Leveraging Referrals Positively Impacts Productivity with Joanne Black, Ep #190
Release Date: 04/22/2020
Building Relationships and Delivering Value as a Key Account Manager, Ep #501
Sales Reinvented
My guest this week, Josh Curcio, is CRO and partner at Protocol 80, a HubSpot community champion, and experienced strategist for technical B2B companies. We dig into key account management—exploring what differentiates key accounts from regular ones, common mistakes salespeople make when transitioning to account management, and strategies for aligning sales approaches with customers’ business objectives. Josh shares his expertise on stakeholder mapping, the importance of regular check-ins, and actionable tips for building lasting relationships. Tune in for practical advice as he shares how...
info_outline
How to Build Powerful Key Account Plans, Ep #500
Sales Reinvented
Welcome to the 500th episode of the Sales Reinvented Podcast! I’m joined by returning favorite Mark Hunter, also known as "The Sales Hunter." We dig into the world of key account management—unpacking what sets key accounts apart from regular ones and why so many organizations struggle to define them clearly. Mark brings his extensive experience to the conversation, emphasizing that key account management is less about making the sale and more about building relationships, orchestrating resources, and understanding your customer's business as well as they do themselves. You'll hear...
info_outline
Aligning Customer Objectives with Key Account Strategies, Ep#499
Sales Reinvented
Key account management (KAM) is often seen as the pinnacle of business-to-business (B2B) sales, but it’s also one of the most misunderstood areas. The stakes are higher, the relationships more complex, and the rewards, when managed correctly, can be transformative for both supplier and customer. In this episode of the podcast, I welcome Dr. Beth Rogers, former business development practitioner in the IT sector, visiting Fellow at Cranfield School of Management, and researcher in key account management, to shed light on what differentiates key accounts, mistakes salespeople make when...
info_outline
Key Communication Skills That Shorten Sales Cycles Ep #498
Sales Reinvented
This week on the podcast, I’m joined by Andy Bounds, recognized as the UK Sales Trainer of the Year. We’re tackling a topic that I know sales professionals everywhere are going to find useful: how communication can be the accelerator for driving more sales, faster. Andy shares practical, actionable strategies for transforming the way leaders and sales teams engage with customers—shifting the focus from pushing harder or offering discounts to truly connecting, understanding, and delivering memorable value. We dig into common communication missteps that create confusion or...
info_outline
Becoming Ridiculously Easy to Do Business With, Ep 497
Sales Reinvented
This week, I have with me renowned customer experience expert, David Avrin, for a discussion on why being “ridiculously easy to do business with” is now the ultimate sales advantage. David shares insights into how rigid processes and a lack of flexibility often frustrate customers—and how organizations can turn ease and responsiveness into their biggest differentiators. Tune in as we discuss common friction points, explore practical steps for boosting customer satisfaction, and discover the top dos and don’ts every sales team should follow to future-proof their success in...
info_outline
How Top Salespeople Stay Calm and Confident in High-Stakes Situations Ep #496
Sales Reinvented
Pressure is an undeniable reality for anyone in sales. High-stakes meetings, critical pitches, and tough negotiations are daily occurrences. While some thrive, others falter. This week, I’m joined by communication expert, keynote speaker, and bestselling author Dominic Colenso for a conversation on how to excel in high-pressure sales situations. Drawing from his experience as a professional actor and performance coach, Dominic shares why communication often breaks down under pressure, shares practical strategies for staying calm and present, and explains how salespeople can turn...
info_outline
Turning CRM Noise into Results, Ep #495
Sales Reinvented
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms have long been at the heart of sales organizations, promising improved insights and streamlined processes. Yet, as businesses evolved, so did their CRMs, sometimes for better, sometimes not. In this episode of the Sales Reinvented podcast, I was joined by Tim Gale, European new business sales leader at Sugar CRM, to discuss what CRM 3.0 means in an age where information overload is the new normal. You’ll hear why having too much data can actually hurt sales teams, and learn Tim's top strategies for turning CRM insights into meaningful...
info_outline
Go for Gold Every Day, Ep #494
Sales Reinvented
Paralympic gold medalist and renowned keynote speaker Aaron Phipps, and his high-performance coach, Jon Cooper, pull back the curtain on what it really takes to build elite performance, whether in sport or in sales. From honest conversations during lockdown to transforming adversity into high-level achievement, Aaron and Jon share game-changing lessons on teamwork and breaking through mental barriers. They reveal how stepping out of the “expert” role, embracing vulnerability, and constantly pushing boundaries can impact anyone’s performance. Outline of This Episode 00:00 Power of...
