The Best Way To Close More Deals

This is the cheat code.

Yesterday, I was talking to David. David has been my partner in Sober Nation for more than 10 years.

We were talking about building a sales team, and I was reflecting on how hard it was for me to build a sales team for Stodzy. That is when David dropped a knowledge bomb on me.

Today, I am explaining what makes some salespeople seem unstoppable while others struggle to stay afloat.

LFG. 🔥

The Best Salespeople Are Experts First

To quote David directly, he said, “I learned that when I became a real expert in a subject matter, it was easier for me to close deals. The best salespeople are experts first and salespeople second.”

Brilliant.

This has been my exact experience.

The truth is, I do not have any secret sales tactics. I have read a few books that helped me with the tactics of sales, most notably 'You Can’t Teach A Kid To Ride A Bike At A Seminar' by David H. Sandler, and 'Gap Selling' by Keenan. But for the most part, I became good at sales simply by practicing the craft, through repetition, and by becoming an expert in my field.

Although I am no longer with Stodzy, I am still known as a leading expert in digital marketing for the drug and alcohol rehab industry. I get calls and referrals every day from people who are interested in working with me.

This “expertise” is what turned me into a rainmaker, not my ability to cold call, smooth talk, or come up with effective talk tracks.

Proof And Trust Are The Ultimate Closers

Here is the reality of almost every sales call.

Most of the time, your prospect wants to do business with you. If your prospect has a problem they are trying to solve, then it is reasonable to assume they are searching for reasons to say yes to you.

Everyone wants their problems solved. The difference maker is whether you are presenting the best solution.

So if we know they want to say yes, what is stopping them? The answer is a simple question.

“How do I know this is going to work?”

You solve that mental rebuttal with proof and trust. Let’s break it down.

Proof: Have you solved this problem before? What is your track record? Have you had success in this area in the past? If so, how do I know? You show this through:

• Case studies

• Previous success

• The brand you have built

• The reputation you have created

Trust: Who can attest to your reputation? Who have you worked with in the past? What do they have to say about it? You show this through:

• Testimonials

• Your social graph (who do you know and who knows you?)

• Your referral network

Once you establish proof and trust, there is no reason for your prospect to pass on the opportunity to work with you.

Sales is not about smooth talking. It is about alignment.

How To Establish Expertise

There are many ways to do this, but my way has always been to create content.

I have published thousands of blog posts and newsletters over the last 10 years. The cumulative effect of all this content is that I am seen as an expert in:

• Behavioral health

• Online marketing

• Google My Business

• Sales

• Newsletters

• Directories and lead generation

• To some extent, personal branding

I have never once gone out of my way to convince people that I know what I am talking about. My expertise in these fields is a simple byproduct of me publishing my work, creating value, and showing firsthand that my work in these fields has created results.

This is the biggest misconception about content.

In the influencer age we live in, people think that creating content is for generating attention. We think that likes, shares, and “influence” (🤮) are the end goals of creating content.

In reality, the reason to create content is to establish expertise. There is no other reason. Your content serves one purpose, and that is to display your knowledge, your experience, your interest, and your progress in learning in the field.

After you do this long enough, sales is more like order taking. Why would anyone work with anyone else except for you?

Love you guys. Talk to you tomorrow.

Tim

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