Josh Braun

Braun Training

Are you sending lots and lots of cold emails but getting little to no responses?

Wish you could start more conversations with skeptical prospects?  

WIsh granted: https://academy.joshbraun.com/p/badass-b2b-growth-guide

Email me: josh@joshbraun.com

Founder

Inside Selling is a podcast about how to sell without selling your soul through the simple acts of caring, being curious and making people smile.  

Listen here - https://joshbraun.com/episodes/

Host of the Inside Selling Podcast

Basecamp

--Helped Basecamp be even more awesome in the areas of customer success, churn mitigation and growth. 
--Created life-cycle drip email campaigns to convert trials to customers
--Conducted customer interviews using the Jobs-To-Be-Done framework to increase conversion rates

Head Of Sales

Jellyvision

--Managed and coached a 7-person sales development team  
--Doubled the number of weekly meetings set by the SDR team in 60 days
--Created and implemented my sales playbook and strategy for the SDR role
--20% growth of net new appointments 11 out of 13 months

VP of Inside Sales

--$2 - $10m in 8 years
--Exceeded my $720,000 annual quota every year
--Prospected for new business using cold emailing, cold calling and “trigger” events and referrals
--Won Fortune 500 accounts including IBM, GEICO, Verizon, McDonald’s, Fidelity, Disney & Aetna
--Created and implemented my prospecting sales playbook for Account Executives
--New and existing client development
--Channel development
--Contract, SOW and business proposals

VP of Business Development

CompassLearning

--Led development of new product lines for K-12 software platform representing $40 million in annual sales
--Planning, staffing and leadership of the K-12 software development organization (60-person team)
--Managed relationships with key third party partners and offshore development centers
--Helped open Austin office and build out an amazing company culture

VP Product Development

ChildU

--0-6m ARR in 3 years
--Created and implemented a repeatable sales process
--Helped open the Weston office and build out an awesome company culture
--Acquired by CompassLearning

Head of Growth

Megahedz

--Created and marketed an after school and summer technology camp for kids
--232 students enrolled in 1 year
--90% renewal rate

Palm Beach County School District

--Elementary school teacher
--Teller of stories
--Infused technology into the classroom to engage students

Teacher

Nickelodeon

--Production Assistant on Clarrisa Explains It All
--Created "behind the scenes" video
--Went shopping
--Cut fruit
--Served fruit

Production Assistant

Be a Red X in a sea of white circle messages so you start more conversations with skeptical prospects.

I created the Badass Growth Guide to eliminate commission breath. It gives you the best possible chance of starting conversations with people you don't know. It's a radically honest approach where prospects feel safe telling you the truth because they don't feel "sold" or "manipulated."

💥WHAT YOU GET:
➡️ More conversations with your ideal prospects.

I post weekly content about sales on LinkedIn.  
👍Like the content? Follow me. 👍

❤️I DON'T KISS AND TELL, BUT MY CLIENTS DO ❤️
"In one year, Josh has helped my company grow from 10 enterprise customers to over
200 with brand names like Twitter, Viacom, and Brown University" - Claire Coder, CEO at Aunt Flow

"We’ve got about 40 new meetings out of the training you provided." - Chris Murray, CEO at Oomph Inc.

“I used the email template from your playbook and it worked. I got to the decision-maker in one email and ultimately got the sale.” - Richard P. Perrott, WatchTower

💥NEWSLETTER💥
Join my list to get tips on being a red ❌ is a sea of white circle sales messages. 
https://joshbraun.com/newsletter/

💥WORKSHOPS💥
I facilitate workshops on two things: (1) cold calling + defusing objections (2) cold emailing. Inquire here -joshbraun.com/connect

💥PRODUCTS💥
THE BADASS B2B GROWTH GUIDE
https://academy.joshbraun.com/p/badass-b2b-growth-guide

POKE THE BEAR COLD CALLING METHOD
https://academy.joshbraun.com/p/pokethebear

TONGUE TIED SALES OBJECTION FLASHCARDS
Know what to say when prospects put you on the spot.
https://gumroad.com/l/objectionflashcards

💥INSIDE SELLING PODCAST💥
Learn sales tactics and strategies that will help you sell without selling your soul. 
Listen here -https://joshbraun.com/podcast
Learn more at joshbraun.com

5 seconds into your cold call, your prospect says:

"I can't talk right now; I'm in a meeting."

