On today’s episode of Business Insanity Talk Radio, we first talk about B2B sales and how my first guest has a secret weapon that can increase your close rate to 70%! We’ll then talk about truth-telling and why it is a commodity in short supply, no matter the size of the business. Next, we’ll tackle office politics and you’ll be able to answer the question: are you playing the game or just getting played? Then, we’ll hear from an entrepreneur on how he uses Office 365 in his business every day. Finally, we’ll tackle one of the biggest questions that arises as a small business grows: how to pay the salespeople.
Listen and enjoy:
Segment 1: Tim Sanders is the former Yahoo! Chief Solutions officer and the author of four books including one of my favorites, “Love is the Killer App”. His new book is called “Dealstorming: The Secret Weapon That Can Solve Your Toughest Sales Challenges”.
2:30 – It seems like the sales in environment is getting tougher. Is that true?
4:15 – Questions to ask when you get stuck in a sale.
5:15 – The “Art of the Deal” has given way to the “Science of the Sale”. How?
5:45 – How do you set up dealstorming teams?
8:30 – How do you handle B2B sales?
10:00 – How should salespeople be paid?
Segment 2: Mindy MacKenzie is an accomplished corporate executive, a highly acclaimed speaker, and CEO advisor. Before starting her advisory practice, Mindy served as Chief Performance Officer of Beam, Inc. She is the author of “The Courage Solution: The Power of Truth Telling with Your Boss, Peers, and Team”.
15:30 – Why Mindy has been referred to as “The Velvet Hammer”.
16:15 – Why is it so important to tell the truth?
16:50 – How do we get over the fear of telling the truth?
17:45 – What does an organization look like when there is truth telling vs. when there isn’t?
19:30 – How do you promote truth-telling in the business if you’re just an employee?
22:00 – Why everyone needs a “schtick,” and how to make yours authentic and positive.
24:00 – When you disagree, use the LCS method.
Segment 3: Dan Rust is the author of “Workplace Poker: Are You Playing the Game or Just Getting Played?”, and founder of Frontline Learning, an international publisher of corporate training resources.
31:15 – Do office politics still exist?
32:45 – Are you playing the game or just getting played?
33:45 – How exactly do you play the office politics game in a positive way?
36:00 – How do you self-promote?
Segment 4: Sonny Chatrath is travel industry veteran with 24 years of experience in almost every aspect of travel, having worked in Airline Consolidation, Leisure, as well as Corporate Travel. He is also an actor and an amateur chef. He has worked in 13 films, 3 Television Shows, and over 10 Television commercials.
40:45 – What is Up and Away American Express?
41:55 – What role does technology play in your business?
43:00 – What devices do you use Office 365 on?
45:15 – How do you use Skype for business?
Segment 5: Justin Roff-Marsh, the founder and President of Ballistix and author of the new book, The Machine: A Radical Approach to the Design of the Sales Function. Justin is considered by many as the thought leader in Sales Process Engineering, a radical new approach to the management of the sales function. He is also the editor of the popular Sales Process Engineering blog, read by thousands of people around the world.
49:50 – Where and when do commissions make sense for salespeople?
50:45 – Do businesses typically pay salary + commissions or just salary?
51:15 – Does a lack of commissions pay make salespeople less motivated?
51:50 – Historically, why have salespeople had a different compensation structure than the rest of the employees?
