The Salesman.com Podcast

Are you struggling to hit your targets this month? You're not alone. Let's face it: just “talking up” a product isn't enough anymore. You need strategies to increase sales that actually work. But where do you even begin? Good news, you don't have to wing it. This video will reveal the 7 POWER Strategies that'll have you closing deals left and right. Step #1: Focus on “desires” Ever jump on a sales call and your prospects just glaze over? They don't care about all the fancy features or mind-blowing benefits you rattle off, right? Instead, they want to know what their life will be like with your product. That's where the prospects desires come in. These are the deep-down wishes your ideal customer has. Think about it: do they crave more free time? Maybe they desire financial security? This power strategy is all about figuring out those desires and connecting them to your product. The stronger the link, the faster you'll be closing deals. To uncover your buyers real desires, ask questions like: “What happens if this project is a success?” “What are the knock on effects of getting this fixed?” Imagine your product is a bridge, taking them from their problems straight to their dream, future reality. But there's more to the bridge! We haven't even talked about what happens if they don't cross it. Stay tuned because in step 5, we'll discuss highlighting the risk of the buyer decising not to change their ways.. That'll make your magic, reality bridge look even more appealing Now to the next strategy. Step #2: Leverage discipline rather than motivation Remember how sometimes you get super hyped to make a sale, then a few days later, you're back to scrolling through social media? Yeah, motivation fades. That's why successful salespeople rely on discipline. Think of it as building muscle memory for sales success. Have you seen people go to the gym and feel like quitting after a few reps? Discipline is that voice that pushes you to finish the set! In sales, it means sticking to a routine, even when you don't “feel” like it. This includes regularly reviewing your sales pipeline. The good news is, there are ways to make this easier. In the next step, we'll talk about a magic tool called a “Pipeline Coverage Generator” that'll practically force you to stay on track. Step #3: Pipeline coverage generator calculation Imagine your sales pipeline is a treasure chest, but you're not sure if there's enough gold (deals) inside to reach your goals. That's where the Pipeline Coverage Generator becomes important. Ever feel like you're hustling hard but still falling short? This magic formula helps you figure out if you need more leads or need to close more deals faster. We won’t go through it in detail in this video but if you want to put the pipeline coverage generator formula into action, grab a free copy of Selling Made Simple from Salesman.com and run through the step-by-step implementation of it there. Working this out might be the best 10-minutes investment you ever make into your sales career. The key takeaway from the Pipeline Coverage Generator is, this tool tells you how much “gold” (sales value) you need in your pipeline to hit your target. If your chest is empty, you have to go find more leads. But if it's overflowing, focus on closing those deals! In the next step, we'll talk about a killer technique called “Discussing vs. Telling” that'll turn you into a closing machine. Step #4: Discussing vs. Telling Ever try to force someone to clean their room? Yeah, it backfires. In sales, it's the same. You have to get them to discover their pain. Here's the magic: ask questions! There is a three step process to asking better sales questions: Ask – Ask the question and see if the buyer knows the answer. Asking these questions can often create awareness of problems that the buyer didnʼt know they had. Nudge – If the buyer still isnʼt seeing the impact of their issues, share a different perspective with them. If they donʼt accept the alternative perspective, try again until they do. Recap – Once youʼve gathered a couple of points, recap the information and confirm that the buyer agrees with your summary It might sound like – Ask : What led you to getting this call booked in with us today? If they say they’re not sure we’ll nudge them in the right direction. Nudge: OK, great. And what about X which is happening in your space right now? Then recap and remind them of what you nudged them towards. Thatʼs interesting. So, you booked the call because of X, Y, and Z? Instead of saying “Your office is chaos!”, ask questions like “What would an ideal work environment look like for you?” Maybe they haven't realized how much that messy room stresses them. Then, you'll need to highlight the risk of not changing, which we’ll discuss in the next step, to nudge them towards a solution (your product!). Step #5: Highlighting the risk of not changing Sometimes,

“Look, we really love your product, but it’s outside of our price range. Can you offer any discount?” Offering discounts can be a great way to speed up a slow-moving deal. But if you’re adjusting price before negotiations begin, you’re doing a serious disservice, both to yourself and to your product. Instead of caving right away, there are four tried-and-true responses you can give to turn the conversation around in your favor. What’s Wrong with Discounting Immediately? So, what’s wrong with discounting immediately. Like I said, discounting isn’t always a bad thing. It can speed up deals and give you leverage for reducing the service you’re offering. But there are three very real problems to offering a discount before negotiation has taken place. A. Devalue First, your buyer subconsciously devalues your service. After all, if you’re really going to deliver the ROI your pitching, why do you have to immediately discount the price? B. Forfeit’s Power Second, the instant you propose a discount, you lose some of your negotiation power. You lose this negotiation power as you’ve taken the price, your biggest variable for negotiation, off the table. C. Shifts the Focus And third, discounting shifts the focus. In the buyer’s mind, you’ve shifted the conversation from the value that is being exchanged to the emotional topic of money. Rather than the buyer thinking about the impact that your service is going to have on their business, they’re now thinking about what is going to cost them in the opportunities they will lose from this lack of cash flow. So with those three things in mind, it’s important that negotiations on price and discounting happen towards the end of the sales process rather than at the beginning of it. That being said, if a buyer does request a discount too early in the process, there are a few things you can do. And that brings us to the four word-for-word responses that’ll deflect, turn the tables, and even give you the selling advantage. So response number one is… 1. The Value Probe The Value Probe. The first and easiest way to deal with a buyer bringing up the idea of a discount is to say this word-for-word: “We can definitely have a conversation about the numbers. But first let’s make sure that we’re on the same page about our service being a good fit for your needs…” So, what does this response do? First… It Reframes the Conversation You buy yourself time to reframe the conversation. Right now the buyer is focused on price alone. But at this point in the sales process, you need to be demonstrating value. What do you offer that your competition doesn’t? And most importantly, how does it solve your buyer’s problem? This is the perfect time to focus on that instead of the expense. Second… It Let’s You BUILD on Your Value It also gives you more time to build value before the numbers do eventually get discussed. What additional benefits do you offer that you haven’t talked about yet? What value can you bring to the table that the buyer isn’t already aware of? Alright, let’s look at response number two… 2. The Obstacle Identifier The second way to deal with your buyers asking for discounts is to answer your buyer’s question with a question. When your buyer asks if you’re able to discount you can ask: “That is a fair question. Do you see price being a major obstacle in this conversation?” This immediately makes the buyer reconsider if they really want to discount or if they want to get the deal done. It also pushes the pressure back on the buyer to justify why there should be a discount in the first place. Bonus tip here. Notice show I said “that’s a fair question” before I responded with my question? The point of this extra step is to acknowledge to the buyer that I have heard them, but I need more information to answer their first question. This little extra ping stops the question coming across as manipulative and lets the buyer feel in control. Which of course is a great way to keep the relationship on solid footing. Okay so number three… 3. “Why?” The “Why?” response. Are you feeling brave? Well when the buyer asks you about discounts, you can politely respond with the question: “Why?” Now admittedly, this does take some guts. Your buyer definitely won’t be expecting it. And taken the wrong way, it could spark some defensiveness. That’s why you’ve got to be polite when you say it and genuinely look for an answer from the buyer. A slight look of confusion helps sell this too. The point is you need to look sincere. Like nobody else has ever asked you this before, rather than aggressively asking them “WHY?!”. Responding with this question of “why?” when a buyer asks for a discount, stops the buyer from negotiating on price just for the sake of negotiating. In my experience buyers often respond to this “why” question by saying “I was just wondering…” which you can then shrug off and carry on with the sales conversation. Alright and response number four is… 4. The Tit-for-Tat The Tit-for-Tat. This i

