NEW! Think & Grow Rich 2024 Free Study Program

Defining Your Ideal Customer: A Key Step in Effective Sales Planning and Prospecting

Sales professional analyzing customer profiles

How to Define Your Ideal Customer in Sales When it comes to sales, one of the most powerful tools you can leverage is a clear understanding of your ideal customer. This foundational knowledge can dramatically improve your sales planning, prospecting efforts, and overall conversion rates.  By identifying the traits of your best potential customers, you […]

Simplify Your Message: Sales Course Insights on Effective Sales and Marketing

African,American,Conference,Speaker,Coach,Talk,To,Audience,Give,Presentation

How Simplifying Your Message Drives Sales I’m sure you’ve probably found that these days, attention spans are shorter than ever. With information coming from every direction, the ability to communicate your value quickly and clearly has become more important than ever. This is why simplifying your message is one of the most effective strategies you […]

Emotional Storytelling: A Proven Sales Strategy Backed by Sales Coaching Insights

Sales coach illustrating the power of emotional storytelling in a sales process

Using Emotion and Storytelling in Sales In sales, logic informs—but emotion moves. You can list features, benefits, and statistics all day long, but if your prospect doesn’t feel something, you’re unlikely to close the deal. The best sales professionals know that what truly drives decision-making isn’t data—it’s connection. That’s why emotional storytelling is one of […]

Harnessing Social Proof: Elevate Your Sales Strategies with Data-Driven Business Coaching

Young,Happy,African,American,Male,Executive,Company,Leader,Discussing,Project

Using Social Proof to Earn a Prospect’s Trust Earning a prospect’s trust early in the conversation is a distinct advantage. When someone is able to trust you early on, it makes everything about your job easier.  Prospects often feel overwhelmed, skeptical, or hesitant to take action—especially when the perceived risk of making the wrong decision […]

The Power of Visualization in Sales

Sales coach guiding a prospect to visualize success with a product.

You wouldn’t buy a home without imagining yourself living in it. Why should a prospect buy your solution without picturing how it fits into their business? The truth is, until they can imagine how your solution looks and feels in their business, they won’t buy. It’s not a logic problem—it’s a vision problem. The fix? […]

Guiding Prospects Through Decision Making

Sales professional leading a client through a pros and cons decision-making conversation.

There’s that moment. You’ve given your best pitch. You’ve handled the questions. You can feel the sale on the edge of a yes… and then it hits: “I just need to think about it.” If you’ve been in sales longer than 10 minutes, you’ve heard those words and you know they can be the beginning […]

How to Create Urgency in Sales

Sales professional using event-based urgency techniques during a client call.

Two prospects hear the same pitch. One buys on the spot. The other delays and disappears. The difference? One had a reason to act now. The truth is, most prospects don’t say no—they just don’t say yes. In many cases, it’s not because they’re unsure about your product. It’s because they don’t feel a compelling […]

Stop Objections Before They Start with the Inoculation Technique

Sales coach teaching the inoculation technique during a sales training program.

Most salespeople think objections are inevitable—but they don’t have to be. In fact, you can stop them before they start. That’s where one of my favorite tools in the sales strategy playbook comes in: the Inoculation Technique. Taught in top-tier sales training programs, this approach helps you anticipate your prospect’s concerns and defuse them before […]

Using Presumptive Statements to Close More Sales

Sales trainer teaching presumptive closing techniques

Ever had a prospect who seemed super interested—nodding, asking great questions—but then suddenly hit you with the classic, “Let me think about it?” Frustrating, right? You’re not alone. One of the most common—and painful—challenges in sales is getting prospects off the fence. They’re engaged, they like the offer, they should say yes… but something stalls. […]

Rushing Sales Conversations Hurts Your Performance

Sales professional applying intelligence-gathering techniques to improve sales performance.

Many salespeople make the critical mistake of rushing through sales calls because they fear taking up too much of the prospect’s time. Have you ever done this? You don’t want to be a bother or you don’t want the prospect to end the call, so you try to get it done quickly. You fire off […]

Don’t Let Prospects Forget About You

Salesperson using a proven sales methodology to build rapport before a call.

Have you ever jumped on a sales call only to realize your prospect seems distracted, disengaged, or even completely unprepared? Maybe they forgot about the meeting, are scrambling to recall who you are, or are multitasking while half-listening. Few things are more frustrating in sales than speaking to a prospect who isn’t fully present. When […]

Getting Prospects to Recognize That Their Problem Is Urgent

Sales professional using business coaching techniques to improve sales strategies.

One of the biggest challenges in sales isn’t identifying a prospect’s problem—it’s getting them to feel the urgency to solve it. Many buyers acknowledge they have an issue but often downplay the consequences of leaving it unresolved. For example, a prospect may say, “Our cleaning company is dropping the ball, so we’re just looking at […]

Giving Your Sales Conversations Direction

Sales professional using assumptive sales phrases to close a deal.

One of the most common reasons sales fall through is that the salesperson fails to guide the conversation effectively. When prospects are uncertain, they delay decisions, hesitate, or lose interest. Without a clear direction, they become overwhelmed by choices, unsure of the best course of action. Instead of feeling confident in their next steps, they […]

Using Assumptive Language in Sales

Sales coach teaching assumptive language techniques to improve the sales process.

One of the biggest obstacles in sales isn’t rejection—it’s indecision. When prospects feel unsure, they hesitate, delay, or avoid making a commitment altogether. Surprisingly, many salespeople unintentionally reinforce this uncertainty by using hesitant language like “if” instead of assumptive language like “when.” Assumptive language subtly removes doubt and positions taking action as the natural next […]

Prospects Delay Decisions Without Urgency

Sales professional creating urgency in the sales process

One of the biggest challenges salespeople face is prospects who delay making a decision. Even when they’re interested, they often put off committing to a purchase. Without urgency, deals get pushed back indefinitely—or lost altogether. A great way to create urgency is by tying the prospect’s decision to a time-sensitive outcome. For example, if a […]

Buyers Need More Than Just a List of Benefits

Sales professional enhancing their sales strategy.

Most salespeople focus only on the benefits of their product or service. They explain what their prospect will gain by purchasing, but they fail to consider the other side of the equation: what happens if they don’t buy? This one-sided approach often leads to lost sales because the prospect doesn’t feel enough urgency to act […]

Most Salespeople Talk Too Much and Listen Too Little

Sales professional asking the right questions

One of the biggest mistakes salespeople make is focusing too much on pitching their product instead of gathering the right information. Many sales reps go into meetings eager to present their offer, but they fail to truly understand what the prospect wants and needs. A simple yet powerful question can transform the sales conversation: “What […]

Inconsistency Leads to Sales Failure

Sales professional implementing a structured sales plan for long-term success.

Sales is one of the most rewarding careers, yet most salespeople struggle to achieve lasting success. Why? Because they lack consistency in their approach. Too many salespeople expect immediate results and give up too soon when they don’t see success right away. Others rely on outdated sales techniques without taking the time to refine their […]

A Checklist Mentality Limits Your Growth

Most salespeople treat their jobs as a series of tasks to complete. They wake up, go through their to-do lists, check off action items, then repeat the process the next day. While this approach might bring some results, it doesn’t lead to true success. The problem is that when you focus only on checking boxes, […]

The Truth Is Hard Work Alone Is Not Enough

Sales professional using advanced sales techniques to increase revenue and financial freedom

Many people believe that working hard and being honest are enough to create financial success. While these qualities are admirable, they don’t necessarily lead to wealth or financial freedom. Many hardworking people struggle to break free from financial limitations, and often, they watch others in their industry earn significantly more while working the same or […]

How to Master Sales Methodology and Stand Out from the Competition

Salesperson studying market and competition as part of effective sales methodology.

In sales, knowing your product is only half the battle. Without understanding the competitive landscape and the broader market, you risk falling behind your prospects who are often more knowledgeable than you are about your industry. The best salespeople don’t just know their products—they are experts in the entire ecosystem surrounding their offerings. I learned […]

How to Build Confidence and Close More Deals with Sales Training

Sales coach teaching a client how to confidently walk away from a deal to increase success.

One of the most important skills any salesperson can learn is how to walk away from a deal when it’s not right. While that may seem counterintuitive, knowing when to stop selling and start creating space for the prospect to decide is a powerful technique. As salespeople, it’s easy to fall into “convincer mode”—trying to […]

How to Create a Sales Plan for Maximum Results

Sales professionals developing a comprehensive sales plan for success

Unless you are paid a salary and earn nothing through commission, you are self-employed. I think this is why so many salespeople fail in their first year of sales. It makes perfect sense when you consider that 80% of all new businesses fail in the first five years, and nearly 90% of those failures occur […]

Overcoming Price Objections with Sales Training

Salesperson addressing a price objection using effective sales strategies.

Price objections are one of the most common hurdles in sales. When a prospect says you’re too expensive, it’s easy to feel defeated. However, what if I told you that there’s a way to handle this objection that doesn’t involve lowering your price? These objections may be tricky because they often arise when a prospect […]

How Business Coaching Can Help You Scale Your Sales Success

Entrepreneurs receiving business coaching to scale sales and business success

As an entrepreneur, you need to make tough decisions every day. One of the most important decisions is choosing the right path for your business growth. How do you ensure that you’re growing in the right direction? When I first started my journey, my friends and family thought I was crazy. I worked long hours, […]

Rapport in Sales: A Lifelong Commitment, Not a Single Step

Sales coach explaining the importance of continuous rapport-building

In many sales training programs, building rapport is taught as a step in the sales process. In reality, rapport is not something you check off a list—it’s an ongoing process. From the first four seconds of interaction to every subsequent meeting, rapport is the foundation of a strong client relationship. The moment you treat rapport […]

The Power of Social Proof in Sales: “Most People Chose This”

Salesperson presenting options to a client

Human decision-making is deeply influenced by life programming. It’s where we get the saying “Better safe than sorry.” This is one of the most powerful programs all of us have had drilled into our minds at an early age. Don’t touch the stove, for example. Be safe. Don’t run with scissors. Don’t jump off the […]

What Decision Makers Really Want: Answering the Core Sales Question

Sales professional in a business meeting.

Every decision maker, when evaluating your offer, ultimately asks one question: “What’s in it for me?” This question goes beyond price—it touches the core of human motivation: the need to fulfill personal wants and needs. Price often takes a backseat when decision makers focus on the emotional and experiential benefits of your offer. For instance, […]

Rethink Your Follow-Up Strategy: Transforming “Just Checking In”

Business coach explaining effective follow-up strategies

The phrases “I’m just checking in” and “I’m just following up” are common among salespeople. They’re also ineffective and may even hurt your sales efforts. When prospects hear these phrases, they immediately sense an accountability push which may not align with their level of commitment. They think you’re about to try to hold them to […]

The Foundation of Sales Success: Proven Systems Over Quick Fixes

Sales coach teaching sustainable growth strategies.

Sales sometimes feels like a frustrating cycle: starting, stopping, and starting again without any real progress. Many entrepreneurs fall into the trap of seeking quick fixes, like watching videos on objection handling or cramming closing techniques. These approaches fail because they lack a solid foundation, leaving you with one tool—lowering your price—which often leads to […]

Sales Mastery in Any Economy: Why Sales Training Programs Are Essential

Sales strategy in any economy

Economic downturns test the resilience of many professions—but not for top salespeople. Over my decades as an entrepreneur, I’ve experienced six recessions, multiple market crashes, and several booming economies. Through it all, one truth remains constant: skilled salespeople are always in demand. In times of economic uncertainty, many professionals face job insecurity. Roles become redundant, […]

The Power of Curiosity in Salesmanship

Business coaching and curiosity

Curiosity isn’t just for the inquisitive—it’s a cornerstone of successful salesmanship. Top-performing salespeople approach their craft with a relentless curiosity that drives their success. Many salespeople fail to dig deeply enough into their client’s needs or their product’s potential. This lack of curiosity limits their ability to make meaningful connections and present compelling solutions. In […]

Stand Out in Sales with the Power of Stating the Obvious

Cold calling tips from sales training programs

Cold calling is one of the most challenging aspects of sales. It’s often met with resistance or outright rejection. Why? Because traditional approaches come across as insincere or overly rehearsed. Prospects are savvy—they can sense when they’re being pitched, and their defenses go up immediately. The typical “Hi, my name is …” script does little […]

Curiosity vs Interest: Tailoring Your Sales Strategy

Sales courses help

Not all prospects are created equal. While some are merely curious, others are actively interested in your product or service. Understanding the difference is essential for a successful sales strategy. Treating every prospect the same way wastes valuable time and even risks losing a sale. Curiosity and interest represent different levels of engagement and require […]

Mastering Objections with Micro-Agreements: A Sales Coach’s Guide

Sales training can overcome objections

In sales, objections are inevitable. Whether it’s “I need to think about it” or “I have to check with my spouse,” handling these objections is crucial to closing deals. Unfortunately, many salespeople approach objections by pushing too hard, which only heightens the client’s uncertainty and creates a wall of resistance that is difficult to overcome. […]

Mastering Sales Communication: Practice Makes Perfect

Practice your sales process

In sales, practice is everything. The saying “practice makes perfect” is an old one, but it holds true. The more you refine your communication, the more effective you become in each interaction. Sales coach Dr. Maxwell Maltz, author of Psycho-Cybernetics, highlights the power of goal-oriented practice. According to Maltz, “our subconscious mind becomes a servo-mechanism […]

Turning Weaknesses into Strengths: A Key Sales Strategy

Sales training programs

In sales, one of the most powerful strategies is to address your weaknesses before the prospect does. If you’re facing a common objection, like a competitor offering a lower price, the best way to overcome it is to take control of the conversation by acknowledging it upfront. Effective sales training programs and methodologies often highlight […]

Driving Urgency in Sales: The Key to Boosting Performance

Training salesmanship

In sales, creating urgency is one of the most critical skills you can develop. When you can convey why a prospect should act now rather than wait, you unlock a powerful motivator that drives decision-making. Effective sales performance management and training in salesmanship often focus on this technique—mastering it may make the difference between closing […]

Taking Control in Sales: How to Maximize What You Can Control

Business coaching and control

In sales, there are things you can and cannot control. Success hinges on understanding what’s within your control and focusing your efforts there. The best sales plans and business coaching emphasize a straightforward principle: control the controllable and maximize your results by focusing on these areas. Every word you choose, every question you ask, and […]

Mastering First Impressions: The 4-Second Rule for Sales Success

Sales training and first impressions

In sales, your first interaction with a prospect is everything. From the moment they see you, those first four seconds are critical. Within that tiny window, you need to establish three key perceptions in their mind, which will shape how they view you and your offer. Here’s how you can maximize those crucial seconds and […]

Does Business Coaching Help You Succeed?

Beyond sales coaching questions, one of the most common questions I’m asked is how I grew my first business—an office cleaning business—into a multi-million dollar company. When I sold it, we were cleaning a hundred buildings a day. How did that happen? Was it business coaching? Was it the right connections? Was it luck? Two […]

Confidence and Sales Training Programs

Have you ever noticed that the smartest person in the room is often the least intense, the most casual, and the least attached to the outcome? Experts show a calm confidence in how they carry themselves, and that’s how you have to come across in sales. Sales training programs teach you strategies and tactics, but […]

Your Sales Plan When Someone Isn’t the Buyer

It’s impossible to sell to a person who is not authorized to buy. No matter what your sales plan may be or what sales courses you’ve taken, you can’t sell to someone if that person cannot make the decision to buy. You may often find yourself talking with a person whose responsibility it is to […]

Training Salesmanship: Dealing with “Maybe”

In sales, you have to know the meaning of what your prospect says. Listening to understand is a key part of the sales process, but it isn’t always easy. Perhaps the hardest word to translate is the word “maybe.”  When you get a “maybe” from your prospect, you must immediately stop the forward movement of […]

Sales Strategy and Your Commitment Objective

Some salespeople go into every meeting thinking that the objective is to close the sale. You’ve almost certainly heard the phrase “always be closing,” right? The reality is that closing the sale shouldn’t always be your goal because only thinking of the close often causes people to rush through the process. They skip steps in […]

Are You Being a Bother?

Sales Stress

Let me ask you a question: Am I bothering you right now? I don’t think so, but that’s one of the biggest fears salespeople face. They don’t want to come across as a nuisance. However, that’s not the right way to approach it. Instead, think of yourself in terms of the value you bring. You […]

Sales and Understanding Motivation

Sales Motivation

Aren’t you curious about why your prospect booked a time to meet with you? We usually assume that our purpose is to find out what they want—and that’s important—but what may be even more important is understanding why they want to talk and why they’re thinking about finding a solution right now. Understanding a prospect’s […]

Imagining Change in Sales

Sales in Sales

A great question to ask your prospect is: “If you could change anything about your current [situation/product/service], what would it be?” When you have your prospect begin to imagine a change to their current situation, you open the door to them being able to hear alternatives. The key here is that you have to really […]

What Pain Do Your Prospects Feel?

How long do you wait before you see a dentist when you have a toothache? A lot of people will try to tough it out for a couple days and see if it’s going to get better and magically go away. In most cases, it doesn’t. Soon enough the pain becomes so great that you […]

Sales Is About Certainty

Sell Certainty

I used to wish that I owned a pizza place instead of a cleaning business. It looked and sounded so easy compared to the hassle and headaches I had. “How nice it must be to have your clients and employees all under one roof where you can be there to manage and make sure everything […]

Maintaining Sales Motivation and Advocating for Yourself

Sales Techniques to Boost Motivation

Sales motivation is important. But no one can keep you motivated for a sustained period of time. You have to advocate for yourself in this area. Sales is rarely a team sport. You may be on a team, but it’s you on the field of play all by yourself most of the time. This means […]

Providing a Customer Value Proposition: What Problem Are You Solving?

Identify your Customer Value Proposition and Boost Sales

Surprisingly, most salespeople can’t answer this one simple question: What problem does your offering solve? I believe not knowing the answer is why most people get average results with their sales techniques. Many salespeople master the ability to describe their products’ features and benefits, but when asked the question “what does that mean to your […]

Using Sales Techniques & Persuasive Language When Closing Sales

Closing Sales Using Persuasive Language

Sales techniques are important, but how you speak and communicate matters as well. The right persuasive language can go a long way when it comes to closing sales. In fact, there are certain phrases that you can work into conversations, emails, and texts that will help you increase your chances of making a sale. One […]

The Psychology of Sales Objections & How to Overcome Them

Sales Closing Techniques to Overcome Sale Objections

I want to give you a bit of sales psychology today and use a really elegant way to let the prospect know that their objection is justified but that it isn’t something unique or unexpected. Why would we want to do this? Why would we want to send a message to a prospect that their […]

Sales Motivation to Help You When It’s Not Working

Sale Slumps Do End

If you are in sales long enough, there will come a time when you’ve been working incredibly hard, but the results aren’t reflecting your efforts. I understand how frustrating that can be and I want you to know that a sales slump happens to everyone, even the best of us. I remember when I was […]

The Graveyard of ‘Why’ Questions

Asking “Why” Questions

Asking the right sales questions is important. A study by Fisher and Patton for the book Getting to Yes showed that a “Why?” question escalates conflict in negotiations. You might think that asking someone “Why” is an innocent way to learn more about them and their situation, but the reality is that usually isn’t true. […]

Use the System

Practice makes perfect

Practice makes perfect. It’s a saying we’ve all heard many times, and it’s true. Pro athletes don’t get out of bed one day and win a championship. They work hard for years, hone their skills, and keep learning and developing every single day. This is what separates the greats from the talented. Remember this when […]

How to Unlock a Lock

Learn the right keys to unlock sales

You can’t unlock a lock simply by knowing the numbers in the code; you need to enter those numbers in the right order. This is an example about how having the right information doesn’t necessarily help you solve a problem. It’s how you apply this information that matters.  The same is true with our system. […]

Using Pain to Motivate Your Prospect

People buy when they’re in pain

People tend to buy when they are in pain. This makes sense when you think about it, right? When you’re uncomfortable or lacking something, you’ll be a lot more likely to buy then when you’re feeling content and don’t think you need anything. That’s obvious and it’s a big reason why many sales strategies and […]

Active Listening

The power of active listening

One of the worst feelings you can get when you’re talking to someone is the impression that they’re not listening. We’ve all been there. You’re talking about something important and interesting and the person you’re speaking to doesn’t seem to be listening to a word you’re saying. It’s frustrating.  Of course, the other person could […]

Judging a Book by its Cover

Everyone judges books by their covers

We’ve all heard the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” While that certainly sounds like great advice, the reality is that most people don’t follow it. Perhaps “Do as I say, not as I do” is more realistic. In reality, the way you dress, walk, stand, carry yourself, and everything else about your […]

Overcoming Objections in Sales

Handling Objections in Sales

In our last post, we looked at the seven objection types. We reviewed the type, the percentage they make up from the whole, and examples of what someone might say when experiencing uncertainty in these areas. Today we’re going to look at strategies for overcoming objections in sales and addressing the uncertainty that your prospect […]

The Seven Sales Objections You Have to Address

Overcoming Objections in Sales

Today, we’re going to tackle the seven sales objections you may face when selling, so you know how to address them. In this post, we’ll explain the objections, and in the next post we’ll go over how to address them. Remember, follow our system to learn when and how you face these sales objections so […]

How to Avoid Being Ghosted in Sales Calls

Getting Ghosted in Sales

You’ve probably heard of Casper the Friendly Ghost, but you probably also know that being ghosted in sales is anything but friendly. Studies and surveys in the sales industry consistently show that a significant percentage of prospects do not return sales calls. Here’s an overview of the data: It can all sound overwhelming or disheartening, […]

Thank you!

Thank you for completing this form! You can now access Think & Grow Rich 2024 | Just Thinking Differently for FREE for 30 days by logging in to your Empowered Living Learning portal. Login by visiting yourempoweredlife.com and clicking on “Member Login” in the top right corner of the screen.
Sign up for "Daily Sales Insight"

Signature programs