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

Everybody out there in the sales arena or in the online space is looking to have an impact. For some, that means making lots of money for themselves, but for those who are truly in it to be of benefit to others, there are some great opportunities in the modern age. Today's guest, Chris Brogan, is one of the few people who has taken the time to truly observe what is going on and figure out how it works to the advantage of sales professionals and consumers alike. You will enjoy this conversation between Anthony and Chris as they unpack his new book, “The Impact Equation.” Why contrast is a powerful part of your impact. With the rise of the internet, every market of products and services is becoming more and more crowded every day. If you were going to stand out it is going to require you to create some sort of contrast that makes a difference to your customer. One of the points and Chris broke his new book, “The Impact Equation,” is that contrast is vital to making an impact in the modern era. You can hear help Chris describes the concept of contrast and how he suggest you can go about creating a contrast that matters. Your difference has to be a difference that makes a difference to your client When you think through the issue of how you were going to differentiate your product or service from the competition you need to be sure that you're not just resorting to a gimmick. The contrast you highlight between yourself and your competition has to be a difference that makes a difference to your client or customer. That is how you speak their language in a way that highlights how you benefit them in a way that your competition does not. You can hear Chris Brogan speak about this issue of contrast on this episode of In The Arena. Why you need to build a platform before you need the platform. Every sales professional or business person needs the benefits that come from having a personal platform. Chris Brogan is convinced that every person needs to build a platform before they actually need it. His belief is that you are able to provide precursors to your products or services that will lead your ideal clients into a business relationship with you over time. But you can't do that if you don't have a platform where you are able to produce content and those valuable resources that your pre-customers need. You could hear how Chris goes about doing that on this episode and learn some things that will help you but your own platform into place. How social media is like free mind reading Most sales people or business professionals think of social media as the place where they shout about what they have to offer. But Chris Brogan sees that from the other side of the fence. He believes that social media is a great tool for customer research and observation. Everyone is telling about their own life, they're on it, and their own needs for the entire world to see. It's a great way to become attuned to the very people you want to sell your products and services to, which in turn enables you to position your products and services to be the answer to the needs they are expressing. Outline of this great episode [0:38] Anthony’s introduction to Chris Brogan and why he’s on the show today. [1:33] What brought Chris to write his book, “The Impact Equation.” [2:34] The idea of “picking yourself” and why everyone needs to do it. [4:51] What contrast has to do with the impact you’re able to make. [8:18] What “Echo” means and why it’s important. [10:27] What role does vulnerability play in relating to your customers? [14:53] Why you need to build the platform before you need the platform. Resources & Links mentioned in this episode www.HBWay.com/NL - get Chris Brogan’s newsletter [asa]0470635495[/asa]

In this podcast, I interview Mike Sabin, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Solutions for Dun & Bradstreet. D&B, as you know, also owns Hoovers. Mike and I were brought together over the continued conversation that, in the very near future, the number of salespeople will decline significantly. We both believe that the rumor of the death of salespeople is greatly exaggerated. More still, Mike and I discuss the new skills salespeople need to succeed now and in the future, some of the tools available and how they are being used, and what salespeople would most like in the way of tools. [smartads]

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