Category: entrepreneurial mindset

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Three Step Process to Narrow Your Sales Focus #201

Phil Boissiere Sales Babble

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Phil Boissiere Sales BabbleThree Step Process to Narrow Your Sales Focus with Phil Boissiere #201

Phil Boissiere is a Silicon Valley tech startup and executive coach. He works with founders, entrepreneurs and sales people who struggle with attention fatigue. In this episode Phil gives us practical advice on how to boost your selling productivity.  His 3×3 method is a quick way to tune up your sales brain, vanquish stress and narrow your sales focus. Your brain is the most important tool you have in your bag. Use it!

Sales = Stress

The sales profession attracts people who are willing to put themselves on the line. Sales people are  evaluated on:

  • performance factors – e.g. closed sales, advanced deals, prospecting, etc..
  • social factors – e.g. likeability, relationship building, etc…

When stress goes up, performance goes down. When people are stressed, they make the wrong decision. Quick fixes have limits. Discover the root cause within you and what’s going on in your brain. for example, with dehydration your cognition drops!

Tedious complex tasks hurt concentration, create distraction and a bad attitude. Stress and worry turns on the emotional part of you brain. You don’t want this. Since your overloading your brains with apps, photos, and videos, it’s hard to narrow your sales focus.

3×3 Method

Phil has a way to relieve stress with a simple exercise. Combine the naming of an object with a deep breath. Since your brain can’t do two things at once, it will allow you destress and focus.

Pick three objects in the room and say the following:

  • That’s a Lamp (take a breath)
  • That’s a Painting (take a breath)
  • That’s my Desk (take a breath)

Sellers are paid to perform.  Since this work is  future focused, it creates stress. Be preventive in mindfulness and reap rewards on your productivity.

Sleep Trumps Stress

Coffee is a stimulant. It can help mental focus but it’s only a stop gap.  When your brain is depleted of sleep it creates:

  • irritability
  • frustration
  • distractibility
  • low energy
  • cranky mood

Get to sleep now!

How To Find Phil Boissiere

http://www.philboissiere.com – Executive Leadership Coaching

Focus Playbook    philboissiere.com/salesbabble

Selling Mindset

Here are many terrific past episodes on the selling mindset. Listen today!

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How to Pitch Shark Tank with Michelle Weinstein #184

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How to Pitch on the Shark Tank with Michelle Weinstein #184

Michelle Weinstein is a sales strategist who specializes in helping entrepreneurs learn how to sell without selling and without being sleazy. She pitched on Shark Tank and raised over $1M for her last Company placing products into Costco & The Vitamin Shoppe. In this episode she shares the story and the fundamental elements of a strong pitch.

Elements of a Pitch

On the TV show Shark Tank. Michelle was pitching a protein bar business and after a multi-step vetting process she was able to pitch before the “Sharks” only to be shot down. Due to significant coaching for the show, she learned you must your authentic self. If you’re a fake, people won’t trust.

  • One minute to make an impression.
  • 10-20 seconds you will be judged
  • Practice your elevator pitch over and over and over
  • Make it memorable
  • Make it catchy
  • Make it niche enough then be  more niche
  • Know your audience

Take Action Advice

Go take action, too often people don’t take action. Fear is in their way e.g. afraid they don’t know what’s going to happen, afraid of rejection, afraid of failure. She believes you do the market a disservice if you don’t’ reach out and offer your products and services.

Pat’s Pitch Template

Here is an example format that may help….
I help __________________ people
in  _______________ kinds of industries 
who have ___________PAIN or DESIRE___________
by providing __________SOLUTIONS_________
that provided BENEFIT BENEFIT BENEFIT 
Then ask… is that you?
Write this up and read it outloud 20 times until it rolls off your tongue easy peasey.

How to Find Michelle Weinstein

As she shared on the podcast, she is the Pitch Queen.

Go to http://www.thepitchqueen.com/

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Entrepreneurial Mindset

Here are past episodes for the startup and entrepreneurial minded. Listen today!

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How to be a Sales Sherpa with the Hyperconnected David Fisher

David Fisher Sales Babble

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David Fisher Sales Babble How to be a Sales Sherpa with the Hyperconnected David Fisher

Returning guest Dave Fisher and I meet at Sketchbook Brewing to discuss the publishing of his new book:  Hyperconnected Selling, Winning More Business by Leveraging Digital Influence and Creating Human Connection   Dave is a podcast host and consultant  trying to bring back the art of conversation to business.  In this episode we discuss the evolution of selling and what you can do  to better leverage the network you already have.  Dave explains how to be a Sales Sherpa and how to guide your prospects through the glut of information that overwhelms their buying experience.

