Sales Babble

Authority Selling with Mike Saunders

We live in a competitive world with many customers vying for our clients. You need to stand out to be heard. In this episode we talk about how to be an authority in your industry and how to use that gravitas when selling. Our guest is Mike Saunders. Mike is the founder of Marketing Huddle. Mike helps small business owners and entrepreneurs with their digital marketing and building their authority brand. Mike has a new book titled “Authority Selling” and we talk at length on how to do that very thing.

You Are an Authority

You may not fully appreciate it, but you’re an authority in your industry. You know things others don’t.  You have experiences that others would value. Furthermore, you have knowledge your competition lacks.  Authority is what differentiates you and your business from the competition. With this authority, place yourself in a position to share:

* podcast interviews

* author books

* participate live media

* blog

* author magazine articles

Picture the possibility of creating custom content focused on various aspects of your business.  As Mike put it “Sales people have brochures, experts have books”.  Creating content confirms in your own mind your own expertise.  Mike believes books or an interview can be a cost effective way to build authority. In his words “Corral your knowledge at a focused audience”.

How to Become an Author of a Book

Mike believes that books authored in an interview style are a quick way to produce content that is easy to create and readable. He shared an example of this process with a story of his client a chiropractor: creating a topic, discussing content, interviewing, transcripts, building the graphics of the book and marketing. His client now has a book that separates him from the competition. He literally wrote the book on pain management.

Where to Find Mike Saunders

You can find Mike all over the web….

* This is the Marketing Huddle  website

* Business Innovators Radio Network  is Mike’s podcast

* LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikesaundersmba

* @marketinghuddle on Twitter

* mike @ marketinghuddle.com

* 720-232-3112

This was my interview on Mike’s podcast on Qualifying Prospects with the SORT method

Sales and Marketing Alignment

Here are some other episodes that focus on using marketing to generate leads.  Check them out!

* Looking for Leads with Social Media, an interview with Brian Basilico #34

* The Non-Sellers Blueprint, Email Marketing Tips with Neil Kristianson #11

* SB 009 |  Creating a Powerful Brand,  An Interview with Arfan Qureshi

The Perfect Close with James Muir

James Muir is a Corporate trainer and executive coach for NextGen Healthcare. James specializes in training and coaching executives in B2B complex sales. James came into sales as a technical domain expert and at first struggled on how to ask for the sale. Through experience he learned to overcome this hurdle and  has published a new book titled “The Perfect Close”.  Closing is not as hard as you might think!

Sales Call Preparation

Before going into a meeting have an outcome in mind. Assume the conversation will  go in multiple directions. Have two alternatives prepared when that happens. These are  used to ADVANCE the sale.

Two Perfect Close Questions:

Use these two questions for the perfect close.

Question #1

Does it make sense for us to X?

X is the next Advance e.g does it make sense to set up an assessment or pilot.

Two possible answers YES or NO. If YES proceed to advance the sale. If NO ask  question #2

Question #2

What’s a good next step?

90% of the time the client will suggest an advance that’s appropriate for where they are at.

This paces the sales cycle. It sets the speed of the sale that’s comfortable for the client.  If they are not sure what’s next, use prepared advances e.g. …. other customers have tended to do this……

Always have an agenda and it’s critical you give value in every meeting (Some aha moment).

Five versions of question #2

You can mix up question 2  depending on the situation:

1. “What’s the next step?”

2. Would you like me to make a suggestion?

3. Have a fall back statement where you make a suggestion if they say no….

4. The add on …. “Other customers commonly do this …..

5. “Does it make sense to see if I can do something special by the end of the quarter to see if we can wrap this up?”   The goal here is to minimize giving a discount.

How to Find James Muir

Get three free chapters of “The Perfect Close” here.

You can find James all over Social Media:

* www.puremuir.com

* www.linkedin.com/in/puremuir

* twitter.com/B2B_SalesTips

* www.facebook.com/james.muir.902266

Closing Sales Tips

Here are some other great episodes on closing. Download them today!

