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SB020 – Down to Earth Sales, an interview with Diana Schneidman

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DianaSchniedman_whitebackground-001Last month I read a fantastic book titled Real Skills, Real Income. It’s written for people looking to start their own business, especially freelance and consulting services. The book teaches how to get your first client in 30 days. In this episode Diana Schneidman shares her insights on sales and business.

Want to receive a free copy of Diana’s new book Real Skills Real Income, A proven marketing system to land well-paid freelance and consulting work in 30 days or less?  Click the link below now!

Go to www.salesbabble.com/contest

In This Sales Episode

We talk about

  • Cold Calling
  • Freelancing and Consulting
  • Copywriting
  • How women can be successful in modern sales

Right-click here to download the MP3

Items of Interest

Diana’s blog, Stand Up 8 Times, can be found here.

Again if you want to receive copy of Diana’s new book go to www.salesbabble.com/contest
fill in your name and I’ll forward the information to Diana.

Breakthrough in Sales

Listen to Diana’s advice on cold calling. She said two things, first she does her cold calls first thing  in the morning. And she may call  an existing client to get herself in a good mood.

Second she doesn’t view cold calling as cold at all. She’s calling to warmly offer her help. She also shared that over time she finds the calls easier than real work! How funny is that.

Why don’t try this for a week? Get your list together for tomorrow morning. Make your calls. Repeat for 5 days.

Housekeeping

I’m going to stick to publishing on Tuesdays. So expect a new podcast every Tuesday, most likely late mornings on Central time.

This weekend, August 15-17th, I’ll be attending the very first Podcast Movement conference in Dallas Texas. My goal is to raise the quality of these podcasts and to make great connections. If you’re attending let’s connect!

Thanks for stopping by and spending a moment here at Sales Babble.
I really appreciate your support and sharing what we do with others. If you would like to share the love AND you’re on Twitter, click here.

Been wondering what Sales Babble is all about? Start here.

We can teach you a selling style that fits your personality and works!

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Powerful  Presentations and Demos that Persuade

Theatre

Consider the  product or service you’re selling today. It beats the competition hands down, doesn’t it?  If not why would you be selling it.

Yet what you know is true  and what your prospective customer  “thinks” is true,  are two different  things.  Sales  is not  a process of order taking. It’s about influence.

 

Demos that Delight and Direct Desire

You’re excited about a technology and pumped to show off  all its bells and whistles. You want to serve the audience and make sure no stone is unturned.  It’s taken a lot of work to get this meeting and you’re ready to give  an epic demo. Yet nothing could be farther from the desires of the client.

Your  audience has time constraints. And they have criteria they’re using to compare vendors. You may have all day, but they don’t! Given the time limits of a two hour demonstration, care must be taken to ensure you showcase the highlights wisely.

Audiences get bored easily! So how do you overcome this in an attention deficit world? 

Consider the  Demo Theatre

Since you can’t show it all, give the impression you can do it all.  At the beginning of the meeting, ask the audience for a list of items they want demonstrated.  Use this list to guide the demonstration.  Focus on features that add value to their business. Focus on features that put your product in the best light.

You may have some cool innovation that blows away the competition. But if your audience isn’t in the market place for that innovation, they don’t care! Save that for the end of the meeting.

A List That Guides the Demo

One by one, click off items on the list. When first starting, demonstrate  how your product addresses their need in great detail. Show theList Clip Boardm the user functionality, how the process is addressed and the resulting outcome. Answer their questions simply and completely.  Guide the conversation but keep reminding the client, it’s their list.

Tell stories how the technology works. Make a show of each scenario you demonstrate.  Create context. This is more fun for you and more interesting for the audience.

As time runs out, they’ll  be asking:  “Can you do this? Can you do that?”   Now that you’ve earned credibility you can  answer without the need to demonstrate details.

What you’ve created is the sense you can do it all!

Leaving a Great Impression

Again you can’t show it all. But assuming you have a great product, demo  in a manner that gives the impression you can meet most needs and desires. By using  their  list to drive the demo, you give the client the illusion they’re running the meeting.

