Peter Gianoli

Peter Gianoli

By Peter GianoliBusinessEducationCareers
Download on the App Store

Peter Gianoli episodes

  • Monday Sales Coach Podcast Episode 030
    This week’s episode of Monday Sales Coach discusses the why a client’s objection is seldom about the price of your offering even though that maybe what they tell you is the issue.
    Download Podcast Episode

    It’s Seldom About The Price
    Problem:
    One of the most common objections salespeople get is about price:
    “That’s a bit more than we were thinking about paying.”
    “Your prices are kind of high.”
    “That’s way out of our budget range” are typical comments.
    Salespeople tend to be very aggressive in their attempts to overcome price objections and begin dropping their price to get the sale. And, more often than not, once the price issue has been “resolved,” another objection comes to the surface. Sometimes it seems to be a never-ending circle of objections from the prospect.
    Analysis:
    Prospects may use the price objection as an excuse not to buy when, in fact,price is not the real issue.
    Think about it.
    You’ve probably said on more than one occasion, “That’s more than I wanted to spend,” when what you really meant was it doesn’t have the functionality you were looking for or the style just wasn’t right. Or because you had no real conviction that solution will work and even under the best circumstances you probably wouldn’t buy it. Sometimes price objections are real and sometimes they’re smokescreens. Your job is to figure it out correctly.
    Solution:
    The first thing you must do when you hear a price objection is to make sure that it’s the real issue. You want to isolate it so that you don’t have to deal with any other issues later on. So, ask the prospect this question: “I don’t know why this is, but typically when we hear the price is too high, it’s something else in the proposal that someone didn’t like and not necessarily the price. Is that the case here?”
    Now the prospect has two alternatives: they can tell you what the real objection is or they can say that everything else is fine and it really is just about price. If it’s something other than price, you must deal with that. If it really is price, you should find out how far apart you are and determine whether or not you want to be responsive. Assuming you have some flexibility, ask them what would happen if you were able to reach agreement on price. If their answer is anything other than “we’ll have a deal,” you need to do more qualifying or consider walking away.
    Isolating the objection is very important so you can deal with the real issue(s). Secondarily, when the prospect declines the opportunity to be critical of other issues in the proposal, they usually start to tell you what they liked and why. When that happens, they’re starting to sell themselves and that helps you diffuse the price issue.
    Download Podcast Episode Transcript
    Passionate Conviction
    You have to be passionate to sell. You have to have conviction to sell what you sell. The problem happens when the passionate conviction takes over.
    A good friend asked me to meet someone about a new business venture they were involved in. Reluctantly (I get a lot of these requests), I looked at his website, and did a little research and agreed.
    We had a 30-minute phone conversation.
    This person was passionate and convicted about his product and the opportunity and that was the problem. He couldn’t hear anything I was saying. He was closed off to anything coming out of my mouth.
    His passion was awesome,
    7 min
  • Monday Sales Coach Podcast Episode 028
    In this episode, we are going to look at a concept I like to call the accidental sales person.
    Let’s get started.
    Download Podcast Episode Transcript