What do you say?

Most salespeople try to push the sale forward by saying something like this:

"When can I call you back?"
"Would it be fair to ask for 20 seconds to explain what this is about? If we find it irrelevant, then I can make sure I don't disturb you again?"

Although these statements sound good in theory, they don't make people feel heard and understood.

As salespeople we tend to communicate selfishly. We want a sale. So we think about what to say rather than listening to what others are saying.

The problem?

Whenever prospects feel you're pushing your agenda, they enter the Zone of Resistance. The ZOR is a reflex reaction to not being heard and understood.

The way out?

Reverse this.

The muscle to work is to feel what the prospect is feeling. Like this:

Prospect: “I can’t talk. I’m in a meeting."

1. Pause for two beats. (Calms things down and allow you to think about what you want to say.)

(Calm, smooth tone)
2. “I’m sincerely sorry to barge in. It sounds like I called at the worst possible time." (Labeling Voss)

Shut mouth. Listen.

Sometimes prospects will correct you, “It’s not the worst time. What do you want?” People like correcting, but they don't like being corrected :-).

3. “I know you weren't expecting my call." (Call out the elephant in the room. Labeling negatives, diffuses negatives.)

Shut mouth. Listen.

4. “Would it be offensive to ask you one question before we hang up?”

Some people will open up and talk. Others won’t. It’s okay either way.

You're a scientist not a salesperson. You’re testing gathering information without having an agenda. Experiments or conversations aren’t “good” or “bad”. Experiments are.

There isn't a script for being empathetic. It's less about what you say and more about listening without having an agenda.

But hopefully, this example helps you lower the ZOR.

This shift?
Overcoming --> Understanding
Salesperson —> Scientist
Talking --> Listening

If you get tongue tied when prospects raise objection, check out Tongue Tied. 34 sales objections flashcards + responding to email objections + how to say it audio files.

https://buff.ly/3my0y4b

Cold call opening lines that lower resistance.

Struggling to book meetings? Getting ghosted? Want to sell without selling your soul? Read this profile.

Cold Call Opening Lines

28 sales truths.

1. “I’m not interested” isn’t an objection. It’s the truth. You’re not interesting.

2. You can be average at sales if you sell a killer product you believe in and have fantastic marketing. Choose what you sell wisely. 

3. “Biking in the rain is terrible.” “Biking in the rain is an adventure.” Choose adventure, feel adventurous. Choose terrible, feel terrible. 

3. Controlling people is a net negative every time. Prospect smell your commission breath when you try to control  them.

4. Tell prospects the price early then shut your mouth.

5. Pause for two beats before talking. 

6. Prospects don’t care about what you do. They care about what they can do.

7. The pain of losing is psychologically twice as powerful as the pleasure of gaining. COI (Cost of Inaction) over ROI.

8. Using visuals in cold emails hit differently than text alone. Pictures/Memes speak louder than words. 

9. Price is the last refuge when prospects don’t perceive your offer as being meaningfully different.

10. The more indifferent you are to the outcome, the more money you’ll make.  The opposite is also true. Detach.

11. It’s not your job to persuade people.  Illuminate a problem and let the chips fall where they may.  

12. People buy for their reasons and on their timeline, not yours. 

13. Don’t invest time with prospects who don’t invest time with you. If a prospect cancels a meeting, that’s a strike. Three strikes and they’re out. Protecting your time is a good skill to master. 

14. Flowers don’t grow faster because it’s the end of the quarter. Be patient. Provide water and sunlight when people aren’t ready to buy. That way they’ll think of you when they are.

15. Don’t decide for people. Let people decide for themselves. 

16. Don’t sell meat to vegans. You’re for some people but you’re not for everyone.

17. Put your prospect’s best interest before yours. If you’re not a fit, say so. 

18. It’s okay to say, “I don’t know. Let me ask around and get back to you.”

19. Listening is a gift of attention. Listen isn’t a passive activity. You have to burn calories.

20. Making people feel heard and understood is a superpower for getting through to anyone in your personal or business life. 

21. Stop overcoming objections. Start understanding them. 

22. Never sacrifice your mental health for money.

23. In a world of similar choices, trust is what makes prospects choose you. 

24. Tell the entire story, not part of the story. You’ll build way more trust by saying, “Here are the benefits and here are the drawbacks,” than you ever will by saying “Here’s why we’re right for you.”

