RainToday's Sales Tips & Techniques Podcast

Why You Need to Stop Trying to Beat Your Competition

July 12, 2011 11:00 - 15 minutes - 14.1 MB

Telling customers you do something better than your competitor will only fall on deaf ears. They don't want to hear it. What they do want to hear is how you can make life better for them, says Ron Karr, author of Lead, Sell, or Get Out of the Way. And that means creating new alternatives that are going to produce better results for your customers.

A Ridiculous Way to Get Referrals

June 30, 2011 18:30 - 15 minutes - 13.9 MB

When you ask about how to get referrals, most people say all it takes is good work and a willingness to ask. But that's not enough. Your client is doing more than giving you a name and number. They're putting their reputation on the line, and they need to feel comfortable with you before they give you any information about a potential client. You cannot put them on the spot, and expect them to come up with a high-quality prospect for you, says Paul McCord, a leading authority on lead generat...

How to Keep Wired and Dangerous Customers Happy

June 28, 2011 11:00 - 20 minutes - 18.9 MB

Over the past few years a perfect storm of customer service has formed. Customers are given self-service features that frustrate them, they are demanding value in ways they've never done before, and they have incredible reach and power via social media. Buyers are "wired and dangerous," and professional services firms need to keep them satisfied. Listen as Chip Bell and John Patterson, authors of the new book Wired and Dangerous, discuss how B2B customers have changed and how firms should ha...

The Most Important System for Your Business: A Marketing System

June 21, 2011 16:00 - 12 minutes - 11.3 MB

When it comes to marketing, most service professionals shy away from it unclear how to create a system. But without a clear marketing strategy and system, you limit your firm's growth. Flitting from one marketing tactic to the next simply won't work. You need a strategy that gets buyers to "know, like, and trust" you and to then "try, buy, repeat, and refer" your services. Listen as John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing and The Referral Engine, discusses how to get started creating a m...

The Formula to Rapid Growth for Your Business

June 14, 2011 11:00 - 15 minutes - 14 MB

Many companies are struggling to get their messages heard and to grow, and that's because they're using outdated marketing techniques. Instead of promoting their services, they need to build a following. And you do that through content marketing says, Michael Stelzner, author of the new book Launch: How to Quickly Propel Your Business Beyond the Competition. Listen as Stelzner explains how content marketing benefits businesses and his formula for rapid growth.

Do You Have What It Takes to Lead a Successful Business?

June 07, 2011 11:00 - 11 minutes - 10.8 MB

Anyone can become an executive at their firm, but to be a true leader—one that motivates and inspires staff—you need more. You need executive presence, says Sally Williamson, author of the forthcoming book The Hidden Factor: Executive Presence … How to Find It, Keep It and Leverage It. Listen as Williamson explains what executive presence is and how it contributes to one's personal success, as well as a business's success.

2 Forces that Drive Professional Services Sales

May 31, 2011 11:00 - 22 minutes - 20.6 MB

When firms are equally competent in the services they provide, two things compel a buyer to choose one firm over another: comfort and passion. When someone feels comfortable with you and sees you are passionate about what you do, they will want to work with you. Listen as Harry Beckwith, author of Selling the Invisible and Unthinking: The Surprising Forces Behind What We Buy, discusses how firms can use those forces to increase sales.

When You Know Your Buyers' Personas, You'll Sell More

May 24, 2011 11:00 - 14 minutes - 13.5 MB

Don't make the mistake of thinking all buyers are the same. Each has their own buying preferences. But if you take the time to understand their persona and adjust your sales process so that they're comfortable, they'll be more inclined to buy from you, says Mike Schultz, co-author of Rainmaking Conversations.

3 Things that Sink Most Companies

May 17, 2011 11:00 - 27 minutes - 25 MB

Look at a company that's struggling to make sales, and chances are three things are holding it back. One of those things is selfishness. Focus less on what you can get from buyers and more on what you can do for them, and success is inevitable, says sales trainer Dan Waldschmidt.

Getting Through to Your Buyers' Crocodile Brains

May 10, 2011 11:00 - 25 minutes - 23.4 MB

Oren Klaff, author of Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading, and Winning the Deal, explains the six rules for communicating with buyers' crocodile brains, how to take control of sales meetings, and how to attract buyers to you.

