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Frequently Asked Questions

(and "Should Ask Questions")

The Sales Whisperer® is a "what" and a "who."

It's my company, which is technically TSW Group, Inc. and it is also a curated group of trainers and marketing automation consultants around the United States and the world, with team members in Arizona, Florida, Texas, California, Colombia, The Philippines, and Australia.

I bought the domain name on Sept 1, 2006 when I realized

I rehabilitate sales people and train their sales managers!"

Over the years we've helped over 2,355 entrepreneurs in 29 countries sell more, faster, at higher margin, with less stress, and more fun.

Keynote Speaker Wes Schaeffer SEMPL Facing

Wes speaking at the SEMPL marketing conference in Slovenia, Nov 2019

CONTACT WES

I have a PhD in sales—Piled High and Deep!—and another from the School of Hard Knocks.

Actually, I have a B.S. in Geography from the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO and a B.S. in Meteorology from Texas A&M University.

I spent five years on active duty before resigning my commission in the Air Force to enter the profession of sales in September 1997.

Since then I've held several licenses in the financial field including my Series 6, 7, 63, and 65, as well as life, and P&C.

I've also held a real estate license in Texas along with many CRM and marketing automation certifications including Salesforce.com for Dell's deployment, which began in 2007, HubSpot, Infusionsoft, and Ontraport, not to mention countless sales, marketing, speaking, negotiation, and copy writing programs, courses, seminars, and workshops.

I've spoken on sales, marketing, SEO, copy writing, goal-setting, financial planning, fundraising, and even marriage preparation at our church.

usafa-wes-schaeffer-keynote-speaker-350

Wes graduating from USAFA May 27, 1992

As I mentioned above, I've been in full time sales since 1997.

I've sold stocks, bonds, annuities, mutual funds, commodities, and more across the kitchen table, over the phone, at the conference table, and everywhere in between.

I've flipped houses, built spec homes, and done traditional real estate.

I've closed 7-figure deals with Google when I was in the high tech space and $635,000 training deals with Dell.

Since 2006 I've helped thousands of entrepreneurs around the world automate their inbound marketing and sales and I've spoken on sales, marketing, SEO, copy writing, goal-setting, financial planning, fundraising, and even marriage preparation at our church.

oakwood_homes_cropped_boys

Wes in Mobile, AL with oldest son Jake (standing), and Matthew (crawling) around August 1998.

(My wife brought me leftover pizza for lunch because money was tight and I was working seven days a week. I made exactly $100,000 from May 1998 to May 1999, was in the top 1% of the 2,200 sales reps nationwide, and was promoted to General Manager and given my own retail center in June 1999.)

CONTACT WES

You can say I've been training since being recognized as an upperclassman at the Air Force Academy in May 1989 because training incoming freshman was the main role of sophomores.

In 1995 I went through formal instructor training at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, MS where I was the top graduate out of about 25 students.

For two years I helped build and deliver the 90-day new officer training at Keesler to nearly 80 young officers.

As owner of The Sales Whisperer® I've been training professional salespeople, sales managers, business owners, and entrepreneurs since 2006 and have spoken and trained on sales, marketing, SEO, copy writing, goal-setting, financial planning, fundraising, and even marriage preparation at our church.

jumpstart_july_photoWes leading one of his first sales training groups in Temecula, CA, July 2007

Big enough to support you if I take you on as a client but not so big that I'm forced to charge you 10X what I should just to pay people who sit around and tell me how swell I am.

Infusionsoft-ICON14-Booth-Team-1-300x225Some of the Team back in 2014 when trade show booths were allowed.

I help humans sell to humans, thus, the name of my sales training programs include “Sell More of Everything," "Make Every Sale," and the "IDSS Training."

The world of sales, marketing, and business has changed dramatically since our parents were learning to…

  • "Always Be Closing" and
  • "Coffee is for closers!" and
  • "Never take no for an answer!" and
  • "The sale begins when the prospect says no!" and
  • "You have to get five no's before you get to yes!"

The internet has changed the role of buyer-seller forever.

Social media has changed the role of buyer-seller-forever.

It's no longer enough to be great at sales.

