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SALES PROCESS
This Quarter, Put an End to Quota Malpractice December 14, 2017 by Dave Mattson in Sales Process
Many salespeople are this time of year. When October, November, and December roll around, and you find yourself on edge because you’re a little (or maybe a lot) behind quota, please don’t do what most salespeople do. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking, “Well, it’s the end of Q4; let’s face it, that’s always a tough time of the year for me.” Read more
Recovering from a Bad Sales Call December 8, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Welcome to Selling the Sandler Way, with your host Dave Mattson, the president and CEO of Sandler Training. He is a five-time bestselling author, speaker, trainer, and consultant to hundreds of international organizations. In this show, he talks to other Sandler trainers about the Sandler selling system.
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Four Simple Sales Forecasting Rules December 7, 2017 by Dave Mattson in Sales Process
As the New Year begins, it’s natural for sales teams to start thinking about ways to fine-tune their sales forecasting process. Below are some simple rules that will help you and your team improve the accuracy and efficiency of its forecasting. Read more
How to Succeed at Closing the Sale December 4, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Mark McGraw, our 2017 David H. Sandler Award winner talks about the art and science of closing the sale. Learn how to get agreements and close more deals with our sales trainer from Atlanta, GA.
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Upselling and Cross Selling to Existing Accounts December 1, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Welcome to Selling the Sandler Way, with your host Dave Mattson, the president and CEO of Sandler Training. He is a five-time bestselling author, speaker, trainer, and consultant to hundreds of international organizations. In this show, he talks to other Sandler trainers about the Sandler selling system.
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The More You Know, The More You Sell November 30, 2017 by Dave Mattson in Sales Process
One surefire way to increase your selling success—close more sales, more quickly, and more consistently—is to call on the right people for the right reason with the right product or service. That makes sense. But, for the product or service you want to sell, who are the right prospects and what are the right reasons? Read more
It's Hunting Season November 21, 2017 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
It's my favorite time of year... hunting season! The air is crisp, the sun is high in the sky (when we see it) and the leaves have all but faded away, however, hunting season, for me, involves finding new sources of business, not killing defenseless animals. The fourth quarter is prime time to load up your prospecting weapons and stalk elusive prospects to finish the year in a powerful manner! Read more
Can Social Media Be Fertilizer for Your Referral Trees November 17, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Welcome to Selling the Sandler Way, with your host Dave Mattson, the president and CEO of Sandler Training. He is a five-time bestselling author, speaker, trainer, and consultant to hundreds of international organizations. In this show, he talks to other Sandler trainers about the Sandler selling system.
Read more
You Can't Score a Touchdown on a Baseball Field November 14, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
But, that’s exactly what many salespeople attempt to do when they engage with a new prospect. Typically, it plays out in one of two ways. Either the salesperson attempts to force his solution on the prospect (after nothing more than a cursory analysis of the situation), or he allows the prospect to dictate the solution (again, without a proper analysis of the situation). Read more
Social Selling Tips to Close the Year Strong November 9, 2017 by Mike Montague in Sales Process
Later this month, myself and Marketing Director, Lindsey Demetris, are hosting a free webinar detailing how to drive revenues through social selling. We plan on teaching our viewers how to target efficiently, connect appropriately, and build engagement. Read more
Selling the Sandler Way 27-Questioning-Chinese Menu with Danny Wood [PODCAST] October 27, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Welcome to Selling the Sandler Way, with your host Dave Mattson, the president and CEO of Sandler Training. He is a five-time bestselling author, speaker, trainer, and consultant to hundreds of international organizations. In this show, he talks to other Sandler trainers about the Sandler selling system. Read more
How to Effectively Juggle Client Accounts October 24, 2017 by Mike Montague in Sales Process
Early in every sellers’ career, they learn to segment clients. They have As, Bs, Cs, and “everybody else.” What separates great sellers from others, is their ability to balance these segments and manage their relationship with each. Read more
Selling the Sandler Way 26-Cast Of Characters with John Rosso [PODCAST] October 20, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Welcome to Selling the Sandler Way, with your host Dave Mattson, the president and CEO of Sandler Training. He is a five-time bestselling author, speaker, trainer, and consultant to hundreds of international organizations. In this show, he talks to other Sandler trainers about the Sandler selling system. Read more
5 Ways You Will Sabotage Selling Opportunities October 19, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
The primary questions looming in the minds of prospects when they first talk with salespeople are, “What do you know about my company?” and “What do you know about my industry?” If, in the first few minutes of conversation, you don’t convey through your questions or comments that you understand something about the company’s goals or the challenges it faces, the interaction will be short-lived. You’ll be perceived as “just another salesperson.” Read more
Rule #28: A Sales Meeting Is Your Sales Presentation October 18, 2017 by Dave Mattson in Sales Process
Rule 28. A sales meeting is your sales presentation. Master the skills that support a great sales meeting. Here's the bottom line, we want our sales meetings to be great, and we know they're not. And sometimes they're not because we're running from one meeting, we thought we had about a 30-minute window to get ourselves ready for a sales meeting which turns into a three-minute window and so we show up unprepared. Read more
Managing Your Sales Pipeline [PODCAST] October 13, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Welcome to Selling the Sandler Way, with your host Dave Mattson, the president and CEO of Sandler Training. He is a five-time bestselling author, speaker, trainer, and consultant to hundreds of international organizations. In this show, he talks to other Sandler trainers about the Sandler selling system. Read more
How to Succeed at Finding Pain (Why People Buy) October 2, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Greg Nanigian, Sandler trainer from Boston and new author of Why People Buy, joins us to talk about the best practices for uncovering Pain. You will learn how to discover why people buy and what to do about it. Greg shares how to start sales conversations that close deals and how to uncover the emotional reasons people buy from you. Read more
How to Succeed at Bringing Agile Thinking to Sales [PODCAST] September 25, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
The How to Succeed Podcast is a public and free podcast from Sandler Training, the worldwide leader in sales, management, and customer service training for individuals all the way up to Fortune 500 companies with over 250 locations around the globe. Read more
Selling Across Cultures [PODCAST] September 22, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Welcome to Selling the Sandler Way, with your host Dave Mattson, the president and CEO of Sandler Training. He is a five-time bestselling author, speaker, trainer, and consultant to hundreds of international organizations. In this show, he talks to other Sandler trainers about the Sandler selling system. Read more
The Buyer-Created Solution [PODCAST] September 15, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Welcome to Selling the Sandler Way, with your host Dave Mattson, the president and CEO of Sandler Training. He is a five-time bestselling author, speaker, trainer, and consultant to hundreds of international organizations. In this show, he talks to other Sandler trainers about the Sandler selling system. Read more
Up-Front Contracts [PODCAST] September 1, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Welcome to Selling the Sandler Way, with your host Dave Mattson, the president and CEO of Sandler Training. He is a five-time bestselling author, speaker, trainer, and consultant to hundreds of international organizations. In this show, he talks to other Sandler trainers about the Sandler selling system. Read more
My Son the Salesman… An American Tragedy August 31, 2017 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
First let me start out by stating that sales is an honorable profession, one of which I have been a member and have enjoyed my entire working life. Unfortunately, not everyone sees it that way. Due to the cartoonish behavior of some salespeople, the field of sales is viewed as a “default job”. I have never met anyone who graduated from high school and/or college whose goal was to be a sales professional for life. That said, most in the business perpetuate this “bad name” stereotype by relying on the slick, manipulative persona we see portrayed in bad comedies. Read more
The 30 Second Commercial [PODCAST] August 25, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Welcome to Selling the Sandler Way, with your host Dave Mattson, the president and CEO of Sandler Training. He is a five-time bestselling author, speaker, trainer, and consultant to hundreds of international organizations. In this show, he talks to other Sandler trainers about the Sandler selling system. Read more
It's A Sales World August 24, 2017 by Brad McDonald in Sales Process
A while back I attended a one-day Prospecting Boot Camp for salespeople in the heart of downtown London. After nine days of visiting attractions abroad, I decided to let my wife do the final day by herself, so I could endeavor to learn the differences (if any) in the mindset of British salespeople from their American counterparts. Read more
Top Takeaways from Asking Questions the Sandler Way August 22, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Have you ever wondered, “What am I doing wrong?” or, “How can I take my practice to the next level?” If you have, you’re not alone, and you’re in luck. Our newest book release, Asking Questions The Sandler Way, answers both of those quandaries and reveals so much more. In the book, Sandler trainer and author, Antonio Garrido, outlines how he revitalized his practice by changing his approach. Below we have identified a few key takeaways from the book. Read more
