Sales Is King

In addition to the 'foundational' elements of sales success, (the grit skills like determination, follow up, rejection proofing, asking for the business, hustle), the successful seller in 2018 also needs what Dan calls 'finesse' skills, like strategic thinking, financial literacy, creativity, recalibrating, expertise, simplifying, problem solving, idea generation, curiosity and more...give it a listen 👊 Do it!

Dan goes off on an Rant in response to a new Hubspot Study.

Coffee is still for closers, yes, but Dan returns to the studio to discuss what modern sellers are doing to CLOSE deals and it's not what may have worked in the past. The 2018 Sales Rep is leveraging a new set of skills and tools to get deals on the books. Dan discusses 10 reasons why closers fail and what can be done to assure that your sales numbers keep rising in the face of a changing buyer and buying process.

How will you stand out in the "Sea of Sameness" that every Buyer faces today when deciding on which solution to purchase? Dan returns with a new studio episode(some new music as well ✌️) and a 7 Point Plan for Effective Differentiation. It's about Learning and Listening first, Empathizing and Educating second, Personalizing Your Pitch, Adding Value, Selling Yourself, And then Differentiating Follow Up. Tune in as Dan bangs out another kick-ass episode! Also don't forget to check Dan out with his Sales Is King Video Tips Of The Day on LinkedIn and Facebook. Also Follow Dan on Twitter @digitaladvantg.

Samantha McKenna is the new Head of Sales for LinkedIn's Enterprise and Mid Market, NYC. She joins Dan for a hard hitting interview on what it takes to succeed in Sales including the strategy, the motivation, and how to effectively leverage technology. Sam is a rising star in the world of Sales and she tells her story of early achievement, rapid and frequent promotions and the journey that has led her to Linkedin. Dan and Sam dive deep into what it means to be a "modern' sales exec in 2018 and how social selling is pushing up quota attainment and impacting sales excellence.

Travis Chappell, host of the popular podcast, Build Your Network, joins Dan for a frank discussion on the topic of Networking in 2018. Travis, a dyed in the wool salesman, recently launched a podcast on Networking and has lured some of the top business minds on to his program to discuss their secret sauce - guests such as Ed Mylett, Brad Lea, Kevin Harrington, Jordan Harbinger, Elena Cardone and a great cross section of business leaders and entrepreneurs. One thing is for sure: Just as Sales and Selling have changed dramatically, so has Networking. Successful networking in 2018 and beyond is not at all what you think and nothing like the old school depiction of the person busily handing out business cards at events. Travis' podcast can be found on all podcast platforms. Here is a link to the iTunes/Apple Podcast version: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/build-your-network-john-lee-dumas-patrick-bet-david/id1268488944?mt=2 Enjoy👊

Millennials are growing in importance in B2B purchasing decision-making. What are they looking for in vendors, partners and relationships? We have heard so much about personalizing our approach to buyers, but are we personalizing around age? The "Digital Natives" as a recent HBR article refers to them(20-35 year olds) [link here: http://ow.ly/MEPV1010Nm0], approach the selection process in a very different way than their older colleagues and a growing percentage of these Digital Natives have sole decision making authority with a whopping 73% involved in influencing the decision. Dan covers what you need to know including 3 surprising criteria that many companies and sales execs may be overlooking. Thanks for listening 👊

Dan is back in the studio with a Rant and some timely tips for Sales Execs looking to generate more demand and to more effectively prospect. Social selling is undeniably the most effective way to increase demand and bolster your Pipeline: 76% of Buyers are open to engaging with providers on social channels; 62% of Buyers actually want to connect with sales execs on social; and a whopping 92% of buyers want to connect with thought leaders on social!! So how do we take advantage of this? How do we do it the correct way? Dan outlines the 6 key steps for social selling success. Listen UP 👊

The new dynamics in the B2B world today require that Sales Execs are able to connect with and influence many different stakeholders in order to be successful. Senior executives are becoming more involved in these decisions today and therefore Sales Execs more frequently find themselves in front of members of the C-Suite. But according to Forrester only 20% of salespeople are meeting the expectations of these senior execs. In this episode, Dan interviews the author of "The Perfect Close" and selling visionary, James Muir. Dan and James discuss what sellers are doing wrong today; what these senior execs are looking for and how Sales Execs need to shift their approach in order to impress and influence more of these key decision makers. A link to James Muir's outstanding book can be found right here: http://ow.ly/TXXG100YVH5

Dan is back with another episode based on new research from gryo marketing group. With a growing number of stakeholders involved in complex B2B purchases, the dynamics have shifted dramatically and sales people need to shift their approach in order to succeed. Link to research here: https://www.gyro.com/thinking/ Highlights include: 97% of buyers already have a preferred vendor coming into the decision committee; a 'champion leads the way for the winning team in 84% of the cases; 66% chose thought leaders; 89% chose teams that understood them and energized them; 83% chose those with similar values and culture. Listen in for the Top 4 Difference Makers that put the winners over the top.