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Busy sales professionals often find it hard to manage their time, and as a result, they tend to fill every moment of their day with tasks that won’t result in meeting their goals. No matter how fast they work, they never get to everything, and hence, won’t be in front of their customers when they are ready to buy. The critical questions to ask and answer are: how do you prioritize activities to get you to your goals and how do you achieve this payoff through better time management?In today’s lunchbreak training, I share the tweaks you need to make to your time management that will bring in results. I reveal the action strategies that will help you manage your time and maximize your echo-powered sales results. I highlight one tweak that delivers more sales consistently. I also share how you can meet your long-term goals by improving relationships within your network. “No matter how you manage your time - ultimately - you need to be in front of customers whenever they are ready.” - Steve Bookbinder This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:The filing system versus a finding system approach to salesAligning your time with your goalsThe one time management change that primes echo sellingWhat ‘you never know meetings’ areThe time management tweak that consistently delivers more sales easierBeing open to meeting the right person at the right timeImproving network relationships to focus on your long-term goals 4 Actions to Take to Build Upon Today’s Session:Make appointments with people in your network, even if there is no obvious immediate payoffLearn how to learn about people and their industryPractice the art of managing your time rather than letting your time manage youContinue to learn how to echo your pitch It’s Time to Get More SalesThanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Salespeople may be masters of persuasion, but when a decision goes back to the customer’s office, we need to influence what happens next to get that sale. Of course, many salespeople believe that the easiest way to echo their sales pitch is by attending the meeting with their contact’s colleagues and presenting the sales pitch themselves. But, there are other ways to get that sale without being present at that meeting.So, how do you get your contact to echo your sales pitch?In today’s lunchbreak training, I explain what echo selling is and how to use it to get more sales, easier. I explain why your customers seek external approval from their co-workers and how to encourage them to echo your sales pitch to get positive confirmation from their colleagues. I share strategies for staying top-of-mind with your customers and how to create an echo ally in their organization. I also share the four steps you should follow to create an echo in your target accounts. “It’s not the salesperson’s words, but the confirming echo between our contact and their co-workers.”- Steve Bookbinder This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:Why your sales contacts seek approval from their co-workersHow echo selling encourages positive confirmation between your contact and their co-workersHow to gain your customer’s attention and stay top of mindStrategies for creating an echo effect when speaking with your customerContacting your contact’s co-workers to prime an echo allyHow echo selling can be used with referral sources, distribution channels, and partnerships 4 Steps to Start Echo Selling:Select the target company.Make sure your LinkedIn profile is properly completed.Follow our social selling playbook.Continue to learn about echo selling It’s Time to Get More SalesThanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is the one skill that the top 20% of sales professionals have that many others seem to lack? Imagination. Your imagination, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills are crucial for meeting and exceeding your sales goals. And while many people believe that your imagination disappears as you age - I believe it behaves more like a muscle that simply needs to be exercised regularly to avoid deterioration.In today’s lunchbreak training, I discuss how your imagination impacts your sales results. I discuss why sales professionals should practice role-playing techniques to find innovative and imaginative solutions to difficult challenges. I also share a few mind-stretching exercises to strengthen your imagination muscle as well as four actionable strategies you can use this week to improve your role-playing and sales results. “Your imagination is like a muscle - it atrophies with disuse, but it gets bigger and better with ongoing use.” - Steve Bookbinder This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:The importance of imagination and role-playing when faced with difficult sales challengesMind-stretching exercises to strengthen your imagination muscleWhat sales professionals can learn from improv actorsDelivering a compelling rationale to your customerHow to make more services cost less to meet your customer’s budgetBrainstorming creative ideas to help your customer gain approval from their boss 4 Steps to Stretch Your Powers of Imagination:Schedule time to conduct mind-stretching exercises.Schedule time to play these mind-stretching exercises again within the next three weeks.Challenge yourself to think of one more exercise.Keep up the learning and development momentum. It’s Time to Get More SalesThanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In most professional