Heavy Hitter Sales Blog

Game Changer Provides FREE B2B Contact Data

Wow! There is Revolution Happening in the World of B2B Prospecting Data Providers!

I remember when I was VP of Sales and had to pay thousands and thousands of dollars for prospecting lists. At the time there were a couple of main data providers and they controlled the prospecting data marketplace so they were free to charge whatever they liked. Worse yet, negotiating with them was a frustrating ordeal and even after paying all them all this money, my inside sales teams and field reps would continually complain about the quality of the contact information.  Well, I am excited to tell you that times have finally changed…

Where Can You Get Over 5 million B2B Contacts For FREE?

LeadFerret offers a free online B2B database with complete data for millions of business contacts. It’s 100% free, no gimmicks, no subscriptions, no need to upload your contacts to get contacts, and every record is complete, including the vitally important email address.

Ok, It’s Free… But How Accurate is the Data?

That was exactly the first question I had about LeadFerret so I conducted my own test. Of 1,000 random contacts I selected directly from LeadFerret, 83% were correct! This is an awesome accuracy rate that puts many other data providers to shame (and the price is right too!!!).

 

Other Articles You Might Enjoy: 

The Seven Deadly Sins of Salespeople

Why Did We Lose the Big Deal? (5 Questions for the VP of Sales)

A Salesperson's Most Important Competitive Weapon

Today’s customers are smarter and more sophisticated, and technology has become a way of life for them. For example, our cars have global positioning and mapping systems based upon satellite communications. The appliances in our kitchens turn themselves on and off. Our entire music collections are carried on digital devices the size of a deck of cards. We take pictures, play games, and send text messages to friends with our cellular phones. Over Nintey-five percent of all homes in the United States have personal computers. Via the Internet, customers can research products, prices, and opinions. Collectively, this has raised the level of sophistication of the customers we must converse with and sell to.

Perhaps the most interesting change is how people receive information. According to one university study, the world’s total yearly production of media content for newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and the Internet would require roughly 1.5 billion gigabytes of storage. This is the equivalent of 250 megabytes per person for each man, woman, and child on the earth. Because of this information overload, customer attention spans are shorter than ever.

Information must now be packaged with the customers’ shortened attention spans in mind. For example, USA Today, the largest selling newspaper in the United States, was designed to stand out visually. The colorful newspaper always includes bold diagrams and numerous pictures so that time-pressed readers can pick up a story’s message with minimal effort. Even the racks used to sell the newspaper are colorful boxes with rounded edges as opposed to the black square boxes of other newspapers.

Shortened attention spans have changed the nature of information itself. USA Today distills and condenses the news into easy-to-read chunks. A paragraph is rarely longer than three short sentences. Every article is written with the reader in mind, using a “what’s in it for me?” style. USA Today’s style is best summarized by the newspaper’s tagline, “An economy of words, a wealth of information.” If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, USA Today is the most successful newspaper ever because newspapers everywhere have adopted its format.

But even USA Today has had to continue to change both their online and print editions to maintain readers… This Brings Us to The Main Point of This Article:         

Have You Changed The Way You Communicate to Connect with Today’s Customer Who is Smarter, More Sophisticated, But has a Shortened Attention Span?

Successful communication is at the foundation of all sales. “Sales Linguistics” is the revolutionary new field of study about how customers and salespeople use and interpret language during the decision making process.  The conversations you have with customers are quite complex, they consist of verbal and non-verbal communication that are sent consciously and subconsciously. Sales Linguistics will help you learn to say the “right” words at the “right” time to convince skeptical customers to buy.

You must be able to adapt your use of language to a customer’s thought process and personality. You need to understand the process of communication and how it determines the level of rapport that is established between people. Language can be directly linked to customer behavior. It can be deciphered to predict the future, determine truthfulness, and used proactively to influence a customer’s thinking and opinions. 

The salesperson’s most important competitive weapon is his mouth, and the winner is the salesperson who uses words to reduce the customer’s doubts, ease his fear and fosters his fantasy. That’s why it’s critical that you learn sales linguistics before your arch-rivals learn to speak more persuasively.

Click Here to Read More About Sales Linguistics

 

Closing Techniques Using Sales Linguistics

Harvard Business Review is arguably the most prestigious publication for business leaders and management thinkers. Here’s one of my recent Harvard Business Review articles about how to use Sales Linguistics to close sales calls. It is based upon my new book Heavy Hitter Sales Linguistics: 101 Advanced Sales Call Strategies for Senior Salespeople.

Remember the last time you were being pressured into doing something you didn't want to do? Whether the pressure came from a boss, colleague, spouse, or child, your natural response was to resist and push back. It's human nature to resist high-pressure tactics. So, how should the closing of the sales call be structured? The answer is to create a primary closing strategy, utilize fallback positions, and select the appropriate technique to deliver the close.

Your primary closing strategy should be based upon securing the main objective for the meeting. The objective could be to be granted a follow-on meeting, have the customer start a product evaluation, receive approval to conduct a site survey, or negotiate final purchase terms. You also need fallback positions, alternatives you prepare ahead of time to present should the customer reject your primary closing strategy.

Your primary closing strategy and fallback positions are based on choosing to issue a command or presenting foreground and background suggestions. A command is an instructional statement that creates a binary type of yes or no response from the recipient. It is typically associated with a hard close and "take it or leave it" mentality. Foreground suggestions (medium close) are explicit, but they deflect the source of the request from the demander. Background suggestions (soft close) lead recipients to believe they are acting of their free will when in fact they have been directed to follow a message.

Let's pretend I am a passenger in your car and I feel you are driving too fast. A command would be "Slow down!" A foreground suggestion would be "You know the speed limit is forty five miles per hour and police ticket a lot of speeders here." A background suggestion would be "A speeder was in a horrible accident last week in this exact spot." While the background suggestion may be more subtle in its delivery, it can trigger a more profound reaction.

In a sales situation, a command might be "We always recommend you benchmark the products you are evaluating." A foreground suggestion might be "Consumer Reports gave our product the highest rating and recommended it as the best buy." An example of a background suggestion is "One of my customers tried the other company's product and recently switched to ours."

After you have determined your primary closing strategy and fallback positions, select the delivery technique to be used during the meeting. Here are some examples, assuming the main sales call objective is to close the business deal:

Time-based technique. This technique incorporates a time-based deadline.

            Command (hard close). "This is the last time we'll be able to extend this offer and we need your answer now."

            Foreground suggestion (medium close). "My boss told me that this pricing expires December 31 at midnight."

            Background suggestion (soft close). "Think it over tonight and I will call you at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning."

 

Linkage. This technique connects different events, subjects, or ideas.

            Command (hard close). "If we give you those terms, then you must have our contract signed by the end of our quarter."

            Foreground suggestion (medium close). "I'll talk with my boss and if he okays the terms, could we have the purchase order by month end?"

            Background suggestion (soft close). "Our implementation team will be fully booked starting in September, so to complete your project by year end, we'll need to have the contract signed in the next couple of weeks."

 

Power of Print. This technique leverages a document or printed company policy.

            Command (hard close). "Our new price list is coming out in thirty days, and I can't hold these current prices for you after that."

            Foreground suggestion (medium close). "Here's our volume discount schedule. If you spend another $100,000, you'll receive an additional 10 percent off the entire order."

            Background suggestion (soft close). "Should I send you a formal quotation that details the purchase price and terms?" 

Always maintain control of the sales call so you can employ your primary closing strategy and be prepared with fallback positions should your primary closing strategy fail. You can sequence your primary closing strategy, and fallback positions with commands (hard close), foreground suggestions (medium close), and background suggestions (soft close). For example, your primary closing strategy might be based upon a hard close; first fallback position, a medium close; and final fallback position, a soft close. Or, your strategy could be completely opposite depending upon the circumstances and the type of person you are meeting with. 

Read More About Sales Linguistics Here

If Sigmund Freud Was Your Sales Manager

Here's an excerpt from my book Heavy Hitter Sales Psychology: How to Penetrate the C-Level Executive Suite and Convince Company Leaders to Buy.

