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...

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...