The Elephant In Your Business

“The elephant in the room.” I’m sure you’ve heard that saying before. It basically means the thing that we know to be true, but we don’t want to admit.

On this episode of The Bill Caskey Podcast, I address what the elephant in your business might look like. I also give you 3 things that apply to every sales professional and sales leader and how you can identify it in your business.

Through the end of June, I’m making a one-hour Coaching session available to my subscribers who want to create an Audience and Content Plan for their business. Go to https://resources.billcaskey.com/1-to-1-coaching to schedule a call now!

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Also mentioned in this podcast:

How To Write a LinkedIn Article That Generates Interest

When someone asks you to write an article, I realize that you go through all sorts of anguish. It doesn’t need to be that way. 

Find a template that works, then the writing of an article is something you can do in an hour.  

In this blog, I will lay out the ideal template for LinkedIn articles.

Why You Should Do It

As LinkedIn becomes overwhelmed with posts, the fact is it only a small percentage of your connections actually see your posts. I hear 5-15% of your feed posts are seen by your connections. 

On the other hand, articles live forever.

But it must be good and it must bring value to the reader. 

If you have followed me for a period of time, you know how important I believe it is to position yourself as an expert in your industry. Articles do that.

Here are my tips:

1. Come up with 10 questions. I like to write an article that has a question in the title. This question must be one that your prospects or clients are currently considering or wrestling with. So come up with the 10 most common questions. Then find one in that list that you can write a good article about.

I suggest your question be either about a) a problem they are having, b) an aspiration they have for their business life, or c) something that’s on their mind as you first start a discussion. In my business, it might be “Why Should I Even Consider Sales Training At This Time?”

2. Make the layout easy to read. Don’t write a 500 word article that has one paragraph. Chances are, this will be read on a persons mobile device so one or two sentences per paragraph is enough. That way when they open it, it doesn’t look overwhelming to them.

3. Start with a story. Tell a story about a prospect that you recently spoke to who was wrestling with this very topic. “Last week I called on John, who was VP of Sales for a mid-sized equipment dealer.” Then, devote a paragraph to the kind of dilemma that he was in when you showed up.  

Stories sell. 

And since you’ve been in sales longer than a week and a half, you probably have stories that you could tell that draws the reader into the topic.

4. Enrich with media.
You don’t have to do this but it helps with the consumption of your words. Find a graphic or even a video that reinforces the topic or the main points. Insert it into the article. 

5. Bullets are OK. 3-5 are enough.
I have a love-hate relationship with bullet points. But when writing an article for LinkedIn, they are useful. If nothing else, it helps you know what the 3 to 5 primary takeaways you want your reader to get from the copy.  

If you are looking for a transition from the problem to the solution, one easy way to do it is to say, “As John and I were talking, it occurred to me that the following three things should’ve been on his radar.” Then list the bullets with a sentence or two under each. 

6. Call to action. Make it subtle but specific.
This article is no place to make a big pitch for any kind of product. My recommendation would be to simply say, “If you’d like to speak with me more about some of these issues, I welcome your call or email.” Then put your email address there.

7. Create a banner graphic.
If you don’t have a designer to create the graphic, go to canva.com. Get a free account and find a template for “LinkedIn graphic” and use that. Change the colors if you want…and put your name in the graphic as well. Make sure the title is there, and a subtitle that says what the reader will learn. 

8. Share your article.
If you are in groups, go ahead and share there. You can even see who viewed your article, along with job title. Data is key. If one of your articles outdrew the others, then double down on that topic. Or, continue to promote it in your feed. 

9. Set your profile to Public.
That way, anyone can see it. Or, you can link an email to that article. 

LinkedIn articles are in place for two years, whereas your feed falls quickly. 

My recommendation would be to write a new article every month. That’s right – monthly. As you do that, you’ll get much better at the process and they will become easier to read and more compelling to your audience.

Then, when you have a meeting coming up where an article might speak to the customer’s plight, you can send them a link. That way they know that you are a good resource for this topic.

AudienceCoaching

Creating Your Joe Rogan Moment

Joe Rogan, host of the podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, recently signed an agreement with Spotify worth over 100M. But, you may ask, “why does that matter to me?”

