Category: sales skills training

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The Power of Questions with Sales Consultant Nancy Kazdan #327 

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The Power of Questions with Sales Consultant Nancy Kazdan #327

Could you answer this question? It’s about questions. In this episode Nancy Kazdan returns  to discuss purposeful questions and ways they can differentiate you from the competition. Nancy is a sales consultant and believes in the power of questions.  Do not guess! Find out the challenges buyers face with good solid open ended questions.

Sales Power Questions

Nancy’s goto questions are: Who What When Where and How. When you’re prepared with open questions, people can tell you care.

    1. What are your three most pressing questions today?
    2. How are you coping with Covid, and your sales goals?

Sellers should always focus on the other person. It’s never about you, it’s always about the buyer. In the first meeting use the pareto principle;  listen 80% of the time with the other 20%, answering questions. In the second meeting adjust to 60-40% listen vs talking.

Closing Questions

People try to close too quickly. They assume all objections are based on price. Don’t assume what buyers want. Ask questions and know for certain.Buyers want to know what you can do for them. Only talk in the language the buyer understands. If you ask the right questions, buyers will close themselves.

How To Find Nancy Kazdan

This is Nancy’s company:   Marketshareinternational.com
Nancy Kazdan can be found here on Twitter and LinkedIn

Her email nkazdan at marketshareinternational.com

Thank Our Sponsor Sharetivity

Sharetivity on Sales Babble 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.

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 by Topic

Go here https://www.salesbabble.com/sales-podcast-free-advice/

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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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.

Download “Why Your Business Needs a Podcast” here.

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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Top 10 Sales and Marketing Books for 2020 with Michele Kelley #308

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Top 10 Sales and Marketing Books for 2020 with Michele Kelley #308

Sales and marketing is often about setting goals and putting in the long hours and hard work to achieve them. Regardless of what type of business you work for (or own),  it’s likely that “selling more” is tip-top on your yearly goals.  This aspiration requires staying up to date on new techniques, honing strategies, and being in touch with the latest industry news. In this episode,  returning guest Michele Kelly and I share the top 10 books sales and marketing books you should read this year. This reading list can have a significant impact on your success. Let’s get reading today!

Michele’s Books:

Pat’s Books:

How To Find Michele Kelly

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

LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/michelekellystorylove

On Twitter @mkellywriter

Thank Our Sponsor Sales Nexus

Sales Nexus tip for this week – Follow a Diagnostic Process, Not a Sales Process

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

Past Episodes Top 10 Sales and Marketing Books

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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Making Buyers Think Your Idea is Their Idea –  Oren Klaff #284

Oren Klaff Sales Babble

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Making Buyers Think Your Idea is Their Idea –  Oren Klaff #284

Oren Klaff Sales BabbleToday’s guest is Oren Klaff, the author of the new book Flip The Script – Getting People to Think Your Idea Is Their Idea.  Oren shares his philosophy on how to control the sale. He believes, things aren’t sold, they are only bought. The task is to get buyers to think that buying your product, is their idea. You can’t tell buyers what to do. Instead allow them to come to their own conclusion. In this conversation we babble about how to make buyers think it’s their idea.

Ninja Sales Trick

In order to flip the script, the goal is to switch from “telling selling” to  having the buyer uncover their own needs and desires. Your first task is to build  your credibility by proving you’re an insider,  with insider secret information. He gave an example of an auto mechanic.

Secondly show you’re an expert by giving the impression you’ve done this a million times before.  Oren gave an example of a video serviceseller. The key is to set the buyer at ease. They won’t be taking a risk if they choose you.

With these two steps,  insider and expert, you build trust. With trust buyers can see possibility and it gives them the confidence to make the buying decision.

How to Find Oren Klaff
  • Oren has a free book launch giveaway for one day of coaching in Southern California. Go here to enter at http://www.orenklaff.com

Pitching Sales Tips

Listen to these past episodes on pitching your products.

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How Value Selling Can Grow Your Business with Chad Sanderson #281

Chad Sanderson Value Selling

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How Value Selling Can Grow Your Business with Chad Sanderson #281

Chad Sanderson Value SellingOur guest today is Chad Sanderson, the author of the award-winning Value Selling Framework.   Chad has  successfully sold and marketed products and professional services across the globe. In this episode, Chad and I discuss the necessity of using a repeatable and predictable methodology for selling.  Next we survey the landscape of sales. We look at what’s working, what’s not working, and where there are opportunities for sales growth.

