Send us a text

In this essential episode of "The Selling Podcast," your hosts Mike and Scott tackle a critical yet often mishandled aspect of sales: the framework of effective follow-up. We've all been there – a great initial conversation, but then the follow-up falls flat, or worse, pushes the prospect away. This week, we break down how to master your follow-up strategy to keep deals alive and ultimately, close more sales.

We dive into three common pitfalls and how to avoid them, ensuring your follow-up is always impactful and professional:

1. Don't Act Overly Grateful or Apologetic: We discuss why expressing excessive gratitude or apologies in your follow-up can inadvertently undermine your position and value. Mike and Scott explain how to convey appreciation and professionalism without appearing desperate or weak, maintaining a strong, confident posture that reflects your expertise.
2. Don't Go Into Sales Mode Too Fast: The biggest mistake? Immediately launching into another pitch. We emphasize the importance of pacing your follow-up. Learn how to nurture the relationship, provide value, and build continued rapport before pushing for the next step or reiterating your offering. This approach keeps the conversation relational and prevents you from becoming just another sales rep.
3. Keep It Relational: At its core, effective follow-up is about building and maintaining a genuine connection. Mike and Scott share tactics for keeping your communication human, relevant, and focused on the prospect's needs and context, rather than just your agenda. Discover how to provide helpful insights, share relevant content, or simply check in thoughtfully to demonstrate ongoing value and interest.

This episode provides a clear, actionable framework for sales professionals to refine their follow-up techniques, ensuring every touchpoint builds momentum, reinforces value, and moves the sales process forward with grace and effectiveness.

Scott Schlofman
Mike Williams - Cell 801-635-7773

#sales #podcast #customerfirst #relationships #success #pipeline #funnel #sales success #selling #salescoach

Send us a text

Get ready for another electrifying episode of "The Selling Podcast" as Mike and Scott welcome back a true show legend: Damien Cooke! Known for his unparalleled expertise in leadership and sales, Damien dives deep into the core tactics that drive peak performance within sales teams. This isn't just about managing; it's about leading your way to exceptional results.

Damien shares one of his absolute key takeaways: the vital importance of having an outcomes-based mindset. He emphasizes that true success comes from focusing relentlessly on the specific activities that directly drive revenue, cutting through the noise of busywork to prioritize what truly moves the needle.

But it's not just for managers. Damien passionately argues that sales reps can and should take an active role in team leadership, regardless of their title. He outlines the essential qualities of an effective leader in a sales context: the profound ability to listen intently, to observe behaviors and patterns that others miss, and to cultivate humility as a foundational strength. Damien reveals how a great leader possesses a clear vision – not just of where the team is, but where each individual and the group as a whole can get to.

Tune in for a powerful conversation packed with actionable leadership tactics, strategic insights, and the signature engaging banter from Mike and Scott. Discover how Damien Cooke's principles can help you lead yourself, your team, and your sales career to unprecedented heights.

Scott Schlofman
Mike Williams - Cell 801-635-7773

#sales #podcast #customerfirst #relationships #success #pipeline #funnel #sales success #selling #salescoach

Send us a text

In this crucial episode of "The Selling Podcast," Mike and Scott sit down with Eddie Dix and Brandon Hoover, the visionary co-founders of RepPrep.ai. For anyone in medical sales, or frankly, any sales professional serious about meticulous preparation, this conversation is a game-changer!

We've often stressed the absolute necessity of doing your homework before a sales call – understanding your prospects, their needs, and the market. Eddie and Brandon reveal how RepPrep.io is revolutionizing this process, providing medical sales reps with the cutting-edge information and insights they need to walk into any conversation fully equipped and confident.

They discuss the common pitfalls of inadequate preparation and how their platform empowers reps to:

• Quickly access critical medical industry data and insights.
• Understand physician and facility needs before the meeting.
• Identify key talking points and potential objections.
• Tailor their sales pitches with precision and relevance.

Discover how RepPrep.io helps sales professionals move beyond generic pitches to truly personalize their message to a client's specific issues, just as we've advocated in previous episodes. Eddie and Brandon explain how their solution helps reps cut through the selling noise by focusing on specifics, ensuring that every interaction is impactful and value-driven. This conversation underscores how vital specialized preparation is for dominating the competition and ultimately closing more deals in the complex medical sales landscape.

Tune in to learn how RepPrep.ai embodies the spirit of doing the proper work, enabling sales teams to be more efficient, effective, and consistently prepared for success.

Scott Schlofman
Mike Williams - Cell 801-635-7773

#sales #podcast #customerfirst #relationships #success #pipeline #funnel #sales success #selling #salescoach

Send us a text

Get ready for an electrifying episode of "The Selling Podcast" as your hosts, Mike and Scott, sit down with an absolute sales legend: Aaron Lewis! In a candid and incredibly insightful conversation, Aaron pulls back the curtain on his remarkable career journey, from being a 6-time Presidents Club winner at Salesforce to embarking on an exciting new role at a rapidly growing young company.

