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

Ever had a buyer change at the most inopportune time? Actually, it seems like that’s the only times buyers change—right when you’re in the middle of a sale. But what should you do about that? Most sales training doesn’t really address the seriousness of the issue. But Caskey and Neale do on today’s episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast.

Have you ever felt like you were obligated to quote? It happens usually when you have a client who is “going out to bid” and you’re invited to play. While we don’t like the whole ‘blind bid’ process, we do realize that sometimes you must play the game that way. “To quote or not to quote” that is the question. Bill and Bryan deal with this at length in this podcast. There are a variety of circumstances that dictate your reaction—and they give you some guidelines during this cast

So, how do you handle conflict with a prospect—yet still preserve their dignity? This happens a lot when your buyer has a distinct impression of your value or an opinion of their pain—and you know it’s wrong. If you mess this up, you’ll lose rapport. If you handle it right, you can get past it and move on. Caskey and Neale talk about being right versus being rich.

Ready to take a walk down memory lane-and laugh your (you know what) off? This episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast recounts some of Bill and Bryan's funniest, most embarrassing, stupidest experiences as salespeople. They take you through their own personal TRUE stories that many of you will likely relate to and hopefully can laugh about. Be ready to send them your story after you hear theirs.

Your role as a sales manager/leader should be to ELEVATE YOUR TEAM. Yes, you can show them how to sell, and mentor them in the sales process—but your one overriding objective is to make them self-sufficient. This podcast gives you five things you can do immediately to help you grow and help your team grow as well. If you’re struggling to grow your team, then maybe you’re looking at it all wrong. This podcast will help change your mind—just a little.

This episode reveals the secret behind elite performers and good performers and examines the one core difference Bill and Bryan's process has over all others out there. The good news is - it doesn't matter what process you use: Miller Heiman, SPIN, PSS, Sandler - Bill and Bryan's philosophies shared in this episode can dramatically change your results.

Lead generation continues to come up as one of the most important issues facing sales people today. There just never seems to be enough in the funnel. Today, Bryan Neale and Bill Caskey talk about a new strategy that you can use to help bolster leads—and help you generate marketing content from your intellectual capital. One of the perspectives here is you must stop acting like a sales person—and start acting like a business owner/marketer. Begin thinking of yourself as a “go to resource” for solutions. If you can get there mentally, this podcast will make tons of sense.

Ever had a huge account you were pursuing (or are pursuing)? And you get so wrapped up in the pursuit that you forget the fundamentals of selling? Well, it may not happen to you, but it does happen often. This week's sales training podcast is an interview with Brooke Green, one of our consultants who recently coached one of her clients helping them win a multi-million dollar deal. Brooke talks about what went into the coaching and how it might help listeners who have large accounts they are pursuing.

We have been thinking about what the future sales force will look like lately. Why? Well, there are a ton of trends that are beginning to impact sales forces and sales people – globalization – googlization – commodity pricing – readily available information on the web - etc. So we went out and looked for someone who had studied this from the perspective of: what do customers want from the seller? We found Ben Ball (Senior VIce President, Dechert-Hampe & Co.). So in this interview, you’ll hear what his study told us about what the sales person of the future might look like – act like. Sales managers/leaders: listen carefully.

Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale share a "how to" for proposal writiing and discuss what components every good proposal should (and shouldn't) contain.

In keeping with the fact that 80% of sales success has to do with how you think and your selling strategy, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale take on the issue of “How Do You Need To Think?” in order to be successful.

This is the initial voyage of the Sales Managers episode which we’ll release the first Thursday of the month. If you’re not a sales manager, forward this on to those appropriate for this. The premise for this episode is that most sales teams don’t work - or at least they aren’t optimized. We’ll talk about how to look at, and assess, your sales team so you know where to focus your attention – and how to grow your business. This is for Sales VP’s, Sales Managers, Regional Managers or anyone who manages/oversees a sales team.

Have you ever taken a sales course where you learned how to “close”? Or, maybe you learned the “‘trial close.” Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale address The issue of closing skills in this podcast – yet they don’t address it in the traditional way. In fact, they lay to rest - hopefully forever – the idea that by delivering certain techniques you can “get someone to make a decision.” That’s not the way it works – and to reinforce those worn out sales tactics does you more harm than good. This podcast will rewire your sales mind a little – which will allow you to operate from a different mental position when getting decisions.

Have you ever wondered why the prospect wants to control the sales process? Other than the fact that we’re all “control freaks” to some extent, it’s no wonder the prospect thinks – because he has the money – that he should control the sales process. But the fact is, he shouldn’t. You should control it. And in this week’s episode of the Advanced Selling Podcast, Bryan Neale and Bill Caskey tell you exactly how to do that.

Ever have problems talking to your prospects about money - fees - prices? Did you know it might be something much deeper in your soul? (It seems these guys think everything is 'deeper in your soul'). Well, this one just might be. Bill and Bryan talk about the importance of money in how you earn and how you price your services.

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.