More than ever, our economy relies on the service industries - but selling services is far different to selling tangible products. This book demystifies the selling of intangibles and teaches the required skills to grow any professional service business. Leveraging his 30 years' experience, leading sales expert Clifton Warren offers 26 lessons to help readers navigate the selling of complex and intangible solutions. Each chapter covers an important concept from A (Accountability) to Z (Zigzagging) in a concise and readable format, including a 'to-do' action list that makes the book both a workbook and a study guide. By successfully applying the steps in each chapter, professionals will substantially improve their performance and results, and anyone looking to drill down into specific topics will find additional resources to explore. B2B sales professionals in banking, insurance, finance, and other services, and small business owners such as lawyers, architects, and engineers, as well as professionals transitioning into sales roles, will appreciate the thorough and easy-to-follow guidance this book provides.
Author(s): Clifton Warren
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 174
City: New York
Cover
Half Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Other Works By Clifton Warren
Introduction
Why I Wrote this Book
How this Book Is Written
Chapter 1 A – Accountability: Breaking Through Your Natural Ceiling
What Is Accountability?
Why Is Accountability Important?
How Does Accountability Work?
What Is the Accountability Loop?
Why Is Self-Accountability Difficult?
How Do You Implement an Accountability Process?
Top Performer Perspective
What Does ClearView Do?
How Many People Do You Have?
How Do You Create a Culture of Accountability Across Your Business?
Key Takeaways
Chapter 2 B – Beliefs: Making the First Sale to Yourself
What Is a Belief?
Why Are Beliefs Important?
How Do You Develop a Belief in Your Offering?
What Are Misbeliefs?
How Do You Develop the Right Mindset?
What Is a Sales Philosophy?
Top Performer Perspective
What Does Steadfast Do?
How Large Is Steadfast Today?
Have Your Beliefs and Attitudes Changed With Increased Compliance and Government Regulation?
Key Takeaways
Chapter 3 C – Client Centered: Maximizing Your Vital Few
What Is Client Centered?
What Is the Vital Few Concept?
How Do You Segment Clients?
What Is Client Lifetime Value?
Top Performer Perspective
What Does Victoria Mortgage Group Do?
How Do You Deliver Client-Focused Services?
Key Takeaways
Chapter 4 D – Discipline: Maximizing Your Strengths
What Is Self-Discipline?
Why Is Discipline Important?
What Is the Law of Familiarity?
What Is a Pyramid of Priorities?
What Is the Endless Chain Concept?
How Do I Implement Self-Discipline?
Top Performer Perspective
What Is the History of CBN?
How Large Is CBN?
How Do You Approach Discipline?
From My Time in Field Experience
Key Takeaways
Chapter 5 E – End Results: Knowing What You Want
What Is Begging With the End in Mind?
What Is an Ideal Client?
How Do You Identify Your Ideal Client?
Your Current Client Base
What Are Their Habits?
What Are Their Goals?
How Do They Buy?
Create a Dream List
Identify Needs
Identify Fears
What Is a Whole Client View?
Top Performer Perspective
What Does Procurement Australia Do?
What Is the Size of Your Team?
How Do You Focus On End Results With Your Clients?
My Time in the Field
Key Takeaways
Chapter 6 F – Focus: Finding Your Doughnut
What Is a Personal Doughnut?
What Are Models?
Sales Model
Service Model
Marketing Model
Organization Model
What Is Raising the Bar?
How Do You Implement These Models?
Top Performer Perspective
When Was LMI Founded?
How Did You Get Started?
How Has Your Focus Expanded?
My Time in the Field
Key Takeaways
Chapter 7 G – Goals: Aiming High to Hit High Targets
What Are Goals?
Why Are Goals Important?
How Do I Establish Priorities?
Got-to-do
Ought-to-do
Nice-to-do
How Do You Make Goals Bite Size?
Number of New Clients
Retention
Revenue
Leads
How Do I Translate Goals Into Action?
How Do I Implement This?
Top Performer Perspective
When Did EBM Commence?
How Many Employees?
What Services Does EBM Provide?
How Do You Pursue Your Business Goals?
My Time in the Field
Key Takeaways
Note
Chapter 8 H – Habits: Acquiring the Tools for Success
What Are Habits?
Why Are Habits Important?
What Are Sales Habits?
Finding Ideal Clients
Building Relationships
Identifying Needs
Presenting
Handling Objections
Closing
Obtaining Referrals
What Are Personal Habits?
Habit of Self Organization
Habit of Being Proactive
Habit of Being Client Centric
Habit of Leveraging Relationships
Habit of Affiliation
Habit of Cultivation
Habit of Learning
How Do You Replace Poor Habits?
How Do You Acquire Good Habits?
Top Performer Perspective
What Habits Has Your Organization Adopted?
View From the Field
Key Takeaways
Chapter 9 I – Ideas: A Versatile Clean Four-Letter Word
What Is an Idea?
Why Are Ideas Important?
Where Do You Find Ideas?
Monitoring Conference Topics
Reading Niche Market Journals and Newsletters
Annual Reports
Newspapers
Speaking to Key Industry Players
Following Trends
Podcast and Social Media
How Do You Sell With Ideas?
How Do You Package Your Ideas?
Top Performer Perspective
How Do You Encourage New Ideas in Your Business?
Time in the Field
Key Takeaways
Chapter 10 J – Jargon: Understanding Market Buzzwords
What Is Jargon?
Why Is Jargon Important?
What Advantages Does Jargon Provide?
Where Do You Find Jargon for an Industry?
Go Deep With the Internet
How Do You Use Jargon?
Emails
Example of a Generic Approach
Example of an Effective Approach
Proposal Writing
What Are Some Common Industry Terms?
ARR
B2B
B2C
Benefit
BANT
Buyer Persona
Buying Criteria
Buying Process/cycle
Churn Rate
Closed Opportunities
Closed-won
Closed-lost
Closing Ratio
Cold Calling
Cross-selling
Customer Acquisition Cost
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Decision-maker
Discovery Call
Feature
Forecasting
Gatekeeper
Lead
Lifetime Value
Net Promoter Score
Objection
Opportunity
Pain Point
Pipeline
Positioning Statement
Profit Margin
Prospecting
Qualified Lead
Sales Methodology
Social Selling
Sound Bite
Stage
Top of the Funnel
Up-selling
Value Proposition
Weighted Pipeline
Top Performer Perspective
How Do You Incorporate Industry Buzzwords?
What Are Some Common Buzzwords Or Jargon?
View From the Field
Key Takeaways
Chapter 11 K – Knowledge: Getting Smart About Selling
What Is Sales Knowledge?
What’s the Difference Between Knowledge and Skills Training?
What Is Continual Learning?
Take Charge of Your Own Training and Development
What Knowledge Areas Do I Need?
Audit of Your Skills and Capabilities
Top Performer Perspective
How Do You Stay Informed About Your Business?
View From the Field
Key Takeaways
Chapter 12 L – Listening: Be All Ears
What Is Listening?
What Is Active Listening?
What Is Passive Listening?
What Is Paraphrasing?
What About Note-Taking?
How Do You Handle Ramblers?
Top Performer Perspective
How Do You Practice Listening in Your Business?
View From the Field
Key Takeaways
Chapter 13 M – Marketing: Promoting and Selling Your Offering
What Is Marketing?
Why Is Marketing Important?
Specializing
Differentiating
Knowing Your Ideal Client
Focus
What Are the 5Ps?
Positioning
Packaging
Promotion
Persuasion
Performance
What Is Indirect Versus Direct Marketing?
Direct Marketing
Indirect Marketing
What Is an Ideal Client?
How Do You Package Your Expertise?
What Is a Verbal Message?
Your Label – Job Description
Your Process
Your Expertise
Their Problem
Top Performer Perspective
Who Is the Target Market?
View From the Field
Key Takeaways
Chapter 14 N – Niche: Becoming Someone Special
What Is a Niche Market?
Why Niche Marketing?
How Do You Select a Niche?
How Do You Become the Go-To Person?
Other Ways
Raising Your Profile
Top Performer Perspective
How Did You Discover Your Niche Market?
View From the Field
Key Takeaways
Chapter 15 O – Observational Marketing: Paying Attention to Your Market
What Is Observational Marketing?
What Are the Advantages?
What Are Vation Sources Observation Sources?
LinkedIn
Newspaper
Newsletters
Industry Trade Publications
Business Publications
Clubs and Associations
Trigger Events
How Do You Record Your Observations?
What Is Record, Listen, and Investigate?
Develop a 24-Hour Awareness
Use Observation to Learn New Skills
How Do You Track What You Learn?
Top Performer Perspective
What Are You Observing From Your Clients?
View From the Field
Key Takeaways
Chapter 16 P – Prospecting: Getting Meetings With Prospective Clients
What Is Prospecting?
Why Is Prospecting Important?
