Sales Reinvented

Some referrals are through people you have relationships with. Others are from friends and family. Still others are from customers. They all have a different impact depending on the industry you’re in. But generally speaking, referrals need to be a large part of your sales strategy. Steve Benson agrees with this sentiment but believes there’s an easier way to get referrals: Call them “introductions” instead. Listen to this episode to learn why he takes this stance!  Outline of This Episode [1:05] What are referrals? How do they work?  [1:52] Common mistakes salespeople make asking for referrals [2:38] How to leverage social media to generate referrals [3:23] Using referral-based selling as a sales strategy [4:41] How to measure the success of a referral program  [6:11] How to ask for referrals without being pushy [6:40] Best practices for requesting referrals [8:08] The role of technology in referral selling [10:35] Steve’s top 3 referral selling dos and don’ts [12:29] Leveraging the power of introductions

According to Liz Heiman, there are two types of referrals. A referral could be from someone who doesn’t buy from you but can share leads with you. The other type of referral is from an existing customer. They’re both introducing you to people you might not know. Liz shares the approach she takes when asking for referrals in this episode of Sales Reinvented. Don’t miss it!  Outline of This Episode [0:58] What are referrals? How do they work in sales? [1:43] Common mistakes salespeople make asking for referrals [2:43] How salespeople can leverage social media to generate referrals [5:20] Liz’s advice for those exploring referral-based selling  [6:47] How to measure the success of a referral program [8:49] The right way to ask for client referrals [11:05] Best practices for asking for referrals  [13:48] The role technology plays in referral selling [15:10] Liz’s top 3 referral selling dos and don’ts [17:06] Don’t be afraid to take a creative approach How salespeople can leverage social media to generate referr

Referrals are a recommendation from a satisfied customer or trusted network of people you interact with, i.e. your center of influence. If you’re in sales and you aren’t asking your customers or sphere of influence for referrals, you’re leaving money on the table. But what are the best practices for asking for referrals? Nick Kane shares his referral-selling dos and don’ts in this episode of Sales Reinvented. Check it out!  Outline of This Episode [1:04] What are referrals? How do they work in sales? [1:34] Common mistakes salespeople make asking for referrals [2:21] How salespeople can leverage social media to generate referrals [3:10] Nick’s advice for those exploring referral-based selling  [5:06] How to measure the success of a referral program [6:07] Best Practices: The right way to ask for client referrals [8:40] The role technology plays in referral selling [10:20] Nick’s top 3 referral selling dos and don’ts [14:29] A story that drives home the importance of creativity  Nick’s advice for those explo

People who refer someone to you are your greatest advocates. When you cultivate happy customers, you create an army of salespeople working for you. But how do you ask for referrals? Is there a certain time in the client lifecycle that’s the best to ask? How do you let a referral source know they’re appreciated? Jame Crosbie answers these questions—and much more—in the first episode of our new series on referral selling. Don’t miss it!  Outline of This Episode [1:04] What are referrals? How do they work in sales? [1:54] Common mistakes salespeople make asking for referrals [3:28] How salespeople can leverage social media to generate referrals [4:09] Jamie’s advice for those exploring referral-based selling  [5:04] How to measure the success of a referral program [6:12] Best Practices: The right way to ask for client referrals [8:48] The role technology plays in referral selling [9:42] Jamie’s top 3 referral selling dos and don’ts [11:48] Why adding value should be your #1 priority Common mistakes salespeople

We are in a market where there are too many sellers and not enough buyers. And the buyers are armed with tactical information. So Patrick Tinney believes that salespeople need to take a strategic approach to negotiation. If they don’t have one, they’ll get smashed. And the key to a successful negotiation is preparation. He shares his strategies for preparing for a successful negotiation in this episode of Sales Reinvented!  Outline of This Episode [1:04] Why planning and preparation is an important step in negotiation [1:42] The key steps you should take to prepare for a negotiation [3:52] The attributes or characteristics that make a great negotiation planner [4:48] Tools and resources to improve your negotiation outcomes [6:39] Patrick’s top negotiation planning dos and don’ts [9:01] Remember that not every deal is worth winning The key steps you should take to prepare for a negotiation When you go into a negotiation, you want to learn about the team on the other side. You can do this by researching on so

