trello as a digital whiteboard with lists and sticky notes on steroids. Each card acts like a sticky note. You can add checklists, due dates, members, labels, automation pieces, and so much more. Trello is where you organize your ideas and make them accessible anytime you need them.

 

Brittany’s Trello system consists of three categories: To Do, Doing, and Done. She moves her tasks through these cards depending on what she’s accomplished and then completed. She also has a backlog of ideas she calls an  “idea inbox.” It’s where she puts her ideas and what she needs to work on for the week. She organizes this at the beginning of each week and it’s these lists that prompt her week’s activities. 

 

Satisfaction from getting things done

It feels amazing to know you are getting things done and when you are able to move a card from To Do to Done. Trello has a new feature where confetti is sprinkled across the screen when you move one card to another. Brittany has added a Yay list where she puts all the accomplishments she wants to remember.  Among them,  launching a website and creating a blog post. It’s also possible to archive cards and tasks so you can document what you’ve already finished and still keep track of them even when they’re no longer visible on your board. 

 

Challenges in sales in terms of productivity

According to Brittany, one of the biggest challenges is being able to take a task and apply it across the board for all team members and prospects. It can be difficult to manage and apply specific items to everyone. For example, you may find a task working for you but it’s still hard to be consistent with each person you’re following up with. If that’s the case, you can add a follow-up checklist to your card and apply this checklist to all your lead cards. With a standard sales process, you don’t have to worry about what you did and didn’t do with this particular lead. You can just check off the boxes you completed with your clients.

 

Another challenge in sales is the fact that many salespeople want to do sales and not the admin work. This may be true not only for people in sales, but in general. Trello has a card-repeater powerup. What it does is you can automate your card and make it pop up every Monday, or any day you want it to appear. You can also put a habit tracker to your Trello board with reminders for LinkedIn building, sales outreach, and more. 

 

Be productive 

Managing contacts is a struggle for many salespeople. Crmble, a plugin for Trello, is a good tool to manage your contacts and move them through your sales pipeline. It is better than a spreadsheet. You can use Crmble, set up your list, and customize it. Each contact is a card and you can import them from CSV. You can set it up automatically to sync with your form. If you have Google form, you can connect contacts that are coming through  and connect it to your Trello boards. Crmble took great care in making it attractive. You’re able to click on the dashboard and it will show you a funnel  that shows the percentages from one stage to another. You can even filter by date. 

 

Crmble is free at the moment but they are working on a pricing model. In the future, it may be priced based on lead volume. You can join the Facebook group for Crmble,  and ask questions to the community. 

 

Try things out. Don't be afraid to try something out and see if it works. Don't feel like you have to have everything all organized in a row before you take action. #SalesProductivity

 

“Using Trello to Manage Business and Sales Efforts” episode resources

Reach out to Brittany Joiner via LinkedIn and Twitter. 


If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1326.mp3
Category:Sales productivity, Trello -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

The Number 1 Reason You Hear "I'm Not Interested"

 

Of course salespeople like to hear positive responses from their prospects but it’s not always the case. Sometimes prospects say, “I’m not interested. Why do you hear that? Is there something wrong with your pitch? Listen to this episode and understand what prospects are thinking when they say they’re not interested. 

 

Donald has worked with hundreds of sales reps,has coached a variety of individuals, trained organizations, and he’s been on countless sales phone calls. All those experiences have taught him many things.  Donald’s latest lesson came from seeing Disney’s, The Princess and the Frog

 

The story of Tiana and the Frog

In the story, Tiana lives in Louisiana and has a dream of creating an amazing restaurant with her dad. She wants to do something with her life and have a purpose. Eventually, however, she gets turned into a frog. The prince in the story also gets turned into a frog. Together, they begin their quest to find the witch that turned them into frogs so they can be turned back to humans. Along the way, they come across an alligator who’s good at playing the trumpet, and the frog prince asks the alligator for help. The alligator tells them about a witch doctor that can help but the frogs don’t know how to get there. When Tiana asks the alligator to take them, he refuses and goes back to playing the trumpet.  The frog prince realizes they messed up their pitch and so he tries again. He goes back to the alligator and asks him about his challenges. To this, the alligator replies that it’s hard to play trumpet in front of people because they just run away. Upon hearing this, the frog prince then redirects his pitch. He asks the alligator to come with them in the hopes of being turned into a human as well. This time, he decides to join them! The frog prince was able to reframe the offer so the alligator could see the benefit to himself.

 

In relation to sales 

That story speaks to the platinum rule in sales - to treat others the way they would like to be treated and to tell them things that they want to hear. The focus should always be about the prospect or client with the goal of giving them what they want and need. 

 

Tiana asked for good will but didn’t offer any benefit. The prince got results because he focused on what the alligator  desired. The same is true when prospecting for a sale. When he saw the movie, Donald realized there were times as an account executive that he’d reached out to a prospect and led with Me, My, and I. He’d talked about his company and what they’d been doing. Nothing in his pitch was about the buyer. He eventually learned to flip it around and prioritized what they needed and wanted the most. That made all the difference.

 

Figuring out what they want

One of the easiest ways to figure out what a customer wants is to search for their job title on LinkedIn. You can also go to indeed.com. Try searching for what their responsibilities are. For example, if you see your prospect is a marketing director, search for that job title on LinkedIn. You’ll see that their job is to get traffic to their site, to bring inbound leads, bring in prospects that their sales reps can talk to, and eventually buy their product. 

 

If you call them and talk to them about your company, they’ll only listen to the first 10 seconds of your call before you hear, “I’m not interested.” As a sales rep, your job is to reach out to them with a point of reference. Connect with them via LinkedIn using the omnichannel approach. When you’ve done that, then you’re ready to make the call. 

 

Hey Mike, we connected on LinkedIn last week....”

 

Position yourself as a person with whom they’re already acquainted. You’ve already moved through the threat barrier on LinkedIn, so now you can present them a solution they want.  For the previous marketing director example, you could say, “I was looking at what you’re doing. If there’s a way I could show you how to get 10-15% more leads coming into your website, would you be open to hearing what we can do for you?” Provide a story loop to get his attention first before you ask your qualifying questions. Then you can set up that next appointment. 

 

The old way of doing a pitch where you present your company, and all the great things you’ve accomplished, doesn’t work anymore. Now we figure out what the clients need and present a solution that benefits them. 

 

Client-centered, not sales rep-centered

Your goal is to focus on what the buyer wants, use your questioning skills, and make them the center of the sales process. There is no deception when you are trying to grab their attention to solve their problem. If you’re not going into a deeper discussion, then you won’t get a close. Bring value to deepen the conversation. Provide what the prospect needs.

 

 If you’re trying to grab a prospect’s attention to solve a problem, there's no deception in that. #SalesTruth

The Number 1 Reason You Hear "I'm Not Interested"” episode resources

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1325.mp3
Category:Sales Prospecting, Sales Principles -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

How a Power Dialer Streamlines Your Sales Process and Improves Productivity

 

Power dialers improve your sales process and productivity. As a salesperson, have you given this any thought? Listen to this episode to help you decide if a power dialer will help you in your business.

 

Sean Leonard is the founder of FunnelFLARE and the CEO of Jump Demand. One of their products is FunnelFLARE and the other is a  marketing automation platform. Sean has a background in long sales cycle sales, specifically in the process automation where they are selling automation software. Interestingly, it didn’t start in sales and marketing but in manufacturing. In his early days, he was selling industrial software for manufacturing mainly in process control. Automation really played a huge part to help scale the marketing cycle. They started Jump Demand with the goal of helping people automate customer acquisition. They use FunnelFLARE for sales enablement. 

 

The issue in sales

Sales is about the highest paid hard work and the lowest paid easy work. All salespeople want to sell more and they are highly motivated to do that. The reality is 80% of the salesperson’s revenue comes from 20% of their activities. This means that 80% of the time sales reps are not doing revenue-generating tasks. Sales is a contact sport so we have to become proficient in making calls. Every sales organization wants its staff to talk to people and be helpful. The idea behind Sean’s products is to help salespeople reduce the effort in making calls. 

 

The second issue Sean was looking at is the CRM. He thinks that it’s purposely built to help salespeople succeed. There are so many CRMs out there and the evolution of the tool has been advantageous for everyone on the sales team as it helps them manage their projects and opportunities. Sean and his team found that many salespeople were spending so much time trying to add to the CRM that they were also spending more time outside of the CRM. They were having to bounce from one app to the other. These tasks included logging the calls, putting together a strategy throughout the day, updating the CRM,  and integrating the information into the calls that the salespeople make.

 

Sean’s efforts enable sales reps to do their work in the CRM and reduce the effort that’s spent in using the CRM. The goal is to keep members of the organization have lots of documented opportunities while still being able to maintain a relationship with people. 



Defining power dialer

Power Dialer for Sean is basically what he is doing with the CRM. It’s a list of people that he has bulk edited and flagged for his calling session. They use a Chrome extension where a dialog box appears when they click the extension. The dialog box has a pre-loaded name of the person from the flagged list. The idea behind the power dialer is that it allows you to make calls efficiently and with greater speed. 

 

With Power Dialer the numbers are automatically selected when you make a call. The numbers are local numbers from the region because that typically gets a better hit rate. You can put a tracking script on the website. These are prospect insights and account insights, tabs that sales reps can quickly check. This  gives them the idea of what their prospects have been up to. While the call is going on, Sean’s system records the call and builds a transcript of the call. When the call has ended, your next move is to do a follow-up email. Sean’s team has a pop-up email template that their teams can use. They also add commentary relating to the recent call to personalize the emails. When you’re ready to make the next call, you can also drop an automated voicemail if the call isn’t picked up. 

 

The good thing about the system is that sales reps can make changes to the metadata. You can add notes that are applied when reloaded and the notes are saved automatically. The transcripts are also saved in the CRM as notes. This makes the call process more efficient  and there’s no typing and updating involved. The data are automatically loaded into the CRM. 

 

Personalized voicemail vs non-personalized voicemail

If you are making follow-up calls with your existing clients, or with people that are late into the sales process, your voicemail has to be personalized. In this case you can’t drop a voicemail that was pre-recorded.

 

It's different when you have a warm lead. You can choose to create a follow-up email or an SMS. Oftentimes, SMS has more traction because people are flooded with emails on a daily basis. Sean usually loads up SMS and sends them to prospects before making calls. This is for the prospects to know who is going to call them. The magic in the voicemail lies in the follow-up email. When you email, give them a link to your appointment scheduler and let them when they should anticipate your next call. 

 

If you are talking to someone late in the sales process, you must personalize the message. #SalesPersonalization

 

Cadence Automation

Aside from the Power Dialer, Sean’s team also has cadence automation. These are predefined sequences that use both emails and SMS. This system allows them to use merge fields and track links. They can personalize the SMS with a template and merge fields. Every SMS link is shortened and tracked. Every time the prospects click the link, it will show up in the prospect’s insights. The next time the sales reps call, they can see the logs and the links clicked by the prospects. Based on their cases, their automation system is measured and it proves to save time by 60%. 

 

Automation as an account-based selling strategy

For example, you’re selling into an account called Honeywell. Assuming that you are in process control and you’re hitting your sales. You want all of your sales reps from different regions around the world to be reselling or quoting your software. What you do as the sales manager to set up your day for calling the Honeywell account, is write a uniform script that all the members of the team will be using. That script goes into your Honeywell list. You can then go to your CRM, bulk edit, and grab all the people for the account reps for Honeywell. You can then start the call using the Power Dialer. 

 

Selling is similar to being a doctor. A doctor is all about communicating that they understand whatever the patient is feeling. They then make a prescription based on their understanding. Doctors need to be present to know and understand their patient’s pain. The same is true in sales. You can’t jump between industries and calls. You won’t get the mindset of thinking about your client’s pain and truly be able to communicate to them that you understand them. You want to group your clients by industry so you can get into the mindset that is specific to this group.  

 

Not all are open to using Power Dialers and there are a number of reasons why this may not work. Some may be closing the deal and  feeling confident. When this happens, sales reps can stop following the process.  Some may start to cut corners and  don’t follow up with an email. They may not follow the script. The other reason for these systems not launching is salespeople who have been in the industry for a number of years find it difficult to learn new habits or systems.

 

There’s no shortcut

There is no shortcut to the system. You need to go through the process for each of your clients. The biggest challenge in automation is not letting your clients feel like they are just another number. You need to do it right. When you send them an email, don’t click before you make sure your message is personalized. Automation allows you to reuse work you’ve already done but your job is to replicate what you’re doing on a  daily basis without automating the personalization. Make use of your time while staying in the pay zone. 

 

“How a Power Dialer Streamlines Your Sales Process and Improves Productivity” episode resources

Connect with Sean Leonard via his LinkedIn account. 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1324.mp3
Category:Power Dilaer, Sales Automation -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

How I Creatively Booked Meetings Using Video

With people being more isolated, the trend of how to set appointments is changing. Salespeople need to be more creative about how to get a prospect’s attention, such as using videos. This episode will be about using this approach to make you stand out from the crowd and get that meeting. 

 

Frank Weshcler works for a company called Dynamic Signal. They started in San Bruno but for the last two years, the company has branched out to Chicago. It is a communications and engagement platform to help enterprises and commercial size companies. 

 

The journey toward creating videos 

When Frank was still interviewing with Dynamic Signal, he was asked how comfortable he was in front of the camera. With video creation being part of their outreach, he needed to be able to do quick 30-second dynamic video clips where he could introduce himself and create a pitch. With his theater background, he was immediately comfortable and got started making videos. 

 

Use your creativity

Frank’s company uses Vidyard, a video platform that integrates with their sales platform. It helps them find videos easily,  attaches them into emails, and sends them. Frank has been very creative in all his videos. In one of his videos he ate the restaurant's hottest wings, with triple sauce, and recorded himself pitching to the client while his mouth was on fire! Despite the fact he was coughing and choking, he pressed on.  The client loved it, sent it out to their entire team, and Frank got a meeting.  For him, it was worth it!

 

Keep in mind, the meeting took time and follow-up. After not hearing from the prospect after the initial video, he reached out again with another video, but without the wings this time, to ask if the client had seen the video.  It was then that Frank was able to solidify the meeting. Don’t be discouraged after just one touch.  Clients get busy. 

 

The formula in creating a video 

There is no one formula in creating a video but you can do the research to find the connective niche angle that will be the focus of your pitch. For a sports car company, Frank made a video of himself building one of their cars out of Legos in his workshop using his GoPro. He titled it “I Made Your Car in My Workshop” and it became click-worthy for the client. The video was tied into their brand and interest. Put yourself in your client’s shoes. What would make something click-worthy for you?

When you create a video, tie it into the prospect’s brand or the contact’s personal interests. #SalesVideos

 

How to use videos

Frank loves using videos as an ice-breaker. He often sends a video for the first or  second touch depending on who he is reaching out to. After the video, the next step is getting on the phone. If he still doesn’t get a response, he sends another follow-up video just to remind them of his first video. If he still doesn’t get a reply, he lets it go.

 

Research plays a huge part in the process of making a video. In this stage of the process, your job is to  create an idea that will be relatable to them. What are the prospect’s interests or hobbies? What are their favorite sports teams? Here is where you can use LinkedIn and other social media platforms to dig deep. Frank discovered one prospect was a slam poet so he made a slam poetry video. Use your videos to personalize your pitch in a way your competition hasn’t.  Through your efforts, you ‘re making your introductory video a cut above the rest. 

 

The bane in video  creation

Not all people are using videos for their pitch and introduction because not all salespeople are comfortable in front of the camera. The trend in sales, however, is going more toward videos as salespeople are now using Zoom in their videoconferencing. Hopefully through Zoom salespeople are getting more comfortable being in front of the camera and will take advantage of this video trend as it gains popularity. Frank had never heard utilized video prospecting before joining Dynamic Signal but he’s learned the huge advantage of personalization through this mode of communication. As the use of Zoom progresses, using video prospecting may soon become the norm. Don’t limit yourself. 

 

“How I Creatively Booked Meetings Using Video” episode resources

Connect with Frank via his LinkedIn account. You can also email him at fweschler@dynamicsignal.com or call him at 847-521-0366. 


If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1323.mp3
Category:Sales Prospecting, Video Sales -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

10 things new sellers should avoid doing

 

We all make mistakes from time to time but you can’t avoid them if you don’t know they’re mistakes. In this episode, Donald will share 10 mistakes he’s made so you he’s made so you don’t have to. 

 

Mistake #1: Being pushy

People hate pushy sales reps. These are the ones that are often associated with being a stereotypical “used car salesperson.” This makes buyers feel like they are being tricked into making a purchase. Buyers nowadays are educated, prepared, and they are familiar with the tactics that sellers use. These days, buyers have different options and can go somewhere else if they don’t feel you have their best interest at heart. Buyers want to move toward sellers who can educate them to make the best decision, as opposed to someone who is trying to push them into an option they don’t really need.

Pushy sellers are those who are trying to hit their own deadlines and quotas without taking into account what’s best for their customer. They have abandoned the whole idea of empathy.

 

Mistake #2: Not listening

We’ve all heard that we have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak … but not everyone takes this to heart. Donald was taught early on that he should only speak about 30-40% of the time. The rest of the time should be spent listening. New sellers have the notion that the more you talk, the more convincing you get. Actually, the opposite is true. Great sellers spend their time asking effective questions. When you research and come prepared with questions buyers can  respond to, it helps them see you’re more engaged. For example, ask questions pertaining to their business or personal interests . It’s during these conversations that the prospect will tell you how to sell to them. 

 

Having two ears and one mouth should tell you to listen twice as much as you speak. #SalesListening

 

Mistake #3: Saying “Tell me more about your business” 

Don’t ask a buyer about their business when there’s so much information available over the internet. Do your research before the meeting. The buyer shouldn’t have to waste their time educating you about their business. You don’t want to be caught less informed than your competition. Instead, ask them questions that pertain to their services and about the challenges their company may be trying to overcome. 

