In the Arena Podcast with Anthony Iannarino | Sales | Marketing |Business Coaching | Sales Management | Teamwork | Success |Revenue |Profits

The data we refer to as “sales intelligence” is one of the most frustrating necessities for sales teams. It’s information you have to have in order to do your job effectively, but it can be a Catch 22. You can only be as effective as the data you have, and the data is changing all the time and often difficult to find. Steve Bryerton and the team at DiscoverOrg are changing the way that sales data and intelligence is gathered, and have a team of 300 people who are curating data for salespeople by hand, every day. You’ve got to hear what has motivated this unprecedented step and how the DiscoverOrg team is able to offer a 95% accuracy guarantee. It’s on this episode of In The Arena. What’s the most important piece of sales intelligence that sales reps are in need of? Believe it or not, it’s an accurate phone number. It’s amazing how many incredible startups or progressive companies that are poised to change the world, force interested customers, clients, and partners to connect with them through a web form. Period. No phone number is even available on their website. Both Anthony and his guest, Steve Bryerton believe the day will come when these world-changing companies will rethink that decision and begin to provide a phone number to make a connection with their company more easily accessible. But until then, what do sales reps do? There are only two choices… you do the legwork of finding the contact data yourself, or you make use of those who make the task their business, literally. Listen to find out how you can make use of a professional team of sales intelligence detectives. Sales Intelligence is a moving target. But you’ve still got to hit it Every salesperson has experienced the scenario: You spend time on social media, scouring the internet, and researching company websites to find the exact right email or phone number for the person you want to speak to. But you can’t find it. Why? People move from one position to another within companies, they are hired away by competitors, their IT department changes the format of email addresses but hasn’t had time to update the website to reflect the changes. Lots of reasons. Spending time trying to find contact info is not the best use of your time, but what else can you do? Steve Bryerton and the DiscoverOrg team have an option for you… let their team do that legwork for you. On this episode, you’ll hear how you can get a free trial of their service and experience the relief and power of instant, accurate sales intelligence, every time. What kind of accuracy does your sales intelligence contain? Suppose you’ve spent hours gathering data to contact the right person within the company you’re about to pitch. You make the call. You send the email. And it’s the wrong number or extension. The email is returned as inaccurate. Going back to square one has never been so painful. Is there a better way? Steve Bryerton says there is. In fact, the team at DiscoverOrg are focused on finding solutions that problem every day. In this conversation, you can hear how Steve and his team are providing 95% accurate data to sales leaders all around the world. Accurate, actionable, comprehensive data on your target buyers is available Anthony’s guest on this episode of In The Arena, Steve Bryerton is a Sales Leader at DiscoverOrg, a company that provides datasets that contain the most accurate and robust sales and marketing intelligence available in the market. The company uses a proprietary combination of technology, tools, and integrations and then human-verifies the data at least every 60 days. That enables them to guarantee a level of accuracy no other data provider can deliver. Toward the end of this episode, Steve explains how you can get a trial of the DiscoverOrg service to discover just how accurate their data is, so don’t miss his amazing offer. Outline of this great episode

Every seller wants to have meaningful sales connections with their buyers, but it's clear from the way sales is traditionally done that very few sellers really know how to pull it off. Deb Calvert has written a new book, “Stop Selling and Start Leading” that reveals many points of powerfully insightful data, taken from a study focused on the 30 primary characteristics of leadership. Her application of those characteristics to the sales process is not only ingenious, it also reveals what sellers are doing wrong, what buyers really want from those who are on the other side of the sales relationship, and how powerful selling can happen once sellers stop selling in begin leading. You don't want to miss this conversation. Buyers don’t believe the message until they first believe the messenger Sales connections are about more than simply setting appointments and running through a sales presentation. It's about building trust, a phrase we are hearing more and more these days. But do you really know what it means to build trust? More importantly, do you know how to build it? Deb Calvert says that buyers don't believe anything you have to say to them about your product or service until they first believe in you. They have to see, demonstrated in your behavior, that you are person who can be trusted. What kinds of behavior is Deb talking about? Listen to this episode of In The Arena to find out - and learn how to change the way you sell in order to build greater trust with your buyers. 33% of buyers say the salespeople they deal with don’t come across as credible Much of the research that Deb and her team did in preparation for her book focused on the experiences buyers had with those who sold to them. In many cases, these were relationships that were already established between buyer and seller - yet 33% of buyers said that the sales people they deal with regularly don't come across as credible or trustworthy. What does that say about the way sales professionals are going about their work? More importantly, what does it say about the ways we can improve what we do to cause trust to be built from the outset? Deb's insights into this issue of credibility and trust are incredibly helpful for salespeople who are willing to do the work it takes to apply what she has learned. The good news is this, none of it is hard. It just has to be done. Sales connections happen through two-way dialogue, not an old-fashioned sales presentation One of the things that buyers dread the most is the sales presentation. That's because it often goes into data points and information that isn't relevant to their situation. It's kind of like sitting through a timeshare presentation in order to get the free gift, only the buyer doesn't always walk away with the free gift. Deb's research revealed that sales connections that matter happen through two-way dialogue, not a sales presentation. Buyers want to know that they are understood and that those selling to them truly have their best interests in mind. If you will apply the simple things Deb shares in her book, “Stop Selling and Start Leading,” your sales will dramatically improve. Meaningful connections between buyers and sellers still matter With all the advancements in A.I. and machine learning, there is a lot of hype about whether or not salespeople will really be needed in the future. Both Deb and Anthony believe that the human component of sales will always be in high demand because meaningful sales connections are what build the kind of trust that buyers need to feel. It still matters that there is a person on the other end of a transaction. It still matters that someone with empathy and understanding can approach a buyer's needs with insight and right applications. As you listen to this conversation you'll come to realize the truth: meaningful connections in sales still matter and always will.

