Food For Thought - Lunch Break with Steve Bookbinder

Busy sales professionals often find it hard to manage their time, and as a result, they tend to fill every moment of their day with tasks that won’t result in meeting their goals. No matter how fast they work, they never get to everything, and hence, won’t be in front of their customers when they are ready to buy. The critical questions to ask and answer are: how do you prioritize activities to get you to your goals and how do you achieve this payoff through better time management? In today’s lunchbreak training, I share the tweaks you need to make to your time management that will bring in results. I reveal the action strategies that will help you manage your time and maximize your echo-powered sales results. I highlight one tweak that delivers more sales consistently. I also share how you can meet your long-term goals by improving relationships within your network.   “No matter how you manage your time - ultimately - you need to be in front of customers whenever they are ready.” - Steve Bookbinder   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: The filing system versus a finding system approach to sales Aligning your time with your goals The one time management change that primes echo selling What ‘you never know meetings’ are The time management tweak that consistently delivers more sales easier Being open to meeting the right person at the right time Improving network relationships to focus on your long-term goals   4 Actions to Take to Build Upon Today’s Session: Make appointments with people in your network, even if there is no obvious immediate payoff Learn how to learn about people and their industry Practice the art of managing your time rather than letting your time manage you Continue to learn how to echo your pitch   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website. Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

Salespeople may be masters of persuasion, but when a decision goes back to the customer’s office, we need to influence what happens next to get that sale. Of course, many salespeople believe that the easiest way to echo their sales pitch is by attending the meeting with their contact’s colleagues and presenting the sales pitch themselves. But, there are other ways to get that sale without being present at that meeting. So, how do you get your contact to echo your sales pitch? In today’s lunchbreak training, I explain what echo selling is and how to use it to get more sales, easier. I explain why your customers seek external approval from their co-workers and how to encourage them to echo your sales pitch to get positive confirmation from their colleagues. I share strategies for staying top-of-mind with your customers and how to create an echo ally in their organization. I also share the four steps you should follow to create an echo in your target accounts.   “It’s not the salesperson’s words, but the confirming echo between our contact and their co-workers.”- Steve Bookbinder   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: Why your sales contacts seek approval from their co-workers How echo selling encourages positive confirmation between your contact and their co-workers How to gain your customer’s attention and stay top of mind Strategies for creating an echo effect when speaking with your customer Contacting your contact’s co-workers to prime an echo ally How echo selling can be used with referral sources, distribution channels, and partnerships   4 Steps to Start Echo Selling: Select the target company. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is properly completed. Follow our social selling playbook. Continue to learn about echo selling   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website. Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

What is the one skill that the top 20% of sales professionals have that many others seem to lack? Imagination. Your imagination, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills are crucial for meeting and exceeding your sales goals. And while many people believe that your imagination disappears as you age - I believe it behaves more like a muscle that simply needs to be exercised regularly to avoid deterioration. In today’s lunchbreak training, I discuss how your imagination impacts your sales results. I discuss why sales professionals should practice role-playing techniques to find innovative and imaginative solutions to difficult challenges. I also share a few mind-stretching exercises to strengthen your imagination muscle as well as four actionable strategies you can use this week to improve your role-playing and sales results.   “Your imagination is like a muscle - it atrophies with disuse, but it gets bigger and better with ongoing use.” - Steve Bookbinder   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: The importance of imagination and role-playing when faced with difficult sales challenges Mind-stretching exercises to strengthen your imagination muscle What sales professionals can learn from improv actors Delivering a compelling rationale to your customer How to make more services cost less to meet your customer’s budget Brainstorming creative ideas to help your customer gain approval from their boss   4 Steps to Stretch Your Powers of Imagination: Schedule time to conduct mind-stretching exercises. Schedule time to play these mind-stretching exercises again within the next three weeks. Challenge yourself to think of one more exercise. Keep up the learning and development momentum.   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website. Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

In most professional sports, there are coaches and cheerleaders. Coaches teach you how to improve your skills and encourage you down the path of success. Cheerleaders, on the other hand, cheer and root for you on the sidelines and congratulate you on your wins. So, what can we, as sales professionals, learn from these professions? If you were the coach and the playing field is the world of sales, would you put yourself in the field - or on the bench? In today’s lunchbreak training, I explain how to be your own sales coach and cheerleader. I explain the roles of a sales coach and cheerleader, what sales coaches are supposed to do, and why no outside sales coach can help you until you develop your own inner coach. I explain the two different types of sales coaches and the various managing styles that sales managers use to motivate their teams to execute sales plans. I also share strategies you can use to help you develop your inner coach and how these techniques will impact your success.   “The more you focus on being your own coach with an exciting plan, the more your daily actions will be inspired by a larger plan.” - Steve Bookbinder   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: The importance of being your own sales coach and cheerleader The role of your sales manager How habits and routines can impact your personal development The connection between coaching and cheerleading The two types of sales coaches Understanding what motivates you and using it to your advantage Honestly assessing your strengths and weaknesses and adapting your plan to leverage your strengths Tracking the small and big wins and celebrating your successes   4 Steps to Develop Your Inner Coach: Commit to an ongoing, weekly schedule of management meetings. Identify your biggest strengths and weaknesses and commit to finding more ways to leverage your strengths. Find a metric you can commit to that you can celebrate at the end of each day. Continue your self-development streak.   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website. Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

It’s crucial for salespeople to be well-equipped with lots of great ideas. But having an idea and getting a great reaction to your idea are two very different things. Not to mention - getting a great idea at the exact moment you need one can be quite a challenge to overcome. So, how do you come up with a great idea the moment you need it? In today’s training episode, I share the 10 work habits that make up the creative process my team and I use to consistently and quickly develop great ideas. I explain how to create momentum to take your idea from concept to completion. I discuss why it’s important to schedule brainstorm sessions on your calendar and how taking breaks can help you recharge your creative energy. I also explain how continuously learning new concepts and skills helps fuel your creativity and why you should always write down your ideas - even if you’re not helpful for the project you’re currently working on.   “If you want a great idea to bloom, first gain creative momentum.” - Steve Bookbinder   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: The benefits of scheduling your brainstorming sessions with yourself or your team on your calendar Giving yourself a starting point to develop new ideas Using working titles for your big ideas Pruning your ideas and why it’s important to keep your writing and editing tasks separate in your process How changing the order of your proposal can impact your customer’s reaction The benefits of giving yourself (and your brain) a break to recharge your creativity How constantly learning new things fuels your creativity The importance of writing down all of your ideas - even if they won’t serve you immediately   4 Steps to Build Your Creative Momentum: Schedule the brainstorming appointment. Save your “spare parts” into one easily found folder. Practice reacting to negative comments with encouragement instead of defensiveness. Keep the momentum going.   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website. Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

The invention of the internet has significantly changed the landscape of many industries. Business today has changed and evolved in just about every aspect. Many of the techniques and strategies we used to sell and promote our products and services aren’t as effective today as they once were. Consumers - including B2B customers - now rely heavily on the digital arena to make buying decisions. So, how can you leverage the digital world to make more sales, easier, for your organization? In today’s training episode, I discuss the art and science of selling in the digital world. I discuss how the internet has impacted B2B sales and purchasing decisions and the four ‘I want’ moments that drive all online behavior. I discuss how changing your mindset to think like a digital marketer can improve your ability to close sales. I also explain what digital thinking means, why selling in today’s digital world requires digital thinking, and the seven things that all leading digital marketers consider when trying to reach more customers and make more sales.   “To sell to a B2B customer who buys like a consumer, we need to think like digital marketers.” - Steve Bookbinder   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: How salespeople can make more sales by thinking digitally The difference between empathy and ROI and how focusing on them can impact your sales Identifying your mission as a sales representative Restating your goals as problems to be creatively solved and how it helps you prioritize your goals and improve your time management skills Understanding how your customers make purchasing decisions Reframing your mistakes as opportunities to learn and improve The difference between optimizing your performance and scaling your results Why the key to optimizing is to test new ideas and techniques The concept of scaling through networking   4 Steps to Start Selling in a Digital World: Rewrite and rehearse your elevator pitch with a renewed focus on passion and empathy. Ask every prospect about the details of the last time they made a decision to buy something similar to your product or service. Ask them what they’ve done so far about addressing their challenges - and why they haven’t bought yet. Remain open to learning.   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website. Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

