Business Development Archives | Page 2 of 10

“What differentiates effective sellers from wannabes today is their ability to listen to others, think laterally, and bring fresh ideas and angles to the problems their prospects are facing.”

~ Chandell Labbozzetta

When you think of the concept of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) sales training, its very title tells you that it’s about the relationship between our brain and our language. It’s actually a twentieth century formalisation of the communication and persuasion tools that leaders and change-makers have used and documented for millennia – tools that were embedded into the education systems of Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome. That systemisation makes the concepts easier to grasp and implement.

Given this background, it is not surprising that NLP is one of the favoured tools of sales trainers all over the world – and that influencers and salespeople use its techniques even when they don’t name them as such but, here are some surprising benefits of NLP training our clients have experienced…

Benefit #1: NLP Sales Training Increases Confidence in All Areas

Professor Dumbledore told Harry that “magic leaves clues” – and so does confidence.

The clues to confidence include a measurable improvement in success in whatever venture you’re engaged in – especially in sales results. This confidence that NLP sales training generates acts like a rolling stone: the more genuine confidence you project, the more sales you close.

Benefit #2: NLP Sales Training Improves Resilience

How do you respond to –

Negative feedback?
Bad news of any kind?
Failure?
Trauma?

Some people quit.

Some people just go through the motions.

Some people are driven to learn from their experience and to work harder and smarter until they succeed.

The difference is your level of resilience that enables you to keep getting back up, applying the lessons you have learned, and refusing to give up because you are committed to the outcome you are aiming for. NLP sales training can help improve your resilience which in turn will make you a more efficient salesperson.

Benefit #3: NLP Sales Training Enhances Creativity

I will never forget the first time I was introduced to Quantum Linguistics – one of the most powerful tools for both problem-solving and creativity.

I watched my trainer draw out truly unique and powerful solutions to problems that participants had been wrestling with for months, just by asking the right questions appropriately… And I determined to master that skill myself.

I was surprised and disappointed to learn that most NLP trainers don’t use this technique because “it’s too hard to teach” – I’ve never had that problem with my students or clients. The enhanced creativity that NLP sales training can provide is truly priceless.

Benefit #4: NLP Sales Training Nurtures Relationships

Given that NLP is mostly about communication, observation, and listening, it should come as no surprise that NLP sales training nurtures relationships, but it really does surprise people when they discover after a few training sessions that both their work and personal relationships are growing deeper.

In the same way that confused buyers don’t buy, confused (or confusing) communicators don’t have many close relationships.

Benefit #5: NLP Sales Training Develops Self-Awareness

We improve our results and our relationships largely by working on ourselves.

BUT… In order to change ourselves we first need to acknowledge and define the problem we are trying to solve. The beauty of NLP sales training is that it provides us with tools to do this in a non-threatening way and then enables us to identify current strategies and replace them with more positive ones.

Benefit #6: NLP Sales Training Creates Prosperity

This should come as no surprise after the previous 5 benefits I’ve outlined but I want to spend a few minutes here anyway. Like ‘success’ and ‘happiness’, everyone has their own definition of what prosperity means to them, so everyone’s life can look quite different and they can all call themselves ‘prosperous’.

I happen to think that it’s important to feel that you are prosperous – even if you are regularly shifting the goalposts on your definition of success as you reach one level… and the next… and the next.

Just think about it… If you are

Confident
Resilient
Creative
Relatable
Self-aware

… Then how can you NOT be prosperous? And NLP sales training helps create prosperity in all of these areas.

“For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.”

~H.L. Mencken

Businesses Large & Small are Doubling their Investment in Sales Training with NLP Sales Techniques

Businesses getting their team trained in NLP sales techniques is a strategically proactive move designed to ensure that they have the deal flow and cash flow to expand as the economy tightens and new opportunities present. It’s a well-established fact that investment in sales training is one of the biggest drivers of resilience during economic turbulence, which is great news for sales training organisations.

The questions I have for you are:

Will you be left behind?
Are you getting the sales training you really need?

Many organisations keep offering their sales teams (and these days everyone from receptionists to account executives to implementers are part of your sales team and should be trained) the same tactical sales training over and over again. The reality is that what most people need to heighten their sales skills is sales training that focuses on elevating mindset, communication, and interpersonal skills – the basic scripts and tactics are good starters but the highest performing salespeople are those whose prospects feel that, “My concerns were heard and responded to and I am convinced that this is an excellent decision.”

That makes sales training both easier and harder to design and deliver. It’s simple because your primary goal is to ensure that you focus on taking their mindset, communication, and interpersonal skills to the next level – the principle at the heart of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP).

It’s hard because while you can make dramatic progress almost instantly and accelerate your sales, it takes time and practice to heighten those skills and make them habitual so you can get dramatic results in a 2-3 day (or even hour) training, but it takes consistent reinforcement for most people to make them stick.

Chandell is a Best-selling Author, Master Sales Trainer and a Master Trainer of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). Experience has taught her that Sales is the #1 Life Skill and that anyone can master it: without this critical skill, your relationships, opportunities, health, and finances all suffer. Take a look at my NLP sales training courses today.

The Danger of Echo Chambers in Sales Training

It’s part of human nature to spend most of our time listening to the same people (usually those with whom we agree, sometimes those who make us angry).

