Sales Reinvented: Recent Episodes
Paul Watts
We at Sales Reinvented are on a mission to change the negative perception of selling. Each week we will be interviewing experts in the field of sales and sharing their knowledge, ideas and expertise with our listeners. They share with us in our vision of a world where selling is profession to be proud of.
The aim of our formatted show is to provide ‘snackable’ episodes that are short enough to listen to in one sitting but long enough to provide real value that will help you in your sales career.
Welcome to the Sales Reinvented Podcast.
In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Brian Ahearn breaks down how to effectively handle objections, with price being the most common. He explains that salespeople must guide comparisons to demonstrate value, making price less of a hurdle.
Preparation is key—knowing objections in advance and addressing them early builds trust and credibility. Brian shares his “Feel, Felt, Found” technique to handle objections empathetically, using social proof and cognitive triggers to ease resistance. Finally, he recommends a “speed dating” style of role-playing objections to build confidence and sharpen skills through repetition.
Outline of This Episode * [0:46] The most common types of objections * [2:35] The biggest mistake (and how to avoid it) * [4:10] How Brian responds to objections * [5:43] The role of empathy in objection-handling * [8:54] How to handle objections with confidence * [11:54] Top 3 objection-handling dos and don’ts * [13:05] Turning an objection into a successful sale
Resources & People Mentioned * Brian’s TEDx talk about his wife
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We’ve all heard the usual objections—“The price is too high” or “You’re not a good fit for us.” But what about the objections no one talks about? Many deals fall through because prospects perceive real or imagined risk. Others are paralyzed by decision fatigue, overwhelmed by the options in front of them.
In this episode of Sales Reinvented, you’ll learn how to uncover these hidden barriers, shift objections into conversations, and build trust that leads to yes. Dive into the key insights below, then listen to the full episode to sharpen your sales game!
Outline of This Episode * [1:12] The most common types of objections * [3:05] How to overcome prospect overwhelm * [4:22] The biggest mistakes people make * [7:45] How Lisa responds to objections * [9:04] The role of empathy in objection-handling * [11:09] How to handle objections with confidence * [14:10] Top 3 objection-handling dos and don’ts * [17:00] Turning an objection into a successful sale
Resources & People Mentioned * B2B Sales Strategy: Avoid Prospect Stalls and Stops
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Because so many competitors are hiding behind digital tools, far fewer are calling prospects. That’s why cold-calling is amazingly relevant. But you have to practice your craft. Wendy Weiss has been training salespeople for 24 years. When most people learn a simple scripted system, know it inside and out, and practice it consistently, picking up the phone is easy. She shares why she believes scripting is so important in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:01] What is cold-calling? Is it still relevant? * [2:42] Is cold-calling an art and a science? * [3:32] How Wendy prepares for cold-calling * [5:59] Wendy’s effective opening lines and techniques * [7:01] To script or not to script? * [8:46] Tools, technology, and metrics Wendy uses * [11:58] Wendy’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts * [15:01] How Wendy handles objections and rejections
Resources & People Mentioned * Contact Science * Get Wendy’s FREE Sales Prospecting Toolkit
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Cold-calling is the art of creating a new possibility. When someone makes a cold call, they’re often focused on “I have to get this meeting. I can’t blow this. I need this deal.” They’re so focused on themselves and their own agenda that they can’t create possibilities.
You have to understand the prospect's greatest pain and how you can align their pain with the value that you can deliver. The only way any salesperson can do that is by discovering where the prospect is today and where they want to be tomorrow. Keith Rosen shares how to do that in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:00] What is cold-calling? Is it still relevant? * [5:00] Is there a science to cold-calling? * [16:24] Keith’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts
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When you’re calling someone out of the blue, you have to gain their attention. To do so, you need to be direct, honest, and strong. But whatever you do, you have to meet the prospect as who they are. You need to know their personality to know the best way to pique their interest. Jordan covers the rules he follows to conquer cold calls and book meetings in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:45] What is cold-calling? Is it still relevant? * [1:34] Is cold-calling an art and a science? * [2:09] Pattern interruptions * [3:04] How Jordon prepares for cold-calling * [4:21] Jordon’s effective opening lines and techniques * [5:22] To script or not to script? * [6:19] Tools, technology, and metrics Jordon uses * [7:48] Jordon’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts * [10:16] How Jordon handles objections and rejections
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The Art of Cold-Calling with Chris Cicconi, Ep #423
Early in his career, Chris Cicconi believed cold-calling was a science. He came prepared with a script, knew everything about who he was talking to, and knew when to execute. But as his career has evolved, the process has become more of an art. Now he gathers a general idea of his persona, where they work, and what their industry is like but he doesn’t rely on the structure like he did in the past. He shares how his process helps him book more meetings in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:46] What is cold-calling? Is it still relevant? * [2:08] Is cold-calling an art and a science? * [3:23] How Chris prepares for cold-calling * [5:05] Chris’s effective opening lines and techniques * [7:11] How to keep a cold call engaging * [9:06] Indispensable tools, technology, and metrics * [10:26] Chris’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts * [15:57] How Chris handles objections and rejections
Resources & People Mentioned * Trellus Power Dialer
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There’s still nothing like picking up the phone and having a person-to-person conversation. But the key to a great conversation is being positive, passionate, and prepared. You have to gather data-driven insights and use them to refine your approach.
You have to believe in and be passionate about your product or solution. You must be positive. Stuart shares how to combine the three keys to book more meetings in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:42] What is cold-calling? Is it still relevant? * [1:42] Is cold-calling an art and a science? * [2:51] You must be positive, passionate, and prepared * [4:05] Stuart’s effective opening lines and techniques * [5:41] How to keep a cold call engaging * [7:07] Indispensable tools, technology, and metrics * [9:03] Stuart’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts * [11:38] How Stuart handles objections and rejections
Resources & People Mentioned * ChatGPT * LinkedIn Sales Navigator * Crystal Knows
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Cold-calling is valuable because it’s the fastest and most efficient way to connect with a prospective client—and it’s becoming one of the least common prospecting channels. Too many people are intimidated by phone calls and avoid it entirely. If you’re one of the few salespeople still willing to pick up the phone, you have an advantage. Learn how to leverage that advantage in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:07] What is cold-calling? Is it still relevant? * [2:53] Is cold-calling an art and a science? * [3:48] Block cold-calling time in your calendar * [5:23] Jamie’s effective opening lines and techniques * [7:42] How to keep a cold call engaging * [9:34] Tools, technology, and metrics * [12:26] Jamie’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts * [16:16] How Jamie handles objections and rejections
Resources & People Mentioned * ChatGPT * Cognism
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Cold-calling is an opportunity to plant seeds that you can nurture. It allows you to build meaningful new business relationships. Simone Laraway believes that as long as it’s part of a wider campaign, it’s still incredibly relevant.
But how do you approach cold-calling? What makes it more effective? Simone shares her strategies in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:52] What is cold-calling? Is it still relevant? * [1:46] Is cold-calling an art and a science? * [2:55] How Simone prepares for cold-calling * [5:16] Simone’s opening lines and techniques * [6:14] How to keep a cold call engaging * [7:42] Tools, technology, and metrics * [10:22] Simone’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts * [12:58] How Simone handles objections and rejections
Resources & People Mentioned * LinkedIn Sales Navigator * MailChimp
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Cold-calling success hinges on your ability to listen and ask great questions. The more good questions you ask, the more likely you are to get your prospect to say “yes” to a meeting. It can be too easy to interrupt and be combative when you know they don’t understand what you’re saying. Ashleigh’s process will help you move beyond baseless objections to that elusive “yes.” She details her strategy in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:58] What is cold-calling? Is it still relevant? * [2:26] Is cold-calling an art and a science? * [3:32] Get into the performance mindset * [5:06] Ashleigh’s opening lines and techniques * [6:30] How to keep a cold call engaging * [8:05] Tools, technology, and metrics * [10:50] Ashleigh’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts * [12:56] How Ashleigh handles objections and rejections
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Cold-calling isn’t easy. You face constant rejection. But it’s all part of the process. The only thing you can control is doing your research so you know your prospects. You consistently make the calls and speak to the prospect’s pain points.
What happens after your call is out of your control. Once you accept and embrace this fact, the pressure subsides. So how do you measure the process? Scott Cowley shares his strategy in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:42] What is cold-calling? Is it still relevant? * [1:45] Is cold-calling an art and a science? * [2:41] How Scott prepares for cold-calling * [4:41] Scott’s opening lines and techniques * [6:14] Keeping a cold call engaging * [8:29] Tools, technology, and metrics * [10:58] Scott’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts * [14:19] How Scott handles objections and rejections
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Tyler Hickey is a science guy. He tried to make cold-calling a science. Eventually, he realized there’s an art to it as well—and you have to master both. If you start by mastering your scripts, learning frameworks, and digging deeper into objections, you’ll be well on your way. Tyler shares his trade secrets in this episode of @SalesReinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:45] What is cold-calling? Is it still relevant? * [2:31] Is cold-calling an art and a science? * [4:11] How Tyler prepares for cold-calling * [5:15] Opening lines and techniques * [6:07] How Tyler keeps cold-calling engaging * [7:57] Indispensable tools and technology * [10:03] Tyler’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts * [12:49] How Tyler handles objections/rejections
Resources & People Mentioned * Outreach * Lead IQ * Phone Ready Leads
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According to Rex Biberston, as long as people still pick up their phones, there will be value in cold-calling. Obviously, it’s truer for someone where using the phone is a normal part of their workday. If they’re talking to customers daily, they’re likely still answering unanticipated phone calls.
That being said, there is a procedure and methodology to cold-calling that can make you more effective. The reality is that most of it can be learned and improved upon. Rex shares some of his expert tips in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:52] What is cold-calling? Is it still relevant? * [2:07] Is cold-calling an art and a science? * [2:59] How Rex prepares for cold-calling * [4:30] Rex’s opening lines and techniques * [6:15] How to keep cold calls engaging * [8:50] Tools and technology to leverage * [10:53] How Rex measures effectiveness * [12:39] The risks of using a parallel dialer * [14:22] Rex’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts * [17:10] How Rex faces objections/rejections
Resources & People Mentioned * Nooks
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Dillon emphasizes that you have to be articulate and understand that everyone you talk to is different. You have to learn the art of people. You’re a random person—it should be expected that you’ll get hung up on. To avoid the probability of that, you have to understand their business, ask the right questions, and say the right things.
You need to learn more about the prospects than ever before. Knowing their title isn’t enough. You need to be able to offer them something of value. It all starts and ends with research. Learn Dillon’s research-backed cold-calling process in episode #415 of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:51] What is cold-calling? Is it still relevant today? * [1:33] Is cold calling an art and a science? * [3:05] How Dillon prepares for cold calling * [4:56] The opening lines Dillon uses * [6:08] How to keep a cold call engaging * [7:23] Tools, technology, and metrics * [8:52] Dillon’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts * [11:42] How Dillon handles objections
Resources & People Mentioned * Outreach.io * Salesloft * Apollo
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Cold-calling currently remains the only personal approach to interacting with a prospect that can’t be replicated by AI. That’s why the conversation you have is incredibly important. Valentyn Kokoshko believes that if you follow some simple rules on your calls. Valentyn lays out his efficient and effective process in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:52] What is cold-calling? Is it still relevant? * [2:05] Is cold-calling an art and a science? * [3:00] How Valentyn prepares for cold-calling * [6:06] How Valentyn uses permission-based openers * [8:07] How to keep a cold call engaging * [20:05] Tools, technology, and metrics * [11:53] Valentyn’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts * [13:35] How Valentyn handles objections
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Joe Pici is direct. He believes you need to have great skills and an overall strategy with everything you’re doing related to cold-calling. In fact, Joe won’t put anyone on a phone until they’ve had 4–7 hours of in-depth strategy, skills, and scripting training.
His three-day sales bootcamp is ranked #1 in the world. The first day, they only focus on communication styles (and how to adapt). On day two, they focus on value proposition, target market, and scripting. On day three, they make two hours of cold calls.
They average a 77% conversion to appointments. They get 50–60 return phone calls the same day. So what does Joe do differently? Learn more in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:01] What is cold calling? Is it still relevant? * [1:30] The strategy and skill of cold calling * [2:34] How Joe prepares for cold-calling * [4:18] Joe’s most effective opening line * [5:43] Why Joe scripts cold calls * [7:23] Joe’s favorite tool: a Focus Board * [12:11] Joe’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts * [13:08] How Joe handles objections/rejections * [16:00] Get a free cup of coffee
Resources & People Mentioned * Get access to Joe’s FREE webinar
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You can give two sellers the same script. One seller sounds like they’re reading the script in a monotone voice. The other achieves amazing results because they modulate their voice. You can also control tonality.
You can vary the pitch of your voice. You can increase the flow of your breath to change how you sound. If you drill down and really strive to understand these things, they move from the realm of art and become a science.
That’s why Arlo believes that your voice is your #1 cold-calling tool. When used properly, your voice can propel you toward the results you desire. Arlo shares the methods and techniques he uses to master cold-calling in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:08] What is cold-calling? Is it still relevant? * [2:07] The art and science of cold-calling * [3:18] How Arlo prepares for a cold-calling session * [6:49] Effective opening lines and techniques * [9:47] Scripting or not scripting? * [10:38] Tools, technology, and metrics * [11:23] Arlo’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts * [13:38] How Arlo handles objections
Resources & People Mentioned * The Announcer’s Test * Ronen Pessar * Belal Batrawy * Josh Braun
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Cold-calling may not be the cornerstone of sales like it used to be but it’s still relevant, according to Giulio Segantini. But we must adapt it to today’s world. He believes that it comes down to science.
There is psychological evidence to backup the best way to cold-call. It’s obvious what you should and shouldn’t do. You have to listen and ask the right questions and let the person sell to themselves.
So how does Giulio do it? He shares his cold-calling techniques in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:45] What is cold-calling? Is it relevant today? * [1:19] The science of cold-calling * [2:25] How Giulio prepares for cold-calling * [3:34] Giulio’s effective opening techniques * [4:32] How to keep a cold call engaging * [6:55] The ideal length of a cold-call * [7:55] Tools and technology to leverage * [10:26] Giulio’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts * [12:45] How Giulio handles objections/rejections
Resources & People Mentioned * Trellus
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Cold-calling is the fastest way to build rapport and get answers—if you know what you’re doing. If you’re still struggling with cold-calling and feeling ineffective, Tom Bertrand has some great strategies you can quickly learn to transform your results. Sometimes, it takes doing the unexpected to get the results you’re looking for. Listen to learn more.
Outline of This Episode * [1:02] What is cold-calling? Is it still relevant? * [1:16] The art and science of cold-calling * [2:01] How Tom prepares for a cold-calling session * [3:30] What are hooks and triggers? * [4:31] Effective opening lines and techniques * [5:34] How to keep the conversation engaging * [7:30] Tools, technology, and metrics * [9:27] Tom’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts * [12:01] How Tom handles objections/rejections
Resources & People Mentioned * Art Sobczak * Chris Voss * ZoomInfo * Apollo * Cognism * Salesloft
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Now, more than ever, there’s an element of authenticity that must be present when you make cold calls. People are beyond frustrated with AI-generated calls. You know the ones—where there’s dead space at the beginning of the call before someone connects.
They have to know that you’re genuinely interested in the result of the call and what they need. Lisa shares how she empathizes, connects, and directs the cold-call conversation in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:02] What is cold-calling? Is it still relevant? * [2:32] The art and science of cold-calling * [5:04] How to prepare for a cold-calling session * [7:09] Effective opening lines and techniques * [11:31] How to keep the conversation engaging * [15:42] Tools, technology, and metrics * [18:51] Lisa’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts * [22:01] Empathize, connect, and direct
Resources & People Mentioned * Gong
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Lester Sydney firmly believes that you need a multi-threaded approach when it comes to prospecting. Cold-calling must be a part of your overall prospecting toolkit. So how do you prepare for cold-calling? How do you keep a cold call engaging and reach your objective of scheduling a follow-up? Lester shares his fun strategy in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:42] What is cold-calling? Is it still relevant? * [1:58] The art and science of cold-calling * [3:02] How Lester prepares for cold-calling * [4:32] Lester’s unique opening technique * [6:15] How Lester keeps a cold call engaging * [7:58] Tools, technology, and metrics * [10:24] Lester’s top 3 cold-calling dos and don’ts * [14:26] How Lester handles objections and rejections
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When used correctly and strategically, cold-calling is always relevant. According to Scott Channell, cold-calling is an outbound call to your highest probability group—done methodically—to maximize the odds of an effective conversation. So how does he do it? Scott shares his secrets in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:42] What is cold-calling? Is it still relevant? * [1:58] The art and science of cold-calling * [5:03] How Scott prepares for cold-calling * [9:52] Scott’s opening techniques * [13:16] Why Scott scripts cold calls * [17:19] Tools, technology, and metrics * [19:53] Scott’s top 3 cold-calling dos and don’ts * [22:33] How Scott handles objections and rejections
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To Nick Kane, cold-calling is most effective when accompanied by all cold outreach, including emails, canvassing in person, networking, and social selling activities. They must all work together to prospect for new business. How you approach will vary depending on numerous factors, including your industry. But the key to ultimate effectiveness is that your outreach must be consistent. Nick shares more about his cold outreach process in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:01] What is cold-calling? Is it still relevant? * [1:47] The art and science of cold-calling? * [2:42] How Nick prepares for cold-calling * [4:03] Nick’s favorite opening lines * [5:20] How Nick keeps a cold call engaging * [7:01] Tools and technology to leverage * [8:40] Nick’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts * [11:55] How Nick handles objections/rejections
Resources & People Mentioned * HubSpot Sales
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Mary conducted a survey on the future of phone communication in business. She sent it to 724 Senior Executives around the world with a 15% response rate. The comments indicated that when it came to sales, cold-calling was still the preferred method of starting communication.
So how do you make your cold calls effective? Mary Jane—better known as “The Phone Lady”—shares her strategies in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:47] What is cold-calling? Is it still relevant? * [2:55] Is cold-calling an art and a science? * [4:10] How Mary Jane prepares for cold-calling * [5:47] Mary Jane’s effective opening lines * [8:14] How to keep the conversation going * [9:27] Indispensable tools, technology, and metrics * [12:00] Mary Jane’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts * [15:23] How Mary Jane handles objections
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David Walter doesn’t believe that cold-calling is an art or a science. Instead, he emphasizes that you simply need a blueprint to follow and a desire to want to do the work. He takes a different approach than most, especially when it comes to objection handling. David emphasizes aggressive agreement. Learn his process in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:07] What is a cold-call? Is cold-calling still relevant? * [2:21] Is there an art and science to cold-calling? * [2:43] How David prepares for cold-calling * [4:35] David’s favorite way to capture a prospect’s interest * [5:39] How to keep a cold-call conversation engaging * [6:56] Indispensable tools and technologies * [8:22] David’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts * [10:10] How David handles objections and rejections
Resources & People Mentioned * Zoom Info * LinkedIn Navigator * Seamless.ai * How to Win Friends & Influence People
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According to Amy Franko, cold-calling is simply intentional outreach. Whether you know them or not, it is intentional. You have to find a connection point to take a cold conversation and warm it up. Cold-calling is one of the best and highest uses of your time. Learn how to conquer cold-calling in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:52] Is cold-calling still relevant? * [1:50] Is cold calling an art and a science? * [2:56] How Amy prepares for cold-calling * [4:35] Amy’s effective opening lines * [6:01] How to keep a cold call engaging * [7:22] Indispensable tools & technology * [9:26] Amy’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts * [12:24] How Amy combats cold-call rejection
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According to Art Sobczak, cold-calling is dead. He has a better way: Smart-calling. A “smart” call is calling people that you know something about and you have customized, tailored, and personalized a message so it’s relevant to them. This leads to a better chance of engaging with them and moving them to a conversation.
Smart-calling is still relevant. It sets you apart from digital messages, which are often ignored. When a good call comes in, it’s refreshing. Art shares how to follow his smart-calling process in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [1:02] Why Art believes that “Cold” calling is dead * [4:23] The art and science of smart calling * [5:24] How Art prepares for a smart calling sessions * [7:58] The Smart Calling process * [11:48] How to keep a smart call engaging * [14:15] Tools and technology to leverage * [16:46] Art’s top smart-calling dos and don’ts * [21:35] The difference between objections and resistance
Resources & People Mentioned * FREE Smart Calling script template * Smart Calling: Eliminate the Fear, Failure, and Rejection from Cold Calling
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According to Nancy Calabrese, cold-calling is just networking by phone. It’s relevant because many people don’t do it anymore. It will help you stand out. People feel it doesn’t work because they don’t do it enough. If you’re not practicing daily, you’ll get rusty.
It all starts with your mindset. You’re just having a non-salesy conversation with a decision-maker to decide if you’re a good fit for each other. You have to build your cold-calling courage muscles. Nancy shares her successful cold-calling strategies in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [1:01] Is cold-calling still relevant? * [1:54] The art and science of cold-calling * [3:17] How Nancy prepares for cold-calling * [4:39] How Nancy captures someone’s interest * [6:47] How to keep a cold call engaging * [7:54] Measuring the success of a cold call * [9:57] Nancy’s top three cold-calling dos and don’ts * [12:00] How to handle an objection
Resources & People Mentioned * When They Say No
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The “Science” of cold-calling encompasses the things that almost anyone could implement in a few minutes of training or by using a script. You use an opener, deliver a pitch, talk next steps, and close—all while keeping it short and sweet.
Zoya believes that there are best practices that fall between the art and the science. They’re concrete things that you can implement, such as keeping the conversation focused on your prospect—not the product.
The “Art” of cold-calling encompasses the things that are difficult to teach, such as tone, tact, confidence, and sales and business acumen. Those things dictate a salesperson’s ability to get a prospect to open up.
The only way to improve and get better is to practice—which can be accelerated with a good coach. In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Zoya steps up into the coaching position to share how to master the art and science of cold-calling.
Outline of This Episode * [1:22] Is cold-calling still relevant? * [3:11] The art and science of cold-calling * [6:06] How Zoy prepares for cold-calling * [8:38] Zoya’s simple yet effective opening line * [11:23] Why Zoya is a fan of scripted guidelines * [14:44] Indispensable tools for modern cold-calling * [18:00] Zoya’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts * [24:47] How Zoya handles objections on a cold call
Resources & People Mentioned * 6Sense * Orum Power Dialer * Practice cold calls with Hyperbound
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Between people not answering calls from phone numbers they don’t recognize, to spam filters, to people silencing their phones—it’s become harder and harder to connect when making cold calls. What is a salesperson supposed to do?
Mark Sellers joins me in this episode of Sales Reinvented to share how he navigates making cold calls (or sending cold emails) in a way that captures his prospect’s interest—and respects their time.
Outline of This Episode * [1:17] Is cold-calling still relevant? * [3:04] Is cold-calling an art and science? * [3:38] How Mark prepares for cold-calling * [5:51] How to capture a prospect’s interest * [7:58] Why Mark is a fan of using scripts * [10:16] Tools and strategies to leverage * [12:25] Mark’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts * [15:52] The best way to handle objections
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In its simplest sense, cold-calling is reaching out to someone by phone who may not know who you are. Is it still relevant in today’s sales world? According to Kristie Jones, yes, cold-calling still has a place. It still gives you the ability to create a human connection. But how do you master cold-calling? Kristie shares the art and science of cold-calling to kick off our newest series.
Outline of This Episode * [0:58] Kristie’s definition of cold-calling * [1:25] The art and science of cold-calling * [2:34] How Kristie prepares for cold-calling * [5:10] The most effective way to capture interest * [6:26] How to keep a cold call engaging * [8:31] Tools and technology to leverage * [10:20] Kristie’s top cold-calling dos and don’ts * [12:00] How Kristie overcomes cold-calling objections
Resources & People Mentioned * Local Presence
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Until you meet someone, the only thing(s) you have to go off of is what you’ve learned about them online. When you create a LinkedIn profile, it’s indexed by search engines. It’s usually the first result when you Google someone’s name. It’s also a great place to learn about someone. You want your profile to give them the right information. Learn how to leverage your LinkedIn profile as a pre-sales tool in this episode of Sales Reinvented with special guest Mark White.
Outline of This Episode * [1:26] Why a compelling LinkedIn profile is key * [2:55] The elements that have the greatest impact * [6:02] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [7:45] Build “know” and “like” before “trust” * [10:31] How often to update your LinkedIn profile * [12:18] Use your customers to build a better LinkedIn profile * [14:01] Mark’s top LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [16:56] Leverage your LinkedIn profile as a pre-sales tool
Resources & People Mentioned * Free Word Cloud Generator
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LinkedIn is a professional site built for business and networking—why not make it the best you can? Optimizing your profile photo, banner, and headline is a great place to start. But what can you do to make yourself sellable? How can you adjust things so that LinkedIn (and search engines ) prioritize you in search results? Kevin Turner shares some incredible tips in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:35] Why a compelling LinkedIn profile is important * [2:27] The elements with the greatest impact on sales * [4:14] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [6:20] Balancing professionalism and personality * [7:21] How often to update your LinkedIn profile * [10:31] Kevin’s cautionary tale about LinkedIn tools * [17:14] Kevin’s top LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [23:23] Don’t be afraid to pivot and adjust * How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn
Resources & People Mentioned * The Go-Giver
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Everyone needs a LinkedIn profile. Why? People want to assess whether or not they can like you. They want to determine if you’re credible and trustworthy. Most people want to do this before meeting you or having a conversation so they don’t feel like they’re wasting their time. You have to show up in service to your prospects. How? Karen Tisdell shares her process in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:31] Why a compelling LinkedIn profile is important * [3:02] Your headline follows you everywhere—prioritize it * [4:15] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [5:06] Divide your “about” section into four parts * [6:38] How often to update your LinkedIn profile * [8:31] Tools to build a better LinkedIn profile * [10:46] Karen’s top LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [14:34] How you show up on LinkedIn matters
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When someone searches for your name in Google, LinkedIn is usually the first result. Take advantage of that opportunity. If you don’t provide someone with a great LinkedIn profile, why would they waste their time on you?
Angela Dunz primarily works with attorneys. And according to the research, 94% of people look at an attorney’s LinkedIn profile before their website. Learn how to make good use of that real estate in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:11] Why a compelling LinkedIn profile is important * [3:12] Above-the-fold curb appeal is important * [6:29] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [7:30] Balancing professionalism and personality * [8:56] How often to update your LinkedIn profile * [10:30] Tools to build a better LinkedIn profile * [13:20] Angela’s top LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [16:07] Focus on what you’re passionate about
Resources & People Mentioned * ChatGPT * Claude * Gemini * DALL-E * Check Your SSI Score
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How do you want the reader to feel once they’ve looked over your profile? What action are you hoping they’ll take? Writing for the reader is essential because it dictates what happens next. When someone feels like you’ve built trust, they’re more likely to take the next step. Leslie shares how to write your LinkedIn profile for your prospects in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:45] Why a compelling LinkedIn profile is important * [1:21] Why your photo, banner, and headline are key * [2:36] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [5:45] Balancing professionalism and personality * [7:39] How often to update your LinkedIn profile * [9:23] Tools to build a better LinkedIn profile * [12:04] Leslie’s top LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [18:15] Use LinkedIn as a tool for gathering information
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70–80% of the time you Google someone, their LinkedIn profile will show up on the first page of results. And people are 2x more likely to believe what’s on LinkedIn than anyplace else. A stellar profile is absolutely essential, regardless of industry. So how do you tell your professional story on LinkedIn in a way that speaks to your ideal client? Rhonda Sher shares some great ideas in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:00] Why a compelling LinkedIn profile is important * [1:42] Why your photo, headline, and banner are key * [2:36] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [4:37] Balancing professionalism and personality * [5:51] How often to update your LinkedIn profile * [7:09] Tools to build a better LinkedIn profile * [9:17] Rhonda’s top LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [13:22] Leverage LinkedIn as a website
Resources & People Mentioned * Photofeeler * EBI.AI
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If you want to gain visibility, authority, and generate leads that create revenue, a compelling LinkedIn profile is highly encouraged. Sheral DeVaughn is also a fan of leveraging video whenever possible. She shares why it’s important to get your face on camera—and how it helps you connect with potential clients—in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:17] Why a compelling LinkedIn profile is important * [1:55] Why Sheral focuses on the featured section * [3:09] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [4:30] Balancing professionalism and personality * [6:09] How often to update your LinkedIn profile * [7:24] What to monitor on your LinkedIn profile * [8:39] Sheral’s top LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [10:50] Demonstrate how you solve your prospect’s problem(s)
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Commitment to creating content consistently is key when it comes to a LinkedIn profile that sells. Those who successfully build followings share original and compelling content with a unique point of view. Andy shares how he built a following of over 150,000 people in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:00] Why a compelling LinkedIn profile is important * [1:52] It’s your content that attracts potential buyers * [5:38] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [7:53] Balancing professionalism and personality * [9:23] How often to update your LinkedIn profile * [11:30] Tools to improve your LinkedIn profile * [13:39] Andy’s top LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [18:45] How consistent content creation built Andy’s brand
Resources & People Mentioned * How to Sell through LinkedIn by Mike Schultz * Shield Analytics * Justin Welsh’s LinkedIn Course * ChatGPT
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If you don’t have a compelling LinkedIn profile, It’s almost like you don’t exist. But how much work do you have to put into creating a compelling profile? Does it require significant time and money? According to Beth Granger, some simple tweaks to your LinkedIn profile might make all the difference. Learn more in episode #389 of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:11] Why a compelling LinkedIn profile is important * [1:41] The elements that have an impact on sales * [2:48] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [3:57] Balancing professionalism and personality * [6:40] How often to update your LinkedIn profile * [7:56] Tools to improve your LinkedIn profile * [10:30] Beth’s top LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [12:51] Simple tweaks can make a profound impact
Resources & People Mentioned * Canva * Kapwing * Loom * AuthoredUp
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The first place people meet you for the first time is on LinkedIn. Why wouldn’t you take the time to make sure your profile reflects what you want your prospects and customers to see? Your online profile is your online appearance. Ultimately, it’s about you but not for you. Learn what Ryan Rhoten means in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:17] Why a compelling LinkedIn profile is important * [2:13] The three elements that have an impact on sales * [3:12] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [4:02] Balancing professionalism and personality * [5:11] How often to update your LinkedIn profile * [6:41] Tools to improve your LinkedIn profile * [8:30] Ryan’s top LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [11:30] Your profile is about you, not for you
Resources & People Mentioned * LinkedIn Made Simple: Fat Strategies in a Thin Book * Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business
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15 years ago people made connections via industry events, cold calling, and emails. They had limited access to information. That’s just how it was. But the world has changed. We are firmly in the digital age.
More buyers are researching online before speaking to someone in sales. LinkedIn, as of 2024, has over 1 billion users worldwide (38 million in the UK). That’s half of the population of the UK.
92% of buyers want to buy from a salesperson known as a thought leader. Use LinkedIn to showcase your skills and build your personal brand. It is the first way to build a connection and demonstrate authority and credibility in the field.
Outline of This Episode * [1:28] Why a compelling LinkedIn profile is important * [4:51] The elements that have an impact on sales * [6:34] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [8:34] Balancing professionalism and personality * [11:07] How often to update your LinkedIn profile * [12:31] Tools to improve your LinkedIn profile * [15:09] Laura’s top LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [17:54] Harness the power of LinkedIn
Resources & People Mentioned * LinkedIn SSI Score
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If someone wants to buy something sizable, they want to find the best person to help them. Most people turn to Google for answers. The top search result for someone’s name is usually their LinkedIn profile. That’s where people start. And if they know the product or service they need, people will go to LinkedIn to see who’s available, usually starting with their network.
So your LinkedIn profile needs to be set apart from the rest. But the people in your network are looking for far more than a well-constructed profile. They want you to add value to their lives. When you approach someone with genuine interest and care about their outcomes, you’ll see success on LinkedIn. But don’t take my word for it—listen to this episode with Perry van Beek to learn more.
Outline of This Episode * [1:32] Why a compelling LinkedIn profile is important * [3:52] The #1 element that has an impact on sales * [5:41] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [8:21] Balancing professionalism and personality * [10:06] How often to update your LinkedIn profile * [11:34] Tools to improve your LinkedIn profile * [14:22] Perry’s top LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [17:23] Show a genuine interest in others
Connect with Perry van Beek * LinkedIn Profile Cheatsheet * LinkedIn Sales Navigator for Dummies
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A compelling LinkedIn profile is essential. But why? Everyone in sales has a business card. It can only do so much as an introduction. LinkedIn allows you to sell yourself in addition to selling your product or services. To do that impactfully, your LinkedIn profile needs to answer 3 questions. Deanna Russo shares what they are in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [1:33] Is a compelling LinkedIn profile important? * [2:24] The two elements that have an impact on sales * [3:38] Balancing professionalism and personality * [4:38] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [6:06] When to update your LinkedIn profile * [7:30] Tools to improve your LinkedIn profile * [8:48] Deanna’s top LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [11:55] The 3 questions a LinkedIn profile must answer
Resources & People Mentioned * Canva
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When someone meets you for the first time, one of the first things they do is Google you. One of the first search results is usually your LinkedIn profile. Your LinkedIn profile is your personal marketing landing page. It tells your brand story. So how do you make it tell the story you want to tell? Shane Gibson shares how to do that the right way in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:01] Is a compelling LinkedIn profile important? * [1:56] The #1 element that has an impact on sales * [4:19] How to tell your brand story on LinkedIn * [5:57] Your content must build trust * [7:26] When to update your LinkedIn profile * [8:39] Tools to measure the impact of your LinkedIn profile * [11:03] Shane’s top LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [13:46] Take time to amp up your LinkedIn profile
Resources & People Mentioned * LinkedIn Creator Tools
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The Voice of the B2B Buyer Study surveyed over 1,000 decision-makers and found that 63% of them will search for a salesperson online before they ever take a call or meet with them. You never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Only 1 in 4 people view salespeople as credible. You start every relationship from a place of weakness—unless your LinkedIn profile can get you on an equal playing field. Your LinkedIn profile can be the key to building credibility. C. Lee Smith shares how to do that in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:44] Is a compelling LinkedIn profile important? * [2:05] The elements to leverage on your LinkedIn profile * [3:52] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [4:48] Balancing professionalism and personality * [5:36] When to update your LinkedIn profile * [6:43] A tool to measure the impact of your LinkedIn profile * [8:14] Lee’s top LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [10:54] Building credibility on LinkedIn is key
Resources & People Mentioned * The Voice of the B2B Buyer Study * The State of Credibility in America * SalesCred: How Buyers Qualify Sellers * SalesCred PRO
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Everyone needs a compelling LinkedIn profile. Why? So people can see who you are, what you represent, and what you’re all about. Your personal profile acts like a mini website for your company. What does your company’s website show on page one? Who they help, how they help, and the business problem they solve. Speak to your customer in the same way. Mario Martinez Jr. shares his successful LinkedIn formula in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:20] Is a compelling LinkedIn profile important? * [3:41] Three elements to leverage on your LinkedIn profile * [7:52] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [9:37] Balancing professionalism and personality * [10:41] What to update on your LinkedIn profile (and when) * [12:50] Tools to measure the impact of your LinkedIn profile * [15:52] Mario’s top LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [17:37] Mario’s formula for LinkedIn Success
Resources & People Mentioned * Flymsg.io
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Your LinkedIn profile needs to be compelling—it’s your face to the world, after all. Joanne believes that to be compelling, you have to share who you are, what got you where you are, and why you do what you do.
LinkedIn can be a great way for someone to get to know the person behind the words. People do business with people. That’s why your personality needs to show. She shares why you can’t be afraid to tell your story on LinkedIn in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:21] Is a compelling LinkedIn profile important? * [2:04] The elements that have the greatest impact on sales * [2:55] How to tell your story on LinkedIn * [5:00] Balancing professionalism and personality * [9:38] How often to update your LinkedIn profile * [10:22] Tools to measure the impact of your LinkedIn profile * [11:47] Joanne’s top LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [11:59] Build a personal brand in your desired market * [15:25] Make your LinkedIn profile clear and precise
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When someone Googles your name, LinkedIn is usually the first search result. That’s why you need a compelling LinkedIn profile that’s up-to-date and builds your personal brand. You get to determine how you want to be viewed. Nick Kane shares some key ways you can do that in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:01] Is a compelling LinkedIn profile important? * [1:46] The elements to leverage on your LinkedIn profile * [2:58] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [3:53] Balancing professionalism and personality * [5:04] When to update your LinkedIn profile * [6:43] Tools to measure the impact of your LinkedIn profile * [7:37] Nick’s top LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [11:59] Build a personal brand in your desired market
Resources & People Mentioned * Keyhole * Social Insider
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No one takes a meeting without checking someone out. When they Google your name, the first result is usually LinkedIn. According to Mark Hunter, your reputation arrives before you do. So how do you make the best first impression? A LinkedIn profile that sells. He shares how to carefully craft your profile in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:07] Is a compelling LinkedIn profile important? * [2:12] The elements to leverage on your LinkedIn profile * [3:54] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [5:07] Balancing professionalism and personality * [8:26] When to update your LinkedIn profile * [10:37] How to improve the impact of your LinkedIn profile * [14:16] Mark’s top three LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [19:22] Transforming your profile transforms your sales
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Your LinkedIn profile is your landing page. You want to attract, teach, and engage your buyers. It’s your opportunity to earn the right to the conversation. People vet you by looking at your profile. A compelling profile earns you the right to the call. But if your profile doesn’t tell the right story, it isn’t working for you. Brynne Tillman shares how you can transform your LinkedIn profile in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:22] Is a compelling LinkedIn profile important? * [3:17] The elements to leverage on your LinkedIn profile * [7:29] Use the experience section to share your “why” * [10:24] Balancing professionalism and personality * [12:58] When to update your LinkedIn profile * [15:49] Tools to measure the impact of your LinkedIn profile * [17:54] Brynne’s top LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [21:15] Transforming your profile transforms your sales
Resources & People Mentioned * ChatGPT
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LinkedIn is your business card on steroids. Profiles used to be stripped-down resumes. They focused on personal accomplishments. Instead, your profile needs to become a story of who you help and how you help them.
With 308 areas and settings on a LinkedIn profile that you can tweak, there are hundreds of ways to make improvements. Chuck Shaver would focus on optimizing your SEO, upgrading your visual appeal, and filling your profile with story-based information to draw people in. How does he do it? Learn more in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:01] Is a compelling LinkedIn profile important? * [1:27] The elements to leverage on your LinkedIn profile * [2:20] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [3:07] Balancing professionalism and personality * [4:48] How often should you update your profile? * [5:44] How to measure the impact of your LinkedIn profile * [7:45] Chuck’s top LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [10:04] How to build SEO into your profile * [12:14] How to get better results on LinkedIn
Resources & People Mentioned * LinkedIn SSI
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There’s no question that LinkedIn has become a valuable tool for salespeople to build their brands. But how do you find the right glance of professionalism and vulnerability? How do you allow your personality to shine and remain authentic while still building your business? Sandra Long shares her professional opinion in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:56] Is a compelling LinkedIn profile essential? * [1:28] The elements to leverage on your LinkedIn profile * [2:25] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [5:07] Balancing professionalism and personality * [8:55] How often should you update your profile? * [11:25] How to measure the impact of your LinkedIn profile * [12:54] Sandra’s top LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [15:44] Your LinkedIn profile is your foundation
Resources & People Mentioned * Social Selling Index
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Andrew Jenkins offers LinkedIn and social selling training. During training, he advises participants to look at their time on LinkedIn from two perspectives.
- Passive: This is how you present yourself through your profile.
- Proactive: How you navigate the platform.
You need your profile to convey who you are, what you do, and how you help. You need to make sure your profile is supporting your efforts.
But it isn’t just about your profile. People see success when they engage in conversation. So how do you build a compelling profile and drive people to it? Andrew shares his tactics in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:01] Is a compelling LinkedIn profile important? * [1:43] The elements to leverage on your LinkedIn profile * [3:31] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [5:21] Balancing professionalism and personality * [7:32] How often should you update your profile? * [9:57] How to measure the impact of your LinkedIn profile * [12:03] Andrew’s top LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [14:14] Don’t be afraid to start conversations
Resources & People Mentioned * The LinkedIn Guide to the Perfect #WorkSelfie * Shield Analytics for LinkedIn
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According to Elinor Stutz, LinkedIn has become the premier business platform. And a compelling LinkedIn profile will attract people interested in you and your work. If you offer excellent content, opportunities will arise that wouldn’t have otherwise. Elinor shares how she leverages LinkedIn to build opportunities in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:12] Is a compelling LinkedIn profile important? * [1:58] What elements have the greatest impact on sales? * [2:35] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [3:26] The balance between professionalism and personality * [4:32] How often you should update your profile * [5:14] Amplify your message to a wider audience * [7:04] Elinor’s LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [10:11] Approach your interactions with a helping mindset
Resources & People Mentioned * Sales Reinvented Episode #4 * Sales Reinvented Episode #107
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Aside from LinkedIn, for most salespeople, there’s no other place on the internet where a salesperson can have a personal landing page about themselves and what they do. It’s becoming more common for potential clients to research before they buy.
And if you’re showing up poorly in a Google search, you’re out of the game before you knew you were in it. You could lose sales because you have a poor LinkedIn profile. So what do you do? Bob Woods shares his strategy in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:26] Is a compelling LinkedIn profile important? * [4:54] The elements to leverage on your LinkedIn profile * [9:10] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [10:32] How to weave your unique voice into your profile * [11:48] How often you should update your profile * [13:29] Tools to measure the impact of your LinkedIn profile * [15:09] Bob’s top three LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [18:33] Transform your LinkedIn profile from resume to resource
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It doesn’t matter if you’re in B2B or B2C sales, you need to have a compelling LinkedIn profile for two big reasons: Your clients and prospects will research you and want to know that you’re credible. Secondly, it’s an opportunity to showcase your knowledge and who you are without being salesy. So how do you create a profile that leads to customer engagement? Amy Franko shares her strategy in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:55] Is a compelling LinkedIn profile important? * [1:56] What elements have the greatest impact on sales? * [3:39] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [4:49] Update your profile and focus on engagement * [7:01] Tools to measure the impact of your LinkedIn profile * [7:48] Amy’s top three LinkedIn profile dos and don’ts * [10:45] Take online conversations offline into the real world
Resources & People Mentioned * Social selling Index
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Your LinkedIn profile is your personal professional website. What do you look for when you go to a company’s website? What gives you the best first impression? What encourages you to find out more?
Whatever someone sees first makes the most impact. It’s the same on LinkedIn. We live in a digital-first world. The first time we interact with someone—or decide whether or not we want to continue to interact with someone—is online.
LinkedIn has cemented itself as the place we look for credibility. So how do you sell yourself without being salesy? How do you make connections that turn into real-world conversations? David Fisher shares his go-to strategies in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:02] Is a compelling LinkedIn profile important? * [2:06] What elements have the greatest impact on sales? * [3:25] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [4:54] The balance between professionalism and personality * [7:46] How often should you update your LinkedIn profile? * [10:06] Tools to measure the impact of your LinkedIn profile * [13:26] David’s top three LinkedIn dos and don’ts * [17:34] Leverage LinkedIn to establish credibility
Resources & People Mentioned * Networking in the 21st Century...On LinkedIn
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Is a compelling LinkedIn profile important? Viveka von Rosen is emphatic: Absolutely. Why? If you Google someone, chances are their LinkedIn profile will show up in the search results. The last thing you want is for someone to go to your profile and say “God no.” So how do you build a LinkedIn profile that sells? Focus on the buyer.
Outline of This Episode * [1:03] Is a compelling LinkedIn profile important? * [1:54] What elements have the greatest impact on sales? * [4:02] How to tell your professional story on LinkedIn * [5:13] The balance between professionalism and personality * [6:30] How often should you update your LinkedIn profile? * [8:08] Tools to build an impactful LinkedIn profile * [10:13] Viveka’s Top three LinkedIn dos and don’ts * [13:20] How updating your profile can make an impact
Resources & People Mentioned * Your SSI Score
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Is a compelling LinkedIn profile important? Somewhere between 50–70% of the buying journey is complete before a company is even contacted. Your reputation arrives before you do. People do independent research. One of the things they do is look at someone’s LinkedIn profile. A salesperson’s profile becomes their landing page. It allows them to connect with you and be drawn in to learn more. So how do you differentiate yourself? Bill McCormick shares 4 ways to differentiate yourself on LinkedIn in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:29] Is a compelling LinkedIn profile important? * [2:40] What elements have the greatest impact on sales? * [5:14] 4 ways to differentiate yourself on LinkedIn * [8:07] The balance between professionalism and personality * [9:27] How often should you update your LinkedIn profile? * [11:09] Tools to build an impactful LinkedIn profile * [12:40] Bill’s Top three LinkedIn dos and don’ts * [15:12] The end goal of an impactful LinkedIn profile
Resources & People Mentioned * Selling from the Heart by Larry Levine
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Are you a sales professional looking to enhance your sales process and improve customer interactions? Jaeden Schafer, a serial entrepreneur and expert in launching and scaling software companies, believes that ChatGPT can do just that.
Chat GPT is an AI model that has been trained on vast amounts of internet content and can respond to questions on any topic. The latest version, ChatGPT-4, works by using 16 different “experts” to provide specific and accurate responses.
Sales professionals can leverage the power of Chat GPT to overcome customer objections, address specific concerns, and provide personalized sales pitches.
We explore how this AI model can enhance the sales process and improve customer interactions in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:20] What is Chat GPT? * [3:51] The key features and capabilities of ChatGPT * [7:31] How Chat GPT can assist with the sales process * [9:30] Challenges and limitations of ChatGPT * [10:55] An astounding new feature of ChatGPT * [12:52] Top three ChatGPT for sales do's and don'ts * [16:35] Using ChatGPT to automate the warm-up process in sales
Resources & People Mentioned * ChatGPT
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ChatGPT is an incredibly useful advanced language model that utilizes pre-existing information to generate unique ideas, insights, and guidance. Mark Raffan views it as a handy intern that’s available 24/7, whenever you need it.
So how do you leverage ChatGPT to be a better negotiator? How can you harness its abilities to roleplay, regulate your emotions, and prepare counterarguments? Find out in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:02] What is ChatGPT? * [2:27] The key features and capabilities of ChatGPT * [4:57] Using ChatGPT as an unbiased third-party perspective * [7:44] Where you should be cautious using ChatGPT * [11:12] Can you teach ChatGPT your negotiation style? * [13:26] How to handle personalization and customization * [15:23] Mark’s top three ChatGPT dos and don’ts * [20:48] Use ChatGPT to enhance conversations
Resources & People Mentioned * ChatGPT
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ChatGPT is often referred to as artificial intelligence or AI, but Meshell Baker points out that it’s assisted intelligence and that it helps people curate content. You can leverage ChatGPT to generate ideas when you’re otherwise stuck. Meshell shares how she uses ChatGPT in this episode of @SalesReinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:23] What is ChatGPT? * [2:17] Key features and capabilities of ChatGPT * [4:03] ChatGPT can help you overcome inaction * [5:38] Addressing the Challenges/limitations of ChatGPT * [7:25] Navigating personalization and customization * [10:58] Meshell’s three ChatGPT dos and don’ts * [12:48] Use ChatGPT to curate content quickly
Resources & People Mentioned * ChatGPT
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Are you leveraging ChatGPT as a sales professional? Or are you avoiding it because you think it’ll fizzle out? Chuck Shaver and I are in agreement: ChatGPT is here to stay. The question becomes, how do you leverage it?
It’s both a help desk and automation tool that will help you save time while delivering world-class results. Chuck covers how to leverage AI to get the results you need in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:55] What is ChatGPT? * [1:31] Key features and capabilities * [2:31] How ChatGPT can help sales teams * [4:34] Navigating the challenges/limitations * [6:36] Personalization and customization with ChatGPT * [7:38] Chuck’s top three ChatGPT for sales dos and don’ts * [9:17] ChatGPT saves time and drives results
Resources & People Mentioned * ChatGPT
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Keld Jensen’s University has been studying ChatGPT since its release. They’ve also been running a global simulation using ChatGPT. They’ve seen huge differences in the outcome of the negotiations based on whether or not the teams are using AI. Keld shares more about his study—and the different ways he strategically uses ChatGPT in negotiations—in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [2:16] Using ChatGPT as a personal assistant * [3:24] The key features of ChatGPT * [5:50] Using ChatGPT to navigate the sales process * [7:25] Addressing the challenges/limitations of ChatGPT * [9:24] How to personalize content created by ChatGPT * [12:42] Creating company policies for the use of AI * [15:20] Keld’s top three ChatGPT dos and don’ts * [18:38] The results of Keld’s ChatGPT study
Resources & People Mentioned * Keld’s upcoming book: Negotiation Essentials (Releases 10/24/2023 from MCGraw-Hill and 11/14/2023 on Amazon)
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ChatGPT is one of many AI applications and platforms available that is making writing content, analyzing data, and creating sales and marketing campaigns easier. ChatGPT can help you make your communication more compelling and clear, leading to better-informed decisions.
According to Sonia Dumas, when you leverage ChatGPT as a co-creator, you can see phenomenal results. Find out how she uses ChatGPT to form connections with prospects in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:04] What is ChatGPT and how can it help the sales process? * [3:01] Key features of ChatGPT that make it useful * [4:40] Using ChatGPT for lead gen and prospecting * [7:39] Challenges/limitations of using ChatGPT * [10:42] How ChatGPT handles personalization * [14:00] Sonia’s top three ChatGPT dos and don’ts * [16:32] Use ChatGPT to write better communication
Resources & People Mentioned * ChatGPT
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ChatGPT, short for Generative Pre-trained Transformer, is an innovative tool that has the ability to generate new and original content based on its training data. While some might anthropomorphize it as a person, it's essential to recognize that it's a sophisticated tool with vast potential for sales professionals. In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Stan Robinson Jr., an expert in social selling, will shed light on leveraging ChatGPT to personalize your approach.
Time-Stamped Outline of Questions * [01:24] What is ChatGPT? * [03:21] Unlocking the Potential: Key Features of ChatGPT * [4:28] Empowering Sales Practices with ChatGPT * [7:32] Navigating Challenges and Limitations * [9:40] Maintaining authenticity in sales conversations * [11:57] Stan’s top three ChatGPT dos and don’ts * [16:19]] Lesson Learned: Embrace Creativity and Experimentation
Resources & People Mentioned * WebChatGPT chrome extension * Magical * FlyMSG
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How can you use ChatGPT to optimize email marketing? Melinda Emerson believes that with some great input and a few tweaks, ChatGPT can be a game-changer for email marketing. In this episode of Sales Reinvented, she shares how you can ChatGPT to enhance the sales process and improve customer interactions. Let's dive in and discover how ChatGPT can transform your sales engagement!
Outline of This Episode * [1:19] How can ChatGPT enhance the sales process? * [2:14] Key features and capabilities of ChatGPT * [3:14] How ChatGPT can help with prospecting * [4:21] ChatGPT can create images/graphics * [4:53] The challenges or limitations of ChatGPT * [6:46] How ChatGPT handles personalization * [8:25] Top three chatGPT dos and don’ts * [10:03] Melinda’s favorite ChatGPT story
Resources & People Mentioned * ChatGPT * There’s an AI for That
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You can ask ChatGPT anything. And anyone can apply it in their field. But most salespeople just don’t know how to leverage it. Ollie Whitfield believes that self-awareness allows you to fully utilize ChatGPT. How?
It can help you improve your emails, rewrite cold-calling scripts, and even summarize notes. ChatGPT can reframe your thoughts in a more succinct and engaging way. Ollie shares how he uses this to his advantage in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:41] How can ChatGPT enhance the sales process? * [2:01] Key features and capabilities of ChatGPT * [3:19] How ChatGPT can help with prospecting * [5:41] Ollie’s ChatGPT success story * [7:18] The challenges or limitations of ChatGPT * [9:56] How ChatGPT handles personalization * [12:05] Ollie’s top three ChatGPT dos and don’ts * [15:00] Use Chat GPT to summarize notes
Resources & People Mentioned * Crystal Knows * ChatGPT
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Everyone is trying to find ways to leverage ChatGPT to increase their productivity, including the world of sales. But how do you apply ChatGPT? Lisa Magnuson believes that one of the best ways to use ChatGPT is as a presentation planning tool. She shares her best practices for using ChatGPT to change your presentation game in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:17] How can ChatGPT enhance the sales process? * [1:48] Why ChatGPT is useful for sales presentations * [7:35] Lisa’s ChatGPT client success stories * [8:47] The challenges and limitations of ChatGPT * [11:48] How ChatGPT handles personalization * [13:58] Top three ChatGPT dos and don’ts * [16:38] Use ChatGPT to transform your presentations
Resources & People Mentioned * ChatGPT
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According to Brynne Tillman, a win/loss analysis—or in her words, a post-mortem—is about figuring out why you got a deal or you didn’t. You want to learn why your clients chose you. It also helps you understand the playing field even when you win. Most salespeople move on when they lose a deal. But if you don’t know why you lost a deal, you may continue the same behavior. So you have to ask actional questions in your post-mortem to make positive changes to win more deals.
Outline of This Episode * [1:01] What is a post-mortem and why is it important? * [2:33] The insights you can gain from a post-mortem * [3:55] Common mistakes salespeople make with post-mortems * [6:21] How to make sure the feedback you gather is unbiased * [7:46] Best practices for conducting post-mortem interviews * [10:44] The role of technology in post-mortems * [12:08] Brynne’s top three post-mortem dos and don’ts * [14:08] Why you should never take a loss personally
Resources & People Mentioned * Zoom
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What was your customer’s perspective of the sales process? How did it align to their preferred buying journey? How does it compare to the competition? Why did they choose you? Or why didn’t they?
These data points are critical to refine your sales process. And one of the only ways to get these answers is by doing a win-loss analysis. This information is vital to the business as a whole to consistently improve performance. Learn how Justin obtains this critical information in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:50] What is win/loss analysis and why is it important? * [1:33] The insights you can gain from a win-loss analysis * [2:55] Common mistakes salespeople make with win-loss analyses * [4:05] How to make sure the feedback you gather is unbiased * [6:03] Best practices for conducting win/loss interviews * [7:12] The role of technology in win/loss analysis * [9:09] Top three win/loss analysis dos and don’ts * [12:06] A win-loss analysis can quickly make an impact
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A win/loss analysis is a conversation with prospects or customers where you identify why you won—or lost—a particular opportunity. The ultimate goal of the conversation is to gather information to help you win more deals in the long run. How do you gather unbiased information? How can you leverage technology? What mistakes should you avoid? Bill Storey covers it all in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:17] What is win/loss analysis and why is it important? * [1:43] The insights you can gain from a win/loss analysis * [3:55] Common mistakes salespeople make with win/loss analyses * [5:17] How to make sure the feedback you gather is unbiased * [6:18] Best practices for conducting win/loss interviews * [8:15] The role of technology in win/loss analysis * [10:12] Top three win/loss analysis dos and don’ts * [12:07] Every win/loss analysis yields different results
Resources & People Mentioned * Zoom * Microsoft Teams * Calendly * REV
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A win/loss analysis is simply having a conversation with your customers and prospects about their perception of your company versus the competition. You want to cover every part of the sales process. Did you address customer problems and goals with the proposed solution? Doing a win/loss analysis the right way will help you gain a competitive advantage. But what is the right way? Ellen Naylor—a pioneer in the field of competitive intelligence (CI) and Win/Loss analysis—shares her strategy in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:11] What is win/loss analysis and why is it important? * [1:53] Common insights you can gain from a win/loss interview * [2:50] Common mistakes salespeople make and how to avoid them * [3:50] How to make sure the feedback you gather is unbiased * [5:10] Best practices for conducting win/loss analysis * [9:47] Should we be compensating the customer for their time? * [10:36] The role of technology in win/loss analysis * [12:26] Top three win/loss analysis dos and don’ts * [15:25] Use a win/loss analysis to inform change
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Conducting a win/loss analysis is about spending time at the end of a sales cycle to extract some feedback from the customer you’ve interacted with. It can help you learn what went well and where you can improve. It’s immensely valuable. You have to make numerous assumptions in the sales cycle.
This allows you to park the assumptions and get honest feedback from your customer and then take action based on that information. Conducting a win/loss analysis is one of the best ways to improve your sales. Learn more from Cian McLoughlin in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [1:01] What is win/loss analysis and why is it important? * [2:39] The common insights sales teams can gain * [3:44] Mistakes to avoid when conducting a win/loss analysis * [7:06] Create an environment where the customer can be honest * [9:25] Best practices for conducting win/loss interviews * [11:04] What role does technology play in win/loss analysis? * [13:00] Cian’s top three win/loss analysis dos and don’ts * [15:38] You can’t rely on assumptions without testing them
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Referrals are when existing customers, friends, colleagues, or associates share that there’s someone you need to know that would value a relationship with you (and you’d find value from the relationship with them). They’re the best type of lead that salespeople can get. But there’s a right way—and a wrong way—to start the referral conversation. Joey Coleman shares what you should do in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [1:10] What are referrals? How do they help in sales? * [1:45] Common mistakes for salespeople to avoid * [3:07] How to leverage social media and online tools * [4:16] Advice for salespeople exploring referral-based sales * [6:23] How to measure the success of a referral program * [11:16] How Joey approaches asking for referrals * [14:31] A best practice most organizations miss * [16:17] The role of technology in referral selling * [17:42] Top three referral selling dos and don’ts * [21:43] When a referral conversation goes terribly wrong
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A referral is an opportunity to do business with someone in the market to buy your product or service. They’re expecting you to contact them to have a conversation. It’s different from a normal lead. A referral is someone ready to chat with you. But how do you get to that point? Ivan Misner has identified the “VCP” process to go from visibility and credibility to profitability. Learn what it is in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [1:24] What are referrals? How do they help? * [2:00] Mistakes salespeople make when asking for referrals * [3:42] How can salespeople leverage social media? * [4:56] The VCP process: Visibility, credibility, and profitability * [6:18] What metrics to track with your referral program * [7:30] How to ask for referrals without being pushy * [10:08] What role does technology play in referral selling * [11:10] Top 3 referral selling dos and don’ts * [13:25] Don’t assume your referrals are great
Resources & People Mentioned * Networking Like a Pro * Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook
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Most people think of referrals as going to customers and saying, “Now that you love me, who else might love me? Who might want to buy our stuff?” If you’re trying to find new prospects to sell to, this is great. But Steve believes there’s a better way. It starts with knowing your market, knowing who you’re trying to target, and finding people who can help you get to them. Steve shares how he makes this strategy come to life in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [1:07] What are referrals? How do they work in sales * [2:19] Common mistake sand how to avoid them * [4:09] Can you leverage social media to generate referrals? * [5:53] Steve’s advice for those just getting started with referrals * [8:32] How to measure the success of a referral program * [9:53] How to ask for a referral without being pushy * [10:14] Best practices for asking for client referrals * [11:26] The role of technology in referral selling * [12:17] Steve’s top 3 referral selling dos and don’ts * [14:31] Create a referral chain to build your business
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Stacey Brown Randall agrees with the majority definition of a referral: It is a potential client being referred to you. To qualify as a referral, there has to be a personal connection to the referral source. Secondly, the prospect needs to know they have a problem and are interested in solving it (thus willing to be connected with you).
But getting referrals is where Stacey’s strategy differs from the norm. Stacey believes that you should never ask for referrals. So how do you get them? Listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented to find out!
Outline of This Episode * [1:00] What are referrals? How do they work in sales? * [2:09] Common mistakes salespeople make and how to avoid them * [4:40] How to leverage social media to generate referrals * [6:35] The #1 thing you need to do is look at referral sources * [8:27] How to measure the success of a referral program * [10:05] How to cultivate existing relationships to get referrals * [12:56] Best practices for generating referrals * [14:41] The role of technology in referral selling * [15:39] Stacey’s top 3 referral selling dos and don’ts * [18:44] Focus on building relationships and you’ll never need to ask
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How do referrals work in the context of selling? When should you ask for referrals during the sales process? According to Joanne Black, when you close a deal, ask for a referral. They’ve signed on the dotted line and they believe in you. And when you ask, get intel. Learn as much as you can about the people they’ll refer to you. What else should you do? Find out in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [1:28] What are referrals? How do they work in sales? * [2:27] Common mistakes and how to avoid them * [3:29] Why people—not social media—generate referrals * [5:47] Advice for someone exploring referral-based sales * [6:55] How to measure the success of a referral program * [8:06] The right way to ask for introductions * [10:31] The role of technology in referral selling * [11:20] Top 3 referral selling dos and don’ts * [13:22] Leverage the relationships you have with clients
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Lori Richardson built her entire business around referrals. She believes that referrals are magical. You can work with one person and get multiple sales opportunities from that person. It’s so much easier to develop a relationship this way versus focusing on one-off sales. Lori shares the strategies she’s learned over the years in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:55] What are referrals? How do they work? * [1:44] Common mistakes salespeople make asking for referrals * [4:15] How to leverage social media to generate referrals * [5:56] Using referral-based selling as a sales strategy * [7:41] How to measure the success of a referral program * [9:44] How to ask for referrals without being pushy * [11:34] Best practices for requesting referrals * [13:00] Why you need to have three lists * [15:04] Lori’s top 3 referral selling dos and don’ts * [17:04] Why relationships matter in sales
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Some referrals are through people you have relationships with. Others are from friends and family. Still others are from customers. They all have a different impact depending on the industry you’re in. But generally speaking, referrals need to be a large part of your sales strategy. Steve Benson agrees with this sentiment but believes there’s an easier way to get referrals: Call them “introductions” instead. Listen to this episode to learn why he takes this stance!
Outline of This Episode * [1:05] What are referrals? How do they work? * [1:52] Common mistakes salespeople make asking for referrals * [2:38] How to leverage social media to generate referrals * [3:23] Using referral-based selling as a sales strategy * [4:41] How to measure the success of a referral program * [6:11] How to ask for referrals without being pushy * [6:40] Best practices for requesting referrals * [8:08] The role of technology in referral selling * [10:35] Steve’s top 3 referral selling dos and don’ts * [12:29] Leveraging the power of introductions
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According to Liz Heiman, there are two types of referrals. A referral could be from someone who doesn’t buy from you but can share leads with you. The other type of referral is from an existing customer. They’re both introducing you to people you might not know. Liz shares the approach she takes when asking for referrals in this episode of Sales Reinvented. Don’t miss it!
Outline of This Episode * [0:58] What are referrals? How do they work in sales? * [1:43] Common mistakes salespeople make asking for referrals * [2:43] How salespeople can leverage social media to generate referrals * [5:20] Liz’s advice for those exploring referral-based selling * [6:47] How to measure the success of a referral program * [8:49] The right way to ask for client referrals * [11:05] Best practices for asking for referrals * [13:48] The role technology plays in referral selling * [15:10] Liz’s top 3 referral selling dos and don’ts * [17:06] Don’t be afraid to take a creative approach
How salespeople can leverage social media to generate referrals Liz loves Brynne Tillman’s method of using social media for lead generation. Brynne will look through the clients that she knows are happy with her and looks at their connections. Who would be a good fit to work with? Then she’ll go to that client and ask them for introductions.
Another strategy is to look at companies or people you’ve identified as a target and look to see who they know that you might know. You can then see if that common connection would give you an introduction. Make sure the connections know why you want an introduction.
Liz points out that many people don’t use LinkedIn to build their network and it’s a huge mistake. Connect with everyone you know because you never know who they’re connected with.
Liz’s advice for those exploring referral-based selling Liz recommends starting with people you think will be your best referrers. Do you want to call on existing clients? Do you have an existing client base? If not, who could refer business to you that you have credibility with? Write down what you want to say and how you want to say it. The more clear you are, the easier it is to do it. Build it into your process so that it’s comfortable and repeatable.
When Liz asks for a referral, she says something like, “I see that you are connected to so-and-so. I think that they could use my services. Do you think that’s true? Would you be willing to introduce me?” It isn’t pushy nor does it put the work on the person she’s asking.
She points out that you should ask for a referral any time that it seems appropriate, usually when you’re engaged with the client and they’re happy. The biggest mistake is not asking for a referral. According to Joanne Black’s research, 97% of people, when asked, would give a referral if they liked the service and were happy with the company that they worked with. Yet on average, only 3% of customers are asked for a referral.
How to measure the success of a referral program Referrals should be one of your lead sources. Liz not only tracks referrals but also tracks who referred that person. If you are tracking lead sources, you can track them through the client, account, and opportunity. You need to see what closes and keep your client apprised of the process so they aren’t out of the loop.
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Nick Kane is a founder and Managing Partner of Janek Performance Group, a leading sales performance organization providing sales training and sales consulting solutions. Nick has more than 25 years of experience in sales and is a thought leader and authority, supporting hundreds of clients in optimizing their sales performance. Nick co-authored the book "Critical Selling: How Top Performers Accelerate the Sales Process and Close More Deals," and has penned hundreds of articles on sales performance.
Referrals are a recommendation from a satisfied customer or trusted network of people you interact with, i.e. your center of influence. If you’re in sales and you aren’t asking your customers or sphere of influence for referrals, you’re leaving money on the table. But what are the best practices for asking for referrals? Nick Kane shares his referral-selling dos and don’ts in this episode of Sales Reinvented. Check it out!
Outline of This Episode * [1:04] What are referrals? How do they work in sales? * [1:34] Common mistakes salespeople make asking for referrals * [2:21] How salespeople can leverage social media to generate referrals * [3:10] Nick’s advice for those exploring referral-based selling * [5:06] How to measure the success of a referral program * [6:07] Best Practices: The right way to ask for client referrals * [8:40] The role technology plays in referral selling * [10:20] Nick’s top 3 referral selling dos and don’ts * [14:29] A story that drives home the importance of creativity
Nick’s advice for those exploring referral-based selling You have to make sure that you’re building strong relationships with customers, both existing and prospects. Provide excellent service and support and satisfy your client’s needs. How well do you understand their needs and pain points? Are you helping them solve their problems? A positive customer experience is the foundation of gaining referrals. Happy customers share information and open their networks to you. Secondly, you should create a referral program. Incentivize customers to send people your way.
Best Practices: The right way to ask for client referrals Salespeople tend to ask for a referral at the wrong time. Make sure you approach the customer at the right time in the right way. How you ask must be genuine. You need to establish a relationship first. Make sure the customer has a positive relationship with you and that you’ve done good by them.
Salespeople also struggle to explain the value proposition and what’s in it for the customer. You need to find a way to make it advantageous for them to provide referrals. Ask tactfully and let the customer know what’s in it for both of you. Customers want their salespeople to be successful as long as you’re helping them to be successful as well.
Who are your loyal and satisfied customers? Who's had the most positive experience and is most likely to refer others? Segment your database to understand who’s most likely to offer a referral. Who interacts with your prospect? Where are those conversations happening? How can you leverage influence from someone in a position of influence?
You can also customers who have already referred others to refer more people. If they’re willing to refer their network, it can expand your referral opportunities.
Why does Nick recommend surveying your clients regularly? Listen to the whole episode to learn more!
How to measure the success of a referral program You should be tracking the number of referrals generated as a lead source in your CRM. Know exactly where those referrals come from. Follow each of those referrals through the pipeline. How many turned into opportunities? What is the size of those opportunities? How many converted into a sale? What is the customer lifetime value of the customer relationship? Treat the referrals as their own lead source and track them as such.
Nick’s top 3 referral selling dos and don’ts Nick shares some strong dos and don’ts every salesperson should consider:
- Build strong relationships with existing customers by providing excellent service, excellent customer experience, and excellent support. Consistently ask for feedback to improve the customer experience. You need to be dedicated to serving your customers and helping them solve the problems and challenges they communicated during the sales process. You have to deliver on your promises to get referrals.
- Find a way to educate the customer on the benefits of the referral program. Share how it works, and how it benefits them, and make sure you’re consistently providing clear instruction on how to refer others. When customers understand your program clearly, they’ll be more likely to refer others.
- Timing is critical. If you ask too soon, you come across as disingenuous and pushy. If you wait too long, you might miss the window of when they were the happiest. Find the sweet spot to ask and ask tactfully.
- Don’t ask for a referral too early in the customer relationship. Asking too early might damage the relationship.
- Don’t assume that a customer is satisfied. Salespeople often mistake silence for happiness. Check-in and survey your customer consistently to make sure they’re happy and have what they need before you ask for a referral.
- Don’t be insincere. Try not to be pushy. Don’t offer incentives that might come across as inappropriate or unethical. Some organizations have specific requirements or rules around what someone can receive for referrals, so be aware of that.
Learn more from Nick in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Resources & People Mentioned * Critical Selling: How Top Performers Accelerate the Sales Process and Close More Deals
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Jamie Crosbie is a highly accomplished senior executive and motivational speaker with expertise in sales leadership, talent acquisition, and management. She has achieved significant revenue growth, managed large sales teams, authored books, and consults in sales talent acquisition, strategic planning, and Peak Performance Mindset® Workshops. Jamie's workshops help companies set new sales records and create a more positive sales environment.
People who refer someone to you are your greatest advocates. When you cultivate happy customers, you create an army of salespeople working for you. But how do you ask for referrals? Is there a certain time in the client lifecycle that’s the best to ask? How do you let a referral source know they’re appreciated? Jame Crosbie answers these questions—and much more—in the first episode of our new series on referral selling. Don’t miss it!
Outline of This Episode * [1:04] What are referrals? How do they work in sales? * [1:54] Common mistakes salespeople make asking for referrals * [3:28] How salespeople can leverage social media to generate referrals * [4:09] Jamie’s advice for those exploring referral-based selling * [5:04] How to measure the success of a referral program * [6:12] Best Practices: The right way to ask for client referrals * [8:48] The role technology plays in referral selling * [9:42] Jamie’s top 3 referral selling dos and don’ts * [11:48] Why adding value should be your #1 priority
Common mistakes salespeople make asking for referrals Jamie points out that people don’t usually ask for referrals at the right time. You can’t ask for a referral until you’ve proven the value of your product or service. The other mistake is not asking for a specific referral. You can’t say, “If I can help anyone else, just let me know.”
Instead, identify your ideal client profile and ask them if there’s anyone else in their organization or network that you can add value for. The last mistake Jamie often sees is that salespeople neglect to let their clients know that they appreciate their referral. That’s why Jamie advocates for a referral fee program.
How salespeople can leverage social media to generate referrals You have to be a thought leader in the space where the people you’re trying to attract live. That lends you credibility. It might be posting blogs on LinkedIn or sharing marketplace data related to your industry or field. Maybe you’re a guest on a podcast. But you have to share things so they see you as a leader in your space.
Best Practices: The right way to ask for client referrals Start with a strategy: Develop relationships with people who also seek out your ideal client. Put together a referral program, fee structure, and strategically go after those relationships as if they were a client for you. They become part of your sales team.
Jamie likes to share testimonials and case studies with clients. She’ll then say something like “I’d love to add value like this to your network as well.” You must always make sure the conversation is geared toward adding value for their business.
In every piece of positive communication, ask these questions:
- How else can I add value for you?
- Who else do you believe I could impact?
Always ask for the opportunity to make a bigger impact. Identify who has a similar client profile and get a touchpoint and strategy in place.
Secondly, stay in communication with your clients but avoid making every conversation about asking for a referral.
How to measure the success of a referral program 86% of Jamie’s business is from referrals. It’s significant. But she’s well aware that it takes time to build referral-based sales. But Jamie also looks at client growth. Why? Your ICP might be a regional sales manager. That person’s organization may have 10+ other regional managers all working through different circumstances. Maybe one of them is about to be promoted. How could you impact them or their growth?
What are Jamie’s top 3 referral selling dos and don’ts? Why is offering value her #1 priority? Listen to the whole episode to learn more!
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We are in a market where there are too many sellers and not enough buyers. And the buyers are armed with tactical information. So Patrick Tinney believes that salespeople need to take a strategic approach to negotiation. If they don’t have one, they’ll get smashed. And the key to a successful negotiation is preparation. He shares his strategies for preparing for a successful negotiation in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [1:04] Why planning and preparation is an important step in negotiation * [1:42] The key steps you should take to prepare for a negotiation * [3:52] The attributes or characteristics that make a great negotiation planner * [4:48] Tools and resources to improve your negotiation outcomes * [6:39] Patrick’s top negotiation planning dos and don’ts * [9:01] Remember that not every deal is worth winning
The key steps you should take to prepare for a negotiation When you go into a negotiation, you want to learn about the team on the other side. You can do this by researching on social media. You also have to understand your counterpart’s culture.
You can’t walk into a meeting with a Walmart Executive thinking you know who they are because you visited a store. Spend time on their website and get to know the organization. Learn about who has done business with them.
Cost-model your work so you know what you can or can’t do. If you have to navigate quickly, it needs to be top of mind. If you don’t, every mistake you make will cost you. If you lose even part of a percentage point in a nine-figure deal, it can have a large impact.
After you’ve finished planning, take your notes, and compress them into a small note deck with important figures highlighted.
Patrick’s top negotiation planning dos and don’ts Patrick shares a few dos and don’ts to be mindful of:
- Don’t think that you know the other side.
- Make sure you understand their motives. If you want to get in someone’s head, ask them to share a vision of their career and life going forward.
- Don’t rush the negotiation. Practice things like meditation and dropping your jaw to remove tension.
- The other person wants a deal too. If they don’t get a deal done, they don’t get a bonus either. A collaborative state of mind moves deals across the finish line.
- Don’t take anything personally. It’s not a kidnapping or a hostage situation. You aren’t trying to solve world hunger. You’re there to progress a business forward.
Remember that not every deal is worth winning Patrick was negotiating a deal where he’d likely make between $25,000–$55,000. It had taken a year to get in front of the CEO and other C-suite executives. When he walked into that meeting, he realized he was facing a culture that was incongruent with anything he knew about business.
They were running negotiations where they’d drag business in however they could at whatever cost. They were making huge mistakes. Patrick got through the meeting, went home, and crafted a proposal he knew they wouldn’t accept. He needed to walk away as if it never happened.
There are dream customers and there are those you should never do business with. If they don’t match your brand and who you are, walk away fast.
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Randy Kutz believes that negotiators are missing opportunities if they aren’t planning. Why is it so important? High stakes B2B negotiations take time. You have to build relationships. If you’re not prepared to negotiate and reach a successful outcome, the quality of the deal suffers. You might still come to an agreement—but it could have been better if you prepared.
If someone enters an agreement they don’t like, they’ll look for every opportunity to kill that deal. If you stumble in your preparation, it may decrease the likelihood of future partnerships with your counterpart. If you’re not prepared, the power balance shifts to the other side.
These are just a few of the reasons why negotiation preparation is a must. Randy covers the topic in more detail in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [1:02] Why planning and preparation is an important step in negotiation * [4:50] The key steps you should take to prepare for a negotiation * [11:25] The attributes or characteristics that make a great negotiation planner * [14:34] Tools and resources to improve your negotiation outcomes * [16:14] Randy’s top three negotiation planning dos and don’ts * [20:22] Preparing tradeables ahead of time helps you remain flexible
The key steps you should take to prepare for a negotiation Randy believes there are obvious steps: Make sure you know what you want, what your positions are, etc.
But the more pressing need is to take time to understand what the other side wants. We often make assumptions about the other side based on our own bias. Or maybe we’ve done business with them before. It’s okay to make assumptions but then you have to test them. What if you put yourself in your counterpart’s shoes and prepare from that side of the table?
What are the underlying drivers? What are their priorities? Successful negotiators know that a negotiation is about trading. You want to trade low priority items off the table and exchange them for higher priority items. But you have to know what the priorities are.
What are you willing to give up? What are you going to ask for in return for concessions? You have to be prepared to know what to ask for. If you’re not prepared, you settle for goodwill gestures.
Lastly, Randy advises that you shouldn’t forget about your internal stakeholders. Negotiation is about the dealmakers’ ecosystem. The internal stakeholders are a value-add that can help you prepare effectively.
The attributes or characteristics that make a great negotiation planner An effective negotiation planner is someone who takes a systematic and disciplined approach to negotiation. They’re someone that uses a framework or template. This helps them identify their priorities and those of the other side. A good negotiator is prepared to adjust their positon and be flexible. If a strategy doesn’t work, a good negotiator plans an alternative.
Randy’s top three negotiation planning dos and don’ts These are a few things Randy wants salespeople to be mindful of:
- Budget enough time to thoroughly plan your negotiation. If you’re planning on a 15-minute negotiation phone call, prepare for at least 30 minutes.
- Leverage your ecosystem and involve internal stakeholders in the preparation. They have knowledge that you need to thoroughly prepare for your negotiation.
- Prepare a flexible strategy to avoid deadlock. People will disagree and say no. What will you do when that happens? Take a break, regroup, and come back to the table with adjustments.
- Don’t wing it, no matter how familiar you are with your counterpart. Apply some out-of-the-box thinking.
- Don’t plan to negotiate only on the monetary variables. You need more tradeables. If you get stuck on one variable, whoever has more power tends to win. It won’t produce the outcomes you’re looking for. Plan what you want to ask for and what you’re willing to give.
- Don’t leave assumptions untested. Ask questions to understand the drivers that underline the positions of the other side. Negotiation is an information game.
Preparing tradeables ahead of time helps you remain flexible Developers in New York City bought a building in hopes of rebuilding a high rise. But they had to negotiate four senior citizens out of the building first. They were able to reach a settlement with three of them for under a million dollars. But the fourth one fought back. This person didn’t want money. They didn’t need it. They wanted an apartment that overlooked central park.
Working through the details took longer than planned because they weren’t prepared. In the time they waited, the person changed their position and also asked for a large sum of money and got legal representation. The developer ended up paying 17 million dollars to evict the tenant and still gave him the apartment overlooking central park.
You need to prepare for the fact that it isn’t always about money. Once you understand what someone really wants, be prepared to be creative and flexible. Had they done that, they could’ve saved a lot of time and money.
Resources & People Mentioned * The Scotwork Blog
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If you go into a negotiation without preparing, you've already lost. You need to understand the other side’s objectives and know what your counters are. Doing so enables you to stay calm. Being overwhelmed by emotion is your enemy in any negotiation. The minute you get upset, you’ve lost the advantage. Mike Figliuolo emphasizes that everything hinges on doing the proper research. Hear his thoughts on the matter in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [1:39] Why planning and preparation is an important step in negotiation * [2:19] Complete extensive research to prepare for your negotiation * [3:19] The attributes or characteristics that make a great negotiation planner * [5:05] Tools and resources to improve your negotiation outcomes * [6:27] Mike’s top three negotiation planning dos and don’ts * [9:57] Preparation is the precursor to any successful negotiation
Complete extensive research to prepare for your negotiation Do your research on your negotiating partner. You want to get to a solution that works for everyone. So you need to know what’s going on in their business. Mike has a major client that’s facing financial challenges and having to let people go. He knows they’ll push back on price.
If someone pushed for a price decrease, what would you say? You should also know when you need to take a break. It’s okay to leave the conversation, think about your response, and come back to it. Keep the emotion out of it.
