The Sales Evangelist

How Can My Personal Brand Set Me Apart From My Competition 2020?    The year is almost over. As a salesperson, how can you set your personal brand apart from your competition in 2020?  Veronica Romney is solely focused on educating and facilitating individuals in their marketing and branding efforts. Veronica and her team are helping clients to stand out from their competition. They make it their goal to ensure you position yourself correctly so you can jump into the narrative and story that your prospective customer has as opposed to trying to force the customer into yours.  You Don’t have to Be the Best of the Best  Many businesses and sales reps are under the assumption that in order to distinguish their personal brand, they have to be the best of the best. The prevailing thought is that the only way to be seen as special is to look bigger and be better than everyone else in the same industry. This mindset can be exhausting for both business owners and sales professionals and can lead to burnout as they fight for consumer attention. Customers are bombarded with attention-seeking ads, streaming services, and other campaigns.  Companies and salespeople do a disservice to them by adding additional distractions that just focus on how great they are. Veronica teaches her clients to focus on something more critical:  You don’t have to be your customer’s hero. It’s more important to be their guide in helping them get to where they want to go.  Tony Robbins, for example, is a huge brand. He is a big name and a big individual with a big personality. Everything about Tony Robbins is larger-than-life and at the end of his documentary,Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru,  he was asked what he hoped people would better understand about him through the documentary. His answer is critical to his branding and should be a great takeaway for people who work with consumers. He said that it’s not really about people caring about the person, Tony Robbins. The Tony Robbins brand lets customers know that it's the means to an end and it’s a company that will get them to where they want to go. Tony is aware that he isn’t the show and he isn’t the product.  It’s more about how they are transformed through him and what he teaches. People respond to the things that cause change, keeps them hungry, make them feel fulfilled and feel alive.   His organization does that. The Positioning Technique This is a method being used by CarMax in selling cars. This industry is overly saturated and the competition is stiff. There’s no point in fighting against the current. Instead, CarMax guides their customers where they want to go.  Whether the customer is purchasing a car, trading in or selling a car, CarMax has made it a simple three-step process. They have removed the barriers of haggling and negotiation from the interaction with their salespeople and by doing so, have made it easier for the customer to do business. This positioning technique relieves salespeople from having to be the product or prove they’re the best. Instead, they can concentrate on being a guide, mentor or coach for their customers.  Because of this, burnout is greatly decreased. People need a guide when purchasing decisions need to be made. For example, someone buying a weight loss program or supplement isn’t just buying a product but the transformation that product offers. As a salesperson responsible for packaging products and services to the consumer, the goal isn’t to make the product the hero of the sales pitch. The goal is to offer transformation by helping customers understand how the product can get them to their destination. Position Yourself as a Guide, Not the Hero.  We live in a world that is driven by consumers who are focused on their self-interests. Consumers want their problems solved quickly and as salespeople, guiding them through their ambitions is key. Develop your voice It’s tempting to want to be a chameleon who can be everything to everyone but it’s also impossible. Yes, it’s important to mirror the person you are talking to in order to help build a connection but your voice must be unique to you and your brand.  Let’s take Warren Buffet as an example. He is a billionaire, investor, and businessman. Warren Buffet is famous for writing an annual letter to his shareholders  to talk about his market forecasts and investments for the upcoming year.  These letters are so famous they have been turned into books, with the information also being consumed by MSNBC and Forbes. He has been able to deliver consistently, over decades, to successfully build a personal brand that people can trust and feel confident about.  Warren did this by writing letters to just a single person, Doris. Writing to just one person makes the letters have a unique and intimate tone. Speaking to one person creates consistency in your voice and people relate to that when you connect with them.  Find Your Own Doris Doris is Warren’s sister. He has an emotional connection to her and that’s the kind of affection and connection that you need to have with the people you choose to connect with. Finding your voice can be difficult, especially if you are new to sales, so find a favorite customer, someone that can really benefit from what you have to offer, and pretend you are speaking to that person every single time, no matter who your customer is. Eventually, you will be able to develop your natural tone consistently.  It’s the same thing in politics. People are drawn to politicians who are consistent and speak the same way, regardless of audience or circumstance. There can be a disconnect when businesses have one person writing for their blogs, another person their press release, and yet another working their ads. Each person is going to have a different voice in their writing instead of having a company voice.  It’s important that there is consistency of a company voice throughout.  Consider Asking Your Customers these Four Critical Questions Veronica suggests four critical questions you can use to help find your voice as a salesperson and help you understand your customer more intimately. They help to develop the relationship when you have an opportunity to survey a new client. The answers to these questions are a great vehicle to learn how to be the best guide you can be:   What are you trying to accomplish this year?   It’s important to set a time parameter on the things your customer wants to achieve. For example, you can ask about a quarter goal or a yearly goal. Setting a time frame gives you an endgame and will serve as a guide to where the customer hopes to go.   What do you think it would take to double your business results or your happiness this year?   Your goal is to enter their story and not to force them into yours. They have already been thinking about what they need to accomplish their goals but these questions allow you to go into the story they have already created in their own mind. What if their solutions are wrong for them? You have to know what they’re thinking to guide them to the right answer.    What frustrates you the most about your business and life right now?   Whatever the answer is, your product and services has to offer the solution. You are in the business of taking away the pain and obstacles that prevent your customer from getting to where they want to go. Every client will have different pain points so you can’t make assumptions about what frustrates them about their business or life.   What have you tried to do to improve the situation you’re in?   Your customer’s answers will give you insight into what they’re open to trying. Knowing that you’re offering something they’ve never tried before may feel revolutionary to them. You need to understand what people are comfortable in doing.  The answers to these questions will allow you to see your client’s aspirations and what they think the need to double their business. Their answers will give you an idea of what frustrates them the most and what their pain points are. In addition to that, they tell you the mechanism and the behavior they’re already accustomed to. It’s why these 4 questions are critical in distinguishing yourself from the competition.  Stay focused on your client and maintain the goal of making them the hero of their own story. You’re there to offer the transformation. People will buy from you, they will say yes to you, when they feel understood by you, not when they understand you. #SalesTruth “How Can My Personal Brand Set Me Apart From My Competition 2020” episode resources Catch up with Veronica via her personal website, veronicaromney.com. She is also in various social media such as Twitter.  You can also catch up with Donald 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.  This podcast is also brought to you in part by Reveal the Revenue Intelligence podcast. It’s about utilizing data to make business decisions instead of just guessing your way through major sales decisions. Visit gong.io for their podcast.  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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

