Sales Babble

Startup Story Where Software Goes to Seed with Charlie Wiltgen #179

This week we go to the birth of a business to tell the tale of a startup story.  We  interview an entrepreneur who invented a SaaS product and built a loyal client list from nothing.  This requires a keen attention to detail understanding the challenges and desires of the target market.  Charlie Wiltgen tells his origin

How Salespeople Overcome Procrastination with Eric Twiggs #178

In this episode we meet the procrastination prevention partner Eric Twiggs. Eric and I have a lively discussion covering practical ways on how salespeople overcome procrastination. We talk about mindset, processes, and automation tools that can increase productivity and success.

The habit to accept is the ability to take action. If you put things off that take you away from your life goals, you will be frustrated and unsuccessful. The root of procrastination is due to a lack of goals and focus. Turn that around.

In sales sellers commonly struggle with:

• Following up
• Call reluctance

What's the answer to overcoming this struggle? Eric says

"Know your numbers, ratios of calls per answers and sales advances. Know the number of your activities. Let the law of averages work to your favor. Know that optimists are commonly more successful in sales. Get the right attitude."

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But I Don't Feel Like It

People often use their lack of interest as a reason to put off a task. Don't let inertia keep you in place. Become aware of your personality type. Are you a Driver or a Motivator? By understanding yourself, you can overcome feelings, and displace it with habit and action.

Steps To Overcome Procrastination

1. Turn off all notifications on your cell phone
2. Use a smart phone app to automate your life
   1. Hootsuite – preplans social media posts
   2. SMS Scheduler – send text message reminders
   3. Rescue Time – blocks websites for a set period of time
   4. Kitchen Timer for the Pomodoro method
   5. Stick K website – makes goals public to others who hold you accountable (actually put money on the line)

Procrastination Pyramid

Eric spokes at length on his procrastination pyramid:

1. Watch your attitude and don't label yourself as a procrastinator.
2. Be aware of your optimal times, power times and personality type.
3. Animation, know your sleeping and exercise habits and control them.
4. Automation – Understand what tools help and what tools hinder your productivity.
5. Activity and taking action, over and over.

Take Action Advice

Don't let perfect become the enemy of progress . Done is better than perfect.

How To Find Eric Twiggs

To learn more about how salespeople overcome procrastination go to his website www.ericmtwiggs.com

To find his new book go to www.ericmtwiggs.com/thedisciplineofnow

@thedisciplineofnow on Twitter

Get his free eBook "One Moment in Time Preparing Your Life For Your Defining Moment" Send an email to [email protected] and mention Sales Babble!

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Sales Skills Training

We have lots of other episodes on skills you can work on. Listen today!

• Selling In A Skirt with Judy Hoberman #170
• Memory Hacks for Sales Professionals with Brad Zupp #169
• How To Write A Successful Sales Plan with Jamie Irvine #168
• How Sales Can Help Buyers Help Themselves – Hugh Liddle #164
• 5 SuperPowers of Successful Sales Account Executives with David Kahn #156
• Persuasion and the Art of Influence with the Sexy Boss Heather Ann Havenwood #141
• Four Skills You Need For Sales Success – HEAT
• The Only Sales Guide You Will Ever Need Anthony Iannarino #130
• Understanding the Value of Testimonials #126
• Lessons Learned at a Software Startup with Johnny Campbell #124

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Slidebean Examples Created for Sales Babble

As I mentioned here are couple slide decks that I created for two Sales Babble presentations. Enjoy!

https://app.slidebean.com/p/hggYElvrRX/Tips-For-Selling-Success

https://app.slidebean.com/p/tvielUvSqi/Selling-With-Confidence-for-Startups

The post How Salespeople Overcome Procrastination with Eric Twiggs #178 appeared first on Sales Babble Sales Podcast | Sales Training | Sales Consulting |Sales Coaching.

How Salespeople Overcome Procrastination with Eric Twiggs #178

In this episode we meet the procrastination prevention partner Eric Twiggs. Eric and I have a lively discussion covering practical ways on how salespeople overcome procrastination. We talk about mindset, processes, and automation tools that can increase productivity and success.

The habit to accept is the ability to take action. If you put

How To Sell The World – Advice on Selling Asia #177

In this episode we meet Karl Weaver, an international sales professional who is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to how to sell the world. Selling Asia is different than the USA . Europe too. In both cases, sales only happen once trust is built. In this episode Karl shares 7 ways to sell in a protectionist environment by a process of creating trust.

Advice on Selling Asia

We walked through a series of steps that in many ways, mirror enterprise sales in the United States:

1. Realize their goal is to compete with the West
2. Protect all you laptops and stored information
3. Learn the language or bring someone who can
4. Give a gift and something local like Almond Roca
5. Don't expect an immediate sale
6. Honor the exchange of business cards
7. Use social media like LinkedIn and WeChat

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Advice on Selling Europe

Like Asia, European companies do not make pop decisions. They are more formal when approaching business transactions. The gesture of exchanging business cards is a good example. Like Asia, it's treated as an honor to both give and receive a business card.

Europe is interested in gaining trust before doing business. They want substance and don't make quick decisions.

Take Action Advice

Even if you lose a deal, keep working on the next one. It takes time to break in. Be patient. Share on social media you're value proposition. Over time relations will build for those who grind away.

Don't expect the immediate sale. Be in it for the long run. Don't close the door, keep going back and try again. Continue the good battle, sell, market and use social media why you're products are great.

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How to Find Karl Weaver

Karl Weaver 魏卡尔 is a globally trained, Mandarin-Chinese speaking, senior wireless market and Smart Phone/mobile device specialist, working for wireless technology companies on both sides of the Pacific Rim in a sales & business development capacity.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karljweaver/

Add Karl J. Weaver 魏卡爾 on WeChat Building Rapport in Sales

Dig into our back catalog and learn more about the challenge and skills you need to build rapport with YOUR customers. Listen now!

• How to Sound Better and Improve your Voice during Sales Presentations with Tracy Goodwin #172
• Selling from the H.A.R.T. with Mega Cindy Vranken #143
• 4 Step Sales Framing Process with Aaron Janx #131
• When Buyers Say No with Tom Hopkins
• How to Assume Rapport when Prospecting with Ken Dunn #90
• Stop Selling Start Leading with Deb Calvert #84
• The Myth of Know Like Trust #74
• Conversations That Sell an Interview With Nancy Bleeke #68
• How To Sell a Fine Dining Experience with Tony DeSalvo #62
• SB030 – Karma Calling an Interview with Victoria Cook

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Slidebean Examples Created for Sales Babble

As I mentioned here are couple slide decks that I created for two Sales Babble presentations. Enjoy!

https://app.slidebean.com/p/hggYElvrRX/Tips-For-Selling-Success

https://app.slidebean.com/p/tvielUvSqi/Selling-With-Confidence-for-Startups

Here are details in how why Slidebean sponsors Sales Babble!

The post How To Sell The World with Karl Weaver #177 appeared first on Sales Babble Sales Podcast | Sales Training | Sales Consulting |Sales Coaching.

How To Sell The World  – Advice on Selling Asia #177

In this episode we meet Karl Weaver, an international sales professional who is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to how to sell the world. Selling Asia is different than the USA . Europe too. In both cases, sales only happen once trust is built.  In this episode Karl shares 7 ways to sell in a protectionist environment by a process of creating trust.

Advice on Selling Asia

We walked through a series of steps that in man

7 LinkedIn Strategies for Generating Qualified Leads with Janis Pettit

If you're running out of leads, this week's episode is exactly what you need. Janis Pettit is an expert on the new LinkedIn interface. Today we dig in and uncover 7 LinkedIn strategies for generating qualified leads. Janis takes us from setting up your profile, finding prospects, connecting, engaging, moving them to a webinar presentation and on your email list. Not only does this work, but you can do the same thing on Facebook . Of course this assumes that's where you're prospect hang out! Stop the cold cold calling and start leveraging social media today!

Lead Generation Today

When it comes to B2B sales and marketing, LinkedIn is the bomb. 41% millionaires are on LinkedIn with the average income at $75K. Members of LinkedIn are buyers. Janis gave us 7 strategies to turn those buyers, into prospects.

