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

Today’s guest, Dan Waldschmidt, is a business strategist uninterested in short term tactics for success. He understands the rules of success shift by the time you tap into them. Instead, Dan offers a formula and lifestyle to achieve lasting success. He unleashes his passion for your success in his book, EDGY Conversations: How Ordinary People Can Achieve Outrageous Success. This is a book about achieving mindset, before worrying about skillset. Dan’s loud living is visible in his business endeavors, popular speaking events, and ultra-races. If Dan wants it, he goes and gets it. Listen in to his story of attempting to break records in ultra-running and in business. Get In the Arena with Dan Waldschmidt. How the ordinary can achieve the extraordinary Dan’s acronym, EDGY, began by analyzing why people who were not set up for success, became successful. People who were relegated to the middle class, or bound to be weekend warriors, achieved extraordinary success through extreme effort. Their weaknesses were made up for and equalized through effort. The question is no longer, will you be successful, it is how big will your success be? We are often told to work smarter, optimize our presentation and avoid wasting time. Today, Dan brings us back to one of the greatest assets available: good old fashioned sweat. Listen in for your own outrageous success. When will it start working? Dan says that if you stop doing the right thing before it starts working, you’ve done the wrong thing. Discipline action is part of the formula for success that separates the extraordinary from the ordinary. Disciplined action looks like doing what you need to do everyday, even when it means denying yourself quick fixes of quick success. Dan teaches to stay the course, and continue to take action. It it not the final blow that splits the granite: it is all the chinking and clinking away before that final blow. Re-think the popular quote of insanity being the definition of doing the same thing over and over, with the same results. Put in brute force and do not stop too soon. If you are willing to do what everyone else is making excuses for, you are In the Arena, with the best shot at success. Something not working? Try giving. Success is often talked about in terms of self and wrapped up in me-me-me. Today, Dan Waldschmidt shares about his own shift from selfish ambition, to giving from his heart. Dan looked at successful leaders and found that they were not just taking, they were giving. Even if it meant defying industry experts, they did things that made them awesome. Successful leaders attracted their ideal customers, by giving. From Ford’s story, to Dan’s personal story, giving is an essential aspect of success. It is a fine line to walk, between giving and trading, but giving equals greatness. Learn how to create value and demonstrate value from today’s conversation with ring leader, Dan Waldschmidt. Heros heal The final piece of Dan Waldschmidt’s formula is all about healing. We are humans, and pretty primal, whether we’re in the jungle or in business suits in the boardroom. People understand the importance of healing in most settings, but when it comes to business and achieving goals, it is often left out. The person you are selling to might just need to be healed. Dan knows that everyone calls the healer. If you want to be successful, look past the business suit and into the soul you are selling to. They will hear you, and want to hear from you again. Get EDGY today, and on your way to success, with Dan Waldschmidt on Into the Arena. Outline of this great episode [1:30] Introduction of today’s guest, Dan Waldschmidt. [1:53] Dan’s decision to do more than just an ultra-event. [3:35] The EDGY acronym: E is for extreme behavior. [6:32] How and where you start success.

Today’s guest, Hector LaMarque, learned early on that he could either agree with the opposition in life, or decide to fight against it. He found power in having the choice. Back in highschool, Hector was laughed at when he tried out for varsity basketball. This fueled a determination and a crazy dedication to practicing. Hector not only made the team, but went on to be the team captain. It was the same story when he discovered tennis in college. Hector got beat by girl and decided that would not happen again. After studying, practicing, and playing tennis, Hector worked his way to MVP status of his team. This foundational lesson taught Hector that when you make up your mind about something, and work at it like crazy, you can do anything. Hector took the power of mindset into the  business world and never looked back. Join the conversation today as Hector lets us in on the secrets to a successful mindset, In The Arena. Learning to hustle Hector LaMarque is now a top senior national sales director, specializing in developing successful money making leaders. But, Hector had to learn the hustle himself. Hector grew up seeing how poverty limited his father. Hector decided he did not want to be poor and found education to be his way out. Hector started studying, reading, and working towards success. He remembers working a job where his boss did not allow time off for Hector’s son’s fifth birthday. When that happened, Hector made a decision to never work for somebody again. No human being was going to tell him he could not be there for his family. That moment spurred Hector to get serious about the hustle. He started at the bottom and worked his way to the top. Find out on today’s episode why Hector was so successful. Self-disciplined or debilitated? Hector LaMarque’s specialty is developing people. He has helped more than eight people go on to make over a million dollars a year. Hector has helped develop many more than eight people, but what set those millionaires apart was their dedication to the work. Hector’s success rate in developing people is high, when people actually listen and implement his strategies. Dedication, persistence, and self-discipline are some key attributes of the people who make it. It is not based on capability, it is based on self-discipline. Are you willing to discipline yourself for the work required? Or will you be debilitated by factors such as caring too much about what others think of you? Tune in for today’s secrets for success. Mastering the fundamentals Hector LaMarque’s system for your success is based on fundamentals you have to learn to be great at. Are you are great prospector? Do you go on to set those appointments? Hector helps you hone in your skills as a presenter and acquiring the knowledge your customers are counting on you for. Do you know the areas of concern from your client’s perspective. Can you sell your products features and benefits? If you master the fundamentals, Hector says you are on your way to success. But, very few people take the time to actually master these foundational steps. It comes back to self-discipline. Hector’s writings and speeches never stray from mastering the fundamentals before expecting any semblance of success in your arena. Instead of life happening to you, go out and happen to life Why are you still not generating your desired results? Is your awareness too low? Hector LaMarque wants to increase your level of awareness so you spend your time acting instead of thinking. A professional operates from a place of knowing. They are prepared and put in the work ahead of time in order to create action when it’s go-time. Get serious about succeeding, today. It is time to grow and improve your knowledge base. The other problem you might have is negativity. Are you infected with negativity? Is life just happening to you? Learn how to remove your victim mentality and go happ...

