The Salesman.com Podcast

In this short podcast episode I explain what we did right and wrong in 2021. Then we get into what we've got in store across 2022 as we look to expand our sales training platform.

It's happening again. Your prospect is postponing the deal. However, they seemed interested during the demo and were enthusiastic about your product, so why don't they sign the contract? Closing deals is one of the more nerve-wracking aspects of being a sales professional. There's always a chance your deal won't pan out. Anything can go wrong. However, staying silent isn't an option. You need to ask for the sale. Wrap up your closing process by asking closing questions and statements that make the deal final. Before Sales Closing Lines and Questions Come Transition Statements Your closing question or sentence goes beyond words. Your body language, tone, voice, and the quality of your offering also come into play. Most sales professionals forego these transition statements and their prospects feel like they're getting beaten over the head with an aggresive close. But instead of going headfirst into the closing conversation, you should use a sales transition statement that sets the stage for your close. Here are my top eight sales transition statements: “Let's reiterate what you've told me so far.” (Recap your prospect's pain points, budget, and ideal timeframe for purchase. Then position your product as the perfect solution to their problems.) “Let's go over the details. “ “I don't want your company to lose (negative consequence) simply because they didn't have the right solution and place. Do you want to take immediate steps to stop this from happening?” “Based on our conversation, it seems like (your product) is a good fit for (prospect's company). What do you think? “Are you ready to move forward? I can send over the contract right away. “ “And if we implement by (date), I think you can start seeing ROI by (date). This means we need to close sales by (date). Is that enough time for you to make a decision?” “So what happens next? “ “Based on your requirements and preferences, I think these two products would be an excellent fit for (prospect's company). Would you like to go with (Product X) or (Product Y)? Notice how none of the statements are aggressive and make the prospect uncomfortable. Use any of the above statements to transition your conversation to a closing conversation without sounding salesy. These statements set you up in a position of a trusted advisor and must come before any closing scripts. Now that you know how to set the stage, let's discuss some of my favorite actionable closing questions and closing statements. 8 Best Sales Closing Questions and Statements to Close More Deals If you've ever wondered what questions to ask when closing a sale, here are a few tried-and-tested ones to ease the tension and maintain the flow of your sales interaction. 1) “Does it make sense to… “ If you've been following my Salesman.org podcast or blog, you may already know about my simple two-step closing technique. If you haven't, here's what you need to do: ask the prospect “Does it make sense to (next step).” For instance, “Does it make sense to sign you up into our system and get the implementation started?” Or “Does it make sense to sign the contract right now? ” Get it? The prospect will want to coach you here and tell you what you need to do next to get the deal done. You can learn more about the technique here. 2) “So, you like the product, what it can do for your company, and you (hopefully) like me—all that's left is to make it official.” This can be a perfect closing phrase to use if you share a strong rapport with your prospect. It's confident and polite with a touch of humor, but more importantly, it reinforces the prospect that your product will make their life easier. What reason is there for them not to buy your solution? That said, this statement may not work if your prospect has previously objected to any part of your sales pitch. You risk coming off as arrogant if you claim your prospect likes your product just after they express any doubts. 3) “Would you like my help with (prospect's problem)? “ If the above sounds too much for you, simply ask the prospect if they want your help and if they want you to be the one that solves their problem. This way, you can state your intention to them and uncover any potential doubts and concerns the prospect may have about you and your company. You also prove to the prospect your end goal is to help them, helping you win their trust and, therefore, close more deals. 4) “If you are ready to sign the contract, we can… “ One of the main reasons this closing statement works is that it tells the prospect exactly how they can benefit by implementing your solution. You can also introduce a conditional clause to further reinforce the actual value of your product, which is the ultimate positive consequence of those benefits (Increase productivity, saving time, lowering overheads). 5) “Is there any reason, if we gave you the product at this price, you wouldn't do business with our company? “ This right here is the ultimate soft-close sales closing question. Geoffrey James advises sales reps to use this closing question when trying to close deals as it ensures the sales conversion between you and the prospect keeps going. If the prospect answers ‘No, ‘you've still got them to agree to the contract indirectly. If the answer is ‘Yes, ‘you can address their objections without blowing off the deal. Clever, right? 6) “Unless you have any more questions or concerns, I think you're ready to get started.” This statement leaves the door open for your prospect to get more information while giving them that push to sign on the dotted line. If you've done an excellent job at communicating your product or service's value, as well as resolving all sales objections and doubts, throughout the sales process, the prospect will give you the final go-ahead. 7) “If I were to send over the contract today, would you be confident signing? “ This is kinda risky since you put yourself in the position to hear the dreaded “Yes, but…”. ‘Buts' aren't good. They're an objection. But they are also questions that you can understand and solve, improving your chances of securing the deal. This closing question can make the prospect realize they don't have any further objections or concerns and are ready to buy. Plus, it'll tell you exactly where you stand with your prospect. 8) “Our product will help you (benefit) by/in (specific number/date). The sooner we get it done, the more you'll get out of it, so let's get started. “ Your prospect is only interested in results, so it makes sense your closing statement should reinforce exactly that—results from your offering. However, you have to identify some value adds for your prospect for this to work. This can be money or time—or anything else—that makes the prospect see the worth of investing. Then, encourage them to take action and improve the outcome of the investment by creating a sense of urgency. The next time you feel your prospect is putting the deal on hold, remember there's (almost) always a question or statement to a close.   Want more closing tips that work? Sign up with our Selling Made Simple Academy™ and become a better sales professional—or get your money back.

“Sell me this pen, “says the interviewer. Sitting for your sales job interview, the question isn't unexpected. You knew the interview was likely to ask it, but the question is how to tackle it in a way that gets you the job. What's the right approach? “It's a matter of supply and demand” was The Wolf of the Wall Street sell me this pen answer. It's clever, but not perfect. In fact, the real-life Jordan Bellfort (you know, the person on whose life the movie is based off) had a very different answer: “The real answer is, before I'm even going to sell a pen to anybody, I need to know about the person, I want to know what their needs are, what kind of pens do they use, do they use a pen? How often do they use a pen? Do they like to use a pen formally, to sign things, or use it in their everyday life? The first idea is that when you say ‘Sell me this pen,' I want to hear [the salesman] ask me a question. ” So how do you effectively answer a “sell me something”interview question? If you have to answer questions, what kind of questions should you ask? Do you talk about its features? What can you do to make the sale? This Salesman.org guide will cover all the details. How to Tackle the Sell Me This Pen Interview Question The thing is, the statement “sell me this pen” doesn't mean “sell me this pen.” Shocked? Most sales professionals are. Let me explain. Sell me this pen is a ‘blanket term' statement. In addition to the obvious, the interviewer also means: Can you identify the right person for the product? Do you know how to understand your client's needs? Do you have basic sales skills like relationship building? Can you establish urgency? How can you close sales effectively? You have to show the interviewer you have all these skills and will make an asset to the company. And the best way to do this is just as Bellfort suggests: asking (relevant) questions. Very few salespeople understand this going into the interview. The best salespeople do their research though and are prepared for when the sell me this pen question comes up. Sales questions help you establish your credibility as a sales professional. For instance, asking what kind of pens the interviewer likes and for what purpose does the interviewer uses the pens can prove you have an essential sales skill—empathy. On the other hand, if you start blabbering about the pen's features, sometimes even lying about it, you show the interviewer that you're a liar. Knowing how long the interviewer has wanted the pen is a good start, but they might just answer they don't want a pen just to watch you squirm. In this case, you'll have to do a quick qualifying session and establish their needs before aiming for a close. To help you hold strong sales conversations with your interviewer, the next section will cover a few sales discussion examples. How to Answer Sell Me This Pen Interview Question Let's examine potential discussions you can have with your interview to showcase your selling skills. 1) To Qualify a Lead Interviewer: Sell me this pen. You: How long have you wanted to buy a pen? Interviewer: I don't want to. You: Okay, but do you ever buy pens? Interviewer: We have an admin to handle that. You: Awesome! What do you think is more important to her: cost or quality? Interviewer: Not sure. You: I'd love to talk to her to learn more. In the past, I have helped my clients save over 20-30% on pens, depending on their quality range. Does it make sense to set up a call? 2) To Establish Need Interviewer: Sell me this pen. You: How long have you wanted to buy a pen? Interviewer: Just a few hours ago. You: Do you use pens for daily tasks? Or do you only use them during important business deals? Would you say you borrow a pen a lot? 3) To Learn About a Prospect's Time and Timeline Interviewer: Sell me this pen. You: How long have you wanted to buy a pen? Interviewer: Mine just ran out of ink. You: That's sad. Would you mind if I leave this bed with you? If you don't like it, I will come back in five days and you won't have to pay a cent. 4) To Identify the Interviewer's Specific Needs Interviewer: Sell me this pen. You: Do you need a pen? Interviewer: Yes. You: Do you want a ballpoint pen or a gel pen? Also, which ink color do you prefer: blue, red, or black? 5) Closing The Deal While your discussion can take any direction, it'll likely be similar to the above examples. After showing the interviewer you can qualify customers and identify their needs, your job is to make them see you can also do the most critical job of selling: closing the deal. Let me explain using one of the examples we covered above. Interviewer: Sell me this pen. You: How long have you wanted to buy a pen? Interviewer: Just a few hours ago. You: Do you use pens for daily tasks? Or do you only use them during important business deals? Would you say you borrow a pen a lot? Interviewer: We use it for everyday tasks and often borrow pens. You: I think this pen's a great fit for you as it's created for everyday use. It's a plain blue ink ballpoint that lasts longer and doesn't bleed, making it great for note-taking and document signing. Should I put you down for three boxes? Or you can do something like this: Interviewer: Sell me this pen. You: Do you need a pen? Interviewer: Yes. You: Do you want a ballpoint pen or a gel pen? Also, which ink color do you prefer: blue, red, or black? Interviewer: I want a blue gel pen. You: Looks like this pen here is just what you need. It's a blue gel pen that feels comfortable in hands and is perfect for signing contracts or jotting down notes. Should I consider this a done deal? A job interview for sales isn't just about being clever and confident—you'll also need to prove your abilities as a salesman. By asking sales questions, you can show (and confirm) your sales knowledge and skills to the interviewer more effectively, improving your chances of landing the job. Alternative Approaches: When Your Interviewer Is Looking for a ‘Wow' Moment Some interviewers are simply looking for a wow moment—a straightforward answer that knocks their socks off. In this case, asking sales questions may not cut it. It's likely they saw The Wolf of the Wall Street and thought the question sounded cool. Naturally, you'll have to change your tactic if that's the case. Here's what you can do: A) Make a Sales Pitch That Focuses on How the Pen Meets Customer Needs “Have you suffered a loss because you forgot important tasks you didn't write down on your to-do list? Have you ever had to sign a contract or write a cheque but didn't have the tools to do so? Allow me to introduce this pen that will help you write down critical tasks in a jiffy. Its ink is reliable and long-lasting and comes in an easily portable and modern pen design to give you the perfect grip. Write at all hours of the day seven days a week without worrying about hand pain…” You get the drift. Pitch the pen to the interviewer, highlighting its key features and benefits in an impactful manner. B) Have an Interactive and Actionable Approach I've read about many people's take on the ‘sell me this pen' question. Here's my favorite: An applicant took out a check from his pocket and wrote a $250 check. However, he kept the name blank. He handed the check to the interviewer saying, “Wouldn't it be great if you had a pen right now? ” A wow moment right there, guys! More Sales Interview Tips and Tricks to Impress Your Interviewer Below are some additional tips to help you answer and sell me the pen more confidently. Let's take a quick look. Don't get flustered when addressing counters from your interviewer. Keep your cool and focus on addressing the concerns. Always put up a confident front, even if you don't have an answer in hand. Work your way through your answer while maintaining eye contact and speaking clearly. Your main purpose is to prove to the interviewer they need the pen. So don't be afraid to ask questions and dig deeper. Call attention to the pen's benefits and features—whatever you think can help it sell. The idea is to create a distinct value proposition in the interviewer's eyes. Always end your conversation on a strong note to leave a lasting impression. Avoid weak statements like, “So, um, yeah. That's how I'd do it. “ Maintain a persuasive, confident, and fun body language and tone of voice—all the while focusing your conversation on how the pen addresses the client's needs. Want more fantastic selling tips? Get started here and empower yourself to boost morale and land better sales jobs.

