Salestuners: B2b Sales Training And Coaching From Prospecting To Negotiation And Closing

Takeaways Understand How Your Prospect Makes Money: You already know how your company makes money and you already know how you make money once your company makes money. During the sales process, if you really dig in and figure out how your prospects make money, then you can sync your offering with their real incentives. It truly doesn’t matter what you sell if you can figure out how your offering impacts their revenue engine. That’s the key. Put Yourself Out There: Your network is not just going to build itself. You have to commit time in a given week or month outside your organization. Think about it just like you would building your pipeline. Who are the top 3-5 people you’d like to know? Reach out to them and ask for coffee or for lunch. Be genuine in your reasoning and figure out how you can provide reciprocal value. This effort you put in now will pay off in spades for a long time to come. Own Your Day: It’s been mentioned a few times on this show but understanding your own process and the things that

In the last 5-7 years, there has seemingly been an explosion in the number of companies, both tech startups as well as more traditional businesses, that require salespeople. Unfortunately, in that same period of time there hasn’t been any magical creation of new sales talent. That misalignment has led companies to over-recruit, under-train, and honestly… just hope reps “figure it out." I’ve had some sales leaders tell me they’ll hire 10 reps knowing full well only 4 will work out. What in the world is going on? Most sales reps actually know what to do — that has been drilled into them over and over. They need help understanding the why (and even the how) behind the what. Today, I’m talking with Vendition’s Ashleigh Early about this exact challenge and what both reps and leaders can do to fill the void with context and personalization.   Links Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein https://amzn.to/2QEOIkL Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Sim

Takeaways Become a Subject Matter Expert: There have been many conversations on this show that have talked about the need to truly understand who your buyer is. Jess took that even a step farther by suggesting that she actually become a licensed health benefits consultant. Think about that. Are there certifications in your industry that could help you better relate to the knowledge your prospects have? Yes, you can learn these things at a high level likely through your companies sales enablement, but what would it take to be able to truly walk in your customers' shoes? Your Questions Prove Your Credibility: Deals are won or lost in discovery. If the questions you are asking can easily be answered, you’re not asking the right questions. You want your prospect to actually think about what is being asked and that means showing you know their world. Use the words their peers use. Explain what you’ve seen other people like them go through. Then ask a question that makes them shift a bit in their seat. When they

In our first ever episode of READefined, we’re taking a look at Robert Cialdini’s Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion. Today, we are all becoming overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information at our disposal AND the choice that comes with that for even the most mundane topics. While it would be nice to think our prospects consider all the information available to them before they decide whether to say “yes” or “no,” you know from your own day-to-day experience that reality is quite different. The truth is, we need shortcuts. We need rules of thumb to help us filter through the noise. And guess what… there’s a science to it. And, that science is the evidence-based research Cialdini presents in this book on the psychology of persuasion with six overarching principles. Principle 1: Reciprocity Principle 2: Commitment and Consistency Principle 3: Social Proof Principle 4: Liking Principle 5: Authority Principle 6: Scarcity

Takeaways Speak a Common Language: As Greg was learning to sell, he was taught baseball idioms like ‘batting 1.000,’ ‘drop the ball,’ ‘be in the ballpark,’ and of course, ‘touch base.’ But to many of you listening, these phrases no longer have anything to do with the game because they’ve been so ingrained into our normal lexicon. What words or phrases might you be using that make no sense to your prospect? Greg gave the example of the literal translation of ‘How are you?’, a throwaway phrase we use in America that would make an Eastern European tell you all about their life. Get Your Prospect to Come to Their Own Conclusion: Think about the last time you felt like you were sold something. I’m not talking about when you last bought something, but truly felt sold. How long did it take for buyer’s remorse to set in? In every sales cycle, you should make it your goal for your prospect to find your value prop on their own terms. I like to do this by turning my statements into questions, where the answer from the

Takeaways Observe the Actions of Others: You may not have the confidence or even opportunity to approach others to ask them about how or why they do what they do, but you can definitely observe their actions. Break down how they speak, how they hold themselves, how they treat customers, and what they do that’s different than you. And these don’t have to just be people in your office. With unfiltered broadband access, these observations can be people you admire online, TED speakers, or even public CEOs by way of their earnings calls and annual reports. Find Gaps in Your Own Skills: It’s hard for people to just tell you everything they know with general questions like “how can I get better?” As you think about the next step in your career, write down the traits or responsibilities you think that role would entail. Then take a good look at your performance and see where you can improve and ask specific questions. In addition, you must be willing to hear and accept their feedback. You may not agree with it, but

Takeaways Ask the Next Question: By this point, we should all be used to hearing the word “no.” However, it’s what you do after hearing it that defines you as a salesperson. The word could be a stoplight and completely shut you down. Or, it could be a challenge to you to dig a little deeper and understand the context in which that specific prospecting is using it. What aren’t they interested in? How could the get budget if the found value? When does their current contract with a competitor end? Build Your Own Following: In today’s world, it seems as if there are influencers popping all over the place. I mean, if I see another person at a sacred monument with a selfie stick, I might lose it. But, the reality is, there’s an opportunity for every salesperson to build the community they need to sell into. Whether it be as simple as sharing helpful articles and industry research or recording videos and sharing them on LinkedIn, it’s time to move beyond the seeing social platforms as just for your personal use an