    The Accidental Sales Person
    Problem:
    Recently I was reading an article written by a well-known sales trainer. He shall remain nameless, since I disagree with his approach.
    His contention was that every sales “pro” should follow this time tested process for selling if he or she was to achieve personal success in sales.
    His three steps were
    1.) Prospecting,
    2.) Presenting and
    3.) Closing.
    In the presentation step salespeople were encouraged to master the features and benefits of their products or services and pitch them convincingly to their prospects (a group, no doubt, that consisted of anyone that would give them an audience).
    Closing, of course, meant dealing with all the stalls and objections and then gaining commitment by saying something like, “Well, now that we’ve dealt with all your issues, shall we go ahead and write it up?”
    Analysis:
    This antiquated message is still coming through loud and clear from a surprising number of the sales “gurus.” They say your job is to keep your employer happy by moving their products or services. They want you to sell what you’ve got to whomever you can convince to buy. Don’t worry about what the prospect needs. It’s not about “them.” There are quotas that have to be met. This seems to be the prevailing mentality.
    This approach may work just fine in a one call close business where any hesitation on the part of the prospect usually spells failure for the salesperson. But when there’s more at stake, when the sale is more complex (bigger dollars, more decision makers involved, etc.) this approach will fail because the needs of the buyer are not being addressed. And since more and more sales fall into the needs based “complex sale” category these days, this guru’s approach becomes less and less effective.
    From my standpoint, the real problem is that an awful lot of salespeople continue to read this “stuff” and think it’s gospel.
    So, we have two selling “camps;” those who are product pitchmen and those who are solution providers.
    Pitchmen are impostors in a complex sale. The pitchmen try to fit their approach into the complex sale, but it doesn’t work. They rely on selling “hard,” and that’s the wrong approach. No wonder selling seems so difficult for them. It explains why the average salesperson closes only a mere 20% of the proposals they make. No wonder everybody, including the buyer, is frustrated.
    Solution:
    Find out what they want, give it to ’em, and remove all the roadblocks to making the purchase. It’s a pretty simple approach, and it works well if you find out what they want. Funny, that part seemed to be missing in the guru’s process.
    Salespeople who use the product pitching approach may get lucky from time to time. They may sell something “by accident” because they “accidentally” bumped into someone who just happened to need exactly what they were selling. The moons and stars were all in alignment and the sale was made. But in a complex sale, this approach is not very dependable.
    Selling by accident is a tough way to make a living.
    Hopefully you’ve already figured this out.
    Selling by understanding and satisfying needs is the better way.
    Do you sell by accident, or do you give ’em what they want?
    The distinction could define your success in your selling career.
    6 min
  • Monday Sales Coach Podcast Episode 027
    If there is one thing that individuals in the field of business are well-acquainted with, it is the business proposal.
    Sales representatives must learn to take advantage of the concept of business proposals when doing their presentations. Its importance primarily lies in its ability to influence entrepreneurial decisions. When executed correctly, a good business proposal could be the difference toward closing a deal successfully.
    Download Podcast Episode Transcript

    Guidelines For An Excellent Business Proposal
    What steps can a sales or marketing professional take to create a compelling business proposal?
    In an ideal world, business proposals should be created in consultation with the client. However, when circumstances do not allow for direct communication with the other party, one should follow these 9 business proposal guidelines:

    * Write a concise and persuasive executive summary

    Your summary should give your client a clear overview of what to expect in your proposal. A short and concise summary is preferred over a long one with little value.

    * Focus on results rather than on procedures

    Keep in mind that your client is giving you a chance to present a proposal because he or she believes in the potential that your product has in addressing their concerns. Take advantage of that by focusing your pitch on the results that your product can deliver.

    * Let your ideas flow freely

    While you should avoid unnecessary words, do not hold back from expressing important points and ideas. Add value by expressing well-thought out business propositions and back up your proposals with reliable data.

    * Quality over quantity

    Remember it is not going to be about the length of your business proposal but rather its quality. Get to the point. Do not make the mistake of sacrificing clarity of thought for the sake of too many words.

    * Tailor the contents per the needs and concerns of the client

    A business proposal, no matter how well-written, will be of little or no value if it does not address the specific concerns for which it was produced. Therefore understanding a client’s need is critical in the creation of the proposal.

    * Double check your content

    Do not risk devaluing your business proposal. Always double check your written proposal to make sure that your plans are valid and on-point. Check your data for accuracy. Remember that your client will rely on your proposal for key decisions so be responsible with what you include.

    * Critique your output

    Content quality is king. Do not rush your proposal. Give yourself time to sleep on it for a day if you can and then read the entire paper again. Do not stop editing until you are completely satisfied and confident that your client will find the proposal of real benefit.

    * Details matter

    In the interest of producing quality proposals, you need to pay attention to the tiniest details. For instance, keep the text free from any typographic or grammar errors.

