Sales is NOT a Dirty Word

Too many people are burned by service providers - it’s almost like a right of passage at this point.  Many companies are great at the sales process and terrible at the fulfillment part.  This hurts everyone.  So, in this episode of Sales Is NOT a Dirty Word, I’m digging into the part of buying that deserves far more attention: what you need to know before you say yes.  Coaches, consultants, agencies, software providers, and other service businesses are trained to communicate their value. Some can deliver every inch of it. Others have simply become very skilled at focusing only on what you want to hear.  The key to understanding whether something is actually a good investment comes down to good questions that make vague claims harder to hold up.  The strongest offers can withstand scrutiny.  A credible seller should be able to discuss limitations, expectations, ownership, timelines, and the clients who did not get the promised result without falling into polished generalities. This episode can and should change the questions you ask before your next significant investment, especially when everything sounds convincing and you are already halfway to yes. KEY POINTS WE COVER: The questions buyers should ask before signing How persuasive sales language can disguise what you’re actually purchasing The types of evasive answers that are red flags The details that deserve clarity while you still have leverage Why discernment belongs in every buying decision   SELL THE WAY YOU WISH YOU HAD BEEN SOLD TO If this episode reminded you of every vague promise and expensive disappointment you have encountered as a buyer, take that standard back to your own sales process. Black Sheep Sales helps businesses build a detailed, repeatable sales system grounded in fit, transparency, and realistic expectations. Your prospects understand what they are buying, your team knows how to sell it, and fewer nightmare clients make it through the door. Build a sales process that remains credible after the contract is signed: https://blacksheepsales.com/   MAKE YOUR SALES PROCESS WORTH SAYING YES TO A strong sales conversation can open the door. What you deliver afterward determines whether people trust you, refer you, and return. In Black Sheep Sales, I share a more honest, human way to sell that respects the buyer’s intelligence and builds a business people feel good choosing. Get your copy here: https://tinyurl.com/blacksheepsalesbook Key Timestamps 02:14 When excellent marketing conceals poor delivery 03:26 The question that forces sellers to discuss failure 04:41 Why generic answers deserve greater scrutiny 05:23 How ethical sellers protect buyers from a bad fit 06:28 What client complaints and cancellations can reveal 07:06 Clarifying the first 30, 60, and 90 days 07:47 Who owns the work, assets, and data when you leave 09:42 The problem hiding inside “everything is included” 10:46 Finding the provider’s genuine area of strength 11:53 What hesitation and evasiveness can tell you 12:22 Trusting your instincts and hiring slowly 13:04 Building a custom, repeatable sales system #BusinessCoaching #BusinessCoach #ConsultingServices #ServiceProvider #BusinessInvestment #DueDiligence #BuyerBeware #SalesTransparency #EthicalSales #SalesStrategy #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #SmallBusinessOwner #BlackSheepSales #SalesIsNotADirtyWord

Sales hires are a different type of role than anything most business owners have hired before.  Unless an owner was previously in sales, it can be difficult to know what to look for.  And many times, confidence is confused for competence.  A history of impressive numbers appears to settle the question. Even arrogance can slip through as evidence that someone possesses the personality required to sell. But what are those signals actually measuring? A candidate may have an extraordinary track record and still be completely wrong for your business. Their results belong to a particular offer, market, company, sales process, and moment in their career. Once those conditions change, the résumé can become far less predictive than it first appeared. In this newest episode of Sales is NOT a Dirty Word, I examine the assumptions that cause business owners to misread sales candidates and make expensive hiring decisions. The traits commonly associated with great salespeople deserve more scrutiny. So do the qualities that rarely sound impressive in an interview, yet may reveal far more about how someone will sell, collaborate, and respond once the easy momentum disappears. Listen in to consider: What a candidate’s previous results can and cannot tell you Which familiar “sales personality” traits deserve closer examination The interview questions that reveal how someone thinks beneath the polished answers What compensation preferences may expose about a candidate’s expectations Hiring a salesperson requires you to see deeper than the performance happening across the interview table or the story on the resume.  If you are preparing to hire a salesperson or your current team is underperforming, book a Grow Your Sales call with me. We’ll examine your sales process, compensation plan, KPIs, and the conditions your team needs to perform consistently: https://calendly.com/aleasha/salesteam-levelup You can also take the free Sales Personality Assessment to uncover your natural sales strengths and learn how to use them instead of forcing tactics that do not fit you: https://assessment.aleashabahr.com/salespersonality   KEY TIMESTAMPS 01:00 | How sales candidates sell business owners during the interview 02:00 | Why previous sales success may not transfer to your offer 03:00 | The revenue consequences of hiring someone motivated only by commission 04:00 | When industry relationships disguise deteriorated sales skills 05:40 | Interview questions that reveal empathy and collaboration 06:20 | Why a lone-wolf salesperson can become a serious liability 08:00 | What a large base salary request may reveal 08:40 | Structuring commissions around the behavior your business needs 10:00 | Why winging your first sales hire becomes painfully expensive 11:00 | Getting support with your sales process, KPIs, and compensation plan #SalesIsNotADirtyWord #BlackSheepSales #SalesHiring #SalesRecruitment #HiringSalespeople #SalesInterview #SalesLeadership #SalesManagement #SalesTeam #SalesCompensation #CommissionStructure #SalesStrategy #BusinessGrowth #SalesCoaching #EntrepreneurPodcast

