Useful sales stuff for sales professionals - from sales trainee to sales director and business owner
…
continue reading
'Lively up yourself and don't be no drag'The first line of the Bob Marley song is a call to arms for everyone to raise your vibration - get your energy levels up.Bring your A game to everywhere, everything and everyone.And into work. Especially in sales, the energy we bring to our work impacts directly the success of our work and therefore the over…
…
continue reading
How is your sales team set up? Motivated or disciplined? Neither or both? A trip to IFAT in Munch teaches me a lot about both and 2 trips to see Bruce Springsteen reminds me about the importance of thoughtBy Shift Control
…
continue reading
I'm sat here waiting for an engineer to arrive to install broadband. They'll be here soon, well some time but it might not be soon at all, in fact just like last Friday, they might not arrive at all...By Shift Control
…
continue reading
Spending 2 days at an exhibition in Birmingham with plenty of time to think and a cancelled flight with the Irish national air carrier of real choice - not Ryan Air - gave me some food or thought on how some of the very basic sales techniques of the past can compete with the very best the digital world has to offer…
…
continue reading
Sales momentum is critical for any business - are you able to turn the heat up when you need to or does your team operate at inconsistent levels across the year?Would you trade of 3 hours of flow sales for a day of?By Shift Control
…
continue reading
This podcast gives a brief insight into a project that I had the good fortune to work on over the last 3 years that culminated in a customer service charter.All the good work of a business that has a clear focus on driving value through a better working relationship with customers - something that ill clearly differentiate them from their competiti…
…
continue reading
For so long we only thought in terms of academic intelligence. Along came Daniel Goleman and Emotional intelligence in the mid 90s and yet before in 1938 - Howard Gardner had introduced Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences where he talks about multiple intelligences, 8 and how they can impact our world view and our engagement with o…
…
continue reading
Fergal Keane is a renowned journalist, war correspondent and author of 'Madness: A memoir of war, fear and PTSD.'Not a normal read for me but a brilliant biography and my first encounter with epigenetics and generational trauma.And a good reason to be reminded about the importance of screening your media intake…
…
continue reading
1
Make critical thinking part of your sales process
23:05
23:05
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
23:05
Too often the focus is on asking questions rather than analysing what you know.In this podcast I talk about the origins of critical thinking and how it can be applied to your sales process along with EQ, to help deliver greater success.By Shift Control
…
continue reading
As luck would have it I ended up speaking to someone with the inside track on customer service at the MerrionBy Shift Control
…
continue reading
Found myself back at the Merrion Hotel in Dublin, last weekend...just 3 days after the deployment of the largest number of Garda in riot gear.(If this podcast was part of the BBCNI offering, Garda would be described as *the Irish Police....)Interesting times on all fronts - but no change at The Merrion where customer service was exemplar.Worth taki…
…
continue reading
1
Is your inbound sales process as good as your outbound?
21:44
21:44
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
21:44
My work recently with a client has put me on the other side of the buyer - seller relationship, as we build a new business development team.I have been amazed at the approach taken to my interest in their 'Sales SaaS' resulting with the feeling that outbound sales are deemed more precious than their inbound counterparts.In the podcast I go a little…
…
continue reading
An episode that I had threatened to record at least 3 times - about the GAA and their response to the alleged abuse by Rory Gallagher to his wife Nicola. The recent events in Spanish football and the threat of prosecution against Luis Rubiales has persuaded me to record this.I hope that the GAA can learn and learn quickly from what's going on in Sp…
…
continue reading
What else would you be at on a bank holiday except recording a podcast on life as a start up against life as a mature business. My work with a few of these clients recently has prompted me to record this - also watching some of the 2014 Queens Sigerson team flourish in the start up world.Some clear differences in setting up a business in 2023 v 199…
…
continue reading
Selling is not a symmetrical process. It's far from it. Once a seller makes a connection with a business thats when the hard work starts but it's important that to understand that most of the hard work should be done before the selling even starts.This podcast covers a methodology to consider when you are looking at the other person's(the buyer) pe…
…
continue reading
1
Does digitisation cater for the different learning styles?