Traditional Prospecting
Consultative Prospecting
Client-centered Prospecting
What Are the Different Prospecting Approaches?
Email Prospecting
Telephone Prospecting
What Is Social Media Prospecting?
Top Performer Perspective
How Do You Prospect for New Business?
Is There Anything You Would Like to Improve?
View From the Field
Key Takeaways
Chapter 17 Q – Questions: The Other Side of Listening
What Are Sales Questions?
Why Are Questions Important?
What Are the Best Type of Questions?
Open-ended Questions
Close-ended Questions
Leading Questions
How Do You Prepare Sales Questions?
Top Performer Perspective
What Type of Questions Do You Ask When Working With a Prospect?
View From the Field
Key Takeaways
Chapter 18 R – Referrals: Leveraging Existing Relationships
What Are Referrals?
Why Are Referrals Important?
What Are Referral Relationships?
What Are Client Referrals?
What Are Non-Client Referral Sources?
What Are Niche Market Referrals?
What Are Strategic Alliance Partners?
What Are Personal Network Referrals?
What Is a Referral Mindset?
What Is Referral Seed Planting?
Top Performer Perspective
Where Does Most of Your Business Come From?
View From the Field
Key Takeaways
Chapter 19 S – Service: Your Process for Turning Prospects Into Clients
What Is a Unique Service?
Why Do You Need a Unique Service?
How Do You Design a Unique Service?
How Do You Name Your Unique Process?
How Do You Present Your Service?
The Initial Appointment
How Do You Covert Prospects Into Clients?
What Is Nurturing?
Top Performer Perspective
What’s an Example of Unique Service You Offer?
View From the Field
Key Takeaways
Chapter 20 T – Time Management: Getting Stuff Done
What Is Time Management?
What Are the Time Management Fundamentals?
How Should I Prioritize?
What Is the Morning/afternoon System?
What Is Delegation?
What Is Time Blocking?
Avoid Busyness
What Is Living in Your Calendar?
Top Performer Perspective
How Do You Block Out Time to Get Stuff Done?
View From the Field
Key Takeaways
Chapter 21 U – Upgrading: Staying Sharp
What Is Upgrading Your Sales Skills?
Why Is Upgrading Important?
What Are the Fundamentals?
Knowledge
Skills
Attitudes
How Do You Improve Your Client Knowledge?
Top Performer Perspective
What Is Your Market?
How Do You Deliver Value?
View From the Field
Key Takeaways
Chapter 22 V – Value Selling: How to Avoid Competing On Price
What Is Value?
What Is a Value-Based Mindset?
How Do You Create a Value-Based Approach?
Do Your Research
Don’t Lead With a Sales Pitch
Share Your Value
Teach Don’t Pitch
Be Genuine
How Do You Present Your Value?
How Do You Present Value in Your Proposals?
What Is the Value Link?
Top Performer Perspective
How Do You Convey Your Value to a Client?
View From the Field
Key Takeaways
Chapter 23 W – Win-Win: The Ethical Way to Sell
What Is a Win-Win?
Why Is Win-Win Important?
How Do You Create a Win-Win?
Be Willing to Walk Away
Be Selective With Client Acquisition
Stay in Control
What Are Buyer Zones?
What Are Objections?
Lack of Need
Top Performer Perspective
How Do You Create a Win-Win Relationship?
View From the Field
Key Takeaways
Chapter 24 X – X Factor: Developing Your Personal Power
What’s an X Factor?
What About Optimism?
Why Is an X Factor Important?
What Are the X Factor Elements?
Taking a Long-Term View
Result Thinking
High Energy
Grit
Agility
Self-control
Critical Thinking
How Do You Find Your X Factor?
Top Performer Perspective
What Is Your X Factor the One Thing You Do Better Than Anyone?
View From the Field
Key Takeaways
Chapter 25 Y – You: Packaging Your X Factor
What Is a Personal Brand?
Why Is Branding Important?
How Do You Build a Personal Brand?
What Is Your Story?
What Are You Against?
What Obstacles Have You Faced?
Who Are Your Ideal Clients?
How Do You Put Your Brand to Work?
Top Performer Perspective
View From the Field
Key Takeaways
Chapter 26 Z – ZigZag: How to Recover From Setbacks
What Is Zig-Zag?
Why Is Zig-Zag Important?
Create a Personal Plan
Time Block to Keep Your Focus
Get Accountability to Keep Your Focus
Check Your Environment
Energy
Here Are Some Energy Ideas
Top Performer Perspective
View From the Field
Key Takeaways
Reading Material
Index
