Mastering Communication, Sales, and Personal Branding

Oral Communication for Beginners

Key Improvements for Beginners:

• Rambling vs. Organized: Structure your speech with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.
• Poor Eye Contact vs. Direct Eye Contact: Maintain eye contact long enough to finish a thought (one thought per look).
• Cluttered Notes vs. Simplified Notes: Use concise, conversational talking points.
• Complex Slides vs. Clear, Simple Slides: Limit text and animations; aim for 2-3 minutes per slide.
• Fidgeting vs. Confident Posture: Move with purpose and use controlled gestures.
• Soft Voice/Fillers vs. Confident Voice: Speak loudly and clearly, pausing after key ideas.

Anxiety Tips

Realization: You often don’t appear as nervous as you feel. Nervousness can be similar to excitement.

Tips:

• Practice extensively, incorporating distractions.
• Focus on your audience and message, not on yourself.
• Visualize your first 10-20 seconds, imagining success.

Body Language

• Eye Contact and Smile: Maintain direct eye contact (99% of the time) – one thought, one look. Smile to connect.
• Posture and Gesture: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Avoid pacing or crossing legs. Use purposeful gestures. Keep hands loosely clasped at belt level (avoid pockets or behind your back).
• Pause and Nod: Pause and nod after key ideas to emphasize them.

Avoiding Filler Words

• Become comfortable with silence; use pauses for emphasis.
• Practice speaking louder.
• Replace filler words with a deliberate pause or period in your mind.
• Take a breath.

How to Practice a Speech

• Practice from a concise outline to sound conversational.
• Spread out practice sessions over several days.
• Focus on 1-2 improvements per session.
• Keep practice realistic; add distractions.
• Visualize the first and last 30 seconds.

How to Change Your Tone of Voice

• Change Your Mindset: Be aware of your general mindset and how it affects your tone.
• Change Habits: Identify who you sound like and consciously develop new vocal habits.
• Become an Expert on Your Mindset: Analyze how specific situations affect your tone.
• Develop a New Mindset and Habits: This takes time and conscious effort.

Concise Sentences

• Use short sentences for impact.
• Eliminate unnecessary words.
• Use plain English.

Effective Pauses

• Pause to add emphasis.
• Pause at the end of sentences.
• Visualize your speech in bullet points.
• Avoid mid-thought pauses.
• Use pauses to separate key ideas.

Nonverbal Tips

• Use confident nonverbals to enhance your message.
• Maintain direct eye contact (80% in conversations, 99% in presentations).
• Avoid uptalk (sounding like you’re asking a question).
• Smile – it conveys confidence.

Business-to-Business (B2B) Sales

B2B sales involves selling products and services to other companies. Buyers are not using their own money and may have procurement rules.

Key Considerations:

• Defined budget cycles.
• Multiple buyers (e.g., marketing, operations, finance).
• Complex buying processes.
• Customized services.
• Demanding customers.

How B2B Roles Vary

• Understanding the target market (small business to Fortune 500).
• Understanding customer objectives.
• Varying skill levels of selling.
• Sales process variations (vendor approval, budget cycle, decision-makers).
• Sales specialization.

Distinctions Between B2B and B2C

• Multiple Stakeholders: Pleasing both the company and individual buyers.
• Professional Buyers: Focus on KPIs and long-term relationships.
• Formal Buying Process: Often involves RFPs and qualification processes.
• Product Knowledge: Deep understanding of features, benefits, and how they meet customer needs.

Inside vs. Outside Sales

• Inside sales reps often qualify leads and make initial connections.
• Outside sales reps meet with buyers and close deals.
• MANDATE: Money, Authority, Need, Desire, Timing.
• Inside sales roles are expanding, often including closing deals.

Quiz Questions (True/False):

• Inside sales can be a great entry role for aspiring B2B salespeople. (TRUE)
• “B2B Sales” refers to companies and the salespeople working at those companies who sell products & services primarily to other businesses. (TRUE)

Multiple Choice:

• Who would a B2B salesperson never sell to? A consumer buying with his own money for his own personal use.
• What a key distinction between B2B and B2C sales? In B2B you need to consider both the buying individual and the buying company. The buyer is using company, not personal, money. B2B sales often have more complex sales than B2C.

The Practice of B2B Selling

Sales Process:

• Qualify leads (MANDATE).
• Build credibility.
• Explore objectives.
• Scope a solution.
• Develop a verbal agreement.
• Close the deal.
• Maintain the relationship.

