Podcast appearances and mentions of Joanne Black

Click Here,Text Us,Get a Shout-Out next episode. Snowstorms have a way of putting life on pause, don't they? As I sat watching snowflakes tumble down in southern Illinois, I found myself reflecting on the serenity and small disruptions they bring. From sharing glimpses of my snow-day musings to welcoming both new and returning listeners, our discussion flowed into hopes for safe travels and a cheerful return to routine. Inviting engagement through our website or Speak Pipe, we set the stage for an exciting year filled with news and earthquake reports.Did you know the bald eagle's status as the national bird was just confirmed by President Biden? This amusing revelation sparked our conversation on how misconceptions can shape our understanding of history. We then turned a somber eye to the devastating fires in California, extending empathy to affected communities and pondering the complex challenges of such disasters. Adding a touch of wonder, we explored the discovery of 27 new species in the Peruvian rain forest—imagine an amphibious mouse and a fish blob among them!Bamboo toilet paper, AI computers, and power grid vulnerabilities—what do they have in common? They're all part of our exploration of innovation and resilience. We ventured into the possibilities of NVIDIA's AI computer and the future of AI and quantum computing. With a nod to sci-fi narratives, we highlighted the risks and rewards of technological advancements.   We summarized  recent earthquake activity, particularly in Southern Tibet.  As the episode drew to a close, we celebrated community support through platforms like WavLake, sharing "As We Go" by Matt and Joanne Black, and expressing gratitude to our listeners, with a warm farewell until next time. Support the show I hope you enjoy the show! Please tell a friend or two. Word of mouth is the best way for our podcast to grow. If you haven't already, hit the "Follow" button.If you feel lead to, click on the support link and give financially.Above everything, please come back!Supporting us in anyway is much appreciated.Thanks for stopping by.Until Next time.73 and may the Father's blessings go with you.Bruce Email: theuglyquackingduck@gmail.comTumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/theuglyquackingduckInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theuglyquackingduckFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theuglyquackingduck Website:https://theuglyquackingduck.com

Click Here,Text Us,Get a Shout-Out next episode. Snowstorms have a way of putting life on pause, don't they? As I sat watching snowflakes tumble down in southern Illinois, I found myself reflecting on the serenity and small disruptions they bring. From sharing glimpses of my snow-day musings to welcoming both new and returning listeners, our discussion flowed into hopes for safe travels and a cheerful return to routine. Inviting engagement through our website or Speak Pipe, we set the stage for an exciting year filled with news and earthquake reports.Did you know the bald eagle's status as the national bird was just confirmed by President Biden? This amusing revelation sparked our conversation on how misconceptions can shape our understanding of history. We then turned a somber eye to the devastating fires in California, extending empathy to affected communities and pondering the complex challenges of such disasters. Adding a touch of wonder, we explored the discovery of 27 new species in the Peruvian rain forest—imagine an amphibious mouse and a fish blob among them!Bamboo toilet paper, AI computers, and power grid vulnerabilities—what do they have in common? They're all part of our exploration of innovation and resilience. We ventured into the possibilities of NVIDIA's AI computer and the future of AI and quantum computing. With a nod to sci-fi narratives, we highlighted the risks and rewards of technological advancements.   We summarized  recent earthquake activity, particularly in Southern Tibet.  As the episode drew to a close, we celebrated community support through platforms like WavLake, sharing "As We Go" by Matt and Joanne Black, and expressing gratitude to our listeners, with a warm farewell until next time. Support the show I hope you enjoy the show! Please tell a friend or two. Word of mouth is the best way for our podcast to grow. If you haven't already, hit the "Follow" button.If you feel lead to, click on the support link and give financially.Above everything, please come back!Supporting us in anyway is much appreciated.Thanks for stopping by.Until Next time.73 and may the Father's blessings go with you.Bruce Email: theuglyquackingduck@gmail.comTumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/theuglyquackingduckInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theuglyquackingduckFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/theuglyquackingduck Website:https://theuglyquackingduck.com

We are very excited about our guests this week on the Meldon Law & Friends Podcast!

Referrals are like golden tickets in the world of sales. They open doors to opportunities, build bridges of trust, and pave the way for lasting connections. However, many sales professionals fail to realize the full potential of referrals due to various misconceptions and challenges. Joanne Black, founder of No More Cold Calling, joins this episode to discuss the critical importance and value of referral selling in sales prospecting. She talks about how many salespeople struggle with asking for referrals due to mindset barriers like feeling uncomfortable or fearing rejection. Joanne emphasizes the importance of building trust and credibility through referrals and the need for a systematic approach to referral generation. She also advocates for a culture shift within sales organizations where referrals are viewed as a cornerstone of the sales strategy rather than a peripheral tactic. Through her insights, Joanne underscores the transformative potential of referrals in boosting sales effectiveness and building stronger relationships with prospects. In this episode, you'll learn: The mindset barriers and fear of rejection that hinder sales professionals from asking for referrals How to cultivate and expand your network of referral sources by leveraging existing connections Why sales leaders fail to prioritize and coach their teams on effective referral strategies Jump into the conversation: [03:26] Referral Mindset Challenges [05:49] Why Sales Teams Struggle with Referrals [07:11] Referral Selling Is a System [12:10] The Power of Trusted Introductions in Sales [14:13] The Limitations in LinkedIn [19:17] Practice Is the Key [23:56] Referrals Build Trust [28:01] External vs. Internal Referrals [29:37] Keeping Focus on the Problem Joanne is America's leading authority on referral selling, the only business development strategy proven to convert prospects into clients more than 50% of the time. She is a captivating speaker, innovative seminar leader, and influential figure in sales and business development. Joanne has spent her career helping sales teams and business owners build their referral networks to quickly attract more business, decrease operating costs, and ace out the competition every time. Related Resources: Joanne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanneblackreferralsales/ Joanne on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReferralSales Learn more about Joanne: https://www.nomorecoldcalling.com/ Joanne's Books: https://www.nomorecoldcalling.com/no-more-cold-calling-book/

Get more referrals for your business If you hate cold calling - listen now! Episode 186 (repeat of #21) Joanne is based in California In this conversation with Joanne Black we explore: Why referrals can be a lucrative source of new business  Why you need a repeatable referral getting process How to get over the fear of asking for referrals? How to stop cold calling and start warm calling The magic phrase to ask client to get more referrals And much more about referrals... About our guest Joanne Black: Joanne is considered to be America's leading authority on referral selling. She is the author of "Pick Up the Damn Phone" and "No More Cold Calling:. Visit her website https://www.nomorecoldcalling.com/         ----- Excerpts from this conversation with Joanne Black: Are you asking every one of your clients for referrals? ----- I added a question on the last round. Would you be willing to be a referral to this company? ----- Everybody loves referrals, and we just love receiving them. But it's not an outbound proactive, intentional approach. And so what I did is, I said, What do I need to do to close that gap? And make referrals? Not only common sense, but common practice? And, would you and I developed a very straightforward system to make it happen, because I'm a salesperson. I don't like complicated. So it's simple. It's not easy, because if it were, everyone would be doing it. And referrals are our biggest competitive differentiator, because when we're introduced, we get in, we get in early, we have time to build relationships and make connections. We get the inside track and we hear things no one else does. That's the power of referral selling. ----- And therefore a better way to ask the question would be, who are one or two people you know, I should meet? Or who are one or two people in your network? You can introduce me to? ----- ----more---- Your Intended Message is the podcast about how you can boost your career and business success by honing your communication skills. We'll examine the aspects of how we communicate one-to-one, one to few and one to many – plus that important conversation, one to self. In these interviews we will explore presentation skills, public speaking, conversation, persuasion, negotiation, sales conversations, marketing, team meetings, social media, branding, self talk and more.   Your host is George Torok George is a specialist in communication skills. Especially presentation. He's fascinated by the links between communication and influencing behaviors. He delivers training and coaching programs to help leaders and promising professionals deliver the intended message for greater success.   Connect with George www.SpeechCoachforExecutives.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgetorokpresentations/ https://www.youtube.com/user/presentationskills https://www.instagram.com/georgetorok/  

Your LinkedIn profile needs to be compelling—it's your face to the world, after all. Joanne believes that to be compelling, you have to share who you are, what got you where you are, and why you do what you do.  LinkedIn can be a great way for someone to get to know the person behind the words. People do business with people. That's why your personality needs to show. She shares why you can't be afraid to tell your story on LinkedIn in this episode of Sales Reinvented.  Outline of This Episode [1:21] Is a compelling LinkedIn profile important? [2:04] The elements that have the greatest impact on sales [2:55] How to tell your story on LinkedIn  [5:00] Balancing professionalism and personality [9:38] How often to update your LinkedIn profile [10:22] Tools to measure the impact of your LinkedIn profile [11:47] Joanne's top LinkedIn profile dos and don'ts [11:59] Build a personal brand in your desired market [15:25] Make your LinkedIn profile clear and precise Connect with Joanne Black Connect on LinkedIn Follow on Twitter Connect With Paul Watts  LinkedIn Twitter  Subscribe to SALES REINVENTED Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK https://www.podcastfasttrack.com

Today on the The Win Rate Podcast Andy is joined by Joanne Black, Founder of No More Cold Calling, Jody Geiger, Revenue Enablement Coach at Klue and Meyah Rose, Co-Founder of The Practice Lab. The roundtable discussion begins with the importance of incorporating effective learning strategies, and our panelists share their insights on the need for practice, application, and building confidence in order to succeed in sales. They also discuss the challenges faced by women in setting the tone in the sales environment and the significance of leaders actively engaging with their teams. Additionally, the group explores the role of competitive intelligence in sales and uncover the intangible factors that play a key role in buyers' decisions.  Find more about Jody, Meyah, and Joanne. Host Andy Paul is the expert on modern B2B selling and author of three best-selling, award-winning sales books, including his latest Sell Without Selling Out. Visit andypaul.com to subscribe to his newsletter for even more strategies and tips to accelerate your win rate!Thank you to our sponsors:AllegoClozdCognism

