How Personalized Prospecting Generates More Leads with Ankesh Kumar #324

How Personalized Prospecting Generates More Leads with Ankesh Kumar #324

Ankesh Kumar is a serial entrepreneur who has taken 2 companies from zero to $20m, raised over $50 million in venture funding and sold patents to Google. He was born in India, raised in London and now lives in Palo Alto with his wife and 2 daughters. In this episode Ankesh explains how personalized prospecting can be used to generate highly qualified leads and set appointments using his Sharetivity tool.

The Prospecting Challenge

It’s difficult to stand out from all the noise on the internet. Prospects are flooded with pitches for all kinds of products and services. This is where sales people get it wrong. Sellers need to standout which requires them to better understand buyers.

Sellers who take the time to look at buyers social media footprint and craft their message to help it stand out get it right. When you look at LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, the company website and Facebook you can discover the whole person. It can take a long time to do this by hand, Productive sellers can prospect 20 leads a day with this process doing it by hand. Unfortunately, it’s a time consuming process to find an icebreaker. It’s a challenge despite the fact that personalized outreach converts significantly higher than canned emails.

Personalized Prospecting Solutions

Sharetivity is launching an outbound personalized prospecting service. With one click you get the social footprint of your prospect. This footprint accelerates personalized outreach.

Sharetivity is a chrome extension in the Chrome store. Click a button and it does a

- Google search
- Find the Twitter account
- Personal LinkedIn post
- The company LinkedIn account
- Company website

This creates the possibility for personalized messages with context ; a recommendation they shared or the college they attended. Templates can be built into the system, but they are all personalized. Creates an opportunity to create playbooks for new SDRs.

How To Find Ankesh Kumar and Get Sharetivity

You can find Ankesh here : https://www.linkedin.com/in/ankeshkumar/

This is Sharetivity

- https://sharetivity.com/
- https://twitter.com/sharetivity
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/sharetivity/?viewAsMember=true

To get Sharetivity click here

- https://bit.ly/Sharetivity

…. then send an email mentioning “Sales Babble” to ankesh @ sharetivity.com

Thank Our Sponsor Sharetivity

Sharetivity helps salespeople increase prospect engagement by providing an easy and fast way to personalizing their outreach. Sales starts with getting your prospects attention, given all the noise you have to be different, you have to personalize your outreach. Unfortunately, that is time consuming to go to Google, Linkedin, Twitter, YouTube etc to find an icebreaker.

Start Your B2B Podcast with Habanero Media

We help busy B2B companies attract new customers and clients through the magic of podcasting! Start your B2B podcast today and grow your brand, authority, influence and trust.

Download “Why Your Business Needs a B2B Podcast” here.

Past Episodes

Sales Consulting To Grow Your Business

Pat helps technology startups and businesses discover the true value they bring to market, find customers who deeply appreciate that value then scale that process to extraordinary profits. We do this with modern 2020 sales and marketing techniques.

Pushy sales doesn’t work! The key is to build trust over time. What tools do we use? LinkedIn, Email and the power of the Voice Mail.

We believe and teach the value of a helping mindset. Your prospective customers have challenges, hopes and aspirations. They need your help. All you need to do is build their trust, and faith, in your organization. Learn how we help here. Once it’s clear you can help, you will have loyal clients for life. When you bring value you make sales. Or if you’re a startup, learn sales for engineers and skills to promote your new venture.

Got a Question?

Something about today’s episode got you thinking? Do you have a question or a comment you’d like share?

If so “babble me” an email here, or if you can’t wait chat Pat now.

Maybe you’d like to share your musings on the podcast? Leave a voice message here. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Don’t worry about babbling, we prefer it.

Listening Options

You can find us on:

Google Play
Spotify
iTunes
Stitcher
Player FM
Spreaker
The SalesBabble.com website click the player above on this page!

