Bryan Neale, Brooke Green,
and Bill Caskey
Excerpt from post on:
December 14th, 2007
Group. Here is the 7 minute audio review from our first session. I talked about the four things that we discussed today where you might ...READ MORE
Group. Here is the 7 minute audio review from our first session. I talked about the four things that we discussed today where you might need some audio help. Good luck…see you next time.
Good start today!
I love this business!!! Where else can you invite total strangers into your office and have an intelligent, inspiring conversation about sales problems and ...READ MORE
I love this business!!! Where else can you invite total strangers into your office and have an intelligent, inspiring conversation about sales problems and how to fix them? And have everyone leave with hope that one can change outcomes–by changing their thinking.
Well, we just did that in a recent series of seminars. We had more than 100 people take part in the program over four days. Although this is a marketing tool for us, we used it more as a training forum for best practices.
Consequently, I thought our blog readers would like to know what the biggest challenges were (according to the input of the group). And then a few thoughts on what we recommended.
1. How do I position our company (and it’s value) when my customer continues to see us as how we were, not how we are?
2. How do we differentiate our solution and stop being a commmodity?
3. How do we keep the sales process moving–avoid it getting stuck in corporate games?
4. How do I train my people–who sometimes don’t think about selling in the right way?
5. My buyers are more sophisticated, having access to information, prior to our sales team showing up.
Without getting into detail on each one, here is the bottom line (as I see it):
1. You can’t communicate value if you don’t know it and believe it. Most of the time sales people want to “jump to the words.” What do I say to help customers get our value? Perhaps that’s not the first question.
Instead the first question should be: “what is our value”? Or, “how does our solution solve a problem the customer has?” Or, “What are some trends that are causing my customer problems in my area of expertise?” Ask the right questions.
2. Bryan Neale brought up this–if you are constantly talking in sales meetings about “how we get the prospect to say yes,” then your intent is out of whack. Stop doing that. Exchange that worn out intent, with the intent of helping your customer solve a problem. Then, and only then, will you take control of the process.
One of our attendees said it best when he said, “It sounds like the only way to control the sales process is to give up control.” There’s a good student. Simple to talk about. Tough to do. But if you want to accomplish obscenely wonderful things in your business life, you have to change your perspective around intent.
3. Our capacity to innovate has exceeded our ability to communicate. This kind of goes back to #1. How do we communicate the REAL value of what we do? We do it quite simply–by stating it in a way that allows the prospect to say (or feel), “that’s me.” If you communicate your value by pleading and convincing and persuading, is it surprising that no one’s saying “that’s me”?
A Brief Audio of The Program (20 minutes)
Here is a brief audio of the upfront portion of one of the workshops. It’s only 15 minutes (out of 2 hours) but wanted to at least give you a taste.
===FEBRUARY 22 ADVANCED SELLING PODCAST=== (17 Minutes) In this week's episode of the Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale discuss various sales scenarios that ...READ MORE
===FEBRUARY 22 ADVANCED SELLING PODCAST=== (17 Minutes)
In this week’s episode of the Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale discuss various sales scenarios that you might find yourself in, and what to do in them. This episode gives you some fresh ideas for solving old problems. Don’t miss it.
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Right Click on “Download” to Save ===>Sales Scenarios.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.
By Bryan Neale It came to me at a peculiar time. I am a sales trainer and I was training sales people. In a moment of ...READ MORE
By Bryan Neale
It came to me at a peculiar time. I am a sales trainer and I was training sales people. In a moment of uninspired accidental brilliance (that’s an enormous exaggeration) I said something that made all the sense in world, but was completely contradictory in nature.
“My ultimate goal for you,” I said to a roomful of seasoned professional sales people “is to completely remove the concept of ‘selling’ from who you are and what you do.” But wait a minute…..I’m a sales trainer…..a SALES trainer….and these are sales people…….SALES people……..and ALL my clients are SALES people. Was I secretly hoping to put myself out of business? Hardly.
The point is this. The sales process in American business has become painfully stale. It’s wrought with manipulation, misplaced intentions, ego, self indulgence and in some instance, complete fakeness. I certainly don’t mean to offend any professional sales person, but it’s likely time you took a strong, deep OBJECTIVE look at what you do in your role as a professional sales person.
Here’s what I suggest you do about it:
1. Change Your Intent: Completely shift your focus in all sales situation from “getting the deal” to helping the prospective client. Don’t give this lip service. Change what/how you think about the sales process and your role in it. Quit trying to persuade, convince, push, pull and coerce your prospective clients….just focus on making their life better off and let the results just happen.