Sure, sales is at the heart of every human interaction from dating to ordering at your favorite restaurant to getting hired to getting a raise, but you can no longer "throw a bunch of sh*t against the wall and see what sticks." You'll just end up with a sore shoulder and a messy wall.

(Do you know how you can tell sales is in charge of marketing? They have huge "BUY NOW!" buttons in red and neon green and flashing GIFs all over the site.)

The Sales Whisperer® offers professional sales training, CRM, and Marketing help to grow your sales.

However, it's not enough to be good at just marketing.

Yes, with the evolution of the internet and social media more prospects are spending more time educating and pre-qualifying themselves—and you—with your marketing content, which means marketing is as important as ever.

But if you focus all of your energy on "brand awareness" and "social shares" and getting your social media profiles verified with no clear, compelling call to action, you'll end up liked, maybe even known, but out of money.

(Do you know how you can tell marketing is in charge of sales? You call and the phone rings and rings, voicemails aren't returned, and requests for information go unanswered for days.)

Finally, better / more technology alone is not the answer, either.

Leveraging technology to efficiently and quickly disseminate a weak message or a message you cannot fulfill will only accelerate your demise.

Which is why I focus on the proper blending and utilization of all three.

But I start with sales, which is my specialty, because nothing happens until a sale is made.

However, I am one of the best in the world in uncovering your true message, your USP—Unique Selling Proposition—and crafting that message in a way that resonates in the marketplace and makes your ideal customers contact you and beg you to take their money.

Then, like adding seasoning to a fine meal, we add just enough technology—and the right mix of technology—to enhance your abilities, not overwhelm and drown them out.

The short answer is no.

The longer answer is

Sales is the straw that stirs the drink.”

Nothing happens until a sale is made.

So while I spend time with my clients addressing three main areas of sales and revenue growth:

  1. Sales, i.e., pipeline creation, prospecting, reaching decision makers, overcoming objections, negotiation, etc.
  2. Marketing, i.e., messaging, tag-lines, slogans, USPs, ads, campaigns, etc.
  3. Technology, i.e., CRMs, chat-bots, AI, SMS, hosting, etc.

I don’t prefer or emphasize or stress one area over the other.

I meet you where you are to determine your needs and opportunities and apply the best solution to help you create the best results.

That being said, what makes me unique among the sales trainers, CRM experts, marketing consultants, copywriters, funnel-builders, Facebook advertisers, SEO gurus, etc., is that I am well-versed in all the above, with an understanding of and appreciation for sales excellence.

I approach all of the above with the mentality of a salesman, not a graphic designer, not a videographer, not a programming Geek—not to disparage any of them—but a great salesman can sell with no video, logo, CRM, or even a website.

So start with determining what is needed to make more sales, then add the best solution to get you there.

Makes sense?

Wes Clate PCON16 Front

Wes on stage with Keap/Infusionsoft CEO, Clate Mask

 

No.

I can help you get more out of your current systems and/or help you find the best CRM / Email Marketing / Inbound Selling / Sales Enablement / E-Commerce / Affiliate Marketing platform to meet your goals, needs, and abilities.

I first became certified on Salesforce.com back in 2007 to help Dell with their Sales Process Transformation.

In 2008 I got my Infusionsoft/Keap certification, wrote "The Definitive Guide To Infusionsoft" in 2012, and was their partner of the year in 2013.

In 2014 I obtained my HubSpot and Ontraport certifications.

In 2015 I converted my Wordpress website to the HubSpot CMS so you're reading this content on the HubSpot platform!

So those three—HubSpot, Keap/Infusionsoft, Ontraport—are my main areas of focus currently, but we can also support you on Nimble, ActiveCampaign, Pipedrive, and most any other CRM through The CRM Butler program, so let’s talk.

Get your own CRM butler to take control of your CRM so it makes you money.

 

Messy Southern California freeways combined with the love of my large family and training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu 5-6 times per week has me lean heavily towards working remotely with my clients.

In fact, I’ve worked from home since 2000, so I was remote and “quarantined” before it was “cool."

Now that I think about it, since 2006 I've probably only met 2% of my clients, who hail from 29 countries at last count.

