Category: Frontline Reps

Proven Way to Increase Sales

by mike

I received the following email from a previous coaching client of mine (Rino Racanelli). His email boils down my sales philosophy, and it shows how much success you can have if you follow just a couple of proven principles.

I’m reprinting it below—word for word.

The subject line was: “I took your advice”:

Hi Mike,

Hope you are well. Just wanted to update you on my progress and let you know my sales have increased thanks to you!

I took your advice

  1. Recorded my conversations (client consent) and cringed at what I heard when I spoke to client. Boy, was I missing the hot buttons and talked way past the close
  2. Noted all my main common objections
  3. Used your scripts for rebuttal to those objections, made them my own
  4. Recorded my rebuttal scripts on recording device
  5. Then played them on device for memory and made them my own (same as elite quarterback going through his processions)

I don’t know what I would do without your scripts and other training material!

First of all, I’d like to thank Rino for sending me this email, and for allowing me to reprint it.

Second, for all you sales reps and teams out there who are searching for a way to improve your sales, this is it! Let me break it down:

  1. Record your calls! This was the message last week, and I’ve been teaching it for over 30 years. Nothing—absolutely nothing—is more effective than hearing what you say, hearing what you miss, and then finding immediate ways to improve it.
  2. Make a list of your common objections. Remember, the secret to sales is to recognize that you only get 5 or 7 objections 90% of the time! To “ace” them, you need to script out the best-practice response to overcoming them (and stop adlibbing).
  3. There are many ways to script out effective rebuttals to these objections: You can buy one of my books that already have multiple examples of what to say (see some here); you can hire me to write a customized script playbook for your team; or you can work with me one-on-one (like Rino did) to develop your rebuttals.
  4. Record them onto your phone. Have some fun with this! I recommend recording at least three versions of each script, and then keeping the one that sounds the best to you.
  5. Then play them back, over and over again, until you know them like you know the lyrics to your favorite songs.

Once you do this, you’ll never be stumped again when you get objections, and you’ll know exactly how to deal with them—successfully!

Thanks again to Rino for laying out so succinctly how to get better in sales. One caveat, though: This will only work if you work it. I wish more people would take these simple steps to improving their sales—it’s so worth it!

I hope that this real-life email helps motivate you to take the actions that will result in more sales, more money, and more confidence!

Need More Proven Responses to the Selling Situations You Face Every Day?

ON DEMAND SALES TRAINING THAT GETS RESULTS!

If your team is struggling with call reluctance and is tired of the endless rejection they face, then get instant access to our On Demand training today. We provide the exact talk tracks, templates, and proven tools your team will be motivated to apply, all structured around an award winning comprehensive inside sales approach that gives your team the confidence to succeed in every selling situation they face today.

Unlimited License: One to 100 reps can attend for one low price!

Perfect for reps dealing with the following issues:

  • Reps struggling with call reluctance
  • Getting screened out by the gatekeeper
  • Overcoming blow off objections like, “Just email me something”
  • Identifying decision makers
  • Qualifying prospects
  • Setting call back appointments that stick
  • Giving successful presentations and dealing with objections
  • Staying motivated
Get Access Today

One Easy Way to Double Your Sales This Year

by mike

If you manage an inside sales team, or if you’re an individual producer, then I’m sure you’d love to learn of an easy way to double your sales this year.

Think about what that would mean for your company! You’d be able to expand and grow and hire a larger team that would allow you to grow and expand even more.

As an individual producer, think about what doubling your sales this year would mean for you and your family. Imagine how much happier you’ll be in December once you’ve accomplished that!

And now imagine if you could do just one (simple) thing differently that would allow you actually double your income.

You’d be all in, wouldn’t you?

I’ve used this technique personally and have tripled my sales in 90 days. I’ve taught it to companies and then trained with them for six months, and those sales reps who adopt this technique DO double their sales—and more…

But…

Here’s the strange thing: while this technique is easy to use, and most likely even available to you right now, very few companies and sales reps will use it.

It’s simple to use, but apparently, hard to commit to. Yet it will double your income this year. Strange indeed.

Here’s what it is: Simply commit to listening to your sales calls—both prospecting and closing calls—every day for 90 days straight.