Selling to Multiple Buyers [PODCAST] August 18, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Welcome to Selling the Sandler Way, with your host Dave Mattson, the president and CEO of Sandler Training. He is a five-time bestselling author, speaker, trainer, and consultant to hundreds of international organizations. In this show, he talks to other Sandler trainers about the Sandler selling system. Read more
How to Succeed at Fundraising for Non-Profits [PODCAST] August 14, 2017 by Mike Montague in Sales Process
Mike Crandall, a Sandler trainer and author from Oklahoma, talks about his best practices for fundraising, including asking for money, creating a plan, and getting introductions to the right people. Mike shares his attitudes, behaviors, and techniques for raising more money and doing it with a sales mindset. Read more
Responding to RFPs with Jody Williamson [PODCAST] August 4, 2017 by Dave Mattson in Sales Process
Welcome to Selling the Sandler Way, with your host Dave Mattson, the president and CEO of Sandler Training. He is a five-time bestselling author, speaker, trainer, and consultant to hundreds of international organizations. In this show, he talks to other Sandler trainers about the Sandler selling system. Read more
'Hope' Is Not A High Growth Strategy August 3, 2017 by Antonio Garrido in Sales Process
Students of the Sandler methodology quickly learn that selling is not about lists of compelling features and benefits; it’s not about clever closes or flashy literature and expensive marketing collateral. It’s not about hogging all the airtime in the meeting, nor is it about forcing our own agenda into the buying process. It’s not about jazzy presentations or brow-beating the other guy into submission. Read more
How to Succeed at Shortening Your Sales Cycle [PODCAST] July 31, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Lauren Valentine, a Sandler trainer from Albany, talks about her best practices for shortening your sales cycle and closing deals faster. Whether you are looking for a one-call close or have a long cycle that needs to be quicker, Lauren shares her attitudes, behaviors, and techniques for moving deals through the pipeline quickly. Read more
Uncovering the Prospect's Budget with Josh Seibert [PODCAST] July 28, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Welcome to Selling the Sandler Way, with your host Dave Mattson, the president and CEO of Sandler Training. He is a five-time bestselling author, speaker, trainer, and consultant to hundreds of international organizations. In this show, he talks to other Sandler trainers about the Sandler selling system. Read more
You Talk Too Much July 27, 2017 by Brad McDonald in Sales Process
Do you talk too much? Many salespeople do. How do I know that? Because I use to do it! But more significantly, when I visit a store and indicate my interest in something it seems the sales clerk takes that as a cue to talk too much. Read more
Non-Traditional Ways to Get More and Better Referrals [Podcast] July 14, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
In this episode of Selling the Sandler Way, Dave Mattson, the President and CEO of Sandler Training explores the Sandler Selling Philosophies behind the Sandler Selling System with Chuck Polin, a Sandler Trainer. Read more
How to Succeed at Aligning Sales and Marketing [Podcast] July 10, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Learn how to succeed at aligning sales and marketing. Erik Host-Steen, Founder of SMP Alignment, shares his best practices for aligning your sales and marketing teams. From effective handoffs to qualified leads and using technology to smooth out the process. Erik talks about how to get your sales and marketing departments to work together. Read more
How to Succeed at Selling Something No One Has Ever Heard of [Podcast] July 3, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Matt Pletzer, a Sandler Trainer, shares his best practices for selling something new that no one has ever heard of. Sure, we would all love to be Apple and have people talking about us all the time, and people lined up to buy our new products. Unfortunately, most salespeople have to try to open doors and new markets when the prospects have never heard of you. In this episode, Matt talks about the attitude, behavior, and technique of doing just that. Read more
Why Your Sales Scripts DO NOT Work June 29, 2017 by Mike Crandall in Sales Process
In our firm, one of the top requests we get is to help write or re-write scripts for companies. Each time we get this request I smile, because we know scripts simply do not work. There are four key reasons why scripts don’t work. Read more
It's Not About Presenting, It's About Selling June 22, 2017 by Mark McGraw in Sales Process
I made this statement about the fact that it's not what we sell that makes us different, it's how we sell it. Although he had heard that Sandler rule before, he was taken back and asked me to repeat it several times. What he began to understand was that to differentiate ourselves in selling situations we often look at the features and benefits of what we're selling. Read more
The Art of Storytelling June 16, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
In this episode of Selling the Sandler Way, Dave Mattson, the President and CEO of Sandler Training explores the Sandler Selling Philosophies behind the Sandler Selling System with Paul Lanigan, a Sandler Trainer. Read more
Cultivating Subordinates June 15, 2017 by Brian Sullivan in Sales Process
I taught the subject of “Personal Selling” as an adjunct professor at Loyola University Maryland for twelve years. The academicindustrial complex required the use of a textbook in class, and occasionally, I used it, often to point out the crazy ideas that Ph.D.’s who write textbooks have about the business world. Read more
Sandler Selling Philosophies June 9, 2017 by Dave Mattson in Sales Process
In this episode of Selling the Sandler Way, Dave Mattson, the President and CEO of Sandler training explores the Sandler Selling Philosophies behind the Sandler Selling System with Roger Wentworth, a Sandler Trainer. Read more
Choose Wisely - How Desperate Are You to Make the Sale? June 8, 2017 in Sales Process
Salespeople face some difficult decisions throughout the year if they have not decided upon the image they wish to convey in the marketplace. As a provider, where on the high or low-price, quality or quantity and quick sale or long-term spectrum of sales do you wish to land? Prospects repeatedly ask for everything they can get and put the salesperson in a position of doing what it takes to close the sale. The easier and, often, less effective route taken is to acquiesce to the demands made, and simply move on to the next opportunity. The unfortunate reality is that these “give-away” programs have an adverse impact on the business owner’s bottom-line. Read more
Overcoming More Sales Challenges June 2, 2017 by Dave Mattson in Sales Process
Today we're talking about the top sales challenges that we face as individual sales producers. We have different types of people who listen to the show. Certainly short selling cycles, long selling cycles, transactional consultative. It's all over the board. Some do sales and service and some just do sales. At the end of the day, we all have challenges and a lot of these challenges that we have fallen into some general areas. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Sandler Brief - June 2017 May 31, 2017 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
June is Effective Communications Month. With that fact in mind, consider the following cautionary tale for salespeople. Read more
Overcoming Top Sales Challenges May 25, 2017 by Dave Mattson in Sales Process
In this episode of Selling the Sandler Way, Dave Mattson, the President and CEO of Sandler Training explores the top sales challenges and how to overcome them with Mike Ross, a Sandler Trainer. Read more
Time - The Competitive Advantages of a Long Sales Cycle May 23, 2017 by Brian Sullivan in Sales Process
There are several significant challenges that sales representatives and sales teams face in selling into complex enterprise accounts. One of the most daunting is that enterprise sales cycles can be long and drawn out. Months and years can pass while pursuing an opportunity with an enterprise organization. And as the time passes, the doubt, uncertainty, risks, and costs add up. And this draining of resources goes beyond the financial. The human assets applied to an enterprise pursuit and the overall energy of the selling organization are also casualties over time. Read more
How To Succeed at the End of the Month May 22, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Gabe Larson, Director of the InsideSales.com Labs and host of the Sales Acceleration podcast, joins us for a special conversation about the end of the month. Gabe's team has just released new information about the best and worst practices of sales teams at the end of the month. Learn what to do and what not to do to make the most of the last few days of the quota period. Read more
What Causes You Sales Stress? May 19, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Welcome to a special program presented by Sandler Training. Today's show is designed to deal with the hardest situation that you as a salesperson are experiencing, or you as a leader, or some of the most common issues that you're facing day to day. It's really the stuff that gives you stress. What we're going to talk about today are some tactics and strategies to help you progress either your sale from one step to the next, or your organization, your company. We've got two different types of groups listening today. We've got leaders/managers, and we also have some sales professionals. We're going to go back and forth throughout the day. Regardless, if you've got to progress your organization or progress your sale, I think being stuck—as an example, in the sales process—is not a healthy place to be. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Are You REALLY Listening? May 15, 2017 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Asking your prospect all the correct questions is wasted if you don't hear what he or she says, either in words or more subtly in tones or partial hints. Being a good listener requires more than just keeping quiet while the other person is talking. Do you hear everything that is being said? Do you understand it completely? Read more
Selling the Sandler Way - Buyer Seller Dance May 12, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
We are proud to introduce a new Sandler podcast, Selling the Sandler Way with host Dave Mattson, the President and CEO of Sandler Training. He is a five-time bestselling author, speaker, trainer, and consultant to hundreds of international organizations. In this show, he talks to other Sandler trainers about the Sandler Selling System. Listen to episode one in which Dave discusses the psychology behind the sale with Sandler Trainer, Pat Heidrich. Read more
