Erase Your Fear of Cold Calling #526 Have you ever noticed how we all get a little jittery when it comes to cold calling? It's like we'd rather face a dentist's drill than pick up that phone! A lady once told me never did vacuuming look so good as when it was time to make a cold call. But here's the kicker: doing nothing just makes the jitters worse. On the flip side, taking action? Well, that's where the magic happens. In today's episode, we're diving into the psychology of our phone phobia...

Echoes Across The Tracks with Dave Moravec #525 To grow a business you need to be in constant contact with strangers who may become new prospective customers. If we don't put effort into meeting new people, growth can stagnate. For many, this is a very uncomfortable situation. Growth requires putting yourself out there, so it begs the question what's the best way to get comfortable, being uncomfortable? Today we take a break from the Tao of Sales Babble and meet the author of a newly...

How To Know When It's Time To Pitch #524 This week I babble some on some experiences I've had sellers clumsily pitch me on something I have no interest in. You've probably experienced this too. Lao Tzu has some thoughts on this. He spoke about labeling, judging, and the issues that come with language. In our situation, this episode discusses how to know when it's time to pitch. We also talk about slowing down the sale. This way, sellers can fully understand the prospect's problems, issues,...

How to Buyers to Close Themselves #523 Do you struggle to close deals? Next to getting a sales appointment, closing is the second most difficult task when selling. Some think closing a deal and getting the prospect to put their name on the dotted line is a monumental task. You commonly hear that it takes an assertive winner-takes-all attitude to be successful in sales. But that's not how it works with a Taoist perspective. I must confess, there is a certain truth to the idea of ABC, Always...

What Bartenders Can Teach Sales People #522 Have you ever heard this quote from the stoic philosopher Epictetus? 'We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.'  You probably have but way too many salespeople have never learned this lesson. Instead, as soon as there is a break in the conversation, they jump to a solution and start to pitch. And then they're confused about why prospects don't buy or return their calls. But consider a great bartender. They ask...

Grow Fast Podcast with Mark Shriner I had the good fortune to be a guest on Mark Shriner's new Grow Fast Podcast. Mark and I talked about selling, Taoism, and the power of podcasting. Mark graciously gave permission to have this interview shared with the Sales Babble listeners. I'm excited to share this babbling today!  The Dao of Sales, or How to Sell without "Selling" Mark described the interview this way "Pat Helmers is the Host of the Sales Babble Podcast. Pat is also the Founder of...

The Perfect Apology #520 We all make mistakes, it's part of being human. The same is true in business. Companies screw up to the detriment of their customers. When this happens, it often falls on the sales professional to apologize, even if they had nothing to do with it.  How about your personal life? Have you wronged someone but struggled to say you're sorry in a way that prompted forgiveness? Did they accept your apology?  This is the human experience where too often our egos get in the...

You Can't Win Them All #519 When it comes to selling, the importance of flexibility, gentleness, and resilience when facing adversity is often overlooked. It’s easy to get stuck on a deal and put too much energy into it due to some sunk-cost fallacy. Don’t do that!  In today’s episode, we discuss about on how rigidity and resistance lead to defeat, while flexibility and adaptability lead to victory. Next, we remind ourselves what  Tao Te Ching says about softness and weakness and how it can...

The Tao of Storytelling Selling #518 Let me tell you a story. It's not a story of lost love or intrigue. Nobody's murdered, nor is society thrust into a dystopian future. Instead, this is a story about stories. It's a story about showing, not telling, and selling with storytelling. Storytelling Selling. It’s a tale with both heroes and villains with adventures and drama tied into capturing the interest of prospects in a way that they identify with your fable. Today's episode explores ways a...

How To Sell When Nobody Knows You #517 What do you do when your business is the best-kept secret in town? How do you get people to know about you? How do you create awareness and most importantly, how can you get buyers to trust in you, your company, and its products?  This is a situation for all startups. It's also the case for established businesses creating new products or entering new markets. If this is your case, you're in for a treat. In today's episode, we share the idea that water,...

How To Compete from Behind #516 Does it irritate you when you're talking to a new prospect and the first thing they mention is that their vendor is your archrival? Does it seem like that competitor is superior to you; faster, cheaper, better and there is nothing you can do to overcome that clear advantage? Or maybe you can’t fathom why people buy from them other than they've been around for a long time. It can be frustrating and begs the question, what can you do to compete from behind?...

How To Overcome Your Fear of Rejection #515 We all hate robocalls. Those are cold calls of the worst kind. But in B2B sales, cold calling is often the only way to efficiently connect to a new prospect. Often the prospects don't realize a solution to their problem is available. A well-constructed and executed cold call can create an opportunity for the prospects to eradicate their problems. Yet too often sellers fear rejection and this impedes their cold-calling success. There are things you...

