Secrets to Succeed in Sales With Nadine Keller

Brought to you by Salim Omar and the Straight Talk About Small Business Success Podcast.

Who is Nadine Keller?

Keller is the founder of Precision Sales Coaching and Training. She is  the author behind Make It All About Them. Keller has coached tens of thousands of salespeople in Fortune 100 companies. Presently  she is taking her proven techniques to entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses in order to help them reach success.

Backstory

Nadine Keller's early career included working at Chase Manhattan Bank where she was responsible for sales and marketing for the wholesale bank and business. Her second client was JP Morgan. "We know what happened to them and that's the story of entrepreneurship, is that we take our journey and we are often victims of whatever's going on in the marketplace. And so my goal is to help entrepreneurs to be more successful and to help them generate more revenue through proven sales techniques. 

Nadine Keller can be reached via her website, precisionsalescoaching.com. You can also call her at 860-431-0345.

Advice For Entrepreneurs Who Are Not Natural Salespeople

According to Keller, sales gets a bad rap and with good reason— We have all been in a situation, and of course, we think about the used car salesmen, or we think about Wolf of Wall Street. The characteristics that make an amazing salesperson is a natural desire to help people. It's  about being inquisitive and to really understand someone's situation. 



Keller states that while there are skills that can help a salesperson to be more successful, it all begins with that genuine desire to help people.

What Is The Biggest Mistake Entrepreneurs Make When It Comes to Sales?

Keller says that one of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make when it comes to sales is making assumptions about the needs of the client. "This is a common mistake because entrepreneurs are problem solvers, and we want to get on it right away," says Keller. Keller advises entrepreneurs not to jump too quickly without thoroughly understanding what the needs of the client are and how you might be able to help them.

If You Had To Choose One Skill That's Important To Sales Success  What Would It Be?

The one skill Keller would choose is questioning. 

From her research, Keller has learned that the more questions the salesperson asks, the more successful they will be. 

"I'd like to think of questions in a simple way. In my mind, there are two types of questions. There are questions that get you the data, which is the ticket to admission. You've got to know the facts and the figures of a situation. Then there's another set of questions that get you insight into the situation. This goes beyond the data and the figures. It really helps you to understand the 'why' behind a client's situation. This is where the magic happens," says Kelller. 

According to Keller, by using this skill an entrepreneur is able to position their solutions in a way that will resonate with the potential client.

Keller differentiates between a client's business needs and the business needs that aren't typically stated. This is where asking the right questions becomes important because decision making usually arises from the needs that aren't stated. She also refers to a client's personal needs. 



"If we can get into that area, which I call the red zone, the unstated business needs, and the personal needs, then we are able to develop insight into the situation. When we talk about what we can bring to the table to help our clients, it will be much more compelling to them," says Keller.

How Much Time Should An Entrepreneur Spend On Questions?

Building Trust With Your Prospective Client

Keller says that before you can develop trust, you have to have credibility. "We think about it as a continuum that starts with credibility. Only when you have credibility, you are able to build trust and only when you have trust, are you able to influence thinking, says Keller.

According to Keller, trust has two components. These are competence and character. 

• Competence is demonstrating that you know your stuff. 

"We don't want to do this too early in the sales cycle. There are opportunities to demonstrate your credibility and competence through the way you introduce yourself and how you facilitate the meeting.



• Character has to do with your intention to help. 

Keller says that your desire to genuinely understand a prospective situation, how you follow through and your history of keeping your promises all play a role in proving your character.

Is There A Difference When Selling To Different Sexes?

Keller confirms that there is a difference. "In general, our brains are different from the beginning. We have to acknowledge that the sales process in America today was developed by men. It didn't take into consideration that women tend to think differently," says Keller.

For example women enjoy making decisions by consensus. They also like to talk things out and be part of the solution, while men tend to make a decision much quicker. 

Keller adds that decision-making is emotional for all of us, whether you're a man or a woman.



"Salespeople who don't recognize the differences between the sexes are putting themselves at a disadvantage. However the number one rule is to really know and assess who you're talking to, whatever their sex," says Keller.

What Strategies Can Entrepreneurs Use To Get Prospects To Engage With Them?

• Emails-The subject line in an email often gets ignored.

Keller suggests using a question that will pull a potential client in.



• Get creative in other ways.

Keller says that one way to be creative is by using snail mail which nobody uses anymore. One of the things Keller did was send out postcards with a handwritten note. This yielded amazing results.

Price Negotiation With Prospective Clients

"Whenever you negotiate a price, there must be a concession. The reason why this is important is because we want to prevent clients from thinking that they're being overpriced. Set your price but leave room for concessions and negotiating," says Keller. 



Keller also advises that entrepreneurs understand the value that they are bringing to the client, the return on their investment, and to make sure that value is crystal clear to the client.

Final Words of Wisdom from Nadine Keller

"Think about sales, not as something that you do TO someone, but something that you do FOR someone," says Keller. 



Keller says that salespeople and entrepreneurs need to spend as much time connecting with individuals and less about pushing what they have to sell.

Closing Statement

Straight Talk about Small Business Success podcast is brought to you by Salim Omar, CPA. Straight Talk CPAs is a firm which provides individuals with tax return preparation and tax planning. If you are a business, we have a unique approach when providing Virtual CFO, Accounting services, and Tax Planning and Tax Preparation services. Contact us today.

Nadine Keller

Nadine Keller is a successful sales coach and entrepreneur. She is the author of the book, Make It All About Them. You can check out her website precisionsalescoaching.com or call her directly at 860-431-0345.