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Sales Gravy: Jeb Blount

Latest episodes

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Oct 25, 2023 • 38min

4 Key Traits Of The Most Successful Sales Leaders

The podcast discusses the 4 key traits of successful sales leaders: humility, curiosity, integrity, and courage. It emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and providing support for leaders. The guest author's book 'The Learn It All Leader' focuses on leadership in times of rapid change, highlighting the significance of ethical choices and always doing the right thing.
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Oct 13, 2023 • 26min

The Surprising Power of Silence On Sales Calls

Silence Isn't Awkward— It's A Powerful Tool On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Keith Lubner, Sales Gravy Executive VP, and Jessica Stokes, Sales Gravy Master Sales Trainer, discuss strategies that leverage discomfort on sales calls to drive engaging conversations and achieve better outcomes. By intentionally using silence, sales professionals can prompt prospects to actively engage and lean into the conversation. Preparation is key, and when executed correctly, this technique can inspire meaningful connections and foster a deeper understanding of customer needs. The goal is to strike a balance and avoid excessive discomfort, while still capturing attention and prompting thoughtful responses from your prospect. This approach can be effective in both in-person and phone sales meetings, as long as the sales professional is both intentional and well-prepared. Leveraging discomfort can drive engaging sales conversations, lead to more successful sales interactions, and yield better outcomes. Introducing discomfort helps reset the typical cadence of sales meetings. Creating a brief moment of silence by taking a sip of water or a beverage, for example, prompts prospects to fill the void with their thoughts and opinions. Sales professionals should aim to actively engage prospects and encourage them to share their perspectives. Meaningful connections are fostered when prospects are given the opportunity to actively participate in the conversation and a deeper understanding of customer needs can be achieved through this approach. Preparation is key to confidently employ this strategy. Sales professionals should have a list of well-thought-out questions ready to guide the conversation. Discomfort Is A Misunderstood Emotional Response We've all experienced that awkward silence during a call with a prospect. When faced with uncomfortable situations, it can trigger fear or avoidance. As sales professionals, what do we tend to do? We want to fill the silence, right? Because it's uncomfortable. Our heart races a little faster, and our amygdala kicks in. We start blurting things out, talking over the prospect, and never really getting what we need from them or triggering their self-disclosure loop. This is where the power of discomfort comes into play. Use Silence To Your Advantage In those moments of silence, it's important to let the silence marinate a bit. As a sales professional, you need to be intentional about allowing the silence to exist. Both you and the prospect feel the anxieties of filling the void, but you don't want to win the race of who talks first. You want to sit back, listen more, and let them do the talking. In the virtual world, with technology lags and transmission delays, it becomes even more challenging. When you ask a question, there's a pause before they even hear it. If you start answering the question without realizing this, you're speaking over them. This is Give Your Prospect A Chance To Respond To leverage the power of discomfort in virtual meetings, try this simple trick: Have a cup of coffee or a bottle of water with you. Ask a question, then take a sip of your drink. This prevents you from talking while giving the prospect time to answer. When you create a lag by pausing after asking a question, it prompts the other person to respond. Reframe Your Question However, it's important not to wait too long and make it uncomfortable. If they don't answer in a reasonable amount of time, you can fill the silence by reframing the question and clarifying what you meant. Taking another sip of water can also signal that you expect a response. This discomfort can be used in a positive way to encourage conversation. What To Do If Reframing Doesn’t Work Again, this is the art of having a conversation too. At that point, you're not going to ask the question and reframe it yet again. Instead, you can say something like, "Let's table that for now.
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Oct 9, 2023 • 52min

