Sales Tuners
SalesTuners is a weekly podcast where I talk with great sales leaders and high performing individual salespeople about the attitude, actions, and abilities that have led to their success.
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[CLASSICS] 095: The Difference Between Cooperating and Collaborating | Amy Appleyard
06/11/2019
[CLASSICS] 095: The Difference Between Cooperating and Collaborating | Amy Appleyard
Takeaways Understand How Your Prospect Makes Money: You already know how your company makes money and you already know how you make money once your company makes money. During the sales process, if you really dig in and figure out how your prospects make money, then you can sync your offering with their real incentives. It truly doesn’t matter what you sell if you can figure out how your offering impacts their revenue engine. That’s the key. Put Yourself Out There: Your network is not just going to build itself. You have to commit time in a given week or month outside your organization. Think about it just like you would building your pipeline. Who are the top 3-5 people you’d like to know? Reach out to them and ask for coffee or for lunch. Be genuine in your reasoning and figure out how you can provide reciprocal value. This effort you put in now will pay off in spades for a long time to come. Own Your Day: It’s been mentioned a few times on this show but understanding your own process and the things that make an impact or crucial to real success. Get organized and plan your day intentionally. Block on time on your calendar to do the things you know need to get done and don’t let the 5-10 minutes between meetings get wasted with goofing off because you can’t get any “real work” done in that short of time. Also, at the end of each day, recap the day and plan for what is going to happen the following. Full Notes Book Recommendations by Michael Abrashoff by Patrick Lencioni Sponsor - What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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#CoachesCorner 1 | Ashleigh Early
06/04/2019
#CoachesCorner 1 | Ashleigh Early
In the last 5-7 years, there has seemingly been an explosion in the number of companies, both tech startups as well as more traditional businesses, that require salespeople. Unfortunately, in that same period of time there hasn’t been any magical creation of new sales talent. That misalignment has led companies to over-recruit, under-train, and honestly… just hope reps “figure it out." I’ve had some sales leaders tell me they’ll hire 10 reps knowing full well only 4 will work out. What in the world is going on? Most sales reps actually know what to do — that has been drilled into them over and over. They need help understanding the why (and even the how) behind the what. Today, I’m talking with Vendition’s Ashleigh Early about this exact challenge and what both reps and leaders can do to fill the void with context and personalization. Links Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek
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127: Jessica McQueen | Building a Sincere Interest in Understanding
05/28/2019
127: Jessica McQueen | Building a Sincere Interest in Understanding
Takeaways Become a Subject Matter Expert: There have been many conversations on this show that have talked about the need to truly understand who your buyer is. Jess took that even a step farther by suggesting that she actually become a licensed health benefits consultant. Think about that. Are there certifications in your industry that could help you better relate to the knowledge your prospects have? Yes, you can learn these things at a high level likely through your companies sales enablement, but what would it take to be able to truly walk in your customers' shoes? Your Questions Prove Your Credibility: Deals are won or lost in discovery. If the questions you are asking can easily be answered, you’re not asking the right questions. You want your prospect to actually think about what is being asked and that means showing you know their world. Use the words their peers use. Explain what you’ve seen other people like them go through. Then ask a question that makes them shift a bit in their seat. When they start showing emotion, you know you’re actually on to something. Listen: Simply stated, but not easy to execute. Think about your last discovery call. Were you listening to understand what your prospect was trying to tell you or were you really just waiting for them to stop talking so you could advance the conversation. What does it mean to actively listen? It’s the idea of reading between the lines. You hear the words that are coming out of their mouth but know there is a deeper meaning. When that’s the case, repeat some of what you just heard, and ask them to elaborate. Remember, people love to talk about themselves. Let them. Full Notes Book Recommendations by Brené Brown Sponsor - What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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#READefined 1 | Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
05/21/2019
#READefined 1 | Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
In our first ever episode of READefined, we’re taking a look at Robert Cialdini’s . Today, we are all becoming overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information at our disposal AND the choice that comes with that for even the most mundane topics. While it would be nice to think our prospects consider all the information available to them before they decide whether to say “yes” or “no,” you know from your own day-to-day experience that reality is quite different. The truth is, we need shortcuts. We need rules of thumb to help us filter through the noise. And guess what… there’s a science to it. And, that science is the evidence-based research Cialdini presents in this book on the psychology of persuasion with six overarching principles. Principle 1: Reciprocity Principle 2: Commitment and Consistency Principle 3: Social Proof Principle 4: Liking Principle 5: Authority Principle 6: Scarcity