How To Create A LinkedIn Profile That Consistently Brings New Business To Your Pipeline   Many salespeople create a LinkedIn profile to bring in new business but are they creating a profile that is attractive to a potential buyer? Felipe Lodi is a returning guest and he’s back to teach salespeople how they can create a LinkedIn profile to bring in new business. Felipe is based in Ireland and he is helping other expatriates like himself to establish themselves in Europe. By teaching them the social skills needed and building their LinkedIn accounts, he’s helping them market their abilities and attract opportunities. He launched his book, Advanced LinkedIn, last year based on hundreds of workshops he’s done within the public and private sectors throughout Ireland.  Common Mistakes Salespeople Make on LinkedIn  There are many common mistakes made on LinkedIn. Once you know what they are, they can be avoided. The most common mistake is the failure to use headlines creatively.  The headline is 120 characters long and can be found underneath your profile picture. Most people just list their titles with a brief job description. Doing this is a waste of characters. The tagline stays visible and can be used to make a value proposition. As an alternative to your job title, create a sentence that shares your why, how you do what you do, or what you sell.  Another common mistake is that people don’t utilize their Summary or About Me sections effectively.  These areas give you a whopping 5,000 characters to really make a statement. Typical content:  Creating bullet points Providing your contact number and email address A better alternative:  Reasons why you’re doing what you’re doing  Tell people why you are the right person for them  Your profile is where you talk about yourself. When you go outside your profile and start engaging with people and creating content for others, talk about your prospects and how you’re going to solve their problems.    Creating your LinkedIn profile It’s not necessary to spend money on LinkedIn to make money. Use LinkedIn because of its organic reach instead.  There are three ways to enhance your account:    Optimize Your Profile To better ensure people will get to the information about you you want them to see, make sure your LinkedIn profile is visually appealing. Many people mistakenly view LinkedIn as a community board where someone can look for a job and get hired.  Instead, approach this platform as an opportunity for you to engage potential employers, collaborators, and colleagues in a way that opportunities can present themselves through these relationships.  Don’t open a LinkedIn account to just looking for employment, but seek ways for you to find opportunities.#LinkedInSales If you are in sales, start believing that LinkedIn is your sales platform. It’s the best place to reach out to C level executives because you have direct access. There are no gatekeepers on LinkedIn and salespeople can use this accessibility to their advantage.   It’s important to make your profile visually appealing. People will judge images before they read any information. Have an avatar and profile picture that looks professional. When Felipe changed his profile picture to an image of him holding a mic, the invitations for speaking engagements began to grow. People believed he had the ability to speak because of the image of him already doing the job. Use your photo to tell people what you do without them ever having to go to your profile.  The people who invited Felipe to speak were the people who already had him on their radar because they already had a relationship through previous engagements on LinkedIn. Every little detail counts - the picture, the tagline, and the summary need to support the story you want to tell and what you want potential clients to know.    Start Creating Content Unlike Facebook and Instagram, LinkedIn’s algorithm doesn’t downgrade content that looks like an advertisement. You can take advantage of the organic reach by posting ads for free.  In doing so, you reach people with whom you’re connected without paying any additional fees. LinkedIn’s ad platform is still fairly young compared to Facebook. For example, LinkedIn doesn’t have a feature to target a specific demographic but it can still be used to publish compelling content to attract business.  The second part of Felipe’s methodology is to create a LinkedIn profile to bring in new business by including compelling content.  Your content is your vehicle to attract more people to your profile.  If offers an opportunity to include information about your products and services in a way that’s appealing. For example, create educational content and allow people to have access at no charge. Include some components that talk about the items or services you offer.  How to build your content: In the first paragraph, talk about what you do.  In the second paragraph, tell them a story about how you’ve helped someone in the past. Content on LinkedIn needs to be there at all times. Utilize automation to repurpose your content for different time zones. Automating your content gives you more time to execute the third part of Felipe’s formula, engagement.  Consider the Cost of Engagement The cost of engagement includes the time you invest in the activity on your profile, especially with the people who want to connect with you.  The more you engage, the more attractive your profile becomes. The relationships you nurture in the present can turn into future selling opportunities. You can show potential buyers how committed you are in your profile presentation and content creation. Don’t let two weeks go by without checking in. You want to let people know you’re accessible and you’re ready to answer their questions. Position yourself as an authority within your niche.  You may not see a lot of results, such as “likes” on your posts, but that’s fine. The number of “likes” isn’t a reflection of whether or not your engagement is working. To LinkedIn, it’s the number of views that matter. Your post might have zero likes but gets 230 views. That means 230 people have stopped for at least three seconds to check your content.  Even when people don’t like or share your post, they have been exposed to your profile, your  tagline, and the type of content you want them to see.  LinkedIn also ties the number of views on your post to the companies that were represented by the people who viewed that entry..  As a salesperson,  you can follow up with the people who have seen your post to start a conversation. They may have not “liked” but they keep seeing your posts and make the association with your content. There is something there that you can explore.  Don’t just focus on content creation. Make it a priority to create opportunities for engagement and place importance on how you can repurpose your content.  “How To Create A LinkedIn Profiles That Consistent(ly) Bring New Business In Your Pipeline” episode resources Catch up with Felipe Lodi via his LinkedIn account. You can also check on his book, Advanced LinkedIn.  You can also reach out to Donald 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.  This podcast is also brought to you in part by Reveal the Revenue Intelligence podcast. It’s about utilizing data to make business decisions instead of just guessing your way through major sales decisions. Visit gong.io for their podcast.  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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