Today’s guest, Brian Tracy, pulled himself up from nothing through sales, to build a speaking, coaching, consulting, and training organization. He is known for his work with goal setting and motivation. Brian fell into sales as a career and struggled up the sales ladder. He realized that all sales skills are learnable and developed a recipe for success that you can follow.  On this episode we unpack why sales management is the critical role in producing sales results, what customers really want, the importance of your own self-esteem, why it is your job to help people in life and work, why you are making price the issue, and Brian’s newest book. Tune in to this loaded episode of In the Arena. Superstar sales management Brian Tracy talks today about the range of changes in professional selling. He is comprehensive and extensive in his 24 part program that takes professional selling to the next level. Brian has trained the average to superstar status in the sales world. Where is the pivotal role? Brian believes sales managers are the critical factor in determining the success of a business. If you develop your managers, you are building leaders that will bring up the entire company. Teach your sales managers to stay in step with changes and you are on your way to success. Listen in for Brian’s take on the split of the sales market and how to customize and specialize service and product offerings to increase your profit and income. YOU are making price the issue Are you threatened by price? Brian Tracy is here to explain that cheap offers, equal cheap results. Is it time for you to start selling higher priced options against lower priced competition? Brian provides an inside look at why pushing past the daunting issue of price is actually to your advantage. Brian has researched and worked with all the other factors important to customers. Talk to any customer after the fact and they mention price last, if at all, as a factor in deciding to purchase. People do not want cheap results. They do not want the eventual frustration that cheap brings. Show them today that YOU are charging the right price. You are teaching, not selling Similar to a doctor, your role as a salesperson is to help people. You know your services and you have the cure for what ails them. Your bedside manner matters. On today’s episode, Brian Tracy teaches on how to lower the stress of selling by keeping your focus on helping. You can change your status from pushy seller to teacher and healer, by showing the customer how to get the maximum value from their purchase. Teach value as a trusted advisor and consultant. Brian speaks to your manner as a teacher and how to increase the buying desire from your customers. But it all starts with how you view yourself. Get in the arena today, with Brian Tracy. Go for “No” The number one block to your sales success is the fear of rejection. Are you afraid of “no”? Brian Tracy says that the way to aggressively get people to say yes is to go after those no’s. There is a correlation to the number of no’s you receive, and the eventual yes’s. Rack up your rejection and you are closer to sealing more deals. The key here? Rejection is not personal. Listen in today to gain the confidence to continue on. How you feel about yourself might be your issue. Successful people like themselves, and as Brian says, love their work. Tune in for a confidence booster to persist and pursue in the arena. Outline of this great episode [0:46] Background and introduction of today’s guest, Brian Tracy. [2:23] How Brian got into sales. [4:07] What is the highest payoff in a sales company? [5:49] The big changes in professional selling. [8:00] Are you making price the issue? [11:19] Discussing Brian’s book, Unlimited Sales Success.

Today’s guest, Bob Burg, has turned the worst of opposition into mutually beneficial relationships. His new book, Adversaries Into Allies, is a toolkit you will need for tough clients and even tougher sales meetings. On this episode, Bob defines the difference between manipulation and persuasion in leadership. He knows that you deal with clients prone to miscommunication and misunderstandings. He also knows that the influence you have as a sales leader is powerful. The difference between being successful, or not, is how you carry out your influence. Listen in to gain the ability to move people to your desired action in the best possible way, on this episode of In the Arena. Manipulation or Persuasion? Persuasion and manipulation are cousins that influence human action and human motivation. But, they begin with different intent, and produce very different results. Today, Bob Burg speaks about how manipulation aims at control, not cooperation. Bob’s own experience with manipulators has provided unique angles in approaching business. Manipulators do not understand that not only is it bad life practice, it is bad business. People can smell your intent. Is yours one of your own best interest, or the best interest of your clients? Commitment will cultivate for you a team, whereas manipulative coercion will simply get you employees. The influential leader will ask questions, take an interest in others, and work with the best scenario in mind for others. Find out today if you are a manipulator or a persuader. Change your attitude toward your adversaries In preparing to deal with adversaries, Bob Burg starts with attitude. The adjustment is with yourself first, not your adversary. When we know we are dealing with opposition, we often resort to protecting ourselves. This sets the stage for how your adversary will respond to you.  Whatever you bring in with you, your adversary will react to. Bob is adamant in his belief that we can create room for our toughest clients to change. Patience and persistence can change any adversary into an ally. Retrain your toughest client to accept your positive framework. Learn to be the tree that yields with the wind, on today’s episode of In the Arena. The clashing of beliefs A belief system is something everyone has and carries into every situation. Listen in to today’s episode as Bob Burg prepares us for inevitable clashes. Your beliefs create the lens for how you see the world. They are formed in the beginning of your life, without your creation or awareness. You are a servant to and run by these unconscious beliefs. We tend to think other people see the world as we see it. The first thing Bob Burg suggests we do is to check why we believe a certain way. Ask more questions. Ask for more clarification. Meet miscommunication head on. When you seek to understand what is already at work influencing someone, you are one step closer to becoming the influence. Empathizing does not mean you’re a doormat Our beliefs create infections we carry around with us, making communication difficult. Empathy is understanding the infections of others. But seeking to understand does not mean you have to become a doormat, or even change your beliefs. You simply let someone know that you know they are feeling something. Responding non-emotionally and non-offensively will buy you the trust and communication that healthy business relationships need. We think we understand others, but we oftentimes do not. What we all want to know that we are understood. Learn how to practice empathy with your adversaries on today’s episode of In the Arena. Outline of this great episode [0:48] Introduction of today’s guest, Bob Burg. [2:26] The difference between persuasion and manipulation. [7:04] The challenge in leadership and influence.