Aaron dives deep into the strategic thinking behind his significant career transition, openly discussing why he made the move and how he navigated the complexities of shifting to a new environment. This isn't just a story about changing jobs; it's a masterclass in strategic career management for any sales professional looking to advance.

Beyond his personal journey, Aaron reveals the core transferable skills that make a top seller successful, regardless of the product, industry, or company size. He shares invaluable tips, proven strategies, and the mindset secrets that propelled him to consistent elite performance at Salesforce and are now guiding his success in a dynamic new venture. If you've ever wondered what truly sets the best apart, Aaron's insights on high performance, adaptability, and maintaining an elite sales mindset are unmissable.

Tune in for a powerful blend of hard-hitting sales wisdom and the signature engaging banter from Mike and Scott, as they extract actionable advice from a true industry titan. This episode is packed with the practical knowledge you need to elevate your own sales game, understand strategic career moves, and discover what it truly takes to be a top seller.

Scott Schlofman
Mike Williams - Cell 801-635-7773

#sales #podcast #customerfirst #relationships #success #pipeline #funnel #sales success #selling #salescoach

Send us a text

In this essential episode of "The Selling Podcast," Mike and Scott dive deep into the art of transforming common sales objections from roadblocks into stepping stones. They break down three of the most frequent objections sales reps face, providing you with battle-tested responses that not only neutralize the concern but also advance the sale:

1. The Price/Cost Objection: "It's too expensive." Mike and Scott explain why this often isn't about the actual dollar amount, but about perceived value. They'll teach you how to reframe the conversation, instantly increasing trust by acknowledging their concern. Then, pivot to demonstrating return on investment (ROI) and how your solution truly saves time/money, moving the discussion to a compelling ROI-focused breakdown.
2. The Need Objection: "We're doing fine without it." This objection often stems from a lack of awareness of untapped potential. Mike and Scott show you how to respond with respect and curiosity, avoiding defensiveness. The key is to acknowledge their current success while gently introducing the idea of optimization and improvement, effectively transitioning you into consultative selling.
3. The Trust/Timing Objection: "I need to think about it." This classic objection often masks underlying concerns or a lack of clarity. Mike and Scott reveal how to respond with empathy and a strategic question to uncover the real blocker. Learn how to show understanding and then directly address their core hesitation, helping to uncover the true objection and keeping the conversation moving forward decisively, preventing stalls.

This episode isn't just about scripting responses; it's about developing the mental fortitude to handle objections with confidence and clarity, ensuring you can navigate any sales conversation effectively and turn every objection into an opportunity for a deeper connection and a closer deal.

Scott Schlofman
Mike Williams - Cell 801-635-7773

#sales #podcast #customerfirst #relationships #success #pipeline #funnel #sales success #selling #salescoach

Send us a text

Unleashing Sales Potential: The Behavioral Edge with Mike Crotta & Geoff Miller (Part 2)

In this powerful follow-up episode of "The Selling Podcast," we once again welcome insights from former professional baseball player Mike Crotta and Geoff Miller, author of "Intangibles," as we delve deeper into the psychological and behavioral aspects of sales success. Building upon our previous discussion on mental toughness, we explore how understanding and leveraging behavioral assessments can unlock untapped potential and drive winning performance in sales teams.

Mike and Geoff share their expertise on how to identify and match potential hires and existing team members to roles where their natural behavioral tendencies will thrive. They discuss the importance of recognizing individual strengths and tailoring coaching and development strategies accordingly. This moves beyond simply looking at past performance and focuses on inherent traits that predict future success in specific sales functions.

We then shift our focus to the crucial distinction between playing to win versus playing for fun. Drawing parallels from the competitive world of professional sports, Mike and Geoff emphasize the importance of a results-oriented mindset in sales. While enjoyment is valuable, the ultimate goal is to achieve and exceed targets. We explore how to cultivate a winning mentality within sales teams and align individual efforts with overarching business objectives.

The conversation then turns to the challenges of overthinking and getting "stuck in your head." Mike and Geoff highlight that when facing pressure or complex situations, it's essential to take a step back and focus on the long-term perspective. By visualizing the ultimate goals and understanding that short-term anxieties are often transient, sales professionals can regain clarity and make more strategic decisions.

A key element for effective team management and individual performance is the explicit expression of expectations. Mike and Geoff underscore the importance of clearly articulating what is required of each team member, leaving no room for ambiguity. Once expectations are clearly understood, holding individuals accountable for their performance becomes a fair and necessary step in driving results and fostering a culture of responsibility.