3 Tips to Prevent Burnout and Build Your Mind-Body Connection

Burnout Is 100% Preventable In the world of sales, it's easy to lose sight of how our mental and physical health are connected. We're so focused on hitting our targets that we often ignore the signs of burnout until it's too late. Unfortunately, neglecting this balance can really take a toll on our overall well-being. On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount and Jahmie Hilecher, founder of The Move Wellness, discuss the importance of prioritizing health and wellness to support productivity and success. They emphasize the significance of making conscious choices about food and nutrition, as well as the impact of deep breathing on reducing stress and improving mental clarity. They also highlight the connections between physical and mental well-being and provide practical tips for incorporating healthy habits into daily routines. Prioritizing health and wellness is crucial for supporting productivity and success. Our well-being directly affects our ability to perform at our best and achieve our goals. Making conscious choices about food and nutrition can have a significant impact on energy levels and mental clarity. It is essential to nourish our bodies with wholesome and nutritious food that provides the necessary fuel for optimal performance. Deep breathing exercises help reduce stress and improve focus during sales calls and meetings. Taking a moment to focus on our breath and engage in deep breathing exercises can help us manage stress and promote a calm and centered state of mind. Physical and mental well-being are interconnected, and taking care of one supports the other. By engaging in regular physical activity, we not only improve our physical fitness but also support our mental health by reducing stress and promoting a positive mood. Starting the day with stretching and movement can enhance overall well-being. Incorporating stretching and movement into our morning routine can help wake up our bodies and increase blood flow, leading to improved flexibility and overall well-being. Taking intentional breaths throughout the day can bring a sense of presence. In the midst of a busy day, it is important to pause and take intentional breaths to bring ourselves back to the present moment. Focus on your breath and take deep, mindful breaths to increase oxygen flow to your brain. Stopping Burnout In Its Tracks Begins With Awareness It's only when we experience burnout that we realize we've overlooked our physical health and need to address it. However, without a healthy body to support you, this mindset is not sustainable. Sleep is crucial not only for your physical well-being but also for your brain function. Certain systems in your body need time to restore and recharge, enabling you to achieve greater success in the long run. Taking care of your basic needs, such as getting enough sleep, eating clean and healthy, taking proper breaks and rest throughout the day, having fun, and engaging in daily movement, is essential. It doesn't have to be lifting weights in the gym; any form of movement can enhance communication, clarity, and creativity in your brain. Prioritizing these aspects will ultimately support you in achieving your goals for a longer period and with greater strength. Sales Professionals Are The Elite Athletes of The Business World If we consider salespeople, especially top salespeople, from a different perspective, we can see that they possess crucial skills for modern selling. However, your mental capacity to be creative and find solutions, as well as your ability to be a consultant, will always be limited by your physical capacity. Many people don't think about it this way. But when I talk about sales professionals being the elite athletes of the business world, I mean that you need both physical and mental strength. When we think about mind, body, and spirit, we can see that the combination of the mind and body creates a flow.
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Oct 3, 2023 • 50min

Why Roleplay Is A Winning Sales Training Strategy

Why Roleplay Should Be A Key Part of Your Sales Culture In this podcast, Jeb Blount, Jeremy Olson, and Kristin Isaacson discuss the importance of role-playing in sales. They emphasize the need for leaders to create a culture of role-playing and accountability within their teams. They also highlight the benefits of roleplaying in helping salespeople improve their skills, gain empathy for the customer's perspective, and build confidence. They encourage individuals to find their preferred style of roleplaying and commit to regular practice, even if it feels uncomfortable at first. Roleplaying in sales is a powerful tool that helps salespeople improve their skills, gain empathy for the customer's perspective, and build confidence. It allows them to practice and refine their sales techniques in a safe environment. Leaders play a crucial role in creating a culture of roleplaying and accountability within their teams. By embracing and encouraging roleplaying, leaders can foster a collaborative and growth-oriented atmosphere that drives individual and team improvement. Consistency and commitment are key to successful roleplaying. It should be a regular part of the sales process, rather than a one-time activity. Salespeople should make a commitment to practice regularly, even if it feels uncomfortable at first. Roleplaying exposes weaknesses and areas for improvement. By simulating different scenarios, salespeople can identify their strengths and weaknesses, allowing them to focus on areas that need development and enhancing their overall performance. Constructive feedback and coaching are essential for growth in roleplaying. Salespeople should seek feedback from their leaders, peers, or even trusted individuals outside the team. This feedback helps them identify areas for improvement and refine their approach. Creating a Culture of Role-Playing One key takeaway from this podcast episode is the role of leaders in fostering a culture of role-playing within their teams. By encouraging and embracing roleplaying exercises, leaders can establish an environment where individuals feel safe to practice and refine their sales techniques. This culture of accountability sets the stage for continuous growth and improvement. Benefits of Role-Playing Roleplaying allows salespeople to step into the shoes of their customers, understand their perspective, and develop empathy. By simulating real-life scenarios, sales professionals gain insight into the challenges and concerns their customers may face. This understanding enables them to ask the right questions, provide tailored solutions, and build stronger relationships. Moreover, roleplaying serves as a platform for salespeople to enhance their skills and build confidence. Through practice and repetition, they can refine their pitch, overcome objections, and improve their overall sales performance. Roleplaying provides a controlled environment where individuals can experiment, receive feedback, and make necessary adjustments. The Role of Consistency Consistency is a vital component of effective roleplaying. Just as athletes train regularly to maintain peak performance, salespeople must commit to regular practice. Consistent roleplaying ensures that skills remain sharp, and individuals continue to grow. It is not a one-time activity but an ongoing process that drives continuous improvement. Unifying the Team Roleplaying has a unifying effect on sales teams. It establishes a shared language, understanding, and approach to sales. By engaging in roleplaying exercises together, team members develop a collaborative mindset and foster a sense of camaraderie. This collaborative atmosphere promotes knowledge-sharing, peer feedback, and mutual support, leading to a stronger, more cohesive team. Overcoming Discomfort and Embracing Growth While role-playing may initially feel uncomfortable, it is crucial to overcome this discomfort to reap its benefits fully.
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Sep 25, 2023 • 1h 19min

