The Influential Communicator

What makes connecting with other people so tough? 

And what can you do to start winning at networking events in a post-pandemic world? 

James Buckley, Chief Evangelist & Master of Ceremonies at JB Sales, teaches some of the world’s greatest salespeople how to sell (and connect) better.

Right now, networking events are a challenge even for seasoned sales pros – because what used to work is no longer effective in a post-pandemic world.

Quick, transactional exchanges are becoming less and less common, so it’s critical for sellers to evolve with the times.

Want to learn how to become a master connecter and win at networking events?

Click the play button and i'll see you on the other side.

• Connecting with others can be more difficult if you’re not continually evolving your networking skills with the times. A quick handshake and card exchange is no longer as effective as it was a couple years ago. 

• New salespeople, who may not have participated in networking events before, have no frame of reference for the way networking happens today. That’s okay – it’s important to keep expectations reasonable and learn on "the job".

• You can prepare for an event by making a list of target people you’d like to meet, and by using visualization techniques to boost your confidence beforehand. 

• “...we can't close deals without a strong relationship that has an element of trust baked into it. So that's what I do.” – James (14:32)

Ravi Rajani

James Buckley

Want to learn more about Insightly, our sponsor of this week's show?

Head over to www.insightly.com/influential to learn more about how you can build customer relationships that last a lifetime through a CRM that aligns your teams, elevates the customer experience and drives sales growth.

When most people hear the word “podcasting,” they tend to only think about having their own show. But our guest Collin Mitchell knows you don’t need to have your own podcast to make podcasting work for you. 

Being a guest on someone else’s podcast can help you share your story, grow your sales, and get your brand in front of hundreds (or thousands) of listeners. 

You don’t need to wait until you’re a leader in your space or a mega-successful CEO, either.

Your story has value now – and the sooner you start putting your brand out there, the faster it’ll take off. 

How can you start guesting on podcasts today?

Hit play for Collin’s top tips.

• You don’t need to have a podcast to benefit from one. Being a guest on someone else’s show can be just as (and often even more) effective than trying to start your own. 

• Guesting can generate leads for your business. It helps you build your brand and enhances your thought leadership, which opens the door to guesting on more shows.

• Podcast listeners are four times more likely to take action on something they hear compared to a prospect clicking on an ad or reading a blog article.

• “I don't care who you are or where you are in your journey. There's a show that you can add value too. We all have a story that's worth telling and the sooner you get started, the better you'll get at it.” – Collin (11:30)

Ravi Rajani

Collin Mitchell

Self-worth can impact every aspect of our lives – even (and for salespeople, especially) our careers. 

But sometimes we don’t realize that our self-worth is within our power to heal and shift.

So, how can we redefine our self worth?

The key, according to Challenger’s Chief Evangelist Jen Allen, is to embrace the superpower of being yourself. 

“In my career, when I really started feeling confident, when I really started seeing much more success, is when I leaned into who I was instead of trying to show up like somebody else,” she says. “I wish I would’ve learned that a lot sooner.”

In today’s episode of The Influential Communicator, Jen explores how her low self-worth held her career back, the framework she used to boost her confidence and the major wins her now-healthy self-worth has given her, both personally and professionally. 

Hit that play button and get ready to boost your self-worth (and success).

• “There are certain things that are outside of your control. And when you let go of those things and recognize, ‘I control my inputs, I don't control the outcome,’ that’s where you can actually start to really feel comfortable innovating and taking risks and feeling more confident to do these things, because you're not so tightly wound around the outcome.” – Jen Allen

Ravi Rajani

Jen Allen

As human beings, we're all suckers for a good story!

If you're a sales pro, you'll already know that your job is to share strategic stories that connect with your prospects, allowing them to see themselves in the journey of your main character and ultimately choosing you as their guide to take them from pain to glory.

Nobody knows this better than Steve Schmidt, Founder and former CEO of Tidal (now SellX), who uses his background in speech and theatre to tell stories that connect and convert.

In today’s episode of The Influential Communicator, Steve examines why all sales reps should learn how to tell great stories, outlines the key elements of an influential story and shares his “problem, proof, persuade” framework that he uses to take Sales Development Reps (SDR's) from zero to hero!

Ready to start booking more meetings? Press play and let's go!

• Asking open-ended questions encourages your prospect to share a story with you, which builds a connection!

• The best SDRs don’t ask for meetings – they tell stories so well that the prospect desires the meeting on their own.

• Personalizing your stories – and introducing relatable main characters – helps prospects understand why your solution matters to them!