Randy Kutz believes that negotiators are missing opportunities if they aren’t planning. Why is it so important? High stakes B2B negotiations take time. You have to build relationships. If you’re not prepared to negotiate and reach a successful outcome, the quality of the deal suffers. You might still come to an agreement—but it could have been better if you prepared.  If someone enters an agreement they don’t like, they’ll look for every opportunity to kill that deal. If you stumble in your preparation, it may decrease the likelihood of future partnerships with your counterpart. If you’re not prepared, the power balance shifts to the other side.  These are just a few of the reasons why negotiation preparation is a must. Randy covers the topic in more detail in this episode of Sales Reinvented!  Outline of This Episode [1:02] Why planning and preparation is an important step in negotiation [4:50] The key steps you should take to prepare for a negotiation [11:25] The attributes or characteristics that make a g

If you go into a negotiation without preparing, you've already lost. You need to understand the other side’s objectives and know what your counters are. Doing so enables you to stay calm. Being overwhelmed by emotion is your enemy in any negotiation. The minute you get upset, you’ve lost the advantage. Mike Figliuolo emphasizes that everything hinges on doing the proper research. Hear his thoughts on the matter in this episode of Sales Reinvented!  Outline of This Episode [1:39] Why planning and preparation is an important step in negotiation [2:19] Complete extensive research to prepare for your negotiation [3:19] The attributes or characteristics that make a great negotiation planner [5:05] Tools and resources to improve your negotiation outcomes [6:27] Mike’s top three negotiation planning dos and don’ts [9:57] Preparation is the precursor to any successful negotiation Complete extensive research to prepare for your negotiation Do your research on your negotiating partner. You want to get to a solution t

As a sales leader, you want to prepare for every step of the process. Because negotiation is so far down the sales funnel, it would be a shame to be unprepared and lose a deal because you weren’t prepared. Preparation allows you to think strategically. It also makes you look professional. Someone’s business was important enough for you to take the time to prepare. So how do you prepare strategically? And what does it take to have a successful negotiation? Learn more from Kristie Jones in this episode of Sales Reinvented!  Outline of This Episode [0:58] Why planning and preparation is an important step in negotiation [2:08] The key steps a salesperson should take to prepare for negotiation [4:28] The attributes or characteristics that make a great negotiation planner [6:50] Tools and resources to improve your negotiation outcomes [8:49] Kristie’s top three negotiation planning dos and don’ts [11:42] You have to remain flexible in your negotiation preparation The key steps a salesperson should take to prepare

Everything depends on preparation. When you’re in a negotiation, you’re under pressure. You need a good plan or all is lost before you start. Planning is often the most neglected part of a negotiation, too. Why? Because salespeople think they can’t plan because they don’t know what the other person will do. They want to go in and “See what happens.” Chris Croft believes that mindset is all wrong. You need a plan—just work in a few ‘what ifs.’ Outline of This Episode [0:48] Why planning and preparation is an important step in negotiation [2:10] The key steps a salesperson should take to prepare for negotiation [8:46] How to “be nice” in a negotiation when you dislike the other person  [11:12] The attributes or characteristics that make a great sales negotiator [14:43] Tools and resources to improve your negotiation outcomes [19:53] Chris’s top three negotiation planning dos and don’ts [22:52] You can negotiate from a place of weakness and still win The key steps a salesperson should take to prepare for negot

level solution. What are their goals and aspirations for their company? How can your product or services help them achieve their goal? In this episode of Sales Reinvented, Lisa McLeod shares why it’s important to focus on your counterpart’s highest-level solution—and how to do it.  Outline of This Episode [0:53] Why planning and preparation is an important step in negotiation [1:42] The key steps a salesperson should take to prepare for negotiation [4:00] Why you need to identify your counterpart’s highest-level solution  [5:45] The attributes or characteristics that make a great sales negotiator [8:06] Tools and resources to improve negotiation outcomes [9:38] Lisa’s top three negotiation planning dos and don’ts [13:44] Why you should offer more value instead of lowering your price The key steps a salesperson should take to prepare for negotiation If you’re planning a high-stakes negotiation, there are three things Lisa believes you need to do:  Take a deep breath: That floods oxygen to your brain and hel

