Powered by RND
PodcastsNegóciosSales Gravy: Jeb Blount

Sales Gravy: Jeb Blount

Jeb Blount
Sales Gravy: Jeb Blount
Último episódio

Episódios Disponíveis

5 de 355
  • How to Sell Professional Services Without Giving Away Free Advice + What to Look for When Hiring Salespeople (Ask Jeb)
    Here's a question that'll drive you absolutely crazy: How do you sell professional services without giving away everything for free? That's the burning question from Laura and Adam, attorneys who are struggling with the classic professional services dilemma. Their intake team and attorneys want to showcase their expertise by giving away everything for free during sales conversations. Meanwhile, they're also trying to figure out what kind of salesperson they need to hire to sell high-value legal services effectively. If you're nodding your head right now, you're not alone. This is the most common trap I see professional service providers fall into, and it's bleeding them dry while their competitors who keep their mouths shut are crushing them in conversion rates. The Professor Problem: Why Being Smart Is Making You Broke Laura nailed it when she described their current approach as "professorial." They show their talents and knowledge, thinking, "How can they not want to hire us because we're so brilliant?" But here's the brutal, kick-you-in-the-gut truth: The more you teach on sales calls, the lower your closing ratio becomes. Period. No exceptions. The less information you give, the higher your closing ratio goes. This isn't just theory—it's what I've learned from years of training consultants and professional service providers. When practitioners get on sales calls, it's incredibly hard not to show all our cards or teach people during the conversation. But you're not running a free consultation. You're running a sales process. Why Information Is Your Leverage—Not Your Gift Here's what Laura and Adam's team needs to understand: Information is your leverage. Are you going to give your leverage away for free? The key is teaching your intake team how to ask questions and bring the person through a process. You're connecting with prospects, learning about them, getting them talking about their fears, helping them articulate what they want, and then building a quick value bridge to why they should sign with your firm. Then—and only then—do you ask for the commitment. When prospects start fishing for free legal advice, you shut it down fast with this exact response: "That's a really, really good question. And that's exactly why we need to get you booked with an attorney so that you can sit down with a professional who can walk you through that strategy. Let's go ahead and get you signed up." The High-Stakes Hire: What to Look for in Professional Services Salespeople When you're selling high-value services instead of products, you need a special type of salesperson. Here are the three make-or-break qualities that will determine whether your hire is a rockstar or a disaster: They Need to Be Street Smart - Not book-smart—street-smart. They need to think on their feet because you've got different types of people coming to you with different cases. If someone is used to just following a script, they're not the right person for you. High Emotional Intelligence with Outcome Drive - This is the tricky balance. They need high emotional intelligence to quickly connect with people and build relationships. But they also need enough outcome drive to ask for the commitment and not let people off the hook. You're essentially running a one-call close. A person comes in, you take them through the journey, and then you ask them to make a commitment. If they don't commit on that call, your chances of signing them as a client go down exponentially over time. The Goldilocks Zone - If you hire someone too far on the outcome-driven side, they'll be pushy schmucks who pressure people, strongarm prospects, and destroy your reputation. You'll end up with buyers' remorse and angry clients. If you hire someone too relationship-driven with too much empathy, they'll have great conversations and make wonderful friends—but they won't convert anybody into customers.
    --------  
    13:31
  • Your Multi-Channel Prospecting Blueprint: How Top Sales Reps are Using LinkedIn
    If you're only showing up in one place, you're not showing up at all, which is why top sales reps are making multi-channel prospecting a priority and leveraging LinkedIn to get ahead.  "The reality of buying and selling is that everyone has different preferences, and as a salesperson, we need to use as many tools as possible. If you are only making calls or sending emails, you’re missing [prospects] that don’t answer calls or reply to emails," says Daniel Disney, one of the world's leading social selling experts and founder of The Daily Sales. In today's sales landscape, understanding and navigating the "Prospecting Maze" is no longer optional—it's essential. The Prospecting Maze: Why Single-Channel Fails The modern buyer isn’t linear. They don’t follow a step-by-step funnel. Instead, they’re zig-zagging across digital touchpoints: social feeds, emails, websites, calls, review sites, podcasts, webinars, and peer referrals. A prospect might first see your company mentioned in a LinkedIn comment, hear about you from a colleague, get a cold call later that week, and convert after reading third-party reviews.  