How do people make decisions? Perhaps more importantly: WHY do they make the decisions they make? Understanding the psychology behind how and why of the decisions your customers make is critical for positioning your proposition as the best solution for their problem. On today’s episode, I explain the psychological factors behind the corporate decision-making process and how to use it to produce more buying decisions. I explain how psychology - the customers and our own - guides us to make purchasing decisions and the connection between the customer’s tolerance to risk and their process for making a decision. I explain how the illusion of time can lead to a delay in the decision-making process and how to overcome this illusion by using the Backward Timetable strategy. I also explain how you can accelerate the relationship you want to develop with customers to drive faster decisions on your propositions.   “Lack of reassurance is the #1 reason people don’t make a decision.” - Steve Bookbinder   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: Identifying what does not encourage customers to make purchasing decisions Why customers choose to delay the buying process The psychological factors that impact the corporate decision-making process The connection between the customer’s risk tolerance and their decision-making process Identifying whether the customer is risk-averse or risk-tolerant and how you can use this information to make more sales How to learn what your competitors missed when speaking with your customer and how this can help you learn how much risk the customer is comfortable with before making a decision Comparing right-brain and left-brain thinking decision-making What Emotional Amplification means How to accelerate the relationship you want to develop with customers How public opinion and rational impacts the corporate buyer’s decision Helping customers rationalize their decision How peer consensus impacts the buyer’s decision How the illusion of time can often delay the buyer’s decision-making process What a Backward Timetable is and how it addresses the psychological decision-delayers   4 Steps to Drive More Purchasing Decisions: Learn the rationale of your best customers. Learn the past buying pattern of every new prospect or customer contact you meet this week. Try the Backward Timetable in a sales meeting - especially if there is fuzziness about timelines, due dates, or the use of loose language. Lead by example.   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website. Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

Like all salespeople, you know there are five main parts of the sales process: Prospecting, Qualifying, Presenting, Negotiating, and Closing. Once you’ve learned how to master each of these areas, do you really need to continue learning new skills? What more could you possibly learn to improve your sales skills and make more sales? A lot. On today’s episode, I explain why you need to continually develop new skills in today’s modern sales environment. I discuss the importance of adapting the skills you already know and adopting new skills to be more successful. I explain the three questions your internal sales coach should challenge you with and the direct relationship between the effort you use to learn a new skill and adapting what you already know with your value as a salesperson. I also explain how to accurately measure a customer’s interest, how to identify where they are in the buying process, and why it’s crucial to practice creative thinking skills to find solutions to sales obstacles.   “You need ongoing training focused on adapting what you already know and adopting what you need.” - Steve Bookbinder   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: What it takes to adapt the skills you already know and adopt new skills What is an internal coach and how it differs from an external coach How focusing on avoiding failure - instead of punishing failure - leads to success The direct connection between the effort you use to learn a new skill, adapting what you already know and your worth as a salesperson The skills you need to gain a competitive edge, have better meetings, build better relationships, and build and maintain better pipelines The importance of being observant while talking to customers How to accurately measure a customer’s interest Practicing your creative thinking skills to find solutions to obstacles Applying the principles of game theory to your mental sales calculations   4 Steps to Improve Your Sales Skills Today: Read a book, then change one thing about the way you prepare for a meeting based on that book. Pay attention to one new thing during your next sales meeting. Make appointments in your calendar to brainstorm creative next steps.   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website. Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

When you make a sales call or call to make an appointment, your sales pitch must sound enthusiastic, natural, and authentic. Your message needs to come from the heart, and you need to mean it. Even over the phone, customers know if you are lying, spinning the truth, or misleading them. You have to sound truthful; otherwise, you will encounter objections, be ill-prepared, and fail to convey your message.   In today’s lunchbreak training, I discuss how to script your enthusiasm. I share why you should start with a script - just like an actor - and prepare and rehearse until you perfect delivering your enthusiasm. I discuss why salespeople fail when they don’t develop a script and share a step-by-step guide to crafting the ideal structure. I explain how to optimize your message to make it even more powerful. I also highlight why it is vital to practice delivering your script enthusiastically and share two ways to get feedback and hone your performance further.   “Your sales pitch echoes best when it’s a great pitch. And every sales pitch is just a little bit better when it sounds enthusiastic, natural, authentic, and comes from the heart.” - Steve Bookbinder   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: The reason why your sales and appointment calls should start with a script Internalizing and perfecting your script to sound authentic The risks and pitfalls of not using a script A step-by-step strategy to create and construct your script Why using the fewest number of words creates the most powerful message How to practice enthusiasm Why you should physicalize your phone message   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.

Business owners or owners of a sales territory are responsible for growing sales. To know whether sales numbers are going up or down, you need to track various metrics, including the stage of prospects. However, salespeople are not generally good at tracking things. If they were, then they would be in another career, such as accounting. The problem gets worse because sales trainers will tell you to track a bunch of things when, in fact, what you need to do, is simplify the process.   So, what metrics should salespeople track to increase their sales year over year?   In today’s lunchbreak training, I share what you should track to increase your sales and reveal where to look in your figures for success and motivation. I share nine crucial things that you should track in your sales pipeline to create a ‘last week versus this week’ report. I also discuss each metric and how they reveal where opportunities exist to boost your sales numbers and ensure this year is more successful than last year.   “Don’t track just to beat yourself up.” - Steve Bookbinder   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: Finding successes in your figures to boost motivation Looking at your pipeline and setting goals for almost closed sales Creating a ‘last week versus this week report’ Tracking the number of first appointments, live prospects, total value, and average value Tracking your conversion ratio and negotiating efficiency Comparing your average proposal value to your average contract value   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.

Entrepreneurs and business owners often have a lot of questions about selling. How do you grow your business or start your sales process all over again when offering a new product or service? As a service-based business, how do you sell yourself and find the right kind of clients to attract to your organization? In the digital age of marketing, how do you increase your sales game to attract local clients and buyers? These are all questions I’m frequently asked from entrepreneurs and business executives. So, today, I want to answer some of your most pressing questions about Echo Selling and selling in general. In today’s lunchbreak training, I answer the questions I get asked most often by taking a look at the fan mail from our growing audience. I share how you can make B2B echo selling work in your local area and highlight where to get started in training your sales team on echo selling through pipeline development and effective word choice. I also discuss the nuances of making your echo louder than your competitors echo and reveal how small companies with a low training budget can put a development plan in motion.   “Anytime you make your goal very specific, you’re halfway there to accomplishing it.” - Steve Bookbinder   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: The effectiveness of local b2b echo selling How to make echo selling work in a local market How to get your team to start echoing their pitch by building their pipeline Finding the right word choice to get your message to echo How to out-echo your competitors How small companies can find help on a small budget   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.

