I’m super excited to introduce you to one of the people who has helped me meet my own personal sales quotas over the years through the books she's written. Her name is Jill Konrath and she’s truly an icon in the sales industry. With over 1/4 million LinkedIn followers, Jill Konrath was recently named one of the top 7 sales influencers of the 21st century. She’s an international speaker and a bestselling author. Her most recent book, More Sales Less Time: Surprisingly Simple Strategies for Today’s Crazy-Busy Sellers, was selected as one of 2016’s top sales books. Jill also wrote SNAP Selling, Agile Selling and Selling to Big Companies. I told you she was great. You won’t want to miss this conversation about how you can make more sales in less time. It’s the theme of her new book and is changing the way I do sales - and I’m seeing improvements already.

The biggest reason you don’t meet your sales quota isn’t what you think.

Jill Konrath knows the pressure of meeting a sales quota. She’s been a sales leader for years so she’s seen it all. Her most recent book, “More Sales Less Time” is a runaway hit because it resonates with the real life struggles sales reps are experiencing in the digital age. There’s more on our plates than ever before and Jill has nailed the reason behind falling sales stats: we are more distracted from our money-making tasks than ever. But Jill’s not one to point out the problem without giving solutions, she suggests tangible ways to solve the problem as well. You won’t want to miss the insights she shares in this conversation.

Face it: The always-on nature of the sales world is making you less productive.

It’s important for every sales professional to be on top of the latest technologies that can make our lives better and our jobs more efficient. But we’ve reached a point where it’s doubtful that both or either of those things is happening. Jill Konrath says that sales reps are more stressed than ever these days and that sales numbers are dropping significantly in spite of the technologies we have that are supposed to make our jobs easier. What’s the problem? We’re being less productive because we’re more distracted than ever. Find out how to fix the problem, on this episode of #SellingWithSocial.

We sales people are addicted to our devices. It’s a fact. Here’s how to break free.

In studying to write her most recent book, “More Sales Less Time,” Jill Konrath discovered research that shows we get a little shot of a brain chemical called dopamine every time we hear the “ding” of our cell phone. It’s the same effect on the brain and body that a shot of drugs would provide. We are addicted people. And it’s impacting our success in sales. We have to face it. Jill also discovered from her studies that there are only a handful of ways to address the issue effectively. If you want to know what they are Jill shares them freely in practical ways, on this episode.

This conversation with Jill Konrath is not about productivity, it’s about selling.

Jill Konrath’s new book appears to be about productivity tools and hacks that you can use to make more time in your day. But Jill insists that she didn’t write this book to become the next productivity guru. Her aim was to help sales professionals and sales leaders understand what’s happening to them, what’s causing their sales numbers to drop, and address it with effective solutions. She wants to help you get more sales because her passion is sales, not productivity. Let Jill help you do more effective selling by listening to this episode of #SellingWithSocial.

Outline of This Episode

• [1:38] My introduction of my guest on this show, Jill Konrath.
• [3:20] Who is Jill Konrath?
• [5:25] How Jill’s miserable life inspired her to write her most recent book.
• [13:00] The way the stress of the always-connected digital age impacts performance.
• [16:37] How a dopamine surge in our brains is affecting us as salespeople.
• [19:30] Finding a way to minimize the pull of the notifications.
• [25:55] How Jill’s new book can help you meet your sales quotas.
• [29:30] It’s not about productivity, it’s about selling.
• [31:20] 3 things to stop doing to get more time for sales.
• [37:46] Jill’s advice for those new to sales.
• [44:56] How you can connect with Jill.

Resources Mentioned

• www.jillkonrath.com/sales-resources
• Jill(at)JillKonrath.com
• BOOK: More Sales, Less Time
• BOOK: Snap Selling
• BOOK: Agile Selling
• BOOK: Selling To Big Companies
• RescueTime

Connect with Mario!

• www.M3jr.com/podcast
• On Facebook
• On Twitter
• On YouTube
• On LinkedIn

If you want to know the BEST way to close a sale, my guest today is going to teach you the method he’s developed over the years that is successful 95% of the time. James Muir is a professional sales trainer, best-selling author, speaker, and coach. James has shattered records as both a field rep. and manager. His guidance comes from the school of hard knocks. Three decades of experience has given James a fresh and practical perspective on what works in real life and what doesn’t. On this episode of #SellingWithSocial, you’re going to learn the two questions that move the close forward and how to think differently about your role in the sales process so that you are more successful in every sales interaction. I hope you’ll take the time to learn James’ simple but powerful sales closing formula.

Is it true that you should always be closing?

You’ve probably heard the phrase a lot in recent years - “Always be closing.” But my guest on this episode of #SellingWithSocial and I agree, it’s not the way salespeople should be thinking. The attitude behind the phrase is one of pressure and relentless pursuit when what sales professionals should be thinking is about how they can best discover the prospect’s needs and provide the solutions to those needs in a way that clearly helps. On this episode, James Muir and I talk about how selling is NOT about persuasion, how the right questions enable the prospect to feel understood and considered throughout the sales process, and why selling is serving. You’ll get a lot out of this conversation. I know I did.

Learn the perfect close formula that helps new sales reps learn on the fly.

James Muir is focused on helping individuals and teams improve and streamline their business practices. In his training, he covers a variety of today’s most important topics, including closing, productivity, management, lead generation, sales strategies, and authentic sales skills. What he’s discovered is that his “perfect close” method enables brand new sales reps to learn on the fly and gain confidence through success as they practice a proven sales closing formula. James has a couple of stories about how his method has been used with tremendous effectiveness and one account of how a green sales rep got it all wrong - and he shares both on this episode of the podcast.

Why selling is not about persuasion, it’s about leadership and coaching.

Most people view sales with skepticism. They think that it’s about persuading people to do something they may not want to do. But my guest on this episode of #SellingWithSocial says that sales is NOT about persuasion at all. It’s about leadership and coaching. Leadership, because the sales professional is leading the prospect both to see their need clearly and understand the ways the sales organization can meet that need, and coaching because the salesperson is establishing themselves as a trusted resource and consultant through the WAY that they interact with the prospect. James Muir has some incredible insights into these realities so I hope you’ll take the time to learn from him.

Selling is serving and intent matters more than technique.

If you go into any sales meeting with a tool box full of slick sales techniques, you probably won’t be as successful at closing the sale as you might expect. That’s because intent matters more than technique. My guest today, James Muir believes that when you truly care about your client’s needs and are genuinely trying to serve them, they pick up on that and tend to trust you. But when you come in with a toolbox full of techniques and only have your eye on the close, they pick up on that too. James is a professional who has proven himself in the trenches and knows what it takes to close the sale and care deeply for the customer at the same time. He’s the kind of sales coach every sales professional needs. Be sure to listen.

Outline of This Episode

• [1:22] My introduction of today’s guest, James Muir.
• [3:00] How James Muir ended up in the sales world.
• [6:33] Why James wrote “The Perfect Close” and who it is for.
• [8:56] The traps salespeople fall into when it comes to closing sales.
• [13:50] The two question that are pivotal to every effective close.
• [20:30] The “something special” story of how NOT to do the close.
• [28:33] How James’ perfect close formula helps new sales reps learn on the fly.
• [34:05] How changes in buyer behaviors have impacted selling in today’s environment.
• [40:41] One piece of advice James gives to sales leaders.
• [41:27] How you can connect with James Muir.

Resources Mentioned

• www.PureMuir.com or James(at)PureMuir.com
• BOOK: The Perfect Close

Connect with Mario!

• www.M3jr.com/podcast
• On Facebook
• On Twitter
• On YouTube
• On LinkedIn

When people talk about their social media strategy they are typically talking about how many tweets and posts they schedule each day. It seldom goes deeper than that. But if you are trying to use social to sell (and you should be) you need to do more. My guest today is Paul Lewis. Paul is a 20-year marketing veteran who began his career in Los Angeles with a worldwide advertising agency. Since then he's at high levels in Experian, CACI, and Casewise. Now, since 2013 he has been heading up strategy, management and the global social selling program for Pitney Bowes, where he built the social selling program from the ground up. If anyone can teach you how to establish your own social selling program, it’s Paul - because he’s done it.

If you don’t adopt a social selling model you’ll be joining the dinosaurs soon.

That’s because everything is moving toward social. Sales reps seldom even get the opportunity to make a sales presentation these days because the pervasive reach of the internet has made it possible for consumers and businesses to find out all they need to know about products and services before they contact a company to do business. That means you’ve got to know how to effectively inject yourself into the conversation surrounding what you do - so that you’re not only known, but trusted. My guest, Paul Lewis tells us how to do that effectively, on this episode.

Social media strategy is about more than posting content. It’s about knowing your prospects.

Many people think that in order to use social media effectively as a business they need to get lots of great content scheduled out on their social profiles. Fine. Do that. But don’t think that’s going to cause people to come running to you. It’s only part of the equation. You also need to be using social media to identify and engage with the prospects you are targeting - and believe me, there’s a right way and wrong way to do it. On this episode of #SellingWithSocial, Paul Lewis and I talk about how you can do it the right way and see your sales pipeline filled up and sales closing as a result.