Are you tired of cold calls and expensive marketing campaigns that yield low conversion rates for your business? It's frustrating when traditional sales and marketing methods don't deliver the results you need. But what if there's a proven, cost-effective solution to boost your business's profitability? Discover the power of referrals with Joanne Black and Marcia Riner in this podcast. Learn how to build trust-based relationships, ask for referrals effectively, and enjoy conversion rates of up to 70% or more. Don't miss out on this game-changing strategy for business growth. Listen or watch the podcast now! Unlocking the Power of Referrals In this podcast, Joanne Black and Marcia Riner discuss the significance of referrals as a powerful tool for business growth. They explore various aspects of referrals, emphasizing specific strategies and insights to make the most of this invaluable resource. Here are the key takeaways: 1. The Referral Process: Joanne Black emphasizes the importance of building relationships and engaging in meaningful conversations with clients, ultimately leading to referrals. She highlights that referrals are based on trust and personal connections. 2. Asking for Referrals: The podcast underscores the need to ask for referrals confidently and offers practical advice on how to do it effectively. Joanne advises on the art of asking for referrals by framing questions in a way that fosters meaningful introductions. 3. Client Relationship Building: Joanne and Marcia discuss the significance of nurturing client relationships beyond the transaction. They emphasize that referrals stem from strong, trust-based relationships and suggest strategies to maintain client connections. 4. Specific Referral Requests: Being specific about the type of client or contact you're seeking when asking for referrals is crucial. Joanne recommends providing clear and detailed information about the kind of person you're looking for, making it easier for others to make introductions. 5. Reputation Matters: Your reputation is on the line when you ask for referrals, so it's essential to be precise in your requests. People are more likely to make introductions when they know exactly who you're looking for. 6. High Conversion Rate: The podcast highlights the remarkable conversion rate of referrals compared to other lead generation methods, with referrals having the potential to convert as high as 70% or even 90%. 7. Acknowledging Referrals: Joanne stresses the importance of promptly acknowledging referrals and suggests sending handwritten thank-you notes to express appreciation. Charitable donations in the name of the referrer are also recommended as a gesture of gratitude. 8. No Cost to Referrals: Referrals are a cost-effective way to grow a business, with no direct financial cost associated with them. 9. Staying Informed: Joanne invites listeners to visit her website, https://www.NoMoreColdCalling.com, to access valuable insights on referrals, take the referral IQ quiz, and sign up for her newsletter. In summary, this podcast provides valuable insights into building strong referral relationships, asking for referrals effectively, and leveraging referrals as a potent business growth strategy. Specificity, gratitude, and trust are at the core of successful referral generation ================= Want a 45% boost to your net profit?.Join Marcia's new training the "30-day Profit Booster". Just by following a simple 3-step method that doesn't require chasing more customers. This quick & easy profit boosting strategy can be done without spending more on marketing, hiring additional staff, or working longer hours. Go check out https://www.30dayprofitbooster.com  for this free training and valuable information Please subscribe & ring the bell for reminders about next week's show . ================= About Marcia: She is a business growth strategist helps business owners to double and triple their revenue, profit and the value of their company. In fact, she is able to show prospective clients a clear pathway to profit and an impactful ROI to working with here before hiring her firm. Through her proven Profit Booster™️ strategies, she gets results. Marcia is the CEO of Infinite Profit Consulting and can be found at https://www.InfiniteProfitConsulting.com Curious or have question. Text her at 949-229-2112. ♾️

In this episode of Selling From The Heart, hosts Larry Levine and Darrell Amy are joined by Joanne Black, America's leading authority on referral selling and the founder of No More Cold Calling. She helps salespeople, sales teams, and business owners build their referral networks to quickly attract more business, decrease operating costs, and ace out the competition every time. Joanne discusses the importance of referral selling. She shares her insights on how salespeople can build and leverage their referral networks to create a sustainable and successful sales career. She also emphasizes the need for authenticity in sales and the importance of putting the client first. HIGHLIGHT QUOTES The importance of asking for referrals - Joanne: "Because as salespeople we have the relationships and when we've closed a deal, we've talked to more than one person. Typically, yes, right. And we know when we've clicked with people, it's not everybody, but I imagine there must be three or four people that we've connected with during the buying process. All those people we can ask and they're glad to help, they just don't know what to do." Connect with Joanne and check her work in the links below:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanneblackreferralsales/No More Cold Calling: https://www.nomorecoldcalling.com/ Learn more about Darrell and Larry: Darrell | Larry | Website Got a video about how you sell from the heart? Share it by texting VIDEO to 21000.Click HERE to preorder your copy of the rerelease of the Selling from the Heart book. SUBSCRIBE to our YOUTUBE CHANNEL! Please visit WHYINSTITUTE.COMPlease go to WORKBETTERNOW.COMClick for your Daily Dose of InspirationCheck out the 2023 Authentic Selling ChallengeGet your Insiders Group FREE PASS here

How do referrals work in the context of selling? When should you ask for referrals during the sales process? According to Joanne Black, when you close a deal, ask for a referral. They've signed on the dotted line and they believe in you. And when you ask, get intel. Learn as much as you can about the people they'll refer to you. What else should you do? Find out in this episode of Sales Reinvented! Outline of This Episode [1:28] What are referrals? How do they work in sales? [2:27] Common mistakes and how to avoid them [3:29] Why people—not social media—generate referrals [5:47] Advice for someone exploring referral-based sales [6:55] How to measure the success of a referral program [8:06] The right way to ask for introductions  [10:31] The role of technology in referral selling [11:20] Top 3 referral selling dos and don'ts [13:22] Leverage the relationships you have with clients Connect with Joanne Black Connect on LinkedIn Follow on Twitter Connect With Paul Watts  LinkedIn Twitter  Subscribe to SALES REINVENTED Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK https://www.podcastfasttrack.com

According to Liz Heiman, there are two types of referrals. A referral could be from someone who doesn't buy from you but can share leads with you. The other type of referral is from an existing customer. They're both introducing you to people you might not know. Liz shares the approach she takes when asking for referrals in this episode of Sales Reinvented. Don't miss it!  Outline of This Episode [0:58] What are referrals? How do they work in sales? [1:43] Common mistakes salespeople make asking for referrals [2:43] How salespeople can leverage social media to generate referrals [5:20] Liz's advice for those exploring referral-based selling  [6:47] How to measure the success of a referral program [8:49] The right way to ask for client referrals [11:05] Best practices for asking for referrals  [13:48] The role technology plays in referral selling [15:10] Liz's top 3 referral selling dos and don'ts [17:06] Don't be afraid to take a creative approach How salespeople can leverage social media to generate referrals Liz loves Brynne Tillman's method of using social media for lead generation. Brynne will look through the clients that she knows are happy with her and looks at their connections. Who would be a good fit to work with? Then she'll go to that client and ask them for introductions.  Another strategy is to look at companies or people you've identified as a target and look to see who they know that you might know. You can then see if that common connection would give you an introduction. Make sure the connections know why you want an introduction.  Liz points out that many people don't use LinkedIn to build their network and it's a huge mistake. Connect with everyone you know because you never know who they're connected with.  Liz's advice for those exploring referral-based selling  Liz recommends starting with people you think will be your best referrers. Do you want to call on existing clients? Do you have an existing client base? If not, who could refer business to you that you have credibility with? Write down what you want to say and how you want to say it. The more clear you are, the easier it is to do it. Build it into your process so that it's comfortable and repeatable. When Liz asks for a referral, she says something like, “I see that you are connected to so-and-so. I think that they could use my services. Do you think that's true? Would you be willing to introduce me?” It isn't pushy nor does it put the work on the person she's asking.  She points out that you should ask for a referral any time that it seems appropriate, usually when you're engaged with the client and they're happy. The biggest mistake is not asking for a referral. According to Joanne Black's research, 97% of people, when asked, would give a referral if they liked the service and were happy with the company that they worked with. Yet on average, only 3% of customers are asked for a referral. How to measure the success of a referral program Referrals should be one of your lead sources. Liz not only tracks referrals but also tracks who referred that person. If you are tracking lead sources, you can track them through the client, account, and opportunity. You need to see what closes and keep your client apprised of the process so they aren't out of the loop.  Connect with Liz Heiman Connect on LinkedIn Follow on Twitter Connect With Paul Watts  LinkedIn Twitter  Subscribe to SALES REINVENTED Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK https://www.podcastfasttrack.com Nick Kane is a founder and Managing Partner of Janek Performance Group, a leading sales performance organization providing sales training and sales consulting solutions. Nick has more than 25 years of experience in sales and is a thought leader and authority, supporting hundreds of clients in optimizing their sales performance. Nick co-authored the book "Critical Selling: How Top Performers Accelerate the Sales Process and Close More Deals," and has penned hundreds of articles on sales performance.

Joanne Black, founder of No More Cold Calling, is considered America's leading authority on referral selling. She's not bragging. Her publisher said it!She has written No More Cold Calling™: The Breakthrough System That Will Leave Your Competition in the Dust, and Pick Up the Damn Phone!: How People, Not Technology, Seal the Deal.Joanne founded her company in 1996, and partners with sales leaders and their teams to leverage referrals, drive revenue growth, and build a referral culture.Winning Business Radio is broadcast live Mondays at 4PM ET.Winning Business TV Show is viewed on Talk 4 TV (www.talk4tv.com).Winning Business Radio Show is broadcast on W4CY Radio (www.w4cy.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk4media.com). Winning Business Radio Podcast is also available on Talk 4 Podcasting (www.talk4podcasting.com), iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Audible, and over 100 other podcast outlets.

07 April 2023: Doesn't matter how you pronounce it as long as you enjoy it, we are celebrating Tomato DayWe chat to the chef behind the Belgrave in Abu DhabiSpinneys is talking all things EasterThe guest chef from the Crossing is sharing stories about his legendary fatherChef Laurent Petite, the executive chef at the H Dubai joins usWe find out more about the newly opened Above Eleven Dubai.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joanne Black is America's leading authority on referral selling. She's not bragging - her publisher gave her that moniker, and she's taking it! Referrals work whether you're looking for a job, want a promotion, need clients, or looking for a date. She's written two books, No More Cold Calling: The Breakthrough System That Will Leave Your Competition in the Dust and Pick Up the Damn Phone: How People, Not Technology, Seal the Deal. Joanne founded her company in 1996. She works with business owners to drive revenue to propel growth through referrals.David C. Barnett loves to say that it took him 10 years to unlearn what he learned in business school. After a career in advertising sales, Barnett started several businesses, including a commercial debt brokerage house. Helping to finance small- and medium-sized businesses led to the field of business brokerage. Over several years, Barnett sold dozens of businesses for others while managing his own portfolio of income properties and starting his career as a local private investor. Barnett regularly consults with professionals and banks on business and asset values. Presently, he also works with entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs worldwide who are buying, selling, or trying to improve their businesses. You can get more information about him at davidcbarnett.com. Chef Eboni Bowman is the founder of Flavor Atlanta, and she turned her lifelong love of cooking into a successful Georgia-based small business offering personal chef services, meal prep, cooking classes, and catering. Both of Eboni's grandmothers did a lot of cooking and baking, and one was a professional caterer. Eboni started helping them in the kitchen when she was five. She studied at the Art Institute of Atlanta's culinary school and has more than 20 years of experience in the Culinary and Hospitality industries. For more information about her business, go to flavoratlanta.com. Three of my amazing guests – Joanne Black, David C. Barnett, and Eboni Bowman – join me simultaneously for a fun, lighthearted, rapid-fire round of my favorite business questions.We get their opinions on a few business tools, some old-school marketing tips, and some great books for aspiring business owners.This week on SmallBizChat Podcast:Fun, fast-paced round of questioning.Our guests' favorite podcasts.Their favorite business app.Their favorite old-school marketing tip.Plus a few other questions about great resources for up-and-coming business leaders.Resources Mentioned:BossQuiz: https://bossquiz.com/ Become Your Own Boss Course: https://tinyurl.com/byobdrexel Podcasts Mentioned:Sales ReinventedThe How of BusinessTherapy for Black Girls PodcastApps Mentioned:Roadie: https://www.roadie.com/ Books Mentioned:Persuasion Secrets of the World's Most Charismatic and Influential Villains by Ben SettleThe Startup of You: Adapt, Take Risks, Grow Your Network, and Transform Your Career by Reid HoffmanThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. CoveyDisrupt You!: Master Personal Transformation, Seize Opportunity, and Thrive in the Era of Endless Innovation by Jay Samit

In this episode, Melinda Emerson introduces a game, 'Hit it or Quit it'. Guests Joanne Black, David C. Barnett, and Eboni Bowman share their favorite podcasts, business apps, old school marketing tips, and business books. Melinda also recommends her favorite business book and introduces her new course, 'Become your own Boss'.

