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TSE 1286: Why Every Seller Needs To Create An Ideal Sales Profile
It is imperative for all businesses, no matter the size, to be able to describe their target customer. It is equally important for businesses to create an ideal sales profile. This will help you identify the right hire for your sales team. In this episode, Donald will talk about the importance of defining the ideal sales profile in detail.
Oftentimes, as salespeople, we start our days with a list of things we want to accomplish in our day. By the end of the day, however, we realize we didn’t get to do what we set out to do. As a result, you come up with excuses for why you didn’t get your tasks completed. You can avoid that by creating the ideal sales profile. This is about the picture you’ve set in your mind about how you will conduct yourself in each activity throughout the day, long before they happen.
Visualize your success
The greatest swimmer of all time, Michael Phelps’ was taught by his coach about playing tapes to watch his performance.. His coach told him to visualize the perfect race and all the details surrounding those moments. His job was to play in his mind every scenario that could occur: What does the audience look like, what is the feel of the water temperature, how does he feel mentally and emotionally? He would visualize his win over and over again until eventually he knew exactly what to do to win the race. He visualized it before it happened.
The greatest people in their careers and fields have all visualized their success long before they ever got there. That’s exactly what you need to do – visualize your success before it happens.
In a sales situation, salespeople can get distracted because more often than not, we focus on external factors. We spend hours, days, and even weeks coming up with the ideal customer profile. Your task now is to create the mental tape of your ideal sales profile succeeding in every scenario.
The ideal seller
Who is the ideal seller? The ideal seller is you, at your best, able to sell in every possible scenario. It’s about more than what it looks like to execute a sale, it’s about what the seller can do under various situations.
In 2008, Michael Phelps was competing in Beijing and while in the water, his goggles broke but this didn’t stop him. He still won. How was he able to pull through? He had already visualized himself winning the competition with broken goggles. Michael Phelps had already created his ideal swimmer profile, planned out what he’d do in a variety of adverse circumstances and saw himself win anyway. His preparedness enabled him to perform without skipping a beat.
Envision yourself
It helps to see yourself accomplish everything on your to do list. If you have made up your mind to make phone calls at a certain time of day, then ensure you’ll do what you have planned no matter what other schedules will pop up. If you planned on making phone calls at 2 PM, then make the calls and prospect. Envision yourself sitting in your chair, making calls, and think about what you’ll do if you’re faced with any distractions. Let it play out in your mind until you’re positioned to get back on the calls. This will help you to know what to do and say in order to take control of the situation. If you don’t, you have a greater probability of getting pulled away from the task at hand.
You can apply the same visualization technique to negative conversations. Some clients will not be receptive to your offer but you can envision how you’ll handle these scenarios beforehand and prepare what you’ll say. You don’t need to have all possibilities covered but you can have a better idea of how you’ll respond for a greater success rate.
- Envision yourself to be a seller who hits quota
- Envision yourself to do prospecting everyday
- Envision yourself to perform well under pressure
Play the situation in your head
You may have created a habit of doing a different activity when you’re supposed to be prospecting but habits can be replaced with some creative visualization. Believe that you will prospect at a set time and stick to it. If you’re playing a tape in your mind of being distracted, replace it with focus and execution.
If you make prospecting a new habit and stick to it, your mind will replace the old tape and success will be the new norm. Your mind will recognize these habits as something you do on a regular basis. As a result, you’ll have the energy and the capacity to perform your goals. The key is that long before the habit is formed, play the tape over and over again in your head until your brain believes it. Once that happens, the actions will start to match until it’s truth. Just make sure that as you release the negative scenarios you’re replacing them with your best actions. If you don’t, your mind will fall back into old habits of thinking. Get those new habits locked in!
The importance of mind setting
Instill in your mind that you are a problem solver. What you think, you’ll become.
“Why Every Seller Needs To Create An Ideal Sales Profile” episode resources
If you have more questions, don’t hesitate to comment on this episode. Donald will get back to you with the answer. Find Donald C Kelly in all the other platforms out there.
If you are interested in more sales stories, you can talk to Donald directly. Reach him via these channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook about any sales concerns.
This episode is brought to you in part by Crmble, the easy-peasy CRM for Trello that helps you manage your contacts and leads without investing in complicated solutions, sync all your data, manage custom fields, and get powerful reporting on your sales. Try Crmble for free now at www.crmble.com/tse. This course is also brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. It will help them elevate their sales game. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can go and visit www.thesalesevangelist.com/closemoredeals also call us at (561) 570-5077.
We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to.
You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial.
Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.
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TSE 1238: Best Sellers In History Series 4 – “Benjamin Franklin”
This is the fourth episode for the Best Seller in History series. This time around, the sales spotlight is on Benjamin Franklin.