The Accidental Seller Series 7  - "Debby Montgomery Johnson"   Here’s another episode from the Accidental Seller Series where we interview successful salespeople who didn’t start their careers with the intention of going into sales.  Debby Montgomery Johnson is the president of Benfotiamine.net. Most of Debby’s family members are in the medical field and growing up, she wanted to be an anesthesiologist. It was during middle school when she worked at a hospital, she thought being an anesthesiologist was cool. When she got into high school, she discovered medicine wasn’t for her. Her interest was in languages so she studied French, Spanish, and a little bit of German. Once in college, she majored in Political Science and got her bachelor’s degree.  Debby had planned to go on to law school but after she got out of college, she enrolled in paralegal school and worked for a firm specializing in corporate and family law after graduation.  Unfortunately, she was let go from that job.  Getting into sales Being released from her paralegal job became the catalyst for her going into the Air Force where she served for eight years, even in Germany. Debby was working with the Pentagon as an imagery analyst and during that time, their work entailed analyzing photos from the Cold War. Till then, Debby had never really looked at the sales industry as a career. When Debby thought of sales,  thoughts of a car salesman or vacuum cleaner salesman came to mind. She didn’t really want to be a salesperson.  Debby left the Air Force when she had her third baby and started working as a bank manager. There were sales involved in her job but what she really wanted to do was assist people and help them with their finances. Debby left the job when her husband died so she could take over their company. Debby had no experience in running a company that was based on internet sales.  As she became more involved, she realized the company made more money in a month than she made in a whole year. This convinced her to jump into the business full-time.  Fears about sales  The biggest fear was the fact that the company wasn’t familiar with the details. It was built to help people suffering from diabetes with neuropathy. Her late husband, Lou, had the same disease.  The company offered products that worked for him and he shared a personal testimony about how each product worked for him. It was hard for Debby to really embrace the company as hers and to believe in herself when she didn’t know how the products helped their clients. She didn’t have the confidence in herself that she could actually sell.  Debby was able to get past that fear by bringing her father into the company.  Her father answers the phone and talks to clients. Being a retired dentist, he has a medical background that helps build rapport. Debby’s father also understands the chemistry side as well as the medical side of their company.  Debby’s first sale made her ecstatic. It was fun and it released her from the fear of talking to clients. She was getting to interact with them as a person, not just a client. She made it her goal to build relationships, not just transactions.  Selling is helping Debby has a great mindset as a salesperson. She talks to clients and only sells products that will help their specific needs. She keeps a positive outlook throughout but understands people are different and every product may not work for every person. With this understanding,  she tries to create opportunities for clients to try a product so they can see if it works for them. Instead of just trying to complete a transaction, Debby is making interactions more personal. She thinks of her clients like family and she’s willing to go through great lengths for her family.  Even with all their success, there are trying times throughout Debby’s sales experience as well. An example is when she’s calling potential clients and there is an apprehension the client will say no. Cold calls are dreadful for Debby.  One challenging client was a doctor.  Debby’s company had stopped selling the product the doctor wanted so Debby called her and left a message. When she finished the message, she started complaining about the client to her son. It was right after that she heard on her phone, “If you are satisfied with the message, please hit send.” Needless to say, she got a phone call from the client telling her how unprofessional she had been.  Should I quit? It would be easier to quit than run a business but Debby has become very close to her clients and sees them as part of her family. She feels responsible for the products they take and she just can’t turn her back on that. With the mindset that clients come first at all times, she keeps on pushing on with sales.  Her husband’s death has been life-changing for her but it’s the reason why she went into sales. She has since expanded her career path and is now an advocate for relationship survivors. Debby has also started a nonprofit organization called The Woman Behind the Smile.  It’s easy to make a sale when you believe in what you are doing. #SalesPurpose For Debby, it’s important to just jump into it when she finds something she likes. She knows if you fail, it only means you’re one step closer to your goal.  “The Accidental Seller Series” episode resources Catch up with Debby Montgomery Johnson by going to benfocomplete.com or through her email addresses, me@thewomanbehindthesmile.com or debby@thewomanbehindthesmile.com.  You can also reach out to Donald 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.  This podcast is also brought to you in part by Reveal the Revenue Intelligence podcast. It’s about utilizing data to make business decisions instead of just guessing your way through major sales decisions. Visit gong.io for their podcast.  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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

5 Counterintuitive Mistakes Preventing You From Closing Revenue    There are times salespeople don’t make the best decisions that lead to closing deals. These mistakes can cause a loss in revenue. Let’s take a look at the 5 counter intuitive mistakes preventing you from closing revenue.  Devin Reed is a content strategy manager at Gong. He handles all the content marketing strategy courses and is responsible for presentations. He also goes to roadshows, such as Sales Live Miami.  At this roadshow, Devin talked about  5 Counterintuitive Mistakes Preventing You From Closing Revenue. It’s about the five things salespeople think are good practices, and are trained to believe are good habits when in fact, they’re the opposite. These five mistakes hurt their deals and sales conversations. What Devin is sharing is backed up by data.  Devin works for a company that has millions of sales conversations. They’ve analyzed these conversations to see patterns that help them get an idea of the things salespeople talk about the most. Here are the 5 counterintuitive mistakes preventing you from closing revenue.  Using the ROI to seal the deal Focusing on quantity when it comes to discovery questions Answering objections quickly and thoroughly Using  large enterprise clients Using cold call opening line Don’t use ROI to seal the deal People make the mistake of using the ROI to close. Finding a way to bring ROI into the conversation is one of the basic strategies taught to beginning sales reps.  This strategy is proving to be counterintuitive.  ROI isn’t bad in itself, but it becomes an ineffective tool when it is used for persuasion. Presenting your ROI to the client doesn’t work because the information doesn’t go to the right part of their brain.  The human brain has two parts - the emotional and rational. More often than not, the right part processes information later than the emotional part. If you want to get the attention of your prospects, you need to tap into the emotional side of their brains first. You do this by giving them a before and after story. “Hey, I was in a podcast and not to brag or anything but that podcast did so well. They were doing this and that. I came on and I did this thing and two weeks later, they saw an X increase in their ROI.” This is an example of having a “before and after”, then diving into the ROI.  When you are able to provide the identifiers with the before and after stories, the emotional pull comes in. Make it a goal to tap into their curiosity instead of just desperately presenting the numbers. A good salesperson always starts with emotion and understands people need to feel before they will give you their ear and show interest. After you’ve piqued their interest, then you can get to the boss to present the ROI. You show them what you can do for them is not only a great idea but also makes fiscal sense.  Another reason why presenting the ROI often doesn’t work is because it’s naively done. Junior sales reps usually speak to CFOs who have years of experience. Their newness in the industry and lack of confidence make their calculations look phony. CFOs don’t find the numbers trustworthy.  Focusing on quantity when it comes to discovery questions Most salespeople have a discovery playbook with 15 to 30 questions. New sales reps believe it’s necessary to ask them all because they have the mindset the more questions mean more information and eventually, the more chances of closing the deal. While asking questions isn’t a bad thing per se,  it can give buyers discovery fatigue. It feels more like an interrogation than a valuable business conversation.  Based on the data, 11 - 14 targeted questions is the sweet spot for the number of questions a salesperson should ask. The article by Chris Orlob entitled Why You Can’t Sell to C-suite Executives shares how salespeople only have four questions to ask C-suite executives.  Tips when asking targeted questions:  Use open-ended questions Using open-ended questions allows you to get more information. Ask one question that prompts a stream of answers.  Get someone to think instead of reciting information  Ask questions that will make them think about their answer. For example, “How is that tech stack preventing you from closing revenue?” This question causes them to take a moment before giving an answer.  