Closing Time: quick insights from sales & marketing experts: Recent Episodes
Insightly
Closing Time is a weekly podcast with insider tips and insights for go-to-market leaders. In each episode, you’ll meet a luminary in the sales, marketing, or customer success field and get actionable tips and tactics to elevate your game. Each 15-minute episode will go deep on skills to close deals, see the latest on marketing tech, or check out trends to elevate the customer experience.
Your landing page's button color isn't your conversion problem—your messaging is.
Talia Wolf has spent over a decade helping high-growth B2B brands stop guessing at why CRO isn't working and start understanding the emotional psychology behind every buying decision. As the founder of GetUplift and author of the Emotional Targeting book, she's generated dramatic results for brands like Bitly, Amplitude, and Sprout Social—not by tweaking design, but by uncovering why customers actually buy.
In this episode of Closing Time, Talia walks through her 3-step Emotional Targeting Framework: conducting research that reveals real customer pain points, auditing for emotional resonance, and building hypothesis-driven tests that improve touch points across email, ads, and sales conversations. Tune in to see how emotional psychology—not just design—becomes your real conversion strategy.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Explore Unbounce go-to-market solutions: https://unbounce.com/go-to-market-solutions/
Connect With:
• Talia Wolf: Talia's website // GetUplift // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website
AI video is here, and it's already changing how marketers plan, produce, and scale content. Have you tapped into its potential yet?
In this episode of Closing Time, Hope Horner, co-founder and CEO of Lemonlight, breaks down where AI video is creating real opportunities for marketers—and where human judgment still makes or breaks the final product. She explains how AI fits into the production process and shares use cases for teams looking for quick wins.
For marketers today, AI is not a magic button that turns a prompt into a perfectly branded campaign-ready video. It is a faster path from idea to storyboard, from long-form content to social-ready clips, and from "too expensive to shoot" to finally possible. Hope explains what that looks like in practice, what still needs a human eye, and how marketers can start experimenting without handing over full creative control.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Explore Unbounce go-to-market solutions: https://unbounce.com/go-to-market-solutions/
Connect With:
• Hope Horner: Lemonlight // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website
Most reps skip straight to messaging. They write emails without knowing who they're targeting, when to reach out, or what the buyer actually cares about. Then they wonder why no one responds. The problem usually isn't the email itself. It's the lack of context behind it.
That matters even more if you're using AI for outbound. The way you collect and organize CRM data determines whether AI becomes a force multiplier or a firehose for bad outreach.
In this episode, John Barrows shares his Filling the Funnel framework, a five-step system for building a stronger outbound strategy from the ground up. It helps teams improve the CRM data that fuels productive outbound, including ICP, personas, trigger events, messaging, and contact strategy.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Download the outbound efficiency playbook for more advice from John Barrows and B2B sales experts: https://bit.ly/4v66X56
Start a free trial of Insightly CRM: https://www.insightly.com/14-day-trial/
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• John Barrows: John's Website // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website
If your LinkedIn leads are getting more expensive, the problem isn't always your budget—it's your ad strategy. In this episode of Closing Time, Val Riley sits down with B2B growth expert Philip Ilic to unpack one of the biggest questions facing marketers today: how to evaluate the true ROI of LinkedIn ads.
Learn why cost per lead is often misleading, how top teams prioritize pipeline generation and lead quality, and what actually drives revenue from LinkedIn. Philip breaks down how to use LinkedIn as a content distribution engine, why thought leader ads outperform traditional formats, and how to connect paid, organic, and outbound to turn engagement into real pipeline.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Explore Unbounce go-to-market solutions: https://unbounce.com/go-to-market-solutions/
Connect With:
• Philip Ilic: Kiin - LinkedIn ads agency // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website
Companies are rushing to adopt AI in their sales process, but very few are prepared for what it takes to implement it successfully.
In this episode of Closing Time, Val Riley sits down with Deepak Shukla, Founder of LemStudio and AI automation expert, to talk about what actually needs to happen before you start implementing AI. They get into how teams are using AI today—handling inbound lead qualification, drafting emails, booking meetings, and prepping for calls—and why those use cases often fall short without a documented playbooks (rules, workflows, and edge cases) that train your LLM.
Deepak shares his process for rolling out and monitoring AI implementation, where automation is delivering real value, and where AI still needs a human in the loop. If you're thinking about introducing AI into your sales workflow, this episode will give you a grounded look at what works, what doesn't, and how to approach it confidently.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Deepak Shukla: // LemStudio // Website // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website
Founder-led sales is one of the most important skills a startup founder can develop. Before you hire sales reps, build a revenue team, or create a formal sales process, founders are usually the ones closing the first deals and learning what customers actually want.
In this episode of Closing Time, Val Riley sits down with entrepreneur and Harvard Business School sales lecturer Lou Shipley, author of Unlikely Entrepreneurs, to break down the three stages of founder-led sales and how founders can transition from personally winning early customers to building a scalable sales organization. You'll learn why founders should close their first 15–20 customers, how to avoid common mistakes when hiring your first salesperson, and what changes when your startup begins scaling a sales team.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Lou Shipley: Lou's Unlikely Entrepreneur book // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website
If your CPL is climbing, the fix probably isn't more budget or more campaigns—it's better destination pages.
In this episode, you'll learn the B2B landing page strategy every paid media team needs to turn clicks into qualified pipeline instead of wasted traffic. Val Riley sits down with B2B landing page expert Tas Bober, Founder of The Scroll Lab, to break down her "Core Four" framework designed to support how modern B2B buyers actually make decisions.
Discover why buyers rarely convert in a single step, how sending paid traffic to a homepage kills momentum, and why managing dozens of hyper-specific landing pages drains resources without improving results. Tas explains how to earn the conversion with clarity and credibility first, then guide buyers toward the right next step—whether that's exploring use cases, evaluating comparisons, reviewing pricing, or booking a demo.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Download Tas' Core Four toolkit: https://bit.ly/4s6UfRo
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Tas Bober: LinkedIn // The Scroll Lab
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website
Scaling a digital agency isn't just about winning more clients. It's about building systems that help existing clients perform better—faster, more consistently, and without constant friction.
That's the approach Found Search Marketing has taken as it's grown into a fast-moving agency managing hundreds of landing pages and significant media spend across competitive industries like higher education and healthcare. At the center of that system is Unbounce.
In this Customer Spotlight episode of Closing Time, Caroline Stoner, Director of User Experience at Found Search Marketing, shares the agency growth blueprint her team uses to scale impact through a high-velocity landing page strategy, experimentation at scale, and conversion rate optimization (CRO) that drives real performance gains. Caroline breaks down how Found Search Marketing operationalizes A/B testing across hundreds of landing pages, supports complex qualification flows without slowing conversions, and removes development bottlenecks so teams can move faster and deliver better results for clients.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Try Unbounce for free (no credit card required): https://bit.ly/46dwxej
Connect With:
• Found Search Marketing: LinkedIn // Website
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website
Is 2026 your year for a career change into sales? And what if that next chapter offers more flexibility, income potential, and ownership over your future?
In this episode of Closing Time, we explore why sales is emerging as a powerful option for career reinvention—especially for women considering a midlife career change or looking for a more autonomous, growth-oriented path. Val is joined by reinvention coach Katia Vlachos, author of Uncaged, to unpack what really drives a career pivot, the benefits of changing direction, and the internal barriers—like fear, identity, and confidence—that often hold people back.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Explore Unbounce go-to-market solutions: https://unbounce.com/go-to-market-solutions/
Connect With:
• Katia Vlachos: Website // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Rising ad costs and tighter performance expectations are forcing SaaS marketers to rethink their paid media strategy in 2026.
On this episode of Closing Time, Jonathan Bland, paid media strategist and co-founder of Omni Lab, breaks down the paid media trends shaping the year ahead—from rising CPCs and shifting Google Ads economics to what's actually working on LinkedIn ads for SaaS. Covering seasonal pricing dynamics, creative formats like thought leader ads, and when it makes sense to rethink channel mix altogether, this conversation offers practical guidance to help digital marketing leaders plan for 2026 with confidence.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Explore Unbounce go-to-market solutions: https://unbounce.com/go-to-market-solutions/
Connect With:
• Jonathan Bland: omni lab Consulting // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Brand storytelling is becoming one of the most critical growth levers for B2B marketers—and in 2026, it's being reshaped by AI.
In this episode of Closing Time, we're joined by brand storytelling expert and author Park Howell to break down what brand storytelling really is, why it matters more than ever, and how B2B marketing leaders can use proven frameworks to stand out in an increasingly automated world. Park introduces his simple but powerful ABT (And, But, Therefore) framework, explains how storytelling builds trust and emotional connection, and shows how it can be applied across landing pages, messaging, and go-to-market strategy.
We also explore how AI is influencing brand storytelling in 2026—what it can accelerate, where marketers need to stay human, and why understanding storytelling fundamentals is essential before handing the work to AI.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Explore Unbounce go-to-market solutions: https://unbounce.com/go-to-market-solutions/
Connect With:
• Park Howell: StoryCycle Genie // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Sales and marketing misalignment is one of the biggest (and most expensive) problems facing modern go-to-market teams. It slows down deals, creates internal friction, and leads to inevitable revenue loss.
In this episode of Closing Time, we are joined for a second time by the author of Create Togetherness, Jeff Davis, so he can finish sharing the final two of his five big ideas around sales and marketing alignment: why RevOps is responsible for creating one source of truth and how culture is the foundation for sustainable alignment.
Jeff breaks down what has changed in the modern buying landscape—and why GTM teams can no longer afford to operate in silos. If you're navigating misalignment, struggling to scale your revenue engine, or looking to strengthen sales and marketing collaboration, this episode is for you.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Explore Unbounce go-to-market solutions: https://unbounce.com/go-to-market-solutions/
Connect With:
• Jeff Davis: Create Togetherness // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Running a paid media strategy for one brand is tough. Running it for three—with entirely different go-to-market motions—is a whole new level of complexity.
In this special internal spotlight episode of Closing Time, Val Riley sits down with Unbounce's Senior Manager of Digital Marketing, Alexa Tsongranis, to unpack how her team of one built a unified playbook for scaling paid media across Unbounce, Insightly, and LeadsRx.
From shared infrastructure and flexible frameworks to unified measurement and data-driven decision-making, Alexa shares how operational clarity and focus help her run three distinct paid programs—without reinventing the wheel each time.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Explore Unbounce go-to-market solutions: https://unbounce.com/go-to-market-solutions/
Connect With:
• Alexa Tsongranis: LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
B2B sales negotiation doesn't have to feel like a high-pressure personality shift the moment a customer says "yes." Too often, sellers tense up, change their tone, and fall back into outdated tactics—but today's guest on Closing Time says there's a better way.
In his new book Four Levers Negotiating, sales leader and speaker Todd Caponi shares his practical framework that transforms the negotiation phase into a natural extension of the sales process. Todd shares immediately actionable negotiation strategies that protect margin while strengthening long-term customer relationships.
If you've ever wished negotiation felt more like value-based selling and less like a tug-of-war, this episode will change how you prep, present, and close—on every deal, big or small.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Todd Caponi: Todd's Four Levers Negotiation book // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Events are back and bigger than ever. Whether you're new to events or scaling an existing program, this episode is packed with tips to launch or improve your field marketing strategy in 2026.
Accelevents CEO Jon Kazarian joins Closing Time to share a practical, modern take on B2B event marketing, including why micro-events and intimate dinners are outperforming saturated digital channels.
You'll learn how to test your first event, partner with other brands, and build engaging sidecar events that fuel long-term pipeline—not just quick leads. Jon also breaks down real cost-per-head benchmarks, show rates, and the tactics top B2B teams use to create memorable, connection-driven experiences.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Jonathan Kazarian: Accelevent's website // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
A strong holiday marketing strategy can make or break your Q4. November and December drive over $1 trillion in ecommerce spending, with conversions spiking up to six times higher during the Cyber Five. But with ad costs rising and competition at an all-time high, marketers need to move fast and optimize smarter.
In this episode of Closing Time, Val chats with Jonathan Naccache, Co-founder and President of Webistry, a performance marketing agency that helps brands win on Meta. Jonathan shares how to design high-performing holiday campaigns—from choosing the right mix of static and video ads, to building mobile-first landing pages, to structuring campaigns that scale throughout Q4.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Jonathan Naccache: Webistry's website // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Getting CRM implementation right is one of the biggest levers for improving sales performance and efficiency. Yet many teams struggle to select the right system and see a fast return on investment.
In this episode of Closing Time, CRM consultant Vanessa Hunt shares proven CRM implementation best practices that help companies boost ROI, improve CRM adoption, and reduce the total cost of ownership. She also breaks down the latest CRM trends shaping 2025 and 2026—from smarter integrations to the growing role of AI in CRM—and explains how sales leaders can future-proof their tech stack for the years ahead.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Start a free trial of Insightly CRM: https://www.insightly.com/14-day-trial/
Download the CRM research report: https://www.insightly.com/right-sizing-your-crm-report/
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Vanessa Hunt: Vanessa's Website // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Sales and marketing alignment is one of the most persistent challenges for go-to-market leaders. While most teams say they're aligned, the reality often looks different—with missed opportunities, broken handoffs, and a lack of shared accountability.
In this episode of Closing Time, Val sits down with Jeff Davis, author of Create Togetherness, to unpack the first three big ideas about sales and marketing alignment: building it as an operating system, fixing the business design flaws that discourage collaboration, and understanding the "misalignment tax" that silently erodes revenue. Jeff shares how leaders can move beyond quick fixes and start designing alignment into the DNA of their go-to-market strategy.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Jeff Davis: Create Togetherness // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
You've built a great ad campaign—but if your landing page doesn't match your ad message, you're losing conversions before they even start.
In this episode of Closing Time, Barry Buckman joins us to explore how landing page message match—the alignment between your ad copy and landing page content—can dramatically boost conversion rates.
