The Sales Playbook Podcast

Episode 90 3 Steps To A Stronger Network October 15 2013

As sales professionals, business owners and aspiring rock stars in our own right, failure is an unfortunate part of the equation.It's an unfortunate part of the equation and yet we allow it to take us from our dreams or worse yet, keep us from trying.Today, we are going to have a real candid talk about this!I'll share some interesting stories about some people you've heard of who've failed like . . .The founders of GoogleOne of the founders of PayPalStories about Babe Ruth and Thomas Edison that many people haven't heard.And I'll also share a story about an epic failure that showed up at Castain Training Systems back in 2011. It was actually a very profitable failure to say the least :)We'll also talk about 5 things you can embrace to help you (or someone you know) get through a tough time, a setback, rejection etc.Please pull up a chair because I think we need to have a talk!

Episode 88 Creating A More Thorough And Consistent Prospecting Plan September 15, 2013

During ourlast free sales lessonwe discussed how our biggest competitor is no long anyone else who sells the widget we're selling; it's everything else that competes for our prospect's/client's attention.This week, we're going to expand on a really important thing when it comes to getting (and keeping) someone's attention;Our ability to deliver a message that's more compelling than all the other things that hijack our audience's attention!Here’s What You’ll Gain By Listening Today . . .How understanding two areas of your prospect’s/client’s world will help you become more relevant to them!A must ask question about the difference you and your company bring to the party.3 things that help you deliver messages that capture the interest of your audience.8 things that make what you say more believable while keeping their interest.A simple rule to help you facilitate better meetings with your prospects/clients.Time is running out . . .If you plan on joining us for our 8 week, online sales course, you'll need to register soon because registration ends on September 20th. I think you're worth the small investment to join us . . . do you?Click herefor info, pricing etc and if you're a sales manager and you'd like to know about discounts for 2 or more, please email mepaul@yoursalesplaybook.com

Episode 86 Selling In A World With A Shorter Attention Span August 26, 2013

Episode 85 The Learning Makeover August 12, 2013

We all have something that we want/need to get better at. We all things that we need to learn. Boy, do I have some ideas to help you get there quicker! In this week’s free sales lesson, I have several ideas to help you get there quicker. Before, I tell you exactly what you can expect, I want you to know that I just lost 22 lbs in 90 embracing this formula. My coaching clients have made President’s Club, freed themselves of personal debt and have attracted the things they really want into their lives. I will warn you . . . there’s nothing sexy or sophisticated about the 3 steps so don’t even think about dismissing it because of it’s simplicity! Good plans Effective plans KICK ASS when they are so simple that, wait for it, wait for it . . . You actually do it! Here’s What You’ll Gain By Listening Today . . . Several things that need to be in check with your attitude and no, I’m not going to go all “Positive Thinking” “Rah Rah” on ya . . . I’m talking about things people never take the time to embrace as part of a successful mindset. The two areas everyone should be asking for help with but egos tend to stop them. How to replace fear with a much more productive emotion. Why you procrastinate. Something I learned from a 8 million dollar a year printing sales rock star. What Bruce and Fant taught me about giving back. How to start your day on the right note (I know, we always start in the right mood) A sad statistic about when the average person stops learning and how much of their life is spent “rusting” A cool perspective about reading from Robin Sharma. Why you dismiss so information that could help elevate your success to the stratosphere. A DEADLY trap most people fall into when they stop after only 2 of the 3 necessary steps towards embracing success. Why “Practice makes perfect” is complete Bullsh*t. 4 ways you can practice to fast forward your success! Resources Mentioned In This Week’s Podcast . . . 1) Do You Have The Guts To Do This? 2) How Patience Is The New “Secret Sauce” 3) Profile Of A Sales Rock Star! 4) Success . . . Two Feet At A Time! 5) How to bring your learning up to a more serious level. 6) Has Your Success Experienced A Stay Of Execution? 7) I also mentioned a way for you to say $50 and get a free bonus session in our upcoming, online sales program. Click here for details but beware . . . The early registration discount and bonus session expire on August 12th! Are you diggin The Sales Playbook Podcast? If you’ve been loving, what you’ve been hearing on The Sales Playbook podcast, please stop by iTunes, leave us a 5 star rating and a review . . . You’d make this aspiring sales rock star’s day! Instructions on how to write a review on iTunes: Step 1  Click on this link Step 2 Look to the left and there’s a button that says “view in iTunes” click it. Step 3 Scroll down to where it says “customer reviews” Directly under that it says       “write a review” Step 4 Write an awesome review for your Uncle Paul