April 28, 2020April 27, 2020

How To Use Podcasts for Business Development with Scott Ingram #318

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How To Use Podcasts for Business Development with Scott Ingram #318

Scott Ingram is the host of the Sales Success Stories AND Daily Sales Tips podcasts. He’s the author of two books: Sales Success Stories and B2B Sales Mentors. He’s also a quota carrying sales professional, working for the professional services company, In this episode Scott shares ways you can grow authority, influence, and trust that attracts new business through podcasting. We’re going to learn how to use podcasts for business development.

This is a great topic because I believe that podcasting is the easiest way to become a thought leader with content that reaches your ideal buyers and grows your business. This is what my new podcasting agency, Habanero Media is all about. When it comes to business development, trust is the tallest hurdle. With steep competition and a plethora of online choices, it’s often easier to choose nothing. When clients trust you have their best interest at heart and accept your council. When you’re an authority and influencer, buyers know you’re the right choice for their company. Podcasts build trust.

How To Find Scott Ingram

Website: https://top1.fm Sales Success Stories Podcast and Daily Sales Tips podcasts for business development.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/scottingram
Facebook: N/A I’m a conscientious Facebook objector
LinkedIn: https://linkedinn.com/in/scottingram

Thank Our Sponsor Habanero Media

We help busy companies grow influence, trust, and provide value that attracts new customers and clients through the magic of podcasting! Start your podcast today and grow your brand, authority, influence and trust.

Download “Why Your Business Needs a Podcast” here.

Past Episodes

Sales Consulting To Grow Your Business

Pat helps businesses discover the true value they bring to market, find customers who deeply appreciate that value then scale that process to extraordinary profits. We do this with modern 2020 sales and marketing techniques.

Pushy sales doesn’t work! The key is to build trust over time. What tools do we use? LinkedIn, Email and the power of the Voice Mail.

Got a Question?

Something about today’s episode got you thinking? Do you have a question or a comment you’d like share?

If so “babble me” an email here, or if you can’t wait chat Pat now.

Maybe you’d like to share your musings on the podcast? Leave a voice message here. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Don’t worry about babbling, we prefer it.

Listening Options

You can find us on:

Google Play
Spotify
iTunes
Stitcher
Player FM
Spreaker
The SalesBabble.com website click the player above on this page!

March 24, 2020March 24, 2020

Great Sales is Matchmaking with Top 1% Agent Shawnna Donovan #313

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Great Sales is Matchmaking with Top 1% Agent Shawnna Donovan #313

Shawnna Donovan is a full-time real estate agent serving Southern Illinois, Lake of Egypt, Marion, Williamson County. This year Shawnna Donovan, a realtor at Coldwell Banker Prime Realty, was named in the top 1% of agents statewide. A Marion resident, Shawnna’s units or number of sales in 2019 landed her in the Top 15 of all 1,166 Coldwell Banker agents statewide. Nationally, Donovan landed at 325 of 40,999 real estate agents within the global company. putting her in the top 3%. Shawnna has been a licensed realtor since 2003 and shares how sales is matchmaking, especially when it comes to real estate.

Reputation Matters

Shawnna is keen on keeping up her reputation and name which demands caring for her clients. Doesn’t look at people like a paycheck. Real estate agents are matchmakers. Shelter is one of the five basic needs. She fulfills a need and want that already exists. By staying in touch and follow up her goal is to earn clients for life.

Follow Up Follow Up

Initial contact, touch point twice a week, then down to once a week then once a month. If you’ve qualified them, and they stop, just say your checking in wondering if they have any questions. You’re goal is find why they are applying the brake. Some people want you to stay on them, others much less so. Stay top of mind.

Productivity Through Work

Doubled down on the work to boost productivity. Honestly she works a lot. Did take a full day off to watch Netflix. She did turn down a showing on Christmas. Be confident, know your clints and know your trade. Just as important follow through. Keep your word.