Predictable Selling Methodology

Sales is problem solving. Chad learned his chops selling marketing services. He  found when sales teams get larger, you can’t manage one-on-one. Many methodologies talk about what you need to do when selling. Yet they fail to  talk about how to sell.  Chad believes in focusing on value selling.

The Value Selling  methodology tells you how to do it. B2B buyers act like B2C customers. Sellers need to truly uncover the buyer perspective. just as you would in the B2C space. The difference is subtle but it takes awhile to put in practice.

Value Prompter

Value Prompter is completed per person. There are six affinites in the design:

    • Contact Name and Title
    • Business issue –  time bound and quantifiable
    • Anxiety Question to get an emotional action
    • Problems from the buyers perspective
    • Solution from the buyers perspective
    • Value Box  which contains quantifiable description of problem (from a personal perspective )

Probing Questions are asked to find insight. These questions uncover the buyers perspective and are used to guide value selling.

    • Prepare for a call
    • Take notes
    • Copy past notes into a plan letter (accountability)
    • Development and prospecting persona development.
    • It guides cadences and content.
    • QBR (Quarterly Business Review) readouts

High performing organization have consistency of sales behavior.

How To Find Chad Sanderson

  • chad.sanderson@valueselling.com
  • His company can be found here valueselling.com
  •  https://www.linkedin.com/in/chadsanderson/
  • Twitter  @csanderson001

How to Manage Sales Teams with Repeatable Processes

Listen here to past episodes on repeatable methodologies like value selling:

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Selling is an Away Game with Lance Tyson #274

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Selling is an Away Game with Lance Tyson #274

Lance Tyson  is the author of the highly acclaimed book, Selling is an Away Game:  Close Business and Compete in a Complex World.    Lance is entrepreneur known for training sales talent for some of the biggest names in professional sports and entertainment.  In this episode Lance and Pat babble about prospecting using the buyers point of view, how to use a blended approach for setting appointments and how sales is half science and half art.

What Makes Sales an Away Game

Lance views selling from the buyers point of view. You’re competing in their space on their turf making it an away game. Buying has changed. Buyers have other means of obtaining information about your products and services. They no longer need to go through you.  They have the upper hand on sales professionals and it’s best to sell  within that context.

Look at your own personal buying experiences. When you buy things online, do you check out reviews before purchasing?  Probably.   We all want to make a wise buying decision.  Sellers may consider these questions “objections’ but that’s a misnomer.  The buyers are not objecting to your product, they just have questions!

Common objections include: cost, price, value, and budget.  Value is  always perceived in the buyer’s mind so it’s imperative to discover those perceptions.  The seller must understand the market and buyer intimately. 

    • What do they value?
    • What do they desire?
    • What experience do they hope to attain? 

Speed Moves Actually Slow You Down

Everyone is in such a rush to get an appointment. According to Lance,  the new ways of communicating has actually slowed down appointment setting.  There are a new set of rules of engagement. It takes 6-8 touches to get contacts and 6-8 touches to get an appointment. Use a blended approach ( email, call, social media texting) and have a process. Consider health care. There is a clear repeatable process checking you in, evaluating and sending you out the door.  Sellers should do the same.

Sales is half art and half science.  A sales process will set you free.

How To Connect with Lance Tyson

Here are links to find Lance online and his thoughts on how selling is an away game.

  • This is the Tyson Group
  • Lance on LinkedIn
  • Email Lance at lance @ tysongroup.com
  • @lancetyson on Twitter

Lance and  I mentioned how we both love the book How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Research Study for Habanero.Community

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

 

How to Prospect and Generate Leads

Here are past episodes on prospecting you will find of value. Listen now!

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No Sh*t Sales Journal with Carson Cook #270

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No Sh*t Sales Journal with Carson Cook #270

Guest Carson Cook visits Sales Babble to babble about his new book, “The No Sh*t Sales Journal”.   Carson dials in from Nepal where he consults and runs sales centers for the USA, India, Mexico, Bangladesh, and China. He has trained hundreds of sales professionals in sales communication, client relations, and finance. Currently, he manages several sales-related businesses including inside, outside, and digital sales outlets. Carson specializes in finance and sales- from initiation to close. His expertise lies along interpersonal communication and same-day or one-call closing.

