Sales Gravy: Jeb Blount

Silence Isn't Awkward— It's A Powerful Tool

On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Keith Lubner, Sales Gravy Executive VP, and Jessica Stokes, Sales Gravy Master Sales Trainer, discuss strategies that leverage discomfort on sales calls to drive engaging conversations and achieve better outcomes. By intentionally using silence, sales professionals can prompt prospects to actively engage and lean into the conversation.

Preparation is key, and when executed correctly, this technique can inspire meaningful connections and foster a deeper understanding of customer needs. The goal is to strike a balance and avoid excessive discomfort, while still capturing attention and prompting thoughtful responses from your prospect.

This approach can be effective in both in-person and phone sales meetings, as long as the sales professional is both intentional and well-prepared.

Leveraging discomfort can drive engaging sales conversations, lead to more successful sales interactions, and yield better outcomes.

Introducing discomfort helps reset the typical cadence of sales meetings. Creating a brief moment of silence by taking a sip of water or a beverage, for example, prompts prospects to fill the void with their thoughts and opinions.

Sales professionals should aim to actively engage prospects and encourage them to share their perspectives.

Meaningful connections are fostered when prospects are given the opportunity to actively participate in the conversation and a deeper understanding of customer needs can be achieved through this approach.

Preparation is key to confidently employ this strategy. Sales professionals should have a list of well-thought-out questions ready to guide the conversation.

Discomfort Is A Misunderstood Emotional Response

We've all experienced that awkward silence during a call with a prospect. When faced with uncomfortable situations, it can trigger fear or avoidance. As sales professionals, what do we tend to do?

We want to fill the silence, right? Because it's uncomfortable. Our heart races a little faster, and our amygdala kicks in. We start blurting things out, talking over the prospect, and never really getting what we need from them or triggering their self-disclosure loop. This is where the power of discomfort comes into play.

Use Silence To Your Advantage

In those moments of silence, it's important to let the silence marinate a bit. As a sales professional, you need to be intentional about allowing the silence to exist. Both you and the prospect feel the anxieties of filling the void, but you don't want to win the race of who talks first. You want to sit back, listen more, and let them do the talking.

In the virtual world, with technology lags and transmission delays, it becomes even more challenging. When you ask a question, there's a pause before they even hear it. If you start answering the question without realizing this, you're speaking over them. This is

Give Your Prospect A Chance To Respond

To leverage the power of discomfort in virtual meetings, try this simple trick:

Have a cup of coffee or a bottle of water with you. Ask a question, then take a sip of your drink. This prevents you from talking while giving the prospect time to answer. When you create a lag by pausing after asking a question, it prompts the other person to respond.

Reframe Your Question

However, it's important not to wait too long and make it uncomfortable. If they don't answer in a reasonable amount of time, you can fill the silence by reframing the question and clarifying what you meant. Taking another sip of water can also signal that you expect a response. This discomfort can be used in a positive way to encourage conversation.

What To Do If Reframing Doesn’t Work

Again, this is the art of having a conversation too. At that point, you're not going to ask the question and reframe it yet again. Instead, you can say something like, "Let's table that for now. I was going down this path and was interested in something else. Help me understand this a little bit more. I'm really curious," and use probing questions.

The phrase "help me understand" tends to invoke reciprocity and encourages them to answer your question. When you ask for help, people usually want to assist you.

By asking questions, you give them space to talk, and it becomes a conversation. You can then ask for more details, saying things like, "Tell me more about that," or "What's that about?" The goal is to let them talk while you listen.

Then you can continue probing and showing interest. When the call ends, they will feel like it was the best conversation because they did most of the talking and you did most of the listening. Your aim is to have less than 50 percent of the talking and let them do more than 50 percent.

In this way, leveraging silence and pausing to listen helps your prospect to focus more and stay engaged in the conversation.

Prepare For Every Sales Call, No Matter What

Always be prepared with great questions as a sales professional. Without them, the conversation can become uncomfortable. It's crucial to have a primary question to initiate engagement and a secondary question ready to keep the conversation flowing.

One way to make sure that you are prepared for sales conversations is to keep a pad of notes with you during meetings to jot down questions for discovery sessions. Let your prospect know upfront that you have your questions written down, as it helps you focus on listening to their responses. By setting this expectation, you encourage them to share more. If there's a moment of silence, refer to your notes for the next question.

This approach allows you to actively listen and prevents you from constantly thinking about the next question, which can make the conversation feel like an interrogation.

The Four Second Rule

It's important to truly listen to the responses instead of just focusing on asking the next question. Interestingly, science has shown that about four seconds of silence can evoke emotions in people, which is valuable in sales since emotions play a significant role in purchasing decisions.

By triggering positive emotions during conversations, you gain an advantage over the competition and create a deeper connection with the person you're speaking to.

Break The Pattern

Prospects have conversations all the time, and their brains create patterns around these conversations. If every conversation looks the same, they stop really listening because the pattern takes over. As a salesperson, your mission is to break that pattern. Discomfort can work because it snaps their attention and engages them.

It resets the cadence that everyone is used to when a salesperson shows up to a meeting.

They're used to being talked at, pitched a product, asked one question, and then the salesperson rushing to present.

So when we pause, take those drinks of water, ask a few more questions, and ask them to expand on something, it gets them more involved in a sales conversation than they typically are.

The innovative Sales Gravy University sales training platform gives on the go individuals and entire teams easy, affordable access to the world’s top sales trainers in both live and on-demand courses. Now you can learn how to win in sales anywhere, anytime, and on any device.

Burnout Is 100% Preventable

In the world of sales, it's easy to lose sight of how our mental and physical health are connected. We're so focused on hitting our targets that we often ignore the signs of burnout until it's too late. Unfortunately, neglecting this balance can really take a toll on our overall well-being.

On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount and Jahmie Hilecher, founder of The Move Wellness, discuss the importance of prioritizing health and wellness to support productivity and success.

They emphasize the significance of making conscious choices about food and nutrition, as well as the impact of deep breathing on reducing stress and improving mental clarity. They also highlight the connections between physical and mental well-being and provide practical tips for incorporating healthy habits into daily routines.

Prioritizing health and wellness is crucial for supporting productivity and success. Our well-being directly affects our ability to perform at our best and achieve our goals.

Making conscious choices about food and nutrition can have a significant impact on energy levels and mental clarity. It is essential to nourish our bodies with wholesome and nutritious food that provides the necessary fuel for optimal performance.

Deep breathing exercises help reduce stress and improve focus during sales calls and meetings. Taking a moment to focus on our breath and engage in deep breathing exercises can help us manage stress and promote a calm and centered state of mind.

Physical and mental well-being are interconnected, and taking care of one supports the other. By engaging in regular physical activity, we not only improve our physical fitness but also support our mental health by reducing stress and promoting a positive mood.

Starting the day with stretching and movement can enhance overall well-being. Incorporating stretching and movement into our morning routine can help wake up our bodies and increase blood flow, leading to improved flexibility and overall well-being.

Taking intentional breaths throughout the day can bring a sense of presence. In the midst of a busy day, it is important to pause and take intentional breaths to bring ourselves back to the present moment. Focus on your breath and take deep, mindful breaths to increase oxygen flow to your brain.

Stopping Burnout In Its Tracks Begins With Awareness

It's only when we experience burnout that we realize we've overlooked our physical health and need to address it.

However, without a healthy body to support you, this mindset is not sustainable. Sleep is crucial not only for your physical well-being but also for your brain function. Certain systems in your body need time to restore and recharge, enabling you to achieve greater success in the long run.

Taking care of your basic needs, such as getting enough sleep, eating clean and healthy, taking proper breaks and rest throughout the day, having fun, and engaging in daily movement, is essential. It doesn't have to be lifting weights in the gym; any form of movement can enhance communication, clarity, and creativity in your brain. Prioritizing these aspects will ultimately support you in achieving your goals for a longer period and with greater strength.

Sales Professionals Are The Elite Athletes of The Business World

If we consider salespeople, especially top salespeople, from a different perspective, we can see that they possess crucial skills for modern selling.

However, your mental capacity to be creative and find solutions, as well as your ability to be a consultant, will always be limited by your physical capacity. Many people don't think about it this way. But when I talk about sales professionals being the elite athletes of the business world, I mean that you need both physical and mental strength.

When we think about mind, body, and spirit, we can see that the combination of the mind and body creates a flow. This flow leads to finding solutions and experiencing happiness and joy. We have been taught, especially as Americans, to work first and then play, rarely considering the connection between the two.

3 Ways To Improve Your Mind-Body Connection and Prevent Burnout

Prioritize Daily Movement

Firstly, movement increases oxygen circulation to the brain, supporting cognitive thinking and enhancing focus during sales calls and important meetings. Secondly, consistent movement throughout the day can help reduce stress levels and activate the body's relaxation response, leading to a calmer and more confident state of mind.

Additionally, movement promotes better physical health, which is crucial for sales professionals to maintain high energy levels and a sharp mind. Engaging in regular exercise and movement also supports better sleep quality, which is essential for optimal cognitive function and decision-making. By incorporating daily movement into their routine, sales professionals can boost their overall well-being, increase their productivity, and ultimately achieve greater success in their sales endeavors.

Be Conscious Of Your Nutrition

Sales professionals should be conscious of their diet and make healthful nutritional choices because what they eat directly impacts their physical and mental well-being, which in turn affects their performance. Making conscious choices about food can provide sales professionals with sustained energy, mental clarity, and focus throughout the day.

By fueling their bodies with nutritious foods, such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains, sales professionals can maintain stable blood sugar levels, avoid energy crashes, and enhance their cognitive function.

Additionally, a healthful diet supports overall physical health, including maintaining a healthy weight, boosting immune function, and reducing the risk of chronic diseases. By prioritizing their nutrition, sales professionals can optimize their energy levels, improve their ability to handle stress, and project confidence, ultimately leading to more effective sales interactions and greater success in their careers.

Focus On Your Breath

Taking a moment to intentionally focus on your breath can have several positive effects on your well-being and performance.

Stress reduction: When you pause to slow your breath, you activate the body's relaxation response. This helps counteract the fight-or-flight response that is often triggered during busy or stressful situations. Slowing down your breath signals to your brain that you are safe and not in immediate danger, promoting a sense of calm and reducing stress levels.

Increased focus and mental clarity: By becoming aware of your breath, you bring your attention to the present moment. This can help quiet the mind and reduce distractions, allowing you to focus more effectively on the task at hand. Slow, conscious breathing provides a steady flow of oxygen to the brain, improving cognitive function and enhancing mental clarity.

Emotional regulation: Taking a pause to slow your breath can help regulate your emotions during a busy or stressful day. It allows you to observe and acknowledge any negative emotions or stressors without immediately reacting to them. This increased self-awareness gives you the opportunity to choose how you respond to challenging situations, promoting emotional balance and resilience.

Enhanced decision-making: Slowing your breath and being aware of your breathing can help you make better decisions, especially in high-pressure situations. When you are calm and present, you can access the executive functions of your brain more effectively, allowing for clearer thinking, problem-solving, and rational decision-making.

Improved physical well-being: Deep, intentional breathing supports proper oxygenation of the body, promoting overall physical well-being. It can help regulate heart rate, lower blood pressure, and reduce muscle tension. Additionally, conscious breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and relaxation, promoting a state of physical ease and reducing the negative effects of stress on the body.

By prioritizing movement, nutrition, and breath, sales professionals can nurture their physical and mental well-being, prevent burnout, and promote a strong mind-body connection.

These practices contribute to sustained energy, enhanced cognitive function, improved emotional regulation, and increased resilience in the face of challenges.

Ultimately, they support sales professionals in achieving optimal performance, maintaining a healthy work-life balance, and enjoying long-term success in their careers.

Finding a sense of balance, investing in our physical health, and protecting our mental well-being are all steps we can take to ensuring that we are in the right mindset to tackle our sales day. For more tips around mindset, productivity, and advancing your sales career, go to Sales Gravy University, the world's most powerful sales training engine.

Why Roleplay Should Be A Key Part of Your Sales Culture

In this podcast, Jeb Blount, Jeremy Olson, and Kristin Isaacson discuss the importance of role-playing in sales. They emphasize the need for leaders to create a culture of role-playing and accountability within their teams. They also highlight the benefits of roleplaying in helping salespeople improve their skills, gain empathy for the customer's perspective, and build confidence. They encourage individuals to find their preferred style of roleplaying and commit to regular practice, even if it feels uncomfortable at first.

Roleplaying in sales is a powerful tool that helps salespeople improve their skills, gain empathy for the customer's perspective, and build confidence. It allows them to practice and refine their sales techniques in a safe environment.

Leaders play a crucial role in creating a culture of roleplaying and accountability within their teams. By embracing and encouraging roleplaying, leaders can foster a collaborative and growth-oriented atmosphere that drives individual and team improvement.

Consistency and commitment are key to successful roleplaying. It should be a regular part of the sales process, rather than a one-time activity. Salespeople should make a commitment to practice regularly, even if it feels uncomfortable at first.

Roleplaying exposes weaknesses and areas for improvement. By simulating different scenarios, salespeople can identify their strengths and weaknesses, allowing them to focus on areas that need development and enhancing their overall performance.

Constructive feedback and coaching are essential for growth in roleplaying. Salespeople should seek feedback from their leaders, peers, or even trusted individuals outside the team. This feedback helps them identify areas for improvement and refine their approach.

Creating a Culture of Role-Playing

One key takeaway from this podcast episode is the role of leaders in fostering a culture of role-playing within their teams. By encouraging and embracing roleplaying exercises, leaders can establish an environment where individuals feel safe to practice and refine their sales techniques. This culture of accountability sets the stage for continuous growth and improvement.

Benefits of Role-Playing

Roleplaying allows salespeople to step into the shoes of their customers, understand their perspective, and develop empathy. By simulating real-life scenarios, sales professionals gain insight into the challenges and concerns their customers may face. This understanding enables them to ask the right questions, provide tailored solutions, and build stronger relationships.

Moreover, roleplaying serves as a platform for salespeople to enhance their skills and build confidence. Through practice and repetition, they can refine their pitch, overcome objections, and improve their overall sales performance. Roleplaying provides a controlled environment where individuals can experiment, receive feedback, and make necessary adjustments.

The Role of Consistency

Consistency is a vital component of effective roleplaying. Just as athletes train regularly to maintain peak performance, salespeople must commit to regular practice. Consistent roleplaying ensures that skills remain sharp, and individuals continue to grow. It is not a one-time activity but an ongoing process that drives continuous improvement.

Unifying the Team

Roleplaying has a unifying effect on sales teams. It establishes a shared language, understanding, and approach to sales. By engaging in roleplaying exercises together, team members develop a collaborative mindset and foster a sense of camaraderie. This collaborative atmosphere promotes knowledge-sharing, peer feedback, and mutual support, leading to a stronger, more cohesive team.

Overcoming Discomfort and Embracing Growth

While role-playing may initially feel uncomfortable, it is crucial to overcome this discomfort to reap its benefits fully. Sales professionals should recognize that discomfort is a sign of growth and improvement. Embracing the practice of role-playing with a growth mindset allows individuals to step outside their comfort zones, challenge themselves, and continually enhance their skills.

Feedback and Coaching

Constructive feedback and coaching play a pivotal role in maximizing the impact of role-playing. Salespeople should actively seek feedback from their leaders, peers, or trusted individuals outside their team. This feedback helps identify areas for improvement and provides valuable insights for refining sales techniques. Regular coaching sessions allow sales professionals to address weaknesses, build on strengths, and continuously enhance their performance.

Making Roleplaying a Priority

To make roleplaying effective, it must become an integral part of the sales process. It should be viewed as a non-negotiable activity, similar to going to the gym. Just as consistency is key in physical fitness, regular roleplaying is crucial for sales fitness. By prioritizing role-playing, sales teams can develop a culture of continuous learning, improvement, and success.

There is immense value in roleplaying in sales. From building empathy and enhancing skills to fostering team unity and personal growth, roleplaying is an essential tool for sales professionals. By creating a culture of roleplaying and embracing its benefits, sales teams can unlock their full potential and achieve extraordinary results.

The innovative Sales Gravy University sales training platform gives on the go individuals and entire teams easy, affordable access to the world’s top sales trainers in both live and on-demand courses. Now you can learn how to win in sales anywhere, anytime, and on any device.

Sales Presentation Skills That Get You To "Yes" Faster

In this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount talks to renowned sales experts Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz about their “Go For No” approach to embracing rejection in sales. They discuss how the fear of “no” sabotages sales presentations and what salespeople can do to deliver more successful and engaging presentations that get them to “yes”.

The fear of failure and rejection can sabotage sales presentations and affect performance.

Embracing rejection and understanding its value can lead to more successful sales presentations. The "Go for No" strategy involves intentionally increasing failure rate and using each "no" as valuable data for growth.

Preparation and structure are essential in delivering compelling sales presentations. Improvisation in sales presentations can come across as unprofessional or unprepared. Don't just show up and throw up.

Storytelling is a powerful tool to engage the audience and connect with them on a deeper level. Sharing stories about overcoming challenges and how your solution helped can capture attention and emotions.

Losing your place or stumbling over words during a presentation is common, but maintaining composure and smoothly continuing is key.

Well-prepared presentations instill confidence in the salesperson and engage the audience more effectively. But it's important to bring passion and authenticity to sales presentations rather than striving for perfection.

The Fear Of “No” Derails Sales Presentations

In the dynamic world of sales, where each presentation is an opportunity to forge valuable connections and secure vital deals, a formidable adversary often lurks in the shadows—the fear of failure and rejection. It's a sentiment that frequently courses through the veins of salespeople, affecting their confidence and ultimately their performance. This fear, while entirely human, can become an insidious obstacle to delivering compelling sales presentations.

But here's the paradox: it's precisely this fear, when understood and harnessed, that can catapult a salesperson from mediocrity to mastery. This podcast delves into the heart of this challenge, exploring why salespeople often grapple with the fear of rejection and failure, how it affects their ability to engage their audience, and most importantly, why embracing this fear can be a game-changer in the competitive world of sales.

What Is “Go For No” All About?

The concept of "Go for No" is about intentionally increasing your failure rate and intentionally hearing "no" more often. The idea behind this is that when you embrace rejection, it paves the way for more "yeses" to come.

However, this doesn't mean that you should simply keep hearing "no" without making any improvements or using the feedback from those rejections. It's important to treat each "no" as valuable data for growth. For instance, you can set goals based on the number of "no" responses you aim to receive, and actively seek out opportunities to hear "no."

Don't Show Up and Throw Up

In the world of sales presentations, there's a phrase that often rings true: "Don't show up and throw up." It's a cautionary mantra that reminds salespeople of the importance of preparation and structure in their interactions with potential clients. Showing up unprepared, with no more than a vague idea of what to say, can lead to a meandering and unconvincing pitch. Instead, successful sales presentations require careful planning.

Salespeople should have their notes ready to go, create a basic outline for the conversation, and prepare specific talking points. While improvisation might seem like a way to appear more "natural," it often results in coming across as unprofessional or unprepared. A well-prepared presentation not only instills confidence in the salesperson but also engages the audience more effectively.

And the truth is, when people speak without preparation, they often start in the middle and then backtrack to mention something they forgot. Eventually, they reveal their main point, which they were saving for the end. Sometimes, the desire to sound natural can be exaggerated.

However, it is perfectly fine to take a step-by-step approach. For example, lawyers in a courtroom follow a clear path. They ask a question, receive an answer, and mark it as completed on their yellow notepad.

Feature Dumps Don't Engage Audiences, Storytelling Does

Sales presentations are not just about pitching products or services; they're about engaging the audience. One powerful way to achieve this is through storytelling. Rather than launching into a dry pitch, consider weaving a compelling narrative into your presentation.

Share a story about someone who faced a challenge similar to what your audience might be experiencing and highlight how your solution came to their rescue. Stories have a unique ability to capture people's attention and emotions, making them lean in and connect with your message on a deeper level. In the realm of sales, it's not just about what you're selling, but the story you're telling.

What to Do If You Lose Your Place During a Presentation

Even with the best preparation, unexpected hiccups can occur during a sales presentation. One common fear is losing your place or stumbling over your words. The important thing to remember in such moments is not to freeze. A momentary pause to collect your thoughts can work wonders. Your audience is unlikely to remember a minor fumble in your presentation.

What they will remember is how you handled it. By maintaining composure and continuing smoothly, you demonstrate professionalism and resilience. So, the next time you find yourself momentarily lost during a presentation, take a deep breath, regain your bearings, and confidently continue. It's a small hiccup in the grand scheme of your presentation's impact.

Bring Passion To Your Presentations, Not Perfection

However, when I started out, I would replay my speeches and criticize myself. I would be embarrassed and beat myself up over mistakes or missed elements. It was excruciating, and I would feel so horrible that I didn't want to face anyone.

But then, people would tell me that it was the best speech they had ever heard. I realized that nobody really notices when you make a mistake, unless it's a major blunder. People don't pay much attention to it.

You may notice and feel the mistakes, but they don't. They see you responding to adversity with grace, and they can relate to that. But I realized that people appreciate me giving my all, even if I stumble or make up words sometimes.

As a salesperson, you may not be speaking in front of thousands of people, but the same principles apply. I bring my own energy and authenticity, and that's what people love.

So, first off, remember that you don't need to be perfect. Be yourself and bring your passion to your presentations. That's what will resonate with your audience.

Overcoming The Fear Of Failure Is Crucial To Your Success

Embracing rejection and overcoming the fear of failure is crucial for success in the dynamic world of sales. By intentionally increasing our failure rate and treating each "no" as an opportunity for growth, we pave the way for more "yeses" to come. It is important to approach sales presentations with careful planning, preparation, and structure, avoiding the pitfall of showing up unprepared.

Utilizing storytelling techniques helps to engage the audience on a deeper level, while maintaining composure and confidently continuing in the face of unexpected hiccups showcases professionalism and resilience. Ultimately, it is not about striving for perfection, but about bringing our passion and authenticity to our presentations, resonating with our audience and forging valuable connections in the competitive realm of sales.

The innovative Sales Gravy University sales training platform gives on the go individuals and entire teams easy, affordable access to the world’s top sales trainers in both live and on-demand courses. Now you can learn how to win in sales anywhere, anytime, and on any device.

Delivering A Next-Level Customer Experience

In this Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount talks to Clare Dorrian, SugarCRM's CMO, about putting people first, building human connections, and prioritizing the customer experience in a saturated market.

Clare shares expert insights on outbound prospecting, multi-channel engagement, and building a strong sales culture.

Their conversation covers a range of topics, including the evolution of sales and marketing, the role of relationships in modern selling, and driving pipeline growth through real connection.

In a highly competitive market, differentiation is key. Sales organizations should prioritize customer service and engagement as a means to drive pipeline growth and set themselves apart from competitors.

Outbound prospecting is essential for building pipeline and requires a team effort, with every member of the organization contributing to pipeline growth.

Building a strong sales culture means aligning goals and KPIs across departments, and promoting a team sport mentality that encourages collaboration and communication.

By identifying customer challenges and demonstrating how a recommended product or solution can help solve them, sales professionals can build trust and create value for their customers.

Sales professionals must leverage multichannel, multilayer engagement for reaching decision-making committees.

Salespeople can deliver a next-level buying experience by meeting customers where they are and understanding their communication preferences.

Companies can differentiate themselves in a highly competitive market by prioritizing people, building strong relationships, and providing value to customers.

When sales organizations focus on the customer experience, build a strong sales culture, and promote collaboration and communication across departments, they can drive pipeline growth and set themselves up for long-term success.

Sales And Marketing Are Human Endeavors

Maintaining a focus on human relationships is a differentiating factor for sales organizations, especially in a world where technology seems to be pushing us further away from personal connection.

From a marketing standpoint, this emphasis on connection can be leveraged to generate leads and get more opportunities.

Ultimately, success in your sales organization depends on having the right people who not only understand what your product or service is designed to do, but also know its boundaries. In fact, this expertise is exactly what allows smaller sales forces to be nimble, show more appreciation for customers, and differentiate from their Goliath competitors.

This philosophy should be ingrained in your culture from top to bottom, from the way you recruit to the way you collaborate.

This focus on people is an important differentiator in marketing and go-to-market strategies, but when it is a key part of your DNA, competitors take notice.

Make It Easy For The Customer To Do Business With You

In terms of customer experience, It's not just about believing that the customer is always right, but rather prioritizing the customer above all else. This mentality should extend to sales professionals as well. It's important to remember that a prospect is not yet a customer, but their emotional experience during their journey with you is a consistent predictor of outcomes more so than any other variable.

Have you ever been on the receiving end of a sales pitch? We all have at some point in our lifetime.

But which pitches do you remember? You probably remember the ones where the salespeople had an emotional connection with you.

Of course, the price had to be right and the product had to fit your requirements. But what made the difference was when the experience was memorable, and these memories accumulate over time.

It should be easy and enjoyable for people to do business with you. Each time a customer interacts with your organization, their experiences add up, which creates customer loyalty and long-term retention.

Sales And Marketing Alignment Means Working Together— Not In Siloes

There has been a complete revolution in the last 20 years. Today, sales and marketing are more connected than ever before.

The pressure on CMOs to generate inbound leads and build the pipeline is immense. However, they are often measured against the success of the sales organization, which they have little control over. CMOs who recognize the amount of money spent on creating opportunities and bringing in leads understand that their ability to deliver on goals is impacted if they are not directly tied to the sales organization and driving their activity.

Similarly, if the sales organization is not giving feedback to the CMOs or not directly tied to them, they will also struggle to achieve their goals.

Some organizations make the marketing team solely responsible for generating leads, but it should be a team sport. Marketing should work toward a demand generation goal, but so should the sales team.

It's not effective to simply lob marketing materials over the fence to sales— that's not how partnerships are built. To achieve true partnership, start by aligning our goals and KPIs and then stack your initiatives accordingly.

Getting everyone working together is essential. Sales and Marketing are more likely to see the fruits of their combined efforts when both teams take accountability for revenue.

Don't Let Distance Get In The Way

In recent years, it has become more challenging since we are all more distributed than ever before. Sales teams are accustomed to being on the road and visiting customer sites, dealing with forecasts and sending communications while on the go. Certain marketing functions, on the other hand, may not require as much travel.

The past couple of years have taught marketing teams that we all share a level playing field, because so many of us are working remotely.

This level playing field provided opportunities for agile organizations to take advantage of the situation.

How Sugar CRM Uses “Shark Week” To Build Their Pipeline

A few years ago, SugarCRM introduced a competition called "Shark Week" to bring together marketing, business development, sales, partners, and others, to focus on driving pipeline together. They formed teams and had prizes throughout the day and at the end of the week, including top team and individual prizes.

This intentional effort to work towards shared goals was transformational in introducing a DNA into their culture for outbound prospecting that they previously lacked. They only saw a material difference in the results when they introduced a fun, competitive team approach to prospecting where everyone had skin in the game. Salespeople like to win, after all.

Are Sales Contests Worth The Investment?

For their mid-market business, it generated two million dollars in revenue and only cost sixty thousand in prize funds. The return on investment was phenomenal for their organization.

Sales contests like Shark Week can be used as a training tool, but it also puts pressure on competitors. When everyone in the company participates, competitors' phones are ringing with inquiries and they have to work harder to keep their business.

This presents an opportunity to gain a competitive edge, take their business, and grow your own in the process.

2 Sales Strategies That Stand The Test Of Time

Understand Their Business Challenges

At the end of the day, nobody likes feeling pressured. As a salesperson, your responsibility is to find a challenge or pain point that you can help solve. Start by identifying the pain point and demonstrating to the customer how you can help.

Avoid conversations that focus solely on pricing or perks without an understanding of the core business problem. Put your ego aside and focus on how you can help the customer. Avoid a hard sell and instead focus on finding a pain point that you can confidently speak to. Don't overlook the influencer in the decision-making process and make sure to communicate in a way that is meaningful to all involved parties.

Multi-Channel and Multi-Layered Outreach

When engaging with potential customers, think multi-channel and multi-layered. Decision-making committees are getting larger every day, so winning over the CEO or CFO is not enough. Make sure you are touching everyone involved in the decision-making process and doing it in a way that is meaningful to them. Ask them how they prefer to be communicated with and meet them where they are.

Building Pipeline Is A Team Sport

Sales and marketing alignment can be achieved when there is a dedicated focus on setting shared goals and KPIs, promoting a team sport mentality, and encouraging collaboration and communication across departments.

Likewise, with outbound prospecting, a team effort is essential for building pipeline, and every member of the organization needs to contribute. By identifying customer challenges and demonstrating how a recommended product or solution can help solve them, sales professionals can build trust and create value for their customers.

When sales organizations focus on the customer experience, build a strong sales culture, and promote collaboration and communication across departments, they can drive pipeline growth and set themselves up for long-term success.

Learn more about how to deliver a legendary customer experience, stand out in a saturated market, and align sales and marketing efforts on Sales Gravy University.

A Great Modern Seller Leverages These 5 Skills

In this podcast, Jeb Blount and Amy Franko discuss the importance of modern sellers having strong business acumen and an ownership mindset. They emphasize the value of being able to provide insight to executives based on knowledge of their organization, rather than regurgitating information that can be found online. They also discuss the importance of discipline and habits in maintaining success as a salesperson, especially when working from home. Finally, they touch on the rebirth of field sales and the importance of building strong relationships with leadership.

Instead of simply regurgitating information that can be found online, sellers must have a deep knowledge of their clients' organizations in order to provide business insights that are truly valuable.

Ask provocative questions that create awareness of potential problems or opportunities within the organization.

Build strong relationships with leadership and even going as far as getting into the "bowels" of the organization to get a better understanding of what's happening.

Modern sellers must also have an ownership, or entrepreneur, mindset. They should look at their sales territory as a business, and make decisions based on the top and bottom line as well as weigh risks and opportunities.

Discipline and habits are also crucial for maintaining success as a modern seller. For instance, you should build a strong plan, set goals, track your activities and metrics, and adapt to changes in the sales landscape.

Building strong relationships with leadership and being able to adapt to changes in the sales landscape.

What Differentiates A Modern Seller?

The truth is that there are core basic activities that every salesperson must perform.

Modern sellers have elevated these skills, honing the craft of selling to rise above their competitors and sell differently - and better.

When Amy was doing research for her new book, The Modern Seller, she noticed a particular set of skills that stood out from the rest in terms of indicators of success for salespeople. There are the "everyday skills" of prospecting, presenting, negotiating, and closing. Then there are five skills that modern sellers consistently do better than others, and are clear differentiators.

Agility

Entrepreneurship

Holistic Sales Territory and Pipeline Management

Strategic Relationship Building

Ambassadorship

Through Amy’s career and observations, she has found that mastering these five skills is key to standing out as a top seller. Whether you are an individual seller or a leader building these skills in yourself or your team, these are skills that you should prioritize for the future.

Modern Sellers Are Masters Of Business Acumen

One of the biggest challenges for sellers today is the level of business acumen that they are expected to have. It's not just about having a feature-benefit-price conversation anymore. Instead, sellers must study the client's business and industry to have more in-depth, business-oriented conversations.

Modern sellers need to display a level of business acumen that other sellers may not possess, or they may need to focus on improving these skills. Ultimately, a modern seller is someone who truly differentiates themselves and stands out for their clients.

The best sellers out there cannot be separated from their product or service because they are a crucial factor in the equation of their client's success.

Business acumen is essential to connect with clients and demonstrate the value of your services or products in addressing their individual and unique business challenges, issues, and opportunities.

In longer cycle sales, where the complexity is higher, simply providing a standardized proposal deck is not be enough to stand out. Instead, you need to be able to build a bullet proof business case that clearly demonstrates ROI. This requires the ability to show the actual outcomes that the client can expect by implementing your service or product, and how it will impact their business.

If you excel at building relationships and connecting with people, but are unable to articulate how you can help their business, build a compelling business case, or provide guidance in finding an alternative path, then your efforts will be in vain.

The Effectiveness Quotient Is A Game Changer

Being able to build relationships while also having a high IQ about your client's industry and their specific business is crucial. In addition to having a high IQ and emotional intelligence, understanding your clients' industry and business, there is also the value of a high effectiveness quotient.

Being effective means analyzing the tactics that you use in your sales week and determining exactly how they help your clients.

One of the key differences between modern sellers and those who came before is their focus on both efficiency and effectiveness. They know how to achieve the greatest possible outcomes in the shortest amount of time possible.

How A High Technical Quotient Keeps You Agile

One of the reasons why modern sellers have a high TQ (technical quotient) is their ability to leverage technology and information. This allows them to spend more time with people and be more efficient with their time. They adopt and adapt technology to their particular situation, while still prioritizing the human-to-human connection that is essential in sales.

What separates the highest performing salespeople from other sellers is the ability to use technology effectively and use the right tools to take their performance to the next level. Embracing technology and the right tools can move you from being an A player to a top performer. Remember that though technology is advancing at a rapid pace, it should never overshadow the importance of the human element in sales. Customers buy the salesperson first, then the product or service.

2 Ways You Can Get Ahead In Today’s World

First, take a look at your relationship with your direct manager and leadership team. Do you have a healthy and connected relationship with them? By building strong relationships with your leaders, they become more aware of your work and are less likely to be unaware of what you're doing. This is one way to ensure good communication with your superiors.

Another important factor is developing effective habits and discipline in your daily routine. Are you focusing on the right strategic activities? If you are, and you track your progress as needed, your leadership will recognize your efforts, which can significantly contribute to exceeding your quota.

What It Takes To Be A Modern Seller

Being a modern seller requires discipline, good habits, and following a sales plan. These fundamentals will help you work towards achieving excellence. However, you must also have the internal drive and motivation to pursue excellence.

You must take ownership of your day, your sales life, and be willing to make the necessary sacrifices to be successful.

Working from home and being in front of clients is a privilege, and when you view it as such, along with your desire to be excellent, you will have the internal fire and motivation to do what needs to be done.

You can learn more about what it takes to be a modern seller, how to be more agile, and develop an entrepreneurial approach to selling in Amy Franko's courses on Sales Gravy University.

If You Don't Take Action, You Won't Get Results

In this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount and David Newman, author of Do It! Marketing and Do It! Selling, discuss exactly how to connect and engage with decision makers and avoid the "middle management trap". One of the most effective approaches that salespeople can leverage to close bigger deals is using interviews as a sales strategy to gather intelligence, build relationships, and connect with high-level decision makers. Through asking penetrating questions and providing valuable resources, consultants and salespeople can establish themselves as experts and earn the right to have pivotal conversations with their top prospects.

Strategic planning and research are paramount for sales and marketing professionals, including targeting a specific market, establishing credibility, using interviews as a prospecting channel, and planning for the future.

Target a specific market instead of trying to target everyone. Determine where to publish, speak, network, post, and participate in blogs, portals, forums, and communities to reach this audience.

Establish credibility in one industry before expanding into others. This requires deep-dive research on market forces, disruption, and compliance regulations. When you track where the money is going, you can prepare for unexpected events and pivot when necessary.

Using interviews as a prospecting channel to gather intelligence, build relationships, and connect with high-level decision makers. focusing on providing value rather than seeking approval or sounding smart during conversations with economic buyers.

To plan for the future, dedicate time to strategic planning based on research, conversations, and feedback from past clients. It's important to always have a plan B in place and be ready to shift gears and change direction when necessary.

By focusing on specific markets, establishing credibility, and using interviews as a prospecting channel, professionals can connect with high-level decision makers and achieve their business goals.

To Sell, You Have to Take Action

As a sales professional, you face a simple choice.

Stay put or go out and do something. Believing that "if you build it, they will come" is a fallacy.

Planning is essential, but without conversations, it won't lead to success. It's time to take action and start having those conversations.

Shake hands and create familiarity with your voice, face, and message. This way, when people see you, they will recognize you and remember your message. This is where serendipity happens.

The key message of David's new book, Do It! Selling is that without action, there will be no results. Leads do not come out of the blue. Sometimes these leads may seem serendipitous, but they actually result from the actions you take to create an environment conducive to generating leads.

If you consistently put in effort, the universe has a way of rewarding you, but it won't reward you for simply waiting for success to come to you. Waiting around for leads to come to you is a reactive approach.

Instead, you need to be proactive and actively seek fresh targets on a regular basis.

The 3 PR Game Plan: Personalized, Professional, Public Relations

For those who are a bit reluctant to sell, David presents a new definition for sales: 'Are you sending enough invitations to a conversation with enough of the right people about how you can help them?' This conversation may not always lead to a commercial relationship, but results in an introduction or referral.

Sometimes, the person may not be the right fit at the moment, but they may come back in the future with an opportunity to work together. Therefore, it's important to put fresh prospects on your radar daily by sending enough invitations to a conversation with real people whom you can help, with the intention of opening a conversation and seeing where it goes.

Enter the Three P. R. Game Plan, which stands for Personalized, Professional, Public Relations. This is not the same as traditional public relations involving press releases and media interviews. Instead, it consists of three components: speaking, publishing, and social media.

Speaking

Speaking is the first leg of the Three P. R. strategy, which involves generating leads and sales through speaking engagements. This can include speaking in person to groups, participating in podcasts, live streaming, or creating short video emails to send to prospects.

Publishing

This doesn't mean publishing a book, but rather creating articles, blogs, cheat sheets, and other content that is relevant and valuable to your target market. These pieces help establish credibility and expertise.

Social Media

Being active on online platforms where your target market is already engaging helps raise your visibility and shareability. This can include social media platforms, blogs, portals, communities, and forums.

By implementing the Three P. R. strategy, you can generate more leads and increase your visibility, credibility, and shareability. Remember, it's important to put fresh targets on your radar every day to keep the momentum going.

Targeting Your Ideal Qualified Prospect (IQP)

Every salesperson, whether you are a consultant, solopreneur, or work for a big company, faces the challenge of identifying their target audience and the different layers of people to target within that audience. we are living in a time of insane volatility and uncertainty, so The target audience is constantly moving and changing. Your ideal qualified prospect (IQP) is not static. Finding the money is a problem in a world where everything is changing.

Here are three frameworks you use to identify where the money is in a changing landscape.

You need to define the niche or target market that you want to focus on. The mistake many people make is trying to target everyone, assuming that everyone needs their product or service. However, not everyone has the need or resources to purchase your product or service. If you zero in on exactly the right people that you want to serve, where you have some track records, experience, and expertise, you will have a high degree of confidence that you can help them. This makes your life so much easier because you know where to speak, where to network, and where to build relationships.

To build a universe of influence, it's essential to focus on a narrow and deep market. Establish credibility in one industry, then expand into adjacent or different markets. If you keep working with a variety of customers and clients, you'll never gain momentum or a track record within a specific industry. Without a track record, repeat business, referrals, upselling, and cross-selling become impossible.

To get started, consider where you've done your best work and who you can help the most. Identify the people who have given you the most significant results and gather testimonials, testimonial clips, and testimonial videos. These individuals are your target audience, and you should focus your efforts on them. Determine where to publish, speak, network, post, and participate in blogs, portals, forums, and communities to reach this audience. Once you've established yourself, the snowball effect will kick in, and you won't need to bounce from one market or target group to another constantly.

It's Simple Economics

As you go through this process, keep in mind that not only must your prospects have the ability to pay, but they must also be eager to pay for our services. It's not enough that they have a budget; they must have an urgent, pervasive, and expensive problem that they are willing to pay a premium fee to solve.

This is why it is crucial to choose a target market with financial viability. Otherwise, we may waste our time talking to people who desperately need our services but cannot afford them.

Using Interviews As A Sales Strategy

Did you know that you can use interviewing as a prospecting channel, especially when you want to meet people in the C suite?

The goal is to gather intelligence, build relationships, and connect with high-level C-suite executives whom you might not be able to reach otherwise. These individuals are often behind multiple layers of security, and their emails and phone calls are screened.

During the interview, start by asking about their biggest successes. Focus on the positive at first to build trust and rapport before moving on to more difficult topics. Ask about their unique insights or nuggets of information that only they know, and the best advice they've received on the topic. Then, transition to their next goals and challenges, asking what they're currently working on and what obstacles they're facing.

Follow-Up Is Where The Magic Happens

The magic of the interview is not in the interview itself or even the publishing of the interview. It's in the follow-up touch points after the interview. This includes sending a handwritten thank-you note, an email with the finished article, and giving the interviewee the opportunity to make any changes or updates to the article.

Make sure to follow up every 7 to 10 days, continuing to offer helpful information and solutions to their challenges. By the sixth or seventh touchpoint, you will have positioned yourself as an expert and authority in your industry and earned the right to have a pivotal conversation with them. For example, you could say, "Hey Jeb, we've been talking a lot about your challenges with problem A, problem B, and problem C. I believe I can help you in a more formal manner. Would a short chat be worth your time?" Often, the answer will be yes.

Even if it doesn't pay off immediately, the person you interviewed will never forget that you thought their perspective was important, and they may loop back around to you in the future.

Mastermind Group Incredible Asks Jeb Blount Their Toughest Sales Questions

In this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Mastermind Group Incredible asks Jeb Blount their real-life questions as he provides solutions to overcome their toughest sales challenges. Some of their questions include: standing out in a final round interview process, targeting and selling into larger accounts, losing to a competitor, and ways to contact hard-to-reach stakeholders on LinkedIn. Whether you're a solopreneur, small business owner, sales professional, you'll take away powerful strategies to advance your career, grow your business, or land your dream account.

Small companies lose customers because they take them for granted and don't address their concerns.

To win big deals, put a wedge between the incumbent vendor and the customer and look for issues that can be addressed.

Personalized service and attention are selling points for small companies managing accounts with larger competitors.

The hardest thing to do when scaling a business is moving from where you are to the next place.

To get big accounts, create a list of 10-25 dream accounts and target them specifically.

