Practical Wisdom from Kahle Way Sales Systems
289 episodes - English - Latest episode: 21 days ago -Focused on business professionals, sales leaders and professional salespeople we help you sell better, lead better and live better. Enjoy.
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Episodes
Q & A on "Low Price"
July 02, 2020 10:30 - 13 minutes - 10.6 MBCustomers asking about a 'lower price' is a universal headache for B2B salespeople. In this session, I respond to four specific questions on that theme. Gain some insights and ideas you may never have had before. You may also want to listen to: It is the Risk, not the Price! Five ways to prevent the price objection!
A Passion for Sales
June 25, 2020 10:30 - 10 minutes - 9.47 MBOne of my clients recently mentioned to me that, when hiring prospective sales people, he looks for a “passion for sales” in their personality. The idea struck me. I had never really thought in those terms before. What is a ‘passion for sales?’ What does it look like? Is it really an indicator of a successful sales person? And, how do you identify it?
The Ultimate Success Skill for the Information Age
June 18, 2020 10:30 - 16 minutes - 13.8 MBI am convinced that the process of continuously improving – not only professionally in the core competencies of a professional sales person, but also personally as well – is the ultimate success skill for our time.
Are we becoming afraid to think?
June 16, 2020 10:00 - 9 minutes - 7.46 MBI’m afraid for the future of our country. I’m afraid because I believe that the discipline of thinking before we act – in every circumstance and level of society -- is rapidly disappearing. In its place, we are witnessing a whole host of alternatives. It is like thousands of years of human development has been shrugged to the side, and a new ethic of rushing to conclusions with little objective basis has replaced it. We are regressing to the Middle Ages.
Handling Objections -- Part One
June 11, 2020 10:30 - 11 minutes - 10.5 MBEvery salesperson must deal with customer objections. In this first of two, I reveal a technique that will make the process much easier.
Two Powerful Rules to Closing the Sale
June 04, 2020 11:00 - 15 minutes - 13.8 MBWhenever I ask salespeople to rate themselves on their competence at all the different parts of the sales process, they invariably rate themselves low at closing the sale. Unfortunately, salespeople who don't close consistently waste a lot of their time, waste their customer’s time, and are not nearly as effective as they could be. Being adept at closing the sale, and every step in the process, is an important key to productivity. So, let's examine the issue of closing, with tw...
Noise and the Death of Deep Thinking
June 02, 2020 11:00 - 8 minutes - 9.66 MBOur current level of electronic noise makes deep thinking almost impossible. Today I received over 209 email messages, had 35 postings on my Facebook page, uncountable listings on my Linkedin page, and several voice mail messages. This was after having methodically unsubscribed to legions of emails and registered on the “do not call” list. Of that tsunami of incoming messages, only about a half dozen were at all relevant to my business or my life. I am sure my numbers are just ...
What should I read to improve as a salesperson?
May 28, 2020 11:00 - 17 minutes - 14.9 MBThis is a response to a salesperson who asked my recommendation for what to read and listen to in order to improve his/her performance. Way beyond that, you’ll gain a greater understanding of how to improve as a salesperson, and acquire one question that can guide your learning for ever.
How well does your organization learn?
May 26, 2020 11:00 - 12 minutes - 10.7 MBWhat may be the single most important predictor of an organization’s long-term business development and survival is that organization’s ability to learn. In a world that is changing more rapidly today than at any previous time in human history, the consistent practice of learning is the only sustainable long-term strategy.
Are Your Relationships a Help or a Hindrance?
May 21, 2020 11:00 - 9 minutes - 8.18 MBPositive customer relationships are the basis of much B2B business, right? Positive business relationships ensure us an audience with the customer, make every step of the selling process go easier, and even provide us with a competitive edge. It’s not unusual for the business to come your way just because they like you the best. But in today’s hyper-competitive economy, relying on your relationships is like trying to paddle through the storm in a leaky row boat – your effort wi...
Managing Your Attitudes
May 19, 2020 11:00 - 10 minutes - 9.31 MBWe’ve all heard about the importance of our attitudes. Usually the directive goes like this; “XXXXXXXXXX, you need to improve your attitude!” Fortunately, there is a lot more to attitudes than just the oft-spoken refrain to improve ours. Successful people eventually learn how to manage their attitudes.
Learning about the Competition
May 14, 2020 11:00 - 15 minutes - 16.2 MBAs salespeople, we love to complain about the competition. Unfortunately, complaining doesn’t do us any good. A better approach is to create a system to learn about the competition. Knowledge of the competition -- not only their strengths and weaknesses but also their patterns and tendencies – will provide you with a distinct advantage, and prevent you from getting blindsided or seriously outmaneuvered.
