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In this episode Mike hosts his long-time friend, Larry Levine (who he often refers to as the most authentic and generous person in the sales improvement industry), for a very different conversation about the current “State of Sales” and how we can respond to it.
Their discussion revolves around how salespeople (and leaders) must adapt to thrive while Selling in a Post-Trust World. And as Mike declares in the foreword to Larry’s new book (with that title), it is very rare when a literary work is so perfectly timed to address a situation that is both urgent and critically important.
We are indeed living (and attempting to sell) in a post-trust world. Everywhere you turn there is deep skepticism – and unfortunately, it’s deserved. Truly, this is the issue of the day. Artificial intelligence. Deep fakes. Spam. Bots. Add to that the horrendous, annoying, trust-busting approaches causing sellers to come across as the self-absorbed, transactional, uncaring and unprofessional salespeople Larry unapologetically labels as Empty Suits.
Listen in as Larry and Mike address topics you haven’t heard tackled on this show before. This is one of those episodes you’ll likely want to pass along to your sales team!
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:
https://sellinginaposttrustworld.com/
Text the word Trust to 21000
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This episode is sponsored by Pursuit Sales Solutions. If you are looking for help adding A-player talent to your team, contact Mike’s friends at pursuitsalessolutions.com/weinberg
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Episode 79 was unplanned but Mike felt compelled to describe his recent encounter with a bold, hungry 19-year-old.
Stuart was so impressive that Mike took a few minutes to record his impromptu reaction and also deliver a rant to salespeople who still (falsely) believe/proclaim that the telephone isn’t an effective way to secure a conversation with strategic target prospects.
Not only will you be blown away by what this young man Stuart accomplished with a few dials of the phone and high EQ, you’ll likely want to share this story with members of your sales team – particularly the ones sitting around waiting for leads or who continue their futile and pathetic efforts “bumping” their lame, spammy emails to the top of prospects’ inboxes – hoping beyond hope that someone will respond!
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Episode 26: Why the Phone Is Sexier than Ever and Puts a Person Behind the Prospecting
The Next Supercharge Your Sales Leadership Event (with available seats)
New Sales. Simplified. (the book)
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This episode is sponsored by Pursuit Sales Solutions. If you are looking for help adding A-player talent to your team, contact Mike’s friends at pursuitsalessolutions.com/weinberg
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Manglende episoder?
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Episode 78 features Kristie Jones, author the fabulous new book, Selling Your Way In, which Mike describes in the foreword as one of the most unique and powerful resources he has consumed in his 34-year career.
Mike met Kristie years ago at a client they were both helping, and he’s had the privilege of watching Kristie’s business and influence in the sales community rapidly expand over the past decade. When asked why Kristie has been so successful Mike's answer is simple and direct: She is a master at making others successful! And that was her motivation for writing Selling Your Way In – the desire to provide readers/listeners with a behind-the-scenes peek at the makeup, mindset, disciplines, approaches, and actions of the top-ten percent of sales pros, the real sales rockstars who absolutely crush it, year after year – so they can become sales rockstars too!
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JUST ANNOUNCED:
The October Supercharge Your Sales Leadership event at the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta filled so quickly that Mike and team just added a new date in November.
If you’d benefit from a full-day intensive with 50 sales leaders and Mike focused on radically ramping-up sales management effectiveness, check out the packed agenda, premium venue and powerful outcomes you can expect from attending: mikeweinberg.com/atlanta2024
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This episode is sponsored by Pursuit Sales Solutions. If you are looking for help adding A-player talent to your team, contact Mike’s friends at pursuitsalessolutions.com/weinberg
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In Episode 77 Mike can barely contain his excitement as he announces a new addition to the team!
Dennis Sorenson, often described as the most driven and most strategic sales leader with whom Mike has worked, has not only joined our team but he joins us for this value-packed episode.
Listen in as Mike has Dennis unpack three of the powerful approaches (philosophies) that have made him such a successful sales executive…
The concept of AMBITIONThe compelling reasons these first three P’s (Plan, Prepare, and Practice) come before the fourth (Play)
The prioritization of EXECUTION
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This episode is sponsored by Pursuit Sales Solutions. If you are looking for help adding A-player talent to your team, contact Mike’s friends at pursuitsalessolutions.com/weinberg
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In Episode 76 Mike returns from his sabbatical with a reminder for sales leaders that they are STILL the key to driving the culture and results. As goes the leader, so goes their team! He also makes the case that regardless of the current business stresses or cycles, truth is still truth, best practices remain best practices, and solid execution of the fundamentals is the key to victory.
