The Dental Sales Podcast

Summer’s over and we hope it’s been enjoyable for you. With the renewed focus on business that always reappears after Labor Day, this is the perfect time to learn from the sales and sales leadership experience of a highly respected dental industry veteran. John O’Connor will share his perspective on many facets of the dental industry sales professional. With four decades in this industry both domestically and throughout the globe, John had a highly successful career with Hu-Friedy Manufacturing Co., and he continues to use his wisdom and talent as an international sales consultant. In this episode, John’s reflections will include: The evolution of the sales culture” from “back in the day” to now What it takes to “stand out from the crowd” in today’s business climate Who is responsible for your professional development? The 13 Habits that drive the successful sales professional And more breakthrough insights to propel your thinking The post DSP017 – Insights From a Dental Sales Veteran with John O’Connor appeared first on SCC Partners.

June will be here in a few days and with it the vacation mindset of summertime. The next three months are traditionally the slowest in the dental industry…..but they don’t have to be. In fact, with the right strategy, Summer could be the absolute best time to acquire new clients, deepen existing relationships, and lay the foundation for explosive sales growth. But that can’t happen if you shut it let the vacation mindset spill over into your work. You can’t mail it in on Fridays and start late on Mondays. But you don’t have to work yourself to the bone. In this episode you’ll discover: They key factors that cause the Summer to be the slowest months of the year How to build a 3-month strategy that can fuel sales throughout the year Why Summer is the absolute best time to go after the competition The types of conversations you should be having with clients And much more! Want more podcasts? Subscribe to The Dental Sales Podcast on iTunes…and while there, take a minute to leave a review! The post DSP016: How To Use The Summer to Fuel Sales Growth appeared first on SCC Partners.

What’s really going on in the mind of the prospect? What do they value? Why do they always boil everything down to price? These are just a few of the questions salespeople have been looking for answers for for decades. In this episode of The Dental Sales Podcast I invited Vince Scacchitti, co-founder of eXegy Partners to join me to discuss these very questions. Vince is a supply chain consultant. What does that mean? In short, he helps companies buy smarter. He works with buyers to make sure they are partnering themselves with the right vendors and creating leverage in their supply chain. He’s shares some fantastic insight into what matters to the buyer and how you as a salesperson can better position yourself, establish your value, and differentiate yourself. Vince works with major organizations….some that work with thousands of suppliers. Certainly those organizations buy differently than the average dental practice. But as ‘corporate dentistry’ becomes more prevalent, buying patterns are changing. Many of these groups look at the supply chain very differently. Vince and I also spend a lot of time on what it really means to be a ‘strategic partner’, a term I hear a lot of dental reps use to describe the relationships they have. His insights in this area are invaluable. I hope you’ll take a listen. Topics covered in this episode: How Maslow’s Hierarchy applies to purchase decisions Why price often becomes the main topic of conversation with prospects How your approach to price can be a differentiator How technology is impacting the buying process What ‘strategic partner’ really means to prospects/clients Why price issues don’t just ‘go away’ if you become a strategic partner The single most important component of a strategic relationship with a client   A list of links mentioned in the show! Vince’s company – eXegy Partners Vince’s article – Keys to Effective Supplier Segmentation   Want more podcasts? Subscribe to The Dental Sales Podcast on iTunes…and while there, take a minute to leave a review! The post DSP015: How Prospects Really Decide Who To Buy From with Vince Scacchitti appeared first on SCC Partners.

