I'm taking a break from the sales tips this week to share my story of how I landed in sales. I'm a second generation sales-person. My mother owned a family business - a call center. During a summer break home from college, I worked for my mother and quickly became a top earning sales person. That summer job put me on a path that I'll outline for you in this episode.

I learned quickly that there are a few key tactics that helped me become a successful sales person. That's what I'll share those with you today.

My path into successful sales has been a winding road that's taken me from Ohio to California with several stops in between. I took advantage of several opportunities that opened up and learned to master sales in traditional corporate firms and startup organizations.

I share my story to help clarify how you can transfer yourself into top sales performer. Adjusting my physical appearance while developing an intimate understanding of my product and the company are just two of the strategies I employed to accomplish significant results.

On this Episode, You Will Learn:

• How I started my sales career at 5 years old with a box of crackers.
• The wake-up call I received which introduced me to sales. 
• How I rebuilt my mother's family business and sold it at the age of 29.
• The career path which allowed me to hone my skills in sales.
• An explanation of my life mission - to not become a statistic.

Featured on the Show:

• JackDaly.net
• Have a question or interested in being on BizSprints? Email us at takeaction@bizsprints.com!
• You can also give us a call at 888-512-3422.

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Ninety-eight percent of high-performing people in sales report that their sales pitch is 100% scripted, practiced, and memorized. Organizations can dramatically improve the process of onboarding new salespeople by remembering that practice makes perfect. Take the guesswork out of what it means to make a sale for your business and help your sales team develop the muscle memory needed to make their sales pitch second nature.

In this episode, I break down the steps to creating a high performing sales team on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. These easy to follow ideas will turn your sales team into raving cheerleaders for your company and improve their results in a fraction of the time.

Sales training should be continuous and incremental. There should only be one way to sell your business. That needs to be communicated to your team through consistent sales training and evaluation. I'll give you practical tips to implement effective sales training strategies and critical errors that every sales manager must avoid when onboarding new sales team members.

Implementing an effective strategy for practicing the sales process is a simple way to improve results for your business.

On this Episode, You Will Learn:

• What you can do to create a high-performance sales team.
• How to make sure your sales team is ready each day to ensure the sales process goes smoothly. 
• How to use your commute effectively to practice your sales pitch.
• What new sales employees should do to improve their sales process every day. 
• How to run a mock sales pitch session with realistic personas. 

Featured on the Show:

• Have a question or interested in being on BizSprints? Email us at takeaction@bizsprints.com!
• You can also give us a call at 888-512-3422.

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Hopefully you're as excited for the new year as we are here at BizSprints! We're looking forward to boosting the sales capabilities of all of our clients this year, and hope you listeners will take away some lessons from our content, too.

Today I want to talk about how you and your team can take advantage of all that fresh, new-year energy.  By walking you through our five-step process for new clients, I'll give you several actionable tasks that will set you up for effective quota-setting and goal-reaching.

In the next half hour you'll hear about the differences between quotas, goals, and stretch goals, and how to design each of them. One key takeaway is the idea that your entire team should be a part of the goal-setting process - that way you can ensure they buy into the organization's vision as a whole. I also reiterate why it's critical to measure your sales variables, and give you some ideas for taking action to improve your sales process today. 

We hope you've had an excellent 2016 and are preparing for an even better 2017 - this episode is a great way to get off on the right foot!

On this Episode, You Will Learn:

• Why the first thing we do with clients is have them re-learn their business from a sales perspective.
• The components of your sales quota, and why you should set that before your goals. 
• How making your entire organization part of the sales process makes them more likely to buy in to the organization's goals.
• The simple difference between goals and stretch goals. 
• Why standardizing your sales process is the only way to improve it over time. 

Featured on the Show:

• Mastering the Rockefeller Habits: What You Must Do to Increase the Value of Your Growing Firm by Verne Harnish
• Have a question or interested in being on BizSprints? Email us at takeaction@bizsprints.com!
• You can also give us a call at 888-512-3422.

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I often reiterate that sales isn't an art; it's a science. There are distinct building blocks that make up a great salesperson or sales team, and that's what we focus on bringing to your business here at BizSprints.

One critical (but often glossed-over) aspect of your successful sales team is your VP of Sales or Chief Sales Officer (CSO). Too often, companies stick this title onto the name of their best salesperson without giving thought to the intricacies and potential of the job.