Joanne Black is America's leading authority on referral selling. She's not bragging - her publisher gave her that moniker, and she's taking it! Referrals work whether you're looking for a job, want a promotion, need clients, or looking for a date. She's written two books, No More Cold Calling: The Breakthrough System That Will Leave Your Competition in the Dust and Pick Up the Damn Phone: How People, Not Technology, Seal the Deal. Joanne founded her company in 1996. She works with business owners to drive revenue to propel growth through referrals. If you're looking for how to grow your business with referrals, this is the episode for you. There's a secret to it, and we'll talk about it today with our guest, Joanne Black. She shares her secrets to asking for a referral, increasing your referral conversion rate, and standing out in a sea of cold calling and lukewarm introductions. "You never, ever, ever, ever ask for an introduction on social media or through email because you miss that opportunity to get that intel. That's the biggest differentiation ever." – Joanne BlackThis week on SmallBizChat Podcast:The power of referrals.The conversion rate on warm referrals. Referrals are always great but are most important in a down economy. Definition of referral. Needing the introduction and the intel. Connections versus relationships. Asking for referrals. Resources Mentioned:Boss Quiz: https://bossquiz.com/ Connect with Joanne Black:Book: No More Cold Calling™: The Breakthrough System That Will Leave Your Competitors in the Dust: https://www.nomorecoldcalling.com/no-more-cold-calling-book/ Book: Pick Up the Damn Phone: How People, Not Technology, Seal the Deal: https://www.nomorecoldcalling.com/pick-up-damn-phone-book/ Website: https://www.nomorecoldcalling.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanneblackreferralsales/Twitter: https://twitter.com/referralsales Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063707553480

In this episode, Melinda Emerson chats with Joanne Black about the power of referrals in growing small businesses. They discuss the impact of introductions and referrals on revenue, how to leverage technology for referral research, and the importance of strong relationships for successful referrals. They also explore common missed opportunities in asking for referrals, and Melinda introduces her new course, "Become Your Own Boss."

16 December 2022: We are celebrating the season with Spinneys, and talking about Christmas trees, recipes and all the goodies you will find in their store.And to top it off Santa is answering all your questions today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

12 January 2022: Commissioner General Clayton Kimpton of the NZ Pavilion gives us a rundown of what to expect when visiting the pavilion. Joanne Black from Spinneys explains why NZ food produce really stands out. Chef Sid Sahrawat cooks up a storm in the kitchen for Helen. Three apprentice chefs from the NZ Pavilion prepare ther own special dishes for Helen. And Daniel Wells from Emirates Flight Catering explains what attracted Emirates to partner with NZ. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

21 October 2021: Helen chats to Spinneys category manager Joanne Black about what we can stuff our Halloween baskets with.  Plus, Helen meets Stewart the Lobsterman whose family have been fishing for 300 years. She also meets Chef Thomas Buehner, a 3-star Michelin chef from Germany who is serving up light but tasty food at Expo 2020. Helen also chats space with Shelli Brunswick of the Space Foundation, who says we use lots of space tech every day without even knowing it.  And what's new in the world of food? Emirati entrepreneur and founder of Hayawiia Tahany Taher and Helen chat about the biggest food headlines. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The world is virtual—that's not going to change. So Joanne Black emphasizes that we must learn to sell in this virtual world. That means organizations need to give their salespeople the right tools to sell virtually. How do you look into the camera? How do you have a conversation and build relationships? These are the things salespeople can do in person but struggle with digitally. If that's you, listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented for some tips and tricks from Joanne Black. Outline of This Episode [1:13] The difference between digital and social selling [1:45] Provide the right tools and training [2:46] Joanne's digital selling blueprint [4:37] The attributes of a great digital seller [5:41] Tools, techniques, and strategies  [7:25] Top 3 digital selling dos and don'ts [10:19] Share, comment, interact, and invite Joanne's digital selling blueprint Joanne believes you need to have a written strategy that is clearly communicated. How does it apply to each person in your organization? How can you give them the skills to carry out the process? Joanne believes KPIs need to be attached to a social strategy and outreach. Managers tend to shoot from the hip and it leaves salespeople confused. Joanne has been virtual for years and has taken courses on how to sell virtually. She believes you must train and coach your salespeople, allow them to practice, and help them get results.  The attributes of a great digital seller Joanne notes that the attributes are very similar to in-person selling. You need to build relationships and play the long game. Some people believe that it's tough to develop relationships with digital selling but Joanne disagrees. If you are well-trained and know how to look into the camera and have a conversation, you will build those relationships. Most people sell complex solutions which means you likely won't close in one or two calls. You have to think about how to meet the buyers that are essential to closing the deal. Digital selling dos and don'ts on LinkedIn You have to learn how to use digital and social selling tools such as LinkedIn. People go on LinkedIn and pitch, send automated requests, and spew garbage. The best practice is to look at shared connections and read people's recommendations. You can refer to people's education, work history, and things they've written to reference in a conversation. People forget to be just as social as they would be in person. What are the rules of engagement? Don't stalk people and send automated messages: Joanne gets LinkedIn invitations and decides who to connect with and who she thinks will pitch her. Joanne connected with someone who pitched her when she responded to her acceptance. Joanne immediately removed her as a connection. This woman messaged her and asked why she removed her...Don't pitch people in your invitation!  Engage in conversation on LinkedIn. It's so easy to “like” something. But look at the conversation and share your point of view. Comment and interact with what other people have said to build relationships.  Invite people to connect who engaged with your comments with a personalized invitation. Never send a standard invitation.  Share, comment, interact and invite Joanne saw a post on LinkedIn from a head of sales all about referrals. People were commenting all over it and there was a lot of interaction (15–20 were chatting). Joanne added her voice to the conversation and it continued to develop. She decided to write to the head of sales and asked if he wanted to do a webinar about referrals and invite the people who had commented.  He didn't respond to that question. Instead, he asked her to come in and chat with his group. She had made an offer with no strings attached and it turned into business for her. If someone posts something within your area of expertise, don't be afraid to share a best practice. It's about being open and sharing as much as you can. Resources & People Mentioned LinkedIn Connect with Joanne Black Connect on LinkedIn Follow on Twitter Connect With Paul Watts  LinkedIn Twitter  Subscribe to SALES REINVENTED Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK https://www.podcastfasttrack.com

Join the Institute for Excellence in Sales here. Read the complete transcript on the Sales Game Changers Podcast website. JOANNE'S TIP FOR EMERGING SALES LEADERS: "On LinkedIn, always send a personal invitation and I'd love to get one from you saying that you heard this podcast with Fred, that would be fabulous. I always send a personal response as well, that's how you start a conversation. What I'd like you to do now is one thing I talk to a lot of clients about. Stop, start, continue. If you want to make referrals part of the way you work, you need to stop doing something that isn't working that well. Then you would start with referrals, talk to me first and then start with referrals. Then what are you doing really well that you want to continue? Because we don't have time for everything in our lives. Take that stop, start, continue. That's the best advice I can give you."  

My next guest of Scale Your Sales Podcast is Joanne Black. She is America's leading authority on referral selling referrals work whether you are looking for a job client, a promotion, or a date. She is an author speaker consultant sells trainer. She is known in the sales community as a contrarian. Welcome to Scale Your Sales Podcast Joanne Black  00:00 The Power of a Referral Culture helps Sales Leaders Grow Revenue  5:47 Joanne talks about How to Build Referral Culture  8:18 Joanne says, your Clients are your Outsourced Sales Team, if they Love you, they're willing to Help you Gain more Referrals  10:36 You can't Automate Relationships, Business is Built on the Strong Relationship.  12:11 Companies needs to have a Referral System Strategy, to communicate to Sales Team that is Transparent.  16:49 Diversity in Sales Recruitment, Companies can get a Referral from Candidates to Hire the right Salesperson  22:44 To get Referrals from Existing Clients, Salespeople Should start with the Best Relationships.  27:00 End  linkedin.com/in/joanneblackreferralsales  Nomorecoldcalling.com   Janice B Gordon, the awarding-winning Customer Growth Expert and founder of Scale Your Sales, listed 25 of the Top 100 Global Business Influencers in 2017. Janice helps companies around the world adopt the Scale Your Sales framework to develop their leading-edge capabilities in securing, maintaining, and growing their most valued customer relationships for long-term value and partnership.   Book Janice to speak virtually at your next event https://janicebgordon.com   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janice-b-gordon-customer-growth-expert   Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaniceBGordon   Scale Your Sales Podcast: http://scaleyoursales.libsyn.com   More on the blog https://scaleyoursales.co.uk/blog   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janicebgordon   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScaleYourSalesJBG  

"It's time for women to get out of their own way." - Joanne Black in today's Tip 818 How about you? Join the conversation at DailySales.Tips/818 and learn more about Joanne! Have feedback? Want to share a sales tip? Call or text the Sales Success Hotline: 512-777-1442 or Email: scott@top1.fm

01 April 2021: Spinneys has recipes for a nice and easy Easter brunch, and treats for kids too. We dissect some of the health buzzwords we see on food labels with Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Talking all things mangoes with Mufaddal Husain of Frying Pan Adventures! We look into sustainable sourcing of food in the F&B sector with Chef Matthijs Stinnissen, head chef of Boca. We learn all about Honest Badger, a healthy food service founded by geologist Yasmin Hadi. And we're kicking off the summer with some delicious mocktails!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steve Benson CEO of Badger Maps www.badgermaps.com and LinkedIn Instructor and business owner is an expert on sales force management. We talk about how companies will have different hiring practices coming out of the pandemic. Now might be the opportunity to demonstrate your Zoom or virtual selling skills. Yes we are all sick of "Zoom", but medical and pharmaceutical sales reps might be stuck with it for a while longer.  Steve's podcast, Outside Sales Talk, is a gold mine for learning what is popular is sales! His expert guest might just be what you need to land and excel in your first sales role! For example: Joanne Black, No More Cold Calling, www.nomorecoldcalling.com  Steve's enthusiasm and knowledge is sure to support your efforts to get hired and be successful in medical sales.  After talking to over 100 reps and other experts this year, I have come up with my Three Steps to Get Hired coaching plan Do you need help with your story or resume, help getting interviews and want to learn how to sell yourself in the interview? I can help! my email is mhayes0429@gmail.com and my website is www.gethiredinmedicalsales.com     

