The Dark Side of Winning Confidence When Selling #512

The Dark Side of Winning Confidence When Selling #512

This may sound surprising but did you know that closing a deal may carry negative consequences akin to losing a deal? And did you know that excessive confidence can be as problematic as fear? The assertion that winning is always good raises questions that suggest success may not always be advantageous. Whether facing a shortfall or exceeding quotas, setting aside worry and prioritizing prospects is always the right thing to do. The warning about winning confidence underscores the importance of honesty, humility, and understanding one’s limits in professional interactions. In this episode, we explore what happens when you assume or consider the extremes as good or bad. Today we’re going to center on what’s important, the center. 

Today’s Chapter: Winning and Confidence

Winning a deal can be just as bad as losing a deal.
Confidence can be as bad as being afraid.

What? How is it true winning may be bad?

Behind in your quotas, the only way is up.
Exceeded your quota, the likely way is down.
Set aside all this worry,
and take care of your prospects.

How is it true confidence may be bad?

Fear can stop you from doing your job.
But confidence can get you in over your head.
Be honest, temper your arrogance.

Know your limits.
See yourself in your prospects.
If you love your prospects as yourself
the world will entrust you with more prospects.

Today’s Story

It had been a month since Chris started setting up appointments for Pat. Chris’s cold-calling numbers were weak and quite frankly borderline unacceptable. Concerned, at the end of the week Pat asked “I can’t help but notice you’re not making a lot of dials and when you do connect, your calls are very short. What’s going on here?” “Well,” said Chris “I’m just not comfortable calling people out of the blue. I’m trying, and I hope you can see that. But I hate to bother people. I dread getting robocalls. I just don’t feel good about it.” 

Pat nodded “I get what you’re saying. But what we’re doing and what those robocalls are doing are two completely different things. We only call people we think we can help. We don’t pitch without first listening nor do we call at odd hours.  You have nothing to be ashamed of. 

“Instead of focusing on your fear, remember the anxiety they struggle with every day. Maybe we can help them overcome their business challenges, and help them get a good night’s rest. The only way we can help is to reach out and ask.

“Keep dialing, in time the fear will fade”.

Take Action Quote

Tilopa, the founder of the Kagyu school in Tibetan Buddhism said, “Let go of what has passed. Let go of what may come. Let go of what is happening now. Don’t try to figure anything out. Don’t try to make anything happen. Relax, right now, and rest.”

The truth can be found between any two extremes. Combine the extremes and you will have the true center. It’s in the center buyers and sellers delight.

Thank Our Sponsor 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.

 

How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble

Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you can help,  showing what you have, and helping them to make a decision that is good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com

I’ve interviewed 100s of sales experts and discussed all things sales: prospecting, qualifying, value propositions, presentations, demos, closing, generating referrals, earning references, upselling, marketing, lead generation, copywriting, and most importantly the right selling mindset. Stop fearing sales and embrace it.

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We Only Learn From Failure #496

We Only Learn From Failure #496

I’m a goof and I screw up a lot. I’m known to talk to myself and say things like “What were thinking?” or “You’re an idiot Pat.” This behavior really bugs my wife. She’ll say “Why are you so hard on yourself?” to which I reply “I’m not hard enough!’ But she may have a point. You can read good advice, or in the case of a podcast, listen to good advice but it’s not going to be embraced nearly as much as when you screw up and learn a lesson from it. 

 According to the author George Bernard Shaw “A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.”  That’s the topic for today.

Today’s Chapter – Find Your Niche

A lost sale is a failure
and an opportunity to learn.
If you blame someone else,
or the circumstance,
there is no end to the blame.

Like the seasons
deals are won and lost.
Make failure, the opportunity to start again.
Yet this time with wisdom.

The Master Seller
meets their own obligations,
corrects their own mistakes,
Doing what they need to do,
demanding nothing of others.

Today’s  Story – Know Your Niche

Just when Chris thought the deal was a given, the client called and backed out of the final meeting. Chris was devastated and embarrassed. 

“What happened?” asked Pat. “I thought this was a sure deal. That’s what you told me.”

“I know.” responded Chris, “that’s what I thought but then I screwed it up.”

