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Any salesperson worth their salt knows using the right words in a pitch means the difference between a monumental win and a colossal failure.

But only the best sellers understand that there’s far more at play here than just words. There are plenty of other ways to subtly nudge buyers towards a yes decision. And using neuro-linguistic programming is one framework for tapping into those techniques.

But what is neuro-linguistic programming (NLP)? Does it work? And how can you use NLP in sales?

This guide takes you through these questions and more. We’ll also look at a proven 4-step framework you can use to sell more with NLP.

What Is Neuro-Linguistic Programming? 

First off, let’s define neuro-linguistic programming.

Coined by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in The Structure of Magic I and II, NLP is a framework for explaining and influencing how people think and behave.

Initially, NLP was based on the idea that we operate according to an internal and unconscious “map.” Unfortunately, that map doesn’t always reflect the reality of the world. And by using a system of language, strategies, and subtle behaviors, we can influence and change that map—both in ourselves and others.

One of the most influential aspects of NLP is that so much of our lives are built on unconscious thought and communication. According to Bandler, “The greatest personal limitation is to be found not in the things you want to do and can’t, but in the things you’ve never considered doing.”

Bandler and Grinder also believed that NLP could identify the patterns of thoughts and behaviors of successful individuals. After they were identified, others could then learn how to replicate that same success.

NLP has been applied to everything from improved work productivity and career progression to phobias, depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

NLP has a place in the world of B2B sales too to help influence and build rapport with buyers.

Does It Actually Work?

Research on the use of neuro-linguistic programming for treating health conditions is scarce.

One review of five randomized controlled trials found that only one trial indicated any support. The other four showed the opposite. Another report from the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technology in Health found zero clinical evidence supporting NLP.

That being said, there’s a growing body of research supporting the use of NLP too.

It seems that, as of now, there isn’t enough data out there to say conclusively if NLP works as a tool for B2B sales professionals. But, as the authors of the first review put it, their conclusion “reflects the limited quantity and quality of NLP research, rather than robust evidence of no effect.”

However, many professional salespeople swear by its application in sales.

How Does NLP Apply to Sales?

The science may still be out on NLP’s effects on health conditions.

But most NLP studies focus exclusively on treating conditions like anxiety and depression. Not for influencing the successful close of a sale. And as you might expect, research on that topic, in particular, is even scarcer.

But instead of thinking of NLP in sales as several specific practices, it’s better to view it as a set of principles.

As a professional salesperson, you know that clinching the deal is about more than just words. Other factors affecting the sale include your:

* Body language

* Intonation

* General demeanor

* And more

On this episode of the Salesman Podcast, Christian Kinnear (SVP of International Sales at HubSpot) explains how the buyer journey has changed since the pandemic and what you need to do to take advantage of these changes.

Coming soon.

Resources:

* Christian on LinkedIn

* HubSpot.com

* Announcement: HubSpot’s EMEA MD on UK expansion and what it really means to ‘grow better’

Transcript:

Coming soon.

Every sales professional has one aim: more sales.

Without sales, growth stagnates—which won’t bode well for your organization’s bottom line. And while securing deals is no easy feat, finding a sales framework that can be rinsed and repeated to ensure scalable, predictable, and measurable growth is entirely different.

To be at the top of your selling game, you need a scalable sales process—a proven sales methodology that best represents your product, values, goals, and market.

But how do you choose the best selling method for you?

This Salesman.org guide will examine eight successful sales philosophies to help you find your perfect fit and skyrocket your win rate.

#1 SPIN Selling

Neil Rackham popularized the SPIN selling philosophy in his 1988 book, making it one of the oldest sales methodologies still in practice today. And despite the decades passed, SPIN is just as relevant (and reliable) today in the B2B world.

SPIN is an acronym of the four elements your sales questions should revolve around: Situation, Problem, Implication, and Need-payoff. Each of these four elements will help you uncover prospect pain points and challenges, making it easier for you to establish a solid rapport with them.

The SPIN Selling model involves asking:

* Situation questions centered around understanding a prospect’s current situation

* Problem questions to get to the heart of the prospect’s problem

* Implication questions that probe the prospect to think about the consequences of not solving the problem

* Need-payoff questions that encourage the prospect to consider how their situation would change after solving the problem

#2 Customer-Centric Selling

No shocker here—Customer-centric selling puts the customer’s convenience, challenges, and goals at the forefront. It’s based on the titular book written by Michael T. Bosworth, John R. Holland, and Frank Visgatis.

This sales process focuses on the customer experience and using it to distinguish your brand from the competition. It encourages you to have meaningful conversations with prospects to understand their needs and pain points and then offer appropriate solutions.

Instead of making presentations, you’ll hold relevant conversations about how your solution can be modified to match the client’s requirements when selling to the prospect.

The customer-centric selling sales philosophy involves:

* Targeting critical decision-makers

* Asking questions to understand their situation

* Aligning their needs with relevant solutions

* Pitching your solution

#3 Target Account Selling

The target account selling philosophy focuses on selling to a select few targeted accounts per sales rep instead of targeting a large number of accounts with less focus.

You’ll select a specific number of clients who match your ideal customer profile following this sales philosophy. You get to know their portfolios in more detail, allowing you to build and nurture a stronger relationship with the prospect.

Target account selling can be a good fit for sellers who work with large enterprise sales accounts with longer sales cycles and specific total addressable markets. However, the selling method isn’t the right fit for broad markets, small-ticket items, or clients with transactional sales cycles.

The target account selling philosophy involves understanding:

* What is happening in this account? (Account Intelligence)

* What is happening in this market? (Market Intelligence)

On this week in sales we’ll be looking at: spaced learning, the Netflix of cars sales, “inclusive” sales training and much more!

Sales news:

CRM Marketing Company Optimove Secures $75 Million

The funding will support continued investment in strategic hiring and M&A, expansion of the company’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Marketing platform, and rapid growth.

Optimove’s SaaS technology combines a Customer Data Platform (CDP) with a Multichannel Marketing Hub (MMH) designed for uniquely empowering brands to deliver personalized marketing campaigns to connect and engage with existing customers.

And unlike more traditional solutions that rely on common, rule-based orchestration, Optimove places customer data at its core, layering advanced AI-based campaign orchestration on top.

https://pulse2.com/crm-marketing-company-optimove-secures-75-million/

How 3 college friends built a $1 billion business selling used cars 

Carro — a play on the words “car hero” — is a Southeast Asian online auto marketplace designed to simplify car deals using artificial intelligence technology.

In a region with a vast and growing, digital-savvy middle class, price-sensitive consumers were increasingly opting for second hand models.

Expanding middle class combined with low car ownership rates in Southeast Asia were really the main factors that stimulated new car sales.

Carro capitalized on that demand, rolling out its online offering for individuals and wholesale dealers across Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia in the years that followed. Meantime, it added end-to-end financial services like loans, insurance and aftercare.

By 2019, inspired by streaming giants Netflix and Spotify, the company launched Singapore’s first car subscription service, allowing users to lease a vehicle for a monthly fee, with tax, warranty, and maintenance all included.

“What we saw was the changing behavior of car ownership. Really the gap in the market was to look for people that want that flexibility. And more importantly, they actually want to try out new cars,” said Tan.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/05/carro-3-college-friends-built-a-1-billion-business-selling-used-cars.html

Sales Training: Boot the “Boot Camp” for Spaced Learning

Sales training and return on investment (ROI) have a complicated relationship. While sales leaders generally agree that training is valuable and necessary, it doesn’t always translate to desired results. A big reason for why training doesn’t stick is the way it’s traditionally been delivered and whether it’s reinforced.

Even today, instructors deliver most formal sales training efforts through real-time or virtual workshops. This fire-hose approach of delivering a ton of content at once, or during a few days, covers a lot of information, but most sales reps aren’t able to retain much of it.

SPARXiQ’s Modern Sales Foundations program provides 25 to 30 hours of learning and application exercises, and we recommend consuming the information at the pace of an hour per week.

Employing a virtual version of the flipped-classroom concept, salespeople watch the core content on a topic on their own time before joining together as teams or cohorts to conduct a follow-up reinforcement meeting. These follow-up meetings are best led by the frontline sales manager, who then becomes a continuing resource for the team while also leading by example.

https://www.td.

On this episode of the Salesman Podcast Justin Michael and Tony Hughes explain how technology fits into the modern sales process and why you need to start leveraging tech sales to win more deals.

Resources:

* Book: Tech-Powered Sales : Achieve Superhuman Sales Skills

* Justin on LinkedIn

* Tony on LinkedIn

Transcript:

Coming soon.

