Category: Sales Strategy

Three Big Ideas That Create Prospecting Breakthroughs

2/23/2023

By Cal Thomas, Sandler Training
To sell effectively to the modern buyer, we need to identify and set aside all the head trash that keeps us from engaging effectively, and often, to uncover new opportunities. This means understanding the power of our own behavior. Behavior is basically our muscle memory in action, which we regularly turn to and do as a matter of course, time after time. Behavior is quantifiable, meaning we can count it when it happens. Our prospecting behaviors drive our income. It’s that simple.

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You Don’t Have to Like Prospecting … You Just Have to Do It

8/18/2022

By Cal Thomas, Sandler Training
The salesperson who claims to “like” prospecting hasn’t ever done it. How can anyone “like” a process that produces such an arena for rejection? When salespeople say they like prospecting, what they might mean is this: “I don’t mind paying the price of prospecting to reach my objectives.” Many salespeople haven’t reached that stage. If you’re still at the stage where prospecting means dialing a number and hoping the line is busy… don’t worry. You’re okay. You just haven’t learned to focus on the end result.

Speak More Languages, Close More Sales

7/21/2022

By Cal Thomas, Sandler Training
Have you ever noticed that some people jump to quick conclusions, don’t like to get bogged down with details, and like to take the 30,000-foot view of issues? Or that others prioritize making and keeping friends? Or that still others just don’t like change and conflict, and want to avoid making decisions? If you’ve ever noticed people who fit those descriptions, then you’re in a good position to expand your repertoire of selling languages!

No One Gets into Your Head Without Your Permission

6/23/2022

By Cal Thomas, Sandler Training
Have you ever volunteered a price reduction before someone asked for it? Have you ever felt less than okay about yourself because somebody didn’t decide to buy from you?

If you answered “Yes,” you should be aware that you let your buyer into your personal headspace, where the buyer didn’t belong. You chose to become emotionally involved in the sales process. And you know what? That usually doesn’t end well.

Why Selling Features and Benefits Doesn’t Work

5/19/2022

By Cal Thomas, Sandler Training
Here’s an interesting exercise: On a piece of paper, draw a vertical line down the center of the page. At the top left side, write your company’s name. On the top right side, write the name of your most important competitor. Down the left side of the page, write the numbers 1, 2 and 3. Do the same thing on the right side of the page. Under your company’s name, list the top three benefits of the product or service that you’re selling. Be sure these benefits explain why people buy from you. Is it because your product or service generates increased profits? Does it maximize efficiency? Is it easy to use? Is the service and support you offer fantastic?

Express Your Feelings Through Third-Party Stories

4/25/2022

By Cal Thomas, Sandler Training
Have you ever sat in front of a prospect and thought you should say something – but didn’t? If you’re like most of us, the answer to that question was “Yes.” You cut that thought short and chose not to put it into words. You recognized that you weren't confident enough to say what you wanted to say, because you thought it might jeopardize the sale. In that instant, your gut was talking to you and telling you about something important that needed to be communicated. A little voice inside you was telling you, “Say it, say it!” The problem was you didn’t know how to communicate what you wanted to say without.

Only Give A Presentation for the Close!

3/17/2022

By Cal Thomas, Sandler Training
Many of us in sales use the presentation phase for educating the buyer about what we do and what we offer. Does that really make sense strategically? We may be tempted to use the presentation as an opportunity to talk about everything we’ve done in our career. Everything our awesome product or service does, has done, or might do in the future. Everything our happy clients and customers have said about us. Here’s a question: How do you feel when you’re on the receiving end of a presentation like that? Of course, you tune out. We all do. So what we tell our clients is simple: Don’t do it.

A Prospect Who Is Listening Is No Prospect At All

2/17/2022

By Cal Thomas, Sandler Training
Sometimes salespeople are a little surprised when we share a simple, time-tested selling principle: a prospect who is listening isn’t really a prospect. What on earth does this mean? Isn’t it a good thing when someone listens to what we have to say during a sales call? Maybe, maybe not. Think about it. Who’s doing the talking and who’s doing the listening? If we’re running our mouth 90% of the time during that sales call, and the other person is doing all the listening, that means they’re not engaging, which means we don’t learn anything, and we don’t understand what their issues are!

Live The Success Triangle!

1/20/2022

By Cal Thomas, Sandler Training
The powerful learning model David Sandler called the Success Triangle is a proven formula for sales success – and a proven formula for every other kind of success.

Sales leaders, and all leaders, can benefit from learning about it and implementing it with their teams. You have probably heard about the Success Triangle. So, what is it?

Are You and Your Sales Team Speaking the Same Language?

12/16/2021

By Cal Thomas, Sandler Training
One big challenge we all face as sales leaders is that we may have people on our team who aren’t on the same page as we are.

Very often, we as the leader, are speaking one language; but the salesperson who is taking part in a conversation with us is speaking a very different language. We may not even realize that’s what is happening!

A Decision Not to Make A Decision Is A Decision

11/19/2021

By Cal Thomas, Sandler Training
How comfortable are you, on a scale of 1 to 10, when a prospect tells you “Let me think it over?” If you answered anything other than a 1, there could be a problem. You may want to consider implementing a classic Sandler selling rule: “A decision not to make a decision is a decision.” Think about it. If we’re completely okay with a prospect telling us, “I need to think this over,” or “You’re close, but we need some time to evaluate,” or “We’ll let you know” – what does that really say about us as sales professionals?

No Mutual Mystification

10/21/2021

By Cal Thomas, Sandler Training
It’s time for a 21st-century reality check: We all live (and sell) in a ridiculously fast-paced environment. We all have more platforms, more information, more commitments, more conversations, and more priorities to address than we can comfortably handle. That’s kind of our defining trait these days: data overload and compressed timelines. As a result, we are sometimes spread too thin, which means we are prone to miss things, perhaps important things, that are going on in someone else’s world.

All Prospects Lie All the Time

8/19/2021

By Cal Thomas, Sandler Training
One of the classic selling rules David Sandler developed and shared with salespeople sounds a little harsh…but it’s true. Sandler warned us that “All prospects lie all the time.” Maybe that sounds combative, but if we were to tweak the rule just a little bit, we could see past that and understand what Sandler was getting at. Suppose we were to say “All prospects are protecting themselves all the time.” Would that be clearer? Sure it would. Well, if we step back, we’ll realize that the two formulations are saying exactly the same thing.

Never Help the Prospect End The Interview

7/15/2021

by Cal Thomas, Sandler Training
We have all been in situations where we are on a sales call, and we get the sense that the other person has checked out of the discussion for some reason. Maybe there is an uncomfortably long silence on the phone. Maybe we can see the other person looking disengaged, making faces, getting distracted, or checking their phone.

The question is, what do we do then?

What’s The Very Best Presentation?

6/16/2021

by Cal Thomas, Sandler Training

Quick! What is the best sales presentation you’ll ever give?

Were you stumped for a moment? Don’t feel bad. It was a trick question.

The best presentation that you’ll ever give is actually the one that the prospect never sees.

When All Else Fails, Become a Consultant

5/20/2021

by Cal Thomas, Sandler Training
When you know you’ve lost the business, what do you usually do?

We have all been in that position. We thought we had something. The deal fell through. We know it’s over. The buyer made a decision. We have to say something. The question is, what? There should be a go-to move in this situation, something we do consistently, as part of a process. So: Does that go-to move exist?

Never Answer an Unasked Question!

4/13/2021

by Cal Thomas, Sandler Training
Carlos was in a great mood. Forty minutes in, the meeting with his top prospect’s senior staff was going great. He was getting nothing but engagement, smiles, and positive body language from everyone around the table, including the CEO of the company. He knew what that meant. He was about to close his first big deal! The timing couldn’t have been better. Because this was a potentially major account, Carlos’ manager Charlene was in attendance. Today, she would get to see him work his magic first hand.

Guess What? Money Does Grow on Trees!

1/21/2021

By Cal Thomas, Sandler Training

Believe it or not, your parents were wrong. Money actually does grow on trees. That's one of the essential Sandler Selling Rules.

Skeptical? Don't be. Just be willing to ask yourself: what kind of tree? And the answer is: a referral tree.

Six Big Myths about Virtual Selling

10/15/2020

By Cal Thomas, Sandler Training
Virtual selling is nothing new. It has been around for years. What’s happening now is that more and more sales teams are getting good at it! The old distinction between “field sales” and “inside sales” is an increasingly irrelevant one. Today, the most effective and productive sales teams see themselves as remote sales professionals. This is also sometimes known as virtual selling...but whatever you call it, it’s a central requirement of success in most markets.

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