The attributes or characteristics that make a great negotiation planner A great salesperson can look at things from the other person’s perspective. What are they going through, professionally and personally? You need to understand their business and personal objectives. If you’re dealing with someone who’s brand new, they’re looking to make a mark. They need to gain credibility. They’re going to press you hard in the negotiation to get an early win.
We always think people will fight for price concessions. But that’s not always the objective. What goes beyond the financial metrics? Maybe they want a stable vendor relationship. When you can combine the objective's empathy for their position, you’re in a good position entering that negotiation.
Mike’s top three negotiation planning dos and don’ts Mike dropped some great advice:
- Do your research and understand the company and the individual.
- Understand where your boundaries are and plan them out. Where are you flexible? Where is your walkaway point?
- Be realistic about your outcomes. Walk in with realistic objectives written down in front of you. It helps you focus on what’s important.
- Don’t stick to a fixed position in your mind. If you’ve decided you have to be at x dollars in a contract, it reduces the possible solutions you’re willing to explore,
- Don’t make it about you and your ego. You can’t solely focus on winning, because it introduces emotions into the equation.
- Don’t pressure yourself to get a deal done quickly. The ability to walk away and say “I need to think about this” can give you an advantage in the next conversation with your negotiating partner.
When we set an arbitrary time limit, it creates undue pressure. Mike points out that we’ve all bought a car. Why do you think the salesperson says, “What’s it gonna take to put you in this vehicle today?” They impose a timeline on you which reduces your freedom in the negotiation.
Preparation is the precursor to any successful negotiation Mike had worked with a major client for a couple of years. She was a Senior Executive in the Learning & Development segment of her organization, who answered to the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). She approached him to do some work and agreed on a dollar amount. But then the contract was kicked over to procurement.
Procurement started pushing Mike on price and asked for a discount. Mike wouldn’t agree but the individual kept pushing him. At one point, the individual hung up on him. Mike was angry. He knew he was being baited to get emotionally involved. So Mike paused, called him back, and restated his position. Then he asked to get his contact involved.
Mike knew that procurement had no idea who she was. So Mike called his client and filled her in on the situation. She said, “I’ll call you back.” Five minutes later, procurement called him back and said “Should I email the contract or fax it?”
His contact explained to procurement that this was her top initiative for the year and it was her top deliverable to the Chief Human Resources Officer. The CHRO had a reputation for bulldozing over anyone in her way. She told him if he delayed it further, he’d need to call the CHRO directly and explain the situation.
If procurement had done his proper research and understood the key players in the conversation, he would’ve known better. He didn’t do any research, which caused an embarrassing moment for him. You need to know who’s involved on both sides of the table.
Resources & People Mentioned * Thought Leaders Training
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As a sales leader, you want to prepare for every step of the process. Because negotiation is so far down the sales funnel, it would be a shame to be unprepared and lose a deal because you weren’t prepared. Preparation allows you to think strategically. It also makes you look professional. Someone’s business was important enough for you to take the time to prepare. So how do you prepare strategically? And what does it take to have a successful negotiation? Learn more from Kristie Jones in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:58] Why planning and preparation is an important step in negotiation * [2:08] The key steps a salesperson should take to prepare for negotiation * [4:28] The attributes or characteristics that make a great negotiation planner * [6:50] Tools and resources to improve your negotiation outcomes * [8:49] Kristie’s top three negotiation planning dos and don’ts * [11:42] You have to remain flexible in your negotiation preparation
The key steps a salesperson should take to prepare for negotiation When Kristie is talking to a sales leader, she has them focus on two things:
- Do your salespeople understand the give/gets? Do they know where they have negotiation power? What is open for negotiation?
- What is the cost of no agreement for either side? What will you lose—quota, commission? What will the other side lose? Maybe they need to find a new vendor or service. Maybe it’ll impact their career track.
You need to write down these things. When sales reps do this, they’ll see that they’re on a more level playing field.
The attributes or characteristics that make a great negotiation planner If you’ve forged a relationship with a prospect or customer, you should understand their non-negotiables and where their buying power is. You want to make sure you fully understand their position. What are their concerns or problems? Look at contract language, pricing, timing, etc. Everything can be part of the negotiation.
Self-awareness is also important. If you know you’re meeting with an introverted procurement person, you may have to slow down and focus on details. You need to understand yourself and how you come across. Once you do that, you can adjust your communication style to fit the other party.
Tools and resources to improve your negotiation outcomes Kristie asks people to sit down and draw a line down the middle of a piece of paper and write down the costs of no agreements. She also has them write down what they’re willing to give to get what they want. So when a negotiation gets stressful, they can have their cheat sheets in front of them. Because when tensions rise and the stakes are high, people start to panic, which leads to bad decisions.
You have to remain flexible in your negotiation Kristie is dating someone who lives in another state and works where she lives. She knew that spending New Year's Eve together would be a challenge. But it was important to her. So three months ahead of the holiday, she shared she wanted to spend those days together. She wanted to kick back and watch football together the next day. It was a non-negotiable for her. She gave plenty of notice that the non-negotiable existed.
As the time got closer, and she knew that the negotiation would have to begin, Kristie sat down with him to go over her give/gets. She had them prepared in her head. She brought the topic up at a time she thought was appropriate. She asked what the plans were.
He shared the challenges he was facing, which she had already anticipated. So she shared some viable options:
- She’d travel to his city (as opposed to him coming to her)
- She’d give him time with the children and get a hotel room
- She’d delay the start of New Year’s Eve
Negotiation is a process, not an event. She gave him time to think about what might work. Then they’d get back together and formulate a plan. They ended up deciding that he’d spend New Year’s Eve Day with the kids and spend the rest of the weekend with her. Everyone was willing to give a little to get a little.
But what happened next? Listen to the whole episode to find out why flexibility in any negotiation is key.
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Everything depends on preparation. When you’re in a negotiation, you’re under pressure. You need a good plan or all is lost before you start. Planning is often the most neglected part of a negotiation, too. Why? Because salespeople think they can’t plan because they don’t know what the other person will do. They want to go in and “See what happens.” Chris Croft believes that mindset is all wrong. You need a plan—just work in a few ‘what ifs.’
Outline of This Episode * [0:48] Why planning and preparation is an important step in negotiation * [2:10] The key steps a salesperson should take to prepare for negotiation * [8:46] How to “be nice” in a negotiation when you dislike the other person * [11:12] The attributes or characteristics that make a great sales negotiator * [14:43] Tools and resources to improve your negotiation outcomes * [19:53] Chris’s top three negotiation planning dos and don’ts * [22:52] You can negotiate from a place of weakness and still win
The key steps a salesperson should take to prepare for negotiation Chris believes that there are four key categories you need to focus on:
- Your position: What do you want from a particular deal? Recommendations? Mentions on their website? Payment terms? Then you have to focus on things you can offer them that they deem valuable. Maybe they want free trials, more information, or to be publicized on your website. You need to think through alternatives and focus on your strengths.
- Their position: What do they want? What do we think they want? What can they offer us? What are the things you can trade? If you have a list prepared, it’s far easier to throw out ideas that aren’t discounted. What are their weaknesses? When you think through their weaknesses, you will feel stronger.
- The numbers: There are three big numbers—the price you expect to get, your opening offer, and your walk-away point (the lowest number). You have to prepare all three of these numbers. The other thing you need to think about is the value of trade items. What if they can pay in one week versus 90 days? Assign a value to these things.
- The style: Always be nice, even if you dread or dislike the other person. You’ll get a better deal. But you must also be strong. Walk away if you need to.
If you start by focusing on these areas, you’ll be well prepared for your negotiation.
How to “be nice” in a negotiation when you dislike the other person Your body language in the first 30 seconds sets the scene for the negotiation. So smile, shake someone’s hand, and look them in the eye when you walk into the room. Sit at a 90-degree angle so you aren’t confronting them. Don’t sit with your arms folded. Be relaxed and smiley.
When you say you need a high price and they say they can’t afford it, don’t point out that they’re cheap or that they don’t understand your value. Instead, say “It’s difficult to get ahold of these things” or “It’s expensive to make this.” Or you could point out the demand for your product or service.
If you’re buying, don’t accuse someone of trying to rip you off. Just point out the reasons you can’t afford something. You blame it on yourself. It’s your problem—not theirs.
The attributes or characteristics that make a great sales negotiator Self-discipline is important in every aspect of sales and especially negotiation. Sit down, go through your checklist, and prepare. Secondly, you must detach from the outcome and avoid emotional involvement. You’re playing a chess game with your customer. Rather than panicking, think “Well that’s interesting, I didn’t expect that.”
Salespeople think you sell, wait for the customer to say “I love it” and then negotiate. Chris believes that selling and negotiation should happen in parallel. You should negotiate from the start.
You can negotiate from a place of weakness and still win Chris’s mom saved a voucher for a free stay and gave it to Chris and his wife for a weekend away in Oxford. Right before their trip, they received a message from the hotel saying they were placed in a better room than planned, but they’d have to pay an extra 30 pounds when they arrived.
So Chris decided to negotiate when they arrived at the hotel. So they drove to Oxford and arrived in the evening. When they went in, Chris pointed out that he wasn’t happy about paying the extra 30 pounds. The staff member apologized but said he had to pay it.
So Chris said he wasn’t prepared to pay for it and asked to see the manager. His wife was practically kicking him. The woman said, “I am the manager.” So Chris pleaded one last time, prepared to concede. But the manager waived the 30 pounds. Chris succeeded. He was negotiating from a place of weakness—but so were they. The key was to focus on their weaknesses, not his.
The moral of the story? He should’ve prepared his wife for the negotiation.
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level solution. What are their goals and aspirations for their company? How can your product or services help them achieve their goal? In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Lisa McLeod shares why it’s important to focus on your counterpart’s highest-level solution—and how to do it.
Outline of This Episode * [0:53] Why planning and preparation is an important step in negotiation * [1:42] The key steps a salesperson should take to prepare for negotiation * [4:00] Why you need to identify your counterpart’s highest-level solution * [5:45] The attributes or characteristics that make a great sales negotiator * [8:06] Tools and resources to improve negotiation outcomes * [9:38] Lisa’s top three negotiation planning dos and don’ts * [13:44] Why you should offer more value instead of lowering your price
The key steps a salesperson should take to prepare for negotiation If you’re planning a high-stakes negotiation, there are three things Lisa believes you need to do:
- Take a deep breath: That floods oxygen to your brain and helps calm your flight or flight response.
- Detach your solution from your aspiration: You aspire to use your offering to help the other side. Fear-based energy is not what you want in the negotiation.
- Identify their highest-level solution: It’s not about saving money or terms of services. It’s what impact they’re trying to have in their organization.
It’s easier to do this in the planning stage versus when you’re in front of your potential client.
Why you need to identify your counterpart’s highest-level solution If you’re dealing with a buyer that says “We have to get this pricing on these terms,” it’s likely what they've been told to do. You want to ask them why. What are they trying to accomplish by doing that? They’ll share what their goals are. That becomes your starting point—not pricing, terms, and conditions.
You want to start from a place of strength, which is the impact your solution is going to have on their business or life. It’s not about dominating them. It’s a shared stronger place to start. Start from a place of shared aspiration.
The attributes or characteristics that make a great sales negotiator Salespeople need to be open to what the client says or is trying to achieve. The most successful salespeople have a laser-like focus. If you’ve ever been in a conversation with a loved one and they’re not going to concede, it exudes a certain energy. You either cave to that energy or push against it. Openness creates openness.
The other thing that makes a salesperson great at negotiation is their depth of understanding of the client. A seller that only understands their product, software, consulting services, etc., and doesn’t care about what’s happening with the client is coming from a weak position. When you understand what they’re trying to achieve and how they measure success, it doesn’t matter what you’re selling. Your understanding makes you a better ally and partner.
Tools and resources to improve negotiation outcomes Lisa emphasizes that your client’s website is the #1 tool you can leverage. Why? You can read their “about me” page, read what their CEO said, etc. It allows you to learn the language of the company so you can use it. Which sounds better?
“I’m so excited to talk to you about our software, we’ve got all these bells and whistles, it’s gonna be great for you—let’s get into the negotiation.”
OR:
“I read online that your CEO says that your #1 goal is to improve your customer experience. I’m delighted that we’re having this conversation today because this software is going to play a role in helping you accomplish that.”
What are Lisa’s top three negotiation planning dos and don’ts? Why should you avoid caving on your prices? Listen to the whole episode to learn more!
Resources & People Mentioned * Lisa’s LinkedIn Learning
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As a former procurement professional, Mike Inman can guarantee that procurement comes to the table with a plan. As a salesperson, if you don’t have a plan of your own—you’ll end up following theirs. You should know the tactics you want to use, who is going to be in the meeting, what your BATNA is, and you must set an agenda. Knowledge is power, and you have to leverage it. He shares his take on “opposition” research in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:59] Why planning and preparation is an important step in negotiation * [2:06] The key steps a salesperson should take to prepare for negotiation * [4:09] The attributes or characteristics that make a great sales negotiator * [5:04] Don’t be afraid to leverage LinkedIn to do your research * [8:33] Mike’s top three negotiation planning dos and don’ts * [10:50] The importance of opposition research in a negotiation
The key steps a salesperson should take to prepare for negotiation What’s happening on your side of the table? For every deal point, you must have an open position target and bottom line. After you know what you can and can’t do, spend twice as much time on opposition research.
This can even help you determine if they’ve already decided in your favor—or not in your favor. If you find out that you’re not their preferred solution for a product or service, you can stop wasting time and cut your losses.
Lastly, get approval in advance. There’s nothing more frustrating than a salesperson that has to run things by their boss. Then you’re just an order taker. You’ll get abused. Make sure that you’re authorized to make concessions or close a deal.
Don’t be afraid to leverage LinkedIn to do your research Mike emphasized that LinkedIn is a person's billboard. They choose to publish where they’re from, what they’ve studied, and what’s important to them.
Mike just advised on a massive negotiation. He looked at the Director of Supply Chain’s background on LinkedIn and it was clear that he was career-focused. He moved up the ladder with every job he took. Mike knew that this gentleman needed a win to continue to advance his career.
So Mke helped them build a negotiation plan to make him look good in front of his superiors while protecting value on their side.
Conversely, if someone isn’t sharing information on LinkedIn, why are they hiding it? You can build a psychological profile from this angle as well. If they’re not freely sharing information, they’re a closed person. You’ll likely have to ask more questions in the negotiation.
Mike’s top negotiation planning dos and don’ts Mike shares some to-the-point negotiation dos and don’ts that are spot-on:
- Schedule time to plan your negotiation. Get it on your calendar and on the calendar for whomever you need approval from.
- Set an agenda for planning and don’t wing it.
- Negotiate the agenda with the other side.
- Don’t wing it or you’ll lose.
- Make assumptions. Make assumptions and test them with good questions.
- Don’t forget your timeline. People make the biggest concessions if they’re nearing a deadline. Don’t schedule a negotiation near your deadlines or at the end of the quarter.
Knowledge is power: Why research pays off When Mike moved to Denver, he wanted to rent for a couple of years to make sure he liked the area. They decided they wanted to move over the Summer, so they started looking in January. By February, they’d been outbid on three homes.
So he set up alerts to be notified immediately when there was a new listing. One Saturday morning, a house came on the market that looked perfect. They showed up at the open house and it was perfect.
After doing some legwork, they determined that the house was overpriced. They put in an offer $4,000 below ask with the stipulation that the sellers must accept or deny the offer by Monday at close of business. Monday at noon, they got an email that they won the house.
But there was a huge mistake. The seller accidentally sold the home to two buyers. The agent told Mike that they were “aging” and “didn’t understand technology” and made a mistake. So Mike did some more research. Turns out, the seller worked for Cisco as a Government Contracting Expert.
The agent lied to Mike. So Mike pushed back. The agent responded with their lawyer’s contact information. So what happened next? Mike unwraps a fascinating story that was only possible because he did opposition research. Listen to the episode to hear the ending!
Resources & People Mentioned * Crystal Knows
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Joanne M Smith believes that negotiation preparation in 2023 will be more critical than ever. Why? Because change is happening. We’ve been in an easy negotiation market. She points out that we’re looking at a potential recession where pricing power is going to shift away from suppliers and into the hands of the customers. That’s why she believes salespeople need to plan for tough conversations. Learn what that looks like in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:45] Why planning and preparation is an important step in negotiation * [1:45] The key steps a salesperson should take to prepare for negotiation * [5:02] The attributes or characteristics that make a great sales negotiator * [7:16] Negotiation planning tools and resources to improve B2B negotiations * [9:24] Joanne’s Top negotiation planning dos and don’ts * [13:27] Planning for tough conversations leads to negotiations success
The key steps a salesperson should take to prepare for negotiation The best economists believe that we’ll see a recession within months. When it happens, a salesperson’s job will become harder. You have to adjust your strategy to be fair in the economic conditions you find yourself in.
Make sure you have a rationale for whatever your price point is. Does your industry fairly deserve more? Are you in a position where you can increase your prices?
Your leadership must look at macroeconomics, supply and demand, and the cost of inflation, and give you crisp strategies with real talking points so you can have tough conversations.
So how do you prepare for tough conversations in a negotiation?
Ask yourself, “For this deal, what are the toughest questions that I’m likely to be asked related to my offering or to my price?” In many cases, the questions will be price-oriented. When you ask those questions, you know the data you need to prepare to craft a satisfactory response.
The attributes or characteristics that make a great sales negotiator A salesperson needs to be comfortable with tension and willing to respectfully enter into price discussions. They have to be able to guide the customer toward a better solution they might not be aware of. If you’re going to be confident, you must prepare.
Joanne asks everyone she trains: How do you self-rate on price negotiation skills and confidence? 90% of salespeople think they’re great at sales and feel like they’re mediocre at best when it comes to price negotiation.
She emphasizes that you have to take a step back and realize that you don’t know enough and start learning. Set up some frameworks to make it easy to prepare and effectively negotiate that price.
Top negotiation planning dos and don’ts Joanne shares some great tips to keep in mind when you’re negotiating:
- Recognize that every deal you do isn’t done in isolation. Every deal sets up the future for you and your customers and the way your competitors respond. If you over-discount one customer, they’ll tell your competitors. So your competitors drop their prices. It creates a negative snowball effect.
- Make sure you have a walk-away price. Don’t agree to a low price because it disrupts everything moving forward.
- Make sure you know why you deserve the price and can stand behind it.
- Salespeople believe they have 50% or more price buyers that don’t care about value and will simply buy the lowest price. Don’t fall for that
- If someone doesn’t want to pay your price, let them walk away. Or, take away some value to give them a lower price.
Planning for tough conversations leads to negotiations success Joanne was working with a global business in the construction space. They had a clear and fair reason to raise their prices over the last year. But their sales team wasn’t confident and was afraid they’d lose sales. Three different regions started training with Joanne. The European branch decided they didn’t need training. What happened?
The three regions that completed the training got their price increases with high success and little to minimal share loss. The region that didn’t complete training had a 30% share loss in their largest country. Her workshop covered negotiation preparation. They prepared by practicing responding to tough questions. It goes to show that preparation will always be key.
Resources & People Mentioned * The Price Negotiation Playbook * Pricing in a Crisis Playbook
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It’s important to practice and train in football, basketball, or any other professional sport, right? Yet too many professionals discount the importance of practice and preparation. But if you don’t plan and prepare when you’re negotiating with a team, you’re planning and preparing for complete failure. A great negotiation is the result of great planning on both sides. Keld Jensen emphasizes that you must spend time preparing—more so than on the negotiation itself. Learn how he accomplishes this in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:47] Why planning and preparation is an important step in negotiation * [2:48] The key steps a salesperson should take to prepare for negotiation * [5:50] The attributes or characteristics that make a great sales negotiator * [7:37] Negotiation planning tools and resources to improve B2B negotiations * [9:33] Top three negotiation planning dos and top three don’ts * [12:55] Why a negotiation team needs at least three players * [15:08] Things to be aware of when negotiating with a team * [16:58] Don’t get caught in a negotiation you’re not aware of
The key steps a salesperson should take to prepare for negotiation Keld believes there are hundreds of steps one can take to prepare for a negotiation with a team, but names a few of the most important:
- Take an interest in the counterpart’s interest. What do they really want? You’re not allowed to guess—you need to know. So ask your counterpart intelligent questions to understand their interests, values, and costs.
- Who are you negotiating with? You’re not negotiating against a company—you’re negotiating with a person. You need to know who they are, how many people you’re negotiating with, and if they are the stakeholders that can sign the contract.
- What variables do you want to negotiate? Delivery time, warranty, education, warehousing, transportation—there are hundreds of possible variables. Prioritize your variables.
Negotiation planning tools and resources to improve B2B negotiations Keld uses a negotiation planner that is simply a schedule with columns. One column lists the variables that are negotiable. Then you take the starting point (i.e. a proposal) and calculate your negotiation wiggle room and the consequence(s) of using that wiggle room. Will you win or lose money? You need to come to a conclusion for every variable and the total cost or benefit.
Why a negotiation team needs at least three players Keld believes you should never negotiate alone. He recommends negotiation with a team of 2–3 people so nothing gets missed. It’s impossible for one person to do it all.
When Keld pushes his clients and students to work as part of a team, many of them feel uncomfortable. You have to relate to the content, the case, the counterpart, and the people on your team. That requires discipline. A negotiation team should consist of three roles:
- The head of the team: This person takes charge and identifies the strategy and what should happen next.
- A notetaker: This person is the one who tracks what’s happening and knows what’s going on. They’re the “memory” of the team.
- A calculator: This is the person with a spreadsheet doing the math to calculate the impact of changing different variables.
You have to coordinate who’s doing what so you don’t unintentionally give away something you shouldn’t.
Things to be aware of when negotiating as a team Keld was helping a Norwegian agency sell a production plan to an Italian customer. The head of the Norwegian negotiation team was the Sales Director. His team consisted of himself, the Technical Director, and the Managing Director. They’d been negotiating for hours, discussing commercial items.
Then the Italian counterpart pointed out that all of the manuals were in English and asked for them to be translated into Italian. The Technical Director jumped in and said, “We’ve already done that!”
The real cost of translating the manual was €12,000 and he just gave it away. Why did he say it? Because he was proud of it. That’s why they should’ve discussed what he was and wasn’t allowed to say. He should have said, “We can discuss how much that will cost.”
What is the most dangerous type of negotiation a salesperson can find themselves in? Listen to the whole episode to hear what it is—and what you should do when you find yourself in that negotiation.
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What does a customer experience when they hear a story? It should be entertaining, enjoyable, and relatable. Storytelling is innately human. We are wired to receive and retain information when it’s told in story form. Stories can also be used to create alignment with important executive stakeholders in the sales process. Learn how Scott Ingram uses stories to create executive alignment with Fortune 500 companies in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:53] Why storytelling is an important skill to possess * [1:30] Is storytelling something that can be learned? * [2:44] The ingredients of a great story that sells * [3:32] The attributes of a great sales story * [6:23] Resources to improve storytelling abilities * [7:17] Reaching executive stakeholders with one question * [14:03] The success Scott sees aligning with stakeholders * [15:11] What you can take away from Scott’s story
Stories are perfected through practice Scott has developed specific stories for specific situations that he knows will resonate or make a point. He knows that the story format will connect better than if he just gave someone information.
What are the situations—throughout your sales cycle—where a story might be appropriate? How do you introduce yourself? How do you introduce your company or solution? How do you share successes with other customers?
You have an opportunity to choose the story and practice the story. That’s how anyone gets better at anything.
The attributes of a great sales story The more closely you can align your hero with your customer, the more they can see themselves in that situation. The more it connects, the more it resonates. The story needs to relate to the issue or objective you’re trying to solve.
One of the stories that Scott uses frequently is all about elevating the access that he has in an organization. He wants to get connected to and aligned with an executive stakeholder. That’s the reason he tells a story. He wants them to understand the value of making that introduction. He’ll increase their odds of success in a project.
What is the purpose of the story? What outcome do you desire?
Reaching executive stakeholders with one question Scott works for a professional services firm and most of his clients are Fortune 500 companies. The deals are often complex with numerous stakeholders and departments in the mix. When he’s in a competitive situation he wants to differentiate himself but his primary objective is to get aligned with the executive stakeholder for the project.
When you’re working on these complex opportunities where you have misaligned incentives, different goals, etc. you need someone that sits above it all and can make decisions to move a project forward. The success or failure of these projects hinges on a strong executive stakeholder. So Scott shares this story when he’s trying to determine who an executive stakeholder is.
Rob—a stakeholder at a Fortune 500 company—is the perfect executive stakeholder because he understands the value of his role in meeting the overall objective of a project. What made Rob so great in his role is that he knew his role was to call balls and strikes.
You will work with incomplete data, but decisions must still be made to move forward. By serving in that role, he’s seen incredible success delivering projects on time and on budget, delivering the results and outcomes the organization was seeking.
After telling that story, Scott asks his clients if they have a stakeholder identified for the project. Most often, the answer is “no.” So Scott educates them on why the role is critical to their success. It’s a challenging question that most people won’t ask.
The success Scott sees aligning with stakeholders Scott notes that he shares this story in the majority of his deals. It elevates the conversation and brings real value to the project. Secondly, Rob is a closer personal friend and he’s more than happy to make an introduction. It also opens up the opportunity for Rob to share his story about Scott and his company to the new client.
Scott’s approach is effective 80% of the time. Many teams are trying to complete a mission-critical project, yet they’re disjointed across the organization and often don’t realize their risk is high. The way to mitigate their risk is to figure out who the executive stakeholder is and get them involved in the process.
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Sales is about building relationships. People want to have faith that you’re a good person and that you’re there for the right reasons. They don’t get to see you in action. But if you tell a story about a real experience, it shares a sample of your behavior. It allowed them to decide whether or not you’re trustworthy. Annette Simmons firmly believes that storytelling is the substance of relationships. Learn how she uses stories to demonstrate trustworthiness in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:44] Why is storytelling an important skill to possess in sales? * [2:01] Is storytelling something that can be learned? * [3:25] The ingredients of a great story that sells * [5:04] The attributes of a great storyteller * [6:53] Resources to improve your storytelling * [9:55] Top three storytelling dos and don’ts * [12:40] Using a story to demonstrate trustworthiness
The ingredients of a great story that sells A great story is a significant emotional experience narrated so that it feels real to the teller and the listener. How do you know what stories to tell? Annette says to think of a time when you can share a quality that earned you the right to be trusted. What examples from your background of when you were that quality? Or when you blew it? If you narrate it as a real experience using your sensory imagination, magic happens. If you are in the moment, other people feel it as real. But the key is that you have to share a substantive true story.
The attributes of a great storyteller Authenticity is #1. Salespeople are trying to build a relationship of trust. When Annette was researching storytelling and sales, she came across a story about a supplier to Walmart. He had been trying to sell to them for ages and never got a sale. Then the purchaser called and asked him for something he didn’t have—but he knew who did.
So he gave the purchasing agent the name of the person who had what they wanted. That’s where he started to build trust. So when he had what they were looking for, they already trusted him to deliver. What are the other attributes? Listen to hear Annette’s thoughts!
The 6 kinds of stories you must tell Annette believes there are six stories every salesperson must be able to tell.
- Who I am
- Why I’m here
- A story that teaches something
- A vision story
- A value-in-action story
- The “I know what you’re thinking” story
When you hear a story, it prompts you to think of a story. People start sharing stories, which is when the magic happens. Storytelling is a collaborative process. Practice your story with someone else so you see if you’re recreating an emotional experience. If you’re not, you get a chance to correct it before you’re in a sales situation.
Using a story to demonstrate trustworthiness When Annette does facilitator training, she caps the classes at a max of 10 people because the work is intense. She wanted people to have the freedom to work on themselves as well as learn the process. For one of her training sessions, she had five people signed up, each paying their own way. A large client reached out to her and said they’d take the remaining spots.
Instead of agreeing to take all five, because she didn’t believe it would be fair to her current participants, Annette said she could accept 2–3 and the others could join the next training. She wanted to make sure it was a good experience for everyone. The woman told her she wouldn't be getting her business and hung up on her.
People might hear that story and focus on the thought that she lost business. Annette doesn’t care. She shares the difficult things they don’t want to hear with positive intent. What stories can you share that might be difficult but will create trust? And create a context where you are being honest and authentic? Annette will make decisions that are in the best interest of her clients, even when they disagree. Telling that story creates a powerful base for a relationship and builds trustworthiness.
Resources & People Mentioned * The Story Factor * Whoever Tells the Best Story Wins * Drinking from a Different Well
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People make decisions on an emotional level and then justify them logically. If you hear a story about someone else that mirrors what’s happening to you, you visualize yourself in that role. When you hear that someone else has used this product or service as their solution, it makes the decision to buy easier. It helps ease your nerves.
As the seller, you can tap into the real needs of a buyer that help them make a decision. You do this by sharing real, relevant, and descriptive stories that put the buyer in that scenario. Donald C Kelly shares how story selling is in the details in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:55] Why is storytelling an important skill to possess in sales? * [2:42] Can you become a more gifted storyteller? * [5:14] What makes a great story that sells? * [7:01] The characteristics of a great storyteller * [8:54] Resources to improve your storytelling * [10:35] Top three storytelling dos and don’ts * [13:14] Why you should share stories that resonate
What makes a great story that sells? Every story has to have a hero and a guide. Donald Miller talks about this in his book, “Storybrand.” You are Gandalf and the client is Frodo. You need to make sure you’re guiding those individuals and not trying to take the limelight.
Secondly, you have to make sure your story is demonstrating a real and relevant problem. You can’t make something up. Frodo had to save Middle Earth from destruction. The guide was able to help them.
What was the defining moment? What was the impact? What is the solution and resolution that comes from it?
The characteristics of a great storyteller Donald emphasizes that you have to have a good imagination. Salespeople tend to push the sale to the close. But when you’re telling a story, you need to linger on descriptions. You need to linger on details. You need to linger on the things that pull on people’s heartstrings.
You can share how you helped someone with their CRM. Or you could say, “They go into the office dreading opening their CRM because it’s so convoluted and difficult to use…” Focusing on emotions helps them imagine the pain and difficulty.
Top three storytelling dos and don’ts What are Donald’s top storytelling tips?
- Don’t rush your story, tell it with the necessary details.
- Be sure that you’re not telling a dry story. Be descriptive, vary your pitch, etc. It’s something you learn in Toastmasters.
- Be descriptive. It’s important to share relevant details.
- Don’t lie. Don’t fabricate stories and deceive people.
- Don’t push a story about yourself, but share one about the prospect.
- Don’t pressure prospects when you tell a story. You want them to feel good and feel like moving forward with your solution.
Why you should share stories that resonate Donald was selling software to Indian River County Schools in Florida. The School District wanted to go paperless. They had a place on campus that housed all of their files that no one wanted to use. It wasn’t only difficult to find anything but was dangerous because there were boxes stacked everywhere.
So Donald shared a story about another school district in a similar circumstance. Unfortunately, an elderly staff member was hurt because they had to climb on the boxes and fell. He helped his prospect to visualize what could happen without a solution.
But Donald didn’t stop there. He shared how this school district implemented the digital solution and how their life became far easier. This resonated with his prospect and they were able to move the sale to the school board.
But that’s not how the story ends. Listen to the whole episode to hear the rest of Donald’s story!
Resources & People Mentioned * Building a StoryBrand * Story Selling * Sell with a Story * The Hero’s Journey
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When you can share stories that demonstrate the value of your product or service—while making your prospective client the hero—it makes what you offer come alive. Patti Pokorchak likes to say, “When people see the value, they will find the money.” Learn how Patti crafts stories that show value in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [1:19] Why is storytelling an important skill? * [1:46] Is storytelling something that can be learned? * [2:37] The ingredients of a story that sells * [3:18] The attributes of a great storyteller * [4:03] Resources to improve your storytelling * [5:16] Top three storytelling dos and don’ts * [6:25] How to keep your story more concise * [7:19] How to make the story about the customer * [8:12] When people see the value they find the money
Is storytelling something that can be learned? Patti jokes that she’s living proof that you can take a shy geek and turn them into a more outgoing multi-million-dollar sales professional. Storytelling is another tool in her arsenal that she uses and teaches. She believes that if you want to improve, it helps to have a board of advisors and accountability partners so you can practice your stories and get feedback.
The ingredients of a story that sells You have to set the scene. What is the conflict or problem that needs to be resolved? The climax involves turning your potential client into the star of the story. Patti emphasizes that you have to pace yourself and use different tones. Make your story concise so your listener doesn’t tune out. The least amount of words makes the maximum impact. Lastly, don’t forget to pause at the crucial moment of the story.
Patti breaks down some other useful storytelling dos and don’ts:
- Make sure the customer is the hero of the story
- Make sure there’s a lesson to be learned
- Be concise. Keep your story at 2–3 minutes
- Don’t be boring.
- Don’t be long-winded.
- Don’t make it about you.
Listen to find out how Patti makes her stories concise and customer-focused.
When people see the value they find the money Patti was asked to come in to give a dreaded second quote to train a department that was already working with someone they trusted. To prepare for the quote, Patti started asking questions. She asked what the other consultant was charging. It was only $1,000 a day. Patti’s target quote was $10,000 a training day. She was 10 times more expensive. But that didn’t deter Patti.
Patti had been working for Learning Tree for a few years by then. She was confident that they provided world-class training. So when she gave the quote, she shared how they developed courses, which included beta testing, six months of training, and constant evaluation of trainers. In comparison, their consultant had never taught this course before. Their consultant wasn’t qualified in comparison.
Did they want their 20 engineers to waste two days of their time on an unproven course? Patti won their business by showing the value of their training. When people see the value, they will find the money. It’s why Patti always preaches value.
Resources & People Mentioned * Jeanne Robertson Stories * Dave Lieber Dallas Morning News * The Power of Storytelling to Change the World
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Sales is about making connections with your customer. Humans invented stories as the most powerful way to connect information and people. That’s why storytelling is something you have to learn. Learning to play any musical instrument is challenging. Every once and a while a Mozart comes along that is naturally gifted at a young age. But for most people, the reason they’re good at something is because they do it consistently. Just like learning a musical instrument, storytelling is a skill that you need to master.
Outline of This Episode * [0:41] Why storytelling is an important skill to possess * [1:16] How to become a more gifted storyteller * [2:26] The ingredients of a great story that sells * [4:51] The attributes of a great sales storyteller * [6:18] Resources to improve storytelling abilities * [7:28] Doug’s top three storytelling dos and don’ts * [9:33] How a story can pack a powerful punch
The ingredients of a great story that sells Many salespeople go wrong when they share a case study, thinking that it’s a story. You’re laying out the company, the problem, and how your company solved the problem. You’re making the storyteller the hero and the subject the company. No one cares about companies. Companies are inanimate abstracts. People do care about people. They care about themselves. Make your story about someone’s challenge and how you solved a problem for the person.
The attributes of a great sales storyteller If you're going to play an instrument in a band, you need to know how to play a lot of songs. You also need enough knowledge of your genre to jump right in and play. Good salespeople have a library of stories in their heads that they can pull from when they need them. It needs to come naturally, in the same way that John Mayer can play any blues song.
What are Doug’s top three storytelling dos and don’ts? Listen to find out!
The Hero’s Journey isn’t the be-all and end-all Doug believes that the Hero’s Journey isn’t what you want to use for business storytelling. You don’t need to tell a long story. The stories you tell need to be short-form and anecdotal. The story should share what happened, the challenge, and how the challenge was resolved. Don’t buy the doctrine that every story has to be a hero overcoming a huge challenge to find the truths about themselves.
How a story can pack a powerful punch In the mid-1980s, Doug was standing in the office of his production and communication agency. He was reading a story in the newspaper. The story was about a startup package delivery company, Federal Express. Federal Express promised their customers that they would get their customers packages to their destinations on time. No one had ever done that before.
A huge snowstorm closed some local roads and a delivery driver couldn’t get to his destination in his truck. So he drove to the airport, rented a helicopter, and flew the package to its destination.
The press thought they’d be out of business by Christmas. But the CEO said their drivers were smart enough to know when and how to deliver packages. They supported the driver, who became a hero in the company.
Doug’s clients included large technology companies and banks. They gave their business to Federal Express. FedEx became one of the world’s greatest brands. It all started with a powerful story in a newspaper.
A few powerful stories that show what your company stands for or how you’ve helped others be successful can have a huge impact on your culture and your sales. A great story will stick. This story not only stuck with Doug but stuck so powerfully that he remembers it 30 years later.
Resources & People Mentioned * Anecdote * Putting Stories to Work * Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell
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Rob Stenberg likes to say, “The shortest distance between two people is a story.” And if you’re looking to make an emotional connection, being able to tell a succinct story is a critical sales skill. Some people are more intuitive storytellers. But just like any other skill, you can learn how to tell stories. It takes time and practice and training to gain mastery. Rob shares some of his strategies to craft compelling stories in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:57] Why storytelling is an important skill to have * [1:30] Can you learn how to be a great storyteller? * [2:05] The ingredients of a great story that sells * [3:10] The attributes of a great storyteller * [3:56] Resources to improve storytelling abilities * [4:56] Rob’s top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts * [6:57] How to shorten a story to 60–90 seconds * [8:06] Why sales leaders need an “I am human” story
The ingredients of a great story that sells Rob notes that you need to set the stage where you introduce the hero of the story. Then there needs to be a complication or challenge—what’s wrong that you’re trying to overcome? Then there needs to be a turning point where the hero of the story has an “aha moment” and sees a new way of doing things. The final segment is the resolution—what were the end results?
Rob’s top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts What else can you do to make your story stand out? Follow Rob’s dos and don’ts:
- Make sure you add emotion to your story. If you don’t, it will flatline.
- Make your story brief, 60–90 seconds maximum.
- Once you’ve told your story, listen. Pass the torch to your client.
- Don’t only give facts. Facts tell, stories sell.
- Don’t tell a story that doesn’t have a point.
- Don’t tell a story that the person you’re talking to can’t relate to.
But if you struggle to be brief, how do you tell a short story?
How to shorten a story to 60–90 seconds In Rob’s workshops, he teaches salespeople to put the ingredients of a story on color-coded cards. Each card is allowed two bullet points of talking points:
- The setting of the story is a green card
- The complication is a white card
- The turning point is a blue card
- The resolution is a red card
If you look at your cards and follow those talking points, you can keep a story within 60–90 seconds. Abraham Lincoln gave the Gettysburg Address in two minutes and two seconds. If he can do that, salespeople can get their stories down to a minute.
Why sales leaders need an “I am human” story Salespeople can be intimidated by sales leadership. Rob was teaching a workshop when the VP of Sales asked to speak briefly at the beginning of Rob’s presentation. The VP proceeded to tell his sales team that they were doing a terrible job.
Rob was mortified. If he was part of the sales team, he’d be looking for a new job. But the VP of Sales spoke again after lunch. When he did, this is what he said:
“I grew up very poor. I was the youngest of three kids. I didn’t wear a piece of brand-new clothing until I was 16 years old. I vowed that I was never ever going to live like that again. I also vowed that nobody that works with me is ever going to live like that and ever be poor like that. That’s why I ask so much of you, and I just wanted you to know that.”
Rob would walk through fire for that guy. If you’re a sales leader, make sure you have an “I am human story,” a “vision story,” and a “customer hero story.”
Everyone has a story. So you have to ask good questions to get that person’s story. Rob thought this man was a jerk. When he learned his “why” he saw him in a different light.
Resources & People Mentioned * What Great Salespeople Do by Mike Bosworth
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Every salesperson needs to be relatable. Stories are the best way to be relatable. A great narrative helps connect people and drive sales. Learning how to become a good storyteller takes experience, which only comes with practice.
AnnaMarie Platt-Miller emphasizes that the best stories are personal. But if you don’t have those, borrow others’ stories. Read stories. Read books. Listen to podcasts. Watch TedTalks. Do whatever you can to become a better storyteller.
Outline of This Episode * [1:03] Why storytelling is an important skill to have * [1:48] Can anyone learn to be a good storyteller? * [2:32] The ingredients of a great story that sells * [3:59] The attributes of a great sales storyteller * [5:00] Resources to improve your storytelling * [7:16] AnnaMarie’s top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts * [9:26] Why you should personalize stories when possible
The ingredients of a great story that sells You have to ask your customer open-ended questions so they can share their story. Because until you know their story, you can’t create an environment that’s comfortable for both of you to share experiences so you can close your sale.
Secondly, you need to be relatable. Find common ground with your audience. Lastly, you need to solve their problems. People are buying to fill a need—practical or otherwise. The stories they told you will help complete the transaction so everyone walks away happy.
AnnaMarie’s top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts AnnaMarie’s do’s and don’ts drive home her point:
- Be sure to listen to your customer, client, and potential buyer.
- Tell a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end.
- Know what kind of story will appeal to your prospect (a cautionary tale, a hero’s journey, etc.).
- Don’t talk over your customer. You have two ears and one mouth—listen twice as much as you speak
- Don’t be quick to judge how your story is received. If you aren’t sure, ask a question.
- Don’t ever argue with your customer, let them win.
Personalize stories whenever possible 10 years ago, AnnaMarie was in educational sales selling eBooks. eBooks were relatively new and people were hesitant to give up their paper books. She had to help her customers overcome the idea that no one would use them.
AnnaMarie’s son had suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Because of this, he had to change the way he learned. eBooks were one of the things that helped him. She shared that story with her customer, which helped them see how the tool could work for them.
When you can share a personal story, even if it’s difficult, you should. It’s okay to be personal with your customers. It’s okay to share your ideas and experiences and listen to them.
Resources & People Mentioned * TED Talks * The Moth * Storytelling Guild * How to Tell a Story
Connect with AnnaMarie Platt-Miller * Connect on LinkedIn * Intuitive Tales
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People pitching their company often say things like “We are the market leader in…We operate in 200 branches…We spend 10% of our money on R&D.” Philipp Humm notes that while these are interesting facts that should be included, they aren’t very memorable. The moment you walk out the door, your potential buyer won’t remember those facts. To be remembered, you need to appeal to their emotions. The easiest way to do that? Tell a story.
Outline of This Episode * [0:54] Why is storytelling an important skill to possess in sales? * [1:53] Is storytelling something that can be learned? * [2:50] The ingredients of a great story that sells * [4:07] The attributes and characteristics of a great storyteller * [5:13] Resources listeners can use to improve their storytelling * [6:10] Philipp’s top three storytelling dos and top three don’ts * [9:34] Anyone can share a mesmerizing story with the right techniques
Is storytelling something that can be learned? Philip recently attended his undergrad reunion. Someone walked up to him and asked what he was “Up to these days.” Philip told him that he was a business storytelling coach. This guy said, “I never saw you as a storyteller.” Philip, feeling slighted, admits that he had been a terrible public speaker and storyteller. But over the years, through practice and repetition, he learned how to do both well, proving that anyone can learn the art.
The ingredients of a great story that sells Philipp believes that there are three ingredients you can’t forget when storytelling.
- Emotion: Is there anything that touches hearts? Is there any challenge overcome? Is there something that makes the listener care?
- Surprise: When you’re sharing your story, you’re fighting for the attention of the listener. You make someone pay attention by sharing something unexpected that they didn’t see coming.
- Visual moments: You want your buyer to be able to see whatever you’re telling in front of their eyes. They should be part of your story.
What are the attributes and characteristics of a great storyteller? Listen to learn more!
Philipp’s top three storytelling dos and top three don’ts Philipp shares some great dos and don’ts:
- Don’t make it too complex. You have 60–90 seconds to tell a story, so don’t try to cover the 16 steps of the Hero’s Journey.
- Don’t give too much context. Two to three sentences of building context are enough. You aren’t writing a fiction novel!
- Don’t make it a performance. You don’t have to go into character to tell a story. You’ll create a disconnect between you and the buyer. Instead, weave it into your conversation.
- Make the customer the hero. You are Yoda—not Luke Skywalker. You’re the hero’s guide.
- Make the story about a specific person. Humans care about humans—not companies. Who is impacted by your story?
- Make your story relevant. Do some research on your audience. Learn about their company, role, and interests, and then select relevant stories. If you don’t, your story may work against you.
Using the right storytelling techniques is key Philipp was in his apartment in Amsterdam when he got a call from an unknown number. When he picked up the phone, it was a gal who had taken one of his programs. She closed 12 deals in one month alone. Her boss asked her if she had been bribing her clients. She was simply using stories in her conversations.
He asked her what made the biggest impact on her from his training. She said it was knowing how to turn water into wine. She learned how to turn any basic story into something interesting using the techniques she’d learned. Anyone can share a mesmerizing story with the right techniques.
Resources & People Mentioned * Philipp’s Storytelling Assessment
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People are more likely to listen and emotionally connect to a story versus facts. That’s why when you have a chance to tell a story, you’re more likely to make that emotional connection. It’s even better when they can see themselves in the story. But how do you tell stories that land? According to Caryn Kopp, it’s all about using the right words.
Outline of This Episode * [0:59] Why is storytelling an important skill to possess in sales * [2:03] Can you become a gifted storyteller? * [3:17] The ingredients of a great story that sells * [6:32] The characteristics of a good storyteller * [8:11] Resources to improve your storytelling abilities * [9:35] Caryn’s top three storytelling dos and don’ts * [12:09] How the right words are influential
Can you become a gifted storyteller? Caryn’s company is built of senior business developers—that they call door openers—representing their clients and landing them meetings. Caryn is constantly asked if she can train sales teams to be better. The short answer is yes.
However, she can’t train them to be someone who loves what they’re doing. Some people just have it in their DNA. Some people have the gift for storytelling and others can improve if they learn how to structure a story to make emotional connections.
The right words are key to a great story that sells Caryn believes that there are three things you need to focus on when you’re telling stories:
- Start with the end in mind: What is it that you’re trying to accomplish through your story? Are you trying to get a meeting? Are you asking to close? Are you trying to nurture the relationship? What words, concepts, and themes will make the most impact where you are in the relationship with the prospect?
- Speak to the person—not the persona: People get caught up in the persona. But it lacks flesh, blood, and feelings. If you’re speaking to someone, you’ve likely researched who they are. You know their background and challenges so you can make your storytelling connect.
- Every word matters: Caryn’s philosophy is that the person with the best words wins. That doesn’t mean the best product or service always wins. When you prepare your story, make sure each word will work as hard for you as it can.
Instead of saying, “I’m going to show you how this works,” say, “I’m going to prove how this works.” Replace words that help your story land with more impact.
The characteristics of a good storyteller Caryn believes that a seller needs to truly care about the person with whom they’re speaking and that they want to make their life better. They can make an emotional connection using words that communicate those ideas. Lastly, a great seller is present. You can make adjustments to your story in real-time as people react. How are they breathing? Should you stop and ask a question?
What are Caryn’s top three storytelling dos and don’ts? Listen to find out!
The right words are influential A prospect was considering Caryn’s door opener service because she needed to grow her organization's sales. They were great at closing sales but didn’t have time to get the opportunities.
Caryn was sitting outside Starbucks, waiting to get a latte when she got on the phone with her prospect. The prospect understood the service offering. She thought it was a perfect fit. Then she said “however.” She said they had several investments coming up and had to prioritize them first and revisit Caryn’s service at a later time.
But Caryn was prepared. She could have just said, “Let’s just connect in a couple of months.” Instead, she said, “In our previous conversations you told me that getting more opportunities and closing more sales is one of your highest priorities, especially to show your investors that you are able to do this.” She asked one last question, “If we don’t proceed together, how will you accomplish your goals?”
Then she waited. Caryn’s prospect said, “You’re right. If we don’t move forward now, we can’t reach our goals. Let’s get started.”
What can you learn from Caryn’s story? She shares how her framework helped lead her prospect to the sale in this episode. Don’t miss it!
Resources & People Mentioned * Patricia Fripp * The Kopp GAP Method of Sales Messaging®
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Storytelling is an important skill for salespeople and companies to possess because story is the way humans remember everything. If you give someone a list of facts that aren’t connected in a meaningful way, people will shut you down.
A good story focuses on a problem that someone has. If you can hone in on a problem so much so that the person recognizes the problem in themselves, they get hooked. Dave Butler shares why problem-focused storytelling is so effective in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:59] Why storytelling is an important skill for salespeople to have * [2:47] Why storytelling is something that can be learned * [4:21] A formula for problem-focused storytelling * [8:38] The attributes of a great sales storyteller * [12:05] Resources to improve your storytelling abilities * [13:23] Dave’s top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts * [16:23] Why you need to focus on the problem first
Why storytelling is something that can be learned Dave notes that you don’t need to be an expert to tell stories. People can be taught to tell stories in a formulaic way that’s just as gripping as the greatest speaker. It’s about focusing on the problem that you’re solving rather than the details of the solution. It becomes straightforward to have every person in your company testing and perfecting the story. The effectiveness of a story comes from repetition.
A formula for problem-focused storytelling People don’t listen to a story they don’t care about. So the problem that you solve needs to be at the core of the story that matters to them. If they’re struggling with the problem you solve, then you need to amp it up and raise its importance in their mental framework. A problem can be broken down into three components:
- External problem: Everyone that’s buying something has a thing they’re trying to fix.
- Internal problem: The story can focus on their internal problem, i.e. how the external problem is affecting them internally.
- Philosophical problem: Is there a struggle between good and evil? Is there an injustice?
When you’re telling the story, the hero has to be the listener. The person with the problem is typically weak. They need someone to come alongside them to help them solve the problem. Companies need to be the guide that’s grounded in empathy and competence. Communicate that you care about their problem and that you’re the right entity to fix it.
Lastly, you have to cast a vision of success or failure. The listener needs to feel what’s at stake. You use this to increase the relevance of the problem in their minds. You need to emphasize that the problem is awful and they shouldn’t have to face it.
What are the attributes of a great sales storyteller? What are Dave’s top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts? Listen to hear Dave’s thoughts!
Why you need to focus on the problem first Dave was the first VP of Sales at Aruba Wireless Networks (which was eventually bought out by HP). People at home got to use wireless at home, but they couldn’t do it in their company. They wanted to build a product that enabled people to use wireless networks everywhere. They found seven massive companies in LA and New York that agreed to help them design the product so it would be perfect for them.
They got the product out the door and not a single one of those 14 companies bought it. They didn’t want to deploy wireless because it would create more problems for them (and they didn’t see that it would create additional revenue).
One day in New York, an engineer sitting in a park realized he could still log on to the wireless system. Customers were bringing in wireless access points from homes and plugging them into the bank. It was an incredible security violation. So they changed their product to get rid of unwanted wireless first. Two weeks later, every company was a customer.
You have to make sure that your solution is something that people want. That’s why you must focus on the problem and build from there.
Resources & People Mentioned * Business Made Simple
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Storytelling is how you help prospects and customers remember you and understand your product (and why it’s valuable to them). Humans interpret things through stories. If you can tell a story that makes sense, you’ll be more successful. But if you can tell a story interweaved with tension and release, you’ll hook your listener and they’ll be more invested in what you have to say. Steve Benson shares why this is his favorite storytelling strategy in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:54] Why storytelling skills are important in sales * [1:32] Is storytelling a skill that can be learned? * [2:18] Tension and release are key to a great story * [3:28] The attributes of a great storyteller * [7:34] Resources to improve storytelling abilities * [9:04] Steve’s top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts * [12:59] Stories have the power to win new business
Tension and release are key to a great story Some people are better speakers than others—but is it because they’re born that way or learned those skills as a young child? Anyone can become a better storyteller. It’s about communication, being articulate, and understanding the elements of what makes a story.
When you’re in a conversation and want to sound interesting, it comes down to tension and release. You lay out the characters, where you are, what time it is, and set the scene. Then you describe the tension/problem and the resolution. Movies build tension and have small resolutions throughout the story that keeps you hooked.
The attributes of a great storyteller You need to be articulate and use variability within your voice. You can use a coach to learn what you’re doing right or wrong. Are you calm and relaxed? Or tense? You need to be confident, clear, crisp, and articulate. But the most important thing is to tell good stories that are interesting and relatable.
When you’re selling a service or product, a prospect is thinking about it from different perspectives, which is why it’s important to ask them questions so you understand how they view the problem. Then you can serve a story that’s framed in the right way. It all starts with asking, “Why are we here today? Why did you invite me in?” When you do this, your stories will resonate intensely.
Steve’s top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts Steve shares a few key dos and don’ts of the storytelling process:
- Use storytelling to address objections before they’re voiced. If you suspect a customer will have a certain problem or question, bring it up casually and answer their question with a story.
- Use stories to make it easy for a prospect to say yes. You can shorten your sales cycle if you can help people connect with others who have been in a similar situation. It takes risk off the table.
- Uncover what the story needs to be about. Uncover the prospect’s perspective so you map the right story and frame it correctly.
- Don’t wing it. It’s better to have a framework for storytelling in your mind (set up the story, move into the problem/tension/challenge, and share the challenge).
- Don’t make your salespeople make up their own stories. Have a place where they can share relevant stories and build them into your sales culture.
- Don’t be boring. When you tell a story, use excitement in your voice. Build tension and release tension throughout your story to keep things interesting.
Stories have the power to win new business When BadgerMaps was a startup (2013) they offered a service that did one thing well: They took customers and put them on a map so you could see where all your customers were based on their specific attributes. They were courting a large medical device company with revenues of $6 billion a year.
Because they were a small startup, they had to share who they were and what they did in an impactful way. They had to come across as trustworthy. So they were honest and open about where they were—but shared where they planned to go. They signed a three-year deal with the medical device company—large enough to cover their expenses for the entire next year. It allowed them to build out the product for other companies.
Learn more about Steve’s storytelling process in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Resources & People Mentioned * Say Less and Sell More: The Art of Storytelling * Leveraging Storytelling to Close More Sales
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Park Howell knows that if you’re a leading sales professional, you want to communicate and resonate on a deep level to convert prospects to life-long evangelists for your brand. But you may not connect as well as you could because you lead with logic and reason. Your audience wants the emotional pull of an irresistible story.
That’s why Park coaches salespeople with his ABT framework to escalate and accelerate the sales process. Storytelling is the fundamental agile communication tool to get everyone on board as quickly as possible—especially prospects. He shares more about his storytelling framework in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [1:02] Why storytelling is an important skill to possess * [3:05] Is storytelling a gift that can be learned? * [4:08] Park’s ABT framework for storytelling * [5:58] The attributes of a great storyteller * [8:13] Resources to improve storytelling * [10:15] Park’s top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts * [13:34] How do you employ brevity in storytelling? * [15:10] Why salespeople choose not to tell stories * [16:02] Non-narrative bravado versus true narrative
Is storytelling a gift that can be learned? Great storytellers are like great athletes. They learn and perfect their craft over years of practice. When armed with the right framework—you may not elevate to the level of experts—but you can give yourself an unfair advantage in the sales realm. It comes back to how to use narrative to your benefit. But you have to understand the magic to cast the spell. If you learn storytelling techniques, it will up your game and boost your sales. That’s why Park created the ABT framework.
Park’s ABT framework The ABT framework—i.e. the “And, but, and therefore” framework—is set up on the three forces of story: agreement, contradiction, and consequence. The limbic brain is a pattern-seeking cause-and-effect, decision-making, buying brain. It loves the setup, problem, and resolution dynamic that’s offered through storytelling.
- Agreement: You place your audience at the center of the story. So you must understand who they are, appreciate what they want and why it’s important to them this is the “and”).
- Contradiction: You must empathize with why they don’t currently have what they want. What are the obstacles? What “but” is in the way?
- Consequence/Resolution: How are you uniquely equipped to help them get what they want? This is the “therefore.”
It’s about understanding, empathizing, and appreciating who your prospect is, what they want, and how you can help them get it.
Park’s top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts As you use the ABT framework, Park notes there are some dos and don’ts you want to keep in mind:
- According to storytelling expert Robert McKee, You have to understand your audience in a “God-like way.” Who are you writing the story for? What do they care about? How will you make your story something they can relate to and connect with? It’s the same for storytelling in business sales and marketing.
- Help your prospect imagine what a brighter future looks like for them if they work with you. No bullet-point list of features and functions can make this happen. You have to fire up the theater of the mind and imprint images on their brain so you become remarkably memorable.
- The most vigorous stories rely on brevity. Use specific well-crafted language because the power is in the specifics.
- Don’t believe you’re already a good storyteller because chances are you’re probably not. You have to be intentional and use a framework to evolve from winging it to winning with it.
- Do not “and, and, and” your audience to death. Use the “setup, problem, and resolution” dynamic to build your storytelling abilities and tell a great story.
- Don’t dismiss the power of storytelling as a gimmick. Storytelling will differentiate you in a crowded market, build urgency for your offering, and deliver on the promises that you make.
How do you employ brevity in storytelling? Park emphasizes that you must focus on the singular point you’re trying to make and hang everything else from it. Once you’ve hooked your listener and laid out the problem/solution dynamic, you need to share a short story to make a real-world impact using the five primal elements of a short story:
- When did it happen?
- Where did it happen?
- Who is the single protagonist it happened to?
- What happened? What was the outcome?
- How does it make your business point?
If you follow those elements in that order and share a story, your prospect can picture what the outcome looks like for them quickly.
Park drives home this episode with a story that demonstrates exactly how his ABT framework makes an impact on salespeople and their prospects. Don’t miss it!
Resources & People Mentioned * ABT Agile Narrative Framework Course * The Narrative Gym for Business * The Business of Story Podcast
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A prospect needs to see themself in a solution to believe it’s possible for them. Storytelling is what helps your prospects put themselves in whatever situation that you’re talking about. When they can relate to the story and hear what the moral is, they’re more likely to move forward. But you have to tell the right story. And according to Kendra Lee, the key to choosing the right story is listening. Learn how she utilizes this simple tool to realize extraordinary results in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:43] Why storytelling is an important skill for salespeople * [1:26] Can you become a gifted storyteller? * [2:20] The ingredients of a great story that sells * [3:28] The characteristics of a good storyteller * [6:11] Resources to improve your storytelling * [8:28] Kendra’s storytelling dos and don’ts * [11:00] Maintain control of your narrative
The ingredients of a great story that sells According to Kendra, you have to begin with the problem that the prospect or client has. Start with a common problem of the hero of your story. Share in detail—using emotional words—what the hero went through trying to solve that problem. You have to infuse feeling words into your story. Then you must share what the result was and what happened when they solved their problem. The beginning, middle, and end must be related to the prospect.
Listening is the key to stories that sell Kendra believes great storytellers are great listeners. You can’t throw in a story in your sales conversation just because it sounds good. You have to listen to what you are hearing in the sales situation. What will help your prospect or client relate to what you’re talking about?
You can’t do that if you’re thinking about yourself, when you’re going to say what, etc. You have to immerse yourself in what your prospect is saying and imagine yourself in their situation before inserting a story. Listen and draw upon your memory to share something relatable.
Kendra’s storytelling dos and don’ts Kendra shares some poignant dos and don’ts that every salesperson should keep in mind:
- Listen so you can relate a story to what your prospect was telling you. You need to connect the dots for them.
- Don’t worry about the length of your story. Use whatever time you need to tell the story while keeping them engaged.
- Wrap up a story and relay it back to them. Tell them what you’re gonna tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them. Sometimes they get so ingrained in the story that they forget why you were telling it!
- Don’t rush when you’re telling a story. Use your voice to help prospects get involved.
- Don’t be droll or boring.
- Don’t forget to check in with them to see if they understood the point of the story.
Why you want to maintain control of your narrative When Kendra was a brand new sales rep and nowhere near reaching her quota, her manager offered to come with her on a sales call to help close the sale. When they arrived, Kendra’s manager asked to speak privately with the prospect. She came out of the office with a sly smile on her face. Kendra asked what she had told the prospect.
Her manager had told the prospect that Kendra was a brand new sales rep and that it would be important for her to get a sale. She implored him to sign the order so Kendra could make her first sale for the year. Kendra was horrified. She has never forgotten that experience and vowed to never put herself in the situation again.
She emphasizes that it’s up to you to control your client conversations—even when your manager is with you. You can be the one telling the stories and setting up the situation. Kendra could have gone in and been part of that conversation and controlled the narrative.
Resources & People Mentioned * Colleen Stanley
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Steve Hall emphasizes that storytelling is an important skill to possess in both life and business. Stories are an essential part of life. Stories move people to go to war, make peace, and fall in love. And stories can help salespeople stir emotion and create action in their customers.
Steve believes that the more you immerse yourself in the world of good storytelling, the better you will become at the craft. He shares some tips and strategies to become a better storyteller in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [1:01] Why storytelling is an important skill to possess * [1:58] Can anyone become a great storyteller? * [3:13] The ingredients of a great story * [4:38] The attributes of a great storyteller * [6:55] Resources to improve storytelling * [8:27] Steve’s 3 storytelling dos and don’ts * [10:38] Stories are the best way to illustrate a point
Become a great storyteller by immersing yourself in stories Steve believes that anyone can learn how to tell a story. Those that are naturally gifted at storytelling enjoy listening to, watching, hearing, and reading stories. The more you expose yourself to other people’s stories, the more you unconsciously pick it up.
Steve has also found that great storytellers are avid readers. The more widely you read, the more likely you are to have empathy for people. When you read fiction or watch a movie, you tend to put yourself in the role of the character (protagonist).
When you identify with people from different races, backgrounds, and sexes, you build empathy that allows you to personalize a story. You tend to pick up the moral and ethical characteristics of the characters you identify with.
Steve’s 3 storytelling dos and don’ts Steve points out that salespeople love to use case studies. But the problem with case studies in sales is that they make the salesperson or the company the hero. Instead, you need to share what great success a customer had with you as the guide. What else should you do? What should you avoid?
- You need to get the listener to identify with the story and keep it relevant.
- Be aware of universal themes such as love, loss, the hero's journey, etc.
- Build in corroborating details so people know your story is true.
- Don’t make it about you or boast about yourself. If you’re in the story, include mistakes that you've made and overcame.
- Don’t waffle or go off on tangents.
- Be honest—don’t make things up.
Listen to this episode for more great advice from Steve!
Stories are the best way to illustrate a point Buying ERP software is a large risk for companies. It’s not only costly, but it can be disruptive to install and implement. And once you’ve chosen it, you’re stuck with it. So you have to trust your supplier implicitly.
Steve’s company was a small developer competing with the giants of their time. And because Steve’s company was small, he was always asked how he’d be able to take care of customers after implementation. So Steve would tell a story.
His company had signed a customer whose IT Manager had developed the previous system from scratch. After they chose Steve’s software, the IT manager resigned and left them in a lurch. They couldn’t run their company.
So one of Steve’s coworkers learned the existing software so he could install their software and help them continue to run their business. He slept on a cot in their office for six months. That’s an example of the level of dedication they give to their customers.
If someone asks you a question, you can answer the question straightforwardly. But if you can illustrate how you’ve done something in the past, it’s far more convincing.
Resources & People Mentioned * Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell * The Greatest Sales Deck I’ve Ever Seen
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Humans are hardwired for stories. We were fed stories as children. We can relate to them quickly. Because of this, stories are the best way to engage with the people you’re trying to get to. Many tools and approaches can help anyone learn how to tell stories. If you can do your homework and practice your stories, you can be a good storyteller. But the importance of telling stories in your buyer’s context cannot be underestimated. Learn more from Lissa Dennis in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [1:04] Why storytelling is important in sales * [1:40] Can everyone learn how to tell stories? * [2:15] The ingredients of a story that sells * [2:50] The attributes of a great storyteller * [3:44] Make your stories like TED Talks * [4:35] Top storytelling dos and don’ts * [6:53] The importance of context in sales storytelling
The ingredients of a story that sells Good storytelling is about context. You need to answer four questions:
- How will this story affect others?
- How does it affect the buyer?
- Why does it matter to them?
- What’s the outcome of the story that’s relevant to the buyer?
If you answer those four questions in your story, your buyer will take a big step toward your product or solution.
The story has to be bigger than your company. It has to be about the buyer that you’re facing. Add supporting details to the idea that your story represents to give it more meaning. The story needs to be engaging and easy enough to understand that whoever you’re talking to can retell it.
Top storytelling dos and don’ts Lisa shares some great points to take note of:
- Reframe your content by shifting the language to your buyer’s language
- Add some personality and make the story engaging with humor, humanity, and emotion
- Make your story visual; Let the language allow the buyer to see themselves in the story
- Avoid company lingo or technical language in your story.
- Don’t focus the story on your organization. It has to be about your buyer.
- Make sure your story has a resolution that the buyer can relate to. You want them to take a step forward. It’s a subtle call to action.
The importance of context in sales storytelling Lisa has worked with a particular client for over 10 years. When she transitioned to a 2nd company, the business Lisa was getting from her dried up.
So Lisa told her client a story about a long-term client who had stopped working with her. Lisa said business dried up and she couldn’t figure out why, so she just had to ask. She sat them down and asked if she had dropped the ball.
As Lisa told the story, her client started to smile. So Lisa asked her if something was wrong. Her client shared her story. She didn’t have the budget she used to have. Her projects were too small for Lisa and she’d be embarrassed to bring them to her.
Lisa was careful to note that every business, pathway, and project is different and emphasized that her client shouldn’t be embarrassed. The next day, her client handed her three projects. Now, they've been working together for 17 years.
It’s all about context. If you share a story that you think is similar to your potential client or customer’s situation, it can open doors. It can make it easier for your prospect or client to open up about their problems.
Resources & People Mentioned * Ted Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking
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Charles McFarland has a background in theater and has produced and directed over 60 shows. He points out that if you want to pitch to Pixar, it starts with the hero’s journey. You share the hero’s challenges, goals, desires, and obstacles, and get to the inciting incident. How do you as the guide or coach come to the rescue and lead to an outcome, i.e. their “happily ever after?” You have to remove tension from the sales relationship and move to an emotional plane. The best way to do that is through storytelling. Charles shares his process in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:55] Why storytelling is an important skill to possess * [1:40] Can the craft of storytelling be learned? * [2:41] The key to a great story that sells * [4:36] The attributes of a good storyteller * [6:10] Resources to improve storytelling * [7:06] Top storytelling dos and don'ts * [10:37] Use StoryBrand to transform your sales pitches
The key to a great story that sells What is key to great storytelling? Three simple things:
- You need a hero that everyone can identify with
- You need a desire for improvement
- You must demonstrate pain points
If your “audience” likes act I of the story, the payoff will be greater in act V when you get the resolution. You need a strong backstory, a dramatic incident that says, “I can’t bear this any longer.” It must change the landscape and provide a need for the solution—your product or service. It needs a beginning, middle, and end with an emphasis on character.
What does that look like?
- You need an exposition: Who is the story about? What is their situation? What do they want?
- Something must happen to drive the story; there must be urgency. You must barrel your listener toward what would be a bad outcome.
- Someone or something must come to the rescue and guide the hero through the obstacles to the desired destination
Storytelling dos and don'ts Charles shares some great storytelling techniques he’s learned:
- Be the guide, not the hero. If the story is all about you, there’s no room for the audience to see themselves in the story. People want to hear a story about themselves.
- Make the story urgent and build dramatic tension. People must experience the lows before the highs to move the buyer to the emotional buying plane.
- Find stories that have a “wow” factor. Make sure the result is a transformation, not just an improvement. Get a customer to the point where they’re delighted and amazed.
- Don’t use the first person. Create a character and share it from their perspective. Offer several points where the listener can identify with that person.
- Don’t forget to “place” the story with your audience. You’re making a point, some sort of conclusion is being reached. You can tell when the audience is on the same page to move the story forward. If you don’t wait for that moment, you’ll leave your audience behind.
How to use StoryBrand to transform your sales pitches A year ago, Charles McFarland was coaching a brand campaign agency. They did terrific work but their pitches were boring. So Charles told them to identify what makes their audience look good and what would help solve their problem. He had them implement StoryBrand style storytelling.
What does success look like? What is getting in the way? How can you offer a solution and position yourself as a guide?
They were set to meet a brand manager to have a “get to know you” conversation. They went in with their new StoryBrand pitch. The next day he called to offer them the contract.
Resources & People Mentioned * The Psychology of Selling * To Sell is Human * Building a StoryBrand * Marketing Made Simple Podcast
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Buyers can read the features and benefits of products and services. They don’t need salespeople to tell them that. What do they need? Someone to help them imagine what the solution will feel like on the other side of the buying process. Storytelling helps the buyer relate the proposed solution to the buyer’s problem. It helps them believe that there is a solution and they gain confidence in you. When you tell stories, it activates oxytocin and makes people feel good. Storytelling fits the way humans are wired and that’s how you should communicate. Learn more about Janice’s imaginative storytelling process in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:52] Why storytelling is an important skill to possess * [2:27] Why anyone can become a great storyteller * [4:25] The ingredients of a story that sells * [6:16] Attributes of a great storyteller * [8:09] Ways to improve your storytelling abilities * [9:30] Top 3 storytelling dos and top 3 don’ts * [13:26] Change the way you engage with your audience
The ingredients of a story that sells Everyone knows how successful Apple has been. They have a program called the three “Fs” of empathy: feel, felt, found. It’s the key to their storytelling. Does your buyer or audience empathize through the medium of storytelling? Do they see themselves in the story and say, “That’s me!” Or, “I’ve had that experience?”
When you get these responses, you’ll know that your stories are empathizing with your audience. You can’t just tell a story. People need to engage with it. It must be relatable. When you use dialogue, it makes it more engaging. Nailing the delivery can make the difference. So whenever you get the chance, practice your stories on people you know. Even if you’re a gifted storyteller, you need to maintain your skills.
Janice points out that something happens in your life every day. Even if they’re personal stories, they can still be relatable to an individual buyer. Write down something that made you laugh, was unusual, or was memorable so when you’re looking for a story to tell, you’ll be able to find them.
Attributes of a great storyteller The key attribute Janice believes is necessary is relatability. People need to see themselves as the hero of your story. Storytelling must contain novelty; something new. You’re selling them a solution that they don’t know about. Get them to imagine the new thing and relate to it. A great way to do that is to use the customer’s or buyer’s language.
Storytelling enables the buyer to feel comfortable with your new solution. It doesn’t feel as scary when they can imagine it and see themselves in it. And if they don’t see themselves as the champion of the story, you’ve missed the mark.
Top 3 storytelling dos and top 3 don’ts What are some of Janice’s top storytelling tips?
- Add intriguing dialog to your stories—but don’t mimic accents if you do them poorly. If you’re mimicking the buyer’s accent and they think you’re doing a poor job—or are mocking them—they will disengage. Stick to your own accent.
- Practice your stories with family, friends, and coworkers.
- Where do you pause in your story? Amend your story by using pauses to add dramatic effect. It changes the emphasis and helps you get the transformation across.
- Don’t put your product in the story or yourself as the hero. The customer is always the hero. It helps them relate and see that there is a solution to their problem.
- Don’t use jargon and marketing speak. If you do, your story won't feel personal or authentic. Use simple language when you tell stories.
- Stories are always based in truth. Never make up a story to fit what you want to sell.
Change the way you engage with your audience Janice started working with a publishing company that was losing customers to new competition in their space. When Janice was brought in to consult, she immediately noticed they were trying to sell themselves based on features and benefits.
So Janice convinced salespeople to create stories of what they thought their customers were thinking when they were explaining features and benefits. They realized that they weren’t telling the stories their customers needed to hear.
You have to stand in the shoes of your customers. When you are able to see things from their perspective, you’ll have a revelation that can transform the way you sell. You want your customer to say, “If they can do that, I can do that too.”
It just takes a little bit of work to move away from features and benefits and get your customer to imagine the future. What happened when they changed the way they engaged with their customers? Find out in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Resources & People Mentioned * Patricia Frith * Ravi Rajani
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Human beings persuade others—and ourselves—with stories. Successful salespeople communicate using stories and it differentiates them from the rest. It’s important in any interaction. So Bob Apollo implores salespeople to “resist the itch to pitch” and instead, tell a story.
Outline of This Episode * [0:50] Why storytelling is an important skill to possess * [1:37] Can you become a gifted storyteller? * [2:41] The ingredients of a great story that sells * [4:00] Characteristics and attributes of a great storyteller * [5:45] How to improve your storytelling capabilities * [9:24] Top storytelling dos and don’ts * [13:27] Resist the itch to pitch
The ingredients of a great story that sells Bob is convinced anyone can improve their storytelling skills. If you’ve ever participated in debate or theater, it can develop your confidence. It can make a powerful group exercise with other salespeople. To become a better storyteller, all you need is a simple structure and consistent practice.
Bob points out that the essence of a great story dates back to the Greeks. Aristotle identified the three elements of a great story:
- Ethos: Can you tell a story with credibility and expertise?
- Pathos: Can you inject emotion into the story? Can you use your voice as a vehicle to support the story?
- Logos: How can you use logic and facts to demonstrate a point?
If you assess what makes a good sales story, they always include these elements.
Characteristics and attributes of a great storyteller Empathy, emotional intelligence, curiosity, and a desire to persuade through rhetoric are important. Can you read the audience and pick up signals from the listener? Can you adjust and adapt accordingly so your stories have the greatest possible impact?
Good stories require that the salesperson can put themselves in the shoes of the listener. Really good stories are stories where the hero is the listener. It’s the best way to convince the audience that they can do better and be more successful.
Top storytelling dos and don’ts What are Bob’s recommendations?
- Put yourself in your audience’s shoes. Imagine what will be interesting to them.
- Make sure that the story is about them or what they can achieve, not just about you or your company.
- Don’t over-simplify the customer journey. If you’re trying to do something complex, there will be obstacles. Instead of sugar-coating the story and trying to con your audience, inject gritty reality into the story so it’s credible.
- Don’t over-simply something that your audience will suspect is difficult. Story is to help your listener become confident about an issue they might have doubts about. They won’t believe you and your story will be less effective.
- Don’t lie. It’s never a great way to start a relationship and lying will not build trust.
What else? Resist the itch to pitch.
Resist the itch to pitch Bob was working with a company that had one salesperson that was far more successful and effective than anyone else. To understand what set him apart, Bob looked at everyone’s proposals. The underperforming salespeople ended their proposals with summaries about how they were better or why the prospect should buy from them. They were pitching the prospects.
The top-performing salesperson told a story. He didn’t start with “why us” but why the customer needed to change instead of carrying along the current path. He also shared why the customer would benefit from immediate action. Only once he established those things did he share the “why us.”
Unlike his colleagues, this salesperson realized that by the time you get to a proposal, you aren’t competing against other vendors. You’re competing against the other projects that the customer could be spending money on. The last element they had to overcome was proving why they should approve this project rather than all the others.
What happened when his colleagues attempted to embrace his storytelling style? Listen to hear the whole story!
Resources & People Mentioned * Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell by Mike Adams * What Great Salespeople Do by Michael Bosworth * Start with Why by Simon Sinek * MrBallen on YouTube
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Storytelling helps the listener connect emotionally to the message you’re trying to convey. It’s also helpful for the listener (prospect, customer, etc.) to remember concepts, pain points, and more. You can use stories to demonstrate that other people are facing the same challenges and how you helped them with your product or service. Most salespeople avoid personal stories in the sales context, but not Kristie Jones. Find out why in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:55] Why storytelling is important * [1:59] Can you become a better storyteller? * [3:33] What makes a great story that sells? * [5:06] Attributes and characteristics you need * [6:56] Resources to improve your storytelling * [8:55] Top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts * [10:48] How do you make a story concise? * [12:13] Why personal stories have a place in sales * [16:15] Learn more about Kristie’s book
Anyone can become a better storyteller Kristie points out that storytelling comes easier to some people than others. In fact, she never used to tell stories. So when she started writing a book, she hired a coach. The first thing the coach asked her to do was write down 10 stories (so the coach could see a baseline of her skills).
Kristie learned that she could use examples completely unrelated to sales to teach concepts. You can take things from your personal life within the same context and apply them to business. What in your own life could you use to relate a concept or message to a prospect?
What makes a great story that sells? You want to bring the emotions and pain to the surface. Kristie likes to say that “Discovery isn’t an event, it’s a process”. Every time you get on a call with a prospect, you have to take the pain you discovered and make it tangible and real in the moment.
Some of the best storytellers are naturally funny. Humor can diffuse many situations. If you’re funny, that’s your secret weapon—use it. How can you build suspense in your story? How can you build emotion and deliver the punchline? How can you connect the story to your point? Those are all things to consider when honing in on stories to use in the sales context.
Attributes and characteristics you need You need to know your audience. You can relay a funny or suspenseful story depending on who you’re playing to. Kristie loves sports and easily jumps to sports analogies. But if she’s talking to a musician, football may not be relevant.
Then you need to find a way to connect with your audience. What do you and the prospect personally have in common? Learning this can help you determine what personal stories to have in your arsenal. You also need to have empathy to be a better storyteller. The stories you tell need to demonstrate that “you’re not alone.”
What are Kristie’s 3 storytelling dos and don’ts? How do you make a story concise? Listen to find out!
Why personal stories have a place in sales Kristie’s book is geared toward helping sales reps figure out what their “lane” is, i.e. what category of sales do you want to be in? To use sales to sell your way into the life you want, you have to be in the right sales role (customer success, hunting, gathering, etc.).
Kristie was 5 when she began playing softball and she continued to play through high school. She started playing first base, then she moved to a different team and played 3rd base. As she grew older and stronger, they moved her to left field because she could throw to home plate easily. One day, her team’s catcher got injured. She volunteered to play the position and fell in love.
It took a few years to figure out what her secret weapon was. She took the skills she had that were the most relevant and used them to benefit the team. You’ll have to test drive some sales positions to find the one that plays to your strengths.
This story isn’t business related, yet she used a personal story to get her point across in a way that anyone could understand.
Resources & People Mentioned * Heroic Public Speaking
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Justin Zappulla believes storytelling enables salespeople to deliver a deeper, more emotional connection with their customers. It’s a fundamental human experience that everyone can relate to. It drives a deeper connection. When you’re communicating, you want that conversation to be as effective as possible. Storytelling is a critical skill to master in this process.
Outline of This Episode * [0:49] Storytelling drives connections * [1:39] Can you learn to become a better storyteller? * [2:50] What makes a great story that sells? * [3:45] Attributes and characteristics of a great storyteller * [4:23] Resources to improve storytelling abilities * [5:12] Top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts * [7:40] A story that demonstrates the power of story
Can you learn to become a better storyteller? Some people are naturally gifted storytellers. For some, it’s how they prefer to communicate or they’ve simply told stories their whole lives. But if you aren’t one of those people, storytelling is a skill that can be learned.
You just need to understand what makes a great story. There are a few components you need to use and need to practice. Above all, you want to share stories that are relevant to your customers that will drive a point home.
What makes a great story that sells? Justin points out that storytelling doesn’t have to be complicated. It comes down to two things:
- Be authentic: People can tell when you’re forcing something. Telling a story shouldn’t be about manipulating an outcome. But storytelling drives connections, which can lead to the desired result of a sale.
- Tell stories that directly relate to the client’s specific situation. What were the common challenges, conflicts, resolutions, solutions, and results?
Remember, relevant stories are the ones that will make an impact.
Attributes and characteristics of a great storyteller Justin believes that salespeople need to master presentation skills. When you’re delivering a message, how the story is told is important. You need to use the right words to illuminate the key message(s). You must talk at the right pace to capture attention. You have to pause when necessary to create suspense. Allow your audience a moment to think about something.
