Creating and Connecting the Dots with Brian Tracy

 

20141215_133131-1_resized_1On my way to have lunch with Brian Tracy, I took a moment to consider the conversation that would unfold. On one hand, I was about to sit down with one of the best known speaker-author-entrepreneurs in the world when it comes to optimizing human and organizational performance and results. On the other hand, it was also just a chance to sit down with a neighbor and friend whom I have known for over seven years.

Perspective

In the slim chance that you don’t know who Brian is, hit this link to learn more: http://www.briantracy.com/about. In short, Brian has worked in 80 countries and delivered his programs to over 5,000,000 million people in a 45 year career. He has authored 65 books that have been translated into many languages.

It was refreshing to hear Brian say that when it comes to sales, customer and buyer behavior is the same 80% of the time anywhere that he has worked or traveled. What is different, is the 20% of the equation that is attributed to cultural adaptation, languages and localization as buyers reflect the nuances of the areas in which they live.

Creating and Connecting the Dots

In our conversation, Brian referenced the speech that Steve Jobs delivered at the Stanford Commencement in 2005, saying that the key to success in business or in life is connecting the dots. The dots are the true opportunities that you pursue in your life, sometimes those that are off the beaten path of what “success” looks like. But before you connect the dots, you must be continually creating dots.

In that capacity, Brian is currently focused on a strategic planning program for organizations and individuals that he calls Idealization. This program takes into consideration all of the critical components that organizations and individuals must balance to account for family, careers, health and finances.

He is also working with business leaders throughout the world on Business Model Innovation, and has developed a nine-step process on how to stay ahead in business. The speed at which new technology is being introduced, coupled with the rapid globalization of commerce, both contribute to the demise of business models more quickly than ever before. To stay ahead, business leaders must innovate and Brian is addressing this need with his services.

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On the Road Again – Ringing in the New Year

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John is back in the new year with his first “On the Road Again” video of 2015. Here he is, literally on the road in his hometown of San Diego, CA, talking to us about what we have to look forward to in this month’s Flannery Sales Systems newsletter. Features include an interview with Brian Tracy, one of the world’s leading experts on personal and organizational performance and results, as well as an article on the growing importance of Sales Operations as sellers increase their reliance on technology to interact with today’s more sophisticated buyers.

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Meet Up with John in Australia

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I will be in Sydney, Australia next week as part of a global rollout out of the sales process implementation plan for one of our customers. If you are in or around the city or near Bondi and Manly beaches, come meet for coffee or a meal. We can discuss your priorities for 2015, and share ideas on what we see as critical for a fast start to the new year.

Email me if interested at john@drive-revenue.com. Good on ya!

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Flannery Sales Systems in Barcelona

 

ET_header_567x140Happy 2015! This year, John Flannery has been invited to lead a workshop as part of European Language Industry Association’s (ELIA) Expert Training event in Barcelona, Spain.

We hope you consider joining John for this exciting learning opportunity. The event will focus on business-critical topics such as sales, creativity and conflict management.

John’s workshop is entitled “How to Win Business from New and Existing Customers”, and in it, he will work with attendees to help them differentiate themselves through the conversations they have during the sales process.

For more about the ELIA expert training, take a look at their event page. We hope to see you in Barcelona!

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Wrapping Up 2014 and Looking Ahead to 2015 in Australia and Spain

 

John and team traveled to the snowy East Coast last week to lead a workshop in Ithaca, NY. In this video, John previews our upcoming newsletter featuring a video from Gerhard Gschwandtner, founder and publisher of Selling Power magazine and long-time FSS partner and colleague. Flannery Sales Systems will be heading to Australia in January (Sydney and Melbourne) and Spain (Barcelona) in February. If you’d like to join us for a session, or meet John for a coffee if your city is listed on our calendar, reach out to john@drive-revenue.com.

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Why Sales Process?

 

Watch Gerhard Gschwandtner, founder and publisher of Selling Power magazine and long-time partner and colleague of Flannery Sales Systems, discuss the importance of having a sales process to achieving company goals.

 

 

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Flannery Sales Systems in Barcelona

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John Flannery has been invited to lead a workshop as part of European Language Industry Association’s (ELIA) Expert Training event in Barcelona, Spain.

This learning opportunity includes a series of in-depth workshops designed for all professionals who believe in personal and business growth. The event will focus on business-critical topics such as sales, creativity and conflict management.

John’s workshop is entitled “How to Win Business from New and Existing Customers”, and in it, he will work with attendees to help them differentiate themselves through the conversations they have during the sales process.

For more about the ELIA expert training, take a look at their event page. We hope to see you in Barcelona!

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Introducing Precision Guided Selling: Selling at the Speed of Change

 

brian_dThe following is a guest post written by sales and marketing veteran Brian Dietmeyer. Mr. Dietermeyer has 20+ years of experience in the field and is a frequent public speaker and published author on Negotiations, Marketing Research, Business to Business Relationships and Adding Value. He has also authored two books: Strategic Negotiation and B2B Street Fighting.

5600blue, the first-ever vertically integrated data, technology and sales enablement platform, is rolling out a new technology that delivers the fastest transition available from a change in the marketplace to a change in the frontline sales conversations between salespeople and buyers. The firm calls the new approach Precision Guided Selling, to enable selling at the speed of change.

“Two years ago the Harvard Business Review announced the simultaneous death of Solution Selling with the birth of Insight Selling. Precision Guided Selling is poised to replace Insight Selling, itself a new technology,” states Brian Dietmeyer, President and CEO of 5600blue. “The idea of Insight Selling, while still relevant, has remained just an idea because the challenge of getting customized data to the field in real time has kept it there,” adds Dietmeyer.

Jim Dickie, Managing Partner of CSO Insights, a research firm that serves Chief Sales Officers internationally, believes 5600blue’s technology platform obsoletes the current sales training paradigm, “Their combination of process, technology, and knowledge creates a game changing platform for delivering insight data both in real time and in a way that is accessible to sales teams. Salespeople now have access to the actual knowledge they need to optimize the value they bring to the table.”

The Precision Guided Selling platform meets the test of speed. That is, we can now measure in just days the time required to go from a marketplace event or internal initiative to a change in the buy/sell conversation:

  • Your revenue management/pricing department has a new initiative to drive up margins. How long before the new prices are being quoted?
  • A major competitor just announced doubling their international coverage, 52% of your revenue comes from international markets. How long before your salespeople are talking about a changed value proposition vs that competitor?
  • Senior leadership says you’re investing in too many demos for the wrong customers and need to improve pursuit decisions. How long before improved qualification criteria are being used by sales teams?
  • A new regulation or geo-political event has just changed the needs of your customers. How long before salespeople can map your value drivers to these emerging needs?

The Precision Guided Selling platform Dickie talks about is a proprietary cloud-based system 5600blue delivers via a cloud based app. The two keys:

  1. It makes real time insight data easily available to salespeople across the entire sales cycle, from qualification, gaining access and leading the decision, to creating and capturing value and closing.
  2. It offers training, coaching and win/loss reviews to create complete buy/sell process alignment.
    Again, Dietmeyer, “This has to be the measure of sales training effectiveness, the speed from event or decision to when the sales conversation changes. Is it days, weeks or months? Tomorrow isn’t too soon in many competitive spaces. Next week is too late for most.”

For a complete demonstration of the Precision Guide Selling platform please contact Brian Dietmeyer at 312.925.9326 or bjd@e-thinkinc.com

About 5600blue

5600blue is the first-ever vertically integrated Insight Selling consultancy. Our DNA includes training, consulting and over 20 billion worth of win/loss reviews with companies like Microsoft, Sun, Honeywell, Symantec, FedEx, Coca-Cola and Dun & Bradstreet. We can deliver insight data that are available across the entire sales cycle via a cloud-based app; all tied together with training, coaching and deal win/loss reviews. www.5600blue.com

 

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Flannery Sales Systems in Richmond and Monticello, Virginia

Flannery Sales Systems recently traveled to Richmond, Virginia. In this video, John discusses what you have to look forward to in our upcoming blog posts and newsletter, including guest posts from sales leaders like Brian Dietmeyer and a straightforward look at how FSS can help you sell more.

 

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How I Help You Sell More

driveRevenueCycleIt would be great if I could sell to you. But I imagine that you will only buy from me if I can help you to sell more.

In order to do that, there are a few things I need to figure out before you’re ready to buy from me.

1. Who do you sell your stuff to? By this I mean what type of company.

2. What job titles do they usually have in the types of companies they work in?

3. What challenges do those customers have when they don’t have the things that your stuff helps them to do?

4. If nothing changes regarding the challenges that those customers face, what is the financial impact?

5. Do those prospects know enough or care enough about those challenges to make a change?

If they do, proceed to #6. If they don’t, you may need to tell them a story about someone who you worked with that didn’t realize the challenges they faced and how your stuff helped to fix it. See if they care. If they do, proceed to #6. If they don’t, move them into your call back file for later and move on to the next prospect.

6. Once those challenges are shared, and there is a reasonable amount of impetus to make a change, describe how your stuff can help them to address and fix the challenges.

See if you can help the customer to quantify the value that they could recognize with an improvement. If you can you have a qualified opportunity. If not, you may have to tell another story about how you helped someone to address the challenges and what the value was for them. If they agree, you may proceed. If not, put them in the same call back sequence as #5.

That’s it – six things I need to understand before I can effectively sell to you. And, guess what, they’re the same six things you need to understand before you can effectively sell to your prospects and customers.

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