Inside Selling: Recent Episodes
Josh Braun
You ever notice how your sales voice sneaks in when you really want a call to go well? I got you.
When someone shares something that's painful, resist the urge to give advice. Do this instead.
What do you notice about the difference between these cold call approaches? Do you have a preference?
Why most salespeople are pushy. And how to sell without pushing, convincing or begging.
Trouble deciding between A and B? Afraid you'll make the wrong choice? There isn't a wrong choice. The universe has your back.
Jourdan Hathaway, CMO at General Assembly talk about cold emails that got her attention. And the ones that don't
So much time and energy in sales is wasted on trying to make things be the way you want them to be.
No matter what you sell, your prospect is using a competitor. Here's a framework that can potentially loosen the grip.
Prospect says, "If we find a need, we'll let you know." Here's the root cause and how to prevent it.
No matter what you sell, people are getting the job done when you reach out. Here's how to get and keep their attention.
Thoughts on concerns everyone is aware of but deliberately avoids discussing or acknowledging.
Amateur salespeople sound like this. Pro salespeople sound like this. Which one are you?
Why telling prospects they're wrong is a net negative every time and what to do instead.
A cold call flow that stacks the odds in your favor for starting conversations with skeptical prospects who have little desire to speak with you.
You cold call a prospect. They say in an angry tone, "How did you get my number?!?" What do you say?
The reason people aren't responding to your cold emails has nothing to do with personalization, length, or CTAs. These three things matter more.
Penelope sent 22 personalized LinkedIn videos using the LinkedIn app. 12 people responded. 2 people booked a meeting. In this episode, she talks about her mindset and process.
I was recently asked, "What would you do if you were a new SDR expected to cold call and didn't have much training?" Here are my thoughts.
When you're feeling disturbed, remind yourself of the nature of the thing that's doing the disturbing.
Why traditional cold calling creates resistance and the debilitating feeling of rejection. Plus the way out.
How to eliminate the depilating feeling of rejection associated with traditional selling.
Ever wish you knew how to respond when prospects say, "Why more money than your competitors?" I got you.
Most cold calls feel like the salesperson is wrestling with the prospect. Heidi's call sounds like a smooth ballroom waltz. She's guiding without stepping on any toes. A great example of talking with prospects not to them. Here's a breakdown of the call.
There are two approaches to cold calling. One is more effective nearly every time. Listen to learn why.
In a word of similar products, trust is why prospects choose you. Without trust, there's not transaction. Here are some thoughts on building trust.
Here's a sales (and life) superpower. And all it requires of you is this. That you make a small 2mm mindset shift.
You write a cold email. Your prospect responds and says, "I'm not interested." How to you respond?
Released in 1997 by Baz Luhrmann, the song "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)" inspired numerous parodies Here’s mine.
A prospect says, "You're too expensive." What do you say? Why the traditional sales approach doesn't work and what to do instead.
Most salespeople try to overcome objections with logic and facts. The problem? Whenever prospects feel like they're being talked into something, they pull away. The way out? You have to unlearn how to "handle" objections.
Here's a magical phrase I learned from a former FBI hostage negotiator that gets prospects talking on cold calls.
What Indian philosopher and spiritual teacher J. Krishnamurti can teach you about sales and life.
Bombing in sales can ruin your day or energize you. Here's how to be energized by sales bombs.
Thoughts on starting conversations with prospects who have little interest in speaking with you.
Here's why telling people they're doing their job wrong creates defensiveness. And what do to instead.
You do a demo. Your prospect says, "I love it." Then you never hear from them again. Here's the way out.
You cold call a prospect and they say in an angry voice, "How did you get my number?" Here's how to respond.
Thoughts on what sales and missionaries have in common. Are you a missionary for your product?
Kendall James & Lily Drew on how to land meetings with celebrities in LA and how to handle rejection.
If you want to feel anxious when cold calling, make sure you’ve attached the outcome. Here's a way out.
Here's a simple technique that might help you prevent most cold call objections. You're welcome :-).
Treat this phrase like a porcupine, don't touch it. Here's a phrase to use instead (and why).
This is the best sales pitch I've ever seen. Here's how you can apply it to your business.
Here's one thing I know to be true. Don't tell an oatmeal lover that you hate oatmeal. Here's why.
