Selling is NOT a Game of Chance!
It’s often said that knowledge is power – what should you know about your prospects that would have better prepared you for the outcome just described. It usually signifies a lack of preparation and
Welcome to the Sales Gravy blog, where salespeople and sales leaders get better every week. We publish new sales training articles and podcast episodes three times a week, covering prospecting, cold calling, objections, negotiation, and leadership, written by Jeb Blount and the Sales Gravy trainer team.
It’s often said that knowledge is power – what should you know about your prospects that would have better prepared you for the outcome just described. It usually signifies a lack of preparation and
Sell to the customer’s value expectations, not to your value propositions. We’ve all heard the rule of listening to what the customer has to say, and there’s not a salesperson who thinks they don’t
So where to start? Don’t have a Blog of your own? You don’t have to reinvent the wheel to get a ride. Find a few reputable blogs you like, written for the industry you
Can’t find the time to read or read more? If you can name any of the contestants on American Idol or who the latest celebrities to get kicked off Dancing with the Stars, I
Clearly and concisely communicate your new vision. Describe how the organization will be doing business differently, i.e. what the new sales structure looks like, and what the new roles and responsibilities for team members
The Eight Worst Words You Can Ask What will it take to earn your business? These are probably the worst eight words a sales professional can ask to win the customer’s business. It’s almost like
Virtually everyone has sat through dull, boring and unimaginative PowerPoint presentations. Although this piece of software is very easy to use many sales people make a variety of mistakes that actually detract from their
Give me a salesperson who’s struggling to fill his or her calendar with client appointments, and I’ll show you a sales rep without a phone script. Unfortunately, many salespeople labor under the false belief
Invariably while cold calling you will run up against a prospect who just doesn’t want to listen to anything you have to say. At this point it is important to learn a few techniques
Customers buy when they feel good about the relationship they’ve established with the sales person – people trumps process. It is our natural tendency to buy based on emotion and then to justify our
As a consultant, I often have access to buyers in a way that most salespeople don’t. More importantly, the people I meet share with me insights they would never share with the sales community.
“Be Prepared” – The Boy Scouts of America motto! It’s been said that salespeople don’t plan to fail, they simple fail to plan! How much time do you currently spend preparing for your client
Can’t stomach cold calling? Steal Jeb Blount’s 13 proven alternatives to picking up the phone that build real pipeline and actually work.
When should you ask questions on a cold call? Questions come after you’ve earned the right, when you’re gathering information and qualifying, and they lead the conversation only when the prospect contacted you first.
To prospect for new clients, stop making random touches and run a consistent five-step system. Work this system every day and you gain control of your pipeline, along with the peace of mind that
Salespeople fail at cold calling for five common reasons. Fix them and the phone starts producing appointments again.
Email response rates are collapsing because decision maker inboxes are stuffed with automated, AI-written slop. This is exactly why the phone is more powerful today than it was ten years ago.
Quick Summary Cold calling anxiety is not a symptom of weakness. It’s human and natural to feel fear when you cold call. You are interrupting a stranger who was not expecting you, and everything
Fear of the phone is quietly draining sales pipelines, and the reps who win are the ones willing to stop hiding behind email and LinkedIn and simply make the call.
Salespeople seek a magic window that makes cold calling easy. When prospects answer happy, say yes without a fight, and book the meeting themselves. So, is there a best time to call?
Short Answer Yes, you can make cold calling fun, and it is worth doing, because the reps who enjoy the phone are the ones who stay on it. Fun is not a personality trait
In this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, discover how Alex Niswander used the Fanatical Prospecting framework to maximize outreach and build meaningful client relationships. Learn about creative touchpoints, High-Intensity Prospecting call blocking (HIPs),
Learn how to sell more at the end of the year by helping small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) reduce their tax bill while making strategic investments in their company on this Money Monday episode
In this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, I highlight a key sales opportunity as we approach the final stretch of the year. There is no doubt that this has been a strange year,
On this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, host Jeb Blount Jr. and guest Neil Cameron discuss the evolving landscape of B2B sales, focusing on how to adapt to millennial buyers, the importance of
On this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, JBJ sits down with Amy Franko, a sales expert specializing in the mid-market, to discuss pipeline velocity, qualifying deals, and the importance of asking the right
Join Jeb Blount Jr. and, special guest, Anthony Iannarino on The Sales Gravy podcast as they dive deep into the world of sales. Discover the secrets to successful outbound strategies, learn how to elevate
“Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to make the world’s first bionic man. Steve Austin will be that man. Better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster.”
Proactively managing the sales pipeline by ensuring every deal has a scheduled next step is critical for preventing stalled opportunities and improving closing rates. The Challenge of Stalled Opportunities Recently, I was working with
In sales, it is easy to become blinded by sales disorientation leaving you to crash and burn your deals. Recently, I finished reading a book written by one of the “Housewives of New York”,
Training Cats Is Like Training Salespeople The same training and reward techniques required to get Fluffy to jump through a hoop can also be utilized to motivate your sales team to achieve peak performance.
Are You Really Confirming Appointments, Or Are You Canceling Them? If you’re not intentional about the way you confirm an appointment, you may wind up giving your prospect an opportunity to back out of
Many people are simply not comfortable walking into a room full of strangers and striking up conversations.
On this special episode of the Sales Gravy podcast you’ll step into the shoes of a Senior Vice President of Sales. Jeb Blount, Jr. (A.K.A. JBJ) interviews Ammon Woods who is the Senior Vice
Is Your Company Resilient? Diverse Thinking Is The Key Failure to listen to others who offer a contrary viewpoint can hamper progress, profitability, and performance. Here’s how to encourage diverse thinking in your organization
What Motivates Salespeople? Salespeople are motivated by momentum, and this momentum catches like wildfire on a team of high performers. Learn how salespeople are driven by progress and seeing results to find out how
Rethinking Round Robin Lead Distribution Start feeding your hunters the hot leads and rewarding them for their effort at building opportunities by giving them more. Don’t Reward Salespeople Who Rely On Luck There are
Why Leaders Should Participate In Training, Too As a leader, the number one way to ensure that your team gains the highest ROI on your training investment, is by getting involved. It communicates that
Ask These Unique Interview Questions To Find Your Next Great Sales Rep There’s no perfect system that can guarantee you’ll hire the right person every time. But there are fundamental guidelines you must follow