In this episode, I break down the three most important responsibilities of a VP of Sales. This job is far more than just a title - ideally, your CSO should be overseeing and implementing the sales strategy of your entire sales staff. I talk about how great VPs of Sales should function within their department and within the company as a whole, and I touch on the super-important management aspects of the job, too. 

A company that's serious about having a robust sales team shouldn't shirk the importance of finding a stellar VP of Sales, and this episode will tell you what you need to know to do it!

On this Episode, You Will Learn:

• Why so many companies don't understand the importance of a solid CSO, and how to make sure that yours does.
• Why the VP of Sales must measure everything: pipeline productivity, email correspondence, you name it!
• The management aspect of a VP of Sales position and how it influences the whole team.
• How a CSO must strategize, measure, and manage in order to maximize the position's potential. 
• Why a CSO also doubles as your ultimate sales team motivator.
• The importance of shielding your sales team from negativity. 

Featured on the Show:

• Have a question or interested in being on BizSprints? Email us at takeaction@bizsprints.com!
• If you need any help with your pipeline, give us a call at 888-512-3422

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Sales isn't an easy business to be in, as you all are well aware. It takes some serious positivity and persistence to pick yourself up after being rejected by a potential client or missing a sales goal.

I'm devoting some time today to talk about persistence, and why maintaining a positive state of mind is so critical as a salesperson. In my experience, your state of mind and the actions you take are far more important than a situation itself.

In this episode, I talk about how being persistent has shaped my career and company. I cover why you should always treat a potential client as if they're going to work with you, and how to turn a "no" into a positive way to keep moving through the pipeline. I also touch on finding ways to win along the way and staying creative in your sales approach.

If you need a reminder that your success is in your hands, don't miss this pick-me-up episode!

On this Episode, You Will Learn:

• Why it's crucial that you bring positivity to every area of your life, not just your work.
• The keys to being persistent as an individual and as a company or team.
• How my team turns potential "losses" into ways to push clients further down the pipeline.
• Why you have to appreciate the little wins along the way if you want to keep working in sales. 
• Ways to keep the creativity flowing through your sales process.
• How you should react if a client doesn't want to work with you. 

Featured on the Show:

• Have a question or interested in being on BizSprints? Email us at takeaction@bizsprints.com!
• If you need any help with your pipeline, give us a call at 888-512-3422

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Any salesperson can tell you that numbers often form the backbone of your routine, goals, and success. But too often, we focus on the negative side of numbers (missed sales goals, for example) rather than how numbers can tell us how much progress we've made.

To explore how you can build a positive mindset around meeting numbers, I sat down with one of our very own sales gurus here at BizSprints, Ana Contreras. Ana has found a way to turn her numbers into motivation and structure for productivity.

In this interview, Ana and I talk about how meeting her sales quotas gives her both a sense of accomplishment and an accurate snapshot of her daily progress. She also touches on how her numbers help her structure her day so it's most productive, and how they can provide a valuable check-in when she's not meeting them. We also discuss the role of management in working with salespeople that are meeting their numbers and continually improving, not just harping on those that are falling short. 

Join us as Ana and I explore how meeting your numbers can be a recipe for success and fulfillment in sales!

On this Episode, You Will Learn:

• How Ana uses her numbers to understand her daily workflow.
• Why meeting your numbers can offer you protection, especially in long sales cycles. 
• How Ana leverages in-person events to drive her numbers through the first four stages of the pipeline.
• The role Ana's quota has played in her new time-management structure and focus. 
• Why Ana doesn't get discouraged if she misses her sales goal for the day, and how she rebounds.
• Why sales is a science, not an art, and Ana's equation for making sales happen. 

Featured on the Show:

• Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
• If you need any help with your pipeline, give us a call at 888-512-3422

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Many salespeople assume that they know exactly where all of their deals are in their life cycle. However, without having the right tools in your sales tool belt, it’s unlikely that they will know exactly how much money they are about to make.

So what is the one most important measurement tool for how successful you are in your role in as a salesperson and how much revenue you’re going to produce?

On this episode, we’re pulling back the curtain on the ways to provide a high-level overview of your sales processes that will allow you to manage the health of your sales organization and understand where any deal is at any point in its lifecycle – the pipeline. We cover what the pipeline actually is, why it’s so important, and the management’s role in making sure the pipeline is properly executed

Join us to discover why it is an absolute must for commission salespeople to keep their sales pipelines up to date.

On this Episode, You Will Learn:

• What a pipeline is all about.
• The importance of measuring all steps and aspects of your sales cycle.
• The relationship between conversions and the time it takes to send things through the pipeline.
• The management’s role in making sure the pipeline is executed correctly.
• The role client and prospect education plays as a part of the pipeline.
•  Why youmust educate yourself on what business intelligence can do for your book of business.

Featured on the Show:

• Disrupted: My Misadventure in the Start-Up Bubble by Dan Lyons Insight Data Solutions
• If you need any help with your pipeline, give us a call at 888-512-3422

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For so many business owners and entrepreneurs when they are first starting their company (or even if they’ve been in business for 30 years), there will likely come a point in time when they realize they need to pivot their business if it’s going to stay in existence.

This week, we’re talking about making a change, sometimes a fundamental one, in our business to ensure its long-term success. 

On this episode, I share some of my own personal pivots that I’ve been through and give you some tips that will help you execute these changes the right way. Join us to discover what you can do in order to ensure stability as you’re working through the pivot, how to finance it, and most importantly, how to not get lost in the work and emerge more successful more successful after the changes are implemented.

Click "play" below to check it out...

On this Episode, You Will Learn:

• How our company has gone through and expansive overhaul and emerged more successful and profitable.

• The importance of having a concrete plan when making changes in your business.

• How to ensure the stability of the organization during pivot periods.

• The three key rules for empowering your team in times of transition.

• Tips for ensuring continuity and funding in your business.

• The importance of having a “cooling off” period before another pivot.

• Why you should watch out for getting lost in the work.

Featured on the Show:

• SwiftCapital 
• FieldLogix 

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Many sales people have this misconception that the needs of their clients are preconceived based on the solutions which they deliver.

That’s not necessarily the case… The needs of our clients can be presented in a multitude of ways.

The understanding of those specific needs and the expectation of what we do is critical  as a part of our sales process. Not only will it help you produce the best deliverable, it will also help you craft a proposal that no client could refuse.

On this episode of BizSprints, I share the tips and tricks that our sales team and I utilize to help ensure that not only we’re collecting the needs of our clients, but we’re also confirming that they are the real needs of their organization that are going to impact and drive their business forward. Tune in to discover how you can craft a proposal specific to your prospect's needs, build the expectations, and show that you understand EXACTLY what they need to have done.

Get your earbuds in, turn up the volume, and get ready to take some notes… You won’t want to miss this important episode as it is sure to have a massive impact on your ability to move stages on your deals almost immediately!

On this Episode, You Will Learn:

• How to categorize different needs of a project and choose ones to focus on that will yield the best deliverable.
• The immense benefits of this incredible needs analysis solution.
• The importance of confirming the client’s needs before sending out a proposal, and our tips for doing it “the right way”.
• Why you should NOT use email for confirming needs and when you SHOULD use email during this process.
• Game-changing tips that will help you build closer bonds with your prospects and get closer to selling.
• Why you should NEVER send out stock proposals to your prospects.
• The importance of presenting the proposal in person (or via phone).

Featured on the Show:

• Kris Kelly, President of Advantu

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Welcome back to the first episode of the second season of BizSprints Podcast where we share useful tips and tricks to help drive your business forward! We’re really excited about this new season and can’t wait to share the incredible interviews that we have lined up for you to help you grow your business at a pace that you’re not going to believe.

During our break after the first season of the show, we’ve been working with many business owners to help them build out their sales and go-to-market strategies to get their revenues moving north. A lot of newer salespeople have been asking us about what they can do in order to build out their pipelines and networks that will help their companies convert, so that’s where we’re going to start.

Tune in to this week’s episode as we dig into some game-changing tips and strategies that we’ve used here at BizSprints in order to build up our own network and client base. This is the same exact procedure that we teach to our clients to help them achieve incredible results.

From setting up your workweek and prioritizing your meetings to the art of never eating alone and getting the most out of networking events, you’ll learn everything you need to know to build your network and pipelines.  So get your earbuds in and get ready to take some notes because you won’t want to miss these tips!

On this Episode, You Will Learn:

• Tips for setting up your workweek.
• Why you should add every available networking event to your sales calendar.
• How to prioritize and delegate your client and prospect meetings.
• How to prepare for your breakfast and lunch meetings.
• Tips for “guiding” lunch and breakfast meetings and getting the most out of them.
• Why we reserve dinners for larger prospects and very strategic partners.
• The power of networking events and our best tips for getting the most out of them. 
• How selfies can help set you apart from others at those events.
• And much more!