BUT… It’s incredibly dangerous to do this in a rapidly changing world!

As the proverb says, “If all you have is a hammer, then every problem is a nail.” This is a particularly effective strategy for a carpenter, but it’s a disaster for a business owner or salesperson because it makes them ignore the reality around them and often means they miss the opportunity that is staring them in the face.

We all have our preferred mentors, experts we follow, and strategies we adhere to… And that’s essential. If we didn’t, then we’d go crazy jumping from one strategy to the next and never give anything a chance to work.

At the same time, it is also important for each of us to make sure we protect ourselves against the dangers inherent in our own echo chamber by exposing ourselves to other opinions and perspectives especially when it comes to sales.

Listen to Different Perspectives to Boost Your Sales

I have certain people and communities that I’m part of who have an enormous influence on my decisions, and I believe listening to these different perspectives is a great way to boost sales. One of the reasons why NLP is such a key tool for sales professionals is its emphasis on training people to set aside their assumptions and hear what is really being said.

In addition, I also schedule time every day to explore and listen to these different perspectives of people in all areas of life and thought – people who challenge my point of view because they force me to clarify and learn from them.

I encourage you to do the same and make a habit of listening to people who hold different points of view.

Stepping Out of Your Sales Echo Chamber

No matter how valuable your existing community is, you should also really listen to people on the ‘other side’ (and have an open mind as you do so) because it will help you clarify your views and expose weaknesses in your existing sales processes. You may think that you have everything sorted out, but there are always ways that you can step up your effectiveness.

As a business owner or sales professional, you need to pursue a definite goal and follow a clear path if you want to accomplish anything, but you also need to recognise that there are other possibilities for achieving the same aim – and some of them may enhance what you are already doing.

I always challenge my students to choose one area in which they hold strong views and listen to the opposite point of view presented by a credible adherent on their own terms.

Let’s be topical here and talk about sales training:

There are multiple views on how to conduct a sales call and I’m sure you have one.
Find a credible expert who holds an opposing view and listen carefully to their argument and supporting facts.
You don’t need to change your own sales process, just acknowledge that the other side does, in fact, have a reasonable argument with which you disagree.
You can go one step further and identify why you disagree with the perspective.
You can be truly courageous and ask what can I learn or apply from this approach.

Today’s society is more polarised than at any time in recent history. We run the risk of becoming the kind of global society that condemned Galileo because he didn’t bend his thinking. You can spearhead the shift by opening your own ears to other perspectives – or you could start a movement by offering your sales team powerful training that transforms their ability to really hear what people have to say.

The Most Effective Sales Technique is…?

The most effective sales technique is that which makes your salespeople better listeners and communicators and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) sales techniques are the way to go. There’s no question that merely being exposed to NLP sales techniques improves communication skills.

BUT… Very few NLP sales training courses reinforce those skills and reteach them until they become habitual patterns – and very few individuals have the discipline and commitment to keep studying and practising them on their own. This is one of the distinctive characteristics of Chandell Labbozzetta’s NLP Sales Mastery Academy and one of the reasons why international companies invite her back year after year to train everyone from executives to receptionists.

“Selling is about being face-to-face with a customer, truly hearing what they say (not merely ‘listening’) and responding appropriately. When you’re selling by phone or virtually, you need your skills to be more finely honed, not less – that’s how you can use NLP to boost your sales.”

~ Chandell Labbozzetta

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Sales Training = More Important than Ever

As the world shifts back to face-to-face interactions, you’ve probably realised that some of your communication skills are just a little rusty. If so, you’re part of the honest majority who acknowledge the problem and have decided to do something about it – which is where neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) sales training comes in.

Maybe you’re making an effort to attend in-person networking events and conferences or go to the office a couple of days per week rather than work from home. Perhaps you’re going out to restaurants more or hanging out in a coffee shop… But when you look around you realise that there a lot of people who seem to be struggling to communicate and interact.

I get that.

Conversation is like music, a foreign language, dance, or any other practice-based skill. You use it – or you lose it. The first step is to acknowledge that you have a problem and not just pretend things are ok.

The next step is to recognise that this is an opportunity for you. Rather than merely regaining your previous level of expertise in conversation (as opposed to chit-chat), you could choose to become a deliberately skilled communicator. NLP sales training allows you to present your ideas (as well as your skills and products) persuasively in ways that resonate with your audience whether that is one person, a small group, or an auditorium filled with eager listeners.

At Life Puzzle we have a distinctive focus on actually practicing the techniques with precision, understanding the psychology that makes them effective, and exploring real life applications at an appropriate level. If you’d like to find out more, check out our NLP sales training page today.

NLP Sales Techniques Help When Subject Knowledge Is Not Enough

Of course, you know what you are talking about. That’s just your entry card, though.

The key to influence is understanding how your audience sees the subject and its relevance to them. Whether you’re having a conversation or making a speech, you need to make the connections for them – and that’s a skill that Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) sales techniques can help you develop.

You see, all successful salespeople know their product and can explain its relevance and benefits to the user, but the ultra-successful ones know how to read their audience and deliver group presentations that appeal to people with a range of communication styles. Using Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) techniques, these same master communicators and salespeople are also great conversationalists in both large and small groups because of their ability to listen to others and shape their responses to appeal to them.

When it Comes to NLP and Sales, Congruency is Key

NLP and sales go hand-in-hand, but some people think it is manipulative.

I have two responses to this:

All communication is manipulative – it springs from the desire to inform others and shape their thinking and actions. That’s true, even if it’s as simple as asking someone to take out the rubbish bins, shut the door, or do their homework. ‘Manipulation’ as a pejorative term is a misuse of human character.
What is your intention? Are you trying to achieve your own goals or to help the other person? Do you speak from a place of genuine conviction and concern, or is your intention purely self-centred?

I really hate the idea of ‘fake it till you make it’ or taking a position because you believe it will give you an advantage even if you don’t really believe it. If you’re in sales and you aren’t getting results, my #1 question is always:

“Tell me about the product you are selling. Do you believe it represents value for your customers?”

NLP teaches us that our words are only around 7% of our communication – that’s true even on the phone. If you are making sales calls and not getting results, you are either talking to the wrong people or you have a problem with congruency… No amount of sales training, NLP, or anything else will help you sell a product that doesn’t serve its purpose – but NLP sales training can help you develop and communicate congruency around the value you deliver and the price you charge.

The Results of Using NLP in Sales

James knew his product statistics inside and out. He could recite the features and highlight the benefits it would deliver to the buyer. He was personable and motivated, but he wasn’t really getting the sales results his manager wanted even when he was speaking to qualified customers.

He attended an NLP training session I presented on “Confident Closing” and was able to identify the underlying problem that was strangling his sales. Then, using the NLP skills he had learned in that short period, his sales results picked up significantly, and his manager was delighted.

James had also enrolled in my NLP Sales Mastery Academy which I designed to give people a chance to both learn and apply their NLP knowledge in a deep way. There are real advantages of immersing yourself in an intensive NLP training course (and I love delivering those and seeing the transformation), but so many people go home from their intensive and forget to use all the resources they gained!

As James learned the NLP communication (and self-mastery) tools and was challenged to apply them in new ways, he went from a successful salesperson to a master salesperson and superb communicator in just twelve months, and his career blossomed.

If you want to be like James and become an NLP Sales Master, contact us today.

“When the economy is booming, almost any product is easy to sell; when the economy tightens you need to double down on your sales system to turn leads into sales.”
~ Chandell Labbozzetta

The Reason Your Sales System Isn't Working Is NOT the Economy

Over the past few months, there has been a dramatic shift in the perception of prospects I’ve been talking to – especially when you compare them with my clients’ perception of the market. A few months ago, many business owners and sales managers were confident in their ability to make ‘enough sales to meet income targets and quotas’. Now they’re struggling because their prospects are nervous about the future and their communication skills and sales systems aren’t robust enough to cope.

One of my clients made the following comment,

“When the GFC was looming in 2008 (it hit Australia later and less dramatically than other parts of the world) we saw exactly the same thing – making sales of your product or service went from being like offering candy to a toddler, to being more like offering meat to a vegan. It took a genuine ability to understand where the prospect stood and what they cared about, to communicate that understanding, and to offer your product in ways that made it easy for them to say ‘Yes’. Suddenly, sales skills and systems shifted from ‘nice to have’ to ‘critical for survival. The same thing is starting to happen now and it’s slowly spreading from one industry to another. It’s time to brush up on your sales systems and skills… Or pay the price.”

We went on to discuss the fact that it’s not the economy per se that is the problem, it’s how you present your offer in the new climate.

If you keep on doing what you’ve always done in your sales process you will no longer get what you’ve always got… You’ll keep getting fewer sales and less revenue.

The Sales System You Need in a Boom Will No Longer Serve You!

Sally (name changed to protect her privacy) has been in one of my NLP Sales Mastery groups for several years. She’s one of the sales managers at a mid-sized company and she’s chosen to invest in her communication skills so she can also pass them onto her team. Until just a couple of months ago, there was very little difference in the performance of her team and others, but as the economy started to tighten, she discovered that she was closing significantly more sales than her team, and that her team was performing better than all the others. Her colleagues were coming to her and asking what she was doing and whether she could help them develop the same skills and systems.

That’s great for me, because I was contracted to train and develop all the sales teams at her company, but it also demonstrates how the economy is changing and the importance of being prepared for a downturn.

A Successful Sales System is No Longer About Slick Sales Skills… If It Ever Was!

The key reason that my sales trainings are so popular is that they are effective. I really can turn the sales-allergic into sales-enthusiastic because I focus on communication skills. Most people who have an ‘icky feeling’ about sales have that feeling because they think of sales as one person pushing the other into an agreement they don’t really need. I teach people to walk away from sales where your product won’t benefit the prospective buyer and won’t deliver far more value than the money they are paying. You’d think that would lead to fewer sales and appointments, but it actually leads to more sales.

Effective salesmanship was never about shoving a contract in front of someone and forcing them to sign, it was always about discovering what problem the prospect wants to solve and determining whether your solution fits their needs and budget. When the economy is good and interest rates are low, businesses spend freely so you don’t really need to develop rapport and communicate with sincerity, but when interest rates rise those things make all the difference. It doesn’t matter how good your sales scripts are, or how well designed your follow up is if your salespeople can’t establish a genuine connection.

