RainToday's Sales Tips & Techniques Podcast

Buyer Behavior Changes You Can't Afford to Ignore

July 24, 2012 11:00 - 19 minutes - 18 MB

Search engines, once the number one tool buyers used to help find service providers, have lost their appeal. Buyers have changed their behavior and now turn to friends and social network communities to help them decide who to hire. Sellers and marketers need to acknowledge this or risk losing their business, says Kristin Zhivago, author of Roadmap to Revenue: How to Sell the Way Your Customers Want to Buy.

Don't Write One Piece of Content Until You Do This

July 17, 2012 11:00 - 13 minutes - 12.5 MB

Content marketing can help you grow your business, but only if you produce remarkable, high-quality content. Anything less, and you're wasting your time. So, before you put pen to paper—or hands on keyboard—make sure you know what your customers want and have the resources and structure to produce amazing content, says content marketing evangelist Joe Pulizzi. Doing so will increase your online footprint and pull more buyers to you.

Yes, You Can Get New Business via Social Media

July 10, 2012 11:00 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MB

You won't make a direct sale from a tweet or Facebook post, but you absolutely can use social media networks to develop relationships that lead to new business. Social media is, says marketing expert Todd Schnick, the "new networking." Listen as Schnick discusses why B2B firms should use social media, how they should use social media, and mistakes to avoid.

The Most Powerful Form of Advertising

July 01, 2012 11:00 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MB

The most powerful form of advertising isn't pay-per-click campaigns or ads on popular social networks. It is word of mouth. It's having clients and employees—all employees—acting as ambassadors who communicate wherever possible the benefits of your service. It means having a "conversation company," says Steven Van Belleghem, author of The Conversation Company. Listen as Van Belleghem discusses how being conversation company improves word of mouth and how to transform your firm into a convers...

Sales Advice for the Accidental Salesperson

June 26, 2012 04:00 - 15 minutes - 13.9 MB

When you were in third grade, you probably didn't say you wanted to be a salesperson. In fact 95% of people in sales say they never planned on being involved in sales. Yet so many, especially service professionals, are charged with bringing in new business. The good news is you can learn how to sell. To be a great salesperson, however, you must have a certain quality, says Chris Lytle, author of The Accidental Salesperson. Listen as Lytle explains what that quality is, as well as his roadma...

The Best Time to Send Marketing Email

June 19, 2012 11:00 - 13 minutes - 12 MB

Ask any email marketer when is the best time to send marketing email, and chances are they will say it depends. It depends on your business, and it depends on your ideal customers. However, company email tests have shown that certain buyers are more likely to read and respond to your email on particular days. Listen as marketing expert Matt Heinz discusses what day usually works best for contacting C-level executives, how to prevent email from being labeled as spam, and how to grow your emai...

A Growth Opportunity Most Companies Ignore

June 12, 2012 11:00 - 17 minutes - 16.4 MB

Companies are sitting on a tremendous source of untapped growth—their customers. Most focus only on getting customers to buy—and keep buying, but that's only a fraction of the value firms can harvest from them, says Bill Lee, author of The Hidden Wealth of Customers. They can grow significantly more if they can turn customers into advocates—or rock stars—who will market and sell for you.

The Best Way to Influence Buyers and Advance the Sale

June 05, 2012 11:00 - 16 minutes - 15.2 MB

Traditional sales techniques no longer work. You also can't create one script and expect it to have the same effect on everyone. If you want to influence the buyer, you must approach him the way he prefers to be approached. Listen as Dan Seidman, author of The Secret Language of Influence, explains how to determine what type of buyer you're dealing with and how to customize the conversation based on that.

The Only Thing You Need for a Successful Cold Call

May 29, 2012 11:00 - 14 minutes - 13.3 MB

Most people struggle with cold calls because they just can't get prospects to give them their time. People are pounded by so much information that they block things out. They've become particularly adept at tuning out salespeople. In this podcast, Jim Keenan, author of the ebook All You Need for a Successful Cold Call, explains how to get around that coping mechanism, capture prospects' attention, and get them to talk with you.

How Content Marketing Helps Small Firms Win the David vs. Goliath Battle

May 22, 2012 11:00 - 18 minutes - 16.7 MB

Think you can't compete with the larger firms in your industry? Think again. Content marketing is the great leveling field that allows you to not just compete but win that battle. Listen as content marketing evangelist Joe Pulizzi discusses a simple content marketing strategy that can put small B2B service firms ahead of large competitors.