 

 

Mistake #4: Lying 

Nobody likes a liar. As a seller, you have an idea about what numbers you want to hit. Regardless of what that might be, when the buyer asks for the price, don’t tell them you don’t know if you can give them a margin to work with. Help the buyer make a decision that’s in their best interest by offering great value first, then talk price. 

 

If you truly don’t know the answer to a critical question, let them know you’ll get back to them. Just don’t lie. The buyer will appreciate your authenticity.

 

Mistake #5: Not taking No as an answer

You want to help people but you can’t force them to get your products or services. Sales work is very much like baseball. Not every swing turns into a home run. Sometimes you’re just going to get to first base or hit a line drive. The same is true with your prospects. You want to give your best but when a buyer says no, you can ask a follow-up question to make sure it’s not a problem you can solve. If it’s just not a good time, don’t be pushy and revisit down the road. 

 

Mistake #6: Not knowing the buyer’s true needs

It’s best to meet a client with some understanding of their needs and how you can offer solutions or better alternatives. The last thing a buyer wants is to deal with a salesperson who has no idea how to help them solve their problems. Try to understand the pain points of their business. The more you understand them, the more you’ll be able to add value. 

 

Case studies and testimonials can offer great insight to how problems can be solved or what the problem is. These can be found in your own company’s files, through your competitors, or your prospect’s website. Look at some of the training and videos. Look at their case studies and read on the challenges they solve for their buyers. The last thing a buyer wants is to deal with a salesperson who has no idea how to help them solve their problems. 

 

Mistake #7: Being late for meetings

 

When you set up an appointment, make sure to show up on time and don’t miss appointments. Buyers are busy and being late is a bad first impression. Be diligent with your scheduling and don’t stack appointments if you can’t follow through. Learn how to organize your time in a way that you will have extra time to prepare for your next appointment. Calculate in your travel time, the time you need to prepare your slides, and anything else that will take up precious minutes.

 

Be careful too of being too early and creating a burden for the client. Be there early enough to set up and then be ready to go by the time the client gets there. 




Mistake #8: Not keeping your word

This mistake ties closely to the previous one. For example, if you gave your word you were  going to bring information to the meeting, then do so. You don’t want to come across as unreliable as they will wonder if this will be how you are after closing.  Embrace the idea of  under promising and over delivering. 

 

Mistake #9: Overselling

Overselling can happen with new sellers. Sometimes new sellers feel they have to tell the buyers everything about the product. Your job is to show what’s specifically important to the client. If you’re selling a house and the buyer really wants a nice garage, don’t spend most of your time showing them the bedrooms - show them the nice garage. Give them what they want.

This is how your buyers gain confidence in you and the product or service you have to offer. 

 

Mistake #10: Not willing to learn

 As a new seller, it’s part of your job to learn from everyone. Talk to your colleagues, people from different departments, and other people in the industry. Recognize your gap and seek opportunities to keep learning and growing.  Watch videos, read books, listen to podcasts, go to training seminars, and utilize other modes of education. Be an effective seller by continuously increasing your knowledge. 

 

10 things new sellers should avoid doing” episode resources

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1322.mp3
Category:Successful Sales, Sales Training -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

How to Virtually Forge Deep Connections With Prospects

 

The pandemic has changed the methods of prospecting. Sales is still about connecting with people on a personal level but with so many people doing business virtually now, sales reps have to be able to do this without getting to see people in “the real world.” 

 

Steve Herz is the president of the Montag Group, a talent agency specializing in representing sportscasters, TV newscasters, weathermen radio personalities, podcast hosts, and more. Over the last four years, however, Steve has also become a coach to executive CEOs and anyone who wants to improve their communication skills to close more deals. 

 

Don’t Take Yes for an Answer 

Steve’s book is  Don’t Take Yes for an Answer. The title might seem odd to a salesperson whose livelihood depends on a yes. In this case,  Steve means that he doesn’t want people to be surrounded by the yeses that keep them stuck in mediocrity.  It impedes your improvement.

 

For example, Steve was in his second year of law school, and he was one of the 30 kids working at a big law firm in New York City. By the end of summer, he was facing a verdict of either getting an offer or not. The first 29 people ahead of him received an offer. Steve did not. The managing partner told him that he didn’t have the right skill set for the job and it was suggested he go into sales, start his own company, and come back to the firm as a client. Steve reflected on this advice and it changed the trajectory of his life. This is the story behind the title of his book. He was given a life-changing no and it was the best thing for him! Steve quotes Barry Summers, who has had great success on Wall Street, who said, “The second best thing to a Yes in the business is a fast No.” 

 

Striving for the best version of you

It isn’t your job to say yes. Your job is to bring out the honesty from people around you. Be okay with the no that will push you to become better. Show up with a healthy vulnerability that reflects your interest in growing and learning. If you  strive to get better everyday you open the door to a better version of yourself. This positions you to connect with people who may become your mentors. 

 

Successful salesman vs a great salesman

To be great in sales, you need to believe you can be a success. This comes from genuinely serving the needs of others.  Be someone who knows that you are going to do your very best for the person who has entrusted their needs with you. For example, if you’re selling insurance in Florida and you know the property is prone to flooding, let the homeowners know about it. If something catastrophic happens, get them a stay in a hotel and get their house rebuilt. Exceed the expectations of a client and care about the outcome. 

 

Forging the connection 

Steve believes that people can still forge great connections with people, even in this virtual environment. Before the pandemic, a salesperson may have made 30 phone calls but with the pandemic, may be connecting only half as much but now, it’s on Zoom. Seeing the person face-to-face has a different effect than just speaking with them on the phone. Making eye contact, even virtually, and makes the connection much deeper, especially when you’re able to discuss their life, their interests, and their needs.

 

Stumbling blocks in using Zoom 

When you’re able to Zoom, set aside time to do what needs to be accomplished. Five minutes is not going to be enough. Instead, set aside thirty minutes per call so you have a chance to get to know what’s important to your potential client. Get to understand their reasons for being in the industry they’re in. If you spend the time getting to know people, eventually, enough of those people will have a need for what you’re offering.  Steve has been in the business for 25 years and many of his customers/clients have stayed with him for that 25-year period. He isn’t aiming for short-term business. Steve believes that the best customers are your current customers and maintaining them while getting new ones by referral is a great way to grow your business. 

 

The authentic body language

As a salesperson, you need to be confident and comfortable in your own body language. Be relaxed, have good posture, and maintain eye contact. During a sales meeting make it a habit  to be professional but authentic. You want there to be a consistency of behavior throughout your life so you can show up to prospects comfortably.  Oftentimes, we don’t even know we have bad habits. You can correct that with the help of your colleagues, friends, or family members who can be an extra set of eyes on what could be improved upon. 

 

Make it a habit to sit up straight and have good eye contact so it becomes natural when you’re in front of people. #SalesPosture

 

Be perceptive and acknowledge others

Make sure that the person you’re talking to feels welcome. Look at the conversation from the other person’s perspective and ask yourself:

 

-What do they want out of this? 

-What is their point of view?

-How can I frame my conversation in a way to make it about them?

 

Steve talked to his friend, Jeff, who ran a whole division in Citibank and built a billion-dollar business for the bank. Jeff was on the heavy side, however, and was told earlier in his career that he wouldn’t get a job in management because he doesn’t look the part. His performance was so strong, however, that he was promoted anyway to manage a whole division. Steve asked Jeff how he did it. Jeff explained that his boss noticed that in his division there was almost no turnover of people they considered integral to the business. It was because Jeff cared for his employees and whenever someone got another offer, Jeff would meet with them to ask if the offer was really the best thing for them. He would go over the pros and cons of taking the offer. Jeff supported their decisions either way, but he made it a point to create the chance to highlight that their company had already proven how much these employees were valued. Jeff was able to move through these meetings well because he’d already established trust. He genuinely cared about his people and they knew it. 

 

Eric Mark is now a senior VP for the Miami Dolphins but when he and Steve still worked together he asked Steve to have breakfast with him. Eric said that he was coming to Steve to talk as a friend and a boss. He told Steve that he loved working with him but he got a job that would move him towards his dream job working for the NBA. Steve told Eric to take the job, even though he wanted him to stay, but knowing that Eric’s heart was somewhere else, he knew in the long run, it was Eric’s best move. Eric thrived in the NBA for five years and eventually got the offer with the Miami Dolphins. A decade later and they are still close. 

 

We all need to constantly improve our mindset and the way we interact with others. No matter how successful we become, it’s mission critical to keep learning about how to show up for people and be at our best. 

 

How to Virtually Forge Deep Connections With Prospects" episode resources 

Reach out to Steve Herz via his LinkedIn Account! You can also visit his official website and look up his podcast from there. 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1321.mp3
Category:Successful Salesman, Great Salesman -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

What To Do When a Customer Says “Not Yet” To Closing

 

We’ve all gotten a “not yet” from a prospect and it can be frustrating having that delay in closing. In this episode we’ll look at how to move from “not yet” to yes.

 

Jeff Shore is a salesperson at heart and has been in the industry for a number of years. He started his sales career in real estate but for the last 20 years, he’s been at Shore Consulting. Jeff works with companies large and small all around the world. He is also a published author and is getting ready to launch his 10th book. He used to look at sales from the perspective of the salesperson but now, he’s looking at how a buyer buys. Instead of reading sales books, he reads psychology books to know what’s going on in the mind during the sales process that leads to the decisions people make. 

 

Salespeople are sales counselors because they get to the root of the problem before they try to provide any kind of solution. This is the heartbeat of sales. We understand the customers’ problems and we try to offer them the best solution.

 

On writing his books 

 

As an author, Jeff understands he has to live a book before he writes it. Jeff knows it’s not just about the sale. The follow up is just as important and Jeff is passionate about learning everything he can. He wants us all to know the greatest lessons are in how to serve customers and learning how we can add value after the initial presentation. This is what Jeff’s book is about. 

 

The inability to follow-up 

Not following up comes down to two things:  I can’t do it or I won’t do it. This is both an ability and a motivation issue. If you don’t know how, find someone to help you or a resource that can teach you.  Motivation entails having the right mindset.

 

The challenges today 

The two biggest problems in doing follow-up are that salespeople are often too slow and/or too impersonal. Speed and personalization are the superpowers that salespeople have at their disposal. The faster they serve, the more that they are able to share the message that they care. These days, people equate speed with care. If you can combine speed and personalization, you’re already 98% ahead from other salespeople who just rely on their CRM to kick out a generic email 24-hours after the initial conversation. 

Getting back in touch adds value and this is the first step in building a relationship with prospects. The second step is being personal. We all get numerous emails in a week and they come in many forms. If salespeople spent any meaningful time online, they would see there is plenty of accessible information to personalize correspondence and it would make all the difference. 

 

Jeff got an email from a person who just took a photo of himself holding a piece of paper that said, “Hi, Jeff!”  He knew then that the email was for him. He got Jeff’s attention and Jeff couldn’t deny him a reply.  They didn’t close a deal but it got a response and that is a huge part of the battle. 

 

The need to follow-up

Many salespeople are doing follow-up because of the fear of getting in trouble with their bosses. If the CRM has holes in it, then the sales reps can just blame it on the system. This isn’t enough. A sales rep has to see the importance and value behind the follow-up. Your starting point should be asking yourself how you can add value to the prospect. You need a better motivation to do the follow-up than just your boss. 

 

Don’t get eliminated 

There are two types of elimination: active elimination and the passive elimination. Active elimination is when a product or service isn’t a good fit. Passive elimination happens when you fall off from the prospects’ radar and become forgettable. The longer time you wait to do a follow-up, the longer period it will be that you go without having a conversation with them. This lack of communication destroys relationships. This has something to do with a psychological phenomenon called emotional altitude. Human beings are emotional creatures. We make emotion-based decisions but we buy more with our gut. About 85% of the purchasing decisions we have are instinctive or intuitive and only 15% is based on logic and supported by data. 

 

In a sales conversation, a prospect can start hyped up and excited. That feeling of excitement doesn’t last. Time has a way of decreasing that emotional altitude. The role of the follow-up ensures that the emotional attitude stays up. It helps to maintain an emotional engagement. 

 

When to stop 

The best time to stop doing a follow-up is when the prospect no longer thinks you’re adding value. Your goal in doing follow-up is to add value and be on their radar to solve future problems. Have structure in your follow-up and you put  yourself in a position where you can give what they need  over and over again. Be the first person that comes to mind when a need arises.

 

Your mission isn’t just to follow-up but to follow-up and close. #ClosingADeal




Adding value using a video follow-up

Videos are effective and the amount of value you can build in a 30-second length of time is astounding. One of the barricades to video follow-up is discomfort because some people just don’t like the way they look on camera. If you feel that way, just know that your customers already know what you look like. This is a follow-up video so they’re not expecting to see anyone else. The good thing about this is the ability to do it again and again until you get the perfect personalized video message. 

 

During the pandemic, video conferencing is the best way to talk to other people. We are now forced to use videos and this can help accelerate the video interaction long before you\re able to meet somebody face-to-face for the first time. 

 

Remember your speed 

Speed is your sales superpower, so use it. Send a  follow-up message as soon as you’re able. You can record a 15-second video telling your prospect how much you enjoyed the conversation  and you’re willing to help answer any questions. That’s quick and already a follow-up. The video is much better than a business card that can get thrown away. Your video will be on their phone along with your number. 

 

Steven Pressfield’s book The War of Art  talks to artists and writers who are dealing with blocks. Pressfield called this resistance and it keeps them from doing things they need to do. In sales, this is comfort addiction. We like to be in a comfortable place but remember that success doesn't lie in your comfort zone. If you are uncomfortable doing follow-up, you need to deal with the discomfort and breakthrough. If you can do that, then you’ll be able to uncover incredible opportunities. 

 

What To Do When a Customer Says “Not Yet” To Closing” episode resources 

Connect with Jeff Shore via his LinkedIn account or subscribe to his podcast, The Buyer’s Mind and listen to his shows every Saturday. 

 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1320.mp3
Category:Lead Generation, Video, Sales Video -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

5 Things All Sellers Should Do Before Prospecting

Many salespeople find prospecting daunting. Prospecting is one of the most critical actions a sales rep can do to develop leads.Donald has worked with many salespeople and he still sees sales reps who don’t prepare as much as they should when prospecting. Even people who are high in the organizational chart need to prospect. 

In this episode, Donald is sharing 5 actions that all sellers should take before prospecting.

  • Set goals
  • Plan ahead of time
  • Focus on your list
  • Do your research and find the right information about your prospects
  • Have the proper mindset

 

Setting your goals 

You must have a goal whenever you prospect. Having a goal allows you to have focused action in the time you’ve set aside for prospecting. Set a goal for how many prospects you want to contact in your scheduled time frame. Evaluate what you want to achieve. For example:

 

Do you plan on getting three new prospects?

Are you setting two new appointments?

Will you be making X number of calls?

 

To stay accountable, you can share your goals with somebody on your team. By doing this, you have someone to check on whether or not you’ve achieved your goals. For additional accountability, you can also check out The Sales Evangelizers, on Facebook and LinkedIn, to talk with the other sales reps who share similar goals. 

 

Plan it 

For many sales reps, prospecting can be treated as an afterthought. The best approach to prospecting is to have an action. Block out the time on your calendar and treat it as sacred so you can focus on your prospecting efforts. 

 

Use your dedicated time for prospecting and focus your efforts on that. Don’t use this time to check company emails,  Facebook notifications,or LinkedIn. 

 

Sales reps need to prepare more than you think you should. #SalesPreparedness

Focus on your list

Before you prospect, build a list first. Regardless of the tool you use,putting together this clearly defined list should be part of the planning process. Use LinkedIn or some other software or company to make sure the information is updated so you’re not wasting time when it’s time to make contact. Clean up the data beforehand so you make the most of your time prospecting 

 

Do basic research 

Donald uses a three by three approach when doing research about a new prospect: He finds three things about the prospect within three minutes using LinkedIn or their own company site. Some of this information includes their position or roles in the company, any new acquisition, new announcements in the company, new promotions, and more.

 

You can use the information you gathered when you’re reaching out to them to personalize the correspondence. In your research, you can find out their roles and vary your approaches accordingly. Depending on the positions they have in their organization, you can adjust the value proposition. Research can take time but it’s worth it. If you need to, ask for help from the members of your sales team or marketing and sales research departments.

 

The Mindset 

Meditating is one of the best ways to prepare yourself for the day. It’s a time where you can get quiet and focus. Get into the zone and picture your success. Professional athletes spend thousands of dollars on coaches to help them get the right mindset so they can stay top of their game. 

You can join Donald’s mastermind classes as they have sales reps from a variety of fields who come together and partner with us. There, you can find accountability, support, and guidance. To join, check out the website at www.thesalesevangelist.com/mastermind to fill out an application. Getting your right mind is critical for your success. You need the mindset and belief you can get those appointments and close the deals.

5 Things All Sellers Should Do Before Prospecting” episode resources 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1319.mp3
Category:Prospecting, Mindset, Sales Goals -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

What To Do When a Prospect "Ghosts" You

 

During these uncertain times salespeople can feel they are being “ghosted” by prospects.  Someone who once seemed like a potential client has vanished with what seems like no hope of reconnecting. When this happens, what can you do?  You’ll find answers in this episode. 

 

Rian Laniga graduated college and moved to Australia for a year. When he went back to Ireland, he started his career in sales. After working for other companies, he decided to start his agency to help B2B sales leaders get themselves in front of people more regularly. Rian is working with clients all over the globe including Singapore, Ireland, England, and the United States. 