A Typical Day

• Prioritize opportunities.
• Focus on activities that move deals forward.
• Build internal momentum and support.
• Minimize desk work; use CRM software.

Ensuring a Great Initial Prospect Meeting

• Focus on conversation, not just a pitch.
• Prepare thoroughly (research the company and individual).
• Set the agenda collaboratively.
• Build a relationship and demonstrate credibility.
• Develop a verbal agreement.

How to Handle Objections

• Objections can indicate a lack of understanding or a missing feature.
• Don’t be defensive; acknowledge and address concerns.
• Provide more information to build trust.

Closing the B2B Deal

• Understand the decision-making process.
• Create a sense of urgency.
• Identify the decision-maker.
• Be honest and helpful.
• Work through contract signing promptly.

How to Handle Missed B2B Sales Goals

• Process feelings.
• Examine the facts (skill issues, motivation, quotas).
• Consider the implications.
• Discuss results constructively, focusing on solutions.

Quiz Questions (True/False):

• Often more than one person needs to approve a B2B deal before it can close. (TRUE)
• Objections from the prospect are an indication that the deal is on shaky ground. (FALSE)
• The most important part of the initial prospect meeting is your well-prepared presentation and demo. (FALSE)
• Most days in B2B sales are highly structured and directed by the head of the sales department. (FALSE)

Multiple Choice:

• Which step is the most important and most overlooked? Lead qualifying
• What percent of sales processionals miss their quota each year? Nearly 50%

How to Become Successful at B2B Sales

Ideal Personality and Skill Set:

• Genuine interest in helping people.
• Belief in the product’s value.
• Ability to understand customer needs.
• Strong questioning skills.
• Resilience and high self-esteem.
• B2B skills *can* be developed; a desire to help is essential.

What Makes B2B Better and Worse Than Other Jobs

• Pros: Front-line role, schedule flexibility.
• Cons: Competitive, pressure to meet quotas, high turnover.

The Hiring Process in B2B

• HR screening.
• Hiring manager interview (focus on selling skills).
• Networking is crucial (70% of jobs are found through connections).
• Research the company and industry.
• Demonstrate past sales results.
• Be prepared for a mock sales pitch.
• Interviews with peers.

Quiz Questions (True/False):

• A typical B2B hiring process is quick and painless. (FALSE)
• You can always recognize a great salesperson by their extroverted nature. (FALSE)

Multiple Choice:

• Why can B2B sales be a challenging job? There is so much pressure to hit your quota.

B2B Organizational Issues

How to Build Out Sales Goals

• Negotiate goals beforehand, if possible.
• Build a detailed plan.
• Aim higher than your actual goal.
• Use a pipeline report to track progress.

How to Structure a B2B Team

• Recruiter.
• Trainer.
• Sales Admin.
• Inside Sales.
• Sales Rep.
• Account Managers.
• Customer Support/Success.
• Avoid blending too many skills into one job description.

Collaborating with the Rest of the Organization

• Focus on sales objectives first.
• Offer quantitative and qualitative data.
• Provide frontline insights.

Running a Great Sales Organization

• Hire the right people.
• Set disciplined goals.
• Provide rewards, training, and mentoring.
• Foster communication, feedback, and teamwork.
• Invest in resources (e.g., lead generation software).

Quiz Questions (True/False):

• Support team member requests from across the organization, even if it means you might miss your quota. (FALSE)

Multiple Choice:

• What is the best way to manage sales goals? Use a pipeline report to track deal progress and manage against your quota
• What skills do you need to be successful in sales? Recruiting, training, support

Personal Branding

Personal Branding Basics

Why Invest in Personal Branding?

• It’s your most unique asset.
• Allows for personal connection.
• Leverages influencer marketing.
• Builds credibility.

Creating Your Brand Foundation:

• What am I passionate about?
• What am I good at?
• What makes me credible?
• What are my personal brand goals?

How to Craft a Personal Brand Story

• Capture attention quickly (7-20 seconds).
• Use storytelling to connect and build relationships.
• Three C’s of a Good Story:
  • Character: Who you are.
  • Conflict: A personal and vulnerable challenge.
  • Conclusion: The result and lessons learned.
• Purpose: Connect your experience to your audience’s pain points.