However, I have spoken in Slovenia, trained in Nashville, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Jacksonville, Boston, Tampa, Santa Barbara, and many other cities.

So I can and will come to you if that is the best way to help you meet your growth goals. (But if you’d like a nice discount, you can come to me.)

Wes Schaeffer Inbound Marketing HubSpot Infusionsoft Ontraport

Wes at the HubSpot HQ in Cambridge, MA, receiving an award at the Infusionsoft Partner Conference in Scottsdale, AZ, and speaking at the Ontraport Ontrapalooza Conference in Santa Barbara, CA

CONTACT WES

Yes.

I’ve ramped up trainers to assist companies like Dell for 10 months in four cities back in 2007, I’ve done private consulting with executives, and I have my small-group of on-going sales training and support called the Sell More of Everything Community & Program, which is affordable, meets weekly, and will help you sell more, faster, at higher margin, with less stress, more predictably.

Join the Internal Dialogue Selling System. The best sales training program you'll ever find.

 


Should Ask Questions

It’s crazy we have to discuss this, but we do.

I can’t tell you how often someone comes to me literally begging for help and/or at their wit’s end not knowing what to do to grow, they retain me, then fight me at every turn.

Lookey here: you're coming to me for help with your sales, marketing, and/or technology because I have a lot of experience.

Allow me to diagnose, prescribe, launch, test, measure, adjust, re-launch, and grow your sales.

Would you trust a doctor who only prescribed what you asked for or a surgeon who operated on you based on your self-diagnosis?

You're coming to me to scratch an itch you can't reach…To solve a pain that is slowing you down if not crippling you…A pain whose source you either can't accurately or make go away.

So buckle up and keep your hands and feet in at all times. It's going to be a great ride.

abcde_cropped

 

That only happens if you withhold information up front or don't follow my advice.

After decades in sales helping thousands of professional salespeople, sales managers, business owners, and entrepreneurs sell more, faster, at higher margin, with less stress, and more fun I have perfected the on-boarding process for new clients to ensure we are a good fit.

We'll start with a quick call to discuss your needs.

If it sounds like we're a fit I'll have you invest a nominal fee in my Initial Process Assessment.

With the Initial Process Assessment complete we'll spend time reviewing your exact needs based on how you answer the questions you'll receive and I'll map out a precise course of action to achieve your goals, which includes pricing, timing, duties, and responsibilities.

You can use that to shop around or apply the IPA retainer to the total and we'll get to work growing your business with the plan we created together.

If we decide to move forward together, my usual initial agreement is for 90 days.

That’s enough time to find all the “gotchas,” address the most crucial issue in your business, and start seeing some improvements and a positive ROI on your initial retainer.

At that point we can confidently decide how to move forward via one of three options:

  1. On an annual basis and we keep on keepin’ on.
  2. On a project basis, whereby we scope out what is left to be done and provide a fixed price and timeline to achieve it.
  3. We don’t move forward because sometimes, 90 days is enough.

CONTACT WES

 

Helping you grow is what lights my fire.

Like the Venn diagram above shows, my expertise lies at the intersection of sales, marketing, and technology.

Being a salesman at heart with a penchant for persuasion via the written word, I always start with the message, the content, because content is still king.

I then find the imagery that is needed to make the words pop, if any imagery is needed.

Then we add technology to help you scale because technology in sales is like salt in food: Once you put in too much, you ruin everything.

So let’s figure out your powerful message and how to deliver it in a powerful way, which depends upon your audience, then we’ll get into making it pretty and techie.

That's what lights my fire.

Frankenspot_wes_schaeffer_the_sales_whisperer

 

It's a mixture of what I’ve written above.

I’m a salesman/entrepreneur first, so I approach your issue as a sales issue.

But I understand marketing, CRMs, inbound marketing, social media marketing, SEO, SEM, PPC, and ROI, as well as APIs, ERPs, CPAs, and my own "The A.B.C.D.E.™ Sales & Marketing System.”

I start by asking "what needs to be done to make the sale?" and "how much technology and imagery is needed to bring about an increase in sales?"

Most other CRM / Marketing Automation firms think the technology is the end all, be all, and they are wrong, but it's you and your business that pays the price for their narrow-minded thinking.

