Mon, 24 November 2008 Competitive selling is similar to a game of chess. if you don't have a strategy in mind and/or you don't anticipate your opponents moves your chances of winning are not very good. Do you know who your competitors are and what makes what they sell different from yours? More importantly do you know how to sell against them? Do you know how they sell against you? Do you know how to get this information? In this episode Joe and Mike talk about working with sources of competitive intelligence and offer advice on ways you can increase your competitive effectiveness so you can win more deals. Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Mon, 17 November 2008 Did you ever wonder why so many people are apprehensive about talking to a sales person? Why is it that sales people have such a negative stereotype? Could it be our own fault? What is it that turns buyers off to sales people? In this episode Joe and Mike examine actual feedback from prospects who’ve had bad experiences with sales people, talk about what it was the sales person did wrong and offer suggestions so you can avoid these common mistakes. Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Mon, 10 November 2008 Congratulations! You been selected to be the next sales manager. The only problem is the operation you'll be managing has been underperforming for a long time and you will sink or swim based on your ability to turn it around. In part 2 of the is 2 part series on territory turnaround Joe and Mike talk about how a sales manager might go about accessing what's wrong with an underperforming territory and give you a strategy and plan of attack for fixing it. Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Mon, 3 November 2008 Turning around an underperforming sales organization Part 1 of a 2 part series Taking over an underperforming territory can be a daunting challenge even for the most experienced of sales people. What would you do if you were given that task? In this episode Joe and Mike talk about how they would go about assessing a new territory and what steps they would take to make it profitable as soon as quickly as possible. Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Mon, 27 October 2008 As the saying goes “you can't shoot the dear from the lodge” meaning you can't close business sitting in your office. You need to get in front of potential clients to be successful in sales. But how do you get in front of them? How do you get in the door? Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Mon, 20 October 2008 How to avoid feel good meetings that don’t accomplish anything Did you ever sit down and count how many meetings you’ve participated in over the last year that turned out to be of no value to your selling efforts? How about meetings that seemed to go fantastic, where everyone in the room could “feel the love”, but at the end of the day you got nothing out of it? We refer to these meetings as “Barney Meetings” in reference to the big purple dinosaur that entertains kids and sings “I love you, you love me...” Although they may make you feel good Barney meetings are a complete waste of a sales person’s time. In this episode Joe and Mike talk about how to spot Barney meetings, how to avoid them and how, in some instances you can transform them into worthwhile meetings. Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Mon, 13 October 2008 How to successfully navigate through the obstacles created by your own organization that prevent you from selling! Do you sometimes feel that your own company is intentionally or unintentionally making it harder for you to sell? Does your company make you perform lots of tasks that have nothing to do with selling? Did you ever bust your hump to get a deal closed and when you submited it your company it became more difficult to process the order than it was to sell the deal to the prospect? If any of these happened or are happening to you then you're a victim of the sales prevention department. In this episode Joe and Mike talk about how to successfully navigate through the obstacles created by your own organization that prevent you from selling. Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Mon, 6 October 2008 Nothing is certain but death, taxes and Sales Reorganizations! Each year companies go through an organizational revamping hoping to increase sales and profit. Senior managers are planning right now for next year's territory changes. So what should you do to minimize your impact? Mike and Joe talk about how you can survive the inevitable sales reorganization and reduce the impact to your territory. Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Mon, 29 September 2008 How to get through a sales performance or territory review when you’re not doing well
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Mon, 22 September 2008 Sales Methodology, The Importance of Clients Relationships in the Sales Process People buy from people they like. People buy more from people they like and have a good relationship with than from any other people. Successful sales people know that developing great relationships with clients leads to more sales. In this episode Joe and Mike talk about how to go about building the types of relationships that can lead to more sales success. Interview with: Linda Richardson - Founder/Chairwoman of Richardson and author of the NY Times Best Seller "Perfect Selling" Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Mon, 15 September 2008 Let’s face it some of the most compelling sales messages don’t stick. How many times have you delivered a very compelling argument about why someone should buy your product or service only to find the message had fallen on deaf ears? How many times did you think given the facts the sale would be a “no brainer” for the buyer, but it wasn’t? Why do some sales messages just seem to die? The most compelling reasons for someone to buy from you can be lost if the message isn’t presented right. Its not about the content being presented its about the context in which its presented. In part three of this three part series on making your sales message stick Joe and Mike discuss making your sales message emotional and how to use stories to make the message stick. Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Sun, 7 September 2008 Made to Stick a Sales methodology.
