A Life You Love: Sales Tips with Jennifer Fisher

Episode #33 Ben Cherian Competitive Sales

In this week's episode, I'm excited to have Ben Cherian on the show to discuss competitive sales.

Learn the importance of being fluid, asking clarifying questions, and go above and beyond to offer solutions to help solve your prospect's problems.

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As always, connect with me on LinkedIn and rate/review A Life You Love, and let me know additional topics you'd like to hear.

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Episode 32 - Greatest Sellers in History

In today’s episode, I’m going to discuss who the greatest sellers in history are, what made them successful, and how you can cultivate these same traits in order for YOU to make this list.

Some of the greatest sellers include:

• Mary Kay
• Dale Carnegie
• David Ogilvy
• Zig Ziglar

As well as a few names you may not have heard of.

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Episode #31 - Redefining Normal with Justin and Alexis Black

Last week on podcast episode number 30, I discussed what it means to develop a personal brand and be true to yourself and your core values while also tying in why your personal brand is so important in sales. In order to develop trust and relationships with your prospects and clients, your personal brand exemplifies all of this and more. Well in today’s episode, I have two very special guests for you, Alexis and Justin Black. This is an amazing young couple who grew up in the foster care system, beat the odds, found each other, fell in love and became entrepreneurs, and are now Re-Defining Normal together while helping other children in the foster care system. 

This interview is about their inspiration and drives to build their personal brand, become entrepreneurs, and sell themselves and their story in order to help give back.

I can’t wait for you to hear this interview.

https://re-definingnormal.square.site/

Connect with Justin and Alexis on LinkedIn!

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Episode #30 Personal Brand

You never get a second chance to make a first impression – make it one that will set you apart, build trust and reflect who you are. 

Effective personal branding will differentiate you from the competition and allow you to build trust with prospects and clients.

Personal branding is a way of defining yourself to make sure people know who you are, what you do, and what you stand for. Your personal brand is what sets you apart from everyone else with a similar skill set or background. Think of it as a shortcut for introducing yourself. It’s your tag; your reputation. A personal brand can be built in many ways: with a personality, a color association, or a symbol – like a logo.
 
Cultivating a personal brand has become more important than ever. Personal branding is also beneficial from the employer’s perspective. Many companies encourage employees to build strong personal brands because it’s good business. When employees are allowed to represent their company at conferences or events, they are developing themselves and providing the organization more exposure. Employees can help acquire new customers and retain existing ones when they are viewed as trustworthy thought leaders. 

Developing a great personal brand doesn’t happen overnight. It’s imperative to be able to communicate your purpose and mission to your prospects or clients in a genuine way.

Here are my 3 sales tips on aligning your personal brand to be successful in sales:

1.       You and your personal brand are the competitive differentiators when selling your product or service.

2.       Being trustworthy and honest are the top two traits in your personal brand that will help you build relationships and ultimately close more sales.

3.       Be true to your personal brand and be known for the strong values you exemplify.

Creating the right personal brand will not only help you be known in your field, but you will consistently be the go-to person your prospects and clients reach out to, and ultimately you will consistently grow your business. 

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Episode 29 - Mindset vs Skillset

In this episode, I’m going to talk about mindset vs skillset in professional sales. Many people have asked and continue to ask, “Which one is the most important trait to have in order to succeed in sales?” 

Let’s break them apart. Mindset is really all about the attitude and approach that an individual takes toward their work. Mindset is your established attitude or beliefs. The mindset has two parts, a fixed mindset, and a growth mindset. A fixed mindset settles into what is working and you’re not looking to change or are open to change. A growth mindset looks for opportunities to improve. It’s a consistent focus on new, better, and different. It’s tenacity and perseverance. It’s about having a thick skin and truly not being afraid to learn fast and fail a few times. Mindset can’t be taught, but it can be encouraged, role-modeled and in professional sales, it’s expected. 

A skillset on the other hand is your range of ability. What training and skills have you mastered to be able to execute the work you need to do well, in order to succeed in your business? Skills are the meat of “how” you do your job. There are several skill sets that are important success indicators in B2B sales, such as prospecting, closing, handling objections, managing your pipeline, CRM activity, etc. Skills can and must be taught, practiced, and rewarded consistently.

So why is it that some people seem to shine in any sphere in which they choose to exert themselves, and others cannot manage even a glimmer despite obvious talent?

Selling is a passion for many people. It is an area of interest and personal growth with its own rewards. Selling goes beyond excellent compensation and lifestyle. Motivated and empowered salespeople are not driven by their income, but rather from the satisfaction, challenge, and personal achievement that the profession affords.