A lot of people want to make changes to their behavior, build new habits, and take more action in both their personal and professional lives. But many get stuck, or worse, never start at all. Why is it so hard to take action sometimes? Why do we constantly find reasons not to start, to procrastinate, and at times, talk ourselves out of making the changes we know will have a positive impact on our lives? Enter Chris Taylor, founder of Actionable Books, an incredible site that provides free “actionable summaries” of hundreds of business and personal development books. As you’ll find out in our conversation, Chris is like a lot of us. He reads a lot as a way to continue growing, learning, and developing. But Chris isn’t just a reader, he’s a doer. He learned a long time ago that reading without taking action won’t get you very far.  In this episode, Chris talks about: Ideas and advice on how to filter information Why small steps can be more effective for creating massive change than huge leaps The key characteristics of people who consistently create better outcomes Why’s it’s important not to change too many things at one time How to develop a ‘quitting strategy’ A few of the best books he’s read over the years, including a must read for sales professionals   A list of links mentioned in the show! Actionable Books Website  Actionable Books TV – Interviews with some of today’s most influential authors Actionable Books on Vimeo – More interviews and videos Actionable Books Podcast And don’t forget to follow the on Twitter and like them on Facebook Want more podcasts? Subscribe to The Dental Sales Podcast on iTunes…and while there, take a minute to leave a review! The post DSP014: On Taking Action with Chris Taylor of Actionable Books appeared first on SCC Partners.

Being a great salesperson, manager, leader, or teammate requires a lot of things. For example, you need determination and grit. You need to be persistent and resilient. And it doesn’t hurt to have a little luck. Certainly there are other ingredients. Today we are going to talk about one that doesn’t get the attention is deserves – Feedback! We see ourselves through a narrow lens. We have certain beliefs about who we are – our strengths and weaknesses. But are those perceptions accurate? Is that how other people perceive us? There’s one way to find out – ask them! If we can’t see ourselves accurately or in a comprehensive way, we limit our ability to improve our weaknesses and leverage our strengths. Our colleagues, clients, and managers can help. Enter Alexa Sherr Hartley. I met Alexa several years ago in an executive coaching program and we became fast friends. In fact this isn’t the first time she’s been a guest on my blog. Alexa is passionate about helping people create new breakthroughs in their personal and professional lives. In this episode, Alexa talks about: Why feedback is so critical How to ask for and collect useful and meaningful feedback Why it’s harder to get feedback the more successful you become Specific tools and questions you can use when asking for feedback And much more! Want to connect with Alexa? Premier Leadership Coaching Alexa’s Blog Want more podcasts? Subscribe to The Dental Sales Podcast on iTunes…and while there, take a minute to leave a review! The post DSP013: Getting Feedback To Create Career Breakthroughs with Alexa Sherr Hartley appeared first on SCC Partners.

Many of you know Doug Young as the co-founder of SCC Partners and co-host of The Dental Sales Podcast. Others know him from the many years he’s spent in the dental industry in a variety of roles. For this episode, I’ve asked Doug to be a guest on the show and let me interview him about a topic that’s not only something he’s passionate about, but something many of us don’t think about very often – what will our legacy be? Doug has spent decades helping people reach new levels of performance, create a bigger impact, and find more meaning in their work and their lives. I know few people who are more inspiring, more genuine, and more committed to their work. If you know Doug or have seen him speak, you know what I’m talking about. If you don’t or haven’t, you’re in for a treat. In this episode, Doug talks about: How he developed a passion for personal and professional development Why people should never reach their full potential How legacy and personal development are closely connected Why it’s a mistake to wait to start thinking about your legacy Also mentioned in the podcast: Mentor Magazine Subscribe to The Dental Sales Podcast on iTunes…and while there, take a minute to leave a review! The post DSP 012: Leaving a Legacy – How Do You Want To Be Remembered? appeared first on SCC Partners.

At this point you’ve probably thought about it – do you need your own personal website? Sure you use Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin. But is that enough? There’s no easy answer. In fact, it only tends to lead to more questions: What will you put on the site? How will you get people there? What about all the technical aspects – hosting, development, design, etc? What will it cost? Can I do it myself? These questions cause a lot of confusion and hesitation. But the truth is, with the right strategy, there can be tremendous value in establishing a home base on the web with your own site. Enter Liam Dempsey of LBDesign. We hired Liam to build the SCC Partners site and couldn’t be more pleased with the work he’s done. So I asked him to join me to discuss: Why a personal site might be exactly what you need How to develop a strategy for a site that will achieve the goals you have for it Why you might not want to try a DIY approach, especially if you have limited experience What you should be prepared to invest if you want to hire a professional How to find the right designer or developer for the job And much more.. Links and Resources mentioned in this episode: LBDesign – Liam’s firm Chicken Monkey Dog – How can you not click? Follow Liam on Twitter The post DSP 011: Do Salespeople Need A Personal Website with Liam Dempsey appeared first on SCC Partners.

If your growth plan for 2014 does not include a specific strategy for adding new business, this episode it for you! It’s getting tougher out there and ‘winging it’ or sprinkling in a few cold calls here and there won’t get you very far. In fact, without a concrete plan, most sales people get so frustrated they abandon many of their prospecting efforts. You can’t afford to let that happen. You have to consistently add new opportunities to the pipeline. That’s why I asked new business development expert Mike Weinberg to join me on this episode. Mike is the author of New Sales. Simplified. The Essential Handbook for Prospecting and New Business Development. He’s got a real passion for helping sales people and organizations fill their funnel. I asked Mike to share some of the reasons salespeople struggle to create new opportunities and what to do about it. Specifically, he’ll share: The most common reasons salespeople fail to generate new business Why being too ‘relational’ can limit your prospecting ability How sales managers are letting their teams down and how to fix it The two non-negotiables for new business development A customer segmentation model everyone can use that will help you focus your time and energy How to craft a story prospects will pay attention to It’s a jam-packed interview you won’t want to miss! For more from Mike, check out his blog and follow him on Twitter. The post DSP 010: New Business Development Strategies with Mike Weinberg appeared first on SCC Partners.

Like an other profession, if you want to get better at selling, you have to practice. However, few salespeople want to risk practicing new methods or approaches in front of real prospects with real revenue on the line. Sure you can try some role-playing in sales meetings, but those are always contrived scenarios that rarely resemble what happens in real life. Regardless, practicing your craft is the only way to get better. And yes, you’re going to have to do it with real prospects. But don’t worry, in this episode of the podcast, we have a few suggestions for how to do that more effectively. To subscribe to the Podcast in iTunes Click Here. The post DSP 009: How To Practice Selling appeared first on SCC Partners.

As the dental industry gets more competitive, getting prospect’s attention is more difficult. That’s why it more important than ever that you learn better ways to market yourself to your target audience. You can no longer rely solely on the corporate marketing department to do this for you. What is your personal brand? What messages are you putting into the market? Are they being heard by the intended audience? These are just a few questions worth considering as you think about how you’re going to build your business. Enter Fred Joyal. Fred is the co-founder of 1-800 Dentist and author of the book, Everything is Marketing: The Ultimate Strategy For Dental Practice Growth. He is also a widely sought after speaker on a variety of practice growth topics. I asked Fred to share some ways salespeople could better market themselves in today’s market. Among other things, Fred and I discuss: How to build a safe zone with your clients Why trust and likeability are important in long-term transactional relationships The kinds of help your dental clients need with social media Why you have to be the true face of your organization To subscribe to the Podcast in iTunes Click Here. The post DSP 008: Marketing Lessons For Salespeople With Fred Joyal appeared first on SCC Partners.

Do you have clients who decide to buy a less than ideal solution, one you know won’t adequately address the problem they’re having? No matter how much you try to convince and persuade them, in a slow economy, an increasing number of prospects are looking for lower priced solutions and are willing to consider ways to “get by with less.” Certainly there are times when this makes sense, but other times it’s clearly the wrong decision. What’s your responsibility as the sales person? How can you help them see the potential risks? That’s what we’re talking about in this episode of the podcast. Listen in as Doug and I discuss: Why allowing your client to underinvest is dangerous no matter how big the sale is The real reason the client is hiring you The damage you’re doing when you willingly let the client move forward How to help your client get back on the right path Subscribe to the podcast in iTunes If you enjoy it, consider leaving a review. It’s helps other people find us more easily. The post DSP 007: Are You Letting Your Client Underinvest? appeared first on SCC Partners.

