Power Sales Guru With Will Harris podcast

Power Sales Guru Podcast with Will Harris as host. This podcast focuses on cold calling and virtual prospecting. Its upbeat and fun style introduces cutting edge techniques to standout and be different while prospecting for new customers.

Introduction to Power Sales Guru 09/18/2020

Episode 009 How to get information that guarantees you close a cold call 05/11/2016

Episode 009 How to get information that guarantees you close a cold call How to get information that guarantees you close a cold call. Anyone with the desire to grow and willingness to prepare must also accept the responsibility to take action. It is an established fact that the largest and most powerful train in the world can be held in place by a one-inch block of wood. Placed in front of a huge train, a little 1 inch block of wood will hold it completely motionless. However, that same train, when in full speed motion, can crash through a steel-reinforced concrete wall. That shows the power of……..ACTION! ACTION! Taking action when others over look an opportunity is the biggest differentiator in sales. You know it and I know it. Every day we face a great opportunity but it can go unmissed as we take no ACTION. ON this podcast we are going to discuss the one resource that’s THE most critical source of information before you reach out to prospect. This source is there every time but is not dressed up like a present under the Christmas tree…yet it is still a gift. WE are going to discuss what this gift is and how to unwrap it and claim your success. What if you were able to know all your prospect’s business needs? What if you knew their personality before you contacted them? What if you could access EVEN what your prospect’s boss wishes? All of this is available to you with ease…and 95% of other sales people don’t even consider this resource. The key to GETTING critical information that guarantees you close a cold call is….. The Receptionist Gatekeeper In a previous podcast, we talked about from the mid-level gatekeeper, right…the person that has the power to say NO but not the power to say yes. Well now we come full circle we’re talking about the frontline receptionist gatekeeper. The sales tactics I discuss on this podcast is ideal for cold calling into a company. Let me set the context…..You may have an idea of who to speak with at a midsize company (not too big, not to small…like goldie locks…just right). Maybe you researched them prior to your call. AND Now the phone is ringing And the first thing you hear is: “Thank you for calling Harris Technologies, how can I direct your call?” Remember it’s a cold call…so the normal your response would be: “Hi, I would like to speak to the person in charge of purchasing?” The receptionist will respond: “That will be Jane, please hold and I will transfer you.” She could even transfer you without supplying the decision maker’s name or department. And that concludes your interaction with the gatekeeper. Let me share a personal story about my mother. My mother was that gatekeeper at a mid-size company for 15 years. After school, I would ride my bike to my mother’s job. I would stay there doing my homework for two hours until she got off of work. Once she was off work we would throw my bike in the back of her blue Chevette and we would go home. My mother’s workspace was situated in the middle of the lobby at a traditional desk. I would go around the corner so she could see me doing my homework as she greeted visitors to the company. I could see the large volume of calls my mother took at the front desk. I also observed people from the back come up and have conversations with my mother. Gatekeepers in this role do not get paid based on the volume of calls they receive or the number of people they talk to. Nor are they paid based on the efficiency in which they transfer a call. During one ride home after work, I asked my mother if her job was boring. She replied that she had begun playing mental games to keep her mind sharp. It also helped her become more efficient at the skills needed to transfer calls. My mother was extremely good at her job. As with most jobs, there were pros and cons. The cons were that my mother was the undeclared emotional garbage dump for anyone having a bad day. Employees would come up and scream at my mother when their day was not going correctly. Sales people who were frustrated that their appointment was late for a meeting would make angry demands of my mother. Many times I wanted to get up and tell them you better stop yelling at my mother. I never did, though, because she told me that would get her fired and we needed her to keep that job. So I continued to sit around the corner and do my homework the best I could without letting anyone distract me. My mother was the eyes and ears of that