When using LinkedIn, sending a voice message or using Vidyard for video messages can be effective.

Layering on other parts of a messaging sequence, such as phone calls or handwritten notes, can increase effectiveness.

Chat GPT can be a useful tool for writing proposals and creating sales messages, but it can also degrade the quality of written communication if used lazily.

Q: How Do I Stand Out In The Final Round Of The Interview Process?

To leave a lasting impression during a presentation in your final round of interviews, use a strategic approach. A useful tactic is to speak last, also known as the availability bias.

In a final presentation interview, demonstrating ROI is crucial, especially in today's economy. Use a business case to showcase the value you bring. Start by discussing what you discovered during the discovery phase, the problems you faced, and the future state after your program is implemented. Highlight values that are important to individual stakeholders, like personal outcomes and emotional outcomes such as peace of mind and trust in the vendor. Be sure to make your case using business language, not just marketing brochures, and support it with math.

To provide a value framework, follow these steps: articulate the problem you discovered, make a recommendation to solve it, and describe the outcomes your recommendation will generate in terms of measurable business outcomes, personal outcomes, and emotional outcomes. Use the audience's language and be specific. By following this structure, you'll help the audience absorb information more effectively.

Q: How Do I start Targeting Larger Accounts?

Scaling up into larger businesses can be overwhelming, but the first step is to take action. While hitting singles may be easier, it's important to pursue bigger opportunities to gain experience selling larger deals.

However, it's also important to not overlook the value of smaller deals and to have a consistent pipeline of singles, doubles, triples, and home runs. This helps de-risk your pipeline and income while providing opportunities for growth and a bigger income.

To reduce risk in your pipeline, it's crucial to have strong qualifying mechanisms and a solid understanding of a potential client's fit with your company. Identifying decision-making roles and stakeholders is also essential.

When pursuing a deal, it's important to build an unassailable business case for why your company is the right choice. This involves mapping out every detail and identifying potential challenges and solutions.

Finally, use murder boarding to identify potential obstacles and develop strategies to overcome them. By the time of the final presentation, you should feel confident that the client has already made the decision to do business with you.

In summary, take action, carefully qualify leads, and focus on strategy for each deal. Surround yourself with knowledgeable individuals who can assist with awareness and strategy. With the right deals in your pipeline and discipline to work your strategy, success is achievable.

Q: Why Did We Lose To A Competitor?

Small companies often lose customers because they don't value them enough. In fact, studies show that 70% of the time, when a loyal customer switches to another business, it's because they felt unappreciated. Competitors use this as an opportunity to ask the right questions and find weaknesses in your business.

If they discover mistakes or billing issues, the buyer may become defensive and turn to the competition. As a smaller company, it can be difficult to save the deal when you have limited resources and other priorities. Meanwhile, the competitor has already done the math and convinced the stakeholder group to switch.

To win big deals, you need to create distance between the customer and the incumbent vendor. I recommend taking a course on Sales Group University called "competitive displacement selling" for guidance on how to do this. Start by assessing the strength of the incumbent vendor and look for ways to highlight any issues or concerns.

Personalized service is a selling point for small companies, especially when competing against larger competitors. However, don't take your customers for granted. There are always salespeople waiting for you to slip up. Stay in touch with your customers, even if it's just once a month, to show them that you care. If you do make mistakes, apologize and be patient. It may take time to earn back their trust.

Q: How Do I Get In Touch With A Hard-To-Reach Stakeholder?

Video Will Help You Stand Out From The Crowd

If you want to connect with a stakeholder and are struggling to capture their attention, there are a few steps you can take that will help you stand out. First, create a short video that explains how your skills or services can help them achieve their business goals.

You can upload the video directly to LinkedIn.

CEOs are primarily interested in making money, so be sure to emphasize how your approach can help them get from point A to point B.

Snail Mail Still Works

Next, follow up with a handwritten letter to their office.

Reiterate the same points you made in the video in a letter format. Put the letter in an envelope, add postage, and send it. To make it more impactful, consider using an overnight mail service like FedEx.

This way, when the CEO receives the envelope and sees that it's important, they are more likely to read it. Handwritten notes are affordable and effective, so it's worth incorporating them into your outreach strategy.

Focus On Building A Relationship Over Time

Avoid sending LinkedIn messages too frequently, but give yourself a year to engage with this person, as relationship-building is a long-term effort. Keep trying until you receive a definitive "no."

Remember, circumstances can change, and they may need your services in the future. If that happens, it would be a significant win for you and worth the effort.

Hone Your Messaging With A Value Bridge

Another thing to keep in mind is the importance of checking your message.

If you're not getting any engagement despite sending lots of content, people may lose interest. To grab their attention, start by showing that you can relate to them. Instead of beginning with something like, "Hey, I want to talk to you because...", try starting with something like, "I can't even imagine what it's like to be the CEO of a software company in today's world, where it's hard to find people who can code at a high level."

This approach instantly captures their attention and shows that you're thinking about their specific situation.

After you've established a connection, make a value bridge that connects the problem or issue to how you can help them. For instance, you could say something like, "Here's what I do in this situation - I help companies with this. I don't know whether or not I'm a fit for you, but wouldn't it at least make sense for us to get together so I can ask a few questions and learn more about you to see if it makes sense for us to keep talking?"

Leverage An Omni-Channel Approach With High Priority Accounts

Keep your goals in mind as you prioritize your outreach efforts. Identify a list of 10 to 25 dream accounts, which are your top priority prospects. Share this list with your team and start targeting them with a variety of tactics, such as monthly mailings. Adjust your plan every year as you learn what works and what doesn't. It's impossible to maintain the same level of intensity with every opportunity, so it's essential to set priorities.

Consider incorporating other parts of the sequence, such as phone, voice, video, and written messages in addition to LinkedIn. Handwritten notes or in-person meetings can also be effective, especially if the people you're reaching out to are local. In-person prospecting is making a comeback and people are generally receptive to it.

Join A Sales Gravy Mastermind Group

A Mastermind Group is a peer-to-peer mentoring group where individuals come together to help each other solve their problems and improve their lives or businesses. It is a powerful tool for personal and professional growth.

Sales Gravy Mastermind Groups are an excellent way to improve your sales skills, become a more effective leader, or solve problems. Our masterminds are facilitated by a Master Sales Trainer and include additional training resources to build on group discussions. You can learn more about Mastermind Groups and how they can help you reach your goals here.

Looking to go beyond a mastermind group and get one-to-one personalized coaching? Well, we have a free guide to help you identify the right coach for you. Download HERE

Curiosity Is Your Key To Effective Cold Calling

On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Ulysses Price, filling in for Jeb Blount, interviews Chris Beall, CEO of ConnectAndSell. ConnectAndSell is a software service that helps salespeople initiate conversations with prospects. Beall explains how market dominance and the humble cold call are connected. His prospecting philosophy requires the salesperson to build trust and demonstrate curiosity, master the first few seconds of the conversation to create emotional buy-in, and avoid triggering psychological reactance. By breaking down the conversation and practicing each part in training, sales reps can improve their skills and conduct more successful sales conversations.

Chris Beall connected the dots between market dominance and the potential impact of a humble cold call.