 

Defining ghosting

Ghosting is not simply sending an email and not hearing or getting a response. Ghosting is more of already having a meeting with them, arranging for a follow-up, and then they didn’t show up. It’s when you’ve reached out to them multiple times but you didn’t hear a response. It’s not a one and done deal. 

 

Why you may have been ghosted

When you feel you’ve been ghosted the first question people ask themselves is why. One of the ways people make it easy for others to treat them this way is that sales reps aren’t deliberate about sharing next steps with prospects. Prospects need to know what to expect after having that initial contact and you need to know if you have someone who sincerely wants to continue a relationship with you. Salespeople can mistakenly believe they have a new client when all they hear is positive feedback. Rian suggests, however, that if you hear positive words, you may need to worry. Positive words don’t mean the prospect has decided to move forward with you. As the sales rep, come up with next steps that can be mutually agreed upon so you both know where you stand. 

The calendar invite

Rian’s next suggestion is to get your prospects to accept the calendar invite. You can’t expect them to turn into a call if you don’t send them an invitation first. Many salespeople tend to forget this step. People nowadays hate to go to meetings so it’s  important you get on their schedule so there’s a lesser chance of cancelation. It’s more important that you ask for time than a meeting. Always ask for more time than you need so when you finish early, you’re able to give their time back to them. You’re Hero of the Day!

To get on the calendar initially, Rian asks prospects to open up their calendar while he’s with them so they can look at availability together.   Once the prospect offers a date and time, you can push back and offer an alternative date and time to appear a busy person. The important thing is for them to confirm on their calendar. 

 

The next step is a little bolder. After confirming the schedule with them, ask if there is anything that might keep them from making it to the meeting. It lets the prospect know that you’ve scheduled meetings before and you understand things can happen. This can be an  unusual occurrence, especially for people who are high up the chain such as CEOs but don’t be afraid of challenging the status quo. 

 

Make No an acceptable answer

Receiving a no isn’t always a bad thing because it frees  you up to chase the yeses.This is one of the biggest lessons Rian has learned. There are three possible outcomes from a phone call that you have with your prospects: Yes,  No, or a Referral. Rian has learned to ask which one it will be by the end of the call.  What makes it easier is when he takes his prospect to Starbucks, Rian says if they close a deal, he’ll pay for coffee.  If they don’t, the client gets to pay.  At the end of the meeting Rian asks who’s paying for coffee. If the answer is, “The coffee is on you today,” Rian then knows that he’s just closed a deal. As a sales rep, expect to hear a no but understand, It’s typically not a “forever no” but a “no, not now.”

 

Don’t take anything personally

At the end of the day don’t take anything as personal. It’s just business. Know that there’s a difference between your identity and your role and a rejection doesn’t define who you are or your value. It’s important you know the distinction. You can lose a sale and still be an outstanding person. 

 

On the other hand, don’t be afraid of making it big. You need to be bold and do what others may think is impossible. With confidence and a great mindset, you can! Buyers are trying to gauge if the deal is worth the risk or not. You have a higher chance of closing if the rep believes you believe in yourself and in your product. 

 

Reconnecting with the prospects

One thing you can do to reconnect with a prospect, is to use a different platform. Rian will initially reapproach with a private message once he finds the prospect. Rian understands people can have a change in circumstances such as losing their jobs, moving to another company, and more. Investigate the reasons that may have nothing to do with you.

 

Another technique Rian will use is telling the prospect that if they don’t respond, he’ll go ahead and close the file.  This has gotten the greatest response.  People in general don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings and will jump to respond to an assumption that may be incorrect. 

 

Finally, if you’ve been ghosted by someone, there may be some negative residual feelings. If that’s the case, make sure you have someone else read any emails you’re sending out. They will be able to help you gauge the content of your message and can help you correct any emotional imbalance it may contain.

 

When there’s a possibility you may write with emotion, have someone read an email before you send it.  #SalesAccountability

 

What To Do When a Prospect "Ghosts" You” episode resources 

Connect with Rian Lanigan via his LinkedIn account. If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1318.mp3
Category:Cold prospects, Reaching out -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

How a Steady Referral Rate Generated More Than 900 Authentic Testimonials

 

A great way to increase the longevity of any business or sales career is to have great referrals. In this episode, we’ll explore the evolution of referrals and the stages of you can move through to receive authentic and quality testimonials and referrals.

 

Amber Vilhauer is the owner of the company called NGNG Enterprises, which stands for No Guts, No Glory, a phrase that her mother used as she was growing up. It reminds Amber to face her fears as she navigates the online world. 

 

A large part of NGNG Enterprises’ work includes developing high-performance websites. Amber understands websites are the hub and heart of a business and her goal is for people to land on your website and to experience you. In order to do that, the video has become a big part of their marketing strategy so the connection is more personal. They also have a marketing division where they help influencers start creating videos and live streaming. Amber’s team teaches them how to optimize and repurpose their content for all major channels. Consistency is part of Amber’s approach because this greatly impacts sales. For authors, Amber’s team helps them launch their books. 

 

Defining referrals 

Referral in the traditional sense is the sharing of information from one person to another about a particular business or service. By word of mouth, people share information with colleagues, friends, and family about businesses they believe in and trust. Getting referrals is a great way to build a customer base through people who have already used your services or products so you want to make sure you ask for the referral while the memory is still fresh and they’re excited. 

 

Amber has a systematic approach she uses in asking for a testimonial. At the end of every website project, they celebrate their success with their clients. While they are celebrating and happy, Amber asks the clients if they would be willing to provide a written testimonial of their experience. The client invariably asks what she wants them to say but Amber lets them know she’d rather have them articulate their own experience with her company so the testimonials are 100% true and genuine. Over the years, she has found there are consistent keywords throughout the testimonials. 



Repurposing contents

For years, these written testimonials were the norm but now, videos have become popular. Amber started asking for video testimonials when she realized it was the best way to develop a personal connection in this digital world. Video is more authentic. With the rise of live-streaming, Amber has taught her team to invite their clients to their Zoom Room live-stream. It’s an opportunity where to celebrate a book launch and they can also interview their clients. This offers two great opportunities. On the one hand, they are giving their clients a platform to share their message and grow their business. On the other hand, part of the interview entails the client being asked to share their experience while working with Amber’s team. It’s a win-win situation. Regardless of which platform or how the information is developed, Amber then repurposes the content and optimizes it for YouTube or blog content. Working from multiple platforms is a way to show potential clients that they are active in the business and it elevates the whole experience. Most sales teams fail to take advantage of these kinds of opportunities and can miss a very effective system. Once you know how to organize the flow, the entire process becomes a little more automated. 

 

Getting a constant referral rate

Amber is writing a book with the working title Elevate Every Experience: Develop Personal Connection to Scale your Influence. Amber believes that people should be focusing on developing personal connections with each person they’re attracting into their ecosystem. As mentioned earlier, you can draw people to you using video content. As they feel they’re getting to know you, there are things you can do to nurture that relationship and move this into the beginning of a sales experience. By the time you call, they feel like they’ve known you for a long time. 

 

You need to be intentional about their sales experience. Being transparent and honest in the video stages helps set you up to be liked and trusted. When you do that, you’ll be able to build that consistent experience and further deepen the relationship. 

 

As a sales rep, you control the experience for the people you work with. Depending on what you offer, they can start as a follower, then a prospect, then as a client. You can create a website but people will stay based on the way you make them feel. You need to have the desire to build a relationship with your customer. 

 

Existing customers vs New customers

Many salespeople are focused on looking for new clients and don’t realize the satisfaction, fulfillment, and profit in extending themselves to their existing customers. While it’s good to reach out and look for new clients, it’s also equally valuable to keep existing clients happy. You can’t get consistent testimonials if they are not genuinely happy by their experience. Take the time to evaluate your system and see if you are offering a good experience for your clients. 



Improve the experience 

This can be as simple as smiling more. Being engaging and being present as yourself are inviting to people and will feel more fulfilling to you. When we connect with people on a deeper level it’s typically reciprocated over time. Make their life more fun and you’ll find people happy to provide a referral.  

 

People move from follower to a prospect to a client by how we make them feel. #Salesjourney

 

Understanding your prospects 

Instead of thinking of your prospects as a lead, think of them as people. They are living, breathing people with families, and real-life problems. They are stressed with the current situation too and they are burdened with whatever they are facing on top of it all. Many people are broken and they are doing the best they can do. We certainly know how this can feel. The next time you get onto a call, remember the person you’re talking to and act with compassion. 

 

Getting the testimonials 

When to ask for a testimonial depends on the project.  For a website client, it’s at the end of the project when they are celebrating its launch. In contrast, Amber hosted a two-day live event called Author Up Live. It was a $3,500 event and as soon as people signed up for it, Amber sent them a personal message within minutes. In her email, she asked the clients to create a one minute video telling her why they’re excited about the event. She also told them she’ll share the video in the community to promote them up and get everyone else excited. In another instance, Amber worked with author Mike Michalowicz for his book Fix This Next and asked him for a testimonial halfway through the project. 

 

You can ask for testimonials at different stages but it depends on what you’re offering, and the natural moment of excitement for your customer, so that it’s almost natural for them.

 

There is no wrong path, says Amber. It depends on your business and if there are objections, don’t think of it as going through a bad patch. Rather, think of it as a time of alignment. No testimonial is a bad testimonial if you know how to look at it from a positive point-of-view. 

 

How a Steady Referral Rate Generated More Than 900 Authentic Testimonials” episode resources 

Visit Amber’s official website, LinkedIn,  and her official YouTube videos to learn more! 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1317.mp3
Category:Testimonials, Referrals -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

5 Things To Know Before Using LinkedIn Voice Message

 

Salespeople want to know how to use new features that enable us to reach out to prospects and an example is the LinkedIn voice message. There are, however,  things you need to know before sending your first one.

 

LinkedIn Voice Messaging

LinkedIn is now expanding its reach and updating its platform with new features. One great feature you want to be aware of is the ability to send a video message. Donald Kelly has 5 tips for using LinkedIn’s voice message:

 

Tip 1: Keep your message simple 

Tip 2: You need to have a specific message

Tip 3: Offer value

Tip 4: Follow a structure

Tip 5: Have an invitation to action

 

Keep it Simple 

LinkedIn voice messages offer a 60-second to record a message. (If you don’t know how to find this tool, you can check out this episode on our YouTube channel, episode 1316.) When you only have 60 seconds you need to keep your message simple and brief. Your prospects are bombarded with activities from daily schedules and you don’t want to make their lives more difficult by giving them a voice message that takes too much time. 

 

Use a message and a value

When you reach out to your prospect, be sure of your message. What do your prospects really need from you? The prospect wants the message to be worth their time. Your job is to focus on their problems and the solutions you provide. The people  you’re contacting are likely first-degree connections so you don’t need to tell them everything your company does. These people have already connected with you. The first thing you’re going to say is your name and then you can go ahead with your message and tie it in with value. 

 

Starting a personalized message with “Out of curiosity …” allows space for a conversation to begin. #SalesPersonalization

 

Follow a structure 

Leave a message like you’re talking to a friend and make sure you include an invitation to an upcoming event or make them aware of information that brings value. Offer something that will be beneficial to them.This may be as simple as sending images or videos that may be helpful to them but it increases engagement. 

 

Keep in mind, this feature is only applicable to those who have the LinkedIn application. For those without the application, you need to download the application on your device to get the most robust features LinkedIn has to offer.  

 

Call to action 

Include an invitation or call to action.  An example message might be:

“Hey, Shannon! How are you doing? I loved your post recently about ____. You guys are doing some amazing stuff. By the way, we’re doing a webinar next week. I wanted to see if you’d be open to coming into the webinar.” 

 

 For people with whom you’re already connected, you can leave a similar message or ask them a Yes or No question to offer an opportunity to respond. Ideally, you want this to lead to a conversation.



5 Things To Know Before Using LinkedIn Voice Message” episode resources 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1316.mp3
Category:LinkedIn, LinkedIn Voice Messaging, Donald Kelly -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

Finding the Right Blend of Personalization and Automation In Outbound Sales

 

There has to be a balance between personalization and automation in outbound sales. The question is, how do you keep the right blend of the two? In this episode, we’ll discuss how to personalize the method of automation.

 

Stephen Lowisz always says that he sucks at everything except sales. He was 16 when he started selling consulting solutions. He didn’t make any money at first but even with no formal training he was able to study the process and he made his first 1.1 at 19. When Stephen started sales, it was old-school smile-and-dial. It was a time of manual effort - finding people, getting their data, putting it on SalesForce, and calling. Things are different now.

 

The lack of interest in effective outreach

Outbound sales isn’t necessarily viewed as appealing. The appeal comes later when you’re collecting the check. Outbound sales is considered spam because we often get automated messages from a variety of sources. Many sales teams don’t realize there is a right and wrong way of sending out emails. 

 

The balance between personalization and automation 

Executing Stephen’s philosophy of making outbound more personal is executed by taking a group of people that are almost identical in persona. Once they are selected he then communicates with the group as a specific persona and it helps make the message more personal even if it’s being automated to a specific group. In his company, they sell behavioral analytics to predict sales team performance within organizations and most of their products are focused on HR. They are good clients but they are not a group where persona can be defined.

 

When he talks to a small group of people who exhibit the same persona he can get very personal with them. Most salespeople approach an individual saying, “Hey I’m Stephen from Quality Agents. I run a performance solution and I have behavioral analytics …”  and on and on, making it all about them and their products.  Stephen has a different approach. He’ll say, “Look, running HR, essentially being the CEO of people in a fast-moving tech company with ever-changing needs, is really, really difficult. I get to align with HR leaders like yourself, to help them grow and scale and align their teams and I want to swap some insight and ideas.”  He’s able to make it about them and shows up to serve and partner. 

 

Automate the activity and the task

Stephen suggests that you can automate the activity and the task well. You can send a sequence of automated emails and then do the same thing with LinkedIn where you do voicemail drops.

 

Another tip to staying personal is by automating the task. In earlier years, sales had no automation. Everything was manually and there was a need for a methodology. Even with automation, however, we still need methodology in sales today. Without specific steps, you can end up working harder without working smarter. There are many tools to do this but it’s when you have a sequence and methodology that you are able to optimize your sales process. 

 

The approach 

Stephen created an e-book called Sales Code which offered a different mentality around sales. The goal of salespeople is to set up an appointment and make a deal; however, it is also equally important to pique the emotional curiosity of your prospects. This is what outbound sales is. It’s about piquing not just the product or service interest but also emotional curiosity.

 

To create a balance between automation and personalization, Stephen suggests beginning with a personal approach. Once they have an emotional investment, it is more likely appointments will be made. When that’s done you can move them through email automation and start connecting with them via LinkedIn automatically. After that, a personal conversation.

 

Cold-calling isn’t dead 

Cold-calling may not be scalable but it’s also not dead. It’s a good idea to warm-up your prospects with a few LinkedIn touches or emails. Depending on the size of your business, you can also use Facebook. Generally, it takes 7 - 12 touchpoints before someone will meet. Remember that prospects are different from each other so spend a lot of time nurturing the relationship using a lot of different avenues. Be professionally persistent without hounding your prospects.

 

Cold-calling is a catalyst to get a response via other mediums. More often than not, people won’t call you back but if you give them the right opportunity and nudge them in a professional way, they will respond. Others misconstrue formality with professionalism. Stephen uses an informal approach but he tailors his message. His goal is to talk to people on a peer-to-peer level. He is professional but for him, taking a formal approach doesn’t work as well. 

 

It’s very easy to become unoriginal in sales if you just follow the strategies of other people. It’s good to take into account what successful people have done but do it in a way that is authentic and unique to you, and to your client. 



The formal kind of market

According to Stephen, the European market can be very formal in the way that exchanges are made. He trains ways that conversations can be professional but still be conversational. If you communicate on the side of formality, you may try adjusting your approaches to best suit your client. 

 

Just remember to create a very niche and specific persona. Craft a custom message to that persona and take that same exact message and apply it to 100 people. Create a personal message and slightly back it up just enough so that you can automate it. 

 

Finding the Right Blend of Personalization and Automation In Outbound Sales” episode resources 

Connect with Stephen and know more about Qualigence via his LinkedIn account

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1315.mp3
Category:Linkedin, Cold Calling, Automation -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

Shoan's mission is to help every person on the planet that has a powerful and compelling message, to overcome their challenges with getting their material out “there” and broadcast their voice with confidence, courage, and fearless determination in order to connect with the Social Media World and impact their audience with next-level engagement.

Direct download: TSE_1314.mp3
Category:Cold Outreach, Sales Mindset -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

Direct download: TSE_1313.mp3
Category:Prospecting, Limiting Beliefs, Fear -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

Tom Abbott is the founder and Managing Director of SOCO Sales Training. He has delivered hundreds of motivational sales keynotes, kickoffs, presentations and workshops in over 20 countries and is a pioneer of optimising the sales processes of organizations worldwide. He is the author of the sales books The SOHO Solution and Social Selling, the host of the Selling in Asia podcast and is the architect of SOCO Academy an award winning e-learning platform helping thousands of small business owners and sales professionals optimise their sales performance.

And here are links to resources Tom shared in the episode:

SOCO Sales Training Website https://www.socoselling.com
Free copy of ’Social Selling’ book by Tom Abbott: https://bit.ly/SOCOevangelizers
Connect with Tom on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/socoselling/
Facebook Soco Selling Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/socoselling

Direct download: TSE_1312.mp3
Category:Social Selling, Omnichannel, Sales Leads -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

Tom Whalen is a career Inside Sales professional and has been leading sales teams since 2000. As a leader, coach, and mentor, Tom has trained countless sales professionals for industry leading organizations such as: Hewlett-Packard, American Express, Key Corp and McKesson Corporation.
Tom has built successful sales teams from scratch, scaled new organizations, turned struggling departments around, and integrated several acquisitions. Tom’s passion for developing talent, winning new business and moving the inside sales profession forward has been instrumental in the growth of the companies he’s worked for as well as the clients they serve.
When Tom isn’t growing sales organizations, he loves taking wife Suzanne and two daughters Casey and Sydney to Disneyworld and is a zealous fan of all things wrestling.