I think it’s time for us to talk about something, that no one EVER wants to talk about and yet, sooner or later we all go through it. It’s a little something that’s called “falling into a rut” and this week we’re going to talk about how you can get yourself out of one! Here’s What You’ll Gain By Listening Today . . . How slowing down actually speeds up your momentum . . . provided you do the things I mention. How to look in the mirror and assess your activities and skill level. Note: I offer a cool freebie on the podcast to help you with this! A problem solving question with 5 sample questions you need to ask yourself NOW! How to look at everything you do to drum up business and seriously challenge it. Challenge as in “Why am I doing it this way?” “Is there a better way?” You know, all the “Sales 101” type of stuff that you probably blew off as “basic” and yet you never do any of it :) A meeting you absolutely MUST schedule with your existing clients and how it can generate additional business for you. Something you can do with your “list” that will make it more exciting. How “accessing” a certain thing from your past can help you perform better today. Why you need to start thinking bigger picture as in beyond your temporary setback. A new way for you to look at everything you are doing so you never miss a beat! Note: I have a firm rule about NO Editing when it comes to this podcast. I want it to be natural, conversational and unrehearsed. To that end, please forgive me for screwing up the date. I like to make mistakes like this ever once in a while to remind you that I’m an idiot. :) Are you diggin The Sales Playbook Podcast? If you’ve been loving, what you’ve been hearing on The Sales Playbook podcast, please stop by iTunes, leave us a 5 star rating and a review . . . You’d make this aspiring sales rock star’s day! Instructions on how to write a review on iTunes: Step 1  Click on this link Step 2 Look to the left and there’s a button that says “view in iTunes” click it. Step 3 Scroll down to where it says “customer reviews” Directly under that it says       “write a review” Step 4 Write an awesome review for your Uncle Paul

You might have read the title of today’s post and thought “Nope, this one isn’t for me Uncle Paul. No plans on starting my own business!” I have two responses to that . . . How do you know what the future has in store for you? I knew in my heart that “someday” I might start a business again but I had no clue that life would through a left hook at my wife and I in 2011? Even so, I still think there’s a lot for you to take away from the things I’m going to cover. By the way, this is going to be something very different that what you’re used to reading when it comes to starting a business. Most experts tell you all about business plans and securing lines of credit, attorneys etc. If you want more of that, the good news is that everyone talks about it. Not me! I want to talk with you about the stuff no one ever covers! Here’s What You’ll Gain By Listening Today . . . We’ll cover how you can “build your network” long before you need them. Most people wait until its far too late when it comes to building a network. There are a good 5 or so tips in this section alone that most people aren’t doing! You’ll learn about something you need to have in place in a really strong way otherwise you most probably won’t make it beyond the 19-24 month “death zone” of new business start ups. If you think its money and clients . . . think again! Something you need to discuss with your significant other if you want your relationship to survive the rapids up ahead! You’ll learn about the importance of defining the things that are absolutely, positively “out of bounds” when it comes to clients, work/life balance etc. We’ll talk about a really cool (and really sick sounding) concept called a “human war chest” and how it will make your life easier when you start your business! Why and how you’ll need to embrace learning at a much higher level if you want to thrive. Resources Mentioned In This Week’s Podcast . . . 1) I mention the awesome Social Media Marketing Podcast. 2) How to build your army BEFORE you need it! 3) How to transition your network from virtual to real time! 4) How to define your “out of bounds markers”. 5) How to bring your learning up to a more serious level. 6) The “left hook” that made me start Castain Training Systems! Are you diggin The Sales Playbook Podcast? If you’ve been loving, what you’ve been hearing on The Sales Playbook podcast, please stop by iTunes, leave us a 5 star rating and a review . . . You’d make this aspiring sales rock star’s day! Instructions on how to write a review on iTunes: Step 1  Click on this link Step 2 Look to the left and there’s a button that says “view in iTunes” click it. Step 3 Scroll down to where it says “customer reviews” Directly under that it says       “write a review” Step 4 Write an awesome review for your Uncle Paul