Don’t Let Your Fear Of Rejection Sabotage Your Sales Presentations

Sales Presentation Skills That Get You To "Yes" Faster In this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount talks to renowned sales experts Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz about their “Go For No” approach to embracing rejection in sales. They discuss how the fear of “no” sabotages sales presentations and what salespeople can do to deliver more successful and engaging presentations that get them to “yes”. The fear of failure and rejection can sabotage sales presentations and affect performance. Embracing rejection and understanding its value can lead to more successful sales presentations. The "Go for No" strategy involves intentionally increasing failure rate and using each "no" as valuable data for growth. Preparation and structure are essential in delivering compelling sales presentations. Improvisation in sales presentations can come across as unprofessional or unprepared. Don't just show up and throw up. Storytelling is a powerful tool to engage the audience and connect with them on a deeper level. Sharing stories about overcoming challenges and how your solution helped can capture attention and emotions. Losing your place or stumbling over words during a presentation is common, but maintaining composure and smoothly continuing is key. Well-prepared presentations instill confidence in the salesperson and engage the audience more effectively. But it's important to bring passion and authenticity to sales presentations rather than striving for perfection. The Fear Of “No” Derails Sales Presentations In the dynamic world of sales, where each presentation is an opportunity to forge valuable connections and secure vital deals, a formidable adversary often lurks in the shadows—the fear of failure and rejection. It's a sentiment that frequently courses through the veins of salespeople, affecting their confidence and ultimately their performance. This fear, while entirely human, can become an insidious obstacle to delivering compelling sales presentations. But here's the paradox: it's precisely this fear, when understood and harnessed, that can catapult a salesperson from mediocrity to mastery. This podcast delves into the heart of this challenge, exploring why salespeople often grapple with the fear of rejection and failure, how it affects their ability to engage their audience, and most importantly, why embracing this fear can be a game-changer in the competitive world of sales. What Is “Go For No” All About? The concept of "Go for No" is about intentionally increasing your failure rate and intentionally hearing "no" more often. The idea behind this is that when you embrace rejection, it paves the way for more "yeses" to come. However, this doesn't mean that you should simply keep hearing "no" without making any improvements or using the feedback from those rejections. It's important to treat each "no" as valuable data for growth. For instance, you can set goals based on the number of "no" responses you aim to receive, and actively seek out opportunities to hear "no." Don't Show Up and Throw Up In the world of sales presentations, there's a phrase that often rings true: "Don't show up and throw up." It's a cautionary mantra that reminds salespeople of the importance of preparation and structure in their interactions with potential clients. Showing up unprepared, with no more than a vague idea of what to say, can lead to a meandering and unconvincing pitch. Instead, successful sales presentations require careful planning. Salespeople should have their notes ready to go, create a basic outline for the conversation, and prepare specific talking points. While improvisation might seem like a way to appear more "natural," it often results in coming across as unprofessional or unprepared. A well-prepared presentation not only instills confidence in the salesperson but also engages the audience more effectively. And the truth is, when people speak without preparation,
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Sep 16, 2023 • 22min

Revolutionize The Customer Experience With Sales And Marketing Alignment

Clare Dorrian, SugarCRM's CMO, joins Jeb Blount to discuss prioritizing customer service, outbound prospecting for pipeline growth, and building a strong sales culture. They explore the role of relationships in modern selling, multichannel engagement, and delivering a next-level buying experience through real connection.
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Sep 8, 2023 • 36min