“How?” queried Pat.  

Chris paused and then said, “After the first presentation they admitted they like our basic service. Then I got excited about the newly announced services and thought I could make the deal bigger. But when I presented the new services, to my surprise, it scared them. After thinking about it they decided to go with a competitor who has a simpler offer. I totally misjudged the situation.” 

With an empathetic smile, Pat said, “You really screwed that up.” 

“I know,” said Chris. “I know.”

“Think you’ll do that again?” asked Pat.

Chris laughed. “No way.”

Pat laughed too and said, “Failure is a tough thing, but it’s the only place we truly learn important lessons. Years from now you’ll forget all the clients you closed this year, but this deal you’ll never forget. The lessons from this deal will reap rewards if you honor them.”

Take Action Quote

We all make mistakes. That’s a given. What’s not a given is what we do with that mistake. Do we learn from it or instead repeat the error in an endless cycle? Too often sellers fail to take responsibility for their actions. It’s easy to blame the client, the market, the product, or the boss. Yet you have no control over any of them. All you can control is your own behavior and your own actions. 

Lao Tzu said,

“Those without Virtue require others to fulfill their obligations.” 

Wake up! The universe doesn’t pick favorites. Expect that failure comes with success. Err on the side of kindness and it will all work out.

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Here’s a link to the hot new The Science of Scaling podcast. If you’re looking to grow your business’s revenue and sales, this is the podcast for you. Follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. 

https://link.chtbl.com/tsos?sid=podcast.salesbabble

Pearl Diver

Would you like a super simple way of knowing in detail who’s visiting your website? Pearl Diver does that by sharing details on name, email, phone, address, and business website for anonymous visitors. If they’re looking at you they’re probably qualified.

Check out PearlDiver.io

 

How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble

Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is deeply understanding what buyers need, discerning if you can help,  showing what you have, and helping them to make a decision that is both good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com

This is a production of Habanero Media https://habaneromedia.net

Got a Question?

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

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

 

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Why You Need a Sales Niche #495

Why You Need a Sales Niche #495

If you ever sold a new invention, idea, or innovation then you’ve probably experienced the crushing defeat and rejection that comes with disrupting the status quo. After that experience you may have walked away with the same feeling I had when I did the Point of No Return waterpark ride which descended 10 stories in 4 seconds, No thank you, once was enough for me. But on the other hand, if you are bold and believe in the old adage that the “Riches are in the Niches” this is the episode for you. How to get a new innovation adopted. That’s the topic for today.

Today’s Chapter – Find Your Niche

The giant oak
grows from a tiny acorn.
A skyscraper in the heavens
starts on a pile of dirt.

The ocean is vast.
But the wise fisherman
casts nets in narrow waters.

Serving every market
serves no one.

Listen to the niche.
Great deeds have a humble beginning.

The journey of a 1000 sales
begins here, under your feet.

Today’s  Story – Know Your Niche

Given the disruptive nature of the company’s new product innovation, Pat’s strategy was to focus on early adopters who would partner and provide critical feedback. Despite that coaching, Chris secured a contract with a client who wasn’t a perfect fit. 

“Why did you do that?” asked Pat, “these folks will never be a good reference for our target market. In fact, I bet they never use it.”

Head shaking Chris responded, “Look, this is a good deal. They are much bigger than the companies you want me to target and it really goes a long way to meeting my quota.”

Frustrated Pat interrupted, “It’s my mistake you’re not getting paid at a higher rate for high-value early adopters. I’ll fix that. But if we sell to everyone, we sell to know one. We have a clear ideal client yet limits on our ability to invest in the new product. We need to start slow with small steps. In time, by partnering with early adopters, we can build out the product for the big guys. It’s going to take patience but we will get there. That’s our strategy for long-term success.”

Take Action Quote

The Adoption Curve and Innovation author Geoffrey Moore believes that,

“The number-one corporate objective, when crossing the adoption curve, is to secure a distribution channel into the mainstream market, one with which the pragmatist customer will be comfortable.” 