If you’re thinking about starting your own company, you may be hesitant about taking a risk and leaving your job to start a company. Perhaps you’re considering starting a company because you are unemployed or between jobs, or maybe you want to come out of retirement. If you can't make enough money in your career or if you have a boss that is making your life miserable, then you will have further motivation to set out on your own, but the most common reaction you're going to get when discussing the premise of starting your company will center on how scary and risky it is to make this change. So, can you find more security through producing your own paycheck? In today's lunchbreak training, I discuss why your paycheck is more secure when you work for yourself. I share how, as a company with multiple clients, you can mitigate your earnings risks and have more paycheck security than employees. I reveal how you can find happiness and passion by doing only the thing that you do best. I also highlight why you should recalculate the risks of starting your company and take the leap of faith to go for it.   “The power of somebody giving you a paycheck is out of your control. You mitigate that risk if you are the one producing the paycheck.” - Steve Bookbinder   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: The risks of getting a paycheck versus starting your own company Reducing the risks of producing your paycheck by having multiple clients The links of happiness and success with only doing the things you do best Working hard, being passionate, and going for gold Questioning why you are delaying making that career change Why contractors have more job security than employees   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.

When you’re just starting your business and trying to get things going, then you are likely in the pre-customer or pre-sale phase. Speaking to other professionals at business meetings is one way to find a new opportunity. You need to be at your very best to make your meetings memorable and to create a positive echo. So, how do you create a speech that makes you sound like the expert when presenting to potential buyers? In today’s lunchbreak training, I share how to improve your meeting and public speaking skills to create a positive echo. I discuss why you should stop practicing your presentations to death and finally take the stage to deliver your speech. I share how speaking at a variety of business meetings, conferences, and events will help you hone your skills and discover what your speech needs to improve. I also highlight the pitfalls to avoid and who to contact to find speaking opportunities.    “It’s not just who knows you, but how they met you.” - Steve Bookbinder   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: The classic public speaking and new social media skills you need The approach not to follow when creating your pitch, presentation, or speech Why you should stop practicing your presentation and start delivering it Why you should start your presentation with a working title and a summary Who you need to talk to at a trade organization about speaking at an event Why you must not talk like a salesperson when presenting your speech The different types of organizations looking for speakers     Resources Mentioned: ASAE     4 Actions to Take to Make Your Meetings More Memorable: Make a list of every organization you could speak at Create a title and summary of your presentation before you polish it so you can sell yourself and tweak the content rather than lose time creating something you’ll never use Keep adding to your titles and keep finding more organizations Continue to learn how to echo your pitch   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.

Selling most effectively should be the goal of all business owners and salespeople. This process begins with prospecting, so it is essential to start by focusing on your prospecting strategy. If you or your sales team make a mistake here, you may never get the chance to convert those prospects into sales. In today’s lunchbreak training, I share five more ways to sell like a sales department. I reveal the different buyer budgets you can tap into and how to consider which employee level to approach when engaging with a prospect for the first time.  I discuss how the value and number of sales will change your prospecting strategy and what you should and should not do during your sales calls. I also highlight why talking with a prospect over the phone is more effective than sending an email.   “Educate. Engage. Convert.” - Steve Bookbinder   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: The two types of budgets salespeople can tap into Considering which employee you should call Considering your prospecting strategy against the number of sales and the average value What not to do when contacting a prospect Why you need to educate and engage before you can convert Balancing giving value versus asking for money Why calling is better than emailing   It’s Time to Get More Sales   Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.

The invention of the internet has significantly changed the landscape of many industries. Business today has changed and evolved in just about every aspect. Many of the techniques and strategies we used to sell and promote our products and services aren’t as effective today as they once were. Consumers - including B2B customers - now rely heavily on the digital arena to make buying decisions. So, how can you leverage the digital world to make more sales, easier, for your organization? In today’s training episode, I discuss the art and science of selling in the digital world. I discuss how the internet has impacted B2B sales and purchasing decisions and the four ‘I want’ moments that drive all online behavior. I discuss how changing your mindset to think like a digital marketer can improve your ability to close sales. I also explain what digital thinking means, why selling in today’s digital world requires digital thinking, and the seven things that all leading digital marketers consider when trying to reach more customers and make more sales.   “To sell to a B2B customer who buys like a consumer, we need to think like digital marketers.” - Steve Bookbinder   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: How salespeople can make more sales by thinking digitally The difference between empathy and ROI and how focusing on them can impact your sales Identifying your mission as a sales representative Restating your goals as problems to be creatively solved and how it helps you prioritize your goals and improve your time management skills Understanding how your customers make purchasing decisions Reframing your mistakes as opportunities to learn and improve The difference between optimizing your performance and scaling your results Why the key to optimizing is to test new ideas and techniques The concept of scaling through networking     4 Steps to Start Selling in a Digital World: Rewrite and rehearse your elevator pitch with a renewed focus on passion and empathy. Ask every prospect about the details of the last time they made a decision to buy something similar to your product or service. Ask them what they’ve done so far about addressing their challenges - and why they haven’t bought yet. Remain open to learning.   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website. Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

As a business owner, you know that sales are the lifeblood of your company. You know that if you have a great idea, your company could become the next ‘household name’ in your industry - if only someone would give you a chance. You may have no customers yet or just have the idea of a business. You may be going to market with products and services or have a tested product that has been sold in other countries and want to expand to new territories. Your goals will be to generate more sales than a solo salesperson could get - and with the right approach - you can grow from a few sales here or there to big sales, lead flow, and deal flow. In today’s lunchbreak training, I explain the keys to selling like a sales department. I share why it is vital to begin with a long-term mindset by thinking ahead but also reflect on your positions and goals for the next year to determine what you should do now to fulfill those goals. I reveal why you need to be okay with a full schedule and set time for prospecting, networking, and strategy testing. I also explain how you should set specific sales goals and how to find a balance between quantitative and qualitative approaches to sales marketing.   “Quality versus quantity is the new efficient versus effective.” - Steve Bookbinder   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:   Why you should begin your sales approach with a long-term mindset Planning time for prospecting, networking, emailing, and social networking Being okay with a busy schedule Finding the balance between quantity and quality AB testing your sales emails Setting a specific sales goal   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.

Influencing enough influencers to generate leads and sales is the goal of the best echo sellers. It is vital to begin your echo process with the right potential influencers, and you will need a viable approach to reach these people. The question of how to meet more influencers is one that all salespeople ponder, but there are a few secrets to building relationships and setting up echo selling meetings.   In today’s lunchbreak training, I share how to influence the influencers in our echo selling process. I share why face-to-face, voice-to-voice, and in-person meetings are vital. I explain how to set up an echo selling meeting with several different approaches and tactics. I share the value of developing relationships away from a strict seller/buyer position. I also share why you should set up long-term payoff meetings alongside short-term payoff meetings as well as the value of creating a credibility package.   “The gold medal of echo selling is viral marketing - where people tell people in their circle who tell people in their circle until millions of people end up knowing about something.”- Steve Bookbinder   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: Why it's critical to echo sell voice-to-voice and, ideally, face-to-face How to set up echo meetings and scripts and approaches you can use to get started Changing the relative position of buyer/seller to two professionals in the same world Setting up meetings to present your 'full capabilities program' Why it's vital to schedule meetings with-short term and long-term payoffs Creating a credibility package   4 Steps to Influencing the Influencers: Make a list of people you believe are potential influencers Call one of them Don't ask for a ‘next step’ after your coffee meeting but do send a nice thank you note Continue to learn how to echo your pitch   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.