 

Sigmund Freud is the most famous figure in all of psychology. If he was your sales manager I think he would ask you one very important question, “Why are you in sales?” While your conscious mind might rationalize that you got into sales through a calculated career move or even happenstance, Freud would probably argue that your decision to become a salesperson was made many years ago. This is because your subconscious mind has had a plan for your entire life. You are simply fulfilling your destiny.

Your subconscious mind knows you better than yourself. It remembers how you sought acceptance and recognition since the earliest days of your childhood. Today, it understands you crave adventure and excitement and that you could never be happy working a routine nine-to-five desk job. It also recognizes that you work in sales not because you have to, but because you have to be free. And this fundamental drive is at the core of the human spirit.

Sigmund Freud would acknowledge that you are a very rare type of individual. Most people don’t have the capacity to intentionally endure the emotional and mental stress that is a daily part of a sales career. They don’t have the self-confidence to attempt to accomplish difficult goals or possess the inward drive and perseverance to reach the pinnacle of success. In reality, most people can’t deal with uncertainty and don’t have the propensity to take risks. They are satisfied living average lives working at ordinary jobs because they are afraid to know the truth about themselves. While they shirk from the limelight because they fear their lack of courage will be exposed, you are on a continual mission to prove to the world you’re right.

Sigmund Freud would say your subconscious mind is smarter than you think. It recognized way in advance that sales was the only profession that was right for you. It determined that you needed to be surrounded by people like yourself—modern-day warriors who embark on daily battles to vanquish evil archrivals. It also realized how important it is for you to have earned their respect and admiration. 

Even though your conscious mind may occasionally daydream about doing some other profession, your subconscious knows that you are very fortunate to be in sales. While others have chosen life’s mundane path, sales provides you the opportunity to fulfill your deep-seated drives to leave your legacy and become the hero who was able to make the family’s dreams come true. You should be thankful it selected a career that increases your self-worth and net worth at the same time. Most importantly, your subconscious mind purposely chose this line of work so you could measure the significance of your life. And as your subconscious mind already knows, you are destined for great things.

 

Other Steve W. Martin Articles You Might Enjoy:

Sales Linguistics: The Seven Languages C-Level Executives Speak

Personality Study of 1,000 Top Salespeople - Harvard Business Review

Click Here for 25 More Articles

Four Critical Sales Kickoff Meeting Success Factors

Regardless of whether your company calls it the annual sales meeting, yearly sales conference, or once-a-year sales rally, the annual sales kickoff meeting is the most important sales meeting of the year. Let’s assume you are in charge of planning your company’s annual sales kickoff. You’ve picked the best location, chosen the right hotel, and are in the process of finalizing the meeting plans. 

There are four critical factors that impact the success of the meeting. You have to have the right theme for the meeting, build the best agenda, select the right keynote speaker, and capture the event so attendees can review critical sessions after the event. 

 

1) Selecting the Meeting Theme

The first step toward conducting a successful sales kickoff starts with choosing the right theme. With this goal in mind, here are important points to consider when selecting your sales kickoff theme. One of the most important factors to keep in mind as you choose your theme is the level of the sales force’s morale. All sales forces go through periods of high and low morale. When morale is high, you can be more creative and take bigger risks with the theme you choose.

Conversely, I wouldn’t recommend such an over-the-top theme during tough times. In this situation the theme should be more commonsensical like “Better, Stronger, Faster,” which provides a platform that meeting presenters can use to talk about changes and upcoming improvements. Click here for a detailed article about selecting a sales kickoff theme.

 

2) Agenda Structure

The structure of the meeting’s agenda is one of the key factors that will determine the meeting’s overall success. The main objectives of the sales kickoff agenda are preparation and renewed motivation. Remember, there are three objectives your agenda should reinforce: first, a renewed sense of pride in the company they work for; second, honest enthusiasm to get back into the field and ramp up the new year; and some positive thoughts and pleasant memories about the good time they had celebrating a career that is difficult and demanding but, ultimately, extremely rewarding. Click here for an article of best ideas on how to structure the sales kickoff agenda.