By the same token, it doesn’t matter how good their communication skills are if your salespeople aren’t supported by robust sales systems that enhance their results. I’m a big believer in continued professional development that focuses on expanding personal skills, not merely providing ‘hacks and techniques’ and communication is one of those areas of personal growth that many sales teams don’t focus on… or not until they absolutely must!

The Truth About Sales Systems

“A sales system is only as good as the people who use it… But without good systems, skilled people can underperform.”

That truth is just as applicable to sales as it is to exercise, nutrition, health interventions, and education.

If you don’t have a system for taking care of your health, you’ll quickly lose track of essential medications, dietary needs, exercise, and other important factors. If there’s no system for education (ie curriculum), kids won’t learn to read, write, count, and think.

At the same time, if you don’t have skilled doctors and inspiring teachers, the ‘system’ will only take you so far.

Your sales system is just as essential as those other things, yet too many companies are asking their sales team to fly by the seat of their pants and at best have just a few parts of a system in place. Many of them are then surprised to find that even their star salespeople struggle with morale and performance when the economy tightens.

A sales system is vital if you want to keep your revenues growing and your sales team motivated.

Are You Giving Your Sales Team the Support and Systems they Need?

Many sales systems focus on techniques that are outdated or offer a structured approach that is transient and non-transferable. I’ve attended some sales training where you can’t even use the material you learned in a different department of the same organisation. My sales training focuses on human performance skills and the systemic elements that drive that performance. When I train inside an organisation, obviously we develop systems that are specific to that organisation or department and focus on the specific value-building and context of the product, but I also teach the principles that can be applied in any sales team.

I also periodically teach a sales system design workshop that walks participants through the elements of a sales system and shows how to build one and the crucial principles and skills that your sales team need to develop.

If you’d like to learn more then why not register for our next sales system workshop?

“In a rapidly changing economy, it is essential to have a robust sales strategy and leak-proof sales systems so that you build trust with prospects and clients and never resort to pushy sales tactics.”

~ Chandell Labbozzetta

Sales System Secrets that Position You for Success

Most businesses have pitifully weak sales systems.

That’s OK in a thriving economy – which is what we’ve experienced for the past 10 years or so, despite the stresses of the pandemic. When governments print money, business booms even while the underlying structures are rusting out, but eventually the time comes when you need to pay for everything you’ve borrowed. That time is here. Now.

Therefore… NOW is the time to pay attention to your sales system and ask: is it built to withstand an economic tsunami?

The truth is that you can build a sales system that is fragile or one that is robust. A fragile sales system will see your sales numbers slipping along with your market positioning, and your sales reps turning to desperate measures like discounting and manipulation. A robust sales system may see a slight decline in actual sales revenue, but it will see your reputation rising to new heights of leadership and authority, and your sales reps selling with integrity and confidence.

5 Keys to Your End of Financial Year Sales System Review

There are 5 Key Areas of Your Sales System that you should review as part of your EOFY procedures to evaluate the robustness (or anti-fragility) of your sales system:

Team Morale and Confidence: this is not about whether your sales team is actually closing sales as much as it is about their confidence in the quality and value of your product or service.
Client Needs Evaluation: in a changing environment are your product development people listening to what the sales people are telling them and acting on the information. Do you have mechanisms in place to process this information effectively?
Offer and Pricing Review: based on the information provided by the clients, is your offer as finely tuned as possible and is your price reflective of the value you deliver – and yes, even in a shaky market, raising prices is an effective way of making more
Sales Tools and Training: check that your sales tools are fit for purpose and your sales team are receiving the support and training they need to use them effectively. Ineffective sales tools and inadequate communication skills are a big reason why sales teams turn to pushy techniques and feel unsupported.
Key Metric Tracking: ensure that you are only tracking the 3 key metrics that are leading indicators of your sales success so that your sales team focus on needle-moving activities and can see their upcoming sales success.

EOFY is the most important time to review your sales systems and ensure that they are set up to deliver more sales with less effort and a higher quality of clients. This goal is always important, but it’s especially important when the economy is stressed and inflation and economic slow down are the predominant forecast.

Sales Systems and Processes for a Slowing Economy

As money tightens, team morale and confidence are important keys to your profitability, but nothing boosts morale and confidence more than having robust sales systems and processes to fall back on. This is because even if the flow of leads slows down, these sales systems enable your team to avoid the kind of strident pushy sales techniques that are commonly associated with the confidence crush of the Eighties.

I’ve always said that when your sales system is designed to foster scale rather than growth, not only can you grow your business dramatically in good times (without overworking your staff), but you are also set up to prosper in tough economic times as well because your system has built-in rewards for the team by measuring the key elements of a sale that they can control and it also has checks and balances built-in so that your team can operate at maximum effectiveness.

Confident Conversion 90 days to More Clients, More Cash, and More Impact

In this 90-day program we cover essential strategies to design and build a robust and scalable sales system to prepare your sales team for success in a challenging economy by addressing mindset and communication tools, as well as a powerful sales strategy that delivers results.

Learn more about Confident Conversion: 90 days to More Cash, More Clients, More Impact HERE.

“Are your sales metrics slumping? Give me 5 minutes in your team meeting and I’ll tell you what your problem is… And offer the solution.”

~ Chandell Labbozzetta

The Sales Thief

The other week I was invited to observe a sales team meeting.

