Neen James - Exceptional Experiences

Ian Altman and Neen James discuss Neen's latest book, "Exceptional Experiences," which explores creating luxury-level experiences in sales to build deeper client relationships and grow revenue. Neen identifies four luxury mindsets: Reluctant and Removed (28%), Pro Prioritizer (22%), Confident and Content (28%), and Luxury Lover (22%). She outlines the Experience Elevation Model with five luxury levers: Entice, Invite, Excite, Delight, and Ignite. Neen emphasizes the importance of personalization, customization, and anticipation in sales to create exceptional client experiences, ultimately driving revenue and client loyalty.

Discover Your Luxury Mindset Self-Assessment

How Client Expectations Have Changed

Ian Altman discusses common mistakes in long-term sales engagements, emphasizing that sellers often focus on price concessions rather than mutual benefits. He highlights that longer engagements can attract more stable, permanent talent, benefiting both parties. Altman suggests presenting long-term deals as mutually beneficial, incorporating flexibility with rolling termination clauses. He shares a client success story where 90% of short-term clients eventually extended engagements. Altman advises sellers to align with clients' interests, reduce administrative burdens, and lock in pricing to ensure better outcomes and less hassle.

Biggest Mistakes

Relying on outdated systems and methodologies.
Not utilizing available real-time information from customers.
Falling back on old procedures instead of embracing new technologies.
Not implementing systems that provide real-time information to customers.

Best Practices

Using technology like AI to save time and learn from others' experiences.
Providing real-time information to customers, similar to Uber and Amazon.
Implementing AI systems to help customers get answers faster.
Using AI to tailor content to customer needs and improve information over time.

Biggest Sales Mistakes in Long-Term Engagements.

Biggest Mistakes

Offering price discounts for longer-term deals.
Assuming that only the seller benefits from long-term agreements.
Not recognizing that long-term agreements can be mutually beneficial.
Proposing something that isn't in the client's best interest.

Best Practices

Consider how the long-term engagement benefits the client.
Incorporate flexibility into long-term agreements, such as rolling termination clauses.
Lock in rates for longer periods to provide stability and avoid frequent renegotiations.
Discuss how to measure success together with the client.
Share data on how longer-term engagements have benefited other clients.
Focus on why longer-term agreements are beneficial to the customer, not just the seller.
Build in comfort for the customer to address their concerns about longer-term commitments.

How One Company Doubled to $100 Million in Two Years

Mike Greene, CEO of Air Control Products (ACP), discussed the company's growth from $12 million to nearly $100 million in sales. ACP, an HVAC manufacturer's rep, focuses on commercial projects and emphasizes project management and customer relationships. Greene credits his team's curiosity and continuous learning, along with the implementation of Same Side Selling principles. He highlighted the importance of maintaining strong manufacturer relationships and having a well-stocked inventory to ensure timely delivery. Greene also shared his vision for the future, including building a sustainable company for his son and continuing to improve employee engagement and customer satisfaction.

Best Practices

Always work on your foundation and continue building it
Hire good people and ensure everyone in the company is working in the same direction
Keep open communications and make it a desirable workplace
Take care of your people and always do the right thing
Build trust and dedicate yourself to your employees

The Mistakes Most Channel Sales Teams Overlook

Ian Altman discusses the common oversights in channel sales teams, emphasizing that top performers excel in sales skills rather than product knowledge. He suggests that product launches should focus on market demand, problem-solving, and customer needs rather than just features. Altman recommends gathering feedback on sales challenges, preparing responses to objections like price, and using role-play scenarios to enhance sales techniques. He also stresses the importance of ongoing education and connectivity through platforms like Zoom or Google Meet to reinforce learning and maintain team engagement.

Biggest Mistakes

Spending too much time talking about features and benefits of new products
Focusing solely on product knowledge instead of sales skills
Not explaining the demand in the marketplace that prompted the creation of new products
What can the company do to reduce friction and make it easier to do business with compared to other brands?

Best Practices

Focus on solving client problems rather than extensive product knowledge
Have product managers explain why the product was introduced and what problem it solves
Discuss how new products make customers' lives better and reduce risks
Solicit information from attendees about where deals are getting stuck
Create role-play scenarios to model great conversations and outreach techniques
Ensure attendees leave with actionable plans and set up mechanisms for ongoing engagement

Biggest Blindspot in Sales Meetings with Clients

Ian Altman discusses the biggest blind spot in sales meetings: lack of preparation. He emphasizes the importance of setting realistic goals aligned with the client's needs rather than unrealistic expectations. Altman advises salespeople to identify what clients need to believe to achieve their goals and to prepare for different meeting scenarios (the good, the bad, and the ugly). Role-playing these scenarios with different team members helps salespeople practice and improve their ability to handle various outcomes effectively. He concludes that thorough planning and realistic expectations lead to better client meeting outcomes.

Biggest Mistakes

Not having any planning whatsoever for the meeting.
Having unrealistic expectations for the meeting outcome.
Not thinking through the logistics of the meeting from the client's perspective.
Coming to a meeting with no expectations.

Best Practices

Set realistic expectations for the meeting that focus on solving the client's needs.
Determine what the client needs to believe for the desired outcome to happen.
Prepare questions to ask the client to confirm if they believe what you need them to believe.
Plan for three possible scenarios: good, bad, and ugly.
Role-play each scenario with a team (salesperson, customer, and observer).

Expand Existing Accounts without Pushing

Ian Altman discusses strategies for expanding existing accounts without appearing pushy. He criticizes common sales tactics like offering capabilities briefings, which customers often find unappealing. Altman introduces the concept of the "client vision pyramid," which categorizes client needs into effective, enhanced, and engaged levels. He advises salespeople to highlight unique services they offer to their best clients and to take responsibility for not discussing these before. This approach can lead to more effective sales, larger deal sizes, and stronger client relationships. Altman also mentions research indicating that many clients believe their current vendor can provide additional services but are unaware of them.