Your highest-grossing salesperson may be the most expensive problem on your team. They get the best leads, extra resources, and a different set of rules. Their revenue looks too valuable to risk, so leadership keeps making exceptions. Meanwhile, the rest of the team notices. Talented salespeople stop trying. Good ideas stay buried. Resentment grows. Eventually, people leave while the person causing the damage becomes even more indispensable. In this newest episode of Sales is NOT a Dirty Word, I’m talking about the sales diva: the salesperson whose results give them enough leverage to manipulate opportunities, demand special treatment, and leave business owners feeling trapped. Their numbers may look impressive and they certainly reference them often when asking for exceptions and preferential treatment.  It’s important to take a close look and ask - How much of their success comes from skill? How much comes from receiving better leads, inheriting established relationships, or claiming opportunities developed by someone else? And if one person needs every advantage to remain your top performer, what could the rest of your team accomplish with equal support?   Listen in to discover: How a salesperson gradually gains enough leverage to hold a business hostage The warning signs that special treatment is damaging the rest of your team Why revenue alone cannot tell you who your strongest salesperson is What genuinely skilled salespeople bring to a team beyond closed deals   A sales diva rarely becomes a serious problem overnight. The danger grows every time leadership overlooks harmful behavior to protect the revenue attached to it. So how much damage are you willing to absorb before your “top performer” becomes too expensive to keep?     Book a sales call audit with me, and we’ll uncover where your sales process or team structure may be costing you revenue: https://calendly.com/aleasha/salesteam-levelup   You can also take the Sales Personality Assessment to uncover your natural sales strengths and learn how to use them instead of forcing tactics that don’t fit you: https://assessment.aleashabahr.com/salespersonality     Key Timestamps 01:00 What a sales diva is and how someone grows into one 01:40 When the business owner feels held hostage 02:25 What the rest of the team sees: the favorite child effect 03:15 The poison behind the scenes: lead stealing and office politics 04:00 The plant analogy every sales leader needs to hear 05:00 The long-tenure rep coasting on old relationships 06:00 Hungry vs. entitled: what separates real top performers 06:45 How sales divas drive turnover and silence good people 07:45 The worst reason to favor a salesperson 08:30 Prevention: what actually makes a top-performing salesperson 09:40 How to get support building a win-win sales team   #SalesIsNotADirtyWord #BlackSheepSales #SalesLeadership #SalesManagement #SalesTeam #TopPerformer #SalesCulture #SalesStrategy #SalesPerformance #TeamLeadership #BusinessGrowth #SalesCoaching #EmployeeRetention #RevenueGrowth #EntrepreneurPodcast

You just got off a great discovery call. You can already see everything you could fix, every opportunity they’re missing, and the massive result you could create together. So you put all of it into a $100,000 or $150,000 proposal, present your big vision, and wait for them to say yes. Instead, they disappear. The problem isn’t necessarily your pricing or the value of your work. A brand-new prospect simply doesn’t know if you’re full of shit yet.  So, asking them to commit to a massive engagement before you’ve delivered anything means asking them to take on a level of risk most buyers aren’t comfortable with. In this newest episode of Sales is NOT a Dirty Word, I’m breaking down why ambitious proposals often stall, why emailing the proposal makes it even easier for prospects to ghost you, and how to create a smaller first offer that gives the client a real result without devaluing your expertise. Because the goal is a long term client and a big proposal - and that’s more likely to happen when you earn trust first.  Listen in to discover:  Why a prospect can believe in your solution and still reject the proposal What buyers are really evaluating when you ask them to approve a large investment How to create a smaller first offer without discounting or diminishing your work The discovery questions you need answered before structuring your proposal Why a well-designed first engagement can lead to longer and more profitable client relationships If your proposals keep stalling after you email them over, you probably don’t need a more persistent follow-up sequence. You need to understand what’s making the initial decision feel too risky.   Book a sales call audit call with me, and we’ll find out where your sales process is losing the deal: https://calendly.com/aleasha/salesteam-levelup You can also take the Sales Personality Assessment to uncover your natural sales strengths and learn how to use them instead of forcing tactics that don’t fit you: https://assessment.aleashabahr.com/salespersonality Key Timestamps 00:00 – Why I don’t email sales proposals 01:40 – The mistake behind $100K and $150K proposals 02:10 – Why new prospects are afraid of getting burned 02:35 – Selling one small win that can stand on its own 03:15 – Why retention and upselling beat constant client acquisition 04:40 – The two definitions of success your proposal must address 06:00 – Why giant proposals keep great service providers from getting hired 06:25 – Making the first investment easier to say yes to 07:00 – What a valuable standalone offer can look like 08:00 – Building an intentional upsell process 08:25 – Why simple proposals convert better than buzzword-heavy decks   #SalesIsNotADirtyWord #BlackSheepSales #SalesProposal #ProposalStrategy #B2BSales #SalesStrategy #SixFigureSales #ClientAcquisition #ClientRetention #Upselling #ConsultativeSelling #SalesConversion #SalesCoaching #ServiceBasedBusiness #EntrepreneurPodcast

“Let me think about it” has probably launched more awkward follow-up emails than any other sentence in sales. You leave the call not even knowing where to go after that because there wasn’t an obvious objection to work through. How do you follow up with that - ask them what they need to think about? How long do they need? Neither.  The answer is to get curious - yes - but in a different, more specific way.  People rarely arrive at hesitation out of nowhere. There’s usually something underneath it: a question they haven’t asked, a concern they haven’t named, a detail that still feels fuzzy, or a very legitimate reason that moving forward today would be the wrong decision. And yes, sometimes that reason is absolutely valid. You don’t know until you do some digging though.  In this episode of Sales Is Not a Dirty Word, I’m pulling apart what can actually be happening when a promising sales conversation ends in “let me think about it” and where you should start looking when you hear it.    Listen in to discover: What signals to spot when a prospect hesitates at the end of a conversation The questions buyers can have without quite knowing how to articulate them Why curiosity gets you further with an objection than trying to convince or overcome How to discern when hesitation deserves more conversation and when someone genuinely needs more time If you’ve ever experienced the paralyzing uncertainty that can happen in the face of this nebulous objection - listen to the full episode before you send another “just checking in” follow-up.   Curious why your own sales conversations are converting less than 50%? Book your sales audit with me and let’s find out what’s happening inside your process: https://calendly.com/aleasha/salesteam-levelup Take the Sales Personality Assessment to leverage your own unique strengths here: https://assessment.aleashabahr.com/salespersonality   01:15 — The real reason it happens: something wasn't uncovered earlier 02:10 — Why prospects don't ask the questions they actually have 03:05 — Client story: when "I need to regroup" was really about the offer, not the price 04:20 — Not a fit yet versus not a fit ever, and why the difference matters 05:10 — What "let me think about it" is really hinting at 06:00 — Why bringing up objections yourself builds trust instead of planting doubt 07:05 — What happens when you skip this question, and why prospects ghost instead of answering 08:00 — Telling prospects exactly when your offer doesn't work 09:00 — The last resort line to use when someone says they'll think about it    #SalesIsNotADirtyWord #BlackSheepSales #SalesObjections #LetMeThinkAboutIt #SalesTraining #SalesTips #SalesStrategy #SalesCoach #SmallBusinessSales #B2BSales #EntrepreneurPodcast #SalesPodcast #ConversionRate #SalesLeadership #AuthenticSelling #SalesSkills #TrustBasedSelling #WomenInSales #BusinessGrowth #SalesMindset