Predictable Prospecting's Podcast

Contact management matters, maybe more than you already know. Today’s guest knows it, which is why he goes out of his way to learn and understand even more about the business he’s in on a regular basis. Today, you’ll hear about Jon Ferrara, founder and CEO of Nimble. Listen in to learn more about his history, what Nimble does and how it can help, and some of the many things that Jon knows about CRM and content management. Episode Highlights: History of CRM and contact management How long Jon has been running Nimble Nimble’s relationship with Microsoft Where sales professionals are today Tools and processes for building relationships Why you need a process for serving others Nimble’s discount code: JON40 How a Twitter comment shifted into LinkedIn, email, and Jon’s calendar Working on staying top of mind to prospects, customers, and influencers Resources:  Jon Ferrara Nimble

Word of mouth recommendation has always been an important part of sales. Testimonials are vital. So of course, if you can find a way to leverage customer testimonials in your sales process, you can sell more effectively and close faster. Sam Shepler’s company helps you do just that. Sam is the founder and CEO of Testimonial Hero, and in today’s episode, you’ll learn more about that company and what they do. Listen in to learn why Sam decided to start Testimonial Hero, why video testimonials are so important, and what the Testimonial Hero process is like.  Episode Highlights: Why Sam decided to start a company dedicated to testimonials What Sam was doing before Testimonial Hero Why Sam specializes in video testimonials How COVID changed things for Sam’s company What the process is like after testimonials are sent in What kicks a service like Sam’s into high gear Who can benefit from Sam’s service The specific benefits of video The process and timeline for Sam’s team How listeners can learn more about Testimonial Hero Resources:  Sam Shepler Testimonial Hero

Compelling presentations are always difficult to create, but they’re an essential part of sales. And now there’s something that can help you organize and curate your various slides and get them ready to become a compelling presentation. Today you’re going to hear from James Ontra, the creator of the presentation management platform and communication strategy hub Shufflrr. Learn how Shufflr works, the different ways that it can help, and what inspired James to create Shufflrr in the first place.  Episode Highlights: Whether presentation management is a part of pitch decks How things are changing with COVID and how Shufflrr helps Why people need a library of slides How the speaker notes work Getting metrics from slide usage How to get started with curating slides James’s favorite onboarding experience Whether marketing drives the collection of assets Getting copies of a presentation What inspired James to develop Shufflrr How to check out Shufflrr Resources:  James Ontra Shufflrr

What do farming and sales have to do with each other, and why would you want to read a sales book written like an almanac? Today’s guest has thoughts about the connections between harvesting and sales, which is why he wrote the book Revenue Harvest: A Sales Leader’s Guide for Planning the Perfect Year. Listen in to hear more about Nigel’s work, where he gets started with his clients, and why he decided to write his book the way that he did. Episode Highlights: What Nigel does What equity-backed means to Nigel Nigel’s international clients Where Nigel gets started with advising companies How well the companies that Nigel works with know their audiences How long Nigel works with clients What prompted Nigel to put sales advice into a book that reads like an almanac The problem with taking a short-term view Where to find Nigel online Nigel’s six-step hiring process Resources:  Nigel Green Revenue Harvest

In an environment where many, if not most, businesses are suffering, how does a company grow by 300% during a pandemic? Today’s guest made it happen, and he wrote a book about it. Listen in to today’s episode to hear Marylou interview Brandon Bornancin, the entrepreneur who founded Seamless.AI and the author of the soon-to-be-released book Whatever It Takes: Master the Habits to Transform Your Business, Relationships, and Life. Listen in to hear Brandon discuss what happened to prompt him to write his book, how his company grew during the pandemic, and why it’s important to go all out for success.  Episode Highlights: Brandon’s book What happened to Brandon that resulted in him writing his book What Brandon’s company did to grow 300% in a pandemic The daily and weekly rhythms Brandon’s company used to enact their pandemic plan The okay-hour system Going all out for success Resources:  Brandon Bornancin Whatever It Takes: Master the Habits to Transform Your Business, Relationships, and Life

What is the best way to align sales and marketing for revenue growth? Today’s guest has answers. Darrell Amy is the author of the book The Revenue Growth Engine: How to Align Sales and Marketing to Accelerate Growth. Listen in to hear what Darrell has to say about the importance of processes, the power of interest, and the messaging of sales and marketing alignment. Episode Highlights: What got Darrell interested in writing a book The alignment between marking and sales and revenue growth The revenue growth engine processes The core numbers a business needs to know The power of interest The messaging of marketing and sales alignment How to get a focused message in a large company The step by step process outlined in Darrell’s book The tools available on Darrell’s website Resources:  Revenue Growth Engine Text “revenue” to 21000

What’s the best way to sell services? How does selling services differ from selling products? How can you convince a prospect that a particular professional service is right for them? Today’s guest is Liston Witherill, and his message is: serve, don’t sell. Listen in to hear what Liston has to say about what “serve, don’t sell” means, what the success path for selling services is, and the four steps that he recommends.  Episode Highlights: Why Liston got into professional services The success path for selling services What “serve, don’t sell” means Understanding that you’re adding value Drawing the map Understanding clients’ motivation Helping people make decisions Showing what’s possible Which slides should be in your slide deck Asking questions that demonstrate that you understand the prospect’s problem Case studies and testimonials What’s in Liston’s training Resources:  Serve Don’t Sell Modern Sales Podcast