Get Prospects to Come to You—Start Podcasting

May 03, 2011 11:00 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MB

Chasing after prospects is hard work, not to mention miserable as you try to get through their gatekeepers. But when you produce podcasts, interviewing people in your target market, something changes—prospects come to you. Listen as Todd Schnick, founder of The Intrepid Group, discusses how businesses of any size can—and should—use podcasts to develop new business.

What Top Rainmakers Do that You Probably Don't

April 26, 2011 11:00 - 16 minutes - 14.8 MB

You might have all the skills needed to develop new business for your firm—excellent conversational skills, fantastic follow-up strategies, and the right way to do proposals–but unless you apply those skills your pipeline will remain dry. Applying those skills is just one thing rainmakers do that set them apart. Listen as John Doerr, co-author of Rainmaking Conversations, explains what you must do to be a top rainmaker.

What to Say to Get More Sales Wins and the Biggest Deals

April 19, 2011 11:00 - 19 minutes - 17.9 MB

Many service professionals have an abundance of value to offer, yet often their conversations with buyers prevent them from ever achieving great success. Listen as Mike Schultz, co-author of Rainmaking Conversations, discusses how to conduct sales conversations so you get more wins and the biggest deals.

Marketing via LinkedIn: Opportunities You Might Be Missing

April 12, 2011 11:00 - 14 minutes - 13 MB

With more than 100 million users, LinkedIn is becoming a larger force in marketing B2B services. But using this social network means more than simply putting up your resume or a list of your services and hoping people find you and call you up. Listen as Kristina Jaramillo, founder of GetLinkedInHelp.com, explains what you need to do if you want to get new clients via LinkedIn.

One Sure Way to Get New Clients

April 05, 2011 11:00 - 22 minutes - 20.6 MB

Selling professional services can be tricky. Services are purchased based on emotion and how well a prospect likes and trusts you. Plus, prospects don't always have an immediate need for your services. You need to do something over time that keeps you top of mind AND develops trust and likeability, which means ditching any semblance of a sales pitch. Learn from Michael Port, author of Book Yourself Solid, what to do so that prospects turn to you in their time of need.

Dealing with a Client Objection? Don't Do This

March 29, 2011 11:00 - 18 minutes - 17 MB

When dealing with client objections, there are many dos and don'ts for how to respond. But the biggest mistake that can block a sale is not addressing the objection. The worst thing you could do is leave it on the table and not respond. Listen as Mike Schultz, President of RAIN Group and author of Turning No into Yes: How to Handle the Most Common Client Objections, discusses the importance of unearthing all objections, outlines the five steps for overcoming objections, and gives examples f...

Marketing's Role in Generating Revenue Increasing

March 22, 2011 11:00 - 23 minutes - 21.6 MB

If you're a marketer, has your CEO asked you what you're going to do about revenue? If not, get ready for it. Thanks to changing buyer behavior and the new economic climate, CEOs are taking a harder look at marketing's involvement in generating revenue. Traditional marketing is giving way to revenue marketing where marketers play a larger role in bringing in new business—and are able to clearly state how they did so, says Debbie Qaqish, author of the upcoming book The Rise of the Revenue Mar...

Lead Generation: Prospects Need a Human Touch

March 15, 2011 11:00 - 14 minutes - 13.6 MB

Marketing automation tools are becoming increasingly important to today's lead generation efforts, but firms cannot abandon the human element of working with prospects. It's that human touch that shows prospects you care about them and leads to greater sales success, says Dan McDade, author of the book The Truth About Leads.

It's Time for B2B Firms to Be More Like Publishers

March 08, 2011 12:00 - 17 minutes - 16.1 MB

Paul Gillin, co-author of Social Marketing to the Business Customer, discusses why content publishing is the key to business success and how firms are benefitting from this approach.

Email Now the Number One Prospecting Tool

March 01, 2011 12:00 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MB

Don't count email out as a marketing tool. In fact, lead generation expert Kendra Lee says email is now the number one tool for prospecting, surpassing cold calling. But email is effective only if it's written with your prospect in mind. Listen as Lee discusses what should go into the body of an email, gives tips for effective email subject lines, and explains how to best manage an email lead nurturing campaign.

Do You Have What It Takes to Be an Effective Leader?

February 22, 2011 12:00 - 14 minutes - 12.9 MB

You've been promoted to the head of your department. Congratulations—now stop what you were doing that got you the position. Your get-things-done way of thinking needs to shift to how to get your team to do things. It's a whole different mindset, says Kevin Eikenbery, co-author of From Bud to Boss: Secrets to a Successful Transition to Remarkable Leadership. Listen as Eikenberry explains the leader's mindset and steps you can take now to become an effective leader.

What C-Level Executives Want from Sales Meetings

February 15, 2011 12:00 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MB

If you have a meeting with a CEO and think you're going to win him over with your PowerPoint presentation, think again. C-level executives want you to come to them with ideas and new perspectives on the issues they're dealing with, not a presentation of your services. Approach the meeting as a consultant and give them an opportunity to discuss issues important to them, and you'll start to develop the trust necessary to turn that prospect into a client.

The Secret to Effective Voice Mail Messages

February 08, 2011 12:00 - 11 minutes - 10.3 MB

All effective voice mail messages have one thing in common: they focus on a potential problem that the prospect might have. Stay away from talking about you, your company, or your services, stresses Kelley Robertson in this excerpt from his webinar Ditch the Sales Pitch: How to Master Sales Conversations and Win More Deals. Listen as Robertson describes what goes into a good voice mail message and offers advice on how to conduct effective sales phone conversations.

Marketing Doesn't Get You Clients. Trust Does

February 01, 2011 12:00 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MB

A lot of people say marketing gets you clients, but Michael Port, author of Book Yourself Solid, disagrees. Marketing creates awareness of who you are and the products and services you offer, but that isn't enough. You must have a system that builds on that awareness and helps you develop trust. Listen as Port explains how to implement a system that will help you sell more and grow your business.

The Most Important Thing in a Successful Sales Organization

January 25, 2011 12:00 - 18 minutes - 16.9 MB

When you look at successful sales organizations you'll see they all have one thing in common: strong sales management. As Ken Thoreson, author of the Sales Management Guru book series, explains, strong sales management ensures that the right staff is hired, that staff receive the right training, and that there's a strong culture that everyone believes in. Listen as Thoreson explains how sales managers can develop and maintain strong organizations.

Mistakes that Keep You from Getting the Referrals You Deserve

January 18, 2011 12:00 - 12 minutes - 11.7 MB

Referrals are the preferred strategy for getting new business, and yet many service professionals struggle to get them—and to get new business from them. What are they doing wrong? For many it starts with simply not asking for referrals or for not asking correctly. Listen as Colleen Francis, President of Engage Selling, explains the mistakes people make, what a referral system should consist of, and the success one firm has seen from using a referral system.

Why Consultants Must Embrace Selling

January 11, 2011 12:00 - 15 minutes - 14 MB

The economy is beginning to turn around, but that does not mean consulting firms can go back to what they used to do to get new clients. Referrals and waiting for the phone to ring will not cut it, says RAIN Group President John Doerr. Consultants must follow the new rules of selling services, which includes embracing selling and going after their ideal clients. If they don't, success will be difficult if possible at all.

How Professional Services Firms Can Benefit from Entrepreneurial Thinking

January 04, 2011 12:00 - 18 minutes - 17 MB

Leonard A. Schlesinger, President of Babson College and co-author of Action Trumps Everything, talks about how professional services firms should use entrepreneurial thinking, such as "creation," to solve problems.

Content Marketing: Share or Solve Problems, Don't Shill

December 07, 2010 12:00 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MB

Every business has to focus on content marketing--publishing articles, white papers, ebooks, podcasts or webinars--to attract new clients and become the go-to provider in their market. But they have to do it right, warns Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman, authors of the new book Content Rules. They need a strategy: plan what to do, share information, solve problems, and be human.

Accelerated Lead Generation via Virtual Events

November 30, 2010 12:00 - 22 minutes - 20.7 MB

Virtual events, while similar to other online lead generation tactics, differ in one unique way: they allow you to generate and qualify leads early on, speeding up the sales process. Forget about generating a lead and then handing it to sales to qualify, says Dennis Shiao, author of Generate Sales Leads with Virtual Events. People enter your virtual booth, and you interact with them and qualify them on the spot. Listen as Shiao discusses the benefits of virtual events, gives examples of orga...

Don't Let these Myths and Misperceptions Derail Your Cold Calling Efforts

November 16, 2010 12:00 - 15 minutes - 13.8 MB

We've all heard the rumor: cold calling is dead and doesn't work anymore. Nonsense, says Wendy Weiss, the Queen of Cold Calling. It's actually the perfect tool for today's economy she says. The problem is most people do it really badly. Listen as Weiss explains some of the myths and misperceptions that cause cold calling efforts to fail.