That’s it.

By carefully listening to what you’re doing right (and doing more of it) and listening to what you’re not doing right (and making a commitment to change it—usually by scripting out a more effective message or learning to ask more questions instead of pitching so much, etc.), you will make vast improvements daily.

And at the end of 90 days, you’ll be a much better sales professional (or team and company) than you are right now. And that will lead to doubling your sales.

The drawback? Because this technique seems so easy—and because it requires some time and follow through—most sales reps will find an excuse not to stick with it. I know we’re all busy, but imagine if you put your phone down for half an hour a day and invested that time in listening to your calls instead?

And as a manager, imagine how much more effective your sales meetings would be if you featured recordings during your one-on-ones and sales training sessions?

I can’t urge you enough to make the commitment to listening to your calls and dedicating yourself to this simple and proven technique.

Your future earnings are in your hands: You can either get better each day (and use this easy way to double your sales this year) or, you can keep doing what you’re doing.

And you know how that saying goes: If you keep doing what you’re doing, then you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.

I think you and your company deserve better—give it try for 90 days and see for yourself!

(Note: Before recording, always check and follow any state laws—as well as company policies—to maintain compliance!)

Need More Proven Responses to the Selling Situations You Face Every Day?

ON DEMAND SALES TRAINING THAT GETS RESULTS!

If your team is struggling with call reluctance and is tired of the endless rejection they face, then get instant access to our On Demand training today. We provide the exact talk tracks, templates, and proven tools your team will be motivated to apply, all structured around an award winning comprehensive inside sales approach that gives your team the confidence to succeed in every selling situation they face today.

Unlimited License: One to 100 reps can attend for one low price!

Perfect for reps dealing with the following issues:

  • Reps struggling with call reluctance
  • Getting screened out by the gatekeeper
  • Overcoming blow off objections like, “Just email me something”
  • Identifying decision makers
  • Qualifying prospects
  • Setting call back appointments that stick
  • Giving successful presentations and dealing with objections
  • Staying motivated
Get Access Today

One Error to Correct on Your Prospecting Scripts

by mike

Congrats to those companies & individuals who sent in their prospecting scripts for review. I received many scripts and went ahead and reviewed ten (instead of just the three).

One error I kept seeing was reps’ mishandling asking for the right person when they didn’t know the right contact’s name.

Usually, they asked it this way:

Gatekeeper: “Thank you for calling the Johnson company.”

Rep: “I’m looking for the person who handles your XYZ. Do you know who I should speak to?”

The problem with this is you’re A) Identifying yourself as a sales rep, and B) You’re now inviting the gatekeeper to qualify you out.

Here is a better way:

Gatekeeper: “Thank you for calling the Johnson company.”

Rep: “Hi, I need a little bit of help please…”

[It’s crucial that you WAIT for them to respond and offer that help!]

Gatekeeper: “What can I help you with?”

Rep: “Thanks. Who would be the best person to speak with regarding XYZ?”

This approach uses an assumptive question, and it gives direction. This is your best approach.

If the gatekeeper comes back and asks:

“Can I tell him who is calling?”

You simply respond with:

“Absolutely. Please tell him [Your Name] with [Your company] is holding please.”

That’s it! This approach will get you through to the right contact over 80% of the time.

Try it this week and see for yourself!

BTW: If you or your team needs other proven techniques to connect with and sell more decision makers, consider my On-Demand Training.

Instant access = Instant results! See it here.

Need More Proven Responses to the Selling Situations You Face Every Day?

ON DEMAND SALES TRAINING THAT GETS RESULTS!

If your team is struggling with call reluctance and is tired of the endless rejection they face, then get instant access to our On Demand training today. We provide the exact talk tracks, templates, and proven tools your team will be motivated to apply, all structured around an award winning comprehensive inside sales approach that gives your team the confidence to succeed in every selling situation they face today.

Unlimited License: One to 100 reps can attend for one low price!

Perfect for reps dealing with the following issues:

  • Reps struggling with call reluctance
  • Getting screened out by the gatekeeper
  • Overcoming blow off objections like, “Just email me something”
  • Identifying decision makers
  • Qualifying prospects
  • Setting call back appointments that stick
  • Giving successful presentations and dealing with objections
  • Staying motivated
Get Access Today

One Question to Determine Buyers

by mike

How would you like to have just one question that will almost always positively identify a buyer?