What is authentic persuasion? How do you build a rapport with a prospect? What does empathy have to do with making a sale? These are some of the questions that today’s guest will answer. Jason Cutter is the founder and CEO of Cutter Consulting Group and the author of the book Selling With Authentic Persuasion: Transform from Order Taker to Quota Breaker. Listen in to today’s episode to hear Jason talk about his book, the persuasion framework, and how to blend urgency, empathy, and rapport when talking to a prospect.  Episode Highlights: How Jason came up with the title of his book Where to start becoming more authentic and persuasive How you add value in sales Where Jason was before he got into sales The sales success fundamentals that every sales conversation has to have The persuasion framework Methods for building rapport Active listening Blending urgency with rapport and empathy Finding out why the person wants to buy How intangibles factor into the sale What authenticity and persuasion have to do with the referral process Where listeners can learn more about Jason Resources:  Jason Cutter Cutter Consulting Group Selling With Authentic Persuasion: Transform from Order Taker to Quota Breaker

What do you know about team selling? What are the advantages to approaching sales from a team position? In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Trish Bertuzzi, founder and CEO of The Bridge Group and author of The Sales Development Playbook. Listen in to hear what Trish has to say about what team selling models look like, what the benefits of the team selling approaches are, and how you can start thinking about team selling as an option in your business. Episode Highlights:  What team selling means What a team selling model looks like Hybrid roles How to start looking at team selling as an option Different versions of team selling Developing a team sales strategy that makes sense for you What account hierarchy looks like The continuity of team selling What you can learn from being part of a team Why you need to think differently about your selling model Where sales goes from here Resources:  Trish Bertuzzi The Bridge Group

Following up is a vital part of the sales process that is often overlooked. Are you following up when you should be? What are the best strategies for following up? What method of follow up is most popular – and is the most popular method really the best method? To learn more, listen to today’s episode in which you’ll hear from Jeff Shore, who’s recently released a book geared toward giving you the information that you need to know about the importance of and best practices for follow up. Episode Highlights:  Why Jeff wrote his new book, Follow Up and Close the Sale How the book is organized What follow up isn’t What follow up is for How follow up shows customers how much we care The strategy of follow up Why email shouldn’t be the number one method of follow up Jeff’s definition of the lead conversion hour How to get immersed in the follow up process The story of Bill Porter The knee of the curve Resources:  Follow Up and Close the Sale: Make Easy (and Effective) Follow-Up Your Winning Habit

Over the years, it’s become more and more obvious that the subscription model is a viable business model for any number of products and services. How can you develop a membership mindset? What can successful subscription models teach you about sales? Today’s guest is the expert on the subject. Listen in to hear from Robbie Kellman Baxter, author of The Membership Economy and the new book The Forever Transaction. In today’s episode, Robbie discusses her background and qualification, what she knows about cultivating good customers, and what listeners can do to get started on a membership mindset.  Episode Highlights:  How Robbie came to be an expert in her subject Parallels to the SAAS world in Robbie’s process B to C companies vs B to B companies How Robbie decided to write her book Where to get started with a membership mindset Indicators of good customers Putting customers on a path to success Whether surveys important at looking at where clients are Top three things listeners can do to get started The difference between customer support and customer success Resources:  Robbie Kellman Baxter The Forever Transaction

Sales is more than numbers, quotas, and commissions, but it can be easy to lose sight of the value that you can bring to others through sales. Today’s guest is here to talk about going beyond the numbers and embracing service through sales.  Clancy Clark is the author of a book called Selling by Serving: Find Fulfillment in Your Career and Sell More Than You Ever Thought Possible. He’s also the author behind a method that he uses for selling and speaking and coaching that teaches about how to have a more fulfilling sales career. Listen in to hear what Clancy has to say about the steps of his method, the role of empathy in sales, and how listeners can learn how to apply Clancy’s methods.  Episode Highlights:  How intuition and being human are the precursors for Clancy’s book How Clancy was able to create a series of steps for selling by serving Whether the steps should be followed in a particular order How empathy on the part of salespeople will factor into sales post-Covid-19 Looking at sales as a way of helping people Sincerity in sales The ways that listeners can learn about how to apply Clancy’s steps in their practice Method vs. Mastery Resources:  Clancy Clark

Succeeding at the top of the funnel requires some out-of-the-box thinking, and that’s what today’s guest has skill and experience with. Max Traylor offers his clients productized consulting services and is the author of a new book called Agency Survival Guide. In today’s episode, Max discusses the impetus for the book, how he got into productized consulting, and why he uses the agency framing to talk about his clients.  Episode Highlights:  The impetus for Max’s book How Max first started to get residual passive income Blending consistency and customizability What Max discovered interviewing people on his podcast Separating strategy from implementation Three stages to residual income Why Max uses the agency framing The importance of a healthy balance in clients How Max plans to socialize the book Where listeners can find Max’s book Resources:  Max Traylor

As you start to think about what marketing and sales might look like in a post-COVID-19 world, it’s worth considering how you can be more prepared for another similar type of event. We’ve seen that the world can change overnight, and that often means changing your message, strategy, and even the channels that you use to communicate with your contacts. Kendra Lee is the founder and President of KLA Group out of Denver. Today, she joins the podcast to talk about the habits, workflows, tools, and other things that you can do on a daily basis that would prepare you for some event like this. Episode Highlights:  What type of work Kendra does with clients Why the work that Kendra does is important Leveraging the different technologies and channels available to you when you need to shift your message How the personas change when the message or channel changes What to do when you lose a channel or it becomes less effective Thinking strategically about the conversations that you need to have Involvement in the nurture sequence side of things Supporting sales reps Kendra’s favorite spots in the bottom of the funnel Kendra’s upcoming goals Resources: KLA Group

Whether you’re new to sales or you’ve been in the game for a while and you’re looking for a way to achieve sales mastery, today’s guest has some ideas for you Simon Portwain is the author of a new book, Sales Icon: Selling in the Shadows. Simon joins the podcast today to talk about some of the ideas that he covers in his book. Listen in to hear what he has to say about sales momentum, developing a sales journey plan, and transitioners for salespeople.  Episode Highlights:  Why Simon was motivated to write this book What sales momentum is The framework around sales momentum How sales journey plans develop Where sales journey plans start What influences sales activity How momentum and journey are linked to transitioners Finding your success formula Resources:  Simon Portwain Sales Icon: Selling in the Shadows – Amazon Sales Icon: Selling in the Shadows – Barnes and Noble Email Simon: simon@sales-icon.com 