Past Mistakes She Now Avoids

In 17 years of being a real estate agent she has learned from failure. Past mistakes include:

- Feeling you had to do it all (packing and cleaning)
- Telling clients about your problems
- Not realizing all clients care about is their needs
- Trying to be friends with everyone after business
- Not setting boundaries

How To Pick A Realtor

- Number of homes sold
- Average price of home
- What they charge (fees)
- How much time they have to market your home
- What they know about the real estate market
- Examples of marketing they’ve done
- Look for the human touch

How To Find Shawnna Donovan

- https://www.facebook.com/ShawnnaDonovanYourSouthernIllinoisRealtor
- Call (618) 694-5678
- http://sdonovan.cbprimerealty.com/

Thank Our Sponsor Sales Nexus

Sales Nexus tip for this week – CRM Differentiators

Get the free download here for the 12 Sales Tips to Steal for 2020 Success and 4 Steps to Market Domination

Past Episodes Building Rapport in Sales

Sales Consulting To Grow Your Business

Pushy sales doesn’t work! The key is to build trust over time. What tools do we use? LinkedIn, Email and the power of the Voice Mail.

Got a Question?

Something about today’s episode got you thinking? Do you have a question or a comment you’d like share?

If so “babble me” an email here, or if you can’t wait chat Pat now.

Maybe you’d like to share your musings on the podcast? Leave a voice message here. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Don’t worry about babbling, we prefer it.

Listening Options

You can find us on:

Google Play
Spotify
iTunes
Stitcher
Player FM
Spreaker
The SalesBabble.com website click the player above on this page!

October 1, 2019September 30, 2019

How To Create Believers with Storytelling Selling with Michele Kelly #288

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How To Create Believers with Storytelling Selling with Michele Kelly #288

Michele Kelly is an author, co-founder and CEO of K+L Storytellers. She helps companies who need to tell their story, especially those who care as much about living their values as they do about making a profit. In this episode, we discuss storytelling selling. We discuss the process for creating believers by telling your story. Believers become customers! Believe me! And get this, we did it by sharing stories!

Egos Lothos Pathos Selling

Aristotle defined the structure of the story humans have shared for thousands of years.

Ethos; building trust, Logos: using using logic and rational thinking, and last Pathos; drawing on emotion and empathy. Good stories contain all of these.

When selling, use the Hero Journey story, but make your customer the hero. You, the seller, are the guide e.g Sam in Lord of the Rings, or Jack in Titanic.

Design the story where there is a situation with some challenge. Then one day, an incident happens. This creates drama and from this incident an opportunity arises. Now you, the guide, shines.

Sales Rep is the Story Guide

The sales rep is the guide in these stories. Unfortunately too often sellers can’t see themselves in stories. But you can with reflection. Consider past customers who you’ve been able to help. Frame it in a story.

Seth Godin says marketing is no longer about stuff you make, but stories you tell. When telling a story Robert Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotion takes the listener from awareness to admiration to acceptance.

The way you create believers, is with your story.

How To Find Michele Kelly

This is Michele and Roderick’s company K&L Story Tellers

LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/michelekellystorylove

On Twitter @mkellywriter

Past Episodes Telling Stories

Listen here for past guests advice on storytelling!

June 22, 2019October 20, 2023

Story Selling with Harry Maziar #276

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Story Selling with Harry Maziar #276

Harry Maziar is the author of the new book Story Selling: Sage Advice and Common Sense About Sales and Success. This book is a passion project aligned with Harry’s mission of inspiring and empowering sale teams and others to pursue their purpose in life. Harry served as President of Zep Manufacturing Company, a division of National Service Industries, inspiring his sales team with a newsletter containing Harry’s Helpful Hints. In this episode Pat pulls up a chair to listen to Harry share stories, quips and insights on story selling.

Harry’s Helpful Hints

Harry believes that talking is sharing, listening is caring. Many deals are quashed by sellers talking too much. In his job as president, Harry had a newsletter with a section titled Harry’s Helpful Hints. Some examples include:

- There is mighty big difference between good sound reasons and reasons that sound good.
- I must do something that will always solve more problems, rather than saying “something must be done”.
- The best place to find a helping hand, is at the end of your arm.
- There aren’t enough crutches for all the lame excuses.
- People that don’t get carried away, should be
- The best rules of success won’t work, unless you do

What Makes For a Good Story

A bad story is like a bad joke. It will fall flat. If the story is methodical and mechanical it will not work. A great sales story must be persuading and influencing, The communication must be crystal clear, as well as engaging with a point the customer can relate.