Are you stuck asking sales questions that take your prospects round in circles? Prospects mention issues, but they're vague – surface problems that don't reveal the real challenges they're facing. Well, there's a goldmine of valuable information hidden just beneath the surface, and the key to unlocking it lies in asking the right questions. This video will equip you with 5 powerful sales questions designed to cut through the fluff and uncover your buyer's hidden pain points. By getting to the root of their problems, you can finally offer solutions that truly resonate and get deals done. Common Pains of Prospects There are four key areas where these the buyers pains often appear. Once we understand where the buyers pain likely lives, we can then attack it with our questions. Financial Pains: These often manifest in statements like “Revenue is up, but profits are down” or “We lack financial transparency for sound decision-making.” People Pains: Phrases like “Low team morale” or “Employee turnover to competitors” can signal these issues. Productivity Pains: Look for clues like “Missed deadlines” or “Excessive meetings hindering workflow.” Process Pains: Statements like “Inefficient hiring process” or “Overwhelmed customer service department” indicate potential problems. Question #1 “What’s holding you back?” Here's the first question to unlocking your buyer’s deepest pains: “What's the main thing holding your company (or division) back from growing right now?” This might seem like a basic question, but trust me, it's a goldmine. It forces your prospect to get specific. Did they groan about “stagnating sales”? That could be a symptom of financial pain (“We're not generating enough revenue to hit our targets”). Maybe they mumbled something about “disengaged employees”? That hints at a people pain (“We're struggling to retain top talent”). Here's the magic: This question acts like a shovel, digging beneath those surface complaints to expose the root of the problem. It not only unearths their pain point (financial, people, productivity, or process), but also sets the stage for even more powerful questions later on. Think of it like this: Right now, you're a consultant, not a salesperson. You're diagnosing their business woes. This question is your initial diagnostic tool, giving you a glimpse into the bigger picture. We'll get even more targeted later on, but for now, master “What's holding you back?” and watch those hidden challenges come flooding to the surface. This is just the first step to turning you into a trusted advisor who can offer solutions they can't refuse. In the final step, we'll get super practical and ask “What's stopping you?” from fixing this problem right now. Question #2: “How do you plan to solve this?” Alright, sales nation , so you've identified the prospects main pain point using question number one. Now, let's get even more intel. Here's your second secret weapon: “How do you plan to solve this?” This might seem obvious, but it's a goldmine of information. Here's why: Uneducated Buyers: They'll likely shrug and say they're not sure. This is your chance to shine! You get to educate them on how your awesome service solves their specific problem. Remember, you're a consultant, not a pushy salesperson. You're offering a remedy for their pain. Educated Buyers: Maybe they have some ideas, especially if they're further along in the sales process. But there's obviously a reason they haven't tackled it yet. This question uncovers the roadblock holding them back. Here's the magic: By understanding their current plan (or lack thereof), you can tailor your approach in the next step. Maybe their solution is flawed or incomplete. Maybe they're simply overwhelmed and don't know where to start. Either way, you've got the key to unlocking the real value you can offer. By asking “How do you plan to solve this?” you open the door to uncovering the “why not” behind their inaction. This sets the stage for question number three, where we'll use that information to our advantage. Question #3: “What’s your deadline to solve this?” We've exposed their pain point and identified their lack of a solution in the first two questions. But here's the million-dollar question: “What's your deadline to solve this problem?” This might seem simple, but the answer tells you EVERYTHING. If they shrug and say “no deadline,” that's a red flag. It means the pain isn't urgent enough for them to prioritize a fix. They're not ready to buy, and trust me, chasing these leads is a recipe for wasted time. However, if they give you a specific date or timeframe, that's gold! It shows they're actively seeking a solution, making them a highly qualified buyer. This is someone worth your time and effort. H

Ever feel like your sales questions are hitting a dead end? You ask, they answer “yes” or “no,” and the conversation goes nowhere. What if there was a formula to ask questions that get your customers talking and expose their real needs? That's exactly what we'll crack the code on in this video. We'll break down the L.E.T.S. framework, a powerful tool to understand your customers and close more deals. Understanding Open-Ended and Closed-Ended Questions Before diving in, let's talk about question structure. Questions are either open-ended or closed-ended. Open-ended ones are like opening a gate, inviting a flood of thoughts. While closed-ended ones are like hitting a stop sign – you get a simple “yes” or “no.” In sales, we often rely on those quick “yes or no” questions. They're easy, but they limit your understanding of the customer's needs. The key is knowing when to use each type. Imagine you want to know if someone wants a promotion. A closed-ended question might be: “Would you be happy with a promotion?” But an open-ended question like: “What would an ideal career move look like for you?” gets you way more valuable information. Think of open-ended questions as conversation starters that uncover needs, while closed-ended ones help confirm details and move the conversation forward. We'll use both strategically in the L.E.T.S. framework. With that in mind, let’s break down the steps in this effective framework where each new type of question we ask, in this specific order takes us closer to getting the next step of the sales process agreed to and confirmed by the prospect Step #1: Logical Questions The first step is Logical Questions. Think of these as getting down to business. These questions help you understand the specifics of what your customer wants to achieve. They're like gathering intel – the “what” and “how” of their situation. Here's an example: Let's say you're selling a new marketing tool. A good logical question might be, “Who else on your team would need to be on board to use this new system effectively?” (Ask engagement question along the way) This gets you thinking about who else has a say in the decision and how your product fits into their workflow. Logical questions can also be closed-ended to confirm specifics. For instance, “Do we need to get the marketing director involved to make a decision on this tool?” (Ask engagement question along the way) See how that clarifies things? These logical questions set the stage for the next step, which is all about emotions. We'll dig into that in a minute, but for now, focus on getting those clear, fact-based questions out there. They'll help you understand the customer's situation and pave the way for a more emotional connection. Step #2: Emotional Questions Alright salespeople, got those logical questions down? Now let's add some feeling to the mix! We're moving on to Emotional Questions. These questions dig into the “why” behind the customer's needs. We talked about the “what” and “how” with logical questions, but here we want to understand what motivates them to solve this problem. Imagine you're selling a project management tool. A great emotional question might be: “If this new system helped streamline your projects, what would that mean for you?” This gets them thinking beyond just the features and focuses on the positive impact it could have on their work life. Sometimes, people might not quite see the emotional benefit. That's where close-ended emotional questions come in. For example, “Would getting this project management system finally eliminate some of the stress you feel managing deadlines?” See how that clarifies the emotional connection to solving their problem? These emotional questions help you connect with the customer on a deeper level and show them how your product can truly improve their situation. Next up, we'll explore Trigger Event Questions, which will help you pinpoint specific moments where the customer's problem becomes most urgent. Step #3: Trigger Events. Okay, we've been diving into the “what” and “why” with logical and emotional questions. Now, let's get specific about the “when” with Trigger Events. These questions connect the customer's emotions to a specific event that makes solving their problem urgent. Imagine you're selling cybersecurity software. A good trigger event question might be: “What's changed in your company's security needs since the recent data breach?” This ties their emotional concern about security to a real-world event that makes them more receptive to a solution. We can also use closed-ended trigger event questions to pinpoint the impact. For example: “Did the recent data breach affect your company's ability to meet its quarterly earnings goals?&#