A long-time Unbounce power user, Barry helps digital marketers adapt to Google's latest ad policy update and shares the importance of A/B testing every ad-landing page for optimal ROI. Plus, he'll unpack the challenges of training new digital marketers and how his SEMulator tool helps them practice real-world tactics without burning ad dollars.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Barry Buckman: SEMulator // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
You've done a great job getting landing page visitors to convert—but what happens after the form fill? The lead hand-off between marketing and sales is often where revenue leaks begin.
In this episode of Closing Time, Val Riley sits down with Adam Lundquist, founder of Nerds Do It Better, to share practical strategies for improving your post-conversion flow, optimizing your connection rate, and turning more leads into closed-won deals.
Whether you're in marketing, sales, or RevOps, you'll learn how to plug funnel leaks, automate faster follow-ups, and create a smoother lead hand-off process that drives measurable growth.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Adam Lundquist: Nerds Do It Better website // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Trying to be everything to everyone rarely works in B2B sales. Many teams start with a horizontal sales strategy—going after anyone who could use the product, across any industry. And that can work… until it doesn’t. When reps start losing momentum, getting buried in research, or struggling to differentiate, it’s often because they’re spread too thin.
In this episode of Closing Time, we welcome back Todd Caponi—author of The Transparency Sale and The Transparent Sales Leader, and a well-known speaker and advisor in the sales world. Todd shares how firmographic sprints in sales can help your reps build confidence, drive momentum, and sell like true industry experts. Todd talks through when might be a good time to hone in on a vertical, how to train your reps, and how it impacts your entire organization.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Todd Caponi: Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Are you ready for the next generation of search? AI search is coming…now. About 2.5% of searches are currently run on sites like ChatGPT, but the experts say that number will grow exponentially—and fast. Marketers need to know what GEO is and how to optimize for AI search to stay ahead.
This week on Closing Time, we welcome Anthony Chiaravallo, CEO of Vallo Media, to talk us through the steps to adapt current content, generate new AI-friendly assets, and ensure your strategy is future-proofed for both GEO and traditional SEO.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Anthony Chiaravallo: LinkedIn // Vallo Media
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
What happens when a fast-growing consulting firm removes the bottlenecks in their marketing workflow? For Viva Executive Assistants, the results were dramatic: a 6x increase in landing page output and a 7.5% increase in conversion rates.
In this customer edition of Closing Time, host Melinda Prescher, Senior Director of Product and Customer Marketing at Unbounce and Insightly, sits down with Dania Maduro (Senior Executive Assistant) and Desiree de Leon (Organic Growth Manager) from Viva to unpack their story.
Viva’s small but mighty marketing team cut landing page build times from eight weeks to minutes, scaled output without relying on developers or agencies, and used A/B testing to refine messaging for different audiences. With the agility to pivot quickly and integrations that streamlined their stack, they reduced wasted spend and boosted overall marketing efficiency.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Try Unbounce for free (no credit card required): https://bit.ly/46dwxej
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Viva Executive Assistants: LinkedIn // Website
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Can a sales mindset shift unlock better performance? According to today’s guest on Closing Time, the answer is a resounding yes.
Join Jaime Diglio, Founder of The WIN Room, as she breaks down how sales leaders can move their teams from the WAR Room (working against revenue) to the WIN Room (“What I Need” to succeed). Jaime has taken the TEDx stage, coaches students at Harvard Business School, and now she’s here to share practical ways to build confidence, clarity, and lasting performance in sales teams.
Learn how to recognize negative “WAR words,” strengthen your reps’ self-awareness, and create a culture where every seller leads with confidence.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Jaime Diglio: LinkedIn // The WIN Room
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Ready to make the leap from W-2 to 1099? As the global macroeconomic environment continues to shift, gig work is becoming more and more common. And if you’ve got experience, you’re in a good place because fractional executives are in demand.
On this episode of Closing Time, join Sangram Vajre from GTM Partners as he walks through how his consultancy can help experienced sales, marketing and customer success leaders build a fractional GTM business. He covers the biggest obstacles, how to land your first five clients, and the steps to build long-term success.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Sangram Vajre: LinkedIn // GTM Partners
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Most marketers understand the basics of attribution. First touch. Last touch. Maybe even multi-touch. But here’s the thing: there are seven different attribution models—and each one tells a slightly different story about what’s driving your conversions.
Larry Todd, who leads the team at LeadsRx by Unbounce, has spent years helping marketers figure this out. He’s seen firsthand how attribution can transform decision-making—and how the wrong model can skew results. In this Closing Time episode, Larry will break down the 7 types of marketing attribution models, explain how they work, their pitfalls, and when to use them.
Get a demo of LeadsRx's multi-touch attribution software today: https://bit.ly/4dziJv2
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Larry Todd: LinkedIn // LeadsRx
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
All sales leaders want to make good sales hires. But what defines “good?”
In this week’s episode of Closing Time, Kevin Gaither, CEO of InsideSalesExpert.com, reflects on a tough moment in his career—laying off more than 50 sales reps—and how it shaped his approach to hiring B2B sales reps.
He’s identified 6 essential traits that predict long-term success in sales. Join Kevin and host Val Riley in this episode to not only learn what those traits are, but also get real interview questions you can use to identify them in your next hire.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Kevin Gaither: LinkedIn // Get Kevin's interview guide
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Inbound and referral leads can fuel growth in B2B—but when your team masters outbound sales, results can skyrocket. But is outbound still possible in a post-pandemic world?
This week on Closing Time, Marcus Chan says absolutely. As a sales coach who’s led teams of 100+ and generated $70M in weekly pipeline, Marcus knows what it takes. We’ll dig into the outbound mindset, plus the training and leadership strategies that turn “cold into sold."
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Marcus Chan: LinkedIn // Venli Consulting
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Working in sales leadership at a bootstrapped company is much different than a PE or venture-backed company. Bootstrapped means “unfunded”—built using the founder’s own resources and revenue from the business, not outside capital.
This week on Closing Time, Louie Bernstein shares the real pros and cons of leading sales in this environment—from the scrappy creativity it demands to the resource limitations you’ll face. We’ll break down what to expect, how it compares to funded companies, and how to decide if a bootstrapped role is the right next move for your career.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Louie Bernstein: LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
When you think of influencers on social media, Instagram and TikTok likely come to mind. But big growth is happening with influencer marketing on LinkedIn—the new 'global watercooler' for B2B brands.
In fact, influencer marketing is now considered 'essential spend,' showing exponential growth as more B2B companies embrace it.
In this episode of Closing Time, meet Aneesh Lal, head of Wishly, the #1 LinkedIn creator agency. He explains why LinkedIn influencer marketing is thriving in 2025, how to identify the right creators, structure partnerships, price deals, and measure impact.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Aneesh Lal: LinkedIn // The Wishly Group
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
LinkedIn video is an untapped goldmine for executives and go-to-market leaders looking to build trust, amplify brand reach, and engage customers, teams, and prospects. While text and photos have their place, video is where true thought leadership and authenticity shine.
In this episode of Closing Time, Val Riley welcomes Devin Reed, CEO of The Reeder and LinkedIn content expert, to share how leaders can harness video to drive business impact and strengthen company reputation. From strategy to execution, Devin shares practical tips to help leaders show up authentically—and effectively—on LinkedIn.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Devin Reed: LinkedIn // The Reeder
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Do you speak CFO? It’s a skill every marketer needs to master—fast. There’s often a gap between marketers who want to invest in brand (because they know it works) and CFOs who need to see clear metrics tied to that spend. Drawing that line isn’t always easy, but this week’s guest on Closing Time is here to help. Patrick Cumming of KlientBoost shares five practical tips to help marketers justify brand spend and communicate its value using the metrics and language CFOs care about most.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Patrick Cumming: LinkedIn // KlientBoost
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Did you know that up to 72% of a salesperson’s time is spent on admin tasks instead of selling? You’ve heard a lot of ideas about how AI will disrupt the sales profession—but what about the real, practical ways it can actually help your team sell more?
In this episode of Closing Time, Val sits down with Gaurav Bhattacharya, CEO of Jeeva.ai, to break down how AI can help flip that stat in your favor. Gaurav shares real-world examples of how AI can move your reps away from manual busywork and get them back to what they do best: closing deals.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
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Connect With:
• Gaurav Bhattacharya: LinkedIn // Jeeva.ai
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Time kills deals. We all know it. Yet, in 2025, slow-moving pipelines and endless sales cycles are more common than ever. Buyers have more power, more options, and more reasons to delay decisions.
But what if you could flip that dynamic and move deals forward faster? Nick Cegelski, founder of 30 Minutes to President’s Club and author of Cold Calling Sucks, has mastered this art. He shared seven practical ways—from securing same-day next steps to holding pre-discovery calls with stakeholders—sellers can speed things up, accelerate pipeline velocity, and close more business.
Nick’s team at 30MPC also co-authored The Ultimate Guide to Managing Your Pipeline. Download your copy to keep your pipeline hygiene on point — and turn a cleaner, stronger pipeline into more closed deals: https://www.insightly.com/30mpc/
Watch the episode on YouTube.
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Connect With:
• Nick Cegelski: LinkedIn // 30 Minutes to President's Club
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Gen Z sales reps are entering the workforce fast—and sales leaders need to be ready. By 2030, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that Gen Z will make up 30% of the U.S. workforce. If you’re not managing a Gen Z seller yet, it’s only a matter of time.
In this episode of Closing Time, we sit down with Tony Morando, Chief Sales Officer at World Emblem. Tony has climbed the sales ranks over two decades and now leads a multigenerational team spanning the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. He shares what he’s learned about onboarding, mentoring, and retaining Gen Z sales reps—plus tips for creating a team culture where every generation can thrive.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
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Connect With:
• Tony Morando: LinkedIn // World Emblem
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
The North American economy is uncertain, so what should your agency be doing to stay profitable and keep growing? In this episode of Closing Time, we sit down with Jon Morris, founder of Fiscal Advocate, a firm that helps marketing agencies make smarter financial decisions through real planning—not just bookkeeping.
Jon shares the offensive and defensive strategies every agency should be using to navigate today’s unpredictable market. From identifying what’s really stalling growth to maximizing cash flow and investing wisely, this conversation is packed with insights to help agency owners weather the storm and come out stronger on the other side.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
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Connect With:
• Jon Morris: LinkedIn // Fiscal Advocate
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Email fatigue is real—and it’s hitting B2B marketers hard in 2025. With inboxes flooded by AI-generated outreach, outdated content, and automation overload, it’s no wonder open rates are tanking. So what can you do to stand out and stay relevant?
In this episode of Closing Time, we’re joined by Jack Kosakowski, CEO of Creation Agency (U.S.), who shares 7 practical tips to revive your marketing email nurture strategy. From smarter segmentation to more tactical content and tech stack hacks, this episode is packed with actionable ideas to help you build emails people actually want to open. Your email list is a competitive advantage—if you treat it like one.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Jack Kosakowski: LinkedIn // Creation Agency
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Do you know the scroll rate or the engagement rate on your landing pages and website? Google does, and they are using those metrics to determine how you show up in search results.
In this episode of Closing Time, Jennifer Denney of Elevated Marketing Solutions talks about the key metrics on your website and landing pages, and how improving them can lead to an improved user experience, lower cost-per-click, and more visibility in search.
Plus, she unpacks Google’s latest update and what it really means for marketers trying to get more from their paid media campaigns.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Jennifer Denney: LinkedIn // Elevated Marketing Solutions
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
Product-led growth thrives when customers can explore, try, and succeed—without ever needing to talk to sales. But designing that seamless, self-serve experience? That’s the hard part.
In this episode of Closing Time, Geoff Coutts sits down with Dave Boyce, Executive Chair and EVP of Product at Winning by Design, to explore how AI is transforming the PLG motion. From AI-guided demos and onboarding to post-sale copilots and intelligent product recommendations, they discuss how AI can fill in the gaps where human support once lived.
Dave also shares why the “self-service happy path” is essential for any PLG strategy—and what product leaders need to build before layering in AI. If you’re looking to scale more efficiently and put more power in your users’ hands, this one’s for you.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Dave Boyce: LinkedIn // Winning by Design
• Geoff Coutts: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Website // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
How do you know if LinkedIn is really influencing your pipeline? Val Riley sits down with Deivis Rupslaukis, founder of DERU Digital, to explore practical ways to track LinkedIn ad impact—from adding “How did you hear about us?” to your forms, to manually cross-referencing CRM data, to using attribution tools like LeadsRx.
Plus, Deivis shares a clever workaround for LinkedIn’s lack of impression capping—and why showing your ads to the same accounts might be tanking your results. If you're spending time and budget on LinkedIn, this episode is for you.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Deivis Rupslaukis: LinkedIn // DERU Digital, B2B paid media agency
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website // LeadsRx's Website
What really drives a customer to click, convert, and come back?
This week on Closing Time, we’re joined by Jon MacDonald—founder of The Good and author of Behind the Click—to explore the psychology behind every stage of the customer journey.
From mental shortcuts to mobile optimization, Jon breaks down the five key phases and shares what smart marketers do to reduce friction, build trust, and drive action. He also weighs in on Google’s latest update and what it means for your landing pages—especially if you're still sending ad traffic to a generic site.
If you're not tailoring your funnel to match your buyer’s expectations, this episode is your wake-up call.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Jon MacDonald: LinkedIn // The Good // Behind the Click
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website
Do your customer success managers assist customers? Yes. But do they also handle renewals? Upsells? Expansion? Cross-sell? If it feels like every company writes its own script for this role, you are correct. In this week’s episode of Closing Time, host Geoff Coutts welcomes Kristi Faltorusso, Chief Customer Officer at ClientSuccess, to chat through the evolving role of customer success. Kristi shares her experience in leading customer success teams with a wide range of revenue responsibilities. She talks through the differing skill sets needed and what factors weigh in on the differing structures of CS teams.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Kristi Faltorusso: LinkedIn // Client Success
• Geoff Coutts: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Website // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
You saw the LinkedIn beef between Apollo.io and Seamless.ai—but did you catch that LinkedIn shut them both down? Media platforms hold the power, and if you want to keep playing the game, you’ve got to play by the rules.
