Mark Hunter's Blog, page 28

Your Inner Circle

Who are you collaborating with this week?

Who is in your inner circle?

The last couple of days, I have found myself connecting with my peer group in ways that I never thought I would be able to.

While asking them questions to help with ideas and brainstorming, it’s really hit home for me that too many times, we try to do things solo. It just does not work; it is so much better when we go together.

I value my mastermind group, my close friends, my business associates.

What I really strive to do – and what I have fallen out on sometimes – is reaching out. This means simply picking up the phone and calling contacts that I have not talked to recently enough. Maybe it’s even been six months, or a year.

Reaching out to my network is something I plan on deliberately doing more often.

The value of our network is astronomical, but it is only valuable when we reach out and access them.

via US National Archives on GIPHY

 

Now, there is a difference between accessing your network to use and abuse this privilege as opposed to making it a point to help each other.

What really triggered this thought process is a memory I have with a good friend of mine. This friend, a business associate, called me with a challenge the other day.

I was able to spend some time to really help him with this challenge and work out a better solution. The interesting thing is as I ended the call, I realized how much I had gained from it.

I gained because I was helping him.

I want you to stop and ask yourself these questions:

Who can you be helping?

Who can you be reaching out to?

Who can you be nurturing in your network, or your close peer group, to help them?

In so doing, I have a feeling you are going to help yourself at the same time.

Take care.

Copyright 2021, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

 

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How to Effectively Prospect with Email

How do you use email effectively to prospect?

Everybody uses email to prospect because it’s so easy, but let’s talk about how to use email effectively to prospect.

I am going to share 10 tips with you that you can be doing right now.

I put out new videos and sales tips like this every week, so be sure to hit subscribe my YouTube channel or subscribe to my blog to get these sent straight to your inbox every Wednesday morning.

For more insights on using email more effectively ­– saving you time and increasing your sales – pick up two of my books, A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting.

Video – How to Effectively Prospect with Email

1. Use Other Methods

Too many salespeople rely 100% on email to do all their prospecting. It is no wonder they are struggling and not successful! All they wind up doing is sending out more and more emails, but it does not work.

Email works when you combine it with the telephone and other tools.

For tips on how to prospect using the telephone, check out this blog post. 

 

2. Stop the Spam

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: When you hit me with an email three or four times and I do not respond, my spam filter is probably going to pick it up and send it straight to junk.

The vast majority of prospecting emails wind up going to junk.

When I send out a prospecting email, I am doing it one-to-one. I am sending one email to one person and more than likely, that is going to get through.

Yet again, if I send it four or five times, spam filters are still going to pick it up, and my prospect will never hear from me again. You have to create value with the email.

 

3. Short

A good prospecting email is not one that gives you so much information that you can make a decision.

The purpose of your prospecting email is to gain interest in order to prepare them to have a conversation with you.

A short email is no more than four to six sentences, or two to three paragraphs. That’s it; it’s very simple.

Do not sit there and include 18 links and five pictures and so on. Make it singularly focused on an issue that is relevant to them.

 

4. Subject Line

The subject line is absolutely key.

The most valuable real estate is the subject line.

If they are getting your email on a smartphone, what are they seeing? They are seeing the subject line and the first six or seven words of the email.

If those first six or seven words are just you introducing yourself, that is a total waste. They will know right away it is a sales pitch.

The subject line and the first few words of the email need to complement each other. These two pieces need to be focused on something of critical interest and value to the prospect.

If you can make it timely in terms of making it time sensitive, you score even more points. Your prospect will think, “This is of interest to me and it’s urgent.”

via GIPHY

 

5. Clear CTA

You have to have a clear call-to-action. A clear call-to-action is saying, “Call me and let’s discuss.”

I love saying, “Call me and let’s discuss,” and here’s why: They know they can hit reply and send an email back; that’s easy. They know they can just head to my website, but I want to have a conversation.

The conversation is the magic piece.

My go-to CTA is, “Call me and I can share more information with you,” or “I’d love to get your opinion on this.” It is very clear and very precise.

Do not sit there and use this as your CTA: “I will plan to call you tomorrow.” You are going to plan to call them tomorrow anyway!

You do not say, “I am going to send this email,” or “I am going to plan to call you tomorrow.” If there was any glimmer of hope they would call you back, they are simply not going to.

If you know you are going to call them the next day, do not tell them you are going to, just do it.

