Class is in session on this episode of B2B EQ! Our guest this week is a leader who enables teams to work at their best. He’s an EQ expert and veteran of the sales industry. Previously the VP of RevOps for a major telecommunications company, he spends his time teaching the next generation of sales professionals. Joining the show is Adjunct Instructor for the Fox School of Business at Temple University, Kevin Kowalick! Kevin sits down with host Tim Harris to discuss finding a balance between building trust and hitting numbers, identifying your emotions, and why you should always assume positive intent.

Takeaways:

• The secret to a good sales call is letting the other person talk. While it can be tempting to tell customers about yourself, the company, and the product, you need to quiet those instincts. Let the customer talk, and listen to what they have to say.
• It’s normal to be nervous on a sales call, and while practice makes perfect, identifying where those feelings come from is the first step to improvement. By identifying the physical reaction to emotions, we can better control those feelings of anxiousness.
• Picking up on cues is important, but you need to tie actions to those cues. If you notice someone is talking rapidly and seems stressed, pause and check in with them. Ask them how they are feeling, and if they need it, offer them a few minutes to relax.
• Calling is still a potent sales tool but it can be nerve racking for some reps. Sales reps need to be comfortable being uncomfortable and take the first step. Through practice and role playing sales calls, reps will increase their confidence with new sales methods.
• If you’ve reached out to someone a few times with no response, it’s natural to assume they are uninterested. While it can be tempting to disqualify that lead, assume positive intent. They may be on vacation or busy with work, rather than annoyed.
• Sales is stressful, and it’s important to ground yourself. Sales is not a life or death situation. Give yourself permission to take the pressure off your shoulders, and realize that while the outcomes are important, they aren’t as stressful as they may feel.
• New generations of sales reps come into the workforce with a high technical skill, but can be lacking in EQ. Most people are familiar with zoom calls, but for reps who don’t know anything else, teams need to focus on developing in person and phone skills.

Quote of the Show:

• “You can smell desperation, you can smell sleaze, and when the person might not care about your best interests.” - Kevin Kowalick

To reach Kevin, and to learn more about his consulting and coaching services, connect with him on LinkedIn.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinkowalick/

Shoutouts:

• Fanatical Prospecting: https://a.co/d/7GTFAa5

Ways to Tune In:

• Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b2b-eq/id1672326834
• Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1T2zlqNsSYATzXFPH1DquY
• Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mYXN0Lndpc3RpYS5jb20vY2hhbm5lbHMvajRuNnNjYmc2Ni9yc3M

This week’s guest on B2B EQ is a sales savant with 20+ years of experience. He teaches sales reps how to earn the right to ask questions, which questions to ask, and when to ask them. He's the host of both the Surf and Sales Podcast and Sales Rants with Richard. Joining the show this week is Founder of The Harris Consulting Group Richard Harris! Host Tim Harris sits down with Richard to dive into the essential soft skills for sales reps, highlight the importance of active listening, and explore what it means to earn the right to ask questions.

Takeaways:

• Soft skills are hard skills, but those skills have been in place since day one. Sales skills are human skills, every time we try to convince someone of something, we are selling to them. Recognizing this allows you to build off of the foundational skills you already have.
• Sales reps need to stop handling objections and start marinating in them. A buyer backing out of a deal can be frustrating, but instead of rushing to give them a lower price, respond to the root cause with empathy, and show genuine caring.
• While having a plan for your calls is a good strategy, you don’t want to get too caught up in it. If your responses are too scripted and planned out, you’ll spend more time thinking about what you’re going to say next, rather than listening to the customer.
• You’re going to ask questions on a sales call, but you don’t want it to be an interrogation. You need to earn the right to ask questions by establishing the parameters, creating a good space for conversation, and giving your customer space to ask questions back.
• Sales reps are in control of calls, but to get there you need to get your customer to warm up first. Before you hit them with typical questions, start by asking what led them to this call. That question will get them talking, and then you can dive deeper.
• Buyers are busy, but they’re not that busy. While buyers do need to focus on reports, they still have time to talk with you. Buyers may be too busy for you today, which can feel frustrating, but you need to ensure you are properly following up with them.
• Showing up to every call with a defeatist attitude will negatively impact your results, and pretending everything is alright won’t get you anywhere. Reps need to acknowledge the problems, and figure out the best way to move forward.