As a former procurement professional, Mike Inman can guarantee that procurement comes to the table with a plan. As a salesperson, if you don’t have a plan of your own—you’ll end up following theirs. You should know the tactics you want to use, who is going to be in the meeting, what your BATNA is, and you must set an agenda. Knowledge is power, and you have to leverage it. He shares his take on “opposition” research in this episode of Sales Reinvented!  Outline of This Episode [0:59] Why planning and preparation is an important step in negotiation [2:06] The key steps a salesperson should take to prepare for negotiation [4:09] The attributes or characteristics that make a great sales negotiator [5:04] Don’t be afraid to leverage LinkedIn to do your research [8:33] Mike’s top three negotiation planning dos and don’ts [10:50] The importance of opposition research in a negotiation The key steps a salesperson should take to prepare for negotiation What’s happening on your side of the table? For every deal point

Joanne M Smith believes that negotiation preparation in 2023 will be more critical than ever. Why? Because change is happening. We’ve been in an easy negotiation market. She points out that we’re looking at a potential recession where pricing power is going to shift away from suppliers and into the hands of the customers. That’s why she believes salespeople need to plan for tough conversations. Learn what that looks like in this episode of Sales Reinvented!  Outline of This Episode [0:45] Why planning and preparation is an important step in negotiation [1:45] The key steps a salesperson should take to prepare for negotiation [5:02] The attributes or characteristics that make a great sales negotiator [7:16] Negotiation planning tools and resources to improve B2B negotiations  [9:24] Joanne’s Top negotiation planning dos and don’ts [13:27] Planning for tough conversations leads to negotiations success The key steps a salesperson should take to prepare for negotiation The best economists believe that we’ll see

It’s important to practice and train in football, basketball, or any other professional sport, right? Yet too many professionals discount the importance of practice and preparation. But if you don’t plan and prepare when you’re negotiating with a team, you’re planning and preparing for complete failure. A great negotiation is the result of great planning on both sides. Keld Jensen emphasizes that you must spend time preparing—more so than on the negotiation itself. Learn how he accomplishes this in this episode of Sales Reinvented!  Outline of This Episode [0:47] Why planning and preparation is an important step in negotiation [2:48] The key steps a salesperson should take to prepare for negotiation [5:50] The attributes or characteristics that make a great sales negotiator [7:37] Negotiation planning tools and resources to improve B2B negotiations  [9:33] Top three negotiation planning dos and top three don’ts [12:55] Why a negotiation team needs at least three players [15:08] Things to be aware of when neg

What does a customer experience when they hear a story? It should be entertaining, enjoyable, and relatable. Storytelling is innately human. We are wired to receive and retain information when it’s told in story form. Stories can also be used to create alignment with important executive stakeholders in the sales process. Learn how Scott Ingram uses stories to create executive alignment with Fortune 500 companies in this episode of Sales Reinvented! Outline of This Episode [0:53] Why storytelling is an important skill to possess  [1:30] Is storytelling something that can be learned? [2:44] The ingredients of a great story that sells [3:32] The attributes of a great sales story [6:23] Resources to improve storytelling abilities [7:17] Reaching executive stakeholders with one question [14:03] The success Scott sees aligning with stakeholders [15:11] What you can take away from Scott’s story Stories are perfected through practice Scott has developed specific stories for specific situations that he knows will re

Sales is about building relationships. People want to have faith that you’re a good person and that you’re there for the right reasons. They don’t get to see you in action. But if you tell a story about a real experience, it shares a sample of your behavior. It allowed them to decide whether or not you’re trustworthy. Annette Simmons firmly believes that storytelling is the substance of relationships. Learn how she uses stories to demonstrate trustworthiness in this episode of Sales Reinvented!  Outline of This Episode [0:44] Why is storytelling an important skill to possess in sales?  [2:01] Is storytelling something that can be learned?  [3:25] The ingredients of a great story that sells [5:04] The attributes of a great storyteller [6:53] Resources to improve your storytelling [9:55] Top three storytelling dos and don’ts [12:40] Using a story to demonstrate trustworthiness The ingredients of a great story that sells A great story is a significant emotional experience narrated so that it feels real to the

