Episodes

  • HTSS208 - Setting expectations in sales to help close deals - Scott Sylvan Bell

    HTSS208 - Setting expectations in sales to help close deals - Scott Sylvan Bell
    Feb 15 2022

    As a salesperson your ability to set expectations in the sales process will help you work towards closing a deal. As you set expectations with your client they can "see" or "hear" the goals. 
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    32 mins
  • HTSS207 - Evolution of the sales representative - Scott Sylvan Bell

    HTSS207 - Evolution of the sales representative - Scott Sylvan Bell
    Feb 14 2022

    As a salesperson, your roles, responsibilities, and self-image will evolve over time. This evolution is something you can take within a few years or over your lifetime of sales. 
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    21 mins
  • HTSS206 - How to prepare for a sales interview - Scott Sylvan Bell

    HTSS206 - How to prepare for a sales interview - Scott Sylvan Bell
    Jan 21 2022

    How to prepare for a sales job 

    There are multiple approaches to interviewing salespeople. If you have never been in sales there is a feel to the interview. Some people fly off the seat of their pants while others use a full structure. It is important to note that some Business Owners and or Sales Managers like to see salespeople squirm. You will want to be prepared for an easy sales meeting or a difficult one. Either way, it will come down to your skills, conversation, rapport, and charm. You can learn from sales job interviews as to things 

    Why do sales interviews matter 

    A sales interview is a way for a company to decide to hire you or not. This seems simple enough. Some companies cant find a closer and are willing to hire someone to train. Sales interviews can range from easy to difficult. The better you prepare and the better your answers are you can improve your chances of getting hired. If you are looking for a sales job, this content could prepare you for what to expect. 

    Questions you may get on a sales interview for a new job 

    To start with this is not really a question but a view of an action. In this day and age people, can't say they didn't know how to get somewhere. Most employers will look at:

    1. Did they show up on time prepared with notes, pen, and or paper? 
    2. Do they initiate the conversation at the office
    3. Are they friendly with the office staff?
    4. Are they a closer and can they prove it – do they have docs and or awards
    5. Can they deal with pressure –
    6. Are they relaxed in the conversation even with no rapport
    7. Can they deal with the pressure of constant questions and also deal with constant interruptions
    8. Are they Good looking, funny, or socially awkward (pay attention to the laws in your jurisdiction
    9. Do they have a slight edge, chip on their shoulder, or anything similar – confidence vs arrogance
    10. Can they hold a conversation
    11. Do they engage in the conversation / do they get annoyed easily
    12. Can they deal with tough follow up questions?
    13. Do they have direction in the conversation, Are they leading or trying to lead
    14. Have they found achievement in their life?
    • Sports – college
    • Awards
    • Degree
    • Health
    • Adversity – Jail to redemption, broke to money
    1. What is their favorite adversity story?
    2. Are they willing to follow a system?
    3. Are they willing to make a cold call on the phone live or at least willing to attempt it?
    4. Are they willing to role play in the appointment and if so why?
    5. Do they know how to articulate what they want?
    6. Will they push back or will they agree with anything?
    7. Do they ask for the next steps?
    8. Do they love people or hate them, do they have a disdain for others?
    9. Can they talk about good and bad experiences in their life?
    10. Are they a people pleaser and go with the wind – this may be a problem – they will get pushed around from they buyers?
    11. Do they seem eager about the job or the role
    12. Do they push back with rejection – Call me back -

    Questions to ask new salespeople

    When someone is new to sales the questions asked may be different than questions asked to veteran sales reps. 