This series is based on the book "Made to Stick" by Chip and Dan Heath which is all about why some ideas survive and others die. Part two of this three part series on making your "sales message stick"! Joe and Mike discuss two techniques to effectively communicate your sales message; Concrete and Credible. Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Tue, 2 September 2008 Made to Stick a Sales methodology. This series is based on the book "Made to Stick" by Chip and Dan Heath which is all about why some ideas survive and others die. Part one of this three part series on making your "sales message stick"! Joe and Mike discuss finding and presenting the core of your sales message and presenting it in an unexpected way that will get people's attention and zero them in on why they are really buying. Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Mon, 25 August 2008 Improve your Sales productivity through formal sales education Let's face it no matter how much finesse you think is involved in selling at the end of the day Sales is a science. That said why is it so hard to find educational institutions that offer a degree in Sales? There are more sales people than there are marketing people, finance people, or lawyers combined. So why do all those professions have accredited degree programs but not sales? In this episode Joe and Mike talk about getting a sales education and why educational institutions need to pay more attention to sales as a major. Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Mon, 11 August 2008 Top Sales Reps always prospect If you're not consistently adding new prospects to your pipeline you are not going to be successful long term. Top sales people know that Prospecting is the MOST important aspect of selling. In this episode Joe and Mike discuss different aspects of prospecting and offer tips on how to be more successful at finding qualified prospects. Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Sun, 3 August 2008 Serving up the big cheese! Leveraging your senior executives in a sales cycle Executive Sales Call Plan - Leveraging your senior executives in a sales cycle During the sales process sometimes it's necessary to bring in a company evangelist or someone from your senior management team to advance the sale. Unfortunately doing so is fraught with danger - it could negatively effect the sale and/or the person you bring in might get a negative impression of you. You have to know when to bring them in, why to bring them in, how to prepare them and how to keep them on message. Most importantly you have to preserve your control over the sales process and not surrender it to your management. In this episode Joe and Mike discuss what you can do to increase your odds of success when you "Serve up the big cheese". Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Mon, 21 July 2008 We are on vacation and you are with us. Mike and Joe are taking some well deserved time off. We will be back with a regular schedule on August 4. Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Mon, 14 July 2008 How to make the most out of sales meetings during the summer time lul in activity Its summer (at least in the USA) which means people are more relaxed, going on vacations and loosing any sense of urgency about doing business. If you're a sales person summer often has a negative effect on your ability to close sales. In this episode Joe and Mike offer up some ideas that might help you improve your sales performance over the summer. Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Sun, 6 July 2008 Sales Networking The advent of Web 2.0 presents a whole new opportunity to leverage technology to reach potential prospects and partners. But where do you start? In this episode Joe and Mike talk about different social networking tools, how they use them to drive awareness and how you can leverage them to find more opportunities. Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Mon, 30 June 2008 It's the end of the quarter for a majority of sales people which means it's reality check time on how close your actual sales were to what you forecasted. Forecasting is a difficult process fraught with errors but its important to your success to get it right. In this episode Joe and Mike talk about why the forecasting process often goes astray and what sales people and sales managers can do to improve their forecasting accuracy. Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Mon, 23 June 2008 Sales Recruitment Hire The Top Sales People in Your Industry Because of its direct impact on the bottom line hiring the right sales reps and sales managers is critical to the success of any company. However, there are few challenges as daunting as selecting people with the potential to be top performers. In this episode Joe and Mike discuss how to go about selecting top sales reps and sales managers including identifying the characteristics that are most important in determining their potential for success. Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Mon, 16 June 2008 Okay the spring marketing tradeshow circuit is winding down. Does your company have a procedure to handle all the "Sales Leads"? This week Mike and Joe talk about how to take inquiries and turn them into qualified sales leads. Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Mon, 9 June 2008 What do you measure to predict future sales performance? Is it the number of cold calls made? The number of face-to-face visits? The number of opportunities in the pipeline? Those gauges are important to monitor but how realistic is it to rely on them to forecast sales? Do those measurements actually help you figure out "the dollars in the door"? In this episode Joe and Mike talk about the pitfalls of relying on traditional methods of predicting sales results and in some cases how measuring them can negatively impact your sales. They will also discuss what sales people and sales managers should be looking at and offer a method to determine if you are focusing on the types activity that will lead to "the dollars in the door". Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Sun, 1 June 2008 In tough economic times elite sales professionals follow a few basic behaviors to assure top performance. In this the final episode of the series "Selling in a Down Economy" Mike and Joe Interview Tim Wackel, founder and president of The Wackel Group, about the top three key sales strategies you should be deploying right now to ensure your success! Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Sun, 1 June 2008 In tough economic times elite sales professionals follow a few basic behaviors to assure top performance. In this the final episode of the series "Selling in a Down Economy" Mike and Joe Interview Tim Wackel, founder and president of The Wackel Group, about the top three key sales strategies you should be deploying right now to ensure your success! Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Mon, 26 May 2008 There are a few basic behaviors that top salespeople should follow in tough economic times to sustain their performance. First, make your customer's goals your personal objectives. Demonstrate how your product or service will advance their ambitions. Only propose solutions that solve their business problems! Second, justify all proposals with payback beginning in the current fiscal year. In tough economic times every customer will be looking to save money. Third, and perhaps the most important, reduce their risk! This is especially acute in a down economy. No one wants to take on additional risk when times are tough. Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Sun, 18 May 2008 Part 1 of a three part series on Selling in a Tough Economic Times Attitude drives behavior and if you maintain a positive attitude you will outperform over 80% of your peers. Optimistic sales people will perform better than their negative peers by nearly 40%. You have control over your mind. Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Sun, 11 May 2008 Many of the most successful athletes, performers, and business professionals have coaches. But did you know many of the most successful sales professionals have coaches too? A good sales coach can really help sales professionals hone their skills and MAKE MORE MONEY. A personal sales coach can help you identify your strengths, overcome weaknesses and guide you to become the top professional in your industry. A good sales coach will become your mentor and partner. Together you set goals and design plans to meet your business objectives. A sales coach will give you encouragement and feedback, celebrate your victories, and keep you focused to minimize your losses In this episode Joe and Mike talk about why Sales Coaching is important and how to select a good coach.
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Mon, 5 May 2008 It's May already and if your company has a calendar year end that means you are already 5 months into the sales year. When was the last time you looked at that sales plan you put together at the beginning of the year? In this episode Joe and Mike talk about why it's important to review your sales plan right now and offer some key strategies to help you update your sales business plan. Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Sun, 27 April 2008 How many times have you been at the end of a quarter and had a deal slip? We have! We tell our sales manager "we didn't lose the deal we just ran out of TIME". If we just improve our time management skills just a little, the impact to our bottom line earnings will be incredible. Do the math! Take your annual income (salary bonus and commissions) and divide it by 2000. 2000 is the average hours in a year adjusted for vacations weekends and holidays etc. If you make $75,000 per year then your hourly rate is approximately $37.50. Okay now that you have established your hourly worth, what if you could just improve your sales time management by say one hour a week? You would earn an additional $1,950 a year! That's almost a three percent increase in income! Cha-Ching Cha-Ching! This week Mike and Joe talk about effective time management skills as it relates to sales professionals. Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Sun, 20 April 2008 Did you ever have to split a commission with someone in another territory who tried to lay claim to a deal you closed? Did you ever have someone try to take credit for a deal closed in your territory? What do you do? In this episode Joe and Mike talk about sales turf wars – what can happen, how they affect the organization and how to avoid them. Comments[0] |
Sun, 13 April 2008 Did you ever get the feeling right after you closed a deal that you could have made the deal bigger? And how many times have you run into the bully from procurement when its time to negotiate? In episode three of a three part series on negotiating Joe and Mike discuss how to avoid leaving money on the table and how to deal with procurement bullies. Sales Podcast and Sales Blog Comments[0] |
Sun, 6 April 2008 The best chess players are the ones who think several moves ahead and consider every possible countermove their opponent can make. The same is true for professional negotiators! The better you plan for an upcoming negotiation the better your chances of getting the deal and making more money. In episode two of this three part series on strategic negotiating Joe and Mike discuss why it’s important to plan for every negotiation session and how Professional Sales people utilize a deliberate negotiating Strategy. Comments[0] |
Sun, 30 March 2008 Negotiating Strategies for Sales Professionals Do you say the words "discount" or "negotiate" whenever someone asks you about price? Are you offering a discount before the prospect asks for one? If so you are negotiating with yourself which is NEVER a good idea. In episode one of this three part series on negotiating Joe and Mike discuss how to avoid negotiating with yourself and offer other advice that will help you become a better negotiator and maximize the size of your deals. Comments[0] |
Sun, 23 March 2008 Sales Reference Utilization for Closing the Sales Process Using references as part of your sales process Do you leverage existing clients to help you close new business? In this episode Joe and Mike discuss how to turna good client into a good reference and how best to utilize references during the Sales Process to help you close more business faster. Comments[0] |
