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The Babble That Can Be Said is Not the Tao of Sales Babble #470 Does this Tao of Sales Babble seem too preachy? Gushing and dogmatic about listening and patience and being a good friend to perfect strangers? If you’re a bit skeptical about all this wu wei, good for you. You should be! What we’re talking about here is not prescriptive. There isn’t a script that says if this happens go right and if that happens go left. There’s more nuance than words can say. The Tao of Sales Babble is more than that, and that’s the topic for today. How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is deeply understanding what buyers need, discerning if you can help,  showing what you have and helping them to make a decision that is both good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com This is a production of Habanero Media https://habaneromedia.net  

Looking For Deals In All The Wrong Places #469 Are you looking for love in all the wrong places? Looking for deals in too many faces? As markets come and go, it’s easy to get an achy breaky heart. But sometimes, through no fault of our own, what used to work, stops working. If there’s one thing the Tao Te Ching has repeatedly told us is that nothing lasts and the world is in constant change. So , if we  continue to do, what we’ve always done, and expect to get  different results, that's insanity according  Einstein. Which is why it would be wise for us to take the  sweet Urban Cowboy lyrics of Johnny Lee to heart and mix things up. Sure you may get a bluebird every now and then but maybe it would make more sense to sniff out opportunities in new markets like a bird dog flushes out pheasants. Looking for deals, that’s the topic for today.   How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you

The Peril of Over Confidence When Selling #468 Have you ever let your ego get ahead of your success? Like that day you boasted you can eat anything. You agreed to accept the "habanero pepper challenge" but quickly found they were too hot to handle, burning your mouth and throat and then spent the next hour drinking buckets of water to soothe the pain? We've all been there right? Oh you've never done that? Well I have and I’ve let this kind of overconfidence selling screw up business too.  How do you avoid arrogance when selling? That's the topic for today.   How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you can help,  showing what you have and helping them to make a decision that is good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com I’ve interviewed 100s of sales experts and discuss all things sales: prospecting, qualifying, value propositions, presentations, demos, closing, g

The Way of AI and ChatGPT in Sales #467 Today instead of noodling on what the old master Lao Tze says about the Tao of Sales Babble we’re going to babble about a huge breakthrough this winter,   Artificial Intelligence or AI. Why? Let me make a bold statement: Not since crypto has there been a disruptive innovation at this level. In this episode we zero in on how to use AI and ChatGPT in sales. Your Obedient ChatGPT AI Virtual Assistant It’s been all over the news and you may have heard all about this AI stuff. Yet I’m surprised that I keep meeting people who haven’t a clue about this breakthrough. This winter I’ve been playing with these systems so I thought I would share a bit about what I’ve learned and how I’ve been applying it to sales. ChatGPT is an AI chatbot system, similar to those little boxes on the far right bottom on websites that ask you questions but never gives you good answers. OpenAI the company that made ChatGPT released it to show off and test what a very large, powerful AI system can acco

How to Dispel Anger with Difficult Prospects #466 Have you ever wanted to throttle a prospect despite the fact you know it would kill the deal? And then luckily you found some composure and  decided to hide from them rather than to become one of them?  That’s not a solution. The entire science of selling is based around finding an agreement on an exchange of value. Pissing off your prospects is the surest path to pissing away your career! So what’s a seller to do when dealing with a difficult client? That’s the topic for today.   How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you can help,  showing what you have and helping them to make a decision that is good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com I’ve interviewed 100s of sales experts and discuss all things sales: prospecting, qualifying, value propositions, presentations, demos, closing, generating referrals, earning

Why Action Speaks Louder than Words #465 There's a lot of sales babble out there that it takes a big personality and fast talking to be good at sales. There’s also a lot of people who think sales is a yucky business and avoid dealing with sales people as best they can. I get why people feel that way. Consider all the  myths in movies like the Wolf On Wall Street.. But in real life, it’s just not true. Buyers like to buy but they hate to be sold. These days, great sellers show what they have and their actions speak louder than words. That’s the topic for today.   Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you can help,  showing what you have and helping them to make a decision that is good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com I’ve interviewed 100s of sales experts and discuss all things sales: prospecting, qualifying, value propositions, presentations, demos, closing, generating referrals, earning references, ups

Supple Selling for Sales Success  #464 Today we investigate flexible selling. For example, we don’t let little kids drink out of glass. Why? Because if they drop it, it will shatter in a million pieces. But what happens when a child drops a plastic sippy cup?  It bounces!  They're soft and supple and last forever. In fact your child will outgrow it before it wears out.   But what’s this got to do with sales? What can a flexible supple accident forgiving  sippy cup teach us? That’s the topic for today. Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you can help,  showing what you have and helping them to make a decision that is good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com I’ve interviewed 100s of sales experts and discuss all things sales: prospecting, qualifying, value propositions, presentations, demos, closing, generating referrals, earning references, upselling, marketing, lead generation, copywriting, and most impo