Why You Must Resist the Urge to Take Any Client

November 09, 2010 12:00 - 14 minutes - 12.9 MB

During tough economic times, you may have to take on less-than-ideal clients to keep the lights on and generate the revenue you need. But you must not make that a habit if you want to attract higher-paying ideal clients and grow your business. Listen as Randy Shattuck, President of The Shattuck Group, explains why pursuing ideal clients should be a top priority and how to get those clients.

Metaphors: Don't Leave Home to See a Buyer without One

November 02, 2010 11:00 - 16 minutes - 15.2 MB

We all speak in metaphors: "It's cold as ice," "I don't have the bandwidth to handle that right now," "The room looked like a bomb hit it." It's imperative now that services professionals strategically use them in sales conversations to get prospects to pay attention them. Listen as Anne Miller, author of Make What You Say Pay!, explains how to use metaphors to effectively describe your services, how your services help businesses, how to address client objections, and how to get your foot in...

Perk Up Their Ears: Sales Techniques that Get Prospects to Take Notice

October 26, 2010 11:00 - 10 minutes - 10 MB

Every sales call is met with initial resistance. But by following a few key practices, you can weaken that wall and get prospects interested and willing to meet with you. Listen as Kelley Robertson, author of The Secrets of Power Selling, explains what you must do within the first few seconds of a sales conversation to get—and hold on to—prospects' attention. Learn More: Attend Kelley Robertson's webinar, Ditch the Sales Pitch: How to Master Sales Conversations and Win More Deals, on Nov. 4.

The One Thing Every Professional Services Website Must Do

October 19, 2010 11:00 - 21 minutes - 19.8 MB

Want to get buyers to notice your website over your competitors'? Then stop making it look like theirs and stop trying to make it all things for everyone. Follow basic marketing advice and uncover the one thing you do different from everyone else, and use your website to clearly explain that one thing, says Ben Hunt, website consultant and designer and author of Save the Pixel: The Art of Simple Web Design. (RainToday.com listeners can save 30% off the cost of the Save the Pixel.)

Uncover Hidden Pockets of Profit in Your Business

October 12, 2010 11:00 - 16 minutes - 15 MB

Chances are 40% of your business is unprofitable, and you aren't even aware of it. Thanks to antiquated accounting systems, this information goes unnoticed. The good news is that it isn't difficult to uncover those trouble areas, and it's easy to solve the problems and significantly increase profitability, says Jonathan Byrnes, author of Islands of Profit in a Sea of Red Ink.

How to Turn Client Objections into New Sales

October 05, 2010 11:00 - 13 minutes - 12.2 MB

How many times has a prospect objected to your price? How often have you heard people say it isn't a good time to buy your services? Client objections are a way of life, but they aren't the end of a sales conversation. They are, in fact, a good thing because they show there's an interest. Following the strategies RainToday founder describes in this podcast, you can get past client objections and make the sale.

Ditch Your Boring Bio and Attract More Clients

September 28, 2010 10:00 - 18 minutes - 17.2 MB

Think your bio isn't important? Think again. It can make the difference between winning clients and watching prospects walk away. With millions of people doing business as independent professionals, you must lead with information that compels people to want to engage. Forget the traditional boilerplat bio. Listen as Nancy Juetten, author of the second edition of Bye-Bye Boring Bio, explains the four essential elements of bios, describes the biggest mistake people make with bios, and gives ex...

How to Use Your Value Proposition to Stop Competing Against Price

September 21, 2010 11:00 - 18 minutes - 17 MB

Why do people buy from you and not your competitor? Is it a higher level of service? Is it a diversified level of service? Is it a complex niche that you're in that because of your experience or industry will give you a leg up and help your clients? When you can answer that--explain your value proposition--then you can build out your marketing plan, target your ideal clients, and grow your business, says Mike Schultz, President of the RAIN Group. You won't have to compete against price.

New Rules for Marketing Professional Services

September 14, 2010 11:00 - 17 minutes - 15.7 MB

As clients and prospects become more difficult to reach, you might be tempted to make your marketing louder. But don't. It will only annoy them, says Adrian Ott, author of the new book, The 24-Hour Customer: New Rules in a Time-Starved, Always-Connected Economy. Instead focus on strategic marketing that fits into the "ebbs and flows" of their time. Listen as Ott outlines how to embed yourself and your services into clients' habits and routines and some of the new rules for marketing services.