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126: Greg Zapletnikov | Breaking the Code to Find Your Own Style
05/14/2019
126: Greg Zapletnikov | Breaking the Code to Find Your Own Style
Takeaways Speak a Common Language: As Greg was learning to sell, he was taught baseball idioms like ‘batting 1.000,’ ‘drop the ball,’ ‘be in the ballpark,’ and of course, ‘touch base.’ But to many of you listening, these phrases no longer have anything to do with the game because they’ve been so ingrained into our normal lexicon. What words or phrases might you be using that make no sense to your prospect? Greg gave the example of the literal translation of ‘How are you?’, a throwaway phrase we use in America that would make an Eastern European tell you all about their life. Get Your Prospect to Come to Their Own Conclusion: Think about the last time you felt like you were sold something. I’m not talking about when you last bought something, but truly felt sold. How long did it take for buyer’s remorse to set in? In every sales cycle, you should make it your goal for your prospect to find your value prop on their own terms. I like to do this by turning my statements into questions, where the answer from the prospect becomes what I wanted to say. Make the Sales Process as Simple as Possible: Regardless of the sales methodology you use, whether it be SPIN or Challenger or Customer Centric, it’s important to make the process itself as simple as you can for both you and your prospect. As you adapt the methodology to find your own selling style, you should be able to determine which parts come naturally to you and what needs to be adjusted or Full Notes Book Recommendations by Neil Rackham by Ernest Hemingway Sponsor - What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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125: Jenn Etherton | Setting Up a Sales Career Development Path
05/07/2019
125: Jenn Etherton | Setting Up a Sales Career Development Path
Takeaways Observe the Actions of Others: You may not have the confidence or even opportunity to approach others to ask them about how or why they do what they do, but you can definitely observe their actions. Break down how they speak, how they hold themselves, how they treat customers, and what they do that’s different than you. And these don’t have to just be people in your office. With unfiltered broadband access, these observations can be people you admire online, TED speakers, or even public CEOs by way of their earnings calls and annual reports. Find Gaps in Your Own Skills: It’s hard for people to just tell you everything they know with general questions like “how can I get better?” As you think about the next step in your career, write down the traits or responsibilities you think that role would entail. Then take a good look at your performance and see where you can improve and ask specific questions. In addition, you must be willing to hear and accept their feedback. You may not agree with it, but if you get defensive or act like you know it all, well, that's a surefire way to damage the relationship. Be Transparent: Ready for a truth bomb? No one has all the answers. When you don’t know something, be honest about it. Whether it’s with a coworker, a leader, or even your prospects. Yes, I’ve heard the mantra, “fake it until you make it,” but I’ve found that having a genuine level of vulnerability and mixing that with an insatiable appetite for curiosity leads to the right coaching, quicker career progress, and better relationships. Full Notes Book Recommendation by Mark Roberge Sponsor - What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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124: James Karanasios | The Habit of Success: You Are What You Repeatedly Do
04/30/2019
124: James Karanasios | The Habit of Success: You Are What You Repeatedly Do
Takeaways Ask the Next Question: By this point, we should all be used to hearing the word “no.” However, it’s what you do after hearing it that defines you as a salesperson. The word could be a stoplight and completely shut you down. Or, it could be a challenge to you to dig a little deeper and understand the context in which that specific prospecting is using it. What aren’t they interested in? How could the get budget if the found value? When does their current contract with a competitor end? Build Your Own Following: In today’s world, it seems as if there are influencers popping all over the place. I mean, if I see another person at a sacred monument with a selfie stick, I might lose it. But, the reality is, there’s an opportunity for every salesperson to build the community they need to sell into. Whether it be as simple as sharing helpful articles and industry research or recording videos and sharing them on LinkedIn, it’s time to move beyond the seeing social platforms as just for your personal use and leveraging them to build your pipeline. Figure Out What Makes You Tick: All the tips and tricks may help you with some short term gains, but if you want to survive the grind of sales, you have to figure out the ‘why’ that’s bigger than the day-to-day. What’s going to cause you to pick up the phone one more time? What’s going to help you shake off losing a six-figure deal that you were given a verbal yes to? There’s a reason why most New Year’s Resolutions fail within the first month of the year — the change a person is seeking isn’t connected to something big enough to drive the required continuous action. Full Notes Book Recommendations by James Moore by Robert Kiyosaki Sponsor - What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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[CLASSICS] 077: Mark Roberge | Why Most Customer Success Issues Originate in the Sales Process
04/23/2019
[CLASSICS] 077: Mark Roberge | Why Most Customer Success Issues Originate in the Sales Process