    * Do not oversell

    Although you have written the business proposal to persuade your potential customer as to the value of your product, be mindful not to oversell. Sell only what you know you can offer.
    By keeping these guidelines in mind, you can be sure that you will not only be able to deliver a well-written business proposal but also close deals because of your efforts.
    Download Podcast Episode Transcript
    7 min
  • Monday Sales Coach Podcast Episode 026
    There is a science to getting emails read. There is a science to how our brain works and how we engage with email and if you want to understand that science, you’re going to love this podcast.
    Download Podcast Episode Transcript

    Why your prospects don’t respond to your cold emails and how to fix it!
    Getting emails read is one of the greatest challenges in sales today. As more and more people abandon the phone, email has become our go-to communication tool, yet most sales people suck at emails and so do their marketing departments.
    Per Hubspot, less than 24% of sales emails are opened. That’s opened, that doesn’t even address responded to.  Think about that; you must send 100 emails, just to get 24 opened. If you can muster a 10% response rate out of that 24, you’ll get a whopping 2.4 responses for every 100 emails you send. That’s not meetings, that’s not sales opportunities, that’s simply email responses.
    Those are NOT odds I’d want to live or die by.
    If you or your sale organization is relying on emails for your inbound or outbound sales team, you must get good at writing compelling, emails.
    The problem with emails today is most people don’t understand the science.
    Yes, there is a science to getting people to open and then respond to your emails. If you want to write good cold emails, you’re going to have to understand the science.
    It works like this.
    Our brains are programmed to block out the familiar, the repetitious, the expected. To manage its resources, the brain refuses to pay attention to things that are expected or familiar.
    However, when our brain is triggered by something that is unfamiliar, unexpected or out of the ordinary, a specific part of the brain is triggered and forces us to stop and take notice. We can’t help ourselves.
    This section of the brain is called the ACC or the anterior cingular cortex. Within the ACC is the error negativity signal or the “oh-shit” circuit as scientists like to call it. The ACC or the error negativity signal is designed to keep us honest. Its job is to pay attention when our unconscious brain is not.
    It works like this.
    As we’re going through our day, our brain has cataloged our surroundings. It puts everything into a pretty little box. It knows what happens when we get to the office; it knows what traffic is going to be like. It knows how everyone is going to act around the donuts. It even knows that 90% of the emails cluttering the inbox are useless noise. Because the brain already knows this, it goes into autopilot, ignoring or paying very little mind to all those things around it, so it can be focused on the things that matter.
    This holds true throughout the entire day, that is until . . . something unexpected or unfamiliar happens.
    Then all hell breaks loose in the brain and the brain forces you to take notice. It won’t let you focus on anything else. It locks you in until the brain catalogs the information and says, act or don’t act.
    Being aware of the science behind attention is a huge advantage when it comes to cold emails.
    Why?
    Because, you now know the secret sauce is to trigger the “oh-shit” circuit.
    The key to triggering the “oh-shit” circuit is to create intrigue, and there are three very distinct ways to create intrigue.

    * Create a knowledge gap. When we know something, our prospects don’t, they become curious. People don’t like to feel they don’t know enough, particularly in their field. When a knowledge gap exists, specifically in an area someone feels or believes they are knowledgeable in, the error-negativity signal goes off, forcing the prospect to want to fill the gap,
    9 min
  • Monday Sales Coach Podcast Episode 025
    In this week’s episode, we cover 2 of the most important and exciting things you can do to make you a much better sales professional. I am going to show you how to set a trap for yourself to prevent lapsing into bad sales habits. I am also going to show you how to use social media and digital media to set up a winning scene.
    Download Podcast Episode Transcript