sports, there are coaches and cheerleaders. Coaches teach you how to improve your skills and encourage you down the path of success. Cheerleaders, on the other hand, cheer and root for you on the sidelines and congratulate you on your wins. So, what can we, as sales professionals, learn from these professions?If you were the coach and the playing field is the world of sales, would you put yourself in the field - or on the bench?In today’s lunchbreak training, I explain how to be your own sales coach and cheerleader. I explain the roles of a sales coach and cheerleader, what sales coaches are supposed to do, and why no outside sales coach can help you until you develop your own inner coach. I explain the two different types of sales coaches and the various managing styles that sales managers use to motivate their teams to execute sales plans. I also share strategies you can use to help you develop your inner coach and how these techniques will impact your success. “The more you focus on being your own coach with an exciting plan, the more your daily actions will be inspired by a larger plan.” - Steve Bookbinder This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:The importance of being your own sales coach and cheerleaderThe role of your sales managerHow habits and routines can impact your personal developmentThe connection between coaching and cheerleadingThe two types of sales coachesUnderstanding what motivates you and using it to your advantageHonestly assessing your strengths and weaknesses and adapting your plan to leverage your strengthsTracking the small and big wins and celebrating your successes 4 Steps to Develop Your Inner Coach:Commit to an ongoing, weekly schedule of management meetings.Identify your biggest strengths and weaknesses and commit to finding more ways to leverage your strengths.Find a metric you can commit to that you can celebrate at the end of each day.Continue your self-development streak. It’s Time to Get More SalesThanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s crucial for salespeople to be well-equipped with lots of great ideas. But having an idea and getting a great reaction to your idea are two very different things. Not to mention - getting a great idea at the exact moment you need one can be quite a challenge to overcome. So, how do you come up with a great idea the moment you need it?In today’s training episode, I share the 10 work habits that make up the creative process my team and I use to consistently and quickly develop great ideas. I explain how to create momentum to take your idea from concept to completion. I discuss why it’s important to schedule brainstorm sessions on your calendar and how taking breaks can help you recharge your creative energy. I also explain how continuously learning new concepts and skills helps fuel your creativity and why you should always write down your ideas - even if you’re not helpful for the project you’re currently working on. “If you want a great idea to bloom, first gain creative momentum.” - Steve Bookbinder This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:The benefits of scheduling your brainstorming sessions with yourself or your team on your calendarGiving yourself a starting point to develop new ideasUsing working titles for your big ideasPruning your ideas and why it’s important to keep your writing and editing tasks separate in your processHow changing the order of your proposal can impact your customer’s reactionThe benefits of giving yourself (and your brain) a break to recharge your creativityHow constantly learning new things fuels your creativityThe importance of writing down all of your ideas - even if they won’t serve you immediately 4 Steps to Build Your Creative Momentum:Schedule the brainstorming appointment.Save your “spare parts” into one easily found folder.Practice reacting to negative comments with encouragement instead of defensiveness.Keep the momentum going. It’s Time to Get More SalesThanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The invention of the internet has significantly changed the landscape of many industries. Business today has changed and evolved in just about every aspect. Many of the techniques and strategies we used to sell and promote our products and services aren’t as effective today as they once were. Consumers - including B2B customers - now rely heavily on the digital arena to make buying decisions.So, how can you leverage the digital world to make more sales, easier, for your organization?In today’s training episode, I discuss the art and science of selling in the digital world. I discuss how the internet has impacted B2B sales and purchasing decisions and the four ‘I want’ moments that drive all online behavior. I discuss how changing your mindset to think like a digital marketer can improve your ability to close sales. I also explain what digital thinking means, why selling in today’s digital world requires digital thinking, and the seven things that all leading digital marketers consider when trying to reach more customers and make more sales. “To sell to a B2B customer who buys like a consumer, we need to think like digital marketers.” - Steve Bookbinder This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:How salespeople can make more sales by thinking digitallyThe difference between empathy and ROI and how focusing on them can impact your salesIdentifying your mission as a sales representativeRestating your goals as problems to be creatively solved and how it helps you prioritize your goals and