There’s only one difference between the hustlers in prisons across the world and you and me… they got caught breaking the law. That probably sounds like an overly dramatic statement to most readers of this blog, but the truth is that it’s the truth. Anthony’s guest on this episode is Cat Hoke, an amazing woman who’s working to see that the hustlers in prison who really want a second chance at life actually get their first chance ever, by rehabilitating and training them to use their natural propensity to hustle in legal ways - like entrepreneurship and business. This is an amazing conversation you’ll be glad you listened to, so be sure you do listen. Cat Hoke works with EITs, Entrepreneurs in Training who are coming out of incarceration Most of the people in prisons don’t live with any real sense of hope. When you are serving a life sentence, what is there to hope for? That mindset becomes a chain of defeat that hangs over them and the environment in which they live reminds them how hopeless their situation is every day of their lives. So when Cat Hoke and her team walk into a prison and begin spouting off things about hope and change, it’s a hard sell. But she’s one of the most convincing salespeople you’ll ever meet. Currently, her program, Defy Ventures is serving over 5000 EITs - entrepreneurs in training - and is teaching them not only what it means to hope, but what it means to be free from the chains of prison and emotional bondage. You’ve got to hear Cat’s story, on this episode of In The Arena. Turning hustlers into Entrepreneurs with only a 3.2% recidivism rate One of the main problems with the penal system in most countries is that they are not really about rehabilitation, they are only about punishment. The people inside know that and the culture and environment within the walls of the prison show it to be true. But the Defy Ventures team has made a significant difference in many prisons in the United States already. With only a 3.2% recidivism rate (release offenders going back to prison) they are undoubtedly having an impact. You can hear how the Defy team makes such a difference in the lives of people most of society considers beyond redemption, on this episode. Cat’s father taught what not to be and empowered her in the process Part of what Cat has come to realize is that the circumstances of her birth are really the only things that kept her off a path that leads to prison. As she’s met more and more of the people who are incarcerated she’s realized that many of them were born into circumstances where it was next to impossible to avoid eventual incarceration. Her father, for example, set her up for success through the things he taught and the intentional care he showed. He wouldn’t allow her to whine or complain and he challenged her with a form of “shark tank” around the dinner table, giving her entrepreneurial or business challenges to figure out. The realization of how much advantage she had compared to many others is what has driven her to a place of compassion rather than criticism. Learn what Cat is doing to help inmates break free of the chains that bind them, on this episode. Cat helps hustlers face the pain so the past doesn’t repeat itself Even when many hustlers who wind up in prison get out, they are still in chains. The things that drove them into prison in the first place - hurt, anger, neglect, abandonment - are still with them. The Defy Ventures program is not only about teaching job skills and business savvy, it’s about taking those individuals who have been incarcerated to a place where healing can begin. It’s a tough road that even the toughest people don’t easily walk, but when the journey is complete it’s a liberating thing - in more ways than one. Join Anthony and Cat as they discuss the impact Defy Ventures is having, on this episode of In The Arena.

Outbound sales and prospecting are the sales approaches that most people shudder to think of. Dialing the phone, cold calling, getting past the gatekeepers - it's enough to discourage anyone if you don't approach it in the right way. This conversation with Chris Beall of Connect and Sell is powerful simply because it reveals some of the basics of why we go about sales that way in the first place. The numbers don't lie, and Chris is definitely one to know the numbers. But more than knowing them, he's effective at interpreting what they reveal about needed sales process improvements. If you want to learn how to do outbound sales and prospecting better than you ever have before, Chris is the guy to listen to. Get a feel for the kinds of things he has to share, on this episode. In outbound sales, we should be paying attention to the metric of “the day” There are thousands of metrics you could track when it comes to outbound sales. But Chris says that the most important metric is the metric of each day. In his mind, the strongest thing you can do is focus on doing the most you can in each day, even if that means taking some of the things you meant to do tomorrow into today's workload. If you do that consistently, magic happens in your business, partially because you get more done per unit than you are spending. These are the kinds of observations Chris makes that are simple, yet so powerful. Take the time to listen to what he shares in our conversation, it will help you improve your outbound sales game. The first 8 to 10 seconds of an outbound sales call is the most important One of the things I was curious to know from Chris's experience was whether or not people who make more outbound sales calls show improvement with the more calls they make. He said that's not necessarily the case, but what does demonstrate improvement is when those making outbound calls are coached about what they say and how they say it, especially within the first eight to ten seconds of a call. Coaching is vital to enhance effectiveness because it's through good coaching from an experienced salesperson that an ineffective caller can learn to express comfortable confidence that leads to effectiveness. Learn what Chris means by that on this episode of in the arena. Outbound salespeople who secure more meetings tend to produce more referrals Referrals are not something we typically think of as being directly connected to outbound sales. But the statistics show that there is a direct correlation. The outbound salespeople who are able to secure more meetings are also the ones who produce more referrals. What's the connection? It likely that the confidence and demeanor those sales professionals have that enables them to secure the meetings in the first place, is also what enables them to get referrals. Chris Beall has great insights into this phenomenon and explains what salespeople can do to increase their ability in both of those areas. You'll want to hear this episode. Outbound sales reps should have as many conversations as possible The goal of outbound sales calls is to schedule appointments with prospects. It's as simple as that. So outbound sales reps who are doing a good job should be scheduling as many conversations as possible. Chris and the team at Connect and Sell are all about making that scheduling process simpler and easier, and their implementation of technology to make it happen is revolutionary. Find out how 80 sales calls can be made, four actual conversations can happen, and appointments can be set - all within 1 hour. I told you it was revolutionary. Be sure you listen. Outline of this great episode [0:44] Why I invited Chris Beall to be on the podcast [2:47] The metrics Chris tracks and why he finds them interesting [7:46] The exhaust from today’s efforts are likely to produce opportunities tomo...

We've all experienced those crazy scenarios when something goes viral - in the old days, we said it was extremely popular or a tremendous hit. We're talking about things like Cabbage Patch Kids, Beanie Babies, or hit albums on the Billboard Chart. What makes them go viral? What makes them so popular? Derek Thompson says the answers to those questions usually surprise people. That's because there is more of a science behind it than you would think. This episode is extremely practical for salespeople because it demonstrates the human tendencies that contribute to popularity and Derek is very skilled at applying it to the sales world. You'll want to hear this episode. Sales professionals need to understand the “Mere Exposure” effect: The mere exposure of any stimulus biases us toward that thing Have you ever wondered why some of the bigger brands plaster their logo across a billboard with no particular "ask?" It's because of something called the “Mere Exposure Effect.” Science has proven that when a person, in this case, a consumer, sees the same company in a positive light repeatedly over time, then when they notice that brand on the shelf at the grocery store their purchasing decision is much easier because they've become familiar with the brand. The mere exposure they've had to it makes it trustworthy in their eyes. Derek Thompson unpacks these kinds of scientific findings and applies them to the sales world for us, on this episode. When people are interacting with a product or service they want an element of familiarity, in spite of looking for something new Everyone seems to be interested in the latest movie or the newest gadget. There's something about new products and services that intrigues us. But Derek Thompson says that the science demonstrates that though people are indeed looking for something new almost all of the time they are also more likely to adopt the new thing if it has an element of familiarity to it. Steve Jobs knew this when he created the first desktop computer. He said that it had to say "Hello" and it had to have a face. By designing his computers with those features, the Apple Computer Company was a novelty that was also familiar to users - and the computers sold like hotcakes. You won't want to miss Derrick's explanation of how this principle applies to your role as a salesperson. Be sure you listen. To sell something surprising, make it familiar. To sell something familiar, make it surprising We are all looking for something new and novel to demonstrate to her friends and family. It makes us feel important, like someone on the cutting edge. But very few of us are actually bold enough and brave enough to dive completely into the unknown. We want at least a little bit of the experience to be familiar. That phenomenon is backed up by science and on this episode of In The Arena, Derek Thompson tells us why. Many things we think have gone viral were actually intentionally spread by “dark broadcasters” When we talk about something going viral we usually mean that it became popular suddenly and for little visible reason. But Derek Thompson says that almost everything that goes viral was intentionally positioned to do so. Yes, the thing in question has to be interesting or intriguing to the general public, but it also has to be put in a place where it can be distributed and found. Derek called these places the “dark broadcasters” of the internet and says they could be news sites, celebrity Twitter accounts, or any number of things. In this episode, we talk about what it means for something to go viral and how we can apply the concept to sales. Outline of this great episode [0:44] A great conversation with a guy who has studied the science of popularity [2:33] Why Derek fell in love with the idea of understanding popularity and pop culture

Nobody in the online marketing space or sales world needs an introduction to Seth Godin. Seth has become synonymous with content marketing and the new approach to customer attraction he calls permission marketing. He believes that because of the negative perceptions people have about marketing and sales and because of how people function these days, no entrepreneur or business should be out chasing customers in that old-style way that causes pressure and discomfort. In this great conversation, Seth discusses why customer attraction is so powerful and explains what brands can do to create a great customer attraction approach, which solves every other problem by default. If you have customer attraction you don’t need to raise capital and technology will never be an issue Imagine if your company was one of those brands that seemed to automatically attract customers because of your culture, your values, or your vibe. What would that do for your opportunities and potential for success? Seth Godin insists that client attraction is THE thing - it’s what makes every company that is successful, successful and it’s what makes every other problem in business less of a problem. In this conversation Seth and Anthony discuss some of the things required to attract customers like that, so don’t miss this sage advice from two guys who have put a lot of thought into the issue. Brand loyalty is declining because brands have not kept their part of the bargain ~ Seth Godin There is a decent amount of talk in marketing and sales circles about the decline of brand loyalty. When asked whether it’s true, Seth Godin says that it is and that the main cause is that brands have not kept their part of the bargain. It’s easy to SAY your brand will be something specific for your customers but to actually pull it off requires a kind of thought, intentionality, and consistency that most brand leaders have not dedicated enough time to. Seth has some insight into how that sort of backsliding on your brand promise happens and what you can do to regain ground, so be sure you hear this episode of In The Arena. Failure isn't that big of a deal, so don’t take yourself so seriously. If you are honest and do good work, you’ll get another chance ~ Seth Godin Most of us regret our failures on some level. But the failure doesn’t have to be the final word if we are about more than success or failure. Seth Godin says that the entrepreneurs and creators that truly make a difference are the ones who are honest and do good work that truly benefits people. A person or brand with that kind of character deeply ingrained will always recover from mistakes and find new opportunities on the other side. That’s the reality he’s seen over and over as he’s worked with founders, creators, and students and is a place from which you can draw hope the next time you fail. Why Seth Godin doesn’t like to talk about his writing process As one who writes every day, Anthony was especially curious how Seth Godin, another person who writes every day and has written many books, approaches writing as a practice. Seth said that he feels that revealing his writing approach would not serve others well simply because we all tend to take on the practices of those we admire rather than discover and develop our own unique approach that fits the way we are wired. In his mind, anyone who can verbally communicate can write. The challenge is learning to write the way you speak - naturally, with emphasis and passion, and with clarity that is truly helpful to those listening (reading). Though Seth didn’t reveal his “magic formula” for effective and prolific writing, what he does share about the realities of writing is very helpful. Don’t miss it. Outline of this great episode [0:44] Why Seth Godin needs no introduction… here he is [2:13] Seth’s description of himself during hi...