Learn how to effectively describe your sales experience in a job interview. Discover tips for answering the question even if you lack relevant sales experience, and explore options like sales training courses and reading sales books to overcome this obstacle. Gain insights and tips for securing your dream sales role.

Another month's gone by. Despite all the cold emails you've sent, the phone still isn't ringing. And now, you're left scrambling to make your quota. Something's got to change, and you know it. It's a story all too familiar to sales reps. But, unfortunately, the same ol' tactics just aren't working anymore. And though you've avoided the technique for years, it's finally time for… Cold calling. Yes, that dreaded two-word phrase that brings a chill to sales rep spines worldwide. The topic came up in my recent interview with Jason Bay of Blissful Prospecting: “Cold calling and objection handling are usually the two biggest fears that I hear when we work with sales teams and individual reps.”  But cold calling doesn't have to be complicated. It doesn't have to be intimidating. And it doesn't have to leave you feeling like a sleazy, manipulative conman. This guide shows how to make cold calling your go-to method for prospecting. Inside, you'll learn expert cold calling tips, proven cold calling scripts, and a 5-point framework to take all the guesswork (and hassle) out of cold calling. What Is Cold Calling? First and foremost, let's settle on a cold-calling definition. What Is Cold Calling? “Cold calling is the act of reaching out to potential buyers that have not previously interacted with a sales rep.”  Cold calling usually refers to solicitation by phone. But it may also refer to in-person sales visits. What Is Cold Calling NOT? “Cold calling is not reaching out to contacts you met at trade shows. It is not contacting a lead that expressed interest on your website. And it is not following up with a referral that asked you to get in touch. This is what's known as “warm calling.” By its very nature, cold calling has a lower success rate than warm calling. After all, cold calling recipients haven't expressed any prior interest in what you're selling. Those on the other end of warm calls have. It's no wonder why so many sales reps avoid cold calling—it's tough to get a “yes.” In fact, a study from the Harvard Business Review found that 48% of B2B salespeople—nearly half—are afraid of cold calling. So, with all that fear and anxiety baked into this sales technique for many reps, the question is why do it at all? Why Cold Call? Simple. Despite it all, cold calling provides a valuable opportunity to bring in new clients that other sales techniques can't offer. Here's why. Quick Connection – Hopping on a call is the best way to make an immediate connection and start with a sales pitch. Email is static. Sure, you're delivering your message. But buyers have time to mull it over, make excuses for not responding, and forget about it entirely. When you're on the phone, you have much more direct influence over whether they set up a sales meeting or not. Develops Sales Cadence – Successful cold calls are an integral step to setting up a strategic and effective sales cadence. The best sales cadences use a variety of outreach methods when contacting prospects. The more mediums you use to stay in contact with the buyer, the more you stay top of mind—boosting your chances of a callback. Opens the Door to Chatters – Finally, adding cold calling to your sales technique repertoire brings in a swathe of potential buyers. Buyers that may have otherwise been out of reach. HubSpot reports that 57% of C-level buyers actually prefer to be contacted via phone. And if you aren't cold calling, you could be missing out on a valuable opportunity to bring in more sales. Getting Started: Perfecting Your Mental Game Before you even start dialing, you need to get in the right headspace. Prospects can tell when you're uncomfortable. And they don't want to waste their precious time chatting with someone who isn't offering any value. That's why you have to get comfortable playing two roles when cold calling: The Entertainer and The Expert. Some cold callers do this naturally. Other people on the same sales team will have to practice this new state. Role 1: The Entertainer Your task of rapport building begins the instant your prospect picks up the phone. The sooner you can capture their attention, the more likely they'll be to keep on listening. In fact, Gong found that low-performing salespeople built rapport by around 40% through the call. For top performers, it was about 20% (the earlier, the better). You need to come across as someone the buyer genuinely wants to speak to. Only then can you show them how you can add value to their lives. Your sales conversation need to be tight, fun and snappy. Role 2: The Expert While charisma can open up the door, not knowing what you're talking about will slam it shut. You need to come off as an expert—someone who knows what the hell they're talking about. But, do you understand your buyer's industry? Their most significant pain points? Your competition? And, of course, your product? If you don't come across as an expert, the prospect might as well hang up the phone and Google their problem rather than speak to you. How to Play Both Roles The problem, however, is that cold calling gives you so little time to flex your charm muscles. To demonstrate your deep, deep knowledge of the industry. So how are you supposed to play The Entertainer and The Expert in a call that only lasts a few minutes? By displaying these key four traits: Assertive – You don't wait for things to “just happen.” And you're happy to ask appropriate but tough questions because you know that that's the only way to get to the heart of the problem and deliver the most value possible. Extroverted – You don't shy away from a conversation. You're energized by interacting with others. You do find your buyers interesting. And as a result, you build rapport quickly and maintain contacts for years. Optimistic – No one likes hearing a pitch from a sad sack. And equally importantly, no buyer believes the product their seller is so unenthusiastic about will solve their problems. You also have to exude the optimism that this call will be the next winner. The buyer on the other end can sense it if not. Confident – And of course, you need to be confident in your product, your company, and yourself. You need to be resilient in the face of rejection (which, let's face it, will happen with cold calling). And you need to know that you're good enough and a “no” isn't personal. These traits are part of the 12 SalesCode traits I cover in the Selling Made Simple Academy. And inside, you'll learn how to quickly and effectively display these traits to hook cold calling prospects more straightforward than ever. Let's Start the Show: The Bulletproof Cold Calling Framework Now that you're in the right headspace, it's time to dive into The Bulletproof Cold Calling Framework. It's composed of five simple steps: Confirm Break Value Tie-In Close This framework is simple, effective, and adaptable in any situation. Plus, it's short enough to fit into the tiny window of time you have to hook a prospect when cold calling. Let's take a closer look at what these steps entail, along with some cold-calling scripts for each. Cold Calling Tip: It's important to remember that your goal here is NOT to sell your product on this call. If you're selling anything of reasonable value, you should know that that's impossible in a single five-minute conversation.  Instead, your end goal is to set up a later sales meeting. Only then will you spend the time pitching your product and trying to close the sale. If you do try a full-on pitch during a cold call, you're likely going to fail. And fail hard.  Step 1: Confirm The first and maybe most essential step is to confirm you're speaking with the right person—the decision-maker. This may be the head of the department, the tech guy, or even the President of Marketing. It depends entirely on your industry and your product. But whoever it is, it's ideal that you're talking to the person who decides whether or not to buy. Otherwise, you'll have to sell to a gatekeeper who then has to go back and sell to their boss. And your product's actual value is bound to be diluted along the way (think of the kids game, Telephone). So immediately when someone's picked up the call, make sure you're talking to a decision-maker. Cold Calling Script:  “Hi, Will Barron from Salesman.org. Who's in charge of [X – the area of business your product will help the most. We'll use sales for these examples]?” Scenario 1: “That's me.” — Now you can move on to the next step Scenario 2: “That's Barry.” — Now we need to get in touch with Barry. “Ok thanks. Could you connect me with him? Can I tell them that you referred me?” — Move to next step with Barry. Make sure not to skip the referral aspect here. Noting a referral creates an instant boost in rapport.  Step 2: Break Now that you've confirmed you're speaking to the right person, it's time to jump into the specifics. Ask them how they're currently solving the problem that your product solves. You'll find that most people aren't 100% happy with their current solution. It can always be faster. It can always be cheaper. And it can always be more effective. Your goal here is to open up the buyer's mind to the potential of a better solution. You're breaking them out of the pattern of thinking their current solution can't be changed. Cold Calling Script:  “OK great, how are you training your sales reps right now?” “We are using [competitor].” “Got it. And how is your sales training working for you right now?” Scenario 1: “Not great. We're having a problem with [current problem].” Scenario 2: “Fine. I think we're all set, thanks.” Cold Calling Tip: When you ask how their current solution is doing now, pause and shut up. Don't say anything. They'll feel compelled to speak. And from there, you can either learn that they're looking for a better solution or force them to bring up an objection which you can touch on later.  Step 3: Value The next step is to explain the big problem you solve, your value. Again, it's important to hit this step regardless of whether they are happy or unhappy with their current solution. Be succinct here. There is no need to get into the weeds and take up more time than necessary. Just hit the most prominent problem solver and the most significant selling point you have. Cold Calling Tip: Be sure to move on to this step regardless of the objection they offer.  If they say, “We're happy with our current solution,” push through. They may be more open to new solutions than they seem. If they say, “I don't really have time for this right now,” you only have three more sentences to get through (15 seconds max).  The end goal is to get to a closing point and to ask for a meeting.  Cold Calling Script:  “We help salespeople close more sales in the next 28 days or your money back.” Step 4: Tie-In Next up, you need to tie-in that value to the prospect. How is your big solution going to help them? What kinds of benefits can they expect to see from working with you? Essentially, why should they care? Again, be quick and to the point here. Make the connection, but don't dilly dally because we need to get to the next and most crucial step. Cold Calling Script:  Scenario 1: “It seems like you're not happy with your current sales training solution. Would it make sense to see if we can solve this problem for you?” Scenario 2: “Would it make sense to see if we can turbocharge your current solution so you can train more effective sales reps more quickly?” Step 5: Close Last and certainly not least, you'll want to close the call by setting up a sales meeting. Again, the point here is to book a formal meeting, not to close the sale. That being said, it's not as if you can't still learn some valuable information from this cold call. For instance, you may get an idea of the buyer's significant concerns with their current solution. You're also likely to learn about what their current solution is. Both of these points can be exceptionally valuable when figuring out how to structure your pitch for maximum effectiveness. As best-selling sales author Jeffrey Gitomer told me in our interview: “Cold calling is a lousy place to make a sale. But it happens to be a great place to learn how to sell.” Cold Calling Script: “Ok Great, it looks like we might be able to help. Does it make sense to jump on a quick 10-minute call tomorrow to discuss?” Cold Calling Tip: Unfortunately, a “no” here is likely. Cold calling involves a lot of rejection. But there are a few things you can do to still make this a win.  First, give them your contact info and tell them if they change their mind; they're always welcome to reach out.  