How to Succeed at Preventing Objections May 8, 2017 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Welcome to the "How to Succeed Podcast." The show that shows you how to get to the top and stay there. This is "How to Succeed at Preventing Objections." The show is brought to you by Sandler Training. The worldwide leader in sales, management and customer service training. For more information on Sandler Training, including free wi-papers, webinars and more, visit Sandler.com and look under the resources tab. I'm your host Mike Montague and my guest this week is Joe Ippolito He is a Sandler trainer from Boston. And we're gonna talk to him about how to succeed at preventing objections. Joe, welcome to the show. Tell me a little bit about objections and why you picked this for a topic and who should be paying attention today? Read more
Sales Enablement: Defined April 18, 2017 by Dave Mattson in Sales Process
Sales enablement is the idea – and follow me here – that all employees who interact with clients should have the tools and are able to do so easily, consistently, and effectively. To empower your employees to do this, there are three major areas of focus to consider: Tracking and Analysis, Technique/Training, Technology and Tools. If you can incorporate a system that excels at bringing your employees through all three of these phases, you will be well on your way to enabling a successful team. Read more
What Happens When You Reverse? April 7, 2017 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
The prospect asks you, “How big is your company?” You don’t know the significance of the question and you haven’t found her preference. Additionally, you don’t want to be caught in a box and have the sales process end before you decide that it is over. Being the astute Sandler student that you are, you know how to answer — you reverse. You say something like, “That’s a significant question; why do you ask?” or “That’s important. When you say ‘big’ are you referring to clientele, revenue or number of employees? Help me understand.” You have avoided the trap and arranged to get more information. Read more
Stop Handling Objections and Start Preventing Them! March 30, 2017 by Joe Ippolito in Sales Process
In working with thousands of salespeople and sales managers, a consistent area of concern they have is to improve on their stall and objection handling skills. When prospects say things like “we’re not quite ready,” “your price is too high,” “were staying where we are,” “you do the same thing my current supplier does,” I could go on. Read more
Questions to Ask Yourself Before Hitting "SEND" March 28, 2017 by Mike Montague in Sales Process
Email marketing is an inexpensive and effective way to get in touch with prospects if you take the proper steps in crafting them. The information you relay in your email and the way you share it has a direct impact on how well your email will perform with recipients. You don’t have to be a professional writer to get attention or to create a successful email campaign, but you should be concise and include compelling information. Most prospective buyers are bombarded with emails from a variety of businesses, on a daily basis. Incorporating the right details allow you to break through the clutter and helps ensure that you make a connection. Read more
How Storytelling Can Improve Your Sales March 23, 2017 by Mike Montague in Sales Process
Third-party stories, testimonials, case study, reviews, and other “social proof” can be a powerful technique in your sales toolkit. Storytelling carries a fair amount influence with your prospects and clients when done correctly. Stories can also redirect conflict, create an emotional connection, and help illustrate key features and benefits. Read more
9 Words & Phrases to Avoid with a Sales Prospect March 14, 2017 by Dave Mattson in Sales Process
Whether it is time for a touch-point call or you’re visiting a new prospect for the first time, incorporating one or more of these phrases into your approach could be a deal killer. From giving your prospect an easy way to put things off to using too much jargon or lingo, it’s time to strike these words and phrases from your selling vocabulary. Read more
The Best Presentation You Will Ever Give Is One Your Prospect Will Never See March 13, 2017 by Brad McDonald in Sales Process
Traditional sales training says present, present, present and close, close, close – convince your prospect with a compelling presentation, show him enough value, and he will surely buy. When I first got into sales I really sweated the presentations. I practiced them over and over; used different visual props and brochures; tried a variety of persuasive arguments; and created notebooks full of evidence favoring my product and my company. Ultimately it became apparent that no matter how exciting or compelling my presentation was, my close rate was mostly dependent on what happened before the presentation, not during it. Read more
Stop Telling and Start Selling February 23, 2017 by Brad McDonald in Sales Process
Remember this rule when meeting with potential customers at your trade show booth: The essence of selling is not telling; it is asking questions and sharing third party stories that will help your prospect self-discover his own need for your product or service. People do not buy features and benefits; they buy solutions to problems. If you want to stand out from your competition, stop overloading prospects with information and brochures. Start asking thought and emotion provoking questions. Read more
Social Selling Live February 17, 2017 by Mike Montague in Sales Process
Social selling means using virtual tools and online networks to add more prospects, opportunities, and information to your sales pipeline. Read more
Why Children Make the Best Salespeople February 15, 2017 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Pick up any book on selling and you’ll read about the importance of asking questions during a sales call. The questioning strategies focus on the fact that most sales are made because highly effective salespersons ask thought-provoking questions that force buyers to look more deeply at the problems they are experiencing. Seventy percent of all salespersons’ time in front of a prospect should be spent focusing on asking penetrating questions, not giving answers. Read more
Why Don't We Trust Salespeople? The Truth is Out There February 8, 2017 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Salespeople are manipulative and self-centered and “buyers are liars” are the pervasive stereotypes with which most people are familiar. From my perspective, however, sales is an honorable vocation if viewed as a professional occupation instead of a default career. Our youth go to school to become doctors, lawyers or engineers etc., yet most salespeople follow the “born to sell” mantra and resort to personality and intuition to achieve success. Why don’t more colleges offer professional selling courses? Read more
Recipe for Success - 5 Key Ingredients for Guaranteed Results January 27, 2017 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
I was invited to speak at a forum of small business owners to discuss my thoughts on the main drivers of business success. The 50 businesses, a diverse representation, ranged in size from $5 million to $50 million in sales and included a vast array of disciplines from landscapers to high technology. My talk focused on the key selling skills, behaviors and beliefs necessary to compete in today’s complex world of sales. I referred to the importance of spending each day improving the sales function by evaluating the selling strategy, effectiveness of their salespeople and the sales process itself. I spoke for one hour and then hosted a 30 minute question and answer session that proved to be so enlightening that it was extended to 90 minutes. I was overwhelmingly bombarded with an unending number of issues for which they wanted solutions! Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Sandler Brief - February 2017 January 25, 2017 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
You don’t have five minutes to answer a question like “What is it you guys do?” Your answer should, ideally, consume only 30 seconds, and it should conclude with a question that forwards the conversation in a way that tells you whether or not there’s a reason to keep talking. Read more
How Do You Define a "Good Sale"? January 25, 2017 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Establishing criteria for a good sale begins with salespeople understanding the competencies they feel are required to be consistently successful in their profession. As I see it, they all fall into one of four categories: vendor, problem solver, consultant or partner. Each represents an approach to selling that is accompanied by its own definition of success. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Sandler Brief - January 2017 January 17, 2017 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Ken’s closing ratio had been the lowest on the team for four months running. Juanita, his manager, asked him to meet with her privately so they could figure out, together, what the possible obstacles to better performance might be. Read more
Don't Be Vulnerable to The Dangers of Black Ice January 11, 2017 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
The sales profession is vulnerable to the danger of “black ice”, and unsuspecting salespeople regularly encounter it. By operating in their comfort zone they miss the “black ice” when dealing with a prospect and then wonder why the sale wasn’t closed! To effectively deal with any danger of “black ice”, salespeople must develop and apply a high level of self-awareness. Read more
Are You Getting Scrooged By Your Prospects? December 20, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
As appeared in the Business Ledger, November 2014- I love the holidays and the joy I experience when I see decorations and hear songs reminding me of so many happy celebrations! It’s, also, a special time of year when salespeople appear to cast a magical spell over the calendar and transform 12 months into 10! Oh, not all sales professionals perform this magic… only those who blindly listen to their prospects and believe the stories they weave in those last (and lost) two months of the year. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: All I Want for Christmas is to Hit My Sales Number December 20, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
I was sitting in a coffee shop reading a book when I overheard two salespeople talking about the current state of their business. One was explaining to the other that he looked forward to this time of year because all his customers were out of money and all of his prospects were going to wait until next year to purchase. Read more
Bring Up the Problem Before the Prospect Does December 8, 2016 by Mike Montague in Sales Process
Have you ever lost a sale because of a problem you could have and probably should have dealt with earlier in the sales process? Have you ever lost a customer because you waited too long to tell them about a delay or defect? If you know a problem is going to blow up in your face, defuse it now. Read more
Sandler Brief: December 2016 December 6, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Betty’s quarterly numbers were low. Her manager, Milt, asked her to do some role-plays so they could identify potential areas for improvement. They spent about 20 minutes role-playing through various scenarios – at which point Milt called a time-out and asked, “Betty, do you realize you’re positioning us in exactly the same way with every person to whom you speak?” Betty looked at her boss quizzically and asked: “Is that a bad thing?” Milt gave a little smile and said, “It could be.” Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Ban Proposals and Close More Sales November 30, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