In reality, you’re controlling the sale.

Know the market. Have all the questions in your hand. Play the cards as the questions arise. Win the deal with confidence, clarity and panache.

 

Want to learn a selling style that fits your personality and works?  Click here!

 

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SB019 | Skyrocket your Retail Sales, an Interview with Nicole Reyhle

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Nicole Reyhle-4In this episode we talk about  sales in the context of Retail and surprisingly,  it’s not that different than sales in other industries. We even talk about hiring and working trade-shows.

Nicole Leinbach Reyhle is the Founder & Publisher of Retail Minded, an international publication, website and destination for independent retailers privately owned small businesses. Additionally, Reyhle is the Co-Founder of the Independent Retailer Conference, and has been a sales professional for Adidas, Sears, Franco Sarto Footwear, and Nordstroms among others. Nicole serves as a spokesperson and adviser for Small Business Saturday, a nationally recognized day occurring the Saturday after the American Thanksgiving holiday that supports small businesses.

 

Right-click here to download the MP3

In This Sales Episode

In this podcast we talk about:

  • Consumers often have more insight in retail products than in the past
  • Often times consumers have more data on products than sellers
  • Effective sales associates deliver a superb sales experience
  • The power of a Store story: what gave birth to the store
  • You can’t rely on your own taste to understand what to sell , you must rely on the real boss, your customer
  • When hiring sellers, look beyond your immediate circle. Look for people who compliment your weaknesses.
  • Do two to three interviews before hiring any one associate
  • Great sales candidates are great listeners. They can read between the lines.
  • Great candidates are nice yet assertive
  • When attending trade-shows its important to  understand your market
  • For shy folks, bring a wingman to ease conversation
  • Brick and mortar businesses should leverage social media . The selling never ends.

Items of Interest

In this podcast we mentioned the following resources:

Nicole has kindly offered to give all Sales Babblers a free 1 year digital subscription to Retail Minded.  Go to retailminded.com/subscriptions/

and enter the code SALESBABBLE in all CAPS

Breakthrough in Retail

Consider your presence in social media. Are you leveraging it in your brick and mortar business? Even if  you have a virtual business or if you’re a service provider you can still ask the question, are you utilizing the power of LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook for prospecting and finding clients? If not, you need to start today.
Click here to subscribe to SalesBabble.com

Housekeeping

If you recall two weeks ago we kicked off a contest for Jill Konrath’s book “Agile Selling“.  Today I’d like to announce the winner Odile Faludi from Bond Junction,  Australia .  Congratulations Odile!

Don’t forget to LIKE us on Facebook. Go to www.facebook.com/SalesBabble and join us.

Been wondering what Sales Babble is all about?  Start here.

We can teach you a selling style that fits your personality and works!

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Cold Calling Tips using Jill Kontrath’s Agile Selling #18

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Jill KonrathCold Calling Tips using Jill Konrath’ Agile Selling is just one of the many topics in this episode. Jill is the bestselling author of 2 award-winning books: SNAP Selling (#1 Amazon bestseller) and Selling to Big Companies, a Fortune magazine “must read.”

Subscribe to the Sales Babble Podcast

At the start we discuss her new book AGILE SELLING, Get Up To Speed Quickly In Today’s Ever Changing Sales World   just  released on May 2014. In it, she shows salespeople how to succeed in a constantly changing sales world.

Right-click here to download the MP3

Cold Calling Tips

In this podcast we talk about :

  • The importance of being nimble in an ever changing sales landscape
  • You should never start a sales call with a biography on your organization
  • Always speak to  the prospects issues, not yours
  • How to approach cold calls that intrigue the listener
  • Jill shared a common cold call tip
  • Leverage our existing customers to learn the language of your market
  • The status quo is your primary competitor
  • Entrepreneurs must learn sales before they can hire sales reps.

Items of Interest

In the interview we mentioned  the following resources:

Cold Calling Breakthrough

Cold calling is a task many struggle. From Jill’s coaching are you able  create your own? Share it with us!