Second, get their contact info too. Some buyers will take longer to pique their interest. And with their email info on hand, you can continually send them educational content and turn them from “not interested” to “I'm listening…” Voicemail: What to Say & How to Say It The Bulletproof Cold Calling Framework is a fantastic way to engage prospects quickly, demonstrate value, and nudge potential buyers to set up a good, follow-up sales call. But what happens if your call goes to voicemail? This can end up being tricky. You can't play off of the buyer's answers to your questions. And you've got to get them especially interested in what you have to say so they don't hit that delete button. There are a few things you can do here to boost your callback chances. Keep it short, under 30 seconds if you can. Follow the 70/30 rule: 70% info and value, 30% personalization, and social proof. Be particularly clear with your contact details. Cold Calling Script:  “Hey Sarah, Will Barron from Salesman.org 111.222.3333 (repeat your number slower) – I'm calling because I was reading your LinkedIn profile and noticed you're [insert role detail]. I wanted to tell you about a product relevant to your work there. We have helped [X company] drive a [quantifiable outcome] in under [time frame] by [very short explanation of how your product works]. Again, Will Barron from Salesman.org 111.222.3333 (repeat your number slower), I'll follow up with a quick email.” Cold Calling Tip: I know every sales guru in the land tells you to save your name and number for the end. Do the opposite.  This is what's known as “pattern interrupt.” There are 6 MILLION AEs and 600k SDRs in tech right now. And guess what? They all save their name and number for the end. So do the opposite.  And remember to be assertive, confident, and direct. Yes, you're selling them a product. But it's a product that can help. And it's their job to help make their business better, so they should actually want to listen.  The Follow Up An essential part of the voicemail is the email follow-up. Yes, yes—you already reached out to them on the phone. And yes, your email follow-up is essentially saying the same thing you covered in the voicemail. But the point here is to hit them on a variety of mediums. A voicemail is easy to forget. And it's a snap to delete accidentally. You're making a bigger imprint on the buyer's consciousness with an added email follow-up. And you're also giving them something they can refer back to later to learn more about your product.   Cold Calling Script (for Your Follow-Up Email): Hi Sarah,  This is Will Barron from Salesman.org. I'm following up on a voicemail message I left on your machine earlier today.  I'm getting in touch because I was reading your LinkedIn profile and noticed you're [insert role detail]. I wanted to tell you about a product relevant to your work there.  We have helped [X company] drive a [quantifiable outcome] in under [time frame] by [concise explanation of how your product works].  Does it make sense for us to connect? If so, you can reach me at 111.222.3333 or shoot me a quick email.  Cheers,  Will Consistency & Persistence: Learn to Play the Numbers An essential aspect of your cold calling success is that you learn to play the numbers. Many factors go into making or breaking a sale, such as building rapport, researching prospects, playing to pain points, using a value-based sales approach, etc. But when it comes down to packing your pipeline full of leads, you must use a numbers-based approach when cold calling. How many deals do you need to close a month? How many leads do you need to pitch to in order to bring in those deals? And how many calls do you need to make a week to bring in those leads? Selling by the numbers lets you set goals and be strategic about your cold calling process. There are a few things, in particular, you can do to make your cold calling more effective. A) Track Successes & Failures When you sell by the numbers, you're not just developing clear, actionable goals. And you aren't just breaking down your quotas into bite-size pieces. You're also giving yourself the framework you need to more effectively track your successes, failures, and progress towards achieving your ultimate goal. For instance, let's say you need to close 15 more sales this month. If you're selling by the numbers, you know that means you have to make at least 80 more cold calls according to your current close rates. And with that information, you can determine how many calls you need to make each week. If you weren't selling by the numbers, you wouldn't have any idea how much you should be cold calling to hit your quota. And likelier than not, you'll only find out how far behind you are when it's much too late. B) Stick With It! On the one hand, effective cold calling is a skill that takes about 2 to 3 months to develop. That may seem like a long time right now. But when you get the process down to a science, you're going to start hitting your goals (or even exceeding them) more often than ever. Even when you do develop those skills, though, successful cold calling takes work. And it takes resilience. Michael Hanson of Growth Genie pointed out the low connect rate for cold calls in my recent interview. And that means you have to stick with the plan to start seeing results. “Typically the connect rate for a cold call, and I think this data comes from a company called ConnectAndSell who've analyzed millions of calls through their dialer, is I think on average, about 4%. So that means literally you need to call someone over 20 times to get them to pick up once.” So you must develop the resilience to stick with the plan. The best way to keep your motivation up and blow past your quotas is to use The Selling By the Numbers Framework. Wrapping Up Cold calling can be intimidating at first. And if you've been hesitant to use this sales technique till now, you're not alone in the world of sales. Plenty of reps avoid it. But when you know how to do it effectively, it can open up the door to a wealth of potential buyers. And it can connect you with leads on a level that no other sales avenue can. This framework was designed to be simple, effective, and flexible. And once you implement it into your sales processes (and put in the effort to see it through), you're bound to start seeing fantastic results.

You didn't meet your sales quota last quarter. You can't help but wonder what's broken? Your sales process? How do you fix it? What measures can you take to close more deals? Despite what you think, the issue may not be your sales pitch or salesmanship. It could be the people you're selling to—the quality of your leads. Luckily, you also have a highly effective solution to change your numbers stat: MEDDIC. Applying the MEDDIC sales process will help you understand and quantify your prospects better. It ensures you're focused on the right people in the right way, leading to more closed deals and higher revenue. But there's a catch… MEDDIC can be confusing, especially for beginners. This article will show you a step-by-step breakdown of the MEDDIC sales methodology to set you up for success and transform your selling game. What Is the MEDDIC Sales Process? MEDDIC is a B2B sales methodology designed to help sales professionals qualify better leads, which ultimately contribute to a higher closing rate and increased sales success. Using its principles, you can determine whether you should invest your time and effort in getting a customer into your sales funnel. MEDDIC is essentially an acronym that stands for: Metrics, Economic buyer, Decision criteria, Decision process, Identify pain, and Champion. A Step-by-Step Guide To the MEDDIC Framework As per the acronym, MEDDIC has six qualification steps. First, let's review how to check off every letter in the MEDDIC sales methodology and achieve more deals. And remember that the meddic sales qualification framework is designed to disqualify prospects as well as qualify them. For most sales people, closing deals means getting rid of unqualified buyers from your sales pipeline as much as it means qualifying decision makers to stay in it. Never be afraiod to kick prospects out of your sales cycle so you can spend more time with potential prospects will will spent money with you. 1) Metrics Metrics refer to the quantifiable measures of your solution's value to your prospects. Find out what quantifiable goals your prospect hopes to achieve by implementing your solution. For example, the prospect may want to double their output or reduce 15% of their total overheads. See? Quantifiable goals. Once you know the metrics your customer cares about, you can prove how your solution will provide a good return on investment (ROI). Again, the idea here is to justify your solution from an economic standpoint. Knowing the metrics will help you justify the economic benefits of your solution from your prospect's perspective, encouraging them to go further in the sales funnel. Questions to Consider: What goals does the prospect want to achieve? How do they measure their success? How can you help them save time, boost productivity, and accelerate revenue? 2) Economic Buyer The MEDDIC methodology prioritizes making effective conversations with decision-makers, the one who has the ultimate power to make decisions and authorize spending. It's possible this person may not be the point of contact you established within the company, but they're still important as you can use their help to get in touch with the economic buyer. Finding your economic buyers is key for sale reps hoping to leverage the meddic process. Talk to the economic buyer about their expectations, personal metrics, and decision-making process. If you cannot reach out to this person directly, try to collect as much data as possible to know the economic buyer's mindset. Knowing this information will help you make the sale more palatable to the buyer—even if they aren't directly affected by it. Questions to Consider: Are you talking to the decision-maker? Is there anyone else involved in the final decision? What does success look like for them? How can you customize your sales pitch based on their viewpoint to take the sale forward? 3) Decision Criteria To take a deal towards a conclusion, you must understand your prospect's criteria when making decisions. It's likely your prospect is vetting different vendors and weighing their options based on a few critical factors—their decision criteria. Finally, they have to make a choice, and they'll choose a solution that offers them the best deal. While different companies use different criteria, a few common factors include ease of use, budget constraints, integration, and potential ROI. If a company doesn't have a formally defined decision-making process, you can ask them to put it to paper. You want to prove your solution meets all their criteria and position your products in a way that checks all their boxes. Then, show them there's no reason why they shouldn't agree to a sale. Questions to Consider: What are the driving factors behind your prospect's buying decisions? If your prospect had a wishlist for your solution, what essential factors and parameters would be on it? How can you tailor your sales pitch to highlight these criteria and justify the purchase? 4) Decision Process Decision criteria define the different factors your prospect weighs when making a decision, whereas the decision process will tell you how the decision is actually made and followed through. Your prospect's decision-making refers to the internal steps to finalize a decision. Once you understand the process, you'll know who makes the decision, what timeframes and processes they have in place to decide, and brainstorm solutions to avoid roadblocks. All this information will help you take the necessary measures to close the deal faster. For instance, if you know the economic buyer has okayed the sales decision but hasn't completed the follow-up process paperwork, you can push to get that paperwork completed and close the deal. Questions to Consider: How do they come to a final buying decision? Who do you need to talk to when finalizing decisions? Is there a formal procedure or paper process involved before approval? 5) Identify Pain You have to understand what problem your prospect is trying to solve to explain the value of your solution. Otherwise, it's impossible. Try to identify your prospect's pain points. This can be anything from high production costs to low revenue to slow production. After that, create a sales pitch explaining how your product or service can help alleviate that pain. Be as specific as possible about the customer's pain. You don't want to be vague or too abstract—it won't help you make an impression. For example, which statement do you prefer: “you're losing revenue because of slow production processes” or “you're losing $300,000 every quarter because your production process is only half as fast as it should be.” Exactly. Questions to Consider: What pain points does the prospect have? How does the pain point affect the prospect's bottom line? What are the consequences of leaving the pain point unattended? 6) Champion Find a champion in your prospect's company. This is the person on the inside who'll push for you and sway the purchasing decision in your favor. This person is likely also the most affected by the organization's pain or who stands to benefit the most from your product or service. As they want your solution, they will use their influence to sell your product or service on the inside. Your champion doesn't have to be a manager or supervisor, but they should be well-respected—someone whom other people in the company trust. Trust us, having someone with influence and respect in your corner will help you close the deal considerably faster. Questions to Consider: Who has the most to gain by your offering? Does this person have influence? Can they explain your product benefits in a way that closes the deal faster? Use MEDDIC To Take Your Sales Career Forward Scoring a sale isn't a cookie-cutter practice. Things can go wrong when you least expect it. But using MEDDIC will put you in a better position, helping you hit your sales quote and achieve your sales objectives. Want to level up your MEDDIC selling game? Add a P and an extra I to your process. Check out our article to learn more about the more advanced version of the MEDDIC sales process, MEDDPICC.