 “A Passionate Sales Mindset Drives Purpose.”

For most, this isn’t an initial mindset. Sales professionals who learn how mastering the sales mindset affects their performance, experience a more fulfilling sales career. These sales professionals have honed their internal vision of sales to create a sales mindset of success. They learn to develop confidence in their ability to work with customers in a meaningful and positive way. Successful sales professionals focus on relationship building, making connections, and understanding the client’s business issues. They listen to customer challenges and help them find value in the products and services they offer.

 In this way, highly successful salespeople are problem solvers and barrier breakers for their customers. They’re not salespeople per se; rather, they see themselves as solution providers. Successful salespeople offer creative options and practical methods of overcoming challenges to their customers.

Turning from a sales-oriented approach to a problem solver perspective is one of the key factors in moving to a winning sales mindset. With the right internal vision and sales mindset, average salespeople can become great sales professionals.

As I wrap up today’s episode, here are my 3 sales tips focused on mindset and skillset:

 1.       Get your mindset in the right place. Mindset is responsible for 80 percent of an individual’s success in sales. That means no matter how many training courses someone goes on to develop their negotiation tactics or improve their cold calling skills, if the mindset isn’t covered, then success and sales growth will always be limited.

2.       Hone your skillset every day.

3.       Once you find the right combination, you’ll be unstoppable!

Once you change your mindset and focus on consistent daily actions, you should more readily meet or exceed your sales goals!

And always remember, you’ve got this!

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In today’s episode, I have a very special guest for you, International Best-Selling Author Jennifer Seeno Tucker, Jennifer is here to discuss and share what it means to create a vision for your life, how to build strong relationships, and get in front of the right people. 

Jennifer Seeno Tucker is an Associate Broker and Vice President of Business Development of Exit Realty United, as well as an international best-selling author of Become a Rock Star Real Estate Agent, she is co-creator of the 7 Saturday’s Training Program. Jennifer is also a Presidential Club Member of the Sandler SalesTraining Institute.

As a special gift to my listeners, you can click on the website below and download a free copy of her book:

https://rockstaragenttraining.com/

You can also connect with Jennifer here:

LinkedIn
Facebook

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Episode #27 - Qualities of a Top Salesperson

The most successful salespeople think and act differently than the average sales rep. Being in sales for almost 30 years, I’ve seen various successful traits throughout my career. And what’s funny is that there’s nothing special or magical about the traits of top salespeople. They’re simple traits, some may even seem obvious, but just because I say simple, doesn’t mean everyone has them.

Not all salespeople are successful. Given the same sales tools, level of education, and propensity to work, why do some salespeople succeed where others fail? Is one better suited to sell the product because of his or her background? Is one more charming or just luckier? The evidence suggests that the personalities of these truly great salespeople play a critical role in determining their success.

Many traits include:

• Upbeat
• Passionate
• Empathy/compassion
• Accountability
• Hungry
• Highly engaged
• Goal-oriented
• Competitive

I’m going to close with my 3 sales tips that highlight the successful traits of a top performer

1.       Passion – passion will carry the day over any other trait

2.       They are hungry to succeed, and hunger equals ambition

3.       Developing relationships through trust

When you combine these three traits, you’ll be unstoppable! So get out there and start becoming the best salesperson you can be.

And always remember, you’ve got this!

Connect with me on LinkedIn and let me know the top traits YOU think are critical for success.

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Episode 26 - Value Selling

Thank you for joining me this week as I dive in and discuss Value Selling. Value selling is when customers buy your product or service because they anticipate enjoying a value that they would not have in the absence of your product or service. People don’t buy products, they buy the results the product will give them.

If you focus on visualizing and expressing how your product or service helps solve your customer’s problems and the added benefit of your product for the customer, you’re focusing on the value. And when you focus on the value, the price becomes less and less important. If you don’t focus on value, the only thing you have to talk about is price.

So, what is value selling? Value is defined as the difference between the price you charge and the benefits the customer perceives they will get.

If the customer perceives they will get a lot of benefit for the price they pay, then their perception of value is very high – and you can control that message to your prospects and customers.

Focus on the value that matters to the buyer, not to you. What matters is how your customer sees how he or she will benefit from your value proposition. If your solution doesn’t fit, don’t attempt to make the sale. Your genuine care will win the admiration and trust of your prospect or customer. Think long term, your selflessness will pay massive dividends in the future. 