Profanity is Taboo

Profanity is taboo or is it? Sometimes profanity is  the right tool according to Carson.  At times it can be used to emphasize the meaning behind what you’re trying to say.

He wrote his new book as a common sense journal. First as sales basics for sales professionals who want to brush up on their tricks. Next for  new sellers who want to build a foundation for selling.

When making an in person sales call, we will dress at the level of the buyer.  This is true too for your language. Like dressing, speak at the level of your buyer. People trust sellers who are similar to them. Go from stranger to trusted confidant by being like them.

Rules of Communication

When your face to face, there are big communication benefits. You can read what their thinking, not by what they’re saying. Carson then shared it’s not what you say but how you appear. Carson believes there is a 7 second bias.  That’s all the time you have to make a connection. If you mess that up, it’s hard to recover.

Use English words that show empathy e.g “I completely understand”. Solicit interest quickly and give the carrot over the phone as soon as possible.

Learn Your Industry

Carson recommends knowing your buyers industry better than they do. When starting the sales dialogue ask for commitment “If I show you all we have  do I have a chance of earning your business?”   If they say yes, give the full demo. If they say no, you’ve saved yourself a lot of time.

Objections are really concerns, they want to have  addressed. Objection handling is walking through they buyers needs, desires and questions.  At the end of each meeting, create a sense of urgency. Little by little keep advancing the sale.

How to Find Carson Cook

Website:  theCSOpro.com
You can get Carson’s new book here:  “The No Sh*t Sales Journal”. 
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Return on Investment Buying with Frugalnomics with Tom Pisello #265

Tom Pisselo Sales Babble

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ROI Return on Investment Buying with Frugalnomics with Tom Pisello #265

Tom Pisselo Sales BabbleOur guest is Tom Pisello. Chief Evangelist at Mediafly. Tom, also known as the ROI Guy,  is a successful serial entrepreneur, popular speaker and author. He develops new practices to best communicate and quantify business value to ever more financially-focused, frugal buyers. Tom‘s latest book is The Frugalnomics Survival Guide – How to Use Your Unique Value to Market Better, Stand Out and Sell More and we talk at length on the importance of focusing on  return on investment buying.

Cold as Ice Buyers

According to Tom, the length of the sales cycle is increasing. Organizations struggle with purchasing. The internet provides so many options for buyers that  it’s hard to choose. He calls these buyers cold as ice. The solution is to focus on ROI in the buyers universe. The path Tom takes is Frugalnomics. He believes frugality has everything to do with your sales conversations.

Next as sellers we need to emotionally show buyers the issues they experience. We can do this with stories, examples and diagnostics. Don’t talk at length about why your company is great. Better to focus on the struggles the buyers face. Next move to the benefits they will experience if they choose your solution.

Frugalnomics Focus

Tom recommends sellers focus on the buyers challenges. In his experience they cluster around:
  1. Reduce legacy costs and cost avoidance
  2. Improve productivity of your people by streamlining processes
  3. Reduce risk and many levels:  security, downtime, compliance, etc.
  4. Grow revenue and scale growth
Cold calling it should be a process of teaching not pitching says Tom. Start by sharing insights and advice. This is how to open up a conversation that can build trust. Tom recommends a Socratic approach of discovery questions. The conversation becomes a guided dialogue. If the buyer is qualified,  interest in your product and solution will come naturally.

How To Find Tom Pisello

Sales Presentation Tips

Listen to past episodes on how to give a terrific sales demo today.

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Climb Everyday Sales Process with Mark Steel #263

Mark Steel Sales Babble

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Climb Everyday Sales Process with Mark Steel #263

Mark Steel Sales Babble

Our guest today is Mark Steel. He’s an international speaker, speaking skills coach, podcast host, and avid rock climber. In his 15 years with Microsoft, Mark stood out as a high-impact sales leader, contributing over $1B in enterprise sales.  Mark and I chat about the things leaders, sales people, and marketers need to do to  amplify impact,  and influence with intent buyers. In addition, his Climb Every Day podcast inspires professionals to achieve a life of confidence, growth, & success.

We Create Our Own Success

Mark believes that we create our own success in the steps we take every day. Mark studied theatre but when he got a job at Microsoft, transtioned to a  1 to many storyteller. As he found success he then transformed into a successful  1 to 1 sales professional.

