Category: Sales Tips

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How To Find Great Leads at Conferences with Megan Powers #302

Megan Powers Sales Babble

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How To Find Great Leads at Conferences with Megan Powers #302

Megan Powers Sales BabbleIn this episode Megan Powers and I talk about how to find great leads at conferences and trade shows. These events are a unique networking situation. Megan shares how she prepares for conferences to meet an attendee. We talk about preparation, how to target, the intent of all your “in-person” introductions and lastly, how to follow up after meeting.

What To Do When You Attend a Conference

Before you travel to your conference or trade show be prepared. Have a process like the one below to find great leads at conferences.  Keep in mind you’re playing the long game.

      1. Download the attendee list. Look for prospects.
      2. Build a hit list.
      3. Email the hit list before hand “Hi I see that you’re going to attend the XYZ conference. Could we meet for coffee?”
      4. At the conference follow up and meet for coffee.
      5. Don’t make a pitch!  Don’t sell. Exchange business cards and try to get to know them.  You will follow up after the show.
      6. Understand that sales is a long game. Take your time to build trust.
      7. The trick is  find leads at conferences and trade shows for each every event. Don’t just show up for goodwill. Aggressively use the opportunity to grow your funnel.

When You Return From The Conference

Create a drip campaign with all the people you met at the event.

      1. Send a handwritten note.
      2. Wait a week, connect on LinkedIn.
      3. Send an email when they accept your connection request.
      4. Wait a week, set up a phone call either via email on on LinkedIn INmail.

Now you’ve warmed them up for your pitch if….. you’ve found they are qualified. If they’re not, still keep in touch. Things can change in 6 months.

RFP Thoughts

In some situations you can’t get around responding to an RFP.  Megan advices asking follow up questions before responding. Take the answers that you get and integrate them into your response. By reaching out to the buyer, it shows your interest and they will appreciate that.

How To Work A Trade Show Booth

The biggest mistake exhibitors make at  a trade show is failing to follow up. It only happens 60% of the time according to Megan’s research study. Create a process (see above) and execute for your next conference.

How To Find Megan Powers to Find Great Leads at Conferences

For further info on how to find leads at conferences and trade shows find Megan here:

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Thank Our Sponsor Sales Nexus

Sales Nexus tip for this week – Know Your Ideal Customer

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

Selling With Confidence Sales System

This online course helps non-sellers who aspire to grow their persuasive skills in order to find great leads, close more sales and accelerate their business. All this and at the same time, not be pushy!  Click here and learn how you can start selling with confidence today.

Babble Me

Maybe you’d like to share your musings on the podcast? If so “babble me” an email here, or if you can’t wait chat Pat now. Or leave a voice message here. We’d love to hear your thoughts. Don’t worry about babbling, we prefer it.

 


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Zen and the Art of Sales with David Fisher #297

David Fisher Sales Babble

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Zen and the Art of Sales with David Fisher #297

Our guest for today is the local Chicago sales guru David Fisher. David is the host of the Beer Beats and Business Podcast (I’ve been an honored guest) and author of many sales books. Today we discuss  his view on sales, awareness, and mindful selling with a Zen and the art of sales perspective.  This is not foo foo stuff! This is solid advice on how to pay attention, how to be present, and the philosophy of hyper connected selling.

What’s Mindful  Selling?

Zen talks about  the practical matter of getting along in life. Dave has found profound practical applications in his professional life through Zen. When it comes to selling…

    • Selling requires mindfulness and awareness
    • Present moment awareness demands you pay attention what a buyer is saying
    • Your perspective matters, but more important, so does your buyer
    • When buyers ghost you, don’t take it personal
    • When networking, remember their name! What’s the trick?  Pay attention when they tell you!
    • Listen beyond the first solvable issue you hear the buyer say. Keep digging and search for the real challenge
    • Balance is about being effective – there is a time to work a deal hard and a time not too

Tao Te Ching of Sales

Water is soft yet cuts through the hardest of rock, so too does soft follow up.  Pat spoke about his blog the Tao Te Ching of Sales. Check it out!