I agree with  Jill’s message on life long learning.  Unless you become a student of selling, you will never truly understand the intricacies and the art of  deal making. Like any discipline, sales professionals, business owners and managers should  be growing their skill set  through reading and self study.  Book’s like Agile Selling are a great way to stay on top of your game,

Click here to hear Steve Schiffman’s Cold Calling Techniques.   Compare Steve’s script to Jill’s. What do you think?

Subscribe to the Sales Babble Podcast

 Sales Training

Check out the Selling With Confidence  training for both new and experienced sellers.

You have this tremendous secret that nobody knows. It’s frustrating to see people buy from the competition, yet you KNOW it’s inferior to what you provide. You’ve devoted your whole life into your business. It’s time to let world in, on this secret. And how do you do this?

This is an opportunity for  you to

  • Hone your sales skills,
  • Beef up your persuasion,
  • Grow your influence and
  • build relationships with clients for life.

This is not a time to be shy. Share the secret that your business provides the VERY best.

Learn Sales in 10 days and grow your business.

Contest

Would you like to win a copy of Agile Selling by Jill Konrath?

Enter your name and mailing address(any where in the world, I’ll pick up the postage)  below by July 29th  2014 to  place your name in a raffle  to be  announced on Wednesday July 30th. This is a great book and that discusses the need to be nimble during changing times.

Click here  to enter the contest!

Review Request in iTunes

Did you enjoy this episode? If you’re on this page I’m assuming yes!

I want to make sure I get as many people introduced to this great content as I can. So I would really appreciate it if you could help me with a review on iTunes. It takes just a few minutes and it would really mean a lot to me.

Click here for directions to provide a review in iTunes.

News

This week I had a number of people email me and say how much they look forward to these podcasts.  Thank you for your great support.. With that said I must share with a heavy heart that  I’ll taking some time off next week so there will be no podcast next Wednesday..  Sad I know.  Consider it your opportunity to reach back into the archives and get caught up on some episodes you skipped.

 

 

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SB017 | How Fear Clutters the Sales Process, An Interview with Debbie Ruston

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Debbie RustonDebbie Ruston is  entrepreneur and sales trainer who is taking an active stand for human potential. At her company Success Educator, Debbie provides Entrepreneurial Leadership Education for individuals and groups addressing fears in both the corporate and educational sectors.

In this episode we talk about how to push through fear and take action anyway. We learn how fear may always be part of us, but if you  face it and continue to move forward you will be surprised  how capable you are.

Right-click here to download the MP3

In This Episode Fear

The topics we cover include:

  • Fear is a common experience in sales
  • Professional sellers push through the fear anyway
  • The importance of having passion about your product or service
  • Sellers need to take the leadership roles to service their clients
  • People want to buy, they don’t want to be sold
  • Don’t get attached to the sale, care about the clients and let them decide.
  • Honesty is  truly the best policy, it makes for repeat sales
  • Force vs Flow
  • Trust yourself and your ability to connect with others.

Items of Interest

We also  mentioned  the following resources:

Breakthrough Fear

Consider the things you fear when starting a sale. Then consider the consequences of the deal going poorly vs the deal not happening at all. Hesitation and procrastination are just as likely, if not more likely,  to kill a deal than you saying something wrong. The trick is to be aware of the fear, push through it and take action anyway.

Click here to subscribe to SalesBabble.com

What do you think?

If you recall two weeks ago we kicked off a  contest for Thomas Ellis’s  book How to Close More Sales Today,Tomorrow, and Forever “   Today I’d like to announce that  Sherva Joseph  of Maryland is the winner.  Congratulations!

Did you enjoy this episode?  If you’re on this page I’m assuming yes!   As you know I put a lot of time and effort into these episodes and I want to make sure as many people are introduced to Sales Babble as possible.  Let’s all  make sure and help them become more successful.  So I  would really appreciate  it if you  could help  by adding a  review on iTunes. It  just takes  a few minutes  and would really be appreciated.

Review Sales Babble in iTunes Now!

Been wondering how to get started discovering Sales Babble?  Start here.

We can teach you a selling style that fits your personality and works!