To gain more inbound leads, you need to prospect in the right way. You need to proactively reach out to someone in some way and do it right in terms of quantity, quality, and frequency. However, everything else often becomes a barrier to prospecting, which results in not prospecting enough. Finding time to prospect is even more vital when we appreciate that it is filled with a lot of frustration, failed attempts to engage, and no direct way to monitor if it is working. To tackle time management for prospecting, you need to be open to how to fill your time and balance sales processing so that it doesn’t take time away from prospecting. In today’s lunchbreak training, I share how to use your time management to prioritize prospecting. I highlight the differences between managing and monitoring your time. I share how to assign time to your tasks and how breaking down prospecting into chunks can accelerate your effectiveness. I highlight how to set deadlines and prioritize your calendar. I also share how the most valuable task each day is to create an appointment or speak to a new prospect.   “It's not about time management; it's knowing that your time is being used in the right way. Hence, your time has aligned with your goals.” - Steve Bookbinder   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: Why you should set a ‘personal busyness’ record Managing your time over monitoring it Assigning minutes to tasks Breaking down and separating prospecting into chunks Setting different types of tasks to the timeslots when you do the tasks best Setting deadlines and fueling your motivation with a full calendar Adopting a strict regimen of prioritizing revenue-generating activities Why your number one task each day should be to create an appointment to speak with someone new Advancing prospects as your second priority   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.   And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.

As sales professionals, it can be difficult to describe complex and sophisticated products to sophisticated buyers, unsophisticated buyers, and buyers that know less than they think they know. You need to appear credible and resist the urge to try and impress the buyer with complicated words and expressions. Using the right language shows competence and shows that you have insights into the client’s problem. However, using the wrong type of language can cost you the sale, so you need to know how to translate your sales pitch at the right level. In today’s lunchbreak training, I share how to translate your sales pitch into plain speak to promote echo selling. I share why it is vital to learn different ways to say your elevator pitch for clients with varying levels of understanding. I explain why you should be ready with level setting questions and how to find a way to make the person comfortable while you explain sophisticated language and solutions. I also reveal the business jargon you should avoid using and why you should use metaphors.   “Metaphors and plain-speak are what is going to echo when you are not in the room.” - Steve Bookbinder   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: Why you should always defer to plain speak Taking complicated subjects and talking about them in plain speak Understanding where the customer is, relative to you Demonstrating an understanding of the client's challenges How to manage language deficits on either side of the table Starting meetings with a level set question Business buzzwords to avoid Using clear expressions and metaphors   4 Actions to Take this Week to Put Plain Speak into Action: Write down your elevator pitch so you can see it and manipulate the language Roleplay your pitch to all three groups of customers Learn to sound smart by asking smart questions Continue to learn how to echo your pitch   It’s Time to Get More Sales   Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.

Arthur Germain is the Founder and Principal Brandteller of Communication Strategy Group, a company that creates and promotes brand stories for more significant B2B customer impact. He is the Co-Founder of the Long Island Speakers Bureau and has held senior positions at the Marcomm Group and Symbol Technologies. Arthur has a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications Media from the State University of New York, College of Fredonia. Arthur joins me today to share how SMBs should construct brand awareness campaigns. He reveals how the Communication Strategy Group helps businesses with complex products and services develop their brand story. He shares the essential elements companies should focus on when creating awareness for their brand, including describing the problem of their customers and why they do what they do. Arthur also shares how to develop a marketing story when pivoting a business and highlights the best activities for raising brand awareness.   “Storytelling is talking about the way that you serve your customers in their language and the value they get.” - Arthur Germain   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: Promoting the 'why them' with businesses that have a complex service, product, or story to tell Focusing marketing on what delivers the greatest ROI Crafting a sales message that describes the problem of your customer Determining why you do what you do What SMBs need to consider when pivoting their business The value of getting feedback on the language you use Determining the best activities to raise awareness of your brand   Resources Mentioned: Start with Why by Simon Sinek   Connect with Arthur Germain: Communication Strategy Group Arthur Germain on LinkedIn   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.

Salespeople and sales team leaders are always searching for ways to get customers in a very distracted world with many similar competitors. If you have a high-pressure meeting coming up, you are probably thinking about the best way to prepare and plan to get the sale. To meet this objective, you are likely considering the best way to construct your answers to the questions that all salespeople must answer. In today’s lunch break training, I share why the trick to finding echo selling magic is word choice. I discuss preparing your word choice and elevator pitch ahead of meetings and how to construct answers to four seemingly easy to answer questions that stop most sellers from advancing their sales. I explain the difference between telling and selling and why you should focus on one more than the other. I also discuss why you should prepare ten customer stories before your high-pressure meetings.   “Word choice is one of those things that salespeople don’t pay enough attention to.” - Steve Bookbinder   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: The importance of planning word choice ahead of meetings Rehearsing your pitch for high-pressure meetings How the customer's point of view is different from those of salespeople The misconceptions that salespeople often believe How to develop answers to four crucial questions that stop sales advancement Why and when to use an elevator pitch Telling versus selling When and how to use customer stories   4 Actions to Advance Your Sales: Draft your answers with your team following my instructions. Roleplay delivering the answers. Remember, they have to work verbally in a meeting - not just in an email. In your next sales meeting, wait for the right moment to ask: "Do you know how we are different?" then roll out your answer. Continue to learn how to echo your pitch.   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.

If you are a new business owner or salesperson joining a new company, then getting that first sale can seem like an impossible barrier to break. This first-ever sale or first sale of a new product is vital because it can start the next wave and improve the mix of sales in your company’s portfolio. If that first sale hasn’t arrived, then you might begin to doubt yourself, putting emotions and a psychological element into the equation. If this occurs, then you need to find a way to remove the plug from the sales pipeline to start a flow of deals. In today’s Saturday training, I share how owners and new salespeople can attract that first sale. I highlight the value of branding campaigns and how to initiate your first conversation with a potential client. I share why mass marketing campaigns are ineffective and stress the importance of flexibility when sealing the first deal. I also share ways to turn the tables on money being a barrier to becoming an incentive of working with you and buying your products and services.   “Lowering your price does not necessarily make your offer more attractive.” - Steve Bookbinder   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: How to get the word out and attract your first sale The effective versus efficient conundrum Why branding campaigns work and support everything you do How to find direct response quality Initiating your first client conversation Why mass marketing won't get you your first sale The importance of being flexible in your first deal Changing money from being an obstacle to becoming an incentive to work together Developing timetables and benchmarks   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.

Busy sales professionals often find it hard to manage their time, and as a result, they tend to fill every moment of their day with tasks that won’t result in meeting their goals. No matter how fast they work, they never get to everything, and hence, won’t be in front of their customers when they are ready to buy. The critical questions to ask and answer are: how do you prioritize activities to get you to your goals and how do you achieve this payoff through better time management? In today’s lunchbreak training, I share the tweaks you need to make to your time management that will bring in results. I reveal the action strategies that will help you manage your time and maximize your echo-powered sales results. I highlight one tweak that delivers more sales consistently. I also share how you can meet your long-term goals by improving relationships within your network.   “No matter how you manage your time - ultimately - you need to be in front of customers whenever they are ready.” - Steve Bookbinder   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: The filing system versus a finding system approach to sales Aligning your time with your goals The one time management change that primes echo selling What ‘you never know meetings’ are The time management tweak that consistently delivers more sales easier Being open to meeting the right person at the right time Improving network relationships to focus on your long-term goals     4 Actions to Take to Build Upon Today’s Session: Make appointments with people in your network, even if there is no obvious immediate payoff Learn how to learn about people and their industry Practice the art of managing your time rather than letting your time manage you Continue to learn how to echo your pitch   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website. Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