What are Justin’s 3 storytelling dos and don’ts? Listen to find out!
A story that demonstrates the power of story In the late 2000s, Rob Walker set out to prove how powerful storytelling is. He went on eBay and bought 200 objects, around $1 each. Then hired 200 writers to write a story about each object and relisted them on eBay. One item was a plastic horse's head. After posting it with a backstory, the $1 item sold for $60. He ended up reselling all 200 items for $8,000—all because of the stories he told.
How do you create value? How do you help your customers see you as a fit? How do they see the value in the price you offer? Storytelling does just that. It’s not just sharing benefits and features—It helps people relate in a way they haven’t.
Resources & People Mentioned * Storytelling TED Talks * Janek storytelling resources
Connect with Justin Zappulla * Janek.com
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Anyone can learn to incorporate storytelling into their day-to-day activities. Some people are more comfortable telling stories than others—but we’re all human. As humans, we tend to communicate via story, whether we actively recognize it or not. Even if you feel like you aren’t a natural storyteller, you likely are, you just aren’t aware that you can tell an effective story. Melissa Madian shares how to communicate with story in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:13] What storytelling is an important skill to possess * [1:58] Why Melissa believes storytelling can be learned * [3:11] The ingredients of a story that sells * [5:42] The attributes and characteristics of a great storyteller * [7:16] Resources to improve storytelling abilities * [8:18] Melissa’s top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts * [10:27] How humans communicate with story
The ingredients of a story that sells Melissa’s husband is a screenwriter. His whole job is to tell great stories. According to him, a great story consists of a few main elements:
- A protagonist: Who does the story center around?
- Conflict: how does the protagonist go through a transformation?
- A beginning, middle, and end: The protagonist starts in one spot, goes through a transformation, and ends in a happily ever after state.
There’s usually a mentor that guides the protagonist on their journey. But what makes that story sell?
Melissa emphasizes that when you communicate with story, you have to think about your audience. The best salespeople convey relevant stories that are about your customer or buyer. That’s when it becomes a more effective story. Who doesn’t love to hear a story about themselves?
The attributes and characteristics of a great storyteller Great salespeople listen first. Salespeople need to understand the world of the buyer that they’re speaking to. When you can get in the head of the buyer, you’re better at telling a story that connects. It helps you frame the story in their world. It’s about them and how they’ll be better with your product or solution. Good salespeople set the stage up for the buyer.
Melissa’s top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts Melissa’s storytelling tips are spot-on. Can you spot a theme?
- Don’t make it about you. No one cares about you. It’s like going on a date and only talking about yourself.
- Don’t pitch your product or solution as the hero of the storyline that you’re telling. Nobody cares about you.
- Don’t set up your story with, “I’m going to tell you a story!”
- Make your story about the audience and make them the protagonist.
- Tell the story in their world. What does their day-to-day life look like? What does their world feel like? Set the scene where they’ll understand it.
- Inject your own personality and sense of humor into the story.
How humans communicate with story Even if your prospect is a busy executive or the most technical person you’ve ever met, they’re still human, right? And the most effective way to tell a story to another human being is through metaphors and analogies. Everyone can do this. We all use stories and analogies to explain complicated topics.
One of Melissa’s clients tried to explain their product to her. They started by saying, “Well, it’s a complicated system of data-cleansing that indexes and modifies files and allows you to transfer information.” To Melissa, it came across as “Blah, blah, blah.” So she asked him to explain it as if she were a child. So the client asked her if she’s ever moved. Of course, she said yes.
So he went on, “When you move from house A to house B, do you toss everything you own into boxes and move those boxes and when you arrive, question where they’re supposed to go? Or do you purge things you don’t need, put things in clearly labeled boxes, and every box goes to a specific room in house B? That’s what our software does. It takes your data, purges what you don’t need and indexes what you do, and then moves it to your new data warehouse. It puts what you need where you need it.”
That’s the story he should have told in the first place. Simple stories take something abstract and complicated and make it understandable to your audience.
Resources & People Mentioned * Melissa’s book: Enabler? I Hardly Know Her! * Save the Cat! By Blake Snyder
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“Story is a fact, wrapped in context, delivered with emotion.” – Indranil Chakroborty
What triggers the decision for someone to buy something? Emotions. Then we use the rational brain to justify decisions we’ve already made. When you’re selling features and benefits, you talk to the rational part of the brain. But storytelling is a beautiful way of connecting with the emotional part of the brain. When you can do that, you’ve engaged their sense of emotion (what drives the purchase) and sense of logic (which justifies the purchase). Objections are simply anti-stories that you must learn to combat. In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Indranil Chakroborty shares how to combat anti-stories with story.
Outline of This Episode * [0:57] Why storytelling is an important skill to possess in sales * [1:56] Can you learn to become a gifted storyteller? * [4:30] The 4 critical pieces of a story that sells * [6:58] What makes a salesperson great at storytelling? * [8:28] Resources to improve your storytelling abilities * [10:11] Indranil’s top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts * [14:08] How to combat anti-stories with storytelling
Can you learn to become a gifted storyteller? Indranil says to think about your kids when they were young. If you walked into a room and there was a broken vase on the floor, what would they tell you when you asked what happened? Did they tell you they knocked it off the table? Or did they tell a story?
They probably told a story, right? But did you teach them to tell a story? Probably not. You teach your children mathematics, spelling, handwriting, etc. but you don’t teach them how to tell stories. Kids across the world make things up and tell stories. It is an innate human ability.
But many logical and analytical people label themselves as left-brained. When it comes to crucial business communication, they act like they're only capable of sharing bullet points, facts, and figures.
Yet before the meeting starts, the “left-brained person” is chit-chatting and telling stories. You may call them experiences but they are stories nonetheless. Indranil emphasizes that salespeople need to open their minds and use that natural gift even in critical business situations.
The 4 critical pieces of a story that sells What are the critical things that are required to make a story?
- It needs to have a sequence of events.
- It needs to have a time marker and a location marker, i.e. “Once upon a time in a land far far away.”
- You need characters.
- You need an “Aha!” moment that is unexpected, that makes you raise an eyebrow.
You have to be able to tell the story in a way that allows the listener to visualize what’s happening. You need your listeners to be able to empathize with the story. If you include the four elements of the story, get them to visualize the story, and feel it—that’s a great story.
But how do you make that story sell? What makes a salesperson great at storytelling? Listen to hear Indranil share what it takes.
Indranil’s top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts Indranil shares some eye-opening dos and don’ts in this episode:
- Never use the “S” word. Don’t say, “Let me tell you a story.” People define stories dramatically differently than they define business. When you think of stories, you think of children and made-up stories for entertainment. Business is about adults and nothing should be made up. It’s about facts and data. It’s not about entertainment. So if you use the word “story” most people think it will be frivolous and a waste of time.
- Don’t use the “storytelling voice.” You know what it is—a low-pitched eerie voice that you think sounds suspenseful. You are not in the performance business. You aren’t acting out your story. When you modulate your voice, you’ve told people that you’re telling a story.
- Chisel out everything that isn’t critical to delivering the message of the story. You want your story to be 90 seconds to two minutes. It’s okay to insert irrelevant details when you’re at a bar talking with a friend—not in business. Share the details that are required.
What are Indranil’s three dos? Listen to find out!
How to combat anti-stories with story How do you handle an objection, i.e. an anti-story? Indranil notes that pushbacks stem from someone’s belief systems. They come in three forms:
- They don’t have enough information
- They have a different data analysis
- They have a different belief
You can break through the first two objections with facts, data, and analysis. But you can’t use facts to fight belief. Why? Because belief is a story in someone's mind. And you can only replace a story with a more powerful story.
Whenever you get pushback on something, determine why they’re pushing back. If it’s based on belief, no amount of arguing or data will work. That’s why you must combat anti-stories with story. So find a story that’s opposite of their belief and share it with them. You’ll put a seed of doubt in their minds and open the door to further conversation.
Resources & People Mentioned * Indranil’s book: Stories at Work * Lead with a Story by Paul Smith * Sell with a Story by Paul Smith
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Storytelling is the first thing you can use to bring a situation to life and help someone connect with your product or service. Stories also give you credibility. That’s why stories should consist of genuine and relevant examples that help you better connect with your client. Even someone naturally skilled as a storyteller would benefit from learning skills to stay relevant. If it doesn’t come naturally to you, it’s a skill you can build and find success with. Amy Franko shares more of her thoughts on the topic in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:55] Why storytelling is incredibly important * [1:55] Can you learn how to tell stories well? * [2:45] The 3 ingredients of a story that sells * [3:59] Attributes of a great storyteller * [5:18] Resources to improve your storytelling * [6:13] Top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts * [10:09] Involve your clients in your stories
Relevant Examples are key to stories that sell Amy notes that relevant examples are a key ingredient to great storytelling. So is brevity and credibility. If a client is able to visualize the relevant example you’re sharing with them, it helps them connect to you as a credible source. Secondly, it helps them to connect and visualize—in their own environment—what you’re trying to convey. Do your examples in your stories help your clients challenge their thinking? Do your stories help them see things in a new light?
What are the attributes of a great storyteller? Listen to hear Amy’s thoughts!
Amy’s 3 storytelling dos and don’ts What can you do to improve your storytelling? Amy’s dos and don’ts are spot-on:
- Keep a list of your stories and examples. You experience so many things in your personal and professional life that it’s impossible to catalog all of them in your head. So keep a running list in a notebook or a word document that you can pull from when you’re searching for a relevant example.
- Ask 2–3 of your best clients if they’re willing to share the story of your work together. Anytime Amy works with a prospective client, she asks for 2–3 people they can talk to that would be willing to have a conversation.
- Use data to augment your examples where it makes sense. Don’t lean heavily on data and metrics. The best storytellers can use that data to support a story. It can tell you how you need to change. The more comfortable you are with data, the more useful it becomes.
- Don’t forget to make your story relevant to the client. You’re better off with no example or story than using one that isn’t relevant to the situation.
- Don’t forget what you’ve learned—your own stories and experiences—are valuable to your client’s scenario. Everything that you’ve learned along the way makes who you are. Use it as part of your storytelling process.
- Don’t forget that brevity is key. If you’re listening to someone tell a story and you lose track or forget what the purpose is, it’s too long.
Involve your clients in your stories by sharing relevant examples Amy had successfully made it to the final round in the running for a big opportunity with a client. She knew that she had to stand out from the other two competitors, which can be challenging when someone is seeing multiple presentations. What was her competitive advantage? Stories.
Amy got to meet virtually with a number of the stakeholders who were going to be part of the decision making process for this RFP. In that process, Amy learned about them, what was important to them in the project, and what each person’s decision-making process looked like.
Then she weaved that information into her presentation. She had built rapport through initial conversations and shown that she had listened to them by using relevant examples in her presentation. It helped her overcome the challenge and she ultimately won the RFP.
Involve your clients in the story where you can. It helps them feel connected. What can you learn and takwary from what they share with you that can be woven into a story? Lastly, Amy emphasizes that you must use stories to connect. People remember stories long after facts, figures, and data.
Resources & People Mentioned * Amy’s book: The Modern Seller
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Human beings are intuitive storytellers. We look up to certain storytellers and clam up and think “Maybe I can’t do that.” But through practice and utilizing narrative frameworks, we can transform from being intuitive to intentional storytellers. Anyone can be just as compelling as someone they seek to emulate. But in this episode of Sales Reinvented, Mark Smyth points out that it helps if you use the “Three Forces of Story.” Learn more about his framework in this episode!
Outline of This Episode * [0:51] Why storytelling is an important skill * [2:11] Can you learn to be a great storyteller? * [3:17] The three forces of story * [5:03] Great storytellers are insatiably curious * [6:37] Resources to improve storytelling abilities * [8:10] Top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts * [10:14] Why a compelling story is impactful
The three forces of story Mark notes that every story contains a familiar structure: A setup, a problem, and a resolution. Act I, II, and III, a beginning, middle, and end. What makes a great story work? You need to include the “Three forces of story.” You want to start with a statement of agreement.
You clarify: Who is your audience? What do they want? Why does your solution matter to them? Then you introduce the contradiction, i.e. the problem. Without a problem, you don’t have a story. Then you share the consequence or resolution, or “Here’s how I can help you get over the issue.”
Step two is adding in necessary details. The power of a story rests in the specifics. Add in simple things like when it happened, where it happened, who the character is and what their backstory is, what happened, and the revelation. What will help prove your business point?
Great storytellers are insatiably curious Great storytellers are great listeners. You have to be able to put yourself in your client’s shoes—and take the frameworks you’ve learned—and listen for the components of a client’s story. Doing this helps you learn what story to tell at the right time. And when you can repeat their story back to them in a way that’s even more clear, you build trust and connection.
No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care. Take an authentic and human-first approach to connect with your audience. Storytelling is the greatest human connection tool ever—and more important than ever.
Top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts Mark shares some great storytelling dos and don’ts:
- Don’t repel, do compel: Don’t bore and confuse your audience by leading with facts, figures, numbers, charts, data, etc. without the context of a story. Instead, help your audience understand what you’re trying to say by wrapping it into the context of a story that compels them to action.
- Don’t be the lightbulb, be the flashlight: Don’t shine the light on yourself. Be the guide that illuminates your audience. Understand what they want, why it’s important, the problem they have, and how you’ll help get them where they want to be. It’s about what you make possible.
- Don’t multiply—simplify. Don’t include multiple narratives that will confuse your audience. It’s too easy to let your excitement overwhelm your customer—especially when you know how to solve their problem. You want to tell the world, right? But when you say too much, it’s worse than saying nothing. Focus on the one thing that matters the most to your audience.
Why a compelling story is impactful Four years ago on a crisp fall day in the suburbs of Chicago, Mark got a knock on his front door. When he opened the door, he knew he was standing in front of someone about to sell him something. It was a charismatic young gentleman around 10 years old, holding a rake that was twice his size. He introduced himself and explained that he was trying to earn money and noticed that Mark’s yard was full of leaves. He offered to rake his yard.
Mark had been putting the project off for weeks, so it was an easy yes. The young gentleman, Charlie, got to work. Before heading back inside, Mark paused in the doorway and said, “What are you saving up for?” Charlie said he was saving up for a gaming system. His parents said he could have one but he’d have to earn the money to buy it himself. Completely impressed, Mark headed back inside. 20 minutes later, Charlie knocked on the door. He couldn’t possibly be done with the yard.
Charlie’s cheeks were bright red, his nose was dripping, and he had a look of utter defeat written across his face. When Mark asked him what was wrong, he said, “Sir, you’ve got a ton of leaves in your yard. It’s so windy, this is the best I could do.” Mark glanced over to see some barely recognizable leaf piles. But he offered to pay him anyway and asked what he’d charge.
Charlie proceeded to ask Mark to pay him what he thought the work was worth. Mark paid him a premium because his story was compelling. His story—paired with his oversized rake—made Mark’s day. The look on his face when Mark handed him the money was priceless.
What’s the lesson? Never miss an opportunity to share your story or discount the power that it can have on your audience.
Resources & People Mentioned * The ABT's of Selling™ * How I Built This podcast * Masters of Scale podcast * The Business of Story podcast
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Stories are the earliest form of communication. They’re also the most effective way to connect with someone else. When we tell a good story, the buyer can see themselves in that story. As a result, it cuts through the logical part of the brain and goes straight to the emotional part of the brain. Decisions are made on emotion and backed up with logic. You can leverage a story to connect with your buyer, demonstrate an outcome, and make a sale. Stories make you stand out. Learn how Bernadette McClelland crafts stories in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:49] Stories make you stand out from the crowd * [1:44] Can you become a gifted storyteller? * [2:55] The ingredients of a great story that sells * [4:09] Attributes + characteristics of a great storyteller * [6:14] Resources to improve storytelling abilities * [6:56] Top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts * [10:13] How telling stories helped Bernadette get her green card
Can you become a gifted storyteller? Bernadette works with technical CTOs and salespeople. They argue that everything they do is technical and data-driven and that they don’t need storytelling capabilities to sell. When they realize that there is a structure, a process, a purpose, and a logical flow to delivering an impactful story, they embrace it. Some people are natural storytellers. Others realize that they can learn a structure to bring out the stories they already have, the stories that make them stand out from the competition. You have to be open to the idea that a story is a powerful mover and shaker in a sales conversation.
The ingredients of a great story that sells Everyone is familiar with the “Once upon a time” and “Happy ever after” stories that you tell your kids, right? Those aren’t the stories that Bernadette is talking about. A great story that sells needs to have a relevant business point. You can tell a story, but what is the point? What is the outcome for the buyer? When you tell a great story—for the buyer to feel themselves in the story—it needs color, movement, and dialogue. The story needs some drama.
Top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts Bernadette shares some storytelling tips to keep in mind:
- Don’t waffle. Bernadette jokes that everyone has been in a conversation with salespeople where they question: Where’s this going? What does this mean? How is this relevant? Will they just shut up?! You need to have a structure to your story.
- Don’t make up stories (or lie about them). If you don’t want to share someone’s name or business name, make it anonymous to protect their confidentiality.
- Don’t put yourself as the hero of the story. Too many salespeople do this.
- Prepare stories. You conduct research before you speak to a buyer, why not do the same with your stories? Prepare a story to connect with someone (and make sure you’re vulnerable, too).
- Be relevant. What is the point of your story? How is it relevant to that particular buyer? Think of stories strategically.
- Make the client the hero of the story. A salesperson with the best of intentions might try to share a case study. But a case study starts with, “I have this client…” The minute you say “I” or “we” you’re making the story about yourself.
Even if a buyer likes you, some part of their psyche is still screaming that you’re a salesperson. There's a lack of trust. If you can demonstrate vulnerability in your story—perhaps where you made a mistake or a buyer had an objection—it lowers their distrust. Stories build trust.
How stories make you stand out Bernadette had to sell her economic value to the US Immigration Department. She remembers that it was a huge challenge to overcome. Bernadette approached the National Visa Center at the American Consulate and petitioned to get her green card.
She put together a series of nine stories that she shared with her guide, an attorney. Through these stories, she was able to demonstrate her value to the immigration department. The result? She was given a green card.
She provided evidence from her past in the form of stories to demonstrate how she could be valuable to the US economy. She fully demonstrated her mantra that stories make you stand out.
Resources & People Mentioned * Story-Powered Sales * Putting Stories to Work by Shawn Callahan * Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell by Mike Adams
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Storytelling is the fundamental method of communication that reaches the deepest part of humans. You can share an experience from your life to demonstrate why you understand someone, that you understand the problems they’re experiencing through the lens of your own story. This creates trust. People want to know that the person on the other side of the email, phone call, or presentation understands them and cares. Storytelling introduces you, helps you overcome objections, and shares how your products and services have helped other people. What does choosing the right story look like? Kyle Gray fills in the details in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:59] Why storytelling is an important skill to possess * [2:14] Can storytelling be learned? * [3:42] Meet your audience where they are * [5:15] The attributes of a great storyteller * [7:07] Choosing Your Perfect Story * [8:56] The purpose of a framework * [10:32] Top storytelling dos and don’ts * [13:38] Choosing your perfect story from your experiences
Meet your audience where they are You need a deep understanding of how your ideal client experiences the problems related to your product and service. The level of your depth of understanding will directly impact the rest of the stories you tell in the sales process. You need to know how they’d describe the problem they’re experiencing as if they were talking about it with a friend at coffee. Learn the words they’d use. Once you know their problem, ask yourself when you’ve experienced something like it. It will guide you to the right story to sell to them.
A powerful skill to learn is how to speak. Do you use musicality, tone, and rhythm? Do you pause and take a breath in the right places? You also need empathy. You’ll want to share stories that will create trust and openness, stories from vulnerable or tense moments in your life. A great storyteller needs emotional intelligence to be authentic and convert prospects to customers.
Choosing your perfect story How do you know what story to choose? Is it to introduce yourself and create trust? Is it to overcome an objection? Is it to give someone a glimpse into what your program or product is like? Do you want to shift their beliefs about what’s possible in terms of their problem?
When people ask how to choose the perfect story, they typically want to know how they should introduce themselves, a sort of origin story. Kyle has a mini-course called, “Choosing Your Perfect Story,” that weaves in resources and ideas. 45 minutes of easy video content will help guide you to the perfect story to introduce yourself and help you put it into a simple framework to tell the story immediately.
Top storytelling dos and don’ts What does Kyle believe greatly impacts the success of a story?
- Speak in the present tense as if it’s happening to you. It activates areas of the brain and makes the story more emotionally engaging.
- Whenever you use a list of examples, experiences, emotions, etc. in a story, use lists of three. It’s a naturally complete feeling number that keeps you from going into too much detail in any one place.
- Be conversational when you tell stories. The characters should be talking and engaging with you versus you simply narrating. It helps the listener imagine the story is happening to them.
- Don’t be long-winded. People share too many details and it can bore the listener.
- Don’t spend too much time in the pain point, which emotionally fatigues the audience.
- Don’t over-teach. People overteach because they feel the need to prove themselves or they aren’t aware of what their audience needs.
Choosing your perfect story from your experiences Kyle had a health coach come to him who was working with women dealing with hormone imbalances but she wanted to work with children with ADHD. She had just learned she had ADHD but didn’t want to share it with anyone. She felt ashamed of who she was and felt unable to help.
They examined her emotions and frustrations and he helped her realize that she was one of the best people to speak to the problem because she’s experienced it on a deep life-long level. Her story was exactly what she needed to share to speak to parents and children.
When you’re choosing the perfect story, the first person you need to enroll is yourself. It should be so exciting for you that you want to overcome the objections you face and share it. You should feel so aligned with what you’re doing that you can face and overcome any challenge. No one should be as excited about your products or services as you are.
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Why is emotional context an important aspect of a story? A prospect needs to feel like they identify with a character in your story. If they’re able to see themselves in the context of the story, it can deepen their investment in your conversation. So how do you craft stories that are compelling, where a buyer can feel emotionally invested? Dan Seidman shares his strategy in this episode of Sales Reinvented. Outline of This Episode * [1:01] Create emotional context for the buyer * [2:35] Dan’s two models for storytelling * [5:10] What makes salespeople great storytellers? * [6:28] Two books that Dan recommends * [7:26] Dan’s storytelling dos and don’ts * [10:25] First impressions are everything * [12:56] Dan’s “confession sessions”
Create emotional context for the buyer When you share a story, you create an emotional context for the buyer. But if you can get buyers to go into the story, it deepens their emotional investment in the conversation. Dan was on a ride-along with a BCBS sales rep. They were talking to an owner and he asked, “What if you don’t switch insurance programs? What if you stay where you are?”
The owner got angry and said, “My son chipped a tooth in an accident and they haven't paid for it because the dentist recommended an orthopedist take care of his fractured jaw. The insurance company rejected the claim because it was a dentist that recommended an orthopedic procedure.” He emphasizes that they were switching no matter what. His story helped them understand the emotional context behind the buying decision.
Dan’s two models for storytelling One model that Dan likes to use is “PET.” A story must be personal, emotional, and teachable. Another framework that’s great for written communication is “PWS.” You have a problem, you worsen it, then you offer a solution.
Inside these two models, you want to create a role in the story that the buyer can identify with by building emotional context. When Dan trains people on storytelling, he shares a story about his daughter. In the scenario, his daughter is at McDonald’s playing in the kids’ area. A girl became quite upset because his daughter bumped her on the slide. The parents watched on the sideline to see what happened. The little girl spit in his daughter’s face.
Dan then asks everyone in the audience, “What’s your teaching moment from this story?” Everyone—based on the role they identify with—tells a different teaching moment. Someone might say he was a bad parent because he didn’t intervene. Another person might say that the other parents were poor because they didn’t make their daughter apologize. There are ways to get people to identify with the characters, which deepens the experience.
Dan’s storytelling dos and don’ts Dan shares some savvy storytelling advice:
- You need to make your stories sound like they’re spontaneous so the conversation is a back-and-forth. Don’t just fire it off like you have the story prepared.
- Account for the professional and personal impact of the decision at hand. When you share a story, their professional and personal circumstances may impact their choice. If Dan is talking to a buyer and asks how their reputation and decision-making might impact their choices, they think about their role, who they get reviewed by, and where they want to be aligned when they make a decision.
- Account for both the benefits people would obtain and the problems they would solve with your product or service. Most people have a problem-solving mentality or they’re motivated by benefits/good things. You have to speak to both types.
- Make sure when you share stories that they’re things you’ve had experience with or something you solidly believe in. You already have proof someone should buy from you because you can share reasons why other people said, “yes.” Tell them the consequences of success.
First impressions are everything Dan spoke with two salespeople who were on a sales call in Florida. It was a hot day. They had bought some slushies and sat in their car waiting for their appointment. One man looked over at his partner to see that his lips, teeth, and tongue were flaming red. He looked at himself in the mirror to see that his teeth were green.
They walked into the building and people laughed at them as they walked through the lobby because they looked like circus clowns. But they had to keep their appointment. They were led into the president’s office, where they obviously weren’t taken seriously.
First impressions are critical; they can kill your opportunity or create a great one. How do you bail yourself out of a mistake? You could use self-deprecating humor. Or, they could’ve brought in a Slurpee for the president of the company to mitigate the embarrassment.
Dan shares a hilarious bonus story in this episode—don’t miss it.
Resources & People Mentioned * 10 Simple Secrets of the World's Greatest Business Communicators * Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs
Connect with Dan Seidman * Connect on LinkedIn * Follow on Twitter
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Gideon For-mukwai grew up in central Africa, in a culture steeped with storytelling and folklore. Most of his education was conducted through the medium of story. Some people have a flair for storytelling, a rare gift for the craft. But if you aren’t inherently skilled at storytelling, he believes you can learn the skill. It all comes down to crafting stories with episodic moments that live in someone’s memories. Listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented to learn his secret! Outline of This Episode * [1:20] Why stories are an ASSET * [3:39] Can you become a gifted storyteller? * [4:58] The 3 elements of storytelling * [8:09] An episodic moment leads to action * [9:45] Resources Gideon recommends * [12:01] Gideon’s top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts * [14:49] The right story changes hearts and minds
Stories are an ASSET Stories are an invisible asset that should have a strong purpose:
- A: A story allows you to get attention from those around you.
- S: They stimulate interest and curiosity.
- S: Stories sow seeds of wisdom, seeds of persuasion, etc. in the minds of our audiences.
- E: Stories should “emogetate,” a word of Gideon’s creation. Stories allow us to emotionally engage, educate, and entertain.
- T: Stories build trust one person at a time, one idea at a time, and one experience at a time.
So how do you craft stories so that they are an asset? By using the 3 elements of storytelling.
The 3 elements of storytelling Gideon believes a story that sells consists of 3 elements:
- The here and the now: This is an identifiable place between the teller and the listener.
- The down and out: This is an area or place where the teller transports the listener to create tension. It’s a place where a listener thinks they could fall into a deep dark hole. The question is, how do they get out?
- The future or the aspiration: Where do they want to go?
For a story to be persuasive in a sales environment, it has to be able to convey relatability. The teller must come across as someone who’s been there and faced the challenges they’ve faced.
Secondly, the “down and out” scenario has to be realistic enough that the listener is thinking they could be in that situation. It needs to be an episodic moment that lives in their memory when they think of your story. They need to think about what they would do to get out of that situation.
What future aspirations do they want? It must be a hopeful place where everyone wants to be.
Great storytellers create episodic moments A great storyteller needs to be relatable. The story needs to make you credible. They need to believe in you enough to pull out their wallet, after all. The person must be memorable. You need to create an episodic moment that your listener feels strongly about, so real that they feel that they were there. If they don’t feel that moment, they won’t remember you and they certainly won’t share your story with others. An episodic moment leads to action.
Gideon’s top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts * Don’t announce a story, especially if you’re speaking to adults. Embed it and dive right in. * Don’t be the hero of the story. Make it someone else. * Don’t tell a story without a gift—a meaning that they can glean from it by the end. * Add in elements of episodic moments: moments when someone can feel like they were observing every detail—colors, smells, sights, sounds, etc. * Add in obstacles and challenges to make the story interesting, engaging, and worth listening to. * Plan for surprises. Don’t let a story end without something surprising. Without novelty, a story is bland. If it’s bland, the amygdala tunes out and your story will compel nothing.
For more storytelling tips and strategies from Gideon, listen to the whole episode!
Resources & People Mentioned * The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity * The Science of Story Selling * Leader's Guide to Storytelling * Doug Stevenson's Story Theater Method
Connect with Gideon For-mukwai * Gideon’s website * Connect on LinkedIn * Follow on Twitter
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People buy emotionally and back it up with logic. Facts and figures are quickly forgotten. But a story makes you memorable. John Livesay jokes that you have to tug at people’s heartstrings to open the purse strings. To do that, you have to tell a compelling story. In this episode of Sales Reinvented, John shares more about the 4 elements of a compelling story: The exposition, problem, solution, and resolution. Outline of This Episode * [0:55] Heartstrings open the purse strings * [1:30] The 4 elements of a compelling story * [4:34] Characteristics of a great storyteller * [5:21] Resources to improve storytelling * [5:57] Top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts * [7:19] The exposition, problem, solution, and resolution * [10:15] How to tell a concise and compelling story
The 4 elements of a compelling story John notes that a compelling story that sells must consist of four elements: * The exposition: You paint a detailed picture of who, what, when, where, and why * The problem: Prospects need to feel like you have an understanding of what they’re experiencing emotionally * The solution: Share how your product or service solved a problem * The resolution: What is someone’s life like after they’ve hired you or purchased your product?
The old way of selling something was, “This makes surgeries 30% faster. Do you want one?” Now, John will create a case story:
“Imagine how happy this doctor was when he could update his patient’s family in the waiting room an hour earlier than expected because he used our equipment? If you've ever waited for someone you love to come out of surgery, you know every minute feels like an hour…” Another doctor can see themself in that story and recognize the need for the medical device.
To describe someone’s problem, you have to be able to put yourself in their shoes. When you are empathetic, you become a great storyteller. Your brain becomes a playlist of stories ready to go at the right time with the right person.
How to tell clear, concise, and compelling stories Make your story clear, concise, and compelling. If you don’t, you’re confusing people. A confused mind says, “no.” And if you aren’t concise, no one can remember your story or repeat it. Without an emotionally compelling story, people won’t care. They’ll be bored.
But how do you craft a concise and compelling story? John shares an easy process to follow:
- Write down everything you know about a story/situation
- Edit the story down until it’s clear and concise
- Practice it and get feedback from peers to further refine the story
Remember that every word must earn a spot in your story. If you follow those steps, you should have a clear, concise, and compelling story. Another tip? Tell your story in the present tense so the listener feels like they’re eavesdropping on a story that’s happening in real-time.
The exposition, problem, solution, and resolution A medical company was selling a 4k resolution monitor. When John came into the picture, they were talking about things like “pixels” in their sales pitch and no one was getting emotionally involved. So he crafted a case story:
6 months ago, Dr. Peterson—at a rural hospital in MN not exactly known for cutting-edge technology—decided to test the 4k resolution monitor. Brad, the sales rep, was in the operating room in case the doctor had any questions. The patient was overweight, which put him at risk during the surgery. Because of that, the doctor hit a bleeder.
To the naked eye, it was a sea of red. How was the doctor going to find the source of the bleed in time to save the patient’s life? The doctor calmly looked at the monitor, which showed what the naked eye couldn’t see: subtle color changes between oxygenated blood and non-oxygenated blood. This allowed him to find the source of the bleed and save the patient’s life.
The doctor turned to the rep and said, “You know, Brad, as a doctor, I don’t always need a monitor like this. But boy, when I need it, I need it.” That story brings tears to people’s eyes. Doctors want that equipment because they don’t want to be caught in a situation without that tool.
Resources & People Mentioned * John’s book: The Sale is in the Tale
Connect with John Livesay * Connect on LinkedIn * Follow on Twitter
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Listen to other people’s stories. Analyze them. What resonates? What doesn’t? What is the purpose? In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Cathy Goodwin shares why you can’t just have a handful of useless stories that you deploy without thought. Each story must be carefully crafted to reach your audience and is crucial in the sales process. Learn how Cathy creates purposeful stories in this episode! Outline of This Episode * [0:46] Why storytelling is an important skill to possess * [2:26] Learn what type of story to tell at the right time * [4:20] The role of the customer’s backstory * [9:43] Learn from listening to others’ stories * [11:54] Top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts * [15:08] Why purposeful storytelling is key
The importance of purposeful storytelling Storytelling has become the most important tool in the marketing arsenal—especially in copywriting and content creation. Storytelling allows you to do things you can’t do any other way. Telling a story helps illustrate points. It helps you share your expertise without sounding boastful. You can show a lot about what you do and who you are by telling a carefully chosen story. You can also explain a complex concept. Many businesses offer opportunities to clients that didn’t exist five years ago. Cathy knew someone who developed an app to help people find spaces to hold events. How do you explain that? How do you show why people might need the app? They shared why they created it: the founder needed somewhere to host a birthday party. Simple, yet effective.
Learn what type of story to tell at the right time Everyone tells stories. Cathy says to think about meeting a friend for coffee or a beer. When you’re catching up with each other, you tell stories. What you have to learn is what type of story to tell and when to tell it. A business story isn’t the same as a personal story. You have to identify a story that has a purpose. You also have to learn the different kinds of business stories. Some stories explain. Some stories build relationships. Some demonstrate expertise. You need to know when to tell each kind of story.
The role of the customer’s backstory Suppose you’re in a restaurant. You see the server walk by with a good main course. You didn’t see it on the menu but now that you've seen it, you want it. Cathy firmly believes that’s what a story that sells should be like. You want to create a dream for the reader. You take them into the dream and share the details. Encourage them to enter the scene with you. Give them an idea of what the outcome of working with you might look like. Then, you need to get the audience to say, “I want that.”
How do you accomplish this? It’s important to know the customer’s backstory. Cathy believes there are three parts to a customer’s backstory:
- The problem itself: If you run a printing service, why do people come to you? Maybe they need flyers printed by next week and they’re complicated to print. It’s a complex job, so they come to you.
- Why can’t they do it themselves? Why can’t they just go to a Kinkos or a FedEx? Why do they need help?
- What is their baggage? How many times have they been to other print shops? Have they had good experiences—or bad experiences? Maybe their order was late, misprinted, or people were rude to them. They bring baggage to the encounter with you. This is true for any relationship.
When you know these things, you know how to begin to craft and tell a story. What else do you need to know? Listen to learn more!
Why purposeful storytelling is key Cathy attended a networking event in Seattle. Everyone was sharing what they did for work. But one woman stood out. She said, “I’m going to tell you about one of my clients. She didn’t have any savings, couldn’t put money aside, and had a bad credit score—but she wanted to buy a house. So we worked together for a few years. Last week, this woman closed on her very first house.”
Everyone at the event found a reason to get that woman’s card. They all knew someone in a similar situation who she needed to talk to. She communicated what she did quickly and vividly through the use of a purposeful story. She chose the perfect story for a networking event. If you can do that for your prospects, you’ll connect on a deeper level—which can ultimately lead to sales.
Resources & People Mentioned * Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller * Cathy’s book: Grow Your Business One Story At A Time * Cathy’s podcast: Strategic Storytelling
Connect with Cathy Goodwin * Connect on LinkedIn * Follow on Twitter * Cathy’s website
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Storytelling is the way to connect with clients and exchange information in the easiest format for humans. Unfortunately, most business conversations are so abstract that people can’t understand what you mean. But when you tell stories, clients understand you. As soon as someone tells a story, the other person wants to tell a story back. It’s the fastest way to get to a “sharing” conversation. It’s not about making assertions and claims about products. It’s such an important skill because salespeople have to get into problem-solving in-depth conversations to understand what’s going on. Stories are the path to understanding. They lay the foundation and propel prospects to a buying decision. Mike Adams shares how in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:53] The importance of storytelling in sales * [2:43] Everyone can become brilliant storytellers * [4:50] Relevance is key to a great story * [6:31] Curiosity is the #1 trait salespeople need * [8:10] The 3 fundamental problems salespeople have * [10:27] Mike shares some storytelling resources * [12:09] Mike’s top storytelling dos and don’ts * [17:44] Stories have the power to influence
Everyone can become brilliant storytellers Mike echoes what many other guests have iterated: We’re all storytellers. It’s the way we learn and the way we talk. But business conversations have become abstract. When Mike teaches storytelling to salespeople, they’re taught how to share little anecdotes about things that happen. It takes practice and it takes courage. But everyone can do it.
One of Mike’s partners in Germany was teaching a group of CTOs (specialists). They were the most technical dry people you’ll ever talk to. The “worst offender” was always asking questions in a cynical manner. They were convinced he’d never understand the power of storytelling. At the end of every program, they run a story competition. This particular gentleman told a brilliant story.
Relevance is key to a great story Stories must have a surprise; a turning point where the listener doesn’t know what’s happening next. Great stories have to be relevant to the situation your client finds themselves in. If it’s not relevant, it wastes their time. People push back and say that CEOs and other c-level executives don’t like stories. Mike notes that isn’t true, they just don’t like their time being wasted, which is why relevance is key.
Mike teaches salespeople to overcome the three fundamental problems they have with story: forming connections, selling a change agenda, and getting clients to act.
If you can’t make a trusting connection with a client, you won’t get anywhere. If Mike tells a connection story about himself—such as how he got into sales—he’ll ask them a question. If they tell a story back, it’s a huge clue that the relationship can move forward. When they tell you a story, you can imagine yourself as them and better understand their decision-making. Stories lead to understanding and help answer the question: should you be doing business together?
Mike’s top storytelling dos and don’ts Mike shares that it’s critical to know what a story is—and what a story isn’t. If you don’t connect a time and place to a character, it’s not a story. One of Mike’s clients sent him a white paper from a well-known global consulting research company. It was titled something like “The importance of storytelling in technology sales.” There wasn’t a single story in it.
Secondly, you have to make sure that your story is relevant. It must be directly related to the situation that you’re in. Telling a story about yourself when you’re just meeting someone is highly relevant because you’re the most interesting thing in their field of view.
Lastly, tell stories to get stories. It’s an art. A simple way to get a story is to share one, then pass it over to your prospect. If they’ve just heard a story, you’re likely to get a story in response. Some clients are dedicated to talking abstractly. They may say something “grand” sounding like “Good sustainability management is very important to us.”
That’s when you need to ask a “story listening” question, such as: “That’s interesting. Could you give me an example of good sustainability management from your perspective?” Any question that takes you to a moment in time will get you a story (story triggering). The questions that salespeople ask that can get them a story gives them an advantage.
Stories have the power to influence Mike runs invitation courses for sales leaders to come and experience their program. Mike had been chasing a particular company he wanted to do business with. But every time he’d get close to someone in management, they would switch that person out. Finally, a head of sales training came to his course.
When they got to the 3rd workshop, Mike was teaching how to manage objections with an “influence story.” Mike refers to objections as anti-stories. When a client has an incorrect belief about your products or services, you can’t fight it with facts. You have to find a better story. Mike teaches his students to acknowledge the anti-story and then share another story from a different perspective. They reframe it.
Mike’s student, Diego, wanted to share an influence story to explain to his boss why they need storytelling as part of their training program. This is what he crafted:
“I acknowledge that our sales training program is brilliant. It’s finely tuned. I also acknowledged that our budget is less than it was last year. But thinking about being happy with what we have reminds me of my wife. We like to go mountain biking. I’ve been telling her for years to upgrade her bike. But she loves her bike and always refuses. But last week, we were out cycling and the frame of her bike broke. So I let her take my bike back and pushed her bike back to the car. When I arrived, she exclaimed that my bike was so much better than hers. She can’t believe she went that long without proper suspension. You can be perfectly happy with something but it doesn’t mean there isn't something much better out there to consider.” Because of that story, Mike was hired to train this company's global account directors.
Resources & People Mentioned * Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell by Mike Adams * Solution Selling: Creating Buyers in Difficult Selling Markets by Mike Boswerth * What Great Salespeople Do by Mike Boswerth and Ben Zoldan * Putting Stories to Work by Shawn Callahan * Story-Powered Sales on YouTube
Connect with Mike Adams * Connect on LinkedIn * Follow on Twitter * Anecdote * Anecdote’s Storytelling Programs
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Storytelling is what sets you apart. If you are selling any sort of product or service, you’re not alone in the market—you will have competition. What makes you unique? What helps you connect with people is the ability to tell stories. Why? Because stories resonate. The ability to connect through storytelling improves sales and puts your business on a pedestal. It might just save lives. Shain Bernstein shares how in this episode of Sales Reinvented! #Sales #SalesReinvented #Storytelling #Story #StoryBrand Outline of This Episode * [0:47] Why is storytelling so important in sales? * [1:44] Can you become a gifted storyteller? * [3:04] The ingredients of a great story that sells * [5:01] The attributes of a great storyteller * [7:47] How Shaun approaches storytelling * [8:53] Storytelling from the lens of a lawyer * [10:57] Top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts * [14:42] Storytelling raises money and saves lives
Can you become a gifted storyteller? Storytelling is prolific in our lives. Everything we do is storytelling. When you apply for a job, you’re telling a story. If you propose marriage, you’re telling a story. You constantly tell stories when you sell yourself. Some people are more natural storytellers but everyone knows how to tell stories. Shaun notes that we are all storytellers at heart, we just have to practice to get more comfortable and trust that the stories we have to offer matter.
The ingredients of a great story that sells Shaun received a newsletter from someone that was a casual contact but it had landed in his spam folder. The subject line was “This couple made a huge mistake.” Shaun took the bait and opened the email. The first two lines said, “This couple made a huge mistake, and here is how I helped them.” Shaun stood up and applauded in front of the computer.
A story should be simple and straightforward. A potential customer should see themself in the story. They should be able to say, “This sounds like me and the problem I’m facing. I should call this person. I need to buy…” Simplicity and connection drive sales.
You have to be able to connect with an audience and an individual. Find a uniquely human element. Shaun emphasizes that you can’t get caught up in the minutiae but must focus on simplicity. Find common ground that demystifies the complexity of your business. People need to know who you are, what you do, and how you can help them.
Top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts Shaun shares some simple, helpful storytelling tips:
- Keep your simple and accessible and something your listeners can connect to.
- Tell a story that has a point. People are busy when they’re reading, listening, watching, etc.
- Have a call to action at the end of every story. It should connect to why your business can help and why someone needs your product or service.
- Don’t make it all about you. As a business owner, your story is a huge part of how your business ticks. But it’s not a vanity project. Remember why you’re speaking to your audience.
- Don’t go too far into the weeds. Don’t wax poetic and go too far into the minutiae of a topic.
- Avoid jargon speak. As a previous lawyer, Shaun notes that they have their own lingo. They often forget that those outside of their world don’t have that same vocabulary. Take the time to explain and simplify what you’re talking about and you’ll be better received.
Storytelling saves lives Shaun worked on a project for a children’s hospital that was trying to fundraise for a new pediatric intensive care unit. They throw an annual fundraising event with a different goal each year. This year, they wanted to take a new approach.
Shaun spoke with some families and helped them tell their stories—stories of hope, survival, and care. He told stories about things the hospital had been able to accomplish because of the work they do so well. His stories became the core material for their campaign, during which they raised over $500,000.
Shaun never thought he could have that impact as a storyteller. He emphasizes that you hold pure power in your words. Don't minimize the stories that you’re telling. Don’t minimize the impact of people’s stories. You don’t know the impact you’ll have on your listener, reader, or audience.
Connect with Shaun Bernstein * The Write Stuff Agency
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The #1 hurdle that all salespeople face when they meet a new prospect is discovery resistance. 99.9% of the population dislike encounters with salespeople—they feel pressured, manipulated, and pushed into doing something they didn’t want to do. Storytelling is the key to breaking down discovery resistance in buyers. They won’t open up until they feel connected to you and trust you. Mike Bosworth shares what makes a great story—that breaks down barriers—in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:47] The importance of storytelling in sales * [2:26] Can storytelling be learned? * [3:33] Mike’s ideal storytelling structure * [5:35] The attributes of a great storyteller * [9:32] Get some free resources from Mike * [10:40] Top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts * [13:27] Mike’s customer hero story
Can storytelling be learned? Mike notes that most people are better storytellers than they think. When he runs workshops, he asks everyone to “Share a story they tell in their personal life.” People are more comfortable telling stories in their personal lives than in their professional lives. Even naturally gifted storytellers become better when they learn a storytelling structure.
Mike’s ideal storytelling structure A good story requires a story arc and a hero. The arc must include a setting, a struggle, a turning point, a resolution, and a moral. If someone tells a story about a business peer, the turning point would be the solution. The resolution would be using the product/service and how it made an impact (resolution).
There are three key stories that salespeople need:
- Their personal story (why they do what they do)
- Why they work where they work
- Stories about customers they’ve helped
When salespeople tell their company story, they start using “we.” But the pronoun “we” doesn’t get an emotional following. Instead, a salesperson needs to say “our” when talking about the company. You have to make their story about a person, not yourself.
What are the attributes of a great storyteller? Listen to hear Mike’s thoughts!
Mike’s storytelling strategy to overcome discovery resistance Mike was a rookie salesperson in 1974, at the young age of 28. The marketplace knew nothing about his company’s technology because it was new. He was given a list of manufacturing companies in Orange County, CA. Management asked him to get them interested in the new product.
He would walk into a manufacturer and go to the receptionist and ask to speak with the materials manager. 80% of the time, the manager would come to the lobby. Why? The only way they could learn about new products was to meet with salespeople. They’d see them just to see what they could learn and apply to their world.
As soon as a manager looked at Mike, they’d look at their watch. They wrote him off because he was young and they thought he wouldn’t know anything about manufacturing. Mike would look them in the eye, introduce himself, and say “Can I share a quick story with you about another materials manager less than a mile from here that I’ve been working with for the last 18 months?” He never had a single person say no.
He shared how he met this materials manager. That manager had two c-level people who were always angry with him. One was angry because he was carrying too much inventory. The other was angry because he was missing his shipping schedule. 18 months ago, he discovered Xerox technology that allowed him to replan his production plant. He was their pioneer customer. He went from $8 million in inventory to $2.8 million. His backlog dropped from 28% to 3%.
Then Mike would say, “Enough about me. What’s going on here?” They invited him in for a conversation. The story broke down the discovery resistance and led sales managers to the emotional conclusion that Mike understood them. They’d want to learn more. That one story allowed Mike to sell his pipeline. In 5 months, he sold more than anyone in the company did in an entire year.
Resources & People Mentioned * Mike’s article about Discovery Resistance
Connect with Mike Bosworth * Story Seekers * Connect on LinkedIn * Follow on Twitter * What Great Salespeople Do
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Technology products and services can be complex. They also solve complex and complicated problems. Storytelling can better explain complex ideas while also allowing the salesperson to create an empathetic and emotional bond with their audience. It builds trust with your audience quickly. So how do you build a great story? Edith Crnkovich shares the 6 basic elements of a great sales story in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:43] Why is storytelling an important skill? * [1:28] You’re actually a natural storyteller * [5:01] The ingredients of a great story * [6:42] Become a good collector of stories * [8:05] Embrace these resources to improve your storytelling * [10:16] Top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts * [14:27] Why do stories need to be concise? * [15:20] Don’t downplay the power of storytelling
You’re actually a natural storyteller (here’s how to perfect the craft) Edith believes that everyone is gifted at storytelling—they’re just not used to telling stories in a business environment. You meet with friends and share stories about your day. You share stories about your day with your spouse and children. Every human being knows how to tell stories—it’s an innate skill. The problem is that people think they can’t tell stories in a business environment, especially in the tech world. People forget that they’re natural storytellers. But you can always learn how to tell stories better.
The 6 basic elements of a great sales story There are six basic elements inside any business story:
- What is the major theme that you want to talk about? Is it aligned with your audience?
- What is special about the setting, time, and place? Time can be important when it comes to being competitive in business.
- What is the plot of the story? What series of events are connected to the central theme?
- Who are the characters in your business drama? What are their aspirations, agendas, and fears?
- Who or what is in conflict? Conflict is central to telling a really good story.
- How do the characters change or transform through a challenge?
This is how Edith teaches businesspeople to unpack storytelling. But what makes a great story? Edith believes it comes down to three elements:
- Surprise: You want to surprise your audience so they don’t know where you’re going with the story.
- Tension: You want tension and excitement, usually by introducing conflict. Conflict usually reveals a deeper meaning and highlights values, weaknesses, motivations, etc.
- Relatability: The audience must relate to the story emotionally and intellectually.
What are the attributes of a great storyteller? Listen to hear Edith’s thoughts!
Top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts Edith shared some savvy storytelling dos and don’ts:
- Start with a story and end with a story. When you have to present a proposal to decision-makers, many salespeople start by sharing an agenda. Throw that out. Make the first slide an interesting story that will hint at the customer's problem, the solution, and create an empathetic bond. Ending with a story allows you to choose one point of value to deliver to the customer—making them the hero of the story.
- How you craft your story is important. It needs to be emotional, but concise. Make it no more than three minutes. A crisp story holds attention. You need to hold tension without losing the attention of your audience.
- While you want to surprise your audience, you must quickly show how it connects to the business solution that you’re offering.
- Don’t tell a random story to warm up your audience. Business people don’t want a random story. They want to hear a story that leads to how you’ll solve their problem.
- Don’t tell your story in a monotonous tone. Put some life into it.
- If you’re going to share a feel-good story—and aren’t prepared to share the bad and the ugly—don’t bother with the story. Conflict and resolution are key.
Don’t downplay the power of storytelling Edith worked on a health technology product that hospitals in Europe had been using (it was fairly new). They were trying to bring the product into Australia. However, Australians don’t like to consider products that haven’t yet been proven effective in Australia. Hospital budgets are quite tight, often given to them by the government. Because of this, they are very careful about decisions with technology projects.
So the sales team put together a proposal for a prospect. They called Edith in to help them. Edith advised them to start their presentation with a story that would emotionally resonate. So they shared how many people who suffer from a stroke die. Sadly, strokes are highly preventable and far too many people are dying from them. If these people had access to their medical technology, they could have survived. She helped them craft the story in about 350 words.
They continued to weave storytelling throughout the proposal. When the sales team turned up to give this unsolicited proposal, it hit on an emotional level. They created curiosity. The decision-makers felt understood. What happened next? Listen to the whole episode to learn more!
Resources & People Mentioned * Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell
Connect with Edith Crnkovich * Connect on LinkedIn
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Purposeful storytelling is the key ingredient to developing a sales strategy. You have a product or service that you want to sell to customers. People love a good story. So how do you craft what people want to hear that connects to you and your business?
How was the company started? Who are some of the customers? What heartwarming and inspiring stories can you associate with the business? Purposeful storytelling can help you sell yourself. Learn more about Jim DeLorenzo’s storytelling process in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:49] Why is storytelling an important skill to possess? * [2:21] The key to becoming a great storyteller * [4:07] Craft stories that stay “top of heart” * [5:56] The attributes of a great storyteller * [8:20] A unique way to improve storytelling * [10:43] Top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts * [13:43] Creativity is key to purposeful stories
Can you become a gifted storyteller? Storytelling is something that must be practiced over and over. Jim works with numerous entrepreneurs in startup businesses. As an owner or operator, you are laser-focused on building your business. You work hard on a skillset to make sure your business reflects what you want it to. Jim helps entrepreneurs tell their stories.
So how did he master purposeful storytelling? He reads as much as he can about an industry or subject to see different storytelling techniques. He watches newscasts and listens to podcasts to see and hear how stories are being told. Jim writes something every day. He practices his skills every day and brings them to his clients who do the same.
Craft stories that stay “top of heart” Startups are often selling interesting and compelling products or services. How will it change someone’s life for the better? How will it change an industry? How will it change an experience for the better? To tell those purposeful stories for startups, Jim investigates what the client is doing. He’ll interview their customers and the people behind the scenes. Jim looks for a heartwarming story that will stay “top of heart.” Once you impact someone on the heart level, the head follows. So he advises salespeople to look for compelling, interesting, and heartwarming stories—stories with a purpose.
A unique way to improve purposeful storytelling When Jim is conducting media or public speaking training, he has his clients watch interviews. How do people present themselves? How do they tell their stories? Find the people who tell stories well and emulate them—and learn from those who don’t. You can see if people are comfortable and to the point.
Jim also recommends reading stories, articles, and books to see how different people tell their stories. Jim drew inspiration from Johnny Carson and The Tonight Show. Carson was always comfortable on camera and people reacted positively to him. Jim incorporated that into his career.
What are Jim’s storytelling dos and don’ts? Listen to find out!
Creativity is key to purposeful stories When Jim was the Sports Information Director at Villanova University, the football team was gearing up for a media day. Jim sent notices out to local media about the date. No one showed up. Jim couldn't figure out why. So Jim started calling different outlets to gather information. Sadly, he found out that the Eagles had scheduled a press conference at the same time. Naturally, everyone went there.
But Jim still needed someone to run a story about the Villanova football team. So he spoke to the Sports Director at Channel 6 and asked what he could do to get him out to run a story. It hit Jim: What if he had the Sports Director run plays with the team as the quarterback? The Sports Director thought it was a spectacular idea and agreed to do it the following week.
The Sports Director ran plays with the football team and aired the whole segment on all four of their newscasts. It garnered a lot of attention. The next day, the rest of the local media called Jim, clamoring to run a story.
You have to be creative to tell a story with purpose. You have to question what you need to do to get someone to listen to your story.
Connect with Jim DeLorenzo * Jim’s Website * Connect on LinkedIn * Follow on Twitter
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Everyone has a filter and when they know they’re being sold to, they shut down. However, storytelling bypasses that filter and connects directly with the emotional brain. It helps your brain determine if you trust that person. Stories are the oldest form of communication. If it works so well as a method of communication, why wouldn’t it work in selling?
That’s why—in his book “The Ultimate Selling Story”—Roy shares how to “Cut through the marketing clutter, forge a powerful bond with your market, and set up the sale using the hero’s journey of story selling.” Learn more of his methods in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:54] Why is storytelling important in sales? * [2:08] Can anyone learn the art of storytelling? * [3:48] The great storytelling formula: PAISA * [6:47] What are the attributes of a great story seller? * [9:41] Resources to improve story selling * [11:07] Roy’s top 3 story selling dos and don’ts * [15:23] The Titans of Direct Response
Can anyone learn the art of storytelling? Some people are naturally gifted at storytelling. If you aren't one of them, you can learn how. Everyone’s heard of the hero’s journey. There are equivalent templates in storytelling and story selling. There are common structures and common purposes. If you want to get better, you have to practice. You can also do things to get out of your own head. For example, Roy joined an improv comedy class.
The great storytelling formula: PAISA Roy notes that the story itself is important but telling a good story doesn’t make you a great story seller. You need to build a character that shows a relationship with the prospect. Then you need to nail the story context.
Then you have to implement the great storytelling formula: PAISA.
- Problem: You start by connecting with someone in the context of their problem—an actual problem or an unfulfilled desire.
- Agitate: You have to agitate the emotions that make them want to take action.
- Invalidate: You have to invalidate the other options they’ve considered (i.e. a competitor)
- Solution: What is an effective solution to the problem that you started with?
- Action: What action do you take in the end? What does it take to close the deal?
You can use these two strategies to craft and tell great stories.
The attributes of a great story seller Roy believes that a great story seller needs three main attributes:
- The ability to actively listen: You may think that sales is one-way communication and putting yourself out there. But you have to pay attention to what your prospect cares about and is interested in. It will improve your ability to sell because you can cater your stories to the prospect.
- The desire to gather stories: If you have your own great PAISA stories, client stories, etc. you need to gather them so you have a story available when you need to use one.
- The knowledge that you need to understand your audience: What matters to them? Are you curious enough to set your ego aside and pay attention to what your audience is engaged with?
One of the best things that can happen when you tell stories is when you imagine the story you’re telling. If Roy is telling a story about what someone is facing at work, he starts by imagining what their office environment is like. Imagining the three-dimensional space makes the story more compelling because you’ll include details instead of just outlining points.
Roy’s top 3 story selling dos and don’ts * Don’t think just because you tell a story that someone will buy. You still need a great offer that matches your audience. If your story doesn't build trust and serve the selling message, they won’t buy. * Don’t forget that your job is to move the sale forward. An individual story may not close the deal but it may take the customer further toward making a decision. Maybe the goal of a story is to get their attention, book the next phone call, or get them to believe in your product. * Don’t tell a story without a purpose. If your story doesn’t have a sales purpose, it’s not doing its job—and may make the prospect question why they’re listening to you. * Start in the middle of the action instead of at the beginning. You don’t need the backstory. Start in the context of what’s going on in the moment that’s closest to the point of decision or peak excitement. Eugene Schwartz once said, “Every good sales message should open like an action movie.” * How does the story serve the buying decision process? The prospect needs to make a sequence of decisions to propel them toward a purchase. Your prospect needs a pathway. * Include conflict in the story to make it interesting. A level of animosity, conflict, etc. makes the story more compelling.
Listen to the whole episode to hear Roy tell a compelling story that sells.
Resources & People Mentioned * Get some FREE resources from Roy * The Titans of Direct Response * Breakthrough Advertising by Eugene Schwartz
Connect with Roy Furr * The Breakthrough Marketing Secrets Podcast * The Ultimate Selling Story
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Storytelling helps people make decisions. How? Cognitive science helps us understand that as humans, we don’t make decisions the way that we like to think we do. We aren’t always rational logical creatures who assess the data and come to the most logical conclusions. Most of the time, our subconscious emotional brain makes a decision. A few nanoseconds later, our logical brain justifies and rationalizes that decision. If you want to influence people’s decisions, you need to speak to both parts of the brain. Storytelling is a spectacular way to do this. Paul Smith shares the key ingredients necessary to craft stories that sell in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:49] Why is storytelling an important skill to possess in sales? * [2:18] Is storytelling something that can be learned? * [3:27] The 3 key ingredients of great storytelling * [5:18] A great storyteller needs stories to tell * [6:40] Improve your storytelling abilities with these resources * [7:47] Top storytelling dos and don’ts * [10:16] A tale of swimming pigs
The 3 key ingredients of great storytelling Most great storytellers—movie directors, screenwriters, novelists—will typically tell you that you need three key elements to build a great story:
- A hero people care about
- A villain they’re afraid of
- An epic battle between the two
The hero people care about is a relatable main character that the buyer can relate to. Tell a story about another client who faced the same challenge they are. The villain is a relevant challenge that your audience is likely to run into themselves. The “epic battle” is a worthy lesson learned through struggle. If you translate those into a sales story it becomes a relatable character facing a relevant challenge who learns a worthy lesson. Simple, yet compelling.
A great storyteller needs stories to tell It’s helpful for a salesperson to have an outgoing personality and the ability to talk to strangers. But most importantly, Paul emphasizes that you need stories to tell. Paul believes having stories to tell is more important than being a great storyteller. Why? Most salespeople aren’t professional performance artists, actors, public speakers, etc. No one expects you to be. But no one wants their time wasted with a boring or irrelevant story. So you must be intentional about cultivating stories. The story is more important than the delivery.
Top storytelling dos and don’ts Never apologize or ask permission to tell a sales story. If you’re in a sales meeting with a potential client, don’t say, “Sorry to interrupt—can I tell a quick story? I promise it'll only take a minute!” That communicates that what you have to say isn’t important. If you don’t think it’s important, don’t tell it.
Secondly, don’t announce that you’re telling a story. Doing so is neither exciting nor captivating. It turns most people off. They’ll automatically think that it’ll be boring and irrelevant. If you tell a great story, they’ll be fascinated and learn from it.
Lastly, Paul recommends that you keep your stories to two minutes or less—they shouldn’t be long epics. Leadership stories can be 3–5 minutes long because they can command an audience. You don’t have that luxury in sales.
Need help with crafting compelling stories? Get Paul’s “25 Stories Salespeople Need” in the resources below.
A tale of swimming pigs Paul was at an art fair in Cincinnati with his wife, who was looking for some art to hang in their kids’ bathroom. They walked up to a booth selling mesmerizing underwater photography. One of the photos struck Paul—it was a photo of a pig swimming in the ocean. So he asked the photographer about it. That’s when the magic started.
He said, “That picture was taken off the coast of an island in the Bahamas called “Big Major Cay.” A local entrepreneur decided to raise a pig farm on an uninhabited island. But there was no vegetation growing on the beach other than cacti. The pigs had nothing to eat. So a local restaurant owner on a neighboring island boated his kitchen refuse and dumped it just offshore.
While pigs don’t normally swim, slowly but surely they all learned to swim so they could get to the good. Three generations later, all of the pigs on the island can swim. When the photographer got to the island to photograph the pigs, he didn’t even have to get out of the boat. The pigs swam to him immediately. Paul paid cash for the photo immediately—he HAD to have it.
Two minutes earlier, that was just a stupid photo. After hearing the photographer’s story, he had to have it. The story is what made the art interesting. And that’s why it’s hanging in Paul’s bathroom.
Resources & People Mentioned * The swimming pigs
Connect with Paul Smith * Get Paul’s 25 Stories Salespeople Need * Sell with a Story * The 10 Stories Great Leaders Tell
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Storytelling is the best way to help someone learn and understand the value of a new concept, product, or service. Mary Jane Copps also believes that it’s a great way to build rapport. In this episode of the Sales Reinvented podcast, Mary Jane shares how a good story is crafted, what makes a great storyteller, and even tells one of her favorite stories. Don’t miss it! Outline of This Episode * [0:46] Why is storytelling an important skill to possess? * [1:35] Is storytelling something that can be learned? * [2:08] The ingredients of a great story that sells * [3:26] The attributes of a great storyteller * [5:03] Improve your storytelling abilities with these resources * [6:38] Top 3 storytelling dos and top 3 don’ts * [10:37] The importance of follow up in sales
The ingredients of a great story that sells What makes for a great story that sells? According to Mary Jane Copps, you need to start with a challenge that is customized to the audience you’re speaking to. The story must include some sort of lesson or challenge that you overcome. Mary Jane points out that there needs to be a hero. The hero may be the product or service—or even you. But storytelling is also a great way for people to get to know you. You can make them laugh. It allows you to build trust. A good story can help someone go, “I should work with this person.”
The attributes of a great storyteller When you’re telling a story, you need to pace yourself. You need a good tone of voice and delivery to build excitement and trust. You have to customize it to the audience you're speaking to. You must also be empathetic. It tells the prospect you’ll have empathy and compassion with them. If you’re telling a story about yourself, you must be humble.
Want to improve your storytelling abilities? Be sure to check out the resources below!
Top 3 storytelling dos and top 3 don’ts What does Mary Jane live by when it comes to storytelling?
- Humor is key. Once people are laughing, you know you have their full attention and that they're enjoying themselves.
- Allow yourself to be vulnerable as a storyteller. Tell your story truthfully—share successes and the failures you had to overcome. Vulnerability allows you to build a strong foundation of trust.
- Match the story to the audience. You shouldn’t tell a story for the sake of telling a story. Instead, it should match what is important to the prospect or customer.
- Don’t be boastful. When you’re selling, you have to share the success you’ve realized with other clients. It’s an important aspect of growing a business and creating revenue. However, do it humbly.
- Don’t make your story a novel. When you go to networking events or cocktail parties, no one wants to get stuck with the person who is telling stories and never stops. Make them pithy, easy to listen to, and don’t take over the entire conversation.
- Don’t go off-topic. Don’t throw in a story that you enjoy but has nothing to do with the conversation at hand.
The importance of follow up in sales Mary Jane met an entrepreneur with three young children who also owned three franchises. One day, she happened to be home and a young person with a lawn maintenance company knocked on her door to give her a quote on maintaining her lawn. As a busy young Mom, she would delegate anything she could. He left the quote in her mailbox—and she never heard from him again. They never followed up.
When she shared the story with Mary Jane, she said “If you want my business, you call me. It doesn’t matter how much I need the help…if they didn't have the time to follow up with me, they weren’t going to get my business.”
Don’t confuse persistence with pestering. You want to follow up to show your prospects you want their business. You understand they’re busy and you’re taking responsibility for making the relationship happen.
Resources & People Mentioned * Theatre of Commerce
Connect with Mary Jane Copps * The Story of Telling
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Too many sales reps treat territory sales planning reactively. Many sales reps get a call from clients, jump in the car, and drive off. They aren’t managing their territory. How can they reduce reactivity? By time blocking. Block in different areas of your territory to visit on different days to help yourself stay organized. You can also time-block different segments to look at different verticals or disciplines. Rick Denley believes the key to success is proactive planning. Because if you don’t have a good plan, success will become further out of reach. Hear more of his thoughts on territory sales management in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:48] Why is territory sales planning underrated? * [1:31] Reduce reactivity in territory management by time-blocking * [2:40] Rick’s ideal territory sales territory plan * [3:35] The attributes of a great territory sales manager * [5:17] Tools, tactics, and strategies, to improve sales planning skills * [6:30] Top territory sales planning dos and don’ts * [9:00] Align knowledge and expertise in your territory
Rick’s ideal territory sales plan Rick notes that you need to start by analyzing the market and your segment of customers. Then you need to identify the business environment that you’re working with. You likely have different verticals and different types of customers.
Rick also suggests performing a SWOT analysis of the market. What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats? What is your position in the marketplace? Where do you want to spend more time? Where should you spend less time? How you use your time is vital.
How are you organizing your time and efforts throughout your territory to make sure that you’re focusing where you need to? If you’re looking to grow and find new business, that dictates a different territory management approach than if you’re maintaining existing accounts.
With very few exceptions, the 80/20 rule applies—you get 80% of your business from 20% of your clients. So you have to cover that 20% so you don’t lose business. It takes far more effort to get new customers.
Rick’s favorite territory management tool: SmartDraw Rick suggests utilizing SmartDraw to map out your territory. It’s software that helps you build a visual representation of your territory. This allows you to focus on where you’re spending time and where your business is coming from geographically. You can also color-code it to see what verticals the business is coming from. When account reps move things around or the organization changes, it’s easy to make any edits in this software tool.
Top territory sales planning dos and don’ts Rick shares his favorite territory management tips:
- Time block: Time block a month ahead so you know where your focus will be each day. You will look professional and organized.
- Set growth goals and establish targets within your territory. You want to drive more sales but need to do that by setting realistic goals. Maybe a portion of your territory isn’t well covered. Plan to go there one day a week for the next three months.
- Develop a strategy map with your sales territory, targets, and goals. Create a strategy and use software to visually map it out.
- Review and track your results so you can measure success in your territory and categories. Create a visual map to show where business is coming from and growing.
Align territories with a sales rep’s knowledge and expertise When Rick was in sales leadership, he was working closely with 12 sales reps. They were in the process of shifting them to different territories. Rick acknowledges that it was painful. People don’t like change.
They had to map out each of their accounts. Back in the day, that meant physically mapping them out on a map of Canada. They had different stick pins for different organizations and industry verticals.
They understood that aligning sales reps with knowledge and expertise in a specific industry with the clients who were the best match was key. Too many sales reps are given territories that they can’t handle. So they assigned food and beverage to one rep, pharmaceutical to another, and so forth. They saw tremendous results from aligning specialties with client needs.
You have to be open and flexible to change within territories—don’t act like you own it. Things will change on an ongoing basis. The customer needs to be first. Secondly, it can be good to get others involved in your territory to maximize the amount of revenue you can generate from it.
Resources & People Mentioned * SmartDraw
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Leadership and sales management need to be bought into the process of territory management and the thoughtfulness it takes to do it well. If they embrace it, the mindset cascades down to the individual contributor that’s managing the territory. Santino Pasutto emphasizes that salespeople need to take time to plan out their territory and understand their numbers. If you’re allowed the time to measure twice and cut once, it will expedite the outcomes everyone is looking for.
Santino shares the unique ways that territory management directs his steps in this episode of Sales Reinvented. Don’t miss it!
Outline of This Episode * [0:42] Why is territory sales planning underrated? * [1:14] How to reduce reactivity with territory planning * [2:11] Santino’s ideal territory sales plan * [5:15] How to determine penetration rates * [6:54] Attributes and characteristics of a great territory sales planner * [8:31] Tools, tactics, and strategies to improve territory management * [11:01] Top 3 territory management dos and don’ts * [14:35] How territory management directs your steps
Santino’s ideal territory sales plan Santino notes that your plan boils down to the product or service that you’re selling. Some salespeople sell agnostic products whose client base is broad and varied. Others have a very narrow and prescriptive client base. If you’re in the healthcare space, your targets are likely hospitals. It’s easy to determine who to approach. But if you sell a service that a plethora of businesses can benefit from, your ICP is far different.
Who is going to use your product or service? What is their ICP? You have to determine their firmographic information. How many employees do they have? How do you access them? What industry are they in? Where do you sell well and what do those clients look like? Pinning down the ICP within your geography is key.
Then you must look at buyer personas. Who are you selling to within the accounts? What problems are you solving for them? Santino looks at his existing territory and the margins and penetration rates within those accounts. He looks for where he gets the most bang for his buck.
Which accounts are the most growable? Which are the most at risk? This helps him determine where to prioritize his time. He doesn’t want to spend a lot of time focusing on accounts that are transactional or low-margin. It’s all about looking for a mutual fit where you can earn a fair margin.
How to determine penetration rates If you’re selling to a hospital, you could correlate the revenue to the number of beds they have. What’s the revenue per operating unit of a business? Use that as a rule of thumb. Look at the number of beds with other accounts and look at your revenue as a percentage of that. How does that compare to an account where you believe you have all their work?
Determining penetration rates helps you establish a benchmark with known accounts where you have a 100% share of wallet. You use that benchmark to compare to similar accounts to estimate your wallet share in them.
What are the attributes and characteristics of a great territory sales planner? Listen to hear Santino’s thoughts.
Tools, tactics, and strategies to improve territory management Santino emphasizes that sales professionals need LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Santino uses it to define ICPs and identify buyer personas. Santino also uses job boards to look for buyer personas by their titles. He’ll read their job descriptions to learn how his product or service helps them address their everyday tasks.
You also need to calculate the opportunity that you have in each account. You have to leverage the data available to you to scale your territory, sell effectively, and have high win rates. To do that, you have to focus on where you sell the easiest and the most. Look back at your accounts and look at the ICP, revenue, and margin in those accounts. You will see a sweet spot—hone in on it.
How territory management directs your steps Santino had taken over a territory in the medical device world managed by a top rep. The market penetration within key accounts was solid. Santino had to find somewhere to grow, so he started looking for the easiest accounts to grow into. Leadership felt his time was spent in rural accounts. But Santino realized the effort to sell into those accounts wasn’t the best use of his time.
So Santino looked at key accounts and how he could double down on growth. They were overly focused on top-line growth and not enough on the quality of that growth, i.e. the margin. Santino would have had to sell 2–3x the amount to rural accounts to achieve the same bottom line he was earning in larger accounts. One deal in one of these accounts was equal to 10–20 deals in the potential rural accounts.
So he decided to drip campaign smaller rural accounts and hone in on larger city accounts. His risk was higher because the opportunities were fewer but the sales process was the same. He’d rather spend six months on one deal than several smaller deals. How did his plan play out? Santino shares the whole story in this episode. Give it a listen!
Resources & People Mentioned * LinkedIn Sales Navigator
Connect with Santino Pasutto * Connect on LinkedIn
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Tibor Shanto points out that creating a great territory sales plan includes building a blended pipeline. It needs to consist of current customers and revenue as well as up-and-comers in the industry. You must maintain the old and be open to the new. Learn more about how he approaches building his territory sales plan in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:54] Why territory sales planning is underrated * [1:37] How territory sales planning can reduce reactivity * [3:30] Tibor’s ideal territory sales plan * [6:34] The attributes that make a salesperson successful * [9:36] Tools, tactics, or strategies to improve sales planning * [11:34] Top 3 territory sales planning dos and don’ts * [17:26] Why you have to build a blended pipeline
Tibor’s ideal territory sales plan starts with a simple graph Tibor Shantolikes to create a simple graph to help him plan his territory. One axis is the likelihood of a deal closing within the next two cycles. The other axis is the total value of the deal. It helps you look at your best opportunities based on reviewing deals you’ve won and deals you’ve lost. The goal is to spend your time where you’re most likely to close a deal.
Then you drill down further. What factors allowed you to close those deals? You have to understand what it will take to hit your quota and what the addressable opportunities are in your area. Most salespeople want to continuously expand their territory. Why? Because they don’t know how to drill down further into their own territory.
Secondly, Tibor points out that you must start spending time disqualifying prospects. The right opportunities will help you hit your quota and you need to doggedly ignore anything else. It’s hard to accept but he notes that only 56% of B2B sales reps make quota. He emphasizes that you shouldn’t worry about what you’ve missed—worry about what you lost that you were supposed to get. If you can identify the opportunities that make the most sense to you based on data then ignore what doesn’t fit the template. You have to play to your skills and strengths.
Tibor introduces his clients to the concept of the 360 Degree Deal View. It helps them look at why they win or lose deals. When people do deal reviews, it tends to be a lovefest. But you want to go back six months later and ask how you’ve been able to change a customer’s workflow. If you understand how you do this, you can see who's best going to fit your template. Again, you have to ignore what doesn’t fit. You have to be objective and avoid deviating from your plan.
The attributes that make a salesperson successful It all comes down to attitude. When people ask Tibor why he was successful, he points out that it’s simple—he wanted it more than the next guy. That’s something you can’t teach. Any competitive athlete completely understands the power of mindset, determination, and self-discipline. The general public doesn't necessarily have these characteristics.
A software company in the late 90s recruited college football players who weren’t drafted. Why? They had drive, the ability to follow a playbook, discipline, and the ability to be coached. That software company got acquired. It worked for them because their exit strategy materialized. Tibor doesn’t believe that salespeople with soft shells will survive. There aren’t participation trophies in life.
Tools, tactics, or strategies to improve sales planning You must understand what you’re looking for. What’s worked for you in the past with your accounts and territory? A blended pipeline is key. If you focus on different accounts, you can get much more volume done—and as a result—earn higher commissions. So start by plotting out a clear plan on a grid and be disciplined while remembering to adapt as needed. You can’t just double down on territory planning and stop prospecting. If you don’t prospect, you don’t have a territory.
Tibor also advises salespeople to look for lookalikes similar to your prospects. Why is a lookalike the same? How are they different? Where are the greatest number of interceptions? Go after those. You know the jargon, you know the story, so show up and present how you’ve just succeeded for the last client. Most people tell him they appreciate that he works with a competitor because they don’t have to educate him on the basics of the business—he can hit the ground running.
Why you have to build a blended pipeline Tibor looks at the top dozen accounts in his territory. He’ll look at where he’s at with them this year and make projections for the next year. What is the gap in his quota and projections? Doing this allows him to understand how he needs to service his top customers. Secondly, it allows him to look at the up-and-coming in his territory.
Tibor set his sights on someone making noise in the business. Many other people ignored them because they were second-tier. This one small company grew and became a dominant player in the industry. That’s why you have to build a blended pipeline. Even if a prospect isn’t the most sought after, it still has value. Don’t ignore less attractive prospects that might save your hide as long as they fit your plan. Tibor points out that you should always leave room for flux and luck.
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Joe Girard points out that salespeople don’t actively think about their territory sales plan and tend to be more reactive. But companies get held hostage by the best their salespeople can do. Without a plan, you aspire to be the best and just hope it happens. But a company can’t survive on hope. That’s why creating a territory sales plan and executing that plan is key. Hear more of Joe’s thoughts on the strategy in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:45] Why territory sales planning is an underrated activity * [1:17] How can territory sales planning improve reactivity? * [2:38] Joe’s ideal territory sales plan * [3:56] The attributes of a salesperson * [6:22] Tools, tactics, or strategies to improve sales planning skills * [10:49] Joe’s top 3 territory sales planning dos and don’ts * [13:09] Sales success hinges on proper planning
How can territory sales planning improve reactivity? Most salespeople are busy getting leads and trying to convert them. But you must take a step back and make a plan. Joe notes that it’s very uncomfortable for salespeople because they feel like they need to be selling. But they need to do more of the right things. How do you spend more time doing the right stuff and less time doing things that won’t make an impact? Focus on high-value activities.
Joe’s ideal territory sales plan Joe implores salespeople to use a ranking system. Look at the opportunities you think you should go after (your ICP) and rank who you want to sell to. Then rank the activities you need to do to sell to them. Rank your team's level of ability to do those activities. Then you have to execute that plan. You have to commit to 90 days or six months and see your plan through. Give your team the space to execute the plan and be successful.
But you also have to be adaptable in the trenches. How will everything you do contribute to your plan? You need to make your plan, test it, and come back and revise it as needed. It’s an ever-evolving sales process. You’ll begin to see repeating patterns. Then you can build out best practices and share them with your team.
Tools, tactics, or strategies to improve sales planning skills Are you serious about your results? Joe always sets a 90-day plan or sprint. Then he breaks it down into activities and holds himself accountable to those activities. Implementing a 90-day sprint helps you focus.
Secondly, if you’re trying to figure out how to help new customers, talk to old or current customers. How did your service or product help them? Validate your assumptions and build in a feedback loop. Get the customer language into your sales language.
Make the time to plan and review your work. Even something as simple as looking at your daily activities. Did you miss something? Write it down and make a plan for the next day. Then review the week and make sure you didn’t miss anything. If you did, knock it out and close out the week.
Joe notes that there’s no shortage of training and tactics and it can be overwhelming. He emphasizes that it’s not about what you can put into salespeople, it’s about what you can pull out of them. Territory sales planning should be about making the most of each individual and helping them shine.
Sales success hinges on proper planning When Joe started in sales, he wasn’t doing well. His boss told him that if he didn’t pick things up in the next 60 days, he wouldn’t make it. The other rep working with Joe gave up and went to work for the competition. They were sitting at $2.3 million between the two of them. Joe put a plan together—based on him being the sole salesperson—to reach sales of $4 million. Joe was told that if he didn’t hit his target, he wouldn’t get paid. He had to almost double his current sales.
So he broke down what his activities would need to look like monthly, weekly, and daily. He looked at how many people he needed to have on his list, how many he needed to talk to, and how many appointments he needed to book. You have to break things down to what needs to happen every day to stay on track. You can’t make up for lost weeks and months. By the end of the year, Joe hit his target and surpassed it—landing at $4.1 million. He didn’t work harder but made the most of his time with a clear plan.
Low-level salesmen who make plans can outperform the highest performers if they build a good plan and execute it day after day. It’s all about execution. Don't wait for someone else to tell you how to plan your territory and above all—don’t give up.
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Wes Schaeffer states that his purpose in life is to rehabilitate salespeople and train their managers. Most managers are hired from within because they were successful. They were successful because they were hungry, aggressive, and impatient—not necessarily because they were the smartest or most detail-oriented salespeople. Those attributes are at odds with the management role. Those skills can harm them because they are aggressive and impatient with their team.