Do you get tongue-tied whenever people ask what you do? I got you. Learn a three-part framework for elegantly explaining what you do.
Someone asks, "What do you do?" What do you say? Most people wing it. That's a tragedy because a good explanation of what you do invites prospects to care and motivate them to want to learn more. The opposite is also true. In this episode, you'll hear a framework that will help you elegantly explain what you do.
How do you deal with a rude or angry person? Spoiler alert, don't be rude or angry back.
When prospects ask what the price is, do you tell them the price? Do you wait? Does it depend? Here's my take.
Here's a mistake I made on a discovery call and what I would do differently if I had a do-over.
"Do you know any VPs of Sales that have money I can pitch?" That's what your customers are subconsciously thinking when you ask for a referral which is why they put their guards up. Here's a way to ask for a referral that comes from a place of giving rather than getting.
How John, the owner of Racer's Edge in Boca Raton, Florida stood out in a sea of bike stores to win my business.
Armand Farrokh on how to create sales messages that motivated prospects to want to learn more.
Kyle Coleman, VP, Revenue Growth & Enablement at Clari on how to write good cold emails.
Bob Moesta, lifelong innovator and coarchitect of the “Jobs to be Done” theory on thinking like a buyer, rather than a seller.
Would you believe me if I told you I was the best sales trainer? Probably not. That's because I'm biased. I have a vested interest in telling you I'm the best because I make money if you hire me. When you're too pushy, prospects think you're biased too so they pull away. It's called perceived bias. In this episode, Laura Wallace, a social psychologist and postdoctoral researcher at George Mason University, talks about how to reduce judgemental biases.
Kendra cold called me. I was so impressed with her approach that I invited her on the podcast. In this episode we break down the call and why it was so awesome.
Larry Midler is the General Counsel at CBRE (#146 on the Fortune 500). In this episode, Larry shares the dos and don't of prospecting a GC.
Senior Sales Development Rep, copywriter and podcast host, Sarah Hicks on how to sell without selling your soul.
Jackie Lipnicki on how to book meetings and close business in a world of constant distractions.
Have you been listening to self-professed sales gurus like myself tell you how to get past gatekeepers? Wish you could hear an actual gatekeeper tell you what works and what doesn't? Wish granted. Listen to Ethan Bull, an executive & Personal Assistant who supports c-suite executives, give you the keys to the gate.
Former FBI negotiator and author of Never Split the Difference Chris Voss on how to rewire your brain to listen deeply.
Jeremey Leveille, a top-performing SDR and AE, talks about how to book a consistent flow of meetings with your ideal prospect.
Wish you could get inside the head of IT prospects so you'd know what to say to earn their attention? Wish granted. In this episode of Inside Selling, Tom Wallace, former VP of Information Technology at Jellyvision, talks about the prospecting mistakes he's seen and what it takes to earn his attention.
As salespeople, we have a natural inclination to get things. More, time on prospects calendar and next steps. But making too many withdrawals can lead to prospects ducking and dodging you. In this episode, I dive into a two tactics that will help you make deposits into your prospect's bank account so that your account doesn't get overdrawn.
Becc Holland, Head of Sales Development at Chorus.ai on how to humanize the cold call and why having "adult to adult" conversations is critical when selling.
Khalid Saleh on how to get your prospect's secret buying language using the Jobs to be Done framework.
Grab your Jobs to be Done customer interview guide here.
A few years ago I attended a networking event and asked a CEO what he did. Rather than launching into a 30-second elevator pitch, he had a conversation with me that resulted in a $45,000 sale. In other words, he ditched the pitch. Instead of doing a monologue we had a dialogue. In this episode, you'll learn the four-part framework he used to inspire me to care and be motivated to learn more.
Want to get better at swimming? Hire a swim coach. Want to improve your golf game? Hire a golf coach. If you want to get better at pretty much anything hiring a coach can accelerate your learning curve because you get immediate feedback. Yet in sales, we rarely practice our "golf swing" or get coaching. How do you practice and coach sales? In this episode, Kevin Dorsey the VP of Inside Sales at PatientPop shares his secrets for coaching sales teams into top performers.
Why are cold email response rates so low? How do you stand out in a sea of boring B2B outreach? In this episode, Patricia Mclaren, the co-founder of CopyShoppe.co, shares her tips for improving cold email response rates.
