Category: Sales Tips

Didn’t Get That Job? Is That a Bad Thing?

by mike

Sometimes, when something doesn’t turn out the way we want, it turns out to be a good thing… This happened to me early on in my consulting career, when I started working from my office in my home:

     One day my router stopped working and my internet went out. I was in the middle of a large work project when the connection went dead. I panicked as I tried to reboot it, and worried about the lost work, the deadlines I’d miss, and all the emails piling up. When it didn’t come back on, my thoughts shifted to the inconvenience and time it would take to fix it. First, I had to find an I.T. person and hope they had the bandwidth to help me quickly, then I had to search for a replacement router, buy it, and go through the hassle of getting it set up.

     I spent a frustrating afternoon at Best Buy sorting through the many routers, wasting precious time I could have spent working. When I got back to my office, I reached the I.T. guy who sometimes helps me, and after pleading with him, he agreed to come over and help me connect it that evening. I stewed until he came over and wondered why this bad thing had to happen to me today.

     Turned out that the install of the router went quickly, and after the I.T. guy left, I found something I hadn’t expected: not only did I have internet again, but I had better, faster internet now throughout my whole house! Because the technology had improved so much, I had upgraded my router, and now I had speeds I never even dreamed of. Even the coverage in the downstairs living room worked without buffering. I was thrilled!

     Later that night, after I had calmed down, I processed the experience—from my initial frustration and stress, my anxiousness at Best Buy, my harried calls to the I.T. guy, and then to the final result of to getting a better, faster internet connection. The result was that whole experience turned out better than I ever imagined it would. As I reviewed the experience, I came up with the saying “Is that a bad thing?” This has become my mantra when unexpected changes or circumstances come up, which they do constantly.

     Meeting so-called problems or situations with this new awareness and attitude has been life transforming. Now, when something breaks, goes out, or doesn’t go the way I planned (like not getting a client I had hoped for) I immediately ask myself, “Is that a bad thing?” Then, with a smile, I begin looking for ways to improve what I had before or begin looking for better opportunities that are now available. When I do, I often find better upgrades for what I had, or better options/opportunities for the future.

     When you think about your own experiences, I’m sure you’ve had instances when something didn’t go the way you thought it should, but that didn’t mean that it didn’t go the best way it could. By remaining open to what comes up and by looking for the opportunities that come with it, you will find a better way of dealing with the inevitable changes life constantly presents us with.

     I’m now quick to ask, “Is that a bad thing?”

     And that has turned out to be a good thing.

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

Happy With Who We’re Using

by mike

This blog post is for those of you who haven’t purchased and read any of my book of scripts yet (what are you thinking? 🙂 )

For those of you who are prospecting, this objection, “We’re happy with who we’re using,” is something you most likely encounter often.

The question is: what do you say to it?

This objection—like all others—is a perfect one to script an effective response to, and here is one of my favorites:

Objection: “We’re happy with who we’re using” (Or any variation like, “We’re all set”):

Response: “That’s perfectly OK; I didn’t expect you to be in the market today. In fact, because you already have someone, this is the perfect time to compare prices and services with other vendors. That way, when you do have a need to look elsewhere, you’ll have a solid option already vetted.

“Let me ask you this….”

And then use a qualifying question regarding what they use, how often they order, etc.

Bonus response:

“No worries, I’m not going to sell you anything today. Instead, I simply want to give you some information so if things change—and let’s face it, they change all the time—you’ll at least know who to reach out to.

“Let me ask you this….”

Again, use a qualifying question regarding what they use, how often they order, etc.

If you would like eight other proven response, visit here.

Remember: throughout your sales process, you get the same seven to ten objections, stalls, and put-offs over and over again.

Want to be a top producer? Then stop making up an answer to them, and “ace” them by being prepared with proven scripts.

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 are you today?” Use it or Ditch it?

by mike

How do you open your calls?

Do you ask, “How are you today?” or do you use a different opening?

There was a time when I was against using the worn-out opening of, “How are you today?” and provided a slew of different options—all of which had their place, and some of which I still use, on occasion, today.

But after years of cold calling (and calling clients back), I have found that I revert back to this standard opening again and again. And here’s why:

  1. While I used to think it signals that a sales call is coming, what I’ve discovered is that people are so used to hearing—and answering—this question, they don’t really register it. Instead, they just respond.
  2. (And here is the key): The real use of this question is to gage carefully the receptiveness of your prospect and then to respond accordingly.

Let’s dive into #2 a bit more. If you make calls for a living, then you know you can tell exactly what kind of mood a prospect is in simply by listening to how they answer the question, “How are you today?”

You can tell by their tone of voice if they are annoyed at being interrupted; or are bored and happy to have the interruption; are receptive to speaking with you; are not receptive; are in a good mood; are not in a good mood; will engage with you, and even ask how you are in return; are not interested in engaging, etc.

The reason this opening is so important is that it gives you instant feedback as to your prospect’s state of mind—and willingness to engage with you.

Second, because this is inside sales, and you can’t see your prospect’s face, you need this feedback so you know how to respond.

So, while some may think this is a worn out opening that signals a sales call (and, yes, I used to feel that way), I now know it is the most efficient opening to use—if you’re willing to truly listen and respond to your prospect’s mood. For example:

If you hear irritation or a rushed attitude, simply preface your next statement with, “I’m sure you’re busy, so I’ll be brief…”

If they ask you how you are doing, always, start with, “Thanks for asking! I’m doing well also. Is it still hot out there?” And engage a bit and build rapport…

Bottom line, there is a lot in an opening line, and “How are you today?” will give you a ton of feedback—if you’re willing to listen carefully to not only the response you get, but to how that response is given.