    Set a Trap To Help Yourself
    Problem: 
    Jack had been with the company for only two years, yet he was considered their most technically competent salesperson. He was the “go to guy” when the other salespeople needed someone to talk to about solutions, specifications, and competitive information.
    He was an expert when it came to product knowledge. Yet he had the worst closing rate and was the lowest paid salesperson.
    Analysis:
    Jack had a bad habit and it was hurting his sales big time. He inevitably began to discuss solutions before he understood the prospect’s problems. His product knowledge and technical expertise was causing failure, not success. Despite the training, he’d had over the years that taught him to diagnose the prospect’s problem before prescribing a solution, it seemed he just couldn’t help himself.
    He had to talk about his product.
    Deep down he believed that when they heard about all the features, advantages and benefits, they’d be compelled to buy. And he believed that dispensing his solutions and other free advice would endear him to his prospects. But it didn’t! He had to do something or he’d be looking for another job. What a waste of good product knowledge that would be!
    Solution:
    Jack came to me for advice. He understood the problem, but seemed helpless to break the habit after several months of trying.
    I suggested that he “set a trap” for himself.
    I told him to tell every prospect during the meeting agreement,
    “You know, one of the biggest concerns I have is that I get so excited about our products that I often start selling them before I’ve taken the time to really understand what the customer needs. It’s not very fair to you, so if I start to do this today, will you please stop me? After all, I can’t be much help to you if I don’t understand your issues, can I?”
    Now, not many prospects would actually stop him in the middle of his sales pitch, but it gave him an excuse to stop himself!
    He learned to say,
    “I’m sorry, there I go again. I told you I might do too much talking. Can we go back a step? I’d like to ask you a question about….”
    This “trap” helped him eliminate premature product knowledge dumping, got him to ask more questions, qualify better, and build better rapport because his prospects felt he really cared about their issue. Best of all, he closed more business.
    What bad selling habits do you have?
    Do you forget to discuss money issues, fail to get to the real decision maker, never get referrals?
    How can you use a “trap” to help you?
    Download Podcast Episode Transcript
    First Impressions Are Dead
    There, I said it.
    If first impressions are still a part of your life, you’re doing it all wrong.
    There is no reason for anyone to be faced with a first impression any longer. There are just too many places and too much information out there for the first impression to matter.
    Well, in-person first impressions that is.
    Digital first impressions, they’re not dead, they’re in their infancy and rapidly growing in importance.
    Here’s the deal.
    9 min
  • Monday Sales Coach Podcast Episode 023
    When it comes to sales, having a positive attitude at all times is everything. In this episode we are going to outline what this means. Whilst we are on the topic of Attitude this episode also looks at dealing with rejection, something we all need to master.
    Download Podcast Episode Transcript