Mike wraps the episode spending a few minutes sharing takeaways from his time away from work, email, and social media, and announces key adjustments he is making in his business going forward.
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This episode is sponsored by Pursuit Sales Solutions. If you are looking for help adding A-player talent to your team, contact Mike’s friends at pursuitsalessolutions.com/weinberg
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Episode 75 continues the string of recent shows where Mike shares real-life examples from what he’s observing with sales and sales management teams.
In this case, Mike was blown away leading a follow-up workshop with a large team that had done the heavy lifting to sharpen their “sales story.” Rep after rep testified to the difference in how customers were perceiving them and positively responding to their new customer issue and outcome-focused messaging.
Listen in for a quick refresher on the amazing benefits a compelling, differentiating, issue and outcome-focused “sales story” delivers and a few tips to help you upgrade yours (and how your team will be perceived)!
Mike wraps the episode with a few predictions about changes he’ll be making following his current sabbatical.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Sales Management Foundations Virtual Workshop Series
LinkedIn Post announcing Mike’s sabbatical
Chapters 7 and 8 in New Sales. Simplified.
Chapter 10 in Sales Truth
Your Sales Story online course
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This episode is sponsored by Pursuit Sales Solutions. If you are looking for help adding A-player talent to your team, contact Mike’s friends at pursuitsalessolutions.com/weinberg
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As Mike shares starting off this power-packed episode, every once in a while, a client challenges him to create something new. In this case, a passionate enablement leader requested something quite specific: How can sales managers take what they are learning from conducting excellent 1:1 accountability meetings to coach their people more effectively?
In Episode 74 Mike overlays his three favorite sales verbs (Create. Advance. Close.) on top of the Sales Management Accountability Progression (Results. Pipeline. Activity). The result is a powerful, prescriptive guide to help managers ask exactly the rights questions and provide more effective coaching to salespeople based on specific gaps/shortfalls uncovered during accountability meetings, depending on whether the salesperson…
Lacks sufficient total pipeline coverage (not enough deals or dollars in the funnel), typically because they are not CREATING enough NEW OPPORTUNITIES Is not ADVANCING existing OPPORTUNITIES Is NOT CLOSINGResources Mentioned In This Episode:
The Sales Management Foundations Virtual Workshop Series (get more info and register now for the June 24 launch)
Episode 39: Underperformers Should Leave the 1:1 Manager-Salesperson Accountability Meeting with an Uncomfortable Feeling
Supercharge Your Sales Leadership – October and November event info and register
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This thesis of Episode 73 is that the world works much better (particularly in sales) when everyone focuses on, and worries about, their primary job! This episode was prompted by stimulating conversations in two recent sales leadership sessions.
First, at the VIP Q&A during Day 2 of the recent Supercharge Your Sales Leadership event, an operation-minded CEO asked Mike to elaborate on a bold (and controversial?) statement made in response to a manager asking how to keep salespeople selling when they’re worried about outselling capacity and overloading the operations/production/delivery people.
The second conversation (while kicking off a six-month manager cohort) revolved around what Mike refers to as “Smart Sales Talent Management,” and the importance of getting the right people in the right roles. The managers were describing the differences between sellers with hunter DNA compared to those wired more like zookeepers who love to nurture relationships, put out customer service fires, and jump in to help out with delivery and operations.
In both cases, Mike quoted the strong, direct words that his sales management mentor regularly used to remind salespeople to focus on Job #1 – driving revenue!
RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE:
Episode 72 – Who’s on Your Team?
Episode 57 – The #1 Reason Your Sales Team Is Not Bringing in More New Business
Sales Management Foundations Virtual Workshop Series –
Download the PDF info document Read more or register HERESupercharge Your Sales Leadership October Session at The Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta. More info at mikeweinberg.com/events. Join Mike on October 8 for the full-day intensive or October 8 & 9 for the VIP experience!
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This episode is sponsored by Pursuit Sales Solutions. If you are looking for help adding A-player talent to your team, contact Mike’s friends at pursuitsalessolutions.com/weinberg
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Episode 72 is different. Instead of talking about leading your sales team, Mike challenges listeners with this important personal question:
Who is on YOUR team?
This episode was inspired by several factors, including a personal breakthrough Mike is experiencing in his own life, combined with a well-timed Netflix docuseries episode that perfectly depicts the transformative change you can experience from making the right additions to your personal team.
Who is rooting for you? Who is challenging you? Who are you going to for outside perspective or expert advice? Who is helping ensure that you win…at work, at home, at health, at life? Who is cheering you on? Or confronting you when you play the victim? Who is whispering encouragement in your ear? Or speaking hard, constructive truth (hopefully in love), when you need to hear it?