This is where multi-channel outreach gives you a powerful edge. And in the world of B2B, LinkedIn often becomes your competitive advantage. Why Using LinkedIn in Your Multi-Channel Prospecting Works Among your core outreach tools—phone, email, social—LinkedIn stands out. It doesn’t replace cold calling. It reinforces it. Used strategically, it extends your credibility, warms up cold conversations, and drives responses other channels can’t. Here’s what makes LinkedIn a powerhouse in your multi-channel approach: Professional Credibility: A strong LinkedIn presence builds instant trust. Prospects see who you are, what you’ve done, and how you show up in your industry. Deep Prospect Insights: LinkedIn offers unmatched visibility into a buyer’s job history, interests, content, and network. That context powers personalization that cuts through the noise. Soft-Touch Engagement: You don’t have to push. LinkedIn allows you to comment, share, and message in a way that builds rapport, without asking for time or commitment right away. Message Amplification: Your posts and interactions can reach 2nd- and 3rd-degree connections. That passive visibility compounds your prospecting efforts. The LINK Framework: Your Multi-Channel Prospecting System You don’t need to spend hours scrolling LinkedIn. In fact, you can see results in just 15 focused minutes a day — if you have a plan. That’s where the LINK Framework comes in. It’s a repeatable system for integrating LinkedIn with your outreach strategy and making every touchpoint count. L – Leverage LinkedIn for Insight Your first call sets the tone. Before you pick up the phone, use LinkedIn to gather quick intelligence such as your prospect’s role, recent posts, company news, and shared connections. Example Cold Call Opener: “Hi [Prospect Name], this is [Your Name] with [Your Company]. I'm calling because I saw [Your Company] recently [published an article on X / celebrated a milestone / hired new talent], and it made me think about how other leaders in [their industry] are grappling with [specific problem that your solution solves].” I – Integrate Channels with Purpose Don’t silo your outreach. Each touch should build on the last, referencing LinkedIn in your emails, following up calls with connections, and weaving consistent messaging across every interaction. Example Touch Pattern: Touch 1: Phone call + voicemail Touch 2: Immediately after your call, send a LinkedIn connection request Touch 3: Email referencing LinkedIn or voicemail Touch 4: Comment on their recent post or share a relevant industry article Touch 5: Second phone call Touch 6: LinkedIn message with relevant insight or asset N – Nurture Through Engagement Your prospects see who shows up. Stay in their world by regularly interacting with their content.
    --------  
    41:02
  • Stop Selling from a Script: Why Trust Wins the Close Every Time (Ask Jeb)
    Should you use sales scripts to close more deals? That's the question I get from salespeople who are struggling to hit their numbers and looking for that magic bullet that'll transform their results overnight. They want to know if there's a perfect set of words that'll make prospects say yes every time. Here's my answer: No. Not just no, but hell no. If you're using scripts, you're using a crutch that's actually crippling your ability to build the one thing that closes deals: trust. And worse, you're hiding behind that crutch instead of developing the real skills that separate elite performers from the pack. The Script Crutch: Why We Reach for It I get why scripts feel appealing. When you're new to sales or struggling with consistency, having something to fall back on feels safe. Scripts promise to eliminate the fear of not knowing what to say next. But here's the problem: That safety is an illusion. When you rely on a script, you're outsourcing your brain to someone else's process. You stop listening to what your prospect is actually saying because you're too busy figuring out what line comes next. You lose your ability to respond authentically to their real concerns, fears, and motivations. Scripts turn you into a talking brochure instead of a trusted advisor. And prospects can smell it from a mile away. Think about the last time someone called you reading from a script. You knew within 30 seconds, didn't you? That robotic cadence, the inability to deviate when you asked a question, the way they plowed ahead regardless of your responses. How much did you trust that person? How likely were you to do business with them? What Scripts Actually Do to Your Performance Scripts don't just fail to help you, they actively hurt your results. They Kill Your Authenticity - The moment you start reading lines, you stop being yourself. Your natural charisma disappears behind memorized words. They Prevent Real Listening - When you're focused on delivering your next line perfectly, you're not truly hearing what your prospect is telling you. You miss the real concerns hiding behind their surface objections. They Make You Predictable - Every other salesperson calling