As a Sales Development Representative, your role is to generate inbound opportunities and optimize sales channels. Without a solid prospecting strategy, you might struggle to identify and capitalize on valuable leads. This could result in missed opportunities and stagnant sales growth. But to truly excel in your role, you need to master the four steps outlined in this video. Without these steps, converting leads into customers becomes challenging. Stay tuned as we dive into each step: Step #1: Conduct Thorough Research Alright, step one in our journey to sales mastery is all about hitting the books—or in our case, diving deep into research. Think of yourself as a detective, your mission? To uncover those hidden markets and channels where your dream customers are just waiting for someone like you to show up. It's not just about guessing where they might be; it's about using solid data to back up your moves. This means getting cozy with customer behavior, analyzing profiles, and even going a little deeper with the insights to pinpoint exactly where these potential buyers are. So, how do you start? Begin with the basics: What do your potential customers like? Where do they hang out on? The best way to uncover this information is to look back at your previous customers and find the trends that link them together. Did they all come from the same sales channel? Same email within a cadence? Do they all want to discuss a specific product feature? It’s always better to reverse engineer success rather than trying to create it from scratch. Use this info to guide your prospecting efforts, making sure you're not just shooting in the dark. Now, you might be wondering, ‘What's next after finding where these folks are?' That's where the magic of lead generation comes into play. Stick around because that's the game we're diving into next. Step #2: Learn Lead Generation Moving on to step two, we’re talking about lead generation. This isn’t just a buzzword your marketing buddies throw around; it’s the bread and butter for any Sales Development Rep. Think about it like fishing – you’ve got your pond, you know exactly what you want to catch, now it’s time to put your line in the water.. But instead of fish, we’re after leads, and instead of a pond, we’re diving into those markets and channels we talked about earlier. To generate those sales leads you need to master the art and science of cold calling and emailing. Yes, I can hear the groans from here, but trust me, this is where the rubber meets the road. If you’re thinking of skipping this part, let me stop you right there. The top sales development reps? They’re wizards at this game. Cold calling and emailing are your direct lines to potential leads, so it’s time to dial in your skills. First up, cold calling. This isn’t about just picking up the phone and hoping for the best. It’s about confidence, knowing your pitch inside and out, and most importantly, listening. That’s right, listening to the person on the other end can tell you everything you need to know to make that sale. And then there’s cold emailing. This is your chance to craft a message that not only gets opened but gets a response. Personalize it, make it relevant, and above all, make it clear what’s in it for them. Creating cold emails that book meetings is easy. Think about your content from the perspective of hitting the right person, with the right message, at the right time. And hey, once you’ve got a handle on this, it’s all about expanding your network. Stay tuned as we dive into networking next, because who you know can be just as important as what you sell. Step #3: Networking Alright, we’re moving into the realm of networking, and I’m not talking about your internet connection. This is step four, where face-to-face interaction becomes your secret weapon. Networking is all about building those real, trust-based relationships that can open doors you didn’t even know existed. Think of it as planting seeds that could grow into lead-generating trees. Now, you might be wondering, ‘How do I even start with networking?' Simple. Begin with the circles you already move in. Attend industry events, seminars, and workshops. Don’t just be a wallflower; engage, ask questions, and share your insights. Remember, the goal is to be genuine; people can smell insincerity from a mile away. Ever thought about how a casual chat over coffee could lead to a goldmine of leads? That’s networking for you. But hey, don’t put all your eggs in the networking basket. Up next, we’re diving into social selling, a game-changer in how we connect and sell in the digital age. Step #4: Social Selling This isn’t just about posting random stuff online; it’s a strategic move to keep you on the radar of your potential clients. Being top of mind isn’t about spamming their feed—it’s about showing up as the go-to expert they can trust. Choosing the right platform is crucial. Are your prospects hanging out on LinkedIn, Twitter, or maybe

There are many Cold Email Tutorials on YouTube but this is the most effective process that I know. If you've ever wondered why some cold emails set up meetings like clockwork while others vanish into the abyss, you're not alone. Every day, professionals spend an average of 2.5 hours checking their inboxes, sifting through a mix of potential opportunities and, let's face it, spam. The truth is, email remains a powerhouse for customer acquisition and retention, especially for small to medium businesses. But there's a fine line between a strategic cold email that opens doors and spammy attempts that end up ignored. The distinction? Personalization, relevance, and offering undeniable value. In this video , we're diving into a framework that sidesteps the common pitfalls of generic outreach and positions your emails to not just get opened, but to compel action. Get ready to transform your cold email approach from a shot in the dark to a strategic, meeting-booking machine. Step #1 Get Attention Alright, let's talk about the game opener in cold email outreach: grabbing your buyer's attention without coming off as a jester in the court of sales. You want to hit that sweet spot where your buyer's eyebrows go up in intrigue, not in disbelief. It's about striking the right balance between being eye-catching and maintaining the gravitas of a trusted advisor. First off, your secret weapons are the subject line and the first line of the email. Marketo says the magic number for subject lines is seven words. Yes, just seven! But how do you make those seven words count? You open a curiosity loop that leaves your buyer hanging on the edge of their seat, wanting more. Think of the curiosity loop as the trailer to the blockbuster movie that is your email. A killer “How to” or “What if” subject line that hits right where it hurts, their biggest pain points, and will stand out in the prospects inbox. That’s the subject line sorted. What about the first line of the email? Add a touch of Self-interest – Everyone's favorite radio station is WIIFM (What's In It For Me?), right? Now, for the golden touch: personalization. It's not just about slapping their name at the top of your email. It's about that first line resonating so deeply it feels like you've read their diary. A quick comment on their latest feature launch or a nod to their recent hiring spree shows you're not just another spammer; you're someone who's done their homework and genuinely cares about what makes their heartbeat faster in business. And here's where it gets even better: when you mix this strategy with the power move we're going to reveal in step four, you'll see magic happen. It's like adding nitro to your sales engine. Step #2 Demonstrate Need So you've caught their eye without resorting to the digital equivalent of streaking through the internet yelling about rubber duckies. Now what? It's time to show you're not just another pretty subject line; you're here to solve real problems. This is where you have to Demonstrating the prospects Need. Think of it like this: You're not just telling the prospect you understand their struggles; you're showing them. And how do you do that? Through the art of storytelling, my friend. It's all about painting a picture so vivid, your buyer can't help but see themselves in it. We're going to use what I like to call the Reality Gap Method. It's like mapping out a treasure hunt where X marks the spot of their future success, and you've got the map. Current Reality: You acknowledge where they're at, maybe struggling to hit those sales targets or drowning in inefficient processes. Future Reality: Then, you dazzle them with visions of what could be. Imagine hitting those targets so often they start setting them higher, or streamlining operations so they're slicing through tasks like a hot knife through butter. Reality Bridge: This is the golden bridge that connects their current island of frustration to the promised land of success. It's where you hint at the tools, strategies, or wisdom you're offering to help them cross over. Here's a quick template: “Hey [Name], just helped [Another Name] turn their sales slump into a victory lap. They were exactly where you are now, struggling with [Issue]. With a few tweaks and some solid frameworks, they're now smashing goals left and right. Want to know how we did it?” No gimmicks, no fluff, just a straight shot from Problem Island to Solution City. Step #3 Give Proof So, you've piqued their interest and shown them a vision of what could be. But here's the kicker: why should they believe you? It's like when you tell a friend about this amazing burger joint, but they're like, “Sure, but is it really that good?” This is where you bring in the big guns: social proof. Imagine you're trying to convince your buddy to try that burger place. If you say, “Dude, even LeBron James eats there!” suddenly, they're all ears. That's social proof in