In this episode of Closing Time, we’re joined by Tim Davidson, founder of B2B Rizz, to unpack the risks of trying to game the LinkedIn algorithm. From automation flags to fake engagement tactics, Tim shares where people go wrong—and why authenticity is the long game that actually works.
If you're serious about growing your B2B presence on LinkedIn without getting burned, this episode is for you.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Tim Davidson: LinkedIn // B2B Rizz
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website
AI is transforming sales—but not everyone’s doing it right. In this episode of Closing Time, Nick Caruso, CRO at KnowledgeNet.ai, joins us to break down the smart (and not-so-smart) ways sales teams are using AI today. From AI SDRs and real-time lead research to bots talking to bots, Nick shares how to skip the gimmicks and use AI in B2B sales to drive real outcomes—not just activity.
Whether you're playing catch-up or looking to level up, this is your shortcut to getting AI right in your B2B sales process.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Nick Caruso: LinkedIn // KnowledgeNet.ai
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website
Pipeline looking thin? Sitting back and hoping for inbound leads won’t cut it—not in today’s market. Top-performing reps know that building a predictable pipeline means getting smart about outbound.
In this episode of Closing Time, Geoff Coutts sits down with Jed Mahrle, founder of PracticalProspecting.io, to break down seven buying signals that help reps reach the right prospects at the right time. Outbound will always be tough—but with Jed’s playbook, you’ll be miles ahead of anyone still doing it the old way.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Jed Mahrle: LinkedIn // Practical Prospecting
• Geoff Coutts: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Website // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Think cold calls and cold emails are your only shot at generating pipeline on a tight budget? Think again. In this episode of Closing Time, Chris Merrill, CEO of Better Media (the folks behind Sell Better & Market Better), shares tactical, low-cost strategies that go way beyond the inbox or the dialer.
From live events and webinars to podcasting and building niche communities, Chris unpacks creative ways to drive demand—without draining your budget or your team. Whether you're a lean team, a startup, or just looking for smarter ways to generate pipeline, this episode is packed with ideas you can start testing right away.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Chris Merrill: LinkedIn // Sell Better
• Geoff Coutts: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website
Hot off the Google press...if your landing page content doesn’t match your ad AND if it doesn't have navigation, your ad might not even get served (no matter how much you’re willing to pay). Google is officially emphasizing the importance of relevant content and easy-to-navigate landing pages.
In this episode of Closing Time, landing page expert and founder of The Scroll Lab, Tas Bober, breaks down what Google’s latest update means for marketers. She dives into why B2B and B2C landing pages should be structured differently, how to optimize landing pages for consumption before conversion, and how to incorporate navigation to satisfy Google's new ad policy. If you run paid campaigns, you don’t want to miss this one.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Dive deeper into the Unbounce Conversion Benchmark Report: https://bit.ly/41xwo1N
More info on Google's ad updates: https://bit.ly/4bYOFcY
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Tas Bober: LinkedIn // The Scroll Lab
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly's Website // Unbounce's Website
If you think influencers are just for B2C marketing, think again. B2B buyers are still people—and people trust people more than ads. Enter B2B influencers.
In this episode of Closing Time, Robyn Nissim, founder of Social Proof Agency, breaks down why 2025 is the year of the B2B influencer. She shares how to find the right creators, structure partnerships for long-term impact, and measure success beyond vanity metrics. Whether you’re looking to build awareness or drive conversions, this conversation will change the way you think about influencer marketing in B2B.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Robyn Nissim: LinkedIn // Social Proof Agency
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Website // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Are you truly connected to your customers? Too many marketers think they know their buyers—but can you name seven of your customers by first and last name? If not, you might be suffering from disconnected marketing.
In this episode of Closing Time, host Val Riley sits down with Casey Cheshire, Chief Evangelist at Ringmaster Conversational Marketing, to discuss why go-to-market needs to become connect-to-market. Casey points to three areas where you should be making better connections with your audiences: Partnerships, Community, and Podcasting.
Stop assuming what your customers want. Instead, connect with them and ask. Learn how in this episode.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Casey Cheshire: LinkedIn // Ringmaster
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Website // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
It’s cold season—cold calling, that is. And while we’re at it, let’s toss in cold emails too. If you’re a sales rep waiting around for inbound leads to magically appear, you’re leaving money on the table. It's time to prioritize cold outreach in 2025.
“But no one answers the phone anymore!”—hogwash! Meet Troy Munson, CEO of Dimmo and proud cold-caller. In this episode of Closing Time, he breaks down how cold calling actually works in a post-pandemic, remote-first world—if you’ve got the right tools and mindset. Plus, he shares cold email and social selling strategies to help you cut through the noise and book more meetings.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Troy Munson: LinkedIn // Dimmo
• Geoff Coutts: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Website // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Hiring a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) is a big commitment—especially for growing companies that may not have the budget for a full-time executive. That’s where fractional CMOs come in.
A fractional CMO provides high-level marketing leadership without the full-time price tag. But how do you find the right fit for your business?
Andrew Dod, an experienced SaaS marketing leader and fractional CMO, shares what companies should consider before making this hire.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Andrew Dod: LinkedIn // qmarq
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Website // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
A messy pipeline doesn’t just frustrate your sales leader—it kills deals. When sellers don’t have a clear picture of where each opportunity stands, they waste time chasing the wrong prospects, struggle to forecast accurately, and ultimately lose revenue.
So why isn’t pipeline hygiene every team’s top priority? Because it takes time, discipline, and a little help from our friends at 30 Minutes to President's Club.
In this episode of Closing Time, Insightly SVP Geoff Coutts welcomes Nick Cegelski, Founder of 30mpc, to share actionable strategies to manage your sales pipeline like a president's club seller. Nick provides practical (daily) tips to help your sales org stay on top of pipeline hygiene—and win more deals because of it.
Download your copy of the Insightly x 30mpc guide: https://www.insightly.com/30mpc/
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Nick Cegelski: LinkedIn // 30 Minutes to President's Club
• Geoff Coutts: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Website // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Hiring your first marketing agency? Get prepared now.
In this episode of Closing Time, we break down everything you need to know before making the leap—like when it’s the right time to bring on outside help, how to choose between full-service or boutique agencies, and the key questions you should ask during the selection process.
What’s the tipping point for outsourcing? How can you ensure the agency’s communication style aligns with your team? And most importantly, how will you measure their impact?
Get all the answers (and more) with expert advice from Brianna Doe, founder of Verbatim and host of the Stop the Scroll podcast.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Brianna Doe: LinkedIn // Verbatim agency
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Website // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Discounting in B2B sales is one of the quickest ways to erode trust and credibility—so why does it happen so often?
In this episode of Closing Time, John Barrows, CEO of JB Sales Training and author of I Want to Be in Sales When I Grow Up, breaks down why proactive discounts often do more harm than good, how they devalue your offering, and why they signal to buyers that your pricing isn’t credible.
John also shares actionable strategies for keeping deals moving without relying on discounts, from leveraging creativity and flexibility to building value during discovery. Plus, he unpacks how to handle the infamous “procurement wildcard” and what every rep needs to know about their company’s pricing strategy to close deals confidently.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• John Barrows: Instagram // LinkedIn // John's Sales Training & Resources
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Website // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Still waving a whiteboard in desperation on your sales videos? Or kicking off with a screen share in your intro? Let’s leave those habits in 2024.
Chris Bogue, sales coach and author of The Complete Guide to Selling on Video, believes video is a goldmine for storytelling and connection—if done right. In this episode of Closing Time, Chris shares actionable tips for mastering video prospecting in 2025 using lessons from his side hustle: improv comedy.
Learn how to take what you’re given, present your point of view with confidence, and use your prospect’s values and goals to create videos that don’t just stand out—they convert.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Chris Bogue: LinkedIn // Download the The Complete Guide to Selling on Video
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Pricing a SaaS offering is probably the hardest issue most leadership teams will tackle. In this episode of Closing Time, we sit down with Bill Wilson, founder and CEO of Pace Pricing, a B2B SaaS pricing consultancy.
Bill brings his expertise to unpack the complexities of SaaS pricing, from determining who within an organization should own pricing decisions to common mistakes companies make—and how to avoid them. Bill also dives into actionable strategies for creating a pricing page that resonates with your audience, builds trust, and drives conversions.
Plus, he explores how to leverage a freemium model to fuel product-led growth, including the critical role of delivering value quickly and efficiently.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Bill Wilson: LinkedIn // Pace Pricing website // Pricing page scorecard
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
No matter your industry, media isn’t optional—it’s essential to your go-to-market strategy. Think launching a B2B podcast is enough to check the media box? Think again.
In this episode of Closing Time, Ben Shapiro, founder of I Hear Everything, explains why businesses need to think bigger. Discover how to use media as a strategic channel—just like email or events—and learn how to repurpose a single piece of content across multiple platforms to drive ROI and real value. Don’t miss these actionable insights for leveling up your marketing game.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Ben Shapiro: LinkedIn // I Hear Everything // MarTech Podcast
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Few decisions shape your business quite like choosing a CRM. That’s why you need a solid CRM buying guide to steer you clear of the pitfalls.
Meet Jason Kramer, Founder and CEO of Cultivize, a CRM consultancy. In this episode of Closing Time, Jason shares the must-ask questions to ensure your CRM fits your needs today—and scales with you tomorrow. Plus, he reveals why a top-down commitment is the secret to avoiding common implementation traps and driving lasting success.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Jason Kramer: LinkedIn // Cultivize Website
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Is fractional sales leadership right for you? In this episode of Closing Time, LinkedIn Top Voice and fractional sales leader Louie Bernstein shares what it takes to succeed in this unique role.
Louie covers the essentials, from finding clients to setting contract terms and pricing engagements. Plus, he dives into the highs and challenges of the job to help you decide if it’s the best next step for your career.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Louie Bernstein: LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
With so many sales frameworks to choose from, it’s easy to get lost in the rules and lose sight of what makes each approach effective.
We met Sales Coach Jeff Bajorek in a recent episode of Closing Time, where he walked us through the highs and lows of various sales methodologies like the MEDDICC sales methodology, Miller-Heiman strategic selling, Sandler sales methodology, and the Challenger sales method.
Jeff is back to help you tailor these methods to fit your unique selling style, navigate leadership decisions on methodology adoption, and know when to break the mold for better results. He’ll also share some common threads and discuss his trademarked Sell Like You™ and Rethink How You Sell™ approaches.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Jeff Bajorek: LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Challenger vs. Sandler vs. Miller-Heiman vs. MEDDICC. How do you choose a sales methodology?
In this episode of Closing Time, we welcome Sales Coach Jeff Bajorek as he walks us through the what, why, and when of the top sales methodologies on the market. Whether you are a new sales leader searching for the right program or a salesperson wanting to get a bit of knowledge of what’s out there, this episode is for you.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Jeff Bajorek: LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Today’s most successful agencies know that real growth comes from putting the customer at the center of every strategy. But shifting to a truly customer-centric approach means rethinking traditional marketing tactics and rallying entire teams around a shared vision.
In this episode of Closing Time, Tony Mohr, former CEO of strategic marketing agency Quarry and now Managing Director of Marketing Services at Marketbridge, shares insights on navigating the challenges for modern agency marketers, standing out in a crowded digital space, and building team alignment around a positive brand experience.
From practical advice on transforming your brand to actionable strategies for boosting customer loyalty, this conversation is packed with valuable takeaways for agency leaders and marketers looking to fuel growth in 2025.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want expert advice delivered monthly to your inbox? Subscribe to the Closing Time newsletter to never miss an episode: https://bit.ly/3C5aZUw
Connect With:
• Tony Mohr: LinkedIn // Marketbridge
• Melinda Prescher: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
The stigma is gone when it comes to sales enablement. Once the red-headed stepchild, sales enablement has grown into a key part of a successful go-to-market program.
Join Danny Wasserman of Databricks in this episode of Closing Time as he talks about all things enablement - from answering the question ‘What is sales enablement’ to the tech stack, paths to an enablement career, and metrics that your enablement team should own.
We’ll also delve into when a team is ripe for an enablement leader and how leadership buy-in is key to making this function work for your organization.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Danny Wasserman: LinkedIn // Databricks
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Mergers and acquisitions are seemingly everywhere. The latest Deal Barometer forecasts that the 2024 US corporate M&A deal volume will increase by 20%, and US private equity M&A deal volume will be up by 16%.
What does that mean for sales leaders managing teams through the process? How do you keep selling business as usual when there’s nothing usual about the business?
In this episode of Closing Time, meet Pete Briggs, Sales Director at Epassi, who has led teams through the rollercoaster of M&A. He shares his tips for sales leaders on navigating this complex & chaotic process.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Pete Briggs: LinkedIn // Epassi
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Successful CRM adoption can make or break a company’s ability to streamline processes and improve team efficiency, but it doesn’t stop there—customizability is key to making it truly work for your unique business needs.
In this special Customer Spotlight edition of Closing Time, Anastasia Dorsheimer of Buffalo Computer Graphics shares how her team tackled the challenges of implementing a new CRM, improving team adoption, and tailoring the system to their unique needs.
From conducting operational analysis to building custom workflows and automation, Buffalo Computer Graphics leveraged Insightly CRM to boost efficiency and better serve their customers. Tune in for valuable insights on how to maximize your own CRM investment through effective adoption and customization strategies.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Anastasia Dorsheimer: LinkedIn // Buffalo Computer Graphics
• Melinda Prescher: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
When marketers get marketing attribution right, it opens up a whole new world to them in terms of finding efficiency with spending. However, the complexities of a multi-channel marketing team often lead to marketing attribution only showing a small piece of the puzzle.
