{"id":806,"date":"2019-10-13T23:59:40","date_gmt":"2019-10-13T23:59:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sellingsherpa.com\/?p=806"},"modified":"2019-10-13T23:59:51","modified_gmt":"2019-10-13T23:59:51","slug":"amp-up-your-sales-book-summary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sellingsherpa.com\/index.php\/2019\/10\/13\/amp-up-your-sales-book-summary\/","title":{"rendered":"Amp Up Your Sales (Book Summary)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Amp Up Your Sales: by Andy Paul<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Foreword<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
  • You need to be super-responsive.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Introduction<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    • In the eyes of the customer, all competitive\nproducts and services look increasingly alike.<\/li>
    • Salespeople will always adapt corporate sales\nprocedures or given selling methodologies to an individual selling process that\nfits into their comfort zone.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      PART I Simplifying Your Selling<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      CHAPTER 1 What Is Selling?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      • The key to consistent sales success resides in\nthe process you execute to gather and provide the necessary information the\nprospect requires to make a decision.<\/li>
      • You have to maintain a laser focus on how you\ncan be completely responsive to a prospect or customer\u2019s requirements for\ninformation.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        CHAPTER 2 Understanding Your Selling Process<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        CHAPTER 3 Balancing Selling and Buying<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
        • A seller cannot control the customer\u2019s buying\nprocess. You can only hope to influence it.<\/li>
        • The only way you can influence the course of the\ncustomer\u2019s buying cycle is through how you sell.<\/li>
        • If you can respond more quickly and completely\nto your prospect\u2019s information requirements, then their buying cycle for your\nproduct may move forward more rapidly than it would for your competitors.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          CHAPTER 4 The Mechanics of Decision Making<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
          • Every one of your customers falls into one of\ntwo broad categories of decision maker: a satisficer (pronounced \u201csa-tis-fys-er\n\u201d) or a maximizer.<\/li>
          • Satisficers make a decision or take action once\ntheir basic decision criteria are met. In dealing with a satisficer, the speed\nof your selling is very important.<\/li>
          • The satisficer will be open to making a faster\ndecision.<\/li>
          • Maximizers are decision makers who can\u2019t make a\ndecision until they\u2019ve examined every possible alternative and are convinced\nthat they\u2019ve made the best possible choice.<\/li>
          • One difficulty in selling to maximizers is that\nthey evaluate so many different options that they may have a hard time\nremembering you. This means you have to create clear differentiation by quickly\nand completely responding to a maximizer\u2019s need for specific information.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            CHAPTER 5 The Ratio of Planning to Action<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
            • Like any effective story, the customer\u2019s buying\nprocess can be envisioned in three phases: the setup, the conflict, and the\nresolution.<\/li>
            • In the setup phase, your customer\u2019s business is\nhumming along.<\/li>
            • We then move into the conflict phase of the\nstorytelling \/ buying process, in which your customer is simultaneously using\noutside consultants to troubleshoot the cause of the system failure,<\/li>
            • In the resolution (or redemption) phase, share how\nyou used your creativity to implement a sales strategy that (1) helps him to\nbetter understand his current and future requirements, (2) is completely\nresponsive to his need for information to make a quick decision, and (3)\nprovides sufficient value to motivate him to move with you to the final step of\nhis buying process.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

              CHAPTER 6 Earning Selling Time<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
              • On every sales call, your primary responsibility\nis to make sure the customer earns a positive return on the time she has invested\nin you.<\/li>
              • Responsiveness in sales is the combination of\ncontent and speed.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                CHAPTER 7 Being the Seller Your Customers Need<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                • Four personal characteristics for you to embrace
                  • Responsive: The first seller with the answers\nwins.<\/li><\/ul>
                    • Curious: Success is about the solution the\ncustomer needs, not about the product you have to sell.<\/li><\/ul>
                      • Empathetic: Understand customers \u2018problems from\ntheir perspective.<\/li><\/ul>
                        • Problem Solver: Have the knowledge and insights\nto formulate optimal solutions to the customer\u2019s requirements.<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                          CHAPTER 8 Simplifying Your Selling<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                          • The first line of competitive differentiation\nfor any company is not what product or service they sell, but how they sell\ntheir product or service.<\/strong><\/li>
                          • The foundation for every salesperson\u2019s \u2018how\u2019 is\nbuilt on the simple things like follow-up, responsiveness, trust, and value.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                            CHAPTER 9 Winning the Sale<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                            • If ever you find yourself at a loss for what\nnext step to take with a prospect, you can just ask yourself the question, \u201cWhat\ninformation does the customer need from me right now in order to take at least\none step forward in the decision-making process (or buying cycle)?\u201d<\/li>
                            • Your customers make up their minds about which\nseller they\u2019re going to buy from fairly early in their buying process. From that\npoint forward, they are using their buying process to validate that decision.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                              PART II Accelerating Your Responsiveness<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                              CHAPTER 10 The Speed of Responsiveness<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                              • Embracing responsiveness enables you to quickly\nand effectively react to changes in the customer\u2019s decision-making criteria.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                CHAPTER 11 The New Sales Funnel<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                                CHAPTER 12 Accelerating Your Responsiveness<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                • Responsiveness, the combination of content\nand speed, at every stage of the customer\u2019s buying process creates the\nfoundation for true seller differentiation<\/strong><\/li>
                                • Measure your responsiveness.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                  CHAPTER 13 The Power of the First Perception<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                  • Your ability to win any order hinges in large\nmeasure on the customer\u2019s initial perception of the value you\u2019re able to\nprovide.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                    PART III Maximizing Value<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                                    CHAPTER 14 Delivering Maximum Value<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                    • Every sales interaction, large and small, has to\nbe planned for maximum value.<\/li>
                                    • What is the desired outcome of this interaction?<\/li>
                                    • If you don\u2019t have a plan to maximize the value\nof a customer interaction, just don\u2019t do it.<\/strong><\/li>
                                    • Top salespeople are mindful of the actual value\nthe customer will receive from each sales interaction.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                      CHAPTER 15 Visualizing Value<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                      • In the B2B space, very rarely are salespeople\nin the room when the customer makes the final decision about which product to\nbuy.<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                        CHAPTER 16 The Peak \/ End Rule of Sales<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                        • The prospect\u2019s feelings about you will be \u201calmost\nentirely determined\u201d by the peak experience (good or bad) that you created for\nthem during their buying process and by the most recent experience the customer\nhad with you.<\/strong><\/li>
                                        • You should plan and execute each and every\nsales interaction, no matter how big or small, as if it will be the peak\nexperience for the customer.<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                          CHAPTER 17 Delivering Value with Peak \/ End Selling<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                          • I once worked with a salesperson, John, who\nreliably created a positive perception and a peak event in the minds of his\ncustomers by asking during their first interaction what he called his \u201ckiller\nquestion.\u201d<\/li>
                                          • Provide meaningful insights and context.<\/li>
                                          • Closing questions are the questions you ask to\nverify that there are no gaps in your understanding of the customer and the\nproblem that needs to be solved, the customer\u2019s understanding of your product\nor service and the value that it will deliver, as well as to ensure their\nunderstanding of your proposal and how it will meet his or her business and\nfinancial objectives<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                            CHAPTER 18 Shaping the Buying Vision<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                                            CHAPTER 19 Being 1 Percent Better Is Enough<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                            • You only have to be perceived to be 1 percent\nbetter than the alternative products or services your prospect is considering\nin order to win the order.<\/strong><\/li>
                                            • Did you respond more quickly and completely to\nthe prospects \u2018questions? Did you consume less of their time in the buying\nprocess? Did you deliver value at each step of the sales process? Did you ask\nperceptive questions about the prospects \u2018requirements? Did you provide a new\ninsight into their business that helped them better understand those\nrequirements? Did you make it easy to do business with you?<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                              CHAPTER 20 Making Your Selling Memorable<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                              • If your customer\u2019s objective is to gather the\ninformation in order to make informed decisions more quickly and at a lower\ncost, then it is your primary responsibility to make that happen.<\/li>
                                              • As customers move through their buying processes,\nthey require less product content and more business insights.<\/strong><\/li>
                                              • Any insight that can help customers understand\nmore fully how your product can be used to produce results that will meet or\nexceed their expectations can produce a peak event. Any insight that will help\ncustomers more completely understand the financial returns to be generated from\nusing your product is also such an event.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                                PART IV Growing Through Follow-Up<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                                                CHAPTER 21 The Simplest Strategy for Growth<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                                • There is no simpler or faster strategy to grow\nyour sales than to effectively follow up your sales leads.<\/li>
                                                • Yes, if you consider someone downloading a\nwhite paper from your website to be a lead, you will likely have bad leads.<\/strong><\/li>
                                                • Follow-up is a live conversation with the\ncustomer. An automatically generated e-mail in response to an inquiry is not\nfollow-up.<\/strong><\/li>
                                                • The art of follow-up is less important than the\nact of follow-up.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                                  CHAPTER 22 The No-Lead-Left-Behind Sales Process<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                                  • Every salesperson needs to employ a No-Lead-Left-Behind\npolicy.<\/li>
                                                  • Most people don\u2019t casually fill out multiple web\nforms on a company\u2019s website unless they are prepared to engage with a\nsalesperson.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                                    CHAPTER 23 Standing Out by Following Up<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                                    • Killer questions: For example, in my business, I\nask potential clients penetrating questions about their core sales processes\nand sales metrics that I know they aren\u2019t tracking but should be.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                                      PART V Amp Up Your Prospecting<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                                                      CHAPTER 24 To Cold Call or Not to Cold Call<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                                                      CHAPTER 25 Doing What It Takes to Succeed<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                                      • Great salespeople are not born that way. It\ntakes an investment of time over a long period to become really expert at\nprospecting.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                                        CHAPTER 26 Sell More The Difference Between Activity and\nProspecting<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                                        • It\u2019s not about engaging in random sales activity\u2026\nTo sell more means to fill your prospecting time with intelligent, productive,\ncreative, and responsive sales actions that set you apart from your competitors\nand motivate potential customers to learn more.<\/li>
                                                        • Although it is important to fill every hour with\nselling, it is more important to do it wisely. Persistently. Creatively.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                                          CHAPTER 27 Being Worth a Second Call<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                                          • The hard part is getting the second call (which\nin reality is oftentimes the first sales call), which signifies that the\ncustomer is preparing to initiate his buying process.<\/li>
                                                          • Deliver value in the form of a compelling\nquestion or a unique business insight<\/li>
                                                          • Story-Question-Listen<\/li>
                                                          • An, \u201cAre you aware \u2026?\u201d question. \u201cAre you aware\nthat independent research has found that companies like yours that use products\nlike mine are growing 25 percent faster than those who don\u2019t?\u201d<\/li>
                                                          • The extent to which they are motivated to\nprepare for your first call indicates something about their level of interest.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                                            CHAPTER 28 Practicing Value-Based Persistence<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                                            • Statements of disinterest from customers are\nusually statements of fact, not objections.<\/strong><\/li>
                                                            • Be persistent without being a pest via Value-Based\nPersistence. Remember that you are nurturing your relationship with prospects\nuntil their timing is right.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                                              PART VI Qualification: Doing More with Less<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                                                              CHAPTER 29 Are You Selling to the Right Customers?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                                              • Top sellers don\u2019t waste their limited selling\ntime on potential sales opportunities with customers who are not absolutely\nqualified to buy what they are selling.<\/li>
                                                              • Qualifying a sales opportunity is a binary event.\nA customer is either qualified or not. An opportunity cannot be mostly\nqualified.<\/li>
                                                              • The root of bad qualifying is pressure \u2014 both\nself-imposed and from managers \u2014 for salespeople to demonstrate that they have\na sizable pipeline of sales opportunities.<\/strong><\/li>
                                                              • Ask yourself this question about each opportunity\non your list: \u201cWhy am I going to win this deal?\u201d If you can\u2019t identify two\nunambiguously rock-solid differentiators that have quantifiable value to the\ncustomer, then the customer doesn\u2019t belong in your pipeline.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                                                CHAPTER 30 The Bulletproof Qualification Process<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                                                • You want to be relentless in your prospecting\nand qualification to find sales opportunities that are suited for precisely\nwhat you\u2019re selling.<\/li>
                                                                • The first step of qualification offers two paths:\ncategory qualification and product qualification.
                                                                  • Category qualification is the default strategy\nfor most salespeople. It means qualifying a customer who wants to buy a product\nor service that is similar to theirs.<\/li><\/ul>
                                                                    • Product qualification is aimed at confirming prospects\nneed the unique value that your product and services provides and that\ndifferentiates you from your competitor.<\/li><\/ul><\/li>
                                                                    • Discovery is not just about uncovering\ncustomers\u2018 requirements. It\u2019s also about winnowing down their requirements from\nthe \u201cwants\u201d to the \u201cmust-haves\u201d and educating them about how the must-haves\ncorrelate to the features and value provided by your product or service.<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                                                      CHAPTER 31 Qualifying on Price and Value<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                                                      • Qualification on price and value doesn\u2019t mean\nthat your prospects will be 100 percent in love with your price. But it does\nmean they agree that you\u2019re in the ballpark and that any further discussions\nabout price will be a negotiation about deliverables, not a price objection<\/strong><\/li>
                                                                      • Price qualification\u2019s rightful place is early in\nthe sales process, no later than during the discovery phase.<\/li>
                                                                      • You can\u2019t qualify a customer on price without\ndisclosing your price.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                                                        CHAPTER 32 Objections and Qualification<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                                                        • Instead of playing defense, your job is to\nconvert the customer\u2019s objection into a question and to respond to it so that\nthe customer can start moving forward again toward a decision.<\/li>
                                                                        • Simply ask for an assessment of how well you\nanswered the objection. \u201cDoes that answer your question?\u201d<\/li>
                                                                        • \u201cMr. Prospect, on this particular issue, how\nwould you rank our solution compared to the alternatives you are considering?\u201d<\/li>
                                                                        • Look at each customer objection as an\nopportunity to requalify that sales opportunity. Qualification is not a one-time\nevent.<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                                                          CHAPTER 33 Building a Productive Pipeline<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                                                          • Three strategies to strengthen your pipeline
                                                                            • Disqualify the losers.<\/li><\/ul>
                                                                              • Requalify the qualified.<\/li><\/ul>
                                                                                • Plan for the end game.<\/li><\/ul><\/li>
                                                                                • Customers will go radio silent and just stop\ncommunicating with you when they\u2019re no longer considering your offer.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                                                                  PART VII Mastering Stories That Sell<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                                                                                  CHAPTER 34 Becoming an Effective Content Curator and\nProvider<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                                                                  • To customers, content is the sum total of the\ninformation and insights they need to gather in order to make a fully informed\npurchase decision in the least time possible.<\/li>
                                                                                  • She may need to know what her own competitors\nhave done or are doing with products and technology similar to yours.<\/li>
                                                                                  • Sellers who can create value for their customers\nby consistently serving them information that helps them develop a more\ninformed perspective on their upcoming decisions dramatically increase their\nodds of winning the business.<\/li>
                                                                                  • Identify relevant third-party sources of\ninformation.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                                                                    CHAPTER 35 Four Questions to Build Compelling Sales\nStories<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                                                                    • Basic ground rules about effective sales stories.
                                                                                      • Keep it simple and short.<\/li><\/ul>
                                                                                        • Use simple detail to draw the prospect into the\npicture.<\/li><\/ul>
                                                                                          • Illustrate a defining moment of value.<\/li><\/ul>
                                                                                            • Use a story to provide insight and context.<\/li><\/ul><\/li>
                                                                                            • Four simple questions:
                                                                                              • 1. What problem was your customer trying to\nsolve?<\/li><\/ul>
                                                                                                • 2. Why was your expertise relevant to your\ncustomer?3. Why did the customer buy from you?<\/li><\/ul>
                                                                                                  • 4. What value has the customer received from\nyour product \/ service?<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                                                                                    CHAPTER 36 Are Your Stories Worth Repeating?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                                                                                                    CHAPTER 37 Integrating Stories into Your Selling Process<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                                                                                                    PART VIII Selling Through Customer Service<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                                                                                                    CHAPTER 38 Selling and Service<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                                                                                    • Every call to support should be considered a\nsales call for the customer\u2019s next order.<\/li>
                                                                                                    • Selling never stops. Even though customers \u2018attention\nmay be focused on implementation versus acquisition, they\u2019re counting on you to\ncontinue to provide additional insights about how to maximize the return on\ninvestment in your product.<\/strong><\/li>
                                                                                                    • You want to train your customers that\ncommunications from you deliver value.<\/li>
                                                                                                    • Another best practice for servicing customers is\nto publish a newsletter or other form of structured communication with your\nexisting customers.<\/li>
                                                                                                    • The role of the salesperson in a Land and Expand\nservice role is to find additional uses of your product for the customer beyond\nthe original business case [or to expand usage to more people or additional business\nunits].<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                                                                                      CHAPTER 39 The Most Important Sales Call<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                                                                                      • The most important sales call you make during\nthe course of a sale is the first call after you receive their order and before\nthe product is shipped or the service delivered.<\/strong><\/li>
                                                                                                      • ake the call the first day after you receive the\norder.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n

                                                                                                        CHAPTER 40 Building Customer Relationships That Last<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
                                                                                                        • Delight your customers with your commitment to\ncustomer service. Commit to being completely responsive to your customers \u2018requirements\nfor support, both presale and postsale.<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                                                                                          Amp Up Your Sales: by Andy Paul Foreword You need to be super-responsive. Introduction In the eyes of the customer, all competitive products and services look increasingly alike. Salespeople will always adapt corporate sales procedures or given selling methodologies to an individual selling process that fits into their comfort zone. PART I Simplifying Your Selling […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":807,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_import_markdown_pro_load_document_selector":0,"_import_markdown_pro_submit_text_textarea":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-806","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-uncategorized","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t