You make calls all the time—interact with prospects constantly. And if you're like us, you have things that you face each and everyday that are unique, unusual, and which sometimes stump you. On this podcast we take one of the most common sales problems—how to keep the prospect excited—and keep things moving. And also we give our podcast listeners a preview of a One Hour Teleseminar we're doing on February 7 at 1:00PM EST. Go to www.askcaskey.com to find out more. And listen to this podcast so you'll get the answer to the question—and get a sample of how this teleseminar can help you. Oh, by the way, the telseminar is free.

Ever had a buyer change at the most inopportune time? Actually, it seems like that’s the only times buyers change—right when you’re in the middle of a sale. But what should you do about that? Most sales training doesn’t really address the seriousness of the issue. But Caskey and Neale do on today’s episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast.

Have you ever felt like you were obligated to quote? It happens usually when you have a client who is “going out to bid” and you’re invited to play. While we don’t like the whole ‘blind bid’ process, we do realize that sometimes you must play the game that way. “To quote or not to quote” that is the question. Bill and Bryan deal with this at length in this podcast. There are a variety of circumstances that dictate your reaction—and they give you some guidelines during this cast

So, how do you handle conflict with a prospect—yet still preserve their dignity? This happens a lot when your buyer has a distinct impression of your value or an opinion of their pain—and you know it’s wrong. If you mess this up, you’ll lose rapport. If you handle it right, you can get past it and move on. Caskey and Neale talk about being right versus being rich.

Ready to take a walk down memory lane-and laugh your (you know what) off? This episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast recounts some of Bill and Bryan's funniest, most embarrassing, stupidest experiences as salespeople. They take you through their own personal TRUE stories that many of you will likely relate to and hopefully can laugh about. Be ready to send them your story after you hear theirs.

Your role as a sales manager/leader should be to ELEVATE YOUR TEAM. Yes, you can show them how to sell, and mentor them in the sales process—but your one overriding objective is to make them self-sufficient. This podcast gives you five things you can do immediately to help you grow and help your team grow as well. If you’re struggling to grow your team, then maybe you’re looking at it all wrong. This podcast will help change your mind—just a little.

This episode reveals the secret behind elite performers and good performers and examines the one core difference Bill and Bryan's process has over all others out there. The good news is - it doesn't matter what process you use: Miller Heiman, SPIN, PSS, Sandler - Bill and Bryan's philosophies shared in this episode can dramatically change your results.

Lead generation continues to come up as one of the most important issues facing sales people today. There just never seems to be enough in the funnel. Today, Bryan Neale and Bill Caskey talk about a new strategy that you can use to help bolster leads—and help you generate marketing content from your intellectual capital. One of the perspectives here is you must stop acting like a sales person—and start acting like a business owner/marketer. Begin thinking of yourself as a “go to resource” for solutions. If you can get there mentally, this podcast will make tons of sense.

Ever had a huge account you were pursuing (or are pursuing)? And you get so wrapped up in the pursuit that you forget the fundamentals of selling? Well, it may not happen to you, but it does happen often. This week's sales training podcast is an interview with Brooke Green, one of our consultants who recently coached one of her clients helping them win a multi-million dollar deal. Brooke talks about what went into the coaching and how it might help listeners who have large accounts they are pursuing.

We have been thinking about what the future sales force will look like lately. Why? Well, there are a ton of trends that are beginning to impact sales forces and sales people – globalization – googlization – commodity pricing – readily available information on the web - etc. So we went out and looked for someone who had studied this from the perspective of: what do customers want from the seller? We found Ben Ball (Senior VIce President, Dechert-Hampe & Co.). So in this interview, you’ll hear what his study told us about what the sales person of the future might look like – act like. Sales managers/leaders: listen carefully.

Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale share a "how to" for proposal writiing and discuss what components every good proposal should (and shouldn't) contain.

In keeping with the fact that 80% of sales success has to do with how you think and your selling strategy, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale take on the issue of “How Do You Need To Think?” in order to be successful.

This is the initial voyage of the Sales Managers episode which we’ll release the first Thursday of the month. If you’re not a sales manager, forward this on to those appropriate for this. The premise for this episode is that most sales teams don’t work - or at least they aren’t optimized. We’ll talk about how to look at, and assess, your sales team so you know where to focus your attention – and how to grow your business. This is for Sales VP’s, Sales Managers, Regional Managers or anyone who manages/oversees a sales team.