Today’s guest, Jonathan Farrington, is a speaker, coach, author, consultant, and sales strategist leading the way in managing change in business. He is the CEO for JF Consulting, a successful globally influential consulting business. You might also recognize his name from Top Sales World and Top Sales Magazine. Jonathan sees the big picture, and has big ideas, for changes in sales. Listen in as he leads you and your team to greater performance levels, on today’s episode of In the Arena. Finding your way out of a financial meltdown Your host, Anthony Iannarino, fires questions for Jonathan’s expertise, specifically addressing what exactly is affecting the change in sales. The implications Jonathan has uncovered will impact your reality and your team. Jonathan looks at the financial meltdown of our day and age, in North America and globally. His prediction? 80% of sales jobs are going to change in some way. Some will turn into customer service roles. The important roles will become marketing and customer service. Is your role in sales diminishing? Join Jonathan today for the good news that your role will change, not disappear. Can you still create uniqueness? It is more difficult than ever to create and communicate value as a salesperson. The developing transaction purchasing model eliminates the need for uniqueness and differentiating yourself. As Jonathan Farrington tracks the changes in sales, he sees the top 20% surviving and thriving, which forces 80% to shift their strategy. Will you be in that top 20%? Are you taking into account your clients comforts and needs? Have you asked your clients if they mind more computer interaction and less face time? Creating and embracing a new flexible relationship is key. The new breed of sales professionals will have to build their foundations from attitude plus skills plus knowledge plus process. Start today, by listening to this episode of In the Arena. Insight If you want to continue differentiating yourself, you are going to need insight. This buzzword has some salespeople emphasizing product knowledge with their team and clients. But insight reaches beyond product knowledge. Learn today, how to stay relevant and stay focused. None of your clients have time for irrelevant meetings. They do not even care about your product. What they do care about is what you can do for them. Demonstrate that you have the commercial depth and breadth they need and will continue to need. Want to count yourself among the sales survivors? Now is the time to develop your commercial bandwidth, with Jonathan Farrington. One size never fits all Jonathan Farrington knows that many salespeople say we need to tailor solutions uniquely to our individual clients. But do we actually do that? One size fits all training, coaching, and counseling has never worked. Have you considered the realm of values, personality traits, etc. that will make your individual clients or sales teams work? Jonathan’s goal has always been to raise the bar in the business world. Today’s episode is just one more free resource you can use to tap into your true potential. Get In the Arena with Jonathan, today! Outline of this great episode [0:42] Introduction and biography of today’s guest, Jonathan Farrington. [2:30] Will there be far fewer salespeople in the future? [7:40] Are we moving away from creating value as salespeople? [9:09] What does a salesperson need to be in the top 20% that survives? [14:34] What is insight and why is it necessary? [16:44] Age as a disadvantage. [18:13] How to make sense of distractions and stay focused. [21:19] How you consider your clients creates your future. [23:58] How to connect with Jonathan Farrington. Resources & Links mentioned in this episode