Take a listen and be challenged to consider who might add to your personal team to help you experience a breakthrough.
Resources Mentioned:
Podcast Episode: Practical Wisdom from a Highly Rated Financial Advisor, Golf Instructor, and Sales Coach to Help You Win Big in 2024!
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This episode is sponsored by Pursuit Sales Solutions. If you looking for help adding A-player talent to your team, contact Mike’s friends at pursuitsalessolutions.com/weinberg
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Episode 71 was inspired by a message Mike received from an executive whose sales team was not securing enough meetings with prospective customers. The executive shared two specific frustrations:
The sales team’s lack of effectiveness at getting prospects to agree to an initial meeting The number of prospects cancelling at the last minute or “no-showing” for a meeting they had previously agreed to attendIn this episode, Mike shares his initial response to this request for help and offers up a list of potential causes for ineffective prospecting – ranging from impersonal, automated approaches, to the model being deployed, the focus of the messaging, the DNA of the salespeople, sellers not properly pushing past resistance or overcoming objections, the weightiness/reality of virtual vs. in-person meetings, and more.
Take a listen to see if any of these obstacles are preventing you or your sales team from securing meetings with targeted prospective customers.
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
YOUR SALES STORY online course
Supercharge Your Sales Leadership full-day intensive
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This episode is sponsored by Pursuit Sales Solutions. If you are looking for help adding A-player talent to your team, contact Mike’s friends at pursuitsalessolutions.com/weinberg
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Mike recently led a workshop for a group of talented, hungry, driven, young sales managers who were falling into an all-too-common trap – “doing” instead of coaching, developing, and holding sales reps accountable. During the session Mike challenged this group of managers with a question he had never thought to ask before:
When making joint sales calls with your people, is your primary purpose to…
A) Proactively develop your salesperson, or
B) Advance and close the sale
The healthy discussion that ensued inspired this episode. Listen in as Mike shares more of the story, promotes the importance of proactive, developmental, nonurgent coaching, and offers thoughts on best practices when managers ride shotgun with reps on sales calls.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
The First-Time Manager: Sales book
Supercharge Your Sales Leadership event, October 8-9, The Porsche Experience Center, Atlanta
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This episode is sponsored by Pursuit Sales Solutions. If you looking for help adding A-player talent to your team, contact Mike’s friends at pursuitsalessolutions.com/weinberg
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In this episode Mike tackles a critical sales management topic that does not receive enough attention.
Too many sales managers allow underperformance to go unaddressed for way too long!
Episode 69 is granular and prescriptive as Mike shares exactly how to start the conversation with a struggling salesperson and begin the all-important process of coaching that seller up, or if necessary, out.
RESOURCES MIKE REFERENCED IN EPISODE 69:
The First-Time Manager: Sales book (Chapter 8)
The free guide on increasing accountability and creating a high-performance sales culture: Mikeweinberg.com at the top of the page.
Supercharge Your Sales Leadership October Event: The April event sold out very quickly so we just secured The Porsche Experience Center for our next sales leadership event on October 8th (& 9th for the VIP option). Check out all the details, the packed agenda, and the powerful outcomes here: www.mikeweinberg.com/atlanta2024
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This episode is sponsored by Pursuit Sales Solutions. If you looking for help adding A-player talent to your team, contact Mike’s friends at pursuitsalessolutions.com/weinberg
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During Week 1 of the 2024 Sales Kickoff Meeting Season, one of Mike’s clients included a live Q&A to conclude a virtual session. The questions from the salespeople and sales leaders were so good, and so different from what Mike is typically asked, he decided to share them (along with his answers) in this episode.
You’ll want to share this episode with your sales team!