I propose a ban on proposals! I find them to be an enormous waste of time as no one has ever, in the history of sales, purchased anything solely based on the proposal. We unwittingly taught all prospects that they simply have to ask and we will provide them with all the information they need in order to deal with their problem. Proposals are time consuming pages usually filled with features, benefits, rhetoric, justifications, marketing data and, oh yes, let’s not forget your lowest price. By the way, there is usually enough information in each document for the prospect to fix the problem without you. I call them “unpaid consulting” because you won’t be paid for these efforts. Read more
How to Use Mobile Messaging to Increase Sales October 11, 2016 by Alexa Lemzy in Sales Process
Reaching out to customers via mobile messaging has proven to be an effective strategy to grow both revenues and customer loyalty. If your business doesn’t run a mobile messaging campaign, then may be time to start. Read more
The Best Sales Call Starts with the End in Mind October 6, 2016 by Brad McDonald in Sales Process
If you don’t start your sales calls with the end in mind, you should not be surprised when it doesn’t end up where you hoped. For example, at the end of a good presentation, your prospect leaves you with a Think-It-Over. After all, you can’t blame a prospect for doing something that you failed to emphasize is unacceptable. If you want to control what happens at the end of a sales call, focus on the beginning. Read more
5 Sales Activities You Can Track in your CRM September 15, 2016 by Pipedrive.com in Sales Process
By focusing on tracking activities in a Customer Relationship Management software, you can evaluate which things influence prospects to move forward in your sales process. Understanding exactly what’s moving a deal forward will help you decide the best next steps you should take to close any similar deal in the future. Tracking activities also highlights the telltale signs that a deal might be slipping away, and helps you pay it the proper attention to keep it moving forward. Read more
Introducing the New Sandler Submarine August 18, 2016 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Sandler principles are rock solid and timeless. However, the expression and execution of the Sandler Selling System are constantly evolving with changing times to stay relevant with current technologies and trends in business. As our world-famous Sandler Submarine approaches its 50th birthday, we thought it was time to give it a new look. Read more
3 Types of Questions to Help You Stop Talking and Start Selling August 4, 2016 by Dave Mattson in Sales Process
Too often, sales professionals make one fundamental mistake that could be costing them thousands in commissions. They believe that their job is to sell products or services to clients by explaining why their product is superior. Success in sales (and the size of your commission check), is determined not by the information you give, but rather, by the information you collect. Read more
What is a "Good Sale" June 23, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
As appeared in the Business Ledger - I regularly interact with salespeople as I encounter them throughout the day, either in my training classes or in casual conversation. Read more
Early Exit or Early Acceleration June 2, 2016 by Brian Sullivan in Sales Process
As sales managers, we’re all familiar with the conversation. One of your sales reps is making the case to pursue an opportunity and you question why. “It’s a big deal” is the response, “It’s right in our power swing”. Or perhaps, with candor entering the room, “I really need to win this”. And these are all reasons, of course. But what do they really mean? What’s the real business sense for your firm in pursuing the deal? And what’s the business risk? Read more
Four Ways Savvy Sellers Use Technology to Drive the Sales Process May 3, 2016 by Dave Mattson in Sales Process
Technology and the sales process have always been besties—the telephone, the typewriter, and the GPS were old friends of the traveling sales representative. Today's buyer's journey has evolved into online-heavy research and marketing, but technology—just a different sort—is still crucial to the sales process and its success. Read more
Sandler Brief: Seven Selling Mistakes that Cost You Sales April 1, 2016 in Sales Process
Seven Selling Mistakes that Cost You Sales - You don’t tightly target your prospects. When business is slow, the temptation to tell your story to whomever will listen is great. After all, talking to someone—anyone—is more productive than sitting at your desk waiting for a potential customer to call. Right? Read more
5 Ways You Will Sabotage Selling March 15, 2016 by Dave Mattson in Sales Process
If your closing rate is suffering or it’s taking longer than it should to close sales, you may be sabotaging your own efforts. Take a close look at how you interact with your prospects and make sure that each interaction adds value to the relationship, is focused on defining the opportunity, and keeps the selling process moving forward. Read more
BHAGS Fly Free: Reduce Waste, Increase Productivity March 2, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
As appeared in the Business Ledger - One can’t help notice the high concentration of television ads a national airline carrier has dedicated to extolling their no-fee luggage policy. The ads are quite good and very effective in calling to mind the additional costs other airlines have added to the average passenger's travel expenses. The ads strike an emotional nerve that makes us resent the other airlines who do, in fact, charge for a necessity such as luggage. Read more
How to Succeed at Sales: The Solution February 9, 2016 by Mike Montague in Sales Process
Do you think it would be possible to actually sell more and sell more easily? Could you actually spend less time, money and energy on business development and enjoy more revenue and profit? When you stop trying to sell to everyone, you can actually invest time and effort to build real ideal client relationships with qualified prospects. You can work smarter instead of harder. Read more
Sales is a Game February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Do you "sell to live" or "live to sell"? I have been training sales people for over 21 years and have found a common trait in the highest performers: they "live to sell". They love prospecting for new business opportunities. They love being in the role of "closer". Their sales quota is a benchmark that they regularly exceed because just hitting quota makes them "average". They don't hide from the fact that they sell by putting words like "account manager" or "territory manager" on their business cards. They have turned the buyer-seller relationship into a game-A game with rules that they create! Read more
No Surprises on a Sales Call February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Surprises can sometimes be fun, but not when you're dealing with a prospect or customer. Surprises during a meeting, either from the prospect or from you, can be a deal breaker, or at the very least compromise a positive relationship between you and your prospect. But there's a Sandler technique to avoid this pitfall: Up-Front Contracts. Read more
Wake-Up Call helps February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
As seen in the Business Ledger February 23, 2009 - I have been doing a lot of traveling during the last two months. In spite of Chicago's "brutal" weather and some minor inconveniences, my flights and hotel reservations have gone remarkably smoothly and I have experienced a high level of customer service. This is a great way to end 2008 and begin 2009. Read more
Sandler Brief: Yesterday's Accomplishments Won't Guarantee Tomorrow's Success February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Yesterday's Accomplishments Won't Guarantee Tomorrow's Success - Today, many salespeople find themselves operating in a more intricate sales environment. There are more players involved in the process of describing and defining the scope and requirements of the sales opportunity. Buying authority, in many instances, has been shifted “upstairs” in the organization where there are more players influencing the buying decision. Expenditures are being scrutinized more carefully by more people. And, delivery requirements are often more stringent. Read more
Sandler Brief: Sales Forecasts — Method, Magic, or Mystery? February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Sales Forecasts — Method, Magic, or Mystery? - If your sales manager asked you to forecast the number of sales you’ll close or the amount of sales revenue you’ll generate in the coming month, could you give him a meaningful answer? Meaningful in that it’s based on something more concrete than wishing and hoping? Most salespeople, if they are being honest, would answer “no.” Read more
Sandler Brief: Could the Solution Be the Problem? February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Could the Solution Be the Problem? - Imagine that you are halfway through your quota period, but the sales you’ve closed thus far represent just over 30% of your quota number. You’re clearly behind. What do you do? Read more
Sandler Brief: Selling – Love It or Hate It? February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Selling – Love It or Hate It? - How many salespeople eagerly anticipate going to work day after day? How many truly look forward to calling a prospect or checking in with a customer? Not many! Why is it that salespeople who were once enthusiastic about their jobs now view it as just a job—a way to make a living? Read more
Sandler Brief: Can You Shorten Your Selling Cycle? February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Can You Shorten Your Selling Cycle? - Almost all salespeople will agree that the shorter the selling cycle, the better. Why? Because long selling cycles have two negative consequences... Read more
MY Story: Carol Bogner February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Carol shares her story on how life's changes and detours create opportunities not setbacks. Read more
MY Story: Doreen Schweitzer February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Doreen shares her life story about events in her life that led her to using the Sandler System for the past 15 years. Read more
MY Story: Pat Manning February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Pat shares Sandler strategies and tactics that he is using in today's economy to continue to grow his business. Read more
MY Story: Chris Tews February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Chris shares his story on how he used Sandler when he took over the family business and needed to relearn how to sell and work as a team. Read more
MY Story: Ralph Scully February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Ralph shares his MY Story on how he has used the Sandler system for over twenty years. Read more