Takeaways Successful Customers Trumps Revenue: The goal of sales should not be revenue at all costs. It’s our job to find people we can make successful through the value prop we’re pitching. Rather than focusing solely on the signed contract and commission check, make sure the customers you close are going to find value in what they bought 90 days later. Buyers Don’t Have to Talk to Salespeople: 20 to 30 years ago, every buyer had to talk to a salesperson. Today, buyers can watch demos, compare and research alternative products, and even get ballpark pricing online, all before reaching out to talk to a salesperson. In the shifting world of buyer empowerment, you have to provide value in each interaction with a prospective customer. Live Your Buyer’s Job: What does your prospect’s daily job look like? What’s their role in their company? What are their goals? How do they quantify it? What happens if they don’t achieve it? It’s not enough to just ask those questions. When looking at things through their lens,

Takeaways Share: Even if what you share is unrelated to what you’re trying to sell, doing so allows you to show you care, which drives future opportunities. Focus on the Customer: Know the buyer from every angle at the company and personal level. Provide Value: Constantly consume and share content that will be relevant to your buyers. Full Notes https://www.salestuners.com/jill-rowley/  Book Recommendation Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us by Seth Godin Sponsor Costello – What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.

Takeaways Take Advantage of Opportunity: There is a short window of time to take advantage of every opportunity. If you wait until an opportunity presents itself, it’s already too late. Seek out chances to learn, be more efficient, and give 100 percent from the get-go so you’re never in a position to wonder what might have been. Doors open on a daily basis, but oftentimes they are short and they are small. It’s crucial to take advantage of them when they’re there. Preparation and Repetition Always Win: You know what you need to do. You’ve spent time role playing real scenarios. You’ve paid attention in training and during your one-on-one’s. With that, don’t think that your sales manager knows something you don’t. You’re the one facing live fire every time you get on a call. Make sure you’re taking the time to prepare and let the repetition of muscle memory take control. Don’t Wait Until The End: The earlier you ask hard questions, the better. For instance, if you wait until the negotiation stage to start d

Takeaways Learn From Others: Everyone learns from failure, but you don’t have to learn from your own failure. Whether it’s your peers, other professionals in your network, books, blogs, or even podcasts like this. You owe it to yourself to seek out knowledge both positive and negative from others. But be careful, you want to learn from the best, not just your buddy or some random stranger. Pride Will Kill You: The stubbornness of pride locks you into your own thoughts. We have a cognitive bias around consistency that once we’ve formulated an idea that we can’t be inconsistent with that or flip flop our position. However, this is ridiculously dumb and short sighted. Be willing to listen to others and study the data that may challenge your worldview. Good Things Come to Those Who Practice: One thing that continues to amaze me is salespeople not practicing their craft. How much time do you prepare for each call? Showing up to work and running sales calls is not practicing. The biggest personal example I have o

Takeaways It’s Not About Learning: It’s about applying what you love and who you are to what you do. While you need to understand your product, It’s more important to know how to sell than it is to know all the technical features and benefits of your offering. Comparing sales to fitness… you can educate yourself all you want about what it takes to get a perfect six pack, but none of that matters until you start applying that knowledge. Application and execution are the most important part of the puzzle. Be You: It’s okay to be inspired by successful salespeople, that likely why so many people listen to this show, but at the end of the day, you have be you. Everyone is different and what works for one person might not have the same impact on someone else. Whatever gives you energy, whatever makes you passionate, whatever gets you going in the morning – use that to build the YOU that you want to be. You have the power to make the choices that will empower you in the long run, so choose to be you from the star

Takeaways Be Responsive and Get Shit Done: When you’re working at a company that is really going somewhere, everybody has a hundred things on their plate and constantly shifting priorities. If you want to stand out, be the person that volunteers for new projects and make sure to follow through. Once you say you’ve got it, don’t be the person that someone else has to follow-up with or check-in on. This exposure is what will make you great in the future. Hone in on Your Top Segments: The simplest definition of a segment is a group of people who can be reached with the same go-to-market strategy combined with the same product. This will not only help define territories by way of geography, industry, or company size but really it will help create repeatability in your messaging — making your product easier to sell at a lower cost-per-acquisition. This focus doesn’t mean you can’t go after other segments later, it just keeps you on target with your limited resources. Generate Interest First: When you’re doing ou

Takeaways Remember It’s Not About You: Hearing “no” in sales is a given, but that doesn’t make it any less trying. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding how exactly you are shot down, there is no more important personality strength than the ability to bounce back. Sales is so much easier when you can remove yourself from the process and remember one simple truth: it’s not about you. It’s not a personal attack. You are doing your job, and it might be challenging right at this moment, but “no” is not the end of the line for you unless you let it be. Document and Share What Works: Raquel brought up her concept of a “WinWire,” but what could you do for the closed won or even the closed lost deals at your company. Before a “case study” is even relevant, how could you capture the details of why a customer bought from you? What was the business situation? What were they struggling with? Were they replacing anything? Did they pick you over another solution? What was the size of the deal? Capturing these detai

