Unconventional Sales Tips and Tactics with Scott Plum

How do you get through to that perfect prospect? Are the leads weak, or is it what you do with them? Join Professor Scott Plum with the Minnesota Sales Insitute as we put the dialing back into DialItIn. Learn essential techniques for making connections, gaining trust, and creating collaborative and committed sales teams.  

In this episode, we cover: 

• Time management for sales
• How to relate to a sales team's goals and find ways to get better outcomes
• How to understand the problem your company solves, and translate it to your prospects

Show Notes:
00:02:12 Change is optional, growth is essential.
00:07:08 Invest in salespeople development.
00:15:05 Tweak sales process for success.
00:16:06 Lead and challenge prospects.
00:25:51 Build trust and rapport.
00:28:06 Invest in salespeople's training.
00:36:40 Call them back happily.
00:41:09 Emotional intelligence is key.
00:42:30 Empathy is essential for success.
00:47:45 Pay for what's valuable.

Download the Transcript

In this episode, Scott Plum emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and detachment in sales. Salespeople need to be aware of their own behavior and how they come across to others in order to make changes and improve their sales performance. It is crucial for salespeople to detach themselves from the outcome of a sale and not take it personally if a deal doesn't close. This detachment is healthy and allows salespeople to avoid getting emotionally beat up or feeling like failures. It is also important to note that just because a company doesn't buy from a salesperson, it doesn't mean that what they are selling is not important or valuable. It may simply be that something else was a higher priority for the company at that time. The episode emphasizes the need to avoid becoming desensitized to growth and change.

Scott also discusses the three steps to applying knowledge. The first step is to acquire the knowledge. The second step is to believe that the knowledge will work, even if it seems like it may not apply to one's specific industry or situation. The third step is to believe that you deserve a better life. If you do not believe that you deserve a better life, you will not apply the knowledge that you have learned. Once you believe that you deserve a better life, the next step is to apply the new technique. Scott notes that it may not work perfectly the first time, but it is important to continue to improve the technique to get better results. The final step is reinforcement and internalization. This involves believing that the process is your new truth and constantly reinforcing healthy habits to achieve predictable outcomes.

The episode also emphasizes the importance of salespeople using a CRM to manage conversations with customers. Using a CRM allows salespeople to keep track of important information about customers, such as personal details, which can be used to build personal relationships and trust. Without a CRM, salespeople can only manage a limited number of conversations in their heads, which can lead to important details being forgotten. Scott highlights the frustration they feel when companies do not use a CRM to manage conversations, as it can lead to inconsistent messaging and a lack of trust from customers. Some salespeople may resist using a CRM, but it is important to find the right tool and make it easy for them to use. Ultimately, using a CRM to manage conversations and build personal relationships with customers can lead to increased sales and customer retention.