 

3) Select the Right Keynote Speaker

There are four main types of keynote speakers to choose from: celebrity, motivational, industry mavens, and sales experts. Celebrities (such as entertainment stars, sports heroes, business icons and politicians) will speak mainly about their personal experiences. Conversely, industry mavens are analysts and consultants who talk about current issues and future business trends. Meanwhile, motivational speakers exuberantly try to touch listeners’ emotions. And, finally, there are sales experts who share their specific sales-related wisdom and knowledge with the audience. So, how do you decide which one is right for you?

There aren’t any two sales forces that are exactly alike. Every sales force is unique in three different ways: complexity of the sales process, the average level of sales experience, and the state of morale. Perhaps the biggest mistake when selecting a sales kickoff presenter is picking one whose main message doesn’t apply to the products you sell or resonate with the sophistication of the sales force. For instance, even though a keynote speaker has successfully presented to Midwestern real estate agents in the past, he or she would not be a good fit for a Silicon Valley software company. Click here for a complete article about selecting a sales kickoff keynote speaker.

 

4) Capture the Meeting for Future Review

Based upon my personal experience, I strongly recommend that every sales kickoff be captured for future review. Let me explain why. The average person speaks about 125 words per minute. So, it’s nearly im­possible for meeting attendees to fully absorb the more than 60,000 words they hear each day. A post-meeting review of critical sales kickoff presentations should be available so the sales teams can revisit the key takeaways and important discussions at their own pace. In addition, some salespeople might not have been able to attend the meeting. Also, there will be new hires throughout the year who can view the sales kickoff recording as part of their on-boarding process.

The virtual sales kickoff should be accessible by topics and presenter as opposed to a lengthy rebroadcast that is watched in one long session. This requires that a virtual platform that provides intelligent on-de­mand access be used. Both the speaker and his or her slides should be shown simultaneously. Important presentation materials, slides, sales collateral, and training documents should be accessible for download. Viewers should be provided with interactive functionality so they can submit questions to meeting present­ers long after the presentation and be able to chat with colleagues who might be watching.

Providing on-demand access to the sales kickoff is an extremely economical way to reinforce the meeting messages, maximize the training investment, and extend the motivational afterglow. It typically costs 2% to 5% of the total meeting costs to record and post the meeting to a commercially available online virtual platform. You can expect ten times the number of meeting attendees to visit an online kickoff on average. For example, a meeting with 500 attendees would average 5,000 post-meeting visitors.

Want to learn more?  Please watch this free webinar:

 

The Virtual Sales Kickoff Meeting: Strategies that Produce Results

WATCH THE WEBINAR 
CLICK HERE TO WATCH! 

Sponsored by Selling Power Magazine and ON24 Virtual Events and Sales Meetings

 

What's Wrong With Sales Training Today

  Almost all sales training programs today share the same fundamental flaw. None explain what is truly at the heart of all sales: how to build relationships between people, how salespeople incorporate the elements of human behavior into their strategy, and how to say the “right” words at the “right” time to persuade customers to buy. They don’t offer help where help is needed most--how to deal with the humanness of your customers and the internal politics of decision making.
   
The existing training methodologies do not explain or fully take into account the human characteristics of the people who actually make the purchase decision. They concentrate on the logical and procedural aspects of the sales cycle. In short, they offer frameworks that are limited to the “tangible” processes of the sales cycle. These may include the basic questions a salesperson commits to memory, such as, “What is your budget?” and “What is your time frame?” Other programs emphasize the business benefits and financial justification of the salesperson’s solution. They explain how to create a return-on-investment (ROI) model in order to show customers how much money they will save by selecting their product. However, every company supplies their own ROI and extols their unique benefits. Therefore, how do you stand out from the pack?

  

Somehow, “successful” sales training has become associated with a thick binder of material the salesperson lugs home from the class (never to open again). The classroom experience is based upon rote memorization of facts. There is very little interaction, exercises, or meaningful conversation about the difficult “real-world” obstacles that need to be overcome. The training classes are pre-packaged sessions that are taught the same way over and over again regardless of the audience’s unique situation. The goal is get through the material, not to learn how and where to win (and the skills needed to do it). In reality, every training experience should be a one of a kind unique experience because every company occupies a different position in the competitive landscape.

