The Art of Sales with Art Sobczak

This past weekend I attended a regular meeting of a marketing and business mastermind/coaching group I belong to. I have three days worth of ideas and best practices that I could use. But I won't. Here is what I need to do, and you should too in order to achieve the highest goals you'd like to reach.

We turn conventional sales belief and practice upside down in this episode. It's normal for salespeople to want to avoid no. In fact, the fear of it is what causes many to avoid calling, which means they have zero chances of making sales. Andrea Waltz suggests that we "go for no," which is also the title of the book she co-authored with her husband, Richard Fenton. You'll learn how to totally change your mindset regarding "no,"  why you should actually seek them out, and how when you do in a big way, will get more "yes" answers than you ever imagined.

Most sales and prospecting voice mail messages get deleted because they are awful. Some are in the gray area of credibility. Others are flat out deceptive.  Yet, skilled salespeople understand the effective way to use. And that’s what we cover in today’s show. You'll hear what does not work, and the entire Smart Calling Voice Mail process that you can fill-in-the-blanks in order to begin using your own effective message.

Art receives a call, on-air, from the clueless cold caller, Al Smolski. Al makes every mistake in the book, and Art gently schools him and what he's doing wrong, and what he should do instead at the opening of prospecting calls. We're not sure if Al gets it yet, but you can learn from it in this episode.

Many salespeople give away pure profits unnecessarily. It's when they hear what is actually just a price comment or statement, and then feel compelled to drop price, or get into a price negotiation. In this episode you'll hear the difference between price statements/comments and real objections, and exactly what to say in those situations so you can always get your full price.

Many salespeople talk too much about their products/services, dumping on prospects with things that are not of interest. And that creates objections. In this episode you'll hear how to avoid data dumping, and what TO do instead.

To be really successful in sales, being "good enough," or doing a "good enough" job doesn't cut it. Hear how going the extra mile is the secret of the top performers and earners.

One of the most worthless things to say at the beginning of a call to a prospect or customer is "I'm just checking in with you." (The "Probation Officer" call.)  Or, another variation is the "Baseball Opening," which is "I'm calling to just touch base." These openings go nowhere, and actually are disrespectful of the other person's time. In this show, you will see what you can say in order to deliver value, pique curiosity, and not be viewed as a typical salesperson. You'll get three methods by which you can create your unlimited supply of value-added reasons for calling someone.

In today's impersonal digital world, would you like a little something that would help set you apart from your competition? Something that gets you noticed? Something that gives you a distinct edge? Something simple, different and easy to implement that makes selling just a bit easier, faster and more effective? Our special guest, sales trainer and consultant Jim Domanski shares details about the solution. It is as simple and as powerful as a physical written note that you actually send in the mail. He covers, Five+ major benefits of sending notes The psychological power--and result of--of sending a note Who should receive your notes Six ways to send notes What NEVER to do when sending note Seven tips for sending notes that have impact.. ...and much more.

Should you start out your phone calls with the "How are you today?" question? Or ANY small talk? Some people say, that just screams out "Salesperson?" Others say, it eases into the conversation. In this episode we look at both sides of the issue, hear what other sales pros have to say about it, and provide alternatives to use if you want to break the ice at the beginning of your calls.