Rob Barnett is the author of NEXT JOB, BEST JOB and an experienced headhunter connecting the best candidates with hiring managers. On this episode of the Salesman Podcast, Rob Barnett explains what you need to do to find and then close your dream sales role. You'll learn: Sponsored by: Free SalesCode assessment Learn your strengths and weaknesses in an instant. Taken by over 10,000+ of your competitors. Don't get left behind. Take the free assessment Featured on this episode: Host - Will Barron Founder of Salesman.org Guest - Rob Barnett Experienced Headhunter Resources: Rob Barnett Media  Book: Next Job, Best Job: A Headhunter's 11 Strategies to Get Hired Now Rob’s LinkedIn Transcript Will Barron: This episode of the show is brought to you from the salesman.org HubSpot Studio. Coming up on today's episode of the Salesman Podcast.   Rob Barnett: The greatest tips we've seen in our lifetimes, and what that meant, of course, is that the market got even more competitive. And take the hours or the day or two to figure out how am I going to speak to an actual human being at that company, not human resources? What we recommend people do is homework. Hours and hours and hours on what that company is doing, so that in the first thing they read about you, they're going to read the resume.   Will Barron: Hello, sales nation. My name is Will Barron, and I'm the host of the Salesman Podcast, world's most downloaded B2B sales show. On today's episode, we have an absolute legend. It was a pleasure chatting with him. We have Rob Barnett. He's the author of the book Next Job, Best Job. And that's exactly what we're talking about on today's episode, how to find your next job and make sure that it is the best one, your most aspirational, whether it's in sales, out of sales, whatever it is, how to find your dream job and how to close it and get in the door and speaking to these hiring managers, no matter what the climate is, no matter whether we're in a global economic pandemic crisis or not, how to get this job done. Everything we talk about is available in the show in this episode, or at salesman.org. And so with that said, let's jump right into it.   Will Barron: Rob, welcome to the Salesman Podcast.   Rob Barnett: Thank you so much. It's good to meet you.   The New Job Market Demands and Expectations in a Post-Pandemic World · [02:03]    Will Barron: It's good to meet you. I'm glad to have you on, Rob. On today's episode, we're going to get into how we can build a strategic resume or CV, if you're in the UK like myself. Curriculum Vitae. That might be new on some of the audience who's listening. But before we get into that, I guess I want to start on a wider context here, because clearly the world has changed. The workplace has changed forever. Salespeople seem to be always hopping and changing and jumping jobs regardless, but it might be that there's a whole chunk of the audience right now who want to change jobs, want to change roles might be looking at changing careers. So, with that said, Rob, what do we need to do differently now than perhaps when we were looking at getting a job or searching for jobs two, three years ago? What's changed post COVID with regards to getting a job? And then we'll move on to the idea of a strategic resume later on.   Rob Barnett: Yes. Great. Well look, the odds got tougher, right? It got tougher because the cut took the greatest hit we've seen in our lifetimes. And what that meant, of course, is that the market got even more competitive. And so for every role, there's twice as many people going after it. And the same old same old is really not going to do it now on resumes, on cover letter, on LinkedIns. I don't know what it is, but it just seems like when you asked me to talk with you about this topic, I feel like people become possessed by some kind of robot from the 1950s when it's time to write a resume and they link it and they speak with these stilted old non-human tones that… I don't know. I think that people have this belief that I'm supposed to do it like everybody else does it. And then when that happens, you end up in the stack, the stack of thousands of everybody elses, and you don't stand out.   The Competitive Landscape in Today’s Job Environment · [03:30]   Will Barron: So, I love this. We're going to be on totally the same wavelength of all of this, I know that for a fact, Rob, because what I wanted to ask you was out of… Say that we're applying for a complex, B2B sales role, a role that lots of people… Maybe it's software sales, enterprise sales, a role that lots of people want to get into. Well, say that there's 50 people in that pile, say there's 100 people in that pile. From your experience, how many of those individuals are we actually competing against? How many of those individuals just are never going to get a shot? Their resume or CV is just nonsense, they've not got the experience, we're never going to even look at them seriously. What number actually are we competing against? If there's 100 people that apply, what number of individuals are likely to be considered?   “I think the primary problem that so many candidates can solve on a job search, is to make sure that if you're applying for a role, you're really lined up for the specifics of that role. Most job seekers are so bummed out that they're having such hard luck that if a role is open for sales that if they've sold anything  then they immediately apply for that sales role, regardless of whether or not they've done the specific kind of requirements that that job is asking for. And you know what? If you haven't, it is really a waste of time to apply for that role.” – Rob Barnett · [04:46]    Rob Barnett: This is such a great question. And you know, there's two ways that I would respond to you on it. The first is who the hell's looking in that pile, right? I'm always worried about who's that person on the other end. Meaning, is it a robot or is it, God bless her, or God bless him, a 23 year old who's some kind of a junior person in the human resources department with very few human skills, just looking for keywords and buzzwords. I mean, that part of it is terrifying. First is who's judging that pile. But the second thing that really I think is the primary problem that so many candidates can solve on a job search, is to make sure that if you're applying for a role, you're really lined up for the specifics of that role.   Rob Barnett: Most job seekers are so bummed out and I've been there more times than I wish. They're so bummed out. They're having such hard luck that if a role is open for sales and I've sold anything, this pen, that then I immediately apply for that sales role, regardless of whether or not I've done the specific kind of requirements that that job is asking for. And you know what? If you haven't, it is really a waste of time to apply for that role. I don't know what it is, but people feel like, well, it's a numbers game, and I have to send out as many resume as possible. Not unless that resume is really lined up with the likelihood that if there's 15 requirements, you're going to be able to really check 12 or 13 of them no problem without saying, well, close enough, let me go for it. Don't bother.   What to Expect From the Current Job Market Environment · [06:09]    Will Barron: Is it fair to say that getting a job in 2021 onwards is similar to the shift that's happening in B2B sales? And what I mean by that, Rob, is that 20 years ago, perhaps you could hit your number by just cold calling people. Call, call, call, call. It's a numbers game. Eventually you're going to get the right person at the right time. You're going to do a deal with them. Now, you can't cold call people because no one has an office desk because no one's in their office. If you don't have the right message at the right time through the right person, and you're involved in the organisation and you've got multiple threads within it, it's very difficult to even have a hypothesis of what the buyer wants to engage that initial conversation. So, is it fair to say that not just sales, which we talk about on the show all the time, has transformed into a more complex sale? Is it fair to say that being… Not necessarily being [inaudible 00:06:54]… We'll, perhaps touch on that in a second, but applying for jobs has become more strategic in its nature as well?   “If Kevin Bacon is the hiring manager, how are you going to talk to Kevin or one person separated from him at that company in order to do the thing that makes you stand out. So, you want to get some information about what's really going on in the company beyond what's on the digital page, before you can really kick ass in the interview.” – Rob Barnett · [07:52]    Rob Barnett: Yes. Beautiful. And I think that you have to get another job before you get this actual job. You have to actually decide that there's a need to become a private detective. If you're just going to upload a resume cold to a company, the odds are just terrible. But if you decide to become a detective and take the hours or the day or two to figure out how am I going to speak to an actual human being at that company, not human resources. I hope they're not listening. They're not going to love me after they hear this podcast. Not human resources, but if there's six degrees of Kevin Bacon, I like to tell people, cut that down to one degree of Kevin Bacon. If Kevin Bacon is the hiring manager, how are you going to talk to Kevin or one person separated from him at that company, in order to do the thing that you baked into your question? Which is you want to get some information about what's really going on there, beyond what's on the digital page, before you can really kick ass in the interview.   Rob’s Thoughts on Why Salespeople Need to Be More Intentional About Job Applications · [08:16]   Will Barron: Sure. And I guess it's even more appropriate for salespeople than if we are a marketer trying to break into marketing, right? Tell me if I'm wrong here, but it seems like if I'm a kick-ass marketer and I start ringing VPs of marketing, the VP's going to be like, “Okay, send your resume over to HR or add me on LinkedIn and we'll chat about it online.” Versus if you can get on a call with a hiring sales manager, sales leader, and you can really wow them on the call, you're demonstrating your skillset right there and then. So, is it fair to say then that this is even more appropriate as an approach for sales people than it is for other people in whatever industry or kind of segment?   Rob Barnett: Yes, 100 times yes. I mean, I like to use this analogy for, over here in the baseball analogy, would be-   Will Barron: This might go totally past me, Rob. You might go right over my head with your baseball analogy.   “When COVID hit, we started recommending to all of our clients that you should come much stronger with content, ideas, specifics, and with the proof that you've done more homework about this company than any other candidate. Come with all that in the beginning before you were even asked, because what the company wants to hear now is what are you going to do to make them money, right? And the people who offer that early on are the people who have the better chance of going through at least more than one dreaded 30 minute interview.” – Rob Barnett · [09:47]   Rob Barnett: I know, I know. Steal second base before even the first pitch is thrown. Because, in old days, you'd be lucky to go through multiple interviews. And then maybe as one of the final steps, you're asked to put your ideas in writing and really impress them with either the dreaded PowerPoint presentation or just a plain Word document that's got all of what you have to say to pitch yourself for this job. When COVID hit, we started recommending to all of our clients that you should come much stronger with content, with ideas, with specifics, with the proof that you've done more homework about this company than any other candidate. Come with all that in the beginning before you were even asked, because what the company wants to hear now is what are you going to do to make them money, right? And the people who offer that early on are the people who have the better chance of going through at least more than one dreaded 30 minute interview.   How to Stand Out From the Competition During Job Applications · [10:27]    Will Barron: Okay. So, let's get practical here. What does it look like to do this very literally? So, we can touch on perhaps the calling up of the hiring manager in a second, or adding them on LinkedIn, communicating, chatting with them. We'll touch on that in a second. But do we need to create a… Rather than just sending over and filling in the online application form, do we need to then send the hiring manager some kind of application pack with 30, 60, 90 day plans and things like that? How do we very literally separate ourselves from the competition here?   Rob Barnett: Yes. Well, look, the cover letters, too, like we said earlier, they tend to all be written by the exact same person. I'll perform one for you now. Hi, Will. Or if I haven't done that, it's to whom it may concern, right? To whom it may concern. I'm very interested to see the job that you've posted for blankety-blankety-blank, because I am an award-winning salesperson with 15 years of experience and a proven track record at great oral and written communication skills. I have a demonstrated history of say… These cover letters are not cutting it now. And so what we recommend people do is homework. Hours and hours and hours on what that company is doing so that in the first thing they read about you, they're going to read the resume. So, why is the cover letter a copy of the resume in long sentences?   Rob Barnett: I'd rather that that first letter that's written to the company be, “I've watched what you've been doing for this last year, and it seems as though the priorities of the business are X, Y, and Z. In my last job, I've worked on X, I've done Y, I've done Z. Are you interested in considering this?” In other words, bring the ideas, bring the content, bring the feedback on what you think that company is doing well, and then go ahead and take the risk and talk about what you think that company needs to do better. Bold is beautiful.   