I’d like to invite you all to join me on my journey through a new phase of my career: From this point forward, I’m going to spend more time pursuing what I’ve always done professionally (write), but I’m going to be writing more of the kind of books that have always spoken to me. Moreover, (and this is a big change), I’m going to begin publishing under my real name: Michael Zajaczkowski! For years, I’ve used my middle name, Brooks, because it was much easier to say over the phone, but in my personal life, my friends and family know me as just Michael Z. My new book is called: The Owner’s Manua ..read more

Have you ever observed your self-talk after you lose a sale? Mine used to go something like this: “Darn it! I suck at this!” “This product will never sell!” “The leads are trash, and I actually agree with some of my prospect’s objections!” “I wonder what I can sell that’s easier than this?” “Should I go back to school?” And on and on. . . While managers want you to jump on the next call, go from a negative experience and be positive again and “smile and dial,” you know how hard that is. Here’s the solution: Rather than try to go from negative to positive (very hard to do), it’s better to go f ..read more

Problem: Salespeople talk too much when they finally get a prospect on the phone. They pitch features and benefits instead of asking questions and qualifying. They talk over their prospects and generally learn very little about what it takes to close a sale. Result? They may get some leads out and set up some “demos or presentations,” but because they didn’t discover whether a prospect was truly a buyer and in the market at that time, their close rate is a disappointing 2 sales out of 10 full presentations…. Compare that with your own close rate or your team’s closing percentages. Solution: A ..read more

To follow up on the blog post from two weeks ago (about the one quick fix to get your VMs returned), here is the second quick fix: Stop trying to trick your prospect! Everyone knows that a partial message like: “Hey _______, this is Mike. Call me back as soon as you can…” just reeks of a tricky salesperson calling. I ALWAYS delete these messages the moment I hear them. So do your prospects. The proven formula is simple: Leave your name, company name, and a brief reason you’re calling (especially one that includes a benefit for your prospect), and then leave your phone number SLOWLY and twice ..read more

Tired of leaving tons of voicemails and not hearing back from anyone? Incorporate these proven techniques and give yourself the best chance of hearing back from prospects: #1: Use the “I need a little help, please…” technique. Everyone wants to be helpful, and by leading with this statement, you’ll at least peak someone’s interest, and get them to listen a little bit longer. #2: Next, make sure and let them know you’ll be brief when they call you back. Most prospects don’t call you back because they don’t want to get caught in a lengthy “pitch,” and they certainly don’t have time to waste. By ..read more

It took me years to believe this. At first, it seemed almost rude to utter it… But let me ask you: out of ten prospects you pitch to, how many end up actually buying? My guess? Two. Yep, two out of ten prospects you speak with turn into buyers. And this means that you spend hours each day pitching to people who are never going to buy! That’s why most people get burned out in sales. That’s why most salespeople find sales discouraging. That’s why many sales teams don’t make their quotas. The answer, of course, is simple: Only pitch and spend with those prospects who are actually going to turn i ..read more

Want some quick (and easy!) tips that will make you better Right Away? You’ll find them below, and I guarantee that if you use them, you’ll not only identify buyers faster, but you’ll feel more confident, you’ll close more sales, and your income will grow—starting today. Here are quick/easy things you can say to make yourself—or your sales team—better: Instead of saying, “I don’t know if you have any budget for this…” Say: “And what type of budget do you have set aside for this?” Instead of saying, “Why don’t we set up another meeting to talk about this…” Say: “From what you’ve seen today, is ..read more

It’s a new year, and the sooner you learn, practice, and use new habits, the faster you’ll get better results. This is true whether you’re attempting to eat better, work out more, or make more sales. And one easy and important habit you can develop right now is to use more tie-downs. Ask yourself: After I give a benefit to my product or service, do I use a tie-down to see if it’s important to my prospect? Tie-downs include things like: “Do you find that, too?” “How would you use something like that?” Budget: “The investment in this is $10,000—is that within your budget right now?” “Is that th ..read more

NOTE: While this article talks about using this technique as an interview question to determine what kind of sales rep you’re about to hire, it’s also a great technique for managers to use to diagnose what is wrong with reps who may not be hitting quote consistently. Simply call your reps in, one by one, and ask them: “If I gave you a pencil and asked you to sell it, how would you go about it?” This is one of the most basic of interview questions I use for prospective sales reps, and the answer reveals so much about their previous training, their understanding of the sales process, and ultima ..read more

Want to make 2023 your best year ever? I guarantee that if you just take time to follow the four steps below, you’ll make more money this year than you ever have. Guaranteed. Step One: Take time to carefully script out word-for-word rebuttals to the common objections you get repeatedly. You know you should do this, but have you? If not, do it this week! Step Two:  Memorize your best practice responses. Don Shula – the famous Miami Dolphin coach – once said that his players practiced, drilled and rehearsed their plays and techniques over and over again so they could internalize them and a ..read more