Category: #SalesHackerChat

Sales Tools & Technology with Miles Austin

Jordan Barta

#SALESHACKERCHAT Recap With The Man, The Myth, The Legend Miles Austin!

All tools shared today can be found at http://ftf.sh/SHChat

Connect with Miles on LinkedIn, Twitter and his website; www.FillTheFunnel.com

Q1:  What are the hottest trends for tools that sales professionals can utilize in 2017?

  • Hottest trends this year in sales: Video. Facebook. Bots Where should we begin?

Q2:    What social media platform delivers the best sales results?

  • Several are productive- I am having best results with Facebook
  • LinkedIn performs best in certain industries but lacks behind in capability

Q3:     What are some tools to help sales professionals with prospecting?

  • Nudge- shows contact social activity right in my Gmail client.
  • Gong provides actionable sales coaching for your calls – Very powerful.
  • Sprout Social – brings your customer social activity into one screen. A must.
  • Nimble is effective because it provides contact history along with fresh social info.

Q4:     What are some tools that can improve communication and effectiveness with customers?

  • Video is proven to be THE most effective communication method, sometimes better than F-T-F.
  • Look now to see how many unread emails are in your inbox.
  • Now look to see how many unread Facebook Messages are unread. That blue icon works for you.
  • Bots in many cases are the absolute best way to communicate.
  • Bots provide the best answers to common questions in the fastest way available.

Q5:     Are there any new presentation tools for sales presentations that sales professionals should use now?

  • Haiku Deck is a powerhouse with stunning images, AI that finds images for your content
  • Haiku Deck presentations can be given directly or exported to Power point or Video.
  • Another top presentation tool is Zoom. Fast, effective with all the visual tools
  • Every rep should have their own web meeting software – Zoom, Skype, GoToMeeting.

Q6:     What types of video should sales professionals take advantage of?

  • Live video is extremely effective. Facebook live is free and can be effective.
  • Take advantage of a whole lot of goodness with Belive.tv – turns Facebook live into a powerhouse.
  • Simple, short how-to or show-me videos can be captured easily with tools like Loom, Soapbox or ViewedIt.

Q7:     Do you feel it is important for sales people to have some marketing tools?

  • Every top performer I know is using marketing tools in their daily activities.
  • Every sales person should have their own email service like Mailchimp or AWeber as a personal database.
  • I believe every sales person should have an online home base that THEY own – a website.

I will add additional tools that came up in this chat here later this morning http://ftf.sh/SHChat

Q8:     What gains have been made in the fields of bots and artificial intelligence that sales can leverage?

  • Bots are here now and having a huge impact on progressive sales teams.
  • Simple message bots for improved interaction on social are very effective.
  • check out blue lightning bolt icon in bottom right page on my website: http://fillthefunnel.com
  • I wrote an introductory post about Sales Bots last week: https://www.fillthefunnel.com/bots-for-sales/
  • Bots remove the tedious, repetitive activity from a sales pro, allowing them to do the important work.
  • Bots improve response rates to the common questions and improve customer satisfaction.

Scott Ingram #SalesHackerChat Recap

Jordan Barta

Q1: What does it take to be a top notch performance sales professional?

A1: Hard work. Believe in your product and yourself. Discipline, a strong sales process and the desire to be the BEST.

Additional Videos:
http://top1.fm/clip-takes-1-pharmaceutical-sales-christina-izokovic/
http://top1.fm/clip-eli-wilde-tony-robbins-top-seller/

 

Q2: What mindset does a top sales professional possess?

A2: “It starts with taking ownership of your results,” having a huge desire to be the best. Making quota is not the goal.

Additional Videos:

https://top1.fm/clip-best-mindset-top-pharmaceutical-sales-rep/
https://top1.fm/clip-namelys-colin-specter-motivation-best-industry/
https://top1.fm/clip-kyle-gutzler-sales-quotas-not-thought-destination/

 

Q3: How should sales professionals organize their day?

A3: In a word: Thoughtfully. The best are extremely mindful of their time and are zealots about protecting selling time.

 

Additional Videos:
https://top1.fm/clip-top-medical-device-sales-rep-robbie-siegel-makes-family-priority-still-producing-best-sales-result-medline/

 

Q4: How do top sales professionals learn and develop themselves?

A4: Think well beyond sales. Learn business, negotiation, even improv. Then seek out and learn from those at the top.

