October 14, 2024
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I learned a lot about how to create WOW experiences during my tenure at Zappos. And now I’m applying them to the sales experience (specifically for outbound sales calls with a complex sale).
I’ve developed this sales game (below) that can be used in:
a) Training / Role play
b) On live calls
c) During coaching / mentoring
The game dynamics work so that:
1. The win isn’t just closing the sale. You get a point score at the end of it to track progress over time.
2. The player can see what stage of the process they get stuck on (when they collect the coins at the end of the day), so they know how to ask for coaching help.
3. You see you’re in the sales flow vs when you’re in pure rapport building or objections smashing.
4. You learn how to rapidly smash objections through the additional card game
5. It takes what can be a long and boring sales script and turns it into a fun and engaging game.
Have you thought about creating a game out of your process.
I’d love to help you. Let’s talk (click here)
April 22, 2024
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Here’s my opener for Zendesk…
March 29, 2024
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Everyone knows about the “Trust Fall” – The old hackneyed team-building exercise. And then there’s the rope courses that simulate the feeling like you could lose your life if you don’t depend on your teammates. But as my mentor said, “It all goes out the window when you get back to the office.”
Here are a few tips to building stronger teams that actually work:
1. Shared Adversity
We actually tend to bond more when we’re struggling through something together. But the challenge is making it work-related. Here is a team-building example from the founder of Pictionary. Even if it’s being together through drudgery, that’s where some of the best (and funniest) conversations can happen.
2. Get in Movement
There’s a reason the armed forces march in synchronization, for hours. My team and I used to go for hikes together. My current client is now doing group walks around the office building. We all could use a reason to get out of our chairs, and plus – the best ideas come when we’re away from our computers.
3. Shadowing
There’s no better way for team members to both understand and appreciate what others do than having them sit down for at least an hour and watch someone work. This can also be used to help team members understand people’s roles outside of their own departments. Organizational empathy goes a long way to building company culture.
As always, don’t believe me.
Just try it and see what happens.
December 22, 2023
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These days everything seems to be political. As we create open and safe workplaces, where does the discussion of politics come in? Short answer? It doesn’t.
There’s been a disturbing trend where employers are constantly trying to please employees. This is not great leadership. To use an analogy, is spoiling your children the best parenting?
The truth is the company exists to do a job, and to serve a customer. And by all means that means taking care of workers needs. But political discussion is not one of them.
If you’re worried that people will leave if you don’t create space for politics, then I have to assume the vision and culture are simply not strong enough to retain talent. And if that’s the case, let’s talk.
October 13, 2023
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Would you like your people to have a breakthrough?
October 5, 2023
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You can’t actually control people, so what can you control? I reveal it in this interview…