Ask connected questions  Don’t just throw out random questions. Ask them in a way that paints a bigger picture.  Answering objections quickly and thoroughly  Answering quickly shows how ready salespeople are to handle objections but the downside to that is the risk of actually answering the wrong objections. Instead , pause and wait. The benefits go both ways. For the salesperson, pausing creates room to time to think and for the prospect, the pause makes them feel heard.  By the middle of the discussion, the prospect has already decided if they want to actually meet with the salesperson.  It’s the salesperson’s responsibility to make sure the conversation is good throughout the meeting so prospects see the value and have a good time. The prospect enjoying the conversation is the most important goal.  Using the enterprise logo when selling Data shows that salespeople using social proof has actually a lesser success rate. Salespeople may think dropping big company names they’ve worked with is compelling information but prospects don’t share the same perspective. Instead of building trust with the prospect, what it does is alienate them. The right approach is to use tribal identifiers. This means building a tribe based on shared characteristics. The best salespeople will have three to six tribal identifiers to make the connection more appealing and compelling. For small startup businesses with fewer clients, salespeople can create a hyper-specific profile. This would mean not focusing on the same geography, for example, but instead , targeting companies with the same struggles and goals.  Salespeople need to show their clients they are more than just someone on LinkedIn. They need to invest time upfront if they want to be heard. #SalesFacts Cold call opening line Many believe if you want to catch your prospect's attention, give them an opportunity to first say no. The assumption is that using an opening line that allows them an opportunity to say no gives the prospect the power they want to feel in the conversation. Philosophically, you want them to feel comfortable in letting their guard down.  This strategy doesn’t work. Data says there’s a 6.6X increase when, instead of trying to get them to say no, you ask instead, “How have you been doing?” The potential client answers in the same vein and it causes a pattern interrupt. Your opening line isn’t something that the receiver is expecting.  An opening question like, “Hey, this is Devin. Did I catch you at a good time?” is a telltale sign that it’s a cold call and immediately, guards go up. From that point on, it’s an uphill battle.   Always remember the before and after story because that’s how trust is built. People may not remember you but they will remember your story. You don’t have to be a great salesperson to share a story, you just have to share stories of value.  “5 Counterintuitive Mistakes Preventing You From Closing Revenue” episode resources Catch Devin’s podcast, Reveal the Revenue Intelligence, where they interview industry leaders who understand how they use their revenue intelligence to win the market. They have a pretty impressive line-up of key interviews. Connect with Devin Reed in his LinkedIn profile.  You can also reach out to Donald 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.  This podcast is also brought to you in part by Reveal the Revenue Intelligence podcast. It’s about utilizing data to make business decisions instead of just guessing your way through major sales decisions. Visit gong.io for their podcast.  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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

How To Write A Cold Email Your Prospect Will Open And Reply To   The cold email has been part of the sales process for a very long time but how do you actually write a cold email that your prospect will open and reply to? Anton van Rhyn is the CEO and founder of the company Wavo,  a cold email platform that helps salespeople automate email outreach and follow-up. He also built Huron, a company for outbound prospecting and service. Anton has used  both his software development experience and sales development experience to fine-tune the email automation platform.  A cold email automation platform  Anton built a cold email automation platform in order to assist sales representatives to relieve them of these more mundane tasks. The platform creates a sequence for the machine to follow. It can reach out to prospects and follow up in a way that looks  like human effort. The tool is very efficient in that it focuses on making initial contacts while it frees up sales reps to focus on their demos and talking to people.  Anton’s company has been utilizing email for three and a half years. They’re previous experience came from being a prospecting service where they used emails to contact different verticals and industries. regardless of company size.  Email makes it easy to prospect because most people today already use email. It is reminiscent of the cold calls used in the past. Cold calling was effective because most people were already sitting at their desks and  ready to pick up a phone call. Today, very few people own office phones. Businesses have resorted to using emails to reach their clients. It’s become one of the most powerful channels to engage with prospects.  Emails that don’t work  Using a template in making cold emails is one of the reasons why this strategy often fails. In the U.S. alone, the phrase cold email template is searched for around 200,000 times a month in Google. Mail servers create a hashing algorithm to identify email content, and using these  algorithms, servers can quickly identify these emails as spam.  The other reason why cold emails are failing is that some people in the email list aren’t interested and just flag your email as spam.  When you’re using the cold email templates, it’s very easy for emails to go straight to spam.  Over time, Anton’s company developed a framework in using cold email, calling it the 1-2 punch. It’s a series of emails to address a topic. After some time, another mail is sent to revisit the topic sent two emails ago. It’s important to give the recipient a break.  Use a good subject It’s important to use a good subject when creating a cold email  so it seems you are really writing to someone. A subject line that looks like a headline from an ad stands out to people. Even when the email isn’t  flagged as spam, or ends up in the Promotions Tab, the receiver will still likely not open it because nobody likes being sold to. An ad is off-putting. Google and Gmail Suite are also getting smarter by the day. They check your inbox and look at how people engage with your emails. A sender who gets replies gets a higher score than sanders whose emails don’t get opened and responded to.  As a salesperson who is using emails to reach their clients, find smart ways to get them to reply. One trick Anton suggests is to include a way for people to unsubscribe. For example,“Hey, if you don’t want to hear from me again, please reply to this email with your request to unsubscribe,” or some other variation..   Anton’s clients have seen how using this trick improved their engagement rate. While there are some who reply unsubscribe, they also  see positive responses coming back as well. At the end of the day, your goal is to make your cold emails sound more human to get the other person to respond.  The three word-subject line works well. You can email your list with no more than a three-word subject line and talk about the value proposition.  Salespeople have to be creative in their emails without sounding like they are selling  products and services. #SalesTalk Talk about the quarter’s results or a related subject clients may find interesting.  A quick question subject line is the most overused subject there is but it has 40-60% open rates. This shows just how effective a short subject line is. The body of the email You can write a cold email that your prospect will open by building a series of two emails. The first email shouldn’t be longer than three sentences. Salespeople often make the mistake of putting everything in their mail. They try to explain every value proposition and all the information about what they’re selling.  Explain the most important things in three lines:  Who you are Why you’re reaching out The relevance of your product/services to your prospect  Anton observed that trying to get the conversation started is what matters. It’s equally important to give the prospect breathing room regardless if they respond or not. After two days, send them another email as a reminder. You can also add some social proof in your second email to tell them who you’ve worked with and how the partnership produced good results. Build on that sequence and wait another week to create an additional one-two punch email.  