What is the key to driving more leads into your pipeline? How does prospecting become something you enjoy—not a chore? Joanne Black believes it’s through referral-driven lead generation. It’s a game-changer that most salespeople don’t know how to properly employ. Joanne shares the details in this episode of Sales Reinvented. Don’t miss it! Joanne Black is America’s leading authority on referral selling, a sales contrarian, and the author of No More Cold Calling and Pick Up the Damn Phone! She works with sales organizations to build a referral culture, ensure a qualified pipeline, and get the one-call meeting. Outline of This Episode [0:50] The difference between prospecting and lead generation  [1:59] Why are they so important? [2:37] Joanne’s referral-driven lead generation system [5:23] Salespeople must be relationship builders [9:51] Why you should improve your LinkedIn skills [11:35] Joanne’s top 3 dos and top 3 don’ts [13:48] Referral-driven lead generation drives revenue Joanne’s referral-driven lead generation system Joanne uses a referral selling system that includes strategy, metrics, skills, and accountability. Every salesperson loves referrals. The conversion rate is more than 50%. What they’re usually missing is a reliable process where metrics are set to get referrals. Joanne notes that sales leaders think they’re doing a good job with referrals. But the reality is that referrals are few and far between. So she points out that they’re not leveraging one area that would be a game-changer: When you talk about lead generation, who is better to refer to you than your clients? You’ve built relationships with them. Your business, product, or service has helped them achieve results. The problem is that they don’t know what to do and salespeople don’t know how to ask. You have to start with a strategy around referral selling. What outcome do you expect? You have to be committed to making referrals your #1 outbound approach. You have to measure it, set KPIs, build the skills of your sales team, and teach them how to ask for a referral and get an introduction. Then you make sure they’re accountable to a result. Because without accountability, nothing changes.  Build relationships to build trust You need to be relationship builders—not sales pitchers. Salespeople pitch and cold email in every means possible. But we already know that pitches don’t work. It’s why the sales profession has gotten a bad name. Customers buy because of the relationship and trust they have with you. Without a relationship, the rest doesn’t matter. The research shows that trust is important but only 18% of buyers said they trust salespeople.  If a client agrees to refer someone to you, you help walk them through what that process looks like. Typically, they call or email their connection and say “I’d love for you to talk to Paul Watts, and here’s why…” This person will trust your client, trust that they won’t waste their time, and that they’re a credible resource. The trust transfers to you.  Good salespeople also need patience, persistence, and a good contact strategy. How are you going to stay in touch? What insights can you share?  Why you should improve your LinkedIn skills Joanne emphasizes that you need LinkedIn skills. LinkedIn is a place to begin a conversation and build a relationship—not to pitch. She recommends sending a personalized invitation to make a personal connection. It’s also a great place to begin insightful conversations if you’re really good at asking questions. There is so much news coming in and so many things to talk about. What is going on that you can educate yourself on so you can engage in conversation with your prospect? You build an amazing relationship, learn what they’re looking for, and schedule the next call.  Referral-driven lead generation drives revenue A sales VP came to Joanne with a problem. She needed to drive revenue faster. So what did Joanne recommend? That they implement a referral system. In less than two months of implementing the new lead generation system, they drove 26 opportunities into their CRM. Joanne points out that it reinforces the fact that people aren’t systematically getting referrals. There’s a huge opportunity to close the gap with referral-driven selling. Listen to this episode of Sales Reinvented to learn more! Connect with Joanne Black Connect on LinkedIn Follow on Twitter Connect With Paul Watts  LinkedIn Twitter Subscribe to SALES REINVENTED Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK https://www.podcastfasttrack.com

How to get more referral business? The importance of following a referral system Why should you ask for referrals? Who should you ask for referrals? How can you ask for referrals without appearing or feeling desperate? These are some of the questions that Joanne Black addresses in this interview. There's a reason why her website is called No More Cold Calling   She points out that it's simple but not easy. Joanne Black is known as America's leading authority on referral selling. How might referrals help you? Find a new job Advance your career Discover new clients Build your social network Test yourself. Take the referral selling quiz here https://www.nomorecoldcalling.com/referral-selling-insights   Your Intended Message is the podcast about how you can boost your career and business success by honing your communication skills. We'll examine the aspects of how we communicate one-to-one, one to few and one to many – plus that important conversation, one to self. In these interviews we will explore presentation skills, public speaking, conversation, persuasion, negotiation, sales conversations, marketing, team meetings, social media, branding, self talk and more.   Your host is George Torok George is a specialist in communication skills. Especially presentation. He's fascinated by the links between communication and influencing behaviours. He delivers training and coaching programs to help leaders and promising professionals deliver the intended message for greater success.   Facts about George Torok He hosted the radio show, Business in Motion for 19 years, interviewing over 500 guests He wrote Secrets of Power Marketing, the bestselling book of personal marketing By the age of 21 he had visited 35 countries   Connect with George www.torok.com www.SpeechCoachforExecutives.com www.SuperiorPresentations.net https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgetorokpresentations/ https://www.instagram.com/georgetorok/ https://www.youtube.com/user/presentationskills1  

Joanne Black is America’s leading authority on referral selling—the only business-development strategy proven to convert prospects into clients more than 50 percent of the time. As the founder of No More Cold Calling, Joanne helps salespeople, sales teams, and business owners build their referral networks so they can quickly attract more business, decrease operating costs, and ace out the competition every time. A captivating speaker and innovative seminar leader, Joanne is changing the business of sales. In her groundbreaking book, NO MORE COLD CALLING™: The Breakthrough System That Will Leave Your Competition in the Dust, Joanne teaches readers how to leverage the power of referrals so they get meetings at the level that counts and hit their numbers without hitting the phones. A member of the National Speakers Association, Joanne regularly speaks at sales and incentive meetings, sales conferences, and association meetings. She holds a B.A. in English from the University of California at Berkeley and a Certificate in Training and Human Resource Development, with Honors, from the University of California Extension.

This is the beginning of "Act 2" for Conversations with Women in Sales. Lori Richardson and Women Sales Pros will continue to publish episodes with interviews of amazing women in sales roles. We want to carry on Barb Giamanco's vision and mission. Your feedback and support welcome. This conversation was with Lori, Joanne Black, and Deb Calvert on Barb's passing and the future for CWWIS. 

Joanne Black is America's leading authority on referral selling; she practically invented it, and that is the focus of this episode. Joanne shares the overlooked opportunities in properly and consistently leveraging referrals. In a connected planet where people buy from people, referrals are your leg-up in a competitive world. We explore it all with the source.

This week's episode is entitled "What’s Old is New (Again): Timeless (and Pandemic-Proof) Sales Advice from Joanne Black".  Joanne is the Founder of No More Cold Calling  I can't imagine a time when referrals or referrals and sales, referrals and business has been more important when channels are shrinking, budgets are shrinking. Joanne's been beating this drum for a long, long time and it's been important and prescient that entire time, and I would imagine she's hearing more from companies right now saying, "How do I build that referral culture?" I ask Joanne why she thinks it's coming up more often now and how has her answer changed or evolved over time? Companies are really realizing they have to do more than just give lip service to referrals, to say to their sales team, "I'll just go ask for referrals." And they're finally realizing that's not working and realizing everybody in the company knows someone, but this word culture is important. Joanne shares how she was afraid to use it for years. She says, "Well, maybe afraid isn't the right word, but it's because I worked for a consulting firm and they did culture work and it took forever and cost millions of dollars. So, that's not the picture I wanted, but it's really about how do you set a strategy, have goals, have metrics, build skills, have accountability, and make sure referrals become the way people work? And Matt, I found this wonderful definition of culture: Culture is what happens when people aren't looking. Listen in now for this and a lot more.  Read the full transcript starting Mon. 7/13/20 on our blog.   Sales Pipeline Radio is sponsored and produced by Heinz Marketing on the Funnel Radio Channel.  I interview the best and brightest minds in sales and Marketing.  If you would like to be a guest on Sales Pipeline Radio send an email to Sheena.

Former deputy editor of the Listener Joanne Black and entrepreneur Annah Stretton join the show to discuss the recent move to alert level 2, the government's new budget, and how things look for the future of media and retail.  

Former deputy editor of the Listener Joanne Black and entrepreneur Annah Stretton join the show to discuss the recent move to alert level 2, the government's new budget, and how things look for the future of media and retail.  

Staying productive is an ever-evolving problem as a sales professional—but leveraging the power of referrals could help. Salespeople wear many hats: they prospect, write proposals, work with internal teams, handle customers, and more. Utilizing any tactic to help smooth the process can be a gamechanger. In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Joanne Black joins Paul to share her take.  Joanne Black founded No More Cold Calling 23 years ago and has been helping sales leaders drive revenue for their teams ever since. She is a referral consultant, speaker, and author of multiple books on sales. Her goal is to help sales professionals ensure qualified pipeline leads and shorten prospecting time and increase close rate.  Outline of This Episode [0:19] Joanne Black joins Paul! [054] What is productivity? [2:00] Salespeople need to focus on discipline [3:43] Do what’s closest to cash every day [5:55] Attributes of a productive salesperson [7:13] Joanne’s #1 recommendation  [9:45] Top productivity dos and don’ts [11:32] Joanne’s favorite productivity story Sales professionals must face a hard truth Joanne doesn’t mince words—she believes many sales professionals are lazy and lack discipline. She notes that salespeople do everything they can to avoid prospecting and connecting with customers. Salespeople resist CRM and systems because it is more work. It’s expected that marketing will source and send leads down the pipeline.  But sales professionals are accountable for what they produce. They must take a long hard look at their behaviors and systems in place. Society as a whole wants the end results without the work that goes with it. Sales professionals must work hard to overcome the preconception that people have that they’re lazy. That starts by learning to be disciplined and staying accountable.  Do what’s “closest to cash” every day Joanne’s mantra is “do what’s closest to cash every day”. What do you have to do to move things along and meet your quota? Is it writing a proposal? Do you have to corral a team and strategize? She points out that your job is all about prospecting and proposal writing—and whatever it takes to move forward.  To stay focused, you must prioritize and time-block what’s important. Limit how often you’re checking email and don’t get lost in the social media time-suck. She also recommends exercising and eating healthy. If you are tired and unfocused, you won’t be able to do your best work.  STOP cold-calling and embrace referrals  According to Joanne, it takes at least 8 touches to reach someone with cold calling. But if you get a referral? It’s one phone call and you’re in a conversation with someone who wants to speak with you. Her #1 recommendation to be more productive is to STOP cold calling and embrace referrals.  This allows you to spend less time prospecting, shortens the sales process, and helps your conversion rates soar to over 70%. How? Trust. When a client refers someone to you, they have already forged a level of trust with that person. That bond of trust gets transferred to you and completely changes the conversation you have. Focus on what customers are saying (or NOT saying) Joanne believes many salespeople are so bent on “doing” that they don’t think to ask what customers actually need. Every customer needs and wants different things and you can’t assume you know what those needs are without listening first. Joanne believes, “Every individual has a different need to know at a different time”. It’s your job to find out what that need is and provide a solution.  You also need to be able to know when a client is giving you the brush-off—by understanding their silence. Joanne worked for a company that was contacted to submit a proposal for what would have been a million-dollar deal. They were looking for some advanced sales training and their current vendor didn’t offer what they needed. But her contact gave her the runaround and Joanne ended up losing the deal.  The constant stalling and dodging of calls was a red-flag that Joanne missed. Be sure you’re paying attention to a potential client to get a concrete answer—”maybe” or “not sure” isn’t good enough. Getting a concrete “yes” or “no” will keep you from wasting your time and lead to more productivity. Listen to the whole episode for all of Joanne’s strategies to stay productive! Resources & People Mentioned The SPEED of Trust by Stephen Covey No More Cold Calling by Joanne Black Connect with Joanne Black LinkedIn Twitter Connect With Paul Watts  LinkedIn Twitter Subscribe to SALES REINVENTED Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK https://www.podcastfasttrack.com

Joanne Black is America’s leading authority on Referral Selling. She is an author, speaker, and sales contrarian. She's written two books, No More Cold Calling™:The Breakthrough System That Will Leave Your Competition in the Dust, and Pick Up the Damn Phone!: How People, Not Technology, Seal the Deal. 

