RainToday's Sales Tips & Techniques Podcast
325 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 8 years ago - ★★★★ - 9 ratingsTips and techniques to help you unleash your sales potential.
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Episodes
You Must Persuade and Direct Buyers, Not Just Inform—An Interview with Juliet Huck
September 09, 2014 11:00 - 19 minutes - 17.4 MBPeople often mistakenly think that by providing a lot of information, buyers will make a decision based on that information. The truth is you could have really impactful information, but if you don't direct people to take action, that information has no influence. Listen as Juliet Huck, author of The Equation of Persuasion, discusses the difference between informing and persuading and explains how to be more persuasive in your presentations and conversations with buyers.
How to Shrink the Gap between Sales and Strategy—An Interview with Frank Cespedes
September 02, 2014 11:00 - 23 minutes - 21.7 MBFor a business to grow, it must have a strategy and that strategy must be aligned with sales. The problem is often companies don't have a strategy, or if they do, there's a gap between that strategy and what their sales teams are doing. Listen as Frank Cespedes, author of Aligning Strategy and Sales, discusses what make a good strategy, how to reduce the gap between strategy and sales, and how to improve financial performance.
How to Create a Marketing System in 5 Days—An Interview with Mark Satterfield
August 26, 2014 11:00 - 15 minutes - 14.2 MBYou can't assume because you do good work that clients are going to find you and hire you. You need a marketing system that will work for you seven days a week, consistently generating new leads and nurturing those leads. Listen as Mark Satterfield, author of The One Week Marketing Plan, discusses how to create a system in just five days that does that, as well as builds trust and credibility.
Why Salespeople Need to Care about Content Marketing—An Interview with Matt Heinz
August 19, 2014 11:00 - 15 minutes - 13.7 MBPeople incorrectly assume content, thanks to the prevalent use of the term "content marketing," is the marketing department's sole responsibility. What they don't realize is salespeople can use content at every stage of the sales cycle to help buyers through the sales journey and ultimately buy. If salespeople share content that adds value and helps prospects do their jobs better, they'll speed up sales process and increase conversions.
3 Reasons Why Firms Experience Boom/Bust Sales Cycles—An Interview with Colleen Francis
August 12, 2014 11:00 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MBMany firms experience boom/bust sales cycle. They go through periods of high sales followed by no sales. But those cycles don't have to exist. They are completely self-inflicted, and companies can easily get themselves out of them, says Colleen Francis, author of Nonstop Sales Boom. Listen as Francis explains what companies can do to break those cycles and ensure consistent sales.
3 Areas in Content Marketing Where Service Firms Go Wrong—An Interview with Joe Pulizzi
August 05, 2014 11:00 - 25 minutes - 22.9 MBYou know the benefits companies achieve from doing content marketing—viral videos, jumps in website traffic, increased number of leads. None of those can be achieved, however, if you don’t follow a few basic rules of content marketing. Listen as Joe Pulizzi, founder of the Content Marketing Institute, explains what those are, as well as discusses content marketing trends you should be aware of.
How to Turn a Cold Call into a Warm Call and Get the Meeting—An Interview with Tim Hurson
July 29, 2014 11:00 - 20 minutes - 19.1 MBIf you're involved in sales, getting a meeting with a prospect is one of the hardest things to do. And if it involves cold calling, people hate it so much they will do what they can to get out of having to do it. Fortunately, there are ways to turn cold calls into warm calls and improve your chances of getting a meeting. Listen as Tim Hurson, co-author of Never Be Closing, explains what you can do.
Why an Indirect Approach to Sales and Marketing Works Best—An Interview with Robert Rosenthal
July 22, 2014 11:00 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MBTraditional marketing and sales approaches that focus on pushing out a campaign or pushing a particular service no longer work. Instead you need a more direct approach in which you educate prospects, have interesting conversations with them, and solve problems. Robert Rosenthal, author of Optimarketing: Marketing Optimization to Electrify Your Business, explains why the indirect approach is better and why firms can't be afraid to try imaginative marketing ideas.
Webinar: Get Leads While You Sleep: How to Turn Website Visitors into Customers
July 18, 2014 13:05 - 1 hour - 79.1 MBRecording of Helen Overland's July 17, 2014, webinar.