People make decisions on an emotional level and then justify them logically. If you hear a story about someone else that mirrors what’s happening to you, you visualize yourself in that role. When you hear that someone else has used this product or service as their solution, it makes the decision to buy easier. It helps ease your nerves.  As the seller, you can tap into the real needs of a buyer that help them make a decision. You do this by sharing real, relevant, and descriptive stories that put the buyer in that scenario. Donald C Kelly shares how story selling is in the details in this episode of Sales Reinvented! Outline of This Episode [0:55] Why is storytelling an important skill to possess in sales?  [2:42] Can you become a more gifted storyteller?  [5:14] What makes a great story that sells?  [7:01] The characteristics of a great storyteller [8:54] Resources to improve your storytelling [10:35] Top three storytelling dos and don’ts [13:14] Why you should share stories that resonate What makes a grea

When you can share stories that demonstrate the value of your product or service—while making your prospective client the hero—it makes what you offer come alive. Patti Pokorchak likes to say, “When people see the value, they will find the money.” Learn how Patti crafts stories that show value in this episode of Sales Reinvented!  Outline of This Episode [1:19] Why is storytelling an important skill? [1:46] Is storytelling something that can be learned?  [2:37] The ingredients of a story that sells [3:18] The attributes of a great storyteller [4:03] Resources to improve your storytelling [5:16] Top three storytelling dos and don’ts [6:25] How to keep your story more concise [7:19] How to make the story about the customer [8:12] When people see the value they find the money Is storytelling something that can be learned?  Patti jokes that she’s living proof that you can take a shy geek and turn them into a more outgoing multi-million-dollar sales professional. Storytelling is another tool in her arsenal that

Sales is about making connections with your customer. Humans invented stories as the most powerful way to connect information and people. That’s why storytelling is something you have to learn. Learning to play any musical instrument is challenging. Every once and a while a Mozart comes along that is naturally gifted at a young age. But for most people, the reason they’re good at something is because they do it consistently. Just like learning a musical instrument, storytelling is a skill that you need to master.  Outline of This Episode [0:41] Why storytelling is an important skill to possess [1:16] How to become a more gifted storyteller [2:26] The ingredients of a great story that sells [4:51] The attributes of a great sales storyteller [6:18] Resources to improve storytelling abilities  [7:28] Doug’s top three storytelling dos and don’ts [9:33] How a story can pack a powerful punch The ingredients of a great story that sells Many salespeople go wrong when they share a case study, thinking that it’s a st

Rob Stenberg likes to say, “The shortest distance between two people is a story.” And if you’re looking to make an emotional connection, being able to tell a succinct story is a critical sales skill. Some people are more intuitive storytellers. But just like any other skill, you can learn how to tell stories. It takes time and practice and training to gain mastery. Rob shares some of his strategies to craft compelling stories in this episode of Sales Reinvented! Outline of This Episode [0:57] Why storytelling is an important skill to have [1:30] Can you learn how to be a great storyteller? [2:05] The ingredients of a great story that sells [3:10] The attributes of a great storyteller [3:56] Resources to improve storytelling abilities  [4:56] Rob’s top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts [6:57] How to shorten a story to 60–90 seconds  [8:06] Why sales leaders need an “I am human” story The ingredients of a great story that sells Rob notes that you need to set the stage where you introduce the hero of the story. Th

Every salesperson needs to be relatable. Stories are the best way to be relatable. A great narrative helps connect people and drive sales. Learning how to become a good storyteller takes experience, which only comes with practice.  AnnaMarie Platt-Miller emphasizes that the best stories are personal. But if you don’t have those, borrow others’ stories. Read stories. Read books. Listen to podcasts. Watch TedTalks. Do whatever you can to become a better storyteller. Outline of This Episode [1:03] Why storytelling is an important skill to have [1:48] Can anyone learn to be a good storyteller? [2:32] The ingredients of a great story that sells [3:59] The attributes of a great sales storyteller [5:00] Resources to improve your storytelling [7:16] AnnaMarie’s top 3 storytelling dos and don’ts [9:26] Why you should personalize stories when possible The ingredients of a great story that sells You have to ask your customer open-ended questions so they can share their story. Because until you know their story, you ca