If you want to learn how to engage in productive thinking, Tim Hurson is the guy to teach you how. Tim is the author of a book called “Think Better: An Innovator’s Guide to Productive Thinking” and this conversation is part of the celebration of the tenth anniversary of that book, which you can pick it up right now on Amazon. Anthony admits that this interview starts off a little weird for him because he and Tim have been acquainted with each other for a long time and they belong to a peer group where they communicate with each other often, but before this conversation, they’d never spoken face to face. It’s also a little weird because Anthony’s book, “The Lost Art of Closing” cites one of Tim’s books “Never Be Closing” on the cover flap as a bad idea. But in spite of that difference, which turns out not to be that much of a difference, Tim and Anthony are completely aligned on many things when it comes to life and sales. You’ll enjoy this stimulating conversation with Tim about how you can think more productively and therefore be more successful, so be sure you take the time to listen. How you as a salesperson can get the absolute right to the next deal with the person you just closed This conversation starts out with a bit of banter between Anthony and his guest, Tim Hurson, over what Tim was trying to say when he wrote a book called “Never Be Closing.” Tim’s point was that thinking of things as “closed” could lead you to think that the deal is done, when it’s really only the beginning. What you’re actually doing is you're gaining commitments, you're gaining friends, you're establishing relationships that you don't want to end - which will lead not just to the first sale but to the second sale and all the sales beyond that. That's where the conventional idea of closing is “Finish the deal” but where Tim says he never wants to finish the deal. He wants to open more deals. It's what he calls having an absolute right to the next deal you sell in such a way that you don't ever have to sell to that person again. Find out how you can build THOSE kinds of relationships, on this episode. You’ve got to listen to this episode if you want to understand the way of thinking that enables you to be more creative, productive, and effective Tim Hurson used to go around the country putting on seminars and giving speeches, and when he did he’d often meet people on planes. It was the typical situation where you start talking to somebody, asking, “What do you do?” and as soon as somebody asked Tim what he did he would say things like, “You know, I teach people how to think creatively.” They’d immediately go back to their magazine. But one day, completely on a whim, Tim answered the question by saying, “I teach people how to think more productively.” The difference in the response he got was nothing short of amazing. Suddenly he had made a connection with the person he was talking to because what was important to them was to be productive. Tim’s come to believe that there's a way of thinking that actually allows you to learn better, to plan better, to solve problems better, to do better, and ultimately to BE better as a human being. Find out what that way of thinking is on this episode of In The Arena. Productive thinking has many enemies. You’ve got to clearly know what they are and how to overcome them The second chapter of Tim Hurson’s book, “Think Better” speaks to the things that prevent us from thinking productively. He points out three of them: Monkey Mind, Gator Brain, and The Elephants Tether. In this conversation with Anthony, Tim walks through two of those three enemies to productive thinking, explaining how they work in the brain, why they happen, and what you can do to overcome them. This is a section you’ll relate to entirely. Anthony says the ability to master these enemies is the difference between consistently working in a distracted state and beginning ...