Take a listen for Mike’s answers to these eight great questions:
At what point do you move on to the next opportunity? How many NO’s do you need to get before giving up, or how long do you continue to pursue a prospect who has stopped responding? How do we get your training to stick? What would you tell salespeople and managers to ensure that what you’re teaching gets implemented…and makes an impact? How does using the business plan help the salesperson and manager set short-term and long-term goals, and also help to achieve those goals? How can your training (and approach) help our ecosystem develop both a better sales culture and also help us deliver a better customer experience? What is necessary for us to be successful going “upmarket” (selling solutions instead of hardware) and getting into higher-level customer contacts? After winning a deal and handing it off cleanly, how can we get salespeople back to selling instead of having them continuing to come back to make sure the project is moving and/or installed? What do you think is the number one sales sin of the Ugly 8 Reasons Sellers Get Viewed as Amateurs, Relegated to “Vendor” Status and Commoditized? Can you speak about the most resistant sales organization you have dealt with? Were you able to get them to change, and through that change, what was the outcome?Resources Referenced by Mike in Episode 68:
The New Sales. Simplified. Video Coaching Series
Ugly 8 Reasons Sellers Get Viewed as Amateurs, Relegated to “Vendor” Status and Commoditized (PDF)
Mike’s wife’s irrational, but wonderful, response to her gorgeous new putter (blog post)
A Foolproof Framework to Guarantee Consistent Deal Flow and a Full, Healthy Pipeline (podcast episode)
9 Powerful Reasons to Have Salespeople Write Individual Business Plans (podcast episode)
5 Fundamental Focus Areas for a Successful Sales Attack (podcast episode)
This episode is sponsored by Pursuit Sales Solutions. If you looking for help adding A-player talent to your team, contact Mike’s friends at pursuitsalessolutions.com/weinberg
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Mike kicks off the year with 20 powerful sales tips to help you (and your salespeople) absolutely crush 2024! He initially shared this list with his email subscribers and the feedback was so positive that he felt obligated to turn these tips into Episode 67. Take a listen, share this episode with your sales team, and make sure to grab the free PDF with Mike’s 20 tips from HERE. This episode is brought to you by Mike’s friends at Pursuit Sales Solutions. If you’re looking to acquire A-player sales talent for your team, Pursuit can help! RESOURCE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: The Supercharge Your Sales Leadership elite one-day intensive (8 spots remain for February 21 and there are 24 spots open for the May 1 session in Atlanta) Mike’s book Sales Truth Mike’s book New Sales. Simplified. Article: Lessons for Managers and Salespeople from Jordan Spieth’s Caddie
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In this powerful episode, Mike puts the wrap on an amazing year. Episode 66 combines straight talk from two of Mike’s highly-rated, trusted advisors – his golf coach, Brian Fogt, and his financial advisor, Jacob Turner – along with his own Year-End/New Year’s Sales and Sales Management “Fundamentals Checklists.”
Enjoy listening to Mike interact with two true professionals – people he turns to (and pays) for advice! Be amused at the similarities between investors, golfers, salespeople, and sales leaders – most of whom suffer from FOMO, tend to bore easily, and are quick to chase sexy quick fixes and shiny new objects instead of doing the mundane work to shore-up the fundamentals.
And don’t miss Mike sharing exactly what he’d be focusing on right now if he was a sales leader looking to maximize results in 2024.
Thank you for your incredible support of the Sales Management. Simplified. Podcast in 2023.
As Mike concludes every episode, wishing you great sales leadership, and to your team, tons of NEW SALES in the year ahead!
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
The February 2024 Supercharge Your Sales Leadership event in Atlanta.
The Fastest Way to Increase Accountability, Reduce Complacency, and Create a High-performance Sales Culture guide (near the top on the right at mikeweinberg.com)
Chapter 20 in Sales Management. Simplified.
Chapters 3 and 8 in The First-Time Manager: Sales
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After a few week break, Mike is back with Episode 65 inspired by this pithy and powerful line from Taylor Swift’s interview after being named Time Magazine Person of the Year:
“Trash itself out every single time.”
While not a “Swiftie” and admitting he can’t name three of her songs, Mike shares his high respect for Taylor and applies her wisdom to what he has seen time and time again over the past decade in world of sales.
He also mentions that, simply by coincidence, four different people released their interviews of Mike in the past week, and he encourages you to check out these interesting and valuable conversations about sales and sales management effectiveness:
Mike with Jason Bay – Outbound Squad Podcast
Mike with Jeb Blount – Sales Gravy Podcast (Part One Audio) and Part Two Video
Mike with John Barrows – Make It Happen Podcast, Video here or listen on Apple Podcasts
Mike with Fred Diamond – Sales Game Changers Podcast (accompanied by Mike’s friend, sales leader extraordinaire, Joe Tarulli)
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
The next Supercharge Your Sales Leadership elite one-day intensive is February 21 at The Porsche Experience Center right next to the Atlanta Airport. Info and registration HERE.
How to Lead Sales Team Meetings That Energize and Equip Your Salespeople (previous episode) or see Chapter 21 in Sales Management. Simplified.
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Episode 64 is not just for sales leaders! This is one you will want to share with your sales teams as Mike hosts a special guest, the brilliant Carole Mahoney.