Selling Conversation and Points We Discuss

Yes we talk about the beer and the value of balancing malt and hops.

But we also discussed:

  • Seller asymmetry, buyers have more information than the seller
  • Appointment setting will get automated
  • Enterprise sale will always need real people (at least in the next 10 years)
  • It’s best to keep working in the same industry and grow industry knowledge
  • Build industry relationships that lead to referrals
  • Sharing insights to prospects will generate business
  • If you hate your job and the industry, get out now

 

Enter here to WIN a FREE copy

HYPERCONNECTED SELLING

 

Enter Here to Win

Enter by October 10th!   Five names will be drawn!

 

How to Find David Fisher

You find Dave all over the internet ….

Past Sales Babble episode with David

In this episode, David tells us all about hyperconnected selling
https://www.salesbabble.com/3-steps-start-hyper-connected-selling-david-fisher-129/

Me on the Beer, Beats and Business Podcast
http://beerbeatsandbusiness.com/tag/pat-helmers/

Sketchbook Brewery

Dave and I met at Sketchbook Brewing Co. a nanobrewery in Evanston, IL focused on sustainable, local, community supported brewing.

Visit at 821 Chicago Ave, Evanston, IL 60202

Support our Sponsor Bluehost

Sales babble is brought to you by Bluehost. Take your idea and start your business online. Sales Babblers can start for only $3.95/month

  • FREE Domain
  • Free Site Builders
  • 1-Click WordPress Install
  • 24×7 support

Special intro offer and 30-day money-back guarantee
Powering over 2 million websites worldwide

Selling Mindset

Here are past episodes that will upset your false beliefs and myths on selling.  Listen today!

 Networking Tips

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Startup Story Where Software Goes to Seed with Charlie Wiltgen #179

Charlie Wiltgen Sales Babble

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Charlie Wiltgen Sales BabbleStartup Story Where Software Goes to Seed with Charlie Wiltgen #179

This week we go to the birth of a business to tell the tale of a startup story.  We  interview an entrepreneur who invented a SaaS product and built a loyal client list from nothing.  This requires a keen attention to detail understanding the challenges and desires of the target market.  Charlie Wiltgen tells his origin story and how hard work and luck intersect.  His corn and soybean data management business is highly successful and an inspiration for all want to be entrepreneurs.

Knowing Your Market

Charlie shared his startup story:

  • How his business partner was hired to fix a legacy system
  • How she pitched the client a rewrite on a new platform
  • How the client LOVED the new software and she brought in Charlie
  • How they worked a trade show to bring on 20+ clients
  • Struggles with scaling the Adoption Curve
  • What it takes to give a great demo

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How To Find Charlie Wiltgen

This is Charlie on LinkedIn

This is Creative Customized Programming

Crossing the Chasm

This is the episode that discusses the adoption curve and the challenge of scaling. Our guest Crossing the Chasm author Geoffrey Moore

Entrepreneurial Mindset and Business Development

Here are some past great startup story episodes:

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Slidebean’s state of the art presentation software allows you track your prospect’s progress within a sales deck.  In addition you have  vital information such as how many times they’ve opened your deck. Plus you know how much time they’ve spent on each slide.

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Sales Cycling and Startups with Jon Woodroof #145

Sales Cycling and Startups

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Sales Cycling and StartupsSales Cycling and Startups

Our guest is Jon Woodroof, a former bicycle shop owner and founder of TwoTone Amsterdam. Jon is a Georgia native, now living in the Netherlands where he started the TwoTone  consulting agency that is “stoked on where startups, sales & cycling meet.”  Sales Babble is passionate about long distance bicycling so it’s only appropriate the Jon talks about sales cycling and startups.

Build a Sales Process

The key to success for non-sellers to to build a repeatable sales process and follow it. It can be this simple:

1. Schedule an initial meeting – phone, Skype, in-person,etc.

2. Ask them for further information regarding their goals in a bullet point form:

  • What are you trying to achieve?
  • What is their success criteria?
  • If we were to work together how would you measure success?
  • What would you feel would be success?