Have you ever taken a sales course where you learned how to “close”? Or, maybe you learned the “‘trial close.” Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale address The issue of closing skills in this podcast – yet they don’t address it in the traditional way. In fact, they lay to rest - hopefully forever – the idea that by delivering certain techniques you can “get someone to make a decision.” That’s not the way it works – and to reinforce those worn out sales tactics does you more harm than good. This podcast will rewire your sales mind a little – which will allow you to operate from a different mental position when getting decisions.

Have you ever wondered why the prospect wants to control the sales process? Other than the fact that we’re all “control freaks” to some extent, it’s no wonder the prospect thinks – because he has the money – that he should control the sales process. But the fact is, he shouldn’t. You should control it. And in this week’s episode of the Advanced Selling Podcast, Bryan Neale and Bill Caskey tell you exactly how to do that.

Ever have problems talking to your prospects about money - fees - prices? Did you know it might be something much deeper in your soul? (It seems these guys think everything is 'deeper in your soul'). Well, this one just might be. Bill and Bryan talk about the importance of money in how you earn and how you price your services.

Leadership should be on every sales person's mind. In this interview, Bill and Bryan talk with new author, Kevin Eikenberry, who has written a book called REMARKABLE LEADERSHIP. Listen to this podcast if you are a sales leader/manager or have any inclination to be one someday.

In this episode, Bill and Bryan address the China import issues that are making news. Is it possible that part of this is a breakdown in selling skills? That might be a stretch - or not. As you listen to this, think about how you would modify your sales approach if you were to compete against low priced competitors. This applies to sales professionals who don't just compete against off shore vendors - but to the vendor right down the street as well.

Ever wondered why your prospects sometimes just don't act on your offer? Could it be you just aren't getting them to admit their problems to you? Well, this podcast episode with Bill Caskey and Brooke Green deals with exactly how to do that. Most sales strategies forget about that very thing - how to understand the compelling reasons a prospect has for changing.

Ever been sold to by an "old world sales person?" Kind of frightening, isn't it? In this week's episode of the Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale discuss some of the many differences between the old and new way of selling. It's a good gut-check to see if you slip back in to old beliefs and tactics when you're in pursuit of a sale. Use this episode in your sales training since it addresses some of the core problems today's sales professional faces.

Ever wondered where the line was between being persistent and being a pest? You're not alone. Most sales people have. In this week's episode of the Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale read a letter from a listener who is concerned with how persistent he should be toward the end of the deal. You see most sales strategies are built on the premise of 'convince and persuade.' And with that misaligned orientation, the sales professional sometimes pushes too hard in an effort to close the sale. This episode has many tips and good ways to follow up with your prospect--in a way that won't push them away.

In this week's episode of the Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey interviews a special guest, Dan Heath, the author of the Made to Stick. He joins us today to share his insights on helping OTHERS understand your ideas and helping YOU communicate them better. It seems in most sales training, we talk about communication skills, but spend little time talking about the thinking behind communicating ideas. Dan has researched why/how some ideas stick and others don't. And since professional selling revolves around how compelling you make your ideas for the prospect, Dan was the perfect guest. These are skills that you can learn and apply immediately to your sales strategies to help increase sales. Make sure to go buy Dan's book, Made to Stick. Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die.

In this week's episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale answer those "what do I do when?" questions that sales professionals have every day. This is an episode that helps sales people new and old who are curious about what to do in certain situations. Business-to-business sales training and development isn't always about "theory." Sometimes it's just about practical advice. This episode will help you to say and do the right things in those places where your deal might be on the line. Sometimes just a third party--like Caskey and Neale--can shed just enough light on a subject to give you a new way to think about old problems.

In today's podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale address the New York Times piece on Income Inequality--and how sales professionals are in the right spot to be at the correct end of the income spectrum. They address the core competencies of the "top one percenters" (those who earn over $340,000/year)--and where to go to get that training. This sales podcast is a good way to check your own skills in the entire domain of business--not just selling. This podcast will expand your thinking about your self, your future and the possibilities that exist when you grow your skills.

