SalesGiants interviews Dan McDade, author of The Truth About Leads

Dan McDade
PointClear

1) Dan, let's begin by talking about your book, The Truth About Leads. What's the idea behind the book? Why did you write it?

Mark Twain has often been quoted as saying: "Everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it." I think that is true with marketing and sales alignment: everyone talks about it but nobody does anything about it. I wrote the book because I simply could not stand back and watch so much money being wasted by so many companies.

2) In a short sentence, who should read your book? What kind of advice should they be looking for?

Senior executives who want to increase revenue while decreasing expenses will find this book packed with ideas about how to do that.

3) On the other hand, who shouldn’t? What will readers NOT find in your book?

It is not a sales training book or a marketing plan guide. If you are thin skinned you should stay away from this book because it is written to compel change and I take no prisoners.

4) What's the first thing someone should do after reading your book?

Establish metrics for what SiriusDecisions calls the Demand Waterfall: MQL to SAL to SQL to Closed Business (Marketing Qualified Leads to Sales Accepted Leads to Sales Qualified Leads…)


About your preferences:

5) Besides your own website ( http://www.pointclear.com), what other sales websites would you recommend?

- www.siriusdecisions.com;

- www.focus.com; 

- www.contentfactor.com .

6) What are your preferred sales/business books?

I like Unselling” by Peter Bourke and The New Solution Selling by Keith Eades.

         

About you:

7) How did you get started in sales?

I started in retail and then spent about ten years in the direct mail marketing business. I was a consultant with a services company in the early 90’s and that lead to selling becoming a bigger part of my job.

8) Most memorable sale?

Closing a $1 million deal with a software company on June 30, 2002.

9) Most disastrous sale (or funny situation)?

The company that closed for $1 million was sold to Microsoft on July 7th and our relationship changed dramatically. We still have Microsoft as a client and we still work with the woman who signed the $1,000,000 deal!


About your work as a sales expert:

10) What is the biggest mistake you see as a sales expert?

Being dogmatic about anything… Someone I used to work for said “don’t tell people to do something, make them want to do it and they will find ten ways to do it that you never thought of”. I think that is great advice and whenever I close my mind I regret it.

11) What is the best sales advice you have ever received?

“Go sell to someone who wants to buy.” I got hung up over a good situation here I could have really helped. Problem is, they were never going to buy and I was wasting cycles. Great advice that I still use on myself and others!

12) What advice would you give to someone just starting out in sales?

Talk to senior sales reps. Ask for help. Keep an open mind. Don’t fear rejection.

13) What are you working on right now that makes you feel energized? What's your next big project?

I am actually working on a novel and I am excited about that. The next big project, work wise, is creating a consulting solution around the processes in the book “The Truth About Leads”.

***

Dan McDade founded PointClear in 1997 with the mission to be the first and best company providing prospect development services to business-to-business companies with complex sales processes. He has been instrumental in developing the innovative strategies that drive revenue for PointClear clients nationwide.

In addition to serving as president / CEO of PointClear, Dan is the author of The Truth About Leads, an insightful book that sheds light on the little-known secrets that help focus B2B lead-generation efforts, align sales and marketing organizations and drive revenue. The book was published in early 2011.

The Sales Lead Management Association named Dan one of the 50 most influential people in sales lead management in 2009. Dan is also the author of ViewPoint | The Truth About Lead Generation, a blog exploring issues related to B2B sales, marketing and lead generation.

Top 10 Traits of Highly Successful People by Philip Humbert

Dr. Philip E Humbert
Personal Success Coach

We have all read about people who are successful briefly. They win a gold medal, make a fortune, or star in one great movie and then disappear.…These examples do not inspire me!

My focus and fascination is with people who seem to do well in many areas of life, and do it over and over through a lifetime. In entertainment, I think of Paul Newman and Bill Cosby. In business, I think of Ben and Jerry (the ice cream moguls)…As a Naval Officer, husband, businessman, politician and now as a mediator and philanthropist on the world stage, Jimmy Carter has had a remarkable life. We all know examples of people who go from one success to another.

These are the people who inspire me! I've studied them, and I've noticed they have the following traits in common:

1) They work hard! Yes, they play hard, too! They get up early, they rarely complain, they expect performance from others, but they expect extraordinary performance from themselves. Repeated, high-level success starts with a recognition that hard work pays off.

2) They are incredibly curious and eager to learn. They study, ask questions and read—constantly! An interesting point, however: While most of them did well in school, the difference is that they apply or take advantage of what they learn. Repeated success is not about memorizing facts, it's about being able to take information and create, build, or apply it in new and important ways. Successful people want to learn everything about everything!

3) They network. They know lots of people, and they know lots of different kinds of people. They listen to friends, neighbors, co- workers and bartenders. They don't have to be "the life of the party," in fact many are quiet, even shy, but they value people and they value relationships. Successful people have a Rolodex full of people who value their friendship and return their calls.

4) They work on themselves and never quit! While the "over-night wonders" become arrogant and quickly disappear, really successful people work on their personality, their leadership skills, management skills, and every other detail of life. When a relationship or business deal goes sour, they assume they can learn from it and they expect to do better next time. Successful people don't tolerate flaws; they fix them!

5) They are extraordinarily creative. They go around asking, "Why not?" They see new combinations, new possibilities, new opportunities and challenges where others see problems or limitations. They wake up in the middle of the night yelling, "I've got it!" They ask for advice, try things out, consult experts and amateurs, always looking for a better, faster, cheaper solution. Successful people create stuff!

6) They are self-reliant and take responsibility. Incredibly successful people don't worry about blame, and they don't waste time complaining. They make decisions and move on.…Extremely successful people take the initiative and accept the responsibilities of success.

7) They are usually relaxed and keep their perspective. Even in times of stress or turmoil, highly successful people keep their balance, they know the value of timing, humor, and patience. They rarely panic or make decisions on impulse. Unusually successful people breath easily, ask the right questions, and make sound decisions, even in a crisis.

8) Extremely successful people live in the present moment. They know that "Now" is the only time they can control. They have a "gift" for looking people in the eye, listening to what is being said, enjoying a meal or fine wine, music or playing with a child. They never seem rushed, and they get a lot done! They take full advantage of each day. Successful people don't waste time, they use it!

9) They "look over the horizon" to see the future. They observe trends, notice changes, see shifts, and hear the nuances that others miss. A basketball player wearing Nikes is trivial, the neighbor kid wearing them is interesting, your own teenager demanding them is an investment opportunity! Extremely successful people live in the present, with one eye on the future!

10) Repeatedly successful people respond instantly! When an investment isn't working out, they sell. When they see an opportunity, they make the call. If an important relationship is cooling down, they take time to renew it. When technology or a new competitor or a change in the economic situation requires an adjustment, they are the first and quickest to respond.

These traits work together in combination, giving repeatedly successful people a huge advantage. Because they are insatiable learners, they can respond wisely to change. Because their personal relationships are strong, they have good advisors, and a reserve of goodwill when things go bad. And finally, none of these traits are genetic! They can be learned! They are free and they are skills you can use. Start now!

***

Dr. Philip E. Humbert, author, speaker and personal success coach
http://www.philiphumbert.com

SalesGiants interviews Phil Jones

Phil Jones
Helping Your Business Achieve New Heights

Phil has accomplished more than most in his fast-moving life. His vast experience in a variety of sectors has resulted in him being recognised as an authority of sales psychology and negotiation, for increasing corporate turnover and profitability, and business development.

With a track record of developing opportunities for organisations at all levels, Phil is acknowledged for his strategic intellect and has been instrumental in turning around underperforming businesses by developing new opportunities. In this interview he shares with our readers how he got started and some recommendations to improve your results.

About your work

1) How did you get started in this area?

I have worked in sales all my working life. Keen to generate revenue from an early age at 13 I developed a local car washing round and very quickly learnt the power of asking. Simply knocking on doors in my neighborhood and politely asking homeowners if they would be interested in having their vehicles cleaned bought me huge success. This then took me to corporate life were I have worked in and managed sales teams for major UK retailers like DFS and Debenhams before seeking further experience in getting involved in the commercial world of professional football and held senior management positions in 2 large football clubs. Having a passion for doing things my way I then get involved with a property business and built a sales process and team that very quickly made us a major player in our field. Throughout these experiences I developed an incredible array of knowledge and skill and when combined with my passion for helping people decided I would make the remainder of my life work focused on educating the business community.