Is selling just a job, or is it a lifestyle? Is it possible that people normally seen as innovators are really just masters of sales? These are some of the topics addressed by today’s guest. Michael Hageloh is the author of the book Live from Cupertino. Michael spent 22 years working with Apple, then turned his attention to working with entrepreneurial startups. Listen to today’s episode to hear what Michael has to say about applying strategy to process, the importance of practice, and how practice applies to the concepts that Michael explains in his book.  Episode Highlights: Where Michael’s work fits in along the pipeline Applying strategy to process How practice applies to the concepts in Michael’s book How to put together a conversation to practice the conversation Selling as a lifestyle Disruptive revolution Building connections that lead to relationships Understanding the outlier How goals are one part of a system  Resources:  Live from Cupertino

How are C-Suite buyers different from the typical inbound lead buyers? How is the conversation different with these different types of buyers? Today’s guest is Skip Miller, sales training expert, President of M3 Learning, and author. In today’s episode, Skip discusses ideas from his new book Selling Above and Below the Line: Convince the C-Suite. Win Over Management. Secure the Sale. Listen in to learn more about the difference between above the line and below the lines sales, tools you can use to create an above the line narrative, and what to focus in in above the line conversations.  Episode Highlights:  Whether an SDR is naturally inclined to prefer inbound The different languages above and below the line Different value propositions for buyers above and below the line Tools to create an above the line narrative Whether inbounds are typically above or below the line Use cases where getting people to go above shortens the lag of time What above the line conversations focus on When to discuss what the new normal will look like Understanding above the line energy The ratio of questions in above the line conversations Call planning Importance of understanding both above the line and below the line conversations  Resources:  Skip Miller M3 Learning Selling Above and Below the Line

Can daily meditations help you develop your brand or find your purpose? To talk about that, John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing joins the podcast today. Listen in to hear what John has to say about his new book, why he was interested in putting out a book on daily meditations, and what John learned while he worked on putting the book together.   Episode Highlights:  How long John has been running Duct Tape Marketing John’s new book What got John interested in putting out a book on daily meditations The self-reliant part of John’s meditation book Similarities between this and previous cycles in history How John’s book could help entrepreneurs develop their brand or purpose What John learned while putting his book together John’s thoughts on the human condition How recent college grads could benefit from John’s book The daily rhythm of John’s book What a passage from John’s book is like  Resources:  Duct Tape Marketing The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur: 366 Daily Meditations to Feed Your Soul and Grow Your Business

Podcasting is still a new and growing medium, but it has a lot of exciting potential as a sales tool, among other things. Today’s guest, Matt Johnson, is the founder of a podcasting production agency and he has explored some interesting ways to use the medium that may be valuable to sales professionals. Listen in to hear about Matt’s LinkedIn script, his strategy using podcasting, and the results rates that he’s seen from his methods.   Episode Highlights:  What Matt does and who he serves How Matt’s LinkedIn script works Matt’s response rates, and how they compare to the average The overall reaction to Matt’s lead generation Matt’s overall strategy Developing relationships with people in different parts of the sales process How podcasting relates to problem solving and expertise Where to start in podcasting Where to look for podcasts that are a potential fit Goals for beginning podcast hosts and guests  Resources:  Pursuing Results How to Get Featured

While the importance of diversity is stressed in many industries today, other fields are still known for being “old boys clubs” – and sales is one of those fields. Today’s guest is here to talk about diversity in the sales and marketing industry and what has and hasn’t changed for women in those fields.  Natalie Severino is the Vice President of Marketing at Chorus.ai. Listen to the conversation to hear what Natalie has to say about the research studying differences between men and women in sales, how men and women respond differently to job descriptions and requirements, and what people in leadership can do to bring in more women.  Episode Highlights:  What’s changing for women in sales and marketing What the research says about the difference between the ways men and women sell Reasons why women might outperform men in sales Building rapport and establishing status How the language in job descriptions affects female candidates The difference between how men and women respond to job requirements How marketing and sales differ in terms of diversity What leadership can do to bring in more women Women’s groups that listeners can attend  Resources:  Natalie Severino Women Sales Pros Girls Club

Who is the right person to talk to when you want to advance a prospect through the pipeline? When is the right time to talk to that person, and how should you do it? Today’s guest has some ideas.  Joining the podcast today is Tukan Das, CEO of a company called LeadSift. Tukan is here to talk about whether or not you really can predict who is ready to buy, what a good work flow is, and how you work those leads so that you can increase the yield and lower the time it takes to get from the initial conversation to close.  Episode Highlights:  The statistics mentioned on LeadSift’s website Why Tuakan started the LeadSift tool Gauging intent data Hyper personalizing sales conversations Building an ideal signal profile The steps toward scaling How soon to jump into the middle term What comes after the middle term An exciting customer story How the audience can connect with Tukan  Resources:  Tukan Das Email: tdas@leadsift.com Free Tool to Automate Research for prospecting LeadSift HomePage Google Alerts Twitter Search LinkedInSales Navigator BuiltWith BuiltWith Toolbar Alexa Ranking SEMRush