Despite Benjamin Franklin only having two years of formal education, his inventions are used to this day. He was a phenomenal writer when he was a teenager and was an inventor throughout his life. Franklin was a statesman, designed a musical instrument used by Mozart and Beethoven, and was an abolitionist in his later years. It’s worth noting he was also a writer, painter, political philosopher, politician, Freemason, diplomat, and so much more, including a phenomenal seller. We will explore five reasons why.
Sales Spotlight – Benjamin Franklin
One of the founding fathers of the United States, Benjamin Franklin grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. Due to financial constraints, he wasn’t able to finish his formal education so he worked as an apprentice for his brother who was in the printing industry. When Benjamin was 15 years old, his brother founded a newspaper called The New England Courant. His experience in his brother’s company helped in shaping his skills as a phenomenal seller.
There are five reasons why Benjamin Franklin was so effective:
- Problem-solving skills
- Curiosity
- Ability to seek knowledge
- Learning from smarter people and masterminding
- Ability to build a strong rapport
Ability to solve problems
Benjamin Franklin had extraordinary skills in problem-solving and used this talent throughout his life. James Franklin, his brother, was running a newspaper but he wouldn’t allow Benjamin to write for the publication. He realized the solution was to ghostwrite through anonymous letters, under the guise of being a middle-aged widow. The anonymous letters focused on what was going on in the community so it naturally piqued the interest of the readers.
Benjamin would slip the letters under the door of James’ newspaper each night. Each morning, James and his friends would discuss and debate the content of the letter. The letters got published and Benjamin’s alter ego became a popular contributor to the paper. His brother wasn’t happy when he found out that it was Benjamin who was writing the anonymous letters but had no choice but to continue publishing for the readers who loved the anonymous letters.
Sometime later, James was thrown in jail after writing something that wasn’t favorable to the government. During his absence, Ben ran the newspaper without major issues. When his brother came back, Ben presented the idea of partnership. When James didn’t agree with Ben’s proposal, Ben decided to leave and went to Philadelphia.
Problem-Solving skills as a sales rep
There are times when buyers don’t even recognize they have a problem. They are so focused on the status quo and happy with their current system that it doesn’t occur to them to change things. They refuse to learn more or don’t realize there is more to learn.
The prospect may even have problems they’re not aware of. Others have identified their problems but they just have a band-aid solution to ease the discomfort. As a sales rep, you need to find a way to actually solve the problem. That’s what Benjamin did. Even when he asked his brother, James said No repeatedly. Ben thought outside the box and he thought of ways to address a problem regardless of the decisions made by James. Your job is to help your clients recognize the problem and present them with a solution, even if they may have objections.
Be Curious
Benjamin Franklin was curious and was a voracious reader, consuming books and literature. He was always learning.
This love of learning led him to create an almanac where he included tips and advice that could be applied to everyday life. As a result, his almanac stood out from the rest of the competition.
Benjamin’s curiosity was ever-present, even after his retirement in the publishing industry. He made many inventions and even received recognition from the King of France due to his skills as a scientist. Money wasn’t his motivation for inventing things. It was more for satisfying curiosity and creating a better society.
Curiosity as a sales rep
Sales reps who are curious are the ones who are able to dig deeper and as a result, offer true value. Take for example a sales rep selling a SaaS software solution. It is a service that allows you to send mass messages to clients and interact with them. If the sales rep presenting the product jumps directly into the proposal and price offer, he will likely lose the deal.
Consider another sales rep who is very curious and wants to figure out why they need the text messaging service. She wants to find out how the client can take advantage of the software. It will be easier for the second sales rep to actually make the sale because she’s gathered more information. She’s able to build more value by asking effective questions. Your curiosity will help you land deals because you’re willing to put in the extra effort. When meeting with clients, always go deeper. It all comes down to providing value to your client.
Keep on learning
Benjamin Franklin had an affinity for learning and that is what made him stand out from his contemporaries. He always knew a little more. When he was left in Europe with no money, he took it upon himself to learn the printing industry of England. When he came back to the US two years after, he had an arsenal of knowledge ready to use. He was able to successfully turn his business into a success and take advantage of opportunities that allowed him to learn more about the daily operations.
As a sales rep, you can fuel your mind by reading books and listening to podcasts related to your industry. Keep on learning more about your clients. Read more newspapers and know the trends. Read up on current events and research how these trends affect your industry. Take part in training and workshops that will help you improve, not only as a sales rep but also as an individual. Provide the value as a consultant within your space. There’s nothing new under the sun but you can always learn something new from other people. We can never know enough.
Learn from smarter people
When Benjamin Franklin first came to Philadelphia, he was a boy who was broke, dirty, and dingy. Benjamin realized that in order for him to excel, he had to learn more. He didn’t have much but he had nice clothing. That helped him hung out with the right people, the high society. He spent so much time with these individuals, the people around him just assumed he was already successful and belonged.