    How is your attitude?
    Have you ever seen a salesperson delivering their pitch while looking dejected and feeling sorry for themselves? Well if you have, you have probably come across a rare breed of sales person who is simply in the wrong profession and isn’t going to last too long.
    In the profession of sales, attitude matters, and that rules out moping in front of your prospect.
    A sales person is expected to be upbeat. Exuding a positive aura that emits a positive message that you believe in what you are selling. After all, how can you convince others to believe in your product if you doubt about it yourself?
    Sales is about attitude.
    Here are some things you need to keep in mind:
    1) Your appearance should reflect your attitude. Download Podcast Episode Transcript for more.
    2) Be conscious of your body language.  Download Podcast Episode Transcript for more.
    3) Be confident with the words you use. Download Podcast Episode Transcript for more!
    To sum up attitude makes a difference. So when it comes to sales, remember to get the perfect A for attitude. 
    Please pay attention to this.
    Share this with marketing.
    Send this to your boss.
    Circulate this around your sales operations.
    Because this is where the problem often starts.
    No one gives a rats about you or your company.
    No one really cares how long you’ve been in business.
    No gives a hoot that you’re in 40 under 40 or listed as a Fastest growing companies.
    No one gives a sparrow about your customer list.
    No one gives two shakes about how many awards you’ve won.
    No one gives a flying fish that you’re building new headquarters.
    No one gives a squirt about you, your company or your product.
    Customers and prospects care a lot about their problems and their issues.
    They give a rats about servicing their customers or being serviced as a customer.
    They give a hoot about their bottom line.
    They give a sparrow about the competition or their options.
    They give a two shakes about government regulations they have too.
    They give a flying fish about product releases and how it can help them.
    They give a squirt about increasing their sales or revenue or financial security.
    They care a lot about their business, their stock price, their image, their revenue, their ability to grow and anything and everything that has to do with them . . . not you!
    You need to give a dam about what they give a dam about and that’s not you!
    Stop focusing on you.
    Capisce!
    Dealing with Rejection
    Problem: While in the office the other day, I got a call from a financial advisor.
    As soon as I answered the phone he began a pitch that lasted for what seemed a very long time, he got straight into listing all the reasons why I should do business with him. To be nice to him and fob him off I told him that my wife controlled the investing in our family and that she has had a successful relationship with a competing broker for over 20 years. Although the guy pressed harder, I sensed that I took the wind out of his “sales...
    11 min
  • Monday Sales Coach Podcast Episode 022
    This episode looks at the difference between being a problem finder and being a solution creator, which one are you? We also discuss a strategy for presenting to groups.
    Download Podcast Episode Transcript
    Problem Finders vs Solution Creators
    Problem finders are everywhere. Finding a problem is easy.
    Your car won’t start. Yup, you found a problem.  Revenue is down, yup another problem. Your advertising isn’t working, yup you found another problem.
    It doesn’t take much work to find problems; they are easy to spot because they make us uncomfortable and scare us. Problems are easy to find because of the emotional impact they have on our safety and comfort. We feel unsafe or out of control when problems exist. That’s why we call them problems.
    You could almost argue, we don’t find problems they find us. We just simply acknowledge them and some of us are a lot better than others in acknowledging the existence of problems.
    Solving problems, on the other hand, that takes work. Because it takes work, most of us choose to stay in the problem identification mode. We choose to demonstrate our value by finding problems. It’s the easy path.
    Unfortunately, just identifying problems doesn’t provide very much value without solutions. Problem identification by itself is passive resistance. By spending our time focused on finding problems, without fixing them, we entrench ourselves in the resistance of change.
    It goes like this.
    We find a problem, then find the problem with trying to solve the problem. We then find the problem with the solution to solving the problem, which then leads to finding the problem to implementing the solution, paying for the solution, teaching the solution, maintaining the solution, etc. We become problem finding machines.
    We, falsely, believe that we’re providing value with our finely tuned problem identification skills, but in actuality, we’re just change resistors in problem identifying clothes.
    The world doesn’t need more problem identifiers; we need solution creators. We need people with creative ideas for solving the problems we’re so good at identifying.
    Solution creators are change agents; they move organizations forward. Solution creators provide a powerful currency of ideas that bring tremendous value to situations.
    Solution creators don’t identify problems; they dissect problems from the perspective of what’s not working and why and then go straight to solution mode.
    Solution creators operate from the perspective of how can this be better? How do we replace this problem with something better that stops the pain
    Creating solutions is hard. You have to understand the problem, you have to understand the root-cause, you have to understand its impact on its environment and more. You can’t create solutions simply knowing a problem exists. It goes much deeper than that.
    Creating solutions is hard. You have to be creative. You have to be diligent. You have to flexible. You have to be willing to take risks. You have to be ready to fail. Unlike finding problems, creating solutions takes a lot more work and while you’re creating them can feel uncomfortable.
    Problem finding feels good in the beginning, but without solutions amplifies the pain as problem after problem are heaped on one another.
    Solution creation ultimately makes the pain go away, but it can be uncomfortable and not feel good while it’s happening.
    Too many organizations are steeped in problem finding resistance filled with an army of problem finders looking to prove their value by finding yet another problem that’s keeping them from their goals.
    On the other hand, there aren’t enough solution creators,
    10 min
  • Monday Sales Coach Podcast Episode 021
    From candid responses to our survey, we have identified the five most common blunders that sales professionals make. See whether you commit these in your selling.
    Download Podcast Transcript

    These mistakes have cost many sales people many clients, so it would be a good idea to check these errors out and assess whether you commit them as well.