25. If you’re confusing you’re losing. Prospects don’t want to burn calories on understanding. 

26. You don’t create motivation, you align with it. Sometimes you have to move on. Not because you don’t care, but because your prospect doesn’t care.

27. Writing a good cold email is 70% research and 30% writing.

28. Tune out what you don’t control. Tune in what you do.

Earlier today, I wrote about responding to "I can't talk; I'm in a meeting."

My advice was to treat this "objection" as something to understand by saying this:

"I'm sorry, it sounds like I called you at the worst possible time."

A few hours later, I chatted with Jason Fried about the post.

He made an interesting point.

"You're lying. You're not sorry. You're still trying to keep someone on the phone so that you can push the sale forward. You're using a trick."

"When someone says they can't talk, end the call. Call back later."

As salespeople, we tend to communicate selfishly to move the sale forward. 

So we think about what to say instead of listening to what is being said.

This is the reason why salespeople have a bad reputation. We don't listen.

What's the way out?

Gracefully end the call if a prospect tells you they're in a meeting. Like this:

"That's not a problem. I'll call you in a couple of days."

And then hang up the phone.

Wait a few days.

Then call back and say, "Hey John, it's Josh with X. We spoke a couple of days ago, and you were in a meeting. Is now a better time to chat?"

Because you kept your word and didn't try to push, the prospect is likelier to hear you out.

Here's the thing.

It's not your job to talk everyone into buying.

You're for someone, but you're not for everyone.
You don't have to "win" them all.
Focus on people who aren't in meetings (most people.)

You’re sorting out people in meetings. rather than selling them. 

Think of yourself as a scientist, not a salesperson. 
A scientist has a hypothesis. They gather information, and then they react to the facts.

If a prospect says, "I can't talk right now. I'm in a meeting," treat that as a fact. Not as something to overcome or understand.

The golden rule?
Sell like you would want to be sold to.  

I think Jason is right about this one.

Do you?

26 Redundant words to cut from your cold emails and what to use instead.

1. As per -> per
2. A big boost -> boost
3. I was on your LinkedIn and noticed ->Noticed
4. Saw you’re a digital editor -> editor 
5.Many creators we work with -> creators 
6. 360-degree view -> 360 view. Or even better, “See everything in one place.”
7. Small tweaks -> tweaks
8. Top quality reps -> top reps 
9. ACME is able to -> ACME can
10. The reason why is because -> because
11. Is this worth exploring? -> Worth exploring?
12. A lot of -> many
13. In order to -> to
14. I’m following up to see how the conversation with Pete went ->How’d it go with Pete? 
15. At the present time -> now
16. In the near future -> soon
17. I wanted to reach out ->(Cut. Get to it.)
18. Major breakthrough -> No, it’s not. Cut. 
19. We’re on the cutting edge of X-> No you’re not. Cut.
20. Bleeding edge -> Nope, you’re not bleeding edge either. WTF does that even mean? Cut. 
21. We’re the best -> Of course you’re saying you’re the best, you’re biased. You have commission breath. Cut. 
22. I’m just following up on the demo we had scheduled for Wednesday at 2 pm. Would you like to reschedule? ->Deferring the demo? 
23. 100% payout accuracy ->Nothing is perfect. Doesn’t feel believable. 97% payout accuracy.
24. Companies like ACME and BETA -> ACME & BETA.
25. 60X faster to calculate commissions -> Compared to what? And why is the number always even? Calculate commissions in 5 minutes instead of 5 hours. 

Why does cutting the fluff matter?

If your cold emails don’t contain unnecessary words, prospects are more likely to read them.

Writing concisely is a sales superpower. 

Write with an eraser.

I needed my kitchen countertop repaired.

I filled out a lead form on Angie's List.

Two minutes later, my phone rings.  

Albert asks if he can swing by in 30 minutes to take a look.

Here's exactly what Albert said:

"There are three grades of quartz: first choice, commercial grade, and second choice.  You have the first choice, which is 98% quartz." 

"If you hire the least expensive person, they'll fill the chips with glue which will be slightly discolored when you polish it (shows me pictures on his phone)."

"I'm more money, but I repair it with quartz which needs to be mixed by hand.  Then I seal and polish the countertop and mitered edges. 

I hired Albert on the spot. 