improve your time management skillsUnderstanding how your customers make purchasing decisionsReframing your mistakes as opportunities to learn and improveThe difference between optimizing your performance and scaling your resultsWhy the key to optimizing is to test new ideas and techniquesThe concept of scaling through networking 4 Steps to Start Selling in a Digital World:Rewrite and rehearse your elevator pitch with a renewed focus on passion and empathy.Ask every prospect about the details of the last time they made a decision to buy something similar to your product or service.Ask them what they’ve done so far about addressing their challenges - and why they haven’t bought yet.Remain open to learning. It’s Time to Get More SalesThanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do people make decisions? Perhaps more importantly: WHY do they make the decisions they make? Understanding the psychology behind how and why of the decisions your customers make is critical for positioning your proposition as the best solution for their problem.On today’s episode, I explain the psychological factors behind the corporate decision-making process and how to use it to produce more buying decisions. I explain how psychology - the customers and our own - guides us to make purchasing decisions and the connection between the customer’s tolerance to risk and their process for making a decision. I explain how the illusion of time can lead to a delay in the decision-making process and how to overcome this illusion by using the Backward Timetable strategy. I also explain how you can accelerate the relationship you want to develop with customers to drive faster decisions on your propositions. “Lack of reassurance is the #1 reason people don’t make a decision.” - Steve Bookbinder This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:Identifying what does not encourage customers to make purchasing decisionsWhy customers choose to delay the buying processThe psychological factors that impact the corporate decision-making processThe connection between the customer’s risk tolerance and their decision-making processIdentifying whether the customer is risk-averse or risk-tolerant and how you can use this information to make more salesHow to learn what your competitors missed when speaking with your customer and how this can help you learn how much risk the customer is comfortable with before making a decisionComparing right-brain and left-brain thinking decision-makingWhat Emotional Amplification meansHow to accelerate the relationship you want to develop with customersHow public opinion and rational impacts the corporate buyer’s decisionHelping customers rationalize their decisionHow peer consensus impacts the buyer’s decisionHow the illusion of time can often delay the buyer’s decision-making processWhat a Backward Timetable is and how it addresses the psychological decision-delayers 4 Steps to Drive More Purchasing Decisions:Learn the rationale of your best customers.Learn the past buying pattern of every new prospect or customer contact you meet this week.Try the Backward Timetable in a sales meeting - especially if there is fuzziness about timelines, due dates, or the use of loose language.Lead by example. It’s Time to Get More SalesThanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Like all salespeople, you know there are five main parts of the sales process: Prospecting, Qualifying, Presenting, Negotiating, and Closing. Once you’ve learned how to master each of these areas, do you really need to continue learning new skills? What more could you possibly learn to improve your sales skills and make more sales?A lot.On today’s episode, I explain why you need to continually develop new skills in today’s modern sales environment. I discuss the importance of adapting the skills you already know and adopting new skills to be more successful. I explain the three questions your internal sales coach should challenge you with and the direct relationship between the effort you use to learn a new skill and adapting what you already know with your value as a salesperson. I also explain how to accurately measure a customer’s interest, how to identify where they are in the buying process, and why it’s crucial to practice creative thinking skills to find solutions to sales obstacles. “You need ongoing training focused on adapting what you already know and adopting what you need.” - Steve Bookbinder This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:What it takes to adapt the skills you already know and adopt new skillsWhat is an internal coach and how it differs from an external coachHow focusing on avoiding failure - instead of punishing failure - leads to successThe direct connection between the effort you use to learn a new skill, adapting what you already know and your worth as a salespersonThe skills you need to gain a competitive edge, have better meetings, build better relationships, and build and maintain better pipelinesThe importance of being observant while talking to customersHow to accurately measure a customer’s interestPracticing your creative thinking skills to find solutions to obstaclesApplying the principles of game theory to your mental sales calculations 4 Steps to Improve Your Sales Skills Today:Read a book, then change one thing about the way you prepare for a meeting based on that book.Pay attention to one new thing during your next sales meeting.Make appointments in your calendar to brainstorm creative next steps. It’s Time to Get More SalesThanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you make a sales call or call to make an appointment, your sales pitch must sound enthusiastic, natural, and authentic. Your message needs to come from the heart, and you need to mean it. Even over the phone, customers know if you are lying, spinning the truth, or misleading them. You have to sound truthful; otherwise, you will encounter objections, be ill-prepared, and fail to convey your message. In today’s lunchbreak training, I discuss how to script your enthusiasm. I share why you should start with a script - just like an actor - and prepare and rehearse until you perfect delivering your enthusiasm. I discuss why salespeople fail when they don’t develop a script and share a step-by-step guide to crafting the ideal structure. I explain how to optimize your message to make it even more powerful. I also highlight why it is vital to practice delivering your script enthusiastically and share two ways to get feedback and hone your performance further. “Your sales pitch echoes best when it’s a great pitch. And every sales pitch is just a little bit better when it sounds enthusiastic, natural, authentic, and comes from the heart.” - Steve Bookbinder This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:The reason why your sales and appointment calls should start with a scriptInternalizing and perfecting your script to sound authenticThe risks and pitfalls of not using a scriptA step-by-step strategy to create and construct your scriptWhy using the fewest number of words creates the most powerful messageHow to practice enthusiasmWhy you should physicalize your phone message It’s Time to Get More SalesThanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Business owners or owners of a sales territory are responsible for growing sales. To know whether sales numbers are going up or down, you need to track various metrics, including the stage of prospects. However, salespeople are not generally good at tracking things. If they were, then they would be in another career, such as accounting. The problem gets worse because sales trainers will tell you to track a bunch of things when, in fact, what you need to do, is simplify the process. So, what metrics should salespeople track to increase their sales year over year? In today’s lunchbreak training, I share what you should track to increase your sales and reveal where to look in your figures for success and motivation. I share nine crucial things that you should track in your sales pipeline to create a ‘last week versus this week’ report. I also discuss each metric and how they reveal where opportunities exist to boost your sales numbers and ensure this year is more successful than last year. “Don’t track just to beat yourself up.” - Steve Bookbinder This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:Finding successes in your figures to boost motivationLooking at your pipeline and setting goals for almost closed salesCreating a ‘last week versus this week report’Tracking the number of first appointments, live prospects, total value, and average valueTracking your conversion ratio and negotiating efficiencyComparing your average proposal value to your average contract value It’s Time to Get More SalesThanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Entrepreneurs and business owners often have a lot of questions about selling. How do you grow your business or start your sales process all over again when offering a new product or service? As a service-based business, how do you sell yourself and find the right kind of clients to attract to your organization? In the digital age of marketing, how do you increase your sales game to attract local clients and buyers?These are all questions I’m frequently asked from entrepreneurs and business executives. So, today, I want to answer some of your most pressing questions about Echo Selling and selling in general.In today’s lunchbreak training, I answer the questions I get asked most often by taking a look at the fan mail from our growing audience. I share how you can make B2B echo selling work in your local area and highlight where to get started in training your sales team on echo selling through pipeline development and effective word choice. I also discuss the nuances of making your echo louder than your competitors echo and reveal how small companies with a low training budget can put a development plan in motion. “Anytime you make your goal very specific, you’re halfway there to accomplishing it.” - Steve Bookbinder This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:The effectiveness of local b2b echo sellingHow to make echo selling work in a local marketHow to get your team to start echoing their pitch by building their pipelineFinding the right word choice to get your message to echoHow to out-echo your competitorsHow small companies can find help on a small budget It’s Time to Get More SalesThanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’re thinking about starting your own company, you may be hesitant about taking a risk and leaving your job to start a company. Perhaps you’re considering starting a company because you are unemployed or between jobs, or maybe you want to come out of retirement. If you can't make enough money in your career or if you have a boss that is making your life miserable, then you will have further motivation to set out on your own, but the most common reaction you're going to get when discussing the premise of starting your company will center on how scary