This inclusion allowed him to network and make relevant connections. It was a smart strategy and he thrived. Benjamin Franklin even organized a group that would be able to benefit from one another. There were 12 members initially and all the members were from different backgrounds. What they had in common was they shared an inquisitive spirit, a desire to improve, and they wanted to help others in their community. Among them were painters, surveyors, clerks, bartenders, and more. The members were older than Benjamin Franklin but he was clearly the group’s leader.
Make it a point to learn from smarter people and associate with them. Being in a group will help you thrive but the moment you become the smartest person in the room, you need to find a new group. The people within your group will challenge you, push you, and help you grow in your career. In a mastermind group, there’s a lot of accountability in place because you’re there with a purpose. Be dedicated to your group and its goals.
It’s important to look the part you want to become. Come to the group looking put together and be professional.
Ability to build rapport
Benjamin Franklin knew the ability to build rapport helped him solidify his biggest deal and he understood it’s one of the most important facets of sales.
The TSE Certified Sales Training Program is designed to help salespeople learn how to build value and build rapport. It helps salespeople land deals by training on what to say and asking effective questions.
Andrew Rosebrough is the owner and president of Portable Medical Diagnostics, a mobile x-ray and ultrasound company servicing various parts of Florida. His company has taken on some of these principles Benjamin Franklin taught over the years and it has helped his company to thrive.
Some salespeople think to be a great seller, one also needs to become a great orator. Contrary to that belief, Benjamin Franklin wasn’t much of a speaker. He was more of a listener than a speaker. He felt like he didn’t know what to say all the time. An author pointed out that the best-sellers are not the extroverts or introverts, they’re the ambiverts – the ones who fall right in the middle.
The Scenario
In Benjamin Franklin’s time, the United States was in trouble. They were fighting the British and the situation was bad. The American soldiers were underfunded and undersupplied. Their circumstances were dire. The French, however, were secretly assisting the U.S. armies but they weren’t fully committed to helping the soldiers just yet. Luckily, Benjamin was already famous in Europe. He was an inventor, a scientist, and the French people knew him. Benjamin Franklin also learned French and the French people appreciated that. He was charismatic and he used that to his advantage. Benjamin socialized, networked, and made sure to play their game.
Benjamin just didn’t ask for what he needed right away, he first played the long game and learned the way of the French and it softened them to his requests. His counterpart was John Adams but John was the typical American and the French didn’t like him. He made no effort to level with the French.
Understand your clients
As a salesperson, you need to understand your clients and what they like to do. Try to be part of that. Discover what makes them tick. Spend time with them and get to know them on a personal level.
This can be difficult because you may have other things you like to do more. This is, however, an investment to land that big deal. John Adams didn’t take the time to understand the French and because he was forcing business, he was kicked back to the U.S.
Employ the platinum rule like Benjamin Franklin did. The platinum rule says, treat others the way they would like to be treated.
Best Sellers In History Series 4 – “Benjamin Franklin” episode resources
Benjamin Franklin was an amazing seller. Here are the five reasons why:
- Problem-solving skills
- Curiosity
- Ability to seek knowledge
- Learning from smarter people and masterminding
- Ability to build a strong rapport
Connect with Andrew Rosebrough via his LinkedIn account or visit their website.
If you have more sales concerns, you can also talk to Donald about it via LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for any sales concerns.
This episode is brought to you in part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a course designed to help new and struggling sellers to master the fundamentals of sales and close more deals. Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can also call us at (561) 570-5077.
It’s also brought to you by B2B Sales Show with a different podcast format. It has a rotating co-host and they brought in multiple sales though leaders and half a dozen other co-hosts that are either interviewing the guests or sharing quick hit tactical content themselves from their own lessons throughout their sales career. They have multiple episodes a week.
We have a new semester beginning in January and we would love to have you and your team join us. Follow this link to apply to the program.
We have a new semester beginning in January and we would love to have you and your team join us. Follow this link to apply to the program.
We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes so tune in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also leave comments, suggestions, and ratings to every episode you listen to.
You can also read more about sales or listen to audiobooks on Audible and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial.
Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.
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TSE 1198: Closing Questions
Salespeople are good at closing deals but before that, we are great in making closing questions. Master the closing deals that ensure a done deal client.
Benton Crane isn’t from the advertising and marketing background. He is from data analytics and started his career in Washington D.C. as a statistician at the Census Bureau and analyst in the National Intelligence Agency. He then partnered with the brothers Neil, Jeff, and Daniel for a campaign. The combination of their creative skillset and his analytical skills created a system that makes advertising campaigns effective.
The power of videos in the business
The most powerful form of communication happens in face to face conversations between two individuals. These face to face interactions are how you make out the nuances of a conversation. This will allow you to listen to the tone, see the gestures and body language all happening at a subconscious level.