In this episode of Closing Time, meet Larry Todd of LeadsRx, a marketing attribution company. Larry will talk through the power of cross-channel attribution (also called full-funnel attribution) and will give you the trends to look for in 2025.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Ready to convert every marketing touch into revenue? Get a demo of LeadsRx's multi-touch attribution software today.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Larry Todd: LinkedIn // LeadsRx
• Alex Nazarevich: LinkedIn // Unbounce's Website
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
You know you’ve arrived as a sales professional when you have repeatable business as an enterprise seller. Large deal sizes and a 7-figure W2…you’ve arrived.
How can you start your career off on the right foot to end up a successful enterprise seller? Is sales leadership your end goal?
In this episode of Closing Time, meet Craig Surgey, head of sales at Comtrade 360 and co-host of the Struggle Bubble podcast. He’s sharing his insights and the ways the sales career path has changed over time…and remained the same. If you’ve got enterprise dreams, this is the episode for you.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Craig Surgey: LinkedIn // Struggle Bubble podcast
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
There’s nothing funny about sales…or is EVERYTHING funny about sales? That’s the question for this week’s Closing Time guest, Tom Boston.
The daily trials and tribulations of the modern seller are happening in offices and homes across the world every day. As a former Brand Awareness leader for SalesLoft, Tom created a safe, fun place for salespeople to relate to each other and find camaraderie in a profession that can often feel lonely and full of rejection.
In this episode of Closing Time, Tom shares his journey from SDR to Chief Funny Guy, offering insights into humor in B2B sales and some tips and tricks on standing out with personal branding. We were lucky enough to catch him on the cusp of his next professional venture. Come have a laugh with us!
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Tom Boston: LinkedIn // YouTube // Twitter // Instagram // My Sales Coach
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Simple copy wins now more than ever. That’s what data from Unbounce, the global leader in landing page creation and optimization software, showed in the newly released 2024 Conversion Benchmark Report.
Analyzing proprietary Unbounce data from over 57 million conversions across multiple industries, the report found a 2x conversion rate with simple copy and some eye-opening results on mobile vs. desktop.
In this episode of Closing Time, Alex Nazarevich, VP of Growth Marketing at Unbounce, shares key insights from the report. This is also your chance to get acquainted with Alex, who will be hosting future episodes of Closing Time!
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to dive deeper into the data? Get access to the 2024 Conversion Benchmark Report today.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Alex Nazarevich: LinkedIn // Unbounce's Website
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Getting your startup from the minimum viable product (MVP) to unicorn status doesn’t happen by chance.
In this episode of Closing Time, we meet Stijn Hendrikse, GTM sales coach and author of T2D3 - a handbook for early-stage SaaS leaders. T2D3 stands for tripling your annual revenue for two years in a row and then doubling it for three more years.
Stijn talks through the six stages of successful start-up growth that cross product, sales, and marketing. This episode is packed with insights to help startups achieve sustainable growth and build lasting customer relationships.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Stijn Hendrikse: LinkedIn // T2D3
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
You’ve heard of the six go-to-market motions, but there's a new kid on the block...buyer-led growth. Meet Sean Piket, a fractional CRO and founder of RevXsell. Sean is passionate about buyer-first, customer-centric B2B selling, and he coined buyer-led growth to help sellers recognize the way today’s buyer wants to buy.
This isn't a new motion but rather a driver that influences all six current motions—removing friction, teaching your sellers to be facilitators of the buying process, and redeploying your SDRs are all on the table. Learn more in this episode of Closing Time.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Sean Piket LinkedIn // RevXsell
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
B2B sales has never been more of a challenge than it is today—buying committees are complex, sales cycles are long, and buyers are inherently risk-averse. When you’re focused on the big picture (closing deals and hitting quota), it’s easy to forget how your daily activities drive your success or hold you back.
In this episode of Closing Time, Kevin Dorsey, a SaaS Sales Consultant, Keynote Speaker, and Sales Leadership Coach, reveals his "10 Commandments of B2B Sales Success”—a set of daily practices that will keep you sharp, focused, and ahead of the competition.
From carving out time to roleplay and working in bursts to reflecting on your wins and preparing for tomorrow, these commandments are forged from real-world experience and proven strategies. Kevin encourages sellers to try them out for 30 days and see the difference in their sales performance.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Kevin "KD" Dorsey: LinkedIn // Kevin's Sales Training
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Many businesses aspire to move upmarket to enterprise, but there’s a catch—long, sometimes painfully long, deal cycles and demanding customers can make it a challenging arena.
If your small business deals aren’t fueling your growth, here’s a tip: don’t underestimate the mid-market advantage. Mid-market companies (typically with 50-250 employees) offer a sweet spot for scaling your business.
In this episode of Closing Time, we sit down with Steve Oriola, CEO of Unbounce, a landing page builder that recently acquired Insightly CRM. Both companies are key players in the SMB and mid-market space. Steve shares his insights on reaching this market, effective strategies for sales reps handling mid-sized deals, and an exciting preview of what the recent merger means for customers of both companies.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Steve Oriola: LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
You can’t argue with the data—today’s business leaders are on LinkedIn, networking and building relationships with sales reps like you.
In this episode of Closing Time, we welcome Morgan Ingram, CEO of AMP, a B2B Influencer Marketing firm, to share his advice for using LinkedIn (& Sales Navigator) to increase win rates. He’ll provide tips on what to do—and what NOT to do—on the platform, share his perspective on how the algorithm is changing, and explain how you can adapt your activity to maintain and improve your results.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Morgan Ingram: LinkedIn // AMP // Commish Newsletter
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
It's a new month/quarter, and you are back to zero again. Staying motivated in any role is difficult, but it’s even more so in B2B sales.
In this episode of Closing Time, we welcome Jordan Benjamin, host of the Peak Performance Selling podcast. Jordan shares tips for avoiding sales burnout, bringing his perspective as a salesperson, sales leader, meditation coach, and yoga instructor. He’ll talk through the types of energy salespeople bring to their role, how to focus on the role of helper and the mind-body connection that he uses to coach salespeople and leaders.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Jordan Benjamin: LinkedIn // Peak Performance Selling podcast
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Free trials can be a double-edged sword in B2B sales. While they offer prospects a hands-on experience with your product, they can also lead to prolonged sales cycles and missed opportunities if not managed correctly.
In this episode of Closing Time, Dave welcomes Salman Mohiuddin, a seasoned sales trainer and coach, to explore his framework for free trials in sales cycles. They delve into understanding the "why" behind trial requests, setting clear success criteria, engaging executive sponsors, and providing a white-glove experience to ensure trial success.
Trials are where deals go to die. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Tune in to refine your trial strategy and use it to close more deals efficiently.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Salman Mohiuddin: LinkedIn // Salman Sales Academy
• Dave Osborne: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
It’s midway through 2024, and you’re a new sales leader…congratulations! Now you’ve got to get to work. The current and future state of the organization is on your mind.
How can you make an impact right away, keep 2024 goals moving, and still begin to plan for 2025 quotas?
In this episode, Dave welcomes Meg Peterson of On Deck Leadership Consulting to discuss what it’s like to join an organization in this role at this moment in time and how successful sales leaders can navigate it.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Meg Peterson: LinkedIn // On Deck Leadership
• Dave Osborne: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
To gate or not to gate? Or “Gate-gate.” Either way, this is a controversial topic in B2B marketing.
In this episode of Closing Time, we welcome Anthony Kennada of AudiencePlus, an online content experience platform. Anthony walks us through the value of owned media and talks about how to determine what is ‘exclusive content’ and therefore worthy of a gate of some kind.
He also explains how having a first-party relationship with your audience is vital to lowering the cost of distribution, measuring the impact of content, and connecting audience engagement to bottom-line revenue.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Anthony Kennada: LinkedIn // AudiencePlus website
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Sales reps often get tangled in complex tactics, losing sight of the basics that truly matter. But in today's competitive market, what really stands out? Exceptional customer experience.
In this engaging episode of Closing Time, Neil Rogers, a marketing expert, speaker, and author of "Bar Tips: Everything I Need to Know in Sales I Learned Behind the Bar." Neil draws from his book to highlight the powerful parallels between hospitality and business, showcasing how the art of relationship-building can skyrocket sales performance. He also unveils the Positive Activity Process, a daily routine that boosts productivity and fosters a positive mindset.
This episode underscores the profound impact of treating customers with kindness and the immense value of small, thoughtful actions in driving business success.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Neil Rogers: LinkedIn // Website
• Dave Osborne: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
In today's digital age, data breaches have become a pressing concern for businesses of all sizes. Incident response service providers play a crucial role in mitigating these risks, helping companies swiftly identify and manage sensitive information after a security incident.
Assessment First is one of those companies. Its CEO and founder, Kris Wasserman, and his team provide data privacy solutions for data breach coaches and insurers.
In this customer spotlight edition of Closing Time, Kris speaks to the value Insightly has driven for his businesses since he became a customer in 2022.
From early struggles with bloated legacy CRMs like Salesforce to the seamless integration of Insightly's enterprise CRM, Marketing, Service, and AppConnect tools, Chris provides a comprehensive look at how these solutions have streamlined his company's processes. He also shares the innovative ways his team uses dashboards and integrations to enhance efficiency and client satisfaction.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Kris Wasserman: LinkedIn
• Melinda Prescher: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Sales cycles taking longer. More people on buying committees. It’s not your imagination – B2B sales is getting more difficult for both vendors and buyers.
On this episode of Closing Time, we welcome Allyson Havener from TrustRadius to discuss the 2024 B2B Buying Disconnect Report and why this is 'the year of the brand crisis.'
Allyson shares data-backed insights around the shrinking shortlist of preferred products, the increasing involvement of C-suite executives in purchase decisions, and the critical role of brand over demand generation in today's market.
Struggling to gain executive buy-in for brand spending? Allyson and her team at TrustRadius have your back. Download the full report: https://bit.ly/3XAOPT2
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Allyson Havener: LinkedIn // TrustRadius
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Still sending the same boring emails? You may get lucky here and there, but your open and response rates are likely abysmal.
Sam McKenna, CEO of #samsales consulting, says that personalization in sales outreach is the key, but you need to take it even further. Genuine, research-based engagement will always win over generic, high-volume tactics.
In this episode of Closing Time, Sam shares practical examples of using her trademarked “Show Me You Know Me®” model in cold email, nurture email, social media, and more. Tune in to learn how to cut through the noise and make your outreach truly stand out in a sea of same.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Sam McKenna: Website // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Ready to take your business to new heights? One of the biggest roadblocks to growth can be outdated tools that can't keep up with your ambition. This is especially true for mission-critical systems like your CRM. You need a solution that scales alongside you, not hold you back.
In this episode of Closing Time, Jerome Redmond, CEO of American Truck Training (ATT), shares his inspiring story of how Insightly's scalable CRM helped him haul his business from "zero to multi-millions." ATT, a commercial driver's license (CDL) training school in Oklahoma City, was founded to address the growing need for skilled truck drivers.
Jerome, an Insightly customer since 2012, dives deep into the value that Insightly CRM + AppConnect has brought to his business. He'll reveal the top reasons why Insightly has become the engine driving his success and how it can help your company shift into high gear too!
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• American Truck Training: Website // Jermone's LinkedIn
• Melinda Prescher: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Sure, getting leads from marketing is great. Leads served up from your SDR team? We love it! But real revenue growth happens when AEs are also self-sourcing pipeline.
Sales leaders, if you want your AEs to get excited about outbound, it's up to you to explain the "why" and enable them with fresh tactics for success.
In this episode of Closing Time, Jason Bay of Outbound Squad helps reps and their leaders really get outbound going by setting realistic activity targets, employing a solid contact strategy, and leveraging situation-based personalization.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Jason Bay: LinkedIn // Outbound Squad
• Dave Osborne: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Small changes...BIG results. If you want to grow your business, spending money on getting more web traffic may seem like the right move.
However, Sahil Patel and his team at Spyralize take a different approach. Why not increase conversions from the traffic you already have?
In this episode of Closing Time, Sahil shares specific tactics to increase web conversion rates on landing pages and web pages. What content converts higher for enterprise vs. SMB? To include or not to include videos? Where should testimonials, client logos, and badges land in the hierarchy?
Learn what small adjustments you can make today to yield big results in the future.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Sahil Patel: LinkedIn // Website
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Quality discovery questions separate good sales reps from great ones.
In this episode of Closing Time, Chip House welcomes Krysten Conner, a sales coach whose résumé includes experience at Outreach.io, Salesforce, and Tableau.
Krysten shares five of her nine ‘deal doubling’ discovery questions, making you come across as informed yet curious and positioning yourself as a helpful advisor rather than a pushy seller.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Krysten Conner: LinkedIn // Website
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
If you're not directly serving clients or customers, then what's the point of having a CRM? Nonprofit companies, especially in dynamic industries like film and television, face unique challenges—they must navigate industry shifts, uphold value for their members or communities, and ensure smooth operations without increasing costs.
And having a powerful CRM like Insightly on your team can make all the difference. In this episode of Closing Time, Melinda Prescher talks with Neil Hatton, CEO of UK Screen Alliance, about leveraging Insightly CRM to maintain efficiency during the pandemic, the Hollywood actors' strike, and beyond.
Neil shares how Insightly CRM, paired with integrations via Insightly AppConnect, has automated administrative tasks and member communication, allowing them to focus on what's at the core of their business—advocacy for their members.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• UK Screen Alliance: Website // Neil LinkedIn
• Melinda Prescher: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
It doesn’t seem that long ago when SaaS purchases were easy to make based on the needs of one team or individual. Those days may be gone forever. Whether real or perceived, SaaS bloat emerged at a time when cost-cutting became the top priority, and it’s up in the air as to whether the industry will ever recover. In this episode of Closing Time, Eric Christoper shares compelling data from Zylo's 2024 SaaS Management Index that illustrates how SaaS buying is changing, what the future holds, and why platforms vs. point solutions are gaining momentum. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Eric Christopher: Zylo's Website // SaaS Management Index Report // LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Since the advent of the telephone, cold calling has been a staple in the world of B2B sales. For decades, call volume has served as a primary measure of a salesperson's success. But hold the phone—times (specifically, the buyer's journey) are changing!