 

6. Control Links

I get more and more emails nowadays that have anywhere from two to seven links in there. What a waste.

All you are doing is overwhelming the prospect and making them think, “I don’t want to look at this; there is too much stuff in here.”

When I talk about controlling links, making it short and having a prospecting video, it is all about making your email viewable with just one swipe.

Prospects should be able to view your email on their smartphone with just one swipe.

That means you do not have 10,000 links. Depending on who you are sending it to and how strict their spam filters are, your links may very well send your email straight to the spam folder.

If you are sending it to a senior-level person, they are not going to open your links because they do not want to risk malware or anything of the sort.

Save the links for later on.

 

7. Use of Video

The use of video in emails is very popular right now. Use it but use it wisely.

Do not think just because you like getting video messages that other people like it.

Video message is just one deviation, or one additional tool in an email. For some people, it increases the view rate and the response. For others, it does not. It is something you have to step your way into.

Do not let your video exceed 15 to 20 seconds.

People send me video messages that are two or three minutes long; I do not have time to watch that long of a video. Forget it. Delete. I am going to watch your first 10 seconds and kill it.

When you send out a two- to three-minute prospecting video, what are you telling the prospect? “I don’t value your time.”

On the other hand, when you send out a 10 or 15 second video, what does it tell the prospect? It tells them you respect their time, and they may be more interested in having a conversation with you.

 

8. Bring Value

Every prospecting message must bring value.

The prospecting message that says, “Hey, you haven’t responded to my messages,” is stupid. Sending a message that says, “I sent you something a week ago; clearly, you have been busy and have not taken a look,” is also dumb.

Every message you send out needs to bring new value.

We are in the era where it is no longer ABC, or always be closing. It is now ABV, or always bring value.

Every message must have a new key point of interest that is going to capture them.

For my latest top 10 list of prospecting tips, check out this blog post.

 

9. Work Your Plan

Working your plan means that if you have a 20-step cadence, you are going to follow through on all 20 steps.

I do not sit there and just make two or three phone calls and think, “That didn’t work. They must not be interested.”

When I send a couple of emails to somebody and call them a few times with no response, I cannot say, “They are not interested.”

I have not had a conversation with them yet. How could I know if they are not interested?

The problem could be that I am simply not intriguing them enough right now. Work your plan all the way through.

via GIPHY10. Play the Long Game

You have to be prepared in using email to play the long game. The long game consists of continually tweaking your emails.

You are never going to have one email so great that you use the same one five years from now. No, playing the long game – like in any sporting event – means you are continually adapting and tweaking, not throwing the baby out with the bath water.

Playing the long game means you do not give up. If you have a valid prospect and go through your cadence yet receive no response, that does not mean you never come back to the prospect again.

Put the prospect aside for three to six months and go through that process again once you have made the necessary tweaks.

If that does not work, you are going to wait again and repeat. Continuously play the long game and you will eventually have them as a customer.

 

Now, let’s put this into action: I want you to check out my online university. One of the key things I offer are open office hours where you get to have one-on-one time with me.

My office is open, I send you a link and you simply jump on and talk with me, asking any questions you want. It’s a great tool and people are loving it!

https://thesaleshunter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Are-You-Ready-Rev3.mp4

I sure hope you have subscribed to my blog and channel, so you never miss a post and video like this every week. Keep learning with my books, A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting, too.

Great selling!

Copyright 2021, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

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Change Your Position

For this week’s Mornings with Mark, I am sitting in a cool, retro office break area. There are all kinds of retro books, clocks, trophies and transistor radios around me. It has me thinking about everything from the past today.

Stop and think about this: What from your past can help you rejuvenate new ideas? People created this room I am sitting in for one very simple reason: They wanted to create an environment for people to come in to collaborate, and have their thinking be shifted.

You cannot look at all this retro stuff without automatically thinking about days gone by. It brings up experiences and different ideas; it changes your thinking.

Sometimes, in order for us to get the ideas we need, we have to change our thinking. With that, we have to change our environment. Think about the idea of changing your environment for a moment, and what that would look like.

Here is what I am going to challenge you with – and I have a challenge with this one, too – what can you do to change your environment?

At the end of the day, what are we paid to do?

We are not paid to execute; we are paid to think so we execute more effectively.

Thanks for joining me for another Mornings with Mark. Take care.