We then let Harry read some stories. Once upon a time ……

1. Just because it’s common sense, doesn’t make it common practice
2. University of Florida telegram
3. You never get rewarded for things you intend to do

Bottom line: effective selling is not hard closing, but listening and building relationships.

Take Action

Take a daily accounting of what’s working and not working in your life, set goals and work on them.

How To Find Harry Maziar

Harry’s email is harrymaziar @ gmail.com
His phone is 404-853-1063

This is the book Story Selling: Sage Advice and Common Sense About Sales and Success.

Research Study for Habanero.Community

Please help with the Habanero. Community matchmaking mastermind study! two minutes I promise!

Entrepreneurial Mindset

Sales Presentation Tips

May 14, 2019May 13, 2019

Trust me, I’m a Salesman with Yuri Vander Sluis Selling With Trust #268

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Trust me, I’m a Salesman with Yuri Vander Sluis Selling With Trust #268

Do you trust the value that your products and your services you bring to market? Do you really think its good stuff? Because if you don’t it’s going to be very hard to build trust with the buyer. People can tell! They know when you’re just trying to get rid of a product and make a commission. They can smell it a mile away. You’re not selling with trust. This is the belief of Yuri Vander Sluis, the author of the new book “Trust me, I’m a Salesman: How to Earn Customers through Trust and Value”. Yuri and I discuss concrete ways to build trust with real examples of building rapport, closing deals, dealing with price and selling with trust.

When Buyers Trust, Sales are Made

Despite what you see in the movies, you don’t need to be a jerk to be successful in sales like in the movies. Instead adopt a different approach based on trust. As mentioned, buyers don’t trust people at the start. But there are things you can do to close the trust gap.

Start with integrity. How, you may ask can you demonstrate integrity? The best way to to show authenticity. Don’t be in a rush. Take your time to let the buyer get to know you. That’s selling with trust.

Example:

Ask the buyer

“Have you ever struggled with problem A?

In my experience I’ve had clients like you with X Y and Z issues.

They often face problems challenged by A.

Is that your experience too?”

You Must Believe in You

If you don’t trust the value you bring to market, you can’t sell and build trust with the buyer. People can tell when you’re just trying to make a quick buck. Commission structures often get in the way. Be authentic and believe in your business. If you can’t it’s time to quit. Life is too short being a con artist. Better to be a professional selling with trust.

Overcoming Closing Issues

Often sellers have millions of dollars in the pipeline, but they’re not really closing the deals. Yuri did a study on one of his clients, calling prospects in the CRM. More than had no idea about the company. When selling with trust you need to go as fast or slow as the customer demands. Some deals take years of nurturing.

Example questions:

“Why are you interested in this product?”
“Why do you see this as a higher priority than other projects?”
“What distinctive value do you think you could get from this product?”

Price Doesn’t Matter

Deals are rarely stuck due to price. Instead sellers need to understand where is the urgency and where is the impact. Secure the value sooner rather than later. Don’t dump your price and yoru margins.

Selling with Trust Take Action Advice

Mature Seller advice:

Ask existing customers why they found value in you personally as the sales person.
Understand from different executive levels what the value they appreciate

New Seller advice:

Call on customers and ask how and why they are using an existing product. What works? What doesn’t work? Learn how to differentiate yourself.

How To Find Yuri Vander Sluis

Yuri is easy to find online:

This is his website www.yurivander.com

On LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/yurivandersluis/

Link to his new book! Check it out

https://www.amazon.com/Trust-Im-Salesman-Customers-through/dp/9887890103

Selling with Trust and Rapport in Sales

Here are other past episodes on building trust with buyers. Enjoy!

