2007 January | CASKEY

Bryan Neale, Brooke Green,
and Bill Caskey

Value is the relief that your prospect feels when you can find and solve a pain they have.

Excerpt from post on:
December 14th, 2007

Archive for January, 2007

January 31st, 2007 Sales Professionals: Optimize Your Time. Optimize Your Life. Part I ===JANUARY 31 ADVANCED SELLING PODCAST=== (15 Minutes) In this first of a series, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale discuss a theory called "Time Optimization," which is ...READ MORE: Sales Professionals: Optimize Your Time. Optimize Your Life. Part I
Wednesday, January 31st, 2007

===JANUARY 31 ADVANCED SELLING PODCAST=== (15 Minutes)

In this first of a series, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale discuss a theory called “Time Optimization,” which is optimizing the time you spend by doing your “highest use activity.” This is not a lesson in time management. Rather, it is a manifesto that calls for a different way to look at the time you spend in sales activities. Most sales people waste their most precious asset–their time. How will you find out what Bill and Bryan have in store for you? By listening, of course. Enjoy.

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Right Click on “Download” to Save ===>Sales Professionals Optimize Your Time. Optimize Your Life. Part I.mp3

If you’d like to subscribe to this podcast so that it’s delivered to your desktop every week, go to iTunes and do so.

Tags: podcast, sales people, time optimization
Posted in The Advanced Selling Podcast | No Comments »
January 29th, 2007 Closing Skills. Necessary? Or Just Annoying to the Prospect? I was reading Jill Konrath's blog on closing skills. Thought I'd add my 5c to it. There's actually nothing I don't agree with in it. Here's ...READ MORE: Closing Skills. Necessary? Or Just Annoying to the Prospect?
Monday, January 29th, 2007

I was reading Jill Konrath’s blog on closing skills. Thought I’d add my 5c to it. There’s actually nothing I don’t agree with in it.

Here’s my spin: In professional sales, you are a catalyst for change. Your role is to create an atmosphere with the prospect where truth can occur. If you’re reading this, it’s likely you’re in a relationship sale (vs. a one time sale). The absolute worst thing you can do is ‘get needy’ near the end of the sales process by focusing on closing the deal.

If your prospect–for one nanosecond–feels that neediness (or desperation) then their sixth sense kicks in and they begin to wonder, ‘what is this person’s intent?’

That isn’t a good sign. In most sales training, there is a fair amount of learning around closing skills. We are opposed to that. If you’re doing everything in the sales process well, upfront, then the close should be a natural part of the decision cycle. Not something that requires a move of some kind.

Here are three closing tips:
1. Get better at finding the problem. Sales is focused on problem solving. When you are poorly trained at finding the problem, then closing skills won’t help you.

2. Have a sales process. The close should be nothing more than the next likely thing to happen as you’re guiding your prospect through the process. No magic moves needed. Most sales people have no process.

3. Ask the prospect when they want to begin solving this problem. You should be asking the prospect what he wants to do next in order to get his problem solved. Your wishes should not enter the picture. (Now, remember, I suggested in #1 and #2 that you should get better at finding the pain the prospect has–then the close is when the prospect asks you, “how quickly can you fix this for me?” Isn’t that better?

In Same Game New Rules, I talk about the process of selling and how vital it is if you’re going to acheive any sustainable sales success. I also say that the prospect needs to be selling you–and therefore, closing you. That comes along with having a Problem Orientation to your sales philosophy.

Do it the right way and closing skills cease to be an issue. If your sales training program stresses ‘closing skills’ as an important part of the process, then they’re stressing the wrong thing.

Tags: closing skills, professional sales, sales process, sales training
Posted in Communication Skills | No Comments »
January 24th, 2007 The New Sales Model -Free Seminar We're hosting an event on February 15th or 16th at our Training Center in Indianapolis called, The New Selling Model, A Unique Philosophy for 2007 ...READ MORE: The New Sales Model -Free Seminar
Wednesday, January 24th, 2007

We’re hosting an event on February 15th or 16th at our Training Center in Indianapolis called, The New Selling Model, A Unique Philosophy for 2007 Business Growth (a long title I know, but it was as creative as I could get).

The idea of this is to expose attendees to the content that has been helping hundreds of companies grow their business. I’ll talk about such things as *the new role of the sales person, *the power curve and how to control the sales process, *mastering the inner game of selling, *modern communication skills, and *the total assessment–how to assess where you (or your team) need work.

To register, go to http://caskeytraining.com/exse.html and choose which date you want to attend. Plus, that page will tell you more about what you’ll learn–for those who need more detail.

