As things shift to more digital platforms, so too has the sales world. Salespeople are exploring traditional selling versus digital selling, and how to adapt to a more technological world. Digital sales expert Mario Martinez talks traditional versus digital selling in this video interview, hosted by John Golden.

In this sales expert interview, learn about:

• Old versus new selling techniques
• How to understand buyers to sell to them
• Selecting the best techniques for the job

Old versus New

There are two schools of thought. First, there is the idea that there is a clearcut difference between modern selling and digital selling. The second idea is that we are still using traditional selling methods, and but with digital tools. Martinez explores this question, starting with information about today’s modern buyer.

Understanding Buyers

Four primary attributes describe today’s modern buyer. First, we all have digital devices. Each person has an average of 3.4 connected devices in the United States. Secondly, consumers are socially engaged.  In 2008, only 24% of American’s had a social network profile. In 2017, that number skyrocketed to 81% of people having social media platforms. Thirdly, we are attached to our cell phones. Fourthly, we are video hungry, especially in the sales world. For example, 59% of executives share at least one informational video per week within their business organization. Salespeople can consider these traits, and use this information to communicate with customers in their preferred ways. Salespeople can also consider their own buying habits. Afterall, even salespeople are consumers, and they can use personal experiences to understand the buyers perspective.

Picking and Choosing

The way of traditionally selling involves a lot of cold calling, emailing, and networking events. “They’re not dead,” said Martinez. “But, they are dying. And, they are becoming less effective.” He recommends that salespeople engage with their buyers in the way the buyer prefers. Not only is it important to figure out what format you want to use, but salespeople also have to incorporate digital mediums. The most noteworthy are mediums such as texting, video, digital referring, and social media. “Our job is much more complex. Buyers are demanding that we meet them where they are at,” said Martinez.

About our Host:

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

Richard Forrest talks ethics in sales in our Sales Experts interview, hosted by John Golden. Ethics in sales has been a big discussion in the business world. Many people don’t think of salespeople as honest and ethical. The general public often typecasts them as slippery people to be wary of. Moral salespeople are more common than the stereotype suggests, and for a significant reason. Ethics is a cornerstone of selling better and creating closer relationships with prospective clients.

In this expert sales interview, learn about:

• How Ethical relationships positively influence sales
• How to prepare questions to build rapport
• Why ethical salesmanship is beneficial

 Sales Ethics and Relationships

Being ethical in sales is crucial to positive relationships with clients. Ethical behavior and honest discussions are all essential parts of a long-term relationship with the client. No sales deals will ever go 100% smoothly. There are bumps in the road that will be difficult to overcome if rapport isn’t already developed with the client. You will end up with a client who will be unhappy. They might feel as if they were taken advantage of. Instead, having honesty and integrity creates excellent client relationships. When difficulties come up in the sales process, having that relationship is extremely beneficial. It will ensure that the client knows the issues are going to be resolved by the salesperson.

 Ethical Question Asking

“The approach that I focus on when I’m selling is asking really good questions to the customer. This helps me find out exactly what they need. Don’t overcomplicate, just figure out exactly what they’re looking for,” said Forrest. It’s likely that your product or service can do many things, and solve many different problems. All of these capabilities are not applicable to all of your clients, however. Instead, ask the client specific questions help you pitch directly to what their needs are. By understanding the questions you are asking the client, you are getting to know the client’s perspective. Not only will you build a great rapport, but additionally, the client will trust you more. This ethical questioning leads to better rapport, which leads to more sales.

Building Trust in Sales

Building trust on true premises is a vital part of ethical salesmanship. Doing right by the person you’re talking to, be it the PA or the potential client, shows honesty and dignity. If you are honest with what you’re doing and what you’re selling, there are no tricks involved. “They can choose you with their eyes open,” said Forrest.

Forrest also suggests ensuring accurate promises. Most salespeople are optimistic by nature. They’re eager to try and make their product work for the customer. Often this is not with evil intent, or to try and sell an unnecessary product. Instead, salespeople do it out of enthusiasm and genuine excitement about what they’re selling. “It’s not about the bonus check at the end of the month,” said Forrest. “It’s about doing the right thing by the customer, and the company, and the operations team. They are going to have to deliver on what you’ve sold.”

Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

Essential Sales Tasks We Should Do, But Often Don’t

It happens to all of us. We know the things that we should be doing, but neglect to actually do them. The same is true for salespeople. Essential tasks that are important for overall sales generation often get pushed to the wayside. “Sometimes salespeople know how to do something, but they just don’t do it!,” said Leigh Ashton, who is interviewed by John Golden.