They’re putting pressure on their salespeople but don’t have the skills to teach them. Salespeople are left on their own to make it or break it. Territory planning isn’t taught. If it is, it’s taught from a book—not from someone who did it successfully. So how do you change that? Find out from Wes in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:08] Why territory sales planning is underrated by salespeople * [2:43] How to reduce reactivity with territory sales planning * [5:13] Wes’s ideal territory sales plan * [8:08] Wes’s version of the ABCs * [10:38] Why you need to just start writing * [13:50] Top three sales planning dos and don’ts * [18:01] How to take control of your territory
How to reduce reactivity with territory sales planning Most people are reactive to everything in their lives—it’s not even necessarily a sales problem. The type of people that are drawn into sales are outgoing “people’s people.” They’re not engineers or accountants but simply good at making friends. Their personality is not methodical and goal-oriented. They're relationship-oriented. Now, they’re being asked to plan.
Wes wrote “The Seven Deadly Sins of Selling.” The first sin is shooting from the hip i.e. winging it. Most salespeople have been hired as a cultural fit. A sales manager probably isn’t detail-oriented or has a methodical process for hiring and onboarding. There isn’t a culture built around territory planning.
Wes’s ideal territory sales plan Wes instructs managers to manage activities and pay on results. Just like losing weight, closing a sale is a lagging indicator. If you want to lose 10 kilos in 90 days, stepping on the scale at 90 days only proves how diligent you were at following the process. What did you eat for every meal? How did you exercise? Maybe you hired a fitness coach or a dietician. Maybe you have a tracking app, planned your meals, and planned when to exercise and how much. If you’re diligent for 90 days, you’ll hit your goals.
Sales managers don’t give salespeople the activities to do. Wes tells people to batch phone calls: before breakfast, during lunch, and at the end of the day to get around gatekeepers. He has different scripts for each call. They’re telling a story through multimedia and different steps. Wes gives his community a way to track their time in 15-minute increments. Whatever you measure, you can improve. Break your big plans down into 15-minute increments, i.e. what you have to accomplish to reach your lofty goals. When you are diligent with this, you’re more likely to be successful.
The characteristics a salesperson should have Wes emphasizes that the mantra “Always be closing” is crap. This idea was propagated when people the age of our grandfathers were in sales. Yet we still live by the adage. Wes’s version of the ABCs is “Always be curious. Always be courteous. Always be concise.” Ask more questions. Take a step back and ask, “Where are you a product fit? Why do people buy your stuff? What pain do you solve?” Start there. Where do these people congregate?
Wes was working for a startup in Austin, TX. The technology was beneficial in the healthcare space. Wes looked at technology in healthcare and there was a huge community with state and regional chapters. He joined those chapters and became active in those communities. He went where the fish were. You can’t just go to the local swimming pool and drop a pole in the water because it’s convenient.
Tools, tactics, and strategies Wes embraces Wes gives out a free guide called “Process Before Login.” The concept is that you need to document your steps and track your activities before you log in to any tool. Because a tool won’t save you. You know what your territory is. You have to figure out how to get in front of people. Can you knock on their door or go to events where they congregate? Once you plan daily and weekly activities, you can manage them. How many phone calls can you make? How many emails can you send? How many handwritten letters can you write? Do you have scripts for text messages? How are you engaging people on social media?
If you're in B2B, LinkedIn can be good. But Wes gets more crappy messages on LinkedIn than anywhere else. Why? Because people don’t know how to communicate. People are spending money to get in front of Wes with an awful message. Learn how to communicate. Blog. Write a post for LinkedIn. It can even be a FAQ post. Prepare written answers to objections ahead of time and link it to a blog or LinkedIn post you’ve written. Your prospect will be impressed. They’ll think you know what you’re talking about. If you do anything, Wes implores you to just start writing. Write a daily article for LinkedIn that your prospects would be interested in. Your life will change in 30 days.
What are Wes’s three sales planning dos and don’ts? Listen to find out—they might really surprise you.
How do you take control of your territory? How do you disqualify a prospect to focus on the important accounts? Listen to hear Wes’s process!
Resources & People Mentioned * Get your Process Before Login Map * The Seven Deadly Sins of Selling * The CRM Sushi Podcast * The Sales Podcast
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Jeff Bajorek believes that salespeople underrate territory sales planning because it’s boring—and they lack a growth mindset. But if you’re a full-cycle sales rep, you need to know where your revenue is coming from. So you need a good grasp of your territory, the players in it, and who’s moving in and out of it. You need a handle on price increases and must know your products inside and out. It’s not all buying dinners and playing golf with prospects. Territory sales planning is where many people could make up ground if they do the work.
Outline of This Episode * [0:59] Why salespeople underrate territory sales planning * [2:08] How territory sales planning can lessen reactivity * [3:52] The ingredients for the ideal territory sales plan * [7:34] The attributes that make a salesperson successful * [9:25] Tools, tactics, or strategies to improve territory sales planning * [11:12] Jeff’s top “do”: Embrace the buddy system * [15:12] Jeff's simply and effective territory planning strategy
How territory sales planning can lessen reactivity Do you want to be at the whim of your territory? Or do you want to have an impact and influence on what your territory produces (from a revenue perspective)? If you’re waiting for a customer to wave their arms in the air, you’ll be waiting a long time—and doing activities that won’t move the needle. Can your calendar be used against you in a court of law to convict you of being a salesperson?
Do you have time blocked to prospect? Do you have time blocked to contact your regular customers? Do you have time blocked to research and develop accounts in your territory? Or are you completely winging it? Are you taking control—or waiting for things to happen? Jeff points out that you know what the right answer is but you’re probably still not doing enough of it.
The ideal territory sales plan is focused on a growth mindset Who are the players in your territory? Who is growable? There are a lot of companies talking about fresh opportunities but “new” versus “old” is the wrong paradigm. Growable versus not growable is what you need to focus on and accessibility is the issue. Jeff breaks things down into quadrants: growability and accessibility.
- Quadrant one is those that are growable and accessible. These are new or existing accounts with room to pick up wallet share.
- Quadrant two is growable but not accessible. These are dream clients you have to work to gain access to.
- Quadrant three is not growable but accessible. These are the clients that shake your hand, slap you on the back, and say “It’s good to see ya” but there’s no room to grow.
You feel productive when you gain the attention of quadrant three. If you can’t grow them, they’re the best source for referrals or introductions. Use them for market research to help you gain access to clients in quadrant two.
But people spend so much time in quadrant three. They could spend half the amount of time maintaining business and spend it gaining access to new accounts. Where are you spending your time? Spend it all in quadrant one if you can. Once you fill that demand, you’ll have a void. You need to make inaccessible opportunities in quadrant two more accessible. Then, use your best customers to understand what it takes to gain access—whether introductions or referrals. Now you’re selling.
Tools, tactics, or strategies to improve territory sales planning Every year, you start from square one. Your company likely asks for 7%. Every January, Jeff went to a national sales meeting. They’d get information about fee increases, new products, line extensions, etc. Jeff had his notebook open and a pen in his hand. He took diligent notes and knew exactly who he’d call on with new products. By the time he left that weekend, he’d have his territory sales plan sketched out. He knew who to call, who would be a great target, who would buy, who was already using similar products and how much they were using, and the value of each customer. He left those meetings fired up and set appointments for the next week.
Jeff points out that pen and paper is an under-utilized tool. You don’t need fancy technology to plan your territory—you just need to set aside time to do the work. Opportunities won’t fall in your lap. Where do you have good access and growability? Write it down. Who are your dream clients? Who are a great fit and you just don’t know? Write it down. How do you plan to reach them? Who are your rockstar clients? Write it down. That can translate to introductions and referrals. You need to understand the players in your territory before you can do anything else.
Jeff’s territory sales planning do: Embrace the buddy system Find a buddy. Jeff worked with another salesperson and they got together once a quarter. They met in the middle and planned for the next quarter. They held each other accountable. Every quarter, they presented what they accomplished, what their revenue looked like, how they executed against their plan, and how successful they were. It’s tremendously beneficial. If you don’t have leadership that will hold you accountable, find a buddy—in or outside of your organization.
The bottom line is that sales is a verb. You have to act on your plan. You can’t afford to sit and wait for sales to happen. Create opportunities, steward them to close business, and maintain those relationships to earn referrals.
Connect with Jeff Bajorek * Connect on LinkedIn * Email Jeff at JF(at)JeffBajorek.com
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Too many salespeople wing it. They just wanna “See what’s out there.” But Mark Hunter emphasizes that planning is the only way you’ll maximize the opportunities in your territory. You can’t react to whatever business is out there.
Mark loves to say, “Tomorrow begins today.” You have to plan your day, week, and month. Why? It allows you to use your time efficiently. Many salespeople are busy but not as productive as they could be if they had planned how they’d use their time. Listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented to hear Mark share more about his planning process!
Outline of This Episode * [0:49] Why is territory sales planning underrated? * [1:13] How territory sales planning can reduce reactivity * [2:06] The ingredients of the ideal territory sales plan * [3:39] Attributes and characteristics that make a salesperson great * [6:33] Tools, tactics, and strategies to improve sales planning skills * [9:17] Mark’s top territory sales planning dos and don’ts * [12:36] Control your territory—don’t let your territory control you
The ingredients of the ideal territory sales plan The first question you must ask is who is your ideal customer? No matter the size of your territory, there will always be opportunities. You want to focus your time on the best of the best. If you don’t know your ICP, you’ll waste a tremendous amount of your time on other people.
You have to understand the outcome that you can create. No customer buys anything. They invest. They invest because they want a return on their investment. So what can you help them achieve?
Don't overlook the value of your calendar. Block time to work on projects. Mark follows the “10 am Rule.” By 10 am, he wants to have accomplished something significant. If you can do that, it motivates you. If the day were to fall apart you could still consider it successful. By mid-morning, Mark had already sent out a major proposal to a client. What has it resulted in? He’s accomplished so much more.
Attributes and characteristics that make a salesperson great Your head needs to be in the right place. You have to focus on using your time efficiently—while helping customers—and never be satisfied with where you are today. Mark points out that it’s not his job as a sales manager to motivate his salespeople. His goal is to create an environment for them to motivate themselves. There are a few things Mark shares that lead to success:
- You have to understand the value of time and how you manage it. Everyone is blessed with 24 hours a day. How will you choose to use them?
- Be customer-focused. Salespeople set a monetary goal not realizing that’s the reward, not the goal. Your goal should be meetings, making customers happy, and helping customers achieve their outcomes.
- Never be content with where you’re at. Success can only be defined by yourself. Don’t let others define it for you. You can deem yourself successful while never being satisfied. Why? Because you’re always asking what you can do to become better.
How can you become more proficient? How can you be more productive? The measure of productivity is the results your customers achieve from the outcomes they’re able to achieve based on how you’ve helped them.
Top territory sales planning dos and don’ts Mark shares some things you should—and shouldn’t do—to achieve your goals:
- Identify your ICP and develop key questions that focus on each ICP.
- Manage your time. Break it up into segments. Allocate a percentage of each day to small, medium, and large accounts.
- Understand where your greatest opportunities are and manage your pipeline. It doesn’t matter how many leads go into the top of the funnel—it’s what you pull out through the bottom. Identify and qualify prospects quickly to close them faster.
- Don’t hang on to customers that aren’t profitable. You can’t afford to keep them. Always look to trim the bottom 10% of your client list.
- You are not in the customer service game. The sales role is about creating incremental opportunities. Don’t allow yourself to play customer service agent.
- Don’t allow yourself to associate with anyone who is not going to be a positive influence on you. You are the sum of the 5 people you associate with the most. Invest your time with really smart people.
Control your territory—don’t let your territory control you Mark was young and enthusiastic when he started in sales. He had a large territory assigned to him. He soon realized that territory included demanding customers. He felt he had to step up and deliver them more service. The result? He could leave their office and they’d call 20 minutes later and ask for something else.
He had been working the territory for 3 months when his boss asked him to meet for breakfast. Mark was an hour and a half late because he was visiting a customer taking care of a problem. He thought his boss would be happy. His boss was actually livid and threatened to fire him on the spot. It wasn’t because he was let. It was because he allowed his priorities to get disrupted. He was allowing problem accounts to control how he operated his territory. It’s one of the worst problems new salespeople have: the desire to want to serve and please everyone out there.
Mark’s boss told him that he would never be able to satisfy every demanding customer. Instead, the objective is to minimize them. Allow them a small percentage of your time. If not, you’ll never have time to develop customers to create the incremental business you need to meet your numbers. Failure to make your number will get you fired in a quarter.
Resources & People Mentioned * Mark’s book, “A Mind for Sales” * Evernote * HubSpot * Chorus * Zoho
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There are actions, tasks, and disciplines that must be accomplished to create a perpetual business. Tom Ninness points out that it’s important to know what activities drive your business. When Tom first entered the mortgage industry he was assigned to a territory. He knew that to use his time wisely, he needed a plan. So he planned where he would go when. So much so that all of his customers knew which days he was coming to visit. What else does Tom do to support his territory planning? Learn more in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [1:11] Why is territory sales planning underrated? * [2:39] How territory sales planning can reduce reactivity * [4:15] The ingredients of the perfect territory sales plan * [5:45] Attributes and characteristics that make a salesperson great * [7:57] Tools, tactics, and strategies to improve sales planning skills * [10:19] Top 3 territory sales planning dos and don’ts * [14:07] Be servant-minded with your approach
The ingredients of the perfect territory sales plan If you have a plan laid out so you know what you’re doing hour by hour, you’ll get a great ROI. Tom has the loan officers he works with complete an exercise to calculate their hourly rate. If they want to make $250,000 and want a week off every quarter. They have to work 40 effective hours a week. That averages $130 an hour. Are the sales folks completing value-based activities that will earn them $130 an hour? When you place a value on your time it makes the necessity of a plan even more apparent. And, it will help you be more successful.
Attributes and characteristics that make a salesperson great A salesperson has to be likable and servant-minded. People will want to do business with you. Many salespeople view selling as something they do “to” another person instead of something they do “for” another person. Tom firmly believes that he “gets” because he gives without expectation of anything in return.
Tim Sanders wrote a book, “Love Is the Killer App,” in which he posits that business people are looking for knowledge. Your knowledge is worthless if you don’t share it. Secondly, you have to have a network to share it with. The larger your network, the greater your opportunities. Lastly, give with no strings attached. That’s where the law of reciprocity kicks in.
Tools, tactics, and strategies to improve sales planning skills Salespeople can do business with friends, family, and coworkers. But there are other people in your network. Tom’s end customer has friends, families, and coworkers. They can refer business to him. If he does a great job and a happy customer fills out a survey for him, he believes there are at least four more opportunities for him to do additional business.
So how do you get these names? Tom uses a form where he asks happy clients for a list of professionals in their circle of influence. They gladly provide that to him. He can then share the survey they’ve completed with that list and cultivate appointments. When you delight your customers, they’ll want to refer you to their friends and colleagues.
Be servant-minded with your approach Tom represents the financing for a builder. Someone else that represents a builder wanted to buy a unit from Tom’s builder but wanted to use his own lender. Tom’s builder flat out told him no—he had to work with Tom or he wouldn’t sell the property to him. The builder warned Tom that the customer was upset and to be mindful of that when they spoke.
Tom gave him a call and asked him to call his lender to see what they’d offer him. He agreed to match it. Tom had Googled him and done some research and really liked this guy. So throughout the next year, he sent him information and resources and gave him ideas. Tom always asks people, “What is the biggest challenge you’re having in your business?” The answer is usually something they’re having problems with. After a year and a half of offering value to this guy, Tom gets a call from him, asking him out to lunch.
After the waiter took their order, he said “Tom, I feel like I’m having an affair.” Dumbfounded, Tom said “What?!” Tom had given him so much value while the lender he had worked with for 20 years wasn’t motivated to help him. This man landed a new builder with 55 townhomes and made Tom his new lender. Tom emphasizes that just because you hear the word “no” doesn’t mean you give up. You can give someone value with no strings attached. Don’t be surprised if it comes back to you tenfold.
Resources & People Mentioned * Love Is the Killer App by Tim Sanders
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Territory sales planning is like building a house. To be successful, you need blueprints. You need a plan to follow so you can build a firm foundation. Lisa firmly believes that you need to create a plan, work your plan, and take responsibility for exceeding your sales goals. Lisa shares her ingredients for the ideal territory sales plan in this episode of Sales Reinvented. Outline of This Episode * [0:55] Why is territory sales planning underrated? * [1:33] How territory sales planning can reduce reactivity * [3:00] The ingredient of Lisa’s ideal territory sales plan * [6:41] The attributes of a great salesperson * [8:33] Tools, tactics, and strategies to improve your skills * [9:49] Top 3 territory sales planning dos and don’ts * [12:09] Forecasting is the key to successful territory sales plans
How territory sales planning can reduce reactivity At the beginning of a year or quarter, you must take the opportunity to evaluate your territory. How effectively are you using their time? Where are the dollars gonna come from? A simple spreadsheet of your sales reports for the past 2–3 years will help you realize there’s gold within your territory. You don’t have to spend time doing more prospecting. Why? You can fish in your own territory.
The ingredient of Lisa’s ideal territory sales plan Lisa believes that there’s not a perfect sales territory plan—it must always evolve. This is her general recipe for success:
- Run a client analysis: Run a report that shows your clients and all of the sales for the last 2–3 years to see an average. Where are the dollars coming from? How much time are you spending on your different accounts? This will help you create a territory sales plan that will help you achieve your goals.
- Complete a detailed forecast: How many dollars has an account given you in the last five years? Sort your accounts from the highest to the lowest. What dollars do you anticipate you can do with each client? Look at overall revenue and how you can expand it. What services or products are they buying from you? What else could they buy from you? The most effective way to grow your business is cross-selling with current clients.
- Validate information directly with your client: What are their goals, initiatives, and priorities? What could you sell them? Are they expecting the same inventory? What are they anticipating to purchase from you? Get answers directly from your key accounts.
Most salespeople put together a territory plan and shelve it. To be successful, you must review it monthly and quarterly. Forecast a number and lock it in. Challenge yourself to meet your working forecast. It will help you validate how accurate your forecasts are at the beginning of your territory planning.
Forecasting is the key to successful territory sales plans Lisa and her Director of Sales worked together to dive into and conquer their territory sales plan. When they did a thorough forecast—based on the previous 4 years—they realized that 92% of their business would come from existing customers. Some of them didn’t buy from them in 2020 because of COVID. That showed that they could reignite old client relationships. It helped direct their prospecting.
This exercise also helped the sales team gain clarity on who is responsible for what—especially when dividing up an existing plan. It’s a team effort to get business and create their next best year ever. A sales professional will create and work a plan and reinvent themselves as a trusted advisor because they know the value they can bring to their clients.
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The top-performing salespeople understand the importance of territory sales planning. They know that if they create a plan and work the plan they’ll outperform their peers. But John Smibert believes that a strategic plan applying the 80/20 rule is. He fleshes out what that could look like in this episode of the Sales Reinvented podcast!
Outline of This Episode * [1:05] Why planning is an underrated activity * [2:25] Stop being reactive and create a plan * [3:55] John’s ideal territory sales plan * [6:50] The right mindset is key to success * [7:53] Tools, tactics, or strategies to improve * [9:40] John’s territory sales planning dos and don’ts * [12:42] Match your domain expertise with your ideal customer
The ideal territory sales plan It’s no secret that the top salespeople are great planners. They routinely run a SWOT analysis and look at their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It’s a key strategic planning tool. You also need to identify your target and objective. Your company may give you an objective but you’re the boss of your own business. You certainly need to plan for what your company expects from you but why not shoot for more?
Put the quota aside. What do you need to do to achieve your objective? Then look at your territory—identify where opportunities are likely to be. What 20% of accounts will get you 80% of the value? Secondly, look at your ICP. Who are they? Do some research, identify them, and focus activity on them alone. If you don’t have a plan you grab onto the first opportunities that come your way. You’ll find that you’ve filled your pipeline with average opportunities at best.
John’s territory sales planning dos and don’ts John hears a lot of sales managers complain that they don’t see the right level of activity from their salespeople. But if their salespeople have a plan in place that has been thought through strategically, less activity is sometimes good. But John nails down some dos and don'ts that can help you focus in the right place.
- Set aside the time to create a detailed territory plan once a year. The annual plan needs to be broken down into quarterly, monthly, and weekly goals. You need to wake up every day and say, “What do I need to do to progress my plan?”
- Know where you’ll get the best results and focus on them. Focusing on the right 20% will get you 80% of the results.
- Review, review, review. How do you stay on plan? What do you need to do?
- Don’t create a plan and forget about it. You’ve created it to help you stay on track to reach your goals.
- Don’t assume every customer is the same. Market segmentation and account targeting around your expertise is important. Everyone has domain expertise, so focus on customers who value what you have to bring to the table.
Learn how to say no. You don’t want to chase every opportunity that comes through the door. The top salespeople say no far more than yes because they know where the value is.
Match your domain expertise with your ideal customer John recently co-authored a book called “The Wentworth Prospect” about a young lady who progressed well in her sales career with the help of a coach. It’s based on a true story about a woman John actually coached. This woman—named Sue—was selling cybersecurity solutions. She had learned the product well and had studied cybersecurity in university, so she had developed some domain expertise.
John asked her where she wanted to focus her territory. She stated her goal was to approach mid-level organizations but that she didn’t have an industry chosen. So they did some research and landed on a focus in the banking and finance industry. Why? She had a background in banking. She knew she had a unique perspective to bring to the table, her product fit well, and they were an ideal customer.
In that year, because she eliminated 80% of her territory and focused on the 20%, she blew her quota out of the water. All because she created a plan that she followed diligently.
Resources & People Mentioned * Sales Navigator
Connect with John Smibert * John’s Book, “The Wentworth Prospect” * LinkedIn * Twitter
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Carrie Millen jokes that sales territory planning is underrated because it’s spelled “W-O-R-K.” It is “something my boss told me I have to do.” It feels like any time invested in territory sales planning cuts into sales time. Why would they bother doing the work? It seems like busywork over an investment. But that’s exactly what it is—an investment. But the right data-driven sales plan is an investment that will pay off. Carrie explains why in this episode of Sales Reinvented! Outline of This Episode * [0:44] Why is sales territory planning underrated? * [1:38] How to stop being a solely reactive salesperson * [2:30] Carrie’s data-driven sales territory plan * [4:31] The attributes that make a salesperson great at sales planning * [5:41] The tool, tactics, and strategies Carrie implements to stay on course * [8:10] Carrie’s top 3 territory sales planning dos and don’ts * [11:45] Where sales territory planning can lead
Carrie’s data-driven sales territory plan Territory sales planning not only provides a guideline but it helps take the thinking out of sales. How? If you have a plan, know it, and work it, you’ll be able to execute sales efficiently. If you spend 59 minutes planning and one minute executing your plan, you’ll likely have more success (Carrie’s nod to Albert Einstein).
While your plan does depend on what you’re selling and where you’re selling it, data is key. What is the size of your territory? Size of an average sale? Size of the clients you’re selling to?
Creating profitability and long-term value with a client is a major factor. If you are investing your time and effort, you want to build a long-term relationship with that client to continue hitting your numbers. You can’t just focus on whales but must balance with some smaller fish.
The tool, tactics, and strategies Carrie implements to stay on course Carrie notes that there’s a balance between quick fixes and overall planning. Sales is like being on a dodgeball court—balls are being thrown at you from all angles. You don’t always have time to think and simply have to react. But to react with the proper response, you have to be well-prepared. You need to be intentional about what your day-to-day activity is.
Carrie posts the key things she wants to focus on throughout a quarter as the screensaver of her computer monitor. It makes it easy to quickly refocus her activities and stay on track. She owns the plan that she’s made whenever she veers off track. However you prefer to do it, book intentional time in your day to focus on the plan that you've built.
Secondly, if you’ve built a plan for the next 12 months, how do you know you’re on track? You need data. You need to test and measure that data. If you estimate that you’ll have a certain number in your pipeline by a certain date, measure it. Where are you at? What activities are driving the people in your pipeline?
Carrie loves the Eisenhower Matrix. What is important? What is urgent? What isn’t important or urgent? A territory plan will allow you to navigate what’s urgent and what isn’t. Your wins need to be meaningful and help you achieve the goals of your plan.
Carrie’s territory sales planning dos and don’ts Carrie shares a set of dos and don’ts that she uses to stay on course and organized.
- Start small and pick a segment and a plan and consistently evaluate it. Then hone in on one small bite of your plan at a time.
- Make friends with someone who is financially minded or analytical and have them in your back pocket. Humans are not meant to do everything by themselves.
- Use blinders. Stay focused on the territory plan in front of you. Work the plan.
- To do this, create a simple criteria framework that proves you’re on the plan. When do you know if someone is part of the overall plan? You don’t want to accept a client unless they fit in your plan.
- Don’t borrow someone else's plan or use last year’s. You couldn’t cheat in school, why do it now?
- Don’t work in a vacuum. Get some feedback. Ask your clients why they chose your product or service.
- Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Go after multiple industries and types of clients that fit your product/service. If the travel industry was your only focus, you’d likely have been out of a job in 2020/2021.
Where sales territory planning can lead Carrie was coaching someone to help her develop her sales skills and territory planning. This person works at a fast-growing SaaS company that was looking to branch into different niches. She wanted to build a plan for herself to grow the new segment. She approached her leadership with the idea to use new assets. She saw a challenge that could be fixed that could lead to exponential growth.
Her plan caught the eye of the VP. He asked her to implement her plan for every team. Soon after, she was promoted to a role as a Sales Manager. It was all because she applied the skills she’d learned. She looked at the problems in front of her and took ownership. It had a cascading impact on her business.
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The most successful salespeople have the discipline to do what will deliver success. And territory sales planning is a critical component of that success. Most salespeople don’t see the benefits of sales planning, so they don’t do it. Salespeople underrate territory planning because they’re focused on short-term calendar-focused targets. They’re highly reactive. Today’s guest, Wayne Moloney, shares that the average tenure of a B2B salesperson is only 16 months and it’s steadily decreasing. He believes that having the right territory sales plan in place can lead to long-term success, growth, and longevity in the profession. In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Wayne shares how salespeople can transform their plans with some simple questions.
Outline of This Episode * [1:01] The largest reasons salespeople discount sales planning * [3:20] How to overcome reactivity with territory sales planning * [5:17] The ingredients for the perfect territory sales plan * [7:53] Attributes or characteristics that make a salesperson great * [10:48] A simple territory sales plan is the key to success * [14:10] Top 3 territory sales planning dos and don’ts * [16:17] How a simple plan led to global sales success
How to overcome reactivity with territory sales planning If you’re planning a territory, you’re clarifying and articulating where you want to go and what roads will lead to them. If you’re reactive, you’re reacting to suspects, not the right type of customers. Territory planning helps you target the right customers, establish goals for income, and ensures sales growth over time. It also helps you engage with customers early enough in the sales process to have an impact.
A good sales plan defines the specific industries and sectors that will offer the most opportunity to you—and why. That’s the foundation of any plan. Then you must look at the characteristics of your high-value clients. That helps you identify your ICP. Focus on the organizations you can best help versus those looking for a white paper offered by your marketing teams. A good salesperson also completes a comprehensive competitive analysis (i.e. what your competitors are doing and why they’re doing it).
Attributes or characteristics that make a salesperson great Accountability is critical. After 40+ in sales and business management, Wayne still has a mentor that he shares his goals with who helps hold him accountable. It’s critical to Wayne’s success and will be to yours, too. Accountability means taking responsibility for your plan and the actions you take. Another critical component? Set goals and write them down. Wayne emphasizes that “A plan that’s not written down is just a thought.” You must define and implement actions to make things happen.
Great salespeople don’t operate as islands. Wayne worked with someone who got a group of people together and asked them to pull apart and critique his plan to strengthen his approach. One of the biggest opportunities for salespeople is achieving domain expertise. Developing this starts by knowing what businesses to focus on. You can’t be all things to all people. You need to understand and know your addressable market.
A simple territory sales plan is the key to success Wayne shares some simple yet strategic questions you can ask yourself to build a successful territory sales plan:
- Where are you now? Why are you where you are? Walk back through what’s happened with your territory, your best and worst clients, and even those you’ve lost.
- Where do you want to be and when do you want to be there? This gives you a starting line and a finish line. The middle is the gap that will grow your territory.
- What resources will you need? What tools do you have available to aid your planning?
- How will you measure performance? When and how will you review your progress? When are you going to do it? How are you going to do it? Who will you involve in the process?
Walking through these questions is the easiest way to build a plan that’s simple, easy to understand, and helps drive you to success.
What are Wayne’s top three territory sales planning dos and don’ts? Listen to find out!
How a simple plan led to global sales success A man Wayne calls “Jim” used to work for him. Jim was very successful in his sales position but didn’t know why. He was always reluctant to make a plan. Because he was so successful, it was hard for Wayne to argue why he should build a plan. He still taught him the proper framework but never truly enforced it.
Jim moved on and took a role with a major credit card company. One day, Jim called Wayne and thanked him. Why? Because Jim struggled in the credit card industry. So he sat back and went through Wayne’s planning process. He became the top salesperson in his organization. He closed the two biggest global opportunities because he knew where to focus his territory plan.
As a sales manager, whatever you teach your team is not wasted if you coach them properly. Wayne’s message to salespeople? Don’t dismiss what you’re taught—it will become useful at some point in your career.
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We live in a noisy world where it’s hard to focus. But you can manage your territories better with great territory planning. If you’re a salesperson in the field every day, proper route planning can be a gamechanger. The right tool not only helps you plan the most efficient route but also helps you prioritize your sales calls in any way you see fit—annual spend, important relationships, and more. Steve Benson joins Paul in this episode to talk about his revolutionary route planning too, Badger Maps. Outline of This Episode * [0:46] Territory sales planning: underrated by salespeople? * [1:27] Sales territory planning can reduce reactive sales activities * [2:28] The ingredients of the ideal territory sales plan * [3:54] Attributes and characteristics of a great salesperson * [5:57] Tools + tactics + strategies to improve sales planning skills * [8:20] What Badger mapping offers field-based people * [11:32] Top 3 territory sales planning dos and don’ts * [14:42] The right tool boosts effectiveness enormously
The ingredients of the ideal territory sales plan It’s important to take your actual territory into account when you make a plan for your territory. You want to figure out how to plan your day in a way that hits the most important customers efficiently. You need to be organized and gather data so you can prioritize in the first place.
Some people are more organized by nature. Likewise, some people—and cultures—have a better grasp of geography than others. Some people can visualize things and use mapping or routing tools. Those that struggle with geography—and even those that are skilled—can benefit from tools like Badger Maps.
Paul covered the NE part of England when he first started in sales. His trunk was full of maps and he’d use 4–5 every single day. At the time, you had to master driving with one hand and navigating with a map in the other. He wished he had access to a tool like Bader Maps. So what can it do for you?
What Badger mapping offers field-based people Steve was a geography major in college. He, too, used paper maps. But as mapping tools came out, he realized that sales territory planning was a problem that could be solved with technology and mobile devices. Bader Maps combines the ability to connect their customer’s data (i.e. in their CRM) into a mapping environment. It helps them see their field and determine who to prioritize as a customer (spending can be color-coded, as one example).
It shows them where appointments are already set and helps them optimize a route based on priority. The app allows you to map out your sales territory in minutes—not hours. The algorithm behind building a route is heavy math that can't be done in your head. Badger takes mapping a territory, prioritization, and route-planning to a whole new level. It also allows you to change your route on the fly and adjust your day to prioritize high-value customers when necessary.
Top 3 territory sales planning dos and don’ts Steve follows these simple—yet effective—when route planning for a sales territory.
- Take the time to get organized.
- Leverage tools to be efficient; don’t design sales territories by hand.
- Enjoy the strategizing. If you’re in the right headspace it can be fun!
- Don’t do it by hand (using google maps, a calendar, and CRM).
- Don’t blow things off.
- Don’t strategize alone, keep your team (including management) in the loop. They can help you brainstorm and improve.
Listen to the whole episode for more of Steve’s tricks of the trade.
The right tool boosts effectiveness Steve works with a company with 300 sales reps. Each one of them manages 10 partner relationships with dentists. But many of them were competing for the same dentists. Their data was a mess. So Steve helped them connect Badger with their CRM. They organized their customers, guided them in the right direction, and their sales jumped 15%. They calculated their miles and meetings throughout the process. Their miles decreased 20% and weekly meetings increased 25%. When the whole company uses the product, the results can be astounding.
It’s worth spending your time on route planning for your territory using the right tools. You’ll drive fewer miles and bump your sales in a meaningful way. Learn more about Badger Maps in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Resources & People Mentioned * Badger Mapping
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The best way to stop being reactive is to ask how you can make your targets while doing as little work as possible. What activities are important? What things can you do to make every minute as useful as possible? It starts by knowing your territory and your plan for your territory. Then you must employ some creative laziness. Learn more about Steve's unique strategy in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:47] Why is territory planning an underrated activity? * [2:38] How territory planning can help you be more organized * [3:33] Steve’s ideal territory sales plan * [4:47] Great salespeople need to be creatively lazy * [7:35] Tools, strategies, and tactics to improve sales planning * [8:30] Top three territory sales planning dos and don’ts * [10:07] Focus on your niche in your geographical area
Steve’s ideal territory sales plan A territory can mean many things to many people. Usually, it’s a geographic territory. Most salespeople believe the bigger the territory the better. Steve says that’s a lie. A focused territory where you know the customers well is better than a large territory where you’re stretched thin. A broader region leads to more challenges. Why? You may agree to take on a new client without making certain they fit in your plan.
What do you sell? What problems do you solve? Start there. If you don’t know this, you won’t know the types of companies/people you should have in your territory. Once you define your ICP, which specific companies have problems you can solve? Are your company’s customers in a particular industry or sector? Look for people similar to your existing customers. Then you can categorize companies and plan your approach.
Great salespeople need to be creatively lazy Steves’s answer probably isn’t one you’d commonly hear. Great salespeople are lazy. If you want a life outside of work you have to plan and strategize. You need the ability to strategize and learn quickly. You need to be creatively lazy.
If you get inbound leads, you can't just jump on them. Look at your territory. If the company isn’t part of your ICP, don’t waste your time on them. Refer them to someone else that is a better fit for them.
Steve worked with a lazy account manager who took long lunch breaks and went to football games during the workday. But he was a planner. He looked at opportunities, how to get them, and who he needed to talk to to get them. Once he had a strategy in place, he followed it. He didn’t have to work that hard because he strategized well. If you’re lazy, you don’t do things because you’re “supposed to.” You only do activities that help you reach your goals.
What are you trying to achieve? What are your end goals? What’s the best way to achieve your goals? Do nothing that doesn’t fit in your plan. Avoid distractions. You can outsource those things. Ruthlessly focus on what gets you where you want to be.
Focus on your niche in your geographical area For one of Steve’s first sales jobs in Australia, he was told to cold-call people and sell his software to expand their clients. He called food distributors, manufacturers, etc. He learned his company’s software wasn’t suitable for them. They could modify it but didn't have the manpower to do so.
So Steve went back to his manager and asked him to allow them to focus on who they served best. So the two salespeople doubled down on their niche and his company became the top-selling publishing software in the world. You need to have the right piece to the puzzle. Match what you have to offer to the people that need it in your geographical territory.
Resources & People Mentioned * Selling to Zebras by Jeff Koser
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It’s not often that we have the honor of hosting a productivity and systems expert on the podcast, but on this episode we have just that. Liz Heiman is a national sales expert and the Founder and CEO of “Regarding Sales, LLC.” The firm she’s created focuses on building B2B sales operating systems that drive extraordinary growth. Liz and Paul continue the series on the topic of territorial sales planning by focusing on the nuts and bolts of what it takes to build a successful plan for your territorial sales efforts.
Outline of This Episode * [0:57] Why Liz believes territorial sales planning to be underrated in general * [1:38] The challenge of “reactive selling” * [2:35] Ingredients of the perfect territorial sales plan * [5:08] What makes for a great territorial salesperson * [6:03] Characteristics of a great territorial salesperson * [9:50] Liz’s top three territorial sales planning DOs and DON’Ts * [11:50] A territorial sales story (that happens over and over)
Why is territorial sales planning underestimated (and underutilized)? It’s clear from a brief look across the sales landscape that the importance of territorial sales planning is not understood. Liz believes that it’s a huge mistake to think sellers can simply begin calling leads and make sales. A plan is needed to be most effective. But why don’t sellers and sales leaders build plans?
- They think that a number (sales goal) is a strategy, but it’s not
- They don’t know how to structure an effective plan, try it, and it doesn’t work. So they never do it again because it didn’t work
- Management pushes them to sell but doesn’t help them accomplish that goal
Reactive selling: an Achilles heel when it comes to territorial sales planning Liz explains that one of the worst habits a salesperson can fall into is what she refers to as “reactive selling.” What is it? What is urgent, what comes across their desk or email each morning is what absorbs their attention. This sort of focus on what’s coming to them is misleading because what’s coming to them doesn’t necessarily get them where they want to go. To avoid reactive selling, a plan is in order. It’s vital to have an endpoint in mind and therefore be clear about the activities that will get them there. Planning is the only way to prioritize those specific activities, which is what makes the achievement of sales goals a reality.
What goes into the perfect territorial sales plan? Before moving into the elements of a territorial sales plan, Liz reiterates a foundational principle: You must have a funnel/pipeline and understand what is in it. Understand your sales cycle and its velocity. Understand your qualifying process. Understand how many leads need to go into the top of the pipeline to generate the number of sales you need. Your pipeline is the main tool you use to execute your plan. When you understand it, you can create your plan by doing the following…
- Assess what you sold last year, who you sold to, how it happened
- Break up your territory into different segments (top clients, undersold clients, referral partners)
- Leverage existing relationships for referrals
- Uncover the sales activities that fill in the gaps and generate more qualified leads
A successful territorial salesperson looks like this… A person who is successful at territorial sales is a person who can and does learn from their mistakes. Instead of beating themselves up over their missteps, they learn the lesson it has to teach them so that they never make that mistake again. It’s learning the skill of leveraging the mistake to serve you instead of holding you back. You use it to reach where you want to go.
Liz also points out that consistency is a multiplier. When you have a well-considered plan for your sales territory and implement it every day, regardless of what comes to you, success is going to come. The right behaviors done repeatedly build success.
This episode is full of actionable tips and powerful insights to help you build a territorial sales plan that will win. Listen to get all the details from Liz Heiman.
Resources & People Mentioned * BOOK: Strategic Selling
Connect with Liz Heiman * The company Liz leads: https://www.regardingsales.com/ * Follow Liz on LinkedIn * Follow Liz on Twitter
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Sales superstars who work a territory — be that a geographic area or a particular industry segment — are hard to come by. But great salespeople with no experience in territorial sales can be trained, nurtured, and taught how to create an effective sales plan for their territory that leverages their natural ability into great growth and profitability. This episode features sales coach and trainer, Michael Griego who shares some of the characteristics of sales territory superstars, what goes into a great territorial sales planning process, and more.
Outline of This Episode * [0:19] Michael Griego:Sales leader, author, speaker * [1:02] Why territorial sales planning is overlooked so much * [1:50] The fundamental part territorial sales planning plays * [2:53] The ingredients of a perfect sales territory plan * [6:48] What are the attributes of a territorial salesperson? * [10:54] Michael’s tips for building your own territorial sales plan * [12:35] Michal's top 3 Sales Territory planning DOs and DON’Ts
Why is territorial sales planning so neglected? Micheal is quick to agree that territory planning is often overlooked. He says the simple reason for that is that reps are too busy running deals, chasing situations, trying to get deals done, doing the admin side of things, etc. He explains that when there is no clear planning process that guides daily activity those other things take the stage and planning gets pushed to the side. A salesperson without a plan can even be very successful but not necessarily in a strategic or orchestrated manner.
That’s on an individual level, but Michael says the problem exists on an organizational level as well. Often, when he goes in to consult with a company they have some type of planning process in place but it’s many times a legacy process that needs to be revamped. It may also be a sloppy attempt at planning that needs to be tightened up. Michael insists that planning at a hierarchical level (from the territory level down to the daily activity level) is critical.
The components of an ideal territorial sales plan The good news from Micheal’s perspective is that many things that need to be done to plan effectively are intuitive. Most sales professionals who begin a planning process start with assessment of the current state of the territory — which IS the place to start. Michael explains that a good structure is needed to put a stake in the ground and say “This is what the territory is and this is what I see, currently.“ Next, Michael suggests working out a “Top 10 opportunities” list and a “Top 10 prospects” list. Doing this forces sales reps to clarify what they are really dealing with and helps make the distinction between targeted prospects and active deals.
Beyond this is the need for a development plan. The question to be answered is “What are you doing to develop the pipeline?” Webinars? Mailing campaigns? Launches? Cold calling? Once implemented the development plan needs to be reviewed and updated on a 30-60-90 day basis. Listen to hear the rest of Michael’s recommended territorial sales planning process.
Attributes of a sales superstar that carry over into a territory planning mindset In his book, “42 Rules to Increase Sales Effectiveness” Micheal outlines the attributes of sales superstars. He says these same 5 characteristics need to exist for those who excel in territorial sales. What are the 5 attributes?
- Be a driver (Be motivated, on top of things, eager to implement and take action)
- Be a technician (Become competent with your product/solution/industry through study)
- Be a facilitator (Learn to be an excellent communicator)
- Be an empathizer (Develop your people skills and learn to be relational)
- Be a servant (care for customers)
Michael’s insight into organizing a sales territory is so relevant and applicable you’ll want to listen to this episode a number of times.
Resources & People Mentioned * Gartner * BOOK: The Challenger Sale
Connect with Mike Griego * MXL Partners - MIchael’s sales consultancy * BOOK: The 42 Rules to Increase Sales Effectiveness * Follow Michael on LinkedIn * Follow Michael on Twitter
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To you, is territory sales planning as simple as, “I’ve got a territory, so my main goal is grow the client base within my territory”? If so, this episode’s guest, Paula White, says you could be missing the practical details that will enable you to do just that. Paula is a returning guest on this episode of Sales Reinvented and provides a significant bit of insight into how intentional and detailed planning, broken down into bite-sized pieces can help you grow sales volume within your territory.
Outline of This Episode * [0:19] Paula White: Champion of stand-alone digital sales channels * [0:43] The underrated activity of territory sales planning * [1:18] How planning fits into day to day activity and the benefits of doing so * [3:28] Intentionality includes a “leave-behind” * [5:11] The power of a 30, 60, 90 day plan for every salesperson * [6:05] A summary of Paula’s quarterly plan, broken down into 30, 60, 90 day intervals * [6:55] Paula’s top 3 territorial planning DOs and DON’Ts * [9:22] Lesson-Learned: A favorite territory planning story from Paula
Paula’s number one ingredient for sales territory planning: Quarterly snapshots When Paula thinks about her sales territory, she doesn’t allow herself to view it as a huge, nebulous whole that has to be grown over the course of a fiscal year. She breaks it down into possibilities, by quarter. This enables her to work with manageable groupings of existing clients and potential clients without being overwhelmed… and she does this on a quarterly basis.
When asked what that quarterly plan consists of, Paula says that in her approach she’s identifying who she’s going to target each month within the quarter. The rhythm that works for her is to focus on target customers or prospects during month one, what she calls “bottom customers” during month two (those who perhaps do a lower volume of business or have made minor purchases to date) and then her “middle customers” during month three. One of the things Paula likes about this approach is that it allows her to fit seasonal targets into her planning in a practical manner.
Great territory sales professionals are intentional As you hear Paula speak about her approach to planning for her sales territory, one thing becomes evident: she’s intentional. She sets goals and integrates the steps she’ll have to take in order to reach those goals into her day to day planning. This plan guides her preparation for appointments and calls and even helps her stay on track during those calls. It also enables her to create what she refers to as a “leave-behind” for each appointment — a review of everything discussed during the call for the prospect or customer to review once the call is over. This kind of intentionality increases your confidence as a seller but more importantly, enables you to serve prospects and customers in a professional manner.
30, 60, 90-day planning is essential for territorial sales Paula integrates intentionality with her quarterly planning by breaking each quarter down into further blocks. She creates 30, 60, and 90 day plans for herself, much like a new salesperson may be required to do as they onboard with a sales organization. She says it’s a discipline that serves veteran sellers as well as newcomers. In these smaller plans, Paula writes down who she wants to meet with, what she hopes to accomplish, how she wants to get those things done, in detail, and more. At the end of these 30, 60, 90 day blocks, she evaluates by asking a number of questions...
- How did she do at hitting her goals?
- What prevented success?
- What didn’t go according to plan?
- How can she optimize her opportunities during the next 30 days?
Paula’s top 3 dos and don’ts for territorial sales planning To sum up Paula’s perspective on planning for success in territorial sales, she offers three “DOs” and three “DON’Ts”:
DOs
- Be intentional and specific
- Create a 30, 60, 90 day plan
- Keep a smile on your face (positivity empowers your planning and production)
DON’Ts
- Waste your time by creating a plan but not following it
- Assume everything will be fantastic. You have to course-correct as you go
- Get down on yourself. Sales is tough and requires perseverance and confidence
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If you are a sales leader, how do you go about planning your organization’s sales territory approach? Whether you’re dealing with geographic territories or industry niches and companies within those niches, you need to use every resource available within your team to establish your territories wisely. Brynne Tillman has a wealth of insight into this sort of planning and specializes in using LinkedIn to find the best territorial fit between the target territory and the sales professionals on your team. Listen to this episode to get all the details from Brynne’s experience.
Outline of This Episode * [0:18] Brynne Tillman: The LinkedIn Whisperer * [1:16] Territories help with organization and sales networking * [3:44] Brynne’s ingredients for the perfect sales plan * [5:36] A bonus for those establishing sales territories * [6:33] What makes a great territorial salesperson? * [9:43] Brynne’s DO’s and DON’Ts for sales territory planning * [13:57] A favorite territory sales planning story from Brynne (and the lesson learned)
Territorial sales planning can make a bottom-line difference Strategically approaching your sales territory planning will yield tremendous results if you take the time to do it. And those in leadership within sales organizations especially need to learn how to establish and assign territories for maximum impact. Brynne says that when doing so, every element that goes into creating a lead list should be very focused. When you can define not just what to do but with whom to do it, you can be much more productive and focused. This is where Brynne’s expertise with LinkedIn shines.
She suggests that sales professionals search their ideal buyers (titles, positions, companies) and their geography using LinkedIn. Even the free version can perform searches like this on a granular level. You’ll be able to build a sizeable list of leads to qualify and approach using the advanced search functionality offered on the platform. When you do this, you don’t waste time cold-calling people who aren’t a good fit for your offering. That results in more targeted conversations, which will impact bottom-line sales.
What is the most effective way to sell what you sell? Many sales leaders grab a map and set of pins to begin their sales territory planning, but Brynne says that’s one of the least effective ways of going about it. She suggests that you examine your existing book of business to first, understand who your target market is and what they typically buy from you. Using that data, look at the territory in question and find the companies and organizations that possess what you might call a “look-alike” profile. In the end, you want to ensure that the filters you’re using to create your territorial sales plan produces a list of prospects that are achievable for the sales rep, both in terms of profile and geography. Brynne calls this “the planning before the planning” and says it’s a huge step toward empowering sales reps for success.
The ingredients of an effective territorial sales plan Too often, sales leaders don’t consider their sales team’s existing relationships when assigning territories. Brynne says this is a huge mistake. As a sales leader, you can do your own research to ensure you are assigning the right sales rep to the right industry niche or geographic territory using Linked In. First, ensure you have connected with the sales rep yourself. Next, use LinkedIn’s search functionality to research your sales rep’s connections by industry and geography. You may find that a rep you intended to assign to a specific city has very few existing relationships there while another on your team has many. A successful sales rep rises and falls on relationships so don’t leave out existing connections when devising your territory strategy.
Brynne’s DOs and DON’Ts for territorial sales planning DOs
- Ensure that your LinkedIn profile clearly speaks to your target buyers
- Sales leaders: Search your rep’s contacts to ensure they fit the territory
- Talk to your reps to ensure they fit the territory you’re assigning them to
DON’Ts
- Don’t use a map and pins to assign territories
- Take an account-centric approach, not just account-based
- Allow for flexibility when assigning territories because of relationship opportunities
Resources & People Mentioned * Sales Navigator * Zoominfo * Dun & Bradstreet
Connect with Brynne Tillman * Connect with Brynne on LinkedIn * Connect with Brynne on Twitter
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When salespeople were forced to switch from face-to-face selling to virtual selling, they were forced to learn a different medium of communication. What you used to be able to communicate with your face, body language, energy, etc. has to be squeezed into a small square on a computer screen. Your customer doesn’t have the context of face-to-face. It requires learning new skills. In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Julie Hansen shares how acting skills can benefit a salesperson and help them succeed in this virtual reality we now live in.
Outline of This Episode * [0:43] The difference between selling face-to-face and selling virtually * [2:38] How businesses can improve virtual selling * [4:47] Julie’s virtual selling blueprint * [6:54] Attributes + characteristics that make a great virtual seller * [9:34] Tools, techniques, and strategies to improve virtual sales * [11:55] Julie’s virtual selling dos and virtual selling don’ts * [16:07] Get the virtual training you need to succeed in your role
The difference between selling face-to-face and selling virtually Julie has a background in acting. Most actors/actresses start their careers doing live theatre. You can see your audience and what lands—or doesn’t—and adjust accordingly. Virtual selling is similar to moving to on-camera work.
When Julie moved from live audiences to camera, she did what she did for theatre. But the director pointed out she wasn’t looking in the right place, she was out of frame, and was distracting. She learned she had to get new training to communicate in the new medium. Salespeople need to acknowledge that and learn new skills so they can communicate in a virtual environment.
How businesses can improve virtual selling Organizations learned that they can be more cost-effective doing sales calls virtually. Plus, McKinsey found in their research that more than three-quarters of B2B buyers prefer remote interaction versus face-to-face. You need to adapt to the new reality.
Most organizations throw tools and technology at their salesforce but haven’t realized that communication differences need to be addressed. How does the camera read behavior? What about your eye contact and facial expressions? Are you communicating what you need to?
You have to learn to connect one-on-one on camera because sales are all about building relationships. People buy from people they like and they feel confident with. So you have to learn to establish those relationships through a camera. That’s where the growth needs to be. If you can do that, you’ll rise to the top and stand out.
Attributes + characteristics that make a great virtual seller Julie believes that the qualities needed to succeed are the same, whether in person or virtually. You need to be credible, keep your word, be authentic, show empathy, be an active listener, etc. But those qualities are often lost in a virtual exchange, so you have to adjust the way you communicate them.
In a face-to-face conversation, if someone stared at your shoes the whole time, you’d feel like they weren’t interested. But it happens on video all the time. You may be looking at the customer’s image, screen, tools, etc. You need to understand that the quality of active listening requires you to behave differently. You have to know when to look at the camera directly. Your fave must communicate the emotions you think it is.
What tools, techniques, and strategies does Julie recommend to improve how you portray yourself on video? Listen to learn more!
Julie’s virtual selling dos and virtual selling don’ts Julie shared some amazing tips to help you improve your skills:
- You have to record yourself and you have to review it so you know how your customer sees you.
- You have to bring more energy to a virtual call because the camera takes some away. You can be natural and comfortable but you can’t come across as laid back and low energy. Get yourself in a good high-energy state before jumping into a conversation.
- Make sure that you are managing your tools and technology and engaging your customer. Salespeople tend to go into monologues because customers aren’t responding. Recognize that people are more passive on video and engage far less. You have to work harder to foster engagement.
- Don’t stare at your customers' image when they’re talking—look at the camera. But if you’re looking at the camera, how do you read body language? There are different techniques, one of which is using peripheral vision to glance at their image.
- Don’t assume that your customer will answer you right away. Give them a second to respond. If you ask and answer your own questions, you’ve trained them that they don’t have to respond. Silence is uncomfortable, but you have to allow them time to process and answer.
Get the virtual training you need to succeed Julie got a call from an experienced enterprise sales rep who was a top biller before things moved virtually. He felt like he wasn’t connecting with his customers and that he had lost his superpower. When Julie worked with him on camera, it was obvious his personality wasn't coming across. He felt scripted and his discomfort was obvious.
She worked with him on improving his eye contact, body language, energy, and what his face was portraying. After working together, he went back to a customer where he had been shut out of a big deal. He put together a compelling and engaging personalized video that got him back in the running.
You have to admit that you don’t know what you don’t know and get the help you need to adapt to this new environment. Don’t sit and suffer in silence. Stand up for yourself and get the training that you need to succeed.
Resources & People Mentioned * These eight charts show how COVID-19 has changed B2B sales forever
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According to Walker McKay, a salesperson’s actions, attitude, and approach can lead to digital improvements. What should those actions look like? What characteristics do you need to embrace? What approaches are successful? Walker McKay answers these questions—and more—in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:53] The difference between digital and social selling * [2:07] Improve digital selling with your actions, attitude, and approach * [3:37] Walker’s ideal digital selling blueprint * [5:26] The attributes or characteristics of a great digital seller * [7:27] Tools, techniques, or strategies to improve digital sales * [8:42] Top 3 digital selling dos and top 3 digital selling don’ts * [11:04] Digital selling opens up a whole new world
Actions, attitude, and approach = digital improvement Digital selling is important because it’s nearly impossible to get face-to-face with people anymore. People are working from home and you can’t just show up at their “office.” So you have to find other ways to connect with people and hold conversations. Organizations need to create expected behaviors around digital selling regarding:
- The actions you take
- The attitude you have
- The approach that you take
You have to start with the actions. What is the expected behavior? How many LinkedIn posts should somebody do? How many times should you reach out per week? Companies need to get comfortable that this is the way things are being done. So it’s time to build behaviors around getting appointments via text, phone, social media, and video.
Walker’s ideal digital selling blueprint Where should you go to find business? If it’s on LinkedIn, you can download your connections onto a spreadsheet. You can match it with your client list and make sure you’re connected with people you’re already doing business with.
Secondly, Walker would take that list and look for some low-hanging fruit you hadn’t talked to yet. How will you get in touch with them? You can send LinkedIn messages, DMs, text messages, phone calls, and emails. You need to touch people 6–7 times using different channels to get their attention. The goal is to set an appointment, right? Set a meeting over Zoom or a similar channel.
The attributes or characteristics of a great digital seller Old school B2B salespeople might be in their 40s, 50s, or 60s. Even so, an openness to technology is key to their success. Secondly, salespeople need to have a strong why behind their success. You have goals you want to accomplish and achieve in life. Are you disciplined enough to reach out to people, send messages, and keep track of it? It is discipline and a desire to win being put into place.
Are you posting things on different channels? Walker has found posting a video or a how-to on social channels to be effective. If you’re selling insurance, you might post “5 Ways to Make Sure You Get the Right Insurance.” You have to be able to write well and teach people with your posts. If you’re seen as a teacher, people will come to you for help and you’ll become the professional in your space.
Digital selling opens up a whole new world Walker is always looking for sales experts to be guests on his podcast. He was using LinkedIn to reach out to people but wasn’t getting a great response. He was reaching out to 5 people a day. But he connected with someone named Casey Jones. She didn’t respond. 3 days later, he messaged her again and they started a conversation. Turns out, they had a great connection. She was one of his best podcast guests and they’ve since collaborated on three different business deals.
There is a network outside of you through the digital world that is much bigger and better than what you could have face-to-face. Work to build your network and ask for what you want. There’s a tremendous world of business out there.
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A digital sales strategy can include social selling, video communication, and great content as a mechanism to communicate with a prospect. Whether selling digitally or in person, Liz Heiman believes that every successful seller models the 4Cs of selling. What are these characteristics? Listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented to learn more!
Outline of This Episode * [0:43] The difference between digital and social selling * [1:55] How to improve your digital sales * [3:42] Liz’s digital selling blueprint * [5:46] The attributes/characteristics * [7:22] Tools, techniques, and strategies to improve * [8:33] Top 3 digital selling dos and don’ts * [10:13] Be creative, curious, and compassionate
How to improve your digital sales Liz emphasizes that good selling is good selling whether it’s digital or in-person. You can’t get away with bad habits anymore because digital noise has become so loud. Just “checking in” isn’t effective. You need to be heard through the noise. If you’re going to be a good seller, you need to understand who you’re selling to and what matters to them. Then you need to have a valid business reason for interacting with them. Be relevant and intentional with your selling in the digital world. That starts with putting in place better basic selling skills.
Liz’s digital selling blueprint Most of Liz’s clients deal with complex B2B sales (with multiple people involved). So her digital strategy starts with an account-based approach. She works with sales and marketing to reach out to the people who influence buying decisions within a company. It takes a targeted approach with clear messaging and predefined actions that each team takes.
Secondly, Liz recommends checking in on buyers with intention. She has her sales team—the moment they finish the last action—identify what the next action and message will be. That goes into their CRM so when they make the next interaction they remember what they’re supposed to do.
If you have a CRM, take careful notes and list your next action. Use the tool to help you be effective. When Liz makes a call to a prospect, she looks at their last conversation. Secondly, Liz believes sending a video is imperative. If you can’t pop your head in, sending a quick video is a great way to do it.
Liz’s Four Cs of selling Liz believes it’s the same skills that any seller should have: the “Four Cs of selling.” You need to care about and be compassionate for your customers. You also need to be creative and curious. These skills will help you be effective. If you’re curious, you’ll do research, take notes, and look for pain points. You’ll hear what your customers are telling you and acknowledge and engage with what they’re dealing with.
If you can’t get their attention with one strategy, you’ll get creative and try another. If your solution doesn’t work, how can you find one that does? Those are the things that matter, digital or not. You have to work harder to develop the human connection.
What tools, techniques, and strategies can you use to improve your communication? What are Liz’s top 3 digital selling dos and don’ts? Listen to learn more!
The 4 C’s of communication in action Liz tells people to use video but she hates video. But a year and a half ago, she decided to send her follow-up notes as a video. She had a client that hadn’t been responding, so she sent a video. One of the prospects had been in the process of firing someone. She asked if he was able to make a decision.
He wrote back and said, “You must have the most amazing CRM that you can remember what we talked about last time.” She cared enough to remember what they talked about and reach out to see if they needed her help. When you care about people and listen to them, it works. Reach out to customers in a way that’s easy, convenient, and helpful for them.
Resources & People Mentioned * Vidyard * BombBomb
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Salespeople are still struggling to adapt to all of the changes that the Covid pandemic has brought about. Virtual selling is still largely at play, with some in-person interaction still sprinkled in. Tom Pisello believes that to adapt, you need to become laser-focused on helping prospects become aware of and solve their problems. To do that, you have to identify your own struggles to become more effective. Tom shares insight into this process in this episode of @SalesReinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:49] The difference between digital and social selling * [3:21] How to succeed with virtual selling * [9:32] Tom’s virtual selling strategies * [10:59] Attributes and characteristics of a great seller * [12:04] Tools, techniques, or strategies to improve virtual sales * [14:15] Top 3 virtual selling dos and don’ts * [15:17] Foster engagement in virtual sales presentations
How to succeed with virtual selling: identify your gaps Sellers are frustrated with how much longer purchasing decisions are taking and how many people are involved in the process. It can be difficult for them to manage. But Tom emphasizes that if you look for what buyers are saying their challenges are, it can be a turning point. When the Rain Group surveyed buyers on what they thought of sellers in the digital environment, four gaps that were recognized:
- Leading a prospect through a thorough discovery: Don’t just show up and throw up and make discovery as part of the process. Give a presentation with an interactive demo.
- Mapping solutions to the problems that were identified: Do your best to address the root cause problems that the buyer is facing.
- Listening skills: Many sellers don’t stop talking. There’s a loss of eye contact, talking over the other person, etc. You have to slow your roll in virtual meetings. Don’t be afraid to stop early and leave a cliffhanger and time to talk next steps.
- Making the ROI clear to the buyer: Tom’s nickname is “The ROI Guy.” Buyers care about the problem they’re solving and the business outcomes you can assure they get. Focus on the outcome you’ll give them—not what you’re selling. What can your product solve? What can it deliver in terms of quantifiable business value? Make it clear.
How to succeed as a virtual seller How do you present your sellers with discovery guides and interactive presentations? Can you provide your sellers with an interactive diagnostic assessment or a problem/solution guide to use with customers? You have to provide an interactive value assessment tool so sellers can collect data from the customer and do the number crunching to make a business case.
Make sure you’re implementing conversational intelligence tools so you don’t have to have your head down to take notes. You need a good video presence and the ability to listen more than they talk. So learn how to maintain eye contact on video calls.
When you do talk, you need to ask good in-depth discovery questions that help buyers be introspective. A good seller is armed with good content and tools. They’re leveraging dynamic presentations and assessment tools to add value, insight, and guidance.
Tools, techniques, and strategies to improve virtual sales Tom recommends that content enablement groups work to examine PDFs, videos, guides, etc, that are being provided to their salespeople and think about retooling them. Can you make them interactive? Can you click on elements? Customers don’t have the patience to sit through a deck. You have to be able to pivot the conversation to what the customer wants to talk about and have content to support it.
Tom loves doing diagnostic assessments to assess a company’s maturity and where they are in the journey. You can map out improvements that they’d like to make and give intelligent recommendations. You can benchmark them against peers.
What about business value assessments? What challenges are they facing? What is it costing them? What’s the value potential of implementing a solution? What evidence can you share that you can deliver on this? The right tools can make a difference.
What are Tom’s virtual selling dos and don’ts? Listen to learn more!
Foster engagement in virtual sales presentations Tom once had 16 people in a company’s buying committee in a virtual meeting. With a crowd that large, you want to be mindful of who is paying attention. What does everyone care about? The customer was early in their decision-making process. So instead of talking about the solution, Tom mapped a day in the life of their customer’s customer and how they helped to overcome their problems. They went into how they could help address the friction this prospect was dealing with in their selling process.
As they walked through the pieces of their sales process with the customer, he got almost everyone on the call to participate. Tom made sure he got input from everyone to make sure everyone was engaged. They took notes on what was important. When they went into the solutions part of the call, they tied back to specific people and pain points.
Tom notes that people can be afraid to speak up in front of their CEO and other executives, so you have to be conscious of the political dynamics within the environment. You can overcome that by calling on specific people to contribute to the conversation and be heard. Above all, spend time walking through discovery with the group and make sure everyone is engaged in the pain-point portion. Be aware of the dynamics that occur and be ready with strategies to engage everyone.
Resources & People Mentioned * Huge Gaps in What Buyers Want and Virtual Seller Skills
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Digital selling encompasses a variety of different communication channels. Whether it’s via social media, texting, email, or video, a great digital seller has to be agile and willing to use whatever medium their prospects and customers prefer. Why is that so important? Lori Richardson shares her thoughts in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:40] The difference between digital and social selling * [1:56] How to improve digital selling * [2:40] Lori’s digital selling mindset * [3:46] Attributes of a great digital seller * [5:01] Tools, techniques, and strategies * [6:35] Top 3 digital selling dos and don’ts * [9:42] Communicate how your prospect prefers
Attributes of a great digital seller You have to be able to prospect digitally. You need to do value proposition work. You need to be able to connect well with people. Then you need to build your communication skills and tools to have ongoing conversations to build trust with your buyer. You must help them with services you offer—or don’t. You want to help them in any way you can, even if it means referring a prospect to someone else.
Lori believes there are some key sales competencies that aren’t based on personality that must be mastered. These traits help people sell more:
- A desire and commitment to sell: Do you take responsibility? Do you have a good outlook? How motivated are you?
- Consultative selling skills, selling value, and learning to avoid discounting.
- Are you coachable and trainable?
These things are critical to successful selling.
Tools, techniques, and strategies to improve digital sales Do you have a solid methodology and process in place? Are you engaging in tasks that lead to closing sales opportunities? There are thousands of tools available for marketing and sales success. Lori emphasizes you must master social selling and video, know how to follow prospects and clients on social media, and learn how to use fundamental tools like Sales Navigator.
Lori’s top tips for digital selling What are Lori’s digital selling tips?
- Be genuine and authentic—it’s more important now than ever.
- Build your brand and gain visibility on different platforms.
- Be consistent and follow-up with prospects with a clear process in place.
- Don’t do the spray and pray on social media. When you meet someone at an event, you don’t sell to them immediately. Why do it with digital interaction?
- You’re in it for the long haul. You don’t have to get a deal today, so don’t push yourself on people. Sell products and services that you trust and believe in that add value for your buyers.
- Always add value in every interaction with a prospect or current customer. If you do this every time, people will want to talk with you.
Communicate how your prospect prefers Lori helped a company that had found her virtually and reached out through texting. By returning their texts, Lori answered enough questions that they felt comfortable having a phone conversation. The phone conversation led to Lori offering them some services. That turned into a solid six-figure deal. It all started with texting. They turned out to be a great client that Lori still works with today.
If someone emails or calls, Lori responds immediately. If you get back to people quicker, you have the highest chance of closing business. Even if you just schedule a time to talk further, people are blown away. Likewise, if texting is your client's preferred mode of communication, by all means, text them.
Resources & People Mentioned * LinkedIn Sales Navigator
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Gartner’s research has shown that buyers complete 57–80% of their buying journey digitally well before they even talk to a salesperson. That’s why—according to Subhanjan Sarkar—you have to find a way to engage with your buyers before they become a lead. How do you accomplish that? Subhanjan shares some thoughts in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:55] The difference between digital and social selling * [2:35] How can you influence the customer in their buyer journey? * [4:51] Subhanjan’s ideal digital selling strategy * [7:04] 5 attributes of a great digital seller * [8:29] Tools + techniques + strategies to improve * [11:33] Top 3 digital selling dos and digital selling don’ts * [13:48] A genuine interest in the customer’s benefit is key
How can you influence the customer in their buyer journey? Gartner’s research shows that about 17% of a buyer’s journey is spent between multiple vendors. You may only have 2–3% of their entire journey dedicated to you. So you need to find a way into the 57–80% of the journey that the buyer experiences independently. That’s why digital selling is critical.
You must build your position as a thought leader to do that. Buyers don’t want to buy from vendors who only compete on price. Pricing cannot be a tool that everyone uses. To differentiate yourself, you have to understand your buyer. You can learn what a buyer is doing long before you meet them.
Subhanjan’s ideal digital selling strategy Subhanjan recommends mapping a buyer’s universe and start interacting early using technology and adding in a physical meeting when necessary. He recommends that you start gathering and learning about your industry verticals and create a thought leadership position in the industry.
If you aren’t a good fit for a client, send them toward a competitor—don’t create a dissatisfied customer. If you direct them to a better fit they’ll remember you and become a fan because you cared more about solving their problem than getting a sale. Next time they have a problem, they’ll come to you first.
What are the five attributes of a great digital seller? Listen to hear Subhanjan’s thoughts!
Tools + techniques + strategies to improve digital sales Subhanjan believes that one of the most critical strategies a salesperson needs to embrace is early engagement. You can’t just start with a lead. By the time you get a lead, 80% of their journey is over, right? But what if you've already engaged with this lead somewhere online because you’re a thought leader in the industry?
He also emphasizes that you need to be able to start a conversation and continue it without friction. You can share information and bounce ideas off of each other. That will prove extremely valuable.
Lastly, you must master the specific tech tools that your company uses. He points out that everyone uses spreadsheets yet everyone is awful at them, even after 40 years. Salesforce, Hubspot, etc. are complex things you have to invest time in to master. Do this with whatever tools are necessary for your trade.
A genuine interest in the customer’s benefit is key A very large company in India wanted to build a vendor relationship management system (VRM). They had multiple vendors engaged. One particular vendor started the conversation by saying, “You don’t have to buy from me—have you thought of applying design thinking to the process?” The company didn’t know what design thinking was, so he offered to run a design thinking workshop for the leadership team.
He put on a one-day virtual workshop with an expert from MIT. They learned about digital thinking and applied it to the software they were creating for managing vendors. At the end of the day, the buyers got a better spec sheet for their VRM. They came back and took consultative input from this rep and ended up buying from him. The other vendors had no clue what was going on. This is living proof that a genuine interest in the customer’s benefit is key.
Resources & People Mentioned * Why B2B Sales Needs a Digital-First Approach * Marketo * Hubspot * Salesforce
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Kendra believes the way we sell has changed forever. Now, we have a whole new way we can work with people that we can layer onto traditional selling. You don’t have to get on a plane or drive to meet a prospective customer—you can still connect with people digitally. Digital selling allows you to meet with more people and connect with them in bite-size pieces.
Plus, if you’re going to be successful with selling, you need to try new things. Kendra points out that you should have been selling digitally before the pandemic hit. The pandemic should have just accelerated your current strategy.
Outline of This Episode * [1:03] The difference between digital and social selling * [1:41] How to improve digital selling capabilities * [3:11] The perfect digital selling strategy * [5:02] Attributes and characteristics of a great digital seller * [6:33] Continued communication is key * [8:05] Kendra’s top 3 digital selling dos and don'ts * [11:13] Be on the leading edge of technology
Attributes and characteristics of a great digital seller They can be trained on a CRM, how to use LinkedIn, etc. but people most often get tripped up on video. Why? Because you are front and center. You can’t look down and take notes and it’s difficult to look someone in the eyes. Salespeople have to master connecting and engaging through video.
Kendra also emphasizes that writing has never been a more critical skill than it is now. You have to be able to write emails, text messages, and social media posts. Emotional intelligence is also critical. Can you sense another person’s feelings when you’re limited with body language?
Continued communication is key Kendra believes that continued communication is important from a strategy perspective. Whether it’s recapping a conversation via email, video, or text—you need to stay in touch frequently. In the past, salespeople didn’t always do this and could get away with it. But things are more competitive now than ever before. If you’re going to differentiate yourself, frequent communication via a variety of tools is important.
Kendra’s top 3 digital selling dos and don'ts Kendra’s digital selling dos and don’ts are stellar:
- Don’t shy away from using your camera, even if your client doesn’t turn there’s on.
- Communicate more frequently using different mediums—including text messages.
- Pay close attention to what your prospects and clients are saying so you can tailor your discussion.
- Don’t use the same canned email for every sales situation. Sequences can help you streamline the process but the sequence needs to be tailored so your prospects and clients feel heard.
- Don’t use the same communication method. Kendra had a prospect that wouldn’t respond to email or voicemail. So she sent a LinkedIn message to mix it up. If you have their cell phone number—and they use it in their email signature—it’s perfectly acceptable to send them a text.
- Don’t shy away from using the phone. It was the “first” digital strategy.
Be on the leading edge of technology When Kendra first started in sales, she had too many clients to cover on her own. Kendra had 300 installed accounts. She didn’t have time for everything she had to do and still hit her quota. She couldn’t go out and meet with every single client and collect orders, which felt like the most important part of the process. You need that face-to-face interaction and connection.
But why couldn’t she get some of the information from a fax (which at the time was new technology)? She’d simply start to accept orders from clients via fax. Ever since, she consistently looks at her process and asks, “What can I do that’s different from everyone else? How can I be the leading edge and stand out?”
Kendra got an award for taking orders over a fax machine because no one had done it before. All because she took initiative and focused on being on the leading edge of technology.
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Darryl admits that digital selling is hard because there’s a lot of noise out there. The sales industry has a propensity toward reusing what’s been done before—the same emails, same LinkedIn sequences, the same ad layout, etc. and it becomes noise. So what do you need to do to improve? Hear Darryl’s thoughts in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:53] The difference between social selling and digital selling * [2:41] Understand your customer profile * [5:15] Darryl’s evolving digital selling strategy * [8:50] The attributes/characteristics of a great digital seller * [12:07] Tools, techniques, and strategies to improve digital selling * [16:17] Top 3 digital selling dos and digital selling and don’ts * [19:19] Build thought leadership on social media
Understand your ideal customer profile and personas Who are you targeting? It can’t just be “anyone in high tech.” You have to be granular. Having 10+ granular customer profiles is fine. Then you develop your personas within those profiles. Darryl is the CRO of VanillaSoft and they target people who are the head of sales, head of marketing, head of operations, head of finance, and the head of IT. If you don’t know their world, you can’t create hyper-personalized messaging or content that resonates with them. Salespeople drop the ball by being too generic. You need to be specific to catch more fish.
Darryl’s evolving digital selling strategy Darryl’s digital strategy starts with account-based marketing and selling. You identify your ICPs and personas and build lists. This can give you 50 unique lists with a specific message. Then you need to advertise where they live (Google, LinkedIn, industry forums, etc.). When they come to your website, you want to be able to track their IP to see where they’re coming from. You present content on the website related to that persona. It’s about building a collection of signals.
Then, you put programs in place to nurture and grow the leads. It takes 9–12 touches before someone responds. So you want to use a combination of social, email, SMS, and even a phone call to get them to engage. Make sure you have a sales enablement platform in place so you can see when they’ve opened the content, if they’ve shared it, if they’ve watched a video. All of these things are signals that help you have a hyper-personalized engagement attempt to get someone to a conversation.
The attributes/characteristics of a great digital seller A great salesperson logs into their CRM and looks for signs of engagement or conversion. If there is a signal, they use their digital tools to identify their top targets and get them in cadences to engage with them.
Secondly, they must schedule time to go to forums, discussion groups, or wherever conversations are taking place and engage without pitching. It’s about establishing your own brand and thought leadership. Darryl emphasizes that you must also plan engagement so that everything is hyper-personalized to a prospect’s personas and signals.
You can’t send people a generic template email or social touch. You can’t look for shortcuts and means to spam people because it’s a “numbers game.” If you aren’t converting, it doesn’t matter what your numbers are. People buy from people and if you don’t make it relational and relevant to them, they won’t trust you or find you credible. The buyer will walk away. You’ll have spent a boatload of money with no ROI because you tried to scale and take shortcuts.
Engage in your community and contribute to conversations without the expectation of receiving anything in return. It’s a long game to build your reputation and street cred. But Darryl emphasizes that it’s amazing the volume of deals that come to you when people like and trust you. It’s the lowest acquisition cost and highest conversion rate.
Build thought leadership on social media When Darryl started at VanillaSoft in 2017 he had zero social media presence. LinkedIn was simply a vehicle for his resume. He recognized that he didn’t have a lot of budget, so he couldn’t compete on a digital spend strategy. So he took the route of LinkedIn. He saw traction within 6 months when he had a crowd around a trade show booth.
One year later, after continuously sharing content on LinkedIn, that same trade show booth was packed. People knew his name. This was happening around the world. Everyone came to the booth looking for him. That’s when he learned branded content and contribution to conversations was a powerful driver.
VanillaSoft got a ton of business they wouldn’t have gotten otherwise. Nothing else had changed at the company. The only change was a personal brand presence geared toward building a network.
Resources & People Mentioned * Seismic * Highspot * Vidyard * BombBomb * Loom * 6sense * Terminus * Ahrefs * Semrush * VanillaSoft
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Digital sales are about leveraging yourself, your service, your products, and the available digital platforms to build relationships. Social selling is where you get to socialize, connect, and have conversations. Liz Wendling emphasizes that social channels are connected to real people in the real world having real conversations. You have to humanize the connection so they feel you’re there to help. One of the ways Liz connects with potential clients is through her “Verbal 2x4.” Listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented to learn more about her social selling strategy!
Outline of This Episode * [1:21] The difference between digital and social selling * [2:27] How to improve your social selling skills * [3:36] How to use Liz’s “verbal 2x4” * [4:48] The characteristics of a great digital seller * [5:55] Stop apologizing and stop being self-serving * [7:41] Top three digital selling dos and don’ts * [10:11] Liz’s verbal 2X4 put into practice
How to improve your social selling skills Liz sees room for improvement in both empathy and understanding as well as flexibility and advocacy. Selling isn’t about pushing your products but listening to your potential customers to understand what they need. Only then can you solve their problems. You also have to be flexible with the changing marketplace. Potential clients want to work hand-in-hand with someone who wants to help and believes they can do so.
Liz’s strategy is perfect because it works for her. She makes sure her message hits someone with a “verbal 2x4.” She wants to get their attention to move them toward a conversation. What can you do to get someone’s attention? What can you do that lands with an impact?
The characteristics of a great social seller Authenticity, flexibility, and dedication are necessary attributes for any seller. Liz emphasizes you must be flexible in your process, authentic in your approach, and dedicated to follow-up and follow-through. You have to be able to have conversations (and resurrect the dead ones). Many people give up on themselves far too early in the process and blame it on the customer because “they don’t know what they want.” Be flexible and shift the message or conversation to re-engage potential clients.
Stop apologizing, stop being self-serving, and start serving Liz implores salespeople to stop apologizing and being self-serving with messages. What does that mean? Liz gets far too many messages saying, “I’m so sorry to bother you…” or “I know you’re busy, so I’ll be brief.” It not only puts the salesperson in the less-than position but does nothing to build confidence in the person you’re reaching out to. Get rid of apology language.
Secondly, don’t make it all about you. Make it all about your customer. Don’t say things like, “I’d love to get on your calendar” or “I’d love 30 minutes of your time.” You’re telling someone what YOU want instead of inviting them into a conversation that they want to be a part of.
What are Liz’s top three digital selling dos and don’ts? Listen to learn more!
Liz’s verbal 2X4 put into practice Liz teaches her clients to prospect on LinkedIn with a “verbal 2x4.” Liz focuses on the pain, problem, challenge, issue, or dilemma that her target market is muddling through. One area she focuses on with her consulting practice is family law attorneys. They’re spending a fortune to get leads. But they often fall short in sales conversations and conversions—so they’re losing a lot of money.
Liz’s message hits home: “Many of the firms I work with are struggling with this, they’re spending a fortune on that, but here’s what the end result is.” Then she’ll ask for a conversation. They often respond with, “Are you a fly on the wall? How do you know this?”
They think their attorneys are bad at closing, not fully realizing that they’re actually bad at opening. Instead of her pushing for a conversation, they’re the ones asking to get on her calendar. The outcome is always a great conversation. If you have a message that lessens the noise, you can have real honest conversations from an authentic place.
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According to Fred Copestake, social selling is using the platforms and technology available to you to create a personal brand and start conversations. Digital selling is using technology to continue conversations. The use of video (synchronous or asynchronous) is a piece of the puzzle that’s often neglected. Hear why Fred thinks that’s a huge mistake in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [1:08] The difference between digital and social sales * [1:49] How to improve digital and social selling * [2:36] Fred’s perfect digital selling strategy * [3:50] The attributes of a great digital seller * [4:51] Tools, techniques, and strategies to improve * [7:55] Top three digital selling dos and don’ts * [9:58] What not to do when recording a video
Fred’s perfect digital selling strategy Fred’s digital selling blueprint is built around video. What do you need to do on video? What’s the purpose? To communicate or achieve a goal, right? Salespeople need to be equipped with the time and skills to utilize video with their prospects and customers. The use of video in digital sales is what will keep them engaged and move the sales process forward.
Tools, techniques, and strategies to improve Fred recommends Vidyard all the time as an asynchronous video option. It’s free and easy to use. If you’re talking synchronous video, you’ll need Zoom, Teams, etc. Then you need to figure out where and how to apply it. Where can it be used in the process? With prospecting? After-meeting follow-ups? To send a proposal?
What is the video trying to achieve? Fred emphasizes that you must be succinct and punchy. You can get a lot across if your video is well-constructed. Another expert tip? Fred recommends investing in a great microphone to make sure you’re recording great audio. If people can’t hear you, they check out and lose concentration. The perceived credibility of the speaker also lowers if they can’t hear you.
Top three digital selling dos and don’ts Fred shares some great dos and don’ts:
- Get a good microphone.
- Don’t mess about with childish backgrounds in your videos.
- Use a natural background that is tidy.