Rob Reveals What Happens Behind the Scenes After You Apply for a Job · [12:45]    Will Barron: Can you explain, because you kind of alluded to this earlier on with the 23 year old intern maybe sifting through some of these. What happens when we send off our resume, whether it's an online form, whether we send it off as a Word doc or whatever it is. What happens when it goes into this black hole and then we may or may not hear back out the other end of it?   “I think people are obsessed with algorithms now, and there's this belief that if I just write the phrase, let’s say, data analysis three times on my resume, it's going to get magically found by the system and then it's going to end up on the desk of the chief executive at that company. I'm much less concerned about being found by a robot as I'm concerned about finding people who can make the introduction that's needed. That warm introduction between myself, the candidate and that hiring manager. So, if you don't know people in that company, you're going to try to make those connections on LinkedIn, but then you're going to try and turn something that's cold into something that's warm.” – Rob Barnett · [13:06]   Rob Barnett: Yes. I think people are obsessed with algorithms now. And there's this belief that if I just write the phrase data analysis three times on my resume, it's going to get magically found by the system and then it's going to end up on the desk of the chief executive at that company. I'm much less concerned about being found by a robot as I'm concerned about finding people who can make the introduction that's needed, the warm introduction between myself the candidate and that hiring manager. And whatever it takes to do that… I mean, yes, you might… If you don't know people, as you say, you're going to try to make those connections on LinkedIn, but then you're going to try and turn something that's cold into something that's warm.   Rob Barnett: Maybe it's a simple request to somebody else who works at the company. And you say, “Look, I'm applying for a job there. If you have a minute… You probably don't have 20 minutes to talk, but I've got three questions to ask you on an email that would be so helpful to give me a shot at getting this job.” Then ask three probing questions. When you've got those answers, you can now say, “I connected with so-and-so at the company, and I understand that X, Y, and Z. You've got to get into the dialogue some way with people who work there, because if you're just wishing that you're going to be discovered by a robot, I don't like those odds.   Will Barron: I love it. I agree. And clearly you're the expert here, but you're mirroring my experience getting into medical device sales, which was extremely competitive at the time. And I'm sure it's even more competitive right now. My approach of all of this was, if I'm filling in an online form, if I'm sending off a resume, CV, I've failed. I'm now just a needle in the haystack, as you described it here, Rob. So, perhaps you can critique some of the way… In fact, even better. Let's go one step further, Rob. Let's say salesman.org, the training product, the podcasts, the advertising, everything goes to complete shit. Everything is dried up, and I've got a mortgage to pay, we've got a commercial mortgage to pay on this building, we've got staff to pay. I'm going to have to, just maybe for a year, two years, whatever it is, I'm going to have to go back and get a sales job, Rob.   How to Stand Out When Applying for an Extremely Competitive Job · [15:50]   Will Barron: And let's narrow it down. I want to go back to medical device sales. So, there's only a handful of companies that I want to be involved in, because I enjoy the product services and I want to sell those. And perhaps that's a conversation for later on of whether we should settle, whether we should go for the job that we really want. We'll touch on that at the end of the show. What do I need to do, Rob? If there's four companies that I want to work for, do I need to start courting these managers now before I want the job, or am I waiting for a job opening to appear? What do I do if I want to move into this very competitive space?   Rob Barnett: Oh, this is such a great question. There's so many things packed into this, that I'm going to try, in this bald head, to not forget at least three things that you opened up. The first thing I heard you open up is that you've had this background. Like, my neighbour does, right here in the great state of New Jersey, in medical equipment, right? That's been your background. So, the first thing you said to me, as a head hunter, gave me two big thumbs up, which is you're going back where your expertise lies. That's great. Then the second thing that you opened up in my mind is, do I start trying to warm those contacts up whether or not there is an opening there so that I'm warm for a future opening? Or do I wait until there's an actual job? I love this question. This question comes up all the time and I've actually changed my answer during COVID.   Rob Barnett: My answer now, with all of us having one of the hardest, if not the hardest, times of our lives is that I've been counselling clients to drop the whole, “Can we meet? Can we chat? Can we have coffee? I'm a friend of so-and-so, they told me to call you.” The end result of almost all of those conversations when there isn't an opening is, “Will, you sound like a great guy. Listen, I don't have anything now.” Say it with me, “But I will definitely keep you in mind if there's an opening.” I think it's a much better move, during the dark times, to wait. Wait until you know there's an opening and pounce then, because now there's a real cadence to this thing. It's really specific, it's on. But it raises the third and final thing I wanted to share in this answer.   Rob Barnett: There's a conspiracy theory in people's minds about jobs, and I hear it every day, and I am here to shoot this conspiracy theory down. People say, “Well, job listings are bullshit. You're never really going to know if there really is a job or not. The company's not going to list the job. They're just going to hire somebody internally.” I'm the guy to say not true. Not true. My experience is that when a job becomes real, that company must post the job, and even if they know they're going to hire Will anyway, they've got to go through the motions of putting that job up online so that other candidates can come in. So, I just want to say that this whole conspiracy theory about job listings are bullshit. No, they're there. And then at that moment when the job is listed, that's the time to pounce.   The Secret Source to Finding the Right Jobs Online · [19:30]    Will Barron: Is there any secret source to finding these job listings or especially when we talk more about the enterprise side of things, large businesses as opposed to small, medium size companies. Did they all go on monster.com? Did they all end up on these job sites? Is there anything else that we need to do or is it okay just to monitor those websites?   Rob Barnett: Yes. I think that this is a important piece of the conversation. A targeted company search is really going to say, look, in your example, there are only these medical device companies where I will logically land. Therefore, I'm going to go on all those company sites, I'm going to set up alerts, I'm going to set up Google alerts. I'm going to go on LinkedIn, I'm going to set up job alerts for those specific companies so that the moment anyone on my targeted list is looking, I'm pouncing.   Is Now (Post Pandemic) A Good Time to Quit Your Current Job and Risk Going After the Job of Your Dreams? · [20:36]   Will Barron: What happens? This is going to be massively subjective, right? But what happens if we're working… Right now, as we record this, hopefully coming out of the global pandemic, especially the UK, the US, Europe, and other parts of the world where the vaccines are being rolled out, right? So, hopefully, there's an end insight for some of us that are fortunate. What do we do, Rob, if we're in a role and we're like, “Right, I hate this freaking job. This job sucks.” But it's a terrible time to try and change careers, change jobs, change positions right now. Say we've took your advice, Rob. We've set up notifications on LinkedIn, we're monitoring these job sites, even if we've somewhat automated it, we're not checking every day, but something crops up. It's a medical advice company that we've always aspired to work towards, they have the best products. We've been competing against them, Rob. We've been competing against them and they kick our ass every time because they have the best products. We want to work there. Is now a good time to risk moving from one job to another? Is there ever a good time to do it? What I'm saying is, is there a big enough upside to risk kind of making these kind of moves right now? Or is it time that we kind of rest on our laurels and just suck it up and get on with it?   Rob Barnett: Wow. What a great question. I think that I came up with a simple little trick in my brain, in my long 40 plus years of working somewhere. The device is called the alarm. And when the alarm goes off in the morning, whether it's 5:30, 6:00, 6:30, 7:00, whenever you like, there's that moment in your mind between sleep and full consciousness where you have this sort of gut feeling, do I want to get up and go to this fricking job or not? And if you start waking and having those bad, bad feelings that say, “I don't want this day to happen, I don't want this job,” then that's the deepest message your subconscious can possibly give you that you are not in the right spot. Now, your next question is, what happens if unemployment is raging? What happens if, God forbid, another virus hits us? I mean, would I take the risk of leaving what appears to be secure for something that I'm craving in my aortic muscles which says there's got to be something better out there? Depends on your level of risk.   “Carefully obey what your subconscious is telling you. If there's something better out there then go for it, but go for it without blowing what you've got. Because if you've got something that's keeping the roof over your head, even though you secretly wish you shouldn't be there, then carefully spend some time trying to better your situation. And let's face it, you're certainly more hireable when you're in a job than you are when you're on your butt because your value is greater” – Rob Barnett · [23:34]    Rob Barnett: You're talking to a risk taker. I've taken risks my whole life, I would say yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Carefully obey what your subconscious is telling you, which is there's something better out there and go for it, but go for it without blowing what you've got, right? Because if you've got something that's keeping the roof over your head, even though you secretly wish you shouldn't be there, then carefully, carefully, carefully spend some time trying to better your situation. And let's face it, last point, you're certainly more hireable when you're in a job than you are when you're on your butt.   Will Barron: Yeah.   Rob Barnett: So, your value is greater.   Will Barron: There's two things here that come to mind as I asked that question. And me and you are probably aligned on this. You seem the same. I'm a massive optimist. So, I would hesitate to tell someone to change jobs if they changed jobs 6 months ago, 12 months ago, and they've been job hopping for months on end, or years on end, right? Clearly, the job isn't the issue. It's the fact that you've got shiny object syndrome or you feel the grass is always greener on the other side. I know from data wise, it takes about 6 to 8 months to ramp up a sales rep. And so if you are only in your job for 12 months, you're only just coming around to being trained, informed, and engaging central customers, especially in longer, complex B2B or what I was doing, business to government sales. There is an element of, you've got to hunker down just for a year or two, just to see what the deal actually is.   Will Barron: But I'm a massive optimistic and I'm a massive risk taker as well, Rob. So, I think it was Steve Jobs who said if you do something every day for 60 days and every day you think this is stupid and you hate it, it's time for a change. That's how Steve jobs would frame things up. And someone else said this on the podcast before, of if something isn't… You should eliminate yeses, and you should only do no and hells yes. If there's something in between, it's not a good fit for you. And you should say no to it. So, clearly, I massively appreciate this and I know you do as well, and that's if you've got a job, you've got responsibilities, there's kids, there's mortgage, wherever it is, at some points in all our lives, we've just got to get our head down and get through them.   Will Barron: But with that not on the table, or you've got a bit of cash in an emergency fund, or you've got a bit of savings, I would encourage people that life is so short that you have to be pushing towards… Not necessarily your dream job, because I want to be a Formula 1 racing car driver. That's never going to happen. But maybe I could do ad sales for the F1 and spend a load of time with the teams and that side of things. So, anything else to add on that point, Rob, before we move on, on this idea of aspiring for more with our careers and our jobs?   Rob Barnett: Well, for us, the most important chapter in our book is chapter four. It's called your north star. And because life is too short, I believe that there is an actual logical way to answer the deepest question most people have in their career, which is, I know what's in my heart, I know what I want to do. Can I do it? Can I be a ballerina? No, I'm just kidding.   Will Barron: I believe in you, Rob, I believe in you, mate.   Rob Barnett: Yes. I can! So, we try to encourage people, as much as possible, to go through this three step process in answering the greatest question of all, which is… You called it the dream job, I just call it the north star. Can I have it? Can I really have what I want? The first question that you ask yourself is a spiritual one. It's in your heart. It says, “Look, what do I really want to be doing? If I'm going to be spending 8, 9, 10, 12, for me, sometimes too many more hours a day doing this thing, am I allowed to do the thing I love?” The answer to that question should always be yes. But now the next question is, can you do it? Can you do it? Because these awful people come into your brain next, I call them the no police. They're going to give you a million reasons why you can't be a ballerina, you stupid idiot.   “The most important step in figuring out whether you can have the job that you want the most is about proving it. And proving it gets us right back to the damn resume and the damn LinkedIn. There has to be enough R&R, recency and repetition. So, recency and repetition that you've done this job not just once, but you've done it recently and repeatedly in order to make the entire pitch credible.” – Rob Barnett · [28:31]    Rob Barnett: Well, the second step, once you have this feeling of what you know in your heart, the second step is much more logical. You've got to go into your brain and say, am I truly great at doing this? As much self-awareness as I've got, am I truly great at doing this? Is this one of my superpowers or is it just a vague notion? Is it a wish? Is there some evidence that I've done this before? The third and final step in figuring out whether you can have the job that you want the most, is about proving it. And proving it gets us right back to the damn resume and the damn LinkedIn. There has to be enough R&R, recency and relevancy. Sorry, recency and repetition. That R&R. Recency and repetition, that you've done this job not just once, but you've done it recently and repeatedly in order to make the entire pitch credible, right?   “I hate the phrase, “I have transferable skills.” That's a no-no. That's saying, “Trust me, I can do it even though I haven't really done it.” I don't think people should use that phrase in an interview. If I ask you a hard question about whether or not you've been a ballerina and the answer is no, then the answer in that interview should be no.” – Rob Barnett · [29:37]    Rob Barnett: The first part of the pitch is the easiest. You know you're going to sound great going for this job because it's what you love. The second is where all your confidence lives. It's, look, I know I can do this. I am a ballerina. And then the third. The third is you got to prove it. You got to prove it. There's got to be real clear evidence. I hate the phrase, by the way, going for jobs, I hate the phrase, “I have transferable skills.” That's a no-no. That's saying, “Trust me, I can do it even though I haven't really done it.” I don't think people should use that phrase in an interview. If I ask you a hard question about whether or not you've been a ballerina and the answer is no, then the answer in that interview should be no.   How to Get as Close as Possible to Your Aspirational Job · [30:06]    Will Barron: What do you say, Rob? Because everything you just said is logical, makes total sense, and a lot of aspirational jobs, dream roles, I imagine… And you can tell me if I'm wrong here, say like I did want to work in the F1. Well, I would probably start some kind of F1 podcast, which would allow me to network with people in the space and I'm suited to podcasting, so that would be my kind of way in and format. I might build an audience, and maybe that'll get me in a few meetings and in a few conversations. So, what I'm saying is, perhaps with these more aspirational roles, these dream roles, if we don't have the experience, we need to do this extracurricularly, and do this out of office hours over the course of maybe even a few years before we even get the opportunity to have conversations about jobs and roles. Am I right on the right tracks with that so far?   “I'm a big believer in something that I'm simply calling the straight line theory. It means that if you know where you want to end up, if you know you want to be the most famous actor in all of Hollywood, then you actually shouldn't be working as a tax accountant on the side, you should be figuring out how to work in accounting on a film set, right? Because that will eventually lead you in a straight line to the secret role of being an actor, right? You've got to be around those people. I just don't believe that it's a good idea to say, “Well, I've got to make money. I've got to keep a roof over my head, so I'm doing this thing that has absolutely nothing to do with what my soul really wants to do.” – Rob Barnett · [31:13]    Rob Barnett: Yes, and, as they say in improv comedy. Yes, and. Because one way of doing it, as you say, is on your off hours, right? That you're going to spend time on the weekends figuring out how to get into that industry. But I also am a big believer in something that I'm simply calling the straight line theory. It means that if you know where you want to end up, if you know you want to be the most famous actor in all of Hollywood, then you actually shouldn't be working as a tax accountant on the side, you should be figuring out how to work in accounting on a film set, right? Because that will eventually lead you in a straight line to the secret, secret role of being an actor, right? You've got to be around those people. I just don't believe that it's a good idea to say, “Well, I've got to make money. I've got to keep a roof over my head, so I'm doing this thing that has absolutely nothing to do with what my soul really wants to do.”   Rob Barnett: I think it's better to take less money in a lower job title working in that correct lane and betting on yourself and saying, “Look, I'm not ready to have the job that I really want as far as title and money goes. But if I get there for a year and show them all that I'm worthy, I'll move up.” But now I'm moving up in the right straight line and I'm not seven countries away.   Will Barron: I agree. And so I might… Just about to decimate my audience and ruin my own business, but a lot of people fall into sales roles. Various few people, when they're young, go, “Hey, I want to sell accounting software to accountants.” It doesn't happen, right? We all want to be… I mentioned… Maybe there's Freudian going on. “Oh, it's because the F1 season's just about to start. The Formula 1. That's why it's obviously top of mind.” But when I'm a kid, I wanted to be a jet fighter pilot and I was too tall, I'm 6 foot 3. I would literally not fit in the jet. So, that was written off. The RAF was written out of my life. And then similarly with Formula 1 and professional racing, you have to start when you're like three in a go-kart. And I was only having these conclusions when I was 13, 14, 15, thinking about careers. So, that was totally out of the… Not necessarily out of the picture, but the highest level is out of the picture.   Is It Possible to Start From the Bottom and Make it to the Top in Today’s Job Environment? · [33:40]    Will Barron: So, you've answered the question I was going to ask you, which was, what do we do when our dream job says that they want to have experience and we don't have the experience? You get in an adjacent role, you get in the organisation, you hustle and bustle kind of your way to get a grain of experience, which then you can expand on over time. But final thing I want to ask you, Rob, and again, especially when we're dealing with perhaps the enterprise here, large organisations, is it still possible to work your way up, like seemingly you used to be able to do 20, 30 years ago where you start in the mail room and you work hard and you end up the CEO and your story's told on the front of Time magazine. Is that career progression within large organisations, and smaller organisations, whatever it is, is it still possible? Is that mobility available to people? Because I see less and less people that I engage with, even kind of the leadership that I engage with within these organisations as well, less and less people are staying companies for 10, 20 years. Everyone seems to be jumping around more often than not.   Rob Barnett: Yes. There's no question that the average amount of years in a job has lessened over time. I think we all have DNA in ourselves from our parents and our grandparents that have this rule that you're supposed to get somewhere and stay somewhere for as long as possible. That's the one thing that drives most of my readers and my clients crazy, is this terrible feeling that the job just isn't going to last more than a few years. I believe that, if it still is your true desire to stay put, it can last longer, but only if you're willing to accept something that upset me greatly when I first learned it. I was working in this really cool job long time ago at MTV when it was the new, new thing and it was the coolest place in the world. And we just felt like we were on top of the world when we worked there. That's how it looked like from the outside.   Rob Barnett: From the inside, people used to say, you know what it's really like working here? It's like going out with the hottest looking person on earth that treats you like shit. That's what people used to say. And what that really meant is that, like most companies, it had its fair share of politics, internal politics, right? She said, he said, they said. Why can't I do this? And so this guy took me out to a meal in my early weeks working there, and he said, “Look, I'm going to give you a little lesson. You better learn this. Half of the time you're going to spend here is doing the actual work that you've been hired to do. The other half of the time is going to be spent focusing on the people and all the relationships to keep them as strong as they can possibly be politically. Because if not, you're never going to make it here.”   Rob Barnett: And I hated the whole sound of office politics. It just was disgusting to me. But I think that over time, I've realised that unfortunately half of our mind has to be based on, are Will and Rob getting along or are they secretly hating each other? And if they're secretly hating each other, we've got a choice, right? We're going to have to figure out how to fix it and reset this thing, or it's just a matter of time and it's going to go south. So, so much of the reason, I think, why jobs don't last is because I secretly did something 15 minutes ago in this interview that pissed you off, and then we're never going to talk about it. But it's there, it's real, it happened. And then if you're my boss, it's going to lead to my demise.   Will Barron: I love this. I love you being so frank and open about it. I've talked about it on the podcast in the past. My biggest flaw in all the medical device sales roles I've been in, wasn't the ability to sell, it wasn't the ability to hit quota, it wasn't the ability to have customers that liked me and wanted me to return and be in the operating room with them. There's a low [inaudible 00:38:15] here. I would spend every Friday from like 1:00, 2:00 till 7:00, 8:00 PM in the… And just be chilling, hanging out with surgeons, having a great time, and they were my best customer. And one of the biggest accounts for this, the last company that I worked for, my issue was my internal stakeholders. My boss thought I was a bit of an idiot.   Will Barron: I don't know, whether he thought I was thick or just not… How to describe it? I didn't do very well with taking criticism, in which I would not complain, shout, bitch, moan. I would just sit there and just go… And basically let it ping off me and ignore me. Now, this led to issues with the sales manager and eventually the national sales manager, because they both were trying to tell me off for things. And they thought nothing was sinking in and nothing was going through, when really I was taking what they said on board and processing it and improving my game and improving myself. But I give them just so little feedback that they were getting stressed out about, they were questioning their own managerial skills because they thought they weren't getting anywhere with me.   Will Barron: And it was only on the exit interview that the national sales manager, he massively shifted. And he was like, “Hey, Will, I'm so excited that you're starting in the company. I'm really proud of you. I've always wanted to start a business, but I've never had the… I've never had the nuts to do it myself. We're all dead happy for you.” And I was like, “You've got any feedback for me?” Because this was a shock. We'd gone from this relationship of them basically telling me off all the time, even though I thought I was doing the right thing, I was hitting my target. My customers liked me. And I said, “What feedback have you got?” And he's like, “Just be a little bit more open and allow a bit more of conversation about when we're engaging with you. Don't take things personally.”   How to Handle Internal and External Politics When Trying to Move Up the Corporate Ladder · [40:50]    Will Barron: Now, if he would've maybe had been a better manager and told me this three years prior so I could've actioned it, that would've helped me. If I'd been less stubborn and thick and seen it coming and had more self-awareness, I would've had a better relationship with them. But all my stresses in that last sales job with the internal politics of sales management, sales leadership being on my back, the things that didn't exist, because I was always hitting target and my customers were always happy. And so I engineered this problem into myself and I would've never had career progression in that company because the layer above me thought I was a great salesperson… I'm assuming they thought I was a great salesperson, but they didn't think I was the… They didn't think I was leadership material because, again, I didn't have that ability to look inside, see what the problem was, and make shifts on it. So, I've talked about this on the podcast before, but I think that's so valuable to just to have this understanding that, especially in sales, you've got internal stakeholders and they're just as important as your external ones aren't they?   Rob Barnett: It's amazing it is. And you know, it's this tiny little mistakes that may or may not have happened in actuality that are perceived to be great offences. But if they're never discussed, they can create the end of a job. I wrote about this in the book. There was a time when I had to send a message to my boss, and I had a longstanding relationship with the manager above her. It's an old friend. We're all friendly, right? So, when I sent the message, I sent it to my boss and I copied the big boss. Well, like you said, it was maybe only about a year or two later that I found out this person was hating me. They were hating me because they thought that I was trying to do some kind of backstabbing kind of thing. There was no ill will in what I did. It was just a mistake. It was a mistake. Well, I definitely shouldn't have done it. It ended up getting me fired.   