Takeaways Successful Customers Trumps Revenue: The goal of sales should not be revenue at all costs. It’s our job to find people we can make successful through the value prop we’re pitching. Rather than focusing solely on the signed contract and commission check, make sure the customers you close are going to find value in what they bought 90 days later. Buyers Don’t Have to Talk to Salespeople: 20 to 30 years ago, every buyer had to talk to a salesperson. Today, buyers can watch demos, compare and research alternative products, and even get ballpark pricing online, all before reaching out to talk to a salesperson. In the shifting world of buyer empowerment, you have to provide value in each interaction with a prospective customer. Live Your Buyer’s Job: What does your prospect’s daily job look like? What’s their role in their company? What are their goals? How do they quantify it? What happens if they don’t achieve it? It’s not enough to just ask those questions. When looking at things through their lens, you can really dig into what they’re thinking before they even look to buy. Full Notes Book Recommendation by Paramahansa Yogananda Sponsor – What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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[CLASSICS] 001: Jill Rowley | Know Thy Buyer in the Social Selling Generation
04/16/2019
[CLASSICS] 001: Jill Rowley | Know Thy Buyer in the Social Selling Generation
Takeaways Share: Even if what you share is unrelated to what you’re trying to sell, doing so allows you to show you care, which drives future opportunities. Focus on the Customer: Know the buyer from every angle at the company and personal level. Provide Value: Constantly consume and share content that will be relevant to your buyers. Full Notes Book Recommendation by Seth Godin Sponsor – What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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[CLASSICS] 046: Cody Lamens | Strive to be a Sales Professional, Not Just an Account Executive
04/09/2019
[CLASSICS] 046: Cody Lamens | Strive to be a Sales Professional, Not Just an Account Executive
Takeaways Take Advantage of Opportunity: There is a short window of time to take advantage of every opportunity. If you wait until an opportunity presents itself, it’s already too late. Seek out chances to learn, be more efficient, and give 100 percent from the get-go so you’re never in a position to wonder what might have been. Doors open on a daily basis, but oftentimes they are short and they are small. It’s crucial to take advantage of them when they’re there. Preparation and Repetition Always Win: You know what you need to do. You’ve spent time role playing real scenarios. You’ve paid attention in training and during your one-on-one’s. With that, don’t think that your sales manager knows something you don’t. You’re the one facing live fire every time you get on a call. Make sure you’re taking the time to prepare and let the repetition of muscle memory take control. Don’t Wait Until The End: The earlier you ask hard questions, the better. For instance, if you wait until the negotiation stage to start discussing budget, you’ve already lost. You need to be able to tie your value to real business problems without it looking like you’re now just trying to close a deal. Figure out how to show your prospect they’re better off with you, than without you by going deep in the beginning. Full Notes Book Recommendation by David Maraniss Sponsor – What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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[CLASSICS] 078: David Cancel | Prospects Want to Talk to the One Who Understands
04/02/2019
[CLASSICS] 078: David Cancel | Prospects Want to Talk to the One Who Understands
Takeaways Learn From Others: Everyone learns from failure, but you don’t have to learn from your own failure. Whether it’s your peers, other professionals in your network, books, blogs, or even podcasts like this. You owe it to yourself to seek out knowledge both positive and negative from others. But be careful, you want to learn from the best, not just your buddy or some random stranger. Pride Will Kill You: The stubbornness of pride locks you into your own thoughts. We have a cognitive bias around consistency that once we’ve formulated an idea that we can’t be inconsistent with that or flip flop our position. However, this is ridiculously dumb and short sighted. Be willing to listen to others and study the data that may challenge your worldview. Good Things Come to Those Who Practice: One thing that continues to amaze me is salespeople not practicing their craft. How much time do you prepare for each call? Showing up to work and running sales calls is not practicing. The biggest personal example I have of this is spending 10 hours on a Saturday preparing for a 30 minute call the following Tuesday. Yes, 10 hours for 30 minutes. That’s doing the work. Full Notes Book Recommendation by Peter Drucker Sponsor – What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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[CLASSICS] 039: Keenan | Bottom Line: It’s Not Failure Until You Quit
03/26/2019
[CLASSICS] 039: Keenan | Bottom Line: It’s Not Failure Until You Quit