- Avoid moving off-screen or out of the shot. You are on the video all the time—act like it.
- Encourage your customer to have their video on. People will feel more engaged and it’s closer to the real-life environment.
- Don’t miss out on the opportunity to do things that some salespeople are holding back on. It’s still in its infancy and you need to take advantage of video.
What NOT to do when recording a video Fred decided to embrace sending video emails, especially because it’s something that he preaches. He was trying to get a guest on his podcast to talk about virtual selling. In fact, he was sending a video to Tyler Lessard, one of THE experts on digital selling. So he recorded a video using Vidyard.
Fred tried to be clever in his video and hid behind his chair, saying, “People are scared, please come on, share all of these great tips…” He sent the video without reviewing it. Turns out, he sent the video without sound. He sent a silent video of him cowering behind a chair. He prepped for the video, reflected best practices—making it relevant and personal—but forgot to double-check before he sent it. Tyler did end up on his podcast, Fred jokingly saying it was likely out of pity more than anything else.
It’s all about preparation and follow-through. He thought about what he was going to say, how he was going to say it, and the purpose behind it (what he wanted to achieve). It was punchy and short and interesting. Give yourself a moment to prepare—and execute—well.
Resources & People Mentioned * Vidyard * Selling Through Partnering Skills * Tyler Lessard
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The world is virtual—that’s not going to change. So Joanne Black emphasizes that we must learn to sell in this virtual world. That means organizations need to give their salespeople the right tools to sell virtually. How do you look into the camera? How do you have a conversation and build relationships? These are the things salespeople can do in person but struggle with digitally. If that’s you, listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented for some tips and tricks from Joanne Black.
Outline of This Episode * [1:13] The difference between digital and social selling * [1:45] Provide the right tools and training * [2:46] Joanne’s digital selling blueprint * [4:37] The attributes of a great digital seller * [5:41] Tools, techniques, and strategies * [7:25] Top 3 digital selling dos and don’ts * [10:19] Share, comment, interact, and invite
Joanne’s digital selling blueprint Joanne believes you need to have a written strategy that is clearly communicated. How does it apply to each person in your organization? How can you give them the skills to carry out the process? Joanne believes KPIs need to be attached to a social strategy and outreach. Managers tend to shoot from the hip and it leaves salespeople confused. Joanne has been virtual for years and has taken courses on how to sell virtually. She believes you must train and coach your salespeople, allow them to practice, and help them get results.
The attributes of a great digital seller Joanne notes that the attributes are very similar to in-person selling. You need to build relationships and play the long game. Some people believe that it’s tough to develop relationships with digital selling but Joanne disagrees. If you are well-trained and know how to look into the camera and have a conversation, you will build those relationships. Most people sell complex solutions which means you likely won’t close in one or two calls. You have to think about how to meet the buyers that are essential to closing the deal.
Digital selling dos and don’ts on LinkedIn You have to learn how to use digital and social selling tools such as LinkedIn. People go on LinkedIn and pitch, send automated requests, and spew garbage. The best practice is to look at shared connections and read people’s recommendations. You can refer to people’s education, work history, and things they’ve written to reference in a conversation. People forget to be just as social as they would be in person. What are the rules of engagement?
- Don’t stalk people and send automated messages: Joanne gets LinkedIn invitations and decides who to connect with and who she thinks will pitch her. Joanne connected with someone who pitched her when she responded to her acceptance. Joanne immediately removed her as a connection. This woman messaged her and asked why she removed her...Don’t pitch people in your invitation!
- Engage in conversation on LinkedIn. It’s so easy to “like” something. But look at the conversation and share your point of view. Comment and interact with what other people have said to build relationships.
- Invite people to connect who engaged with your comments with a personalized invitation. Never send a standard invitation.
Share, comment, interact and invite Joanne saw a post on LinkedIn from a head of sales all about referrals. People were commenting all over it and there was a lot of interaction (15–20 were chatting). Joanne added her voice to the conversation and it continued to develop. She decided to write to the head of sales and asked if he wanted to do a webinar about referrals and invite the people who had commented.
He didn’t respond to that question. Instead, he asked her to come in and chat with his group. She had made an offer with no strings attached and it turned into business for her. If someone posts something within your area of expertise, don’t be afraid to share a best practice. It’s about being open and sharing as much as you can.
Resources & People Mentioned * LinkedIn
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Graham Hawkins despises the phrase “social selling” because he believes you’re not selling—you’re solving problems. Modern selling should include leveraging data, tools, and platforms to give the buyer the experience they expect and deserve. Organizations need to acknowledge that the buyer has changed the way they behave and sales professionals must adapt. How can you create a “wow” experience for your buyer at every touchpoint? He shares his process in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [1:02] What’s the difference between digital and social selling? * [1:55] Why is digital selling so important? * [3:30] Give your buyer a “wow” at every touchpoint * [5:12] Successful sellers are specialized * [7:25] Tools + techniques + strategies * [11:21] Top three digital sales dos and don’ts * [13:45] Sales are all about the long game
Give your buyer a “wow” at every touchpoint Graham’s digital sales strategy is focused on education—solving, not selling. Brute force sales aren’t necessary anymore. The buyer will never be just a number. The goal now is to educate the buyer and solve their business problems.
When you educate, you build rapport, trust, and credibility. Once you’ve done that, Graham recommends that you use the digital platforms and tools to get the information you need to give the buyer a delightful experience at every touchpoint. Your focus should be how you can create an enjoyable experience that’s not pushy, pitching, persuading, manipulating, closing, or objection-handling.
Successful sellers are specialized In Graham’s book, “The Future of the Sales Profession,” the key tenant is about specialization. Buyers expect four things from salespeople:
- That you do your research to understand them and their industry
- That the salesperson has to personalize everything to their context
- The buyers want to learn something from you
- Buyers expect that the salesperson will anticipate future needs (as well as current needs)
How do you make sure you’re seen as a specialist with a high level of credibility? You need to be a resource to help them solve their business problems.
Tools + techniques + strategies Graham firmly believes that anyone in sales needs to invest in LinkedIn Sales Navigator as a starting point. If you’ve identified your ideal customer and buyer personas, Sales Navigator can map an organization and show you who the key players are.
Tools like Bombora and 6sense can actually show you who might be looking at certain topics in real-time. Seismic and Outreach can help you facilitate the delivery of educational content. Amplify your efforts with technology.
Buyers are being bombarded by salespeople resorting to old tactics. If you’re being bombarded every single day, focus on differentiation. How do you become memorable?
What are Graham’s top three digital sales dos and don’ts? Listen to learn more!
Sales are all about the long game Graham’s largest client is Lloyd’s Bank in the UK. How did he win their business? Graham had engaged with Rob Michael from Aon on LinkedIn which led to him leading a workshop at Aon. He took a selfie with the group at the end and shared it on LinkedIn. He’s not afraid to show the world what he does. Plus, those photos usually get engagement. One of Rob’s friends who worked at Lloyds Bank (Wayne) liked the photo
So Graham sent a connection request to Wayne. He initiated the engagement and Wayne responded by asking to hear more about what Graham does. That’s how their conversation got started. He built credibility over 3+ months by tagging him in posts and sharing value. Eventually, Wayne reached out to connect with him in London.
After 2.5 years of working with them, Lloyd’s announced a new CEO. Graham reached out to him immediately and introduced himself and shared that he’d worked with them for a couple of years. The next day, the CEO looked at his profile and accepted Graham’s invitation. The moral of the story? Sales are all about the long game.
Resources & People Mentioned * The Speed of Trust by Stephen Covey * Rob Michael * Sales Navigator * Bombora * 6sense * Seismic * Outreach
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Paula White jokes that digital selling was the red-headed step-child for a long time—but it was true. Because of the pandemic, we’ve learned that things can be done via the phone and technology. For salespeople to excel in this digital sales world, Paula would suggest implementing the right technology immediately. To do this, organizations need to understand what salespeople need to succeed in a remote digital sales world. Part of it? Simply remembering that you can still pick up the phone.
Outline of This Episode * [1:02] The difference between digital and social selling * [2:01] How to improve digital sales * [2:52] Paula’s blueprint for digital sales * [3:30] The attributes that make a great salesperson * [4:30] Paula’s favorite digital selling strategy * [5:23] Paula’s digital selling dos and don’ts * [9:03] Always sell with kindness
The attributes that make a great salesperson If Paula was to build a blueprint for digital selling, it would start with training salespeople how to pick up cues over the phone. Then she’d go into assessing someone’s competencies and whether or not they can sell digitally. But salespeople who naturally have certain attributes may excel.
Paula believes the first attribute you need to have is active listening. You have to be able to hear and understand when a person is bored, isn’t paying attention, or isn’t interested in a product. You must understand their cues. You must actively listen for door opening signals. You need to be able to pick up on that to close the sale. Secondly, you need to be able to work remotely and not be afraid of using the phone.
Paula recommends using gamification to bring competition to your teams. The best strategy is to get on the phone. Paula has always implemented a “10x10” rule i.e. making sure that your 10 calls happen before 10 am. The goal is 30–35 calls a day to reach your customers. The bottom line? A salesperson’s income comes from closing sales.
Paula’s digital selling dos and don’ts It’s easy—pick up the phone. Secondly, only sell on a need or want. What does Paula mean by that? People buy on emotion and justify it logically, so you need to find out what someone's needs or wants are. If you’re speaking to a CEO, are their needs or wants financial? Will the product make an end user’s life easier? If you’re speaking to a manager, how will it help both the end user and the financials? Pinpoint who you’re speaking with to understand their needs and wants.
Paula emphasizes that you shouldn’t fake a connection. Don’t over-promise and under-deliver. People feel like they’re hidden behind a screen or phone, so don’t forget to bring the human element. Don't try to oversell or you’ll lose the sale. Don’t lose the competition aspect of selling. If you go into the history of sales, you always made a sale with a handshake—it meant something. We don’t have that anymore. So you’re pushing to be in the top 4%. If you don’t have the competitive edge to win ethically, truthfully, and honestly, sales will be a challenge for you. Keeping that in mind makes you better every day.
Sell with kindness Many years ago, Paula called a customer and spoke to him around April/May. She asked for his business and he said, “Give me a call back the first week in July.” So she did. He answered the phone and he asked where she was from. She answered, “Ohio.” His response? “You don’t read the paper very much, do you?” Turns out, he had gone out of business.
He was an EMS flight pilot carrying passengers to the hospital. His only plane had gone down. When she hung up, her heart sank. So she sent him a simple condolence card. He called six months later and she got all of his business, simply because of her act of kindness. She learned to do her pre-call planning—and that everyone is human. It’s only with kindness that you can grow.
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Salespeople haven’t gotten many if any face-to-face meetings in the last year. They don’t get to take their clients to ballgames to build rapport. The result of COVID quarantines and working from home accelerated the trend toward digitalization 5–6 years ahead of where we’d be without the unexpected catalyst.
Video has been huge—both synchronous and asynchronous—for the last 18 months. But what is a “sleeper” tactic that Kurt Shaver believes will be strategically implemented as part of the sales process? How does he believe you should leverage LinkedIn? Learn more in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [1:01] The difference between digital selling and social selling * [2:27] Why is digital selling important? How can you improve it? * [4:05] The blueprint for the perfect digital selling strategy * [5:32] The attributes that make a salesperson excel in digital sales * [6:50] Tools, techniques, and strategies to use * [8:50] Kurt’s top 3 digital selling dos and don’ts * [12:16] Your LinkedIn profile is a resource—not a resume
Kurt’s blueprint for the perfect digital selling strategy What is Kurt’s ideal sales strategy?
- You have to figure out what your goals are and how you’ll measure them.
- Once you identify your goals, figure out who you’re trying to reach, what the buying personas are, and what content does the company has to address the different buying personas in different parts of the sales cycle. Content is a huge play.
- On the selling side, you need the right tools in place. LinkedIn or Sales Navigator? Will you use video messaging tools or content sharing tools?
- You need the right training, coaching, reinforcement, ongoing metrics, and make sure it’s woven into sales so everything sticks.
What are the attributes that Kurt believes make a salesperson excel in digital sales? Keep listening to find out!
Tools, techniques, and strategies to use The first activity that Kurt categorizes as outbound prospecting is looking at LinkedIn as a database. Who can you target? What’s your outreach? Can you get an introduction? Can you approach them with a certain buyer persona? He advises that you take advantage of LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Zant, Outreach, Sales Lock, VanillaSoft, etc.
As an individual seller building a network, you have to share relevant content on social networks about your company, industry, and yourself. You must build a reputation as a subject matter expert and go-to resource. People will come to you as a credible resource. Video is a huge area where you can use tools like OneMob, Hippo Video, Vidyard, etc.
Kurt’s top 3 digital selling dos and don’ts What strategies should you adopt? What should you avoid?
- Learn how to master the social network that the majority of your prospects use. In the B2B world, it’s likely LinkedIn. People in Sports and Entertainment may skew toward Twitter. If they're in advertising they may use Instagram. Be present on that network.
- Embrace and get comfortable with being on video. All the apps are adding video—and it isn’t just social networks.
- If you want to get ahead of the curve, experiment with texting prospects. This strategy is the hardest to succeed with. In North America, sending a text will get you the highest response rate of any communication medium. But the bad news is that you have to be in someone’s inner circle of trust and you can’t violate that.
- Don’t treat LinkedIn as a resume (unless you’re trying to get a job). It needs to be more like a website and a resource.
- Don’t pounce on people when you send someone an invitation. The first words out of your mouth shouldn’t be selling. You court before you ask someone to marry you.
- If you're trying to build rapport and you get a video conference, turn on the camera so they learn to know, like, and trust you.
Your LinkedIn profile is a resource—not a resume Kurt runs a program called “Selling with LinkedIn” where they help sales teams transform their LinkedIn profiles. They always start with the headline. You want it to be a customer-oriented benefit statement. It can’t just be “account executive” or “sales engineer.” You want to say “I help manufacturing engineers streamline processes to drive productivity.”
They helped a client in a recruiting and staffing business do that. Before the training, his headline was “account executive.” In the workshop, he changed it to “I help fast-growth technology companies source and retain top programming talent.” What was the result? A VP of HR at a fast-growth technology company who couldn’t source and retain talent saw that headline.
She reached out to him and he got into the sales cycle with her. Two months later, he closed a six-figure recruiting retainer deal with this company. It all started because he invested 5 minutes to reengineer his headline. He called out the types of customers he works with and the outcomes he hopes to achieve for them.
Resources & People Mentioned * Sales Navigator * Xant * Outreach * VanillaSoft * OneMob * Hippo Video * Vidyard
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If organizations didn’t have a social selling strategy pre-COVID, they certainly do now. But many salespeople struggle to bridge the gap from selling face-to-face to selling digitally. But is it really that different? According to Diane Helbig, it shouldn’t be. Social selling is still all about building relationships. The approach to building relationships simply starts differently. Learn all about it in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:59] The difference between digital and social selling * [1:39] Why is digital selling important? How can you improve? * [3:11] Diane’s social selling strategy * [4:36] The characteristics of a great digital seller * [5:46] Improve your digital selling with these tools * [7:55] Top 3 digital selling dos and don’ts * [10:46] Sales is a verb: take action consistently
Why is social selling important? How can you improve? Diane notes that we better have a digital selling strategy. No one knows what will happen next. Selling digitally simply increases your capacity for doing outreach. Before the pandemic, people just thought they’d work locally. Now, they’ve added digital selling into their toolbox. Because of this, organizations need to pay attention to how they interact in the digital space.
People think it’s different than face-to-face—but it isn’t. The prospect wants the same engagement, discovery is the same, outreach is relatively the same. Even the conversations you engage in should be the same. Digital selling shouldn’t be more salesy. Too many people change their processes in a digital format and don’t see the same success.
Diane’s social selling strategy Diane believes a social selling strategy needs to start with relationship-building online. It helps you consistently build and nurture relationships with people in your sphere. It allows you to be in contact with people you want sales conversations with.
So Diane would spend time connecting and engaging with people and getting them on the phone, a Zoom call, and move the relationship forward. You can use LinkedIn to research your target market to see how you’re connected to your target market to get an introduction. These things go hand-in-hand and help you get a warm introduction.
Improve your digital selling with these tools Something everyone should be using is an appointment scheduling software like Calendly. Block out time on your calendar when you know people will fill it. Don’t go back and forth with someone to try and get an appointment. Use your calendar because it’s your friend. There’s real value in looking at your calendar and choosing slots where you will engage in digital selling activity. It can be connecting with people, engaging with their content, etc. Use your calendar as your way to stay structured and consistent.
What are Diane’s digital selling dos and don’ts? Listen to learn more!
Sales is a verb: take action consistently Diane had a friend who sold customized gift baskets. She was great at what she did. Diane had built a business relationship with her and trusted and respected her. She went through Diane’s LinkedIn connections and found 5 people she wanted to be introduced to. They tried to do the LinkedIn connection process but no one responded.
So Diane emailed every single one of them and told her friend’s story. Every single one said they’d take her call. She did business with ⅘ of them because she got the conversation. She was discerning about who she asked to be introduced to, did her homework, and asked Diane for an introduction. Because there was a level of trust between everyone, the conversation happened. She did the rest.
Diane learned that it’s important to know the people that you’re connected to. There is value in the quality of the relationships. Secondly, take it upon yourself to do the research and make the request. Instead of waiting for someone to be referred to you, go out there and take action consistently—with a strategy.
Resources & People Mentioned * Calendly
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Jamie Shanks believes all businesses have come to recognize that customer acquisition has forever changed. You no longer need to deploy endless amounts of people into the field. You can do 8-figure deals from the comfort of your own home. So sellers need to learn new skillsets to aid customers in their journey, knowing they will never be face-to-face like they were before. One of those necessary skills that must be embraced is signal intelligence. Jamie shares more in this episode of Sales Reinvented. Don’t miss it!
Outline of This Episode * [1:22] The difference between social and digital selling * [2:20] How to improve digital selling capabilities * [3:35] Signal intelligence in account selection and prioritization * [5:00] The attributes of a great digital salesperson * [6:40] Take advantage of your sphere of influence * [9:18] Top 3 digital selling dos and don’ts * [12:56] Jamie’s favorite digital selling story
Signal intelligence in account selection and prioritization According to Topo, 50% of sellers don’t meet their sales quota. 83.4% of those sellers had poor time management skills. Account selection and prioritization was the single biggest determining factor to great or poor time management. Jamie would focus on teaching teams signal intelligence. What does that mean?
Not all accounts are created equal. You should prioritize accounts based on buyer intent, relationship roadmaps, and time-based signals like maturity and job changes. These compelling events or triggers are the reasons doors get opened, whether a new account or into the core customer you want to upsell or cross-sell. You need to recognize the signals and turn them into something prescriptive.
What are the attributes of a salesperson who’s willing and able to embrace digital selling and succeed? Listen to hear Jamie’s thoughts!
Take advantage of your sphere of influence One of the signal categories has a sales play called “the sphere of influence.” James says to take a sheet of paper and draw a logo in the middle of a happy customer. Draw a circle around it and spiderwebs that come off it. Ask yourself: Who cares about this story? Who would this resonate with? You’ll realize that you have advocates that are being recruited to other businesses. Where is the talent going? Focus on those companies.
Do referral road-mapping. Work with your customer success team to find out who your happy customers are. Drop into those people’s LinkedIn profiles to see who they know and have access to. One customer can give you a map of 5–10 prospective customers that are within one degree of separation from your happy customer.
Jamie’s digital selling dos and don’ts Jamie implores salespeople to learn the skills of mining, indexing, and gathering intelligence from tools like LinkedIn. Once you’re able to extract key insights and turn them into conversations, engagements, and opportunities, you can amplify your efforts by paying for something like LinkedIn Sales Navigator. It allows you to tag, save, and organize your total addressable marketing in a prescriptive way.
Don't expect that the new normal will revert to the old playbook. Unless your company took a 50% hit in revenue because you couldn't sell in person, any good CFO will re-deploy those funds to increase the yield per seller, acquire more sellers, etc. The world is reverting to normal but face-to-face meetings aren't coming back.
The power of signal intelligence Jamie has a customer in the UX design/software business scaling rapidly and raising hundreds of millions of dollars. They’ve started to embrace the power of signal intelligence. They’re advanced digital sellers that are mining at a global scale. A sales professional found out that one of their customers—a top 10 global bank—went to Tinder and put in an RFP for a UX design. This was one of their happy and active customers that sought an RFP from another vendor.
So they paused and turned on their signal intelligence and recognized that a department who was looking into this solution decided to select a vendor that he was accustomed to (not realizing that Jamie’s customer was their customer). Jamie’s customer realized that there were past advocates from other customers who were newly appointed inside this bank. While they weren’t the direct buyer, they were part of a buying committee—people who could influence the action taken.
His customer assembled those happy advocates and gave them a playbook to reach out to the decision-maker to share who they’ve used and why they had to go with this particular company. They ended up pausing the RFP, reverting back, and awarding it to Jamie’s customer. It was a $300,000 deal. If they hadn’t thought through the categories of signal intelligence (buying intent, product usage, competitive intelligence, relationship road-mapping, and time). They might’ve just walked away but they realized they had options.
Resources & People Mentioned * TOPO/Gartner
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Brynne Tillman believes that digital selling is vitally important today more than ever. She believes that things will never go back to the way they were before—especially with prospecting in the first conversation. Going to conferences, knocking on doors, and going to trade shows will come back. But Brynne believes many companies will still do all of the top-of-the-funnel activities digitally. With the sales world bent on digital strategies, what does Brynne embrace to be the most effective? Listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented to find out!
Outline of This Episode * [1:27] The difference between digital and social selling * [2:15] Why is digital selling important? How can you improve? * [5:03] Brynne’s social selling strategy * [9:30] The attributes of a great digital seller * [11:45] Tools, techniques, and strategies * [13:43] Top 3 social selling dos and don’ts
It’s time to add value + insight Because people are searching digitally, you have to make sure that you are creating a first impression that’s strong enough that they’ll keep digging into your solution to their problem. According to Corporate Visions, “74% of buyers choose the sales rep who is first to add value and insight.” The only way to do this is to show up digitally. You need to be the vendor that’s the first to add value and insight.
Brynne’s social selling strategy You’ve got to position your professional brand as a thought leader and subject matter expert. Brynne’s strategy is focused on selling on LinkedIn. Your profile needs to shift from a resume to a resource. People are choosing the sales rep that provides value and insight—so make your profile a resource.
Secondly, you want to engage in social listening. What does Byrnne mean by that? Make sure that you know what your buyers care about. You can read through their profile, look at their client recommendations, read the content that they share, and even check out the hashtags that they use.
You also need the right content strategy. You have to create good content and engage on that content. All three of these must resonate and create curiosity in your buyer. It needs to teach them something new that gets them to think differently about how they’re doing things today. Brynne emphasizes that “A salesperson’s #1 competitor is the status quo.” If you want to have conversations around your solution, you must be compelling. They must see that what they’re doing isn’t optimal.
You also have to nurture your existing connections. Brynne likes to call it conducting “CPR” on current connections. It’s identifying clients, prospects, and referral partners. You can do this by searching first-degree connections on LinkedIn. Who are the people you should be talking to that you’ve been ignoring? Brynne had a client that did this exercise and found an old client and within weeks closed a $1.5 million deal. Her commission paid for her daughter’s college education.
You also need to do warm market prospecting. There’s an epidemic of cold-calling on LinkedIn (i.e. “connect and pitch” and “bait and switch”). When you’ve identified prospects, you want to search your connections to identify who they know that you want to meet. You can leverage those relationships to get warm referrals to start new conversations.
What are the attributes of a great digital seller? What are her favorite tools to use? Listen to hear Brynne’s thoughts!
Top 3 social selling dos and don’ts There are a few things that Brynne emphasizes you must do—and a few things you should NOT do. What are they?
- Do NOT connect and pitch. Start real conversations as if you were in a room together. Tailor your messages to be personal. Slow down your outreach to speed up your outcome.
- Don’t connect and forget. Everyone is guilty of this. People connect and never start conversations.
- Don’t post and ghost. People put out content and don’t engage with likes and comments. It takes time to build a fanbase.
- Send a personal note with every invitation. A lot of people don’t agree with this but Brynne believes there are three reasons to do this. Taking the time to personalize the message doesn’t feel automated. You can see and remember why you connected in the first place. Lastly, it’s polite.
- Search your connection’s connections to find who they know and leverage your relationships to get introductions.
- Capture your genius. No one reads 2,000-word blog posts anymore. People are interested in videos and quotes.
How to leverage your connection’s connections Eight years ago, Brynne recognized that a client was connected to one of her top prospects, Rob Curley of TD Bank. Brynne had been trying to connect with him for over a year without a response. So she went to her client and asked how they knew each other. They were in a group for parents of children with diabetes. Brynne asked if he could make an introduction. Within twenty minutes, she was given an address for a 10 am meeting the next Monday morning. Brynne would have canceled a trip to Disney World for that meeting.
She showed up and walked in and he said, “Okay, go.” She asked why she got the meeting. He said he would do anything for his buddy. So she said, “If I can show you how your commercial lenders can get in the door the same way…” He looked at his calendar, picked a date three weeks out, and said “By the way, how much?” It was the fastest Sale Brynne ever made. He’s still her client eight years later. It shows how powerful LinkedIn is as a sales tool.
Resources & People Mentioned * Calendly * Canva
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In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Bob Apollo points out that for a long period of time—because of COVID—digital selling represented the only means of engagement with a potential client. He notes that it’s hard to predict where the balance will lie going forward. We likely won’t revert to the world before COVID but we’ll see a blend between face-to-face and digital selling. So how do you succeed in a world where digital rules? Listen to this episode to learn more!
Outline of This Episode * [1:14] The difference between digital and social selling * [2:24] How to improve digital selling capabilities * [4:44] Bob’s digital selling strategy * [8:10] The attributes of a great salesperson * [9:34] Tools, techniques, and digital selling strategies * [13:30] Top 3 digital selling dos and don’ts * [15:23] Focus on quality over quantity
Bob’s digital selling strategy Bob believes one of the great things about the last 12–18 months—where most of the customer dialogue has happened digitally—is that we’ve had an opportunity to record and analyze the dialogue. Bob has observed that enlightened sales organizations have invested in intelligent analysis of their salespeople’s calls. It opened a window to see how the shape and structure of a conversation unfolds. This helps make the salesperson aware of their interactions with their customers and what they can improve. It can be a great coaching asset.
Bob believes that there are certain competencies and skills that are important. There are a lot of salespeople who used to just “wing it” during a customer conversation. They didn’t prepare or clarify their role—and they got away with it. In the digital world, preparation and structure are key to the success of your sales conversation. An agenda, timeframe, and conditional next steps are all important.
What are the attributes of a great digital seller? Bob shares a few characteristics he looks for, so keep listening!
Tools, techniques, and digital selling strategies Firstly, Bob points out that you have to make sure your salespeople are working from a professional home environment. You can’t rely on a dodgy webcam, poor quality microphone, or poor internet connection. Sales organizations have made a modest investment in making sure their salespeople have digital tools that work in an environment where they can be productive.
There’s also a great benefit of using conversational intelligence and analytics tools. Social media—particularly LinkedIn—is a powerful ally for the salesperson when it comes to doing research. It gives a salesperson something relevant to say to the customer. Anything that allows and encourages a salesperson to do thoughtful research is a good thing. Research should be a platform for better conversations and better outreach. You have to go into a meeting with a clear sense of what you want to accomplish while recognizing that you still need to validate your planning in real conversation with the real customer.
One of the techniques that Bob believes has been used for quite some time is “upfront commits.” In the early part of a significant dialogue—after you’ve agreed on goals, priorities, and an agenda—you want to say something like: “Would it be reasonable if we achieve the objectives that we agreed on that our next steps would be…” You talk about where you want things to go next. It’s simple, yet powerful. It helps you achieve a meaningful advance and is a great way to keep the momentum going. Listen to the whole episode to hear Bob’s top three digital selling dos and don’ts!
Focus on quality leads over quantity of leads Bob believes that some of the best salespeople are not the ones that have the largest number of deals in their pipeline. The successful are the ones that have chosen to focus on a more qualified pipeline. They have the discipline to not pursue every attractive opportunity. A lot of good selling comes down to hard work rather than brilliance.
Bob notes that it also partly comes down to personal confidence. Effective salespeople are confident and they will discard an opportunity when they know it’s not worth chasing. Their less confident colleagues lack that self-assurance to disqualify a weak opportunity. They’re fearful their management will question their pipeline. The bottom line? You need to be confident in your own judgment. A lack of confidence causes you to engage in useless activity that doesn’t drive the needle. It’s not about the number of calls you make, demos you've booked, and activity level. Activity doesn’t always lead to progress.
Resources & People Mentioned * Microsoft Teams * Zoom
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According to Patti Pokorchak, social “selling” should really be called social “prospecting.” Any good salesperson knows you can’t walk up to someone at a face-to-face networking event and immediately pitch them your wares. You have to build a connection and a relationship. Selling digitally should be the same way. Listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented to hear Patti’s thoughts on successful social prospecting.
Outline of This Episode * [1:30] The differences between digital and social selling * [2:15] How can organizations improve digital sales? * [3:23] Patti’s blueprint for digital sale success begins with engagement * [5:38] Attributes or characteristics of a great digital salesperson * [6:47] Tools, techniques, and strategies to improve social prospecting * [8:08] Patti’s top three digital selling dos and don’ts * [12:08] Why email marketing is still a valid marketing strategy
Social prospecting success begins with engagement Patti’s business partner likes to say, “All roads lead to your website.” Patti believes the most important part of your website is your lead magnet. You need to be able to capture someone’s email address. Secondly, you have to engage with people daily. She points out that you can’t pretend that you’re active on social media if you’re just throwing up a link to your blog post. Being active means having a dialogue with people.
If you comment on large influencer’s posts, you’ll get eyeballs on your answers. Patti gets most of her connection requests and clients through engaging in this way versus engaging on her own posts. She spends at least 15 minutes a day on LinkedIn adding value and engaging on people’s posts. Showing your expertise on someone else’s content helps you become a thought leader. She recommends that you do a weekly blog post, share it, and engage.
Tools, techniques, and strategies to improve social prospecting Patti notes that social media can be overwhelming. Her advice? Pick one platform. In the B2B environment, the go-to is LinkedIn. Spend your time on that network and get really good at social prospecting. Patti believes that Twitter is a great place to listen and learn, but not great for gaining business. Pick a market that fits your market. If you’re selling to women in the consumer market? Try Instagram or Pinterest. You don’t have to be on all platforms.
Patti recommends that you find ways to always be learning. The Sales Experts Channel has almost 1,000 videos that you can watch. YouTube is full of great content. Follow people that you think are doing social well.
Top social prospecting dos and don’ts What does Patti believe is the key to success? She shares some things you should—and shouldn’t—do.
- Engage on other people’s posts with value-added comments. Don’t just “like” it and move on. It has far more impact than engaging on yours. Read the posts and give your two cents.
- Be patient. Social media is a long game. No matter what you’ve heard, do your research and be patient. It’s a high-touch, high-volume business that’s worth taking your time.
- Pick one social media platform and get good at it. Learn to be effective in 15 minutes.
- Stop selling. It’s not social selling, it’s social prospecting. You don’t immediately sell to someone in face-to-face networking. Get people to take baby steps to learn a bit at a time.
- Don’t just rely on digital and social selling. It’s a passive approach and one-way dialogue. Patti believes in picking up the phone and leaving a voicemail. Follow it with an email portraying the same message. You have to talk to people.
- Don’t give up too soon. It takes 10–20 touches before you can even think about giving up.
Don’t forget about email marketing Patti now owns a hobby farm and garden center. When she started it, she knew nothing about farming and didn't know anyone. But after five years, she’s built a thriving business. Over those five years, she’s been collecting emails and had about 1500 people on her list (of avid gardeners). Patti wanted to celebrate her five years in business. Her garden center is seasonal, so she decided to open on 5/5 at 5 pm and ran $5 specials.
She didn’t think many people would show up at 5 pm on a Friday—but she was mistaken. She had people waiting outside the garden gate. 50 people showed up in the five hours she was open. She was stuffing money in her pockets. She notes that you cannot underestimate the demand for something people want. A focused email list can go a long way with your target market. Email marketing is a great way to provide value and connect with your customers.
Resources & People Mentioned * The Sales Experts Channel
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Steve Bensen believes that digital selling is important because it’s how buyers are buying. And your best leads—the people most likely to purchase from you—look for answers about your company online. They’re doing searches in Google, researching you, reading reviews, and looking at competitors. You need ads in the right places and content that will satisfy what they’re looking for. You need to provide the answers to their questions while also providing information about your company and what you can do for them. How did Steve achieve that with his business with a focus on digital marketing? Listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented to find out!
Outline of This Episode * [1:05] The difference between digital and social selling * [2:03] How to improve digital selling capabilities * [4:15] Steve’s digital selling strategy * [6:14] Attributes + characteristics of a great digital seller * [8:08] Tools, techniques, or strategies to improve * [9:41] Steve’s digital selling dos and don’ts * [13:29] Leveraging LinkedIn learning with relevant content
Steve’s digital marketing strategy You have to go where your customers are looking for you. Some companies may have a heavy presence on social media. Others may need to focus on writing articles or creating video content. You have to think about, “Where are my customers trying to find out more about this space?”
Steve used to write an article or blog every night before he went to bed. He had a list of ideas that he added to when he thought of something. Your blog, writing for other blogs, and even just being quoted in other publications is huge. Long-form rich content that answers people’s questions is key. Those are assets that continue to yield leads.
Badger Maps makes a mapping tool for field salespeople. Who’s looking for that? Maybe a VP of sales or sales operations. Where are those personas looking online? What questions are they asking? What articles are they interested in reading? Make that content so they’ll find you.
Steve notes that it isn’t the same blueprint for everyone. Steve looks at the top 10 places to create content and general awareness and then builds a strategy for each. What characteristics make for a great salesperson? Listen to hear Steve’s thoughts.
Tools, techniques, and strategies to improve For digital selling specifically, Steve recommends outsourcing Google ads because it’s so difficult to do well. But Steve emphasizes that content creation and content marketing should be done in-house (whether by someone full-time or part-time). The creation of content—that is valuable and relevant—to feed the SEO machine is best done by someone who specializes in that. But some things are so expertise-driven that they must be outsourced.
Steves’ digital marketing dos and don’ts What does Steve believe is key to digital marketing success?
- Be consistent. Keep creating great content regularly (email marketing, blog posts, social media, video, podcasting, etc.). Don’t dabble—commit to doing something and do it. The things that work in marketing compound over time when you’re consistent and in it for the long haul.
- Specialize. Develop specialized in-house roles. If video content is your strategy, you need someone excellent at creating videos. The same goes for social media marketing and writing blogs.
- Don’t be boring. Steve believes a lot of digital marketing material can be lame. You need to find a way to create unique value and don’t just regurgitate what’s already out there.
- Don’t get lost in the noise. Create a niche market that attracts your unique customer profile. Feed them the content they need and want to read/hear/watch. Steve’s podcast is called “Outside Sales Talk” because it’s specifically for outside salespeople and it creates value just for them.
Leveraging LinkedIn learning Steve loves creating LinkedIn videos. LinkedIn has a learning platform that allows you to create videos that are made available for anyone to watch. It’s one of Steve’s favorite digital marketing strategies. Steve created a video for them geared toward field salespeople. It allowed Steve to create a lot of reach—180,000 people have watched the video and done the training. It was something a lot of people have gotten value from.
People reach out to Steve and engage all the time because of that one piece of content. He created something of value for the niche that purchases his product. Plus, it’s on a platform with extensive reach. Steve emphasizes the importance of creating valuable content and getting it in places your user can find it. If you do that, the word will get out about what you do. To hear more of his thoughts on digital marketing, listen to the whole episode!
Resources & People Mentioned * Badger Maps * Outside Sales Talk Podcast
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Digital selling is omnichannel—anything that you can use online. It can be digital assets, PDFs, web pages, interactive quizzes, communities, and more. But when you sell digitally, you have to make a conscious effort to understand and engage with your buyer in ways and places they prefer. That’s why agility and flexibility are essential to the process. Carole Mahoney shares her thoughts on the digital sales process in this episode of Sales Reinvented. Don’t miss it!
Outline of This Episode * [1:33] The difference between digital and social * [2:11] How to improve digital selling * [3:30] Carole’s digital selling strategy * [4:43] Attributes salespeople need to succeed * [6:39] Tools + techniques + strategies to utilize * [8:45] Top 3 digital dos and don’ts * [10:46] Learn to be digitally agile
How to improve digital selling In 1993 when the internet was first being launched, Carole realized that it would change everything—including the way people communicate and form relationships. That’s how organizations need to think of digital selling today. It’s been ignored for so long because face-to-face was an option, and thought to be more effective. But the way people buy has been changing since the internet was born. Businesses need to catch up!
They need to be in tune with what is going on with their buyer when they’re engaging in these channels. Carole notes that they often make rash decisions to put everything online without thinking about buyer experience. You must learn from your buyers: how do they prefer to engage online? You don’t want to develop things that annoy or distract from what they’re trying to do.
Carole’s digital selling strategy Carole emphasizes that you have to start with conversations with prospects, buyers, and current customers to collaborate. Selling is something you do with others—not to others. If you want to build a strategy, it needs to start with one-to-one conversations. You need to learn about their pain points and frustrations and what to solve.
How do they go about making confident decisions? How do they prefer to engage? In what ways? Some people hate email. Others can’t get off of it. How do your unique buyers want to communicate? Everyone has a different way to prefer to communicate online. You use that information to design a sales process that’s in alignment with how people buy.
What attributes do salespeople need to have to succeed with digital selling? Listen to learn more!
Tools + techniques + strategies to utilize Carole recommends that all sales teams use Gryphon Networks. Most people just do call reviews and look at what’s already happened—things you can’t have an impact on. But things like role play and real-time coaching with your salespeople can be a game-changer. Gryphon has an AI that can be trained to give the seller coaching prompts at the moment. It can enhance the digital conversation sellers are having.
Carole also recommends finding out where your team places in core competencies. She uses an assessment that can help you focus where your team needs further training and development. If you’d like to assess your team for free and see how they compare to the competition in your industry, check out the Sales Force Evaluation.
What are Carole’s top 3 digital selling dos and don’ts? You’ll have to listen to find out!
Learn to be digitally agile Carole recently held a webinar series for Revenue Collective. Normally, she’d get a list of the people that signed up for the webinar and she’d personally reach out to them. But Carole didn’t get a list. So in her presentation, she shared some links for tools and techniques that were downloadable from her website that people could use immediately. She also made sure her LinkedIn profile was easy to find. What happened?
Several people from the same company looked at her LinkedIn profile and other downloaded tools. She noted who they were, and reached out to one of them. She sent an email asking about what they downloaded and asked a specific question about it. In the end, it resulted in valuable conversations and Carole will be working with them soon. It was a 45–60 day sales cycle with a Vidyard video and emails—how they wanted to interact.
The moral of the story? She had to adapt. She had to find a way to connect with people and provide them valuable resources. She had to find out who was interested in learning more and how to have a conversation. She had to use her website and digital assets to find those people and make it easier to engage. It goes to show that you can have a playbook, run the plays, and do the drills. But when you get on the field, you have to adapt. If you can’t adapt, the play will fail, and you’ll lose the game.
Resources & People Mentioned * Objective Management Group * Assess your team for FREE with Unbound Growth’s Sales Force Evaluation * Pavillion Revenue Collective * Vidyard
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Tony Hughes points out that we live in a digital-first world. 2020 was a catalyst for accelerating what people are describing as the 4th industrial revolution. He emphasizes that “There’s timeless principles of selling that we need to adapt as we modernize the way that we engage clients.” One of the big trends is that companies are shifting resources from field selling to using the tech stack to sell digitally. So how can you drive change in a digital world? How do you excel with digital selling? Tony Hughes shares his take in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [1:11] Digital and social selling * [3:41] How to improve your digital selling * [7:35] Tony’s digital selling blueprint * [9:46] Attributes that lead to greatness * [12:19] Tools + techniques + strategies * [16:46] Top 3 digital selling dos and don’ts * [19:27] Tony demonstrates the power of connections
How to improve your digital selling Most buyer’s journeys begin in their trusted online network. They seek social proof for the things that they’re looking at purchasing. Tony was talking to a group of 18 CEOs about modernizing the way they sell. One was the CEO in Australia for a North American company that sells into the pharmacy industry. The two highest-performing territories in North America didn’t have salespeople in them for four months out of the year. This company had been convinced that they needed to maintain mindshare with pharmacists. When they interviewed the pharmacists and business owners they found some interesting things.
Firstly, the pharmacists noted that when the reps called on them, it took them away from serving customers. Secondly, they thought the information being shared with them was just marketing material that they’d rather get in an email or snail mail. The only thing the buyer valued is that they were getting a great price. So this company decided to run some testing in Australia, removing their reps completely. The business has never been stronger. Tony’s point? The belief that bots can never replace you is nonsense.
Tony’s digital selling blueprint Tony believes that any blueprint has to begin with understanding your ideal customer profile. You need to think about their:
- Firmographics: What is their vertical? How big are they? Where are they located?
- Technographics: What are the attributes of the organizations? What is their competition?
- Psychographics: Are they in a growth mindset? Are they in crisis? Do they outsource? Are they trying to innovate and disrupt the market?
Companies with a growth mindset are the most likely to purchase.
Then you need to look at the buyer personas—those that say “yes” or form a consensus. You then build the conversation narrative. Once you do that, you need to map the buyer’s journey and go and be where they are. It will certainly include social media, but it will be in other places as well. You move away from the “us” narrative because no one wants to hear it. You need to lead with a narrative about how they can drive improved results in their role. If you do all of that well, they’ll want to understand why you would be the best solution for them.
What three attributes does Tony believe lead to greatness? Listen to find out!
Tools + techniques + strategies Tony recommends that you look at the tech stack that you’ve got. How can you use what you already have? Would your boss say you’re a good user of CRM? Do you capture meeting notes, build a dashboard, and identify the next best actions to take?
Secondly, use the sales intelligence tools available to you, such as LinkedIn Sales Navigator. You can also build searches that monitor for trigger events within your customer base as well as your ICPs and buyer personas within the marketplace.
Can you do pragmatic research? Are you using sales intelligence tools that get you emails and phone numbers? Tony believes the fastest path—and highest probability to a new sale—is when you can provide relevance and context through a trusted relationship and a trigger event. Listen to learn what Tony does with this.
Listen to find out what Tony’s top digital selling dos and don’ts are—some might surprise you!
The power of connection A great friend of Tony’s is a CEO who just took a role with a new company. As they were talking over breakfast, Tony offered to introduce someone who would be a good fit as a client. When Tony’s friend posted a LinkedIn update about his new role, he liked it, commented, and shared it. He tagged the name of the person he thought would be a good client and said “You two should get together.” This person responded within five minutes and messaged Tony’s friend.
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When you’re selling on LinkedIn—or any other social platform—you’re creating conversations. Maybe you’ve made a connection, had a Zoom call, and take the relationship to a trade show, conference, etc. With virtual selling, you may do the entire sales cycle online. The B2B buyer is at a point where they prefer this. So salespeople need to be primed on social selling skills and able to take it to the next level. You have to learn the best way of engaging with customers if you continue to sell virtually. Viveka von Rosen shares some great tips in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [1:34] Social selling versus digital selling * [3:42] How to improve digital selling capabilities * [4:53] Viveka’s digital selling strategy * [7:57] Necessary attributes + characteristics * [8:49] Tools + techniques + strategies * [10:33] Top 3 digital selling dos and don’ts * [12:35] Understanding the pain point you solve
How to improve social selling capabilities Digital selling isn’t going away. Viveka emphasizes that you must move beyond “Let’s get on LinkedIn'' and “Let’s shoot a couple videos” to teach sellers how to be charismatic online. They need to learn how to move past images and insert their voice. You can do video cover stories that play where your cover photo would normally go. You can record voice introduction videos. Your profile needs to come to life. But your sellers need to know how to use those features. Viveka points out that your competitors will understand the necessity and are becoming savvy.
Viveka’s digital selling strategy Before you reach out and engage with people to fill your pipeline, you need to make sure you look good. Many companies in the social selling space need help. Anyone customer-facing needs a good strong brand. From there, they need to be taught how to engage—not connect. You need to learn how to build face-to-name and top-of-mind awareness so when they are invited to connect they’re more likely to say “yes.”
Then you need to prove value before you try to take the person home. People somehow think they can get on LinkedIn, connect with someone, and start selling their wares. LinkedIn is about creating strong conversations and building know, like, and trust. You nurture those relationships by sharing valuable content. You need to put this all together in an easily repeatable cadence.
What are the attributes + characteristics necessary to succeed? Listen to hear Viveka’s thoughts!
Tools, techniques, and strategies to embrace Viveka always recommends that you use LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Unfortunately, she points out that a lot of salespeople don’t understand the best ways of using the tool. She also recommends a good CRM—whether it’s Salesforce, Hubspot, or Nimble—that works. Viveka is a huge fan of selling with video. They use OneMob but there are many great email video tools out there. Using video in messages, emails, and texts gives people a great sense of who you are. There are strategies that you can put in place to be more charismatic online. With a little practice, you can use it well and be effective. Listen to hear Viveka’s top 3 digital selling dos and don’ts!
Your buyer needs to experience the pain point you solve When Viveka started training salespeople how to sell on LinkedIn (in 2009), most people didn't even know what it was. They didn’t understand the value in it. She had flown to New York to speak to a law firm. She can still see them staring at her with their arms crossed, brows furrowed, questioning the validity of selling on LinkedIn. She started to explain the features and watched their eyes glaze over. She finally just told herself to stop talking. She switched gears and asked them how they would buy a car. They all said that they would do research first.
So she asked them to Google their names. The first thing that came up was the company website. But halfway down the results page would be LinkedIn. So she pointed out that a potential client will look at their profile to make sure they’re a good fit. So she asked them to click on their profile. What they saw was the most bare-boned pathetic example of a profile. She could immediately see their walls come down. Everyone started to listen.
The moral of the story? You need to get your buyer to experience the point of pain that you solve, to physically experience it. That will move you toward the sale more than anything else.
Resources & People Mentioned * LinkedIn Marketing: An Hour a Day * 101 Ways to Rock LinkedIn * OneMob * BombBomb
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Ryan Kugler believes you have to embrace both digital selling and old-school ways of selling, such as sending emails and making cold calls. How does he find success with both strategies? Why does he believe persistence pays off? Listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented for a completely different take on digital and social selling.
Outline of This Episode * [1:10] How are digital and social selling different? * [1:36] Why is digital selling so important? * [2:04] Ryan’s blueprint for digital sales * [3:01] The attributes of a great salesperson * [3:44] Tools + techniques + strategies * [4:59] Ryan’s digital selling dos and don’ts * [8:35] Why persistence pays off
Ryan’s blueprint for digital sales Ryan has found that email is the easiest way to connect with someone—as long as you do it right. He always asks a question in the subject line so the prospect wants to open your email. Then you give them the answer to the question you asked in the subject line. It can be a few simple sentences, then you pitch your product. He’s also a huge fan of jumping on the phone.
Ryan notes that social networking depends on what product or service you’re pitching. If it’s to a consumer, Ryan recommends Instagram or Facebook. If you’re in the B2B space, LinkedIn is the way to go. Ryan has three businesses, none of which are consumer-based, so he doesn’t spend a lot of time on Instagram or Facebook.
What are the attributes of a great salesperson? Listen to hear Ryan’s thoughts.
Motivation begins with you Ryan believes something as simple as listening to great podcasts and being able to hear others’ experiences is extremely helpful. Secondly, you need to educate yourself on sales and find a way to motivate yourself. You have to have the intention to sell.
If you are a true salesperson, you want to read books about sales, find a coach, a mentor, or something that motivates you to wake up every day and do it. It’s all about investing in personal development. After that, it’s a numbers game: get your name out there. Make sure your product or service is something that people want.
Ryan’s digital selling dos and don’ts What rules does Ryan follow to find success with digital sales? He shares some thoughts:
- When you send an email, your email platform is saving those email addresses. That gives you an address book of people you’ve connected with. Ryan recommends that you go through those contacts once a month and email each person to check-in.
- Make sure you’re keeping every email address.
- Call and set up an email blast so they get a monthly email pitching your product.
- Always reply to every email you get (by the end of the day or within 24 hours). If you don’t return a call or reply to emails, that customer will assume you’re too busy for them and you’ll lose their business.
- Don’t just sit on your laurels. Just closed a big deal? Great. Celebrate, and get back at it again the next morning.
- Always be creating. Don’t get distracted by social media or other tasks. When you’re at work for those 8–10 hours, do the work.
Why persistence pays off Ryan points out that sales involve prospecting, right? You need a base of customers to call. Ryan has a customer he’s been calling for 15 years (leaving messages and sending emails). This person would see his email or hear his name somehow. In March of 2020, COVID hit. This person finally called him back and said “I need this right now.” That phone call led to the biggest sale he’d ever made—it was the same amount of sales he’d done for 25 years. The moral of the story? Don’t give up. The persistence will pay off eventually, even if it takes 20 years.
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Bill McCormick believes that relationships are the most important difference between digital selling and social selling. To Bill, digital selling encompasses all mediums. It’s email, SMS, chat, direct messages, phone calls, video, etc. It’s larger numbers and more impersonal outreach. Social selling is social. It’s about establishing a relationship and a connection with a person and moving that relationship along until there’s an opportunity for a sales conversation. Hear his complete thoughts on digital and social selling in this episode of Sales reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [1:13] The difference between digital and social selling * [2:12] Why digital selling is so important today * [3:55] Bill’s ideal digital selling strategy * [7:13] The attributes you need to reach success * [9:44] Tools + techniques + strategies to improve * [12:14] Digital selling dos and don’ts * [15:17] Why consistency and persistence are key
How to improve digital selling capabilities Things can change in a moment. Even as things begin to open, Bill doubts that we’ll return to how things used to be. He believes we’ll be looking at a hybrid model for companies where many more people will work from home. McKinsey reported that 75% of buyers are saying that when they get back in the office, they’d prefer initial meetings to be conducted virtually.
People need digital communication to set up meetings and have the meetings. Companies need to support their reps with decent technology (camera, microphones, laptop, etc.) and teach them how to use it so they’ll be successful.
Bill’s ideal digital selling strategy Bill implores salespeople: Don’t try to build relationships with mass outreach. Use social selling to build relationships. You use digital outreach—like an email campaign—to get valuable information out. The second part—using social selling to build relationships—means you need to slow your outreach to increase your outcome. You have to go fast to go slow.
So you have to identify social tactics that will build relationships and credibility and build a cadence around that. Don’t just blindly connect with people and pitch your product because they’re your ideal client. You need to identify them, view their LinkedIn profile (or other social platforms), and engage with their content. That gives you a reason to connect with them. Once you’ve done that, you need a well-crafted welcome message with a piece of content that’s educational and ready to send them if they want it.
When you do this consistently, it builds relationships that lead to more sales conversations. It takes time—but you don't end up burning people. When you do mass outreach and you get a conversion rate of 5–10%, that’s considered successful. But what are you doing to the other 95% of people? When you slow your outreach, you aren’t burning those that aren’t responding.
Tools + techniques + strategies to improve Bill believes that much of digital selling will have to be video, which means you have to be comfortable in your own skin. You also have to be authentic and comfortable talking about yourself in a way that shows people that you’re human. You have to be open to learning new technology, tactics, and strategies. You have to be adaptable. Lastly, you must be consistent with digital and social selling. People have to get used to you. It develops a relationship and credibility—that is what makes a difference in your digital selling efforts.
Video isn’t the future—it’s the here and now. If you’re not using it, you’re being left behind. If you hate the way you look and sound in a video, guess what? You look and sound the same in a physical meeting. It’s not different and you have to get used to it. Treat the camera as someone’s face and look them in the eye when you speak. Eye contact builds trust and it’s no different with virtual communication. All prospects, clients, former clients, etc. are all people. Digital selling can seem impersonal, but you can really create a connection across a screen.
Digital selling dos and don’ts Bill shares a few things to keep in mind with digital and social selling:
- Make sure that you’re authentic no matter what medium you’re using. Don’t mislead or manipulate. Don’t give false compliments
- You must understand the difference between synchronous and asynchronous communication. In Jeb Blount’s book, “Virtual Selling,” he shares that asynchronous communication is the giving of information. Synchronous communication is a conversation. You have to know the difference between the two and you have to earn the right for a sales conversation.
- Stop practicing the golden rule and practice the platinum rule. Part of virtual selling is passing along valuable information. Bill notes that “We always tell people what we want to say, not what they want to hear.” The platinum rule? Do unto others as they want to be done unto. It essentially means you need to find out what your prospects care about and tell them what they want to know.
Bill shares a digital sales story that demonstrates the need for consistency and persistence. Listen to the whole episode to learn more!
Resources & People Mentioned * Virtual Selling by Jeb Blount * The McKinsey article
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How do you supercharge your social selling? According to Janice B Gordon, one of the steps is keeping your social selling content relevant to your customer. You also have the freedom to showcase your personality and form connections. Listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented to hear the 7 strategies Janice uses to supercharge social selling effectiveness!
Outline of This Episode * [1:03] Keep your social selling content relevant * [2:22] How to improve digital selling capabilities * [4:32] 7 strategies to supercharge your social selling effectiveness * [8:07] The attributes that help a social seller succeed * [11:12] Tools + techniques to improve digital selling * [13:22] Top 3 digital selling dos and don'ts * [16:22] You never know who’s reading your content
How to improve digital selling capabilities As the world is coming out of the pandemic, everyone is online. Janice points out that if your customers are in the digital pond, you have to be right there with them. 89% of top-performing salespeople find great success on platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter. Janice also shares that 75% of B2B buyers and 84% of executives use social media to make buying decisions. They’re influential, they have large budgets, and they buy frequently. That’s why it’s important to sell online.
Organizations need to train and coach alongside the seller. They often just give them training on selling and shove them off and say “Go and do it.” Janice emphasizes that it just doesn’t work. There needs to be a fundamental mindset shift, especially for an older person. It can take them longer. You need to develop and move people from where they are one level at a time. You’ve got to walk alongside the salesperson until they get it.
7 strategies to supercharge your social selling effectiveness Social selling is about finding relevant people to have a relevant conversation to serve them more efficiently. Relevant people are ideal customers, stakeholders, and influencers. You have to understand your target market so you know they are relevant to your particular goal. A relevant conversation demonstrates that you understand what they’re looking for, what’s useful to them, and what will help move them forward. In this episode, Janice shared 7 things that can help you do that.
- Nail down your ideal customers (the people that love what you do).
- Define and optimize your personal profile for sales. Your profile is the window to your expertise and personality.
- If you have a website, people can find you through content on LinkedIn, which might drive them to download something on your website. People spend far too much time on their websites, not enough on their social profiles. If that profile doesn’t represent you, they won’t travel through it.
- Engage and connect rather than connect and engage. You do this with your personality. Engaging comes with understanding your audience and getting on their radar.
- Create visibility through your content that both engages and educates. It’s got to be relevant to them and help move them forward.
- Turn social conversations into sales opportunities. Social selling is about developing relevant conversations with relevant people. Ultimately, you want it to lead to sales. Take the social conversation offline (or online) to a targeted meeting with them where they know you’ll talk about a solution with them.
- Create a social selling customer growth plan. Once you understand your customers, you need to systemize the process so it is scalable. You want to attract more people to have more conversations to create more sales opportunities.
The attributes that help a social seller succeed Social selling is about building opportunities to have relevant conversations. But you have to have confidence in your abilities. That’s why someone needs to walk with you to help develop the skills and confidence you may not have yet.
Janice believes that you have to engage with personality. Use your humor, your quirky stance on the world, and make it personal. You need a tribe of people that identify with your core values and your interests. It gives you a great starting point. You need to confidently talk about personal things that will engage other people. You have to do this to show that you’re three-dimensional. Janice recommends that you:
- Share three pieces of content and ask questions over a couple of weeks. Why? To engage with the people that answer. A question develops into a conversation.
- Co-create with the customer. Understand that you don’t have the answer to everything. But by developing your listening and questioning skills, you’ll co-create a solution to get more buy-in.
- Lastly, you must love what you do. If you do, you’ll make a difference.
What are some tools and techniques to improve digital selling? Keep listening for Janice’s thoughts!
Top 3 digital selling dos and don'ts What are Janice’s dos and don’ts?
- Never contact anyone unless you’ve done your research on them. You must have a feel of who the person is and what they’re about—even if you have to speak to someone else first. Why? First impressions count.
- Always use that sense of someone in your connection. Connect with them using your personality.
- Never connect and sell immediately on LinkedIn. No one wants to hear a pitch immediately.
- Don’t wrap a pitch telling someone about yourself. They never asked.
- Instead, ask them a question about something you’ve already read on their blog. Ask about them and their interests. Let them know you want to learn more.
- Do not connect and engage—engage and connect.
Read their blogs and posts, like and comment. When you comment intelligently, you’re demonstrating an interest in them. You can start a conversation. When you connect with them, they’ll recognize you and be excited for the conversation.
In this episode, Janice also shares a story that drives home the point that you never know who’s reading your content—so keep them coming.
Resources & People Mentioned * Business Evolution by Janice B Gordon * Social Buying Meets Social Selling
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Digital selling is the current evolution of sales and marketing. Organizations have to evolve—or get left behind. They need to identify and connect with customers in ways they haven’t before. Technology enables them to do it faster, more efficiently, and more frequently resulting in better outcomes.
The idea is to be smarter, efficient, and have more targeted selling activities. This should include tools and processes to engage and sell to a customer. It’s engaging in things like digital presentations, videos, digital sales collateral, email campaigns, AI, automation, your CRM, etc. Want to learn more? Listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented with Justin Zappulla!
Outline of This Episode * [1:13] The difference between digital selling and social selling * [2:28] How to improve your digital selling capabilities * [3:05] Justin’s perfect digital selling strategy * [4:15] The attributes + characteristics of a successful digital seller * [5:28] Focus on the virtual sales call * [6:53] Top 3 digital selling dos and don’ts * [9:01] Justin’s favorite digital selling story
Justin’s perfect digital selling strategy Justin believes that any great sales strategy begins with the customer, which is why you must take the time to map the customer journey. How do your customers identify, evaluate, and make purchasing decisions? You then build your sales strategy around that. Justin notes that a typical buyer’s journey has three phases, consisting of awareness, consideration, and making the decision.
So you have to focus on how you’re enabling tools, technology, data, and the sales and marketing function to drive the best outcome at each of those stages of the buyer’s journey. How can you leverage data to make better decisions? What digital tools can be implemented by sales or marketing to get a better outcome?
What are the attributes + characteristics of a successful digital seller? Listen to hear Justin’s thoughts!
Focus on the virtual sales call What’s the area that will give you the most impact? According to Justin, it’s the sales call. During the pandemic, sellers couldn’t meet face-to-face with customers. They learned to leverage Zoom, Webex, Microsoft Teams, etc. to hold sales calls. In this new virtual world, Justin emphasizes that it’s critical to develop the skills needed to execute that virtual sales call. It’s the new way modern sellers will connect with customers and paramount to master.
Top 3 digital selling dos and don’ts Justin shares some of his tips to improve your digital sales:
- Engage your customers online. Don’t be afraid of this. Your customers are connecting in different ways, so must you.
- Learn technology. Make it part of your skillset so you can confidently move through the various stages of the sales process leveraging technology.
- Be open to doing things differently. Great salespeople are looking for ways to improve and evolve.
- Don’t fight the change. It’s a natural progression. Even though it was thrust upon the world, Justin believes we would’ve landed here anyway.
- Don't try to do everything at once. Take one bite at a time to get where you want to go.
- Don’t panic. Understand that this is natural and enjoy it.
Justin’s favorite digital selling story Early in 2020, Justin was on the buyer side of a sales call. It was executed seamlessly. The rep running the presentation was adept at the program. He toggled the views so each participant could see each other and make eye contact. He seamlessly transitioned to the documents and data they were presenting. They used animation tools to highlight key points. They moved seamlessly through each team member that was speaking. It felt natural without being choppy and saying things like “Can you see my screen.” They were well prepared.
Justin got off that call and went “Wow. This will change how salespeople sell forever.” Moving calls to video and sharing media are the new skills salespeople need to develop. Sales have evolved almost overnight into a new format. This is what high-performing sellers need to do to be successful with sales calls.
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Nearly everyone has moved to digital selling for the last year or so. Even though things are opening, there will continue to be a digital component or hybrid model in play. Plus, organizations are enjoying the cost-savings from doing virtual meetings. Julie Hansen points out that Gartner predicts that by 2025, 80% of B2B sales will take place virtually.
Organizations need to have a strategy in place to handle the continued transition. How can they improve it? According to Julie, organizations need to focus on making a human connection through technology. How can you connect with people on the other side of the screen? Julie shares her thoughts in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [1:04] The difference between digital and social selling * [1:38] Why is digital selling so important? * [3:50] Julie’s digital selling strategy * [7:29] Attributes + characteristics of a great digital salesperson * [9:13] Tools + techniques + strategies * [11:25] Top 3 dos and top 3 don’ts * [13:53] Julie’s favorite digital selling story
Improve digital selling by forming connections Most companies have enough technology and tools in place to be successful with digital selling. However, a successful strategy begins with taking the tools you have and learning how to connect with someone through a camera. You have to learn to understand what the customer is feeling or seeing on the other side of the screen. It’s an art and a science. You can’t do the same things you’d do in person and expect it to translate through video. It’s why people don’t feel seen or heard. How do you create an in-person experience in a virtual world? It’s not all about technology.
Julie believes that you have to learn how to make eye contact and read on-screen body language. If you can’t do that, you’ll make wrong assumptions, miscommunicate, and misinterpret what’s being said. You have to engage someone with a small amount of real estate. You need to understand how your customer is experiencing the interaction. Until you do that, you aren’t creating that in-person experience. It can be as simple as looking at the camera when they’re speaking to you instead of watching the image of them. You have to adapt.
Attributes + characteristics of a great digital salesperson Julie notes that you need all the same characteristics selling digitally as you do in person—credibility, an interest in others, empathy, curiosity, and trustworthiness. But she emphasizes that those that are successful in the digital world are those that are adaptable. You can’t just “ride it out,” you have to adapt and change from what you’ve done before. If you don’t, you’ll struggle.
The salespeople that recognize they want to have a deeper connection with their customers and make the virtual experience fulfilling and meaningful are those that will succeed. empathy, curiosity, and other traits won’t show up in a video if you don’t know how to use them properly. Someone won’t feel empathy if you aren’t making eye contact. They won’t feel cared about if your face is a blank slate. You may feel all of those things but must communicate them. Julie shares, “It doesn’t exist if the camera doesn’t see it.”
Tools + techniques + strategies Julie sees that people tend to be very passive virtually. People show up like they’re sitting in front of a screen. They’re in receiving mode and settled into a blank “resting business face.” If you’re not aware that it’s typical on-screen behavior, you may panic. One strategy is to learn how to recognize on-screen behavior and how to interact and break through the passive cycle. Julie shares a few dos and don’ts that can help you do that:
- Do look at the camera as much as possible. It should be about 80% of the time in person and especially digitally.
- Look at a camera when you’re asking a question. The person on the receiving end will feel like you’re talking to them.
- Use gestures if it comes naturally. If you don’t do what comes naturally, it will destroy your energy.
- Don’t turn your camera off just because your customer doesn’t have their camera on. It’s not a great excuse. They'll benefit from seeing you.
- Don’t jump from call to call. You have to stop and regain your energy. The camera reads energy and sales itself is the transfer of energy.
- Don’t forget about your face. You need to know what it’s saying. You think you look happy but your face isn’t communicating it. Use your face to communicate emotions and give context and meaning to what you’re saying.
It’s about connecting with your audience Julie had a coaching call with a salesperson. The business development rep was sent to her because he couldn’t convert calls to demos. She watched some of his recordings and pointed out two things that were impacting his presentations:
- He wasn’t making eye contact. He didn’t seem engaged and looked down when he asked questions.
- When the customer’s opened up and shared, his face seemed blank; devoid of concern or empathy.
They worked through sharing how you feel with your face and making eye contact. The next month, he converted 20% of his calls to demos. It was all about the connection with his audience. At the end of the day, it is your connection with the buyer that makes a sale, not the tools or technology.
Resources & People Mentioned * Selling On-Video Master Class
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Many organizations are revising their go-to-market strategies to include digital and social selling. But what should that process look like? How can you find success if you’ve only known a world of traditional sales? Shane Gibson—the co-author of Real Results in a Virtual Economy—shares some of his tips and strategies in this episode of Sales Reinvented. Check it out!
Outline of This Episode * [1:10] The difference between digital and social selling * [2:45] Why digital selling is important in today’s world * [5:15] Shane’s blueprint for a digital selling strategy * [9:33] The virtual sales competency map * [13:48] Tools + techniques + strategies to improve digital selling * [17:59] Top 3 digital selling dos and don’ts * [22:28] Shane’s favorite digital selling story
Why is digital selling important in today’s world? What can organizations do to improve their digital selling capabilities? Everyone was forced to sell remotely because of the Coronavirus pandemic. We’ve had seven years of digital adoption happen in a year, where the consumer—both business and individuals—have made the majority of purchasing decisions digitally. It’s a larger market accustomed to making decisions remotely. Shane clearly believes that’s not going to stop.
Shane shares that most people don’t have the budget to fly their sales teams around the world. So you have to knock on people’s doors using digital tools. You have to learn to think like digital-first sales organizations. Why is it so important? Gartner predicted that by 2025, 80% of B2B sales will be conducted digitally.
Shane’s digital selling blueprint Shane starts with the customer and works his way backward. He notes that sales leaders fall in love with the tools all the time. The challenge with digital tools is that they’re thrown at you and you get excited about them. Shane emphasizes that you need to get excited about your customer first.
Your strategy needs to be customer-centric. What channels are your customers on? What platforms are they making purchasing decisions on? What is their buying process? How do they use digital tools in that decision-making process? How can you develop a process that enables the buyer?
Your customer should be the #1 focus It’s time to move from giving salespeople the tools they need to giving the customer the tools they need. Up to 80% of the customer buying cycle happens before the sales organization knows they exist. So you must become the #1 source for self-education for potential customers. Content marketing specific to your target niche is a vital part of the sales process.
You must first understand your niche. The #1 challenge for most sales organizations is getting the first conversation with a prospect. You have to move from a focus on closing to a focus on starting the conversation. This starts on LinkedIn, Twitter, and even chatbots on websites. The goal should be starting contextual conversations with the customer and curating content that resonates with them.
What is Shane’s “Principle of Context?” Listen to learn more about the importance of context!
Shane’s virtual sales competency map What do sales professionals need to master to become successful with digital selling? Shane shares his virtual competency skills to master:
- Sales mastery: People spend too much time on social channels or playing with data, and spend less time on people skills. But you’re still selling to people. You have to master relational selling skills.
- Networking skills: You have to be good at content creation, curation, and online conversation.
- Technology fluency: This is the next hurdle a salesperson must master. Can you speak tech? Interpret data? Are you great at learning and adapting to new tools successfully?
- Virtual communications: Are you good at disseminating information digitally? What about broadcasting digitally? Can you easily jump on a zoom call or a podcast? Are you savvy with multi-platform writing skills?
- Virtual soft skills and right brain sales skills: Artificial intelligence automates everything that’s repetitive. If you’re a cut-and-paste type of salesperson, everything you do can be automated. Your safe place is right-brain thinking. Can you negotiate and build rapport? Are you creative? Are you good at networking and prospecting? These are key skills that will become the biggest differentiator for salespeople in their organizations.
What are Shane’s top 3 digital selling dos and don’ts? Listen to find out!
Resources & People Mentioned * Real Results in a Virtual Economy by Dr. Denis Cauvier & Shane Gibson * Guerrilla Social Media Marketing by Jay Levinson & Shane Gibson * B2B Sales Interactions
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Why is credibility so important for salespeople? Does it impact prospecting and lead generation more than one might think? In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Lee Smith argues that credibility is the thing that sets you apart—and you need to embrace it.
Lee Smith is the CEO and Founder of SalesFuel. He is also the author of “SalesCred,” and the international bestseller “Hire Smarter, Sell More!” He’s uniquely qualified to share prospecting and lead generation dos and don’ts. Don’t miss it!
Outline of This Episode * [1:10] Prospecting + lead generation * [1:53] Why are they important? * [2:33] How buyers qualify you * [3:49] The three components of credibility * [5:38] Improve your preparation and discovery * [7:16] Lee’s top 3 dos and don’ts
Credibility is how buyers qualify you Successful lead generation and prospecting are all about credibility. Lee emphasizes that too many times salespeople focus on whether or not they fit the ICP, are a marketing or sales qualified lead, etc. He looks at it differently.
Buyers are looking to qualify you and determine if you’re credible. Do they respond to emails? Do they answer your calls? Do they invite you to compete for the business? 59% of buyers are researching the sellers before meeting with them. They want to know if you’re useful—or a waste of their time.
They go on LinkedIn, check your website, and do internet searches. If they find nothing—or don’t like what they see—you won’t get invited to the table. Who do you have the most credibility with so you can earn their trust?
The three components of credibility You have to be known. You have to show that you have the business acumen and experience to prove that you can help their business, help them achieve their goals, and help them solve their problems.
You have to be likable. Show buyers that you like and respect them. Show up on time, don’t take advantage of them, and don’t pretend to be what you’re not. Don’t try to trick them. You have to be trustworthy and full of integrity. You have to show authenticity, vulnerability, and empathy.
Resilience is key. You will face adversity. You will have doors slammed in your face. You have to learn the lesson from the loss and take it forward and do a better job next time.
Don’t neglect preparation and research Lee implores salespeople to improve their pre-call preparation skills. Do your research up front and don’t walk in empty-handed—or you’ll walk out empty-handed. You must provide value that is relevant to your buyer.
You have to ask smart questions. Then you have to shut up and listen to them all the way through. You’ll often get the most important information at the end of someone’s answer. Then you have to be curious and ask follow-up questions.
The person asking questions leads the conversations. If you’re credible, they’re more likely to answer your questions honestly because they know you can help and won’t misuse the information. It gives you the leverage you need to create a strong offer and close the deal.
What are Lee’s top 3 prospecting and lead generation dos and don’ts? Listen to find out!
Credibility attracts the customers you want A company was just bought out and was being pushed to do things they weren’t comfortable with. The person who had just taken over the team had listened to Lee’s podcast and was aware of him. Because of credibility that Lee had built through articles, his podcast, other companies that he’d worked with, made him top of mind. So Lee was brought in to work with this group.
Credibility allowed him to attract the type of client he wanted to do business with. Lee believes your credibility acts as a magnet. It either attracts people to you or repels them away from you. He notes that “The more credibility you have today, the easier sales become tomorrow.”
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In today's episode of Sales Reinvented, we do a special episode exchange with the Outside Sales Podcast. Steve Benson interviews legendary sales author Victor Antonio. They discuss the importance of the sales presentation process and how to get in front of any objection. Victor talks about the “Hero Story” process and how to gain the confidence of your prospect. This episode is packed with useful information that will help you master your sales presentations. Don’t miss it!
Outline of This Episode * [1:22] More about Victor Antonio * [2:22] Why you need a presentation process * [7:16] How to properly uncover objections * [11:58] The structure of a great presentation * [15:23] The structure of the hero story * [21:15] How to sell a similar product * [23:37] How to show a prospect social proof * [28:41] How to move toward the ask * [31:06] Learn to pivot on the fly * [33:26] Steve’s “Sales in 60 seconds” segment * [35:46] The best way to practice presentations * [38:18] The first step to master sales presentations * [46:28] How to connect with Victor Antonio
Why you need a presentation process Victor points out that everyone has a sales process. But somewhere in that process, you have to give a presentation. Most people don’t talk about the fact that there is a process to that presentation. He needs to answer these two questions first:
- Who is your audience going to be?
- What are their pain points?
Before Victor does a keynote or a presentation, he asks his customers to let him talk to salespeople to see what they’re struggling with. They give him the blueprint for what he says from the stage. It’s also important to use their language when he talks to them about their pain.
Victor likes to use the iceberg analogy. You can only see 10% of an iceberg, the other 90% is underwater. Most salespeople talk about features, benefits, and advantages. Customers focus on quality, service, and price. Most salespeople don’t look at the unstated or latent needs.
If you understand what’s holding a customer back from a buying decision, you can sell more effectively when you present. You need to find the 90% of issues below the iceberg and address them. Listen to hear Victor and Steve walk through a hypothetical scenario to drive the point home.
How to properly uncover objections Victor recommends getting all of your salespeople together and asking: “What is holding back our customers from buying?” Remove features, benefits, advantages, quality, service, and price from the equation. What’s left? You’ll end up with a laundry list of things holding them back. Which ones come up the most commonly? You can figure out what the latent needs are.
You can then bring these concerns up in a sales presentation proactively before they even come up as an objection. Victor will go into a sales presentation and raise the objection himself. Why? Because when you raise the objection, you control the objection and how you can dispose of it. If the customer brings it up, you’re defending yourself—and less likely to change their mind.
The structure of a great presentation Victor folds a sheet of paper in half four separate times. Once he unfolds it, he’s left with 16 squares. That is how you begin your presentation layout. Each box represents a slide. He chooses what he wants to start with at the beginning to make an impact. By the 3rd or 4th slide, he’s introducing the first objection. If you continue to interlace common objections into your presentation, you’ll feel the resistance lessen.
He notes that the biggest mistake outside salespeople make is that they go in and share who they are, what the agenda is, and background about the company. Then they talk about their mission statement and other businesses they’ve worked with. They’ve spent the first 5–10 minutes talking about themselves. The customers don’t care. Those minutes are the most valuable time you have most—most people waste it.
Instead, start by demonstrating that you understand their pain. Spend the 5–10 minutes on them and they’ll be ready to listen to you. How does he work the product and conclusion in using the hero story method? Listen to hear what his structure looks like.
How to move toward the ask You have to guide toward your close. It begins once you present your solution. You’re blocking objections and reducing resistance. As you show something, you look for confirmation. You’re conversing with them. Share how you do things and share insight—information beyond the obvious. When you get “huh” or “I didn’t know that” types of responses, you know you’re doing well in your presentation.
When you get to the end, it’s a natural ask: “We’ve gone through all of these features. Is there any reason we couldn’t start a demo next week to see how this works? You can then look at the data to see if it makes sense.” 63% of salespeople don’t ask for the order or the next stage in the process.
What can you do to pivot on the fly? What’s the best way to practice presentations? How should you practice to master sales presentations? Listen to the whole episode to hear more of Victor’s expert insight!
Resources & People Mentioned * Victor’s Sales Training Courses
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More about the Outside Sales Talk Podcast Here at the Outside Sales Podcast, we realized that while there were many sales focused Podcasts out and about, there weren’t any specific to Outside Sales. We wanted to change that. That’s why we created this space where everything is about OUTSIDE SALES. Host Steve Benson, CEO and founder of Badger Maps, talks to industry leaders and experts to learn the strategies and tactics that make them successful in Outside Sales. Hop on to discover practical tips on how to sell at peak performance.
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The purpose of lead generation and prospecting are the same: to get prospects into your funnel. Mark Boundy—a Sales, Pricing, and Value Consultant—has amassed wide-ranging experience in the industry for 25+ years. One thing that he always emphasizes is knowing your customer’s wold intimately. Why does it matter so much? How does it impact your prospecting process and level of success? Find out in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:50] Prospecting and lead generation are the same * [2:44] Why prospecting and lead gen are important * [3:30] Mark’s prospecting process: slow down to speed up * [4:54] Attributes of a successful salesperson * [8:04] Understand your customer’s world + ask insightful questions * [10:10] Mark’s prospecting and lead generation dos and don’ts * [11:50] How Mark recruited the recruiters
Slow down to speed up After you understand the customer’s business you need to provide perspective. You can’t have perspective on something you don’t understand. Your customers are being bombarded with calls and emails. They don’t want to spend time educating someone on their business.
So your job is to slow down to speed up. Before you make a call, understand the customer’s business well enough so you can have an insightful question to ask in the first 15 seconds. It lets them know you have an intimate understanding of their business and know what their big fires are. You can’t do that with a canned script.
Your job is to be in the top 10% of the fires they’re already fighting. The secret to successful prospecting and lead generation is understanding the customer’s world so well that you can instantly plug into one of their top priorities. You become a priority and a resource to meet their business needs.
Mark once had a job where his whole region was light on funnel. So they did a prospecting blitz to fill the pipeline. The guy who did the best was only making 5 calls a day. So they asked him what he was doing. The answer? Research.
He would find someone that looked like a candidate, researched them to understand them, and prepared 1–3 insightful questions that he can help them answer. He was crushing it. But if he was in an organization that measured “activity” he would’ve been in trouble.
Measure the right activities An organization needs to measure the right KPIs. John Tukey—a famous statistician—says “Far better an approximate answer to the right question than an exact answer to the wrong question.”
Mark had worked with two SDRs that he was sharing with other salespeople. He found out that one of the SDRs was getting bonuses based on the number of calls that he made. So what did he do? He gamed the system by letting the phone ring for 1 ½ seconds—and then he’d hang up. What should you measure instead? Listen to hear Mark’s thoughts!
Don’t measure the wrong thing. Measure the number of appointments. If you slow down your reparation, you can vastly increase your number of appointments. You can leave a great insight as a voicemail. At one point, 25% of Mark’s voicemails got return calls. He had earned the right to a conversation.
Understand your customer’s world + ask insightful questions Mark firmly beliefs you must understand your customer’s problems. Know how your product or service delivers customer outcomes. Then, learn how to translate features and benefits into customer outcomes. When you’re prospecting, you say “My company delivers these outcomes. Does that resonate with you?” If you’ve done your research, you’ll know the answer is “yes” or they’re lying. Sometimes the answer is “no” but can mean they just don’t have time to talk to you.
If they’ve said “no” to your offer—but you know your insightful question impressed them—ask if you can call time to time with any other insights. If they say yes, you’ve received permission to come to the front of the line and move into their circle of trust. Deliver value from the first second you’re on the phone. What are Mark’s top 3 prospecting dos and don'ts? How do you earn the right to a conversation? Listen to find out!
Resources & People Mentioned * John Tukey * CSO Insights Buyer Preference Survey (2018)
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Prospecting—though every salesperson hates to admit it—is the necessary evil in any business. You have to prospect to get leads in your funnel to nurture them through the process. But how you do it matters. That’s what Steve Hall—the Managing Director of Executive Sales Coaching Australia—emphasizes in this episode of Sales Reinvented. Don’t miss it!
Outline of This Episode * [0:48] Is it a matter of semantics? * [1:17] Why are they important? * [2:52] Steve’s ideal prospecting process * [5:52] Attributes a salesperson needs * [7:05] Skills for salespeople to develop * [7:46] Top 3 prospecting dos and don’ts * [10:20] Persistence and resilience are powerful
Is it a matter of semantics? Prospecting and lead generation: They’re just labels, according to Steve. Prospecting is identifying potential customers who may have a need that you can supply and can afford to pay for it. Lead generation is looking for people in the middle of the buying process looking to buy.
In Steve’s opinion, prospecting is more important. You want to prospect for choice. If you have a full pipeline ready to buy, you won’t get desperate. You won’t try to close deals that aren’t ready or close those that don’t fit. The fuller your pipeline is, the less desperate you are.
Steve’s ideal prospecting process Is there an ideal prospecting process? Steve’s answer? It depends. It depends on what you sell, who you sell it to, and what the deals are worth. It also depends on how big your team is. If you’re an individual, you have to do everything yourself. If you have a huge marketing team it’s different. Everyone has different capabilities.
The most important thing is to understand who your ideal customer is and identify companies that fit that. Assuming that a new customer’s lifetime value is upward of $250,000, they’re worth putting effort into. So you need to do research (either you or your minions). Then you reach out to them.
What do you do if someone is an ideal customer but they aren’t ready to buy yet? Do you come back in a year? Do you get them in a nurturing program? Who builds the relationship?
Then you have the actual sales process. Steve has one client that has multiple people involved in the sales process:
- The CEO’s executive assistant does the research—with the list they’ve come up with as a team—to find out who the key players are.
- The CEO or one of his staff get them on a business-to-business call. It works well for them—but won’t work for other companies.
What attributes does a salesperson need to be successful with prospecting? What skills should they develop? Listen to hear Steve’s thoughts!
Steve’s prospecting dos and don’ts Steve shared quite a few dos and don’ts for salespeople to keep in mind:
- Prepare. Don’t just pick up the phone or send an email. Think about what you’re going to do.
- Targeting is critical.
- Get comfortable with silence.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
- Have a respectful pattern interrupt to get their attention on you.
- Don’t use smart tricks and techniques. Everyone knows them and is used to them. Be genuine.
- Don’t be too salesy or too pushy.
Don’t say “Hello, how are you?” Every single person does that. It says “I don’t really care how you are I just want to sell stuff to you.”
Persistence and resilience are powerful Steve was working with a company trying to invest in aged care facilities. They wanted to talk to the CEO of the company they wanted to work with. The problem was that he couldn’t find a phone number for these people anywhere. Every single number for the company went to a call center!
Eventually, he went to their website and looked at their press releases. The head of corporate communications had their mobile number on the press release. So Steve called him and asked him to forward a message to the CEO’s executive assistant.
She got back to him and said “The CEO is away—do you want to speak to the CFO?” Of course, they accepted, and that’s how he connected his client to this company. The moral of the story is that not everyone wants to be communicated with. But if you desperately want to connect—try the PR people.
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Do you want to achieve your quota? Do you want to make more money? Salespeople need to be hungry, according to Mark Sellers—The Founder and Managing Partner of Breakthrough Sales Performance. You’re asking people to open doors—and they won’t all open. But there are a few things you can do to achieve more success with prospecting and lead generation. Listen to this episode of @SalesReinvented to learn more!
Outline of This Episode * [1:24] How are these two activities different? * [2:19] Why lead gen and prospecting are important * [2:56] Mark’s prospecting and lead generation process * [3:57] Salespeople need to be hungry * [5:00] Skills salespeople need to develop * [6:22] Mark’s top 3 dos and don’ts * [8:06] Take advantage of warm referrals
Prospecting and lead generation: How are they different? In Mark’s eyes, lead gen consists of marketing departments that are conducting nurture campaigns, inquiries, or Mailchimp and Hubspot kinds of activity. Prospecting is the domain of the salesperson. You’re out there every day constantly doing something to feed the funnel. The activities can be similar, but it’s about the mindset. The lifeblood of selling is getting new sales. It’s how companies grow and quotas get achieved. Unless you have an organic following, you have to prospect and generate leads to get more business.
Customer service is key Mark’s business is different from most others. He runs a consulting and training business. His lead gen and prospecting efforts are mostly referrals. Where he goes to get his new clients is a small universe. He takes care of the customers he has and because of that, he asks them to hire him year after year. Secondly, because his focus is on caring for his current clients and offering impeccable services, they are willing to directly refer him to other prospects.
Engage in stage zero business conversations Mark emphasizes that you need to engage in stage zero conversations. COVID has given us an automatic excuse to ask “How are you doing?” and “How is your business doing? Have you changed your strategies or direction?” Having important business conversations gives you credibility while also emotionally connecting and empathizing with a potential client. Hopefully—out of those conversations—new opportunities will arise. What are Mark’s top 3 prospecting and lead generation dos and don’ts? Listen to find out!
Take advantage of warm referrals A year and a half ago, Mark reached out to a consultant from another business (a conglomerate of 89 companies). Mark had done business with 3–4 of them. Mark asked if there was anyone he should be introducing himself to and was given a name. Then he asked if he could get a warm introduction, suggesting that this person speak with him.
His contact took the time to write an email encouraging this person to speak with Mark. That led to Mark presenting to 15 of the presidents. He immediately secured two pieces of business. You can’t be afraid to ask. Reach out to people—even if you don’t know they can do anything for you. Take the chance, if they can’t do anything, nothing is lost.
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Customers don’t just show up—you have to go get them. Or, have a way to get them interested in learning more about what you offer. You need to engage in both prospecting and lead generation if you want to grow consistently and be sustainable. To do that, you need to get a prospecting system in place. What does Diane do? Listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented to find out!
Diane Helbig is a business advisor and trainer, author, and podcast host. She’s been training small business owners and sales professionals on the importance of discovery during the prospecting, and lead generation stages of sales for over 20 years. She is the author of Succeed Without Selling: The more you think about selling the less you’ll sell, Expert Insights, and Lemonade Stand Selling.
Outline of This Episode * [0:57] How are prospecting and lead gen different? * [1:33] Why both are essential to sales success * [2:15] Diane’s prospecting and lead gen process * [3:51] Attributes that make a salesperson great * [5:18] Skills salespeople need to develop * [7:36] Top 3 prospecting and lead gen dos and don’ts * [9:40] Motivation goes a long way
Diane’s prospecting system Diane’s prospecting system begins with identifying a target market. Then you must develop a list of prospects within that target and do some research on them. You need to learn as much as you can so when you do outreach, you have something to talk about. Diane loves it when people use LinkedIn to see how they’re connected. Why? Because a warm introduction is ideal. When you go to set up a meeting, you’re more likely to get it.
With lead generation, you need to develop a list of prospect characteristics in your target market. Set up an ad campaign or an email drop campaign to draw their attention and interest. You get them to your website to reach out to you.
Attributes that make a salesperson great at prospecting Be realistic. Understand that you’re not going to sell to everyone in your target market. Attention to detail is also important, especially when getting down to determining characteristics.
You must be patient and good at reviewing data. What are the results of your lead gen? Is it working? Are you targeting the right audience? You can be flexible and make adjustments.
Curiosity is a huge skill that salespeople need—but most salespeople don’t embrace it enough. Why? Because they want to sell to everyone.
She emphasizes that you have to listen actively and intentionally and ask questions. Lead into a conversation not knowing if they will be a customer. Allow the conversation to tell you if they are a good customer fit.
You also have to learn how to structure your time for a prospecting system to work. It’s really easy to get distracted. So set up a system and work it. Know what the steps are and block them on your calendar. What are Diane’s top 3 prospecting and lead generation dos and don’ts? Listen to find out!
Motivation goes a long way Diane had a business friend that owned a gift basket company. She was very motivated and clear on her target market and who she should be doing business with. She went through Diane’s LinkedIn connections and emailed the 5 companies she wanted an introduction to. But they got zero responses on LinkedIn.
So Diane decided to try and different tactic emailed each of them directly and asked if they’d take her call. All of them said yes. Why? Because they trusted Diane. She wouldn’t send them someone not with talking to. It gave this gal credibility. She ended up doing business with four out of the five! She had a process, she worked it diligently, and she followed through immediately. Prospecting systems work.
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Prospecting is the lifeblood of every business. Having a full pipeline of qualified prospects means you have choice. According to Marcus Cauchi—a Fractional Chief Revenue Officer for several technology startups—you should have 300–500% more at the “qualified moving to closable” stage of your funnel. You have to drive opportunity with sufficient velocity through the disqualification process.
Marcus emphasizes to make sure that you get to the qualified stage quickly and cleanly with the least amount of effort and waste. When you prospect for choice—and have a full pipeline—you can walk away from bad business and you’re never dependent on any one deal. Marcus shares a wealth of information in this episode of Sales Reinvented—don’t miss it!
Outline of This Episode * [1:15] Prospecting and lead gen—in Marcus’s words * [1:41] You need to prospect for choice
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[2:50] Marcus’s prospecting and lead generation process
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[6:32] What is the red thread?
- [7:27] Recruit for high intelligence and laziness
- [10:10] The top skills salespeople should develop
- [11:42] Top 3 prospecting and lead generation dos and don’ts
- [13:43] How Marcus turned a cold call into a sale
Be ruthless with disqualification Prospecting for choice begins with identifying who is and who is not someone you should be prospecting. Disqualify everyone who isn’t a good fit—that means anyone less than a 100% match. You have to be ruthless with disqualification. You should be ready to go for the “no” and find out why they should not buy. If you don’t know why they need help, the risks they’re trying to mitigate, the problems they’re trying to overcome, or their ideal outcomes, you have no business interrupting them.
Don’t neglect any part of the process To prospect for choice, you should also know who your customer is and what they all have in common. Be relevant, timely, respectful of their time, and deliver value on every call. Marcus hates the drivel he hears from people selling marketing automation companies saying it takes 18 attempts to speak to get a conversation in the C-suite. It doesn’t. It only takes one.
If it takes more than that, look at your messaging and find out why it’s not working. Odds are, it’s long, it’s wordy, and it’s irrelevant. It talks about your company, your product, and your services. Touch them with stuff that is relevant.
He notes that you have to remember that prospecting doesn’t end after the initial conversation. You must care for the middle of the funnel. It’s hammered into you to prospect and get people into the funnel. Then you’re pushed to get to closing. The middle of the funnel is often neglected. Treat prospecting as a sacred act and make sure that you are focusing on making fewer higher-quality calls, being timely and relevant, and nurture them through the pipeline.
Recruit for high intelligence...and laziness Carl Von Clausewitz wrote a book called “On War.” When he recruited Prussian soldiers, he looked for high intelligence and laziness. Why? It meant minimum effort which equaled a minimum loss of life.
You can approach prospecting in the same way. You need to be well organized and good at research. You need to understand your customer’s world and understand their customers. What is the competitive landscape? If you are good at that, you can elevate your prospecting so you can hit the bullseye far more often—with less effort.
Marcus interviewed a couple of ladies in the SaaS space. These ladies were smashing their quotas. But when they do, they sit back and ask themselves “What could I have done better?”
What other skills should a salesperson develop? What are Marcus’s top prospecting and lead generation dos and don’ts? Listen to learn more!
Marcus turned a cold-call into a sale Marcus received a call from someone who immediately started talking about financial training. Marcus interrupted this person and said, “I think you’ve got the wrong person.” Turns out, they did have the wrong person. But instead of ending the call, Marcus asked, “What were you hoping to get from speaking to this person?” Marcus converted him into a bootcamp for cold-calling. The moral of the story? If someone has a pulse, start a conversation with them! You never know where your next opportunity will come from.
Resources & People Mentioned * BOOK: On War
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Why is prospecting a long game? How do you build relationships that lead to new customers? What is the right way to do social selling? Ian Moyse—the EMEA Sales Director for Natterbox—joins me on today's show to answer these questions and so much more. Don’t miss out on his insight and expertise in the world of prospecting and lead generation.
Outline of This Episode * [1:05] Lead generation and prospecting: What’s the difference? * [2:42] Why lead gen and prospecting are so important * [4:54] What does Ian’s prospecting process look like? * [7:48] The attributes of a great prospector * [10:01] Skillsets to focus on developing * [13:14] Ian’s prospecting and lead generation dos and don’ts * [20:54] Ian’s favorite prospecting story
Keep your bucket full Ian points out that salespeople have a bucket. That bucket is always emptying because you’re either losing deals or winning deals. Either way, your pipeline is emptying and you must look ahead. Many salespeople spend all of their time closing. Suddenly, they have a bad quarter and realize their bucket is empty because they haven't been prospecting.
During Covid-19, Ian has consistently heard conversations where a project is being deferred because the business itself is stopping all spend. 2020 has demonstrated that you need to keep your pipeline full. You want to aim for 5x your target in the pipeline. It takes consistent continual prospecting.
Ian points out that there’s no perfect answer. There is no golden key. It takes hard work. His advice is to focus on your perfect persona customer. Too many activities are just trying to fill the bucket. But you need people in the bucket who are in alignment with your value proposition. It’s better to have more qualified leads in your pipeline than waste your time.
What are the attributes of someone who is great at prospecting? What skills should a sales professional focus on developing? Listen to hear Ian’s thoughts!
Ian’s prospecting and lead generation don’ts Ian emphasizes that you can’t think activity is productivity. Ian has seen too many people who gave up on social selling because their bosses force them to make 50 calls a day. They’re hung up on activity. But what if you could do it differently? What if there was a better way to generate their quota of leads without cold-calling? Activity should be done in the smartest way. Ian is tired of hearing “Sales is a numbers game.”
He also points out that you shouldn’t connect then pitch. Everyone sees it: You get a connection invite on a social platform and it seems genuine. But soon after, you get a sales pitch. They think that’s social selling. That’s going up to someone and instead of chit-chatting after a handshake, you immediately pitch them. You’d never do it in the real world.
Stop chasing the same person in the same manner. If they haven't looked at the first few emails or messages, how annoyed will people be when they see the 4th, 5th, or 6th? It doesn’t work. The more you do, the more the walls go up. You've created a human spam filter. You will probably never get through to them because the more you push, the more they resist.
Ian’s prospecting and lead generation dos Ian reiterates the need to take time to qualify your leads. Don’t sell to someone who isn’t your prospect. If you look at someone’s LinkedIn profile, the clues are there to help you find a way to a conversation. Ian gets pitched all the time on social selling and CRM. But if salespeople simply looked at his LinkedIn profile and what he does, you’d never approach him trying to sell those things.
He implores you to be like Sherlock. Go deeper and smarter than your average salesperson. It’s not rocket science. Slow down, read, and work smart. How do you find an authentic way that isn’t just reaching out cold and getting ignored? What will lead to a conversation? Ian will find a way to get a warm introduction from someone else by looking for shared connections. If you share 20 connections, who of those do you have a relationship with? There might be 3 people.
Reach out to each of them and let them know you’re trying to connect to someone. Then ask how well they know them. You’ll get nos—but sometimes you’ll get a yes. Secondly, look at their jobs. Is there anyone there that you might know that they’d be connected with? It doesn’t feel quick, but you have a better chance of getting to a conversation than a phone call.
He encourages you to be bold and ask for introductions. He just had a new customer come on board and has built great rapport with them. Ian noticed they were connected to a senior person at another organization. So Ian reached out and asked for a formal LinkedIn introduction. He got a conversation and got a call booked.
What is Ian’s favorite prospecting story? How is prospecting playing the long game? Ian tells a fascinating story that takes tenacity and consistency in this episode. Don’t miss it!
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Why do you need to craft a transformational message that resonates with your prospect? Does it increase your success with prospecting? Sonia Dumas believes the right message attracts people who could be interested in your service—but only if your message resonates with them at the right moment. If it does, they find their way into your marketing funnel.
Sonia—the founder of the Unstoppable Sales Community—joins me in this episode of Sales Reinvented to share why she thinks your message is one of the most important things to master.
Outline of This Episode * [0:45] What is the difference between prospecting and lead gen? * [2:22] Why are both processes so important to sales? * [2:22] Prospecting and lead gen must be strategic * [4:10] Sonia’s prospecting and lead gen process * [6:00] A sales professional needs to embrace a positive attitude * [7:55] The skillset Sonia believes is a gamechanger * [8:51] Top 3 prospecting and lead gen dos and don’ts * [11:35] Every conversation you have is an opportunity
Prospecting and lead gen must be strategic If there’s no fuel in your car—or energy in your Tesla—it doesn’t matter how amazing the car is. It won’t go anywhere. Small business leaders want more revenue and income, but they don’t have a lead generation or prospecting plan. A website doesn’t cut it. Posting some content doesn’t cut it. Scattered activity doesn’t attract clients. Even worse—it wastes time. Prospecting and lead gen must be strategic and valuable.
Blasting out content, paying for ads, and attending meetings won’t fix your lead gen without meaningful information to assist your leads. To start moving the needle, you need information for your leads to discover. They then discover that you’re the solution to their problems.
The more you can create a genuine connection, the more you will have payday conversations. That’s when your prospect feels welcomed, acknowledged, and valued to such a degree that they’re open to having you transform their life.
Why you NEED to craft a transformational message What is your transformational message? Is it crystal clear what problems you solve and the audience you solve them for? If it isn’t, your leads won’t see your services as a solution to their problems. Your pipeline will stay empty. Your value has to be clear so your leads want to learn more.
You have to know the details of the problems your prospects are working to solve. You need to communicate that you know the nitty-gritty and communicate that on your website, your social media, your newsletter, etc. Start the process because you have a message.
When you have a transformational message, your pipeline will start to fill up. You have a solution that can impact lives. Your income will grow because of the transformation you’re providing.
A sales professional needs to embrace a positive attitude If you hate prospecting and consider it a chore, you will communicate desperation in everything you do. Instead, Sonia recommends focusing on what you enjoy: Do you enjoy transforming lives? Do you enjoy making an impact? You need to have fun with prospecting. Let the genuine pleasure of transforming someone’s life resonate in your marketing and your conversations.
Secondly, you have to focus. Your message has to be focused. You have to provide clear value and know what your ideal audience wants and needs. Sonia emphasizes that “Without focus, your efforts will be like a whisper at a rock concert. No one is going to hear you.”
You have to make a commitment to show up. It doesn’t matter if it’s once a day or once a week. Consistency builds confidence. It starts with you becoming confident. Those who are watching you become confident in your expertise, thought leadership, and your ability to solve their problems. Without consistency, confidence can’t be built.
What skillsets should you develop? Listen to hear Sonia’s thoughts!
Every conversation you have is an opportunity Sonia believes that the best way to prospect is by focusing on sharing how she enjoys helping others solve a problem. When she does that, doors open wide. She was having a casual conversation with a vendor about how much she enjoys helping business leaders. She wasn’t pitching or offering anything. At the end of the conversation, he offered to introduce her to a friend that runs an executive coaching program.
The CEO of this program jumped on a call with her. By the middle of their call, he asked her to train his top 10 salespeople on how to have payday conversations with prospects. Every conversation you have is a lead generation and prospecting opportunity. You never know when someone will say “Tell me more!” or “Let me introduce someone.” It’s an opportunity to attract, engage, and convert a stranger into a client.
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Why are lead generation and prospecting so important? How do they complement each other in the sales process? Why is keeping your pipeline full so important? How does cultivating an awareness of needs lead to a higher close rate? Nick Kane—a Managing Partner at Janek Performance Group—shares his point of view in this episode of Sales Reinvented. Nick is a published author and sales performance expert. Don’t miss out on his expertise—listen now!
Outline of This Episode * [0:55] The difference between lead gen and prospecting * [1:44] Why are both important to sales? * [2:53] What Nick’s prospecting process looks like * [4:44] The 3 components that lead to successful prospecting * [7:42] Skills sales professionals need to develop * [9:24] Top 3 prospecting and lead generation dos and don’ts * [14:27] Prospecting in the life insurance industry
What Nick’s prospecting process looks like Without prospecting and lead generation, Nick shares that you’ll struggle to generate new business. You have to keep the funnel full or you have to rely on a high close rate. An organization must focus on generating enough leads to keep their salespeople busy and help them hit their quotas.
Nick emphasizes that both activities are complementary and benefit from each other. Lead generation consists of getting new opportunities in the pipeline and moving them through the funnel. It is a multi-prong activity that could include paid search, SEO, content development, sponsorships, and more. It does depend on the organization and target audience.
Nick points out that prospecting depends on who you are going after. Prospecting should include leveraging social media and social selling, networking events, business development activities, referrals from existing clients, and more.
The 3 components that lead to successful prospecting Nick believes three components lead to successful prospecting:
- Mindset: Direct prospecting activities require the ability to deal with rejection. You have to be prepared to handle rejection. You must also help your customer create an awareness of needs to provide valuable insight, to raise a customer’s interest.
- Skillset: You must have a willingness to help, be persistent, and be consistent. You can’t just focus on the opportunities right in front of you and neglect prospecting. When deals are closed out you’re left with very little.
- Process: To Nick, top-performing sales professionals are not just calling anybody. You need to identify the right targets who will value what you have to offer. Narrow a list to a smaller pool for targeted prospecting efforts.
You want to have strong initial questions to ask prompted by data or insight. It is important to create awareness of needs because prospects aren’t waiting for your call. You need to have the capability to identify good data to be thought-provoking. You just need to win the phone call, conversation, and meeting. You also need the ability to work through initial objections and earn the right to have the conversation.
Prospecting in the life insurance industry Nick had the opportunity to work with a global life insurance organization. Prospecting in that industry is extremely challenging. You operate independently and there isn’t a lot of lead generation. The salespeople didn't have strong processes, skills or strategies. So Nick’s team put together a strong and effective approach to support the sales professionals prospecting activities. They needed to maximize their personal and professional contacts to develop prospects.
They helped develop a personal brand for each sales professional. How did they want to be viewed online? How did they want to come across to prospects? They started to adjust their personal brand and enhance their efforts.
They helped them come up with key metrics and how to track those activities. What level of activity is needed to fill the pipeline and drive results? The combination of those three things drove results for that organization. Prospecting led to more appointments being booked. Their conversion rates are up. Overall revenue is up. They drove overall results for their clients.
You can’t just ask salespeople to go out and prospect and let them figure it out on their own. They need support. They need preparation. They need to learn how to cultivate an awareness of needs in their prospect. Learn more about Nick’s process by listening to the whole episode!
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Sales training courses always seem to start with “You have a lead, now what?” People are left questioning “Where did I get the lead in the first place? Where do they miraculously come from?” It’s why Kendra Lee starts her process with lead generation. Generating leads and doing research gives you talking points—and something to be confident about when prospecting.
Kendra is passionate about helping SMB companies get more customers. Mastering lead generation and prospecting is a great starting point. Listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented for her insight into the lead generation and prospecting process!
Outline of This Episode * [1:01] Prospecting and lead generation * [1:32] Why are they important? * [2:33] Kendra’s ideal prospecting process * [5:05] Attributes + characteristics of a prospector * [6:26] Skills a salesperson should develop * [7:56] Top 3 prospecting dos and don’ts * [12:23] Drop-by prospecting in Washington D.C.
Kendra’s ideal prospecting process Kendra starts her prospecting process with lead generation. Kendra is self-admittedly very shy about talking to new people, but she loves prospecting. Cold-calling on its own is challenging. She knew there had to be a smarter way than calling down a list. So for her, the ideal process is to start by identifying who your target market is and what their business issues are.
Who within that market is your ideal prospect? Who is the decision-maker? Create a value proposition based on those issues.
Then you can reach out by email, LinkedIn, calling, etc. You have to find innovative ways to get past the gatekeeper (voicemail, email deletion, or a receptionist). Once you get the person on the phone, you have to decide how you’re going to uncover their needs and handle objections.
Attributes + characteristics a successful prospector needs Kendra emphasizes that salespeople must follow up—not give up. They often give up because they don’t know what to say after the first few calls, emails, or messages. Secondly, you must approach the prospect from their business problem perspective. It’s not about your solution, it’s about what their issue is. You need to use your business knowledge about a problem and focus on what they care about. Not how your software application makes their world better.
Top 3 prospecting dos and don’ts What are Kendra’s dos and don’ts for prospecting and lead generation?
- Don’t show up and throw up. She doesn’t care if you’re calling, emailing, or on LinkedIn. Don’t talk about yourself.
- Don’t ramble in your emails. They aren’t for a sales conversation. Keep it brief. Save the great information for a conversation.
- Do not lie. It hurts your credibility.
- Do follow-up. Even the worst salesperson will find success some of the time just by following up. Consistency is critical.
- Be yourself. If you aren't being you it won’t come across as a natural conversation. People want to talk to someone genuine. Kendra loves leaving a fun voicemail—no matter the length. Be yourself at every touchpoint. Kendra firmly believes it leads to a higher conversion rate.
- Have a value proposition. What do you do really well? How can you help them? What’s one recommendation? Know what it is that would compel them to have a conversation with you.
Drop-by prospecting in Washington D.C. When Kendra was a rookie in sales, she learned how to do cold-calling and drop-by prospecting (AKA door-knocking). Her manager took her to downtown Washington D.C. to an office building. He pointed to a suite and said “We are going to go in and have a conversation to see if we can get to the IT manager.” He opened the door and pushed her in.
The receptionist was right in front of her. Kendra looked at her like a deer in headlights. She completely froze. She turned around and started to leave, leaving her manager to swiftly pull her inside and do the prospecting himself.
Kendra now loves meeting new people. But she had to get past the fear. To do that, she got serious about lead generation. She was never going to walk in a door without a purpose. She had to have a value proposition and do something in advance to warm up that call—even if it was only in her own mind. It’s about coming across confidently.
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People love to overcomplicate sales and prospecting. Mark Hunter emphasizes that you aren’t trying to create world peace or discover the vaccine for COVID. It’s just a conversation. But it’s a task salespeople need to own up to—that many hate to do. Why? Because they overthink it. Learn some simple tactics to find success prospecting in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Mark Hunter is “The Sales Hunter”. He is the author of two best-selling books, A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting. Mark is recognized as one of the top 50 most influential sales and marketing experts globally.
Outline of This Episode * [0:51] Prospecting + lead generation * [1:12] Why are they important? * [2:01] Mark’s prospecting process * [3:18] Attributes + Characteristics * [5:15] The top skills to develop * [6:26] Top 3 prospecting dos and don’ts * [8:33] Embrace the 58–2 technique
Don’t solely rely on marketing Prospecting is going through the qualification process and deciding whether or not a lead can become a customer. You can’t close any sale without starting with a lead. When people complain that their sales are down, the first question Mark asks is “How much time did you append on prospecting and lead generation?” The most often used excuse is that “Marketing does that for me.” Mark emphasizes that clearly, they’re not doing enough or you’d be busier. It’s a task salespeople need to own up to.
Start with your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) Mark emphasizes that you need to identify your ICP (persona, avatar, etc.). It’s not just anyone who will download an eBook or respond to an email. That just means they have a heartbeat. Mark jokes that his dog has a heartbeat, but he won’t be buying from him!
Focus all of your attention on your ICP. Look at your current customers. What outcomes have you helped them create? What benefits have they received? What are the common traits among them? What are the common descriptors? You can build your ICP from there.
Attributes + Characteristics of a successful prospector Mark believes you must have the desire to put the customer first. You sell to help people. You need to know that you can help a person or a company achieve something they didn’t believe possible. Secondly, people don’t wake up waiting for your call. You have to accept the fact that you will be interrupting someone. But if you believe in the outcome you can achieve, you owe it to them.
Mark points out that a salesperson has to stay focused and cognizant of time management. You must have the focus and the level of authenticity to stay in the game long enough to make it happen. Salespeople can be all over the place with prospecting. But when you keep these three things in perspective, you can be successful.
You must also be inquisitive. It’s the information you uncover that’s important. You must learn how to engage quickly to get someone to share with you. That comes with the skill of empathy. The person you’re reaching out to has to understand that you’re human and in this situation with them.
What are Mark’s top 3 prospecting and lead generation dos and don’ts? Keep listening to find out!
Embrace the 58–2 technique Mark was trying to reach the president/COO of a Canadian company. But he wasn’t having any luck. He could only reach this person’s administrative assistant who consistently shut him down. Mark finally decided to use his 58-2 technique. What is that? The best time to call someone is between 58 minutes after the hour to 2 minutes into the hour. Why? Because most meetings start at the top of the hour.
Mark called this gentleman right at 11 sharp. On the second ring, he picked up the phone—thinking it was his conference call. Mark quickly asked him about an acquisition they had just made. He said, “I don’t have time to talk right now.” So Mark scheduled a time to chat with him that afternoon.
He created just enough interest to set up a conversation. They talked for 15 minutes. Two days later, Mark was sitting in his office having lunch. It was all because he did his homework, called him at the top of the hour, delivered value, and didn’t give up. It led to a six-figure deal. He used normal techniques and strategies and threw in some out-of-the-box thinking.
Resources & People Mentioned * Find Your Why by Simon Sinek
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In his book, “Never Split the Difference” Chris Voss set out to answer the question, “How do you make hostage negotiation principles work in the business world?” In this special episode exchange, Mark Raffan—the host of the Negotiations Ninja podcast—and Chris Voss discuss some of the principles from this book. Don’t miss it!
Outline of This Episode * [2:25] Chris’s background in FBI Crisis Negotiation * [3:55] Why you want a “no” over a “yes” * [6:57] The two human needs * [9:04] Chris’s late-night DJ voice * [12:42] Why you should never downplay empathy * [17:04] NEVER split the difference * [20:08] The fallacy of extreme anchoring * [21:55] How to use calibrated “How” questions * [23:21] “That’s right” versus “you’re right” * [25:20] In hindsight: Be assertive—but nice * [28:10] Don’t take yourself hostage
You want a “No” over a “Yes” The prevailing theory is that to close a deal, you should be getting little “yeses” throughout a negotiation. Chris thinks that ideal is awful. Instead, he emphasizes that you need to shoot for “no.” Why?
The little yeses—i.e. “Tie-downs” or “commitments” are a complete violation of human nature. He believes that it is the #1 reason you have long negotiations that go nowhere. After all, it’s “Not a sin to not get the deal. The sin is to take a long time to not get the deal.” He also notes that it’s the biggest toxin for relationships. People will stop responding to you entirely.
Humans are so tired of being trapped by “yes” that they can’t help but react negatively. They start to think: Where’s this going? What’s the trap? What’s the hook? Why is it important for someone to be able to say no?
Chris points out that people feel protected and safe when they can say no. Kids have learned that a “no” can be changed to a “yes.” Why? Because after saying no, you’re more willing to listen. “No” is almost always followed by “And…” which you must take advantage of. What comes after the “and?”
Why you should never downplay empathy The widespread lie is that “You need to separate emotion and empathy in negotiation.” Yes, you need to be in control of your own emotions—while empathizing with the other party. Chris notes that people used to think emotions were something that could be turned on and off. Now we know that emotions are hard-wired into all decision-making. Neuroscience has shown that without emotions, you can’t make decisions.
If you want the other side to make a decision, their emotions must be engaged. But how? You have to avoid negative emotions because they slow down the thinking process. Positive emotions make you smarter, so you want to enhance them while eliminating the negative ones. Which emotions do you like? Which are hurting you? You must separate the emotions and put the person on a different path of decision-making.
How each word feels depends on what side of it you’re on. When you hear “yes” you get a shot of dopamine. Hearing it makes you happy. But you forget how uncomfortable the other person feels when forced to say “yes.”
The fallacy of extreme anchoring Anchoring is strongly advocated by most people: i.e. “go first and go high.” It’s called the zone of possible agreement. The problem is that it makes deals go away that you otherwise should have made. Chris sees it regularly and he also negotiates regularly. He will NOT high-anchor. They make more deals consistently without anchoring.
If you high-anchor, you hit the occasional home-run—but you don’t get up to bat as much. Or worse, the other side stops pitching to you. It makes potential deals vanish. Those that survive? They’ll be a great deal. But the long-term loss is high. Chris emphasizes that by the time you realize it’s killing your business it will be far too late.
Why you should NEVER split the difference According to Chris, compromise and splitting the difference are horrible. Compromise ruins everything. People are either trying to be fair—or they’re a poor judge of distance. What does that mean? People who tell Chris they like “win-win” are high-anchor high-demand people trying to move a goal-line. “Splitting the difference is a mercenary's tool to make you feel like you got treated fairly when they got what they wanted all along...It’s amazing what people will agree to when they feel like they’ve been treated fairly.” If they feel it’s unfair? You’ll get a no.
Be assertive—but nice Chris—now older and wiser—would tell his younger self to continue to be assertive but do it nicely. Don’t compromise on what you’re trying to get done but be nice. That’s the #1 thing that Chris would change. He was once told by a fellow hostage negotiator, “Dealing with you is like getting hit in the face with a brick.”
He equated being “nice” to being “weak.” He embraced the mantra of “You may not like me—but you’ll respect me.” There’s a difference between being assertive and being a straight shooter. You want to be a straight shooter—not a blunt-force brick that people have to fend off.
You can’t just be cold, data-driven, and analytical. If you’re cold and distant, it will infect the other side and they’ll be less emotional. When you’re in a positive frame of mind, salespeople make 37% more deals. You’ll leave money on the table if you’re striving for neutral.
Chris and Mark cover so much more in this episode. Be sure to listen to the whole episode—and subscribe!
Resources & People Mentioned * Book: Never Split the Difference * Book: Start with No * Book: Beyond Winning
Connect with Chris Voss * Connect on LinkedIn * Follow on Twitter * Follow on Facebook * Black Swan Group * Text FBIEMPATHY to 22828 to subscribe to The Black Swan Newsletter
Connect With Mark Raffan * Follow Negotiations Ninja on Twitter: @NegotiationPod * Connect with Mark on LinkedIn * Follow Negotiations Ninja on LinkedIn * Connect on Instagram: @NegotiationPod
More about the Negotiations Ninja Podcast The Negotiations Ninja podcast, is the number one negotiation podcast on Google Play. On the Negotiation Ninja podcast host Mark Raffan interviews FBI negotiators, influential executives, world leading sales guru’s, legal masterminds and expert communicators to draw out what works in negotiation and what doesn’t work and what we can do better.
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Resilience. Resilience is the ability to recover quickly in the face of adversity. Resilience is an attribute or a characteristic that every salesperson must have—or learn. Why is it so important? How does it improve prospecting and lead you to become a better salesperson? In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Justin Zappulla shares how being resilient can positively impact your career. Don’t miss it!
Justin Zappulla’s career has been highlighted by remarkable performance in sales and sales leadership roles. Today, Justin is the Managing Partner at Janek Performance Group and co-author of the popular sales book, Critical Selling, which is considered one of the top authorities and thought leaders in sales training, sales strategy, and overall sales performance improvement.
Outline of This Episode * [0:57] How are lead generation and prospecting different? * [2:05] lead generation and prospecting fill your pipeline * [2:36] Justin’s lead gen and prospecting process * [4:42] Resiliency is a salesperson’s greatest attribute * [5:41] The top skills to develop * [6:54] Top 3 prospecting dos and don’ts * [9:21] The importance of resiliency
Justin’s lead gen and prospecting process The most important part is to start with your perfect prospect profile. It helps you identify who to pursue. Then you identify the ways to meet those prospects (online, conferences, networking events, etc.). You then identify a trigger event that is likely to lead to that prospect needing your product or service and track those events. It might be a merger, a new hire, a home purchase, etc.
Justin emphasizes that you need to create a reason for a prospect to opt-in. What is your lead magnet? What is your offer? It needs to encourage someone to take action. You are exchanging value for information. White papers, free quotes, coupon codes, webinars, etc. can all be great ways to generate leads.
Once you generate leads, you have to nurture them. The idea is to continue to interact with the lead to stimulate interest or action. Those are handed to sales as sales-ready leads. Prospecting is the process of identifying and reaching out to leads to pique interest, qualify them, and start the sales opportunity.
The attributes salespeople need to succeed The first that comes to mind for Justin is resiliency. As a salesperson, you will get more “nos” than “yeses.” Great prospectors are disciplined and focused. It takes a lot of activity to produce a prospect, so you must stay focused and hungry. He also thinks of “ego”, someone needs to have a competitive mindset.
What are the top skills to work to develop? Justin would start by delivering a great value proposition. You have to pique interest quickly to be successful with prospecting. It needs to be a targeted message to initiate a conversation. Great prospectors have honed those skills. You also need the ability to connect with people, always be networking, and build rapport and trust quickly.
Top 3 prospecting dos and don’ts Justin shared a total of nine dos and don’ts that have to be shared:
- Find creative ways to offer value in exchange for information.
- Test a lot of activities to see what works. Don’t get stuck in analysis paralysis.
- Leverage technology and implement smart lead generation processes.
- Create the perfect prospect profile and a clear definition of who you’re pursuing.
- Use a multi-channel prospecting process: email, calls, social, events. It needs to be a combination.
- Prioritize prospecting. You have to spend time on it. It shouldn’t be something you do when you’re done with everything else.
- Don’t offer something that fits everyone.
- Don’t wing it. Have a plan and system in place.
- Don’t give up. You always get more nos than yeses, so stay resilient.
The importance of resiliency Justin was interviewing someone for a sales position and they were talking about this person's current role. He had found some success in sales—but it took him quite some time. He was selling a software solution for compliance in medical offices and on the road a lot. He made call after call without success. He made 1,649 calls before his first sale. 1,649.
He was resilient. He wore that number as a badge of honor. It’s what it took for him to learn and find success. He’s now one of the more successful salespeople that Justin has come across. You can’t give up. You never lose until you give up. You keep trying, you notice what works, and keep doing those things. Salespeople fail and fail often. It’s part of the process and what makes you a great seller—and it’s why being resilient is so important.
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Alice Heiman believes that curiosity is the #1 prospecting and lead generation skills that salespeople need to develop. Curiosity leads to research, which leads to understanding your prospect on a deeper level, which allows you to craft the right message. Alice shares all about her prospecting process in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
According to Forbes.com, Alice Heiman is among the world’s leading experts on the complex sale. Founder of Alice Heiman, LLC she strategizes with CEOs and sales leadership to grow sales organizations and increase sales profitably. From prospecting to closing, she leads teams to find new business and grow existing accounts.
Outline of This Episode * [1:00] Lead generation is global + prospecting is sales * [1:25] Why are lead generation and prospecting important? * [2:46] Why referrals are the way to go with marketing * [6:27] Curiosity is the #1 skill to develop * [9:50] Alice’s top 3 dos and don’ts * [12:41] Involve your team every step of the way
Alice’s #1 source of leads: referrals Alice depends on referrals for lead generation. She prefers that. Why? It’s so much easier. Wouldn’t you rather get an introduction than cold-call hundreds of people? Her process begins with making a list of customers and how frequently she talks with them (about what’s going well, what value they are adding, etc.). When you know they are happy and loyal, then you ask them to make an introduction.
Then she has a list of companies and people that can make introductions, even if they don’t buy from you. She keeps a wishlist of companies she’d love to work with and figures out who to talk to in each of those companies. She will then refer back to her first two lists and question—can anyone make an introduction? Do any of my customers know them? Can any referral sources make an introduction? She always starts with introductions to ideal customers before cold outreach.
If you have to do cold outreach, she recommends doing it in an organized fashion. Alice likes the 5 x 5 x 5 x 5 method. What is it? You take 5 companies that you are interested in. Then you find 5 people that would be involved in decision-making and figure out the best way to reach them. You have to craft the right messaging. You work for 5 weeks to get their attention and land an appointment. Once you have done that, put them in the recycling pile and move on to another company. This is only after exhausting every effort to try and reach them.
Curiosity is the #1 skill to develop Alice believes a key skill to develop is the ability to be a better researcher. You need to learn how to be a great researcher and look for the right words, ideas, and trigger events to reach out to a prospect. If you go out with a message that doesn’t generate interest, you won’t get a conversation.
You also need to understand what the day in the life of your prospect(s) looks like. If you don’t understand that, you may bring the wrong information at the wrong time. If you sell to CMOs, what is it like in their every day? What are their financial concerns? People concerns? Business concerns? What are they trying to accomplish each day? What’s going on at their company that’s impacting them? What initiatives are they working on? Is their company laying people off? Are they hiring? Alice emphasizes that you have to understand what is going on in their life.
She recently heard of a CMO that had their entire marketing team furloughed. You should know things like that before you get on the phone with them. That CMO may be distraught. You can talk to your own customers and ask them those questions. You can talk to your own CMO and find out what their days look like. It’s a great way to start understanding the people you will be talking with.
Involve your team every step of the way Alice was working on a complex deal selling software to a large company—and the deal stalled. It was complete radio silence for months. So her team got together to brainstorm a strategy to get things moving. They had the CEO of the company in the room. After months of trying to make something happen, he goes “Oh, I know that person.” He could pick up the phone and call that person right then and there. So he did. And the deal started moving again.
How can you prevent that from happening? You have to tell your team what deals you’re working on and the people you’re trying to get an introduction to. If you go on LinkedIn, you can see if someone on your team knows these people. Your own company can be a great source of introductions. Listen to the whole episode for more of Alice’s prospecting and lead generation tips and strategies!
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Tim Hughes is a firm believer that the world of selling is shifting towards social selling—but not how you think. Tim doesn’t believe in pushing your agenda on social. But he does believe in forming connections and having conversations. How does he craft his social media approach to lead to conversations? How do those conversations lead to sales? Listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented to hear Tim’s amazingly successful strategies.
Tim Hughes is an expert in social selling and is currently ranked #1 by Onalytica as THE most influential social selling person in the world. He is also Co-Founder and CEO of DLA Ignite and co-author of the bestselling books “Social Selling” and “Smarketing”, both published by Kogan Page.
Outline of This Episode * [1:06] What is the difference between prospecting and lead generation? * [1:49] Why are these strategies so important? * [2:38] Timothy’s prospecting process on social media * [4:22] Salespeople have to be where their clients are * [5:58] Tim’s top prospecting dos and don’ts * [8:34] How to craft a buyer-centric LinkedIn Profile * [12:18] The power of posting humanized content
Prospecting on social media is the future Tim doesn’t see prospecting success in interrupting people with advertising, cold-calling, or email. He believes those legacy sales methods are gradually falling away. His ideal method? Social selling. He’s been in business for 4 years and all of their prospecting has been done on social media. You have to have a great profile, proactively grow your network, and offer great content. You can’t hope someone will find you, but must proactively look for them.
You have to be where your clients are, and ⅔ of the world’s working population is active on social media. Over the last quarter, those numbers have grown by 12.5%. Social media usage continues to grow. The idea that your clients aren't on social media isn’t relevant anymore.
Why does Tim love social media? Because it enables you to have conversations. Brochures, webinars, and other tools don’t get you deals. Conversations are what get you deals. So grow your network, create content, and generate conversations. One of Tim’s guys wrote a post about Led Zeppelin and has had 6 C-level calls off a crazy piece of content.
Tim’s social selling dos and don’ts Tim emphasizes that you need to have a buyer-centric profile. What are they looking for from you? They don’t care if you’re a quota-crushing salesperson. Secondly, you should grow a network of people that you know. It’s about being remembered and standing out. Connecting with people for the sake of connecting doesn’t give you that relevance. You should also strategically create content that people find engaging, insightful, and educational. It doesn't have to be about your company. Humanized content gets you more engagement than sharing about your company.
Social selling isn’t actually about selling. Tim implores you: do NOT sell on connection requests. You go to a networking event to have conversations, right? You don’t go up and start selling to someone. If you don’t do that with in-person networking, why would you on social networking? Tim gets that everyone has targets to make and pipelines to fill. But you do that by building connections and having conversations—not social selling.
How to craft a buyer-centric LinkedIn Profile Tim’s first tip is simple: make sure your profile picture is a photograph of you. Secondly, you need a great summary title: don’t make it your “what.” For example, some people say they’re “passionate about digital transformation.” That doesn’t elicit a strong emotional connection from a viewer.
People are looking for your “why.” If you talk about your why, you’re connecting with someone’s gut feeling. Tim’s summary title says “Should have played Quidditch for England.” It closes business for him. He also has his name translated into Chinese because his first book was translated into Chinese. Doing these things sets him apart and catches people’s attention.
If you see people who have the title “sales director” your brain lumps them together with every other sales director. If you say something different, the brain sees two different people. It changes your possibility of winning business from 1-in-16 to 1-in-2.
Make your summary about your why. If you met someone in a bar and had a conversation, what would you find out? When people are looking at your profile, they want to see the human side of you. What are your beliefs? What are you about? When people form connections, they have conversations. When you have conversations, you close deals.
The power of posting humanized content One of Tim’s team members posted 3 photos on LinkedIn from a trip with his son. The post talks about how the pandemic has impacted 16-year-olds and it only took him 10 minutes. He’s had 18,000 views, 90 likes, and 20,000 people look at his profile. 20,000 people see what he stands for. People will buy from you, refer you, or share your content on other networks when they feel a deep connection to it. He’s gotten 6 C-level calls from that post. Social is the most proactive way to form relationships in the world today.
Humanized content gets the most engagement on social. Some people aren’t comfortable with that because they say that LinkedIn isn’t Facebook. But Tim points out that if you were in person with a prospect, you build a relationship by taking them to a meal or a football game. You have conversations about life and family. Why wouldn’t you do the same on social media? You need to build content around what you stand for. Humanized content is the way to get the most engagement.
Resources & People Mentioned * Eric Doyle’s LinkedIn Profile
Connect with Tim Hughes * Connect on LinkedIn * Follow on Twitter * DLA ignite
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Prospecting and lead generation are the lifeblood of sales. You need a consistent flow of fresh prospects at all times to be successful. So you need qualified ideal prospects in your pipeline at all times. Prospecting requires human-to-human interaction, which often requires picking up the phone. Many salespeople see prospecting as a necessary evil and face heavy reluctance to the task at hand. Connie Kadansky strives to change salespeople’s mindsets and help them overcome sales call reluctance to find success.
Connie Kadansky is the President of Exceptional Sales Performance, an international sales coaching practice. She is a recognized expert in identifying and eliminating sales call reluctance, the emotional hesitation to prospect and self-promote. In this episode of the Sales Reinvented podcast, Connie shares her expertise on prospecting and lead generation. Don’t miss it!
Outline of This Episode * [2:41] Why are prospecting and lead generation important to sales? * [3:24] Connie’s prospecting and lead generation process * [4:51] Know the value you offer—and believe it * [7:13] Skillsets that a salesperson must develop * [14:02] Why you need to prospect with creativity
Connie’s prospecting and lead generation process Connie starts by identifying what her ideal prospect looks like and writes down and highlights where she’s willing to deviate. She determines who isn’t an ideal prospect and holds that clearly in her mind. Then she decides how to initiate contact. Connie believes in picking up the phone to introduce yourself. After that, you can follow up with email and LinkedIn. Throughout the process, you need to focus on the value you can create for your prospect. 70% of a sale is engagement and discovering the need of the buyer. In Connie’s world, the human is doing the work of prospecting.
Attributes that lead to prospecting success Connie emphasizes that a salesperson needs to know their value with every fiber of their body. You must believe that your product or service is an essential piece of the puzzle for your prospect. She also notes that you have to change your mindset and begin to see prospecting as an adventure. When you do that and pair it with curiosity, you can learn from every single outreach.
Connie knows that salespeople get hit with call reluctance. You need to realize that it isn’t prospecting that’s causing the anxiety—it’s how you’re thinking about it. Don’t call it a cold-call. If you’re prospecting people and organizations who need what you have, don’t get caught up in thinking it’s a cold call. You can “warm” it up rather quickly. Be authentic, have fun, and focus on creating value for them.
She recommends creating a list of who you’re going to prospect the night before. Why? So when you get into the office you are prepared and can get it done early. Make it a priority. Make sure you measure your results: What are you doing well? What do you need to do differently? Have those mechanisms in place so you can get momentum. The best salespeople get into a rhythm and the energy carries them forward.
Connie’s top dos and don’ts to prospect successfully Connie cannot emphasize enough: you must follow through immediately. Connie had someone email her last week with his name and phone number. She called within 14 minutes and he was delighted. He’s going to become a client. Don’t think it comes across as desperate. If a prospect is reaching out to you, it’s because they need something. Don’t miss out on that. You can get creative with your follow-through. If they don’t respond to a call or an email, leave them a message on LinkedIn.
You must also always keep your word. Connie keeps something on her desk that says “promises.” So when she’s on a call with a prospect and promises to send them a link, she makes a note, and then sends it. If you don't write it down, it will fall off your radar. Keep listening to hear what her other tips and tricks are.
Why you need to prospect with creativity Connie works with salespeople to overcome sales call reluctance. Financial advisors must be continuously meeting with new prospects to be successful. So she made a list of 12 financial advisor coaches or thought leaders who work with advisors. She picked up the phone and called 11 and said: “We work in the same industry. We’re not competitors. I have an idea, please give me a call back at your earlier convenience.”
Three called her back because they were curious about her message. Two of them thought her idea was brilliant. One even said that working with her would help their clients be even more successful in his program, which is what he wanted more than anything. So she’s doing business with him—all because of overcoming sales reluctance and picking up the phone
She learned that you won't get them all—you don’t want them all. You only want the people that are in alignment with what you’re doing. You want the timing to be right. Be creative, let the phone be your ATM. Leave a message that gives them some information. The people that are ready will return the call.
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Historically speaking, lead generation was “throw stuff against the wall” and see what sticks. Now, inbound content marketing has taken the lead. You make great content, people read it and engage with it, they come to your site, and you nurture them through the funnel. But Darryl Praill—the Chief Revenue Officer at VanillaSoft—points out if that’s all you are doing, you’re missing half of the opportunity. Learn how he uses Gartner’s double funnel strategy in this episode of the Sales Reinvented podcast!
Outline of This Episode * [1:13] The difference between prospecting and lead generation * [2:48] Prospecting = becoming a better salesperson * [4:42] Darryl’s prospecting process: a two-funnel methodology * [8:54] The attributes of a great salesperson * [12:29] You must develop the skill of social-selling * [14:02] Top 3 prospecting and lead generation dos and don’ts * [15:58] Don’t let confidence or ego get in the way
Prospecting allows you to become a better salesperson Lead generation is a one-to-many strategy. It’s running an email campaign, writing content, hosting a webinar or a podcast, etc. with some intelligence behind your content list. It’s typically a nurturing process where the leads are scored and are deemed marketing qualified, then sales qualified, and passed to sales. Prospecting is very different. You operate with a warm list that’s segmented. You know who you’re selling to, why they should talk to you, and you know everything about them. There is logic and reason behind reaching out to them.
Darryl points out that if you don’t prospect, you don’t close any sales. If you want to get paid, you need to do it. Many sales reps are looking for an SDR, a marketing person, etc. to feed you leads so you get to be the closer. But the reality is that you have good days and bad days and you don’t always close. Or, you have fantastic months and you’re making bank. But the next month it’s a desert and you’re twiddling your thumbs.
But prospecting keeps your pipeline full. It allows you to refine your dialogue and messaging. It allows you to hear new objections and find out what’s affecting your audience. It allows you to learn about your audience and make yourself more relevant to them. Darryl emphasizes that you have to practice your craft to stay relevant, skilled, and capable.
Darryl’s prospecting process: a two-funnel methodology Darryl uses the double funnel method from TOPO. It functions two ways: You do traditional lead generation, then you do account-based marketing (ABM). ABM used to be called Target Account Selling (TAS) and was all the rage in the 90s. You say, “I know exactly these 5 accounts I’m going to go after and why.” You know the named accounts and industry accounts to go after. Then you divide and conquer.
To be successful with this strategy, you have to map them out. You have to know all the operational and executive people associated with each account. ABM is about marketing getting in front of them from a branding point of view. Then you target them with highly personalized content and then sales proactively reaching out to them.
The biggest challenge is picking the list and knowing why it’s relevant to you. So if you get on a call with them, you can get their attention. If you’re struggling in this process, Darryl recommends calling some of your customers to ask them point-blank “Why did you buy from us? What impact do we make?” You need to understand the value prop you have.
The attributes of a great salesperson Darryl believes you have to have a great mindset. You can be book-smart and know the processes and the methodologies, but if you can’t handle rejection then you’re going to fail. Why do you get up every day? Why do you put yourself through the meat grinder? Andrea Waltz has a “Go for No!” strategy where you shoot for a no. You shoot for 10 “nos” an hour and learn to get excited about them. Every no is a step closer to the yes.
Darryl points out that people connect with people who tell stories. It makes the relationship real and tangible. If you’re reading from a script you will fail. No one will return your calls. But if you can tell a story, it gets people engaged. Then you can have a conversation and do discovery. It’s safe, you’re not a threat, and they’re giving you permission to engage.
What else do you need to do? Block time in your calendar or you will be distracted non-stop. Stick to it and protect that time. Be committed to your craft and committed to prospecting.
You must develop the skill of social marketing You have to develop the skill of social-selling, which Darryl prefers to call social marketing. It’s the skill of knowing how to engage with your community, how to position yourself as a subject-matter expert, and how to establish credibility. The first thing a prospect will do when they hear from you is Google your company and then head to LinkedIn and check you out. You have to be relevant on social which means being part of the conversation—not just reposting other people’s content.
When Darryl started at VanillaSoft, he was 50. He wasn’t familiar with LinkedIn. So he hired someone to teach him how to post, when to post, and how to format it. He learned how to engage and when not to engage. It’s a skill you need to have. What are Darryl’s top three dos and don’ts? What story does he share that taught him to build a better process? Listen to the whole episode to hear it all!
Resources & People Mentioned * TOPO * BOOK: Go for No!
Connect with Darryl Praill * me(at)darrylpraill.com * Connect on LinkedIn * Follow on Twitter
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According to Carole Mahoney, prospecting is one-on-one, high touch, quality communication, and outreach. Lead generation is more one-to-many, general messaging, and top of the funnel. If you want to be proactive and fill your funnel they’re both important. If you’re not prospecting you’re not going after your ideal customer. If you’re not engaging in lead generation you’re not educating, you’re not putting the word out there so people know how you are. But how you do both matters. That is why great content in all of your messaging matters. Carole Mahoney—the founder of Unbound Growth—shares her expertise in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:50] The difference between prospecting and lead gen * [1:28] Why both are important to the entire sales funnel * [2:03] Carole’s lead generation + prospecting process * [5:26] Attributes or characteristics of a great prospector * [8:23] Skills salespeople need to develop to succeed * [10:21] Top 3 dos and don’ts of prospecting and lead gen * [12:59] Why copywriting and cadence matters
Carole’s lead generation + prospecting process Carole emphasizes that you have to put out content that attracts the right people. It needs to be about them and their problems. Prospecting is easier when people have heard of your product or service. It also brings opportunities that you may not have considered.
What is the issue that people are dealing with that you can help with? Where do they start educating themself? That’s where you want to be. You can put out content through speaking engagements, webinars, podcasts, eGuides, checklists, and more. Lead generation can be creating a social media presence and creating your own content like blogs and podcasts. You need to be in front of people that you can help the most.
If a list of people signs up for your upcoming webinar, you can turn on your prospecting skills and reach out to them one-to-one. What intrigued them? What are they hoping to learn? What questions do they want to be answered? Include those in your webinar. Then you can follow up with them after the webinar.
Attributes or characteristics of a great prospector The first and most important thing is to be able to manage your need for approval. If you’re concerned about what people might think, it will be difficult to prospect. It will be difficult to ask questions or push back. People are afraid of putting things out on LinkedIn or blog posts for fear of being heckled.
Secondly, You need to have a plan and discipline developed around it. You won’t always see immediate results. It may be weeks, months, or even years down the road. You can’t just jump in and expect results. Carole emphasizes that you can’t be a perfectionist. Things will never go exactly as planned.
Skills salespeople need to develop to succeed Carole believes most salespeople need to work on their copywriting skills. Sellers often take whatever marketing hands them and sends those into their cadences. They don’t think about what they’re actually saying. But you need to take the marketing message and customize it to who you’re talking to. “Set it and forget it” makes sellers lazy. You need to focus on the quality of your message. Carole notes you should also block time into your schedule to be consistent. You need to develop resilience. It’s paramount to prospecting and lead generation. What are Carole’s top 3 dos and don’ts of prospecting and lead generation? Listen to learn more!
Why copywriting and cadence matters Carole was working with a client who worked at a SaaS tech company who was struggling to get responses to her cadences. She was trying to move customers from a competitor to her product. But everything she sent out got a very low response rate. So Carole took a look at the first email. It was too long, it was all about her product/service, and she was asking the prospect to take a large leap—all in the first email. No interest or value had been established.
So Carole asked her to rework it. She wrote something that talked about their results and focused it on her prospects. She saw almost double the response rate and got conversations in the pipeline. She learned that you have to keep it brief, make it all about the prospect, and ask the right questions. Always focus on the potential value for the customer.
Resources & People Mentioned * BOOK: Grit by Angela Duckworth
Connect with Carole Mahoney * Unbound Growth
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Why do you NEED a formal lead generation process? What is Christopher Ryan’s Revenue Machine Blueprint? How can it impact your lead generation, prospecting, and revenue? Christopher is the CEO and founder of Fusion Marketing Partners. As an expert in helping B2B companies grow revenue, Chris leverages his extensive experience to create successful and cost-effective lead-to-revenue frameworks. He shares his expertise in this episode of Sales Reinvented. Don’t miss it!
Outline of This Episode * [1:15] The difference between prospecting and lead generation * [1:57] The Revenue Machine Blueprint * [3:19] Christopher’s ideal prospecting process * [6:11] The attributes of a great salesperson * [9:28] The skills to develop to exceed at prospecting * [11:34] Top 3 prospecting and lead generation dos and don’ts * [13:52] Why you NEED a formal lead generation process
The Revenue Machine Blueprint Lead generation and prospecting are the precursors to generating revenue in a B2B environment. They’re an essential part of the process. Chris espouses the Revenue Machine Blueprint, which is a four-step process that every single person goes through to buy something—no matter what the selling medium is. What are the steps?
- They have to become aware of you.
- They need to be educated about what you offer.
- They need to engage with you in some way.
- They need to get involved in the sales process and become customers.
The “Always be closing” mantra can damage your reputation and your bottom line. Christopher emphasizes that you must be cognizant of moving prospects through the process.
Christopher’s ideal prospecting process Christopher follows a “Lead to Revenue” process. It’s a systematic process from awareness all the way to generating revenue. He’s surprised that many large companies still don’t have a lead to revenue process and they just wing it. But if you can’t measure something, you can't improve it. How many inquiries will you generate? How many will turn into leads? How many will turn into opportunities?
There are 4–7 conversion steps in the revenue generation process. If one part of the process is only operating at 50%, it impacts the output of everything. If you create a process, measure each step, and fix what isn’t working, it can profoundly impact end results.
But Chris believes you also need to differentiate push marketing and pull marketing. One approach is getting people to come to you and converting those people to leads. The other approach is to push and find people. Cold-calling is a form of push marketing. An online search done by a potential customer is pull marketing. You want increased “pull” traffic because it’s less expensive in the long run.
The attributes of a great salesperson Chris notes an effective salesperson needs the ability to take no for an answer without feeling personally rejected. For example, an insurance salesperson makes a $500 commission and on average, closes 1 out of 20 leads. They have to hear “no” 19 times. But what if you look at each sales pitch as making $25? A rejection becomes part of the process to get to a yes.
You also have to leverage contacts. Turn people that you meet online into influencers or advocates for your product or your service—even if they don’t buy themselves. Another attribute is a giving spirit. Focus on serving, not selling. When you adopt that attitude, you can sell more by selling less. It may feel counterintuitive, but it’s true.
Chris points out that this is another biggie: sales reps must apply the principle of reciprocity. You give something to the prospect without expectation. But when you give without expectation, the prospect feels an obligation to do something for you.
What else? You need to develop domain expertise. You need to have knowledge of the industry, what’s happening in it, how connections are made, and what the newest trends are. You want to understand more about the industry than your prospect so you can become a value-add to them. You want to be a resource—not a nuisance.
What other attributes and skills should a salesperson embody? What are Christopher’s top 3 dos and don’ts? Listen to learn more!
Why you NEED a formalized lead generation process 15 years ago, Christopher worked in a software company as the CMO. His sales counterpart was very skeptical about implementing a formal lead generation process. They fought over it a lot. They did end up implementing the process. Within one quarter, he made this guy a believer. He’s a close friend and advocate 15 years later. It takes discipline to apply metrics, measure them, and improve them. Sometimes it takes some pain to get to the right thing. You have to be brave and push what you believe in. You must be persistent to get to the goal.
Resources & People Mentioned * Bravery: An Underrated Virtue for Chief Marketing Officers
Connect with Christopher Ryan * Connect on LinkedIn * Follow on Twitter
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How can a salesperson be a door opener? How can you nail lead generation and prospecting? What do you need to focus on? In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Caryn Copp shares some of her award-winning process—including touching on the 5 Planks of Door-Opening Success. If you’re ready to take your prospecting and lead generation skills to the next level, do not miss this episode!
Caryn Kopp is the Chief Door Opener® and Founder of Kopp Consulting’s award-winning Door Opener® Service. Caryn’s company lands executive-level prospect meetings for their clients using the skills of experienced business developers and superior sales messaging. Kopp has 2 trademarks in Sales Messaging, she co-authored the best seller, Biz Dev Done Right, she is a top 50 Keynote Speaker and had her first cold calling job when she was 11!
Outline of This Episode * [1:04] The difference between prospecting and lead generation * [3:04] Why are both important to the sales process? * [5:04] The 5 Planks of Door-Opening Success * [9:51] The attributes of a great salesperson * [12:05] The skills salespeople need to develop * [14:02] Caryn’s top dos and don’ts of prospecting * [17:10] Why you must be diligent with note-taking
The difference between prospecting and lead generation Caryn points out that lead generation used to be anything to do with inbound lead generation and prospecting. The terms were used interchangeably. Lead generation has become more of a marketing term. It’s associated with sending out mass emails and getting people to raise their hands. The hand-raisers are then supposed to be sorted. One segment gets a phone call from sales. The others go into a drip campaign to lead them to be hand-raisers or influencers in the future.
Prospecting is choosing a group of prospects that need to know about you and approaching them. It may start with an email, a phone call, or an introduction from another customer. You’re engaging in a proactive activity to lead to a conversation.
Lead generation softens a prospect so salespeople are contacting people who already have familiarity with the company, service, or offering. Caryn has done outsourced executive-level “door-opening” for over 20 years. They can get the right meetings without lead generation. But it’s more effective with lead generation.
The 5 Planks of Door-Opening Success Caryn uses lead generation to create awareness with narrow groups of prospects and their influencers. If those leads aren’t ready for a phone call, there needs to be an automated drip campaign to keep them engaged to convert them to being hand-raisers or being influencers. The 5 Planks of Door-Opening Success leads to successful prospecting. If you aren't getting in the right prospects’ doors, you have a problem in one or more of the 5 planks. So what are they?
- You need the right target: 25% of prospects don’t belong on the list. You must choose prospects who feel a sense of urgency (navigating a trigger event), will pay for your services, and find you to be the right solution for them.
- Plan what you’re going to say. What will get a busy executive to clear their calendar for a meeting with you? Especially if they already have a vendor for the solution you offer. They need to feel like it’s the best decision they’ll make all week.
- Have answers for objections. You will get shut down if you don't nail the 3 P’s of prospects’ objections: pre-think, prepare, and practice. What objections might you face? How do you prepare the answers? Can you have answers ready in a split-second?
- You need the right door-opener. Some people are great at having a meeting and closing the sale (hunters). Then they are others who are intuitively great at opening the doors.
- You must execute. Are you the right person to make the calls? Emails? How do you grow the relationship and make a difference? How much time are you spending on generating new revenue and prospecting? An hour or two a week doesn’t cut it.
Caryn believes if you focus on developing and becoming an expert in these 5 planks, you’ll be more successful opening doors, getting leads, and closing sales.
The attributes of a great salesperson Caryn emphasizes that being successful with prospecting and lead generation takes a certain kind of person. You can get training and be better than you are, but you may never love it. Some people have the DNA for sales. Caryn finds these salesmen and women to have an insatiable curiosity for people. They have the ability to be fully present in conversations. They can pivot without being shut down. People that don’t possess that skill may get a prospect on the phone, but they can’t get to the outcome. It’ll be entered in the CRM as “the prospect wasn’t interested” but it might mean they can’t hold their own in a conversation. They are also maniacally methodical. They have to want to put time into this—which not everyone wants to do. What are the top skills to develop? What are Caryn’s prospecting and lead generation dos and don’ts? Listen to learn more!
Why you must be diligent with note-taking When Caryn was doing door-opening for other companies, there was one prospect at a pharmaceutical company that shut her down—but not because she wasn’t interested. They were reorganizing and no new vendors were being considered. She wanted to hold off for 6 months. During their conversation, they ended up chatting about a dog she adopted who was afraid of its water bowl.
Caryn kept diligent notes. She sent this prospect information throughout the 6 months to keep her warm. Right before the 6 months, she hopped on the phone and asked her how her dog was doing. Her prospect couldn’t believe she remembered that detail. It solidified their relationship in a way that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. Caryn’s client got the meeting and the business.
The moral of the story? Take copious notes, review them, and make every phone call and email meaningful. Every touchpoint will either build a relationship or ruin a relationship. Lastly, never miss a follow-up. Set a task reminder and be consistent. Be a constant quality presence in your prospect’s life. To hear the rest of Caryn’s thoughts on prospecting and lead generation, listen to the whole episode!
Resources & People Mentioned * BOOK: Biz Dev Done Right
Connect with Caryn Kopp * Follow on Twitter * Connect on LinkedIn
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What does success look like for you today? How has your definition of success been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic? Have you changed your expectation of success based on the world you’re currently living in? In this special episode of the Sales Reinvented podcast, you’ll hear the first-ever podcast episode exchange. Christie Walters-Herbert and Jeff Bajorek from “The Why and The Buy” podcast reminisce on 2020. They talk about how to change your definition of success and why you would want to in 2021. Don’t miss it!
Outline of This Episode * [4:20] You can’t hit a target you can’t see * [10:10] Modify what success is to recenter your vision * [13:34] What does success look like for me? * [16:48] What do you want?
You can’t hit a target you can’t see What does success look like now? Jeff points out that you must ask yourself this question not only to see new opportunities—but to give yourself some relief. In times of uncertainty, you can’t cling to your previous goals because it may not be fair. But it’s also hard to commit to a new goal. When you know the old one isn’t good enough anymore but can’t commit to a new one, you’re in limbo. You can’t hit a target you can’t see.
Jeff’s spent a lot of time thinking about this question. Is success being able to keep his business open? Is it growing the business? Is it being proud of the work that he’s doing? These questions aren’t necessarily tied to monetary goals but they are guideposts. Have you given yourself permission to determine what your guideposts are?
What does success look like for me? Christie emphasizes that you can’t try to replicate someone else’s success. If you are, you’re going about it the wrong way. You can’t get motivated based on someone else's motivation. You can’t structure a business based on someone else’s structure. You’re not wired the same way as someone else—why base your success on them? You can still gain insight from someone else’s perspective on success and what helps them focus. But you have to define what success looks like for you, which begins by becoming clear on what you want.
For Christie, success looks like doing the right things in her business day in and day out. She’s coaching people to have these conversations with her customers. Personally, it’s about making sure her health is in the right place in case she did catch something. It’s about conversations with her loved ones that are about the life she wants to create.
Define success so you can achieve it Are you proud of the work you’re doing? Are you proud of where you are right now? Are you proud of what you’ve done? That gives you the context for what you believe success is in life. If you set out to accomplish something and you do, you should be proud. But if you don’t have a clear definition of success, it’s hard to be proud because you don’t have a measuring stick. If you don’t have a definition for “when,” how do you know you haven’t already achieved it?
Some people find it difficult to be satisfied or happy with any point that they’ve reached in their life. Some people downplay what they’ve accomplished. They think they should’ve accomplished more. It’s all because of the story you tell yourself. On paper, everything looks great. You’ve accomplished a lot. But because you weren’t clear on what was enough, you may not feel successful.
Is it necessary to spend another night working? Or could you take that time and spend it with your family? Because in reality, you’ve accomplished a tremendous amount and it’s not going to fall apart because you put your attention on a different portion of your life that is just as important. That’s a struggle that a lot of people have.
What is important right now? Many people are unemployed or underemployed trying to find their next step. There’s so much weight that comes when you feel like you’re not living up to your potential. It’s why you need to understand what is important right now. If you take a job that’s less than what your level of success would demand under normal circumstances, define what your success is. Are you providing for your family? Are you keeping your skills sharp until the right job opens up? Does the job provide you connections?
Ask yourself these three questions: Where are you going? What’s the ultimate objective and goal? What does that translate into for success today? You must adjust your perspective. If you cannot define success, you cannot achieve it. Spend your time reframing those concepts and things will become clear.
If you’re willing, share them with us. We may just share a book and some swag with you!
Resources & People Mentioned * Join “The Why and The Buy” Community
Connect with Jeff Bajorek * Connect on LinkedIn * Follow on Twitter
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Jeff Bajorek believes that prospecting is so much more of the sales process than people give it credit for. He emphasizes that “Prospecting is understanding your message from the get-go. Prospecting is creating tension. Prospecting is demonstrating your expertise.” Success with prospecting relies completely on being someone worth talking to with something worth talking about. Listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented to hear Jeff share his thoughts on the prospecting and lead generation process.
Jeff Bajorek is a consultant, coach, author, and podcast host. He helps sales teams perform better by helping them to rethink the way they sell. Jeff’s latest book, “Rethink the Way You Sell: When It Goes Sideways” was written during the Coronavirus pandemic, intending to remind salespeople of what’s important. Success with prospecting relies completely on being someone worth talking to with something worth talking about.
Outline of This Episode * [1:07] The difference between prospecting and lead generation * [2:25] Why are they so important to the sales process? * [4:20] There isn’t a one-size-fits-all prospecting process * [6:18] Attributes + skills for a salesperson to develop * [11:25] Jeff’s top 3 dos and don’ts * [15:10] Do what works for you—not what you’re told is “right”
Why you NEED numerous leads in your pipeline Jeff points out that if you don’t have any pipeline, it changes everything else that you do in the sales process. When there are fewer deals to be worked, every deal becomes exponentially more important. When you feel like they’re more important than they need to be, you make bad decisions. You give away value when you don’t need to.
Jeff also points out that it’s more productive to sell when you can do the right things for the right reason. What if you could be the same person all the time? Jeff made more sales when he wasn’t pushing to reach his goals. He was a different person towards the end of every month and every year. He wanted to keep being that person. Pipeline gives you the sense of security that you need and allows you to be who you want to be as a salesperson. You can negotiate harder when you have a solid pipeline.
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all prospecting process Jeff’s gut reaction is that you can't describe the ideal process because there isn’t one that applies to everyone. Too many salespeople are looking to paint by numbers and you just can’t do it. When you start with the solution to the problem in mind and work backward with the most effective way for you to do prospect, you get more creative. You take more risks and have more fun. When you get too tied up in “this is how this has to be done” it leads to poorer results. Jeff emphasizes that if you spend less time worrying about doing it the right way, you’d spend more time doing it effectively.
Attributes + skills for a salesperson to develop Jeff notes that you have to be willing to think on your feet and ask questions you don’t know the answer to. It encourages a collaborative environment where you can answer questions together. You can’t be truly curious if you’re not willing to be wrong. So leave your assumptions at the door. Don’t bully your prospect around by asking questions they don’t know the answer to—but you do. When you are manipulating your prospect with questions, they will know it.
Sellers could also learn to be more empathetic. Put yourself in your prospect’s shoes and appreciate your own messaging from their point of view. How would you feel receiving that email or being asked that question? It’s why you need to have your messaging down. Is curiosity built into your questions? Does it relate to the solution? Are you being empathetic? Is everything tailored to the person you’re talking to?
When you’re confident in the story you’re telling and the way you solve problems, you feel confident. Jeff calls it swagger. You know you’re putting your best work out there every day. You know you’re doing the work you need to do to generate results regardless of when that is. Context and perspective are often missed. What are you trying to accomplish and how are you getting your message across?
Do what works for you—not what you’re told Jeff feels—because he runs his own business and he’s a very opinionated person—that he’s held to a higher standard. He often feels judged for how he does things. He gets several people referred to him regularly and always has leads in his pipeline. He doesn’t work the phones often. He doesn’t have an email sequence ready to go. He found himself feeling guilt for not having the perfect lead generation sequences in place. But he’s already effective. He pointed out that he got so tied up in doing things “the right way”, that he forgot that the work was being done.
There are top performers out there who are insecure about the way they’re performing. If your business is growing and you’re outperforming your peers, remember: the problem you’re trying to solve is more important than the way you solve it. The solution is paramount. Are you solving the problems? Jeff points out that at the end of the day an opportunity is an opportunity. Don’t focus too much on how you accomplished it. Instead, recognize what you’re doing well.
Resources & People Mentioned * Mike Weinberg
Connect with Jeff Bajorek * Connect on LinkedIn * Follow on Twitter * The Five Forgotten Fundamentals of Prospecting * Rethink the Way You Sell: When It Goes Sideways
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What is the key to driving more leads into your pipeline? How does prospecting become something you enjoy—not a chore? Joanne Black believes it’s through referral-driven lead generation. It’s a game-changer that most salespeople don’t know how to properly employ. Joanne shares the details in this episode of Sales Reinvented. Don’t miss it!
Joanne Black is America’s leading authority on referral selling, a sales contrarian, and the author of No More Cold Calling and Pick Up the Damn Phone! She works with sales organizations to build a referral culture, ensure a qualified pipeline, and get the one-call meeting.
Outline of This Episode * [0:50] The difference between prospecting and lead generation * [1:59] Why are they so important? * [2:37] Joanne’s referral-driven lead generation system * [5:23] Salespeople must be relationship builders * [9:51] Why you should improve your LinkedIn skills * [11:35] Joanne’s top 3 dos and top 3 don’ts * [13:48] Referral-driven lead generation drives revenue
Joanne’s referral-driven lead generation system Joanne uses a referral selling system that includes strategy, metrics, skills, and accountability. Every salesperson loves referrals. The conversion rate is more than 50%. What they’re usually missing is a reliable process where metrics are set to get referrals. Joanne notes that sales leaders think they’re doing a good job with referrals. But the reality is that referrals are few and far between.
So she points out that they’re not leveraging one area that would be a game-changer: When you talk about lead generation, who is better to refer to you than your clients? You’ve built relationships with them. Your business, product, or service has helped them achieve results. The problem is that they don’t know what to do and salespeople don’t know how to ask.
You have to start with a strategy around referral selling. What outcome do you expect? You have to be committed to making referrals your #1 outbound approach. You have to measure it, set KPIs, build the skills of your sales team, and teach them how to ask for a referral and get an introduction. Then you make sure they’re accountable to a result. Because without accountability, nothing changes.
Build relationships to build trust You need to be relationship builders—not sales pitchers. Salespeople pitch and cold email in every means possible. But we already know that pitches don’t work. It’s why the sales profession has gotten a bad name. Customers buy because of the relationship and trust they have with you. Without a relationship, the rest doesn’t matter. The research shows that trust is important but only 18% of buyers said they trust salespeople.
If a client agrees to refer someone to you, you help walk them through what that process looks like. Typically, they call or email their connection and say “I’d love for you to talk to Paul Watts, and here’s why…” This person will trust your client, trust that they won’t waste their time, and that they’re a credible resource. The trust transfers to you.
Good salespeople also need patience, persistence, and a good contact strategy. How are you going to stay in touch? What insights can you share?
Why you should improve your LinkedIn skills Joanne emphasizes that you need LinkedIn skills. LinkedIn is a place to begin a conversation and build a relationship—not to pitch. She recommends sending a personalized invitation to make a personal connection. It’s also a great place to begin insightful conversations if you’re really good at asking questions. There is so much news coming in and so many things to talk about. What is going on that you can educate yourself on so you can engage in conversation with your prospect? You build an amazing relationship, learn what they’re looking for, and schedule the next call.
Referral-driven lead generation drives revenue A sales VP came to Joanne with a problem. She needed to drive revenue faster. So what did Joanne recommend? That they implement a referral system. In less than two months of implementing the new lead generation system, they drove 26 opportunities into their CRM. Joanne points out that it reinforces the fact that people aren’t systematically getting referrals. There’s a huge opportunity to close the gap with referral-driven selling. Listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented to learn more!
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Tony Hughes works with companies all over the world and the universal problem that he sees is that no one has enough leads in their sales pipeline. The problem is that if you don’t create opportunities, you have nothing to close. All of your other sales skills are moot if you can’t apply them. So how do you generate leads? What should your prospecting process look like? How can you leverage technology and trigger events to get your foot in the door? Tony Hughes shares his process in this episode of Sales Reinvented!
Tony Hughes has 35+ years of corporate and sales leadership experience. Tony is a renowned speaker, independent consultant, and bestselling author. He recently wrote Combo Prospecting: The Powerful One-Two Punch That Fills Your Pipeline and Wins Sales and has another book in the pipeline.
Outline of This Episode * [1:16] Lead generation and prospecting: What’s the difference? * [2:51] Why are these processes so important? * [4:34] Tony’s ideal prospecting and lead generation process * [8:35] Firmographics, psychographics, and technographics * [11:28] The attributes a salesperson needs for success * [15:37] The skillsets that a salesperson should develop * [17:41] Chad’s top 3 prospecting dos and don’ts * [20:45] Why you need to monitor trigger events
KNOW Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and Buyer Personas Tony emphasizes that everyone needs to know their ICP and buyer personas before you can start prospecting. You also have to be honest about product-market fit. The entire world is not a prospect. You need to apply time and expertise where it will help people the most and deliver the best result for you and your company.
You start by creating a target list of companies. Then you must understand buyer personas. What individuals will you be selling to? Decision-makers or influencers? What matters to them? What pushback will they give? What phrasing and language works for them? You get about 7 seconds before someone wants you off the phone, so you have to use that time well.
Then you need to nail your conversation narrative + value messaging. No one wants more tech. They don’t want another vendor to manage. They don’t want another change project. So why do salespeople talk about that stuff? Make the conversation about that person and their opportunity to improve results in their role.
Firmographics, psychographics, and technographics Tony shares that firmographics are the attributes of the organization at the most basic level. What is their industry? Their size? Psychographics questions if they are in growth mode, crisis mode, etc? With technographics, you want to research the tech the organizations are using. Every salesperson needs to develop what Tony calls TQ or the Technology Quotient (like IQ and EQ). You have to be able to wrangle the tech stack. Plus, it’s important to understand what tech your product could be replacing.
Organizations in startup mode may be using Hubspot. If you’re a Salesforce rep, you want to look for companies who are using Hubspot and who have recently done a capital raise (the trigger event). Tony recommends using headless browsing, trigger event monitoring platforms, and Sales Navigator to find a common trusted relationship. Then you can make the sales call on a warm lead. Trigger events combined with referrals give you the highest probability and fastest path to new customer revenue.
Develop your Technology Quotient (TQ) COVID has accelerated the 4th industrial revolution. Tony believes that if you aren't concerned about the bots coming for your job, you’re asleep at the wheel. That’s why it’s so important that you leverage technology to automate your reach.
Tony emphasizes that you need to be masterful at talking the language of leaders. Talk about the client’s opportunity to improve results in their role. You need genuine insights and a worthwhile point of view. Unless you hook their interest and back it with legitimate insights, you won’t be successful.
You need to develop TQ and use technologies really well. Get masterfully good at using your own CRM. Learn to use Sales Navigator well to monitor for trigger events. When something changes with prospects, you need to know. People treat tech like a gym membership—they pay for it but never really use it. But Tony emphasizes you can’t struggle trying to use the basic technology.