    * Failing to stay front of mind with your prospects

    It is imperative for you to be present in the minds of your prospects. By failing to do so both outside and inside of your existing accounts will dramatically dry up your pipeline.

    * Failing to focus on results

    A common mistake that sales people make is focusing on the process instead of the results; an error that is largely a waste of time. What happens is that the sales person ends up delivering an ineffective pitch when they should have been focusing on bottom-line results.

    * Failing to stand out

    Many sales people have inadvertently stuck themselves into ‘me-too’ thinking. This thinking restricts them from being creative and innovative. They fall into the trap of being the same as everyone else in the pack, thus losing out on the opportunity to differentiate themselves.

    * Failing to listen

    This is the classic mistake that sales professionals make. Most of us have the habit of simply hearing our clients without listening to them. Others have the habit of interrupting what their prospects say, overwhelming them with an endless stream of words and delivering off-target solutions.

    * Failing to anticipate.

    This is a mistake that happens when a salesperson fails to use foresight. Foreseeing potential problems and anticipating solutions will have prevented problems from occurring and the subsequent loss of the sale.
    If, you are wondering whether you make any of these mistakes, ask yourself the following:
    – Have you noticed your prospects driving hard on your price lately?
    – Do your customers patronize the products and services of your competitors instead of your brand?
    – Have you found yourself redoing or revising proposals for your prospects?
    – Have any of your prospects rescheduled important meetings with you?
    – Do your prospects submit last-minute requests for proposals?
    – Have you experienced missing out on additional requests for customers?
    – Think of your last four quotas. Have you ever missed at least two of your sales forecasts?
    – Do you feel that your prospects are satisfied with what you propose to them or do you find them still looking for better solutions than the ones you have presented?
    – Are your prospects failing to keep you posted on their plans?
    – Are your prospects frustrated with errors on your part?
    If you have answered a ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then you have a problem that you need to address. Work on resolving these issues and strive not to commit them again. By doing just that, you will experience increased sales success.
    Download Podcast Transcript
    8 min
  • Monday Sales Coach Podcast Episode 019
    Cold calling – did I hear you shiver at the thought of it.. Today we are going to discuss a strategy you should think of using.

    I also have a special treat for you in the form of a test.. In this episode I am going to direct you to a test by Penn State University to measure your GRIT Factor.
    Download Podcast Episode

