WINNING AT SELLING

Conversations have a sequence with different directions. General questions at the beginning and detailed ones near the end. Based on the information acquired the duration and outcome of the conversation will vary. During this time, are you having a discussion or a dialogue with another person?  What is the difference?

 Are you ready to get into it as Bill and I discuss Creating the Course of a Conversation and other interesting topics on episode 565 of the Winning at Selling Podcast.

Networking can be a great way to meet new prospects, but many salespeople find it intimidating, frustrating or without value. If that’s the case for you, perhaps you don’t know how or where to do it correctly.

So let’s get focused on making small talk as Scott and I discuss, Get the Most Out of Networking and other stimulating topics on episode 564 of the Winning at Selling Podcast.

Peter Drucker once said – “Culture eats strategy for lunch.” The common topics of blogs and podcasts are often focused on retention, recruiting, and defining the overall culture. “I heard a quote, “Culture is defined by what leadership is willing to tolerate.” Are you ready to create some options of transforming your culture, or do you want to settle for the same old status quo?

Don’t change the channel, as Bill and I welcome John Christensen, film maker and founder of the FiSH! philosophy on episode 563 of the Winning at Selling Podcast

Sales is a difficult and often lonely business. Despite all of those meetings, lunches and golf dates each salesperson, at the end of the day or week or month, is left alone with their quota and their commission check. If we didn’t do so good, we can turn to our sales manager for help, if we dare. But this might show weakness and hurt our career. Perhaps we can try to get our coaching from podcasts but we all know those can be spotty at best! So, what should we do?

Maybe we should consider investing in ourselves, so listen up as Scott and I discuss, Do I Need a Sales Coach? And other stimulating topics on episode 562 of the Winning at Selling Podcast.

Stress is caused when you don’t feel in control of your life, your normal routine is disrupted, you don’t feel productive, and you have no idea when the recovery from the disruption will appear. Resilience is a choice based on being prepared, adaptable and optimistic. How can you prepare? What is holding you back from adapting? What can you control? How can you maintain an optimistic outlook?

Let’s review those questions and more as Bill, and I discuss Mastering Resilience and other fascinating topics on episode 561 of the Winning at Selling Podcast.

What percentage of leaders in your career would you work for again?  The typical response is less than 27% or “none of them!"  And then there are those memorable leaders who have inspired us and moved us to want to work with them again. They leave footprints of success we can all learn from.

What makes these leaders memorable?  Find out as Scott and I meet with Sales Leadership Expert, Floyd Carlson on episode 560 of the Winning at Selling Podcast.

Often when salespeople concentrate on the sales process versus the customer experience, they increase customer dissatisfaction. People love to buy, they hate to be sold. How you communicate and deliver value in today's marketplace is based on the customer's experience when making a purchase.

Learn how to create valuable experiences when engaging and converting prospects to customers, as Bill, and I discuss Stop Focusing on the Customer Funnel and other great topics on episode 559 of the Winning at Selling Podcast.

In Glengarry Glen Ross, sales motivator, Blake, tells the sales team to “ABC – Always Be Closing. It’s close or hit the bricks.” And he represents what many people envision when they think of salespeople. But in his own belligerent way he is correct. At some point we need to close the deal, to get the contract signed, to get the check.  But is there a way to do so without being such an unmitigated jerk?

Well, pull out that set of steak knives you won in that last sales contest as Scott and I discuss the Secrets to Closing the Sale and other innovative issues on episode 558 of the Winning at Selling Podcast.

Your mobile phone has an operating system.  Your automobile runs on multiple circuits making up the operating system. Our belief system makes up our personal operating system. AND your sales role and business runs on an operating system.

Learn how your operating systems can contribute to an improved P&L, as Bill, and I welcome our Guest: Anne Schoolcraft to discuss Getting a GRIP on Sales on episode 557 of the Winning at Selling Podcast

We are almost to the end of the first quarter of the new year. For many sales professionals it has been a difficult start. Our economy is exhibiting record inflation and in an effort to quell it, the FED has raised interest rates from 0 in January, 2022 to almost 5% today. Gas prices almost doubled in 2 years and then settled back to a 60% rise, which increases the cost of anything that has to be delivered. Add to that some lingering supply chain issues and the aftereffects of the Covid pandemic and it’s no wonder that salespeople are stressed.

So take a couple of aspirin and try to chill out as Scott and I discuss the Key Sales Challenges for 2023 and other fascinating issues on episode 556 of the Winning at Selling Podcast.