When you’re looking to promote a new innovation, it’s essential you start with buyers who are open for change and willing to share their experience. Too often startups fail by trying to please everyone thus securing conflicting feedback.  As they say in golf. Aim small, miss small. Start with one thing and do it well. As Lao Tzu said,

“Have patience until the mud settles and the water clears.”

Support Our Sponsors

Science of Scaling Podcast

Here’s a link to the hot new The Science of Scaling podcast. If you’re looking to grow your business’s revenue and sales, this is the podcast for you. Follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. 

https://link.chtbl.com/tsos?sid=podcast.salesbabble

Pearl Diver

Would you like a super simple way of knowing in detail who’s visiting your website? Pearl Diver does that by sharing details on name, email, phone, address, and business website for anonymous visitors. If they’re looking at you they’re probably qualified.

Check out PearlDiver.io

 

How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble

Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is deeply understanding what buyers need, discerning if you can help,  showing what you have, and helping them to make a decision that is both good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com

This is a production of Habanero Media https://habaneromedia.net

Got a Question?

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

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

 

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How to Learn, Unlearn, and Relearn Sales #494

How to Learn, Unlearn, and Relearn Sales #494

Do you know how some people just don’t listen? They complain about their situation,  yet they’re never open to alternatives. It’s a case where confidence and cockiness become handcuffs. This is all too common in sales. It’s a paradox but sometimes the best way to learn something is to first unlearn what you already know. To relearn is to keep growing and that’s the topic for today.

Today’s Chapter – Overflowing Cup

Keep filling your bowl,
and it will spill over.

Keep sharpening your pitch,
and it will be blunt.

Keep hoarding commissions
and you will be robbed.

Keep seeking approval,
and you will become their prisoner.

Do your job and move on.
Anything else attracts suffering.

Today’s  Story – When The Cup Is Full

Many of Chris’s deals were in trouble. Chris was looking for advice and Pat offered to help by inviting Chris for coffee. Chris was thankful and at the meeting immediately started explaining the complex details of each deal.

Pat started pouring coffee into Chris’s cup and when it was full, Pat kept pouring. 

Astonished Chris exclaimed, “Pat, the cup is full! No more will go in!”

Pat responded, “Like this cup, you are full of your own opinions and solutions. How can I show you the way unless you first empty your cup?”

Take Action Quote

Before you can begin something new, you have to end what used to be and unlearn the old way. As Mark Twain said, 

“It ain’t what you know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” 

Letting go is hard. Long-held beliefs are tenacious and they can be deadly. We live in tumultuous times. Changes in technology and culture create great uncertainty.  As sales professionals, it’s our responsibility to be skeptical of our assumptions and make adjustments as needed.  As Lao Tzu said, 

“To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, remove things every day.”

Support Our Sponsors

Science of Scaling Podcast

Here’s a link to the hot new The Science of Scaling podcast. If you’re looking to grow your business’s revenue and sales, this is the podcast for you. Follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. 

https://link.chtbl.com/tsos?sid=podcast.salesbabble

Pearl Diver

Would you like a super simple way of knowing in detail who’s visiting your website? Pearl Diver does that by sharing details on name, email, phone, address, and business website for anonymous visitors. If they’re looking at you they’re probably qualified.

Check out PearlDiver.io

 

How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble

Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is deeply understanding what buyers need, discerning if you can help,  showing what you have, and helping them to make a decision that is both good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com

This is a production of Habanero Media https://habaneromedia.net

Got a Question?

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

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

 

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Why Are You Still Working That Lost Deal? #483

Why Are You Still Working That Lost Deal? #483

Why is it they say that when one door closes, another door always opens? Are doors in some sort of cosmic competition? ‘Oh, this door is closing? Well, I’ll show you!’ And bam, another door pops open, like it’s saying, ‘Don’t worry, I got your back!’ Doors are like the ultimate wingmen, always ready to hook you up with a new adventure. I mean, seriously, who needs a dating app when you’ve got doors playing matchmakers? It’s like the universe’s way of saying, ‘Hey buddy, don’t sweat it, I got plenty more doors where that came from!’ The same is true about sales. Sales works the same way. Why are you still working on that lost deal, there’s more where that came from. Hey buddy don’t sweat it.

Today’s Chapter: Let It Go

The seller who takes action is defeated.
Those who grasp lose the sale.