Should you consider podcasting as part of your multi-touch campaigns? Can podcasting improve your sales numbers, and can you use your sales skills to make a quality podcast – or use podcasting to hone your sales skills? Today’s guest is here to discuss how sales professionals could be using podcasts.  Michael Greenberg is the CEO of Call for Content, a podcasting agency that makes it easy for businesses and organizations to develop podcasts. Listen to the interview to hear what Michael has to say about strategies for using podcasts to drive sales, routines and duration options for beginning podcasters, and the importance of consistency in podcasting.  Episode Highlights:  Whether podcasting is on the radar for sales executives Success rates using podcasting strategies Inviting prospects onto the podcast as experts What sales executives can talk about on a podcast Typical rhythms of salespeople starting a podcast Building camaraderie through podcasts Coordinating guest posts with your social media Using podcast agencies Podcast duration guidelines What kind of research goes into a 30-minute podcast Consistency in podcasting Next steps for salespeople who are interested in podcasting Podcasts as an opportunity for role-playing  Resources:  Michael Greenberg Call for Content The B2B Podcast Playbook

Is the funnel model fundamentally flawed? If so, how do salespeople approach that problem in a new and different way? Today’s guest will help explain why it may be helpful to think about the funnel in a different way. Carman Pirie is the Co-Founder of Kula Partners, which is currently handling mostly manufacturing clients. Carman is working on turning the funnel sideways – but what does that mean? Listen in to find out, as Carman discusses why he’s excited about his work, how to get companies to think in a way that emphasizes personalization, and how to get past resistance to sales’ involvement in building campaigns.  Episode Highlights: Why Carman got excited about the work that he does How Carman is turning the funnel sideways Carman’s process for starting conversations How to get companies to think in a more personalized way How to get past resistance to letting sales build campaigns What changes in marketing when dealing with a smaller number of accounts Starting the engagement process Direct mail segmentation How firms get started with Kula Partners Resources: Carman Pirie Kula Partners

How do you set up a pipeline that leverages all types of channels and technology, but also keeps that human spirit alive? Today’s guest will help answer that question and others.  Joining the podcast today is Jonathan Soares. Jonathan is the founder and CEO of Agency Labs and has a background in both technology and consumer sales. He’s been at this for 15 years and he covers the entire pipeline. Listen in to hear.  Episode Highlights:  Jonathan’s background and how he got to his current position How to leverage cold calling with newer technology and how that can advance prospects through the pipeline What a typical warm introduction looks like and what technologies to use How many opportunities can be generated from Jonathan’s process Different roles within the funnel Influencer mapping How the GDPR affects Jonathan’s work How to get started leveraging LinkedIn  Resources:  Jonathan Soares Email: jonathan@agencylabs.com

Can you get better performance from your team just by asking questions? Asking the right questions can build and strengthen your management coaching skills and allow your team to perform at their highest levels. Today’s guest will explain how the ability to ask the right questions can help you tap into the human potential of your team.  Chick Herbert is a Des Moines executive who’s come up with a process that he calls question-centric coaching. Listen in to hear what Chick has to say about pinpointing where people on your team are struggling, asking the right questions, and motivating your team.  Episode Highlights:  Chick’s background Chick’s working relationship with Brad Williams Pinpointing where people are struggling Asking questions that get people to contemplate their own struggles and behavior The frustration of witnessing ineffective leaders What about Chick’s process motivates people Tracking progress Whether styles of coaching differ based on sales roles Extending knowledge to other team members What to do when you’re not used to asking questions How to use silence The value of preparation Truth and ground truth  Resources:  Chick Herbert It Begs the Question Chick on Twitter Email Chick: Chick.Herbert2@gmail.com

How does trust between team members translate to better communication and higher performance? And how can you translate your trust-building skills to your sales calls in order to build rapport quickly? To explore these questions and more, Jason Treu joins today’s podcast episode. Jason is an executive coach who works with teams to help them build trust and communication skills and increase performance. He’s also the author of the book Social Wealth. Listen in to hear what Jason has to say about the top issues in the sales industry today, how to turn a team into a cohesive unit, and how to build rapport in the first few minutes of a phone call. Episode Highlights: The top issues Jason sees in the industry today The importance of hiring Whether any type of team can be turned into a cohesive team Where to start in building a trust mindset The trust-building process Building rapport in the first few minutes of a call Jason’s book, Social Wealth: How to Build Extraordinary Relationships By Transforming the Way We Live, Love, Lead and Network What can be done to start getting teams to high performance Resources: Jason Treu Social Wealth: How to Build Extraordinary Relationships By Transforming the Way We Live, Love, Lead and Network  

How are you using technology to boost your sales prowess? Is there more that you could be doing? Do you like your CRM, and if not, how would you improve it? Today’s interview may give you some ideas.  Today’s guest is Jordan Stupar, the founder and CEO of Sales Domination. Sales Domination is a company that provides CRM and technology tools to individuals as well as small, medium, and large companies. Listen in as Jordan talks about his company, his background, and how he thinks technology is affecting the sales landscape.    Episode Highlights:  What Jordan’s company does Jordan’s background Which areas of technology Jordan focuses on Technological enhancements that can be used to improve meaningful sales conversations Using data to improve workflow How technology is improving analytics How analytics can suggest next steps  Resources:  Jordan Stupar Sales Domination Jordan on Instagram

What do you do when you connect with a warm lead, but they don’t seem receptive? What’s the difference between adding value for a prospect and actually helping that prospect? These are some of the questions that today’s guest will help answer. Joining the podcast today is Michael Pedone from SalesBuzz. Michael is an advocate for sales skills and SalesBuzz is an online sales training site that provides helpful information for sales professionals that can help take you from the top of the funnel all the way to the close. Listen to today’s episode to hear what Michael has to say about common mistakes people make with important sales skills, the definition of a cold call, and connecting through LinkedIn. Episode Highlights: The most impactful sales skill that Michael sees people bungle The definition of a cold call Throwing out the “easy” button Why you shouldn’t remind a warm lead that they filled out a form Approaching leads with the intent to help The difference between adding value and helping The cadence that works best in a selling situation and how to blend it with different modalities Connecting through LinkedIn How often you should be prospecting Why people should really want to be in sales Resources: SalesBuzz Michael Pedone