In the modern selling landscape, the old-school cold call is starting to feel a bit frosty. To cut through the noise, buyers need to see personalized outreach and authentic interactions with salespeople.
In this landmark 100th episode of Closing Time, Sam McKenna of #samsales Consulting offers a more effective and efficient sales methodology—one that feels less salesy and more intentional. So grab a cup of coffee (or bubbly) and tune in as we bid farewell to the era of cold calling.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Sam McKenna: Website // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
How does fostering internal and external communities in B2B help drive sales?
Organizations that build an internal community around sellers to boost engagement and morale have more success. Similarly, organizations that build an external community of engaged users via forums and social media help convince sellers to trust them.
Join author Simon Severino in this episode of Closing Time to learn how ‘community’ can de-risk the buying process in your organization.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Simon Severino: LinkedIn // Strategy Sprints
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Is your manufacturing business bogged down by manual data entry and slow processes? You're not alone—many manufacturers still use spreadsheets or legacy systems to run their operations.
Until a few months ago, Moduflex, a UK-based manufacturer, was among them.
In this episode of Closing Time, discover why Insightly is considered the best CRM for manufacturing and how Insightly CRM + AppConnect revolutionized Moduflex's efficiency and streamlined its operations.
Join managing director Rich Blunden and marketing/CRM manager Megan Thomas as they share their journey with Insightly—from selecting the right CRM to swift implementation, smooth onboarding, and reclaiming valuable time to prioritize delivering exceptional customer experiences.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Moduflex: Megan Thomas // Rich Blunden // Moduflex's Site
• Melinda Prescher: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
If you’re familiar with the 5 love languages, you know they are about how you love and want to be loved.
Well, the dreamer-doer-driver model takes that concept to the office by clearly defining three types of leaders. It’s about how you lead and how people on your team need to be led.
On this episode of Closing Time, join Sangram Vajre from GTM Partners as he discusses the importance of knowing whether you and those around you are dreamers, doers, or drivers and how this impacts your leadership and management style.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Shopping for a new CRM? Get a demo or start a free trial of Insightly's modern CRM that teams love.
Connect With:
• Sangram Varje: Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
If you’re still ‘feature dumping,’ we need to talk. It’s time to start writing sales email cadences that make an impact and generate a response. In this episode of Closing Time, we hear from Kimberly Collins, VP of Strategy at #samsales Consulting. The team at #samsales has unveiled a new playbook for email writing, and Kimberly is here to share some highlights with us.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Kimberly Collins: LinkedIn // #samsales Consulting // Get the playbook
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
If your company is not in a B2B buyer's initial consideration set for a purchase, the odds of winning the deal plummet. In fact, research shows that you have a less than 5% chance of closing the deal.
How can marketers create awareness ahead of the buying process? You guessed it, with branding.
In this episode of Closing Time, Jess Cook from Island provides tips for entering the initial consideration set for saturated categories (like CRM) and category creation (like Island's enterprise browser).
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Jess Cook: LinkedIn // Island's Website
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Running a successful healthcare business requires top-notch service and unwavering security. In this customer spotlight edition of Closing Time, Neuline Health CEO Frank Gray III shares how Insightly CRM's automation and customization capabilities empower his team to deliver best-in-class neurodiagnostic testing to healthcare providers and patients.
Healthcare organizations like NueLine Health choose Insightly because it is a HIPAA-compliant CRM and ensures patient data security through administrative, physical, and technical safeguards.
In Frank’s own words, he “cannot imagine running Neuline Health, or any company, without Insightly.”
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Frank Gray lll: LinkedIn // NeuLine Health
• Melinda Prescher: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
In today’s SaaS purchasing climate, you are more likely than ever to be dealing with a buying committee. And those committees are getting larger.
What does that mean to a seller? And how does the size of the buying committee make selling against the status quo even more difficult?
In this episode of Closing Time, Doug Landis of Emergence Capital chats with Insightly’s Dave Osborne about tactics for selling to buying committees, the pitfalls to avoid, and the extra work it takes to close a deal.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Doug Landis: LinkedIn
• Dave Osborne: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Sales kick-off season is upon us. Whether yours is virtual or live and in-person, get ready to be inspired.
Geoff Hendricks of Challenger joins Closing Time this week to share what he is hearing in the industry as the major SKO themes for 2024 – and the 2023 hangovers we’re still dealing with.
You'll learn how to future-proof your sales approach beyond SKO by establishing a culture of sales training in your org and see the unique way Geoff gets sales leaders to divulge their secrets on his podcast, My Best Sales Mistake. Geoff is also a contributor to the podcast Winning the Challenger Sale.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Geoff Hendricks: LinkedIn // Challenger's Website
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Imagine a world where you craft each piece of content, every email, and all sales pitches with one specific individual in mind. Sounds time-consuming and unreasonable, right?
But it's actually the approach used by businessman Warren Buffet as he writes his annual letter to shareholders. The letter is read by thousands, but written with one person in mind: Warren's sister, Doris.
To make messages truly resonate with the intended audience, sales and marketing professionals must find the perfect balance between utilizing AI for personalization and maintaining the indispensable human touch.
Join content marketing guru Ann Handley in this episode of Closing Time as she guides us through the nuances of crafting email and web copy that captivates. She also shares insights on how to personalize at scale, transforming how we connect with our audience.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Ann Handley: LinkedIn // Ann's Website // Marketing Profs
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
B2B buyers now spend 80% or more of their journey alone before engaging with a salesperson. So, when they do finally engage with sales, they expect minimal friction, a great experience, and easy access to information to help them make a decision.
This is why Josh Fedie founded Salesrach.io - to organize the sales process in a way that makes sense to your customers and 3x the likelihood of closing high-value, low-regret deals. Learn how to optimize for the B2B buyer experience and make buyer enablement work for you in this episode of Closing Time.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Josh Fedie: LinkedIn // SalesReach.io
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
The future of B2B sales is here, and it's powered by AI. As a salesperson, what features and functions of day-to-day AI do you need to be aware of?
In this episode of Closing Time, Ross Simmonds of Foundation Marketing talks about the AI-powered features that salespeople can use today.
Learn how to incorporate AI into your sales process, avoid the dark side that comes with it, and discover why embracing this tech is key to closing more deals in the future.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Ross Simmonds: LinkedIn // Foundation Marketing
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
You've heard the saying, “No one ever got fired for buying IBM,” but do you know the psychology behind it?
B2B sales reps often focus on how their solution is different, better, and has the latest features and functions. Buyers, meanwhile, are often fundamentally averse to anything revolutionary or innovative.
Their professional reputation is on the line with every purchase they make - especially the big ones. In many cases, the secret to building confidence in your solution is to de-risk the purchase process.
Dale Harrison, a B2B marketing strategist, joins Closing Time to explain the difference between a buyer's perception of "value" vs. "risk-adjusted value," and why today's buyers suffer from FOFU (Fear of F***ing Up).
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Dale Harrison: LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
What if AI has really just given us the ability to create mediocrity at scale? That doesn't actually help sellers or marketers write impactful emails that elicit a response, nor does it help foster brand authenticity.
What does work is a three-step guide from Ann Handley, digital marketer, author, and content guru.
Ann joins Insightly CMO Chip House to talk about the importance of relationships, connections, and branding when leveraging AI tools.
AI-driven authenticity is about using tech not to replace human touch but to enhance and scale it in a way that remains true to the brand’s values and resonates with its audience. Find out how in this episode!
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Ann Handley: LinkedIn // Ann's Website // Marketing Profs
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Is your team trapped in the inefficient cycle of 'checkbox marketing?' Quarterly webinar—check. Monthly newsletter—check. Weekly blog post—check.
They're working at 110% capacity but only hit 50% of goals.
In an era when marketers have higher expectations and tighter budgets, efficient growth in B2B is critical.
Brendan Hufford founded Growth Sprints, a B2B marketing agency, to help companies adopt a more focused, momentum-driven strategy highlighting customer needs and creating valuable content around them.
In this episode of Closing Time, Brendan shares strategies for thinking about GTM differently, finding value in social selling, and optimizing your site (for free) with two SEO best practices that can have big impact.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Brendan Hufford: LinkedIn // Growth Sprints
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Content marketing in 2024 looks different than it did in recent years. Why? Because the value of content marketing in B2B has been proven, so it’s no longer a question of whether your content budget is funded but how much you will spend and how you'll optimize it.
In this episode of Closing Time, B2B Marketing agency owner Ross Simmonds talks about getting more mileage from your existing content. His mantra is, "Don't just create content for the sake of creating... create something once and distribute it, reuse it, repackage it, republish it, and recycle it forever."
He’ll share specifics about how and when to recycle content and the changes AI will bring to the world of SEO. Ready to level up your content marketing in 2024? Join us!
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Ross Simmonds: LinkedIn // Foundation Marketing
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
How can you be creative, have fun, and let your personality shine in sales? Would you believe it’s by cold calling more?
In this episode of Closing Time, we welcome Daisy Chung from Orum, who is on a quest to make outbound sellers love cold calling. Daisy shares her own experience in learning how to cold call effectively and provides insight into how cold calling has become significantly easier in recent years.
Get ready to change your whole perspective on every salesperson’s least favorite task…cold calling.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Daisy Chung: LinkedIn // Orum's Website
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
When you hear the word 'influence,' who do you think of? The person on LinkedIn with 100k followers? The SaaS company that hires a thought leader to advocate for their product?
People can be 'influencers' without necessarily having real 'influence.'
In the context of B2B, brands (and their leaders) who have influence focus on elevating others, rather than themselves. In his book, “Secrets of Influence,” Matt Brown dives into the heart of what influence truly means, highlighting that real influence isn't about vanity metrics but meaningful impact.
In this episode of Closing Time, Matt helps B2B sellers and marketers create their own influence, and harness the influence of others, which might be the missing ingredients your brand needs.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Matt Brown: The Matt Brown Show // LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Talking less and listening more—a proven method to increase win rates among B2B sellers, and a mantra all GTM leaders want their sales and customer success reps to practice.
When you arm your reps with powerful questions, it helps them engage and better understand their buyers, ultimately, leading to more opportunities to acquire, keep and grow revenue.
In this episode of Closing Time, customer discovery and listening expert Bob London provides three examples of disruptive questions that go beyond the cliche, "What keeps you up at night," and empower your reps to capture fresh insights. He also provides a colorful acronym ($TFU) to remind them to embrace silence and listen intently.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Bob London: LinkedIn // Bob's Website
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
The data doesn't lie: If you are not in the consideration set for a buyer before they begin their buying journey, you have less than a 5% chance of closing that deal.
It pays to be top of mind, and B2B marketers do that with brand awareness. In this episode of Closing Time, Insightly CMO Chip House speaks with Dale Harrison, a B2B marketing strategist, on why sales leaders should support and encourage their marketing team’s efforts in branding and brand awareness.
Not sure how to communicate the value to your CFO? As a former finance leader, Dale knows how to get buy-in for branding. Find out how in this episode!
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Dale Harrison: LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
When is the right time to review your go-to-market motions for effectiveness? When is a change of motions in order? Many go-to-market leaders get this wrong by waiting until a crisis or downturn and pivoting in a panic.
In this episode of Closing Time, Chris Rack, a sales leader and CEO of the demand gen firm MPR, shares his insights from decades of experience in B2B sales and marketing to help viewers audit their marketing strategy and choose the right go-to-market motion(s) for their business.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Chris Rack: LinkedIn // MRP's Website
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Increasing Average Contract Value (ACV) can help your business grow faster while staying efficient. Think of it this way: all deals take time, but a $10K deal doesn’t take ten times more work than a $1K deal.
By increasing your ACV, you can grow your revenue without adding more people or technology. As such, ACV is a key metric in the health of a business - particularly in a recurring revenue SaaS business.
In this episode of Closing Time, Insightly CMO Chip House is joined by Hannah Ajikawo, CEO of Revenue Funnel, to talk about 4 ways to increase ACV in your business.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Hannah Ajikawo: LinkedIn // Revenue Funnel's Website
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Your company is on a roll; you’re selling your product and beginning to expand, but you’re struggling to align on what to do next.
How do you decide on messaging? In what order should you execute your marketing plan? What is your unique value proposition, and how can you add marketing as a strategic partner to your go-to-market plans?
Jennifer Zick, founder and CEO of Authentic, joins Closing Time to help B2B marketing leaders "Overcome Random Acts of Marketing®" and move toward a marketing strategy that drives your business forward.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Jennifer Zick: LinkedIn // Authentic's Website
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Can you afford to do audience research? The better question may be, can you afford NOT to? Most marketers are doing typical market research right, but when it comes to audience research, they're missing the mark.
Audience research is exactly what it sounds like: Discovering who your audience is, what they pay attention to, and what sources influence them (publications, podcasts, YouTube channels, etc.). The better you know your customers and how their purchasing decisions are being influenced, the better you can serve them.
In this episode of Closing Time, Insightly CMO Chip House welcomes Rand Fiskin, CEO of SparkToro, to talk through 3 free or cost-effective audience research options that every marketer can put in their toolkit.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Rand Fishkin: LinkedIn // Twitter // SparkToro Website
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
B2B buyers are making one thing clear: They want to research on their own before engaging with a salesperson. What’s shocking is how far into the funnel they get alone, as much as 83% of the way.
We call this the ‘dark funnel’ (also referred to as dark social), and on this Halloween episode of Closing Time, we’re going to break down how marketers can unearth and track what’s going on in the hidden shadows of B2B marketing.