Is the System the Solution? Intro to Business Systems
May 12, 2020 11:00 - 13 minutes - 11.9 MBAt its most fundamental level, business is always and only about three things: Money, people and systems. There is a huge body of content revolving around money in business. When it comes to people, as an element in business, there is an equally impressive body of knowledge and infrastructure. When it comes to systems, however, there is not nearly the quantity and quality of conversation. And yet effective systems are, at the very least, just as necess...
Is it the low price, or the high risk?
May 07, 2020 11:00 - 13 minutes - 13 MB“Low price, low price, low price.” It’s the mantra that sales people in every industry segment are hearing more these days than ever before. But, is low price the motivating factor in a customer’s decision to buy? Here’s a secret that almost nobody knows, including all those gurus telling you to sell value. They don’t always buy the best value. But, they can invariably be counted on to buy the lowest risk!
Understanding Backward so that you can Live Forward
May 05, 2020 11:00 - 10 minutes - 11.4 MBMy wife is a crises counselor. You would think that, by the very nature of the word crises, she would see a continually changing group of clients who were dealing with the occasional crises. Not so. She frequently engages with the same group of folks who lurch from one crises to another. They never learn from their mistakes, continue the same behavior that brought on the original crises, and find themselves in another one. The pattern repeats. That pattern of behavior – not ...
Questions from Salespeople: Dealing with Prospects
April 30, 2020 11:00 - 16 minutes - 13.7 MBDealing with prospects is one of the most daunting and frustrating parts of the salesperson's job. In this podcast, I respond to two questions from salespeople about key aspects of this difficult task. You'll gain some ideas you can use today.
The Second Most Powerful Set of Words Your Company Can Create
April 28, 2020 11:00 - 9 minutes - 7.87 MBThere are, in the world of sales and sales systems, certain practices that have such an enormous impact on the company and the market that they are in a special class of activities that call for executive involvement at the highest levels. One of that handful of activities is the creation of a value-added position (VAP). Next to the company’s vision, mission and values statements, a VAP contains the most important words an organization can create. It often forms the first impression the ...
Three techniques to listen better
April 23, 2020 23:00 - 15 minutes - 18.8 MBI recently came across some research that confirmed what many of us in the profession of educating sales people have known for years: That purchasers would be “much more likely” to buy from a sales person if that sales person would just “listen” to the customer. (1) The survey found that some of the worst offenders were experienced sales people. Listening is one of the four fundamental competencies of a professional sales person, and yet, the profession is, in general, so poor a...
Should You Set Goals?
April 21, 2020 11:00 - 10 minutes - 9.53 MBGoal-setting is one of those hallowed practices that belong in every leader’s arsenal. We’ve all heard that people who set goals are far more successful than those who don’t. And every well-run business has a policy and a practice of setting annual goals for its various operational departments. And yet, there are times and situations where it may be appropriate to do something else.
Four ways to practice sales
April 16, 2020 11:00 - 16 minutes - 14 MB“Every profession expects the serious practitioner of that profession to continually seek out the best practices of that profession, and then to roll them into his/her routine with discipline.” That statement comes out of my mouth in almost every seminar or keynote that I present. Sometimes I follow it up with the ironic observation that there is, apparently, one exception to that rule – and that is the profession of sales, where we don’t expect anyone to improve. Th...
Teaching Your Organization to Learn
April 14, 2020 11:00 - 14 minutes - 12.8 MBBecoming a learning organization – gaining the ability for an organization and its people to change in response to the changing world around them -- may be the ultimate success skill for the Information Age. For adults on the job, learning is synonymous to changed behavior.
My personal story -- The purpose of a purpose
April 09, 2020 11:00 - 9 minutes - 9.37 MBIn the most trying circumstances, having a greater purpose can be a powerful mechanism to see you through. Here’s my personal story.
How to Navigate Difficult Times -- For Sales Leaders
April 07, 2020 11:00 - 22 minutes - 17.8 MBWe are in the middle of some difficult times. Rather than belabor that point, I’d like to come to the heart of the problem: What do we do? In an earlier podcast, I shared some suggestions to help individuals navigate these turbulent waters. In this podcast, I’m focusing on sales forces. So, this is specifically aimed at owners, CEOs, Chief Sales Officers and other sales leaders. Here’s one person’s recommendations for what to do to weather this storm and come out the other s...
