Strategies for Behavior Change in Sales

Hey sales leaders: What do you think is the purpose of enablement? Allow me to confound that expectation. Your answer probably includes sales onboarding -- ramping new hires quickly. It may include keeping reps abreast of all the changes -- new releases, new campaigns, new processes, etc. And some of you may include doing periodic training on your unique skills, tools, and processes. But I'll bet a nickel you haven't thought about enablement in terms of performance improvement. I mean identifying behaviors that are contributing to performance gaps, and creating an intervention to measurably change those behaviors -- thereby reducing the performance gaps. Example: you're hearing that reps are discounting too heavily, and you get support for this in reporting on avg discount rates. A performance improvement approach says: --What are the behaviors contributing to the performance gap? --What do we want the behaviors to be? --How can we empirically measure if the behavior has changed? --What's the best way to achieve the desired behavior change? --Fast forward: did we move the needle on those empirical metrics? PROBLEMATIC BEHAVIORS: Maybe the behaviors contributing to the high discount rates include reps not selling value -- not uncovering the business impact of the status quo, not articulating the positive business outcomes of your solution. And maybe they're also not engaging the right personas throughout the sales cycle. DESIRED BEHAVIORS: Maybe you have a sales methodology that calls for reps uncovering & articulating business value -- so you want them to apply that methodology more rigorously in calls & emails. Maybe your deals usually start with mid-level managers, but later reps need to engage the VPs of 2 departments -- so you want them to apply that kind of persona multithreading in their deals. HOW TO MEASURE: For value messaging, leverage Gong/Chorus to measure the % of calls that mention specific words/phrases. For multithreading, measure avg # of personas on opps, & when they're added. Other interesting metrics: Avg # decreases in TCV of an opp, and avg push count. BEHAVIOR CHANGE INTERVENTION: Training is ok, documentation is great, but ongoing coaching is the best way to achieve sustained behavior change. Ideally led by the frontline manager, but okay if led by the enablement team. REVIEWING METRICS: When you clearly define the desired behavior change, the empirical metrics, and the intervention, it's very easy to show whether you made a difference. And it's very easy to argue that it was the enablement initiative is to thank. As a veteran enablement leader, I firmly believe that this kind of "purpose" (and approach) is sorely missing in enablement orgs. And IMO if more enablement orgs approached their work this way, more sales leaders would consider their enablement leaders to be strategic partners in growing the business. Happy selling. #heysalesleaders #salesexcellence

You’re Not in Sales. You’re in Behavior Change. Top closers don’t just pitch. They rewire beliefs. Here are 10 psychological triggers elite sellers use to move deals forward: 1️⃣ Certainty Over Clarity → Buyers don’t buy when they’re informed. → They buy when they’re certain. Uncertainty kills more deals than price ever will. 2️⃣ Identity-Based Messaging → “People like you use solutions like this.” → They sell to "who" the buyer wants to become. Harvard: We buy based on who we believe we are. 3️⃣ Pain Magnification → They don’t solve surface problems. → They dig into "cost of inaction" and emotional friction. 80% of B2B decisions are emotionally driven, then justified logically. 4️⃣ Future Pacing → “What happens if you do nothing?” → “What would it look like if we solved this next month?” Prospects must feel the "future" before they fund the "present". 5️⃣ Micro-Commitments → Small yeses build big momentum → Demo booked? “Mind if I send a quick agenda first?” Progress is made one micro-agreement at a time. 6️⃣ The Illusion of Control → “You tell me if this isn’t right for you.” → “I’m not here to pressure. I’m here to guide.” Autonomy builds trust. Pressure kills it. 7️⃣ Social Proof ≠ Bragging → “Another company used this solution to improve guest satisfaction.” → Stories > stats = buy-in. We trust what others validate. Especially those just like us. 8️⃣ Time Compression → “Let’s make the next 30 days count.” → “You don’t need a year, just a clear next step.” Urgency isn't pressure. It's focus. 9️⃣ Anchoring Value Early → “This isn’t $X a month. It’s 200 hours saved.” → Price = irrelevant when value = undeniable. Perception of value is a crafted experience, not a number. 🔟 The Emotional Mirror → “I get the sense this decision feels risky.” → “What’s the real concern behind that hesitation?” Labeling emotion disarms resistance. That’s how elite closers "sell safety." The truth: - Amateurs pitch features. - Pros change minds. - Elites? They change behavior. Sales isn’t about talking people into something. It’s about unlocking the beliefs that move them forward. Which trigger have you used that changed the game for you? Drop your go-to move below ⬇️ "Lead Different. Sell Smarter. Win with Purpose." --- ♻️ Share this post with a sales leader who needs to hear it. Follow me for more strategies to grow your team and results and drop me a comment about how you manage this process... 👇 👉 Click here: Follow me on LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/eA7csH2q Join our community of 36,370+ sales professionals today! 👉 Click here: Beyond The Funnel Newsletter https://lnkd.in/ed3iMb8x P.S. Thanks for reading!

Transform hesitation into commitment with these effective strategies for handling the "I need to think it over" objection in sales. 1. Pace Matters: Don't rush your clients. Match their speed to build comfort and prevent concerns that arise from feeling overwhelmed. 2. Understand the Unknowns: You're an expert in what you sell, but your client isn't. Provide education to give them the confidence needed to move forward. 3. Build Trust: Small actions matter! Keep your commitments to build trust and prevent potential concerns from your clients. 4. Show Your Expertise: Demonstrate your deep understanding of your client’s problems. Authority in your field can prevent your client from needing more time to think. 5. Address Needs Precisely: Ensure you truly understand and address your client’s needs. Misunderstandings here can lead to hesitation. 6. Clear Communication: Be transparent and candid. Evasive responses can erode trust and prompt further delays from your client. 7. Identify Concerns: Invite your clients to express any concerns. This can lead to productive discussions and quicker resolutions. 8. Provide Certainty: In an uncertain world, be the source of certainty for your clients. Understand and address their hidden concerns proactively. Every interaction with a client is an opportunity to foster trust and demonstrate value. Reflect on these points to better understand the nuances of decision-making from your client’s perspective. Your role is crucial in helping them make confident decisions that lead to successful outcomes. 🚀🔍 Found this useful ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow Anthony Iannarino for more sales strategies.

If you need consensus in large meetings, schedule them at 4 PM. Attendees are fatigued by then, which increases conformity by 22%. Here’s how to time your calls to get large groups to say yes (and 8 other behavior cues you’ve probably missed that shape buying decisions): 1. 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘆    Zoom‑fatigue increases conformity by ~22 %. Schedule multi‑stakeholder calls at 4 p.m. their time, present two options, state which most teams pick, then shut up.        Fatigue and silence helps them move to consensus.     2. 𝗠𝗮𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀    List 3 wins your champion may crave - promotion, head‑count, personal brand - before every call. Float each casually.        If you hear them add a detail or a micro‑smile, center your solution on that goal.     3. 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲    If they seem nervous, look into the camera, speak warmly, and add things like “We’ll figure this out together."        If they’re distant (camera off, short answers): give them space - send them info they can read on their own first, then ask for their thoughts.     4. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲    Having a tidy bookshelf + slight high‑camera angle lifts perceived competence. Add a subtle award or bestselling book for bonus points.        Switch to a plain wall when brainstorming to invite free thinking.     5. 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼-𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝘀    Early in the conversation, ask “Before I screenshare, could you share your screen for 60 sec and walk me through your flow today?”        It gives you bespoke discovery + puts them in control briefly. And once they help you, their brain rewires: I help people I trust → I must trust them.     6. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝗟𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗿    Set a high bar first: “What about a 2‑day workshop?”. If that’s too much, offer the lighter step: “How about an hour on Zoom?”        The contrast lowers resistance and speeds agreement.     7. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗹    "We've only got 4 onboarding spots open this quarter - our CS team maxes at 12." A real‑world cap spurs action without resorting to discounts.        Show the number again after your case study slide.     8. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗣𝗶𝘃𝗼𝘁    Mirror the buyer's tone for 2 sentences, then shift to firm phrasing: “We will…” not “We could…”        Research shows decisive wording drives larger concessions, but only AFTER rapport is built.     9. 𝗢𝗽𝘁-𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗼𝗻    End every CTA with “but only if it makes sense for you.”        When buyers feel they are in control, their friction reduces and compliance rates climb. Good sellers know how to handle objections effectively. Great sellers know how to read emotions and manage the buyer's psychology. Save it, share with your team, and follow me for more tips.

In my last quarter at Gong I was pacing to miss quota for the first time ever. So I did an audit of all the deals I lost the prior 6 months. I looked at Gong data, listened to calls, and was able to spot 4 key reasons that those deals fell through. Here were my self-diagnosed biggest skill gaps, and how I solved them. 1. Getting to Power Problem: The number one reason I lost deals is I lost my discipline when it comes to getting to power. Last year I got away with closing deals without power involved, in this market If you are not at power you don’t have a deal. Solution: I spot-check all of my open deals. If I wasn't at power I looped in Gong leadership to help me get there. 2. Actively Seeking Risk Problem: I stopped asking those really hard questions. “What could get in the way of this deal,” “are you evaluating anyone else,” “where is the budget going to come from to fund this project.” Solution: I listened to calls from Tanner Robinson and Gabrielle Mazaltarim who are two of the very best at asking the hard questions. 3. Multi-threading Problem: I was single-threaded in a lot of the deals I lost. That is just lazy selling. Solution: I sent value-additive content to new people at all of my top accounts. I also started ensuring I am talking to at LEAST 3 people before believing a deal is real. 4. Discovery Problem: My talk time has gone up and my question rate has gone down. This means I’m over-pitching, not doing enough disco, and losing interest. Solution: I recommitted to my mantra, two ears one mouth, I have it tattooed on my arm for a reason :) I dug in, worked my ass off, closed the gaps. The result: Over 120% quota attainment. This sales thing is a journey not a destination. Its an evolving landscape that constantly changes. Make sure you aren't a stagnant rep in an ever shifting world.