Episodes

  • 5 Reasons Why Sales Processes Fail – Episode 24

    5 Reasons Why Sales Processes Fail – Episode 24
    Jan 21 2022
    Welcome to the CustomerCentric Selling podcast. Whether it’s customer-centric selling or any of the other sales approaches available, the failure of businesses to execute them is the responsibility of the first-line sales management. It is because first-line sales managers fail to effectively manage and introduce their people to the process. In this episode, we will discuss why sales processes often fail. The methodology describes how to carry out the task. And the most effective techniques are those that combine process and methodology. One which tells you not just what to do but also how to do it. Over the years, Frank’s goal in training salespeople has never been to make a better salesperson. People like to buy things, but they don’t like to feel they’re being sold to as part of the process. Thus, Frank helps them become better buying facilitators. What to Listen For: Why aren’t companies embracing CCS? [04:56] An example of a step that might correlate with activity but doesn’t correlate with any accomplishment [05:49] What are the other reasons why processes often fail? [07:19] The buyer journey [11:00] Summary [15:48] Subscribe for weekly podcast episodes & listen wherever you get your podcasts! Quotes: “Qualification is a series of steps throughout the process.” - Frank [06:42] “There really needs to be an external assessment component as to how are people buying and how does that match up with how we are selling so that you can come up with a blended approach.” - Tim [11:56] RESOURCES MENTIONED: Free Trial of our CustomerCentric Online Course  CHECK OUT THE CCS ONLINE COURSE
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    17 mins
  • Here’s What to Look for in a Sales Methodology – Episode 23

    Here’s What to Look for in a Sales Methodology – Episode 23
    Jan 7 2022
    Welcome to the CustomerCentric Selling podcast. In previous episodes, Tim and Frank talk about the sales process and methodology, the difference between the two, why sales processes often fail, and what you should be looking for in an effective sales process. This episode will discuss what you should look for in a successful sales process and methodology.  What are all of the things that you need to perform, according to the sequence of events? And what exactly are we supposed to do? If you do everything you're supposed to do and we do everything we're meant to do, our businesses will eventually continue to do business together. It is at this point in the process that a mutually agreed-upon sequence of events is established. That is when the customer's purchasing process intersects with our sales process. When most people listen to this podcast, many of them have not yet been born. Frank began his career in the technology sales industry in the mid-1980s. When he first started working as an application engineer at Copier Graphic, they supplied production automation solutions to newspapers. Frank began selling and giving solution training of sale in 1993, which was the process and approach that helped him determine what always made him successful. What to Listen For: What should you look for in a successful sales process and methodology? [02:27] What led Frank to build customer-centric selling? [03:09] Is CCS a process or a CCS methodology? [11:29] How does Frank manage for the concept that each customer's purchasing procedure is unique? [12:40] Teaching salespeople [15:43] What are the other parts that make CCS special? [17:57] Incorporating milestones into methodology and process. [19:24] What makes CCS an effective sales process and methodology. [21:01] Subscribe for weekly podcast episodes & listen wherever you get your podcasts! Quotes: "We remember how much things changed from a technology standpoint, from the early 90s to the early 2000s. And the whole dynamic of the impact that had on the buyer-seller relationship with the incredible amount of information that was all of a sudden available at everyone's fingertips just changed the way that people were buying. And the problem that we saw was our methodology wasn't changing to deal with those changes in the marketplace." - Frank [09:17] "We positioned customer-centric selling as being philosophically in alignment with solution selling from the standpoint of don't lead with product, focus on your buyer's needs." - Frank [10:02] "Good salespeople are always looking up to what's going to give them the edge." - Frank [17:25] RESOURCES MENTIONED: Free Trial of our CustomerCentric Online Course  CHECK OUT THE CCS ONLINE COURSE
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    23 mins
  • Don’t Pressure Prospects During the “End Of” Period – Episode 19