Mike declares that Buyer First: Grow Your Business with Collaborative Selling is the best-written book he’s read this year and is convinced that you and your sellers will enjoy and greatly benefit from this enlightening conversation as Carole shares the science behind the success experienced by those who sell collaboratively. Along with nodding, smiling, and shouting “Amen!” as Carole and Mike exchange #notaboutme sales philosophies, you will also learn…
Why buyers experience a dopamine hit when you make them part of the process How managers often reinforce anti-collaborative sales approaches and behaviors From Carole’s experience as a sales coach for the Harvard Entrepreneurial MBA ProgramLinks in this Episode:
The Fast Foundations Virtual Workshop Series for sales managers
Buyer First on Amazon
Carole Mahoney’s site
Carole’s LinkedIn profile
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Episode 63 was inspired by Mike’s guest appearance on the Social Selling 2.0 Podcast and a 40-minute session he held with executive MBA students just before recoding this podcast.
Carson Heady (featured in Episode 52) requested Mike’s take on the current state of “Social Selling” and how it has evolved since its inception. A fascinating dialogue ensued including Mike’s rant about the “founders” of the movement — none of which are still teaching/promoting social selling — and their absolutely false proclamation that “EVERYTHING in sales has changed!”
In the second half of the episode Mike recaps the sales management horror story faced by a group of executive MBA students who sought out his input on the situation at the real-life client they have been charged with helping. Enjoy hearing this classic case of senior leadership dysfunction and the effect on the sales team and results.
Resources Mentioned in this Episode:
The once-per-year special offer on the New Sales. Simplified. Video Coaching Series (mikeweinberg.com/morenewsales)
The FAST FOUNDATIONS live virtual workshop series which kicks off December 18th (mikeweinberg.com/fastfoundations)
The next Supercharge Your Sales Leadership elite event sessions in February and April (mikeweinberg.com/atlanta2024)
Social Selling Simplified Episode on the Social Selling 2.0 Podcast featuring Mike Weinberg
Episode 52 of this podcast featuring Carson Heady
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It’s that time of year, and in Episode 62 Mike makes a strong case for having each of our salespeople draft an individual business plan for the coming year. Referring to the most popular article he’s ever published, Mike offers nine compelling benefits (for both the salesperson and the manager) resulting from having sellers write and present their plans, and he also outlines a simple template you can adapt and use.
RESOURCES TO HELP WITH BUSINESS PLANS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
Blog Article - Why Salespeople Should Write and Present Individual Business Plans
Chapter 26 in Sales Management. Simplified.
Chapter 14 in New Sales. Simplified.
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JUST ANNOUNCED – NEW DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY FOR SALES MANAGERS
A series of virtual workshops and office hours sessions led by Mike for managers looking to master the best practices and key takeaways from his sales management books. Over three months, benefit from four workshops and three office hours sessions covering critical topics from increasing accountability, maximizing the impact from developmental coaching, becoming smart talent managers who drive more results from their best sellers while quickly addressing underperformance and artfully coaching-up (or coaching-out) struggling sellers.
Limited to 25 participants per group to maximize interaction and ensure everyone gets their challenges and questions addressed! The first virtual workshop is December 18th.
More info and register at mikeweinberg.com/fastfoundations
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Isn’t conducting professional, effective sales calls one of the main responsibilities of a being a salesperson? After all, the word sales is in the job title. If there’s one thing a “salesperson” should be able to do well, it’s to conduct a sales call! Therefore, isn’t it then incumbent upon sales managers to ensure that their people are indeed proficient at this essential skill?
In Episode 61 Mike shares the most prevalent sins he regularly sees salespeople committing – whether it’s the “show up and throw up / spray and pray” approach entering the meeting in pitch mode, talking first, talking too much, not sharing an agenda and getting the customer’s buy-in, weak probing and discovery, or not fleshing out obstacles and objections and not securing and scheduling next steps – and challenges managers to raise their own game when it comes to coaching sellers to better prepare for sales calls.
Mike makes the case that if managers would be more rigorous/focused/specific/intentional when helping salespeople prepare for sales calls, that much of that rigor would stick and that many sellers would continue to prepare better for meetings even when the manager is not assisting or coaching them.
Take a listen for Mike’s basic best practices on prepping salespeople for sales calls and be sure to grab the free Pre-Call Planning Checklist (one of the bonus resources from the new book, The First-Time Manager: Sales) that he offered to podcast listeners.
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Episode 18: Ineffective Sales Calls, Premature Presentations/Demos, and Selling Like Everyone Else Gets You Commoditized
New Sales. Simplified. (the book)
The New Sales. Simplified. Video Coaching Series
Pre-Call Planning Checklist
JUST ANNOUNCED:
We have secured dates for the next two Supercharge Your Sales Leadership events at the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta! Get more info on the packed agenda, premium venue, and powerful outcomes at mikeweinberg.com/atlanta2024. Limited to 50 sales leaders. All prior 13 events have sold out so reserve your spot now for the February or April sessions!
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