How To Recover from a Sideways Deal #514 Ever been in a situation where just as you thought the deal was won, and then the rug got pulled out from under you? It’s beyond irritating, right? Especially given the fact that you may have invested significant time and energy in the deal, just to see it go up in smoke. What are you to do when your deals go sideways? That’s the topic for today. Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is understanding what buyers...

To Get More You Need To Let Go #513 Today I would like to do an experiment and try something different. This is something that I've been noodling about the last few weeks and since The Tao Te Ching is founded on change and as we know change is the only constant in life it feels right to make a change. Today I;d like to read chapter 46 of the Tao Te Ching, share a story about Pat and Chris, and then review how the chapter applies to sales. I think it will be fun to share with readers an...

The Dark Side of Winning Confidence When Selling #512 This may sound surprising but did you know that closing a deal may carry negative consequences akin to losing a deal? And did you know that excessive confidence can be as problematic as fear? The assertion that winning is always good raises questions that suggest success may not always be advantageous. Whether facing a shortfall or exceeding quotas, setting aside worry and prioritizing prospects is always the right thing to do. The...

How To Sell With Compassion #511 Ever hesitated to pick up the phone and cold call? Don't worry; we've all been there. We grew up fearing strangers, and now, as adults, the idea of making a call and potentially bothering someone is as scary as finding a spider in your shoe. But hey, when it comes to calling family, speed dial is practically a reflex. Now, the challenge: how can we find the courage to prospect and reach out to strangers? Curiously, the answer can be found in compassion. This...

How to Let the Sale Sell Itself #510 Do you struggle with closing prospects? Unsure what to say to advance the sale? Sellers often face the challenge of knowing when and how to close a deal. You may have no problem demonstrating the product or describing the service. But when it comes to asking for the sale and doing so elegantly and not sounding pushy, that takes skill. But does it? What if we could get buyers to sell themselves? How can you let the sale unfold itself, that's the topic for...

Top 10 Sales and Marketing Tips for 2024 with Neil Kristianson In this episode returning guest Neil Kristianson joins for our 10th anniversary of babbling conversation on the top 10 sales and marketing tips for the upcoming 2024 new year. Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you can help,  showing what you have and helping them to make a decision that is good for their business and yours. See...

How To Unmask Authentic Selling #508 When I was new to selling I read a number of books on closing techniques and objection handling. I took their advice to craft scripts to memorize them like an actor in the theatre. It was a weak approach. The buyers never said the lines I expected and often I was dumbfounded about what to say. In this week's Tao of Sales Babble we cast off the scripts and unmask to discover our authentic you, the person buyers want to meet, trust, and do business with. ...

Why We Treat Buyers Like Family #507 Each January I travel to a small island at the southernmost tip of the United States. Key West has a motto: “All people are equal members of One Human Family”. Not only do I agree with this, but apply this to prospective buyers.  In this episode, we investigate the power of building rapport and how viewing perfect strangers as Family can erase skepticism and cultivate trust, which is the foundation of any successful selling opportunity. Sales...

A Good Seller is a Good Teacher #506 Have you ever had a difficult customer that tested your patience? You want to do a good job, but it seems that all the prospect wants to do is to make it harder on themselves. Sure you want to help, but they don't want to be helped. And now you can't help but wonder why are they even talking to you. You know something is there, you think you think you can teach them a few things that would be good for their business. You might even be able to address...

How to Sell by Not Selling #505 In the timeless dance of commerce I'd like to reflect a bit on the business aspects of selling, the topic this podcast babbles about weekly. When you consider the profession of sales, what comes to mind? Is it a realm where one must assume the guise of a rapid-talking predator? Do you still hear at times the notion that selling requires you to be the elusive shark in the marketplace? It's a pervasive belief, and indeed, a hurtful one. So let's consider this:...

How to Own Your  Mistakes #504 So, you like being right? But what about when you’re wrong? Nobody likes being called out for making a mistake or screwing up. And let me tell you, it’s even worse when you have to apologize for your mistake or, worse yet, your company’s mistake. It’s like going to the dentist for a root canal. Unfortunately, once in a while, this situation pops up and it’s extremely uncomfortable for the sales professional. It’s not the end of the world. You just have to own...

How To Advance the Sale - Step by Step #503 Ever notice how after a sales call, it feels like the deal is moving at the speed of a glacier melt? I mean, who knew closing deals was like waiting for paint to dry? In today's episode, we're diving into the thrilling world of why deals move slower than a tortoise with a GPS glitch. Let's crack the code on the sales process, the buying process, and the intricate dance of advancing the sale, all with the ultimate goal of closing – well, maybe not...