MY Story: Roger McGuire February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Roger shares his MY Story on how he has found a balance between his personal and professional life. Read more
MY Story: Cody Strub February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Cody shares his MY Story on how going for the "NO" in a sales call reduces the think it over, the maybes, and tire kickers. Read more
Prospecting for Success February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Featured May 2011 We spent time talking about his business and how he was significantly behind last year’s pace. His bottom line was shrinking and he was cutting expenses to conserve resources until his “luck” changed. I asked how effective his 2 salespeople were at bringing in sales to which he replied, “Great! They are always willing to prospect … Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: The TACTIC: Don't spill your candy in the lobby. February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
The STORY: Bob was preparing for his first appointment with Mr. Winfred P. Smerthing III, senior partner of the law firm Smerthing, Pennyworth, Jones, Riccardo and Blarney, one of the biggest, oldest, and most prestigious firms in the state. Read more
Read past featured articles February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
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Sales Tip of the Week: Active Listening Techniques February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
you know if someone is listening to you and understands what you are trying to communicate? You need to get some type of feedback from that person in order to know that s/he was listening, and understood the message you wanted to convey. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Gone Fishin'? February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Many of us have fished at one time or another, or at least seen a fisherman in action. The most common scenario is a line with a baited hook in the water, the fisherman waiting for a strike. When a fish hits, the fisherman yanks the rod up, often resulting in a return to the fisherman of a hook with no bait, and no fish. Read more
Sandler Brief: Can Asking Questions Be the Answer to Closing More Sales? February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Can Asking Questions Be the Answer to Closing More Sales? - f you examine the day-to-day conversations that take place in the business arena (or almost any setting), you’ll discover examples of miscommunication and non-communication occurring in varying degrees. Conversations will contain distortions, deletions, and generalizations. They are part of the fabric of interpersonal communication. And, it’s the distortions, deletions, and generalizations that get in the way of closing more sales…and closing them more quickly. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Warm Up to Cold Calling February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Cold calling: For many of us, the word "cold" is the key. Just the thought of picking up the phone sends a chill up our spines. Unfortunately, if we approach cold calling with an attitude of negativity, we'll communicate that attitude to the prospect. Do you want to send the signal that, "I'm a desperate salesperson in an uncomfortable activity?" Or do you want to indicate that "I'm a financially independent consultant who is comfortable making cold calls?" Read more
Small Business? Don't think Small February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
As appeared in the Business Ledger, July 25, 2011 - I have made a renewed commitment to get rid of the extra weight I am carrying and live a healthier lifestyle. My health club membership seemed to be gathering dust far more than I care to admit, and I have vowed change my excuse-filled ways. For the past two weeks I have been extremely dedicated to my cardio and weight lifting regimen, and have dropped ten pounds of potato chips and beer. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Reversing - Use It, Don't Abuse It! February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
The Sandler strategy of reversing - answering a question with a question - is one of the more powerful tools of the Sandler Selling System...if used correctly. It enables you to get below the surface of the prospect's questions, which can take you off track and stall the selling process. Additionally, it allows you to move a conversation in a particular direction, giving you more control over the situation. Also, reversing enables you to plant ideas or "seeds of doubt" without being obvious. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: The TACTIC: Be a sponge. February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
The STORY: Bob noticed the middle-aged man as he walked into the dealership, looked around at the racks of literature, thumbed through one or two, and then headed toward the van on display. It was Bob’s turn to approach the walk-in traffic. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Reversing - Use It, Don't Abuse It! February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
The Sandler strategy of reversing - answering a question with a question - is one of the more powerful tools of the Sandler Selling System...if used correctly. It enables you to get below the surface of the prospect's questions, which can take you off track and stall the selling process. Additionally, it allows you to move a conversation in a particular direction, giving you more control over the situation. Also, reversing enables you to plant ideas or "seeds of doubt" without being obvious. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Closing Time February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
You've followed the Sandler Selling System. You haven't disqualified the prospect. The prospect hasn't disqualified you. What's next-the close. Read more
Sandler Brief: September 2011 February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
The Most Difficult Aspect of Selling - What is the most difficult aspect of selling? Accurately analyzing the growth potential of customers, Creating an effective territory plan, Developing an appropriate prospecting message, Formulating meaningful qualifying questions, Preparing responses for the inevitable stalls and objections, Developing an effective plan to meet sales goals Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Fine Tune Your Reversing February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
The prospect asks you, "How big is your company?" You haven't found her preference and you don't know the significance of the questions. Most importantly, you don't want to be caught in a box and have the sales process end before you decide that it is over. Being the astute Sandler student that you are, you know how to answer-you reverse. You say something like, "That's a significant question; why do you ask?" or "That's important. When you say 'big' are you referring to clientele, revenue or number of employees? Help me understand." You have avoided the trap and arranged to get more information. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: The TACTIC February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
People do not buy features and benefits, they buy ways to avoid or overcome pain. The STORY: Tim arrived at the prospect’s office fifteen minutes before the appointment so that he could sit in the car and mentally review what he was going to say. Tim very carefully visualized each step of his presentation making sure that the benefits of buying from him and his companies were crystal clear. Looking at his watch, he took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and proceeded in to the appointment. Once the pleasantries were over, Tim got right down to business. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Tell 'Em Where You're Going February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
When you first open your mouth to speak to a group, audience members want to know two things: they are curious about the journey they'll be taking with you, and they want to be assured that they will receive value during the presentation. At any given point in the presentation they also want to know where they're going and where they've been. Make sure you never get The Christopher Columbus Award for Presentations - given to the speaker who leaves not knowing where he's going, returns not knowing where he's been, and takes a lot of other people's time getting there. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Fulfillment - Your Presentation Tells the Story February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Selling is a fulfilling profession, and never more than in the Fulfillment Step-the culmination of lots of hard work. Early in the Sandler Selling System, the salesperson establishes an "up-front contract" with the prospect, detailing what will happen down the road. Essentially the contract says that if the prospect has "pain" (a need or want), and if the prospect agrees that the salesperson can fix it, then the prospect is authorized to spend-and will spend-the money to get rid of the pain. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: The TACTIC February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
When setting appointments, always get invited in. NO BEGGING! The STORY: Tim was convinced that if only he could somehow get in front of more prospects, he’d do a lot better. But it was always tough to get anyone to agree to an appointment. He started collecting all the excuses. Read more
Back to Basics February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
As appeared in the Business Ledger, August, 2011 - The time has come for small business owners to return to the basic behaviors originally used to create and grow their businesses. A quick glance of any news reporting site is enough to distract the business owner from performing critical behaviors to drive their prosperity. In my experience, too many businesses experience sidetracking and find themselves drifting from their original mission. Read more
Selling is a Marathon… Not a Sprint February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
As appeared in the Business Ledger, October, 2011 - On October 9, 2011, at 7:30 a.m., more than 40,000 runners began an incredible journey through the neighborhoods of Chicago. It concluded in a little over two hours for the winner, and more than five hours, on average, for the rest of the field. This journey is called the Chicago Marathon and most competitors commit a minimum of 17 weeks of their life to prepare for this event. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: The TACTIC February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Answer every question with a question, but soften it first The STORY: The appointment with the prospect that Tim spent two weeks getting was not going well. The prospect kept firing questions and Tim kept giving answers. The only problem was that Tim could not figure out if the answers were what the prospect wanted to hear. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: The TACTIC February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Have prospects close themselves The STORY: Nick was climbing the wall because he could not figure out how to close the prospect. The prospect had spent the last hour with Nick and appeared to want to buy. But he didn’t know what to do. If only he could remember what the experienced salespeople had told him to do. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: The TACTIC February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
People do not buy features and benefits, they buy ways to avoid or overcome pain. The STORY: Tim arrived at the prospect’s office fifteen minutes before the appointment so that he could sit in the car and mentally review what he was going to say. Tim very carefully visualized each step of his presentation making sure that the benefits of buying from him and his companies were crystal clear. Looking at his watch, he took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and proceeded in to the appointment. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Think Positive February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Effective use of a selling system requires an understanding of the four possible positive results a salesperson can have when selling: Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Control Your Fears With Up Front Contracts February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
What scares you about the selling process? Which part of the selling process causes you the most stress? Whatever it is (and maybe it's nothing at all), deal with it by using Sandler's Up-Front Contract. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: The TACTIC February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
No money — no sale. The STORY: Tim could not believe his luck. While cold calling from the office, he lucked into a prospect that wanted to see him that afternoon. Tomorrow was too late — it had to be this afternoon, and if Tim had the right stuff, the order would be placed. And from the product description Tim gave, the prospect felt it was just what he had been looking for the past two months. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Is That Sale Really Closed? February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
You completed your presentation; the prospect said "yes" and committed to have the purchase order faxed to you in the morning. It took longer than you planned and you jumped through more hoops than you care to admit, but it was worth it. Wait!! Before that commission is bankable, the sale must be closed...really closed. What could go wrong?
Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Who's Your Competition February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Competition is the reason your salespeople and many of your company's other employees have work to do. If it weren't for competition, businesses would lack the strongest incentives for change - new products, new processes, new markets, new strategies, new organizations, etc. Competition also encourages companies to introduce innovations that benefit their customers. And changes often mean new work and new opportunities for employees. Read more
Sandler Brief: June 2012 February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
To understand how your presentations may trigger a prospect’s fight or flight response, you must first understand how the brain processes information. There is an intellectual (rational) part of the brain and a primitive (emotional) part of the brain. The subconscious primitive part of the brain is its most basic part. It’s the part that initially filters information, looking for signs of danger. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: No Surprises on a Sales Call February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Surprises can sometimes be fun, but not when you're dealing with a prospect or customer. Surprises during a meeting, either from the prospect or from you, can be a deal breaker, or at the very least compromise a positive relationship between you and your prospect. But there's a Sandler technique to avoid this pitfall: Up-Front Contracts. Read more
Sandler Brief: September 2012 February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Having a big pipeline of “prospects” is typically seen as desirable. The more prospects you put into the pipeline, the more will eventually emerge as customers. At least that’s the theory. And the theory is partially true. Some of the people you put in the pipeline will become customers. The question is, “How many will be customers, and how long will it take for them to materialize from the other end of the pipe?” Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Meet the Cast of the Sale February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
In almost every buying decision, you will work with a cast of characters who are involved in the process. Often, one member of the cast--usually someone at or near the top of the organizational chart--has the responsibility for making the decision. Sometimes, however, a committee of decision makers is involved. Read more
Sandler Brief: February 2013 February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
The assembly line method of manufacturing—a sequential arrangement of specific production processes—is an effective and efficient means of reliably producing products of consistent quality. It was first mechanized in the U.S. by Eli Whitney in 1797 and more notably adopted by the Ford Motor Company in the early 1900’s to produce the Model T. Read more
Why Do Prospects Buy From You? February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
As appeared in the Business Ledger, April 2012 - I have polled over 400 companies and asked business owners, sales managers and salespeople why they think prospects buy their products or services. The answers were wide in their scope and varied in their focus. This caused me to wonder if any of them really spent time ascertaining the reasons or if they were simply content with the fact that sales were made. Read more
Analyze Your Sales Force: More, Better, Different February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
As appeared in the Business Ledger. As we approach the midpoint of the year, it’s time to analyze the key performance indicators for success and to reevaluate the course of action for the second half of the year. Approximately 80% of businesses have fallen short of their performance goals and need to adjust the behavior that assures success. Unfortunately, most will continue to fall back on actions with the expectation that they will somehow magically deliver the necessary results. Read more
Do You Stand Out From Your Competitors? February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
As appeared in the Business Ledger, September 2012 - In general, salespeople love to sing the praises of their products, services and company. They take the time to learn as much as possible about the products they sell and then give that knowledge away to any prospect who asks for it. This “unpaid consulting” is based on the belief that potential prospects need to be convinced to buy. In reality, they don’t buy features and benefits; they buy a resolution to a problem they are experiencing. Read more
The Last Two Months of 2012 Are For Closers February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
As appeared in the Business Ledger, October 2012 - What does it mean to be a closer? In baseball, it’s the pitcher who is called in at the end of the game to shut down the opposing team. In marathon racing, it’s the runner who comes from behind to win the race. In a television series, it’s the detective who closes the impossible case. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: No Surprises on a Sales Call February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Surprises can sometimes be fun, but not when you're dealing with a prospect or customer. Surprises during a meeting, either from the prospect or from you, can be a deal breaker, or at the very least compromise a positive relationship between you and your prospect. But there's a Sandler technique to avoid this pitfall: Up-Front Contracts. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Who's Your Competition? February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Competition is the reason your salespeople and many of your company's other employees have work to do. If it weren't for competition, businesses would lack the strongest incentives for change - new products, new processes, new markets, new strategies, new organizations, etc. Competition also encourages companies to introduce innovations that benefit their customers. And changes often mean new work and new opportunities for employees. Read more
Sandler Brief: March 2013 February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
It’s been over thirty years since David Sandler introduced the concept of “pain” as the core element of a selling methodology—the Sandler Selling System®. Pain represented the prospect’s collective reasons to buy a product or service. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: The Close February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
After you have reviewed the information gathered during the sales process, and begun your presentation to address the prospect's pains, it is time to close. The sooner the decision maker says yes, the better off you are. However, you must make sure that the prospect is truly ready to close. For that you will use Sandler's method of taking the prospect's temperature. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Cutting Through Stalls and Objections February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
There's only one person who is qualified to handle a prospect's stalls and objections, and it's not the salesperson. It's the prospect. If stalls and objections frequently come up in your sales calls, it's a good idea to bring them up before the prospect has the opportunity. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Stop February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Traditional selling strategies include techniques to "handle" stalls and objections. Some are fancy moves while others are programmed responses-all of which the prospect has heard before. Read more
Sandler Brief: May 2013 February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
During sales training sessions, there are a handful of questions that come up frequently. They are generally in the form of “How can I (get/convince/persuade) prospects to (do something)?” Here are examples from a recent workshop... Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Selling to a Group- Make a Dry Run February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
If your salespeople are making a presentation to a group, they must conduct a dry run or practice of the presentation ahead of time. A dry run is a more elaborate version of the planning meeting held by a selling team. In addition to the members of the selling team, you (the sales manager) and other salespeople should attend the dry run to act as a coach and audience. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: The Thermometer Close February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
While it's important not to rush the Fulfillment Step, it's important to finish as quickly as possible and still get the sale. The sooner you successfully seal off this compartment [of the Sandler submarine], the sooner you've got the sale. However, it's not always easy to know when to conclude your presentation. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: When to Call in a Team February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