    Don’t Pressure Prospects During the “End Of” Period – Episode 19
    Dec 17 2021
    Welcome to the CustomerCentric Selling podcast!  Are you attempting to close a deal? Do you wish there was a precise guideline - a good line of inquiry – that you could use anytime you're speaking with a potential client about an investment or simply displaying your products? Listen here as Frank and Tim walk you through the questions you need to ask yourself to understand better the steps you need to take to get better deals. Numerous corporate relationships have been irreparably damaged as a result of excessive pressure. With a manager coming down and saying we're not on track to meet our monthly goal, we need to bring everything in, and you can go out and close whatever you can, it's almost as if salespeople are held at gunpoint to make that happen. Any time a salesperson attempts to clinch a transaction, there must be some level of pressure involved. Most buyers won't just stroll up at your door with a gift-wrapped order for you. You'll have to ask for the business, and in most circumstances, you'll have to make an effort to obtain it. The fundamental question is, is it appropriate for me to do so? Even if you have a series of events in place, even if the conclusion of business isn't for another few weeks, a month, or a couple of months, the prospect is ready at a certain point in the process, which is called an inflection point. Rather than just flowing and following the path, it's appropriate to give them a gentle nudge. The first thing a salesperson should ask about a prospect is whether or not the potential has a clearly outlined business goal problem or need that they're attempting to address. The first essential principle is that without a goal, there is no future. So, what is the business motivation? What makes them want to do this in the first place? A vision is another thing that a salesperson requires. Salespeople need to have a clear understanding in their minds about what the business objective is and how they're going to help prospects achieve it. Do they have a clear picture of a solution in mind? In other words, have I done the work to create the vision of how, given our capabilities, salespeople need to achieve those goals on the prospect's part? At some point, you must inform your clients about the nature of your assets. The salesperson must know the price of what they are selling. They must be aware of the commitment you are requesting. Many salespeople try to delay announcing the price for much too long. The fourth item a salesperson must establish is who is making the request; does this individual even have the authority to say yes? If that is the case, it is time to proceed. Salespeople frequently get into the trap of negotiating with or attempting to close someone who is not the decision-maker, not even the decision-maker, but the authority to cause the choice to be made. Number five demonstrates this: Nobody makes a purchase based on blind faith. Have we shown that we can deliver the value they have stated is critical for their future success? When do you consider the type of when is it the proper time or not? Relationships evolve and progress at different rates, whether between men and women or between salespeople and prospects. It varies according to circumstance. You must ask yourself this; Have I indeed contributed and covered all of the necessary items? To put it another way, are we prepared to take this to the next level? What to Listen For: Five Things Salesperson Must Know Before Asking A Prospect [05:50] Discussion with Investment Pricing [08:27] Subscribe for weekly podcast episodes & listen wherever you get your podcasts! Quotes: “It's okay to talk price. Once you've built enough value to justify it.” – Tim [08:05] “Salespeople tend to discount when they try to close prematurely.” – Frank [05:40] RESOURCES MENTIONED: Free Trial of our CustomerCentric Online Course  CHECK OUT THE CCS ONLINE COURSE
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    14 mins
  • 4 Requirements of an Effective Sales Process – Episode 22

