The Advanced Selling Podcast: Sales Training | Leadership Coaching | B2b Sales Strategy | Prospecting Tips

Leadership should be on every sales person's mind. In this interview, Bill and Bryan talk with new author, Kevin Eikenberry, who has written a book called REMARKABLE LEADERSHIP. Listen to this podcast if you are a sales leader/manager or have any inclination to be one someday.

In this episode, Bill and Bryan address the China import issues that are making news. Is it possible that part of this is a breakdown in selling skills? That might be a stretch - or not. As you listen to this, think about how you would modify your sales approach if you were to compete against low priced competitors. This applies to sales professionals who don't just compete against off shore vendors - but to the vendor right down the street as well.

Ever wondered why your prospects sometimes just don't act on your offer? Could it be you just aren't getting them to admit their problems to you? Well, this podcast episode with Bill Caskey and Brooke Green deals with exactly how to do that. Most sales strategies forget about that very thing - how to understand the compelling reasons a prospect has for changing.

Ever been sold to by an "old world sales person?" Kind of frightening, isn't it? In this week's episode of the Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale discuss some of the many differences between the old and new way of selling. It's a good gut-check to see if you slip back in to old beliefs and tactics when you're in pursuit of a sale. Use this episode in your sales training since it addresses some of the core problems today's sales professional faces.

Ever wondered where the line was between being persistent and being a pest? You're not alone. Most sales people have. In this week's episode of the Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale read a letter from a listener who is concerned with how persistent he should be toward the end of the deal. You see most sales strategies are built on the premise of 'convince and persuade.' And with that misaligned orientation, the sales professional sometimes pushes too hard in an effort to close the sale. This episode has many tips and good ways to follow up with your prospect--in a way that won't push them away.

In this week's episode of the Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey interviews a special guest, Dan Heath, the author of the Made to Stick. He joins us today to share his insights on helping OTHERS understand your ideas and helping YOU communicate them better. It seems in most sales training, we talk about communication skills, but spend little time talking about the thinking behind communicating ideas. Dan has researched why/how some ideas stick and others don't. And since professional selling revolves around how compelling you make your ideas for the prospect, Dan was the perfect guest. These are skills that you can learn and apply immediately to your sales strategies to help increase sales. Make sure to go buy Dan's book, Made to Stick. Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die.

In this week's episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale answer those "what do I do when?" questions that sales professionals have every day. This is an episode that helps sales people new and old who are curious about what to do in certain situations. Business-to-business sales training and development isn't always about "theory." Sometimes it's just about practical advice. This episode will help you to say and do the right things in those places where your deal might be on the line. Sometimes just a third party--like Caskey and Neale--can shed just enough light on a subject to give you a new way to think about old problems.

In today's podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale address the New York Times piece on Income Inequality--and how sales professionals are in the right spot to be at the correct end of the income spectrum. They address the core competencies of the "top one percenters" (those who earn over $340,000/year)--and where to go to get that training. This sales podcast is a good way to check your own skills in the entire domain of business--not just selling. This podcast will expand your thinking about your self, your future and the possibilities that exist when you grow your skills.

In this week's episode of the Advanced Selling Pocast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale discuss stalled deals. A lot of sales people find themselves stuck in the middle of a deal, where they have the potential buyer interested in their product or service, but they can't seem to close the deal. Have no fear, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale are here to help you jump start those stalled deals with their innovative techniques and tips. This will help sales people of all levels spend time closing more deals instead of wasting their time and money on a deal that isn't going anywhere. Don't miss it.

In this episode of the Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale address the mental side--inner game--of sales. "How you think determines how you act" is one of our favorite sayings. And Caskey and Neale discuss new possibilities in thought which will immediately change your behavior--and ultimately, your results. Want to be massively successful in sales or business? Then, this is one of the most critical pieces of information you need to learn in order to become great. For you sales managers, forward this on to every one of your people--and use your next sales meeting to discuss your opinions on this piece.

In this week's episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale discuss how to appeal to the economic buyer. In their consulting practice, it never fails that one of the biggest challenges for sales people is "selling to groups." The bottom line is that everyone in the group MUST be on the page. However, the economic buyer (the person in charge of money) is one most likely to have their own style of buying that may or may not match up with yours. Bill and Bryan give you new ways to think about these problems that come up over and over to help the economic buyer get away from the price page, and onto everyone else's page. This is a very crucial part of the selling cycle that can make or break most deals. If you want to call in and have your question answered by Bill and Bryan, call 317.722.6299. Use your first name only.

Ever wondered if the sales training you're getting was actually the best available? Or whether what you were learning was actually making you better? In this week's episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale discuss the mistakes that sales trainers make that mess up sales people and how they sell. Have no fear though--if you find that you are a victim of 'sales training malpractice,' Bill and Bryan have plenty of tips to get you on the right road to better selling. This is an eye opening episode that you don't want to miss. Also, email us at listener@advancedsellingpodcast.com if you want to be considered for our one hour coaching call. We'll then take the best of those private calls and put in a podcast episode.

In this week's episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale discuss the knack of having good, truthful conversations with your prospect. What should you listen for? How can you find the heart of their problems and reasons for buying? Listening should be a big part of any sales strategy consequently, they discuss how much sales people should talk, and how much they should listen. Bill and Bryan act out (they're always acting out) these teachings, so that you can apply them to your selling strategies immediately.

In this week's episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale discuss how to overcome your fears of cold calling and prospecting. In sales, the majority of the business you generate is from calling on new prospects. Even though those first phone calls are some of the most dreaded parts of sales, they CAN be mastered. And like we say, 'make your biggest weakness your biggest asset' and watch success ensure. The mind is telling you something if you have fear. It tells you "you aren't looking at the situation "correctly." Caskey and Neale help you change your thinking around these aspects of sales so the "phobia" evaporates. Don't believe us? Listen and see!

In this week's episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale take a look in the mail bag and pull out some questions from our listeners. Bryan and Bill discuss what to do when the other sales people in your office start to single you out because of your success. This is a really interesting discussion that helps you reflect on your "inner game" and helps you to continue to sell more and become more successful.

In this week's episode of the Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey interviewed John Hirth, a sales development trainer from Chicago (www.johnhirth.com). John gives us his take on how the profession of selling has changed in the last 10 years. His answers may surprise you. And they will definitely enlighten you. If you know how selling has changed, then you'll be better equipped to change, intelligently, with it. Intelligent change will give you the strategy and insight needed to grow your revenue. After the interview, Bill and Bryan Neale talk about what you can do to start changing your approach with your customers, which will keep you running at your peak sales level.

In this week's episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale give you interesting (and innovative) tips you can use to make better use of your time. You have only so many hours in the day/week and year. How you use those hours are at the core of how successful you are. For example, have you ever thought about how many hours/year you could save if you could communicate your message better to your prospects? This is a fast moving--lightning round type of podcast, where Caskey and Neale go through some systemic ways to improve your time management--and the production you get from the hours you spend.

In this week's episode of the Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale discuss various sales scenarios that you might find yourself in, and what to do in them. This episode gives you some fresh ideas for solving old problems. Don't miss it.

This episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast is the second in a series that began last week. In this episode Bill and Bryan discuss your “comfort zone.” We all are very aware of what is inside and outside of our comfort zones. Bill and Bryan want you to step just a little bit outside of that comfort zone; to what they call, “the warning zone”. In the "warning zone" your mind is telling you that you are somewhat uncomfortable in the situation you're in. One of the best ways to step out of your comfort zone is to talk about money right off the bat. Get your price on the table so that during the first meeting you will know if there is any reason to proceed after this call. The lesson here is: stop wasting time trying to sell them something that they can’t afford--or don't want to afford. After that, you can slowly build more confidence doing other things outside of your comfort zone, thereby creating a larger comfort zone, which will enable you to achieve more during a sales call.

In this first of a series, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale discuss a theory called "Time Optimization," which is optimizing the time you spend by doing your "highest use activity". This is not a lesson in time management. Rather, it is a manifesto that calls for a different way to look at the time you spend in sales activities. Most sales people waste their most precious asset--their time. How will you find out what Bill and Bryan have in store for you? By listening, of course. Enjoy.