   

Most importantly, today’s customers are smarter and savvier than ever. Technology has become a way of life. Our cars, appliances, and recreational toys have become computerized tools. Via the Internet customers can research products, prices, and opinions. Collectively, this has raised the level of sophistication (and skepticism) of the customers we must converse with and sell to. Today, the balance of power is definitely in the hands of buyers and the situation will only continue to get worse. Unfortunately, most training programs assume customers are the same as they were ten or twenty years ago.

   

Your competitors have not sat idly by either. They’ve educated themselves about your products and sales tactics, and they’re more focused on defeating you than ever. Fortunately, they still believe in the use of brute force and think the best way to defeat you is by frontal attack, when in reality, winning over the hearts and minds of customers carries the day.

     

For all of these reasons, a new generation of sales training is needed. Sales training that understands information-savvy buyers, acknowledges competitive realities, and offers entirely new language-based strategies to influence key executives during the sales cycle. The answer is clear -- all sales training should include Sales Linguistics-- the study of how the customer’s mind creates and interprets language during the decision-making process.

 

Articles that May Interest You:

 

Sales Linguistics: The 7 Languages C-Level Executives Speak

Click Here for 25 More Articles

Huge Ego Behind Every B-to-B Purchase

 

One of my favorite blogs is Zoominfo’s “Follow the Lead.” I consider it mandatory reading for business-to-business sales reps. I was recently interviewed by blogger Matthew Schwartz about the C-Level Sales Psychology:

 

ZoomInfo: When trying to reach C-level buyers, there seems to be an increasing number of gatekeepers in the purchasing process, from “fans” to “champions.” How do b-to-b sellers navigate this matrix in order to get to C-level executives?

 

Martin: There are two strategies. One would be the top-down strategy, when you’re contacting [the C-level] directly via one of three communication modes: e-mail, letter or cold call. The other is an indirect strategy, whereby you’re using your internal ‘champion,’ as an internal advocate to relay your message to that C-level executive so that you can get the meeting with the C-level executive directly. Both strategies require very clear messaging and the messaging has to be based upon a ‘business-operation’ language: how the solution you sell impacts [the buyer’s] day-to-day operation. If you have an internal champion, the psychological theory of ‘attached relationships’ comes into play, meaning if you have a strong relationship with that internal champion and that champion has a strong relationship with the C-level executive, the attributes of the relationship between the two of them will be imposed on you and you can get that meeting.

 

ZoomInfo: Once sellers do get an opportunity with a C-level buyer, why do they tend to ‘show up and throw up’ and bombard the buyer with information about products and services?

 

Martin: The number one reason is that it’s hard to get that meeting. And when sales reps do get that meeting there is a tendency for non-senior salespeople to feel compelled to explain the worthiness of their products and how great their company is. And it’s the exact opposite. You’ll be granted continued access to that C-level decision-maker when you’re able to explain how you help that person’s business. Remember, in [the buyer’s] mind you’re just a footnote to his day. You have to stand out and, instead of doing an infomercial, you’re there to understand and do an investigation of the person’s business and find out what’s on his mind and where the problems are. And then you can tell the buyer how your other customers are solving those [particular] problems.

 

ZoomInfo: Do think this notion that b-to-b reps should sell on alleviating pain for the buyer is a misnomer? If so, what are the alternatives to getting prospects’ attention and subsequently getting them through the sales funnel?

 

Martin: Pain is a great motivator. However, the greater motivation for big b-to-b purchases is ego.  Behind every major purchase there’s a huge ego that’s driving the purchase through the organization. There are two other elements to ego. The first is appealing to self-preservation; that is, buyers need to maintain position and status within a group. For example, a company buys SAP software, not just solely for the software, but now it puts them in league with the other companies using the software and allows the buyer to put SAP on his resume and be in league with people who are competing for jobs [at the C-level in that sector]. The other element is physical and mental well-being. Everyone wants to keep their job and a lot of products are bought so buyers can keep their jobs and stay mentally prepared for the future.

 

Click to visit  Zoominfo’s Follow the Lead Blog

Click Here for 25 More Articles

Selling the C-Suite Using Sales Linguistics

 

In my new book Heavy Hitter Sales Psychology: How to Penetrate the C-Level Executive Suite and Convince C-Level Executives to Buy, I help salespeople learn  how to winover senior executives using Sales Linguistics. But what exactly is Sales Linguistics?