If there is noreply then give it another week or two to give the prospect breathing room and time to forget. You can then start the process again.  You can continue this sequence as long as you deem effective.  Scheduling effectively  Google has implemented many ways in detecting cold email these days as the use of cold email starts to proliferate. In the early days, using cold email was very effective when sent by batch before and after office hours. It let people do their jobs in the middle of the day and then emails were sent before they got into the office after they left.  In the last months, this strategy hasn’t been performing very well. This is due to the spike of activities during the 6:00AM - 9:00AM and 5:00AM-9:00PM window. People tend to get busy in those times and end up not doing much during the day.  Anton’s team is changing their approach and adapting to peoples’ activities. It’s counterintuitive to what they’ve done in the past but it’s proving to be effective today. Sending the emails by batch in the times when people aren’t too busy has become their automating signature. They rewrote the scheduler in a way that emails are sent consistently throughout the hours between 9:00 AM-5:00 PM, rather than sending all the emails as quickly as possible in just one time.  This has proven a preferable schedule for delivery.  When sending cold emails, remember these few things: Introduce yourself, your reason for mailing, and state why this is relevant to them  Keep the email short Have a very quick call to action Your goal is to start a conversation Scheduling tools such as Calendly are also helpful especially if you get a reply showing interest. This is the perfect time to send your Calendly link.  “How To Write A Cold Email (that) Your Prospect Will Open And Reply To” episode resources Contact Anton Van Rhyn via his mail anton@wavo.co. They are also giving out PDFS of their frameworks at wavo.co/tse.  You can also reach out to Donald 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.  This podcast is also brought to you in part by Reveal the Revenue Intelligence podcast. It’s about utilizing data to make business decisions instead of just guessing your way through major sales decisions. Visit gong.io for their podcast.  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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

This entry is the sixth episode of the Accidental Seller series. A lot of people didn’t grow up with dreams of getting into professional selling. In the United States alone, there are about 4.14 million people who are in sales. Joseph Storer is one of them.  Growing up, Joseph Storer wasn’t sure of what his career would look like. He was a lazy student in high school but he had a passion for playing baseball. Joseph thought he’d end up working with cars as an electrician, just like his father.  In his freshman year in college, he discovered his interest in business and working with people. His first experience in business was right after he went on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Going into the mission field was a difficult decision because he had a student permit that was valid for six years. He was sent to Brazil, learned a foreign language, and lived in a big city. Joseph discovered a whole other world filled with great people and exciting experiences. The mission taught him to have structure and order in his life.  Coming home, Joseph went back to college for accounting and finance. During the summer, he was able to get a union card and went to work building two dams in Idaho. The pay was very good so he decided to put a halt to his college and continued to work on the dam.  He was then given another assignment as an aid to an engineer for a new project. While working in Rexburg, Idaho, he met a lady who became his wife. Joseph got married and didn’t go back to school. They moved to Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia where Joseph started his waterbed business. Sadly, the business went down six months after launch and that became the catalyst for starting his professional sales career.  His friend saw his potential in the world of B2B selling. This, along with having a neighbor who was in manufacturing sales, made him interested in selling for manufacturers.  Challenges in being a true sales professional  The biggest challenge when he started was the wage. He was working in construction and was earning well. He then transitioned to sales where he was earning $1,200 a month, as well as a commission-based income. He wondered if he could make ends meet but at that time, there was no choice.  Maria, his wife, was very supportive and she believed that sales was something that Joseph could do. His boss trained him and taught him basic selling skills. Joseph was given a list of all the hospitals and clinics in the area and was told to set a goal to make at least three face-to-face calls every day.  He took the lessons to heart and ended up making more than three face-to-face calls a day. Even when he was done for the day, he tried to do one more. At the end of his first year in sales, he was in the top 10% of salespeople in the company. He started his sales career being “consciously unconscious” but through time, he learned to sell and became very efficient in sharing the product line and distinguishing his company from the competition.  Effectiveness in sales A lot of his success was due to putting in the face time with people and being available to meet their needs. Joseph took great care with this aspect of sales. For example, he worked with a hospital in Washington that needed a suction system. The people there said they had very poor suction. Joseph assured them with his products, their suction would get better. They purchased the device but then, Joseph went arrived with a bucket of peroxide, rubber gloves, and did the installation. The next morning, everyone in the operating room was amazed by the volume of blood the suction was able to get. The results weren’t just due to the product but also because of Joseph’s extra steps to make the product work better.  At 67 years old, he is now in the latter years of his sales career but still, Joseph feels like he is just starting again. He is in a new company and there is technology he doesn’t understand. Joseph is learning and back to the same reliable process, he used in 1977 - getting on the phone, making calls every day, talking to people, getting in front of them, and learning the ropes.  In Sales, the more you learn the process, the more effective you become.  The very principles that started his career back then are the same that are driving him today.  Joseph loves the medical industry because he knows that he is helping to save lives. He's making a difference. This is especially evident when he visits third-world countries. It’s not just about6 the money. At the end of the day, he is helping people and for Joseph, that’s what matters.  Joseph loved learning and learned many languages. This helped him talk to more people and advance his career.  His boss once saw him speaking Portuguese. It opened up the opportunity for him to lead a Latin American division of his company called Spacelabs based in Dallas, Texas. Joseph did well. He was also called to go to Macau to take care of a $7 million deal. He arrived with his translator but during the presentations, he realized most of the people in the room were Portuguese. The translator sat down and Joseph did all the talking. It didn’t take long until he closed the $7 million deal.  Joseph is always ready and when an opportunity presents itself, he adjusts accordingly. When you’re prepared, you can always turn an accident into a success. #SalesTips  As a salesperson, it is important to love what you do so you won’t have to work a day in your life.  “The Accidental Seller” episode resources Joseph Storer has a training class called The 1,2,3s of Selling. It’s based on the principle of doing three things and then doing it over again.  He also has a program called the Power of One which talks about how much success you can have when you make one more call.  You can also reach out to Donald 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.  This podcast is also brought to you in part by Reveal the Revenue Intelligence podcast. It’s about utilizing data to make business decisions instead of just guessing your way through major sales decisions. Visit gong.io for their podcast.  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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

