Really Knowing Your Customer with Dave Brock - The Transaction - Ep # 16

In today’s episode of The Transaction, hosts Craig and Matt sit down to talk with sales expert Dave Brock. Dave is a well-established sales consultant, the founder and CEO of Partners in EXCELLENCE, and the author of “Sales Manager Survival Guide”. They discuss the pivotal changes required in the sales approach, focusing on customer engagement, win rates, and efficient prospecting methods. Dave shares his insights on getting involved earlier in the buying cycle, understanding customer problems, and the importance of business acumen. He also shares multiple inspiring and informative stories from his many years of experience. Tune in for invaluable advice on transforming your sales strategies and achieving outstanding results from Dave!

Takeaways:

• It's vital to understand customer pain points and align sales approaches accordingly to achieve better results.
• By improving customer understanding and engagement, companies can achieve higher win rates, larger average deal sizes, and shorter sales cycles.
• Instead of pitching products, the focus should be on understanding customer needs and challenges.
• Using the correct terminology specific to the customer’s industry can help establish credibility and understanding.
• Helping customers navigate the buying process can reduce sales cycle lengths and improve decision-making.
• Develop guides and tools to educate customers on how to navigate the buying process effectively. This not only helps the customer but also improves sales outcomes.

Chapters:

• 00:00 - Intro/Dave’s Rap Website
• 01:55 - Welcoming Dave Brock
• 03:04 - Flaws in Sales Approaches
• 06:29 - Taking Control of the Buying Cycle
• 12:30 - Importance of Business Acumen Training
• 16:01 - Understanding Your Customer
• 19:52 - The Colbert and Brock Questionnaires
• 26:44 - The Importance of Language in Sales
• 32:00 - Customers Don’t Know How to Buy
• 37:57 - Engaging Customers Earlier
• 42:44 - Dave’s Greatest Sales Story
• 45:30 - Outro and Final Thoughts

Quote of the Show:

• “It's so easy to change our win rates. It's so easy to change our average deal value. It's so easy to do these things. But we never do it.” - Dave Brock

Sponsor:

• The Transaction is sponsored and produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through Branded podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Connect with Guest:

• Dave’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davebrock/ 

Shoutouts:

• HipHopBattle.com: https://www.hiphopbattle.com/ 
• Wu-Tang Clan https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl0q_XqiWDMA-Q9SzUO3y-Q 
• “Sales Manager Survival Guide” by Dave Brock Sales Manager Survival Guide - Amazon 
• Howard Dover, Professor at University of Texas - Dallas https://www.linkedin.com/in/howarddover/ 
• Colbert Questionert - Stephen Colbert https://thecolbertquestionert.com/#questions 
• Brock Questionert https://partnersinexcellenceblog.com/the-brock-questionert/ 
• Procore Procore Website 
• Motorola Rugged Wireless https://www.motorola.com/we/ 
• General Motors https://www.gm.com/ 
• Scala https://www.scala-lang.org/ 
• Marketo https://chapmanbright.com/marketo/ 

Follow the Show:

• Craig’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigrosenberg/ 
• Matt’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-amundson-91657236/ 
• The Transaction on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-transaction/ 
• The Transaction Website: https://thetransactionpod.com/ 
• Substack: https://thetransaction.substack.com/ 

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3i3r3WLacRZiSa7dOaOgDz 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-transaction/id1734518309 
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