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...

How to Give Control to Take Control When Selling #502 My wife says I worry too much. I think I don't worry enough.  I'm always on the lookout for trouble and control what I can to avoid drama. Control is my secret power, and it's also my greatest weakness. Bringing a control attitude into the sales profession was a turn-off to many prospects. By trying to control the sales process and wrangling the prospect's actions it had the opposite effect and killed deals. It was by studying the Tao I...

Why Sellers Need to Recognize the Elephant in the Room #501 Have you ever skirted the truth when talking to a prospect? Have you ever redirected the conversation to put your offering in the best light? Have you ever wondered why a prospect stops taking your calls when at first you thought everything was going well? Maybe the prospects saw through your avoidance. Maybe they sensed there was something wrong with your product or service. Maybe you lost their trust. In this week's episode, we...

Sales Babble 500th Anniversary Special #500 In March 2014 the first episode of the Sales Babble podcast was published, dedicated to sharing selling secrets for non-sellers. After years of working at a start-up as the VP of Sales, I was ready to share my experience with a broader audience and grow my selling skills. "Sales Babble" was the solution and my next adventure. Now it's October in 2023 and we've reached the 500th episode and it's a miracle that I'm still at the microphone, babbling...

How to Discover the Buyer Using Compassionate Listening #499 I have a point of view on selling that may catch you off guard. Just like social work, nursing, or counseling, I see selling as a helping profession.  The way I see it, as sellers, it's our responsibility to relieve the suffering of our customers and clients. Each prospect you meet has some unfulfilled need or desire that greatly pains both them and their organizations. The way master sellers can assuage this suffering is to listen...

How To Stay Innovative in an Emerging Market #498 There is an old saying in tech that there are only two kinds of technologies: the out-of-date and the "it's not yet available." Products loved and admired by customers will someday be considered antiques. Few products or services are considered modern forever. Instead, the marketplace is constantly birthing a rebirthing, innovation after innovation. Salespeople play a tremendous role in guiding their companies to stay competitive. They are...

Don't Force the Sale, Allow the Sale #497 Sometimes sellers in their zeal to win push and prod buyers into uncomfortable buying decisions. It's always a good time for a seller to win a sale, but that's not the case for buyers. Sometimes a purchase is part of a broader project that requires planning.  Too often sellers forget that their timeline should be the buyer's timeline. In this episode of the Tao of Sales Babble, we discuss the hazards of forcing a deal and the benefits of giving...

We Only Learn From Failure #496 I’m a goof and I screw up a lot. I’m known to talk to myself and say things like “What were thinking?” or “You’re an idiot Pat.” This behavior really bugs my wife. She’ll say “Why are you so hard on yourself?” to which I reply “I’m not hard enough!’ But she may have a point. You can read good advice, or in the case of a podcast, listen to good advice but it’s not going to be embraced nearly as much as when you screw up and learn a lesson from it.   According...

How To Find Your Niche #495 If you ever sold a new invention, idea, or innovation then you’ve probably experienced the crushing defeat and rejection that comes with disrupting the status quo. After that experience you may have walked away with the same feeling I had when I did the Point of No Return waterpark ride which descended 10 stories in 4 seconds, No thank you, once was enough for me. But on the other hand, if you are bold and believe in the old adage that the “Riches are in the...

How to Learn, Unlearn, and Relearn Sales #494 Do you know how some people just don't listen? They complain about their situation,  yet they're never open to alternatives. It's a case where confidence and cockiness become handcuffs. This is all too common in sales. It's a paradox but sometimes the best way to learn something is to first unlearn what you already know. To relearn is to keep growing and that's the topic for today. Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful...

What is the Tao of Sales Babble #493 Each week we apply the Taoist philosophy to some aspect of sales. We may talk about prospecting, qualifying, and closing, and share some practical Taoist examples using little parables involving Pat, Chris, and Lee. I’m unusually fascinated by this topic, a bit of a fanatic,  and have coined this topic the Tao of Sales Babble. Why babble? To quote Lao Tzu, "Sincere words are not fine; Fine words are not sincere." Lao Tzu taught that understanding and...

Six More Taoist Sales Lessons That Make Common Sense #492 This is the podcast where each week we apply an aspect of Taoism to sales. Last week we departed from this structure and surveyed six Taoist sales lessons instead of a single aspect. Each lesson contained common sense practical advice.  This week we’re going to do six more and if you haven’t listened to last week’s episode, that’s OK. These lessons aren’t in any order There is no need to go back before listening to this episode. But I...

Six Taoist Sales Lessons That Make Common Sense #491 Each week the Sales Babble podcast applies the Taoist philosophy to some aspect of sales. We may talk about prospecting, qualifying, or closing, and dig into the details with some practical Taoist examples with little parables involving Pat, Chris, and Lee. This is a topic near to my heart. I started studying Taoism for over over 30 years ago. From my studies, I've come to some realizations that I want to share. So this week I'd like to...