Rob Barnett: But it was that small thing that, left out of conversation, turns into something much, much bigger. So, the last point on it is, if you're working for a manager that's been terrible at giving you feedback, if you know you should have had an annual review and it's been a year and four months and you never have the review, I think we all have to ask management for a check-in. We have to say, “Hey, would it be possible?” No agenda. “No, I'm not leaving. I'm not quitting. I'm not bugging you for a raise. Can we just get together next Thursday? I want to just make sure I'm on track,” right? Just a check-in because that'll save you from oblivion sometimes.   Will Barron: Yeah. And look, these people are your assets and on your side, hopefully, when you do change roles. If you leave on great terms, maybe there is references, maybe they can post on your LinkedIn page, which we didn't even get to. We didn't even get to other strategic LinkedIn stuff.   Rob Barnett: Oh, we didn't get to that stuff.   Why You Need to Ask for Reviews and Recommendations From Your Former Managers · [43:16]    Will Barron: We'll have you back on in the future, Rob, to dive into all this in more detail. But even I know I've done load of deals on the back of a few quotes and references from previous customers. There's no reason why you couldn't get quotes, references, something like that from a manager that you've got a great relationship with. And look, if your sales manager puts together a quote, a 15 second video saying, “Hey, this sales rep has done this, this, and this. They're reliable. They're this, they that.” That must have massive impact if we can include this on our outreach to a potential hiring manager, is that right?   “It's easier to ask for a recommendation on LinkedIn from a great former colleague than it is to ask to borrow money, but the recommendation, which most goodhearted people are willing to give, can go a long way at making you more money.” – Rob Barnett · [44:05]    Rob Barnett: It has a great deal of impact on future customers when they hear it not from you, but from people that have great regard for the work that you've done. It's so important. I said someplace in the book, it's easier to ask for a recommendation on LinkedIn from a great former colleague than it is to ask to borrow money, but the recommendation, which most goodhearted people are willing to give, can go a long way at making you more money. It really does. It helps tremendously. There's a lot of people that don't even use those on LinkedIn, but it's very, very important. And one last trick about it, too, since you asked, if you and I worked for somebody 10 years ago and we had a great, great successful experience, if that person writes the recommendation for you today on LinkedIn, it populates with today's date. So, it's the most current thing that anyone will see on your profile, even though the goodness happened 10 years ago.   Parting Thoughts · [44:10]   Will Barron: Love it. Oh, that's super practical. I enjoyed that. Rob. That's a great way to wrap up this episode. With that, mate, tell us where we can find… We've alluded to it, but tell us what we can find more about you and of course the book as well.   Rob Barnett: Yes. Thank you. Well, all the voodoo that we do is at robbarnettmedia.com. There's a link for the book there as well. The book is called Next Job, Best Job: A Headhunter's 11 Strategies to Get Hired Now. And you can buy it everywhere that you buy a book. Either hardcover, E-book or the audio coming out of my big fat mouth.   Will Barron: Amazing. Are you doing… Or have you done the audiobook yourself?   Rob Barnett: Yes, sir.   Will Barron: I love it. Well, congratulations, because I hate getting a book, especially someone as charismatic and as entertaining as yourself, and you get it an audiobook and then it's some professional speaker who you've not really got that relationship with. So, that'll be amazing. I'll check out the audiobook as well myself. And with that, Rob, I want to thank you for your time, your insights. [inaudible 00:46:05] just mention the show notes over at salesman.org. And I want to thank you again for joining us on the Salesman Podcast.   Rob Barnett: Thank you so much, Will, it's really great to talk to you.

A good sales pitch makes all the difference between a failed deal and a closed deal. That's why it's such a massive part of the selling process. A sales pitch is your attempt at selling your product or service. It should ideally be a persuasive and engaging speech that communicates the value of your offering and encourages the customer to put down their money. But what makes an effective, winning sales pitch is the million-dollar question. This Salesman.org article will dive into the fundamentals of a sales pitch and discuss the best sales pitch examples and tips to set up sales reps for selling success. What Is a Sales Pitch? A sales pitch is a super brief sales presentation explaining how your business will benefit the prospect. It should be compelling enough to convince the prospect about your product's superiority and persuade them to engage in business with you. A good sales pitch can be anything—a script you go through on a call, a traditional presentation in front of decision-makers, or a two-minute elevator speech for networking opportunities. How To Write a Good Sales Pitch The idea behind delivering a sales pitch is to connect with potential buyers. While every salesperson needs to be unique to make an impact, all the best sales pitch examples has three main components. A) Hook Your hook should capture your prospect's attention, whether it's your email subject or the opening line of your cold call. Think strong, impactful, and attention-grabbing. A strong hook is fundamental for a sales reps pitch because if you don't have the attention of the prospect, how are you going to influence them? Here are a few ideas for writing the perfect hook for your sales pitch: Cut to the chase (“I want to get straight to the point and share… “) Ask a question (“Does the idea of increasing your revenue by X% sound appealing to you “) Reference a shared connection (“Saw your LinkedIn post talking about how Mr. X's ideas influenced your decision-making”) Share a data point (“Did you know that X% of CEOs) Mention a recent interaction (“I loved hearing your thoughts at the ABC convention”) B) Context The context of your sales pitch gives the prospect an enticing value proposition. After delivering a hook that gets the prospect's attention, tell them why you've contacted them and explain what your product can do for them. Here are a few essential context tips: Speak about your product or service plainly—leave out any marketing or overly technical jargon Use data, market research, customer stories, or case studies to have the buyer continue engaging with you Tie the benefits from the previous bullet to your prospect's goals and objectives, explaining how they'll personally benefit if they respond to your request C) Call-to-action (CTA) Add a clear next step the prospect can take to close your sales pitch. For example, include a strong call to action that pushes the prospect to do what you want them to do, such as calling you back or responding with availability. Often if you've covered the bases and kept your sales pitch short, focused on the prospect rather than your own sales process and you've generated social proof, then the CTA is seamless. Below are a few examples you can use: Does it make sense to connect for 15 minutes this week? What's the best way to connect on this? Are you up for a 15-minute chat next week? When is a good time to chat about this more? Would you be open to a call to learn more about our product? Do you have any availability next Wednesday for a brief chat? 5 Good Sales Pitch Examples and Ideas for Inspiration Securing high-quality leads is hard work, but converting those hard-earned leads into a closed sale is even more challenging. To make your sales job slightly more straightforward, here are the five best sales pitch tips that effectively convey value and get you from successful sales pitch to commission bonus in your pocket. . Sales Pitch Tip 1: Be Direct and Concise Concise and direct sales pitches are more effective than a long, draggy ramble for many reasons. The prospect is more likely to listen to your whole pitch if you highlight and explain 2-3 key product features instead of a summary of everything your product can do. Also, you get your point across faster and more efficiently, allowing you to take the sales conversation forward with the prospect. Remember, the prospect is only interested in what your product can do for them. So put the spotlight on precisely that. Example: Adam Goldstein's Two-Line Pitch “Hey, we can lower your distribution costs. Let me know who to talk to. ”  That's it. That's what Adam Goldstein, CEO and co-founder of Hipmunk (now Concur Hipmunk), pitched to the CEO of United Airlines and got a response within 15 minutes. This business sales pitch example shows you only need the right words—no matter how few—to make an impact. Sales Pitch Tip 2: Use Your Brand Story Facts tell, but stories sell. That's why compelling storytelling is such a vast foundation of your sales pitch. Use the power of storytelling in your pitches to single out your product from your competitors. Instead of reading out specifications, set a narrative around your product and service and tell your story. Example: LISNR's Origin Story “In 2012, one single belief brought LISNR's founders together: ultrasonic audio is better. These individuals understood the growing need for a device- and platform-independent solution for sending short communication back and forth at the software level. They believed that companies shouldn't have to spend on costly hardware or processes to drive more friction-less and connected experiences.” LISNR uses its origin story to set a narrative and covers two critical aspects: How the organization came into existence What it hopes to accomplish It provides customers more context to the product. It gets them on board that doing business with LISNR will not only solve their pain points (costly hardware and stunted processes) but also contribute to a greater mission and belief system. Sales Pitch Tip 3: Describe Product Benefits—and Not Features Sales professionals often make the common mistake of focusing their sales pitch around the product or service instead of the prospect. Yes, you want to prove your product's superiority, but from the prospect's perspective. Make your sales pitch relevant to your target audience by highlighting the benefits of your product from their context. Address their pain points and explain how your product or service can solve them. Example: G2's Elevator Pitch “G2 is the user-voice platform for people to be able to say how they actually think about the software, and not be told by the analysts, people who don't use it, or the reference from your best customers. You're actually hearing directly from the user and engaging with people who actually use the product.” This sales pitch highlights how the platform can benefit the user and solve a significant pain point: the disconnection between what customers need and what they get. Notice how the pitch excellently expands on the most significant benefit it provides customers—information from real, genuine users—and is still super short. Sales Pitch Tip 4: Incorporate Data—Lots of It Your prospect has probably heard hundreds of sales pitches filled with bold claims. But, unfortunately, these claims start to sound far-fetched after a while, especially if the prospect has made purchases that didn't pay off. You don't want your pitch to add to the numbers. Back your sales pitch up with statistics, case studies, and data to provide credibility to your pitch. Even better if you can visualize as many elements as possible, especially data and stats. When writing your sales script, talk around stats to give more context and details. This will help make the prospect feel they're making the right decision. Example: Tien Tzuo's Zoura Pitch Take a look at a slide from Zoura's sales deck. Zoura provides solutions for businesses to launch and manage their subscription-based services. It's also the leading force behind the subscription economy. Coming back to the slide, instead of claiming that the subscription economy is the future, Tzuo uses eye-opening data points that allow the prospect to draw their own conclusions: the subscription economy is the future. Using stats and case studies in your pitches tells the prospect you're not making empty claims. In addition, it lends the conversation credibility, improving your chances of closing the deal. Sales Pitch Tip 5: Build an Emotional Connection Good sales pitches are all about the customers. But this isn't something that can be achieved through a formal monologue. Your pitch should start a two-way dialogue between you and your prospect. You want to pique interest, trigger emotions, and make them see your value. Even better if you can spark sympathy and compel the prospect to buy your product or service. Example: Brian Walter's WOW, HOW, NOW Framework The WOW, HOW, NOW framework is a very straightforward approach established by Brian Walter, a renowned speaker coach. It goes something like this: WOW – Deliver a short, stimulating statement that makes the prospect go “Wow!” Even a “Huh?” works. HOW – Clarify and expand your previous statement. NOW – End your sales pitch with a specific example of how your offering can help the prospect. Master the Art of Effortless Selling Your sales pitch should help you take the sales conversation forward and build solid relationships with prospects. We hope the over tips and examples help you draft the perfect sales pitch to help you win more deals. Follow the Salesman.org podcast to learn more about how industry leaders pitch their offerings and improve their win rate.