Just the idea of prospecting can be stressful. Calling strangers can take a real toll on you, and it’s easy to get discouraged and believe that prospecting isn’t right for you. But within a predictable framework, prospecting doesn’t have to be so difficult. That’s part of what today’s guest is here to talk about. Joining the podcast today is Jason Bay. He is the Co-Founder and Chief Founding Officer of Blissful Prospecting, a company that works with clients to create a predictable prospecting system. Listen in to hear what Jason has to say about how he got into prospecting, his approach to creating personas, and how to address common errors in messaging. Episode Highlights: What prompted Jason’s interest in prospecting Mixing modalities How much time Jason spends in the planning stages with clients to develop messaging Jason’s approach to personas The ideal client profile identifier Applying the research to one-person consulting businesses Errors in messaging that Jason sees frequently Jason’s REPLY method Incorporating personalization in messaging Resources: Jason Bay Blissful Prospecting Selling Above and Below the Line Free Guide to Getting Started with Video Prospecting

The experience of being a customer has changed rapidly just over the past few decades. But while the customer experience has changed, has it improved? Is there room for further improvement? Today’s guest is Ian Moyse of Natterbox. He joins the podcast today to talk about disruptions in the customer experience, how customer experience is changing, and why it matters. Listen in to hear what Ian has to say about where this kind of disruption has the biggest impact, how buyer personas can improve the customer experience, and how customer experience impacts revenue and customer loyalty. Episode Highlights: How disruptors are changing the customer experience Where disruption is having the biggest impact When consumers prefer to interact with a human rather than a machine Using buyer personas to optimize the customer experience When it’s important to communicate via phone rather than email or chat Analyzing how customer experience impacts loyalty and revenue Resources: Ian Moyse Ian on Twitter Natterbox

You may recognize today’s guest from previous episodes of this podcast. Max Altschuler is the CEO and Founder of SalesHacker Inc. and the VP of Marketing at Outreach.io. Max is also one of the co-authors of a new book, Sales Engagement: How The World's Fastest Growing Companies are Modernizing Sales Through Humanization at Scale 1st Edition In today’s conversation, Max talks about his new book, what inspired him to get involved with it, and what teachings in the book are most useful for sales professionals. Listen in to hear Max’s ideas on how sales and marketing to work together, how to use sales engagement strategies in closing, and what Max sees changing in the near future. Episode Highlights: What made Max decide to get involved with this new book What teachings in the book are most impactful for sales professionals trying to start and close conversations with people they don’t know Max’s definition of sales engagement Which channels sales can use to better coordinate with marketing How do sales methods of advancing prospects in the pipeline align with marketing How sales engagement principles can be applicable to closing Changes in how CRMs are being used What Max sees changing in 2020 Resources: Max Altschuler SalesHacker Inc. Outreach Sales Engagement: How The World's Fastest Growing Companies are Modernizing Sales Through Humanization at Scale

Today’s guest comes from the marketing side of the business. And while that may be an unusual choice for this podcast, what Chris Dayley has to say about digital marketing can be useful for prospectors as well. Chris is a digital marketing entrepreneur, speaker, and neuromarketer. He is also the VP of testing and site optimization at Disruptive Advertising in Utah. He’s skilled at helping people understand the impact of website landing pages, testing, analytics, and psychology. Listen to the episode to hear what Chris has to say about how his work related to outbound sales and different ways to use data, metrics, and testing. Episode Highlights: How Chris’s work fits into an outbound, targeted approach What Chris is doing with analytics Using data to refine the pitch Metrics that can help prepare for contacting prospects How Chris uses testing Technology used for testing in sales How best practices can vary from company to company, even within the same industry Resources: Chris Dayley Chris on Twitter Disruptive Advertising Blog

Even with all of the social media and automated sales tools available, a one-on-one conversation over the telephone can still be a powerful selling tool, especially among consumers that value authenticity. The resurgence of the telephone call is one of the things that today’s guest talks about in this episode. Mark Hunter is an author, speaker, coach, and consultant, as well as the Co-Founder of the Outbound Conference. Listen to the episode to hear what Mark has to say about what’s new in prospecting, the difference between informed calling and col calling, and how to get into the prospecting mindset. Episode Highlights: What’s new in prospecting Why the telephone is making a resurgence and what Millennials have to do with it Informed calling vs. cold calling The place of automated follow-up systems in prospecting Positive feedback that Mark has gotten about his book Using social media for prep work How to get into the prospecting mindset The Outbound Conference Resources: Mark Hunter The Sales Hunter High-Profit Prospecting Outbound Conference

In any field, one thing that you can be sure of is that things will eventually change. This is as true in sales as it is in any other industry, and it’s important to be able to keep up with the changes as the come. That leads to the question: can the ability to change be taught? Today’s guest thinks that the answer is yes. Brian Keller is the Director of Sales Training at McKesson. He joins the podcast today to talk about his sales training workshops and the importance of learning about change in the sales field. Listen to the episode to hear what Brian has to say about why change matters for sales executives, how to connect data with the real life experience of salespeople on the ground, and how Brian’s students apply what he teaches. Episode Highlights: Why change is important for sales executives Whether change can be taught How to connect the data to real life experiences in the sales field Whether tenure has an impact on whether or not to engage in change Tools Brian uses to get students to apply what he teaches What goes into planning a training workshop How the salespeople that Brian trains share their success stories The motivation for formalized training at McKesson Resources: Brian Keller