Why Visitors to Your Website Don't Buy—An Interview with Helen Overland
July 08, 2014 11:00 - 11 minutes - 10.3 MBMost businesses don't to online lead generation well. Their websites have bounce rates higher than 80%. And sometimes they have response rates lower than 5%. They fail to convert visitors into buyers because the websites don't fulfill their need—they don't help solve the problem that sent them to the search engine in the first place. Listen as Helen Overland discusses what successful lead generation websites do that convert visitors into customers.
Lessons All Businesses Can Learn from Small Business Owners—An Interview with Michael Mazzeo
July 01, 2014 11:00 - 12 minutes - 11 MBYou can take classes about business and read about how to succeed in business, but it isn't until you hear from business owners about their experiences that you get the whole picture. Their stories bring to life challenges they're dealing with and provide ideas for how similar businesses can address those same issues. In this podcast, Michael Mazzeo, co-author of Roadside MBA, talks about the 100-plus small businesses he and his co-authors met with as research for the book and shares the st...
How to Build Your 'Boldness Muscle' and Win More Sales—An Interview with Jeff Shore
June 24, 2014 11:00 - 20 minutes - 19 MBThe entire sales process is a series of discomforts, such as prospecting, follow-up, and negotiation. Successful salespeople and professionals involved in business development know how to handle those discomforts, though. When they identify them, prepare for them, and work through them they have much greater success than those who refuse to break out of their comfort zone. Listen as Jeff Shore, author of Be Bold and Win the Sale, discusses how to break your comfort addictions and win more s...
Webinar: What It Takes to Sell with Insight presented by John Doerr
June 23, 2014 12:59 - 1 hour - 78.1 MBRecording of John Doerr's June 19, 2014, webinar
How to Respond When the Buyer Says No—An Interview with Tom Hopkins
June 17, 2014 11:00 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MBWhen the average person hears a "no" from a buyer, their automatic response is to think they're not the buyer isn't interested and to end the conversation. The reality is a no is an opportunity to continue the discussion, uncover the buyer's concerns, and possibly turn the no into a yes. Listen as Tom Hopkins, author of When Buyers Say No, explains how to respond to buyer objections and keep the sale moving forward.
Ditch Traditional Networking Events; Start Un-Networking Instead—An Interview with Derek Coburn
June 10, 2014 11:00 - 20 minutes - 19.1 MBYou know all of those conferences, trade shows, and industry events where you're supposed to network and meet potential new clients? You should probably skip those and instead create your own "un-networking" group where you connect clients and become an extension of your clients' business development team. Not only will you help your clients, but you will get more business in return, says Derek Coburn, author of Networking Is Not Working.
Creative Ideas to Help Even 'Boring' Firms Stand Out—An Interview with Jason SurfrApp
June 03, 2014 11:00 - 20 minutes - 19 MBMany companies do not sound exciting on the surface. When you think of an accounting or insurance firm, for example, you probably picture something rather boring. Chances are, however, those firms are doing some unique and interesting things. It's those things—told through stories—that will help them stand out from others in their industry and draw buyers to them.
New Mobile Technology that Helps Improve Sales—An Interview with Tien Wong
May 20, 2014 11:00 - 13 minutes - 12.1 MBThe advent of smartphones and tablets has led to a new type of sales force. New mobile technology gives sales reps fast and easy access to marketing and sales materials, while also enabling them to answer prospects' questions and fulfill requests faster. The end result is more deals are closed faster.
Don't Give Up on Prospects Who Go Silent—An Interview with Nancy Fox
May 13, 2014 11:00 - 20 minutes - 19 MBThe fortune is in the follow-up, but sometimes it might feel like the follow-up is a waste of time—especially if your prospect goes silent. Don't be put off by that silence, says Nancy Fox. Chances are they're busy or aren't ready to move forward. So, until the person says "stop contacting me," continue to reach out to them.
3 Strategies that Help Lawyers Develop New Business—An Interview with David Ackert
May 06, 2014 11:00 - 20 minutes - 18.9 MBFor the most part, professionals still enter a field expecting to do just client work only to eventually discover they also have to bring in new business. College did not prepare them for how to do it, and the idea of selling scares them. With some guidance and practice, however, they can become successful business developers.
Buyers Want and Need Insight from Sellers—An Interview with John Doerr
April 29, 2014 11:00 - 17 minutes - 15.6 MBYou might think that because buyers have access to so much information about services and providers that they don't want or need sellers to provide insight and ideas. And you would be mistaken. According to research included in Insight Selling, providing insight is the number one thing sales winners do that separates them from second-place finishers. Listen as John Doerr, co-author of the book, explains how providing insight and collaborating with buyers helps you sell more.