• “We don't teach [storytelling]. Nobody teaches it. It's not a metric. Nobody, when they're interviewing to be a sales manager, says, tell me how you teach people to tell stories. They say, tell me how you overcome objections. Well, they object because your stories suck. They object because you're pitching them. They object because you're talking about your features, advantages, benefits, not what their life could be like.” – Steve Schmidt (25:02)

Ravi Rajani

Steve Schmidt

What does trust look like in a digital world?

In a time when authenticity is rarer than ever, how can salespeople start authentic conversations that lead to authentic connections?

Named one of Salesforce’s Game-Changing Sales Influencers You Should Be Following in 2022, Galem Girmay is the co-founder of RevGenius and has built her brand around starting meaningful sales conversations. 

In today’s episode of The Influential Communicator, Galem explores the role trust plays in the prospect to salesperson relationship, identifies ways to forge more authentic bonds with prospects, explores how to tell you’ve made a genuine connection and talks about the number one mistake salespeople keep making when trying to build rapport (hint: don’t be a creep). 

According to Galem, making a meaningful human connection is one of the most impactful ways to land your next deal.

To hear more of Galem’s communication strategies, hit that play button!

• When trying to make authentic connections, be more curious, be more interested in the other person and be more attentive.

• To establish trust, identify what you both relate to or have in common. Common ground is important – it helps both parties figure out whether the conversation is worth continuing.

• When you make a promise to somebody – especially a prospect – keep your promise. Call them back when you say you will. Follow up with the materials you offered. Keep your word, and trust follows.

• They are paying attention to what you’re saying, engaging in the conversation and making eye contact.

• They are responding back thoughtfully. They’re not on their phones or looking around the room – their attention is on you.

• They’re not dismissing you – they’re asking questions, sharing their own stories and engaging with you as a human being

Useful Resources

Ravi Rajani

Galem Girmay

If you can create greater value for an individual, they will prefer to buy from you. 

This is because you taught them more than anyone else about how to make their life better and make their million dollar problem disappear.

To really influence your prospects, you have to help them understand how their lives will improve if they ditch the status quo, create change and shift their habits for good. 

This is done by authentically building trust.

This is done by having a consultative conversation.

And this is achieved by becoming their trusted advisor.

This requires you to operate in a way that’s ethical, congruent with your values and focused on the best outcome for the person in-front of you. 

Nobody wants to smell your commission breath!

So, how do we communicate like a pro, have a consultative sales conversation and become a trusted advisor in the eyes of those we can truly serve? 

Anthony Iannarino joins us in today’s episode of The Influential Communicator to give you the insights you need on how to stand out, communicate like an elite salesperson and have a consultative conversation. 

Let’s go!

• The difference between the sales performance of introverts and extroverts and how ambiverts perform best in a trusted adviser role.

• How to gain the trust of your clients through the “1-up and 1-down” principle

• How to come to terms with the fact that some people will not like you

• How to prepare efficiently before a consultative sales conversation

• What are my thought tracks?

• Can I say it better and more effectively?

• [28:03] - “Anybody who wants to teach others should start by learning themselves.” - Anthony Iannarino

• [30:46] - “What you communicate and how you communicate are both important.” - Anthony Iannarino

Connect with Anthony Iannarino:

https://www.thesalesblog.com/

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

https://www.youtube.com/c/iannarino

Ravi Rajani’s Podcast: https://www.theravirajani.com/podcast

Ravi's Social Media:

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

https://www.tiktok.com/@theravirajani

As we all know, making connections with prospects and keeping them engaged plays a crucial part in the business world – especially if you want to make sales.

One way to do that is by telling stories. Storytelling humanizes your selling and makes connections with prospects more meaningful.

It’s also an opportunity for you to get creative with your sales pitch and bring some personality to what you are selling. 

However, it can’t just be any story you can think of; it has to be a story that will resonate with your prospect on a personal level and one which connects to the million dollar problem which is draining their time, money and energy.

So, how can we make that connection and become a more effective storyteller?

In today’s episode of The Influential Communicator, Victor Antonio shows us the nitty-gritty on how to use storytelling to influence, persuade, and sell more effectively.

Alright, no more dilly-dally, hit that play button!

• How to not lose yourself on the road to success by having more self-awareness when you are not being yourself and by having the courage to do things your way

• How to be more memorable in the eyes of your prospect by telling impactful stories which spark an emotion

• How to make better connections with your prospects by knowing what's meaningful to them, identifying their problems, and helping them understand them clearly

• How to penetrate your prospects’ minds by appealing to the different ways in which they process information

• [06:15] - “Sometimes I think we’re obsessed with clocking everything, getting too much done too quickly, that we don’t take our time just to talk to people.” - Victor Antonio 

• [15:06] - “The toughest road to success is the road back to you.” - Victor Antonio

Connect with Victor Antonio:

https://victorantonio.com/

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

https://twitter.com/VictorAntonio

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfCyFresVpOJsopvipmcVIQ

https://www.facebook.com/TheVictorAntonio

Connect with Ravi:

https://www.theravirajani.com/podcast

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

https://www.tiktok.com/@theravirajani

Communication is the heart of every human interaction, and being able to do this effectively is perhaps the most important skill we need in life.