Mon, 17 March 2008 This is the good version! Sales Referral Generation and Referral Utilization. Sometimes the most direct way to get into the door is through someone else. Do you know how to get a referral? Do you know how to leverage a referral to get access? In this episode Joe and Mike discuss how to get and use referrals to get access to the right people and generate more sales. Comments[0] |
Sun, 16 March 2008 Sales Referral Generation and Referral Utilization. Sometimes the most direct way to get into the door is through someone else. Do you know how to get a referral? Do you know how to leverage a referral to get access? In this episode Joe and Mike discuss how to get and use referrals to get access to the right people and generate more sales. Comments[0] |
Sun, 9 March 2008 Sales Networking through Social Networking Technology
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Mon, 3 March 2008 Hiring Sales Representatives and Sales Managers Hiring the right sales people and sales managers is a life or death decision for many organizations. Hire right and you thirve. Hire wrong and your revenue disappears. In this episode Joe and Mike discuss their thoughts on how to go about hiring the best sales people. Comments[0] |
Sun, 24 February 2008 Do you know how to navigate through a long discovery meeting? Do you know how to end a discovery meeting? In this final part of a three part series on discovery Mike and Joe tell you how to structure the discovery meeting, how to finish it and offer lots of tips that will help ensure you have a successful meeting. Comments[0] |
Sun, 17 February 2008 Do you know what is the most important information a salesperson needs to know about a prospect or client? Do you know how to get that information? In part two of this three part series on discovery Mike and Joe talk about what information you need to focus on when doing discovery, the types of questions you need to ask, how to leverage your knowledge to barter for the information you want and how to know definitively whether or not you’re talking to the right person. Comments[0] |
Tue, 12 February 2008 Discovery Meetings Selling Strategies for Sales Professionals You got your first meeting with the prospect. Now what are you going to do? Most sales professionals will tell you about the value of doing discovery but how many of us actually do it effectively? How many times have you or a sales person you know gone in to a discovery meeting only to make a sales pitch before knowing what the prospectâs problem really is? In part one of this three part series Mike and Joe talk about how to start a discovery meeting, the value of keeping the discovery door open and how to identify when its time to move to the next phase of the sales cycle. Comments[0] |
Sun, 3 February 2008 Selling Consulting Services as a Sales Professional. There is a big difference between selling products and selling services. As a sales professional its important to understand what those differences are. In this episode Mike and Joe talk about the unique characteristics of selling services and strategies sales professionals can utilize to increase your chances for success. Comments[0] |
Sun, 27 January 2008 It's undeniable that if you don't know where you are going you're never going to get there. So how can you attain your personal sales goals if you don't define what they are? In this episode Mike and Joe talk about how to go about defining your sales goals for the year and then translating those goals into a territory plan. Comments[0] |
Sun, 20 January 2008 A changing of the guard. For salespeople, the begiining of a new year often means change - change in territory, change in accounts, etc. Taking over someone else's territory and finding opportunities in previously unsuccessful prospects can be tricky but also very rewarding. In this episode Mike and Joe discuss how to go about finding and working opportunities in previously worked but currently inactive accounts. Comments[0] |
Sun, 13 January 2008 If your company's year end was December 31st you might be thinking its time to relax. The year just finished so why not take it easy for a while. WRONG! You're in sales to make money. Its time to get busy. Its time to RELEASE THE HOUNDS! In this episode Joe and Mike give you some ideas about what you should be doing right now to get your year started right. Comments[0] |
Mon, 24 December 2007 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Comments[0] |
Sun, 16 December 2007 Holiday gift giving is part of any good sales strategy. When done correctly it can help you build stronger relationships. It can even be used to make previously unreceptive clients and prospects engage you. In this episode Joe and Mike give you some ideas and strategies for holiday gift giving that will help you build stronger relationships inside and outside your organization. Comments[0] |
Mon, 10 December 2007 Play Sales Chess not Sales checkers strategic vs tactical The concept of strategy has been borrowed from the military and adapted for use in business. In sales, as in the military, strategy bridges the gap between policy and tactics. Together, strategy and tactics bridge the gap between ends and means. Strategy answers the question: What are the ends we seek and how should we achieve them, in other words strategy is a plan, a "how," a means of getting from here to there. Too often sales people dive into sales without taking the time to develop a strategy for success and more often than not it results in less than satisfactory results. In this episode Joe and Mike talk about how to go about developing an effective sales strategy that will improve your success and help make more money. Comments[0] |
Sun, 2 December 2007 If you're familiar with the "Charlie Brown" comic strip you know that no matter how many times he tried Charlie Brown could never kick the football, never pitch a winning game, and never win the affections of the cute little red-headed-girl. "Charlie Brown syndrome" does not refer to the fact that Charlie always lost, it refers to the fact that despite the actuality that he always lost, he just kept doing it. It's this sense of despair and pessimism from facing constant defeat, but within it, always some sort of hope that convinces you that this time, you might just kick the football. In this episode Joe and Mike talk about identifying the Charlie Brown syndrome in the sales process and what you can do to overcome it. Comments[0] |
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