April 2, 2019April 1, 2019

Selling with FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) with Louis Kreppert #262

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Selling with FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) with Louis Kreppert #262

Are you looking to create extra income for yourself on a full or part time basis? Do you have a small business selling products and you’d like to expand and sell across the country? Or, do you have a product idea you’d like to bring to market? I believe all sellers are secret entrepreneurs fascinated with creating their own gig. Selling them on Amazon may be the solution
for you in 2019. In this episode our guest Louis Kreppert visits the new Fox.Build podcast studio and explains the nuts and bolts of the FBA Fulfillment by Amazon program.

In this episode we discuss how to sell on the number one e-commerce marketplace, Amazon. We’ll cover all the basics on selling physical products on their FBA, including cost and fees associated with it. Louis will share some best practices for success and examples of successful products and others that have bombed. By the end of this chat you will be able to confidently know if this a platform for you and the steps necessary to get started.

FBA Way

Fulfilled by Amazon, is a program where Amazon does all the storing, packing and shipping versus merchant fulfilled, where you hold all the inventory, do the packing and shipping. FBA provides sellers the opportunity to only focus on marketing and selling. Their only responsibility is finding customers and meeting their needs.

Elements of a Great Listing

There is one listing for every product. The best way to sell is to create your own listing and differentiate from the rest. Amazon drives prospects to look at your listing. Everything is searchable. SEO is key. The words are great but the pictures are what really matters. A great set of photos shows the benefits. The first photo must be shot on a white background. The rest of the photos can be anything else product related but it should tell a story. Each photo should have 85% image, 15% words at the most.

The Title should sound human (not a babble of keywords). Then add 4 bullet points, 1-2 sentences long.

The ratings, “1- 5” stars reviews, really matter. People want to see authentic reviews that reflect reality. If there are no reviews, that’s a hurdle.

Compensation

You can make money as a full-time sellers (third part seller). It’s important to keep your costs down and add value (beyond some commodity). On average FBA takes 50% of your sale. It costs Amazon 25% for the fulfillment services, and keeps 25% for profit.

Example Product Stories

Win – Louis put a bundle together e.g. birthday party bundled set. Got good reviews and it started selling. Views started to snowball. He sells 10 day. Took 4 years to get this product right.

Bomb – Louis had a product that wasn’t unique. Unbundled hand warmers (successful for a while) then the competition found it. started competing then drove the price to the ground.

Take Away

Take the Amazon university course or hire an expert like Louis.

How To Find Louis Kreppert

Louis helps struggling businesses become successful through E-Commerce sales and marketing. In 2014 he started his own marketing company:

LK Sales and Marketing helps people focus on selling products on
Amazon and other e-commerce platforms.

Contact Louis in LinkedIn or you can reach him here: Louis@lksalesandmarketing.com

Sales Tools

Here are other sales tool you can add to your tool box. Listen today!

January 15, 2019June 10, 2021

Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell with Mike Adams #251

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Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell with Mike Adams #251

When it comes to story selling, author Mike Adams is the expert and our honored guest. In this episode Mike shares 7 types of story you need to leverage when selling. Mike gives examples taken from his book “Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell” . He recommends that you learn the types, create your own stories, memorized them and naturally apply to your business.

Three Problems Sellers Face

If you’re new to an organization you probably don’t know a lot of stories. Here are three problems you will face AND seven stories you should learn before meeting a prospective client.

How do I connect with prospective buyers
- Personal Story
- Personal Story of another person in the company
- How did your company find success (strategy and origin story)
How do you get them to change course and buy you
- Story that shares an Insight you have about their business (great for startups)
- Success story of YOUR customer:
  1. scene before you met your them
  2. they have a problem
  3. then they met you
  4. you gave them a plan,
  5. avoid failure
  6. achieve success
How to Close the deal
- The value story, explain how your company leader will behave after the deal is made
- The sales manager story – teaching the client can sell to their management with a story

By learning the seven stories every salespersons must tell, you will be prepared when meeting clients and able to repeat naturally the stories at the appropriate time. Your clients will relate to the stories and persuade them to buy.

Take Action

Build a story library and practice them.