    1. Would they be willing to start with just following up or at a lower level position?
    2. Have they achieved anything in the past that they are proud of?
    3. How did they prepare for the call?
    4. Can they hold a conversation with questions, directions or anything else?
    5. Do they ask good questions or look for clarification?
    6. What happens when they get pushed back?
    7. Are they willing to talk about their fears of selling?
    8. Are they overly confident, this can be a problem?
    9. Are they willing to try to sell in the appointment?
    10. What is the most expensive thing they have recently bought – ask them to see “you buy how you sell”

    You have tons of options when looking for a sales job. Just so you know sales interviews are not supposed to be easy. 
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    30 mins
  • HTSS205 - Why your sales team is failing (part 2) - Scott Sylvan Bell

    HTSS205 - Why your sales team is failing (part 2) - Scott Sylvan Bell
    Jan 17 2022
    The reasons why your sales team is failing  This may be a tough conversation for some Executives, Business Owners as well as Managers. It's not always the sales team's problem that creates a lack of sales. For this reason, we are not going to talk about salespeople. We will exclude salespeople from this conversation just for a moment. For a moment we will imagine that they are perfect. This is the only way we can examine this side of the conversation.  The problems internally in your business When you look at the people inside your business running they show, are they the right people? You could have the right team inside the sales department with a great manager and great team.   You could have a wrong culture outside of the sales team. Your support staff may be the problem. There is no common goal to take care of the client. There is the idea “I need to get my job done and the client will work around me”. This is where the office makes it difficult to do business: They rescheduleThey don’t call back / emailThey don’t care about the outcome of the clientThe process is more important than anything elseThey talk trash on salespeopleThey say persnickety things to salespeople The office created problems for salespeople  When the office staff doesn't want to help clients or help salespeople in their roles it creates chaos. Salespeople can hit downturns in sales for the sole reason they get caught up in all of the office issues. These feelings can make salespeople question, their role as well as if the buyer is going to be happy with the product, service, install or delivery. This is a tough feeling for salespeople as they can think internally: You want me to close the deal but you don't want to give me the help I needYou want me to get the “gross profit” but the office can hinder the process You want me to keep clients “happy” after they have had problems with the officeYou want a ton of things, but what you don't want to do is focus on the client  Salespeople end up thinking "Now I'm worried" and they are not focused on closing the deals. They start to focus on all of the problems they are going to face after the deal.  How your office also creates problems for salespeople  Sometimes your staff looks for perfection that can never be obtained. People in the office are paid by the hour or by salary from the deal that has been closed. They just want to get "their task" done. Sometimes the office just doesn't care. There are also times where there are bullies in the office. Where this business disconnect comes from: Ownership and or upper management that doesn’t see the problem – they don’t know its happeningOwnership and upper management doesnt care – things are good the way they arePeople who have never seen the other side of the rainbow – small companies that have never been bigLegacy managers – those who want things the way they have always beenBullies – someone who always has to get their way or always be in controlA belief in the office that salespeople are evil and overpaid – I am going to punish them for past sins of horrible peopleThe lack of saying what needs to be said in company meetingsPoor accountability over time How to make your sales team perform better  Your sales team has the capability of being great. There are actions you can take as an Executive, Business Owner, or Manager. Some of these truths may be uncomfortable to hear and or see. Here are the places you may hear about the problems you have in your office: A consultant friend hears and shares this episode of the "How to sell show"A Sales manager goes to the ownership and or managementThe topic is brought up ion a sales meetingOld employees bring it upA new employees bring it upPeople leave and the conversation happens at the end of the termYour clients cancel and or complain Why your sales team fails from the office results in  There are real-life problems created by issues in your office. The repercussions of a office that is stuck in doing things their way hurt your business. They also can make Executives, Business Owners, and Managers look ineffective and weak. You can end up with:  Lost dealsLost revenueLost office staffLost salespeopleBad reputations Here is how you can fix poor office performance  There are ways for you to get back on track. Your ability to find a path to helping a sales team is possible. Here are some steps you can take to get a high-performance sales team: Really examine what happens in an organizationListen to what the team is saying – sometimes you will have to go to them and ask. If you have people that don’t complain and now they are… there is a problem.Allow for candid feedback – Know some Managers held meetings before the meetings to “put everyone in their place”. Outside interviews – Hire consultantsClient surveys – on-site interviews and face-to-face conversations. 
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    22 mins
  • HTSS204 - How to use emotions in sales to close deals - Scott Sylvan Bell

    HTSS204 - How to use emotions in sales to close deals - Scott Sylvan Bell
    Jan 12 2022
    How to use emotions in sales to close deals You can use emotions in sales to close deals. Please make sure to do this right or you will be seen as manipulative. If you are not careful you can induce reactance and skepticism in your presentations. When you reach reactance or skepticism in your sales process you can close the deal but it will probably take hard closing or heavy discounting to close. When you use emotions incorrectly or push too hard enough you can trigger contempt and that will lead to no sale.  Should salespeople use emotions in sales? You should absolutely use emotions in sales to close deals. If you are not using emotions in sales to close deals it, you are leaving money on the table. There are times where you must pay attention to how you ask questions and interact with your buyers. Some ground rules for using emotions in sales: Your vocabulary has to match your styleVocal pitch and tone matterYou can mirror your buyerQuestions and stories rule – tell the story and insert the word or the word trackPeople buy with emotions and justify with logic Where salespeople struggle using emotions in sales  You do have to know something about using emotions in sales. You use emotion in sales with the buyers you meet with but you hold fast about your beliefs and conversations. You don't allow the conversations to move you too far emotionally. If you get too emotionally wrapped up it creates problems later on down the road. You being too emotional takes you out of control. You need certainty, they need emotions. In sales, your buyer is looking to you for leadership. How to make your competition in sales work harder  You should make it harder for your competition to sell against you. How you present ask questions and interact should make the “competition” job hard implicitly and explicitly. There are a few ways to make that happen: Show they are not preparedMy presentation is more thought out as theirs and it leads to an outcome of saying yes.That they only have a minimal offering Their solutions are sub par and irrelevantPaint the picture of their limitations when trueI want the competition to feel like the guy on infomercials that can do anything right Emotional word tracks to use in sales  You can use emotional words to your advantage. These words can be found in any thesaurus you can get your hands on. You will want to add these types of words in your presentation. The key is for you to use emotional words in your sales presentation before your buyer does. Here are some words and word tracks that you can use in your presentation: You – the favorite word of everyone: you, your, yours (name)Happy words: you use these words to explain the outcome your buyer will face. As a side note please be truthful about what you say and do: Animated, Delighted, Eager, Energized, Enthused, Excited, Excited, Happy, Jovial, Love, Motivated, Opportunistic, Opportunity, Pleased, Thrilled.Positive execution word tracks: At the end of the dayHere is the outcome you can expectHere is what to expectSuccess looks likeYou will findYour final resultYour needs will be met Negative execution emotional words: Abuse, Awkward, Bumbling, clumsy, here is what to look for, inconsistent, inept, malpractice, Neglect, poor execution, Unimpressed. Frustration - I don’t want you to choose the wrong option and be frustrated – Aggravation, Agitated, Anger, Annoy, Annoyance, boring, consequences, content Disappointment, Dissatisfied, Disturbance, disqualified, enrage, Hindrance, Provoke – you use these words to talk about their problem and the competition.   Danger words –AKA bad boy words, banned, Beware, Cautious, Clandestine, controversial, covert, Exclusive, Hidden, out of bounds, private, secret, Sense of danger, unpublished, Veiled, warning, Stealthy, Underground & Silent. Using negative emotional words in your sales process  You can use these words to talk about your product and or service without the negative attachment. You use these words to explain the negative consequences of using the competition's products or services. – build doubt How to use Primacy and recency in sales You can use the power of psychology with your buyers. There will be times where you want to engage with the people you meet within a way that can trigger emotions. Sometimes this is the feeling of missing out (FOMO) and sometimes this is just convrsational.  Miss out – You will regret missing out vs I don’t want you to miss out (words that can Convery this are) Get in while you can, Last chance, Last ones, Last time ever, members-only, Only time ever, limited quantities, Prices will be raised, This offer is going away, Time will expire, your secret special.Imagine – The imagine words paint pictures in the mind of the buyer. You can use all of the senses to make this happen. Visual – here is what you see, feel – here is the feelings of buying, hear – this is what you will hear, smell – the scent ...
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    27 mins
  • HTSS203 - Goal setting process in sales how to set your outcomes - Scott Sylvan Bell

    HTSS203 - Goal setting process in sales how to set your outcomes - Scott Sylvan Bell
    Jan 5 2022
    How to use goals to sell more  If you look at goal setting there are so many pieces of information from you to choose from. You have to find what works for you. There isn't a one size fits all goal-setting process for everyone. It's ok to try something and if it doesn’t work find something that does. Your job is to find a plan, stick to it and work it. You can always modify as needed, in the end, this is your recipe.  Goal setting and sales  One of the common mistakes salespeople and entrepreneurs make is to think they have to wait until January 1st every year to start with their goals. You will find consistency in sales starts with expectations and tracking. Plenty of salespeople and companies struggle with consistency and tracking.  Goal setting data points  Most stats about goal and goal setting have no attribution. Most studies have too small of sample sizes. It's tough to judge off success off of 10 people vs 1000 people. The Harvard Study Study has been shown to be fake or nonexistent. Here are the 2 constants you will find when you study goal setting.  You are 33% - 43% more likely to achieve a goal if it's written down. 2015 Gail MatthewsYou are 76% - 81% more likely to achieve a goal if it is tracked - No attributionUse ranges when setting goals – Particpances averaged 2 pounds per week when they targeted to 1-3 pounds per week. (https://hbr.org/2014/11/when-you-give-your-team-a-goal-make-it-a-range)Goal setting success can be linked with motivation, self confidence & autonomy (Locke & Lathan, 2006) The goal-setting common experience  There are some common traits in goal setting that seem to be a strong constant. These items are mentioned in just about every example, article, podcast, YouTube video as well as goal setting courses: Write your goals downReview your goals frequently with tracking  Area 1 - You do have to have your foundation (the 4Ds): Discipline – How strong is your discipline – do you need someone to monitor you or tell you what to do? Devices and Systems – What framework do you have besides your beliefs?Dates – What are your timelines: daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semiannually, and yearlyData - Where do you put your outcomes – how do you track them? Area 2 – Reason why Have a strong reason why to escape from struggling. This concept is the main drive above all and everything else that I see help people propel. There are 4 main topics with plenty of subtopics. 3 of these are common ideas and 1 isnt. What is the deep-down reason for your goal? Not the reason you tell everyone. If you were to speak to a confidential source what would you tell them? This conversation may be super personal. For others, it can be an open book.   Your desires and personal outcomes matter Prove yourself right – It was something I wanted to do, Show others what you can do – I want others to see me and hear meProve others wrong – Everyone said I couldn’tConditions you grew up in – poor or even in wealthPhantom – Natural drive – not normal in the distribution of people. Some people just don’t have this, it who they are Questions to ponder for your reason why   What does the goal mean to you, how have you attached to the outcome?Do you really want the goal or is it a platitude?Are you trying to impress someone else?What is your level of commitment?What are you willing to sacrifice?What is in your way to get the goal accomplished?Who is in the way of your goal?Is the goal worthy of you?   Area 3 – The groupings and explanations These are typically tied to a date and a sum of money or outcome. You can set a time and date fairly easily. By March 30th I will hit 500k in gross income from all of my businesses. Royalties, equity, mastermind and consulting. You can then add these 14 dimensions or groupings: Actions – Things you want to do and or achieveEvents – Meetings and or groups you would like to be a part of. This could be courses, masterminds, philanthropicLocations – Places you want to be, want to go, want to attend. PurchaseMoney – the income you want to achieve, the money you want in savings and or investmentsPeople – The people you want in your life as well as the people you would like to do business with and connect toPhilanthropy – the places you want to donate time and energy toPhysical – How you work out, your weightProducts – The things you want to purchase or acquire. Cars, watches, houses, businesses, buildings  Purchases – things you want to buyRecreation – what you want to do for funRelationships – How you treat the people in your life and how they treat you. Family, significant others, friends, and colleaguesRewards – this is an if-then statement style (when I do this, I will do that) this is the ultimate dopamine rush for your goalsSpiritual – Your relationship with your creator and your styleStretch goals – These are the additions to a goal a “push up” in case you hit something ...
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    36 mins
  • HTSS202 - Money is emotional in sales and business - Scott Sylvan Bell

    HTSS202 - Money is emotional in sales and business - Scott Sylvan Bell
    Jan 1 2022

    Money is emotional in business and sales 

    You will find that when you spend money or make money it is emotional. This comes down to  the money spent vs time to make it. You will want to understand this concept in order to close more deals. When you can grasp the money vs time concept you can have better communication with your buyers. If you add in the understanding of risk it's that much more impressive. When older people tell you their age, it’s a money issue. 

    Trust helps close deals in sales 

    As consumers, we have a fear of being taken advantage of. We don't want to lose out. This fear comes down to protecting your back end and not losing. When you win there is a dopamine rush, when you lose there is panic. 

    Time vs cost in sales and emotions 

    When you make money you calculate the time, energy, and or effort it takes to make a purchase. This is normal for most people for mid-range and large purchases. Sometimes what you sell will take weeks, months, or years to pay for. This comes down to time, energy, and or effort. People buy on emotion and justify with logic:

    • There is an emotional feel to spending money 
    • there is an emotional feel to winning and or losing money 
    • Some people put more weight on either way or both – greed

    As a salesperson, it helps to understand these concepts not just for the purchase, but also the objections as well as the problems faced after a deal. There is emotion to a sales presentation:

    • Sometimes you hit it off immediately with buyers 
    • Sometimes you lose the sale in the first 3 minutes of the appointment 
    • Angry people will still make a purchase
    • Its not just the buyer its you as well that does this 

    Think about how upset or angry you get when you make a mistake or when something goes wrong. There is risk in making a mistake, you could be:

    • Irritated
    • Upset
    • Angry
    • Judgment 
    • Guilt
    • Humiliated
    • Passed over for promotion
    • Fired

    Talking about emotions in sales

    Early on in your sales career, you may have fears about emotional conversations and questions. You can use emotional questions with your buyers and be ok. You do need to pay attention to how often you have them so they don't feel manipulative. Ways you can lock in emotions in the sales process:

    • You can ask for the feelings, the right amount. How many emotional questions you choose to ask is a personal decision
    • You can anchor the feeling and or emotion 

    Set the expectations emotionally with your buyers 

    You can reduce problems and or issues with your buyers by setting the expectation. Explain to buyers what will happen emotionally if they go the wrong way. You can talk people through their decision-making process. The way you communicate can be:

    • This can be explicit or a hint
    • This can be a story
    • This can be a testimonial 

    How to explain the outcome with emotions

    You can use emotional words to explain and set expectations. Remember to not use too much, just in a few places. You can mirror the words of the buyer when you ask emotional questions.  A mismatch may not work to your favor.  If they say upset don’t use anger for them, save that for another example.

    • Use certainty – I am certain you will be happy with this
    • You can use priming with images of smiling people
    • You can use testimonials where someone didn’t think the product, service, and or idea would work
    • Colors

    Things you can do when sales go sideways

    1. Contact the person immediately – the sooner the better
    2. Listen to what they say, the story will repeat a few times -
    3. You can agree with them -
    4. You can ask them what they want to solve the problem, get them to go first. Sometimes its just the venting. Sometimes its money  

    Making money is emotional and spending money is as well 

    You have to remember money is emotional. Spending, making, losing, saving and thinking about money can bring in emotions. To sell more you will want to think through people sell how they buy. Setting expectations can help close deals. Tell them what to expect. Tell them what to do if something happens. Last of all don’t sell perfection.  
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    24 mins
  • HTSS201 - How to create a buyers guide to help close deals - Scott Sylvan Bell

    HTSS201 - How to create a buyers guide to help close deals - Scott Sylvan Bell
    Dec 31 2021
    How to create a buyers guide One of the coolest things you can do for your service and or industry is create a buyers guide. A buyers guide is an explanation for what a buyer could do to make a good decision. This guide is your way to influence the sales process. You get to put your ideas out in front of the buyer before, during, and after the sale. You get to have some help with some of the buyers purchasing behavior. Part of the buyers guide is to help overcome things like getting 3 bids, shopping on the lowest price, and time stalls.  Most consumers dont know how to purchase items  Most people don’t know to buy the products and or the services they need. Most companies make it all about the price so it becomes a discounting game. Having a buyer's guide automatically makes you an expert. You are distilling information to make it easy for the buyer. In essence, you can become their hero. At the same time you get to distill the concepts and or ideas that you think are important.  Buyers psychology and buyers guides  Your buyer has risk when they make a purchase. Nobody wants to look dumb or silly when they buy. As consumers, we all want to make good choices, and we will go out of our way to not look dumb. This buyer's guide targets people's fears and or risks and helps reduce them. Most salespeople skip visualization of what they do – touch, feel, see, hear. Most salespeople leave a brochure behind that doesn’t answer questions and its just fluff Building a buyers guide framework You will want to put some thought into this project. You can do some research by looking for the most common questions your buyers ask. Once you look at the questions you can ask the people you work with. If you still need more content you can look at reviews. You will want to write down all of these questions and confirm they are what is asked. You dont want to create objections you dont have. You then take the objections and turn them into questions about your product and or service. The good new is, you already have all of the research to make this happen   The aspects of a successful buyers guide: 10 FAQs – the FAQs are just that, these are the most highlighted common questions – a few of these can be against you competition10SAQs – This is where you get to differentiate what is your wheelhouse – what do you do better – a few hours reframe -10 common mistakes people make – these are the protections you can explain to the buyer. There is a mix of what you can do to help and a mix of common objections. Story Tips on how to build a buyers guide  Salespeople and even business owners struggle with buyers guides. The hope for them is the first version is the final version. You may have multiple versions of your buyers guide before you feel it is complete. Start small and then validate that it is what you want. You do have to start somewhere. Here are a few concepts to help you out.  This is going to be a living doc so it will change over time You will find better ways to use it and need to modify as time goes onDo not print tons in the beginning, make the first few batches small runs MVO - a minimal viable option - you want to just get this document up and running  Items to add to a buyers guide  Once you have your 10 frequently asked questions, your 10 should ask questions and the 10 common mistakes salespeople make you can add more items. You need to have your base work down first so you know what else could be added.  Awards from groups Awards from clients Awards from Manufacturers Testimonials that overcome objectionsWarranties -Guaranties – risk reversalRisk reductionsSpeedLongevitySavingsAgreements for service (contracts)Service level agreementQr code – sizzle reelChat link800 number Your goal is to list out all of your best features and figure out how to highlight them. Once you have the framework built out you can turn this into audio – video with a download.  How to make your buyer's guide even more powerful  If you want to go even further there are other elements you can add to your buyer's guide. You can go to a graphic designer and have them design this item. You will want to make sure it isnt too perfect. It does need to have the feel of easy and not expensive. You can add images of people smiling as a priming factor.  How to make a buyers guide even more exceptional  Giving someone words on a piece of paper is one thing. Being able to walk someone through a decision is even better. You can add a small section in the back of the guide that uses a matrix pre-filled out with your best benefits and options. You can use checks and X’s to fill in the blanks of your service and or business. Ways you can use the buyer's guide to help influence the sales process  The whole goal of the buyer's guide is to make the sales process easier for you. This document is meant to be a tool you can use to help influence the buyer's decision. You can use this document ...
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    32 mins