The decision to use a selling team instead of an individual salesperson may reside with you or with your salesperson. Regardless of who makes the decision, there has to be some logic behind it. For example, new salespeople may want other people on call to support them as they learn. This may or may not fit your philosophy as a manager. Some managers want their salespeople to learn as they go, mistakes and all, because there is almost no error a salesperson could make on a single call that could totally ruin the prospects for a sale. Other managers choose to buoy their new salespeople with as large a group as possible. This often occurs in companies that lack proper orientation programs or lack a sales template for their sales force. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Can You Shorten Your Selling Cycle? February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Almost all salespeople will agree that the shorter the selling cycle, the better. Why? Because long selling cycles have two negative consequences: Read more
Sandler Brief:April 2014 February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Salespeople sometimes dig themselves into a hole by leaping into action at the very first sign of interest from a prospect. Maybe something like that has happened to you. Perhaps you had a “good initial discussion” with a prospect, and, based on that conversation, you agreed to invest time and energy gathering information, working up prices, and putting together your presentation. Read more
Sandler Brief: March 2014 February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
One way salespeople get themselves in trouble is by rushing to answer a prospect’s question … before they uncover the intent that’s driving that question. The question you hear is probably not the “real” question, and the intent behind that question is far more important than the surface meaning of the words. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Walking's Easy When the Road is Flat February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Like most other professions, the sales profession has its ups and downs. Some days, everything seems to click. Prospects take your calls. They are open to talking with you. They have a sincere interest in your product or service. They meet with you and candidly share relevant information that allows you to determine exactly how they will benefit from your product or service and how to best structure your presentations. And, when you give your presentations, they quickly make buying decisions. On those days, you can't imagine a better profession than sales. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: The Professional Does What He Did as a Dummy - On Purpose February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
David Sandler always taught that you should never ask a question, make a statement, or behave in any way unless it is in your best selling interest to do so for the sale. He also taught that, as a general rule, a good sales discussion is one in which the prospect does the talking 70% of the time. Read more
Sandler Brief:September 2013 February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
The Zeigarnik Effect is a phenomenon named for the Soviet psychologist and psychiatrist, Bluma Zeigarnik, who identified and researched it in the early 1900’s. The origins of the “effect” can be traced to observations she made in a Vienna restaurant about the waiters’ abilities to remember the details of the order for each person at the table as they brought out each successive course. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week Is It Wise To Follow Conventional Wisdom? February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Is there any advantage to following conventional wisdom? Or, by doing so, will you only be following rules made by other people? Rules that may no longer be appropriate...and may actually work against you. Let's examine some conventional sales "wisdom." Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Condition Yourself for Success February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Becoming a good professional salesperson requires the same type of training that is required of other good professionals. Athletes, physicians, college professors, fire fighters – you name the profession, and the people at the top pay a price every day to stay there. The price they pay is their conditioning. Read more
Sandler Brief: November 2013 February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
After weeks of discussions with assistants, Maria finally succeeded in connecting voice-to-voice with Bill, the CEO of LargeCo. Maria’s boss had been pressuring her to get in the door at Bill’s company for several months. She’d been leaving voicemails and sending email messages for weeks.“I do appreciate your persistence, Maria,” Bill said, “and you’ve definitely done your research. I’m about to go into my next meeting, but I took this call to tell you that I did listen to your messages and I did read your emails. Tell me what you have in mind.”What an opportunity! Here was the chance to start a discussion with the CEO of one of the top companies in the industry. Something in the back of Maria’s head said: This could be big. Don’t push too hard – don’t lose this. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: The TACTIC: Don't spill your candy in the lobby. February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
The STORY: Bob was preparing for his first appointment with Mr. Winfred P. Smerthing III, senior partner of the law firm Smerthing, Pennyworth, Jones, Riccardo and Blarney, one of the biggest, oldest, and most prestigious firms in the state. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Are You REALLY Listening? February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Asking your prospect all the correct questions is wasted if you don't hear what he or she says, either in words or more subtly in tones or partial hints. Being a good listener requires more than just keeping quiet while the other person is talking. Do you hear everything that is being said? Do you understand it completely? Read more
Phone Friendly Cold Calls February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
I recently polled a group of salespeople on the part of their job that caused them the most anxiety. They loved making sales calls, however, having to use the phone to initiate them was a monumental issue to them. Making cold calls was the unanimous choice as the behavior they dreaded the most. This has been a consistent message throughout the 20 years I have been training and coaching salespeople. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Gone Fishin'? February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Many of us have fished at one time or another, or at least seen a fisherman in action. The most common scenario is a line with a baited hook in the water, the fisherman waiting for a strike. When a fish hits, the fisherman yanks the rod up, often resulting in a return to the fisherman of a hook with no bait, and no fish. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Warm Up to Cold Calling February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Cold calling: For many of us, the word "cold" is the key. Just the thought of picking up the phone sends a chill up our spines. Unfortunately, if we approach cold calling with an attitude of negativity, we'll communicate that attitude to the prospect. Do you want to send the signal that, "I'm a desperate salesperson in an uncomfortable activity?" Or do you want to indicate that "I'm a financially independent consultant who is comfortable making cold calls?" Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Active Listening Techniques February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
How do you know if someone is listening to you and understands what you are trying to communicate? You need to get some type of feedback from that person in order to know that s/he was listening, and understood the message you wanted to convey. Read more
Time Flies When You're Having Fun February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
As appeared in the Business Ledger, Oct 2014 - October 24, 2014 marks the 20th anniversary of the formation of my training and development business. I left my last position in the corporate world in May, 1994 and spent the next few months contemplating what to do with the rest of my business life. Read more
Small Businesses Shouldn't Think Small February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
"Many small businesses allow their lack of size to hold them back. The thought that kept ringing in my ears was, 'Stop thinking small just because you are a small business.' Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: The TACTIC: Be a sponge. February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
The STORY: Bob noticed the middle-aged man as he walked into the dealership, looked around at the racks of literature, thumbed through one or two, and then headed toward the van on display. It was Bob’s turn to approach the walk-in traffic. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Reversing - Use It, Don't Abuse It! February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
The Sandler strategy of reversing - answering a question with a question - is one of the more powerful tools of the Sandler Selling System...if used correctly. It enables you to get below the surface of the prospect's questions, which can take you off track and stall the selling process. Additionally, it allows you to move a conversation in a particular direction, giving you more control over the situation. Also, reversing enables you to plant ideas or "seeds of doubt" without being obvious. Read more
The Sales World is Full of Rules… Break Them! February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
As appeared in the Business Ledger, February 2015 I was watching the news last night when I heard the newscaster exclaim, “We live in a country where laws have been established to protect its citizens and it is our responsibility to abide by them”. He then proclaimed, “The vast majority who reside here are law-abiding individuals who accept the rationale behind obeying the laws that govern us”. His declaration is normally not challenged by the masses who believe it. But, never fear, addressing this form of “rules” is not the intent of this article! Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: Tell 'Em Where You're Going February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
When you first open your mouth to speak to a group, audience members want to know two things: they are curious about the journey they'll be taking with you, and they want to be assured that they will receive value during the presentation. At any given point in the presentation they also want to know where they're going and where they've been. Make sure you never get The Christopher Columbus Award for Presentations - given to the speaker who leaves not knowing where he's going, returns not knowing where he's been, and takes a lot of other people's time getting there. Read more