4 Dos and Don'ts for Prospecting Emails—An Interview with Kendra Lee
April 22, 2014 11:00 - 17 minutes - 15.7 MBWe all get so many emails that if the subject line doesn't capture our attention, it's gone. Or if the subject line does interest us but the message fails, it is deleted almost as quickly. There are things you can do to your emails, however, to prevent your prospecting emails from being instantly deleted. Listen as Kendra Lee explains what you should do—and not do—to get prospects to pay attention to your emails.
How to Create and Use Stories to Capture Buyers' Attention—An Interview with Paul Smith
April 15, 2014 11:00 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MBStories inspire, are easy to remember, are contagious, and everyone likes to hear them. Because of that, they're excellent tools for capturing buyers' attention and getting them to do something. The key is to tell the story correctly. Listen as Paul Smith, author of Lead with a Story, discusses why storytelling is effective in business, the components of a compelling business story, and how to best use stories in sales and marketing.
Use Digital Tools to Humanize the Sales Process, Not Dehumanize It—An Interview with Adrian Davis
April 08, 2014 11:00 - 33 minutes - 30.5 MBDigital tools have helped make the sales process easier, but in some cases they also hurt it by dehumanizing the process. Salespeople should not hid behind those tools because they're hesitant to call prospects or use them as simply transactional items. Instead, they should use them to build connections and develop relationships. Listen as Adrian Davis, author of Human to Human Selling, discusses how to do that and how his five phase strategy for human-to-human selling can help.
The Biggest Mistake that Will Derail a Sales Presentation—An Interview with Sims Wyeth
April 01, 2014 11:00 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MBWhen giving a presentation to a prospect or client, the fastest way to turn them away is to talk just about you. You can't stand up and beat your chest and expect people to be impressed. The best way to capture and hold a buyer's attention is to first demonstrate an understanding of them and their situation. Once you do that, then you can talk about how your services can help them, says Sims Wyeth, author of The Essentials of Persuasive Public Speaking.
Your Marketing Is an Asset, Not a Cost—An Interview with Grant Leboff
March 14, 2014 13:00 - 21 minutes - 19.4 MBIt used to be marketing was a net cost to a business. You spent, for example, $10,000 on direct marketing piece and got $25,000 back in new business. That has changed. Marketing has now become an asset to a business, as well as a lead generation tool, says Grant Leboff, author Stickier Marketing. Listen as Leboff explains why marketing has become an asset and who your greatest marketers are today.
Creative Habits You Can Apply to Sales that Help You Differentiate—An Interview with Mark Donnolo
March 11, 2014 11:00 - 22 minutes - 20.9 MBBest practices can become old hat, resulting in lackluster client solutions that look and sound like everyone else's. To break from that and differentiate, you need to think creatively, says Mark Donnolo, author of The Innovative Sale. The key is to make creativity practical and functional. In this podcast, Donnolo explains four creative habits successful salespeople have that help them develop better client solutions.
Why Introverts Make Great Salespeople—An Interview with Alen Mayer
March 04, 2014 12:00 - 12 minutes - 11.3 MBWhen you think about introverts, most people don't think of them as good salespeople, let alone great salespeople. The truth is they have many qualities that help them do better in sales than other personality types. Listen as Alen Mayer, author of the ebook Selling for Introverts, explains the strengths introverts bring to the sales process, how introverts can excel at cold calling, and how to manage introverted salespeople.
5 Strategies for Successful Meetings with C-Level Executives—An Interview with Andrew Sobel
February 25, 2014 12:00 - 14 minutes - 13.2 MBHaving a relationship with a C-level executive can be a powerful thing. Getting to that point, however, is not easy. The challenge starts with your initial meeting with him. In this podcast, Andrew Sobel explains what to do during that first meeting, as well as how to nurture the relationship after the meeting, so that you become a trusted advisor who is part of the client's solution process instead of someone who simply a bidder in an RFP contest.
Want to Be a Better Salesperson? Start By Being a Better Person
February 18, 2014 12:00 - 15 minutes - 14.1 MBEducation, wealth, race, and other factors do not determine your success. Who you are is the ultimate factor. Specifically successful people have four attitudes: they are extreme, are disciplined, are giving, and understand the human factor. All of those make you a better person, which in turn makes you a better salesperson, says Dan Waldschmidt, author Edgy Conversations: How Ordinary People Can Achieve Outrageous Success.
The Best Way to Cross-Sell and Up-Sell within an Organization
February 11, 2014 12:00 - 15 minutes - 14.5 MBYou're already working on a small project for a large company, but there's a much larger project coming up in a different division that you'd love to work on. How do you win that deal? Listen as sales growth expert Adrian Davis explains his five-step process for winning that large deal, as well as how salespeople can become trusted advisors to client executives.
2 Factors that Determine a Salesperson's Success—An Interview with Lee Salz
February 04, 2014 12:00 - 17 minutes - 16 MBHiring a new salesperson is more than just adding headcount. It's an investment in revenue, and companies must treat it that way, says Lee Salz, author of the new book Hire Right, Higher Profits. If you want salespeople who succeed, you need a hiring process that matches the candidate to the role and an onboarding process that both protects the investment and ensures a high rate of return on it.
You Can No Longer Compete on Just Quality—An Interview with David Pearson
January 28, 2014 12:00 - 17 minutes - 16.1 MBThe world is full of great products and services. That means quality alone will not set you apart from the competition. In addition to having a great service, you have to consider how buyers feel about your brand and give them emotional satisfaction. Buyers must perceive you to be a firm that provides value, says David Pearson, author of The 20 Ps of Marketing.
Why Salespeople Must Use Social Media—An Interview with Shannon Belew
January 21, 2014 12:00 - 33 minutes - 31 MBIf you're involved in sales, you have to be on social media today. That's because it's where your customers are, as well as your competitors, says Shannon Belew, author of The Art of Social Selling. Your buyers are using social media well before they're ready to buy to find information about your services and your company, and you need to have a presence there. Listen as Belew explains her 10 rules for online social interactions and offers advice for how to best use LinkedIn and Twitter to ...
8 Steps for Creating a Brain-Friendly Sales Process
January 14, 2014 12:00 - 20 MBWhen you think about some of the older sales approaches where they talk about overcoming a buyer's objections and wrestling them until they say yes, they sound rather combative. Instead Simon Hazeldine, author of Neuro-Sell, says sellers need a brain-friendly sales process, one that makes the customer's brain feel comfortable with you.
The Worst Possible Way to Ask for a Referral
January 06, 2014 12:00 - 13 minutes - 12.7 MBEmail is easy, and it's tempting to rely on it when you're afraid to address a person directly or are afraid of rejection. But it's the worst possible way to ask for a referral or a testimonial. Listen as marketing expert Alex Goldfayn explains why email is the worst way to ask for a referral and what you should use instead.
Are Your Marketing Efforts Contributing to Revenue Growth?
December 03, 2013 12:00 - 15 minutes - 14.1 MBIf there were one word to describe the future of marketing departments, you might say it's "accountable." Increasingly company executives want to know how marketing will contribute to the firm's top-line revenue growth, and marketers need to start providing answers, says Debbie Qaqish, author of Rise of the Revenue Marketer.
4 Sales and Marketing Practices that Prevent Company Growth
November 19, 2013 12:00 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MBSales and marketing teams might think they're helping their company grow. What they don't realize, however, is that in many cases, they unknowingly do the opposite. Listen as Guido Quelle, author of Profitable Growth, explains what they do that prevents a company from growing.
Building Trust with Buyers Doesn't Have to Take a Long Time
November 12, 2013 12:00 - 13 minutes - 12.7 MBSelling B2B professional services can be a long and complex process. It's a dance buyers and sellers do over a period of time that is full of opportunities for sellers to differentiate themselves. Developing trust, however, doesn't have to take a long time. Sometimes you do or say something, and in an instant the buyer lets down his guard. The key is to recognize and act on trust-building opportunities.
5 Steps for Collaborating with Buyers and Increasing Sales
November 05, 2013 12:00 - 16 minutes - 15.1 MBNo one likes to be told what to do. And that applies to your buyers as well. If you just tell them what you think they should do, you will be met with reluctance and resistance, says John E. Doerr, President of RAIN Group. You will have much greater success if you collaborate with them. In this podcast, Doerr explains why collaboration is important and outlines how to create a collaborative relationship with your buyers.
To Win You Have to Do More than Create Better Services
October 29, 2013 11:00 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MBProviding great products and services is expected in today's competitive environment. You need them just to play in the marketplace. To win, you have to think about your interactions with customers. It isn't about how much you can sell, says Niraj Dawar, author of TILT. It's about what else your customers need.
