Fuentes Fridays #0005

What I’m hearing from sales leaders/professionals

This week, I have been coaching reps on hidden objections. Yes, we all know the one where someone tells you that something is "fine" when it’s not, when feelings inside are not expressed; the one where someone uses lack of budget or bandwidth as an objection to mask what’s actually holding them back. I’m talking about the objections that happen naturally on a call. Remember that most communication occurs outside of the words we say. How we say them vocally and visually is more important. For that reason, this past week, I’ve been reviewing calls with AEs and stopping them whenever a hidden red flag popped up. What do those red flags sound like? If you’ve ever been in a relationship, you probably recognize them; those sounds are the same in sales.

Here’s a tip: Take one of your calls and time stamp every time someone made a sound, then listen to what you did next. I imagine the majority of the time, you did not acknowledge the prospect's unconscious reaction. Work on how to ask questions related to the reaction, and then try them out on your next call.?

What made me laugh

Ah, the good ole science fair! Check out what a nine-year-old studied for their project. The findings are the best! Apparently, this kid got disqualified. I would have awarded them first place.

This Week’s 40/20

For every 40 hours of work, I believe you should spend 20 (additional) hours mastering your craft. This is how I spent some of my 20 hours this week.

This week, I’ve been studying and figuring out "The Capability Gap." Nick Saban (former Alabama football coach) talks about this quite a bit. "The Capability Gap is what you're capable of relative to what you are doing." I often feel like I am capable of more, but the reality is I may not be—or I may. I’m not sure. Right now, I’m working on figuring out what my full capability is (Can I really speak on big stages? Do I have the time to get good at public speaking) and what my current delivery is. As I read more about the capability gap, I see that most people underestimate their full capability and overestimate their current delivery.

Potpourri for 800

Potpourri (shout out Jeopardy!) is a category that covers a variety of topics.

Last week, I mentioned a show that I am loving in 2024. This week, I want to highlight one you may have missed last year: Poker Face on Peacock. This show reminded me of the awesome 80s detective shows that featured incredible guest stars in an ongoing story, but also solved a new case every week. The show is funny and well written. Natasha Lyonne (American Pie) is fantastic. Enjoy!

Quote For My Son

Every day, I give my son a quote to help him learn and not repeat the same mistakes I made in my youth. This was my favorite from this past week:

"Everybody's sore.

Everybody's tired.

Everybody has an excuse.

Don't be everybody." - Lewis Caralla