The top 3 things to implement a social selling strategy are…

Paul Lewis has built the Pitney Bowes social selling program from the ground up, without the help of an agency like mine. Given his experience, I thought this conversation was a great opportunity to pick his brain about what it takes to build a successful social sales program. On this episode, Paul shares the top 3 things you need to do in order to build a program that generates leads that convert to sales. He’s so generous with the lessons he’s learned and I want you to hear his practical steps, so be sure you take the time to listen.

How a business can drive the adoption of a new social selling strategy.

It’s great to be sold on the power and importance of social selling for your business. It’s great to put in the hustle and grind needed to build a social media strategy that will work for your company. But if nobody on the sales team adopts it you’ve wasted your time. Since Paul Lewis has been super successful at getting the sales team at Pitney Bowes on board with the social sales program he created, I decided to ask him how he did it. As expected, Paul did not disappoint. This episode is full of practical tips you won’t hear anywhere else - from a real-world practitioner of what he preaches. I hope you do yourself a favor and listen to what Paul has to share.

Outline of This Episode

• [1:31] My introduction to my friend Paul Lewis.
• [4:14] Why social selling and does it work?
• [7:57] How the sales process and approach has changed in the business community.
• [9:47] Why old-timers are going to be forced to adapt a social sales model.
• [12:10] The top 3 things required to implement a social selling program.
• [18:48] The social platforms Paul is training his team to utilize.
• [23:50] The results Paul’s team has seen from implementing selling with social.
• [27:16] The things Paul’s team did to drive adoption of social selling approaches.
• [32:35] The best ways you can reach out to Paul Lewis.

Resources Mentioned

• www.EveryoneSocial.com
• Paul on Twitter
• Paul on LinkedIn

Connect with Mario!

• www.M3jr.com/podcast
• On Facebook
• On Twitter
• On YouTube
• On LinkedIn

Nimble is the newest brainchild of CRM pioneer and relationship management entrepreneur, Jon Ferrara. You may know Jon from Goldmine, his previous CRM company that was one of the first truly workable CRM solutions for sales professionals. Now he’s created Nimble, a CRM for the social selling era. Nimble manages relationships by automatically filtering all the ways a salesperson and his/her clients interact, into one simple screen, making it simple and easy to communicate, know who to reach out to, and see more about the people on the other end of the interaction. In this conversation, I’m thrilled to be speaking to Jon about Nimble. But we also get into the changes that have happened in the sales world, what social means for selling in 2017, and Jon was kind enough to give his advice to those brand new to the sales world.

Jon Ferrara is a sales CRM pioneer, a voice of wisdom I trust when it comes to social selling.

Jon is a CRM and relationship management entrepreneur. He speaks often about Social Media's effects on sales and marketing. He’s best known as the co-founder of GoldMine Software Corp, one of the early pioneers in the Sales Force Automation and Customer Relationship Management software categories for small to medium sized Businesses. And, as if that’s not enough, Jon was recently recognized by Forbes as one of the Top 10 Social CEO’s and Top 10 Social Salespeople In The World. I hope you can see why I’m so excited for you to hear this conversation. Jon’s got a wealth of knowledge and wisdom to share.

Why the customer will tell you everything you need to know to be successful.

One of the things I asked Jon Ferrara on this episode of #SellingWithSocial was what he would say to his younger self about the life of a sales professional if he could take a time machine ride into the past? One of his pieces of advice to the younger Jon that stood out to me, which is a tried and true principle of selling, is that the customer will tell you everything you need to know to be successful. It's true. As sales professionals, it's our job to ask the right questions so the customer is able to clearly share their needs. And when we really know what the prospect needs and can show them how our solution meets that need, the sale is already done. If you'd like to hear the rest of Jon's advice to his younger self, be sure you listen to this episode.

You want to become a trusted advisor to your customers and their influencers.

The social world is one that enables anyone to connect with anyone. Really, it’s true if you know how to do it and are persistent. In that kind of world, we sales pros have opportunities like never before. Jon Ferrara told me that one of the ways we should be using social in our sales efforts is not only to build relationships that make us trusted advisors of our clients or customers, but also to become that kind of trusted person in the lives of our customer’s influencers. With a tool like Nimble, we get to observe the social circles of our prospects and discover who the people are who they interact with. That gives us an opportunity to make a relational connection that can lead to further success. I’m excited for you to hear how Jon has woven those kinds of insights into yet another great CRM solution - only this time, for the modern era.

If you’re going to wait for somebody else to build your life, it’s never going to happen.

Every salesperson expects the company they work for to invest in them to some degree. If nothing else, company orientation and training is a starting point. But Jon Ferrara says that you shouldn’t wait for somebody else to build your life. That’s your responsibility, so you need to take the time and spend the money required to invest in yourself. That’s the only way you can become equipped to reach the levels of success that you want. If you wait around for somebody else to do it, it’s never going to happen. Join me as I talk with Jon about sales, social selling, the new sales landscape, and a whole lot more, on this episode of #SellingWithSocial.

