sales training blog - startup sales mentor

Every sales training I have every been a party to attending focused predominately on the right questions to ask and how to build strategies around the answers. Whether it is how to avoid objections, understand objectives, learn processes, they just assume that people will want to talk to you once you get them on the phone. Sales trainer after sales trainer seem to have yet another clever way to get people to open up and share with you without you sharing much with them.

No offense to my colleagues and cohorts in sales education, but what a crock! We preach this stuff, but everyone of us has crafted an amazong entry statement, several two sentence case studies, and several value statements that carry the weight of our reputation on them. When we place a call, or meet someone at an event we share this with them. Example one:

“I help startups in emerging sectors get to revenue generation.”

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“Power speaking”, sounds like some way of charging up the team and getting every one excited. Well, not exactly. What I mean by power speaking is using words that promote confidence. Assertive statements that call actions and demand more than suggest. To start let’s discuss the words and phrasing that will leave your vocabulary today:

1. Might
2. May have
3. Just wanted
4.  Was hoping
5. Maybe

Add to this list any other soft, passive, wishy washy word set that does nothing but put your prospect in the drivers seat. Instead, use word like:

1. Must
2. Will
3. Going to
4. Confirm
5. We are

In sales trainings people have suggested many things to me, but I never recall getting this advice. If you are evangelizing the new, you must be more assertive, If we are, you will see that we are going to be more successful. Please contact me to confirm that I am right.

For more on messaging and related sales training, contact me at salesmentor@karlgoldfield.com

Sales tip for those who like to move fast. If you can not write, have some one ghost write for you(marketing, a buddy, your spouse, anybody!). Otherwise take some lessons or hire a copywriter. There are many who would argue that proper English is dying, and in the modern days of Twitter, SMS and IM we all write in a mini version of real communication. When it comes to consumption of the now, and the social aspect of real time communication, I could not agree more.

WHEN IT COMES TO THE EMAILS YOU SEND YOUR POTENTIAL CLIENTS, YOU SHOULD WRITE HOW YOUR ELEVENTH GRADE HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER TOLD YOU TO WRITE. That is right, I am screaming this at the rafters. Let me calm down.

When it comes to e-mail, and letters, and quick notes, your words in print are the equivalent to how you are dressed in your prospect’s mind’s eye. Would you show up for a meeting in your beach shorts and a tank top? Would you skip the mirror and show up unshaven, shirt buttoned incorrectly (See Jerk on left), and expect to win business?

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