company. She saw everything. It was amazing how few professionals treated my mother with respect. The sales people were especially rude. My pretty sure they didn’t think they were being rude. Here is an example of how they would speak to my mom. “Hi, my name is Ron and I’m looking for the person who deals with purchasing equipment. Could you get me in touch with them please?” Now you may say, that doesn’t sound that bad. You said they were rude. No it is bad…it just sounds normal. And normal becomes accepted. Normal becomes natural. But we know that different is the new great. Let me say it again and this time have a new kind of ear: “Hi, my name is Ron and I’m looking for the person who deals with purchasing equipment. Could you get me in touch with them please?” --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- But here’s what really is being said: “Hi, it’s me. I need to speak to someone important. I know it’s not you. So, can you move out of my way and let me get to them please?” The problem with this approach is that it totally overlooks the treasure you have in front of you. There’s story about King George of England. He was traveling through a distant village in Holland. He stopped and asked to buy two eggs. The charge was for two hundred florins. “Eggs must be scare around this place,” said the King. The innkeeper smiled and said, “Pardon me, sire. Eggs are plenty enough; it is kings that are scare.” And the king smiled and paid. When you reach a receptionist type gatekeeper then you may have a scare king or queen in your presence. They could have answers to questions you wish you knew. Things that can save you time and increase your chance of success. Don’t pass by a king or queen and say nothing. And yes….I said if you reach a receptionist. It is natural for us to hear people say “How to reach the decision maker”…. “When you reach the decision maker…” Because that is a cherished event, right? But so is reaching the gatekeeper. My Mother knew who was in trouble and about to get fired. She knew also who was romantically involved with whom in the company. And when they were fighting and letting their work slide. You won’t here this on someone’s voicemail: Thank you for your call but I am fighting with my love interest in Accounting. For this reason I will not return your important call…so please keep trying and don’t take my unreturned call personally. I really need what you are saying but my heart is breaking right now.” Noooo you won’t hear that on a voicemail. But you can from a gatekeeper. And of course my mom knew what competition was sneaking in the back door to coerce decision makers away from established vendors. It is all about the approach with the gatekeeper. They have the information you need and have the ability to put you in touch with the people you want to talk to. The gatekeeper answers phone calls all day and deals with any number of interruptions. If you come across as just another nuisance, it is doubtful you will reach the person you want to speak with. There are three levels of questions to ask the gatekeeper. Level one questions should be the easiest. Level two questions should become more complex in nature. Level three should be the most difficult, but the most important. If you are wondering what type of questions to ask the Gatekeeper then don’t worry. I have created a Free Power Tool to help you create your own level 1, 2, and 3 questions. Or you can get my book Power Prospecting and have the questions I created for each level. Both are available at Out of the four communication styles we discussed, the receptionist gatekeeper is most likely to be a Supporter. You do not want to have a Thinker style answering the phone. That would be a nightmare for any company. Could you imagine that….Hello why are you calling? Are you sure you should be calling here? Maybe we aren’t the best company to call? What was your process on verifying that we deserve your business? I think you should consider all your options before committing to call us? Are you sure? Now…companies want the most welcoming person be the first interaction with the outside world. It is most likely that you will have an isolated Supporter who is just willing and ready to bond with you. When coming up with the questions you would ask the gatekeeper, consider what you wish you knew before you got on the phone with the decision maker? UTILIZING THE GATEKEEPER This is the closest thing I can give you that is similar to having a script in Power Prospecting. I will list out a possible dialogue between you and a gatekeeper. Remember, different is the new great. You want a process that will give you more than you have gotten in the past, which will get you more of what you expect in the future. So I’m going to walk through a script where you just called into a prospect and