Nice Voice Mails Get Deleted Today

Really? Nice Voice Mails Get Deleted!

Welcome to the new world of the busy executives and decision makers. Anything not related to what they need or gets their interest is in automatic delete mode.

Most B2B Sales People call a targeted prospect and leave the following voice mail…

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Not Getting Your Phone Calls Returned?

Seems like no one is returning phone calls these days. For that matter, who is actually answering their phones these days?

I know I have experienced this growing trend in the world of B2B Selling. And, at first I believed these people were just plain rude and courtesy had left the building! Well, the truth is there are other reasons – well, some are just plain rude. ?

The fact of the matter is important people have no time any more. It’s true. I watched an excellent role play at a recent presentation showing exactly how busy people are these days. So, later, I actually chatted with some of the decision maker types that I know ( some actually called me back and others I met at Chamber sponsored meetings.) to learn what there world is really like.

It is amazing these executives and key decision makers have any time to do anything – which explains why so often actual decisions are no decision and the status quo lives on at their companies.

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More New Info Coming

First, I want to thank everyone who continues to come to this site. Your confidence is most important to me. Second, the past couple of  weeks have been a challenge for me to find time to write new material for you. Between health issues – flu and minor surgery – and the need to do … Read more…

Buyers Do NOT Need B2B Sales People Anymore!

Before you think I have totally lost my mind, take a moment to read what I have to say about this topic – because I believe it has more Truth than I thought I would see in my lifetime.

Sure I read the book from Neil Rackham – one of the most acclaimed sales researchers in modern times – as he stated buyers do not want to be bothered by aggressive and pushy sales people anymore. That much I truly believe is correct based upon my interaction with so many buyers and decision makers.

Yesterday, I listened to a Marketing Expert talk about how much times have changed relative to actually how much a buyer needs a sales person. He stated prior to the widespread use of the internet, buyers actually needed us for product information and ideas for solving their problems.

Today, that has changed, the buyer can get as educated as they want from their laptop or tablet by searching the internet for product information, success stories, how to use our products, applications of solutions and even do some price comparisons – all without a sales person to talk with for one minute.

Does that ring any bells for you?

Okay, so what do you need to do to counter this change in need focus on the part of the buyer?

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Six Methods for Engaging the Buyers Brain

This neuroscience research is amazing regarding how the brain actually works. And, when you apply this research specifically to how the brain makes decisions to buy things, well, your world of opportunity just grew exponentially.

Now, I figure most of you know about the left and right hemispheres of the brain and they influence things – especially behavior. In fact, behavioral style is one of the hardwired traits discussed the management book – First Break All the Rules by Buckingham. (If you are in Sales Management this is an important book to read.)

However, let’s get back to the primary subject – engaging the buyers brain.

Also, the research has shown there are three unique regions within the brain and the real decision maker is the “old brain” or reptilian brain which is located in the brain stem. This answered a lot of questions for me – first, questions about how I made instinctively driven decisions and choices. Then, there were the decisions and choices my clients made about all types of subjects – several which displayed NO logic at all. (First, clue is little logic is used.)

So the real question becomes “how do you engage the reptilian brain?”

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Three Elements of Persuasion

Persuasion is  one of the most important traits every b2b sales person must possess. However, it also seems to be one of the most misunderstood success habits in the b2b sales person’s arsenal.

The interesting thing about persuasion is the Greeks figured it out back in the 3rd Century. The famous Greek philosopher – Aristotle – pointed out there are three key elements to the persuasion. When you understand the three elements, you will understand how to use persuasion every day.

So, here is what Aristotle determined back in the 3rd Century…

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Are You Planning Every Customer or Prospect Contact?

One thing I noticed with high tech world we live in – few people actually plan their customer or prospect contacts. Winging it is ruling the day due to the instant or urgency tendencies of text messages and emails.

GEEZ! Winging it is a bad thing. It does not work with b2b sales presentations and it definitively does not work with phone calls, texts and emails. Okay, you Xer’s are laughing too hard about the email comment. Old Boomers enjoy calling the most, emailing next and texting is new to us.

Okay, some of you are possibly wondering why should you be planning your contacts. Look if you are planning your face to face calls, it is not very different. With the exception of being even more strategic with your phone calls, emails and texts.

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Five Reasons to Use the Questioning Model of b2b Selling

Just reviewing several notes on effective selling and realized a few sales people keep asking me the same question…

Why Should I Use the Questioning Model of b2b Selling over the Traditional Presentation Model?

Therefore, I decided to point out five specific reasons to use the Questioning Model for b2b Sales. Here are the five reasons for using the Questioning Model for b2b Sales…

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How Emotion Wins and Loses Your B2B Sales

Got to thinking about the role of emotion in our b2b sales world. Interestingly, emotion can be helping us win accounts or it can be driving a wedge between us and the decision makers. This is the classic case of a dilemma.

Okay, so we all know that all decisions are 100% emotional and we need to engage the emotional side of the decision makers brain. That is correct and this is an example of the positive side of using emotions in the b2b sales process.

So how can emotion be a problem for our b2b sales success?

Simply when we get too emotional in our sales process.

There are several ways this occurs, so let me review the negative side of emotion relative to our sales success.

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Changes for B2B Sales People to Consider

Well, I’ve been “a-wall” for a few weeks doing the things I’m supposed to do – sell, market and find new things to share with you. So here goes…

First, have you noticed a severe disconnect with most buyers and decision makers lately? It seems to have started around five or six years ago and gained speed since the recession started in 2008.

Second, have you noticed how fast customers and prospects respond to any discussion You start about your products or services. This seems to be the most challenging issue for many sales people (including myself from time to time.). There appears to be Five Factors contributing to this issue for sales people…

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