It should not come as a surprise that some of the most important things in life are the most basic. Civility is one of those things that is essential to maintaining and building great relationships with others but is often cast aside for the sake of attaining goals at the expense of those relationships. In this conversation, Anthony talks with Christine Porath, author of the new book “Mastering Civility.” Her insights into the human condition and the things that drive us to be not only uncivil but downright petty reveal the foundational things that we need to come to grips with in order to begin building healthy company cultures rather than toxic ones. The fundamentals of civility are so basic but also so seldom done No one would argue against civility being one of the foundational practices that undergird healthy human relationships. Yet, it is one of the things that is most quickly cast aside when it comes to dealing with others in hierarchical structures like companies and chains of command. Christine Porath is convinced that a return to civility will enable toxic cultures to be made healthy and poor performing teams be made into record-breakers. This conversation is full of insight so be sure you take the time to listen. Learning to listen is one of the best ways to chip away at a toxic culture All of us have a cell phone. We leave it sitting on the desk during meetings and we even take it to the bathroom with us. We think of it as a tool but it often becomes a distraction that keeps us from truly listening to the people we meet face-to-face every day. Christine Porath points out how new habits - like removing our cell phone from the desk - can help us listen in ways that begin to chip away at the toxic cultures within our companies and organizations. Find out how Kristine suggest we go about making these kinds of fundamental changes, on this episode of in the arena. Connection has to come first before effective leadership can happen Effective leadership is a goal for most CEOs and managers, but it can seem very elusive and difficult to attain. Christine Porath says that effective leadership hinges on personal connection much more than it does leadership techniques or principles. Her conviction is that those who learn to connect with the people they lead will be much more effective in their leadership, and research is bearing out that conviction. Christine shares basic steps toward greater connection with the people around us in this conversation with Anthony. Why we don’t give others the benefit of the doubt but always give ourselves the benefit of the doubt You may or may not have noticed it, but one of the behaviors that almost every human being is guilty of is giving the benefit of the doubt to ourselves but not giving the benefit of the doubt to others. At the tail end of this conversation, Anthony and his guest, Christine Porath talk about how to overcome the unconscious stereotypes and judgments we make about people without knowing all the facts, and the benefits that a “benefit of the doubt” mindset can have in building a company culture that is sympathetic and supportive of the people in it. Outline of this great episode [0:44] Why Anthony invited Christine to be on the show to talk about her book, “Mastering Civility” [2:40] The personal experiences that pushed Christine to write about civility [4:04] What makes for a toxic work environment and what impact does it have? [9:34] Everyone is watching the leader to know how to behave within the organization [11:13] The fundamentals of civility that are basic, but not done [15:01] How warmth and competence are foundational to leading people [20:31] Judge not: What it means to overcome your own biases and how it increases civility [26:01] Why we assume people do not have good in...

Many who listen to this podcast are eager to master the things that will move their career or business forward, things like sales and marketing. But mastering marketing and sales is not something that is easy or that happens overnight. Anthony's guest today, Perry Marshall is one of the people has taken the time and put in the effort to become a master at marketing. His name is synonymous with success when it comes to direct mail, email marketing, and pay per click advertising. On this episode of In The Arena you will hear Anthony's stimulating conversation with Perry, where Perry describes how he came to discover the application of the 80/20 rule to marketing and sales. If you only have so much time to learn so many things, why not learn the things that will make the most difference, like mastering marketing? The bright shiny object syndrome is alive and well. We see it every day on social media and in the advertisements that come our way. Perry Marshall is committed to avoiding that sort of an approach to marketing and instead loves to teach people how to master those things that will give them the greatest results. That means sales, and that means marketing. In this conversation, Perry describes how scientific principles regarding fractals and probabilities demonstrate the kinds of things that need to be learned and implemented in order for marketing to be mastered. It's a deep conversation, but one you will value for a long time, so take the time to listen. Why engineering is the ideal education for anyone who wants to go into marketing or sales Perry Marshall earned a degree in the field of engineering. He's not the kind of guy you would expect to be a leading internet marketer, but he is. He says that the education he received in engineering equipped him better for the marketing business he is now enjoying than anything he could imagine. In this conversation, you will hear his explanation of how engineering and marketing operate according to the same principles and how his ability to view marketing through an engineering lens has enabled him to become a leader in the industry. Perry is a fascinating guy who has lots of great things to share, so make sure you listen. How a journey into the supposed science behind evolution led to an in-depth look at how successful marketing really works The story of how Perry Marshall got from being an engineer to an internet marketer is filled with all kinds of twists and turns that could not have been predicted. One of those includes a debate he was having with his brother about whether or not evolutionary theory as it is typically presented, is true. Perry didn't believe it was and set out to dig deep into it to see if his hunch was right. What he discovered was not only how false and misleading much of this supposed science out there actually is, but also how the truth of how science works applies across the board in many areas of study, including the mastery of marketing. This episode is a wide-ranging conversation but it is one that you will want to listen to again and again. A 100-year-old rule for marketing - RFM: Recency, Frequency, Money - the formula for online advertising In this conversation, Anthony asks Perry Marshall for one piece of advice for those who are considering pay per click advertising as a way to generate leads and make sales. Perry points to a 100-year-old marketing and sales principle that he refers to as RFM. Those letters stand for recency, frequency, and money. In his mind, it is the best formula for discovering where to invest your limited funds for the biggest return on that investment. You can hear his entire explanation of how RFM works as well as many other helpful topics, on this episode of In The Arena. Outline of this great episode [0:44] Why Anthony didn’t expect the kind of conversation he had with Perry on this episod...

