The Q and A Sales Podcast

Paul and Brandon unpack the secrets to a full and successful sales pipeline. Show Notes Learn the sales-funnel math to hit your quota and be successful. "The top salespeople—they prep, they write, they prepare those scripts on all of those sales objections in advance so when they're ready to go play that 'Super Bowl Game' (which is a connection or time on the calendar to pitch and close a deal), t...

Paul shares his #1 sales tip that will help you be more successful T-O-D-A-Y. Show Notes SPOILER ALERT: Stretch the buyer's time horizon into the future…and the past. Listen to learn why and how. When you're trying to improve in any way, focus on ONE thing to make a change. Ask questions that help your customer focus on the outcomes. When the customer shares their long-term goals, go back to them...

Paul outlines three ideas on how you can turn the customer's uncertainty into opportunity. Show Notes Your customers don't need to be coddled; they need to be challenged. Lead with your expertise to guide your customers through uncertain times. Through uncertainty, decision makers want stable partners and predictable solutions. Does your solution help the buyer reach their ultimate vision? Clear t...

Paul discusses the unique and complicated aspects of multi-million dollar sales with Carter Alexander of Aviation Commerce and Shared Sky. Show Notes The process may be different, but it's still about relationships. "The most time-consuming aspect of it is just getting past the layers and getting to the decision maker. Because guys that are at that level of stature make pretty quick decisions and...

You don't want to miss this fascinating and powerful interview with Dr. Tracy Dennis-Tiwary. Along with so much other beneficial information, they discuss three tips to be anxious "the right way." Show Notes Do you live in a constant state of anxiety? This can be a good thing…really! "Anxiety feels like fear…so we often equate it with fear. But anxiety has nothing to do with the present tense. Anx...

Paul shares some great tips to help you steer clear of becoming that pushy salesperson. Show Notes Approach the conversation with a mindset of serving your customer. The times we (salespeople) come across as pushy are when we focus on ourselves (what we want to sell) versus what the customer needs. Remind the customer of their needs through a needs analysis prior to making a recommendation. Ask so...

Paul and Phil Gerbyshak have a great conversation about those middle-of-the-funnel stalls every seller experiences. They also tackle dealing with multiple decision makers and social media in this jam-packed podcast. Show Notes Go back to the buyer and find out what happened. "I like truth. I don't like guesswork." Phil Gerbyshak "I believe in value over volume. Because value = progress." Phil Gerb...

Paul offers tips to help you initiate contact with high-level decision makers (HLDMs). Show Notes Ninety percent of salespeople DO NOT call at this level. That's good news for you! Work on getting a referral from within the industry. Tap into your LinkedIn network. Focus your message on what's important to HLDMs. Identify a problem you can solve for them. Go where the HLDMs go. Don't forget the "h...

Paul lays out four excellent reasons why you, the salesperson, should handle customer complaints. Show Notes The seller understands the context of the complaint—what's going on in the customer's world. Salespeople have a lot of skin in the game and will work tirelessly to resolve the problem. Resolving your customer's complaint is a relationship-building opportunity. As the seller, do you want to...

Paul provides tips to manage your sales pipeline heading into Q4 2022. Show Notes Many salespeople do not have a full pipeline. You need the 3-2-1 pipeline ratio. (Listen to find out what that is.) In tough times, your pipeline ratio changes to _______. How often do you purge your pipeline of dead and stalled deals? You must increase your activity level to maintain your pipeline. Did you enjoy the...

Paul throws down the gauntlet and challenges you to completely unplug on vacation. Show Notes Biggest challenge: leave your laptop and work phone at home. WHAAAT! If you are not able to take a vacation because you fear losing an opportunity or missing a sale, you need to find a better way to manage your customers. Spend a week preparing for your vacation. Prep your team and prep your customers. Ta...

Paul offers sales managers a different perspective when it comes to non-compliance to policies and procedures. Show Notes Take an honest look at the process of getting pushback. Does this policy or procedure add any value to the customer experience? Cost without value diminishes you in the marketplace. Regarding top salespeople, do their results have a greater impact than their pushback? Educate y...