Your prospects encounter many salespeople in all areas of their lives. It’s easy for salespeople and their products and services to begin to blend together. In order to make your sale, you’ll need to convince them that there are reasons why they should choose what you’re selling over what other people are selling. How can you do that? By making sure that you can stand out from the others. You have to differentiate yourself and your product. Today’s guest has written a book that can help you understand sales differentiation and how to use differentiation to make your sales. Lee Salz is a sales management strategist and the CEO of Sales Architects. He’s also a keynote speaker, author, and consultant. Lee joins the podcast today to talk about his most recent bestselling book, Sales Differentiation. Listen in to hear what Lee has to say about why describing your product as “the best” is ineffective, how to help buyers make informed buying decisions, and how to identify the things that differentiate your product from others. Episode Highlights: What happens when you describe your service, product, or company as “the best” Why saying that your product is the best doesn’t help to differentiate you from other salespeople Whether buyers are really as educated as you may think Helping buyers make informed decisions Two parts to sales differentiation Five steps to profiling your sales differentiation Exercises that can help you identify your sales differentiation Your biggest competitor Customer service and account management Pre-call research Why the way you sell is also a differentiator Resources: Lee Salz Sales Architects Sales Differentation Visit this page to register for the Sales Differentiation Minute video series

Do you know what the four levels of value are, or how you can win clients over from your competitors by creating more value for your clients? Today’s guest didn’t just write the book on that subject, he actually wrote three books on the subject. Anthony Iannarino is the author of The Only Sales Guide You’ll Ever Need, The Lost Art of Closing, and his latest book, Eat Their Lunch. These books are a trilogy of useful information for salespeople. Listen to the episode to hear how Anthony suggests using these books, why he believes it’s important to separate service and product, and how to apply his four levels of value to different stakeholders. Episode Highlights: Anthony’s books Separating service and product Winning clients by creating greater value than competitors The four levels of value How the four levels of value apply to the different stakeholders Winning with the intangibles Resources: Anthony Iannarino The Only Sales Guide You’ll Ever Need The Lost Art of Closing Eat Their Lunch

The way that we utilize data can make all of the difference when it comes to sales. It’s more important to make quality connections and have meaningful conversations with prospects than to contact a large quantity of prospects on a superficial level. Utilizing data in the right way can help you make those quality connections. Today’s guest is Matt Amundson, the VP of marketing for EverString. Listen to today’s episode to learn more about what EverString does and what Matt has to say about how data can be used to help prospectors learn more about their prospects and make conversations more meaningful. Episode Highlights: What EverString does How EverString’s processes work How companies that engage with EverString have their data together How EverString handles different parts of the pipeline Whether EverString improves forecasting Why a meeting may not turn into an opportunity Using technology as an aid rather than a replacement Resources: Matt Amundson EverString Email Matt at: matt@everstring.com

Content creators know that video is a powerful tool for delivering a message, and that means that it can also be a powerful tool in the world of sales. Learning how to use video effectively can be a helpful skill in all parts of the funnel. Today’s guest is Daniel Crouch, Enterprise Account Executive at Videolicious. In today’s episode, Daniel will talk about using video, not just at the top of the funnel, but also after you get your foot in the door. Listen to the episode to hear what Daniel has to say about how and why he started using video, how to use videos for pre- and post-meeting contacts, and how to get started learning to use video effectively in your own sales process. Episode Highlights: Daniel’s background in sales How Daniel got started using video in prospecting How Daniel uses pre-meeting videos How Daniel’s videos are structured Avoiding excess words and keeping videos short Using a script or teleprompter to stay on point How to write copy to use as a video script Post-meeting videos The main purpose of using video for closing Getting started learning how to use video Resources: Daniel Crouch Videolicious

If you work the top of the funnel, it’s easy to believe that you don’t need to build a deep rapport with your prospects. Once you get your foot in the door, your job is to hand them off to another representative, so building more than a superficial relationship may seem unnecessary. However, today’s guest believes that sales is all about the human connection, no matter where you are in the sales process. David Fisher is a coach, speaker, and the author of a number of books. In today’s episode, David is discussing his book called Hyper-Connected Selling: Winning More Business by Leveraging Digital Influence and Creating Human Connection. Listen to the conversation to hear about why David believes that human connection matters at all parts of the funnel, how to build rapport in just a minute or two, and why face-to-face communication matters so much. Episode Highlights: Whether the human connection is necessary at all stages of the pipeline Why the human connection matters even at the top of the funnel How you can build rapport in just one or two minutes How you can build on your own natural traits The importance of face-to-face communication How to get started practicing the concepts in David’s book Resources: David Fisher's Predictable Prospecting Landing Page Hyper-Connected Selling David on LinkedIn David on Twitter

The goal of the prospector is to generate good leads and close sales, and sometimes it’s worth seeking out options from someone who operates differently than the way that you do in order to improve your techniques. Today’s guest is Peter Lang, CEO and founder of the Uhuru Network Uhuru is a company that drives client success by increasing monthly leads, generating site visitors and more. Listen to the episode to hear more about how Peter’s company works, what the onboarding process looks like for Uhuru’s clients, and how the GDPR affects Peter’s business. Episode Highlights: Why Peter was interested in offering agency instead of in-house The typical onboarding process for Peter’s clients How the selection of accounts works How to add value while disqualifying at the same time Why providing value by giving away something that other companies charge for is a way to stay competitive How the GDPR affects Peter’s model in other countries The steps it takes to close the data range Resources: Peter Lang Uhuru Network Peter’s Email: plang@uhurunetwork.com

When you want to know how to sell effectively at the executive level, you need expert training and stories that sell. Today’s guest has been called Australia’s leading Authority on “C” Level sales. Steve Hall has sold to executives in more than 20 countries. He is a writer and speaker who focuses on executive sales. He also owns the Executive Sales Coaching LinkedIn group. Steve Hall is Managing Director of Executive Sales Coaching Australia and joint founder of Executive Sales Forum International. Steve joins the podcast today to talk about how to use story when you’re talking to decision-makers and how you can tell an effective story in less time – sometimes in just a few words. Listen to the episode to hear what Steve has to say about developing stories, finding the information that you need when you talk to clients, and his Executive Sales Forum International. Episode Highlights: How Steve uses story when he speaks to decision-makers How it can be helpful to tell a story in only a few words How to get enough time with a prospect to tell your story properly The juxtaposition between what is and what should be in your story What Steve uses to help find information that helps in talking to clients Steve’s thoughts on how new salespeople just out of college are assigned How much product knowledge is necessary to get in the door Steve’s Executive Sales Forum International Resources: Steve Hall Executive Sales Forum International