info_outline
What Separates Elite Sellers from the Rest, Ep #493
Sales Reinvented
In this episode, I’m joined by renowned sales expert Simon Hazeldine to explore what truly sets elite sales performers apart from the crowd. With over 35 years of experience and a reputation for blending neuroscience, psychology, and practical sales execution, Simon shares research-backed insights on the core habits and mindsets that drive consistent, high-level sales success. We break down the key attributes of elite sellers, from the importance of business intelligence (IQ), emotional intelligence (EQ), and what Simon calls execution intelligence (XQ). Simon also shares the pitfalls of...
info_outline
The Telephone Assassin’s Formula for Sales Success, Ep #492
Sales Reinvented
Anthony Stears, also known as the Telephone Assassin, is a professional speaker, trainer, and consultant who specializes in helping sales teams master the art of real-time conversations, particularly over the phone. We dig into the relevance of live calls in today’s digital-first world and explore how human-to-human interactions can break through “pipeline constipation” when automated tools and AI fall short. Anthony also shares practical techniques for building confidence in phone outreach, from shifting your mindset to using “permission to speak” as a powerful opener. Outline of...
info_outlineStaying productive is an ever-evolving problem as a sales professional—but leveraging the power of referrals could help. Salespeople wear many hats: they prospect, write proposals, work with internal teams, handle customers, and more. Utilizing any tactic to help smooth the process can be a gamechanger. In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Joanne Black joins Paul to share her take.
Joanne Black founded No More Cold Calling 23 years ago and has been helping sales leaders drive revenue for their teams ever since. She is a referral consultant, speaker, and author of multiple books on sales. Her goal is to help sales professionals ensure qualified pipeline leads and shorten prospecting time and increase close rate.
Outline of This Episode
- [0:19] Joanne Black joins Paul!
- [054] What is productivity?
- [2:00] Salespeople need to focus on discipline
- [3:43] Do what’s closest to cash every day
- [5:55] Attributes of a productive salesperson
- [7:13] Joanne’s #1 recommendation
- [9:45] Top productivity dos and don’ts
- [11:32] Joanne’s favorite productivity story
Sales professionals must face a hard truth
Joanne doesn’t mince words—she believes many sales professionals are lazy and lack discipline. She notes that salespeople do everything they can to avoid prospecting and connecting with customers. Salespeople resist CRM and systems because it is more work. It’s expected that marketing will source and send leads down the pipeline.
But sales professionals are accountable for what they produce. They must take a long hard look at their behaviors and systems in place. Society as a whole wants the end results without the work that goes with it. Sales professionals must work hard to overcome the preconception that people have that they’re lazy. That starts by learning to be disciplined and staying accountable.
Do what’s “closest to cash” every day
Joanne’s mantra is “do what’s closest to cash every day”. What do you have to do to move things along and meet your quota? Is it writing a proposal? Do you have to corral a team and strategize? She points out that your job is all about prospecting and proposal writing—and whatever it takes to move forward.
To stay focused, you must prioritize and time-block what’s important. Limit how often you’re checking email and don’t get lost in the social media time-suck. She also recommends exercising and eating healthy. If you are tired and unfocused, you won’t be able to do your best work.
STOP cold-calling and embrace referrals
According to Joanne, it takes at least 8 touches to reach someone with cold calling. But if you get a referral? It’s one phone call and you’re in a conversation with someone who wants to speak with you. Her #1 recommendation to be more productive is to STOP cold calling and embrace referrals.
This allows you to spend less time prospecting, shortens the sales process, and helps your conversion rates soar to over 70%. How? Trust. When a client refers someone to you, they have already forged a level of trust with that person. That bond of trust gets transferred to you and completely changes the conversation you have.
Focus on what customers are saying (or NOT saying)
Joanne believes many salespeople are so bent on “doing” that they don’t think to ask what customers actually need. Every customer needs and wants different things and you can’t assume you know what those needs are without listening first. Joanne believes, “Every individual has a different need to know at a different time”. It’s your job to find out what that need is and provide a solution.
You also need to be able to know when a client is giving you the brush-off—by understanding their silence. Joanne worked for a company that was contacted to submit a proposal for what would have been a million-dollar deal. They were looking for some advanced sales training and their current vendor didn’t offer what they needed. But her contact gave her the runaround and Joanne ended up losing the deal.
The constant stalling and dodging of calls was a red-flag that Joanne missed. Be sure you’re paying attention to a potential client to get a concrete answer—”maybe” or “not sure” isn’t good enough. Getting a concrete “yes” or “no” will keep you from wasting your time and lead to more productivity. Listen to the whole episode for all of Joanne’s strategies to stay productive!
Resources & People Mentioned
- The SPEED of Trust by Stephen Covey
- No More Cold Calling by Joanne Black
Connect with Joanne Black
Connect With Paul Watts
Audio Production and Show notes by
PODCAST FAST TRACK
https://www.podcastfasttrack.com