50% of salespeople are using LinkedIn to beat sales quota. Social selling is the new name of the game.

In fact, 90% of C-level executives ignore cold calls altogether, especially since 84% prefer consulting social media before making purchasing decisions. As a result, cold calling to fill your pipeline is on its last legs.

On the flip side, three-quarters of all sales representatives are not getting any social selling training, and you can see why I wrote this article.

So how do you generate prospects using LinkedIn? And what should we avoid doing on the platform too? So let’s get into some LinkedIn prospecting tips.

What is LinkedIn Prospecting?

LinkedIn prospecting is the process of searching for, identifying, and connecting with LinkedIn users to convert them into new potential customers.

Time and again, we have heard the maxim, “It’s not about what you know; it’s about who you know.” That is true for prospecting on LinkedIn too. People choose to be on LinkedIn to make professional connections, and part of that hunt is being approachable too. This makes LinkedIn the perfect place to find and nurture new potential customers.

But, approaching unsuspecting LinkedIn users and bombarding them with the features of your product won’t work. Instead, researching your prospects on LinkedIn and curating a message that resonates with their interests is a better way to start a conversation.

With over 770 million users worldwide in 2021, it is no surprise that LinkedIn is a forerunner in connecting B2B buyers and sellers. But don’t let the vast numbers ease you out of your responsibilities. According to Forbes, the three golden rules to prospecting better are:

* Have a clear message

* Establish your credibility

* Demonstrate your expertise

Now lets see how we can implement these golden rules with 8 LinkedIn prospecting tips.

The Dos and Don’ts of Sales Prospecting on LinkedIn

Just like all industries, sales prospecting has its own best practices. So let’s go through what works (and doesn’t) when prospecting for new business on LinkedIn. Here are 8 tips when prospecting on LinkedIn.

The Dos

1. Optimize your headline

First impressions matter; there are no two ways about it. They are crucial for your success in sales. When using LinkedIn for sales prospecting, your profile is your first impression. And within your profile, your headline is what sells you. So, how (and why) do we go from this:

To this:

If you ignore the headline field, LinkedIn won’t leave it blank. Instead, the headline field will revert to your job title and corporation. While that’s not a sin, it does not help you stand out. Generating new sales leads means hooking potential customers, and a captivating headline will help you do just that.

Next, pay attention to your audience. Who is it that you’re trying to reach? And what message would compel them to act? Another consideration? Don’t use technical jargon where your customer won’t resonate with it.

Thirdly, make sure your USPs (unique selling points) are right there at the forefront.

Do you provide a better-quality product than your competition? Then put it in your headline. Please keep it captivating but straightforward enough for your customers to learn about you before they respond to your messages.

To sum it up, you have 120 characters to pitch your prospects. Use them wisely, intently, and resourcefully.

2.

Only 19% of sales close, so you can have lots of selling conversations and the best closing skills but still not win new business consistently. That’s because there is more to closing a sale than asking for the business.

Not all prospects are a good fit for your product or service. And if your potential buyer isn’t ready to make a purchase, then your odds of successfully closing the deal is dead. That’s why you need to recognize your prospects’ buying signals.

But this isn’t only about identifying when your leads are ready to buy your product or service. These signs occur throughout the buyer’s journey.

So, you need to watch and listen for buying signals during prospecting calls, discovery calls, demos, and every other prospect engagement. This includes phone calls, emails, social media interactions, data within your sales tools and video calls.

But what are buying signals?

Definition of the term ‘buying signals’

Buying signals are verbal and non-verbal cues, signs, or indicators that tell you when the lead is either ready to buy or interested in moving forward in their buying process.

You will often see buying signals from your prospect when a lead schedules a discovery call or when an opportunity responds to an email you’ve sent requesting additional information. In both cases, the prospect is giving buying signals indicating their interest in moving forward even though they aren’t ready to become customers yet, by signing on the dotted line.

Buying signals are like road signs, helping you recognize how to proceed with each prospect. A lack of buying signals might even mean not advancing them through the sales process.

Why are buying signals essential to recognize?

Spotting these buying signals is more critical than ever because sales reps are getting less time with prospects. For example, B2B buyers currently spend only 17% of their time meeting with potential suppliers. And if the prospect is considering multiple solutions, your time with this potential customer drops to as little as 4-5% of the time it takes for them to make a buying decision.