Finally, we address the common pitfall of overanalyzing the "right" way to do things. Mike and Geoff explain that excessive focus on theoretical perfection can often paralyze individuals and hinder their ability to execute the fundamental aspects of their roles effectively. The key lies in understanding the core principles of sales and then allowing individual strengths and styles to flourish within that framework.

Throughout the episode, Mike and Geoff emphasize the importance of maintaining a balanced drive – a focused determination to succeed without succumbing to burnout or neglecting other crucial aspects of professional and personal well-being. This episode provides actionable strategies for sales leaders and individual contributors alike to leverage behavioral insights, cultivate a winning mindset, and optimize performance for long-term success.

Scott Schlofman
Mike Williams - Cell 801-635-7773

#sales #podcast #customerfirst #relationships #success #pipeline #funnel #sales success #selling #salescoach

Send us a text

In this powerful episode of "The Selling Podcast," Mike and Scott dive deep into the critical role of mental toughness in achieving sales success. We're thrilled to welcome two exceptional guests: Mike Crotta, a former professional baseball player with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Geoff Miller, the acclaimed author of "Intangibles," a book that breaks down the mental game in baseball and beyond. Together, we draw direct parallels between the mental fortitude required in professional sports and the resilience needed to thrive in the demanding world of sales.

Mike shares his firsthand experiences navigating the pressures of professional baseball, highlighting the mental strategies he employed to stay focused, overcome setbacks, and maintain a winning mindset. Geoff, drawing from his expertise in the "intangibles" of athletic performance, unpacks key mental skills such as focus, composure, and the ability to bounce back from adversity.

We then bridge these insights directly to the sales arena, exploring how sales professionals can cultivate similar mental toughness to:

1. Handle Rejection: Learn techniques to view rejection as a learning opportunity rather than a personal failure, building resilience and preventing discouragement.
2. Maintain Focus: Discover strategies to stay present and laser-focused on the task at hand, especially amidst distractions and long sales cycles.
3. Manage Pressure: Understand how to perform effectively under pressure, whether it's facing a tight deadline or a high-stakes negotiation.
4. Build Confidence: Explore methods for cultivating unwavering self-belief and maintaining a positive attitude, even during challenging periods.
5. Stay Persistent: Learn how to develop the mental stamina to consistently follow up and persevere in the face of obstacles.

Mike and Geoff provide actionable strategies and real-world examples, drawing from their experiences in high-pressure environments, to equip sales professionals with the mental tools needed to stay in the game, overcome challenges, and ultimately achieve peak performance. This episode is a masterclass in developing the mental edge that separates good salespeople from the truly great.

Scott Schlofman
Mike Williams - Cell 801-635-7773

#sales #podcast #customerfirst #relationships #success #pipeline #funnel #sales success #selling #salescoach

Send us a text

In this energizing episode of "The Selling Podcast," Mike and Scott delve into the often-underestimated superpower of passion in the world of sales. We explore how genuine enthusiasm for what you sell can be a game-changer, influencing trust, resilience, and ultimately, your success. We break down four key ways passion fuels sales excellence:

1. Passion Instantly Increases Trust: We discuss how genuine excitement about your product or service is contagious and immediately builds rapport and trust with prospects. When your belief shines through, it reassures potential customers that you are not just trying to make a sale, but that you truly believe in what you offer. This authenticity is a powerful trust-builder.
2. Your Persistence and Resilience Go Up Proportionally to Your Passion: We explore how passion acts as an internal engine, driving your persistence in the face of rejection and fueling your resilience when deals don't go your way. When you genuinely care about what you're selling, setbacks become less discouraging and more like opportunities to learn and improve. Your passion becomes your unwavering motivation.
3. Passion Fuels Continual Improvement: We highlight how a deep passion for your product or industry naturally leads to a desire for continuous learning and improvement. You're more likely to stay informed, seek out new knowledge, and refine your sales techniques when you are genuinely invested in what you do. This proactive approach keeps you ahead of the curve and enhances your effectiveness.
4. People Like Speaking with People Who Are Passionate About a Specific Topic: We emphasize the simple human truth that enthusiasm is engaging. Prospects are more likely to be receptive and even excited when speaking with someone who genuinely loves what they do. Your passion becomes a point of connection and makes the entire sales interaction more positive and memorable.

The key takeaway is that while passion is powerful, it needs to be focused and coupled with perspective. Understanding your audience and tailoring your enthusiasm to their needs is crucial. This episode provides insights on how to cultivate and effectively channel your passion to become a more influential and successful sales professional.

Scott Schlofman
Mike Williams - Cell 801-635-7773

#sales #podcast #customerfirst #relationships #success #pipeline #funnel #sales success #selling #salescoach