12:23
12:23
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
12:23
For me the jury is out when it comes to NLP, DISC profiles and the rest...learned recently that I'm more of a skeptic than a cynic when it comes to this sort of thing but it made me wonder about other aspects of personality and the softer skills when it comes to selling.I also learned that there are as many as 12 learning styles - I had thought the…
…
continue reading
1
Some thoughts on sales territory planning and forecasting
24:06
24:06
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
24:06
Some thoughts on what might well be the most important part of the sales role - territory planning and forecasting.There is an obvious logic to planning in almost every aspect of our lives and yet when it comes to sales management and sales that's not often the case.This podcast is a quick run through some tips and ideas to help with planning a sal…
…
continue reading
Around this time each year, I get asked to speak to a group of business owners from across Northern Ireland - the brief: "What's new in sales?"Everyone wants to hear what's new in sales - quite rightly. Any new methodologies? Technologies? Routes to market? What is everyone else doing?The truth is that pretty much everyone else is making some basic…
…
continue reading
A series of short-form podcasts - only a few minutes long - with some areas that I think are worthy of consideration if you are struggling in sales. All based on experience as a sales person - been guilty of a few of these myself for sure - and most of them I have seen from the position of a sales coach and trainer.We all know that relationships ar…
…
continue reading
A series of short-form podcasts - only a few minutes long - with some areas that I think are worthy of consideration if you are struggling in sales. All based on experience as a sales person - been guilty of a few of these myself for sure - and most of them I have seen from the position of a sales coach and trainer.It all depends on the sales cycle…
…
continue reading
A series of short-form podcasts - only a few minutes long - with some areas that I think are worthy of consideration if you are struggling in sales. All based on experience as a sales person - been guilty of a few of these myself for sure - and most of them I have seen from the position of a sales coach and trainer.A classic here - many people ridi…
…
continue reading
A series of short-form podcasts - only a few minutes long - with some areas that I think are worthy of consideration if you are struggling in sales. All based on experience as a sales person - been guilty of a few of these myself for sure - and most of them I have seen from the position of a sales coach and trainer.This one is about all those times…
…
continue reading
1
Focusing Too Much On Your Product Or Service
6:39
6:39
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
6:39
A series of short-form podcasts - only a few minutes long - with some areas that I think are worthy of consideration if you are struggling in sales. All based on experience as a sales person - been guilty of a few of these myself for sure - and most of them I have seen from the position of a sales coach and trainer.This episode is where we find our…
…
continue reading
1
Good brands don't just read the room. They anticipate it.
11:14
11:14
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
11:14
A week has passed since I made the veneration at the altar of Bruce Springsteen whilst making my first stay at the Merrion hotel.It made me think about what good customer service looks like - how good brands not only read the room, they anticipate it.Again and again.Against a back drop of the music, whiskey and craic was the headline dominating dom…
…
continue reading
How do you decompress from a hard shift in the office or out in the field?"Climb a mountain or jump in a lake?"By Shift Control
…
continue reading
A busy time of year for many businesses as they close off 2023 and gear up for 2024. By the end of March 2023, 5 of my customers will have activated significant campaigns to target new business across the North of Ireland - from completely different sectors.Great to see sales and marketing teams working together for that common goal - I have always…
…
continue reading
1
The cost of creativity, 'The Tube' and why you should consider Sales Training
25:05
25:05
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
25:05
This podcast takes a few left turns on the way to talking about the 3 fundamental reasons why you should consider sales training for your business...there might even be a fourth.On the way I talk about the cost of creativity - thanks to ChatGPT, MidJourney, Fiverr etc...creativity can be funded from petty cash compared to 'back in the day.' Less th…
…
continue reading
This episode is nothing short of a signpost to another podcaster and a specific podcast - Lex Fridman and Chris Voss on the Lex Fridman Podcast.If you're interested in fine-tuning your negotiation skills this episode gives a brilliant insight into human behaviour, emotional intelligence and helps explain some of the common stumbling blocks that we …
…
continue reading
In the world of sales, closing deals and generating revenue are often seen as the most important metrics of success. However, what is often overlooked is the role that empathy plays in achieving those goals. Empathy, the ability to understand and share the feelings of others, is a crucial skill that sales professionals need to possess in order to s…
…
continue reading
1
Applying Root Cause Analysis to your sales tactics
9:36
9:36
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
9:36
Root cause analysis is a method used to identify the underlying reasons or causes of a problem or issue. The goal of root cause analysis is to uncover the source of the problem and address it at its root, rather than simply treating its symptoms. This approach to problem-solving has been widely adopted across a range of industries, including busine…
…
continue reading
The quality of the work at the very first stage of any sales process usually defines the success of the campaign – get it wrong at the start and the ending will be predictably bad.Get it right and it can be a game changer.For salespeople and sales management alike, the art of prospecting is a double-edged sword.On one hand, it is the lifeblood of s…
…
continue reading
I reckon I'm qualified to post this podcast based as much on a legacy of failures in negotiation and the odd success.I have been holding back on recording a podcast on negotiation - it's a complex area, with hours of content but you have to start somewhere.Negotiation is the business end of sales - where you earn your commission or get sacked, as I…
…
continue reading
January is a tough month for most of us - it's especially tough if you work in sales, either as a sales leader or in business development.January is usually a time for rate increases. It's also the time of year that buyers and prospects can easily avoid your calls - which leads to no meetings for the month. Unless you have planned. Seasonal mood sw…
…
continue reading
1
The future of sales copywriting. Do the AIs have it?
