28Jan/112

Perfect Phrases for the Sales Call 2.0

Perfect-Phrases-for-the-Sales-Call-by-Jeb-BrooksI'm proud to announce that my first foray into book writing has come into its own...that's right! The second edition of the book, "Perfect Phrases for the Sales Call" has been released. I hope you'll check it out and let me know what you think [The image on the page you click to is the old one, but we'll be sure to send you the new one].

Based on our careful research of over 12,000 sales calls, this book reveals the precise phrases to use to do things like...

  • Get past gatekeepers and sell to the decision makers
  • Present your products or service in the best light
  • Handle objections, stalling, and other delaying tactics
  • Build trust and cultivate relationships

But what's really cool is that our founder (and my father) wrote the first edition, but I updated it. To be frank, there wasn't a lot of updating to do. Bill Brooks knew sales inside-and-out. He was a man ahead of his time. But, it was still a fantastic project to work on.

So grab a copy and let me know what you think.

@JebBrooks

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13Jan/110

The Brooks Group Named Finalist for Sales Training Practice of the Year

Wow! What a day already! We just learned that we were named a finalist for Sales Training Practice of the Year by the Stevie Awards.

Here's the press release:

THE BROOKS GROUP NAMED AS FINALIST IN 2011 STEVIE® AWARDS FOR SALES & CUSTOMER SERVICE
5th annual awards will be presented on February 21 in Miami Beach

Greensboro, NC – January 13, 2011 – The Brooks Group was named a Finalist today in the Sales Training Practice of the Year category in the fifth annual Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service.

The awards are presented by the Stevie® Awards, which organizes several of the world’s leading business awards shows including the prestigious American Business Awards.

Stevie Award for Sales and Customer ServiceMore than 800 entries from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted to this year’s competition, an increase of more than 60% over 2010

The Brooks Group has been consistently recognized by the Stevie Awards, Selling Power Magazine, and Training Industry, Inc. as a top ranked Sales Training Provider.

Members of the Awards' Board of Distinguished Judges & Advisors will select Stevie Award winners from among the Finalists during final judging, to take place January 24 - February 4. Finalists were chosen by business professionals worldwide during preliminary judging.

“Being named a Finalist in the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service is an important achievement,” said Michael Gallagher, president of the Stevie Awards. “It means that independent business executives have agreed that the nominee is worthy of international recognition. We congratulate all of the Finalists on their achievement and wish them well in the competition.”

“This recognition is really an acknowledgement of our clients and their drive for meaningful sales behavior change. We exist to help them improve their sales effectiveness through assessment, training, and coaching. Their results are our real achievement,” said Will Brooks, president of The Brooks Group.

About The Brooks Group

Founded in 1977, The Brooks Group has helped thousands of organizations in more than 500 industries transform their business practices through practical, down-to-earth skills development in sales, sales management and personal performance growth. We offer our clients proven, best-practice tools – an easy-to-implement sales methodology, industry-leading reinforcement and accountability systems, and sales management training for performance coaching – all geared toward producing long-term, sustainable results. Learn more about The Brooks Group at www.TheBrooksGroup.com

About The Stevie Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in four programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about The Stevie Awards at www.stevieawards.com.

@JebBrooks

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12Jan/115

The Portable Salesperson

On a phone call the other day, the question of the “portable salesperson” came up.

The question was this:

In today’s super-modern, fast-paced, nonstop world, how easily can a sales professional move from one complex sales environment to another?

The answer, I think, depends on how much the salesperson is willing to learn. How quickly he can consume (and retain) information. In a Sales 2.0 where prospects and customers often know as much or more than salespeople, buyers are really looking for experts.

So...could your average, talented “I-Can-Sell-Anything-Salesperson” sell…

  • Wine;
  • Airplanes;
  • ERP Systems;
  • Organic Food;
  • Book Contracts;
  • Commercial Presses; AND
  • Thoroughbred Horses?

No, the average salesperson could not.

However, the one with a thirst for knowledge could. That's the one who has a real passion for learning the things that matter to his craft, his customer, and his income. The only way to know? Assess your sales candidates.

The conversation, by the way, was with my good friend and expert copywriter Jeff Sexton. If you’re looking for good copy, go no further!

@JebBrooks

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5Jan/112

King Collaboration: Ruler of Sales

"None of us on our own are as capable as all of us together"

I paraphrased my favorite Japanese Proverb to make a point: Too often, salespeople stall because they're afraid they don't have all of the answers. The truth is that they'd be much better off if they'd adopt the attitude that, by working together, they'll arrive at a better place.

Smart salespeople look to their colleagues, sales managers, prospective clients, customers -- anyone really -- for answers.

  • A testimonial, for example, is an existing client telling a prospective client that you can do what you've claimed (or, ideally, more).
  • A referral involves working collaboratively with an existing client to identify someone inside their network who can take advantage of your offering.
  • A partnership is identifying someone you can work with to build business opportunities together.
  • A network is a group of people looking to help each other create new business.

As we move into 2011 (and beyond) there will be more and more opportunities to collaborate. Could you partner with someone to write an e-book that would help your prospective clients buy from you? Could you find some experts in your field and coauthor a few articles together? Sure, these ideas may seem a bit far-fetched, but they could help you get discovered by a prospective client!

Are you taking advantage of online collaboration tools?

Are you on LinkedIn? Let's connect there. Are you on Twitter? Follow us.

@JebBrooks

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3Jan/110

How to sell me something

I'm a pretty good prospect for lots of people. I control three budgets (marketing, R&D, and operations) in a privately-held company and I don't have all of the answers to the problems I face.  However, I'm terribly, terribly - at times unbelievably - busy.

So, with that setup, why do people think a Cold Call will work?

The chances of a cold caller catching me at a time when I’m able to pay attention to their offering is unlikely. Even if it’s something I could actually benefit from, I’m probably not going to be able (willing) to stop what I’m doing to focus on what they’re selling.

Cold calls frustrate me, especially when the caller is selling something I really do need. If you’re going to provide so much benefit, PLEASE get my attention some way other than an interruption. Here are some ideas:

  • Find out where I am, and be there. I attend a lot of conferences. Perhaps you can connect with me there.
  • I’m awfully easy to find on social media networks. Let’s tweet, link, or somehow meetup.
  • You've probably noticed that I like to blog. Perhaps you could comment.

I'm not alone; there are a lot of “Crazy-Busy” prospects (as Jill Konrath calls them) out there just like me. You can probably connect with them in similar ways.

The key to connecting with prospects like me  is to meet them where they are in a way that doesn’t interrupt them.

If you can do that…

…you’re doing a lot of good as a salesperson.

For the sake of my time, your time, and all time, stop the interruption-selling!

@JebBrooks

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