Jen Allen-Knuth, a marketing consultant and evangelist partner at Lavendar.ai joins Val Riley to explain the impact the dark funnel is having on marketing metrics and give you tips on how to simplify your lead categorization in and around it. The dark funnel isn't scary when you know how to make it work for you, instead of against you. Find out how in this episode!
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Jen Allen: LinkedIn // Social Social // DemandJen // Lavendar.ai
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
When done well, a product launch can propel your business forward, engage your prospects, and drive adption. In fact, 79.5% of companies reported launches had a significant impact on revenue. The challenge?
Orchestrating a successful product launch can be a painful process for product marketers – they require robust research, careful collaboration, and (ideally) a well-thought-out launch checklist to keep your GTM strategy on track and stakeholders aligned.
Karthik Suresh, co-founder/CPTO of Ignition and former product lead at Facebook, joins Closing Time to guide listeners through an effective launch process where stakeholders from different teams work towards one common goal: Smoothly launching the best product possible that customers will love. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Karthik Suresh: Ignition's Website // LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
The perfect sales call…does it really exist? The team at Gong Labs might be able to answer. They have analyzed one billion sales calls to help sellers like you build trust, keep buyers engaged, and, ultimately, close more deals.
On this episode of Closing Time, we welcome Udi Ledergor of Gong, who will provide actionable tips that you can start using tomorrow to make your next sales call better. How to open a call, how to talk about pricing, and is it OK to swear now and then? You learn all this and more.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Udi Ledergor: LinkedIn // Gong Labs
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
In the age where personalization and understanding sales prospects shows a big improvement in close rates and deal sizes, why is it that most reps still don’t do enough research?
In this episode of Closing Time, Chip talks with Justin Fite of J3 Consulting about a new way to conduct sales prospects research, how sales and marketing can align on ideal targets, and how sales reps can use this information to optimize every opportunity. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Justin Fite: J3 Consulting // LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a powerful tool for salespeople, but like any app, you’ve got to stay up to date. Recently released features have resulted in some changes that can help sellers streamline the process of finding new leads and making more connections.
In this episode of Closing Time, we welcome Mandy McEwen, founder of Mod Girl Marketing, to talk us through LinkedIn Sales Navigator tips and new features that will turn the platform into a lead-feeding machine.
Everything from leveraging buyer personas to tracking changes in buyer intent and building hyper-targeted lists – be prepared to level up your prospecting game with these tips. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Mandy McEwen: LinkedIn // Mod Girl Marketing
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
When your solution makes it on the agenda of your prospect’s weekly meeting, you’ve got a good chance of closing that deal. But how can you get your solution or service considered at that level?
In this episode of Closing Time, Hannah Ajikawo, CEO of Revenue Funnel, talks through the pre-work you’ll need to do with your prospect and the questions to ask to become a trusted advisor.
Learn how to ‘be in the room without being in the room’ with your prospect and their team using Hannah’s tips to plant seeds that lead to a closed deal. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Hannah Ajikawo: LinkedIn // Revenue Funnel's Website
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
If you're currently using a one-size-fits-all sales funnel (that ignores buyer intent or pipeline source) and is focused on top-of-funnel metrics like MQLs... it's time to rethink your strategy.
The 'old' sales funnel, originally coined as the Demand Waterfall by SiriusDecisions in the early 2000s and then later revamped in 2012, fails to acknowledge that all MQLs and SQLs are not created equally. As a result, it can lead to misallocation of marketing budgets and misalignment within your sales and marketing teams.
That's why Chris Walker and his team at Refine Labs propose a new Go-To-Market (GTM) framework. This new approach focuses on accounts rather than leads, employs multiple funnels based on aggregated buying intent, and measures marketing success using metrics directly tied to revenue.
Join Chris and Chip in this episode of Closing Time to revamp your GTM strategy and adopt a new sales funnel designed to increase sales velocity and ROI. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Chris Walker: LinkedIn // TikTok // Instagram // Revenue Vitals Podcast // Refine Labs
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Demand capture vs. Demand creation – two of the most important areas of focus for today's marketers. Demand creation (aka demand generation) is about driving awareness and interest in a product or service, while demand capture focuses on attracting and converting the roughly 5% of your target market actively looking for a solution.
Familiar marketing frameworks – like the Predictable Revenue and Demand Waterfall – that once laid the groundwork for thousands of B2B SaaS company's go-to-market strategies, are now outdated and doing more harm than good.
Why? Because B2B buyers are much different in 2023 than they were in 2011 when these frameworks were published.
In this episode of Closing Time, Insightly CMO Chip House welcomes Chris Walker of Refine Labs to take a trip down the go-to-market history lane and discuss how marketing and sales leaders can modernize their GTM strategy with an 'all-bound integrated revenue team.' Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Chris Walker: LinkedIn // TikTok // Instagram // Revenue Vitals Podcast // Refine Labs
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
“What are we getting for our ad spend?” This question is getting even more difficult to answer since the death of marketing attribution as we know it is looming.
GDPR and CPAA have killed third-party cookies, and almost all privacy laws are getting even more strict. Will it be a return to the metrics of impressions, views, and engagement?
In this episode of Closing Time, Rand Fishkin, CEO of SparkToro, talks about what marketers need to do to prepare their teams and board rooms for a reporting shift and how to surface metrics that contribute to an overall lift. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Rand Fishkin: LinkedIn // Twitter // SparkToro Website
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Sales professionals – are you struggling to build consensus? Today’s B2B sales cycles are complex and include more decision-makers than ever before.
According to recent data, 11.2 stakeholders take part in every deal. Unless you can convince the entire group of stakeholders to buy from you, there's no way the deal will close. But how can you receive a resounding “yes!” from all parties involved?
In this episode of Closing Time, Jen Allen, CEO of Social Social and head of community growth at Lavender.ai, shares powerful tips for facilitating meetings, overcoming dysfunction, and building consensus with the buying group. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Jen Allen: LinkedIn // Social Social // Lavendar.ai
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
“You’ve got to be posting on LinkedIn.” Depending on your target audience, this may or may not be true.
In this episode of Closing Time, Insightly CMO Chip House meets with Kyle Coleman, SVP of Marketing at Clari, about how salespeople can start to build your personal brand on LinkedIn.
They explore ways to determine content (based on your experience, expertise, or from industry leaders), the importance of writing in sales, and how you can use your posting efforts to help you crystallize your thoughts to become a better communicator and seller. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Kyle Coleman: LinkedIn // Clari Revenue Platform
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Video selling is on a steep growth curve, so why isn’t everyone on board? You can equip your salespeople with the hardware and software required and train them, but they still may not be comfortable with the process.
In this episode of Closing Time, we welcome Tyler Lessard, VP of Marketing at Vidyard, author of the book The Visual Sale, and host of The Sales Feed podcast, to talk us through ways to get your sales team enthusiastically on board with video selling. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Tyler Lessard: LinkedIn // The Visual Sale book // The Sales Feed Podcast // Vidyard's Website
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
You’ve worked on your personal branding on LinkedIn, and now you’re looking for tangible results. How do you go from reaching out to someone in your ICP to counting them as a customer?
In this episode of Closing Time, we welcome Mandy McEwen, founder of Mod Girl Marketing, to talk you through her 4-step engage - connect - post - repeat process for LinkedIn social selling. She’ll share tips for using prospecting skills plus effective content to move relationships to the next level. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Mandy McEwen: LinkedIn // Mod Girl Marketing
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
On average, 40-60% of B2B sales opportunities are lost to the status quo objection.
We’re not losing to competitors as frequently as we're losing to customer risk aversion – aka the customer’s gut feeling that regardless of how much "better" our solution may be, the road to "better" involves change, cost, and productivity losses.
In this episode of Closing Time, Jen Allen, head of Community Growth at Lavender.ai and Co-Founder of Social Social, will help sellers overcome the status quo, create demand, and earn time with budget-conscious buyers. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Jen Allen: LinkedIn // Social Social // Lavendar.ai
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
People used to believe that marketing was art and sales was science, but today’s professionals know both need a little art and science to get the job done.
Kyle Coleman of Clari has first-hand experience and insights on making the sales to marketing career shift. He is a former salesperson who now leads a marketing team.
Join Kyle in this episode of Closing Time, where he talks about the ways marketers can make small changes to their processes and approaches to better align with sales teams. Get both the right and left brains working together; you’ll be a ‘whole brain’ marketer with these tips. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Kyle Coleman: LinkedIn // Clari Revenue Platform
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Video selling can be the secret weapon to propel your sales team to higher conversion rates. Think video selling is just about prospecting? Well, you’d be wrong.
The attention-grabbing power of video can have impacts at all stages of the sales cycle – from the initial outreach to personalized demos and proposal walkthroughs.
In this episode of Closing Time, we’re joined Tyler Lessard, VP of Marketing at Vidyard, author of The Visual Sale, and host of The Sales Feed podcast, as he explores video tactics in prospecting, communicating your value prop, reducing no-show rates, mini-demos, and warm handoffs to customer success. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Tyler Lessard: LinkedIn // The Visual Sale book // The Sales Feed Podcast // Vidyard's Website
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
How do you know if you’re buying old technology? Are legacy CRM systems focused on enterprises, leaving small and midsize businesses flapping in the wind?
As organizations look to make a CRM purchase, it’s time to dig into what’s going on in the market’s biggest players and make an informed choice for what is the single source of truth for your business.
In this episode of Closing Time, Chip welcomes Mike Topalovich, solutions architect and CRM consultant, to talk about what’s going on in the CRM market, how it has evolved over time, and what businesses need to consider before purchasing a legacy system.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Mike Topalovich: LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
There is a ton of noise in the buyer’s journey, and many buyers are struggling to navigate through it. Things get even more complex when more stakeholders are involved in the decision-making process.
If your buyer remains overwhelmed, your deal may get stuck in the pipeline…for good. How can you help cut through the abundance of content and make sense of it all?
In this episode of Closing Time, Chip is joined by sales coach and consultant Luigi Prestinenzi to talk through strategies for buyer enablement. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Luigi Prestinenzi: LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Few software tools are as mission-critical as your CRM. Whether you're a startup, mid-market, or enterprise business, choosing the right CRM is easier said than done. With over 850 options currently available in the market, according to G2, it can be an overwhelming process.
If you're upgrading your company from Excel spreadsheets or simply looking for a new CRM, you're not alone. In this episode of Closing Time, CRM consultant Vanessa Hunt will guide you through the selection process and help you find the best value and fit for your organization.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Venessa Hunt: LinkedIn // Website
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Sales leaders often enter a new company and start working on their team immediately. This is important, but they are missing the larger picture by just focusing on their team. It can result in the "sales against the world" mentality.
The best sales leaders do the work early and often to understand how the entire business works before implementing their playbooks.
We'll talk about what sales leaders can do and the pitfalls to avoid in this episode of Closing Time with Amy Volas, CEO of Avenue Talent Partners. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Amy Volas: Hiring Scorecard // Job Seeker Scorecard // LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Can you package up the marketing needs of early stage companies into 11 key initiatives? Yes, you can if you are the ‘Marie Kondo’ of startup marketing.
Join this episode of Closing Time with Anna Furmanov, host of the Modern Startup Marketing podcast, as she details these 11 marketing essentials that startups need right out of the gate to help them grow faster. She calls it MaaS - Marketing as a System, but we call it brilliant! Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Anna Furmanov: Website // LinkedIn // Podcast
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Why do most sales presentations fail?
Because the traditional presentation choreography, used by so many organizations around the world for many years, runs opposite to how our brains engage and decide. They polarize rather than build consensus.
In this episode of Closing Time, Todd Caponi will explore why the traditional presentation choreography doesn't work, how to make a better sales presentation, and how to use story-based selling to better choreograph your presentations to compel your audience to buy. (hint: it involves reality makeover TV). Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Todd Caponi: Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
As a sales leader, whether you're new to the field or experienced, managing and redistributing sales territories can be a challenging task.
There are numerous factors to consider–industries, geography, ideal customer profile, and deal size–and it's not a one-time process. If your team operates remotely, it could be even more complex.
So, how do you begin? How frequently should you reevaluate and redistribute territories? Is it fair for the best reps to get the best books?
In this episode of Closing Time, Dave Osborne from Insightly and Brad Rosen from Sales Assembly discuss effective strategies for creating sales territories that drive success. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Brad Rosen: LinkedIn // Sales Assembly
• Dave Osborne: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Do your sales team members have personal brands? There are a lot of salespeople trying to convince prospective customers to buy. And in many cases, working with a salesperson you know, like, and trust can tip the scales in their favor.
So how are you – as a sales leader - coaching this?
In this episode of Closing Time, join sales and marketing expert Jay Baer as he shares how sales reps can incorporate their personal brand into their go-to-market approach to generate more pipeline, get more referrals, and sign more deals. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Jay Baer: Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Dave Osborne: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
As brands move towards efficient growth, aligning the sales and marketing teams on an account-based marketing strategy is a logical move.
Most SaaS companies either already have a plan in place or are considering adopting an ABM program to drive revenue. But more and more are considering a new strategy focusing on the entire customer journey (sales, marketing, AND customer support).
It's called Account-Based Experience (ABX).
In this episode of Closing Time, Insightly CMO Chip House welcomes Corrina Owens, former head of ABM at Gong, a revenue intelligence platform. Corinna compares AMB and ABX, talks through her 3-step playbook on building a powerful ABX program, and shares two successful champion-focused ABX campaigns at Gong.
If you’re looking for a guide on how to start ABX, this is it. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Corrina Owens: LinkedIn // Corrina's 3-Step Playbook
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Salespeople often operate like independent contractors in their organizations. It's a career for the self-reliant and self-motivated.
You know when your pipeline is healthy and when it’s anemic… but have you ever quantified your personal efforts that drive your pipe?
In this episode of Closing Time, Dave talks with Luigi Prestinenzi, sales coach and host of the Skalable Growth podcast, about his Sales Success Calculator and why it should be a part of any rep’s toolbox. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Luigi Prestinenzi: LinkedIn
• Dave Osborne: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Salespeople churn is almost 3x more than any other job role. With turnover at an all-time high, there has to be a better way to make hiring decisions and improve your hiring hit rate. And there is.