Direct download: TSE_1311.mp3
Category:Lost customers, Perseverance -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

Direct download: TSE_1310.mp3
Category:Demonstration, Negotiations -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

John Voris educates about the very things that make us tick, the roots that
make for success or failure in our work, relationships and personal well-being.
John is a philosopher, writer and a psychological researcher. John earned his
degree from the University of California with a degree in Philosophy.
“Discover the Power That Drives Your Personality” is the result of over 20
years of application and another 16 years of research. By applying European
discoveries into field application involving hundreds of sales prospects, John invented a groundbreaking approach to personal inquiry that revealed a person’s life motivation and authentic design
far beyond sales.
He discovered that our drive for personal Happiness, Meaning, Purpose and Harmony manifest the
hidden power beneath our observed personality

Direct download: TSE_1309.mp3
Category:Sales Language, Authentic Identity -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

How to Double Your Cold-Calling Contacts

 

Cold-calling has always been part of the sales process. Many salespeople can struggle with this aspect of the job but it’s a critical part of gaining new prospects. The more you call, the greater the odds that they will turn into great leads. 

 

David Walter ran a call center for thirteen years and is currently a coach. He is also the author of the book, The Million Dollar Rebuttal and Stratospheric Lead Generation Secrets. David also worked with the American Bank i, and then helped his father sell million-dollar HVAC equipment. The recession then hit, however, and David had to look for another job. 

 

David reads a lot as part of his training and personal development. He credits his exposure to quality books as being a catalyst to the life he has today.  With the culmination of his experience and knowledge, David has been able to revolutionize the concept of cold-calling from the ground up. 

 

Mistakes salespeople make

David did training with SDRs in Plano and made a video series to help them learn more about cold-calling. When they were doing their calls, however, they were just calling the wrong numbers and weren’t getting anywhere. They weren’t able to make any useful contacts. Based on a study, 70% of contact information is incorrect and 55% of the people you call may not be available to talk to. These “dead” numbers can eat up a sales rep’s valuable hours. However, David assures us all is not lost. 

 

During David’s years in the call center he was always on the hunt for the perfect list. The lists were supposed to be verified but he found that it wasn’t the case. He learned his lesson and decided to release the idea of a perfect list. Instead, he opted for a basic format with the names of the companies and put it in a simple CRM like Crmble. He also developed a script that he still uses to get “gatekeepers” to provide needed information. He did this by listening to natural calls and getting back to the basics.  

 

For example, David used to work with a distributorship and it involved him answering calls. He noticed that if a person just used a first name when asking for a contact, the caller sounded more confident and there was an air of authority and familiarity that he’d immediately respond to. David realized he could use this “first name” technique to qualify contacts. 

Ask the basic questions first

David also observed that people often have an easier time if you ease them into answering a series of questions.Confirming an address is an easy way to get someone to open up. Ask your way into more information little by little.  

 

David will typically start at LinkedIn when qualifying a new company.  Oftentimes, LinkedIn has the most updated information about the company name and can access a list of employees to know who he should call. 

 

Cold-calling is not a numbers game

Many sales people perceive cold-calling as the hardest part of the job. In truth, cold-calling can be at the same level as other activities if looked at in the right way. With anything worth doing, it may seem hard at first but with practice and the right instruction, it becomes easier. 

 

In Will Smith’s movie, The Pursuit of Happiness, Will’s character didn’t call his list from top to bottom. What he did was skip names and call randomly. While Walter Ribbon didn’t buy from Will, he got invited to a game where Will Smith was able to build a network with important people. Just know that if your goal is to make an appointment with 15 people, you need to call at least 40 people. 

 

Qualifying your data

Qualifying data is important so sales people aren’t wasting their time. The key to cold-calling is to keep calling the companies at least three to four times a day within 3-4 days. Sales reps hesitate to do this because they’re afraid of burning the list but if you do it the right way,this can be avoided. The way not to burn your list is to make your calls short and as natural as possible.    

 

In addition to using the first name method,  don’t leave a voicemail. Leaving a voicemail can be the cause of burning a list. Keep your call short and sweet and change your opening with each call. 

 

The other strategy David uses is, “Hey, I’m calling for Donald but he’s probably gone for the day.” David mimics a negative attitude that most gatekeepers have and uses it to position them to offer something positive.  They will often want to counteract the negativity.

 

Give that chill attitude 

David also discovered that the less you seem to care, the more people will give you what you need. You don’t want to sound desperate over the phone. With a more laid back attitude you will be more likely to talk to the person you want to talk to.




Prospects may not have needs 

Most prospects don’t actually believe  they need to change. Looking for prospects who know their needs can be like looking for a needle in a haystack yet this is what salespeople are looking for. What can you do as a sales rep? You can realize they are not saying No, they’re saying that they are comfortable with what they have; however, that doesn’t rule out the possibility they need to make a change. 

 

The Power Habit book talked about a remarkable story about Febreze. When it was first launched , the product failed even though it was a good one. They sent researchers out to figure out the reason why. They visited one homeowner with cats in her house. When they entered the house, the putrid smell of cats overwhelmed them. Despite the homeowner using the product, however, the scent remained. The problem was the homeowner couldn’t smell it because she’d gotten used to the smell of her own cats. Prospects can be like these cat owners. They are so used to the same process, they don’t even smell a problem anymore. Your job is to reveal a better alternative and offer something better. Even when they are happy with what they have, you can still offer improvements.

 

How to Double Your Cold-Calling Contacts” episode resources

Reach out to David Walter via his LinkedIn account. You can also read his books to understand cold-calling more! 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1308.mp3
Category:cold-calling, prospecting -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

How To Get Cold Prospects To Genuinely Listen

 

Every call to a prospect provides an opportunity to get a sale. Your job is to move the odds in your favor and you do this about strategizing the right approach in that initial call. With the right preparation, your prospects will genuinely want to listen to what you have to say.  

 

About 25% of the phone calls you make are answered by the person you are reaching out to. Now that you have them on the phone, however, what do you say to maintain their interest? In cold-calling,  every second matters, every word matters. In this episode, Donald will offer tips on how to excel in cold-calling by grabbing your prospects’ attention, and eventually make an appointment and hopefully, a sale. 

 

Grab your prospects’ interest

Cold-calling can be difficult and when you let your nerves get the best of you you can end up rambling. Before you know it, they’ve hung up on you. You need to do what you can to ensure the call is successful and a lot of that success is going to be based on how you prepare long before the call happens. 

 

If you are getting to talk to people only 25% of the time,  the other 75% of your time is spent going straight to voicemail so don’t waste that opportunity! You can still leave an interesting message for them to listen to. Donald learned that there are two things people want to know - your identity and purpose. Human beings have a primal need to know if someone is friend or foe. Prospects can get very defensive the moment they perceive they are part of a cold call.  As a salesperson himself, Donald is one who listens and engages in conversation and sometimes, he provides tips as well. Donal would always give them the benefit of the doubt but he is more the exception than the rule.  

 

Putting yourself in their shoes

When making cold calls, put yourself in their shoes. Think about what might be on their minds at that moment. If they don’t know you, the person answering the phone will wonder who you are and why you’re calling. In this scenario, Donald employs the POR strategy or Point of Reference. Everyone you’re calling will automatically distinguish and categorize you as either a friend or a foe depending on your initial statement. Your job is to give them a point of reference to extend the conversation. 



Using a referral

One way to provide a point of reference is a referral. For example, Donald wants to call an organization  about sales training. In that first call, he’ll  ask to speak to someone in the finance department.  Once he’s connected he then asks that person who is in charge of their sales training. Once he’s given the name, he asks this initial contact if it’s okay to use their name as a reference. Let’s say Donald is prospecting Dave Smith.  After he calls finance, he calls Dave saying, “Hey Dave, Megan from Finance told me to connect with you about sales training.” Dave will now give Donald the time because he knows Megan, Donald’s point of reference. Dave from sales training is now willing to listen to Donald and hear his proposal.

 

Connecting via LinkedIn

Another point of reference you can use is by initially connecting to your prospect through LinkedIn or some other platform before you make the first call. You can send them an email or  private message. Once this is done, you can open the call with, “Hey Linda, we connected on LinkedIn last week...” This prompts Linda to look at her messages to find you and if your message is well done, your odds are much better that Linda will take the time to listen to you.  

 

Donald had this experience recently. He connected with a prospect on LinkedIn and shared her content because it resonated with him. When Donald made the phone call to her, he was able to mention that particular reference of him sharing the post. They had a good dialogue and their conversation went on for some time. 

 

Through LinkedIn profiles, you can find several other points of reference as well: company content, interests,  hobbies, books they are reading - you can use all these things to build common ground. 

 

The challenge

Think about three different points of reference  you can use in your outreach. Introduce yourself and then drop your point of reference. 

 

How To Get Cold Prospects To Genuinely Listen” episode resources

Share your points of reference with Donald. If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This episode is also partially brought to you by Thought Pattern for High-Performance Sales Professionals. It’s a newer course and partnership with the Pacific Insititute. 



This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1307.mp3
Category:cold-calling, prospecting -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

How To Lead A Team of SDRs and BDRs During Challenging Times

These recent times have been tough for sales leaders. There’s a lot to be done, but if you have a team of SDRs and BDRs in these challenging times, you can still guide them toward success. Let’s talk about that in this episode. 

 

Asa Hochhauser has been in sales for 15 years primarily leading startups, both as an individual contributor and as a sales manager. He is currently busy helping sales enterprises, from small to mid-market businesses, and he is leading a sales academy where they are experiencing a lot of growth as people look for more training. 

 

Challenges in leading a team

Keeping the team motivated is often the biggest challenge a sales manager can face. It’s difficult to keep up team spirit and focus on helping other companies. It’s also equally challenging to ensure that the SDRs and BDRs are doing the right thing when it comes to disseminating information and providing value. Sometimes, salespeople are so focused on learning about the product their attention is diverted away from solving buyer problems.

 

Planning ahead 

As Abraham Lincoln said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” Sending emails and calling on a daily basis is still a priority but these activities have to be modified to accommodate the change brought about by the improvement of technology and computers. Asa always encourages his team to spend time understanding their ideal customers or buyers and segmenting them. Asa is also seeing to it that they are keeping their outbound in motion and encourages his team to plan for the next day. These are all done based on marketing-generated outbound.  Asa’s team understands that when they plan ahead they’re not wasting valuable time that can be used on making actual contacts. They come to the office prepared with the set of activities that ensures productive time in the office. 

 

Leads coming in

For Asa’s team, their marketing-generated leads are coming in based on events or content that people are engaging with. They also have a list from Discover.org based on the content they’re creating. Platforms like LinkedIn, CRM, and SalesForce have also been effective tools.

 

There are a lot of ways that businesses can get their list of prospects but Asa cautions that these platforms can also become a distraction. This is why planning is imperative. Your team will know which platform they should focus on but don’t spend so much time there that they move away from the business of selling. This was a lesson that Asa learned from his first sales experience. Activity is important and planning, even more. 

 

Hustle despite the challenges

BDRs and SDRs should always incorporate channels where their buyers are. As sales reps, we should be leading with value and empathy when reaching out to  potential buyers. It’s not about asking them for appointments right out of the gate. In today’s market, conversations are started by providing the insight and  value that will be helpful to the buyer.

 

For Asa’s team, their approach is to personalize contact based on the prospect they are trying to connect with. For example, they might send a helpful article highlighting  ideas in the article that the buyer needs. This empathetic approach is all the more important with heightened isolation. Their approach has been adapted to focus more on the challenge brought about by the pandemic. SDRs and BDRs would do well to focus on the needs that their clients and prospects are facing and learn more about their problems.  Do this well before you mention your company’s name or product so you can personalize your solutions. Personalization is so important in today’s climate.

 

The human touch is more important than ever.  Be genuine and let your personality shine. #SaleInTimeofCOVID

 

Improving personalization

BDRs and SDRs need to spend time doing their research. It’s important you understand the company you are trying to approach. Start by going to the bio profile or the company profile to know the people you want to talk to. Read what your buyers are reading. This common ground goes a long way in making a connection.

 

Another way to improve personalization is by providing solutions for pain points. Just ensure your messaging is centered on the person you’re talking to. Having a genuine approach is effective and so important. 

 

Even in these hard times, be grateful you are still a sales rep and a member of a team. This means you still have a job and with that, you have an opportunity to make a difference. 

 

“How To Lead A Team of SDRs and BDRs During Challenging Times” episode resources 

Reach out to Asa Hochhauser via his LinkedIn. If you enjoyed this episode, drop us a comment below! 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1306.mp3
Category:BDR, SDR, Personalization -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

Building Good Habits In Sales

Salespeople need to build good habits to excel in their careers and close more deals. There is an abundance of training materials, books, and seminars to become the salespeople we want to be. In this episode, we will talk about moving from being a salesperson to becoming a sales professional. 

 

Mark Evans has been a salesperson all his life, starting with his parents’ small business, practicing being a salesperson. After finishing college, he got back into sales. Now, Mark has a sales consultancy where he helps companies build their sales playbook. He teaches disciplined actions that can be used daily. These actions focus on the craft of selling long before the first meeting. This is the respect prospects deserve. 

 

Respecting the prospects

The key differential between salespeople and being a sales professional is the level they hone their craft and prepare for each meeting. A true sales professional won’t practice in front of their prospects. 

Sales professionals are intrigued by perfecting their craft. They are disciplined in their approach and practice their questions so that when it’s game time, they are at their best. They’ve put in the practice. 

 

There’s a difference between a salesperson and a sales professional. The difference is practice and craft. #SalesProfessional

 

Level of preparation

The chef at a restaurant shows up hours before the kitchen opens to ensure everything is prepped, fresh, and prepared properly. They do this to offer their best to the customers.

The same should be true in sales. Even before you see your customer, do your research, identify your ideal customer, and understand the most current problems they’re facing. Have empathy for their circumstances and be ready with solutions. That level of preparation will uplevel you from salesperson to sales professional. 

 

Facing the challenge 

Yes, preparation takes time and effort. Mark employs a strategy with his clients called The Triangle Three people come together for a meeting and take turns role playing as the salesperson, the prospect, and the observer. As they take turns they practice various sales scenarios and objections while offering feedback. 

 

Sales managers can help foster a culture of excellence by allowing time for practice and taking action toward sales goals. 

Building good habits

Building good habits can be a challenge and with so many people working from home, there are even more distractions:  Social media, household chores, binge TV, family, etc. For Mark, the first thing that’s necessary for building good habits is your end goal in mind.

 

Setting your big goals 

As a sales professional, it would be beneficial to set five big goals and keep them with you. Your big goals can be a combination of personal goals, professional goals, and family goals. When you have your big goals, break them down into actionable chunks that you can achieve by month, by week, by day, and even smaller as it’s helpful for focus.

 

Accountability

It is also good to have some level of accountability. You need to develop a scorecard for yourself to keep track of your progress. One tool that Mark suggests is writing out a check to an organization you don’t support.  Give it to a friend who will deposit the check if you don’t achieve the goal in the time you’ve allotted. This can help you get laser focused. 

 

Be honest with yourself

It’s imperative salespeople are honest, especially to themselves. Examine whether or not you are truly willing to make the changes that are necessary to get to your goals. Are your goals big enough to make you change? Ask yourself what it’s going to take you for you to make a phone call when you don’t want to. Set a goal that inspires you and inspires the people around you.

 

Take action everyday

Take daily action that will move you into daily habits. Mark suggests for salespeople to do The Power Hour. This is 60 minutes you dedicate to your goals.  (If you can do more than one power hour, great, just work for 50 minutes and take a break or enjoy a reward for 10 minutes.)  For salespeople, this 60 minutes could mean picking up the phone and prospecting. Just do it sooner than later because it’s a great launch to your day. 

 

Team meetings

Sales managers, team meetings are important but consider setting aside one day a week where there are no meetings. Dedicate this day to allowing your team to concentrate on their projects and clients.

 

Building Good Habits In Sales” episode resources 

Work the power hour and really concentrate on your goals. You can also check out Mark’s book called Raise Your Standards: The Definitive Guide to Building Seven-Figure Sales. Reach out to Mark Evans via his LinkedIn or his website. 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1305.mp3
Category:Sales habits, Sales professionals -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

How To Generate Interest In Lost Opportunities 

 

Every so often, a prior interest doesn’t end with a good close. Sometimes, there are lost opportunities. As a salesperson, how do you generate interest in lost opportunities? Today’s episode will talk about how you can turn “trash” to treasure! 

 

Have you experienced winning a deal that came from a lost opportunity? How did you do it? Leave a comment below! 

 

Defining lost opportunity

Imagine this sales scenario: You are moving through the sales process with a new prospect and he/she is very excited to work with you. For some reason, however, before you get a chance to close the prospect loses interest. You’re not alone. A study from HubSpot shows that almost half the deals are lost due to budget and the other half is because of timing. Other reasons for a loss of interest are as follows are because of the lack of the prospect’s authority, no time to review or wanting more time to review the deal, and lack of urgency. Your deal became a back-burner item and it just fizzled out. Being diligent, you reach out multiple times but eventually decide that you can’t waste anymore time and move on. At that point, you label the deal as a lost opportunity and end it. Think about all those deals and lost opportunities. Could there be treasure in that trash?

 

YES! There is. 

 

A lost opportunity

One company thought The Sales Evangelist was a lost opportunity. Donald’s sales team had used a particular software and actually liked it. With changes happening in the TSE organization and the pandemic,however, they didn’t get to use the software as much and canceled the service. In this case, Donald was already a customer but canceled the service to focus resources on more immediate needs.