2. Don’t Think of Yourself as a Salesperson…think of yourself as a BUSINESS PERSON: Lots of sales people will tell you, “I run my territory like it’s my own business.” But do they really? Entrepreneurs tend to think about things very OBJECTIVELY and make decisions using more analysis than emotion. Try to put the same concept into affect for yourself. Be an objective business analyst and you’ll completely change how you sound and appear to prospective clients.
3. Be Yourself: Stop being fake. Stop pretending to be interested in things that you’re not. Just be real. Be yourself. You are likely a very competent, likeable, intelligent person who has a lot of knowledge that others will buy. Just let your ego down and let go of the desire to please them or kiss their ass and just be you.
There you have it.
The Stop Selling Sales Trainer
Bryan Neale
By Bryan Neale As a professional sales trainer, I’m exposed to hundreds of “magic” quips, phrases, closing moves and techniques each year. I decided to take ...READ MORE
By Bryan Neale
As a professional sales trainer, I’m exposed to hundreds of “magic” quips, phrases, closing moves and techniques each year. I decided to take the time to share some of the most outdated, overused, ineffective versions of those with the hope that you’ll either stop using them, or completely avoid them if their temptation ever finds you in a weak moment. I thought I’d start this exercise with the caption NEVER SAY THIS:
“If I could show you a way……….would you be interested?” Welcome to 1954 sales training class.
===FEBRUARY 8 ADVANCED SELLING PODCAST=== (13 Minutes) This episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast is the second in a series that began last week. In this ...READ MORE
===FEBRUARY 8 ADVANCED SELLING PODCAST=== (13 Minutes)
This episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast is the second in a series that began last week. In this episode Bill and Bryan discuss your “comfort zone.” We all are very aware of what is inside and outside of our comfort zones. Bill and Bryan want you to step just a little bit outside of that comfort zone; to what they call, “the warning zone.”
In the “warning zone” your mind is telling you that you are somewhat uncomfortable in the situation you’re in. One of the best ways to step out of your comfort zone is to talk about money right off the bat. Get your price on the table so that during the first meeting you will know if there is any reason to proceed after this call. The lesson here is: stop wasting time trying to sell them something that they can’t afford–or don’t want to afford.
After that, you can slowly build more confidence doing other things outside of your comfort zone, thereby creating a larger comfort zone, which will enable you to achieve more during a sales call.
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Right Click on “Download” to Save ===>Sales Professionals Optimize Your Time. Optimize Your Life. Part II.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.
Here are the two audio files. The first one is the first 30 mins of call. The second part is probably the one of highest ...READ MORE
Here are the two audio files. The first one is the first 30 mins of call. The second part is probably the one of highest value since that is more of the coaching portion. Also below is the PDF of the mindmap.
Renee-Martin-08-02-05 (Part 1): Play Now | Play in Popup | Download Part Two of Call-Coaching Portion: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download
PDF MindMap: DownloadBy Brooke Green There have been plenty of conversations in our sales training programs lately about something that hits all of us, the loss of “mojo." ...READ MORE
By Brooke Green
There have been plenty of conversations in our sales training programs lately about something that hits all of us, the loss of “mojo.” We’ve all been there – one day you’ve got a bunch of deals on the brink of landing, you’re counting your money, and within 24 hours those deals collapse and it becomes obvious to you that you don’t know what you’re doing!! Now, that’s not the truth, it just feels like that.
Things fall apart because you don’t pay attention to your gut. What happens when you don’t listen to the voice within? You……
I could go on and on, but basically you wimp out – you go to your prospect’s process because, at the time, it feels less painful. How much pain are you feeling now???? So, how do you get your “mojo” back?
Being from Indianapolis, our minister couldn’t help but integrate the recent Colts comeback win into his message on Sunday. As he said during our sermon, “hope saves.” Hoping isn’t enough, but it has to be alive to get you back up and out there. Hope is a synonym for faith and trust in my book. Go back to what you trust – YOUR PROCESS!
Remind yourself what your process is, how it has worked for you in the past, and how temporary pain saves you serious pain later. Our minister also reminded us of the hope that the Colts hung onto when they were down 21-3 at halftime. Coach Dungy didn’t remind them of their mistakes during halftime.
Instead, he reminded them of what got them to this point – their PROCESS, their game plan – sticking to what they know works, even when it’s painful.
So, don’t continue to beat yourself up. Take the lesson and move on. Trust what you know, stick with it. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don’t, but you always know you did your best on your terms.
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