Takeaways: 

1. Use the Information You Get: Every salesperson has been told they need to ask great questions, but here’s the deal, if you don’t actually listen to the buyer and use the information they give you, what was the point to begin with? Yes, you have to uncover some kind of pain and tie it to a compelling event, but how many times have you made your prospect feel like they’ve wasted their time with you by asking questions they’ve already answered either to you or to an SDR who set the meeting for you? I understand you have an agenda you want to get through, but as Amy says, you have #TwoEarsOneMouth for a reason.
2. Connect the Dots: Salesforce is a place for data, not a place for reps to be successful. I know you have sales stages to update, but forget about them for just a minute. Go ask the last five customers who bought from you what they liked about their sales experience with you. What didn’t they like? Where did they feel there was friction? As you start to understand what your buyers actually want, you can rebuild your sales process to take advantage of the moments they found delightful. Combine that with the first takeaway, and you’re on the verge of getting the keys to the castle.
3. There are No Hacks: It seems like everyone wants and expects immediate success in today's worlds. Yet, I’ve met very few sales reps early in their career that want to actually put in the work. Here’s the reality, if you want to stay in sales for the long haul, you’ve got to realize there aren’t any hacks. You can create efficiencies, but those come from actually doing the work and understanding what you should do more of and what you should abandon. With so much information available to you these days, including podcasts like this, it’s easy to think you know everything. But to truly connect the dots, you need to spend time in the trenches talking to your customers.

Full notes

• https://www.salestuners.com/amy-volas

Book Recommendation

• Top of Mind by John Hall

Sponsor

• Costello - What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.

Here I am.

Halfway around the world, living what most would consider the “experience of a lifetime.” Yet, I’m spending my time thinking about all the things YOU get to do on a daily basis.

Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade this time for anything, but living in a constant state of change does start to wear on you.

As we look to celebrate Thanksgiving this week, I recorded a special solo show about what it means to be happy and what I’m thankful for.

Full Notes

• https://www.salestuners.com/thanksgiving-2018/

Sponsor

• Costello - What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.

Takeaways

1. Change Your Mindset: It is my strong belief that the next generation of great sellers will be subject matter experts that have been taught how to sell, rather than salespeople who learn about a portfolio of products. With information being readily accessible and buyers expecting more every day, you owe it to yourself to become an industry expert. Not in sales, but in the industry you’re selling to. You need to know your buyers' world just as well as they do to be able to communicate why your solution could help solve their problem.
2. Learn the Local Language: Yes, this episode was specific to languages spoken in different countries, but if you think about it, your buyers speak a different language as well. This goes back to the first takeaway, how do they want to be spoken to? What are their expectations for cold outreach? What motivates them? Is there seasonality in their business or their industry? I’m not saying you have to change the way you sell, I’m just saying that if you’re aware of these things it will give you a huge advantage.
3. Build Relationships with Partners: What better way to become an industry expert and learn the “local” language than by building strong relationships with other partners in the space? Think about who else is already successfully selling into your target customer base. What do they know that you don’t? Who could they make introductions to if they trusted you? In my world, I call this a “power circle” and I’m always looking to align with four other companies or sales reps that sell non-competing products into the same market

Full notes

• https://www.salestuners.com/jorge-lana

Sponsor

• Costello - What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.

Takeaways

1. Figure Out the Why First: Nearly everyone you come across knows ‘what’ to do, but do they know ‘why’ to do it? If they know, do you? As you work through building a hook that resonates with your target audience, it’s critical you understand their why. Then, and only then, you can deliver your what in a bite-sized manner they can understand. Your goal is to get them to hear it and say, “hmmm… that’s interesting, tell me more” or “hmmm… how do you do that?”
2. Numbers Only Support a Decision that’s Already Been Made: If you’re using statistics early in your sales process, please stop. Nobody buys things because of the numbers. This may even sound crazy, but nobody even remembers the numbers or statistics you cite. They do, however, remember the way the numbers made them feel. We’ve talked a lot on this show about how the brain works, but it bears repeating, human beings do not make decisions logically. They make them emotionally and then use rationality to justify their decision
3. Determine the One Hill Your Customer is Willing to Die On: What is the deep human need that if not solved will cause your buyer to give up in frustration? Figure it out and make that the bad guy in your sales story. It’s not a competitor. No one really hates another company so much they’re willing to go to war over. It’s something bigger inside of them they know could be better. That’s your job - to identify that desire, where it’s coming from, and why it matters right now

Full Notes

• https://www.salestuners.com/scott-brown

Book Recommendations

• Hamlet by William Shakespeare
• The Righteous Mind by Jonathan Haidt
• Never Split The Difference by Chris Voss

Sponsor

• Costello - What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.

Takeaways

1. Think Big Even If You Start Small: Anyone who’s either lived it before or is living it now knows the truth about being a sales development representative: it’s tough. SDRs are pushed hard, work long hours and go into work every single day knowing they’re going to get rejected over and over again. But, if you can master the art of opening up new opportunities, your career will open up in ways you may never have imagined. The mental toughness of those who persevere, those who thrive, those who live to tell the tale are prepared for anything.
2. Understand Simple Doesn’t Mean Easy: Prospecting is simple, but it’s not easy. The tasks of calling, emailing, and connecting on social media are simple enough on their own. But the actual work and grind of it all is tough. It requires endurance. It means not taking no for an answer. Pushing back when you meet resistance is hard, but you should never be afraid to challenge a person. Dig a little deeper, ask a follow-up question they can’t answer and stay the course.
3. Break the Pattern: Stop and think for a minute. When is the last time you answered that “how are you” question honestly? The thought is there, but the question is stale. Instead, break the pattern by asking “what did I catch you in the middle of?” Whether you’re making calls, you can’t sound like every other salesperson on the planet. Disarm them by coming out of the gate with a strong question, mirroring their tone and taking the time to have a real conversation.

Full Notes

• https://www.salestuners.com/morgan-j-ingram/

Book Recommendation

• The Law of Success by Napoleon Hill

Sponsor

• Costello – What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.