How Can I Use AI To Increase Sales? Have you ever thought to use AI to increase sales? In today’s society, the application of AI is apparent throughout many industries, including sales. 27% of global consumers say that AI can deliver better service than humans, 38% believe AI will soon improve customer service, and 73% of global consumers  are willing to utilize AI if it makes their lives easier.  Chad Burmeister is a cofounder of  Sales Ex Inc. Their company is rooted in the idea that AI can increase revenue, eliminate repetition, and make selling more efficient and effective.  Growing up, Chad had always been at the cutting edge of technology and was always looking for ways to make people’s lives more efficient.  Chad is officially releasing his book, AI for Sales, this Thanksgiving, November 28th along with Stu Heinecke’s Get the Meeting. If you buy both books on Amazon and send them a screenshot, you’ll get a dozen VIP conference codes for next year to attend events such as Sales 3.0 and AISP. With the codes, you’ll get a20% - 85% discount.. Chad is encouraging everyone to read the books and meet the authors at the conferences.  Use AI to increase sales  Chad has seven virtual sellers who are commissioned salespeople. The team has set up a daily data poll for these virtual sellers with a company called Lead 411. The data is fed into their CRM and the CRM goes through their email bot, a virtual assistant named Marissa Brown. They create preconfigured emails that filter through these virtual assistants so multiple batches of  emails can be sent every day. The AIs are preprogrammed to have a “conversation” akin to what you see on a chat feature. When a person responds, the AIs can communicate with the prospects. The chatbots can also set up meetings and appointments.The AIs chatbots are configured to know when to schedule an appointment. It knows when you’re out of the office or if you have time for a meeting.  One simple questions has about a thousand variations, such as the cost of a service or a product. The AI knows what to listen for and offers a very simple answer. It then replies with the cost, along with a link to your calendar so the prospect can set up a meeting.  As the business owner, you need to teach the AI to respond in a way that gets the highest level of conversion. If you are a BDR (Business Developer Representative)assigned to pulling data from a CRM and pushing the send button, then your job might be in jeopardy. However, most BDRS are doing more than just pulling data. They are also pulling relevant lists, and doing research. Additional tasks include figuring out which people to send emails to, writing a good email, and leaving a voicemail as needed.BDRs are responsible for a complex system of outreach.  Setting appointments via AI  Chad’s tools called BDR.AI executes 50 to 100 connection requests per day through LinkedIn and  gets over 100 emails a day on the same platform.  By using this software, they get five to fifteen meetings a month.  As a result, the organization can work more efficiently. The AI allows  the BDR more time to do other tasks. This would include getting on the phone to connect with people personally. This enables them to understand their customer’s needs and show a more personal interest to the prospects. The tools let the bots and humans do what they do best.  In Sales, AIs can let you do more with less. #SalesTechnology Tokyo, for example, pushed a 4-day work week and the results have shown about  40% increase in productivity. That increase can be attributed to the use of AI in their respective industries.  Salespeople can do more with their day than just sitting in their offices,  making appointments and making calls. They can now spend time with their families or take the Friday off to just improve their quality of life.  The downside of AIs In the virtual world, somebody always gets to play God. Let’s consider the trolley car example and put yourself in the conductor’s shoes. As you’re going down the tracks, there are five people on the right side and one person on the left. You can’t stop the train so you have to pick a side to do an emergency stop.. Many people would say to choose the left to minimize the damage. However, let’s say the  five people are wearing an orange jumpsuit and the one on the left is your child. In this scenario there are many solutions and a million points of data to consider.. Mathematician Chris Beal says it would take a very long time before we could put all that information in the system. He further added that the AI can only get to a certain point and then it’s up to us to make the final decision.  We tend to let the bots make the decision for us but think of the trolley dilemma. In hiring, the bot would go to the more qualified candidate. But who really determines the qualification? In small companies, a decision like this is easy. It’s much more efficient to get a bot who can do a better job at a lesser cost. The same isn’t true for bigger companies where more political decisions are involved.  Chad believes that there will be a need for people to help   companies make decisions about the ethical use and deployment of AIs.  AIs assist sellers AIs are helpful but you need to assess where they can be of help.. It’s imperative to know your top three pains to be able to find the right solutions. A lot of companies get their lists wrong the first time because they fail to consider their ideal customer profile.  Always go for your target list to get the right people and give these list to your reps. This keeps them from wasting their time looking for unqualified prospects.  Joe, the head of product from Inside View, says they can go into companies,  and take a look at theirCRM to analyze all the closed deals Their best customer profiles are revealed after analyzing the transactions that have already happened.  These customers renew, they purchase when upselling is offered, and they pay on time. On the other side of the coin are the clients who don’t pay and don’t renew. Your goal as a sales company is to go after the best customers. This is the area of AI that helps companies grow. It’s the ability to look at data and change the trajectory of the organization by leading sales reps to the right customers.  Salesdirector.AI is doing a great job of utilizing AI to improve its sales force. Their bots send messages by text and ask a series of questions pertaining to your sales schedules and appointments.  AIs are programmed to be efficient. It can go through huge amounts of data using a  fraction of the time. By using AI, you can give your salespeople the tasks that they can focus on such as building trust and rapport as well as building human to human connections.  “How Can I Use AI To Increase Sales?” episode resources Reach out to Chad at SCALEX.AI. Artificial intelligence can truly be utilized in the sales industry to always stay ahead of the game.  You can also reach out to Donald 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.  This podcast is also brought to you in part by Reveal the Revenue Intelligence podcast. It’s about utilizing data to make business decisions instead of just guessing your way through major sales decisions. Visit gong.io for their podcast.  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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

Three Ways To Make You More Successful Selling Over The Phone   Have you ever tried selling  sale without being in front of someone? Three tactics  to successfully sell over the phone include building relationships, choosing the right words, and knowing the right speed. Joe Ingram is a sales genius who uses an intellectual approach to sales. Looking at the training cycle and  sales industry , Joe realized that phone conversations play an integral part in the process and many people are missing this key point.  The average individual in the U.S. touches their cellphones 2,500 times a day. It’s very observable when you walk into Starbucks. Nobody would even notice you walked in because they’re  looking at their phones. We are continuously on the phone.  While using email is a good way to communicate, the product is only perceived as great  up to a certain price. Sending out a well-written email is a good marketing strategy but there’s a big difference in sending emails and talking to somebody over the phone to get the call to action to take place. If the price goes over a hundred dollars, then you need to  make a phone call. The way you present yourself and your company, during the phone conversation will determine if the potential client is going to purchase the product.  Communicating over the phone Communication is divided into the following elements. As a speaker, you need to be able to perform all of them to accurately get your message across.  