Last week I received 15 LinkedIn connection requests and I ignored all of them because they were what advertising legend Dave Trott calls "white circles". They were all the same. The brain ignores patterns so that it can concentrate on more important things. It's the reason why you don't pay attention to every car on the road while you're driving. To stand out in a sea of white circles you have to be different. In other words, you have to be a red x in a sea of white circles. The concept of the red x is important because your prospects secretly ask themselves four questions when they read your sales message. The first they ask is, "Should I pay attention to you?" And if you're a white circle, the answer to that question is no and you don't get to move to the second, third and fourth question your prospects ask themselves before they decide to take a meeting with you.
That's why I was excited to groove with Rachel Gray, and Account Executive at Proposify.
Want to be a millionaire? Hang out with a millionaire. Want to be a better cook? Watch a chef cook. Want to get better at cold calling? Then listen to Jackie Lipnicki on the Inside Selling podcast. In 2016 Jackie would get pits her stomach making cold calls. Jackie felt inadequate because she was in an entry-level position calling a decision maker. But eventually, she had a mindset shift and used an approach she created that helped her crush new meetings targets without feeling intimidated.
Imagine that you've got a great corporate job. Big Salary. Benefits. Free snacks! But the job just doesn't feel good on your soul. Your boss tells you that she wants you to be a white circle in a sea of white circles. To follow the steps. To follow the rules. But you want to be a red X. That's exactly how Alex Grodkin, the COO of Payclub felt we he left his high paying six-figure job to pursue his dream of being an entrepreneur.
The most important trait a salesperson can have is integrity. That's because salespeople have a bad rep. You've probably experienced the telemarketer that calls you during dinner. Or the retention specialist that won't let you cancel your internet service. Or the crazy mall kiosk person that wants to rub lotion on your hand. As salespeople, we have to behave in ways that don't reinforce this negative stereotype. In this episode of Inside Selling Ryan O'Hara, the VP of Marketing at Lead IQ and I groove about the importance of having integrity when selling.
When I was first starting out in sales, I had the good fortune of working with Harry Gottlieb who is a very successful guy. Harry is the creator of You Don’t Know Jack, a quiz based party game that generated 100m in sales. The more time I spent with Harry, the better I became at sales. And that’s how you get better at anything right? Want to be a millionaire, spend time with millionaires. Want to level up your sales skills, spend time with top performing salespeople. Which is why I enjoyed grooving with Chris Canalas. Chris has been a top performing rep for 15 years. He's currently at ADP, but prior to that he sold water and alarm system door to door. One thing I noticed instantly about Chris was his positive mindset. Chris and I discuss how to avoid the trap of being complacent when you’ve reached the top. How monotony can pay huge dividends. The importance of confidence. Why a deep belief in what you’re selling matters. How to use humor to defuse sales pressure. And why sincerity is the most important trait a salesperson can have.
"I don't have a budget." "I don't want an annual contract." "I'm not interested."
You may have been taught to overcome objections like these. To somehow persuade people into your way of thinking so you can move the sale forward. But that's a very self-centered approach that often causes prospects to shut down or provide you with surface level information just to get you off the phone. In this episode, you'll learn a new approach to defusing objections that reduce sales pressure and opens up conversations.
Most people don't listen very well. Sure they act like they're listening. But they're really just waiting for the other person to stop talking so they can talk. That's not really listening. That's waiting to talk. But people who really listen are the ones we want to continue conversations with. Because it feels good to feel understood and heard. In this episode, Leslie and I will share you'll 3 ways you can become a better listener.
Kevin Ramani has made 20,000+ cold calls, sent countless emails, and closed millions of dollars in deals in his sales career. He's sold to C-Level executives in Fortune 500 companies as well as doctors, lawyers, and even restaurant owners. In this episodes Kevin shares some of the valuable lessons he's learned that you can apply to your business. Pure gold!
Leslie and Josh talk about ways you can use to optimize your time when selling. In this episode, you'll learn how to spend your time wisely by avoiding procrastination, cutting out time-wasters, and working more efficiently.
Jeremy Leveille, the #1 SDR at LeadIQ, shares how he was able to book 69 meetings in 1 month. But as with any top 1% performer, there's more to Jeremey's success than just his tactics. His attitude is off the charts positive. It's inevitable that rejection is going to happen when prospecting. But what I noticed about Jeremey was how he responds to rejection by taking responsibility for it rather than blaming the prospect.
