Shane Gibson's Podcast – Social Selling – B2B Sales and Influence Shane Gibson

This sales podcast episode is focused on shifting our sales performance management from tactical to strategic. Although there are dozens of strategic shifts we can make, today we are focused on three key levers that can impact your personal and organizational sales performance.







Below you will find the video version of the podcast and an abridged version of the transcript. If you’re looking for a keynote sales speaker for your next sales conference you can contact us to book a quick discovery call.







Sales Podcast – Keynote Sales Speaker Shane Gibson on Strategic Sales Performance















[transcript begins]







Transcript:







I want to talk about strategic sales performance improvement today. Many of our sales performance improvements come down to tactics—slight shifts in interactions or key steps in our sales process. When I think of non-strategic sales performance improvement, I think of merely improving or increasing the numbers.







Instead of focusing on numbers, orders, or specific tactics, I want to delve into how we can impact performance improvement within our sales team, ourselves, or individual salespeople by emphasizing a shift in our strategic thinking. I’ve identified three levers that can alter the way we think or approach the marketplace and consistently impact our overall sales performance. While in many cases we’re thinking tactically, I want us to transition into strategy.







Strategy can also be influenced by tactics. For instance, if your organization aims to focus on larger accounts or more intricate, profitable deals, yet our salespeople still employ tactics suitable for the small to medium-sized industry, we won’t achieve our strategic result. This discrepancy shows how tactics can sometimes drive strategy. If we find ourselves able to close specific types of accounts due to the responsiveness of our marketing and sales processes, it might seem like that’s our ideal market. But often, it’s our tactics which target a specific segment.







So, when we strategically consider new targets or opportunities or evolve our external perspective on clientele and brand, it’s vital to ensure our sales tactics align with our sales strategy shift.







The three sales performance management levers I’ll focus on today are:









* Business acumen building: What does a robust business acumen building system look like? Building acumen in our sales team can be a pivotal strategic shift in our sales performance.







* A-Zone Pipeline Management: Those familiar with my seminars or podcasts know I discuss the A-zone or the 80-20 rule frequently. Here, I’ll delve deeper into how we can strategically approach our pipeline with an A-focused mindset and its effects on our sales productivity and performance.







* In-between meetings: One area to enhance our performance, pipeline, referrals, deal size, and renewals is by systematizing and emphasizing what I term “in-between meetings”. These are value-added interactions over time with key accounts outside of and amidst the essential steps in the sales process.









Building Business Acumen in Your Sales Team:







Discussing the first lever—acumen developing system—what is a system? A system encompasses a process, methodology, technology, and accountability. A reliable system has a clear process, robust methodology for each step, is technologically driven,

This sales podcast is focused on 12 Non-Negotiable Sales Truths. As a sales trainer and keynote speaker I come across people often who want to short-cut and negotiate the price of sales success. This podcast digs into some of the core truths we have to live with and work within. Following is the podcast transcript and video:







(Video) Keynote Speaker Shane Gibson on Non-Negotiable Sales Truths















[Begin sales podcast transcript]







Today, I want to talk about twelve non-negotiable sales truths. There are also twelve not-so-popular sales truths. When we discuss sales truths, one of the things we consider is our desire for success and what it means to be a successful sales professional. As sales professionals and sales leaders, we’re always seeking an advantage, trying to find a shortcut, and aiming to reduce the time it takes to move from point A to point B. However, in many instances, there are core sales truths and principles that can’t be sidestepped. They’re a reality if we aim for long-term success in sales. I will delve into these in today’s podcast. This is available on YouTube @Shane Gibson. Clips/reels will also be shared on Shane Gibson’s Instagram (@ShaneGibson), as well as @ShaneGibsonLive on TikTok. You can of listen to Shane Gibson’s Sales Podcast on platforms ranging from Spotify to Apple Podcasts and many others.







(Please note that Truth #9 was omitted in the podcast and added to the text below)







Let’s dive into these twelve non-negotiable sales truths.







Sales Truth #1 – You can never be too busy to prospect and work your funnel.







It’s crucial to understand that you can never be too occupied to prospect and manage your funnel. Prospecting is an investment for our future that we must consistently make. Often, I’ve observed (and experienced in my business) professionals getting overwhelmed with inbound tasks, client service, meetings, administrative duties, and other work commitments. We sometimes forget that prospecting is our lifeline. Part of this oversight is because results from prospecting aren’t immediate, especially with sales cycles ranging from three weeks to six months. However, top performers who secure deals regularly were consistently prospecting and maintaining their funnel weeks or even months prior. It’s essential to set aside dedicated time for prospecting and funnel management.







Sales Truth #2 – An inquiry is not necessarily a lead, regardless of their “sentiment.”







An inquiry doesn’t always equate to a lead, no matter the sentiment behind it. It’s easy to get overly enthusiastic about someone filling out a form. Still, the debate between sales and marketing teams regarding what constitutes a marketing-qualified or sales-qualified lead is ongoing. Merely because someone shows interest or belongs to a targeted company doesn’t mean they’re a genuine lead. Various other factors determine an ideal prospect. Therefore, before adding someone to the funnel, ensure they meet the qualification criteria. Sometimes, an immediately available person isn’t the right fit. By effectively filtering these inquiries, we can focus our energies on filling the funnel with the right prospects.







Sales Truth #3 – Discovery is much more than just as...

This sales podcast episode is on the fundamentals of sales leadership with focus on behavioural change and sales coaching. I have taken the transcript from the sales podcast episode and am providing it below with minimal formatting or grammatical changes. It’s rather conversational but I’m providing it to those of you who prefer to read or want to highlight specific statements. It’s based upon the lessons I have accumulated working with sales organizations and delivering leadership training programs over the past 20+ years. Following is the full video version of this Podcast and below that is the transcript:























Here’s the transcript:







Transcript for “Sales Leadership – leading behavioural change through coaching and powerful questions”







I’m shifting to both video and audio, so you’ll be able to find the video of this podcast on YouTube. But I’m also going to be sharing those on my Sales Academy website as well. You can find that at Salesacademy.ca.







So, my goal, of course, is to take this content I’m creating in my podcast and distribute it further and in different mediums depending on how you like to learn. I’m also going to be throwing these onto my Instagram channel @ShaneGibson and my TikTok channel @ShaneGibsonLive if you want to access this content in sound bites versus a long podcast.







Today, I’m going to focus on the fundamentals of coaching skills as well as the coaching process for sales leaders in particular. Now, if you’re a salesperson listening to this and you start to check the boxes around what your leader isn’t doing for you, this is really not what it’s about. In no organization is the coaching process perfect. It’s constantly evolving. And sometimes, as a salesperson, you have to step up to the plate and proactively seek that coaching from your peers and your sales leader in your organization. By no means is this meant to be an exhaustive list of criteria you should use to judge whether your leader is any good, but rather an indication of what gaps exist in your organization and where you might need to seek help. And of course, for sales leaders, I’m hoping this gives you a foundation to build upon, so you can have a more solid process in your sales coaching.







The Future of Sales Leadership – Coaching, Technology, and Management Skills







Let’s talk about leadership in general. Sales leadership, first and foremost, is all about driving results. And at the end of the day, driving results is often about behavioral change. So, as a sales leader, the better you become at sales leadership, the better you really are at driving behavioral change, whether it’s in your leaders, if you’re managing a group of sales managers, or your direct line salespeople, if you’re a sales manager yourself. Leadership truly builds people who then build the business. That’s the real core. Leadership also fosters innovation, accountability, momentum, and organizational growth. One of the most powerful parts of leadership is the coaching skill set—the ability to develop people.







With that said, I also know great leaders and great coaches who fail to meet their potential or sustain their organizational growth and success because they lack management skills. A great sales leader is one part coach, one part manager, and, I would argue, one part CTO or Chief Technology Officer.

This podcast episode is focused on sales leadership. As a sales leader, whether we are a CSO, VP of Sales or frontline Sales Manager – we want A-level results from our sales teams.







Here’s a hard sales leadership truth we need to realize:









You can’t get A-level results with C & D players on your team. You need a team full of A-level players or players that are willing to pay the price to become an A.









It’s my belief that we can talk about A-level goals and exceeded targets but if we tolerate C and D level mindsets and behaviours it will erode the momentum and sales productivity of the entire team.







In this sales leadership podcast I dive into how to segment your sales team and where to invest your time. I also dig into when you want to move people up, across or out QUICKLY.







Identifying the Players:







A Players: The Absolute Performers A players represent the top 20% of your team, contributing to 80% of the sales results and energy within the organization. These individuals possess a growth mindset, are eager to develop personally and professionally, and understand the importance of teamwork. They strive for more than just closing deals; they seek to contribute to something larger, making them invaluable assets to your team.







