This session will examine reluctance feelings and proven methods for overcoming them, as well as proven tactics for getting to decision makers. For many business people, prospecting, especially making cold calls is a dreaded activity. In this session we’ll learn what causes call reluctance; work on techniques for overcoming call reluctance and ultimately how to make effective prospecting happen. Attendees will also compose and practice a prospecting approach customized for their business.

1. Selling Smart Workshop Series

2. Selling Smart Workshop:
Overcoming Prospecting Paralysis
Erik Meier –
Sandler Training - Troy, MI
Kirk Armstrong –
Gerry Weinberg & Associates
Joe Marr –
Sandler Training- Ann Arbor

3. Selling Smart Workshop:
The Board of Directors
Jim Woods –
The CEO Advantage
Greg Peters –
The Reluctant Networker
Joe Marr –
Sandler Training Ann Arbor

4. Selling Smart Workshop:
Format
Workshop 9 – 10 am:
 Interactive Training Session
 Addressing Common Challenges
Panel Q & A 10 – 11 am
 Application
 Specific challenges in your business
 Anything

5. Selling Smart Workshop Today:
Overcoming Prospecting Paralysis
 Examine reluctance feelings and methods for
overcoming them
 Proven tactics for getting to decision makers
 Compose and practice a prospecting
approach customized for your business.
Panel Q & A : How to apply prospecting tactics
with finesse and grace, real-world

6. Overcoming Prospecting Paralysis

7. Cause: programming.
 From childhood
 77% of behavior programmed
 Self-limiting attitudes / beliefs
 Sales stigma
 Between parents

8. Cause: emotional
involvement.
 Seeking affirmation
 Fear rejection
 Take it personally
 Self-consciousness
 Tough gatekeepers
worst case?

9. “Sales is no way to get your
emotional needs met, it’s a way to
go to the bank.”
D. Sandler

10. “You can’t fail at prospecting
unless you fail to prospect.”
D. Sandler

11. Solution: plan
 Block out time daily
 Do it
 Get better at it
 Gain confidence
 Get results
 Success is doing it
 Journal it

12. Solution: positive self-talk
 Drown-out negative
 Say it
 Write it
 Believe it
 BC/WC

13. BC/WC
 Best case if I do it
 Worst case if I do it
 Best case if I don’t do it
 Worst case if I don’t do it
Dr. Ben Carson,
“Take the Risk”

14. Solution: be yourself
 Be imperfect
 Conversational
 Have fun
 Go for the “no”

15. Summary; Solutions:
 Understand your programming
 Plan your prospecting
 Positive self-talk
 Be yourself
Stop sounding like a “salesman”!

17. GETTING PAST THE
GATEKEEPER
Call at the top, sound like :
 familiar with prospect
 customer
 not like a salesperson
They expect you to sound like a salesperson.
 Interrupt the pattern
 Sound like you expect to be put through.

18. Voicemail-Jailbreaks
 $million attitude brevity
 It’s important.
 Truncated message
 “…better give you my cell…”
 3X and it’s over?

19. Redirecting Gatekeepers
When they start the inquisition, redirect with:
 urgency
 reversing / confusion
 “Oh…I’m sorry…”
 overload

20. We’ve talked about gatekeepers…
…how about PROSPECTS?

21. Traditional Call
 Opening (fake)
 Pressure Pitch / Sell
 Trial Close
 Overcome Objections
 Power Close

22. No Pressure Call
 Pattern Interrupt
 Mini UFC
 30 Sec Commercial
+ Hook Questions
 Get Appointment
 Post Sell
 UFC for Appointment

23. Make one.
 10 minutes

24. Exercise
Groups of 3
 Roles:
 Sales Person
 Prospect
 Observer
 Phone Call
 Run down the worksheet
 PLAY it “REAL”

25. Lessons Learned
 One takeaway
 Can you use it?
 On Business Card:
 Questions – “Q”
 Speaking Opportunities – “S”
 Contact me – “C”
 Raffle (Free e-book, too!)

27. Questions for the Panel
On break take a moment to write
questions for the panel about:
 The workshop
 The panelists application of tactics
 Specific challenges in your business
 Anything

28. Selling Smart Workshop:
Overcoming Prospecting Paralysis
Erik Meier –
Sandler Training - Troy, MI
Kirk Armstrong –
Gerry Weinberg & Associates
Joe Marr –
Sandler Training- Ann Arbor

29. Selling Smart Workshop Series
December 5, 2012 9-11 am
Overcoming Prospecting Paralysis
 Examining reluctance feelings and
proven tactics for overcoming them, as
well as proven tactics for getting to
decision makers.

30. Selling Smart Workshop Series

31. What hoops are you jumping
through?

32. Hoops
 Call me in 3 weeks.
 I need to think about this; keep calling me.
 We're just not ready, come back in awhile.
 You're much too expensive, can’t you give
me a discount?
 I'm just not sure your product will do, can you
guarantee it?
 How about you let me use it for a month and
if I like it I’ll pay for it?
 Etc. (Think of your own)

33. What hoops do they give you?
 How do you answer?
 How should you answer?