Outline of This Episode

• [1:12] My introduction of CRM Pioneer, Jon Ferrara.
• [4:45] How relationship building has changed for salespeople.
• [9:44] How sales has changed and what Jon sees coming down the pike.
• [15:41] John’s advice for newbies on the sales team.
• [19:18] Why salespeople need to think of themselves as entrepreneurs.
• [25:38] Should salespeople wait for the company to invest in them?
• [28:00] How Nimble addresses the digital, mobile and social needs of salespeople.
• [33:48] The best way to connect with Jon and the Nimble team.

Resources Mentioned

• www.Nimble.com
• @Jon_Ferrara on Twitter
• Goldmine
• Salesforce
• BOOK: Think and Grow Rich
• BOOK: How to Win Friends and Influence People
• BOOK: Positioning

Connect with Mario!

• www.M3jr.com/podcast
• On Facebook
• On Twitter
• On YouTube
• On LinkedIn

Writing articles that get traction on social media and actually drive sales conversions is no easy task. But it’s something anyone can do with a little bit of learning even sales people can do it - and on this episode of #SellingWithSocial, you’re going to get a LOT of learning from me and my great friend and partner, Amy Cook. In this conversation we walk you step by step through the article writing process to give you the essential things that must go into an article to make it stand out, get attention, and drive sales.

Don’t waste your time writing bad articles. Here’s how to make them pop!

Most salespeople know that content marketing is one of the most effective ways to build customer relationships and drive sales over the long haul, so they make a half-hearted effort at creating articles and other content. The problem is if the article you write is of poor quality that draws nobody's attention, you’ve wasted your time writing it. But I want you to make the most of your article writing time, so my partner Amy and I have compiled some practical tips for you: How to decide on a topic - How to write an effective title - How to make your content readable and engaging - How to find and include effective images - and more. Be sure you take the time to listen to this episode to take your content creation to a new level and close more deals.

Why today’s content marketing and article writing is all about the relationship.

Gone are the days of pushy sales copy. More effective engagement is what you need to be going for and it happens by being transparent, writing about the things that have happened in your own experience. People are drawn into a story and you want to learn how to use the stories that make up your own life to draw your ideal customer into the topics you’re writing about. It gives them a sense that you are a real person who understands what it means to face the same needs they have, and that you can help them. On this episode, my partner Amy and I are going to unpack how you can write engaging stories that build a relationship of trust, so be sure you listen.

You have to make your content stand out on Social Media.

The online space is getting noisier and noisier every day. If the content you provide to your ideal customer is going to stand out it’s got to be head and shoulders above the rest in terms of quality, attention grabbing titles, and images. But how do you incorporate all of those things together to stand out? You can find out from my friend Amy, who has written some of the most engaging and shared content on the internet. On this episode of #SellingWithSocial, she and I share the basics of compelling, shareable, engaging content. If you’re smart, you’ll carve out the time to listen to this one.

Here’s a load of resources to make your content marketing more effective.

On this first ever episode of #SellingWithSocial my guest Amy Cook unloads the resources you need to write effective articles, title them in ways that catch the attention of your ideal customer, and share them powerfully on social media. Among the great things she shares is a list of free image sources you can tap into to accompany your articles. Nothing gets attention and builds interest better than an interesting image. Learn how to find the right images and how to use them effectively from Amy, on this episode. And if you’re looking for someone to help you with your content creation strategy, you’ll hear how to connect with me, or with Amy, in person.

Outline of This Episode

• [1:25] Mario’s introduction to this episode and his guest, Amy Cook.
• [3:46] Why “content” is a scary thing for most sales people.
• [4:55] What IS content marketing?
• [5:58] What should content marketing for sales people actually accomplish?
• [7:10] Breaking down what is meant by “editorial content.”
• [10:38] Why becoming an influencer is more important than becoming a thought leader.
• [13:00] How to do the practical work of writing influential content.
• [19:30] Discovering what to write about.
• [25:70] How to find graphics that fit your article.
• [29:23] How to effectively share your content once it’s created.

Resources Mentioned

• www.OsmondMarketing.com or Amy(at)OsmondMarketing.com or on Twitter
• “Dad, you said LinkedIn would make you money” article.
• Quora
• Medium
• Shuttler Stock
• iStock Photo
• Dreamstime Photos
• Morguefile
• The Stocks Photos
• Designer Pics
• Freestock
• Pixabay
• Blog Mutt
• Growth Geeks

Connect With Mario!

• www.M3jr.com/podcast
• On Facebook
• On Twitter
• On YouTube
• On LinkedIn