Posted on Monday, July 24, 2017

Better Needs Analysis with the P.A.I.N. Technique

So you’ve landed a meeting with a new prospect. You’ve fostered an environment of mutual trust and respect and created a buying atmosphere. How do you move forward with the needs analysis in a way that gives your prospect confidence that working with you is the right decision? Well, by identifying the pain, of course.

Most salespeople know that they need to identify the pain, or “find the pain.” But that’s just scratching the surface of an effective needs analysis.

I developed the P.A.I.N. technique to show salespeople how to go beyond just finding the pain. It’s an easy to remember approach for deeply understanding your prospect’s needs while setting up the next steps of the sale.

Posted on Monday, September 26, 2016

How I Learned To Shut Up and Be a Better Listener

I have a friend who’s attentive, asks great questions, and always makes me feel important. She’s an amazing listener. I think about her often when I find myself intentionally trying to be a better listener. A little voice says, “What would Leah do?” in the back of my mind.

That may sound strange since (as a coach) I listen to people for a living. But like most salespeople, I love talking! For most of us, listening takes a lot of practice.

That’s why I’ve created a whole set of rules and guidelines for myself so that I’m always working to become a better listener.

Posted on Sunday, September 18, 2016

It’s Gonna Be a Great Day! 10 Ways to Stay Positive

I was recently the guest speaker at a 7:00 am business breakfast at a women’s conference about 90 minutes from my house. That made for an early morning – even for me. It was a cold, rainy day and Shane wasn’t up to give his normal cheerful send-off. Not the start of a great day.

When I got there, I went to the restroom to pump myself up. While washing my hands, I thought, “what a perfect day to stay in bed in my pajamas and watch a movie.” Just then, a woman came out of another stall. Our eyes met in the mirror and I smiled.

“It’s gonna be a great day!” I said.

She sheepishly smiled back at me and said, “Yes. I guess it could be.” I didn’t know it at the time, but that little exchange made a big difference in her day.

Posted on Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Dew Recommends: Public Speaking Skills for Salespeople

If you’re in sales, public speaking skills matter. Now, if you do your selling one-on-one, you may think this doesn’t apply to you. But we’re always presenting, even if we’re selling to just one person. Besides, at some point you’ll need to lead a meeting, accept an award, or give a presentation.

When I was 20, I had to give a speech to an audience of 3,000. I thought I was prepared (I wasn’t) and that my speech was fully memorized (it wasn’t). Suddenly, 5 minutes in, I went absolutely blank. I still remember it vividly: a pounding heart, two sweaty palms, and a sea of blank faces. After the event, I vowed to never step on stage again.

Posted on Sunday, September 11, 2016

Simplify Your Workday: Create No-Brainer Decisions

A few years ago, Shane and I started living a more minimalistic lifestyle. While it started with our home life, I’ve been able to see huge improvements at work, too. It’s amazing how much you can boost your productivity and simplify your workday when you eliminate non-essentials and create no-brainers.

A no-brainer is a decision that’s so easy and automatic you don’t waste any time thinking about it. You just do it. We create no-brainers when we set up simple systems or delegate tasks to make our day easier.

Here’s a few no-brainers I’ve implemented to boost my own productivity:

Posted on Thursday, September 1, 2016

Deliberate Practice Will Make You a Better Salesperson

I often tell my coaching clients there’s only one way to get over call reluctance or master their sales pitch: you have to write it down and put some deliberate practice into it. If you want to get good at something – anything – you have to do it over and over again. Makes perfect sense, right?

Pretty much everyone agrees with all of this. Until I ask them to practice, right now… on me.

“But, Dew… I hate role-playing!” Or, “It feels like such a waste of time when I’ve got so many other things to do.”

Here’s my standard response:

Posted on Monday, August 8, 2016

Create a Winning Morning Routine

I’ve found that a rock solid morning routine can be the first and most important ingredient for daily success. Looking back to my teenage years, my mother (and my 16-year-old self) would be shocked to know that the 40-year-old me is such a morning person (actually, I like to refer to myself as an “all day person”)!

The more structured my morning is, the better I feel throughout the day, and that means I get more work done and close more sales.

My clients ask me a lot of questions about my personal habits, so here’s a little snapshot of my morning routine: