Sales Gravy: Jeb Blount: Recent Episodes
Jeb Blount
Sales Professionals are the Elite Athletes of the Business World. The Sales Gravy Podcast has been described as βpassionate, motivating and essential for Sales Professionals and leaders who want to win and win big!β Jeb Blount is the bestselling author of People Buy You.
How do you know when a third party lead generating service is actually worth what you're paying for it, and should your team be leaving a voicemail on every single call?
In this week's Ask Jeb, Jeb Blount answers two questions, one from Mike, who runs a commercial signage business selling into real estate developers, general contractors, and architects, and one from Michael, whose SDRs are making 50 to 75 calls a day.
Jeb's answer to Mike is simple: in most B2B spaces, you never fully give up on a lead. Once a project closes, that lead moves into a nurturing campaign, not the trash, and a good lead gen partner earns its keep by spotting new opportunities before they're too far down the road.
For Michael, Jeb breaks down the three tier calling structure his own team uses to decide who gets a call, who gets a voicemail, and who gets cut loose, plus why building a homogenous list makes that whole process faster.
What You'll Learn:
- Why B2B leads should almost never be fully abandoned, even after a project closes
- What separates a lead gen service worth paying for from one that's just handing you a list
- How to build a three tier calling structure using qualified leads
- Why inbound leads should always get called before any cold outreach
- When it makes sense to skip the voicemail entirely on a cold list
- How building a homogenous prospecting list speeds up your voicemail messaging
- The five step voicemail framework that gets you on and off the phone in under a minute
Whether you're running a signage company chasing commercial real estate projects or managing a team of SDRs working a cold list, this episode gives you two practical frameworks: one for knowing when to let a lead go quiet, and one for knowing exactly who to call first.
Submit your question: salesgravy.com/ask
Purchase Jeb Blount's new book: 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
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What separates ultra-high performers from every other salesperson? It's Fanatical Prospecting. In this weekβs Money Monday, Jeb Blount explores why a full pipeline is the ultimate predictor of sales success and reveals the simple, repeatable habit that top earners use every day to outsell the competition three to one.
π Purchase Jeb Blount's new book, 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
π Download Our Free Fanatical Prospecting Dial Tracking Sheet
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Today's buyers have already done the research before they ever talk to a seller, so why do deals still stall out? Victor Antonio joins Jeb Blount Jr. to break down buyer resistance as a physics problem and says that friction, not objections, is what actually kills deals. They dig into why AI-educated buyers donβt need sellers to educate them; they need someone to validate what theyβve learned and give them the confidence to decide. They navigate what that shift means for sellers standing in the last mile of the decision. Victor also previews his session at this year's Outbound Conference, focused on the future of selling in an AI-driven market.
ποΈ Grab your tickets for OutBound Conference
π Download the FREE Small Business Guide to Sales Training
π Follow us on LinkedIn!
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If you sell into large companies, the biggest mistake you can make is prospecting the obvious title instead of the right one.
In this episode of Ask Jeb on the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount answers a question from Martin, who runs a high-end corporate gifting business and wants to know how to get decision makers at Fortune 500 companies to pay attention.
Jeb's answer starts with a simple filter: are these gifts going to employees or to customers? That single question determines whether you start in HR or in sales and marketing, and it changes everything about your prospecting approach. From there, Jeb walks through how to build a target list, how to use tools like ZoomInfo paired with LinkedIn to map an org chart and find real contact information, and why case studies and testimonials are the fastest way to make a new prospect feel safe saying yes.
What You'll Learn:
- How to decide between targeting inside a large account
- How to use tools like ZoomInfo paired with LinkedIn to build an org chart and find the right contact
- Why big company buyers are motivated by avoiding risk more than by getting excited about your product
- How to use existing customers as case studies and testimonials to build trust with new prospects
- How many target accounts you actually need in your pipeline to make relationship-based selling pay off
- What to do before you ever hire your first salesperson as a small business owner
Whether you're trying to break into your first Fortune 500 account or building out a sales team for the first time, this episode gives you a practical framework for finding the right person to sell to and proving you're safe to do business with.
Submit your question: salesgravy.com/ask
Purchase Jeb Blount's new book: 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
Download our FREE Prospecting Call Tracking Sheet
Follow Jeb Blount on LinkedIn
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Most sales reps spend their entire career chasing a number someone else set for them. In this Money Monday, Brad Adams, Senior Master Trainer at Sales Gravy, breaks down why quota is the wrong target β and what ultra high performers focus on instead. Four specific needle movers separate reps who hit quota from the ones making million dollar months look repeatable.
π₯ Check out Brad's Sales Gravy University Page
π Purchase Jeb Blount's book, 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
π Download our free Time Audit Log
π Follow us on LinkedIn!
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Fred Joyal sat at his first sales desk with a phone and a list of prospects, and couldn't make a single call. Years later, he'd built a business that generated over a billion dollars in revenue. Fred, co-founder of 1-800-DENTIST, joins Jeb Blount Jr. to break down the system that took him from frozen to fearless, and why the reps who win aren't the ones who feel ready, they're the ones who act first. They dig into how to build boldness through small, low-stakes reps before you need it in the moments that matter, why role playing is the fastest way to close more deals, and the story behind a $250,000 bet on live television. Fred also shares what happened when he said yes to an unexpected moment with Richard Branson, and why that yes changed everything.
π Purchase Jeb Blount's book, 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
π Download our free 7 Rules of Sales Negotiation Guide
π Follow us on LinkedIn!
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On this episode of Ask Jeb on the Sales Gravy Podcast, two callers bring Jeb Blount their prospecting problems. Calvin sells keynote speeches into a niche market and is stuck trying to find the one right person to call inside each organization. Dennis runs a sales outsourcing company and wants hard proof, not opinion, that cold calling still works so he can convince his own team.
Jeb's answer to Calvin is that there is no single right contact, there is a buying group, and the job is to multithread the account and reach all of them. His answer to Dennis is backed by real numbers, including a $250,000 day his own team generated from structured outbound calling when everyone had written off cold calling as dead.
What You'll Learn:
- Why the real question in niche prospecting is not who to call, but how many people in the org you need to reach
- How to multithread an account so you are not depending on one decision maker
- How Jeb's team turned a missed plan into a $250,000 day using nothing but structured outbound calling blocks
- What real cold calling conversion data looks like, from dials made to pickups to booked appointments
- Why mornings should be reserved for dials and afternoons for asynchronous touches like email, video and social
- Why small business owners answer their phones differently than executives, and what that means for when you should be calling
Whether you are prospecting into a niche market or trying to prove to your own team that the phone still works, this episode has something for you.
Submit your question: salesgravy.com/ask
Purchase Jeb Blount's new book: 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
Download our FREE Prospecting Call Tracking Sheet
Follow Jeb Blount on LinkedIn
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Most salespeople have heard the same advice at some point. Sell yourself if you want the job, the deal, or the room to like you. It sounds right. It isn't. People love to buy, but they hate to be sold, and that includes being sold on you.
In this episode, Jeb Blount breaks down why "sell yourself" is one of the worst pieces of advice in sales, using a personal story about a dinner conversation that seemed great in the moment and fell apart the second it ended. He makes the case that the harder someone pushes their own pitch, credentials, or charisma, the faster they push people away.
π Purchase Jeb Blount's book, 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
π Download our free Prospecting Call Tracking Sheet
π Follow us on LinkedIn!
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Lee Salz is back, putting his new bestseller, The First Meeting Differentiator, to the test against real sales scenarios. Jeb Blount Jr. throws three at him: a rep who gets reduced to a price quote after leading with discovery questions, a technical AE who delivers a flawless ROI pitch and still loses what looked like a guaranteed deal, and a rep who runs a great meeting and still gets ghosted two weeks later. Lee breaks down what actually went wrong in each one, why logic without emotion rarely wins a buyer's trust, and why even a strong first meeting can fall apart without the right close. If you've ever walked out of a meeting feeling great and then never heard back, this conversation explains exactly why, and what to do differently next time.
π Download the first chapter of Lee Salz's book "The First Meeting Differentiator"
π Download our free guide A.C.E.D. Buyer Style Communication Guide
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Tristen is a residential and commercial real estate agent from Flowery Branch, Georgia who built a database of over a thousand contacts through years of relentless cold calling. Now that his pipeline is full of warm relationships, he feels guilty for not cold calling like he used to and wants to know if Jeb went through the same shift.
Jeb's answer cuts right to it: that guilt is cognitive dissonance, and it is a good sign, not a bad one. Your heart already knows the truth. A database built on cold calling decays every single day as people move, change jobs, and change circumstances, so even a full pipeline needs fresh blood coming in to stay strong. Jeb breaks down the difference between cold activity that builds new relationships and nurture activity that maintains existing ones, and why you need a deliberate mix of both no matter how big your database gets. He also shares the real story of a senior salesperson on his own team whose pipeline coverage dropped by hundreds of thousands of dollars the moment she quit cold calling, and how a small daily commitment brought it roaring back.
What You'll Learn:
- Why feeling guilty about not cold calling is your gut telling you something true
- How a database built through cold calling decays over time if you stop feeding it
- The real difference between cold prospecting and nurturing an existing database
- Why pipeline coverage shrinks fast once new activity stops, even with a full database
- How to build a sustainable daily prospecting habit instead of an all or nothing grind
- Why door knocking and open houses count as cold prospecting in real estate
- A simple trick for turning one more call or one more door into a daily habit
Submit your question: salesgravy.com/ask
Purchase Jeb Blount's new book: 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
Download our FREE Prospecting Call Tracking Sheet
Follow Jeb Blount on LinkedIn
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Ever sent a follow-up and assumed silence meant the prospect lost interest? Jessica Stokes shares a personal story about a caterer who stayed persistent through weeks of unanswered calls and texts, only to land the job days before the event. No response does not mean no interest. It usually means the other person is busy or buried in their own priorities. Jessica breaks down five ways to stay visible without becoming pushy, including bringing value to every touchpoint and mixing up your communication channels.
π₯ Check out Jessica's courses on Sales Gravy University
π Purchase Jeb Blount's book, 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
π Download our free Prospecting Call Tracking Sheet
π Follow us on LinkedIn!
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Every time you jump in to save a deal, you might actually be making your rep worse at their job. Steven Rosen is the founder and CEO of STAR Results, where he helps CROs and VPs of Sales build the kind of leadership infrastructure that makes coaching and accountability actually stick instead of falling apart under pressure. He's also the author of the book FOCUSED. He joins Ashley Blount to talk about a habit most sales managers don't want to admit they have. Steven and Ashley get into the hero manager trap, the real difference between coaching a deal and coaching a person, and the one thing every frontline manager needs to protect on their calendar no matter how busy things get. If your top reps still call you to bail them out, this one explains why.
π₯ Check out Steven's Sales Gravy University Course "Focused Sales Coaching for Sales Managers"
π Purchase Jeb Blount's book, 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
π Download our free guide "The Business Owner's Guide to Sales Training"
π Follow us on LinkedIn!
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If your sales organization is new and growing fast, the worst thing you can do is hire more people before you have a system for them to run. In this Ask Jeb on the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount answers two sharp questions from John, who leads sales for a Catholic nonprofit that is about to double in size through an acquisition.
Jeb's core message is clear: slow down, map your system, then scale. Without a documented sales process, every new hire is an expensive experiment. With one, you can bring someone in and get them producing results quickly, which means more resources going back to your mission instead of into onboarding chaos.
What You'll Learn:
- Why documenting your sales process from prospecting through close is the foundation for scaling
- How a repeatable, teachable sales system accelerates onboarding and protects your mission's resources
- Why you should hire salespeople before you hire sales leaders when building a sales team from scratch
- How to segment your prospect base by potential to help new reps win fast
- How the Rogers Innovation Curve applies to niche markets and what to do when you hit the wall of late adopters
- Why social proof and peer-to-peer influence matter more than brute force prospecting when selling to resistant prospects
- How to use executive-level endorsements as a strategic multiplier when selling into slow-moving organizations
- The role territory segmentation and CRM tools play in setting your team up for consistent execution
Whether you sell into churches, nonprofits, or any niche market with distinct adoption patterns, this episode gives you a practical roadmap for sustainable sales growth.
Submit your question: salesgravy.com/ask
Purchase Jeb Blount's new book: 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
Download our FREE Prospecting Call Tracking Sheet
Follow Jeb Blount on LinkedIn
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Most salespeople stay busy but struggle to produce consistent results. The reason usually comes down to one thing: they treat every prospect the same.
In this Money Monday, Sales Gravy master sales trainer Duff Tucker breaks down a three-variable prospecting framework built around lead temperature, sales cycle timing, and deal size. These three lenses help you decide who deserves immediate action, who needs nurturing, and who belongs in automation.
π₯ Check out Duff Tucker's courses on Sales Gravy University
π Purchase Jeb Blount's book, 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
π Download our free guide on The Seven Steps to Building Effective Prospecting Sequences
π Follow us on LinkedIn!
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Sellers often know a deal is falling apart before their leader does, so why do so many stay quiet about it? Helen Fanucci joins Jeb Jr. to unpack what that silence reveals about trust on a sales team, and why forecasts fall apart for reasons that have nothing to do with the numbers. They get into why buyers are harder to win over than ever, why AI is making the trust problem worse, and what leaders unknowingly do that keeps their sellers from speaking up. Helen also previews her session at this year's Outbound Conference, focused on building high-performing sales teams and retaining top talent.
ποΈ Grab your tickets for OutBound Conference
π Download the FREE Guide on How to Find a Sales Coach
π Follow us on LinkedIn!
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Should we remove humans from sales?
Shakaib Arsalan, CTO of a software company in Pakistan, comes to Jeb Blount with a question straight from the boardroom: his CEO wants to go fully humanless in sales by replacing the sales team with AI agents. Jeb breaks down exactly why that strategy is likely to backfire, what AI can and cannot do in a sales process, and how to think about the right balance between automation and human connection.
What You'll Learn:
- Why fully automated outbound sales is ineffective and dangerous to your pipeline
- The difference between low-complexity and high-complexity sales and how each requires a different approach
- How AI slop is actively destroying email as a sales channel and what happens when buyers catch on
- How to use AI to enhance your salespeople rather than replace them
- How to handle cross-cultural selling challenges when your team is calling into the US from another region
- Why empathy, pacing, and authenticity matter when building trust across cultures
Jeb also gives Shakaib straight advice on the trust gap that salespeople in South Asia and the Middle East often face when selling to US buyers, including what actually moves the needle and what tends to make it worse.
Submit your question: salesgravy.com/ask
Purchase Jeb Blount's new book: 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
Download our FREE Prospecting Call Tracking Sheet
Follow Jeb Blount on LinkedIn
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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Brad Adams, senior master sales trainer at Sales Gravy, delivers a straight talk on one of the most overlooked problems in field sales today. During the pandemic, field reps were forced to prospect and manage clients virtually β and many had their best years ever. Now that in-person is back, most have abandoned those tools entirely and returned to burning hours behind the wheel. Brad breaks down why that shift is costing field sellers more than they realize, and how blending virtual and in-person communication strategically is the difference between reps who dominate their territory and those who just drive through it.
π₯ Check out Brad Adam's courses on Sales Gravy University
π Purchase Jeb Blount's new book, 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
π Download our free guide on The Seven Steps to Building Effective Prospecting Sequences
π Follow us on LinkedIn!
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Most salespeople think a great pitch means a polished deck and a well-rehearsed script. Danny Fontaine, author of Pitch, is back on the Sales Gravy Podcast, joining Jeb Blount Jr. to walk through some of the most persuasive pitches in history, none of which involved a single slide. From Elisha Otis dropping an elevator three stories at the 1853 World's Fair to Cleopatra smuggling herself into Julius Caesar's chambers rolled inside a carpet, Danny unpacks what actually makes a pitch land: show don't tell, pattern interruption, sensory immersion, and putting the prospect at the center of the story. If your pitches are getting lost in a sea of sameness, this episode will change how you think about walking into a room.
Learn more about Danny Fontaine
Purchase Jeb Blount's new book, 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
Download our FREE A.C.E.D. Buyer's Style Guide
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Sean sells a family engagement survey tool to public schools and charter systems, and prospecting is not his problem. His deals are moving through the early stages just fine. But somewhere around stage three, things slow down, conversations keep happening, and the deal stops going anywhere. In this episode of Ask Jeb on the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount breaks down exactly why this happens and what Sean needs to do differently to get deals moving again.
The answer starts with understanding who you are selling to. Education is one of the most risk-averse buying environments in any industry. The people you reach through prospecting are typically consensus builders, a personality type that asks a lot of questions, gathers information, and then stalls before making any decision. They will keep talking to you, keep asking to see more, but they will not move forward on their own or step out and advocate for you unless the conditions are exactly right.
In this episode:
- The biggest mistake salespeople make when selling to risk-averse buyers and why confidence in your product works against you
- Why consensus builders are the most common buyer type in education sales and how to recognize the pattern before it costs you the deal
- How to get all the stakeholders in the room early instead of chasing decisions through a single contact who has no authority
- How to use micro stories and social proof to reduce fear and build confidence in the buying process
- The upfront agreement strategy one education-focused sales team uses to qualify deals fast and stop wasting time on prospects who will never commit
If you are selling into education, or any buyer where decisions move slowly, this episode gives you a concrete framework for getting deals unstuck and closing with less frustration.
Submit your question: salesgravy.com/ask
Purchase Jeb Blount's new book, 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
Download our FREE Prospecting Call Tracking Sheet
Follow Jeb Blount on LinkedIn
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Success is supposed to be the goal. But for a lot of salespeople, it becomes the thing that unravels everything they built. Once you hit the leaderboard, start crushing your number, and get comfortable, success starts whispering that you've earned a break β that the fundamentals that got you there are optional now. That's where the danger lives.
In this Money Monday, Jeb Blount breaks down why comfort and complacency are the natural enemies of sustained success, what elite athletes like Kobe Bryant, Jerry Rice, and Tom Brady understood that most people miss, and how to do an honest success audit so you can find your hunger again before the wheels come off.
π Purchase Jeb Blount's new book, 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
π Download our free Prospecting Call Tracking Sheet
π Follow us on LinkedIn!
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Most salespeople think they lose deals in the closing conversation. Jake Stahl says they lose them long before that. Jake is a neuro strategist, CEO of Orchestraight, and author of Own the Room, and he has spent his career studying the behavioral signals buyers send before they go dark. In this episode, he joins Jeb Blount Jr. to break down his STRATA framework and show exactly how to read what buyers are really communicating, how to create the psychological conditions that make people want to say yes, and how to follow up in a way that builds obligation without pressure. If you have ever walked out of a meeting convinced you had a deal and then watched it disappear, this conversation will change how you run every sales interaction from the first touchpoint forward.
π Purchase Jake Stahl's Book, Own the Room
π Download our FREE A.C.E.D. Buyer's Style Guide
π Follow us on LinkedIn!
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AI call screeners are the new gatekeeper, and most salespeople are failing the relevance test before a human ever hears their voice. In this Ask Jeb episode, Cameron from the Raleigh-Durham area asks Jeb Blount how his healthcare staffing team can break through rising AI screening technology and get more physicians in front of clients who need them.
Jeb breaks down why AI screeners and human gatekeepers have more in common than you think, and exactly what your team needs to say in 15 seconds to earn the callback.
In this episode you will learn:
- Why relevance is the only thing that gets you through any gatekeeper, human or AI
- How to use multi-touch prospecting (call, email, LinkedIn, direct mail) to build familiarity before a prospect ever picks up
- What to say in 15 seconds or less when you hit an AI screener
- Why your office phone may be the reason your calls are getting flagged as spam, and what to do about it
- How to craft a relevance-first opening message for your specific industry and buyer
Whether your calls are being screened, flagged as spam, or going straight to voicemail, this episode gives you a practical framework to improve your connect rate starting today.
Submit your question: salesgravy.com/ask
Purchase Jeb Blount's new book, 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
Download our FREE Prospecting Call Tracking Sheet
Follow Jeb Blount on LinkedIn
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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Every salesperson hits a slump. The calls feel pointless, the deals dry up, and motivation disappears. Jessica Stokes has been there. Six months into her sales career, she was hitting her daily call minimum and still falling behind. She walked into her manager's office ready to quit. What he said next changed the entire direction of her career. In this Money Monday episode, Jessica shares the challenge that pulled her out of her slump and the four practical steps she still uses today to push through the hard stretches.
π Purchase Jeb Blount's new book, 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
π Download our free Prospecting Call Tracking Sheet
π Follow us on LinkedIn!
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AI has made it easier than ever to post on LinkedIn. It has also made it easier than ever to sound exactly like everyone else. Daniel Disney, author of The Ultimate LinkedIn Sales Guide, joins Jeb Blount Jr. to break down why copy-paste content and AI-generated messaging are flooding the platform with noise and costing sellers real pipeline. Daniel shares how elite sellers use AI as a starting point without losing their voice, why sales leaders need to lead by example on LinkedIn before they can expect results from their teams, and how to build a social selling strategy focused on outcomes instead of activity. If your LinkedIn presence feels like it is on autopilot, this conversation will wake it up.
π₯ Check out Daniel Disney's courses on Sales Gravy University!
π Purchase Jeb Blount's new book, 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
π Download our free Prospecting Call Tracking Sheet
π Follow us on LinkedIn!
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
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When the market shifts, your salespeople won't shift with it on their own. That's your job as a sales leader. In this episode of Ask Jeb on the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount takes questions from two sales leaders navigating some of the most common and costly team management challenges in sales: how to redirect high performers when market conditions change, and how to get a small team to stop chasing easy transactional deals and start closing high-value complex ones.
Jeb draws on real experience, including a story from the early days of the pandemic when one of his top performers kept prospecting into a dead market. His answer was simple: go where the money is. But making that shift happen at the team level takes leadership, market awareness, and consistent communication. The second question tackles compensation design, product confidence, and how to use success stories to shift your team's mindset from the path of least resistance to the deals that actually move the needle.
In This Episode:
- Why salespeople won't naturally redirect their targeting when market conditions shift
- How sales leaders can stay ahead of market trends to point their teams in the right direction
- Why salespeople default to easy deals and what drives that behavior
- How to fix the risk-reward structure without cutting incentives on bread-and-butter business
- Building product confidence so your team can go toe-to-toe with complex buyers
- Using success stories to motivate teams toward higher-value opportunities
Perfect For:
- Sales leaders managing teams through market shifts or economic uncertainty
- Sales managers with reps who avoid complex or longer-cycle deals
- Anyone building or restructuring a sales compensation plan
Jeb Blount is the author of Fanatical Prospecting, Objections, Sales EQ, and more than a dozen other bestselling sales books. He is the founder of Sales Gravy and one of the most sought-after sales trainers and speakers in the world.
Have a question for Jeb? Submit it at salesgravy.com/ask
Get your tickets to OutBound Conference: outboundconference.com
Get your copy of Jeb's new book: 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
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Most salespeople think they have a time management problem. They don't. In this Money Monday episode, Jeb Blount reveals the real reason top performers consistently outproduce everyone else, and the three choices every sales professional faces during the golden hours that determine whether they win or lose.
π Purchase Jeb Blount's new book, 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
π Download our free Time Audit Log!
π Follow us on LinkedIn!
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Jeb Blount Jr. sits down with Jack Frimston and Zac Thompson β co-founders of We Have a Meeting and co-authors of Sales is Therapy β for one of the most entertaining and honest conversations about what's gone wrong on LinkedIn. Jack and Zac have built their careers helping B2B companies fill their pipelines with qualified meetings by doing what most salespeople have forgotten how to do: pick up the phone and talk to people. In this episode, they react live to the cringiest LinkedIn sales posts they've ever seen, expose the red flags of the fake guru playbook, and share what authentic presence actually looks like in a world full of rented Lambos and borrowed credibility.
π Purchase Jeb Blount's new book, 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
π Download our free Prospecting Call Tracking Sheet
π Follow us on LinkedIn!
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What if you are brand new to sales and have no idea whose advice to trust? Andrew Osborne asked Jeb Blount exactly that question, and Jeb called it one of the best he has ever heard on this show.
Sales advice is everywhere and a lot of it is flat-out wrong. Someone who was number one on their team for one year is not a sales guru. A technique that works for one person in one market in one season is not a universal truth. In this episode, Jeb walks through best practices for evaluating whether someone is worth learning from, including the questions to ask, the resume details to look for, and the phrases that should make you run in the other direction.
In This Episode:
- How to tell the difference between real sales expertise and a flash in the pan
- Why longevity and an active book of business are the clearest signals of credibility
- The problem with "one way" sales thinking and why Jeb avoids it entirely
- Why all sales is poetry and probability, and what that means for how you train
- How to trust your instincts when advice sounds too easy or too good
Jeb Blount is the author of Fanatical Prospecting, Objections, Sales EQ, and other bestselling sales books. He is the founder of Sales Gravy and one of the most sought-after sales trainers and keynote speakers in the world.
Have a question for Jeb? Submit it at salesgravy.com/ask.
Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/salesgravy
Get your tickets to OutBound Conference: outboundconference.com
Purchase Jeb Blount's new book: 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
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In this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount breaks down the four principles of effective sales conversations: why emotions are contagious and set the tone before you say a word, why your stakeholders' stories hold the clues to their real pain, how questions give you control without dominating the room, and why listening builds the kind of trust that erodes emotional walls and reveals what actually closes deals. If you're talking more than you're asking, this one's for you.
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Ashley Blount sits down with Harriet Mellor, founder of Your Sales Co out of Australia, for a conversation about building a sales career on integrity, patience, and genuine relationships. Harriet shares how she nurtures prospects through years-long sales cycles without becoming a nuisance, why she refers clients to competitors, how consultative selling has driven her biggest wins, and the deal she cried over on a Friday afternoon and won back the following week.
π₯ Check out Harriet Mellor's courses on Sales Gravy University
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You cannot win by pulling buyers off platforms they are already embedded in. When you are brand new to sales, your only real path to first customers is finding the people who have not committed to anyone yet. That is your greenfield, and that is where every founder and early-stage rep needs to focus first.
In this episode of Ask Jeb on the Sales Gravy Podcast, Robert from Nashville, Tennessee joins the show with a real-world challenge: he spent years as a developer building a CRM specifically for home service businesses, and now he has to go sell it with zero sales experience. Jeb breaks down exactly how to define a tight Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), build a prospect list using AI tools, qualify fast on one disqualifying question, and get enough early customers on the platform to generate social proof and referrals.
What You Will Learn:
- Why greenfield prospects are your only realistic target when you are just starting out
- How to use Google Gemini to build a prospect list of local home service businesses in minutes
- The one qualifying question to ask on every cold call that tells you instantly whether someone is worth pursuing
- Why 6:30 to 8:30 in the morning is your highest-value prospecting window for owner-operators
- How to price your first customers to get skin in the game without scaring them off
- Why referrals and geographic territory focus accelerate early pipeline faster than any other tactic
Perfect For:
- Founders and entrepreneurs selling their own product for the first time
- Sales reps breaking into a market dominated by established players
- Anyone building a pipeline with no existing customer base or brand reputation
Jeb Blount is the author of Fanatical Prospecting, Objections, Sales EQ, and other bestselling sales books. He is the founder of Sales Gravy and one of the most sought-after sales trainers and keynote speakers in the world.
Have a question for Jeb? Submit it at salesgravy.com/ask
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Most sales reps burn out by week two of the quarter because they confuse speed with consistency. In this episode of Money Monday, Jeb Blount Jr. breaks down the pacing paradox: why sprinting through your sales activity leads to a ghost town in your CRM, empty pipeline, and the slow crawl to quota. Drawing from his own running comeback and a fresh take on the tortoise and the hare, Jeb shares how measured, sustainable prospecting activity beats frantic bursts every time.
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Mark Hunter has trained elite sales teams all over the world, but in this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast with Jeb Blount, Jr., he gets real about the deals he's blown, the mistakes he owned, and why selling with integrity isn't just the right thing to do β it's the only way to build a sales career that actually lasts.
π Learn more about Mark Hunter and his new book, Integrity First Selling
ποΈ Grab your tickets for OutBound Conference
π Purchase Jeb Blount's new book, 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
π Download the FREE 25 Ways to Ask for an Appointment on a Cold Call
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Enterprise selling is evolving fast, and the salespeople who understand what is coming are going to pull away from the rest of the field. In this episode of Ask Jeb on the Sales Gravy Podcast, Brian, a sales leader in Canada managing an enterprise team selling into large organizations, brings a big question: where is AI taking enterprise sales over the next few years, and what does that mean for sellers and their teams today?
Jeb's answer might surprise you. He believes AI is about to flip the information advantage back to salespeople. For years, it has been said that buyers need salespeople less and less due to the wealth of information widely available. Jeb breaks down why that is about to change, and why the sellers who learn to use AI as a research and intelligence engine will walk into accounts as true consultants with information their customers do not have.
But there is a caveat. Lazy salespeople and low-skill salespeople will not be able to operate in that environment. The technology only amplifies what you bring to the table.
Brian and Jeb also dig into a challenge a lot of enterprise teams are facing right now: getting back in front of customers after years of leaning on virtual meetings. Jeb makes a point that challenges every salesperson who has ever said their customers do not want to meet in person. Spoiler: it is not your customers who are avoiding the meeting.
In this episode you will learn:
- Why AI is poised to flip the information advantage from buyers back to sellers
- What the human-to-human relationship looks like in long, complex sales cycles
- Why salespeople project their own avoidance onto their customers and how to stop
- How to ask for a meeting with confidence instead of leaving the decision to your prospect
- The egg timer story: how Jeb turned a five-minute ask into an hour-long executive conversation
- Why great discovery and genuine curiosity will always outperform a polished pitch
Whether you are leading an enterprise team or carrying a bag yourself, this episode is a direct challenge to the habits that are keeping you from getting in front of the people who can actually buy.
Got a question you want Jeb to answer? Submit it at salesgravy.com/ask and you could be featured on the next Ask Jeb.
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In this episode of Money Monday, Keith Lubner fills in for Jeb Blount and breaks down the one metric that actually predicts sales success: the First Time Appointment (FTA). Using the Moneyball story as a framework, Keith explains why FTAs are the sales equivalent of getting on base β and how tracking them can transform your pipeline, your coaching conversations, and your close rates.
ποΈ Grab your tickets for OutBound Conference
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Buyer resistance is higher than ever, and most salespeople are losing deals because they lack the emotional intelligence to push through it. In this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Jeb Blount Jr. sits down with Colleen Stanley, Founder of SalesLeadership and author of Emotional Intelligence for Sales Success, ahead of her keynote at Outbound 2026.
Colleen breaks down why delayed gratification, internal locus of control, and assertiveness are the real drivers behind consistent pipeline movement. She also challenges sales leaders to rethink their hiring practices in an AI-driven world β because learning agility and teamwork are now non-negotiable.
ποΈ Grab your tickets for OutBound Conference
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When prospects jump straight to βHow much does it cost?β itβs usually a sign youβve lost control of the conversation. In this Ask Jeb episode, Jeb Blount breaks down how to handle early price questions with confidence, avoid sounding desperate, and redirect the conversation toward value so you can secure more appointments.
π Purchase Jeb Blount's new book, 90 Days to Level Up Your Sales Skills
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Before you say a single word, buyers are already reacting to your energy. In this episode of Money Monday, Jessica Stokes breaks down why your attitude walks into every call and meeting before you do, and how one simple 30-second reset can change your outcomes on the phone, on Zoom, and in person.
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Most sales reps figure out the fundamentals too late β after the missed quotas, the lost deals, and the hard conversations. In this Best of Q1 episode, Jeb Blount Jr. and Ashley Blount pull the most impactful sales performance insights from the last quarter into one place: goal setting, prospecting discipline, communication channels, and what top performers do differently.
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Are your daily sales meetings actually driving results, or just taking up time? In this Ask Jeb episode, Jeb Blount answers two real questions from sales leaders: how to run effective morning sales meetings that energize your team without wasting time, and how to balance empathy with accountability when coaching reps. Youβll learn how to structure daily huddles that reinforce skills, build consistency, and keep your team focusedβwhile still holding the line on performance.
π€ Ask Jeb a question on the podcast
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Why do buyers say no even when your solution makes sense? In this Money Monday episode, Jeb Blount breaks down why people buy based on their own prioritiesβnot your pitchβand how to align your conversations with what actually drives decisions. Learn how to shift your approach to close more deals by focusing on the buyerβs world, not your own.
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What happens when you stop waiting until you feel ready and just say yes? In this episode, Jeb Blount sits down with entrepreneur Vera Stewart to break down the mindset that separates top performers from everyone elseβconfidence, asking for more, and creating opportunities instead of waiting for them. If youβve ever hesitated to go bigger in your accounts or held back from asking for more, this conversation will challenge the way you sell.
π Read the blog - "The Power of Relaxed Assertive Confidence."
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Struggling to break into the C-suite without damaging your existing relationships? In this episode, Jeb Blount walks through how to multithread accounts, earn executive access, and craft a message that speaks directly to revenue, cost, and competitive advantage. Learn how to position your outreach so decision-makers lean inβand your current contacts help you get there.
βοΈ Have a sales challenge you want Jeb to answer? Submit your question at salesgravy.com/ask, and you could be featured on the next Ask Jeb episode.
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Q1 is behind usβwhat is your pipeline really telling you? In this Money Monday episode, Duff Tucker breaks down how top-performing sales teams use Q1 feedback to protect momentum, close gaps, and get intentional about their time, execution, and coaching. Learn actionable strategies to turn small adjustments into big results for Q2.
π Explore Duff Tucker's courses on Sales Gravy University.
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Learning how to pitch with confidence and emotional impact is the difference between closing deals and losing them β and Danny Fontaine, author of Pitch, is back on the Sales Gravy Podcast with Jeb Blount, Jr., to show you exactly how it's done. He breaks down the psychology of storytelling, how to read any room in real time, and the mindset shift that turns a rehearsed presentation into a genuine buyer connection. Plus, Danny gets candid about burnout, the power of saying no, and why protecting your priorities is the secret weapon behind every great pitch.
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Philip is a character licensing agent in the Philippines. He can close a deal in two weeks when a prospect already loves the brand he represents. But when he goes outbound to companies that do not know the character? He gets ghosted after the proposal every time.
In this episode of Ask Jeb on The Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount explains why Philip's problem is not a closing problem at all. It is a qualification problem that has to be solved at the very start of the sales process.
In this episode, Jeb covers:
- Why fast buyers and slow buyers require completely different sales approaches
- How to identify a seeker before you hand over your best leverage
- The investment principle and why multiple checkpoints close more deals than a single proposal
- How to test engagement at every stage so your pipeline only carries deals that are actually moving
If your deals are going quiet after you send proposals, this episode will change how you run your entire sales process.
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Most sales leaders are building good teams and calling it done. Cheryl Parks joins Money Monday to challenge that β breaking down the three levers that actually separate good reps from elite performers: nervous system regulation, the CAR Framework, and decision velocity. If your team is talented but stuck, this episode is worth your time.
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Most salespeople treat LinkedIn like a digital brochure or a place to blast connection requests and hope something sticks. In this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount sits down with Brynne Tillman, CEO of Social Sales Link and co-author of The LinkedIn Edge, and Dr. Lorenzo Bizzi, business strategy professor at California State University, to talk about what actually works on LinkedIn for salespeople right now.
They get into why cold outreach feels so painful and how LinkedIn changes that, the difference between fast and slow prospecting, and the LinkedIn outreach mistakes that are silently killing pipeline for sales teams everywhere. Jeb, Brynne, and Dr. Bizzi also break down what a good LinkedIn strategy looks like at the profile level, the message level, and the network level.
π Explore courses from Jeb & Brynne on Sales Gravy University.
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Being asked to carry a quota AND lead a team at the same time is one of the hardest situations in sales. Zach Mofield, a solar sales rep navigating a merger and acquisition in Fort Wayne, Indiana, brings this exact challenge to Jeb Blount on this week's episode of Ask Jeb on The Sales Gravy Podcast.
In this episode, Jeb breaks down the player-coach problem and why so many salespeople silently burn out trying to do both without ever having the right conversations with their leadership.
You will learn how to protect your prospecting time, how to talk to your organization about compensation and structure without issuing ultimatums, and why you have to set boundaries with yourself just as much as you set them with your company. Jeb also explains why hoping the situation will fix itself is not a strategy and what to do instead.
If you are in a role where your individual sales responsibilities and your leadership responsibilities are pulling you in two different directions, this episode is for you.
Have a question for Jeb? Submit it at salesgravy.com/ask and you could be on the show.
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A humbling moment on the ice forced Jeb Blount Jr. to confront a hard truth: heβd been coasting. In this episode, he shares how ego, comfort, and experience can stall growthβand how getting uncomfortable again can reignite performance in sales.
π Explore courses from Jeb Blount Jr. on Sales Gravy University.
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π Download our free 25 Ways to Ask for an Appointment on a Cold Call Guide
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Most sales reps are busy every day, but still can't fill their pipeline. In this episode, Jeb Blount Jr. sits down with Brad Pearse, founder of Simplified Sales, to diagnose why β from the social media vanity trap to the research black hole that burns reps out without producing results. Brad breaks down his 5-3-1 prospecting framework, how to lead with the problem you solve instead of the product you sell, and how to turn daily LinkedIn activity into real pipeline.
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AI is everywhere. Salespeople are using it every day. But are you using it the right way?
Caroline Cutter from Dayton, Ohio, calls in with a question a lot of sales professionals are wrestling with right now: how do you leverage AI efficiently without losing the human touch that actually closes deals?
Jeb's answer is going to challenge the way you think about technology in sales.
In this episode, Jeb breaks down the three types of salespeople in the AI era, and only one of them wins long-term. He explains why AI-generated emails are not just getting deleted; they are getting you blocked and costing you access to prospects permanently. He also shares how he personally uses AI to prepare faster, write smarter, and spend more time doing what only humans can do: connecting, reading the room, and building trust.
Here is the truth: AI is not going to kill sales. But it is absolutely going to punish mediocrity. The reps who survive and thrive will be the ones who use technology as a force multiplier without losing their humanity in the process.
In this episode, you will learn:
- Why wisdom is scarce in a world of unlimited intelligence
- The three types of salespeople in the AI era and which one wins
- Why AI-blasted emails are burning lists and closing doors permanently
- How Jeb personally uses AI to prep, draft, and move faster without sacrificing quality
- Why right now is a boom time for in-person and phone prospecting
- How to use AI responsibly so it works for you, not against you
Have a question for Jeb? Submit it at salesgravy.com/ask, and you could be featured on a future episode.
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Top-performing sales reps donβt just work hardβthey protect their Golden Hours. In this episode, Brad Adams, senior master trainer at Sales Gravy, breaks down the Golden Hours framework and shows how to prioritize high-value activities, stop low-value busy work from stealing your time, and maximize your pipeline every day.
π Explore courses from Brad Adams on Sales Gravy University.
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Why do even high-performing sales teams plateau or collapse under growth? In this episode, Jeb Blount sits down with Dayna Williams, author of The Diligence Fix, to explore how disciplined leadership, aligned teams, and a resilient sales culture keep revenue organizations from breaking under pressure. Learn the ten dimensions of organizational diligence and practical strategies to build a high-performing, scalable sales culture that drives results.
π Explore Dayna Williams' courses on Sales Gravy University.
π Read the blog on "Why Your Best Salespeople Make Terrible Sales Leaders"
π Download our free Leader's Guide to Sales Training
βΆοΈ Watch the full episode on YouTube
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Hereβs a question that should stop you in your tracks: What do you do when youβre booking meetings but prospects keep ghosting you?
That was the challenge posed by Brittany, a sales rep watching her show rates crater quarter after quarter, on this weekβs episode of Ask Jeb on The Sales Gravy Podcast featuring Will Frattini. Brittany was putting in the work, getting prospects to say yes on the phone, and then sitting alone on Zoom watching the clock tick. If youβve been there, you know how demoralizing that is.
The first thing you need to understand is the math. The best show rate you can hope for on first-time appointments is about fifty percent. If youβre above that, keep riding it. But fifty percent is the benchmark. That means for every ten meetings you book, expect five no-shows. The fix isnβt magic. The fix is volume and process.
Stop Pushing People Into Meetings They Donβt Want
Before you even think about your confirmation sequence, go back and listen to your prospecting calls. Ask yourself honestly: did that prospect agree to meet because they were genuinely interested, or because you wore them down and they said yes to get off the phone?
If youβre so good at closing for the meeting that youβre talking people into it rather than compelling them, youβve already lost. Thatβs not a show rate problem. Thatβs a buyerβs remorse problem. The prospect hangs up, questions their decision, and when Thursday rolls around theyβve convinced themselves they never really needed to meet in the first place. Strengthening your prospecting approach so that prospects are genuinely curious when they agree is the only real fix for that.
The Confirmation Process That Actually Works
Assuming you have a real reason to meet, the work doesnβt stop when they say yes. Hereβs what actually stops prospects from ghosting.
Before you get off the phone, confirm the meeting out loud. Say it. βIβm looking forward to seeing you Thursday at two.β Get that verbal confirmation back. Then ask for their email address on the spot and send the calendar invite immediately. Do not wait. And when you title that invite, donβt put βMeeting with Will.β Put your name, your company, their name, their company, and what youβre meeting about. A prospect who sees a generic calendar placeholder will delete it without a second thought. A specific, descriptive invite looks like real business and thatβs exactly the psychological signal you need to send.
The ten-and-two rule is worth using when youβre booking the meeting. Give two time options, not an open-ended βwhat works for you.β Something like: βI have Tuesday between ten and ten-thirty or Thursday around two. Does Thursday at two work?β Give a choice, take one away, let them pick. It creates agency and it creates commitment.
Stay Visible, Stay Relevant
Between the booking and the meeting, do not disappear. Send a short personalized video or email mid-week that reinforces why the meeting is worth their time. βI looked into your organization and Iβm looking forward to learning more.β Thatβs it. No pitch. No agenda. Just warmth and presence. What youβre doing is building what I call the guilt asset. Youβve shown up. Youβve done the work. For most people, not showing up now would feel rude. Youβve made it harder for them to ghost you.
For high-stakes meetings, large accounts, or anything where youβre bringing additional executives, confirm directly. Call or email. The calculus changes when the cost of a no-show is high. But for a standard first-time appointment with a single stakeholder, skip the confirmation call because it hands them an easy exit. Instead, if you have their office number, call the night before after hours and leave a voicemail. Let them know youβre looking forward to it and youβll see them tomorrow. Now they have to do the work to cancel, and most people simply wonβt.
Keeping your pipeline full of qualified first-time appointments is the foundation. But turning booked meetings into actual conversations is where the money lives.
When They Still Donβt Show
You did everything right. They still ghosted. Now what?
Hereβs the message: βHey, I hope everythingβs okay. I was on the meeting for about seven minutes. Iβve got time reserved Thursday and Friday morning between nine and ten. Just let me know if youβre okay, and if you donβt want to meet, I have really thick skin.β Keep it human. Keep it short.
Then, if theyβre a real account worth pursuing, reach out to reschedule by suggesting the same time on the same day of the following week. They agreed to that slot once, which means it was likely open. Donβt make them think about a new time. Just reset the existing appointment.
Hereβs the principle behind all of this: when you do the work, you own the moral high ground. And when you own the moral high ground, your prospect feels like they owe you. That means a higher probability they reset the meeting, and a much higher probability they actually show up next time. Treat them like a transaction and theyβll treat you the same way.
This is the system, the discipline, and the follow-through necessary to win. Not just activity for activityβs sake, but deliberate execution at every step of the process.
The Bottom Line
Stop blaming prospects ghosting you on bad luck. Most of the time it comes down to one of three things: you pushed someone into a meeting they werenβt sold on, you didnβt build enough relevance and visibility between the booking and the meeting, or you let the confirmation process fall apart. Fix those three things and your show rates will improve. Not to one hundred percent, because thatβs not real life. But to a level where your pipeline starts working for you instead of against you.
Jeb and Will go even deeper on getting past the people standing between you and the deal. Watch their Reach Decision Makers Faster: Beating AI & Human Gatekeepers webinar and put these tactics to work today.
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Have you ever had a moment where the answer you were looking for was right in front of you? Iβm talking about a giant neon sign moment where you realize that a strategy is working, and the proof is undeniable.
Today, I want to share a quick story about an unexpected moment of validation that I recently had, and the valuable lesson that every top sales producer needs to keep front of mind.
The Annual Sales Summit That Changed EverythingI have a client that Iβve worked with for several years now. Each month, I deliver virtual training workshops focused on different areas of sales. Some months our topic will be on prospecting best practices, and other months we may focus on things like sales negotiation skills or how to advance deals in the pipeline. These workshops are optional for the sales team to attend at this particular company.
So recently, I was invited to attend their annual sales summit. It was the first time that Iβd be putting faces to names and shaking hands with the people who showed up to my sessions, month after month. It was a pretty big event. There were hundreds of members of the sales team from around the US.
After grabbing my badge at the registration desk, I walked towards the main event space, and the sound of hundreds of conversations filled the room. It was that feeling of energy and the buzz of excitement when youβre surrounded by people who are having fun together.
As I walked through the mingling crowds, I saw it. There was a giant board, Iβm guessing about five feet tall, and at the top it read βTop Producers of the Year.β
Now, if youβre in sales, you know what these boards represent. Itβs the ultimate recognition and a testament to your consistency, grit, and incredibly hard work.
I found myself looking through the photos and the names. These were my clientsβ top producers, the ones who really earned their spot. And as I looked at each photo, a pattern started to emerge. I noticed a face that I recognized and then another. And then another.
I couldnβt help but start to smile as I kept scrolling through this list of the fifteen names on the wall. All but one of them were people who were showing up to the monthly workshops month after month. I was shocked. Not just proud, but genuinely humbled.
Now, Iβd like to believe that our training played a part in their success. But the truth is, they earned it. Their spot on that board, their results, their massive recognitionβit was a direct reflection of the continuous investments that they had been making in themselves. They didnβt wait to be great. They were proactively working on stepping up their skills one month at a time.
What You Need to RememberNow, if you take one thing from this article, let it be this: top producers donβt wait for success. They prepare for it.
That board wasnβt just a list of the most talented sales reps. It was also a list of the most intentional. It was a direct consequence of four behaviors that they had displayed:
- Showed up to the monthly workshops even though they were optional.
- Asked hard questions in these workshops.
- Applied new techniques and tools and put them into action immediately.
- Treated sharpening their skills as a non-negotiable.
Hereβs the truth: the person who dedicates one hour a week to getting better will always beat the person whoβs naturally gifted but a little lazy. Intention beats talent every single time.
6 Best Practices to Inject Intention Into Your WeekSo how do you inject that kind of intention into your own week? Here are six best practices to help you:
Show Up Before You Need ToThese top sales reps on the board didnβt wait for their production to dip before they started investing in training. They were already winning, and they still kept showing up. Skill building is like compounding interest. Small, consistent investments create exponential returns.
Treat Sales Training Like a WorkoutYou donβt go to the gym once and expect to be in shape. You show up three times a week for a year. Thatβs how you need to approach your professional development. Consistency is greater than intensity. Every session you attend adds a new tool, a perspective, or an edge to sharpen your game.
Decide That You Are Always a LearnerThe reps who excelled werenβt afraid to ask questions that other people might consider basic. They were seeking clarity, not just validation. Remember, ego is expensive. Curiosity is profitable. Never stop being the most curious person in the room.
Donβt Confuse Activity for GrowthMany sales reps are busy; theyβre active. But how many are truly intentional about growth? Top producers set aside uninterrupted time for professional development even when their schedule is getting full. So block out time to get better, not just to do more.
Implement One Thing ImmediatelyAfter attending a workshop or even listening to a podcast episode, challenge yourself to pick one tactic to put into action within twenty-four hours. Knowledge is power. Implementation is what turns that knowledge into results.
Surround Yourself with Other Top PerformersItβs easy in sales to get frustrated when we lose a deal or when things are not going our way. By surrounding yourself with other top performers, youβre going to help lift yourself up in those moments when you need a little extra support and motivation.
Why This Moment MatteredSeeing that board of top performers, that physical printed validation, it really struck meβthe emotion of realizing that the reps who had quietly and consistently invested in themselves all year long, had literally risen to the top. It was a powerful moment and reminded me why not only I do the work that I do, but it also absolutely confirmed that top performers are the ones disciplined enough to invest in themselves.
I encourage you to commit to just one of these six tips that I shared today. Write it down and put it into action within twenty-four hours. Momentum doesnβt come from waiting. It comes from action.
β
The top performers on that board didnβt waitβthey invested in training that got results. Explore my courses on Sales Gravy University and get the same strategies they used to reach the top.
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Morgan Keim, founder of Ocean Ridge Capital, raised over $400 million in venture capital before he turned 35. One of his companies alone pulled in over $300 million pre-revenueβconvincing pension funds and VCs to invest hundreds of millions in a company that hadnβt made a single dollar yet.
On a recent Sales Gravy podcast, he broke down exactly how he did it. The surprising truth? It had almost nothing to do with the pitch itself.
βYour single biggest tools in your toolkit are going to be your eyes and ears,β Morgan said. βItβs about listening and seeing where your prospect is and what they really want. That might be different than the words they use.β
Consider this: only 7% of communication comes from actual words. Another 38% comes from tone, and the remaining 55% shows up in body language and nonverbal cues.
If youβre in high-ticket sales, youβre probably spending most of your time perfecting that 7%, while missing the other 93% of what your prospect is really telling you.
What Youβre Missing in Every ConversationMost salespeople obsess over crafting the perfect email. They rehearse their pitch until itβs flawless. They tweak their value proposition endlessly. All of that lives in the 7% of communication that comes from words.
Meanwhile, prospects are giving away everything you need to know through their tone, body language, and the questions they askβor avoid.
Morgan learned this quickly when raising capital for a food tech startup. Different investors wanted completely different things, even when they all said they cared about βreturns.β
- One investor cared deeply about sustainability and environmental impact.
- Another focused purely on velocity of capital and exit timelines.
- A third had unusual mandates that werenβt apparent until Morgan listened carefully in person.
βIt all comes down to having a real understanding of the emotion that personβs feeling, the desired state of where they want to be,β Morgan explained. βLiving in that reality of who they are and what they want.β
High-ticket sales often fall apart here. Salespeople treat follow-up like a broadcasting exercise: same message, same pitch, same value proposition to everyone because itβs βefficient.β
Efficiency without effectiveness is wasted motion.
The Language Barrier Costing You DealsThereβs a language of entrepreneurial speak, a language of corporate speak, and a completely different language people use at home. You might communicate seamlessly with colleagues, but explaining your day to your spouse can feel like speaking a foreign language.
The same disconnect happens between you and your prospects. Most sellers speak βsales language,β while their buyers speak business or personal language. Top salespeople code-switch naturally. They pick up on how prospects talk, the patterns they use, and the words that matter to themβand mirror that style back.
In high-ticket sales, youβre asking someone to make a significant investment. They need to feel understood before theyβll trust you with that decision.
Take an HR leader versus a marketing leader in the same organization:
- HR cares about employee retention, engagement, and compliance.
- Marketing focuses on campaign ROI, conversions, and brand lift.
The same pitch to both? One will check out halfway through the first sentence.
Understanding Their Desired StateMake the prospect the hero of the story. Put your ego aside. Stop thinking about your quota. Focus entirely on their desired outcome.
Morgan never leads with what Ocean Ridge Capital offers. He starts by understanding their situation:
- Are they trying to create passive cash flow?
- Looking for tax efficiency after selling a business?
- Building generational wealth for grandchildren?
Each scenario requires completely different emotional framing. A person focused on legacy thinks about family and long-term impact, while a recent entrepreneur selling for eight figures cares about protecting capital and deploying it efficiently. Same product, completely different language. Send the same follow-up email to both, and youβre solving the wrong problem for one of them.
How This Changes Your Follow-Up StrategyOnce you realize that 93% of your communication lives outside words, your follow-up strategy has to change. Morgan uses multiple channels:
- Video messages let him read facial expressions and body language.
- Phone calls provide tone, pacing, and emphasis that email strips away.
- Handwritten notes show heβs willing to slow down in a world that automates everything.
- Educational content positions him as a resource, not just a seller.
He runs A/B/C testing across messaging angles because he canβt assume he knows what a prospect wants. When someone doesnβt respond to initial outreach, he shifts to βpassive value creationββdelivering insight, education, and contextβwhile still prospecting actively through multiple channels.
Every touchpoint adds value. Every channel gives a new way to read the prospect, learn their language, and adjust.
What to Do on Your Very Next CallHereβs your homework. Not next week. Not when you have time. On your very next sales call:
- Spend five minutes reading the room before you pitch anything. Notice:
- When their energy shifts.
- Words they repeat.
- Moments they lean in or check out.
- Mirror it back. If they say, βWeβre building something sustainable,β donβt respond with, βOur solution drives ROI.β Stay in their language. Stay in their world.
- Try a different channel. Been emailing for weeks with no response? Pick up the phone. Send a 60-second video. Mail a personalized note.
The mechanics havenβt changed. You still need multiple touches. But if you ignore tone, body language, and emotional state, youβre having a completely different conversation than your prospect is.
Why This Approach WinsHigh-ticket sales are about human connection more than polished words. Prospects respond to feeling understood, recognized, and respected. The words you say matter far less than how you convey empathy, awareness, and relevance.
Morganβs results speak for themselves: reading the unspoken signals and adapting builds trust, shortens sales cycles, and secures investments that others canβt reach.
High-ticket sales arenβt only about what you sayβtheyβre about what you see. Pay attention, and everything changes.
β
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Hereβs a question that cuts to the heart of what makes sales hard: What do you do when your commodity is identical to every competitorβs, the buyer knows it, and the only lever they want to pull is price?
Thatβs the challenge Ash from Chennai, India brought to me on a recent Ask Jeb episode. Ash works as a trader importing textile goods from Asian manufacturers and selling them into Spanish-speaking markets in South America and Spain. No proprietary product. No unique features. Pure commodity, all the way down.
And yet Ash is holding customers. Getting repeat orders. Building relationships across borders and languages. He just needed a framework to understand why it was working and how to make it work even harder.
The Trap Every Commodity Salesperson Falls IntoWhen everything looks the same, most salespeople default to one of two bad moves: race to the bottom on price, or get paralyzed trying to explain a value they canβt articulate.
Here is the brutal truth. Your buyer already knows the product is a commodity. They know they could go direct to the factory and cut you out entirely. They are not confused about that. What they are evaluating is whether the risk and hassle of cutting you out is worth the savings. Your job is to make sure the answer is always no.
That requires you to stop thinking about what your product does and start thinking about what YOU do.
Three Reasons Customers Keep Buying From AshWhen I asked Ash why his good customers keep coming back, he gave me three answers that every salesperson in a commodity business needs to write down.
You make it easy. Ash speaks Spanish. His customers speak Spanish. If they go direct to a Chinese or Vietnamese factory, they face language barriers, cultural friction, and communication breakdowns. Ash eliminates all of that. Business people will pay for less hassle. Time is money, and you are saving them both.
You are someone they like and trust. Ash follows up. He wishes customers a happy New Year. He remembers what matters to them. That is not fluff. That is relationship equity that compounds over time. When customers feel like they can trust you, when a familiar voice picks up the phone, they do not want to start over with a stranger.
You reduce financial risk. In Ashβs business, buyers put down a 20% deposit, sometimes a hundred thousand dollars or more, and pay the balance when the container arrives. The nightmare scenario is that container showing up full of the wrong product. Ashβs company has been operating for over 20 years. They do what they say they are going to do. That longevity is not just a stat. It is a security blanket.
The Power of the Micro StoryKnowing your value is half the battle. Being able to articulate it when a buyer pushes back on price is the other half.
Here is what I told Ash: You need stories. Not case studies. Not bullet points. Short, vivid, real stories that make the risk of cutting you out feel tangible.
Something like this: βI get it. You could go directly to the factory and save ten percent. Some of my customers tried that before working with me. One of them got a container full of product that was not what they ordered. It cost them more than they saved, and they had no one local, no one they trusted, to help them fix it. That is why they work with me now.β
That story is doing three things at once. It validates the buyerβs instinct to compare prices. It quantifies the real cost of the cheaper alternative. And it positions you as the solution to a problem they have not had yet but definitely do not want.
If you are newer to sales and do not have your own stories yet, go talk to your senior teammates. Read industry articles. Find examples of what goes wrong when buyers skip the middleman. Then make those stories part of your standard value conversation.
Not Every Buyer Is Your BuyerThis is the part that stings a little, but it is important. Some buyers are going to push back on your margins until the conversation goes nowhere. They will tell you the price they need, and if you cannot hit it, they will walk. That is okay.
What they are telling you is that they do not value what you bring to the table. They want the cheapest option, and that is a legitimate business decision. They are just not your customer.
Your job is not to convert every skeptic. Your job is to keep your pipeline full and find the buyers who genuinely value ease, safety, and responsiveness. Those are the ones who become long-term accounts. Those are the ones who, two or three years in, cannot imagine buying from anyone else.
Ash is already doing this well. He has visited customers in Mexico, Colombia, and Spain. He has done office meetings and factory tours. When a customer says yes to a visit, they are telling you something: you matter to us. That is what I call an engagement test, and Ash is passing it.
Your Value, Packaged SimplyIn commodity sales, your pitch does not need to be complicated. It needs to be consistent. Here is how I would frame it every time a buyer pushes back:
I make this easy for you. I am responsive. And your money is safe with me.
Then back each of those up with a story.
That is the whole game. Not features. Not specs. You.
When you are tired and ready to wrap up the day, remember this: the prospecting you do today pays you for the next three months. Pick up the phone and make one more call. The buyers who value what you do are out there. Go find them.
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Youβve heard people say, βSales is a grind.β
And theyβre right. Sales requires relentless effort. Youβve got to make the calls, run the process, deal with internal roadblocks, handle piles of rejection, and show up every day with a smile on your face, ready to do it all over again.
But the dirty little secret is that plenty of salespeople push through the grind day after day and still donβt seem to get ahead. They put in the effort and work hard, but get nowhere. All grind, but little progress.
Hereβs the truth they donβt always tell you: You can grind yourself into the ground and still fail if you donβt have the right mindset and belief system underpinning that effort.
To keep it real, Iβm the person who shouts from the rooftops that youβve got to βgrind to shine.β I say that in my book Fanatical Prospecting. Itβs printed on coffee mugs. I love that mantra because itβs about doing the things other people are unwilling to do.
But raw grind isnβt always enough. Sometimes, we need to pair grinding it out with tenacity.
Tenacity is a Sustainable Sales TraitIn sales, tenacity is a more sustainable trait than raw grind or pure persistence because tenacity combines persistent determination with process certainty and strategy.
Grind is about doing the daily, repetitive, rejection-dense work required for success, but it can quickly lead to frustration and burnout when it isnβt paired with enduring faith that the hard work is going to pay off.
Tenacity, on the other hand, is grinding combined with the absolute certainty that what you expect to happen is eventually going to happen.
Thatβs the difference between the rep who grinds hard for a quarter, feels that they are getting nowhere, and burns out because theyβre not seeing results, and the sales professional who consistently runs the sales playbook, without immediate evidence that itβs working, because they have faith that the process will eventually produce their desired outcomes.
Uncertainty Causes You to Constantly Change Your ApproachOne big problem with grinding without certainty is that when results donβt show up on your impatient timeline, you start changing everything.
You make 100 calls this week using one approach. Next week, you try a different script. The week after that, you switch your targeting. Then you read an article about social selling and abandon cold calling altogether.
Youβre working hard, but youβre also second-guessing every move. You change your messaging before youβve run it long enough to know if it works. You abandon techniques after a handful of attempts. You skip or change steps in your companyβs sales process after a couple of deals donβt go your way.
When you put in massive effort, but spread that effort across ten different approaches instead of trusting the proven process and playbook long enough to let it produce results, you end up in an exhausting, demoralizing quagmire of chaos and eventually give up.
The True Meaning of Process CertaintyWhen I say βcertainty,β Iβm not talking about positive thinking or affirmations or manifestation or any of that rah-rah motivational stuff.
Certainty in sales means knowingβnot hoping, but knowingβthat if you do the right things the right way for long enough, the outcomes are inevitable. That you get the Sales Gravy.
Thatβs what allows tenacious salespeople to keep grinding when others quit. Theyβre not grinding on blind faith. Theyβre grinding on proven evidence that the process works.
For example, in Fanatical Prospecting, I explain the 30 Day Rule, which states that the prospecting you do in any given 30 days tends to pay off over the next 90 days.
The 30-day rule is always in play. It is proven. It is truth. But youβll never see it work if your prospecting is sporadic rather than consistently executed every single day.
The Three Types of Certainty that Power the Tenacity EngineIf you want to develop real tenacityβthe kind that sustains you through tough markets, rough quarters, and slumpsβyou need to build certainty in three core areas.
- Certainty in Your ValueYou need conviction that what youβre selling genuinely improves your customersβ businesses in a meaningful way.
When you have that certainty, something shifts. You stop feeling like youβre bothering people or being pushy and start feeling like you are helping them. That you belong there.
And buyers can feel this difference. They sense and respond to your confidence, enthusiasm, and passion for helping them. Which gives you even more certainty.
- Certainty in Your ProcessYou need confidence that your sales process and playbook actually work.
Most sellers have been provided a proven, repeatable approach to building pipeline, qualifying opportunities, running discovery, handling objections, building consensus, negotiating, and closing business.
If you donβt have a process, read or listen to my books Fanatical Prospecting, The LinkedIn Edge, Sales EQ, Objections, Virtual Selling, and Inked. Collectively, these books give you a powerful playbook for success.
But regardless of whether you get your playbook from your company or me, believing that it will work for you is a choice and mindset that only you can step into.
If you are constantly second-guessing the process every time things donβt work out the way you want them to, you are doomed to frustration and failure. Youβll be a slave to flavor-of-the-day thinking and winging it from call to call and situation to situation.
But when you trust the process, youβll be steady, consistent, and confident. And youβll relax because you know that you wonβt win every time, no one does, but over time, because your process is proven, win probability is in your favor.
- Certainty in ProbabilityThis is the big one. You need certainty that the math works in your favor over time.
The simple truth is that sales is a numbers game played with human emotions. Not every call will book a meeting. Not every meeting will turn into an opportunity. Not every opportunity will close.
But if you control the inputsβactivity level, message quality, process executionβthe outputs become predictable and win probability bends in your favor.
Ultra-high performers understand this at a bone-deep level. They know their numbers and conversion rates. This gives them certainty that the statistics are working in their favor.
On the other hand, the reps who are winging it are sky high when something goes well and in the dumps when things donβtβwithout knowing what they did in either situation to affect the outcome. And it is on this emotional roller coaster where they eventually burn out and quit.
Top performers never board this emotional roller coaster because theyβre anchored to math, not mood.
How to Transform Sales Grind into Certainty-Fueled TenacityMaybe youβre thinking, βJeb, this all sounds great, but how do I build this certainty that you speak of?β
Fair question. Here are four ways:
Track Process Metrics, Not Just OutcomesIf you only measure outcomesβmeetings set, deals closed, revenue generatedβyouβre going to struggle with certainty during the lag time between the grind and results.
So instead, track the inputs like calls, conversation ratios, meetings, next step advances, or proposals delivered.
When you measure the right activities, you can see progress and celebrate small wins even when results arenβt there yet. This builds certainty that the process is working, which sustains your effort through the gap.
Practice Until You Donβt Have to ThinkCompetence begets certainty. Competence comes from practice and repetition.
Role-play your cold calls. Rehearse your discovery questions. Murder-board your presentations. Practice, practice, practice your sales story, messaging, and handling objections. Record yourself doing it and watch it back.
When youβve practiced something until it is pure muscle memory, you donβt get nervous when it matters. You donβt freeze up or get embarrassed when you fumble. You execute with relaxed confidence.
Emotionally Detach from Individual DealsThe fastest way to lose certainty is to attach your identity to one opportunity.
Tenacious sellers want to win every deal, but they donβt need to win every deal to feel okay about themselves. They treat each opportunity like one at-bat in a long season.
Emotional detachment isnβt indifference. Itβs a form of professionalism. Itβs caring about the outcome without being controlled by it.
Install a Mental Script for RejectionWhen you get rejected, it hurts, and your brain immediately tries to explain why. When you are in pain, it is super easy to default to stories that weaken your mindset and belief system. You say things to yourself like, βIβm not good at this or this isnβt working.β
Tenacious sellers consciously replace that story with self-talk that maintains certainty. βNot now isnβt never.β βThis is part of the math.β My inputs are correct, I executed my process, but this just wasnβt the right time for this buyer.β
This is how top salespeople think because they know that the greatest threat to tenacity isnβt the rejection, itβs the meaning you assign to the rejection.
Grinding Without Certainty is Just Another Form of SufferingSales will always be a grind. The calls donβt make themselves. The pipeline doesnβt fill itself. The deals donβt close themselves.
But grinding without certainty is just another form of suffering. Itβs unsustainable. Eventually, you get frustrated, burn out, and give up.
Certainty doesnβt eliminate the hard work, but it does make the hard work sustainable.
So if youβre grinding right now and not seeing the results you want, donβt just grind harder. Build certainty.
Get clear on the value you deliver. Trust your process. Know your numbers. Track the inputs. Practice your craft.
Because tenacity isnβt about being tougher than everyone else. Itβs about being certain enough to keep going when everyone else quits.
And remember, when you are tired, worn down, and feel like you canβt take another objection, when all you want to do is quit and go home, always stop and make one more call. Because that one more call is the ultimate demonstration of your trust in the process.
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I spent an afternoon at Ramsey Solutions in Tennessee with Jason Williams, Vice President of Sales for the EntreLeadership Division. What stood out wasnβt the size of the operation or the fancy building. It was walking into a room where sales reps genuinely wanted to talk to their leader.
Most sales floors feel like number factories. Reps avoid their managers. One-on-ones get rescheduled. And everyone wonders why performance stays flat despite βinvesting in our people.β
Sales leaders say coaching matters. They talk about developing talent. Then they spend their days staring at dashboards and asking why the team isnβt getting better.
Real sales coaching looks nothing like what most organizations call coaching. And after watching Jason work, Iβm reminded why so few leaders actually get this right.
What Sales Coaching Actually Looks LikeJason told me about one of his reps who started missing quota. Hereβs what usually happens: Manager pulls up the CRM, points at red pipeline metrics, asks what happened. The conversation goes nowhere. Rep gets defensive, makes excuses, promises to work harder. Nothing changes.
Jason took a different approach. He asked about his repβs life. Turned out he was stressed about buying his first house. That weight was bleeding into his work, affecting his confidence on calls, making him hesitant to push for commitments.
So Jason got into the field with him. He listened to calls. He rode along on appointments. He watched where deals were actually stalling. Then they debriefed what he observed. βHereβs what happens when pricing comes up.β βLetβs tighten how you handle that objection.β Zero mention of quota or pipeline metrics.
The rep turned it around because someone cared enough to understand what was broken and help him fix it.
Thatβs what coaching looks like. Managers react to outcomes they canβt change. Coaches focus on behaviors that create future outcomes.
Why Most Leaders Donβt CoachThe biggest barrier isnβt that leaders donβt want to coach. Most genuinely do. The problem is they donβt know what theyβre looking for because they never see their reps in action.
Think about last week. How many discovery calls did you listen to? How many demos did you observe? How many customer meetings did you attend just to watch your rep work?
If the answer is zero, youβre coaching from spreadsheets instead of reality. Youβre looking at lag indicators (closed deals, pipeline value, activity counts) and trying to diagnose skill gaps without ever seeing the skills in action.
Jason blocks time every week to observe his reps. Heβs not there to supervise them or take over calls. Just to watch. Then the coaching becomes specific. He can say, βwhen that prospect brought up budget concerns, you deflected instead of asking questions,β instead of just βyou need to handle objections better.β
You canβt coach what you donβt see.
The second barrier is culture. In typical organizations, admitting weakness feels dangerous. Youβre supposed to be confident, crushing it, always having answers. So problems stay hidden until they show up in the numbers.
By then, itβs too late to coach. Youβre in damage control.
Creating an Environment Where Problems Surface EarlyJason builds what he calls a βsafe spaceβ for his team. When a rep is struggling, he starts the conversation with curiosity instead of judgment. He asks open questions about what theyβre experiencing, where theyβre getting stuck, what feels hard right now.
When reps admit struggles, he treats it as useful information, not a character flaw. A rep says, βIβm nervous on C-suite calls,β and Jasonβs response is βokay, letβs work on that,β not βyou shouldnβt be nervous.β
Then he follows through. If someone admits theyβre stuck, he actually helps them. He role-plays the situation. He rides along on the next similar call. He provides tools and frameworks. The rep sees that honesty led to help, not punishment.
Over time, reps learn that surfacing problems early gets them solved. Hiding problems just makes things worse. So they start talking about whatβs actually happening instead of pretending everything is fine while their numbers slide.
The first time someone admits a weakness and you respond with frustration, you train the entire team to stay quiet. Managers say they want transparency. Few consistently reward it.
How to Actually Build a Coaching CultureIf you want to coach instead of manage, you have to make developing people the primary job.
Jason is clear that his main responsibility is making his reps better. Everything else supports that goal. Pipeline reviews and forecasting matter, but they exist to serve sales coaching, not the other way around.
Protecting coaching time is non-negotiable. One hour per rep per week, minimum. When conflicts come up, the internal meeting gets moved, not the coaching session.
Getting better at coaching matters too. Most of us got promoted because we were individual contributors. Nobody taught us how to develop other people. So we replicate whatever leadership we experienced, which is usually mediocre.
Your reps practice selling every day. You should practice coaching. Role-play difficult conversations with your peers. Practice giving feedback. Work on observation skills. Treat coaching like the professional skill it is.
And you have to measure what matters. If you only track team revenue, youβll optimize for short-term numbers at the expense of development. Start measuring coaching conversations. Track whether your reps are improving on specific skills. Monitor how long it takes new hires to ramp.
When I walked through Ramsey Solutions that day, I could feel the difference. Reps werenβt avoiding their leader. Retention was better. Performance was compounding over time instead of bouncing around based on whoever happened to be hot that quarter.
What Happens NextLook at your calendar from last week. How much time did you spend observing your reps versus reviewing their numbers? How many true coaching conversations did you have versus pipeline reviews?
If that ratio doesnβt reflect what you say your priorities are, youβve found the gap.
Your reps donβt need another dashboard. They need a leader who sees the work, understands where itβs breaking down, and knows how to help them improve.
Sales coaching isnβt reacting to results. Itβs shaping the behaviors that create them. The question is whether youβre willing to make that your real job.
β
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Here is a question that should keep every sales leader up at night: What do you do when your team has gotten so comfortable managing their existing accounts that they have stopped prospecting for new ones?
That is the challenge Jeff Velez brought to a recent episode of Ask Jeb. Jeff works in the real estate services industry, where referrals from agents, brokers, and affiliates drive most of the business. Retention matters. Relationships matter. But because there is always natural attrition, his team has drifted into full farmer mode.
If you are shaking your head right now, you are not alone. This is one of the most common and most dangerous patterns I see in sales organizations today.
The Farmer Mentality Is Killing Your PipelineYour book of business is shrinking a little bit every single day. Accounts churn. Contacts leave. Referral partners move on. If your team is not consistently bringing in new logos, you are not standing still. You are moving backward.
The reason salespeople drift into pure farming mode is just pure human nature. The bigger a repβs book gets, the more comfortable they become. They are making money. Things are fine. Why grind through cold calls and new outreach when warm conversations with happy clients feel so much easier?
And here is the other thing: calling invisible strangers is hard. The people in your existing accounts are happy to hear from you. The people you are prospecting to are not. That gap in friction is exactly why reps gravitate toward the path of least resistance every single time.
The solution is not to yell at your salespeople. This is a leadership problem, not a salesperson problem. If you want your team to prospect, you have to build a system and a culture that makes prospecting non-negotiable. That starts with you.
Leaders Are RepeatersIf you want your team to prospect, you have to talk about it constantly. Every team meeting. Every one-on-one. Every morning huddle. Leaders are repeaters. You set the tone by what you say, what you measure, what you celebrate, and how you show up.