Takeaways It’s Not About Learning: It’s about applying what you love and who you are to what you do. While you need to understand your product, It’s more important to know how to sell than it is to know all the technical features and benefits of your offering. Comparing sales to fitness… you can educate yourself all you want about what it takes to get a perfect six pack, but none of that matters until you start applying that knowledge. Application and execution are the most important part of the puzzle. Be You: It’s okay to be inspired by successful salespeople, that likely why so many people listen to this show, but at the end of the day, you have be you. Everyone is different and what works for one person might not have the same impact on someone else. Whatever gives you energy, whatever makes you passionate, whatever gets you going in the morning – use that to build the YOU that you want to be. You have the power to make the choices that will empower you in the long run, so choose to be you from the start and you won’t let yourself down. Compete With Yourself First: Success in sales comes from a burning desire to be the best. That doesn’t by default mean you have to aggressively beat other people, it just means that you are uncomfortable staying where you are. As a result, you put in the work it takes to push yourself in order to move, grow and advance. That has to come from within or nothing is going to change. Full Notes Book Recommendation by Larry Bossidy and Ram Charan Sponsor – What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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[CLASSICS] 088: Liz Cain | Generating Interest: The Missing Piece of Outbound Sales
03/19/2019
[CLASSICS] 088: Liz Cain | Generating Interest: The Missing Piece of Outbound Sales
Takeaways Be Responsive and Get Shit Done: When you’re working at a company that is really going somewhere, everybody has a hundred things on their plate and constantly shifting priorities. If you want to stand out, be the person that volunteers for new projects and make sure to follow through. Once you say you’ve got it, don’t be the person that someone else has to follow-up with or check-in on. This exposure is what will make you great in the future. Hone in on Your Top Segments: The simplest definition of a segment is a group of people who can be reached with the same go-to-market strategy combined with the same product. This will not only help define territories by way of geography, industry, or company size but really it will help create repeatability in your messaging — making your product easier to sell at a lower cost-per-acquisition. This focus doesn’t mean you can’t go after other segments later, it just keeps you on target with your limited resources. Generate Interest First: When you’re doing outbound sales, realize you’re connecting with suspects — not leads. This should start to change your thinking a bit about how you talk to them. Starting with the right market segment, your first job is to find out whether or not they even have a problem you can solve or if there is an opportunity to improve something in their business. Then, and only then, are you able to generate interest and deliver your pitch. Full Notes Book Recommendation by Geoff Smart and Randy Street Sponsor – What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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[CLASSICS] 030: Raquel Richardson | Enabling a Channel Only Sales Process
03/12/2019
[CLASSICS] 030: Raquel Richardson | Enabling a Channel Only Sales Process
Takeaways Remember It’s Not About You: Hearing “no” in sales is a given, but that doesn’t make it any less trying. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding how exactly you are shot down, there is no more important personality strength than the ability to bounce back. Sales is so much easier when you can remove yourself from the process and remember one simple truth: it’s not about you. It’s not a personal attack. You are doing your job, and it might be challenging right at this moment, but “no” is not the end of the line for you unless you let it be. Document and Share What Works: Raquel brought up her concept of a “WinWire,” but what could you do for the closed won or even the closed lost deals at your company. Before a “case study” is even relevant, how could you capture the details of why a customer bought from you? What was the business situation? What were they struggling with? Were they replacing anything? Did they pick you over another solution? What was the size of the deal? Capturing these details, win or lose, and sharing them with your team may spark some unforeseen opportunities. Don’t Make Assumptions: I believe the single biggest challenge most salespeople have is their inability or unwillingness to listen. More often than not, I find that when they’re quiet, all they’re really doing is waiting for their next turn to talk. Doing this forces you to start making assumptions and disregarding the chance to gain real clarity. Both can be detrimental to your sales cycle. Full Notes Book Recommendation by Steven Pressfield Sponsor – What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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[CLASSICS] 086: Steli Efti | The Answer to Your Problems May Not be Convenient
03/05/2019
[CLASSICS] 086: Steli Efti | The Answer to Your Problems May Not be Convenient
Takeaways Words are Powerful: Your mastery of language and results driven communication is paramount to your success in sales. It’s one thing to be good, but becoming a student of linguistics and really understanding the nuance between conscious and subconscious states can take you to an entirely different level. Think about the notion of associated and dissociated language — such as using the royal “we” when you really mean “I.” Learning different communication styles can help you not only influence others but also yourself. Act Despite Your Feelings: Knowing yourself enough to realize there are times you don’t want to do certain things is totally okay. However, you still need to do them. Look, I get it — there are absolutely moments in a day or week that I don’t want to take a meeting, do a task, or even have a conversation. Give yourself the permission to have the feeling, but then figure out how to get over it and take the action you know needs to be taken. Learning how to overcome those emotions will change your life and put you in complete control of your career success. And once that idea came about my life changed and started being able to not be a victim of my emotions anymore being control of my life and being able to do things even if I didn’t feel like Your Job is Not to be Liked: Way too many sales reps I talk to want prospects to like them. They believe that if they say anything to challenge the person they’re talking to they will lose the opportunity. Neither of those things are true. You must realize, you do not have to sell to every prospect. Respectfully push back and tell them that while they may treat other vendors a certain way, for you to become a true partner to them, you have to better understand their current situation. This includes following up — if you’ve had a positive interaction with a prospect, it’s your duty to continue to reach back out even if that means pissing off a few people. Full Notes Book Recommendation by Jon Kabat-Zinn Sponsor – What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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[CLASSICS] 002: Derek Grant | Finding Success through Personalization at Scale
