Today’s guest is Marc McNamara, Chief Enablement Strategist at The Value Shift, a company that presents a unique solution to the sales productivity challenge. We’re here to talk about Marc’s experience with team enablement, how to get the best out of your top-of-funnel conversations, and finding the root of your buyer’s behavior.
Episode Highlights:
Resources:
Connect with Marc McNamara on LinkedIn, through The Value Shift website, or by emailing him direct at mmcnamara@thevalueshift.com
Predictable Prospecting: How to Radically Increase Your B2B Sales Pipeline by Marylou Tyler
Quotes/Tweets:
“Selling is an art and a science”- Marc
“Realize your prospects have a problem that can be solved, and then figure out how to uniquely add value to them.” - Marc
“Salespeople are about helping the customer”- Marc
“People, once they’re trained, will forget it all a week later”-Marylou
How do you become a strong leader? How do you encourage your team to be not just good, but great? My guest today is an expert on managing sales teams and the author of Seven Steps to Success for Sales Managers: A Strategic Guide to Creating a Winning Sales Team Through Collaboration. Max Cates is here to discuss why sales managers should focus on continuous improvement, what separates the good managers from the bad, and using the Six Sigma process for eliminating defects and improving your team.
Episode Highlights:
Resources:
Quotes/Tweets:
“Great salespeople usually make poor managers” - Max
“The lone wolf manager can’t manage a millennial sales team. They like collaboration.” - Max
‘It’s a lot easier to be a successful leader than it is to be a poor manager.”- Max
“Stretch, but don’t overstretch when you’re making goals” - Max
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin – there’s a huge chance that your ideal customer has an account on at least one of them. As our role as business developers continues to evolve, the technologies and techniques we use to connect with prospects has changed as well. My guest today is Kurt Shaver of The Sales Foundry, an expert on leveraging social selling and using Linkedin as part of the sales process. We discuss how to research and connect with prospects on Linkedin, becoming an business expert on your social media platforms, and the essential skills all new sales development reps need to have.
Resources:
Quotes/Tweets:
“The primary function of Linkedin is lead generation”- Kurt Shaver
“When everyone is on a social network, each person is essentially a mini marketer”- Kurt
“Your number one priority is to leverage a common connection with your ideal customer”- Kurt
“Ten connections per day, 22 business days per month, means 220 more connections. That’s how you build your network” - Marylou
On this episode, I’m interviewed by my longtime friend and colleague Gabriel Padva. Gabriel is the founder and principal consultant at 30,000 FT Strategies, a company that focuses on helping companies communicate with their prospects. He is also a CRO at Revenue Accelerator Inc. We go in-depth into the role of the sales development rep, including how to hire them, train them, and promote them into upper management positions. We also discuss the do’s and don’ts of cold emailing, my must-have tools, and the best sales advice I’ve ever gotten.
Episode Highlights:
Gabriel’s question checklist for checking references of potential SDRs
Quotes/Tweets:
“Always be testing, measuring, and pulling out data. Tell the truth.” - Gabriel
“Using the phone in combination with email and social selling is a great way to ‘warm up the chill’ of cold calling” - Marylou
“You are as equally important as the person that you’re trying to convince to try your product or service” - Marylou
Are you catching minnows when you want to be catching whales? Netting the high-value prospects requires engaging many different people in the organization in conversation. In this episode, I’m interviewed by Joseph Dager of the Business901 podcast. We discuss my new book, Predictable Prospecting, why cold calling is the best method of prospecting available for netting those whales, and how to encourage your sales team to embrace the cold calling process.
Episode Highlights:
Resources:
Our guest today is Keenan, who is a sales expert, speaker, and owner of A Sales Guy, a leading sales management consulting company. We discuss his unique process for identifying the problems your business solves, the personal buying motivations of your prospects, and the key exercises and role play scenarios for connecting with your clients.
Episode Highlights:
Resources:
Quotes:
“If you want to get someone to pay attention to you, you have to know something they don’t know. You have to be the expert” - keenan
“The greater the gap, the more value there is to what you’re selling”- Keenan
In this episode of Predictable Prospecting, I’m interviewed by TinderBox on my predictions for the future of the world of sales and sales technology. We also discuss training sales teams to have meaningful conversations with prospects while using sales acceleration technology and the rise of social selling.
Are you running a “one-man show”, where you do absolutely everything yourself – from building the pipeline to closing the sale? How effective is your current system?
On this episode we’re joined by Pleasant Rich, the Director of Enterprise Sales at Outreach, a team-based sales communication platform. We discuss the benefits and challenges of separating roles on the sales team, why you shouldn’t try to fill every role yourself, and how to make the transition between roles as seamless as possible.
Episode Highlights:
Resources:
Connect with Pleasant on Linkedin
Quotes/Tweets:
“Salespeople love to close and we love to put out fires and we love to hop on the things that are in front of us”- Pleasant
“Multitasking is common place in every company but it’s never the most effective thing to do.”- Pleasant
“The first opportunity you have to separate sales roles is when you should do it”- Marylou
Plenty of companies struggle with crafting the perfect cold email. It’s either too long, too short, too impersonal, or it just doesn’t connect with your buyer. Identifying what’s missing and how to fix it can seem impossible, but our guest today has the process down to a science.
Episode Highlights:
Resources:
Contact Bob Kelly by emailing him direct: bob.kelly@strategicpipeline.com or by visiting the Strategic Pipeline website
Recent studies have shown salespeople fail to make quotas when they don’t have the knowledge of their product to have a value-adding conversation with their clients. Where does this gap come from, and how can we close it to connect with our prospects?
Today’s guest is Max Traylor, a marketing consultant who specializes in sales enablement. We discuss how to best close the gap between marketing and sales, why millennials don’t trust the internet, and how to best personalize your sales content to target the prospects who matter the most.
Episode Highlights:
Resources:
CSO Insights’ 2015 Sales Management Optimization Study
Visit Max Traylor’s website for blog posts, coaching and advising information, and video content
Email him at max@maxtraylor.com, connect with him on LinkedIn, or follow him on Twitter
Quotes/Tweets:
“Marketing’s number one consumer of their content is the buyer. But in fact there are two important audiences for the content: the buyer and the sales team”- Max
“Millennials don’t trust the Internet. We’re the first generation who grew up with it, and we don’t trust it”- Max
“Conversation is king”- Marylou
“We have a choice of who we sell to. We should put the work in to find out who’s going to be the most profitable and who aligns with our solution” -Max
“Stop going after the minnows. Go after the whales!”- Marylou
On this episode of Predictable Prospecting, we are joined by Mark Hunter, otherwise known as The Sales Hunter, a sales consultant and author of the must-read book, High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results. We discuss some of the top techniques outlined in his book, Mark’s opinion on the best time to call your prospect, and why prospecting is the most entertaining part of the sales process. With his infectious energy and wealth of knowledge, it’s easy to see why Mark Hunter is one of the most sought after sales consultants working today.
Episode Highlights:
Resources:
Tweets/Quotes:
“If you don’t prospect right, you can’t close right”- Mark
“Prospecting is absolutely the most fun part of the selling process for one very simple reason. If you believe that you can help people achieve a level of outcome that they didn’t think was possible, how can you not get excited about that?”- Mark
“The underlying solution for success in prospecting comes down to discipline and focus. If you’re disciplined and you have focus, it’s amazing how successful you’ll be”- Mark
“Bad sales people have skinny kids”- Mark
On this episode, I’m interviewed by Stephan Spencer of Marketing Speak podcast. We discuss the intersection of sales and marketing, the steps to building a successful pipeline, and my favorite marketing initiatives and social proofs. I also give Stephan Spencer tips on how to improve his conversations with prospects, my best book recommendations, and a few of my top coaching practices.
Episode Highlights:
Resources:
Our world today feels smaller than ever, largely due to advancements in communication and technology, making plenty of business owners wonder: Should I expand my services abroad? My guest today is Hans Peter Bech, author of the bestselling book Building Successful Partner Channels and managing partner of TBK Consult, a company that helps IT groups break into foreign markets. We discuss the intense planning and logistics behind expanding a business, how culture impacts sales, and Hans Peter Bech’s suggestions for anyone considering making the jump into a foreign market.
Episode Highlights:
Resources:
Tweets/Quotes:
“The value of an information technology company that can prove global potential and traction is dramatically higher than an IT company that only operates in a single country” - Hans Peter Bech
“Preparing a business plan is much faster and far less expensive than executing the plan”- HPB
“Understanding local culture is fundamental for designing effective business processes”- Hans Peter Bech
My new book Predictable Prospecting is set to inspire sales teams all over the world to reformat and build their B2B sales pipelines. Curious to know more about the writing process behind the book? This episode features a conversation with Jeremey Donovan, my co-author on Predictable Prospecting, as we discuss our reasoning behind writing the book and what we think sales representatives can get out of our methodology.