5 Critical Skill Sets For The Modern Seller

A Great Modern Seller Leverages These 5 Skills In this podcast, Jeb Blount and Amy Franko discuss the importance of modern sellers having strong business acumen and an ownership mindset. They emphasize the value of being able to provide insight to executives based on knowledge of their organization, rather than regurgitating information that can be found online. They also discuss the importance of discipline and habits in maintaining success as a salesperson, especially when working from home. Finally, they touch on the rebirth of field sales and the importance of building strong relationships with leadership. Instead of simply regurgitating information that can be found online, sellers must have a deep knowledge of their clients' organizations in order to provide business insights that are truly valuable. Ask provocative questions that create awareness of potential problems or opportunities within the organization. Build strong relationships with leadership and even going as far as getting into the "bowels" of the organization to get a better understanding of what's happening. Modern sellers must also have an ownership, or entrepreneur, mindset. They should look at their sales territory as a business, and make decisions based on the top and bottom line as well as weigh risks and opportunities. Discipline and habits are also crucial for maintaining success as a modern seller. For instance, you should build a strong plan, set goals, track your activities and metrics, and adapt to changes in the sales landscape. Building strong relationships with leadership and being able to adapt to changes in the sales landscape. What Differentiates A Modern Seller? The truth is that there are core basic activities that every salesperson must perform. Modern sellers have elevated these skills, honing the craft of selling to rise above their competitors and sell differently - and better. When Amy was doing research for her new book, The Modern Seller, she noticed a particular set of skills that stood out from the rest in terms of indicators of success for salespeople. There are the "everyday skills" of prospecting, presenting, negotiating, and closing. Then there are five skills that modern sellers consistently do better than others, and are clear differentiators. Agility Entrepreneurship Holistic Sales Territory and Pipeline Management Strategic Relationship Building Ambassadorship Through Amy’s career and observations, she has found that mastering these five skills is key to standing out as a top seller. Whether you are an individual seller or a leader building these skills in yourself or your team, these are skills that you should prioritize for the future. Modern Sellers Are Masters Of Business Acumen One of the biggest challenges for sellers today is the level of business acumen that they are expected to have. It's not just about having a feature-benefit-price conversation anymore. Instead, sellers must study the client's business and industry to have more in-depth, business-oriented conversations. Modern sellers need to display a level of business acumen that other sellers may not possess, or they may need to focus on improving these skills. Ultimately, a modern seller is someone who truly differentiates themselves and stands out for their clients. The best sellers out there cannot be separated from their product or service because they are a crucial factor in the equation of their client's success. Business acumen is essential to connect with clients and demonstrate the value of your services or products in addressing their individual and unique business challenges, issues, and opportunities. In longer cycle sales, where the complexity is higher, simply providing a standardized proposal deck is not be enough to stand out. Instead, you need to be able to build a bullet proof business case that clearly demonstrates ROI. This requires the ability to show the actual outc...
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Sep 1, 2023 • 1h 10min

Out-Of-The Box Strategies For Targeting Your Ideal Qualified Prospects

In this episode, Jeb Blount interviews David Newman, author of Do It! Marketing and Do It! Selling. They discuss the importance of strategic planning and research for sales and marketing professionals, targeting a specific market, establishing credibility, and using interviews as a prospecting channel to gather intelligence and build relationships with high-level decision makers.
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11 snips
Aug 25, 2023 • 1h 8min

Jeb Blount Solves Mastermind Group Incredible’s Sales Challenges

Sales expert Jeb Blount provides solutions to tough sales challenges for Mastermind Group Incredible. Topics include standing out in interviews, targeting bigger accounts, contacting hard-to-reach stakeholders on LinkedIn, and scaling a business. Strategies discussed include putting a wedge between the incumbent vendor and the customer, personalized service for small companies, and using voice messages or video messages on LinkedIn. The power of persistence, challenges of LinkedIn for sales, and the impact of chat GPT on salespeople are also explored.
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Aug 19, 2023 • 55min

How Leading With Curiosity On Cold Calls Builds Trust

Chris Beall, CEO of ConnectAndSell, discusses the connection between cold calling and market dominance. He explains the importance of building trust and demonstrating curiosity in sales conversations. Sales reps can improve their skills by breaking down the conversation and practicing each part in training.

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