    4 Requirements of an Effective Sales Process – Episode 22
    Dec 10 2021
    Welcome to the CustomerCentric Selling podcast. In the last episode, we talked about the Sales Process and Sales Methodology, and the differences. Now, we will talk about the criteria and what people should look for in defining an effective Sales Process and Methodology. When looking at an effective Sales Process, there are Four Key Attributes that salespeople should focus on. The FIRST ATTRIBUTE is Progressive Steps. This is where you are defining the steps in the Process. Those steps have to be making forward progress with the opportunity. The steps have to be progressive because you don’t want to confuse activity with accomplishment. The Process should be progressing forward as you execute the steps. The deeper into the Process you get, the better and the more qualified the opportunity becomes because it is passing obstacles each time. In most cases, the steps in the Sales Process are defined by the company themselves that is selling. Then they look for a sales process or sales methodology that aligns with what they’re trying to do. And the way they typically define the steps is they’ll customize the milestones in their CRM system. Whatever the CRM they’re using, almost all of them allow you to define milestones in the CRM system where you track the progress of an opportunity. The SECOND ATTRIBUTE is Activities. Once you’ve defined those progressive steps, you have to drill down and see what activities are associated with those steps in the Process.  And the activities that are commonly associated with progressive steps are defining the customers, a level of interest from the customer has been expressed interest, and scheduling the initial conversation. So you have to take each of the progressive steps and look at the activities associated with tracking your progress. The THIRD ATTRIBUTE is Inputs. These are the tools you provide to your salespeople that equip them to execute the steps in the process properly. In other words, these are the components that you are giving to your salespeople. Many companies refer to them as “Playbooks.” So it’s how you are loading your salespeople with the right words, phrases, and questions to execute the steps. The marketing aspects and the people involved in the customer journey is an organizational process. That’s where companies drop the ball. They’ll focus strictly on how they want to sell without incorporating other people or departments within their organization who is deeply involved in the customer’s buying experience. Marketing 20 years ago was the back end of the product development process. Companies would develop products, and then marketing would figure out how to bring them to market. But marketing in today’s age has taken place at the front end of the sales process. So marketing is out there in front of leading sales into the marketplace. Ideally, it should be providing sales with the messaging that will best equip the salespeople to properly execute the Process when they become active with the customer. The FOURTH ATTRIBUTE is the Deliverables. It is associated with steps created as a natural byproduct of execution that helps objectively validate the Process has been achieved or accomplished. What to Listen For: The Criteria and Key Attributes of the Sales Process [1:37]  First Attribute: Progressive Steps [2:04]  Second Attribute: Activities [4:24]  Third Attribute: Inputs [6:20]  Fourth Attribute: Deliverables [9:06]  Subscribe for weekly podcast episodes & listen wherever you get your podcasts! Quotes:  “If you want to get paid, you need a good sales process.” – Frank [10:08 – 10:12] RESOURCES MENTIONED: Free Trial of our CustomerCentric Online Course  CHECK OUT THE CCS ONLINE COURSE
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    11 mins
  • The Difference Between a Sales Process and a Sales Methodology – Episode 21

    The Difference Between a Sales Process and a Sales Methodology – Episode 21
    Dec 3 2021
    In this episode, we are going to talk about the sales process and the sales methodology. We will discuss the difference between the two and how they are utilized in the corporate setting.  The PROCESS is just a series of defined progressive steps that are outlined. The way most companies deal with that is in their CRM system. They’ll define steps in that CRM system to track the status of opportunities that they’re working on. The METHODOLOGY is how you are executing those steps in the Process. A combination of the PROCESS and METHODOLOGY creates a powerful thing for a company or an individual salesperson. A PROCESS without a METHODOLOGY is marginally valuable, but it will not provide much profit.  People look at the Sales Process and Methodology as interchangeable. The Process aspect is the “what to do” or the steps to follow. The Methodology aspect is the “how to do.” But people use both terms, but they don’t understand what it means. When they are looking at instructions, they think they’re talking about Steps and Methodology. But in many cases, they’re thinking about just Process. They’re not thinking about actually executing the Process, which is the Methodology.   Salespeople talk about the Sales Process but never think about the Methodology aspect. The common complaint about this issue is the salespeople and their manager. Managers would tell the salespeople what to do, but they never really tell them how. This is one of the reasons why most companies fail. When they try to implement various processes, they never really teach their employee how to execute the Process. The Process always comes first for a business because different steps in a process require other skills. Only when the Process is documented and identified can a business figure out the necessary skills and behaviors to effectively execute the steps in the Process. Like the Architect and a General Contractor, the Process is the architect who can outline the blueprint for a building. The Methodology is the general contractor who uses that blueprint and executes the plan. So in the Process and Methodology aspect, there’s generally not one person that can do both things. One person focuses on the Process of putting the plans together to make them structurally sound. And then there’s the person who focuses on taking the plans and executing them with skills and knowledge. While either the Process or the Methodology will individually provide some incremental benefit, the most impact comes from the powerful combination of the two. When you have a progressive, well-defined process and your organization’s skills and behaviors, you will effectively and efficiently execute.  What to Listen for: The Difference between the Sales Process and the Sales Methodology [1:47]  Why people think of Process and Methodology as Separate Entities [3:34] Which comes first- The Sales Process or the Sales Methodology? [8:10] Key Takeaway about the Sales Process and Sales Methodology [11:02] Subscribe for weekly podcast episodes & listen wherever you get your podcasts! Quotes:  “A process without a methodology is marginally valuable. But it will not provide a lot of bang for the buck.” – Frank [3:23 – 3:34] “What you need to do dictates how you need to do it.” – Frank [12:14 – 12:17] RESOURCES MENTIONED: Free Trial of our CustomerCentric Online Course  CHECK OUT THE CCS ONLINE COURSE
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    13 mins
  • The “Emotional” Aspect of the Buying Process – Episode 20