Video is the medium that’s closer to that face-to-face action. When you talk to someone on the phone, you miss the body language and all the subconscious communication that’s happening. But with video, you’re able to capture a large portion of what happens in face-to-face interaction.
Aside from that, videos are scalable. The people you can’t meet through phone calls can be met via videos. You can take your most effective salesperson and sales pitch and scale that up to reach millions of people using videos.
Effective pitch through videos
People have thought that the world of sales and marketing are two separate camps. In the advertising space, it’s often about infomercials or traditional branding styles like what you see in Nike and Apple. But it doesn’t work that way. You can blend those two worlds together.
For so long, there’s been a competition between the two camps. The salespeople would trash the marketers and the other way around when in fact, they can incorporate together to create a great pitch.
Incorporate a story in your sales pitch and put in brand humor, voice, and character to make it more memorable. #SalesTips
At the end of the day, no matter how effective the sales pitch, it’s not going to build the long-term brand. Squatty Potty, for example, has the humor and the character and that what makes it memorable. If you break down that video for a sales structure, you’ll see that it follows the perfect sales structure.
The sales structure
The Squatty Potty has elements that are as follows:
- It has the hook
- It captures attention
- It shows empathy
- It understands the problem
- It presents a solution,
- It has a call to action for viewers to buy the product.
When it still doesn’t work, then build that credibility. Make that call to action as soon as possible. There will always be a percentage in the audience who are ready and there’s also a percentage who are not quite ready. So, address their concerns and build that credibility. Give them another call to action after you’ve done that.
Anyone can create videos. Creating videos takes hard work but everyone can learn how to do it. The principles that Benton’s team use in making a $5,000 video are still true in making a $500,000 video. It’s not much on the scope and budget, it’s more of doing the right thing at the right time.
The Squatty Potty story
Benton’s team just did a successful video for Poo-Pourri and when the CEO of Squatty Potty saw that video, he just knew that they needed to have theirs created as well. They came to Benton’s team and his team was initially cold since they just did one for the same product. But then they thought of ways on how to make it less disgusting to talk about and make it more proper and put together.
They landed on the unicorn idea and it all happened from there. They made it safe, colorful, and less awkward to talk about. They had to reach a broader audience so they needed to do something a little more unexpected.
Squatty Potty worked with Shark Tank and Bed Bath and Beyond prior to working with them. They were making $4 million a year and jumped to $25 million after they worked with Benton’s team. It was around that ballpark.
Bobby Edwards, CEO of Squatty Potty, had the guts to put a pooping unicorn as the face of its brand. But the risk was worth it and took them to where they are today.
If what you’re selling provides a real solution to the problem, then the video can work. It can be a sales tool and it can also be just a part of the sales process. Either way, it’s a powerful tool to use.
Investing in the video can go both ways, losing your production investment or gaining millions of dollars in return. Incorporate your closing questions in your videos and make the best out of it.
“Closing questions” episode resources
Connect with Benton Crane on his LinkedIn or via his site, harmonbrothers.com. For more sales concerns, connect with Donald via LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
This episode is brought to you in-part by TSE Certified Sales Training Program. It’s a program designed to help sales reps get from where you are now to where you can be in the future. This course is an aid for salespeople to become better in asking the right questions, presenting solutions, and closing deals.
Sign up now and get the first two modules for free! You can also call us at (561) 570-5077.
Read more about sales or listen to audiobooks at Audible as well and explore this huge online library. Register now to get a free book and a 30-day free trial.
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TSE 1162: How to Effectively Coach Struggling Sellers
Sales leaders must help their teams perform at peak levels, so they must start by understanding how to effectively coach struggling sellers.
I’ve seen this kind of coaching done badly in the past, and I’ve walked my own team members through these struggles. I’ve developed tips of my own and I’ve learned from Mike Weinberg’s book Sales Management Simplified.
Questions to ask
All sales reps and sales leaders endure dark moments where nothing seems to work out. Despite the fact that we’ve been selling for years, we endure periods where we simply can’t close. Very often, when that happens, there are several key things we must address.
These situations don’t develop overnight, and they usually result from slippage in certain areas. Begin by answering the following questions as honestly as you can. You’ll never find improvement if you’re dishonest about your situation.
- Does the struggling seller have a desire to succeed and thrive in sales? If he doesn’t have the drive to succeed, no amount of training or coaching will help.
- Why is this particular seller on my sales team? Did you inherit this seller? Did you hire him?
- How did the seller get into this situation? What signs did you see along the way?
- What has been done to fix the problem? What steps has the seller taken? What steps have you taken?
One-on-one meetings
If you aren’t already holding them, schedule one-on-one meetings with your sellers. I’m a big believer in this method because these leadership meetings offer opportunities to connect with our team members.