B Players: The Beneficial Team Members B players are open, aware, and show significant potential for growth. They may face challenges such as lack of confidence, newness to the market, or a need for skill development, but they are receptive to growth and improvement. Investing in B players can yield substantial returns as they have the potential to ascend to A player status with the right guidance and support.







C Players: The Convenient Players C players tend to be complacent, content with their current status, and lack the desire to grow. They may not actively harm the team’s performance, but they do not contribute to innovation or energy either. For C players, the choice is clear: grow or go. As a leader, it is crucial to help them make this decision swiftly to maintain team momentum.







D Players: The Disengaged Sales Team Members D players are in urgent need of change; they either need to adjust their attitude and performance quickly or exit the team. Their negative impact can erode team morale and drain energy from leaders that could be better invested in A and B players. Swift action is required to address the issues posed by D players to preserve the team’s integrity and performance.







Understanding the different types of players in your sales team is crucial for effective team management and success. By identifying and investing in A and B players, addressing the issues posed by C players, and swiftly dealing with D players, you can create a high-performing, motivated, and energetic sales team. Remember, the key is not just to manage but to lead and inspire your team towards growth and excellence. This also means making the hard decisions to protect your A’s and B’s from being pulled down by a C or D level sales culture.

Today’s sales podcast is focused on helping B2B Sales organizations prepare to succeed in 2023 and beyond. As a keynote speaker at sales kick-off events I get to look into the mindset and outlook of many sales organizations as they plan for 2023. The focus for many this year comes down to building resilient sales teams and strong daily disciplines.







Sales success in 2023 is not going to look like 2021 or 2019. It’s going to be harder, and even if it isn’t your competitors think it is. We need to take massive action, event if it’s just to build a new discipline. Tough and competitive times are when great salespeople and great sales cultures are built.







Following is my outline covering the key points in this B2B Sales Podcast:







9 B2B Sales Kick-Off Strategies:







1) Revisit your ICP (Ideal Client Profile)









* Your market has changed







* Your existing client needs have changed









2) Drill down on your ICP needs, risks, missed opportunities, and align them with your solutions.







3) Improve your lead nurturing game









* More contact







* More variety







* Better context







* Better timing







* More relationship







* More discrimination









4) Expand while your competitors and contracting.









* Your competitors are hunkering down and hatching, take advantage of this.







* Get out and make some noise







* Look for who has laid of salespeople – unhappy customers and abandoned leads









This includes knowing why people leave suppliers and scan the market for:









* Change in executives







* Supply change problems







* Change in salesperson







* Lack of innovation or broad solutions







* Do your price, quality, function grid









5) Go broad on lead awareness and monitoring and invest in tools like Sales Navigator to look for signals









* Hiring







* Financing







* Mergers







* Product launches







* News









6) Build your own in-bound marketer, brand, resource, hub, & community member









* Curate and Create content







* Engage in conversations







* Be a fan







* Get out in the community









Tell stories using video, most industries don’t have a well known salesperson that is building a brand using short-form video such as TikTok’s, Reels, and Shorts. These videos also get a lot of engagement on LinkedIn. Short-form video can include:







Advice







Events







Personal stories







7) Commit to daily outbound omnichannel disciplines at all stages of pipeline:









* Leads / Suspects







* Prospects







* Discovery







* Proposal follow-ups







* Contracts







* Customer engagement









8) Build your business acumen – clients are more sophisticated, opportunities are larger, and you need to differentiate:

This podcast was inspired by a sales troll on TikTok. I posted a TikTok video on “Why sales is not like dating.” The response was 99.5% positive but there’s always one guy out there. His response was “Sales is like dating …. value-based selling is weak.” This got me to think of this analogy and why it’s so popular and also how sales and expectations of salespeople have changed significantly.







In this sales podcast I dig into how much sales has moved from a “skill set” to a true profession, one where today you can even become a certified sales professional.







True sales professionals are no longer about tactics and explaining the value of their product. The sales professional today knows they need to partner with their clients to create value. It’s a collaborative process and in many cases the customer knows just as much about the topic as we do.







Here’s the original TikTok Sales Video:







@shanegibsonlive Sales is not like dating. It’s an innacurate analogy. #sales #dating #b2bsales #salestips ♬ original sound – Shane Gibson