Copyright 2021, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

 

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10 Ways to Make Prospecting Work

Let’s not kid ourselves: Prospecting is tough. It is hard. I wrote the books, High-Profit Prospecting and A Mind for Sales, because in order to prospect right, you have to have a mind for sales.

I want to walk you through 10 ways how you can make prospecting work. Be sure to subscribe to this blog and/or my YouTube channel, as I put out a new tip like this every week.

We have some great tools out there for you to take advantage of and skyrocket your sales career.

Video – 10 Ways to Make Prospecting Work

1. Identify Your ICP

You will never be able to do effective prospecting if you are just spraying and praying.

You need to know who your ICP, or ideal customer profile, is. Get tight and get specific.

The tighter you are, the more specific you are. As a result, you are going to be more confident and be able to ask better questions.

You are going to be able to engage them deeper because you are going to know more about them. You are going to understand their business better, which will lead to them having confidence in you. You will close sales faster and you will prospect much faster by staying very tight with your ideal customer profile.

Still don’t know who your ICP is? Check out my YouTube channel; I have several videos here to help you figure it out.

 

2. Block Time to Prospect

Do not just sit there and say, “Oh, I’ll get to prospecting when I finish taking care of all this other stuff.”

You will never get to it because that “other stuff” will occupy your time. Why? Because you don’t really want to prospect. You have to block the time.

Managers, if you are reading this, you have to make sure your people have time blocked in their calendars to prospect and are following through on it.

It is not thinking about prospecting nor is it planning or preparing to prospect – it’s prospecting.

It is going toe-to-toe with prospects. It is making the call, sending the emails and it is engaging right then and there. That is what you have to be zeroed in on.

 

3. Consistent Process

Now, being consistent is not the same as sending an identical email out to the same person 10 times. I am talking about a consistent process.

A consistent process means that if you have a cadence built up and built out, you stick with it. You continuously work your way through it. Do not deviate from this process.

The vast reason why more salespeople are not successful than any other reason is because they are not consistent with how they prospect.

Read more on the power of consistency here.

 

4. Listen and Adapt

If you are focused on your ICP, you are going to hear them talking about things and hear what people within your ICP are saying about this or that.

Listening to this is going to allow you to adapt, and you are going to be able to modify this question here, this idea there and so on.

Listening and adapting is going to help you become that much more effective; it supports the whole process when you are zeroed in on your ICP.

 

5. No Distractions

You cannot afford to be distracted. You have to stay very, very focused. Often times, I see salespeople getting caught up in this SAS tool or that app or that “hack.” Do not allow distractions of any form to take hold of your day.

When you have time to prospect, you prospect.

 

6. Believe in Yourself

Believe in yourself in the outcome you can help create. If you do not believe in yourself, why would you ever expect others to believe in you?

Believing in yourself is also going to give you the confidence to pick up the phone and make the call.

Pick up the phone and make the call because the telephone is what is going to really make prospecting work.

Many people say, “The telephone doesn’t work,” but what it comes down to is the fact that they do not believe in themselves and the outcomes they can create by doing so. The telephone does work, but you have to let it.

 

7. Know the Outcomes

Know the outcomes you create. It is not what or how you sell nor the service or the product, but it is the outcomes you create.

How does the customer benefit from buying from you? That is the outcome.

You want to be zeroed in and focused on that; when you understand the outcomes, it is amazing how much better you can be at asking the right questions, having the right dialogue and being more comfortable.

 

8. Tailor Your Process to the ICP

This means you may have three ICPs.

You may have one ICP, which is a certain level or position that you are contacting. You may have another ICP that is a certain type of industry, and you may have another belonging to a different industry.

Each one of those ICPs is going to have a separate cadence. Do not think that you are going to use one cadence for all of them.

This is why I advise against having five or six different ICPs. I tell salespeople, “Have two or three at the most, and in rare exceptions, you are going to get to four ICPs.”

Because you have to have a separate cadence for each one, you simply cannot manage that many.

 

9. Use All Methods to Prospect

This includes the telephone! Do not sit there and think to yourself, “I am just going to email and that is the way I prospect – sending out a lot of emails.”

That is a good way to wind up in spam folders and never be seen again.

You want to use every method out there because what you may feel is your preferred method may not be what the other person’s preferred method is.