2) What kind of customers do you usually work with and how do you help them exactly? 

My work is typically in the area of salesmanship and I help business owners and sales professionals to find more customers, who shop more often and spend more when they shop. To do this our work ranges from developing a unique sales process that teaches non sales people to achieve incredible results through following simple tried and tested processes. We teach these lessons in workshops and seminars and have a team of coaches that work with people to re-enforce our lessons and ensure people achieve their potential. Through coaching we offer support, motivation, direction and inspiration to follow through on the countless great ideas that businesses have and turn them into actions and more importantly, Results.


3) In a short sentence, what companies should be interested in your services? 

Companies that are looking for their prospects to say “Yes” more often.


4) On the other hand, who shouldn’t? What will companies NOT find in your work (for example, what kind of problems/situations are you not best qualified for or do you prefer to refer to other consultants)? 

Our work is based on exactly what to say and exactly what to do. We are practitioners and not theorists so if businesses are looking for scientific evaluation then stay away. If you are looking for results, we have the answers.


5) How are you different from your competitors? 

Our main difference is that we are current. Because we practice what we preach our lessons are taught on experience that worked yesterday and will work tomorrow. We are not experienced trainers but real people with real lessons. We specialize on the area of sales because recognize that selling skills are essential in life and business and any business that fails to find new customers will eventually die. Unlike many others we do not let ego get in the way. Our clients are our stars and we choose to let their results massage their egos and not ours.


References

6) Besides your own, what other websites in the small business/development area would you recommend? 

 To be fair the best website is www.youtube.com but independently check out www.gitomer.com and then www.mashable.com for cool techie stuff

7) How about your preferred meetings/training/business books? 

How to win friends and influence people – Dale Carnegie. Oh and of course my own Accelerator publication (http://www.philmjones.com/accelerator).


About business meetings

8) Most disastrous meeting (or funny situation)? 

 One that stands towards the front of my mind was a meeting I was chairing not so long ago with a large audience. The highlight to the meeting was a great guest speaker called Richard Wilkins and he was due to speak mid-way through the meeting. Throughout the agenda, awards and a number of other key events I was continually building up our speaker and letting them know he was coming and a little about the story he had to share with us. The trouble was, I kept calling him Jeff which is highly embarrassing when I then had to deliver his introduction.

9) What is the biggest mistake you see in unproductive meetings?

The biggest mistake is always lack of preparation. So many people attend meetings and rely on experience and individual brilliance to see them through. They turn up with no agenda, no goals and little knowledge of their audience and then get mixed results. For me it is vital that prior to every meeting you consider 3 simple areas .

· Who are you speaking with? – Find out common interests, goals and ambitions, consider competitors and length of time people have been in the business. This information is readily available just by looking and asking. However be certain that if you don’t look then you won’t find and if you don’t ask then you won’t get!

· What is your goal? – Start with the end in mind. Designing your desired outcome for each meeting gives you direction and a road map. Even better is planning different levels of success as opposed to just success or failure.

· How do you present yourself? – People judge books by their covers and you are in complete control of yours. Consider dress, hairstyle, vehicle and all business stationary if you want to give off the very best first impression.

10) Why do you think so many business meetings or training sessions are boring and what do you think can be done to improve this?

I think many are boring because it is already pre-decided what the audience need to hear. Whether a scripted sales presentation, being talked at by a facilitator or death by powerpoint they all assume that they have already addressed the needs of the audience and do not engage. The key is to deliver 2 way meetings that engage with the audience and as such you should be able to plan structure and desired outcome but have the required skill level to adapt to your audience.

11) How do you usually start the meetings that you lead? 

I will often start meetings by agreeing objectives. I talked earlier about starting with the end in mind and in both a sales presentation or training seminar I will always start with the objectives of the audience. It is crucial for me that I deliver value and by understanding what an audience is expecting and wants to take away I can ensure that I deliver value every time.

12) Any special offer for our readers?

Grab a free audio programme worth £19 by visiting http://philmjones.com


Contact information: 

Website : http://philmjones.com

Facebook: facebook.com/RNHInternational

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/philmjones

Twitter: @philmjonesuk

Youtube:phillipmjones1

E-mail: phil@philmjones.com