  • Dave’s LinkedIn Pointers

Dave and I first met on LinkedIn. He is a master of the social forum. His advice:

    • Make sure your LinkedIn profile looks good, credible, and trustworthy
    • Share “likes” that identify with your persona
    • Look for prospects and share their posts. They will notice
    • Don’t be pushy and pitch to quick
    • Think Karma, what you put out will come back to you

How To Find David Fisher

Dave is all over the internet ….

Past Episodes Selling Mindset

Selling With Confidence Sales System

This online course helps non-sellers who aspire to grow their persuasive skills in order to find great leads, close more sales and accelerate their business. All this and at the same time, not be pushy! 

Click below and learn how you can start selling with confidence today.

Selling With Confidence Sales System

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 Create Believers with Storytelling Selling with Michele Kelly #288

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

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

Egos Lothos Pathos Selling

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

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

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

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

Sales Rep is the Story Guide

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

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

The way you create believers, is with your story.

How To Find Michele Kelly

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

LinkedIn – linkedin.com/in/michelekellystorylove

On Twitter @mkellywriter

Past Episodes Telling Stories

Listen here for past guests advice on storytelling!

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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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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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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
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Buyer-Based Selling with Josh Braun #258

Josh Braun Sales Babble Sales Podcast

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Buyer-Based Selling with Josh Braun #258

Josh Braun Sales Babble Sales PodcastYou can be the greatest salesman in the world. But if the buyer isn’t struggling with a problem you can solve, you’re not going to make the sale.  More than 70 percent of B2B buyers fully define their needs before contacting a sales rep.  According to a new report from CSO Insights, almost half the buyers identify specific solutions before reaching out.  They know what they want and they’re informed. The internet has vastly changed the landscape towards buyer-based selling.  In 2019, this is the reality – buyers dictate the sales process.

In this sales podcast episode we meet Josh Braun the founder of Sales DNA, a company that helps  CEO’s and VP’s of Sales who want to increase cold outreach response rates and set more meetings. Josh  shares his beliefs in buyer-based selling and shares  concrete examples you can increase your response rates and set more meetings.

Don’t Study Selling

Business students should stop studying selling and instead study buying.  Although we are all buyers, too often we don’t look at the situation from the buyers point of view.  How often has this happened to you?

  • During the conversation the buyer sounds positive, they “get” what you’re talking about
  • When you follow up as promised, you can’t get them to respond.
  • You follow up and follow up, but no luck.
  • You thought they wanted to move forward, but the deal never happens.

This is the problem: we’re not taught how people buy, why people buy and why they don’t buy . As sellers our goal is to have someone take a call, schedule a meeting, sign an order form or pay an invoice. But in the end those goals have nothing to do with the buyers intent. The buyer is not interested. They don’t need us.

This is the harsh truth: the prospect is probably doing fine without you.

Struggle-O-Meter

Josh has a mental model he calls the struggle-o-meter.  He uses it to measure the severity of the problem a buyer experiences. Instead of assuming everything you sell has value, Josh recommends asking open ended questions to better understand the problem, then gauging whether to go forward.

  1. Problem is an opportunity to sell, but often the problem isn’t that bad. The problem must be in the red zone before they switch. If you think like a buyer, you can gauge if they are on the low end of the struggle-o-meter, or the high end. Don’t pitch until they are on the high end.
  2. If they are not ready to buy, put them into an email campaign. Drip out useful emails that slowly keeps you top of mind. Over time the pain will rise and when it does , it’s time to reach out again.

Take Action

By questioning with  finesse, you can dig into their motivation and better understand. Your solution has no value without a struggle.

How to Connect with Josh Braun

His website at Sales DNA

His BadAss Growth Guide

Josh on LinkedIn

Cold Calling Tips

Work on your cold calling today by listening the Sales Babble Sales Podcast!

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Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell with Mike Adams #251

Mike Adams Sales Babble

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Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell with Mike Adams #251

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

Three Problems Sellers Face

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

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

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

Take Action

Build a story library and practice them.

How To Find Mike Adams

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

The Story Leader is focused on storytelling for revenue growth teams.
For a free how to blog post, discount, or a free product or service.
Our free online storytelling training course (links to the Seven Stories book)

Using Story in your Selling

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Selling In A Skirt with Judy Hoberman #170

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Selling In A Skirt with Judy Hoberman #170

In this episode we meet business advocate and professional mentor for women Judy Hoberman. Judy is the author of the book  Selling in a Skirt where she discusses gender differences in buying and selling.  In this episode we discuss how women sell to men, men sell to women, and how to create a niche market that ensures you’re the expert.