This is why I use voicemail, telephone, email, text messaging, social media and video. I am going to use every medium possible because everybody has their own preferred communication method.

via GIPHY

 

10. Set and Monitor Your Goals

You need to have goals and monitor those goals. This comes down your prospecting period. Maybe you have set aside a three-hour period of prospecting today – what is your goal?

How many phone calls are you going to make? How many conversations are you going to have?

You set that goal beforehand, and then at the end of that three-hour period, you evaluate your performance. How did you do? You have to be continuously monitoring it.

Do not be dismayed if you are not getting the results you are expecting because many times, you are just laying the groundwork.

It is like the farmer in early spring. They do not know what their crops are going to yield come fall. They do not know but they are tilling the soil, preparing the ground and putting the seeds in place.

They do not know what they harvest until late summer or early fall. Your prospecting is the same. You have to set and monitor your goals and be patient.

 

I love prospecting because it opens the doors to help others see and achieve what they didn’t think was possible. Let me know what you love about prospecting in the comments below.

Great selling.

 

As one of my loyal blog readers, I have an opportunity today for you to invest in your skills. Together, we can take today’s challenges and turn them into once in a lifetime opportunities. Consider this quote that I wrote in my new book, A Mind For Sales and say often:

When challenges arise we don’t rise to the occasion, we sink to the level of our training.

Are you ready? Watch the video above, and come be a part of the continued conversation as we all become masters in our fields and passions. My new program, The Sales Hunter University, is where you’ll find it all – unlimited personal growth, hands-on learning, quick tips, abundant resources, and an amazing community.

For more information and to join, click here!

Copyright 2021, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

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What Road Am I On?

What is the road you are traveling down?

I’m in a brand-new building today (It’s been around for a number of years but it’s the first time I have been in it today) and it is set up with a number of hallways; it’s a fairly retro and cool building.

As I have been navigating myself around here, it has reminded me of a number of journeys I have had in my life where I do not always quite know where I am going.

I just know the end result of what I want to get to.

Stop and think about this for a moment: What are the paths that you have had to take? Maybe you do not know what road to take, but you do know where you want to wind up at.

Nevertheless, you navigate the roads and along the way, you find unbelievable things.

I am thinking back to a time when my wife and I were in Vienna, Austria, and we were looking for a particular location, but we could not find it. We got lost walking and it wound up being one of the most incredible experiences.

Suddenly, we stumbled upon an unbelievable area of shops and restaurants that we ended up hanging out in for the rest of our stay in Vienna.

We knew the end result, but we weren’t quite sure of the path.

Here is what I am going to challenge you: Do not be afraid to go down a different path. Do not be afraid to take a slightly different road. You might just be surprised at what you find.

Along the way, you are still going to achieve your outcome but wow, will you have a better journey! A better journey, which creates more experiences, which creates more opportunities for you going forward.

Take care.

Copyright 2021, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

 

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How to Re-Engage the Customer Who Has Gone Dark

How do you re-engage the customer who has gone dark on you? I share a tremendous amount of ideas and strategies in A Mind for Sales as to how to re-engage the customer that’s gone dark, but let’s walk through 10 things you can do in the meantime.

Video – How to Re-Engage the Customer Who Has Gone Dark

1. Don’t Give Up

Do not give up on them just because they have gone dark. This is where so many salespeople fall down. They just stop and say, “Well, they didn’t get back to me. They must not be interested.”

No, it’s because you did not keep trying. I’m going to talk to you about some strategies and some ideas to keep them engaged, but I want you to first remember to not give up.

 

2. Alternate Contacts

One of the things that I challenge anybody in sales is to ask who are the other contacts that you can be using with that customer?

If you only have one contact, you are stuck.

You are locked in. You cannot afford nor allow yourself to be in that position. You want to create alternate contacts.

Now, if they have gone dark on you and you only have one contact, then it is your job to start finding other contacts. You’ve already done some work; do not allow all that work to go away just because one person is not getting back to you.

 

3. Vary Communication Methods

I see salespeople often say, “I keep reaching out to him with an email,” or “I keep leaving a voicemail.”

You have to use different communication techniques. This may also mean text messaging, regular mail or any number of different ways, but use various communication methods.

via Afound on GIPHY

 

4. Different Times and Different Days

I am amazed at the number of salespeople who say, “Well, I try calling him every Friday afternoon.” Well, maybe Friday afternoon that person is off!

Always reach out at different times of the day.

In fact, I do not hesitate to reach out to certain types of people on a Saturday morning. This is because I know I am going to create information that is going to be of value to them.

 

5. Create Immediacy

Many times, a customer is not getting back to you because there is no urgency. They may think, “I know where they live and if I need to get it, I will come back later.”

Customers are really only going to deal with their top one or two priorities, so you have to create a sense of immediacy.

Say, “We should talk about this because this opportunity is only going to be around for a short while,” or “This is going to lead to ___.”

You have to create a date-driven sense of immediacy that is going to impact their bottom line or their top line.

 

6. Build on the Outcomes

Build on the outcomes that you have already heard.

You may have had one or two conversations with the customer already, so what I want you to do is say, “Based on what you shared with me, here are some additional things we can do,” or “Here are some additional ways this is going to benefit you.”

You build on the outcomes by helping them see bigger outcomes.

Remember, it is not about what you offer nor what you sell – it is about the outcomes that they are going to achieve based on what they buy from you. Or should I say, what they invest with you.

 

7. Ask Questions

You may think, “Well, they’re not responding.” It’s okay, keep asking questions.

I was coaching a salesperson the other day who was having a real problem with lack of engagement. I said to him, “All you are doing is sharing information; there is no good call to action.”

Now, in this list of 10 things, I do not have call to action here because I would hope you are already doing it!

Moral of the story is you have to be asking questions that create a need. When you ask questions that are relevant to the customer, their business and their industry, they will be much more likely to engage with you.

I love calling people who have gone silent and asking for their opinion.

If I ask for their opinion on an issue that I know is of importance to them, it is amazing how frequently I get a response back.

Related: How to Have an Effective Demo Call

 

8. Use Peers and Networks

There may be other peers you know or that they know that you can connect with. There may be other networks or trade associations, even. There are other ways to be able to work yourself into their network of contacts.

The customer may have gone dark on you and may not be responding to you, but if they see you involved in the same trade association they are in, they may think, “You know what? I need to reach out to them.”

In other words, you are leveraging every single tool you have out there.

via GIPHY

 

9. Research

Research comes two ways. What I mean by research is you need to be bringing value to them.

There may be research you already have that you can share with them by saying, “Hey, these are three things that we have found with other customers that are really working!”

Whatever it is, share that information but be sure it is of value to them.

 

10. Attitude and Belief

You have to have the attitude and the belief that you are going to get them to engage.

If you have a negative attitude towards the customer, it impacts all of your communications. Think to yourself, “I know I can help them because I have helped so many other customers just like them. I have to stay in touch with them.”

I have several customers right now who have gone dark on me, but I am going to keep reaching out to them because I have a belief and I know I can get them to re-engage.

I have had this challenge with other people and I keep coming back to this list of 10 things or the tips in my book, and it does work.

Your attitude and your belief are not going to win for you all the time, but it is amazing how it will help you have the right open mind and open sense to be able to understand how to get that customer to re-engage with you.

 

You’re going to notice I intentionally did not include some basic things in this list because I want to challenge your thinking and move you to the next level. Great selling.

You can find these tips and more in my latest book, A Mind for Sales.

I’ve written several other books such as High Profit Prospecting and High Profit Selling. I want you to learn from them because I want you to be as successful as possible. Make sure you hit subscribe for my blog and do the same for my YouTube channel. I put a new video out at least twice a week.

As one of my loyal blog readers, I have an opportunity today for you to invest in your skills. Together, we can take today’s challenges and turn them into once in a lifetime opportunities. Consider this quote that I wrote in my new book, A Mind For Sales and say often:

When challenges arise we don’t rise to the occasion, we sink to the level of our training.

Are you ready? Watch the video above, and come be a part of the continued conversation as we all become masters in our fields and passions. My new program, The Sales Hunter University, is where you’ll find it all – unlimited personal growth, hands-on learning, quick tips, abundant resources, and an amazing community.

For more information and to join, click here!

Copyright 2021, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

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Are You a GPS for Someone?

If I were to ask you if you use Google Maps, I have a feeling you would say yes to using either that or using Siri/Alexa. (I better not say that, or it’s going to turn on.)

We all have devices that provide directions for us and thank goodness. It feels like I have lost some of my ability to just sense where things are at. I fully rely on Google Maps!

Guys, I know you’re with me on this. Women, you’re saying, “Just ask directions.” I get that, but here is something else that is interesting to me…

Why is it we have come to readily accept Google Maps and other things to help us yet, other times in life, we do not ask for directions when we are stuck and need help?

Hundreds of times, I have been stuck on a problem where I really should have just reached out for help from somebody. Instead, I tried to slog my way through it by myself.

Yes, I would get it done and I learned, but I wonder how much more efficiently and effectively I would have been able to solve my issues had I just reached out.

Now, flip this around the other way. How many people do we know that we could be a ‘Siri’ or ‘Alexa’ to? How many people could we be a ‘Google Maps’ or ‘Apple Maps’ to? We might be able to actually help someone.

What we need to do is set a daily objective to be a ‘Google Maps’ to somebody every day and maybe we should be a little more receptive to allowing others to be a ‘Google Maps’ to us.

Thanks for reading my Mornings with Mark blog this week and yes, I had to use Google Maps to figure out where I was going today. Take care.

Copyright 2021, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

 

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How to Overcome Objections

Every week, I put out a blog post and YouTube video on very specific tips and ideas as to how to actually deal with issues all salespeople – or leaders in general – face. Today, I am going to share with you 10 ways as to how to overcome objections.

I talk about these and more in detail in my books: A Mind for Sales, High Profit Prospecting and High Profit Selling. These are must-read guides for all beginner and veteran salespeople!

Video – How to Overcome Objections

1. Remain Calm

I cannot stress this point enough. Often times, the salesperson hears an objection and automatically freaks out. Relax.

When you freak out, you no longer are listening well nor understanding. You are no longer able to process. You need to remain calm.

 

2. Understand the Source

Objections do not all mean the same thing, depending on who they are coming from.

If you hear the same objection and it comes from a customer service person or it comes from a senior level employee, it will take on a different meaning.

Understand the source before you jump in and try to answer the objection. Figure out what the background is. Who would they have said this to? Why would they be concerned with it?

 

3. Learn the Why

You learn the ‘why’ by asking them. You ask them to explain further and you ask them to share more information.

In many cases, when a customer shares an objection with you, they are not wording it right. They are not wording it the way they want to and it’s actually something else they are concerned with.

Therefore, you have to understand the ‘why.’ Why are they asking that? Do not hesitate to ask because it is in their best interest to help you understand.

It is in their best interest because this way, you can help them.

4. Anticipate/Know Your Response

Before you go into a sales call, take some time and think:

“What are the objections I could hear and how do I anticipate I will need to handle them?”

Know exactly what that is beforehand. It is amazing how this technique will keep you from getting caught off guard during the call.

When you can hear an objection and you are able to respond confidently and competently, you will be surprised at how much more the customer believes you.

 

5. Validate/Confirm Each One

When you deal with an objection, you have to make sure that you…

Validate: You understand what the objection is, and you know their ‘why.’

Confirm: You confirm that you have been able to handle it.

In other words, you say, “Okay, I took care of this; does this make sense?” You ask them to play back how they understand it and how they hear your response to their objection. What you want to do is confirm each piece of information you share with them.

 

6. Focus on the Need

It can be easy to answer the objection, but you want to be able to tie it back to the need.

Ask yourself, “What is the real need of the customer?”

You may find that they are simply going down a rabbit trail that you really do not need to go down. You want to bring them back and put their questions or objections in the context of understanding their need.

 

7. Look for the Deeper Issue

Customers often say, “Well, we can’t handle that at the first of the month.”

Is that an objection? No. The real issue lies in other things they have shipping or arriving that prevent their loading dock from handling that at the beginning of the month. The deeper issue is that they do not have the ability to process orders or their inventory fast enough.

Now you have realized the deeper issue is more of an inventory handling process, so maybe there is a way you can actually help them solve their deeper issue.

I have found that when I can help a customer overcome an initial objection to my piece and help them solve their bigger issue, they begin to see me in a completely different light.

 

8. Create Trust and Integrity

When you go through my previously mentioned steps, you are creating trust and integrity with the customer. Think about this:

If you ask somebody a question who you do not trust, and they tell you their answer, you are hesitant about believing them. Contrarily, if you have a high degree of trust with the person and see them as an integrity-filled individual, then you will believe their response.

The more you are able to create trust and integrity – and demonstrate both to a person early on in the relationship – you will be able to overcome objections with ease. You are then able to both deal with and respond to objections faster.

 

9. Don’t Over Commit

Often times, salespeople hear an objection and automatically start giving away the farm. They want to start giving more and more to save the sale.