Today, we hear from Dave Stein about the skills necessary for any sales team and manager. Dave has spent his career researching sales training programs. Early on, he discovered that companies were investing millions of dollars in sales training and seeing no return, or a negative return, on that investment. Dave took on the task of tackling this problem. Listen in today as he shares how he evaluates, compares and contrasts sales training programs. His insight will send you in the right direction to train your sales teams, with a return on investment like you’ve never seen. Get In the Arena with Dave Stein, today! Where sales training goes wrong Dave Stein discovered many reasons why sales training goes wrong, but if there were one single reason it would be fixed by now. There are a range of mistakes being made, starting with the inability of sales leaders and organizations to simply hire the right people. There are currently plenty of people unsuited for the jobs they are in. Another huge problem we hear about today is the lack of clearly defining requirements. Start with your customer: what does it take to sell to them? From there, decipher their buying trends, history, methods, and preferences. When you know your goal, you can communicate requirements to your teams. The gap between what the salesperson can do and what the customer needs is the sweet spot for sales training. Listen in to today’s episode and find your sweet spot. The DNA of a good sales manager and team A good sales manager knows how to leverage their experiences to create value for someone else. If you want your sales performance to improve, listen in to Dave Stein’s findings in the trends of hiring. Your sales team needs to be able to talk to the customer about value, in the customer’s terms.  What will your team do to help your customer meet their financial and business plan? To be more successful, effective, and efficient your sales team needs to be able to answer those questions. If you do not develop your own team in knowing the answers to those questions, you will struggle. Today’s episode is an opportunity to amplify your impact that you won’t want to miss. A business savvy perspective Want to learn how to infuse any selling approach from a business savvy perspective? Dave Stein has worked with many companies, selling a lot of stuff, the right way. How do they sustain high volume business? Time to get savvy! This is an unleveraged component to sales effectiveness that Dave has discovered makes a giant difference in your businesses lifespan and growth. Get In the Arena today and start approaching each opportunity with a business savvy perspective. Don’t get left behind in social selling Social selling is not just about having a blog, or having a presence on the various markets. Social selling is a guide to professionally engaging with your customers. It is a platform for creating relationships and connecting with customers. It is time to take ownership of your marketing approach. On this episode, we receive training from Dave on how to set up policies and procedures for social selling. This is a scene that should have clear cut policies to utilize social selling in the right way. Otherwise, you might find one of your go-getter salespeople digging the company’s grave with one mistake on Twitter. Tune in today and cultivate the value social selling can have for you! Outline of this great episode [0:51] Introduction and welcoming Dave Stein. [2:55] Where does sales training tend to go wrong? [5:23] Hire your staff with your customer in mind. [6:35] The DNA, makeup, and mindset of a successful businessperson. [11:34] Consultative Selling, by Mack Hanan. [14:50] New rules for social selling. [19:57] Opportunities and lessons from the economy tank.

Today we hear from Mike Weinberg, author of New Sales Simplified. Mike joins the podcast today with strategies for your toughest sales struggles. He offers insight to develop your sales story and equips you with the weapons your sales arsenal needs. Tune in as Mike addresses complacency in your sales team, building hunters, and common sins your company might be committing. You don’t want to miss Mike, in the arena. Opportunity Acquisition Why are so many sales people struggling to create new opportunities? Mike Weinberg says it is not that you can’t, it’s that you won’t. Are you avoiding prospecting? It will always be easier to babysit your current clients and talk to people you know and trust. If your time and effort is focused on what you already have, you miss the top of the funnel and struggle to pick up new business. Mike keeps it simple with steps you can take to change the trajectory of your company. Discover the discipline of controlling your calendar and start time blocking to transform your acquisition of new business. Rewire yourself and your sales teams to proactively go after new clients. Join us in the arena today, to own the outcomes you sell. Compensated and complacent Are you compensating your team to manage the business you already have? Mike Weinberg points out common pitfalls we create that lead to complacency. With less and less A-players in the sales game these days, it can be tough to determine who is a legitimate hunter. The way people manage their sales organization plays a key role in developing and keeping sales hunters. Is your management burdening your best hunters with other management tasks and projects? Taking the great hunters away from hunting can hurt your ability to acquire new sales. When no one is inclined to find new clients, you have a recipe for stalling. Get out of your comfortable ruts and in the arena today. Your sales story is your strongest weapon Your sales story is simply the thoughts you string together about your business. It may be simple, but Mike Weinberg says it is the most powerful weapon you have. Your story needs sharp, succinct, and compelling selling points. In Mike’s experience, most sales stories are terrible. Take a look at your marketing department: are they equipping the sales team with a client issue focused story? A good story can change the dynamic of your sales dance. Instead of pushing product, lead your story with the points that communicate problem solving. Your clients want to know you can help with the issues on their mind. Watch your business grow as Mike helps you craft a sales story on today’s episode. Sales sins If you think your prospectors care what you do, you are guilty of a common sales sin. Mike Weinberg knows that a self-focused sales story or approach to clients leads to no, no, no. Your clients want to know if you can help them further their business goals. If you are talking about yourself, your company, and your solutions you are missing it completely. The only way to earn a seat at your dream client’s table is to have their outcomes in mind. Address the issues your client is facing with power and passion. If we were all doing this with excellence, Mike’s book, New Sales Simplified, would not be selling as well as it is. Rid yourself of sales sins today, in the arena. Outline of this great episode [1:15] Introduction of today’s guest, Mike Weinberg. [2:02] Opportunity acquisition. [5:26] What do we do about hunters? [7:59] Time blocking is transformational. [9:03] Addressing the farmers. [11:30] How much improvement does Mike’s magic bring to targeting? [16:09] What is a sales story and why is it often missing? [20:21] Prospects do not need us like they did before. [21:46] Telephone prospecting tidbits.