1. Make sure your LinkedIn profiles clearly states who your are. Only focus on people who have issues that you can provide solutions.
2. Identify your ideal prospect, find them using advanced search, send a note to connect. Expect 40% will accept. Once they accept, engage them in a conversation and ask a strategic question.
3. Keep track of your messaging in your CRM. This engagement can take weeks per prospect. Stay organized and follow up.
4. Find active groups and become visible by offering valuable content. Janis gave an example of an eBook she authored. Cross post on your "status update" on LinkedIn.
5. When people view your status update, reach out to them and connect.
6. Create a high converting funnel, get their email and place it on an email list. From that list offer webinars to engage and convert them into clients.
7. Work on it 30 minutes a day

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Facebook for Prospecting

The above process can be used on Facebook too. It's all dependent on the market niche you serve. If you're interested in:

• restaurants
• retail
• small businesses

How to Find Janis Pettit

Janis can be found at her company Small Business, Big Results

Get a free copy of her eBook "How to Get More Business Leads From The New LinkedIn" to LinkedIn Strategies for Generating Qualified Leads

Connect with her on Facebook

Connect with her on LinkedIn

Slidebean Examples Created for Sales Babble

As I mentioned here are couple slide decks that I created for two Sales Babble presentations. Enjoy!

https://app.slidebean.com/p/hggYElvrRX/Tips-For-Selling-Success

https://app.slidebean.com/p/tvielUvSqi/Selling-With-Confidence-for-Startups

Social Selling

There are many past episodes on social selling, lead generation, and prospecting. Listen today!

• How To Generate Leads with Relationship Selling with Michael Ross
• Take Command of the New LinkedIn User Interface with Brynne Tillman #151
• Myths on Social Selling with Mark Hunter #142
• How to Power Prospect with LinkedIn Groups with Liam Austin #135
• How To Be An Awesome Sales Professional with Thomas Ellis #102
• How To Generate Sales Leads Using LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter
• 7 Habits of Highly Successful LinkedIn Users with Dennis Brown

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The post 7 LinkedIn Strategies for Generating Qualified Leads with Janis Pettit #176 appeared first on Sales Babble Sales Podcast | Sales Training | Sales Consulting |Sales Coaching.

7 LinkedIn Strategies for Generating Qualified Leads with Janis Pettit

If you’re running out of leads, this week’s episode is exactly what you need. Janis Pettit is an expert on the new LinkedIn interface. Today  we dig in and uncover 7 LinkedIn strategies for generating qualified leads. Janis takes us from setting up your profile, finding prospects, connecting, engaging,  moving them t

How To Get the Most From Your CRM with Omer Lizotte

This episode is for anyone who has a CRM. Our guest Omer Lizotte explains how to get the most from you CRM. Omer has studied CRM usage across many industries. He recently authored a book titled “Do you CRM me?: An Analytical Guide to Customer Relationship Management “. The book is full of case studies and advice that can help you bump up your selling productivity and efficiency.

 

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Start Simple Not Big

Omer recommends starting with the simple data that best represents your prospects. Track ONLY that data. Never include data that “may” have value some day.

* Information – Collect what’s most relevant to your ideal client

* Organization – Make data easy to find and use for sellers and managers

* Application – Focus on KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)

* Test – Don’t assume, see if data valuable

* Learn – Improve CRM with experience

Start simple, don’t collect everything, and don’t get stuck in analysis paralysis.

Organizations need to support their staff with IT personal. Provide skilled staff who can: configure reports, configure data, analyze work flow, aid both sellers, managers and administrative staff.

As the organization matures, integrate that knowledge into the CRM. Don’t bite off too much at first.

 

 

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How To Find Omer Lizotte

How To Get the Most From Your CRM with Omer Lizotte

Omer can be found on LinkedIn 

This is his book on Amazon:  Do you CRM me?: An Analytical Guide to Customer Relationship Management

Here is a great past episode The 7 Best Free CRM Systems for Business with Cara Wood

Sales Tools

Here are other past episodes that address sales tools that can add to your efficiency and productivity.

* How To Schedule Sales Appointments with Automated Emails with Neil Kristianson #157

* Top 10 Tools Sales and Marketing for 2017 With Neil Kristianson #144

* The 7 Best Free CRM Systems for Business with Cara Wood

* The Top 10 Sales and Marketing Tools for 2016 #92

* Mobile CRM and BYOD Sales Tools For 2015 with Will Kelly #41

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How to Hire a Sales Rep that Hits the Ground Running #174

In this solo episode we finish up the second part of a two part series with advice on how to hire a sales rep that’s a perfect fit for you. Last week we talked about how to get a job, this is the other bookend of the conversation. Inspired by a previously published LinkedIn post , this episode gives practical advice to discover how a candidate sales hires will act on the job. Stop guessing. Know for fact, your candidate will hit the ground running.