Quote of the Show:

• “Sales skills are really just human skills.” - Richard Harris

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rharris415/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/rharris415
• Company website: https://theharrisconsultinggroup.com/
• Podcast: https://www.surfandsales.com/the-surf-sales-podcast
• Podcast: https://theharrisconsultinggroup.com/sales-rants-podcast/
• Book: https://www.amazon.com/Owning-Your-Job-Search-application-ebook/dp/B08TQHBVQF

Ways to Tune In:

• Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b2b-eq/id1672326834
• Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1T2zlqNsSYATzXFPH1DquY
• Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mYXN0Lndpc3RpYS5jb20vY2hhbm5lbHMvajRuNnNjYmc2Ni9yc3M

On this episode of B2B EQ, we’re joined by a revered keynote speaker and sales trainer who helps people bring out the best of their ability. He’s been recognized as a LinkedIn Top Voice in sales and a Salesforce Top Sales Influencer for 2021, 2022, and 2023. He’s authored 3 books, including “Everybody Works In Sales”. Welcome to the show, Managing Director at Everybody Works In Sales, Niraj Kapur! Niraj joins host Tim Harris for an in depth discussion on why serving is so important, how to cut through the noise on LinkedIn, and why everybody works in sales.

Takeaways:

• One of the most important soft skills in B2B sales is serving. Your sales interactions should be about helping people solve their problems, rather than just selling them something. Helpful interactions create potential customers.
• While most sales reps know to ask questions about the buyer, your process needs to be more than asking 2 questions and jumping straight into a demo. You need to ask real questions to understand concerns, then you can start providing solutions.
• While LinkedIn can be a potent sales tool, it is overflowing with volume. In order to cut through the noise, take advantage of video and audio messages on LinkedIn. You’re limited to 60 seconds, but a thoughtful message will make you stand out.
• When it comes to prospecting methods, no one needs another email, and cold calls aren’t working. Building strong relationships on LinkedIn by commenting on and engaging with posts sets you up to generate much faster and better response rates.
• Testimonials from past clients can be a powerful sales tool, but they need to be relevant. Different clients have different needs, sharing testimonials from clients that are too different in size and industry can be more of a hindrance than help.
• Everybody works in sales. While you may not be prospecting clients, every time you email or talk with someone outside the company, you represent the organization. Having a strong presentation creates a better brand image, in turn driving sales.
• The real problem sales reps have is not closing deals, but rather opening them. Most reps fail to ask the right questions, don’t listen properly, rush the deal, and lack crucial negotiation skills.

Quote of the Show:

• “Being very good at sales and being very good at business are often two different things.” - Niraj Kapur

Shoutouts:

• Talk Like TED: https://a.co/d/ges4PUh
• Ted Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking: https://a.co/d/faNevYm

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nkapur/
• Website: https://everybodyworksinsales.com/
• Everybody Works In Sales: https://amzn.eu/d/6GQ1Yui
• The Easy Guide To Sales For Business Owners: https://amzn.eu/d/emRA8ze
• Business Growth: Lessons Learned From Divorce, Dating and Falling In Love Again: https://amzn.eu/d/ficD2ay

Ways to Tune In:

• Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b2b-eq/id1672326834
• Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1T2zlqNsSYATzXFPH1DquY
• Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mYXN0Lndpc3RpYS5jb20vY2hhbm5lbHMvajRuNnNjYmc2Ni9yc3M

On this episode of B2B EQ, our guest is someone who is extremely passionate about coaching, and helping sales professionals and leaders take their game to the 'next level'. He’s the host of The Midweek Midday Motivational Minute, the Author of “Jolt!”, and has been a Salesforce top voice in sales for the last 3 years. Welcome to the show, CEO of LLJR Enterprises, Larry Long Jr! Larry and host Tim Harris dive into how reps can up their game, how to understand the needs of the customer, and ways to demonstrate value on sales calls.

Takeaways:

• While markets are tough and quotas are harder to hit, it’s important to keep an eye out for opportunities. Look for opportunities to build your skills, strengthen your partner relationships, and to get creative about serving your existing clients.
• As a rep, practice is important. Now is the time to double down on training, and work on elevating your behaviors. It may feel awkward, but role playing sales calls with team mates provides a learning ground for all.
• Knowledge of your customer, client, and product are crucial to closing a deal. Before you hop on a call, learn about the client's company, and some of the issues they are already facing. If you don’t know your own tool, you won't know how it can help the client.
• Sales is all about relationships, and people buy from people they like, and your demeanor is a crucial ingredient to forging strong relationships. Being warm, friendly, and genuinely enthusiastic about your client will all create a stronger bond.
• If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready. Instead of being reactive to obstacles, be proactive about upping your skills, hitting your goal, and establishing a plan to get there. When you prepare, and stay ready, obstacles become less challenging.
• Success in sales isn’t about how many first calls you make, it's about the number of second calls. If a client walks away from a 30 minute call without feeling any value, you’ve both given them nothing of value, and taken away from their time.
• Every good player needs a coach, and sales reps are no different. While you don’t need to pay for a coach, you do need someone to help you get better. Identify your mentor, and work with them to challenge yourself, and to hold you accountable.

Quote of the Show:

• “If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.” - Larry Long Jr

Links:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/larrylongjr
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/longjr7/
• Website: https://larrylongjr.com/
• Book Link: https://a.co/d/8OJ6VzI

Ways to Tune In:

• Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b2b-eq/id1672326834
• Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1T2zlqNsSYATzXFPH1DquY
• Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mYXN0Lndpc3RpYS5jb20vY2hhbm5lbHMvajRuNnNjYmc2Ni9yc3M

As B2B EQ hits our 10th episode, we’re honored to be joined by someone known to have the “biggest crystal ball in B2B sales”. He is the co-author of The Challenger Sale and The Challenger Customer. With nearly 20 years of experience at CEB and Gartner, he’s seen the ins and outs of the industry. Today’s guest is the Global Head of Research, Advisory, and Communities at Ecosystems, Brent Adamson. Host Tim Harris sits down with Brent to discuss why 72% of buyers don’t want to talk to reps, how customer channels have changed, and why you need to build your customer’s confidence in themselves, not your company.

Takeaways:

• Marketing teams need to focus less on the customer’s perceptions of the brand, and more on their perception of themselves. Instead of overloading your customer with your product features, you need to make your customer feel confident in themselves.
• The single biggest driver of a customer making a high quality low regret deal purchase is confidence. Customers want to feel confident that they have done enough research, asked enough questions, and fully understand the problem.
• In a buyer's journey, there are a lot of objectives to hit and decisions to make. The best way a rep can assist is to narrow down the objectives, give context into how other buyers assessed and chose those objectives, and let the buyer make the decision.
• While buyers and decision makers are engaged in the process for their company, they make buying decisions around how it affects their roles. Companies need to provide resources that highlight how their product helps CTOs, CMOs, and other stakeholders.
• 72% of B2B buyers would prefer to buy a product without talking to a sales rep at all. One reason buyers still engage with reps is because they are unable to find the proper resources to help them make a decision elsewhere.
• Customers are channel agnostic, and the sales rep is no longer the sole channel to your customer. Instead of focusing solely on how you can improve sellers or web channels, you need to help your customers align on key targets, metrics, and timelines.
• While you may not be the right solution for every customer now, not all is lost. If that customer walks away feeling that you understand their needs, and are helpful, they will look to you when they need a solution you offer.

Quote of the Show:

• “The driver of a decision is self-confidence, it isn’t your amazing value.” - Brent Adamson

Links:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/brentadamson
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentadamson/
• Website: https://ecosystems.io/
• Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/Challenger-Sale-Control-Customer-Conversation/dp/1591844355

Ways to Tune In:

• Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b2b-eq/id1672326834
• Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1T2zlqNsSYATzXFPH1DquY
• Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mYXN0Lndpc3RpYS5jb20vY2hhbm5lbHMvajRuNnNjYmc2Ni9yc3M

Today’s guest on B2B EQ is a RevOps superstar with a demonstrated history of scaling SaaS focused organizations from pilot to full deployment. He is an established leader who is passionate about creating a great employee experience, and helping sales teams scale. Joining Tim Harris this week is Vice President of Global Revenue Operations & Sales at Alight Solutions, Brady Johnson. Brady joins Tim for a discussion on the importance of a strong customer experience, ways to make sales feel less transactional, and why building relationships with clients goes beyond just talking about the weather.

Takeaways:

• Building relationships with clients goes beyond just making small talk. To truly build relationships, you need to demonstrate value to the customer. Until you truly understand the problem they are facing, you will not be able to provide value.
• Demonstrating value to a customer goes beyond just identifying a problem and solving it. While that is helpful, the problem and solution you identify ultimately need to be tied back to the businesses outcomes.
• Buyer pushback doesn’t mean they don’t like the product, it means your sales process feels too transactional. If buyers don’t want to talk to sales, you need to focus less on revenue, and more on building relationships.
• While a strong technical knowledge is helpful, too many details can be overwhelming to a customer. Sales reps need the proper EQ to be able to build relationships first, and to know which details matter to the customer.
• Economic uncertainty leads a lot of companies to push for more sales. Instead of trying to overfill your funnel and having sales reps waste time chasing unqualified leads, focus on the ways you can drive value for your customers.
• One of the biggest opportunities for a RevOps team is enabling sales reps with good data. For example, if a customer is doing more sales pursuits than the sales team, reps should not focus on that customer. RevOps teams can provide those insights.
• Even though a buyer is shopping for their company, they buy as a consumer first. Because B2C companies like Apple have perfected their customer experience, B2B customers expect the same level of service and refinement.

Quote of the Show:

• “Critical feedback moves the needle.” - Brady Johnson

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradyj1/
• Website: https://www.alight.com/
• Ben’s Helping Hand: https://app.givingheartsday.org/#/charity/416

Ways to Tune In:

• Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b2b-eq/id1672326834
• Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1T2zlqNsSYATzXFPH1DquY
• Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mYXN0Lndpc3RpYS5jb20vY2hhbm5lbHMvajRuNnNjYmc2Ni9yc3M

Today’s guest on B2B EQ is a dedicated leader who is passionate about seeing sales professionals succeed. He’s led sales and operations for multiple hyper-growth, venture backed tech companies. Joining the show today is Co-Founder and CRO of Sales Assembly, Matt Green. Host Tim Harris shares the mic with Matt to discuss how to properly personalize your outreach, ways that sales teams can make the most out of conferences, and how to make reps feel more comfortable doing in person meetings.

Takeaways:

• The most important soft skill in B2B sales is empathy. You need to be able to build authentic relationships with your customers to effectively drive sales.
• The best way to cut through the noise as a sales rep is to show your prospect that you know something about them. Do some research on the person beyond where they went to school and get to know them.
• Personalized touches don’t have to be expensive or over the top. Personalized touches need to feel genuine and relevant. Even asking someone about something they are passionate about builds a stronger connection.
• Regardless of all the virtual tech and AI powered tools, human connection and interaction will still remain an integral part of selling. Sales leaders need to help make sure newer reps feel comfortable doing in person interactions with potential customers.
• As marketing budgets become tighter, sales teams need to get smarter about trade shows. Instead of buying a large booth, figure out who from your ICP will be there. Once you have a list of several people, book in person lunches or coffee chats with them.
• While filling the top of the funnel may seem like the right mindset, but your time is better spent elsewhere. Companies need to focus on spending more time with each prospect in the middle of the funnel, and creating more meaningful messaging.
• Most companies focus on making sure leads are qualified, and that the target company meets their ICP. Few companies focus on buying intent. Establish a few intent metrics, and if leads don’t meet those, move on to the ones that do.

Quote of the Show:

• “Let’s not focus on building a bigger pipeline, let’s focus more on making the best of the pipeline we have.” - Matt Green

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewcorneliusgreen/
• Website: https://www.salesassembly.com/
• Sam McKenna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samsalesli/

Ways to Tune In:

• Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b2b-eq/id1672326834
• Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1T2zlqNsSYATzXFPH1DquY
• Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mYXN0Lndpc3RpYS5jb20vY2hhbm5lbHMvajRuNnNjYmc2Ni9yc3M

Today's guest is a collaborative team leader, coach, motivator and mentor. He has spent his career influencing change while introducing new products and solutions to enterprise customers. Starring on the show today is Managing Partner at helpUwin consulting, Vincent Deschamps. Vin joins host Tim Harris to help sales leaders motivate their teams, and get to the bottom of what the customer needs. In this interview they’ll explore ways reps can best demonstrate empathy, why EQ beats out IQ, and why you should always start off your sales calls with your company values.

Takeaways:

• The most important soft skill to have is listening and empathy. You need to focus on what’s in it for the customer, and without empathy, you won’t be able to build a relationship.
• The important aspects of professional relationships are the same as personal relationships. You need trust, honesty, confidence, and the ability to admit when you are wrong about something.
• Sales reps need to be able to “read the room” with their prospects. Before you dive into your pitch, ask the prospect how they are doing, or how their week has been. If your prospect isn’t having a great day, it can be a good idea to postpone the call.
• Explaining your company's values on a sales call is a good way to build personal rapport. By starting with what your company cares about, you can align on values first before diving into a pitch.
• A crucial skill to have as a rep is the ability to admit when you are wrong. No one wants to interact with a know it all, and admitting when you are wrong builds trust by showing you are willing to be vulnerable.
• Your customer needs to be at the top of your charts. Your business needs to focus on understanding what the customer wants. Your product, applications, and infrastructure will follow from the customer’s needs.
• IQ is important to have in sales, but EQ is more important. You could be an award winning, patent holding engineer, but if you can’t talk to customers, you won’t have any sales.

Quote of the Show:

• “I think you can teach emotional intelligence if the person is willing to change their behavior.” - Vincent Deschamps

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincent-deschamps-53bb22a/
• Company website: http://www.helpuwin.net/home.html

Ways to Tune In:

• Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b2b-eq/id1672326834
• Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1T2zlqNsSYATzXFPH1DquY
• Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mYXN0Lndpc3RpYS5jb20vY2hhbm5lbHMvajRuNnNjYmc2Ni9yc3M

On this episode of B2B EQ, we’re joined by a highly accomplished business development and sales professional with a proven track record of success in building and scaling BDR teams in early stage SaaS companies. With over 10 years of experience, he’s brought his talents to roles at Sendoso and UpKeep. This week’s guest is the Head of Sales Development at Cube, Joe Venuti. Host Tim Harris interviews Joe to learn more about how sales leaders need to be managing their teams, and what steps they can take to be better leaders.

Takeaways:

• With potentially worrying economic futures and lots of layoffs, it’s a stressful time to sell. As a leader, you need to be empathetic to the challenges your reps are facing to ensure they feel supported.
• While communication tools like slack or zoom are incredibly valuable in the remote and hybrid workplace, they are impersonal. A slack message doesn’t have the same effect as walking across the sales floor and congratulating a rep on their accomplishments.
• 1 on 1’s need to be more than just quota reviews. Leaders should spend the first section of these meetings building a genuine connection with their reps. Leaders need to both ask about rep’s personal lives, but also open up to share about themselves.
• As a sales rep, you need to understand how much buying power the person on the call has. Regardless of their title, very few people at a company have the power to be the single decision maker for new buys.
• As a seller, you need to go beyond just the features of your product. Selling with empathy means sitting down with your buyers to learn what resonates with them, what keeps them up at night, and then working to address those.
• The sales landscape has gotten more and more noisy, and everyone's competing for time. To cut through the noise, you need to be different, and personalized to clients, otherwise, you’re just another face in the crowd.
• While personalized outreach is important, it only works if it is accurate and relevant. You may be tempted to sprinkle in details about a buyer's hobbies or likes, but inaccurate details create a strong deterrent in the buyer's mind.

Quote of the Show:

• “It comes down to actually caring about the human beings you work with.” - Joe Venuti

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-venuti-04b34b49/
• Company website: https://www.cubesoftware.com/

Ways to Tune In:

• Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b2b-eq/id1672326834
• Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1T2zlqNsSYATzXFPH1DquY
• Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mYXN0Lndpc3RpYS5jb20vY2hhbm5lbHMvajRuNnNjYmc2Ni9yc3M

Taking the stage today is a globally recognized sales leader with 30+ years experience who combines her passions for music and leadership. She helps leaders remix their own style so they can leave a positive legacy that their people won't forget and drive results effectively.

Joining us for this episode of B2B EQ is Author of the book “Side B: Remix Your Leadership Style”, CEO and Leadership DJ at Side B Consulting, Paula White. Paula is a sales superstar, and she shares her biggest tips for leaders looking to motivate their sales teams. In this episode, Tim and Paula talk about the science of music as a motivational tool, how to balance your side A and side B, and why the most important soft skill in b2b sales is communication.

Takeaways:

• The most important soft skill in B2B sales is communication. Without knowing how to communicate with others, your revenue won’t go anywhere.
• There are four stages of communication, canned, reflective, active, and unexpected.
• When it comes to motivating sales teams, you need to be able to find what truly drives them and inspire them along those lines.
• As people we need to balance our side A (hard skills) with our side B (soft skills). Too much of side A creates a rigorous, stressful experience. Too much side B can create an environment with not enough focus.
• Leading a sales team is all about emotional intelligence and self awareness. Those two attributes are what drive people, not data or results. At the end of the day, people want to be heard and listened to by their leaders.
• People buy on emotion, and justify it logically. People buy things because of the emotional feeling of what it could bring them, not just because it checks off all their boxes.
• Music can be a potent tool for increasing the happiness of sales reps. When you hear something energetic, your dopamine and serotonin levels rise, which boost your mood. A good mood is almost infectious, and can make clients feel happier on calls.

Quote of the Show:

• “Over the phone you can hear a smile.” - Paula White

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paula-s-white/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/pswhite00
• Company website: https://paulaswhite.com/
• Book: https://www.amazon.com/Side-Remix-Your-Leadership-Style/dp/164146674X

Ways to Tune In:

• Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b2b-eq/id1672326834
• Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1T2zlqNsSYATzXFPH1DquY
• Google Podcast - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mYXN0Lndpc3RpYS5jb20vY2hhbm5lbHMvajRuNnNjYmc2Ni9yc3M
• YouTube