Referrals are higher quality leads, easier to close, and shorten the sales cycle. And, most salespeople never ask for them. In this podcast with Joanne Black, you learn the keys to building a high-yield pipeline with referrals.  

Subscribe to Selling With Social Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Play | Google Podcasts Referral Selling: It sounds like the holy grail of lead generation and customer acquisition, and my guest on this episode of #SellingWithSocial insists that it is all of that and more. Joanne Black says that getting referrals is a matter of building a systematic approach that eliminates the need for cold calling and puts truly qualified leads into the pipeline. Joanne has made it her business to become the foremost expert on referral selling and during this conversation, we discuss why sales teams don’t make the most of referrals, how referral selling is done incorrectly, and what can be done to develop a referral selling culture that drives your sales organization.  Joanne speaks at sales meetings and conferences around the world, presenting the content she shares on this episode as part of her signature talk “Referrals Are Retro: How to Build a Referral Culture in a Digital World." Be sure you listen!  This episode is brought to you by Gong.io, the number one conversation intelligence platform for sales. Gong helps you achieve revenue success, which means you win more deals, skyrocket rep performance and gain critical market intelligence. Get powerful visibility into your customer conversations with Gong. Head to http://bit.ly/gongio to get started. Referrals Are The Fastest Driver Of Revenue You may not be aware of this fact, but referrals are the number one driver of revenue. The reason they are is simple: When you receive a referral you’ve been handed a gift-wrapped warm lead from someone who has already earned the trust of that lead. As you reach out to that referral, you're riding on the trust the referrer has already established. That gives you a huge competitive advantage when it comes to closing more deals. So, when you call to set an appointment with a referral, you get the meeting. But even more important, when you get referrals by asking the right questions you can be assured that every single one of those referrals is a QUALIFIED lead added to your pipeline. In this episode, Joanne shares how you should ask for referrals and reveals the exact questions you should ask to qualify those referrals. In fact, if you listen you'll hear Joanne put ME on the hotseat as I offer my own qualifying questions and receive Jonanne’s critique. She sets me straight more than once! Listen to learn how you can increase your referral skills by asking the right questions. Do You Believe These Common Misconceptions About Selling By Referral? Though most sales leaders agree that selling by referral is the best way to gain qualified leads, most of the members of their teams are NOT getting referrals consistently. Why is that? Joanne says there are a handful of myths about referrals that cause most of the problem. Myth 1: Telling salespeople to get referrals is all you need Myth 2: Selling by referral takes too long Myth 3: It’s not appropriate to ask clients for referrals because they pay you Myth 4: Referral selling is easy  In this conversation, Joanne reveals why each of these myths is wrong and explains what can be done to dispel them and create a referral generating culture in your sales organization. The Best Process To Build Referral Sales During this conversation, Joanne points out that sales leaders can’t simply tell their reps to ask for referrals and expect it to happen. It won’t. You’ve got to have a systematic approach to referrals that makes the practice part of your organization's selling DNA. She calls it a "referral selling process." Here are the 3 steps Joanne says must be a part of every referral selling process: 1 - Strategy - this includes setting clear achievable goals, time frames, and methods of measurement. 2 -Skills - this includes learning HOW to ask for referrals, what kind of referrals to ask for, and how to qualify the referrals you receive. 3 - Execution - this includes involving the people in your organization who are willing to learn, willing to be accountable, and open to being coached through the process. If you take Joanne’s advice and truly focus on your referral approach, you’ll see referrals become your leading source of qualified leads and sales conversions. So listen to this episode to find out exactly how to coach your sales team to effective referral selling. The Biggest Missed Opportunity For Referrals: Current Clients When I asked Joanne to tell me the biggest missed opportunity for referrals, she didn’t hesitate. It’s current clients. To illustrate, she tells the story of how, at a recent speaking engagement, she asked the sales leaders in the room how many of them had asked 100% of their current customers for a referral. Nobody raised their hand. She asked again, how many had asked half of their current clients for a referral? A few hands went up. When she asked how many had never asked their current clients for a referral, most hands were raised. That story reveals the pot of gold available to every organization in its existing customer base. You have the untapped advantage of trust-based relationships with customers who would most likely be happy to tell others about their experience with you. Who better to introduce you to future ideal customers than those who are already benefiting from and enjoying your services? Listen as Joanne peels back the layers to help you overcome the fear of asking for referrals and increase your ability to secure qualified leads and close more deals through referral selling. This episode is brought to you by Gong.io, the number one conversation intelligence platform for sales. Gong helps you achieve revenue success, which means you win more deals, skyrocket rep performance and gain critical market intelligence. Get powerful visibility into your customer conversations with Gong. Head to http://bit.ly/gongio to get started. Outline of This Episode [1:48] How getting fired pushed Joanne into consulting and referral sales expertise [8:22] A pandemic in sales: the inability to generate referrals [10:34] Why have companies missed the referral selling opportunity? [22:12] What does it take to build a referral culture? [31:55] Big misconceptions about referral selling and how to build the referral sales skill [48:37] Why customers are a pot of gold for future sales relationships Resources Mentioned Joanne’s book website: https://www.nomorecoldcalling.com/ Get Joanne’s books on Amazon Dr. Howard Dover, professor at UTD Kurt Shaver (CSO of Vengreso) Salesforce Modern Marketing Engine Podcast - Bernie Borges Connect with Mario! www.vengreso.com On Facebook On Twitter On YouTube On LinkedIn Subscribe to Selling With Social Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Play | Google Podcasts

The buzz: “Even though the future seems far away, it is actually beginning right now (Mattie Stepanek). If your #1 business wish is knowing what 2019 holds for your company, your industry and the world, stay tuned. Live today, January 23 – and on-demand from Dec. 5, 12, 19, 2018 and Jan. 9 and 16 – we're bringing you 80+ thought leaders' predictions covering the exciting technologies, strategies, and trends that can help you grow and compete better in 2019 and beyond. Pour a cup of Joe, Earl, Dom, and join us for SAP Game-Changers Radio 2019 Predictions – Part 6 live. Guests: Werner Zeitlberger, Hackett Group; Rita Sallam, Gartner; Rogan Morrison, Olayan Group; Uli Muench, Lori Mitchell-Keller, Werner Baumbach, Timo Elliott, and Matt Jennings, SAP; Erika Hovland, IOLITE360; Barbara Giamanco, Social Centered Selling; Michael Bernard, Vertex; Joanne Black, No More Cold Calling; Sven Denecken, SAP; Lisa Durrett, Broad Insite; Chris Kernaghan, Bluefin Solutions; Jim Davis, SAP.

The buzz: “Even though the future seems far away, it is actually beginning right now (Mattie Stepanek). If your #1 business wish is knowing what 2019 holds for your company, your industry and the world, stay tuned. Live today, January 23 – and on-demand from Dec. 5, 12, 19, 2018 and Jan. 9 and 16 – we're bringing you 80+ thought leaders' predictions covering the exciting technologies, strategies, and trends that can help you grow and compete better in 2019 and beyond. Pour a cup of Joe, Earl, Dom, and join us for SAP Game-Changers Radio 2019 Predictions – Part 6 live. Guests: Werner Zeitlberger, Hackett Group; Rita Sallam, Gartner; Rogan Morrison, Olayan Group; Uli Muench, Lori Mitchell-Keller, Werner Baumbach, Timo Elliott, and Matt Jennings, SAP; Erika Hovland, IOLITE360; Barbara Giamanco, Social Centered Selling; Michael Bernard, Vertex; Joanne Black, No More Cold Calling; Sven Denecken, SAP; Lisa Durrett, Broad Insite; Chris Kernaghan, Bluefin Solutions; Jim Davis, SAP.

How much power lies in a simple introduction?  My guest today, Joanne Black, founder of No More Cold Calling, is a pioneer in and an advocate of building your sales pipeline through the power of referrals. It starts with building real human connections and relationships and ends with you getting past gatekeepers and into C-Suites with ease.  Joanne is the author of two books, Pick Up the Damn Phone and No More Cold Calling. She believes that referral selling is the fastest way to grow your revenue and today she's sharing all of her secrets, strategies and insight into getting someone to vouch for you. Speaking of more revenue... Are you an entrepreneur, small business owner or leader looking for more advanced, one-on-one help generating revenue? Click for more information about my Revenue Accelerator Sessions and let’s exceed your next revenue goal. On today’s podcast… 1:26 - 80% of companies Meredith works with are missing this one thing 4:52 - How powerful is an introduction? 8:00 - "We only put on LinkedIn what we want people to see." 12:00 The more technological we get, the more human factor we need 15:50 - Relationship building is not complicated 18:30 - You can't start with everybody...slow down 21:50 - The universal mistake in referral selling 25:20 - Soft statements get no results 30:52 - The one thing you have to have in place before you ask for the referral 35:30 - Staying in touch with your referral network 39:45 - What if referral networking hasn't worked for me in the past? Tell somebody! If you like what you hear, subscribe rate and review on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or Google Play and share with a friend. What do YOU want to hear? Is there a particular topic, challenge or expert view that you would like to see featured here on the Selling With Soul podcast? Email me at Meredith@MeredithMessenger.com and be part of our show! This podcast is part of the Sell or Die Podcast Network. Click on the links below to subscribe to more podcasts that you can take into the street and turn into money.  Sell or Die The Why and The Buy Hidden Stories with Jeremy Fulkerson Wheelbarrow Profits

Joanne Black, founder of No More Cold Calling, is on a mission to end cold calling. For more than 22 years, she's been helping businesses stop the madness of cold calling and referral sell instead. Joanne defines a referral as receiving an introduction to the person you want to meet. Tune in as she discusses how each caller can become a part of your network.     

The buzz: “In the old days, sellers would bring their Rolodex from company to company – now they bring their LinkedIn network” (@RobBois). Top salespeople have mastered social networks to grow revenue potential, exceed quota, prospect efficiently, and maintain a robust pipeline. How? They play by each network's etiquette and what, how and when customers want to see information. Our panel shares pro and con guidelines for your social selling playbook. The experts speak. Joanne Black, No More Cold Calling: “Even though I get older, what I do never gets old, and that's what I think keeps me hungry” (Steven Spielberg). Lori Richardson, Score More Sales: “Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared” (Buddha). Phil Lurie, SAP: “When in doubt tell the truth. It will confound your enemies and astound your friends” (Mark Twain). Join us for Social Sellers Playbook: Top 5 Do's and Don't Do's.

The buzz: “In the old days, sellers would bring their Rolodex from company to company – now they bring their LinkedIn network” (@RobBois). Top salespeople have mastered social networks to grow revenue potential, exceed quota, prospect efficiently, and maintain a robust pipeline. How? They play by each network's etiquette and what, how and when customers want to see information. Our panel shares pro and con guidelines for your social selling playbook. The experts speak. Joanne Black, No More Cold Calling: “Even though I get older, what I do never gets old, and that's what I think keeps me hungry” (Steven Spielberg). Lori Richardson, Score More Sales: “Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared” (Buddha). Phil Lurie, SAP: “When in doubt tell the truth. It will confound your enemies and astound your friends” (Mark Twain). Join us for Social Sellers Playbook: Top 5 Do's and Don't Do's.