 

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Special Segment Your Hired! An Interview with Job Seeker Tami Miller #16

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This is a special segment interview:  not an expert,  but a client who is a non-seller, learning sales!

Through  serendipity I’ve found myself coaching a number of job seekers this past spring. Interviewing for a job is just another form of sales though most people don’t think of it in those terms.  These job seekers  are truly non-sellers.  A  few months ago we published a post titled All Job Hunters are Sellers  on this very topic.

Job Coaching

So it makes sense to follow up with more help  on Sales Babble. This week we’ve added a  new page dedicated to job and career coaching. On that page we interview one of my former clients. 

Tami miller

Listen to this  interview of a successful coaching client, Tami Miller.

“As a career coach, Pat Helmers is a straight shooter with no room for negative. He encourages you to look beyond your comfort zone and forces you to seek new avenues and the fear of the unknown behind. I am fortunate to have learned and grown through working with Pat.” – Tami Miller

Instead of spending your entire day polishing your resume and submitting it to a black hole website, I believe you should be reaching out to employers as we do in sales. 

Secondly, daily coaching provides the quickest path to success.  Coaching creates a sense of urgency, accountability and treats  the task of getting a job, like a job.   

Click here to find the coaching page

Enter The Contest

Win a copy Thomas’s book “How to Close More Sales Today,Tomorrow, and Forever “  Last week we interviewed Thomas (and by the way, it’s been a real hit due to Thomas’ practical and sound sales advice)  and the contest is still going on for his book.

Enter your name and mailing address(any where in the world, I’ll pick up the postage)  below by July 7th  2014 to  place your name in a raffle  to be  announced on Tuesday July 8th. This is a great book and that discusses the fundamental of sales.

Click here  to enter the contest!

Needs some advice. Have a burning issue you want to talk out?   Contact or call me by clicking here or leave a comment.    I can help!

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Don’t Sweep Objection Handling Under the Rug

Not Objection HandlingDealing with objections is objectionable for  unsavvy sellers!

Objection handling is the ability  to address sticky issues brought up by the prospective buyer. The goal is to somehow provide a satisfactory answer to the buyer’s questions.  It takes preparation to do a good job of this.  But poorly prepared  sellers often avoid topics that may cause the objection to come up. They incorrectly believe avoiding the controversy is the best plan of action.  It’s a  “maybe they won’t notice” mindset. They are in essence, sweeping  the objection under the rug, not understanding  that the objection can only go away if it’s handled and addressed. 

You are far better off shining a bright light on any objection.  By addressing the issues head on, buyers appreciate an authentic and straight response. Knowing the bounds of the solution, they can see if your product or service is indeed a match. If it’s not a match, it’s not a match. In this case the seller has a much better idea of the market needs and gaps in their products. But if all of the questions have been handled honestly, the buyer is much more likely  to see the value you bring.

Professional sellers go out of their way to make sure that ALL the buyer’s questions have been asked and addressed. When their services and products have been thoroughly vetted , closing the deal is just a matter of  asking them to help fill out the paperwork.

Again it’s critical to be prepared for objections and have good answers that place your products and services in the best light. Do your homework and be fearless in taking questions.

Next  if you’re  unsure where to  get started on the Sales Babble website,  click here and learn what we can do to help you close sales today. Click now.

 

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Pleasantly Persistent Sales With Thomas Ellis #15

Thomas Ellis Portrait

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Thomas Ellis PortraitPleasantly Persistent Sales with Thomas Ellis

In this episode we  interview  Thomas Ellis,  a  business sales trainer and coach. Thomas shares his views on “pleasantly persistent sales” .   He believes tenacity and persistence are a must to close  sales, while at  the time sellers must be both patient and pleasant.

Right-click here to download the MP3

In This Episode Pleasantly Persistent Sales

… we talk about pleasantly persistent sales:

  • To focus on creating conversations, and not selling when networking
  • Tactics for starting a conversation when networking
  • How follow-up is the secret sauce
  • Pleasantly Persistent Sales – what it is and how to use it.
  • Meetings are called “chats” or “conversations”
  • How it’s critical to uncover the truly important problems during the conversation
  • Propose solutions you are certain address their most important needs
  • Tell stories of past successes to build credibility
  • Becoming  a Rolodex for your clients

In the interview Thomas said …..