Chuck Russell is the chairman and chief knowledge officer at BestWork DATA, a company that helps businesses tackle everyday problems through assessing people-data. He is the author of several books, including No Bad Hires: Bad Hires Are Now Optional. Chuck is an international speaker who focuses on practical and pragmatic solutions to real problems through the understanding of people’s values and strengths. He has a BS in Economics from Spring Hill College and studied Physics and Industrial Management at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Chuck joins me today to discuss sales hiring and how to leverage data to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your sales team. He reveals what skills can and cannot be trained and how the data from assessment tests highlight job and role suitability. He highlights three traits that are essential for salespeople to possess and how assessment data can be used to steer career paths most effectively. Chuck also shares advice for hiring a manager and encourages everyone to be a student of what they do.   “Data gives you the ability to recognize the difference between the person who can go out and pioneer and capture new business versus the person who can manage and grow it.” - Chuck Russell   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: Personality traits that can and cannot be trained or changed How sales skills are trainable Finding relevance in assessment tests How your personality traits dictate which sales environment you will be successful in Why data is essential for hiring the right person Positioning your sales team in the right roles Three critical traits for being successful in sales Using data to create valid career paths Advice for hiring managers   Connect with Chuck Russell: BestWork DATA Chuck Russell in LinkedIn No Bad Hires: Bad Hires Are Now Optional Right Person, Right Job: Guess or Know   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website. Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

Gordon Borrell is the CEO of Borrell Associates Inc., a local media research and analysis company that creates reports to provide insights and support to digital marketing teams. Gordon entered the media industry in 1970 as a newspaper reporter and has since held executive roles at companies like Landmark Communications. He is an executive board member of the Local Media Foundation and holds a B.A. in Political Science from the Old Dominion University. Gordon joins me today to talk about the untapped media opportunities in local advertising, marketing, and sales. He shares details on the resources provided by Burrell Associates and their Compass service and reveals how businesses are adjusting their marketing spend. He highlights the 2020 local ad spending forecasts and shares how TV and radio can help companies achieve their digital goals through branding and awareness. Gordon also shares why it is vital to cultivate relationships, rather than solely focusing on the sale.   “Advertising is an investment and you have to put money into it for some time for it to provide a return.” - Gordon Borrell   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: How research data highlights huge opportunities for sales, advertising, and media organizations 2020 forecasts for local ad spend How companies are adjusting their advertising spend Digital advertising spend versus linear spend on broadcast TV and radio The lower margins in providing digital services The problems and opportunities for the radio and TV industries The branding element in advertising How TV and radio can achieve a company's digital goals Engaging in conversations versus constantly selling     Connect with Gordon Borrell: Borrell Associates Inc. Gordon Borrell on LinkedIn Compass   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website. Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

Kyle Jepson is the Senior Inbound Sales Professor at HubSpot and the HubSpot Academy, which helps transform the ways that small to mid-sized businesses sell. He is passionate about creating educational content for inbound marketers and salespeople, including software training, online courses, projects, and certifications. Kyle has a Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics from Boston University and a Bachelor’s degree in the English Language from Brigham Young University. Kyle joins me today to share how businesses can maximize their sales potential through inbound marketing. He reveals why companies need to bring their sales team and marketing team together through one set of goals and highlights the online elements that need to be in place to engage with potential customers. He shares why it is vital to add value in our content, regardless of whether it is in the form of video or written content. Kyle also reveals why salespeople need to modify their approach and language with customers who now conduct research online.   “Buyers are smart and have a lot of resources. They are only going to get frustrated if you hide information from them.” - Kyle Jepson   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: Misconceptions about inbound marketing Creating a single set of goals for marketing and sales How 50% of B2B buyers are shopping like B2C buyers Why pricing for products and services need to be visible online Dividing leads into four categories to efficiently capture sales Finding a niche or gap in the market Adding value through research and narrowing down your keywords Why salespeople should create content that adds value Video versus written content and which day of the week to post The one question marketers should ask their sales team Being authentic and the value of talking to your customers     Connect with Kyle Jepson: HubSpot HubSpot Academy HubSpot Academy on YouTube Kyle Jepson on LinkedIn   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website. Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

FFT Int004 - Talking Digital Marketing & Brand Safety with Digital Thought Leader Rob Rasko Rob Rasko is a digital marketing leader and the Chief Executive Officer at The 614 Group, an organization that offers consulting services,  research, and events for the marketing and media industry. Rob has extensive experience in brand safety, third party media selling, and buying compliance. He has previously held senior roles at companies such as IAB, CPX Interactive, and Endai Worldwide. In 1994, Rob obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the State University of New York at Albany. Rob joins me today to share how digital marketing and brand safety are affecting organizations today. He shares why businesses need to assess the risks of advertising fraud and brand suitability and highlights the benefits of partnering with TAG certified digital advertisers. Rob describes how programmatic advertising is operating today and why there is continued investment in the technology. He also reveals what research suggests will be important in 2020 in the digital marketing space.   “Every brand is going to have a different risk calculation.” - Rob Rasko   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: Rob’s background in business and finance and transitioning to digital marketing The evolution of The 614 Group's Brand Digital Safety Summit How adding a third party takes away transparency and adds risk to a marketer How Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) is working to eliminate fraudulent digital advertising traffic How third-party ad verification used to work The role of the Media Rating Council (MRC) in preventing ad fraud What brand suitability means and fraud thresholds Objectionable material versus fraud The future of programmatic advertising in a world of brand suitability What to expect in 2020   Resources Mentioned: TAG MRC   Connect with Rob Rasko: The 614 Group Rob Rasko on LinkedIn   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website. Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

FFT Int003 - Talking about the Strategic Intersection of Business, PR, and Marketing with Communications Expert Henry Feintuch Henry Feintuch is the President of Feintuch Communications, a boutique award-winning technology PR firm that helps organizations with public relations, advertising, marketing, social media, and investor relations. Henry is a senior communications practitioner and former broadcast journalist with 30 years of experience. He is the co-founder of JumpStart Global Advisor and the CFO of the PR World Alliance. Henry has a Bachelor’s degree in TV and radio from Brooklyn College, CUNY, and is a member of the Board of Directors for the NY Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. Henry joins me today to discuss the strategic intersection of business, PR, and marketing. He shares the role of public relations and how they differ from those of a copywriter or advertiser. He explains how salespeople can share their knowledge online and stresses why authenticity is a vital component. Henry highlights how to put a multi-layered sales and marketing strategy in place, how to develop trust, and when you should and should not use commercial language. He also shares three things you should do capture the attention of a buyer within the first 20 seconds.   “It's the job of a PR practitioner to deliver content that is objectively valuable, free of hyperbole, positions the company or its product or service in a progressive manner, and leaves the reader thinking this is something I ought to check into.” - Henry Feintuch   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: The services and intricacies of press relations How the roles of copywriters and journalists differ The differences between PR and advertising, including bias and objectivity Being objective about the audience and their needs How salespeople should share their knowledge through bylined articles Why authenticity is the key to PR and content creation Using a multi-layered sales and marketing approach Doing your homework on the prospect of your sales meeting Developing trust and when to use commercial and non-commercial language Capturing the attention of the buyer in the first 20 seconds Brainstorming ways of accomplishing the business objective of the client   Connect with Henry Feintuch: Feintuch Communications Henry Feintuch on LinkedIn   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website. Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