2 Methods to Help Prove the Benefits of Content Marketing
October 22, 2013 11:00 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBContent marketing is not new. John Deere has been doing it since 1895 when it started publishing its Furrow magazine. And several B2B firms, such as OpenView Labs, are having huge success using it to attract prospects and grow business. Still there are holdouts. If you, or the executives at your firm, don't think content marketing works, Joe Pulizzi, author of Epic Content Marketing, suggests trying these two methods.
Money Isn't the Best Motivator for Long-Term Sales Success
October 15, 2013 11:00 - 20 minutes - 18.5 MBMoney might make the world go round, but it isn't enough for salespeople—or the companies they work for—to achieve long-term sales success. In this podcast interview, sales coach and author Lisa McLeod explains how having a noble purpose drives individual sales success and turns average-performing companies into top-tier organizations.
3 Gaps between Buyers and Sellers that Create Friction
October 08, 2013 11:00 - 12 minutes - 11.8 MBBuyers and sellers don't always see eye to eye. Things buyers consider important sometimes aren't even have sellers' radar. And those gaps can create friction or worse cause a sale to be lost. Listen as Lee Frederiksen, author of Inside the Buyer's Brain, explains the three biggest gaps between buyers and sellers and how to close them.
Don't Think B2B; Think C2C—Customer to Customer—An Interview with Simon Pont
October 01, 2013 11:00 - 13 minutes - 12.2 MBYou might run or work for a B2B service provider, but at the heart of it you are a human dealing with other humans. That means your marketing should reflect that, says Simon Pont, author of Digital State. Don't talk at or to people. Have conversations with them, as well as encourage customers to talk with one another.
The First Step in Achieving Outrageous Sales Growth
September 17, 2013 11:00 - 20 minutes - 19 MBBefore you can sell anything, you have to know what your buyers want. That means you have to talk with your clients and prospects. It seems logical, but many entrepreneurs and business owners are reluctant to do that, says Drew Williams, co-author of Feed the Startup Beast. Listen as Williams explains his seven-step guide to achieving outrageous sales growth and the success companies are seeing by using it.
How to Communicate with Prospects So They Respond
September 06, 2013 11:00 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MBIf you want prospects to respond to you, you have to speak their language. And those languages include the devices and mediums in which they like to communicate. That means if your prospects prefer to communicate via Twitter, you have to know how to use Twitter. If your prospects prefer to communicate via text messages, you have to communicate with them via text, says Marc Ostrofsky, author of Word of Mouse. And if you don't know how to use those things, hire someone who does.
Get the Fee You Deserve When Dealing with RFPs
September 03, 2013 11:00 - 21 minutes - 19.9 MBThe professional services world is changing, and it isn't all for the better. Increasingly, clients focus on price, especially when using RFPs, and that can drive down the fees providers receive. To make sure you get project at the fee you deserve, you must start working with the prospect well before the project goes out to bid. Listen as Ori Wiener, author of High Impact Fee Negotiation and Management for Professionals, explain what you should do and how to prevent profitability leaks.
Why You Want to Be a Storydoer, Not a Storyteller
August 27, 2013 11:00 - 17 minutes - 15.8 MBUnited Airlines is a storyteller; JetBlue is a storydoer. Reebok is a storyteller; Nike is a storydoer. Dr. Pepper is a storyteller; Red Bull is a storydoer. What's the difference? Storydoers tell their story through action rather than exposition. They enact it by creating experiences or products that are so compelling that people want to tell everyone about them, says Ty Montague, author of True Story. In this podcast he explains the benefits of storydoing and how to turn your firm into a...
Buyers Don't Need Traditional Salespeople Anymore
August 20, 2013 11:00 - 13 minutes - 11.9 MBBuyers have changed. They don't like taking sales calls, they don't want to be told what to do, and they really don't want to sit through long PowerPoint presentations, says Josiane Feigon, author of Smart Sales Manager. What they want are intelligent salespeople who will pay attention to their needs and educate them.
SEO Practices Businesses Should Not Follow
August 13, 2013 11:00 - 17 minutes - 16.4 MBSearch engine optimization (SEO) is often confusing, especially when search engines continually change their algorithms. Strategies that may have worked in the past might no longer work or worse could hurt your website. Listen as Jeff Quipp, Founder and CEO of Search Engine People, explains practices that no longer work and what businesses should do instead.