It is what allows us to exchange ideas, share stories, showcase our vision, impact people with our products and services...

The list goes on!

Most of the time though, communicating for influence and impact isn't easy, especially inside of the sales process!

There's several key ingredients that go into communicating with influence when selling your solution and we have to understand this..

Effective communication is the key to earning the opportunity to solve your prospect's million dollar problem.

Understanding this has the ability to make or break your quota.

Luigi Prestinenzi gets it, embodies it and teaches it!

In today’s episode of The Influential Communicator, Luigi and I discuss how to communicate your prospect's million dollar problem with impact, so they can address it, solve it and get to the promised land!

Are you ready?

Hit that play button!

Connect with Luigi Prestinenzi:

https://www.salesiqglobal.com/

https://linkedin.com/in/luigiprestinenzi

Ravi Rajani’s Podcast: https://www.theravirajani.com/podcast

Social Media:

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

https://www.tiktok.com/@theravirajani

If you want to start a successful movement with meaning, you must first find your purpose and ensure it becomes the driving force behind all of your actions.

Take a minute and ask yourself: What impact do I want to have in the world?

The success of a movement isn't defined by making money; it is defined by the movement’s contributions to the community.

Remember, you are bigger and have more meaning than your sales quota!

In this episode of The Influential Communicator, Sales Rebellion founder Dale Dupree teaches us how to build a movement and rise above the current status quo in sales.

Dale also talks about the importance of designing your ideal lifestyle, knowing who you are and stepping into your authentic self so you can have a big impact in the world.

It’s time to push that play button!

• [25:04]  - “Money doesn’t have to be a defining factor of success.”  - Dale Dupree

• [29:19] - “The only way I can truly impact others is to understand who I am and what I want.” - Dale Dupree 

The Crumpled Letter:

https://join.thesalesrebellion.com/crumpledletter/

Connect with Dale Dupree:

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

https://www.facebook.com/salesrebellion

https://www.tiktok.com/@salesrebellion

https://www.instagram.com/salesrebellion

https://twitter.com/SalesRebellion

https://www.thesalesrebellion.com/

Ravi Rajani’s Podcast: https://www.theravirajani.com/podcast

Ravi's Social Media:

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

https://www.tiktok.com/@theravirajani

Delivering sales demos is undoubtedly a defining moment in the sales process.

How you present your story, solution and message is mission critical if you want to win new business and impactful relationships in less time.

So, how exactly can you deliver a sales demo that breaks through the noise and connects with your prospect’s heart and mind?

In this episode of The Influential Communicator, I sit down with Rajiv Nathan to talk about how to improve your sales demos and craft sales pitches that don’t suck!

Rajiv, otherwise known as the Fresh Prince of SaaS, is also the founder of Startup Hypeman, a business that focuses on helping startups improve their storytelling and stand out to their audience.

He shares his groundbreaking approach of how to think like an entertainer and uncovers the importance of revamping old school sales approaches in order to craft a memorable sales pitch.

Ready to take notes?

Hit that play button and let’s dig in!

• How to build a pitch deck that connects with your prospect emotionally and logically.

• How to shift into a winning mindset before deliver an engaging sales demo.

• The importance of having pre-call and post-call rituals so you can improving your sales pitches.

• Useful exercises sales reps can do before, during, and after any discovery call.

• Make things exciting by using the Reverse Demo Technique (RDT). Do the exact opposite of conventional sales demos by taking the end result and working your way backwards.

• After the sales demo, send bullet points of the things you talked about and a 2-minute video recap of the meeting. Don’t send a video of the full meeting!

• Keep things interesting by keeping them engaged and sending them content related to the things you talked about during the call. 

• [15:04] - “My philosophy with any business is: Don’t think like an entrepreneur, don’t think like an executive. Think like an entertainer, because the entertainer has one goal in mind and that’s making an emotional connection with their audience.” - Rajiv Nathan

How to develop the perfect elevator pitch:

https://www.startuphypeman.com/influential

Connect with Rajiv Nathan:

https://www.startuphypeman.com/

https://www.therajnation.com/

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

https://twitter.com/rajnation

https://www.instagram.com/rajnation

Ravi Rajani’s Podcast: https://www.theravirajani.com/podcast

Ravi's Social Media:

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

https://www.tiktok.com/@theravirajani