Overcoming Sales Mistakes with Andrew Sykes, Sales Influence (r)

On this episode of the Sales Influence podcast, Victor Antonio (http://www.VictorAntonio.com) is joined by Andrew Sykes (https://www.andrewsykes.com) to discuss trust in sales. Andrew shares his experience transitioning from an actuary to a salesperson and how he has spent the past three decades researching and teaching about how humans think, feel and act when it comes to buying. Together, they deconstruct what it means to build trust with customers and how it can affect the overall sales process.

01:09 Mathematical deconstruction of sales.
04:00 Mistakes in Sales Presentations.
08:02 Sales habits and deliberate practice.
10:15 Killing vices to create habits.
13:48 Motivation and dopamine.
19:01 Practice culture in sales.
20:00 Sales Skills Coaching.
23:20 Coaching for Sales Managers.
27:44 Sales feedback and practice.
29:23 Practicing and accepting feedback.
32:34 Building trust through personal stories.
35:39 Deliberate practice for managers.

1. In this podcast, host Victor Antonio interviews Andrew Sykes, who has spent over three decades researching and teaching about sales. Andrew talks about his background as an actuary and how he quickly realized that it was important to have strong sales skills. He then recounts a story about an embarrassing incident early in his sales career, when he lectured his clients for 90 minutes instead of asking them questions.

#focus on one habit at a time.

## Protect yourself from distractions.

# Develop skills coaching ability.

#practice with feedback often.

# Focus on building trust.

# Practice habits for success.
Ilistening involves actively listening to the customer and understanding their needs and wants. Deliberate practice involves focusing on specific skills and techniques that can be improved upon. Finally, building trust with customers is essential for success in sales, as customers are more likely to purchase from people that they trust.

Andrew Sykes, an expert in habits and trust, discussed the importance of building trust with customers on a recent podcast. He suggested that managers should begin by listening to their salespeople and understanding their goals. This helps to create a feeling of reciprocity, as the salesperson feels that their manager is listening to them and taking their feedback seriously. After that, Sykes suggested that managers should then suggest areas of improvement that their salespeople can focus on, such as empathic listening. This helps to create a culture of practice and encourages the salespeople to take initiative and strive to improve their skills.

In addition to building trust with customers, Sykes also discussed the importance of deliberate practice. He explained that practicing specific skills and techniques can help salespeople to become better and more successful. He suggested that managers should lead by example and demonstrate their commitment to deliberate practice by taking notes and sharing their self-reflections with their salespeople. This encourages the salespeople to take initiative and practice their skills in order to become better.

Overall, practicing habits such as empathic listening, building trust with customers, and deliberate practice are all essential for success in sales. By understanding and implementing these habits, salespeople can become better and more successful.