This lack of face time with your leads gives you less time to pick up on indicators that the lead is interested in buying or moving forward with the sales process. So, it’s essential that you learn to quickly recognize buying signals as they happen so you can respond appropriately. Reading the prospect’s buying signals can also save you time by allowing you to disqualify potential customers too. You want to disqualify potential buyers because you don’t want to spend precious selling time with prospects who aren’t a good fit for your product.

They are less likely to close or may take longer to close and are more likely to be dissatisfied or churn. Churn is when a customer cancels their subscription to your product after a short period or chooses not to renew.

Ultimately, by spending your time with highly qualified leads who will most benefit from your solution, you significantly increase your close rate.

What are buying signals in sales?

Buying signals can be verbal or non-verbal, and some are more subtle than others, but with practice, you can learn to recognize all the different buying signals communicated by your prospects.

Here are some examples of positive buying signals or signs when a prospect is interested in buying from you:

Non-verbal buying signals:

* Nodding, direct eye contact, and paying attention during your conversation or p...

With each new iPhone, self-driving car, and AI assistant that’s released, it’s clear that technology is advancing. And it’s advancing fast.

In fact, Moore’s Law observes that the number of transistors (a.k.a. computing power) that can fit in a given space doubles every two years.

But what does that mean for you, a B2B salesman? It means it’s time to get into tech sales.

Technology sales can be a highly lucrative and surprisingly fulfilling role for the right candidate. And if you’re from a B2B background, you’ve already got the skill set needed to thrive.

But what is tech sales exactly? What kind of earning potential does it offer? And is making the transition from your current position worth the trouble?

This guide will take you through the answers to these questions and more. Inside, we’ll be looking at what a tech sales job entails, necessary skills, estimated salaries, career paths, and how to break into the industry.

What Is Tech Sales? 

Much like sales positions in other industries, tech sales is all about selling. But rather than cars and clothes, high-tech services and devices are the products.

Most buyers will be businesses rather than individuals. As a result, B2B salespeople will be better acquainted with the unique sales process than B2C sales reps.

Technology sales is also a broad term. And companies that employ professional tech sales reps can be as varied as having a few employees or hundreds.

What’s attracting so many to the profession today is the lucrative pay and growing market.

Industries You’ll Be Working In

“Tech” refers to a wide range of products in the technology industry. Generally, though, tech sales professionals will be selling one or more of the following:

* Services – Services are typically hosted on an external server and are accessed through the internet (think data management and cloud storage).

* Software – Non-physical products like operating systems and applications fall into this category.

* Hardware – This includes physical tech products like computers or communication systems.

Snapshot of the Tech Sales Industry

Sure, the pay is excellent, and there are countless advancement opportunities. But is transitioning to technology sales a good career choice? What about job security?

Have a look at the statistics below to better understand why moving to tech sales is a great long-term move, too.

* The global information technology industry is expected to reach $5 trillion in revenue by the end of 2021.

* The U.S. Department of Labor estimates a 15% rise in tech employment from 2019 to 2022.

* There is plenty of demand, with nearly 950,000 open tech sales jobs as of September 2021.

Position Description

So what exactly does a tech sales representative do, anyway? Below is just a glimpse of what a typical day looks like for a tech salesperson.

* Learn About Their Products – Even the smallest of errors can tank a B2B deal. That’s why tech sales reps will need to study and understand their products like the back of their hand.

* Follow Up With Sales Leads – Maintaining long-term relationships is vita...

So many skills, so little time! This may be what you are thinking regardless of where you are in your journey as a sales rep. Since sales is continually evolving, there will always be new information and skills to learn.

If you seek ways to improve your sales skills, you may have typed “how to master the art of selling” in your browser. Unfortunately, a lot of the results were probably related to a best selling book by the same name written by Tom Hopkins (one of the greatest sales trainers) back in the 80’s.

Since this book was written about 40 years ago, sales has changed. The book isn’t as relevant as it once was. The basics apply, but buyers have changed dramatically. There is also more to modern sales than the art of selling. Selling anything today requires a greater emphasis on the science of the sale.

Instead of relying on your innate skills like the gift of gab and gut feel, you need to learn to:

* Understand your buyers

* Measure and analyze sales data

* Test and evaluate your market assumptions

So with that said, how do you master the art of selling?

Understand your buyers

It used to be that navigating the sales process when trying to master the art of selling was the only path to follow to close more deals. But, today, the focus is the buying process instead.