My focus is on the mind of the prospect and understanding what will get them to buy and helping you present that offer in the most compelling way ever and we'll use technology only if and when it is needed to make that happen.

 

My focus, experience, and success in sales.

Most marketing consultants are secretly afraid of sales and/or they failed at sales so they got into marketing.

I succeeded in sales because of my proper leveraging of marketing and then I learned the technology side of things to accelerate my growth, which is the proper order of events in any business, in any industry, selling anything to anyone at any time.

CONTACT WES

 

The world of sales training has been stuck in the 80's since the 80's. You can tell by how many times you hear "The ABCs of selling are Always. Be. Closing." and "Coffee is for closers."

Life's too short and buyers today are too savvy to be hard-closed, at least in any business that values its reputation and seeks repeat customers.

What makes me different is that I understand how sales have changed, have changed with the times to create my own success by bringing together sales, marketing, and technology, and I help you do the same.

 

Yes, because most businesses need better content.

That being said, content can be the most expensive part of our work together.

But having written two books and over 1,500 pages and posts here on this site as well as helping thousands of clients in dozens of industries in 28+ countries sell everything from asbestos remediation training to high end portraits to yachts to vacation rentals, I can tighten up your content quickly and effectively, which is why I’m reassuringly expensive.

books_copywriting_101_wes_schaeffer

 

I'm in love with growing your sales.

If we can do it with social media or billboards or sky writing or smoke signals I'll do it.

The medium is not the message.

 

You and I will do business first and foremost because we have chemistry, which means we like each other, we have the same goals, motivations, aspirations, and views about how to treat our prospects, customers, neighbors, family, friends, and those in need.

Once we complete the Initial Process Assessment we'll know from the outset if this is a one month, 90-day, 6-month, or 12-month engagement and we'll enter into that agreement with our eyes wide open.

Should things materially change with your business and we feel we cannot help you achieve your goals I am always open to ending an agreement in an amicable, mutually-beneficial manner at any time.

 

I guarantee I'll cash your check and work hard to help you meet the goals we set during the Initial Process Assessment.

I guarantee I'll be easy to reach.

I guarantee I'll cancel our agreement if you try to push or boss me around or treat any of my people like they are your servants or that you are better than them.

 

If you're looking for a savior go to Mass and find Jesus, don't call me.


Less Frequently Asked Questions

If I knew how to do that I would either be off on my own island somewhere playing golf or I would charge you a shit-ton (it’s a word) to give you that knowledge.

CONTACT WES

I’ve noticed that parents that stay married and attend religious services together tend to have more polite, well-mannered kids. All 7 of ours have their own personalities and have needed a little soap in their mouths or a swat to the rear but, so far, they have all been surprisingly easy and enjoyable.

I was never a big chocolate fan growing up but my wife is and being married to her since 1995 has made me appreciate chocolate much more, especially her chocolate chip bunt cake, but Blue Bell’s French Vanilla is hard to beat. Actually, their Pecan Pralines ‘n Cream is my all-time favorite.

If you still have questions let's talk.

Market like you mean it.
Now go sell something.

Wes's guidance helped me grow my leads 383% in our first month then 337% in the second month.

Alycia Wicker grew her sales with Wes Schaeffer.

Alycia Wicker, Business Coach For Creative Entrepreneurs

I have doubled my membership numbers...and raised my prices 423%. YOU ROCK!

Tabitha Day Philen, Owner, Inspired Bloggers University

Tabitha Day Philen, Owner, Inspired Bloggers University

When I finally hired you...I started to grow. When I was on Shark Tank, Damon asked "You use Infusionsoft" and "You use The Sales Whisperer?" I said, "Yes, and you guided me all along the way."

Shark Tank's Major Mom Testimonial For Wes Schaeffer

Angela Cody-Rouget, Founder, Major Organizers

Wes is an epic storyteller...who truly delivers powerful content...

John Lee Dumas of Entrepreneur On Fire loves Wes Schaeffer's Infusionsoft work

John Lee Dumas, Entrepreneur on Fire

Latest Podcast Episodes

Check out the latest episodes of The Sales Podcast and the CRM Sushi Podcast below!