Good morning Reader, Most people struggle to do this. I know I do. It is my biggest challenge as someone who loves sales and is also the biggest issue for most people who sell. What am I referring to? The art of Self-regulation. Or as some call it Self Control. Or as I call it ‘Learning when to keep your mouth shut’ 😂 In last week's email, I shared 5 critical characteristics we all need to show if we want regular sales success. Being self-aware was the first one, but the ability to exercise...
12 days ago • 6 min read
Good morning Reader, Who is Chesterton you ask? And what was he right about? He was an Author who wrote many different books, stories and novels, and who was known for many different quotes. This one was his best one though I think and its so, so relevant to those who sell. We should take note. "There is no such thing as boring presentations, just disinterested minds." - G.K. Chesterson I want to use today’s email to explain more what this quote means, and to talk about the key emotional...
19 days ago • 3 min read
Hello Reader, Did you spot if you had Happy Ears Syndrome? Here is a link to last week’s email if you have no idea what I am talking about 😀 As well as needing to listen for what customers aren’t saying to us, it is also important that we don't just take on any business. We do not want BMW customers…. What are BMW customers I hear you say? Read on my friend, read on... Let me share a story with you about a customer I had around 3 years into starting my first business. We were new and growing...
26 days ago • 5 min read
Hello Reader, 👨 Salesperson 1 - The meeting went very well…. 👨🏻🦱 Salesperson 2 - The prospect liked what we had to offer… 🧔♂️ Business Owner 3 - I am pretty sure they are going to go with us….. ⏩️ ⏩️ ⏩️ Fast Forward 6 weeks ⏩️ ⏩️ ⏩️ 🙆♂️ Salesperson 1 - I don’t understand it, they were nodding along to everything I said 🙇🏻 Salesperson 2 - It’s strange, they seemed to have changed their mind 🤦♂️ Business Owner 3 - I am not sure what has happened. They must have had a problem What happened to...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Good morning Reader, Thanks to those who voted. You unanimously decided you wanted the email to stay with Saturday mornings by a number of 9 to 1 and so we will carry on. Anyone want to guess how many Saturdays in a row I have consistently sent an email out? It's a big number. I haven’t missed one for several years now! I am often asked: How do you make the time to write the email?; and How do you come up with ideas to talk about? The first part is easy. It's now a habit and one I can’t let...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader, I am thinking of changing the day over the weekend that I send these emails. Which day and time work best for you to get actionable sales and buyer insights that can help you achieve more? Cast Your Vote Keep the emails on a Saturday Morning Move the emails to a Sunday Evening Please let me know, democracy rules :-) The difference between those who achieve success and those who don’t is nearly almost down to taking action. Many (me included in a few cases) love the idea of...
about 2 months ago • 5 min read
Hello Reader, If you want to be successful at winning business consistently, then you need to become an expert in 3 areas of sales. What you do - What actions do you take? How you do it - How do you take those actions? When you do it - When do you take the action? All too often, lost opportunities and deals are a direct result of the wrong decision being taken at the wrong time. Or even sometimes the right decision being implemented in the wrong way. Just like cooks always say, you can add...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Hello Reader, Another Saturday morning and another sales-related question. This time it comes from Vash: Could you please advise on how to handle this objection: The gatekeeper is persistently saying "no" on behalf of the Director, and it's impossible to get through to them. This is a subject that many who are trying to win business struggle with. It's commonly a challenge when you first try and contact someone but it can also be a problem when you are trying to follow up with someone once...
2 months ago • 6 min read
Hello Reader, The second week of Sales Questions. Last week we covered how to price for a project (the link is here) and this week it's an answer to a very common question. It came in from Paul. "James, I have met with a potential client two times over a 4-week period and at the end of the second meeting, they asked me to provide a proposal to them. I took your advice and arranged a follow-up call to share the proposal with them. They didn’t say much in the meeting but when I asked what their...
2 months ago • 5 min read