On this week in sales we’ll be looking at; AI on video calls, revenue operation platforms, answering your questions and much more! You'll learn: Sales news: The Emergence Of The Revenue Operations Platform Revenue Operations – they are generally trying to describe a better way to manage the people, process, and technology of growth. https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephendiorio/2021/12/13/the-emergence-of-the-revenue-operations-platform/?sh=b00f83f7aaf2   Unique closes $6M seed for its AI-driven video calls platform aimed at sales teams Unique, a video calls platform that uses AI to teach sales teams how to improve their pitches, has closed a $6 million seed round from a bunch of angel investors. These include Philipp Stauffer (U.S based founder and general partner of Fyrfly Venture Partners) and Daniel Gutenberg. Unique uses AI to analyse customer conversations. The video recordings of these then help sales people work out which parts of their pitch work best. https://techcrunch.com/2021/12/13/unique-closes-6m-seed-for-its-ai-driven-video-calls-platform-aimed-at-sales-teams/   Sales Automation: The Puzzle of Reducing Salespersons’ Workload While Maximizing Profits The sales automation process has 7 stages: Automated guidance: The sales teams get reminders and notes from the sales automation software. Lead management automation lets the sales manager build a more curated list of leads using rules and filters. Communication automation is critical, with everything from sales emails to automated voicemails, appointment scheduling tools, and personal email sequences. Automated data entry: A pre-programmed system automatically fills in sales data such as price, product, and contact information for leads and customers. Automated Research: The AI analyzes data to build and update lead profiles, score leads on their likelihood of winning, and marks possible sale opportunities. Automated activity logging: Important information needs to be logged in real-time. It helps to know how far one has proceeded with a customer. Automated record creation: A sales automation platform can easily create new records and profiles. As a result, sales people are no longer bogged down with time-consuming responsibilities. https://ceoworld.biz/2021/12/11/sales-automation-the-puzzle-of-reducing-salespersons-workload-while-maximizing-profits/   Sales Talent highlights the dangers of long-term working from home for salespeople’s mental health Paul Owen, CEO of UK sales transformation specialist Sales Talent, has raised concerns around the lack of attention being paid to this. “The problem is rarely immediately obvious but, over time, I have serious concerns about the mental wellbeing of work-from-home salespeople. We are extroverts, we feed off interaction with other people – a type of interaction we often don’t receive from prospective clients, so need to find elsewhere. In the office, we have plenty of places to feed the extrovert’s need for connection; at home, we’re alone. Very alone. And that can be very dangerous.” Owen explains the conundrum at the heart of a salesperson’s DNA, saying that most people come into sales because they get on well with others, giving them a high sociability factor. Most good salespeople connect well with 90%+ of people they meet, often 95%+. However, when they start in sales, they fail for much of the time and that 90% is reversed: they might not be disliked by 90%+ of those they meet, but they are usually rejected by them. https://www.newsanyway.com/2021/12/15/sales-talent-highlights-the-dangers-of-long-term-working-from-home-for-salespeoples-mental-health/

Effective selling goes beyond mastering Excel spreadsheets or knowing how to use the latest sales software. Technology can never replace sales skilld. That’s why you must be in tune with your soft and hard selling skills. Many studies and books have attempted to identify what makes a good sales web, but there are no conclusive findings yet. So, having interviewed some of the most prominent names in sales and my own experience, I’ve listed some of the most critical skills for sales executives. You can get some sales skills from on the job training, other important sales skills require an online course or other training instead. But everything listed in this post is achiveble for the average sales representative and they'll help you become a successful salesperson. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, so let’s get started! Soft Sales Skills for Sales Reps Soft skills are informal abilities you learn over the course of your sales career. Generally, it indicates your attitude in performing common sales-related tasks and connecting with other people. A) Strong Communication Communication skills serve as the foundation of building meaningful relationships with both potential new and existing customers. It allows you to set expectations and tactfully discuss your prospect’s pain points and position your offering as the superior solution. What’s more, communication here goes beyond speaking clearly. It also involves: Having excellent writing and presentation skills to interact over email, virtual meetings, social media, and in-person. Communicating effectively throughout the sales cycle—right from cold outreach and follow-up to closing deals. B) Storytelling If you’ve been following our blog, you’ll know I‘m a big advocate for using storytelling to get more deals. Story telling isn't just underrated, it's one of the most important sales skills out there. You'll leverage story telling everywhere from a job interview to strategic prospecting with your biggest opportunities. Selling isn’t just about discussing product features. You must also convince customers these features will solve their problems and benefit them by generating more money or improving processes. Here, a good tip is to tell a story that deeply resonates with your target audience. This will help you supercharge your communication and guarantee your message meets its target. Moreover, compelling storytelling doesn’t only help with face-to-face conversations but also ensures your emails get opened and replied to. C) Critical Thinking Great sales reps have to gather and work through an ocean of data. But simply having access to the data won’t get you anywhere—you also need critical thinking skills to process the information, analyze disparate data, and identify relevant bits of data from the heap. D) Negotiation Knowing how to effectively negotiate and zero on terms that make both you and the prospect happy is a crucial selling skill. It’ll also help you overcome objections during negotiations and develop creative solutions to take your deal towards completion. Aim to create an environment where your prospect and you can set mutual expectations and benefits. E) Time Management You’ll always be under the pressure of closing more deals faster. To ensure you always meet your sales quotas, you have to master the art of managing your time wisely. And while this may look very obvious, many sales reps fail to make the most of their time. Case in point: sales reps spend nearly two-thirds of their time doing non-revenue generating activities. Try to be as efficient and productive as you can. I highly recommend using sophisticated CRMs like HubSpot to monitor key activity metrics and better manage your schedule. Trust me; you’ll see immediate results. Hard Sales Skills for Sales Reps Hard skills are technical and formal abilities you learn from academic institutions, seminars, training courses, and workplaces. Role-critical skills specialized for carrying out a specific function also fall under this category. A) Active Listening In addition to knowing how to speak concisely and clearly, you should also know when to shut up. Listening is equally essential in sales, as it helps help you understand: where your clients are coming from what are their pain points how to effectively provide solutions for their challenges. Knowing this information will help you successfully execute other stages in the sales process, such as lead qualification and customer-solution matching. B) Product Knowledge The best sales professionals know everything they can about the product or service they sell—how it works, the business value it offers, how it compares to competitors, and why it appeals to their target audience. This will help you write better sales pitches, as well as prepare for every question, objection, or comment a prospect makes. Interestingly, having in-depth knowledge and expertise of the product is what separates the top 1% of sales reps from the rest. Study your product in detail and understand the market trends so you know what your prospect wants, like the back of your hand. Go through product marketing collaterals extensively, sign up for training courses, and ask questions to your superiors and other sales reps. C) Sales Demos and Sales Presentations Giving excellent sales demos and presentations conveys subject mastery and makes it more likely for the prospect to trust you. That’s why you should familiarize yourself with popular presentation software tools, such as PowerPoint, Keynote, Prezi, to make good sales presentations. Work on your presentation and public speaking skills while you’re at it for the best results. D) Knowledge of Common Sales Software and Solutions As a sales professional, you should know how to use popular platforms, software, and tools your organization and competitors use to engage customers and streamline workflows. Learn how to take advantage of various sales tools and sales enablement solutions, whether it’s a CRM, a workplace productivity app, a document management software, or a call intelligence tool. This will simplify the selling process and make it more profitable. Now, you don’t have to be an expert at using sales technology. But you know enough to get the job done quickly. E) Social Media Skills and Social Selling Social selling is more important than ever. We live in a technology-first world today, where social media is turning out to be the most critical tool for sales reps. Use it to oversee your organization’s (and yours) online presence. Implement social media best practices and tricks to engage with prospects on popular social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter—or any other network—that can help bolster your lead generation and sales conversion efforts. Social selling can also be helpful to understand and build better relationships with your prospects. Other Selling Traits to Hone Here are a few more sales skills to ensure your long-standing success. A) Self-Motivation Developing an ambitious and self-motivated mindset will help you work better under pressure, take rejection gracefully, and beat expectations. B) Adaptability Sales is a highly dynamic niche. Customer demographics, tools and technology, customer preferences—everything is changing at an extraordinary speed, and you need to be at the top of it all to succeed. When you’re adaptable, you can easily sail these currents of change easily. Unfortunately, sales professionals that lack a flexible mindset find meeting their quotas a lot harder. C) Goal-Oriented There will always be an ambitious, attainable goal to be reached in sales. Having a goal-oriented outlook will make sure you focus your attention and efforts on achieving—even surpassing—the target. Some of us are born with extraordinary selling abilities. Those who aren’t can put in a little effort and learn these qualities to get on the same level. After all, great sales professionals aren’t just born—they can also be made. Start small by improving your communication and listening abilities, and eventually, you can sign up for sales courses to iron out the technicalities of your sales job. Watch our free sales training webinar and get a head-start in your pursuit to become better at selling.