Joanne Black is America's leading authority on referral selling. She shares her actionable strategies that help you get more qualified leads through referrals in Field Sales. A referral program is the best prospecting approach to reach decision-makers, close B2B sales at an unprecedented 70% rate, shorten the sales process, and ace-out the competition. Joanne believes that in B2B sales, relationships still count. People still crave that interpersonal connection in today’s digital world. According to Nielsen, network recommendations trump all forms of advertising by 92%. That’s why asking for referrals produces better-qualified leads and longer-lasting client relationships. Ditch the cold calling scripts for a strategic sales plan designed for the 21st century modern buyer. Learn how to seed and grow without the awkward close. Referrals work whether you're: Looking for a job Want a promotion Need more clients Or are looking for a date Joanne is a contrarian thinker who believes no salesperson should ever have to cold call, send cold emails, or send sales pitches to strangers on social media. She founded her business in 1996 when she discovered that even though referrals are the #1 way to generate quality sales leads, no organization had a disciplined, systematic referral program with skills, metrics, and accountability for results.   Here are some of the topics covered in this episode: How referral selling can help you get more qualified leads The best ways to ask for a referral and when to ask for it Leveraging LinkedIn to manage customer relationships & engage with prospects First steps to start integrating referrals in your sales strategy today   Check out this blog post about how referrals can help you generate more leads!   About the Guest: Joanne has more than 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur, sales executive and consultant with startups and Fortune 500 companies. She is the author of two books, No More Cold Calling™: The Breakthrough System That Will Leave Your Competition in the Dust, and Pick Up the Damn Phone!: How People, Not Technology, Seal the Deal. Her company, No More Cold Calling, is the #1 company in the U.S. for Referral Sales & Lead Generation. Joanne is working with account-based sellers to leverage referrals for lead generation.    Website: www.nomorecoldcalling.com Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanneblackreferralsales/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDvwNESCLVo6CXo8mGhapJQ Twitter: @ReferralSales   Listen to other episodes of 'Outside Sales Talk' here!  

[zilla_alert style=”yellow”]Click a link to subscribe for new episodes:  iTunes | Google Podcasts | Overcast[/zilla_alert] Joanne Black has more than 30 years experience as an entrepreneur, sales executive and consultant with startups and Fortune 500 companies. Joanne’s philosophy is that no one should ever have to cold call. Instead, Joanne creates a sales process that ensures every call is […] The post #537: STOP COLD CALLING And GET REFERRALS Instead… With Joanne Black appeared first on Salesman.org.

In this episode of Conversations with Phil, Phil and Joanne discuss her book, No More Cold Calling. Learn more about Joanne Black at http://www.nomorecoldcalling.com/

A lot of leaders and business people turn to technology these days as the easy fix to everything. While that is the intention of technology, we have so much dependency on it that when a certain technology fails, we blame it and don’t look at the human element that was also involved in the process. President of No More Cold Calling Joanne Black is asking people to stop and step back from technology and see that we can seal the deal by having a conversation with the client. Sending emails is the way to go in business these days, but the trend of software technology is making sales people look like they are there for making a demo. Joanne explains how referrals solve this problem for leaders and the organization.

Referral selling is the fastest path to an executive meeting! With referral selling, your competition is toast, and you convert prospects to clients well more than 50 percent of the time. In this webinar, LEARN: Why referral selling isn't the #1 prospecting strategy. What gets in the way of adopting referral selling. How to implement a referral strategy.

Matt Foley: I am 35 years old. I am divorced and I live in a van down by the river. Intro: Kelly Coughlin is a CPA and CEO of BankBosun, a management consulting firm helping bank C Level Officers navigate risk and discover reward. He is the host of the syndicated audio podcast, BankBosun.com. Kelly brings over 25 years of experience with companies like PWC, Lloyds Bank, and Merrill Lynch. On the podcast Kelly interviews key executives in the banking ecosystem to provide bank C suite officers, risk management, technology, and investment ideas and solutions to help them navigate risks and discover rewards. And now your host, Kelly Coughlin. Greetings, this is Kelly Coughlin, CPA and CEO of BankBosun, helping bank C suite execs navigate risk and discover reward a sea of risk, regulation and revenue opportunities. One of the benefits, perhaps the only benefit, of getting older, is having a huge portfolio of …mistakes. Some wise person said, “Many times what we perceive as an error or failure is actually a gift. And eventually we find that lessons learned from that experience prove to be of great worth.” I say baloney to that. The mistakes I have made cost me and my company money. So, I reject that idea. And another wise man, Alexander Pope, an 18th century British poet, said “A man should never be ashamed to admit he has been wrong, because he is wiser today than he was yesterday” I say, forget that idea too. Wrong is wrong. And yes, I might be wiser, but I certainly am irritated and embarrassed at a few of my own mistakes. And one of the BIGGEST mistakes I have made over my 25 illustrious years in the business world is with presentations. And my weapon of choice was Powerpoint presentations. And for all you prospects, clients, and conference attendees who have had to endure one or more of my busy, complex, unclear, and lengthy PowerPoint presentations, I now herewith formally apologize for the harm that was done to you through boredom, confusion, and frankly lousy theater. As many of you know, I am a huge fan of using audio…the human voice as a great tool to communicate your mission, message, and mechanics (that’s my term for product features and benefits) of your company and your products and services. Your spoken word is so much more powerful than the written word. With your voice you can communicate with energy, emotion, empathy, excitement… coincidentally they all begin with the letter E. I don’t know about your writing skills, but if I try to communicate my value proposition using words that communicate energy, emotion, excitement…they just don’t work in business writing. This is why live presentations are great. They allow you to communicate your mission, message and mechancs of your company and value proposition with emotion and energy…those E words…That said, if that message is not clear, concise and credible then you should just keep your mouth shut…take the advice of Matt Foley, Motivational Speaker, “I wish you could just shut your big yapper.” God, I love Matt Foley. Many of the mistakes we make with presentations are easily controllable…and I certainly have made my fair share of these, even before we talk about non-verbal mistakes we make…by the way, I encourage you to listen to my two-part interview with Robin Kermode, where he talked about a couple non-verbal tips like squeezing your butt together to lower your center of gravity, and what to do with your hands and how to stand. In my mind, after having made dozens of miserable presentations, there are five things that can dramatically improve our Powerpoint presentations. Number One: Direct the audience to yourself…not the screen or the handout. My actor friend Chris Carlson, CEO of NarrativePros in an interview said only we stupid business people, communicate this way: Hey audience, listen to what I am going to say, because I am so brilliant, but, by the way, don’t look at me, look at the screen over there. Cause I am not worth looking at. Don’t do that. And it starts with don’t give them content on the slide that encourages them to study and read it and not watch and listen to you. You want them focusing on YOU! Number two…Get comfortable with white space on the slide. We tend to have too much content on our slides and too many ideas or concepts on each slide. Get comfortable with clean and open white space. You fill that white space with your brilliant words that you speak and not the words that you write. And be aware of the Rule of Thirds on your slides. Your slide can be divided up into nine boxes…resembling a tic tac toe grid. Generally speaking, you want your key messages on a slide where two lines intersect, that is just outside the four corners of the center box. Number three: Get Your presentation down to less than 18 minutes. Frequently, presentations are too long and Q&A is too short. By capping it at 18 minutes, it forces you to distill your message into its critical and core elements. Audience cognitive learning…that is thinking and listening, is draining. There is this concept of cognitive backlog where your audience can handle up to a max of about 15 - 18 minutes of cognitive learning. If you exceed that they go into a backlog mode, where learning and listening starts to shut down. Research shows that you have about two minutes to get your audiences’ attention; five more minutes to keep it; and if they like it you get another seven to ten more minutes. So that is a total of no more than 18 minutes. The rest should be about them…no more about you. So to accomplish the mission to hold their attention, we need to carefully prepare and rehears our presentation. It takes more time to prepare a 15-minute presentation than a 50-minute presentation. Why? With both of them, you can only hold their attention for 18 minutes. With the longer presentation you are simply throwing more words at the wall and hoping something will stick. With the shorter one, you are carefully crafting your words to ensure that each message on each slide sticks with the audience. Number Four: We use text too much and images not enough images. Use images either alone or to guide the viewer to the important message…again no more than two, ideally one, message per slide. I want to expand on this a bit. I had a client of mine say, but if I don’t put more detail and content on the slide, it won’t mean anything when I leave it behind. Very, very true. But that is resolved in my fifth and final point.And I really can’t emphasize this enough. Because if you do this, many of the flaws and weaknesses in the previous four points will magically be uncovered and discovered. Number Five Write your complete and total speech out verbatim. Read it out loud. And record it. Write, Read, Record…the three Rs…oh wait, write is a W word…you get the idea. To Write it, you can use an outline or a mind map or whatever works for you. I personally like the mind map approach, whatever works for you…write it out literally. Tell your story in an interesting way. If you haven’t listened to Paul Smith’s audio interview Sell with a Story or Joanne Black’s interview Pick Up the Damn Phone, you should. I interviewed both of them over the past six months. Their ideas can help you in writing your speech. So you write and rewrite your speech and then you need to connect it to your Powerpoint images. Copy and paste your script into your Powerpoint slide notes at the bottom of the slide page….What I like to do is copy the entire speech into the first slide…and then start cutting and pasting into the subsequent slides from this first one. If you haven’t created the slides, then this text will help you with the theme and message and image you want in that particular slide. Keep editing and reading aloud and rewriting and reading aloud again. This process is terrific for creating your talk and also, by the way, recalling the talk. And then once you have it and the slides are pretty good, record your voice making the presentation. You can either record this in Powerpoint or in another audio recording application. If you have someone else helping you with the Powerpoint slides, having this audio content will be incredibly helpful for them in creating the slideshow. So, back to the client that complained about lack of detail and content, when you provide your slide deck to interested clients or prospects, you also provide them the slide deck with the transcript AND you provide them the recorded presentation with the slides advancing with your audio overlay. It’s a great repurposing of the presentation and it offers you a way to repeat it and deliver it again and again with other prospects or clients throughout the company for those who couldn’t attend, liked it so much they wanted to hear it again or perhaps they had a martini at lunch and fell asleep…   So to summarize, it goes like this: Direct the audience to you, the speaker, not the screen or the handout. Get comfortable with white space on your slide. Divide the slide into a tic tac toe grid and place your key message…remember only one or two…in close proximity to the corners of the center box. Get your presentation down to less than 18 minutes. There are some tips and tricks on getting Q&A going, because frequently nobody wants to be the first one to ask a question. Use more images and pictures and less text. And no more than two points per slide. And finally, the most important one, write, read, record, and rehearse…darn that pesky W in write…About six years ago, a couple of my sales people were making a big presentation…they came to me with a 50 slide Powerpoint deck they intended to present…I just about puked. I told them to get it down to 15 slides including opening slide. I also told them I wanted to see their script in the notes on each slide so I knew what they intended to say. They pushed back saying, they didn’t want to memorize a script rather would just use notes…I said fine. But I want a script for each slide as if you WERE going to read it verbatim…this process forced them to fine tune their presentation. Cut out the noise. And forced them to create a very good, well rehearsed, repeatable presentation that they could use again, fine tune again and allow others to make a similar presentation. So record it while you are still in production mode, and then re-record a finished version. The recording process will really help you get it right….that’s right with an R… To get some help and guidance the non-verbal stuff listen to my interviews with Robin Kermode and Chris Carlson, both actors. To get some help on how to write it listen to Joanne Black and Paul Smith…you can find all of them on our website or just google bankbosun.com and their name: Robin Kermode, Chris Carlson, Joanne Black and Paul Smith. Most bank executives have to make presentation all the time..to their board, shareholders, employees, regulators, cucstomers, prospects…I personally lover working on these presentations. To me it’s like writing poetry for business. You have a limited number of lines, words and time to communicate a powerful impactful and memorable message. So if you want help, give me a call. Thanks for listening. Outro: We want to thank you for listening to the syndicated audio program, BankBosun.com The audio content is produced by Kelly Coughlin, Chief Executive Officer of BankBosun, LLC;  and syndicated by Seth Greene, Market Domination LLC, with the help of Kevin Boyle. Video content is produced by The Guildmaster Studio, Keenan Bobson Boyle. The voice introduction is me, Karim Kronfli. The program is hosted by Kelly Coughlin. If you like this program, please tell us. If you don’t, please tell us how we can improve it. Now, some disclaimers. Kelly is licensed with the Minnesota State Board of Accountancy as a Certified Public Accountant. The views expressed here are solely those of Kelly Coughlin and his guests in their private capacity and do not in any other way represent the views of any other agent, principal, employer, employee, vendor or supplier.

Title: Pick Up the Damn Phone Means No Cold Calling! Listen to Joanne-of-the-Nice-Voice Explain. Date: August 25, 2017 Attendee and Guest:  Kelly Coughlin, CEO, BankBosun; Joanne Black, Author and Consultant, [Boatswain’s whistle] That’s the Bosun’s whistle calling you bankers to attention.  Listen, compete, win. Intro: Kelly Coughlin is a CPA and CEO of BankBosun, a management consulting firm helping bank C Level Officers navigate risk and discover reward. He is the host of the syndicated audio podcast, BankBosun.com. Kelly brings over 25 years of experience with companies like PWC, Lloyds Bank, and Merrill Lynch. On the podcast Kelly interviews key executives in the banking ecosystem to provide bank C suite officers, risk management, technology, and investment ideas and solutions to help them navigate risks and discover rewards. And now your host, Kelly Coughlin. Greetings, this is Kelly Coughlin, CEO of BankBosun, helping bank C- suite execs navigate risks and discover reward in a sea of threats and opportunities. It wasn’t so long ago, that there were really only three ways to communicate with people: the mail, in-person, and on the phone. That was it. That’s the way it was only 40 years ago. Imagine that…no texting, no social media, no cell phones, no internet, no email…just 40 years ago. Today, we have all these new different ways to communicate…and frequently, when something “new” is introduced in the market, it gets overused and misused. Why? Because we lose sight of the purpose of the new concept and focus simply on using the new concept. In communications today, I will say the reliance upon binary digits…technology…is overused and misused today. As most of you know, we at BankBosun are huge fans of using the human voice as a way to more effectively communicate your message…whether it be your company mission and vision, your product features and benefits, or your assessment of the market landscape and environment, the power of the human voice to communicate empathy, energy and emotion is one of the strongest powers as human beings we have. And if we don’t use that power, we miss a huge opportunity to connect and communicate with our tribe. We like to say, while the pen is mightier than the sword, the voice is stronger than both. Use it. The new communication tactics today are terrific and I use them constantly and consistently. But in terms of effectiveness, nothing compares with the sound of the human voice…I fully recognize that it is not efficient, and that is why many companies founded in the digital era have adopted a business model that minimizes or sometimes completely eliminates the human voice…Facebook, Google, Uber…have you ever tried to get an Uber customer service agent on the phone…forget it…it just won’t happen. This audio interview is an example of the power of the human voice. I posit that if you only read the transcript of this interview, you will miss a huge portion of the underlying message. See how I said huge there? You would miss that if you just read it…it would sound huge…If you only read, you will miss the guest’s energy, empathy and emotion. You just don’t get that with the written word. Oh, and did I mention people don’t read anymore…they don’t. If you send a written piece longer than three quarters of a page it most likely won’t ever get read. Over 65% of written documents over one page in length get put down for later reading…and over 50% of those docs never get read…period. But if you listen, you get to hear a whole new dimension of communication. And you technical people that think your products and services are way too complex and need to be communicated with a written doc or flow chart or a Powerpoint. Wrong. You especially need to tell your story with your voice. I am not suggesting you abandon your written material. But frankly the more complex your offering the more you need to be able to tell your story with your voice…if you can’t, you need to learn your story better. My guest today is also a strong advocate of using the human voice. She is a thought leader, author, and consultant.  And frankly, she is the genuine article.  She has written a number of books, one is called No More Cold Calling: The Breakthrough System That Will Leave Your Competition in the Dust.  And then another one, Pick Up the Damn Phone!: How People, Not Technology, Seal the Deal.  She is America’s leading authority on referral selling.  She is not bragging though, her publisher gave her that moniker and she runs with it, and runs with it hard.  And now she is going to run with it at BankBosun to help our community and regional banks compete and win, not through cold calling or the traditional tactics like getting referrals from centers of influence, rather, she is quite the contrary and thinker who believes no sales person should ever have to cold call or send cold emails.  Let’s hear about that.  But what I like most about our guest, Joanne Black, she has a nice soothing voice, especially, compared to my rough and gruff voice.  And so, I am going to welcome Joanne and hope she is on the line so we can all hear her great wisdom and insight and hear her especially nice voice.  Kelly: Joanne, are you on the line? Joanne: Oh, I wouldn’t miss this for the world, Kelly. This is fabulous. Kelly: Thank you Joanne for taking the time.  I know you are on the west coast of California, is that correct? Joanne: I am in the San Francisco Bay area so it’s a beautiful sunny day here and we haven’t had any earthquakes in a while and I hope that continues. Kelly: Excellent!  Well, Joanne, are you ready to get right into it? Joanne: I am always ready.  Kelly: Alright. Well, Joanne, I am going to start out with a challenging question here.  I am going to start out by asking you to reconcile two seemingly contrary and opposing messages that are the titles of two of your books.  One book says, Pick Up the Damn Phone and the other says, No More Cold Calling.  Well, what do you want us to do, call or not call? Joanne: Oh, I want you to call but only if you have gotten a referral. The reason I wrote that second book is, I truly was alarmed by how so many people depend on technology and not only depend on it, I think they hide behind it.  And instead of actually having conversations they are depending on emails, on e-books, on social media to get people’s attention.  But the titles may seem like they are not aligned but they actually are. To only wants you to pick up the damn phone, when you have done your research online, when you have talked to people and then when you have been introduced to the person you want to meet or you are going to pick up the damn phone to talk to some of your colleagues, to talk to your clients and ask them for other people you should be meeting.  That’s what the phone is for, not to cold call.  Kelly: Well, are people afraid of the phone these days or are people afraid to contact people? Joanne: It depends on who your clients are.   So, we need to communicate as our clients communicate, and if they communicate by text then text them and set up a time to talk to them.  But you have to have the conversation when you are asking for a referral.  You know, you can’t ask for a referral in any digital format.  That’s my point of view and I am sticking to it.  And the reason is that a referral is very personal and before I can introduce you or I can introduce any banker I need to have a conversation.  I need to know the business reason why I am going to make the introduction. Because when I refer someone my reputation is on the line.  I need to depend on you to take care of my client just as I would.  So, therefore, I need to have that conversation.  I also need to equip you with a language to introduce me.   And it’s not just because I am a nice person.  It’s not just because I have written two books.  It’s not just because I have had my company for 21 years.  It’s not just because you say I have a nice voice.  I mean, that’s not business reasons for the introduction.  There has to be something I do that’s going to resonate with the person you are introducing me to that’s going to help them solve a problem.  Kelly: Now, you are kind of picky about using the term referral, why don’t you define what you think a referral is and then what a referral is not. Joanne: Well, it is what I know, not what I think.  But a referral means that you receive an introduction.  Let me contrast that to my definition of a cold call, any cold outreach, whether you are sending an email, whether you are on social media, whether you are just popping in to a client.  I mean, I don’t know if anybody does that anymore, but some do.   A cold call versus a referral, a cold outreach means that you are contacting someone who doesn’t know you and doesn’t expect to hear from you.  That is ice cold, you are definitely interrupting them. They don’t know you. And in many times there are actually circumspect whether that person really said that you should talk or not, a lot that goes on there.  So when a referral gets you the introduction you always get the meetings, because you have been introduced by someone your prospect knows and respects.  Make sense? Kelly: Yes it does.  I’m interested in the term outreach.  I’ve been in the sales business one way or another many many years and it’s only been in the last eight years maximum that the term outreach has become popular.  It is just selling, correct?    Is it just making a contact, whether it be outreach on the phone, outreach on email, outreach in person, it’s selling, correct? Joanne: I don’t agree.  So here is the thing, I’m want to go back a whole bunch of years when I did work in the banking industry.  I worked for a makeup performance and my clients were all banks, mainly community banks, and at that time if you wanted to get information on a bank you would call their corporate communications department and they mailed you an annual report.  That’s how we learnt about a company.  We did not have the internet and when the internet first became frequently used, I’m going to say mid 90s, maybe, when people were contacted all over the world and then it went from there. We now have many different ways of reaching people so it’s not just calling someone to get information.  It’s not just making a phone call.   And, by the way, I think those times were probably a lot simpler, but there are so many ways of contacting people now.  And that’s what I mean by outreach, because it could be by phone, in person, social media, email, I can’t think of anything else, but there probably is, but there are just so many avenues we have now to reach people. So that’s why I call it outreach, and I don’t think it’s selling. Kelly:  I think probably selling implies doing more talking than listening. But if an outreach is listening and talking then that probably makes more sense to use the term outreach. Joanne: I think it is very much about building relationships and expanding connections, and those lead to sales.  Here is what happens. I have been exposed to several people recently who have said to me, I don’t know if I should go to that event because I have been to things like this in the past and I don’t get any leads.  Don’t say that to me, I say that’s always a wrong approach.  We need to be out there meeting people all the time, whether it’s for breakfast, for lunch, for a beer, whether it’s part of a golf tournament, a tennis tournament, whether we are going to our kid’s...to their baseball or soccer games, we need to be out there all the time meeting people, getting to know people, sharing ideas.  That to me is what selling is about, because the number one reason that people do business with us, because they trust us.  That doesn’t happen overnight.  It does happen when you get a referral introduction.  For me, sales is about having a conversation and being clear about what their issues are before ever talking about what we do.   Kelly: Let’s talk about account based sales. You seem to spend a lot of time, a lot of energy on account based sales activity. What’s your definition? Why is that important and what’s the alternative to that? Joanne: It’s the old saying that there is nothing really new again.  So account based sales is a newer term used for those of us who have named accounts.  We have a certain book of business, a certain book of accounts that we are responsible for meeting with and ultimately selling to.  It’s a book of business, period, named accounts.  And as bankers then we know we need to meet these companies and talk to them and build relationships with them. That’s what it’s about. That’s account based selling.  It’s just a new term but there is nothing new about it.  The opposite is, so many companies now have people on the phone all the time, inside sales reps, people calling and wanting to open up a conversation.  They don’t build relationships.  They are the ones making a hundred dollars a week, a day or whatever it is, and maybe talking to a few people.  That is not what I’m talking about and that’s not where bankers are playing either.  It’s not where I play.  Account based sellers build relationships.  That’s the differentiation in the term.  Kelly:  Do you distinguish between retention of business or for cross selling, up-selling purposes? Joanne: One of the downfalls that I see is that in so many organizations, that we do business with a client, we close that business and then we move on.  To me, when you talk about cross selling and up-selling, it’s always listening.  So, we get in there with one product or service because most of these companies have more than one bank they are doing business with and through developing the relationship and getting to know them better, yes, our goal is to find other opportunities within that client.   We may or may not, or it could be that a bank that they were doing business with, maybe they changed bankers and their client doesn’t like this new banker and suddenly reaches out to you because they like you. It’s critical to stay in touch with people.  And yes, if the door opens and you see an opportunity to talk about another product or service, you do that, but more importantly, we need to be asking those clients for referrals to other people they know. And that is not happening.  It’s happening yes, ad hoc, but it’s not a discipline.  It’s not systematic.  And it happens but we can’t depend on that.   Kelly: Okay, you make a pretty bold statement in some of your work.  One of these statements says this, Why closing is never a problem in account based selling. Why is that? Joanne: First thing, it’s never the problem, it doesn’t matter what you do.  So, when people say to me, I’ve had a sales leader say to me, Joanne, my team can’t close, can you help me?  Well, that’s my time to step back because it is never about closing.  It’s always about something earlier in the sales process that was forgotten. That was over looked.  If we have done our true discovery and we built relationships with all the people who are going to be involved in the decision, that we found out their timeline, we found out what they need, we’ve made a lot of check ins. I don’t even like to call it that, but we are in touch, then closing should be like one foot in front of the other.  Closing is never the problem.  I am going to give you an example.  I realized that I missed a step, very recently, and I knew the deadline was short so I wasn’t even sure about that. But a client was having a meeting and they were bringing in their account executive and suddenly they wanted to expand it to a bigger group so now we are looking at like 25 people instead of 10.  The mistake I made was, I did not have the conversation with the right person about what that would cost them when they expanded that number and I would have made a recommendation to start with a smaller group.  The group that really would get the most benefit from referrals, start with them first.  Let’s get proof, let’s get results and then we can expand it.  So, I missed that step. Now, as a result, first of all, the date didn’t work and second, it was too big. And it will happen because they do these quarterly business reviews and bring the whole team together then.  And now I have to do a lot more work on my end which I am willing to do and we have already outlined some next steps to bring a referral program into a quarterly business review with a smaller team. So, I made that mistake.  It’s called, sometimes...I have an author friend who calls it "happy ears”.  You know, when a prospect or a client just says, oh, this is fabulous, yes we need to do it.  This absolutely meets what our challenges are.  I never thought about it that way, you have given me so many insights   and good advice, on and on and on.  We have “happy ears”, and they go sure, they are going to do business with us.    That’s not business, that’s “happy ears”, and that was my downfall. Kelly. Yeah.  You make another statement here, How digital dependence derails account based selling teams.  I want to give some background in this question.  At BankBosun, we believe that audiocasting is a very effective way to communicate your message, whether it be a company message, a product message, service message, a human voice communicates with energy, empathy and emotion and you just can’t get that out of the written word unless you are writing like Yeats or Shakespeare, most people really don’t read anymore anyway.  So, we like to use digital audio to capture this, like we are doing today.  In my interview with you, we get the emotion, we hear your wonderful voice, we hear your energy and then we envision banks would share that message with their referrals or current customers or prospective customers.  I am not at all suggesting that banks rely upon this and be dependent upon it, but do you think that tactic challenges your statement, digital dependence derails account based selling teams? Joanne: No, if digital is the only outreach then I would say yes.  The point in that post and really the message in my second book, Pick up the Damn Phone, is that if we sit behind technology and we rely only on technology, whether it’s audios, videos, emails, e-books, whatever it is, webinars, podcasts that we are not developing the relationships we need to develop when we have a conversation, and that’s what I mean by digital dependence.  Now, audio is one tool, video is another.  I just wrote a post, in fact, about why video doesn’t work for me.  You see, everybody has a different way of accessing and understanding information.  For me, I can read way faster than I can listen, of course then, I have to put in my blue tooth or my earbuds.  You know, whatever I’m doing, it’s one other block for me.  Now, I agree that there is nothing that replaces hearing a human voice, that’s why we need to talk to people and have conversations but we need to communicate in different modalities.  Some people love videos, some love audio, and many people love audio because they put it on their phones and can listen in the car.  If it’s the written word, there is Infographics.  Some people love those.  Infographics gives me hives. I just don’t know where to look first.  I get, you know, where is this?  It’s like charts and graphs. I want someone to explain it to me.  That’s my learning style.  We need to use various modalities in digital but then we need to have an actual conversation.  And when I talked about digital dependence is there are so many people who are not having conversation. They are relying on digital for everything. Kelly: Got it. I would like to reserve part two, if we could, to talking about strategy and tactics on getting referrals, could we to that in part two, do you think? Joanne: Well, of course we can and I look forward to it. Kelly: Okay, I want to end part one with, I find it interesting, the contrary, and you are, that you use the term, circles of influence and many of us use the term centers of influence, is there a difference between how we use the terms?  I actually kind of like your term better. It implies, large, diameter, circumference, wider in scope whereas a center implies something that’s closed.  It’s got a door and only few people are allowed in it, closed, narrow. What are your thoughts on that? Joanne: I think they are interchangeable.  I mean, truthfully, with everything I say is maybe I meant center and I said circle. You know, it’s really the same thing. We understand these are the people who would most likely to give us referrals over time.  And that’s centers of influence, circles of influence, it’s exactly the same. Kelly: Okay.  Well, with your permission, unless you have some kind of trade name, ownership and you are going to charge me every quarter every time I use it, I am going to start using it. Joanne: Oh, fantastic Kelly, please do.   Kelly: Joanne, I would like to know how bankers can get in touch with you.  You could put a plug in for your books again and any other thing.  I think we are doing a giveaway on the book, No More Cold Calling: The Break Through System That Will Leave Your Competition in the Dust.  Is that correct? Joanne: That’s correct.  The way to reach me is, Joanne, J o a n n e, @nomorecoldcalling.com and the first 10 people who send me an email and put in the subject line “listened to your podcast with Kelly” will receive a book.  If you would like to chat and hear a human voice, it is area code 415-461-8763, 4154618763, and that’s Pacific Time. I invite you to visit my website, nomorecoldcalling.com.  And yes, both of my books are available on Amazon, on Kindle as well as in hardcover for No More Cold Calling and paperback for Pick Up the Damn Phone Kelly: Very nice, sweet.  Joanne, thank you so much and we will be in touch about scheduling part two which is “the circles of influence and how to get them to work for you.”                                                   Joanne: Terrific, thanks Kelly. Kelly: Okay Joanne, thank you, good bye. Outro: We want to thank you for listening to the syndicated audio program, BankBosun.com The audio content is produced by Kelly Coughlin, Chief Executive Officer of BankBosun, LLC;  and syndicated by Seth Greene, Market Domination LLC, with the help of Kevin Boyle. Video content is produced by The Guildmaster Studio, Keenan Bobson Boyle. The voice introduction is me, Karim Kronfli. The program is hosted by Kelly Coughlin. If you like this program, please tell us. If you don’t, please tell us how we can improve it. Now, some disclaimers. Kelly is licensed with the Minnesota State Board of Accountancy as a Certified Public Accountant. The views expressed here are solely those of Kelly Coughlin and his guests in their private capacity and do not in any other way represent the views of any other agent, principal, employer, employee, vendor or supplier.