One of the most influential books in Anthony's life in recent years has been Donald Miller’s, “ A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.” Since the publication of that book, Donald has written another, this time oriented toward business. In this conversation, Anthony chats with Donald about his newest book, "Building a Storybrand" in an effort to unpack exactly what it means to be a Storybrand, how it impacts the way a company relates to its prospects and customers, and the way it leads to success like nothing else. Building a Storybrand requires that you focus on your customer’s story, not yours Many companies position their marketing around the benefits and features of their product or service. But companies that understand what it means to be a Storybrand take another approach. They focus on their customer's journey, the story that is happening in the lives of those they serve. They do so in an effort to not only connect with their customers on a personal level but also to express that they understand them and care about the challenges they face in life. It's at that point that they have become empathetic in their customer's eyes, and as a result become a brand the customer is eager to follow. Find out more about how you can position your company and your sales endeavors around this concept of being a Storybrand. The customer is the hero of the story. Your brand isn’t. Companies that get that and communicate it effectively are poised for success In this conversation, Anthony and his guests, Donald Miller highlight a number of examples of companies that have effectively made their customer the hero of the story. It may sound like an odd approach but it has resulted in amazing brand loyalty and sales for the companies that get it right. Donald Miller explains what it means to be a Storybrand, how companies can move in that direction, and why communicating in a way that demonstrates empathy for the customer is powerful over the long haul. Don't miss this episode. People don’t buy the best products and services, they buy the ones they can understand the fastest One of the most important aspects of marketing that applies to business, politics, or any endeavor that is trying to affect popular opinion, is that in order for a message to be communicated effectively it has to be communicated in a way that enables the listener to understand it with the least amount of effort. In this conersation, Donald Miller points out how President Donald Trump did that effectively in his election campaign and how many brands are doing the same thing to great success. It's an art form as much as it is a tactic and on this episode of In The Arena, Donald explains how to do it. Brands that participate in their customer’s transformation achieve enormous success in the marketplace Every sales professional desires to be part of a company that achieves enormous success in their Marketplace. It's one of the signs of personal achievement that we all strive for. The brands that accomplish that to the greatest degree are the ones that participate in the transformation their customers experience that comes from using their products or services. What does it mean to actually participate in that transformation? On this episode, Donald Miller highlights the difference between participation and observation, and gives some practical tips about how to become a Storybrand, a company that focuses on the customer's story to build brand loyalty. Outline of this great episode [0:44] The impact Donald’s book “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years” has had on Anthony and why it’s so powerful [3:19] Why Donald chose to write a business book and how he came to do it [6:08] The premise that the customer is the hero, not your brand - why it matters [10:02] What are we trying to do by branding with stories in the first place

If you’ve followed Anthony’s writing and work for any time at all you know how fascinated he is with the impact mindset has on success in sales. So it makes perfect sense that when he saw a book titled, “Psyched Up: How the Science of Mental Preparation Can Help You Succeed,” he had to read it. He was so impressed with the book he invited the author Daniel McGinn to be his guest on this episode of In The Arena. Anthony and Daniel talk about performance rituals, emotional preparation, the impact of music on motivation, and much more as it relates to sales success. It’s a fascinating conversation you’ll enjoy immensely. Feeling nervous is natural. This conversation will help you know what to do with those feelings. We’ve all heard of the “fight or flight” instinct, it’s part of our biological wiring that fuels us to take action. Though the things we face today aren’t typically considered “dangerous” as they were back in the day when that response was first needed, they are still many times high-stakes events where the nervousness we feel is similar. On this episode, Daniel McGinn tells how the nervous feelings we face can actually be a helpful thing for performance if we know how to deal with them rightly. He also talks about why the most common piece of advice we receive when we’re feeling nervous is actually the exact opposite of what we should do. Instead of trying to get rid of nerves we need to learn how to channel them toward success. “Hey, calm down. Relax. Breathe.” It’s common advice to hear when you’re nervous but Daniel McGinn says it’s the wrong advice. It’s physiologically impossible to calm down the hormonal surges going on at a time when we are about to perform. Instead of fighting an uphill battle it’s better to learn strategies for focusing that energy to better use than fear and anxiety. In this conversation Anthony digs into how exactly to do that with author Daniel McGinn, so don’t miss it. Do pre-performance rituals legitimately work? From athletes, to musicians, to sales professionals, many people use a pre-performance routine to get themselves ready for their particular “go time.” What makes up those rituals is as unique as the individuals who devise them, but Daniel McGinn says they are proven to be helpful. Anthony and Dan talk about how varied pre-performance rituals can be effective even when they vary so widely in terms of what is actually being done, what it has to do with mental focus and determination, and how each person’s ability to deal with anxiety is the most determinative factor in their performance. Is music really helpful to prepare for go-time? It’s fascinating how wired human beings are for music. There’s something about the melodies, harmonies, and rhythms that can change our mood, set us up for suggestion, or prepare us for a big day. Daniel McGinn, author of “Psyched Up” says there is no denying that music is a powerful tool in preparing for performance or high-stakes events and he and Anthony discuss how their favorite tunes may not be the same as those chosen by others, and why that is. You’ll enjoy this wrap-up to the conversation. Outline of this great episode [0:44] How the mental game impacts sales success, and today’s guest Daniel McGinn. [1:40] What happened to compel Daniel to write his book, “Psyched Up?” [3:44] The 5 P ritual one neurosurgeon uses to optimize his performance. [7:25] The power of purpose behind great endeavors. [9:42] Examining the different types of anxiety that manifest in various people. [12:20] Do people who are anxious simply need to calm down? [15:01] How one semester long course teaches students to deal with audition anxiety. [17:20] The effectiveness of pre-performance routines: are they legitimate? [22:16] What are positive and negative contagions?