Additional Videos:
https://top1.fm/clip-top-bdr-reid-oliver-learning-sponge-taking-action-knowledge/
https://top1.fm/clip-kyle-gutzler-reach-top-sales-performers/
https://top1.fm/clip-eli-wilde-tony-robbins-top-seller-developing-beyond-traditional-sales-training/

https://top1.fm/clip-eli-wilde-tony-robbins-top-seller-investing-self-development-coaching-people-pay-pay-attention/

 

Q5: What tools and technologies are most common among top sales professionals

A5: The best SDRs consistently use @SalesLoft and @ViewedIt. Beyond that it’s the basics: Calendar and task management.

 

https://top1.fm/clip-bdr-reid-oliver-using-salesloft-understand-key-ratios-metrics-know-whats-working/

 

Q6: Is moving from sales rep to sales manager/leader the best career path? Why or why not?

A6: Obviously it depends. 2 guests went from sales leadership to top seller. One 8X in a row, the other 1 of 150 in 2 yrs.

 

Additional Videos:
https://top1.fm/clip-debe-rapson-sales-manager-better-sales-rep/

 

Q7: What should sales professionals practice when they first begin their career?

A7: Learn how to be great at discovery. @drapson is the master of this. 2 great long clips here: http://j.mp/2rwMvgq

Additional Videos:

https://top1.fm/clip-kyle-gutzler-build-self-confidence-sales-person-repetition/

 

Q8: What Is The Best Sales Methodology In Increase Efficiency & Effectiveness?

A8: This is the hardest question. Most use a combination of strategies. Challenger and Sandler are the most common mentions

A8: “If your process includes genuinely doing what’s in the best interest of your customer. You’re not going to fail.”

 

Additional Videos:

https://top1.fm/clip-kyle-gutzler-controlling-sales-process-people-want-told/

 

Q9: What top 5 take-aways have you received from hosting the Sales Success Stories Podcast?

A9-1: There’s no better source for learning how to be great in sales than those who are already there NOW. #Top1 #SalesHackerChat

https://top1.fm/clip-kyle-gutzler-surround-top-performers/

A9-2: It’s not about being better than everybody else. It’s about being better than yourself. This is a consistent theme. #SalesHackerChat

https://top1.fm/clip-josh-mueller-cutco-secret-reaching-top/

A9-3: You MUST believe in your company and your solution or you won’t ever achieve what you’re capable of achieving. #SalesHackerChat

https://top1.fm/clip-moving-pharmaceutical-sales-believe-youre-selling/

A9-4: Leverage your own strengths and find your own way. There is no formula other than to be the best version of yourself #SalesHackerChat

A9-5: Find great mentors, grow and then give back. Pay it forward to the rest of the sales community. #SalesHackerChat Thank you all!

https://top1.fm/clip-josh-mueller-cutco-mentors-giving-back/

 

All of the clips Scott used today are available here: http://top1.fm/clips #SalesHackerChat

Sales Hacker Recap With Jeff Bajorek

Jordan Barta

Q1: How has social selling changed sales?

Can we please stop saying that? It hasn’t. It has enabled us to connect with so many more people, but that’s about changing scale, not changing sales.

Q2: How Do Sales Professionals Begin to Grow Their Personal Brand?

You mean after you realize you need to? Have an opinion. Make it known. Have something to say. Write it down and press ‘publish’. Start by paying attention. Notice things. Then think. Then write. The writing part is crucial. The writing turns into videos, podcasts, ebooks, etc. Maybe that’s a #saleshackerchat for another time?

Q3: What ways are sales professionals selling incorrectly today?

Sales pros are thinking quantity over quality and efficiency over effectiveness. I have no shame https://www.jeffbajorek.com/2017/03/your-automation-is-missing-the-point/ . The most important sales tool you have is your brain, and you’re trying to remove it from the process. Everything is a template, a script, an algorithm. Nobody’s having any fun. If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong #saleshackerchat

Q4: What steps can sales professionals take to change their poor selling habits?

Rethink the way you sell! Understand what you’re trying to accomplish and why. If you were the customer, would that technique/tactic make you act?  If you were the customer, would those words influence you? It’s not about what you’re selling, why would anybody buy it?

Q5: What is The Top Sales Activity that will Ensure A Consistent Sales Pipleline?

prospecting, duh! Don’t forget about your current customers. They’re your best advocates. Create an attraction. It’s more than just inbound, be someone that people want to associate with. Be a resource, and constantly be thinking in the best interests of your customers. This will help you hone your messaging too, it’s not just about attracting new leads

Q6: How can sales professionals become more productive?