Jeremey Donovan is the Head of Sales Strategy at Gerson Lehrman Group. When he isn’t at his day job, you can find Jeremey serving as an adjunct professor at the NYU School of Professional Studies or writing and speaking about Public Speaking - his book How To Deliver a TED Talk topped the bestseller list both domestically and internationally.
Episode Highlights:
Resources:
Pre-order my new book Predictable Prospecting: How to Radically Increase Your B2B Sales Pipeline , out on August 19th 2016!
Check out Spin Selling by Neil Rackham, the book Marylou and Jeremey agree was fundamental to beginning their sales careers!
Connect with Jeremey Donovan on LinkedIn or through his website, Speaking Sherpa.
Quotes/Tweets:
“Roleplay every day”- Marylou
“If I had to point to a single factor as the key make or break in success - it’s timeblocking”- Jeremey Donovan
“There is no perfect subject line, there is no perfect email…. The thing that matters the most is personalization” - Jeremey Donovan
“Send quality down the pipeline so that the clients that you close bring in the highest revenue potential” - Marylou
Content is what moves a prospect through the sales pipeline. How do you know what content to create and when to deliver it? On this episode I discuss how to use thought stages to plan inbound marketing efforts. I believe that every sales conversation has the potential to provide valuable information. Tracking and using details such as prospect awareness and pain points helps fine tune content and increases conversions.
Episode Highlights:
Quotes/Tweets:
"You owe it to the right markets to really reach and serve them." - Jay
“Ask meaningful questions, not vanity questions.” - Marylou
"All categories of buyers, all stages of buyers, they're not all worth the same." - Jay
On this episode of Predictable Prospecting, Marylou Tyler herself is interviewed by Andy Paul, host of the sales podcast Accelerate.
If you’ve ever wondered about the process of writing Predictable Revenue and Predictable Prospecting, Marylou’s thoughts on the true role of Sales Development Reps, and her top tips for identifying your ideal customer, then this is an episode you don’t want to miss!
Episode Highlights:
Resources:
On this episode of Predictable Prospecting we’re joined by Jeb Blount, founder and CEO of Sales Gravy and author of Fanatical Prospecting. A leader in Sales Acceleration, Blount’s unique approach to prospecting makes him a sought-after trainer, keynote speaker, and advisor. Join us as we discuss his personal sales philosophies, the lessons he’s learned from advising million-dollar companies, and the techniques you can start using today to strengthen your pipeline and boost your revenue.
Episode Highlights:
Resources:
So you’ve read the books and you’ve taken the classes, but something about predictable revenue and prospecting isn’t working for you the way you’d like it to. Maybe you’ve seen some success but it hasn’t been quick enough or at the level you want. Maybe you’re a startup struggling to get the system in motion. Today’s guest has the perfect solution for you! Alicia Anderson provides the key to the process as a prospecting outsourcer. Not to be confused with a lead generation service, Predictable Revenue outsourcing builds custom client target lists, develops the conversation, finds the ideal clients, and is with you every step of the way when building your ideal pipeline.
Alicia Anderson began her career as a fashion merchandiser. After reading Predictable Revenue and training with Aaron and I, Alicia entered the sales world as a B2B sales coach and strategist. As part of her role with Predictable Revenue, Alicia specializes in creating engaging content that encourages the customer to lean into the product.
Episode Highlights:
Resources:
Predictable Revenue
Connect with Alicia Anderson on LinkedIn or send her an email directly - alicia@carb.io
Many of today’s startups have either time or money, rarely both. That leaves the minimal staff to handle important tasks that are usually completed by a dedicated (educated) team. How does the CEO of a lean startup write compelling sales copy on his own? Joanna Wiebe created Copyhackers to ensure that startups have a place to learn how to communicate with their audience.
Joanna Wiebe is the founder of Copy Hackers; an online resource dedicated to teaching startups how to write compelling web copy. Joanna left a position as a corporate copywriter to pursue her love of helping startups. In addition to informational products for startups the site offers certification courses for copywriters. Joanna loves the hunger of startups and is committed to growing her resource into a multi-million dollar business.
Episode Highlights:
Resources:
Contact Joanna with questions and feedback at: joanna@copyhackers.com.
Thanks for listening! (**include Marylou’s contact info, iTunes review link, website, etc.)