Everybody has a story. In fact, everybody has a number of different stories, and one way or another, most people wind up sharing their stories with other people at some point. Stories help us relate to others and make connections as well as illustrate important points. And if you work in sales, you can use your stories to help you connect with prospects and close deals. Today’s guest has literally written the book on how salespeople should use stories. Mike Adams is an engineer-turned-salesperson from Australia. He’s also the author of the book Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell, a book that’s designed to help those in sales discover the power of stories, what kinds of stories are important in sales, and how you can use stories to help you close. Listen to the episode to hear more about Mike’s background, why he wrote the book and arranged it the way that he did, and how stories can help you connect with your prospects. Episode Highlights: How Mike got into sales Mikes book, and why he chose seven as the number of stories to tell What kinds of stories are important in sales The different ways that different stories help you connect with clients Why Mike organized his book the way that he did Which stories can help salespeople close a deal Resources: Mike Adams Seven Stories Every Salesperson Must Tell

Sales automation tools can help at all kinds of different places in the funnel. Prospect.io is a sales automation platform that helps you start conversations and improve sales teams productivity. Today’s guests, Forster Perelsztejn and Iulian Boia are Prospect’s Head of Acquisition and Head of Customer Success respectively. They’re joining today’s episode from Brussels. Listen to today’s episode to learn more about Prospect.io, who they serve, and how their platform works. Forster and Iulian talk about their roles at Prospect, patterns in customer pain points, how onboarding works, and how the GDPR is affecting their work and platform. Episode Highlights: Forster and Iulian’s roles at Prospect How Forster and Iulian’s roles at Prospect are aligned How customer pain points change or don’t change depending on where they are in the funnel How to order customer conversations based on experience with previous customers’ pain points The market that Prospect serves Prospect’s onboarding procedure What kind of work Prospect is doing with telephone numbers in light of the GDPR How Prospect is using analytics with their data Testing smaller samples sizes before moving onto larger audiences Resources: Prospect.io Forster Perelsztejn Iulian Boia

Making a sale is rarely a one-and-done encounter. Instead, it’s an ongoing process and a series of conversations, sometimes with multiple different people. In order to sell effectively, you need to be able to keep up with important details about each prospect, including what your last conversation entailed and when is the best time to schedule the next call or email. This can be a daunting task, but tools that allow you to streamline the process can help. Outreach.io is one of those tools. Outreach is designed to help salespeople remember critical details and schedule ongoing conversations. Today’s guest is Nick Hart, the customer success manager at Outreach.io. Listen to the episode to hear what Nick has to say about what’s happening at Outreach and what he thinks about things like email personalization, referral strategies, and building and testing your processes before you implement new sales tools. Episode Highlights: New things that are happening at Outreach.io Key things to look at for people who are looking for a solution like Outreach Understanding the different personas that you may be selling to How to approach sales from different channels Email personalization Referrals, and the benefits of a top-down referral approach Why it’s important to test and experiment with your processes The importance of providing value with each interaction Why you need to build the processes that work for you before implementing a new tool Why understanding and mastering tech tools for sales is going to be more important as time goes on How marketing professionals can help pave the way for the sales team Resources: Nick Hart Outreach

It may be possible to use manipulative sales techniques to sell people things that they don’t really want or need. But do you really want to do that, and is it really a good strategy in the long run? Today’s guest talks about the importance of centering the customer’s needs, even if that means passing up an immediate sale, and how that strategy can pay off in the long run. Andrew Priestly is a business coach, chairman of the Children’s Trust, a publisher, and an author. In today’s episode, he talks about his background in teaching and then real estate sales, his psychology training, and how all of that got him to where he is today. Listen to the episode to hear what Andrew say about sales tactics, the impact of the internet, the importance of personal relationships, and his new book that features contributions from experts in the sales field. Episode Highlights: Andrew’s background in real estate sales How Andrew started researching sales tactics and where they came from How the internet has affected the sales world The impact of Facebook The importance of personal conversations in selling Andrew’s book How Andrew went about getting contributors for his book The feedback Andrew is getting from his book’s readers The psychology of sales Why Andrew believes in the using sales tactics responsibly Why building relationships matters in sales Resources: Andrew Priestly Sales Genius 1: 20 top sales professionals share their sales secrets

Today’s guest is someone that you’ve heard on the podcast before. Donato Diorio joined us on a previous episode to talk about the virtue of voicemail and how to handle voicemail properly. Today he’s with us to talk about a different subject.  Donato is the founder and principal consultant at a company called DataZ, and today he’s going to talk about data. Listen to the episode to hear what Donato has to say about what led him to put together a strategy for assessments, where the data that he uses comes from, and the importance of considering sentiment in data assessment.  Episode Highlights:  What got Donato interested in putting together a strategy for assessment What led Donato to build the systems and frameworks at DataZ How Donato differentiates between different roles How Donato can quickly assess the health of the pipeline based on the data Where Donato’s data comes from How sentiment factors into Donato’s work How to get a data assessment from Donato How Donato’s services can help clients in specialized industries  Resources:  Donato Diorio DataZ