Closing the sales is tough, I get it. You do all the work building rapport and qualifying the lead, only to choke when it's time to seal the deal. Sound familiar? Many reps leave money on the table because they wait until the very end before asking the big “will you buy?” question. Talk about awkward! No wonder we avoid it. My buddy Sam would sweat bullets trying to close at the final sales meeting. But my other friend Walter takes a smoother approach by closing throughout the entire sales process. He asks micro-closing questions after each call to see if the prospect is ready to move forward. That way, there's no big scary finale – just a series of small commits. Want to boost your commissions? Then get comfortable asking for the sale my friend! Sprinkle micro-closes throughout your calls. The more times they say “yes”, the likelier it is they'll say YES to that final purchase. Stick around, as I'll share a the 3 simple steps to micro-close throughout the sales process. Step #1: “Does It Make Sense To [X]?” Alright, let's dive into the first step of micro-closing, which might just be the simplest tool in your sales toolkit. Have you ever thought about just asking, “Does it make sense to [X]?” depending on what you're selling? This isn't just a question; it's your secret weapon. “Does it make sense for us to get this installed for you next week?” or “How about we jump on a call to sketch out a rough business case for your manager?” It's smooth, isn't it? What's genius about this question is it's all about timing, not commitment. You're not cornering anyone; you're just checking if the stars align for a small step forward. If they hit you with a “no,” it's not about you; it's just not the right time. And that's your cue to figure out what needs to shift for the buyer to move forward. Why does this ninja move work so well? First off, it drops the pressure. No one's expecting a laid-back question like that. You're updating the prospect on the process, nudging them to think logically about the next step without the emotional baggage of a hard sell. And here's the kicker: it's simple. It's about collaboration, not coercion. You're showing you care about being on the same page, building trust and rapport without even trying. Now, if you're nodding along, thinking, “This could change the game,” you're right. But what if you get a “no”? Stick around because that's exactly what we're tackling next. Step #2. “What Do We Need To Do To Move This Forward?” Hit a “no” on your first micro-closing attempt? Don't sweat it. Remember, a “no” isn't a door slamming in your face; it's just a nudge towards a different path. So the prospect says, “Now's not the right time”? Perfect opportunity to pull out your next move. Ask the question: “What do we need to do to move this forward?” This isn't just any question; it's like asking for directions when you're a bit lost. It's collaborative, not confrontational. Your buyer is your co-pilot here, guiding you through their buying process. They haven't shut down the idea of buying; they're just not ready to take the leap. Yet. By asking for their opinion on what the next step should be, you're not guessing what they want; you're letting them lay down the roadmap. This way, you're not playing a guessing game; you're building a strategy together. And if you want to notch up your game, sprinkle a little bit of social proof into your question. Something like, “I hear you. Company X was in the same boat and found that doing Y helped them immensely. Could that be a step we explore?” It's subtle, yet powerful. It shows you're listening, and it leverages the ‘follow the leader' instinct we all have. Step #3. The Loop Ever felt like you're running in circles with a buyer, getting “no” after “no”? Welcome to the final game-changer in our micro-closing saga: The Loop. Here's the play: you start with, “Does it make sense to do X?” They say “no.” Cool, no panic. You pivot, “What about Y, then?” Another “no”? Alright, onto “Z sounds good, how about it?” Still no? No problem, next you ask, “Alright, what do we need to do next to move this forward? ” It's like a dance, where every step, even a backstep, moves you forward. This looping isn't just a trick; it's the art of staying in the game until you both agree on the next move that makes logical sense. It's about keeping the conversation flowing, avoiding that dreaded silence where leads vanish. Sure, it might feel like you're on a “no” train sometimes. But remember, each “no” is actually a step closer to “yes.” IThe sales process is a learning curve, for them and for you. As we wrap up, remember, those final sales meeting jitters? They're a thing of the past with micro-closing. Each time you have micro-closed throughout the sales process, you've built up to this m

In today's fast-paced market, knowing how to sell a product is crucial for business success,. he truth is, the art of selling has evolved, and staying ahead means adapting. The good news? I’m here to guide you through this transformation. To sell a product effectively, you need to navigate through six essential steps we'll uncover in this video. These steps are designed to not only grab attention but convert that interest into tangible sales. Let’s begin: Step #1: Find Your Ideal Customer Persona Kicking off our journey into mastering sales, the first thing you gotta nail down is finding your ideal customer persona. Think of this as detective work where you're piecing together a profile of your dream buyer. Why? Because aiming your pitch at the right crowd makes everything else smoother. You're looking for folks who get what you're selling, feel the pain it solves, and basically have their wallets out already. Now, you might be wondering, “How do I find these dream buyers?” Easy! Dive into your past sales and spot the common threads. What job titles keep popping up? Which industries? Any patterns in company sizes or locations? This detective work helps you sketch out a buyer persona that’s not just a shot in the dark but a targeted blueprint of who you’re after. Now, why bother with all this profiling? Because knowing your ideal customer is like having a treasure map. It leads you to sales gold. Once you’ve got this down, crafting a killer value proposition becomes a piece of cake. That’s what we’re diving into next. Step #2: Build A Value Proposition Step #2: Define Your Value Proposition Alright, you've got your dream buyer in mind; now let's chat about your value proposition. Imagine you're at a party, and someone asks, “So, what do you do?” Your value proposition is that killer response that has them saying, “Wow, tell me more!” Instead of looking for the nearest exit. It's your sales pitch's secret sauce, promising your buyer why you're their best bet. Think of a value proposition as your business's pledge to your customers, minus the fluff and filler. It's where you spell out the perks of choosing you over the guy next door. But here’s the twist: it’s not just any promise; it’s a laser-focused, jargon-free promise that shows you get your buyer’s needs like no one else. Why’s it a big deal? Because when what you’re selling fits like a glove with what they’re itching for, it’s like magic. They’re more likely to say, “Where do I sign?” This alignment is crucial, and it’s your job to broadcast it loud and clear. Crafting this golden message isn’t something you leave to chance or pass off to a marketer who’s never chatted with your buyers. You've got to roll up your sleeves and build it yourself, with insights gleaned from understanding your audience inside out. A good structure to present your value proposition is – I help X person, solve Y problem, by doing Z thing. For me selling sales training to B2B salespeople and small business owners at Salesman.com I might say – I help B2B sellers, find and close more deals using proven, step-by-step frameworks. A rock-solid value proposition isn't just a nice-to-have. It's your secret sauce when we get to the last step: Closing. That's right, stick around because, in our last step, we’ll dive deep into how this all comes together to seal the deal. Step #3 Use A Cadence So, you've got a killer value proposition. Now, how do you get it in front of those dream buyers? Welcome to the world of sales cadence—a fancy way of saying “a killer follow-up plan.” Without a plan, you're just throwing darts in the dark, hoping to hit the bullseye. Here’s the deal: winging it in sales is like trying to bake a cake by guessing the ingredients. Spoiler alert – it doesn’t work. A structured sales cadence is your recipe for success. It simplifies your outreach, lets you scale without turning into a spam monster, and gives you insights to tweak and improve. The endgame of your sales cadence? To get your ideal customers to book a call, not to seal the deal right off the bat. Here's a pro tip: open a “curiosity loop.” Highlight a problem they might not even realize they have, tease them with the possibility of a solution, and make them understand that the only way out is through a call with you. If you spark enough curiosity about solving their issue, they’ll be dialing your number in no time. The final thing to do with your sales cadence, when you’re happy that you’re sparking enough curiosity to book a meeting is to systematize your outreach. Stick to a predefined series of sales activities, group them together into daily plays and then finally stick to the same message across multiple days to share the different angles of value that you can potentially offer the prospect. Now that you’ve got the gist of a sales cadence, stay tuned. Next up, we’ll dive into how to uncover and diagnose your buyer’s real challenges. Ready to b