For the 21st century professional, an insatiable desire to learn is crucial for staying afloat in an ever-changing market. The face of sales and marketing has seen big changes due to technology, but the constant introduction of new apps and tools can make some sales teams feel overwhelmed by the sheer mass of new information. So how do you build your skillset and education without getting lost? Companies like Sales Hacker Inc. make it easy for sales reps and developers to learn about and take advantage of these tools and techniques by hosting conferences, facilitating workshops, and compiling information for companies big and small.
Jake Spear is a leading sales executive with Sales Hacker Inc. After beginning his career as a management trainee for a semi-trailer leasing company, Jake Spear used his skills in cold calling and prospecting to move into tech sales and bring his experiences to Sales Hacker’s conferences and consulting.
Episode Highlights:
Resources:
Read Sales Hacker Blog Posts & Educational Resources
Request to join the Sales Hacker Linkedin Group
Contact Jake Spear: jake@saleshacker.com
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Advancing the sales process from lead generation until the deal is closed is full of potential hiccups and nuances that many reps struggle to master. Our guest today has over thirty years of experience with qualifying and moving prospects all the way down the pipeline.
Brad Williams is the President of Doextra CRM Solutions, a partner company to Sales Force, that helps businesses implement software and technology to improve the sales cycle. Join us as we discuss the book that influenced both our careers,why CRM won’t help you without a sales system in place, and tips for re-organizing and recognizing dead opportunities in your pipeline.
Episode Highlights:
Resources:
Any questions for today’s guest? Contact Brad Williams by emailing him at bwilliams@doextra.com or by visiting the Doextra website.
Getting to Closed by Stephan Schiffman
Keeping the data in your pipeline fresh is crucial for running a productive system, but too many of us allow our data to get old and obsolete, clogging up the pipeline and hurting sales. Technology can help keep your contacts updated, but it’s far from a perfect solution.
My guest today is Donato Diorio,the Co-founder and General Manager of Data Services at RingLead, a company that offers the tools you need for your company’s contacts. We discuss the problem with thinking cold calling or cold emailing is dead, tips for tracking your numbers and pacing your interactions with leads, contacting multiple influencers to move prospects through the cycle, and the culprits that are keeping good sales processes down.
Episode Highlights:
Resources:
Donato Diorio’s Voicemail Webinar
Donato’s blog
Connect with Donato on Linkedin or by emailing him at dd@ringlead.com
The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen
It’s easy to send a form email to a new prospect, but the key to building a pipeline is to connect with your prospects by having real conversations over the phone. Genuine moments of connection happen when a consultant truly knows and understands the pain points and persona of the buyer, but this process is much easier said than done.
My guest today is Evan Jones, Head of Business Development at VoxGen. As an expert in lead generation, marketing, and managing accounts, Evan discusses his methods for communicating with prospects, and shares his best advice for generating the leads that matter.
Episode Highlights:
Resources:
Connect with Evan on Linkedin, by emailing him at ejones@voxgen.com, or by calling/texting him direct: (813) 453- 7479
The new book from Marylou Tyler, Predictable Prospecting: How to Radically Increase Your B2B Sales Pipeline, is available now!
Today’s guest is Steven Wagner, founder and CEO of Sales Ignition, a company that helps sales teams start conversations with their ideal customers for consistent growth. Sales techniques of the past are giving way to new, more efficient predictable prospecting methods. Join us as we discuss Steven’s tips for finding your perfect prospect list, why focusing on the tools in your sales stack is hurting your business, and how to tailor your message to reach the customers you want.
Episode Highlights:
Resources:
Contact Steven by emailing steven@sales-ignition.com or by visiting Sales Ignition
Marylou Tyler’s new book Predictable Prospecting: How to Radically Increase Your B2B Sales Pipeline is now available!
While we might all be in different types of sales, we can learn plenty about conversation, influence, and leadership from each other. On today’s episode, Steve Underwood and I discuss all aspects of the sales business, from building a sales pipeline to the power of meditation and gratitude in your daily life.
With a family background in car sales, Steve Underwood began his career in the auto industry before moving into technology sales. Steve is currently the account executive at Workfront, a project management software company, as well as a dedicated podcaster and mentor. In his free time, Steve enjoys learning new languages and hanging out with his family at the beach.
Episode Highlights:
Resources:
Workfront
Visit Kick SaaS Sales, Steve’s podcast and website
The Five Minute Journal - daily gratitude journal
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
The Miracle Morning for Salespeople
Pre-order Marylou Tyler’s new book Predictable Prospecting: How to Radically Increase Your B2B Sales Pipeline , out on August 19th 2016!