In this sales expert interview, learn about:

• Essential sales tasks that aren’t done enough
• The importance of reintegrating these tasks into everyday work life

Having a Sales Mindset

“Having a good mindset isn’t just about having a healthy mindset while working. It’s about your career as a whole, relationships outside of work,  psychological training, health, sports, and other activities of daily living,” said Ashton. Having a healthy mindset means practicing what you do, even when you’re not doing it. “How often do you practice the thing that puts bread on your table?” asks Ashton. Practice could mean things like reading books on psychology and understanding people, and then applying it to your next sales call. It could be practicing good sleep hygiene so that you are well rested and prepared. These kinds of things are readying you for work, even when you’re not actually working.

Sales Training Done Properly

There are also problems with how salespeople are trained. Often, companies will provide behavior training, telling their sales staff how to do something. This form of teaching doesn’t actually mean they will implement what was taught. It focuses on teaching the action and skill, but not implementation. Proper training involves integrating thinking and feeling to create a healthy sales mindset. This mindset is what will encourage the sales staff to complete the tasks that they were trained how to do.  

Learn from Experience

One of the best qualities that a salesperson can have is that they are willing to “give it a go.” These kinds of people are okay if things don’t work out as planned. They see the experience as a learning opportunity to grow from later. These salespeople don’t let their ego get the best of them. With determination and perseverance, they perfect things as they go along. Often, they are also proactive by nature as opposed to reactive, staying one step ahead of potential problems. Ashton describes this “shortcut culture” that we have become accustomed to. “People give up too easily on things,” she said. “Learning from the experience and tweaking it, and doing it over a long period is how salespeople grow. You have to try something at least three times before you even know how to tweak it, let alone utilize it to its full potential.“

It is equally important for organizations to support this kind of “learn as you go” attitude. If a sales manager puts pressure on their sales staff to perform, but gives them no time to perfect it, they will never see the results they ultimately want. It is okay to try and not get it right. Creating an atmosphere that supports this modality of learning will eventually lead to a better process and more sales.

About our Host

John Golden

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

John Golden interviews Yogesh Chabria on his philosophy, the happionaire way. The happionaire way is an idea that being happy is essential for business, personal life, health, overall relationships, and especially sales. “If you are happy doing what you do, you will do it well,” said Chabria. “And you will even succeed at it.” The idea is to create a holistic approach so that salespeople are not only fulfilled in their work life but also fulfilled with life as a whole.

In this sales expert interview, get sales tips on:

• Using the happionaire way to better yourself as a salesperson
• How to utilize ancient theories
• How to sell like Gandhi

Persistence through Pain

Chabria acknowledges that you cannot always be happy and enjoy work in each moment. He uses the analogy of bodybuilding or other physical exercises. In the beginning, you experience pain. When you stretch, before you begin working out, you are sore and stiff, and your body doesn’t move the way you want it to. However, with practice, and repetition, you start to feel less pain and enjoy the pain you do experience. Your body has to adjust to this pain to overcome it. This is the same idea behind stressful times at work. “There will be moments where we will not enjoy what we do in certain moments. But, if we keep being persistent, we will keep at it, we will keep going. And even more, if we enjoy what we do, it will be easier.”

Karma

The Happionaire way also pulls from a lot of Eastern and Indian philosophy. Chabria explains the theory of Karma, which is essentially, “what you sew, so shall you reap.” This 5,000-year-old law asserts that you will get out of life what you put into it. To apply karma in the business world, if you are an honest salesperson who has your customer’s best interest in mind, you will benefit too. You will also feel good about what you are doing and how you are operating.

Gandhi the Salesperson

Gandhi was a salesperson, at least according to Chabria. He was a simple man who was sold one idea that took down the mightiest empire in the world. The British empire had all of the money, the items, the land, and yet Gandhi utilized his skills as a salesperson to win against the empire. He sold the idea of freedom, and obtaining freedom without violence, to 315 million people.

Sell like Gandhi

Gandhi did this in several ways. First, Gandhi had immense faith in himself about his idea. As a salesperson, having confidence in yourself and what you are selling will get you far. “In the early days, you struggle,” said Chabria. “You need to think, not only am I going to get there, I’m going to get further.” Secondly, Gandhi persevered despite facing challenges. He was in jail, he was ridiculed, but his persistence paid off. No salesperson is perfect, no salesperson goes her or his career without experiencing challenges and rejection and challenging times. But seeing these downfalls as challenges to overcome, and persevering despite the obstacles, is a Gandhi approved technique.

Thirdly, Gandhi built a great team. He had people all over the world that were on his side and helping him in his mission. If you are a salesperson, you need to build a great team as well. And finally, Gahndi was very good at branding. He saw how the Indian people were unable to afford fancy suits and nice clothing. Thus, he made the decision to roam naked, and dress in minimalistic robes that are recognized as his signature even today.