That means when someone brings in a new logo, you ring the bell louder for that than you do for an account renewal. Renewals matter. High margin, great for the business. But if you want prospecting behavior, you have to reward and celebrate prospecting outcomes. Make sure you are not accidentally incentivizing people to farm existing account growth rather than hunt new business. That is a trap I have walked into with more organizations than I can count.
You also need to take the guesswork out of who your team should be calling. Sales leaders who expect their reps to build their own prospecting lists and figure out their own targeting are setting their people up to fail. Build the list. Point them in the right direction. Get them in position to win. Then run prospecting blocks together. And I mean together. Do not send your team to the phones and retreat to your office. Lead from the front.
Split the Job When You CanOne of the hardest things about managing a referral-driven or relationship-heavy business is that you need people who can both hunt and farm. And the honest truth is that most people are not equally gifted at both. Hunters tend to get new business but sometimes burn relationships. Farmers build and maintain accounts beautifully but stop hunting the moment their book is comfortable.
If your business can afford it, split the role. Have dedicated hunters focused on new logo creation. Have dedicated farmers or account managers focused on retention and expansion. Most small and mid-size organizations cannot do this fully, which means your leaders have to work twice as hard to build systems that force both behaviors.
When you cannot split the job, you have to build structure into the day. Block time every morning specifically for new logo prospecting. It does not have to be a huge window. An hour. Two hours. But it has to be protected, consistent, and non-negotiable. And the leaders have to be visibly engaged in it, not hiding behind their screens while their people make calls. That single behavior sends more of a message than any speech ever will.
This Is a Long GameHere is what I told Jeff, and what I will tell you: do not expect this to change overnight. Cultural shifts in sales organizations are slow and painful. You will have reps who resist. You will have leaders who get uncomfortable holding people accountable because they do not want the friction.
Push through it anyway. Stake it in the ground. If you stay consistent in your messaging, your structure, and your expectations, you will start to see movement in twelve to eighteen months. New business will start coming in. Your team will start to feel the momentum. And that momentum builds on itself.
I am dealing with this in my own organization right now. We got comfortable with our existing customers and pulled back on new outreach. The book feels fine until the day it does not, and by then you have already lost ground you cannot easily recover. A shrinking book is not sustainable. Full stop.
Your Action PlanIf you are a sales leader:
Reset the expectation now. Make it clear that prospecting for new logos is part of the job description, not optional. Put it in writing. Talk about it constantly.
Fix your compensation structure. If you are paying higher on renewals than on new business, fix that. You are paying for the behavior you are getting.
Run prospecting blocks with your team. Not near your team. With your team. Lead from the front.
Give them the list. Stop expecting reps to research, target, and build their own outreach pipeline. That is a leadership function.
Celebrate new logos loudly. Ring the bell. Make it a bigger deal than anything else you celebrate.
If you are a sales rep:
Do not wait for your leader to force you. The reps who prospect consistently, even when their book is comfortable, are the ones who build the most durable careers.
Treat your book like a leaky bucket. Something is always draining out. Your job is to fill it back up, every single day.
Pick up the phone. Calling strangers is uncomfortable. Do it anyway. That discomfort is exactly what separates average reps from elite ones.
The message is simple. A book of business that is not growing is a book of business that is dying. This is who we are. This is what we do. We prospect, every day, without exception.
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Iβm going to ask you a question that might sting a little. As a sales professional, are you just friction with a friendly face?
Think about it. A whole lot of salespeople are good people. Theyβre polite, fun to be around, and are good conversationalists. They are good at building relationships and getting along with people.
Theyβre the type of people that buyers say they like.
The problem is, those buyers who say that they like them often donβt buy from them. They stall. Ghost. Go dark and say things like, βLetβs circle back next quarter.β But they donβt pull the trigger on purchases.
When push comes to shove, they justify not buying with words like, βWe really liked you and thought you had a great presentation, but in the end decided to go in a different direction.β
The truth is that they went in that direction not because of the relationship (they truly liked you). Not because your product isnβt competitive or that your solution wasnβt a fit (they were). And not because they thought your intentions were bad (you wanted the best for them).
They decided not to do business with you because dealing with you over the course of the buying process was too much work. And by the way, buyers donβt experience your good intentions. They experience your process.
So today, Iβm going to give you a wake-up call and a fix. Because in the age of AI, people expect seamless, frictionless buying experiences. And they compare youβconsciously or notβto the easiest experience theyβve had anywhere. Not just to your competitors.
How Salespeople Become Friction for BuyersLet me paint you a picture.
A buyer sits through a discovery call. Youβre friendly. You build rapport. You ask good questions, and they ask hard questions. You end the call with, βThank you for your time today. Iβll get with my team and send over answers to your questions.β
They say okay, and you end the call.
A week goes by, and they donβt hear from you because you moved on to the next thing on your list and forgot to follow up with your team and them.
Finally, after a week and a half, they remind you that you havenβt provided any answers to their questions.
Embarrassed, you jump on it and send over the answers. But itβs not your best work because you were under the gun and moving too fast.
Three days later, you email: βHey! Just checking in. Wanted to see if I answered your questions.β
The buyer is busy. Theyβve got a million things going on, and theyβre irritated because you didnβt give them the complete answers they were looking for. And now your email is another item piled onto their overflowing plate.
They donβt respond. So you send another email: βBumping this to the top of your inbox.β (Trust me, overwhelmed people just love it when you bump stuff to the top of their inbox.) You create even more irritation.
Then you call and leave a voicemail: βJust following up on the answers I sent you.β
Youβre thinking: Iβm being persistent. Iβm doing my job.
Theyβre thinking: You made me follow up on you to get the answers I needed, then you failed to give me what I want, and now this is suddenly urgent.
From their perspective, no matter how nice youβve been, you are friction. Your delay slowed down their decision-making process, the conversation was left open-ended, and now all they have are loose ends, and youβre driving them nuts.
The Hard Truth About Relationships in the Age of AIHereβs the brutal truth: Relationships are vitally important. Trust matters. But relationships only carry you so far if buying from you isnβt easy or pleasurable.
You can be likable and still be a drag. You can be βa great personβ and still be the person the buyer avoidsβbecause every step with you along the decision-making process comes with friction.
And the thing about friction is that it shows up in small ways that feel normal to you but are exhausting to your buyer. Here are just a few examples:
- Meetings that end with no decision map or next steps
- Follow-up messages that add no new value
- Slow answers to simple questions
- Stakeholders have to push you
- The buyer is repeating the same story over and over because you are not listening and taking notes
- Your failure to follow through when you say you will
- Proposals that are generic marketing documents rather than valuable insight, value bridges, and recommendations
AI Just Set the NEW B2B Sales BarThis problem is getting worse right now because of AI. And I donβt mean this in some hypey, βAI is changing everythingβ way.
I mean, AI is retraining buyers. Buyers are being conditioned to expect frictionless experiences: instant answers, clear options, smart recommendations, and smooth paths from questions to answers to decisions.
So when they hit your sales process, and it feels like walking through mud, they notice. They may not say it out loud, but their behavior says it for them. They stall faster. They ghost faster. They lose patience faster.
This is a big part of what I talk about in my bestselling book, The AI Edge. Your edge isnβt that you use AI to crank out more activity. Your edge is that you understand the expectation shift and use AI to help you reach that new bar.
In the age of AI, the new bar is FASTER with less FRICTION. For this reason, you need to combine your gift for connecting with people and developing relationships with leveraging AI to:
- make progress faster, follow up faster
- answer questions and provide clarity faster
- give insight faster
- understand your buyersβ organizations and problems faster
- deliver proposals and recommendations faster
- help your buyers feel trust and certainty faster.
All with less friction for your buyers.
How to Conduct a Sales Friction AuditTo gain insight into how buyers may view you, take a hard look in the mirror and run a Sales Friction Audit. This takes five minutes, and it will tell you exactly whatβs killing your deals.
Score yourself 1 to 5 on these seven areas:
- Clarity: After every interaction, does the buyer know exactly what happens next?
- Speed: Do you respond at the speed of the buyerβs curiosity or the speed of your internal process?
- Effort: Are you reducing the buyerβs workload or adding to it?
- Progress: Do your meetings create decisions and movement, or just conversation?
- Packaging: Do you make it easy for the buyer to share your insights, information, and recommendations internally to their team?
- Certainty: Do you reduce uncertainty and risk, or do you create more?
- Reliability: Do you do what you say, when you say, without reminders?
Now, after you add this all up, if you donβt like the number, donβt get defensive. Change your mindset.
Because the fix is simple: Stop trying to be liked and start making it easier to work with you. Because if you are just friction with a friendly face, in todayβs marketplace, you are going to get crushed by competitors who are friendly, competent, fast, and frictionless.
But I want to be crystal clear: Frictionless doesnβt mean spineless. It doesnβt mean you turn into a people-pleasing slave to your buyerβs every whim. It certainly doesnβt mean handing out discounts like candy to make buyers happy.
It means you run a sales process with structure, discipline, and competence, and that you understand that the buying experience and how you sell matter more than what you sell.
Two Easy-to-Implement Ideas for Eliminating Friction in Your Sales ProcessHere are two easy actions you can implement immediately to reduce friction in your sales process.
End Every Meeting with a Map and Next-Step CommitmentThe map is clear on who does what, by when, and what done looks like.
Too many sales calls end with vague commitments. βIβll send you some information.β βLetβs reconnect next week.β βThink about it and let me know.β
Thatβs not a map or a next step. Those loose ends are friction.
A map sounds like this: βHereβs what happens next. Iβm going to send you a detailed proposal by Wednesday at noon. Youβre going to review it with your team on Friday. Weβll reconvene on Monday at 2 PM to give it a thumbs up or thumbs down. Will this work for you?β
A map is clear, specific, and has no ambiguity. You are leading the process and driving it forward to a conclusion.
Turn Proposals into RecommendationsDonβt dump choices on the buyer and say, βLet me know what you think.β Give options AND your recommended path.
βBased on what youβve told me, here are three options. Option A is the safe play. It has the lowest risk but only a moderate impact. Option B is my recommendation because it solves your core problem and gives you room to scale. Option C is the aggressive play. Itβs also a higher investment with the highest potential return and the highest risk. Hereβs why Iβm recommending Option B . . .β
In a world filled with uncertainty, your confident, assertive, expert advice reduces friction and helps your buyer make faster decisions.
How AI Can Give You the Edge for Removing FrictionNow hereβs where AI comes in. If weβre honest, most sellers use AI to write emails. Thatβs fine, but itβs not the edge.
The edge is using AI to remove friction for the buyer and to shorten the distance from interest to decision.
- Generate decision-ready call recaps: outcomes, risks, open items, next steps, deadlines
- Speed up the process of understanding your buyerβs organization and beef up your industry-specific business acumen
- Create a one-page business case that the buyer can forward internally, along with stakeholder-specific FAQs
- Record your meetings so that you never forget anything the stakeholders tell you and use those recordings to speed up the process of crafting personalized proposals and expert recommendations.
Wake Up B2B Salespeople. The World Has Changed.The bottom line is that the relationships you build are crucial but not enough, because people do business with people they like, trust, and who remove friction from the buying process. They reward sellers who engineer a buying experience that feels seamless.
But if you are just friction with a friendly face and buying from you feels like a slog, buyers will do what people always do when something feels too onerous. Theyβll avoid it, delay it, or take the path of least resistance and buy from your competitor.
The world has changed. Buyers have been retrained by frictionless experiences everywhere else in their lives. And theyβre bringing those expectations to you.
So be the seller whoβs both likable and easy, who builds relationships and eliminates friction, who uses AI not to spam harder but to sell better. Thatβs the AI Edge.
And remember, when you are tired, worn down, and feel like you canβt take another objection, when all you want to do is quit and go home, always stop and make one more call.
https://www.amazon.com/AI-Edge-Strategies-Unleashing-Competition/dp/1394244479
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Brad Beeler, author of Tell Me Everything and retired Secret Service agent who has conducted more criminal polygraphs than anyone in the agencyβs history, was clearing a house on a search warrant when he came across two dogs: a pitbull and a Chihuahua.
His focus locked on the pitbull. The stereotype. The threat.
Meanwhile, the Chihuahua circled behind him and jumped up, latching onto him right between the legs while his partner stood there laughing.
We assign horns and halos fast. Brad learned that lesson with dogs. You learn it every time a prospect shuts down before you finish your introduction.
Horns mean danger. Hurtful. Someone here to take from me.
Halo means safe. Helpful. On my side.
Over 25 years of getting people to confess to federal crimes, Brad discovered something powerful: the same instincts that get hardened criminals to talk work in conference rooms. The techniques that break through with people who have every reason to lie also work on prospects who have every reason to brush you off.
Because in both environments, trust determines everything.
Why Building Trust With Prospects Is Harder Than You ThinkYour brainβs been running this horns-and-halos program for 300,000 years. When something rustled in the bushes, you made a split-second decision: climb a tree or fight. That quick judgment kept you alive.
The moment you walk into a prospect meeting, their brain assigns you horns automatically. You are the salesperson. The interruption. The person asking for their budget. In their mind, you represent risk before you ever speak.
It happens on cold calls. You say, βHi, this isβ¦β and they are already calculating how to end the conversation. On discovery calls. In demos. At conferences when you introduce yourself. Every single time.
You are fighting ancient wiring every time you engage a buyer. So what can you control? The first 90 seconds.
How to Build Trust in the First 90 SecondsWe remember first impressions and last impressions. In most meetings, it begins and ends with a handshake.
Brad puts antiperspirant on his right hand. He warms his hands before entering a room. He holds eye contact for one second. Faces the person straight on. Slows his pace. Lowers his tone.
It sounds mechanical. But every one of these micro-decisions either confirms horns or begins to build a halo.
Wet handshake? Youβre nervous, unprepared, not confident in what youβre selling.
Avoiding eye contact? Youβre hiding something or you donβt believe in your own pitch.
Talking too fast? Youβre trying to get something past them before they catch on.
When you control these variables, peopleβs guard comes down faster. Youβre giving their brain evidence that maybe, just maybe, youβre not the threat they assumed you were.
The Trust-Building Technique Most Salespeople Get WrongBrad would sit across from murder suspects and open with one line: βI need you to help me understand.β
Humans are hardwired to explain. When you position yourself as the learner, something shifts. They become the expert. Their guard drops. They start talking.
Most salespeople walk in ready to educate. Your deck. Your case studies. Your demo. Youβre there to prove you know their problems better than they do.
Sometimes that works. But think about what it communicates: βI already know whatβs wrong with your business. I just need you to agree with me and sign here.β
Instead, try:
- βWalk me through what happens when your team processes a new order.β
- βHelp me understand how youβre handling onboarding right now.β
- βWhatβs your biggest bottleneck?β
Invert the dynamic. Youβre not there to impress them. Youβre there to learn from them. Once buyers start explaining their world, they reveal what matters.
The workaround their team built. The spreadsheet that breaks every month. The process leadership thinks is automated but is completely manual.
Thatβs the information that moves your deal forward.
How to Build Rapport Before the Real Conversation StartsBefore interrogating two suspects, Brad bought them food. Popeyes for one. McDonaldβs for the other. Twenty-two dollars total.
The next day, the womanβs on a jail call: βYeah, they got me with the McDonaldβs. Thatβs why I confessed.β
It was not about the food. It was about comfort. Lowering the guard. Creating what Brad calls a confessional environment where people feel safe telling the truth.
Youβre probably not buying prospects lunch before your first call. But the principle still applies.
Show up five minutes early so they donβt feel rushed. Ask about their weekend before diving into business. Acknowledge that you know their time is valuable. Turn your camera off if they seem uncomfortable on video. Send the agenda beforehand so there are no surprises.
These are small friction eliminators. They signal: Iβm not here to ambush you. Iβm not trying to catch you off guard. Weβre having a conversation, not a pitch.
The prospect who feels safe tells you whatβs really going on. The prospect who feels ambushed gives you the corporate line and ends the call early.
What Happens When You Actually Build Trust With BuyersWhen buyers move you from horns to halo, everything changes.
They stop filtering their answers. They tell you what keeps them up at night. They admit where the process breaks. They share internal pressure you would never see in a polished demo.
Iβve watched this play out hundreds of times. The rep who asks better questions closes more deals than the rep with the better demo. The rep who makes prospects comfortable gets to real problems faster than the rep with the perfect pitch.
Brad spent 25 years getting people to confess to federal crimes. He still warms up his hands before handshakes. Still slows his speech. Still positions himself as someone who needs to learn.
Why? Because building trust isnβt about personality or natural charisma. Itβs about technique. These methods work because theyβre based on how humans actually operate, not how we wish they operated.
And when buyers tell you the truth, you can actually help them.
β
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Let me ask you: What if the biggest thing standing between you and your next closed deal had nothing to do with your product knowledge, your pricing, or your pitch? What if it came down to three simple micro behaviors that most salespeople never bother to master?
I was speaking to a group of students and marketing professionals at BYU-Idaho recently, and this question came up in a great way. We were talking about what actually drives buying decisions, and I shared something I believe with every fiber of my being: your prospectβs emotional experience with you as they walk through their decision journey is a more consistent predictor of outcome than any other variable.
Read that again. Their emotional experience. Not your features. Not your price. Not your killer deck.
People are asking five questions as they go through a decision to buy:
- Do I like you?
- Do you listen to me?
- Do you make me feel important?
- Do you understand me?
- Can I trust you?
If you can get to yes on all five, you win. And the micro behaviors below are exactly how you do it.
Micro Behavior #1: Read the RoomAuthenticity without respect for your audience is arrogance.
I know that sounds blunt, but I mean it. I see salespeople all the time who show up however they want to show up, dressed however they feel like dressing, presenting however they feel comfortable, and then wonder why the deal stalled. Being βauthenticβ does not mean ignoring your buyer. It means showing up for your buyer.
When I was in outside sales doing field work, I had clothes hanging in my car on a hanger. If I was walking into a company where everyone wore suits, I put on a jacket and a tie. If I was walking into a manufacturing plant full of people in polo shirts, I changed in the parking lot. When I sold in Clemson, South Carolina, I wore a Tiger tie. Iβm a Georgia Bulldog, but I was in their house. Showing up in Clemson with a Dawgs tie would have cost me the deal before I ever opened my mouth.
Reading the room is not fake. It is the highest form of respect you can show another person. It says: I see you. I came prepared for you. You matter to me.
That one shift, from showing up for yourself to showing up for your buyer, will change your results immediately.
Micro Behavior #2: Shut Up and ListenThis is the easiest and fastest way to be likable on the planet, and most salespeople still will not do it.
When you give another human being your full, undivided attention and actually listen to them, they fall in love with you. I am not exaggerating. I said this to the students at BYU-Idaho and I will say it here: if you just listen to people, they will do almost anything you ask them to do.
Why? Because the most insatiable human need is the need to feel important. To feel like you matter. And when you give someone your full attention, you are filling that need in a way that almost nobody else in their life is willing to do.
The mechanics are simple. Ask a great question. Then shut up. Resist every urge to jump in, interject, or start mentally composing your response while they are still talking. Just listen.
The reason this is hard is that when our mouth is not moving, we do not feel important. We feel like we are losing ground. We feel like silence is weakness. It is not. Silence and attention are your greatest sales weapons.
Micro Behavior #3: Tell Them Their Own Story Back to ThemThis one is where everything clicks together.
Once you have listened, here is what you do when you open your mouth: tell them the story they just told you, back to them, in the context of how you can help them.
Let me say that one more time because it is that important.
When words come out of your mouth, you should be telling your prospect the story they just told you about themselves and their situation, framed around how you can solve their problem. That is it. That is the whole game.
This answers the question every buyer is silently asking: βDoes this person actually understand me?β And even if you do not get every detail right, if they can see you are genuinely trying to understand, they will still feel it. They will still think: this person cares about me.
When you can read the room, listen without an agenda, and reflect their story back to them in a way that connects to your solution, you have answered yes to four of those five buying questions before you ever ask for anything.
One More Thing: The Pipe Is LifeI was asked at the end of that BYU-Idaho session: βIf you could leave us with one thing, what would it be?β
My answer was immediate. The pipe is life.
It does not matter how likable you are. It does not matter how well you listen. It does not matter if you have mastered every micro behavior in this post. If you do not have a pipeline, none of it matters. The number one reason salespeople fail is an empty pipeline. And the number one reason pipelines are empty is that salespeople stop doing the prospecting work every single day.
Especially on the days you are tired. Especially at the end of the day when you just want to go home. Feed the pipe. Pick up the phone. Make one more call.
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One of the most vivid memories from my childhood was the day I was bucked off my pony, Macaroni. I was only six years old. We were in an arena where my mother was giving me my very first riding lessons.
Macaroni was stung by a bee, and she reacted by bucking. I couldnβt hang on, and I landed hard on my back. It knocked the breath out of me. I gasped for air. Then, as I finally caught my breath, I started bawling at the shock of being involuntarily dismounted.
My mom caught the pony, led her back over to me, and gently told me to dust myself off and get back on. But by this time, I was sobbing the way kids do when theyβve cried so hard that they canβt stop.
Failure is Just a BruiseI shook my head and refused to get back on the pony. My mother tried her best to calm me down and reason with me, but I still refused to get back on.
Then she took a different tactic and got tough. Her stern, direct tone of voice made it clear that she was not asking me to get back on the ponyβshe was telling me. Thatβs what I remember the most because my mom had never talked to me like that before and has rarely ever used that tone and directness since.
βGet up, and get back on that pony now!β she admonished.
She was unmovable. Like Teflon. My tears and pleading made no difference. I knew I had no choice, so I stood up, shaking. Still trying to catch my breath, she helped me get back on the pony.
Right there in the riding ring, at six years old, I experienced one of the most pivotal lessons of my life. My mother taught me that failure is just a bruise, not a tattoo.
She wasnβt being cruel; she was being protectiveβprotective of my future self, the one who might otherwise have carried an irrational fear of horses, or an ingrained habit of backing down at the first taste of adversity into the rest of my life.
She knew that if she had let me off the hook and let me walk away from that pony, there was a good chance that Iβd never get back on again. That the fear I felt when I landed on my back in the sand would grow and gain a life of its own. That I would vow to never let the pain and embarrassment of falling off happen to me again, and with that, my brush with failure would become permanent.
Failure Canβt Really Bite YouThe truth is, failure is usually a short-lived event. Yes, itβs jarring, unexpected, and can momentarily knock the breath out of you. But it doesnβt have to be the defining chapter of your story.
Thatβs what my mother understood so well in that riding ring. She insisted that I face my fear, effectively telling me, βHey, the worst partβs over. Now that youβve experienced fear and failure, get back on and prove to yourself you can handle it.β
Because once you push through that initial sting, you discover that the fear canβt really bite you unless you give it teeth in your own mind.
When Failure Becomes PermanentFor far too many people, though, the pain of failure does become permanent. Instead of allowing themselves a moment to dust off and try again, they walk away in defeatβoften without fully grasping the long-term impact of that decision.
Rather than letting the bruise fade, they opt to memorialize failure in their minds, assigning it more meaning than it deserves. They replay the embarrassment and pain over and over, until it becomes an unspoken vow: βNever again.β
And in that single choice, a brief setback can morph into a defining moment in which they forfeit the chance to learn, grow, and eventually experience the sweetness of victory.
Think about how this scenario plays out in everyday life. Maybe you dream of learning a new skillβpainting, playing guitar, writing a book, starting a podcastβbut in your first attempt, you falter or feel foolish. Rather than chalking it up to βbeginnerβs missteps,β you decide: βIβm terrible at this; Iβll never try again.β
And that small bruise becomes a tattoo right there, on the spot. You miss out on the personal growth, the fun, and potentially incredible experiences you would have discovered if youβd simply dusted yourself off and tried again.
Sales is a Tapestry of FailureIn sales, this avoidance of failure is just as prevalent, if not more so, because the stakes often involve your income or your reputation at work.
One day, you run a sales call that goes terribly off the railsβthe prospect is disinterested, you get flustered, or you stumble on a key question. You come away feeling embarrassed, incompetent, maybe even humiliated if it happened in front of your sales manager.
That single negative experience can color your perception of future calls. You avoid that type of call, that kind of prospect, or that particular approach. You remember that unpleasant feeling so vividly that you decide itβs βsaferβ never to try again.
So many sales reps finally gain the courage to cold call a C-level executive at a high-value prospect. Then freeze when they get a hard objection, leaving them feeling small and insecure. Instead of analyzing what went wrong, adjusting their approach, and trying again, they vow, βIβm never calling anyone that high up again.β
And while that might spare them from momentary embarrassment and discomfort, the long-term consequences are enormous. Their pipeline shrinks and income tanks because theyβre playing it safe. And, ultimately, their career crashes because theyβre afraid to push outside of their comfort zone.
Sales Failure: Where the Bruise Can Really HurtSales can be bruising. Each rejection takes a piece out of you and can feel like a blow to your self-worth. Itβs easy to internalize it. Over time, a string of βnoβsβ can erode your confidence, making the idea of picking up the phone and calling prospects feel daunting.
Our minds can often be drama queens. When something painful happens, we cling to that memory and replay it, each time piling on new layers of negativityββI canβt believe I said that,β βWhat was I thinking,β βIβm so stupid.β In reality, the prospect might barely remember it or might even respect your courage. But to you, itβs all-consuming.
But remember, a βnoβ in sales is rarely personal. Often, itβs circumstantialβmaybe the prospect is having a bad day, or their budget cycle doesnβt align with your proposal, or they had a negative experience with a different vendor and brought that baggage with them into your presentation.
The more you detach your self-worth from the outcome, the less likely you are to see these βnoβsβ as permanent markers of failure. Instead, youβll shift your mindset. You begin to view failure as data that you can use to gain insight into how to improve. You start to treat each rejection as a chance to refine your approach.
Success Stories are Forged in FailureThe true success stories in sales almost always come from people who learned to pick themselves up, analyze the failure, and adapt. They didnβt let the fear of failure overshadow their potential for greatness.
The best salespeopleβand frankly, the happiest peopleβknow that failure is inevitable. Rather than avoiding it, they embrace it. They feel the pain just like anyone else, but recognize that bruises eventually fade. You just have to keep moving forward in order to heal.
At the end of the day, resilience in the face of failure is a choice. It doesnβt always feel like one, especially in the raw moments right after youβve messed up, taken a big hit, or find yourself on your back in the dirt.
But as soon as you reclaim your power to stand up, brush off the dust, and climb back onβwhether itβs a literal or figurative ponyβyouβll find your perspective shifting. Failure no longer holds you hostage. It becomes a footnote in a broader story of your determination and personal growth.
Failure is Only Final If You Make That ChoiceSo, the next time you bomb a sales call, lose a deal you thought was a lock, get yelled at on a cold call, or face an embarrassing situation in front of your peers, remember: you get to choose. Will this be just a bruise, or will you sear it into your psyche, turning it into a tattoo of permanent self-doubt?
My challenge to you this week is when things go wrong, to look up and get up. Get back on the phone. Set another meeting. Propose the next big idea. Trust yourself to learn, adapt, and keep going. Will yourself to stop and make one more call.
Because failure is only final if you decide to never get back on that pony again.
If you havenβt grabbed our FREE guide, 25 Ways to Ask for an Appointment on a Cold Call, download it now at salesgravy.com/cold-calling-guide/.
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If youβve only sold sexy products with cool demos and unique features, youβre probably missing the fundamentals that separate good salespeople from great ones.
Marcus Chan, CEO of Venli Consulting and recent guest on the Sales Gravy podcast, learned to sell in the trenches of commoditized selling: uniforms, facility services, telecom. Industries where youβre locked in multi-year contract cycles, competing against five other vendors who offer the exact same thing, and selling at two to three times the market price.
βIn order to get really, really good at selling in the commoditized market, where price seems to be the only factorβ¦ you have to learn how to get really good at the sales process,β Chan explains. βYou have to be able to take someone who has what I call a latent painβpain they donβt realizeβget them to active and create urgency to move.β
No flash. No sizzle. Just selling.
And thatβs exactly why it works.
The First-to-Market DelusionChan was talking with a client recently. Theyβve closed $5 million in revenue in 12 months. Apple, Fortune 500 companies, massive wins. Theyβre first to market in a brand new category. Zero competitors.
Their sales team is flying high.
βThatβs fantastic,β he told them. βNow whatβs your plan for when competitors show up in three years?β
Silence.
Hereβs what happens: you get drunk on the product. You donβt have to build real sales skills because the product does the heavy lifting. Then the market matures. Competitors launch. Your βuniqueβ features become nothing new.
Most teams operate under the belief that theyβre different. They talk about their proprietary technology, their best-in-class service, and their innovative approach. Meanwhile, buyers are looking at five vendors saying the exact same things.
This isnβt just true for uniforms and telecom. Itβs true for SaaS, consulting, financial services. Any market thatβs been around longer than 18 months gets commoditized fast.
The question isnβt whether youβre in a commoditized market. The question is whether you know how to sell when you are.
What Commoditized Selling Actually Teaches YouWhen Chan was selling uniforms at three times the competitorβs price to buyers locked into five-year contracts with other vendors, he had nothing to lean on except process.
He couldnβt say, βLook at this cool new feature.β The uniforms were uniforms. Same fabric. Same colors. Same everything.
He had to learn three skills most salespeople never develop:
- Moving buyers from latent pain to active pain. Most buyers donβt think they have a problem. Theyβre comfortable. Theyβre βfineβ with their current vendor. Your job is to help them realize what theyβre losing by staying put, and make it real enough that they care.
- Creating urgency when the status quo is locked in. When a buyer is in year three of a five-year contract, thereβs zero natural urgency. You have to create it. You have to make the pain of waiting worse than the pain of switching.
- Navigating complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles without a product demo to fall back on. You need the operations manager, the finance team, and the C-suite to all agree that switching vendors is worth the headache. And you need to do it without any bells and whistles to distract them from the hard questions.
The Hidden Advantage Nobody Talks AboutMastering commoditized selling makes everything else easier.
Learn to sell uniforms at a premium price, and differentiated products become simple. The hard skills transferβobjection handling, stakeholder navigation, urgency creation.
But the real value is that yourprocess becomes your product.
In commoditized markets, you compete on how you sell. Your discovery process. Your ability to diagnose the real problem. Your consultative approach. The way you make the buyer feel heard and understood.
Thatβs what buyers remember and what separates you from the five other vendors in their inbox.
Stop Hiding Behind Your ProductChan sees it all the time with sales teams from βsexyβ industries. They lead with features because they can. They lean on their demo because it works. They let the product do the selling.
Until it doesnβt.
Because eventually, every market commoditizes. Your competitor launches the same feature. Buyers stop caring about your βinnovative solutionβ and start asking about price.
The salespeople who win in commoditized markets win because of process, not product. Theyβve mastered diagnosis, urgency, and navigating complexity when thereβs nothing shiny to distract the buyer.
A Commoditized Market Is the Best Sales Training GroundIf youβre selling in a commoditized market right now, congratulations. Youβre getting an education most salespeople never getβhow to compete when youβre βjust another vendor,β how to create value when the product doesnβt, how to win on process instead of features.
Sell commodities at premium prices to buyers locked into competitor contracts, and you can sell anything. Master the fundamentals where there are no shortcuts, and those fundamentals become automatic.
Move to a market with actual differentiation, and you donβt just have a good productβyou have a good product and the skills to sell it.
Winning in Commoditized SellingThe best training ground for sales isnβt the hottest SaaS company or the coolest startup. Itβs the βboring,β commoditized industries where the product doesnβt do the work for you. Where you have to diagnose the problem, create urgency, and navigate complexity without flash to hide behind.
The skills you build when nothing else can save you? Those are the skills that make you unstoppable everywhere else.
β
If you want to sharpen the fundamentals that win in any market, start with prospecting. Download the free Seven Steps Prospecting Sequence Guide and build a process that creates urgency and fills your pipeline on purpose.
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Hereβs a question thatβll make every salespersonβs blood pressure spike: What do you do when your cold call gets an objection in the first five seconds because prospects immediately stereotype you as something youβre not?
Thatβs the challenge facing Rick VanNess from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Rick co-founded a company that helps healthcare providers collect on older insurance claims (the ones sitting out 45-90 days that billing departments struggle to get paid). His team augments existing billing operations rather than replacing them.
But hereβs the problem: The second Rick mentions what he does, billing directors immediately think βoutsourcingβ and shut down the conversation. Theyβve either had bad experiences with outsourcing or theyβre terrified of losing their jobs to a vendor that promises to do it all.
If youβve ever been stereotyped, dismissed, or written off before you could even explain what you actually do, you know exactly how frustrating this is. And itβs costing you deals.
The Fatal Mistake: Arguing Instead of AgreeingWhen a prospect says βWe already have billingβ or βWe donβt outsource,β most salespeople instinctively go into argument mode. They try to explain how theyβre different, how theyβre not really outsourcing, how their service is special.
This is exactly the wrong move.
Hereβs the brutal truth: When you argue with a prospectβs reflexive response, youβre fighting against their primary concern. For a billing director, that concern isnβt whether you can help them. Itβs whether youβre going to cost them their job.
Think about that for a second. Youβre calling someone whose entire world revolves around protecting their position, especially in an age where AI and automation are threatening white-collar jobs left and right. Their antenna is already up. Theyβre listening for any reason to say no.
So when you argue with their objection, youβre actually validating their fear. Youβre making them dig in deeper.
The Power of the Ledge-Disrupt-Ask FrameworkInstead of arguing, try this: Agree with them.
When Rick hears βWe already do billingβ or βWe donβt outsource,β hereβs what I told him to say:
βThatβs perfect, because none of my customers do outsourcing. They all have internal billing departments. What we do is complement what theyβre already doing by picking up the really hard things like collecting on insurance claims that have been sitting for 45 to 90 days and getting them paid faster.β
Notice whatβs happening here? Youβre using the Ledge framework that top performers use to handle objections:
Ledge: A simple statement that settles your brain and lowers tension (βThatβs perfectβ¦β)
Disrupt: Pattern interrupt that reframes the conversation (ββ¦because none of my customers do outsourcingβ)
Ask: Move toward a meeting (βWouldnβt it make sense for us to take a few minutes to see if this could help you?β)
Youβre not fighting them. Youβre joining them on their side of the table, then pivoting to the real problem you solve.
Lead With the Problem, Not Your SolutionHereβs another critical mistake Rick was making: He was leading with his pricing model (βno risk to you, you donβt pay until we collectβ).
While this might sound like a great selling point to you, to a prospect it sounds like every other too-good-to-be-true pitch theyβve heard. It creates skepticism rather than interest.
Instead, focus obsessively on the problem you solve. For Rickβs business, thatβs the money sitting in accounts receivable that billing departments are too busy to collect. According to industry data, many practices have millions sitting out there at 45+ days.
Thatβs pure profit thatβs not in the business. Thatβs real money being left on the table.
When you frame your prospecting messaging around the problem rather than your solution mechanics, you create curiosity and urgency. Save the pricing conversation for when youβre actually negotiating an agreement.
The Multi-Level Prospecting StrategyOne of the most powerful insights from my conversation with Rick was this: Donβt limit yourself to just one contact at the organization.
Rick was focusing solely on billing directors and managers because theyβd at least give him 15 seconds. But thereβs a better approach.
Go bottom-up and top-down simultaneously:
Bottom-up: Call claims adjusters and billing clerks. They donβt care what youβre selling. But theyβll tell you exactly whatβs broken in their organization. Ask questions like βHow much money do you have sitting out there over 45 days that youβre struggling to collect?β These narrators give you the stories and data points you need.
Top-down: Use that intelligence to reach the CFO. Now youβre not pitching a service. Youβre providing insight about their business: βI spoke with your team and discovered you have $5 million in receivables sitting at 45+ days. Hereβs how we help organizations like yours collect 80% of that money 40% faster.β
Middle-out: Armed with data from below and endorsement from above, the billing director conversation becomes completely different. Youβre not a threat. Youβre a resource.
This is straight from the Sales EQ playbook: Read the room, understand everyoneβs motivations, and position yourself as the person who makes everyoneβs life better, not worse.
Stand in Their ShoesThe breakthrough moment in any prospecting challenge comes when you stop thinking about your message from your perspective and start viewing the world through your prospectβs lens.
When you call a billing director, their number one job is to protect their position. When you call a CFO, their primary concern is whether this conversation is worth their time. When you call someone lower in the organization, theyβre just trying to get through their day without more headaches.
Your job isnβt to convince them youβre different. Your job is to meet them where they are, validate their concerns, and then show them how what you do makes their specific situation better.
Thatβs how you stop getting objections and start closing.
The Bottom LineStop fighting your prospectsβ reflexive objections. When they say βWe already have thatβ or βWe donβt need outsourcing,β the worst thing you can do is argue with them.
Instead, agree with them. Everyone you work with already has that. Then pivot to the gap you fill and the problem you solve.
Save your solution mechanics for later. Lead with problems, not pricing. And remember: The best salespeople arenβt the ones who argue the hardest. Theyβre the ones who listen the deepest and position themselves on the same side of the table as their prospects.
Thatβs how you break through buyer resistance. Thatβs how you build trust. And thatβs how you win deals others walk away from.
Want to master the art of breaking through buyer resistance? Join us at Outbound 2026 in Las Vegas this November, where weβll be diving deep into strategies for overcoming objections, building rapport, and closing more deals. Learn more and grab your ticket at salesgravy.com/live.
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Youβre at a networking event and someone corners you. For the next ten minutes, they talk nonstop about their vacation, their dog, their new car. Youβre not having a conversation. Youβre trapped in their monologue. Youβre annoyed. You tune out. You start looking for the exit.
Thatβs exactly how your prospects feel when you make yourself the star of the conversation.
What Is Sales Main Character Syndrome?Sales main character syndrome is when you position yourself as the hero instead of your prospect. You see it everywhere:
On the phone: You launch into a five-minute pitch about your company history before asking a single question.
In email: You send giant blocks of text about features without mentioning their actual problems.
On LinkedIn: Your connect request immediately hits them with βHereβs my product, hereβs my calendar link, letβs meet.β
No matter the channel, it all leads back to the same place: your product, your company, your agenda.
Prospects donβt care about your product yet. They care about their problems, their goals, and whatβs at stake in their world. When you make it all about you, you trigger resistance. Buyers feel sold to instead of collaborated with. And that leads to ghosting, objections, and stalled deals.
Nobody wants to sit through a feature dump. People need relevance. They want to feel heard and know you actually get them.
The Real Cost of Sales Main Character SyndromeSales main character syndrome has consequences that will wreck your quota.
- Prospects disengage. When you focus on yourself and your product instead of the buyer and their needs, they tune out. Calls feel like lectures. Emails read like brochures. Messages get deleted without a response. Lose their attention, and youβve lost your shot.
- You miss the real opportunities. By making the interaction about yourself, you fail to ask the right questions. You donβt hear whatβs actually going on in their world. You canβt identify the true pain points, the real goals, or whatβs actually motivating them. So you pitch solutions that donβt align with what they need. You waste discovery time chasing the wrong problems.
- Destroy trust before itβs built. Your prospects stop seeing you as a helpful guide. Instead, youβre just another salesperson pushing a product. Without trust, everything gets harder and long-term relationships become impossible.
The cost is too high. So how do you flip the script?
The Mindset Shift: From Hero to Trusted GuideYour job is to be a trusted guide, not the hero. Think Yoda, not Luke Skywalker.
Your prospect is the hero of their own story. Theyβre the ones facing the challenge, making the decision, and living with the outcome.
When prospects feel like the main character, they engage more. They open up. They trust you. And trust moves deals forward.
Hereβs a simple three-step framework you can use in every conversation.
Step #1: Change Your βIβ to βWhyβStop starting conversations with:
- βI want to show youβ¦β
- βIβd love to introduceβ¦β
- βI think youβll likeβ¦β
Your buyers donβt care about your βI.β They care about their βwhy.β
Why should this matter to them? Why is it relevant right now? Why does it solve a problem theyβre actually facing?
Lead with βwhy,β and the focus shifts from your agenda to their reality. Youβll stop sounding like a salesperson and start being seen as someone who understands their world.
Before: βIβd love to show you our new platform and walk you through all the features weβve built.β
After: βCompanies in your industry are losing 20% of their pipeline to manual data entry errors. Hereβs how to fix that.β
One is about you. The other is about them.
Step #2: Define What You Solve, Not What You SellMost salespeople can rattle off what they sell. A platform. A service. A software solution. Thatβs not what your buyer cares about.
Buyers donβt wake up thinking, βI need a new vendor today.β They wake up thinking, βI need to fix this problem thatβs making my life harder.β
When you define the problem you solve instead of the product you sell, you build immediate value. You position yourself as a partner in their success, not just another pitch in their inbox.
Product-focused: βWeβre a sales engagement platform with email sequencing, call tracking, and analytics.β
Problem-focused: βWe help sales teams stop losing deals to slow follow-up and inconsistent outreach.β
Stop leading with what you sell and start leading with what you solve. Conversations convert faster when prospects see themselves in the problem youβre addressing.
Step #3: Listen to Hear, Not to RespondThe biggest mistake in sales? Listening just long enough to jump in with your answer.
Most reps wait for their turn to talk. Theyβre mentally preparing the pitch while the buyer is still speaking. It feels efficient. Itβs actually ineffective.
Listening to hear means shutting up long enough to understand. You catch the nuance. You pick up on the emotion. You uncover the hidden pain points that competitors miss because theyβre too busy pitching.
Slow down. Tune in. Let your buyer feel heard. Thatβs when trust starts to build and when real opportunity opens up.
Your Challenge: Put It Into Practice This WeekThe shift from sales main character syndrome to trusted guide isnβt complicated. But it does require awareness and intention. You have to catch yourself when youβre about to launch into your standard pitch. Pause and ask, βAm I making this about me or about them?β
Your prospect is the hero. Your job is to guide them to success. Make it about them. Lead with relevance. Listen deeply. Watch what happens when you get this right.
Because the most successful salespeople arenβt trying to be impressive. Theyβre trying to be useful.
Make your prospect the main character in every conversation. Do it consistently, and you wonβt have to chase attention. Youβll earn it.
β
Stop getting tuned out. Download the Free ACED Buyer Style Playbook and learn how to speak your buyerβs language.
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Imagine that youβre so angry about a business deal gone wrong that you grab a chisel, find a slab of stone, and spend hours carving your complaint. Thatβs exactly what a Mesopotamian merchant did in 1750 and made sales history.
The merchant was furious because heβd been promised high-grade copper, but the final product was subpar. That angry customer complaint is now sitting in the British Museum, 4,000 years later. The tablet reads: βWhat do you take me for? That you treat someone like me with such contempt?β
If you think dealing with issues in the sales process is a modern problem, youβre off by about four millennia.
Sales Hustle Is AncientWe talk about sales like itβs a modern corporate invention. CRMs and automated sequences are new, but the art of the deal and dealing with angry customers? Thatβs been around since humans started trading.
The copper merchant in 1750 BCE wasnβt just selling copper. He was managing client expectations, handling logistics, and clearly failing at quality control. The core practices of B2B salesβpromise, delivery, and relationship managementβhavenβt changed.
1600s: Sales Becomes a ProfessionFast forward to 1600, and you see the founding of the East India Trading Companies. They were some of the first corporations that allowed people to buy shares in a business.
One of the East India Trading Companies was owned by βthe 17 gentlemenββa group of wealthy investors who funded global trade expeditions. They kept spices like nutmeg, pepper, and cinnamon flowing across continents. The spices were so valuable that they were practically currency.
This was B2B sales at scale. Shareholdersβ expected returns. Merchants negotiated deals across continents. The stakes were massive, and so were the profits.
This era established something critical to modern sellers: the separation between ownership and operation. The 17 gentlemen didnβt sail the ships or negotiate every spice deal. They hired people to do it. Sales stopped being a personal trade and became a repeatable profession with accountability structures built in.
1851: Visibility and Competition ArriveThe Great Exhibition in London in 1851 was the worldβs first massive B2B trade show in sales history. Thousands of exhibitors. Hundreds of thousands of attendees. A giant glass building called the Crystal Palace.
Nearly 200 years later, sales pros still pack convention centers, set up booths, and fight to stand out in a sea of competitors.
This is where B2B sales became visible. You werenβt just competing against one or two local merchants anymore. You were standing next to dozens of alternatives, all promising similar value. Differentiation became mandatory.
Following up meant writing a letter and waiting weeks for a response. Today, if youβre not following up within 24 hours, youβre losing to competitors who are.
1957: Reach and Leverage Scale UpThe first inside sales team was formed at a company called Dial America in 1957. Before that, if you wanted to sell, you hit the road. Door-to-door, city-to-city, face-to-face. Every single deal required physical presence.
The telephone changed everything. Suddenly, salespeople could work virtually, reach more prospects, and close deals without leaving the office. One seller could now have 20 conversations in a day instead of three. The math of sales productivity fundamentally shifted.
Fast forward to today, and inside sales is the dominant model. The tools have evolvedβZoom calls, screen shares, digital demosβbut the core principle remains: you donβt need to be in the same room to build trust and close deals.
From Stone Tablets to Instant Messages: Why Speed Matters NowThink about the effort that the merchant put into carving his complaint into stone. He didnβt fire off a quick email. He didnβt leave a one-star Google review. He created a permanent record that would outlive both him and the seller by thousands of years.
Today, complaints are easy. Maybe too easy. A customer can blast you on LinkedIn, tank your review scores, or CC your entire executive team on an email threadβall before lunch.
Every major shift in B2B sales increased speed. Trade shows multiplied visibility. Telephones let sellers reach 20 prospects a day instead of three. Email collapsed follow-up from weeks to hours. Social media made reputation instant and permanent.
In 1750 BCE, you had time to respond. Now, you have hoursβmaybe minutes. Each acceleration rewarded the sellers who could execute fast without sacrificing quality. The ones who couldnβt keep up disappeared.
Why This Timeline Matters More Than You ThinkWeβre in another massive shift in sales history. AI, automation, predictive analyticsβthe pace is relentless. Itβs easy to think everything has changed. Zoom out 4,000 years, and the pattern emerges: speed accelerates, but the core practices stay the same.
So the next time you get a harsh email from a customer, remember that stone tablet. You donβt have to worry about your failure being displayed in a museum 4,000 years from now. But you do have to worry about your reputation spreading across the internet in hours.
The tools change, the pace accelerates, but the rule is simple: earn trust, deliver value, and handle problems before they handle you.
You just saw how history teaches that speed and execution have always mattered β and now AI is the biggest shift weβve seen yet. If you want to turn the disruption into an advantage, download The FREE AI Edge Book Club Guide.
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Hereβs a question thatβll frustrate every salesperson reading this: What do you do when you prospect, set the meeting, block the time on your calendar, and thenβ¦ your prospect no-shows?
Thatβs the challenge Emily Weissmueller faces every single day. Emily is a former elementary school teacher who pivoted into K-12 edtech sales eleven years ago. She works with special education administrators, and like so many salespeople in 2026, her meetings are primarily virtual.
Sheβs doing everything right: prospecting consistently, securing appointments, sending calendar invites. But when itβs time for the meeting? Hit or miss. Sometimes they show up. Sometimes sheβs sitting there waiting while nobody logs on.
If youβve ever stared at a Zoom room alone wondering if your prospect forgot about you, you know exactly how this feels. And if youβre wondering whether confirmation emails help or hurt, youβre asking the wrong question entirely.
The Virtual Meeting ParadoxLetβs be honest about something: Virtual meetings are throwaway appointments for both sides.
When you had to drive four hours to meet someone in person, both parties had serious skin in the game. You invested time, gas money, and effort. Your prospect blocked their calendar knowing you were making the trip. Neither of you would casually blow that off.
But virtual meetings? Theyβre low commitment on both ends. No oneβs driving anywhere. Itβs just a calendar block that can easily get bumped by the next urgent thing that pops up. And when youβre selling into education like Emily is, where everything moves infinitely slow and decision-makers are incredibly risk-averse, youβve got even more working against you.
The question isnβt whether to send a confirmation email. The real question is: How do you stack the deck so heavily in your favor that prospects feel obligated to show up?
The Commitment and Consistency FrameworkThereβs a principle in human behavior called commitment and consistency. When people commit to something, they typically feel compelled to follow through. Otherwise, they feel guilty. And guilt is actually useful because you can leverage it to reschedule when someone doesnβt show.
But the goal isnβt to make prospects feel guilty after they no-show. The goal is to engineer so many small commitments throughout the process that they show up in the first place.
Hereβs the system that works:
Step 1: Confirm Verbally When You Set the MeetingWhen your prospect agrees to meet, always repeat it back: βOkay, so Iβve got you on Thursday, January 26th at 2:00 PM. Did I get that right?β
When they say yes, thatβs commitment number one. Youβre putting it in their brain. Youβre making it real.
Then say this: βLet me grab your email and Iβll send you a meeting invite for your calendar just to make it convenient for you.β
This does two things. First, it confirms you have the right email. Second, it gets another yes. Thatβs commitment number two.
Step 2: Send a Meeting Invite That Actually HelpsMost meeting invites are useless. They say βMeeting with Jeb Blountβ or βSales Callβ and include seventeen different international dial-in numbers that nobody needs.
Hereβs what your meeting invite should look like:
Title: Emily Weissmueller (Company Name) + Prospect Name (School Name) β Why Weβre Meeting
Location: Virtual Meeting (then paste the meeting link, nothing else)
Notes: Keep it simple. Hereβs the meeting link. If itβs a phone option, include just that number. Then add: βIf anything changes, hereβs my direct number and email.β
When your prospect looks at their calendar the morning of the meeting and sees this, they know exactly who you are, why youβre meeting, and how to join. You own the moral high ground.
Step 3: Send a Video (This Is Non-Negotiable)The next morning after you set the meeting, pull out your phone and record a 20-30 second video. Look at the camera. Smile. Sound excited.
βEmily, this is Jeb at Sales Gravy. Thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me. Iβm so excited to spend time learning about you and your mission for helping these kids. Just want to confirm our meeting is on January 26th at 2:00 PM. The invite is on your calendar. I canβt wait to see you.β
Send that via email.
Now think about what youβve just done. Youβve made it personal. Youβve shown effort. Youβve demonstrated that you actually care about this conversation. Itβs exponentially harder for them to no-show because they can see youβre a real human who invested time in this relationship.
This philosophy is about going the extra mile to demonstrate that youβre different, that you care, and that this matters.
Step 4: Leave a Voicemail the Day BeforeThe afternoon before your meeting, when you know your prospect is likely gone for the day, call and leave a voicemail.
βHey Emily, this is Jeb. Iβm so excited to meet with you tomorrow. Iβve been thinking about your school and the ways we might be able to help. I canβt wait to learn more about what youβre trying to accomplish for these kids. Just a reminder, our meeting is at 2:00 PM tomorrow. All the info is in your calendar. If anything changes, give me a call.β
Youβre doing the heavy lifting. Youβre reminding them. Youβre expressing genuine interest in their world, not just your sale.
Step 5: The Morning-Of Email (Optional)Hereβs where the A/B testing comes in. Some salespeople swear by the morning-of confirmation email. Others think it gives prospects an easy out.
My take? Test both approaches and track your show rates. Do half your appointments with the morning email, half without it, and see which converts better. Even a 2-3% improvement in show rate compounds significantly over a year.
If you do send the morning email, make it about them: βEmily, Iβm really looking forward to our conversation today at 2:00 PM. I canβt wait to learn more about your mission and see if thereβs a way we can support what youβre building.β
Play to their heartstrings. People love talking about themselves and their work. Make it easy for them to want to show up.
What to Do When You Send a Confirmation EmailNow, if youβre going to send a confirmation email, there are specific scenarios where itβs absolutely required:
- Youβre driving four hours to meet someone in person
- Youβre bringing executives or your boss to the meeting
- Itβs a final presentation or closing meeting with a major opportunity
- Multiple stakeholders are coordinating calendars
In those cases, youβre not just confirmingβyouβre protecting your time and theirs. Youβre making sure you donβt waste an executiveβs schedule or drive across the state for nothing.
But for a standard first appointment? The video and voicemail sequence will outperform a confirmation email every single time.
The Real Problem: Systems, Not PeopleNo-shows arenβt a people problem. Theyβre a systems problem.
When you build a repeatable prospecting system that includes verbal confirmation, calendar invites with clear details, personal video, and day-before voicemail, you engineer commitment at every stage.
Youβre not hoping prospects remember. Youβre not relying on their calendar notifications. Youβre building a runway that allows them to land in the meeting because youβve made it nearly impossible for them to forget or blow you off.
And when someone does no-show after all that effort? You own the moral high ground. You can call back with confidence: βHey, I know things come up. I sent the video, left the voicemail, and had everything on your calendar. Letβs get this rescheduled because Iβm genuinely excited to learn about what youβre working on.β
That conversation is dramatically different than calling back after sending one email and hoping for the best.
The Efficiency MultiplierThink about what happens when your show rate improves by even 10%. If you were setting ten appointments per week and six were showing up, thatβs a 60% show rate. Bump that to seven showing up, and youβre at 70%.
Thatβs one extra conversation per week. Four extra conversations per month. Forty-eight extra conversations per year.
If your close rate is 20%, thatβs nearly ten additional deals per year just from improving your meeting show rate. Thatβs the power of sales execution at the highest level.
Your Action PlanIf youβre struggling with no-shows, implement this system immediately:
For every appointment you set:
- Confirm it verbally when you schedule it
- Send a detailed calendar invite with clean formatting
- Record and send a personal video the next day
- Leave an enthusiastic voicemail the day before
- A/B test the morning-of email and track results
Track these metrics:
- Total appointments set
- Show rate percentage
- No-show rate
- Reschedule success rate
After 30 days, analyze whatβs working and double down on it.
The Bottom LineVirtual meetings are easy to ignore. Thatβs just reality in 2026. Your prospects are busy, distracted, and constantly reprioritizing.
Your job isnβt to guilt them into showing up. Your job is to build a system that makes showing up feel like the obvious, natural choice because youβve demonstrated care, invested effort, and made it personal.
Stop sending one confirmation email and hoping for the best. Start building commitment through repetition, personalization, and genuine interest in your prospectβs world.
Thatβs how you fill your calendar with meetings that actually happen. Thatβs how you stop wasting time staring at empty Zoom rooms. And thatβs how you build a sales career based on systems, not hope.
Meetings happen by design, not by luck. Build the runway. Land the meeting. Close the deal.
Ready to Master the Complete Prospecting System?
The tactics in this article are just the beginning. If you want to learn the complete methodology for filling your pipeline with qualified appointments that actually show up, join us at an upcoming Sales Gravy Live Event. Youβll get hands-on training in prospecting, qualification, objection handling, and closing from Jeb Blount and the Sales Gravy team. Donβt leave your sales success to chanceβinvest in the skills that separate top performers from everyone else.
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Youβve got a champion. Someone inside the account who gets it. They love your solution, theyβre fighting for your proposal, and theyβre feeding you intelligence about the decision-making process.
So youβre golden, right?
Wrong. One reorganization, one promotion, one departure, and your deal could vanish overnight.
Research from LinkedIn Sales Solutions analyzed thousands of enterprise deals and found something most salespeople refuse to believe: sales teams that build relationships with multiple stakeholders inside an account are 34% more likely to win.
Thatβs the difference between hitting quota and missing it. Between a banner year and a brutal one.
Why Single-Threaded Deals DieOn average, 4-7 people influence a complex B2B buying decision.
Even if you nail the pitch, youβre still just one voice in a conversation happening behind closed doors. A conversation where people youβve never met are raising objections youβll never hear. Where priorities you donβt know about are shifting the criteria.
Your champion can be dismissed as βthe person who likes that vendor.β But when youβve got three advocates from different departments? Consensus wins deals.
Your Champion Wonβt Stick AroundOne in five of the people youβre counting on right now wonβt be in their role twelve months from now. Theyβll get promoted, reassigned, poached by a competitor, or laid off in the next restructuring.
When that happens to your sole contact, your deal doesnβt just stall. It dies. The new person in that role has zero relationship with you, zero context on your solution, and zero incentive to champion something their predecessor started.
But if youβve built what top performers call βaccount insulationββrelationships with two, three, or four people across different departments and levelsβthe web flexes when someone leaves. It doesnβt break.
Weak Ties Matter More Than You ThinkWeβre trained to go deep with our primary contact. Build trust. Understand their pain points. Tailor every message to their specific needs.
Thatβs not wrong. Itβs just incomplete.
In complex selling scenarios, influence often spreads through what researchers call weak tiesβthe casual, adjacent connections that link clusters of strong relationships. These are your amplifiers.
A brief introduction. A shared article. A helpful insight that makes someone in operations remember your name when your solution comes up in a meeting youβre not in. These loose connections become the difference between a deal that stalls and one that scales.
Think about how deals from referrals close. They close twice as fast as deals that start cold. Accounts with multiple contacts grow larger, stay longer, and refer more business. The pattern is clear.
Get enough internal referrals, and you stop being the vendor someone works with. You become the partner everyone trusts.
Five Mistakes That Keep You Single-ThreadedAccount multithreading fails most often before it ever really begins. Not because it is hard, but because salespeople sabotage it with impatience, poor judgment, or misplaced effort. If you recognize any of these behaviors, they are costing you leverage inside the account.
- Trying to build fifty superficial relationships instead of multiple deep, meaningful connections. Spray and pray doesnβt work in prospecting, and it doesnβt work in account multithreading.
- Asking for referrals before youβve built credibility. You canβt extract value before youβve created it.
- Failing to nurture the relationships youβve already initiated. You canβt plant seeds and never water them.
- Ignoring the law of reciprocity. If you donβt offer value firstβbusiness insights, useful data, relevant introductionsβpeople wonβt feel any obligation to help you. Youβll burn through goodwill and get nothing back.
- Wearing out your welcome. If youβve reached out multiple times with relevant insights and gotten silence, thatβs a signal. Move on.
How to Build Your Account Web With Multi-ThreadingStart by mapping the web of people connected to your account. Decision makers, influencers, skeptics, the quiet analysts whose opinions shape what the decision makers think. Write it down. Visualize the relationships you have, the ones you need, and the blank spaces in between.
Then ask questions that open doors and show you recognize the decision is bigger than one person.
βWho else on your team would have a point of view on this?β
βWould it be helpful if I shared what other departments are doing with similar tools?β
βIs there someone else who should see this?β
Or use my favorite: βI need your advice on this.β That phrase invokes reciprocity and dramatically increases the probability theyβll give you the referral.
When trust is formed, asking for a direct referral becomes an act of generosity rather than an intrusion. Frame it around value, not obligation.
βWould you be willing to introduce me to your colleague in operations? I think sheβd have an interesting take on what weβre talking about.β
βIf anyone else on your team might benefit from this, would you mind sharing my name?β
People say yes far more often than you think when you ask this way.
The Quiet Chorus That Closes DealsThe more people who trust you, the faster and further your message travels inside the account.
Youβve got accounts in your pipeline right now sitting on a single thread. One job change, and that deal youβve been nursing for months vanishes overnight.
Stop searching for the one perfect contact. Start building a small community inside every account.
Itβs not a single voice that carries your deal through. Itβs three voices in three different departments saying the same thing about you when youβre not in the room.
Protect Your Pipeline with DisciplineAccount multithreading isnβt complicated, but it requires discipline and a shift in how you approach relationship-building. If youβre ready to protect your pipeline, increase your win rate by 34%, and build accounts that grow instead of churn, start mapping your key accounts today. Identify the blank spaces. Ask better questions. Build the web before you need it.
Ready to close more deals? Explore Keith Lubnerβs courses on Sales Gravy University.
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Patrick Lencioni joins Jeb Blount to reveal how discovering your Working Genius can transform your career and eliminate workplace frustration. Learn why doing the wrong kind of work drains you (even if you love your job), and how identifying your natural talents creates joy and peak performance. Pat shares the accidental discovery that led to this breakthrough productivity framework now used by over 1.5 million people, including the entire Sales Gravy team.
You'll learn:
- The six types of work and why nobody excels at ALL of them
- How to identify which work energizes you vs. drains you
- Why talented people feel miserable in the wrong role
- Using Working Genius to fix team dynamics without losing people
- Surprising applications of Working Genius
Over 1.5 million people have discovered their working genius. Most of them wish theyβd found it sooner. Visit workinggenius.com and take the assessment. Use coupon code GRAVY for 20% off.
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Hereβs a question that hits every sales professional right in the gut: What do you do when your email prospecting tanks and youβre staring at response rates that are circling the drain?
Thatβs the question Tara asked on a recent episode of Ask Jeb on The Sales Gravy Podcast, and itβs one I hear constantly from SDRs, account executives, and even sales managers whoβve convinced themselves that cold calling is outdated.
If youβre nodding along, thinking email is the future and cold calling is dead, you need to wake up. Email efficiency is going down without bounds, and if youβre not picking up the phone, youβre leaving money on the table.
The Hard Truth About Email ProspectingLet me be blunt: Your email isnβt failing because the channel is broken. Itβs failing because what youβre doing is terrible.
Before you blame the medium, look in the mirror. Did people ignore your email because you sent them something genuinely personalized and valuable? Or did they ignore you because you followed up thirteen times in five days? Did they ghost you because your seven colleagues already called them that same day?
The brutal reality is that most salespeople treat email like a spray-and-pray numbers game. They blast generic messages, add zero personalization, and then wonder why nobody responds. Meanwhile, they avoid the one thing that actually works: picking up the phone and having real conversations.
Why Cold Calling Will Always MatterCold calling isnβt going anywhere. It never has been, and it never will be.
You want to know why? Because sales is a human business. People buy from people they trust, and you canβt build trust through automated emails that sound like they were written by AI.
A phone call gives you something email never can: the ability to prove youβre a real human being whoβs genuinely there to help, not just to pitch and sell.
When you call someone and say, βHey, I sent you an email last week with this case study because I saw you talked about this at the Outbound Conference,β youβre showing them you did your homework. Youβre not just another robot in their inbox.
Hereβs a line I love: βWould I be the worst salesperson in the world if I didnβt also try to call you?β Itβs honest, itβs human, and it cuts through the noise.
You Donβt Know What to Say? Make the CallsThe number one excuse I hear from salespeople: βI donβt know what to say.β
Hereβs my advice: Make one hundred calls and talk to people. Theyβll teach you.
Youβre going to learn what not to say. Youβre going to start seeing patterns in how your prospects think, what problems they face, and what language matters to them.
This is how you develop business acumen that separates you from the pack. You canβt learn it behind a keyboard.
I was in an alignment call today with a new client, and they said, βYou totally understand us.β Why? Last week, I was with a business adjacent to their industry, learned their language, and pulled that knowledge into the next call.
Use Tools to Compress Your Learning CurveUse tools like ZoomInfo to accelerate your learning curve. At Sales Gravy, we use it every day to find information about people, see what theyβre doing on our website, and get intent signals that build our lists automatically.
You can use these tools to learn the language of industries youβre breaking into. You can see company news, understand their challenges, and show up on calls sounding like you belong.
But hereβs the key: The tool doesnβt make the call for you. It gives you the ammunition. You still have to do the work.
Be Strategic and ResourcefulHereβs a strategy most salespeople are too lazy to try: If youβre having trouble getting through to a decision maker, call someone else in the company whoβll actually talk to you.
Selling HR services? Call a sales rep. Theyβll talk your ear off about the company and might even make an introduction.
Try this: βHey, I know youβre in sales. Iβve been trying to get hold of Joseph for nine months. Is there any way you could help me out?β
Thatβs not being cheesy. Thatβs being resourceful. But you have to be genuine. You canβt just ask for something without building rapport.
Your Action PlanIf youβre struggling with email effectiveness:
Pick up the damn phone. Stop making excuses about why cold calling doesnβt work. It works if you work it.
Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Introducing yourself to strangers will never be easy, but itβs the price of admission for being great at sales.
Use data strategically. Build sequences that interweave multiple channels over 30, 60, 90 days. Email, phone, LinkedIn, video. Give yourself the best odds.
Donβt oversell on the cold call. A little interest isnβt an invitation to vomit your pitch. Your job is to earn the next conversation.
Make one more call. At the end of the day, when youβre tired, make one more call. Thatβs where discipline separates winners from everyone else.
The Bottom LineEmail isnβt dead, but itβs not a magic bullet. Cold calling isnβt outdated. Itβs the foundation of everything we do in sales.
Stop hiding behind your keyboard. Stop blaming the tools. Stop making excuses.
The shortest path to a meeting is through a real conversation. Thatβs how you build relationships, develop trust, and separate yourself from every other salesperson whoβs too afraid to dial.
Get outside your skin. Be genuine. Be there to help. And pick up the phone.
Ready to take your prospecting skills to the next level? Join us at one of our upcoming Sales Gravy LIVE events where youβll learn directly from top sales leaders and get hands-on coaching to transform your results.
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On this first Monday of the second month of the year, itβs time for a gut check. First, we need to check where we are against our new year goals. Next, we need to take stock of our first monthβs sales performance and make adjustments.
Weβre just a little more than 30 days away from our New Yearβs intentions, resolutions, and goals. A month ago, we set out into the new year with hope and ambition that this year would be our best ever and that weβd make positive lasting changes in our lives.
Itβs Easy to Slip Off the TrackYouβll remember that discipline is sacrificing what you want now for what you want most. But as time goes by and sticking with new habits gets more challenging, itβs easy to forget what motivated us to make the changes in the first place. Itβs easy to let down our guard and go back to our comfort zone.
The farther away we get from our intentions, the more likely it is that we allow our discipline to slip and get off track. Itβs just human nature.
Small Slips in Discipline Can Add Up QuicklyLetβs say you kicked off the new year determined to have your best sales year ever, and you knew that meant filling your pipeline daily by getting Fanatical about Prospecting. But upon reflection, you realize that days have passed since you picked up the phone, knocked on a door, or talked with customers.
Youβve been making excuses to avoid the very activities that move you closer to your goals.
Iβll admit that it happened to me just this past week. This month has been non-stop travel β 12 flights, 10 cities, 8 keynotes, 5 full days delivering training to sales teams. Toward the end of the week, I got tired, made excuses, and let my exercise and nutrition routine slide.
This was something I promised myself I wouldnβt do when the year started. I know that if I donβt stop right now and recommit to my goals, then there is a good chance that Iβll continue down this negative path β because itβs easy.
Revisit Your Goals and ResolutionsThis is exactly why NOW is a good time for a gut check and a look in the mirror. Pause and carve out time today to revisit your goals, resolutions, and intentions.
Sit down and think about what you decided to achieve back in early January. Visualize what it was that motivated you. Picture what you want most and where you want to be at the end of this year.
Go back and re-listen to the Money Monday episodes on building a personal business plan, reflection vs. regret, and why personal goals are essential for sales discipline.
Then recommit to your goals. Remember the feelings you had when you set them, and make an intentional decision to get back on track.
Evaluate Your First Monthβs Performance Against Your Sales GoalsNext, step back and evaluate your first monthβs sales performance. As you do, youβll likely find one of three scenarios:
- You Crushed It β You had a killer month and blew your goals out of the water.
- You Were Average β You hit quota or did βokay,β but you know youβre capable of much higher performance.
- You Bombed β You missed your number and ended the month worse than you hoped.
Great Sales MonthIf You Crushed it, and youβre at the top of the ranking report, fantastic, congratulations!
But be very careful not to let off the gas. Itβs likely you worked very hard last month to achieve these results. There will be the temptation to take a breather.
Trust me, if you do, this complacency will come back to bite you.
Now is the time to recommit to doing the activity that fueled your success last month so you donβt end up with a lackluster February and a disastrous March.
In other words, youβve set the foundation for a huge year, take advantage of what you have accomplished, and keep the pedal to the metal!
Average Sales MonthIf you had an average or just OK month β maybe you hit quota, maybe you came close, but you know youβve got more in the tank β then itβs time for some honest self-reflection.
Ask yourself:
- What held you back from greatness?
- What could you have done differently that would have resulted in higher sales productivity?
Maybe you needed to prospect harder. Perhaps you could have pushed a little harder to close some of your pipeline opportunities. It could have been that your pipeline wasnβt big enough from the start, and you ended up scrambling to make your numbers, but otherwise, you did everything right.
Itβs okay, you havenβt hurt yourself. You are still in a good position to have a great year. But youβll need to identify your performance gaps and plan to overcome them in February.
This is a good time to sit down with your coach or mentor, break down your performance, and get guidance on where you can make tweaks and get better.
If you donβt have a coach and you want to talk with someone, go to https://salesgravy.com/coach to get help.
Bad Sales MonthIf you bombed, if your month was downright awful, then youβre going to need to move fast to make adjustments.
Getting behind the eight ball at the beginning of the year is no fun. You donβt want to chase your tail for the rest of the year.
The key is taking positive action now. Rather than dwelling on the negatives β which is super easy to do β pull your head up and start breaking down what happened.
Empty PipeDid you have an empty pipeline, so you had nothing to close? That happens to a lot of salespeople in the first month of the year. Go back and listen to the How to Fix an Empty Pipeline Now Money Monday episode from a few weeks ago. Use that lesson to help you fix the problem.
Closeable Opportunities that PushedWere there closeable pipeline opportunities that simply pushed into this month? Make sure youβre on top of them so they donβt vanish for good. But also make sure you have the pipe to cover this month, so youβre not solely depending on last monthβs leftovers.
Shortcutting the Sales ProcessIs it possible that you might have been skipping steps in the sales process? This will often happen when you are in a desperate and stressed emotional state. This is a big clue that it is time to get back to the basics and fundamentals of sellingβ and get disciplined about following a proven sales process.
This may be a very good time to take some courses on Sales Gravy University and read (or listen) to books like Sales EQ that can help you dial in your sales process.
Recommit to Your Sales GoalsWe all slip. We all make mistakes. Discipline can waver, especially once the initial excitement of a new year fades. But you have the power to step back into your resolutions and do the daily work required to achieve your goals.
Whether you crushed it, coasted, or crashed, the key to getting February off to a strong start is to recommit.
Make the decision β say it out loud: βIβm going to be better in February than I was in January.β
Need help setting winning Sales Goals? Check out our FREE Goal Planning Guide
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βBuyers want a machine, a sales machine, not a mystery. If the sales machine only works because of the founder, itβs not that valuable. Itβs actually quite risky.β
Chris Spratling, founder of Chalkhill Blue Limited and author of The Exit Roadmap, shared this on a recent episode of the Sales Gravy podcast. He works with business owners preparing to sell their companies, helping them get operations, finances, and sales engines ready for new ownership. That insight cuts straight to the reason so many founder-led businesses hit a ceiling they canβt break through.
If you are a founder who still carries most of the revenue, or you have a founder-led sales team that depends on you to close critical deals, this is bigger than exit planning. It determines whether your business can grow beyond your personal capacity.
The Golden Handcuffs ProblemYou built the business. You know the product better than anyone. You can sell it without thinking.
That is exactly where the risk starts.
When major clients only trust you, when your sales process lives in your head, when new reps struggle to replicate what comes naturally to you, you arenβt running a sales operation. You are running a one-person engine with a support team around it.
Spratling calls this the βgolden handcuffs.β It looks like success from the outside, but underneath, it creates dependency. Every time you step in to save a deal, you reinforce the idea that the business only works when you are involved.
Most founders focus on how this affects valuation at exit. Fewer recognize the more immediate cost. That dependency limits how fast the company can grow right now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEBLyaOy9XQ
Where Founder-Led Sales Breaks DownThe transition from founder-led sales to a functioning team is where momentum often stalls.
You hire your first salesperson. They do well. Then a second. Then a third. Suddenly, deals slow down, messaging gets inconsistent, and you find yourself pulled back into conversations you thought you had delegated.
They donβt sell the way you do. They miss cues you catch instinctively. They hesitate where you would push forward. So you jump in, coach through objections, and close deals yourself.
What feels like instinct is actually a method you developed through hundreds of conversations. The problem isnβt that your team lacks talent, but that your approach has never been translated into something they can use without you standing next to them.
As long as that stays true, scale will remain out of reach.