How To Find Mike Adams

To find Mike on the internet and his book Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell look at the following:

Website www.mysevenstories.com

Twitter @MikeAdamsSales

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/mysevenstories/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/m1keadams/

The Story Leader is focused on storytelling for revenue growth teams.

Details here www.thestoryleader.com

For a free how to blog post, discount, or a free product or service.

Our free online storytelling training course (links to the Seven Stories book)

https://master.mysevenstories.com/courses/sevenstories

Using Story in your Selling

October 16, 2018October 15, 2018

Nimble Social Sales and Marketing with Jon Ferrara #238

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Nimble Social Sales and Marketing with Jon Ferrara #238

Jon Ferrara believes the more people you can help grow, the more you grow. It’s one of the reasons he pioneered contact management and CRM with GoldMine in the 90’s, a company he sold for $125 million, and then he came back to invent the Nimble social CRM for nimble social sales and marketing.

Jon’s core values include building products that help others achieve their

passion,
plan,
purpose

to drive success. Don’t rely on your company to build your network. You own that. In this episode we learn how.

Sustainable Garden

Establish an identity in places where your prospects congregate. Share content often and talk about how they can personally grow. People buy a better version of themselves. Be that version and they will see you as an expert. Don’t talk about you, talk about them. People are going to hire you based on your network. So, make sure and take good care of your personal CRM.

How To Stand Out

The more digital we get, the more human we need to be. You can get past traditional social sales and marketing by picking up the phone and sending handwritten notes.

5 Fs of Life

This list shows how you get connected and stay connect. Talk about these topics to find the softer side and deeper connection with others.

Family
Friends
Food
Fun
Fellowship

5 Es of Social Selling

Use this list to build your brand and stand out from the crowd:

Educate
Enchant
Engage
Embrace
Empower

The more people you grow, the more you grow – Zig Ziglar

Take Action Today

Sales is the new Service. Service is the new sales.

How To Find Jon Ferrara

To connect with Jon here are the links for nimble social sales and marketing mentioned in the podcast.
This is Jon on LinkedIn and on Twitter

The CRM we spoke about is Nimble.com and you can email Jon at jon @ nimble.com

After the Two Week free trial use the discount code jon40 (40% off)

We are both fans of Hardcore History with Dan Carlin

Social Selling

October 2, 2018October 4, 2018

Win Deals At Your Price with Sales Differentiation with Lee Salz #236

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Win Deals At Your Price with Sales Differentiation with Lee Salz #236

Our guest is Lee Salz a leading sales management strategist, bestselling author and CEO of Sales Architects. Lee is a returning guest, visiting nearly three years ago in Episode 88 How to Differentiate when Selling a Commodity with Lee Salz #88 Lee has a new new book out titled Sales Differentiation – 19 powerful strategies to win more deals at the price you want. In this episode we talk about things that you can do to stand out, show value, work around price concerns and actually charge a premium. Stop selling on price and boost your sales today.

How to Differentiate when Selling a Commodity

Sales people too often complain “If we don’t drop our price, we will lose the deal.” It’s too easy drop the price and cut into the companies margins. Profits matter! To win deals at the prices you want, Lee believes your needed strategy is differentiation.

During the interview Lee walked us through a few of his 19 easy-to-implement concepts to help salespeople win deals while protecting margin. He believes these concepts are applicable to any salesperson in any industry and are based on the foundation that how you sell, not just what you sell, differentiates you.

Some highlights mentioned:

Focus on what you sell, and how you sell.
References – don’t treat it like chore, but opportunity to connect like minded buyers.
Price – you can’t be too early but you can be too late. Explain meaningful difference early on.
Your greatest competitor is not the status quo, but other sellers competing for your prospects time
Author a RFP for your industry and give to prospects as an example to tip the focus to your favor.
Your personality is the number one differentiator – especially those with internal company relationships.

Take Action

If you haven’t taken to the time to define how you’re differentiated, spend a moment and reflect on value that you bring to the market. Next build that definition so you can win more deals at the prices you want.