The Master Seller does not act and so is not defeated.
They never grasp and therefore do not lose.

People often fail on the verge of success.
With spontaneity and adaptability
watch your desires
and let them go.

Today’s Story

Chris and Pat attended a tradeshow together. At one point, one of Chris’s prospects stepped by the booth to say hello and open up about a challenge they faced. Chris was eager to reengage the prospect until they shared how they decided to go with the competition and they’re happy with their choice. 

Pat and Chris asked the prospect a bit about how they settled on their decision and then wished them good luck and goodbye.  

As the day went on Chris became frustrated and less attentive to gathering leads. No longer able to stay quiet, Chris said, “I can’t believe we didn’t win that deal. What were they thinking going with those other guys when we have exactly what they need.” 

Pat laughed and said, “Chris, you lost that deal three hours ago. Why are you still working on it? Look! Some new people just entered the aisle. Let’s see if they’re qualified prospects and collect their information?”

Take Action Quote

The Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius wrote,

If you are pained by external things, it is not they that disturb you, but your own judgment of them. And it is in your power to wipe out that judgment, now.

Too often we squander our lives with regret by over-focusing on negative events that hinder our judgment. This point of view can be crippling to our work. Instead, we should accept that things aren’t always going to go our way. We should acknowledge we can’t have good times without bad times. They both go hand in hand. Rather than looking backward at the bad times, let’s look forward and see the opportunity ahead of us.

Habanero Media Network

You too can start a B2B podcast today. Listen to our other podcasts at Habanero Media and discover podcasting that can ignite your selling success.

This is the Cannabis Advocate Podcast 

How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble

Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is deeply understanding what buyers need, discerning if you can help,  showing what you have, and helping them to make a decision that is both good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com

This is a production of Habanero Media https://habaneromedia.net

Got a Question?

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

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

 

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Frictionless Selling with Anthony Coundouris

Frictionless Selling with Anthony Coundouris

In this episode we meet Anthony Coundouris, author of run frictionless, a  book that helps founders scale  an organization that back fills their sales role.  Anthony does this by using a decision-making framework called the 4Qs.  Anthony and I walk through the 4Q’s and he shares advice on how to remove an organization’s  friction from a prospects buying experience.  If you’re frustrated with the barriers that make it hard for your customers to buy, this episode gives  direction on frictionless selling  and how to make buying as seamless as possible at your company.

What is Frictionless Selling?

Anthony wrote the book as a tool. He builds sales processes for asia pacific tech companies. The book was the education process to speed up his consulting. He has found that most clients don’t have a sales process in place. They think is the sales staff that has an issue. Instead of looking at individuals, he focuses on the organization.  Friction, or barriers that slow the buying process,  is not a sales problem, but a company issue.

Instead of replacing the founder with a seller who will never do it exactly the same way, better to build a resilient organization that seamlessly takes prospects through the buying journey

From Friction to  Frictionless with the 4Q’s

4Q’s is a quadrant that shows value provided by the organization and who would value that product/service.  to the customers

    1. Who we serve
    2. What we serve
    3. Who we are
    4. How we serve

Since Internal friction becomes external over time, anything you can do to eliminate friction the better.  Anthony mentions several pre-designed customer flows from the book that  improve sales you can use right away. We chat about how  business is being  turned away because the buying process is not being taken into account. 

How To Find Anthony Coundouris

To connect with Anthony and learn more about frictionless selling:

 

Thank Our Sponsor 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 Frictionless Selling

Check out these 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. 

Image result for linkedinImage result for emailImage result for telephone icon

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.

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You can find us on:

 

Billion Dollar Sales Secrets with Joe Paranteau #359

Billion Dollar Sales Secrets

Billion Dollar Sales Secrets with Joe Paranteau #359

Billion Dollar Sales SecretsOur guest is Joe Paranteau a sales director at Microsoft and author of soon to be published  Billion Dollar Sales Secrets book. Joe is a leading expert on sales, generating more than $1B in just five years, an uncommon accomplishment.  He has led nearly 30K sales meetings in his 28-year career with Fortune 500, SMBs, and startup businesses. In this interview Joe and Pat babble about sales management, poverty mindset, quota, metrics and behaviours sellers can embrace to close a billion dollars in revenue.

Sales Secrets for a Billion Dollars in Sales

In his first book, Billion Dollar Sales Secrets, Joe shares fifteen secrets to help inspire salespeople to rise to meet today’s challenges, ignite their dreams and success.  Goals of the book:

    • Address contentious issues like quotas and sales management
    • Specific issues that make selling in the pandemic challenging
    • Examples how business owner are able to reengineer selling processes that are more productive
    • Why mindset and mindfulness matter.

How To Find Joe Paranteau and his Sales Secrets

To connect with Joe Paranteau and find his book (which he sees as a love story)  go to:

Thank Our Sponsor 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. 

Image result for linkedinImage result for emailImage result for telephone icon

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:

 

1 – 3 – 3 Selling Strategy with Justin Leigh #342

Justin Leigh 1-3-3 Sales Strategy

1 – 3 – 3 Selling Strategy with Justin Leigh #342

Justin Leigh 1-3-3 Sales StrategyJustin Leigh is a high performance business and sales leadership coach. In this episode Justin and Pat discuss how sellers and sales managers  engage, motivate and accelerate the performance of their business teams. Justin focuses on  what he calls  his 1-3-3 selling strategy for selling success. The interview focuses on psychology, selling skills and the power of building repeatable business processes. If you’re looking to get promoted or to take your profession to the next level, this is the episode for you.

Selling Skills and Management Development

Have an open mind where your career can go. Develop the skills you will need in the future now, in your current position. By developing skills  now you will stem imposter syndrome. Do the work in advance.

Great managers provide leadership coaching in three ways:

    1. Getting their teams psychology and attitude in the right place
    2. Building the skills necessary for success e.g customer service and delight
    3. Putting in place reproducible processes that assure success.

Sales Quota Pitfalls

Quotas are a lagging metric. There are better metrics to consider for measuring  selling skills and future success. Commonly managers only focus on activity e.g number calls/emails. Also consider:

    • opportunity size
    • number of opportunities
    • size of pipeline
    • qualitative metrics like time it takes to convert a lead to a qualified prospect

1-3-3 Selling Strategy

This is the 1-3-3 selling strategy Justin uses for consulting:

    • One Goal
    • Three priority streams for leading activities
    • Three key activities per stream

Take Action Advice

Get your psychology right, skills in place and think systems.

How To Find Justin Leigh

Website – www.focus4growth.co.uk & https://bit.ly/Sales-Mastery-Prog
Twitter – https://twitter.com/_Justin_Leigh_
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Focus4growth
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/business-sales-acceleration/

This is his Sales Mastery program https://bit.ly/Sales-Mastery-Prog

This is his  1-3-3 Goal Setting Tool https://bit.ly/Reach-your-goals

Thank Our Sponsor 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 Selling Strategies

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. 

Image result for linkedinImage result for emailImage result for telephone icon

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:

 

How To Scale Sales With a Customer Service Mindset with Sean Tierney #237

Sean Tierney Sales Babble

How To Scale Sales With a Customer Service Mindset with Sean Tierney #237

Sean Tierney Sales BabbleIn this episode we meet Sean Tierney, Director of Sales for Pagely, a premier managed WordPress hosting provider. Sean has over twenty years of experience in tech, marketing and sales roles and specializes in automation and sales systematization. Sean lives and works in Lisbon, Portugal where he mentors startups in the Startup Lisboa incubator. We talk about his 7 step process on how to scale sales organizations and do so with a customer service mindset.

7 Step Scale Sales Process and Philosophy

Sean’s sales philosophy has a mindset that sales is just customer service before they are a customer. He breaks it down into 7 steps.