Have you ever listened to someone explain something to you and you had no idea what they were talking about? Or maybe you tried to explain something and they just didn't get you. The ability to explain things in ways that make people care is a great skill to have when selling. Why? Because if people are confused they won't act. That's why I'm super excited to groove with Harry Gottlieb, a master explainer who's best known as the creator of You Don't Know Jack.
Looking for ideas to help you stand out and start conversations with your prospects? In this episode Jennifer Dear and Samantha Plum from D3-NYC share direct mail campaigns they've used to break through the noise and generate revenue.
Derek Kernus the Sales Manager at Stratix Systems talks about selling $32,000 of cutlery in college over summer break and why selling is the best way to learn how to sell.
Claire Coder the 21-year-old proud college dropout, entrepreneur and CEO (Chief Estrogen Officer) of Aunt Flow on how she was able to get initial traction.
Whether you love your job or not, you've probably given some thought to your next career move. In this episode you'll learn 3 things that will help you separate yourself from the competition and land your next job.
No matter whom you're pitching—investors, customers, or colleagues— you'll be more effective by tapping the awesome power of narrative storytelling. In this episode, you'll learn how storytelling frameworks from film and other narrative arts can take your pitches and presentations to the next level.
Why do some reps crush it while others tank? One reason has to do with mindset. In this episode Leslie and I will share some tips for leveling up your mental game.
Dale Dupree aka The Copier Warrior, is a top copier salesperson and an expert in making good first impressions. On this episode Dale explains how he creates strong emotional connections with prospects so they feel comfortable having conversations with him.
You've been there. You had an awesome discovery call. Then crickets. Your prospect disappears and you start chasing. Do you follow up forever? In this episode Jessica Watts and I share a few ideas that will help you reduce the number of prospects that go dark.
"Either you've been eaten by alligators or you're just plain swamped." "Don't leave me hanging." "I've tried reaching out multiple times. If I offended you in a way please let me know." Prospecting persistence. What every sales reps is required to have. But how much is too much? On this episode Jessica Watts and I discuss ways to ensure that your persistence does't turn you into a pest.
Page Kemna talks about how she earned viral fame - and a slew of job offers by creatig a sensational musical cover letter to spice up her resume.
TIto Borht, the CEO of AltiSales shares how and SDR was able to book 37 meetings in one month using personalization at scale.
Learn how Morgan Gillespie is using video to warm up cold calls, book more meetings and even prompt her prospects to write articles about her approach on LinkedIn. No really, you can read the article here - https://goo.gl/fgrtky
Guy Lambert is the head of sales at Mentorloop. On this episode of Inside Selling Guy explains how he attracts prospects by offering education around a specific problem.
Seth Weinstock is a master of cold calling. On this episode of Inside Selling Seth explains the secrets you need to know to achieve cold call success and the script he uses to set meetings.
In this episode Shoshi shares –
Why prospects naturally put up roadblocks when you first engage with them How to read shift your mindset from selling to helping The importance of uncovering and then sharing information that will make your prospects smarter
Ryan O'Hara is the VP of Marketing for LeadIQ and a complete legend when it comes to cold outreach. He typically gets a 50% response rate on his campaigns. I loved interviewing him on Inside Selling because he brings so much positive energy and creativity to the prospecting process. On this episode Ryan shares a few ideas for how to use humor, imagery and music to stand out in crowded inboxes.
As a sales manager your problem probably isn’t too little data. It’s too much data. Too much data can be overwhelming. And when you’re overwhelmed, you can’t analyze the data, interpret it, and make smart decisions. Leslie Venetz is here to help! She is the Vice President of Business Development at Carpathia Marketing. On this episode of Inside Selling we dive into the most important sales metrics to measure and how to use them to improve rep performance.
In this episode Sarah shares – How she grew the Syracuse Entrepreneur Club from 50 to 500+ people The "hack" that got her kicked out of the Syracuse Entrepreneur Club A clever way to lean more about your audience Why she dropped of out college A non-traditional way to stand out and land your dream job
Stop pushing for yes and instead turn your questions into "no"-oriented questions to create safe environments where prospects feel comfortable opening up so that you can get to more truth. Lesson learned from Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss. Yes" is often a meaningless answer that hides deeper objections. "No" provides an opportunity for both parties to clarify what they don't want, and is a safe choice that maintains the status quo.
