How To Expand Your Value
Often, we get so myopic in our view of our customer relationships, we totally miss added value we can bring to that relationship.
Bryan talks about a sales deal where his client took a different approach–and created a long term partner. PLUS, that client avoided the ‘commodity element’ of most traditional customers where they put pressure on you for reduced price.
**If you’re a sales manager, this is a great topic for your next sales meeting.
Also mentioned in this podcast:
- Join the discussion about this podcast on Linkedin
- 20 Rules For Modern Selling eBook (download here)
- The Painful Truth About Uninspiring Leaders-How Leadership Deficits Lead to Employee Disengagement eBook (download here)
- Sign up for the CaskeyONE newsletter and receive the bonus video “How To Create Prospect Urgency“
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The Secret of Networking and Tradeshow Success
In this episode, Bill and Brian discussed the secrets of tradeshow selling since this is the trade show season coming up
But whether you participate in tradeshows or not this episode will help you become a better networker. The same skills apply.
Also mentioned in this podcast:
- Email It! A Seller’s Guide To Emails That Work with 20 Pre-Written, Ready-To-Use Emails
- Join the Advanced Selling Podcast Linkedin Group
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The Monetary Benefit of One Idea
I have a client who is in one of our training programs, and once a quarter we’ll get together and talk about his business. You might call it “personal coaching,” but it’s really just me hearing what his struggles are and giving some advice and tips and ideas on how he might be able to alleviate them.
The thing I love about his approach is that he always tells me what each idea I give him could be worth.
About two months ago, I suggested to him that in his sales process he put in a “diagnostic assessment” that allowed him to assess the customer’s business in a way that would help him determine if he even wanted to spend any time with that customer. And, of course, it would help the customer know if he/she had pain that was worth spending any time to fix.
Prior to this he had only asked questions and taken opinions from prospects. He had never put in any kind of a process/assessment. That idea just earned him a $1.3 million sale, which will generate about $300,000 of net profit in his business—one idea, $300,000.
But That’s Not Typical
What’s more typical is that ideas that we toss around in training meetings and coaching sessions go unused. They go unused because most of us have no way of executing anything new. We get so rigid in how we’ve done things that a new idea goes in one ear and out the other.
The Challenge
In 2011 I have a challenge for you: Make this the big idea year. And big ideas don’t mean earthshaking new ways to do business. It could be a very small idea that becomes a big idea because it leads to a windfall of economic benefit.
So the next time you ask someone for advice, and they give you something, don’t let it pass through your brain without filtering it through to see what that one idea could be worth. New ideas are the coin of today’s realm, but they’re worthless if no time is spent understanding them and deciding how they can be of economic benefit.
Deals That Won’t Move Through the Sales Funnel
Every sales professional we know is always in prospecting mode, which is why we devote a fair amount of time in this week’s episode in sales prospecting, sales development, and moving people through the pipeline.
In this episode’s Rant, Bill Caskey addresses the initial call and how sometimes the failure in the overall sales cycle begins on call number one. He offers tips on how to improve your language on the first call.
Bryan Neale busts the myth of “Enthusiasm is Contagious”. He tells you what really happens when a sales person exhibits too much enthusiasm.
Finally Bill and Bryan address moving deals through the pipeline in a way that is practical and virtually for any sales cycle.
In the Sales Process, Slow Down To Speed Up
Ever wonder whether your buyer knows what you’re going to ask them before you ask?
In this episode, Bill, Bryan and Brooke deal with the issues of how you find the customer problem…and the realization that if you slow down and ask the “right” questions, you can actually speed up the sales cycle.
In the “Mailbag” segment, Bryan tackles an email we get often, “How do I handle being a new sales rep? Can you give me some advice on getting a quick start?”
Do You Understand Your Sales Funnel?
The proverbial sales funnel seems to be the ‘defacto’ way to measure results. No, it’s not always ‘revenue in’…it’s “what’s in your pipeline?” (Do you wake up in the of a nightmare hearing your sales leader shouting that question to you?)
Not sure how we got to this point, but this short video blows up a little of our preoccupation with “funnel” because it highlights an important part–not all people in your sales funnel are equal. Nor should they be treated that way.
Is Business Networking Still a “Must”?
Recently got a call from Josh Hinds, a blogger-business networking specialist. He asked me to comment on some questions he’s posing to industry experts about networking. It caused me to think a little about business networking — and how I used to feel something was wrong with me because I didn’t like it. And wasn’t good at it.
In his interview, I give you a few ideas you can try if networking is a ‘must-do’ for you in growing your business.