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

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

How to Make Your Email Subject Line Compelling

by mike

By now, I hope you have all been incorporating your prospect’s name in your email subject lines.

If you have, then you are already getting more prospects to lock onto your email, and that will mean more prospects will read them.

The second part of a compelling subject line is to make the rest of it intriguing to your prospect.

Here are some examples:

Subject Line #1: “John, quick question about your manufacturing process…”

This is effective because everyone loves a question, and the word “quick” promises that you won’t waste your prospect’s time.

Subject Line #2: “Kaylee, a podcast request you’ll be interested in…”

Now who wouldn’t want to know what follows this question?

Subject Line #3: “Brent, can you help with this?”

Everyone loves to help—you do, don’t you?

These are just a few of the ways you can entice your prospect into opening and reading your emails.

Feel free to adapt them to your product or service, and I guarantee that if your email content is short, to the point, and offers something your prospect is interested in, then you’ll dramatically increase the success rate of your email campaign!

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

Free Script Review—First Three Companies Only!

by mike

Success in sales is easy—if you’re using the right messaging.

Unfortunately, many companies and reps still insist on winging it—and that makes your day-to-day jobs harder, and it leads to hit and miss success.

Proper scripting—knowing exactly what to say in each selling situation you get into—makes all the difference between struggling and missing quotas, or easily identifying buying motives and closing more sales.

I spend 80% of my consulting time these days correcting and improving companies messaging. And it DOES make all the difference.

I’m going to make an offer that I’ve never made before. Right now, I’m willing to review three companies opening/prospecting scripts absolutely free. (Not closing or presentation scripts.)

After I review them, I’ll give you my initial impression, and a couple of actionable tips to make them more effective.

Please note that I am NOT going to rewrite them. Instead, I’m going to tell you what I think they are missing, and I’ll provide a couple of tips to instantly make them better.

Also, this offer is good for the first three companies ONLY. If you are the fourth company, I’ll let you know you missed out.

So, if you want to take advantage of this valuable offer, simply email your opening script to: info@mrinsidesales.com

Good luck being among the first three, and my suggestion is: Do it now—this offer will end quickly…

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 Learn Buying Motive

by mike

How is your first quarter turning out so far?

Closing lots of business and exceeding your quota? Or are you struggling to catch up and hoping for a strong March?

If you or your team is struggling, a cause might be a fundamental flaw that many sales teams suffer from: failure to understand—and pitch to—a prospect’s unique buying motive.

Let’s review the sales process briefly:

  1. Recognizing all buyers of products and services have specific needs (buying motives) they are looking to fulfill.
  2. Not everyone’s buying motives are the same. The best way to sell someone is to fully understand what their buying motives are and then to:
  3. Pitch to each buyer’s specific needs.
  4. Then, as you do, you use carefully placed tie-downs and trial closes to build a yes momentum that leads to the close.

That’s the essential process of sales. Of course, there are nuances and specific techniques to master the above steps at a high level, and that’s why you train…

But, let me tell you what I have found to be the major problem for teams and individual sales reps who are not making their numbers:

They never understand exactly what each prospect’s unique buying motive is, and so they just keep pitching, hoping that what they say will match up somehow with what a prospect wants to hear.

Two problems with this approach:

  1. Many prospects aren’t buying regardless, and so if you just keep pitching without understanding their buying motive—or worse, haven’t identified that this prospect doesn’t have a buying motive you can fulfill—then you’re wasting everyone’s time.
  2. If you have failed to understand exactly what a specific prospect’s buying motive is, then you won’t be able to speak directly to it, build the appropriate amount of value, and you’ll miss step 5 above and risk talking past the close—and yourself out of a deal.

How would you like one magic question that will reveal to you each prospect’s buying motive? Here it is:

“{first name}, let me ask you: what specifically are you hoping a (product or service) like ours will do for you at this time?”

That’s it! Now, listen carefully to the answer, and ask yourself honestly: Can your product or service give them exactly what they are looking for? If so, pitch directly to it. Use tie-downs to see if you’re getting closer to making a sale. Shift to trial closes mid-way through your close. And if you’re getting buy in, then assume the close!

This one question, combined with the 4-step process above, will elevate your close ratio and help your entire team make their quota.

Try it today!

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 Quick Secret to Getting Your Emails Opened and Read

by mike

How many emails do you get every day at work?

Fifty? A hundred? More?

And how about after the weekend?

Let’s face it: your prospecting emails can be lost in the sea of unread emails. And if it’s from someone the prospect doesn’t know? That just makes it even harder to get your email read…

There is, however, an easy solution you can implement right away that will immediately draw your prospect’s eyes directly to your email and give it that personal feel.

Always start your subject lines with your prospect’s first name.

That’s it!

It’s effective because we are all drawn to our first names, and when your prospect scans the sea of unread (and many times, unsolicited) emails, their eyes will lock onto their first name, and your email will stand out.

If you’re not using this technique yet, then incorporate it today, and watch your open rates—and response rates—soar.

The other thing you need to do is make the rest of the subject line compelling, and that will be the subject of my next blog post.

Be on the lookout for it on February 15!

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