Sales Is King

Fortune 500 CMO Peter Horst joins Dan to discuss the challenges marketers and sellers face in a rapidly evolving business landscape. Of specific focus is a conversation around how brands are tackling social issues(e.g The NFL, Pepsi) in the "Fake news" era and how sitting on the sidelines is actually the most dangerous strategy an organization can deploy. Peter is an engaging speaker who brings th...

Kristin Luck sits down with Dan for a fun and lively interview on just how we finally solve the marketing-sales alignment issue. Kristin is one of the Top 100 Influencers on Twitter for Marketing and Sales. She is an expert in marketing measurement and growth hacking in addition to being a serial entrepreneur and a globetrotting keynote speaker on marketing, branding, storytelling, startups and in...

McKinsey's latest article sets the B2B Sales world on fire and Dan is back in the studio to take you through it including why science is leading the charge in this "B2B Sales Revolution." There are disruptive changes being brought on by advanced analytics and machine learning in conjunction with a more content- focused and digital savvy Buyer, all leading to a new look B2B organization: one in whi...

Forrester is in the process of outlining the key characteristics of the Modern/21st B2B Seller and Dan returns to the studio to break it down for you. A successful B2B sales rep needs to be/have the following: 1. Empathetic Partner 2. Flexible and Adaptive Behavior 3. Storytelling Mastery 4. Advocacy Focus 5. Operational Mindset 6. Digital Adeptness Dan delivers a high energy overview of what acin...

A recent survey of CIO's(Chief Information Officers) shows that only 1 out of 10 sales reps leaves them 'highly satisfied" when meeting with a salws rep to evaluate a company's services. The study from article: http://ow.ly/g1T510179Be goes on to say that CIO's expect the sales reps to do a better job of connecting their solution to the CIO's priorities and strategic roadmap. They need to do a bet...

58% of potential deals in B2B today end in what is being referred to as "No Decision." The buyer/buying committee chose to keep things as is. We call this "status quo bias." Buyers are risk averse, so it appears easier and less risky to not spend the money on your product or solution. But you did such a great job 'pitching' -talked about all of the great benefits we could provide-why didn't they b...

Dan is back in the studio with a new episode and news about a new podcast series. Companies don't care about us anymore. Are you exposed right now if you lost your job? Are you ready? How have you prepared? No one cares about you but you. Loyalty is a thing of the past. How do you gain leverage? How do you take back control? Dan discusses strategies you can deploy to improve your job security. Don...

Author, Speaker, Attorney and Serial Entrepreneur, Michael Alden joins Dan for an hour of hard hitting, straight talk on what it takes to succeed in business today. Michael's new book, Blueprint To Business, is a strategic, tactical and motivational playbook for making things happen and overcoming obstacles. If you want the honest truth, you came to the right place 👊🔥

In addition to the 'foundational' elements of sales success, (the grit skills like determination, follow up, rejection proofing, asking for the business, hustle), the successful seller in 2018 also needs what Dan calls 'finesse' skills, like strategic thinking, financial literacy, creativity, recalibrating, expertise, simplifying, problem solving, idea generation, curiosity and more...give it a li...

Dan goes off on an Rant in response to a new Hubspot Study.

Coffee is still for closers, yes, but Dan returns to the studio to discuss what modern sellers are doing to CLOSE deals and it's not what may have worked in the past. The 2018 Sales Rep is leveraging a new set of skills and tools to get deals on the books. Dan discusses 10 reasons why closers fail and what can be done to assure that your sales numbers keep rising in the face of a changing buyer an...

How will you stand out in the "Sea of Sameness" that every Buyer faces today when deciding on which solution to purchase? Dan returns with a new studio episode(some new music as well ✌️) and a 7 Point Plan for Effective Differentiation. It's about Learning and Listening first, Empathizing and Educating second, Personalizing Your Pitch, Adding Value, Selling Yourself, And then Differentiating Follo...

Samantha McKenna is the new Head of Sales for LinkedIn's Enterprise and Mid Market, NYC. She joins Dan for a hard hitting interview on what it takes to succeed in Sales including the strategy, the motivation, and how to effectively leverage technology. Sam is a rising star in the world of Sales and she tells her story of early achievement, rapid and frequent promotions and the journey that has led...

Travis Chappell, host of the popular podcast, Build Your Network, joins Dan for a frank discussion on the topic of Networking in 2018. Travis, a dyed in the wool salesman, recently launched a podcast on Networking and has lured some of the top business minds on to his program to discuss their secret sauce - guests such as Ed Mylett, Brad Lea, Kevin Harrington, Jordan Harbinger, Elena Cardone and a...

Millennials are growing in importance in B2B purchasing decision-making. What are they looking for in vendors, partners and relationships? We have heard so much about personalizing our approach to buyers, but are we personalizing around age? The "Digital Natives" as a recent HBR article refers to them(20-35 year olds) [link here: http://ow.ly/MEPV1010Nm0], approach the selection process in a very...

Dan is back in the studio with a Rant and some timely tips for Sales Execs looking to generate more demand and to more effectively prospect. Social selling is undeniably the most effective way to increase demand and bolster your Pipeline: 76% of Buyers are open to engaging with providers on social channels; 62% of Buyers actually want to connect with sales execs on social; and a whopping 92% of bu...

The new dynamics in the B2B world today require that Sales Execs are able to connect with and influence many different stakeholders in order to be successful. Senior executives are becoming more involved in these decisions today and therefore Sales Execs more frequently find themselves in front of members of the C-Suite. But according to Forrester only 20% of salespeople are meeting the expectatio...

Dan is back with another episode based on new research from gryo marketing group. With a growing number of stakeholders involved in complex B2B purchases, the dynamics have shifted dramatically and sales people need to shift their approach in order to succeed. Link to research here: https://www.gyro.com/thinking/ Highlights include: 97% of buyers already have a preferred vendor coming into the dec...

Success in 2018 means having the “goods”, the knowledge, the subject matter expertise but it also means building an effective distribution network of connections who can learn from you, improve their situation from you and pass you on to others. Both are critically important not only in Sales but in Business and Life!

How Many times have you heard a prospect say that he or she needs to think about it or another classic line: “send me some information” These are classic blowoffs and in today’s podcast episode Dan outlines a plan for turning these around into revenue conversations. Follow Dan on Twitter @digitaladvantg; On Instagram:dan6smith Or send Dan an email dan.sixsmith@gmail.com to set up a free consult.

Connecting with Buyers early in the process, counter to what we have heard, is required by 71% Of Buyers who are actually looking to SALES to help with idea generating and brainstorming. In addition, Perseverance is crucial to winning more business. How long do you typically hang in? 44% of you quit after 1 “No” and another 22% bail after the second “No”

Dan leads a discussion around new research from RAIN which outlines what Buyers are saying sets the sales winners apart from the runners up. The winners according to the study sell RADICALLY different than the second and third place finishers. The results are surprising. The report uncovers some new approached that Buyers require in 2018.

Dan is back with a new in-studio segment and he talks about how to sell against fear: How to not be crippled by inaction and a game plan to disable fear both from the perspective of the seller and the buyer. Buyers also wrestle with fear today and choose to stay in their comfort zones. Effective sellers today know how to defeat that fear and win more business.

Mario Martinez Jr a Digital Sales expert joins Dan for an action packed segment to discuss how Sales Execs can win with the Modern Buyer!

Dan discusses the critical importance of preparing for each meeting and what is involved in doing that successfully. In addition he covers how to successfully execute and carry out the game plan. The big difference between high performers and the unsuccessful salespeople is how they execute and take action.