Do not over commit on what you can do because you will create false expectations.

Down the road, expectations will not be met, and the customer will be disappointed. Do not over commit when responding to an objection.

 

10. Use the Objection to Close

You have successfully overcome the objection and it is a perfect time to try and close the sale.

What does that look like? Say to the customer, “Hey, I’ve been able to take care of this issue for you and have established a way to work through that, so shall we go ahead and set this up for order?” or “Shall we go ahead and set this up for shipment?”

You need to use the objection to close. Never hesitate in the least bit to use your response to the objection to close.

 

I want you to learn from my books, blog posts and YouTube channel because I want you to be as successful as possible.

For more customized, hands-on sales training, tap here.

Make sure you hit subscribe for my blog and do the same for my YouTube channel. I put a new post and video out at least twice a week.

Great selling.

As one of my loyal blog readers, I have an opportunity today for you to invest in your skills. Together, we can take today’s challenges and turn them into once in a lifetime opportunities. Consider this quote that I wrote in my new book, A Mind For Sales and say often:

When challenges arise we don’t rise to the occasion, we sink to the level of our training.

Are you ready? Watch the video above, and come be a part of the continued conversation as we all become masters in our fields and passions. My new program, The Sales Hunter University, is where you’ll find it all – unlimited personal growth, hands-on learning, quick tips, abundant resources, and an amazing community.

For more information and to join, click here!

Copyright 2021, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

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The post How to Overcome Objections first appeared on The Sales Hunter.

What my Broken Mask Taught Me

It can’t be that complicated.

How many backups do we have to have?

You know what I’m talking about? The mask!

Earlier today, I quickly left my house to go to FedEx and mail a package, no big deal. I jump out of the car with the mask in my coat pocket and grab it – the string broke. Doggone it. With no other mask in my pockets, I run to the car, grab another one and put it on.

Boom, it breaks, too.

I go back to the car to look in the glove box and I find another one. Finally, I get a mask that works! I am able to run into FedEx, get the package taken care of and get out of there.

Afterwards, I cracked up laughing over the amount of reserves I had to have. I had to have three masks available to get one that worked.

Having all these backups hit on a few questions I have been thinking about recently: How many times do we hit the end of the day and we are just out of gas despite having more work to do? How many times have we been caught up in a meeting with only a few minutes left and there is just no gas left?

How much reserve do we have?

This situation got me thinking about what my priorities are.

We have to make sure that we always have our priority be the priority that is the priority.

That is something I think we tend to forget.

I should have checked to make sure I had a mask. When I get home, I am going to make sure that I put another stockpile of masks in the glove compartment of my car.

We always have to have a backup and we always have to have inventory. We always have to have that extra time in that meeting to take care of the critical issues we did not get to yet. We always have to have critical time at the end of the day to take care of that one last thing, and we need to do so in a good spirit and a good attitude.

It’s about having the reserve in our tank to make it happen, and to be in a position to make as big of an impact as we can on others around us.

Great selling.

 

Copyright 2021, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

 

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The post What my Broken Mask Taught Me first appeared on The Sales Hunter.

Secrets of Top Performing Salespeople

I’m going to reveal to you the secrets of top performing salespeople. Are you ready?

I have had the privilege of writing A Mind for Sales among other sales-oriented books to help people like you develop the strategies necessary for success.

Along the way, I have worked with thousands upon thousands of salespeople all over the world in several different industries. (Some of which include Salesforce, Lenovo, American Express and EASA.)

Over that time, I have created a list of what techniques and behaviors make a strong business. Today, I’m going to share ten of those with you.

If you want more, I dive into detail in A Mind for Sales, which can be purchased here.

Video – Secrets of Top Performing Salespeople

1. Goal Driven

That’s nothing new. Top performing salespeople look at their goals every morning and ask themselves, “Am I zeroed in today on moving forward to achieving that goal?” They do not allow themselves to get sideways.

 

2. Process Centered

Process-centered means they have a specific way in which they do everything. They create a sales process and stick with it. They develop an efficient and effective way to write up contracts and stick with it. They know exactly how to complete every single piece and stay focused in how they do it.

Top performing salespeople are process-centered, which keeps them from questioning themselves on the details.

They know exactly what they are going to do and when they are going to do it.

 

3. Peers and Influencers

The most successful salespeople are the ones who rely on strong peers and influencers.