What does is take to build a Hall of Fame sales career? That’s just one of the questions I ask Kelly Riggs in this episode of The Dental Sales Podcast. Kelly is a speaker, business performance coach, and author of Quit Whining and Start Selling: A Step-by-Step Guide To a Hall of Fame Career in Sales. There are no shortage of books, articles, and posts touting “new” ways to attract clients, create value, and grow your sales. Kelly reminds us that even with all these new ideas, sustainable success requires constantly sharpening fundamental selling skills. Listen in as Kelly and I talk about: The difference between a product pusher and a sales professional How to more effectively plan your next 25 calls What it means to be a “fountain of information.” The Podcast is also available in iTunes. Links mentioned in this episode Kelly’s book – Quit Whining and Start Selling: A Step-by-Step Guide To a Hall of Fame Career in Sales Visit Kelly’s Website for additional resources Follow Kelly on Twitter     The post DSP 006: Quit Whining and Start Selling with Kelly Riggs appeared first on SCC Partners.

What’s your trade show strategy? This week kicks off the unofficial beginning of trade show season in the dental industry with the Annual ADA Meeting in New Orleans. Then over the next few months, there’s New York, Yankee, Chicago, and the Hinman along with several others. But over the last few years, the chatter from most of the reps is how unproductive these meetings have become. Low attendance and fewer doctors “buying” at the show are just two of the common complaints I hear. Enter Traci Browne, author of The Social Trade Show: Leveraging Social Media and Virtual Events To Connect With Your Customers. In this session, Traci points out, the reasons your clients come to a show have changed. Which means if you’re going to have successful events, it’s likely your strategy also has to change. If you’re tired of standing and standing and standing in your booth with very little relevant (that’s the key word) traffic, Traci will get you thinking when she talks about using social media to drive qualified traffic to your booth. She says, “Don’t do what everyone else is doing like give away an iPad and talk about product features & benefits.” Instead, listen in as she makes several suggestions how you can more effectively engage both clients and prospects with a social media strategy that will create instant differentiation. Mentioned in this episode: Traci’s Book – The Social Trade Show: Leveraging Social Media and Virtual Events To Connect With Your Customers. Follow Traci on Twitter Trade Show Institute 10 Things Every Exhibitor Should Be Posting In Social Media Major Dental Shows on Twitter Follow the ADA on Twitter and the show hashtag Follow the New York Meeting on Twitter and the show hashtag Follow the Yankee Meeting on Twitter and the show hashtag Follow the Chicago Midwinter on Twitter and the show hashtag Follow the Hinman on Twitter and the show hashtag     The post DSP 005: Trade Show Strategy with Traci Browne appeared first on SCC Partners.

It would be nice to always be selling the best product in the marketplace. But that’s not realistic. That doesn’t mean you’re out of luck. Success is still within your reach as long as you have the right skills and focus on the right things. In today’s episode Joe and Doug offer several ways you can put yourself in the best position to win the sale, even when faced with competitors who have a better product or service than you. Get the Podcast on iTunes Here!   The post DSP 004: Could You Sell The Second Best Product? appeared first on SCC Partners.