We will be audio taping this, so if you can’t be there in person, and you want a copy of the program, I’ll announce how you can get that later on this site. We’ll have this available as an MP3 download or a physical CD.

Posted in Basic Sales Strategy | No Comments »
January 19th, 2007 A Sales Tactic for the Complex Sale Just a short post to tell you something I heard yesterday that was actually quite profound. I had a client tell me that he has come ...READ MORE: A Sales Tactic for the Complex Sale
Friday, January 19th, 2007

Just a short post to tell you something I heard yesterday that was actually quite profound.

I had a client tell me that he has come to realize that when you’re selling something that is a significant shift in thought for the prospect, you have to do much more work upfront in the pain finding and economic justification step. Why?

Because the customer knows there will be a ‘high cost to changing’ methods. Therefore part of the proposal needs to address this shift and how the selling company can help the customer implement the solution.

Your Solution
Does your solution require a shift in how your customer thinks about things? Does the solution affect many people in your customer’s organization? If so, then think through your sales process upfront so that you aren’t getting ‘objections’ late in the sales process.

Comments?

Tags: sales process, selling
Posted in Basic Sales Strategy | 1 Comment »
January 18th, 2007 Creating a Clearer Future ===JANUARY 18 ADVANCED SELLING PODCAST=== (10 Minutes) In this week's episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale talk about ending ...READ MORE: Creating a Clearer Future
Thursday, January 18th, 2007

===JANUARY 18 ADVANCED SELLING PODCAST=== (10 Minutes)

In this week’s episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale talk about ending sales calls with a good understanding of what is going to happen next, instead of letting the deal become stalled. So how do you do this? It’s pretty simple, at the end of a sales call, you need to know if you and the prospect are going to continue moving along with this deal, or if this just isn’t going to work.

This is very important for you, because it will help you waste less time on deals that might not happen, and allow you to have more time to spend on the ones that will happen. There are many other vital parts to this process in this episode, so don’t miss it. Please feel free to contact us at listener@advancedsellingpodcast.com or on our new toll free number,1-877-637-8853.

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Right Click on “Download” to Save ===>Creating a Clearer Future.mp3

If you’d like to subscribe to this podcast so that it’s delivered to your desktop every week, go to iTunes and do so.

Tags: podcast, sales call
Posted in The Advanced Selling Podcast | No Comments »
January 17th, 2007 High Income Selling Strategies-5 Rules To Govern Your Behavior And Actions In The Sales Cycle–For High Performers (A reprint from an article appearing in The Agora Business Center in 2006) Everyone wants to earn more, but few are willing to change their behavior ...READ MORE: High Income Selling Strategies-5 Rules To Govern Your Behavior And Actions In The Sales Cycle–For High Performers
Wednesday, January 17th, 2007

(A reprint from an article appearing in The Agora Business Center in 2006)

Everyone wants to earn more, but few are willing to change their behavior to do so. In fact, my experience tells me that most aren’t.

Yet, in my 19 years of work with the high sales achiever, I find that those people are different and worth examining. Most of them operate with a different set of rules about selling and the pursuit of new business. These new rules help govern their behavior and actions in the sales cycle. I have over 25 rules that I’ve documented, but here are the top five for you to consider:

1. Define what you want to attract.
High sales achievers are very specific about what they want to attract, both in terms of financial outcomes and business relationships. The Universe has an interesting way of delivering to you exactly what you order, so be specific on your order when you place it. The Universe doesn’t respond well to, “I just want to make more money.”

2. Bring up what scares you.
Most sales executive fears are an illusion. The worst thing we can do with fear is to ignore it. That feeling of fear is trying to tell you something and what it’s telling you is, act on it. If you’re in a sales process and you feel some fear about bringing up a difficult subject, then that’s exactly what you should discuss. Reveal what you feel.

3. Never coerce.
It’s been my privilege to work with some extremely high achievers in the profession of business-to-business sales. One thing I find about them is that they are ‘detached from outcomes.’ They spend no time “convincing, persuading, and defending.” And they spend little time trying to coerce prospects into their way of thinking. When you, a marketing and sales professional, begin to encroach on your prospect’s freedom, you become the pain and they’ll get rid of you. Tell people upfront “it’s alright if you decide this is not a fit at this time, let me know and I’ll be gone.” But do that upfront. That way you’re not 18 months into the process when you hear ‘no.’