* 4 Step Sales Framing Process with Aaron Janx #131

* Success Hacks for Sales with Scott Hansen #101

* How to Sell Coaching Services with Julie Foucht #98

* How to get your ASK in gear, an interview with Connie Kadansky #87

* The 5 Fundamentals for Closing a Sale #79

* Small Business Sales Techniques an interview wit...

4 Step Sales Framing Process with Aaron Janx #131

In this episode we focus on the first sales call you have with a prospective client. For many people its a struggle to know what to say, when to say it, and how to get the prospect to agree to become a client. Our guest is business coach Aaron Janx.  Aaron shares a sales framing process designed to close your prospect during the first meeting.

Sales Frame Process

Aaron and I spoke at length on his sales framing process:

Frame –   The seller takes control of the conversation. Then they ask the prospect to agree to share No or Yes if they are interested at the end of the sales call.

Pain – The seller gets the prospect to feel the uncomfortable situation emotionally. This prepares them to take action and  belief that the seller understands what they’re feeling.

Brain – The seller waits till the prospect asks about their product or service. This is very non-pushy. The prospect opens up to hear about the offering when they initiate curiosity. The seller explains their product or service as simply as possible with 4-5 benefits.

Win the Game – The seller waits until the buyer asks  about price. They are asked to set a number. This is a metric for how good of job the seller did explaining the value. That number is then used to close the deal.

How to Find Aaron Janx

You can find Aaron all over the web!

* Website: www.aaronjanx.com

* Twitter: https://twitter.com/aaronjanx

* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/straightupentrepreneurs

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronjanx

What are the Sales Process Steps

Here are some other episodes that talk about the sales process. Check them out today!

* Win Sales with Mindset Sequence and Systems with Johnny Campbell #123

* How to Sell To Government with Kevin Jans

* Why You Need a Sales Process an Interview with Randy Meier

* How to Sell Coaching Services with Julie Foucht #98

* How To Pitch a Magazine with Cherlyn Chong #97

* 8 morning Rituals for Sales Success with Rayven Perkins #93

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

* SB031 – How Sales Are Lost in the Beginning an Interview with Mark Whitehead

* SB027 – How to Qualif...

The Only Sales Guide You Will Ever Need with Anthony Iannarino #130

In this episode we  talk about two subjects. First the foundation attributes professionals need to become highly successful sellers. Secondly the fundamental skills you must possess to make and close sales. We’re honored to have as our guest, Anthony Iannarino. Anthony is the author of a soon to be published book titled “The Only Sales Guide You Will Ever Need” 

Nine Attributes Successful Sellers

In our conversation Anthony shared the foundation of great sellers. He believes the attributes are:

* Self Discipline

* Optimism

* Caring

* Competitiveness

* Resourcefulness

* Initiative

* Persistence

* Communication

* Accountability

Eight Skills for Sales Success

Selling skills are critical for success. Anthony believes sellers need to possess 8 fundamental skills. He believes you must be strong on all these, not just work the skills that come natural.

* Closing

* Prospecting

* Storytelling (Presenting)

* Diagnosing

* Negotiating

* Business Acumen

* Change Management

To be a trusted adviser, you need trust and advice.

How To Find Anthony Iannarino

To find Anthony online go to ….

Website: http://thesalesblog.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/iannarino

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesalesblog/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iannarino

The Only Sales Guide You Will Ever Need Pre-Order

You can  pre-order his book today by going to  preorder.theonlysalesguide.com   The book will be published in October 2016.

How To Grow Sales

Here are some other episode on growing your selling skills.  Check them out today!

* Understanding the Value of Testimonials #126

* What is Sales 3.0 with Shawn Karol Sandy #83

* How to Sell Solopreneurs, an End-of-Year Survey with Larry Keltto #43

* How To Sell Like Hell with David Rubinstein #42

* How to Make $1 Million Dollars in Sales an Interview with Mike Schmidtmann #39

* SB031 – How Sales Are Lost in the Beginning an Interview with Mark Whitehead

* 20 Minutes To A Performance Seller and  interview with  Rick Day #12

*

3 Steps To Start Hyperconnected Selling with David Fisher  #129

Today we return to Chicago to meet David Fisher of Rockstar Consulting. David helps people develop their sales skills and build influence.    David is a podcast host trying to bring back the art of conversation to business.  In this episode we discuss hyper connected selling and what you can do  to better leverage the network you already have.