Sales Tip of the Week: The TACTIC February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
People do not buy features and benefits, they buy ways to avoid or overcome pain. The STORY: Tim arrived at the prospect’s office fifteen minutes before the appointment so that he could sit in the car and mentally review what he was going to say. Tim very carefully visualized each step of his presentation making sure that the benefits of buying from him and his companies were crystal clear. Looking at his watch, he took a deep breath, let it out slowly, and proceeded in to the appointment. Once the pleasantries were over, Tim got right down to business. Read more
Sandler Brief: April 2015 February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
Have you ever made a prospecting phone call whose central message sounded something like this? We’ve helped our clients (X, Y, and Z) to deliver (so-and-so benefit) with our (Such-and-Such brand product/service), which has (so-and-so feature). I’d love to meet with you for just a few minutes next week to show you exactly what we’ve done for those clients. How’s Tuesday at 11:00 a.m.? Are you free then? Notice that the only question here is focused on what the salesperson wants: the meeting. Read more
The Final Months of 2015 are for Closers February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
What does it mean to be a closer? In baseball, it’s the pitcher who is called in at the end of the game to shut down the opposing team. In marathon racing, it’s the runner who comes from behind to win the race. In a television series, it’s the detective who closes the impossible case. Read more
The Art and Science of Selling February 8, 2016 by Bill Bartlett in Sales Process
How do you approach selling? The most effective salespeople I know focus on skillfully blending the science and art of selling to achieve success without over-reliance on one area or the other. Read more
How to Succeed at Sales: The Problem February 4, 2016 by Mike Montague in Sales Process
As a buyer, what comes to mind when you think of the word, "Salesperson"? Usually what comes to mind are things like… used cars, polyester suits, briefcases, and flip charts or PowerPoint presentations. Many people dislike dealing with salespeople, and some even shudder at the thought of being one. Few, if any, children grow up dreaming of being salespeople, yet it is the most common profession in the world. Why is that? Read more
Why Your Next Trade Show Should Have Your Maximum Interest February 2, 2016 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Got a trade show coming up for your company? The common attitude is that you need to ramp up with lots of zip and swag to attract people and get them to buy. This is the wrong approach. Here are some tips on why and how to make your next show far more valuable. Read more
Selling to Homeowners: To Quote or Not to Quote? December 2, 2015 by Kim Booker & Chip Doyle in Sales Process
As salespeople who work with homeowners, we sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that our most important job is to create quotes. We may decide to do as many quotes as possible, email those quotes and leave lots and lots of messages—all in the hope that prospects will hunt us down and tell us they've decided to buy. Instead, our job is to start conversations that generate decisions—small decisions at first, and bigger decisions as the sales process moves forward. That's the objective of effective follow through: to create more conversations that lead to a clear decision. If you can do that consistently, and monitor your progress toward your income goals as you do, then your numbers will be on track. If you don't, they won't be. Read more
Close the Sale: How to Overcome Price Objection November 18, 2015 by Dave Mattson in Sales Process
Imagine the following scenario. After a few meetings with a prospect during which you examined his current situation and analyzed his needs and future goals, you developed and presented a four-step approach for what you believed to be the best fit solution to meeting his challenge. The investment necessary to obtain and implement your solution is $12,800. The prospect, while impressed with your solution, commented, "That's a bit more than we expected to spend. We were hoping that we would be looking at something around $10,000." What would you do? Read more
Five ways to make more sales with referrals. October 29, 2015 by Mike Montague in Sales Process
When someone hands you a business card and says, "you should call this person", it's not really a referral. Without more information, it is more like they're sending you on a cold call. Cold calling is way down the list of favorite prospecting activities for most salespeople, and sometimes that frustration can spill over to referrals. Read more
Your sales process shouldn't end with the close. October 21, 2015 by Brian Sullivan in Sales Process
If your selling process ends with a close, you're doing it all wrong. "What!?! That makes no sense," I can hear you saying. "Closing is the ultimate success." All true. But you can close more (how does 80% sound?), see fewer clients and, best of all, make even fewer presentations. In the process, you'll feel more essential to your clients, more motivated, and more in control. Read more
The 4 Account Types Every Sales Team Needs to Identify September 21, 2015 by Brian Sullivan in Sales Process
Understanding the importance of various accounts helps sellers sort customers and prepare for the next appropriate step in a relationship with the client. Read more
7 Ways to Change Your Sales Focus and Drive New Revenue August 14, 2015 by Dave Mattson in Sales Process
Salespeople tend to be focused, driven, and almost single-minded when it comes to closing a sale. While this attitude can bring about great results, it can also prevent a salesperson from considering alternative ways to approach the sales relationship. Does the client prefer frequent phone calls to check in, or would your sales process run more smoothly with scheduled email follow ups? Take the time to re-evaluate your sales team's focus. Try these seven tips to drive new revenue and improve your sales game. Read more
How to Build a Sales Plan that Withstands Summer Sales Slumps July 30, 2015 by Dave Mattson in Sales Process
The infamous summer sales slump may be in full swing in your business, but it's time to turn things around. By rethinking your summer sales plan, you can use a slower market to your advantage. Follow our guide to building a sales plan that withstands summer slumps and turn these notoriously slow months into productive and profitable opportunities. Read more
20 Helpful Tools for Sales Experts May 15, 2015 by Dave Mattson in Sales Process
To be a great salesperson, you need to have more than charm and a positive attitude. Today's sales environment requires you to utilize advanced tools in your sales process. We dug deep into our sales tool belt to provide you with some of the most advanced and highly rated programs and apps. Try out a few of these tools if you are looking to become a stronger, more competitive salesperson in your industry. Read more
5 New Sales Prospecting Rules to Live By in the Social Selling Era December 4, 2014 by Dave Mattson in Sales Process
The explosion of social media has created lots of new opportunities for your company when it comes to sales prospecting. Utilizing the tools available to you can expand your business and be a source of continuous lead generation. Or it can cause a very embarrassing publicity nightmare. Here are five rules you should follow to cash in on social media opportunities and become a successful sales professional: Read more
How Your Junior High English Teacher Can Help You Sell More Effectively October 10, 2014 by Hamish Knox in Sales Process
Think back on your sales appointments over the past two weeks. How often did you use each of the following: "is there anything…" "could you…" "would you…" "can I" "I'll follow up on… does that work for you?" Each of those questions creates an automatic reflexive (Pavlovian) response in our prospects. The response to the first four is typically "no" and to the last one is "sure (but I won't answer)" Read more
Add a little drama November 21, 2013 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
You're meeting with a prospect. You've asked all the appropriate questions to uncover the prospect's problem, concerns, desires, goals, and expectations. After fully analyzing the situation, you announce with no hesitation whatsoever, "No problem. I have exactly what you need." Does the prospect gasp a sigh of relief, utter under his breath, "Thank goodness," and pull a purchase order from the drawer? Perhaps in Grimm's version of the story, but not in the real world. Why Read more
Refine Your Sales Process With a Sales Template February 10, 2012 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
A sales template is defined as the step by step set of interactions you want your prospect to go through because it will give you a clear competitive advantage or otherwise increase the chances of you winning the business. An efficient sale system enables you to consistently achieve a desired outcome or set of outcomes without wasting time, energy, money etc. The most effective sales templates are basic enough to accommodate for change (focused on each stage of the sales meeting). Read more
Don't Let Your Seagull Become an Albatross May 31, 2011 by Hamish Knox in Sales Process
Have you ever killed a sale by bringing up an irrelevant feature to your prospect? Something you, or probably your marketing department, thought you prospect should know about before they signed up? At Sandler, this is known as "painting seagulls in your prospect's picture." Unfortunately, your seagull can quickly turn into an albatross. Traditionally trained salespeople who sit through hours of product training before being let out in front of prospects can't wait to share all their product knowledge when they get in front of anyone, qualified prospect or not Read more
Sales Training and Golf: A Lesson in Repetition August 31, 2010 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Practice makes perfect. Just like pro golfers, sales experts can't expect to improve without putting in rounds. Listen as Sandler CEO Dave Mattson explains the similarities between Sandler trainers and pro golfers. Read more
Video: Sandler Rule #46: There Is No Such Thing as a Good Try August 3, 2010 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Sandler Training's Karl Scheible explains Sandler Rule #46: "There Is No Such Thing as a Good Try." At best, "try" indicates intention, but not commitment. If the outcome of an action is important, don't "try." Commit to it. Read more
Video: Sandler's Point of Difference July 27, 2010 by Sandler Training in Sales Process
Sandler CEO Dave Mattson discusses why Sandler isn't just your typical sales training seminar. Sandler is more than just a couple of sales tips; it's a proven system based on continual reinforcement and incremental learning that results in a permanent behavior change. To see how there's no "quick fix" to sales, leadership and management training, visit sandler.com Read more
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