and risky it is to make this change.So, can you find more security through producing your own paycheck?In today's lunchbreak training, I discuss why your paycheck is more secure when you work for yourself. I share how, as a company with multiple clients, you can mitigate your earnings risks and have more paycheck security than employees. I reveal how you can find happiness and passion by doing only the thing that you do best. I also highlight why you should recalculate the risks of starting your company and take the leap of faith to go for it. “The power of somebody giving you a paycheck is out of your control. You mitigate that risk if you are the one producing the paycheck.” - Steve Bookbinder This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:The risks of getting a paycheck versus starting your own companyReducing the risks of producing your paycheck by having multiple clientsThe links of happiness and success with only doing the things you do bestWorking hard, being passionate, and going for goldQuestioning why you are delaying making that career changeWhy contractors have more job security than employees It’s Time to Get More SalesThanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When you’re just starting your business and trying to get things going, then you are likely in the pre-customer or pre-sale phase. Speaking to other professionals at business meetings is one way to find a new opportunity. You need to be at your very best to make your meetings memorable and to create a positive echo.So, how do you create a speech that makes you sound like the expert when presenting to potential buyers?In today’s lunchbreak training, I share how to improve your meeting and public speaking skills to create a positive echo. I discuss why you should stop practicing your presentations to death and finally take the stage to deliver your speech. I share how speaking at a variety of business meetings, conferences, and events will help you hone your skills and discover what your speech needs to improve. I also highlight the pitfalls to avoid and who to contact to find speaking opportunities.  “It’s not just who knows you, but how they met you.” - Steve Bookbinder This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:The classic public speaking and new social media skills you needThe approach not to follow when creating your pitch, presentation, or speechWhy you should stop practicing your presentation and start delivering itWhy you should start your presentation with a working title and a summaryWho you need to talk to at a trade organization about speaking at an eventWhy you must not talk like a salesperson when presenting your speechThe different types of organizations looking for speakers  Resources Mentioned:ASAE  4 Actions to Take to Make Your Meetings More Memorable:Make a list of every organization you could speak atCreate a title and summary of your presentation before you polish it so you can sell yourself and tweak the content rather than lose time creating something you’ll never useKeep adding to your titles and keep finding more organizationsContinue to learn how to echo your pitch It’s Time to Get More SalesThanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selling most effectively should be the goal of all business owners and salespeople. This process begins with prospecting, so it is essential to start by focusing on your prospecting strategy. If you or your sales team make a mistake here, you may never get the chance to convert those prospects into sales.In today’s lunchbreak training, I share five more ways to sell like a sales department. I reveal the different buyer budgets you can tap into and how to consider which employee level to approach when engaging with a prospect for the first time.  I discuss how the value and number of sales will change your prospecting strategy and what you should and should not do during your sales calls. I also highlight why talking with a prospect over the phone is more effective than sending an email. “Educate. Engage. Convert.” - Steve Bookbinder This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:The two types of budgets salespeople can tap intoConsidering which employee you should callConsidering your prospecting strategy against the number of sales and the average valueWhat not to do when contacting a prospectWhy you need to educate and engage before you can convertBalancing giving value versus asking for moneyWhy calling is better than emailing It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The invention of the internet has significantly changed the landscape of many industries. Business today has changed and evolved in just about every aspect. Many of the techniques and strategies we used to sell and promote our products and services aren’t as effective today as they once were. Consumers - including B2B customers - now rely heavily on the digital arena to make buying decisions.So, how can you leverage the digital world to make more sales, easier, for your organization?In today’s training episode, I discuss the art and science of selling in the digital world. I discuss how the internet has impacted B2B sales and purchasing decisions and the four ‘I want’ moments that drive all online behavior. I discuss how changing your mindset to think like a digital marketer can improve your ability to close sales. I also explain what digital thinking means, why selling in today’s digital world requires digital thinking, and the seven things that all leading digital marketers consider