    Sound Like a Salesperson? Get Ready for Rejection
    Problem: Jason was new to the company and was trying to develop his territory. He didn’t lack enthusiasm and was making his objective of 50 cold phone calls a day. He felt pretty good about that since he saw others make far less. But still, he was not making nearly enough appointments to keep his pipeline filled and wondered how he was ever going to achieve his income goals if things didn’t change.
    Analysis: Unfortunately, Jason was committing an error common to most salespeople. His cold calling approach sounded like every other salesperson. You know, something like this…”Ms. Smith, this is Jason Jones with ABC Company. We’re a leading provider of software solutions and I’d like to tell you how our products can help you save time and money.” CLICK! The ugly sound of rejection. Most salespeople’s approach is so familiar that the prospect simply goes on automatic pilot, tunes the salesperson out and looks for an opportunity to end the call.
    Solution: Try to keep the prospect off balance. If they don’t know where you’re coming from or where you’re going, it’s difficult for them to control the situation. Since the first 7-10 seconds of the call are critical, a more effective approach would be to start by saying something like this,
    “Hi, Sue, this is Jason Jones. You’re probably not familiar with my name.”
    Prospect will say she is not, but wonders if she should be, so is not thinking about how to get rid of you.
    You then continue with, “That’s okay, I didn’t think you would be. Listen, I’ve got to tell you. This is a sales call. I’ll bet you’re filled with excitement and anticipation. And you probably want to hang up.”
    (She won’t.) Then instead of pitching your features and benefits, tell the prospect the kinds of pains you solve for your customers and begin qualifying, and always remember to tell the prospect it’s okay to say “no.”
    You could keep making your cold calls the same way you’ve always done; just don’t expect the results to be any different. Try this approach for a change of pace and see if your results are any different. I’ll bet they are.
    Download Podcast Episode
    True Grit
    Hustle and grit are thrown around a lot in the sales world but what does it really mean?
    I know personally, it’s a trait I look for when hiring sales people.  Sales requires a little extra tenacity and hustle than many other jobs. Salespeople are constantly being told NO!  We’re confronted with gatekeepers, non-believers, objections, competitors, and more. Getting a deal done can sometimes feel like an act of god and if it weren’t for amazing amounts of fortitude, “grit” and hustle, the deal wouldn’t have happened.
    The truth is, grit is a real thing. Having the capability to go after something for a long sustained period of time, without quitting, is a distinguishable trait not everyone possesses equally.
    If you’re looking to get an edge and want to find out how gritty you are, then this episode has the answer.
    Pushing when all else seems lost, never saying; “I quit.” Never succumbing to outside challenges, that’s what great salespeople do.
    7 min
  • Monday Sales Coach Podcast Episode 016
    Last week we talked about “Success Leaves Traces” .
    Over the last couple of weeks I have commissioned a research team to mystery shop you guys… that’s right you my listeners.
    If you were one of the 1000 people who were surveyed, thank you for responding – Your feedback was invaluable.
    What we have been asking you is for your ideas on how you believe you can improve your sales effectiveness and what you have noticed your most successful peers doing, that lets them stand out.
    Remember “Success Leaves Traces” and so in this episode I am going to outline the 5 ways to have success rub off into your sales as well.
    Download Podcast Transcript

    5 Ways to Succeed in This Changing World of Sales
    I have been randomly surveying my ever-growing list of listeners and subscribers on your ideas on improving sales effectiveness and preparing for the future of work.
    Your answers and your peer’s answers covered a lot of different topics, but the one thing I was extremely fired up to share with all of you is how professional sales is changing.
    The professional world of selling is more competitive than ever and it’s only going to become more so.
    Responses like “The first ones to go will be the salespeople who can’t differentiate themselves — who can’t make themselves part of the value proposition.”
    Or
    “By 2020, the most successful salespeople will be the teachers. The ones who can help clients think differently about the future of their business or self.”
    Succeeding in sales is going to require a whole new level of skill set, discipline and preparation.
    Here are the five most common ways your peers believe it will take to succeed in sales.

    * Prepare like a champion.

    To be great in anything you absolutely must do your homework. It’s amazing that so many salespeople still to this day don’t prepare and do their homework.
    “I get four or five cold sales emails a day. Rarely does the seller take the time to properly research my company.”
     
    “If a seller researched me, determined I was a good fit for their solution or service and reached out in a way that focused on me and my business challenges, you’d better believe I’d pause before hitting ‘Delete.'”

    * Look for customization and personalization.

    You are missing out on an incredible opportunity if you choose not to personalize and customize for every client of yours.
    Specifically,
    If you believe deeply that you can help the customer? Prove it. Get specific.
    Tell prospects why they should care, and show up prepared for impact. Your ability to customize for every client is imperative. It’s what the customer expects today.

    * Focus on being a teacher.

    The best salespeople fully understand that teaching sells. Teaching is a gateway into a credible relationship built on trust. Look for every opportunity to contribute value and provide expert guidance up front.

    * Better is what actually is better.

    Automation makes it easy to blast out an email to 20,000 people on a list. Somebody’s got to respond, right?
    Wrong.
    I cannot think of a faster way to take a relationship from neutral to negative than to consistently assault someone’s inbox with irrelevant information.
    Instead, slow down and make every interaction count. Every touch point with a potential customer is a chance to add value and advance the relationship.
     5.Always look to build a meaningful connection.
    When you think of sales as a human connection rather than just another transaction, you are well on your way to differentiating yourself from the competition.
    Sales isn’t just about the science.
    9 min