How To Do First Things First When Selling #463 Have you ever been in a situation where a small mistake in the beginning messed up a deal at the end? This happens when you get impatient and try  to skip steps and push a little too hard. I just learned this the other day that impatience  is really entitlement. It’s thinking “how dare that prospect not sign on the dotted line “.  So it begs the question, what makes you so important? Who are you to make decisions for your prospects? Isn’t it their money they’re spending? Isn’t their problem they want to solve? Look I get it.  I know these mistakes because  I’ve made them myself and sadly it never goes well. What’s difficult is not overdoing it and finding that balance. That’s the topic for today Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you can help,  showing what you have and helping them to make a decision that is good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com I’ve in

Master Selling is NOT a Numbers Game #462 Have you heard the idea that the more no’s you get the more yeses you will hear? This notion is based on the idea that sales is a numbers game. It teaches that the path to success is getting comfortable with constant rejection and hitting on everybody you meet hoping you’ll bump into a qualified lead. So it begs the question. When it comes to sales, is this the best strategy for lead generation a numbers game? Maybe sometimes? Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you can help,  showing what you have and helping them to make a decision that is good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com I’ve interviewed 100s of sales experts and discuss all things sales: prospecting, qualifying, value propositions, presentations, demos, closing, generating referrals, earning references, upselling, marketing, lead generation, copywriting, and most important the right selling mindset. S

How to Take the Good with the Bad When Selling #461 Have you ever tried to bend a deal to your will only to have it break? This is something humans do all the time, thinking that we can will nature to do our bidding. This is not the case. Savvy sellers know that winter follows fall, fall follows summer and summer follows spring. Like farmers, they understand their sale cycles like phases of the moon. How do we adopt this point of view as sellers? 9That’s the topic for today. How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you can help,  showing what you have and helping them to make a decision that is good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com I’ve interviewed 100s of sales experts and discuss all things sales: prospecting, qualifying, value propositions, presentations, demos, closing, generating referrals, earning references, upselling, marketing, lead generation, copyw

Selling With No Assumptions #460 Have you ever tried to sell a prospect something they really don’t want? Did you do it because it’s the only thing you have that’s remotely close to what the buyer needs?  This is a terrible position to be in, right?  Lao Tzu teaches that the Master has no mind of their own, only the mind of the people. We do this by not assuming and adopting a helpful attitude. How do we sell with no assumptions? That’s the topic for today. Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you can help,  showing what you have and helping them to make a decision that is good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com I’ve interviewed 100s of sales experts and discuss all things sales: prospecting, qualifying, value propositions, presentations, demos, closing, generating referrals, earning references, upselling, marketing, lead generation, copywriting, and most important the right selling mindset. Stop fearing

How to Unstuck Stuck Deals #459 Ever have a deal that won't move forward and you’re not sure what to do? You don’t want to call it a lost deal. It's not exactly dead but it’s frustrating, right? You're working with an advocate in the organization and they're onboard.  But that's not true for everyone in the organization. You don’t have to be Lao Tzu to know that failing to adapt has profound consequences. So what’s a seller to do to unstuck stuck deals? That’s the topic for today. How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you can help,  showing what you have and helping them to make a decision that is good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com I’ve interviewed 100s of sales experts and discuss all things sales: prospecting, qualifying, value propositions, presentations, demos, closing, generating referrals, earning references, upselling, marketing, lead generation,

2023 Sales Planning and Goals Show #458 Welcome to the Sales Babble annual Sales Planning and Goals Show. I'm a strong proponent for yearly goal setting. Some laugh at New Year's resolutions.  They think they are silly or something that you should do at other times of the year and I agree it's an ongoing process. But January 1st is a good chance to take a moment, give pause and to  reflect on what really matters to you. Life is brief and it's important to not squander a day. To live the next year with intent and being mindful of your aspirations is noble cause. 2023 sales planning is our topic for today. How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you can help,  showing what you have and helping them to make a decision that is good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com I’ve interviewed 100s of sales experts and discuss all things sales: prospecting, qualifying, value

Top 10 Sales and Marketing Tips for 2023 with Neil Kristianson In this episode returning guest Neil Kristianson joins for our 8th or 9th (we're not sure)  babbling conversation on the top 10 sales and marketing tips for the upcoming new year. Pat Talked About These Sales and Marketing Tips - branding IS differentiation - the most persuasive sellers are the buyers - AI is a car wreck, I can't look away   EXAMPLES: https://beta.character.ai/ https://chat.openai.com/ https://studio.momento.fm/ - Leadership demands followership - the secret sauce is community Neil Talked About These Sales and Marketing Tips The mountains of information that assault us everyday - fractionalization of attention The power of a killer offer - simple, save time The death of Digital marketing - everything old is new again The power of a goal Most small biz don’t value their worth How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is understand