One-on-one meetings with sellers provide time to fine-tune and fix micro-problems before they become huge cracks that jeopardize the stability of our organizations. #SalesCoaching
These can be monthly, or weekly, but quarterly isn’t frequent enough.
As you work with a struggling rep, you can determine the things that stopped happening. Did he stop planning his prospecting? Is he failing to manage his time? Does he fail to establish a plan for his activities?
If you aren’t engaging in one-on-one coaching, you won’t know what’s happening with your team. When you recognize the problems, you can implement solutions and guide your team members to the right solutions.
These meetings should be knee-to-knee, eye-to-eye if possible.
Conducting one-on-one meetings communicates to your reps that you care about their success. When you take time out of your schedule to share suggestions and guidance with your team members, it’s meaningful to your team.
If something is important to your sales reps, it must be important to you. One-on-one meetings help you determine what’s important to your team members.
If the rep is really struggling, you can increase the frequency of your coaching sessions.
Changing mindset
When I was a sales rep selling software, I changed my mindset so that I considered myself the entrepreneur over my territory. Mike Weinberg suggests that you do the same by establishing a business plan for your territory or area.
Whether you’re a BDR or an inside sales rep, begin by determining a goal for yourself. For struggling sales reps, help them to create their own goals and then to establish a plan to follow. Including them in the plan gives them accountability.
Begin with small goals over the next three months of the quarter. Consider what your financial goal will be. Then determine exactly how they’ll accomplish that. Identify the existing customers that you’ll engage.
Establish a time frame in which your rep will accomplish that goal. Remember to include consequences. Ask your reps what a fair turnaround would be. Then ask your reps what should happen if they don’t meet their stated goals.
Very often your reps will establish tougher consequences for themselves than you might have set.
Desire to improve
When you have a sales rep with an obvious desire to improve, bend over backward for that person. Move mountains for her. If she is taking advantage of coaching and she establishes an awesome business plan, reward her efforts. Find other resources that will help her succeed.
Get her books or send her links to relevant podcasts. Meet with her when you can, and email her when you can’t meet. Check in through the day and throughout the week.
When your sales reps thrive, your business will improve and your company will grow.
It’s far cheaper to help your sales reps improve than to begin the hiring process over again because you need successful sellers. #SalesTraining
On the other hand, if your sellers don’t have a strong desire to succeed, and they won’t dedicate the effort to improve, then it may be time to remove them from your team.
In my own case, I had sales leaders who believed in me and who recognized my drive to improve. They coached me through my struggles and helped me get where I am today.
Re-evaluate
Once you’ve worked through the plan over the course of 30-90 days, if your rep still isn’t improving, you must identify why. If you’ve done the one-on-one coaching and you’ve helped her create a sales plan, you may have to put her on probation. It can be an informal program, but you must establish a marker that she will hit within that probation period.
Usually by this point, if the rep truly wants to succeed, she’ll show signs of improvement. Eventually, she’ll have to work on her own and prove that she can hit milestones without other people’s assistance. Without that ability, she’ll eventually have to move on.
The Sales Evangelist Certified Sales Training Program helps sellers improve by identifying problems and developing solutions to address them. Many individual sellers choose our program for themselves because it’s worth the cost of the training to increase their success rate.
“Effectively Coach Struggling Sellers” episode resources
Grab a copy of Mike Weinberg’s book Sales Management Simplified.
If you’re a sales rep looking to hone your craft and learn from the top 1% of sellers, make plans to attend the Sales Success Summit in Austin, Tx, October 14-15. Scheduled on a Monday and Tuesday to limit the impact to the sales week, the Sales Success Summit connects sellers with top-level performers who have appeared on the podcast. Visit Top1Summit.com to learn more and register!
You can also connect with me at donald@thesalesevangelist.com or try our first module of TSE Certified Sales Training Program for free. This episode has been made possible with the help of TSE Certified Sales Training Program, a training course designed to help sellers in improving their performance. We want you guys to go out each and every single day to find more ideal customers and do big things.
I hope you like and learned many things from this episode. If you did, please review us and give us a five-star rating on Apple podcast or in any platform you’re using – Google Podcast, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can also share this with your friends and colleagues.
Audio provided by Free SFX and Bensound.
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TSE 919: Sales From The Street:”Starving Artist”
The notion of the starving artist has been around for many years, but many entrepreneurs spend a lot of years “starving” as well. For sales professionals, when we don’t have processes in place to keep our funnels full, we can find ourselves “starving” as well.
On today’s episode of Sales From the Street, Arty Goldstein and John Antonacci from Video Jungle Podcast are interviewing me about this very topic, and what we can do to make sure we aren’t starving artists in the sales world.
The podcast will sound a little different because John and Arty are interviewing me on their show. I’ll share my ideas about processes and systems that can keep you from starving in the sales industry.