02/26/2019
[CLASSICS] 002: Derek Grant | Finding Success through Personalization at Scale
Takeaways Pleasantly Persistent: Keep pursuing your prospect using personalized messaging while communicating value. Overtime, the relationship will unfold so that you spend your time on qualified and interested buyers. Make it Personal: Although tempting, don’t just use the templated email that you know won’t get opened. Spend the time to identify details about the person you’re emailing and get creative with it. Email Subject Lines: Using anonymous data across all clients, SalesLoft has determined the top subject lines had three things in common – they were three words or less, they contained some sort of mail merge data, and they contained a question mark. Discounting: While obviously wanting to maximize contract values, there are four appropriate situations where you can provide a discount. Can you get your prospect to sign a longer term commitment? Are they buying the highest version or package of the service? Can they buy higher quantity of the package or service? Are they able to buy today or pay cash upfront for the entire order? Full Notes Book Recommendation by Michael Lewis Sponsor – What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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[CLASSICS] 083: Mary Jane Copps | Cold Calls: The Psychology Behind the Human Voice
02/19/2019
[CLASSICS] 083: Mary Jane Copps | Cold Calls: The Psychology Behind the Human Voice
Takeaways Master the First 20 Seconds: We all get defensive when we receive an unexpected call from someone we don’t know. Don’t take it personal as it’s a cultural issue. However, it is your job to dissolve that defensiveness very quickly. First thing first — remove iffy language. Don’t tell them you’re “just calling” as if you have nothing better to do. Also, don’t ask them how they are. Not only is that a tell tale sign that you’re a salesperson, but when a stranger asks about your health, you get even more defensive. You need to quickly get to the reason for your call and then immediately show them how the call is relevant to them. Notice, this has nothing to do with you. Prepare to Think on Your Feet: I get it. Email is easier because you have time to both think and edit. On the phone, you clearly don’t get that luxury. So, be prepared. Obviously you need to have a couple of open ended questions ready to go, but you also need to know what the 3-4 typical responses are that you’re likely to get from the prospect. As you prepare for those responses, now you just need to ask your question and truly listen to the response. And remember, the sound of the human voice contains so much information you’re losing by relying on text based communication. Help Prospects Make Decisions: I’ve gone against the grain a bit with the notion of decision fatigue from a personal standpoint, but from the point of the prospect I get it. Instead of leaving everything up to them, prompt them by giving them the “next best step.” I’ve found that if I just ask them what to do next, I get delay after delay It usually sounds like, “me think about it” or “let me talk to so and so,” but when I give them the next step most people take or the one I believe is right for them, I can move a deal along a lot faster. Realize, you’ve sold your solution dozens if not hundreds of times, yet this is the first time they’ve gone through a sales process for your solution. Full Notes Book Recommendation by Viktor Frankl Sponsor – What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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123: Aswin Shibu | Building the Discipline to Reset Everyday
02/12/2019
123: Aswin Shibu | Building the Discipline to Reset Everyday
Takeaways Invest Time Building the Right List: Knowing who your ideal prospect is, is only the beginning of a good outreach plan. Don’t take for granted the amount of work that goes into identifying exactly who those people are and trying to acquire their contact information. If you’re doing this manually, it’s a lot of work, and even if you’re paying for data sources, it still takes a lot of preparation to do it right. After you identify the right people, next spend some time trying to hypothesize what problems each of these companies uniquely face and what messaging you can use to address them on an individual level. Build Discipline Into Your Calendar: As a sales professional, it’s almost a given we have some level of ADD and the unique ability to find every squirrel there is in our day to day. That said, when you’re to take your game to the next level, blocking time on your calendar for all important activities is the first step to ensuring that success. Sure, you may believe you can multitask, or you may believe you have superhuman powers to just be able to will everything into getting done, but you could also just schedule the activities and make commitments to yourself. I use this technique to even schedule in time to learn about new things. Giving myself that permission ensures I don’t feel guilty about not doing something else high on my priority list. Learn to Reset Everyday: Look, I’m a gambler and always find it humorous when I go to Vegas and see previous outcomes of the roulette wheel displayed. Why? Because they literally have nothing to do with the independent event of the next spin, yet some people let them guide their bets. Whether you just closed a one million dollar deal or heard “no” 47 times, yesterday is in the past and should have no bearing on what you do today. In sales we have really high highs and just as low of lows, you have to force yourself to manage that energy and see each day just like the roulette wheel—an independent event. Full Notes Book Recommendation by Aaron Ross & Marylou Tyler Sponsor - What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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122: Anthony Monroig | Building an Executive Network by Selling the Intangible
