Your Competition is Targeting Your Accounts. What Will You Do?

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So everyone’s feeling a little fearful these days. A little 2009 Recession Afterburn.

Nonetheless, your best clients are on your competition’s target list. They’ve always been there, but you will begin to see some action now, if you haven’t already.

What To Do About It

I was on a training call yesterday when it came up. Here was my suggestion. Be More Than You Have Been. (US ARMY, go ahead and use this if you like).

What this means is don’t just see yourself as selling the service product you sell. See yourself as an expert and resource in a larger context.

I have a client that sells copiers, supplies and service. Everything they do points toward better productivity and low cost. So, my suggestion was to go out and find other experts who speak or write on those topics and create an ongoing seminar program for their clients.

Right now, you are in a sub category of a larger category. All I’m asking you to do is back up one level and think “How can I be a value or a resource to my client base in the larger category?”

Selling The Larger Solution

Another example is us. We do sales training and develop people. But it all fits in a higher category of “growing your business.” So, I will go out and find others who are experts on this and bring them to my clients–through blogs, podcasts, videos, teleseminars etc.,

The winners in this next three years, will be people who think differently about their market. Same old stuff leads to same old stuff. You’re better than that.

Stay tuned. Soon, I’ll be releasing a video on what you can do today to get out of the recession mindset.

Fatal Mistakes in B2B Sales and How to Avoid Them Series – We Listen With Our Motor Running

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*This is a part of The Whale Hunters’ guest blog series for three weeks on “Fatal Mistakes in B2B Sales and How to Avoid Them.” To read some of the blogs for the series, you can visit: http://blog.thewhalehunters.com/

In this video, Bill Caskey discusses one fatal mistake he notices salespeople do. With his experience as an Indianapolis sales trainer, Bill addresses a few ways for salespeople to avoid this one mistake.

-Mentioned in this video…-
The Advanced Selling Podcast: Every week, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale, upload a new podcast for sales people all over the planet. Eventually, we’ll be bringing over all the episodes but it’s not quite at the top of our priority list yet.

So, until then, go to www.AdvancedSellingPodcast.com and you can download–or listen to them all.

From Riding The Bench To Starting The Game–A 10-Point Plan

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I hear this a lot in business. People want to start in the game for their company…yet their boss keeps them “on the bench.”  They may want to get access to the larger account…or make more money…or get more responsibility…or get that promotion. Whatever “starting” means to you is fine.

But, it amazes me how most people go to their manager with a demand: “Play me!”

Think about the arrogance of that. Instead, it seems to me that if someone is riding the bench and wants to start they must realize some facts. (I write this in sports analogy—and if you have a son/daughter who is not getting as much “playing time” as they’d like, give this to them. It all applies.)

  1. Most coaches believe that who they’re playing is in the team’s best interest. Even if they aren’t playing the best people, they have a reason—and that becomes their belief.  (Resist thinking there is some conspiracy theory to keep you on the bench.)
  2. Every team has VOIDS in their line-ups that need filling. No team is perfect. Sports teams have voids all the time. Sometimes you have to look for them.
  3. That to play, the coach must see you as a bigger contributor in the lineup than the players he currently has in. Pretty simple concept, but one that is missed frequently. Read more

Sales Action And Running Prospect Meetings

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Whiteboard Wednesday returns to its roots this week with Bill (who’s actually in front of a whiteboard) discussing how to handle a sales call when there are many of them and only one of you. He gives you a simple technique that few use that will help you begin on the same page.

And Bryan Neale rants a little bit about his fat wallet (except for there’s no money in it….only receipts). The essence of this rant has to do with taking action.

Read more

What Happens When The Prospect Tries To Derail You?

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In this episode, sales trainer Brooke Green relays a story of how she – the actual sales chick – almost allowed the prospect to drag her off track in a big sales cycle. She’ll share with you sales lessons she learned, how she righted the ship and what she did to get the sales process back on track.

Also, Bryan Neale shares with you his sales-God-meditation thoughts about the topic of ‘market abundance’ and how that impacts your sales attitude.
You won’t want to miss this.

And Bill? He’s relegated once more to the mere “introducer” role, a role he doesn’t seem happy about.

Read more

USA Womens Soccer – A Lesson For All Sales People

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Loved the watching the Gold Medal game of World Cup soccer yesterday. Really not much of a soccer fan but must admit was glued to the TV for three hours.

And, somewhat disappointed by the outcome….. Read more

Interview An Expert

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Interview an expert.

That’s right, purchase a $100 piece of equipment that you can record on the phone (or do it by SKYPE…it’s free)

  • And ask them questions about the industry you’re in.
  • Ask them about their vision for the future.
  • Ask them what they see as trends in your business.

Then, put it on your channel.

By interviewing experts, you re-classify yourself as an expert.

-B. Caskey

Skills For Your Future

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What are the skills that you will need to excel? Not just survive but excel? You should be doing this exercise once a year because skills change. It used to be that sales people did not need to know how to write, so copywriting skills were optional. Not anymore.

What other skills are required for your future business that you’re a little weak on? Now, go to youtube and search on those skills with the key word “tutorial” after. Then, spend 5 hours on each of the skills you identify. Watch what happens.

-B. Caskey

Take Note of The Things That Speak To You

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Read and make note of those things you read that really speak to you.We might read a 300-page book…and see only 3 things that spoke to us. That’s fine.Take those three things and try your hand at writing about them.

You learn more when you write about something.

  • Why did they speak to you?
  • What will you miss by not adhering to those lessons?
  • How have those lessons shifted “how you think?”

-B. Caskey