Then Albert said, "I can also refresh your backsplash." 
Sold. 

There's a good lesson here.

Laying out the landscape is a good way to separate yourself from the competition. 

Some of the best salespeople aren't salespeople :-)

If you’re not studying ads you need to and here’s why. 

Frank Buckley was a copywriting legend. 

His marketing campaign made Buckley’s the No. 1 selling cough syrup in Canada.

Competitors Benylin and Robitussin spent  $2 million on ads. Buckley’s? $522,000.

His secret?

Transparency. 

Tell someone the flaws of your product, and they buy even more. 

Why?

When a brand we respect makes a mistake, they appear even more likable. It’s called the Pratfall Effect. 

Why? 

Flaws show authenticity.
Vulnerability builds trust.

There's a good lesson here. 

Prospects are skeptical of the perfect ad:

“We discovered a breakthrough in X.”
“We’re the words best Y.”

Perfect feels like an ad. 
People are skeptical of ads.

Imperfect feels relatable.

Example for a imperfect bike tour guide:

“Restaurant A has a scenic view because it overlooks Brainard Lake. But it's a 16-mile climb, and the last mile is a steep 12% grade.”

“Meanwhile, Restaurant B is a modest 6-mile gradual climb, but it doesn't have a view. Which route would you like to take?”

The takeaway?

Tell people the entire story, not part of the story. Then let them decide. 

The shift? 
Hide your flaws --> Flaunt your flaws

7 sales mantras that make you unshakable:

1. I’m for some people, but I’m not for everyone. 

2. I’m okay with no decision. No decision doesn’t mean the prospect didn’t decide. It means they decided they could make progress with their current solution. No decision doesn’t mean never. It means not now. 

3. Making mistakes shows I’m making progress. I can’t get good at snowboarding without falling.
Embrace the suck. 

4. Everything is going to be okay. “Rainstorms” aren’t good or bad. Rainstorms just are. I make “rainstorms” bad by calling them bad. Rainstorms can also be adventures. It's a choice. 

5. I’m doing okay. On my worst day, there are millions of people that would consider their prayers answered to trade places with me.

6. Be patient. Some good always follows some bad. Just wait.

7. I am not quota. Who I am as a person has nothing to do with a fancy title or how much money I make.

This voicemail didn't get my attention, but it could have. 

An open letter to people sending cold emails.

You’re jamming prospects. 

Your message has too much static. 

Too many words jam up the frequency making your message hard to tune in.

The litmus test?
Does cutting this word express the same idea?

If you can say the same thing with fewer words, you’ve made the copy easier to read and understand. 
The result? More people respond.

Here are a few examples of cutting through the fog:

Original 
After sending my last email, I got really excited and wanted to share some ideas I had on how Starbucks could leverage Twilio:

Revised 
Here’s how Starbucks might leverage Twilio:

Original
I know you are busy, so I'll keep this short.

Revision 
Cut. Get to it.

Original
A number of retail companies are ...

Revised
Several retailers are ...

Delete “that”

Original 
ACME found that they we’re able to save over 2,000 hours of manual effort 

Revised 
Bob Smith saved over 2k hours of manual effort. 

Delete “and”

Original 
ACME was able to reduce customer hold times by 46% and they also boosted CSAT scores by 17%.

Revision
ACME reduced hold times by 46% - boosting CSAT score by 17%.

Pro tip:

Wait 1 minute before sending your email.
Take 2 “passes.” 

You’ll be surprised by the number of words you can cut that you missed the first time. 

Write with an eraser.

“I noticed you’re the VP of Sales,” is like saying, “I noticed you’re alive.”

“I noticed you have a face, want to buy my stuff?”

Don't start with what prospects know.

❌ I noticed you're the Director of Business Development.
❌ I see that you've done A and B. 

Do:
Name drop:
✅Kim, I'm familiar with you through our work with Michael Duncan, Rev Ops at Gong.

Presuppose a problem:
✅ I saw you signed up for Ironman Cozumel, which means you're probably spending 20+/hrs week training.
✅ Amanda, unlike being an amateur wine connoisseur, SDRs can't smell the buttery aroma of a good inbound lead.
✅Hey Jamie - Matt, Jim, and Sarah are probably having 2-3 conversations per 50 dials.  

Knowing how to write a first sentence that motivates people to read the second sentence is a good skill to master.