you are cold calling in. The phone rings and the receptionist gatekeeper picks up and says “Thank you for calling. How may I direct your call?” What you do next is not normal. What you do next is intended to break the pattern and stand out as different. Everything in this script is suttle but there for a reason. The next thing you say is: What is your name? ____, I need your help. (Pause) Who is in charge of ____? (Ask initial question) Then you will ask a Level 1 Questions: Level 2 Questions: Level 3 Questions: So that I don’t bother you in the future, what is their extension? Before you transfer me, what is ____? (Ask follow-up questions) Now let’s put it together to take a look at the flow: “Thanks for calling Harris technology, how can I direct your call?” “ “Excuse me, what is your name?” (Sweetest sound in the English language is someone’s name) “My name is Suzanne.” “Suzanne I need your help.” (Pause until she agrees to help) “Ok, I’ll try” Initial Question… Everything I mentioned has a reason for being there. I will explain why…because if you know the why’s then the how’s are easy. If you know why I am using this technique then you can adjust when you speak to your gatekeepers. The first thing I asked was: What is your name? The sweetest sounding name in the English language to anyone…is there name. Also, if you happen to have a tough gatekeeper then when the call ends, call back in a week and say: Is this Sue? You will be surprised at the difference in the gatekeeper’s mood when you already know their name. first impression is lasting. Also, my mother was sitting up front isolated from everyone. It is possible your gatekeeper is too and you represent a lifeline to the world in between checking Facebook or texting. But you never know until you engage. Next I said Suzzane, I need your help. (Pause) I paused and didn’t just say: I need your help. Can you tell me who is in charge of ….. I pause because I want her to respond. I want to break up what she is used to doing. Have you ever been to a state fair and rode a horse. That horse rides the same path every day and all day. It is used to that path and will rarely veer off it. The gatekeeper is used to a set process of moving people and you don’t want to be caught up in the same negative way they treat other sales people. Different is the new great…keep that in mind and follow the process. Every training class I give this is one section that every one always comes back and tells me works wonders. It helps you stand out and be different. And trust me these wonderful people will love to engage back with you. They are Supporters and the key word that makes a Supporter spring to action is HELP. Suzzane, I need your help. Let that word help resonate in their ears. Let it ring through and sound the alarms that this person is different and they are great. Then after she responds I will continue with my first question. Who is in charge of ____? (Ask initial question) Remember, you can make up your own first question and in my book I list out a page worth. And based on the interaction you then ask a Level 1 Questions: Level 2 Questions: Level 3 Questions: The Free Power Tool guides you to guides you to develop a stronger initial bond with the decision maker. Foster a relationship with the gatekeeper, as much as possible. And identify the questions you want to ask. We went over the two types of gatekeepers. WE covered the midlevel manager (account influencer) in a previous episode and in this one we covered the receptionist (company greeter). We looked at how to set yourself apart from others who call the receptionist gatekeeper. Taking the time to get to know the situation and the gatekeeper, as well as being prepared to ask questions of them, will help get you to a YES. It will help you find information before a cold call guaranteed to get you a sale. My mother’s story had a happy ending. A few years later, the president gave her a chance to manage a startup department. That year my mother’s department was the only one that turned a profit. The following year she was promoted to Vice President. When the company owner sold the firm the following year, my mother’s division was the only one not part of the buyout. Everyone who had mistreated her over the years was lined up outside her office begging for a job, in fear of losing their job once new management took over. I’m not saying every gatekeeper will be as knowledgeable about the business or the company as my mother. I’m saying you never know until you ask. Imagine that every time you reach the gatekeeper, you just reached a king or queen. Thank you for listening to this episode of the Power Sales Guru podcast. I am your host Will Harris wishing you Happy Selling and remember different is the new great. /episode/index/show/powersalesguruwithwillharris/id/4341375