Featured on the Show:

• Jack Daly
• SendOutCards

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Thank you to all my fellow sales people out there who inspired this episode from your questions and comments.  Enjoy!

• Source: Sprout Social
• Title: Social Media Demographics to Inform a Better Segmentation Strategy
• Article URL: http://goo.gl/Gf263R

TOPIC LINKS FOR THIS SHOW INCLUDE:

• Source: Inc. Magazine Online
• Title: Why Apple Cares So Much About Bill Campbell
• Article URL:  http://goo.gl/NoY9nr

• Source: Inc. PC Magazine Online
• Title: The Best Video Conferencing Services of 2015
• Article URL:  http://goo.gl/O7TVUi

TOPIC LINKS FOR THIS SHOW INCLUDE:

• Source: Help Scout
• Title: 10 Stories of Unforgettable Customer Service <Last Story>
• Article URL:  https://goo.gl/JIXUPl

• Source: CBS Channel 6 News 
• Title: Vacuum salesman invited to a birthday party for a child with autism moved the room to tears
• Article URL:  http://goo.gl/m9Rp0e

TOPIC LINKS FOR THIS SHOW INCLUDE:

• Source: Fortune
• Title: Microsoft's Chat Bot Was Fun for Awhile, Until it Turned into a Racist
• Article URL:  http://goo.gl/p42M7B

TOPIC LINKS FOR THIS SHOW INCLUDE:

• Source: Forbes
• Title: 10 Reasons Organizations Fail To Deliver Great Customer Service
• Article URL:  http://goo.gl/qNojJm

OPIC LINKS FOR THIS SHOW INCLUDE:

• Source: New York Times Magazine
• Title: Rethinking the Work-Life Equation 
• Article URL:  http://goo.gl/Y1nlrv

TOPIC LINKS FOR THIS SHOW INCLUDE:

• Source: Openview Labs
• Title: Show me the Money!  A Guide to Creating a Scalable Sales Compensation Plan
• Article URL:  http://goo.gl/wGiWu3 

• Source: Inc. Magazine
• Title: Building a Sales Team? Avoid These 10 Deadly Mistakes
• Article URL:  http://goo.gl/n52ojT

TOPIC LINKS FOR THIS SHOW INCLUDE:

• Source: Entrepreneur Magazine
• Title: 5 Signs Your Startup is Destined to Fail
• Article URL: http://goo.gl/FrX2a7 

• Source: Entrepreneur Magazine
• Title: What It's Like to Transition Form Founder to CEO
• Article URL: http://goo.gl/MDDWUv

TOPIC LINKS FOR THIS SHOW INCLUDE:

• Source: CBS News
• TItle: Marriott Hotels' decision to ditch desks disses business travellers in favor of millennials, critics say
• Article URL: http://goo.gl/cglimT

Source: Inc. Magazine
Title: How the Best Leaders Turn Failures Into Successes
Article URL: http://goo.gl/VrF4qt

• Source: Variety
• Title: Epic Fail: How Blockbuster Could Have Owned Netflix
• Article URL: http://goo.gl/9sS4U5

TOPIC LINKS FOR THIS SHOW INCLUDE:

• Source: AdvertisingAge
• Title: Coke Freestyle Dispenses Insights Along With Soft Drinks
• Article URL: http://goo.gl/YeM2Kj

• Source: The Huffington Post
• Title: Deadpool Marketing, Humor in Social Media and How To Step Up Your Marketing Message
• Article URL: http://goo.gl/B5Mi7r

• Source: CustomerThink.com
• Title: Should Customer Success teams have Veto Power? Use Data to Prove your Case.
• Article URL: http://goo.gl/1zFtE9

Host Michael McMillan walks your through some simple items to think through and look to implement this week to help improve your business.

Topic Links for this show include:

Source: Canadian Professional Sales Association (CPSA)
Title: 5 Characteristics of Successful Salespeople
Website: http://goo.gl/TdsKUC 

Source: Redit.com <<5481 up votes at time of podcast>>
Title: Girl Scouts is basically a brand-name cookie company that gets away with child labor.
Author: ShowerThoughts
Redit Page: https://goo.gl/mIM2So

Source: Nadig Newspapers 
Title: (Home Screen) Nandig Newspaper looking for Kids 8-15 to deliver papers
Page on Site: http://goo.gl/6EXMIk