Trust sounds simple, but turns out it’s not. Today’s guest, Charlie Green, wrote the book on what it means to be a trusted advisor. He joins the podcast to lead us through the definition and implementation of trust in selling strategies. What does it mean when trust in banking or in sales is or “up” or “down”? Have they become more or less trustworthy? Or are they less likely to trust? There are always two parties present in trust, doing two different things. How these play out determine if you are properly utilizing trust in your selling. Listen in for a practical break down from Charlie Green, on today’s episode of In the Arena. The trust equation Charlie Green determines trustworthiness through a trust equation. There are four factors present: credibility, plus reliability, plus intimacy, divided by self orientation (are you paying attention to me, or yourself?). Charlie talks through the real risk on the part of the person trusting, as well as being trusted. As a salesperson, you are constantly switching between the sides. You want to be trusted by your clients, but also have to take some risks on your clients, too. When you are vulnerable, it helps people who have been burned in the past find the willingness to trust. We all respond in the way we are led. It reverberates back and forth. When you are trustworthy, people trust you. It is the same way in selling. Who am I dealing with? Are you stuck at the transactional level of selling? Today, we hear about the transactional versus relational focus in sales. Charlie Green suggests that clients are coming back to asking, who am I dealing with? The relational level of selling is more powerful today, because trust is less prevalent. When you win trust with a customer, you have earned a useful and rare tool for your toolkit. People may appear to be more suspicious in today’s market, but that does not have to become a block to winning deals. Learn from Charlie Green how to strategically manage the relationship component of selling. The most powerful component There are different components that determine if trust exists between two parties. Charlie Green’s team has processed data to see if one component is more powerful than the others. What did they find? The best indicator of a high trust score is intimacy. This is reflected by looking at most trustworthy professions. How can you create greater customer intimacy? Charlie says it starts with listening, really listening. This is not listening for the data or opportunity, but so that the other person feels heard. It is listening for respect, to earn trust. Tune in today for tips to make your most powerful platform even more powerful. Why should I buy from you? The question of why a client should buy from you should not scare you. It is time to get vulnerable and stop worrying. You are not going to want to miss Charlie Green’s great advice about approaching this question and scenario from a smart, vulnerable, and advantageous place. Start with a transparent conversation about who already buys from you and why it works for them. Create curiosity rather than defensiveness. Let the decision make itself. If you stop trying to control people, people end up doing what you wanted in the first place. The way to get people to trust you is to stop trying to get them to trust you. Tweak your talk today and seal the deal by establishing trust, in the arena. Outline of this great episode [0:45] Introduction of today’s guest, Charlie Green. [1:35] What is trust and the trust equation? [4:15] Where is the risk? [5:02] Story time about trusting in sales. [6:36] We respond in the way we are led. [7:38] Is trust still important to buyers? [9:16] Are we becoming more transactional and less relational? [12:40] How you can create trust.

Tony Hughes joins the podcast today with valuable insight on creating value and driving your sales conversation differently. Tony developed the RSVP selling methodology based on key elements to winning complex deals. Tony’s book, The Joshua Principle, builds a sales methodology around a parable. He knows that we either learn through repetition or emotional impact. Have your read enough repetitious sales books? Listen in for an emotional impact you can learn from. Tony uses powerful true stories to invoke an emotional connection to your real-life selling situations. He practices what he preaches and offers action items you won’t want to miss on today’s episode of In the Arena. Strategic or stuck? Can you answer the question, What value do I bring to my employer and to my customer? Tony Hughes developed a value quadrant framework that allows you to work through your strategies. People like to think of themselves as strategic, but often have trouble translating it into real-world scenarios. Do you find yourself stuck at the transactional level? Stop overrating your own capabilities and move into the relational level. Tony believes in the power of relationship in selling. When you know your customer, you know if you are indeed adding genuine value-or not. Learn how to be the value, the wedge, and the delivery from today’s episode of In the Arena. Good captains win wars, not generals Tony Hughes’ methodology of RSVP selling establishes the framework needed to think about your sales process. The acronym is made up of Relationships at the right level, Strategy, Value, and Process alignment. Tony breaks down each key component to expose where your weakness lie. Oftentimes, you find a weak link in sales management. Learn the RSVP method today and how to mentor and coach it into your management team. The war is won through the captains you empower, not through you as a general. Get to the CEO of the problem Can you identify who the decision makers are, versus the decision-influencers? Navigating through the levels of relationship can be a big hurdle in creating value for your clients. Tony Hughes speaks to the consensus decision making structure that salespeople are encountering more frequently. As a sales team, there are new responsibilities to divide and conquer as the availability of information to customers catches up with sellers. Are your relationships at the right level? Salespeople today need situational awareness to speak to both high level and lower level influencers. As you build relationships, get to the CEO of the problem. Positioned in the Goldilocks zone Changing the perception of value is much more difficult than simply dropping your price. Tony Hughes joins us today to address the big conversation of value. His formula of value for money is based on a good fit for purpose plus maintaining a low level of risk, divided by the total cost of ownership. Salespeople need to be better at using risk as a weapon and developing a mindset that the price sold to a client fits into a much bigger puzzle. Tony teaches to drive the conversations differently and focus on how the customer defines value. It is time to be technical and strategic, but not too much of either. Enter the Goldilocks zone on today’s episode of In the Arena. Outline of this great episode [0:52] Introduction of Tony Hughes. [2:50] What sets Tony’s book, The Joshua Principle, apart. [5:25] The value quadrant. [8:02] New responsibilities for salespeople. [10:34] The RSVP acronym. [15:45] Dealing with consensus decisions, at all levels. [17:47] Practical realities to sell in the real world. [19:04] Addressing value in relation to the price argument. [22:23] Tony’s best advice for salespeople out in the field. [24:08] The role of risk.