02/05/2019
122: Anthony Monroig | Building an Executive Network by Selling the Intangible
Takeaways Plan Your Target Accounts: Too many sales reps take the shotgun approach when it comes to prospecting. To me, it feels like that’s the reason we get so many shitty emails and generic LinkedIn connection requests. Take the time to plan out who you’re going to target over the next 90 days. Whether that’s 100 accounts or just 30, you’ll be able to actually customize your outreach to each person individually, or better, work to find a common connection to make an introduction. Role Play with Your Companies Executives: Think about who in your company has served in the role of your target buyer. Whether that is by title or just responsibility, they have likely faced the same issues you’re trying to sell into. Practicing your cold call or pitch with them could provide great insight that you wouldn’t be able to get from a prospect. Gain Mutual Feedback on Losses: You all know how passionate I am about coaching — I mean, it is how I make a living after all. But, I can’t tell you how important it is to be able to first coach yourself. If you’re not willing to take the time to breakdown a call or a meeting and tell me the top three things you think you did wrong or what could be improved, well, the reality is, you’re not going to listen to anything anyone else has to say about it either. Full Notes Book Recommendations by Jeb Blount by Jordan Belfort Sponsor - What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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121: Will Ibsen | Logically Speaking: Prioritizing an Honest Call Over a Comfortable Call
01/29/2019
121: Will Ibsen | Logically Speaking: Prioritizing an Honest Call Over a Comfortable Call
Takeaways Systematize Your Follow-up: I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “persistence pays” many times. Well, I hope they were talking about sales, because it couldn’t be more true. I’ve read startling stats that say on average, a sales rep will only reach out to a prospect two times before giving up. That just seems ludicrous to me. Even if your company doesn’t invest in software for you and regardless of whether they’re an active opportunity, a warm lead, or a brand new cold prospect—find a way to build a process around your follow-up. After every touch you have, immediately schedule the next touch. If you use Salesforce, Hubsport, or even PipeDrive, you can run a report to show you any contacts that don’t have a next activity associated with them. Don’t lose deals because you simply didn’t follow up. Understand the Emotion Associated with the Problem: Will asked the great question, “How can I be empathic, when I never even get emotion from a prospect?” In order to be able to either elicit an emotional response from a prospect or pick up on their pain, you have to fully understand the emotion that typically surrounds a problem they’re trying to solve. You may hear them say they spend 15 hours looking at a spreadsheet, and yes, knowing that’s a trigger, it’s your responsibility NOT to just get the point, but dig deeper. Don’t ask them what they’re going to do about it, ask them what else they would be spending that 15 hours on if they didn’t have to use it staring at a spreadsheet. This understanding will allow you to build a real relationship with your prospects because they’ll feel like you get them as a person. Build the Business Case: If you sell in a known competitive environment, why not do some of the work for your prospect and build the business case for them? Most likely, they will have gone through a sales cycle for your product or service only once, whereas, you go through it 10 times a week or more. You know the common issues, you’re familiar with your competitors and their offerings, and you’ve heard your prospect’s specific challenges. Document all the requirements, show them their options, point out potential roadblocks—both with your product and your competitors—and then back up the data with reviews or client references. Taking the weight off their shoulders and providing the grading rubric can give you more influence over the deal. Full Notes Book Recommendations by Stephen Covey by Robert Cialdini by Dale Carnegie Sponsor - What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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[CLASSICS] 044: Lauren Wadsworth | Just Push Play: Using Video for Face-to-Face Outreach
01/22/2019
[CLASSICS] 044: Lauren Wadsworth | Just Push Play: Using Video for Face-to-Face Outreach
