Like it or not, small talk is integral to your success. Whether you’re networking, speaking with a new prospect, or warming up a customer before upselling them or asking for a referral, you must be able to build rapport with casual conversation. More >>
Ever wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and say: “I have no business?” Ouch. Actually, you should look in the mirror and say: “The day is a blank canvas. How am I going to make the most of it?” Yet the reason you have no business is simple: Your prospecting pipeline in empty. What now? More >>
When qualifying, you bring value to your prospects, clients, and yourself through the questions you ask — but only if they’re good questions. Allow me to introduce you to a concept I call “high-value questions.” Simply stated, a high-value question for sales is one that creates a learning experience for either the questioner (you), the person being questioned (your prospect or client), or both. Naturally, the best high-value questions provide insight for all parties concerned. More >>
It’s easy to sell to prospects who are already interested in your product. They’ve done some preliminary research and decided you’re a potential solution. Now all you need to do is answer some questions, get in front of the right people, and make sure they opt for you over the competition. More >>
Sales objections are part of the job. And salespeople commonly come up against the competitor objection when talking to new prospects. As soon as the buyer realizes the nature or function of your product, she says something along the lines of, “We already work with Competitor X,” or “We already have a supplier for that.” More >>
When it comes to icebreakers, “describe yourself in three words” is by far one of the toughest. You’re a complex person, with unique ambitions, experiences, preferences, and traits – how are you possibly supposed to distill yourself down to three mere words? More >>
Questions are some of the most valuable tools in a salesperson’s arsenal. With a well-crafted inquiry, reps can open their prospect’s mind to a new possibility, compel them to action, discover relevant information, or secure buy-in for the next step. But if reps ask questions aggressively, they won’t get far. More >>
After a long day at the office, Netflix is usually more appealing than cracking open a sales book or streaming a sales training video on YouTube. Fortunately, there’s a simpler way to learn new sales techniques without having to set aside extra time in your day – through podcasts. The next time you’re walking the dog, commuting, exercising, cleaning, or doing any other task that doesn’t require mental energy, pop in your earbuds, press “Play,” and learn from sales leaders and experts. More >>
Writing a LinkedIn summary is incredibly difficult – for everyone, but especially for salespeople. You’re not targeting recruiters and hiring managers; you’re appealing to buyers. That means on top of finding an interesting and genuine way to describe your professional background, you must also come across as a subject matter expert. More >>
Have you ever swallowed a question or backed off from a certain topic for fear of offending your buyer? This happens on sales floors around the world every day. Reps let their qualification questions slide so as not to flare tempers. But the truth is, salespeople are often more worried about the potential of pissing off prospects than the situation warrants. More >>