    The “Emotional” Aspect of the Buying Process – Episode 20
    Nov 26 2021
    Welcome to the CustomerCentric Selling podcast! In this episode, Frank and Tim talk about how emotions affect a person's buying behavior and how the salesperson uses the buyer's emotional decision in building value and logic as to why that's the right decision to make. Most people feel that their decisions are the outcome of a reasoned examination of available alternatives. However, in reality, emotions strongly affect and, in many cases, dictate our actions. When we go shopping, we want to believe our decisions are logical, but they rarely are. Our emotions frequently influence them. When faced with a decision, emotions from our past involving similar situations affect the options we examine. These emotions shape our preferences, which influence our decision. Most importantly, emotions motivate us to take action. We are compelled to act in reaction to an emotion. Fear forces us to choose between "fight or flight" in a physical conflict to ensure our survival. In our regular social interactions, self-doubt may push us to buy the latest gadget to boost our sense of belonging. Since most people use their emotions to buy something, a salesperson needs to be a master of connecting emotionally with customers and clients. Marketers need to appeal to their buyer personas’ wants and needs. It’s a primal response; people see what they want, and they take action. Salespersons should establish hypotheses on why customers buy over time. The majority of them make mistakes by viewing the user through the prism of the product. Marketers begin with a product's features and benefits and then perform market research to identify corresponding needs and motivations. Marketers need to recognize the value of cognitive research in marketing and use it to target hearts, not heads. Make it a goal to create a sense of inspiration in the brain area that seeks connection and a sense of belonging, and build a strategy that emphasizes it. What to Listen For: Emotion in B2C Environment [2:01] Emotional Decision in Buying [3:31] 3 How’s [8:51] Value and Rationalization [10:15] Subscribe for weekly podcast episodes & listen wherever you get your podcasts! Quotes: “Emotional decisions are justified by value and logic.” – Frank [02:45] “Regardless of the purchase that most people make the choice that feels right to them, and then they have to validate that by reasoning.” – Tim [06:47] “Value is one of the key ways that we can prepare for it and overcome it.” – Frank [11:38] RESOURCES MENTIONED: Free Trial of our CustomerCentric Online Course  CHECK OUT THE CCS ONLINE COURSE
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    13 mins
  • Why Do Deals Stay in the Pipeline & Never Close – Episode 18

