Table of Contents
Acknowledgments…………………………………………………………………. xiii
Preface…………………………………………………………………………………. xv
About the Format and How You Might Choose to Approach This Book ………………………………………………………….. xvii
Self-Assessment Quiz: How ready are you? Test your “seal the deal-ability”……………………………………………. xix
Introduction………………………………………………………………………….. 1
What’s in It for You ……………………………………………………………….. 1
Developing New Business, Your Way …………………………………… 3
Overview of Seal the Deal………………………………………………………….. 5
Barriers to Effective Business Development ………………………… 6
The Power of Rainmaking …………………………………………………….. 7
Playing by the Numbers ………………………………………………………… 8
Getting Out of Your Own Way ……………………………………………. 9
People Buy from You for a Finite Set of Reasons…………………. 10
No One Is on the Bench ………………………………………………………. 11
Competition ………………………………………………………………………….. 12
Navigating the System ……………………………………………………………. 13
Step1:
DemystifyingSellingandDistinguishing Networking, Marketing, and Sales ……………………………… 15
Telecourse Session #1: Your 30-Second Commercial …………………. 16
The Difference between Marketing and Sales …………………. 16
30-Second Commercial Basics ………………………………………… 19
Losing Negative Baggage ………………………………………………………. 31
Helping Professions and the Conflict with Sales …………………… 31
Worksheet: Understanding your Mindsets ………………………… 33
Partnership and Service: Mental Positioning ………………………….. 36
Worksheet: Mental Positioning ………………………………………….. 37
Distinguishing Between Networking, Marketing, and Sales ………………………………………. 38
Practice Tips: Networking, Marketing, and Sales………………………. 42
Time Management: The Accordion Effect ……………………………. 43
Worksheet: Time Management ………………………………………….. 46
Practice Tips: Planning Your Week …………………………………….. 47
Step 2: The Sales Process, Targeting Prospects, and Branding ……………………………………………………………. 49
Telecourse Session #2: The Sales Process and
Introduction to Targeting …………………………………………………… 50
Fine-Tuning Your 30-Second Commercial ………………………. 50
The Sales Process and Bowtie Model ……………………………… 62
Defining Your Services ………………………………………………………….. 66
Sample Definitions of Executive Coaching
from Different Experts ………………………………………………………. 66
Moments of Truth and the Service Cycle ……………………………… 70
Branding ……………………………………………………………………………….. 72
Branding Worksheet: Defining Your Brand ………………………… 74
Targeting Worksheet: Making Strategic Choices…………………… 76
Step 3: Calling Prospects and Setting Up the First Meeting …….. 81
Telecourse Session #3:
Moving Toward Your First Client Meeting ……………………………………………………………. 82
The Sales Process Revisited ……………………………………………. 82
Appointment-Setting Tips ……………………………………………….. 91
Starting the Client Conversation …………………………………….. 93
Phone Fear ……………………………………………………………………………. 101
Exercise: Guided Inquiry about Phone Fear …………………….. 102
Practice Script: Setting Appointments ……………………………….. 103
Worksheet: Prospect Contact Log …………………………………….. 104
Tip Sheet: Appointment Setting ………………………………………… 105
Step 4: Handling Gatekeepers and Objections ………………………. 107
Telecourse Session #4:
Getting Appointments ………………………….. 108
Appointment-Setting Results ………………………………………….. 108
Cold Calls, Phone Fear, and the Myth of Preparation…….. 118
Dealing with Objections …………………………………………………. 120 BeyondObjections………………………………………………………….. 124
Getting Past the Gatekeepers…………………………………………………. 127
Voice Mail Gatekeeping ………………………………………………………… 129
Practice Script: Voice Mail Messaging…………………………………. 131
Handling Objections: The Beginning of the Chess Match …… 132
Tip Sheet: Typical Objections and Responses …………………… 136
Handling Rejection ……………………………………………………………….. 138
Worksheet: Overcoming Objections …………………………………. 140
Keeping Track………………………………………………………………………… 142
Worksheet: Prospect Call Analysis …………………………………….. 143
Step 5: The Client Meeting as a Chess Match ………………………… 145
Telecourse Session #5: Into the Client Meeting ………………………….. 146