Without a platform—something that enables you to get seen and heard—you don’t have a chance. Having an awesome product, an outstanding service, or a compelling cause is no longer enough. – Michael Hyatt (NOTE: This podcast was originally recorded as a lesson in our online program, BreakOut! Because Gary had such great advice, we are making it publicly available.) Each month in BreakOut!, our online program for dental sales professionals, we focus on a specific theme. Last month we talked about several reasons sales people need to consider building a strong online presence and how doing so can you help connect, engage, and communicate with clients and prospects. Today’s episode of The Dental Sales Podcast was one of the lessons inside the BreakOut! It is such an important topic that we wanted to share it with everyone. The fact is your clients are spending more time online researching products, asking for recommendations, and vetting out solutions and potential vendors. Without a presence there, you are putting yourself at a distinct disadvantage. One of the key reasons sales people hesitate getting started is because they don’t know where to begin. Which social networks should you be on? What is content marketing and how can you use it to grow your business? Should you be blogging, using email marketing, or integrating video? And assuming you know all the answers to these questions, where are you supposed to find the time? It can be pretty overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Today’s interview is going to help! Enter Gary Takacs Gary Takacs is a coach, speaker, and dental practice owner. He’s also a blogger, video producer, and podcaster. In a mere two years, he’s built one of the industries most complete resources for dentists at Takacs Learning Center, including The Thriving Dentist Podcast which now has listeners in 104 countries! I asked Gary to join me for a conversation to discuss: His experience with building a platform The interplay between relationship building and technology How someone as busy as he is finds the time for blogging, Facebook, Twitter, etc. What metrics you should be measuring once you get started Want more help and advice on exactly how to get started? Join us in BreakOut! Links to resources mentioned in the podcast: Takacs Learning Center The Thriving Dentist Podcast Connect with Gary on Twitter Mitch Joel – Six Pixels of Separation (the book, the podcast, the blog) , Ctrl-Alt-Del The Smart Passive Income Podcast The Tao of Twitter by Mark Schaefer Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt If you’d like to continue the conversation, ask questions, or talk about the topic further, there is a comment section below. Join the discussion. The post DSP 003 – Gary Takacs On Building an Online Presence appeared first on SCC Partners.

In this episode of The Dental Sales Podcast, I’m happy to welcome Jim Keenan, founder of A Sales Guy Consulting. As a long time reader of Keenan’s blog, I appreciate his honest, straightforward, pull no punches approach. Truth be told, we really didn’t plan on having a guest on the show this soon, but once I read Keenan’s recent post titled, There Are Too Many Bad Sales People, that changed. I reached out right away and asked him to join me to talk about the article. Keenan and I cover a lot of ground in this episode. Listen in as we talk about: Why making quota doesn’t make you a good salesperson Changes in the selling environment that salespeople aren’t reacting to fast enough The first step salespeople should take in an effort to get better Why seeking help from your manager might not be the best place to start What managers should look for when it comes to hiring “good” salespeople The key things managers should focus on to build more effective sales teams Resources and Links mentioned in this episode: Keenan’s Website and Blog The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation LinkedIn Sales Secrets Revealed – Jill Konrath’s eBook Social Media and Sales Quota Report – A Survey conducted by Keenan There Are Too Many Bad Sales Managers Too – Keenan’s follow up article The post DSP 002: An Interview with Jim Keenan of A Sales Guy Consulting appeared first on SCC Partners.

After months of talking about it, The Dental Sales Podcast is finally here and we couldn’t be more excited. The truth is, we’ve been podcasting for several months, but have used that content exclusively in our online courses. Now it’s time for a regular podcast that everyone can benefit from. Why a Podcast? We know most of our audience spends a lot of time in the car. Podcasts are a great way to maximize that time by further developing your skills. Not everyone likes to read blog posts. A podcast adds another format that will help reach more people while mixing it up a bit. We like hearing ourselves talk. (I’m kidding) We consistently tell people they need to learn new skills and push the limits of their comfort zone. We think we should take our own advice from time to time. So we’re trying something new too. It’s a good format for interviewing guests, authors, and other industry experts. All things we plan on doing. If you have topics you’d like us to address, experts you’d like to hear from, or any other suggestions, let us know. We’d love to hear from you. Episode #1 If we looked at your sales funnel right now, would we find prospects who’ve been in there for more than 12 months? 18 months? longer? Do you have trouble at times with stalled and stuck deals? Many of these problems are the result of miscategorizing the opportunities in your funnel. When that happens, it’s hard to work each deal effectively and efficiently. In this episode of The Dental Sales Podcast, Doug and I talk about some of the mistakes sales people make when categorizing the opportunities in their sales funnels and an easy way to fix it. Not all opportunities are equal. Which means you have to be more strategic and deliberate in how you approach each one. Enjoy! P.S. The podcast will be available on iTunes in a week or so. Until then, you can listen using the player above or right click ‘Download’ and ‘Save As’ to save it to your computer, tablet, or smartphone.     The post DSP 001: A More Accurate Way To Assess Your Sales Funnel appeared first on SCC Partners.