Enter the hiring scorecard for your sales team. Amy Volas, strategic advisor and owner of Avenue Talent Partners, breaks down why a sales-specific hiring scorecard works, what it is, what metrics to track, how to collaborate with HR, and how to use it to keep your A-team together. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Amy Volas: Hiring Scorecard // Job Seeker Scorecard // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Lead referrals should be treated like gold, and too often in sales, our peers fall flat. The most important pillar to remember when receiving a referral is that you're teaching the person that referred you whether or not you're worthy of future referrals, and it all rests in how you handle the first one.
In this episode of Closing Time, Sam McKenna of #samsales Consulting will explore the best ways to handle referred leads through increased urgency, personalization, gratitude, and follow-up – to show you’re worthy of future referrals and build your lead referral machine. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Sam McKenna: Website // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
If you’re looking to better engage prospects, coach your team to success and close more deals, you’re in the right place.
In this episode of Closing Time, Insightly CMO Chip House meets with Derek Grant of Salesloft to share a newly released research study that explores call and email data benchmarks by role (SDR, AE, and CSM). The study tracks more than 570 million interactions across 20 sectors over a year. See the 5 major takeaways, learn how to implement improvements, and measure how your team is stacking up. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Get your copy of Salesloft's 2023 Revenue Team Benchmark Report.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Derek Grant: Salesloft's Website // Derek's LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
More and more, companies are adding a new title to their C-Suites: Chief Revenue Officer. It was once often linked to tech or high-growth companies, but its popularity is spreading to all types of organizations.
On paper, a CRO creates synergy between sales and marketing teams that is needed to scale quickly and sustainably. The CRO may also oversee the revenue stack, which is becoming a significant investment as the number of options grows.
But where do the lines get drawn between sales, marketing, and revenue? Do they work side by side, or are the hierarchies?
In this episode of Closing Time, Mike Weir, CRO of G2, takes us through his journey to becoming a CRO, how he interacts with marketing and sales, what his team looks like, and how he advises people looking to work in revenue. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Mike Weir: G2's Website // LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
The demo call is pivotal. You've identified pain points during discovery. Your buyer is interested. They've agreed to another call. You can either solidify the deal or destroy it.
In this episode of Closing Time, Insightly CSO Dave Osborne is joined by Chris Orlob (formerly of Gong, now with Quota Signal and pclub.io) to discuss how salespeople and their leaders can set SaaS demo calls up for success. During his tenure at Gong, Chris helped grow the company from $200K to $200M+ in revenue. After listening to countless demo calls and analyzing data, Chris shares his top selling techniques and practical tips to keep buyers engaged, avoid confusion, and increase the chances of catalyzing a decision. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Chris Orlob: LinkedIn
• Dave Osborne: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Losing team members in any position is tough. But losing salespeople? Way more common than you think.
According to a Harvard Business Review study, the annual turnover for U.S. salespeople runs as high as 27% – 2x the rate of the U.S. workforce – and that was taken in 2017. More recent data from SiriusDecisions shows that almost half (45 percent) of B2B sales organizations have average turnover rates above 30 percent.
So, how can sales leaders avoid churn in a highly competitive industry? It begins with their hiring practices and onboarding processes. In this episode of Closing Time, Amy Volas, strategic advisor and owner of Avenue Talent Partners, discusses the sales candidate experience, the different levers you can pull for compensation, the secrets to onboarding remote employees, and how to ensure a high acceptance rate when making an offer. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Amy Volas: LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
The days of ‘growth at all costs’ appear to be over as firms move towards efficient and sustainable growth models. This seems to pave the way for justification of your SEO budget…planting seeds for a slow yet methodical rise in SERP.
As brands look to balance demand gen with lead gen, how can the whole GTM support SEO efforts? In this episode of Closing Time, we’re joined by Mitch Causey of Demandwell, an SEO growth platform, to talk through striking the balance between organic and paid efforts. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Mitch Causey: Demandwell Website // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Everyone in sales knows that word-of-mouth marketing is the best way to grow your business and improve your close rate. Then why are companies still spending millions on advertising instead of turning their customers into volunteer marketers?
It's because they're selling a boring and expected product or service. In order to have your customers advertise for you, you need to give them something to talk about. That means creating something unexpected and different.
In this episode of Closing Time, marketing and CX expert Jay Baer goes beyond the mundane to share five Talk Triggers that will help companies execute on their word-of-mouth strategy, generate more online reviews, and increase revenue. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Jay Baer: Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
In the world of sports, we expect a new game plan every week depending on the opposing team's strengths and weaknesses. So why do we run the same plays for every prospect?
In this episode, sales consultant Kim Cram talks with Insightly CSO Dave Osborne about how sales leaders can coach up their teams to change the plan on the fly for better outcomes. They'll share the four questions every seller should answer when working with prospects: Who are they? What matters to them? What pains/problems do they have? What is the impact of those pain points? Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Kim Cram: LinkedIn
• Dave Osborne: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Is your outbound email response rate falling short? Are you struggling to meet your sales quota because of it? Adopting a Sales Engagement tool like Salesloft and optimizing it to work in tandem with your CRM could be your answer.
In this episode of Closing Time, we've brought in sales engagement expert and director of product marketing at Salesloft, Albert Rhee, to share the secrets to switching up your inbound and outbound cadences to elicit MORE responses from prospects, utilize all channels, and progress deals more quickly. The icing on the cake? He's bringing the data from Salesloft's Data Science team along with him to back the claims. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Albert Rhee: LinkedIn // Salesloft
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Running a successful account-based marketing program can be challenging.
Whether your organization is just starting out, has a few campaigns under its belt, or is an ABM pro, there are almost certainly ways to improve your processes and results.
In this episode of Closing Time, we welcome Meredith Fuller of Quarry to talk through the various stages of ABM, how go-to-market teams need to align to properly execute ABM, and how to encourage sales support and collaboration.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Meredith Fuller: LinkedIn // Quarry's Website
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
B2B buyers want personalized experiences, including instant access to the brands with which they do business. That's why the ideal response time from chatbots is 5 seconds. The quicker the response, the higher the satisfaction. But personalized experiences don’t end with marketing either – they must extend through the sales process.
In this episode of Closing Time, Insightly CMO Chip House and Drift CMO Katie Foote discuss ways to enhance your digital customer experience through conversational marketing and utilizing chatbots to boost pipeline and revenue. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Katie Foote: LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
All of your go-to-market teams need to buy into your ICP in order to rally around it – but doing so is easier said than done. To start, you need to define who your ideal customer is. Then, you need to closely monitor the metrics to ensure your ICP is still relevant 6, 9, and 12 months down the road.
This can be especially challenging for high-growth companies who are looking to go upmarket. In this episode of Closing Time, Insightly’s Chip House is joined by Brad Rosen of Sales Assembly to talk through developing and aligning around an ICP that resonates across your organization.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Brad Rosen: LinkedIn // Sales Assembly
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Becoming a first-time VP of Sales is not for the faint of heart – the successful track record, tip-top resume, nailing the interview process. But as soon as you land that VP title, the hard work has only just begun.
In our latest episode of Closing Time, we speak with Amy Volas, owner of the Executive Search Firm, Avenue Talent Partners, about the biggest struggles VPs of sales and sales executives face throughout their interview process, the first 90 days, and how to keep the title. Watch the episode on YouTube.
First 90 Days book: https://hbr.org/books/watkins
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Amy Volas: LinkedIn
• Dave Osborne: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
More sales activity = more meetings? Maybe, if you have the right strategy.
When it comes to a B2B seller's daily activities, there is a mathematical angle, but sales leaders need to explore their team's outbound strategy as well.
In this episode of Closing Time, sales consultant Kim Cram talks with Insightly CSO Dave Osborne about how sales leaders can leverage a sales activity calculator and coach their teams to optimize outbound selling time and book more meetings. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Kim Cram: LinkedIn
• Dave Osborne: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Your team is spread across the country, and the forecasts are looking a bit anemic. Is it the economy, our industry, or just bad timing? Regardless, it’s time for leaders to step up and create an environment that attacks, supports, and retains remote sales teams.
Join Mike Weir, CRO of G2 and former sales leader at LinkedIn, as he shares his insights into effectively using off-site team meetups to keep remote teams engaged. What’s the right mix of information vs. team bonding to maximize your time together, whether in person or online? How do we keep salespeople thriving in times of uncertainty? How does the approach differ with entry-level SDRs/BDRs vs. seasoned enterprise AEs? Mike addresses all of these questions and more in this episode of Closing Time. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Mike Weir LinkedIn // G2 Website
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
How long do sellers have to gain trust during a cold call? 7 seconds.
Whether you’re using intent data or slightly warm leads, the first few seconds of that first outreach are the most important. But it's oftentimes where sellers miss the mark, by either pushing their product or failing to build trust and spark the prospect's curiosity.
In this episode of Closing Time, Chris Beall, CEO of ConnectAndSell, shares an outbound cold calling script that helps sellers create productive conversations quickly and increase their chances of booking a meeting in less than 30 seconds. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Chris Beall: ConnectAndSell Website // LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Sellers: how are you creating connections, building trust, and cementing rapport without feeling inauthentic in a virtual first world?
The goal is to provide your prospects and customers with a unique experience online or via Zoom that captures their attention and makes you memorable for weeks after your call has ended. The million-dollar question is…how? The secret lies in being intentional in the way you communicate so you can win every relationship, even if you don’t win the deal.
Join Ravi Rajani, a podcaster, speaker, and communication expert, in the latest episode of Closing Time to discover four simple methods to establish rapport online without appearing pushy or artificial. You will learn how to purposefully utilize your zoom background, demonstrate your interest in potential clients, and employ storytelling techniques to effectively engage and connect with your virtual audience. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Ravi Rajani: LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
AI services like ChatGPT and Bard are already impacting how marketing professionals generate content for SEO (search engine optimization).
But most experts agree that high-performance content cannot be achieved simply by clicking a button. The human touch is necessary to be successful.
In this episode of Closing Time, we’re joined by Mitch Causey of Demandwell, an SEO growth platform, where he’ll share his team’s tactics for leveraging AI to shorten the time it takes to produce quality content that not only ranks in Google but that your team can still be proud of. Watch the full episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Mitch Causey: Demandwell Website // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
How you personalize your sales outreach can make or break your sales process.
Show Me You Know Me (#SMYKM) is a concept that runs through every single part of your sales process, from the first email the buyer receives – to the 1,000th touchpoint you've had in a long-term client's engagement.
In this episode of Closing Time, we interview sales expert Sam McKenna and discuss some of the key components of success with SMYKM and how to capitalize on the data in your CRM to personalize your sales and run effective sales campaign processes. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Sam McKenna: Website // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
It’s easy for salespeople to get into a rut and deliver the same sales demo every time. Today’s buyers won’t have it…they’ll watch a recording at their leisure if that’s what they want.
You’ve got to use that discovery call to its fullest potential and customize the experience to make the most of your prospect’s time. In this episode of Closing Time, sales consultant Kim Cram talks with Insightly CSO Dave Osborne about how to be disciplined in the demo and use discovery details to make it impactful. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Kim Cram: LinkedIn
• Dave Osborne: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Not only should women have a seat at the table in sales and sales leadership, but your company is actually suffering without them. How much?
Well, according to a study from Gong, women close 11% more deals than men. Yet, here we are in 2023, and the gender gap still exists.
In this episode of Closing Time, Amy Volas, strategic advisor and owner of Avenue Talent Partners, breaks down the gender gap in sales and what we can do to bridge it. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Studies referenced during discussion:
https://www.gong.io/blog/women-in-sales/
https://www.businessinsider.com/salesmen-actually-talk-more-than-saleswomen-2017-7
https://www.vox.com/xpress/2014/8/8/5983287/women-management-gender-gap-workplace
https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplace
Connect With:
• Amy Volas: LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
What’s in between a ‘yes’ and a signed deal? It’s the proposal. The proposal is an opportunity to cement the deal or possibly lead it astray, so it’s crucial to get it right.
In this episode of Closing Time, Insightly’s Chip House is joined by Keith Rabkin, CRO at PandaDoc. With more than 50,000 customers, the team at PandaDoc has some insights into what works – and what doesn’t – when it comes to proposals. Keith and Chip talk through the 4 keys to successful proposals (timing, format, customer focus, and analytics) that are proven to better engage customers and increase close rates. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM today!
Connect With:
• Keith Rabkin: LinkedIn
• PandaDoc: LinkedIn // Instagram // Twitter // YouTube
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
80% of a B2B buyer's time is spent researching products and evaluating options independently, and only 20% is spent meeting with a sales rep. As information sharing becomes more readily available for buyers, will the salesperson's job eventually become obsolete?
In 2015, Forrester predicted that 1 million B2B sales jobs would be eliminated by 2020 because of buyers’ easy access to information. But it never happened.
In fact, the opposite happened: B2B sales roles actually grew.
In this episode of Closing Time, Todd Caponi joins us to explore the future of B2B sales, why it’s growing, and how sales teams should navigate the increasingly complex customer journey. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM.
Connect With:
• Todd Caponi: Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Account-based marketing (ABM) can be a more efficient way to drive higher-value deals, reduce lead lifecycle, and increase revenue for B2B businesses.
The catch? Successful ABM strategies require complete alignment and support from your sales and marketing teams - and experienced go-to-market leaders know just how challenging that alignment part can be.
John Short, CEO of Compound Growth Marketing, joins Chip House in this episode of Closing Time to talk about how your digital marketing team can power your ABM campaign, with the first and most important step being sales and marketing integration. With these tips and some help from SEO and paid media, you can launch a powerful ABM program in your organization. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a free demo of Insightly's modern, scalable CRM today!