The company owner (I’ll call him Jed) was aiming to create exponential growth (scale) in his company, but he was concerned about the sales team because he had noticed that sales were slowing rather than increasing.

It’s actually an interesting time right now for businesses with many destabilising influences around and it means your sales team needs to be very careful not to let what I call the ‘sales thief’ slip in.

Like many owners, Jed had always been the most effective sales person for his products and services because he knew them inside out, understood the mind of the decision-makers to whom he talked, and was able to inspire and reassure them almost effortlessly. He had been slow to take on sales people for this reason, but had eventually built a sales team that was delivering the kind of results he had hoped for… And now, that was slipping away.

He was hoping that I could identify the sales thief that was undermining his team and stealing his sales growth.

Are Your Sales Meetings Helping or Hurting?

Within minutes of the start of the meeting I was quite confident that I knew the answer to their slumping sales and I texted him to tell him what to look for, so he could follow my thinking.

The meeting was lively with energetic discussion and input from all members.

There was good rapport between the members and they were supporting each other in their struggles.

They had metrics, goals, and even solid systems in most of the key areas.

And… all those numbers had gone down since last week’s meeting. What’s more – as I told Jed when we were sitting in his office after the meeting – I was willing to bet that the following week the sales numbers would have dropped again for the 5-word reason I had sent to him in the text a few minutes after the meeting had started.

Multi-Dimensional Sales Training

Success in sales (like most other successes in life) comes from focusing on what you want. Sadly, many sales meetings focus on failure to get what you want and the obstacles that lie between you and your goal rather than a clear vision and a strategic plan.

Most sales training and sales trainers encourage that focus so it’s not surprising to see it play out in the team. Sure, John or Debbie or whoever wins ‘sales person of the week’ sets a target for the team to reach, but often the rest of the meeting is centred on discussions that focus on the reasons sales didn’t happen, rather than the results that you want to see. Like any sales team, Jed’s had been well trained in classic sales techniques and they executed them well. This worked great in a burgeoning economy, and even the pandemic didn’t dent it too badly – the problem was they didn’t have the multi-dimensional thinking that would prepare them mentally and strategically as well as tactically for the challenges of an uncertain market that had an uneasy eye on global tensions, looming inflation, business collapse, and political uncertainty (with so many countries holding elections at various levels this year).

I had only shared one of the key points I quickly identified with Jed during the meeting. Afterwards, I shared the others with him and he nodded agreement as he realised that a sales team that has been operating in a growing economy is simply going to have to learn new skills as the economy tightened and their sales training needed to take a multi-dimensional approach.

Focus Your Sales Systems on Metrics that You Control

There are several components of a multi-dimensional sales training program that will equip your team to perform at its peak in a tightening economy and I won’t go into them here. I lay the foundations for them all in my program Confident Conversion: 90 days to More Cash, More Clients, More Impact, and then we go deeper into how to implement them in my ongoing program for business owners and sales managers, Sales Leaders’ Round Table as well as in my private in-house sales trainings, but what I want to point out is that in a tightening economy it is especially important to focus on the performance metrics that your sales team can control.

By all means ring the bell for closed sales. Sales are the heart-blood of any business and without them you don’t have a business so you need to celebrate them, but appointments and productive conversations are metrics that your team members do control – as is selecting high-quality prospects. There is an almost magical transformation in the morale of your sales team that occurs when you talk about specific ways of changing results – from modifying your offer so it is more appealing (not necessarily cheaper) and putting better-qualified prospects on your call list – and this leads to more sales.

Sales Training for Changing Times

As we head into a more challenging economy my question to you is:

Are your sales team equipped for this environment that demands greater mental and energetic resourcefulness and different sales skills?

This is not only about your business. Many of your prospects who will potentially make large profits from buying your products or services will feel nervous about the investment and, without a carefully choreographed sales process delivered by a well-trained sales person might miss out on the opportunity to take their place as industry leaders. For your business… Well, let me ask you:

Do you see more nervousness, slowing sales, or uncertainty in your prospects?
Has your sales team complained about the quality of leads, or shown a drop in their closing numbers?
Are you feeling a little nervous about reaching the growth targets that you mapped with such confidence at a the start of this financial year?

If your answer to any of those questions was ‘Yes’. Then you probably want to consider whether your sales team needs some help adjusting to this new climate.

“In every adversity there are seeds of opportunity. Whether you stand or fall might depend on the pre-emptive action you take.”

Training your sales team is no exception. You can start now and take pre-emptive action to get ahead of the curve and lead the field or you can follow later and play catch up.

“Psychological pricing involves far more than just presenting value. It also involves knowing your buyer better than he knows himself.”

~ Chandell Labbozzetta

What Does Psychological Pricing Entail?

I’d like you to think very carefully about the above question because it is absolutely critical to your understanding of psychological pricing and why people do – or do not – push back when you tell them the price.

Most of the time it’s not actually the dollar amount they’re pushing against – contrary to popular belief not everyone wants to buy the cheapest product available.

… It’s not even the value proposition you present (although that’s important as I’ve mentioned elsewhere).