  1. Map out the flows of the current reality. This is broken into two parts:
    1.  How information is moving through the system:
      • Where does it live?
      • How does it get there?
      • What are the forms on your site?
      • What systems does it flow to?
      • What’s done with the data?
    2. Understand the buyer journey:
      • How do people go from not knowing your service to knowing your service?
      • How do they get onto your website?
      • How do they buy?
      • How are they onboarded?
      • How do they receive support?
      • How are they upsold?
  2. Track KPIs – Key Performance Indicators. Metrics are tactical, KPIS are strategic eg. MRR Monthly Recurring Revenue, ARR Annual Recurring Revenue and Sales cycle time. Have a spreadsheet but just track the metrics that matter.
  3. Establish a Process – use a CRM or a Kanban style with a pipeline and method for following up.
  4. Flintstone It – Do things manually to start and then automate over time.
  5. Delegate – Map out your org chart when starting and note the roles you’re playing. He found the SDR role was bottlenecking him. AE Account Executive role and Onboarding role he could still own. To grow staff he had one intern listen to calls recorded and placed in knowledge based.
  6. Automate – tools are a set of scaffolding for doing tedious stuff. The goal is to make each person more efficient.
  7. Scaling Personal Attention – a philosophy on automation. Despite size, highly personalize and create powerful experiences that scale with a boutique feel. e.g. pagely.com/explore took the consultative sale process with interactive videos.

Take Action Now

If you can’t explain what you’re doing as a process, you don’t know what you’re doing. Don’t be shooting from the hip. Map it out, understand your sales process and you’ll understand it at a very deep level.

Tools Mentioned

How To Find Sean Tierney

This is his company Pagely

This is Sean’s  personal blog

This is his podcast for digital nomads.

How to Manage Sales Teams

Let’s keep the conversation going. Listen here today!

Why You Need a Killer Business Plan with Peter Mehit #232

Why You Need a Killer Business Plan with Peter Mehit #232

My guest Peter Mehit delves into to the importance of having a business plan. We observe how the skills that make great entrepreneurs, are not the skills of a great CEO. Entrepreneurs and sales professionals are known for taking quick action. But too often they do so without a plan. This is the death of many companies. Peter is the author of the book  “Killer Business Plan” . In this episode we learn how a business plan is what’s needed to take your business to the next level.

Hope for the Best, Plan for the Worst

If you don’t visualize the destination, nor understand where you’re at, you’ll not know where to go. As business professionals we need to have a clear idea where we’re heading. Business plans are important to decide where you’re business is going.

Peter paraphrased former guest Geoffrey Moore and Adoption Curve guru stating the skills of an entrepreneur  are not the same ones to grow it. Entrepreneurs can make immediate decisions, but lack the skills for long term planning. We each need to be CEOs and see our business as a machine. Instead of living in a world of response, we need to move to a world of planning.

Any Plan is Better Than None

A simple business plan made with business cards and a poster board might be more than adequate to get started. You need to understand WHERE you want to go. You need to learn discipline and ask:

  • Who’s the customer?
  • Why would they buy?
  • Are they in your geographic area?
  • Is it about you, or the customer?
  • Is it about what the CUSTOMER wants?
  • If you’re selling to everyone, you’re selling to no one.

To earn raving fans you have to target them and their taste, values and the things they care about.

When Sales Are Flat

If sales are flat, look at your products. Ask….

  • Are they still relevant?
  • Where could they become relevant in another market?

You could be at saturation, or you’re no longer competitive. It could be time to move on. Or it could be time to find a different market for your product.  You may need a marketing plan which is a subset of a business plan, the biggest part of the plan. When complete, test! Take something from AGILE planning, trust but verify.

Thoughts on Business Model Canvas

Business Model Canvas  is a diagram taught in business schools for starting a business plan.   Peter believes it’s a good starting point, but only that, a starting point. You should be able to logically explain the steps described on the canvas. Otherwise an investor’s going to take a pass. Think beyond the creation and manufacturing of your product or service. Focus on how you’re going to sell it and grow revenue.

Take Action Plan

  • Visualize clearly who you’re selling to
  • Know what they’re about
  • Always ask am I talking to the right person
  • Always ask am I doing the right things

Unless you’re checking yourself, you’re wrecking yourself – Peter Mehit

How To Find Peter Mehit

You can find Peter and  Custom BPS here:

His “Killer Business Plan” 3 part book is available for you. Send an email to pmehit @ custombps.com and get a copy of the book for free!

Past episodes mentioned:

How To Grow Business

Here are past episodes to keep up the conversation. Listen today!