Today we keep it short and sweet. We will discuss one simple idea to help you shorten your sales cycles. We walk through a very specific storyboard of an example most all complex technical B2B salespeople have experienced at one time or another, if not currently experiencing. We dissect the process associated to moving sales cycles forward faster with busy senior executives. If you have sales cycles that are taking longer than you anticipated and want to rethink your process to sell more in less time, then you will want to listen to this episode to learn (or refresh your memory) about a simple tactic that should be part of your normal weekly sales cadence.
If you are the type of sales professional who would like to learn new, different and unique ideas to improve the way you sell, then you will definitely want to listen to this value-packed Sales Integrity Podcast episode! Sales Psychology Academy Founder Jim Fortin is an international subconscious selling and high performance expert with over two decades of expertise in brain based selling and performance. Using NeuroLinguistics and behavioral science Jim has created a powerful new selling technology called NeuroPersuasion®. These persuasive techniques can help you shorten your selling cycles and significantly improve your sales performance – fast. Jim joins the show as this week’s guest and boy did he provide a ton of action-oriented advice you can immediately apply to sell more and earn more. Jim’s average client income is $750K/year. After you listen to Jim’s ideas and concepts he shared on the show you will know why. Jim defines the difference between “influence”, “persuasion” and “manipulation” and how each concept affects the selling process. Jim also discusses how sales professionals can leverage the power of "post hypnotic suggestion" within their sales messaging to become more influential and persuasive, which helps you sell more of your products, services and solutions. Today’s episode is longer than normal but for good reason as you will find out after listening to the show!
Today we discuss how to tactically apply the power of professional persistence as a B2B tech sales professional. Since the average sale occurs between the 7th and 12th touch point, we walk through a step-by-step approach to creating a customized systematic sales messaging strategy. This strategy involves a mix of phone calls, emails, InMails and other communication methods that will include the use of value-based messaging and Tangible Value Assets to continue to reach out to prospects well beyond that magic 7th touch point. If you are wanting to increase your sales pipeline with more qualified opportunities, and add value every step of the way while building your sales pipeline, then you will want to listen to this episode.
Today we review the Power of Professional Persistence and how it affects your sales game. We discuss 3 very specific phrases, or reasons, you should not tell your prospects and customers is the reason for your call or email (and most sales professionals are guilty of using all three reasons). We will review two quick examples of talk tracks that demonstrate value-added touch points. Overall, you will want to listen to this episode to help you get in the right mindset for this week to help you master the game of complex technical selling.
Today we throw it back to a legend - Zig Ziglar - and learn how trust was the most important element of selling back in the 1990’s and how that compares with what is important in today’s selling world in 2017. We take lessons from two of Zig’s books: “See You at the Top”, published in 1975, and “Ziglar on Selling”, published in 1991. We look at how trust can be demonstrated using modern technology combined with social selling techniques to establish credibility, which leads to trust. You will want to listen to today's episode to find out how you can apply the lessons learned from Zig Ziglar on trust to your sales game in the modern era of selling.
Jeff Bishop is an Executive Sales Coach and the Founder of Effective Directions, an executive sales coaching and consulting firm. Jeff first got his start in tech industry sales at IBM after graduating at the top of his class at the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor in Business Administration. Jeff held numerous positions including Direct Sales, Sales Trainer, Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Director, and Strategic Planner during a nearly 14 year career at IBM. Jeff then worked at Entex Information Services as Sales Director and from there joined Winstar to run a $12 million professional services organization. Jeff achieved his Sales Integrity Certified Sales Coach designation in 2015 and has been delivering coaching services to B2B tech sales professionals leveraging the Sales Achievement Framework™ selling system each year since then. Jeff jumped on this Wisdom Wednesday episode interview to share some of his sales wisdom with Sales Integrity Nation regarding lead generation, social selling, cold calling, sales process management, closing skills and more.
Today we will uncover how top Sales Achievers prepare differently, and more importantly, how they operate differently than their underperforming peers. We will specifically focus on 6 core competencies, or 6 things top Sales Achievers do differently in an organized manner as it relates to strategically creating and tactically executing their sales plan to achieve their goals. Finally, using the 6 core competencies we will walk through a systematic approach you can use to setup, execute and track your customized sales pipeline development campaigns.
Today we take a look at the mindset of two completely different types of salespeople: Common Salespeople who struggle and top-performing Sales Achievers who dominate. You will hear about a study conducted on both types of sales professionals to determine what sets them apart. Furthermore, you will learn about the top 3 habits of quota-crushing Sales Achievers, with one of the habits identified as the Keystone Habit that will most affect your success (or failure) as a sales professional. Finally, you will learn about the Mindset Mantra that will help keep these three habits top of mind on a daily basis.
We close this week out in strong fashion by sharing one tip to improve your closing skills by focusing on the trusty ole “Trial Close” technique. Is this technique old school and past its prime or is it still effective in today’s modern selling world? Do you understand the psychology behind the “Trial Close”? Do you know how the “Trial Close” can fit into your sales process? You will want to listen to this episode to find out all of this and more as we investigate use of the "Trial Close" in more detail.
Today we look back to a 2016 Harvard Business Review article titled “Despite Dire Predictions, Salespeople Aren’t Going Away”. That HBR article throws it back to a 1962 book titled “The Vanishing Salesman” as well as a New York Times article dating back 100 years that asked a provocative question: “Are salesman needless?” We roll all of this together to compare it to today’s complex technical B2B sales role to answer one question for today’s modern selling world: “Is the Sales Profession Dying?”. You will want to listen to today's episode to find out the answer to this controversial question.
Today we address a challenge that all sales professionals in the B2B complex technical sales industry have faced at one point in their career, if not on a consistent regular basis. Have you ever engaged with a new prospect and started a sales cycle with them once an opportunity was identified and had everything moving along just fine then all of a sudden one day they stopped replying to you? The good news for you is this - I have a surefire way to get these “stuck” prospects “unstuck” with one simple technique. Listen to this episode to find out how!
Today we discuss how the top Sales Achievers view themselves in terms of their role and how to manage your "sales business". We will discuss the contrast between viewing yourself as just a salesperson employed by a company to sell their products, services and solutions and viewing yourself as a "Funded Entrepreneur" running your own sales enterprise yet funded by the company who employs you to run your business as your Venture Capitalist. This episode will get you in the right mindset to help you take personal accountability for 100% of your own selling success. After listening to this episode you will approach each day differently by improving your focus to take your sales game to the next level.