4. Think “Process.”
The greatest businesses in the world have the greatest processes in the world. So why should a sales professional be any different? Of all the processes that the high sales achiever has, the most important one is the sales process. A great sales process is one where you can, in a step-by-step fashion, lead people from beginning to end with the constant understanding that some people will qualify “out of the process” and you can move on. Not only should you have a process, but you should also be indignant about the prospect’s adherence to it. (Here’s one of my favorite secrets: Great sales processes are better for the prospect because it helps them identify their problem quicker and create a better solution.) If you feel your sales process is only in your best interest, then you’ve got the wrong process.

5. Think ‘Leverage.’
One way to leverage your strengths is to hire other people and train them to do the things you don’t want to do. But as sales professionals–even as high achieving sellers — you might not have the latitude to go hire staff. But what you can leverage is “current relationships.” High achievers never make cold calls. Why would they? They have learned the power of referral marketing. They find a way to use their current client/network relationships to bring them new, ideal clients.

This is not as simple as “give me ten people you know, so that I can go make a sales call to them.” It is a thoughtful, strategic way to generate enough goodwill with your clients that they beg you to get them introduce you to their friends and associates. A great referral program doesn’t work if you’re not thinking “leverage.”

A Last Word
I know from the feedback from our sales professionals readers that you all strive for high competency in selling. I also hear that you are searching for a new way to sell, to communicate your value, to earn money. It is still our quest to help you be that person who earns enormous rewards in selling–without resorting to the same old, worn-out tactics that your worst nightmare sales person resorts to. You need something modern–modern thinking, modern strategy, modern language–to help you to that next level. Thanks to all for your continuous support of this blog and our sales podcast, The Advanced Selling Podcast.

Tags: business-to-business sales, high sales achiever, rules about selling, sales process
Posted in Basic Sales Strategy | 1 Comment »
January 13th, 2007 Building Your Sales Funnel Perhaps it's an overused sales term--sales funnel--but since everyone knows what it means, it makes some sense to work on it today. As a trainer for ...READ MORE: Building Your Sales Funnel
Saturday, January 13th, 2007

Perhaps it’s an overused sales term–sales funnel–but since everyone knows what it means, it makes some sense to work on it today.

As a trainer for B2B sales teams, I must tell you that “lead generation” is a hot topic right now. When I speak to large groups, I always ask the question: “What’s the biggest issue you have right now in your sales process?”

Without fail, it’s “I don’t have enough business in my sales funnel.”

It’s All In The Attitude
As you know, I’m an unashamed believer that most of our sales problems have their root in “how we think,” Lead generation is no exception. I could spend hundreds of words telling you to get more referrals (see Advanced Selling Podcast, Getting Referrals) or I could give you a cold call script that works like a charm…but it won’t work until you get the right attitude.

So today, let’s get to work on the attitude of building the sales funnel today. There are two.

1. Attitude of Abundance. Seldom do we run across an industry where there is NOT an abundance of prospects in the Universe. What usually exists is simply a scarcity in the actual sales funnel. So let’s assume that you have an abundance of prospects. The attitude for building it is “my sales funnel is a scarce place–a resource–and no one gets in my funnel without passing the test.” What is that test? Simple. The prospect passes the test by having three things: a) pain for what I do–a real problem that he wants to fix; b) an understanding of the money it costs him NOT to fix the problem; and c) the money to actually spend to fix it. Get that sales attitude and watch your demeanor change in the prospecting process.

2. I am Always Monitoring My Funnel. Just as I’m discerning about who gets in, I’m also discernng about who stays in. Think about it. Every prospect you are pursuing takes a certain amount of my time and attention. There is not an unlimited amount of either–they are scarce resources. And your sales funnel is like an inventory system that needs control.

So when a prospect fails to continue to act/look like a prospect, I will gently, nicely, elegantly, move on. But I will ALWAYS tell them that. I don’t just stop calling them. I call and say, “Mr. Jones, I’m calling today because I’m getting the feeling that you have decided not to fix the problem we talked about. That’s OK. I just need to tell you I’m moving on if that is your conclusion.”

See how nice that is. Don’t get mean now!

Get these attitudes embedded in that big brain of yours, and watch prospecting become a piece of cake. Comments welcome.

Tags: B2B sales, Lead Generation, sales funnel
Posted in Lead Generation | No Comments »
January 12th, 2007 The Commandments of Selling ===JANUARY 12 ADVANCED SELLING PODCAST=== (19 Minutes) Happy New Year from all of us at The Advanced Selling Podcast! We decided that in order to get ...READ MORE: The Commandments of Selling
Friday, January 12th, 2007

===JANUARY 12 ADVANCED SELLING PODCAST=== (19 Minutes)

Happy New Year from all of us at The Advanced Selling Podcast! We decided that in order to get you off on the right foot this year, we would discuss the rules that all sales people should abide by: “The Commandments of Selling”. Most sales training deals with what to say. But in the commandments, we deal with sales strategy and modern thought.