What is Hyper Connected Selling?

Great question.  It’s a combination of social selling, networking, old school communication and sales skills.  The goal is to develop personal influence and build connections.  David believes that relationships are the key to success in sales today.

You may have lots of connections but you don’t need to know them well to leverage value.

David sited the work The Strength of Weak Ties by Mark Granovetter where most people get work from people they know, but they don’t know that well. These people have access to information that can help you. It’s not your best friends, but people you “somewhat” know.

If you have some level of connection, a massive LinkedIn network is not necessary to be successful. Focus on your niche. Once you hit 500 links, the 2nd level has access to 100K+ people. This is probably good enough.  The challenge is how to strengthen the network you already have. Have people introduce you. When you start cold calling, start with the network you have to do research.  Start with  20 great conversations.

Shift in Sales

Before the 90s, the sales person had value for prospects. Now with the information age, prospects can shop and research online without ever talking to a sales professional. Today…. sellers need to be a sherpa for their prospects. Your task is to help them make a better decision.  This builds trust. Only transactional selling has been automated. To be a sales person in 2016 you have to be a consultant.

3 Steps To Start Hyper Connected Selling

* Answer the question: What do you want your network to know about you (your personal brand .  I would add…. . What is your niche? Describe your Ideal Client.

* Make sure your entire online presence, communicates that brand thoroughly and consistently across all forums.

* Today find someway to help someone in your network find something.

How to Find David Fisher

Podcast: beerbeatsandbusiness.com

Website: davidjpfisher.com

Twitter: @dfishrockstar

LinkedIn: LinkedIn.com/in/iamdfish

 

Networking Tips

Here are some other episodes on networking you might find of value.  We’re always trying to add value here at Sales Babble!

* Supercharge your Sales Memory with Brad Zupp

* 7 Habits of Highly Successful LinkedIn Users with Dennis Brown

* Small Business Sales Techniques an interview with Kent Zaretzke #75

* How To Kickstart Your Networking in Sales with Evie Burke #56

*

Staying Motivated While Selling Technology with Kim Jakobsson

In this episode we talk about the unique issues that face technology sales. Kim Jakobsson is a seasoned sales manager at SalesScreen, a gamification system that motivates sellers for success.  If you’re selling something that’s new, unique or unproven,  this is the episode for you.

Issue Faced when Selling Technology

Technology is often nebulous. Kim shared how software is not solid and it’s not something you can easily hold. There are two major fears that hold back technology sales:

* Fear it will go out of date.    There are two kinds of technologies: Out of Date and Can’t Buy it

* Copyright infringement.  There are many rogue nations stealing/copying your design.  There are no borders in sales, you can sell virtually everywhere and instantly. It also makes it easy for others to take your Intellectual Property.

 

Business Development when Selling Technology

Kim has found the easiest way to promote a new product is to:

* Work your networks to find interest

* Building relationships to generate  referrals to others who may have an interest

* Use those relationships to find early adopters, wherever they may be

* Share a demo

* Have the prospects visualize usage of the product

Technology Adoption Curve

We both spoke about Geoffrey Moore’s book  “Crossing the Chasm” and the struggle of bridging the gap between early adopters and the early majority.

* Continual improve of the products (Staffing developers)

* Working with customers for input to tweak and improve

* Sellers need to take the lead working with early adopters to get the critical feedback

* Early clients are free Beta testers.  This unpaid staff, in fact pay you!  Treat their input with respect and serve and over serve them with extraordinary service.

 

Take Action Advice

Motivation is the key to success according to Kim. Your work doesn’t have to be boring. Spend your time crushing your goals WHILE having fun. Recognize small achievements.

How To Connect with Kim Jakobsson

Where to find Kim and his company, SalesScreen:

* SalesScreen Visualize Data, Motivate Sales Teams

* For a demo contact Kim

* Mail Kim here [email protected]

* Kim also has a presence on LinkedIn

How to Manage Sales Teams

Here are some other interviews that address the need to motivate sales teams. Enjoy.

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

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

 

 

 

Good bye ZhengZhou ! Zaijan!