Closing the sale is arguably one of the most difficult and most misunderstood parts of the sales process. It’s true for many reasons, including missed steps prior to the close and wrong assumptions about whether or not the prospect is actually ready to close the deal. In this conversation you’ll hear two veteran sales professionals, James Muir and Anthony Iannarino pick each other’s brains about what it takes to have a truly effective sales conversation, the places where most sales professionals miss the mark, and why asking for a commitment is such a hard thing - when it shouldn’t be. The sales process equals conversations and commitments. Sales is intimidating to most people simply because they think of it in the wrong terms. It’s not about pushing or coercing people to do something they don’t want to do or can’t afford to do. It’s about helping people investigate their needs and discover the best solutions for them. That takes a conversation, or many of them, with the sales person being the one skilled at asking the right questions to make the needed discoveries. Sales is conversations followed by commitments, that’s it. In this conversation, James and Anthony chat about why asking for a commitment goes awry so often and what sales people can do to ensure their prospects are actually ready to make a commitment when the time comes. Before closing, you’ve got to lead the customer to see WHY they need to change. Most customers or prospects know they have problems that need solving. The sales professional wouldn’t be able to get a meeting with them in the first place if they didn’t know that. But the solutions that will solve those problems are going to require change on the part of many people within the company and that’s where people begin to resist in the sales process. The sales person needs to take the time, perhaps through many conversations, to help the prospect understand WHY they need to change, what’s at stake if they don’t. Anthony and his guest, James Muir chat about how a salesperson can effectively lead their customers to that realization and close the sale - on this episode. No customer should ever feel they need to be defensive about the sales conversation. Defensiveness flows from a feeling or belief that another person is critical of you or the decisions you’ve made. It’s what you feel when you’re being pushed to do something you don’t want to do. Effective sales people come alongside their prospects instead of pushing them forward from behind. They consult, they help, they answer questions, and they ask plenty of insightful questions of their own. No customer should EVER feel the need to be defensive when a sales professional is doing their job the right way. Join Anthony as he and James Muir recount what they’ve learned about closing the sale, on this episode of In The Arena. Consultative selling is a collaborative, participatory process. No sales professional wants to be perceived as pushy or coercive. They know being perceived that way will kill their career. What’s the alternative? Being consultative, learning how to become the trusted expert customers can learn from as they seek to address the needs within their business. But consultative selling is about more than being an expert, it’s about being a partner with the customer, getting on the same side of the table to explore solutions together. When you can become a participant in the prospect’s exploration of a solution to their problems, you become the trusted advisor you really want and need to be. Outline of this great episode [1:45] Anthony’s introduction to his friend, James Muir. [3:06] The things that changed that prompted James to write his book. [6:43] Things sales people need to understand about what they are really doing when closing. [8:20] The critical misunderstanding closers make.

Every sales professional says they have a hunger to win, but few truly conquer as top sellers. My guest on this episode says every sales professional must have a perpetual hunger to win in sales - that constant drive to provide for their family, to be a success, and to be the trusted advisor who serves their customers well. Patrick’s newest book, “Perpetual Hunger” is the subject of our conversation. It’s a book that can serve you almost like a sales encyclopedia with easy-to-read chapters that are able to be immediately applied. You’ll get a great feel for what he covers in the book by listening to this episode of the podcast. Fear and adversity can contribute to your hunger in a positive way, or it can hold you back. You hear a lot these days about overcoming fears and adversity, but Patrick Tinney and I agree that both of those things can fuel your hunger if you know how to leverage them to your advantage. The saddest thing is to see a person with great potential who is saddled with their own fear to such an extent that they can’t push forward to the success that is possible. On this episode Patrick and I discuss the role adversity and fear can play in a positive way to stoke the hunger to win in sales, so be sure you listen. The truthful sales conversations happen when you are able to knock the chat off script. Every party involved in a sales conversation has their own agenda - a script of sorts they have prepared to direct the conversation in the direction they want it to go. But those scripts often prevent the conversation from getting to the real issues that are at stake, the real needs the clients have and the solutions you can offer. Patrick Tinney says whenever you can knock the conversation off that script you have the opportunity to hear the true needs of your prospect and are able to understand what your team can bring to the table. You’ll want to hear this part of our conversation - it’s well worth your time. Why relationships win in every sales interaction. Your hunger to win as a sales professional can’t be about you primarily, even though the need to attain a certain level of personal success is always part of the equation. You need to focus more on the relationships that are the basis of trust between you and your customers. That’s what will give you success long term. In this conversation, Patrick Tinney shares a story from his own experience about an opportunity he had to build enormous trust with a client and how it came to serve him personally in the end. You won’t want to miss this powerful story. The first part of becoming a trusted advisor is trust. Don’t violate it. We’ve all heard the admonition to become a trusted advisor to our customers, and while it’s definitely the goal we want to be shooting for, it’s easy to forget that “trust” is the first part of that goal. The trust our customers have in us is only what we enable them to have - and that comes about through our integrity toward them. In his new book, “Perpetual Hunger” Patrick Tinney speaks to the role those kinds of trusting relationships play in accomplishing the success we all want, and how trust is a key element in it. I encourage you to listen to Patrick’s advice on this, you won’t regret it. Outline of this great episode [0:44] Patrick Tinney: Sales trainer, coach, and author. [1:21] What does it mean for a sales professional to be perpetually hungry and why aren’t people MORE hungry? [6:16] What makes for an exceptional sales prospector? [8:03] The higher value questions a sales pro should be asking. [9:30] Using your questions to help the prospect ask themselves value questions. [11:30] The concept of powerful scripting and unscripting. [16:06] Why relationships matter most: a story from Patrick’s experience.