When you think of a professor at a business school, you may instantly think of dry, boring lectures. But that’s the last thing you’ll get when speaking with Craig Wortmann. He’s a very sharp sales professional who trains business people how to use the opportunities that sales provides to care for people in a way that serves their needs best. In that, he has come to see that the power of listening and telling stories are two of the most effective ways to do that. On this episode you’re going to hear how Craig has come to those conclusions and how you can learn to use both more effectively in your sales career. If you’re going to be successful in sales, you need these three things. Through his experiences as a sales professional and as a professor in a prestigious business school, Craig Wortmann has discovered that there are three primary things that salespeople need to be equipped for success: Knowledge, skill, and discipline. Too often the focus is on the knowledge with too little emphasis on skill and the discipline it takes to implement it effectively. Craig unpacks this powerful observation in this chat with Anthony, revealing how you can apply all three to achieve greater success in your sales career. Most things that lead to success are not that hard, we simply don’t do them. Craig Wortmann doesn’t think that success is really all that difficult to achieve because the things that bring success have been demonstrated over and over. The problem is not typically a lack of knowledge, it’s a lack of action. On this episode Craig chats with Anthony about the ways he challenges his students to implement the things they learn and to do so consistently. He believes (and has seen) that consistency in the little things that bring success have massive repercussions on your outcomes. Find out more on this episode. The pause after a prospect’s response is invaluable. One of the important aspects of a sales professional’s personality is the ability to talk. It’s a good thing, but not always the best thing in every situation. For example, when a question has been asked and the prospect answers, it’s imperative that sales pros learn to pause before breaking the silence. In that pause most of the time the prospect will begin to speak again, revealing even more information about their need that would not have been uncovered otherwise. Craig Wortmann talks about the power of the pause and how you can learn to use it to meet your prospect’s needs more effectively, on this episode. You’ll be more successful in sales as you learn to be more human. When Craig Wortmann says that salespeople need to learn how to be “more human,” he means that we need to think less like a salesperson and more like a feeling, caring human being. The basis of all sales is providing solutions to the very real needs and problems of customers. Compassion and care have to be at the root of that if we are going to build the trust needed in order to provide those solutions effectively and consistently. Craig advises that sales professionals stop thinking about “getting the sale” and start thinking about “caring for the person.” The difference that little shift will make is monumental. Find out more about Craig and his philosophies surrounding sales on this episode. Outline of this great episode [1:20] Who is Craig Wortmann? [3:19] Why did Craig start his book with the topic of discipline? [6:20] The power and significance of a handwritten thank you note, and what actually doing it says about you. [10:30] The framework of knowledge, skill, and discipline. [13:57] Why listening is so important and how do you do it effectively. [18:05] The power of the pause for a sales professional. [22:00] What Craig means by being human as a salesperson. [23:43] The 4 significant types of stories an...

In a day when we are repeatedly told that people are buying products based on financial value and economy, it’s a strange thing to hear a sales professional (a professor) speak about injecting love into the sales process. Brian Sheehan is lobbying for a different approach to sales, a relational approach that taps into the emotions and desires of customers rather than the utilitarian purpose of a product. It’s a refreshing perspective and one that Anthony loves, and you can hear all about it on this episode of In The Arena. How consumers really make buying decisions. The statistics don’t lie. Buying decisions in today’s marketplace are made according to a 50/50 split. 50% of the time the decision is made on facts alone. 50% of the time it’s based in emotion or an emotional response. With such ambiguous stats why would Brian Sheehan, a professor in a business school, come down so strongly on the side of emotion? Because he’s seen the power it can have in building not only a powerful sales force, but also customer loyalty over the long haul. You can hear more of Brian’s insights on this episode. An example of what happens when consumers love the brand. Brian Sheehan conducted a hidden experiment in his classroom once to drive home the point that love of a brand really works. He announced that the University (Syracuse) had struck a deal with Dell computer and was going to refit the entire campus, including all student computers, with Dell equipment. As he looked over the lecture hall he saw at least 100 glowing Apple icons staring back at him. Some students responded so strongly that they were ready to move to another school simply because their favorite computer brand was no longer supported at the school. Brian effectively showed that love for a brand is a powerful force and that those brands that can leverage that have a distinct advantage. The difficult task of discovering the meaning consumers want from your brand. Brands like Apple, Harley Davidson, and Volvo have rabid followings of loyal fans. But it didn’t just happen. Those brands have worked very hard to discover the desires and needs of their customers as well as communicating their company philosophy in a way that resonates clearly with those consumers. It’s a strategy that develops an “Us” mentality about the brand and fosters a community surrounding the company and its ethos. How do you get that kind of buy-in from your customers? It’s a very difficult process, which Brian Sheehan explains on this episode. Is the Love Works approach to sales really worth it? The degree of difficulty it takes to discover the consumer’s preferences and mindsets in order to position a brand to be in sympathy with those things is very high. What’s more, it’s not something that is easily communicated by the brand. There’s an art to it. So is the effort involved really worth it? Can’t sales continue to be done as they always have? Sure, you can do that - but you are missing out on the power of community and customer loyalty that is only enjoyed by a rare number of companies. Anthony recommends everyone grab a copy of Biran Sheehan’s new book, “Love Works” to learn how to move your company in that direction, and you can find out where to get it on this episode. Outline of this great episode [0:42] Anthony’s introduction to the episode. [1:28] Who is Brian Sheehan? [2:30] How people really make buying decisions. [7:34] How big brands can utilize love and intimacy in sales. [13:00] The ways digital media is being used by big brands to build on love. [14:16] How to find the meaning consumers are seeking and delivering the message effectively. [16:58] Why you should get a copy of Brian’s book, “Love Works.” Resources & Links mentioned in this episode www.LoveWorksTheBook.