On this episode, I’ll tell you why it’s so important to create content and build your personal brand. If you do, you might just create your own “Joe Rogan Moment.”

Through the end of June, I’m making a one-hour Coaching session available to my subscribers who want to create an Audience and Content Plan for their business. Go to https://resources.billcaskey.com/1-to-1-coaching to schedule a call now!

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Also mentioned in this podcast:

Will Barron Interviews Bill Caskey – The Salesman Podcast

Recently, I was invited to be on with Will Barron, (The Salesman podcast) out of UK. I’ve had Will on my podcast before and find him to be a straight shooter – and a seeker of the truth about how to achieve in this world.

We addressed:

  • The idea of your core mission as a sales pro
  • Some ideas on how you can use content marketing to enhance your position
  • Ideas on the ‘new paradigm of selling.’

Here is the interview in its entirety:

If you want to listen on his iTunes stream, here it is.

Sales Professional?
I’ve had a few requests since the interview – from people wondering how to get access to more of this thinking. We are taking applications throughout the year into The 2X Group, a mastermind/learning group for B2B sellers, which you can find out more about here. http://www.the2xgroup.com

Sales Leader?
I also had some inquiries from Sales Leaders/Managers/VPs for how to implement this thinking inside your company. If that speaks to you, then go here for more information on how to do that. www.worldclasssalesleader.com

How to Get Prospects to Sell You


No matter what anyone says, I don’t believe salespeople go into business so they can act desperate.

It’s true, if you think about it – most people in sales are there to do the right thing. Earn a living, provide for their family, secure their future. It’s not like they wake up thinking, “How will I intimidate someone into buying from me today?”

Now, I get it. We want to start selling, lickety-split. It’d be nice to start closing sales on Day One. Especially if you’re not out to hurt anyone. It’s time that can mess with our heads. The clock is ticking, and good time management is usually part of winning in sales. Think end of the month deadlines, life cycle of leads, and so forth.

I hate to be the one to tell you, but sales operates like marketing and follow-up. Many people need to hear things a good eight to twelve times before magic happens. If you let anxiety or impatience get the better of you, good intentions won’t matter. You need to send a sincere, patient message to your audience. Over and over.

Being in a hurry to sell sabotages your approach. Prospects want a calm, confident professional. Instead, they get a desperate, pushy salesperson. This is because the majority of communication is nonverbal. The sooner you understand that, the sooner you can adjust to send the right signals.


Heart for Sale

Our intentions and motives come from deep within. They’re based on what we believe. That’s common sense, right?

But as we know our intentions affect our actions. You’d think most people would connect them together. But common sense … isn’t all that common.

What’s interesting is salespeople notice this easily when they’re buying from another professional. But as soon as they get back in the seller’s chair… they forget all about it.

What difference would it make if you showed up differently? How would it look? You’d walk into a meeting where the only outcome that matters is serving the other person. Educating them. Solving their problems. Taking their side, instead of trying to push through their defenses.

It would send out vibes that the prospect could sense. They’d know just from the tone of your voice and the gleam in your eye. This changes everything.

Intention - Bill Caskey


The Lows and the Highs

There are people who only care about meeting a quota so they can earn commission. Do you think prospects can smell that? Of course. These are what I call “low-intent salespeople.”

They sell only for themselves. They don’t really care about the prospect. It’s a surprise if they even ask questions about the problem. They’re usually in a rush to get signatures.

High-intent salespeople, meanwhile, are in it for everyone. Of course, they want to succeed, but not at the expense of serving the customer.

High-intent salespeople also maintain healthy concern for their company. They regard sales calls as “interviews” to see if accepting the client solves problems for their firm.

High-intent salespeople also maintain healthy concern for their company. They regard sales calls as “interviews” to see if accepting the client solves problems for their firm. Share on X

The Best Intent = The Best Result

In most sales training, “results” usually means “more money for us.” Let’s flip the switch a little on this, to include process, focus and role reversal.


1. Process

The first thing high-intent selling changes is the overall experience of buying. It begins with marketing. On social media, blogs or anywhere else, are you generous with what you know? Can prospects take a few steps in the right direction, before you need money?

What about your funnel? Do you switch from soft marketing to a hard sell, or do you make time to give comfort to your prospect? Your first call should include a second dose of free knowledge they can use. The conversation should allow them to “brush up against you” and get a feel for you as someone they trust.