In this video we cover 5 strategies to increase sales no matter what you sell or the industry you sell within. Strategy number one is to make your value proposition more specific. 1: Specific Value Proposition The more specific your value proposition is, to the needs of your specific buyer the more meetings you’ll book from your prospecting and the higher your closing percentage rate will be. Most sellers try and aim for a broad value proposition during their cold outreach thinking that if they cast a wider net, they’ll hook more prospects onto a call. This isn’t how it works in reality. Imagine you need to get rid of a body. I won’t question why you have a body that you need to get rid of… but it needs to be gone ASAP. Lets say you get an email that offers to get rid of whatever waste you have in your home. Well that is somewhat compelling. But if you were to get an cold email that shares a new way of getting rid of a body, when they need to be disposed of FAST, then obviously that’s the one you’re going to reply to. You have to be bold with your value propositions when engaging with potential customers. You have to avoid playing in the zone of indifference. Push the fact that you can improve or solve a specific problem to get out of this zone of indifference in the middle that most sellers play within. Next up, I want you to stop talking about features and benefits. 2: Features, Benefits, Desires Stop talking about the features and benefits of your product. Literally, nobody gives a shit. Your widget or software has this button? Comes in this colour? Does this thing? Nobody cares. Instead, focus on the buyers desires. Think of the buyer's desires being at the very core of their decision making process. Let me give you an example: Feature – com Academy has step-by-step training videos. Benefit – The training videos will help you better implement our frameworks. Desire – We will remove the stress and overwhelm from executing an effective sales process and achieving your financial goals. This third layer of value that we call desire should be the focus of 90% of your communication to the buyer. This only shifts towards the end of the sales process when we might communicate more of the practical features of the product as the prospect justifies their emotional purchase decision with logic. Next let's take a look at how we can put the right desires in front of more of the right prospects. 3: Refine Your ICP If you are booking meetings, then you should constantly be refining your ICP or Ideal Customer Persona. B2B sales becomes way easier when you put the right message, in front of the right person, at the right time. Once you’re booking a steady stream of meetings from your cold prospecting each week, it’s time to sit down and refine your ICP. Look at all the people who booked a meeting with you and see what they have in common. It could be: Job titles Industries Locations Company size Specific goals Target pain points Current solution Buying process Technologies leveraged Your goal becomes simple: Find more of the people who buy big and buy quickly. Stop wasting time with the wrong prospects. Start spending more time with the people that actually want to work with you. Once you have a better idea of your ICP it’s time to start building a step-by-step sales cadence. 4: Step-by-Step Sales Cadence Most salespeople live in what I call the roller coaster of sales. That is, some weeks they prospect, other weeks they don’t. Some days they cold call, other days they chase their tails with another random task. That leads to an up and down, boom and bust cycle of results and failure. This is stressful for both you and your sales manager. Your sales manager wants to work with sellers who are foracastable. They value reliability in their sales planning almost as much as they do new revenue generation. That is what you need to implement a step-by-step sales cadence. You remove so much of the stress from the sales process and you’ll get your sales manager off your back if you can show them that when you put 100 prospects into your sales cadence, you book X number of meetings out of the other end of it. Having a proven, systematic prospecting system means that if you’re ever slightly behind on your numbers you can add a few more prospects at the top of the funnel. Heck, if you’re ever miles ahead of your numbers but you’re feeling close to burning out, then you can titrate these numbers down too. This allows you to work within your “stretch zone”. Working within your stretch zone feels good. You’re pushing yourself but it’s still fun. You feel challenged but not overwhelmed. Your stretch zone is where you’ll earn the most commissions, for the longest, most sustainable amount of time. And that leads us into the final and maybe most important sales strategy in this video, to micro-close more often. 5: Micro-Closing Micro-closing is when we confirm where we are within the buying process with the prospect thro

If your buyers don’t have a reason to move forward in their buyer’s journey, then they will stand still. This leads to 26% of all deals that are forecasted as a likely win, to turn into a “no decision” according to CSO insights. That is a massive amount of revenue that you’re leaving on the table every quarter. It could be the difference between hitting quota or not. So, let's take a look at why this happens and then what we need to do to create too much urgency in our buyers that they get the deal done, quicker than ever before. Pain of Implementation The main thing that kills urgency in B2B sales is the “pain of implementation”. This is where the buyer has casually come to the conclusion that the pain of implementing the solution and then seeing the benefits, is more painful than just plodding on with the issues they are currently facing. For example, lets say someone is dramatically overweight. They might come to the conclusion that even though the benefits of losing the weight and becoming healthy would be life changing, they don’t want to go through the effort of dieting and exercising to get there. Outside looking in, everyone else can see that this is dumb. But for that individual, it makes sense in their brain. They’re thinking short term, rather than long term. In a business context, lets say that the prospect is struggling to use excel spreadsheets to complete all their financial reporting. You offer them a new software solution, designed specifically to fix this issue, it seems like a no brainer for them to get started working with you, but they don’t. It’s likely that the prospect feels the pain of learning a new tool and then getting the benefits of that software don’t outweigh the small, niggling pain that they’re in right now where excel crashes once every couple of hours. You’ll know if you’ve a lack of urgency in your deal because of the pain of implementation if you get hit with objections like: Which begs the question, how do we turn these objections on their head, add more urgency to the deal and get it over the line? To do that we need to re-enforce the “reality gap”. The Reality Gap Method If the buyer doesn’t have a clear understanding of their current reality and their future reality then they can trick themselves into a state of procrastination. Alternatively, if the prospect truly knows the risk of staying where they are and the upside of taking action to move to the bolder, brighter future reality they could be living in, then the amount of urgency to make the change increases. It’s our job to coach the prospect to better understand their current and future realities with questions like these. Current reality: You shared that this problem takes X time each week, what is the financial cost of that to the business? What is stopping you from solving this yourself? When does this problem need to be solved? What happens if it doesn’t get solved by then? Future reality: If you could stop this issue happening in the future, how would that make you feel? What would be the knock-on, positive consequences of this being fixed? What’s stopping you from getting started with this today? These questions need to be asked constantly, throughout the entire sales process. This is because buyers get distracted easily. Sure, right now you are their main priority but tomorrow something else is bound to break. The next day, their wife is threatening to leave them. The next week they’re not even sure if they want to be working for their current employer at all. Buying Temperature So, urgency needs to be managed at all times. If you haven’t spoken to your prospect for a couple of weeks, their buying temperature will decrease. So, urgency needs to be managed at all times. If you haven’t spoken to your prospect for a couple of weeks, their buying temperature will decrease. The prospect might have been past the “activation energy” of getting a deal done last time you spoke with them on the phone, but since then a bunch of other crap has been dumped on their desk. That means you must keep reinforcing the pain of their current reality and the pleasure of their bolder, brighter future reality regularly. That is how you build massive urgency and that is how you get the buyer to leap over the initial pain of implementation so that they receive all of the benefits you know that they will receive from your product.

Want to find better buyers and weed out the crappy leads that only end up wasting your time? Then be sure to ask the 9 qualification questions we’re talking about in this video on each of your discovery calls. Diagnosis calls are slightly different to traditional discovery calls because they cover discovery, qualification, product positioning and micro-closing in a single call rather than spreading all of this out over multiple engagements. 1) Uncovering Pain Is your prospect dealing with a problem? And are they in enough “pain” to drive the right amount of urgency to buy? A “yes” to both is downright necessary. And to get to the bottom of it, you can ask two questions in particular… “You booked this call with me today, what led to getting this call booked in?” What’s the main reason they’re talking with you right now? You’ll have to do a bit more digging of course. But even in the most tight-lipped buyers you’ll still uncover at least a kernel of truth. “What’s stopping you from solving this issue yourself?” One of my favorite follow-ups to the previous question. Not only does this question uncover any roadblocks to implementation you may hit down the road. But it also gives you a clearer idea of how big this problem really is. Because if it really was a problem, the buyer should have been working to solve it themselves. 2) Timeframes Not all timelines will line up. And one of your chief concerns when qualifying is whether your prospect’s timeline matches your own. When do they want this problem solved? Today? This quarter? Next year? As a rule of thumb, the buyers you want to work with should all want to solve their problems quickly. Because if they don’t have urgency, they won’t be compelled to act. And that might mean feet dragging, ghosting, and an overall waste of your time. “When does this issue need to be solved by?” This straightforward question gives you no-bullshit timeline you can use to assess if your timeframes are a match. 3) Confirming Fit And for this category, you actually need to ask yourself… “Do I have the solution for this buyer’s problem?” Honesty is key here. The best reps don’t oversell their product’s capabilities. Why? Because they know a dissatisfied and duped buyer ruins reputations, doesn’t provide referrals, and never ever comes back to buy again. So you need to think long and hard about whether your solution will really make the buyer’s problem a thing of the past. 4) Calculating ROI No matter how big or how small, every new solution takes effort to implement. Buyers need to change vendors, hire new staff, train on novel systems, or fight for a change to the budget. The question is, is the value your solution provides worth that discomfort? How much will they have to change to accommodate it? And when all is said and done, will they look back on the investment as a good purchase or one that ate up too many resources? You can start figuring that out by asking… “How would things be different if we solved this for you?” What will actually change for the buyer once they implement your solution? Is it a simple quality of life difference? Or does the switch lead to real change for the business on a fundamental level? This one’s key because no matter how well you think you understand the industry, every business is different. And asking the buyer outright will give you better insight into the real value your solution offers. 5) Understanding Process Be sure your buyer is willing to adapt to your process before working with you. Check to see if they’re willing to stop working with current vendors, put in the necessary time for training, and whatever other “musts” need to be done to get maximum value from your solution. To get to the bottom of this one, ask… “When your organization has done similar projects in the past, what process needed to happen?” This question gives you a clearer idea of what lies ahead should the buyer be a reasonable fit. How much work will they have to put in to overhaul their system? How much work will you have to put into training and getting their team up to speed? Basically, is the work required reasonable or out of line? 6) Agreeing Budget As Experiment 27 Founder Alex Berman told me in our interview… “Find the right people because if your buyers have a budget and they're ready to buy, it's very easy to close them.” – Interview with Alex Berman, Founder & Chairman of Experiment 27 [23:35] – Salesman.com Podcast Budget talks can be touchy subjects, it's true. Which is why you may want to avoid the topic until later in the conversation. But on the other hand, you need to be 100% clear on whether your prospect has the funds to pay for your solution. Otherwise, what are we talking about here? “How are projects like this funded?” Not all projects fall under a clean and uniform budget. Sometimes they’re spread over multiple teams and departments instead. With this open-ended question, you’re getting a better idea of how many hoops your buyer will have to

If you want to consistently win at sales then you need to be strategic in your approach. It’s not good enough to randomly be connecting with prospects and hoping that they will buy from you. You need to implement step-by-step systems that allow you to find and close business like clockwork. And that’s where the three sales strategies that I’m going to cover in this post come in. Right Message, Person, Timing The first sales strategy is designed to rapidly improve your prospecting. It’s deadly simple. For every prospecting activity you do, ask yourself if you’re sending the right message, to the right person, at the right time. If not, then don’t send it. This simple framework forces spammy sellers to stop spamming and it encourages sellers to share too much information to pull back. When I’m coaching the students in my Salesman.com Academy program I find that most prospecting issues come down to the fact that the individual isn’t: Sending a message that is going to leave the prospect in a position where they are excited to book a call. Connecting with the real decision maker that can move a deal forward. Communicating at a point in the buyer’s journey where the prospect has enough urgency to get a deal done. Critique every single step of your sales prospecting cadence against the criteria of; right message, right person, right time and your meeting booking conversion rate will sky rocket. Which leads me to the next sales strategy of understanding “buying temperature”. Buying Temperature Understanding the required buying temperature for your prospects to commit to getting started is integral to sales success. Think of your sales process as needing a certain level of temperature put into the system before it hits an “activation energy” where the deal happens naturally. Your goal as a seller is to increase this buying temperature with every single interaction you have with the prospect. Every time you send a crappy email like, “Hey, not heard from you, just checking in?” The buying temperature decreases. Alternatively, every time you share an insight, build trust or create curiosity in the fact that your product is likely to help the prospect solve a painful problem, you increase the buying temperature. As the temperature in the system increases you go from the prospect thinking “I don’t care”, to “OK, I’m interested”, to “Let’s do this!” It’s only at the point that the prospect commits to becoming a customer. The sooner you can help them make that psychological shift, the shorter your deal cycles will become and the easier it is to increase deal sizes. So remember to ask yourself, “is this going to increase or decrease the prospects buying temperature” every time to attempt to interact with them. And that leads us into our third sales strategy. This strategy is how you practically increase your prospecting buying temperature by leveraging the “curiosity loop”. The Curiosity Loop The curiosity loop is essential when prospecting to book your first meeting with a buyer and when you’re trying to get a deal over the line. When you implement the curiosity loop you eliminate the risk of oversharing which is a trap most sellers fall into. Most sellers try to explain the problem that they solve and then how they solve it in their communications to the buyer. This often leaves the buyer with the feeling that they know the “how” and so they can then go and resolve the problem themselves. Of course nine times out of ten, they don’t solve the problem and continue living in pain. A much better way to increase buying temperature whilst keeping the attention of your prospects is to open a curiosity loop and then only close it on the next meeting. For example, in your cold outreach you might explain that you hypothesize the buyer has a problem. You share that you might just be able to solve this painful issue for the buyer. But rather than tell them how you will solve it, you ask them to jump on a quick call to see if you might be a good fit to work together. If you’ve sent the correct hypothesis of pain (right message), to someone who has this specific pain (right person), at a moment of time where they have the budget to resolve the issue and the power to make that final purchasing decision (right timing) then this person would be crazy not to jump on a quick call with you. Humans all, naturally have high levels of curiosity. When you can pique it and then give them a logical next step to fixing an issue, you’ll see your calendar get flooded with new meetings.