Prospecting involves more than just one conversation. It’s a series of conversations, and as the prospector, it’s up to you to keep the interactions going. This can result in a lot of work. You need to remember when the last time was that you talked to a particular prospect, work out when the next good time to contact them will be, and figure out what to say – and you have to repeat this process for multiple prospects. Luckily, there are tools that can help streamline this process for you. Today’s guest is Nick Hart, a strategic customer service manager for Outreach.io. Outreach is a tool that performs much of the work for you. It can help you plan your follow-up conversations, make sure that the correct messages are being delivered at the right times and to the right people, and prevent you from forgetting or delaying crucial follow-ups. Listen the episode to hear Nick explain what Outreach does, how to use different types of messaging, and what types of email statistics Nick sees on a regular basis. Episode Highlights: What Outreach does How Outreach helps salespeople get the right message across at the right time The importance of being both efficient and effective How certain types of messaging can help prospects see salespeople as real people, which can make prospects more responsive How asking permission can be a form of a call to action How to slow down and space out value ads across multiple emails The importance of crafting different messages for different personas Statistics for email open rates, reply rates, and bounce rates Resources: Nick Hart Outreach Email Nick at: nick.hart@outreach.io

When you’re prospecting, having just a little bit of information can be the key to getting your foot in the door and growing your pipeline. Timing your call or email just right or having the perfect conversation starter can make all the difference when it comes to making a sale. If you know that the company you’re looking at has just launched a new project that can benefit from the products you sell or is getting ready to evaluate solutions for the type of service you’re selling, you’re better able to strike while the iron is hot. Today’s guest is Alex Greer, the founder and CEO of Signal HQ. Signal is a type of technology that you can use to help you get the kind of information that you need to make your sales pitch more effective and help you strategize more easily. Listen the episode to hear Alex explain what Signal HQ does and how it can help with sales. Episode Highlights: What Alex did before becoming the founder and CEO of Signal HQ What Signal HQ does Why Alex started Signal HQ Which types of signals Alex’s company focuses on, and which types of signals might also get focus as time goes on How Signal HQ can help prospectors prioritize and make the most effective decisions about how to use their time Why sales teams are slower than other departments to pick up on some newer technologies that can help them sell more effectively How the data provided by Signal HQ can help sales people start conversations with prospects Resources: Alex Greer Signal HQ

Great sales people and effective sales processes are pivotal for any organization to make money. But for startups, it can be difficult to transition from founder-led sales to establishing a good sales team and putting the structure in place for effective sales processes. This can cause some serious disruption in an otherwise good business. Today’s guests understand this problem and know how to address it. Rex Biberston and Kevin Hopp of help organizations build internal sales teams with their company, The Sales Developers. Although outsourcing is a small part of what they do, they built the company with the intent of giving companies the systems, and processes, and methodologies needed to improve their own sales companies. Listen to the episode to hear what Rex and Kevin have to say about what they do, tools that they use to improve efficiency and messaging, and what it’s like to be a millennial in sales.  Episode Highlights: Kevin’s and Rex’s company, The Sales Developers, and how they got started How The Sales Developers help their clients by giving them the tools they need to build internal sales organizations The gap between the startup phase of a company and the time when the company is a fully-formed organization, and how that affects sales How Kevin’s background showed him the difficulty of scaling a sales team inside of a startup How The Sales Developers can make sales people more effective by improving the company’s sales processes Tools that can help companies handle both full and part-time prospecting Why the number of conversations is more important than the number of dials per day in sales How salespeople can focus on the things that are going to bring them closest to revenue The Sales Developers’ Message Builder tool and how it can improve sales messaging The book Rex co-authored, Outbound Sales, No Fluff How getting the messaging right affects the closing ratio Why Rex mentioned that he and co-author Ryan Reisert were millennials in their book Resources: The Sales Developers Rex Biberston Kevin Hopp

Marketing and sales may intersect more than you previously thought. In fact, there are good reasons why sales should have some involvement in designing marketing for a product or service – after all, it’s the sales team that ultimately has to convince their prospects to buy, so it makes sense for sales to have some input into the marketing process.  Today’s guest is Sean Campbell, CEO of Cascade Insights, a B2B market research firm. Sean is also the host of his own podcast, called B2B Revealed. In today’s episode, Sean brings his perspective from the marketing side of things to talk about what’s going on in sales. Listen to what Sean has to say about some sales terms that you may not have heard yet, how saying “no” can actually help you sell, and why the sales team should be involved in the marketing process. Episode Highlights: What Sean’s research firm does and how he got into it New sales and marketing terminology Why it’s important for companies to define boundaries How saying “no” can help you sell Why sales needs to be involved in marketing The importance of choosing the right people for a sales research study How the GDPR is affecting email lists The reason why salespeople should send more tailored messages in narrower channels Why you need to have a waterfall How to stack good habits Resources Sean Campbell Cascade Insights Email Sean at sean@cascadeinsights.com

Social interaction is part of the business of selling. In the past, salespeople often met with prospects face-to-face and spent time with them in their homes or in social settings. In today’s sales environment, many of these in-person interactions have been replaced by online interactions on social media sites. However, these digital interactions are just as important as the in-person interactions that they’ve replaced. Today’s guest is Jon Ferrara. Jon is the founder and CEO of Nimble, a contact management solution that enhances basic contact information with richly detailed social information that helps you gain new insights about people in your network. This can help you deepen your social media relationships. Listen to the episode to hear what Jon has to say about the importance of social interactions in business, how Nimble can improve those interactions, and what role artificial intelligence plays in Nimble. You’ll also get a special offer from Jon. Episode Highlights: What made Jon want to start Nimble The importance of the social aspect of prospecting and business How to scale social media interactions How Nimble works What an effective curation methodology looks like Tools that can help curate content and engage prospects in conversation How Nimble is reimagining CRM and what it looks like to use Nimble How artificial intelligence factors into Nimble Why AI can automate processes but not replace human beings A special offer from Jon Resources: Jon Ferrara Email Jon at: Jon@nimble.com Nimble Special Offer: Sign up for the Nimble free trial. Before the end of the 2-week free trial, enter promo code JON40 to get 40% off Nimble for the first 3 months.