Not something we typically do at ASP–review books but had a chance to read Seth’s new book, Linchpin.
It synchs up quite well with our philosophy that if you really want to be treated differently in the market–then you must “show up” differently. And this book teaches you how to rethink that premise.
Bill returns from Green Bay having worked with a group of sales people who were seeking knowledge and skills about how to find “prospect pain.” In this episode, Bill explains some of the intricacies of how to understand what motivates prospects to change from their current state to a new state.
Everyone fancies themselves as great problem solvers. But the one skill that we think you need PRIOR to problem-solving is “problem-finding.” In this episode, Bill and Bryan walk you through a Problem Finding approach that works perfectly for B2B sales professionals. Sales training today – and any sales strategy you employ – should have a component of problem finding/solving in it. If it doesn’t, you’ll resort right back to “convince and persuade” which is the old method. (You’re better than that.)
This week, Bill and Bryan review the basic selling skills needed for the new salesperson. But before you discount it as something “for rookies only,” listening to this episode might help you go back to the very basics–it might even remind of some places where your skills can be improved. In a way, since the sales world has changed quite a bit in the last ten years, it never hurts to go back to some of the core principles guiding successful sales professionals.
As we begin the new year, one thing we believe we could ALL be better at is the positioning of ourselves as experts in our industries. When you go into the sales process as a “salesperson,” you are in a place of weakness. But when you enter the process as an “expert” who can bring a wealth of resources and counsel to the parties involved, you are stronger. Bill and Bryan give you two tips to get the “expert” ball rolling.
An article written by Dan Levis, which was published on Clayton Makepeace’s blog The Total Package, stated that people completely overlook the prospect’s self-image.
For that reason, Bill Caskey recommends in today’s vignette that once you change your way of thinking about your prospect the more you will benefit.