Trial and error
Much of my early strategy as a sales rep was trial and error. I messed up a lot, and I’m guessing many of the listeners will relate to that from their own experiences.
Many freelancers assume there’s a big magic formula to success, but I’ve discovered that the simplest bet is to be a personable person.
After that, differentiate yourself. In order to be successful, do the opposite of what everyone else is doing. If everyone else is going one way, figure out if you can go the other way and accomplish the same thing differently.
My idea of hustle is to do whatever it takes to make things happen. Think outside the box: what can I do to be different and out-hustle, outwit, go around, or go over to connect with people?
Creating value
Sales has changed a lot since its early days of cold-calling and bartering. At the same time, though, it’s still largely the same.
It’s an exchange of value. What can I give you in exchange for the thing you give me? It translates across all platforms and all mediums.
In the context of video production, you’re creating value. At The Sales Evangelist, I want to help new and struggling sellers find more ideal customers, build stronger value, and close more deals.
I struggled with those things when I was new to sales, but I figured out that if sellers can understand those three areas, they’ll never be hungry.
No salesperson should ever be broke, so if you’re broke, something is wrong. If your organization’s sales process is broken, it will churn and burn people.
Launching the podcast
My buddy Jared Easley, co-founder of Podcast Movement, hosted me on his podcast and he told me I should be doing my own podcast.
I decided to try it and see where it would go. My dream was to influence people the way Pat Flynn does and to impact people’s life.
Apple Podcast has made it so easy that initially, I didn’t advertise much. I asked all my cousins, family members, friends, and anyone who had the ability to get to a computer to go and rate my podcast.
That launched me into the New and Noteworthy category in 2013, which got me some more visibility.
When I landed Jeffrey Gitomer as my first guest, that pushed me into a world where people were looking for sales. At the time there were only like four sales podcasts that were really doing anything well at that time.
To be honest, I’m different than other people out there. Many of them at the time I launched were white guys, and I was a young black guy.
The result is that mine is the number one podcast in Jamaica.
Sales history
I’ve been actually selling since I was about six, although I clearly don’t count that in my professional selling history.
In Jamaica, there aren’t 7-11’s on every corner, so people set up little tiendas in their houses and they sell things. My family had a little shop and I sold stuff there.
I wasn’t afraid of talking about and dealing with money because I’ve been doing it since I was very young.
Fast forward to college where I figured out that I really like to be in front of an audience and to teach. After college, I started selling professionally and I figured out that I wasn’t good at b2b selling.
I got training and saw a major improvement, and discovered that I could share that with other people who were in the same boat. When I did, I saw an increase in my sales and I started actually making money.
I launched the podcast in an effort to help other rookies learn about sales and to speak about effective selling.
The Sandler Sales Training Organization taught me a technique that I’ve carried with me to this day, and it’s this triangle principle.
Attitude, techniques, and behavior. Your attitude is what you bring to the game and your techniques are things like how do you ask questions. Your activities are the actions you carry out every day like phone calls, prospecting, emailing and dialing.
That fundamental principle helped me realize the importance of procedure. If you’re winging it, you’ll have a hard time being consistently effective.
If you never practice or follow a pattern, you’ll never be as successful as you could be.
Video as marketing
Video is one of the most important things at our disposal. You can say so much more in a video than you can say anywhere else.
The second largest search engine in the entire world is YouTube.
Video allows you to follow, see, and learn. You can educate people using video.
People also like a personable approach, as evidenced by the demand for reality TV. People want to see something that’s real instead of something that’s highly produced. When there’s a dog barking in the background, that’s real.
Marcus Sheridan told a story of marketing people who were sending him physical resumes to apply for jobs. He challenged them to send video instead to share their capabilities and work history.
Salespeople have awesome leverage in the form of video and we shouldn’t cling to past ideas simply because we’ve always done it that way.
Differentiate yourself simply by using video. A lot of people won’t do it because it’s work.
Also, tell a story. That part will never get old.
Sharing secrets
Some people are going to be do-it-yourselfers. You can’t change that.
When you create value by telling them what to do and teaching them how to do it, they’re going to trust you. They’ll understand that you know what you’re doing, and they may eventually come to a place where they’d rather have you do it for them.
You might give away enough information to help them solve a single problem, but when they encounter something bigger, they’re going to come back to you.
You have to plan. People often overlook planning.
You also have to outperform your yesterday. No matter how good you are today, if you can beat what you did yesterday, you’re always going to thrive.
Keep learning. Read. Listen to The Sales Evangelist. Never stop learning.
“Starving Artist” episode resources
Do you want more tips and tricks from the video? Videostrategy.org is the place to go for thoughts on production best practices, creative brainstorming, strategy and distribution tips, client relations, and much more. Go to video strategy.org.
Check out the Video Jungle podcast, your source for marketing and selling your brand using video. Plan, create and share your way to better content and strategy. Video Jungle offers top-notch, state-of-the-art advice about video, which is a great way to offer relevant content on LinkedIn.
Email me for more information about our newly launched Sales Podcast Network, designed to provide specialized sales content for sellers of all levels and all industries. You can also email us about our new business development services.
This episode is also brought to you in part by prospect.io, a powerful sales automation platform that allows you to build highly personalized, cold email campaigns. To learn more, go to prospect.io/tse. Your prospecting will never ever be the same.
Maximizer CRM is a personalized CRM that gives you the confidence to improve your business and increase profits. Get rid of the boring CRMs and customize to your team’s selling abilities.
Click on the link to get a free demo of what Maximizer CRM can do for you. It integrates your marketing campaign as well as your CRM.
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TSE 873: The Challenges of Selling As An Entrepreneur Part 1
Entrepreneurs, regardless of their industry, must learn to succeed in sales. Selling as an entrepreneur is challenging because you don’t necessarily have the same resources you had when you worked for a big company. As an entrepreneur, you have to do the sales, the fulfillment, and everything in between.
Today, Bryan Hendrick from our The Sales Evangelist Hustler’s League online group coaching program talks about how he made the transition to entrepreneurship, and the challenges he overcame during the process.
Several years ago, Bryan realized that his financial future wasn’t as secure as he would have hoped, and he knew he needed to make a change. He founded Cascadian Landworks in a city he had no real contacts in and has grown his construction company to four employees.
Building from scratch
Many entrepreneurs in the construction field venture out on their own after years in the industry. The transition is a bit smoother because they have years’ worth of connections. When they branch out, they simply let their contacts know that they’re going out on their own.
Bryan, on the other hand, started out in a city he didn’t know well in an industry he was relatively new to. He had a rough plan moving forward, but he didn’t have all the details worked out.
Bryan owned one truck plus $9,000 to buy a dump trailer; he had no real financial buffer to get him through a few dry months.
He needed to hit the ground running on day one, and he recognizes now that having his back against the wall forced him to succeed.
When one of his early projects cost about $2,000 more than he contracted for, he remembers being in a “pit of despair.”
Fortunately, he knew that tough times were part of the equation, and he kept fighting.
Learning to sell
Bryan’s only real sales experience was a job selling cameras at an electronics store, and he quickly figured out that the B2C model was exceptionally difficult in the paver business. He discovered that he knew nothing about cold calling and outbound selling.
Because he didn’t have much visibility, he figured marketing was the key to success. When he shifted to a B2C sales model, he was much more successful, because general contractors were easier to locate than individual homeowners who needed pavers.
He started looking for email templates that would help him know what he didn’t know. Bryan discovered blogs and podcasts that helped him shift his focus from marketing to actually selling. He learned to reach out directly through more traditional methods.
Thinking big
Very often entrepreneurs focus on landing small deals because they are hesitant to go for the bigger ones.
In Bryan’s case, landing a $200,000 job in an industry that pays after work is complete meant lining up all his resources to make sure the project was completed properly and on time.
Additionally, large projects for him require sufficient manpower and significant risk: if he doesn’t get paid for a $200,000 job, he may not recover.
The biggest shift for him was his mindset and learning to master his cash flow so he could scale his projects.
“Selling As An Entrepreneur” episode resources
Our friends at Wiley have provided a free excerpt of the book Stop Selling & Start Leading. Based on research and interviews with buyers, the book provides a blueprint for sales professionals. Read an excerpt of the book here.
Check out the Video Jungle podcast, your source for marketing and selling your brand using video. Plan, create and share your way to better content and strategy. You are a brand, and video can help you set yourself apart.
Leave us a review wherever you consume this content, and share it with someone else who might benefit from our message. If you haven’t already done so, subscribe so you won’t miss a single episode.
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TSE 703: How to Prevent Burnout as a Millennials Seller
Today’s discussion places its focus on younger sellers, specifically how to prevent burnout as a millennials seller. But older sellers can benefit from this too.
Tim Cole is an award-winning CEO. He has helped launch 20 new brands to the market and has been instrumental in 6 legitimate blockbusters. A key player in the pharmaceutical industry, he has a book released recently called The Compass Solution: A Guide to Winning Your Career.
Here are the highlights of my conversation with Tim:
The Need for Overcoming Burnout
71% of millennials are disengaged from their jobs. They don’t want to be there and are looking for a place to go other than where they’re at.
You need to find something that can give you purpose and direction.
Tim describes burnout as a deteriorating process for people losing a sense of purpose leading them to lose their way until they’re no longer inspired. They deteriorate to full disengagement until they burn out.
Tips to Avoid Burnout:
1. Find something you’re passionate about.
2. Find something that you have some degree of attitude and skill around.
Practical tips to avoid burnout.