Understand what you’re trying to accomplish and why. Have very clear priorities and set boundaries

priorities -> focus -> discipline -> effectiveness -> success -> freedom

 

Connect with Jeff on Twitter @JeffBajorek

Sales Hacker Chat Recap With Rob Jeppsen

Jordan Barta

Q1: What Can Sales Management Do To Be More Effective?

Be a leader instead of a manager. Correct before you correct and focus on process over outcomes. We need to find ways to help each rep level up…don’t manage skill gaps, find the next level with each rep for the win. Skill gap focus is too negative. Nobody wants to hear what they suck at. Managers push the “more” button. Leaders push the “HOW” button. Most important leadership skill is to share how. Outcomes are driven by sales stages. Stages driven by activities. Activities driven by skills. Most leaders don’t know the skill to success structure or how to coach to it. Those that do…CRUSH.

Q2: What Are Some Of The Biggest Coaching Mistakes? And How Can We Prevent Them?

The How button comes from understanding the process. Can you “Model Awesomeness?” When a leader understands skill to success model, HOW process becomes simpler. Every rep wants to win…just show them how. #1 coaching mistake is taking over a deal and emasculating the rep. This is a crutch…not a coach. Doesn’t scale. #2 Mistake, no consistency. If you don’t have consistency or cadence, you don’t have coaching. Don’t start/stop! #3 mistake is confusing a pipeline review for a coaching conversation. Coaching needs to develop skills/activities. #4 Mistake: Dictating terms, not collaborating. Don’t put yourself on a pedestal. People on pedestals are easy targets. Mistake #5: Focusing on weaknesses of the past rather than the promise of the future. Be in the inspiration business.

Q3: What Type of Training Creates The Best Results?

Q3 is hard. Everyone learns in different ways. I like the SHOW/SHARE/SEE approach. Training should be about modeling what awesome looks like. Biggest training gap for sales is the difficulty in practicing. So I prefer action-oriented, hands on training vs theoretical stuff. Sales is an action, full contact sport.

Q4: What Quality Do Most Sales Professionals Lack That Prevents Success?

Biggest obstacle I’ve seen is the focus on outcomes. Too many managers focus on working harder instead of smarter. Process beats outcomes every time. Can’t force someone to buy. Process is predictive. Outcomes is looking backwards. If process is good, success is inevitable. If process is weak, success is unsustainable. Choose process and get #predictive!

Q5: What Performance-Based Metrics Generate The Best Results For Sales Teams?

Process tells you when to be patient and when to change things up. Most predictive metric are those related to sales velocity. Speed is the #1 predictor. Measure speed in times from start to close, as well as by stage. It will tell you almost immediately what skills to build. 2nd most important are competencies around opportunity starts. Start enough and handle efficiently and things are good. Track PUSHES. If a deal pushes once, just change the close date. One the 2nd push, circle the wagons. I’ve found pushes are the best indicator of how well a deal is behaving. Bring in resources early if a deal stalls. Best coaches focus on opportunity origination and sales velocity. Get those right and the job gets a lot easier.

Q6: How Has Data Changed The Future Of Sales and Sales Coaching?

Data allows us to be predictive. Don’t just gather mountains of data. Answer the “So What” questions. If data doesn’t help you predict, then it is INTERESTING BUT WORTHLESS. We need to use data to help our reps identify where their next level opportunities are in personal development. This is where the big opportunities are. Not using data to manage opportunities, but to manage personal growth. We use data to help determine the future value of a rep…Not just the close date of a deal. Use data to create “What If” scenarios around activity mgt and skill development.

Q7: What Advice Would You Give Sales People Just Starting Their Sales Career?

Advice to new reps…find strong mentors early in your career. Learn your industry well…we need to educate buyers. Don’t focus on the product…products have no value. They only derive value.
earn to speak the language of value. Final piece of advice: If process is strong, success is inevitable. If process is weak, success is unsustainable. Process is about experiences you create, not words that you say. Sales pitches are forgotten quickly but experiences make you legendary…choose to be legendary…

Q8: What Is The Greatest Issue Facing the Sales Profession Today?

Greatest Issue for sales profession is staying relevant as customer changes quickly. Focus on how they buy & stay relevant. Sales orgs need to understand the industry better than anyone else. We HAVE to be engineers of value. Embrace Change! And things are moving so fast that many reps/orgs don’t stay current or care about it until they get behind. Press Pause! Don’t be so focused on outcomes that you don’t stay current in the changing environment until you’re playing from behind.

Q9: How Should Sales Professionals Utilize Their Leaders Best?

If your leader doesn’t bring coaching to you, reach out and ask for it. Leaders should help reproduce skills in each rep. Take advantage of this. Own your personal development plan.