Takeaways Make Planned Calls, Not Random Calls: For many people it doesn’t take long to realize that quality over quantity matters. For example, sometimes it’s not about how many calls you make. It’s about making planned calls that target specific prospects. Instead of working your way through a list and starting over at the beginning, make calls to the same two or three prospects in the same account on the same day. It’s Hard to Say No to Someone Personally: Face to face communication is huge and while you may not be able to personally meet all of your prospects at conferences, you can introduce yourself by video. It’s friendly and personal and offers you a different way to open up conversations. It’s really hard to say no to somebody when you see their face and they are more humanized. Ditch the Buzzwords and Generalities: Quit trying to make everything scale. Paul Graham wrote a great blog post all about intentionally doing things that don’t scale. When you try to stuff a script with all the features and benefits of your product while combining that with every possible use cases you solve, you end up appealing to no one. Try to bucket your prospects into groups of known challenges and then speak directly to them in the phrases they use to describe the problem needing solved. Full Notes Book Recommendation by Sylvia Ann Hewlett Sponsor – What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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120: Allen Hammer | Know When It’s Time to Walk Away
01/15/2019
120: Allen Hammer | Know When It’s Time to Walk Away
Takeaways Disqualify Early: If you want to save both yourself and your prospect time, then it’s your job to disqualify them as early as possible. Now, if you have a weak pipeline or don’t like prospecting, I know you will hang on to every opportunity like it’s a bar of gold, but it’s likely costing you. Instead of trying to figure out every possible way your product could work for them, focus in on the two or three things that would make it not a fit, and be transparent about it. Doing this will allow you to spend more time working deals that can actually retire your quota and earn you a commission instead of promising your VP that the deal will come in. Pick Your Path: If you are a star in sales and find yourself regularly hitting or even exceeding quota, don’t think that the only next step for you is to become a manager or even VP of sales. The skills you need to train, manage, and get the best out of other reps is completely different than the skills you’ve worked hard on developing. Additionally, more often than not, you’ll also take a pay cut in order to get those new found responsibilities. You Don’t Have to Be the Best: In the 80’s, the car rental company Avis rolled out a brilliant ad campaign claiming to be #2 behind Hertz and claiming “we try harder.” How many times have you claimed your product or service to have the best this or the greatest that? Here’s the deal, it’s annoying as hell and is often met with an eye roll you can’t see. Plus, how do you know? Because your marketing department told you so? Instead of leading with arrogance, acknowledge that there are other solutions out there and your goal in the conversation is to determine the reals needs of the prospect and promise them you’ll try harder. Full Notes Book Recommendations by Todd Caponi by John Steinbeck Sponsor - What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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119: Corn George | Fear, Vulnerability, and Failure: Why it is an Option
01/08/2019
119: Corn George | Fear, Vulnerability, and Failure: Why it is an Option
Takeaways Differentiation is Key: Most of us want to believe we’re not selling a commodity, but having been on the buyer's side of the table for several SaaS platforms lately, I assure you, each demo starts to blur together because the features are all so similar. Figure out how you can differentiate yourself from your competitors not only in what you sell but how you sell. Unless you’re the founder of the company, I know you don’t have control over the product itself, but tailoring your pitch to only the things your prospects care about is one easy thing that will help you stand out above the rest. Harness Your Fear: Fear comes from not knowing what’s on the other side of a situation. But the last thing I want for you is to be afraid and not even know why. Think about all the situations that have, or continue to, limit you on a daily basis. What is it that you’re actually afraid of? Write it down. Then, think through the different ways you can mitigate that outcome. What can you do to remove those vulnerabilities by preparing for each obstacle? Tell Your Prospects What You’re Doing: People don’t want to be manipulated or even feel like they may be. In sales, it’s very easy to be perceived this way. Corn called it social engineering, but it’s all the same. Let your prospects know you’ve done your homework and will be using the information you’ve found about them to add value to the sales process. With all the privacy headlines in the news right now, being forthright about what you know can actually relieve potential anxiety that you just consider par for the course. Full Notes Book Recommendation by David McRaney Sponsor - What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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118: #AskJB - Happy New Year
01/01/2019
118: #AskJB - Happy New Year
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117: Making a List, Checking it Twice
12/25/2018
117: Making a List, Checking it Twice
Special Holiday Episode Sponsor - What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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116: Frank Schneider | Do Your Homework: Shifting the Burden Off Your Buyers
12/18/2018
116: Frank Schneider | Do Your Homework: Shifting the Burden Off Your Buyers