Believe it or not, there is such a question, and it’s an easy question, but very few sales reps have ever thought to ask it.

Or, if they do know what that question is, they are afraid to ask it.

Why? Because it also identifies who is not a buyer—and they don’t want to hear no….

Okay: here’s the question:

“When are you looking to make this decision?”

OR

“When are you looking to get (your product or service)?”

Yep! That’s it.

Buyers know when they are going to move, while shoppers don’t. Shoppers don’t have a timeline, and without a timeline, there is zero urgency.

Which means: you aren’t closing that deal anytime soon.

Regardless of your industry, you can ask this question and identify a buyer.

In fact, spend some time right now to work this, “And when are you looking to make this decision?” OR “And when are you looking to move on this?” into your list of qualifying questions.

And, by the way, this is also a great question to open a close with!

Try it this week and watch your number of sales go up—while the time you spend with unqualified, non-qualified buyers, go down!

Need More Proven Responses to the Selling Situations You Face Every Day?

ON DEMAND SALES TRAINING THAT GETS RESULTS!

If your team is struggling with call reluctance and is tired of the endless rejection they face, then get instant access to our On Demand training today. We provide the exact talk tracks, templates, and proven tools your team will be motivated to apply, all structured around an award winning comprehensive inside sales approach that gives your team the confidence to succeed in every selling situation they face today.

Unlimited License: One to 100 reps can attend for one low price!

Perfect for reps dealing with the following issues:

  • Reps struggling with call reluctance
  • Getting screened out by the gatekeeper
  • Overcoming blow off objections like, “Just email me something”
  • Identifying decision makers
  • Qualifying prospects
  • Setting call back appointments that stick
  • Giving successful presentations and dealing with objections
  • Staying motivated
Get Access Today

How to Pitch Multiple Products

by mike

Rookie mistake: You’ve got several products or services you can offer a prospect, and you start by offering the first, or main one, then hear an opening for another one so pivot to that one, and describe another—and then another.

Result? Stalled sale. “Let me think about these and get back with you.”

Sound familiar?

Luckily, there is a best practice around this and it is:

Stick with your main product or service, close that deal first, then circle back around and pitch the ancillary product/service. You can use the intel you got from your initial pitch to open up the upsell.

Something like, “You know, {first name}, the last time we spoke, you mentioned you had trouble with your XYZ. We have other clients in your situation, and they found our…very helpful. Can I ask you how you’re handling….”

And off you go!

The dangers with offering too many choices are you’ll often talk past the close. Not only will the prospect be confused, but you will be, too. Once you get to the end of your presentation, your offer will be muddled, and that will make it difficult for your prospect to make a decision.

In addition, often times other products or services bump up the dollar amount, and this often slows down decision making as well.

Note: There are two exceptions to this:

  1. While this rule applies in a general way (80% of the time), there are times when you should pivot and offer something that is more in alignment with what your prospect needs/wants. I’m sure you know when this happens.
  2. When a prospect is totally in and buying anything you’re offering. At that time, load them up! They are in “the ether” as we used to call it and the old adage, “strike while the iron is hot” applies here.

Your best practice, however, is to secure the deal on the product or service you’re pitching, then circle around for the upsell.

Another note: The best time to do that is right after they buy—don’t wait too long, as they’ll cool off and want to “see how it goes.”

So, simplify your offer, make it easy for your prospect to say yes, then circle back around with any upsells using the intel you gathered during your pitch.

Happy selling!

Need More Proven Responses to the Selling Situations You Face Every Day?

ON DEMAND SALES TRAINING THAT GETS RESULTS!

If your team is struggling with call reluctance and is tired of the endless rejection they face, then get instant access to our On Demand training today. We provide the exact talk tracks, templates, and proven tools your team will be motivated to apply, all structured around an award winning comprehensive inside sales approach that gives your team the confidence to succeed in every selling situation they face today.

Unlimited License: One to 100 reps can attend for one low price!