Biggest Mistakes

Ian Altman introduces the topic of expanding existing accounts without pushing, a common challenge faced by many organizations.
He criticizes typical sales approaches that sound pushy and unappealing to customers, such as offering briefings on new capabilities or produc
Ian emphasizes the need for a better approach that piques the customer's interest by highlighting unique value propositions.
He introduces the concept of "Access displacement disorder," where salespeople mistakenly believe the world revolves around them.

Best Practices

Ian Altman suggests framing the conversation around the client's problems and how the salesperson's additional services can solve them.
He recommends not fishing for business but rather offering to discuss additional services if they are relevant to the client's needs.
Ian highlights the importance of showing up as someone who solves problems, not just someone trying to sell.
He shares research indicating that many clients believe their existing vendor can deliver additional services but are unaware of them.

Real vs. Wishful Sales Forecasts

Ian Altman discusses the difference between real and wishful sales forecasts on the Same Side Selling podcast. He emphasizes that salespeople are optimistic by nature and often provide unrealistic forecasts, especially when deals are forecasted to close at the end of the month, which frequently get pushed to the next month. Altman advises sales managers to ask more probing questions to uncover the true status of deals, such as understanding the client's motivations and alternatives. By focusing on meaningful questions, managers can identify real deals faster and improve sales accuracy.

Biggest Mistakes

Ian elaborates on the issue of salespeople providing optimistic forecasts, often citing vague dates like the end of the month, which are more hopeful than realistic.
He points out that salespeople may delay providing specific dates to maximize the time available to close a deal, which can lead to unrealistic expectations.
Ian advises sales managers to question the rationale behind forecasted dates, especially if they are the last day of the month, to uncover whether the date is truly constrained by the client's schedule or merely a hopeful estimate.
He suggests that managers should probe deeper into the reasons behind the client's decision-making process to understand their motivations and alternatives, which can help in distinguishing between real and wishful forecasts.

Best Practices

Ian recommends asking more meaningful questions during sales meetings to uncover the true status and likelihood of deals, such as what would happen if the client did not choose the salesperson's company, and why the client might choose an alternative.
He emphasizes the importance of understanding the client's motivations and the significance of specific dates, as this can provide insights into the client's decision-making process and the likelihood of closing the deal.
Ian advises sales managers to encourage their teams to think from the client's perspective, focusing on what the client needs to believe in order to make a decision, rather than just relying on optimistic forecasts.
He suggests that by consistently asking these types of questions, salespeople will be better prepared and more likely to identify and pursue real deals, leading to faster and more successful outcomes.

The good bad and ugly of AI in sales

Ian Altman discusses the pros and cons of using AI in sales. He emphasizes that AI should be used as a tool to assist, not replace human efforts. Poor use includes AI-generated emails sent without editing, which often fail to engage customers. Effective use includes leveraging AI for drafting and summarizing tasks, such as using Otter.ai for meeting transcriptions and show notes. Altman advises against using AI for outreach or intake, citing examples of AI mishandling scheduling. He concludes that AI, when used intelligently, can enhance engagement, efficiency, and client connection, ultimately improving sales outcomes.

Biggest Mistakes

Ian discusses common mistakes people make when using AI to create emails or letters for prospects.
He explains that while AI can draft messages, they often fail to resonate with the customer's perspective.
Ian shares an example of an AI-generated email that passed the "smell test" but would not have been effective.
He emphasizes the need to put oneself in the customer's shoes to ensure the message is genuinely engaging.

Best Practices

Ian shares how his team uses Otter.ai to record and summarize meetings, saving time on transcription and note-taking.
He explains that Otter.ai's AI tool generates show notes with minimal editing required, enhancing efficiency.
Ian mentions that AI tools like Otter.ai can help in analyzing speech and summarizing conversations accurately.
He discusses the potential of AI to improve over time, such as using it for role-playing to better engage with customers.

The Connection Between Role Play and Success in Sales

Ian Altman introduces the connection between high-performing sales professionals and role play. Top performers practice role playing for at least one hour per week, with some dedicating 90 minutes to two hours weekly. Ian explains that regular practice leads to better productivity and performance in sales interactions. He highlights common excuses people give for not embracing role play, such as being better in person with clients. Ian argues that people who feel they perform better in person are kidding themselves and need to embrace role play for improvement. He stresses the importance of getting feedback during role play to avoid making costly mistakes in real client interactions. Ian suggests role-playing different scenarios to prepare for various client situations, reducing pressure and improving confidence. He addresses complaints about repetitive role-playing by introducing the concept of secret cards to add variety and realism. Ian compares the practice habits of top performers in various fields, such as athletes and musicians, to sales professionals. He argues that consistent practice leads to better performance and results in sales. Ian shares success stories from members of his Same Side Selling Academy who practice role play weekly and achieve record results. He encourages listeners to adopt a weekly role-playing routine to see similar improvements in their sales performance.

Biggest Mistakes

Believing that you perform better in real situations than in role-play.
Not practicing and making costly mistakes with real clients.
Always role-playing with the same person, leading to repetitive scenarios.
Providing unhelpful feedback, either overly positive or overly critical.
Not practicing regularly or consistently.

Best Practices

Practice role-playing for at least one hour per week, with top performers doing 90 minutes to two hours weekly.
Use a “secret card” system to introduce variety in role-playing scenarios.
Implement a structured feedback system after each role-play session.
Focus on one key improvement area at a time during feedback.
Role-play consistently every week throughout the year.