Everyone needs standards and rules to keep us on track–physically and mentally– during the selling process. This week Bill and Bryan give you their version of the commandments. If you get this urge to share an additional commandment, call us at 317-722-6299 or email us at listener@advancedsellingpodcast.com.
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Right Click on “Download” to Save ===>The Commandments of Selling.mp3

If you’d like to subscribe to this podcast so that it’s delivered to your desktop every week, go to iTunes and do so.

Tags: commandments of selling, podcast, sales strategy, sales training
Posted in The Advanced Selling Podcast | No Comments »
January 8th, 2007 CORPORATE SELF ESTEEM-Well Kept Secret? Or BS? You all know Dr. Phil. He talks of self-esteem and how important that is in leading a life of well- being and happiness. We all ...READ MORE: CORPORATE SELF ESTEEM-Well Kept Secret? Or BS?
Monday, January 8th, 2007

You all know Dr. Phil. He talks of self-esteem and how important that is in leading a life of well- being and happiness. We all know the price we pay for a poor self image—lack of assertiveness, no dreams, unworthy goals, self-sabotage, little energy.

I am not a social psychologist, an Organizational Theory specialist, or a corporate counselor. And I have only had experience in consulting with over 100 companies and a few thousand people in the last 19 years.

But my belief is that a Company does have a self-esteem. And it impacts EVERYTHING EVERY PERSON does in the company.

Clues
The following are clues that lead one to believe there is a Corporate Esteem problem:

• Energy low inside your company (the physical part). Think about Starbucks vs. your company. Any difference?
• Do you have to sell your product OR are people attracted and compelled to buy it? The more you have to beg to sell, the less corporate esteem you have.
• Attract low vibrating people or high vibrating people. Do your people “humm” throughout the day or merely sputter around?
• Discounting price. You should NEVER discount price. If you do, you have an esteem problem.
• Can’t follow a process. Create a sales process that is in the prospect’s best interest. If you can’t follow it, look inside — not at the customer.
• Don’t have a comprehensive business plan (real and authentic). No vision…no well thought out strategy for getting to the vision.
• Have no cause beyond bottom line. It’s all about money. One sure way to zapp people’s energy for motivation–and that is to make EVERYTHING about money and profit.

The Solution-Some Suggestions
These are five things you can do immediately to improve the CE of your company.

• Connect with the cause (these are the root issues of why you’re in business…the human cause…why did the company start? What did the founder want to accomplish by starting the business? What is the soul of your business? Why do people come to work everyday? How much extra capital do you invest in a cause outside of stakeholder wealth?

• Understand your value. What is your company value in the products you sell and the services you provide? How does your value impact the people of your client company? How are your clients’ lives better because they have you in them? Don’t have meetings on successful implementations of systems…have meetings on successful results your clients realized as a result of your value. Usually the only time we do that is when we’re creating a company brochure.

• Find customer “pain.” Understand how your value solves problems and make an all-out assault on problems your clients (prospects) have. Be relentless about understanding the pain, the impact of the pain on the people in their company. Be indignant about ‘denominating the pain’ into $ prior to proposing. Pay no attention to competition. They are irrelevant if you do well here. If you say you are a “hawk for pain” then do you see the drive to find problems in your client business?

• Have conviction in your process. This speaks specifically to sales people. Does your sales process really have the best interest of the prospect in mind? Do you just jump to RFP’s or do you take the time to really understand the problem, the economics of the problem and the solutions process? You will find this conviction when you do steps 1-3.

• Stop Discounting. You might think discounting helps you get the business. It might, but it also wreaks more damage than it fixes. When you discount and you get the deal, then you have just confirmed that your value isn’t what you said it was. Many times, the prospect sees your value at a higher level than you do.

• Have honest dialogue with people. We live in a corporate America where there is a never-ending supply of babble…blah blah blah. Everyone loves to hear themselves talk and justify, and rationalize and make excuses. Most of it is not lies and deceit, but it’s far from truth. One sure way to live in continuous web of lack is to never talk the truth. If it’s good and the truth, talk about it. If you’re the best in the world at something, tell people. But don’t dress up the pig and pretend it’s something that it isn’t. Your employees and team are on to that. Everyone sees the truth, but if you aren’t talking about it, shame. If your competition is better at something, tell your customer that. If you lose deals because of that, then why haven’t you changed it?

These are some sales rants I had the other day. We’ll get back to the Lost Journal later this week.

Tags: corporate self esteem
Posted in Inner Game | No Comments »