Perfect for reps dealing with the following issues:

  • Reps struggling with call reluctance
  • Getting screened out by the gatekeeper
  • Overcoming blow off objections like, “Just email me something”
  • Identifying decision makers
  • Qualifying prospects
  • Setting call back appointments that stick
  • Giving successful presentations and dealing with objections
  • Staying motivated
Get Access Today

This is the Secret of Sales

by mike

Imagine if there was a secret to successful selling.

Imagine if there was one concept, one rule you could learn and follow, and if you learned and applied this rule, then you would successfully be able to sell any product or service you chose to.

And not only would you be able to sell these products or services, but—if you learned and applied this secret—you would sell more than anyone in your company or in your industry.

In addition, you would also be able to sell more with less stress, less rejection, and sales would actually become, dare I say it?—easy.

As you know, selling and easy rather occur in the same sentence, but by learning and applying this secret, they will.

And here is the secret:

Sales is nothing more than a set of recurring selling situations that you encounter over and over again.

You get the same brush offs when prospecting, the same objections when closing, the same ghosting when following up.

Let me prove it to you: regardless of your product, service, or industry, do any of these selling situations sound familiar?

When prospecting, has a decision maker or influencer or office manager ever told you:

  • “Just email me some information.”
  • “We’re happy with who we’re using.”
  • “We aren’t interested.”
  • “I’ll have to check with my boss.”

And when closing a sale or presenting your product or service, how many times do you run into:

  • “That’s a bit more than we want to spend.”
  • “It’s just not the right time for us.”
  • “Let me think about it and get back to you.”
  • “I’m going to need to talk to the committee/boss/my partner, etc.”
  • “Can you email me more information?”

Now, I’ve never met many of you reading this right now, and I don’t know what you’re selling, but I’ll bet these cover 80% of the objections you get, right?

And that’s because selling is a set of recurring situations that contain the same objections, stalls, and you get them over and over again.

And therein lies the secret to successful selling:

Learn exactly what to say—in advance—of getting these recurring objections.

Now this may sound like a “duh!” moment but let me share another secret with you: 90% of sales reps don’t do this. Instead, they ad-lib, make things up, and use poor responses over and over again.

Poor responses that don’t work!

The answer?

Script out—in advance—two or three “best practice” responses to the recurring selling situations you get into all the time.

Practice, drill, rehearse these responses until they become your automatic way of responding.

Doing this will change your sales results, your day-to-day experience in selling, and ultimately your career and your life.

Your choice really comes down to: Struggle and underperform, or sell easily, confidently, and make more money than 90% of your competition.

If you choose the latter, then you can start with over 500 proven scripts you can adapt to fit all the selling situations you run into.

Get it here.

And start learning and practicing the secret to successful selling.

Need More Proven Responses to the Selling Situations You Face Every Day?

ON DEMAND SALES TRAINING THAT GETS RESULTS!

If your team is struggling with call reluctance and is tired of the endless rejection they face, then get instant access to our On Demand training today. We provide the exact talk tracks, templates, and proven tools your team will be motivated to apply, all structured around an award winning comprehensive inside sales approach that gives your team the confidence to succeed in every selling situation they face today.

Unlimited License: One to 100 reps can attend for one low price!

Perfect for reps dealing with the following issues:

  • Reps struggling with call reluctance
  • Getting screened out by the gatekeeper
  • Overcoming blow off objections like, “Just email me something”
  • Identifying decision makers
  • Qualifying prospects
  • Setting call back appointments that stick
  • Giving successful presentations and dealing with objections
  • Staying motivated
Get Access Today

One Mistake to Avoid When Pitching

by mike

Here’s a mistake I hear over and over again when listening to sales reps pitching or presenting their services over the phone: when they hear a possible objection or something negative from their prospect, they go into pitch mode.

It’s as if they think they just need to tell the prospect more, or list endless benefits and that at some point the prospect will say, “Ah, yes! That’s what I needed to hear!”

Sadly, pitching more when you hear a possible negative is exactly the wrong thing to so.

The right thing?

Stop and begin asking questions. Get curious. Dive into the possible problem area and find out why it’s a problem. How much of a problem it is. And, most importantly, learn how to deal with it—that is, if it’s even something that can be overcome.