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Why Hiring is the Sales Managers Most Important Job

The lifeblood of a fast-growing startup is it’s team. People are the foundation of every organization.  Building a thriving culture, hiring skilled individuals and forming an amazing team creates rapid success. It’s not easy. But it’s something within your control. Given that revenue growth is the key success metric,  your first sales hires are paramount.

Steps For Hiring Reps That Hit The Ground Running

Don’t use the resume as the primary mechanism for assessing ability. Give candidates a series of tasks to demonstrate they have great selling skills:

* Author job ad using all your market skills. Know and describe your IDEAL employee

* Ask them to call you when they apply

* Validate they sound like professionals on the call

* Give them a written set of questions

* Go over the questions and resume. Qualify them

* Give them a presentation/demonstration task

* Invite them to lunch

* Give them an offer (given they pass all previous steps)

When you give candidates tasks that represent selling skills, you can better assess if they will fit into your organization. Don’t believe what people tell you, believe what people show you.

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How To Build Your Own Accelerated Hiring Process

This podcast episode was inspired by a LinkedIn article with the same title published in June 2017.

Pat has an entire hiring process available for managers who want to meet and exceed their hiring goals.  Contact Pat here to get a copy of your own customized 8  page hiring process to find quality hires, you never fire. 

It’s frustrating and time consuming spending all your time on hiring. Yet it’s the most important job you have. Let me help you grow an elite sales team. Contact me today. 

 

How to Manage and Hire Sales Teams

* The Invisible Sales Organization with Mitch Russo #147

* How To Be Your Customers Hero with Adam Toporek #104

* Strategic Sales Skills from Sales Management Author Ken Thoreson #57

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How to Find a Sales Job That’s Perfect For You #173

Solo Episode with Pat Helmers

You maybe happy in your job. Everything could be going right: your boss, your company, the product, your customers. You’re not thinking about how to find a sales job. That’s the farthest thing from your mind.  You could be rockin it and that’s great news. But alas nothing lasts.

For certain change will come: either your company will get acquired, your awesome boss will quit or get promoted, the lifecycle of your product will start to age and no matter how hard your try you won’t able to make quota again. Everything rides the adoption curve. What used to be easy to sell might take heroic strength in a year or so. nothing lasts.You’ve made your hay while the sun shined. The sun is setting in the west.

With this in mind take a moment to truly appreciate what you have today. Be present to the moment. It’s a wonderful, it’s euphoric and its temporary. p Tomorrow morning  go to the office  and warmly revel in the good work and tomorrow night start preparing for your next challenge and find a sales job that’s perfect for you.

You’re the Seller and You’re the Product

Getting job, is the sale of sales. Nobody knows the product better than you! But is the market ready for you?

Three years ago I wrote an article on this topic and back then the economy was in a much different place.  We’re at 4.44% jobless rate. the best in 15 years. It’s a sellers market which is good news for you.

Great sales people are hard to come by. If you have a stellar resume or even if you’re just breaking into the profession, these are good times to get in the business of job hunting.

This episode is part of a two part series. This episode is about sales professionals, next week’s episode is for sales managers who struggle to hire top notch sales people. Both sales folks and sales managers will appreciate both episodes. Each will get a glimpse on the dynamic of the buyer and seller, the manager and sales guys and gals.

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Hamster Wheel of HR

Most likely you’ve experienced the the hamster wheel of HR, endlessly submitting resume after resume into a deep black hole that is neither encouraging nor helpful. It’s a  frustrating process. It take forever to apply, copy paste, copy paste. After all your work you never hear squat.  As for the employers  they are overwhelmed by the fire hose of applications from candidates who are barely qualified to hum happy birthday in key.

Like salmon swimming upstream, the resume’s fight and jump and swim and eventually a blessed few reach the spawning area that will actually land on a hiring manager’s desk. This process doesn’t work for you.

Instead of making it a numbers game and applying willy nilly to a pantheon of organizations, let’s take the offense.  Use your selling skills to sell you!

You Selling You

If you’re looking for a job, you’re in sales! And what’s the product? You!

And who better to sell you, than you?  You know the product better than anyone else in the world. You know the skills and history of the product, the examples where you’ve gone the extra mile to delight the customer, where you’ve reached deep and with grit and tenacity and achieved success.

You know you. And now that you’ve decided to look for work, you’ve become a saleswoman or salesman. Congratulations.

You’re in sales, and as a sales professional, it’s important to take a sales approach when job hunting.