 

Every day, you speak and listen to thousands of words. Through the words you speak, you are able to explain your ideas, recount your past experiences, and share your personality with others. Since the communication process comes so naturally, you assume you are understood. However, the most important words you speak during the entire year are those you say to C-level executives during the make-or-break meetings that determine if you will win a deal.

 

Most of the time, you probably don’t think about the specific meaning of the words you are using. Since the words are so integrated with your being, they just seem to happen. However, your words represent your attitude, outlook, and perspective about life. But language doesn’t consist solely of spoken words, it has an entirely nonverbal dimension as well. You actually use a series of different languages to communicate to the others and to understand what they are saying to you. The seven languages that are at the foundation of Sales Linguistics are:

 

1. Word catalog language. The mind’s method for receiving and interpreting information based upon the three sensory channels—visual, auditory, and kinesthetic (feelings and a sense of the body).

2. Internal dialogue language. The never-ending stream of communication inside the mind that represents honest, unedited, and deep feelings.

3. Physical language. Also known as body language, the nonverbal communication that is constantly being emitted by the executive’s body posture.

4. Intersecting activity language. Interests, hobbies, and personal pursuits by which the executive displays his personality, beliefs, and values.

5. Technical specification language. The androgynous, nonpersonal, and technical communication that is based upon the nomenclature and technical terms of the executive’s industry. For example, the computer industry terms RAM, CPU an megabyte.

6. Business operations language. The language that is specific to the daily running of the executive’s business and his role in the organization.

7. C-level language. The most powerful trust-based language by which the executive explains his personal needs, desires, and plans along with the strategy by which he hopes to fulfill them.

 

The ultimate goal for the C-level meeting is simple: you want the executive to expose his internal dialogue to you. You want him to honestly explain what he is trying to accomplish and why he is doing it from a business and, more importantly, personal standpoint. You want him to tell you about his personal needs and career desires along with how he plans to fulfill them. You want him to speak the confidential C-level language with you. In order to do so, you must progress through the various languages as represented in the graph at the top of this post.

 

Unfortunately, the majority of executive conversations never reach the confidential C-level language. The discussion gets stuck at the technical specification language or the business operations language.

 

Remember, your most important competitive weapon is your mouth and the words you speak. While you will frequently meet with lower-level and midlevel employees at companies whose business you’re trying to secure, the rare conversations you have with C-level decision makers will directly determine whether you win or lose the deal. Therefore, it is critical that you understand how C-level executives think and how they communicate and that you are able to adapt your use of language to match C-level decision makers’.  Now more than ever, you need to understand and master Sales Linguistics.

 

Other Articles that Might Interest You:

60 Second Overview: Heavy Hitter Sales Psychology

Sales Linsuitics is the New Sales 2.0!

2 of the TOP 10 Sales Books

I was very excited to learn that my just released book Heavy Hitter Sales Psychology: How to Penetrate the C-Level Executive Suite and Convince Company Leaders to Buy and its prequel, Heavy Hitter Selling: How Successful Salespeople Use Language and Intuition to Persuade Customers to Buy were in Amazon's top 10 sales-related books (2^nd and 9^th respectively).

 

Heavy Hitter Sales Psychology is for senior salespeople, those who have been in the field for five, ten, and fifteen plus years. The goal of the book is to help them accomplish the most difficult task in all of sales: penetrate the C-level executive leader’s office and convince him to buy in the life-or-death meetings that determine whether the salesperson will win the deal. Here’s what sales leaders have to say about it!

 

“A fascinating instruction manual for securing meetings with C-level executives and persuading them to buy!”

Steve Clarence, Vice President of Sales, Convergys

 

“The first book that truly teaches salespeople how to converse with CEOs. Pray your competitors don’t read it first.”

Craig Eckstrom, Vice President of North America Sales, PayPal

 

 “This isn’t just another book, it’s an investment in your future. Whether you manage direct, indirect, inside, or major accounts sales, Heavy Hitter Sales Psychology break downs sales psychology into simple techniques that work.”

Joe Vitalone, Vice President of Sale, Shoretel

 

“Most sales books provide rudimentary sales tips for beginning salespeople. Heavy Hitter Sales Psychology provides sophisticated sales advice for senior salespeople on how to penetrate the C-level executive suite.” 

Chip Terry, Vice President and General Manager of Enterprise Solutions, Zoominfo

 

“Steve brings a whole new light to the golden rule of sales…  People buy from people who understand how they are wired!”

Gene Gainey, SVP Sales, Learn.com

 

“This not your typical book on sales scripts, it is a lesson on how to use language to create relationships at the highest levels of organizations.”

Tom Furey, Vice President & General Manager, Standard Register

 

“Steve Martin brings a new level of thoughtfulness to the psychology of sales. Understanding your own linguistic profile and uncovering the “bully with the juice” will help you achieve success in the ever changing landscape of complex selling.”

Sam Adams, Senior Vice President of Sales, Picis

 

"Now more than ever, you need an unprecedented understanding of the customer's perspective, motivation and true intent. Heavy Hitter Sales Psychology provides the path to build more meaningful executive relationships that will separate you from your competition."

Charley Knight, Vice President of Sales, Shaw Industries

 

 “Star salespeople are not always cognizant of how they go about closing C-level deals. Heavy Hitter Sales Psychology does a great job describing the foundation and process that comes naturally to successful Heavy Hitter salespeople.” 

Todd DeBonis, Vice President of Global Sales, TriQuint Semiconductors

 

“Steve’s latest book is a good combination of high brow science and tactical examples. Unlike most one dimensional sales textbooks, Heavy Hitter Sales Psychology will keep your interest throughout.”

Garth Moulton, Vice President of Community and Co-Founder, Jigsaw

 

"The key to any successful sales is understanding the individuals you are selling to.... and none more important that the C-Level. This book provides an excellent foundation and a step-by-step guide to ensure success at the highest levels of an organization"
Lisa Pope, Vice President, Global Sales Strategy, QAD Software

 

Other Articles That Might Interest You

Heavy Hitter Sales Psychology 60 Second Overview

Sales Linguistics: The Seven Different Languages C-Level Executives Speak

 

 

Sales Psychology - REPUBLICANS vs DEMOCRATS

There’s a very important lesson for both salespeople and marketeers to learn from the healthcare debate and these charts below are at the center of it. On the left is the Republican chart of healthcare reform and on the right is the Democrat’s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

According to the New American, “The GOP chart reflects the complexity of at least 31 new federal programs, agencies, commissions and mandates that accompany the unprecedented government takeover of health care in America. Lesser known aspects of the Democrats’ plan are revealed by the chart, exposing big government’s burning desire to micromanage and impose its will. Federal mandates for website design will be imposed on the states, and cultural & linguistic competence training will be given to healthcare providers.”

 

Frankly, their chart accomplishes the goal of creating fear, uncertainty, and doubt. Everything about this chart causes chaos in the mind: the layout, color selection, different shapes, and massive amount of information.

 

The Republican chart was so effective that the Democrats were forced to respond. They created their own chart in order to provide a more ordered, reassuring view of the healthcare universe. They simplified the layout and used soothing pastel colors to "assuage the public’s fears."

 

Is the Democrat’s chart effective? The answer depends upon who they are trying to persuade. Maybe a graphic artist would appreciate the Democrat’s chart, but to the average American it means very little. It’s just a bunch of planets, crop circles, or bubbles. It evokes a different kind of reaction in the mind. It’s too nebulous and doesn’t explain how the program would actually work.  As a result, it won’t change anyone’s mind. In reality, it may even hurt their cause by validating their proposed program can’t be simply explained.

 

Here’s the main point... After reviewing hundreds of corporate presentations I can tell you that almost all include slides that are overly complicated are so simplistic they’re meaningless. Take a moment and open your corporate sales presentation. How many slides resemble the Republican or Democrat charts? Both types cause you to lose mental momentum with prospective customers. So while you think you are communicating something profound and persuasive, you are actually causing chaos and exacerbating the customer’s fear, uncertainty, and doubt. 

 

Other Articles That Might Interest You

 

Heavy Hitter Sales Psychology

Sales Psychology to Win-Over Customer’s Hearts and Minds