55% of communication comes from body language. The person you’re talking to is watching the way you move during the conversation. For example, when we were  at school, we observed how our teachers moved, paid attention to the things they pointed out, and more. All these signals conveyed to us what they felt, what they meant, and what they were trying to teach us.  38% of communication comes from tone and inflection. You can say the same thing but use different tones to convey a whole different meaning. Tone and inflection tells your client what to pay attention to.  7% of communication is based on the actual words we use in a face-to-face conversation. In a phone conversation, you lose 55% of your ability to communicate because your client can’t see your body language. Because there are many disconnects over the phone, salespeople tend to veer away from calls as a channel to making a sale. Without body language in phone conversations, you’re left with 80% tone and inflection and 20% words. Based on that percentage, it would be easy for a phone conversation to go badly if the right tone and choice of words aren’t being expressed well.  As a salesperson, you can’t sound like a customer service provider.  Many cell phone providers don’t sound excited over the phone because they’re not trying to make a sale. They are talking to you because you need something from them, and regardless of their performance, they know you will not drop the conversation.  You will tolerate a mediocre to poor performance to accomplish your goals. There’s no selling involved. However, it’s different when you tell them you’re cancelling your subscription. You immediately get transferred  to someone on their sales team and suddenly, the conversation takes a turn. Their goal is to make you feel better and they want you to feel good enough to stay. Joe sees this in a lot of companies. They teach their sales department to treat everyone like customers, even though people who are still prospects need to be approached differently. Building relationships through your phone Building a working sales relationship takes time. The easiest way to start is by phone as it allows you to hear and understand each other. Joe has worked with companies who are able to make sales using phone calls.  When Joe was working as a manager in Chrysler Dodge Jeep, he had an employee named Jay. He spoke four languages and it was difficult to understand what he was saying. Jay was able to sell 20-25 cars each month while maintaining great customer satisfaction and profitability, all because of his body language. He made sure that potential clients felt safe during the sale. His clients watched his mouth when he spoke because it helped them to understand him better. Joe knew his customers needed this visual cue so he didn’t  talk over the phone but preferred to conduct a sales transaction in person. because then the customers won’t be able to look and see what he’s trying to say. Joe teaches people how to use better words when talking to prospects.  Choosing the right words Our subconscious mind cannot process the negative part of what we’re saying. When we’re told, “Don’t think of a kitten,” our mind zeroes in on the kitten, the opposite of what we’re told. The same thing is true when we tell our clients, “No problem.” Their subconscious mind picks up on “problem” and you want to avoid that.  A simple strategy is to replace  “No problem” with more positive language. For example,  “my pleasure,” “certainly,” and others. Create a positive mental picture in their heads. Couple your words with great tone and inflection to deliver a good message.  Introducing a challenge or problem during a  sale will naturally give you resistance. #SalesPositivity When a company calls and inquires about your business, don’t think of it as someone trying to buy a product. Instead, think of it as someone who is calling with list of companies in mind and they’re trying to see if yours is the best..  If they talk to you and you aren't using the right words or tone - don’t expect your company to be considered.  If i can't get your prospects to have a face-to-face conversation, your next best option is a phone conversation that allows you to build rapport Texts and emails are the segues to get you to an actual phone conversation. If you can sell and close a deal over the phone, then great. If you can’t, your goal is to set a face-to-face appointment.  Choosing the right speed You need to consider your speed when talking over the phone as well. Speak based on  how the person on the other line is speaking. Be slow in speaking when you’re talking to somebody who speaks slowly. Adapt to the person you’re talking so you can deliver your message in a way they can understand. Listen to their words and use them when you respond. If they are looking for significant discounts, then use the exact terms when it’s your time to talk.  This is how you show empathy in your conversation. You abandon the phrases or words you’d like to say for those the other person wants to hear. As a salesperson, the way to successfully sell over the phone is to be who your client needs you to be.  You’ll find many of the same skills you use in a closing face-to-face can be used on the phone. “Three Ways To Make You More Successful Selling Over The Phone” episode resources Reach out to Joe Ingram via his phone number (+562 548 526). You can also check his website, ingraminteractive.com.  You can also reach out to Donald 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.  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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

The Accidental Seller - Stephen Snyder Welcome to the fifth episode of The Accidental Series.  Some people are into sales because it’s their passion, while others were led to the industry because of their circumstances. We call them the accidental sellers.  Stephen Snyder is a district sales coordinator for Aflac. Growing up, Stephen loved playing sports and he aspired to become a professional athlete. In his college days, he was fortunate enough to play baseball. He was good at it and his life revolved around playing the game. Despite that, he didn’t become a professional baseball player. Apparently, life had other plans for Stephen.  Stephen realized that sports wasn’t for him after doing an internship during his senior year in college. He saw how tough it was to work in the field of sports marketing. You didn’t become the head of scouting just because you knew the game.  His job as an intern required physical labor from 7 AM until the end of the game. A sports manager had to be at the field long after the game was over to help with any tasks needed, including covering the field with tarp.Stephen thought that he could do more. Becoming an accidental seller  By the time Stephen finished his education, the economy was taking a downturn. Although he graduated with a degree in sports marketing and kept  looking for work in his field, most available jobs were all about sales. It seemed everyone was either selling a yellow book or insurance. Salespeople were often associated with the “usedcar salesman” stereotype so because of this, it took a long time for Stephen to consider sales as a long-term career.  Stephen eventually reached out to his friend who had been working with Aflac. He decided to try sales until he could find himself a “real” job. Years later, Stephen is still with Aflac excelling as a salesperson. He realized the old stereotypes don't have to apply.  For Stephen, it was about meeting people and talking to them about the services provided by Aflac.  The difficult part of selling When he started with the company, Stephen was provided with a script. When a sale didn’t go through, he was made to think that it was because he didn’t stick to the script. Stephen is anl introvert and although he is comfortable with talking to people, he’d always kept a protective shell around him where he could remain comfortable. The challenge he was facing in sales was how to prospect in his own way. Like any other salesperson, Stephen was also afraid of rejection.  There were many days  he thought of quitting sales but when he actually got to thinking about it, he found that sales could be fun too. As a former athlete, he found the competition he loved could be applied to sales too.  There was a scoreboard all the salespeople tracked their sales this brought out the competitive spirit in him.  Seeing success in sales Competitiveness and a good team atmosphere are great ways for an accidental seller to stay motivated. Salespeople thrive when they know that a mistake is made, they won’t be criticized, but instead, coaching is offered instead.. As a salesperson improves and starts setting appointments, he sees his actions cause a snowball effect . This results in good sales.   Stephen’s first deal started with an elevator ride. He began talking to a man who turned out to be a business owner and the decision-maker in his company. They had a good-natured discussion and Stephen was able to land an appointment.  That business owner decided to pay 100% of the voluntary insurance product for his employees. It was one of the best deals Stephen’s company had seen..  After 11 years, Stephen continues to work for Aflac.. Working for the company has given him so many opportunities and a certain level of success.  A salesperson needs to consistently find ways to improve. A scoreboard is one  strategy to track success and stay competitive. Even when you’ve found sales by accident, keep going because you will find success. Just put in the work, have a routine, and you’ll start seeing results. #SalesTalk “The Accidental Seller - Stephen Snyder” Contact Stephen Snyder via his email, stephensnyder2017@gmail.com or connect with him on LinkedIn.  You can also reach out to Donald 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.  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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com