Connect With:
• John Short: LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Too many salespeople use the same playbook for every buyer, every time. In 2023, that is a recipe for disaster or – at the very least – missing your sales quota.
In this episode of Closing Time, learn from marketing and CX expert Jay Baer how to customize the three essential elements of sales follow-up communication – cadence, content, and channel – to turn more prospects into leads and more leads into sales. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to stay up to date on the latest happenings in sales, marketing and customer success? Subscribe to the Closing Time podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
Connect With:
• Jay Baer: Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Dave Osborne: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
You’re interrupting your prospect’s day. You have 10 seconds on a cold call to pique their interest and provide some sort of value before they inevitably say, “I’m not interested.” What is your response?
According to Charlotte Lloyd, sales consultant and outbound sales guru, there are quite a few options available to you to not only respond but continue the conversation productively and increase your chances of landing that meeting.
Turn your outbound around with these eight responses to overcome the dreaded "I'm not interested" objection. Watch the full episode on YouTube.
Want to better align your go-to-market teams? Get a demo of Insightly's CRM today: https://bit.ly/3sITbqV
Connect With:
• Charlotte Lloyd: LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Chat leads inherently have high intent. This person is on your website and wants to engage with your team - amazing! Do you know how to best align your sales and marketing teams to get the most out of prospect chats?
Join Insightly CMO Chip House and Drift CMO Katie Foote for this episode of Closing Time as they talk through effective ways to thoughtfully route chat leads to maximize their potential.
Want to stock your bookshelf on us?
Enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase books authored by Closing Time guests.
Connect With:
• Katie Foote: LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Your RevOps team is the key to launching and maintaining a high growth trajectory for your business.
In this episode of Closing Time, Dave Osborne is joined by Eddie Reynolds, a RevOps consultant and CEO of Union Square Consulting, to hear about a model Eddie developed while working with high-growth businesses. Dave and Eddie will talk through sales ops, marketing ops, and RevOps. Then, they’ll break down the five aspects of the model and talk about how each step can be accomplished by your team. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to stock your bookshelf on us?
Enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase books authored by Closing Time guests.
Connect With:
• Eddie Reynolds: LinkedIn
• Dave Osborne: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
The B2B sales compensation market shifts quickly – how are you keeping up in 2023?
In this episode of Closing Time, we’ve invited Amy Volas, strategic advisor and owner of Avenue Talent Partners, to break down what's driving the sales compensation market, risks to be aware of, and the importance of a strong sales hiring process. Why do A-players leave? Find out!
Want to stock your bookshelf on us?
Enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase books authored by Closing Time guests.
Connect With:
• Amy Volas: LinkedIn
• Dave Osborne: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
You’ve heard about ChatGPT in the news and online, but how exactly does it benefit Go-to-Market professionals?
In this episode of Closing Time, columnist, author, and host of the Paychex Thrive business podcast Gene Marks joins Insightly’s Chip House on Closing Time to go over five areas where you can start using ChatGPT today to save on resources and time. Actionable tips for salespeople, marketers, and customer success professionals are included. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to stock your bookshelf on us?
Enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase books authored by Closing Time guests.
Connect With:
• Gene Marks: LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Looking to supercharge your outbound sales strategy in 2023? Most sales leaders use LinkedIn Sales Navigator to fuel their outbound sales process. But, as we have learned, very few have mastered it.
In this episode of Closing Time, LinkedIn Ambassador Sam McKenna, does a deep dive into LinkedIn Sales Navigator to showcase how users are underutilizing the tool and highlight features and tips most sales leaders are ignoring. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to stock your bookshelf on us?
Enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase books authored by Closing Time guests.
Connect With:
• Sam McKenna: Website // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Are MQLs dead? Marketers have relied on generating Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) for years, using them as a critical metric to measure success. But treating all MQLs the same is a mistake.
John Short, CEO of Compound Growth Media, joins Chip House in this episode of Closing Time to talk about the paid media strategies that drive MQLs. He’ll also talk through how the source of your MQLs results from the level of intent and how bucketing them differently is the key to conversions.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to stock your bookshelf on us?
Enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase books authored by Closing Time guests.
Connect With:
• John Short: LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Buyers – especially in B2B – learn about products and services in various ways. As social media platforms like TikTok continue to gain popularity, it becomes increasingly difficult for marketers to track web traffic and social engagement with traditional analytics tools.
Enter the phenomenon of dark social – something that is guaranteed to impact your brand. Author and CEO of Zen Media, Shama Hyder, will break it all down for you in this episode of Closing Time. She's answering the obvious questions: What is dark social? How does it affect companies? How can I leverage it? Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to stock your bookshelf on us?
Enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase books authored by Closing Time guests.
Connect With:
• Shama Hyder: Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Happy Women's History Month! Female salespeople are statistically proven to have better outcomes (e.g. more wins) than their male colleagues, and yet the profession is still male-dominated.
In this episode of Closing Time, sales leader Charlotte Lloyd dives into this phenomenon, looking at what attracts and repels women from the profession and how women salespeople can find the right businesses to use their talents and succeed. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to stock your bookshelf on us?
Enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase books authored by Closing Time guests.
Connect With:
• Charlotte Lloyd: LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
No one wants to receive a “check-in.” In fact, it might be the worst follow-up email to send (or receive). No value. No update. No bueno.
Instead of the same tired cadence, the most effective salespeople use content marketing resources – blogs, articles, reports, podcasts, videos, and more – to generate interest, capture demand, and close more deals.
In this episode of Closing Time, Jay Baer discusses the latest tips and trends in content marketing so that every email, call, and text you send also makes your prospective customers better, smarter, and more ready to buy. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to stock your bookshelf on us?
Enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase books authored by Closing Time guests.
Connect With:
• Jay Baer: Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
How do you make a go-to-market plan? Which motion and strategy do you choose? Which is best for your business? If you've asked yourself any of those questions, then this is the Closing Time episode for you.
Join Insightly CMO Chip House as he interviews Sangram Vajre, CEO of GTM Partners on the 7 types of go-to-market. They’ll review the growth lever associated with each and who is responsible for execution. Whether you’re inbound-led, channel-led, or product-led, you’ll find key descriptions and teams associated with your chosen go-to-market strategy(s). Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to stock your bookshelf on us?
Enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase books authored by Closing Time guests.
Connect With:
• Sangram Varje: Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
To connect with your prospects and convert them into paying customers, one of the most powerful stories you can share during the sales process to accelerate trust is a customer success story.
In this episode of Closing Time, podcaster, speaker, and storytelling expert Ravi Rajani shares his "ACORN" checklist for crafting a compelling sales success story. Several key ingredients go into crafting a high-converting customer success story. Unlock Ravi’s ACORN checklist to take you and your team’s storytelling to the next level. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to stock your bookshelf on us?
Enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase books authored by Closing Time guests.
Connect With:
• Ravi Rajani: LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Having trouble forecasting 1-2 quarters out? Feeling reactive rather than proactive? Hold out hope for big deals to save the quarter? You're not alone.
In this episode of Closing Time, Sangram Vajre, CEO of GTM Partners, shares the results of a recent survey of 250 go-to-market leaders in sales, marketing, and customer service. He'll cover the top 5 go-to-market challenges and how you can enable your GTM team to overcome them in 2023. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to stock your bookshelf on us?
Enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase books authored by Closing Time guests.
Connect With:
• Sangram Varje: Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
The prospect has the budget. They have the authority. They have the need. But timing? “Sorry, we’ll have to push this project for six months.”
Overcoming this lack of urgency is tough – but not impossible, and Closing Time has got you covered. You’ve got to help them recognize the negative consequences of their current state.
In this episode, we hear from Doug Landis, former Chief Storyteller and VP of Sales Productivity & Enablement at Box, on his game-changing tips to overcome a prospect’s lack of urgency. You’ll learn the skills to get your prospects to articulate why the status quo isn’t working and is costly. You’ll do this through connection, credibility, and empathy. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to stock your bookshelf on us?
Enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase books authored by Closing Time guests.
Connect With:
• Doug Landis: LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
60% of well-qualified deals will end in no decision due to the fear of change or choice paralysis. Why? Salespeople fail to turn sales discovery calls into actual business conversations.
Doug Landis, former Chief Storyteller and VP of Sales Productivity & Enablement at Box, joins us for this episode of Closing Time to review the steps to building a real business conversation before the call. He'll also share tips for perfectly executing the discovery call and how to help buyers overcome status quo bias. FYI: This requires homework.
This proven process will get you past the “why change” question and set you up for success in the next discussion – the “why now.” Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to stock your bookshelf on us?
Enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase books authored by Closing Time guests.
Connect With:
• Doug Landis: LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Does the traditional sales negotiation process almost feels like a hostage situation? We build trust and form a relationship, then when the customer says "yes," the gloves come off. As a sales leader, we know you’ve been there.
In this episode of Closing Time, sales expert Todd Caponi will provide simple techniques to improve your sales negotiation skills, build trust, and create a better overall sales experience. The result? You’ll discount less and make all of your deals more predictable. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to stock your bookshelf on us?
Enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase books authored by Closing Time guests.
Connect With:
• Todd Caponi: Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Building an SDR or BDR program from scratch can be daunting. What metrics can help you determine if the time is right to start an SDR program? Do you have the right size team, deal size, and sales cycle to justify it? How will your tech stack need to change? Do you need to hire SDRs with experience or recruit from different industries? What’s the best way to begin?
In this episode of Closing Time, sales expert Sam McKenna answers all those questions and more to ensure you're prepared to launch a successful SDR/BDR program in your organization. Watch the episode on YouTube.
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Enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase books authored by Closing Time guests.
Connect With:
• Sam McKenna: Website // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
How is your sales team’s relationship with the marketing department? According to the latest research - it’s probably not great. In fact, 87% of the words marketers and salespeople use to refer to one another are negative (good luck reaching the quota in that environment). But it doesn't have to be that way.
In this episode of Closing Time, Jay Baer shows how smart organizations are building that bridge through unified CRM systems, aligned success metrics, KPIs, and proactive mechanisms to build relationships and eliminate surprises. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to stock your bookshelf on us?
Enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase books authored by Closing Time guests.
Connect With:
• Jay Baer: Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Dave Osborne: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
To retain, grow and inspire your sales team, your culture is everything. But how do you motivate a sales team that stays, performs, and advocates in the Great Resignation era? Sales expert Todd Caponi would argue it has to do with maximizing intrinsic inspiration.
In this episode of Closing Time, we'll discuss the six categories of sales motivation and inspiration (also referred to as the PRAISE model), along with easily actionable ideas to help you maximize them in any sales environment. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to stock your bookshelf on us?
Enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase books authored by Closing Time guests.
Connect With:
• Todd Caponi: Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Sales and marketing professionals – it's time to optimize your LinkedIn profile. With over 830 million users and 4/5 of them being decision-makers, it's more important than ever to utilize LinkedIn to its fullest potential.
In this episode of Closing Time, LinkedIn expert Sam McKenna dives into a few of the latest components of LinkedIn profile optimization, the logic and structure of the Linkedin algorithm, and even a few things that might be limiting your success on LinkedIn. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to stock your bookshelf on us?
Enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase books authored by Closing Time guests.
Connect With:
• Sam McKenna: Website // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
How can aligning go-to-market teams help to elevate and deliver a fantastic customer experience? Research shows that aligned sales and marketing teams produce 400% higher average annual growth rates than teams that aren't aligned.
In this episode of Closing Time, Jay Baer explains the philosophy of "Youtility" and the importance of building relationships and creating value that "transcends the transaction." He also provides actionable tips for B2B go-to-market teams to help them achieve alignment and enhance the customer experience.
Want to stock your bookshelf on us?
Enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase books authored by Closing Time guests. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Connect With:
• Jay Baer: Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
The sales tech stack continues to grow and become more powerful. But is that a good thing? Or is it getting in the way of viewing the world through the eyes of the buyer?
In this episode of Closing Time, Todd Caponi will use sales history as a guide to optimize our tech stack decisions, talk about building a winning tech stack that’s right for your team, and restore the sales profession to its once-admired roots. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to stock your bookshelf on us?
Enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase books authored by Closing Time guests.
Connect With:
• Todd Caponi: Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
It happens every day in every SaaS sales department: Motivated prospect. Pricing finalized. Contract sent. And yet? Silence.
Boom! Ghosted!
But when prospects go dark, how you handle the following steps could mean the difference between signature and silence. In this episode of Closing Time, Sam McKenna, CEO at #samsales Consulting, LinkedIn Ambassador, and Sales Expert, talks about how to capitalize on being ghosted when booking inbound and outbound meetings and how to avoid being ghosted after your proposal has been sent. Watch the episode on YouTube.
Want to stock your bookshelf on us?
Enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase books authored by Closing Time guests.
Connect With:
• Sam McKenna: Website // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Val Riley: LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
What is clinical empathy, and how can it help sales professionals increase win rates, improve pipeline efficiency, and remove friction in the buying process? Clinical empathy refers to the ability to feel (and understand) the buyer’s experience. In this episode of Closing Time, Todd Caponi, author of The Transparency Sales, will help us explore the science of buyer empathy and immediately apply these learnings to improve sales processes, outcomes, and the entire buying experience. It’s clinical empathy for the buying brain!
Want to stock your bookshelf on us?
Enter the giveaway to win a $100 Amazon gift card to purchase books authored by Closing Time guests.
Connect With:
• Todd Caponi: Instagram // Twitter // LinkedIn
• Chip House: Twitter // LinkedIn
• Insightly: Instagram // Facebook // Twitter // LinkedIn // YouTube
Welcome to the Closing Time podcast! Closing Time is a video and podcast series focused on tips for go-to-market leaders in the fields of sales, marketing, customer success, and more. Each week, we interview industry professionals and hear their thoughts on how sales and marketing professionals can improve their processes and see real outcomes fast. Get a feel for the podcast in this trailer and see if it's right for you. If it is, great! We're excited to have you onboard. Join us every Tuesday for new episodes!