In this week's episode of the Advanced Selling Pocast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale discuss stalled deals. A lot of sales people find themselves stuck in the middle of a deal, where they have the potential buyer interested in their product or service, but they can't seem to close the deal. Have no fear, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale are here to help you jump start those stalled deals with their innovative techniques and tips. This will help sales people of all levels spend time closing more deals instead of wasting their time and money on a deal that isn't going anywhere. Don't miss it.

In this episode of the Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale address the mental side--inner game--of sales. "How you think determines how you act" is one of our favorite sayings. And Caskey and Neale discuss new possibilities in thought which will immediately change your behavior--and ultimately, your results. Want to be massively successful in sales or business? Then, this is one of the most critical pieces of information you need to learn in order to become great. For you sales managers, forward this on to every one of your people--and use your next sales meeting to discuss your opinions on this piece.

In this week's episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale discuss how to appeal to the economic buyer. In their consulting practice, it never fails that one of the biggest challenges for sales people is "selling to groups." The bottom line is that everyone in the group MUST be on the page. However, the economic buyer (the person in charge of money) is one most likely to have their own style of buying that may or may not match up with yours. Bill and Bryan give you new ways to think about these problems that come up over and over to help the economic buyer get away from the price page, and onto everyone else's page. This is a very crucial part of the selling cycle that can make or break most deals. If you want to call in and have your question answered by Bill and Bryan, call 317.722.6299. Use your first name only.

Ever wondered if the sales training you're getting was actually the best available? Or whether what you were learning was actually making you better? In this week's episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale discuss the mistakes that sales trainers make that mess up sales people and how they sell. Have no fear though--if you find that you are a victim of 'sales training malpractice,' Bill and Bryan have plenty of tips to get you on the right road to better selling. This is an eye opening episode that you don't want to miss. Also, email us at [email protected] if you want to be considered for our one hour coaching call. We'll then take the best of those private calls and put in a podcast episode.

In this week's episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale discuss the knack of having good, truthful conversations with your prospect. What should you listen for? How can you find the heart of their problems and reasons for buying? Listening should be a big part of any sales strategy consequently, they discuss how much sales people should talk, and how much they should listen. Bill and Bryan act out (they're always acting out) these teachings, so that you can apply them to your selling strategies immediately.

In this week's episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale discuss how to overcome your fears of cold calling and prospecting. In sales, the majority of the business you generate is from calling on new prospects. Even though those first phone calls are some of the most dreaded parts of sales, they CAN be mastered. And like we say, 'make your biggest weakness your biggest asset' and watch success ensure. The mind is telling you something if you have fear. It tells you "you aren't looking at the situation "correctly." Caskey and Neale help you change your thinking around these aspects of sales so the "phobia" evaporates. Don't believe us? Listen and see!

In this week's episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale take a look in the mail bag and pull out some questions from our listeners. Bryan and Bill discuss what to do when the other sales people in your office start to single you out because of your success. This is a really interesting discussion that helps you reflect on your "inner game" and helps you to continue to sell more and become more successful.

In this week's episode of the Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey interviewed John Hirth, a sales development trainer from Chicago (www.johnhirth.com). John gives us his take on how the profession of selling has changed in the last 10 years. His answers may surprise you. And they will definitely enlighten you. If you know how selling has changed, then you'll be better equipped to change, intelligently, with it. Intelligent change will give you the strategy and insight needed to grow your revenue. After the interview, Bill and Bryan Neale talk about what you can do to start changing your approach with your customers, which will keep you running at your peak sales level.

In this week's episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale give you interesting (and innovative) tips you can use to make better use of your time. You have only so many hours in the day/week and year. How you use those hours are at the core of how successful you are. For example, have you ever thought about how many hours/year you could save if you could communicate your message better to your prospects? This is a fast moving--lightning round type of podcast, where Caskey and Neale go through some systemic ways to improve your time management--and the production you get from the hours you spend.

In this week's episode of the Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale discuss various sales scenarios that you might find yourself in, and what to do in them. This episode gives you some fresh ideas for solving old problems. Don't miss it.

This episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast is the second in a series that began last week. In this episode Bill and Bryan discuss your “comfort zone.” We all are very aware of what is inside and outside of our comfort zones. Bill and Bryan want you to step just a little bit outside of that comfort zone; to what they call, “the warning zone”. In the "warning zone" your mind is telling you that you are somewhat uncomfortable in the situation you're in. One of the best ways to step out of your comfort zone is to talk about money right off the bat. Get your price on the table so that during the first meeting you will know if there is any reason to proceed after this call. The lesson here is: stop wasting time trying to sell them something that they can’t afford--or don't want to afford. After that, you can slowly build more confidence doing other things outside of your comfort zone, thereby creating a larger comfort zone, which will enable you to achieve more during a sales call.

In this first of a series, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale discuss a theory called "Time Optimization," which is optimizing the time you spend by doing your "highest use activity". This is not a lesson in time management. Rather, it is a manifesto that calls for a different way to look at the time you spend in sales activities. Most sales people waste their most precious asset--their time. How will you find out what Bill and Bryan have in store for you? By listening, of course. Enjoy.

In this week's episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale talk about ending sales calls with a good understanding of what is going to happen next, instead of letting the deal become stalled. So how do you do this? It's pretty simple, at the end of a sales call, you need to know if you and the prospect are going to continue moving along with this deal, or if this just isn't going to work. This is very important for you, because it will help you waste less time on deals that might not happen, and allow you to have more time to spend on the ones that will happen. There are many other vital parts to this process in this episode, so don't miss it. Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] or on our new toll free number,1-877-637-8853.

Happy New Year from all of us at The Advanced Selling Podcast! We decided that in order to get you off on the right foot this year, we would discuss the rules that all sales people should abide by: "The Commandments of Selling". Most sales training deals with what to say. But in the commandments, we deal with sales strategy and modern thought. Everyone needs standards and rules to keep us on track--physically and mentally-- during the selling process. This week Bill and Bryan give you their version of the commandments. If you get this urge to share an additional commandment, call us at 317-722-6299 or email us at [email protected].

In this week's episode of the Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale recommend changes you can make in the New Year. But don't wait until January 1st to start. Get a 'head start' for another year of high achievement. They discuss how to take your sales from good to "elite." These five best sales strategies/ practices are: talk to the right people, become an expert in something, nurture your network, get picky about your clients, and decide what's possible. Come to think of it, these are great strategies for increasing your sales in the year to come but even better strategies for your business life. Have a great Holiday from the staff at The Advanced Selling Podcast!

Happy Holidays Everyone! The year 2006 is rapidly coming to a close. And speaking of closing, in this episode of the Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill and Bryan discuss some different and innovative closing strategies that will help you get more decisions, quicker. Also, email us your questions and programming suggestions for next year at [email protected]. So pay attention, take notes, and resolve to close more deals in the year to come.

When salespeople walk into a company for a sales call, they don't always realize the landscape they're about to experience. Salespeople need to understand the people inside the company--those stressed and overworked souls. And the executives you're meeting with don't seem to put much focus on communicating the company vision to their staff. Therefore, few know it. Therefore, when meeting with these executives, your job as a salesperson is to engage them in conversation about the company's and their pains, and their visions for the future. By discussing this, you and your prospect will have a better understanding if your product or service will be a perfect fit. In this podcast, you'll get some tips on how to better navigate through this landscape.

In this week's episode of The Advanced Selling Podcast, Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale discuss the problems associated with being too enthusiastic about your product/service. The problem is that your enthusiasm can get in the way of focusing on helping your prospect solve their problem. Enthusiasm in sales is OK, as long as you're more excited about helping your client solve his problem than you are about your product. When you show up at a prospect's office and the only thing that you're excited about is closing a deal, the prospect senses that -- thereby raising their BS detector. This is a perfect episode for the "technical seller." Pass it on to your technical team, if you have one.

Having stalled deals in your funnel is one of the hardest things to deal with as a salesperson. But have no fear, because this week Bill Caskey and Bryan Neale are here to discuss how to fix stalled deals and how to prevent future deals from stalling. By making an upfront agreement and outlining a "clear future" for your prospect, you will start to notice that you have fewer stalled deals. This is great information to keep your sales funnel running efficiently. Also, if you want to search past Advanced Selling Podcasts, go to www.podzinger.com and watch this amazing tool at work!