Do you remember the days when you couldn't wait for summer vacation? I have to confess that these days, with a thriving business, I experience most of my summer through my kids but . . . I still manage to balance the activities I need to do to continue to grow this business while having the time of my life over the summer. How about you? Well just in case your answer was less than enthusiastic, you might want to check out this week's Sales Playbook Podcast! Here’s What You’ll Gain By Listening Today . . . You’ll learn about a really cool list that I’ve been making for the last 3 summers that has made all the difference in the world! An exercise (and a cool freebie) to help you get back to the things that you absolutely love doing! Several ways for you to combine great summer fun with getting the work done to pay the bills! Something people totally screw up when it comes to taking vacation time. The importance of a “What the hell” day. A way you can combine business trips with family fun. A lesson I learned with regard to slowing down when it came to spending time with my daughter. Resources Mentioned In This Week’s Podcast . . . 1)    How To Create Your Summer Bucket List 2)    Our Rock Notes program. 3)    The Beach Chair Jedi. 4)    You’ll Need To Make Some Decisions This Summer! 5)    VanHove Graphic Communications (the awesome folks who design this website and all my direct mail pieces) 6)    Our second annual Sales Camp Program (which you better hurry and sign up for because it starts on July17th! Are you diggin The Sales Playbook Podcast? If you’ve been loving, what you’ve been hearing on The Sales Playbook podcast, please stop by iTunes, leave us a 5 star rating and a review . . . You’d make this aspiring sales rock star’s day! Instructions on how to write a review on iTunes: Step 1  Click on this link Step 2 Look to the left and there’s a button that says “view in iTunes” click it. Step 3 Scroll down to where it says “customer reviews” Directly under that it says       “write a review” Step 4 Write an awesome review for your Uncle Paul

For many people (here in the US) the summer selling season can be challenging. Some people feel that it’s pointless to try and reach out to buyers they believe are either on vacation or “mentally checked out” others are too busy with their own vacations and “mentally checking out”. What’s an aspiring sales rock star to do? In this week’s podcast, I’ll share over 11 ideas to help answer that question! Here’s What You’ll Gain By Listening Today . . . A decision you need to make, right now that will dramatically affect your result and give you some peace in the process! A summer time stalling technique that you need to be prepared for and an assignment to help you and your team ascend to new levels of badass! Why you might want to actually accelerate your efforts. Why you absolutely (as in it’s non negotiable) need to email during the summer months and any peak vacation/holiday season. A certain type of client meeting that can give you multiple rewards. A summer “social” strategy. A way you can generate a few extra phone appointments each week. Some thoughts on specific “events based marketing” to support your sales efforts. One thing you CAN do over the summer if you find you never have time to do it when you’re busy. And a few other thoughts that I’d just rather have you discover for yourself! Resources Mentioned In This Week’s Podcast . . . 1) My free report How To Generate At Least 3 New Phone Appointments Each Week. 2) How you can surprise your customers. 3) 5 Free Sales Resources To Help You Sell More. I could really use your help . . . If you’ve been loving, what you’ve been hearing on The Sales Playbook podcast, please stop by iTunes, leave us a 5 star rating and a review . . . You’d make this aspiring sales rock star’s day! Instructions on how to write a review on iTunes: Step 1  Click on this link Step 2 Look to the left and there’s a button that says “view in iTunes” click it. Step 3 Scroll down to where it says “customer reviews” Directly under that it says       “write a review” Step 4 Write an awesome review for your Uncle Paul