To close with high-intent, you need to be even more careful. Every call can have a blind corner or “misread signal” for the seller. How do you handle objections? Can you play with resistance, without being offensive? Can you reflect back to the prospect gently, applying pressure when it’s called for?

The salesperson who masters these subtleties of persuasion is a true champion. These are the ones clients later write to say, “Thank you for giving me the push I needed.”

 

2. Focus

If you’ve never watched a skilled journalist, you might want to pay attention to how they work. Celebrities give interviews to Barbara Walters, Howard Stern and Oprah Winfrey because they know they’ll be led into deep conversations – with millions of people watching.

Unlike salespeople, journalists don’t want money from guests. They want something far more important to the prospect … their story! Their background, pains, sorrows, hopes and aspirations. Don’t you think your prospects have stories? What if you’re competing for a piece of business their current vendor is neglecting? In your sales strategy, learn to think like a journalist.

A Word About Detachment

I recommend detachment as part of high-intent selling. But some people hear that and think it means, “Be passive.” Nope. Not at all.

The best definition for detachment is never being more interested in making the sale than the customer is in solving their problems. You are mindful of their pain, but you insist on remaining helpful rather than coercive.

It’s hard to frighten a salesperson who displays calmness, whether or not they actually make a sale. With high-intent selling, you remove pride from the equation and become preoccupied with serving the needs of the person in front of you..

Benevolent detachment sends a message to people: You are totally unafraid of them saying “No.” And that is exceedingly rare among salespeople.

 

3. Role Reversal

High-intent sellers usually end up being “sold” by their prospects. They radiate confidence and plenty of curiosity. They could be mistaken for “The Most Interesting Man (or Woman) in the World.” People insist on doing business, just because they find you interesting.

Some global companies “brand” with their audiences well. High-intent selling is a form of branding, graphic design and flashy logos or not. What people get from it is a feeling. If your prospects feel the difference, they need less persuading than normal.

Take it from me, you want to know what this feels like. The kind of sales conversations you’ll have will make it all worthwhile.

I don’t know if you’re intrigued with this. If you are, I invite you to my website to learn more about The 2X Group. It’s a mastermind we’ve created for sales professionals to help them do exactly what I’ve laid out in this article.

Click here to learn more about The 2X Group. 

 

 

A Framework For Telling Your Story

Story... It seems like everyone is talking about it these days, but how do I get started?

That’s exactly what Bill will tell you on this week’s episode of The Bill Caskey Podcast. He walks you through a framework on how to not just craft your story, but how to build one that will compel prospects to want to work with you.  

What the hell is going on with your sales team? Not sure? Find out by downloading my BRAND NEW leadership guide. Just go to http://billcaskey.com/wth to get your free copy now!

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Also mentioned in this podcast:

The Difference Makers For 2020

On the last episode of The Bill Caskey Podcast in 2019, Bill wants you to make a change in 2020.

He gives you the 5 things that he believes can make a huge difference in your achievement next year. These are all things that he uses in his own coaching and training practice and has seen a serious impact with his clients. 

If you want to chat about how I can help your team implement these and get to higher levels of sales performance, go to http://billcaskey.com/growmyteam.

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Also mentioned in this podcast:

What Kind Of Sales Team Have You Built?

On this episode of The Bill Caskey Podcast, Bill prompts you to evaluate what kind of sales team that you have built. We are all on a journey in life, what are you doing to further that journey for your people?

Bill gives you some situations and how to handle them like a professional vs. an amateur leader.

If you want to chat about how I can help your team implement these and get to higher levels of sales performance, go to http://billcaskey.com/growmyteam.

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Also mentioned in this podcast:

Do You Have a High Performance Sales Culture?

On this episode of The Bill Caskey Podcast, Bill asks the question of CEO’s and Presidents, “Have You Built a High Performance Sales Culture?” 

Most companies don’t have one, but the good news is, you can build one. Bill gives you 5 things you can start doing now with your team that can get you on your way.

If you want to chat about how I can help your team implement these and get to higher levels of sales performance, go to http://billcaskey.com/growmyteam.

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Also mentioned in this podcast: