Three Word Podcast

Episode 110, Time To Recharge!

Simplify Your Sales meetings. Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word  topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired.  She has over 34 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience.

 

Episode 110, Why taking a vacation is good for your business. It's Time To Recharge!

 

I recalled a moment from a vacation I shared with 8 of my best friends. I was running my dogs and started laughing out loud! Likely many of you, you haven't been able to see, let alone spend time with your friends. We planned a girls' trip to Hocking Hills, where we rented a house to get away, recharge, and connect.

We gathered, we embraced, hiked, sat poolside listening to our favorite music, laughed, cooked together (excellent cooks, may I add - not me), sat by the fire pit with our favorite beverage updating each other. The excitement of seeing my friends for an extended period brought me joy and happiness. I had never laughed so much as this trip! This gathering I would title unforgettable fun!

 

This vacation had an enormous impact! Probably because of covid and many of us had not seen each other outside of zoom happy hours and phone calls. We needed an escape from our homes and work! Many of us working more hours than we typically would.

 

When work is overwhelming, and your work-life feels out of balance, it's time to ask yourself, "Should I go on vacation?" The answer is Yes! People are working more hours and taking less time off, have not been able to get away or gather with family and friends, bringing on various mental and physical health challenges. 

 

Why are vacations critical to you and your business? It gives you a chance to recharge. Studies show that managers and employees that take a vacation experience an increase in productivity after returning to work, which can positively impact the rest of the team.

 

Employees who take time away to recharge return to work with more energy and innovation to invest in the company's success. 70% of employees who regularly take a week-long summer vacation say they are driven to contribute to the companies success, compared with 55% of those who don't. 

 

O.C.Tanner completed a study that recently asked 1,000+ workers across the country about their experiences and thoughts regarding summer vacation. For those employees who regularly take a one-week or more extended vacation in the summer, there are positive correlations between their workplace engagement levels and work ethic:

 

 • 70 percent of respondents say they are highly motivated to contribute to the organization's success instead of only 55 percent of respondents who do not regularly take a week-long summer vacation. 

 

• 63 percent of respondents say they feel a sense of belonging at the company where they currently work instead of only 43 percent of respondents who do not regularly take a week-long summer vacation. 

 

• 65 percent of respondents say they have a strong desire to be working for their organization one year from now, as opposed to 51 percent of respondents who do not regularly take a week-long summer vacation. 

 

Do you know what else vacations do? They Boost your happiness!

Research shows that planning a vacation can boost your happiness. Some people experience an elevated mood up to eight weeks before the trip. You all have experienced this while planning your vacations—the anticipation of seeing family, friends, the beach, the mountains, or your happy place. I experienced extreme happiness planning and attending the Girls trip to Hocking Hills!

 

The bottom line is, take a vacation! When you take time away from the stresses of work and daily life, it can improve your physical and mental health, motivation, relationships, job performance, and perspective. A vacation can help you feel recharged and more prepared to handle whatever comes when you return.

 

So get to planning and booking your next vacation. I would love to hear where you've headed for your getaway, and send me pictures of you recharging!

 

If you think someone could benefit from this episode, share it, rate it, or subscribe for Free at Itunes or Spotify, so you don't miss out on the next three-word podcast.

 

Learn more about how to Simply Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com .

Episode 109, Time To Review?

Simplify Your Sales meetings. Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word  topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired.  She has over 34 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience.

 

In episode 109, we do a mid-year check-in to review if we are on track to exceeding our goals.

 

Well, it's hard to believe that it's July, and for some of you, your year is ending. For many others like me, we are halfway through our year. I have a question for you, " How's Your Year going?" Is it progressing as you envisioned? Has it gotten off track? What goals did you set for yourself and your team during your annual review? Most people did their yearly reviews with their team in late November, right in the middle of Covid. We discussed and created a performance plan based on what we knew then.

 

The question is, do you wait for the year to end to see if you were successful with your intentions for the year? Many of us check the box and file our annual review. The next time we review it is a year later. I was thinking about the word review. A review is a formal assessment or examination of something with the possibility or intention of instituting change if necessary. So we must be reviewing our year each day, each week, and every month to see if we are on task to achieving our goals. Plus, we all love to make progress in everything we do!

 

If I asked you what your action plan included for this year, would you recall it? If your sales or management, you may have set your intention on growing revenue and exceeding budget. What else did you decide to accomplish this year?

 

So I decided to pull out my review to see if I was on track or if I need to make some shifts and adjustments now that I am mid-year. My number one goal is to exceed my revenue goals. I am exceeding one area and need to make some shifts in another revenue line. If your Coaching others, do you have the right talent to help you get there? It is about recruiting the right talent and fit to help you achieve your revenue goals.

 

I am lucky to work with the most talented leaders in the industry, but I am not immune to someone leaving. I discovered that I don't have enough sales leaders in my pipeline to hire for the next opportunity. After reviewing my list of sales talent, this is an area I need to shift my attention and take action on every week.

 

I decided to walk my sales leaders through the same process; I walked through this process in our weekly one-on-one coaching sessions. We discovered that we need to make some shifts and reset in other areas. What we thought served us in a strategy late last year required updating mid-year.

 

Great sales talent and leaders are always looking for better ways to improve their performance.

 

I used five questions with my sales leaders as a mid-year touchpoint.

 

• What did we set out to do this year? (restate goal(s) and how we agreed we would achieve them)

 

• What is working? (and how can you do more of that) Yes, we want to keep doing what is working! Take the time to celebrate those accomplishments.

 

• What do you need to say no to that is not working?  What activities are stealing time from you and not helping you produce the results for you?

 

• Are there new market opportunities that could provide new sales opportunities?   For example, helping companies find qualified employees is a significant opportunity of focus for our team. Think about new options you have today that perhaps you didn't six months ago. 

 

• List one adjustment you will make to improve your sales? Should you be prospecting more? Improve your appointment settings? Ask for a referral from a satisfied client or Increase your average sale? Do you need additional sales training or better processes?

 

If you Manager or lead a team, here are a few other questions to consider.

 

How is your team performing to plan YTD?

 

What did you plan for this year, and it's working?  (If yes, Do more of it!)

 

What is not working and needs to be adjusted? ( Focus on the activities getting you the results you need.)

 

How is your sales talent pipeline of leaders?  If someone gets promoted or leaves your company, do you have someone that can step into that opportunity? 

 

Lastly, based on your mid-year review, what have you learned, what changes need adjustments to ensure you exceed your goals?

 

A midyear review check-in is something I recommend for your business and personally. You have time to make adjustments to finish the year strong and keep making progress and building momentum as you enter into 2022. Yes, the new year will be here before we know it. 

 

If you think someone could benefit from this episode, share it, rate it, or subscribe for Free at Itunes or Spotify, so you don't miss out on the next three-word podcast.

 

Learn more about how to Simply Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com .

Episode 108 Could your Sales use a little Spark?

Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach.  Simplify Your Sales meetings. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word  topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired.  She has over 34 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience.

 

In episode 108 - Learn Seven tips to Spark Your Sales!

 

How's your year going? If you're on track or crushing your budgets and quotas, Congratulations. If your falling short, then you may find this podcast helpful. You may be looking for something to help Spark your Sales. 

 

Here are seven tips you can do to Spark your sales. 

 

Add More Value.

Think about the products and services you buy? I have a feeling that it's not always about price. Instead, the product/service that adds more value to your life. Most clients buy from those that add or show value in working with them. Your clients are no different.

 

Your clients see value in many different ways. A product might save them time, create more revenue, improve their operation, build employee morale and engagement. But ultimately, customers will only purchase a product that they think will benefit them. In the end, the person that earns the business does these three words: Adds More Value! What solutions can you provide to your prospect or client?

 

A great question to ask to add value would be the following.

"Our research has shown that the industry/market has been going in an upward/downward direction over the past days/weeks/months."

Again, this shows you've done your homework and share something of real value with your client.

 

Learn to Listen.

More than two-thirds of clients agree: listening to their needs is essential to create a positive sales experience. So all you have to do is ask better questions and listen.

Learn about your prospect's business. Spark their interest by asking your client about their industry, trends, what they're doing to stay ahead, and even why they got into that industry. If you show interest in your prospect's business, they'll feel influential and respected. You will earn their trust. Everyone likes to talk about themselves; all you have to do is ask them.

 

Keep Building Trust.

Think about this static, only 3% of buyers trust sales reps. Talk about no Spark! This trust deficit is one of the biggest problems facing salespeople. No matter how well you explain the value of your product or recommend a specific solution if your prospects don't believe you… you're facing an uphill battle.

 

But fortunately, there is a way to develop that trust by consistently demonstrating expertise. Sharing that knowledge with your prospects shows that you understand the industry and empathize with their challenges.

 

A great question to build trust would be the following. "My experience in this field shows that the market is improving/getting better/more profitable, so my recommendation is to invest in product x."

You will earn the trusted advisor position and helps the prospect trust your opinions and create more opportunities for themselves.

 

Be A Resource.

Stay focused on how you can help your client. Stay focused on understanding what your customer needs and provide them with solutions.

Share industry trends and how to help improve their sales and operation. Or share the following statement: "Like most of our clients, no doubt you must be experiencing an upturn/downturn/increase/decrease in xxx part of your business."

Using the phrase 'Like most of our clients' says that you will share some valuable market information, pique their interest in hearing more.

 

Persistence pays off.

I read an article from Hubspot that shared some great stats on how staying persistent can pay off to you.  

 

• It takes an average of 18 calls actually to connect with a buyer.
• Only 24% of sales emails are opened, which means 76% don't get opened. I would recommend calling and starting a conversation.
• 80% of sales require five follow-up calls.
• 44% of salespeople give up after one follow-up call.

 

Selling is all about relationships.

How do you keep the spark alive? Ted Rubin – who wrote the book Return on Relationship, understands this principle. The word "Relate" is in the word Relationship. The more relatable you are to your clients, the better opportunity you have to work with them. When you spend your time having conversations with your clients about how you can help them, you will gain their trust and have a better chance of being referred to other businesses. 

 

Share Success Stories

Clients want to work with companies that have a proven track record. The best way to do this is to share similar companies' stories to highlight the success that they could have with your product- since they'll want the same success. If you have a past success that's in the same industry, mention that to them. They'll be more interested because a competitor has had success with your product. 

 

A great statement story to share could be the following. "The key influencers in our industry see an upturn/downturn in the near future, so my suggestion would be that fill in the blank."

 

To spark your sales, you need to spark a conversation! Become that trusted advisor by listening, more value, become a resource, become more relatable, and keep sharing your successes!

 

Happy 4th of July and to a road of Financial Freedom!

 

 

If you think someone could benefit from this episode, share it, rate it, or subscribe for Free at Itunes or Spotify, so you don't miss out on the next three-word podcast.

 

Learn more about how to Simply Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com .

 

 

Episode 107 -Is it time to Makeover Your Meetings?

Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach.  Simplify Your Sales meetings. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word  topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired.  She has over 34 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience.

 

Episode 107: Is it time to Makeover your Meetings?

 

I was listening to a Brene Brown Podcast, and her guest was Priya Parker, who wrote the book The Art of Gathering. How We Meet and Why It Matters. It was highly thought-provoking on post-pandemic how we will gather together and Why we gather. A deeper discussion centered around meetings in general and the Purpose of those meetings.

 

Well, you know, it grabbed the attention of the girl who wrote the Book Three Word Meetings. So I thought to myself, What a great time to think about all the meetings I attend or lead and think about how they could be better and if they needed a Makeover.

 

What is a meeting? It is where people discuss issues, improve communication, share ideas on improving processes, ideate on how to generate revenue. One of the main reasons I like our weekly team meetings is that the team is together! It's time to connect, collaborate and create conversations and Inspiration.

 

Whether you're still working remotely or back full-time at work, you're still meeting, so let me ask you a question? Could your meetings be better? I would think most of us would say yes! So how do you begin to Makeover Your Meetings? We attend various meetings throughout our week, Sales meetings, Department Head meetings, One on One coaching meetings, client meetings, brainstorming meetings, team collaboration meetings, etc.  

 

I thought I would share the five questions I used to Make Over our weekly Leadership meetings. Most people would call this meeting their sales meeting - more about how you title your meetings later in the podcast. You can apply the same filters when reviewing your meetings.

 

Step One: What is the Purpose of the meeting?

The most critical question you need to ask yourself. What is working, and what needs a makeover? What is the Purpose of the meeting and the outcome you are looking for in your meetings? Every gathering should have a result. When invited to a Dinner Party, you know the Purpose and what to expect. Think about your meetings. For example, is it to gather your team to educate them on new products or services? Is it to have them work together to solve a business challenge? Is it Team Building? Educational? Inspirational? If you're struggling with the Purpose of your meeting, then I recommend asking yourself, Why are you meeting?

 

Step Two: When and How often should you meet? 

We have our Leadership meetings every Tuesday at 8:30 am for an hour. The question to think about is it necessary to meet every week? You may discover that meeting Bi-Weekly or monthly makes more sense. As a management team, we made a decision only to have meetings with Purpose. The length of the meeting matters as well, and we don't force content to fill up the hour if we don't have the material or content. If the content is 30 minutes long, then the meeting ends early! Imagine that as a salesperson, more time to develop your business or spend more time with your clients.

 

Step Three: Name your meetings. 

What you title your meetings set the tone for your time together. Most people name their meetings – sales meetings. We call our weekly meetings Leadership Meetings. Yes, we sell marketing solutions to our customers, but the Purpose of the meeting is to think like a Leader. The word Sales feels very different than Leader! The importance of naming your sessions is that the people attending have a better idea of what they can expect. An Off-site meeting feels different than a meeting in a conference room. For example, guest Speaker, Breakfast, brainstorming, or grow revenue meetings creates a picture in the minds of those attending. 

 

My Leadership Meetings – I use 3 Words to frame every meeting. There is a purpose behind those Three Words. The words reflect the Purpose behind our gathering.  

 

 

Step Four- Engage your team. 

Ask your team for feedback. Remember this meeting is for the team. In your next Leadership meeting, I recommend breaking your team into small groups. Ask them what they find helpful to share during your time together. Would they like guest speakers? Do they want Inspiration or collaboration during their time together? What needs to go and no longer serves a purpose to the meeting? How often should you meet? What could we Makeover to help them? Learn trends in your industry? Do they want music when they walk into the room or on Zoom?  

 

 

Step Five – Be open to the team's feedback. 

We walked our Leaders through the process I shared with you. It gave us insights on what needed to go and what new concepts would benefit our team.

 

So here's to your meetings and gatherings having more Purpose and engagement. I would love to hear your experiences in Making Over your meetings!

 

If you think someone could benefit from this episode, share it, rate it, or subscribe for Free at Itunes or Spotify, so you don't miss out on the next three-word podcast.

 

Learn more about how to Simply Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com .

Episode 106 - The advice you should listen to from your Father!

Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach.  Simplify Your Sales meetings. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word  topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired.  She has over 34 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience.

 

Episode 106, The advice you should listen to from your Father!

 

Happy Pre-Fathers Day to all the hard-working Dads!

 

In this week's episode, I share my conversation with some of the hardest working Fathers I have the pleasure of working alongside. They share the Three Words they live their life by and the Three Words of advice for their children.

 

The one theme all these Fathers have in common is Work-Life Balance! Spending time with their families and their kids is a priority.  

 

Special thanks to the Hardest Working Fathers at Hubbard Media!

 

Nick Collins: Do It Together and Three words of advice for his kids, Always Be Yourself!

Terry Moore- Preparation, Persistence, and Patience. His Three Words of advice for his kids and grandkids, Faith, Family, and Finance.

Ken Marmer- No Practice Life and Three Words of advice for his kids, Try Each Day.

Kelby Dreisbach- Speak The Truth and his Three Words of advice for his daughters, Believe In Yourself!

 

Think about the Three Words you live by or what Three Words of advice you have for your children!

 

 

If you think someone could benefit from this episode, share it, rate it, or subscribe for Free at Itunes or Spotify, so you don't miss out on the next three-word podcast.

 

Learn more about how to Simply Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com .

 

 

 

Episode 105 Become a Goat!

Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach.  Simplify Your Sales meetings. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word  topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired.  She has over 34 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience.

 

In episode 105, we learn how to become a GOAT - Greatest Of All Time by Competing Against Yourself!

 

Let's give up for Phil Mickelson. He provided what we love about sports, watching someone special do something special, something unexpected. Phil shared, "That is why he keeps showing up."  

 

I watched a historical moment! Phil Mickelson win at Kiawah Island, S.C. at the age of 50 years and 11 months! You may be thinking, what's the big deal.

 

Phil's ability on a golf course, the body of work he has established over more than three decades in the public eye, has gotten lost or diminished the past few years. That is why winning this PGA Championship, so unlikely because it made him the oldest major champion ever at age 50, means so much.

 

His last win was in 2019 at Pebble Beach and his final major championship trophy in 2013 at Muirfield. Since September, he missed six cuts. In the eight in which he was around for the weekend, he never once finished in the top 20. He had fallen outside the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking. He needed special exemptions to get a spot in significant championship fields.

 

"The difficulty is when you're not making advancements, and you're putting in the work, and you do not see the results, to stay consistent and to stay committed," Mickelson, 50, shared with reporters. I thought about what he said. You have to be honest with yourself and reflect on where you are today and where you want to be tomorrow, a week from now, a month, or a year.

 

Let's face it as it's hard enough to win when you're competing with the talented golfers in their 30s, never mind in your 40s and now, according to golf, in your senior years. Ouch, as I am in the 55+ crowd. So what I learned from playing golf and watching Phil become a GOAT - Greatest of All-time at the age of nearly 52 is that Phil was competing against his personal best!

 

I understand all of you listening have direct competitors that you compete for business with every day. Is the real learning lesson or takeaway that our focus should be on competing with ourselves and figuring out ways to become our very best? Phil's knowledge of the game and experience is vast. But he had to re-invent himself by not only eating better, building physical strength and mental toughness to compete. By focusing on your capabilities and limitations, you can adapt and refocus your business goals to compete to improve yourself. Taking ownership of the competition internally so you can improve is the best way to create longevity and ride the highs and the lows of business.

 

I had a few thoughts about how we best start to focus on what we can control, which is us!

 

Competition vs. Comparison

Focusing on competing against yourself is the key to a successful mindset because you eliminate the chance to get into the comparison game with others. If we compare ourselves with others, we distract ourselves from our control, such as how the other team members are doing, habits, and daily processes. If we focus only on ourselves, we can work on our strengths and weaknesses to find the most effective and unique ways to connect and sell to our customers. Tracking your progress is essential in taking personal accountability for your circumstances. It's necessary to track your progress. Do you have the energy all day to work with customers? Is your appointment setting improving? How are your conversions to conversations to closes going?

 

Effort is Key

In sales, talent is a contributor to success. The more significant factor is the effort to maximize every possible opportunity. Whether you are at your first sales job and going through the motions, or you already have 34 years of experience, showing up and learning every day is crucial. Planning and managing your activities is a game changer! To become a GOAT - you must focus on your priorities at the beginning and end of each day! Is there an area you need improvement? Be honest and push yourself to start to learn better ways of accomplishing them. You may need to ask for honest feedback from your manager or another co-worker. Remember, learning is earning!

 

 

Invest in Yourself

It starts with working harder on yourself. Are you physically and mentally strong enough to compete against your best? That is what Phil had to do. He learned about nutrition, how to physically push himself, and mentally stay calm in the chaos. Going above and beyond in building your skill, experience, and network means investing in yourself. Continue to add even one percent daily to your professional development, and the results will follow. Building relationships through networking is significant in creating new opportunities. Also, find a greater purpose in why you are doing what you do because it will be a great reminder on the tough days. When things start going bad, break the pattern by doing something that will maximize your future opportunity. People like to work with those who have a winning attitude, even when things are not going to their advantage.

 

Practice makes Perfect.

Phil, like many PGA Pro's, practices every day. He hits shot after shots. Putts all lengths, so when the time comes, he has already built the muscle memory to perform. He has built Mental Confidence! Ask yourself when you practiced what you would say to start a conversation with a new potential client. How about practicing your first meeting to anticipate any objections they may have or practice your presentation. 

 

See, For things to get better, you have to get better.

 

My vision for each of you is to become a GOAT - Greatest of All Time, for yourself. Each day learns something new that will improve your performance. Yes, it's human nature to compete and beat others. But the actual game is won when we Compete Against Ourselves!

 

 

If you think someone could benefit from this episode, share it, rate it, or subscribe for Free at Itunes or Spotify, so you don't miss out on the next 

three-word podcast.

 

Learn more about how to Simply Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com .

 

Episode 104, Turn a No into a Yes!

Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach.  Simplify Your Sales meetings. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word  topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired.  She has over 34 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience.

 

Episode 104, Learn the technique to turning a No into a Yes!

 

Well, It's human behavior for us to avoid any negative experiences. I think you will agree that no one wants to be a Negative Nelli or face negative experiences if they can avoid them. If you're in sales, you experience the word "No." You can call them objections or rejections, but let's call it what it is, a prospect is avoiding us and perhaps not interested in your product or service.

 

So the question is, how can you tell they want to say no?

 

In sales, you want to get the "no" as soon as possible so you can move on. Otherwise, your prospect will steal time from you and drag you along for weeks or months without giving a definitive answer. 

 

I call this "Noping," and it usually sounds like:

• "Hey, can you call me back?"
• "Send me an email, and I'll get back to you."
• "Hey, follow up with me next week."
• "Sorry I had to cancel; I'll get back to you with a better time."

 

When I hear "Nope" phrases, I know I'm in trouble. So we keep calling even though they're probably not interested. This situation typically happens when you're setting the next steps after your presentation. Instead of saying "We're not interested right now," which would be ideal, you'll hear, "We'll think about it and get back to you," "Let's follow up in two weeks," or the dreaded "Let me think about what we discussed today. 

 

It may be time to consider implementing the Negative Reserve Selling.

 

 

David H. Sandler created negative reverse selling in 1967 as part of the Sandler Selling System. The system aims to convince the prospect that they are pursuing the deal and need the product rather than 'selling' them. Brilliant, right?

 

 

It is a reverse psychology technique meaning that it takes the opposite approach to what you would expect.

 

As a salesperson, you will be asking questions and making statements that would seem to discourage your customer from buying your products while, in reality doing the opposite.

 

So, how is the negative reverse selling actually happen? There are two main parts of the process:

 

• It starts with a Softening Statement- "Feeling" these phrases and sentences will help you become much better at negative reverse selling than you would have if you only focused on techniques.

 

• The softening Statement clarifies the customer's concern and ensures that they are heard and understood. The softening Statement is to disarm your potential customer while also making sure that the negative Statement doesn't anger or provoke them. Some examples of the softening Statement include "I understand what you mean," "You're absolutely right," and "That is a valid concern," " Tell me More."

 

• Next is the Negative Statement
• The negative Statement is the opposite of the Statement you would usually make or the opposite of the position you want to take. The negative Statement leans into the concern of your potential client and makes them start defending the product instead of objecting to it.

The negative reverse selling technique is about making your customer sell your products to themselves. Most of the time, people tend to argue, so you just need to take the correct position to guide their argument in the direction you need. Negative reverse selling helps you be in control of the conversation, and that's what we want!

 

Reverse Selling is a strategy of responding to your prospect's question with another question. A seller will do this three times to understand the prospect's motivations or needs better. For example, if the client asks, 'Could you lower your price?' you would respond with, 'What price did you have in mind?'

 

See, you want to discover the real objection or your prospect's lack of interest and get them to admit the answer is "No" without getting too negative—your finding what is keeping you from working together. Essentially, you're getting the prospect or client to realize they're wasting your time if they do not have the resources or genuine interest in you helping them.

 

Here's an example:

 

Prospect: "I need more time to think about it."

Salesperson: "Typically, when I hear someone say," I need more time to think about it," it means I have fallen short in sharing the value of my program for you, and I apologize. 

 

Is it fair for me to assume that's the case?"

 

That's it. The key phrase and framework will save you countless hours. "Is it fair for me to assume that's the case?" gently pushes prospects into giving you a more honest answer about their interest in your product.

 

A Negative Reverse is a question preceded by a softening statement such as "Hmm" or "I see," or "Good point." The question is in the negative or expressed in a manner opposite to the position you want to establish or the direction you want to steer the conversation.

 

So I am encouraging you always to be positive, but know in certain situations you may need to be a Negative -Nellie.

 

If you think someone could benefit from this episode, share it, rate it, or subscribe for Free at Itunes or Spotify, so you don't miss out on the next three-word podcast.

 

Learn more about how to Simply Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com .

Episode 103, When failing is not an option! The How to program to success!

Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach.  Simplify Your Sales meetings. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word  topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired.  She has over 34 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience.

 

Episode 103, Learn the "How" to program yourself for success!

 

Did you ever wonder why some people are more successful than others? Sales leaders who always find a way to reach and exceed their revenue goals. An entrepreneur who started from nothing and is now a Billionaire. How about an athlete that performs at a higher level than others. The person on the path for better health and wellness.

 

What is the one word that stops most people from succeeding? How!

 

Think about your health and wellness on how to lose weight, for example. There are thousands of programs to help you lose weight or improve your overall health. The WW -Weight Watchers, Noom, Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, or you follow the Mediterranean diet, Plant-based or low carb program. The statistics are that 1 in 3 Americans are overweight. How can that be with all " How to" programs available to us.

 

Let's take a look at our business. Technology has transformed how we do business. The internet has all the answers to your questions; ask google! Today, we can find others who have already created the roadmap to success.

 

In sales, the How to is available to all of us.

How to prospect and find the perfect client.

How to start a conversation and set the first meeting.

How to write the perfect proposal and get your client to say yes.

How to build trust and have a client for life.

 

I was programmed by other leaders during my career the following phrase" "Knowledge is Power." I do agree that Knowledge is Power - the How. The truth is, " Knowledge is potential power. Power is the action and execution!

 

If you want to succeed, you have to avoid the Tyranny of How! 

 

If you want to succeed, you start with What you want and WHY you want it! Then you will find the HOW to achieve! The sequence of these three words will determine your success. What, Why, and then How!

 

When you have strong enough reasons for something, you will figure out how to get it.  

 

For example, I wrote the Three Word Meeting Book. I wasn't an author or knew the first thing about writing a book. How would I find the time to write a book when I was working full time? I got clear on what I wanted: to publish a book to help other leaders Simplify Their Sales meetings using Three Word Topics. Also, my Why was to help impact others who lead teams by providing a simple formula to engage and inspire their teams. Next was the How to write a book. Ask Google, and it gives you thousands of options. I had to select the best path for me.

 

Another example is the Three-Word Podcast! Writing the book is one thing, recording, editing, and producing a podcast, a skill I had not yet mastered. So I started with what I wanted. I wanted to share a weekly inspirational and bite-size educational podcast to help other thought leaders. Why did I want to do a podcast? I wanted to impact others by contributing something that could help them grow or think differently about how they lead. So now, the How. I asked someone that already knew the roadmap to create a podcast. What equipment I need, best practices of creating content, recording, editing, and getting the content accessible. Yes, I was out of my comfort zone. I didn't let the fear of understanding audio equipment and mixing boards stop me—my What and Why's pushed me to keep moving forward and learning better ways of doing it, the How!

 

So what do you want? Why do you want it, and How will you achieve it?

 

Believe me, If you have strong enough reasons why you will find how to do it!

 

My recommendation is to ask yourself the following questions:

1. What do you want to create, improve or achieve? What is your intention and vision for yourself? It would be best if you were very specific. If you want better health or lose weight, say I must lose 10lbs versus the phrase I need to lose weight. If you're going to make more money, state the exact number. I need to make $300,000 a year. See, when you get clear on the goal you want to achieve, your brain gets excited and will search for the answer, the How!
2. Why is it vital for you to achieve it! Your heart, not your head. You are your possibilities, not your circumstances. Using the example of better health, so I have the freedom to do the things I love in life! I have the energy to travel, play with my kids, and connect and share my life with others. If you need to make the $300,000, Why? So you have the financial freedom to live life on your terms? Is it to put your kids in private schools? Buy the car of your dreams? Build the house of your dreams? To make an impact helping others like a pet shelter or help the homeless. It's WHY is it a must, not a should. I must do this, not should or could. How would you celebrate helping others, and what feeling would you experience. The Why is the emotional reason you experience!
3. What needs to change? What needs to shift or change now for you to get what you want? What old pattern needs to become a new pathway for you? This is the How! Fear stops many of us; Fear makes us shrink and play small. Change that four-letter word - Fear to Here! I am here to learn and grow from each experience. See things as they are, but not worse than it is. See, the stories we tell ourselves are that we are afraid of failing; we are not enough, I don't have the skills to do it.  

 

What gets in your way of you succeeding is You!  

Shift your mind to empowering beliefs!

Start with What do you need to believe? Then tell yourself you will find it. It is a must to do and then put into action what needs to happen next to you achieving it, the How!

 

Whether its a meaningful relationship, better health, success at work, or financial freedom:  

 

See it: Feel it and Experience it!

 

If you think someone could benefit from this episode, share it, rate it, or subscribe for Free at Itunes or Spotify, so you don't miss out on the next 

three-word podcast.

 

Learn more about how to Simply Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com .

 

 

 

 

Episode 102 - Would you pay $100,000 for a pool?

Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach.  Simplify Your Sales meetings. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word  topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired.  She has over 34 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience.

 

Episode 102, This episode is about focusing on the Right accounts!

 

Would you pay $100,000 for a pool?

 

I want to share a story about an experience I had when considering replacing my current Pool. It started with the idea of redesigning our deck around our existing Pool. As most of you are aware, with Covid, the cost of lumber has skyrocketed. So we got multiple bids and designs. After reviewing what it would cost, we decided we would wait until the prices come down. During that time, I heard an advertisement about getting a new pool installed this Summer! Of course, being in media sales, the commercial got my attention. The power of Radio advertising! So I went to the website, reviewed the products and options, and started to envision a new pool with ample space for the family to gather. Perhaps, this was the solution around getting a new deck. I began to justify in mind that maybe now is the time to replace the Pool.

 

So I decided to call the company that guarantees to install your Pool this Summer to learn more. The owner, Frank, answers the phone. I asked him for more information about his Gunite Pools and that I wanted to set up a time for him to come out and give me his thoughts. Instead of him scheduling an appointment with me, he did something different; he went on to ask a series of questions. Tell me more about your current situation. Do you have an existing pool? Yes. The size of the Pool, above or in-ground? Decking around the Pool, yes. What do you envision? He then went into more details and benefits to his product.

 

Frank then went into what I could expect from an investment. He said taking your decking would be about 5,000 and installing a new Gunite Pool about $85,000-$100,000! This price would vary depending on lights, the fountain, and the ability to put your chairs in the water. ( of course, I am thinking for 100k that doesn't include that, laughing) He said it with confidence!

 

Now in my mind, I was thinking 35-40k. I told Frank, I appreciate what you have shared and how you pre-qualified me as a customer. I appreciated how he respected my time and his. Frank created a conversation to learn more about my needs to see if I was the right fit for him and his products.

 

So how can we apply what Frank did with me for your business?

 

We need to use a series of filters to help us identify our best opportunities. This process would be great for you to walk through or discuss in your next sales meeting. Are you talking to the decision-maker or a key influencer that can say yes, are they a fit for your product and service, and more importantly, do they have the ability to spend and invest enough money to get the desired results.

 

Some of the best sellers I have work with understanding the importance of focusing on the Right Accounts. What I mean by this is that they don't waste their valuable time chasing accounts with minimal potential.

 

When we look at the Right Accounts, it starts with reviewing your current accounts. These are the 20% of your accounts that likely make up 80% of your income. What do they have in common? What is the average client spend with you? I bet you know the decision-maker, and they have the resources to invest in your products and solutions.

 

Most listening work under some account management system. These systems help you focus and track your best opportunities. So you have to be honest with yourself. Which accounts need to be taken off your list to make room for the ones worth your time? You know the small accounts that steal most of your time and that you realize they may not have the money to invest in your program long term. Let's remove them. Your better off focusing your time on the accounts with a bigger payoff for you.

 

Now that you identified the correct accounts, time to get in front of the person who can say yes to your program. In my example, Frank knew he was talking to the decision-maker. He created a conversation to pre-qualify me to see if I was a viable customer for him. He did a great job creating a conversation by asking questions about my needs. What size pool was I considering? Tell me more about your current decking? He asked me about my vision and needs. And yes, based on my answers, he shared with me the benefits of his product and the investment it would take. He was upfront and considerate of my time and his.  

 

My advice, find a way to get in front of the decision-maker or at least a key -influencer that can help answer the questions you need to pre-qualify them to see if they are a fit for you and your company.

 

Have a list of pre-qualifying questions, like Frank used to help you decide whether that account is a fit for you. Create a conversation with your prospects and have confidence when asking those questions.

 

We need to guide the conversation. We have to provide customers with a unique, strategic perspective, a vision for improving their business, and a return on investment. Provide more value than what their current vendor is providing them! 

 

This way, you can spend more time relaxing around a pool, sipping on your favorite drink!

 

If you think someone could benefit from this episode, share it, rate it, or subscribe for Free at Itunes or Spotify, so you don't miss out on the next 

three-word podcast.

 

Learn more about how to Simply Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com .

 

If I can help you with your Sales, Marketing, or Sales meetings, call me at 513-478-1757 or Lisathal12@gmail.com.

 

 

Episode 101 - Working Mother's Three Words of advice!

Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, and Business Coach.  Simplify Your Sales meetings. She wrote the book "Three Word Meetings."  Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word  topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired.  She has over 34 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience. Loves Golf and Dog Mom!

 

Episode 101 - Working Mother's Three Words of advice!

 

The three words that come to mind when I think about working Mothers are "Doing It All." I have witnessed how the moms I work with show up every day ( even when they are tired) and give it their all. They build deep, trusting relationships with their customers while balancing the needs of their children and family. They "Do It All!"

 

I thought it would be fun to hear from these Get It Done Leaders. I share a conversation on their favorite three words and the three words they would offer their kids. Plus, in the end, you hear Mom Thal's three favorite words and the three words of advice for her children!

 

Special thank you to my guests who work for Hubbard Media / 2060 Digital. Debbie Perkins, Julie Drummey, Emily Martin, Lynda Heidorn, Katie Richardson, and Mom Thal for taking the time to share her thoughts and wisdom on the Three Word Podcast!

 

I would love to hear your favorite three words and the three words you would offer your children. Comment or send to me in a private message.

 

To all those hardworking, Do it all, Mom's, Happy Mothers' Day! Life is better because of you!

 

Learn more about how to Simply Your sales meetings using 3-word topics at http://www.threewordmeetings.com .

 

Lisa Thal is an Author, Speaker, Marketing, Sales, and Business Coach. Lisa coaches leaders on simplifying sales and business meetings with fun and interesting 3-word topics to get your sales team motivated and inspired. She has over 34 years of marketing, sales, and leadership experience. Loves Golf and Dog Mom!

 

If I can help you with your Sales, Marketing, or Sales meetings, call me at 513-478-1757 or Lisathal12@gmail.com.