Experiences with Objections ………………………………………….. 146
The Power of Persistence ……………………………………………….. 150 IntheMeeting…………………………………………………………………. 156
Elements of Successful Client Meetings………………………….. 164
Keeping Your Focus in a Client Meeting (Keep Your Head in the Game)………………………………………….. 169
Listening in the Client Meeting ……………………………………………… 171
Strategic Storytelling ……………………………………………………………… 171
Getting a Second Meeting …………………………………………………….. 173
Checklist: Elements of Successful Client Meetings ………….. 174
Sample: Client Meeting Interview Questions …………………… 176
Checklist: Client Meeting Reminders…………………………………. 178
Step 6: Following Up and Tracking ………………………………………. 179
Telecourse Session #6: Follow Up ……………………………………………… 180
Working Strategies for Follow Up …………………………………… 181
Follow-Up Support Systems ……………………………………………. 186
Checklist: Follow-Up Strategies ………………………………………… 190
Following Up and the Mind Games We Play ………………………… 191
Tracking Your Progress………………………………………………………….. 193
Step 7: Proposals, Pricing, and Contracting ……………………………. 195
Sample: Coaching Proposal Cover Letter………………………….. 196
Sample: Coaching Proposal ……………………………………………… 197
Telecourse Session #7: Dialogue on Proposals ………………………….. 207 TheOffer………………………………………………………………………… 207
About Fees, Value, and Giving Work Away …………………….. 209
Proposal Basics ……………………………………………………………….. 216
Proposal Formats ……………………………………………………………. 219
The Purpose of Proposals …………………………………………………….. 223
Proposal Models…………………………………………………………………….. 224
Pricing …………………………………………………………………………………… 226
Shifting the Money Conversation ………………………………………….. 228
Asking for What You Want …………………………………………………… 229
The Set Up: Structuring the Engagement ……………………………… 230
Contracting and Setting Up an Engagement………………………….. 230
Coaching Agreement……………………………………………………………… 233
Sample:Coaching Agreement ………………………………………….. 234
Individual Coaching Agreement ……………………………………………. 236
Sample: Individual Coaching Agreement ………………………….. 236
Coaching ROI Resources ………………………………………………………. 240
Step 8: Networking ……………………………………………………………… 243
Telecourse Session #8: Expanding the Sale and Using Your Network ………………………………………………………….. 244
Ways to Expand the Sale …………………………………………………. 244
Ongoing Networking ………………………………………………………. 248 NetworkingMindsets………………………………………………………. 250
Networking Vehicle: Informational Interviews ……………….. 255
What is Networking?……………………………………………………………… 264
Nine Mindsets of Networking……………………………………………….. 266 Checklist:NetworkingActions………………………………………….. 267
Step 9: Lessons-Learned Meetings and Expanding the Sale While Serving the Client ……………… 269
Telecourse Session #9: Expanding Business While Billing Time ……………………………………………………………… 270
A Glance Back: Networking, Marketing, andProspecting……………………………………………………………. 270
Lessons-Learned Meetings ……………………………………………… 273
Damage Control and Handling Critical Feedback ………….. 281
Building Business While Billing Time …………………………………… 284
Lessons-LearnedMeetings…………………………………………………….. 285
Sample: Lessons-Learned Meeting Discussion Points ………. 286
Initiating New Sales Conversations………………………………………… 288
Step 10: Building Business and the Art of Referrals …………………. 289
Telecourse Session #10: Referral Relationships ………………………….. 290
Great Lessons-Learned Meeting Questions …………………….. 290 LeveragingReferrals………………………………………………………… 300 Referrals1-2-3…………………………………………………………………. 305
Referral Guidelines ……………………………………………………………….. 307
Checklist: Four Keys to Referrals………………………………………. 308
Integrating it All …………………………………………………………………… 309
GettinginAction…………………………………………………………………… 309
Worksheet: Personal Action Plan ………………………………………. 310
Template: Personal Strategic Business
Development Action Plan ……………………………………………. 311
8 Visioning Ideas ………………………………………………………. 313 13NetworkingIdeas…………………………………………………. 314
12 Marketing Ideas …………………………………………………… 315
12 Sales Ideas ……………………………………………………………. 316