 

Due to Covid-19, the software company wasn’t doing too well. Luckily, one member of their team figured out a way to move through it by looking at the list of people who had canceled their subscription. The company figured these cancelations were customers who, at one point, saw the value of their product. They asked themselves how they could re-generate interest and get these customers back.

 

Donald was one of the customers they reached out to. In one of Donald’s previous podcasts, he talked about making an offer so good, the prospects can’t refuse. Through that email, Donald got an offer he couldn’t refuse. The software hadn’t been overly expensive when he was their customer, costing $50/month, but the email invited Donald to come back at 50% off, $25/month, for 6 months. Donald was happy to accept the offer. 

 

Had the software company focused on looking for new business alone, they would have had to educate new clients about their software and convince people to use their software.  It would have been a much harder uphill battle. Instead, they had the wisdom to  focus on the people who had already shown some loyalty. While it took some work to bring these customers back, it was far less than what it would have taken to look for new clients altogether. 

 

Generate more deals

Visit your CRM and look out for lost opportunities. Do your research and understand why they became lost opportunities. It is best if you know why they dropped your service and address the reasons why these customers dropped their accounts. There are many different ways you can spark their interest again: 

  • Offer a smaller package with an opportunity to scale up in the coming months. 
  • Offer a service or solution that will help them solve a new or current problem. 
  • Offer smaller modules. 

 

All you need to do is be creative to ensure that you are offering great customer service while reinvigorating your accounts. 

 

It’s easier to reinvigorate customers who’ve left you than it is to train a new customer. #SalesCustomer

 

Understand the timing

Remember that 25% of deals fall away due to bad timing and reasons will vary.As a salesperson, you want to be sensitive to the reasons why the timing might be wrong. Look at accounts at least three months after they decide to drop the service. This is generally enough time for your clients to self-correct any issues that may have prevented them from working with you further. 

 

Urgency

When you offer a discounted deal, let the prospect know it is only good for a limited amount of time to create some urgency. 

 

Even if your customers aren’t ready to sign on again, at least you’ve been able to touch base and get your company in front of them.

 

Salespeople should be looking at the next deal but in times like these, it’s great to revisit previous accounts as well. Get ready to go on a treasure hunt! 

 

How To Generate Interest In Lost Opportunities” episode resources 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1304.mp3
Category:sales prospect, sales opportunity -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

How to Network Your Way into Value 

 

Building your network is an important step in being a success in sales. With a good network, you’re able to network your value. Curt Tueffert is the Vice President of sales development for a large industrial distributor in Houston, Texas.  The company was founded in 1908  is now a multinational publicly traded company with over 200 outside sales. Curt’s job is to manage a small group responsible for developing sales training, sales leadership, and vision casting for the rest of the team. 

 

Curt is also a sales instructor at the University of Houston, an author of two books, and travels across the United States trying to coach people in getting better at sales. He teaches that sales is a work in progress and no two sales are the same. Each sale needs to be approached with curiosity to discover what is needed to build relationships. 

 

Defining networking and value

Curt points out that networking isn’t about the people you know, it’s about the people who know you. You can know 10 people but it’s more important to have 100 people who know you and see you as a source and resource of value. Customers and prospects are the ones who define your value in sales. You expand your network by constant communication and the cadence in which you release information they feel is valuable. This is especially true at this time where we have new rules of engagement in 2020. Now that you have time, this is a great opportunity to enhance and increase your network. 

 

Network your way into value 

Curt shares three ways you can network your way into value:

 

  • Create an organizational chart by knowing who is connected to who in the organization.
  • Who knows you?
  • Increase your influence quotient. 

 

These elements affect your ability to influence other people  using the research you’ve uncovered, and how you barter your information in exchange for information they can provide in turn.  This is what networking is all about. 




The organization chart

Let’s look at a company that has multiple branches of influence. When you build your organizational chart, you may start with one person but you need to know who is above them and below them, who their peers are, and the chain of command.  Ideally, you want to know who is two levels up, two levels across, and two levels deep. Why so much effort?  Let’s use “Greg” as an example. Greg is the person you talk to in the organization and he’s in purchasing, maintenance or the engineer. In the entire organization, you only know Greg, not his peers, the people they report to, or who their leaders are. In the event of lay-off or acquisition where Greg gets replaced, without an organizational chart, that account is lost to you. You need to know who else you can talk to.

 

Salespeople tend to move through the path of least resistance, going to the nicest people or those who accept the gifts. There’s got to be a deeper knowledge of the accounts you’re working with.  If you don’t know all the other players, you’ll be cut out of the loop if the organizational chart changes. However, if  you have taken the time to know Greg, you know that Greg’s boss is Lisa and Lisa’s boss is David. The fact that David knows you will allow you to present your value proposition up your organization chart, across your organization chart, and down your organizational chart. When your number one contact gets promoted up or out of the company, continue to update that network. 

 

It is detrimental for a salesperson to not have an organization chart for his top 10 accounts since these accounts typically represent 90% of your W2. If you lose one of your accounts, you may decrease your W2  by 42%, all because you didn’t take the time to do the heavy lifting on the front end. 

 

Building the connection

Building the connection then and now is different. Your job as a salesperson is to become a detective through social media and to build those relationships in person. If you want to network for value, you’ve got to really know the interests of the people in your organizational chart. When you offer value, you don’t have to track people down. People will come looking for you. 

 

It’s not about the people you know but the people who know you

You can add value by connecting the people who know you to one another. This is beckoning to your network.  What makes people run is illustrated in the book called Appreciation Marketing: How to Achieve Greatness Through Gratitude written by Tommy Hyatt and Curtis Lewsey talks about networking. The book uses the illustration of seven creatures, one of which is the vulture who just perches waiting to suck the life out of people at a social networking event. Another is the narcissist who is only waiting to tell people what they do. Both of these sellers make it all about them.

 

Spend time on social media platforms such as LinkedIn learning about the people in your circles. Be curious about them and collect information that can show you how to add value through their interests. Once you’ve built that relationship then you’ve earned an opportunity to send them unsolicited email or handwritten cards.

 

When you start adding value to the people who know you, it offers more direct access to the people higher in your organization chart. As a salesperson, it’s your job to add customized value to each person in that chart. 

 

Influence quotient

The influence quotient speaks to your ability to influence the people you talk to about the products and services you sell. Regardless of the education you have or the length of experience, when you have a giant network of people who know you, call, email, and contact you for advice or consultation, you know you have a high influence quotient. 

 

If you are a sales leader, you can develop that skill by asking open-ended questions in order to learn about the customers. As you become more educated about their  buying philosophies, ideologies, and techniques, the more you can assert your influence by the time you’re ready to share information about your products and services.

 

For the new salesperson

If you’re a new graduate or new in sales, know it takes time to build your influence, but time doesn’t have to hold you back. You can still ask a lot of questions and give yourself a great head start. 

 

Treat your job as a profession. Sales is hard but just know this is still a people business. It changes all the time so consistently look for ways to perfect your craft by being curious:  About your business, your customer, and how you can solve problems for others. 

 

No two sales are never the same so you just have to keep discovering the process. #SalesProcess



How to Network Your Way into Value” episode resources 

Find Curt Tueffert in LinkedIn or connect with him via his email, tueffert@aol.com

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1303.mp3
Category:Sales Process, Networking -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

How To Partner With Resellers To Experienced Repeatable Sales Growth

 

Sales is not just about growing your customer base but also about partnerships with a variety of people. If you want repeatable sales growth, these partnerships include businesses, other salespeople, and resellers.  

 

Todd Rychecky is the VP of Sales  Americas in Latin America and has been with the company for the past 12 and a half years. Todd got into sales in 1991, when he was studying was pre-med in college but didn’t get in. As a result, he joined the sales force when he was 23 years old and made a huge move from Nebraska to Dallas where he worked for Whitmire Distribution, a drug wholesale company. Later on, the company was acquired by Cardinal Health and Todd continued to work for them, traveling by car, calling on hospital pharmacies, home infusion, retails stores, and retail chains. 

 

Todd never imagined he’d be in sales but his college roommate was very passionate about becoming a salesman and Todd was intrigued by someone who knew they wanted to be in sales. When Todd started his career, he had the chance to work for a sales manager who he still says is one of the best salesmen he’s ever seen. They traveled from hospital to hospital and Todd clearly remembers his sales manager’s sense of urgency. In addition to that, he was also knowledgeable and credible and always conducted business with a big smile on his face.  With this complete package, Todd saw it was hard for anyone to say no. 

 

Starting the sales journey 

Once Todd was on his own, he made his first road trip in a new company car, a car phone that cost 75 cents a minute, and an AT&T calling card. Back then, you could cold call the pharmaceutical companies without setting up an appointment, especially true in rural areas. Fast forward to today and Todd is running the Sales for the Americas. What has contributed to his success is that working for OpenGear, a startup in Australia. They originally had five employees so initially,  Todd had to do everything himself, handling inbound calls and the online chat. He knew that the company needed to win new customers so he was able to practice a variety of styles and approaches in every task and through each customer.  People would often be impressed when they found out they were speaking to the VP of Sales. What they didn’t know was it was just Todd. 

 

Todd’s focus is now on the sales team, the partner channels, executing the sales playbook, their selling strategies, and scaling new talents and resources. 

 

Create your playbook

The first thing you need in order to win is a playbook that you know how to execute. Todd loves to use basketball as an illustration. When you have the ball and there are four guys standing under the basket with their hands open wide, you need to pass the ball. Teammates are important to win the game and it’s also important to stay in your lane. If your job is calling end-users then you call on the end-users. If your job is channel management, then manage the channel. 

 

If everyone on the team can execute a playbook then you and the team will win regardless of what you’re selling. Accountability is critical as well because if team members are not accountable, then nothing gets accomplished. Without accountability, it's difficult to count on one another. 

 

Building the right culture 

Everyone on the team should understand the culture and help to support it. Sales leaders must take the lead in building a good culture within the sales team. Other members will eventually see the benefits of having a good culture and follow from the sales leader setting an example. The goal of a sales leader is to create an environment that makes the team want to follow. 

 

Communication is critical to building a good culture within a team.  Todd and his team are using phone calls, email, texting, and setting up Zoom meetings. Despite the pandemic, there really is no excuse for you not to be able to communicate with the rest of your team. 

 

Buyer’s journey

Todd has noticed a change in the buyer’s journey, especially from today’s technology. Because of the internet, buyers are already 60% of the way to making their decision by the time they get to you. Open Gear is today’s number one brand in its industry. That means they already have 50% of the market share. People who come to buy, already know their name, they know the company’s good track record, and they’ve already checked the competition. Usually, their buyers have already made the decision and want to move on to the next step.

 

As the sales advisor,  meet your customer where they are. If they’re already 60% of the way to buying then help them with the last 40% of the journey by tailoring presentations to where they are.  For example, if Todd sees the buyer is almost ready to buy, he asks about their budget so he knows the appropriate products to suggest. 

 

There’s no hit and run in sales

A common mistake that salespeople make is they win a deal and cut loose. They move on to look for the next win too soon. If you’re not getting new customers, you need to do what Todd calls WDH or go wider, deeper, higher with your customer base.

 

Other big businesses also apply this principle, including Volkswagen. They have several business units under their business units. It’s a matter of widening your reach within your reach.  You can ask your existing clients who else could benefit from your products and services within their organization. You’ll be surprised at how many people your client can introduce you to.

 

The idea of reselling

Todd and his team promote the idea of reselling. They started with a few partners and they have grown to hundreds in numbers. They also have two large distributors in a variety of places including Greenville and these distributors now do the processing for them.  This has greatly streamlined the process. Resellers are critical in the business because it is one of the best ways to scale a company.

 

Todd believes that reselling works for any industry. Having more salespeople working for you extends your reach. You do need to build relationships through trust and that means being available. 

 

Todd’s final piece of advice is If you want people to work for you, you need to make them believe they can achieve anything that you ask them to do. 

 

How To Partner With Resellers To Experienced Repeatable Sales Growth” episode resources 

Reach out to Todd Rychecky via his LinkedIn account. 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1302.mp3
Category:Sales Journey, Reselling, Sales Culture -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

5 Ways New Sellers Can Sell Like Pros

New sellers struggle because they lack the skills and experience to ask well-crafted questions and build rapport with prospects.  In this episode, Tony Morris talks about the five ways that new sellers can sell like pros. Tony Morris is a speaker for sales conferences around the globe, and an author of several books, a podcaster, and an entrepreneur who runs a sales training business called Tony Morris International. 

 

The 80/20 Law 

Tony believes that sales reps should apply the 80/20 Rule. This means salespeople should listen 80% of the time and speak 20% of the time.  As Tony points out, we have two ears and one mouth so we should use them in that order.  Unfortunately, most salespeople are in fact doing 80/20 but they’re doing it the wrong way round. The first tip for new sellers is to get the customer or prospect to talk more than you. 

 

People generally love to talk about themselves. When you encourage your prospect to talk more, it allows them to become comfortable. As they talk,  you’re able to learn more and build rapport quicker. You do this by asking the right questions and listening with the objective to learn and understand. 

 

Asking the right questions 

Many people ask the wrong questions.  These questions can be answered with yes or no, they don’t provide a lot of insight into the prospect’s journey before meeting with you, and they aren’t personal.  Alternatively, Tony calls the right questions “killer questions.” One example of a killer question is, “What’s the best that you’ve seen so far?” The answer to this question allows you to understand more about what the prospect is looking for, what they’ve seen in your competition, and how you can offer better. 

 

Ask questions that are open, will provoke conversation, and will allow you to share the info your prospect needs. #EffectiveQuestions

 

Sales managers can encourage asking skills in a team meeting.  Start by allowing each person to come up with a topic and then the team has to practice asking open-ended questions about that topic. Going through this process trains the brain to become comfortable asking these questions. The more you do it, the more natural and habitual it becomes. Through this exercise, you’re learning how to hold a conversation, not an interrogation. When you’re comfortable as a sales rep, it allows room for your prospects to get comfortable as well. 

 

Different types of questions 

  • Tag on questions that allow you to go deeper into the answers. 
  • Statement questions help deeper engagement. 
  • Replay questions demonstrate that you are listening.

 

Treat people how they want to be treated

It’s true that The Golden Rule states we should treat people how we want to be treated but in sales, it’s more important to lean into The Platinum rule,  treating people how they want to be treated.  You can’t respond to your clients the same way because they all have different perspectives on how that should look. Your job as a salesperson is to pay attention to the clues your client provides about how they want to be treated and respond effectively. 

 

Be interested, not interesting

Top salespeople are genuinely curious and are sincerely interested in their prospects. Your job is not to sell, but to serve. It’s your job to help a customer buy what is appropriate to their needs. This isn’t just about the quick sale and then moving on to the next prospect. Being genuinely interested will transform regular customers into raving fans who will be the ambassadors that recommend you to their friends, family, and colleagues. 

 

Sales managers can help their team practice being curious by getting into the habit of asking their sales reps to share three things about their potential clients that can’t be easily researched. They will only be able to give detailed and personal information about their prospective clients if they have been genuinely curious.

 

Be The Challenger 

Being The Challenger comes from the book The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation by Matthew Dixon. This book challenged Tony’s perspective of sales. Before reading the book, Tony thought that sales were about relationships. However, this book proved that the most successful salespeople are able to share insights to make their prospects think differently. 

 

Tony illustrates The Challenger by sharing a story about how he met with a client and questioned their process. It made the client uncomfortable and he wondered why Tony was asking. Tony responded that the client could greatly improve current practices and proceeded to offer the prospect multiple solutions. The client loved it!  Tony challenged the process that they’d been using for years and was able to provide a fresh perspective that served the needs of his client. Don’t be afraid of challenging the process as long as you can back it up, share value and offer insights to make your prospect think differently, and in their favor. Using The Challenger method helped Tony stand out from the competition.



Do the basics brilliantly

 

We can over-complicate the sales process. The job is to schedule meetings, prepare questions to preempt objections, build rapport, understand the problems, and come up with a solution. These are the basics of sales but most salespeople don’t execute these areas the best they can.  

 

For one thing, salespeople give up too early. Most of them may send a proposal but only follow-up once. If they don’t get hold of the person, they just quit. The reality is, the prospect may be needing to address something more important in their lives than closing a deal, at least for now. With that in mind, there needs to be a commitment that you will offer multiple touchpoints. If you have identified them as genuine prospects and you believe that you can serve them well, then keep going and try different modes of entry. Connect with them on LinkedIn, comment on their post, send them articles of interest, or a copy of your book.  You can also send them a book you find interesting or offer a podcast. Do this so that when they’re ready to buy, you’re the first person on their mind. 

 

Once you know how to do things the right way, you’ll want to keep going. The more you do it and get good results, the more these positive actions become habitual.

 

It’s not just knowledge that gives you power. You have to apply what you’ve learned. Become a student of sales that never graduates. Top performers never stop learning. 

 

5 Ways New Sellers Can Sell Like Pros” episode resources 

Connect with Tony Morris via his LinkedIn and you can also check out his website, Tony Morris International.  

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1301.mp3
Category:Sales Coaching, Improving Skills -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

5 Things I Learn About Sales Doing 1,300 Episodes

It’s been a long and amazing journey for The Sales Evangelist. Content creation and podcasting have been the core of TSE and after 1,300 episodes, there are several lessons that Donald has learned. This episode will be about all the top lessons that have come from producing The Sales Evangelist since starting seven years ago. TSE has now been able to reach halfway around the world and has been mentioned and recognized in some of the most recognized business publications such as Entrepreneur and Forbes.  