One Sure Way to Increase Sales

May 15, 2012 11:00 - 17 minutes - 15.9 MB

Studies show that 60% of companies don't follow up with leads. They may not trust the leads, or they may not have a process for following up with leads. Whatever the reason is, that lack of follow-up causes businesses to lose money, says Andy Paul, author of Zero-Time Selling. In this interview, Paul discusses how one firm achieved 100% follow-up on leads and as a result saw sales increase25% to 35%.

Email Marketing Opportunities Most Firms Overlook

May 08, 2012 11:00 - 14 minutes - 13.4 MB

You know how to use automated email to generate leads and nurture leads. But have you thought about using transactional email, such as order confirmations or even out-of-office messages, to engage with buyers? If not, you're missing out on an opportunity to provide value-added content that can lead to sales. Listen as Matt Heinz discusses how to how to get better use out of transactional emails, mistakes that cause email campaigns to fail, and tactics to capture prospects' attention.

You Can't Afford Not to Have Onboarding Programs for Salespeople

May 01, 2012 11:00 - 17 minutes - 16.1 MB

No matter how good a salesperson looks on paper, you can't drop that person into a new company and expect him to start generating revenue immediately. You need an onboarding program that helps new-hire salespeople fully understand the value the company offers and how to sell that value, says sales management strategist Lee Salz. Without one, you lose money on salesperson turnover or if they stay, they make less-than-optimal sales.

Is Your Website Causing You to Lose Leads?

April 24, 2012 11:00 - 19 minutes - 18 MB

Often companies make mistakes with their websites that cause them to leave money on the table. Potential buyers visit their site but don't take any actionable steps or they leave immediately. And the website owners have no idea that it's happening or why. Listen as Philippa Gamse, author of 42 Rules for a Web Presence that Wins, discusses the biggest website mistakes that cause companies to lose leads and how to improve your website so that you generate more leads and more revenue.

Online Marketing Tools that Give You a Lead over Competitors

April 17, 2012 11:00 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MB

The online world is continually evolving. Buyers' behaviors change, which means your lead generation and marketing strategies must also evolve. To help you, several tools are available to identify leads, target your messaging toward them, and develop relationships with them. Listen as Jeff Quipp, CEO of Search Engine People, discusses some of those tools, as well as online marketing strategies firms must focus on.

The Best Way to Qualify Prospects When Selling Services

April 10, 2012 11:00 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MB

For most service professionals, finding time to both sell and provide their services is an issue. That's why it's important that they qualify their prospects to make sure the potential buyer is worth giving their time to. You don't want to waste time on prospects who will never buy from you. Listen as RAIN Group Co-President John Doerr explains the best way to qualify prospects when it's a complex sale.

The Key to Getting Buyers to Respond to Prospecting Email

April 05, 2012 16:00 - 11 minutes - 10.9 MB

When you receive a generic prospecting email, what's your first reaction? To delete it? Your buyers feel the same way. If you want them to respond, you must personalize it. Listen as prospecting and lead generation expert Kendra Lee explains how to personalize prospecting emails—even when your list has hundreds of prospects, two things you must never include in prospecting emails, and the importance of follow-up email.

How to Get Quoted in The New York Times

March 27, 2012 11:00 - 21 minutes - 19.7 MB

Thanks to the Internet, it's never been easier to build relationships with reporters and get quoted in their publications. Journalists from all types of media outlets, including The New York Times, are always looking for sources for their articles. And if you can capture their attention, they will turn to you. Listen as Dan Janal, author of Reporters Are Looking for You! Get the Publicity You Need to Build Your Business, explains how to get on journalists' radar and respond to their queries ...

4 Things Preventing You from Having Trustworthy Client Relationships

March 20, 2012 11:00 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MB

The road to becoming a trusted advisor to clients is paved with good intentions. However, when service professionals head out with all the best goals often things trip them up. In this podcast, Andrea Howe, co-author of The Trusted Advisor Fieldbook, explains what those stumbling blocks are and how to develop your trust skills so that you have trustworthy client relationships.

The Biggest Mistake People Make when Cold Calling Prospects

March 13, 2012 11:30 - 18 minutes - 17.1 MB

When you make cold calls or send prospecting emails, should you try to sell the person on the value of your services—of what you have to offer? If you answered yes, you are wrong. Listen as RAIN Group Co-President John Doerr explains what you should do, as well as how to sell your services based on value so that you generate new business at higher prices.

Never Discount Your Price

March 06, 2012 12:00 - 14 minutes - 13.2 MB

One of the best ways to run yourself out of business is to discount your price. For once you do that, a discounting mindset takes hold and you will start to offer discounts to everyone and will end up not making any profit. Listen as Mark Hunter, author of High-Profit Selling: Win the Sale without Compromising on Price, explains how to win sales based on the value you offer—not the lowest price—and what to do when a buyer says your price is too high.

How to Develop Strong Client Loyalty that Generates Millions in Revenue

February 28, 2012 12:00 - 13 minutes - 12.4 MB

In the B2B world, 80% of your business comes from 20% of your clients. In fact, for some companies a few hundred clients generate millions of dollars in revenue. And they do so because they have a strong loyalty to that firm. Listen as Karen Posey, a senior consultant at Geehan Group, explains how to develop client loyalty that not only sustains your business but enables it to grow more than you thought possible.

7 Vital Skills of a High-Performance Revenue Marketing Team

February 21, 2012 12:00 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MB

The time has come for marketing teams to transition to revenue marketing—to play an active role in helping to generate revenue for their companies. To successfully do that, organizations need a revenue marketing team that has seven essential skills. Listen as Debbie Qaqish explains what those skills are, why they're important, and the results B2B organizations are seeing from having such a team.

Do These 3 Things to Make Sure Sales Training Succeeds

February 14, 2012 12:00 - 17 minutes - 15.7 MB

If sales training fails, chances are three key steps were omitted. Listen as John Doerr explains what those steps are, why they're essential, and how to make sure you include them in future sales training.

Power Questions that Get Prospects to Pay Attention to You

February 07, 2012 12:00 - 16 minutes - 14.7 MB

Clients can't stand it when your meeting with them turns into you talking at them for 15 or 20 minutes. PowerPoint presentations are just as bad. What they want is to have a conversation with you where you uncover and discuss their situation and how you can help. You initiate that by asking "power questions," says client relationship strategist Andrew Sobel.

How to Become a CEO's Trusted Advisor

January 31, 2012 12:00 - 12 minutes - 11.4 MB

If you want a CEO to consider you a trusted advisor, you have to approach the sale differently. You can't be simply a salesperson looking to sell something. You must instead work with the CEO to understand what's going on within the organization, explore the benefits and risks of a solution, and develop a change management plan, according to sales expert Adrian Davis.

The Best Way to Get New Salespeople Up to Speed and Generating Revenue Quickly

January 24, 2012 12:00 - 21 minutes - 19.8 MB

There's a myth that you can hire a great salesperson and on day one they'll be able to bring in millions of dollars of revenue. The truth is companies need a process to bring new-hire salespeople up to speed so that they can begin generating revenue. Listen as sales management strategist Lee Salz explains how to get started with an onboarding program and the benefits companies can achieve as a result of having one.

A Key Component to Winning More Sales

January 13, 2012 17:00 - 13 minutes - 12.3 MB

You can have all of the passion and enthusiasm in the world, but unless you really listen to your prospects and clients, selling will be a challenge. Pay attention to verbal and non-verbal cues to make sure you pursue appropriate prospects and that you know definitely what drives those buyers, sales sales strategist Dan Waldschmidt.

How Your Business Can Succeed Despite Tough Economy

January 10, 2012 12:00 - 17 minutes - 16.2 MB

A difficult economy can mean the downfall for many businesses. But if your firm enters that atmosphere with a plan and a process, it can not only survive but succeed. Listen as performance management expert Sandy Blaha explains what such a plan looks like and the process she created to help businesses grow no matter what the economic climate.

How Publishing a Book Can Generate Business Revenue

January 03, 2012 12:00 - 13 minutes - 12.2 MB

Publishing a book is a challenging process, but the increased business and opportunities you get as a result are worth the effort. Listen as Stephanie Chandler, author of Booked Up! How to Write, Publish, and Promote a Book to Grow Your Business, discusses how publishing a book generates business revenue and how to get started writing your first book.