Why you need to monitor trigger events Tony was in London last year and was working with 80+ people. He was talking about the power of trigger events and referrals. On day two, the head of customer success asked to share a story. In the last two years, they’d lost 7 clients in Europe. They lost those accounts because a new senior person joined the organizations and they didn’t develop relationships with them. Another salesperson swooped in and developed the relationship and snagged their clients from under their noses.
Trigger events are insanely powerful. If someone is coming in and replacing the C-suite executive you have a relationship with, develop a relationship with them—while staying connected with the person on their way out. Congratulate them as they move into their new role somewhere else. In that way, you’re cultivating two relationships where you may have had none if you hadn’t monitored the trigger event.
Resources & People Mentioned * Sales Navigator * Salesforce State of Sales Report
Connect with Tony Hughes * Tony Hughes Website * Follow on Twitter * Connect on LinkedIn
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According to Brynne Tillman, lead generation and prospecting are both top of the funnel drivers—and the top of the funnel drives all business. If you don’t have opportunities in the door, it doesn’t matter how good your product is. It doesn’t matter how good of a salesperson you are. If you don’t have the first conversation, you won't make a sale. Brynne believes the power lies in warm connections. Listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented to hear her take!
Brynne Tillman is the CEO of Social Sales Link and a LinkedIn Whisperer who teaches business development professionals on how to convert content and connections to conversations. Through her warm marketing prospecting philosophy, she guides sales leaders to leverage the power of LinkedIn to attract, teach, and engage their buyers, ultimately starting relationships with a high level of credibility.
Outline of This Episode * [0:56] The difference between prospecting and lead generation * [1:30] Why are both processes so important? * [2:09] Brynne’s LinkedIn prospecting process * [5:35] You have to master the ask/offer ratio * [8:33] Detach from reaching your goals * [11:58] Top 3 prospecting dos and don’ts * [13:46] The power of warm connections
Brynne’s genius LinkedIn prospecting process Brynne prefers prospecting with warm leads. You have already established a high level of credibility and it isn’t a climb to prove that you and your business are worthy of a conversation. Bryne notes that the challenging part is asking clients to send referrals your way. Many of them can’t think of anyone right off the bat. But they say “If I think of anyone, I’ll send them your way.” Occasionally, they get those referrals.
Brynne believes that process needs to be accelerated. LinkedIn allows you to do that. Before you speak with your client, run a filter search on their connections, and identify people that might be a good fit for your business. Now you can ask your client, “Can I run this list by you and get your insights on these people?” From there, maybe you could narrow it down to 8 people that would know your prospect and take your call. Then get their permission to use their name in the conversation. With one simple process, Brynne points out that you could have 8 people to reach out to, 4 of which can become phone calls.
You have to master the ask/offer ratio Brynne points out that with prospecting, you have to be comfortable asking. You have to be able to have conversations with people. You also have to earn the right to get to the ask. To do that, you have to master the ask/offer ratio. Bryne emphasizes that everything you do in sales is an ask. You’re asking someone to accept a connection, read a piece of content, take a phone call, watch a video, etc. At the end of the consumption, you can do one of three things:
- A bait and switch: This is an immediate pitch. No one wants that. Don’t make the title better than the information.
- Neutral: This doesn’t hurt your reputation but there is no compelling reason to engage.
- Compelled to react: The prospect shares something, accepts a request, asks a question, or asks for more information.
What are you doing that compels them to take your call?
Why you should detach from reaching your goals Brynne recommends you learn the ability to detach from reaching your goals and attach to helping the prospect or customers’ reach theirs. Your prospects can smell commission breath. They can tell when you’re pushing to make a sale OR if you’re seeking to provide value.
You should only make the sale when you know that the solution is right based on what you’ve learned about the prospect. It’s not easy to do when you have sales goals and KPIs to hit. It’s hard to measure this skill from an organizational perspective. It’s a tough but important shift.
Michael Port wrote the book, “Book Yourself Solid” which was a revelation for Brynne. In the book, he says “Give away so much value that you’re afraid you gave too much—and then give more.” The ability to give is a skill. Salespeople were taught NOT to give things away for free. But you have to be a resource and provide insights for them. If they can learn more from Google than your sales call, you will lose.
What are Brynne’s top lead generation and prospecting dos and don’ts? Listen to find out!
Brynne demonstrates the power of warm connections 8 years ago, when Brynne was building out her program, she found one of her clients (Rob) was connected to one of her largest prospects. She had spent years trying to connect with this person. So she asked her client how they knew each other and if he’d be open to making an introduction. He said “absolutely.” Within 20 minutes, she had a response from her prospect with a meeting time.
She showed up and he said, “go.” So she asked how she got the meeting and he said “If Rob asks me to do something, I’m doing it. He’s one of my favorite people.” Brynne said, “If I can show you how to get your commercial lenders in the door the same way, would you be interested?” He looked at his calendar, set a meeting with her, and asked “By the way, how much?” It was the fastest sale she ever made. She leveraged her warm connection and realized, “Why prospect any other way?” Warm connections are so much easier. Hear all of her thoughts by listening to the whole episode!
Resources & People Mentioned * Gap Selling by Keenan * Selling from the Heart by Larry Levine * Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port
Connect with Brynne Tillman * Social Sales Link * Connect on LinkedIn * Follow on Twitter
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How do you get better prospecting results? What is the best and easiest way to bring in leads? How do prospecting and lead generation play valuable roles in the sales process? In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Chad Burmeister shares how he pairs innovative thinking with leading technology to get better prospecting results.
Chad Burmeister is the CEO of ScaleX AI which aims to solve salespeople’s pipeline problems. Chad’s goal is to empower sales professionals to become the best version of themselves by focusing on their mindset, skillset, and toolset. Don’t miss his valuable take on the lead generation and prospecting process.
Outline of This Episode * [0:51] The difference between prospecting and lead generation * [2:08] Why are they important? * [3:21] Chad’s perfected prospecting process * [5:26] Success relates directly to your level of EQ—not IQ * [7:35] Get comfortable being “Iron Man” * [8:38] Chad’s top 3 do’s and don’ts * [10:48] Why you NEED to be different
Why both prospecting and lead generation are valuable Chad sees prospecting as getting a list and making emails, phone calls, or social connections. It’s marketing outward. Lead generation is more along the lines of creating content—like a podcast episode—that you drop out on social channels, email, etc. Prospecting is a brute-force technique and lead generation is finessed.
Chad emphasizes that lead generation is hugely valuable. If you can become your own marketing department and create your own content, you can be a thought leader and expert in your space. You’ll get personal inbound leads to yourself—not just your business. It’s a combination of brute-force and flow of inbound leads.
Chad’s ScaleX prospecting process Chad’s company has perfected the prospecting process. They pull 1,000 leads a month. They then have a virtual assistant execute 3,000–5,000 emails against that list of people. Then they automate social outreach and do 50,000 impressions through paid ads against the same people. They just added the ability to send Vidyard or Loom videos to the top 100 prospects as well. It’s the brute-force prospecting that’s 80% automated and 20% human-driven.
For Chad, the lead generation process means jumping into a monthly meeting where he records video for an hour plus. That one video gets chopped into 60 to 90-second segments that get pushed out onto his social channels. That alone brings in 2–3 leads a day.
Success relates directly to your level of EQ—not IQ Chad points out that the level of success you have prospecting relates directly to your level of EQ—not IQ. When you’re selling to a certain part of the market, what are their triggers? What is their emotional process? It needs to be natural for your audience to understand. Park Howell teaches a simple process: You set the context, then you use “and” to raise the stakes, then “but”, and “therefore.” You can use this for anything you’re selling. It’s a simple approach to mapping your audience to your solution. You have to put out content that hits home and gets people to take a specific action. Chad shares a specific example—listen to hear him drive the point home.
How do you get better results? Be different. At the beginning of the pandemic, one of Chad’s customers called him. One of the companies she did PR for was ordered to switch their apparel production over to mask production. So they printed 100 million masks and sold them all to Amazon in one week. She knew she could continue to do well from a commission perspective. So she asked Chad to help her come up with an approach for selling masks.
So they got together and recorded a 43-second voicemail. They then pulled a list of 1,200 heads of procurement from Fortune 2,000 companies and left them voicemails for 2 days straight. She got 3–5 returned calls per hour. 70% of the time they didn't even listen to the message but still called back.
What Chad learned is that you have to get the right person on the phone. His client sold $10 million worth of masks in 6–8 weeks. There were hundreds of other companies out there selling masks that did emails, social outreach, and other traditional means. The moral of the story? You have to be different than everyone else or you’re going to get the same results.
Resources & People Mentioned * Vidyard * Loom * The Business of Story * Cognism * ZoomInfo * SalesIntel * Bella+Canvas
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Why are both lead generation and prospecting important functions of sales? Have you ever closed a deal that wasn’t in your pipeline? What are you doing if you aren’t prospecting? Prospecting and lead generation are the lifeline to your sales pipeline, according to the guest on this episode of Sales Reinvented—Mary Growth.
She emphasizes that you need a certain amount of deals in your pipeline that—when divided by your close rate—help you meet your goals. You have to know what you need to do to hit your number. If you need to hit $1million in sales and you have a 25% close rate, you need $4 million of qualified leads in your pipeline. That’s why it’s so important to have a plan. Learn all about Mary’s process in this episode.
Mary Grothe is a former #1 MidMarket B2B Sales Rep who after selling millions in revenue and breaking multiple records, formed Sales BQ®. Her 8-year B2B midmarket sales career required daily prospecting efforts. She was the first rep to embed social selling and custom events into her lead gen process to diversify the funnel from just telemarketing and email prospecting.
Outline of This Episode * [1:24]The interplay between prospecting and lead generation * [3:07] Mary’s in-depth prospecting process * [8:57] If you’re not passionate about it—don’t do it * [11:51] Skills salespeople need to develop * [14:13] Mary’s lead generation and prospecting dos and don’ts * [17:16] Why you must always start with a plan
Mary’s in-depth prospecting process Mary believes in a world where sales and marketing work together. Her 8 years in a mid-market B2B sales job taught her that revenue generation needs to come from sales and marketing working together.
Mary’s ideal process starts with marketing. It starts with a well defined Ideal Client Profile (ICP). Who are your key buyer personas? Who do you want your clients to be? Be as targeted and niche as possible. You need to know their language to emotionally align with them. Then you create content to help the buyer educate themselves. It’s not a “spray and pray” approach anymore.
Secondly, Mary emphasizes that you have to use marketing attraction methods that work. You need actual social engagement with your audience. You need an SEO and content strategy. Interview your buyers and learn the long-tail key phrases that they’re plugging into search engines. Then produce unbelievable content that helps drive them through your content. You build trust and credibility to the point that they are compelled to work with you.
Then you look at paid traffic. Find any way to supplement your lead funnel. There are television and radio ads, telemarketing, email marketing, and even podcasts. You can host virtual events like webinars or LinkedIn Live events. There are many ways that salespeople can educate buyers.
Make your website the main conversion point. You want sales and marketing working together to take a targeted approach. The goal is to get buyers to land on the website and adjust and tweak it for the highest conversion rate possible. You need to implement calls to action, opt-ins, chatbots, etc. The site needs to be about how you serve your customer. Don’t let your website fail you.
Lastly, you need to have a defined process and plan to manage the inbound leads so nothing falls through the cracks. Define the process for marketing and sales engagement to make sure no one drops the ball.
If you’re not passionate about it—don’t do it Mary believes that you need to be passionate about prospecting. If you don’t have the energy and passion that’s necessary, you shouldn’t be in a role where you’re responsible for it. You either have the DNA of a hunter or you don’t. Not everyone is built to handle rejection and it can be energy-draining. You’ll be mediocre at best and won’t see results.
Mary points out that there are sales roles where prospecting responsibilities fall on a marketing team or BDR/SDR teams. A lot of salespeople are account executives that take those leads through high-level qualification, discovery, proposal, and close. Not every salesperson should be in prospecting. Some are better built for account management.
Conversely, if your role requires you to get deals in the pipeline, you and you alone are responsible. Don’t blame marketing for a lack of leads. Own the number yourself. Let marketing, SDR, and BDR teams be the icing on the cake. If you want to be a top sales performer, you won’t get there without prospecting. Take it upon yourself to be successful. What are other skills you can develop to be more successful? Listen to hear Mary’s advice.
Ingrain prospecting into your long-term memory A salesperson has to be willing to speak the prospects’ language—not their own. Mary notes that you must convert your language to make their lives better. Be the master of a day in your prospect’s life. You have to be exceptional at your craft, which means learning how to have meaningful conversations with prospects.
What is another key to becoming exceptional? Practice. Do it 100+ times. Practice on anyone and everyone. Do what you need to do to become proficient. Make the outbound call so comfortable for you that you can do it in your sleep.
Do AB testing with your emails. Look at your responses and see how people are—or aren’t—engaging with what you’re sending out. Monitor your social media and how you’re engaging with your audience.
When salespeople are under pressure, they resort to what is stored in their long-term memory. You have to practice these skills so they’re ingrained in your memory and become second nature. Mary shares a story about the importance of planning—don’t miss it.
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Do you struggle with prospecting and lead generation? Is getting a meeting with a potential customer like pulling teeth? Cory Bray believes the struggle is often because you aren’t giving your prospecting a compelling offer. No one is going to be enticed by a sales meeting. A sales meeting may even be a deterrent. What does Cory recommend doing instead? He shares advice, strategies, and tactics to navigate the process in this episode of Sales Reinvented. Don’t miss it!
Cory Bray is the Managing Director at ClozeLoop. Cory has built high-performing sales teams in industries that range from manufacturing to technology. He knows what works in practice, not just in theory. He’s a high-value advisor to multiple accelerators, bestselling author of 6 books, and a dynamic keynote speaker who has spoken all over the world. He’s passionate about making sales accessible, actionable, and scalable with Fast Frameworks.
Outline of This Episode * [0:56] Why prospecting and lead generation matter * [2:41] Give your prospect a compelling offer * [4:54] Learn to be resilient—and set negative goals * [6:39] Skill to develop: Conversations with strangers * [8:42] Top 3 prospecting dos and don’ts * [11:13] Learn resilience in the face of a “no”
Give your prospect a compelling offer Cory notes that you need to achieve the right amount of volume with the least amount of effort. Effort can be measured by human time and the amount of capital deployed. If you have spikes in leads, it can be overwhelming to your team. So you need consistent lead volume over time so the organization can handle it.
Cory sees prospecting as human-assisted marketing. It’s targeted. With any good effort, you’re offering someone something a prospect can accept or reject. But most salespeople make a mistake when prospecting. They’re offering a sales meeting—which isn’t compelling at all. When Cory is prospecting, he offers them one of his books. It’s compelling and something of actual value. It's a touch that gets them into the funnel. The bottom line? Offer people something that they actually want.
Casinos and negative goals: what do they have in common? The expected value in a casino is negative—unless you’re the house. But when you’re in a casino, you’ll win hands at a Blackjack table, spins at a slot machine, or rolls at a craps table. Casinos do that to keep you in the game. Cory shares “Unfortunately, when you’re making cold calls or you’re sending a lot of prospecting emails, you don’t have that luxury of having those intermittent wins designed to keep you around. So you have to create them for yourself.”
How do you do that? A great tactic is to set negative goals—which sounds counter-intuitive. If you’re supposed to make 75 calls a day, make your goal to get 74 “nos” a day. Along the way to that goal, you may just get a yes. You focus on the negative goals so when the positive one comes, it’s a bonus.
Cory emphasizes that salespeople have to be able to handle rejection and bounce back from every “no.” Salespeople often aren’t liked. Cory had someone tell him once, “I already have a mother, I don’t need anyone else to think I’m the greatest person in the world.” Some people aren’t naturally great at rejection—but you can learn to handle it.
The #1 skill to develop: good conversations with strangers Cory believes that you need to develop the ability to have a good conversation with a stranger about a topic that they’re more of an expert at than you are. So many salespeople get overwhelmed with the idea of needing to be a subject matter expert in everything. Cory emphasizes that shouldn’t be your goal or even a concern.
Whoever you’re calling will have more subject matter expertise than you will. It’s not a competition. Instead, Cory recommends becoming an expert at having conversations around topics you’re NOT comfortable with. Can you navigate a conversation without feeling like you’re under a ton of pressure? What other skills should you develop? What are Cory’s top 3 prospecting and lead generation dos and don’ts? Listen to hear Cory’s thoughts.
Learn resilience in the face of a “no” The first big deal Cory closed started with a solid “no.” But after the meeting, Cory came up with another idea. So he created a 4-minute video for the Senior VP. When he contacted the VP he said, “It sounds like there’s not a great opportunity for us to work together based on our last conversation. Here are 4 minutes to review another idea that I had.”
His response? “This is really interesting—let’s meet.” That’s how Cory closed the biggest deal his company had ever made. He learned that you must be resilient and don’t take no as the end of the sales process. No might just be a roadblock or an invitation for further conversation.
When you get a “no”, put them in your long-term nurture pipeline. Don’t lose sight of them. You can figure out how to use them as an asset in the future. To hear the rest of Cory’s prospecting and lead generation wisdom—listen to the whole episode!
Resources & People Mentioned * Go for No! by Andrea Waltz
Connect with Cory Bray * Connect on LinkedIn * ClozeLoop
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Persistence is one of the best things a salesperson can do to achieve successful prospecting, according to Kristie Jones. Lead generation and prospecting are a long game and there are skills that a salesperson needs to develop to be successful in these areas. What are they? How can you improve your prospecting and lead generation skills? Kristie shares her tips + tactics in this episode of Sales Reinvented. Check it out!
Kristie Jones is the go-to expert for SaaS companies wanting to build or scale their sales teams. Her 19+ years as a Sales Leader in the SaaS space fuels her passion to help businesses increase revenue through improved strategy, process, and people. She coaches everything from sales process and strategy to hiring and training Sales and Success Reps.
Outline of This Episode * [1:01] The difference between prospecting and lead generation * [3:01] Consistency + persistence is key in the process * [3:46] The skillsets a salesperson NEEDS to develop * [7:11] Why follow-through is so important * [9:17] Kristie’s favorite story: persistence in action
Lead gen is a long game Kristie defines lead gen as playing the long game. You need to ensure that prospects are aware of your company. Lead gen is usually owned by the marketing team and is more of one-way communication. Prospecting is a two-way communication that is specific and targeted to customers in a personal and customized way. The goal is to get off the “maybe” pile and get into the “Yes/No” pile.
Closing deals is all about timing. Even if a company is a good fit for you, they may not need your product or service now. So you need to embrace persistence and continue to add value and stay in front of the prospect until they’re ready to purchase. Kristie’s goal is to keep leads as warm pizza until they’re ready to move forward. You want to make sure they don’t go back to frozen pizza. The end goal is qualification. Until then, make sure marketing is keeping the “not right nows (NRNs)” in the lead generation funnel.
The skillsets a salesperson NEEDS to develop Kristie emphasizes that salespeople need to have discipline and persistence. They need to block time in their calendar and build out time to prospect. Prospecting may be the red-headed step-child of sales—but a necessary evil. It’s one of the most important activities you need to be consistent with. Putting new deals in the funnel is 100% in your control. You have to be consistent and persistent. Consistently fill the top of your funnel. Make sure you are persistent with your NRN list and follow up with them regularly.
The qualification process is also important. Clients call her and say “deals are stalling out” and what she finds is that there's stalling out because they shouldn’t have been in the pipeline in the first place. You need a formal nurture strategy for your NRN’s to keep them warm. A lot of the messaging is all about you, your product, and your service. It isn’t about helping the client and making their life easier. Turn that around. Prospecting “Has to be all about them, before it can be all about you before it can be all about us.”
The importance of follow-through Kristie emphasizes that you can’t just “wing it.” You need a plan. The reason that prospecting automation tools exist is that everyone is great at starting the prospecting process—but not following through. Every time 4 days go by and you haven’t touched a prospect, you’re starting back at zero. Winging it is NOT a good strategy. It means you don’t have a strategy. You will be disorganized. There’s more noise than ever out there. If you’re not constantly in someone’s “face” they won’t remember you. She also points you that you can’t think a full pipeline means you don’t have to prospect anymore.
Kristie’s favorite story: persistence in action Kristie had a prospect she was trying to qualify who fit her customer profile perfectly. He would be her ideal client. She went after him 100%. He was playing along, then he went under. She let him go back into the wild and went back after him months later—with no luck.
So she started digging around. She went on Twitter and found out he was a Belgium beer lover—Kristie is too. So she sent her next email with the title: How about we grab a blue moon together? That got her the meeting. She learned that she was becoming part of the noise. She wasn’t separating herself. She had to dig deeper and get personal.
Her LinkedIn account is all business. But Twitter is business + personal. Most people on LinkedIn recognize that it’s a professional networking platform and behave accordingly. Twitter is like going to a bar with someone. You get a sense of who they are as a whole. That’s where the personalization can occur. The minute it’s on social media, it’s public. Twitter is fair game.
Resources & People Mentioned * Outreach * SalesLoft * Hubspot
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Do you have a plan for lead generation? Do you have an organized approach to prospecting? Have you developed the necessary skills to be successful with lead generation and prospecting? Adam Snider has a tried and true process that he follows wholeheartedly. Listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented as he shares some tips + strategies for salespeople to stay relevant and craft their approach.
Adam Snider currently leads a B2B sales department, owns Leading Sales Results, is a Coach with The Sales Rebellion, and a Trainer with Quota International. He is also a frequent contributor to The Sales Expert Channel. Adam is passionate about changing the negative stereotypes of sales professionals. Don’t miss out on his 19+ years of experience.
Outline of This Episode * [1:00] The concept of prospecting and lead generation * [1:39] Why both practices are essential to sales * [2:25] Adam’s prospecting and lead generation process * [5:20] Characteristics that make a salesperson great at lead gen * [7:50] Top 3 lead generation + prospecting dos and don’ts * [10:42] The importance of sharing a relevant message
Adam’s prospecting and lead gen process Adam emphasizes that effective prospecting needs to start with a plan. Where are your leads coming from? Where are your customers? How will you find leads? How will you engage with your market?
Once you answer those questions, you need to organize your approach to generating leads. How do you plan to engage with potential customers on LinkedIn or other platforms and mediums? Perhaps you could target specific companies or contacts. Once you have an understanding of where your leads are, you should organize what Adam likes to call a “suspect list.”
Organize who you want to engage with. He recommends a list of a minimum of 100 and a maximum of 200 on your list at any given time. You want to feed the suspect list continually and continuously pull from it. Acclimate yourself with the companies and people, do your research.
Then you organize a daily prospecting plan. What prospecting are you going to do each day? You could make 50 calls on Monday, go to a networking event on Tuesday, or send target letters to C-level executives on Wednesday. Whatever you do, you need to set a plan and follow it.
Salespeople need to be inquisitive Salespeople need to be tenacious. They need to learn to not take things personally. Some salespeople are born with traits such as extrovertedness, which is helpful. But you can also learn them. The #1 skillset Adam believes a salesperson needs is being inquisitive.
Adam notes that before a military force storms enemy lines, they research and plan to increase the chance of success. If your only reason to call a potential customer is to talk to them about your product or service—do not speak to them. Get inquisitive and find out a reason to call besides selling yourself and your company.
Adam’s top 3 lead generation dos and don’ts Adam shares some tips to help you improve your prospecting skills:
- Do it. Prospect, even if you’re not good at it. You’ll get better and you’ll increase your chance of success.
- Follow up with your prospects. Don’t write one email or leave one message. The more you become recognized by the person you’re trying to get in touch with, the better chance you have of connecting with them.
- Do your research. Know who you’re calling, what they do, and what they oversee. What industry are they in? Who are their vendors? What about their competitors?
- Don’t talk about yourself. Adam believes this so strongly that he created a t-shirt that says “Me, me, me—who cares.” Don’t make it about yourself.
- Don’t be cocky. It comes from insecurity. Balance the insecurity you may feel with research and a reason to call.
- Don’t give up. You will have bad calls, bad days, and bad door knocks. It’s a race of the tortoise—not the hare. You have to be persistent and tenacious.
The importance of sharing a relevant message Adam was coaching someone on his team who was struggling with prospecting. This person was doing all of the right activities. He was organized, tenacious, and worked hard to grow his pipeline. But he wasn’t getting results. So to diagnose the problem, Adam listened in on one of his sales calls.
Adam noticed that the call was 100% salesy. His team member was even asked if it was a sales call, to which he sheepishly responded “yes.” Adam felt for him. Adam took the next call and ended up leaving a message. He believes you should always leave a message. If you don’t, what reason do they have to call back?
The message he left was a relevant piece of information based on a regulation that came down in this person’s industry. He mentioned how the regulation would tie into the potential client’s business. He said he’d like to have a conversation about the plans they’re making based on this new regulation. Then he ended the voicemail.
Adam was confident that the team member learned new skills. Even better, they got a call back. That rarely happens—even with a good voicemail. The moral of the story? Leaving something as impersonal as a voicemail—if it’s relevant to the listener—increases your chances of getting a call back.
Always remember: What do they want to hear? What’s important for customers? The relevance of your message is essential to your success.
Resources & People Mentioned * Quota International * The Sales Experts Channel
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How do you save time, get results, and avoid burning your lists? How do you get results from cold emails? Kim Albee believes that it’s by knowing your perfect potential customer and providing them value. In this episode of the Sales Reinvented podcast, she shares her expertise in prospecting and lead generation. Don’t miss it!
Kim Albee founded her company Genoo, as well as the B2B Online Marketing Group on LinkedIn. Kim helps you attract quality leads, and establish the engagement necessary for sustained growth. She does this by providing practical strategies and integrated tools that maximize resources, energy, and return on investment.
Outline of This Episode * [0:56] The difference between prospecting and lead generation * [1:39] Why are these concepts important? * [2:08] Know your perfect potential customer * [4:11] The attributes a salesperson should embrace * [5:16] Skills that a salesperson should develop * [6:56] Kim’s 3 prospecting and lead generation dos and don’ts * [8:46] Kim’s favorite prospecting + lead gen story
Successful lead generation = knowing your perfect potential customer Kim believes that prospecting is looking for your perfect fit. Ideally, your perfect fit is a buying opportunity—they’re at the bottom of the funnel. Lead generation is where you’re getting your perfect potential customers anywhere in the funnel. You’re generating and attracting them to you through a variety of different mechanisms.
Kim notes that at Genoo, they are always building relationships and engagement with their perfect potential customers. One of the biggest mistakes that Kim sees people make is sending cold emails. Instead of sending cold emails, you should provide real value. That means taking a marketing approach to build leads and engagement. You respond in a way that deepens the relationship and builds authority.
Give your leads bite-sized chunks and lead them a step at a time through the buying journey while building trust. You can use any kind of lead gen to do this.
Pay attention to digital body language Kim notes that listening is a great attribute—as well as paying attention. It’s great to have a conversation and listen more than you talk. But in the online world, you also have digital body language to go off of. What are they clicking on? What are they looking at? What are they interested in?
You should send out value emails and then track these things. If you listen well to those metrics and respond appropriately, you can give them the messages you know will resonate. You’ll hit with a lot more of them. When you reach out for a call at that point, they know who you are and will more readily take your call.
Skills that a salesperson should develop In every sales job, Kim points out that there’s a certain amount of going after a goal. You think the path from A to B is a straight line—but Kim disagrees. She believes the path is varied, that it isn’t linear. You need to have really good materials and understand your perfect potential customer. What are the different concerns that they have? How can you satisfy them? There are different routes through that conversation that you should have ready.
You need to work with marketing and put together how you move people through the buying process. How does that mesh with the conversations you’re going to have? You have to pay attention to what your prospects and leads most need. What is most relevant and valuable to them? Help them move towards that and build trust and credibility.
What to do when cold outreach fails Kim had a customer that was using a cold email strategy. They bought a list of 14,000 potential customers. Of the 14,000 cold emails they sent, they only booked 62 meetings at a 0.4% conversion rate—meaning only 8 of those 62 meetings qualified. Their qualification rate was 12.9%. They were burning through lists.
When they bought the next list, Kim asked for a chunk of the leads so she could show them a better strategy. They gave her 350 of the next 14,000 leads. So her team sent out marketing emails that added value for their perfect potential customers. They got an 18% open rate on their emails and booked 20 meetings. They qualified 10 of those meetings—a whopping 50% qualification rate. They qualified more leads with their 350 than the 14,000 other emails that went out.
They took the 14,000 emails that hadn’t generated any leads and tried to give them value, but they couldn’t. Once you burn them, there’s no going back. Kim notes that the goal is to “Provide valuable, relevant content for the leads to engage in, and then follow up appropriately.”
Providing value matters AND it works. Good content and understanding your perfect potential customer is the key to success. Sales messages don’t provide any value. They’re designed for the bottom of the funnel. But marketing messages share value while sharing, relating, and engaging. You’re hitting the top and middle of the funnel and engaging in a long-term strategy.
Resources & People Mentioned * CEOSpace International * The Sales Experts Channel
Connect with Kim Albee * Connect on LinkedIn * Follow on Twitter * Genoo
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What is the difference between prospecting and lead generation? How are they similar? How do your strategies need to vary with either approach? In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Bill McCormick shares some strategies to help salespeople nail lead generation and prospecting. If you’re ready to take your skills to the next level—don’t miss this episode.
Outline of This Episode * [1:35] The difference between prospecting and lead generation * [3:00] Why is lead generation and prospecting important to sales? * [3:39] The ideal prospecting and lead generation process * [7:08] The attributes a salesperson needs to embrace to find success * [8:19] Ditch the pitch: learn to provide both value + insight * [11:01] Bill’s top 3 dos and top 3 don’ts * [13:35] Bill’s story that proves timing really is everything
WHY a prospect and a lead are so different Bill points out that lead generation and prospecting are both activities that you do. They can be very similar in that respect. But a prospect and a lead are quite different. A lead is someone at the tip of the funnel that’s not yet qualified. They may not even end up being a part of the sales process. A prospect is someone who has been qualified. They’ve made it into the funnel. The bottom line? All prospects are leads but not all leads are prospects.
Bill also points out that lead gen happens very early in the process. It’s being able to take a quick look at someone—and based on your ideal client profile—determine if they’re going to make it into the prospecting category. Lead generation is all about lead qualification. Prospecting is about researching and moving the prospect along to the end goal of a sales conversation.
The ideal prospecting and lead gen process Bill is quick to note that each sale in each industry can be different. But he shares some key components anyone can focus on:
You must cultivate an ideal client profile: You need to have an idea of who you’re looking for. It will either help you qualify and move leads forward—or discard them. Once they’ve been moved into the prospect category, you must then determine the “who” and the “how.” The “who” is composed of the decision-makers.
Secondly, you need to focus on how you will authentically nurture the relationship with a prospect to move them along your funnel to a sales conversation. When people are prospecting on LinkedIn, they are starting with sales conversations. Bill emphasizes that you can’t do that. What do you do instead? Ditch the pitch.
Ditch the pitch: provide value and insight Bill shares another solid piece of advice: ditch the pitch. Bill leads by providing value and insight to nurture someone along the sales funnel. Don’t lead with your solution—lead to it. He notes that it’s hard to do because you believe in your product and service. But when you pitch, you sound like the adults in a Charlie Brown cartoon. No one listens.
He was recently on a call with a prospect and shared some insight with him. His prospect said, “Hey, you better stop, you’re giving away too much.” But that’s exactly the way Bill wants it. He responded by saying, “Imagine what you’re gonna get from us when you’re working with us.”
Bill goes on to say, “Remember the end goal is to have a sales conversation. We have to earn the right to have that conversation by providing value‚and not by pitching.” Bill shares some of the key attributes he believes a salesperson needs to succeed with lead generation and prospecting. Listen to learn what those are!
Bill’s top 3 lead generation and prospecting dos and don’ts Bill summarizes his top do’s and don’ts for everyone to follow to find success:
- Connect on LinkedIn with ALL of your clients. It makes for great prospecting potential down the road.
- Make sure you have nailed down an ideal client profile and understand that everyone can’t be your ideal client. You’ll hit your best batting percentage when you’re swinging at the right prospects.
- Make sure you develop a way to nurture your prospects without pitching to them. How do you provide value and insight at each point of the funnel?
- Don’t use the LinkedIn Connect button as a cold outreach tool. If you pitch the whole way it falls flat.
- Don’t think in terms of closing a sale. You don’t want commission breath. Think in terms of having a conversation.
- Don’t rush the process. Timing is everything. If we focus on valuable and insightful conversations, the sales will come when the time is right.
Bill shares a poignant story to drive his last point home—don’t miss it.
Resources & People Mentioned * Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking * Atomic Habits * Selling from the Heart Podcast
Connect with Bill McCormick * Social Sales Link * Connect with Bill on LinkedIn * Follow Bill on Twitter
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Many people are familiar with the concept of time pressure as a negotiation tactic—but what about allowing time to lapse as a tool? How does the passage of time sway a negotiation and become a powerful tactic? In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Jodi Cahn shares this powerful negotiation tactic and many others, including understanding and addressing a counterparty’s core needs.
Jodi is an experienced negotiation trainer and has taught KARRASS® Effective Negotiating for 20 years around the globe. On top of being a practice negotiation trainer, she is a Sales Representative with Solar Energy Partners in California. Don’t miss this insightful episode!
Outline of This Episode * [0:41] What is negotiation? * [2:20] Why is negotiation important in business? * [3:17] Why don’t salespeople like to negotiate? * [4:58] Jodi’s negotiation process * [7:16] Patience truly is a virtue * [8:37] Negotiation tools, tactics, strategies * [9:51] Top 3 dos and don’ts * [11:51] Jodi’s favorite negotiation story
View negotiation as the beginning of a relationship Negotiation is an exchange where two parties both want in, but there’s a gap that must be closed. It is about an exchange of values. There has to be a give and take piece to it. It is a critical part of business.
“In business as in life—you don’t get what you deserve, you get what you negotiate,” — Chester L. Karass
Jodi points out that we’ve got to be able to defend our interests and participate creatively in the give and take process. Nobody likes it when one side wins. Both parties have to be satisfied for successful relationships to be built that will last long-term and be fruitful. So you must be creative and adaptable.
Negotiation is a competitive game and in any competitive game, you make moves and countermoves. So you have to recognize tactics and be able to counter them. But you have to learn to move outside of the game and into a cooperative approach to build a relationship.
Understand the other party’s core needs Jodi emphasizes that you need to think about the needs of the other party that may not be obvious to you at the outset of the negotiation process. Be creative and listen deeply to address the unspoken needs of the other party—and address them before the other party does. The better you understand their needs and the more specifically you can address them, the more likely it is that they’re going to feel taken care of by you. It forms trust in you when they feel heard by you and they’re willing to be flexible with you in return.
She shares the 10 core needs that you can focus on: financial needs, time, avoiding risk, satisfying organizational demands, avoiding extra costs, convenience, growth potential, reducing aggravation, status, and satisfaction with the deal. It has to do with something called psychological reciprocity. There's a level of psychological reciprocity that takes place between people when they feel heard and appreciated. You want to keep the negotiation in that framework and keep the relationship healthy.
One of the benefits you gain when you focus on and address their core needs? You’re limiting the other party’s options—but only if you can address those needs better than someone else can. Limiting their options gives you power in the negotiation.
The importance of the passage of time Jodi shares some important attributes a great sales negotiator encompasses. One of them is the ability to be patient and realize that time is your friend. Our culture in the West is in such a hurry all the time. The benefit Eastern cultures have over us is their use of time. They aren’t rushing to get things done. Jodi so poignantly states, “With the passage of time, information surfaces. With the passage of time, the relationship deepens. With the passage of time, people become flexible.” The ability to be patient is critical—but often overlooked. Jodi shares a well-thought list of negotiation dos and don’ts that will leave you inspired, so keep listening.
Time as a negotiation tool Before Jodi became a negotiation trainer, she was in the film business. She and her partner had a script that we wanted to produce and were negotiating a deal with Lionsgate in the UK. When Jodi saw the terms they were offering, she thought they were absolutely terrible. She didn’t want to respond to it. In fact, the agreement was so one-sided that she chose not to respond.
After three weeks, Lionsgate called and asked for a response. Jodi couldn’t give in, she didn’t know how to respond. They waited for a total of three months. After three months, Lionsgate realized she wasn’t going to respond. What happened? They came back and offered a much better deal to move the film forward.
Jodi corrected the power balance through the use of time and got a deal she was happy with. The moral of the story? Time is a powerful negotiation tool.
Resources and People Mentioned * KARRASS® Effective Negotiating
Connect with Jodi Cahn * Follow on Twitter * Connect on LinkedIn
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In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Philip Brown shares a few unique negotiation tactics and strategies that any negotiator can add to their skill set. Negotiation can be an uncomfortable process for salespeople, but if you employ some of the tactics Philip shares, you’ll be well on your way to becoming more comfortable with the process.
Philip Brown is the inventor of Negotiation Cards® and the founder and creator of The Negotiation Club Ltd. His vision is to help businesses hone their negotiation skills through Practical Practice Workshops—with the end goal to increase revenue, boost profits & improve services.
Outline of This Episode * [0:51] Negotiation is problem-solving with a twist * [1:26] The importance of negotiation * [2:01] Why don’t salespeople like to negotiate? * [3:01] Philip’s negotiation process * [4:32] Attributes of a sales negotiator * [5:17] Negotiation tactics, tools, and strategies * [6:36] Top 3 negotiation dos and top 3 don’ts * [8:49] Phil’s favorite negotiation story
Problem-solving—with a twist Philip sees negotiation as a problem-solving process, with a twist: “It's all about solving blockers and barriers to an agreement which could be on the table, but the twist to it is that although you're problem-solving, you're also trying to maximize your value from that agreement.” Negotiation is also a unique skill set that is important to the business. If an agreement doesn’t deliver a net benefit, then you’re in a weaker position than when you started. Negotiation skills are paramount to ensuring you’re always on the growth side of the equation.
A procurement perspective on negotiation tactics From the procurement side of things—where Philip’s viewpoint is from—the first thing you do to prepare for a negotiation is to understand the specifications of what you want. Then look at market information and build an agenda you follow through the entire negotiation process. Continue to build specifications with internal stakeholders and understand their boundaries, who the decision-makers are, and what the approval process is. Philip points out that learning to properly use an agenda is imperative. You need to have an agenda from the very beginning and be updating it constantly throughout the negotiation
Philip’s negotiation do’s and don’ts Philip emphasizes some things that successful negotiators do:
- Practice: Practice your negotiations outside of the actual real-world negotiation. You will never come across a football, baseball, or basketball team at the top of their game that hasn’t practiced. Why is that any different to negotiation as a skill?
- Always consider the ‘why’ behind the ‘what’: Consider why certain wording is being used and how someone’s body language reflects a response to the question you put forward.
- Active Listening: Active listening is a fundamental attribute and skill. It’s about employing the proper questioning techniques and trying to understand the reasoning behind what’s being said.
- Reflect: Take time to reflect and consider what’s happened throughout the negotiation.
Philip believes that every single person has a different negotiation style. A ‘don’t’ for him may not be a don’t for everyone else, nor always the right thing to do in a negotiation. But one ‘don’t’ he recommends you don’t get emotional unless it’s on purpose.
Negotiation tactics: Throw out an odd number Philip has a friend who’s an independent truck driver. He’s an exceptionally well deliverer of service and always reliable and trustworthy. Because of this, he was always paid more than the rest of the agency drivers. But then the firm increased the rates of all of the other agency drivers so their rates matched.
There was only one other driver who had been receiving a higher rate. The first man went to the agency and expressed his frustration. He asked for a higher rate and was turned down. Philip’s friend then went to the firm to discuss the issue. He was persistent with his request for a higher rate based on his experience.
The hiring agency asked if he’d split the difference with them and threw out a nice even number somewhere in the middle. Normally, Philip’s friend would’ve accepted the request. However, he decided to try a different tactic—and threw out an odd number that was slightly higher (and benefited him). The hiring manager was thrown off and agreed to the higher odd number.
Philip’s friend was tenacious and continued negotiating through discomfort. He wasn’t afraid to test a new tactic—and it paid off.
Resources & People Mentioned * The Negotiation Club
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How is negotiation a problem-solving process? What is the best way for a salesperson to approach a negotiation? Susan Borke emphasizes that negotiation is a problem-solving opportunity that arises anytime someone makes a request. And there are a lot of requests that come up in business—between vendors, suppliers, clients, and even internally within your organization. You have to learn how to handle those requests in a way that is beneficial to each party. Susan shares her thoughts on the problem-solving process that is negotiation in this episode of Sales Reinvented. Don’t miss it!
Susan Borke is the owner and Principal of BorkeWorks and has been teaching negotiating techniques for over 25 years. With a background in legal and financial administration, she has managed departments and divisions that included attorneys, paralegals, and other business professionals. She understands the needs of C-level executives and their employees as well as the pressures faced by creative professionals and entrepreneurs.
Outline of This Episode * [1:09] What is negotiation? * [1:28] Why is negotiation important? * [1:54] Salespeople don’t like to negotiate—why? * [2:56] Susan’s negotiation process * [5:03] The attributes of a great sales negotiator * [6:11] Why you must calculate the BATNA for both parties * [9:46] Top 3 negotiation dos and don’ts * [11:55] Favorite negotiation story
Viewing negotiation as a problem-solving process Susan embraces the mindset that negotiation is a problem-solving process. She points out that an effective resolution solves all or most of your problems and all or most of your counterparty’s problems too. To achieve the result that you want—which is maximizing what everyone gets out of it—Susan employees a two-phase problem-solving process that provides a roadmap that is effective in any negotiation:
- Negotiation Readiness: This is the work you do by yourself to prepare for the negotiation. It consists of research, rehearsal, and review.
- Negotiation Resolution: This is the work you do when you're engaging with your counterparty in any way. It may be in-person, over the phone, a video call, or email. This process consists of regulating your emotion, relating to them, and responding accordingly.
If you’re in the midst of a negotiation you need to be able to regulate your emotions. If you’re surprised or caught off guard by what someone says, how do you regain your footing? How do you diffuse the situation when emotions get heated? You must know your buttons as well as strategies to address situations when they arise
Sales and negotiation skills go hand in hand Salespeople often get anxious when they get to the negotiation part of the sales process. They fear hearing the word “no” or failing to negotiate effectively for their interests. Susan points out that many of the skills that serve successful salespeople are useful in negotiating. It all comes down to your mindset. Salespeople need to modify their mindset about negotiation. They need to employ new tactics but realize things that they already do can also be effective when they negotiate. Susan points out that “It becomes a virtuous cycle of being able to be more effective when they negotiate, achieving success, and then doing the same thing again.”
She also emphasizes that anyone can learn the skills to be an effective salesperson and an effective negotiator. The skills ARE transferable. At the end of the day, it’s about doing your homework—and listening attentively. Once you interact with your counterparty, the key is to listen more than you talk. You want to genuinely seek to understand what your counterparty is saying they need. You also want to be alert to what is going unsaid and be comfortable with silence. It comes down to creating a relationship of integrity and trust.
BATNA: Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement One key element of preparation is to understand what each part will do if they fail to reach an agreement. You must calculate the best alternative to a negotiated agreement, AKA—your plan B. You must engage in this thought experiment for yourself AND the other party. Susan believes it gives you an incredible amount of leverage. Not only does it illustrate that you've been thinking about them, but it also gives you a chance to weaken their BATNA.
Perhaps a sales manager has a reputation for giving an extra discount to an unhappy prospective client just to make the deal happen. A sales team who knows about his situation can go to them in advance. They can share the parameters with the sales manager and make sure he or she is willing to back them up. Or they agree that the sales director WILL grant a discount but it’s a pre-agreed upon amount that is part of the strategy. You want to make sure you aren’t losing your commission and the organization doesn’t lose profit.
A negotiation story: Two children—one orange Susan asks you to imagine a situation where you have two children and one orange (the children are NOT siblings). They both want the orange. How do you resolve the problem? Most people say the answer is easy: “Cut the orange in half.” So one child takes her half, peels it, and eats the meat. The other takes the peel and uses the zest and throws away the meat.
Each child lost half of what they wanted.
Instead, you must start the problem-solving process by taking the time to ask, “What are you planning to do with the orange?” This allows you to gather the information that enables you to give each party 100% of what they want. Susan points out that you can get so fixed on where you want to end up that you fail to see the needs we're actually trying to satisfy.
To hear more of Susan’s sage advice o n the negotiation problem-solving process, listen to the whole episode of Sales Reinvented!
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Do you know negotiation techniques you can apply in any given situation? What strategies and tactics should you employ—or leave in the dust? Santino Pasutto is my guest in this episode of Sales Reinvented. He shares the challenges you face in the negotiation process, how to prepare, and some dos and don’ts of upmost importance. Don’t miss this episode focused on negotiation techniques!
Santino ‘Tino’ Pasutto is the Senior Vice President of Strategic and Commercial Development at Optimum Talent. He is a skilled sales and negotiation leader with 15+ years in business management. Tino is known by customers for his strategic approach to uncovering opportunities and helping them understand business issues that once addressed will allow them to improve their competitiveness.
Outline of This Episode * [0:45] What is negotiation? * [1:05] Why is it so important? * [1:28] Why do salespeople HATE negotiation? * [2:51] Santino’s negotiation process * [4:39] Empathy is more important than ever * [5:46] Negotiation techniques to embrace * [7:23] Tino’s top 3 dos and don’ts * [10:35] Favorite negotiation story
The challenges within a negotiation Both parties in a negotiation have shared and opposing interests. The goal of a negotiation is to narrow the gaps between those opposed interests and understand each other’s perspectives to come to an agreement. Tino is careful to note that win-wins aren’t always achievable. But the more you can understand the other person’s point of view, the easier it is to agree.
Another challenging factor for salespeople is that negotiation is an under-trained skill. But you CAN learn, hone, and develop negotiation techniques until you’re skilled. Tino notes that on top of poor training, salespeople probably have an unhealthy sales funnel that stems from poor targeting. Opportunities may be forced and they’re put in a position where they constantly have to negotiate and it’s a price battle. A lot of that stems from prospects that don’t align with your value proposition.
Over-prepare for the negotiation Tino notes that salespeople tend to go in underprepared. But he believes it’s far better to err on the side of being over-prepared—and it’s the first of the negotiation techniques you should employ. Do what you can to gather customer research online, through social media, or LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Extensively research and understand your cost model and your margins and what levers you can pull on. Understanding your numbers helps you understand your walk-away point.
Another tip? Don’t fall in love with the deal because you’ll probably overpay. Tino emphasizes that this is why discovery meetings are so critical. It allows you to gather information on how to position your service relative to the opposing organization’s challenges and issues. You then position your offering and reaffirm your value proposition throughout the negotiation.
Don’t devalue your position Santino implores salespeople: do not deal in maybes. Say “Yes, we can offer that” or “No, we can’t.” Avoid saying “let me check with my boss.” Why? Because it really devalues your position in the negotiation. If you’re waffling on your responses, the person on the other side of the table then realizes that you’re NOT the decision-maker. They’ll keep asking for more, keep pushing back, and it spirals downward. Don’t compromise your position.
You can avoid wishy-washy responses by utilizing negotiation techniques such as scenario planning and determining questions they may ask ahead of time. Plan it out so you don’t have to think on the fly. Tino notes that it’s also important that you be in alignment with your team before you walk in the door. You can’t pass notes under the table during a negotiation. You’ve got to know what the person next to you is thinking and how each of you will respond to questions that arise.
Negotiation techniques: Tino’s dos and don’ts Tino shares that you must know the customer’s problems and how to address them tangibly. How do you make your value proposition tangible so they can compare you with other vendors? It helps you earn credibility going into the conversation. To do so, you need to be inquisitive and ask great questions.
Why is a term or clause important? Why do they value it? Are they asking just to ask? Or is there a misunderstanding between parties? Uncover the entire iceberg. The more you can uncover their problems by asking intelligent questions the more you can understand—and reach your desired outcome.
Ultimately, you want to have a healthy sales funnel so you CAN walk away from poor deals that don’t make sense. Salespeople don’t always think about the fact that opportunities outside of your current negotiation make a positive contribution to the process. You also have to know the math inside and out and know your walkaway point. Lastly, make sure your entire negotiation team is in alignment.
To hear Tino discuss his favorite negotiation techniques in detail, listen to the entire episode of the Sales Reinvented podcast!
Resources & People Mentioned * Sales Navigator
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Why should you build options into your negotiation? How do different options influence the potential customer towards making a deal? Does it cheapen your service offering? Sheila Heen joins this episode of the Sales Reinvented podcast to share her take on the negotiation process—and why she believes presenting the customer options can be a gamechanger.
Sheila Heen has taught negotiation at Harvard Law School for 20+ years. She is the founder and CEO of Triad Consulting. She also co-authored two New York Times bestsellers: Difficult Conversations: How To Discuss What Matters Most and Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well. Take advantage of her years of experience in negotiation and learn from the best—listen now!
Outline of This Episode * [0:18] Sheila’s Introduction * [0:57] What is negotiation? * [1:16] Why is negotiation so important? * [1:30] Why don’t salespeople like to negotiate? * [3:50] Sheila’s negotiation process * [7:08] Attributes that make a great sales negotiator * [9:43] Tools, tactics, and strategies * [11:14] Top 3 negotiation dos and don’ts * [15:11] Favorite negotiation story
Salespeople don’t want to strain the customer relationship According to Sheila, a negotiation is any interaction you’re having with someone where you’re hoping to influence them—or maybe they influence you. It’s the way decisions get made. The better you are at it the more you learn and the more influence you have. Salespeople struggle with negotiation because it takes their relationship with a customer and strains it. Why?
You’re trying to build a relationship with the people you’re going to serve. You’re learning about their challenges and how you can support what they’re trying to accomplish—then it gets handed to procurement. Suddenly, we have disconnected the negotiation from the underlying needs and it becomes ALL about price. It can feel stressful.
Even worse—in your discomfort—you can give in to their asks. Every time you give in, you’re teaching them how to negotiate with you.
Understand your customer’s sphere of influence Sheila believes you need to understand the client’s challenges. What are they trying to accomplish? What have they tried already? What has or hasn’t worked in the past? Who are they trying to influence internally? What else is on their mind? Who do they have to negotiate with to get a green light on this?
Who are the key stakeholders who—if they really buy into what you’re doing—are going to be their biggest advocates? It doesn’t always align with whoever has the official job titles. You must listen to find out who the decision-makers are in their world. You must equip your counterpart to be prepared for the internal negotiations they’ll have with those influencers. Sheila points out that “The success of my negotiation hinges on the success of their negotiations.”
Why you NEED to build options into your negotiation Another tip that Sheila shares is that you must listen carefully for the language and vocabulary that your counterpart uses internally. Incorporate everything you’ve learned into your proposal—using their own terminology that’s familiar to them. Secondly, you must create different budget options for them in the proposal. For example:
- Option A: Accomplishes everything you want to accomplish at a certain price point.
- Option B: Accomplishes most of what you want to accomplish with more risk, with someone you don’t know, etc. but potentially at a more affordable price.
By having a couple of options that test the waters, it actually flushes out they're real interests and constraints. Presenting them with options also gives them an out—if we are going to save some money, what are the tradeoffs? Make it a joint problem for both of you to solve. Perhaps you can’t deliver the same thing for less, but you can work together to deliver as much value as possible for their investment.
Negotiating this way helps them feel like they have the autonomy to choose the best fit for them. They always know more about their context and the reactions that they're going to get in their internal conversations than you do.
A great sales negotiator is a great listener Sheila emphasizes that the ability to listen is the most important attribute a salesperson can have. She’s recently talked to a vendor about a platform to use for the upcoming school year. The vendor didn’t ask her a SINGLE question. She didn’t ask questions about Sheila’s class, what she was concerned about, or what she needed.
Instead, the saleswoman immediately launched into showing her the features of the platform. It didn’t inspire a lot of confidence. Even just five minutes of asking questions about Sheila’s needs and concerns—followed by the same presentation—would have yielded dramatically different results. What a missed opportunity.
Sheila shares her favorite tools, tactics, and strategies AND her top 3 negotiation dos and don’ts plus her favorite negotiation story. This episode is packed full of useful information—don’t miss it!
Connect with Sheila Heen * Triad Consulting Group * Follow on Twitter * Connect on LinkedIn
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Do you know how to use leverage in negotiation? Or are you afraid to come across as demanding, therefore harming your relationship with a prospect? Today’s guest on the Sales Reinvented podcast—Steve Hall—shares how you can use leverage in negotiation that creates a mutually beneficial outcome for all sides.
Steve is the Managing Director of Executive Sales Coaching of Australia and is recognized as Australia's leading authority on selling at sea level. He is a member of the Sales Experts Channel and has been a finalist in several categories in the Top Sales World Awards. Don’t miss out on his expertise in negotiation—listen now!
Outline of This Episode * [0:50] Steve’s definition of negotiation * [1:18] Negotiation plays an integral part * [1:36] Common fears around negotiation * [2:51] Steve’s negotiation process * [4:15] Attributes of a successful negotiator * [5:55] Negotiation tactics to leverage * [10:07] Top 4 negotiation dos and don’ts * [13:01] How to use leverage in negotiation
The power dynamic in negotiation Negotiation is an important part of life. It’s also an integral part of the entire selling and business process. With it being such a normal part of our existence, why do salespeople hate it so much? Steve believes that salespeople want to be liked and prefer not to make demands of people. They’re afraid to negotiate because they’re afraid they will lose the deal. They have this faulty belief that the customer has all of the power and leverage in negotiation. This belief stems from a complete lack of formal negotiation training for salespeople. Of course they don’t like it, because they don’t understand it. And you fear what you can’t understand.
Level the playing field with research Steve emphasizes negotiation preparation begins with: research, research, research. You must understand what your outcome is, and what you’re trying to achieve. It’s not typically about money and usually other factors are involved. It isn’t just making a sale or completing a contract—but an outcome that works for both sides. What is their desired outcome? What are they trying to achieve? Who are you talking to—procurement? Or are you negotiating with the CEO?
The key is knowing what you want, knowing what they want, and anticipating what they might demand and ask for. Anticipate what you can offer. Having things ready increases the chance of leveraging the negotiation and getting what you want while giving the other person what they want. You must also remember, If you’ve been dealing with someone 6–12 months, they have skin in the game, too.
Negotiation tactics used on both sides of the table Steve sold software in the 90s and his customers would often delay their decision-making when they were nearing the end of the year. They knew if they delayed long enough they had the potential to squeeze in some year-end deals. Conversely, if the other party has a strong deadline they have to meet—and you don’t—it’s negotiation leverage in your favor. Another tactic you can use to leverage the negotiation? Get your counterpart to agree to a small decision. This increases the likelihood that they’ll commit to a larger decision down the road.
The power of leverage in negotiation Steve references a TV Show called Black Books (about a bookshop in England) to drive home his point about properly using leverage in a negotiation. In an episode of the show, a customer comes up to the counter and says “This book is being sold for 5 pounds, can I have it for 4 pounds?” The owner acquiesces—but tears out the last chapter before selling it to the customer. The next day, the customer comes back and says “I’ve got to know what happens!” and the bookshop owner says “Sure! Give me twenty pounds.” He had all the leverage on his side, and the customer had no choice but to comply.
Steve shares another story from a move two years ago. He moved houses and had to get his phone reconnected. He went to the phone company and was trying to set it up, but also wanted to set up streaming services. They said they couldn’t set it up immediately as he had requested because the phone wasn’t connected—but they’d send the box two weeks later because “It was their policy.” He asked to speak to a supervisor and was still turned down.
So he went online and found an article in which the Managing Director of Customer service was interviewed. The article was all about how they had transformed their customer service and were customer-focused. Their main motto was “Yes we can.” So he called customer service again and mentioned he was writing an article about their customer service. He pointed out that the article the Managing Director was interviewed in didn’t meet the reality he was facing. He allowed them to respond—and they sent him the box and the service was active shortly after.
He created leverage by using their own words to his favor and he got exactly what he wanted. The moral of the story? Always find leverage in negotiation.
Resources & People Mentioned * Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini * Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss * Stalling for Time by Gary Noesner * Black Books TV Show
Connect with Steve Hall * Follow on Twitter * Connect on LinkedIn
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Intellectual curiosity is a curiosity that leads to the acquisition of knowledge. The intellectually curious have a deep and authentic need to understand the world and the people around them. In this episode of the Sales Reinvented podcast, Mike Macchiarelli shares how intellectual curiosity influences the negotiation process. Don’t miss this episode!
Mike Macchiarelli has over ten years’ experience in B2C selling as a salesperson, trainer, and manager. During his time with Equinox—a global luxury-lifestyle fitness brand—he won numerous awards and has helped to train over 1,000 salespeople. He also is well known for his online blog, Saving Face, where he writes about sales, negotiation, and leadership.
Outline of This Episode * [0:52] Negotiation is reaching a mutual agreement * [1:09] Business at its most basic is an exchange * [1:41] Why don’t salespeople like to negotiate? * [3:09] Mike’s negotiation process hinges on flexibility * [4:52] A great salesperson must have intellectual curiosity * [5:50] A strategy Mike uses to bring curiosity into the equation * [7:34] Mike’s top 3 negotiation dos and don’ts * [9:40] What the Cuban Missile Crisis teaches us about negotiation
Flexibility in negotiation is imperative The biggest hurdle to overcome in the negotiation process is preparation. Mike sets aside time in his calendar to prepare on paper, to think through what is about to happen and strategically formulate his approach. But Mike points out that no matter how strategic or well-crafted your approach is, you have to be prepared to change it throughout the negotiation.
It’s a journey with different stages and you have to be flexible. You have to mentally prepare to go back and forth 5-8 times (or more) and adapt your strategy along the way. One of Mike’s favorite approaches is from Michael Wheeler’s book ‘The Art of Negotiation’. In its simplest form, you must: learn, adapt, and influence. Keep listening to hear more about his approach!
Intellectual curiosity is the key to successful negotiations Mike emphasizes that a salesperson at his or her core needs to be curious. Curiosity trumps all. The entire sales and negotiation process is a process of exploration and discovery. You must have the curiosity to discover what’s truly driving the other person and what’s going to meet their needs. So much of what you need to know is hidden under the surface. It takes curiosity to ask the right questions to gather the necessary information. You must actively listen to understand and have empathy throughout the process.
An exercise to build your curiosity muscle An exercise that Mike recommends to build your curiosity muscle is to take a sheet of paper and list out everything you know about the current situation: Who are the people you’ll be negotiating with? What is their professional background? What about personal information? What are they looking for? Who are the stakeholders? What issues may crop up?
In another column write everything you’re wondering based on what you know. It enables you to train your intellectual curiosity and come up with a million great questions and avenues to explore during your negotiation. It also helps you focus on the driving factors and motivations of the other person.
Mike shares his top negotiation do’s and don’ts—and why price is rarely the issue in a failed negotiation—so keep listening!
A negotiation doesn’t exist in a vacuum Mike is a huge history buff. One of his favorite negotiation stories happened during JFK’s presidency: The Cuban Missile Crisis. The United States found out that Russia had been building and storing missiles in Cuba. The situation could’ve easily escalated into conflict—maybe even a nuclear war. But when the two countries negotiated, they allowed each party to save face. They consciously applied empathy and placed themselves in the other person's shoes before they made moves that could exacerbate the situation.
Mike points out that you must never back a person into a corner or make them look bad in front of other people. A negotiation doesn’t exist in a vacuum. The people you negotiate with will always have to explain their decisions to another person. They have to think about whether or not the deal will reflect well on them. It’s part of the social conditioning built around making a deal. It’s our job to help them feel confident and certain they can justify their decision to another person. They’ll go through with the agreement if they are confident in the deal being made.
Resources & People Mentioned * Book: Never Be Closing * Book: The Art of Negotiation
Connect with Mike Macchiarelli * Mike’s Blog: Saving Face * Follow on Twitter * Connect on LinkedIn
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Why is knowing your walk-away point so important in a negotiation? How does it influence the process? In this episode of the Sales Reinvented podcast, Diane Helbig shares her thoughts on knowing your floor—your bottom-line walk-away point—and why it’s such an important part of the negotiation process.
Diane Helbig is an international business advisor, sales trainer, and growth accelerator. She is the author of Succeed Without Selling and the host of the Accelerate Your Business Growth podcast. Don’t miss her unique take on the negotiation process!
Outline of This Episode * [0:36] Diane’s definition of negotiation * [0:57] The key to long-term and successful relationships * [1:14] Change the mindset around the negotiation * [1:58] Diane’s process begins with knowing your walk-away point * [3:54] The attributes Diane believes are important in a salesperson * [4:31] Tools, tactics, and strategies to prepare for the negotiation * [5:11] Don’t make assumptions during any part of the process * [6:52] How Diane’s firm walk-away point paid off big
How Diane prepares for the negotiation process Diane’s negotiation process always includes calculating her walk-away point. It simply means that she writes out the point she is willing to walk away if an agreement can’t be made. She emphasizes that you must know this before you walk into the negotiation conversation.
Secondly, you must let the other party speak. You need to ask questions to understand their walk-away point. If you know their floor and ceiling, you can identify where you’ll meet in the middle. Diane implores salespeople to listen without a preconceived idea or agenda other than to learn. It’s critically important. Be quiet, calm, and hear what they’re saying and create healthy dialogue.
Don’t make assumptions about any part of the negotiation process. Don’t assume anything—the conclusion, where they’re coming from, and what the customer needs or wants. Diane points out that this is a recipe for disaster.
Be prepared to adapt the conversation Another ‘don’t’ that Diane believes is important: Don’t respond to things you don’t hear. Salespeople have a bad habit of hearing what someone is saying but responding with a different or competing thought. They tend to come into the conversation with ONE thing they believe the customer needs to know or ONE solution they’re dead-set on offering. When a salesperson responds to what they wish was asked—it causes a massive disconnect. It’s all well and good to be prepared to convey your underlying value message. But If it isn’t brought up—there’s no point in mentioning it.
When being blunt with your walk-away point helps you win big 15 years ago Diane had decided to leave the company she was working for. She created an agreement and a process that she wanted to approach her employer with. She created a strategy and she told the owner she wanted to change their relationship. She wanted to be paid a commission on each of her customer’s sales, not a salary.
The owner said no to her request. So she asked him to sit down to have a conversation about it. As she listened to him, she realized his reasons for saying no weren’t in the best interest of the business, but about staying in control. She knew what her walk-away point was and they hit a point where she just said she’d give him her two-week notice—and he backed off.
So they started to negotiate her commission. She wasn’t asking for commissions on sales with the highest paying clients or the other 180 she worked with—just the 20 clients she had a strong relationship with. They finally agreed on terms.
When Diane went back to sign the paperwork and asked “What do you want to tell people about what I’m doing?”. He questioned why he would need to tell them anything. She pointed out that if a client called that she wasn’t working with anymore, someone would have to tell them something.
She realized he hadn’t paid attention to that portion of her conversation or the addendum in the paperwork. She ended up getting ALL of her clients and got exactly what she wanted and more while he got exactly what he wanted. She learned that you must be quiet, calm, and confident in the moment. The success of this negotiation was because she knew the value of what she had to offer and was confident with her walk-away point.
Connect with Diane Helbig * Diane’s Podcast * Book: Succeed Without Selling * Helbig Enterprises * Follow on Twitter * Connect on LinkedIn
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It’s time to get comfortable being uncomfortable with negotiation. The vast majority of the population finds negotiation uncomfortable and they allow that discomfort to derail the process. Today’s guest on the Sales Reinvented podcast—Perry Green—shares that it doesn’t have to be that way. It can be a game-changer if you learn how to embrace the discomfort and move beyond it.
Perry Green is a highly accomplished and experienced negotiation executive, with over 25 years in the CPG industry. He is a past recipient of The President’s Award, Nestle’s highest sales honor. He’s currently the Director of The Gap Partnership, the world’s leading negotiation consultancy. Don’t miss this episode packed with expert advice from one of the best negotiators.
Outline of This Episode * [0:40] Negotiation is an intentional and intense conversation * [1:21] Negotiation helps you identify how to move forward * [2:02] Why salespeople don’t like to negotiate * [3:50] Perry shares his “de-preparation” process * [5:12] The attributes of a great negotiator * [6:10] Embrace this powerful negotiation tool * [7:13] Perry shares his top 3 dos and don’ts * [9:49] The hardest part of the negotiation process
Salespeople must get comfortable being uncomfortable Perry points out that salespeople always focus on the ABCs: Always Be Closing. Once we hit our objective, we are high-fiving and celebrating. But with the negotiation process, you have to push yourself to a place where you’re uncomfortable. The deal you’ve “won” may go sideways or fall apart, and that’s hard to cope with. We want to feel good about the relationship, but then we want to get out of there.
Negotiation is an uncomfortable back-and-forth. But Perry points out that we have to get comfortable being uncomfortable. One way you can do that is by looking beyond why you’re there. Most salespeople represent a large organization. They represent numerous voiceless and faceless people within that organization. The revenue that you bring in allows those employees to take care of their families.
Perry emphasizes that those are the things we have to think about—versus our own discomfort. We have to focus on the value that we bring to the table.
Be a practitioner of the craft Perry notes that a successful negotiator needs to be a practitioner of their craft. You need to be someone who is going to practice the craft every single day. If you’re studying body language in negotiation, are you practicing the techniques in conversation with your colleagues? Are you practicing at home? Applying those skill sets in your day-to-day helps them to become natural so that when you’re in an uncomfortable negotiation you’re able to overcome your discomfort.
Perry also recommends embracing the tool of silence. He believes it is the most powerful weapon that you have. Salespeople love to talk, so when we don’t talk it unnerves the other party. It allows us to see what’s going on inside their head. It’s also a tactic we often forget about. Perry believes that if we’re going to say something it should be followed by questions to glean information from the other party. Then you stay silent and listen.
Don’t let your customer see you sweat Perry emphasizes: “Don’t ever let your counterparty see you sweat.” Instead, you have to learn to get comfortable being uncomfortable. Get out of your own head and don’t spend your time making rationalizations. Don’t focus on trying to figure out where things will go. Instead, get in their head and glean the information you need that will bring you to the outcome that you want. He also notes that you shouldn’t give the other party more power than they already have. Start the negotiation from an equal playing field. To hear more of Perry’s strategies to get comfortable being uncomfortable, keep listening!
The hardest part of the negotiation process When Perry worked for Nestle, he worked with a national retailer that his company had an exciting relationship with. They had been working together for years. During this particular negotiation, they were working on a joint business plan. Both sides kept introducing more variables to try and make the deal work. The negotiation went on for a week.
When they finally reconvened, Perry was ready to do whatever necessary to get the deal done.
But he’ll never forget what his category manager said to him: “Perry, no is an acceptable answer.” Unfortunately, the answer in that negotiation was no. From there on out Perry recognized that he had to get comfortable being uncomfortable and learn to say no when it was necessary. In the end they got better results because they didn’t try to force something and pay too much for it.
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Do you have the right combination of negotiation tools, tactics, and strategies in your arsenal? Do you understand how important it is to develop negotiation skills? In this episode of the Sales Reinvented podcast, Kristie Jones shares some of her favorite negotiation tools. She also gives some sage advice about the negotiation process. Don’t miss it!
Kristie Jones is the Principal at the Sales Acceleration Group. Kristie is the go-to expert for tech startup founders who want to accelerate their revenue by improving their sales strategy, process, and people. She uses her 15+ years of experience to help small and mid-sized technology companies take their revenue to the next level.
Outline of This Episode * [0:43] What is negotiation? * [1:31] Why don’t salespeople like to negotiate? * [2:39] How Kristie uses anchoring in negotiation * [4:01] The attributes of a great negotiator * [6:20] Negotiation tools, tactics, and strategies * [7:49] Kristie’s top 3 negotiation dos and top 3 don’ts * [11:07] Kristie’s favorite negotiation story
Negotiation is a critical piece of the sales process According to Kristie, negotiation is the process of working toward an agreement on an issue formally not agreed upon. She notes that people don’t regularly see eye-to-eye on numerous topics. So the ability to talk through differences without damaging a business relationship is critical to ongoing and long-term success.
Negotiation gets tricky because people, in general, don’t like to negotiate. Not only that, but most sales reps don’t have the correct formal training or repeatable processes in place that allow them to deal with those situations—and proper training is key. Salespeople have a process for filling funnels. We have cadences and sequences to handle outbound leads, stages in the sales cycle, and more. But Kristie is willing to bet that no one could pull out a repeatable strategy for negotiation.
Seek to understand your customer Kristie points out that you have to seek to understand. She handles negotiation like she would an objection and she handles an objection by asking more questions. When a weird question comes up that seems out of left field, assume that the prospect has had a bad experience. Find out the reason the question is being asked. Find out if they have had adverse experiences. Then differentiate yourself from that past bad experience.
If their question is an unreasonable request, she notes that you are completely free to say: “I wish I could. Unfortunately, this is the situation...” What if you could trade something else for money? If it’s a significant client with nice brand recognition, trade case studies or testimonials for a discount. Or adjust the terms of payment instead of reducing the price. Understanding what is influencing their behaviors can help you reach acceptable terms for both parties.
Kristie’s negotiation tools, tactics, and strategies A negotiation tool that Kristie likes to use is calculating the cost of not coming to an agreement. Make a list of costs to each side and write down the disadvantage of not coming to an agreement. Sellers think “I’ve got a lot more to lose than the prospect or customer if this doesn’t come together.” But that’s not always the case. They may lose face with their boss or their team if they don’t make a deal happen. It might not look favorable for them.
People take negotiation personally—but it’s not your money. It’s the company's money. It is everyone's job to get the best deal for their organization. Kristie also states “Don’t set fire to a bridge you might need to cross later.” Some relationships won’t be repairable if you don’t handle them appropriately. There’s a difference between negotiation and personally insulting or offending the person on the other side of the table. An agitated and upset person will impact your bottom-line more than someone who is happy.
What buying SIX Acura cars has taught Kristie about negotiation Kristie is a huge fan of Acura, so much so that she’s purchased six of them over the last 20 years. She buys all of her cars from a salesman that refers to himself as “The Polish car guy”. Kristie LOVES the negotiation process and haggling and negotiating with her car guy. They’ve developed a nice banter over the years. She waits for one phrase to come out of his mouth and when it does—she knows she’s won.
She admits she employs the ‘Columbo’ technique. Columbo was a TV detective who would pretend everything was wrapped up and then—on his way out the door—would say “Just one more thing…” She always ends the car-buying process with “I’m going to need new floor mats”.
Kristie notes that you must be prepared and know who you’re dealing with. Know how they’re going to react. She comes to the table having done her homework and knows the market value of the car is and what competitors are offering it for. Do the same with your negotiation and you’ll have a great foundation to work from.
Resources & People Mentioned * BOOK: Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss * Acura Luxury Sedan
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Asking leading questions may not be permitted in a court of law, but in the negotiation process it is inherently necessary to ask leading questions. Asking the right questions is the #1 negotiation tactic that Ian Moyse emphasizes in this episode of Sales Reinvented. We also chat about his negotiation process, attributes of a successful negotiator, and other tools and tactics he utilizes. Don’t miss it!
Ian Moyse is the EMEA Sales Director at Natterbox and based out of the UK. He is also an industry social influencer who is widely published on matters of Sales Leadership, Social Selling, and Personal Branding. He was awarded the accolade of UK Sales Director of the Year by BESMA and in 2019 was listed in the top 50 Sales Keynote speakers by Top Sales World.
Outline of This Episode * [0:56] What is negotiation? * [1:53] Why is negotiation so important? * [2:41] Salespeople prefer to avoid conflict * [4:48] You need to ask leading questions * [7:42] Practice and preparation is key * [11:40] Hone your questioning skills * [14:30] Top 3 negotiation dos and don’ts * [16:44] Ian’s favorite negotiation story
Negotiation is woven into the entire sales process A negotiation consists of two parties who both want something different. You have to talk through questions that arise to get to a mutually agreeable outcome—even if it’s not moving forward together. It’s still a negotiation. The more complex and larger the investment the customer is making, the more variance there is. The more they’re creating their own package, the more the customer is likely to want something different. That’s why Ian believes you must ask leading questions. He also notes that you shouldn’t park the negotiation at the end of the sales process. The earlier you can drive what the customer wants and get the hard points on the table, the better.
A negotiation thrives when you ask leading questions A negotiation is only as strong as the questions you ask. Which is why it should include asking leading questions. You want to gain an understanding of the things the customer is looking for that aren’t standard. Whether its payment terms, technology, or licensing—there will always be something that comes up.
Ian notes that a negotiation is simply a discussion around what you can or can’t have, where you can meet, how you can adjust things, and whether or not you can come to a mutual agreement. If you can knock out some of the hard questions early on in the process you shouldn’t get blindsided at the end.
Ian uses the analogy of the Titanic. If the captain had seen the iceberg 10 miles away and made adjustments there wouldn’t have been this big surprise at the end when the ship sank. A negotiation is the same. If you ask leading questions in the beginning, you can usually avoid a sinking ship.
How to lessen the fear surrounding negotiation The label “negotiation” often makes a salesperson quake in their boots. Especially because Procurement people are trained how to negotiate and press the buttons of salespeople. They're trained on what to say to a salesperson, what to ask, and how to behave to get the maximum they can out of the process. They are subtle and experienced.
Another tactic that Ian recommends to prepare for the process and alleviate nervousness is to practice. Practice playing the negotiation out with someone. It’s not about having the answers—it’s the method of discussion that you engage in. Roleplay and practice ahead of time.
He also notes that if you’re nervous, bring someone along with you who’s more experienced. If you’re the only person negotiating on your side, you spend your time formulating an answer. If there’s two of you, one can take notes and you can alternate answering questions.
Hone your questioning skills Do you have the knowledge and proper approach so you ask the right questions and handle them appropriately? A customer can ask any question in the world—but it doesn’t mean they’re going to get the answer they want. Likewise, salespeople have the right to ask clarifying questions:
What are the most important things we can address first? Can you elaborate? Can you explain why? Is there anything else you need? Can I clarify what you’re asking?
Get your counterpart to talk more and put everything on the table. If you can discuss some difficult things at the right time and with the right manner of professionalism it puts you in the best position to win.
There is no perfect world. Sometimes—no matter how much you prepare and ask leading questions—a negotiation won’t move forward. It’s the nature of business and negotiation. To hear more of Ian’s expert advice, listen to the whole episode!
Resources & People Mentioned * DISC Personality Test * Natterbox
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Most salespeople can naturally sense tension but are wholly uncomfortable with it. But healthy tension in negotiation is a normal part of the process that salespeople should embrace. According to today’s guest—Melissa Madian—healthy tension is critical to the success of a negotiation. In this episode of Sales Reinvented she talks about how it influences a negotiation and brings value to both parties. She emphasizes understanding the value you offer and holding firm. To benefit from her years of expertise in the field, listen to this episode!
Melissa Madian is the Founder and Chief Fabulous Officer at TMM Enablement Services Inc. She was one of the first people to pioneer the Sales Enablement role and has spent the past 25 years perfecting the sales experience for revenue-generating teams. Melissa is one of the 15 Top Sales Influencers to Follow in 2020, one of the 20 Women Leaders to Watch in Business in 2018 and ranked 10th of the 35+ Most Influential Women Leading B2B Marketing Technology.
Outline of This Episode * [1:10] Capture value while maintaining healthy tension * [1:38] Negotiation abilities impact profitability * [2:47] Negotiation is the entire sales cycle * [4:10] Melissa’s negotiation process * [5:34] A salesperson can’t be afraid of conflict * [7:16] Negotiation tools, tactics, strategies * [8:12] Melissa’s top 3 dos and don’ts * [10:42] Why you should always present two options
The inaccurate perception of negotiation In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Melissa Madian points out that there’s a perception that negotiation happens at the end of the sales cycle. That when we get to that point it’s time to put our gloves on and fight it out. Instead, she emphasizes that you’re always in a state of negotiation. There’s always a balance of give and get. It’s not you versus your customer.
It’s about answering the question: How am I going to make sure we get value and the seller maintains value? In order to do so, you must maintain healthy tension. Melissa’s definition of negotiation is that simple: It’s capturing value while maintaining healthy tension.
Maintain healthy tension in the negotiation Melissa references a McKinsey report in which they shared that for every 5% that we discount our solution or product, 19% of the profit is lost. So when discounts are given because a salesperson would rather concede than operate in tension, all of your value leaks out of the negotiation. It also undermines your position as a valued vendor.
Melissa notes that you need to go into the negotiation with a plan in place and determine what value each party needs to get. Then you need to decide what kind of healthy tension will you maintain in the negotiation so you don’t give up too much—but acquiesce when necessary. It always comes down to: What value am I providing to the customer?
Be a personal trainer NOT a bartender Melissa uses a wonderful analogy of a bartender and a personal trainer. She points out that there is no negotiation process with a bartender. You pay them and they feed you endless drinks until you’re drunk. There is no healthy tension, no give and take. The bartender gives and gives, and you take.
Instead of being a bartender, you must negotiate like a personal trainer. A personal trainer pushes you towards your goals. At any given time, there might be a lot of conflict in the relationship because they’re pushing you to be better. The balance of the relationship is a healthy tension where both parties are pushed towards the same goal.
Hold firm to the value you provide Melissa emphasizes that good negotiators don’t roll over, they curate healthy tension because they know they’re offering something of value to their customer. You must first know the value of what you’re providing and then hold firm to the value you’re providing so that you don’t lose profit and you maintain your credibility.
In order to know the value you’re providing them you must do your research. You know to know your customer, understand their pain points, and recognize how your product or service is making a positive impact on their company. You must research the potential roles that may get involved, objections that may come up, and do not allow yourself to be surprised by anything that crops up. Do not wing it or you will be blind-sided.
She also implores: Do not assume that the customer won’t pay more money for what you’re providing to them. Customers do not pay solely because an item is well-priced. They pay for the value that it offers them. If you maintain healthy tension in the process you are more likely to succeed. To hear the rest of Melissa’s negotiation strategies and her favorite negotiation story, listen to the whole episode of Sales Reinvented!
Resources & People Mentioned * McKinsey report on The Power of Pricing
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Emotional control in the negotiation process is difficult to master. It’s partly because as a species we are ruled by emotion. It’s difficult to take a step back and let go of the different influences on the negotiation and focus on the facts. In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Jeb Blount shares his take on emotional control in negotiation and why it’s so important to the process.
Jeb Blount is the CEO of Sales Gravy and a Sales Acceleration Specialist. He’s a best-selling author and most recently penned: INKED: The Ultimate Guide to Powerful Closing and Sales Negotiation Tactics that Unlock YES and Seal the Deal. Jeb is a world-renowned keynote speaker and the host of the Sales Gravy Podcast. This episode is packed with information you can use to become a better negotiator—don’t miss it!