 

We all have moments in our lives where we give up an idea. Donald is grateful that he didn’t give up on podcasting even though he came close. Having TSE has allowed him to serve people in sales and by doing so they are better able to navigate the struggles they face in their industry. He summarizes these top lessons in Five Sales Principles:

 

  1. You can’t sell higher than your level of belief.
  2. Nothing happens until you prospect.
  3. Value is in the eye of the beholder.
  4. Zig when everyone is zagging.
  5. Swing for the fences.

 

You can’t sell any higher than your level of belief 

Henry Ford has a very famous quote: “If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right.” Wayne Gretzky said it this way: “You miss 100% of the shots that you do not take.”  These words all point to the first principle. Donald started this podcast with a desire that later turned into a belief. He began the podcast in April 2013 but realized early on that it was difficult. Luckily, Jared, one of Donald’s friends, invited Donald to his podcast. That experience made Donald believe that he could do podcasts as well and served to remind him how much he loved talking to people himself. 

 

In sales, you cannot succeed until you believe it. The same is true in life. You need to visualize your success. In sales, visualize your success before it even happens. Believe that you can get into pitch with people, close a deal, and be a great seller.  Your belief will cause you to act, lead you down a path of opportunities, and open up a social circle of the people you need to be exposed to. Donald suggests that when you go out to a prospect,  believe you will contact someone. That belief and action will lead you to the inevitable success that you desire. 




Nothing happens until you prospect 

Nothing ever happens until you prospect. The TSE podcasts have invited many successful people to interview and one of the common traits among these successful people is that they took action. This is true for prospecting. Nothing happens until you do something. Donald was working with a client who just released a program; however, it turned out that people didn’t know about her new program.  Even when she announced it to her community, no one actually knew of it. Donald suggested she reach out to her community and to talk to them.

 

It wasn’t until this client started to prospect and call people that she was able to meet her goals. She was actually able to close a deal. This happened because she asked! Too often, sales reps get timid and get worried that people will get mad at them. There’s no truth in that. 

 

The more time that we spend on calling and prospecting people, the more that we’re going to see success. Even an hour or two of dedicated time for prospecting will give you success. Prospecting is not just jumping back and forth doing research. Prospecting is making phone calls, reaching out to people on LinkedIn, or sending out emails to people two hours per day, uninterrupted. Whether you are prospecting in person or calling a client, set a goal, and follow-through. Send out personalized emails in your dedicated prospecting time every day to see success. 

 

Spending 2 hours of dedicated time prospecting correctly guarantees success. #SalesProspecting

 

Value is in the eye of the beholder

A sales rep cannot dictate what value is. The buyer must be the one to dictate, validate, or believe that your product or service is valuable. You start the conversation by personalizing your message. Too many people make their initial contacts too generic. We generalize value propositions to all prospects without any reflection about the prospects’ current situation, needs, and what they might see as valuable. This lack of understanding hinders salespeople from having a breakthrough moment. If you sell a product by focusing on yourself, then your buyers are going to push you away.  Instead, sell a product because the buyer understands you are offering a solution to their problem. That’s when it becomes valuable. You need to look for the problem and position your product as the solution to their problems. 

 

It comes down to personalization, listening, and asking effective questions. Taking the time to do the research will prove invaluable. 

 

The blind side challenge 

In the world of football, a quarterback always has a support system that looks after his blindside. In sales, the prospects are the quarterback and the sales reps are the support system. The prospects have a blindside because they focus on running their business. They don’t often have the opportunity to see far enough ahead and to know challenges are coming their way. 

 

Your research will give you a better understanding of what difficulties your clients may be facing long before they see it. They’ll know you’re protecting their blindside. 

 

Zig when everyone is zagging 

Zigging while others are zagging means that you are doing the opposite of what everyone else is doing. When Donald was starting out in his podcast, he didn’t know how to interview his potential customers in a way that would make him stand out from his colleagues. He learned as he gained more experience. Some of the things he did differently was talking to companies he used to work for. He’d reach out to them for an interview and with each interview, these conversations led to more opportunities for the business. While everyone was just making cold calls, Donald was utilizing social media to get ahead. Donald was zigging while everyone was zagging. 

 

Donald and his colleague also started a blog while they were still sales reps. They would do the prospecting during the day and create content at night. The blog content would be about particular problems their customers were facing. Customers read their content and reached out to them for problem-solving. 

 

As a salesperson, you need to be different from the others. Utilize social media in different ways by thinking outside the box. 

 

Swing for the fences

Salespeople should shoot for doing big things, taking massive action in order to succeed. You may need to do things outside your comfort zone like reaching out to big-name individuals. Have conversations with them and communicate with them. Not all interviews work out but just trying opens up a great exchange that could lead to bigger opportunities in the future. Just focus on defining your ideal customers and though it may be a challenge, it’s only possible if you try.

 

While you’re growing, keep up your podcast, create content, and blog. Donald started out not knowing if he was going to stick with podcasting and now he’s reached his 1, 300th episode. Donald has kept these principles and continues to use them to hone his sales skills and increase his sales performance. Donald continues to increase his expertise as interview experts and as a result, he gets to pass on his knowledge to you. 

 

5 Things I Learn About Sales Doing 1,300 Episodes” episode resources 

Challenge yourself every single day and do big things. 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1300.mp3
Category:TSE, Sales Podcast, Sales Principles -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

Keys to Making the Sales Process ENJOYABLE for You and the Customer

 

The sales process is a journey that can vary in the amount of time invested. Regardless of how long it takes, it’s within your control to make it enjoyable for you and the customer!  

 

Tasha Smith is with Emerge Sales Training and they help entrepreneurs become great at selling. Their goal is to make the journey enjoyable for both the sellers and their customers. Tasha’s company wants to ensure that the selling experience is in line with the sellers’ values and personalities. They offer one-on-one coaching with entrepreneurs to figure out what their best offers are, how to unlock their superpowers, and how they can communicate in an honorable way. They call it good human sales. 

 

Unfortunately, not all salespeople are selling with the buyers’ best intentions. Some are tricking them into a one-sided experience where they win and the buyers don’t. However, when you’re selling for the benefit of the consumer, then you elevate the transaction for you and them. 

 

Leveling the playing field 

As a salesperson, ask yourself this question, “What is it about the sales process that makes it unenjoyable?”  When Tasha coaches a new client, they start with the opposite of what they want to create and then reverse engineer the process backwards. There are several reasons why a sales transaction can be unenjoyable:

 

  • The customer feels like there’s going to be a bait and switch.
  • The customer feels the pressure to buy.
  • The decision to move forward feels confusing and overwhelming.
  • The process is boring.
  • The customer has to work really hard at connecting the dots.

 

Your job as the salesperson is to keep these things from happening and making it a great experience for the customer.  If it’s great for the customer, it’s great for you. 

 

When you stick with your morals and beliefs during selling, you and the buyer both win. #SalesWin

 

Tasha has some tips on how to make the sales process enjoyable. To begin, we need to make our sales process customer-centric. The goal is to have high conversion but in a way that feels more effortless because you’re both having fun. The dictionary’s definition of
“close” is “unite.” We need to start thinking about what our customers would prefer the interaction to look like. If they like how the conversation goes, then they are more likely to engage and convert higher. Customers are more responsive if they see you as a stable individual, trustworthy individual who offers hope.  

 

Set up an appointment

 

Setting up an appointment is a very common step in the sales process but the details can often be overlooked. Salespeople can get caught up in closing with speed because they don’t want to lose a sale. The downside to this is that we can overwhelm a potential customer or miss critical details. Our sales process should be more consent-based.  We need to ask our customers if they would be interested in meeting, if our product sounds helpful, and if they’d be open to moving toward a solution to their problems.  We need to go beyond just pulling out our appointment book and filling a time slot.  

 

Putting in a little extra effort is a great step in earning your customer’s trust. Your job as a salesperson is to guide them and to give them the control to purchase. Giving someone the choice to say no makes them feel better and they are more likely to stick around until the end of the sales process. This simple shift  can send a closing percentage through the roof because you’ve removed the stress from the customer. 

 

Restate the agenda

Let your customer know how much time you’re expecting to be with them and stick to it unless the customer wants to talk longer. Make sure you ask your customer if the amount of time is acceptable. Let your customer know you’ll be talking about your company and going over your most popular packages and offerings. If the customers like what you have to say, they are likely going to move forward through the sales process but assure them they get to make that decision in their time frame. . 

 

By this point, you’ve eliminated the fear of risk for your customer. Through this process you’ve offered trust, compassion, stability, and hope which are all qualities people are looking for in a transaction.  Sales reps don’t just sell products.  You’re leaders and problem solvers. 

 

Discovery process 

The discovery process can feel like an interrogation and that leads to an unenjoyable experience. Even when it’s a well-meaning person who is trying to get to know you, it feels like whatever they ask is going to be used as ammunition. Many sales trainers even call discovery questions “bullets in the gun.”  Who wants to do business on the receiving end of that?  Sales reps need to remember that the purpose of discovery questions is to personalize the experience for the customer. We need to be able to connect the dots for the customer and to make it easy for them to see how the transaction works. Make sure the questions are first and foremost clarifying for the client. 

 

Answering questions can get boring unless the right questions are being asked.  For example, if your product will help their health, ask about their health goals, their goals for their families, and discover what they’ve already done to meet those goals. Ask them what they know about your company so you’re not repeating information they already know. Then, offer a solution that will impact their quality of life. People don’t move forward because they want a better life. 

 

Personalize the features and benefits

Now that you know their goals and how your services are going to impact their overall quality of life, personalize the features and benefits. Do this by offering “have you ever” scenarios. Find that common ground that allows for an easier conversation. When it’s easy, both of you feel energized and you can respond in ways that are relevant to your customer’s needs because both of you have the ability to pay attention. The harder the conversation, the less mental bandwidth you have in listening and being present in the moment. 

 

As a salesperson, it is important to prepare your mind before you talk to people. When Tasha starts her day, she thinks, “Whose prayers can I answer today?” It feels good to be the answer to someone’s prayer. It is important to have fun, and convey that you’re enjoying what you’re doing. Your confidence, belief, and enthusiasm can be contagious so let others experience the fun too! Be a person who is enjoyable to interact with.  The more enjoyable we are, the better we are going to be in sales.  You can be a good person and be successful too. 

 

Keys to Making the Sales Process ENJOYABLE for You and the Customer” episode resources 

If you want the template, you can go to emergesalestraining.com/sep or you can email at tasha@emergesalestraining.com and she’ll respond in person. 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1299.mp3
Category:Sales Process -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

Three Things I Learn From Jordan's Last Dance To Dominate Sales

 

Donald Kelly’s knowledge has come from a variety of sources -- books, podcasts, training, sales seminars, documentaries, and more recently, the docuseries, Michael Jordan’s Last Dance. The natural seller in Donald caught key principles from the series that will help salespeople to dominate sales. 

 

The Last Dance is a docuseries featuring the last year Michael Jordan was with the Chicago Bulls. It’s a revealing 10-part series that shows why Michael Jordan is one of the best basketball players of all time.  As Donald watched, he could see the lessons that are revealed are applicable to Donald in every role: as a father, a husband, a business owner, and as a sales professional. Here are the top takeaways for Donald from the Last Dance series: 

 

  • Have a win-at-all-cost mentality
  • You need a mindset and belief system of success 
  • Be a perfectionist in the details

 

Win-at-all-cost mentality

To Michael Jordan, a win-at-all-cost mentality, meant he didn’t let it enter his mind that he could miss a shot. His only focus was getting the ball into the basket every time. While he did miss shots in the span of his career, he was able to make critical shots because it didn’t occur to him that he wouldn’t. 

 

If you want to achieve greatness, this is the mentality you need to master. Within ethical and legal boundaries, what are you willing to do?  Will you dare to believe you can’t miss a shot? 

 

Michael Jordan was willing to put in the work. His mindset allowed him to give his best and practice hard. He was willing to work longer than anyone else, learn from the best, and he could adapt to new strategies in order to take him to greater heights of success. 

 

How does this apply to sales?

More often than not, sales reps desire success but  don’t truly believe that they can achieve their goals. Not everyone does what it takes to achieve the success they want. If you want to be the best in the team and excel in sales, however, then you may have to reevaluate the level of effort you’re willing to show up for. Thoroughly understand the products and services you’re selling,  understand the profile of your client and know how to find them. Make it your goal to study the clients’ industry, learn the trends, and know what’s going on in the industry, making sure that you are updated with the trade policies. Don’t stop learning even when you think you’ve been taught everything you need to know. 

 

There have been many good basketball players over the years but only a few of them turned great because so many settled. Shaquille O’Neal was a good player who could have been great but he’s admitted to being lazy. He could have become one of the best in the history of basketball but he limited his efforts. Jordan aspired to be the greatest and he was willing to do whatever it took. 

.

As a salesperson or a business owner, you must be willing to do whatever it takes to make sure you close the deal. This may include traveling long distances or working hours that don’t fit into a normal day. Do this with Jordan’s mindset:  You’re going to make every shot.  Even if you don’t, with a great mindset, you’ve shifted the odds in your favor. 

 

Mindset of success

 

Michael Jordan has a mindset of success and this reflects a high level of toughness. He let this mindset dictate his level of fitness and gameplay, leading to multiple championships. He was able to overcome his opponents and defeat them. 

 

As a salesperson

If you want to be the best, mental toughness is also needed in sales. Jordan didn’t win every game he played. In sales, you won’t land every presentation or close every deal. A tough mindset allows you to show up even when you’ve experienced defeat. Don’t worry about the losses.  Let it be an opportunity to think of all the ways you can improve. A great mindset doesn’t blame others but focuses on how you can show up better next time. 

 

Turning the wheel 

Do not let the lost deal affect your next call and don’t let negativity become part of the conversation. It’s a slippery slope when you allow interactions with new clients to be influenced by previous losses, especially when you blame others for losing a deal. Instead of pointing fingers, re-evaluate and assess how you can do better next time. 

 

Jordan was also keen on learning from other players. Who is the best in your industry? These are the people you want to learn from them and emulate. If you can’t find a person, seek out the books that resonate with you.  Just keep learning.

 

Aim for perfection 

Look for perfection in the details. Evaluate your calls, look at how you describe your products, and think about how you phrase a message. Other areas to consider include: 

 

  • How you write and send emails
  • Look at how you take notes and recap 
  • How are you writing and updating the CRM
  • Are you engaged on LinkedIn

 

All these little details will help you in the long run. 

 

Do whatever it takes, have a strong mindset, and be perfect in the details. #TheLastDance

 

Paying the cost

Jordan sacrificed popularity among his teammates to achieve his success. Being competitive in sales means some people aren’t going to like you too. Don’t worry about a popularity contest and just do your very best. Keep doing what you need to do to improve. 

 

Donald himself doesn’t worry about whether or not his competitors like him.  He gets the work done.  He also doesn’t sacrifice his family time but he does work late at night and early in the morning while honing his craft throughout the work day.

 

Regardless of whether Jordan was well liked, his teammates knew he pushed the team forward and upward. You can be that catalyst for positive change on your team as well. Be an example of ethical conduct and hard work and everyone wins.  Just remember being the best isn’t the same as being popular. 

 

Three Things I Learned From Jordan's Last Dance In Order To Dominate Sales” episode resources 

 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1298.mp3
Category:Sales success, mental toughness, sales story -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

How to Land Your First Sales Job With No Previous Experience

 

A loaded resume is important to many employers but when you’re brand new, how do you land your first sales job without any experience? In this episode, we’re going to learn how to jump the line even before your first close.

 

Mitchell Earl had his life planned out; however, a year into college, everything changed for him. He got involved in a startup that took off in his sophomore year of college. It started with a small team over the course of three years, the company grew to thousands of people. Working for the startup early on allowed him to work many different positions within the company.

 

Mitchell eventually met the founder of Praxis and quickly became a valuable member of the team. Mitchell is now the COO. Praxis helps people take the first steps into the real world whether their clients are fresh out of high school, college, or they’ve left school before graduation. The goal is to help them begin their first careers, many of which are in sales. 

 

Starting your career fresh from school 

Sales is one of the entry points where people care less about credentials and more about someone’s ability to learn quickly, be coachable, and handle rejection.

 

Before you set out, know what you want. For new graduates, you’ve already chosen a path and that’s great. Oftentimes, however, people get stuck because they can’t figure out what it is they want to do next. 

 

Show your value

One of the best ways to impress a potential employer is to show how you can be valuable to the company.  As a salesperson, an important skill is to be able to capture someone's attention.. To do that, you need to stop doing what everyone else is doing. Stand out by differentiating yourself.  Once you’ve gotten their attention, secure your place by continuing to prove your value. 

 

To do this, Mitchell uses a personal pitch deck and a project. For example, you can do preliminary research by going to a company’s website. Figuring out who their buyers are and how you can participate in problem solving. Build your prospects list and with all this information, document your methodology so it’s duplicatable. 

 

A pitch deck explains who you are, why you love their company, and how you can help with the problems. This is where you get the opportunity to present thoughtful solutions that show how you can be of value to the company. It should reflect that you know who their customers are. Taking this level of care in your presentation will help you stand out from others.  

 

Keeping their focus 

Employers will look at your experience. That’s a given. When you haven’t gotten the chance to build your experience, however, be prepared for questions regarding the value you bring without any back up to your claims. Remember, when you don’t have the experience, effort is your best friend. Let your interviewer know you are willing to show up earlier or stay later than everybody else.. They need to understand you are willing to perfect your craft and learn quickly. Give them all the reasons they need to give you a shot.

 

Also remember everything is up for negotiation. Don’t assume that the rules of the job exclude you because the moment you do, you remove a way to create that opportunity for yourself. 

 

Address your weaknesses head on

In an interview it’s typical to be asked about your weaknesses. The best thing to do is to attack your weakness head-on before they even ask.  Address the elephant in the room immediately and build trust at the same time.

 

Part of what makes a  great salesperson is the ability to handle objections. As you talk about your weaknesses, you’re also able to share how you’ve overcome these low points. Being able to talk about your weaknesses and the way you’ve moved through them shows potential employers you have self-awareness and grit. This also helps you control the narrative. 

 

Don’t let the first no stop you. Handle those objections. This is what salespeople do. #HandleObjection

 

More tips from Mitchell 

It may be that you don’t get hired on your first interview.  That’s okay. Give yourself the best chance by going back to Mitchell’s tips. Build a portfolio of sales projects, build your prospecting lists, and look at different ways you can approach a variety of companies. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for a referral from a company who doesn’t hire you. They may know another company who is looking for someone exactly like you. Just don’t let the first no stop you. Handle those objections. This is what salespeople do. 

 

How to Land Your First Sales Job Even With No Experience” episode resources 

Connect with Mitchell Earl via his LinkedIn account and Twitter. 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1297.mp3
Category:Sales Career, Sales Path -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

How To Build Your Career In Sales 

 

The road to building a career in sales may be difficult but certainly not impossible, especially if you have a great road map, the right character, and key people in your life who help you move forward. In this episode, we’ll outline what these may look like. 

 

At 22 years old, Mary Grothe started with a Fortune 1000 payroll and HR company. She became an administrative assistant supporting eight salespeople and the number one sales manager in the country. Within a couple of months, she realized she wanted a spot on the mid-market sales team. She asked her sales manager what she needed to accomplish in order to be considered for the position when it became available. For two years, she worked hard and became number one in her role. Looking back to heer first phone call, she was like any other sales rep, very nervous, and was sweating hard, but she also had a strong desire to surpass all expectations.  She certainly accomplished what she set out to do. 

 

Mary eventually took on an equity position as a VP in Sales and Marketing. They rebuilt the company’s revenue engine and quadrupled its revenue in seven months. She liked the thrill of growing a business and as she thought of setting out on her own, her entrepreneurial spirit was ignited. As a result, Mary started her first consulting firm called Butterly Creative in 2011. As a young entrepreneur, she was trying to figure out how to maneuver through pricing her services while maintaining the energy she needed. There were a lot of rookie mistakes in the beginning, so she eventually stepped away from the company. After she gave birth, her passion for the business came back again and she now helps build revenue for larger companies.

 

For the new salespeople 

Mary Grother has these suggestions for new graduates who are just starting out their careers in sales: 

 

  • There are multiple types of sales roles 

A new salesperson doesn’t have to automatically choose to go to a BDR/SDR position. There are so many types of sales positions in business development roles. It is important to understand these roles because each salesperson has the opportunity to match who they are as a person to the type of selling they want to do.  Doing something that is more in line with who they are will likely influence their performance and sales roles in a positive way.  

 

 

  • Understand the equations

 

Part of the reason why Mary became the number one sales rep in such a short time is she knew how to play the game. She knew her playbook and was aware that if she worked at it every single day, she would have success. Most sales reps don’t know what’s expected of them so they don’t have the framework to succeed. 

 

 

  • Communicating to your leadership team about our future goals

 

You need to talk to your leadership team about the progression of your current role, what is needed to meet certain goals, the positions you aspire to attain, and discuss how you are going to get there. Your leadership has to know, so they won’t be in the dark, and they are prepared to receive you when new positions open up.  



Common roles in sales 

Your role in sales will be dictated by the kind of company you will work for and what they sell. Is the company selling a physical product that you can touch or technology, or a service? 

 

Service vs product selling

Mary has observed that service sales are harder to sell because unlike products, you can’t touch it and you can’t see it. It’s hard to compare side by side to a competitive option.  It’s different from a product sale because most people can wrap their heads around a product much easier. Services also can have a want vs. a need. 

 

Transactional vs big-ticket price 

As a salesperson, you need to look at who is buying the product. Is it more of a transactional, high volume sale where you talk to 10 - 30 different buyers within a day or is it a deal that could take up six months to close?. You just have to know where your preferences are.  Mary likes selling big-ticket items because she enjoys complex sales. She doesn’t mind if it’s selling a service; she just loves the challenge of multiple buyers. 

 

Sales reps need to understand the type of selling method that fits them. As a sales rep, you need to look at who you are as a person and how your choice is aligned with your goals. You want to take it a notch further. 

 

What part of the sales cycle do you want to be a part of?

The third thing to consider is where your role lies in the sales cycle. Some salespeople are hunters and love the outbound. With these salespeople, they love starting conversations but they may not be detail-oriented and able to go through a whole three-month sales cycle. Discovery, demo, proposal, and closing may not be their strengths. Others may be on the opposite side of the spectrum and maybe more comfortable working with people they know when it’s time to demo, present solutions, offering renewals, and upselling. 

 

Many new salespeople, especially fresh out of college, are put in the outbound when this isn’t where their skills or personality are the most comfortable.  When this happens, it can cause burnout before a new salesperson is given an opportunity to see the full spectrum of possibilities. They prematurely think they’re not cut out for sales when the truth is, they were just put in the wrong role.

 

The equation of success

Everyone needs a playbook.  That is, you need to know what’s expected of you, what the goal is, and what it’s going to take to get there. Mary’s team helps other companies by building for them an infrastructure of systems and processes around marketing and sales. They also build the revenue engine because more often than not, organizations don’t have one that is properly defined. Salespeople show up to a role and operate the way they think they should but may have no way of knowing whether or not it’s correct.  Why?  They have no guidance through a playbook.  Your playbook is important because it’s the blueprint that tells you whether or not you’re going in the right direction.  You should know, in any season of employment 

  • What’s expected of you
  • How to measure your performance
  • The activities you’re supposed to do every single day

 

If this is lacking in your organization, talk to your leadership team, and ask for that playbook to be created. You shouldn’t be thrown into a role and be told to figure it out on your own. Salespeople should be encouraged to ask for the information that will help them improve. Ask for the metrics, the indicators, the suggested number of meetings, and goals. Find a mentor and discover the path they took to succeed. Look at their numbers and double them to really reach for more and imitate what they’ve done to help them become top sales reps. 



Let sales leaders know your intention 

A salesperson shouldn’t feel like they’ve been passed up for a promotion but you’ve got to participate in your advancement. Do that by letting the sales managers know that you want to move up in the company and do this long before the position opens up. Let them know what role you want to play in the sales cycle and ask what it will take to be considered for the position. This way, you have time to create a plan, set goals, and execute within the timeline required.  By doing this, you’re already established as a go-to candidate by the time the position opens up.  

 

Mary let her sales managers know what roles she was passionate about and went to the game plan she created with them at her side and consistently monitored her progress. If she had waited for two years before she spoke up about wanting a promotion she could have gotten passed up, never having fulfilled the requirements. Because she communicated where she wanted to go, was proactive, and knew exactly what she needed to do, she received 3 promotions in 5 years. 

 

Leadership wants people who are hungry to progress and they pay attention to the people really fighting for it. Look for ways to take on smaller roles on the way to greater responsibilities. With each achievement, surround yourself with people who are positive and can impart their knowledge to you. When you do get that role, always look back in gratitude for the people who helped you. 

 

Do remarkable work. Be the best problem solver you can be. Be kind, be humble, be curious, and be actively engaged in solving problems. #SalesTruth

 

How To Build Your Career In Sales” episode resources 

Don’t be money-motivated. Always focus on your buyers’ agenda and do remarkable work with the right attitude. 

 

Check out Mary Grothe’s LinkedIn and their official company site: Sales BQ. 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1296.mp3
Category:Sales, Career, Leadership -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

Mindset vs. Skill Set - Which Is More Important In Sales?

 

As a salesperson, which do you think is more important, a mindset or a skill set? What are the differences between the two? In this episode, Donald will explore the value of both.  

 

Defining mindset and skill set

Mindset is your established attitude or beliefs. Mindset has two parts -  a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. A fixed mindset settles into what is working and doesn’t change.  A growth mindset can see the opportunities to improve.

 

A skill set, on the other hand, is your range of ability. What training and skills have you mastered to be able to execute the work you need to do well in your business?

 

Donald Experiences the Difference Between Mindset and Skill Set 

A salesperson should have both a great mindset and the relevant skill set.  When Donald was a young man his friend’s father, who was like a  second dad, gave him the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. He read it and internalized the information so he believed he would succeed in his goals.  As a result, when Donald started in sales, he was a ball of energy. He watched all the movies and rolled out his B2C experience fresh from college. He was working, setting up appointments and he felt good that he could take all the ideas he’d learned and bring them into professional selling. His mindset was propelling him forward. 

 

Things got a little bit difficult when Donald entered the B2B world. He had the growth mindset but he didn’t have the skill set to go with it. One of the companies he worked for had him knocking on doors and handing out business cards. This was something that Donald did not see as professional selling. Without the proper skill set, Donald felt he was just going around in circles. He eventually moved on to another company and there he got the skill set training he needed. There, he learned how to 

 

  • Use the phone to prospect
  • Make a proper cold call
  • Use LinkedIn
  • Go to networking events
  • Ask effective questions
  • Challenge a prospect about their beliefs to get to better solutions.

 

After gaining such valuable skill sets and merging them with his growth mindset, Donald started to see amazing transformation and acceleration. He started to produce well. 

 

As Donald started to grow, he noticed that colleagues that were decades his senior were remaining at the same level they’d been for years, even with much more experience. The reason? Donald’s teammates had a lot of skill set but with even all their knowledge it was impossible for them to grow beyond their mindset. As a result, they missed out on the opportunities that Donald was able to enjoy. It was Donald’s mindset that helped him excel and perform well. 

 

Bringing Skill Set and Mindset Together

 

Donald was different from stagnant colleagues in that he was able to take advantage of social selling, he could see fresh opportunities, and he was eager to prospect. With the proper growth mindset and proper skill set, he was able to excel as a sales representative. Do you see why both are so critical? Having a great skill set does not guarantee success if you don’t have the mindset that will push you through the glass ceilings you can set for yourself. 

 

Donald suggests taking time every single day to improve and sharpen and expand your beliefs. Listen to motivational videos, repeat your affirmations and goals, and get around like-minded people who can help you build up a positive mindset. Read the books that will help you get that growth mindset. One of Donald’s favorite books is The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho, a book that will help you open your mind to your potential. 

 

Build a great library

One of the best ways to support your business is by getting real about what skill sets you need to acquire and pursue that knowledge through books. Take a look at your prospecting, social, or closing skills. Do you know how to ask effective questions? Take time each day to build these skills and launch your day even better than you did the day before. 

 

Sales books are always there to help you improve and Donald has some suggestions to start your library if you haven’t already. One of Donald’s favorite authors is Mike Weinberg, who provides a lot of great content and value about sales management and simplifying sales.  Kevin Kruse’s book entitled, 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management: The Productivity Habits of 7 Billionaires, 13 Olympic Athletes, 29 Straight-A students, and 239 Entrepreneurs discusses planning and time management.  

 

There are many great authors who have amazing books in a voice that will be perfect for you. If you want to turn your commute, down time, or workout into a university,  download books using Audible and listen to the books if that’s more convenient.  No more excuses. 

 

Which is more important, Mindset or Skill Set?

Of course, both are important but if Donald had to pick just one,he’d pick mindset. He understands that a person with the proper growth mindset can be taught the proper skill set. A person who is able to see how to grow will think of ways to improve like water that finds its way to the ocean. A salesperson with the proper mindset will look for the tribe and that supports growth, will help improve skills, can offer training, and will refine the skills acquired.

 

People who lean on skill set alone will not be able to see where improvement can occur. They get stuck in their ways, work the same strategies, will fail to embrace new technology and never take advantage of creative ways to prospect.  

 

Take time every single day to sharpen your beliefs. It will help you to perform well when it’s time to get to work. #SalesTips

 

Mindset vs. Skill Set - Which Is More Important In Sales?” episode resources 

What do you think? Do you favor mindset over skill set or the other way around? Let us know by putting a comment down below. You can also subscribe and get notified of new episodes. 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble now for free at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1295.mp3
Category:Sales Skills -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

How To Easily Track Your Leads From Prospect Status To Closing the Deal

Salespeople track leads from prospect status to closing the deal because that’s how the sales process flows. But how can we keep the information organized so we take action in a way that’s best for a potential client?  

For the last six years, Toni Panea has focused on his role as a sales engineer. Before that, he was running a real estate business and wanted to track all his leads and how they flowed through his business.  He wanted to organize information in a way that let him know how many clients he had when the next appointments should be, and how to prepare for meetings. However, when Toni looked for apps and software that could help, he found there were no available tools that existed. When Toni realized this was a critical need that was missing, he filled the void himself by creating his current business, Crmble. This business would provide what he’d been looking for and it’s helping others as well. 

Tips on tracking your leads 

Salespeople should ask themselves if they have a system that tracks the status of leads, including names, contact data, notes about meetings, etc. Toni recommends using available tools like the Trello app where you can see the status of your leads and add alarms.  Many salespeople use Excel as Donald did, but Trello offers more organizational opportunities. Trello allows you to track more information relevant to your business and sales team. 

The power-up 

Crmble is a power-up of Trello.  Using the existing Trello platform, Crmble is a plug-in that can be layered to provide notification capabilities specifically for sales.  With Crmble, you are also able to connect to third-party services such as Facebook and Google Forms. Others will be added in the near future. 

A feature in Crmble is connecting salespeople to Google Contact to better access a data link from your Trello cards when someone is calling. As soon as you finish the conversation, you can go to your Trello card and update an alarm for the next steps.  You can close confidently knowing you won’t forget future steps. This plugin is a bridge that lets Crmble capabilities stream into that of Trello functionalities. 

For example, Crmble also has reporting capabilities where sales reps can see the number of leads they have in every touchpoint for their sales funnel. There’s also a report on the number of leads converted to sales before leading into the sales funnel. Sales reps are also able to see the percentage of wins, percentage of losses, a report on where the leads are coming from, and the number of leads you get per day. This is a valuable feature when you need to know how your ads are performing. 

Crmble is easy to use and very simple to understand. There’s no need to learn how to code or compute. With Crmble it helps your CRM become even more effective and user friendly.  Otherwise, a system that is overly complicated may never get used. 

Every CRM user needs to be able to work a system without losing important information. #CRM

How Crmble was named

Toni’s wife named Crmble. She has been very supportive from the very beginning and recognized that CRM needed to be in the name to make it easily identifiable. Because this was not a platform that was created from scratch, they are a “crumble” for an existing tool, Trello, that is already considered the best in the world when it comes to project management. They turned this project management platform into a CRM. It’s basically a crumble of many existing tools like Facebook, Google Forms, Google Contacts, and Google Drive, for example, and what you can get from Trello itself. 

For the new salespeople

For new salespeople, Toni suggests that you speak to people with similar jobs. Talk to your friends, teammates,  and colleagues who are dealing with the same issues that you do, and get fresh ideas about how they’re facing and addressing their problems.  When you are just starting, it’s important to know the status of your sales funnel because this status can change a lot. You need to be able to track your leads to be aware of the variety of situations that may affect the sales flow. Discover the kinds of leads you have, where they came from, and their status to know how they need to be prioritized. This information is essential to design an appropriate sales funnel to ultimately close.

CRM users need to find a balance between not working for the system and not losing track of important information. Sales leaders want to be careful of making the CRM so complicated that salespeople won’t want to use it. This is what makes Crmble different from other CRM software. It makes the process so easy. 

How To Easily Track Your Leads From Prospect To Close Deal” episode resources 

Visit Crmble and try the software for free! You can also connect with Toni on LinkedIn to know more about the Trello power-up plugin. 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble for free now at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1294.mp3
Category:CRM, Leads, Crmble -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

Learn To Prospect Like An Expert With Steve Kloyda

 

Prospecting isn’t to be taken lightly and there are skills needed before you can prospect well. In this episode, Steve Kloyda helps us figure out how to prospect like an expert. 

 

Steve Kloyda has been creating unique selling experiences for over 30 years and has been able to transform the lives of countless salespeople. In addition to facilitating thousands of workshops across the country, he personally made more than 25,000 sales and prospecting calls, listened to and analyzed more than 25,000 sales calls, and facilitated over 6,000 one-on-one coaching sessions. He has clearly earned the title expert! Steve’s insights have provided clients with a powerful learning experience for anyone who wants to transform their sales and dramatically grow their business. His aim is to help salespeople attract more prospects, retain more clients, and drive more sales. 

 

Steve also remembers unforgettable customer service. One of his coolest sales experiences was at Hilton Head several years ago when it was suggested to him and his wife to go to the Pink House for dinner. It was indeed an old pink house converted into a restaurant and by dessert, his wife just wanted fresh fruit but it wasn’t on the menu. Steve made his request and though it wasn’t a dessert they offered the waiter came back 10 minutes later with a plate of fresh fruits so beautifully arranged it reminded Steve of a work of art. To top it all off, they didn’t even charge them when they were billed! The Pink House went above and beyond all their expectations.  When was the last time you went out of your way for a customer?

 

Steve as the prospecting expert 

Steve started his company, Telemasters, in 1990. He built the company over 18 years and they specialized in creating a unique process for salespeople to prospect. From that point until 2005, the primary tools for prospecting were basically telephone and email. When 2006 came around, social media including LinkedIn started to look like a great platform to prospect. Steve went on an online class with Carrie Wilkerson, The Barefoot Executive, and what she asked him hit him: 

 

What are you really passionate about?

What are you really good at? 

 

Steve has always been good at opening doors and prospecting. To see how many people were looking up topics related to prospecting, he did a Google search and learned that tips, strategies, and ideas were a hot topic. People are searching for these topics about 200 to 300,000 times a month. He decided to sell his Telemaster brand and changed the name into what it is today, the Prospecting Expert. 

 

Claiming it 

You can’t call yourself an expert unless you’ve walked that path and Steve has certainly walked them all. Today, he is helping salespeople attract more prospects and drive more sales as he provides a clear path for sales and prospecting success. 