1. Exercise
Go to the gym and exercise for the rest of your life. Keep yourself in good physical shape and commit to that shape from that point forward. Assume that if your body deteriorates, your mind will too and ultimately your job.
2. Social Network
Have a strong social network. Have a group of friends you can confide in that can give you a strong network away from the job.
3. Family
4. Hobbies
Do things that occupy you away from your job.
Resilience
Have an iron jaw.
How to avoid being complacent:
- Never allow yourself to settle in a comfort zone.
- What else can you do make yourself better?
- Do something more!
Tim’s Major Takeaway:
Never stop learning. Never assume you’ve figured things out. Challenge yourself every day to continue to evolve. If you commit to learning, you will eventually adapt to whatever the circumstances are and you’ll overcome them.
Episode Resources:
Learn more about Tim on www.thecompassalliance.com or follow him on Twitter @officialtimcole. Grab a copy of his book The Compass Solution: A Guide to Winning Your Career.
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TSE 633: Start Making More Money By Adopting This Simple Mindset
Are you stuck in a scarcity mindset? As sellers, we strive to find ways to generate more income for us. But did you know how you think about time and money correlates about what you value most in life?
Today’s guest, Dr. Sharon Spano, explains to us why that is and how this is going to affect our performance as sales reps.
Sharon has a consulting company where she works with small business owners, entrepreneurs, and executive leaders who find themselves in the middle of a dilemma, challenge, or life/business transition. She focuses both on systems and the people in those systems. Sharon just recently released her book, The Pursuit of Time and Money: Step Into Radical Abundance and Discover the Secret to a Meaningful Prosperous Life.
Here are the highlights of my conversation with Sharon:
Lessons from Sharon’s coolest sales experience when she was the customer:
- Listen to your customer’s needs.
- Clarity is key. Educate them why they need your product or service.
Why Sharon wrote a book on Time and Money?
- It’s important to pay attention to our internal story of how we access time and money.
- Many are stuck in the scarcity mindset and it’s time to break free from that.
- Sharon will teach us how to move from a mindset of scarcity to a mindset of abundance.
The importance of time and money among sellers:
- A lot of people are battling with time and money issues. And many of us distract ourselves from the real business. Time and money are great indicators in every aspect of business.
- You need to understand your own paradigm and come up with practices to move past your issues that are holding you back.
How to drive your behavior:
- Awareness of time and money
Understand the subtle nuances that you want to have awareness of. The first moment of awareness comes the opportunity for change.
- Determine whether you’re in the scarcity or abundance spectrum.
Sharon developed the Time and Money Inventory tool. Check it out on her website www.thetimeandmoneybook.com to find out where you may fall on the spectrum between scarcity and abundance. Be aware that moderate scarcity and moderate abundance can almost look the same.
Example of moderate scarcity:
The business owner who’s watching every penny to the point he won’t invest in training, marketing, or sales opportunities.
The scarcity mentality is rooted in fear. Examine the kind of decisions you’re making. If they’re rooted in fear, that’s scarcity.
- Explore your subconscious paradigm.
Follow this exercise. On a piece of paper, just write whatever comes to mind as you try to answer these two questions:
- What do you believe about money?
- What do you believe about time?
Once you have awareness of them, you start to see them popping up everywhere. Then you will be able to make a change.
“We can’t make change if we don’t have awareness of what is the reality of that we’re living from.”
The biggest misconceptions about time and money:
Basically, this depends on what your misconception about time and money is. This could be influenced by how or what you grew up with. For Sharon, her biggest misconception as she was growing up was, “It’s only for the rich people.” Try to figure out what your misconception is about time and money. And how is that holding you hostage?
Prosperity is a mindset.
Everything is a mindset because everything begins with a thought. You have to think it before you can do it and then realize the outcomes of it.
“Prosperity is a place to come from, not a place to get to.”
In our culture, we think of prosperity as something we need to attain in the future. But Sharon points out it’s about being first. Prosperity is not linked to how much you have. There is a level of contentment here based on your passion, purpose, and being intentional in the work you do. You get out there everyday and you’re disciplined in such a way that you can create results.
How we self-sabotage our own potential for success:
We do this in ways we don’t even realize. If you’re not producing results, go back and look at your mindsets, your systems, and your paradigms.
Sharon’s Major Takeaway:
Trust that you have something to offer and that the world needs it. Back it up with doing the work. If you have the systems in place and marry that with internal work and awareness, then you’d be seeing results.
Episode Resources:
Check out Sharon’s book on www.thetimemoneybook.com/salesevan (The Pursuit of Time and Money: Step Into Radical Abundance and Discover the Secret to a Meaningful Prosperous Life by Sharon Spano)
Get connected with Sharon on www.sharonspano.com
Star Wars: Bloodline by Claudia Gray
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