    Why Do Deals Stay in the Pipeline & Never Close – Episode 18
    Nov 12 2021
    Welcome to the CustomerCentric Selling podcast!  If you don't have forward momentum, you can't be reluctant to pass up opportunities. That is a well-known concept. But what are the conditions that prevent a sale from being executed? Join Frank as he deconstructs the potential obstacles that prohibit a salesperson from closing a very excellent transaction. Tim believes it is a typical occurrence that is rather aggravating that Tim would say the same thing month after month or quarter after quarter - the everlasting bargain. Is it normal for salespeople to have the same deal over and over again yet never close it? Frank has done Field Operations assessments with customers, in which he summons salespeople and does a thorough examination of all opportunities in their pipeline. Some salespeople bring their channel in with them. Jim does this every three months. It's the same story; some salesmen have the same contract in their pipeline from the previous quarter, but nothing is going ahead or closing. Numerous prospects take a long time to materialize. Frank believes that a lot of it is not necessarily related to the length of time per se, that you're going to put some artificial criteria in there that says it has to be within X number of months or whatever the case may be, but rather to forward movement. It's like the adage, "when a shark stops swimming, it dies." The accurate indicator is that deals must be completed. From a salesperson's perspective, the first question they should ask themselves about any offer in their funnel is “Why?” What is it that they are gazing at? What made my prospect want to do this? What exactly are they? What are they attempting to achieve? What is the desired business outcome that they seek? The first question a salesperson should ask is why they are looking, and it should not be about a product, technology, or anything else. It has to be something with some substantial business value, meat on the bone. Consider the following scenario: a salesperson has discovered or manufactured an opportunity. They have asked themselves, "What are you seeking to achieve?" They appear to be contented. There is a solid "why" in place, but the potential is still in the pipeline four or five months later. Is it feasible that this was the reason why a was just not powerful enough? Salespeople should be cautious about what they assume to be the "why." Sometimes the response to the initial "why" question is incorrect. Salespeople tend to be lazy; they accept the first answer as "the answer." Salespeople must have the mental fortitude to probe a little deeper and ask, "Well, why do you want to do that?" But the underlying question is, what is the business objective that you seek? Why are you looking for the goods that I sell if that's what you're seeking? What is the source of your motivation? What do you hope to achieve? The "why" strategy implies that whatever issue you're attempting to settle, whatever problem you're having, you ask the question "why" five times. You'll eventually figure out what the problem is. And once you've identified the problem, you'll be able to assess the pain, as well as the extent to which it is severe, and you'll also be able to identify the other people who are affected by it. There are a few things that managers can and should look into. One of them is forward progress. A lengthy sell cycle is sometimes just part of the process, depending on what you sell and the complexity of what you sell, and sometimes it takes a while for a contract to proceed to the next level in the pipeline. It would be best to evaluate whether the salesperson's objective deliverables validate that the opportunity progresses. It is the outputs that the salesman creates along the process that are forecasted. Are they communicating with their prospect in a way that validates the communication? Are they able to provide documentation to the candidate?
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    21 mins
  • The Importance of Quid Pro Quo When Selling – Episode 17

    The Importance of Quid Pro Quo When Selling – Episode 17
    Nov 5 2021
    Welcome to the CustomerCentric Selling podcast! In today’s episode, Frank and Tim urge you to remember the concept of Quid Pro Quo in your B2B sales process, or, in other words, don’t give without getting!  Salespeople so often feel they are at the mercy of their prospects but this, unfortunately, sets false expectations for later negotiations. For example, your prospect might expect discounts or better terms in later stages. When your prospect asks you to invest your time, money, or resources, make sure you’re getting something in return!  In sales training, we make sure our salespeople understand they also provide value with products or services, so they don’t assume a subservient relationship but an equal one with their prospects! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [01:30] Quid Pro Quo: Don’t Give Without Getting [03:50] Focus on a Mutual Exchange of Values [06:00] Assessing a Quid Pro Quo Opportunity: 5 Key Questions to Ask Yourself [10:45] How to Say No to a Prospect but Showing Value  RESOURCES MENTIONED: Free Trial of our CustomerCentric Online Course  CHECK OUT THE CCS ONLINE COURSE
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    16 mins