Automated Marketing and Sales Tools Help Drive Business Growth

December 06, 2011 12:00 - 21 minutes - 19.9 MB

The market for automated marketing and sales tools is expanding, and their costs are dropping. It's easier than ever to take advantage of them to generate and nurture leads. And companies that use those tools will have a significant advantage over—and will grow more than—firms that do not. Listen as Mike Schultz, co-author of Rainmaking Conversations, discusses sales and marketing trends firms should be aware of and how to adjust to them and grow revenue in 2012.

Top Challenges of B2B Firms—and How to Address Them

November 29, 2011 12:00 - 17 minutes - 15.8 MB

Professional services firms face plenty of challenges these days. Unfortunately, however, many are so busy working in their business to work on their business, according to a new survey conducted by Lisa Nirell at EnergizeGrowth. Not only that, but 66% of the people who say that also say they're unwilling to invest in or don't know where to invest to resolve the problem. Listen as Lisa Nirell discusses the top three challenges facing B2B firms and what they should do to address them.

The Trade Show Is Not Dead, but Your Show Strategy Might Be

November 15, 2011 12:00 - 22 minutes - 20.6 MB

Trade shows today are more than handing out brochures and hoping someone stops by your booth so you can get their email address. If that's your strategy, you're setting yourself up for failure. These days you have to make a concerted effort to connect with people who have a true interest in what you offer. Listen as Todd Schnick, founder of marketing and consulting firm The Intrepid Group, discusses how to improve your trade show strategy and develop quality leads.

The Trait that Causes Salespeople to Fail

November 08, 2011 12:00 - 16 minutes - 14.8 MB

When it comes to sales success, attitude is everything. But as you achieve success, you have to be careful not to let arrogance creep in, for it will ultimately be your undoing, says Harvey Mackay, author of The Mackay MBA of Selling in the Real World and Swim with the Sharks without Being Eaten Alive. Listen as Mackay discusses how arrogance can cause salespeople to fail, the need to humanize the sales process, and how social media has become the new mega center for sales.

3 Essential Elements of Successful Sales Presentations

November 01, 2011 11:00 - 15 minutes - 14 MB

Before you give a presentation—before you even think about launching PowerPoint—you must know three essential things: audience, result, and message (ARM). Listen as communications coach Tom Kennedy explains those elements, as well as the biggest mistakes people make when giving presentations.

Why Users, Not Customers, Are Key to Business Success

October 25, 2011 11:00 - 15 minutes - 14.4 MB

Aaron Shapiro, author of Users Not Customers: Who Really Determines the Success of Your Business, discusses how B2B services firms are growing their business via a user-focused approach in the digital online space.

Professional Services Marketing Enters a New Phase

October 18, 2011 11:00 - 22 minutes - 20.3 MB

If you think marketing professional services is challenging, consider what it was like more than 30 years ago when firms were just learning to do it. Partners in firms didn't know how to do it, and they fought against ideas marketers presented to them. But marketers persevered, and the methods they came up with are alive and thriving. Listen as Bruce Marcus, author of Professional Services Marketing 3.0, discusses the evolution of professional services marketing and what firms must do today ...

Are You Meeting Your Client's True Needs?

October 11, 2011 11:00 - 13 minutes - 12.4 MB

You know you have to understand your client's needs in order to give them the best solution to their problem. But are you digging deep enough to uncover the real issues? When you do that, you can present your solution in the context of what you discover, create urgency, and increase the likelihood of their buying from you. Listen as John Doerr, co-president of RAIN Group, explains how to use needs discovery techniques to get to the root of your client's problems.

The Most Important Thing You Can Do to Be More Productive

October 04, 2011 11:00 - 14 minutes - 13.4 MB

Have you ever found yourself exhausted at the end of the day, but you haven't made a dent in your work? You aren't alone. Every day we are bombarded with distractions and pulled away from the important things we should do. In this interview Peter Bregman, author of 18 Minutes, discusses the biggest distraction that prevents us from being productive and what you can do to ensure you stay focused on the things that matter most.

90% of Sales Training Fails—but You Can Fix That

September 27, 2011 11:00 - 19 minutes - 17.5 MB

Ninety percent of sales training fails. When you consider how much a company spends per person on sales training, a company can lose as much as $500,000 a year on failed sales training. Those are frightening figures, but companies can improve them, says John Doerr, Co-President of RAIN Group and co-author of the new report Why Sales Training Fails. Listen as Doerr discusses why sales training fails for so many companies and what they can do to fix that and start generating more money, not lo...

Why You Need to Rethink Your Marketing Strategy

September 20, 2011 11:00 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MB

Want to get prospects to pay attention to you and trust you? Then you need to create marketing that isn't perceived as marketing. You need to create content that helps people solve a problem, says Michael Stelzner, author of Launch: How to Quickly Propel Your Business Beyond the Competition. Listen as Stelzner discusses why content marketing is the better strategy and what you can do—no matter how large your firm—to create content and grow your business.

SEO, SEM, and Advertising, Oh My!

September 13, 2011 11:00 - 11 minutes - 10.3 MB

Generating leads online can be challenging, especially when SEO rules frequently change. But if you know who your idea client is, know what websites and blogs they visit, and produce content that they want and need, you can better target them and drive traffic to your site. Listen as Duct Tape Marketing's John Jantsch discusses how B2B firms can best use online advertising, SEO, SEM, and social media to increase lead generation

How Being Likable Helps You Win Sales

September 06, 2011 11:00 - 17 minutes - 15.9 MB

Being likeable helped Sally Field win an Oscar ("You like me! You Really Like me!"), and it can help you win more sales. That's because people buy from people and businesses they like. You might provide the best service, but unless prospects and clients connect with you, you will not win their business. Listen as Michelle Tillis Lederman, author of The 11 Laws of Likability, explains how to increase your likability, strong client relationships, and win more sales.

Sales Is Not a Dirty Word

August 30, 2011 11:00 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MB

For many, including service professionals, thoughts about sales conjure up an image of the typical bad salesperson. That combined with self-limiting thoughts such as "I hate sales" can severely hinder your sales efforts. As much as you like doing your services work, you need to like doing sales. Listen as John Doerr explains how to get over your reluctance to selling, as well as best practices that generate new business.

Are Mind Viruses Destroying Your Sales Efforts?

August 23, 2011 11:00 - 20 minutes - 18.4 MB

Do you ever think, "All prospects are skeptical," "I'm afraid I'll be rejected" or simply "This day is going to suck." If you do, you have what Randy Gage calls a mind virus—a bad one that can destroy your sales efforts. The good news is you can eliminate such bad viruses and create good ones. Listen as Gage, a prosperity expert, explains how, as well as discusses how to remain positive when prospects reject you and how to grow your firm into a prosperous business.

The Best Way to Sell Professional Services

August 16, 2011 11:00 - 14 minutes - 12.9 MB

Contrary to popular belief, there is no one way to sell. In fact, the best way to sell professional services is your way. Use your individual strengths and talents to succeed, says Tony Rutigliano, co-author of Strengths Based Selling. Listen as Rutigliano explains how people with different talents, including those not considered strong sales traits, are succeeding in sales.

Don't Convince and Coerce Prospects, Influence Them

August 09, 2011 11:00 - 16 minutes - 15.2 MB

Often salespeople think they have to convince prospect to buy their services, and they won't let up until they finally say yes and they get their money. That is not how you develop longtime clients that sustain your business over the years. You want to influence them: ask questions, make recommendations, and take them on an emotional journey where they see how their lives will be better if they work with you, says RAIN Group co-president John Doerr.

Networking Mistakes that Hurt Your Business

July 29, 2011 12:00 - 17 minutes - 16 MB

When it comes to networking with buyers, service professionals make two common mistakes. They either talk only about themselves while trying to get things from other people or they do the opposite and are afraid to toot their own horn. What they need to do is teach people about themselves and listen generously so they can give to other people, says Lynne Waymon, co-author of Make Your Contacts Count.

Win the Heart of the CEO and Win the Sale

July 26, 2011 11:00 - 13 minutes - 12.4 MB

Sales are not made financially; they're made emotionally. So, if you win the heart of the CEO, his emotional investment can temper any pessimistic financial opinions that might be brought to the table. The key is to be perceived as a peer to the chief executive and provide valuable guidance and advice, says Adrian Davis, CEO of Whetstone, Inc.

Avoid this Mistake When Asking for a Referral or Testimonial

July 19, 2011 10:30 - 14 minutes - 12.8 MB

The kiss of death when asking a referral or a testimonial is to ask an open-ended question. Asking, "Do you have any referrals for me?" or "Who else do you know?" will only make the client resent you. It will not lead to an introduction to a quality prospect because you're asking the client to do too much work. Listen as Colleen Francis explains the best way to ask for a referral.

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