About our Host:

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

‘Mentalist,’ according to Gilian Gork, is a marketing term. A mentalist is anyone who does something for the mind. It involves a lot of psychology, reading and influencing people, and nonverbal communication. There is no course or a formal degree to be qualified as a mentalist, and the skills a mentalist uses can vary between person. Gork’s considers himself “The Mentalist,” and has a passion for reading and influencing people. John Golden explores more in this video interview on impacting people in the sales world.

In this sales expert interview, learn about:

• What a mentalist is, and how it applies to sales
• About Gork’s “persuasion games”
• The power of influence in the workplace
• Power of Words

Persuasion Games

When it comes to sales, a lot of it is about persuasion; how to be more persuasive, more believable, and more authentic. “Every single day were are either persuading or being persuaded. It’s part of every interaction, whether we like it or know it or not,” said Gork.

However, not everyone is immediately receptive to words like “influence,” “persuasion,” or even “manipulation.” “You imagine something questionable happening, these words have a negative connotation,” said Gork. However, Gork gives the example of a father or mother “manipulating” their child to look both ways before crossing the street, which is considered good parenting.

The words themselves are neutral terms, but it’s the person that’s doing the influencing or manipulation that can be either good or bad. Gork gives another example, likening these words to a surgeons knife. “A surgeons knife can be good for great good, or great evil. It all depends on the person using the tool. But the tool, like those words, are neutral.”

The Mentalist Rapid Influence Model

Gork has developed his own model to quickly influence people called “The Mentalist Rapid Influence Model,” or MRI3. It is based on three subconscious questions that people are asking themselves about you, or the brand, or the product/service. “They’re asking these three questions all the time, every time they interact with you,” said Gork. “They may not even realize they’re asking these things of you.” It becomes a task of trying to understand what people are thinking even when they don’t know they’re thinking it.  Sometimes the answer is just a gut feeling that the person gets or a subconscious feeling. The three questions are:

Are you reliable? Can I rely on you?
Are you capable of helping me?
Do you care about me?

Gork goes on to explain how confirming two of the questions demonstrates progress, but how confirmation of all three questions earns the ultimate influence. “When you put two of them together, in this case, reliability and care, they together form trust. If you’re able to demonstrate that you’re reliable and that you care about them, that forms credibility. If you are credible, and you care about them, that create support. When you have credibility, support, and care is when you get your ultimate influence.”

Speed is Key

The goal, when you are trying to pitch to someone, is to get these questions answered as quickly as possible. The faster you can get the consumer to answer these three questions in their mind and hearts, the quicker you can establish influence with them. The “rapid” in this model is essential. With the number of messages and people and companies that are trying to persuade us every day, all of the time, it is important to gain influence quickly, just so that you can get them to the point where they’re ready to try the product.

About our Host:

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

Reduce Sales Churn by Having a Great Hiring Process

#SalesChats: Episode 51

Hiring good salespeople has been a struggle for many sales organizations, but it really doesn’t have to be. Jane Gentry discusses how to reduce sales churn in this #SalesChat, hosted by John Golden and Martha Neumeister.

Gentry explains:

• Why the sales function is the number three hardest organization to find talent for
• The biggest mistakes that organizations face, including HR people not being equipped to hire for sales roles
• Tips for helping HR hire better salespeople, including how to interview for a good salesperson
• How to understand the ways to assess an individual’s sales competencies before they are hired
• The most common assessment tools that organizations use are often the ones that are mostly unsuccessful in determining sales talent
• How to write and recruit in ways that attract good salespeople
• The biggest mistakes in sales recruitment, and how to stop making these mistakes
• Commitment and ability to be trained are more valuable than already skilled salespeople that will leave early and won’t adapt to the culture
• The importance of role clarity in hiring salespeople
• How to filter out the people who are poor candidates
• Ensuring you have a sales leader that measures the right things at the right time and will coach well
• A great person in a bad culture with bad manager still won’t be successful

Our Guest

Jane Gentry

Jane Gentry leverages 25 years of experience with Fortune 500 clients to help mid-market companies grow revenue by solving key sales issues like: process, client engagement, leadership, relationship management and hiring. She speaks worldwide on topics about sales growth and leadership.

Links › janegentry.com | twitter.com | linkedin.com

Our Hosts

About Our Host

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

Martha Neumeister

Martha is social media strategist, responsible for all social media platforms of Pipeliner CRM. She is a communication expert with social media affinity, which she has been focusing on throughout her professional career. She has a bachelor´s degree in Entrepreneurship & Management and a master´s degree in Online Marketing which supports her in her career as Social Media Strategist.

About SalesChats

SalesChats is a fast-paced (no more than 30 minutes) multi-media series that provides leading strategies, tactics and thinking for sales professionals worldwide. It can be found on Twitter (#SalesChats), as a live Google+ Hangout, and as a podcast available on iTunes, SoundCloud and right here on SalesPOP! If you think you would make a great guest for #SalesChats, please contact co-host Martha Neumeister.

SalesChats is co-hosted by John Golden, CSO Pipeliner CRM, and Martha Neumeister, Social Media Strategist Pipeliner CRM.

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Ryan Hogarth, The New Normal

In every industry, and in every aspect of life, there is a constant ‘new normal.’ We are living in a period of prolonged transition. The new normal is change. As we get used to something, so it changes again. This creates a dynamic where we are never really comfortable with how things work. Ryan Hogarth talks about how to get ahead of the constant change in this interview with John Golden.

In this sales expert interview, learn about:

• How to embrace the new normal
• The way that technology has changed the sales world
• How to keep up with changes
• Using rapport building in a technologically focused world

Embrace the New Normal

“Once we embrace the new normal, then the opportunities start to present themselves,” said Hogarth. “Life gets a little more interesting instead of just that feeling of being not quite there, and always fighting to just be at square zero.” Salespeople have to get used to a rapidly changing world that requires constant adaptation. Sometimes this adaptation can be more simple and involves understanding the market, where your company is at in the industry, and how to build the relationships that you need. “Learn to adapt, be willing to adapt, get excited about changes in your industry and the sales industry at large, but also take a breath to try and find whats right for you,” said Hogarth.

Technology and the Salesperson

Adapting to the advances in technology has been one of the most significant changes in the sales world. As a result, salespeople have new technology and programs, and consumers have access to much more information. The prediction was that salespeople would go by the wayside, but that isn’t the case. Instead, the flood of information has left consumers with a lot to sort through. Thus, they are turning to trusted salespeople to give advice and help make decisions.

While things are different with technological advances, there is still a focus and need for human connection. “The truth of the matter is that the more technological we become, the more important relationships become,” said Hogarth. “And sales have always been built on relationships. How we manage them and improve them and extend them, that is what is expanded with technology.”

Advice for Advising

Becoming that trusted advisor is a big part of adapting to the changes in the sales world. Hogarth has some information on how to become that go-to person. “Time and patience. You don’t become a trusted advisor tomorrow; you don’t become an influencer in a week. When building a relationship, it is your constant presence that helps to build trust.” Especially relevant is social media, which has become a useful tool to help people stay connected. Instead of picking up the phone and calling someone once a month, social media allows salespeople have more regular contact with their prospects.

Watch our sales expert interview for more information on how to boost sales by keeping up with the new normal.

About our Host:

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.

Often, a company buys from a salesperson because that salesperson had a great pitch. It is not always because the product is better than others on the market. “You could have a great offering, but if you don’t know how to sell it and pitch it, it doesn’t matter what your offering is,” says Justin Cohen, who tells us how to pitch to win in this video interview, hosted by John Golden.

In this sales expert interview, learn about:

• How to use storytelling as a tactic for selling
• Using your positive testimonials in storytelling
• The visuals created in the brain when telling stories
• Problem-focused selling
• Salesperson Story Teller

The secret source to “pitch to win” is storytelling. When applying storytelling to sales and marketing, you create a memorable experience for the buyer, build trust, and show your personality. In a speech, 60% of people will remember the story, while only 5% of people will remember the facts. During a sales pitch, a person will take in what you say because they will remember the story that was told with it. Stories are so compelling that they create connections in the brain. You create an empathic reaction in your consumer that will create a connection, build rapport, and make it easier to close a sale.

Testimonials as Stories

When telling a story focused on success or positive testimonials, you’re saying to the client, “this worked for everyone else, so it will work for you too.” The consumer makes the extrapolation between the previous results and the kind of results that they should expect. These testimonials provide credibility and encourage trust building.

Problem Focused Selling

The testimonials are often real-life examples of how the product or service has benefited someone, or how not having the product has lead to some pain. One of the biggest pitfalls in a sales call is that there is too much focus on the solution and the positives, but not the problem. People are twice as motivated to rid themselves of pain as they are to seek pleasure. “We are in the problem-solving business. Sell to the pain. When you highlight that pain and then show how you have solved it or will solve it, or how not having the product will cause them more pain, you’re telling them they need to buy your product or service,” said Cohen.

For more on how to pitch to win, and how to integrate storytelling into your sales pitch, watch this expert sales interview.

About our Host:

John is the Amazon bestselling author of Winning the Battle for Sales: Lessons on Closing Every Deal from the World’s Greatest Military Victories and Social Upheaval: How to Win at Social Selling. A globally acknowledged Sales & Marketing thought leader, speaker, and strategist. He is CSMO at Pipeliner CRM. In his spare time, John is an avid Martial Artist.