 

Follow Rob on Twitter @RobJeppsen

Sales Hacker Chat Recap With Dale Zwizinski

Jordan Barta

Q1: How Do You Define CX?

Great question! I define CX as every interaction that a #customer has with an organization.  This includes marketing sales & service.  One “bad” interaction can destroy all other “good”.

Every person and organization need to understand that CX is an infinite journey, there is no #destination.  It is important to listen to the market all the time.

Q2: Why Should Sales Professionals Care About Customer Experience?

I believe that CX is the ONLY true differentiation for an organization – in the short term you may have a great product or service however in the long run CX will be drive success

Sales today is a game of re-establishing trust, it’s been broken for a long time.  In the SaaS world we are #selling smaller deals to establish trust and have the “right” to be considered for the larger deal.

Q3: When Should The Sales Professional Follow Up With The Client?

A sales professional should be in constant #communication with your clients.  This is not always possible and you need to respect your clients wishes for when an HOW to communicate.

The latest trend that I have been witnessing in the last year or so it texting with prospects and customers.  If you are communicating via text you are in a winning position.

I have a #motto in my sales process – “Once a customer, always a customer” I still have interactions with customers from 5 years ago!

Q4: How Can Sales Professionals Prevent A Gap After A Sale In The Hand off To Implementation?

This is a HUGE #opportunity that is missed every day in the #customer Journey!  This is an organizational shift that needs to be made because it is larger than an individual…

However, I would say that the sales person should do the following: 1) include the implementation team as soon as you can in the sales process – 2) create a “transition” document that is agreed by all.

There is a second gap “Opportunity” that occurs between implementation and support.  I have written a hypothesis here:

Q5: How Do You Measure A Successful Transition From One Team To Another?

Is the customer deriving value, not churning and buying more from you! 1) include the implementation team as soon as you can in the sales process. 2) create a “transition” document that is agreed by all parties.

Q6: What Are Some Common Mistakes Sales Professionals Make With Existing Accounts?

The most important point here is that the sales professional needs to own the lifetime relationship with the customer.  Your job is not done after the contract is signed!

 

Q7: How Should Sales Professionals Handle Current Client Issues?

Current customer issues need to be understood and handled based on the situation, do not jump to conclusions, try to gather as much information as possible and work to resolve as soon as possible.  To further this answer, there is an organizational mindset that need to shift to ensure the right actions are being taken because issues will come up all the time.

Q8: When Should Sales Professionals Reach Out To A Lost Account?

Right away!! If you’re doing your job as a CX advocate then you would have known way before & tried to fix the challenges. This is#sales 101 – you have to establish a NO somewhere early in the cycle. It is human nature to push to boundaries.

 

Connect with Dale on Twitter @dzwizinski

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalezwizinski/

 

#SalesHackerChat Recap With Chris Spurvey

Jordan Barta

Hi folks! I wear a number of hats. I live in Newfoundland, Canada.

Married to Jennifer (together since 13 years old). I married up. ?

I tell her daily if she ever decided to leave me I would just go with her.

We have two children (Parker and Anna Lili)

And two Golden Retrievers

I believe we all have a unique ability to sell and I work with entrepreneurs and sales professionals to nail it.

I am also a Vice President, Business Development for KPMG in Canada. #SalesHackerChat

 

 

Q1:     What Does A Sales Magnet Mean To You?

I make a very clear distinction between a sales magnet and a sales maggot.

A sales magnet is sales professional who is very clear inside about who they are and their value to the market

They are very clear around the problems they solve and are on fire sharing themselves with the world.

A sales maggot is the exact opposite of this with the exception they start on fire.

But, typically burn out quickly and leave a path of destruction in their wake.

A sales magnet’s message speaks to the why (emotions) of the buyer and works outward to the what (features and benefits)

This is done naturally because they are centered.

Energy is flowing through them naturally and the result is buyers knowing, liking and trusting them.

Thus, they become a magnet.

We see the true Sales Magnets in the market. We see them through their results.

Results do not lie.

 

Q2: How Can Sales Professionals Become Sales Magnets?

It is a process. I have broken it down into focal areas: Why, How and What.

The Why is about tapping into the Emotions, Pains and Goals of you the seller and the buyers

The How is about tapping into your own level of commitment and obtaining the commitment of the buyer.

The What is about identifying opportunities and expressing your credibility and contribution.

I believe growing a personal brand is the foundation for becoming a sales magnet.

 

Q3:     How Do People Get Started In Growing Their Personal Brand?

The idea behind growing a personal brand plays very nicely into the concept of social selling.

Personal branding is a simple concept. It is you putting your thoughts, ideas and stories on display for the world to see.

Personal branding is sharing the process. IMO it is not you the ‘expert’.

If you share the process there is nothing holding you back from starting today.

I started my personal branding journey with idea of writing a book. It’s Time to Sell. It is my story of becoming confident in sales.

I realized I had no platform to promote the book to so I began to share my ideas through my blog, podcast, articles.

This has also created a thriving speaking career

Over a two year period this has lead to opportunities coming my way… i.e.. I am a sales magnet.

So, to answer the question of how do get started? The answer is just start sharing you and what you believe.

Tools: Books, Articles, Podcast, Webinars, Blog, Social Media, Speaking…. the list is endless.

 

Q4:     What Attitudes/Traits Make Sales Professionals Successful? Why Are They Important?

Attitude is the composite of our thoughts, feelings and actions.

It is the #1 factor in determining our results as sales professionals.

Attitude is reflected back to us in how people react to us.

Our worlds are governed by a great law “The Law of Cause and Effect”.

The law dictates that our results (effects) correlate with the level of contribution/service (cause) we put out.

Personally, I buy into two personal attitudes that set up a domino effect (sales magnet): Expectancy and Gratitude.

I expect to reach my goals. I expect to bring a great level of service to my customers and community.

I am grateful for everything in my life. I am grateful for people giving me their most precious asset: their time.

I am even grateful for what I want in my life but do not have yet!

I think you will agree that if we live and breath these attitudes we will set up a chain reaction (law of cause and effect)

The key is to stick with it and not to let other peoples attitudes change ours.

I do find when people first get into sales they have an image on the screen of their minds about what they think sales is.

The image though is not who they are. Thus, they fail.

I would like to propose 8 attitudes of sales that people embody:

1) Sales is solving problems

2) Sales is knowing prospective clients inside and out

3) Sales is listening more than speaking

4) We do not need everyone to be our customer

5) Sales delivers variety

6) Sales develops a diverse skill set

7) Sales leads to high emotional intelligence

8) Sales is the ticket to success

 

Q5:     What Is a Paradigm And How Is It Important In Sales?

A paradigm is a collection of habits and ideas we hold about ourselves.

They key distinction is that our paradigms are actually other peoples habits and ideas – all the inputs from our childhood.

These habits and ideas sit in our limbic brains and define who we are.

Our paradigms hit us in the face every day as we try and grow our sales and businesses.

The key to success is being able to break through our paradigms.

 

Q6:     How Do You Recommend Sales Professionals Break Out Of A Sales Slump?

A sales slump is at its core a result of paradigms – ways of doing things that are simply not working.

I have worked with many people to bust out of a sales slump.

Here is my prescription: ?

1) Relive past successes on the screen of the mind. I recommend keep an inventory of wins

and times when you overcame the odds and succeeded.

Play the mental movies on the screen of your mind as you start your day.

2) Relax. Take time out in between client interactions to relax and defuse any negative self-talk.

Clients feel your tenseness (their intuition tells them something is wrong).

3) Do something certain to reinforce a positive self-image. Start your day by setting up high probability situations.

4) Use your mental faculty of reason. There are many factors at play in a buying decision.

You cannot control all of them.

Find a way to use information to improve your future interactions with prospective clients rather than beating yourself up

5) Take action. Reflect but make a plan and get to work. Action trumps navel gazing.

 

Q7:    Is Cold Calling Necessary Today? And Why?

Cold calling was where I cut my teeth and forced myself out of my comfort zone

I believe it is a tool in the outbound tool box

However, it is no doubt an interruptive form of lead generation and goes against the way people consume information today

Brands that rely on cold calling stand out like a sore thumb in my opinion.

My belief is if a company and its sales team make it 100% their mission to be themselves and their products truly serve the market

It eliminates the need to cold call with the intention of ‘closing’ a sale

Do not get me wrong… I do believe there is a role for cold calling (data collection).

But, companies that rely on it are going against the flow and will burn out IMO.

 

Q8:     What Advice Would You Give A New Sales Professional?

Work on yourself. Get a very clear picture of who you are. Identify what makes you tick.

Find a mentor/coach.

A good one will help you identify what makes you tick, will provide new ideas and hold you accountable.

Start immediately to share who you are: your stories, thoughts and ideas. This is your personal brand #SalesHackerChat

 

This was such an incredible opportunity to have Chris on the Twitter Chat! As you can see, there is so much information. Please follow him on Twitter: @chrisspurvey