Episode 008 What to Say in Your Opening Statement 05/04/2016

Episode 007 How to Win a Sale in the first 10 seconds of a cold call 04/27/2016

Episode 007 How to Win a Sale in the first 10 seconds of a cold call How to close a sale in first 10 seconds of a Cold Call - Winning Sales Message For this podcast, we are going to look at the most important part of your opening statement…the interest statement. You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. When you are prospecting to a client there are no second takes. If you stammer the initial call, you cannot hang up and call right back to try again. Regardless of the business or organization, everyone has the same problems all over the world. In order for you to achieve differentiation with your prospecting efforts, you need to mention one or more of these six needs in your WIIFM Statement. Take a look at an example for each: Operations WIIFM – You operate better with me Operations represent the biggest challenge for any business. This area has a dual focus on cost control and inventory management. Even for service companies, inventory is present in the form of human labor. Your WIIFM should focus on how you can have a direct impact on overseeing key areas of their inventory, or the way in which they conduct their business. For your clients, differentiation of companies in your industry becomes tougher every day. Look for operational superiority in your offer if you cannot easily show product superiority. In the absence of product differentiation, focus your WIIFM on process differentiation. Most businesses interact with companies based on what works for the company and not their customer. Highlight this difference and you will stand out. Operations: These ideas will gain you more control over your expenses. Marketing WIIFM – You have more customers with me Marketing focuses on generating revenue. Every company is in the business of making money. A strong WIIFM focuses on how your company can help them make more money. In some cases, you may be positioned to use Power Prospecting to contact organizations and not businesses. This includes non-profit organizations, like a city council or other government agencies. Not for Profit organizations have a reason for existing and that reason is the source for developing a strong WIIFM. Show how you can help them find new customers or reach their objectives quicker. Marketing: I specialize in helping my customers find customers. Financial WIIFM – You make money with me. Financial needs involve a business’ ability to collect billed revenue. Getting business is good, but collecting money on business is great! All decision makers have a concern around ensuring that billing and collecting is a smooth process. It may require a creative WIIFM to connect your offering to this regard. However, that connection will immediately resonate with the decision maker during your prospecting call. Productivity – You gain more resources with me Productivity is the area where businesses look to accomplish more by using fewer resources. Using fewer resources could refer to things like money or time. Every business leader seeks ways to prevent over spending. Nothing frustrates a vested business professional more than spending too much time on administrative activities and not enough time on revenue generation. Productivity: I will show you ways to spend more time on revenue-generating activities and less time on administrative activities. Information – You stay ahead with me Information empowers any business to make the right decisions to keep themselves in business. Company owners and leaders want to ensure that they are up to speed on the latest trends within their industry or market. No one wants to be behind the times. In addition, no one wants to be too far ahead which could result in not having any customers. For business leaders, having complete and correct information about the business environment makes for a compelling WIIFM. Information: My company prides itself on supplying you with the most valuable resource in the market right now…information on the industry’s best practices. Planning – You make the right decisions with me Planning for the future, based on the past, is the cornerstone of business longevity. The fast pace of business finds management’s role changing each day. As business situations become more complex, most managers lack time to manage. Instead, they spend the majority of their time putting out fires. So much time is spent putting out fires that they lack time to build a better fire department. It is importation to mention your ability to help with strategic thinking and planning. This will showcase you as a Trusted Advisor. Planning: You will be able to become more proactive than reactive through our strategic planning process. Let me give you an example to explain my point of planning. There are beautiful Japanese fish named Koi. They can be found in little ponds and water gardens at the nicest hotels based on their decorative appearance. If Koi are kept in a fish bowl, it will only grow a few inches in length. When the Koi is placed in a large pond it can grow longer than twelve inches. Amazingly, if the Koi is allowed to live in a lake it will grow up to three feet in length! The size of the Koi is always in direct proportion to the size of its environment; the bigger the scope of their living environment, the bigger the potential for growth. The same applies for the WIIFM you discuss during Power Prospecting. Most sales calls focus on product, product and product. Rarely do sales people expand their scope to include one of the six business needs. These critical needs are perceived as being too large an environment to discuss concerning their product offering. If you expand the scope of your WIIFM, you will find your success with Power Prospecting will expand in direct proportion. These are all examples of WIIFM messages condensed to an interest statement. It is broad enough not to turn anyone off and specific enough not to isolate anyone based on the specific products or services you are selling. Think about it. Be creative with paring your offerings to their need. Depending on your product, you may have never considered telling the potential customers you can help them in this area. Great! That means your competition may not have thought that way either. During the World’s Fair in St Louis, Missouri, a waffle vendor applied creativity to turn business disaster into business legend. The vendor ran out of paper plates. The lack of supplies prevented him from selling hot waffles. Seeing an opportunity, an ice cream seller suggested the waffle vendor switch products. The ice cream vendor suggested to the waffle vendor that he should buy ice cream from him and sell that product instead. Out of desperation, the waffle vendor began selling ice cream in small cups. But he did not know what to do with the remaining waffle mix. The waffle vendor’s wife helped him make one thousand waffles and use an iron to flatten them. They rolled the flattened waffle and left a pointy end at the bottom. Next, he began marketing the very first waffle cone. Today, those cones are just as popular as ice cream. /episode/index/show/powersalesguruwithwillharris/id/4320262

EPISODE 6 - Increase your charisma to win more sales 04/20/2016

EPISODE 005 - Making the Gatekeeper Your Champion 04/13/2016

EPISODE 004 - Speed Reading People to Know What They Want Every Time 04/06/2016

EPISODE 003 PART II - Time Management for True Sales Professionals 03/27/2016

EPISODE 003 PART I - Time Management for True Sales Professionals 03/27/2016

EPISODE 002 - Psychology of Selling - Mastering your mind to sell everyday 03/23/2016

How to introduce yourself to new clients without barriers. 03/16/2016

Power Sales Guru With Will Harris podcast

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