when trying to reach more customers and make more sales. “To sell to a B2B customer who buys like a consumer, we need to think like digital marketers.” - Steve Bookbinder This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:How salespeople can make more sales by thinking digitallyThe difference between empathy and ROI and how focusing on them can impact your salesIdentifying your mission as a sales representativeRestating your goals as problems to be creatively solved and how it helps you prioritize your goals and improve your time management skillsUnderstanding how your customers make purchasing decisionsReframing your mistakes as opportunities to learn and improveThe difference between optimizing your performance and scaling your resultsWhy the key to optimizing is to test new ideas and techniquesThe concept of scaling through networking  4 Steps to Start Selling in a Digital World:Rewrite and rehearse your elevator pitch with a renewed focus on passion and empathy.Ask every prospect about the details of the last time they made a decision to buy something similar to your product or service.Ask them what they’ve done so far about addressing their challenges - and why they haven’t bought yet.Remain open to learning. It’s Time to Get More SalesThanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder is produced by Auxbus. You can create your own great podcast - faster and easier - at Auxbus.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a business owner, you know that sales are the lifeblood of your company. You know that if you have a great idea, your company could become the next ‘household name’ in your industry - if only someone would give you a chance. You may have no customers yet or just have the idea of a business. You may be going to market with products and services or have a tested product that has been sold in other countries and want to expand to new territories. Your goals will be to generate more sales than a solo salesperson could get - and with the right approach - you can grow from a few sales here or there to big sales, lead flow, and deal flow.In today’s lunchbreak training, I explain the keys to selling like a sales department. I share why it is vital to begin with a long-term mindset by thinking ahead but also reflect on your positions and goals for the next year to determine what you should do now to fulfill those goals. I reveal why you need to be okay with a full schedule and set time for prospecting, networking, and strategy testing. I also explain how you should set specific sales goals and how to find a balance between quantitative and qualitative approaches to sales marketing. “Quality versus quantity is the new efficient versus effective.” - Steve Bookbinder This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak: Why you should begin your sales approach with a long-term mindsetPlanning time for prospecting, networking, emailing, and social networkingBeing okay with a busy scheduleFinding the balance between quantity and qualityAB testing your sales emailsSetting a specific sales goal It’s Time to Get More SalesThanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Influencing enough influencers to generate leads and sales is the goal of the best echo sellers. It is vital to begin your echo process with the right potential influencers, and you will need a viable approach to reach these people. The question of how to meet more influencers is one that all salespeople ponder, but there are a few secrets to building relationships and setting up echo selling meetings. In today’s lunchbreak training, I share how to influence the influencers in our echo selling process. I share why face-to-face, voice-to-voice, and in-person meetings are vital. I explain how to set up an echo selling meeting with several different approaches and tactics. I share the value of developing relationships away from a strict seller/buyer position. I also share why you should set up long-term payoff meetings alongside short-term payoff meetings as well as the value of creating a credibility package. “The gold medal of echo selling is viral marketing - where people tell people in their circle who tell people in their circle until millions of people end up knowing about something.”- Steve Bookbinder This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:Why it's critical to echo sell voice-to-voice and, ideally, face-to-faceHow to set up echo meetings and scripts and approaches you can use to get startedChanging the relative position of buyer/seller to two professionals in the same worldSetting up meetings to present your 'full capabilities program'Why it's vital to schedule meetings with-short term and long-term payoffsCreating a credibility package 4 Steps to Influencing the Influencers:Make a list of people you believe are potential influencersCall one of themDon't ask for a ‘next step’ after your coffee meeting but do send a nice thank you noteContinue to learn how to echo your pitch It’s Time to Get More SalesThanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To gain more inbound leads, you need to prospect in the right way. You need to proactively reach out to someone in some way and do it right in terms of quantity, quality, and frequency. However, everything else often becomes a barrier to prospecting, which results in not prospecting enough. Finding time to prospect is even more vital when we appreciate that it is filled with a lot of frustration, failed attempts to engage, and no direct way to monitor if it is working. To