3. Prepare a 1 page proposal from the bullet points.  Add time, budget, things previously addressed.

4. Ask them if the proposal represents their goals.

5. If they agree have them send a deposit, and  schedule a kickoff.  To gamify the process Jon places steps at bottom of the email to elicit trust e.g. “two tone consulting sent 1 page proposal”.

Take Action Advice

1. Interview and survey customers and prospects. Create an Ideal Client profile.
2.Have a sales process and follow it.

Where To Find Jon Woodroof

I found Jon on Twitter, you can too.  He is all over social media:

How To Grow Sales

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Selling from the H.A.R.T. with Mega Cindy Vranken #143

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Selling from the H.A.R.T. with Mega Cindy Vranken #143

In this episode we meet sales coach and consultant mega Cindy Vranken. Cindy believes that the foundation of selling success is built on the intention of serving and helping people.  It’s what she calls, selling with H.A.R.T.

Mindset of Selling from the H.A.R.T.

Sales should focus on helping people vs closing a deal.  That’s how Cindy found success with  selling from the H.A.R.T. It’s an acronym that stands for….

H – Helping people find a problem and a solution.  She puts in her mind, I’m helping my customer.

H – Helping the customer make a buying decision

A – Authenticity – people buy people you may not be able to help everyone

R – Regular Follow Up with your Customers – 5-8 times either in person, phone call, voice mail, email etc…..

T – Take the time to build a relationship – with loyal clients they will continue to do business with you and not leave merely on price. If you can build trust, get them to see you as a partner.

Take Action Today

Tip: Don’t be pushy, follow up with the intention of helping people. Connect heart to heart.   If you do this they will feel it. Don’t call with the intention of closing the deal.

Tip: When asking questions, make a connection so the buying decision is emotional, not mental.

How To Find Cindy Vranken

You can find Cindy in Social Media and learn selling from the H.A.R.T.:

  • https://www.facebook.com/cindy.vranken
  • https://www.facebook.com/MegaCindySales
  • @CindyVranken on Twitter
  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindyvranken

Here is Mega-Cindys-4-step-objection-handling-technique

Entrepreneurial Mindset

Here are some other episodes that discuss the power of having the right mindset. Listen to them today!

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Lose Your Ego Gain The World with Todd Lemense #139

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todd-lemenseLose Your Ego Gain The World with Todd Lemense

In this episode we meet Todd Lemense sales trainer and author of the book. “Lose Your Ego Gain the World”.Todd shares his life story on how went from sales, to an entrepreneur, to sales,
and then back to an entrepreneur. From this hard earned experience Todd learned the value of keeping your ego in check. That is path to success in business, and life.

Todd has had a life of ups and downs. He shares a honest tale that sales professionals and business owners will find of value.

Competitive Selling

You don’t have to be the most experienced sales person, just one day ahead of your customer.

  • Don’t focus on lost business, but business you almost earned but refused to cut your margins.
  • You must be exceptional, it’s a competitive world.
  • Hire people who compliment your skill set, not people just like you.
  • Researchers and planner can easily become procrastinators.

Let The World Help You

You have many resources in your network and family. You are not alone.

  • Don’t hestitate to ask for help and advice.
  • Humble yourself, you’re 100% responsible for your life.
  • You create your own breaks, compounded by consistency in showing up.

How To Find Todd Lemense

You can find Todd online:

Get a copy of his book “Lose Your Ego Gain The World”  here;

  • Todd_lemense@yahoo.com

Productivity Guide

This is the productivity guide Lian Austin is sharing in preparation of his December Summit. Stop wasting time! Optimize your day and with efficient time management strategies.   This is Liam’s interview on episode #135.

Entrepreneurial Mindset

Here are other terrific episodes that discuss the  mindset to overcome business challenges:

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Location Independent Business Essentials with Dan O’Donnell #138

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dan-odonnellLocation Independent Business Essentials with Dan O’Donnell

Dan O’Donnell is an entrepreneur and host of the Bored Breaker weekly meetup in Chiang Mai. In this episode Dan shares the pros and cons of creating a location independent business.  He shares examples of where digital nomads have found success and where others have failed. You’ll also learn a bit about what it’s like working in Asia. It may seem exotic, but it’s not as strange as you might think.

Lifestyle Online Business Model Characteristics

During our conversation Dan spoke about Position,  Strategy, Community, Starting, and the power of Peristance.

1. Not all models work for all people. It’s dependent on personality, history, and runway on capital. In many cases, people move to Asia to figure out how to make $1K/mo and live well. It’s a great place to bootstrap a business.