“If you master the basics of sales, you will be wildly successful. “

Items of Interest

….. we  mentioned  the following pleasantly persistent sales resources:

Breakthrough

Next time you’re at a networking event strike up a conversation with a stranger by commenting on the venue and then ask them why they’re attending. Challenge yourself to see how long you can keep the conversation going WITHOUT talking about yourself.   Over time they may self identify as a prospective customer.  Fi that happens you should say ” we should continue this conversation later”, exchange business cards and follow up in three days.  That’s prospecting!

Click here to subscribe to SalesBabble.com

Enter The Contest

Win a copy Thomas’s book “How to Close More Sales Today,Tomorrow, and Forever “

Enter your name and mailing address(any where in the world, I’ll pick up the postage)  below by July 7th  2014 to  place your name in a raffle  to be  announced on Tuesday July 8th. This is a great book and that discusses the fundamental of sales.

Click here  to enter the contest!

If you recall two weeks ago we kicked off a  contest for Bob Rickert’s book Profit Heroes.  and today I’d like to announce that  Ginger Booth of Connecticut is the winner.  Congratulations!

Been wondering what Sales Babble is all about?  Start here.

We can teach you a selling style that fits your personality and works!

 

 

 

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Behind the Scenes Podcast Studio Look

IMG_2427A number of people have  expressed an  interest in a behind the scenes look at the Sales Babble podcast. I’ve created a new page  that shares  a bit about the Studio’s  setup, what it looks like, the equipment used, as well as the configuration.  I’m often complimented on the sound of my podcast.  This is how we do it.

Click here to see the studio!

Podcast Studio

Recording, producing and publishing podcasts has been a VERY rewarding effort. But what we’re most  proud of is the content  we produce at Sales Babble.  This content is deeply dependent on the many fine guests who have agreed to join us on the show.     Thank you guests!

With that said, please don’t forget to enter the contest for Bob Rickert’s “Profit Heroes” book by Monday June 23rd.  It’s a terrific read!

Click here to enter.

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SB014 | Creative Thinking When Selling an Interview with Tony Vengrove

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Tony VengroveCreative Thinking When Selling an Interview with Tony VengroveCreative Thinking in Sales

In this episode we  interview Tony Vengrove to explore the question: how does creativity impact sales?

Tony is the founder  of Miles Finch Innovation a marketing company that removes  barriers that interfere with corporate innovation and creative thinking. He is an idea champion and believes every problem has a solution    With  over 20 years experience  Tony has  worked in world-class New York City ad agencies and Fortune 500 marketing, innovation and R&D organizations.

Tony and I  talk about  creative thinking and ways a sales professional can build  an emotional connection.

Right-click here to download the MP3

In This Selling Episode…..

Tony  mentions the Idea Climate Equation:

  • Idea Climate Equation =creativity ** belief/ logic** doubt

 

  • Visualize the  tension in an organization between logic and creativity
  • The more doubt the less ideas
  • The more creativity the more ideas , and if you believe you’re on the right track for even more ideas!

Items of Interest

These are the two links mentioned in this episode:

Creative Breakthrough

Consider the things you can do to lower doubt and increase possibility. Answer this question:

Have you been thinking out of the box to grow more clients, are have you been doing the same old same old?  

If you answer same old same old, create  a list of 10 innovative ways to engage your clients and get into their heads.

Click here to subscribe to SalesBabble.com

What do you think?

Would you like to win a copy of Profit Heroes by Bob Rickert?   If so click here by June 23rd 2014,

www.salesbabble.com/contest

and I’ll place your name in a raffle  to be  announced on Tuesday June 24th.  This is a great book.  Read it!

Did you enjoy this episode?  If you’re on this page I’m assuming yes!   Please make sure I get as many people introduced to this great content as I can.  So I  would really appreciate  it if you  could help  me with a review on iTunes. It takes just a few minutes  and it  would really mean a lot to Sales Babble.

Click here for directions to provide a review in iTunes.