The Q and A Sales Podcast

Paul offers suggestions to help bridge the divide between sales and operations to serve customers better. Show Notes As an organization, from the shop floor to the top floor, follow this bedrock philosophy: "Do more of that which adds value and less of that which adds little or no value."   Conduct a "field day" with your counterpart in operations. You need to understand what he or she deals with...

Paul tackles the issues that many salespeople have with the idea of selling to that ultimate decision maker. Show Notes You should be calling on high-level decision makers from the start! Tune in to find out why (and how). When you're interacting with a high-level decision maker, you have to provide meaningful insight. Tell them something they don't know already. Fewer than 10% of salespeople call...

Paul shares some insights to help you sell with a deeper purpose. Show Notes You must realize that you are not just selling a product, you are serving people. Imagine if you approached your work like that every day. For some salespeople it's all about making money—we need money. But find that deeper purpose behind the money, and you'll find your true motivation. When times are tough, maybe you can...

Paul shares four ideas on how to build and sustain the value-added movement, but also some insight on why movements can fail. Show Notes Clarity-Communication-Commitment-Courage As a leader, you must articulate your vision and purpose as a value-added organization. Be crystal clear. At every company meeting, in every email, every team communication, drive that value-added message home. Inner circl...

Paul talks with John Register—former military, Olympic hopeful turned Paralympic medal winner. Listen to his inspiring story and how he "transformed adversity into advantage" in tough times. Show Notes "We think we know who we are when tough times are going to come, and we think we know how we're going to show up. But we really don't know how we're going to show up until that time comes…And what i...

Paul lays out a plan to focus your time, energy, and effort on the most viable sales opportunities. Show Notes As a salesperson, time is the currency you are investing. Be sure you're not wasting it on the wrong opportunities. Stop what you're doing and put together a list of ideal targets. This is critical! Create a profile based on the business you want to pursue as well as the business you want...

Paul provides seven basic principles of persuasion to incorporate into your sales pitch or presentation. Show Notes Regardless of who you're persuading, the outcome must be equitable. Demonstrate the fairness of your solution. If you want to WOW the customer, surprise them with an unexpected service or value added. Scarcity creates demand. FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) is real. When attempting to per...

Paul interviews Matthew Pollard (The Rapid Growth ® Guy), debunking the myth that all successful salespeople are extroverts. Show Notes "Surprisingly, while a lot of people feel that introverts struggle with sales, some of the best in the business…happen to be introverted." Matthew Pollard "I believe sales is a system. And I believe the best in the business in sales focus on a constant perfection...

Paul lays out four ways to be more persuasive and to move your deals forward, even in a tough time. Show Notes When your customers are tempted to hit Pause , you need to convince them to take action. Use analogy. Just as some invest when the stock market is down, position your solution as an investment during this low period to help them be better prepared for the upturn that is to follow.   Help...

Paul shares ideas on how to compete in this tough insurance market. Show Notes Begin the renewal process much earlier—six months prior to policy expiration. Tune in to the podcast to hear about the three-step renewal process. Have constant communication with the client. Be sure to provide value at each interaction.   Conduct a thorough review with your clients every single year. During that review...

Paul spells out the importance of a full pipeline to your confidence and success in the new year. Show Notes You want more confidence when you're selling? Get out there, get to work and increase your activity level until that pipeline is bursting. A full pipeline will help you manage the valleys of tough times. Increase your activity now to prepare for that tough time. Things happen. You are going...

Paul lays it on the line—it's not all about price! Paul shares three ideas to get you past discounting and on to value. Show Notes Did you make some resolutions for 2023? Maybe you should go on a "discounting diet" this month. Think about how much harder you would sell value if discounting was not an option. Don't discount. Instead, bundle more value into your solution. Leverage both hard and soft...

Paul challenges you to embrace the hope and excitement of a new year, new opportunities, and a new start. Show Notes Start that new race. The slate is wiped clean. Every new year brings an opportunity to grow. Everything you achieve this year is a dividend on the investment that you've been making throughout your entire career. Is this year your "bamboo" year? Tune in to find out just what that me...

Paul helps you plan just how to kick off 2023 without feeling overwhelmed. Show Notes Planning is the key to starting the new year right. Be intentional. Pick three high-value targets (your dream customers) and build an account plan for each.* What small wins will lead to your success? If you want to be a top achiever in 2023, you have to do what top achievers do. Did you enjoy the podcast? Go to...

Paul provides a three-step process to conduct a thorough year-end review with your best customers. Show Notes Get your year-end review scheduled, not to sell something, but to make sure your customer is capturing all the value that you promised. Prepare for the meeting by gathering concrete examples of how your solution has positively impacted the customer. Involve multiple decision-makers in this...

Paul shares ideas on managing the balance of sales: the grind and the beauty of this challenging profession. Show Notes Do you have a systemized process to prospect? This is critical! Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Keep challenging yourself. Celebrate your successes, then get back to work! Invest in yourself. You have to be a student of your profession. Remember, it's not about the deals we...

Paul provides the necessary strategies to succeed when your customers try to "Walmart" you.  Show Notes Never let any single customer become more than 20% of your business. That puts you in a terrible negotiating position. Shift the conversation from "price" to "money." Listen to find out more! Create an army of internal champions. Internal champions may not have buying authority, but their opinio...

Next year starts today. It's time to revisit your end-of-year strategy. Whether you're the team leader or a salesperson, Paul has tips on how to stay motivated and finish this year strong. SHOW NOTES Take an open, honest look at your pipeline of opportunity, especially during times of peak performance. "Your pipeline is more likely to dry up when you experience success, not failure." The pain you'...

Paul shares powerful tips and ideas to help you put together your sales dream team. Show Notes Create a profile. You must know what you're looking for. The worst time to look for a salesperson is when you have a position to fill. Even if you are completely staffed, you need to maintain a steady pipeline of new top sales talent. Recruiting top sales talent is the managerial equivalent of your sales...

Paul addresses the critical factors of doing business ethically and with integrity. Show Notes Use your high ethical standards as a differentiator between you and your competitors. Don't stoop to your competitors' benchmark of ethics. If you lose business to an unethical competitor, still be gracious in defeat. Earn "safety net" status. Through your frustration, remain 100% committed to your ethic...

Paul completes his three-part series on the benefits of a recession with the important reminder that you've got to shift your mindset and focus on opportunity, abundance, and improvement. Show Notes Good times can mask bad sales behaviors. Recessions will reveal your weaknesses, which will help you become stronger. Humility is a misunderstood virtue in business. We cannot improve until we first ad...

Paul continues his three-part series on the benefits of a recession with three more reasons why recessions can be good for you, your company, and your customers. Show Notes Recessions will increase the number of decision makers. Why is that a good thing? When your competitors get scared during tough times and cut marketing budgets and sales staff, that is a great opportunity for you. While your co...

In this podcast and the subsequent two episodes, Paul looks to inspire you to go out and find opportunities and thrive as we go through this downturn. Show Notes A negative attitude towards a recession can obscure your view from the more positive outcomes you can generate. During a downturn, your customers are looking for cost-cutting measures. This is actually an opportunity masquerading as an ob...

Paul tackles the tough situation in which the seller gives the customer incorrect pricing. Show Notes Remember…everyone makes mistakes. Take ownership of the mistake and acknowledge it to the customer. Explain the misunderstanding and do your best to resolve the situation. You may win greater loyalty from the customer. Tap into your loyal customers for some testimonials on your business integrity....

Paul and Mario discuss three ways to improve your prospecting effort. Show Notes "Sales is the art of helping." Mario Martinez Jr. "If we help, they buy. If we do good, they buy more. And if we do really, really good, we build solid relationships." Mario Martinez Jr. "Show them that you know them. Be interested to become interesting." Mario Martinez Jr. (Tune in to find out just what Mario means b...