2. Too often people try to reinvent the wheel when it would make more sense for them to copy what works in a slightly different model.

3. Amazon FBA is a common path for Digital Nomad success.

4. It’s important having a community that can help you. If you’re all alone it will impede success.

5. Take action and get started. Don’t let perfection kill an opportunity.

6. Perseverence wins the race. Don’t take rejection personally. Move on to the next opportunity.

How To Find Dan O’Donnell

You can find Dan on the internet!

Entrepreneurial Mindset

Here are some other episodes on the entreprenurial mindset. Check them out today!

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What Startups Need to Know about Business Development with Tim Allen #119

Tim Allen Entrepreneur

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Tim Allen EntrepreneurWhat Startups Need to Know about Business Development with Tim Allen #119 

 

In this episode we visit a Makerspace I’m working out of St. Charles IL called Fox.Build. A Makerspace is sometimes also referred to as hackerspace, hackspace, and fablab as creative, DIY spaces where people can gather to create, invent, and learn. They often have 3D printers, software, electronics, craft and hardware supplies and tools, and more.

In this episode I interview Tim  Allen who does sales for his wife Alisa’s business A3 Environmental. Tim also works out of Fox.Build. We talk about the struggles of business startups and how to proceed with business development.

New Startup Business Development 

At first you start in first gear, high volume low margin work with the goal of moving to low volume high margin work.     

Starting a business is about suffering. Living cheap, doing without, working a lot. Tim is currently cold calling 400 banks in northern IL, finding the right people and trying to get on the approved vendor list.

Cold Calling Sales Process

  1. Finds a list of suspects on LinkedIn.  
  2. Remember the job titles, ask directly for the person, when you get the attendant.
  3. Call back using the suspect’s name, it’s easier to get connected 

Cold Call Script

Hi my name is Tim and I’m looking for Justin Love, Can I speak with him.

Tim  avoids mentioning his company name.

The goal is to build a relationship in a minute and a half.  He then sends a request on LinkedIn once he knows he has the right person. He then explains to them who he is, what they do and asks if they do a lot of commercial work.

Both a hunter and farmer

A startup is like a having a baby in that you work on and worry about it all the time.  What starting business development you first start hunting, but deals take a long time and a farmer mentality to work them to a sale.

Take Action Sales Advice

Start by finding problems – speed, schedule, quality, cost etc.  Then solve them!

How to Find Tim Allen and A3 Environmental

A3 Environmental, LLC (A3E) is a woman-owned, small business founded in 2015 specializing in providing quality environmental services to private entities, as well as federal, state, and local government organizations.

Fox.Build  Makerspace website 

Tim Allen on LinkedIn

Cold Calling Tips

 

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5 Habits of Successful Sales People with Kingsley Grant #117

5 habits of successful sellers

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Kingsley_Profile_Under_Chin Circle5 Habits of Successful Sales People with Kingsley Grant #117

Kingsley Grant is a business coach and my long time mastermind partner. He’s also  a Motivational Speaker, Corporate Trainer, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist , Certified Mindset and Transition Coach, Host of the Midlife Launch On-Demand Online Radio Podcast, and a published Author.  In this episode Kingsley teaches his Five habits for successful sales people, the  SCORE Habits to create the framework that will sustain this discovery. He is a proud dad, husband, a man of faith and an entrepreneur at heart.

You Want to SCORE in Sales

SCORE  is an acronym Kingsley uses to teach the  5 habits for successful sellers.. Answer the following questions:
Storyfication – Why are you doing what you do? How are you improving  your clients business?  Do you believe in your product or service? If you don’t answer YES you’re story will not lead to success.  Remember what  Zig Ziglar said  “If you’re not using what you’re selling, don’t sell it”. 
Collaboration – How do you partner with others?  How can others help you?
Optimization – What is working? What’s not working? Instead of focusing on what’s broken, focus instead on what’s going right.
Reconciliation – You will screw things up at some point. That’s a fact. It’s best to take ownership of the fault (even if it wasn’t you) and apologize. This will build loyalty.
Elimination – Recognize process that aren’t working as well as relationships. Eliminate them from your business. e.g. firing customers, staff, partnerships,
In other words Kingsley believes you need to “Score big or go home”
Find your true why?  What is the one thing you’re called to do?

How To Connect With Kingsley Grant