Here’s the thing: the average closing rate is two or three deals out of ten prospects pitched. That means seven people aren’t buying!

So, if you’re talking over or past objections, then you aren’t learning how to deal with them. You’re certainly not learning how to overcome them. Instead, you’re practicing poor sales skills over and over again.

And that’s not how to get better.

You’ve heard that saying: “Practice makes perfect?”

That’s totally wrong.

Practice only makes permanent.

If you’re practicing poor selling skills day in day out, you’ll get really good at being…well…being a poor sales person!

Quickest way to get better: next time you get an objection or negative response, stop. Ask questions. And ask yourself is this is one of the seven prospects who aren’t buying. Or is it one of the three who will buy?

And then ask yourself what you need to say to sell them. And you’ll only learn that by being curious and asking questions.

Not pitching…

Need More Proven Responses to the Selling Situations You Face Every Day?

ON DEMAND SALES TRAINING THAT GETS RESULTS!

If your team is struggling with call reluctance and is tired of the endless rejection they face, then get instant access to our On Demand training today. We provide the exact talk tracks, templates, and proven tools your team will be motivated to apply, all structured around an award winning comprehensive inside sales approach that gives your team the confidence to succeed in every selling situation they face today.

Unlimited License: One to 100 reps can attend for one low price!

Perfect for reps dealing with the following issues:

  • Reps struggling with call reluctance
  • Getting screened out by the gatekeeper
  • Overcoming blow off objections like, “Just email me something”
  • Identifying decision makers
  • Qualifying prospects
  • Setting call back appointments that stick
  • Giving successful presentations and dealing with objections
  • Staying motivated
Get Access Today

Less is More in Sales

by mike

Sales people like to talk; if you don’t believe me, just listen to a recording of one of your reps (or of yourself!).

This is a problem.

And that’s because when your mouth is open, your ears are closed.

And when your ears are closed, you learn nothing about your prospect’s buying motives, their possible objections, or whether or not they are buying into your pitch.

The solution is simple:

  • Cut your pitch in half (or a quarter)
  • Learn to use current, non-salesy tie downs
  • Ask questions frequently of your prospect
  • Find and use the MUTE button to fully listen to their responses

Also, learn to use layering questions when you get answers you either don’t fully understand, or when you get an answer that makes you want to know more about their process, decision making, budget, etc.

Why do sales reps talk so much? Many reasons: nervousness, not wanting to hear no, lack of training, etc.,

What’s the solution? A good, tight, non-salesy script.

And not only a script—but one that you and your team adheres to.

A good script—and script playbook—changes companies and careers.

On the other hand, if you continue to ad-lib and make your pitch up, then you will continue to struggle, talk past the close, introduce objections, and, worse, keep talking…and talking…and talking.

In sales, less talking and more questioning and more listening is the key to success.

This week, look at the script your company gave you when you began working there.

Rewrite it.

Shorten it.

Intersperse it with tons of questions and tie-downs and opportunities to engage and learn more about your prospects.

Doing so will not only make your job easier, but it will make you more successful as well.

Need More Proven Responses to the Selling Situations You Face Every Day?

ON DEMAND SALES TRAINING THAT GETS RESULTS!

If your team is struggling with call reluctance and is tired of the endless rejection they face, then get instant access to our On Demand training today. We provide the exact talk tracks, templates, and proven tools your team will be motivated to apply, all structured around an award winning comprehensive inside sales approach that gives your team the confidence to succeed in every selling situation they face today.

Unlimited License: One to 100 reps can attend for one low price!

Perfect for reps dealing with the following issues:

  • Reps struggling with call reluctance
  • Getting screened out by the gatekeeper
  • Overcoming blow off objections like, “Just email me something”
  • Identifying decision makers
  • Qualifying prospects
  • Setting call back appointments that stick
  • Giving successful presentations and dealing with objections
  • Staying motivated
Get Access Today

3 Ways to Overcome Call Reluctance

by mike

Picking up the phone and making “cold calls” has never been easy, and this has prevented many reps from making the calls that can make them more sales and more income. Instead, reps these days tend to spend more time communicating on social media and sending emails.