Would you like to reach every key buyer in one call? Would you like a consistent stream of qualified leads? Would you like a conversion rate of prospect to client of more than 50 percent? If you answered "yes" to any of those questions, then you're in the right place. Our guest has written two books, owned her company for 20 years, and has won multiple awards for her social media presence. When she's not working, she hikes, swims, travels the world, and spends a huge amount of time with the four most amazing grandchildren in the world. Please listen to the replay with author, speaker, and sales contrarian, Joanne Black!Or, on our blog, starting 2/1/16, listen to and/or read our incredible conversation.

Joanne Black is the best-selling author of No More Cold Calling and Just Pick Up The Damn Phone!  In this episode, Joanne describes why sales reps must commit to making referral selling their primary prospecting outreach. But it's not as simple as just asking for referrals. Creating a predictable flow of referrals is a skill that needs to be learned. In this episode, Joanne details the essential steps required to build an effective referral selling system, and the necessary reinforcement coaching to successfully integrate it into your selling. As Joanne explains describes in our conversation, if you’re not building the relationships and expanding your network, referrals won’t happen. If you’re a CEO, entrepreneur, sales leader or sales professional you need to listen to this episode.

Referrals are a salesperson's biggest competitive differentiator. The produce the highest quality leads and can shorten the sale cycle. The problem is many people don't ask for referrals or they don't know how to ask for them. Listen as Joanne Black, author of No More Cold Calling and a leading authority on referral selling, discusses how to ask, as well as how to get started creating a referral system.

One of the major challenge that many sellers are coming upon today is their over dependency on technology to gain more business, without any human interaction. Joanne Black is a sales trainer, consultant, speaker and an author who believes that technology is a powerful tool and should be used appropriately. But the key part of […] The post TSE 056: Learn Why Technology Alone “WILL NEVER” Seal The Deal! appeared first on The Sales Evangelist.

It’s easy for Joe and Roger to get excited about technology but as we all know only too well, technology is not always as good a solution as more traditional approaches. Our guest today, Joanne Black, reminds us of this point and stresses how important personal relationships and referrals are to business success. It’s smart to keep in mind that technology works best as an enabler to personal relationships. With over 30 years of sales training and consulting experience, Joanne's philosophy is that no one should ever have to make a cold call. Some may see this as heretical thinking, but for Joanne Black – and her clients – there is an alternative. It's called referral selling. Joanne has provided sales strategy consulting since 1996, when she developed the No More Cold Calling concept – that building relationships and getting referrals generates sales faster and more cost-effectively than cold-calling. Joanne began her career in the sales and management training program at Joseph Magnin, a leading fashion house in the San Francisco Bay Area. She learned the nuances of selling, customer expectations, handling problems, and working with a diverse work force. After co-founding and operating a successful retail business while in her early twenties Joanne moved on to sales leadership positions with Omega Performance and The Forum Corporation, where she served clients such as Advanced Micro Devices, Hewlett-Packard, Pacific Gas & Electric, Shell Oil, and VISA. Joanne Black is a leader with integrity, determination, and the clarity to see how conventional sales "wisdom" isn't always so effective. Joanne guides client companies away from inefficient and ineffective business practices, and gives them clear directions towards business growth and success. Thanks for listening to the Cullinane & Green Report --- and remember, we're on the bleeding edge so you don't have to be! (tm) --------------------------------- Copyright 2006 Cullinane & Green, Inc. All rights reserved.