Setting the Foundation for a Strong and Wealthy Company

September 06, 2010 18:00 - 16 minutes - 15.5 MB

The up and down of the economy has many professional services firms concerned about their business and often taking on any client that comes their way. It is possible to grow your business, however, without having to resort to desperate measures. You start by developing a growth plan that allows you to establish the foundation of a strong company. Listen as marketing strategist Lisa Nirell explains the struggles firms are dealing with and what it takes to get your business to grow and thrive.

Stop Practicing Random Acts of Content

August 31, 2010 11:00 - 13 minutes - 12.2 MB

Effective thought leadership—the kind that attracts prospects that eventually become clients—requires a strong platform that your entire company adopts, not "random acts of content," says Craig Badings, author of Brand Stand: Seven Steps to Thought Leadership. Listen as Badings explains how to develop a strong thought leadership platform and the success organizations can see from implementing it.

How to Attract Clients and Make Money Using Webinars

August 24, 2010 11:00 - 19 minutes - 17.4 MB

Webinars are a great way to build your brand, demonstrate thought leadership, and generate leads. They can also fill the gap when companies are not able to send staff to training. But for them to succeed, whether they're free or paid, you have to have a strategy. Listen as Lee Salz, author of Stop Speaking for Free, explains how to pick a topic that draws viewers, how to create a title that grabs people's attention, and the type of content you must provide if you want people to pay to attend...

Tap Into the Power of Blogs to Grow Business

August 12, 2010 15:00 - 14 minutes - 13 MB

You know blogging is a powerful way to establish yourself as a trusted expert and grow business. But it can happen only if you manage your blog properly. If you're not seeing the results you hoped for, chances are you've made one of the many mistakes people fall for. Listen as professional blogger Chris Garrett describes the two biggest mistakes bloggers make, the worst thing you could do with your blog, and how to get people to notice and comment on your blog.

Is Your Body Language Hurting Your Sales Efforts?

August 10, 2010 11:00 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MB

You know body language can affect personal relationships, but have you stopped to consider how it and other non-verbal communication can affect your sales results and your client relationships? People respond on a primal level to how you say and do things, says Sharon Sayler, author of the new book What Your Body Says, so it's important you do things that draw people to you, not push them away. Listen as Sayler describes the two main things that hinder business relationships and what you can...

What Sales Training Program is Right for You?

August 03, 2010 12:00 - 17 minutes - 16.4 MB

A sales training program might be just the thing to help your sales team improve their skills and sell more. But how do you know which program and vendor is right for you? To help you figure that out, Dave Stein, CEO and Founder of ES Research Group, discusses some of the findings of the company's Sales Training Vendor Guide.

How to Avoid Becoming a Commodity in a Buyer-Centric World

July 27, 2010 13:00 - 19 minutes - 17.9 MB

Sales has change significantly over the years, particularly for B2B services firms. These days everyone plays a role in helping to grow the business, and firms must have a client-centric approach, says Matt Heinz, author of Successful Selling. Listen as Heinz explains mistakes firms make with lead generation, how firms can win complex sales, and how to avoid becoming a commodity.

The Secret to Turning Browsers into Buyers—An Interview with Scott Ginsberg

July 19, 2010 15:51 - 15 minutes - 14.4 MB

Thought leadership might be considered a buzz word in the world of professional services sales, but it's an absolute necessity if you want to attract prospects and convert them into buyers. Listen as Scott Ginsberg, aka The Nametag Guy, talks about key aspects of thought leadership, mistakes people make, and how to overcome the biggest challenge of attracting prospects willing to pay for your services. >>Learn More: Attend Scott Ginsberg's Webinar How to Build a Thought Leadership Platform...

Solve Business Problems and Think Creatively Using Freewriting

July 13, 2010 13:30 - 23 minutes - 21.5 MB

Problem solving requires creative thinking, but too often people get stuck coming up with the same tired solutions. How can you break out of that rut and think of ideas that solve your business problems? Mark Levy suggests using a process called freewriting, which allows you to explore ideas you might never come up with using traditional methods.

How to Get Prospects to Sit Up, Pay Attention, and Buy Your Services

July 07, 2010 14:30 - 16 minutes - 15.1 MB

Want to sell more? Stop talking about you and your services. Prospects, who are busier than ever, don't want to hear it. Jill Konrath, author of the new book SNAP Selling, says to instead focus on your prospects and their challenges, demonstrate your value, and tell them something that will grab their attention and hold it throughout the decision process.

RainToday's Sales Tips & Techniques Podcast

Episodes

Guests