As a professional seller Mark has learned:

  • Speak back what people say to you and you will be persuasive
  • Buyers will tell you everything you need to know
  • Tell a story, but apply it to a customer. Don’t make the stories long and irrelevant. The stories must have value.

Effective storytelling is about understanding the customer, and speaking back effectively what you hear from them. Leverage your experience to augment and compliment what they are saying. Compelling stories are short and sweet, less than a minute and HIGHLY relevant.

Sales is Like Climbing a Rock

Mark has a sales process he calls the Climb Everyday process.  Climbing is a great metaphor for sales. In both cases you’re stepping into an uncomfortable situation with the goal of success.

Climbling is a mental challenge, and not unlike selling, discover what works, what doesn’t work an. Reflect to develop a better methodology and become more efficient executing what does work.

Common Success Stories

Mark shared an example Microsoft story: “This is a similar situation we ran into with Company X and how we were able to help them. We were able to work directly with all the stakeholders,  learn how they communicate, put systems in place and training to make sure the processes were effective. “

Specific and measureable outcomes really matter.

Why Story

Make sure you know your companies “Why Story” : why your company does what they do, why this product was invented etc….

Practice these stories, have a clear message to make sure they are compelling. People will never remember the facts and figures, but they will remember the stories

Take Action

Challenge yourself a little bit everyday. Start a gratitude journal and find a daily affirmation. Push your comfort limits. Try something you’ve never done before. This is where growth comes.

How To Find Mark Steel

Selling Mindset

Here are some past episodes you will find invaluable to your selling.

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Five Steps for Instant Sales Improvement with Brian Robinson #259

Brian Robinson Sales Babble

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Five Steps for Instant Sales Improvement with Brian Robinson #259

Brian Robinson Sales BabbleBrian Robinson is a sales and marketing expert, coach, and author of the best-selling sales book, The Selling Formula: 5 Steps for Instant Sales Improvement. After working with some of the largest companies, Brian left the corporate world to launch the only startup in the history of the industry to sell more than one million dollars in business in twelve months—entirely by phone!  In this episode Brian shares the process he uses to train his sales staff for instant sales improvement.

Sales Book

As a long time writer Brian decided to assemble his advice into a book on selling challenges. He journaled what he does when selling, then recorded his conversations. This provided a way for people to listen and integrate itinto their own personal selling strategy. 

Questions are the key to life, and the key to successful selling. Brian has constructed a frame work, with scripted lines and questions, that can be adjusted for instant sales improvement.

Steps of a Sale

Brian has a five step process:

  1. Connect and set the agenda – “Are you opposed with having me share what we’re going to talk about?”
    • I’m going to ask about your business
    • I’m going to ask about the challenges your facing and some solutions we offer
    • I’m going to walk you through how our service works and we’ll talk about pricing
  2. Interview – ask for permission to take notes , shows you care and wantto  collect this information, if you have a bunch of questions they appreciate your preparation
  3. Present your solution – tell stories about your solution from customers in similar situations
  4. Pricing and guarantees – share three prices , have a high-low anchor and most will pick the middle. Have a guarantee that puts the responsibility on you .  Give garauntees that all your competitors do already. Just put them up front.
  5. Close the deal – if all previous steps done properly, this should be a no brainer.

Powerful Selling Phrases – Jedi Mind Tricks

Brian mentioned a few lines he uses time  and again to persuade buyers:

  • Would you be opposed to following up next Tuesday
  • I’m just curious, is there something your uncomfortable with, something we could talk about
  • If I could would you ……. if I could offer you some incentive to move now as oppsed to later, would you be opposed to that?  If I could offer youfree installation would you go now
  • With your permission I’d like to set up another time for us to get together next Tuesday at 10

Email  for Seemly Dead Deals

Brian said the following email gets an 80% response rate and revives many a stagnant deal. This is the script:

Subject: Pat, is it dead or alive?

Dear Pat,

I’ve attempted to connect with you via phone or email and unfortunately I haven’t received any response. So I’m just curious, is it dead or alive?   

Thanks for letting me know one way or another if you would like me to make further contact or to close your file.

Either way I look forward to the courtesy of your reply. 

Best regards,

How To Find Brian Robinson

Brian is easy to find!   Go to his website BrianRobinson.me to connect.
Go to Brianrobinsonbook.com for the first three chapters