Four Tips to Define a Target Audience

• Research your current customer base.
• Know your product and where you provide value.
• Identify your competitors and their audience.
• Create a buyer persona (age, location, gender, income, etc.).
• Discover where your audience is on social media.

Quiz Questions:

• Which strategy holds the key to the effectiveness of personal branding? Storytelling and connection
• Why is conflict important for storytelling? Conflict creates the tension that fosters continuing interest
• Why do savvy business executives, especially in big corporations, want employees to develop their personal brands? Recommendations from a peer are more likely to be trusted than recommendations from a large, faceless corporation
• As you are creating your personal brand, you should ask yourself four questions. To truly establish a meaningful foundation for your personal brand, which question should you ask yourself first? What am I passionate about?
• What is your ultimate goal when sharing the story of a conflict you have experienced? Tie experience to pain points of audience and reveal how you can be the solution.

Personal Brand Content Marketing

Your Content Marketing Framework:

• Define your objective and purpose.
• Consider your target audience.
• Craft your brand story.
• Roll out your content strategy.
• Measure your results (e.g., using Hootsuite).
• Track performance over 3-6 months.

Content Calendar

• Plan evergreen and seasonal content in advance (30 days out).
• Assess content needs for upcoming holidays.
• Tailor content formats to your audience.
• Consider content for each stage of the consumer journey (awareness, consideration, purchase, retention, advocacy).

Personal Brand on Social Media

• Ensure your social media handle aligns with your brand.
• Keep your brand information up-to-date and consistent across channels.
• Post regularly and consistently.
• Use a social media analytics tool.
• Follow the 80/20 rule (80% engaging, 20% promoting).

Grow Your Personal Brand with Live Streaming

• Show behind-the-scenes content.
• Tease projects and build buzz.
• Demo your product or provide valuable information.
• Schedule streams when your audience is watching.

Quiz Questions:

• How should you utilize content marketing when you are going to market with your personal brand? Creating and distr valuable content to a narrowly defined audience
• While build your personal brand on social media, what strategy will help you avoid sabotaging your efforts? Refrain from posting unless you have something fresh to say
• If most potential customers look at their social media daily, why should you use a personal brand content calendar? Lets you plan in place to post seasonal or holiday content
• Which mistake is often made when live streaming videos? Presenting the video without a preceding call to action

Monetize Your Personal Brand

Five Tips to Monetize:

• Establish expertise and credibility.
• Share valuable content for free.
• Build an online community.
• Create a signature offer (product or service).
• Leverage client testimonials.

Personal Brand Website

• Well-branded homepage (who you are, what you do, what to do next).
• Top banner with logo, key message, picture, credibility, and call to action.
• Samples of your best work.
• Links to active and branded social channels.
• A blog.
• Testimonials.
• Contact form.

Leveraging a Signature Traffic Builder (STB)

• Commit to a consistent content format (blog, live stream, webinar).
• Creates consistent content marketing.
• Opens up networking opportunities.
• Generates leads.
• Drives revenue.

Quiz Questions:

• Why is it important to decide on a single signature traffic builder? Keeps you focused on providing consistent and high-quality messaging
• Which outlet is a good example of a signature traffic builder? Weekly live chat
• It is paramount that your website contains links to _____. Social media channels
• The real goal in creating a personal brand is to monetize your personal brand. What is the only way you can do this? Signature offer

Press and Speaking Engagements

How to Book Speaking Engagements

• Focus on buzzworthy topics.
• Publish relevant content.
• Find events that align with your expertise and audience.
• Research previous speakers.
• Identify the right contact person.
• Prepare your outreach (bio, headshot, tailored topic).

LinkedIn Tips for Personal Brand Building

• Complete contact information.
• Professional profile picture.
• Detailed bio (first two lines are crucial).
• Complete employment history.
• Seek endorsements.
• Provide industry insights.
• Publish articles.
• Use video.
• Focus on quality connections.
• Join industry-related groups.
• Give your page personality.

Quiz Question:

• If you want to separate yourself from other LinkedIn members, and posting videos is not an option for you, what should you do? Strive to provide key industry insights

Succinct and Persuasive Sales Pitch

• Keep it short – make them want to know more.
• Engage with a relatable question.
• Identify a problem you solve.
• Tailor the question to your audience.
• Explain your solution.
• Communicate your value (outcome).
• Promote an achievement (testimonial, award).
• Demonstrate passion.