 

The basics of prospecting 

The definition of prospecting is  “in search of or to labor for.” As sales reps, we are looking for people who are going to purchase our product or service. We’re also searching for new customers and new businesses through our existing customers. Let’s look at Hector the Prospector as an example. During the California Gold Rush, he found a nugget of gold but he didn’t stop to turn in that one gold nugget. He continued to prospect until the stream dried up and then he looked for another stream. 

 

All successful salespeople never ever stop prospecting. #SalesProspecting 

 

The organic process

Prospecting should be an organic process that starts with identifying who your target audience is. One of the mistakes salespeople make is that they don’t know who they should be selling to and are prospecting people who don’t have the ability to say yes. It really comes down to knowing where your prospects hang out, whether that be online or offline, and identifying ways to approach them naturally. 

 

Prospecting methods over the years

Prospecting methods have changed dramatically over the years. In the 1980s, they had the telephone and snail-mail. There was no voice mail or email. In 2003-2004, social media started gaining popularity, especially platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Steve got the first taste of Twitter in 2008 and he immediately disliked it. He thought Facebook was for kids and with the addition of LinkedIn and Youtube, social platforms were coming from all directions. 

 

Steve soon realized that these tools were becoming an important point of contact in the sales process. Some salespeople, however, started to hide behind the technology and they have bought into the notion that somehow Twitter is going to help them sell. These tools can certainly be used to connect, educate, and engage with your target audience but ultimately, a phone call or meeting will have to happen.  People can’t forget how to engage. 

 

The way Steve uses social media is with his Instant Sales Nuggets and twice a day, he posts a tip on Twitter. He also knows how to ask his network great questions. These may just be a sentence or two that he puts out but still doesn’t post his link. This is the education part he’s happy to provide in order to build relationships and start conversations. He repeats this process across the various social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+. He will then periodically post his podcasts on his website or promote his website on Twitter. In order to provide valuable content to his network, Steve makes sure he knows what people are looking for and what they’re talking about so that what he shares is relevant. 

 

Major mistakes when prospecting 

Mistakes can be made online and offline. In addition to believing social media can close a sale for you, the biggest mistake salespeople make online is the  ‘look at me’ approach where their content is all about them. You can do some of that but the focus should always be about giving more information than you are asking for a return as illustrated in Gary Vaynerchuk’s book called Jab Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to tell your story in a noisy social world

 

Mistakes offline go back to the lack of understanding of their target audience and the lack of preparation: 

  • The target audience has not been identified.
  • There has been no preparation made before the call. 
  • Too much time is spent with people who don’t have the power to say yes. 

 

The target audience has not been identified.

Niche down so you truly know who will benefit from your product.  What problems can you solve and who is dealing with these challenges?

 

There has been no preparation made before the call.  

Steve is a big believer in scripts but in this case, the script isn’t just about words you say over and over but includes the outline of what you want to convey and what questions you want to ask that are specific to your prospect.  Know your agenda and stick to it. Steve says, “The purpose of the calls is to keep the purpose of the call the purpose of the call.” For example, if the purpose of the call is to qualify this person, then qualify him. If it’s to set an appointment, then ask for an appointment by the end of the call. 

 

Too much time is spent with people who don’t have the power to say yes. 

Salespeople can waste a lot of time talking to the wrong people. Ideally, before you talk to someone do your research and answer what Steve calls the Rules of Engagement. 

 

  • Who is this person?
  • What role do they play in the company?
  • How do they make decisions?

 

Why do we make mistakes 

Many salespeople are never taught the art of asking the right questions or they are afraid of asking the right questions. One of the books that Steve recommends to sharpen this skill is How I Raised Myself from Failure to Success in Selling by Frank Bettger. You can’t produce the right results unless you talk to the right people and ask the right questions. Steve suggests the following guidelines when making a call. 

 

  • Greet with, “Hi, ____.  I know you weren’t expecting my call but do you have a minute to talk.” Salespeople are taught not this question gives a prospect an out but it’s not true. This question allows you to get right into your qualifying questions whereas, “How are you doing?” ends up being a delay.
  • Mix up your questions. You can ask the prospect, “I understand that you’re the person responsible for making the decisions for training for your salespeople, is that correct?” If they say yes, you can keep the same thread going. “Well, ____, you mentioned that you’re one of them, so who besides yourself is involved in this decision?”

 

Ask these questions, give your purpose statement, and ask for an appointment. Create a picture in the minds of potential customers and show up prepared.  When you know what you’re going to say, you don’t become the script.  The script becomes you.  Make a strong first impression. 

 

Social media platforms are a good avenue for starting relationships but at the end of the day, it comes back to the phone and face to face meetings. The phone is still important in the process of prospecting. 

 

Steve’s major projects 

Steve loves to create content. He started a webinar series and did that on a monthly basis every Wednesday. You can also check out his YouTube channel for additional content. 

 

Never ever stop prospecting. If you had the cure for cancer, you’d tell everyone. Your job is to plant the seed. Every salesperson can solve someone’s problem.  It is your moral responsibility to make an approach and make the call. 

 

Learn To Prospect Like An Expert With Steve Kloyda” episode resources 

Connect with Steve via his email. 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble for free now at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1293.mp3
Category:Prospecting -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

How Do I Stand Out From The Competition?

 

Are there still ways salespeople can stand out from the competition? This is an age-old question that was posed by a recent college graduate. If so, how?  In this episode, Donald will share four ways he’s learned, through his personal and professional experience, to stand out from your competition: 

 

  1. Be persistent
  2. Personalize
  3. Use your CRM and bring value
  4. Have energy and drive

 

Be persistent

Studies have shown that many sales reps give up making contact after one or two attempts. In reality, it takes 8 - 12 points of contact before a potential prospect may respond. If you want to stand out from your competition, be consistent and persistent. Of course, this doesn’t mean sitting and calling eight times in a row within a day. You have to ensure you have an organizational flow process. This is the process that moves through the buyer’s journey to get to the interest and awareness phase within the organization. 

 

Use an omni channel approach when strategically making multiple contacts with prospects. The buyers are not camping out in one location. Many salespeople think  the only way you can get in touch with a prospect is through phone calls and emails. With this digital world there are multiple platforms to utilize, like LinkedIn. Don’t just hop from profile to profile but truly invest your time engaging with people you’re already connecting with. Some suggested steps include the following:

 

  • Call
  • Send an email 
  • Reach out on LinkedIn and connect
  • Follow them on LinkedIn 
  • Follow their company 
  • Give them a second phone call
  • Send a gift through physical mail
  • Send them a gift through digital mail,like a gift card

You can modify these steps based on how you choose to reach out to your prospects. The important thing is getting beyond the first two tries. 

 

Always Personalize

Donald uses some important strategies when it comes to personalizing a message.  One of the most important elements in a message is to use their name. No one wants a generic message. Make use of a personalized message and let them know you’ve looked at the problems their company is facing. Address these issues in your message and bring some value that ties to their concerns. Provide a solution specific to their challenges. 

 

A great way to personalize a message is by sending a video.  This way, a potential client can see your personality before they ever get to meet you in person.

 

Personalize your message! Your first impression is not the time to be lazy. #SalesImpression

 

Bring in value and use your CRM

Another way to bring value is to go back to your CRM. If your company doesn’t have a CRM, you can visit Crmble. It’s an awesome tool that companies can use for free but upgrades are available. If you already have CRM already, go back to the very beginning and see what problems you were addressing then. Check out if it was a decent sale and read through a thread that might give you some current insight. While it may take some work, you'll be armed with the knowledge of the issues these customers were facing and be able to apply current solutions now and into their future. 

 

Energy and the drive 

Whether you are a seasoned salesperson or a new graduate, another way to stand out from the competition is to know that you are awesome! Your clients have the chance to get YOU - your passion, your desire, your work ethic … only you can bring that.  Know that you are your own best asset.  

 

How Do I Stand Out From All The Competition?” episode resources 

Donald is currently working on his new book, Sell it Like a Mango. In the book, Donald has written about his experience in Jamaica, seeing people sell the same exact product and seeing some have greater success than others. You’ll learn what made them stand out in Sell it Like a Mango. 

 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble for free now at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1292.mp3
Category:Sales Talk -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

How To Leverage LinkedIn For Better Networking

 

LinkedIn is an important social platform for people looking to broaden their network. In this episode, Bobbie Foedisch will be talking about how to leverage LinkedIn for better networking. 

 

Bobbie Foedisch is the founding partner and Chief Social Selling Officer at All About Leverage. The company develops social selling, lead generation, and networking processes. Bobbie has been in the business development space for most of her career. She’s seen the power of leveraging social media and now, along with her team, they have cultivated a lead-generation process that they offer to their clients as a voluntary benefit business.

 

LinkedIn now has over 413 million users and they are growing daily. This makes LinkedIn a perfect platform for you and your business. You can use it to leverage your online and offline marketing presence. 

 

Use LinkedIn Strategies available

One of the best ways to start your LinkedIn experience is by using a picture of yourself as your profile photo. It’s tempting to use a company logo but people don’t develop a relationship with a logo the way they want to connect with people. When selecting a picture make sure the photo looks like you and you look professional. This is your first impression so make the most of this opportunity by having a great headshot. 

 

Customize your message and be yourself

The message is an important part of your LinkedIn profile as it shows effort on your part.  Don’t make it a generic.  Show your personality and let people know you care. Be yourself so people get a true sense of who you’d be face to face.  

 

Build your network right away 

The purpose of LinkedIn is to grow networking opportunities so be confident in building right away. Have a purpose to connect and know the worth of your business. Look for the people you can partner with or who will benefit from your service or product.  They are waiting to be found.  

 

The social selling process

It’s important to have your own social selling process. Here’s a process that Bobbie suggests: 

 

Put your content out there

You need content that will resonate with your network but be sure to tie it back to your subject, job, or area of expertise. Before you begin, assess how you are going to create your content. Will you create your own or curate your content? Either way, your content should be interesting or relevant to your audience. 

 

Start the conversation

As a thought leader, begin conversations that are compelling and will allow conversations to occur.  Post these “ice breakers” on LinkedIn network groups, Twitter, and add them to your company page on Facebook.

 

Time your posts well

Do your research about what days and times to post on the social platform you’re trying to engage with so you have maximum exposure. This will help ensure you are reaching at least 60% of your network. 

 

Join groups for content and networking

LinkedIn groups allow you to reach beyond your network. Having the right content can help you leverage the groups for face-to-face networking events. You can search LinkedIn groups for the niche that reflects your target audience. Search for specific details such as company name, job titles, geographic locations, and other details that will help you narrow down the search. You can then offer your message to the group.

 

Advanced save and purchase

Make use of LinkedIn’s lead generation. Do this by saving your purchase based on your ideal client profile. LinkedIn will automatically send you a lead generation list every week. 

 

Leverage your first degree connection

Learn to leverage your network. Look at your connections and narrow them down to exactly who you want to reach. Meet with your different referral partners weekly and aim for an average of five introductions. Statistics show that this type of warm lead generation has a 60% conversion rate. 

 

The following features on LinkedIn will help you broaden your reach:

  • Thought leadership
  • Content marketing
  • Face-to-face networking
  • Online and offline social activity
  • Reaching people in your community and across the world

 

Effective cold-calling 

Even with everyone using social media as a way to connect, there is still a lot of value in cold calling. Bobbie suggests the following to be more effective:

  • Narrow down the list
  • Monitor recent activity and comment on the things you care about
  • Engage with people and create opportunities for conversations. 
  • Move from connecting online to connecting offline

 

LinkedIn is more effective the more you use it. Be visible on the platform and allow people to get to know you each day. Your LinkedIn profile is the first thing that pops up when somebody searches your name so make a great first impression. Match the sales process to the buying process if you want to be successful. Focus on people who are interested.

Sales is no longer just about selling but guiding people through their needs and being there with a solution. 

 

How To Leveraging LinkedIn For Better Networking” episode resources 

As a salesperson, focus on the relationships and don’t expect things to happen overnight. Take your time and learn from your mistakes. 

Connect with Bobbie Foedisch via LinkedIn or Twitter using the handle: @linkedinbobbie. If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble for free now at www.crmble.com/tse.

This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1291.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am EDT

How To Overcome Your Fear of Selling During Challenging Times

 

Fear can be common for salespeople regardless of where you are in your career. The fear of rejection can paralyze us and impact our performance. In the current climate of a pandemic, one fear that salespeople are dealing with is that customers won’t be interested in what we have to offer.  In this episode, we’ll talk about how to overcome fear of selling during challenging times. 

 

Nina Cooke works with entrepreneurs, their coaches, consultants, and sales specialists. Her task is to help them overcome their fear in order to get them to move toward sales conversations. Nina helps salespeople overcome their negative thoughts and the lies people tell themselves. Nina’s goal is for her clients to see how powerful and magnificent they can be as they run their business. 

 

The origin of fear

The origin of a lot of our fears occur in childhood. We were all born with a blank slate and then picked up the programming of other people over time. From a very young age, we start to take in information and make assessments about our world and the people in our life as we observe activities and conversations around us. These observations can heavily influence how we view our place in this world. If we see others are fearful, for example, we tend to take on that fear and it can take a grip into adulthood. 

 

Another example of a child making assumptions about their environment may come from their parent not playing with them, even though they promised. As this child starts to see this as a trend, they begin to wonder why the play isn’t happening. Is it because they aren’t important enough? “I’m not important enough” is now a limiting belief they take into adulthood. As their belief takes hold, they begin to collect evidence to prove it’s true:

 

  • Someone wasn’t listening to you while you were talking because you weren’t important.
  • You spoke up in a group and no one listened because you weren’t important. 
  • Parents didn’t take notice of you but  focused on your siblings because you weren’t important. 

 

We build meaning around events and then live our lives as if these beliefs were fact.

These limiting beliefs become a crippling way of thinking, especially if it keeps you from seeing your full potential.

Change of mindset 

We’ve got to be careful about settling because of a limited mindset. Changing your mindset is necessary to redirect your path.  These limitations are keeping you from reaching out to people during a pandemic: 

 

-“People aren’t interested in what I have to offer.” 

-”They don’t have the budget for my products.”

 

These are concerns but they’re not necessarily the reality. How do we know this?  Because other salespeople are thriving.  If they can do it, you can too. 

 

One of Nina’s clients set a goal to have six new clients/customers in the month of April and while she wasn’t able to lock in all six, she was able to get five new customers! If we continue to reason our way out of growing our business, we won’t have a business to return to when this pandemic is over. We have to carry on taking action by knowing our value and realizing that there are people who need what we have to offer. There are people who are willing to invest in the solutions to their problems.  

 

Breaking away from the negative influences

It’s very easy to be influenced by the negativity around us but know that you have a choice in how you think. You can’t stop someone else’s negative outlook but there is always a choice to buy or not. Reset your habits of thinking toward hope and optimism. Accept only the mindset that will prompt you to take action.

 

Other people around you may have a bleak outlook about conducting business but don’t take that on. People are still purchasing! The more people you contact, the more people will know you are ready to do business but you have to call for them to know. If you can keep a resilient mindset, then you’ll be okay, even when people say no, because it’s one step closer to yes. 

 

Perseverance through challenging times is going to take effort but it will put you ahead of the people who don’t even try. Know your value and stay active. It isn’t personal when someone says no.  Their “no” means they are not ready to purchase but they are not rejecting you.  Just allow your customer to guide the sales cycle and be available when they’re ready to go. 



Transforming the mind

Before you change your mind, it’s first important to know your goals. Let’s say for example that your goal is to generate 30,000 a month as your income. What thinking is stopping you from achieving that? 

 

Nina helps you figure out your limiting beliefs. After rating your limiting beliefs from a 1-10 scale, she takes you through a simple process to remove that block from your subconscious once and for all. 

 

The biggest  limiting belief Nina’s clients are currently experiencing is, “It’s inappropriate to make offers right now because people can’t afford me.”  This belief is keeping you from people who need your product or service. Once you remove the limitations, you’ll find the people who are ready to invest and start focusing on how you can add value. 

 

Nina has another client who offers retreats and one of the activities is taking people dolphin watching. Due to the social distancing, she’s switched gears and now offers virtual retreats. At last count, 30 people signed up for her virtual retreats. This is now going to be part of her sales funnel moving forward. She pivoted and created a new market! 

 

Take on new opportunities 

There are opportunities available right now for the people who are ready to take action.  The expanding mindset will help you see the opportunities and take back control.  When you are in control you’re able to make things happen. 

 

Oftentimes, we limit ourselves and can’t see the big picture. Our vision shrinks until it no longer serves our goals.  You need to become aware of these thoughts in order to remove them from your system. Salespeople have an unlimited untapped potential and the only thing that can stop them from digging deep and being the best they can, is themselves. You are the person getting in the way of your own success. You can have the best coach, the best strategy, the best prospect list, and the best scripts but all of these only work if you stop sabotaging yourself.

 

The best salespeople don’t have special powers.  What sets them apart is they change their mindset and take action. Everytime they face resistance, they overcome and win. They do this again and again for every block they experience. 

 

Look at the big picture

As a sales rep, always look at the big picture. Do not focus on your thoughts and the negative words that threaten where you want to be. Nina and her team are there to help you get clarity and replace negative thoughts with the positive beliefs that will prompt you to take action. 

 

The best salespeople work on their mindset, take lots of action and build up courage and resilience. #BestSalesPerson

 

“How To Overcome Your Fear of Selling During Challenging Times” episode resources 

Stay connected with Nina Cooke through her linkedIn account and her website. 

If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns. 

This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble for free now at www.crmble.com/tse.

This course is also brought to you in part by  by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077. 

We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to. 

You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial. 

Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.

Direct download: TSE_1290.mp3
Category:Sales Fears -- posted at: 12:00am EDT