… At the heart of every sale the buyer has to say “yes” to two questions:

Do I trust this person and believe what they are telling me is true; and
Do I like this person enough to work with them or the company they represent. (Note the modifier “enough” because it’s very important)

This means that one way or another you have to create some level of rapport AND you absolutely MUST show that you understand them. If you can’t do those two things then you might just as well throw your pricing strategy out the window – it doesn’t matter if you charge $2, $200, $20,000 or any other amount – you’ll be confronted with suspicion and objections.

It’s About the Psychology!

I started my career in sales when sales training was mostly a question of scripts and pushing for the sale… And I hated it with a passion.

I really didn’t like the way that it made me feel and I would watch my mentors kind of push people into signing on the dotted line, see the hunted look in the victim’s eyes and vow never to do that to anyone.

So, I didn’t.

Instead, I studied up on the product.

I studied up on the person / company I was visiting.

I prepared myself thoroughly.

… And closed an incredibly high number of appointments and sales and won almost every sales award.

I quickly realised that it wasn’t a question of the price of the product, success lay in my understanding of the psychology of the buyer – once I had that, my pricing strategy fell right into place and the buyer would happily accept the product that I had already guessed would be most appealing to them.

In other words, my psychological pricing strategy became:

Understand my buyer’s psychology and preferences;
Select the product or package that was best aligned (the one they were really going to fall in love with); and
Offer them that particular thing they already wanted.

This worked like a charm – unfortunately, it was very difficult to teach others – and if my prospect was in a hurry I couldn’t quite close the sale.

The Benefits of Psychological Pricing (No Degree Necessary)

You might be thinking – “Oh great, now I’ve got to get a degree in psychology if I want to sell.”

Actually, that did cross my mind at one stage and I was getting ready to enrol.

And then…

I went to a Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) course. Practitioner level (for me) was more about sorting myself out as I’ve mentioned in my book Confident Closing: Sales secrets that grew a business by 400% in six months and how they can work for you! In Master Practitioner, however, I learned how to discover a person’s buying strategy in less than 5 minutes. At last, I had found the key!

This offered two incredible benefits:

For myself: My preparation time was slashed and my system for understanding the other person became far more certain;
For others: at last I had a simple multi-step formula that other people could implement flawlessly.

This one simple technique – layered on to the strategies I’d learned earlier cut 30 minutes off my sales calls and made it easy to get through to decision-makers. It also totally transformed my pricing strategy and the way I presented my pricing whether I was selling packages worth thousands, tens-of-thousands, or even hundreds-of thousands AND it was easily replicable.

What If I’m Not a Natural People Reader?

The great thing about this technique is that you’ll quickly discover that if you have ears and eyes you can learn to read people easily and effortlessly (which is not just helpful in your business life as you can imagine). It’s even better when you realise that once you are familiar with this technique and you add the tiny refinement I teach my students, you can move away from painful small talk and become the person your prospects and clients love to talking to so they always take your calls.

Becoming THE Preferred Supplier

This one small tweak took a powerful process to the next level and meant that skyrocketing sales was a no-brainer and taking advantage of psychological pricing meant that clients took the most suitable package for their needs close to 100% of the time – instead of playing it safe and taking something that wasn’t quite right for them.

If you’d like to learn more about how to do this yourself, why not join our next program?

Just imagine what would happen if you spent more time talking to ideal prospects and closing sales with qualified people in the next 3 months than you had in the past 3 years. This simple technique puts your pricing strategy on steroids – and makes every sales call fun and energising.

“When your sales strategy depends on scripts rather than relationships and communications, any challenge or economic change can quickly become a crisis.”

~ Chandell Labbozzetta

How to Increase Your Sales Conversion
Rate

When your sales team and management focuses on tactics rather than strategy, you start to see the onset of what I call “Sales Sclerosis” or a hardening of the sales arteries.

Just as hardening of the arteries in your body is indicated by specific health problems – and can kill you if you ignore it – so the hardening arteries in your sales training and sales systems can be seen from some subtle indicators, long before they actually kill your lead flow.

When I was called to diagnose and cure the sales woes of a major Australian recruiting company they were already seeing their new sales decline and struggling to keep existing clients in a changing employment economy.

It turned out that the sales team had all been put through a highly tactical-focused sales training by a well-known company and they had all been told to “follow the script, or else!” Even the sales manager had been seduced buy the reputation of this company and, as sales started to slow and client retention slipped the advice was, “Just keep doing this, you’re learning and these are typical learner struggles.”

It wasn’t until the results for the second consecutive quarter showed a worrying decline that they started to doubt the sales process because, of course, ‘the pandemic changed everything.’ The truth is, that it didn’t really change everything, it just caused some disruption in an economy that had been quite stale for some years. This kind of disruption is part of life, so it should be part of your business philosophy as well.

If you’re trying to hire a sales trainer, there’s one question you need to get an answer to: “Are you teaching a fixed sales methodology?” If they say, “Yes, that’s the fastest way to increase sales conversion rate;” you should realise that it’s also very limiting. The answer you are looking for is: “No, we teach an empowering mindset and flexible tools so you can sell anything to anyone.”

How to Develop Sales Skills and Cure Sales Sclerosis

Like so many other areas of life, building a successful sales team that delivers results in-season and out-of-season starts with your philosophy of sales. It is far, far easier to teach sales using a fixed script and system… and that method can be effective in specific economic scenarios, BUT there is a glaring problem with this approach: when the economy shifts or the perception of the economy shifts, the methodology stops working and your sales team is stuck with a tool that no longer works.

