Posts

Cognitive Role Transition

-
Here's my secret to winning #CXOs and high-ticket deals. - Cognitive Role Transition. We all act differently in various situations—how we behave at work might be different from how we are at home.  This ability to adjust based on where we are and who we're with is called cognitive role transition. Just like we adapt in our personal lives, we can adjust our approach depending on the buyer's personality. For example, some buyers might prefer a direct, no-nonsense approach, while others might respond better to a friendly, more casual style.  By understanding and adapting to these differences, you can build stronger connections and close bigger deals. This means I would shift from a traditional salesperson role to that of a trusted advisor, expert and problem solver. This shift helped me close high-value contracts and build lasting relationships with CXO's and luxury brands.  Tools like LeadLabs App make it even easier to understand and adapt to each buyer’s unique personal...
Post a Comment
Read more

Embarrasing Cold Call (Part -2)

-
I hung up on a prospect. Yeah you heard me right, "I" hung up on a prospect. (part -2 of embarrassing cold calls) It's 2020, and I'm on the line with the Sales Manager of a mid-sized company.  I’d done my homework and had all my entry points ready. This person was pretty active and famous on LinkedIn, so I had a ton of info to grab his attention. I pick up the phone and say, “Hey Shawn, thanks for taking my call. Do you have a minute?” He replies, “Yeah sure, I’m driving at the moment but who’s calling?” Me: “This is Akshaya with Slintel, and I’m reaching out because…” And then… my brain freezes.  I’m not even kidding. My mind went blank, and after a 2-second pause, I hung up.  Talk about embarrassing. I looked at my notes and realized I had overwhelmed myself with too many hooks and didn’t tailor them properly.  I knew this prospect inside and out, but I still couldn’t start a conversation. Here’s what I did wrong on that call: - Overwhelmed myself with my research....
Post a Comment
Read more

Slaping a fancy title won't fix the problem

-
 #salespeople, newsflash:  Slapping a fancy title on your LinkedIn profile won't magically fix your reputation. "Growth Evangelist"? "Growth Partner"? Sounds like you’re starting a cult, not making sales calls.  Let's be real—you're still selling. I once worked with someone who proudly called herself a "Consultant." Intrigued, I asked her why. She said, "Indians don't like talking to a salesperson."  Ironically, her talk-to-listen ratio was 75%+ on every call.  Digging deeper, I found her questions dried up after 10 minutes, and the prospect's interest followed suit.  The call typically ended with a lukewarm, "Sure, I'll think about it and get back to you." It’s amusing (and a bit sad) to see salespeople aware of their "pushy, transactional, and unprofessional" image, yet thinking a title change is the cure.  Spoiler: it's not. Every sales hiring manager asks, "Hey, do you know consultative sel...
Post a Comment
Read more

Asking the Right Questions

-
 Let me take you through two experiences. You're sick and you're visiting a doctor.  Doctor 1: You go to the hospital, wait in the queue and meet the doctor. You enter the doctor's room and he greet you. You sit take a seat. The doctor asks you what the problem is. You tell him that you're not feeling well. He checks your pupils, asks you to hang your tongue out. Puts the stethescope on your chest and asks you to take three deep breaths. Turns over to his notepad and scribbles a couple of meds. Tears it from the notepad and hands it off to you. Doctor 2: You go to the hospital, wait in the queue and meet the doctor. You enter the doctor's room and he greet you. You sit take a seat. The doctor asks you what the problem is. You tell him that you're not feeling well. The doctor asks you how long have you been sick, what your symptoms are.  And then looks at your pupils and asks you to hang your tongue out. Puts the stethescope on your chest and while you take breat...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sales isn't a numbers game

-
Sales is a numbers game they say From Zig Zigler to Brian Tracy - proved them wrong.  Ever been criticised for not talking numbers as a #salesperson? One of my teammate told me I wasn't ready to sell just because I couldn't gloat numbers. But that never stopped me from closing deals. And the right ones. You see, post COVID one thing that your prospects have access to more than you can imagine is INFORMATION. A research conducted by ​Gartner​ shows that 90% of the buyers have access to information that they can't make sense of. About 55% of customers feel that the information is undifferentiated. And 44% customers think the information they have access to, is high quality but simultaneously contradicting. In simple words, you're overwhelming your prospect with information. You're prospects aren't talking to you (the seller) because they need more information. But because they need help making sense of this information. Salespeople usually get carried away when th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Two Sides to the Same Coin

-
I've been wanting to talk about this for a while, finally mustered up the courage to. I've been awarded the "Best Team Player" award But I've also been rejected for an internal opportunity saying, I'm a bad team player. These are at two different companies.  In the first company, I was a Top Performer, highly competent, delivered great results. But I always wore a chip on my shoulder. I feared team meetings. I always over prepared, but still felt like I was going to mess things up.  When my chance came to speak, I would be cut off in when I paused to collect my thoughts. I always felt missed out.  When I applied for a cross functional role internally, the manager of the department told me that he had heard from my team members that I wasn't a good team player. When I met a colleague from the workplace outside of work, I casually asked him what the he and the team thought about me and he told me that they didn't see me as a friend. When asked why, he to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Skip the Obivous Choices

-
One thing I've realised about improving in sales is to avoid the obvious choices.  The best books to enhance your sales skills aren’t traditional sales books.  The people who truly help you hone your sales techniques often aren’t salespeople themselves.  Similarly, the most effective courses for building your sales knowledge aren’t labeled as sales courses. Look beyond the usual resources to truly excel.
Post a Comment
Read more