FFT014 - Getting Others to Echo Your Sales Pitch  It can be challenging to make a living when you only have small accounts to sell to. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if you could get others to sell to people they know better than you do? They could share your offer to a room of skeptical people, giving it weight and credibility. But - how do you get others to echo your sales pitch?  Finding a person who is motivated to help you is the key.  In today’s lunchbreak training, I share how to get others to echo your sales pitch. I share how my thinking evolved into finding others who are potentially motivated to echo your pitch. I discuss where the opportunities lie and what the perfect echo partner will look like. I also share why an echoed message might be more powerful than promoting yourself and how to prepare an echo chain and structure a deal.     “Nothing produces more sales easier than getting others to help you sell to people they know better than you do.” - Steve Bookbinder    This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:  Finding people that benefit when they promote you and your business  Discovering who is motivated to help you  Why the right person will support and echo your offer  Opportunities and where echo selling excels  Creating an event/networking lunch  The power of using already satisfied customers to tell prospects about you  How to prepare your echo chain  How to structure a deal that is novel yet simple enough to repeat    Resources Mentioned:  ASAE    4 Steps to get others to Echo your Sales Pitch:  Make a list of targeted accounts and think about which professional membership organizations they belong to  Learn who your target buys services from and what products or services they resell  Learn who else is trying to sell to that targeted company and consider teaming up with them  Continue to learn how to echo your sales pitch     It’s Time to Get More Sales  Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.  And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.  Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com 

FFT013 - Getting Your Sales Pitch to Echo Do you find that you give your sales pitch to prospective clients, only to never hear from them again? Perhaps you are not shaping and delivering your message in a way that will resonate, echo, and carry on. With the right sounding pitch, you can get your message to more people than you can ever prospect to, increasing the likelihood of a decision-maker buying your product or service. In today’s lunch break training, I share how to get your sales pitch to echo. I explain how a simple message will travel farther and get your customer on the front end of your sales message. I share how to determine the problem your customer is most likely facing to choose the words that they are using internally. I also highlight why it is vital to perfect your message and get feedback from an objective coach or mentor.    “From the customer’s point of view, the only things they echo are the problems they are facing, the solutions that are working, and the next solutions they need.” - Steve Bookbinder This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: How to get your sales pitch to echo by simplifying your message How one word alone can trigger your customer to  echo Why most roleplays of your sales pitch will not echo Crafting a sales pitch with a combination of confidence and choice words Determining the problem your customer needs to solve Creating a pitch that replicates the words the client uses when you are not in the room   4 Steps to Begin Echoing Your Sales Pitch this Week: Brainstorm with the right people to determine the main problem your customer is facing Roleplay your pitch until you can execute it perfectly Find a coach to give you feedback on your pitch Continue to learn how to echo your pitch   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website. Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

FFT012 - Don't Be Annoying Do you, as a salesperson, find yourself asking vague questions that don’t get the responses you desire? Maybe, your sales performance isn’t meeting the grade, or perhaps you are a manager and your team is underachieving. Could you be violating the number one sales rule - which is costing you sales, praise, and a positive reputation? Even though we don’t set out to be annoying deliberately, as salespeople, we need to consider that the problem may be with us. In today’s lunchbreak training, I share why it is vital to avoid being annoying. I explain why you shouldn’t cross that line and end up in a position where it is impossible to claw your way back. I share how to avoid annoying your customers by eliminating seemingly innocent conversation-starter questions that instantly lead them to feel annoyed. I also highlight the four steps you should take to replace annoying behaviors with helpful ones.   “Anticipate the full range of answers before you finish wordsmithing your question.” - Steve Bookbinder This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: How starting the conversation with the wrong question can make you appear annoying The three most common and annoying sales questions Why you should replace the question: what keeps you up at night? How being micro-specific demonstrates that you understand the concerns of the customer Why you shouldn't ask: if you had a magic wand and could create a product, service, or solution of your dream… Why you should avoid using I'm just calling to see if you have any questions? 4 Steps to Replace Annoying with Helpful: Think about replacement questions for the three big annoying questions we ask In advance of those real meetings, role-play practice with a co-worker to anticipate all possible answers and optimize your question’s wording Practice the art of research and ask the customer a question instead of asking if they have a question Continue to learn how to phrase your questions It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website. Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

Salespeople may be masters of persuasion, but when a decision goes back to the customer’s office, we need to influence what happens next to get that sale. Of course, many salespeople believe that the easiest way to echo their sales pitch is by attending the meeting with their contact’s colleagues and presenting the sales pitch themselves. But, there are other ways to get that sale without being present at that meeting. So, how do you get your contact to echo your sales pitch? In today’s lunchbreak training, I explain what echo selling is and how to use it to get more sales, easier. I explain why your customers seek external approval from their co-workers and how to encourage them to echo your sales pitch to get positive confirmation from their colleagues. I share strategies for staying top-of-mind with your customers and how to create an echo ally in their organization. I also share the four steps you should follow to create an echo in your target accounts. “It’s not the salesperson’s words, but the confirming echo between our contact and their co-workers.”- Steve Bookbinder   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: Why your sales contacts seek approval from their co-workers How echo selling encourages positive confirmation between your contact and their co-workers How to gain your customer’s attention and stay top of mind Strategies for creating an echo effect when speaking with your customer Contacting your contact’s co-workers to prime an echo ally How echo selling can be used with referral sources, distribution channels, and partnerships 4 Steps to Start Echo Selling: Select the target company. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is properly completed. Follow our social selling playbook. Continue to learn about echo selling   It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website. Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

David Buonfiglio is the Vice President of Digital at TVB, an industry trade association for local broadcast television. In his role, he is responsible for supporting broadcast television’s commitment to providing the New York area’s advertisers with high-quality, state-of-the-art digital advertising products and services. Before joining TVB, David held executive roles at a variety of broadcasting companies, including Cordillera Digital and Barrington Broadcasting. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor at Boston University. David obtained a Bachelor’s degree at Amherst College and a Master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism at Northwestern University. David joins me today to share his journey from working in television broadcasting to becoming a media sales professional. We discuss how advertisers can compete and succeed in the ever-changing landscape of digital advertising and how advertisers can leverage using OTT to increase their sales. We discuss the sales opportunities currently present in the media and broadcasting space and why it’s crucial for medial salespeople to try new things and learn from their mistakes and failures. We also discuss the challenges many member organizations face when recruiting media sales professionals and David shares his advice for new salespeople entering the media and broadcasting space. “Local businesses have to find a way to have a digital presence to effectively compete in this new world.” - David Buonfiglio This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: David’s career journey through the media and broadcasting industry How the advertising landscape is changing and the new innovations hitting the digital market What OTT advertising is and the advantages of leveraging this advertising platform Why advertisers are hesitant of using OTT advertising to promote their products and services The various advertising platforms you can use to leverage OTT advertising The scalability of OTT advertising and the most challenging aspects of this method The sales opportunities that currently exist in media and broadcasting and how these opportunities have evolved over the last few years What media salespeople need to consider when working with advertisers The importance of trying new things and learning from failure as a media sales professional The challenges many member organizations face when recruiting media salespeople What is ATSC 3.0 and how it opens the door to targeted ads for media advertisers How David pivoted his career from working as a news broadcaster to working in media sales David’s advice to new salespeople entering the media and broadcasting sales industry Connect with David Buonfiglio: TVB LinkedIn It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website. Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