Everyone and their mother (they actually bring their mother with them) tells you to join LinkedIn and get involved. They tell you that its a great opportunity to build your brand and ultimately increase sales but . . . If you're like me you're really appreciate it if someone actually told you HOW! Today, we're going to talk about how you can utilize LinkedIn groups to help your sales efforts. Here’s What You’ll Gain By Listening Today . . . How to utilize LinkedIn groups to help you with your Meticulous Pre Call Planning The types of LinkedIn groups you must join and a huge mistake you need to avoid when joining groups. Note: I realized after I recorded the podcast that I left out two very important types of groups. I’m not going to rerecord or edit my podcast as it’s something I insist on doing in 1 take only. Watch for a blog post on this topic later this week. The triggers you need to listen for within the groups. A hidden gem inside the groups that most of your competitors will miss completely. One really cool reason why everyone who leads a sales team will want to stop by sales groups on LinkedIn. How you can create content from LinkedIn groups that will help position you as an expert. How LinkedIn groups play into how buyers are buying. How you can use these groups to stand out and even gather competitive intelligence. A cool trick that will save you a considerable amount of money How you can transition from group to a live (as in not dead) chat with your prospect. I also talk about why you might want to start your own group (even outside of LinkedIn) Additional Resources To Support Today’s Podcast . . . 1)    I mention our Sales Playbook group on LinkedIn, please click here to join us! 2)    For those of you in the printing industry, I mention a really cool group called Printing Sales Professionals click here to join. 3) For those of you who would like to learn 15 Ways To Facilitate A LinkedIn discussion, click here for a way cool freebie. 4) Here’s a 17 page report on how you can generate at least 3 more phone appointments each week . . . by utilizing LinkedIn! 5) If by chance you want to splurge and invest a whopping $19.99 in yourself, here’s an 80 page social networking playbook I authored. 6) At the end of the podcast, I mentioned a special link for you to click to help us spread the word about The Sales Playbook Podcast. Could you hook a Jedi up and by clicking here? If you’ve been loving, what you’ve been hearing on The Sales Playbook podcast, please stop by iTunes, leave us a 5 star rating and a review . . . You’d make this aspiring sales rock star’s day! Instructions on how to write a review on iTunes: Step 1  Click on this link Step 2 Look to the left and there’s a button that says “view in iTunes” click it. Step 3 Scroll down to where it says “customer reviews” Directly under that it says “write a review” Step 4 Write an awesome review for your Uncle Pau

I’ll come right out and say it . . . I really believe that sales reps under utilize Facebook! There are many ways that you can use this platform and it begins by rethinking this whole “Facebook is for personal” stuff! This week . . . we’re going to dive headfirst into several (as in mucho) ideas and philosophies that will not only help you on Facebook . . . many of them will help you anywhere you choose to embrace “Social”! Here’s What You’ll Gain By Listening Today . . . How and why you should tap into the 480 million plus mobile users of Facebook. Why it’s so important that people can see your “business casual” side and how you can leverage someone else’s. How to fix your concerns about privacy and people seeing things you don’t want them to see. Why Facebook doesn’t like your blog/website and limits the amounts of view when you post those things. One way I dramatically increased engagement on my Fan Page. The importance of “conditioning” your fans. 3 ways to stay incredibly relevant to your Facebook community! How to use photos and videos to “humanize” your brand. How to get more fans. 2 letters I send out to my LinkedIn network and how they’ve helped create Facebook traffic and new “likes

It’s been a while since I offered one of my 3 minute audio tips so I thought I’d share something that I recently had to change. It dramatically changed my focus and its already helping me get better results. I hope you’ll give it a quick listen . . .I think you need to hear this today

Whether we like it or not, more and more decisions are being made by committee. This week I thought we’d go there girlfriend! Here’s What You’ll Gain By Listening Today . . . Something that you can do to build your presentation muscles and will cost you absolutely nothing! A simple question you can ask when setting your next appointment to help you prepare properly. How I use LinkedIn, blogs, and a very specific website (that isn’t Google) to help me prepare thoroughly. A huge assumption people make when they learn about someone’s title. A different way to embrace these types of meetings that moves you way beyond someone presenting or (God forbid) giving their pitch. 2 really cool types of questions that you need to ask if you want people getting involved. A discussion format I use in the classroom that you can use with a committee. You’re welcome! A certain type of person you need to fear . . . to the point that you take the action I prescribe in the podcast. At the end of the podcast I mention some free resources for you to take full advantage of. 1) Here’s a whole page of free e-Books, PDF’s, posters etc to help you bring your game up a notch or three and did I mention that it’s free? Click here and enjoy! 2) Join 35,000 of your sales peers in our LinkedIn group by clicking here. 3) Join 1700 of your sales peers in our Facebook community. Please like us and spread the word to your coworkers. I could really use your help . . . If you’ve been loving, what you’ve been hearing on The Sales Playbook podcast, please stop by iTunes, leave us a 5 star rating and a review . . . You’d make this aspiring sales rock star’s day! Instructions on how to write a review on iTunes: Step 1  Click on this link Step 2 Look to the left and there’s a button that says “view in iTunes” click it. Step 3 Scroll down to where it says “customer reviews” Directly under that it says       “write a review” Step 4 Write an awesome review for your Uncle Pau