It’s a wonderful thing to be part of a good sales organization, but what does it look like to be part of a world class sales organization, the truly great ones? Joe Galvin is part of a sales and marketing research and training organization that conducts studies that dig into the practices of sales organizations across the board. In their recent report, “The Growing Gap Between Good And Great” we find some very revealing things about what the truly great organizations do that make them truly great. Most of them are common sense on one level, but that doesn’t mean they are easy to implement or build into the culture of a sales organization. On this episode Anthony chats with Joe about the report to glean the high level insights from the research so that you can build not just a better sales organization, but a great one! 3 dominant behaviors or great sales organizations. While there are many similarities between good and great sales organizations, research has discovered 3 primary areas where the great ones shine. Those three areas are: A customer-core, a collaborative culture, and calibrated success. The three work hand in hand, in that order, to enable world class organizations to build a culture and a strategy that truly understands and meets the needs of the customer in a cohesive way. You can find out more details about each of those traits and hear Joe Galvin’s explanation of how they work in a world class sales organization, on this episode. What does it really mean for a sales organization to be customer focused? If you ask most sales managers if their organization is customer focused, you’ll get a very quick, “yes” answer. But is it true? You can look at the way they strategize and create their sales presentations to find out. A truly customer focused organization will do the hard work of getting outside the organization and into the customer’s world so they can truly understand the customer’s needs and desires. That is how they are able to not only create products and services that help their customers where they live and breathe, but also service them in ways that maintain good relationships and promote customer loyalty. Relationships matter in the sales process. For a long time the mantra in sales has been to “lead with the pitch.” But Joe Galvin believes that’s an approach that is less and less effective. Why? Because everybody has a pitch and customers are becoming more savvy to the way a pitch is made. They don’t care so much about your product or service right off the bat, they care about whether you will care for them and their needs more than anything else. That’s where relational capital comes in. Sales professionals have to spend the time building relationship with customers so that the pitch is backed up by personal trust and commitment. It’s a no-lose approach that Joe’s research supports. The research shows that the easy answer to sales success is the hardest answer. Anthony has observed that sales professionals are prone to the “shiny object” syndrome, looking to the next fancy piece of software or system to increase their sales numbers in a “simple and easy” way. But what he’s long thought is that there is no easy way - at least not like that. The only “easy” way is to truly understand and take care of your customers, which turns out to be the hardest work of all. You can hear how  Anthony and his guest, Joe Galvin approach that issue and how Joe’s research supports Anthony’s conclusion, on this episode of In The Arena. Outline of this great episode [0:41] Anthony’s introduction of Joe Galvin and his background in sales. [4:08] 3 dominant behaviors of world class sales organizations. [7:02] Why it is sometimes easier to count the things we can count instead of looking externally to our customers. [13:21] How internal collaboration impacts the effect...

Dr. Bob Wright has spent most of his life studying what it takes for human beings to transform themselves. I ask Bob about the differences between change and transformation, what it takes to liberate oneself, and how one develops new beliefs to replace limiting beliefs. Show Notes Dr. Bob Wright Transformed: The Science of Spectacular Living (affiliate link) [smartads]

