5 TAKEAWAYS FROM DAVID GAFF’S INBOUND SALES BOOT CAMP

I’ve loved getting my hands dirty on my Inbound Marketing journey. 

However, as a non-classically trained sales person I was a little apprehensive to begin with. I am happy to report that I thoroughly enjoyed the boot camp. The energy was great and yes my apprehension was well founded as I was challenged and extended throughout the process. 

Here are my 5 takeaways: 

1. One sale is not enough. You have to sell again and again!

In most cases we begin with a prospect that has activities and programs already in place. So the status quo is the first selling challenge. This is not about selling your wares as an agency, but rather uncovering the customer’s pain points. The second sale commences the journey to trusted advisor status – embedding confidence in the customer that you can resolve their pain points when compared with other solutions. And the final sale is the case for your offering versus direct competitors.

 

2. Hard questions now, ease pain later

You need information to sell. Right? Most people simply get the basics and then go for the jugular vein. However, by spending a bit more time asking polite but harder questions will provide you with the specifics, highlighting the significance of the opportunity for both parties. Uncovering questions is not just great for understanding goals and timings but also plans and challenges. Lastly, this is also the time to qualify whether there is a mutual fit between agency and customer.

 

3. Make your tips interactive and let them land

Role plays! Aagh! They highlight all kinds of strengths and weaknesses. For me I found out that a) I heaped too much into my tips so that they became ‘lecture’ like and b) I failed to make them interactive so that they had impact. These tips, solutions or insights are your opportunity to generate trust. Keep it conversational and centered on the client’s world – not yours!

 

4. Anchoring isn’t selling, it’s educating

As a buyer we always want to get the best deal and usually that means trying to get the lowest price. As a seller we should anchor to value, which is educative and helpful for the customer (who may have their value blinkers on). By anchoring to a % of the growth targets or the cost of a marketing resource you associate your offer with growth enablement and not an expense.

 

5. Bring your magic

We think much less than we think we think! Customers ultimately buy on emotion, not on logic – so bring your best human traits. In a B2B context emotion is represented by the belief and trust we earn throughout the process. If we have helped and value added around the customer’s pain points and challenges then a strong emotional connection is made. This is the basis for a mutually beneficial relationship over the long term.

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I would like to thank David Weinhaus, from HubSpot Partner Sales Enablement, for his patience and wisdom. I feel privileged that I have had this opportunity to advance my inbound knowledge, particularly inbound sales, which is the lifeblood of all organisations looking to grow.