There are many organizational and leadership consultants out there. But real leadership is something most of them don't know anything about. That’s because they are focused on things like performance and data without taking a serious look at what brings those things about - the inner world of the leader. Cort Dial is an exception to that rule. He’s made it his mission to understand the personal and relational things that make great leaders great, the things that make them what he calls “All-in” leaders. You’ll enjoy this conversation between Anthony and Cort. It’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to real leadership, but is enough to get you thinking about yourself and the changes you need to make as a leader, which is what really matters. The only leader that needs to change if you want to improve performance, is you. Cort Dial says that too often he’s hired to come in and fix an organization and the leader’s attitude is typically along the lines of, “Come in here and fix my people.” Cort’s response is not one those types of leaders want to hear. What he says to them goes something like this, “And what are you going to change in yourself?” Their response tells him all he needs to know about whether or not he’s going to be able to help the organization or not. That’s because real leadership starts when the leader is ready and able to take a deep look at themselves. As the leader grows and changes, the organization will naturally follow suit. Most organizations are driven by fear. Leaders have to be coachable in order to change that dynamic. Cort Dial says that most organization are driven by fear - fear of change, fear of getting in trouble, fear of breaking the rules, fear of not meeting quota. Just looking at those statements is enough to show that it’s a lousy way for any team to be motivated. What’s the alternative? Motivation that comes from accomplishing something bigger, something significant - and the only way to spark that kind of motivation is for the leader to be coachable. He/she has got to see things in a new way and that requires the humility to allow an outside perspective to inform what is going right and what is going wrong - in the organization and especially in themselves. Cort shares some great insights about what it takes to be that coachable in this conversation so be sure you listen. What affects performance is my relationship with people. When it comes down to it, the main barometer of most companies is performance. That makes sense when you’re looking for a quick way to assess a company, but it’s short-sighted if the only thing that’s ever done about lagging performance is to nag the team to do better. Cort Dial has learned that the relationships that exist within the team are what impact performance. If those are healthy, if those are strong and growing, performance will take care of itself. Find out how real leadership focuses on the relational dynamics of the team and why most leaders are scared to address the relational components of the business, on this episode of In The Arena. As a leader, you need someone to protect you from things you’re not ready to take on. One of the most important reasons every leader needs a coach is because the coach is able to stay aloof from the emotion and tension of situations to bring a clear, balanced perspective. In this conversation, Cort Dial tells of a client he was dealing with who was asked to give an account for his division’s lagging performance. His plan was to slam through a slide deck in his 7-minute slot in the agenda in order to justify the lack of results his team had achieved. Cort was able to show him a better way to approach the situation and his client walked out of the meeting with a chance to bring about the change that was needed and expected. Cort says it this an example of why, “You need someone to protect you from the things you’re not ready to...

One of the most important things for every sales or business professional to understand is the importance of communication skills. But as Anthony’s guest, award-winning actor, Alan Alda makes clear in this conversation, those skills are more than just skills - and they don’t come in the form of tips or steps. They are learned through diligent practice over time. This is a very enjoyable conversation with a much-loved man who continues to touch many lives through his company, Alda Communication Training. Anthony and Alan discuss some of the core subjects from his new book, “If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look On My Face?” on this episode of In The Arena. People almost always misunderstand each other. ~ Alan Alda One of the foundational truths everyone has to embrace if they are going to develop good communication skills is that everyone misunderstands everyone else, most of the time. Alan Alda says he’s discovered that fact through the course of his acting career and through the daily situations he finds himself in. Knowing that fact sets you up to understand the severity of the communication gap that exists between people and to seriously devote yourself to learning things like relating, empathy, compassion, and more. Alan has keen insight into the realm of effective communication and even has a few comments specifically aimed at sales professionals. You’ll enjoy this conversation. Change comes through transformational experiences. When Anthony asked Alan Alda about the way he goes about training people in the importance of communication skills, Alan said he’s often asked for some version of “3 Tips for Effective Communication.” But he says that’s like giving someone 3 tips for successful swimming - it doesn’t go very far in addressing the real need. A person who communicates effectively typically hasn’t learned communication skills from a book, they’ve learned how to communicate through transformational, and often relationally difficult experiences. Alan shares why becoming a great communicator is worth the pain and toil required, on this episode. Why Alan Alda regrets that his new book is black words on white pages. Books are wonderful things, storehouses of knowledge, wisdom, and learning that anyone can glean from at any time. But they aren’t the be-all-end-all of true personal change. That’s the point Alan Alda made on this episode when he told Anthony that he sometimes regrets that the content in his book is in printed form. He doesn’t want people who read it to misunderstand, to think that just because they read his book that they are automatically going to be better communicators. The importance of learning communication skills pales in comparison to the need to apply them, and make mistakes, and modify your approach, and apply them again. It’s a life-long learning process Alan challenges his readers to commit to. Learn why his book could be a turning point for your communication success, on this episode. As a sales professional, you have to be passionate about giving people what they need. Every salesperson has heard it said that true sales is about meeting the needs of people. Alan Alda takes it a step further and says that good salespeople care so much about the people they are trying to close a deal with that they are passionate about enabling them to see that they (the salesperson) have the solution. Said more simply, you have to be convinced that your prospect truly needs what you have to the point you’re passionate about them seeing it too. The insights Alan shares on this episode of In The Arena are priceless, so be sure you take the time to listen. Outline of this great episode [0:44] Anthony’s excitement about Alan’s new book and why he’s on the show. [1:52] The experience of a young man who was on stage in front of America daily.