Category: sales qualifying questions

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Frictionless Selling with Anthony Coundouris

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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:

 

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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.

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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.

Listening Options

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How To Sell To Non-Profits with Clara Carrier #317

Clara Carrier Sales Babble

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How To Sell To Non-Profits with Clara Carrier #317

Clara Carrier Sales BabbleClara Carrier  is a dynamic brand and marketing professional and founder of Breaking Through Consulting. She partners with nonprofits to advance the impact they can provide by understanding and activating their purpose for social good.  In this episode Clara patiently describes how to sell to non-profits how to identify their mission, their WHY, and the best ways you can add value, support and capacity to move their mission forward.

How To Understand Purpose

Sometimes the purpose  of the non-profit, is the mission. Other times the why is forgotten.  When selling she asks questions about the purpose and uses an assessment tool:

    • Why is this the mission?
    • Why are these people part of the mission?
    • Why these services? ,

Her goal is to give non-profits  clarity and have them sprinkle the mission in all they do. Having purpose, drives people to action.

Understand Donors to Sell to Non-Profits

Non-profits sell hope to donors. Donors have a deep desire to make a difference. Gifting of time and move provides people a bridge to contributing an impact. It could be talent, money and goods given with hopes to  make a difference to the less fortunate. Some look for status. some want the plaque. Some just desire a way they can donate. Donors see themselves as investors and want to see a return on their gift.

Seller Advice

Selling is not a one way street that benefits one side vs the other.   Non-profit leaders must become sellers themselves. When they bring a human touch to the donor, and see them as people, both can improve the world. When sellers and marketers help fulfill the non-profit mission, success is assured.

How To Find Clara Carrier

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.

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Past Episodes Qualifying Questions to Get to the WHY

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. 

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.

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:

 

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Don’t Use Zoom For Prospecting with Neil Kristianson #315

Top 10 Sales Marketing Tools

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Don’t Use Zoom For Prospecting with Neil Kristianson #315

Top 10 Sales Marketing ToolsWhen sales people use zoom for prospecting, it’s easy to fall into “telling selling” mode. In this episode, returning guest Neil Kristianson and I discuss the issues with zoom, when it’s a good, when it’s bad and other tips and tricks for no non-pushy prospecting. Spoiler alert: use the telephone!

Too Easy To Get Into the Weeds with Zoom

Neil shared stories on Zoom sales calls gone wrong. In his experience prospects ask to show you something.  Too often the conversation devolves into free consulting.  This is not what you want. Instead your goal is to see if you’re a fit.

Problems with Zoom Calls

Consider the following issues contrasted against a phone call:

    • You have to dress up for a video call
    • You inadvertently share your lame facial expressions
    • Too often focus on your mannerisms vs your words.
    • Fail to focus on fact finding or showing or telling selling

These issues can kill deals!

  • Telephone Best Tool For the First Sales Call

  • When qualifying prospects, focus on understanding issues, business constraints, budget,  and the buyer’s purchasing process. The phone is ideal in this situation.  The phone makes you feel more confident. Plus there is the bonus that EVERYONE knows how to use a phone. There is no issue configuring speakers, microphones and the local network.

How To Find Neil Kristianson

You can find Neil online for automated email and marketing advice:

This is Neil’s email business Email Splat

Past Episodes How to Prospect

Let’s keep the babble going…..

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. 

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.

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:

 

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Go For the No with Jacob Balanzategui #310

Jacob Balanzategui

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Go For the No with Jacob Balanzategui #310

Jacob BalanzateguiJacob Balanzategui has over 20 years of sales experience. Due to his exposure to his father’s research on stress and neurobiology, he has a unique perspective on sales, business and life in general. Jacob lives in Dallas with his wife of 12 years and their 5 kids. He enjoys spending time with his family, watching football, coaching youth basketball and finding new places to eat and he believes you should go  for the no when selling. Learn how.

Buying has Changed So Go For No

Jacob believes there is a plethora of  information on the fingertips of buyers who then experience analysis paralysis.  How do you overcome this?

    • Believe in what you 
    • Help
    • Explain in a way that resonates
    • Go for the no 

Don’t waste time trying to make something fit that never will.  Qualify prospects and disarm them.  Don’t do a discovery call, instead get to know them.  Don’t over praise and thank for time. That’s not needed.  The intent of the meeting is to learn a little bit about each other, then share some ideas that they may find of value. Next ask if they feel like they  would like to chat some more  and if not that’s OK too.   Let go of the psychology of push and push and push.  Go for the no, don’t push it.

Referrals Are the Best

Clients are the best source for future leads. This is his approach to send a note:

Subject : quick question?
“I want to request  something from you and if you’re not comfortable it’s perfectly OK.  I’m trying to get better at my career and to work with clients I know i’ve had success with and to talk to them about possible introductions to others.   Business is about people and relationships “

    • Do lunch introduction
    • via email personal,  (you write the script )
    • Follow up with a due date

Tell the Truth

After telling a prospect or client  about the benefits of some product or service,  he then tells them about  where they struggle and how they are getting a handle on it.   This is much appreciated. Be transparent and the deal will close quickly.

How To Find Jacob Balanzategui

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Sales Nexus tip for this week – Use Your CRM To Save Yourself Time

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

Past Episodes on How To Ask Sales Qualifying Questions

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. 

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.

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:

 

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Anti-Transactional Selling with Bill Keeler #266

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Anti-Transactional Selling with Bill Keeler #266

Today’s guest is Bill Keeler, founder of Market Makers, a small business sales development company based in Richmond, Virginia. Market Makers works with local and mid-sized organizations to grow their top-line revenues and does by offering different services to locally owned companies. In this episode Bill shares his views on anti-transactional selling.  In fact, he doesn’t believe in selling, he believes in buying. Only the buyer can make a decision, not the seller. Despite what some sellers think, you can’t make prospects buy. 

Four Step Anti-Transactional Sales Process

During the sales process, Bill asks the following questions and fills out a form. Busy clients appreciate the moment for self reflecting on their business.
  1. Take an “anti-transactional selling” approach when selling
  2. Identify your clients and sort out A, B, C and D:
    • A: Clients who are a perfect fit
    • B: Similar to As, but somewhat different
    • C: retail buyers, who fit sometimes
    • D: never sell to them, they never fit
  3. Figure out what makes you unique, why customers buy from you.
  4. Provide help with staff, tools and process to prop up areas they struggle

Once you know what they need you can prescribe the RIGHT prescription.

Every meeting is a sales meeting or a meeting with someone who can help you with the next sale.

How To Find Bill Keeler

How To Find Captain John Helmers

    • Here are the photos of the graduation ceremony on Facebook
    • This is his the Captain John Helmers LinkedIn profile
    • Post on LinkedIn  with photos
    • Newspaper article
    • What is Army Ranger School 
    • Here are the photos of the graduation ceremony on Facebook

How to Prospect and Generate Leads

Turn those meetings into business. Listen to these past episodes now!

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How to Win the Game with a Sales Playbook with Rod Feuer #253

Dave Gerhardt Sales Babble Playbook

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How to Win the Game with a Sales Playbook with Rod Feuer #253

Dave Gerhardt Sales Babble PlaybookConsider the possibility of not just having a model to base your selling process, but a playbook like in sports that tells you what to say and when to say it. Last week we heard advice that  selling must go from models to mindset. Today we’re going to turn the conversation around to look at it from the perspective of going from mindset to models, a sales playbook.

Our guest is Rod Feuer, Chief Strategy Officer, and Co-Founder of Costello. He believes that the best way to have the right first time conversation  is to tip the scales in your favor with a sales playbook. Rod helps sellers navigate key conversations in the moment and qualify them on critical deal information to keep opportunities advancing to a close.

Conversation Playbooks

The goal is to put reps in best place and to help guide them through calls. Give them the best set of words to respond for two kinds of calls . The first one is outbound calls (cold call  you often get push back) and overcome objections. The goal is to schedule a meeting. The second call is an inbound call and discovery conversation.

Picture a playbook with all the right conversations and questions a prospect might take. It’s a decision tree with paths. Once you make enough manual calls you get a 80-20 idea what they are going to say and how they will respond.  The goal is not to be a robot.

  • What you ask always the same
  • How you ask is adaptive

Take Action Advice

Start on version 1 of your sales playbook by writing down the 7-10 things about a deal you want to know. Next come up with questions that answer those questions. Now you have a great start. 

How To Connect with Rod Feuer

Rod chief strategy officer at Costello

This Rod on LinkedIn 

Sales Process Episodes

Let’s keep the conversation going and listen to other past episodes on this topic!

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Consulting Coaching and Serving Your Ideal Client with Ben and Aiden Hoppe #234

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Consulting Coaching and Serving Your Ideal Client with Ben and Aiden Hoppe #234

In this episode we turn the tables around and have two budding young entrepreneurs interview me on the podcast.  Ben and Aiden Hoppe are my nephews and this past summer we shared an adrenaline rush riding roller coasters at Cedar Point Ohio.  Today Ben and AIden ask me about consulting coaching and serving your ideal client.

The Questions

Download the free checklist to discover Who Do You Serve.

1. Who is your ideal client?

2. What is the problem you solve?

3. What are the typical symptoms people experience with that problem?

4. What are the common mistakes people make when trying to solve that problem?

5. In your experience what can your prospects do to remove these problems and find success?

6. What is one resource that you can direct your prospects that will further help with that problem?

7. What one piece of advice you can give your prospects they could take action on immediately and find success?

For Pat’s answers on coaching consulting, helping sales managers, startups, and sales professionals go here!

Top Thrill Dragster

My favorite roller coaster was the Top Thrill Dragster a hydraulic launched accelerator coaster that goes from 0-120 miles per hour in less than 4 seconds. That’s almost 200 km per hour.  Just as you get to the top it plummets 120 meters (420 feet), then flattens out
to a stop in 17 seconds. The entire trip last 31 seconds. It’s frightening. It’s awesome.

Take Action Now

Don’t put off tomorrow what you can do today. Yes it’s a cliche, but we’re running out of time. Take action now. Be fearless!

Free Links Checklists and Selling Aids

How to build your pitch. Great way to know what to say BEFORE you’re tested in public. Prepare now.

The Trick to being a persuasive seller. It’s not about being outgoing, pushy or assertive. You can do it too!

How to Connect With You Ideal Client

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How To Sell With The Socratic Method with Roger Breisch #214

Sales Babble Roger Breisch

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How To Sell With The Socratic Method with Roger Sales Babble Roger BreischBreisch #214

Roger Breisch is a  life-long learner who loves ideas and experiences that shake the intellectual and emotional ground on which he stands.  Roger is the host of the Socrates Cafe and guest speaker on the topic of questioning. Rogers’s powerful life experiences working a suicide hotline frame clearly what matters in life. In this episode we discuss how to sell with the Socratic Method and the power questions.

Mindset of Questioning

Questions open up possibilities. Statements close them down. We started the episode with talking about questions and how they fit in the world of business:

  • Socratic Method – form of cooperative dialogue based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to draw out ideas
  • Listen listen listen. This is how we learn to sell with the Socratic method.

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

– Mark Twain

  • Sadly too often sellers listen until they hear the first gap and then start talking
  • Fluency is key to communication
  • You must be fluent in your product and services BUT … you  must also be fluent in THEIR business and life

Mission Question

  • Don’t have a mission statement have a mission question
  • Brainstorming provides value to create new ideas. Yet statements can be intimidating. Instead consider Question Storming. Questions open up entirely new opportunities
  • It takes 25-50 questions before you reach the real interesting issues.

Be curious.  Be genuine. Be loved and people will buy, over and over.

We all want to know is if our lives made a difference. Find out what makes you unique and different from the rest. Once you discover that, be it. You have much in you to be unlocked. People are amazing and so are you.

How To Find Roger Breisch

You can find Rogers blog at rebreisch.com .

This is his book “Questions That Matter” – a book of essays

Also mentioned “A More Beautiful Question” by Warren Burger

Want to get a great cup of coffee? Consider the Limestone Coffee and Tea in Batavia IL

Selling Mindset

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Why Qualifying Prospects is Like Selling To Zebras with Jeff Koser #171

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Why Qualifying Prospects is Like Selling To Zebras with Jeff Koser #170

Our guest today is Jeff Koser, author of the book “Selling to Zebras”.  Jeff believes that good prospects should be as easy to spot as a zebra. Far too many sellers have no idea what problems they solve for their clients.  They can’t distinguish a hot prospect from zoo animal. That’s the topic for today and what you can do know your perfect client and get results.

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What’s a Zebra?

If you don’t know your ideal client (your Zebra),  sales, business development and marketing are going to be misaligned. Nor will you be able to connect with Power, what Jeff calls the sole person who can decide to buy without checking the budget. The goal here is to only be selling to zebras.

Sales Process

Build your Zebra – Define your ideal client and design your avatar. Use
7 attributes, score each attribute 0-4 with  red yellow green. The high score is 28

  • 0-16 is in the red (you’re never going to make the sales)
  • 17-22 is in yellow (you’re deal is in trouble, you’re not selling to zebras)
  • 23-28 is in green (you’ve earned the right to ask for the business)
Zebra Attributes
  1. organizational profile
  2. operations
  3. power
  4. funding
  5. value
  6. technology
  7. service

Voice of the Customer – find the person who can buy without a budget. Discover THEIR problem and solve it. Power focuses on cost avoidance. Ask your current customers what problem you solved when they came on board. Find out what value you bring. Build a business case why someone should buy from you

Business Case – the Value Proposition. This process forces you to do your homework. Identify why they are your zebra, you’ve build a business case for your product, now you can frame your product in Power’s context.

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How to Find Jeff Koser

Jeff’s company is Selling To Zebras:

Take Action Advice

Don’t give up. If you have a dream the single biggest difference between succeeding and failing is your willing to continue to persevere.

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SlideBean in the Media

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Ideal Clients, Avatars and Value Proposition Examples

Here are past episode you just might find addicting. Grow your sales today!

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How To Write A Successful Sales Plan with Jamie Irvine #168

Jamie Irvine Sales Babble

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Jamie Irvine Sales BabbleHow To Write A Successful Sales Plan with Jamie Irvine #168

Our guest is Jamie Irvine, an account manager and entrepreneur from Alberta Canada. Jamie believes to achieve big sales results every company needs to have a sales plan. A sales plan will help you to organize your activity. With a systematic approach you can move consistently towards  closing sales. A sales plan establishes clear defined goals, priorities, timetables, and necessary resources. It is a roadmap to success.  This plan must be understood by everyone in the company and focuses everyone’s attention on achieving and making sales. Jamie shares the key elements on how to write a successful sales plan. It’s not as hard as you think!

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The Best of Sales Plans

There are a number of  key elements to a sales plan. But first understand the “why” behind the need of a sales plan. It’s primary goal is to make sure you’re going in the right direction. Have a good plan, not perfect plan. Don’t get caught up in analysis paralysis and having no plan at all. The goal is to get started and work on it consistently.

Here are the elements on how to write a successful sales plan:

  1. Explain Why – First express the value of your sales plan. It’s important to understand the motivation for a sales plan. It will drive you to honor and follow the plan.
  2. Set measurable goals with defined outcomes – Activities are not enough. The desired results must clear. Without defined outcomes, sales goals don’t help you. Start with the ultimate goal of closing the sale and work backwards.
  3.  Establish a timeline – Pick a schedule that is challenging but doable.
  4.  Define your goals – Big goals, annual goals, and weekly to-do list goals to make this happen. Jamie uses a simple notepad. Breaks them up into alphabetical categories for precedence. Then numbers them 1 to N by importance.
  5.  Identify barriers to success –  Many times outside events are beyond your control. But you can learn how to deal with rejection and overcoming objections. That you can control.
  6. Outline the strategy and get everyone on board.
  7. Seek commitment from all the stakeholders – all roles need to support sales.

When developing a sales plan it is important that it is simple and that you take consistent action every day

 

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How To Find Jamie Irvine

This is Jamie on LinkedIn

His blog post Jamie Irvine

This is the LinkedIn article How To Write a Successful Sales Plan that caught my attention and invited Jamie as a guest.

A Bit About Slidebean

Slidebean allows you to create stunning, professionally designed sales decks in minutes, not hours. Over 2,500 sales professionals have used Slidebean’s simple, yet robust presentation tools to successfully pitch clients around the world.

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

 

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SlideBean in the Media

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Slidebean Presentations that Design themselves

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Startup Slidebean Launch 

Terrific Slidebean article by Hongkiat

Slidebean review on FinancesOnline 

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Past Episodes on Sales Process Improvements

Here are past episodes that discuss Value Selling and how to build a Value Proposition. Listen today!