Accelerate! With Andy Paul

Bridget and I discuss the connections between new sales technologies and enhanced sales productivity, as well as the future of sales technology. 

Jeremy and I discuss what sales organizations are a good fit for gamification, and how to implement gamification to improve sales productivity.

Norman and I discuss what to look for when selecting a training vendor, creating a culture of accountability, and the skills a sales manager needs.

Brian and I discuss poor implementation of sales automation tools and the lack of training to teach sales reps how to authentically connect with customers.

Craig and I discuss the current state of the sales process and how to build a sales process that supports the needs of the seller and the buyer.

Joining me on this episode of Accelerate! is Matt “Handshakin” Holmes, Founder of Handshakin.com,and author of the eBook, Six Networking Strategies for Entrepreneurs: Networking 101 for new startups and first-time entrepreneurs. Among the many topics that Matt and I discuss are how Matt realized he could teach others about personal branding, some of his strategies to build and protect personal brand; the importance of online networking; and using networking to build your personal brand.   KEY TAKEAWAYS [2:10] Matt learned that asking to interview someone about their success is a good shortcut to networking. [3:14] Matt’s shares his favorite “networking with billionaire” story about landing an interview with Jeff Hoffman, founder of Priceline.com. [5:22] Matt defines the critical elements of your personal brand. [8:59] The steps sales reps should take to build their brand online. [10:09] Matt describes the plug-ins to use with LinkedIn to build a powerful networking platform. [14:15] Easy steps all sel

Bridget and I cover how collaboration and engagement can accelerate the buyer’s journey to a productive conclusion.

Joining me on this episode of Accelerate! is Brent Adamson, Principal Executive Advisor at CEB and co-author of the bestselling books, The Challenger Sale and most recently, The Challenger Customer: Selling to the Hidden Influencer Who Can Multiply Your Results. Among the many topics Brent and I discuss are how the ‘challenger customer’ paradigm presents a challenge both for the buyer and the seller, how it forces sellers to adapt their processes, and strategies for creating a mental model of the customer’s business and strategy and how ‘selling low’ to establish stakeholder consensus is an effective sales strategy.   MORE ABOUT BRENT ADAMSON Who is your sales role model? Steve Jobs, because I’m in the business of selling ideas. What’s one book that everyone should read? Any book that gets you to say, “Huh, I never thought of it that way before”. What music is on your playlist right now? O.A.R., Dave Matthews   CONTACT BRENT ADAMSON Website: CEBGlobal.com CEB Sales Leadership Council CEB Marketing Lea

Kendra and I discuss cold calling and whether it is an ineffective use of a sales rep’s time, and how to make yourself into an authority.

Jamie and I discuss common misconceptions about social selling, as well as the necessity for engaging the buyer on every front.

Anthony and I discuss why you need a passion to excel at whatever you do and the three essential traits all successful sales professionals possess.

Ali and I discuss the biggest challenge facing sales reps in today’s environment and problems that can result from relying entirely on data to manage sales. 

Bridget and I discuss the priority of habits before skills; time management habits and skills; and the superiority of sales conversations over scripts.

Gerald and I discuss how to provide the transparency and responsiveness that transforms the customer buying experience and produces more sales.

Lars and I discuss the evolution of Account-Based Sales Development (ABSD), and how Cloudera is effectively using ABSD to drive its sales growth with major accounts.

Glenn and I dig into why most sales training is not effective, and how to understand emotional drivers of behavior change.

My guest on this episode of Accelerate! is Laurie Sudbrink, Founder and President of Unlimited Coaching Solutions, Inc., author of the book, Leading with GRIT: Inspire Action and Accountability with Generosity, Respect, Integrity and Truth. Some of the key topics Laurie and I discuss are the key elements of selling with GRIT, how to implement change in yourself and in your organization, and the five steps of change Laurie prescribes that you can use to transform your selling.   KEY TAKEAWAYS [2:30] Laurie wrote Leading with GRIT to reach more people in the workplace than she could by coaching. [4:01] The Acronym GRIT -- generosity, respect, integrity, and truth -- is really a way you can develop passion and perseverance in your career. [11:25] The Respect and Integrity aspects help a leader to build trust, and flow right into Generosity. [15:32] Laurie describes the fundamental problem when it comes to introducing change into our lives and how to effectively teach it. [18:58] Andy and Laurie discuss th

On this week’s episode, Bridget and I delve into dealing with ambiguity — and how to use it to your advantage in sales.

Craig and I discuss the development of online and mobile CRM, why CRM implementations fail, and integrated marketing automation.

Ian and I discuss understanding the problems your product solves for the customer and how to qualify your customer by enticing them.