Ever feel like your sales strategy hit a wall? You're not alone. Many struggle with methods that just don't cut it anymore, leaving you frustrated and questioning what's missing. But what if you could turn it all around? Today, we're breaking down the ‘4 Rules of Sales' that'll transform your approach and skyrocket your results. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, these insights are your key to unlocking a whole new level of success. Rule One: Treat Sales Like a Game Let’s start with the first rule of sales: Treat it like a game, not a chore. Now, before you roll your eyes and think, “Games are for kids,” hear me out. What makes a game? Inputs, variable outcomes, and feedback loops.   Think about it. In a game, you make a move, see what happens, and adjust your strategy. Sales are the same. In sales, your inputs are the calls you make, the emails you send, and the presentations you nail. These are your moves on the chessboard. But here's where it gets interesting – not every move wins the game. You'll face rejections, and guess what? That's your feedback loop. It's the game's way of saying, “Try a different move.” And just like in any game, outcomes vary. Some deals are your bonus level, easy and rewarding, while others are that boss battle you prepare for, strategize, and maybe even struggle to conquer. Now, think about this. What's the real cost of losing a round in this game? Zero. Nada. Nobody's getting hurt if your pitch doesn't land. No prospect is out there plotting revenge because your product didn't dazzle them. The stakes might feel high, but in reality, you're just playing a game where the worst outcome is a “no,” and the best? Well, that's the big win, the high score, the dream house. But here's the kicker – it's not just about playing the game; it's about mastering it. How? By understanding that success in sales, much like in any game, comes down to how well you play. Your tools are simply words and strategy. Your reward? More than just bragging rights – think bigger, think a house with a view. And remember, while you're playing this game, you're not alone. You're competing, sure, but every player has their eye on the prize. And that’s what I’ll reveal in the the fourth rule of sales. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. For now, let's focus on mastering the game in front of us. Because, at the end of the day, in the grand game of business, there's room for just one winner. So, as we gear up to reveal more rules of this game, think about how you've been playing so far. Have you been making moves without seeing them as part of a bigger strategy? Stay tuned, because we're about to take this game to a whole new level. Rule Two: You’re Not Selling a Product Rolling into the second rule of sales, and this one's a mind-bender: you're not just selling a product; you're selling a bridge. Imagine for a second, your buyer's living in their own version of reality, right? But it's not where they dream of being. That's their current reality. Now, there's this sparkling, shiny future they've got their eyes set on—that's their future reality. And what are you offering? You're the savvy guide handing them the map to cross from here to there. This is the Reality Gap Method in action. It's like you're holding the key to a secret passage that leads them to their treasure chest of dreams. Every product, every service you sell, it's not just an item or advice; it's a ticket to their future. The whole economy's running on this fuel—people chasing better realities. So, when you're talking to your potential buyers, it's not about the specs of what you're selling. It's about painting that picture of where they could be and showing them how what you offer is the bridge to get there. Once they see that vision, selling becomes as easy as connecting the dots. Remember how we talked about the game of sales? Think of this as unlocking a crucial level where you help players navigate from point A to B. Rule Three: Get the Meeting Jumping into the third rule of sales: the key to closing a sale is getting that meeting. It's all about the perfect blend of A, B, and C. A is your killer message, the one that turns heads. B, your ideal customer, exactly who needs to hear your pitch. And C, the timing, hitting them when they're most receptive. This is the essence of your strategy: Value Proposition, Ideal Customer Persona, and Trigger Event. Prospecting is your initial test, a mix of guesswork and strategy, honing your approach as you learn. It's about finding that sweet spot where your message, the right person, and the perfect time intersect, leading to that all-important meeting. Once you're in, it's diagnosis time. Are these the right variables for your buyer? If not, it's quick pivot time—tweak your message or find the real decision-maker. Closing hinges on aligning your value proposition with the buyer's needs, ensuring they're the decision-maker, and pinpointing a

The best way to start a sales discovery call is with a “pre-frame”. A pre-frame is an influence technique used to limit the scope of a conversation to drive it towards a specific outcome. I start all my pre-framing on calls with: “The way these calls usually go is…” And then outline the quickest process to get through qualification, discovery and the close. The best way to think about pre-framing is to “act like a Doctor”. The Doctor Mindset The best metaphor for the mindset behind a successful diagnosis call is to act like a doctor. When you visit a doctor, they ask what the problem is. You answer. Then, before they tell you the solution to your painful problem, they ask more questions. They send you for a scan. They sit in their white coat, emotionless, making notes, and then quiz you on a couple of related points that you hadn’t even considered could be tied to your acute pain. The Doctor makes a formal diagnosis and offers a solution only when they have the full picture of the diagnosis. Can you see how this is literally the opposite of most sales calls? On an average sales call, if the buyer mentions any pain whatsoever, even the slightest of niggles, the seller usually shoves a product pitch down their throat and tries to close the deal. Talk less, ask more, diagnose, and you’ll close more deals. So, to diagnose your buyer like a doctor, you must think like a doctor. Let’s tie this into our pre-framing that we covered at the top of the video. When you go to visit a Doctor, you know that you have a problem. You also trust that the Doctor has seen this problem many times. You’re not there to argue with them, you’re there to get a solution. So our pre-frame in this context might sound like – “The way these calls usually go is, I’ll ask you a few questions, we’ll see where your teams sales performance is against the data I have on your industry and if I think I can help, I’ll share a few ways we might be able to work together. Sound good?” Notice the “sound good?” at the end of the statement. This is what is called a micro-close. You can learn more about micro-closing in my free book, Selling Made Simple that you can download for free over at Salesman.com. But what we’re doing is getting a small commitment that the prospect agrees to our process of conducting this call. When they verbally agree, they’re more likely to act like a patient rather than pester you about price before you’re ready to share it for example. That leads us onto the biggest mistake that sellers make during the beginning of their discovery calls and that is that they try and tell the prospect what they want rather than truly discussing their issues. Telling vs. Discussing Telling the buyer the pain theyʼre in is not as motivating as allowing them to tell you instead. Why? People donʼt like to be told how to feel. They will rebel against it, even if youʼre highlighting the truth. So, how do we get the buyer to tell us what their current and ideal future realities look like? We ask questions. Think of each of the questions in your Diagnosis call being a three-step process:

Want to go from loser to rich? Then you need to learn how to like, heck, even love doing things that other people find hard. I used to avoid doing hard stuff. I’d procrastinate on everything. I used this 4 tricks to get over it and since built a 7-figure sales training business, run two YouTube channels, and am now more productive than ever. How did I start liking doing hard stuff? I killed my lizard brain. The Lizard Brain What is it? Well, this is the part of your brain that’s leftover from your pre-human ancestors. It’s focused only on the now. It doesn’t understand the future or the past. And it just reacts according to your most basic needs. On the other side of things, you’ve also got your “human” brain. This is the rational side of you. It can use the past to predict the future. It can plan. And it can choose to avoid pleasure now in exchange for greater gains in the future. But for as advanced as the human side is, it doesn’t deal well with abstraction. If it can’t find a clear pathway to completing a task, it gives up control to the lizard brain. And the lizard brain’s go-to method for dealing with a problem is good ol’ fight or flight. The problem is you can’t fight abstract goals like “increase revenue this quarter” or “boost commissions by 10%.” So the lizard brain chooses flight. It runs. It procrastinates. And your human brain finally swoops in to justify all the reasons not to start in the first place. The good news is you aren’t trapped in this cycle. You can kill your lizard brain and stop procrastinating for good. You’ve just got to do a bit of brain hacking to get the job done. And there are four techniques to do just that. Number one… Goal Priming When you’re faced with a daunting task like spending hour after hour prospecting, it’s hard to find the motivation to get started. But that’s because you’re focused on the difficulty of the task. So instead, focus on the end result. How will your work pay off? What will your life look like after you’ve achieved your goals? If you’re focused on boosting your commissions but hate cold calling, think about what that extra money will mean for you. What will having an extra $50K a year do for you and your family? What about the career opportunities that will open up as a result? The more you think about the rewards, the less you’ll think about the costs. Overload Reduction Technique two, overload reduction. There is such a thing as having too much choice. It’s called “Choice Overload Bias.” And it’s the documented phenomenon of people having a harder time deciding when they have more options. Worth noting is that they’re also less satisfied with their choice when all is said and done. If you find yourself struggling to get a task started, take a step back for a minute. Are you deciding between 3, 4, 5 ways of doing the task? That’s your problem. Instead, limit your options. Cut down your choices. And just get started. Don’t worry too much about making the right choice. You can always pivot later on. What matters here is moving forward. Deconstruction Next up is deconstruction. The bigger the goal, the more intimidating it’s going to be. When you’re dealing with something as huge as earning $50K more this year in commissions, it can seem like there’s no way to start making headway. That of course kicks your lizard brain into high gear. And it makes you 10X less likely to ever get started. But here’s a trick. Break your giant goals down into smaller, more achievable milestones. Shooting for $50K extra this year? Okay, that boils down to $12,500 a quarter or about $4,200 extra a month. How many sales does that mean you have to make in a month? And given your current success rate, how many cold emails do you have to send or cold calls do you have to make to get there? Then you can start chipping away at that larger goal day by day. Instead of earning $50K more this year, you just have to spend an extra 30 mins prospecting each day. And that’s a lot easier to swallow. The 5 Minute Rule The last technique we’re talking about is the Five Minute Rule. And it might be the most immediately powerful. See, the hardest part of most tasks is getting started—the initial hump. But if you can get past that, the momentum you build along the way will usually be enough to carry you through to the end. So instead of avoiding that task that takes you 30 minutes to do, commit yourself to just five minutes. Hate cold calling but need it done? Just do five minutes. Can’t stand updating your CRM? Give it five. Always miserable while learning product specs? Cinco minutos mi amigo. Five minutes is all it takes. So at the next sign of procrastination, just commit to five minutes. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you get the motivation to keep it going.

  If you don’t make this shift in your sales process, you’re going to close fewer deals, they’re going to take longer to close and you’re never really going to be sure what will close and what won’t… You need to start implementing the “two-sale process”. The two-sale process is where you prospect both the decision maker and the end user of your product. You used to be able to get away with prospecting just one of them but as buyers are becoming less and less keen to put their careers on the line by implementing new products and services you now need to get multiple influencers within your accounts on board to get deals over the line. This makes sense right? You might even be doing this right now. The issue I’m seeing though is that sellers aren’t separating the wants and needs of their decision makers and end users. They are pitching them the same outcomes and that’s where their prospecting is falling apart. When implementing the two-sale process I define your decision maker as the Major Ideal Customer Persona and your end user as the Minor Ideal Customer Persona. Your Major and Minor ICPs operate on completely different time frames and so they are looking for dramatically different approaches for you to solve their problems with your product. Major vs. Minor ICP Your Major ICP already has their corporate goals and KPIs defined for the year before you ever engage with them. They’re thinking short to medium term. These goals have been defined and agreed with a board of directors or investors. Your messaging during the prospecting and closing stages of the sales process must cover these specific corporate targets. I’ll share how to do that in a minute. Your Minor ICP on the other hand have a problem right now, this second, in the current moment. If you can’t help them understand how they’re going to benefit immediately during your prospecting and closing then they’re going to move onto the next priority in their list of 1,000 issues they’re facing Value Propositions When building out your value propositions for your specific ICP it’s important to understand the difference between what your Major ICP and Minor ICP desire. Remember, to book a meeting and then close the deal all you need is to put the right message, in front of the right person at the right time. Let’s focus on the specific message or value proposition here. Your Major ICP is focused on the company, their market and the legislation. Your Minor ICP is focused on the specific problems they’re facing day-to-day in their role. To book a meeting with a Major ICP and then position your product to close a deal you have to consider their MISS goals: Money: Exceed agreed review forecasts. Improve: Increase company efficiency. Save: Cut costs. Safe: Stay well within legislation. If the value of your product isn’t communicated within those terms, the Major ICP will never book a meeting or close a deal. Your Minor ICP wants to look and feel good right now. That is it. Make them more effective so they look good internally or make their job easier so they feel better about coming to work each day. The final thing to note before you implement the two sales process is that the two sets of value propositions, meetings, demos and closing processes are not run completely in parallel. They do overlap. The Two Sale Split We might start with two sets of meetings but over the course of the buying process they must start overlapping across multiple ICPs. With our Major ICP start out future focused, discussing their MISS goals, opportunities and backing it up with numbers. Whilst with our Minor ICPs we’re focused on the present, looking at their pains, helping them change the status quo and dealing with emotions. But towards the middle to the end of the buying process we must pull all of this together and get a more general consensus that the return on investment from implementing our product is worth it. We need to get both the Major ICP and the Minor ICP to agree that the slight pain of implementing a new solution is going to be worth the pain reduction of the solution being implemented. Once that agreement has been made, the deal is yours.

The main thing that holds salespeople back from hitting their quota is that they are not the person that is capable of hitting their quota. Let me say that again, to hit your sales quota you need to become the person who is capable of hitting your quota. If your personality and skill set only has X value in the marketplace and your quota is Y. Then you’re going to hit X. Now, this isn't some woo woo or hippie nonsense. This isn't some magical, fluffy, transformation that you need to meditate over. What I'm saying is, that you need to become the person who is capable of building and implementing a systematic, step-by-step sales process and there are also a series of additional sales skills and personality traits that you need to develop if you want to generate the maximum revenue that your market has to offer. Once you have become the person who can build a sales process and you have implemented these personality traits, sales success and hitting quota becomes your default. It will happen like clockwork, every single time. Once you get this nailed – • Hitting quota isn't something that you aspire to do. • Hitting quota isn't something that you need to visualise and aim towards. Instead, you will be the person who does the activities, each and every day, that by default, gets you above and beyond quota every single time. This is a different way of thinking about sales training. And having trained over 2000 sellers within salesman.com Academy I know that giving people quick tricks, shortcuts or hacks does not really move the needle in sales performance. The only thing that consistently delivers high levels of sales results is to fundamentally change the person that is doing the selling and again, help them to become the person hits quota every time.