Top reps still prefer to pick up the phone and have conversation, and this remains the best way to not only speak with someone, but to qualify them as well.

If you’re suffering from call reluctance, there is a way out! Simply follow these 3 proven ways to making calls easier, and confidently.

One: Avoid call reluctance by scripting out what you’re going to say and how you’re going to respond to the inevitable objections and stalls you’re going to get. Once you have, then read them into your smart phone and listen back to the wording and your delivery so you’ll internalize them.

This way, you will be able to pivot easily and naturally when you need to, and you’ll avoid sounded scripted. But having a best practice outline/script will give you the confidence to make the calls that will make you successful.

Two: Give your prospect time—as soon as you can—to respond to you. That means, you want to avoid opening with a monologue, and instead, state your value prop quickly and get to a question so they can interact. Something like:

“Hi ________, this is _______ _______  with _________ company, and I’m simply calling about our XYX. Quick question: How do you (or your company) use XYX?”

Three: Set a goal for the number of calls you’re going to make each day. Nothing motivates more than concrete goals, and having either a # of dials, or # of conversations, or, best of all, # of appointments a day will keep you smiling and dialing!

Bonus: The absolute best way to get better at making calls is by recording your calls and listening back to them. Make it a habit to listen to at least one of your calls every day! Doing so will help you identify where you need to improve—and how to do it.

There you have it: Three ways to overcome call reluctance. To get the most from these tips, combine all of them with a commitment to being the best in your company or industry. Remember: picking up the phone when those around you are sending emails, will put you way ahead of the pack. So, use these techniques to help you do just that!

Need More Proven Responses to the Selling Situations You Face Every Day?

ON DEMAND SALES TRAINING THAT GETS RESULTS!

If your team is struggling with call reluctance and is tired of the endless rejection they face, then get instant access to our On Demand training today. We provide the exact talk tracks, templates, and proven tools your team will be motivated to apply, all structured around an award winning comprehensive inside sales approach that gives your team the confidence to succeed in every selling situation they face today.

Unlimited License: One to 100 reps can attend for one low price!

Perfect for reps dealing with the following issues:

  • Reps struggling with call reluctance
  • Getting screened out by the gatekeeper
  • Overcoming blow off objections like, “Just email me something”
  • Identifying decision makers
  • Qualifying prospects
  • Setting call back appointments that stick
  • Giving successful presentations and dealing with objections
  • Staying motivated
Get Access Today

One Great Close You Should Be Using

by mike

How do you handle the following two big objections?

“Your price is too high.”

“I can get a better deal/rate/price using XYZ”

Arguably, these may be the two most frustrating objections sales reps get, and interestingly, there is one technique that works amazingly well—but few sales reps use it.

Instead, the vast majority of reps stumble when they get these objections, or worse: they lower their prices to try to compete.

The best way to handle this is to…

Isolate it! Just like you should do with most objections.

Here is the easiest way to do this:

Whenever you get either of the two objections above, simply respond with:

“In addition to price, what else is important to you?”

OR

“In addition to price, what else is holding you back today?”

Then hit that oh-so-important MUTE button, and let your prospect tell you how to sell them.

That’s it!

For those of you thinking this is too easy, I challenge you to use it for the next month each time you get this objection.

You’ll be amazed at what you hear—and how much further you can take your prospects…

Need More Proven Responses to the Selling Situations You Face Every Day?

ON DEMAND SALES TRAINING THAT GETS RESULTS!

If your team is struggling with call reluctance and is tired of the endless rejection they face, then get instant access to our On Demand training today. We provide the exact talk tracks, templates, and proven tools your team will be motivated to apply, all structured around an award winning comprehensive inside sales approach that gives your team the confidence to succeed in every selling situation they face today.

Unlimited License: One to 100 reps can attend for one low price!

Perfect for reps dealing with the following issues:

  • Reps struggling with call reluctance
  • Getting screened out by the gatekeeper
  • Overcoming blow off objections like, “Just email me something”
  • Identifying decision makers
  • Qualifying prospects
  • Setting call back appointments that stick
  • Giving successful presentations and dealing with objections
  • Staying motivated
Get Access Today