Whining is almost epidemic in the sales arena. There’s always an excuse and you hear them often. “The economy is bad.” “The prospect was only buying on price.” “They got a better offer.” And while there are reasons that prospects don’t close on the transaction with every sales presentation the professional salesperson doesn’t make excuses or whine about the loss. Instead, that person works harder to maximize the process and refine their skills so their closing rate increases over time. You can hear how Kelly Riggs, author of “Quit Whining and Start Selling” addresses those issues and coaches sales professionals to close the deal through their own skill and expertise at sales. Buyers are concerned about price, but it’s not all they are concerned about. It’s a sad situation when all a sales professional can think about is how averse his prospects are to the price of his product or service. That’s a sure sign that his closing numbers are going to drop and he’s going to become discouraged quickly. The problem is that he’s more convinced that pricing is the issue than his prospects are. He’s not convinced of the value of what he has to offer - so much so that he’s able to overcome pricing objections by showing that what he brings to the relationship is much more valuable than the prospect’s money. On this episode Kelly Riggs tells how to get beyond that price limitation mindset, so be sure you listen. You may be the reason your prospects ask for a lower price. Why is it that prospects so often ask for a lower price? It’s at least in part because sales professionals have conditioned them to ask for a lower price by giving it every time. The knee-jerk reaction to resistance based on price is to waffle and lower the price. But a true sales professional acknowledges the desire to have a lower price but takes the conversation back to the value of what the prospect will get for the money she’s paying. When the value of the product or service is shown to be greater than the value of the money in the prospect’s pocket, the sale will happen every time. If you shortcut effective qualifying, you’re decreasing your chance of a sale. Anthony believes that many sales professionals are so hungry they want to cut immediately to the sales presentation, the thing they see as the main arena in which they are able to close a sale. While the actual close does happen at the presentation appointment, there’s a lot more that goes into a successful close on the front end. The qualifying step is of paramount importance when it comes to making sure you are speaking to the decision makers in the company, understand their needs and desire, and are able to effectively address them once you get to the presentation appointment. Shortcutting the qualifying process is a sure way to frustrate your sales success. Kelly’s book is a field guide for the professional salesperson. Other than the fact that Kelly Rigg’s book, “Stop Whining and Start Selling” is full of fundamental principles and approaches to sales, Anthony loves it because it’s so user friendly. On this episode he likens it to a field manual that a salesperson can use on the spot before going into a sales appointment. The chapters are short, to the point, actionable, and easy to understand and digest. It’s a great resource for sales managers to have as a resource for their sales team and it’s a hands on tool for the sales professional to use day to day. Find out how to get it on this episode of In The Arena. Outline of this great episode [0:42] Anthony’s introduction of this episode and his guest, Kelly Riggs. [2:20] Kelly’s introduction of his own role in the sales arena. [3:18] The detrimental effect of whining as a sales pro. [5:00] The 1 to 1 sales approach Kelly teaches. [7:40] The things that are REALLY important to a buyer.

Jake Iannarino is Anthhony's younger brother. He’s a professional comedian and actor with deep roots in improv. When he was 17, he was the youngest member accepted to the national touring improv group, Midwest Comedy Tool & Die, led by Michael Loftus (Producer and Head Writer of Charlie Sheen’s Anger Management). Jake was also in The Animal and The Hot Chick, and recently helped write and produce American Wiseass for The History Channel. In this episode Anthony asks Jake to talk about getting his start in comedy, the rules of improv, trust in the process, and he writes a “new” theme song for the In the Arena podcast (which Anthony promises will never be used outside of this episode.) WARNING: Jake is a professional comedian. You are listening to this podcast of your own free will, and if you are offended —particularly during the song - Anthony takes no responsibility. :) Improv Comedy on a Sales Podcast? It may seem strange that Anthony would feature a comedian on a podcast about sales and the sales process. But he’s not only interested in learning from sales coaches and professionals, he wants to take cues from other walks of life that can help him gain skill in the sales process as well. And more importantly, his guest today is his brother. Jake Iannarino is a standup comedian who integrates improv and music into his act, often together at the expense of audience members - and they love it. Anthony asks Jake about his history in improv and draws out a few timely lessons about comfort and discomfort in the sales process. But know this… there is some spicy language in this one. You’ve been warned. How a salesperson is like an improv artist. It seems like sales and improv are two of the most polar opposite career paths that could exist. But when you begin to learn about the “rules” of good improve the similarities become more apparent. On this episode Jake Iannarino, a comedian and improv artist shares how one of the most important rules for improv is to commit to the process 100%. What he means is that in his interactions with another improv artist he needs to be 100% supportive of the direction the other comedian takes the scenario and amplify on it rather than slow it down. Sales, especially as a team effort and within the organization overall, is exactly the same way. It’s a team sport. You can hear more insights from the improv world and how they relate to sales on this episode of In The Arena. Improv has a lot to teach sales professionals. There are not many people who would feel that they have the talent or ability to be on the improv stage, but sales professionals are often in that scenario day in and day out. Dealing with objections, scenarios, and unexpected needs a prospect may have are the same thing, only on a more serious level. The rules of improv can come in very handy, especially when two or more sales professionals are working together to close a deal. You can hear some of those improv rules on this episode with Anthony’s younger brother, Jake Iannarino. Never negate a team member… the results could destroy trust. One of the rules of successful improv is to never negate what an improv partner injects into a scene. Anthony says that is a rule that should be part of how sales teams interact and operate as well. He’s seen situations where a team is making a sales presentation and one of the team member negates or contradicts something the other said, right there in front of the prospect. Doing that causes the client to wonder how “together” the sales organization is and can destroy trust. It’s interesting how much improv and sales are alike, and you can hear more about the similarities on this episode. Outline of this great episode [0:38] Anthony’s introduction to his brother, Jake Iannarino and the art of improv. [4:12] How Jake got into doing comedy and where it has led hi...