Tito's SDR teams have made over 1 million cold calls. 55% of the people his SDRs connect with book a meeting. In this episode Tito shares his techniques and methods for making effective cold calls.
In this episode of Inside Selling, Michael Phillips the founder of Saleswolf.io teaches you and approach to cold calling that reduces call anxiety while feeling good on the soul.
On this episode Richard Smith, the co-founder at Refract shows you how to send an email that will break through the noise. Spoiler alert, you don't need to send 8 emails. Just one.
In this episode Morgan Ingram discusses the importance of getting in the right state of mind when selling.
Today I’ve got Jon Buchan from “Charm Offensive” on the show. Jon helps clients craft cold emails that jolt even the most distracted prospects into responding.
Why isn't your LinkedIn selling working? You're not using the right playbook. Brynne Tillman, who actually wrote the book on LinkedIn sales playbooks, will walk you through the 8 steps to follow.
Check out Brynne Tilman's Amazon Best Selling Book: The LinkedIn Sales Playbook, A Practical Guide to Social Selling.
Walking the tightrope between quantity and quality might be the toughest thing modern sales teams do. There's no easy answer, but Conner Burt has some guidance for you.
Ever wonder why sales training takes a few days for some reps, and some just never get it? Or why it's so hard for it to stick? Simple: the world is a-changin'. Daniel Kuperman reveals his strategy for cutting sales onboarding times by 50% or more.
If your cold outreach isn't working like it once was - and it's probably not - you might need a small injection of personality. We'll tell you how to do it.
It might be time to supplement your sales efforts with a little social. But where to start? Social selling expert Dylan Hey of Leadfeeder has the answer.
Making cold calls is TOUGH - but there's a way to do it that's more effective and will get you more meetings. But the key is just the opposite. We'll tell you how.
Ever wondered why some of your demos leave your prospects totally sold on your product or service, and others fall flat? There's a good reason, and we'll tell what to do about it.
Royce Robbins of Peak Sale s Recruiting discusses the biggest mistakes that are made when hiring salespeople, and the steps to take to avoid them. Spoiler: you gotta plan wisely.
Forget weeks- and months-long onboarding to get your SDRs ramped and setting meetings. Try this 1-day onboarding strategy instead.
Jason Fried, Founder and CEO of Basecamp, discusses the sales outreach he receives and what does - and doesn't - strike a chord with him.
Deliberate practice is the secret to getting to the selling promised land. Get our 3 simple strategies you can implement to practice in minutes - not hours - every day.
Accelerating the pace of your deals is important, but you can't make prospects buy faster than is comfortable. But there are a few steps you could - and should - take with every prospect.
Nellie Aube of Sailthru walks through her coaching and onboarding process that keeps reps performing above quota.
Get a complete rundown on how to cut through the noise, command attention, and reach your dream prospects.
Check out Josh's conversation with Sara Colombo, Director of Business Development at Jellyvision.
Want to start a conversation at the right time, and in the right way? Trigger events are the tool you need, and we give you 6 different triggers that'll help you get started.
Ready to hear what it takes to land clients at leading outbound software company? Check out what Mark Kosoglow, VP of Sales at Outreach.io, has to say about what they're doing to land meetings and deals.
Ever had a prospect go dark on you? Of course you have! It comes with the territory. Here are some handy tips about what to do next time it happens, and how to prevent it from happening in the first place.
Dan Burrill, Director of Inside Sales at Twilio, talks about his sales playbooks to predictably grow revenue through account based marketing.
Get the one question you should be asking - have you considered...? - that'll deliver more help to your customers and increase their LTV.
Sam Trachtenberg, VP of Operations at Adroll, discusses how to successfully roll out a major new sales initiative with big results.
What to do - and what not to do - when responding to inbound leads. Hint: inbound isn't a monolith (yes, we said monolith).
Greg Reffner, VP of Sales at Allbound, discusses how he uses call coaching by personality type to help his sales team improve rapidly.
Need help landing more meetings, bringing reps to full productivity faster, or increasing your conversion rates? Head over to www.salesdna.co for courses, free articles, or to contact us for help.
Daniel Barber of Chorus.io and Docusign says the real value of call intelligence isn't coaching, it's something entirely different.