How to Navigate through Difficult Times
March 31, 2020 11:00 - 27 minutes - 23.1 MBWe are in the middle of some difficult times. Rather than belabor that point, I’d like to come to the heart of the problem: What do we do? We need to answer that question in an immediate, urgent basis: What do we do right now? We also need to answer the question in a strategic, on-going way. What do we do this week, this month, this year? Ultimately, as we sort through our lives, as we think about our careers and guide our businesses, we need to confront and answer that qu...
Five Ways to Prevent the Price Objection
March 26, 2020 11:00 - 11 minutes - 10.2 MB"Your price is too high!” The infamous price objection. Wouldn’t it be great if we could somehow wipe it out and never hear it again? Unfortunately, that will never happen. Too many of the people with whom we deal are paid to get the best deal they can. And that means asking for a better price, even when they know they are getting a great deal. That being said, it is still possible to reduce the number of times we hear it, and, perhaps more importantly, it is po...
Life Lesson -- Personal Responsibility
March 24, 2020 11:00 - 14 minutes - 12.2 MBI was young, cocky and a bit full of myself when I had one of the most humbling experiences of my life, and learned a lesson that has stuck with me for decades. Personal responsibility is easy to say, but quite a bit more difficult to actually embed into your life.
Questions from Salespeople on Developing Themselves
March 19, 2020 11:00 - 8 minutes - 7.09 MBShould a salesperson invest in his/her own development? If so, how much time and how much money. I respond to those questions in this episode.
Business Models or Leaders? Which is more Important?
March 17, 2020 11:00 - 9 minutes - 8.42 MB“Is there one business model that you would recommend to a budding entrepreneur?” That was the question a young man asked me recently. I reflected for a moment over the past 25 years, and answered this way: “No. I’ve worked with over 500 businesses, and in that pack, there were lots of different business models. What I’ve seen is that the model is less important than the implementation on the part of the company’s leadership.”
The Question is the Key
March 12, 2020 11:00 - 17 minutes - 15.8 MBIf there is only one practice within the scope of the professional sales person upon which you can focus, let it be to gain mastery in asking better sales questions. A series of better sales questions provides you leverage and a competitive edge at every stage of the sales process.
Motivating Yourself and Others
March 10, 2020 11:00 - 13 minutes - 10.6 MBMotivation is one of the least understood concepts in the business world. If you want to achieve any degree of success in your career, you can and should motivate yourself. Here’s a first step that will impact the rest of your life.
Seven ways to build rapport
March 05, 2020 12:00 - 11 minutes - 10.1 MBBuilding rapport with customers is a fundamental sales skill. Yet, few salespeople have been trained in the specific tactics to facilitate this. Here are seven ways to build rapport with anyone.
Leverage
March 03, 2020 12:00 - 15 minutes - 13.9 MBWhether you are a small businessperson or a professional salesperson, you can utilize a powerful strategy to take your performance to dramatically higher levels -- leverage. Leverage revolves around the idea of multiplying the effects of some effort to gain more value from it. Leverage will take you to a higher level.
The Character of a Successful Salesperson
February 27, 2020 12:00 - 12 minutes - 10.1 MBAre successful salespeople made or born? It is the eternal question: the sales manager’s version of nature versus nurture. While countless books and articles have addressed “what successful salespeople do", few have described “who successful salespeople are.” I don’t claim to have the last word on this, nor do I believe that this group of characteristics is the whole story. But, from one person’s perspective, here are my observations of the essential character traits of...
The Loss of Discipline and the Opportunity for You
February 25, 2020 12:00 - 9 minutes - 7.42 MBIn recent years, I’ve seen a deeper degradation in the learning potential of the work force fueled by a growing inability to concentrate. I’m afraid that much of the adult population in this country has become so conditioned to sound bytes, texts and tweets that they have lost the discipline to “do the work.” Like an unused muscle, their ability to concentrate has atrophied. On one hand, that is alarming. On the other, it is a tremendous opportunity for you.
What is Success for a Salesperson?
February 20, 2020 12:00 - 11 minutes - 9.13 MB“Success,” like “beauty” is a slippery term whose definition depends, in some significant way, on the perspective of the observer. In this article, I unpack the definition of success for a salesperson.
Pride, Humility, and Failure
February 18, 2020 11:30 - 8 minutes - 6.92 MBFailure can be a powerful influence in building our character. In this podcast, we look at a couple notable failures and consider the relationship between failure and the powerful character traits of pride and humility. This can impact your life and your career.