That is what happened to the recruiting company I mentioned before. The team had been taught a methodology and told to use it no matter what! There were even penalties applied if they were found to have deviated from the script – and of course, as soon as sales calls were shifted to online, recording them became painless. Instead of being tools to help them achieve results, the changing climate turned this methodology into a trap that stopped them making sales.

That’s why I am absolutely opposed to sales trainers that remove autonomy, judgement, and personal development from the sales equation. Techniques and tactics are useful, but the most skilled sales people (those who consistently deliver outstanding results) also hone their communication, judgement, and personal skills so that they have the flexibility to analyse any situation and determine whether the problem lies in the solution they are offering or in the sales presentation they are making.

Why Sales Training is Important

Too many sales people are taught that there is only one way to sell a particular item. That was what had happened in this team, even though several of them had been selling fairly successfully for some years.

When I started working with this team, one of the members was ready to quit. He had simply got sick of being forced into an uncomfortable methodology. His sales numbers had been fine at first, so he had ignored the sense of discomfort, but as his results dropped he really started to hate his job and complained that is was dull, he hated the constant rejection, and team meetings were simply miserable.

His numbers didn’t change right away, but as soon as he was given the tools to read his audience, the freedom to respond to his judgement, and the confidence to determine the root of both rejection and acceptance, his attitude changed. He started to look forward to his sales calls again. Six months later, he had developed his own style of sales that was incredibly flexible and effective and the team had started turning to him to resolve tricky sales situations where the clients’ need was evident, but they were struggling to see the value.

Developing a Resilient Sales Strategy

A resilient sales strategy is one that works in every economy. You can identify people who have learned a resilient sales strategy by their confidence, strong communication skills, and flexible thinking. Often, these people aren’t your typical extroverted personalities – they can even be quiet and reserved – which just makes their sales presentation and follow up even more authentic and persuasive.

A resilient sales strategy is a lifelong skill because it can be transferred to any context and media: one-to-many, one-to-one, TV, face-to-face meetings, life audiences, virtual meetings and it results in positive outcomes for (almost) everyone involved.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to develop a resilient sales strategy for your or your team, go to https://3sales.me/morecc to discover more.

“When I thought about building and training my team and all the hoops and processes I would have to follow I was overwhelmed. It wasn’t until I met someone who turned that nebulous list of ‘this is what you need’ into a structured system for doing it that my hiring and training became easy.”

`~ Chandell Labbozzetta

From Nebulous Goal to Clear Process

Several years ago my business was struggling. I was great at my sales metrics, but didn’t have a system for making my financials visible and between my book keeper, my admin staff, and my accountant, it was just too hard to track everything.

It wasn’t until I stepped into a program where I was guided to set up my bank accounts and buckets strategically, accountable for my reporting, and given/introduced to the tools for visualising everything in a systematic way that my results really changed.

It was a powerful lesson that changed the way that I implemented my own sales training programs.

Applying the Model to Sales Training

I took my learnings from that experience and applied it to the way I help clients build and implement their sales systems. Using the model of the financial accountability program to walk people through the process, I also added one key element: I included the training of an additional person (2IC or sales manager) into the program. You see, a business owner or founder needs to be on top of everything to do with sales, but they don’t necessarily want to do it all themselves forever… Or have to train their replacement.

So my sales training program included:
Theory of what, why, and how
Clear steps and processes for every step of the sales system
Tools for execution and measurement
Language tools and personalised guidance on developing your system AND…
Inclusion of a key team member in the program = Game Changer!

That last element means that while the owner knows everything that is going on, they aren’t responsible for execution or training (unless they want to be).

What About Training Your Team?

I loved this concept so much that it’s the kind of program I look for when it comes to refining and expanding every aspect of my business. So, when I thought about tools for recruiting and training my team, I knew I wanted something similar – a program that would waIk me through all the steps, help me build the systems, and allow someone else to attend alongside me – the person who would be responsible for implementing this. I knew that I needed to be aware of the whole process and able to support my team, but I really didn’t want to do it myself… And what I found was that such a program really doesn’t exist – so if you find one, let me know.

Sometimes Theory is NOT Enough!

The reason that group programs with synchronous trainings are so powerful is that they give you accountability and a forum for asking specific questions. A good trainer will answer individual questions fully, but also provide insights that help everyone else in the group apply the same information in their own context.

The ‘pressure’ of showing up live is also good for accountability, but really that level of motivation is only a tiny fraction of the story. A group program also gives space for every business to have more than one head in the room, which means you multiply the impact you bring back into your business without overloading your founder/CEO.

Think about it next time you sign up for any business development program and look for ones that actively encourage a second person to attend alongside as part of the package.

“When Marla stopped thinking that other people needed to change to fit in with her preferences and accepted that she was the only person whose transformation she could control, opportunities sprang out of nowhere and came rushing to her.”

~ Chandell Labbozzetta

You Are Getting the Results You Deserve!

Last week I was talking with a friend whose partner (let’s call him Adam) owns a transport business.

You probably know that there are some major issues within the logistics and transport business at the moment, especially in Australia where interstate border closures have made transporting goods a little complex.