FFT011 Talking Sales and Digital Media with Advertising Tycoon David J. Moore David J. Moore is a serial entrepreneur, an advertising tycoon, and the CEO of BritePool. BritePool is a company dedicated to connecting consumers, advertisers, and publishers through smarter, more responsible data-sharing strategies while securing their “identities” under the anticipated new laws that govern consumer data protection. With over 40 years of experience in media and technology, David has vast experience in all areas of the digital marketing arena. He is a member of the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee and has previously served on the boards of DASL and DTSI. David Moore joins me today to share his journey into sales and digital media and how he became known as an advertising tycoon. We discuss the importance of positive thinking and being enthusiastic and how it impacts your ability to achieve your sales goals. We discuss why it’s critical to focus on your strengths instead of your weaknesses and the value of practicing your sales skills to continue to improve. We discuss the work habits every salesperson should develop to become more effective and efficient and what proper sales etiquette is in today’s digital marketplace. We also discuss how digital media sales differ from traditional sales and David shares advice for salespeople in the media industry. “Selling media digitally is a lot different than selling it in the traditional sense.” - David J. Moore   This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: How David got started in sales and marketing and how he became known as a sales and advertising tycoon What inspired him to work with BritePool The value of positive thinking and being enthusiastic The importance of focusing on your strengths instead of your weaknesses The impact of being persistent and persevering to close the sale Critical work habits every salesperson needs to develop The value of building relationships and how they impact your sales goals Proper sales etiquette in today’s sales and marketing environment The value of giving and receiving feedback and positive reinforcement What the future holds for sales executive careers and how artificial intelligence will impact the future sales workforce David’s advice for salespeople in the media industry Resources Mentioned: The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done by Peter F. Drucker The One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson M.D Connect with David J. Moore: BritePool It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.   Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

Do you know how many opportunities you need to get a sale? Throughout the history of B2B sales, sales professionals and their managers have vehemently believed that ‘more is better’ - that the more opportunities you have, the more sales you’ll make. But is this mantra really true? Is it based on fact? Or are sales professionals simply doing a rain dance to get more leads and sales?   At what point do you like your odds?   In today’s lunchbreak training session, I explain how you can reduce risk by adapting a pipeline-driven mindset. I discuss how to make more sales easier with fewer, higher quality prospects. I explain the three-step process for developing a pipeline management mindset and how your aspirational pipeline impacts the prospecting strategy you need to help you achieve your sales goals with fewer prospects. I also explain how adopting a pipeline management mindset can help you achieve your monthly sales goals as well as help new sales professionals on your team quickly adopt a winning pipeline management system while reducing administrative tasks for sales managers.       “Adding more to your pipeline and thinking quantity alone will cause more sales is the rain dance that most sellers - and their managers - are dancing to.” - Steve Bookbinder       This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:   Focusing on the right prospects to fill your pipeline and increase your odds The three-step process for developing a pipeline management mindset How your aspirational pipeline determines the right prospecting strategy Maintaining the strength of your ‘90-percent’ prospect stage Inspecting your pipeline velocity How adopting a pipeline management system can help you achieve your monthly sales goals, simplify training new hires, and reduce sales administration tasks for sales managers     4 Steps to Properly Manage Your Pipeline:   Determine your ideal pipeline and compare it to your real pipeline. Inspect the 90-percent and pre-90-percent stages to eliminate everything that doesn’t fit your rigid definitions and sales cycles. Visit our website for a comprehensive online program to help your team quickly adopt the pipeline management system. Reserve a coaching break with me.         It’s Time to Get More Sales   Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.   And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.   Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

Closing big sales can sometimes be a challenge - and even a little scary. There are thousands of great sales coaches that teach the ‘best practices’ for closing sales, but none of those best practices will work unless you first address your personal monetary weak spots. As sales representatives, we must exude confidence and sincere belief in our products - and our prices - when we open the door to conversations about money, especially when we’re trying to close a big deal.   In today’s lunchbreak training, I share how to set your sights on your big scary sales goals and how your personal reaction to your prices impact your ability to close big deals. I explain the importance of identifying your monetary weak spots and fears of success and how they impact your overall success in closing big deals. I also share powerful strategies you can use this week to eliminate your personal monetary weaknesses to start closing big deals for your organization.       “Closing a big sale has more to do with your own reactions to your price than your customer’s reaction.” - Steve Bookbinder       This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:   The importance of identifying your monetary weak spot number How to recognize your fear of success Confronting your fears of big sales The value of asking for ‘post-mortem meetings’ with customers that have rejected your sales bid How to change your reaction to your prices     Resources Mentioned:   The Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T. Harv Eker     4 Steps to Search & Destroy Your Personal Monetary Weakness Number:   Find ways to learn what your competitors charge and the level of service they deliver. Script your ROI statement. Consider all of the benefits and your service level, then script your ROI pitch. Roleplay practice performing your ROI pitch - live and in-person. Maintain that positive roleplay energy.         It’s Time to Get More Sales   Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.   And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.   Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

What is the one skill that the top 20% of sales professionals have that many others seem to lack? Imagination. Your imagination, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills are crucial for meeting and exceeding your sales goals. And while many people believe that your imagination disappears as you age - I believe it behaves more like a muscle that simply needs to be exercised regularly to avoid deterioration.   In today’s lunchbreak training, I discuss how your imagination impacts your sales results. I discuss why sales professionals should practice role-playing techniques to find innovative and imaginative solutions to difficult challenges. I also share a few mind-stretching exercises to strengthen your imagination muscle as well as four actionable strategies you can use this week to improve your role-playing and sales results.       “Your imagination is like a muscle - it atrophies with disuse, but it gets bigger and better with ongoing use.” - Steve Bookbinder       This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:   The importance of imagination and role-playing when faced with difficult sales challenges Mind-stretching exercises to strengthen your imagination muscle What sales professionals can learn from improv actors Delivering a compelling rationale to your customer How to make more services cost less to meet your customer’s budget Brainstorming creative ideas to help your customer gain approval from their boss     4 Steps to Stretch Your Powers of Imagination:   Schedule time to conduct mind-stretching exercises. Schedule time to play these mind-stretching exercises again within the next three weeks. Challenge yourself to think of one more exercise. Keep up the learning and development momentum.         It’s Time to Get More Sales   Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.   And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.   Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

In most professional sports, there are coaches and cheerleaders. Coaches teach you how to improve your skills and encourage you down the path of success. Cheerleaders, on the other hand, cheer and root for you on the sidelines and congratulate you on your wins. So, what can we, as sales professionals, learn from these professions?   If you were the coach and the playing field is the world of sales, would you put yourself in the field - or on the bench?   In today’s lunchbreak training, I explain how to be your own sales coach and cheerleader. I explain the roles of a sales coach and cheerleader, what sales coaches are supposed to do, and why no outside sales coach can help you until you develop your own inner coach. I explain the two different types of sales coaches and the various managing styles that sales managers use to motivate their teams to execute sales plans. I also share strategies you can use to help you develop your inner coach and how these techniques will impact your success.       “The more you focus on being your own coach with an exciting plan, the more your daily actions will be inspired by a larger plan.” - Steve Bookbinder       This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:   The importance of being your own sales coach and cheerleader The role of your sales manager How habits and routines can impact your personal development The connection between coaching and cheerleading The two types of sales coaches Understanding what motivates you and using it to your advantage Honestly assessing your strengths and weaknesses and adapting your plan to leverage your strengths Tracking the small and big wins and celebrating your successes     4 Steps to Develop Your Inner Coach:   Commit to an ongoing, weekly schedule of management meetings. Identify your biggest strengths and weaknesses and commit to finding more ways to leverage your strengths. Find a metric you can commit to that you can celebrate at the end of each day. Continue your self-development streak.         It’s Time to Get More Sales   Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.   And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.   Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

It’s crucial for salespeople to be well-equipped with lots of great ideas. But having an idea and getting a great reaction to your idea are two very different things. Not to mention - getting a great idea at the exact moment you need one can be quite a challenge to overcome. So, how do you come up with a great idea the moment you need it?   In today’s training episode, I share the 10 work habits that make up the creative process my team and I use to consistently and quickly develop great ideas. I explain how to create momentum to take your idea from concept to completion. I discuss why it’s important to schedule brainstorm sessions on your calendar and how taking breaks can help you recharge your creative energy. I also explain how continuously learning new concepts and skills helps fuel your creativity and why you should always write down your ideas - even if you’re not helpful for the project you’re currently working on.       “If you want a great idea to bloom, first gain creative momentum.” - Steve Bookbinder       This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:   The benefits of scheduling your brainstorming sessions with yourself or your team on your calendar Giving yourself a starting point to develop new ideas Using working titles for your big ideas Pruning your ideas and why it’s important to keep your writing and editing tasks separate in your process How changing the order of your proposal can impact your customer’s reaction The benefits of giving yourself (and your brain) a break to recharge your creativity How constantly learning new things fuels your creativity The importance of writing down all of your ideas - even if they won’t serve you immediately     4 Steps to Build Your Creative Momentum:   Schedule the brainstorming appointment. Save your “spare parts” into one easily found folder. Practice reacting to negative comments with encouragement instead of defensiveness. Keep the momentum going.         It’s Time to Get More Sales   Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.   And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.   Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

When professional athletes and athletic coaches practice before game day, one effective strategy they use to improve their odds of winning the game is to study the opposing team’s playstyle and history as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the players. This strategy has helped hundreds of teams win championship games and competitions.   So, what can sales professionals learn from professional athletes that can completely change the outcome of the sales game?   In today’s episode, I discuss how to play the sales game to win the short-game and the long game. I discuss the six lessons I learned about gameplay thinking that can be applied to your sales strategy and the benefits of applying game thinking to sales. I also explain how changing your sales strategy by viewing it as a game can improve your sales outcome and share tips and strategies you can use this week to begin applying these lessons and improve your game.       “Outcomes change when you change your opening and closing moves.” - Steve Bookbinder       This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:   How to give yourself more sales by dealing yourself more winning hands in the sales game The three key questions you should ask yourself to create more accurate sales forecasts Lessons I’ve learned by viewing sales as a game of strategy Why it’s important to have fun and enjoy your work as a salesperson Changing the outcome of the sale by modifying your opening and closing moves Reacting strategically vs emotionally to sales obstacles How small changes can have a massive impact on the short-term and long-term result Creating your own ‘sales luck’ by becoming more strategic in your sales approach     4 Steps to Change the Sales Game:   Make a list of your own strengths and weaknesses. Be honest! Find a metric to measure the improvement of one of your weaknesses. Add a self-coaching meeting with yourself each week to your calendar or diary. Use it to study your own metrics. Add one more meeting to your calendar.         It’s Time to Get More Sales   Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.   And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.   Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

How do people make decisions? Perhaps more importantly: WHY do they make the decisions they make? Understanding the psychology behind how and why of the decisions your customers make is critical for positioning your proposition as the best solution for their problem.   On today’s episode, I explain the psychological factors behind the corporate decision-making process and how to use it to produce more buying decisions. I explain how psychology - the customers and our own - guides us to make purchasing decisions and the connection between the customer’s tolerance to risk and their process for making a decision. I explain how the illusion of time can lead to a delay in the decision-making process and how to overcome this illusion by using the Backward Timetable strategy. I also explain how you can accelerate the relationship you want to develop with customers to drive faster decisions on your propositions.       “Lack of reassurance is the #1 reason people don’t make a decision.” - Steve Bookbinder       This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:   Identifying what does not encourage customers to make purchasing decisions Why customers choose to delay the buying process The psychological factors that impact the corporate decision-making process The connection between the customer’s risk tolerance and their decision-making process Identifying whether the customer is risk-averse or risk-tolerant and how you can use this information to make more sales How to learn what your competitors missed when speaking with your customer and how this can help you learn how much risk the customer is comfortable with before making a decision Comparing right-brain and left-brain thinking decision-making What Emotional Amplification means How to accelerate the relationship you want to develop with customers How public opinion and rational impacts the corporate buyer’s decision Helping customers rationalize their decision How peer consensus impacts the buyer’s decision How the illusion of time can often delay the buyer’s decision-making process What a Backward Timetable is and how it addresses the psychological decision-delayers     4 Steps to Drive More Purchasing Decisions:   Learn the rationale of your best customers. Learn the past buying pattern of every new prospect or customer contact you meet this week. Try the Backward Timetable in a sales meeting - especially if there is fuzziness about timelines, due dates, or the use of loose language. Lead by example.         It’s Time to Get More Sales   Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.   And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.   Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

Like all salespeople, you know there are five main parts of the sales process: Prospecting, Qualifying, Presenting, Negotiating, and Closing. Once you’ve learned how to master each of these areas, do you really need to continue learning new skills? What more could you possibly learn to improve your sales skills and make more sales? A lot. On today’s episode, I explain why you need to continually develop new skills in today’s modern sales environment. I discuss the importance of adapting the skills you already know and adopting new skills to be more successful. I explain the three questions your internal sales coach should challenge you with and the direct relationship between the effort you use to learn a new skill and adapting what you already know with your value as a salesperson. I also explain how to accurately measure a customer’s interest, how to identify where they are in the buying process, and why it’s crucial to practice creative thinking skills to find solutions to sales obstacles.       “You need ongoing training focused on adapting what you already know and adopting what you need.” - Steve Bookbinder       This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:   What it takes to adapt the skills you already know and adopt new skills What is an internal coach and how it differs from an external coach How focusing on avoiding failure - instead of punishing failure - leads to success The direct connection between the effort you use to learn a new skill, adapting what you already know and your worth as a salesperson The skills you need to gain a competitive edge, have better meetings, build better relationships, and build and maintain better pipelines The importance of being observant while talking to customers How to accurately measure a customer’s interest Practicing your creative thinking skills to find solutions to obstacles Applying the principles of game theory to your mental sales calculations     4 Steps to Improve Your Sales Skills Today:   Read a book, then change one thing about the way you prepare for a meeting based on that book. Pay attention to one new thing during your next sales meeting. Make appointments in your calendar to brainstorm creative next steps.         It’s Time to Get More Sales   Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.   And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.   Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com

FFT001 More Sales, Easier   Are you really ready to make more sales? Is there an easier way to make more sales for your organization? Every salesperson believes they are ready to make more sales, but less than 20% of sellers actually get more each year than the year before.   So, what do these 20% of sellers know that others don’t? How are they consistently reaching their ever-rising sales goals?   On today’s episode, I share simple strategies you can use today to make more sales, easier. I explain what sales psychology is and how it misleads your attention away from reaching higher goals. I share how poorly worded sales goals and following the wrong advice can impact your performance. I also share four easy steps you can take today to significantly increase your chances of achieving your sales goals.       “The way we think can mislead us.” - Steve Bookbinder       This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:   What is sales psychology The importance of being open to new ways of selling Understanding what confirmation bias is and how it limits your imagination Envisioning yourself reaching your sales goals while being realistic about the challenges you may face The right way to visualize the path to a challenging goal The importance of developing and strengthening your weaknesses Avoiding ‘sunk-cost’ decision-making The importance of well-worded, strategic sales goals Identifying the advice you should - and should not - follow to reach your sales goals Overcoming your fear of trying to discover the land of opportunity     4 Steps to Make More Sales, Easier:   Rewrite your goals. Ask yourself a hard question: Is this goal worth my time and effort? Challenge yourself to be brave. Align your time with your goal of ongoing personal development.         It’s Time to Get More Sales   Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.   And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.   Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.com