Why Value is Key for All Decisions #456 The market doesn’t take sides It prefers neither you nor your competition. The buyer doesn’t takes sides They regard all vendors as a commodities The space between the market and sellers Is an open doorway Empty, yet Sellers can enter Opening and closing it produces opportunities. Assuming hastens failure Check your ego Awake to the value you provide   Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you can help,  showing what you have and helping them to make a decision that is good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com I’ve interviewed 100s of sales experts and discuss all things sales: prospecting, qualifying, value propositions, presentations, demos, closing, generating referrals, earning references, upselling, marketing, lead generation, copywriting, and most important the right selling mindset. Stop fearing sales and embrace it. This is a production of Habanero Media https

How to Overcome The Gatekeeper #455 When B2B selling you’re often calling on large organizations that, make it hard to connect with an executive, or figure out who’s the right person to talk to. Sometimes these companies have administrative assistants tasked as gatekeepers who do everything in their power to stop sales people from talking to their boss. What’s a seller to do? Taoism teaches that the harder one tries, the more resistance one creates for oneself, and the harder things become. This is quite a conundrum so what can we do to soften the hardest of gatekeepers? That’s the topic for today. How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you can help,  showing what you have and helping them to make a decision that is good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com I’ve interviewed 100s of sales experts and discuss all things sales: prospecting, qualifying, value propo

How a Great Presentation is Like a Fine Meal #454 The Tao Te Ching says that in order to be light on your feet you need a steady mind. That’s what it takes to entertain guests during this holiday season. Right? A lot can go wrong, but it can be dealt with when you expect problems.  The same is true during a sales call.  Adept sellers are proficient at  juggling a number of balls at once. Each presentation is a full course meal. You don’t want to serve up too much of any one dish during the meal. It takes balance and patience. That’s the topic for today, how a great presentation is like a fine meal. How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you can help,  showing what you have and helping them to make a decision that is good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com I’ve interviewed 100s of sales experts and discuss all things sales: prospecting, qualifying, value propo

Lessons To Be Learned From Lost Deals #453 Every conversation, every relationship, every prospect, client and customer is your tutor. Everyone has something to teach you: how to be a better sales professional or at the very least what not to do. In chapter 48 the Tao Te Ching it says "In pursuit of knowledge, every day something is added. In the practice of the Tao, every day something is dropped.” This applies to selling too. Life and selling is in continual change. Be awake to it.    How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you can help,  showing what you have and helping them to make a decision that is good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com I’ve interviewed 100s of sales experts and discuss all things sales: prospecting, qualifying, value propositions, presentations, demos, closing, generating referrals, earning references, upselling, marketing, lead gene

Why No Two Buyers Are Alike #452 Ever get in a situation where you think you have a handle on selling and then you meet a prospect who’s 180 degrees out of sync with that strategy? Confusing right?  In today’s episode we delve into the reality that no two  buyers are alike. Lao Tze wrote often about actionless-action of wu wei or what we commonly call being in the zone. In this state, there is no past and no future, there is only the present. In the present we accept buyers for who they are, making no assumptions and allowing them to buy, the way they want to buy. That’s the topic for today. How to Connect with Pat Helmers at Sales Babble Sales Babble shares selling secrets for non-sellers.  Masterful selling is understanding what buyers want, discerning if you can help,  showing what you have and helping them to make a decision that is good for their business and yours. See https://salesbabble.com You can be yourself when selling. It’s all about helping others with their challenges and aspirations. I’ve inte

How To Get Lucky in Sales #451 How's your luck been lately? Have the winds of fate been in your favor?  Or is it the case that the only luck you have is bad luck? Well our Western culture poo poohs the notion of luck because luck has an element of randomness to it and Westerners don't like that. They love to be in control. The self-improvement industry beats the drum that hardwork is the sure path to success. If you haven't reached it by doing X amount of work, it advises that you need to 10X it. You need to go all in. In a way the Tao agrees. Lao Tzu speaks of the power of water and although it's soft but over time it can cut through the hardest of rock. That's what happened to the Grand Canyon. But the Tao also speaks of the cyclic nature of life, the ongoing passing of the seasons. You won't find success in the snow shoveling business in July. It's not bad luck, it's just not your time. There is something to this paradox of hard work vs opportunity. Let's examine it. Luck, that's the topic for today.   How