Anyway, apparently Adam’s business is doing really, really well and he hasn’t been plagued by any of the driver strikes or difficulties that other companies are facing. When he talks to colleagues in the industry, they’re all complaining about their situation, and when he says he hasn’t experience any of it they ask, “So, what are you doing?”

It sounds as though they really, truly want to know the answer.

Until he tells them what he’s doing… And the disbelief and objections start to flow.

Adam isn’t hiding his secret, nor is he lying about his results. It’s just that his colleagues and competitors aren’t willing to do what he is doing.

They’d rather live with the results of their decision.

The reality is that they are getting the results they deserve.

I’m Really NOT Being Mean… Just Honest

Craig is a friend who runs a very successful manufacturing business. He’s the kind of person who wants others to succeed, and who believes that the economic pie is infinite, so he even coaches and advises his competitors.

Last year, one of his competitors called and asked Craig if he would buy his business because he was sick of struggling. They went for a drink at the pub and Craig asked some more questions about what was going on… when he heard the story he asked the guy if he really wanted to sell, or whether he would prefer to turn things around himself.

“Tell me more…” said the guy. So Craig sketched out a comprehensive plan to turn things around in 90 days, just by calling suppliers and existing clients, contacting the ATO, and some other really basic steps that were within his control.

“Is that what you’d do?” he asked Craig.

When Craig said, “Yes, that is what I’d do, and it’s what I’ll help you do if you want me to,” he replied, “It’s all yours, mate.”

Ninety days later, the failing deadweight was already profitable, and it has since become immensely profitable as it’s own entity.

Craig is one of those people who are willing to do what other business owners are not. I bet you know both these types of people – all of them getting what they deserve.

It Happens in Sales, Too.

The difference between a star sales representative and one who is just surviving (or ready to quit) has very little to do with talent or opportunity.

Time and time again, I’ve worked with people who complained about the area they’d been given, or the product they’d been assigned to, and blamed external factors for their results. There are two common transformations that happen:

They follow my input-focused, action-oriented sales strategy and start making sales;
Their area or product is assigned to another sales representative who turns their ‘sales desert’ into a ‘sales oasis’.

Maybe you’re selling a dud product or service that nobody wants and you don’t believe people should buy – if that’s your situation then you should quit because you won’t be happy selling things in which you don’t believe.

If that’s not your situation, then I am 100% confident that the real problem you’re facing stares back at you out of the mirror each day.

The GOOD thing about that is that… YOU have 100% CONTROL over that problem… IF you want to solve it.

Once again… You’re getting what you deserve.

Are You Willing to do what Other People are not willing to do to get Extraordinary Results?

Maybe you need to…

Change your sales strategy;
Master new sales and communication skills;
Find new sales networks;
Solve your sales problems in different ways;
Work hard now, to create more choices in a few months;
Change your sales team;
Use different sales materials and approaches;

Many people are stuck in their problems because they aren’t willing to step out of their comfort zone in pursuit of different results.

What would change if you accepted that you are getting the results you deserve right now and that if you want different results, you need to change your thoughts and behaviours?

Benefit #1: NLP Sales Training Increases Confidence in All Areas

Benefit #2: NLP Sales Training Improves Resilience

Benefit #3: NLP Sales Training Enhances Creativity

Benefit #4: NLP Sales Training Nurtures Relationships

Benefit #5: NLP Sales Training Develops Self-Awareness

Benefit #6: NLP Sales Training Creates Prosperity

Businesses Large & Small are Doubling their Investment in Sales Training with NLP Sales Techniques

The Danger of Echo Chambers in Sales Training

Listen to Different Perspectives to Boost Your Sales

Stepping Out of Your Sales Echo Chamber

The Most Effective Sales Technique is…?

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Sales Training = More Important than Ever

NLP Sales Techniques Help When Subject Knowledge Is Not Enough

When it Comes to NLP and Sales, Congruency is Key

The Results of Using NLP in Sales

The Reason Your Sales System Isn't Working Is NOT the Economy

The Sales System You Need in a Boom Will No Longer Serve You!

A Successful Sales System is No Longer About Slick Sales Skills… If It Ever Was!

The Truth About Sales Systems

Are You Giving Your Sales Team the Support and Systems they Need?

Sales System Secrets that Position You for Success

5 Keys to Your End of Financial Year Sales System Review

Sales Systems and Processes for a Slowing Economy

Confident Conversion 90 days to More Clients, More Cash, and More Impact

The Sales Thief

Are Your Sales Meetings Helping or Hurting?

Multi-Dimensional Sales Training

Focus Your Sales Systems on Metrics that You Control

Sales Training for Changing Times

What Does Psychological Pricing Entail?

It’s About the Psychology!

The Benefits of Psychological Pricing (No Degree Necessary)

What If I’m Not a Natural People Reader?

Becoming THE Preferred Supplier

How to Increase Your Sales Conversion Rate

How to Develop Sales Skills and Cure Sales Sclerosis

Why Sales Training is Important

Developing a Resilient Sales Strategy

From Nebulous Goal to Clear Process

Applying the Model to Sales Training

What About Training Your Team?

Sometimes Theory is NOT Enough!

You Are Getting the Results You Deserve!

I’m Really NOT Being Mean… Just Honest

It Happens in Sales, Too.

Are You Willing to do what Other People are not willing to do to get Extraordinary Results?

Share This

How to Increase Your Sales Conversion
Rate