14:36
14:36
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
14:36
If you've tried writing a blog for your website, what is the most important thing for you? Creating more SEO content? Posting engaging and meaningful content for prospects and potential customers? Satisfying Google? Making sales? Some of the above?Over the last year I had been looking at a number of AI content providers - Jasper being the first and…
…
continue reading
Three weeks from now the Qatar World Cup will be over and our news media will be filled with other local, regional, national or international stories, all made important by editorial staff, driving circulations and audience figures to satisfy greedy media owners and large corporations.Think of everything else that's ongoing in our world just now - …
…
continue reading
If you think you don't have enough acronyms in your life then this podcast is for you. Thinking acronyms in sales - BANT, ANUM, FAINT...so many that are centred on the N word...NEED.I share a story about working in a start up and building a pipeline of sales to almost £2m...based on what the customer needed...Except it turns out that they didn't ne…
…
continue reading
1
Shift Control Episode 9: Oonagh O'Reilly, Sales and Marketing Director at ICC Belfast
47:13
47:13
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
47:13
Oonagh O'Reilly has been involved in sales in one form or another from the early days learning on the farm to various high performing roles with the NI Chamber of Commerce, The IFA and the ICC Belfast.We have a varied conversation - the importance of having a purpose and vision, getting a handle on the basics of sales and marketing which allows you…
…
continue reading
1
Shift Control Episode 8: The UK's most hated sales trainer
50:28
50:28
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
50:28
With sales training there aren't many guarantees although the degree of certainty does improve dependant on a number of factors.A clear strategy, willingness to learn & coach-ability, strong leadership, a sound and understood culture, buy-in.I try hard to live by the idiom "it's not about being right but about doing the right thing that matters." B…
…
continue reading
1
Control the controllable 3: Emotional Intelligence
8:17
8:17
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
8:17
Emotional intelligence fits in as a logical 3rd episode in this series...all about being more self aware, understanding what prompts your feelings and the responses to those feelings.2 men that I worked with in the past used to say: 'Try and see the picture in the other man's head.'Says it all - or most of it anyway - Daniel Goleman gets the credit…
…
continue reading
1
Control the controllable 2: Building Resilience
18:59
18:59
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
18:59
We all suffer from setbacks - there is no escaping that fact. In sales we think that we encounter more of them on a daily basis - rejection, ghosting, the competition, the economy all can put greater pressure on us to perform.In this brief podcast, through my work as a coach and as a sales person, I share some tips that might help you build up your…
…
continue reading
1
Controlling the controllable 1: Stop The Press
8:44
8:44
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
8:44
A short series of podcasts on the stuff that sales people can look after on their own so as to make their sales time more productive and more craic.I hate the media - not irrationally I hope, but I've an understanding of how the machine works and how it impacts our well-being.Negativity and bad news is the order of the day - lets not include the ca…
…
continue reading
1
Shift Control Episode 7- Hugh Gilmore On Building A Lasting Culture (and So Much More)
51:36
51:36
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
51:36
Hugh Gilmore has spent over a decade providing sport psychology support to Olympians and Paralympians, coaches and the associated multidisciplinary teams. He is passionate about training people in Motivational Interviewing, (MINT Member) and has also trained in Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT**) at the Albert Ellis institute in NYC. (**Acr…
…
continue reading
I watched a brilliant documentary over the weekend on Ange Postecoglou and his 12 month transformation of Celtic. You look on in awe at the speed of the cultural transformation, the off-field impact that has turned around on-file performance.IT's important to take a sense check on what is possible with a sales team referenced from a sports team.The…
…
continue reading
I won't lie to you on this one but there are 100 + resources online that could help you write better sales content. My perspective is a bit more basic than that - if you don't write a lot with your work, if you write mainly with acronyms and text-speak, if you didn't pass your English O'Level, GCSE, then you need to get a handle on the very basics …
…
continue reading
Some thoughts on account management that I wanted to share with you. I often see the roles as being under-developed within organisations and can be a number of reasons for that which I highlight briefly in this episode.Do you have the right people looking after the right accounts?Are you ignoring some potential accounts based on their current value…
…
continue reading
1
Getting the best out of your sales meetings & assorted
17:32
17:32
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:32
Curious to see how the return to work or the continued working from home is impacting your sales culture and how you are able to inject the spark into the weekly sales meeting/huddle/symposium or whatever you are calling it.For me there are some core issues that need to be discussed - as a broad framework - and everything else is built around that.…
…
continue reading
1
Sales Cadence - putting a rhythm to your sales activities
7:40
7:40
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
7:40
Sales cadence is an important part of any business development out reach. It puts some order and structure to what can be often random activities - emails, telephone calls, social media nudges etc...requires a measured approach.It represents the rhythm of your out reach - personalised messages targeted to the right person, over a predetermined time…
…
continue reading
45% of everything we do is habitual. That's around 6 hours a day that you're leaving in the incapable hands of your subconscious / unconscious mind.It made me think this morning of the challenge sales coaching presents to everyone involved - the business owner, the sales person AND me.Who wants to be told that what they have been doing for the last…
…
continue reading
I could sound hypocritical here but everything I talk about here I struggle with from time to time - the biggest challenge I have is working rom home and having that consistent discipline to grind it out for 7 and 1/2 hours a day.Working from home will be a challenge for sales execs and fro business owners alike - how it fixes itself remains to be …
…
continue reading
There are myriad resources telling you all about the art of asking questions in sales - if you've not come across any, it's worth googling.Everyone knows about open and closed questioning techniques - high impact questions, directional, and and and...Sales effectiveness isn't about asking questions - IMHO - it's about curiosity...having an interest…
…
continue reading