If It Fits They'll Buy It #490 Stop me if you've heard this one.  One day a lady was walking down the street and she noticed a dress in the shop window. Instantly she thought that it might be the perfect dress for the wedding she was attending that weekend. She immediately walked into a boutique and asked the sales lady “May I try on that cute dress in the window?” The sales lady replied; “Absolutely ma'am, but wouldn’t you be more comfortable in a dressing room?” This is master selling!...

Lead Gen Innovation Pearl Diver with Nick Lissette #489 Today on Sales Babble we meet Nick Lissette the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Blackpearl Group. Black Pearl is the company that created our sponsor, Pearl Diver. Pearl Diver is the tool that allows you to see who's visiting your website, even if they never signup or connect with you.  Nick has over a decade of experience working with cloud-based services. He started with anti-spam software and now leverages his expertise to use...

Less is More When Selling #488 Picture a stage where the actor is a sales professional and their words flow like a never-ending river of verbosity and theatrics! The seller wants but one thing - to present the product in its most complete and benefits-rich manner.  In the next act the seller, stands tall, basking in the spotlight. going on and on and on. Meanwhile, the buyer in the 12th seat of the 5th-row fidgets and readies to bolt for the door. This is not fiction but is often a...

Cold Calling Part Deux #487 Today Pat's taking a mulligan. After listening to last week's episode I believe I missed the mark. In many regards, cold calling looks like a pushy activity and as such seems unTaoist, if that's a word. How can that be? Last week I didn't do a good enough job explaining.  In this episode, I riff on the topic and explain how you can embrace wu-wei to simplify your cold-calling activities. Multiple quotes from the Tao Te Ching are shared. Sales Babble shares...

How To Dispel The Fear of Cold Calling #486 Life is filled with hard things to overcome. Like for me it's pizza, has there ever been a more perfect food invented? Yet to stay fit and trim as best as a portly old man can do, there are limits to how much pizza I should consume. What's another hard thing in life? Cold. When I first started making cold calls I was literally knocking on peoples doors.  It was brutal. But this is the thing, it was the only way to speak to some people. And get...

To Know a Lead is to Find a Lead #485 Have you ever noticed how you keep dialing those same leads, over and over again, but it's like talking to a brick wall? It's like you're living in 'Lead Groundhog Day.' Well, my friends, that's what I call being 'lead poor.' But fear not! It's time to rev up your prospecting game and unveil a treasure trove of bonafide, highly qualified leads. In this week's exciting episode, we dive deep into these perplexing situations, explore ingenious fixes, and...

What is the Science of Scaling Podcast with Mark Roberge #484 In today's episode, we’re doing something a bit different and featuring an episode from another podcast. It’s called The Science of Scaling, hosted by Mark Roberge. He’s the bestselling author of The Sales Acceleration Formula. He’s also a Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School and the Founding CRO of HubSpot. Subscribe to the podcast here https://link.chtbl.com/tsos?sid=podcast.salesbabble Sales Babble shares selling...

Why Are You Still Working That Lost Deal? #483 Why is it they say that when one door closes, another door always opens? Are doors in some sort of cosmic competition? 'Oh, this door is closing? Well, I'll show you!' And bam, another door pops open, like it's saying, 'Don't worry, I got your back!' Doors are like the ultimate wingmen, always ready to hook you up with a new adventure. I mean, seriously, who needs a dating app when you've got doors playing matchmakers? It's like the universe's...

Wisdom Comes From Failed Deals, Are You Sure? In our culture winners are heroes.  Our movies, especially American movies, prefer underdogs who find success with persistence and grit.  Yet these overnight sensations rarely happen overnight, Instead, it takes years filled with mistake after mistake after mistake. Sales wisdom comes from failed deals. In this episode, we babble about the challenges in business and how inevitably we will screw up. But if you keep at it, you will learn what not...

Why Weakness Trumps Strength When Selling #481 Have you ever noticed that sometimes selling is like playing a never-ending game of hide-and-seek, except the prospects are world champions in hiding what they really and truly desire?  Just when you quote them a solution, the rug gets pulled out from under you and you have to restart! What a pain, right? With that said it’s easy to forget the golden rule; he who has the gold, rules. But lest we forget since the buyers are the ones with the...

How to Get a Handle on Objection Handling #480 If you’ve had any experience in sales you know that sometimes closing a deal is harder than walking a dog through a forest of squirrels. Around every turn, they’re tugging the leash, wrapping it around your legs, wrenching your wrists, and once in a while, slipping out of the collars and it’s off to the races. What’s a seller to do? It can be frustrating working with a prospect that won’t buy nor will they say they won’t buy. They just can’t...