Calibrated callers are comfortable using a psychological framework, playful curiosity, and confidence to create a clean read from potential customers and insist on a meeting.

The seven-second rule is a technique for building trust in a cold call by demonstrating tactical empathy and competence to solve the problem of the caller being an interruption.

The risk of B2B sales is a career risk, not a financial risk. B2B salespeople are necessary because buyers risk their careers when making buying decisions.

Salespeople must gain the trust of potential customers to become the expert and be on their side.

Sales reps must be able to make a clean read of a potential customer, understand their needs and interests, and provide value.

Handle objections in a delicate and curious manner, stick to your guns, and position yourself as an expert to establish trust quickly.

Gain Your Prospect's Trust In Seven Seconds

Cold calling is still one of the most effective ways of reaching potential customers, but it can be a daunting task for many salespeople, especially when you don't know where to start.

To start a conversation, we need to gain someone's trust. Without trust, they won't listen to us, and we won't get far. When we make a cold call, the person we're speaking with only wants to end the conversation while keeping their self-image intact. If they didn't care about their self-image, they would just hang up. So we have a small window of opportunity to gain their trust— just seven seconds.

In those seven seconds is to help the other party see that we see the world through their eyes. We call it tactical empathy. Secondly, we need to demonstrate to them that we're competent in solving a problem they have right now. Their problem could be me, but I can always offer to go away in exchange for something.

You want them to listen to you, so you make that offer. For example, you might open the call with a statement like:

"I know I'm an interruption. Can I take 27 seconds to tell you why I called?"

By saying this, you're self-indicting right at the beginning. That's what the other party is already thinking about you. You beat them to the punch. As a seller, it's essential to establish trust with your audience, especially in B2B sales. Eventually, they have to trust you more than they trust themselves and view you as the expert. This is why the first seven seconds are crucial in establishing trust with your audience. Do it wisely, and they will trust you forever, but try selling to them, and you'll lose their trust in an instant.

Then comes the pitch:

"We've made a breakthrough that eliminates the waste and frustration that hinder your best sales reps from being effective on the phone. My call today is to request 15 minutes of your time to share this with you. Do you have your calendar handy?"

Sounds easy, right? But it's not. The waste is economic, and the frustration is emotional. That's because frustration triggers the part of our brain that causes us to lash out. Be careful not to trigger anger and instead, use a tone of voice that shows you understand what frustration means.

You want to connect with your listener on an emotional level and build trust. Remember, your voice is more important than your words. Use it skillfully to deliver emotional information and show that you truly get them, their needs, and their challenges and want to help solve them together.

What Is A Calibrated Caller?

There are two things that make a calibrated caller. First, they become very comfortable using a psychological framework, which I'll call a script framework. They get good at it and become comfortable with it.

The framework consists of several steps: throwing yourself under the bus, making your voice playful, leading with curiosity instead of value, and insisting that the person take the meeting.

The reps are trained to lead with value, but the resonance comes from leading with curiosity to see if somebody is curious enough to take a meeting. Insisting that the person take the meeting requires a kind of confidence and belief in the value of the meeting, which isn't equal across all reps. You need somebody who can do the whole thing, who can throw themselves under the bus, make their voice playful, go to curiosity, and insist they take the meeting.

A calibrated caller is somebody who has proven they can do all of that work in a cold call, which we call an ambush call, and they can do it in any topic or product area. They're not dependent on the message, just a belief in the potential value of the meeting for the person they're talking with.

Live Calling Is The Best Way To Practice

Learning to cold call can be really challenging. Cold calling is associated with several issues. One of the problems is that until you can use your voice effectively under pressure, it can be problematic. People on the other end can detect insincerity and uncertainty in the same way that wolves can smell fear. Therefore, it's essential to overcome this hurdle.

How can you do it? By practicing under pressure. Live calling is an excellent way to practice. It's also important to keep the cycle time of practice in mind. Here are the four steps to learning how to make effective cold calls that convert.

Learn How to Make Effective Cold Calls In 4 Steps

The first stage is getting the opener right. This is where the seller needs to grab the prospect's attention within the first few seconds of the call. Using a playful, curious tone encourages the prospect to want to hear more.

The second stage is getting the curiosity message out. This is where the seller needs to pique the prospect's interest and make them curious about what the seller has to offer. Using a storytelling approach will help you to build a narrative that will engage the prospect and make them want to learn more.

The third stage is learning how to handle objections. As you well know, the best objection is the one you don't get in the first place. Avoid objections by staying away from value-based statements that could make the prospect feel like they are not doing their job well. Instead, he suggests using a curiosity-based approach that focuses on the prospect's needs and pain points.

The fourth stage is asking for the meeting and sticking to your guns. This is where the seller needs to be confident in the value of the meeting they are offering. They need to deeply believe that the meeting will provide potential value to the prospect, even if they never do business together. By sticking to their guns and asking for the meeting, the seller can build trust with the prospect and establish a relationship that could lead to future business opportunities.

This approach to cold calling focuses on building trust with the prospect and understanding their needs. By using a curiosity framework and deeply believing in the potential value of the meeting being offered, salespeople can master the art of cold calling and achieve great success in sales.

Always Lead With Curiosity

Mastering cold calling requires a well-thought-out approach that takes into account the prospect's needs and unique challenges. According to Chris Beall, the purpose of a cold call is to establish trust with the prospect. This can be achieved by using a curiosity framework to build a narrative that will engage the prospect and make them want to learn more.

By following the four-stage process outlined by Beall, salespeople can master the art of cold calling and achieve great success in sales. The first stage is getting the opener right, followed by getting the curiosity message out, learning how to handle objections, and finally, asking for the meeting and sticking to your guns. By using a curiosity-based approach and deeply believing in the potential value of the meeting being offered, salespeople can build trust with their prospects and establish a relationship that could lead to future business opportunities.

Building and Leading a Successful Sales Team

On this episode of the podcast, Allison Walsh, Vice President of Business Development and Branding for Advanced Recovery Systems, a national behavioral healthcare company, discusses her experience in building and leading a successful sales team. Starting as the second employee of the company, she has been instrumental in its growth to a team of a thousand and counting. The organization offers inpatient substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, and a mental wellness application called Nobu. Walsh shares insights on the importance of trust, relationships, and professional development in nurturing and retaining sales talent, as well as the challenges and opportunities of pivoting to virtual selling during the pandemic.

Allison shares her experience of nurturing and developing sales talent, and her journey as a young leader managing more experienced team members.

Trust, relationships, and professional development are instrumental in nurturing and retaining sales talent.

Focus on personal and professional development instead of financial incentives. Showing extreme compassion and support for your team pays off in the long run for both company culture and retention.

Create other career pathways for people to develop personally and professionally, even if they don't want the responsibility of managing humans.

Motions that leaders do to create relationship and trust with their people are the same behaviors that salespeople can emulate to build relationship and trust with their prospects.

Allison shares how her organization pivoted to virtual selling during the pandemic and invested in video technology to communicate with their partners for a blended approach to sales.

Discover the power of seeing, valuing, and hearing every employee and looking at the world from the perspective of "everybody matters."