How to Build A Six Figure Income Even If You're Not Great At Closing!  Ever wonder how you can build a six-figure income even if you’re not great at closing? Closing is one of the most important parts of sales. It is crucial and every word you utter during closing matters.  Terry Hansen hails from Idaho Falls, Idaho. His plan is simple but he still has impressive sales success stories. He’s worked with many organizations and sales reps around the country and helped them boost their sales. Throughout his sales journey, Terry has observed three bottleneck scenarios in which entrepreneurs and sales professionals can get stuck. The first is that many struggle to increase their sales and income because they are not getting in front of the right kinds of companies and individuals. They are going at it like opening a phone book and just calling from the top of the list, hoping that someone will buy from them. Once on the phone, they don’t spend time introducing themselves, starting a conversation and making appointments. The second scenario a bottleneck can occur  is the lack of framework to qualify customers and salespeople end up closing  with people they shouldn’t. This comes from a scarcity mindset. There will always be goals and  sales quotas, that have to be hit. Because of this, many people in sales end up trying to sell to without taking the time to  determine whether they’re selling to their target customer.. Sometimes, salespeople can close a client and later have regrets because they didn’t share their work values.  The third bottleneck in failing to close well comes from not having the right skills.  It is each of these three scenarios that can become the speed bumps that keep entrepreneurs from growing their sales.  The value of prospecting  Many sales books stress the importance of having closing techniques. You have to be a champion in overcoming objections and resolving concerns to become successful in growing your sales. Another secret to success is becoming an account manager. You need to have stellar customer service, be able to ask for referrals, take good care of your base, and keep your competitors from your clients. Terry read a variety of books and did everything they suggested but he still wasn’t hitting his quotas and achieving the level of success he wanted. He then had lunch with a great mentor and  was venting about his frustrations. Terry let him know that despite doing the right things, he was still living paycheck to paycheck. His mentor shared an illustration about two salespeople, one  great at appointment setting but lousy with closing and the other, great at closing but bad with appointment setting. The first salesperson could schedule 40 appointments per month but only closed 10% of those appointments, which resulted in only four sales per month. The second salesperson lands four appointments per month. He is an amazing closer and  but can only close deals 50% of the time, making two sales per month.  Terry understood that he would make  more money by being good at setting appointments and increasing opportunities. Closing is equally important but the analogy taught him he needed to redouble his efforts in making appointments and meeting with people.  The challenges in prospecting  Prospecting is uncomfortable, scary, and awkward.  Stereotypes of salespeople being manipulative, talking a lot, listening too little, and using high pressure tactics have to be overcome. Most salespeople don’t want to be perceived as manipulative and try to make relationships a priority. However, there  can be a period of adjustment as they work to avoid reflecting the negative stereotype.  Salespeople are having a difficult time getting past the gatekeeper and making contact with the decision-maker. Too often they leave multiple voicemails and emails with the hopes of getting a reply but typically, that doesn’t happen. The challenge is to be compelling in those initial interactions.  Terry tries to be generic in his voicemails to avoid  stereotypes. The first three seconds you’re identified as a salesperson are the most challenging.  The person who is being contacted can lose interest regardless of what is being sold. It’s best to veer away from bad introductions and barking up the wrong tree. Salespeople shouldn’t just go through the phonebook without a clear idea of who they want to contact.   . There’s no need to spend too much time trying to facilitate an introduction with people who don’t fit the ultimate goals. Doing so will delay getting in front of the clients who actually need the service or product being offered..  Building your client  Salespeople should look at their top  10 best clients, profile them and get an overall sense of  the companies they represent. From this information, they can build a dream list of similar companies. Use these strategies and tactics to make contact with the decision-makers: create a profile, build and stay focused on a  specific list of desired traits, and use the right kinds of tactics.  Many salespeople hate prospecting because they find it awkward. There’s already a resistance when they call companies and there’s a feeling of  relief,not the disappointment, when they get a voicemail to leave a message. The voicemail is now an escape. With the gatekeepers, like receptionists, salespeople have to get assertive to get to the decision makers. The goal is to get past the voicemail and get to a person. This is an opportunity to be persistent Instead of just saying, “Yes, please,” to leaving a message, salespeople should be a little more curious and assertive. Probing questions such as, “Is he in the office or out of the office?”, “Is he at a meeting?”, or “If you slip a note to him to let him know I’m on the line, would that be appropriate?” can move a salesperson closer to their target client. It’s also a good idea to ask  the secretary if it would be okay to wait on the phone until the meeting is done, especially if they’re already wrapping up.  If the decision maker is out of the office or on vacation, press further and ask if it’s possible to get their personal number.If it’s given, follow up is imperative.. 50% of the time, secretaries will say no t but the other 50% will give the number or transfer the call directly.  .    Think positively and don’t assume the other person is unwilling to talk. If your persistence doesn’t work, however, then ask for someone else in the organization. The director of marketing, the human resource officer, the CEO, anyone with  buying power in a decision committee can be great alternatives. These days, CEOs and presidents no longer make a decision by themselves. Today, the purchasing decision is decided by a vote or by committee. Find two or three of these people in the organization and talk to them. These tactics are not difficult but they do require you to be more assertive and persistent, not aggressive and arrogant.  At the end of the day, the way to build a six-figure income even if you’re not great at closing is to improve your skills in appointment setting.  The secret to prospecting and having conversations with decision-makers is to be more persistent, assertive, polite, and  professional. “How to Build A Six Figure Income Even If You're Not Great At Closing!” episode resources Terry Hansen and his team are hosting a special online sales training workshop on November 14, 2019, where they’ll be teaching the three secrets that salespeople can use to boost their sales revenue. They’ll be talking about how to build a six-figure income even if you’re not great at closing. You can go to salespitchmastery.com/register to attend for free by using the special link or you can attend it for $49.  For other sales concerns, you can also reach out to Donald via LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Use these practical sales tips and let him know how they work for you.  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.  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.Mentioned in this episode:HubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOSHubSpot and bluëmago | STUDIOS hubpspot.com/marketers bluemangostudios.com