Have to be the Low Price? Check Your Beliefs
February 13, 2020 12:00 - 10 minutes - 8.81 MBWe are all guilty of projecting our values onto our customers. If we think nothing is worth the stated price, we subconsciously project that attitude onto our customers, and find ourselves constantly discounting.
The Fine Line Between Perseverance and Self-Delusion
February 11, 2020 12:00 - 8 minutes - 7.8 MBThere is a fine line between perseverance and self-delusion. Understanding that difference can mean the difference between years of frustration on one hand, and success and fulfillment on the other. Here are some tips on making the distinction.
7 Ways to Effectively Deal with the Competition
February 06, 2020 12:00 - 14 minutes - 11.2 MBWhile we can’t change the competition, we certainly are responsible for our attitudes and behaviors toward the competition. What we say and how we act about the competition can have a daily bearing on our bottom lines. Here are seven specific tactics to help you deal effectively with the competition.
The Four Most Common Sales Mistakes CEO's Make
February 04, 2020 17:00 - 12 minutes - 11.3 MBGrowing your sales is a goal for almost every business. The challenge is so great, however, that is spawns lots of misguided methods. Here are the four most common mistakes sales leaders make, from a consultant who as worked with hundreds of them.
When Should I Give Up on An Account?
January 30, 2020 12:00 - 17 minutes - 15.1 MB“When do you give up on trying to see an account?” There is no one definitive answer, but there are six specific practices that you can apply to gain that first meeting with a prospect.
The Stealth Cause of Lackluster Sales
January 28, 2020 12:00 - 12 minutes - 10.9 MBWhy is it so difficult to change our behavior? Why are managers and leaders frustrated in trying to help people do better and sell better? The stealth cause is an aspect of human nature that is rarely acknowledged and even more rarely overcome. I’m drilling deeper into the issue and offering some solutions.
Beliefs that Hinder Sales Performance: #4 -- Passion
January 23, 2020 12:00 - 10 minutes - 8.81 MBThis is one of those pieces of conventional wisdom that no one seems to question: “It’s good to be passionate about your product.” Like so many of these conventional myths that ingrain themselves into our psyche, this one has the potential for frustrating countless thousands of salespeople, sales managers and chief sales officers.
Traits of Great Business Leaders #7 -- Courage
January 21, 2020 12:00 - 10 minutes - 9.17 MBGreat business leaders require a certain set of character traits to unleash the potential of the enterprises they lead. In this series of seven posts, I articulate my view of the seven character traits essential for great business leaders. In this post, I describe the trait that energizes and ignites all the others – courage.
Beliefs that hinder salespeople - #3: Good Talkers
January 16, 2020 12:00 - 6 minutes - 5.19 MBGood salespeople are not good talkers. Rather, they are good listeners, good thinkers, and hard workers. Good talkers generally make mediocre sales people.
Traits of Great Business Leaders #6 - Humility
January 14, 2020 17:00 - 6 minutes - 10.6 MBIn this sixth of a series on the character traits of great business leaders, I identify one that might be surprising, yet is incredibly powerful – humility. Humility is often misunderstood. In this podcast, I describe it, and show how it is a powerful leadership trait.
Beliefs that Hinder Sales Performance #2 -- Problem Solver
January 09, 2020 12:00 - 9 minutes - 8.31 MBOver my 35 years of helping B2B sales forces to sell better, I have noticed a certain set of beliefs that crop up pretty regularly. These are unquestioned beliefs that serve to hinder a salesperson’s performance. This is the second in a series where I expose those beliefs: Good salespeople are good problem solvers.
Traits of Great Business Leaders #5 -- Integrity
January 07, 2020 12:00 - 9 minutes - 8.79 MBGreat business leaders exhibit many of the same character traits. Here’s number five in the series describing the top character traits of great business leaders – integrity. It is both good morals as well as good business. See how you measure up.
Beliefs that hinder salespeople: I must believe in the product
January 02, 2020 11:30 - 9 minutes - 8.55 MBOver my 30 years of experience working with B2B salespeople, I have discovered that there are certain common beliefs that most sales people never question, and yet which hinder their performance. In this first of series, I identify and discuss one of the most common: "I must believe in a product in order to sell it."
Make it easy to buy by reducing the risk
January 01, 2020 11:30 - 15 minutes - 14 MBSometimes it is so frustrating. You know you have a better product than that which your prospect is currently using. Your price is attractive, your service is outstanding. If the prospect would switch to your solution, you know they’d be delighted. You’d save them money, smooth out their processes, reduce their inventory and generally make their life simpler. So, why won’t they switch? Are people really that stupid? Or, is it you? Did you do something to put them off? ...