One of the things I love is OPM: Other People’s Minds. Top performing salespeople have other people’s minds at their access to help them navigate through challenges. They have peers and influencers they often turn to for inspiration and to gain insights.

You probably know by now that you are the sum of who you hang out with. You know how to get gas in your tank because of the people you associate yourself with.

 

4. Protects Time

Time is the only resource that is finite. You can create more of just about everything else, but there are only 24 hours in a day. Therefore, successful salespeople know how to protect time – this means they do not schedule a lengthy list of things to do.

Top performing salespeople block out time around each task in their calendar and do not allow their work to expand the amount of time available.

They get their work done in the time that they assign to it, and this is what makes a big difference between average and incredible salespeople.

 

5. Grows the Mind

Top performing salespeople are in tune with growing their mind. I know some amazing salespeople who will routinely spend one to two hours every night just studying their industry.

You may not have an hour or two, but you do have 15 minutes. I am going to challenge you to spend 15 minutes a day learning about your industry. What’s amazing is if you do that every day for six months, you will be struck by how much smarter you will be than the average salesperson you are competing against.

 

6. Nurtures the Network

I want you to nurture your network of people and customers by giving them referrals, helping them and working with them.

By doing so, you are actually building yourself as you nurture your network. In turn, your network will reward you. That said, do not expect a ‘straight-line shot.’ Regardless, you will receive rewards by nurturing your network.

 

7. Consistent

Top performing salespeople are consistent with everything they do. I know who have told me they have the exact same thing for lunch every day. That way, there is no decision they have to make; they just eat the exact same thing.

They are consistent because it allows them to be efficient.

I’m not just talking in the context of lunch, though – successful salespeople are also consistent in how they deal with their sales process. In other words, they do not haphazardly spend a little time on something here and there.

Let’s bring number two back in: Being process centered. Top performing salespeople hold the same schedule each day – you can expect each Tuesday at 9:00 AM and every Thursday at 4:00 PM to look the same, for example.

They start the week doing the exact same thing. They are very consistent and, as a result, they are very disciplined with their time, mind and resources.

 

8. Focused

This alone separates average salespeople from great salespeople.

Top performing salespeople do not get caught up in the shiny objects. Focused people get more done because they do not allow for distractions and know what their goals are.

If you’ll remember, number one was to be goal driven. Successful salespeople know exactly what they need to achieve any given day and remain absolutely focused on it. They know what the customer is looking for and stay focused on it – they are 100% zeroed in.

 

9. Personal Attitude

Can you imagine a top performing salesperson having a negative attitude?

You may say, “They can afford to have a good attitude because they’re top performing!” Well, which do you think came first?

The most successful salespeople never look at themselves as ‘having a bad day.’ They instead look at themselves as having a day filled with opportunities.

They have an opportunistic perspective towards everything.

Have you ever noticed how a bad attitude leaves you feeling worn out and tired? Attitude significantly affects your confidence, competence, energy, your ability to listen and so much more.

You will succeed in ways you’ve never imagined when you adopt a good attitude because it affects more things than you can imagine.

 

10. Customer Focused

They know the customer is what pays the bills, and they want to make a difference with the customers. This does not mean top performing salespeople ‘roll over and play dead’ for the customer and essentially give them what they want. It means they are always looking to understand what outcome the customer is looking to achieve, and they are focused on getting them there.

 

I talk about these secrets and more in my book, A Mind for Sales. Pick it up, read it and leave a review on Amazon! Lastly, do make the changes you need to make so that you too can become a top performing salesperson.

Great selling.

As one of my loyal blog readers, I have an opportunity today for you to invest in your skills. Together, we can take today’s challenges and turn them into once in a lifetime opportunities. Consider this quote that I wrote in my new book, A Mind For Sales and say often:

When challenges arise we don’t rise to the occasion, we sink to the level of our training.

Are you ready? Watch the video above, and come be a part of the continued conversation as we all become masters in our fields and passions. My new program, The Sales Hunter University, is where you’ll find it all – unlimited personal growth, hands-on learning, quick tips, abundant resources, and an amazing community.

For more information and to join, click here!

Copyright 2021, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter” Sales Motivation Blog.  Mark Hunter is the author of A Mind for Sales and High-Profit Prospecting: Powerful Strategies to Find the Best Leads and Drive Breakthrough Sales Results.

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The post Secrets of Top Performing Salespeople first appeared on The Sales Hunter.