Active Listening: Master It Now Or Kiss the Sale Goodbye

Ever felt like reading a great sales book that wasn’t published 12 years ago? No worries. We’ve got you covered.

In Today’s Jam

• Book Review: The New Model of Selling is the next big thing?

• Active listening in sales: why it matters?

• Expand your network by joining the sales communities.

• Are you following these sales influencers?

Book Review: The New Model of Selling by Jerry Acuff is the next big thing!

Jerry Acuff has been a major voice in sales for 30 years. He is the CEO and founder of Delta Point, a consulting company out of Arizona, and has to date, written and published four books that challenge the way professionals view and approach sales. Considering his prestige in the industry, not to mention decades of experience, it’s not hard to see why his latest book, The New Model of Selling, is on track to becoming his most successful yet.

Co-written by Jeremy Miner (you may or may not recognize him here), The New Model of Selling separates itself by focusing on neuroscience and persuasion. Acuff espouses the philosophy of ‘Thinking Like a Customer’. A lot of that comes through in this content as it prioritizes encouraging customers to think for themselves.

The Good Stuff🏆

• Great insights for both new and experienced sales professionals.

• Particularly helpful for B2B sales where remote selling skills are essential.

• Personable approach to the content, making for a more intimate, entertaining read.

The Not-So-Good Stuff🤔

• The book meanders in the beginning (sort of an icebreaker; a really, really long icebreaker).

Final Thoughts🏁

This would be a great read for newer sales professionals who haven’t been beaten over the head with a thousand sales books for the past ten years. Jump on it early and stay ahead of the game.

Active Listening In Sales: Why It Matters

It’s easy to hear ‘active listening’ and go “Oh yeah. I do that all the time when dealing with clients.” But do you? The line between hearing and listening has been blurred since the dawn of time. To put things into perspective, here’s what happens when you actually apply active listening in sales:

• You make more sales in less time. This is because by listening keenly, you can feel out the direction of the deal, and move on to more qualified leads quickly.

• You gain the customer’s trust; they feel heard and appreciated.

• Prospects offer fewer objections because you emphasize their needs and not your quota!

• You figure out quickly whether your solution is a good fit for the problem.

If you’re not ticking these things off your list right now, then chances are you don’t use active listening and are hurting your sales – badly! Click here and learn more about active listening. It’s not too late!

Does Active Listening Matter More In Remote Selling?

We all know selling has changed a lot over the years, particularly as it relates to remote vs. in-person interactions. But have you considered how this has impacted active listening? Well, it has. A lot. This is due in large to their being limited interactions with prospects on a video conference as well as audience multi-tasking, both of which can put a damper on your pitch.

Before you start pulling your hair out, there are ways to address this:

• Let the prospects talk more.

• Listen with the intent to understand.

• Keep interruptions to a minimum.

• Repeat and paraphrase what they say.

Learn more about how you can master active listening (in remote selling) here.

Ready, Set, Grow: Sales Communities You Need To Join

Sales Pro Central (formerly the sales association)

Sales Pro Central positions itself as the ‘premier resource for sales and business development professionals’. Considering they’re over 100,000 members strong, we believe them! This community has a strong focus on sales management, VP sales, B2B sales, trade shows, and a ton more. They also discuss webinars and other useful events. If you’re looking to network online and in person (as you should) you might wanna check them out!

B2B Sales

Don’t let the straightforward name fool you, this community means business (literally). B2B Sales offers both networking and job opportunities. It focuses heavily on reps from copier, telecom, and payroll companies. If your near-future plans revolve around new employment, you should consider checking them out on LinkedIn.

Game Changers Of The Week

• People are very focused on themselves and prospects are no different. Best way to convince them to buy? Always tell them what’s in it for them.

• Objections can be tough. But what if you could turn those disappointments around? Check out this episode of the Salesman podcast and learn how to get past any sales objection.

• Everyone gets nervous about leaving voicemails, right? Not the top performers in sales. Learn the art of leaving voicemails from Matt Easton.

• The Brooks Group is ready to teach you how to close like top performers with the Impact Sales Training Seminar. Remember, 80% of sales are closed by the top 20% – why not count yourself among them?

• How focused are you on sales territory planning? Ignoring this crucial part of your company’s strategy can put a damper on revenue. Morris Porter tells you all about it on LinkedIn.

Tune Up Follows

Dale Dupree

Dupree is founder and CSO at The Sales Rebellion, where his teams offer sales training and coaching for professionals. Dale is heavy on work culture, and his content is geared towards humanizing SaaS sales and helping you rebel against outdated practices in the field.

Gabrielle Blackwell

Sales development manager at Amp, Blackwell is laser-focused on helping others excel at sales. Follow her for a front-row seat of her valuable insights on LinkedIn. Besides, she shares her content from TikTok as well, some of which is hilarious; and the rest, super helpful like this.

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I Can Relate

The Big Bang Theory Shows Us “Active Listening”….🤪