Takeaways Ask Direct Questions About the Sales Process: Buyers that are interested and want to actually buy are more forthright with information than you may think. They want you to know what has to happen, but it’s your responsibility to ask, and you need to be direct about it. For instance, the last time you bought something like this, what did that process look like? Did you buy alone or were other people involved? How long did it take? Knowing these details can help you understand not only what’s real, but also how to accurately forecast your pipeline. Arm Your Buyers to Help Them Buy: No, I don’t mean white papers or any collateral that marketing has put together. I mean, understanding what problems they are actually trying to solve, use cases they’re thinking about, or concerns they have about selling internally. Then, connect them with customers who have bought from you in the past. From a prospecting standpoint, you may even be able to host a dinner or event where you can get multiple buyers in the salesroom that have similar problems and let them talk about it with each other. Building these relationships when you’re not trying to sell them anything is even better long-term. Know Your Funnel Math Equation: This still ceases to amaze me, how many people don’t know the math behind their quota or pipeline. So much, that I actually created a workbook for it that you can get at . It’s quite simple. What is your average contract value? How many of those deals will it take to meet your quota, whether monthly, annually or quarterly? What’s your winning percentage on the opportunities you create? How many prospects do you have to talk to in order to create one opportunity? Once you know this formula, you put together a plan to 2X or even 3X your output. Full Notes Book Recommendations by J.D. Salinger by Junot Diaz by Martin Lindstrom Sponsor - What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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[CLASSICS] 066: Chris Voss | Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It
12/11/2018
[CLASSICS] 066: Chris Voss | Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It
Takeaways Empathy Saves Time: I know it sounds counterintuitive, but slowing down a sales process can often times speed up the deal. If you lean into your prospect and get a good emotional intelligence read, the empathy you show gets them to open up about their actual concerns. Get to “No": When you are leading your prospect to say “yes," they get worried about what they are committing to and anxiety creates confusion. But, when you get them to say “no,” they feel protected and they have the illusion of control. Once a person says “no,” they’ll likely give you implementable context to move the deal forward. There’s Always a Favorite and a Fool: If you can’t get the scope of your prospect's problem, you need to realize they never envisioned you in that solution. In every deal, there’s a favorite and a fool. The fool is often used to drive down the price on the favorite and expose their weaknesses. Thus, you should be looking for proof of life in every opportunity. Full Notes Book Recommendation by Eric Barker Sponsors - What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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115: Ryan Arnett | Fluently Speaking Multiple Sales Languages
12/04/2018
115: Ryan Arnett | Fluently Speaking Multiple Sales Languages
Takeaways It Doesn’t Matter What You Want: There's nothing that frustrates buyers more than getting cold messages that are all about you. You know the ones I’m talking about… where every paragraph, or maybe even every sentence, starts with “I.” I hope, I just, I wanted, I think, I, I, I, I. Again, it doesn’t matter what you want. Take two minutes to find something personal about the person you’re reaching out to. If for some reason, you can’t find anything, make the message about their situation without making a request of their time. Try asking a question that could start a conversation, instead. There’s No Cookie-Cutter Approach: Similar to Ryan, I’ve studied the majority of different sales methodologies out there. I tend to favor some over others, but I’ve pulled something out of everything I’ve learned and applied it to the relevant situations. I very much liked Ryan’s notion of knowing different methodologies being similar to being able to speak multiple languages. That way, whether you’re prospecting, opening up discovery, doing a demo, or negotiating an enterprise deal, you have the right framework for every step in the process. Mirror Your Customer: How many times has a prospect tried to cut you off in the discovery and said, “just show me the product?” It happens, I get it. My biggest piece of advice for you here is to understand where your lead came from. If it was inbound, understand there may be something specific they’re looking for. Earn the right to ask questions by giving them chunks of content that build a story. If they were an outbound appointment set, realize you still have to get them interested. Maybe that does mean that you have to share more upfront before digging into their needs because they may not fully understand why they’re talking to you. Go the Extra Mile: For the most part, salespeople only do what they’re incentivized to do. If you get paid for hunting new logos, why would you spend your time farming existing clients? Well, to show your buyer you care. While not mandatory, what would happen if you started sitting in the kickoff call with your client success team to be their advocate and making sure they didn’t have to answer all the same questions again? Do you think they’d make introductions to their friends for you? If they left their current company and went somewhere else, do you think they might call you again? Could you imagine retiring your quota without having to do any prospecting? Full Notes Book Recommendation by Ben Horowitz Sponsor - What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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114: Amy Volas | Why Too Much Discovery Can Hurt You
11/27/2018
114: Amy Volas | Why Too Much Discovery Can Hurt You
Takeaways: 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. 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. 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 Book Recommendation by John Hall Sponsor - What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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113: Jim Brown | Being Thankful: The Grass is NOT Always Greener
11/20/2018
113: Jim Brown | Being Thankful: The Grass is NOT Always Greener
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 Sponsor - What if every sales rep inherited the habits of your best rep? With Costello, they do.
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