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SlideBean Free Trial Build a Relationship

Sales is about building a relationship. This is true for all types of sales, from the simple to the complex.  Always ask questions and  take notes. Show that you’re very interested in learning more about the prospect.

Ask open ended questions. Discover if they are qualified for your products and services. People like to talk about themselves. They will tell you everything you need to know. If they have the problem your “thing” solves, you have a hot prospect.

Continue to fact find during the presentation. The next step is to close.

Secret Weapon

After the fact finding process Judy asks …“OK is there anything else?”

This will generate the first objection. “Is there anything else? What do you think we should do next?”

Address each objection, one by one.

When the objections cease, the trick is to get them to close themselves:

“It looks like Friday would be a good time to get back together, would Noon work?”

There are three possible answers:

  1. Perfect
  2. Not Perfect how about 2PM
  3. I’m going to think about it?”   (if this is the case, discover if there is a hidden objection, otherwise follow up in 2 months)

Take Action Today

Be focused and get focused by setting goals. Think of the EOY goal, and work backwards with interim monthly goals.

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SlideBean Free Trial

How To Find Judy Hoberman

You can find Judy on her website www.sellinginaskirt.com

Judy also had a special offer at www.sellinginaskirt.com/special-offer

  • Skirting the Issues eBook
  • 3 key gender differences that create the perfect sales team
  • What the F is everyone Twittering about
  • 4 simple words that will increase your sales
  • How to outsell every man in your office

 

Pat and Judy on iHeart Radio: Selling In A Skirt – Who Is Your Tribe?

In this episode Judy Hoberman interviews me on non-pushy selling and how bullying a prospective client goes nowhere during this day and age.

Judy takes a view of servant leadership that dovetails well with the Sales Babble view of helping and adding value. Consider the Covey quote “Seek first to understand then to be understood”. 

Selling In A Skirt, June 5, 2017

 

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Sales Skills Training

This episode is just the start. Dig deep into the Sales Babble back catalog. Start here today!

 

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Master the Art of Closing the Sale with Ben Brown#161

Ben Brown Sales Author and Coach

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Ben Brown Sales Author and Coach

Master the Art of Closing the Sale

A Game Changing 10 Step Sales Process for Getting More Clients and Referrals

In this episode we discuss the importance of having a repeatable sales process. Our guest Ben Brown has just published a book titled “Master the Art of Closing the Sale – The Game-Changing 10-Step Sales Process for Getting More Clients and Referrals”.  In our conversation we walk through each of these steps with Ben sharing concrete advice on how you can apply this process to your business.

Front Loading the Sales Process

Ben’s 10 steps consists of a front loading  sales process which makes the entire sale more efficient. The sooner you can qualify and discover what your prospect values, the sooner you can discern if you should pitch them, or give them a pitch.

Download Find The Itch Before You Pitch 

10 Step Sales Process 

When closing a sale Ben shared the following process. We walked through it step by step with examples.

  1. Get Prepared – be mentally prepared when you start your day.
  2. Research and Relate – do your homework and know your prospects.
  3. Qualify Potential Customers – don’t waste time with people who will never buy.
  4. Find an Emotional Trigger to Persuade – people are more likely motivated by emotion vs logic.
  5. Setup the Offer – repeat back the issues and desires to reinforce need.
  6. Present the Offer – build rapport buying signals and build yes patterns. The presentation could be 5 minutes or 30 minutes. It depends. Give them what the need, not what you want to present.
  7. Close on Product Concept – does this solve the problem does it sound like the way you want to go?
  8. Ask For the Sale-  “are you ready to move forward?”
  9. Ask For the Money –  ” what credit card do you want to put this on.”
  10. Ask for Referrals

How To Find Ben Brown

360 Sales Consulting specializes in sales training and coaching for small business and entrepreneurs who need help with their sale process. Ben has a proven method of the sales process and can provide analysis of the current method to see where improvements need to be added.
Twitter   @team360sales
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/360salesconsulting/

What are the Sales Process Steps

Here are past episodes that discuss integrating process into your sales. Click on one now!