Don't do that. Do this.

Cold email.

Don't start with what prospects know:

❌ I saw on your profile that you studied at Nova.
❌ I see that you're the VP of Sales.
❌ I noticed that you breathe air.


Do:

Name drop:
✅Kim, I'm familiar with you through our work with Michael Duncan, Rev Ops at Gong.

Presuppose a problem:

✅ Pete, you hate the admin work of running a business - stuff like paperwork, IT tasks, setting up new employees, payroll, creating an account in Gmail, salesforce, github, AWS, our VPN,

✅ Amanda, unlike being an amateur wine connoisseur, SDRs can't smell the buttery aroma of a good inbound lead.

✅Hey Jamie - Matt Burger is probably having two conversations per 50 dials. 

Knowing how to write a first sentence that motivates people to read the second sentence is a good skill to master.

Here’s a cold email first sentence I get all the time: 

“Hi Josh, I know you’re busy, so I’ll cut to the chase.”

You don’t have to tell people you’ll cut to the chase if you cut to the chase.

Not cutting to the chase sounds like this:
“I know you’re busy, so I’ll cut to the chase.”

Cutting to the chase sounds like this:
“Hey Josh, looks like you’re self-employed. If you make over 75k/year, you’re probably overpaying taxes, even if you have an accountant. It involves a lesser-known tweak available to solopreneurs in 2023. Worth a chat?”

You're not in high school. 

Cold emails aren't essays that must be at least X words long. 

The shift?
Saying you’ll cut to the chase - > Cutting to the chase.

Do you believe in your product? 

If not, should you quit? 

Several months ago, I had lunch at the Tin Muffin in Boca Raton.

Here's how Jennifer sold dessert:

Jennifer: "Are you afraid of dessert?"

Me: "I'm not afraid :-)."

Jennifer: "We have many desserts, but there's one stand out. It's our homemade banana cake. I have two kids and two cats, and this cake is my favorite thing in life. It's life-altering. And I don't like bananas. We might have a few slices left, but I'm not sure. Want me to check?”

I said yes please. 
It was in fact life-altering banana cake :-). 

I told Jennifer she was the best salesperson, I'd ever met. 

I'll never forget what Jennifer said:

“I'm not a salesperson; I just believe in our banana cake.”

Selling is a transfer of confidence.

What do you think?

Is belief in your product vital to succeed?

If you don't believe in your product are you selling a lie?

“Sell me this pen.”

The problem? 

“Sell me this pen” implies that it’s your job to talk people into buying a pen. 

Your prospect’s pen may be getting the job done. 

When your intent is to sell pens to everyone, you say things that sound pushy: 

“This pen writes underwater!”
“It easily adapts to your hand.”
“The ink lasts five years.”

When you push, you’re subconsciously saying, “I know what you need. Let me give it to you.” 

Here’s the most important thing about sales.

Prospects don't resist change. They resist being changed by salespeople. 

It's not your job to talk everyone into buying pens. 

Your pens are for someone, but they’re not for everyone. 

Imagine that you're a scientist, not a salesperson. 

Scientists approach experiments from a place of not knowing. 

They form a hypothesis, test, reflect and adjust until they reach the truth. 

It is like a mystery unfolding. 

Scientists are indifferent to the outcome. Outcomes just are. Good and bad experiments are all part of experimenting. 

Here’s what selling like a scientist sounds like: 

Prospect: “Sell me this pen.”
Salesperson: “It seems like you’re looking for a new pen.” 
Prospect: “Not really. I have pens.”

Salesperson: “Sounds like you have lots of disposable stick pens rolling around in your junk draw at home.”
Prospect: “That’s right.”

Salesperson: “Are eco-friendly products important to you or not really?”
Prospect: “I guess. Why are you asking?”

Salesperson: “Most disposable pens aren’t recycled. They’re discarded in the trash, which will take hundreds of years to decompose. Meanwhile, this cork pen is plastic-free, so there’s no hefty environmental footprint. If you’d like, you can try it so you can do a comparison.”

Some people will agree.
Some won’t.
It’s okay either way.  
There's no objections to overcome here.

Again, you're a scientist. Scientists are indifferent to the outcome of the experiment. Outcomes just are. 

The shift?
Selling like a salesperson —> Selling like a scientist
I know —> I don’t know
Controlling -->Surrendering control

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