tackle time management for prospecting, you need to be open to how to fill your time and balance sales processing so that it doesn’t take time away from prospecting.In today’s lunchbreak training, I share how to use your time management to prioritize prospecting. I highlight the differences between managing and monitoring your time. I share how to assign time to your tasks and how breaking down prospecting into chunks can accelerate your effectiveness. I highlight how to set deadlines and prioritize your calendar. I also share how the most valuable task each day is to create an appointment or speak to a new prospect. “It's not about time management; it's knowing that your time is being used in the right way. Hence, your time has aligned with your goals.” - Steve Bookbinder This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:Why you should set a ‘personal busyness’ recordManaging your time over monitoring itAssigning minutes to tasksBreaking down and separating prospecting into chunksSetting different types of tasks to the timeslots when you do the tasks bestSetting deadlines and fueling your motivation with a full calendarAdopting a strict regimen of prioritizing revenue-generating activitiesWhy your number one task each day should be to create an appointment to speak with someone newAdvancing prospects as your second priority It’s Time to Get More SalesThanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media. And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As sales professionals, it can be difficult to describe complex and sophisticated products to sophisticated buyers, unsophisticated buyers, and buyers that know less than they think they know. You need to appear credible and resist the urge to try and impress the buyer with complicated words and expressions. Using the right language shows competence and shows that you have insights into the client’s problem. However, using the wrong type of language can cost you the sale, so you need to know how to translate your sales pitch at the right level.In today’s lunchbreak training, I share how to translate your sales pitch into plain speak to promote echo selling. I share why it is vital to learn different ways to say your elevator pitch for clients with varying levels of understanding. I explain why you should be ready with level setting questions and how to find a way to make the person comfortable while you explain sophisticated language and solutions. I also reveal the business jargon you should avoid using and why you should use metaphors. “Metaphors and plain-speak are what is going to echo when you are not in the room.” - Steve Bookbinder This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:Why you should always defer to plain speakTaking complicated subjects and talking about them in plain speakUnderstanding where the customer is, relative to youDemonstrating an understanding of the client's challengesHow to manage language deficits on either side of the tableStarting meetings with a level set questionBusiness buzzwords to avoidUsing clear expressions and metaphors 4 Actions to Take this Week to Put Plain Speak into Action:Write down your elevator pitch so you can see it and manipulate the languageRoleplay your pitch to all three groups of customersLearn to sound smart by asking smart questionsContinue to learn how to echo your pitch It’s Time to Get More Sales Thanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Arthur Germain is the Founder and Principal Brandteller of Communication Strategy Group, a company that creates and promotes brand stories for more significant B2B customer impact. He is the Co-Founder of the Long Island Speakers Bureau and has held senior positions at the Marcomm Group and Symbol Technologies. Arthur has a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications Media from the State University of New York, College of Fredonia.Arthur joins me today to share how SMBs should construct brand awareness campaigns. He reveals how the Communication Strategy Group helps businesses with complex products and services develop their brand story. He shares the essential elements companies should focus on when creating awareness for their brand, including describing the problem of their customers and why they do what they do. Arthur also shares how to develop a marketing story when pivoting a business and highlights the best activities for raising brand awareness. “Storytelling is talking about the way that you serve your customers in their language and the value they get.” - Arthur Germain This week on Food For Thought Lunchbreak:Promoting the 'why them' with businesses that have a complex service, product, or story to tellFocusing marketing on what delivers the greatest ROICrafting a sales message that describes the problem of your customerDetermining why you do what you doWhat SMBs need to consider when pivoting their businessThe value of getting feedback on the language you useDetermining the best activities to raise awareness of your brand Resources Mentioned:Start with Why by Simon Sinek Connect with Arthur Germain:Communication Strategy GroupArthur Germain on LinkedIn It’s Time to Get More SalesThanks for tuning into this week’s episode of Food For Thought Lunchbreak with Steve Bookbinder. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and share your favorite episodes on social media.And for more great content, news, and information on sales and marketing, be sure to visit the DM Training website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.