The buying process has become more critical than selling techniques for modern salespeople because prospects do thorough research online, and 70 percent of modern buyers define their needs before speaking with a sales rep.

This research makes buyers more informed than they used to be when sales reps were the sole source of product or service information. As a result, modern B2B buyers now have higher expectations of sales professionals.

The new buyer’s expectations include:

* Understanding their business, industry, and common challenges

* Excellent communication skills – written content, video, phone, and in-person

* Focusing on post-sale success

* Providing perspective and insights

Let’s take a look at 5 skills that are needed to meet these buyer requirements.

1. Do your research

Before speaking with a prospect, you need to do your research. Potential customers expect you to know their business, industry, and typical challenges that they’re facing.

It also helps if you also keep current with what is happening in the marketplace. And it would be best if you were up to date on your competitors’ product and customer support and how it compares to your company’s and customer support too.

2. Practice active listening

Sixty-eight percent of buyers agree that sellers that listen to them will influence their purchase decisions.

When practicing active listening, start by asking open-ended questions.

Then, listen more than you speak. This means listening to what the prospect is saying and the conveying feeling the potential customer shares with you.

Acknowledge and confirm your understanding of what the buyer has said by nodding or saying “um hum” so they know you are listening.

Be sure that you are focused on what the prospect is saying and that you are not thinking about what you want to say next.

Keep the prospect engaged in conversation by asking clarifying questions. Clarifying questions shows the prospect that you are interested in lear...

On this week in sales we’ll be looking at; the counter intuitive science behind why salespeople avoid big opportunities, real-time virtual sales assistants on Zoom calls, the cutest dog in the world and much more!

News:

Defy Partners leads $3M round into sales intelligence platform Aircover

The company aims to give sales teams insights relevant to closing the sale as they are meeting with customers. Aircover’s conversational AI software integrates with Zoom and automates parts of the sales process to lead to more effective conversations.

Zoom’s CTO Brendan – “One of the goals of launching the Zoom SDK was to provide developers with the tools they need to create valuable and engaging experiences for our mutual customers and integrations ecosystem,”

They created Aircover to be a software tool on top of video conferencing that performs real-time transcription of the conversation and then analysis to put the right content in front of the sales person at the right time based on customer issues and questions.

This means that another sales expert doesn’t need to be pulled in or an additional call scheduled to provide answers to questions.

Andrew Levy, CEO Airzoom – “We are anticipating that knowledge and parsing it out at key moments to provide more leverage to subject matter experts,” “It’s like a sales assistant coming in to handle any issue.”

https://techcrunch.com/2021/09/17/defy-partners-leads-3m-round-into-sales-intelligence-platform-aircover/

 

Bigtincan share price has soared 50% higher in the past 6 months

Sales enablement software developer Bigtincan shares have soared over 50% higher (to $1.33, as at the time of writing).

Revenues for the year ended 30 June 2021 were up 42% (to $43.9 million). However, increased operating expenses meant that the company’s net loss increased year on year, from $12.2 million in FY20 to $13.9 million in FY21.

But the really big news came a few days prior to the release of the company’s results. That’s when Bigtincan announced that it was acquiring US-based sales coaching software developer Brainshark, Inc. for US$86 million.

Brainshark has been around since 1999 and already employs 180 staff. It has more than 900 corporate customers, including international brands like JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP) and Zoom Video Communications Inc (NASDAQ: ZM).

Bigtincan estimated that annual recurring revenues for the combined entities would reach at least $119 million by the end of FY22. By comparison, Bigtincan’s ARR at the end of FY21 was just $53.1 million.

Here’s why the Bigtincan share price has soared 50% higher in the past 6 months

Sales Enablement Platform Highspot Launches Highspot Marketplace

Challenger, Corporate Visions, Sandler and more than 20 leading sales organizations launch new Enablement Packages on the Highspot Marketplace.

Jake Braly, VP Strategic Alliances and Partner Sales, Highspot. – “Consistent rep performance unlocks repeatable revenue growth. Achieving it requires a prescriptive approach to positive behavior change and skill development,”

“In the same way that the App Store lets a user download apps, the Highspot Marketplace lets you download content and training packages from leading sales methodology firms directly into your Highspot environment. This is a huge win for both sales leaders and sales enablement teams that want to scale adoption of sales methodologies.”