Outline of This Episode * [1:01] Jeb’s definition of negotiation * [2:04] Negotiation is the precursor to profit * [3:10] Salespeople find negotiation uncomfortable * [5:20] The rules Jeb follows in the negotiation process * [10:01] Emotional control and other important attributes * [13:16] The MLP Strategy (motivation, leverage, and power) * [17:18] Important negotiation dos and don’ts * [20:34] Jeb’s eye-opening negotiation story
Negotiation isn’t an inherent part of western culture Negotiation is essentially emotionally controlled conflict. Jeb points out that because it’s inherently conflict, it’s difficult for people in western economies to engage in. Negotiation isn’t an everyday facet of our lives like it is in some Eastern cultures, such as India. If you’re in the UK, US, or Canada you don’t negotiate—you pay the price.
Because negotiating isn’t a part of our everyday existence, we aren’t good at it nor do we like it. There’s a lot of stigma surrounding negotiating. In some instances, if you attempt to haggle or negotiate a price it’s met with contempt and an upturned nose—leaving you embarrassed. When it isn’t a cultural norm, it can feel uncomfortable. It can feel like rejection. It feels like a zero-sum game with distinct winners and losers.
Unfortunately, most salespeople aren’t properly trained how to negotiate. If they are, they’re trained by someone who typically doesn’t have sales experience. On the flip side, most procurement people are professionally trained negotiators who know what they’re doing and take advantage of that fact.
Three rules for the negotiation process Jeb embraces a few rules as part of his negotiation process:
Rule #1: Don’t negotiate until you’ve already won the deal. Until you’re selected as the vendor of choice, don’t attempt to negotiate—or you’re just negotiating with yourself.
Rule #2: Leverage the negotiation triangle. Make sure you develop a great relationship with someone in the stakeholder group. Once they select you, you’re typically shoved off to procurement who want to lower your prices. It’s nice to have a stakeholder to reach out to if it seems you’re at an impasse.
Rule #3: Incorporate a give-take playlist. Jeb points out that you should never give without taking something in return. He emphasizes that “I want to be able to give things to the buyer that are low-value to me but high-value to the buyer while I take things away from the buyer that are high-value to them.” The more you take, the more painful the negotiation process becomes—thereby compelling them to stop negotiating and align on a deal.
A salesperson must master emotional control Jeb believes that emotional control is paramount to your success:
“Don't negotiate when you're hungry. Don't negotiate when you're tired. Don't negotiate when you're worn out. Because when you're in those positions, you're more likely to give things away that you don't have to...When you're worn out, there's a limit to your willpower, your emotional control, and discipline.”
He notes that if you’re not in a position where you can exercise full emotional control, do everything possible to reschedule the negotiation so you don’t get into a situation where you're giving away the upper hand to the buyer.
Jeb goes on to share a negotiation strategy that he teaches in his book: The MLP strategy (Motivation, Leverage, and Power). He also shares some powerful negotiation dos and don’ts. To learn more about how he leverages these in a negotiation, keep listening!
A story about the power of emotional control and relationships Jeb’s company had spent six months going through a discovery phase with a prospect they had worked with in the past. But the deal they were working on was the largest yet. They had reached the final proposal and were selected as the vendor of choice. So the stakeholder group sent them off to procurement to nail down contracts.
Their counterparties procurement team sent them a letter stating that they had found other businesses that can do what Jeb’s company was offering—but at a better price. Jeb’s saleswoman read that letter and lost all emotional control, worried they were going to lose the deal. She was poised and ready to concede and lower their pricing to save the deal. But Jeb knew it was a negotiation tactic and responded accordingly. He let them know that they’d be happy to lower the price to fit the budget, but that something would have to be removed from the deal to do so.
They came back to the table and quibbled over details for three solid months. The executive team was being pressured by the upper-management to wrap things up because they were now way behind schedule. Jeb received a call from the executive sponsor trying to figure out what the hold-up was. Jeb filled him in and told him that procurement had stalled the process.
So the executive sponsor made a call to the Senior Vice President. The VP then called procurement. 24 hours later, they received their original contract, signed and ready to move forward. Jeb’s emotional control and relationship-building strategy won them the deal.
This episode is PACKED with useful resources from a top sales negotiator. Listen to the whole episode to take advantage of his vast knowledge and expertise.
Resources & People Mentioned * The Sales Gravy Podcast * Jeb’s Book: INKED
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Do you know what it takes to be a successful negotiator? Do you possess some of the necessary skills and attributes? Do you need to brush up on your negotiation skills? In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Mladen Kresic hones in on why salespeople struggle with negotiation. He also shares some of his favorite negotiation tactics and gives some pointers for dealing with the negotiation process. Mladen is full of spectacular insight into the negotiation process. Don’t miss it!
Mladen Kresic is the CEO of K&R Negotiations—aka Negotiators.com. For 30+ years Mladen has successfully negotiated billions in deals all over the world on behalf of the most well-known international companies. His expertise is working with C-level executives in business transactions. He is the author of Negotiate Wisely in Business and Technology, a guide for sales negotiations and an Amazon e-book best-seller.
Outline of This Episode * [0:59] Negotiation: an interaction to achieve a result * [1:12] Why is negotiation important in business? * [1:50] Why salespeople don’t like to negotiate * [3:22] Mladen’s value-based negotiation process * [5:00] Attributes of a successful negotiator * [6:51] Negotiation tools, tactics, and strategies * [10:03] Top 3 negotiation dos and top 3 don’ts * [13:25] Mladen’s favorite negotiation story
Why do salespeople struggle with negotiation? Mladen notes that negotiation is viewed as an adversarial process. Most sales professionals want to be liked by their customers. They want to please them. To some, entering into a negotiation feels like they’re putting that relationship on shaky ground. But Mladen believes that if they must view a negotiation as a process to achieve a result versus giving it a negative connotation. Doing that will change the process for the better and help you become a successful negotiator.
Secondly, Mladen sees a lot of salespeople who don’t know when to walk away. They can be so desperate for a sale to meet their quota that they overlook things they shouldn’t. They’re so focused on being liked and reaching a deal that they get frustrated when the deal is dead. They have to learn to walk away when and if necessary.
How Mladen prepares for a high-stakes negotiation Mladen focuses his negotiations around what he calls the leverage cycle. It’s value-based leverage that is about delivering an outcome to the buyers. It creates confidence in the seller that they can deliver what the buyer seeks to improve.
Mladen also focuses on agenda management. Most people think about an agenda in terms of how to conduct a meeting, interaction, or phone call. Instead, Mladen focuses on a macro-agenda, or what the entire process looks like—the resources and activities that need to happen in that timeline.
Mladen believes it is THE most critical aspect of the process that we should focus on in order to thrive as a successful negotiator.
The attributes of a successful negotiator Everyone has natural traits that will not necessarily change so you must play to your strengths. Mladen emphases that negotiation is an art AND a science and there are some things that can be learned, but that these traits are paramount to your success:
- Genuine Curiosity: Genuine curiosity is absolutely critical. What makes the other side tick? What do they value? What do they need out of this relationship?
- Confidence without arrogance: A prospect wants to feel that you’re confident in your product/service but are humble in your approach.
- Competence: You need to know your product or service well and be knowledgeable about the counterparty as well.
- Integrity: Salespeople have a poor reputation because they’re perceived as lacking integrity, which is why this attribute is so important.
- Compassion: You have to have a level of compassion for the people you’re negotiating with and be able to put yourself in their shoes.
Mladen believes that if a salesperson possesses these attributes they’ll be one step closer to being a successful negotiator. Mladen goes on to share his Risk/Reward tactic, how to break down levels of importance, and other strategies and tactics that are important to the negotiation process—so keep listening!
Mladen’s negotiation dos and don’ts Mladen shared some pertinent dos and don’ts in this episode:
- Listen more and talk less. Mladen admits he’s a type-A personality that loves to talk (as are many salespeople). But to be a successful negotiator, you must purposefully slow your pace and be sure to listen intently and talk less. He points out that you’ll always have the opportunity to say what you need to say at some point. But first and foremost, you want your counterpart to feel heard and understood.
- Prepare and plan—don’t wing it. This is where agenda management comes into play. Even if you’re strapped for time, you make time to prepare. It is unprofessional to come into a negotiation completely unprepared.
- Don’t make arbitrary concessions. Don’t respond to a request just because they asked. It’s detrimental to one’s credibility and prolongs the process. Instead, Mladen shares that you need to engage in principle concessions: concessions made with credible business rationale. Is the scope too large? Is there a lack of value in the deal? Is there a competitive alternative that is better placed and lower priced?
If you begin to employ some of these strategies in your negotiations, you’ll likely yield more favorable results. Mladen shares his favorite negotiation story and how it changed his negotiation style in the remainder of the podcast—so be sure to listen to the end!
Resources & People Mentioned * K&R Negotiations
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Are you aware of how your mental mindset impacts the entire negotiation process? Do you walk into a negotiation feeling timid or unsure? Or are you confident and prepared for the negotiation process? Mary Grothe understands how mindset influences the negotiation process and has developed a strategy that she’s found success with. Listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented to hear her take.
Mary Grothe is the CEO of Sales BQ®, an outsourced RevOps firm of fractional VPs of Sales, Sales Ops, and CMOs who serve companies across the nation by profitably rebuilding their sales & marketing departments and growing their revenue by focusing on the Behavioral Quotient (BQ) and proven inbound + outbound strategies. Don’t miss Mary’s unique insight into the negotiation process!
Outline of This Episode * [1:04] Mary’s definition of negotiation * [1:24] Why negotiation is so important * [2:15] Why don’t salespeople like to negotiate? * [3:27] A negotiation begins with your mental mindset * [11:38] Negotiations tools, tactics, strategies * [13:46] The 4 levers Mary recommends using * [15:52] Mary’s favorite negotiation story
The negotiation process starts with adjusting your mental mindset Mary points out that most executives know how to negotiate. If you go into a negotiation knowing that the person on the other end of the table is educated in negotiation tactics, you can go in with a different mindset. You’ll know that they’ll take one look at your proposal and will never agree to the first terms set forth. If you have the expectation they WILL negotiate, it changes how you approach the entire process.
A lot of salespeople crumble, give in on pricing, and don’t get great margins on their deals. So how does she prepare for the negotiation process? Understand that it’s about getting a win-win for both sides. Then you must calculate your walk-away point: your starting point, your middle point that you present as the walk-away point, and then your full walk-away point. Knowing what each of these numbers are helps prepare you and boosts your confidence.
Remove emotion from the negotiation process Mary emphasizes that you must remove emotion from the negotiation process—it sets you up for failure. Salespeople are known for “desperation justification”. They have a quota they have to meet by the end of the month or end of a quarter. Most negotiators know this. What if this deal is HUGE and you’re behind on your quota? What if you don’t know your pricing? Do you come across as lacking confidence or knowledge about your product and service?
Trained negotiators—and your prospect—can pick up on your emotion and lack of confidence. Unfortunately, it gives them the leverage they need to negotiate a better deal for themselves. Knowing that you need a deal gives them the upper-hand. But if you remove emotion and any ulterior motives from the process you can level the playing field. Keep listening to hear Mary’s full thoughts on the topic.
The importance of PCE: passion, conviction, and enthusiasm Mary strongly believes that a great negotiator must embrace ‘PCE’:
- Passion: You must be passionate about your product or service and completely bought-in to solving the prospect’s problem. It helps the prospect become comfortable with moving forward with you.
- Conviction: You must have conviction about how your product/service will help your prospect. Show that you can quantify your problem and present case studies, testimonials, etc. that prove you can solve their problem.
- Enthusiasm: If you exude enthusiasm and get the buyer bought in and enthusiastic about the sale, you’re shrinking the negotiation game. They’re excited about getting the deal done and less focused on negotiating price and contract terms.
Mary also notes that salespeople must be assertive and confident. When a salesperson believes they can solve their client’s problem it leads to confidence. There isn’t desperation justification in play—they truly believe in their product.
The four levers to implement in your negotiation Mary shares four ways that you can leverage concessions to make them work for your company, while also giving your prospect what they’re asking for:
- Are they asking for a discount? Agree to the discount, but ask what item they’re comfortable removing from the proposal.
- Do they want to decrease the price per item? Offer a decrease in price if they purchase over a certain threshold.
- Offer them a monetary concession if they can execute the deal in the next 24 hours. This is a common end of month/quarter strategy that negotiators are accustomed to working with.
- Agree to some sort of concession if the buyer agrees to give a testimonial, be a reference, or introduce and/or refer people to your product and/or service.
Utilizing some of these negotiation tactics will help each side find a win-win from concessions and come closer to a deal.
Mary shares a negotiation story that led her to develop her successful negotiation process—listen to the whole episode to hear how it changed her negotiation game!
Resources & People Mentioned * Sales BQ
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The negotiation process isn’t always easy for a salesperson to navigate. But mastering the process is paramount to your success. The bottom line: if you can’t negotiate well you won’t fare well in anything you do in life. In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Chad Burmeister joins me to talk about some of the parts of the negotiation process that salespeople shy away from—and how to change it.
Chad Burmeister is the Founder and CEO of ScaleX.ai, which promises to deliver an “unfair competitive advantage” by helping your salespeople increase lead frequency and sales competency. He is the author of multiple books, including AI for Sales and Sales Hack. Don’t miss his stellar insight on the negotiation process.
Outline of This Episode * [1:29] Our lives are built on negotiation * [1:59] Salespeople aren't comfortable discussing money * [4:45] How to master the negotiation process * [6:29] Salespeople need to understand the customers’ problem * [7:58] Chad’s favorite negotiation closing technique * [8:55] Chad’s FUN acronym * [11:15] How one negotiation changed Chad’s life
The importance of negotiation Chris Voss was the first to make the phrase “everything is a negotiation” popular—and for good reason. Chad points out that nearly everything we do involves negotiation. When you make a purchase, engage in a conversation, or play with your kids, some sort of negotiation is involved. Chad points out that it’s well worth any monetary investment to go from a ‘C’ level negotiator to an ‘A+’. Perhaps that change in status means more bookings, more revenue—maybe even fame and fortune. Whatever it is you’re trying to achieve in life can be benefitted from mastering negotiation.
Understand that the negotiation process means you’ll talk about Money The Objective Management Group has studied close to two million salespeople and found that only 54% are comfortable discussing money. A salesperson NEEDS to be able to comfortably discuss money in the negotiation process—yet most can’t stomach it. Chad sees that as one of the biggest roadblocks to a successful negotiation.
Chad notes that the discomfort associated with discussing money is often associated with the way you were raised. Did your family have money? Were they savers or spenders? Did they avoid discussing money at all? If you can understand your money mindset and buying pattern, you can learn how to master this part of the negotiation process.
Instead of letting a prospect walk away to “look at other vendors” you have to be comfortable pointing out what you discussed. “I thought we’ve discussed your priorities and requirements? You’ll save a million and increase sales by 5.4 million. Why do you need to look at the other vendors?” Chad shares another story about haggling in Mexico that drives the point home—so keep listening.
Roleplay the negotiation process When Chad completed his MBA, he took a class on power, politics, and negotiation. They spent a lot of time role-playing negotiations. Roleplaying in class with other students was the catalyst he needed to learn the negotiation process inside and out.
Aside from consistent practice, Chad recommends taking a class or reading a book—you can even play poker. Learning the art of poker is a great way to learn how to see people’s tells, when they’re exaggerating, etc.
Chad also believes you need to master closing techniques. Instead of “let’s schedule our next step meeting” at the end of a meeting, ask “If I could... would you…?” You’re essentially giving them an option to voice any objections they have to closing the deal in that meeting.
To hear more of Chad’s advice—including his thoughts on gap selling—keep listening!
How Chad’s negotiation process changed his life Chad’s second job out of college was with Airborne Express. He had set up a meeting with Uhaul about some packages they had been shipping with USPS They were shipping packages of license plates for $4.50. The Uhaul would meet the USPS truck in whichever state the plates were to be delivered. They send 12,000 of these a month. 10% of the time, the USPS truck didn’t make it in time and the license plates got shipped back. So Chad took the time to dig and find out the impact of the 10% of trucks that were missed.
Other than being fined, every once and a while a cop would sometimes pull over Uhaul trucks with expired plates and make them empty the contents from one truck into another. So with the fines, he calculated Uhaul was spending $5.87 to ship the new license plates. Airborne typically charged $6 to ship, but he offered to do it at $5 and demonstrated the total cost of ownership that would save Uhaul money.
Chad won the account—1,000 shipments a month. Then he won the Canadian account, which was 2,000 shipments a month. He went on to become the #1 salesperson at Airborne. Eventually, he got recruited away to a job in southern California where he met his wife and started his family—all because of the outcome of ONE negotiation.
Listen to the whole episode of Sales Reinvented for Chad’s insight on the negotiation process. If you’re looking to improve your skills—this is the place to start!
Resources & People Mentioned * ScaleX * Chriss Voss on YouTube * Robert Cialdini * Gap Selling by Keenan * Objective Management Group * Airborne Express * Episode 183 of Sales Reinvented
Connect with Chad Burmeister * Connect on LinkedIn * Follow on Twitter
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Relationship building is an important aspect of the negotiation process, according to Dr. Daniel Shapiro. Whether you’re negotiating with a prospective customer, negotiating with a spouse, or negotiating with another country—it all hinges on the ability to build a relationship. In this episode of Sales Reinvented, we talk about building relationships, attributes of a great negotiator, top 3 negotiation dos and don’ts, and much more. Don’t miss this one!
Dr. Daniel Shapiro is a world-renowned expert on negotiation and middle-east politics. He was the US ambassador to Israel from 2011–2017. He also founded and currently directs the Harvard International Negotiation Program. Dan consults regularly for government leaders and Fortune 500 companies and has advised everyone from hostage negotiators to families in crisis, disputing CEOs to clashing heads of state. He is also the author of two best-selling books, Negotiating the Nonnegotiable and Building Agreement: Using Emotions as You Negotiate.
Outline of This Episode * [1:06] Humans are constantly negotiating * [2:05] Changing the negative perception of negotiation * [3:49] Dan describes the pillars of his negotiation process * [7:37] The attributes of a great negotiator * [8:44] Allow your customer autonomy * [11:44] Top 3 negotiation dos and don’ts * [17:05] Dan’s favorite negotiation story
The entire sales process consists of negotiation The common misconception of negotiation is that it’s just one part of the sales process in which costs are debated. The reality is that the entire sales process is a negotiation. Anytime you interact with someone else with a purpose in mind you are negotiating. Most salespeople love their jobs and it’s simply one part of the process that brings them more stress. How do we change that?
Dan states that you must change how you view the negotiation process. Firstly, you must focus on building a relationship with the customer. Many salespeople naturally excel in relationship building. Secondly, you must listen with intent: Figure out what your counterpart actually wants and where their interests lie.
The process doesn’t have to encapsulate an “us against them” mentality. You should present options for mutual gains and invent new ideas with the customer. Be innovative with your approach so they don’t move on to the next salesperson.
The pillars of Dan’s negotiation process Dr. Dan emphasizes throughout the episode that relationship building skills are key. The first pillar that he sets forth is all about building the relationship. Building a relationship is your greatest source of influence now AND into the future. The more you can build a good trusting relationship with some sense of connection the more effective you will be in the negotiation process.
Per Dan, “The most effective negotiations by and large—in the business realm and the international realm—are side by side. They are cooperative.”
Conversely, no salesperson is in it just for the relationship. They are also motivated to make a good sale. Aside from building a relationship with the prospect, you need to be keenly aware of their interests. What’s motivating their behavior other than getting a good deal? Are they hoping for a promotion? Is their budget quite low? Dan acknowledges there could be 1,000 different reasons—but it’s your job to find out what those reasons are.
With the foundation of a relationship and the knowledge of what motivates them, you can work to craft a potential agreement that meets their interests—and yours.
The importance of autonomy A great negotiator is an avid listener. They learn what their counterpart cares about, what they want out of the relationship, what they’re fearful of, and what they’re dreams and aspirations are. They don’t listen to exploit, but they listen to craft an agreement that works for everyone. You must remember that your counterpart wants the freedom to make decisions without it being imposed on them. They want autonomy.
Dan first became aware of this concept when he was a teenager shopping for jeans at Gap. The slightly older teenager assisting him was showering him with compliments and telling him how great he looked in the jeans. Dan realized he couldn’t decipher if the compliments were real—or just being used to make a sale and therefore a commission for the pushy teenager.
Instead of pushing someone into a sale, allow them the autonomy to make their own decision. Share the attributes of the product, why it meets their interests, and why your pricing is fair while allowing them the freedom to walk away. If they can find a better deal with someone else, then let them know that you won’t stand in their way. Doing this builds trust in your customer relationship. Having their best interest in mind speaks volumes.
The power of appreciation in relationship building Dan believes that the power of appreciation is the single most important thing to apply to a negotiation. He emphasizes that in ANY human interaction we want to feel heard, understood, and valued—appreciated on a deep level. Yes, you want to come to a deal, but deals don’t happen on an emotional level if the other side doesn’t feel appreciated and respected. It’s more than a thank you. It’s listening to try and find value from their perspective. To find merit in what they’re feeling, thinking, communicating, and understanding.
It isn’t an adversarial or antagonistic approach, but one bent on understanding their perspective and shifting into their seat on a psychological level. If you can truly understand their perspective and appreciate where they’re coming from, it can change the course of the negotiation. Dan shares a powerful negotiation story about how cooperation and understanding in a negotiation lead to more effective outcomes. Listen to the whole episode for more of his negotiation expertise.
Resources & People Mentioned * BOOK: Negotiating the Nonnegotiable
Connect With Paul Watts * LinkedIn * Twitter
Connect with Dan Shapiro * Dan Shapiro Global * Dan on LinkedIn * Dan on Twitter
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Do you view negotiation as a conversation? Or a battle with clear winners and losers? Nicole Soames joins me in this episode of @SalesReinvented to start the conversation surrounding negotiation—and reveal why so many of the mindsets salespeople have regarding negotiation are faulty. She shares common misunderstandings, how to prepare for a negotiation, and much more.
Nicole Soames is the CEO & Founder of Diadem Performance, a commercial skills training and coaching company. She is passionate about applying emotional intelligence to negotiation conversations. Nicole is a best-selling author and sought after coach whose savvy advice is revealed in this episode of Sales Reinvented. Be sure to listen!
Outline of This Episode * [0:49] Nicole’s definition of negotiation * [1:07] Negotiation is a conversation * [2:52] Why salespeople don’t like to negotiate * [5:46] Negotiation isn’t a process—but a conversation * [8:04] Emotional intelligence is the #1 attribute you must possess * [9:56] There are no shortcuts: negotiation preparation is key * [11:43] Nicole’s top 3 negotiation dos and don’ts * [13:24] Don’t engage in negative internal conversations * [14:35] How children are powerful negotiators
Common misunderstandings about negotiation Many salespeople mistake negotiation for haggling or bartering. If you shift your viewpoint to negotiation as a conversation, you’re better equipped to build a long-lasting relationship. People are only as powerful as the conversations they have. Nicole believes we achieve results based on the conversations we have with others. Everything is negotiable—but you can only receive if you first ask.
Another faulty misconception is that salespeople are schooled in the philosophy that the customer is always right. So when they enter a negotiation conversation, they have placed the customer on a pedestal. By doing so, they cede control and power to the prospect and end up paying dearly for those relationships.
Salespeople are usually engaged with a procurement person—who is well-versed in negotiation tactics. Because each of these people are leaning on their learned skills, a negotiation conversation often ends in disagreement, deadlock, and disappointment. What is the easiest way to avoid that? Keep listening to find out!
Negotiation needs to be a conversation Most people who have received negotiation training are taught that it’s a process—it’s linear and theoretical. Nicole is quick to point out that it shouldn’t be viewed as a process but as a negotiation conversation. Thinking about it as a conversation changes the way you engage in the negotiation. You should approach your conversation by contemplating answers to these questions:
Why should I feel confident? What will their challenges be? How will I handle them? Am I exhibiting an appropriate level of ambition? How will I break the deadlock?
Approaching your conversation with emotional intelligence is the largest differentiator and competitive advantage that Nicole can see. You must remember that you’re negotiating with a human. There is a real person on the other side of this conversation. It’s why Nicole advocates for face-to-face communication whenever possible (versus email).
How to prepare for your negotiation conversation There are no shortcuts. Preparation for a negotiation is paramount to its success. One unique tactic that Nicole recommends is to “big yourself up”: write down all the reasons you should feel confident in the negotiation conversation. Build yourself up and read it to yourself. Don’t allow yourself to fall trap to inner conversations that say things like “They won’t say yes” or “Everyone is having a difficult time right now”.
Secondly, you must prepare for any curveballs that may come your way. Nicole emphasizes that forewarned is forearmed. And while you want to prepare for variables, she believes that you should NOT prepare a walkaway point. Doing so is admitting defeat and claiming that it’s okay to fail. Nicole believes that you get the best results when you’re challenged and under some pressure. To hear Nicole’s top negotiation 3 dos and don’ts and her ‘ABC method’ keep listening!
Learn the art of the negotiation conversation from your children Nicole admits that children are expert negotiators. What makes our children SO good at negotiation? Think about it—children are relentlessly ambitious. They use every overt tactic in the book and wind parents down until they get what they want. “All of my friends have this” or “All of their parents allow that” is a very effective strategy. Nicole admits she smiles every time she sees her children negotiating with her. They are ace negotiators and we can learn a lot from them.
Talk about some unique insight. To hear the rest of Nicole’s thoughts on viewing negotiation as a conversation, be sure to listen to the whole episode!
Connect with Nicole Soames * Follow on Twitter * Connect on LinkedIn * Diadem Performance * Nicole’s Books
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Keld Jensen—today’s guest on the Sales Reinvented podcast—feels that many businesses struggle with the negotiation process because they aren’t focused on a collaborative negotiation. Unfortunately, they embrace the mindset of ‘needing to win’ at all costs and focus on squashing the competition. Keld shares WHY this is the wrong mindset to embrace and what a collaborative negotiation should look like. Don’t miss it!
Keld Jensen has over 30 years of experience in negotiation. He is the founder of the SMARTnership negotiation strategy—THE most awarded collaborative negotiation strategy in the world. Keld has written and published 24 books in 36 countries. He runs a consulting and training organization that works with governments and businesses around the world to change how they engage in negotiations. Don’t miss his years of expertise—listen to this episode now!
Outline of This Episode * [0:52] Keld Jensen weighs in on negotiation * [1:37] Revenue can only be created with negotiation * [2:30] Salespeople can be unconsciously incompetent * [3:30] Keld’s collaborative negotiation process * [5:15] The attributes a successful negotiator espouses * [7:06] What a SMARTnership looks like * [8:54] Top 3 negotiation doss and don’ts * [11:32] Keld’s unique negotiation illustration
What does a collaborative negotiation look like? Negotiation isn’t just about reaching a mutual agreement, but about improving collaboration. Keld points out that it’s not about winning something at the cost of the counterparty. The great negotiators don’t set out to be great, they set out to make a difference for their counterpart.
Negotiation is important because revenue isn’t created without it. The second you have to interact with another organization it requires negotiation. Embracing a collaborative negotiation strategy is just as important as a market strategy or a research and development strategy.
Yet many negotiators rely on out-dated tactics that are about winning at all costs. Listen to hear how Keld seeks to change the world of negotiation.
Negotiate how to negotiate Keld believes that salespeople don’t necessarily hate the negotiation process, but that they’re “unconsciously incompetent”. They don’t know how to properly negotiate. But once they understand the concept and the value negotiation creates it changes their viewpoint. The 1st mistake salespeople make when negotiation is that they don’t prepare.
A step that Keld believes is imperative is to negotiate on how to negotiate with your counterpart. You can’t walk into a negotiation thinking you’re playing a game of chess when your counterpart believes they’re playing tennis. So how do you remedy that? Keld recommends having a pre-meeting with the sole purpose of learning how to negotiate together.
If you take that small piece of time to make sure you are on the same page in the negotiation process, it removes wasted time. You’re setting the rules for the negotiation to follow and it transforms the process.
The importance of listening Keld believes many negotiations fail because too much time is wasted arguing. Too much time is spent on claiming why your product is superior. You must eliminate argumentation and product promotion and instead spend your time listening. Listen for what’s in-between what they’re saying.
If the prospect asks you if you can deliver a product 2 weeks early, instead of immediately giving a yes or no answer ask: What is the value to you if I can move up delivery time? You need to think about their values and interests in every part of the process.
Keld says to consider the question: “Are you willing to take a cost if the benefit to the counterpart is bigger than the cost and if the counterpart is willing to compensate you for that cost?” It’s all about figuring out who has the higher value compared to the lower cost.
Your negotiation strategy should lead to a SMARTnership Many negotiators embrace “zero-sum” tactics—which is winning at the expense of your counterpart. Instead of landing on a zero-sum strategy, Keld believes you should aim for a high-level collaborative partnership instead. His collaborative negotiation strategy is all about showing a genuine interest in your counterpart and building a relationship.
Keld also points out that up to 42% of the value in a negotiation is often left on the table. To avoid that, you must establish the NegoEconomics—the difference between your value and my cost. This needs to be calculated before engaging in the negotiation process.
A collaborative negotiation process must involve transparency, openness, and honesty. If you’re honest, you will always leave the table with better results while generating a higher level of trust with your counterpart. If you generate a high level of trust, it reduces transactional costs, and profit tends to increase.
Keld shares his top 3 dos and don’ts as well as his favorite negotiation story in this episode of Sales Reinvented. Listen to the end to soak up all of the value he has to offer.
Resources & People Mentioned * SMARTnership
Connect with Keld Jensen * Keld’s Website * Connect on LinkedIn * Follow on Twitter
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Are you aware of how buying personalities influence the negotiation process? And that each different personality changes the direction of your negotiation process? In this episode of the Sales Reinvented Podcast, Sonia Dumas joins me to talk about how buying personalities influence negotiations.
Sonia Dumas is the Financial Sales Expert with The Sales Experts Channel, a Cryptocurrency Strategist, and a Certified & Licensed B.A.N.K® Trainer. Sonia emphasizes the importance of understanding buying personalities and personality science in the sales negotiation process. Don’t miss her unique insight!
Outline of This Episode * [1:06] Sonia’s definition of negotiation * [2:07] Why is mastering negotiation important? * [3:06] The reasons WHY salespeople hate negotiation * [4:39] Sonia’s negotiation process: determining buying personalities * [9:24] The attributes a skilled negotiator must embrace * [10:28] Sonia’s simple 5-step negotiation process * [11:25] How to determine a prospect’s buying code * [13:07] Top 3 negotiation dos and don'ts * [15:38] Sonia’s favorite negotiation story
Why we should change the word ‘Sales’ to ‘Influence’ Salespeople don’t love negotiation because they have to do elevator pitches, create countless proposals, answer endless questions in endless meetings, create marketing campaigns, and can chase down indecisive prospects for months. Sonia points out that instead of trying to find new sales tactics, you should focus on fixing your mindset.
What if salespeople stopped calling it ‘sales’ and started calling it ‘influence’? Wouldn’t everyone like to be more influential with their company, clients, prospects, and network? Influence isn’t just a sales tactic, but the fastest path to cash. Sonia also points out that the most effective way to be influential is to know how your clients and prospects make emotional buying decisions.
Determining buying personalities should be your FIRST step Sonia is all about making complex situations simple. Figuring out your prospects ‘buying personality’ or ‘buying code’ should be your first step—that you complete well in advance. There are four main buying personalities: assertive, amiable, expressive, and analytical. It’s far easier to influence people who make buying decisions just like we do.
However, you must strive to understand the buying language of the other personalities. Once you understand their buying personalities, you can create an agenda and presentation to match their buying personality. You must focus on what’s important to them and tailor thenegotiation to what they need to know AND what they want to hear. This is Sonia’s #1 suggestion to shorten the cycle and get to more yeses.
How can you determine a prospect’s buying personality? Sonia shares that ‘Crack my Code’ is what she uses to quickly determine buying personalities. A simple 90-second process for the prospect can change the way you negotiate.
Sonia’s simple 5-step negotiation process This is the typical strategy that Sonia follows to prepare and execute a negotiation:
- Calculate buying personalities
- Craft an agenda/presentation based on that buying personality
- Determine questions to ask to discover if you’re a good fit
- Determine what you will say ‘no’ to at any point in the process
- Follow up on the negotiation based on their buying code
Per Sonia: “On some deep emotional level a prospect has already said yes to meeting you, yes to reviewing your information, they’ve said yes to involving other stakeholders, yes to revealing their buying code, yes to their emails and the phone calls you’ve made up until now...You have more yeses on your side than you do nos.”
Implementing a strategy based on their buying personality sets you up to create a relationship with a prospect—the revenue will follow.
Communicate confidence in your products and services As Sonia shared her lists of ‘dos and don’ts’ she emphasized that you must not come across as needy, desperate, or inferior (or what is referred to as “commission breath”). Prospects can sense that you NEED their business—which gives them the power and leverage in the negotiation. Instead, you must communicate confidence and level the playing field.
Sonia implores you to focus the conversation with their buying personality in mind. Focus on what is high-value to them while also communicating confidence in your own products and services. They need to understand the massive value that you bring to the table. Providing them with a transformative negotiation experience will be a gamechanger.
Listen to the whole episode for our in-depth discussion on buying personalities, the negotiation process, and Sonia’s favorite negotiation story.
Resources & People Mentioned * Crack my Code * How to Sell to Different Personality Types
Connect with Sonia Dumas * LinkedIn
Connect With Paul Watts * LinkedIn * Twitter
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Negotiation preparation contributes to 90% of the success of a negotiation, according to Scott Chepow, today’s guest on the Sales Reinvented Podcast. The better prepared you are before the negotiation commences, the smoother the process will be, and the likelihood of a successful outcome is far higher. To hear more of Scott’s thoughts on negotiation, listen to the whole episode!
Scott Chepow is the Senior Vice President of Engagement Strategy for The Gap Partnership in North America. He works with some of the world’s largest organizations to help them create incremental value through negotiation. His 20+ years of experience in the industry is a welcome addition to this podcast. Don’t miss his take on the negotiation process!
Outline of This Episode * [0:46] What is negotiation? * [1:35] Why is negotiation important in business? * [2:23] Why don’t salespeople like to negotiate * [3:30] Scott’s negotiation preparation process * [5:20] The attributes that make a great sales negotiator * [6:23] Tools + tactics + strategies Scott implements * [9:07] Scott’s top 3 negotiation dos and don’ts * [11:46] 8 fundamental types of negotiations * [13:48] Scott’s favorite negotiation story
What IS Negotiation? Negotiation in its simplest form can be described as a buyer wanting to buy and a seller wanting to sell. But Scott points out that it’s far more complex. According to him, negotiation “Orchestrates the creation of value for your organization beyond the sale of your products and services.”
Every organization has its own priorities—such as capturing more pricing or increasing distribution—that goes beyond the role of price within a construct of a sale. Businesses work diligently to define their drivers and set their priorities. Scott emphasizes that “The ability to negotiate within those drivers to achieve those goals is paramount.”
Negotiation can be uncomfortable Many salespeople dislike the negotiation process because it’s uncomfortable. So they seek to alleviate that discomfort by rushing through the process. But in reality, the best way to overcome that discomfort is to embrace it: get comfortable being uncomfortable. A negotiation will never go smoothly, so you need to understand the risks that may arise.
You can mitigate or even prevent those risks with proper negotiation preparation. 90% of the process is strategic preparation for the negotiation. The other 10% is execution and how you behave in the room. To strategically prepare you must understand the people, the nature of the relationships, and the balance of power. Want to hear more? Keep listening!
Negotiation preparation allows you to adapt your skillset Scott references 14 essential behaviors of a negotiator that you should master. One of them is learning to think clearly and manage discomfort. If you master those skills, you can adapt to any negotiation you walk into. But that takes preparation, research, practice, and learning to understand the variables at play.
What’s important to you? What’s important to your counterparty? What are their pressures and priorities? You have to plan which direction you’ll take when things go wrong. If you have an action plan in place when variables DO arise, you know what to do and are confident that you’re prepared to deal with any realities that arise.
Model the appropriate behaviors during the negotiation process As you’re engaging in negotiation preparation, you must understand what type of negotiation you’re walking into and subsequently exhibit the appropriate behaviors. Scott states there are 8 fundamental types of negotiation and uses a clock face to demonstrate: As you work your way from 12-6 on the clock face you’re either bartering, haggling/bidding, hard bargaining, or dealing.
As you move further around the clock, the relationship deepens as you work through concession trading, finding a win-win, focusing on joint problem-solving, and building a relationship. Different factors dictate where you are on the clock face.
The level of dependency between the parties, the length and strength of the relationship, the level of trust, and how many variables are at play all move you further around that clock. If you’re in the haggling/bidding phase your behavior tends to be more aggressive, cold-hard, and dismissive. Scott points out that this is likely to be a one-off transaction.
However, if you’re in the “win-win” phase you are looking to be cooperative, collaborative, honest, open, and flexible. This is when you want to deepen the relationship and find a profitable and sustainable deal for both parties.
To hear more about this process, the importance of negotiation preparation, and Scott’s favorite negotiation story—listen to the whole episode now!
Resources & People Mentioned * The Gap Partnership * The Negotiation Society * Negotiation Planning Tools * Negotiating Clock Face
Connect with Scott Chepow * Connect on LinkedIn * Scott on Twitter * Call at 802.734.0717 * Email Scott: scott.chepow(at)thegappartnership.com
Connect With Paul Watts * LinkedIn * Twitter
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Do you possess an adequate level of self-awareness? Can you accurately pinpoint where you are weak or could use improvement? Today’s guest on the podcast, Bob Apollo, believes that you must be self-aware to grow and improve—and become more productive. Listen to this episode for an in-depth analysis of productivity and what can help set you apart in the sales world.
Bob founded Inflexion-Point—a UK-based B2B sales effectiveness consultant group—15 years ago and has a strong global footprint. He is an advocate for creating customer-value throughout every transaction. As an expert in the industry, we are fortunate to have him share that expertise in this episode of Sales Reinvented.
Outline of This Episode * [0:52] Bob’s definition of productivity * [1:44] Why aren’t salespeople productive? * [2:45] Develop a level of self-awareness * [4:10] Attributes of a productive salesperson * [5:22] Lobby for a more effective CRM * [8:05] Top 3 Productivity dos and top 3 don’ts * [17:20] A productivity challenge Bob has faced
Developing self-awareness as a foundation for productivity There are a couple of personality attributes and characteristics that are important to productivity, but Bob points out that cultivating self-awareness is up there at the top. You need to be aware of what you’re doing and the impact and effectiveness of your actions. Without self-awareness, you won’t know what to change and improve.
It is the building block to effectiveness. Once you’re self-aware you can pinpoint your struggles and your weak points and develop a strategy to improve them. You can learn what works and what doesn’t. Self-aware salespeople are more likely to learn from others and grasp new concepts.
The right CRM can make a world of difference Bob points out what many salespeople feel: the user experience and ROI of a CRM can be pretty disappointing. The vast majority of conventional CRM solutions are built around an administrative metaphor and record activities after the event. They offer no real sense of guiding the salesperson.
There are many plugins available that try and rectify some of the issues but very few CRM’s that have adjusted. Bob recommends that if you feel your CRM isn’t delivering value, lobby for something better. There are options out there that may be better for you and your sales team—don’t be afraid to push your company for something better.
The ability to learn is a key indicator of success Bob believes that one of the best things you can do to improve yourself is to model your behavior after the most successful salesperson in your company. You must be willing to share your successes and failures with the team. The more successful your team is, the more profitable your business can be. Embrace the idea of collective learning.
But you must also embrace taking responsibility for your personal development. Don’t wait for your company to train you or blame them for your lack of knowledge. You alone are the master of your own destiny, so you must plan accordingly. One way you can do that is by setting up a professional development plan so you remain relevant and successful.
Some tips and strategies to increase productivity Bob gave us some tips that are too valuable not to share:
- Plan ahead: Don’t start any conversation or meeting without knowing what you want out of it.
- Be open to fresh ideas: What brought you success in the past won’t necessarily repeat.
- Focus your energy on value-creating activities: the more value you bring to the client the more likely they’ll be to move forward with your solution. It is a give-get process.
- Be strategic with unexpected RFPs: Learn to discern if you’re “column fodder”—as Bob put it—and if you have a chance to actually compete for the bid. Don’t waste your time if you’re the rabbit.
- Don’t prescribe before you’ve diagnosed: Really take the time to listen to your client’s needs and pain points—and do not fall into autopilot and start pitching before the time is right.
Listen to the whole episode as we talk about eliminating sources of error, the greatest productivity challenge Bob has faced, and take a deep-dive into productivity.
Resources & People Mentioned * Membrain Sales Enablement CRM * The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande
Connect with Bob Apollo * Bob’s website * LinkedIn * Twitter
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Time management is something most people struggle with and salespeople are no exception. It can have a huge impact on productivity—so how do you manage your time effectively? How do you become more efficient and productive in the time that you do have? Mark Sellers joins Paul in this episode to share his take—don’t miss it!
Mark Sellers is the Managing Partner and Founder of Breakthrough Sales Performance—which has been operating for 24 years. He is the author of two books, ‘The Funnel Principle’ and ‘Blindspots: The Hidden Killer of Sales Coaching’. He is an executive coach who consults with small to medium-sized businesses to help them improve their sales. Listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented for his insights on productivity.
Outline of This Episode * [0:59] Mark’s definition of productivity * [1:57] Salespeople need to focus on efficiency * [3:09] Focus on what is measurable * [6:41] Tactics to improve productivity * [9:36] What attributes or characteristics should a salesperson have? * [11:03] Mark’s weekly strategy: write things down * [12:15] The premise of Mark’s book: Blindspots * [13:26] Top 3 productivity dos and top 3 don’ts * [15:30] How Mark wrote 2 books and built a deck
Productivity is about time management and prioritization According to Mark, productivity is measured by the function of energy multiplied by the task at hand. In other words, how long does it take you to complete a task? You’re more productive if you get things done in a shorter length of time. But time seems to be what all salespeople are short on—so the goal is to become more efficient with the time you do have.
Mark points out that one way to achieve efficiency is by only investing your time in qualified leads. You can’t continue chasing deals that are dead. You must also prioritize the things that move the needle on sales and achieving quota and everything else is secondary.
Sales managers need to focus on tracking what is measurable—which is why there is such an emphasis on goals, quota, etc. Mark is happy as long as he can see progress is being made towards a goal. But as a manager, you must know how many ‘calories’ your salespeople are burning to reach a goal. If they’re being inefficient, you can help coach them to be more productive and focus on priorities.
Mark’s tactics to improve productivity Salespeople need to stop running and reacting—if they can’t sustain their activity level it will catch up to them. To change, they need to plan better. Mark shared some cool strategies:
- The 6x6 priority management strategy: Write on index cards the 6 things that are important to you for the next 6 weeks (personally or professionally). You monitor those things for 6 weeks and evaluate your progress at the end. It helps you find focus and clarity.
- Practice necessary endings: Get rid of the things in your life that are no longer serving you and are distracting you.
- Write things down: Mark sets aside time each week to write down 3 things: one thing to focus on for clients, one for business, and one for his personal life. He resets them weekly. If he’s nowhere near meeting his goals, he’s likely trying to do too much and adjusts accordingly.
- Get coaching: No matter what level you’re at—be it CEO, sales manager, or sales rep—you can improve your skillset with coaching. Coaches can give us a different viewpoint when we are too close to the action and dealing with blindspots.
Be sure to listen to hear our in-depth discussion of these topics.
The attributes a salesperson should have Mark believes the key to being a great salesperson, in general, is having a good vision. What you’re doing in pursuit of the vision will always move you in the right direction. You simply build your priorities around that vision and pursue them relentlessly.
A salesperson must also know where they’re going to spend their energy, both personally and professionally. They have to have the ability to discern what to say no to and what opportunities to embrace. You can’t be successful if you say ‘yes’ to everything and end up burned out.
Mark’s tips and tricks to master time-management Mark has learned a few tricks along the way that he shares in this episode that can help you maximize your time:
- Do a monthly funnel audit: It helps you reset your priorities and is a great way to hold salespeople accountable.
- Use your calendar for a 30-day plan: Go straight to your calendar and time-block and schedule appointments like you would for a customer or a Dr. appointment.
- Write things down: It’s hard to ignore something clearly written in your calendar.
- Stay organized: Disorganization is the ultimate productivity-killer.
- Don’t wait until the last minute: You will never produce quality work when you rush.
- Learn to say no: Avoid taking on more than you can handle.
Listen to the whole episode for an in-depth discussion on productivity, to hear about how Mark wrote his books, and the best way to knock out tasks.
Resources & People Mentioned * Book: Necessary Endings by Henry Cloud * Mark’s Book: The Funnel Principle * Mark’s Book: Blindspots
Connect with Mark Sellers * Breakthrough Sales Performance * LinkedIn * Twitter
Connect With Paul Watts * LinkedIn * Twitter
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According to Steve Hall, a customer-centric culture boosts productivity because you are able to focus on the right things. It isn’t about you, your sales goals, or your product—but about connecting with and understanding your customers and offering them something of value.
Steve is a “C” level sales expert, a member of the Sales Experts Channel, and the Managing Director at Executive Sales Coaching in Sydney, Australia. He likes to categorize himself as a corporate storyteller who can help companies craft a compelling narrative. Don’t miss this engaging episode of Sales Reinvented!
Outline of This Episode * [0:49] What is productivity? * [1:50] A lack of productivity is an organizational issue * [3:25] How to improve productivity * [5:07] Attributes of a productive salesperson * [6:53] Tools or processes to aid productivity * [7:57] Top 4 productivity dos and don’ts * [10:35] Steve’s favorite productivity story
A lack of productivity is an organizational issue Sales professionals are judged by their results. They need the ability to achieve more with the same or less effort while reaching their short and long-term goals. Steve believes salespeople aren’t productive because things are structured incorrectly on an organizational level.
Sales teams are expected to do many tasks that could be delegated elsewhere. They’re prospecting, wooing the clients, and expected to close the deal—with all the administrative tasks tossed in. This is something that organizations can focus on changing.
A customer-centric culture boosts productivity Steve points out that most companies overemphasize doing more activity while still expecting quality work. Those two things don’t typically go hand-in-hand. Instead, Steve believes productivity is better served by better understanding your customers. Sales professionals need to be passionate about helping their customers succeed.
If you learn to see things from the customer’s perspective and understand the needs of their business you’re more apt to close the deal. Steve stated, “Rather than have product knowledge, have problem knowledge”. Educate yourself on your client’s business—commit to offering them value. Be nice, be genuine, and help your client succeed. That is the whole goal of productivity.
Steve’s tools and tactics that make an impact Steve said to invest in things such as sales navigator and a simple CRM, but that his methods to increase productivity are more strategic. Here are a few thoughts he suggests:
- Record your sales calls. Play them back, pinpoint what you can improve on, and use the recording to help make a transcript for calls.
- Don’t invest time in busy-work. Don’t spend hours perfecting a presentation that may never happen.
- Sell to people who want what you have. There’s no point wasting time if they’re not interested.
- Don’t work too hard. Be sensible—don’t work until you reach a point of burnout.
- Know your objective. Why are you making the phone call? Why are you sending the email?
You need to focus on what’s important and not activity for activities sake. Listen to the whole episode for more suggestions.
Try team-based marketing and sales Steve is an advocate for people to work as a team. Most companies have salespeople who work as individuals, with individual targets and goals. They’re less motivated to help their team because it’s every man for himself. But you don’t work in a vacuum. According to Steve, when people don’t work together it’s a “hammer to productivity”.
He had a client who decided to build their company with a team-based marketing department. They set team quotas and goals. Anytime there was a challenge to overcome, everyone jumped in to lend a hand. This particular company increased its sales by 35% that year. The next year they increased sales by 50%. They now own 75% of the market share in their area.
The moral of the story is that companies need to create an environment that encourages team collaboration and productivity and a customer central culture. They need people who are focused on doing the very best they can for their customers.
Resources & People Mentioned * Together is Better by Simon Sinek * LinkedIn Sales Navigator
Connect with Steve Hall * LinkedIn * Twitter * Steve’s website
Connect With Paul Watts * LinkedIn * Twitter
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Salespeople are taught that it’s all about closing the deal. That it’s all about connecting with prospects and pushing them down the sales funnel. Today’s guest, Ian Moyse, points out that spending time on closing the deal may not always be in your best interest. Listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented to find out why.
Ian Moyse is the EMEA Sales Director at Natterbox and an expert in telephony. He is known as a cloud social influencer. Thinkers360 recognized him as one of the top 100 #B2B Thought Leader and Influencers to Follow in 2020. He’s also a panelist on the sales expert channel, was awarded the prestigious UK Sales Director of the year award, and is one of the top sales experts.
Outline of This Episode * [1:04] Ian’s definition of productivity * [3:00] Why aren’t sales people productive? * [7:12] There is more than one way to communicate * [11:18] Multi-level questioning and active listening * [15:41] Tools and tactics to improve productivity * [19:57] Top 3 productivity dos and don’ts * [23:08] Ian’s favorite productivity story
Productivity is about efficiency—not activity Ian states that “Productivity is about doing the right thing, not just doing something”. It’s about hitting the results, not the metrics. Ian’s definition of productivity is doing the right things in the most efficient manner to secure a sale. There is too much focus on pure activity. Sales leaders want to push their reps to make more calls and force more connections. But more activity doesn’t equal qualified leads.
They’re also focusing on the wrong activities. Sales leaders want their rep to make a hundred calls to get 50 connections to get 5 leads—but what if a rep could make 50 calls to get 10 connections and 5 leads? The focus needs to be moved from ‘more’ activity to connecting with the right people.
The level of activity needs to be different for every rep. Some reps need 20 visits to get 5 sales—others only need 10 visits a month. Each salesperson is an individual and needs to be treated as such. Everyone’s personalities and strategies are different, so we can’t hold them all to the same strategies and expect the same results.
Be willing to switch your preferred mode of communication Ian points out that we need to take a step back and think about the fact that we all block calls and filter emails. Most people won’t answer a phone call with a number they don’t recognize or respond to an email from someone they don’t know. And while email seems to be the preferred mode of communication, it can leave a lot open to interpretation. You cannot properly understand someone’s tone and verbal cues through a written message—but you can with a phone call.
It can also take 5 days of email communication to knock out what could be covered in an hour-long call. Ian states that you must be willing to switch modes of communication based on the information you need or the topic being covered. Email is more of a communication dialogue while a phone call is more conversational. You must keep in mind the differences between them.
When productivity = NOT closing the deal Productivity is about getting to the end result in the most effective and appropriate manner for your company and the client. The end result is not always a sale. Finding out that a potential customer is not a good fit still being productive because you’re reducing time spent on something that won’t achieve the desired outcome—a sale.
Ian points out that sales reps need to learn multi-level questioning while actively listening. Taking a deep-dive with a potential client on the front end and listening to their needs will move you towards the desired outcome, or help you disqualify them. Ian believes many salespeople are so bent on closing the deal that they ignore key disqualifiers.
A great salesperson has to learn how to see those red flags and make hard decisions early. The amount of time you could spend on large bids will eat away at your productivity. Bring in your sales group and management to give a listening ear and let the bid go if it isn’t a good fit. You don’t want to waste your resources.
Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance According to Ian, this mantra can save you a lot of headaches and give you better odds of closing a sale. He points out one way to put this into play: make a cold call a warm call. He suggests doing that by researching the person in advance. Learn facts about his or her business and different angles you can use to connect with them. You may not use all the information, but you are better informed and prepared.
He has another mantra closely tied to the first: Plan, Prioritize, and Push aside. You need to plan for your day ahead of time, schedule and time-block key things that need to get done. Then you must prioritize those things and push aside interruptions and distractions. If you qualify what needs to be done now, it’s easier to focus on the tasks at hand.
Listen to the whole episode for Ian’s thoughts on productivity, his ‘Ninja inbox’ strategy, and more.
Resources & People Mentioned * Natterbox
Connect with Ian Moyse * LinkedIn * Twitter
Connect With Paul Watts * LinkedIn * Twitter
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Better sales engagement is what drives sales, but many salespeople are fumbling with the concept. Sales engagement platforms give you the confidence to follow-up with leads and help guide your conversations with prospects. Many salespeople aren’t utilizing a sales engagement platform—but according to today’s guest, Darryl Praill, it’s absolutely necessary.
Darryl Praill is the Chief Marketing Officer of VanillaSoft and is a marketing executive with over 25 years of experience in the industry. He excels with B2B marketing, is passionate about mentoring, and loves viewing obstacles as challenges. Listen to this episode for his rapid-fire advice.
Outline of This Episode * [0:53] What is productivity? * [2:00] Why aren’t salespeople productive? * [2:49] Steps to improve productivity * [4:16] The 5 attributes of a productive salesperson * [6:27] Use a sales engagement software * [8:03] Top 3 productivity dos and don’ts * [10:24] Darryl’s favorite productivity story * [12:15] BONUS: Pitch-slapped
How to improve productivity According to Darryl, productivity is doing what you say you’re going to do, in the timelines you’ve committed to, at the activity levels necessary to achieve your goals. While Darryl admits that it’s a cliche—sales IS a numbers game. You need to operate with the right frequency, cadence and activity levels.
Most often, sales professionals struggle to be productive because they don’t plan. They struggle to manage their calendar. Darryl implores sales professionals to block time on their calendar and protect those time slots as if your life depends on it.
He also recommends knowing your targets—to define your target and chase it relentlessly. You have to know your product inside and out, typical objections, and be able to explain why what you’re offering matters to your target.
The 5 attributes of a productive salesperson Darryl believes the top-performing sales professionals embody some of these traits—If they don’t, they’re working hard to develop them:
- Competitiveness. A sales professional should strive to have the highest conversion rates and the highest quality calls. They enjoy overcoming obstacles.
- Committed. They must be committed to knocking things out and hitting numbers.
- Measurable results. Focus on what can you improve and measure. Try different scripts and see which works better.
- Brutal honesty. Acknowledge your shortcomings and weaknesses and get a plan in place to improve them.
- Willingness to learn. Always improve. Model after those who are more successful than you.
You need to invest in sales engagement software Darryl is the CMO of VanillaSoft, a leading sales engagement platform. He points out that you don’t necessarily have to use VanillaSoft, but emphasizes that a sales engagement platform is something you need to invest in. It helps feed you the right leads so you can call (or connect) at the right time using the right channels.
He notes that 48% of leads never get called, and if they are called usually only 2-3 attempts are made. Many salespeople wait 36-63 hours before calling a lead. All of these errors kill the ability to develop leads.
Darryl recommends using a sales engagement platform, because it “bridges the gap between marketing automation and CRM software”. It can help you improve your interaction with your prospects and increase close rates. They serve you the best lead and help you qualify and triple your pipeline.
Learn to eliminate what distracts you Darryl admits that productivity doesn’t come easily to him. Just like many others, he’s apt to get easily distracted by social interaction and technology. The few times he’s consistently kicked butt, he’s bent on being hyper-focused. He locks his door and refuses to leave until he gets the task done. Each step he takes he sees himself progressing against his goal. As he gets closer to reaching said goal he becomes more confident. Having that one productive day amplifies his entire week.
Darryl also recommends scheduling important activities during times when you’re at your best. He’s not a morning person and works best in the afternoons. You can’t work well when you’re tired, hungry, fuzzy-headed, etc. Above all, don’t avoid doing the work that you dislike. Instead, focus on improving it. Listen to the whole episode for his recommendations in detail!
Resources & People Mentioned * VanillaSoft * Sales Truth by Mike Weinberg * ZoomInfo * DiscoverOrg
Connect with Darryl Praill * LinkedIn * Twitter
Connect With Paul Watts * LinkedIn * Twitter
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Staying productive is an ever-evolving problem as a sales professional—but leveraging the power of referrals could help. Salespeople wear many hats: they prospect, write proposals, work with internal teams, handle customers, and more. Utilizing any tactic to help smooth the process can be a gamechanger. In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Joanne Black joins Paul to share her take.
Joanne Black founded No More Cold Calling 23 years ago and has been helping sales leaders drive revenue for their teams ever since. She is a referral consultant, speaker, and author of multiple books on sales. Her goal is to help sales professionals ensure qualified pipeline leads and shorten prospecting time and increase close rate.
Outline of This Episode * [0:19] Joanne Black joins Paul! * [054] What is productivity? * [2:00] Salespeople need to focus on discipline * [3:43] Do what’s closest to cash every day * [5:55] Attributes of a productive salesperson * [7:13] Joanne’s #1 recommendation * [9:45] Top productivity dos and don’ts * [11:32] Joanne’s favorite productivity story
Sales professionals must face a hard truth Joanne doesn’t mince words—she believes many sales professionals are lazy and lack discipline. She notes that salespeople do everything they can to avoid prospecting and connecting with customers. Salespeople resist CRM and systems because it is more work. It’s expected that marketing will source and send leads down the pipeline.
But sales professionals are accountable for what they produce. They must take a long hard look at their behaviors and systems in place. Society as a whole wants the end results without the work that goes with it. Sales professionals must work hard to overcome the preconception that people have that they’re lazy. That starts by learning to be disciplined and staying accountable.
Do what’s “closest to cash” every day Joanne’s mantra is “do what’s closest to cash every day”. What do you have to do to move things along and meet your quota? Is it writing a proposal? Do you have to corral a team and strategize? She points out that your job is all about prospecting and proposal writing—and whatever it takes to move forward.
To stay focused, you must prioritize and time-block what’s important. Limit how often you’re checking email and don’t get lost in the social media time-suck. She also recommends exercising and eating healthy. If you are tired and unfocused, you won’t be able to do your best work.
STOP cold-calling and embrace referrals According to Joanne, it takes at least 8 touches to reach someone with cold calling. But if you get a referral? It’s one phone call and you’re in a conversation with someone who wants to speak with you. Her #1 recommendation to be more productive is to STOP cold calling and embrace referrals.
This allows you to spend less time prospecting, shortens the sales process, and helps your conversion rates soar to over 70%. How? Trust. When a client refers someone to you, they have already forged a level of trust with that person. That bond of trust gets transferred to you and completely changes the conversation you have.
Focus on what customers are saying (or NOT saying) Joanne believes many salespeople are so bent on “doing” that they don’t think to ask what customers actually need. Every customer needs and wants different things and you can’t assume you know what those needs are without listening first. Joanne believes, “Every individual has a different need to know at a different time”. It’s your job to find out what that need is and provide a solution.
You also need to be able to know when a client is giving you the brush-off—by understanding their silence. Joanne worked for a company that was contacted to submit a proposal for what would have been a million-dollar deal. They were looking for some advanced sales training and their current vendor didn’t offer what they needed. But her contact gave her the runaround and Joanne ended up losing the deal.
The constant stalling and dodging of calls was a red-flag that Joanne missed. Be sure you’re paying attention to a potential client to get a concrete answer—”maybe” or “not sure” isn’t good enough. Getting a concrete “yes” or “no” will keep you from wasting your time and lead to more productivity. Listen to the whole episode for all of Joanne’s strategies to stay productive!
Resources & People Mentioned * The SPEED of Trust by Stephen Covey * No More Cold Calling by Joanne Black
Connect with Joanne Black * LinkedIn * Twitter
Connect With Paul Watts * LinkedIn * Twitter
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Communication skills are necessary across all job fields, but Anthony Solimini adamantly emphasizes its usefulness in sales. You must be able to connect with prospects on a relational level. You need to effectively communicate the desired outcome of meetings. Above all, a salesperson must be able to ask for the sale. The foundation of a sales professional’s job must be excellent communication skills. According to Anthony, it separates the winners from the “averagers”.
Anthony Solimini has worked internationally in London, Singapore, Bangkok, and Hong Kong in banking and sales. He is currently the Business Development Advisor at CSI Financial Group and starting his own training business—AGS training. He is the author of multiple books on sales and enjoys putting his comedic skills to good use on the side. He shares his expertise in this episode of Sales Reinvented. Be sure to listen!
Outline of This Episode * [1:10] Anthony’s definition of productivity and its importance * [2:42] Why aren’t salespeople productive? * [3:57] Steps to improve day to day productivity * [5:22] Excellent communication skills are an important attribute * [10:03] Tools you can use to improve productivity * [14:53] Anthony’s top 3 productivity tips * [19:17] Stop filling your pipeline with suspects instead of prospects
When salespeople confuse efficiency with effectiveness When Anthony was in banking in Singapore, he was told by his boss that he needed to double the number of meetings he was having weekly to increase his sales. When he did so, his sales plummeted even more. What he learned was that doing more of the wrong thing makes you less successful—and less productive.
Salespeople are often numbers-focused. They assume that if they schedule more meetings, make more phone calls, and get in front of more people that it equates to more sales. Anthony points out the error in this thinking and iterates that it’s about quality, not quantity. If you have fewer—but more focused—meetings you will have a higher closing percentage.
He also notes that salespeople need to be in front of the right people who have a want, need, or desire for the product or service they’re selling. If they don’t, they are taking advantage of your time and expertise to gain information or knowledge. Don’t fall into this trap.
Salespeople need to have excellent communication skills—and confidence According to Anthony, salespeople need to be laser-focused on what they want to achieve. They should go into every meeting confidently, with the ability to take control of the situation. A good salesperson should walk into a meeting with an agenda and a specific outcome they're hoping for and be able to openly communicate that to their prospect.
Anthony points out that most top-performers are great communicators. They have the ability to build a relationship based on trust with their prospects. They show that they aren’t just there to make a sale and move on. A good communicator can present their pitch in a style that makes the other person feel comfortable.
Anthony knows that young up-and-comers in the sales world don’t immediately embody confidence. It takes time to become proficient at what you do. You’ll fail and learn from those failures. He believes that you can rely on the confidence your company has built—that it can come from the organization until you feel confident and prepared.
Set the scene for your meeting Too often, sales professionals are laser-focused on their presentation and closing the deal that they forget about the human element. Anthony believes it is important to do your research—learn as much as you can about your prospect before you show up to that first meeting. Adding a personal touch is a means of differentiating yourself from everyone else pitching to them.
Go into the meeting and set your agenda: clearly state what you’re going to talk about and what your desired outcome for the meeting is. Anthony believes that “The sales process is 70% setting the scene and 30% closing”. After you set the scene you must adapt to your audience, listen and learn, evaluate and explain—only then do you sign and seal the deal (His SALES acronym).
Anthony shares his basic methodology in this episode, but you can get full details by reading his book that’s listed in the resources below.
Stop filling your pipeline with suspects instead of prospects Anthony inherited an account from his boss—an account that his boss had been trying to close for 2 long years. His company had been courting this person by taking them golfing, paying for elaborate dinners, and giving away tickets to sporting events. Anthony was fed up with this prospect. He was flying every time he met with him and it had gone on far too long.
He finally switched tactics. The next time he met with the prospect, he prepared a summary of the last two years. At the end of his presentation, he said “I get the feeling you will never do business with us” and succinctly stated it was time to stop wasting each other's time. The prospect conceded that he wouldn’t be doing business with them.
When asked why he didn’t tell them sooner, his response was a simple shrug—“no one ever asked”. Anthony’s company had wasted years on this prospect when they could’ve spent 20 minutes discovering the reasons they could never do business together. The potential client would never ruin the relationship with all of the FREE stuff he was getting!
From there on out, Anthony adopted a new policy: He would meet with a prospect a maximum of 4 times (if they sale was under a million dollars) and then ask for a yes or a no. Salespeople sometimes forget that even if they get a no, they are still closing the deal and can move on to someone who does want their business.
Resources & People Mentioned * BOOK: The Power of a Positive No * Bloomberg * Salesforce
Connect with Anthony * BOOK: S.A.L.E.S = Sold * Anthony’s website * LinkedIn * Twitter
Connect With Paul Watts * LinkedIn * Twitter
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It’s a day and age where accountability is key to obtaining results, but seldom put into play. According to Kristie Jones, productivity is the ability to identify and execute on tasks that will result in providing the highest value outcome from that task. But you must hold yourself accountable to the goals you’ve set—and the quotas your company sets. Kristie joins Paul to share her thoughts on how sales professionals can become more effective in their roles.
Kristie has over 15 years of experience in SaaS management with expertise in training and coaching. In 2016 she founded the Sales Acceleration Group, which specializes in helping small and mid-size businesses increase their revenue. Kristie believes many sales professionals struggle to meet their quotas because they aren’t held accountable to their goals. Listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented to learn strategies to become a more productive salesperson.
Outline of This Episode * [1:08] Kristie’s definition of productivity * [2:58] Why aren’t salespeople productive? * [6:04] What can salespeople do to increase productivity? * [10:56] Attributes of a productive salesperson * [15:26] Productivity tools that Kristie recommends * [17:43] Top 3 dos and top 3 don’ts * [19:44] How Kristie landed a job with accountability and consistency
A lack of productivity may be due to a lack of accountability Kristie notes that productivity is a blend of art and math. You need to understand your sales math and what exactly it takes to hit your quota. If you don’t know what it looks like to reach your goals, how do you know you’re doing what it takes to make quotas? Kristie points out that you must know how many prospects you need in your pipeline at any given time.
You also need to know what your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is. Wasting your time talking to the wrong people with the wrong businesses will halt your productivity. She recommends learning your niche—your specific region, industry, persona, etc. Once you’ve done these two things, you’ve laid the groundwork to improve productivity.
3 ways to stay accountable to your goals Kristie sees a shortcoming in the industry where sales leaders are not holding their reps accountable. It’s becoming a rampant cultural problem. Sales leaders need to understand their reps’ sales math and ICP. If they know this, they can track if their reps are on target to hit their goals. If they’re behind, they can step in and provide support and guidance.
But they also need to set meaningful expectations on the front end. So how do they accomplish that?
- Take advantage of coaching/mentoring your reps. It is critical, but many aren’t being coached. Sales leaders need to give their reps feedback from call monitoring or sitting in on virtual or live meetings.
- Do a pipeline review meeting weekly: Kristie recommends a 15-minute meeting to go over the sales cycle checklist (link in the resources below) to look at your reps’ pipelines and gauge if they’re on target.
- Complete a weekly tactical review: It’s a weekly (or monthly) one-on-one to go over goals and lay out a game plan for meeting quota.
It takes discipline to yield results Discipline is a character trait that nearly every guest on the show points out as an attribute a sales professional must have. Kristie also believes that past success is an indicator of future success. It’s one reason why she likes to hire former athletes—she knows they have drive and discipline. They have grit, determination, and understand the concept of hard work to reach goals.
Kristie loves people who have a system in place. People who’ve done their due diligence and have nailed down a strategy that works for them to be productive. She knew a young rep who came in and did prospecting every day from 9–11:30 am, without fail. She refused to let deal prospects creep into her morning and was fiercely protective of that time. Anything else that needed to be done would land in her afternoons.
It’s all about finding a formula that works for you and staying consistent with it. Keep listening to hear Kristie and Paul discuss the mentality that athletes encompass that makes them ideal reps in the world of sales.
Consistency and accountability go hand-in-hand Kristie has found—both personally and professionally—that developing consistent (good) habits will yield more positive results. When you do the same thing every day, you begin to form habits. She believes you must hold yourself accountable to the structure that you’ve created for yourself.
Kristie was unexpectedly let go from a job she loved, and what she did next is what got her into her next job. She set up a home office and got up every day and spent her morning prospecting for jobs. She’d workout over lunch to get over the midday hump, then spent a couple more hours job-searching.
She set up networking meetings, sent out resumes, and watched webinars to continue learning and growing. She treated finding a job like it was her full-time job. After two and a half months of hard work and consistency, she landed her next job. She believes if she hadn’t kept herself accountable and followed a structured schedule her story might’ve ended quite a bit differently.
Listen to the whole episode for her top 3 dos and don’ts and more strategies to improve productivity!
Connect with Kristie Jones * Twitter * LinkedIn * Blog post on Accountability * Blog post on Discipline * Productivity Audit
Connect With Paul Watts * LinkedIn * Twitter
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Today’s guest, Lisa Leitch, believes that proactive prospecting is key to productivity as a salesperson. It takes discipline, rigor, and drive to achieve results. It’s important to learn to be efficient and get into a rhythm. In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Lisa shares her take on productivity and a few key strategies that can help you become a more productive sales professional.
Lisa is the President and Sales Strategist of Teneo Results. She’s been a sales and training coach for over 15 years and worked with thousands of salespeople in over 250 different companies. Her mantra is “Be strategic. Be Proactive. Be Brave”. She brings years of experience in the sales world to this episode—don’t miss it!
Outline of This Episode * [0:53] Lisa’s definition of productivity and its importance * [1:56] Why aren’t salespeople as productive as they could be? * [2:58] Steps to improve day-to-day productivity? * [4:30] What are the attributes of a productive salesperson? * [6:10] Lisa’s foolproof strategies to improve productivity * [11:58] Lisa’s favorite productivity story
Don’t get stuck in the day-to-day According to Lisa, being in the sales industry requires rigor and determination. You need to achieve results—and discipline and rigor are what get you there. But in the sales world, no two days are the same. It puts you at a disadvantage because it’s difficult to get into a rhythm and be efficient.
Instead of focusing on improving day-to-day productivity, Lisa proposes setting 3-year goals. Where do you and your team want to be in 3 years? You can then break those goals down into yearly, quarterly, and weekly goals. You dissect those weekly goals into 7-day tasks. It’s about having a long-term vision for success and being future-focused.
Be clear on your ideal clients Salespeople are often so focused on making sales and creating revenue that they lose sight of their ideal prospects. It’s not all about getting a yes—sometimes it’s about saying no. You must walk away from clients who won’t help you yield results or who you know will be high-maintenance.
If you have clarity on your ideal client it helps you focus your prospecting. It helps you attract and do business with the right people, where you can help them grow their business. One strategy you can use is to refer clients who aren’t a good fit to other people who “serve those types of clients better”. In that way, it’s not a hard no, but the offering of a better fit.
The concept of Proactive Prospecting A strategy that Lisa has found greatly improves her productivity is Proactive Prospecting. Salespeople always want to be growing their business and keeping their pipelines full. Lisa blocks time to prospect, reach out to existing clients, schedule meetings, and more. She points out that to grow the business you need to move the needle on your dashboard.
Lisa blocks Thursday mornings from 7:30 am to 8:55 am. She has found that this is the most productive time to be prospecting. You catch VP’s of sales (or other senior leaders) in their offices before their 9 am meetings. They’re also more likely to respond to an email or answer their phones. She sets a goal to make at least 10 phone calls in that time slot.
Another strategy that Lisa finds simple but effective is the “Double Whammy”. People are more likely to use email, but it is easy to accidentally delete a message. If that’s your preferred method of reaching out she recommends following up with a 2nd point of contact with a different medium such as call, text, or message on LinkedIn.
Lisa’s tips to keep you efficient Lisa points out that if you’re trying to be more efficient you need to maximize your time. If you’re traveling to a meeting with a client, always look for a 2nd client to meet with. She also recommends shutting off your email notifier. It’s an unnecessary distraction and your messages are likely not urgent.
Above all, don’t be a transactional seller. Do your best to answer client questions and respond to whatever they need, but focus on being consultative. When you focus on building relationships with your clients and understand their needs you can provide solutions to their challenges—and be more productive.
Resources & People Mentioned * Asana
Connect with Lisa Leitch * Lisa on LinkedIn * Lisa’s Twitter * Teneo Results
Connect With Paul Watts * LinkedIn * Twitter
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Mark Hunter believes that productivity is best defined by the incremental value you provide customers as you help them achieve outcomes. It isn’t about being busy or crossing items off of a to-do list. It is about providing value. What does that look like? How does a salesperson accomplish it? Learn more in this episode of SaleReinvented!
Mark—known as the ‘Sales Hunter’—is arguably one of the greatest minds in the world of sales. He is an accomplished speaker, consultant, and author of multiple best-selling books. With an astounding 30+ years of sales leadership experience, he repeatedly helps companies find and retain better prospects. Paul picks his brain in this episode—don’t miss it!
Outline of This Episode * [0:57] What does productivity mean to Mark? * [1:51] Why is productivity important? * [2:41] Why aren’t sales professionals productive? * [3:59] How to improve day-to-day productivity * [5:40] The mindset of a productive salesperson * [7:50] Productivity hacks that Mark embraces * [11:12] Top 3 productivity dos and don’ts * [13:33] A productivity challenge that Mark has faced
Where you spend your time is determined by the outcomes you desire for your customer Mark is adamant that you cannot get hung-up on a to-do list. Instead, you must determine the desired outcome for your day and client. Once you have the outcome nailed down, you backfill the activities that will fill your day. In this way, you are more focused and not distracted by your list.
He recommends staying on task by preparing for each day the night before. He writes down exactly what he hopes to accomplish so that he doesn’t spend an hour of his morning ‘dinking around’ figuring out what his day will look like.
Mark points out that any professional athlete goes into their game with a game plan in place to win. They have a clear vision in mind. Sales professionals need to view themselves in the same way—as professionals with clear goals and outcomes in mind.
A productive salesperson has the right mindset Mark states that you cannot “Allow other people to define your level of success—only YOU can define your level of success”. He often sees salespeople get discouraged because their performance doesn’t measure up to someone else’s. His message is clear: you must stop defining your success by someone else’s accomplishments. Instead, measure yourself against yourself.
If you start each day with the mindset of an optimist, you’ll start to notice the incredible amount of opportunities available to you. You just have to be ready, open, and conditioned to recognize them. Mark starts every activity with the desire to influence whoever it is he’s dealing with, create impact for each party—and exit a better person.
Throw your to-do list in the garbage Instead of relying on a to-do list, Mark lives by time-blocking. Once you have your desired outcome nailed down, block time in your schedule for each activity that advances you towards that outcome. When you define your time, you stop allowing the work to expand and overtake your time. YOU compact the work into the time you’ve made available for it.
Mark is ruthless with his calendar, and other top-performers such as Richard Branson and Mark Cuban do the same.
His second sage piece of advice is to do your most difficult task first thing in the morning. In his words, “The mountains are never high as you think and the lows are never as low as you anticipated”. Whatever you may be dreading won’t ever be as bad as you anticipate!
Mark believes you must think and process in the long-term but live in the moment. Following that reasoning, he states that everyone NEEDS a 25-year goal. If you don’t set long-term goals, “You go through life reacting to things, not acting to create them”.
Marks tips and strategies to stay productive Mark operates by the adage that ‘tomorrow begins today’. So what are the things he recommends doing to get a head start? How do you continue being productive?
- Build a list of outcomes and block your time accordingly.
- Celebrate success at the end of every day.
- Don’t start your day looking at emails—block them into your schedule.
- Avoid starting your day on Social Media. It can be critical to sales (but also a complete time-suck). Set a timer and move on when your time is up.
- Remember you don’t have to do it all. Delegate tasks and activities whenever you can.
Lastly, Mark wants you to recognize that there will be times when you fail. He points out that every great baseball player strikes out more than they get to 1st base—but they’re still millionaires.
Don’t kick yourself when you don’t get something accomplished. Stay positive and remember to focus on celebrating the good that has happened—because only YOU can motivate yourself. To hear the rest of Mark’s take on productivity and what you can do to achieve better outcomes for your clients, listen to the whole episode!
Resources & People Mentioned * Book: Eat That Frog! by Brian Tracy * Book: A Mind For Sales by Mark Hunter * Book: High-Profit Selling by Mark Hunter * Book: High-Profit Prospecting by Mark Hunter
Connect with Mark Hunter * LinkedIn * Twitter * Mark’s website
Connect With Paul Watts * LinkedIn * Twitter
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Is your definition of productivity truly working for you? Are you stuck in an endless loop of activities? If you’re treading water and seem incapable of completing the sales activities you need to, it’s time to redefine what productivity means to you. Jeff Bajorek joins Paul in this episode of Sales Reinvented to help you rethink how you view productivity.
Jeff is a sales improvement consultant specializing in the B2B space. He’s co-host of ‘The Why And The Buy’ podcast and author of ‘Rethink The Way You Sell: The Five Forgotten Fundamentals of Prospecting’. In this episode he’ll share his thoughts on productivity, his top 3 do’s and don’ts, and what you should do to become more productive.
Outline of This Episode * [0:54] What does Jeff Bajorek think productivity is? * [1:54] Why is productivity so important in sales? * [3:23] How do you increase your productivity? * [7:16] The tools Jeff finds effective * [9:18] Jeff’s top 3 dos and top 3 don’ts * [12:07] Jeff’s favorite productivity story
The definition of productivity is anything you want it to be Jeff points out that productivity is getting enough stuff done—and YOU get to decide what ‘enough’ is. Once you’ve defined what productivity looks like for you, you can implement systems and structures to knock things out. It gives you the freedom to implement what systems work best for you.
According to Jeff, you must be informed, intentional, and purposeful. Define how you’re going to be productive and then commit to it to reach your sales goals. He notes that many salespeople get stuck in “analysis paralysis”. They’re so hyper-focused on what needs to be done that the ‘how’ gets lost.
Instead of getting lost in analysis paralysis, Jeff recommends deciding ahead of time what the important activities are. Avoid distractions and non-sales activities and follow the 4 steps of the sales cycle:
- Identify who you can help
- Get their attention
- Communicate your value
- Get them to commit to the process
Whatever you do needs to lead to the advancement of those 4 activities.
The attributes of a productive sales professional According to Jeff, the #1 attribute of a sales professional NEEDS to be the ability to be disciplined. Once you’ve identified what’s important, you must have the discipline to carry through on those tasks—especially when you don’t want to. For Jeff, this meant completing sales calls reports. He hated them but believes doing them made him more effective.
You must also be open-minded. While Jeff believes many of the tech tools available have the uncanny ability to get in the way, you must be able to evaluate and embrace them if they’ll make you more efficient. You have to be able to learn new tricks as an old dog.
Lastly, Jeff points out that you must be humble. Be willing to admit you don’t know it all—and keep learning.
Don’t be afraid to say NO Jeff shares his ‘top 3 productivity do’s and top 3 don’ts’ and one concept that struck Paul was learning how to say no. To be productive you must prioritize and schedule what needs to be done. Everything else can be squeezed in around it. However, if you’re taking on too many activities and trying to fly by the seat of your pants you will struggle to hit your numbers.
Don’t give yourself too much credit—don’t take on more than you can handle. Everyone is guilty of it at one time or another. You must learn to underpromise and over-deliver. Say yes to the activities that are important and don’t be afraid to say no. Jeff embraces careful consideration when he makes decisions, citing “Every time you’re saying YES you’re saying NO to something else”.
Rethinking the process of productivity When Jeff left a previous job, he wanted to implement some things that he had learned over his time there but were considered “risky”. He took a good hard look at his calendar and implemented a new system based on his research. He took the activities he knew moved the sales process along and got himself in front of prospects. He made sure his value proposition was clear and asked people to take the next step with him every single meeting.
He changed the focus of his days and made sure every activity he completed was worth doing (and measurable). What he found was that he was able to cut down time spent working to ⅓ of what it was previously—but he tripled his sales activities. He had a 9x return on results to activity. It changed his productivity and his personal life. According to his wife, he became less stressed and more like himself.
He points out that you must always ask yourself: “Are you spending enough time, doing enough of the right things, to get enough done?”. To hear the full conversation, be sure to listen to the whole episode!
Resources & People Mentioned * Todoist * Evernote * Book: Rethink The Way You Sell * The Why And The Buy podcast
Connect with Jeff Bajorek * Jeff on LinkedIn * Jeff on Twitter * JeffBajorek.com
Connect With Paul Watts * LinkedIn * Twitter
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