I love this quote from Warren Buffett “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get”.

To sum up value selling, here are my 3 sales tips and tricks to stay focused on selling value for your customer:

1.       Focus on the value of solving your prospect or customer’s problem.

2.       Create meaningful value in every interaction.

3.       Focus on educating your prospect, not selling.

The next time you approach a prospect, ask yourself “How can I provide as much value as possible?” The positive result may surprise you. And before I sign off, I’ll leave you with this quote from Albert Einstein, “Try not to become a person of success, but rather a person of value”.

Connect with me on LinkedIn or shoot me an email to discuss trends and topics in sales: [email protected]

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Episode #25 - Call Reluctance

Call Reluctance Syndrome (and yes, it’s a syndrome), or simply known as Call Reluctance. Call Reluctance is a phenomenon where salespeople become afraid to reach out and make phone calls. This is most typically observed at the start of potential client relationships, such as cold calling. 

The unwillingness of salespeople to make cold calls is a common issue that many sales teams face. It can become a serious obstacle in attaining our sales goals and impede your business growth and success. 

For some salespeople, prospecting is the weakest link in the selling chain because they suffer from call reluctance. But whether they’re experienced sales pros or new to the field, they need to quickly overcome it to survive and be successful. 

Shannon Goodson and George Dudley, co-founders of Behavioral Sciences Research Press shared some amazing statistics in their book “The Psychology of Sales Call Reluctance stating that call reluctance is the reason why:

·       80% of new salespeople fail in their first year, and

·       40% of sales veterans are at threat of decreasing sales. 

And all in, 40% of salespeople will experience episodes of call reluctance, despite their years of experience or product knowledge.

We’ve all been there. You’re about to pick up the phone to dial the next number and reach out to a warm lead, and then it hits you: A wave of uncertainty and a million different “what ifs” begin playing in your mind. As this anxiety continues to wash over you, you notice the other salespeople making calls, smiling, and having a wonderful time interacting with their clients and prospects. 

Here are 3 tips and tricks to overcome call reluctance:

1.       You are a trusted advisor and problem solver

2.       Maintain knowledge of your product or service: knowledge = confidence

3.       Truly believe in what you’re selling!

Call reluctance is a problem that hits many salespeople at one time or another. You can apply these tips and tricks to overcome and ultimately succeed in your sales journey.

Let's connect on LinkedIn - shoot me a message at [email protected] to let me know feedback and topic suggestions for the future!

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Episode 24 - Nurturing Prospects

Thank you for joining me this week as I discuss what it means to nurture your prospects and why this is important in your sales cycle. 

Lead generation has more and more moved away from a transactional activity or generating single events for sales reps, to initiating and maintaining a relationship that leads the buyer to the best choice (ultimately your product or service).

Implementing an effective lead nurturing strategy can have a huge impact on your prospecting activities. The process of nurturing your leads involves purposefully engaging your prospects by offering them relevant information, supporting them in any way they need, and maintaining a sense of delight throughout every stage of the buyer’s journey. 

Nurturing programs can take on different forms, from simple campaigns to sophisticated ones within automation platforms. The key here is to do something that keeps you involved and progresses the opportunity. Don’t lose the prospect that you invested so much time to identify in the first place.

A sizable amount of sales rep’s time goes into prospecting activities to generate interested prospects. To let them fall off a cliff once you’ve discovered they aren’t buying in the next 90 days, is walking away from a huge percentage that will in fact purchase in the next 12 months – or sooner.

At the end of the day, nurturing prospects is about building trust. Done the right way, you’ve formed a lasting customer relationship that will pay off well beyond a single sale. Do it wrong, and you’ve landed right back in the old sales model that turns off your prospects and sends them running right to your competitors.

It’s important to realize you are already holistically building your pipeline. Small adjustments to how you are following up make a big difference to extract more revenue from your initial campaigns. And remember, sales is a long game. As a sales rep, you can’t make one phone call, get any response, and decide to abandon your strategy and focus on something else. And with a long game, you continue playing, you continue to reach out and provide value with every interaction you have. Many salespeople don’t succeed because they are too quick to change direction and strategy with their prospects. 

To wrap it up, here are my top 3 sales tips on nurturing prospects:

1.       Use your nurture campaign to build trust with your prospects

2.       Create value in every outreach.

3.       Segment your prospects for where they are in the buyer’s journey.

Not every prospect is going to buy from you on day 1, but that doesn’t mean you should overlook the importance of developing relationships and inching them closer to a sale. 

And always remember, you’ve got this!

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