Takeaways Words are Powerful: Your mastery of language and results driven communication is paramount to your success in sales. It’s one thing to be good, but becoming a student of linguistics and really understanding the nuance between conscious and subconscious states can take you to an entirely different level. Think about the notion of associated and dissociated language — such as using the royal “we” when you really mean “I.” Learning different communication styles can help you not only influence others but also yourself. Act Despite Your Feelings: Knowing yourself enough to realize there are times you don’t want to do certain things is totally okay. However, you still need to do them. Look, I get it — there are absolutely moments in a day or week that I don’t want to take a meeting, do a task, or even have a conversation. Give yourself the permission to have the feeling, but then figure out how to get over it and take the action you know needs to be taken. Learning how to overcome those emotions will c

Takeaways Pleasantly Persistent: Keep pursuing your prospect using personalized messaging while communicating value. Overtime, the relationship will unfold so that you spend your time on qualified and interested buyers. Make it Personal: Although tempting, don’t just use the templated email that you know won’t get opened. Spend the time to identify details about the person you’re emailing and get creative with it. Email Subject Lines: Using anonymous data across all clients, SalesLoft has determined the top subject lines had three things in common – they were three words or less, they contained some sort of mail merge data, and they contained a question mark. Discounting: While obviously wanting to maximize contract values, there are four appropriate situations where you can provide a discount. Can you get your prospect to sign a longer term commitment? Are they buying the highest version or package of the service? Can they buy higher quantity of the package or service? Are they able to buy today or pay cas

Takeaways Master the First 20 Seconds: We all get defensive when we receive an unexpected call from someone we don’t know. Don’t take it personal as it’s a cultural issue. However, it is your job to dissolve that defensiveness very quickly. First thing first — remove iffy language. Don’t tell them you’re “just calling” as if you have nothing better to do. Also, don’t ask them how they are. Not only is that a tell tale sign that you’re a salesperson, but when a stranger asks about your health, you get even more defensive. You need to quickly get to the reason for your call and then immediately show them how the call is relevant to them. Notice, this has nothing to do with you. Prepare to Think on Your Feet: I get it. Email is easier because you have time to both think and edit. On the phone, you clearly don’t get that luxury. So, be prepared. Obviously you need to have a couple of open ended questions ready to go, but you also need to know what the 3-4 typical responses are that you’re likely to get from the

Takeaways Invest Time Building the Right List: Knowing who your ideal prospect is, is only the beginning of a good outreach plan. Don’t take for granted the amount of work that goes into identifying exactly who those people are and trying to acquire their contact information. If you’re doing this manually, it’s a lot of work, and even if you’re paying for data sources, it still takes a lot of preparation to do it right. After you identify the right people, next spend some time trying to hypothesize what problems each of these companies uniquely face and what messaging you can use to address them on an individual level. Build Discipline Into Your Calendar: As a sales professional, it’s almost a given we have some level of ADD and the unique ability to find every squirrel there is in our day to day. That said, when you’re to take your game to the next level, blocking time on your calendar for all important activities is the first step to ensuring that success. Sure, you may believe you can multitask, or you m

Takeaways Plan Your Target Accounts: Too many sales reps take the shotgun approach when it comes to prospecting. To me, it feels like that’s the reason we get so many shitty emails and generic LinkedIn connection requests. Take the time to plan out who you’re going to target over the next 90 days. Whether that’s 100 accounts or just 30, you’ll be able to actually customize your outreach to each person individually, or better, work to find a common connection to make an introduction. Role Play with Your Companies Executives: Think about who in your company has served in the role of your target buyer. Whether that is by title or just responsibility, they have likely faced the same issues you’re trying to sell into. Practicing your cold call or pitch with them could provide great insight that you wouldn’t be able to get from a prospect. Gain Mutual Feedback on Losses: You all know how passionate I am about coaching — I mean, it is how I make a living after all. But, I can’t tell you how important it is to be a

Takeaways Systematize Your Follow-up: I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “persistence pays” many times. Well, I hope they were talking about sales, because it couldn’t be more true. I’ve read startling stats that say on average, a sales rep will only reach out to a prospect two times before giving up. That just seems ludicrous to me. Even if your company doesn’t invest in software for you and regardless of whether they’re an active opportunity, a warm lead, or a brand new cold prospect—find a way to build a process around your follow-up. After every touch you have, immediately schedule the next touch. If you use Salesforce, Hubsport, or even PipeDrive, you can run a report to show you any contacts that don’t have a next activity associated with them. Don’t lose deals because you simply didn’t follow up. Understand the Emotion Associated with the Problem: Will asked the great question, “How can I be empathic, when I never even get emotion from a prospect?” In order to be able to either elicit an emotional resp