Tag: Frontline Reps

4 Proven Ways to Get Better in 2023

by mike

Want to make 2023 your best year ever?

I guarantee that if you just take time to follow the four steps below, you’ll make more money this year than you ever have.

Guaranteed.

Step One: Take time to carefully script out word-for-word rebuttals to the common objections you get repeatedly. You know you should do this, but have you?

If not, do it this week!

Step Two:  Memorize your best practice responses.

Don Shula – the famous Miami Dolphin coach – once said that his players practiced, drilled and rehearsed their plays and techniques over and over again so they could internalize them and act automatically when they needed to. 

He said that football moves so fast that: “If you get into a situation and have to think about what to do next, it’s already too late.” 

Question: Can you honestly answer each objection you get with a best practice response (that works)?

If not, then record your responses onto your smart phone, and listen to them 30 to 50 times. 

Step Three: Record your calls.

You’ve heard this advice before, but are you following it?

If not, make a commitment and do it. Today.

Step Four: Be prepared to revise your rebuttals as needed. When listening to your calls, find ways to improve.

Can a rebuttal be shortened? Can you deliver it with a bit more energy? Or less energy? 

Never stop learning, critiquing and getting better. When you stop learning, you stop earning. The top professionals in any industry are always adapting, always learning, and always improving. 

You need to 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

Best Thing to Do After You Write a Deal?

by mike

Writing a deal (making a sale), is an exhilarating thing, and there are many ways to celebrate.

Some companies have a deal board where you can write down your latest sale so the other team members can see it.

Other companies have a bell to ring, so, again, other team members can be encouraged by your success.

I’ve seen some reps strut around the office, stopping at their workmate’s desk to share their glory or tell the (often long) story of how that deal went down.

Some sales reps go directly into the kitchen where they’ll find a group of other reps—and even a manager or two—and they share the good news there.

Other reps may go down to the café or coffee shop and treat themselves to a latte or piece of pie.

Question: What do all of these forms of celebration have in common?

Answer: They all take you (and your successful energy) away from your desk—and your next pitch.

Years ago, when I was telling the fourth sales rep of my latest big sale, my manager pulled me aside and asked me if I was excited by my successful close. “Heck yeah!” I replied.

He then suggested that my next presentation might benefit from the success and momentum I had. He said that wasting that on other sales reps (and taking them off the phone) was a waste of that energy, and that the best thing I could do after making a sale was to pick up the phone and make another one.

I was a little offended by this, but I took his advice and channeled my energy into my next pitch, and guess what? I closed that deal, too!

And that’s when I got it. “Strike while the iron’s hot,” the expression is.

Nothing breeds success like success, and prospects and clients can feel when you’re successful. And they want to buy from someone who is enthusiastic and successful.

So, the next time you close a sale, stay at your desk! Pick the phone up and keep that momentum going!

Remember: The best time to make a sale is right after you’ve made one!

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

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

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