your prospect is probably using the same script. When you sound like everyone else, you become a commodity that competes on price, not value. They Create Dependency - The more you rely on scripts, the less you develop your own skills. Instead of learning to think on your feet and handle objections naturally, you become dependent on having the "right" words handed to you. What Elite Performers Do Instead The best salespeople I know don't use scripts. They use frameworks—a structure that preserves authenticity while ensuring they cover all the bases. Here's the framework that works: Connect First Start every conversation by building genuine rapport. Not with scripted small talk, but with authentic curiosity about who they are and what they do. Unpack Their Fears Early Most salespeople wait until the end to handle objections. Elite performers get them on the table immediately. "Tell me about a bad experience you've had with contractors before." "What are you most worried about with this decision?" You can't script these conversations because every prospect's fears are different. Understand Their Motivation Why are they really doing this? What's the trigger event that brought you together? What happens if they don't solve this problem? These insights come from skilled questioning and active listening, not memorized presentations. Explore Their Desired Outcome Get them talking about their aspirations. What does success look like? When prospects paint their own picture of a better future, they're selling themselves. Make Recommendations Like a Consultant When you've truly listened and understood their situation, making recommendations becomes natural. You tie everything back to what they told you: "You mentioned you're worried about quality....
    --------  
    12:18
  • 4 Strategies to Make Prospects Want What You’re Selling
    You know the feeling. You're mid-pitch, and you watch your prospect's eyes glaze over—their mind somewhere else entirely. It's exhausting, demoralizing, and it's killing your close rate. But what if you didn’t have to push so hard? What if you could create the kind of pull where prospects actually leaned in and said, “How do I get started?” In this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, high-performance coach Kristin Andree shared her perspective: "If we put ourselves out there and let people know who we're looking for and be excited about it and excited about helping them, we attract them." The difference between top performers and everyone else isn't talent—it's their prospecting approach. Elite salespeople don't convince prospects to buy. They make prospects want to buy.  The Exhaustion of the Old Way If you feel like you’re always running uphill, you’re not imagining it. Most salespeople are stuck in a reactive mindset—constantly pursuing leads who haven’t shown real interest. This is where the exhaustion creeps in. You follow up relentlessly, only to get ignored. You worry about being too aggressive. Your outreach starts to feel desperate instead of helpful. Prospects can feel that energy shift. When you’re trying to close anyone, instead of helping the right ones, you come across as transactional. You sound like a pitch, not a person. You become just another vendor fighting for attention and pricing leverage. 4 Ways to Make Prospects Come to You Attraction in sales is about relevance and resonance. You stop pushing your solution on people who don’t care and start showing up in a way that makes the right people take notice. That’s the core of value-based selling. It's not about feature dumps, aggressive closes, or chasing "maybe" prospects. It’s about clearly communicating how your solution solves urgent problems, accelerates outcomes, and makes your buyer’s life easier or better. When done right, it flips the dynamic entirely. You move from interrupting to inviting. From being just another sales rep to someone your prospect actually wants to hear from. Here’s how to put that into action: 1. Lead With Curiosity, Not Pitch Decks Before you ever think about pitching, dedicate time to genuinely understanding your prospect's world. Research their industry, their company, and their specific role.  Ask insightful, open-ended questions that uncover their true challenges, not just surface-level issues. Listen for the underlying pain, unspoken frustrations, and desired outcomes. When you truly listen, you gather the knowledge to position yourself not as a salesperson, but as an informed resource. Imagine a software sales rep for a project management tool. Instead of immediately launching into features, they might start by asking, "What are the biggest bottlenecks your team faces in project delivery right now?" As the prospect describes disorganized communication or missed deadlines, the rep then offers to share a related article. This positions the rep as knowledgeable and helpful, building rapport and trust before ever mentioning their product. 2. Use Content as a Sales Magnet You don’t need to be an influencer to build credibility. Every rep can become a curator of insight—and that’s often more valuable than always trying to create original content. Share relevant articles: Find industry news, research, or thought leadership pieces that address your ideal client's pain points and share them on LinkedIn with your own insightful commentary. LinkedIn Posts & Videos: Craft short, valuable posts offering tips, insights, or asking thought-provoking questions related to your niche. Short video tips addressing common challenges can be very impactful. Intelligent Commentary: Engage thoughtfully in industry discussions online. Your informed perspective demonstrates expertise and attracts like-minded professionals. Every time you share something helpful, you reinforce your value.
    --------  
    29:17
  • Why Sales Confidence Disappears (And What Actually Brings It Back) [Ask Jeb]
    Here's a scenario that'll hit close to home: What do you do when you were crushing your numbers just months ago, but now you can't seem to close anything and your confidence is in the gutter? That's exactly what happened to Dhruv, a business development rep from Saint Louis. After figuring out his rhythm in Q1 and hitting strong performance numbers, he found himself in a two-month slump with low attainment and shattered confidence. If you're nodding your head right now, you're not alone. Every sales professional faces these valleys, and how you respond determines whether you bounce back stronger or spiral further down. The Confidence Crisis: When Success Breeds Complacency Dhruv's story reveals a pattern I see constantly in sales organizations. After a strong Q1, he got comfortable. His dials dropped. He thought he had it all figured out. Sound familiar? Here's the brutal truth: Success without discipline is temporary. The moment you stop following the process that got you there, you're setting yourself up for a fall. When things started going sideways in April, Dhruv did what most salespeople do—he panicked. He started questioning everything, looking for new scripts on LinkedIn, using AI to find the "perfect" approach. Everything except the one thing that would actually help: going back to basics. The Fundamentals Never Go Out of Style I told Dhruv about John Smoltz, the Cy Young Award-winning pitcher who spoke at an event I attended. Smoltz explained that when baseball players get into a slump, they start changing everything—looking for magic pills, new techniques, secret solutions. But here's what champions do differently: They go back to the fundamentals. Take Kobe Bryant. Every morning at 4 AM, he'd spend three to four hours working on the same basic skills he learned as a kid. The fundamentals that made him great in the first place. The same principle applies to fanatical prospecting. When you're in a slump, you don't need new techniques—you need to execute the proven process with precision and discipline. Process Goals vs. Outcome Goals: The Confidence Builder When your confidence is shaken, outcome goals become your enemy. Focusing on "I need to close three deals this week" when you're struggling just adds pressure and anxiety. Instead, shift to process goals: How many calls will you make today? Are you using your five-step framework consistently? Are you delivering your ledge statements with conviction? Are you following up with discipline? I shared with Dhruv my own experience from when I was 24 and going through a terrible quarter. I was so down I didn't want to come to work. Here's how I climbed out: I started with 10-minute call blocks. Call for 10 minutes, then read three pages of an inspirational sales book as a reward. Rinse and repeat. Within 30 days, I was performing well. Within 90 days, I was the number one rep in my region. The key wasn't finding a secret technique. It was trusting the process in shorter, manageable increments. The Economic Reality: When Markets Tighten, Double Down Dhruv's slump coincided with companies pulling back on spending. But here's what most reps get wrong: When markets tighten, you need to make more calls, not fewer. The prospects with budget and urgency are still out there, they're just harder to find. That means more activity, not less. More discipline, not shortcuts. This is exactly what I cover in Selling in a Crisis—when economic conditions get tough, the fundamentals become even more critical. Your Confidence Comeback Action Plan If you're in a confidence slump right now, here's your roadmap back: Stop Looking for Magic Solutions Get off LinkedIn. Stop asking AI for the perfect script. The answer isn't out there—it's in the process you already know works. Break It Down When confidence is low, work in shorter blocks. Fifteen-minute call sessions with quick wins and self-recognition for executing the p...
    --------  
    14:17

Mais podcasts de Negócios

Sobre Sales Gravy: Jeb Blount

From the author of Fanatical Prospecting and the company that re-invented sales training, the Sales Gravy Podcast helps you win bigger, sell better, elevate your game, and make more money fast.
Sítio Web de podcast

Ouve Sales Gravy: Jeb Blount, Bitalk e muitos outros podcasts de todo o mundo com a aplicação radio.pt

Obtenha a aplicação gratuita radio.pt

  • Guardar rádios e podcasts favoritos
  • Transmissão via Wi-Fi ou Bluetooth
  • Carplay & Android Audo compatìvel
  • E ainda mais funções
Aplicações
Social
v7.22.0 | © 2007-2025 radio.de GmbH
Generated: 8/7/2025 - 9:17:25 PM