Worksheet: My Personal Strategic Business Development Action Plan for Networking, Marketing, and Sales ………. 317
Worksheet: My Individual Selling System ………………………….. 318
Mental Positioning Checklist: Critical Mindsets for Success in Sales ………………………………………………………. 319
Final Thoughts and Next Steps ……………………………………………… 321
Checkpoints on the Road to Success …………………………………….. 321
You’re Only as Good as Your Weakest Link………………………….. 324
Play Big …………………………………………………………………………………. 324
Mailbox Money………………………………………………………………………. 325
How Big is Big Enough? ………………………………………………………. 326
Harness the Sales Process………………………………………………………. 327
Onward . . . ………………………………………………………………………….. 327
MoreHomework…………………………………………………………………… 329
Recommended Reading ………………………………………………………… 331
About the Author…………………………………………………………………… 333
About Innovative Leadership International LLC ………………………. 335
Acknowledgments
It truly takes a village to raise a child, and birthing a book is no different. I am so grateful to the people of my virtual village, who have supported my crazy ideas and helped to make this book possible. If it weren’t for Jeremy Robinson, I wouldn’t have done a telecourse about Sealing the Deal in the first place, and his generosity, encouragement, and support in many ways contributed to the launch of this endeavor. If Felice Wagner hadn’t partnered with me to provide sales training to our joint clients I wouldn’t have had nearly as much to say in this book, since she taught me how to shift my own mindset about sales and selling. Many friends and colleagues supported the development of the book directly: Thanks to Mark Cappellino, Darryl Salerno, and Kat Kadin for selflessly providing feedback as my content readers in the early stages of the book. Thank you to my terrific telecourse participants over the years, and all my clients (you know who you are) who have taught me so much and who live in my heart long after our coaching engagements have ended. Thanks to Tom Finn, Steve Gladis, Bill Bergquist, Judith Glaser, Sue Bethanis, Rebecca Merrill, Ginny O’Brien, Len Merson, Bud Bilanich, and Linda Finkle for sharing resources and many conversations about book writing, editing, publishing, and promoting. Thanks to Suzanne Levy and Lisa Nabors for coaching me to design an expanded strategy around my telecourse content. To my fabulous and very vital brothers of the law, Todd Benoff and Stewart Pomerantz, who kept asking me the tough questions and supported me with both legal counsel and brotherly advice. To Popster Bob Silberfarb, who helped with my sub- title and computer issues. Many thanks to Leslie Stephen, my editor extraordinaire, who tightened up and organized my thoughts so well. To Bob Carkhuff, my miraculous publisher, who showed up at the right time and took a chance on this unknown author. To Kyle King and the Amazons, Nancy Wunderlich, Dani Pardo, Sarah Sneed, Kim Komrad, Sandor Kovacs, Wendy Capland, Shawn and Cynthia Adler, Eric and Lori Marshall, Jackie Eiting, Roberta Greenberg, Padma Ayyagari, Kim Cox, Suzy Pereira, Patricia Bowens, Linda Lang, and my brother, Jack Benoff who provided sanity, enthusiastic interest, willing ears, emotional fuel, and strong shoulders to lean on while I rode the crests and dips of the entire book process. I’m so thankful for my wonderful family: my soul mate and husband-partner Bruce, and my delicious and magical children Samantha and Bryan who make every day worth living joyfully and who make the concept of legacy important. My most enthusiastic cheerleader and biggest support is my amazing mom, Bethany Portner Silberfarb, who is always there for me in life, business, and the pursuit of all things meaningful. You can’t write a book without wonderful people in your corner, and I am truly blessed with an abundance of wonderful people. My corner runneth over!
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