Learn the growing power of inside sales: what it is, why it matters, and how to do right. Maria and Ben share McKinsey’s best-in-class practices from their research and experience across clients. They provide guidance on four popular topics: 1) creating an omni-channel experience, 2) effectively using customer analytics, 3) embracing technology and automation, and 4) optimizing the lifetime value of your seller with people analytics.

Guest: 

Maria Valdivieso de Uster: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariavaldivieso1/

Ben Vonwiller: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benvonwiller/

Host: 

Krista Bauer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/krista-h-bauer/

Learn how Nielsen, a global media company, is transforming its sales organization in terms of strategy, processes, technology, and culture. Andrew Criezis, SVP, Sales Ops & Enablement, walks us through how Nielsen recently redid its sales strategy to become more specific, focusing on personas. By creating sales specialists, Nielsen was able to access a greater share of each company’s wallet. In addition, Nielsen created inside sales teams to focus on new accounts and rolled out a new incentive plan that works to directly correlate to individual and team contributions. https://sfdc.co/vhwnH

Guest: Andrew Criezis (https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-criezis-072b716/)

Host: KayLeigh Dent (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayleighdent)

Learn how to break the cycle of negative self-talk that could be holding you back from your success. By surrounding yourself with people who give you confidence and using mindfulness to address negative self-talk, you can stop self-doubt from plaguing your mind. Hear how Michael O’Brien’s life-threatening accident helped him understand the key to achieving ultimate self-awareness and acceptance of himself and his choices. https://sfdc.co/D3k46

Guest: Michael O’Brien (https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelobrienpelotoncoaching/)

Host: KayLeigh Dent (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayleighdent)

Related resources: 

• Learn more about Michael O’Brien: https://www.michaelobrienshift.com/

Build trust with customers by letting them participate in the sales conversation through choices. Choices enable sellers to change the conversation with customers from “Am I going to buy from you?” to “What am I going to buy from you?” Giving customers full transparency into your offerings helps them feel less like they are being sold to and more like they are in control of their decisions. https://sfdc.co/2jRGu

Guest:  Bill Wilson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/wdrwilson/?originalSubdomain=ca)

Host: KayLeigh Dent (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayleighdent)

Related resources:

• 3 Shortcuts to Proposal Writing 
• Three Elements Needed to Write a Convincing Proposal

In enterprise sales, it’s hard to avoid proposals. Start treating proposals as an opportunity to close the sale, not just as a formality. By focusing on benefits, using your prospect’s language, and providing choices, you will be able to effectively communicate your value. https://sfdc.co/bSiRiF

Guest:  Bill Wilson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/wdrwilson/?originalSubdomain=ca)

Host: KayLeigh Dent (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayleighdent)

Related resources:

• 3 Shortcuts to Proposal Writing 

• How to Build Trust with Customers

No one becomes a sales champion by accident. The road to a successful sales career starts with physical and mental discipline — creating consistency in your patterns, habits, and behaviors. Anyone can live a “championship life” by identifying where you are going and what you need to do physically and mentally to get there. https://sfdc.co/2Cfim 

Guest: Dana Cavalea (https://www.linkedin.com/in/danacavalea)

Host: KayLeigh Dent (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayleighdent)

Related resources:

• Learn more about Dana Cavalea — danacavalea.com
• Read Dana Cavalea’s new book — Habits of a Champion

Some salespeople hear one thing on calls: their customer’s voice. And most overestimate their ability to be effective listeners. Salespeople who can listen “in color” to multiple sources of information including themselves, the content, the context, and the unsaid words of their customers have a significant advantage in understanding the conversation better. Professional speaker Oscar Trimboli shares why great listening can be a difficult skill to master and tips for improving your own listening skills. https://sforce.co/2WIc2EA

Guest:  Oscar Trimboli (https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscartrimboli/)

Host: Vanessa Haney (https://linkedin.com/in/vmhaney)

Related resources:

• The Five Myths of Listening http://bit.ly/2x0RMyp
• The Deep Listening Podcast http://bit.ly/2ZpxOK4
• Atomic Habits https://amzn.to/2RiHSl7
• You have one boss. The customer. https://sforce.co/2WEq317

How can you cut through the noise and bustle of events and shows and make a lasting impact on leads without being too aggressive? Events can be a unique opportunity to talk to the right people — not just anybody — or they can be a total loss of your time and resources. Well-structured, targeted approaches to events can help you leave with strong leads and can help your attendees leave with more than just swag. Alice Heiman, Co-Founder and CRO at TradeShow Makeover, explains how to get the most ROI at events and ensure you’re making the right impression on leads. https://sforce.co/2I8ODC1

Guest:  Alice Heiman (https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliceheiman/)

Host: Vanessa Haney (https://linkedin.com/in/vmhaney)

Related resources:

• Trade Show ROI Calculator http://bit.ly/2wv4uVU

• Online or Offline, Speak with Influence https://sforce.co/2Wh8okO
• Focus on Outcomes, Not Actions https://sforce.co/2wtee34
• How to Sell When Buyers Are Already Making Up Their Minds https://sforce.co/2ELjX94

Rewarding strong sellers is simple — give them more money, right? Maybe not. The best incentive programs to establish for your sales teams may not necessarily be purely cash-driven. With about twenty million salespeople in the United States, it’s not surprising that there is an entire industry dedicated to rewards and incentives for salespeople. Cash may be the default rewards option for many companies, but it may not be optimal for team building and employee satisfaction. Charlotte Blank, Chief Behavioral Officer of Maritz, explains what actually makes salespeople tick and how to take a scientific approach to your own sales rewards programs. https://sforce.co/2YQaGnS

Guest: Charlotte Blank (https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlotte-blank-52554a2/)

Host: Vanessa Haney (Host: Vanessa Haney (https://linkedin.com/in/vmhaney)

Related resources:

• Subscribe to PeopleScience.com http://bit.ly/2HVXgj4
• Follow PeopleScience.com on Thttp://bit.ly/2VW4w8Fwitter
• How to Keep Your Sales Team on Track, with Shannon McGovern https://sforce.co/2VW6A0p
• Why a Sales Team Full of Winning Players Could Be a Losing Team https://sforce.co/2VWxNzY

It’s time to start reverse engineering value propositions. The fastest way to earn a prospect’s trust, and potentially close the deal, is not by extolling the benefits of your product or services; rather, it’s by demonstrating your knowledge of and concern for your prospects’ challenges. Lisa Dennis, President of Knowledgence Associates, details how important it is to develop value propositions from the outside in, and ways to successfully work with internal teams to create your messaging. https://sforce.co/2E40mR2

Guest:  Lisa Dennis (https://www.linkedin.com/in/knowledgence/)

Host: Vanessa Haney (https://linkedin.com/in/vmhaney)

Related resources:

• Value Propositions That Sell — Turning Your Message into a Magnet That Attracts Buyers (Chapter 1) http://bit.ly/30h9hrU
• The Power of Buyer Relevance http://bit.ly/2LQo21s
• Matching Your Product’s Value with Your Customer’s Values https://sforce.co/2WJRDuO
• Deliver Value from the Start, with Spencer Doyle https://sforce.co/2VnRADk

Introversion, while seemingly counterintuitive, can be a real asset in the world of sales. Known for being great listeners, their ability to read a room, and deal with difficult situations, introverts bring a unique skill set to the sales environment. Christine Volden, Founder, Soulful Selling, shares the differences in and advantages of working with, working for, and selling to those who are on the more introverted end of the spectrum.