Paul talks with Aidan McCann of Outré Creative, a global marketing design firm, about how sellers can be more relevant, persuasive, and close more sales by thinking like marketers. Show Notes "Marketing is more important now than ever before given that the composition of the marketplace has changed dramatically over the last couple of years." Aidan McCann "Marketers realize that we have to have in...

Paul shares tips to get you out of the buyer's email in-box and back in front of them for in-person presentations. Show Notes Explain that there are elements of your proposal that you need to walk through in person. Ask the buyer to consider how many phone calls, emails, and voicemails it takes to replace one in-person meeting. Emphasize the importance and complexity of the decision they are makin...

Paul shares some ideas on how to move that deal past procurement and on to the close. Show Notes Reach out to other decision makers on the project and have them champion your solution with procurement. Introduce a benign sense of fear. What does that mean? Find out what scares this procurement buyer more than your price. Establish a deal timeline to help generate some urgency in their buying decis...

Paul shares some inspiring advice to help you remain hopeful even when you are struggling. Show Notes Your faith (in your success) has to be greater than your fear (of failing). "Not failing" is not the same as succeeding. Make your dreams bigger than your doubt. "Dream big enough to make your bones itch." Tom Reilly Make your hope greater than your hesitation. Don't focus on what could go wrong,...

Paul interviews renowned sales author, Jeb Blount, about his newest offering, Selling the Price Increase , available June 15, 2022. Show Notes "Your primary role is to make your customers happy. Price increases don't make them happy." Jeb Blount What's in the buyer's mind when you ask for a price increase: What's in it for me? What have you done for me lately? "Don't let the first conversation you...

Paul shares some insights on the indicators of a recession. Show Notes "The stock market has predicted nine of the last five recessions." Paul Samuelson, American economist. (Maybe don't just look at the stock market.) Purchasing Managers Index is above 50% (at the time of recording) but trending downward. Inflation and the Federal Reserve's reaction to it is another indicator of an impending rece...

Paul provides seven tips to deal with the inevitable issue of losing your main contact. Show Notes  How many good relationships do you have within your top customers? How many should you have?  When meeting the new decision maker, reinforce the popularity of your solution. Discuss your new key contact's expectations and goals. When transitioning to a new contact, treat the business as new business...

Paul lays out your rights, as the salesperson, in the competitive bidding process. Show Notes Let the customer know your rights as the salesperson: Access to the information you need to compile your proposal Access to decision makers To know the selection criteria To know who the competition is "If you're willing to put your time and energy and effort into a comprehensive bid, you deserve this inf...

Paul provides some great tips for getting face-to-face meetings with that remotely working buyer. Show Notes Sellers need to have a compelling reason why the buyer should meet with them in person. Test your relationship with the customer. Reach out to them and ask for a favor: "Can I take you out to lunch?" Offer to bring along an expert or colleague (i.e., tech person) that will provide the buyer...

Paul addresses this common tactic designed to throw you, the salesperson, off your game. Show Notes Review the types of questions you're asking. Are they open-ended or close-ended? Direct or indirect? Always get permission to ask questions. Be transparent and ask the buyer why they're hesitant to share information. Rebalance the pressure. (Tune in to find out what Paul means by that.) Enlarge the...

Paul shares some thoughts on the sanctity of the customer/seller relationship. Show Notes "It is not my prospect. It is not my customer. It is our prospect. It is our customer." It's not just one person who will manage the end-to-end customer experience, it's a team of people. Be objective in determining who is better suited to handle this relationship. If it's you, make your sales manager aware....

Paul discusses post-pandemic trends in meeting and conventions, and the benefits of in-person gatherings, with Molly Mullins of Seven12 Management (an association management company). Show Notes "You will not believe the benefits that you will reap, again and again and again, with your team: having them back in a room together, having them network together, having them laugh together." Molly Mulli...

Paul talks with Andy Paul about selling on your own terms and avoiding those "salesy" behaviors. Show Notes "Selling out means you, as the seller, putting your own interests ahead of those of the buyer. That leads to 'salesy' behaviors." Andy Paul   "If the products are identical, what is the difference? You!" Andy Paul Why you? This question gets to the heart of being that customer-focused seller...