Turning Intuition Into a Usable ProcessThe hardest shift for founder-led teams is codifying what the founder does without thinking.
You know which deals are worth pursuing. You know when to apply pressure and when to step back. You know how to redirect a conversation when resistance shows up. That knowledge is pattern recognition built over time, and it can be used to create a process.
Start by defining how deals actually move through your pipeline. Not a generic framework pulled from a template, but the real stages your customers pass through, with clear criteria for each transition. What has to be true before a lead is qualified? What information must be present before a proposal goes out?
Then look at discovery. What questions do you ask every time? What do you listen for before positioning your solution? Which objections show up consistently, and how do you respond when they do?
The goal is to document the structure beneath the conversations so that someone else can navigate the same terrain with confidence.
Why Your CRM Is Not Pulling Its WeightMost founder-led teams have a CRM, but they only use it to track contacts and deal size.
However, a functioning, high-performing sales system treats the CRM as a learning tool. That means capturing more than surface-level data. It means recording what buyers actually say, why deals move forward, where they stall, and who influences the decision.
When that information is tracked consistently, patterns become visible. You see which prospects convert fastest, which objections actually kill deals, and where momentum typically breaks down.
That insight does more than improve forecasting. It gives you a concrete way to train new reps based on real deals you have closed, not abstract theory.
Three Steps to Build a Sales Engine That Does Not Depend on YouThe objective isnβt to remove yourself from sales completely. Itβs to make your involvement a choice rather than a requirement.
Step 1: Define Clear Qualification CriteriaYour team needs to know which leads are worth pursuing and which ones are a waste of time. If youβre constantly redirecting their focus, you havenβt defined βgood fitβ clearly enough. Get specificβindustry, company size, buying triggers, decision-making structure.
Step 2: Create Documented PlaybooksHow do you handle discovery? Whatβs your approach to proposals? How do you navigate the closing process? Your team needs a framework they can adapt. Think decision trees, not scripts. βIf they say X, then ask Y. If they push back on Z, hereβs how to reframe it.β
Step 3: Transfer Client RelationshipsIf every major client relationship is tied to you personally, your business is fragile. Start introducing your team into those relationships now. Bring them to calls. Have them lead the follow-up. Shift trust from you as an individual to your company as a whole.
What This Looks Like in PracticeRecord your next three sales conversations, with the customerβs permission. Review them carefully. Note the questions you asked, when you asked them, and how you responded to resistance. Identify what made you confident that the opportunity was real.
Turn those insights into a simple framework your team can follow. Have them use it. Watch where it works and where it breaks. Refine based on what you see.
Done consistently, this process creates a system new hires can step into within months. It wonβt make them identical to you, but it will make them effective without constant rescue.
The Real TestYou will know your found-led sales team has scaled when you can step away for two weeks without monitoring email, chat messages, or βquick callsβ with prospects.
And when you come back, the pipeline has moved forward.
If that thought terrifies you, you donβt have a sales team. You have an expensive support staff for your one-person operation.
Building a sales operation that runs without you isnβt about making yourself irrelevant. Itβs about making your business transferable and scalable, whether youβre planning an exit in three years or just trying to grow past your own capacity right now.
Because at some point, your ability to personally close deals stops being your greatest asset and starts being your biggest bottleneck.
The question is whether youβll recognize that point before it costs you the next stage of growth.
If you want to start turning founder intuition into a repeatable sales system, download our free Small Business Guide to Sales Training. It walks through the frameworks that help teams scale without depending on a single closer.
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Hereβs a question thatβll change how you think about this profession forever: Whatβs the one moment that reveals youβre built for sales success?
For most people, that moment never comes. They stumble into sales, struggle with the stereotypes, and either quit or spend their entire career fighting against what they think selling is supposed to be.
But for those of us who get it, thereβs a moment of clarity so powerful it changes everything. Mine happened in high school when I was chasing a girl and ended up on the yearbook staff. Thirty days later, I handed over $3,800 in checks while everyone else struggled to hit their $300 quota.
The Sales Crack MomentWhen Mr. Hall at Hallβs Hardware Store wrote me that first check for a yearbook ad after I had done little more than ask outright for the money, something clicked. This wasnβt complicated. Walk in, shake hands, present value, and people give you money.
While my classmates were paralyzed by the same stereotypes you hear today (βIβm not a salespersonβ), I was out there having conversations. Thatβs all prospecting really is. Talking to people.
The gasp in that room when I revealed my numbers? That was better than the money. That was the competitive fire igniting. That was me realizing I could outwork, outsell, and out-earn anyone if I just committed to the process.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7dOBVvYHCsThe Discipline Problem Most Sellers MissHereβs what nobody tells you about sales success: Itβs not about talent. Itβs not about charisma. Itβs about the ruthless execution of proven processes.
By the time I was 21 or 22, I was making $300,000 in the early nineties. Thatβs equivalent to making close to a million today. Not because I was special, but because I understood something fundamental that most people never figure out: The more people you talk with, the more you sell.
And hereβs the beautiful part. There are lots of people to go talk with. The pipeline never runs dry if youβre willing to fill it.
The Three Non-Negotiables for Modern SellersThe future of selling is blending. Not choosing between video and phone and in-person. Blending all of them based on one critical question: What communication channel gives me the highest probability of capturing my desired outcome at the lowest cost of time, energy, and money?
When I started selling, we had two channels. Maybe three if you count snail mail. Phone and in-person. Thatβs it. Today? Youβve got a dozen ways to connect. WhatsApp lets you text, call, and video chat almost instantly. The options are endless.
But hereβs where Gen Z sellers (and honestly, every generation) screw this up: They get single-siloed.
βIβm only good at email.β
βI only do video calls.β
βI hate the phone.β
That mindset is killing your income potential. You need to be good at everything. Master every channel. Because the channel doesnβt matter. The outcome does.
Synchronous Beats Asynchronous Every Single TimeHereβs the second non-negotiable to sales success: Stop hiding behind asynchronous communication.
We do deals in a synchronous world. Real-time conversations. Phone calls. Video meetings. Face-to-face interactions. If you think you can close business through email threads and text messages, youβre delusional.
Why? Because robots can write better emails than you can. AI can craft more persuasive text messages. But sales is the ultimate human career in the age of AI precisely because of the human connection required in synchronous conversations.
Lead with phone calls. Get face-to-face when the deal size justifies it. Use video when it makes sense. But always, always prioritize real-time conversations over digital hide-and-seek.
Ask Questions and Actually ListenThe third non-negotiable is mastering the art of asking great questions and listening to the answers.
People make five decisions before they buy from you: Do I like you? Do you listen to me? Do you make me feel important? Do you get me and my problems? Do I trust and believe you?
Notice whatβs not on that list? Your product features. Your companyβs awards. Your clever sales pitch.
Theyβre evaluating you. Your ability to connect. Your capacity to understand. Your commitment to making them feel important.
And the only way to get five affirmative answers to those questions is through synchronous conversations where you ask intelligent questions and actually listen to what theyβre telling you.
The Make It Rain PrincipleWhen Mr. Rouse made me editor of the yearbook after I brought in $3,800, I learned something that shaped my entire career: When you can make it rain, you can get anything you want.
That principle holds true whether youβre selling yearbook ads in high school or enterprise software to Fortune 500 companies. Revenue solves problems. Performance opens doors. Results create opportunities.
Most people in sales stumble into it. They took the job because it was available. They stick with it because the moneyβs decent. But they never commit to mastering the craft.
The question isnβt whether sales chooses you. The question is whether you choose sales. Whether you commit to being good at every communication channel. Whether you prioritize synchronous conversations over digital convenience. Whether you master the art of asking questions and listening.
Those fundamentals never change. The technology evolves. The channels multiply. But the core truth remains: Talk to more people, in real time, with genuine curiosity about their problems, and youβll make more money than you ever thought possible.
Thatβs how you achieve sales success. Thatβs how you go from yearbook ads to seven figures. Thatβs how you make it rain.
Want to master the fundamentals of prospecting and build your own rocket ship career? Join us at Sales Gravy LIVE: Fanatical Prospecting Bootcamp. Two days of intensive training where youβll learn the exact systems and processes that turn ordinary sellers into top performers.
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Iβm not sure if you noticed this, but there is a massive gap between what salespeople and leaders know and what they actually do.
Iβve written 18 books and trained hundreds of thousands of salespeople. I canβt tell you how many times someone comes up to me and says, βJeb, I read Fanatical Prospecting. Great book. But that stuff doesnβt work for me.β Or theyβll say, βI tried that objection handling technique you taught, but it didnβt work, so I went back to what I was doing before.β
Hereβs what they donβt understand: The problem isnβt the technique. The problem is that they gave up too soon. The brutal truth is that most people fail to implement what they learn.
The Skate Park LessonA couple of weeks ago, I was traveling for business, working with one of my clientsβ sales teams. One afternoon, I decided I needed some exercise, so I went for a walk. Along the way, I came across a skate park where kids were riding their skateboards and doing tricks.
There was a bench nearby, so I sat down to watch for a while.
Close to me was a group of young guys, probably 13 or 14 years old. They were huddled around a phone watching a YouTube video of someone doing a particular trick on their skateboard. They watched it, talked about it, and then one of them threw his skateboard down and attempted the trick.
He immediately fell off and failed.
The next kid tried, and he failed.
Then the next one and the next one. All of them failed to do the trick.
So what did they do? They went back and watched the YouTube video again. Then they threw down their boards and crashed and burned, but this time, slightly less dramatically than the first time.
They repeated this process over and over. Watch the video. Try the trick. Fail. Watch again. Try again. Fail a little less badly. Until finally, one of them nailed it.
When he landed the trick, they all erupted. Clapping, fist pumping, and cheering. And once one kid got it, the rest of them started getting it too. They practiced until they had the trick nailed down, then went back to YouTube to find another trick to learn.
At that point, I got up and headed back to my hotel. But as I was walking, I couldnβt stop thinking about what Iβd just witnessed.
Too Often, We Give Up too SoonHow often do we do the exact opposite in business and sales? We read a book, watch a video, listen to a podcast. We hear about a technique or concept that sounds really good. And we think, βYeah, Iβm going to try that.β
So we give it one shot. Maybe two if weβre feeling ambitious. And when it doesnβt work perfectly the first time, we say, βWell, this doesnβt work for me,β and we give up and never try it again.
Or worse, we read the book, feel really good about the concept, then put the book down and never even attempt it at all because weβve already convinced ourselves it wouldnβt work for us before we even tried.
But hereβs the thing: Those kids at the skate park didnβt look at that trick and say, βThis looks hard, it probably wonβt work for me.β They looked at it and said, βWeβre going to figure this out.β They understood something that most adults have forgotten: Just because you read about something or see someone else do it, doesnβt mean youβre going to master it on the first try.
The Homemade Yogurt Failure Paradigm As I was walking back from the skate park, this lesson reminded me of something that had happened to me over the holidays.
Iβd seen something in my news feed about making homemade yogurt. It looked interesting, so I bought some milk, studied the recipe, and made an attempt.
And I failed. My concoction didnβt turn into yogurt at all. My immediate reaction was, βWell, this isnβt going to work; it must be a bad recipe.β I gave up after one failed attempt.
But after watching those kids at the skatepark, I realized the giving-up-too-soon trap Iβd fallen into. So when I got home from my trip, I went back, reread the recipe, walked back through my steps to figure out what went wrong, and tried again. This time it worked, and I actually made yogurt.
The recipe wasnβt the problem. My execution was the problem. And I only figured that out by trying again.
The Human Overconfidence Fallacy Hereβs the lesson: We are all susceptible to this human fallacy of believing that we can read something, watch something, or hear something once and then immediately do it perfectly.
When it doesnβt work the first time (or even the second time), we conclude that the technique is flawed, or it wonβt work for us, or our situation is unique and different.
But the truth is, we gave up too soon, before we gave the technique a fair shot. Thatβs just being human. Weβre wired for overconfidence, instant gratification, and immediate results. When we donβt get them, we move on.
Why This Matters in Sales Let me bring this back to sales, because this pattern will absolutely kill your results.
You read a book on prospecting, learn a new cold calling technique, watch a sales training video on objection handling, or attend a conference or training and learn new ideas.
Then you try it. Maybe it feels awkward, or the prospect reacts differently than you expected. Maybe you stumble over the words, or you get shut down and rejected. So you conclude it doesnβt work, and you go back to what you were doing before, which, by the way, wasnβt working either. Thatβs why you were looking for something new in the first place.
Hereβs what youβre missing: Sales is and always has been a numbers game. Statistics and the law of averages matter. Even the best techniques donβt work 100% of the time. You have to use them enough times to see the patterns and to understand whatβs working and what needs adjustment.
The Iteration ProcessThose kids at the skate park werenβt just repeating the same failed attempt over and over. They were iterating.
Theyβd try the trick, fail, and then make a small adjustment. Theyβd watch the video again, notice something they missed the first time, and then talk to each other about what went wrong and what to try differently.
Thatβs the process: Try, fail, learn, adjust, try again.
But most people skip the βlearn and adjustβ part. They just try, fail, and quit.
Let me give you a sales example. Say youβre trying a new prospecting email template. You send it to ten prospects and get no responses. The try-fail-quit people conclude the template doesnβt work. But a try-fail-learn-adjust-try again high performer would ask:
- Did I send it to the right prospects?
- Was my subject line compelling?
- Was the timing right?
- Did my call to action make sense?
- Should I test a different version?
Theyβd iterate and test different variables until they figured out what worked. Thatβs what separates top performers from everyone else. They donβt give up after one attempt. Instead, they iterate until they succeed.
The Success Leaves Clues PrincipleHereβs something else those kids understood: If someone else is doing something successfully, that means itβs possible.
When they watched that YouTube video, they didnβt say, βWell, that guy is just naturally talented.β They said, βIf he can do it, we can figure out how to do it too.β
This is the βsuccess leaves cluesβ principle. If someone else is making something work, thatβs proof it can work. Your job is to master their patterns and believe that you can make it work too.
When you read a book like Fanatical Prospecting, and you see examples of people who built massive pipelines using these techniques, thatβs not fiction. Those are real people who learned how to execute these strategies.
When you watch a training video and see someone handle an objection smoothly, thatβs not magic. It is someone who practiced that response dozens or hundreds of times until it became natural.
The clues and evidence are there. The only question is: Are you willing to put in the practice and endure the failures until you get there yourself?
The Practice ParadoxHereβs the paradox that trips people up: The techniques that work best often feel the most awkward at first. Thatβs because theyβre different from what youβve been doing, and anything different feels uncomfortable.
For example, when I teach salespeople to slow down and use silence in negotiations, they hate it. It feels unnatural. They want to fill the silence with words. But the ones who push through that discomfort and practice using silence close bigger deals at better margins.
When I teach salespeople to ask for referrals using a specific framework, they feel like theyβre being pushy or scripted. But the ones who practice the framework until it becomes conversational generate more referrals than they ever thought possible.
The discomfort is temporary. The results are permanent. But you have to get through the discomfort in order to get to the results.
5 Keys to Mastering New Sales SkillsSo, how do you actually implement what you learn? Hereβs what I recommend:
- First, commit to practicing any new technique at least twenty times before you decide if it works. Not once. Not twice. Twenty times minimum. Thatβs how long it takes to get past the awkwardness and start seeing results.
- Second, track your results. Donβt rely on your feelings about whether something is working. Write down what happened each time you tried the technique. Look for patterns and notice whatβs improving.
- Third, iterate. If something isnβt working after multiple attempts, donβt just abandon it. Adjust it. What needs to change? What variable can you test differently?
- Fourth, find someone whoβs making it work and learn from them. If youβre struggling with a technique that others are using successfully, reach out to them. Ask questions. Watch how they do it.
- Fifth, be patient with yourself. Youβre not going to master anything instantly. Give yourself permission to be bad at something new while youβre trying to master it.
Your Homework this WeekHereβs what I want you to do this week: Pick one technique you learned recently β from a book, a podcast, a training β and commit to trying it at least twenty times this week. Track what happens each time. Notice whatβs working and whatβs not, make small adjustments, and keep at it.
Because hereβs the truth: The techniques work. But you must put in the work before they will work for you.
Those kids at the skate park didnβt give up after the first fall. They kept going until they nailed the trick. Thatβs what separates winners from everyone else. Not talent, luck, or some magical gift. Just the willingness to try, fail, learn, adjust, and try again until you get it right.
And remember, when itβs time to go home, make one more call. Because that one more call is one more rep, one more attempt to get better, and one more step toward mastering your craft.
One way to become a stronger sales professional and leader is the OutBound Conference. OutBound is the biggest, baddest sales and leadership training conference on the planet. At Outbound, youβll learn from the worldβs top sales and leadership experts and network with other high performers just like you. To reserve your tickets, go to OutboundConference.com
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βThat chip on my shoulder made me less empathetic, more rushed, too eager to solve things too fast, and less thoughtful. That chip built me, but then it started to tear me down.β
I said that recently in a conversation with Harriet Mellor of Your Sales Co, and it captures something every sales leader needs to understand.
I grew up in the sales training business. My dad literally wrote THE book on prospectingβseveral of them, actually. I worked at Paycom, Comcast, and various startups where I consistently crushed my numbers.
But what I learned is that knowing the right techniques and getting your team to actually implement them are two completely different challenges. Sales training resistance is rarely about bad content. More often, it is about ego and pride standing in the way of growth. I had to recognize that in myself before I could address it in the people I lead.
Why Your Top Performers Resist Training the MostWhen I was a rep, I was terrible at taking coaching. Not because I didnβt understand the concepts. I understood them better than most. But when someone tried to coach me, I tuned out.
The problem was Iβd already figured out a system that worked. I was hitting my numbers. Why would I mess with it?
Think about learning golf. You chunk the ground twenty times, then suddenly you make contact. The ball doesnβt go straight or very far, but it goes. Someone tries to teach you proper form, your first thought is, βI already figured out how to hit the ball.β
Thatβs where many top performers live. Theyβve reached an equilibrium. Not peak performance, but functional competence. Training feels disruptive because it threatens what is currently working.
Theyβre not resisting because theyβre stubborn. Theyβre resisting because they have something to lose. What if they try something new and their numbers drop? Theyβd rather stay at 85% effectiveness than risk dropping to 60%, even if it means eventually reaching 120%.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjAra5yiRYM
Two Ways Ego Hurts PerformanceCreates Rush Instead of CuriosityAt Paycom, I carried a massive chip on my shoulder. I carried the same name as my dad. People knew who he was. I felt pressure to prove I belonged.
So I rushed. I skipped discovery. I pushed toward proposals. I talked more than I listened. Every call felt like a test I needed to pass.
You can hear this on your teamβs calls. Reps who are trying to prove something move too fast. They stop asking questions. They perform instead of selling.
That behavior is driven by ego, and it costs deals.
Telling them to slow down will not fix it. You need to understand what they feel compelled to prove and why they associate speed with competence.
Blocks From Actually LearningWhen I was carrying a quota, I thought I was a lifelong learner. I read every sales book. I listened to podcasts. I sat through hours of training sessions.
But when it came to changing what I did on Monday morning, I defaulted right back to what I knew.
Iβd hear a new objection handling technique and think, βYeah, I basically already do that.β I didnβt. But ego wouldnβt let me see the gap.
Your salespeople are doing the same thing right now. Theyβre taking in your coaching but filtering it through their existing beliefs. Theyβre protecting the system thatβs currently working. And theyβre developing blind spots they canβt see.
Watch for the reps who stop recording their calls because they βknow what they sound like.β The ones who skip role play because itβs βnot realistic.β The ones who tune out your coaching because you βdonβt understand their territory.β
Reps who do this arenβt trying to be difficult, but instead trying to protect their self-image instead of improving their performance.
Why Your Team Listens to Outside Trainers But Not YouOne of the most frustrating parts of leadership is to preach a methodology for six months and nothing changes. Then an outside consultant shows up and says the exact same thing. Suddenly, everyoneβs taking notes and engaged.
I experienced this firsthand with my dad. He would offer advice, and I tuned out. Days later, I would hear the same message from someone else and think it was brilliant.
It wasnβt about the message. It was about who was delivering it.
When you try to coach your team, thereβs history. Thereβs baggage. Maybe youβve given conflicting directions before. Maybe they see you as βmanagementβ instead of someone who gets it. Maybe they just donβt like admitting to their boss that they need help.
Outside trainers donβt carry that weight. They show up with a clean slate and credibility thatβs granted just by being an outsider.
The real question isnβt how to make your team listen to you. It is how to create an environment where learning feels safe, regardless of who delivers it.
How to Break Through Sales Training ResistanceFrame Training as Addition, Not CorrectionI stopped resisting coaching when my leaders stopped making me feel like I was doing things wrong.
Instead of pointing out flaws, the best managers invited experimentation. Instead of βyou need to improve your discovery process,β the best managers said, βtry asking this question in your next three calls and see what happens.β
Position new techniques as tools to add to whatβs already working, not corrections to whatβs broken. Your team will actually try them.
Make It Safe to FailOn the marketing team, I got my team members on sales calls. Yeah, marketers are making prospecting calls alongside me. It felt like a crazy concept until it started working. Importantly, I let them hear my wins and my mistakes so they knew I was in it with them the entire way.
I wanted them to see me stumble over a question. Get flustered. Say the wrong thing. Then watch me debrief it and do better on the next call.
When I started doing this, something shifted. My team stopped being afraid to try new things. If I could screw up a cold call and laugh about it, they could too.
The tide turned when they asked to jump in with me and started booking appointments. The win unlocked a new level of understanding. These marketers suddenly believed that they could, instead of simply being told that they could.
Your salespeople need to see you fail. Not in a performative way. In a real, vulnerable, βIβm still learning tooβ way.
Thatβs when theyβll give themselves permission to be imperfect. And thatβs when actual learning happens.
Change One Small Thing at a TimeI didnβt transform my sales approach overnight. The managers who got through to me asked me to change one thing every few weeks. One question to add to discovery calls. One way to handle a specific objection.
After six months, Iβd transformed my entire process. But I never had to risk everything at once.
Pick one behavior for your team. Make it specific. Make it small. Give them three weeks to practice it. Then add something else.
Stop trying to overhaul their entire approach in one training session.
Let Them Experience the WinYou can tell your team a technique works until youβre blue in the face. They wonβt really believe you until they feel it themselves.
My marketing team didnβt enjoy making calls at first. They were uncomfortable. They were bad at it. But then they got their first yes. That moment when someone on the other end of the phone said, βYeah, letβs set up a time to talkββeverything changed.
That lift in your chest when you close a deal? That high you get from hearing yes? You canβt explain that. Your people have to experience it.
Stop trying to convince your team that new approaches work. Create low-risk situations where they can discover it themselves. Role-play early, followed by real calls together. Small wins. Repeat.
When Ego Stops Being Their EngineEvery salesperson reaches a moment when the traits that fueled early success start creating friction. The confidence that helped them pick up the phone becomes arrogance that stops them from listening. The drive that made them a top performer becomes anxiety that makes them rush.
For me, that moment came when I realized that chip on my shoulder wasnβt serving me anymore. It had driven early success. Then it started tearing me down. I was less empathetic, more rushed, less thoughtful.
Most salespeople never recognize that moment. They keep pushing the same way they always have, wondering why itβs getting harder to hit their numbers.
Your role as a leader is to help them spot it. Not by calling it out directlyβthat triggers defensivenessβbut by creating an environment where they feel safe enough to recognize it themselves.
The best salespeople develop the ability to notice when pride is shielding them from feedback. They know when to trust instinct and when to slow down and listen.
What to Do This WeekLook at who is hitting their numbers while quietly resisting coaching. Those are rarely problem reps. They are people protecting what feels safe.
Start with one person and one behavior. Keep the change small enough that it does not threaten their confidence. Model your own learning openly. When people see that improvement does not require perfection, they are more willing to try.
I spent years proving I was good enough instead of getting better. Many salespeople do the same thing. Ego does not disappear with success. It just gets quieter.
The leaders who drive sustained performance create environments where learning feels normal, progress is visible, and growth does not require losing face.
If you are leading a small sales team, coaching resistance gets magnified. Download our Free Small Business Guide to Sales Training, which gives you a clear framework for building coachable habits, consistent execution, and sustainable performance without overwhelming your team.
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Hereβs a question thatβll make your head spin: You just inherited 50 neglected accounts, and your customers feel taken for granted. How do you reposition yourself as a high-value partner instead of just another transactional vendor whoβs about to disappoint them?
Thatβs the question posed by Scott Northway, and itβs one of the most common challenges I see in sales today. A new account manager takes over, inherits a book of business thatβs been ignored, and now has to figure out how to rebuild relationships with customers whoβve been collecting dust.
If youβre nodding your head right now, youβre not alone. Poor account management is quietly bleeding companies dry, and most leaders have no idea how much revenue theyβre leaving on the table.
The Brutal Truth About Why Customers LeaveWhen we survey customers through our consulting projects with clients who are hemorrhaging accounts, hereβs what we find: About 70 percent of the time, customers donβt leave because of price. They donβt leave because of product quality or service issues.
They leave because they feel taken for granted.
Let me give you a real example. I pay six figures annually for a software program thatβs critical to my business. Every time my contract comes up for renewal, itβs like a circus. They fly people in. They wine and dine me. They promise the moon about how theyβre going to support us and be our partner.
Then once the contract is signed? Crickets.
My account manager disappears for three years. If I donβt call them, they donβt call me. And hereβs the thing: I actually like my account manager. I genuinely want to work with them. There are products I could buy, optimizations we could make, but I have to do all the work to make it happen.
This is insane. And itβs costing companies millions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CtOft34tTAWhat Wonβt Work: The Rookie MistakesSo youβve inherited these neglected accounts. Hereβs what you absolutely cannot do: Show up on their doorstep apropos of nothing and try to sell them something.
If Iβm an existing customer doing business with your company, and you show up trying to pitch me without acknowledging the elephant in the room, weβre probably done. Itβs rude. Itβs bad behavior. And it tells me youβre just like every other transactional vendor who doesnβt actually care about my business.
The second mistake is spreading yourself too thin across all 50 accounts without any strategy. Youβll burn out, deliver mediocre service to everyone, and end up losing accounts you could have saved.
The Human-to-Human Approach That Actually WorksHereβs what does work: Be honest. Be human. Name the problem.
Pick up the phone and say something like this: βHey, Iβm your new account manager. I recognize that no oneβs contacted you in a while, and Iβm sorry about that. I apologize. Iβd like to do a fresh start. Would you give me the opportunity to get to know you better and learn about whatβs important to you?β
Thatβs it. Simple. Direct. Human.
Now hereβs the hard part: When you have that conversation, some customers are going to unload on you. If they really have felt taken for granted, theyβre going to say some nasty things. They might complain about the last account manager. They might air grievances about problems that have been festering for months.
And the most important thing you can do in that moment is shut up and listen.
Donβt try to defend the past. Donβt talk over them. Donβt promise youβre going to be so much better than the last person. Just let them get it all off their chest. Let them talk it out, because people like people who listen to them.
Then, if thereβs something specific you can help them with, donβt make promises you canβt keep. Commit to one thing. Take care of that commitment. Honor it. Build trust slowly. Thatβs how you become a high-value partner through fanatical prospecting discipline applied to account management.
The Smart Way to Triage 50 AccountsYou canβt effectively manage 50 accounts with equal attention, so you need to segment fast. Use a simple A, B, C ranking by revenue and risk:
A Accounts: Your largest customers or those at highest risk of churn. These get weekly or bi-weekly touchpoints.
B Accounts: Solid mid-tier customers with growth potential. These get monthly check-ins.
C Accounts: Smaller accounts that are stable. These get quarterly touchpoints.
But hereβs the secret weapon most account managers miss: Use AI and your CRM data to find the low-hanging fruit. Look for patterns like former buyers whoβve moved to new companies in your territory, customers who mentioned specific challenges in past conversations, or accounts showing signs of expansion readiness.
One of the smartest things you can do is ask your AI tools: βDid anyone on this account ever mention their favorite sports team? Do they like to cook? What matters to them personally?β Those human details are gold for building real relationships in sales.
The Retention Secret Nobody Talks AboutHereβs what kills me about account management: Retention is actually easy. If youβre just nice to people, for the most part, theyβre going to be nice to you.
It doesnβt take grand gestures. It takes consistency.
A random text message: βHey, just thinking about you. Howβs everything going?β
A quick video message once a quarter checking in.
Remembering to ask how their kidsβ soccer season went.
Sending them an article relevant to their business with a note: βSaw this and thought of you.β
Human beings at the core just want to be understood and they want to feel important, like they matter. Thatβs it. Thatβs the whole game.
Your 30-60-90 Day Stabilization PlanIf youβre inheriting neglected accounts, hereβs your action plan:
Days 1-30: Triage and stabilize. Reach out to every A account with your honest, human approach. Listen more than you talk. Identify immediate fires to put out.
Days 31-60: Earn the right to advise. Deliver on your initial commitments. Start providing value without asking for anything in return. Build familiarity and trust through effective sales communication.
Days 61-90: Focus on expansion. Now that youβve proven yourself, you can start identifying opportunities to grow these accounts. But not before.
Donβt bite off more than you can chew. Build familiarity, then trust, then earn the opportunity to expand the business.
The Bottom LineStop treating your existing customers like an afterthought. Theyβre your easiest path to revenue growth, but only if you actually treat them like they matter.
Account management isnβt complicated. Itβs about being human, being consistent, and actually caring about the people who are already paying you money.
So pick up the phone. Send that text. Schedule that coffee. Make the small investments in relationships that compound into massive retention and expansion wins.
Thatβs how you turn neglected accounts into your most profitable relationships. Thatβs how you build a book of business that actually grows. And thatβs how you stop losing customers you already have.
Ready to master the prospecting and relationship-building skills that drive account growth? Join us at Sales Gravy Live: Fanatical Prospecting Bootcamp. Two days of intensive training that will transform how you approach every customer conversation.
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Have you ever gone into a closing meeting, a sales presentation, or even a prospecting call with total confidence? That mindset and feeling that everythingβs going to go your way, that nothing can go wrong, that youβre absolutely going to win?
Iβve been there. I know you have too. Itβs one of the greatest feelings ever.
But letβs juxtapose that against going into a meeting feeling insecure, where your focus is on everything that could go wrong versus everything that could go right. And then, as soon as something does go wrong, everything starts to spiral downward.
There is absolutely nothing that can make or break a deal like confidence.
In this Sales Gravy podcast episode, weβre going to explore exactly where confidence comes from, why it matters so much in sales, and most importantly, what you can do to build the unshakeable confidence that closes deals.
The Insecurity Death SpiralRecently, I learned a profound lesson about confidence.
I was invited to play golf with a group of businesspeople in Florida. Beautiful day, sunshine, great course. It should have been perfect.
Except Iβm not a very good golfer. And these guys? They were good. Really good. The kind of golfers who carry single-digit handicaps and talk about their swing plane like itβs a science project.
So Iβm standing on the first tee, watching them stripe their drives straight down the middle, and I can feel it happening. That little voice in my head starts whispering: βYou donβt belong here. Youβre going to embarrass yourself. Everyoneβs going to see how bad you are.β
I started strong enough. Made it through the first couple of holes without humiliating myself. But then I hit a bad shot. Then another. And instead of shaking it off like I normally would, I started fixating on those bad shots.
Thatβs when the downward spiral began.
Every swing became an exercise in anxiety. I was so focused on not messing up that I couldnβt help but mess up. My mechanics fell apart. My rhythm disappeared.
By the end of the round, I had played one of the worst games of golf in my life. Not because I suddenly forgot how to swing a club, but because I let insecurity take over.
Now, I managed to keep a smile on my face. We were playing golf in the Florida sunshine, after all. But inside, I was frustrated because I knew what had happened. I let my insecurity about being the weakest player in the group sabotage my entire game.
And hereβs what hit me on the plane home: Thatβs exactly what I see happen in sales all the time. One moment of uncertainty, one unexpected challenge, and suddenly, a salesperson who is perfectly capable starts spiraling. Their confidence evaporates. And with it goes their ability to perform.
Why Confidence Matters in SalesIn sales, there is nothing that sells like confidence. Nothing.
Buyers lean into confidence. Theyβre attracted to it. They trust it. And because of emotional contagionβyour ability to transfer your emotions to another personβyou basically take your confidence and hand it to the buyer, who then gains more confidence in you.
Think about it. When you walk into a meeting radiating confidence, the buyer thinks, βThis person knows what theyβre doing. They believe in what theyβre selling. I can trust them.β
But when you walk in feeling insecure, the buyer picks up on that too. They start thinking, βWhy is this person nervous? What arenβt they telling me? Maybe this isnβt the right solution.β
In sales, because we canβt always control the playing field and because we donβt always feel like we should be where we areβespecially when weβre dealing with the C-suite or high-level decision makers, when weβre in super competitive situations, or when we donβt really know what weβre talking aboutβone thing that goes wrong can create a cascade of other problems, creating a downward insecurity spiral that is real and deadly.
The Ultimate Source of ConfidenceSo the question is: Where does confidence come from? Where do you get it?
Well, confidence by its very nature comes from the inside. Itβs a mindset. Itβs something that you believe, just like insecurity is a mindset that comes from the inside.
Confidence is mostly created by certainty.
- When you feel certain that you can control the outcome, you feel more confident.
- When youβre in situations that feel familiar, or youβre talking about a product, your service, or some part of your offering that you totally understand, you feel more confident.
- When youβve executed the sales process perfectly and built deep relationships with your customers, you feel more confident that theyβre going to buy from you.
- When youβve practiced your presentation multiple times and know it by rote, you feel more confident.
By the way, the same thing works in reverse. Uncertainty begets insecurity.
When you walk into a situation, and you feel uncertainβand this happens to a lot of brand-new salespeople who donβt know what to say or feel like they donβt really understand the product offering, their industry, or their customerβs businessβit creates a level of insecurity.
So the answer, if we want to be more confident, is to create more certainty.
Certainty Creates ConfidenceLet me give you an example from my horrible, awful, terrible round of golf.
In the middle of that terrible round, I got desperate for anything that would give me confidence. So I started playing entire holes with my 7-iron because that was the one club I felt I was certain I could hit.
Except for putting, I would hit the 7-iron off the tee, on the fairway, and chip with it around the green. 150 yards at a time with my 7-iron, I could make it go straight down the fairway and hit the green.
That certainty in that particular club helped me feel more confident, and my game actually improved when I stuck with what I knew worked.
Now, in sales like golf, there is nothing you can be 100% certain about, simply because there are too many variables. Weβre dealing with human beings, nasty competitors, and a shifting landscape. Even in accounts that are in our pipeline, things are always changing.
So for us as sales professionals, thereβs no absolute certainty. But there are ways you can boost certainty in order to gain more confidence.
Four Ways to Create Certainty and Boost Confidence1. Invest in Yourself Through EducationIf you get insecure when youβre talking about things in your industry or about your product that you donβt understand, then go educate yourself.
Take the time to learn. Take classes. Go to your LMS and take e-learning. Read everything about your product. Become an expertβnot just in your product, but in your industry.
Also, learn about business. The more you can educate yourself about business, the more you gain business acumen, which makes you feel more confident in conversations with executives.
When you know your stuff cold, understand your product inside and out, and can speak intelligently about your industry and your customerβs business challenges, uncertainty evaporates, and with it, goes insecurity.
- Plan Every Single CallWinging it is wickedly stupid on sales calls because when you wing it, you create uncertainty.
So sit down and think about every single call.
- What am I going to do?
- What questions am I going to ask?
- Whatβs my objective for being there?
- What am I going to close for at the end (targeted next step)?
Build a plan, write it down, and review it in advance of your meeting. Planning creates certainty.
- Murder Board Your Big MeetingsAlong with planning comes the concept of murder boarding, red teaming, or scenario playing. Murder boarding creates certainty around handling the unexpected.
Especially in large presentations and closing calls, you need to start pulling the thread on everything that could possibly go wrong. Every objection you could get. Every pushback. Every hard question.
Think about the different stakeholders who are going to be around the table, and the types of questions theyβre going to ask, and the potential things they may say. Then find somebody on your team or somebody in your household to role-play all those scenarios with.
Iβve found that nothing gives me more confidence in big sales meetings than murder boarding. Because when I get into those situationsβespecially with objections or negotiations that can be super intimidatingβthe more I role-play those things, the better I am at them and the easier they are to deal with. In fact, theyβre far less difficult in real life than they were in the role-playing.
- Keep a Full PipelineThis is powerful: Thereβs nothing that makes you more confident than being able to sell like you donβt have to sell.
When you are fanatical about prospecting and build a full pipeline, it gives you lots of options. You know you can walk away from anything. Youβre detached from the outcome.
When it doesnβt make a difference if you win or lose, you gain immense confidence, which is why a full pipeline is the ultimate confidence builder.
With Confidence, Mindset MattersWhen it comes to confidence, mindset matters. If you are obsessed with how you might fail or what you might do wrong, thereβs a tendency to get the thing youβre focused on. Itβs called target obsession. Whatever we focus on, we tend to attract and move toward. So be careful what youβre focused on.
One of the things I doβand I know this is kind of weird, but it worksβis before I walk into a sales meeting, I look into the mirror and tell myself, βIβm a great salesperson.β
I actually say the words out loud. Itβs a little bit cheesy. But by saying those words, changing my body language, pushing my shoulders up, my chin outβthe power pose, as some would sayβthat actually begins to change my mindset and makes me feel more confident.
Add to that eating well, getting plenty of sleep (sleep really does wonders for your confidence), exercising, and making sure, before you go into a big presentation, that youβre not going in on an empty stomach.
How to Overcome Insecurity in the MomentI sell every single day, and Iβve been doing this for 30 years. I know what itβs like to walk into a meeting with a prospect or customer and feel insecure. It happens to me still. But hereβs the thing: Iβm very careful not to let people see me sweat because insecurity and sales make a poor mixture.
Because emotions are contagious and people have a tendency to respond in kind, I want to avoid transferring my insecurity to them, causing them to feel uncertain about me. So Iβm very careful with my body language, eye contact, voice inflection, and how fast I speak.
One tactic I use when I feel insecure is to slow down, pause, and ask a question. This gives me a moment to regain my composure and manage my body language.
Build Confidence with Knowledge, Planning, Practice, and PipelineConfidence isnβt something youβre born with. Itβs something you build through preparation, knowledge, practice, and a full pipeline.
The good news is that all of these things are within your control. You can choose to educate yourself, to plan, practice, and prospect.
Hereβs what I want you to do this week:
First, identify your gaps. Where do you feel uncertain in your sales process? Is it product knowledge? Industry knowledge? Objection handling? Closing? Write it down.
Second, create a learning plan. For each gap you identified, create a specific plan to fill it. What books will you read? What training will you take? Who will you shadow or learn from?
Third, plan your next three calls. Donβt wing another call this week. Sit down and plan your next three sales conversations. Write out your objectives, your questions, and your close.
Fourth, murder board your biggest opportunity. If youβve got a major presentation or closing call coming up, spend an hour this week role-playing every possible scenario with a colleague.
Fifth, evaluate your pipeline. Is it full enough that you can sell without desperation? If not, block time this week for serious prospecting.
This is how you build the kind of unshakeable confidence that buyers respond to, competitors fear, and that feels so good.
And remember, when itβs time to go home and youβre tired and worn out, always stop and make one more call. Because that one more call gives you the confidence that you can walk in any door, anytime, stand toe to toe with any buyer, and have a winning sales conversation.
Over a million sales professionals and sales teams have become more confident prospectors with the Fanatical Prospecting system. Learn more here.
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You are on slide 34 when the CFOβs phone buzzes. She glances down. The VP to her left is nodding, but you can tell he checked out ten minutes ago. You know this pitch cold. You have rehearsed it. You built the deck. You covered every feature, every capability, every objection. And still, you are dying up there.
You spent weeks on this presentation. None of it matters because everyone in that room has already sat through the same pitch from three other vendors this month.
βPitching sucks,β says Danny Fontaine, author of Pitch, on an episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast. βIt sucks for the people doing it because we get so stressed out, and we spend weeks doing mountains of work. Meanwhile, there is a whole audience who has just as bad of a time as us because they have to sit through an hour of 100 PowerPoint slides and theyβre bored.β
He is right. The audience suffers just as much. They sit through identical presentations, back to back, trying to remember which vendor said what. Both sides leave exhausted. No one wins.
There is a better way. Effective sales pitch techniques donβt rely on slides. They create engagement, tell stories, and turn monologues into conversations that actually move deals forward.
Why Traditional Pitches FailThe standard pitch follows the same predictable pattern. Company overview. Capabilities. Case studies. Pricing. Questions at the end. Every competitor uses the same structure. That means you are asking your prospect to choose between nearly identical presentations.
When everything looks the same, decision makers default to price or familiarity. Your carefully crafted message gets lost in the noise.
You are treating the pitch like a presentation when it should be a conversation. You are trying to inform when you should be persuading.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h7RqBuThf0
Experience Beats InformationIn 1979, a small advertising agency called Allen Brady and Marsh (ABM) competed against industry giant Saatchi & Saatchi for the British Rail account. ABMβs founder, Peter Marsh, knew he couldnβt win by playing it safe.
When the British Rail executives arrived for the pitch, no one answered the door. They rang the buzzer three times before it finally opened, with no one behind it. The receptionist ignored them while filing her nails. The waiting area was filthy. After a while of being dismissed, the chairman stood up to leave.
That is when Marsh burst through the doors and said, βGentlemen, you have just experienced what your customers go through every single day. Shall we see what we can do to put it right?β
ABM won the account. And it worked because the executives didnβt just understand the problem. They felt it.
Most sales pitches fail because they ask buyers to care before they are emotionally engaged. Information alone doesnβt create urgencyβexperience does.
Start With Them, Not YouPitches always start the same: βThanks for your time. Hereβs our agenda. Let me tell you about our company.β
Your prospect stops listening after the first sentence.
If you want engagement, start with a question. Ask what matters to them. Ask what would make the time valuable. Ask what problem they are trying to solve.
Before you show a single slide, say something like, βBefore we start, what would make this conversation worth your time today?β Or, βWhat is the biggest challenge you are facing with this right now?β
Those questions do three things immediately. They show respect. They give you intelligence. And they turn the pitch into a conversation from the first minute.
This works even better over Zoom, where attention is fragile and distractions are everywhere. When you ask early questions, you pull people in instead of competing with their inbox.
Stories Create MemoryThe most powerful stories arenβt pulled from case studies. They come from real life. Every meaningful achievement involves obstacles. Those obstacles contain lessons. Those lessons connect directly to the challenges your prospects are facing.
A story without relevance is just noise. A story with a clear lesson becomes a lever.
A consultant once shared a story about buying a secondhand Lego set. She started building it, only to discover key pieces were missing. After hours of searching for replacements, she had to start over. When pitching a complex implementation, she said, βThat taught me something. At the beginning of any project, we have to make sure all the pieces are in the bag.β
That story worked because it made preparation tangible. It made risk visible. It connected emotionally and logically.
If the story does not clearly support the point you are making, donβt tell it.
Ask Before You Lose ThemMost salespeople cling to their script even when they can see the room drifting away. They are afraid of losing control, so they keep talking.
That is how you lose the deal.
Donβt wait until the Q&A to ask questions. Sprinkle them throughout your pitch to keep your audience engaged and the conversation alive.
Ask if youβre hitting the mark, what they want to explore deeper, and what matters most to them.
When you ask questions, you arenβt giving up control. You are gaining it. The person asking the questions is always in control of the conversation.
Emotion First, Logic SecondBuyers like to believe they are rational. They are not. Emotion drives decisions. Logic justifies them.
If you want someone to care, you have to make them feel something. Frustration. Relief. Possibility. Urgency.
That is why the British Rail experience worked. Marsh didnβt argue that customer service was bad. He made them experience it. The feeling came first. The logic followed.
Once a buyer is emotionally engaged, they start looking for reasons to say yes. They look for data to support the decision they already want to make.
This is why information-first pitches fall flat. You are asking people to care before you have given them a reason to.
Create the emotional connection first. Then give them the facts.
When the Room Goes ColdEven the best sales pitch techniques donβt work every time. Sometimes the wrong people show up, there is a fire you didnβt know about, or your message just doesnβt land.
When that happens, donβt push harder. Pivot. Call it out. Ask what would be more valuable. Acknowledge the moment instead of pretending it is not happening.
That level of honesty builds trust. It shows you are there to solve a problem, not deliver a performance.
Why This MattersYour prospect didnβt show up to be entertained or to be bored.
When you give them an experience they didnβt expect, you separate yourself from every competitor running the same tired deck. You become memorable. You become relevant. You become human.
The pitch that feels risky is usually the one that wins. The personal story. The direct question. The willingness to have a real conversation.
Because the alternative is being forgotten the moment you leave the room, no matter how many slides you showed.
Want to take your pitch from forgettable to unforgettable? Download the FREE A.C.E.D. Buyer Style Playbook, which shows you exactly how to read your buyers, adapt your approach, and turn every conversation into a deal-closing opportunity.
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Hereβs a question I get asked all the time: Whatβs the single biggest misconception holding salespeople back?
That question came from a room full of college students at BYU-Idaho, ages 19 to 24, all exploring sales careers. And my answer is the same whether youβre just starting out or youβve been in the game for decades.
The biggest lie about selling is this: Good salespeople have the gift of gab.
You know the stereotype. The smooth talker. The fast-talking closer. The person who can talk their way into or out of anything. Weβve all seen it in movies, TV shows, and plays like Death of a Salesman. Itβs been around for a century, and itβs completely wrong.
The Truth Top Performers KnowHereβs what the best salespeople actually do: They listen.
The greatest salespeople arenβt the best talkers. Theyβre the best listeners. Theyβre individuals who know how to ask the right questions and know how to ask questions in a way that create these aha moments for prospects and customers.
They understand something fundamental that average performers miss: Closing happens in the discovery process, not at some magical point where you lay the hammer down and ask for a sale.
Think about that for a second. The deal isnβt won when you deliver your polished presentation. Itβs not won when you overcome the final objection. Itβs won in those early conversations when youβre asking questions, uncovering pain, and building relationships.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6xiSz9dGkIWhy the Stereotype PersistsThe negative stereotype of salespeople has been pervasive in society for generations. Part of itβs because no one really likes to be sold. And there are salespeople who are bad. They talk at people instead of actually taking the time to listen.
But hereβs the reality: Lots of professions have negative stereotypes. Lawyers. Politicians. Salespeople arenβt the worst of them.
And hereβs the good side of that negative stereotype: Nobody wants to be in sales. So if youβre in sales, youβre making a whole lot more money than anybody else. Thatβs a good thing.
The people who look at the profession of selling and say, βI could never do thatβ or βI could never interrupt people or take that type of rejection,β are the same people who will never experience the income, freedom, and impact that comes with being great at sales.
The Power of QuestionsWhen you shift your mindset from talking to listening, everything changes. Instead of thinking about what youβre going to say next, youβre focused on what your prospect is telling you.
Youβre asking questions like:
- Whatβs driving this decision right now?
- What happens if you donβt solve this problem?
- Who else is involved in this decision?
- What does success look like for you?
These arenβt manipulative tricks. Theyβre genuine attempts to understand your prospectβs world, their challenges, and their goals. And when you do that well, you create trust. You build relationships. You position yourself as a partner, not a vendor.
The discovery questions you ask matter more than any pitch you could ever deliver. Handling objections starts with asking the right questions early in the process.
Whoβs Really in ControlHereβs the truth: The person in control of the conversation is rarely the talker. In fact, itβs almost always the listener.
If you want to move deals, stop performing and start discovering. Build your calls around three things: smart opening questions, deep follow-ups, and crisp advances to the next step.
Youβll gain insights, not just airtime. And insights are what close deals.
Success in sales isnβt about being the loudest voice in the room. Itβs about being the most curious, the most engaged, and the most intentional about moving the sale forward.
What You Need to Unlearn Right NowIf youβve been operating under the assumption that you need to be a great talker to succeed in sales, unlearn that immediately.
Replace it with this truth: You need to be a great asker and an even better listener.
Your job isnβt to convince people. Your job is to help people convince themselves by asking questions that lead them to their own conclusions. When prospects discover the solution themselves through your questioning, they own it. They believe it. And they buy.
Thatβs the relationship you build through asking questions. That matters the most.
The Bottom LineStop trying to out-talk your prospects. Stop preparing 47-slide presentations. Stop thinking that your job is to educate and inform.
Your job is to discover. To listen. To understand. To ask the questions that help your prospects see clearly what they need to do next.
The best salespeople arenβt the smooth talkers. Theyβre the smart listeners who know that the power of the sale is in the questions they ask, not the words they say.
If you master this one fundamental truth, youβll close more deals than all the gift-of-gab salespeople combined. And youβll build a career based on relationships, trust, and value instead of pressure, manipulation, and empty talk.
Thatβs how you win in sales. Thatβs how you build lasting customer relationships. And thatβs how you separate yourself from everyone else whoβs still chasing the lie.
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You declined another prospecting block today, didnβt you?
That internal meeting popped up. Someone needed βjust five minutes.β Your CRM screamed for attention. Before you knew it, another day passed without a single cold call, without one new connection request, without moving the needle on your pipeline. But hey, at least your calendar looked impressively full.
Hereβs what nobody wants to admit: your jam-packed calendar isnβt proof that youβre too busy to prospect. Itβs proof youβve made prospecting optional. And optional activities donβt close deals or pay commissions.
The Meeting Excuse Is Killing Your PipelineSales professionals love to point at their calendars as evidence of why they canβt prospect. Look at all these internal meetings. See how packed my schedule is. How could I possibly find time for outbound activity?
The real question is: when did you last decline an internal meeting to protect your prospecting time? Most salespeople never have. They treat every meeting invitation as a welcome escape from the discomfort of cold outreach. Itβs the perfect alibi when your manager asks about pipeline activity.
But your calendar tells the truth about your priorities. If time blocking for prospecting isnβt on it, prospecting isnβt actually a priority. And if prospecting isnβt a priority, why exactly are you in sales?
You Donβt Need HoursβYou Need 15 MinutesThe biggest lie salespeople tell themselves is that prospecting requires massive blocks of uninterrupted time. Two hours minimum. Otherwise, why bother starting?
This is the same mental trap that keeps people from reading, exercising, or learning new skills. They convince themselves that 15 minutes isnβt enough to matter, so they do nothing instead.
Consider this: reading for 15 minutes daily gets you through 20-25 books per year. Walking for 15 minutes adds nearly a mile to your day. Fifteen minutes of focused prospecting can generate six to ten cold calls, dozens of personalized connection requests, or several high-impact video messages to ghosting prospects.
The power isnβt in the duration, but in consistent, focused execution of time blocking for sales activities.
The 15-Minute Power Block RulesThese 3 rules are requirements if you want your time blocking strategy to actually work.
Rule 1: Single-task only. Your 15-minute prospecting block is for prospecting. Not prospecting while monitoring email. Not prospecting between Slack messages. Just prospecting. If you spend three minutes calling and twelve minutes scrolling Instagram, you didnβt prospect for 15 minutes.
Rule 2: Everything else can wait.Yes, that includes your boss. You will not lose a customer or your job because you ignored email for 15 minutes. Responding at the end of your block is still professional. Think about itβif you were sitting face-to-face with your top client, would you stop mid-conversation to check email? Treat your power blocks with the same respect.
Rule 3: Protect the block like your commission depends on it.Because it does. Top performers donβt ask permission to prospect. They schedule it, block it, and defend it against every interruption. The coworker who needs βjust a minuteβ can wait sixteen minutes.
What Actually Happens in 15 MinutesSpecificity kills procrastination. Youβre more likely to execute when you know exactly what youβre doing during your time blocking windows.
Eight to fifteen cold calls fit comfortably in 15 minutes. Thatβs enough to connect with two or three decision-makers if youβre efficient. Send ten to fifteen LinkedIn connection requests to stakeholders outside your network. Write and mail three handwritten notes to accounts you closed this month. Record personalized video messages for three prospects whoβve gone dark.
None of these activities requires elaborate preparation or perfect conditions. They require you to show up for 15 minutes and do the work. Thatβs it.
Schedule Your Priorities or Someone Else WillStephen Covey said the key isnβt prioritizing your schedule, but scheduling your priorities. Most salespeople do the oppositeβthey let their calendars fill with whatever lands there first, then wonder why revenue-generating work never happens.
Your calendar should reflect your income goals. If hitting quota requires consistent prospecting, your calendar should show consistent prospecting blocks. If building relationships with key accounts matters, those touchpoints should be scheduled.
When you schedule your sales priorities first, everything else fits around them. When you donβt, everything else crowds them out entirely.
Look at your calendar right now. How many prospecting blocks do you see this week? If the answer is zero, youβve just identified why your pipeline feels thin.
How to Apply Time Blocking Starting NowOpen your calendar and block three 15-minute windows for prospecting tomorrow. Morning, midday, and late afternoon. Label them βProspecting Power Blockβ and set them as busy.
Before each block, decide on one specific activity: cold calls, LinkedIn outreach, video messages, or handwritten notes. Donβt try to do multiple things. Pick one and execute for the full 15 minutes.
Close your email, silence your phone. For 15 minutes, nothing else exists except the activity you committed to. When the timer ends, return to everything else.
Track your blocks for one week. Count how many you actually protected versus how many got sacrificed to βurgentβ requests. This data will reveal whether youβre serious about prospecting or just pretending to be.
Make Time or Make ExcusesβYou Canβt Do BothTop performers donβt wait for the perfect time to prospect. They donβt need two-hour windows or complete silence or ideal conditions. They make the time, even when itβs just 15 minutes. Especially when itβs just 15 minutes.
That 15-minute window youβre dismissing as too small? It could be the first conversation with your biggest account next quarter. It could be the connection that leads to your highest commission check. It could be the breakthrough that turns a struggling month into a record-breaker.
But only if you actually protect it. Only if you treat time blocking for prospecting as non-negotiable. Only if you stop letting your calendar lie to you about why youβre not doing the work.
Your pipeline doesnβt care how busy you looked today. It cares about the calls you made, the emails you sent, and the relationships you built. Fifteen focused minutes at a time.
Stop letting busy work crowd out revenue-generating activities. Download our free Time Audit Log to identify exactly where your selling time is going and reclaim hours each week for actual prospecting. Track your activities for just three days and discover whatβs really eating your calendar.
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Are your fitness goals realistic for the life of a busy sales professional?
βI find that a lot of sales leaders I work with are operating at about 110% capacity. So when weβre talking about tackling health and fitness, we have to really understand what is going to be the few habits that are really easy to do and have the biggest bang for buck.β
Thatβs Josh Hulsebosch, a fitness coach who specializes in working with sales professionals, speaking on the Sales Gravy podcast. His observation cuts straight to the real reason most January fitness resolutions fail: theyβre trying to add more to an already overflowing plate.
The typical sales professional is already drowning in competing priorities while operating at maximum capacity. When New Yearβs hits, the instinct is to overhaul everything at once. New diet. New workout plan. New morning routine. That approach might work for people with open calendars and low pressure. For salespeople pushing through Q1 kickoffs, territory planning, and quota pressure, it is a fast track to burnout.
The All-or-Nothing TrapMeet Steve. Heβs an individual contributor who decided January 1st would mark his transformation. No more coffee. Five-mile runs every morning. Intermittent fasting. Four hours of cold calling daily because he just finished reading Fanatical Prospecting.
Ten days in, Steve slept through his alarm, missed his workout, and ordered a triple-shot latte on the way to work.
That emotional crash bled into his work. His prospecting activity dropped. His confidence dipped. His motivation evaporated under the weight of his own perfectionism.
Steveβs mistake wasnβt lack of commitment. He turned ambitious goals into self-sabotage by refusing to acknowledge a simple truth: sustainable change requires starting where you are, not where you wish you were.
Most sales professionals approach fitness goals like they approach pipeline buildingβmore activity equals better results. But health doesnβt work like prospecting. You canβt brute force your way into better sleep or lower stress. The body requires a different strategy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ilLRFM78Mw
The 110% Capacity ProblemSales is a cognitively demanding profession. Youβre the quarterback of the business. Every day requires strategic thinking, relationship management, objection handling, and staying mentally sharp through rejection.
When youβre already operating at 110% capacity, adding extreme fitness commitments creates another obligation you canβt meet, another source of stress, another thing to feel guilty about when you inevitably miss a workout or eat fast food between calls.
The sales professionals who successfully improve their health identify which habits will support their performance, then build them into their existing routine. They do not chase trends. They focus on fundamentals.
The Four Pillars of Health for Sales ProfessionalsFitness and health goals for sales professionals need to be realistic for people working at maximum capacity. You canβt afford to waste energy on complicated protocols or fitness fads. You need the fundamentals: exercise, nutrition, sleep, and stress management.
When these four pillars are strong, everything else becomes easier.
Pillar One: ExerciseThe fitness industry wants you to believe you need intense workouts, complicated programs, and hours at the gym.
For sales professionals, the single most effective exercise habit is walking 8,000 steps daily.
This number is achievable for most people regardless of fitness level. It builds momentum without requiring a complete schedule overhaul. When you consistently hit 8,000 steps, you prove to yourself that you can follow through on a commitment without sacrificing your work performance.
Movement improves cognitive function, reduces stress hormones, and helps with sleep qualityβall critical for sales performance.
Make it automatic. Take calls while walking. Park farther away from the office. Walk to get coffee instead of ordering delivery. Use a standing desk and pace during internal meetings. Build movement into what you are already doing rather than treating it as another task.
Once 8,000 steps become effortless, you can layer in strength training or other activities. But walking is the foundation. Itβs the one exercise habit that compounds without breaking you.
Pillar Two: NutritionSales professionals tend to fall into two nutrition traps. The first is eating like garbage because theyβre too busy to care. The second is attempting some extreme diet overhaul that lasts nine days before theyβre back to their old patterns.
The solution isnβt meal plans or macro tracking or cutting entire food groups. Itβs having a system that works when youβre slammed.
Start here: donβt skip meals. When youβre running between meetings and surviving on coffee, your blood sugar crashes. That kills your cognitive performance and drives you toward quick fixes that leave you feeling worse an hour later.
Keep protein-rich foods accessible. Greek yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, protein bars that arenβt candy in disguise, rotisserie chicken, nuts. These donβt require cooking or planning. They stabilize your energy and keep you sharp during long stretches between meals.
Meal prep doesnβt need to be complicated. Pick one day, cook a large batch of something simpleβgrilled chicken, ground turkey, rice, roasted vegetablesβand portion it out. Now you have real food available when your schedule gets chaotic.
Hydration matters more than most people realize. Dehydration mimics fatigue. Keep water at your desk. Drink it between calls. If youβre consuming coffee all day, match it with water. Youβll notice the difference in your afternoon energy levels.
Pillar Three: SleepSleep deprivation destroys sales performance. You get paid to think. When you run on five or six hours of sleep, decision-making suffers. Decision-making suffers. Emotional regulation weakens. Your ability to read prospects and handle objections declines.
You canβt always control how many hours you sleep, especially during high-pressure periods. But you can improve sleep quality.
Start with a simple nighttime routine that signals to your body itβs time to wind down. Turn off screens thirty minutes before bed. Keep your bedroom cool. If your mind races when you lie down, acknowledge the thoughts without engaging with them. Notice theyβre there, then redirect your focus to your breathing.
If you wake up in the middle of the night with work thoughts, write them down or set a reminder for the next day. This closes the mental loop and allows your brain to let go.
Pillar Four: Stress ManagementSales is a pressure environment. Constant decision-making. Emotional labor. Rejection. Urgency. You move from call to meeting to fire drill to another call with almost no downtime. Over time, your nervous system stays stuck in high alert.
That chronic stress does not just affect your mood. It impacts your sleep, your focus, your patience with prospects, and your ability to think clearly in complex conversations. If you do not manage it, it will manage you.
Controlled breathing is one of the fastest ways to regulate your nervous system.
Inhale for four seconds. Hold for four. Exhale for four. Hold for four.
This is box breathing. You can do it between calls. Before a tough conversation. While waiting for a prospect to answer. It does not draw attention. It just brings your system back into balance.
When stress is regulated, sleep improves. When sleep improves, thinking becomes clearer. Clearer thinking leads to better sales performance.
It is a small habit. The impact compounds.
Building Fitness Goals That Actually StickIf youβre surviving on five hours of sleep, start there. If youβre skipping meals and running on caffeine, fix your nutrition first. If you havenβt moved your body in weeks, commit to 8,000 steps.
Donβt try to overhaul all four pillars simultaneously. Thatβs the all-or-nothing trap that killed Steveβs momentum in ten days.
When you take care of your physical and mental health, you show up sharper for your prospects, your team, and your numbers. Your body is the vehicle for your career. You canβt hit quota consistently if youβre running on empty.
Start with one pillar. Build one habit. Give it time to take root before you add the next one. Thatβs how you win in Q1 and beyond.
If you are serious about building fitness habits that actually fit the realities of sales, go deeper with Josh Hulseboschβs performance-focused courses on Sales Gravy University. His programs are built specifically for sales professionals who are operating at full capacity and still want to win on health, energy, and longevity.
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Hereβs a question that keeps salespeople up at night: How do you build a powerful personal brand without stepping on your companyβs toes?
Thatβs the question Taylor Deadrick asked me during a recent live event. Taylor works for Insperity (a fantastic company that handles all our HR and payroll at Sales Gravy, by the way), and she wanted to know how to establish her own brand while staying aligned with her employer.
If youβve ever felt this tension, youβre not alone. The fear of conflicting with your companyβs brand holds too many salespeople back from building the authority they need to win more deals.
Let me show you how to build a personal brand that actually amplifies your companyβs message instead of competing with it.
The Only Real Conflict You Need to Worry AboutHereβs the brutal truth: The only way youβll conflict with your companyβs brand is if you assert that your own opinion is that of your employer, or what youβre posting, saying, or writing conflicts with their core values, their marketing message, or the way they go to market.
Thatβs it. Thatβs the line.
If you start trying to speak for your company or post things that contradict their values, youβve got a problem. But if everything you do supports those core values, youβre going to be just fine.
Think about it this way: Your company hired you because you aligned with their mission. Now your job is to amplify that mission through your own authentic voice and expertise.
The mistake most salespeople make is thinking their personal brand needs to be separate from or independent of their company. Wrong. Your personal brand should be the human face of your companyβs value proposition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1xi5PHIrBtsYour Personal Brand Is Bigger Than Your LogoYour personal brand isnβt just what you post on LinkedIn. Itβs not your profile picture or your witty headline.
Your personal brand is the confidence you show when you hop on a microphone and ask a tough question. Itβs your smile and the way you treat people. Itβs whether youβre kind, whether you invest in yourself, whether you show up with expertise that actually helps people solve problems.
Your personal brand is the human being who walks into businesses every day and shows up for those businesses. Thatβs the most important part of your brand, and thatβs the part that builds trust and causes people to buy you.
Everything else (your LinkedIn posts, your content, your online presence) is just an extension of that core identity.
Authority: The Secret Weapon of Personal BrandingWhen I think about building a personal brand, I think about one word: authority.
Authority is your expertise. Itβs what you know that helps other people win. And hereβs the beautiful thing: When you build authority in your space, youβre not competing with your companyβs brand. Youβre reinforcing it.
Letβs use Taylorβs situation as an example. She works with small and medium-sized businesses, helping them grow by taking HR and payroll off their plate so they can focus on what matters. Thatβs exactly why we came to Insperity in the first place.
If Taylor builds her authority around understanding the problems small business owners face, if she becomes known for helping companies break through growth barriers, if she consistently shares insights about the challenges her buyers deal with every single day, that authority doesnβt conflict with Insperity. It amplifies everything they stand for.
When you focus on your expertise and how you help people, your personal brand becomes a magnet. You create leads. When prospects research you before a meeting, they see someone they actually want to talk to. Youβre building trust before you ever shake hands.
The Five S Framework for Building AuthorityIn my book The LinkedIn Edge, I walk through what I call the Five Sβs for building your personal brand, especially on LinkedIn. This framework keeps you aligned with your company while establishing your unique authority.
The key is sending the right message to the marketplace about the expertise you bring, your authority in solving specific problems, and how you can help people win. When you focus there, everything else falls into place.
Your content should showcase the patterns youβre seeing with your buyers, the problems you solve consistently, and simple frameworks they can use right away. Thatβs what creates familiarity. Thatβs what warms up the room before you ever make a call.
Think of LinkedIn as your familiarity engine. When you show up consistently with practical insights, every outreach gets easier and every conversation becomes more productive.
Know Your Companyβs Social Media Policy Inside and OutBefore you post a single piece of content, take a hard look at your companyβs social media policy. Understand what they allow you to say and what they donβt. Know those boundaries cold.
This isnβt about limiting yourself. Itβs about operating with confidence. When you know exactly where the guardrails are, you can create boldly within them.
Most companies have pretty straightforward policies: Donβt share confidential information, donβt speak on behalf of the company without authorization, and stay aligned with core values. Follow those rules, and youβll be fine.
The salespeople who get in trouble are the ones who never bothered to read the policy in the first place.
Your Brand Is What You Do, Not Just What You PostHereβs what too many people forget: Your personal brand is built in the trenches, not just on social media.
Itβs built into every discovery call where you ask better questions than your competitors. Itβs built in every proposal where you demonstrate that you truly understand your buyerβs world. Itβs built in every follow-up where you add value instead of just checking in.
The online stuff matters, but it only works if itβs backed up by real expertise and genuine care for your customers. You canβt fake authority. You earn it by doing the work, studying your industry, understanding your buyers, and creating your content.
When you combine that real-world expertise with a consistent online presence, you become unstoppable. Youβre not just another rep. Youβre the person buyers want to work with.
The Bottom LineStop worrying about conflicting with your companyβs brand. Instead, focus on amplifying it through your unique voice and expertise.
Your personal brand should make your company look good. It should attract the right buyers. It should build trust before you ever pick up the phone.
Stay aligned with your companyβs core values. Know their social media policy. Focus your content on your specific expertise and the problems you solve. Show up consistently, both online and in person.
Thatβs how you build a personal brand that becomes a magnet. Thatβs how you make every conversation easier and every deal more likely to close. And thatβs how you become the salesperson everyone wants to buy from.
Your brand is your authority. Now go build it.
Want to learn the complete system for building authority on LinkedIn? Check out Jebβs latest book, The LinkedIn Edge, where he breaks down the Five S framework and shows you exactly how to turn your LinkedIn profile into a lead-generating machine.
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This Money Monday Sales Gravy podcast episode is special because it kicks off our 20th season!
Itβs hard to believe that weβve been producing the Sales Gravy continuously for 20 years. Over the last 20 years, thanks to youβour incredible audienceβweβve consistently ranked as the #1 most listened to sales podcast in markets all over the world.
I remember my first podcast episode all those years ago, produced with a microphone I bought at Guitar Center and recorded under a blanket for sound suppression. Today, we produce our podcast in professional studios at Sales Gravy and have a full production team on staff to ensure we are giving you the highest quality sound possible.
What hasnβt changed is my unwavering focus on making the complex simple by cutting through the noise, eliminating the fluff, and giving you the basics and fundamentals that actually work in the real world.
Weβve got a ton of new episodes and bonus content coming your way, so be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app and listen every week.
Sales Professionals Must Have Goals to be SuccessfulYour personal goals are the aspirations that drive you, inspire you, and push you through the tough days. These goals are essential to helping you maintain sales discipline throughout your sales year. When developing personal goals, I break them down into three buckets:
To-Have GoalsThese are the things you want to acquire or buy. Whether itβs a house, a new car, or building up your savings, to-have goals are about acquiring something that enhances your life.
To-Be GoalsThese are about evolving into the person you want to become. Maybe you want to be a sales manager, or if youβre a manager, you want to be a director or VP of sales. You might want to go back to school for a degree or an MBA. Or you want to be a better spouse, a better leader, or a better peer. Maybe you want to be a Presidentβs club winner or be recognized as an expert in your industryβwhatever it is, to-be goals help you level up as a person and a professional.
To-Do GoalsThese are experience goals. Think about experiences that create lifelong memoriesβmaybe you want to travel somewhere special or take on a meaningful project or hobby youβve always dreamed about.
Four Reasons Why Goals Matter in SalesNumber one, goals massively increase the likelihood that youβll actually achieve the things you want. Speaking your goal out loud, writing it down, and being intentional about it has a powerful psychological effect.
Number two, goals make life meaningful. Itβs unbelievably fulfilling to look back and see what you accomplishedβhow far youβve come over the course of a year, five years, or a decade.
Number three, we work in a tough, competitive profession, and itβs just plain satisfying to put your commission checks, bonuses, and hard-won earnings toward something that improves your life or the lives of the people you love.
But the biggest reason to set goalsβespecially in salesβis that the sales profession is hard work and it can be brutal. Itβs loaded with rejection.
At every turn, we face potential βnos,β whether itβs prospecting calls, asking for next steps, pushing to level up to a decision-maker, or closing the deal. We even face internal rejection when we try to sell a complex deal internally to our own company or get approval for special pricing. Rejection is everywhere, and the fear of rejectionβor avoiding itβis the number one reason salespeople fail to perform.
Add to that the grind: making call after call, stuffing data into the CRM, pushing through proposals, handling endless follow-ups, and selling becomes tedious, hard, rejection-dense work.
For this reason, it requires discipline to stay on track and keep grinding day after day and month after month over the course of the sales year. But hereβs the rub: discipline can wane, especially if weβre not hyper-focused on a bigger prize.
Goals Give You the Discipline to Do the Hard ThingsI want you to pay attention to this next part because understanding the real definition of discipline is critical. Discipline is sacrificing what you want now for what you want most.
Human nature wants easy. Weβd rather that customers call us than have to chase them. Weβd rather deals close themselves than invest hours into multi-step follow-ups. We donβt want to face that βno.β
But success in sales is paid for in advance, with facing rejection and hard work. Therefore, if you donβt have a clear, compelling reasonβsomething you want mostβitβs easy to cave in and take the easy route instead of doing what really needs to be done.
This is the reason why having a strong set of personal goals is crucial for sales professionals. You need that powerful βwhyβ to keep grinding when the going gets tough. When the pipelineβs not as full as youβd like or youβre hitting roadblocks, you need something more important than convenience to drag you back into the fight.
A Tactical System for Setting Winning GoalsLetβs jump into the tactics for actually doing this. If youβve gone through any kind of SMART goal-setting course, some of this may sound familiar. But these basics are timeless and indispensable. To set effective goals, you need to ask and answer five basic questions:
What Do You Want?Sounds simple, but for a lot of us, itβs not. Weβre so busy scrolling through social media, bingeing on TikTok, or juggling daily distractions that we never pause to ask, βWhat do I really want from my life?β So step one is to get specific. Define it.
When Do You Want It?Because weβre talking about next yearβs personal goals, letβs keep them within a 12-month horizon. But any truly effective goal requires a deadline or target dateβotherwise, itβs just a pipe dream. When you have a hard date, it creates urgency and focus.
Is It Attainable?Be honest with yourself. If all your goals are ridiculously ambitious, youβll burn out or give up once itβs clear youβre not making meaningful progress. Stretch goals are greatβbig, hairy, audacious goals will push youβbut balance those with goals you can realistically achieve.
How Bad Do You Want It?This is the ultimate question. If your goal doesnβt fire you up, if itβs not something youβd move mountains to achieve, you wonβt push through the tough days. Remember, discipline means sacrificing what you want now for what you want most. If the desire isnβt there, the sacrifices wonβt be made.
How Are You Going to Get There?These are your steps to successβyour system, your process, your roadmap. As James Clear says in Atomic Habits, you donβt rise to the level of your goals; you fall to the level of your systems. The idea is simple: if you have a crystal-clear process for what you need to do daily, weekly, and monthly, youβll keep moving toward the goalβeven when life gets hectic.
This is where your personal business plan and your personal goals intersect.
For instance, if your to-do or to-have goal requires additional incomeβmaybe you need a bigger commission check to afford that new pool or a bucket-list vacationβthen you have to hit your sales targets. This means building a discipline system that ensures youβre prospecting enough, qualifying enough opportunities, following up diligently, and negotiating effectively. Without a system and personal business plan, you are more likely to get random results.
Stop Now and Build Your Goal SheetSit in silence. Turn off the noise, get away from distractions, and grab a notebook and pen. Write down what you want, when you want it, if itβs attainable, how badly you want it, and how you plan to get there. Sketch it all outβjust let the ideas flow. Once youβve got it all down, build a formal goal sheet.
Yes, Iβm talking about physically writing it out. Thereβs tremendous power in seeing your goals in black and white, or printing them out and pinning them above your desk. Countless studies show that written goals are far more likely to be realized than goals that just bounce around in your head.
This goal sheet is your personal roadmapβput it into your personal business plan so everything stays in one place.
Learn how to set winning goals and build your personal Goal Sheet in Jeb Blountβs comprehensive course: The Essentials of Setting Winning Goals
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Do you plan to hit your sales goals, or just hope you will?You set goals in January. By March, they are forgotten.
Itβs because most salespeople confuse wanting something with planning for it.
βI want to close more deals this year.β That is not a goal. That is a wish.
βI want to be better at prospecting.β Still not a goal. Just a vague intention that leads nowhere.
Real sales goals require a system. Not motivation. Not inspiration. A repeatable process that turns big numbers into daily actions you can actually execute.
This four-step sales goal planning system turns annual quotas into weekly, executable actions that salespeople can control and measure.
Why Most Sales Goals Fail Before FebruaryMost salespeople treat goal-setting like a New Yearβs resolution. They write something down, feel good about it for a week, then watch it disappear under the weight of quota pressure and full calendars.
Three things kill sales goals before they have a chance:
Lack of specificity. Your brain cannot attach to something vague. There is no finish line, no way to measure progress, and no emotional connection to the outcome.
No breakdown. Big numbers paralyze you. Looking at an annual quota feels impossible. Your brain shuts down. You donβt know where to start, so you donβt start at all.
Zero accountability. Goals that live only in your head are easy to abandon. There is no consequence for missing them because nobody, including you, is really tracking them.
Research consistently shows that people who write down specific, challenging goals and track them perform significantly better than those who rely on vague intentions or hope.
The difference between hitting your number and missing it is having a systematic approach to sales goal planning and the discipline to execute it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qcAEM3qG3g
Step 1: Identify Your Major MilestonesBig goals overwhelm you. When you stare at βclose $1.5 million this year,β your brain checks out. It feels too big, too far away, and too abstract.
The first step in effective sales goal planning is breaking that number into key checkpoints. These milestones tell you whether you are on track or falling behind.
For a $1.5 million annual goal:
Q1: $375K
Q2: $375K
Q3: $375K
Q4: $375K
Now you are not chasing $1.5 million. You are chasing $375K this quarter. Still significant, but manageable.
Take it further. What does $375K mean for your pipeline?
If your average deal size is $50K, you need eight closed deals per quarter. If your close rate is 25 percent, you need 32 qualified opportunities in your pipeline each quarter to close those eight deals.
Suddenly, that intimidating annual number becomes a concrete monthly target of roughly 11 qualified opportunities.
You cannot control whether a deal closes, but you can control how many qualified opportunities you put in your pipeline. That is the number you chase.
Step 2: List Your Specific TasksMilestones tell you where you need to be. Tasks tell you how to get there.
These numbers will vary based on your market, deal size, and conversion rates. The point is forcing your goal all the way down to weekly actions you can control.
This step requires brutal honesty about the activities that actually generate results in your sales process.
If you need 11 qualified opportunities per month and your prospecting-to-opportunity conversion rate is 10 percent, you need 110 prospecting conversations monthly.
What does that look like in weekly tasks?
- 30 outbound calls
- 15 LinkedIn connection requests with personalized messages
- 10 follow-up emails to lukewarm prospects
- 3 referral conversations
Assign realistic timeframes to each task. Making 30 calls doesnβt require four hours. It requires 45 minutes of focused effort. Block the time, make the calls, move on.
The more specific you get, the less room there is for excuses. You either completed the tasks or you did not. You are either on pace or you are behind.
If you cannot list the specific weekly tasks required to hit your goal, you do not have a sales goal. You have a hope.
Step 3: Consider Obstacles and ResourcesEvery goal has obstacles waiting to derail it. Ignoring them does not make them disappear.
Identify what will try to stop you, then plan around it.
The biggest time killers in sales are rarely mysterious. Meetings that donβt move deals forward. Prospects who will never buy but keep you engaged. Administrative tasks that someone else should handle. Reorganizing your CRM instead of filling it with opportunities.
Here is how to expose them. Track your time for one week. Write down every activity in 30-minute blocks. No editing. No judgment. Just honest data.
At the end of the week, categorize everything:
- Income-producing activities like prospecting, discovery, and closing
- Income-supporting activities like proposals, follow-up, and research
- Waste, which is everything else
Most salespeople discover they spend less than 30 percent of their time on income-producing activities. If that is you, you just found out why you are not hitting your goals.
Once you know where your time actually goes, you can protect the activities that matter. Block prospecting time before meetings start. Batch administrative work. Decline meetings where your presence adds no value.
Now identify resource gaps. What do you need that you donβt have?
Skills you need to develop. Tools that would improve your results. Support from leadership to open doors with key accounts.
Find these gaps early. Discovering you lack a critical skill in November is too late.
Step 4: Stay Flexible Without Lowering the GoalSales goal planning requires flexibility in tactics, not flexibility in commitment.
Markets shift. Buyers change. Your original plan may need adjustment. That does not mean the destination changes.
Review your goals monthly and let the data guide you. Ask three questions:
- Am I on track
- Whatβs working
- Whatβs not working
If something is working, do more of it. If something isnβt working, adjust your approach.
For example, your data might show inconsistent execution, poor list quality, or weak follow-up. The answer is not abandoning foundational activities like cold calling. The answer is tightening your process, improving targeting, or reinforcing outreach with disciplined follow-up.
Flexibility means adjusting how you execute, not lowering the standard because the work is harder than expected.
Salespeople who hit ambitious goals stay flexible in their methods and uncompromising about the outcome.
Monthly reviews keep you honest. They prevent you from wasting months on ineffective activity before realizing you are off track.
Execute Your Sales Goal Planning SystemTake one goal right now. Write it down with a specific number and a deadline.
Break it into three to five milestones. List the weekly tasks required. Identify your two biggest obstacles and the resources you need to overcome them.
Then execute. Review weekly. Adjust monthly. Never stop driving toward the outcome.
This system works because it eliminates ambiguity. You know what needs to happen this week. Obstacles donβt blindside you because you planned for them. You arenβt following a broken plan for six months because you built in regular reviews.
While other salespeople hope for a good year, you will be executing a plan. While they react to whatever fires pop up, you will be proactively driving toward measurable outcomes.
The difference between salespeople who hit their goals and those who do not is not talent or luck. It is having a systematic process for turning big goals into daily actions and the discipline to follow through when motivation fades.
Sales goals donβt fail because you lack desireβthey fail because the plan isnβt specific enough to execute. Download the FREE Goal Planning Guide to turn your sales goals into results.
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Hereβs a question that keeps salespeople up at night: How do you ask for more compensation when youβre getting competitive external job offers without sounding like youβre issuing an ultimatum?
Thatβs the question posed by Brady from Arkansas. Bradyβs been getting legitimate job offers from recruiters, and heβs wondering how to leverage these opportunities into better compensation at his current company without burning bridges or coming across as disloyal.
If youβve ever found yourself in this position, you know itβs a delicate dance. You want to be paid what youβre worth, but you also donβt want to destroy the relationships and goodwill youβve built. So how do you navigate this conversation?
The Right Way to Have the ConversationIf youβre getting external job offers from legitimate companies with strong brands, the key is in how you frame the conversation with your boss.
Hereβs the approach: βI really like working here, and I want to stay at this company. I love it. But Iβve got another company out there thatβs a good company. Theyβre a great brand, theyβre well known, and theyβre making this job offer to me at a significantly higher level of compensation. Itβs hard for me to say no to that. I feel like I need to bring this to you before I make a decision because I like working here.β
Notice what youβre NOT saying. Youβre not walking in with an ultimatum saying, βIf you donβt give me this, Iβm leaving.β Instead, youβre saying, βI want to stay here. I like it here. Iβm just in a situation where theyβre offering me enough that itβs turning my head and Iβm looking their way.β
This approach keeps the door open for a productive conversation about what might be possible without threatening your current employer or damaging your relationship.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDppNt7jRscWhen Loyalty Actually MattersNow, before you go schedule that meeting with your boss, you need to ask yourself a hard question: Do you owe this company some loyalty?
If you were down on your luck, lost a job, and they came along and gave you something that saved you, you probably owe them some loyalty for that. Not forever, but thereβs a little bit of honor in not just jumping to the next place immediately.
You also need to think about your resume. If youβve just got there and a year later youβre jumping to another place, thatβs on your resume. And believe it or not, even in todayβs world, that still means something. I wonβt hire people who jump from job to job every year. I donβt care how good they are because theyβre probably going to jump again.
So think long term: Am I demonstrating to a future employer that Iβm worth investing more money in? The answer is yes when you gave them three years of your life, performed at a really high level, and now youβre going to leverage that to go level up elsewhere.
Speaking Your Bossβs LanguageHereβs what most salespeople get wrong when asking for more money: They forget to speak the language their boss understands.
If you walk into your sales leaderβs office and say, βI want to make more money,β you know what theyβre going to tell you? βGo sell more.β And theyβre right. If youβve got a great compensation plan with no limit on how much commission you can make, the answer is simple: crank out more sales.
So before you ask for more base salary, ask yourself: Do I have a limit on how much commission I can make? If the answer is no, then your first conversation should be about getting bigger opportunities.
Try this approach: βI can sell. Iβm hitting numbers, but Iβm not making the money I want. What can you do to give me bigger accounts, bigger opportunities, bigger customers? Give me better leads. What can you do to get me in a situation where I can earn more?β
This is speaking the bossβs language. Youβre showing that you want to produce more, not just get paid more for the same work. If you get shut down in that situation, then you have another conversation.
The Commission vs. Base Salary PlayIf youβre a baller and youβve proven you can sell, hereβs a move most salespeople never consider when negotiating compensation: Ask for a higher commission percentage instead of a higher base salary.
I honestly donβt care about base. I think a base matters when youβre getting started, and itβs nice to have, but I would much rather have a higher commission percentage than a higher base.
Hereβs how you position it: βIn the open market, I can take a similar job and make $400,000. I want to make the same thing here. Now thereβs two ways we could do this. One is that you can increase my base salary. Two is you give me a higher commission rate, and I think the commission rate should be this. I think Iβm worth that.β
What youβre basically saying is that your cost of sales is going to be variable. They only pay you if you sell it, so their carrying costs stay the same.
In my company, the people who donβt take a base salary make more than double in commission what people who do take a base salary bring home. Thereβs a massive difference because the people saying βpay me more commissionβ are saying βIβm willing to put skin in the game in order to make more.β
Now, this doesnβt work if youβre at a massive company with a thousand salespeople and rigid HR policies. But if you work for a smaller organization where people can make decisions, have an honest conversation around this approach.
You might even propose a tiered structure: βYou can pay me your base commission on everything up to the quota you gave me. But once I cross that quota, I want my commission to roll up so that if I get over this number, the rate scales.β Thatβs a conversation most entrepreneurial leaders will entertain because itβs putting your money where your mouth is.
What Money Canβt BuyHereβs the thing most people miss when theyβre chasing the next big paycheck: Thereβs always money out there you can chase. You have an obligation to yourself and your family to make as much as you possibly can in sales.
But thereβs also the value of working in a place that values you. Thereβs more than just the money. Thereβs the freedom, the flexibility, and the opportunity to be part of something that gives you purpose.
I had somebody come to me recently and ask this question, and I said, βThis job that youβre moving to thatβs going to pay you all this money, suddenly youβre going to have someone whoβs micromanaging and telling you what to do every single day. In your current role, youβre not making as much money, but you call the shots on your day every single day. Nobody even messes with you. Are you willing to sign up for that?β
They said their wife told them the exact same thing. Maybe thatβs a sign that having the freedom and flexibility is more valuable than making a lot of money but being miserable because everything you do is being micromanaged.
The Bottom LineWhen itβs time to ask for more money, remember these principles:
- Bring the conversation to your boss before making a decision. Frame it as wanting to stay, not threatening to leave.
- Consider what you owe in loyalty. If they gave you a chance when you needed one, factor that into your decision.
- Speak your bossβs language. Ask for bigger opportunities before asking for more base pay.
- Consider the commission play. If youβre confident in your abilities, asking for higher commission rates can be more lucrative than base salary increases when looking at total compensation.
- Weigh the intangibles. Money isnβt everything if youβre trading freedom and fulfillment for a micromanaged existence.
The best compensation conversations happen when you approach them with confidence, gratitude, and a clear understanding of your value. Thatβs how you get paid what youβre worth without burning bridges along the way.
Want to learn more about leveraging your personal brand to create more career opportunities? Check out Jebβs newest book, The LinkedIn Edge, and discover how to turn your LinkedIn profile into a powerful career and sales tool.
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Is your sales strategy built around how buyers should behaveβor how they actually behave?Imagine walking into a store and seeing a shirt for $50. Fine. Unremarkable. You might buy it, you might not.
Now imagine seeing that same shirt with a tag that reads: $100 NOW $50. Suddenly, youβre interested. You found a deal. You beat the system. Youβre a hero.
Same price. Same shirt. Completely different emotional response.
That psychological gap between logic and emotion cost JCPenney roughly $1 billion and offers one of the most important lessons in sales psychology youβll ever learn: people donβt buy with logicβthey buy with emotion and justify with logic later.
The Fair and Square DisasterIn 2012, JCPenney hired Ron Johnson as CEO. Johnson was a retail rock star, the architect behind Apple Storeβs legendary success. He walked into JCPenney and saw chaos: endless coupons, manufactured βoriginal prices,β and constant sales cycles.
His solution? Kill it all.
Johnson launched βFair and Squareββa radically transparent pricing model. No games. No coupons. No inflated prices marked down. Just one everyday low price on everything.
That $100 shirt marked down to $50? Now it was simply $50. Honest. Logical. Clean.
The marketβs response was brutal. Within one year, sales dropped 25%. The company lost nearly $1 billion. Stock price went into freefall. Johnson was fired.
What Johnson Got Wrong About Sales PsychologyJohnson made a catastrophic assumption: he believed customers were rational economic actors who would reward transparency and honesty.
He was dead wrong.
For decades, JCPenneyβs customers had been playing a game. They clipped coupons, timed sales, scrutinized flyers, and planned shopping trips around promotions. The weekly coupon wasnβt just a discountβit was a ritual. Their insider advantage, their badge of savvy shopping honor.
Johnson stripped away their emotional satisfaction and replaced it with sterile efficiency.
Without the β$100 now $50β comparison, the flat $50 price lost all psychological weight. No thrill. No victory. No story to share. Same price. Different feeling.
The Sales Psychology Principle Youβre IgnoringLoss aversion is twice as powerful as gain motivation.
Your prospects donβt just want to gain somethingβthey want to feel like they won, like theyβre in control, like they made a smart decision that will impress their boss.
When you strip away their buying process, when you force them into your βmore efficientβ workflow without their input, they donβt see the gain. They experience loss. Youβve taken away their control, their ritual, their power, their role as the hero.
In sales, that feeling is deadly.
Your Customers Have Rituals TooThink about your best accounts. What do they actually value?
Itβs probably not your features or your ROI calculator.
Itβs the rep theyβve worked with for years. Itβs the quarterly business review they rely on. Itβs the reporting cadence that makes them look good internally. Itβs the buying process that lets them feel competent and in control.
Thatβs their ritual.
When you try to βstreamlineβ their process, when you push them toward a different point of contact, when you change the reporting structure they trustβyouβre doing exactly what Ron Johnson did.
Youβre selling logic when theyβre buying a feeling.
Stop Leading With Features and BenefitsMost salespeople lose deals before they even start because they lead with logical arguments:
- βOur platform reduces processing time by 40%.β
- βWe integrate with 200+ systems.β
- βOur customer support response time is under 2 hours.β
All logical. All true. All useless if your buyer doesnβt feel something first.
Your prospect doesnβt wake up excited about efficiency gains. They wake up stressed about looking good in front of their VP, avoiding mistakes, and maintaining control of their budget.
Research is clear: emotional decisions get made first, then logic comes in to justify them.
Your job isnβt to build a logical case. Your job is to help your buyer feel like a hero, then give them the logical ammunition to defend that emotional decision internally.
How to Apply This Starting TodayIdentify Their Rituals
Watch how your customers actually operate. Do they need three stakeholders in every meeting? Do they always loop in procurement at a specific stage? Do they have a preferred communication cadence?
Donβt fight it. Work with it. Their process is their psychological anchor for stability.
Frame the Win They Can Own
Frame your solution so the customer feels in control and gets the credit.
Instead of: βOur platform will solve your problem.β
Try: βThis approach could help you demonstrate a 30% cost reduction in Q2βgiving your team clear wins to share with leadership.β
Make them the hero of their own story.
Highlight Emotional Outcomes, Not Just Logical Ones
Donβt just talk about what your product does. Talk about how it makes them feel.
- βYouβll have complete visibility so youβre never caught off guard in executive meetings.β
- βYour team will finally have the data they need to look proactive instead of reactive.β
- βYouβll be the person who solved the problem everyone else said was impossible.β
Guide, Donβt Force
Lead your prospects toward better outcomes without stripping away their sense of control.
Instead of forcing a complete switch to your system, collaborate on how your solution enhances their existing trusted process. Make them feel like a collaborator, not a passenger.
The TakeawayRon Johnson wasnβt wrong that consumers should prefer transparent, honest pricing. He wasnβt wrong that the coupon game was exhausting and complicated.
He was wrong about what people actually buy.
They buy feelings. Control. Victory. Status. The story they tell themselves about being smart.
Your prospects are no different. Theyβre not buying your SaaS platform, your consulting services, or your enterprise solution. Theyβre buying the feeling of being competent, in control, and successful.
The difference between average salespeople and top performers isnβt product knowledge or work ethic. Itβs understanding the sales psychology behind how buyers actually make decisions.
When you appeal to emotion first and back it up with logic second, you stop losing deals to βno decisionβ and start winning consistently.
Because at the end of the day, sales isnβt about having the best product. Itβs about making your customer feel like they made the best decision.
Ready to master buyer psychology and close more deals? Download the ACED Buyer Style Playbook and discover how to match your sales approach to the four core buyer personalities. Stop selling logic. Start selling the way your customers actually buy.
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How Do Top Performers Stay Motivated When Sales Gets Hard?You know the feeling when you close a big deal.
The rush. The quiet satisfaction of updating your pipeline. Maybe a quick high-five with your manager.
And then, almost immediately, it fades.
Youβre back to cold calls that go unanswered, emails that disappear into inboxes, and prospects who promised they were interested suddenly going silent. In sales, rejection isnβt a side effect of the job. It is the job.
That reality is exactly why most people donβt last in sales. And itβs why the people who do last tend to get paid very well.
Over the past quarter, we talked with some of the most consistent sales leaders in the business. Here are four moments from the Sales Gravy Podcast that reveal how top performers stay motivated and close more deals, even when the work feels heavy.
Find Your Carrot and Make It SpecificWill Frattini, VP of Sales at ZoomInfo, keeps a small Christmas ornament on his desk. His daughter gave it to him when she was five.
That ornament is his carrot.
During a recent podcast conversation, Will explained that when sales gets hard, that ornament reminds him exactly why he keeps pushing. Not in an abstract or inspirational-poster way, but in a deeply personal one. It represents his family, his responsibility, and the future heβs building for them.
That distinction matters.
Many salespeople say theyβre motivated by family, freedom, or financial security. Those values are real, but on their own, theyβre often too broad to sustain sales motivation during a brutal stretch of rejection. When youβre fifty dials deep with no connects and another demo just canceled, vague motivation doesnβt hold up.
Will doesnβt just think βmy family.β He sees a moment, a memory, and a tangible reminder of whatβs at stake. That specificity gives his motivation weight.
Top performers anchor their sales motivation to something concrete and emotionally charged. A down payment they want to make by a certain date. A trip they want to take without checking their bank account. A milestone that matters beyond quota.
The more specific the carrot, the more powerful it becomes when sales gets hard.
How to define yours:Write down one specific outcome you want to achieve in the next six months. Not βhit quota,β but the real-world result that quota enables. A number. A purchase. An experience. Put it somewhere youβll see it every day.
Work With Customers Who Actually Value YouOne of the fastest ways to drain sales motivation is closing deals with customers who make you miserable.
On an episode of Ask Jeb, Jeb broke down how companies grow faster by focusing on the right customers, not just more customers. When youβre behind on quota late in the year, itβs tempting to take anything that looks like revenue. Any company that shows interest. Any prospect willing to meet. You convince yourself that a deal is a deal.
Then January arrives.
That customer floods your team with support tickets, questions every invoice, demands exceptions, and slowly erodes the satisfaction of the win you celebrated just weeks earlier.
Consistent performers learn to protect their energy. They get ruthless about fit. Not just company size or industry, but values.
They ask questions like, βWhat do you value most in a partner?β and they listen carefully to the answer. Some buyers want constant responsiveness. Others value expert perspective and challenge. Some want efficiency and minimal interaction.
None of those preferences are wrong. But only one aligns with how you actually sell.
When sales gets hard, motivation comes easier when youβre pursuing customers who respect your approach instead of fighting it.
How to clarify your ideal customer:Look at your three favorite customers. The ones your entire team enjoys working with. What do they share beyond surface-level traits? How did they behave during the buying process? Those patterns matter more than any firmographic filter.
Slow Down Before You Create Your Own ProblemsWhen pressure builds, speed starts to feel productive. You rush contracts. You promise timelines without checking internally. You say yes to custom requirements because slowing down feels risky.
On an episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount, Jr. shared one of the most painful stories we heard this year. A $1.4 million deal with a pediatrics practice unraveled after someone rushed the process and placed the client into an early adopter program without a test environment. The result was catastrophic. The clientβs live system crashed, HIPAA was violated, and the company lost not only the deal but $600,000 in annual recurring revenue.
Top performers understand something most reps learn the hard way: smooth is fast.
They build guardrails around high-risk moments. Before sending a contract, they align internally. Before committing to timelines, they check with the people who actually do the work.
Slowing down at the right moments builds trust. It prevents chaos. And it preserves sales motivation by keeping you from spending the next quarter cleaning up mistakes made under pressure.
How to build a slowdown system:Identify the three points in your sales process where you tend to rush. Proposals, negotiations, technical commitments. Create a short checklist for each and make it mandatory.
Use AI to Think Faster, Not to Stop ThinkingSales demands constant context switching. Pipeline reviews. Prospect research. Discovery prep. Follow-up. Objection handling. The mental load adds up quickly.
Victor Antonio recently shared an example of a window company using vision AI to diagnose broken window seals from photos. Instead of sending a technician, customers submit an image. The system verifies the issue, checks inventory, confirms warranty status, and schedules service automatically.
AI hasnβt changed what strong salespeople do. Itβs changed how quickly they get to the work that actually matters.
Top performers use AI to handle tasks that drain energy but donβt require judgment. Research summaries. Organizing notes. Drafting frameworks. That speed preserves mental bandwidth for conversations, strategy, and relationship building.
Used correctly, AI supports sales motivation by reducing friction, not replacing effort.
How to use AI without dulling your edge:List the tasks you repeat weekly that consume time but not insight. Let AI handle those. Keep anything involving trust, nuance, or decision-making firmly in your hands.
Why This Matters for Sales MotivationSales has always been hard. Cold calling was hard decades ago, and itβs still hard today. You still have to find people, start conversations, build trust, and ask for commitments.
What separates average reps from consistent performers isnβt resilience alone. Itβs structure.
Top performers know exactly what theyβre chasing and why it matters. They protect themselves from bad-fit customers. They slow down when it counts. And they use tools strategically to preserve energy for selling.
They still get rejected. They still lose deals. They still have months where nothing goes right.
But they donβt drift. They donβt panic. And they donβt quit when the work gets uncomfortable.
That discipline is what sustains sales motivation long after the initial excitement wears off.
If you want a clearer target to aim at when sales gets hard, download the FREE Sales Gravy Goal Guide. It will help you define the goals that actually keep you focused, disciplined, and motivatedβespecially when rejection starts piling up.
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Hereβs a problem thatβll make your head spin: What do you do when you can sell way more than your company can produce?
Thatβs the question posed by Dylan Noah from Toronto. Dylan sells craft cider to bars and restaurants across his territory. Heβs the only salesperson for a small producer, working with limited tools (no proper CRM), and hereβs the kicker: he could sell a million dollarsβ worth of product, but production isnβt enough to meet that demand.
If youβre shaking your head thinking this is a champagne problem, youβre half right. But for Dylan, trying to hit his income goals through commissions, itβs a real constraint thatβs costing him money every single day.
The CRM Obsession Is a DistractionLetβs tackle the first issue head-on. Dylan is worried he doesnβt have the right CRM tools to manage his accounts and hit his numbers.
Hereβs the brutal truth: at one point in time, salespeople sold a lot of cider, beer, wine, liquor, and all kinds of other stuff without any CRM at all. They used index cards in a box. They had lists on paper. And they crushed it.
Youβre a small business with one salesperson working with 3,000 to 7,000 potential accounts in your territory. The last thing you should worry about right now is a $40,000 CRM system.
Could you use automation for email sequences and promotions? Absolutely. Should you eventually invest in something like HubSpot or Pipedrive? Yes. But right now, what you need is a simple system to identify your best accounts and focus your time there.
Youβre not going to hit $1 million across 3,000 accounts. Youβre going to hit it across 500 accounts that are the biggest restaurants and bars, where they like you, their customers like cider, and where you can create events and experiences that spike sales.
Use a spreadsheet. Use index cards. Use whatever basic tool youβve got right now. Create a 30-60-90 day system where you know who youβre calling on in the next 30 days, the next 60 days, and the next 90 days. Build a list of your top 250 accounts that buy the most from you. Thatβs where you live.
Stop obsessing over tools you donβt have and start maximizing the opportunity in front of you.
Scarcity Is Your Secret WeaponThis brings us to the real issue: production capacity. Dylan can sell it, but his company canβt make enough of it.
The bourbon distillers in America are dealing with this exact problem right now. They ramped up production years ago based on projected demand, and now theyβre sitting on excess inventory thatβs aging out. Itβs a delicate balance, and if you make too much, it goes bad and you lose everything.
Hereβs what most salespeople donβt understand about scarcity: itβs actually a competitive advantage if you manage it right.
When you have limited product, youβre always going to be in an ebb and flow situation. Sometimes youβll have an abundance of one product type. Sometimes youβll have high-demand products in short supply. The key is building a system that lets you move fast when opportunity strikes.
This is where building buying profiles for every single customer becomes essential. You need to know which accounts buy which types of products, what their purchase patterns look like, and what their potential is (high, medium, or low).
Think about it like your account coverage pyramid. When you have product available, you start at the top with your highest value accounts and work your way down. Youβre not treating all 150 accounts the same. Youβre prioritizing based on potential.
When you have an abundance of one product type, you go directly to the customers who buy that product and say, βHey, Iβve got product right now. Do you want to buy?β You can run specials. You can offer incentives (within legal limits). You move it fast.
When your high-demand products come in, you call your best accounts first and say, βIβve got ten cases of this. Iβm calling you first. How many do you want?β Then you go down your list. Most of the time, youβll sell out before you even leave your office.
But if youβve got 150 accounts and youβre treating them all the same, it gets overwhelming fast. Segment them. Prioritize them. Work them strategically.
Making Your Number When You Canβt Control SupplyThe income issue is where this gets really interesting. Dylan wants to double his sales and earn more commissions, but he canβt because the company keeps running out of product.
Hereβs my take: if youβre supposed to sell $1.5 million but your company only produces $750,000 worth of product that you could sell, they should pay you for the $1.5 million. Production was the reason you couldnβt make your number, not your sales ability.
Now, I know there are people in operations reading this who are going to say Iβm full of it. But from a sales standpoint, if youβve sold out of everything available, youβve done your job. The constraint isnβt you, itβs production capacity.
Thatβs a hard conversation to have with ownership, I get it. But hereβs how you make that case: sell out of the other stuff that people donβt want as much. Figure out how to move all of it. Put yourself in a position where you own the moral high ground when it comes to sales performance.
If you do that and they still canβt or wonβt pay you for what you could have sold, then youβve got a decision to make. But at least youβll have learned how to sell in a resource-constrained environment, how to build relationships, how to manage your territory, and how to work a manual system. Those are skills that transfer to any sales role, especially ones that give you all the bells and whistles and unlimited product to sell.
The Power of Old School DisciplineLetβs go back to 1985 for a minute. In 1985, you would have had a Rolodex with tabs for H (high potential), M (medium potential), and L (low potential) accounts. When product came in, youβd open to H, pull out the cards, and start dialing.
βIβve got ten cases of your favorite cider. Iβm calling you first. How many do you want?β
If they donβt want any, click. Next card.
By the time you hit the tenth account, youβre usually sold out.
Thatβs the power of segmentation combined with discipline. Systems beat moods. Sequence beats sporadic effort. Process creates momentum.
You donβt need fancy technology to do this. You need clear priorities, good segmentation, and the discipline to work your system consistently.
The Bottom LineIf youβre in Dylanβs situation with limited tools and limited product, hereβs your game plan:
Stop worrying about what you donβt have and focus on maximizing what you do have. Build a simple segmentation system using whatever tools are available. Create detailed buying profiles for all your accounts so you know exactly who to call when specific products become available. Work your account coverage pyramid from top to bottom, always prioritizing your highest value customers. Sell out of everything, even the less popular products, so you have leverage when talking to ownership about compensation.
The reality is that most sales challenges arenβt about having the perfect tools or unlimited resources. Theyβre about having the discipline to work a proven system consistently, even when conditions arenβt ideal.
Thatβs how you win in sales. Thatβs how you hit your numbers. And thatβs how you build a foundation of skills that will serve you for your entire career, whether you stay in a resource-constrained environment or move to a role where the skyβs the limit.
Ready to master the fundamentals of prospecting and account management? Check out Jeb Blountβs latest book with Brynne Tillman, The LinkedIn Edge, and learn how to build systematic, relationship-driven sales processes that work in any environment.
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While regret anchors you to past failures, reflection acts as a catalyst for future sales growth. This article and Sales Gravy Money Monday Podcast episode explores how to break the βif-onlyβ loop and provides a step-by-step year-end debrief to help you extract lessons from your wins and losses, ensuring you start the new year with clarity and a proven system for success.
Explore:
- How to get out of your regret loop
- The power of reflection
- How reflection creates awareness
- A system for achieving your sales goals
- 7 Steps to year-end sales reflection
Ways to Look Back at Your Sales YearFor me, the last two weeks of the year have always been the chance to pause, take a break from the grind of selling, and really think about what happened over the past yearβthe good, the bad, and the ugly.
If you are anything like me and do the same, there are two ways to look back on your last twelve months. You can do so with regret or reflection.
These two opposing lenses are vastly different in the way they affect your view of where youβve been and where you are going.
The Trouble With RegretLetβs start by unpacking regret.
Some of you are already feeling regret about goals you missed, deals you lost, opportunities that slipped through your fingers, or the people in your life you may have let down.
Regret is that feeling you get when you look back on something you did (or didnβt do) and wish you could change it.
In many ways, regret is similar to worry, except itβs focused on the past instead of the future. Worry is about what might happen; regret is about what already happened. Thatβs a big distinction.
Although you can turn worry into action and change the future, you cannot rewrite the past. No amount of regret changes history. All it does is create a feedback loop in your mind where you keep reliving your mistakes, misses, and failures over and over again.
Why Sales Professionals Get Stuck in a Regret LoopIβve observed so many people get stuck in this endless loop of regret. They keep lamenting, βIf only I had . . .β
- βmade that call.β
- βhandled that prospect differently.β
- βtaken that chance.β
- βbeen there or done that.β
Those βif onlysβ can paralyze you. They sap your energy, crush your confidence, and keep you from moving forward.
On one hand, regret can push you to changeβyou donβt want to feel that kind of pain again, so you work hard to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
On the other hand, regret can become a debilitating emotion that drags you into an exhausting and useless mental loop of βwouldβve, couldβve, shouldβve.β
But no matter how many times you complete that loop, it doesnβt change the outcome. It becomes an emotional anchor that weighs you down as you start the new year.
The Power of ReflectionReflection, on the other hand, is entirely differentβand far more productive.
When you reflect, you detach from your emotions with objectivity to look at your entire body of work from the past year.
- Youβre asking the questions, βWhat went well? What didnβt go so well? What did I learn?β
- You consider the wins that made you proud and the moments youβd rather forget.
- You figure out why you won so you can repeat those winning behaviors.
- You extract value from the lessons of failure.
Reflection isnβt about punishing yourself for what went wrong. Itβs about gaining clarity on why it went wrongβand what you can do about it next time.
How Reflection Creates AwarenessReflection also helps you find gratitude in unexpected places. Maybe thereβs a hidden lesson in overcoming an obstacle, or perhaps you gained a new perspective because a challenging person came into your life.
Itβs important to realize that each decision you made over the past year shaped your present circumstances. But you are not defined by these circumstances, only by how you respond to them.
Reflection creates awareness. Where there is awareness, there is the potential for change. Awareness is like the sun; anything it touches has a tendency to transform.
The bottom line is that reflection is about learning, growing, and transforming. Regret is stagnation.
Why Reflection Matters at Year-EndThe reason Iβm talking about the impact of reflection as we close out this year is because, for most of us, the slate really does feel clean come January 1st. In the sales world, we get a brand-new quota and brand-new targets. Thereβs an air of possibility as we think:
- βThis year is going to be different.
- βThis year, Iβm going to crush my numbers.β
- βHit my income targets.β
- βMake it to Presidentβs club.β
- βGet a promotion.β
- βFinally, close that dream account Iβve been chasing.β
But if you donβt take a moment to reflect on what worked and what didnβt, youβre likely to find yourself repeating the same missteps. Reflection is like an internal debriefβa chance to say, βHereβs what happened, hereβs why, and hereβs how Iβm going to fix it.β
Why Clarity Arises From ReflectionLet me give you a personal example. A the beginning of last year, I set a goal for my sales training company, Sales Gravy. This was a big, bold, visionary goal that would transform our organization and ultimately double our sales.
I proudly and confidently told my team that it was going to happen. And then, in an embarrassing crash and burn, I failed miserably.
Certainly, I could have stewed in regret, beating myself up and allowing my self-talk to run wild about how I fell short. But that would have been a waste of time and energy.
Instead, I chose reflection. I asked myself, βWhat happened and why didnβt I achieve this goal?β As I mulled over those questions, the answers came more clearly than I expected.
One of the biggest insights I gained was that Iβd set this big goal, but didnβt establish a system or plan to make it happen. You see, a goal without a system is basically just a wishβas they say, βhope is not a strategy.β
Build a System that Supports Your GoalsIf, for example, you set a goal to prospect a hundred potential customers per week, but you havenβt built a disciplined daily routine, built targeted lists, set aside specific times for calls, and created accountability checkpoints, itβs not going to stick. Life will get in the way. Sooner or later, your big, bold goal gets overshadowed by a million other tasks. Without a system for achieving the goal, you quickly succumb to discipline fatigue.
This is exactly why reflection can be your best friend at yearβs end. It allows you to own your failures without letting them define you, and it helps you leverage your successes by pinpointing what you did right.
Regret says: βYou messed up. Youβll never fix this. Itβs too late.β
Reflection says: βYou messed up. Now letβs find out why, learn from it, and do better next time.β
How to Conduct a Year-End Sales ReflectionTo turn past performance into future growth, follow this 7-step systematic reflection process:
- Seek Silence: Carve out 30 minutes in a quiet environment without digital distractions to ensure deep focus.
- Audit the Timeline: Mentally journey through the year, month-by-month, starting from January, to recall specific goals and market conditions.
- Celebrate Wins: Identify specific deals and relationships that succeeded. Recognize the personal milestones that boosted your confidence.
- Isolate Winning Behaviors: Determine the exact habits and mindsets that led to your successes so you can turn them into repeatable systems.
- Analyze Failures Objectively: Pinpoint the goals that stayed out of reach. Ask βWhy?β to uncover the root cause of the miss without self-judgment.
- Build Systems, Not Just Goals: Replace βhope-basedβ strategies with disciplined routines, targeted lists, and accountability checkpoints.
- Practice Gratitude: Identify the βsilver liningsβ and lessons learned from challenges to maintain an optimistic outlook for the new sales season.
Hereβs the big takeaway: Regret is the enemy of progress; Reflection is the catalyst for growth.
Get your New Year off to a winning start with Jeb Blountβs popular on-demand course: The Essentials of Setting Winning Goals
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βYou canβt be more committed to somebodyβs success than they are.β
That insight comes from Colleen Stanley, author of Be the Mentor Who Mattered, during a recent conversation on the Sales Gravy Podcast. Itβs a simple statement that cuts through all the noise about mentorship and gets to the heart of why most mentoring relationships fail to deliver results.
Sales professionals constantly talk about wanting mentors. They want access to someone whoβs been there, done that, and can show them the shortcuts. But when they get that access, they squander it. They show up unprepared. They argue with advice. They never implement what they learn.
On the flip side, experienced sales leaders say they want to give back and mentor the next generation. But they get burned out after investing time in people who donβt follow through. So they stop offering help altogether.
The problem isnβt a lack of willing mentors or eager mentees.
The problem is that nobody understands their role in making mentorship work.
What Mentees Get Wrong About MentorshipMost people treat mentorship like a magic pill, assuming that simply being near someone successful will transfer that success to them. It doesnβt work that way.
Getting real value from a mentor requires more than just showing up. You need to actively do the work that makes their guidance worthwhile. Start by focusing on these key actions:
Ask DirectlyThe biggest barrier to mentorship isnβt that successful people wonβt help you. Itβs that you never ask.
You assume theyβre too busy, too important, or too far removed from your situation to care. Youβre wrong on all three counts.
Successful people got where they are because someone helped them along the way. Most of them want to pay that forward. But theyβre not mind readers. If you want help, ask for it directly.
Respect Their TimeWhen you do ask, come prepared.
Donβt ask for β15 minutes to pick your brain.β Thatβs code for βI havenβt thought about what I actually need, so Iβm going to waste your time figuring it out.β
Instead, be specific.
βIβm struggling with qualifying early in the sales process. Could you share how you approach qualification conversations?β
Specific questions get specific answers. Vague requests get vague responsesβor none at all.
Do What They Tell You to DoThis is where most mentoring relationships die.
You ask for advice. You get great guidance. Then you come back with a list of reasons why it wonβt work for your situation.
Stop that.
If youβre going to ask someone for their expertise, try their approach before explaining why your situation is different. Youβre there because they know more than you do. Acting like you know better defeats the entire purpose.
Your mentorβs reward isnβt money or recognition. Itβs watching you take their advice and succeed because of it.
When you implement what they teach and come back with results, theyβll invest even more in your development. When you make excuses, theyβll move on.
Take Tough Feedback Without Getting DefensiveNot every mentor has read the latest book on constructive feedback. Some of them are direct or blunt.
Take it anyway.
When someone cares enough about your success to tell you the truthβeven when itβs uncomfortableβthatβs a gift. Donβt reject it because it wasnβt wrapped perfectly.
The best mentors donβt sugarcoat feedback because they respect you enough to be honest. They see potential in you that you canβt see yet, and theyβre not going to let you waste it by staying comfortable.
What Mentors Get Wrong About MentorshipIf youβre in a position to mentor others, you already know the frustration of investing in someone who doesnβt follow through.
Itβs exhausting. Eventually, you start to wonder if itβs worth your time at all.
Before you close yourself off completely, itβs important to understand the common patterns that cause mentoring relationships to stall.
Waiting for the Perfect MenteeThere is no perfect mentee.
Everyone who asks for your help is going to be rough around the edges. Theyβll make mistakes. They might waste some of your time.
Thatβs the cost of mentoring.
The real question isnβt whether someone is polished. Itβs whether theyβre committed.
Are they showing up prepared?
Are they implementing what you teach?
Are they making progress, even if itβs slow?
If the answer is yes, keep investing. If itβs no, redirect your energy elsewhere. Just donβt let one bad experience make you cynical about everyone.
Trying to Control Their PathYour job as a mentor isnβt to create a clone of yourself.
Itβs to help someone develop their own approach using the principles that made you successful.
They might take your advice and apply it differently. They might adapt it to their personality, their market, or their selling style.
Thatβs not wrong. Thatβs the point.
Stay unattached to the outcome. You canβt be more invested in their success than they are. Give them your best insights, support their growth, and let them own the results.
Mentoring the Wrong PeopleNot everyone needs your specific expertise.
Some people need tactical help with prospecting. Some need strategic guidance. Others need coaching on emotional intelligence.
Look for the multipliers.
Mentor people who will take what you teach them and use it to help others. When someone you mentor goes on to mentor others, your impact grows far beyond what you could achieve alone.
That doesnβt mean only mentoring future executives. It means finding people who are genuinely committed to growth and generous enough to share what they learn.
The Real Value of MentorshipMentorship isnβt a transaction.
Itβs not about what you can get from someone more successful or what you owe someone less experienced.
Itβs about creating a community where people help each other get better. Where progress matters more than perfection. Where tough feedback is welcomed because everyone knows it comes from a place of care.
Having someone in your corner who believes in your potentialβeven when you donβtβcan be the difference between quitting and breaking through.
But that only works if both sides understand their role.
Mentees must show up ready to learn and willing to act.
Mentors must show up ready to tell the truth and willing to invest.
Find the mentors who will challenge you. Be the mentor who changes someone elseβs trajectory.
Ready to take the next step in your development? Finding the right mentor or coach can transform your sales careerβif you know what to look for. Learn how to identify the coach whoβs right for you with our FREE How to Find the Right Coach for You Guide.
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Hereβs a truth thatβll make you uncomfortable: Getting rejected isnβt the real problem. The real problem is that youβre not doing the work up front to lower the probability of rejection in the first place.
Thatβs the insight that hit when Wendy Ramirez, a leading Mexican sales expert and author of Lo que nadie habla de las ventas: Estrategias para no ser llamarada de petate or What Nobody Talks About in Sales: Strategies to Avoid Being a Flash in the Pan, joined this weekβs episode about handling rejection on Ask Jeb on The Sales Gravy Podcast.
After forty years in sales, I was rejected yesterday, Iβll get rejected tomorrow, and Iβve been rejected so many times that I almost donβt even feel it anymore. But that doesnβt mean you can just βlet it roll off your backβ as some sales trainers tell you.
If youβre struggling with rejection, youβre not alone. And more importantly, youβre not broken. Thereβs a biological reason it hurts so badly, and there are concrete techniques you can use to handle it.
The Biology of Rejection: Why Your Brain Is Working Against YouHereβs what most sales trainers wonβt tell you: Rejection is supposed to hurt. Itβs baked into your DNA.
Forty thousand years ago, human beings lived in small groups around campfires. If you got kicked out of the group and walked away from that campfire into the dark, you were in danger. You were part of the food chain. There were things out there hunting you, rival tribes fighting over scarce resources, and being alone meant you probably werenβt going to pass on your genes.
So human beings who avoided rejection were more likely to survive. This fear of rejection became an evolutionary advantage, and itβs still with us today.
Thatβs why selling is so hard. Itβs why most people donβt want to go into sales. Walk into the accounting department and ask if anyone wants to make cold calls with you. Theyβre going to look at you like youβve got four heads because nobody wants to be in a profession where you have to do something that unnatural.
This avoidance of rejection serves us really well for most of our life. You need to get along with your family, your coworkers, and other people in the world. Knowing where the line is that would get you rejected is super important to being able to work as a team.
But in sales? Itβs killing your performance.
The Truth About Objections: Youβre Creating ThemWhen people reject you or give you an objection, what theyβre expressing is their fear. Theyβre expressing their fear of moving forward, their fear of change, their fear about whether or not youβll do what you say youβre going to do.
And hereβs the brutal part: Most of the time, you created that fear.
The easiest way to deal with an objection is to do good discovery and do a good job in the selling process. When salespeople make the mistake of not doing any discovery, they donβt have any ammunition. So the rejection sounds like this: βYour price is too high.β Thatβs the only way a person really knows how to explain it. If they donβt like you, theyβll say, βWe need to go think about this.β
Think about it this way. If you do a great job of building the relationship, asking questions, listening, getting all of their pain and aspirations on the table, and then telling their story back to them in the context of how you can help them solve their problems, then youβve earned the right to ask them.
When you ask, and they give you an objection, you know what to do because you already have that information. Youβre just bringing back and putting on the table the things that they already told you.
The worst rejections Iβve gotten? Theyβre usually when I lost a deal because I didnβt do discovery. And then I found out after the fact that I missed something I shouldnβt have missed. Itβs not so much the rejection that hurts. Itβs the shame and the gut punch that I didnβt do my job as a salesperson, and therefore, I created the environment that made that objection so big that I couldnβt get past it because I had no information to work with.
The Ledge Technique: Your Magic Quarter SecondLetβs get practical. Youβre on a prospecting call, youβre engaging another person, and they hit you with an objection that feels like rejection. What do you do?
Use a technique called the ledge. Neuroscientists would call it the magic quarter second that allows your executive brain (your prefrontal cortex) to get in control of your emotional brain (your limbic system) and that little structure inside your brain called the amygdala that triggers the fight or flight response.
The ledge is just something youβve memorized that you say automatically whenever you get that particular objection. The thing about prospecting objections is that we know every potential one. Theyβre not surprising. People are going to say, βI donβt have any time,β βIβm not interested,β βIβm already working with someone,β βYour prices are too high,β βThis is not a good time for me,β βIβm not the right person.β
So if someone says, βIβm too busy right now,β I just say, βI figured you would be. And thatβs exactly why I called.β Thatβs all I say.
The reason I have that memorized is because when they say that, rather than getting consumed by the fight or flight response, I know exactly what to say. In that magic quarter second, my brain thatβs smart takes over and says, βThis is not a threat. This is just a person who says they donβt have enough time right now, and you know exactly how to handle it.β
Relating: The Slower Form of the LedgeIf youβre in a slower type of objection (letβs say youβre asking someone to buy from you), use a form of the ledge by relating with them.
When someone gives you an objection, theyβre expecting conflict because weβre just human beings. If I tell you no, Iβm expecting you to come back at me. So they give you the objection and theyβre ready for it. If you punch back, theyβre going to punch back. Everybody loses.
But instead, if you relate to them, you lower the temperature. You get on their side of the table. You show empathy without agreeing with them.
Hereβs what that sounds like in practice: Someone says, βThis is more than I wanted to pay.β You could say, βWell, look, itβs really not that expensive, and youβre going to get so much out of it.β Or you could say, βI totally get where youβre coming from. It sounds to me like youβre someone who makes really good decisions with their money.β
Youβre not agreeing that the price is too high. Youβre agreeing that theyβre a person who makes good decisions with their money. Youβre lowering the conflict level and increasing the collaborative level. Youβre diffusing them and breaking their pattern.
Then you can go into, βWhen you say itβs a little bit more than you wanted to pay, how do you mean? What does that mean to you?β
But you always start with relating to them.
The One Basic Truth About ObjectionsHereβs something you need to understand: In every sales conversation, while facing every objection, it is the human being who has the greatest emotional discipline that is most likely to have control over the conversation.
And if you control the conversation, you can handle the objection.
This is called relaxed assertive confidence. When you demonstrate this behavior, it almost acts like a magnet. People lean into you. And emotionally (because emotions are contagious), it causes them to respond in kind. When you come off as relaxed and confident, suddenly they lower their conflict level and they become more confident in you as well.
Thereβs nothing that handles objections better than pure old confidence.
Persistence Always Finds a Way to WinLet me leave you with this: Persistence always finds a way to win. Always.
In the US, 44 percent of salespeople only face rejection once before they give up. 78 percent give up after asking twice. 91 percent give up after asking only four times.
But on average, it takes eight asks to get someone to say yes to you.
So think about that. The statistics are in your favor. The more youβre persistent, the more you keep asking, the more likely youβre going to get what you want. The more you face rejection, the more likely youβre going to get what you want.
The inspirational part? Doing that is really hard. It takes discipline, and discipline is defined as sacrificing what you want now for what you want most.
The easiest, fastest way to put on that emotional armor and dive into objections and rejections is to know exactly what it is that you want. So that in that moment when your brain is saying to you, βRun, donβt do this, donβt face it,β you remember that on the other side of that rejection is the one thing that you want more than anything else in the world.
And youβre willing to go through it, around it, under it. No matter what it takes. Youβre willing to do whatever it takes to get that thing that you want.
Thatβs when rejection stops being the problem and starts being just another step in your process.
Ready to transform your prospecting approach and fill your pipeline? Grab a copy of The LinkedIn Edge, Jebβs latest book on combining LinkedIn, AI, and proven outbound strategies to sell more and close bigger deals.
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If youβve been looking for a way to hit or exceed your annual quota, qualify for Presidentβs Club, or simply earn a bigger paycheck or bonus, focusing on helping business owners reduce their tax burden by investing in your product, service, or software in the final weeks of the year can give you the edge you need to get more sales closed.
Business Owners are Motivated to Reduce TaxesIn the United States, there are millions of SMBs, and the vast majority of these businesses are what we call pass-through organizations for tax purposes. This means that the owners or partners in these businesses report the profits on their personal tax filings.
Unlike big companies, small companies donβt have the luxury of rolling profits over to the next year. So whatever they made this year, they have to pay taxes on.
As the calendar winds down, business owners are often motivated to invest in products, services, and software solutions in order to reduce taxable income.
In other words, if a business has shown strong profits throughout the year, its owners might be keen to spend some of that money on improving their operations, expanding their capabilities, or streamlining their processesβright nowβrather than hand over a large chunk of their profits to Uncle Sam come tax season.
Business Owners Hate Paying TaxesTo understand why this year-end period is so critical, letβs get into the mindset of a small or medium-sized business owner.
Unlike large enterprises with multiple departments and complex accounting strategies, SMB owners are often personally invested in the companyβs financial results because those results are essentially their income. Itβs how they pay their mortgage and put food on the table.
For this reason, they watch their revenue and expenses closely. As the year comes to an end, theyβre looking at their bottom line and thinking about the upcoming tax bill.
For many of these business owners, profit is a double-edged sword. Donβt get me wrong, they want to make a profit. But at some point, too much profit triggers a much higher tax bill.
If there is one thing I know about small and medium-sized business owners, itβs that they hate taxes. They are always looking for ways to legally minimize their tax liability.
One easy and productive way to do this is to make fully or partially depreciable investments in the business before December 31st. That could mean buying new equipment, software, training packages, or services that will not only improve the business long-term but also reduce taxable income for the current year.
An Urgent Need to SpendAs a salesperson, the key takeaway here is that your prospects have a natural, time-bound incentive to spend. If you can position your product or service as the right investment at the right time, you might find it easier to close those deals that seemed just out of reach during the rest of the year.
And by the way, if you are dealing with decision-makers who are pushing off decisions to next year, this is a great way to get past that objection.
Framing Your Business CaseI want to be clear, though, that most businesses are not going to spend money for the sake of spending money. Savvy business owners want to reduce taxes and do the right thing for their company.
Therefore, you canβt just be transactional. You still must follow the sales process and build a bridge to the value of tax savings AND business improvement when making your business case.
Itβs all about framing your product or service as a strategic investment rather than a mere expense.
For example:
- If you sell software tools that improve operational efficiency, make the case for how your solution will help them save on labor costs, reduce errors, and streamline workflows.
- If youβre selling advertising, highlight how a year-end launch of a new campaign will lead to immediate results that set the stage for a strong Q1.
- If you sell capital equipment, walk them through how the new equipment will make them more productive and help them expand their business in the new year.
The key is to connect the value of your offering directly to the timing. Consider messaging like:
- βThis is an opportune moment to upgrade your systems, so youβll enter the new year with a competitive edge and potentially lower your tax liabilities this season.β
- βBy getting your campaign locked in before the year closes, you can reap immediate tax benefits while ensuring your advertising starts generating leads in January when you need them the most.β
- βIf we get the equipment ordered now, it will be delivered in Q1, giving you plenty of time to get a high ROI next year.β
When you can tie the ROI of your product to both tangible improvements and the financial perks of year-end spending, the business case becomes much more compelling, and you will sell more.
Tailor Your ApproachWhile the end-of-year tax incentive is a common denominator, not every SMB is identical. Some might be profitable but cash-constrained, while others have capital burning a hole in their pockets. Some may be in sectors that had a booming year, while others are just recovering from a difficult market.
The more you understand the unique challenges and goals of each prospect youβre targeting, the better you can tailor your approach.
Before you pick up the phone, walk through their door, or send an email, do some research. Check out their recent announcements, whether theyβre hiring or expanding. Look into trends in their industry.
Understanding these nuances will help you fine-tune your messaging. If you know a business is tight on cash, emphasize flexible payment plans or financing options. If the business is flush with profit, reinforce the immediate tax advantage and the strategic value of reinvesting those funds.
Empathy and relevance are your allies here. Show that you understand their position and that your solution aligns perfectly with their current goals. That personal touch, combined with the natural urgency of year-end, is a powerful recipe for closing the deal.
Lead With Urgency: Clear, Direct, CompellingI donβt want to sweep under the rug how important timing and urgency are with this tactic. While you donβt want to be completely transactional, you do want to be direct.
As we approach the end of the year, many SMB owners have a long to-do list: Finalizing paperwork, inventory checks, reviewing vendor contracts, preparing for holiday promotions, and on and on. Theyβre busy. They have limited time to spend on sales pitches. This means your outreach needs to be respectful of their schedule and also clear, direct, and compelling.
Say right away: βIβm reaching out before the year ends because I have a solution that can help you maximize your tax benefits this year and help you grow your business next year.β
Being direct and to the point respects their time and sets the context immediately. If you need more help with direct and to-the-point messaging, grab your copy of my book, Fanatical Prospecting, and review Because Statements.
Itβs crucial that you create and maintain a sense of urgency. Not the aggressive, pushy kind, but a natural urgency rooted in a real calendar event: The year-end.
The clock is ticking, and if they donβt make their purchase by December 31st, they will miss out on the potential tax advantages. This deadline isnβt artificialβitβs a reality. Use it to frame your conversations. Urgency helps prospects prioritize your offer over other distractions in their busy schedule.
Handling ObjectionsYou might encounter objections like: βWeβre too busy to consider new solutions right now,β or βWe donβt have enough budget.β
In these cases, itβs wise to highlight the cost-saving and tax benefits again. Stress that investing now can actually put them in a better position financially. Remind them that waiting until next year could mean missing out on an opportunity to reduce this yearβs taxable income.
If time is an issue, propose a quick and efficient implementation plan. Show them that you can be agile and help them integrate the solution without massive downtime.
If budget is a concern, consider promotions, discounts, or favorable financing terms. Sometimes, offering a small year-end incentive can tip the scales in your favor.
The Five Keys to Selling More to SMBs at the End of the Year1. SMBs have a natural incentive to invest before year-end: They want to reduce their taxable income and set themselves up for a strong next year. 2. Frame your product as a strategic investment: Highlight the value, ROI, and tax benefits that come with a year-end purchase. 3. Avoid being transactional: Follow the sales process and position yourself as a partner who can help them navigate this critical period. 4. Tailor your approach to each SMBβs situation: Research their needs and adjust your prospecting message accordingly, showing empathy and relevance. 5. Create urgency with a real deadline: The calendar itself is your ally; emphasize that the benefits come from acting before December 31st.
Hereβs the deal, though: Do not wait. Start this process now. The low-hanging fruit is out there, but it will rot on the vine if you fail to pick before the sand runs out of the hourglass this year.
Check out the BRAND NEW Jeb Blount Ultimate Sales Success Box Set. Itβs the perfect gift for the sales professional in your life!
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Is Your LinkedIn Personal Branding Built for Buyers or Bystanders?βRespectfully, you are not my audience.β
Performance coach Giselle Ugarte said that on a recent episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, and it might be the most liberating thing youβll hear about LinkedIn personal branding this year.
Because somewhere between building your profile and hitting publish on that post, youβve started making decisions based on what your college roommate might think. Or your former boss. Or yes, your mom.
The hard truth? None of them are writing you commission checks.
The Real Reason Your LinkedIn Personal Branding Falls FlatYouβve heard βbe authenticβ and βshow up as yourselfβ so often that the advice has lost all meaning. So you end up in a strange middle ground where youβre not polished enough to impress executives and not human enough to connect with actual buyers.
Your LinkedIn personal branding suffers because youβre creating content for ghosts. People who will never hire you, never refer you, never sign a contract. Youβre worried about the wrong audience, and that hesitation shows up in every word you type.
Think about the last post you almost published but didnβt. What stopped you? Probably not a legitimate business concern. More likely, you had a flash of βwhat will people think?β and that voice didnβt belong to your ideal client. It belonged to someone in your network who wouldnβt buy from you if you were the last salesperson on earth.
Who Your LinkedIn Content Is Really ForYour LinkedIn personal branding should speak to three groups:
- Current clients
- Prospective clients
- People who can refer you to clients
Thatβs it. Everyone else is background noise.
When you post about closing a tough deal, your brother who works in IT might think youβre bragging. Your client, who fought through the same challenge, is nodding in agreement.
When you share a lesson from a deal that went sideways, your high school friend might wonder why youβre airing dirty laundry. Your prospect is realizing you understand their world.
The disconnect happens because youβre trying to serve two masters. You want to build real relationships with buyers while also maintaining some imaginary professional image for people who have zero impact on your business.
The Transform 20: LinkedIn Personal Branding That Actually WorksIf youβre going to shift your LinkedIn personal branding from performative to productive, you need a system. Not another βpost three times a weekβ generic advice pile, but something that forces you to focus on real humans instead of vanity metrics.
Giselleβs practical framework, Transform 20, breaks down into four daily actions, each designed to build actual relationships:
Connect with 5 new people.Not random connections. People you met this week, people on your calendar, people who recognize your face. Every request should feel familiar to them.
Send 5 meaningful messages.Check in. Reference something personal. End with a question. βLet me knowβ is where leads go to die. Meaningful DMs teach the algorithm who matters to you β and who should see your content.
Leave 5 meaningful comments.Two to three sentences. Add context. Reintroduce yourself if needed. A thoughtful comment builds more trust than another like or emoji ever will.
Record 5 one-to-one videos.Sixty seconds or less. βHey, I was thinking about you becauseβ¦β Itβs a pattern interrupt in an inbox full of text and one of the fastest ways to stand out. This is where confidence compounds.
Twenty actions. Most people wonβt do it because it feels like work. But if you woke up to 20 qualified leads tomorrow, would that change your business? Thatβs what youβre building here.
What Your LinkedIn Profile Should Actually ShowBuyers want to know youβre a real person. That you have a family, hobbies, interests, failures, and lessons. That you care about something besides your quota.
If you blur your Zoom background because you think itβs more professional, youβre missing an opportunity. Let them see the bookshelf, the Peloton, the framed photo. These details give people something to ask about and a reason to remember you.
The same goes for your LinkedIn headline. Yes, include your title. But also include the detail that creates connection. βMom of four,β or βProud Michigan alum,β or whatever matters to you and might matter to them. Make it easier for people to find common ground with you.
Stop Creating Content for People Who Will Never BuyYou already know who matters: current clients, prospective clients, and people who can refer you to clients.
Your former colleague who always has something snarky to say about your posts? Theyβve never sent you a referral. Your friend from college who thinks sales is beneath them? Theyβre not signing contracts. Your family member who wants you to be more buttoned up? Theyβre not in your market.
Have the clarity to know that you canβt build an effective LinkedIn personal branding presence while trying to please everyone. Youβll end up pleasing no one, least of all the people who could actually benefit from working with you.
You cannot build effective LinkedIn personal branding while trying to please people who donβt impact your business.
Before you write that post or record that video, remind yourself: someone would be lucky to hear from me today. You have something valuable to offer β and the courage to show up as a real human.
The salespeople winning on LinkedIn arenβt the most polished. Theyβre the most human. They make it easier for the right people to decide they want to work with them.
Send the videos. Start the conversations. Show up as the person your clients actually want to buy from. Thatβs how you win on LinkedIn β and everywhere else.
Want the full LinkedIn playbook? Buy The LinkedIn Edge by Jeb Blount and Brynne Tillman. Itβs packed with non-negotiables that will turn your profile into a pipeline-building machine.
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Hereβs the scenario thatβs playing out in sales organizations everywhere right now: Your team fought through a brutal first half of the year, rallied momentum in the second half, crushed their numbers, and now theyβre ready to coast through December.
Thatβs the exact situation Kyle Begbie, a regional sales director at Fuse HR Solutions in Ontario, Canada, brought to this weekβs Ask Jeb. His team overcame massive market disruption, economic headwinds, and buyer hesitation to finish the year strong. Now heβs facing the most dangerous challenge of all: keeping that momentum alive through the holidays and into January.
If youβre nodding your head right now, youβre not alone. This is the point in the year where sales teams either set themselves up for a championship quarter or dig themselves into a hole that takes months to climb out of.
The Holiday Momentum TrapHereβs what happened to Kyleβs team, and itβs probably happening to yours too: They worked incredibly hard through disruption and uncertainty. They pushed through discouragement when buyers were putting deals on hold. They ground it out for months to get back on track.
And now theyβre exhausted.
The holidays are here. Christmas music is playing. Everyone wants to take their foot off the accelerator and coast a little bit. This is why December and January are the most dangerous months for sales professionals.
Hereβs the deal: Nothing really changed in the market from the first half of the year to the second half. Kyleβs team faced the exact same headwinds, the same economic conditions, the same buyer concerns. The only thing that changed was what they believed.
Once they believed they could win, they kept winning. And once buyers realized nothing was going to change and all of this was permanent, they got on with business.
But hereβs the problem: If you take your foot off the accelerator now, youβre going to pay for it in January and February. Thatβs not motivation speak. Thatβs math.
The 30-Day Rule Will Make or Break Your Q1The 30-day rule is simple: The prospecting you do in any given 30-day period pays off over the next 90 days.
This is especially true in industries like staffing, but it applies to every sales role. If your team takes December off and doesnβt prospect, youβre going to have a catastrophic January and February. Itβs that simple.
So the number one thing you need to do as a sales leader right now is get structure around prospecting. Every morning, your team needs to run their call blocks. They need to run their sequences. They need to go through the entire process, and that cannot stop.
The only way youβre going to lead this is from the front. Whether your team is dispersed or in the office, you need to be running prospecting blocks with them every single day all the way through the holidays. If you do that, youβre going to be golden.
Close Whatβs Closable Before January 1The second critical action is closing every deal in your pipeline thatβs actually closable right now.
Your customers are thinking they have time. Your salespeople are thinking they have time. Nobodyβs pushing anybody. But hereβs the reality: If those deals roll over past Christmas into the New Year, the likelihood of closing them is almost zero. Youβre essentially starting all over again.
Sit down with all your salespeople right now and walk through their pipeline. Identify every single deal where everything is lined up. Fit, budget, need, authority. Everythingβs qualified. The only thing keeping you from closing is they havenβt said yes yet.
Get in the middle of those deals and find a way to get them closed. That gives you momentum going into the new year. December feels great. And in staffing or any service business, those December closes become revenue in January, February, and March, which takes massive pressure off your team.
Set Your Team Up for Success in JanuaryThis is a critical time to start thinking about setting yourself up for success in the new year. While everyone else is checking out, you should be:
Building targeted prospect lists for Q1. Identify your ideal prospects for January, February, and March right now so you can hit the ground running.
Cleaning up your CRM. Get your data organized. Update records. Remove garbage. Make sure your team has clean, actionable information when they come back.
Revisiting close-lost deals from earlier in the year. Especially deals from the first half of 2025 where buyers were hesitating or went with a competitor. Maybe the grass wasnβt greener. Maybe they still have the same problems. Build those lists now so you can attack them hard in January.
Following up on qualified leads that stalled. There are good leads sitting in your system that were qualified but couldnβt move because of timing or market conditions. Gather those up and get lists together for your team.
What youβre doing here is acting like a coach getting your players in position to win. Because hereβs what happens if you donβt: You come off the holidays, get into the first part of the year, and watch your sales team waste the first two weeks of January walking around in a daze, not knowing what to do.
You want to make sure that the first Monday of the new year, youβre running prospecting blocks, talking to customers, and working deals. Not figuring out what you should be doing.
The Power of Celebration and StorytellingThe last piece of maintaining momentum is taking time to celebrate what your team accomplished.
Sit down with your team and tell them the story of what they did this year. Make sure they understand the lesson: When they shifted their mindset, they changed their game. Thatβs what happened.
Tell them they did a great job. Make sure theyβre taking time for their family and having fun. Help them manage their time so they can do both. But fill up their hearts with confidence and belief that they can do anything.
Because hereβs the truth: Nothing changed this year except for them. And if thatβs true, then nothing can stop them next year either. It doesnβt matter what happens in the marketplace. Even if we go into a recession, people are still hiring. The money is still there. Itβs just that more people are chasing it.
Teach your team that it doesnβt make a difference what happens. The economy can fall apart, but theyβre good enough to go find where the money is and take it. Because while everyone else is sitting around telling themselves what they canβt do, your team is telling themselves what they can do.
Thatβs how you carry momentum. Thatβs how you avoid the January hole. And thatβs how you build a championship sales team.
Ready to take your sales game to the next level? Check out The LinkedIn Edge to learn how to leverage the worldβs most powerful B2B social selling platform to fill your pipeline, build relationships, and close more deals.
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What Does a Perfect Bowling Game Have in Common With Top-Performing Sales Reps?Walk into a bowling alley on a Friday night, and youβll see a scene that looks like pure recreation. The crash of pins, the rumble of conversation, the squeak of shoes on the approach. But beneath all that noise is something far more serious: discipline, repetition, emotional control, and the relentless pursuit of mastery.
Thatβs the real game. And itβs the exact game top performers play in sales.
Selling rewards consistency, mental toughness, and the willingness to execute the fundamentals long after everyone else has checked out. When you break the sport of bowling down frame by frame, it mirrors what we teach every day at Sales Gravy. Fanatical Prospecting. Emotional control. Owning your process. Staying steady under pressure. Winning one shot at a time.
Each frame reveals a truth about the way elite sellers think and operate.
Frame 1: The Approach β Fanatical ProspectingIn bowling, the shot starts before the ball ever moves. The routine is deliberate: same steps, same breath, same commitment. Thatβs where consistency begins.
In sales, your approach is prospecting. Itβs the moment you decide whether youβre a professional or a hobbyist. Pros donβt wait for a pipeline crisis. They build a non-negotiable daily rhythm of fanatical prospecting, exactly the way Jeb teaches it.
βOne more call. One more conversation. One more connection.β
That mindset is your approach. Thatβs the discipline that separates a bowler stepping onto the lane with purpose from the one sitting at the bar making excuses.
You pick a target, commit, and move.
Frame 2: The Lane β Owning Your Sales ProcessA lane looks the same every time, but it rarely plays the same. Oil patterns shift. Friction changes. Conditions evolve.
Your sales process is no different.
You canβt control a buyerβs internal politics or shifting priorities, but you can control how you move through your process. You can control your cadence, your discovery, your follow-up, and your commitment to advancing every opportunity with intention.
Average sellers blame the lane. Pros read it.
They ask better questions. They recognize where deals stall. They adjust without abandoning the fundamentals. The arrows exist to guide the ball; your process exists to guide you. Ignore it, and you drift straight into the gutter.
Frame 3: The Ball β Your Message and the Triangle of TrustA bowlerβs ball is drilled to fit their hand, weighted for their style, and chosen for the conditions.
Your ball is your messageβyour story, your questions, your ability to connect what you sell to what the buyer actually cares about. When you balance logic, emotion, and values, the ball rolls true.
Most sellers throw the same generic pitch at every buyer. Pros tune their message. They refine their openings. They speak the buyerβs language.
Hit with too much emotion and no substance, you lose credibility. Hit with pure logic and no emotional relevance, you miss the pocket of influence.
The goal is simple: strike emotion first, let logic clean up the rest.
Frame 4: The Pins β Prospects, Objections, and PhysicsPins obey physics. They arenβt out to get you.
Prospects are the same.
Some fall quickly. Some require finesse. Some need a second shot. This is where many sellers unravel emotionally. They take objections personally. They turn one βnoβ into a story about themselves.
Objections arenβt judgment. Theyβre feedback.
βWeβre happy with our current vendor.β
βCall me next quarter.β
Objections are indicators, and tell you where your angle is off.
Pros adjust. Ask a different question. Reframe the problem. Bring a story that hits harder. Then take another shot.
The frame isnβt over until you quit.
Frame 5: The Shoes β Mindset and Emotional ControlNo one bowls in street shoes. Youβll slip, lose balance, and go down hard.
Your mindset is your pair of bowling shoes. Without emotional control, every call feels unstable. Every objection knocks you off center. Every tough moment spirals.
Pros prepare their mind before they prepare their day. They visualize tough conversations. They decide how theyβll respond to setbacks before they happen. They choose composure over reaction.
A confident mind produces a confident delivery. Buyers feel both.
Frame 6: The Equipment β Tech as an Amplifier, Not a CrutchPros carry multiple balls, tape, toolsβgear that helps them adjust and stay consistent. None of it bowls for them.
Sales is full of tools too: CRMs, AI, sequencing engines, dialers. But tools only multiply effort. They never replace it.
Weak sellers hide behind technology. Pros use it to increase conversations and stay organized. Tools help you understand the βoil patternβ of your territory. But at the end of the day, itβs still you, a buyer, and a conversation.
No technology closes deals for you.
Frame 7: The Team β Culture and Accountability
Bowling looks individual, but leagues win seasons. Behind every high average is a team pushing each other, challenging complacency, and celebrating progress.
Sales is the same.
Great cultures are built around coaching, accountability, and emotional safety. Teams share insights, review calls, and collaborate on tough deals. When someone hits a strike, everyone feels the lift. When someone struggles, the team rallies.
Youβre competing, but youβre not competing against each other. Youβre competing against your potential.
Frame 8: The Scoreboard β Metrics and TruthThe scoreboard doesnβt lie. It doesnβt care how busy you felt. It only reflects execution.
Your sales scoreboard measures the same: dials, conversations, opportunities created, conversion rates. These numbers are feedback tools. High performers study them. They adjust mechanics, behavior, and cadence based on the data.
You canβt manage what you donβt measure.
Frame 9: The Follow-Through β Closing with Composure
A bowlerβs follow-through is controlled and deliberate. The ball is gone, but the motion stays disciplined.
Closing requires the same composure.
Many sellers execute well early in the cycle. Then, at the moment of truth, they flinch. They rush. They soften.
Pros stay steady. They recap value clearly. They ask directly and confidently. They handle final concerns without panic. Closing is the natural output of a disciplined process.
Frame 10: The Final Frame β Finishing Strong with Follow-UpThe tenth frame separates casual bowlers from champions. Tired, under pressure, and out of margin for error, pros sharpen their focus.
In sales, the tenth frame is follow-up.
Itβs the week after the demo. The stalled proposal. The buyer who goes quiet. Most sellers mentally check out and tell themselves the wrong story: βIf they wanted it, theyβd call me.β
Pros donβt buy that lie.
Deals are won in the follow-upβprofessional, relevant, value-driven persistence. Thatβs where reliability is proven.
The Game That Never EndsSales doesnβt have a perfect 300 game every time. Some days everything strikes clean. Some days, you grind for spares. Some days, the ball finds the gutter no matter how good your form feels.
The separator is what you do next.
Pros study the lane. They adjust their feet. They breathe. They get back on the approach and commit to the next shot with the same intensity as the first.
So as you head into your day, think like a bowler playing the long game. Lace up your mindset. Respect your process. Choose your message with intention. Read your buyers the way pros read the lanes. Lean on your team. Track your scoreboard. And never cheat the follow-through.
The pins are set. The lane is open. Youβve always got one more frame.
Step up with purpose. Roll with confidence. And when in doubt, make one more call.
Ready to take your sales game to the next frame? Build discipline, track your process, and crush your goals with the FREE Sales Gravy Goal Guide. Start mastering your results today.
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Youβre Coachable, But Are You Truly Humble?Youβve been coachable your entire career. You take feedback, adjust your approach, read books, listen to podcasts, and implement what works. Yet being coachable doesnβt automatically make you humbleβand that gap may be costing you more than you realize.
Nicolas Restrepo, Senior Vice President of Sales at World Emblem, shared on a recent Sales Gravy Podcast episode: βWhat advice would I give myself ten years ago? Be humble. Thereβs a difference between being coachable and being humble.β
Most sales leaders assume coachability covers everything. If youβre open to learning, youβre setβright? Not quite. The best sales leadership is built not only on willingness to learn, but on recognizing that your success was never yours alone.
What Being Coachable Actually MeansA coachable leader stays receptive. Feedback isnβt a threat. Adjustments arenβt a burden. You ask questions, try new techniques, and pivot when something stops working.
Coachable leaders attend training sessions and apply what they learn. They donβt cling to βthe way weβve always done itβ when the market shifts. Adaptability is their baseline.
But itβs only half the picture.
What Being Humble Actually MeansHumility isnβt self-deprecation. Itβs acknowledging the full story behind every win.
Humble leaders recognize the customer service rep who handled tough calls, the operations team that pulled off a miracle to meet a deadline, and the mentor who guided them through a high-stakes negotiation.
Humility shows up when leaders look at a win and say βwe did thatβ instead of βI did that.β It changes the way you speak, how you coach, and how your team shows up around you.
Why Sales Leaders Confuse the TwoItβs easy to blur the lines. Coachability requires some humility. You have to acknowledge you donβt know everything. But itβs possible to be coachable and still operate from ego.
Some leaders take feedback on their discovery process while taking full credit for the deal. They embrace a new objection-handling framework but never acknowledge the people who supported the outcome. They accept coaching but keep score of how often they were right.
Coachability grows your skills. Humility grows your people.
The Risks of Only Having OneCoachability without humility burns teams out. You may improve individually, but hoarding credit discourages collaboration. When that happens, reps start withholding help because they know their contribution wonβt be recognized. They stop sharing insights. They stop going the extra mile. Coachable-but-not-humble leaders also tend to ask for help too late. Theyβll accept advice when it arrives but rarely seek it out until theyβre underwater.
Humility without coachability leads to stagnation. You may share credit generously and build strong relationships, but if you refuse to learn hard truths about your blind spots, your team stalls with you. Some leaders disguise resistance to growth as modesty, deflecting responsibility rather than owning the need for improvement.
You need both.
Where These Traits Show Up in Real LeadershipConsider how coachability and humility show up in everyday situations:
After a big win:* Coachable leaders debrief to find the repeatable actions. * Humble leaders publicly recognize who made the win possible.
When something fails:* Coachable leaders ask what they could have done differently. * Humble leaders avoid placing blame on the team.
During onboarding:* Coachable leaders stay open to feedback from new hires about broken processes. * Humble leaders acknowledge when a new rep brings a skill they donβt have.
In pipeline reviews:* Coachable leaders adjust their forecast based on data. * Humble leaders give credit to the rep who spotted a risk early.
Why This Matters for Long-Term Sales LeadershipSales leadership is a long game. Youβre not just managing this quarterβs number. Youβre shaping the culture that determines whether top performers stay or bolt.
Coachability keeps you sharp. Humility keeps your team aligned.
When both traits are active, people share ideas more freely because they know youβll listen. They fight for deals because their effort is seen. They stay through hard quarters because they trust youβre not in it for personal glory.
How to Develop Both TraitsTo strengthen coachability:* Ask your team for feedback on your leadership and apply it. * Work with a peer or mentor who will challenge you. * Notice when you resist feedback and explore why. * Read one sales leadership book per quarter and implement one idea.
To strengthen humility:* When talking about a win, name three people who contributed. * Ask for help early instead of waiting until youβre stuck. * Start meetings by recognizing someone elseβs win. * Pay attention to how often you use βIβ versus βwe.β
Questions to challenge yourself:* When I talk about a win, who gets credit? * Do reps bring me ideas, or wait to be told what to do? * Am I more focused on being right or being effective? * When was the last time I publicly recognized someone?
The Bottom LineBeing coachable gets you in the room. Being humble keeps you there.
You can study every methodology, attend every training session, and absorb every leadership book. But if the goal is proving how great you are instead of elevating how great your team can become, youβre building on sand.
The sales leaders who last, who build high-performing cultures and develop reps who grow into leaders, all understand one truth: success was never a solo act.
Stay coachable so you keep growing. Stay humble so your team grows with you.
Your people will feel the difference. So will your results.
Being coachable and humble is just the start. Learn how to inspire your team, earn trust, and create a culture that drives results. Grab your free chapter of People Follow You and discover the leadership strategies top sales leaders use every day.
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Hereβs a question thatβll stop you in your tracks: Would you let someone walk up to you, take your wallet, empty out all your cash and credit cards, and leave your family with nothing?
Of course not. Thatβs insane.
But if youβre in sales and you let rejection stop you from making calls, booking appointments, and closing deals, thatβs exactly what youβre doing. Youβre handing over your commission check to fear.
That was the powerful insight from Wendy Ramirez, a leading Mexican sales expert and author of Lo que nadie habla de las ventas: Estrategias para no ser llamarada de petate or What Nobody Talks About in Sales: Strategies to Avoid Being a Flash in the Pan, on a recent episode of Ask Jeb the Sales Gravy Podcast. When you give rejection the power to stop you, youβre literally taking money away from your family. Let that sink in.
The Science of Why Rejection HurtsLetβs get one thing straight right now: Iβm not going to sit here and glorify rejection. Nobody wants to be rejected. Unless youβre a pure sociopath who feels nothing (and there arenβt many of those in sales), rejection is going to hurt you.
It doesnβt matter if youβre highly outcome-driven like me or highly empathetic. Rejection hurts everyone in different degrees, but it hurts. Period.
Hereβs whatβs actually happening inside your body when you get rejected: Your brain treats rejection like a physical threat. Fight or flight kicks in. Itβs a neurophysical response that dumps adrenaline into your bloodstream, makes your heart race, and creates this overwhelming urge to either run away or fight back.
That uncomfortable feeling? Thatβs not weakness. Thatβs just science.
The Problem: Sales Is a Rejection-Dense ProfessionHereβs the brutal reality about selling: If you donβt face rejection, youβre going to fail.
Sales is what I call a rejection-dense profession. When you hit rejection in sales, you donβt have the option of going backwards. You can go over it, through it, around it, or dig under it. But your job is literally to go out into the world, find rejection, and bring it home.
Thatβs the job description. Thatβs what we signed up for.
Think about it like this: A few years back, I got invited to jump out of an airplane with the Golden Knights, the U.S. Armyβs elite parachute team. Iβm not a skydiver (just like Iβm not a Spanish speaker), but what an honor to jump with probably the best parachute team worldwide.
I asked the guy I was tandem jumping with how many times heβd jumped. Ten thousand times, he said. So I asked him, βDo you ever get afraid?β
His answer changed everything for me: βOf course, I get afraid. Iβm jumping out of an airplane. Your body is going to get afraid. Iβve just done it so many times that I know exactly what the process is. Iβm able to get myself to jump even though my brain says this is the wrong thing to do.β
Thatβs exactly what you have to do in sales.
Building Obstacle ImmunityIn my book Objections, I talk about something called obstacle immunity. Itβs the process human beings go through of facing something that feels really big and uncomfortable, but doing it enough times that we lower the size of that obstacle.
The fear of being rejected never fully goes away. But you can lower that fear.
Hereβs how you do it:
Develop the Ledge Technique
The ledge technique allows you to interrupt or break the pattern you feel in fight or flight when you get rejected. It helps you regain your poise and confidence so you know what to say next. Itβs about taking control of the conversation when someone gives you an objection.
Understand the Difference Between Objections and Rejection
An objection isnβt the same as a rejection, even though they feel essentially the same in your body. When someone objects, theyβre giving you information. When someone rejects you, theyβre saying no. Learn to tell the difference.
Focus on Emotional Discipline
In emotionally tense situations, youβve got to be emotionally disciplined. Youβve got to gain control, gain poise, and handle those objections in a way that allows you to achieve your desired outcome.
The Mindset Makes All the DifferenceSales is a skill position. There are particular skills, techniques, and tools you need to deploy to be good at the craft. But the thing that makes all the difference is whatβs in your head.
This is no different than athletics. Elite athletes all operate at similar skill and talent levels. Theyβll tell you that winning or losing happens between the ears.
Iβm a big golfer. The difference between me having a really good game or a really bad game is one hundred percent whatβs in my head. My body knows what to do. I know how to swing the club. The mental game is everything.
If you donβt fix your mindset, youβre not going to get the results youβre expecting. People think theyβre stuck and canβt move forward. But itβs just about moving your mindset. Get more information. Learn something new. Apply what you learn. Thatβs how you increase your mindset and get better results.
Stop Giving Away Your PowerWhen Wendy said, βWhen you give to the clients, when you give to the people that rejected you, the power to stop you, thatβs exactly what you do,β it hit me like a freight train.
You wouldnβt let someone take your wallet. You wouldnβt let someone steal from your family. So why would you let rejection steal your future?
The next time you feel that uncomfortable feeling in your chest after getting rejected, remember this: That feeling is just your body doing what itβs supposed to do. Itβs not telling you to quit. Itβs telling you that youβre doing something hard, something that matters, something that will pay off.
Face your fear. Make the next call. The difference between average salespeople and elite performers isnβt talent. Itβs the willingness to go through rejection instead of around it.
Thatβs how you win.
Ready to take your sales game to the next level? Check out The LinkedIn Edge to learn how to leverage the worldβs most powerful B2B social selling platform to fill your pipeline, build relationships, and close more deals.
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Your prospects know when youβre waiting for your turn to talk. They can feel when youβre performing instead of partnering. And the moment they sense youβre treating them like a transaction, youβve already lost the sale, or at least the loyalty that comes after it.
The difference between good salespeople and unforgettable ones isnβt about closing techniques or fancy proposals. Itβs about becoming the trusted sales advisor your buyers canβt imagine doing business without. Itβs about evolving from vendor to linchpinβthe person who holds everything together.
What Does It Mean to Be a Linchpin?A linchpin is the small pin that holds a wheel on its axle. Remove it, and everything falls apart.
In sales, being a linchpin means youβre more than someone who takes orders or delivers quotes. Youβre the trusted sales advisor buyers turn to for guidance, validation, and expertise. They donβt just buy from you; they believe in you. They want your opinion. They rely on your consistency. And when things get messy, they know youβll help them make sense of it all.
But most salespeople never reach linchpin status. They stay stuck in the vendor zone: quoting, pitching, following up, moving on. Itβs safe. It hits metrics. But safety doesnβt create loyalty.
Why Most Sellers Stay VendorsThe vendor zone is comfortable. You know what to do. You have a process. You check boxes.
But hereβs the problem: your prospect can feel when youβre focused on yourself instead of them. They know when youβre running through a script or waiting to launch into your pitch. And that feelingβthat sense of being just another numberβkills trust before it ever has a chance to grow.
Being a trusted sales advisor requires something different. It requires you to slow down, tune in, and genuinely care about the person across from you. Thatβs where the magic happens.
Build Emotional Connection Through Reading the RoomThe best salespeople donβt take behavior at face value. They interpret it.
When a buyer seems distracted or cold, linchpin sellers pause and ask themselves: Whatβs really happening here? Is this person overwhelmed? Skeptical because of a bad past experience? Or just thinking deeply because they need time to process?
Hereβs how to sharpen your ability to read buyer emotions:
- Match and mirror. Notice their pace, tone, and energy, then subtly align with it. People feel safer with people who move at a similar rhythm.
- Say what youβre thinking. Use your inside voice as your outside voice. Try: βIt sounds like this project has a lot of pressure behind itβ or βYou seem hesitantβcan I ask whatβs causing that?β Naming emotions and behaviors politely opens doors.
- Embrace the silence. Silence doesnβt mean rejection. It means your buyer is thinking, absorbing, processing. This is where most salespeople blow it. They open their mouths too soon because they canβt handle the quiet. Five extra minutes of patience is often what stands between winning and losing a deal.
Reading people is empathy in motion. But it takes work. And most salespeople donβt take the time.
Lead With CuriosityCuriosity is the trait that rarely gets enough attention in sales training. But when youβre genuinely curious about what makes your buyers tickβwhat drives their decisions, what matters most to them, what keeps them up at nightβyou move past small talk and into real conversations.
When you show up to serve instead of showing up to sell, curiosity becomes natural. You ask questions to understand what your customers actually need. You build solutions together. And thatβs the moment you become essential to solving their problems.
Hereβs how to leverage curiosity as a trusted sales advisor:
- Ask one more question. When your buyer answers, donβt jump into your pitch. Say, βTell me more about thatβ or βWhat else is behind that concern?β That extra question is where the truth often lives.
- Replace judgment with wonder. When a prospect makes an odd request, donβt think βThatβs ridiculous.β Think βI wonder whatβs driving that?β That mindset shift changes your energy completelyβand they can feel it.
- Prep curiosity prompts before each meeting. Write down three open-ended questions that start with βhowβ or βwhat.β Questions like βHow will this impact your teamβs workload?β or βWhat happens if nothing changes?β uncover real motivation.
The phrase βIβm so curious aboutβ¦β has become a game-changer in discovery calls. It opens doors to deeper conversations. Most buyers will jump right in, and the conversation flows naturally. Your job is to listen, take notes, and get even more curious as they open up.
Evolve Into an Indispensable ConsultantMost salespeople understand the concept of being consultative: asking questions, offering insights, guiding decisions. But the best take it further. They become so valuable that their clientsβ success feels harder to imagine without them.
When you become indispensable, things donβt function properly without you. People need you, not just want you. You bring unique value that canβt easily be replaced, because nobody is you.
Hereβs how to go beyond helpful and become essential:
- Diagnose before you recommend. Donβt rush to fix. Take time to fully understand the clientβs situation. Ask deeper questions. Look for patterns. Confirm what really matters before offering solutions. Youβll gain trust faster through understanding than urgency.
- Teach through insight. Help your clients see their business from a new angle. Bring context, data, or perspective they havenβt considered. When they walk away from a meeting thinking differently because of you, youβre no longer just a vendorβyouβre a resource.
- Lead with consistency and integrity. Show up when itβs easy, but also show up when itβs not. Be steady, dependable, and transparent, especially when outcomes are uncertain. Indispensable consultants donβt disappear when things get complicated. They stay close, communicate clearly, and make it easier for clients to move forward with confidence.
When you understand deeply, teach clearly, and lead consistently, you become more than a salesperson. You become part of your clientsβ strategy. You become the trusted sales advisor they call first.
People Buy You FirstBeing a linchpin isnβt about what you sell. Itβs about how you show up for the buyer.
When markets shift or leadership changes, your product might changeβbut your presence shouldnβt. People will always buy you first.
Show up curious. Listen for meaning, not just for answers. Teach what you know. Stay steady when others panic.
This approach moves you from being one of many to being the one they call first. Thatβs how you go from vendor to linchpin.
Ready to master the techniques that turn you into the trusted sales advisor your buyers canβt live without? Download the FREE Sales Gravy Book of Play by Gina Trimarco and get the tools, tactics, and techniques to become a more effective and agile communicator in spontaneous sales conversations.
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The automated "Great job, team!" email blasted to 47 people at 4:37 PM on a Friday isnβt authentic appreciation. Neither is the generic gift basket ordered by someone in HR whoβs never met your top performer, or the corporate recognition program where nobody actually feels valued.These things look like recognition, but your people know the truth: leadership is outsourcing one of the most human tasksβseeing the people who show up every day and make things happen. And your teams feel the disconnect.As Jeb Blount Jr. recently said on the Sales Gravy Podcast: "Don't make your appreciation to customers, to your team, to yourself a completely outsourced behavior. It will be cheap, and everyone will know it."Authentic appreciation canβt be delegated to your human resources team or automated through your CRM. And that's exactly why it works.Where Sales Leaders Go Wrong with RecognitionMost sales leaders fall into one of two camps.Camp one believes they don't have time for appreciation because they're focused on results. The numbers are what matter. Recognition is soft skills territoryβnice to have, but not essential.Camp two wants to show appreciation but defaults to the path of least resistance. They sign the company card. Approve the budget for the year-end gift. Forward the congratulatory email from the VP. Box checked.Both camps are missing what actually moves people. Recognition that matters requires you to see the work that often goes unseen. It demands that you pause long enough to notice not just the outcome, but the effort behind it. That's not something you can outsource.Why Small Moments Compound Into Big ResultsThereβs a concept in professional development about making 1% improvements every single day. Over 365 days, those tiny adjustments compound into exponential growth.Authentic appreciation works the same way.You donβt need a massive recognition program. You donβt need elaborate gestures or expensive rewards. You need consistency in the small moments that tell your team: I see you, and what you are doing matters.Consider the sales rep who stays late to prep for tomorrowβs presentation. The account manager who defuses a client issue before it reaches your desk. The teammate who mentors the new hire without being asked. These moments happen every day, and most leaders miss them entirely because theyβre scanning for the big wins.But your team isnβt just looking for recognition when they close the monster deal. Theyβre looking for it on Tuesday afternoon when theyβre grinding through their 50th prospecting call. Theyβre looking for it when theyβve had a brutal week and still show up ready to perform.Small acts of authentic appreciation in these moments build trust faster than any annual award ceremony ever will.3 Elements of Authentic AppreciationAuthentic appreciation has three non-negotiable elements. Specific means recognizing exactly what someone did and why it mattered. Not "great work on that account," but "the way you handled that objection about pricing showed real creativityβyou reframed value instead of dropping price, and that's exactly the approach we need more of." Timely means you donβt wait for the quarterly review or the annual celebration. You recognize the effort when it happens, while itβs still fresh and meaningful. Personal means you deliver it in a way that resonates with that individual. Some people want public recognition. Others prefer a quiet conversation. Some treasure a handwritten note. Others just want to hear it directly from you in the moment.Hereβs what this looks like in real leadership: One sales leader makes it a practice to handwrite notes to team members. Not emails. Not Slack messages. Actual pen-on-paper notes. Some are two sentences. Some are three paragraphs. But everyone is specific to something that person did and why it mattered to the team.Is it efficient? No. Does it scale? Not really. But those notes end up on office walls, in desk drawers, and tucked into planners. Years later, people still have them. Thatβs the difference between authentic and outsourced.Integrate Authentic Appreciation Into How You Already WorkMost sales leaders know they should show more appreciation. They feel guilty about it. They add it to their to-do list. And then the day gets away from them.The problem is treating appreciation as an extra task instead of integrating it into what youβre already doing.Youβre already having one-on-ones. Reviewing deals. Walking the floor or jumping on calls. The question isnβt whether you have timeβitβs whether youβre paying attention in those moments.When reviewing pipeline, donβt just look at the numbers. Notice the effort. "I see youβve been hitting activity goals consistently for six weeks straight. That discipline is setting you up for a strong Q1."When someone sends an update email, reply with more than βthanks.β Take 30 seconds to acknowledge what they did: "This breakdown made my job easier. I didnβt have to dig for answers. That kind of communication makes our team more efficient."These arenβt grand gestures. Theyβre small moments of paying attention and responding like a human being who notices when people do good work.Building a Culture Where Authentic Appreciation Flows Both WaysThe best team cultures donβt just flow from leader to team member; they flow in every direction.When you model authentic appreciation, your team starts doing it for each other. They notice the work that happens behind the scenes. They start going the extra mile. The culture shifts from everyone waiting for the leaderβs approval to everyone building each other up.One practice that works: create space in team meetings for peer recognition. Not forced or formalβjust an open moment where anyone can call out something they appreciated from a teammate that week. Keep it optional. Keep it genuine. Youβll be surprised how quickly it becomes part of your teamβs rhythm.Additionally, most high performers are terrible at acknowledging their own progress. They hit a goal and immediately move to the next one without pausing to appreciate what they just accomplished.In coaching sessions, start by asking: βWhatβs a win from this week?β Make them say it out loud. Make them acknowledge their own growth. That internal recognition builds resilience and momentum that external praise alone canβt create.What Happens When You Get This RightWhen you stop outsourcing appreciation and start building it into your leadership, everything shifts. Retention improves. People stay where they feel seen and valued. They leave when they feel invisible. Team energy changes. Appreciated people bring more to the table. They take ownership. They go the extra mile because they want to. Difficult conversations get easier. When someone knows you genuinely care about their success, theyβre more open to feedback and coaching. Culture becomes magnetic. Top performers want to work on teams where their contributions matter. They can feel the difference between authentic and transactional leadership from a mile away.Take Action This WeekStop waiting for the perfect appreciation program or the right company initiative. Start with what you can control right now.This week: Write one handwritten note to someone on your team. Be specific about what they did and why it mattered. In your next one-on-one, ask βWhatβs a win from this week?β and let them acknowledge their own progress. Catch someone doing something rightβhowever smallβand tell them in the moment. End your next team meeting with clear recognition for one person. Not generic praise, tell them exactly what you noticed and why it mattered.This month: Create a recognition moment in every team meeting. Make it specific, not generic. Ask yourself: What recognition do I wish I were receiving? Then give that to someone else. When reviewing pipeline or performance, comment on the effort, not just the outcome.Stop Outsourcing What Should Be HumanThe work you do as a sales leader matters. The people on your team matter. And the small moments where you choose to show up and recognize their effortβthose matter most of all.Your team isnβt waiting for the next corporate initiative or the annual awards ceremony. Theyβre waiting for you to notice. Theyβre waiting for you to care enough to say something about the work theyβre doing right now.Stop outsourcing what should be human. Lead with authentic appreciation today, and watch your team thrive.Β Want to turn recognition into motivation that sticks? Our Sales Gravy University course, 4 Keys to Keeping Your Sales Team Motivated When Everything Hits the Fan, gives you the proven framework to transform appreciation into performance. Learn how to build a sales culture where people feel seen, valued, and driven β even in hard times.
Here's a question that'll expose one of the most common productivity killers in sales: How much research should you do before making a cold call?That's the challenge Michael Bricker from West Monroe, Louisiana brought to a recent Ask Jeb episode. Five months into his role at Cantara Networks, a fiber-backed internet provider, Michael was supposed to spend three minutes researching each prospect. Instead, he found himself spending 15 to 30 minutes per call, terrified he'd miss the one critical insight that would unlock the door.Sound familiar? If you're nodding right now, you're not alone. This "research paralysis" is one of the most insidious productivity traps in modern sales, and it's killing your pipeline velocity.The Big Lie Your Brain Tells YouLet's get one thing straight: Research is not prospecting. Research is research.Every minute you spend digging through a prospect's LinkedIn profile, reading their latest press release, or analyzing their org chart is a minute you're not actually doing any prospecting activity. You're not talking to anyone. You're not having conversations. You're not moving deals forward.But here's where it gets dangerous. When you add in the basic human fear that comes with making cold calls, research becomes an emotional crutch. Your brain lies to you and whispers, "If I just know all this information, it'll be so much better."So you spend 15 minutes researching, make the call, and it goes to voicemail. You make 12 calls a day. Everyone goes to voicemail. All that research, and you didn't get anywhere.How Much Do You Actually Need to Know?Michael had a breakthrough realization that changed everything: "I'm not looking to make a sale on that initial cold call. I'm looking to make a connection."That's the insight that separates efficient prospectors from research addicts.On your first cold call, you're not selling them anything. You're trying to set an appointment so you can ask questions and figure out whether it makes sense to keep talking. That's it.So how much do you really need to know to set that appointment? The answer is not a lot.Think about it this way: The more you get to know your customers, your business, and your industry, the more business acumen you gain. Over time, you'll talk to ten businesses just like the one you're about to call. You'll recognize patterns. You'll see that companies in a certain sector or geographic area all face the same three challenges.You don't need 15 minutes of research to recognize those patterns. You just need to build a message around them.When Research Actually MattersNow, before you throw all research out the window, let me be clear about when it does matter.If you're sending a prospecting email, do some research. You're putting something in writing, so you better have some insight that's not AI-generated garbage.If you make a call, get a hard no from the CEO, and want to try again with a different message, do the research before you call back. You've hit a wall. Now you need ammunition.If you've had a first meeting and you're going into discovery, absolutely do deep research. You're walking in armed because you know they'll be there waiting. All that effort will pay off.But for that first cold call? Stop overthinking it.The Batching SolutionIf you feel like you absolutely need to do research (and I get it, some people do), here's the fix: Schedule time before your call block for research.Do all your three-minute lookups in one batch. Write your notes next to each name. Then go make the calls.Why does this work? Because you're going to hit voicemail a lot anyway. But at least you'll have the research done and maintain your call momentum.Let's say you run a call block on 25 cold leads. You talk to five people. Those five give you information like "I'm not the right person" or "We don't have that problem." Now you know something. Now go back and do deeper research on those five so you can come back with a better message.That's efficiency. That's strategy. That's how you maximize your prospecting time.The Power of Targeted MessagingHere's what really unlocks productivity: Creating targeted messages for roles or industries instead of personalizing every single call.If you're calling 25 CIOs in the healthcare sector, you and I could sit down and quickly identify what they're dealing with. What issues are they facing? What do they want from their business? How could you help them?We could build one or two messages that'll connect with most people on that list without researching every single prospect.Then you make 25 calls in an hour instead of researching five people and making five cold calls in three hours.Which approach do you think sets more appointments?Every Meeting Has One JobMichael asked about moving deals forward after discovery, and here's the framework that keeps everything simple:The entire purpose of a prospecting cold call is to get the first meeting.The entire purpose of the first meeting is to get the next meeting.Everything else is academic.Each step in your sales process exists to advance to the next step with a committed micro-commitment. When deals stall, it's almost always because you didn't nail down that next step or you didn't test stakeholder engagement.If a prospect says "I'll get you that information next week" and next week comes and goes, what are they telling you? They're not that into this. It's not a priority.Keep deals moving by driving momentum through committed next steps.The Bottom LineStop letting research become a productivity trap. The goal isn't to know everything before you make a call. The goal is to have enough conversations to fill your pipeline while making each one count.Be confident in your ability to get someone on the phone and convert them into an appointment. If you hit a wall and get valuable information, then go back and research for your next attempt.But if you're researching every prospect before every cold call, you're lying to yourself about productivity. You're avoiding the hard work of actually prospecting.Batch your research. Build targeted messages. Focus on conversations that convert. That's how you build a pipeline that actually moves.Want to transform your approach to prospecting and turn LinkedIn into your ultimate lead generation machine? Check out The LinkedIn Edge and learn how to leverage the world's most powerful B2B platform to fill your pipeline with qualified opportunities.
This is a very special Monday because it's Thanksgiving week here in the United States.This is the week we pause to express gratitude for the people in our lives, for what we've been given, and for what we've accomplished.But gratitude isn't just a feel-good emotion reserved for the holidays. It's also a performance- and life-enhancing routine that can give you sales superpowers.Gratitude Builds a Strong MindsetSales is a mental game. Your mindset, attitude, and beliefs have more impact on your sales outcomes and ultimate success than any technique, script, or strategy ever will.This isn't soft psychology. This is neuroscience. Gratitude activates the parts of your brain associated with reward and emotional regulation. It releases dopamine and serotonin, neurotransmitters that make you feel good, leading to increased happiness and decreased anxiety and stress. Your confidence rises, your mind clears, you gain emotional control, and you make wiser decisions.Gratitude fundamentally rewires how your brain processes the world around you. When you practice gratitude consistently, your brain shifts from focusing on what could go wrong and starts seeing what could go right.Gratitude and insidious self-pity cannot coexist. Instead of dwelling on the deal you lost, the prospect that rejected you, or the leads you donβt have, you appreciate the lessons youβve learned and the opportunities still in front of you.But it goes deeper than just feeling better.Gratitude Builds ResilienceIn sales, you face rejection constantly. Bad weeks, tough months, prospects who ghost you after months of work, and deals that fall apart at the last minute, even though you did everything right.In this brutal profession, the salespeople who survive and thrive are the ones who bounce back faster from these inevitable setbacks.One of the key traits of highly successful people is an enduring belief that everything happens for a reason. When you can find something to appreciate even in difficult situations, you maintain your emotional stability. You don't spiral into negativity. You don't let one bad call ruin your entire day. Instead, you process the setback, learn from it, and move forward.Abundance vs Scarcity ThinkingWhen you focus on what you do haveβyour skills, your relationships, your opportunities, your resourcesβyou shift from scarcity thinking to abundance thinking.Scarcity thinking is the mother of negativity. It says: "I don't have enough leads. I don't have enough time. I don't have enough support. I'm going to miss my number."Abundance thinking is a mindset of opportunity and potential. It says: "Look at the skills I've developed. Look at the customers who trust me. Look at the opportunities in my pipeline. Look at what's possible."When you operate from gratitude and abundance, you become more creative, more energetic, more persistent. You stop fixating on limitations and start exploring possibilities.You show up differently. You bring positive energy. And people feel it. They want to work with people who are confident, positive, and focused on what's possible rather than what's impossible.Cultivating an Attitude of GratitudeBut hereβs the thing. You don't wait to feel grateful. You choose to practice gratitude. The feelings follow.Every morning, you are empowered to make a conscious choice about where to focus your attention. You can focus on what's missing, what's wrong, whoβs against you, and what's hard. Or you can focus on what's present, what's working, what's possible. Both perspectives contain truth. But only one moves you forward toward the success and happiness you are seeking.Here are some practical ways to build gratitude into your daily routine:Keep a gratitude journal. Every morning or evening, write down three things you're grateful for. My friend Eric, who suffered from a severe brain injury, does this, and the impact it has had on his recovery is nothing short of a miracle.Thank someone every day.Β Send a text, an email, or better yet, make a phone call. Thank a customer. Thank a colleague. Thank a team member. Express genuine appreciation for something specific they've done.People naturally gravitate toward those who express genuine appreciation. When you thank a customer for their business, when you acknowledge a colleague's help, when you recognize someone's support, you strengthen those relationships. It makes you someone people want to work with, buy from, and help succeed.Mentally acknowledge the good.Β During your day, when something positive happens, pause for just a moment and mentally acknowledge it or say a prayer of thanks. Don't let it pass by unnoticed.Reframe challenges.Β When something goes wrong, ask yourself: "What can I learn from this? What opportunity might this create? What's the hidden gift in this situation?" This isn't about pretending problems don't exist. It's about looking for the lessons and possibilities within them.Start your week with gratitude. Every Monday, give thanks for the week ahead and the opportunity youβve been given to make a difference in your life, for your family, company, and customers.The beautiful thing about gratitude is that it is like a muscle; it gets stronger with exercise.My Gratitude to YouBefore wrapping up, I want to take this opportunity to pause and express my gratitude to you.I'm grateful to you for listening to the Sales Gravy podcast. My team and I pour our hearts into producing this show, and your support means everything to us. Your comments, your reviews, your messages telling us how the podcast has helped you, fuels us.I'm thankful for the fans of my books. Writing is one of my greatest joys in life, and you make that possible. Every time someone tells me that "Fanatical Prospecting," or "Sales EQ," or "The LinkedIn Edge" changed their career, it reminds me why I do this work.I'm grateful for the companies around the world that trust Sales Gravy to train their teams. You let us into your organizations, trust us with your people, and give us the opportunity to make a real difference. That's a privilege we never take for granted.I'm grateful for the sales professionals who invest in themselves through Sales Gravy University. Your commitment to getting better inspires us to keep creating better content.And most of all, I'm grateful for the amazing people who choose to work at Sales Gravy. We are blessed with an incredible team that wakes up every morning focused on serving you and making a difference. They're the reason we can do what we do.Thank you for allowing us to be part of your professional journey.Reflecting on GratitudeSo as we head into Thanksgiving week, Iβll leave you with this simple reflection:Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire. If you did, there would be nothing left to reach for, no reason to dream, no horizon pulling you forward.Be thankful that you don't know everything. It means life still has mysteries to reveal and lessons waiting to shape you.Be thankful for the difficult times. It's in these seasons that you grow stronger, wiser, and more resilient.Be thankful for your limitations. They remind you that there is still room to stretch, improve, and become more than you are today.Be thankful for challenges and obstacles. They forge your strength, your courage, and your character. These are the things that truly endure.Be thankful for your mistakes, because each one is a teacher guiding you toward better choices and deeper understanding.Be thankful for what you've been given. Every gift is proof that someone cares, someone believes in you, someone has invested in your journey.Be thankful for the people who push you, support you, frustrate you, and inspire you. Each one plays a role in shaping the person you are becoming.Be thankful for beginnings, endings, and every transition in between. They are the chapters and seasons of a life story still being written.Be thankful for Monday, because Monday brings new possibilities.And at the end of the day, when you are tired and weary, when youβve stopped and made one more call, be thankful because it means you've made a difference.An attitude of gratitude changes how you approach your dayβand your prospects. My new book, The LinkedIn Edge, shows you how to leverage that mindset to build genuine connections, engage with your network, and create opportunities that actually convert.
Most new account executives stare at their territory list and feel the weight of it immediately. Fifty accounts. A hundred accounts. Sometimes more. Each one needs research, a plan, and outreach that doesn't sound like every other cold email clogging their prospect's inbox.Β Jake McOsker, an account executive at Forrester Research, found himself facing exactly this problem when he moved from BDR to AE. He cracked it by changing how he used AI for account planning.Β "Rather than taking 10 to 15 minutes to get an account plan out or understand who the notable stakeholders and the decision makers that I need to go with," he explained, "it's a 2 to 3 minute process to go through each one of these accounts."The traditional approach to AI account planning doesn't solve the territory problem. You ask ChatGPT or Claude for company information, and you get Wikipedia summaries. Founded in 1987. Headquartered in Dallas. 15,000 employees. The chief sales officer you're calling doesn't care about any of that, and showing up with generic facts makes you look lazy, not prepared.When you're new to the role, you don't have years of pattern recognition to fall back on. You don't know what good account planning looks like yet. You just know you need to get meetings with people who have better things to do than talk to a rep they've never heard of.The solution isn't using AI as a search engine. It's using it as a sales assistant with a specific job to do.The Problem With How Most Reps Use AI for Account PlanningHere's what usually happens. A rep needs to prepare for a call with a VP of Marketing at a healthcare company. They open their AI tool of choice and type: "Tell me about [Company Name]."The AI spits back: Company history Product offerings Recent press releases Maybe some executive namesThe rep skims it, copies a few bullet points into their CRM, and calls it account planning. Then they get on the call and realize they have no idea what this VP is actually trying to accomplish this quarter. They ask surface-level questions. The prospect checks out. The meeting goes nowhere.This happens because most reps are using AI like a faster Google. They're asking for information instead of asking for intelligence.AI account planning only works when you give the AI a role and a specific outcome to deliver. Not "tell me about this company." Instead, "You're an account executive trying to book a meeting with this company's CMO in the next two weeks. Based on their recent announcements and what their executives are posting on LinkedIn, what initiatives are they likely prioritizing right now?"How to Set Up AI Agents for Account PlanningThe difference between a basic AI chat and an AI agent is memory and context. When you create an agent, you're teaching it what kind of output you need every single time. You're not starting from scratch with every account.Here's the framework that works:Step 1: Give Your AI Agent a Clear RoleDon't just ask questions. Set up the scenario with urgency and context. For example:"You are an account executive at [Your Company]. You've been tasked with bringing in [Target Company] as a new customer within the next 90 days. Your first call is with their [specific role, like Chief Sales Officer]. Based on the materials I'm providing, what are the top three business initiatives this person is likely focused on right now?"This does two things. First, it forces the AI to think from your perspective instead of just summarizing data. Second, it prioritizes current, actionable information over historical background.Step 2: Feed It the Right Source MaterialWikipedia summaries don't help you. But these sources do: Recent press releases about new initiatives or leadership changes LinkedIn posts from executives at the company (especially the person you're calling) Company blog posts about their strategic direction Industry news articles mentioning the company Their "About Us" or "Newsroom" page for current priorities Analyst reports or industry trend pieces relevant to their sectorIf you're selling to publicly traded companies, earnings call transcripts and annual reports (10-Ks) are gold mines. But most new AEs aren't calling on Fortune 500 companies. The good news is that smaller companies often share more on LinkedIn and their blogs because they're trying to build their brand.Upload PDFs or paste content directly into your AI tool. Then let it analyze the content through the lens of the role you gave it. The output will focus on strategic priorities, not corporate history.Step 3: Ask Follow-Up Questions Based on PersonaIf you're calling into marketing, tech, security, or customer experience, the priorities are different. Your AI agent should help you understand how company-wide initiatives affect the specific person you're talking to.After the initial analysis, ask: "How would these initiatives specifically impact the VP of Marketing's goals this quarter?"Now you have talking points that matter to the person on the other end of the call.Step 4: Validate With Human IntelligenceAI gets you 80% of the way there in three minutes instead of fifteen. But you still need to cross-check. Look at LinkedIn. Check recent news. If you have access to account managers or customer success reps who work with similar companies, ask them if the trends you're seeing match reality.AI account planning is a tool, not a replacement for critical thinking. If the output feels off, it probably is. Trust your gut and adjust.How to Turn Research Into Value MessagesThe goal of account planning isn't to memorize facts about a company. It's to walk into a conversation with an informed hypothesis about what they're trying to accomplish.When you do this right, your opening changes. Instead of starting cold with "Tell me about your role," you can say:"I saw your CEO recently posted about accelerating your digital customer experience, and I'm assuming that's putting some pressure on your team to modernize how you're approaching customer engagement. But I could be completely wrong. What's actually taking up most of your time right now?"Hereβs how youβve impacted your prospect: First, it proves you did real research. Second, it gives the prospect something specific to react to instead of making them explain their entire world from scratch. Third, and this is critical, it still leaves room for discovery.You're not skipping the "What are your biggest challenges?" question. You're earning the right to ask them by showing you've already thought about their business. When prospects talk about their challenges in their own language, you learn how they frame problems, what matters to them, and where your solution might actually fit.Even if your hypothesis is wrong, you've separated yourself from the 90% of reps who show up with nothing. And when you're right, you skip past the surface-level conversation and get straight into the dialogue that matters. That's how you earn credibility as a new account executive, even when you don't have ten years of experience to lean on.Building a Repeatable AI Account Planning WorkflowThis only scales if you systematize it. You can't rely on remembering the perfect prompt every time or recreating your process from scratch for every account.Create separate agents for different use cases. One for account planning. One for prospecting outreach. One for call preparation. Train each agent for the output you need so you arenβt constantly course-correcting.Save your account plans in a central location. The information changes, so plan to refresh your research quarterly. What mattered in Q2 might not matter in Q4, and your account planning needs to reflect that.The key is building a system that you can repeat across your entire territory without burning out. Two to three minutes per account. Not fifteen. Not thirty. That's how you research 50 accounts in a week instead of just five.What This Actually Looks Like in PracticeLet's say you're targeting a mid-market software company. You start by checking their LinkedIn. The CEO posted last week about expanding into healthcare verticals. You pull up their blog and find three recent posts about compliance challenges in healthcare tech.You upload screenshots or copy the text into your AI agent and give it the prompt:"You're an AE trying to close this software company in 90 days. The first meeting is with their Chief Revenue Officer. What are the top three priorities they're likely focused on, and how do those connect to the company's broader goals?"The AI analyzes the content and tells you: They're investing heavily in healthcare vertical expansion, but facing longer sales cycles due to compliance requirements They're dealing with the need to build credibility fast in a regulated industry Their CEO has committed to proving ROI in healthcare within two quartersNow you have a hypothesis. The CRO is probably under pressure to close healthcare deals faster while managing a team that doesn't have deep healthcare expertise. That's your angle.You cross-check this with LinkedIn and see that the CRO has been engaging with posts about sales enablement in complex verticals. You look at recent news and find they just hired a VP of Healthcare Sales. Everything lines up.Your outreach message writes itself. You're not pitching. You're acknowledging what they're working on and offering a perspective on how companies in similar situations have approached the same problem.What to Do After the MeetingYour AI workflow doesn't end when the call does. This is where most reps leave value on the table.After your meeting, take the transcript from your call recording tool (Fathom, Gong, Chorus, whatever you use) and upload it to your AI agent. Then ask specific questions:
Here's a question that hits closer to home than most sales reps want to admit: What do you do when you've been away from prospecting for a while and suddenly the call reluctance feels brand new again?That's the situation Dwayne Malmberg from Sugar Land, Texas found himself in. He'd been crushing it in inside sales and appointment setting since the 90s. He was good at it. Really good. But after taking just over two years away from the phones, a new opportunity came along and suddenly he was facing something he didn't expect.The call reluctance. The trepidation. The mental resistance to picking up that phone and dialing invisible strangers.If you've ever taken time away from prospecting and felt that same knot in your stomach when it's time to get back on the phones, you're not alone. And more importantly, there's a systematic way to rebuild that muscle and get back to crushing it.The Raw Truth About Cold Calling FearLet's get brutally honest: Cold calling creates emotional angst. Period.I've made tens of thousands of cold calls. I make them with my clients during training sessions. I'll make them tomorrow morning. And I still feel that trepidation on the first couple of calls of the day.It's just human. It's natural. It never completely goes away.Think about it like jumping out of an airplane. A few years ago, I got the chance to jump with the United States Army Golden Knights. I was terrified. My heart was pounding. A sergeant even asked if I was okay because apparently I looked frightened.When we got strapped in, I turned to the Golden Knight I was jumping with and asked, "Do you ever get scared?" His answer was revealing: "Yeah, of course I do. My heart's beating a little bit because it's an airplane and I don't know what's going to happen. But I've done it so many times and I've got a routine."That's the key. The routine. The process. The mental preparation that gets you past the fear and into action.The Big Pull: Why You Need Something Worth Fighting ForHere's the problem with facing fear: If you don't have something pulling you forward that's bigger than the discomfort you're feeling right now, you'll procrastinate forever.The discipline to run a prospecting block and do your prospecting is the discipline to sacrifice what you want now for what you want most.So before you even think about picking up the phone, sit down and write out what you want. Why are you doing this? What's the goal? Is it a paycheck? A promotion? Financial freedom? Providing for your family?That's your big pull. That's what you focus on when you start your day, not whatever might happen on the call. Because when you're thinking about something as scary as facing rejection, if you don't have a big pull driving you, you'll end up avoiding the work that matters most.For Dwayne, part of his why was clear: He's a caregiver for his disabled wife and needs the flexibility to work from home while still providing for his family. That's a powerful pull. That's something worth pushing through fear for.Building the Muscle: You Can't Bench Press 250 on Day OneLet's say you were a bodybuilder in your 30s. You were strong, lifting heavy, crushing it in the gym. Then life happened. Kids came along. Your career took off. You quit working out.Now you decide it's time to get back in shape. What happens if you walk into the gym and try to bench press 250 pounds on day one?You're going to hurt yourself. Maybe badly.The same principle applies to prospecting after time away. You already know how to do it. You've got the muscle memory. Everything inside you is saying, "I got this." But you can't expect to jump back in at the same intensity level you had before.You have to rebuild the muscle gradually. Start with the equivalent of those 20-pound dumbbells and work your way back up.The High-Intensity Sprint StrategyWhen I found myself in a similar situation years ago, uncomfortable and fearful about making calls, I developed a strategy that I now call high-intensity prospecting sprints.Here's how it works: Break your prospecting into very small, short blocks. Sometimes just five minutes. Make five calls in five minutes. Or ten minutes. Or fifteen minutes.The key is this: Make it so small and manageable that your brain can't talk you out of it. If I tell you to make cold calls all day long, that feels overwhelming. But if I ask you to knock out just five calls, you can do that.Then here's the critical part: Follow each sprint with something inspiring. Read a chapter from Fanatical Prospecting. Listen to a segment of your favorite sales podcast. Watch a training video. Put good stuff in your ears and in front of your eyes that builds your courage and strengthens your heart.Then do another sprint. More inspiration. Another sprint. Repeat.What happens is two things: First, by actually doing it instead of thinking about it, you get better at doing it. You get what I call sales endorphins. You feel good about yourself because you realize, "Hey, I can do this. Everything's okay."Second, by backing up each sprint with inspirational content, you're feeding your mindset. You're building back that mental muscle alongside the practical muscle.The Time Management Factor for Busy Sales ProfessionalsIf you're like Dwayne and have a lot of responsibilities outside of sales, time management becomes critical. You can't afford to waste time or dilute your prospecting efforts.The solution is ruthless prioritization and time blocking.Start your day with your most important, highest priority sales activity. Get your prospecting done first thing in the morning when your willpower is strongest and your emotional energy is highest.Here's why this matters: When you've got a lot going on and you're also doing the hardest job in sales (making outbound calls), by the time you get later into your day, you're worn out. Your willpower is depleted. It's going to be exponentially harder to find the motivation to interrupt strangers.But first thing in the morning? You're fresh. You're ready. You can knock out that prospecting block and then ride that momentum through the rest of your day.Block your calendar in core chunks for everything you need to do. If you have an appointment at 3 PM that'll take three hours, fine. But that first hour of your day? That's sacred prospecting time. Nothing else touches it.The Mindset Foundation: Feed Your Mind DailyThe first section of Fanatical Prospecting focuses on mindset because that's where everything begins. If your mindset isn't right, technique doesn't matter. Scripts don't matter. Nothing matters because you won't execute.Feed your mind daily with content that builds you up. Listen to a sales podcast three days a week. Read sales books. Watch training videos. Surround yourself with messages that reinforce the behaviors you want to develop.When you're in a situation where you feel fear or emotional angst, putting good stuff in your ears and eyes has a tendency to make your heart stronger and build your courage.This isn't fluffy motivation. This is practical psychology. You're literally rewiring your brain to associate prospecting with positive emotions instead of fear and anxiety.The Bottom LineGetting back in the prospecting game after time away isn't about summoning superhuman courage or pretending the fear doesn't exist. It's about acknowledging the fear, building a routine to work through it, and gradually rebuilding the muscle you once had.You already know how to do this. You've done it before. You just need to give yourself permission to start small, build consistently, and focus on progress over perfection.Start with your why. Build your prospecting sprints. Front-load your day. Feed your mind with the right content. And remember: The first call is always the hardest because you're lifting that 10,000-pound weight. But once you make it, the momentum starts building.You've got this. Now go pick up the phone and prove it to yourself.Want to learn how to leverage LinkedIn to fill your pipeline and never run out of opportunities? Check out Jeb Blount's latest book with Brynne Tillman, The LinkedIn Edge, and discover how to turn social selling into your secret weapon.
A few years ago, I was on a desperate search for a dining table. My favorite from my old place was a gorgeous, single-piece antique that mathematically wouldnβt fit in my new home. I loved that table, and losing it felt like losing a member of the family. So I started the hunt for a replacement, a piece worthy of its memory.I found a potential candidate at a high-end furniture store: a stunning cherry table.Β I ran my hand along its smooth, cool surface, picturing it loaded with platters of food, surrounded by the people I love. But then I saw the price tag. It was prohibitively expensive. My wallet slammed shut. I knew it was perfect, but I just couldnβt bring myself to pay for it. I walked out, resigning myself to a life of settling.In the end, I found a mass-produced, joined-piece from a department store. And for the next six months, I was miserable. My kitchen table was just β¦ a table. It was functional, but it had no soul. I griped about it constantly, and every time I looked at it, I was reminded of what I'd given up.Discovering Sweat EquityFinally, out of options and patience, I took the advice of an antique store owner."Go see a woodworker," she said.Β I drove to the address, a dingy, dark garage on the southside of town that smelled of sawdust and varnish. Here, in this dusty, disorganized space, I found the most beautiful tables of every shape and size imaginable.A gruff man with calloused hands appeared. I told him about my predicament and my budget. He gave me a direct response: βI canβt build you a table for that price.βJust as I was giving him an obligatory thanks and turning to leave, he hit me with an unexpected question: βAre you interested in learning how to make one? It might cost you less than what Iβve already made.βHe wasnβt selling me a table. He was selling me an experience. A partnership.Becoming a Co-CreatorAnd so, we began. He showed me the design software. We walked through different scenarios, from Christmas dinner to my kids doing their homework. We chose the wood, figured out the curves for the legs, and decided on the thickness for the top. Every line was to my specifications. I was a co-creator, not a consumer.When he finally showed me the quote for materials and his lessons, it was 30% more than the expensive showroom table. And yet, the decision was simple. I looked at the plans, the time weβd invested in the design, the conversations we had shared, and I said, "Let's build this."I picked out the perfect piece of maple. He taught me how to cut it, sand it, and shape it. How to use a router to create decorative edges. How to apply gloss for a perfect shine. And when we were done, I paid that higher price gladlyβdespite all its imperfections (I am not a professional carpenter.).This was my table, built with my sweat, crafted with my hands. Iβd earned it.One leg was a half-inch too short.Β The decorative edges Iβd spent hours on didnβt quite match. And the lacquer? Letβs just say it had a certain, unique texture. This table was, objectively, flawed. And yet, I loved it more than any piece of furniture I had ever owned.When I brought it home, I was so proud. I invited people over just so I could show it off. Every time I looked at it, I found myself thinking how perfect it was, even with its flaws. That slightly askew table wasnβt just furniture; it was a blinding flash of the obvious and a lesson in the concept called The IKEA Effect.Applying the Principle in SalesNot long after my dive into woodworking, I found myself in a similar situation with a prospect.We were selling a sales training program, and the decision-maker leveled with me in our proposal meeting: "I love what you're proposing, but your competitors are beating your price. We're on a budget."I was about to chalk the deal up to closed-lost when the memory of that woodworker's shop flashed through my mind.βHow about this,β I said, "I know our price is higher, but I think weβyou and Iβcan design something perfect for your team. What if we work together to craft a custom solution, one that covers all your needs and fits into your company culture?"He was skeptical, but he agreed. So we began our own version of a woodworking project.Instead of sawdust and maple, we worked with spreadsheets and shared documents. We spent hours in meetings, outlining their team's specific pain points, the obstacles they faced with pipeline hygiene, and the skills they were lacking. We designed a plan with the right workshops, the right coaching, and the right support for their specific problems.When I finally presented the final proposal, it included a fee that was 20% higher than the competition. But it wasn't a surprise. We had built it together, every step of the way. He saw not just a list of services, but a reflection of his own team's needs. He had invested time, effort, and insight, and had a sense of ownership.How Co-Creation Wins the DealWith our co-created plan in hand, the client happily paid our higher fee. Weβd edged out the competition not because of our price, but because we had triggered The IKEA Effect. This behavioral economic principle states that people place a disproportionately higher value on things they have helped to create.Every frustrating moment, every small victory when we are building something creates what behavioral economists call "effort justification." Your brain can't accept that all that work you put in was for something ordinary, so it reframes the result as extraordinary. It's the same reason my handmade table, with its slight wobble and imperfect edges, felt more valuable to me than the flawless, expensive showroom piece.And it's exactly why that prospect was willing to pay a premium for our sales training. By involving him in crafting the solutionβby making him a co-creator rather than just a buyerβwe triggered the same psychological principle. He didn't just purchase a program; he helped design it.The Lesson: Ownership MattersWhen people build somethingβwhether it's furniture, solutions, or relationshipsβthey don't just create the thing itself. They create ownership.Hereβs how you can apply this to your own sales process: Discovery is the new co-creation. Your discovery calls shouldn't be a simple Q&A. It should be a collaborative workshop. Use tools like a shared whiteboard or a live-edited document to build the solution with your prospect in real time. Frame it as, "Let's figure this out together." Your proposal is a project plan, not the final word. Think of your proposal as the culmination of shared work, not a final document you deliver. Refer to it as "our plan" or "the solution we designed." This language reinforces the joint effort. Make it their idea. The more effort your prospect invests in the processβeven just by providing a little bit of inputβthe more they'll value the outcome. Ask open-ended questions that require them to provide genuine insight. Say things like, "Help me understand...," or "What would the ideal outcome look like for you?" When they tell you, it's their vision, and you're helping them bring it to life.The Big TakeawayThe IKEA Effect is far more than a psychological quirk; it's a strategic weapon for every salesperson who wants to stop losing on price. The truth is, your customers arenβt buying a product or a serviceβthey're buying the feeling of a win.Β When you empower your prospects to become co-creators in the sales process, you don't just solve their problem; you make them the hero of their own story.Β You donβt need to be the low-price leader to get the business. You just need to have the courage to ask them to build a solution with you.Hear more insights based on real-life business successes and flops on Jeb Blount Jr.βs podcast 30 Minutes or Less: How Flawed Sales Incentive Programs Cost Dominoβs $78 Million, part of The Sales Gravy Podcast.
To a sales leader, itβs a familiar story.Month one: Your new SDR is on fire. Energy through the roof. Theyβre excited about cold calling.Month two: Still strong. Meetings are getting booked. Dashboard looks good.Month three: Cracks appear. Rejections pile up. But they hang in.Month four: Burnout.The dials drop. The energyβs gone. That superstar you hired 90 days ago is updating their LinkedIn profileβand you know exactly what that means. Now youβre back in hiring mode, your teamβs pipeline is slipping, and your recruiting budget just took another hit.But itβs not that the SDR role is brokenβthe system is. Sales teams are great at starting fast and terrible at sustaining it. People get thrown in with a script and a quota, celebrate quick wins, then act surprised when burnout becomes inevitable.Tim Hester, VP of Sales Development at Alliance HCM, leads one of the fastest-promoting SDR teams in the industry. His team survives month four and keeps thriving. Some SDRs promote out in 60 days. Others stay because theyβre growing, not just grinding.Itβs a tactical framework that stops inefficiency.The Problem: Youβre Forcing SDRs to Run Without a Finish LineWhen Tim inherited his SDR team, he saw the pattern immediately. One SDR position. No progression. No momentum. Just grind.Talented people hit quota, kept hitting quota, and then started asking themselves: Why am I still doing the exact same job six months later? βJust wait your turnβ doesnβt cut it anymore. Maybe it never did.The wake-up call came when Tim realized something critical: The things that kill SDR motivation arenβt trainable.Work ethic. Mindset. How someone approaches their day and prospecting blocks. Thatβs character. You canβt coach it in a workshop. Tim tried way too many times before figuring that out.You can teach someone objection handling. You can show them how to use the CRM. But if thereβs no light at the end of the tunnel, no amount of training fixes that. Thatβs on leadership, not the rep.The Solution: Build a Roadmap That Rewards Performance, Not TenureTim flipped the script on how SDR performance gets measured and rewarded. He created tiered SDR levels based purely on performance thresholds. Not tenure. Not politics. Not βwhen a spot opens up.βThe roadmap has clear levels: from new SDR to quota-hitting SDR to exceeding SDR who now trains the team. Each level comes with a comp bump and more responsibility. Most importantly, it proves effort matters.This framework ensures that when your reps look at the dashboard, they see a clear, actionable path for progression. Itβs the sales leaderβs job to ensure that dashboard clarity is tied directly to the next level.The impact is immediate. Reps see exactly what they need to level up. Thereβs no waiting for someone to quit so that a spot opens. Those who want to move fast can; those who need more time have a clear path, too.This framework changed recruiting entirely. Tim could tell candidates on day one: People move up at their own rate; you control your trajectory at this company.Suddenly, the SDR role wasnβt a holding pattern. It was a launchpad.The Dashboard: Four Metrics That Actually MatterMetrics are your scoreboard. If your reps donβt trust the score, they stop playing hard.When Tim took over, the dashboard was a mess. Crowded with metrics nobody understood or trusted. Reps tuned it out because they didnβt know what half the numbers meant or how they connected to their success.Tim stripped it down to four metrics: Dials β Shows effort and how theyβre working the database. Everyone can pick up the phone. Connections β Only counts conversations with decision-makers. Not gatekeepers. Not assistants. This shows outreach quality. Meetings Scheduled β The conversion from connection to meeting. This is where you see whoβs actually selling. Meetings Ran β If they donβt show up, whatβs the point?For Tim, the most important is the latter three because of their impact. Heβs measuring what drives meetings and revenue. Simple. Clear. Actionable. No vanity metrics.The Training: Start with Mechanics.Most companies try to turn SDRs into product experts on day one. Tim does the opposite.He breaks training into three buckets:Mechanics β CRM management, using the dialer, and objection handling. These are fundamental basics that must be mastered before there can be further movement. Knowledge β Developing an ICP and persona basics. Narrow and focused. Build your knowledge on the people who matter. Art β The intangible skills that develop over time as reps sit in on meetings and watch demos.Setting that expectation allows reps to move fast. It might not be the straightest line, but theyβre executing, gaining confidence, and booking meetings in week two instead of week eight.SDRs arenβt closing six-figure deals. Theyβre scheduling introductory meetings and bringing in the account executive who has the expertise to close. Expecting perfect performance on day one slows ramps and kills confidence. Employ mechanics first and let the art follow.The Mindset: Small Changes, Big ImpactBefore Tim was a leader, he spent too much time searching for the silver bullet. Heβd toss the whole playbook after one bad call, desperately seeking the one "secret" that would make prospecting easy.His breakthrough was realizing his job as a leader wasn't to teach the art of the perfect call, but to build the system that rewarded consistent effort.Now, he drills this into his team: consistency. It's a direct result of the structure he built. Reps commit to consistency because they know the roadmap proves that their small daily progress will compound into a promotion.The commitment to consistency starts during onboarding. By clearly presenting the tiered performance levels and the four key metrics on day one, leadership sets the expectation that results are driven by process, not luck. When the path is clear, reps stop searching for a shortcut.Consistency beats flash every time. Average SDRs become consistent producers. Consistent producers become top performers. The system is the guarantee that their consistency will pay off.Month Four Doesnβt Have to Be the EndThe SDR graveyard isnβt full of lazy people; it's full of frustrated talent who were put on a treadmill when they needed a ladder. By month four, a high-performer has mastered the basics and is staring at the ceiling. Same script. Same job. Same quota. They burn out from futility, not from effort.Tim Hester's approach stops this cycle. He proves that the only way out is up. Clear metrics keep the focus sharp. Tiered levels create propulsion. A performance-driven roadmap ensures reps know they control their destiny.The question every sales leader must ask is: "What message does our system send on day one?"Empower your reps with a plan they can believe in, and your top talent will be busy working toward their next title, not updating their resume.Β Your roadmap gives your SDRs the path, but they still need the tactics to fill their calendar and earn that promotion. Download Sales Gravy's 25 Ways to Ask for the Appointment on a Cold Call guide.
Hereβs a truth most car dealerships donβt want to admit: people donβt hate buying cars. They hate buying cars from salespeople who make the customer experience painful.Thatβs the challenge Brendan Carlington from Mount Pleasant, Michigan brought to me on a recent episode of Ask Jeb. Brendan jumped back into auto sales this year after spending time in other industries and he noticed something big. Traditional sales positions are disappearing. Customers can research everything online, get quotes instantly, and even start negotiations with a click. Whatβs missing is training that teaches sales pros how to create an experience people actually enjoy.The vehicle isnβt the differentiator. The experience is.Why the Experience Matters More Than the ProductI told Brendan something I have felt for a long time. Customers already know what they want before they walk into the dealership. They have seen every trim, every feature, every price point. What they do not know is whether they will enjoy the buying process.That is where you, the salesperson, become the product. Your job is not just to sell the car. Your job is to guide your customer through the process, reduce friction, build trust, and make them feel confident that they are making the right decision.When I buy a car, I already know what I want. If the experience is miserable, I put it off. If I know it will be smooth, engaging, and human, I buy immediately. Modern buyers are craving a guide, not a grinder.The Power of FrameworksBrendan had a simple but powerful philosophy. He said there are three conditions to win: sell a car, give the customer a great experience, and make as much money as possible without compromising those things. That mindset is exactly what great sales frameworks are built on. A framework gives you rails to run on while keeping you flexible in the conversation. It is not a script. It is a repeatable system that lets you adapt to the customer while staying disciplined.When you take complex sales processes and make them simple and repeatable, you create reliability and confidence. That principle is at the heart of fanatical prospecting and objection handling. Learning to simplify complex ideas into actionable steps separates average salespeople from top performers.How to Become the Trusted GuideIf you are in car sales or any sales role where buyers can research online, here is the playbook: Unpack your customerβs fears. They walk in with emotional baggage from past experiences. Acknowledge it. Ask better questions. The more they talk, the better they feel. When the customer does most of the talking, they have a good experience. Create a VIP moment. Buying a car is a milestone, not a transaction. Build a repeatable system. Know your greeting, discovery questions, and closing flow cold and practice it until it is second nature.Using systems that focus on outcomes, such as first-time appointments, conversion rates, and pipeline velocity, makes the difference between a salesperson who spins their wheels and one who consistently drives results. Practicing this every day builds the kind of discipline that leads to consistent performance and customer loyalty.Making It Fun AgainBrendan shared something I loved. Before car sales, he worked in the Vegas nightlife industry and he asked, βWhy canβt buying a car be fun?β That is the kind of thinking that transforms an industry. Fun does not mean loud music or strobe lights. It means energy, curiosity, and enthusiasm. When people enjoy buying from you, they tell everyone they know.If your dealership or team has lost that spark, it is time to rebuild your sales culture. Focus on making the customer experience unforgettable. Strong sales leadership and coaching techniques help teams focus on guiding the buyer through the process instead of just pushing products. Developing those skills consistently pays huge dividends in customer retention and referrals.The Big LessonAt the end of our conversation, I told Brendan something simple. The car industry does not need more closers. It needs more guides. When every spec and price is a Google search away, the only true differentiator left is how the customer feels.You cannot automate human connection. You cannot AI your way into trust. You can build systems that make people feel seen, heard, and valued. Simplify the process. Ask more questions. Be a guide. Make it an experience worth repeating. That approach works whether you sell cars, software, or consulting services.If you are serious about building influence and opportunity in the modern sales landscape, my newest book with Brynne Tillman, The LinkedIn Edge, is your playbook for creating meaningful professional connections.
We are moving into the most dangerous time of year for sales professionals . . . the holidays.Β From now until the first week of January, you're going to face a perfect storm of distractions, excuses, and temptations that can absolutely destroy your year-end number and your first-quarter production next year. Sadly, most salespeople don't even see it coming. Itβs not until the end of December that they realize theyβre in trouble, but by then, itβs too late.Β The Trouble With the HolidaysThe trouble typically starts Thanksgiving week in the United States and continues as we move into the first week of December. That's when distractions start flooding in. You've got company parties, family obligations, and shopping to do. All of which knocks you off your routine, causing your daily prospecting and follow-up activities to drop.And letβs be honest, youβve been grinding hard for the entire year, and youβre ready to let your guard down and coast a bit before the end of the year.Β By the second and third week of December, many of the opportunities in your pipeline that you were counting on closing start to ghost you or tell you that they're pushing decisions off to next year. And by now youβre so mentally checked out that you're barely doing any prospecting at all.Β Once we move into the Christmas and New Year's weeks, your office is a ghost town, the phones are silent, your pipeline is stalled, and youβve missed your forecast. You convince yourself there's no point in even trying.Β And just like that, you've lost an entire month of selling.Β My book The LinkedIn Edge gives you the master blueprint for turning LinkedIn into an optimized, revenue-generating sales engineβwhether you're deploying Sales Navigator or not.Learn to work LinkedIn like a professional with step-by-step, immediately actionable tactics that supercharge your presence on the world's largest networking platform. Get it today wherever books are sold.Β Β Β Holiday Sales MathBut here's the brutal truth: You didn't just lose a month. You lost three months. Because all of those prospects that pushed off decisions until the new year are not coming back, and that empty pipeline you're staring at, as you move into January, is going to haunt you through March and potentially, through the entire year.Β Your average sales cycle is probably 60-90 days. That means deals you put into the pipeline over the next two to three weeks are crucial for a good January. Likewise, the ones you add in December are the key to delivering a solid February and March.Β But if you allow the Holidays to take you off your game, you might not recover until April or May. Your entire first quarter is shot.Β This is the killer, and how so many promising sales careers end prematurely. I've witnessed far too many salespeople get fired in March for pipeline problems that started in November when they let their discipline slip during the holidays.Do Not Allow Active Deals Stall and DieThe deals currently in your pipeline are more vulnerable right now than at any other time of year. Your prospects have the perfect excuse to push decisions.Β When deals sit idle for a month, bad things happen. Stakeholders change. Budgets get reallocated. Priorities shift. Your champion gets distracted by seventeen other initiatives. Your competitors slip in while you're eating fruitcake and drinking eggnog.I've watched salespeople lose six-figure deals that they thought were "locked up" in November, simply because they took their foot off the gas during the holidays.Β Iβve said this before, and Iβll say it again. Pipeline opportunities that push into the new year are not coming back. Do not count on them. Do not allow yourself to be delusional about them. If you donβt get forecasted opportunities closed by the end of the year, consider them dead!For this reason, you must be vigilant with follow-up, assertive with your communication, and do whatever it takes to get those deals closed.Β The Holiday Discipline AdvantageWhen it comes to prospecting, the activity that keeps your pipeline healthy, the real reason you struggle during the holidays is that you give yourself permission to slack off. You tell yourself little lies to justify taking it easy. "Nobody's making decisions right now anyway." "Everyone's on vacation." "I'll ramp back up in January."Yes, some prospects are on vacation. But not all of them. Yes, some decisions get pushed. But not all of them. Yes, it's harder to get people on the phone. But not impossible.The salespeople who crush it during the holidays understand something that everyone else forgets: Outselling the holidays is all about discipline. It is discipline that transforms holiday impulsiveness into intention and a higher income.Β This is where mental toughness pays off and shows up in your bank account. During the holidays, more than ever, you need a concrete plan and the discipline to execute it.5 Keys to Outselling the HolidaysHere's what you need to do right now, and I mean this week:Step One: Conduct a Pipeline AuditGo through every deal in your pipeline. Assess the risk of each one stalling during the holidays. Then decide what needs to be done before year-end to get them closed.Β For your most important opportunities, create a specific action plan. Don't assume anything will "just keep moving forward" on its own. These deals will not close themselves. Nothing moves forward without your effort.Step Two: Block Your CalendarPull up your calendar for the rest of this year. Block time for daily prospecting, deal advancement, and follow-ups.Yes, I know you have holiday parties and family obligations. Put those in, too. The key is planning everything in advance so you don't drop the ball.You may have to get creative. Maybe you prospect for an hour before the rest of your family wakes up or make follow-up calls during your lunch break. Maybe you work a few hours on the weekend.The point is, if it's not on your calendar, it won't happen. And if your calendar is blank for the next month, your pipeline will be blank in January.Step Three: Set Non-Negotiable Activity TargetsThis is critical. Decide right now what your daily minimums are going to be during the holiday season. Set the targets. Write them down. Commit to them. Thenβand this is the important partβreview your progress against these targets every single morning and every single afternoon to hold yourself accountable. Nobody else is going to do this for you. You have to be your own accountability partner.Step Four: Front-Load DecemberWe know that the last two weeks of the year are going to be a circus, so double down and bank as much activity as possible at the end of November and into the early part of December. That way, by the time Santa comes down the chimney, you've already done the work to keep your pipeline healthy.Step Five: Plan Your JanuaryDon't wait until January 2nd to start thinking about your first quarter. Plan it now. What's your goal for Q1 revenue? How much pipeline do you need to hit that goal? What actions do you need to take now to start strong in January? Top performers don't "get back into it" in January. They hit January running because they planned for it in November.This isn't about working 80-hour weeks. It's about being strategic with your time so you can be productive AND enjoy time with your family. By maintaining discipline during the holidays, you actually feel less stressed and enjoy them more.Β Take Action NowNow hereβs your assignment: Block two hours on your calendar this week. Use that time to conduct your pipeline audit, build your holiday schedule, and set your activity targets.Don't wait. Don't tell yourself you'll get to it next week. Do it now.The salespeople who take this seriously will end the year strong and start off next year even stronger. The salespeople who ignore this advice will spend the first quarter digging themselves out of a hole.The only question that remains is which one of these salespeople are you going to be?And remember, when it's time to go home, especially during the holidays when you're tempted to call it early, always stop and make one more call. That discipline is often the difference that will help you outsell the holidays.
Every salesperson knows that feeling, the one right before the big meeting when confidence wavers and doubt creeps in.Alex Weber knows it, too. Heβs one of the few people to go from hosting American Ninja Warrior to competing on the show. When I asked him what separates winners from everyone else on an episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, he said:βWinners believe they're going to win. Youβre not going to win every deal. But even as I say that, Iβm never going to let myself actually believe that.βThis is a masterclass in sales mindsetβthe mental toughness every top salesperson needs. The difference between a competitor who freezes and one who performs is simple: The winner chooses belief over hesitation, every single time.Β Stop Managing Doubt, Start Dictating BeliefThe average salesperson walks into a deal trying to manage their doubt. They worry about the competition, they worry about the price, and they worry about rejection. That hesitation bleeds through every presentation, email, and follow-up.The average rep tells themselves, "I hope I get this deal."Winners decide before the phone rings that they are the best solution, they deserve the business, and they are going to win. That mindset is the foundation of high-performance selling.The moment you let the "what if I lose?" question become dominant, you pull back. You ask soft closing questions. You accept the first objection. Top salespeople know that a soft sales mindset guarantees a hard loss. You must carry the confidence of a winner, even when the odds are stacked against you.Failure is Feedback: Burn the Ship and Move OnIn high-stakes competitive environments, you canβt dwell on failure. If a Ninja Warrior misses a jump, they can't afford to spend five minutes replaying the error in their head; they are already in the water.In sales, the deep end is rejection. Too many salespeople treat a "no" like a personal failure instead of professional feedback. They let one bad call destroy their attitude for the entire week. This is why their sales mindset is fragile.Winners understand that every loss is simply data to be analyzed. What did the client object to? Where did you lose control? What did the competitor do better? Process it immediately, then move on.When you fail, you need to "burn the ship." You acknowledge the loss, extract the lesson, and sever the emotional attachment. The inability to recover fast is the #1 killer of a sales mindset. You are guaranteeing an underperforming pipeline if you can't reset your mental state between calls. Commit to the next interaction, not the last one.Build Your Muscle Memory for PressureYou can't expect to be calm and collected during a high-pressure, high-dollar negotiation if you haven't trained for it. Elite competitors don't rely on game-day adrenaline. They rely on muscle memory built through intentional practice under pressure. Practice is how you develop the sales mindset that never wavers.Identify the parts of the sales cycle that make you uncomfortable. If handling tough objections is your weakness, practice them relentlessly until your response is automatic. If you freeze up when cold calling top-tier decision-makers, role-play the opening three minutes of that call until you can deliver it with confidence. Your pipeline grows on competence, not hope.Β Stop Waiting for Motivation: Execute on DisciplineThe worst lie in sales is the idea that you have to feel motivated to prospect. Motivation is an emotion. It comes and goes. Discipline is a decision.The champion's sales mindset relies on routine and process. You don't need to feel excited to make that fifth cold call or send that critical follow-up. You just need to execute your process.If you let your feelings dictate your schedule, you will only prospect when the conditions are perfect. That is an amateur move.Winners know the work is non-negotiable. Discipline is showing up every day, executing the critical, revenue-generating tasks, whether you feel like it or not. Action generates confidence, not the other way around.Mindset Self-CheckBefore your next call, take a quick inventory. Are you waiting to feel motivated before you move? Trying to perfect your pitch before you prospect? Avoiding rejection instead of embracing feedback? Hoping your natural talent alone will carry you?These are the quiet traps that keep a sales rep average. Winners donβt eliminate fear or doubtβthey acknowledge those feelings and act in spite of them. Awareness is the first step to changing your mindset.The Champion's Blueprint: Practical Sales Mindset ApplicationBelief is useless without action. Here is how you convert these principles into real-world results: Sign the Pre-Game Contract: Before every high-stakes call, mentally commit to executing your process perfectly. Measure success on execution, not outcome. Implement the 10-Minute Failure Review: Immediately after a significant loss, spend five minutes documenting the facts and five minutes identifying one tactical weakness. Then burn the ship and reset before the next call. Drill the Difficult: Identify your five hardest objections. Role-play them ten times in a row until responses are instant and fluid. This builds pressure-proof sales muscle. Anchor to Ownership: Eliminate excuses. If you lose, itβs your responsibility to figure out why and fix it. Ownership anchors performance in proactive power. The 60-Second Reset: Before each appointment, take a brief break. Stand up, walk away from your desk, and reset your mental state to give the next customer 100% focus.The Bottom Line: Dive InThe choice is clear. Fear can dictate your actions, or you can adopt the sales mindset of a champion.Show up tomorrow and do the work whether you feel like it or not. Make the calls that scare you. Go after the deals that feel out of reach. Stack evidence that you're getting better.It all comes back to belief. The winners who dive into the deep end donβt wait for confidence to appearβthey tell themselves theyβre going to win, then act like it until itβs true.The deep end isnβt where you sink. Itβs where you prove you belong.If youβre ready to build the mindset, discipline, and belief that top performers rely on, we can help. Whether youβre a salesperson leveling up, a leader developing your team, or a business owner driving growth, weβll build a coaching path around you. Check out our coaching programs!
Here's a question that'll mess with your head: What do you do when you're making seven figures in sales, crushing every goal, and suddenly β¦ you just don't feel the same motivation anymore?That's the question Matthew Feit from Toms River, New Jersey, posed on an Ask Jeb episode. Matthew's living the dream that most salespeople chase their entire careers. He's at the top of his game financially. He's proven everything he set out to prove. And now he's stuck in this weird limbo where the fire that got him there has gone cold.If you're shaking your head right now, thinking this is a champagne problem, you're missing the point. This is one of the most dangerous positions a high achiever can find themselves in, and it's costing top performers their edge every single day.The Jim Story: When Achievement Becomes Your EnemyLet me tell you about Jim. Years ago, when I was living in Florida, I had this sales rep who was an absolute monster. Top of the ranking report. Presidents Club. Rolex on his wrist for winning. Then one day, his director of sales wanted to put him on a performance improvement plan. In sales, a PIP means you are a dead man walking.I drove up to Jacksonville thinking there had to be some mistake. When I sat down with Jim, I realized the problem wasn't his ability. The guy was still incredibly talented. The problem was he'd won everything there was to win, and he just didn't have the next goal driving him anymore.Here's what I learned: The things we do in sales are hard. They're repetitive. We deal with difficult people. It takes massive discipline, which is simply sacrificing what you want now for what you want most. But when you don't know what you want most anymore, that discipline evaporates.Jim's answer surprised me. He wanted a Harley-Davidson, but his wife wouldn't let him buy it. So I worked out a way to structure his commissions so he could get his Harley while still bringing home the money his wife expected. Suddenly, his sales went through the roof again. He had something driving him.The Cognitive Dissonance of High AchievementHere's what's happening with guys like Matthew and what happened with Jim: They've got this level of cognitive dissonance. Part of them is a stone-cold high achiever who needs to be achieving. The other part is saying, "I don't feel it anymore. I don't have that juice."When you're younger or earlier in your career, you're sketching out goals constantly. I remember having a goal book where I wrote down everything I wanted. One of my goals was a house on the inter-coastal waterway in South Florida. I achieved that goal. Then one day I'm sitting there going, "Well, what do I do now?"It's easy to get comfortable when you don't know where to go next. But comfortable is the enemy of excellence in high-performance sales cultures.What Do You Really Want?I hit the same wall this year. Twenty years building this business, book number 17 coming out, and I'm asking myself the same question Matthew asked: "What now?"I finally figured it out. My wants aren't things anymore. Maybe in my 20s and 30s it was about what I was going to own, but today it's different. It's about what I want to accomplish and who I want to work with.I realized I want to work with people and companies I know I can help. That are a challenge for me. Where I can watch them grow and enjoy seeing them succeed. Who really want to work with me and see me as part of their organization, not as a vendor.As a result, I've been rearranging my world so I can be very picky about what I'm going to do, who I'm going to work with, and who I'm going to speak to. I want to do things that give me joy and fulfill my purpose, which is to help people sell more. That's why I believe God put me here.The Twenty Year VisionWhen I was a little older than Matthew, I looked at my life and asked: "What are the next 20 years going to be like?"I had won every award you could win in sales. I was operating at the top level of a Fortune 200 company. I had the accolades, the money, all of it. So I asked myself that simple question.What happened over those 20 years completely changed my life. Everything shifted. I wrote my first book when I was 38. It wasn't great. But it was my story, and it was the beginning. I made a goal to write five books in five years. Twenty years later, The LinkedIn Edge is book is number 17.Here's the thing: When I was 38, I didn't know exactly where I'd be at 58. I just knew I was going to make a massive impact over the next 20 years as I pursued my purpose. It was simply about helping people.Stop Thinking, Start DoingMatthew mentioned wanting to write a book about his journey and helping other people. That's a perfect path for someone at his level.Here's my advice: Sit down and look ahead. If you were looking at yourself 20 years from now, what would you want that person to look like? It's not so much about what you want to achieve. It's about who you want to be.Don't wait for the perfect vision. I didn't have some crystal clear picture of where I'd be today. I just knew I needed to change and make an impact. The journey gets you there, but you have to start moving.For Matthew and for anyone else who's climbed every mountain in their current world: You have everything it takes to do whatever you want. You know that already. But if you get more time to just sit in your vacation home, you're going to go out of your mind in no time because you'll know you're not living up to your potential.The question isn't whether you should keep pushing. The question is: What are you pushing toward? Answer that, and the fire comes back. Ignore it, and you'll keep wondering why success doesn't feel like it used to.The best part? Once you reconnect with your purpose and set new goals that actually matter, you'll discover that all those skills that got you to seven figures become even sharper. You're not starting over. You're leveling up.Jeb Blount is the author of 17 books including the groundbreaking classics Fanatical Prospecting, Sales EQ, Objections, and Inked. In The LinkedIn Edge, co-authored with Brynne Tillman, Jeb teaches sales professionals how to leverage LinkedIn to build their personal brand and fill their pipeline with qualified prospects.
This time of year is critical. As sales leaders map out their budgets for the new year, the conversation always centers on a core conflict: How to cut expenses and, simultaneously, motivate teams to hit larger quotas.What's the first line item to feel the squeeze? Training and development.It is often incorrectly labeled a 'want' and not a 'need.' We hear leaders say, "It can wait until next quarter," or, "Once we stabilize revenue, we'll invest in the team."Β This short-sighted thinking doesnβt save money. Instead, it's costing organizations a significant, quantifiable amount of revenue and talent. When professional development is treated like a luxury, we undermine the foundational ability of our teams to perform consistently at a high level.Training is the Foundational Requirement for Peak PerformanceSales leaders should consider peak performance in any high-stakes environment. In the military, or in elite professional sports, ongoing training is not a choiceβit is a non-negotiable, daily priority.Β So why is it that, in Sales, we view continuous development as optional or too expensive? The simple truth is that lack of training is the most expensive mistake you can make.Think about the rate of technological change. Most of us have upgraded our cell phones in the last three to five years because the old ones simply couldn't keep up.Β The same principle applies to your sales teamβs skill set. If your representatives are still relying on techniques learned 5, 10, or 15 years ago, then they are operating at a competitive disadvantage. They will be outmaneuvered and outperformed by competitors who are strategically investing in modern sales frameworks every time.Henry Fordβs famous quote still holds true: "The only thing worse than training employees and losing them is to not train them and keep them." If you believe training is expensive, you must take a moment to calculate the monumental loss of reps consistently missing their quotas.The True Cost of Inconsistency and TurnoverLook at the numbers. Assume three of your representatives are consistently missing quota by just 20%. That deficit is lost revenueβbut it also represents wasted leads, missed opportunities, and the corrosive ripple effect of deals that never even make it into your pipeline. The amount of potential revenue lost due to underperformance is often far greater than the entire annual budget you would allocate to comprehensive sales training.Action Plan for Sales Leaders & ManagersTo reverse this loss, you must treat coaching as a continuous operational requirement, not a perk. Calculate the 'Cost of Inaction' to Justify Budget: Reframe thinking of training as an expense and start focusing on the cost of the status quo. Calculate the annualized revenue loss from your bottom 20% of underperforming reps (e.g., missed quota * average deal size). Use that concrete number to justify and secure a budget for development, proving that not training is your biggest liability. Implement a Continuous Coaching Framework: Don't rely on annual training events. Transform your managers into daily coaches by mandating 30 minutes of structured, one-on-one coaching per week focused on skill development. This reinforcement is what locks in new behaviors and prevents the initial energy gained in training from fading.The Hidden Expense of DisengagementTalent turnover is another critical cost of lack of training that is often overlooked. A representative who feels unsupported, or who consistently misses quota because they donβt have the necessary tools and coaching, is highly likely to seek opportunities elsewhere.Β The cost of recruiting, onboarding, and ramping a replacementβwhich includes the loss of established customer relationships and the disruption to team moraleβsignificantly outweighs the expense of proactive investment.How to Take a Struggling Rep From Liability to AssetA struggling representative is not necessarily a failure. More often than not, they are simply a motivated individual who has not been properly coached, developed, or given a clear framework for success. They begin their job eager to prove themselves, but without guidance, that initial energy quickly dissipates.Investing in development can be the deciding factor that transforms a dedicated, yet struggling, team member into a consistent top performer. When you strategically invest, you convert what could have been a liability into a high-value asset for your organization. You also ensure that the talent seeking growth and success will find it with you, not with your competition.Action Plan for Sales Leaders & Managers Implement a Mandatory Tiered Coaching Cadence. Shift from generic pipeline reviews to mandating a structured, tiered coaching system: Tier 1 (The Weekly Huddle) for metric accountability; Tier 2 (The 1-on-1 Call) for strategic deal review; and Tier 3 (The Dedicated Call Critique Session) where the rep listens to and dissects a recent call recording (a win or a loss).Β Run a Quarterly 'Skill Obsolescence' Audit. Your team's skills are your greatest asset, but they have a shelf life. Conduct a quarterly audit to identify the top three techniques that are obsolete but still being used by your underperformers (e.g., leaving long, rambling voicemails or sending generic proposals). Then, mandate a one-week "kill period" where your entire team replaces that obsolete technique with a modern, proven one.The Strategic Advantage of a Cohesive CultureWhen you commit to consistent training, you don't just sharpen skillsβyou create alignment, clarity, and confidence across your organization. Every team member speaks the same sales language, follows a unified playbook, and builds the same winning habits.Β Training sharpens individual skills, but it also creates a culture where representatives feel supported, valued, and fundamentally equipped to win. The worldβs best-performing organizations, from elite sports teams to world-class businesses, all share one critical characteristic: They never stop training.As you plan for the year ahead, move past the outdated notion that development is an optional line item. See it as the essential fuel for your sales engine.Β If you are serious about hitting bigger quotas, accelerating deal velocity, and retaining your high performers, sales training has to be a strategic priority. The organizations that win are not the ones that cut corners on development; they are the ones that double down on it.Β Donβt budget for failure. Invest in the skill set that guarantees your next quarter's revenue.Don't let your pipeline run on empty. Take control of your team's performance today. Enroll your team in the next Fanatical Prospecting Bootcamp Live or visit Sales Gravy University to find more high-impact training options and learn more from Master Trainer Jessica Stokes.
Every sales professional has a horror story that still makes them break out in a cold sweat years later. The deal that imploded spectacularly. The customer interaction that went sideways in ways you couldn't predict. The moment you sat in your car afterward in complete silence, questioning every decision that led you to this career.These moments feel intensely personal and isolating. But the truth is, every rep whoβs lasted in this profession has been there. On an episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, Ashley Blount and I collected nightmare sales stories from our years in the automotive and telecommunications industries, plus stories from the sales community. We found 16 tales that prove no one faces this alone. Here are some of the most terrifying.Smelly Dave: The Angel of DeathThis sales horror story comes from the automotive industry, posted on Reddit by someone who still sounds traumatized. Dave started at the dealership after Sears closed. We found out heβd been the βAngel of Deathβ at several franchisesβSears, Future Shop, RadioShack. Every place he touched eventually shut down.Dave was in his early 40s, wore the same shirt with the same coffee stain on it every single day, and smelled terribly. Customers would flee after test drives, refusing to come back into the building with him. On one occasion, a customer was dry heaving. Management tried to delicately bring up the hygiene issue, but Dave wouldnβt listen.One day, the manager was told to drop off a sold vehicle to a customer, and Dave drove the chase car. As they returned together, the smell in that enclosed space was so unbearable that the manager walked into the boss's office afterward and apologized for whatever he had done to deserve that punishment. The boss laughed, called Dave in, and fired him on the spot.The Bluetooth Incident That Still Haunts AshleyAshley had been selling cars for a few months when a sweet older couple came into the dealership. The husband was retiring, probably late 60s, and they were one of those rare couples who were actually pleasant to work with. He picked out a lime green Ford Fiesta for his retirement car.They completed the test drive, finished all the paperwork, and Ashley sent the vehicle back to get ready for delivery. When delivering a new vehicle, you always get in with the customer to help them connect their phone to Bluetooth and walk them through all the features. Since it was a couple, the husband was in the driver's seat, his wife was in the front passenger seat, and Ashley was sitting in the middle of the back seat.They got his phone connected to the Bluetooth, matched the code, and turned up the volume on the car. He went to open his phone. The most explicit, obscene audio you can imagine came blasting out of the speakers.Dead silence in that vehicle for what felt like forever. Ashley wished them well, exited the car, and walked back inside, mortified. When asked how it went, she told them the story and muttered, βI donβt really want to follow up. Iβm not sure thatβs appropriate.βThe Telecom Contractors Who Started a GunfightI had door-knocked a large hair salon and built a relationship with the salon owner, who also owned the building. He helped me get in the door with all four of his tenants. Because he was switching, they all switched. I closed three to four months of quota on this one deal because of what he did for me.Β Installation day arrives. At 6 a.m., my phone rings. I try to sound as awake as possible with my gravelly morning voice, and the owner immediately screams, "Jeb, what the f**k?"He explains that our contractors came out the night before, got in a huge argument, waved guns at each otherβhe swears one of them shot at the other. Then they came back in the morning and dug a trench that cut every single internet line to the building. Every single one. No internet on the salonβs busiest day, and all the other stores were out, too.I arrived at 6:45 a.m. to a foxhole-sized trench and abandoned equipment everywhere. My heart sank. I escalated straight to the senior VPβtwo levels below the CEO. It wasnβt elegant, but the problem got fixed. I still use that hair salon to this day/The $1.4 Million HIPAA ViolationOne sales rep had a pediatrics practice ready to purchase his product for $1.4 million. They had already negotiated terms. The last step was to follow up with references, and then they were going for the signature.Someone on the sales operations team had the brilliant idea to put them in an early adopter program without a test server. They crashed the client's entire live system, and one of the consequences was sending bills to the wrong addresses, which violated HIPAA law. This cost the pediatrics practice not just money but also reputation with its patients.Β The deal was completely killed, and the practice announced that it was leaving for a competing system. The rep also lost $600,000 in annual recurring revenue. The sales rep did everything right and watched it all disappear because of a decision someone else made.The VP Who Sabotaged EverythingAshley worked on a high-volume account for multiple years. Hitting the mark on everything. The CEO and entire organization loved the work. Then renewal time came, and one of the VPs started making everything difficult.Meetings became confusing. Clear agreements would somehow transform into something else. Ashley would leave meetings questioning whether she was interpreting things correctly. Her team felt it, too. Was this actually happening, or were they all going crazy?Eventually, this VP went out with someone from Ashley's company and admitted the whole thing. She was intentionally making everything difficult because she wanted to work with a friend at another firm. Nothing against the work. Nothing against Ashley. Just personal preference dressed up as professional obstacles.Ashley still won the account. The VP found another job. But the psychological warfare of working on an account where someone is actively sabotaging youβnot because of performance but because of hidden agendasβtakes a serious toll.The First Door Knock That Went Horribly WrongSales horror stories aren't always about lost deals; sometimes they're about getting chased out of a building. Ashley was doing her first day of field sales training with a senior rep. They found new construction, talked to someone on-site, and were directed to the owner's main office.The gatekeeper walked them straight back to the owner's office. He seemed pleasant enough at first. They introduced themselves and mentioned the new building. The minute they started talking about their services, he flipped like a switch.He started screaming at them to get out, demanding to know why they were soliciting, how they made it all the way back to his office, and who let them in. He chased them out of the building in front of all his employees, yelling the entire time. His office was in the literal back of a shotgun-style building, so it was a long walk of shame past everyone.They got in the car and sat in silence. Finally, the senior rep looked at Ashley and said, "They're not all like that. I promise." A brutal first lesson in field sales.When Sales Goes Wrong: What The Best Reps DoThese sales horror stories all share something important: Sales will always put you in situations you canβt predict or control. You can do everything rightβprospect well, qualify hard, deliver valueβand still watch a deal unravel for reasons that make no sense.What matters is how you respond. The best reps donβt disappear or point fingers. They show up fast, escalate when needed, and take ownership even when the problem isnβt their fault. They fight for their customers and for the relationship.If a story like this brings up your own nightmare deal, take it as a good sign. It means you care about your work and take your commitments seriously. Thatβs what defines a true professional.The pain doesnβt last. The customer who had the Bluetooth issue still bought the car. The salon owner stayed as a client. Ashley won that renewal. What once felt like failure becomes proof that you stayed in the fight, and thatβs what the best reps do.You're Not AloneΒ The worst part of a nightmare scenario is feeling isolated. But every rep has a story that still makes them cringe.What matters is what you do next. Process it, learn from it, and bounce back stronger. Knowing every other sales professional has their own version of disaster can be the fuel that keeps you going.Listen to the full episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast for all 16 sales horror stories and a reminder: Your worst day in sales doesnβt define your career. How you respond does.If youβve lived through your own sales nightmare, donβt let it haunt your next call. Start winning more on cold calls with our free guide, 25 Ways to Ask for the Appointment on Cold Calls, and turn your next βnoβ into a comeback story.
Here's a problem that'll tie you in knots: You've got a killer software solution that saves companies massive amounts of money on employee benefits. You know exactly who needs it: Fortune 1000 companies with self-insured health plans. But you can't get a single meeting with the people who matter.That's the situation Peter Kleinman from Provo, Utah, finds himself in. As the sales and marketing guy for his dad's startup, he's tasked with landing enterprise clients while juggling full-time classes at BYU. He has LinkedIn, Sales Navigator, and a burning desire to make it work.He also has virtually no chance of success using his current approach.If you're nodding your head right now, keep reading. Because Peter's problem is your problem if you're trying to sell into enterprise accounts without the business acumen, social proof, or strategy to break through.The 100-Foot Wall ProblemHere's the biggest issue: Fortune 1000 CHROs and C-suite executives have built a wall around themselves that's about 100 feet high. Their entire job is keeping people like you from wasting their time.And if you're young, inexperienced, or new to enterprise sales? That wall might as well be 1,000 feet high.Peter is doing everything the sales books tell you to do. He's going straight to the top. He's messaging decision makers on LinkedIn. He's targeting the right titles.He's also getting absolutely nowhere.Here's why: It has nothing to do with age and everything to do with business acumen. You can't speak the language of enterprise buyers if you've never lived in their world. You don't understand their buying process, their risk aversion, or the organizational politics that determine whether your deal lives or dies.Most critically, you're trying to sell something they don't even know they need. And you have zero social proof to back up your claims.That's not a recipe for success. That's a recipe for frustration, burnout, and a pipeline full of nothing.The Bottom-Up, Top-Down StrategyIf you can't get to the top, start at the bottom.I'm not talking about giving up on enterprise accounts. I'm talking about running a multi-threading strategy that builds your business acumen while creating pathways into those massive organizations.Here's how it works:Find the amplifiers. These are the people in the trenches who actually deal with the problem your solution solves every single day. They're not directors or VPs. They're managers, analysts, and coordinators who feel the pain but lack the authority to fix it.These people are 100 times easier to talk to than C-suite executives. They'll take your call. They'll teach you. They'll tell you exactly what's broken in their organization and how decisions actually get made.Compress your experience. When you talk to these amplifiers, you're not selling. You're learning. You're asking questions like, "Help me understand how you make these decisions," and "What problems are you running into?"Every conversation compresses years of experience into hours. You learn the language. You understand the pain points. You gather insights that become ammunition for conversations with decision-makers.Surface the insights upward. Now when you finally get in front of that CHRO or VP of Benefits, you're not some kid with a PowerPoint. You're someone who understands their organization better than they do. You can tell them stories about what their own people are experiencing and how you can close the gap.That's how you get meetings. That's how you build credibility. That's how you win deals when you have no business acumen and no social proof.The Insurance Broker ShortcutHere's another path Peter needs to explore: Insurance brokers.If you can't talk to the self-insured companies directly, talk to the people who advise them. Insurance brokers work with these organizations every day. They understand the buying process. They know the pain points. They're infinitely more accessible than Fortune 1000 executives.Better yet, they can become your distribution channel. If your software helps them serve their clients better, they'll sell it for you.This is classic fanatical prospecting. When your ideal customer is hard to reach, find the people who already have relationships with them. Build those relationships first. Let them open doors you can't open on your own.Stop Playing in LinkedIn's SandboxPeter spends a lot of time on LinkedIn. Posting to the company page. Messaging prospects. Running outreach campaigns.Here's the truth: C-suite executives aren't hanging out on LinkedIn waiting for your cold outreach. They're not there. And the few who are there ignore 99% of the messages they receive.LinkedIn is great for research and building your personal brand. But if that's your entire go-to-market strategy, you're dead in the water.You need real tools. A proper CRM like HubSpot to manage your pipeline and run marketing campaigns. A platform like ZoomInfo to identify the right people and get their actual contact information. An integrated stack that lets you execute across email, phone, and social simultaneously.Most importantly, you need to pick up the phone. Real conversations with real people will always beat automated LinkedIn messages. Always.The Real Investment RequiredPeter's dad hates sales. He wants to build a great product and have customers magically appear. The company is running its entire sales operation on an Excel spreadsheet.That's not going to cut it.If you want to win enterprise deals, you need to invest in the tools, training, and processes that make it possible. You're looking at $50,000 per year minimum for the tech stack alone. Plus conferences, trade shows, and face-to-face relationship building.That sounds expensive until you land your first six-figure deal. Then it looks like the smartest investment you ever made.Your Action PlanIf you're in Peter's shoes, here's what you do right now:Stop going straight to the top. Identify the amplifiers at the bottom of your target organizations and start having conversations with them. Learn the language. Gather insights. Build your business acumen fast.Find adjacent markets. If decision-makers are too hard to reach, find the brokers, consultants, or advisors who already have relationships with them.Invest in real tools. Get off the Excel spreadsheet. Build a proper sales tech stack with a CRM, contact database, and marketing automation. Use AI to accelerate everything.Get face-to-face. Attend conferences. Work trade shows. Build relationships in person where trust forms faster than it ever will over LinkedIn.Enterprise sales doesn't require working harder. It requires working smarter with the right strategy, the right tools, and the relentless discipline to execute even when the path forward isn't clear.That's how you break through the wall. That's how you win deals you have no business winning. And that's how you turn yourself from a struggling startup intern into an enterprise sales machine.Ready to master LinkedIn and build a prospecting system that actually works? Grab a copy of The LinkedIn Edge for the complete handbook on leveraging LinkedIn, AI, and modern sales tools to win more deals.
The year was 1938. Families across America gathered, listening during the golden age of radio. On the eve of Halloween, a broadcast interrupted their evening: A live report claimed Martian cylinders had landed in Grovers Mill, New Jersey. Within minutes, panic erupted as citizens fled their homes, convinced Earth was under alien attack.The entire event was fake. It was a perfectly executed radio drama by 23-year-old Orson Welles.Here's the sales lesson tucked into The War of the Worlds sci-fi scare: Welles wasnβt just reading a script. He was executing a masterful lesson in emotional engagement. He had listeners hooked, buying into his story emotionally before their brains had time to register, "Wait, this can't be real."Β That emotional buy-in is a core tenet of sales: People buy on emotion and then justify it with logic and facts.If rational adults can flee their homes over a fictional Martian invasion, imagine the force of emotion you can unleash when you find your prospect's emotional trigger. Sharpen your emotional intelligence, and you deploy a powerful sales tool.Emotion Gets the Attention, Data Seals the DealWelles sold tension, uncertainty, and gravity, not a product. His voice was calm yet urgent, delivered with the authority of a trusted news anchor. The audience felt an adrenaline surgeβheartbeats rising, eyes wideningβbefore they had time to check the facts.This is the non-negotiable first step in sales. Your passionate storytelling creates the emotional charge. Your tone carries more weight than any spreadsheet full of ROI data. Emotion gets your buyer leaning in and invested in the outcome. The data you provide simply helps them sleep well at night after theyβve already made their decision.If your message isn't landing, stop reviewing your product deck and start analyzing your delivery. Are you speaking with urgency, and are you connecting to their emotional state? Without that emotional resonance, even the best solution just adds to the noise.Authority Isn't Arrogance, It's CommandWelles dressed his fictional story in familiar trappings like live news bulletins, eyewitness reports, and crackling radio static. Each detail made the unbelievable feel legitimate. He commanded belief by establishing immediate, undeniable authority.Bring that same presence to your sales interactions. Authority isnβt arrogance; itβs commanding belief. Sound like someone whoβs been there, knows the terrain, and has the solution. Communicate with unwavering authority, and you build trust before price discussions begin.This is how you sell the experience. Prospects must believe in you and your company; belief in your product comes next. They buy the experience of working with you before seeing the product. If you sound uncertain, youβll never build a foundation of trust.Stay Steady to Control the ChaosWelles predicted a strong reaction to his broadcast and stayed calm, controlled the narrative, and guided the audience through the panic he was creating.In sales, moments of crisis or uncertainty test your professionalism. When a prospect goes cold, objections arise, or a competitor attacks, do not panic. Do not mirror their anxietyβit only feeds chaos and cedes control of the deal.Control the process, control yourself, control the outcome. When deals wobble and emotions spike in your buyer, that is your moment to shine. Breathe, slow down, ask questions, and lead steadily. Be the calm voice that reassures, guides, and inspires confidence. Mastering internal composure is the essence of emotional intelligence in sales.Β Your Action Plan: Develop Your Sales EQMastering composure under pressure is a skill, not a gift. It requires commitment to developing emotional intelligence so you can use logic while others react in fear. Start a 'Rejection Journal' Drill. Stop letting rejection or setbacks paralyze you. Create a Failure Log to immediately document your feelings (frustration, anger, anxiety) and behaviors (rushing calls, getting defensive). This practice builds self-awareness and helps you identify emotional triggers before they hijack your sales process. Practice the 'Mute Button' Listening Exercise. On your next call, mentally mute your urge to speak. Analyze the prospectβs delivery: tone, pace, hesitation. This drill sharpens social awareness and forces you to catch subtle emotional cuesβthe things they wonβt email. This is how you truly understand their situation. Implement the 'Two-Second Pause' Rule. When a high-stakes moment occursβa sharp objection, competitor mention, or deal crisisβpause for two seconds before speaking. This creates a cognitive buffer, shifting you from reactive to controlled.Your Story Is Your Greatest WeaponThe Orson Welles broadcast is nearly a century old, yet it still teaches us today that a gripping story delivered well can move mountains. The way you connect, build trust, and influence emotion hasnβt changed since radios ruled the living room.You aren't a broker of features and benefits. You are a storyteller, and the calm in your prospectβs noisy, chaotic world. You are the guide who connects the dots between their terrifying "Martian invasion" of a problem and your ultimate solution.Embrace this role, and you move past objections and skepticism. You stop triggering defensive panic and start inspiring action.Your ability to command a room starts with your ability to command your own emotional intelligence. When the sales airwaves get noisy, keep your voice steady, your mind sharp, and your heart connected.Β Master your emotions, and you will close deals your competition canβt.The real battlefield in sales is psychological, and if you can't master your own emotions, you will never master your prospects. Jeb Blountβs book Sales EQ gives you the psychological edge to win the business your competition can't even touch.
AI in sales isn't coming soon. It's already here, and it's quietly separating the salespeople who will thrive from those who won't.On the Sales Gravy Podcast, sales expert and author Victor Antonio shares this quote: "You won't lose your job to AI. You'll lose your job to people who are using AI."Β While everyone debates whether artificial intelligence will replace salespeople, the real shift is already happening. What you need to know is which parts of your job will still matter when a machine can do everything else.The Trust Formula Still Requires HumansMost people think AI in sales is about automation. It's not. It's about augmentation.Yes, AI can write your emails. It can analyze your pipeline. It can schedule your meetings and generate your proposals. But it canβt build trust with a buyer who's about to make a six-figure decision they're terrified of getting wrong.Trust in selling comes down to three things: Understanding the buyerβs point of view Demonstrating real expertise Keeping the buyerβs best interest front and centerWhen a buyer is staring at a purchase order that could make or break their business, they don't want a chatbot. They want a human being who says, "I've got you. This is the right move."Simple Sales No Longer Require a Sales RepΒ Transactional jobs are disappearing.AI sales agents can already handle simple sales from start to finish. A customer calls about a broken window seal. The AI analyzes the image, checks inventory, schedules a technician, verifies the warranty, and puts the appointment on the calendar. No human required.This isn't science fiction. These systems exist today.AI handles simple tasks easily, but complex sales still require humans. Everything on the straightforward endβcold outreach, basic prospecting, routine follow-upsβis getting automated fast.But complex B2B sales are different. When deals involve multiple stakeholders, custom solutions, and high-stakes decisions, buyers still need salespeople. Humans don't trust machines with decisions that keep them up at night.Your job security lives in complexity. If you're selling simple products with simple processes, you need to start adding value now.Β What You Should Be Doing Right NowMost salespeople are waiting while AI transforms the industry. Donβt make that mistake.Hereβs how to start experimenting with AI today: Use ChatGPT, Google's Notebook LM, or your AI of choice to digest long articles and research reports in minutes instead of hours. Feed it information about your products and competitors to create your own custom knowledge base. Role-play objection handling by assigning it different buyer personas and practicing your responses. Ask it to critique your proposals before you send them to catch weak points you might miss.These tools aren't perfect. They'll feel clunky at first. But you're not trying to master AI today. You're building comfort with technology that will be 100 times more powerful in just a few years.The salespeople who are experimenting now will be the ones who know how to use AI when it really matters. The ones waiting for their leaders to force them to adopt AI will scramble to catch up.The Skills That Survive AISo what actually matters when AI handles the busywork?The biggest obstacle in complex sales isn't convincing buyers that your solution works. It's helping them trust their own judgment enough to decide.Buyers freeze not because of your pitch, but because of fear: What if Iβm wrong?AI can show data, ROI models, and comparison chartsβbut building buyer confidence still requires human judgment.That's the skill that matters: Building buyer confidence.You need to get exceptional at reading hesitationβwhen a buyer goes quiet or starts asking the same questions in different ways. Theyβre not confused about your product. Theyβre uncertain about themselves.Your job is to help them trust their judgment. That means understanding internal politics, knowing who has veto power, and recognizing when more information helps, or when it just creates more doubt.The other critical skill? Using AI tools effectively. Knowing what AI can handle lets you offload routine work and focus on moments that require your human judgment.The salespeople who win will be the ones who master both. Human skills for the moments that matter. AI skills for everything else.The Bottom LineAI isnβt your replacement. It's your upgrade.The sales skills you need most are the ones that have always mattered: understanding people, building trust, solving complex problems, and giving buyers confidence in risky decisions.What's changing is everything else. The admin work, research, and proposals are getting automated whether you like it or not.Irreplaceable reps are the ones who use AI to eliminate grunt work so they can spend more time doing what only humans can do. The ones who lose are the ones still doing everything manually while insisting they don't need help from a machine.Pick one AI tool this week and start using it. Get uncomfortable. Make mistakes. Learn.The future of sales is happening right now. And the only question that matters is whether you are ready.Want to master AI in sales? Get The AI Edge for the complete blueprint on leveraging artificial intelligence to dominate your competition and accelerate your sales results.
Here's a question that'll keep you up at night: How do you take a company from $300K in annual revenue to $1.5 million in 18 months, then scale to $3-$5 million within five years?That's the challenge facing Greg Hirschi from Colorado. He's the new executive leader of an 18-year-old company selling ethics assessment services to professional licensing boards. They've expanded from an entrepreneurial model to a small team with one salesperson and one customer service representative. The goal is aggressive growth, and Greg needs to know where to focus his limited resources to get the biggest bang for his buck.If you're nodding your head right now because you're in a similar situation, pay attention. Because the mistakes you make at $300K will haunt you at $3 million.The Resource Reality CheckLet's be brutally honest about what a $300K revenue company means: You have no money. You have a razor-thin budget. You have one salesperson and one leader trying to do everything.At this stage, you have exactly one priority: REVENUE.You don't have the luxury of fixing operations, perfecting your tech stack, or building elaborate systems. You need to sell. Period.Here's where most small companies screw this up. They think selling means taking anything with a pulse. If it can fog a mirror, they'll do business with it. That's a death spiral disguised as growth.The Operator's DilemmaGreg comes from an operations background. He's analytical, process-driven, and systematic. Those traits are incredible assets for building a business, especially when the goal is to scale fast. But they can also be a liability when managing salespeople.Here's what happens: Operators think in systems and logic. Salespeople think in relationships and emotion. Operators want everything organized and predictable. Salespeople throw deals on the table that are messy and unpredictable.If you're an operator trying to lead sales, you need to understand this fundamental tension. Your salesperson is out there getting hammered with objections every single day, building narratives in their head about why people won't buy. You're thinking, "Just brush it off and do it again. What's wrong with you?" They're thinking, "You have no idea what it's like out here."This is why reading New Sales Simplified by Mike Weinberg is non-negotiable if you're an operator managing sales. You need to learn how salespeople think, how they operate, and how to lead them effectively without losing your mind.Start With Your ICP or Die TryingThe single most important thing Greg needs to do right now to scale is get laser-focused on his Ideal Customer Profile.Not kind of focused. Not "we have a general idea." I mean obsessively, precisely, ridiculously dialed in on exactly who they should be targeting.Why does this matters so much at $300K? Greg's salesperson has a $600K pipeline and will close 50% of it. Sounds great, right? But if half those customers churn because they're the wrong fit, requiring constant re-education and hand-holding, Greg's salesperson will get stuck in account management mode. They'll stop prospecting for new business because they're too busy re-selling existing accounts.That's how you stay stuck at $300K forever.Your ICP drives everything. It determines your messaging, your marketing, your presentation materials, and which stakeholders you need to reach inside target organizations. It helps you build relevant social proof stories. It allows you to coach your salesperson on handling specific objections instead of generic brush-offs.Most importantly, it gives you guardrails. You can ask your salesperson in pipeline reviews: "Tell me the strategic reason why we should chase this account. How does it fit our ICP? Why is this worth our limited resources when our singular goal right now is growth?"When you're running a $300K company with one salesperson and one leader, you cannot afford to chase every deal. You need to focus on the right deals that will close and stick around.The Resell ProblemGreg's company doesn't have contracts. They discovered that larger organizations with stable staff become sticky customers once they see the value. Smaller organizations with high turnover require constant re-education and reselling.This is not how you scale.If you don't segment your market correctly and build processes around retention, you'll hit a wall fast. Your salesperson will close deals, then get pulled back into account management, abandoning the pipeline. Salespeople will always choose talking to people they already know over talking to strangers.You don't have this problem yet at $300K. But you will as you begin to scale. Start thinking strategically now about your retention process and which customer segments are worth the ongoing investment.The Foundation That Changes EverythingGetting your ICP right isn't just about qualifying accounts. It's about building a foundation that allows you to scale without constantly backtracking to fix problems you created by going after the wrong customers.Every time you chase the wrong deal, you're creating downstream problems. You're wasting limited resources. You're building frustration in your team. You're teaching your salesperson bad habits about what constitutes a qualified opportunity.The leap from $300K to $600K in annual revenue is hard. The leap to $1.2 million is harder. The leap to $3.5 million is brutal. But if you get the foundation right now while you have backing and support, those leaps become exponentially easier.Your Playbook for GrowthStart with objection handling fundamentals that are specific to your ICP. When you know exactly who you're targeting, you can anticipate their concerns and craft precise responses that resonate.Build your messaging around the multi-threaded stakeholders in your target organizations. Who needs to be involved in the buying decision? What does each person care about?Create a systematic, process-based approach to pipeline management. As an operator, this is your superpower. You can bring discipline and structure to a highly emotional profession.The Bottom LineAt $300K, you're essentially starting from scratch. You have aggressive growth targets, limited resources, and one shot to get this right.Stop being reactive. Start being strategic. Get obsessed with your ICP. Build processes around the right customers. Coach your salesperson with precision instead of frustration.That's how you scale from $300K to millions. That's how you avoid the mistakes that kill small companies. And that's how you build a business that doesn't just grow, but grows sustainably.The good news? You have the backing to do this right. Don't waste it chasing the wrong customers just because you need revenue today. Build the foundation that generates revenue for years to come.Lead your salesperson, focus on the right deals, and scale from $300K to millionsβstart Jeb Blount's Sales Leadership EssentialsΒ course on Sales Gravy University today.
I've been intrigued by all of the LinkedIn posts lately from sales professionals, leaders, and experts proclaiming the phone is back! Even the βphone-is-deadβ evangelists seem to have had a change of heart and are encouraging salespeople to βphone a customer.βΒ My favorite posts are from salespeople who took this advice, called a customer, and were surprisedβeven stunnedβto discover that their customer actually wanted to talk. Itβs more proof that buyers are starving for real, authentic, human-to-human conversations with their sales reps and account managers.Β When Sellers Make Their First Call in YearsI saw one post yesterday from an account manager who said that, for the first time in years, he had picked up the phone and called a customer. In his post, he described how rewarding it was to have a real, live conversationβas if this was some new revelation. He said that even though the phone was βold school,β he had given it a try because his customers werenβt responding to his emails anymore.Β Although I'm super pleased to see that salespeople are rediscovering the power of the humble phone, I was bothered by this particular post because it is an indictment of just how far the sales profession has fallen over the past few years. It also exposes the malpractice of this guyβs leadership team. Seriously, how is it possible that his leaders and company allowed him to avoid having actual conversations with his customers for years?Β Pick Up the Phone and Talk to Your CustomersAccount managers who are not talking with their customers, the ones who keep their customers at digital arm's length and send random βjust checking in emails,β are swinging the door open and inviting competitors in.When you fail to proactively manage relationshipsβwhen you donβt talk with your customersβthose customers end up talking to your competitors and considering other options.Nearly 70 percent of customers are lost due to neglect. Not prices, not products, not the economy, not aggressive competitors.Neglect! They feel the sting of being taken for granted. If you've ever been taken for granted (and I bet you have), you know that it makes you feel unimportant, small, and resentful, which can lead to the feeling of contempt.Resentment and contempt are the two most powerful negative emotions in the pantheon of human emotions. They are the gangrene of relationships, festering below the surface, slowly rotting away the connections that bind people together until the relationship is destroyed.The good news is the secret to defending accounts is completely in your control. Itβs simple. Pay attention to your customers. And guess what? A simple, regular phone call can make all the difference. Just pick up the phone, dial their number, and ask or say: How are you doing? What can I do to help you? I have an idea for you.Β Β Have a great weekend. Thank you for your business.Regular telephone contact ensures that you are top of mind with customers. Hearing your voice lets them know that you care. It doesnβt need to be anything particularly special. You donβt need to schedule it on their calendar. You donβt need a reason to tell your customers that you appreciate them.Β Pick up the phone and say βhelloβ because it doesnβt cost a thing to pay attention to your customers.A βHow AI Will Replace Youβ Reality CheckBut itβs not just that account manager and his company. Rather than picking up the phone and talking with people, sales professionals everywhere have replaced this beautiful, synchronous sales communication tool with email.This aversion to talking with people by phone has become so acute that at least half of Sales Gravyβs training and consulting engagements have focused on one thing: Teaching and compelling salespeople to pick up the damn phone and just have real-time human conversations.Β So, letβs start with a reality check: The telephone is not old school.Β Talking in real time with your prospects and customers on the phone is not old school.Β Pay attention: Talking with people is THE School with a capital THE.Β Thatβs what you get paid to do. The more people you talk with, the more you will sell. And the easiest, fastest, lowest-friction means of talking with people is by phone.Β Last Monday, I discussed the reasons why AI will not be displacing sales professionals any time soon. I made the argument that sales is the most human-centric career choice in the age of AI.Β But there is a caveat. If you choose to keep your customers and prospects and digital arm's length or if you avoid engaging in synchronous conversations by phone, in-person, or video, AI can and will replace you.Β The Workhorse of SellingEver since Alexander Graham Bell uttered the first words on the first phone over 140 years ago (Mr. Watson, com here, I want to see you.) the telephone has been the workhorse of selling. The telephone has always been and will continue to be your most powerful sales tool.Iβll bet my next book royalty check that there is a phone near you right now. People sleep with their phones, eat with their phones, and are more likely to lose their car keys and wallet than their phone. Though it is probably used more for texting, posting selfies, and watching cat videos, if you dial a number, in an instant, you can be in a sales conversation.So, Iβm going to say this one more time, slowly, for the folks in the back of the room who are still not tracking. You get paid to talk with people. There is no other tool that will connect you to people faster, deliver better results, fill your pipe more effectively, and help you cover more accounts and ground in less time than the humble telephone.Β The Lazy Excuse for Not Using the PhoneIf you are one of the many salespeople who are quick to say, βMy customers like it better when I use email,β Iβve got a message for you. The βMy customers like it better when I use emailβ trope is primarily a BS story that YOU keep telling yourself to justify why YOU are not talking with people.This lazy excuse is why so many salespeople have devolved into asynchronous sellers. Trust me, if you keep this behavior up, the robots are coming for you.I'm not downplaying email as a sales channel. There are plenty of situations when email is the most appropriate communication tool.Β What Iβm trying to get through to you is that when you consistently default to an asynchronous communication channel like emailβbecause emotionally itβs easier for you to keep people at arm's lengthβhuman connections begin breaking.How the Phone Improves ProductivityWhatβs beautiful is that the phone can make you more productive. In so many cases, one short phone conversation can replace five or more emails and the frustrating back and forth that comes with them.Β When there is a misunderstanding, before you reach for your keyboard to blindly send another email, stop and pick up the phone.Over my many years in business, Iβve found that the phone is the quickest and most effective way to easily solve problems and handle sales tasks that require human-to-human connection.Β Β When in Doubt, Pick Up the PhoneI live by a simple sales mantra: When in doubt, pick up the phone. Got a customer service issue? Pick up the phone. Have a misunderstanding? Pick up the phone. Want to stay in touch and keep your relationships anchored? Pick up the phone. Need a reference or a referral? Pick up the phone. Have a question? Pick up the phone. Need to follow up? Pick up the phone. Deal stalled? Pick up the phone. Need to qualify an opportunity or identify a buying window? Pick up the phone. Before you schedule yet another excruciating Teams or Zoom meeting? Try giving your customer a call. Iβm positive that theyβll appreciate not needing to schedule time on their calendar and be on camera when you can both just jump on the phone.Β Empty pipeline? Put the cat video down and pick up the damn phone!And when itβs the end of the day and youβre tired and ready to go home, always stop and will yourself to pick up the phone and make one more call.Β If you havenβt ordered my book The LinkedIn Edge yet, stop now and take action. This instant bestseller will transform your relationship with LinkedIn, give you new tools and techniques for using LinkedIn for prospecting, and make you a lot of money.Β Hereβs what one five-star reviewer said on Amazon: βIβm impressed by how Jeb cuts through the noise and delivers sales insights that feel practical, human, and immediately useful. What stood out to me is how he shows you not only how to leverage LinkedIn & AI to increase sales, but also how to bring the human side back into the processβreminding us that relationships are at the heart of sales.βΒ If you donβt have The LinkedIn Edge, go now and get your copy at Barnes & Noble or Amazon.
Your sales team has the tools. They know the pitch. The CRM is full of leads. So why are half your reps still missing quota?Randy Wilinski spent 15 years building high-performance sales teams before joining our training team at Sales Gravy. His answer to this question cuts through the usual explanations about territory problems or skill gaps. The real issue? Most sales leaders are managing activity instead of developing people. They're applying pressure instead of addressing the mental blocks that sabotage performance before reps ever pick up the phone.The Real Problem Holding Back Sales TeamsWalk into any sales bullpen and youβll hear the same beliefs on repeat:βIβm not good at cold calling.ββNobody wants to hear from me.ββI donβt know if I can hit these numbers.βMost leaders dismiss this as an attitude problem or lack of confidence. So they fire up the team with a motivational speech, send everyone back to their desksβand nothing changes.Hereβs whatβs being missed: These arenβt attitude problems. Theyβre belief systems that determine behavior. And behavior determines results.Nobody was born knowing how to sell. Your top performer didnβt start with the ability to handle objections or close deals. They learned it. But the reps who believe they canβt learn it wonβt put in the work to improve. Theyβll make half the calls, avoid the hard conversations, and prove themselves right.The real work of building elite performers is getting inside your repsβ heads and rooting out the thought processes that are killing their performance. Thatβs where true coaching separates managers from leaders.Why One-on-One Coaching Unlocks GrowthGroup training builds skill, but addressing mental blocks requires one-on-one coachingβwhere you can dig into patterns, ask uncomfortable questions, and challenge unhelpful thinking.Why does this rep always sabotage themselves right before closing a big deal? Where did this idea that "people don't like being sold to" come from? What past failure is creating this blind spot?Good coaches shine a light on the patterns that people fail to recognize or flat-out avoid. They name the behavior thatβs been there all along, but no one wanted to confront.Awareness alone doesn't create change. Your rep can have that breakthrough moment where they realize they are the problem, and still fall back into the same habits.Real coaching means holding people accountable to the change they commit to making. It means checking in, following up, and not letting them slide back into old patterns when things get uncomfortable. Thatβs the difference between feel-good conversations and actual performance improvement.The Coaching Gap in Sales LeadershipMost sales leaders don't actually coach. They manage activity, review numbers, and deliver pep talks. But managing metrics does not build high-performance sales teams. Developing people does.Coaching starts with curiosity. It means sitting down one-on-one and asking questions that uncover what is really holding a rep back. Not "why didnβt you make enough calls?" but "what made those calls hard to make?"Sometimes the barrier is a belief. Other times, it is a communication issue between the rep and the leader. If you do not understand how each person communicates and processes feedback, you will keep missing the mark.When you tailor your coaching to match how a rep thinks and responds, conversations become more productive and performance starts to shift. That is how coaching turns from another meeting on the calendar into a catalyst for real growth.Creating an Environment Where New Reps Actually DevelopThe best thing you can do for your team is lower the pressure on outcomes and increase the focus on process. This doesn't mean accepting mediocrityβit means being relentless about the activities while being patient with the results.Your new reps are going to struggle. Itβs a reality you have to accept, not a problem to solve. They need to fumble through bad calls, make mistakes, and learn from real conversations with prospects. You cannot prepare someone to be good at sales. They have to do it badly first.The question is whether you're creating an environment where that's okay. Where making a mess is expected, and failure is part of the learning process, instead of a reason to panic about their future with the company.Consider the typical new rep experience: second week on the job, a prospect tears them apart on a call. The bullpen laughs. The rep feels like an imposter. They're making dozens of dials a day and destroying every conversation.But if they keep showing up and keep making calls, something happens: They get slightly less terrible every week. That's the compounding effect you need to protect in your team. Consistency over time produces skill development. But only if you don't crush people's confidence before they have a chance to build competence.Your job as a leader is to set clear activity expectations, hold people to them, and trust the process. Make 50 calls. Talk to 10 decision-makers. Run 5 demos. Do that every day for three weeks and watch what happens. The skills develop naturally when the reps are unavoidable.You canβt do this if youβre constantly freaking out about weekly results or applying pressure instead of providing coaching. High-performance sales teams arenβt built on fear. Theyβre built on consistent execution supported by leaders who actually develop their people.What Building a High-Performance Sales Team Looks Like in PracticeWorking one-on-one with reps creates breakthrough moments. They start to recognize the patterns that have been holding them backβthe beliefs that quietly shape every call, and the habits that limit their results.But breakthroughs only matter if they lead to change. The real coaching happens in the follow-up: Check in regularly. Ask what theyβve done differently since your last conversation. Revisit commitments. Remind them of what they promised to work on. Hold the line. Donβt let them slip back into the comfort of old habits. Celebrate progress. Reinforce small wins that build long-term confidence.Thatβs the unglamorous work of building a high-performance sales team. Itβs not about motivational speeches or new methodologies. Itβs consistent, intentional development of each person on your team.Professional athletes have coaches. CEOs have coaches. Your sales team deserves the same level of focus and accountability. Managers track numbers; coaches develop capability.Beyond Activity: Develop the People Behind the NumbersBuilding high-performance sales teams through connection instead of pressure doesnβt mean ignoring activityβit means understanding that activity is only effective when driven by the right beliefs and behaviors.Most of the time, it's not effort. It's not laziness. It's mental blocks that determine behavior. What people do drives what they achieve. If you want different results, you need to address the thought processes first.This requires coaching people individually, having uncomfortable conversations, creating an environment where consistent execution is valued over short-term outcomes, and staying with people through the messy middle of skill development.Pressure doesn't create lasting excellence. It burns people out and creates a revolving door of mediocre performers who never stick around long enough to get good.Connection is what separates high-performance sales teams from those that simply survive.When you connect, you donβt just hit the numberβyou build a team that crushes it again and again.Most sales leaders know they should coachβfew actually know how. Learn the framework that works and book a free consultation.
Here's a question that'll make your head spin: How do you train MLM recruits who have zero sales experience to actually sell instead of just posting on social media and hoping for the best?That's the question Andrew Osborne from Pittsburgh brought to me. Andrew works in direct selling and network marketing, specifically health and wellness nutrition supplements. Like most MLM leaders, he's frustrated watching new recruits default to the guru-approved strategy of posting on Instagram and waiting for the magic to happen.Spoiler alert: The magic never happens.If you're nodding your head right now, you're not alone. The "social media is the new cold calling" myth is one of the most damaging lies being sold to new direct sales representatives today, and it's costing MLM organizations their best potential talent.The Social Media Trap: When Easy Becomes ImpossibleRemember that story in Fanatical Prospecting where I went head-to-head with someone who swore their social media guru had all the answers? I said, "Great, you do yours for a week, I'll do mine for a week, and we'll test it out."Guess who won?Here's the brutal truth: Posting on social media feels easy because it lets you keep people at arm's length. You don't have to face rejection. You don't have to interrupt strangers. You don't have to have uncomfortable conversations.But here's what actually happens. After two months of posting videos that get one view each and zero sales, your recruits quit. They're demoralized, broke, and convinced MLM doesn't work.The real problem? They were never taught how to actually sell.Why MLM Sales Training Is Harder Than You ThinkWhen Andrew recruits someone into his network marketing organization, they're making two types of sales: selling the product and recruiting new team members. Most of these people have never sold anything in their lives.They came from every background imaginable except sales. Something happened in their life that made them say, "I want more." That motivation is critical, but motivation without skill is just frustration wrapped in hope.The things they need to do are really hard. Nothing in their life has prepared them for what sales prospecting actually requires. They have to sacrifice what they want now (ease and comfort) for what they want most (their goals).That's why the first question I ask every new recruit is this: What are your top five goals in the next twelve months?Not company goals. Not team goals. Their goals. Because if they don't want something bad enough to go through the pain of rejection, nothing else matters.The Only Formula That Actually WorksIn MLM, there's one simple formula that works every single time: Go talk with people.The more people you talk with, the more you recruit. The more product you sell. It's that simple.Think about it this way. If you had a marketing strategy that could create all your product sales and recruiting automatically, you wouldn't need an MLM. You'd just have an e-commerce business. The reason network marketing exists is because a network of people can spread the word and sell better than online ads.But here's the problem. Talking with people means getting past your discomfort. It means interrupting a stranger in line at Walmart. It means seeing someone at church who mentions financial problems and saying, "Hey, what if I had a way to help you out?"Most people would rather post on TikTok than have that conversation.What to Teach Your MLM TeamIf I'm building an MLM sales training program for recruits, here's exactly what I'm teaching them, in this order:First, teach them how to open conversations. Not pitches. Conversations. With strangers and with people they know. What's the first question they ask? How do they approach someone in line at Walmart? How do they bring up their network marketing business with friends without being weird?Run drills on this. Practice it until it becomes muscle memory. Because if they can't start the conversation, nothing else matters.Second, teach them how to listen. Most network marketing reps who actually work up the courage to talk to someone immediately blow it by pitching for five minutes straight. The prospect's eyes glaze over and they walk away.The secret to sales influence isn't what you say. It's what you hear. Get the other person talking. Ask questions that trigger the self-disclosure loop. Find out what's wrong in their life, what they're frustrated with, where they're feeling stuck.Third, teach them to build value bridges. Once someone is talking about their problems, your job is to connect where they are to where they want to be using your product or opportunity as the bridge.Tell stories. Use social proof. "I met someone three weeks ago just like you who told me the same thing. Here's what they did, and here's what their life looks like now."New recruits don't have their own stories yet, so give them yours. Give them other people's stories. Teach them how to take what someone tells them and give it back in the context of how you can help.Finally, teach them to ask. Asking is the most important discipline in sales. If you don't ask, you don't get. But asking means you have to set yourself up properly so you can reduce objections before they happen.Stop Making Excuses, Start Having ConversationsLook, I get it. Your recruits didn't come from a sales background. They're starting from scratch. They don't know what to do.But that's exactly why they need you to teach them the fundamentals instead of pointing them to another Instagram guru.Have some grace for them, sure. But also have some standards. Because if you're not teaching them how to actually have conversations with real human beings, you're setting them up to fail.The beautiful thing about selling health and wellness products? Everyone is a prospect. Everyone needs what you're selling. Everyone you meet could potentially join your team.You have a 300 million person prospecting pipeline in the United States alone.Stop hiding behind social media and start talking to people. That's how you build a real MLM business. That's how you develop successful recruits. And that's how you stop losing good people to the myth that posting and praying is a real strategy.Want to leverage LinkedIn the right way instead of just posting and praying? Check out Jeb's new book The LinkedIn Edge and learn how to turn social selling into real conversations that convert.
Youβve probably heard it a hundred times latelyβAI is coming for your job.Every week, thereβs a new headline about another role being automated, another company replacing people with bots, another βAI agentβ that can do the work of ten humans in half the time.And if you spend too much time reading those headlines, itβs easy to start wondering, What happens to me? What happens to salespeople like us in a world where machines can do almost everything we used to do?AI is Here to StayYou can't escape the truth. AI is going to change everything and impact almost every part of our lives. The train has left the station, and it will not be turning back.AI is going to displace a lot of people and jobs, but itβs not going to replace everyone.Because no matter how smart machines get, they canβt feel or connect the way you and I can. Sales is, and always will be, the ultimate human profession. Itβs the one job built entirely on human emotion, human judgment, and human connection.What You Can Do That AI Can'tJust think about it: AI can write words. But it canβt create belief. It can predict who might buy. But it canβt build trust. It can score a lead. But it canβt lead a human being through uncertainty, fear and doubt while giving them confidence to make the right decision in complex situations.Β Thatβs what you do. Thatβs what we do. Thatβs what salespeople have always doneβlong before there was technology, long before there was AI, and long before algorithms tried to simulate emotion.In sales, itβs not about the product. Itβs about the person. People buy you. What you sell might get you to the door, but it is how you sell that determines whether they let you in.Β Β Every sale is a transfer of emotion from one human being to another. Itβs the transfer ofΒ belief and confidence and trust.When a customer says βYes,β theyβre not just saying yes to a proposal or a price. Theyβre saying 'Yes' to you. No matter how powerful technology becomes, that momentβthat human momentβwill never be replaced by a line of code.As modern sellers, what we need to understand is that AI isnβt the end of selling. Itβs just the next leap forward in our incredibly resilient profession.Β Keeping it RealAI will replace some salespeople, so we need to keep it real.There are reps who are lazy, transactional, and just go through the motions and never bother to think, adapt, or grow. Those reps will get left behind.So AI will not make sales professionals less valuable, but it will absolutely make the gap between poor and exceptional salespeople wider and more pronounced.Β But the top performersβthe ones who combine human empathy with AI-powered insightβwill be unstoppable. Because when you merge the intelligence of machines with the intuition of a human being, it becomes a force multiplier.Β How to Become Irreplaceable with AIRight this moment, top sales professionals and high-earners are elevating their performance with AI tools that do the grunt work. Itβll build your lists, do your research, automate your follow-ups, and write every sort of draft.Β It will give you more time for human-to-human connections: to listen, discover, develop creative solutions, persuade, and see the emotional context behind the data.The question isnβt whether AI will replace you. The question is whether youβll use AI to become irreplaceable.It's simple. AI can give you the right words to say. But only you can make someone feel something when you say it.AI can pull the data, do the research, and build your presentation. Only you can look someone in the eye and say βTrust me. We can solve this together.β and close the sale.Β Your Emotional Intelligence Seals the DealThatβs The AI Edge. Itβs not about the tools. Itβs about using the tools to amplify your humanity.In the age of AI, your #1 competitive advantage is emotional intelligence. Itβs your ability to understand how people feel,
The gap between average salespeople and elite performers lies in process. While most reps chase quick wins and hope something sticks, top producers follow proven sales strategies that consistently deliver results. They've mastered the fundamentals that turn prospects into customers and customers into advocates.If youβre ready to finish the year strong and blow past your quota, these five battle-tested sales strategies from previous podcasts will transform how you sell.1. Deliver an Unforgettable Customer Experience by Mastering Your EmotionsYour prospect doesn't care about your bad morning or the three deals that fell through yesterday. When you walk through the door or dial their number, youβre the only conversation theyβre having with your company today.Elite salespeople know emotional consistency separates closers from pretenders. Think of it like a pro golfer staying calm and cruising forward regardless of what happened on the last hole.As Jeb Blount explains: How your customer feels about you is more predictive of outcome than any other variable. They buy you first, and then they buy your product. They buy you because they feel safe, heard, and confident you will deliver.This means you have to compartmentalize every interaction. Your fifth appointment of the day deserves the same intensity and professionalism as your first. When you show up desperate, prospects sense it immediately. When you rush through discovery, they feel undervalued.Jeb emphasizes this critical point: Buying a house, car, or service is deeply emotional for the customer. Before every interaction, take sixty seconds to reset. Acknowledge whatever is bothering you, mentally file it away, then walk in focused entirely on their world and their goals.2. Commit to the Day One Follow-Up MindsetAsk yourself: How many times do you attempt to reach a prospect before quitting?If you answered three or four, you are leaving money on the table. Most reps quit after just three or four attempts, and sometimes without ever hearing a βNo.β They just stop and let leads rot in the CRM instead of risking rejection.As Jessica Stokes reminds us, top producers understand this: While you are tracking your sixth or seventh outreach attempt, for the prospect, every touchpoint feels like day one. They are busy running their businessβnot waiting for your call.The problem is not just the number of attempts; it is the spacing. When you leave a voicemail and wait a month to "give them space," you lose momentum and start from scratch every time.The winning sales strategy is persistence with velocity. That means touching base every few days or weekly. When you maintain momentum, prospects remember you. The real failure is letting quality leads die because you are afraid to pick up the phone and risk hearing "No."3. Turn Your Empathy Into a Weapon, Not a WeaknessIf you have ever hesitated before making a cold call because you thought, "I don't want to bother them," you are dealing with what Jeb Blount calls projection, and it is costing you deals.Projection happens when you assume prospects hate being interrupted as much as you do. You start deciding for them before youβve even made the call.Successful salespeople recognize interruption is a professional necessity. Your job requires it; your income depends on it.Letting empathy paralyze your prospecting is dangerous. The internal conflict is real: You want to be an empathetic person, but you also have to be an interrupter.The mindset shift: Understand that projecting is the most dangerous thing in sales because you are deciding for your customer in advance what they want or need. Real empathy means showing up, asking sharp questions, and letting them tell you what they need. You cannot solve problems you never discover because you were too afraid to start the conversation.4. Build a Velvet Rope Around Your BusinessWhat if your clients felt less like transactions and ...
How do you prepare your mindset and create the discipline to be effective every single day?That's what Jeff Vellas asked on a recent Ask Jeb episode, and it's the question that separates the pros from the amateurs in sales.Sales is the hardest profession in business. It's the only job where you have to go out and find rejection and bring it home every single day. Every ask you make carries the potential to be rejected at a deep, painful level.That's why we get paid so well. And that's why most people can't hack it.But the ones who do? They've figured out the secret.Find Your CarrotMy friend Will Fratini from ZoomInfo nailed it when he talked about what motivates him, or what his carrot is. His five-year-old daughter once bought him a carrot Christmas ornament, and he carries it with him everywhere as a reminder of why he shows up every day.Here's what matters: Your carrot needs to be specific and tangible. Not some vague "I want to be successful" nonsense. I'm talking about something real. A commission check of X dollars. A boat. Generational wealth through real estate. A college fund for your kids.Think of it like an old-time horse and carriage. You put a carrot on a stick in front of a stubborn horse, and suddenly it'll go forward even when it wouldn't before. That's what your carrot does for you when everyone else is giving up.Your carrot is what pushes you past the point where giving up would be completely justified. It's what separates the best from the rest.The Hard Truth About Sales DisciplineLet's be clear about what sales discipline actually means. You have to show up every day and do a certain number of activities. Every. Single. Day.And to do those hard things consistently, you need that carrot.It's about sacrificing what you want now (which is easy) for what you want most (which requires doing hard things). I want to do things that are easy. But to get what I want most, I've got to do things that are hard.That's the entire game.The Scottie Scheffler ExampleLook at Scottie Scheffler, the PGA golfer. When he makes a bogey, he bounces back with a birdie or better 62 percent of the time. The rest of the field? Less than 18 percent.Why? Because Scheffler is crystal clear about what's important to him. He knows his carrot. He understands what fulfillment means. When something goes wrong, there's no cascade of "everything is wrong." His ego doesn't take a hit because he's focused on what matters most.He picks himself back up, brushes himself off, and keeps moving.What most people don't know is that it wasn't always this way. When he first brought on his caddie, Ted Scott, Ted told him straight up: "I'm not working for you unless you get the attitude, temper, and anger under control."Think about that. The caddie refused to work with him unless he fixed his mindset first.That's how important mindset in sales really is. Everything else comes after.Your Visual CueGo get yourself a carrot ornament. Seriously. Find one on Amazon, hang it in your office, and use it as your visual cue for what matters most.When you're sitting at your desk in the morning trying to get started, or when something has gone wrong and you're trying to bounce back, that carrot will remind you why you chose this soul-sapping profession in the first place.Because maybe the only thing harder than sales is golf. But you chose it. Now own it.The Secret SuperpowerHere's the bonus that Will dropped that's pure gold: Sometimes your carrot isn't even about you. Sometimes the ultimate sales superpower is genuinely helping someone else be the star of the show.The best sellers in the world don't care about how great their product is. They care about making their customer the hero. If you genuinely believe you're there to help someone else's day get better, you're going to come through.And when you have that extra little carrot hanging there (that house,
Here is an undeniable truth: The No. 1 reason for failure in sales is an empty pipeline, and the No. 1 reason you have an empty pipeline is that you are not doing enough prospecting.In sales, everything rests on putting qualified opportunities in your pipeline.Β Prospecting is the beginning and the end, alpha and omega. If you don't prospect, you will fail. That is a guaranteed truth.Each and every sales day, you must connect with prospects, engage them in meaningful conversations, and convert them into pipeline opportunities.Β Itβs a Noisy WorldThe problem is that we live in a noisy world in which those same prospects are being inundated with prospecting messages from dozens of other salespeople who are also attempting to get their attention.Β So, if you donβt stand out, you lose.Β But I doubt Iβm telling you anything that you donβt already know. Itβs freaking hard to get attention when prospecting, and it's not getting easier. There are days when it feels like you could be jumping up and down in front of your prospect in a pink bunny suit while throwing hundred-dollar bills in the air, and theyβd still ignore you.Β The Sledgehammer Approach Is DeadOne of the key reasons so many salespeople fail to break through is that their entire prospecting strategy is pounding away at prospects through a single communication channelβtypically a series of automated emails sent through a sales engagement platform like Outreach or SalesLoft.Β Sadly, this sledgehammer approach just doesnβt work anymore. Recent data reveals that salespeople are sending as many as eight times more emails today than they did five years ago and getting just a tenth of the results.Β A big reason prospects are tuning out is that AI-powered sales automation tools have scaled email prospecting activity to an extraordinary level.Β In the past, writing a prospecting email involved strategic thought and taking time to craft a message that was unique to each prospect. It was a slow process, which meant salespeople sent fewer but better prospecting emails.Today, AI engines can pump out hundreds of cold email variations in seconds with shallow, and often cringeworthy, personalization that, more often than not, turns prospects off. And as AI-generated prospecting emails flood inboxes, the sheer volume of this outreach has eroded any impact from the improved efficiency.Β Constant exposure to this irrelevant, repetitive AI-generated crap has left business executives exasperated. They are overwhelmed and have tuned out, turned off, and are ignoring all prospecting messagesβgood or bad, human or AI-generated.Break Through the NoiseMost sales professionals today are desperate to find new techniques to help them break through the noise and get attention when prospecting so that they can engage in more meaningful conversations.Β Most salespeople want a bigger, stronger pipeline filled with qualified opportunities. Yet many overlook one of the most powerful prospecting tools right at their fingertips: LinkedIn.Why LinkedIn, Why NowIt can be argued that the moment the sales profession changed forever and the door opened to modern selling as we know it was when Alexander Graham Bell said on the very first telephone call, βMr. Watson, come here, I want to see you.βThe telephone's impact on the sales profession was profound and lasting. Then, as now, the phone remains the most efficient and effective means for conducting real-time, synchronous human-to-human conversations with prospects.Bell made his call to Mr. Watson 150 years ago. Since then, only a handful of pivotal technologies have advanced the sales profession with such impact: The automobile gave sellers the freedom to cover wider regional territories more efficiently. Air travel literally gave sales professionals wings, expanding their reach nationally and globally. The internet put unimaginable data at the fingertips of both sales professionals and buyers.
Cold calling terrifies most salespeople more than losing their biggest account. The rejection. The hang-ups. The voice telling you that you're bothering people who don't want to hear from you.Before transitioning into sales, Steve Munn spent nine years as a professional hockey defenseman. As a hockey player, his job was to make life difficult for the other team and absorb whatever they dished back.Β "Part of it was getting punched in the face," he said on a recent episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast. "If I get a no from a prospect, that's maybe a bad day, but it's certainly not as bad as getting a concussion or a broken nose again."That perspective shift, understanding what actually constitutes a threat, changes everything about how you approach cold calling. It goes beyond being tougher or having thicker skin.Your Fear Isn't About the CallMost sales professionals will do anything to avoid call blocks. They'll update their CRM. Reorganize their pipeline. Respond to emails that could wait three days. Anything but pick up the phone.The problem isn't the person on the other end of the line. You don't want to be the one who fumbles, doesn't have the right answer, or proves you don't belong in that conversation.Imposter syndrome thrives in sales because every call is another opportunity to prosecute yourself. Every objection becomes evidence that you're not cut out for this. Every hang-up confirms what you secretly suspected: You're bothering people who have better things to do.That internal narrative is all in your head, and it's costing you deals.Get Your Mind Right FirstYou can't make effective cold calls when you're living in your head. Anxiety, overthinking, or trying to sound perfect makes every conversation feel forced. Nothing bad actually happens on a sales call. Your life isnβt in danger, and a hung-up phone or curt βnot interestedβ barely registers as a problem.The best cold callers aren't fearless. They're prepared mentally before they start dialing.Find what gets you into the right frame of mind: review recent wins, remind yourself that youβre solving real problems, or call a colleague for perspective. The goal is connecting with another human, not executing a perfect pitch. People can tell the difference.Separate Message From DeliveryWhen someone says "we're all set" and hangs up, they're not making a judgment about your worth as a salesperson or a human being. They're communicating one thing: They're not interested right now.The delivery might feel harsh, and the tone might sound dismissive. But the message is simple and impersonal.Athletes learn this early. Coaches scream. Teammates criticize. Opponents talk trash. If you react emotionally to how something is said rather than hearing what's actually being communicated, you become ineffective.In sales, the same principle applies. When you stop taking the delivery personally, you can actually hear what's being said. Sometimes what sounds like a hard no is actually "you haven't given me a reason to care yet" or "call me back in six months."You Donβt Need to Know EverythingOne of the biggest barriers to cold calling is the belief you must have all the answers. You hesitate because you think, "What if they ask something I don't know? I'll look like a fool."Here's what that thinking misses: You have a team.No salesperson operates in a vacuum. You've got service teams, technical experts, partners, and colleagues who collectively know far more than you do individually. The expectation that you should show up with encyclopedic knowledge is self-imposed and unrealistic.What matters on a cold call isn't demonstrating expertise. It's demonstrating curiosity and commitment.Β When you release yourself from the pressure to be perfect, cold calling becomes about investigation rather than performance.Β Ask Questions Nobody Else DoesMost salespeople treat cold calls like a race to present their solution.
Here's a question that keeps startup founders up at night: How does a first sales hire build pipeline and prospect effectively when there's zero technology, no tools, and absolutely no data resources available?That's the challenge Matthew Russell brought to the table, and it's a scenario that's far more common than you'd think. Companies transitioning from founder-led sales often throw their first sales hire into the deep end with nothing but a laptop and a "good luck" pat on the back.If you're nodding your head right now, you're not alone. But here's the good news: Some of the most successful sales teams were built from exactly this position, and there's a proven playbook for making it work.The Hook Is EverythingWhen Will Frattini joined his boss Jane in Austin back in 2011, they had zero presence in the market. No reputation, no established relationships, no fancy tech stack. Just two people and a mission to build from scratch.The first lesson? Your job isn't to reinvent the wheel or create some elaborate sales process. Your job is to figure out what hook the founder used to close their first deals, then ruthlessly replicate it.This means getting the founder to show you exactly how they won business. Listen to their calls. Shadow their meetings. Mirror their approach. Don't try to be clever or add your own spin yet. Just learn what actually works.Here's the critical part: You need the founder to be completely honest with you about your early meetings. Will's boss had the right to refuse any meeting he set. If it didn't qualify, she'd tell him exactly why. That feedback loop is gold because it teaches you the difference between a meeting that sounds good and a meeting that actually advances the sale.Master the fundamentals before you try to optimize.The Metrics That Actually MatterForget about creating a complex sales process with seventeen KPIs. In the beginning, you need exactly one metric that matters: qualified meetings that convert to next steps.Will's early goal was 20 to 30 worthwhile meetings per month. Eventually they scaled that to 60 per rep. But notice the word "worthwhile." These weren't just any meetings. They were conversations with real potential that the founder or sales leader validated.The qualifier matters because it forces you to get better at targeting and messaging, not just activity for activity's sake. You can't game this system by booking junk meetings.Victoria Walker asked how long it takes to build metrics in a niche market, and the answer is simple: You'll have metrics after day one. How many calls did you make? How many connections? How many appointments set?But most new outbound teams trip up because they expect instant results, don't see them, and quit before the cumulative impact kicks in.The 30-Day Rule Changes EverythingThe prospecting you do today pays off in the next 90 days. This is the rule of cumulative impact, and it's why most outbound efforts fail.Companies start strong, don't see immediate results, and abandon ship. Then they restart six months later with different reps, different messaging, and the cycle repeats. This is death by fits and starts.Your commitment has to be ironclad: We're doing this every single day for at least 90 to 120 days before we make major changes. You'll make small tweaks to messaging and targeting along the way, but you don't stop the engine.Think of it like an elite sports team watching game film. You're looking for incremental improvements. Last month you closed five good deals. This month you're aiming for six. You're not rebuilding the entire playbook every two weeks because the metrics look scary.Handling the "How'd You Get My Number?" ObjectionD'elvis Huerta raised a challenge every salesperson faces: Prospects who are surprised or even concerned when you call their personal cell phone. They ask how you got their information, and it throws you off your game.
Cicero once said, "Cultivation of the mind is as necessary as food to the body."Sales is fundamentally a mental game. Your capacity for understanding your prospects at a deeper level and developing creative solutions that solve their problemsβthat's your winning edge.In a profession where you need to outwit and out maneuver your competitors to win, your ability to think, to truly contemplate and reflect, might be the most underutilized competitive advantage in your sales arsenal.Always Responding. Never Reflecting.Yet most salespeople these days are starving their minds. They're constantly in motion, constantly busy, constantly doing, constantly in front of screensβbut rarely thinking.Β We've created a culture where being busy equals being productive. Most salespeople spend their days reacting to emails, to phone calls, to urgent requests, to the latest fire that needs to be put out. We are always responding, never reflecting. Always moving, never thinking strategically about where we are going.Noise Kills Your Ability to ThinkWilliam Penn wrote, "True silence is the rest of the mind; it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment."Think about that for a moment. You wouldn't dream of going weeks without sleep because you know your body would break down. But you regularly go weeks, maybe months, without giving your mind the silence and space it needs to just think and function at its highest level.We live in the age of noise. Constant noise. Digital noise, physical noise, mental noise.Your phone is buzzing with notifications. Your email is pinging every few minutes. Your CRM is demanding updates. Your manager wants reports. Your prospects are texting. Your colleagues and customers are interrupting.Β We have so many things going on at once and so much noise in our lives that it has become almost impossible to think.All of this noise is killing your ability to think clearly, to make good decisions, to see the big picture, to be the creative and thoughtful professional you were meant to be.Β Schedule Thinking TimeThat's exactly why scheduling thinking time is so important.Most people donβt take the time to think because they donβt feel like they can afford to. Sitting quietly and thinking doesn't feel like work. It feels like you're being lazy. Our culture has programmed us to believe that if we're not visibly doing something, we're not being productive.Likewise, constant stimulation has become a drug. Silence feels uncomfortable because we've forgotten how to be alone with our thoughts.I passionately believe that we must schedule, on our calendars, time for thinking. No distractions, no music, no TV, no laptop, no phoneβjust you and your thoughts, alone.Notice I said "schedule" it. If you don't put it on your calendar, it won't happen. You'll always find something more "urgent" to do.Thinking TimeTaking time to just think is powerful. It slows you down, helps you relax, and frequently generates incredible ideas and inspiration.Β Thinking time isn't meditation, though it shares some similarities. It's not prayer, though some people find it spiritual. It's simply dedicated time for your mind to process, reflect, and contemplate.The beauty of thinking time is that it can take many forms.Β The Quiet Corner ThinkΒ Find a quiet space like your office with the door closed, a park bench, your car in an empty parking lot, or a corner of your home. The location doesn't matter as much as the lack of distractions. Start with just 15 minutes. Don't try to go for an hour right away. Build the habit first, then extend the time.The Walk and ThinkThis is my personal favorite. Take a long walk alone, without music, podcasts, or phone calls. There's something about the rhythm of walking that unlocks creative thinking. Steve Jobs was famous for his thinking walks. Many of his best ideas came while walking around Apple's campus or through his neig...
Most salespeople lose a sales meeting before they ever open their mouth. They show up with decks of slides, lists of discovery questions, or AI-generated talking points, thinking preparation is about having more material.Β But while theyβre busy organizing, their prospects are mentally checking outβand the meeting hasnβt even started.Lee Salz, bestselling author and founder of Sales Architects, has observed this pattern for decades. "If you want to win more deals at the prices you want, you need a better first meeting strategy. Everyone says I want to win more deals, so they focus on closing at the end. But that's not where the opportunities are. The opportunities to win more deals start in that first meeting."The Sales Meeting Problem Hiding in Plain SightAsk any salesperson: "If a prospect agrees to meet with you, what do they get out of it?"The response is usually stunned silence.That silence reveals the problem. Too many sales professionals approach the first sales meeting with an extraction mindset, focused on what they can learn instead of what they can give.Think about how you prepare. Do you make a list of questions to gather information? Do you pull together slides about your company, products, and clients? That might feel productive, but hereβs what it communicates: This meeting is about me.When prospects canβt see immediate value in the conversation, they resist. They may decline the meeting altogether, or worseβthey show up already skeptical, arms crossed, counting down the minutes until they can escape.Why Traditional Discovery Is Failing YouSales training has conditioned reps to believe that discovery meetings are the foundation of the sales process. In theory, this makes sense: You need information to qualify opportunities.But hereβs the problemβbuyers donβt experience value when they educate you. They already have suppliers, vendors, and service providers. Another salesperson asking them to βtell me about your challengesβ just feels like more work.Worse, traditional discovery feels like an interrogation. Youβre pulling data without leaving anything behind. And prospects are savvy enough to sense when youβre there to take rather than give.The Emotion Gap in Every Sales MeetingYou already know people buy on emotion and justify with logic. Youβve heard it in every sales book, every training, every keynote.Walk into the average first meeting, and youβll see the same setup: a rep armed with facts, features, processes, and pricing structures. All logic, zero emotion.The result? Buyers nod politely, take notes, and then ghost you. Not because your product isnβt good enough, but because you failed to make them feel anything.Your competitors who are consistently winning arenβt necessarily better at selling features. Theyβre better at weaving emotional connection into the very fabric of their meetings. They create trust, credibility, and resonance in the first 15 minutes.The Three Non-Negotiables of Every Winning Sales MeetingHigh-performing sales professionals understand that every first meeting must accomplish three core objectives: Meaningful Qualification: Determine whether this opportunity aligns with your ideal customer profile while also helping prospects better understand their situation.Β Clear Differentiation: Prospects need to understand what makes your approach unique, but not through feature comparisons. Real differentiation comes from your methodology, philosophy, and approach. Show them how you think about solving problems, not just what you sell. Emotional Foundation: Establish the connection that energizes deals. This involves demonstrating genuine interest in their success while positioning yourself as a trusted advisor rather than just another vendor.How to Prepare for Sales Meeting SuccessThe outcome of the meeting is decided long before you show up. Top performers treat preparation like a competitive advantage.
You know AI is transforming sales, everyone's talking about it, but you're still staring at ChatGPT like it's some mysterious black box, wondering what magical question you should type in first.That's the reality for most salespeople even now. They know they need to embrace AI, they've heard the success stories, but they're paralyzed by the complexity and overwhelmed by the options.If you're nodding your head right now, you're not alone. The biggest barrier to AI adoption isn't technicalβit's mental. Salespeople are asking the wrong question entirely.The Wrong Question That's Keeping You StuckMost people approach AI like it's some mystical oracle they need to appease with the perfect question. They think there's some secret prompt that will unlock AI's full potential, like finding the right combination to a safe.They're wrong. There is no perfect first question for AI.The real problem isn't what to askβit's how you're thinking about the problem. Instead of asking "What should I ask AI?" you need to flip the script entirely.The Mental Shift That Changes EverythingTwenty minutes before recording our latest Ask Jeb episode, I was working on a new training program for Sales Gravy University. I had a slide deck and workbook that needed proofreading, and my first instinct was to think, "Who can I get to proofread this thing?"That's how most of us think: "How can someone else do this?" or "How can I get this done?"But I caught myself and asked a different question: "How can AI do this?"I uploaded the slide deck to AI and asked it to proofread for me. Fifteen seconds later, I had a responseβnot perfect, but a starting point. I refined my prompt, asking for typos organized slide by slide, and boomβseven minutes later, the entire deck was cleaned up.What would have taken me 45 minutes and still resulted in missed errors was done in minutes, with better accuracy than I could achieve manually.Why You're Already Qualified to Use AIWill Frattini from ZoomInfo pointed out that "You already know how to use AI. You've been doing it for years."If you've ever asked Siri for directions, told Alexa to turn up the music, or typed a question into Googleβcongratulations, you've been using AI. The only difference now is the sophistication and power of what's available.The barrier isn't technical competency. It's the mental block of overthinking it.You don't need to understand large language models or machine learning algorithms. You just need to ask a question and hit enter. That's it. That's the profound simplicity everyone's missing.Think Like a Conductor, Not a Solo ActStop thinking of yourself as someone who needs to learn AI. Start thinking of yourself as a conductor standing in front of a symphony orchestra.You've got Claude for certain tasks, ChatGPT for others, ZoomInfo Copilot for prospecting intelligence, Gemini for researchβeach AI is like a different instrument in your orchestra. Your job isn't to play every instrument; it's to conduct them all to create something beautiful.The apex predators in sales aren't going to be the people who master one AI tool. They're going to be the conductors who know when to use which AI for maximum impact, iterating and refining until they get exactly what they need.This means developing your prospecting methodology becomes even more critical. You need to know what outcome you're trying to achieve before you can direct your AI orchestra to help you get there.Your Practical Starting PointStop overthinking this. Here's your action plan:Step 1: Pick one AI tool you have access to right now. Your company probably already provides something. If not, start with ChatGPT, Claude, or any of the major platforms.Step 2: Identify one recurring task that eats up your time. Email templates, research, call preparationβanything that's necessary but not your highest value activity.Step 3: Ask the AI how it can help with that specific task.
Welcome to Grind Season. This week, we enter the most pivotal period of your entire sales year. From now until mid-December, how you choose to invest your limited time will determine whether you end your year strong, hit your income goals, make it to the winner's circle at President's Club, and start next year with a full pipeline OR wallow in mediocrity, miss your number, and damage your career.Β Write Your Sales Comeback StoryIf you're ahead of your goals, this is your time to build an insurmountable lead and give yourself an unfair advantage as you enter next year. Do not rest on your laurels and coast. Grind it out and build a massive pipeline for next year.If you're on track, this is your time to accelerate, finish strong, and propel yourself into the President's Club.Β If you're behind, this is the time to shift from being defense to offense.Most salespeople who are going to miss their annual quota already know it by now. They can feel it. See it in their pipeline. Sense it in their gut.But what separates winners from losers is that winners use this moment as a wake-up call, not a death sentence.Β Stop making excuses about market conditions, difficult prospects, or bad luck. Start taking complete ownership of your results and your future.Stop thinking like someone who's behind. Start thinking like someone who's about to write their own sales comeback story.Β Your energy and confidence level will directly impact your results during Grind Season. If you show up defeated and desperate, prospects will sense it. If you show up confident and focused, prospects will respond in kind, and you will sell more.But whatever your situation, this is not the time to coast. This is the time to get serious about finishing the year strong.The Grind Season Mindset"Grind Season" is more than just a motivational catchphraseβit's a winning mindset grounded in the unglamorous, but essential, embrace of this crucial period with intense focus, hard work, discipline, and consistent, intentional activity.Β Itβs about ignoring distractions, drowning out the noise, being stingy with your time, and using every moment of your sales day to identify new opportunities and actively advance those deals through the pipeline.This isn't about activity for the sake of activity. Itβs about deliberately and proactively getting back to the basics and fundamentals of prospecting and sales at a time in the sales year when it matters.Β Your Pipeline Reality CheckHere's the key gut-check question you must look into the mirror and answer right now: Where do you stand relative to your year-end number, and based on that answer, what will be your next move?To fully answer that question, begin with a pipeline reality check. Your current quota attainment tells you where you've been. Your pipeline tells you where you're going.Far too many sales professionals look at their pipeline and see what they want to see, not what's actually there. This is especially true at this time of year when we allow baggage from the first half of the year to remain in our pipeline, hoping that somehow we might close it. But hereβs the deal, during Grind Season, hope is not a strategy.Β The truth is, those deals have been dead for a long time. The stakeholders are ghosting you; they never commit to next steps, and most haven't returned your calls in months. In the words of Sales Gravy University trainer and author Kristie K. Jones, βstalledβ is not a step in the sales process.Β So start by getting brutally honest and ruthless with your current pipeline. First, clean house. Go through every opportunity and ask yourself: "If I had to bet my own money on whether this deal will close by the end of the year, would I take that bet?" If the answer is no, move it out of your active pipeline and replace it with something else. Stop lying to yourself and counting on it for this year's numbers. Second,
Most salespeople waste their careers fighting over the same crowded prospects. Meanwhile, untapped markets are sitting in plain sight. These are the industries, segments, and territories your competitors donβt take seriouslyβor donβt even notice. Theyβre wide open, and they reward the salespeople willing to do the work.On the Sales Gravy Podcast, I spoke with Nicholas Lalla, an economic development expert who helped bring more than $200 million of investment into a market everyone else had written off. His blueprint for revitalizing a forgotten city is the same framework you can use to uncover and dominate untapped markets in sales.Why Untapped Markets Are GoldminesThe best markets are often the ones no one is talking about. When the crowd decides a territory is βtoo small,β βtoo tough,β or βnot worth the time,β they leave the door wide open. Thatβs where the opportunity lives.And letβs be clear: An untapped market doesnβt have to mean a new zip code. It could be a niche industry your competitors dismiss, a customer population they ignore, or a vertical nobodyβs paying attention to yet.If you donβt know much about a market, chances are your competitors donβt either. That ignorance is your advantageβif youβre willing to dig in.The Data-Driven Discovery MethodMost salespeople gamble on gut instinct when picking new markets. Thatβs why they waste time chasing βbig nameβ logos that never buy, or avoiding prospects who look difficult but actually have massive potential.Top performers take a different path. They go where the data points. Before committing to a market, study the numbers your competition ignores: Industry growth rates β Expanding sectors often fly under the radar. Investment flows β Follow where capital is going before sales catch up. Labor market trends β Job growth exposes emerging business needs. Government spending β Public dollars usually spark private demand.Data doesnβt close deals. But it stacks the odds in your favor and ensures youβre hunting where opportunity actually exists.The 100-Conversation RuleNumbers tell you where to look. Conversations tell you whatβs real. Don't just study demographicsβtalk to 100 people tied to the market. Customers. Ex-customers. Prospects who should buy from you but donβt. Even suppliers and partners.Ask them about their challenges, their frustrations, and the gaps they see. Donβt pitchβlisten. By the time youβve had 100 conversations, youβll know more about that market than your competitors ever will. And youβll have built a network of early relationships that pay off down the line.Look for Adjacent OpportunitiesThe breakthrough comes when you stop looking for completely new industries and start examining adjacencies. Instead of jumping into foreign markets, identify prospects that connect to your existing expertise.If you sell to manufacturing, explore adjacent industries like logistics or supply chain management. If you work in healthcare, consider medical device companies or pharmaceutical services.Adjacent markets let you leverage existing knowledge while expanding into less competitive territory.The Focus FormulaΒ Most market expansion strategies fall apart because of a lack of focus. Salespeople chase every shiny opportunity and end up spread too thin. The result? Lots of motion, zero momentum.Domination beats diversification. Pick three or four high-potential segments and go all-in. Pour your time, energy, and relationship capital into saturating those markets. That density builds brand recognition, referrals, and trust.Scattershot prospecting creates exhaustion. Focused prospecting creates dominance.Building on Legacy Assets: The Hidden AcceleratorDon't ignore what already existsβleverage it. The most counterintuitive insight about untapped markets is that the best ones build on foundations you already have.Your "legacy assets" might include:
Here's a question that'll keep you up at night: What do you do when you believe in "buy or die" but you're terrified of ruining future opportunities with annoying prospecting sequences?That's exactly what Angie Anderson asked during a recent Ask Jeb session, and it's a problem that's plaguing salespeople everywhere. Angie subscribes to the "buy or die" mentality but doesn't want to destroy her odds of winning in the future by becoming the prospect's worst nightmare.If you're nodding your head right now, you're not alone. The tension between persistent prospecting and respectful relationship building is one of the biggest challenges facing modern sales professionals, and getting it wrong costs you dealsβboth now and in the future.The "Buy or Die" Misconception That's Killing Your PipelineMost salespeople completely misunderstand what "buy or die" actually means. They think it's about hammering prospects until they crack, but that's not persistenceβthat's harassment.Real "buy or die" mentality recognizes that the prospect is never not a prospect, but sometimes now is not the right time. The key is knowing when to push and when to pull back.Your sequence length and touch frequency should be driven by one critical factor: deal complexity and account size.Short Cycle Sales Need Short, Aggressive Sequences Run 10-14 touch sequences over 10-30 days with touchpoints every 2-3 days. These prospects have buying windows that are typically always open, and the stakes are relatively low.Complex Accounts Require Long-Term Relationship Building For massive, high-value accounts, you could run sequences that extend up to two years. Touch them monthly or quarterly to stay top of mind, waiting for the right opportunity window to open.The magic happens when you track meaningful engagement. In any properly executed sequence, 30-50% of prospects will give you some form of signalβyes, no, or even "go away." All of these responses give you something to work with.But here's the critical part: When you get complete radio silence from the other 50%, you stop. Pull them out of your sequence, slot in fresh prospects, and circle back in 90 days or six months. You have infinite time to go after themβuse it strategically.Why Generic Messages Get You Blocked Every TimeThis brings us to the second major challenge facing modern salespeople: crafting relevant messages that resonate with busy prospects.James Baldwin perfectly captured this struggle when he asked about leveraging tools like ZoomInfo to create relevant messaging. He sees tons of information but doesn't know what to use or how to use it effectively.This is where most reps completely miss the mark, and it's costing them relationships.The Research Failure That Destroys CredibilityWant to know the fastest way to get permanently blocked? Send a message that screams "I know nothing about you or your business."This happened to me recently with a rep from a major software company. They did everything technically rightβmulti-channel approach, proper timing, professional voicemailsβbut they failed at the most critical element: relevance.They prospected Sales Gravy without doing even basic research. My LinkedIn profile was right there. My content was everywhere. I've literally said thousands of times that if you mention my books when prospecting me, I'll almost always respond. But they were too lazy to look.That's not persistence; that's sales malpractice.How to Turn Data Overload Into Relevant ConversationsThe problem isn't lack of informationβit's information overwhelm. Modern tools give you access to massive amounts of data, but most reps freeze up trying to figure out what matters.The solution is asking better questions of your data.Instead of just building lists, use AI-powered tools to ask specific questions: "What are three conversation starters that would make this CEO interested in talking with us?" or "Based on recent hiring signals and earnin...
I had intended for this Money Monday to be something powerful, a new message that would get you fired up for this week and this season. But last week, while delivering training to an amazing group of young salespeople with wide-open minds, I learned that Charlie Kirk had been assassinated. It disturbed me deeply and I feel compelled to deliver this message.The Assassination That Shook AmericaOn Sept. 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk was fatally shot while addressing an audience at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. A young man, thirty-one years old with his whole life ahead of him, was killed for no other reason than someone disagreed with him.After learning about the assassination, I found myself incredibly disturbed that a person in the public square could just be shot and killed like thatβmurdered right in front of everyone. So I did what I always do when I want to understand something: I started learning.I watched hours and hours, dozens and dozens of Charlie Kirk's videos to learn more about the man, his message, and why someone would think it would be okay to assassinate him. I still haven't found the answer to that last question.This Isn't About PoliticsBefore I go any further, let me be crystal clear: This is not a political message. This is not a religious message. ItΒ is about how we treat each other as human beings.If you know me, if you've been to my events or training, you know I never talk about politics or religion. If you look at my social media feeds on any channel, you won't find much that would help you understand what my politics or religion are.Do I have convictions? Yes. Do I believe certain things? Yes. But they're my beliefs, and I keep them to myself because my job is to train salespeople. I'm a sales author, trainer, expert, and consultant. That's my lane.I train salespeople no matter what they believe. I train salespeople no matter what their religion. I train salespeople and help salespeople no matter where they're from or what their walk of life is.I don't care where you come from because my entire purpose, my reason for being on earth, is to help you sell more, help you gain confidence, and to help you with your biggest sales questions and challenges.What Charlie Kirk's Example Taught MeWhat I discovered in watching those videos was something that transcends political beliefs. Charlie Kirk's example was his willingness to go sit down face-to-face with people who disagreed with him, sometimes vehemently, and just have a conversation. And do it respectfully.I noticed something remarkable in his videos: More than once, he said, "You know what, I stand corrected." Someone would come to him with a different set of facts, and he would say, "Okay, that sounds right. I agree with you." In many cases, he would shake the person's hand after a debate.He was respectful. It was never about the person. It wasn't personal. He didn't hate the person. He had conversations about their ideas. How Charlie Kirk disagreed mattered.That is what we need to get back to. Not someplace in the futureβtoday, right now.The Human CostI watched his wife's, Erica's, message to the world, and I found myself on an airplane as a grown man with tears streaming down my face, trying not to let everyone see that I was crying. It was heartbreaking watching her pain.She has two kids; they are one- and three-years-old. That assassin changed their lives forever.I can't imagine when one of them gets older and either finds the video of their daddy getting assassinated or someone puts it in front of them. If you step into that frame for just a moment with your human empathy, it will make you hurt.Charlie's children will be raised with stories instead of memories, photographs instead of laughter, and silence where their father's voice should have guided and loved them.The Conflict We All FaceEverywhere in our lives with other people, we have disagreement. Everywhere in our lives,
What if one simple discovery question could close your next big deal?Hereβs the one I used: βTell me whatβs going on with your team?βThen I shut up and listened. The buying committee talked, debated, and worked their way toward their own clarity. By the end of the call, they had essentially closed the deal for me. I barely said a word.Thatβs not a fairy taleβit happened. And it proves why most sales discovery fails: reps focus on their checklist and pitch instead of helping the buyer gain clarity.The Certainty Crisis Killing Your DealsDr. Lorenzo Bizzi joined The Sales Gravy Podcast and revealed a simple truth: Buyer uncertainty kills deals.Traditional sales discovery often increases that uncertainty. Rigid qualifying questions, seller-centric agendas, and shallow data gathering make buyers feel misunderstood and cautious.When you approach discovery this way, youβre eroding trust. Sure, buyers are evaluating your productβbut theyβre also evaluating whether you understand their world. And if you canβt help them gain clarity, even the best solution wonβt move the deal forward.The Science of Deep Sales DiscoveryThe most effective influence tactic isn't charm, rapport, or even product demos. It's clearly displaying the arguments and reasons why your solution works for their specific situation.But you can't build rational arguments until you truly understand the problem. And you can't understand the problem until you master deep discovery.Deep discovery operates on two levels: The Organizational Level: What metrics matter to the company? What are the measurable business outcomes they're trying to achieve? What's the cost of inaction? The Individual Level: What's at stake for each stakeholder personally? How will this decision impact their performance review, their standing with leadership, and their career trajectory?Remember: Organizations don't make decisions. People do.The Power of One QuestionThe most powerful discovery conversations start with one well-crafted, open-ended question that invites the buyer to tell their storyβnot your story about how great your product is.Β The question I usedβ"Tell me what's going on with your team?"βworked because it was: Open-ended, with no leading assumptions. Centered on their world, not my product. Neutral, without judgment or bias. Broad enough to go anywhere.When you ask the right question and then listen, the buyer starts convincing themselves. They begin connecting the dots between their current situation and what they need to change.Β And here's the key: If the buyer says it, it's the truth. If you say it, you're just another salesperson spinning a pitch.Cognitive Empathy Is The Difference MakerDr. Lorenzo Bizzi defines several types of empathy. But for salespeople, the distinction that matters is simple: affective empathy pulls you off course, while cognitive empathy keeps you sharp, connected, and in control.Affective empathyβactually feeling what your buyers feelβwill drain your energy and cloud your judgment. When they're frustrated, you get frustrated. When they're uncertain, you become uncertain.Cognitive empathy is different. Itβs the ability to recognize and understand what your buyer is feeling without taking it on yourself. You stay clear-headed and outcome-focused, while still connecting deeply with their situation.Β In discovery, cognitive empathy shows up in the emotional nuance most salespeople missβa pause before they answer, a change in tone, or hesitation in their voice. Thatβs your cue to lean in, ask a clarifying question, and uncover whatβs really driving their hesitation. "You paused when I asked about your current system. What's on your mind?" "I heard some frustration in your voice when you mentioned the timeline. Help me understand what's driving that."Deals get won in the emotional subtleties that surface-level discovery never uncovers.
Here's a question that'll make you rethink everything about sales performance: What happens when your team has all the skills, tools, and training they need, but they're still underperforming because they can't regulate their emotions under pressure?That's exactly what Natalie Brooks from Charlotte discovered when she noticed how drastically emotions were impacting her team's performance during tough selling days. Meanwhile, salespeople like Jordan from San Diego are making decisions they later regretβpushing forward on deals they know are wrong just because they look good on paper.If you're nodding your head right now, you're witnessing one of the most overlooked aspects of sales performance: emotional regulation. And it's costing you deals, talent, and revenue.The Dysregulation Problem: When Emotions Hijack PerformanceHere's the brutal truth: When you're emotionally dysregulated or your nervous system is hijacked by stress, focusing on anything becomes nearly impossible. Your best discovery questions go out the window. Your qualifying discipline disappears. Your prospecting consistency evaporates.Think about it. You can have the perfect sales process, but if your rep is in fight-or-flight mode from a string of rejections, they're not executing that process effectively. They're just going through the motions while their emotional state sabotages their performance.This isn't just about "feeling better." This is about creating the mental and emotional foundation that allows elite sales performance to happen consistently.Why Most Sales Leaders Miss This CompletelyThe reason most sales organizations ignore emotional regulation is the same reason they obsess over talk time metricsβit's easier to focus on activities than outcomes.It's much simpler to say "make more calls" than to create an environment where your team feels safe enough to regulate their emotions and perform at their peak. But here's what happens when you ignore the emotional component of sales:Your reps start making fear-based decisions. They chase deals they know are wrong fits because they're afraid of having an empty pipeline. They avoid difficult conversations because rejection feels personal. They burn out because they're running on adrenaline instead of sustainable energy.Meanwhile, your top performers aren't just skilled, they've learned to manage their emotional state in a way that supports peak performance.The Three Pillars of Emotional Regulation in SalesPersonal Regulation: The Foundation Everything starts with personal habits that support emotional stability. Your "why" becomes your anchor during tough moments. When you're tired, exhausted, or questioning what you're doing, that purpose pulls you through.But purpose alone isn't enough. Your daily habits outside of work create the foundation for emotional regulation at work. Sleep, nutrition, exercise, stress managementβthese aren't "nice to haves." They're the infrastructure that supports your ability to stay sharp and focused when deals get challenging.Team Regulation: Creating Safety As a leader, you have a responsibility to create psychological safety where your team can regulate together. This might look like mid-day resets where everyone takes a few deep breaths or does a quick activity to release tension from difficult calls.The key is consistency. When emotional regulation becomes part of your team cultureβnot just something you talk about during tough timesβit shows that peak performance includes emotional wellness.Process Regulation: Trusting Your System Here's where emotional regulation meets sales discipline. When you have clear qualifying standards and you trust your process, you don't have to make emotional decisions about which deals to pursue.Ultra-high performing salespeople show discipline by recognizing that they only have so many hours in the day. They create rules they can live by rather than relying on gut feelings in the moment.
While your competitors are stuck in voicemail purgatory, a small group of top performers has unlocked a secret pipeline of qualified sales leads. They've discovered how to stop chasing and start attracting, all by generating warm leads through podcast interviews. Not by starting their own shows, but by treating every podcast appearance as a lead generation machine built on conversation and credibility.As Molly Ruland, CEO of Heartcast Media, puts it, "You don't need a hundred new clients tomorrow. Two people who really like you and understand your business talking about you in rooms you're not in can change your pipeline."Β This mindset shift transforms how you approach every conversation so that it compounds into trust, referrals, and revenue.The Real Problem with Your PipelineYouβre sending out hundreds of emails, making dozens of cold calls, and hoping something sticks. Itβs exhaustingβand it rarely produces the kind of relationships that lead to real opportunities.Your prospects don't want to be sold to. They're sick of transactional relationships. They want genuine conversations and solutions from people they trust. This is where most salespeople fail to find a qualified sales lead. They're focused on the sale, not the connection.Β So whatβs the alternative? Itβs learning to treat every podcast appearance as more than just an interview. Done right, podcasts become a warm stage where you can demonstrate expertise, build credibility, and start relationships that turn into pipeline.To make this work, you need a simple, repeatable systemβa four-step process that transforms a single podcast conversation into a flow of qualified leads.Step 1: Finding the Right StageThe process is about being smart, not getting famous. You donβt need to get on the biggest podcast in the world. You need to get on the right podcast.The right podcast is where your ideal customer profile (ICP) is already gathered, listening, and learning. A show with 50 listeners who are all in your target market is a thousand times more valuable than a show with 50,000 listeners who will never buy from you.How do you find the right podcasts?Β Ask your best clients what they listen to.Β Research key influencers in your space.Β Look for shows that specifically address the problems you solve.Β Your goal is simple: Find and get on shows hosted by industry connectors, aggregators, and experts who have already earned the trust of your prospects. This allows you to skip the cold outreach and get a warm introduction to your next qualified sales lead.Step 2: The Introduction That Doesnβt Sound Like a PitchOnce youβve identified your target shows, the next step is getting invited. This is a crucial moment. A generic email wonβt cut it. You have to craft a message that offers value, not asks for a favor.Your outreach needs to be personalized and direct. Donβt talk about how great you are. Talk about the hostβs audience. Explain why your expertise, insights, or unique perspective will provide undeniable value to their listeners. Reference a specific episode or a past guest to prove youβve done your homework.And donβt limit yourself to email. LinkedIn is one of the most effective platforms for securing podcast invitations. Sending a thoughtful, personalized LinkedIn messageβpaired with a strong profile that showcases your expertiseβpositions you as a credible guest. When a host sees you consistently sharing relevant insights on LinkedIn, your ask feels natural instead of opportunistic.When you offer to help them provide a great episode, you position yourself as a partner. Youβre not begging for airtime. Youβre offering a valuable conversation. This approach immediately sets you apart and begins the relationship-building process that is essential to finding a qualified sales lead.Step 3: Mastering the ConversationThe interview itself is not a sales call. Your goal is to be a helpful,
A day in the life of a rep heading toward sales burnout: You wake up ready to crush your sales goals, skip breakfast to get an early jump on calls, grab fast food between appointments, and by 2 p.m., you're mentally checked out, struggling to focus on that critical prospect meeting.Β That's the reality facing Angela Mendez from Austin and Marcus Taylor from Denver. Angela's crashing every afternoon when she skips meals or eats on the go. Marcus is burning out fast, juggling a packed pipeline and back-to-back Zoom meetings.If you're nodding your head right now, this article is your wake-up call. Because the energy crisis and burnout epidemic in sales isn't just about being tiredβit's costing you deals, destroying your performance, and stealing your edge when you need it most.Why Sales Reps Experience Afternoon Energy Crashes and How to Fix ThemLet's start with the key facts of energy management: Your brain is an engine, and like any engine, it needs the right fuel to perform. When you skip meals or grab whatever's convenient, you're essentially putting sugar water in a Ferrari and wondering why it's sputtering.Here's what happens when you don't fuel properly: Your blood sugar crashes, your focus evaporates, and your personality literally changes. You become irritable, indecisive, and ineffectiveβexactly when you need to be sharp, confident, and persuasive.The solution isn't complicated, but it requires preparation and discipline.Start with breakfastβperiod. This isn't negotiable. You need something that gives you a slow burn: oatmeal with fruit, protein like eggs, something that keeps you steady until lunch. If you don't eat protein in the morning, you'll be hungry by 10 a.m. and making poor food choices.Pack your day the night before. Get a cooler. Fill it with real food: apples and almond butter, walnuts, dried fruits without added sugar, vegetables and hummus. Keep fresh fruit and vegetable juices without added sugar in small bottles. This isn't about being a health fanaticβit's about maintaining peak performance when deals are on the line.Here's the game-changer: Don't wait for fatigue or extreme hunger. Stay ahead of it. The moment you feel your energy dipping, that's too late. You should be fueling consistently throughout the day, not rescuing yourself from a crash.And here's a pro tip that might sound simple but works: Carry apples everywhere. When you start getting hungry and your personality begins to shift, an apple gives you just enough sugar and energy without the crash that comes from processed snacks. It's your emergency reset button.How Back-to-Back Meetings Create Sales Burnout and What to Do InsteadNow let's talk about Marcus's burnout problem, because this one hits close to home for every salesperson drowning in Zoom fatigue and calendar chaos.Being on camera wears you out way faster than face-to-face meetings. If you're scheduling yourself back-to-back-to-back without recovery time, you're your own worst enemy. There's no formula that's going to solve the problem of walking from one meeting directly into the next meeting into the next meeting. Your brain can't handle it, and your performance will suffer.Take control of your calendar. I know this sounds obvious, but how much of your scheduling nightmare did you do to yourself? How often do you say yes when you should say no? How many meetings do you accept because of FOMOβfear of missing outβwhen the meeting is actually superfluous?Audit your last 30 days of meetings. Really look at them. How many could you have declined? How many were necessary for moving deals forward versus just making you feel busy and important?Here's what's really happening: You're filling your calendar to prove your value and demonstrate how busy you are. But a packed calendar isn't a badge of honorβit's a recipe for burnout and poor performance. It takes confidence and self-ownership to say,
Leadership is the single most important factor in a sales teamβs success. You can have talented reps, strong products, and a solid sales process, but without effective leadership, performance stalls. As Duff Tucker, Sales Trainer, puts it on this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast:"You have to model the behaviors that you want your team to live out. When you model those, you get a lot of credibility. You have respect. You have influence.βIn today's hyper-competitive sales environment, your team has choices. Top performers can work anywhere. Average reps will coast if you let them. But the teams that consistently crush quotas, retain top talent, and create cultures where everyone wants to win all have one thing in common: a leader who has mastered the fundamental skills that turn potential into performance.Here are five leadership skills every sales manager must master to drive their team to the next level.Β 1. Clear Communication: No Confusion, No ExcusesSales teams donβt fail because of a lack of talentβthey fail because of unclear expectations. Leadership starts with communication. If your reps donβt know exactly what you expect, how you measure success, or where theyβre falling short, youβre setting them up to miss the mark.Clarity means: Defining priorities: What activities matter most (calls, meetings, proposals) and why. Eliminating ambiguity: No mixed signals, no βread between the lines.β Giving feedback in real time: Donβt wait for quarterly reviews to correct course.Practical tip: After every meeting, send a short recap of agreed actions and timelines. It reinforces expectations and removes excuses. Vague leadership creates vague results.2. Goal Setting & Vision: Building Direction, Not Just NumbersA sales leader isnβt just a scoreboard watcher. Your job is to give your team something bigger to aim at than just βhitting quota.β Without a clear vision, teams drift into reactive mode and lack initiative. People perform better when theyβre chasing a clear, meaningful vision.Β Effective goal setting requires more than revenue targets. Itβs about: Tying team goals to organizational strategy. Breaking big objectives into manageable activity benchmarks. Painting a picture of what winning looks like so reps can see themselves in it.Practical tip: Start every month by walking your team through why their goals matter and how success impacts the company, the customer, and their own careers. When reps buy into the vision, they push harder to achieve it.3. Coaching: From Boss to BuilderMicromanagers kill momentum. Coaches create it. Leadership in sales means shifting from telling people what to do to building people who can do it themselves.Great sales coaching involves: Observation: Ride-alongs, call reviews, pipeline inspections. Targeted feedback: Specific, actionable, focused on behaviors, not personality. Development mindset: Every interaction is a teaching moment.Practical tip: Block weekly one-on-one coaching sessions that focus on skills and pipeline health. Ask questions that uncover roadblocks instead of delivering lectures. Consistently coached reps outperform those left to figure it out alone.4. Adaptability: Leading Through ChangeMarkets shift, customers evolve, and strategies that worked yesterday wonβt guarantee tomorrowβs success. The best leaders view challenges as opportunities.Adaptability looks like: Adjusting sales strategies with confidence. Staying ahead of industry trends, not reacting late. Modeling resilience when things donβt go according to plan.Practical tip: Hold monthly βmarket pulseβ sessions where you and your team discuss shifts in buyer behavior, competitor activity, and emerging tools. This keeps your team agile and ready to move, rather than stuck waiting for direction.5. Accountability & Recognition: The Performance BalanceLeadership is about balance, not being a cheerleader or tyrant.
Here's a question about sales territory disputes that'll make your head spin: What do you do when overlapping territories and shared relationships turn your sales team into a collection of lone wolves fighting over who owns what?That's the exact predicament faced by Kayla Lujan, VP of Sales at Down to Earth Landscape and Irrigation, in Orlando, Florida. Her team manages defined territories, but their business model creates inevitable crossover with HOA managers who oversee multiple properties spanning across different reps' territories.As she put it: "I've really seen the team kind of lose focus on working as one or team selling and more of β¦ a what's mine versus working together."If you're nodding your head right now, you're not alone. Territory disputes are one of the most destructive forces in sales organizations, and they're costing companies their collaborative culture and their best deals.The Psychology Behind Sales Territory WarsSalespeople are wired to win. And when territories overlap, that competitive drive turns inward, creating internal battles that hurt everyone.I learned this lesson the hard way when I was a VP of sales managing local and regional account executives. We had big regional accounts sitting in local territories, and the fighting was relentless. Local reps would work around the system, hide opportunities, and go through back doors to protect "their" accounts.The result? We lost major deals because the wrong person with insufficient skills was working them solo, or we'd win the business only to have explosive commission disputes after the fact.But here's what shocked me most: When we gave people the choice between money or credit on the ranking report, they fought harder over the credit than the commission. They'd forgo 100% money but wage war over who got recognition for closing the deal.That tells you everything you need to know about sales psychology. It's not just about moneyβit's about winning, recognition, and status.The Real Cost of Territorial ThinkingTerritory disputes create uncomfortable team meetings and destroy your sales effectiveness in three critical ways:Lost Deal Value: When the wrong rep works a deal alone because they're protecting their turf, you lose the collective expertise that could close bigger opportunities.Relationship Damage: Customers get confused when multiple reps approach them without coordination, making your organization look disorganized and unprofessional.Top Performer Exodus: Your best salespeople get frustrated with the politics and infighting, leading them to seek opportunities at companies with better team cultures.The companies that figure this out win big. The ones that don't hemorrhage talent and revenue to organizations that actually know how to build high-performing sales teams.The Solution: Strategic Commission Pools and Clear OwnershipFor Kayla's HOA challengeβand similar overlapping territory situationsβhere's the framework that actually works:Assign Relationship Ownership: The rep with the core relationship (the HOA headquarters contact) owns account retention and expansion. They're responsible for keeping that account long-term and get compensated accordingly.Create Local Opportunity Roles: Local reps in each territory focus on building relationships with on-site contactsβfacility managers, groundskeepers, community center staff. They get compensated for new project acquisition and spot opportunities within their geographic area.Implement Commission Pools: Instead of fighting over who gets what percentage, create a commission pool for each major account. The pool gets divided based on roles and contributions, not territorial claims.Force Up-Front Agreements: Here's the crucial part: Make involved parties agree on commission splits before any work begins. Post-deal disputes are exponentially harder to resolve than pre-deal agreements.The Leadership Mindset Shift
Sales activity is the lifeblood of your career. But for too many salespeople, itβs the very thing holding them back. Youβre generating a ton of activity, your calendar is packed, your inbox is overflowing, and by the end of the day, youβre drained.Β But your numbers arenβt moving. Youβre not gaining ground; youβre just driving in circles.As Ron Karr, author of Velocity Mindset, says, the difference between amateurs and top performers isnβt how fast they move, but whether theyβre moving with a clear, defined direction. The problem isnβt laziness. Itβs that youβre mistaking motion for momentum. And thatβs why you feel stuck.The Problem: Sales Activity Without PurposeMost salespeople today are trapped in a cycle of sales activity that leads nowhere. Instead of pursuing long-term, meaningful outcomes, they chase short-term wins: a quick meeting booked, a proposal sent, a Request for Proposal (RFP) answered.But those wins donβt move the needle. They pull you onto a field controlled by competitors. Youβre responding to bids, filling out forms, and competing on price. Thatβs not sellingβitβs order-taking. And order-taking will keep you broke no matter how much activity you pile on.The Real Cost of βBusynessβBusyness isnβt just about wasted time. Itβs about emotional avoidance. The reason you bury yourself in low-value sales activity is that it feels safe. These tasks create the illusion of productivity while shielding you from what youβre really afraid of: rejection.Instead of calling the prospect whoβs gone cold, you refresh your CRM. Rather then reaching out to the big account youβve been circling, you tidy your inbox. Instead of pushing into a tough conversation, you polish the proposal one more time.Youβre not lazy. Youβre working hard. But effort without purpose is like a car spinning its wheels in the mud. Lots of noise, lots of energy, but no forward motion.Β The Solution: High-Leverage Sales ActivityNot all sales activity is created equal. Some actions produce a 10x return. Others are pure waste. Top performers know the differenceβand ruthlessly prioritize the former.Here are three high-leverage sales activities that separate pros from amateurs:Proactive ProspectingYour sales pipeline is the fuel tank for your career. If itβs empty, youβre not going anywhere. Prospecting isnβt a side task you do when you have extra time. It is the job.That means making outbound calls, sending personalized emails, and using LinkedIn to connect with people who arenβt already in your orbit. Stop waiting for the phone to ring. Go make it ring.Meaningful ConversationsOnce you get a prospectβs attention, the goal isnβt to rattle off product features. Itβs to have a value-driven conversation. That means asking discovery questions that uncover their goals, their pain points, and their motivations. It means showing up as an expert and positioning yourself as a trusted advisor, not another vendor.When you consistently create conversations that center around the customerβs needs, you become indispensable. Prospects should feel like theyβd be foolish not to work with you.The Power of βNoβNot every opportunity deserves your time. Amateurs say yes to every opportunity and demo request. Top performers say no.Qualify hard; disqualify fast. The hours you spend chasing a dead deal are hours you could invest in finding a stronger one. Being busy with the wrong opportunities makes you broke. Saying no to the wrong leads frees you up to say yes to the right ones.Your Action Plan To Go From βJust Busyβ To ProductiveBreaking the cycle of wasted sales activity requires intention and discipline. Hereβs how to start:Step 1: The Activity AuditFor one week, track everything you doβcalls, emails, meetings, busywork. At the end of the week, review your log and ask: Which of these activities directly moved a deal forward or created new pipeline?Most of what you thought was productive wonβt make the cu...
Here's a question that'll flip your understanding of cultural intelligence in sales upside down: How do you win over a room full of skeptical Spanish teenagers when you're the obvious American outsider who barely speaks their language?That's exactly what Spencer Birmingham from Arkansas faced when he called into Ask Jeb. Fresh out of college with a marketing degree and an internship at International Paper under his belt, Spencer was heading to Spain for eight months as a language teaching assistant. His challenge? Figure out how to connect with Spanish students and "sell" them on American culture and the English language.What started as a simple question about gaining cultural perspective turned into a must-listen discussion of the universal principles of influenceβprinciples that work whether you're closing deals in boardrooms or winning over teenagers in Spanish classrooms.The Universal Language of Human ConnectionSpencer had already absorbed one of the key lessons from Sales EQβthe brown paper bag of bread story about understanding what matters to your prospect. But he was struggling to see how those principles would translate across cultural and language barriers.Here's the breakthrough: The five core decisions people make before they buy into youβDo I like you? Do you listen to me? Do you make me feel important? Do you get me? Do I trust and believe you?βare universal. They transcend language, culture, and geography.Whether you're selling software to executives in Atlanta or teaching English to teenagers in Madrid, every human being makes these same emotional decisions before they'll open their hearts and minds to your message.The Listening Advantage That Trumps Language BarriersMost teachers (and salespeople) make the same fatal mistake: They walk in talking. They assume their job is to deliver information, share knowledge, and demonstrate expertise.Wrong approach.The secret weapon that works in every culture? Start by listening.Instead of walking into that Spanish classroom and immediately launching into English lessons, what if Spencer started by asking questions: "Tell me something about yourself that not many people know. What are your biggest challenges with English? Why do you want to learn this language?"This approach leverages what we know about human psychology in complex sales: When you listen first, you accomplish three critical things simultaneously.First, you demonstrate likability through genuine interest. Second, you prove you're actually listeningβthe foundation of all trust. Third, you make people feel important, which is the most insatiable human need.Speaking Their Language (Even When You Don't)Here's where it gets fascinating. Spencer worried about the language barrier, but that's actually his biggest opportunity.The language that matters most isn't Spanish or Englishβit's the language of being a teenager in Spain. It's the language of their challenges, their dreams, their world. When Spencer takes what they share about themselves and incorporates it into his lessons, suddenly he's not the outsider trying to force American culture on them.He becomes the person who gets them."Remember when you told me about your soccer tournament? Let's practice describing that experience in English." Suddenly, English isn't a foreign conceptβit's a tool for expressing what matters to them.This mirrors exactly what happens in complex sales. The most successful salespeople don't speak the language of their product featuresβthey speak the language of their prospect's business challenges, industry pressures, and personal goals.The Power of Making People Feel HeardThere's a reason why building trust through active listening is foundational to every sales methodology: It's the fastest way to move from outsider to trusted advisor.Spanish teenagers, like buyers everywhere, are drowning in noise. Everyone's talking at themβparents, teachers, social media.
In today's economy, being the account manager who keeps clients happy and renewals steady simply isnβt enough. Every budget line item is under the microscope. Customers want proof of ROI, so you have to show measurable value while driving growth.Reva Pellerin, the #1 enterprise account manager at Vidyard, puts it bluntly: "If you simply renew your book of business at 100%, that's not your target. Your target is to grow the customer base."The best account managers aren't just order-takers. They're huntersβfinding new opportunities, building pipeline, and actively selling within their own territory. They expand their influence before competitors slip in.So, how do you trade in your passive approach for a hunter's mindset?Β The Three-Step Hunterβs Playbook for Account ManagersTop account managers share one thing in common: they work their accounts daily. Theyβre intentional, consistent, and always looking for ways to help clients solve new problems. Here are three steps on how to adopt the same approach.1. Prospect Your Own AccountsProspecting isn't just for new business repsβyour current accounts are the richest hunting grounds you have. You already have access and credibility; now you need to leverage them. Even a 30-minute weekly block can uncover new revenue. Map the organization: Use tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator to map the client's company beyond your primary contacts. Look for new hires, promotions, or departures. A new executive often means new initiatives and budgets, creating a prime opening for you. Set alerts so youβre the first to know. Search for adjacent pain points: Don't just focus on the problems your solution already solves. Talk to your contact and ask them about what other departments are struggling with. A simple question like, "I'm curious, what's the biggest challenge the operations team is facing this quarter?" can lead to an introduction to a new buyer and a new opportunity. Send targeted outreach: When you identify a new potential buyer, don't cold call them. Send a personalized email referencing your existing relationship with their colleague and the value you're already providing.Β For example: "Hi [New Contact Name], your colleague [Existing Contact Name] and I have been working together to help their team achieve [Specific Result]. I wanted to see if the challenges you're facing in [Their Department] are similar, as we might be able to help."2. Master the Expansion SaleExpansion sales arenβt about pushing more productsβtheyβre about solving more of your customersβ problems. The best account managers think like consultants: they uncover needs, tailor solutions, and connect them to strategic objectives. Ask penetrating questions: Instead of asking, "Do you need more licenses?" try asking questions that reveal a need. For example: "I know you're focused on improving efficiency. Where are your biggest bottlenecks, and whatβs the cost of those bottlenecks?" βWhatβs the next big initiative youβre planning?β βWhat are you under the most pressure to deliver this quarter?β Link to measurable outcomes. If your solution saves time, estimate the cost savings. If it improves output, quantify the gain.Β Position the expansion as risk reduction. Many leaders will spend to avoid failure before theyβll spend to chase success. Show how the additional product or service reduces operational risk, customer churn, or missed revenue. Collaborate with your champions. Work with your existing advocates inside the account to co-create the expansion pitch. They know how decisions get made internally, and they can help you frame the opportunity in language that resonates with leadership.3. Leverage Your Success for ReferralsReferrals are one of the most underused growth levers in account management. The key is asking at the right timeβafter youβve delivered a clear, measurable win. Earn the right first. Advocacy follows impact.
Overcoming call reluctance starts with understanding why even seasoned sales pros freeze up when it's time to pick up the phone. They're paralyzed by one simple fear: interrupting a prospect's day.That's exactly what Kirk Roberts from Richmond, Virginia, brought to the table. Kirk's problem wasn't about not knowing what to say or how to pitchβit was the mental block around the very idea of interruption.He hated being interrupted by low-quality sales calls himself. And even though 99% of the time prospects were receptive to his message, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being pushy just by dialing the phone.Kirk's got the skills. He knows what to say. His prospects love him once they're talking. But every time he reaches for the phone, his stomach knots up. Sound familiar? If you've ever stared at your phone, finger hovering over the dial button, worried about being "that pushy salesperson," you're not alone.The Projection Trap: Why Your Empathy Is Working Against YouKirk's challenge is rooted in something I call projectionβdeciding for your customer how they'll feel before you've even spoken to them.If you have a high level of empathy (and many great salespeople do), you naturally put yourself in the other person's shoes. You think:"I wouldn't want to be interrupted, so they won't either."Here's the brutal truth: That empathy is killing your pipeline. Because you don't actually know if your call will be an annoyance or the best thing to happen to them today.I've bought plenty of products from salespeople who "interrupted" me, because their timing and message were right. That wouldn't have happened if they'd let their fear of bothering me keep them from picking up the phone.The One Thing That Makes Interruption WelcomeNobody likes to be interrupted. But if you are going to interrupt, make it worth their time.Think about it: Would you rather get a cold call from someone who clearly knows nothing about you, or from someone who's done their homework and has a relevant, valuable reason for reaching out?There are two ways to make your outreach relevant:1. Personalized Messaging for High-Value ProspectsDo your research on the specific individual. Learn about their company, role, and current challenges. Use that to craft a tailored message that connects your solution directly to their world. This is essential for high-value, niche, or executive-level prospects.2. Targeted Messaging for Scaled OutreachBuild messaging that resonates with a clearly defined groupβpeople who share the same role, industry, geography, or problem set. It's not as specific as personalized outreach, but it's still relevant to most people in your target list.Test it. If your calls fall flat, adjust the message until it clicks.Stop Confusing Prep Work with ProspectingHere's where most salespeople sabotage themselves: They spend their "prospecting time" researching LinkedIn profiles and crafting the perfect email instead of actually dialing.Let me be clear: Research is not prospecting. Building messaging is not prospecting. Prospecting is picking up the phone and interrupting people. Everything else is prep work.Block separate time for building your targeted or personalized messaging. Then protect your prospecting time like your mortgage payment depends on itβbecause it does.From Pushy to Helpful: Reframing InterruptionKirk's empathy makes him a sales rockstar once he's in conversation. But he was letting his concern for prospects' feelings rob them of the chance to work with him. That's not empathyβthat's selfish.The shift is simple but not easy: You're not interrupting to take from them, you're interrupting to help them. You've earned the right to interrupt because you've done the work to make your outreach relevant. Missing a chance to help them because you didn't call? That's the real loss.5-Step Action Plan to Crush Call ReluctanceIf you're struggling like Kirk,
In 1960, two brothers scraped together $900 and bought a failing pizzeria in Michigan, launching what would become a cautionary tale about sales incentive programs gone wrong. Within months, one brother traded his half of the business for a beat-up Volkswagen, leaving Tom Monaghan alone with his ambitions.By 1965, with three stores under his belt, Tom faced a naming crisis. He couldn't legally keep using the original name, DomiNick's, so an employee suggested "Domino's." The logo? Three dots, one for each store. Tom figured he'd add a new dot for every location.After opening store number five, he wisely reconsidered that plan.Because what happened next wasn't just growthβit was an explosion that would teach sales leaders everywhere a crucial lesson about the double-edged sword of powerful incentives.How One Sales Incentive Program Nearly Destroyed a Billion-Dollar CompanyHere's what America looked like in the early 1980s: Microwave ovens were revolutionizing kitchens, Federal Express was making overnight delivery an expectation, and Americans weren't just eating fasterβthey were living faster.Domino's fit perfectly into this new rhythm, but Tom Monaghan wanted more. In a move that bordered on dangerous, he made a promise so simple it would define the company for decades:"Pizza Delivered in 30 Minutes or It's Free."It wasn't just about pizza. It was about certainty. And America bought itβliterally.Within a year, sales exploded. From 200 stores in 1978 to over 2,500 by 1985. Over 5,000 by 1989. Every store became a speed factory with slimmed-down menus, cookie-cutter layouts, and drivers who might as well have been sitting behind the wheel with engines already running.Competitors couldn't keep up. But here's the brutal truth about speed: you don't see the danger until it's too late.The Hidden Dangers of Performance-Based CompensationHere's what every sales leader needs to understand: Powerful sales incentives, pushed too far, create unintended consequences that can destroy company culture. This principle, that when metrics become targets, they cease to be good metrics, would prove devastatingly true for Domino's.At first, the cracks were small. A delivery driver rolling a stop sign here, a speeding ticket there. But this wasn't a system built to reward patienceβit was built to reward speed at any cost.Inside Domino's stores, the pressure wasn't subtle. Drivers were expected to race the clock. If they missed the 30-minute mark, some franchises made them pay for the order out of their own pockets. The message was clear: make it fast, or make it up yourself.Rolling stops became running red lights. Neighborhood shortcuts turned into risky maneuvers through heavy traffic.What customers didn't seeβand what Domino's executives refused to acknowledgeβwas that they'd created a ticking time bomb. Speed wasn't just a business model anymore; it had become a way of life that determined every employee's behavior, and smart sales leaders understand this connection between incentives and culture.By the late 1980s, insurance companies raised Domino's premiums by 15-20 percent. Reports surfaced of accidents tied to delivery drivers rushing to meet the 30-minute window.Then came the story that changed everything: A Domino's driver in St. Louis ran a red light, colliding with another vehicle. Inside that car was Jean Kinder, whose life was permanently changed. The jury awarded her $78 million in punitive damages.In 1993, Domino's officially ended the 30-minute guarantee in the United States.Here's what most sales leaders get wrong about incentives: they don't just shape what people doβthey shape who people become.Sound familiar? It should. Because this same pattern plays out in sales organizations every single day.5 Warning Signs Your Sales Incentives Are BackfiringTake Wells Fargo's aggressive cross-selling goals in the mid-2010s. Supervisors told bankers to open more accounts,
The transition from closer to coach is where most new sales leaders struggle.You've put in the work, made the calls, and closed the deals. Your numbers speak for themselves. You were the rainmaker. The top dog. The one everyone pointed to as the example of what a salesperson should be. Finally, youβve earned the promotion you've been chasing: Sales Manager.The very habits that made you successful as a top-performing rep (moving fast, working independently, and ignoring administrative tasks) can work against you in a leadership role. Your win column is no longer personal; itβs team-wide.As Kyle Jager, founder of Vendi Consulting, states in this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, βIf you're transitioning from a sales or individual contributor into a leadership role, you probably are great at sales. But now you have to become a great leader. And that takes time. It takes practice, but it also takes some learning.βWhy Most New Sales Leaders FailMost new sales leaders crash and burn within their first 18 months. Not because they can't sell, but because no one ever taught them how to lead.They walk into the role thinking it's just sales, but with a nicer title and better commission overrides.So they default to what they know: chasing deals, staying in the weeds, and trying to be the hero.But leadership isn't about closing deals. It's about developing people. And if you don't make that shift fast, your team won't followβand your results will suffer.Stop Being the Hero: Your New Job DescriptionAs an individual contributor, you were the hero of your own story. Pipeline looking thin? Hit the phones harder. Deal stalling? Jump in and save it. Commission check light? Work more hours.As a sales leader, your job is to make others the heroes of their stories.Β That means: Your success is now measured by your team's results, not yours. Youβre only as good as the people you lead. You have to develop people, not just manage numbers. Your weakest performer deserves as much attention as your top gun. You become a multiplier. One great salesperson affects one quota. One great sales leader affects ten quotas, twenty quotas, or more.The Five Non-Negotiable Disciplines of Being a New Sales Leader1. Master the Art of Sales CoachingCoaching is not cheerleading. It's not motivational speeches or rah-rah meetings. Real sales coaching is the systematic development of specific skills through observation, feedback, and practice.You cannot coach what you cannot see. Get in the field with your people. Listen to their calls. Watch their presentations. Most new sales leaders avoid this because it's time-intensive and uncomfortable.Β Establish a consistent coaching cadence. Hold weekly one-on-ones to dig into deals, metrics, and skills.Β Remember: your goal is not to create mini-versions of yourself. As a new sales leader, your goal is to help each salesperson become the best version of themselves.2. Build and Maintain Pipeline DisciplineAs an individual contributor, you managed one pipeline. Now you're responsible for multiple pipelines, and pipeline discipline becomes exponentially more critical.Implement non-negotiable pipeline reviews. Weekly pipeline meetings should be sacred time where every opportunity gets analyzed.Teach your team to be ruthless about pipeline hygiene. Dead deals must be purged. Stalled opportunities need action plans or elimination. Every deal in the pipeline should have a clear next step, decision-maker involvement, and a realistic close timeline.Most importantly, never let your team's pipeline run thin. When pipeline gets weak, panic sets in, and desperate salespeople make desperate decisions.Β 3. Become a Hiring MachineYour success depends entirely on having the right people on your team. This means you must become obsessed with recruiting and hiring A-players.Stop hiring people you like and start hiring people who can sell.
Here's a question that'll drive you absolutely crazy: How do you sell professional services without giving away everything for free?That's the burning question from Laura and Adam, attorneys who are struggling with the classic professional services dilemma. Their intake team and attorneys want to showcase their expertise by giving away everything for free during sales conversations.Meanwhile, they're also trying to figure out what kind of salesperson they need to hire to sell high-value legal services effectively.If you're nodding your head right now, you're not alone. This is the most common trap I see professional service providers fall into, and it's bleeding them dry while their competitors who keep their mouths shut are crushing them in conversion rates.The Professor Problem: Why Being Smart Is Making You BrokeLaura nailed it when she described their current approach as "professorial." They show their talents and knowledge, thinking, "How can they not want to hire us because we're so brilliant?"But here's the brutal, kick-you-in-the-gut truth: The more you teach on sales calls, the lower your closing ratio becomes. Period. No exceptions. The less information you give, the higher your closing ratio goes.This isn't just theoryβit's what I've learned from years of training consultants and professional service providers. When practitioners get on sales calls, it's incredibly hard not to show all our cards or teach people during the conversation.But you're not running a free consultation. You're running a sales process.Why Information Is Your LeverageβNot Your GiftHere's what Laura and Adam's team needs to understand: Information is your leverage. Are you going to give your leverage away for free?The key is teaching your intake team how to ask questions and bring the person through a process. You're connecting with prospects, learning about them, getting them talking about their fears, helping them articulate what they want, and then building a quick value bridge to why they should sign with your firm.Thenβand only thenβdo you ask for the commitment.When prospects start fishing for free legal advice, you shut it down fast with this exact response: "That's a really, really good question. And that's exactly why we need to get you booked with an attorney so that you can sit down with a professional who can walk you through that strategy. Let's go ahead and get you signed up."The High-Stakes Hire: What to Look for in Professional Services SalespeopleWhen you're selling high-value services instead of products, you need a special type of salesperson. Here are the three make-or-break qualities that will determine whether your hire is a rockstar or a disaster:They Need to Be Street Smart - Not book-smartβstreet-smart. They need to think on their feet because you've got different types of people coming to you with different cases. If someone is used to just following a script, they're not the right person for you.High Emotional Intelligence with Outcome Drive - This is the tricky balance. They need high emotional intelligence to quickly connect with people and build relationships. But they also need enough outcome drive to ask for the commitment and not let people off the hook.You're essentially running a one-call close. A person comes in, you take them through the journey, and then you ask them to make a commitment. If they don't commit on that call, your chances of signing them as a client go down exponentially over time.The Goldilocks Zone - If you hire someone too far on the outcome-driven side, they'll be pushy schmucks who pressure people, strongarm prospects, and destroy your reputation. You'll end up with buyers' remorse and angry clients.If you hire someone too relationship-driven with too much empathy, they'll have great conversations and make wonderful friendsβbut they won't convert anybody into customers.
If you're only showing up in one place, you're not showing up at all, which is why top sales reps are making multi-channel prospecting a priority and leveraging LinkedIn to get ahead.Β "The reality of buying and selling is that everyone has different preferences, and as a salesperson, we need to use as many tools as possible. If you are only making calls or sending emails, youβre missing [prospects] that donβt answer calls or reply to emails," says Daniel Disney, one of the world's leading social selling experts and founder of The Daily Sales.In today's sales landscape, understanding and navigating the "Prospecting Maze" is no longer optionalβit's essential.The Prospecting Maze: Why Single-Channel FailsThe modern buyer isnβt linear. They donβt follow a step-by-step funnel. Instead, theyβre zig-zagging across digital touchpoints: social feeds, emails, websites, calls, review sites, podcasts, webinars, and peer referrals.A prospect might first see your company mentioned in a LinkedIn comment, hear about you from a colleague, get a cold call later that week, and convert after reading third-party reviews.Β This is where multi-channel outreach gives you a powerful edge. And in the world of B2B, LinkedIn often becomes your competitive advantage.Why Using LinkedIn in Your Multi-Channel Prospecting WorksAmong your core outreach toolsβphone, email, socialβLinkedIn stands out. It doesnβt replace cold calling. It reinforces it. Used strategically, it extends your credibility, warms up cold conversations, and drives responses other channels canβt.Hereβs what makes LinkedIn a powerhouse in your multi-channel approach: Professional Credibility: A strong LinkedIn presence builds instant trust. Prospects see who you are, what youβve done, and how you show up in your industry. Deep Prospect Insights: LinkedIn offers unmatched visibility into a buyerβs job history, interests, content, and network. That context powers personalization that cuts through the noise. Soft-Touch Engagement: You donβt have to push. LinkedIn allows you to comment, share, and message in a way that builds rapport, without asking for time or commitment right away. Message Amplification: Your posts and interactions can reach 2nd- and 3rd-degree connections. That passive visibility compounds your prospecting efforts.The LINK Framework: Your Multi-Channel Prospecting SystemYou donβt need to spend hours scrolling LinkedIn. In fact, you can see results in just 15 focused minutes a day β if you have a plan. Thatβs where the LINK Framework comes in. Itβs a repeatable system for integrating LinkedIn with your outreach strategy and making every touchpoint count.L β Leverage LinkedIn for InsightYour first call sets the tone. Before you pick up the phone, use LinkedIn to gather quick intelligence such as your prospectβs role, recent posts, company news, and shared connections.Example Cold Call Opener:βHi [Prospect Name], this is [Your Name] with [Your Company]. I'm calling because I saw [Your Company] recently [published an article on X / celebrated a milestone / hired new talent], and it made me think about how other leaders in [their industry] are grappling with [specific problem that your solution solves].βI β Integrate Channels with PurposeDonβt silo your outreach. Each touch should build on the last, referencing LinkedIn in your emails, following up calls with connections, and weaving consistent messaging across every interaction.Example Touch Pattern: Touch 1: Phone call + voicemail Touch 2: Immediately after your call, send a LinkedIn connection request Touch 3: Email referencing LinkedIn or voicemail Touch 4: Comment on their recent post or share a relevant industry article Touch 5: Second phone call Touch 6: LinkedIn message with relevant insight or assetN β Nurture Through EngagementYour prospects see who shows up. Stay in their world by regularly interacting with their content.
Should you use sales scripts to close more deals?That's the question I get from salespeople who are struggling to hit their numbers and looking for that magic bullet that'll transform their results overnight. They want to know if there's a perfect set of words that'll make prospects say yes every time.Here's my answer: No. Not just no, but hell no.If you're using scripts, you're using a crutch that's actually crippling your ability to build the one thing that closes deals: trust. And worse, you're hiding behind that crutch instead of developing the real skills that separate elite performers from the pack.The Script Crutch: Why We Reach for ItI get why scripts feel appealing. When you're new to sales or struggling with consistency, having something to fall back on feels safe. Scripts promise to eliminate the fear of not knowing what to say next.But here's the problem: That safety is an illusion.When you rely on a script, you're outsourcing your brain to someone else's process. You stop listening to what your prospect is actually saying because you're too busy figuring out what line comes next. You lose your ability to respond authentically to their real concerns, fears, and motivations.Scripts turn you into a talking brochure instead of a trusted advisor. And prospects can smell it from a mile away.Think about the last time someone called you reading from a script. You knew within 30 seconds, didn't you? That robotic cadence, the inability to deviate when you asked a question, the way they plowed ahead regardless of your responses.How much did you trust that person? How likely were you to do business with them?What Scripts Actually Do to Your PerformanceScripts don't just fail to help you, they actively hurt your results.They Kill Your Authenticity - The moment you start reading lines, you stop being yourself. Your natural charisma disappears behind memorized words.They Prevent Real Listening - When you're focused on delivering your next line perfectly, you're not truly hearing what your prospect is telling you. You miss the real concerns hiding behind their surface objections.They Make You Predictable - Every other salesperson calling your prospect is probably using the same script. When you sound like everyone else, you become a commodity that competes on price, not value.They Create Dependency - The more you rely on scripts, the less you develop your own skills. Instead of learning to think on your feet and handle objections naturally, you become dependent on having the "right" words handed to you.What Elite Performers Do InsteadThe best salespeople I know don't use scripts. They use frameworksβa structure that preserves authenticity while ensuring they cover all the bases.Here's the framework that works: Connect First Start every conversation by building genuine rapport. Not with scripted small talk, but with authentic curiosity about who they are and what they do. Unpack Their Fears Early Most salespeople wait until the end to handle objections. Elite performers get them on the table immediately. "Tell me about a bad experience you've had with contractors before." "What are you most worried about with this decision?" You can't script these conversations because every prospect's fears are different. Understand Their Motivation Why are they really doing this? What's the trigger event that brought you together? What happens if they don't solve this problem? These insights come from skilled questioning and active listening, not memorized presentations. Explore Their Desired Outcome Get them talking about their aspirations. What does success look like? When prospects paint their own picture of a better future, they're selling themselves. Make Recommendations Like a Consultant When you've truly listened and understood their situation, making recommendations becomes natural. You tie everything back to what they told you: "You mentioned you're worried about quality....
You know the feeling. You're mid-pitch, and you watch your prospect's eyes glaze overβtheir mind somewhere else entirely. It's exhausting, demoralizing, and it's killing your close rate.But what if you didnβt have to push so hard? What if you could create the kind of pull where prospects actually leaned in and said, βHow do I get started?βIn this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, high-performance coach Kristin Andree shared her perspective: "If we put ourselves out there and let people know who we're looking for and be excited about it and excited about helping them, we attract them."The difference between top performers and everyone else isn't talentβit's their prospecting approach. Elite salespeople don't convince prospects to buy. They make prospects want to buy.Β The Exhaustion of the Old WayIf you feel like youβre always running uphill, youβre not imagining it. Most salespeople are stuck in a reactive mindsetβconstantly pursuing leads who havenβt shown real interest.This is where the exhaustion creeps in. You follow up relentlessly, only to get ignored. You worry about being too aggressive. Your outreach starts to feel desperate instead of helpful.Prospects can feel that energy shift. When youβre trying to close anyone, instead of helping the right ones, you come across as transactional. You sound like a pitch, not a person. You become just another vendor fighting for attention and pricing leverage.4 Ways to Make Prospects Come to YouAttraction in sales is about relevance and resonance. You stop pushing your solution on people who donβt care and start showing up in a way that makes the right people take notice.Thatβs the core of value-based selling. It's not about feature dumps, aggressive closes, or chasing "maybe" prospects. Itβs about clearly communicating how your solution solves urgent problems, accelerates outcomes, and makes your buyerβs life easier or better.When done right, it flips the dynamic entirely. You move from interrupting to inviting. From being just another sales rep to someone your prospect actually wants to hear from.Hereβs how to put that into action:1. Lead With Curiosity, Not Pitch DecksBefore you ever think about pitching, dedicate time to genuinely understanding your prospect's world. Research their industry, their company, and their specific role.Β Ask insightful, open-ended questions that uncover their true challenges, not just surface-level issues. Listen for the underlying pain, unspoken frustrations, and desired outcomes. When you truly listen, you gather the knowledge to position yourself not as a salesperson, but as an informed resource. Imagine a software sales rep for a project management tool. Instead of immediately launching into features, they might start by asking, "What are the biggest bottlenecks your team faces in project delivery right now?" As the prospect describes disorganized communication or missed deadlines, the rep then offers to share a related article. This positions the rep as knowledgeable and helpful, building rapport and trust before ever mentioning their product.2. Use Content as a Sales MagnetYou donβt need to be an influencer to build credibility. Every rep can become a curator of insightβand thatβs often more valuable than always trying to create original content. Share relevant articles: Find industry news, research, or thought leadership pieces that address your ideal client's pain points and share them on LinkedIn with your own insightful commentary. LinkedIn Posts & Videos: Craft short, valuable posts offering tips, insights, or asking thought-provoking questions related to your niche. Short video tips addressing common challenges can be very impactful. Intelligent Commentary: Engage thoughtfully in industry discussions online. Your informed perspective demonstrates expertise and attracts like-minded professionals.Every time you share something helpful, you reinforce your value.
Here's a scenario that'll hit close to home: What do you do when you were crushing your numbers just months ago, but now you can't seem to close anything and your confidence is in the gutter?That's exactly what happened to Dhruv, a business development rep from Saint Louis. After figuring out his rhythm in Q1 and hitting strong performance numbers, he found himself in a two-month slump with low attainment and shattered confidence.If you're nodding your head right now, you're not alone. Every sales professional faces these valleys, and how you respond determines whether you bounce back stronger or spiral further down.The Confidence Crisis: When Success Breeds ComplacencyDhruv's story reveals a pattern I see constantly in sales organizations. After a strong Q1, he got comfortable. His dials dropped. He thought he had it all figured out. Sound familiar?Here's the brutal truth: Success without discipline is temporary. The moment you stop following the process that got you there, you're setting yourself up for a fall.When things started going sideways in April, Dhruv did what most salespeople doβhe panicked. He started questioning everything, looking for new scripts on LinkedIn, using AI to find the "perfect" approach. Everything except the one thing that would actually help: going back to basics.The Fundamentals Never Go Out of StyleI told Dhruv about John Smoltz, the Cy Young Award-winning pitcher who spoke at an event I attended. Smoltz explained that when baseball players get into a slump, they start changing everythingβlooking for magic pills, new techniques, secret solutions.But here's what champions do differently: They go back to the fundamentals.Take Kobe Bryant. Every morning at 4 AM, he'd spend three to four hours working on the same basic skills he learned as a kid. The fundamentals that made him great in the first place.The same principle applies to fanatical prospecting. When you're in a slump, you don't need new techniquesβyou need to execute the proven process with precision and discipline.Process Goals vs. Outcome Goals: The Confidence BuilderWhen your confidence is shaken, outcome goals become your enemy. Focusing on "I need to close three deals this week" when you're struggling just adds pressure and anxiety.Instead, shift to process goals: How many calls will you make today? Are you using your five-step framework consistently? Are you delivering your ledge statements with conviction? Are you following up with discipline?I shared with Dhruv my own experience from when I was 24 and going through a terrible quarter. I was so down I didn't want to come to work. Here's how I climbed out:I started with 10-minute call blocks. Call for 10 minutes, then read three pages of an inspirational sales book as a reward. Rinse and repeat.Within 30 days, I was performing well. Within 90 days, I was the number one rep in my region.The key wasn't finding a secret technique. It was trusting the process in shorter, manageable increments.The Economic Reality: When Markets Tighten, Double DownDhruv's slump coincided with companies pulling back on spending. But here's what most reps get wrong: When markets tighten, you need to make more calls, not fewer.The prospects with budget and urgency are still out there, they're just harder to find. That means more activity, not less. More discipline, not shortcuts.This is exactly what I cover in Selling in a Crisisβwhen economic conditions get tough, the fundamentals become even more critical.Your Confidence Comeback Action PlanIf you're in a confidence slump right now, here's your roadmap back:Stop Looking for Magic Solutions Get off LinkedIn. Stop asking AI for the perfect script. The answer isn't out thereβit's in the process you already know works.Break It Down When confidence is low, work in shorter blocks. Fifteen-minute call sessions with quick wins and self-recognition for executing the p...
Will AI steal your sales team's jobs?It's the question haunting every sales floor conversation and keeping leaders up at night. But here's the crucial insight: The biggest threat to your teamβs sales careers lies in misinterpreting AI's role.While the debate rages over robots replacing salespeople, forward-thinking organizations are already embracing "Agentic AI." This isn't your typical automation that just speeds up email sequences. It's a completely different approach that turns AI into your sales team's secret weapon, not their replacement.The companies getting this right aren't asking "How do we cut costs with AI?" They're asking, "How do we make our best salespeople unstoppable?" The answer is reshaping the entire profession, and it's happening faster than you think.Agentic AI is Far From Old-School AutomationMost sales leaders think AI is about efficiency, and theyβre wrong. They think teams will only send more emails, make more calls, and process more leads. That's old-school automation thinking, not agentic AIAgentic AI refers to artificial intelligence systems that can independently make choices and take actions while working toward complicated objectivesβall without needing constant human oversight or guidance.As Outreach CEO Abhijit Mitra puts it: Agentic AI engines focus on giving salespeople tools that enhance their strengths and simplify their daily tasks.Agentic AI enhances human judgment. Instead of automating relationships, it deepens them. Your top performers are successful because they make better decisions, read situations more accurately, and build stronger connections.Agentic AI amplifies gives your salespeople superhuman pattern recognition, instant access to contextual insights, and the ability to predict customer needs before prospects even realize them. Your best rep's intuition, backed by AI's analytical power, becomes an unstoppable combination.The Best AI is Custom BuiltToo many organizations buy the same generic solution their competitors are using and wonder why they're not seeing breakthrough results.Your sales process, market, and customers are unique. Your AI should be, too.Despite often being an expensive investment, custom AI solutions adapt to your specific industry terminology, recognize your unique buying patterns, and align with your particular sales methodology.If your team can't find ways to use generative AI effectively, then they need to read The AI Edge by best-selling author Jeb Blount. If they still struggle to use generative AI effectively, it might be time to invest in custom AI that captures and amplifies your unique competitive advantages.Why Most AI Implementations Fail From the StartBefore you get excited about AI magic, be warned: Most AI implementations fail spectacularly. Not because the technology is flawed, but because companies skip the unglamorous groundwork.Your AI is only as good as your data. Garbage in, garbage out is both a tech clichΓ© and the undeniable reason your CRM feels like a digital junk drawer and your sales forecasts are glorified guesswork.Companies that invest in data cleanup before implementing AI see immediate, measurable improvements. Itβs more than removing duplicate contacts. Itβs about creating a foundation where AI can learn meaningful patterns about your customers, your market, and your sales process.Poor data quality limits AI performance and makes it downright dangerous. When AI systems learn from incomplete or incorrect data, they amplify those errors across your entire sales process. Your reps start making decisions based on flawed insights, potentially damaging customer relationships and missing opportunities.The lesson? AI transformation is a data governance initiative. Get it right, and everything else becomes possible.How to Manage Your Team's Resistance to ChangePicture this: You announce your AI initiative in Monday's sales meeting. Instead of excitement,
How can one comp plan mistake sabotage your sales team before they even start?Β That's the challenge facing Adam and Laura from the Rossen Law Firm in Florida. After attending one of our Dallas workshops, they made the bold decision to transition to a non-attorney sales team. Six weeks later, they're all in on the strategy but hitting a wall on one critical issue: compensation structure.The problem? Like most law firms making this transition, they're stuck in the traditional legal mindset when it comes to paying salespeople. They can't pay direct commissions because of fee-splitting regulations, but they're struggling to create a compensation plan that motivates high performance.If you're nodding your head right now, you're not alone. This is the No. 1 stumbling block I see when law firms try to build professional sales teams, and it's costing them their best talent before they even get started.The Legal Industry's Compensation ConundrumMost law firms approach sales compensation like they're hiring another paralegal instead of recognizing they're building a revenue-generating machine.The traditional legal industry operates on billable hours, retainers, and partnership tracks. But sales? Sales is about results, motivation, and creating an environment where top performers want to stay and mediocre performers either level up or leave.When you try to force a square peg (sales compensation) into a round hole (traditional legal compensation), you get exactly what Adam and Laura discovered: confusion, frustration, and the risk of incentivizing the wrong behaviors.Why Fee-Splitting Regulations Actually Work in Your FavorBefore you start cursing the legal profession's restrictions on fee-splitting, let me share something that might surprise you: This limitation can force you to build a better compensation structure than most sales organizations.Here's why: Instead of lazy commission-based thinking, you're forced to get creative with performance bonuses tied to specific outcomes. This means you can build a compensation plan that rewards the behaviors you actually want, not just the easy stuff.The key is shifting from a commission mindset to a performance bonus mindset. This isn't just semantic; it's a fundamental change in how you think about motivating your sales team. This approach requires strong leadership fundamentals, which is why understanding how to create a sales accountability culture becomes critical to your success.The Three-Layer Compensation Framework That Actually WorksWhen I work with law firms on this challenge, I recommend a three-layer approach that satisfies legal requirements while creating real motivation:Layer 1: Competitive Base SalaryThis is your foundation. Pay a competitive salary that attracts superstar talent. Why? Because when you pay superstar wages, you can hold people accountable for superstar performance without them saying "you're not incentivizing me for that."If most of your comp is salary, you can explain expectations clearly and apply leadership, motivation, and inspiration to get people to do the hard things without getting paid extra for everything.Layer 2: Individual Performance Bonuses (Monthly)Focus on activity-based goals that drive results: Follow-up completion rates Number of qualified calls taken Conversion rates from initial contact to consultation Client onboarding task completionThese should be measured monthly because salespeople need tighter timelines to stay motivated. The fundamentals of effective follow-up and systematic prospecting become crucial here. This is where mastering fanatical prospecting principles makes the difference between good and great performance.Layer 3: Team and Firm-Level Bonuses (Quarterly/Annual)This is where you create real ownership mentality: Quarterly team goals: Total new clients signed above baseline Annual firm goals: Overall revenue growth and profitability targets
How many times do you actually attempt to reach out to a prospect before you give up?On the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jessica Stokes calls out a common sales reality when prospecting:βWe all know the average salesperson typically stops after three, maybe four attempts before moving on. We assume they're not interested. We want to find a juicier lead.βThis common behavior defines The 3-Call Fallacyβthe flawed belief that if someone doesnβt respond after a few tries, theyβre not interested. Itβs where you probably tap out and tell yourself youβve done enough.You havenβt. Persistence is key.Β Why Salespeople Quit Prospecting Too EarlyThe premature retreat from prospecting isn't about laziness; it's rooted in fundamental misconceptions and fear.The Fear of Being AnnoyingThe most common excuse? βI donβt want to be a pest.βΒ You leave a voicemail, send an email, maybe try LinkedIn, and then you back off. You tell yourself youβre giving them space.But your prospect doesn't remember you.When you're looking at your CRM thinking, "This is my sixth attemptβI'm going to tick this guy off," your prospect likely has no idea who you are. To them, today's call feels like the first time you've reached out.The Momentum KillerSpacing out your touchpoints destroys any traction you might have built. Waiting a weekβor worse, a monthβbetween messages forces you to restart every time. That familiar name? Forgotten. That compelling message? Gone.Momentum is built with consistency. Familiarity breeds trust, but only if you stay in front of them long enough to become familiar.The 4 Steps of Building a Fanatical Prospecting SequenceThe fix? Being fanatical about sequencing.Β Itβs about consistent, well-timed, multi-channel outreach that keeps your message fresh and front of mind. Stay Consistent: Donβt let more than a few days pass between touchpoints. Regular rhythm creates recall. Think of it like a steady drumbeatβnot a one-time boom. Use Multiple Channels: Your prospect may ignore emails but answer LinkedIn. Or they may screen unknown numbers but reply to a personalized video. Use all the tools available:-Phone calls-Emails-LinkedIn messages-Video messages-Direct mail (for high-value prospects) Track Your True Attempt Rate: Most reps overestimate their persistence. Implement a rigorous tracking system, whether in your CRM or a simple spreadsheet, to log every single touchpoint. Reframe Your Mindset: Youβre not bothering peopleβyouβre offering help. If you believe in your product and know it can solve their problems, persistent outreach is a service, not a nuisance.The Prospecting ChallengeReady to put this into action? Take 20-50 leads and run a sequence over the next 30-45 days. Make contact attempts every few days using multiple channels. Track your progress.Youβll likely discover: Responses after 8, 10, even 12 attempts. Prospects saying things like "I'm glad you reached out again" or "I was thinking about calling you back." Booked appointments you never would have gotten with the traditional 3-call approach.3 Common Personal Objections (And Why They're Wrong)This is where self-sabotage shows up. Letβs break down the common excuses: "I don't want to be annoying." Your prospect deleted your voicemail in 10 seconds. They're not sitting there with a map of all your attempts, getting angrier with each one. "If they were interested, they would have called back." People are busy. Interest doesn't always translate to immediate action.Β "I need to focus on warmer leads." Every lead starts cold. The difference between a cold lead and a warm lead is often just consistent, value-driven follow-up. You make them warm.The Discipline Factor: Every Attempt CountsJust like you can't run a 10K after one day of training, you can't expect immediate results from prospecting. It's a cumulative effort that builds momentum over time.
Here's the brutal truth about social media for sales: You're already behind, and it's going to be a grind.That's the reality Margarita from Dallas discovered when she called into our podcast. She's a seasoned realtor with 20+ years of experience, built her entire business on referrals and warm market relationships, and suddenly realized she needs to master social media to stay competitive.Sound familiar? You're not alone if you're staring at this digital mountain wondering how the hell you're going to climb it.But what makes Margarita's situation even more challenging and why her story matters to every sales professional reading is this: She's trying to compress 20 years of relationship building into a social media strategy that can compete with people who've been doing this for decades.The Tom Cruise Problem: Building Your Social Media Presence Takes TimeRemember the first time you saw Tom Cruise in a movie? For me, it was Risky Business, some kid dancing around in his underwear. He wasn't the "last movie star" then. He was just another actor trying to make it.But here's the thing: Today, if you saw Tom Cruise walking down the street, you'd lose your mind. You'd want selfies, autographs, the whole nine yards. Why? Because over decades, he created millions of micro-interactions that built trust, familiarity, and fandom.That's exactly what you need to do on social media. You need to create fans of YOU.The problem is that most sales professionals want to skip the relationship-building phase and jump straight to the closing phase. They want to post a few listing videos and magically generate leads. That's not how it works.The Algorithm Rewards Consistency, Not PerfectionHere's the part that's going to hurt: You need to post every single day. Not when you feel like it. Not when you have something "good" to share. Every. Single. Day.When you first start, your content is going to suck. Your first TikTok video? Three people will watch it. Your first Instagram post? Crickets. Your first LinkedIn article? Your mom and your real estate buddy will like it.I know because I've been there. We've all been there. The algorithms don't care about your feelingsβthey care about consistency.Think about it this way: You're not just competing with other sales professionals for attention. You're competing with Netflix, YouTube, TikTok, and every other form of entertainment for your prospects' eyeballs. The only way to win that battle is to show up relentlessly until people start recognizing your name and face.The Two-Bucket Strategy: Marketing vs. Lead GenerationWhen you think about social media as a sales professional, you need to separate it into two distinct buckets:Bucket 1: Marketing and Brand Building This is about name recognition, familiarity, and staying top-of-mind. When people in your market are ready to buy or sell, your name should be the first one they think of. This bucket is about volume, consistency, and building your personal brand.Bucket 2: Direct Lead Generation This is about watching what prospects are doing, engaging with them directly, and converting social interactions into sales conversations. This bucket is about quality, relationship building, and moving people from digital relationships to actual appointments.Most people focus entirely on Bucket 1 and wonder why they're not getting leads. Others focus only on Bucket 2 and wonder why their content isn't reaching anyone. You need both working in harmony.Your 3-Pillar Content Strategy SystemHere's what you need to post consistently:Original Content: This is your unique perspective, your experience, your stories. If you're a 20-year veteran like Margarita, you have war stories that new agents don't. You've survived market crashes, interest rate spikes, and industry changes. Share that wisdom.Curated Content: Find industry articles, market reports, and news relevant to your prospects.
You think you're being helpful. Your clients think you're being annoying.Early in his career, Justin Goldstein learned this lesson the hard way. He admits, "I thought that picking up the phone and calling a client to talk about almost everything was the right way to go. I personally hate communicating over email. I'd rather just talk to you and figure it out."Β The reality hit hard: clients viewed his frequent outreach as a burden rather than a benefit. Weekly update calls meant to show dedication became time-wasters in clients' minds. Daily email updates intended to demonstrate thoroughness turned into inbox clutter.This scenario plays out in sales organizations everywhere. Well-meaning professionals mistake quantity for quality, frequency for value, and availability for service excellence.Why Your Communication Style is Pushing Prospects AwayThe key to avoiding this trap isn't about reading minds; it's about understanding communication preferences. As Justin puts it, "You really have to understand what makes your clients tick, and you have to understand the nuances of how they work."This means recognizing that being understanding matters more than simply being helpful. Your client might prefer monthly check-ins over weekly ones, or end-of-week summaries instead of daily updates. They might prefer text over calls, or structured emails over casual conversations.The biggest mistake most sales professionals make is assuming their communication style is universal. It isn't. Effective communication emphasizes understanding and adapting to individual client needs.Reading the Room (and the Inbox)Here are the warning signs your communication style might be pushing prospects away: Response Time Changes: If a prospect who used to respond quickly starts taking longer or giving shorter replies, you might be overwhelming them. Meeting Resistance: Clients rescheduling frequently or suggesting less frequent meetings signal communication fatigue. Email Behavior: Prospects responding to every third email instead of each one indicates your messages lack sufficient value or arrive too frequently. Energy Shifts: Noticeably decreased enthusiasm in client responses means it's time to reassess your approach immediately.The Professional Sales Communication FrameworkInstead of guessing what works, use this framework to optimize your communication: Ask Direct Questions EarlyDuring your initial meetings, ask prospects about their preferred communication style: "What's the best way to keep you updated on progress?" "How often would you like to connect during this process?" "Do you prefer calls, emails, or something else for routine updates?" Start Conservative, Then AdjustIt's easier to increase communication frequency than to dial it back after you've been labeled "high maintenance." Begin with less frequent touchpoints and let the client guide you toward more contact if they want it.Β Make Every Interaction CountWhen you reach out, ensure it delivers value. Random check-ins and meaningless updates train clients to ignore your communications. Each email, call, or message should serve a clear purpose and advance the relationship or project.Focus on quality over quantity. One valuable update weekly beats five pointless check-ins that add no value to the client relationship. Establish Communication BoundariesBe explicit about when you'll reach out proactively versus when they should contact you. For example: "I'll send you a brief update every Friday afternoon, but please reach out immediately if any urgent questions come up."Β Clear boundaries create mutual respect and prevent communication chaos that frustrates both parties.The Business Impact of Getting It RightGetting client communication right builds trust. When clients see that you respect their time and communication preferences, they're more likely to:
Here's a question that'll keep you up at night: What do you do when your emotions are sabotaging your sales performance?That's the exact challenge posed by Kurt O'Donnell and the sales team from Joyland Roofing in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. They're crushing itβdoing $10 million in revenue with individual reps generating $2 million eachβbut they identified a critical weakness that could derail their ambitious goal of hitting $100 million in 10 years.Kurt put it perfectly: "We need to actually learn how to read ourselves better and just be consistent. Emotionally consistent, even when everything else can heave around us. How do I show up at the door and be that consultant... and not just kind of be desperate because I had a few bad calls?"If you're nodding your head right now, you're not alone. Emotional inconsistency is the silent killer of sales careers, and it's costing top performers millions in lost revenue.The Hidden Performance Killer: Your Emotional StateMost sales training focuses on techniques, scripts, and closing strategies. But here's the brutal truth: Your emotional state in the moment of truth determines your success more than any other factor.Think about it. You can have the perfect pitch, flawless product knowledge, and ironclad objection handling skills, but if you walk into that appointment carrying the baggage from your last three rejections, you're dead in the water before you even ring the doorbell.Your prospects don't know about your bad morning. They don't care that the last homeowner beat you up on price or that your competitor just undercut you again. All they know is the energy you bring to their front doorβand that energy determines whether they trust you enough to invite you in.The Compartmentalization ImperativeThe first skill every elite salesperson must master is emotional compartmentalization. Here's how to think about it:That homeowner you're about to meet? This is the only conversation they're having with your company today. They don't know about your other appointments, your wins, your losses, or your quota pressure. To them, you represent their entire experience with your organization.More importantly, their home is their biggest assetβthe most valuable thing in their life. When they're considering a roof replacement or new windows, they're not just buying a product; they're making an emotional decision about protecting what matters most to them.Their emotional experience with you is more predictive of the outcome than any other variable. People buy you first, then they buy your product. They buy you because they feel like you care about them, that you listen to them, that you understand them, and that they can trust you.That doesn't happen if you show up desperate, distracted, or carrying emotional baggage from previous calls.Process Goals vs. Outcome Goals: The Mental ResetThe difference between average performers and elite closers comes down to one thing: focus.Average performers obsess over outcome goals. They walk up to the door thinking, "I need to close this deal." When they've had a few bad calls, they skip the relationship-building and go straight to pitch mode because they're desperate for a win.Elite performers focus on process goals. They have a systematic approach: "I'm going to greet them this way, connect like this, ask these discovery questions, present like this, and ask for the business using this method." They trust the process because they know it works.When you focus on running your process perfectly, you give yourself the highest probability of getting the desired outcome. Sometimes the putts go in, sometimes they don'tβbut you ran the process every time.As one wise salesperson once said: "If you try to control the outcome, you're not going to get the outcome you're looking for. If you trust the process and trust yourself, you're typically going to get the outcome you're looking for."
The second quarter of 2025 delivered some incredible conversations on the Sales Gravy podcast. From discipline strategies that separate winners from wannabes to the psychology of selling that most reps completely miss, here are the five most powerful insights that can transform your sales results immediately.1. Focus on Activity, Not OutcomesThe Problem: Most sales reps get discouraged when they don't book meetings, causing them to change their approach daily.The Solution: Cynthia Handal, who runs high-performing BDR teams, revealed her game-changing mindset shift: "The outcome isn't to book a meeting. The outcome is to do the three hours of work."Her approach is deceptively simple but incredibly powerful: Time block your prospecting activities (she does 9 AM to 12 PM daily). Set a timer and don't stop until the time is complete. Focus on controlling what you can controlβthe work itself. Trust that results will follow consistent activity.This eliminates the emotional rollercoaster of good days and bad days. When you focus on process over outcomes, you build the discipline that creates sustainable success.2. Get a βNoβ Then Aim for a βYesβThe Problem: Most salespeople chase prospects desperately, making them less attractive.The Solution: Mike Maples Jr., a Silicon Valley VC and former software entrepreneur, uses a counterintuitive approach to actively trying to disqualify prospects.The "go for the no" technique works like this: Start conversations by suggesting you might not be the right fit Use body language that shows you're willing to walk away Make prospects convince you they need your solution Qualify out aggressively those who don't value your advantageThis approach leverages the psychological principle that people want what they can't have. When you're not desperate, you become magnetic.Β 3. Align Your Entire Organization's MessageThe Problem: Five sales reps with five different value propositions confuse customers and create internal friction. They need to be unified.The Solution: Lisa Dennis discusses that messaging alignment must extend beyond just the sales team to the entire organization.Her process includes: Involving the whole company in messaging rollouts, not just sales Ensuring customer success and support teams understand the same value propositions Providing discovery questions and conversation frameworks to salespeople Creating organizational congruence from marketing through deliveryWhen everyone in your organization tells the same story, customers experience consistency at every touchpoint. This builds trust and reduces friction throughout the customer journey.4. Trust Commands a 30% PremiumThe Problem: Salespeople focus on features and benefits while underestimating the value of trust.The Solution: Yoram Solomon's research that people will pay an average of 29.6% more to buy from someone they trust versus someone they don't know (not someone they distrustβjust someone neutral).The trust-building behaviors that matter most: Listening instead of pitching Showing genuine care for the customer's situation Being attentive and present during conversations Making and keeping promises consistentlyTrust is worth dollars.5. Get Your Math RightThe Problem: Most businesses stay stuck in six figures because they're fundamentally undercharging for their service.The Solution: David Neagle, who has helped countless entrepreneurs break through seven figures, says the issue is usually mathematical, not motivational.His tips for confidently pricing right: Stop comparing yourself to the averageβcompare to the top performers Charge based on results delivered, not time spent Ask yourself: "If they get the same result, why can't I charge the same price?" Actually ask for the sale at your true valueAs David puts it: "It's hard to do $50,
Here's a question that'll make your blood boil: Why do most sales leaders spend their pipeline reviews asking about dollar amounts and close dates while completely ignoring whether their reps actually have real deals?That's the brutal reality I see in sales organizations every single day. Leaders are obsessing over MEDIC, BANT, and other qualification frameworks while their pipelines are stuffed with dead deals that will never close.Meanwhile, their forecasts are consistently wrong, deals keep getting pushed, and reps are burning time on opportunities that died months ago.If you're nodding your head right now, you're not alone. Focusing on surface-level qualification instead of true deal engagement is one of the most backward approaches to pipeline management I see today, and it's costing companies millions in missed forecasts.The Qualification Theater Problem: When Frameworks Become FantasyRemember when everyone thought MEDIC and BANT were the holy grail of qualification? Sales leaders everywhere started drilling reps on budgets, authority, need, and timing like they were conducting a police interrogation.But here's what actually happens: Reps learn to check the boxes without understanding whether they have a real deal.They'll tell you they've qualified the budget, but they're talking to someone who has to "go talk to the boss." They'll say there's urgency and timing, but the prospect is waiting to hire an executive in a completely different department before making a decision.Traditional qualification frameworks are the opposite of real pipeline inspection. They're vanity metrics disguised as sales rigor.Here's the brutal truth: You can have a deal that checks every qualification box and still have a 2% chance of closing. Meanwhile, a deal that looks "unqualified" on paper might be ready to close tomorrow because the right stakeholders are engaged and moving forward.Why Most Pipeline Reviews Are Theater, Not StrategyThe reason most sales leaders run terrible pipeline reviews is because it's easy. It requires zero investment in actual deal coaching, stakeholder analysis, or strategic thinking.Think about it: It's much easier to ask, "What's the budget?" than it is to dig into whether the decision-maker actually sees value in solving this problem.But here's what happens when you manage this way: You end up with pipelines full of zombie deals that look good on paper but will never close.Your reps get comfortable keeping deals in the pipeline because they've "qualified" them. Your forecasts become fiction because you're counting revenue from prospects who aren't actually buying.What Actually Matters: The One Question That Reveals EverythingInstead of obsessing over qualification checklists, elite sales leaders focus on the one metric that actually predicts deal success: What's the next step?This isn't just another questionβit's the ultimate deal quality detector. Here's why: Dead deals have no next steps. When a rep says, "They're going on vacation, so I'll call them in a few weeks," that deal is dead. When they say, "They told me to call back in a month," that's not a pipeline dealβthat's a prospect. Real deals have committed next steps. When a rep says, "We're doing a technical demo with their IT team on Friday, and the CFO specifically asked to see ROI projections by Tuesday," that's a deal with momentum. Engaged prospects match your effort. If you're doing all the workβsending proposals, scheduling calls, following upβwhile they're giving you vague responses, you don't have a deal. You have a prospect who's being polite.The Three-Question Pipeline Inspection SystemWhen I'm inspecting pipeline quality, I use a simple three-question framework that reveals everything:1. What's the Next Step?This is the deal-killer question. If there's no specific, committed next step with a date and stakeholders involved, the deal is stalled or dead. Period.2.
Ben Hogan, who was arguably the greatest ball striker the game of golf has ever known, taught that if you wanted to improve your swing you should focus on the cause rather than the result.Β This was good advice for golfers and brilliant advice for sales professionals. Because in sales, if you want to sell more it pays to become obsessed over your behaviors, techniques and processes rather than your outcomes.Β Most Sellers Obsess Over OutcomesMost salespeople are focused on winning or losing individual deals. They get emotionally wrapped up in every prospect, every conversation, every close attempt. When they win, they're on top of the world. When they lose, they're devastated.But top performers? They think completely differently. They're not obsessed with any single deal. They're obsessed with the process that creates consistent results over time.This mindset shift is the difference between feast-or-famine selling and predictable, sustainable success.The Downside of Outcome Based Sales GoalsHere's what happens when you're obsessed with outcomes instead of process:Every deal, every month, every quarter becomes life or death. You put all your emotional energy into individual prospects and hitting numbers, which clouds your judgment and makes you act desperate.You take rejection personally. When someone says no, it's not just a business decision β it feels like a personal attack on your worth as a salesperson.You make poor decisions under pressure. When you need a deal to close to hit your number, you start discounting too early, chasing bad prospects, or making promises you can't keep.Your performance becomes inconsistent. You have great months followed by terrible months because you're riding the emotional roller coaster of individual wins and losses.You burn out faster. The constant emotional highs and lows are exhausting and unsustainable.Shift to Process GoalsProcess goals are different. They focus on the activities and behaviors you can directly control, not the outcomes that depend on factors outside your influence.Instead of "I need to close three deals this month," a process goal is "I will make 50 prospecting calls every day."Instead of "I have to win the Johnson account," it's "I will have four meaningful touch points with stakeholders at Johnson this week."Instead of "I need to hit 120% of quota," it's "I will follow my proven sales methodology on every single opportunity."Process goals put you in control. You can't control whether a prospect buys, but you can control how many prospects you contact, how well you qualify them, and how consistently you follow your process.Why Top Performers Love Process GoalsCreate predictable results. When you focus on the right activities consistently, the outcomes take care of themselves. It's like compound interest β small, consistent actions create massive results over time.Reduce emotional volatility. You're not devastated by individual losses because you know that if you stick to your process, the wins will come.Improve decision-making. When you're not desperate for any particular deal, you make better strategic decisions about where to invest your time and energy.Build confidence. Every day you hit your process goals, you build momentum and confidence, regardless of whether deals close that day.Create sustainable habits. Process goals turn success behaviors into automatic habits rather than things you do when you feel motivated.The Mathematics of Sales Process GoalsHere's why process goals work: Sales is a numbers game, but most people focus on the wrong numbers.Average performers focus on: How many deals they close The size of individual deals Their closing percentage on active opportunitiesTop performers focus on: How many new prospects they contact daily How many discovery calls they conduct weekly How many proposals they deliver monthly
You know the drill. The quota clock is ticking, the pressure is mounting, and there's that relentless urge for a quick win. Every sales professional has felt that impulse to rush the process, to push for the immediate "yes," because, well, the numbers demand it.But here's the tough question you need to ask yourself: What if that very pressure is actively sabotaging your long-term success? What if chasing the fast buck is actually costing you the lucrative, lasting relationships that define an elite sales career and build a lasting book of business?As Sales Gravy Podcast guest Steve Pyfrom puts it: βBuilding relationships takes time and sales, teams need desperately to get off of this short-term win dynamic. The goal is long-term revenue for your company, lifetime value for the end user.βΒ Focusing solely on the quick sale burns through pipeline leads faster than you can replace them, leaving you on a perpetual hamster wheel of prospecting just to stay afloat. It's time to talk about the long game, because building real relationships is where sustainable revenue lives.Why Churn Is Killing Your CommissionsLet's talk numbers. According to SimplicityDX, customer acquisition costs have increased by 222% over the last eight years, while customer lifetime value has remained flat. It's getting harder and more expensive to find new customers, making the ones you have incredibly valuable.Yet most salespeople treat customers like one-time transactions. They close the deal, celebrate briefly, then immediately move on to the next prospect. This approach is financial suicide.Customers who feel rushed through the buying process rarely become loyal advocates. When a customer feels pressured into a decision or perceives the sale as purely transactional, their loyalty is paper-thin. They're constantly looking for better deals, questioning their purchase decision, and jumping ship when problems arise.When a customer churns, you lose all potential referrals, upsells, and cross-sells they could have generated. You're back to square one, hunting for new prospects to replace the revenue you just lost, all while acquisition costs keep climbing.The Trust Equation That Changes EverythingMost salespeople think selling is about convincing, but selling is about connecting.When you rush a prospect, you're telling them their decision-making process doesn't matter. You're saying your timeline is more important than their comfort level.Β Real relationships are built on trust, and trust takes time. Think about your personal life. Your closest friends aren't the people who tried to fast-track the process. They're the ones who showed up consistently, listened without an agenda, and proved their reliability over time.The same principle applies in sales. The prospects who become your biggest advocates aren't the ones you pressured into a quick yes. They're the ones who felt heard, understood, and genuinely cared for throughout the entire process.The Compound Effect of Relationship SellingConsider Mary, a software sales rep who was in competition with 2 other software vendors for a deal with a manufacturing company. Mary's competitors immediately launched into aggressive pitches and discount offers to David, the CFO, hoping to close the deal quickly.Mary took a different approach. Instead of pitching, she spent two months understanding David's cash flow challenges and upcoming board presentation needs. She shared relevant case studies, introduced him to a supply chain consultant, and helped him think through his decision criteria. She never once mentioned her software.When David's team raised concerns about implementation timelines during their evaluation, Mary's competitors pushed back, insisting their solution was simple to deploy. Mary listened, then connected David with a similar CFO who had successfully managed a comparable rollout. That conversation addressed David's real concerns and kept Mary's soluti...
That's the question every sales leader, CEO, and HR department is wrestling with as AI tools flood the market with promises to automate everything from prospecting to closing deals.Meanwhile, salespeople are panicking, wondering if their jobs are about to disappear to some algorithm that can write emails faster than they can type "Dear Valued Customer."If you're losing sleep over this, take a deep breath. The fear is real, but it's also completely misplaced.Here's the brutal truth: AI isn't going to replace you. But salespeople who understand how to leverage AI absolutely will replace those who don't.When Robots Try to Sell It's Not AuthenticRemember when email prospecting worked? When a well-crafted subject line could get you a meeting, and personalization meant more than just mail-merging someone's first name?Those days are over, and AI killed them in about nine months.Here's what happened: Marketing departments discovered they could use AI to blast out thousands of "personalized" emails that sounded human but weren't. They could fake voicemails using voice cloning technology. They could create sales sequences that felt authentic but were completely artificial.The result? Complete market saturation with fake outreach that destroyed trust across every communication channel.Humans Have a BS Detector for FakenessHere's what these AI-obsessed companies don't understand: People have an incredibly sophisticated BS detector. We can sense inauthenticity from a mile away, even when the technology is nearly perfect.When you receive an email that sounds too polished, too perfect, or follows a pattern you've seen before, your brain immediately flags it as fake. When you hear a voicemail that sounds just slightly offβeven if you can't pinpoint whyβyou delete it.But here's the real killer: Once people realize you were too lazy to write your own email or leave your own voicemail, they lose all respect for you. They think, "If this salesperson can't be bothered to put in the effort to reach out to me personally, then why would I want to do business with them?"The One Thing AI Can Never DoThis is where the magic happens, and it's where your competitive edge lies.AI can write emails. It can analyze data. It can even fake phone calls (poorly). But it cannot engage in real-time, empathetic, synchronous conversation with another human being.It can't read micro-expressions during a video call. It can't pick up on the subtle hesitation in someone's voice that signals an unspoken objection. It can't pivot in real-time when the conversation takes an unexpected turn.Most importantly, it can't build the kind of authentic human connection that makes people want to buy from you instead of your competitor.The AI + Human Intelligence FormulaSmart salespeople aren't running from AIβthey're running toward itβbut they're using it as a tool to make themselves better, faster, and stronger, not as a replacement for actual selling skills.Here's where AI excels in sales: Research and Preparation: AI can analyze a prospect's 10-K filing, research their competitors, and create discovery questions in minutes instead of hours. It can build detailed company profiles and identify potential pain points before you ever pick up the phone. Data Organization and Analysis: That timeline your manager needs for a customer service issue? AI can pull data from your CRM, email, and support tickets to create a comprehensive summary in seconds instead of the hours it would take you to compile it manually. Writing Enhancement: Most salespeople aren't great writers. Don't shoot the messenger. AI can help you craft better emails, proposals, and follow-up messages, but only if you edit them, personalize them, and make them authentically yours. The Holy Grail: Intelligent Prospecting Lists: The biggest opportunity is using AI to build high-quality prospecting lists.Imagine walking into the office and having AI presen...
Is there such a thing as natural sales talent? Are top-level sales professionals born that way? Do they possess a gift from God that powers their ability to close sales? On this Money Monday, I answer these age-old questions.For the Love of the GameWhen I was 9 years old, after going to the Masters tournament with my Dad, I cut a limb that was shaped like a golf club from a tree, dug holes all over our backyard, and started playing βbackyard golfβ with a wiffle ball.Β I loved my little backyard golf course and played every day after school. One day though, my Dad, who had been watching me, said, "Why don't we just go play real golf?"My dad didn't know anything about golf. He didnβt grow up playing. But we went down to Walmart, bought some cheap golf clubs, and started chasing little white balls.Β We played at a legendary course in Augusta called The Patchβa municipal course with hard dirt fairways and patchy greens but a super fun place to learn the game. Our game was terrible, and we never practiced or took a lesson. But I loved going out with my dad to the course, and we had fun!In high school, I started playing on the golf team. That might have been a turning point for my game if weβd had a real coach, but instead we had a math teacher who did not play golf assigned to babysit us. So, we were on our own, but we had fun. Those years playing on my high school golf team were a blast!In college, I continued to play golf for recreationβusually with my fraternity brothers. Golf was about going out, telling jokes, and drinking a lot of beer. I have so many fun memories from those days.Β Β The Myth of Natural Talent Stole My JoyAfter getting out of college, I continued to playβmostly in business situationsβand thatβs when golf stopped being fun. I would golf with clients and peers who were so much better than me. It didn't make sense that they could hit the ball so well and I could not.Β I would go out to the range and practice until my arms hurt, but I never got any better. It never occurred to me to take a lesson.Β By my mid-30s I was so frustrated with golf that I started to believe something that would haunt me for the next 20 years: I convinced myself that people who could play golf well were just naturally gifted. And because I wasn't naturally gifted, I would never be good at golf.So I quit.For two decades, I didn't pick up a golf club.A Massive Mindset Shift Leads to a ComebackIf you have read my books and listened to my podcasts you know that I'm a big horse person. I've been involved in equestrian sports since I was a kid. I've had formal coaching and training with horses.Β On horseback, I thought I was naturally gifted. I believed it was something that God had imbued in me. So I forgot about golf and poured my time and energy into horses.Eventually, though, my son got older and started playing golf. And being an equestrian at my age became more and more dangerous.Β A bad day on a horse means you're in the hospital in traction. A bad day on the golf course means you go to soothe your wounds with a cold beer in the clubhouse.So I picked up the sticks again.But this time, I sought out a golf coach. A pro who could help me learn how to play the game.Β Starting over has been hard. It is difficult to learn new skills. But with lessons, I've gotten better. In fact, last week I shot my lowest score ever.Over the past two years of working on my golf game, Iβve come to realize how much the story that I kept telling myself about not being naturally talented hurt me and how much it stole from my life. That story cost me 20 years of enjoyment of a game I loved.The difference between my success with horses and my failure with golf wasn't natural talent. It was coaching and instruction.Β The Power of an Open vs Closed MindsetOnce you stop believing that you have to be naturally gifted in order to do anything well, you open your mind to new possibilities and amazing th...
"I can't do that."How many times have you said those four words when facing a challenging sales situation? It could be picking up the phone to make that intimidating cold call. It could be asking for the close with a high-value prospect.Β If you say 'I can't do that,' guess what? You're absolutely right. You won't.But here's whatβs surprising: The solution is simpler than you think.Β https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddjRyIHq6LAThe Wisdom That Sounds Ridiculous (Until It Changes Everything)Thirty years ago, sales coach Steve Chandler heard a client say those familiar words: "I don't think I could ever do that." His response was four words that initially sounded absurd.Β "Then don't be you."When Richard Fenton, co-author of "Go for No!," first heard this concept, he had two immediate reactions: "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard," followed quickly by "That's the most profound thing I've ever heard."Think about it. When someone says they can't speak in front of a thousand people, what's the typical advice? "Just be natural. Just be yourself." But if theyβre someone who freezes up in front of crowds, why would they want to be that person in that moment?Although you canβt magically become a new person, you do have the power to choose which aspect of yourself shows up in any given situation.The Alter Ego Advantage of Top PerformersElite athletes and performers often adopt different personas to enhance their performance.When the game was on the line, Kobe Bryant would mentally shift into his Black Mamba persona, accessing a level of confidence and killer instinct that separated him from other players.Β "The Black Mamba is something I created to get through the lowest points," Bryant explained. "It's a mindset, a way of approaching challenges."BeyoncΓ© morphs into "Sasha Fierce" on stageβa fearless, magnetic performerβbut off stage, BeyoncΓ© describes herself as naturally shy and introverted.Strategic identity shifting is the ability to step into a role that's equipped for the task at hand.Β Your 3-Step Transformation ProcessReady to make it happen? Here's your simple framework: Identify Your LimitationWhat specific sales activity makes you feel uncomfortable or incapable? Be precise. Instead of "I'm bad at sales," identify exactly when you struggle: "I freeze up when asking for referrals from satisfied customers." Design Your PersonaWho would you need to be to excel in that situation? Create a specific identity, such as The Referral Request Professional, who understands that satisfied customers want to help others access the same value they received. Make the SwitchBefore entering a sales situation that makes you nervous, consciously transition into your character. Use mental preparation (visualizing success), physical cues (changing your posture, adjusting your voice), or even simple props (a specific piece of clothing or accessory).Creating Sales Identities That PerformThe beauty of the "don't be you" approach is that you're not manufacturing a fake personality. You're accessing different facets of who you already are or who you can become.Β Here are some examples of identities to cultivate in sales:The Cold Calling ChampionWhen you need to make prospecting calls, don't be the version of you who worries about interrupting people or who fears rejection. Instead, become the professional who understands that you're offering solutions to real problems. Lead with confident convictionβlike youβre doing them a favor by calling. Channel the mindset of a sales rep who is genuinely excited about helping prospects discover opportunities they didn't know existed.Before each calling session, take just two minutes. Visualize this persona. How do they talk? What's their vibe? How do they sit? Then step into that identity.The Confident CloserWhen it's time to close the deal, don't get stuck in the part of you that feels pushy or uncomfort...
Here's a question that exposes one of the most dangerous myths in modern sales: How do you set the right pipeline creation target to consistently hit quota?That's exactly what Maryellen Soriano from New Jersey asked when she called into Ask Jeb. After crushing 134% of quota in her first year selling EdTech solutionsβtransitioning from owning her own childcare center to selling back into that same industryβshe was being told she needed 11X pipeline to maintain her success.If that number made you cringe, you're not alone. The obsession with pipeline multipliers is creating more problems than it's solving, and it's time we had an honest conversation about what actually drives predictable revenue.The Pipeline Myth That's Killing Your ForecastMost sales teams are drowning in fake pipeline, and it's destroying their ability to forecast accurately. Leadership teams, especially in tech companies, consistently miss their numbers quarter after quarter because they're obsessed with one question: "How much pipeline do we have?"The real question should be: "How clean is our pipeline?"Would you rather have 11X pipeline filled with lottery tickets, or 2X pipeline packed with qualified buyers? The answer should be obvious, but somehow we keep chasing vanity metrics instead of focusing on what converts.Here's the brutal truth: All pipeline opportunities are not equal.Two Approaches to Pipeline CreationThere are two ways to approach pipeline creation, and only one of them actually works consistently.Approach #1: Maximum Daily Prospecting (The Proven Method)Don't worry about how big your pipeline is. Worry about how much prospecting you're doing, and run on a daily cadence of prospecting that maxes out the time you can spend every single day.Prospect every day, every day, every day.I have a block of time every morning for prospecting. Then I'm prospecting during any gap during the day. If there's time between meetings, I'm doing outreach. Every single day I'm prospecting to the very max that I have time to prospect.When you do this, you don't have to worry about pipeline size because it takes care of itself. You never get on the desperation roller coaster because you never stop feeding the machine.Approach #2: Pipeline Multiplier Obsession (The Broken Method)This is where leadership teams fixate on having "5X pipeline" or "11X pipeline" because they think more is better. The problem? As soon as reps think they have "enough" pipeline, they quit prospecting. Then reality hits when half those opportunities were pipe dreams.The Science of Pipeline: The Law of ReplacementIf you want to look at pipeline like science rather than hope, you need to understand the Law of Replacement: You need to replace opportunities in your pipeline at a rate that is equal to or greater than your closing ratio.Let me give you a real example of how this works. In a previous role, I had my numbers dialed in perfectly: I knew I needed 10 first-time appointments every week About 50% would move to follow-up appointments (5 deals) I'd close about 20% of those follow-ups (1 deal per week) It took me about 20 prospecting touches to generate 2 first-time appointmentsWorking backwards from one closed deal per week, I knew exactly what I needed to produce in terms of prospecting activity and first-time appointments to feed my pipeline consistently.If I didn't replace the deals that fell out every single week, I'd eventually end up with nothing.What Makes a Real Pipeline OpportunityHere's where most organizations get it completely wrong. They're stuffing their CRM with anything that moves and calling it "pipeline."A real pipeline opportunity requires a conversation. It's not a form fill or a marketing lead or something someone else talked to and dumped in your CRM. You need to have qualified it yourself and made a decision that it belongs in your pipeline.At Sales Gravy,
Have you ever been working on a deal where you had this feeling, this intuition, this Spidey senseβsomething in the back of your mind telling you that this wasn't going to close? That you were going to waste your time?Maybe you had one of the stakeholders who was against youβan enemy. There was a naysayer who kept calling you out. Perhaps the stakeholders weren't engaged, or the incumbent vendor was so integrated into the organization that it would be very difficult to displace them.Whatever the case, you knew in the back of your mind that you weren't going to close the deal. But you kept working on it anyway. You rode that puppy to the ocean floor like the Titanic that it was.If youβve done this, and I know you have, take heart because we've all been there. We've all had these situations, and we've later regretted them.Β Top Sales Pros are Quick to Walk Away From Bad DealsΒ One of the traits of Ultra-High Performers that has always been true is that they're very quick to walk away from a deal they can't closeβa deal where they've concluded that the probability of winning is so low it doesn't meet their threshold.The reason Ultra-High Performers walk away from deals like this is simple: They know that the greatest waste of their time is investing it with the wrong prospect. The time they invest in a prospect that's not going to close is money down the drain, because it's time they can't focus on a deal that will close.But average salespeople? They hang onβhoping against hope that somehow, miraculously, things will turn around.In sales, awareness matters. You must always know where the exit is.There are two primary reasons why salespeople work on deals that are never going to close. Understanding these reasons is the first step to avoiding the trap.Reason #1: The Failure to Qualify ProperlyToo often, qualifying is treated like a one-and-done activity. We qualify the opportunity against our ICP. We qualify the numbers, budget, timing, urgency, and whether we're talking to a decision-maker with buying authority.Β These are all quantifiable metrics that we can measure and check off our list.Β But Ultra-High Performers take qualifying to the next level. Rather than making it a quick process, they understand that qualifying is never done. It's an ongoing process of awareness that keeps you tethered to reality in every deal.And their top qualifier, once they've checked off the must-haves, is engagement.Are the stakeholders engaged? Are they leaning in? Are they matching your effort, answering questions, and working collaboratively with you?It's okay that there are some stakeholders who may be naysayers. That's normal in complex deals. But if you've got stakeholders who are enemiesβpeople who are actively working against youβthen your deal might be a bridge too far.Β Engagement is my No. 1 qualifier. I'm constantly asking questions and giving stakeholders things to do to see whether or not they're engaged. If they're not engaged, I walk away because lack of engagement is a clear signal that you are not going to close the deal.Β Reason #2: An Empty PipelineThis brings us to the second reason salespeople stay in bad dealsβdesperation born from an empty pipeline.On Friday, Dennis J. Walker, who is a benefits consultant with USI, posted something on LinkedIn that perfectly captures this dynamic. Here's exactly what he wrote:Jeb Blount regularly states that you can't be delusional about your pipe, your prospects, your efforts, etc and be successful as a salesperson.This week one of the larger deals in my pipe definitely didn't progress the way I wanted- and it turns out one of the executives is what I call a "deal enemy" - he was actively working against me and my team.The last two meetings I've had with him tipped me off this could be the case; this week we had an incident that indicated he was actively working against us.Because my pipe is full?
Your sales team just closed a $50K deal. Marketing takes credit because the prospect downloaded three whitepapers. Sales takes credit because they nurtured the relationship for six months. Meanwhile, you're wondering why this kind of success feels so randomβand why similar prospects are slipping away.Companies with misaligned sales and marketing teams waste more leads and see annual revenue decline. But businesses that achieve true alignment? They close more deals and grow revenue faster year-over-year.The difference isn't talent, budget, or market conditions. It's whether your marketing and sales teams are pulling in the same direction or accidentally sabotaging each other.Clashing Departments Can Crash Your Bottom LineThe consequences of misalignment between sales and marketing are significant. One common side effect is sales teams complaining about the quality of leads generated by marketing, often dismissing them as "bad leads."Β Another issue is messaging. Marketing can be blind to the value propositions that are working for sales if they do not understand the sellersβ pitches and approach to closing deals. Their messaging is stale and ineffectual, completely disconnected from where sellers are finding success.When marketing and sales have different metrics or goals, it leads to a breakdown in communication and a lack of shared understanding. That misalignment hampers productivity, damaging morale and impacting your bottom line.Start With the Customer JourneyThe most important aspect that sales and marketing need to align on is the customer journey. This involves mapping out every touchpointβfrom initial awareness to final purchase to customer retention.Β Map the customer journey togetherβthen act on it. This shared blueprint reveals exactly when prospects are ready for direct outreach versus when they need more nurturing.The payoff is immediate: Marketing delivers leads at peak readiness, while sales focuses their time on prospects most likely to convert. When both teams operate from the same customer journey map, handoffs become seamless and conversion rates climb.Tackle Sales Objections TogetherEvery sales professional understands that the path to a closed deal is rarely a straight line. It's often a zig-zag through questions, doubts, and hesitations from prospects.Marketingβs role is to help develop messaging and collateral assets that help the sales team deal with these objections. This includes essential resources like case studies, white papers, product demonstrations, and ROI calculators. With the support of marketing materials, sellers have the resources to back up their pitch, highlight benefits, and keep buyers engaged.Most teams fail to communicate. Marketing creates polished but generic materials that sales doesnβt know exist. Sales knows which objections are the hardest to overcome but doesnβt have specific collateral to counter them.The winning approach: Sales documents the top 5 objections that derail deals, complete with context about when and why they surface. Marketing then builds laser-focused tools to address these concerns. Think comparison sheets for "your competitor is cheaper," implementation timelines for "this seems too complex," or peer testimonials for "we're not sure this works in our industry."Close the loop: Sales reports back on which materials move deals forward and which fall flat. Marketing iterates based on real-world results. This feedback cycle shifts objection-handling from guesswork into a refined system that consistently converts hesitation into confidence.Get Sales and Marketing Aligned NowHow can businesses foster a stronger cohesion between sales and marketing? Here are six key strategies:Establish Shared Goals and MetricsSales and marketing should work together to define common objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs).Β Action item: Schedule a joint planning session within the next 2 weeks to agree on 3-5 ...
Here's a question that'll make your head spin: What do you do when your top performer is crushing quota but not hitting a required talk time KPI?That's the question posed by Josh Robich and Josh Nelson from Nashville. Josh Nelson ranked 18th out of 130 reps in his first full year at a new company, but he was consistently falling short of the company's sacred talk time metric of 3 hours per day, averaging only 2.5 hours instead.Meanwhile, his company is obsessed with using talk time as its primary KPI to measure sales effectiveness.If you're shaking your head right now, you're not alone. Obsessing over the talk time KPI rather than actual sales outcomes is one of the most backward approaches to sales management I see today, and it's costing companies their best talent.The Moneyball Problem: When Metrics Become ReligionRemember the movie Moneyball? Billy Beane revolutionized baseball by focusing on on-base percentage instead of traditional stats that looked impressive but didn't correlate with winning games. He found a metric that predicted success.Talk time is the opposite of Moneyball. It's a vanity metric that makes leaders feel like they're managing performance when all they are really doing is measuring noise.Here's the brutal truth: Talk time means absolutely nothing if it doesn't drive revenue. It means nothing if the conversations are shallow, non-productive, or a poor buying experience. You can have reps talking for 4 hours a day who are dead last on your ranking report, while someone like Josh is closing deals left and right with only 2.5 hours of phone time. Which one would you rather have on your team?Why Talk Time Is a Lazy Leader's CrutchThe reason companies fixate on vanity metrics like talk time is because it's easy. It requires zero investment in actual coaching, observation, or skill development.Think about it: It's much easier to look at a dashboard and say, "You need to talk more," than it is to actually listen to calls, analyze technique, and provide meaningful feedback on discovery questions, objection handling, or closing skills.But here's what happens when you manage this way: You drive away your best performers and enable your worst ones.Your top performers get frustrated because they're being penalized for efficiency. Your bottom performers get comfortable because they can hit their talk time numbers while producing nothing of value.What Actually Matters: KPIs That Move the NeedleInstead of obsessing over how long reps are talking, and other vanity KPIs, smart sales leaders focus on outcome-driven metrics that actually correlate with sales performance and closing deals.First-Time AppointmentsHow many new conversations is each rep having? In sales, FTAs are your Moneyball. If a rep isnβt setting enough first-time appointments, they are sub-optimizing their sales potential.Next Step Conversion RatesWhat percentage of first-time appointments convert to second appointments? This tells you everything about relationship building, discovery skills, and value articulation. If Josh is converting at a higher rate with less talk time, he's simply more effective per conversation.Show RatesHow many scheduled appointments actually happen? This reveals qualification skills, the ability to create urgency and commitment, and the quality of prospecting conversations.Pipeline VelocityHow quickly are deals moving through your sales process? This shows you who's truly building momentum versus who's just having long conversations that stall deals in the pipeline.Revenue Per HourThe ultimate sales efficiency KPI is who is generating the most revenue per hour of phone time.Stop Obsessing Over the KPI and Start CoachingWhen you shift your focus to outcome metrics, everything changes. Instead of telling reps to "talk more," you can provide specific, actionable coaching:For the rep who has great first-time appointment numbers but poor conversion rates:...
If you are spending more time staring at your windshield instead of looking into your customers' eyes, you are doing field sales wrong.Β Over the past couple of years, there's been a resurgence in field sales.Β Businesses everywhere are adding field salespeople and sending representatives out into the territory to meet with customers face-to-face.Β And for good reasonβhuman beings buy from human beings. The most powerful way to anchor relationships, solve problems, and sell more is to get in front of your customers.With AI creating so much noise in the system, it's getting harder to prospect via email and social media. Going out and knocking on doors has become an easier way to connect with people, build relationships, and open up opportunities in your pipeline.Β And the good news, at least for now, is that prospects are happy to see field sales pros and inviting them in to their businesses and homes.Β But with the resurgence of outside sales comes an age-old problem: Field salespeople have got to travel to get to customers. And here's the brutal realityβthe single greatest waste of time for field sales professionals is staring at a windshield.On this Money Monday segment of the Sales Gravy Podcast I'm going to teach you exactly how to minimize windshield time and maximize face time. Because at the end of the day, you don't get paid to drive. You get paid to sell.The Windshield Time DelusionToo many reps delude themselves into believing that driving from one place to another is "working."Let's get something straight: Driving is not an accomplishment. I don't care if you put 100 miles on your vehicle in a day. That doesn't mean you accomplished anything meaningful. It just means you drove from one place to the next, burning dinosaurs and wasting time.I see this all the time. Reps will drive to one customer, then drive all the way across their territory to another customer, instead of concentrating their work in a single geographic area.Β They'll dead-head out to an appointment, then drive all the way back to the office, passing up dozens of prospects they could have walked into along the way.Donβt confuse activity with productivity.Β Just because you drove all over creation, that doesnβt mean you had a productive day.Β Your job is to be in front of customers, not behind a steering wheel. Every minute you spend staring at your windshield is a minute you're not building relationships, solving problems, putting new opportunities in the pipe or closing deals.The Mathematics of Effective Field Sales Territory ManagementΒ Let me put this in perspective with some simple math that will blow your mind.Let's say you're a typical field sales rep working in a moderate-sized territory. You make 5 customer visits per day, and between poor route planning and territory management, you spend an average of 45 minutes driving between each appointment. That's 3 hours and 45 minutes of windshield time daily.Over a 5-day work week, that's 18 hours and 45 minutes of non-productive driving time. That's nearly half of your work week spent accomplishing absolutely nothing.Now, let's say you tighten up your territory management and reduce that drive time to 20 minutes between appointments through better planning. You're now down to 1 hour and 40 minutes of windshield time daily, or 8 hours and 20 minutes weekly.You just freed up more than 10 hours per week. That's enough time for 15 to 20 additional customer visits or prospect calls. Over a month, that's 60-80 more customer touchpoints. Over a year, that's 720-960 additional opportunities to build relationships and generate revenue.The reps who figure out how to minimize windshield time don't just have better work-life balanceβthey absolutely dominate their territories and blow past their quotas while their competitors are still driving around wastefully.Map Your Territory Into QuadrantsThis is why the first rule of field sales is get...
AI isn't here to replace you; it's here to boost your game. Used wisely, AI can be your secret weapon.AI is everywhere: in social selling, content creation, automation, to say the least. Here's the double-edged sword: If you're trying to outsource everything to AI, you won't last. If you're stuck in the old ways, refusing to adapt, you'll get left behind.Top performers are integrating AI into their workflows to make their human skills even sharper. They know AI is the edge they need to rise above the competition.Where AI Actually Delivers ValueThink about how much sales time you burn on necessary tasks that don't drive revenue, like data entry and research. That's where AI shines. It handles the repetitive work faster and more accurately than you ever could. Feed it your ideal customer profile, andΒ you can have a filtered list of prospects before you even finish your coffee.AI can analyze thousands of LinkedIn profiles in minutes to identify prospects who match your best customers' characteristics. It can scrape company websites, news articles, and financial reports to give you conversation starters that actually matter. While you're having one discovery call, AI can prep intel for your next five meetings.Consider email outreach. Instead of sending generic templates, AI can help personalize messages at scale using real company dataβrecent funding rounds, leadership changes, and industry challenges. All this results in open rates that don't make you cringe and response rates that actually justify your time investment.Be Smart About How You IntegrateThe mistake most sales reps make is thinking AI means "set it and forget it." Thatβs plain wrong. The winners are using AI as a research assistant, not a replacement for judgment. They're feeding it context, reviewing its output, and adding the human insight that turns data into deals.The best use AI to identify patterns in their closed-won deals, then apply those insights to current opportunities. They analyze which messaging resonates with different buyer personas, then craft more targeted outreach. They're not working harder; they're leveraging better intelligence.Take objection handling. AI can analyze your call recordings to identify the most common pushback you're getting, then help you develop stronger responses. It can even suggest which case studies or references would be most compelling for specific prospect types. Itβs taking your experience and making it work for you at warp speed.What's Coming Next for AIWait until you see whatβs on the docket for AI advancements: AI agents that anticipate what you need before you even ask.Β What if your follow-up email was already drafted after a call, incorporating specific points from the conversation? Your proposal includes ROI calculations tailored to their business model, all generated from publicly available data about their company.AI will soon do more than respond to prompts; it will proactively support your sales process. It'll flag when a deal is stalling based on engagement patterns. It'll suggest the optimal time to follow up based on the prospect's communication preferences. It'll even coach you on your delivery by analyzing successful calls from top performers.Thatβs why the time to adopt is now. Donβt let AIβs growth outpace your own knowledge of how to use it. Stay on top of new systems and improvements.The Human Element Remains KingBut here's what AI will never recognize: the moment in a sale when a prospect's voice changes and you know they're really interested. It doesnβt have the ability to read between the lines of what someone isn't saying. It lacks the intuition that tells you to pivot your pitch mid-conversation because you've spotted a better angle.AI can't build genuine rapport. It can't adapt to the subtle cues that tell you someone's ready to buy or needs more nurturing. It can't handle the complex, nuanced objections that require empathy and creative...
If you're in field sales, you know the reality: You spend hours every week sitting behind the windshield, staring at traffic that's moving at the speed of molasses. Whether you're dealing with Atlanta's notorious I-285 parking lot or any other major city's rush hour nightmare, that windshield time is either making you better or making you bitter.Recently on the Ask Jeb segment of the Sales Gravy podcast, Jacob Kimrey asked about helping his field sales team maximize their productivity while stuck in traffic. But here's the thingβthis advice isn't just for managers to give their reps. It's for YOU, the field rep, to take control of your own success.Let me tell you how to turn those frustrating hours in traffic into your secret weapon.Driving Isn't an AccomplishmentFirst, let's get something straight: Driving is not an accomplishment. I don't care if you put 200 miles on your car todayβthat doesn't mean you accomplished anything meaningful for your business.Too many field reps confuse activity with productivity. They think that because they drove all over creation, they had a productive day. Wrong.The goal is to minimize your windshield time and maximize your face-to-face time. But when you ARE stuck in traffic, you better make damn sure you're using that time to get better.Smart Territory Management Saves Windshield TimeBefore we talk about maximizing windshield time, let's talk about minimizing it through smart territory planning.Map your territory into quadrants: Monday territory, Tuesday territory, Wednesday territory, Thursday territory, and Friday territory. If you're supposed to be in your Monday quadrant but you're driving to your Friday area, you better have a damn good reason.When you're planning your field time: Group your appointments geographically: Don't hopscotch all over your territory in one day. Plan your route in advance: Use your CRM to map out the most efficient route. Use the T-calling technique: When you arrive somewhere for an appointment, look left, look right, look behind youβcan you make additional calls in that immediate area?The tighter your route planning, the more selling time you create and the less windshield time you waste.Prospecting from the Road (Safely)Now, here's where it gets interesting. That windshield time can actually become prospecting timeβif you do it safely and legally.There are apps and dialers that let you load phone numbers and dial hands-free while you're stuck in traffic. You can also set up your phone so contact numbers are easily accessible with voice commands.Safety first: Only do this when you're completely stopped in traffic or pulled over. Never compromise safety for a sales call.Hands-free follow-up calls: Use voice-to-text features to send follow-up messages to prospects or customers.Planning calls: Call ahead to confirm appointments or reschedule meetings.Customer check-ins: Those relationship-building calls that keep you top-of-mind with existing customers.The key is preparation. Have your call lists ready, know who you're calling and why, and keep it simple and safe.Voice Technology Is Your FriendToday's smartphones have incredible voice capabilities that field reps should be leveraging: Voice-to-text for quick CRM updates Voice memos to capture important thoughts or follow-up reminders Hands-free scheduling and calendar management Voice-activated research on prospects or companiesLearn to use these tools, and you'll be amazed how much more productive your windshield time becomes.Welcome to Automobile UniversityThe number one thing you should be doing while stuck in traffic is attending what the great Zig Ziglar called "Automobile University."When you're sitting in your car, staring at brake lights, what's coming through your speakers? Is it the news (which will just make you angry)? Music (which won't make you any money)? Or are you investing in content that makes you be...
Most value propositions stink. Theyβre boring, generic, feature-heavy garbage that make buyersβ eyes glaze over. And the worst part? Most salespeople donβt even realize their value proposition messaging is hurting them.On this weekβs Sales Gravy Podcast, Lisa Dennis breaks down her process for building value propositions that actually workβthe kind that grab buyers by the heart and donβt let go. But before we get to the solution, letβs talk about why most value propositions fail miserably.Reason #1: Youβre Talking About Yourself, Not ThemHereβs the fundamental problem with 90% of value propositions: Theyβre all about you.βWeβre the industry leader with cutting-edge technology and award-winning customer service that delivers best-in-class solutionsβ¦βBlah, blah, blah.Β Do you hear that sound? Thatβs the sound of your prospect mentally checking out.Hereβs a hard truth about human nature: Nobody cares about you. They care about themselves.Every buyer wants to talk about their problems, their challenges, their goals, and their pain points.When you launch into your pitch about incredible features and market-leading capabilities, your buyer is silently thinking, βWhat does this mean for me?β And if you donβt answer that question immediately, youβve lost them.Your value proposition isnβt a corporate brochure. Itβs not a marketing slick. Itβs the value-bridge between what you do and what they need.Β If itβs a monologue about you, your company, and your product features youβve lost the game before kickoff.What to do instead: Make your value proposition a laser-focused spotlight on them. Start with their problem, not your solution. Lead with their pain, not your product.Reason #2: Youβre Using Generic, Meaningless BuzzwordsMost value propositions include phrases like βindustry leader,β βbest-in-class,β βcutting-edge,β or βworld-class customer service.ββWeβre a one-stop shop with purpose-built solutions that increase efficiency and decrease costs.βReally? And I suppose your competitors specialize in decreasing efficiency and increasing costs?These phrases and buzzwords make you sound exactly like every other salesperson whoβs ever walked through your prospectβs door: boring.Β Hereβs the brutal truth: If your competitor could copy and paste your value proposition and use it for their company, itβs not a value propositionβitβs forgettable noise.What to do instead: Get specific. Use numbers. Use their language, not yours. Instead of βincrease efficiency,β say βreduce your monthly reporting time from 40 hours to 4 hours.β Instead of βindustry leader,β show them exactly how youβre different and why that difference matters to them.Reason #3: You Havenβt Done Your HomeworkMost salespeople build their value propositions standing in their own shoes rather than those of their buyers.If you donβt know what keeps your prospects awake at 3 AM, if you donβt understand their specific challenges, and if you havenβt talked to real customers about why they bought from you (or didnβt), then your value proposition is built on sand. Guesswork rather than research.What to do instead: Talk to three groups of people and gain insight through their lens. Your Lovers: These are your raving fans. What do they say about you when youβre not in the room? What specific problem did you solve that made them heroes in their organization? Your Likers: These are satisfied customers who arenβt writing love letters about you. What almost made them choose your competitor? What reservations did they have? Your Haters: These are the tough conversations. The prospects who chose someone else or the customers who fired you. Why? What did they feel you were missing?This insight helps you shape your messaging so that it connects with the buying motivators of potential customers.How to Build a Value Prop That Actually WorksNow that weβve covered why most value propositions fail,
Jon Buehler from Jacksonville asks: "How do you maintain the consistency and intensity with prospecting? I find myself doing these sprints to get momentum, but struggle to keep that momentum going for long, sustained periods of time."Jon's question gets to the heart of one of the most significant challenges in sales: maintaining disciplined, consistent, daily prospecting over the long haul. It's a challenge that plagues even experienced sales professionals. In this Ask Jeb article and Sales Gravy Podcast, I dig into why this happens and how to fix it.The Prospecting ParadoxProspecting is the lifeblood of sales success, yet it's the activity most salespeople hate and avoid. This creates a dangerous pattern I call the "desperation rollercoaster"βa cycle that wreaks havoc on your results, your mental health, and ultimately your career.Here's how it works: You prospect hard for a while, fill your pipeline, and start closing deals. Life is good. Then you get busy servicing those new clients and tell yourself you've "earned a break" from prospecting. Your prospecting activity slows down or stops entirely.Fast forward 30-90 days, and suddenly your pipeline is dry. Panic sets in. Your manager is breathing down your neck. Your commission checks shrink. Only then do you rediscover your "motivation" to prospect.And the cycle repeats. Up and down. Feast and famine. This isn't a strategy; it's a recipe for burnout and inconsistent performance.The Hidden Costs of Inconsistent ProspectingThe desperation rollercoaster creates damage far beyond just an empty pipeline. When you're desperate for deals, everything about your sales approach deteriorates: You become pushy and pitchy instead of consultative You come across as desperate and insecure You focus exclusively on what YOU need, not what the PROSPECT needs Your discovery questions become shallow You skip crucial steps in your sales process You discount aggressively because you have no leverage Your negotiation and closing skills deteriorateIn short, when you're desperate for deals, you sell terribly. Inconsistent prospecting doesn't just hurt your pipelineβit undermines your entire sales approach.The 30-Day Rule: Why Consistency Matters More Than IntensityIn Fanatical Prospecting, I discuss the "30-Day Rule": The prospecting you do in this 30-day period will pay off in the next 90 days.This rule explains why inconsistent prospecting is so dangerous. When you take even a single day off from prospecting, it creates a hole in your pipeline 30-90 days from now. Take a week off, and you create a significant gap. Take a month off, and you essentially guarantee a sales crisis in your near future.Understanding this principle makes it crystal clear why consistency trumps intensity every time. I'd rather see you make 20 prospecting calls every day for a month than 100 calls in a single day and nothing for the rest of the month.The Pain and Pull Method for Maintaining MotivationSo how do you maintain your prospecting discipline when motivation inevitably fades? I use the "Pain and Pull" method.The Pain: Visualize the ConsequencesWhen I don't feel like prospecting (and yes, even after decades in sales, I still have those days), I vividly picture what will happen if I skip it: The stress of an empty pipeline 60 days from now The uncomfortable conversation with my team The hit to my income and reputation The desperation that will undermine my sales approachBy focusing on the pain I'll experience in the future if I skip prospecting today, I create immediate motivation to pick up the phone.The Pull: Connect to Your WhyMy friend Victor Antonio calls this "the big pull," connecting your daily prospecting discipline to your most important goals and aspirations.Nobody wakes up excited to make cold calls. But many people wake up excited about buying their dream home, sending their kids to college,
On Sunday, Scottie Scheffler won the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. Looking at the final scoreboard, his five-stroke victory seemed like total domination. But I was there on the ground, and what I saw wasn't domination. It was something far more valuable for you as a sales professional and has everything to do with success.What I witnessed was a master class in mental resilience. And in this Sales Gravy podcast and article, I'm going to break down exactly how Scheffler's approach to adversity can transform your sales results.The Brutal GrindQuail Hollow is beautiful, but make no mistakeβthis course has teeth. It chewed up and spit out many of the world's best golfers without an ounce of remorse.Just ask Bryson DeChambeau, who on Saturday watched his lead evaporate on the "Green Mile" β the brutal final three holes of the course. Or ask Jon Rahm, who briefly held the lead on Sunday before plummeting to eighth place after getting absolutely bitten by those same closing holes.If you just looked at Scheffler's final score, you'd think he cruised through effortlessly. But that's not even close to what happened. It was a grindβevery single hole, every single shot.Scheffler came into Sunday with a five-stroke cushion, but by the front nine, he had completely lost that lead. Let that sink in for a second. The world's best golfer, playing his best golf all season, watched his commanding lead completely vanish.For most players, that would have been it. Game over. The spiral begins. The tournament slips away.But not for Scottie Scheffler.Bounce Back Percentage - The Key to WinningThere's one statistic from the tournament that explains everything β and it's a metric that should become your new obsession as a sales professional. It's called the "bounce-back percentage."The bounce-back percentage measures how often a player makes a birdie or better immediately following a bogey or worse. In other words, how often do you recover from failure and immediately create success?For the entire field at Quail Hollow, the average bounce-back percentage was 17.4%.For Scottie Scheffler? An astonishing 62.5%.Think about what this means. When the average player faced adversity, they bounced back less than one time in five. But Scheffler? He transformed failure into immediate success more than three out of every five times.That is massive mental resilience. It's the difference between holding a trophy and watching someone else hold it. It's the difference between being number one in the world and being just another talented pro. And it's absolutely the difference between sales mediocrity and sales excellence.Bounce-Back Matters in SalesSo why am I talking about golf statistics on a sales podcast? Because the bounce-back percentage is the perfect analogy for what makes or breaks a sales career.I've got news for youβbad stuff is going to happen in your sales career. You're going to fail, lose, and face adversity. That's not a possibilityβit's a guarantee.You're going to have situations where everything seemed perfect, and then the deal falls apart. Sometimes it's your fault. Sometimes it's not.Maybe the champion of your deal suddenly gets fired or leaves the company. Maybe a competitor swoops in at the last minute with a ridiculous offer. Maybe your prospect ghosts you after six months of work.Each day you're going to run into situations when you're prospecting where someone slams the phone in your ear, and then you've got to immediately turn around and make the next call. There will be days where nothing goes right and everyone says no.Your ability to bounce back doesn't just influence your success β it defines who you are as a sales professional. It is the key to winning. Full stop.The Goldfish ParadigmΒ When I'm hiring salespeople, one of the things I'm measuring for is optimism. It's essentially Ted Lasso's goldfish paradigmβthe ability to forget fast. On the show,
Sales is a trust game. Always has been; always will be.Β Itβs not about features, price points, or flashy presentations. Itβs about conviction. And conviction is born from trust: deep, unshakable trust across four critical fronts.Β Ignore even one, and youβre leaving deals on the table.The First Deal You Close Every Day is YOUBefore you ever make a cold call, send an email, or walk into a meeting, youβve got to sell you to you.Β Self-doubt is a silent killer. It creeps in, erodes confidence, and betrays you in your voice, your body language, and that split second when you hesitate to ask for the close.Top performers donβt have fewer fearsβthey just trust themselves to push through them. They build self-trust the hard way: doing the reps, facing objections, pushing through rejection until they're bulletproof.Self-trust isnβt optional. Itβs the launchpad for everything else you do.Trust in Your ProductIf you don't believe in what you're selling, neither will your prospect.Prospects can smell when youβre bluffing. They pick up on the hesitations, the weasel words, the way you tiptoe around weaknesses instead of confronting them head-on.When you know your product solves real problemsβand youβve seen it do so again and againβyou sell with conviction. You donβt overpromise. You stop folding under pressure, and stop chasing price shoppers.Β Trust in your product doesnβt mean itβs perfect. It means you know where it fits, what it does well, and who it helpsβand youβre not afraid to walk away when itβs not the right match.Your Process is Your Competitive EdgeAmateurs wing it. Top performers trust their process.Β A rock-solid sales process is your roadmap to predictable success. Itβs the framework that turns chaos into control. When you trust your process, you stop second-guessing yourself. You know exactly what to do next, even when prospects throw curveballs.Β Your process should cover all parts of the sales cycle: prospecting, qualifying, handling objections, closing, and follow-up. Each step should be intentional and refined through experience.Β Trust in your process gives you the courage to disqualify bad fits and the discipline to execute consistently.Β Building Trust with Prospects: Where Deals Live or DieProspects donβt buy from people they donβt trust. They buy from people who understand them, demonstrate competence, and follow through on every promise.Β The 7 Trust Accelerators That Actually Work Prepare Like Your Career Depends On It: Before every interaction, know their business, industry challenges, and recent news. When you reference their Q3 earnings call or their CEO's LinkedIn post, you show respect for their time and business. Lead with Insight, Not Pitches: Share something valuable they don't know about their market, competitors, or opportunities. "I noticed companies in your space are struggling with X. Here's what the successful ones are doing differently..." Ask Questions That Make Them Think: Skip the basic discovery questions. Ask: "If you could wave a magic wand and fix one thing about your current process, what would it be?" or "What's the real cost of not solving this problem?" Admit What You Don't Know: When stumped, say: "That's a great question. I don't have the answer right now, but I'll find out and get back to you by tomorrow." Then actually do it. Tell Them When You're NOT a Fit: Nothing builds trust faster than saying: "Based on what you've told me, I don't think we're the right solution for you. Here's who might be better..." They'll remember your honesty. Share the Whole Truth About Implementation: Don't sugarcoat. Tell them: "Here's where clients typically hit speedbumps. Here's how long it really takes. Here's what you'll need to invest beyond the price tag." Follow Up with Value, Not Just "Checking Inβ: Every touch should add value. Send industry reports, introduce them to potential partners,
Brian Kemski wants to know how to stop prospects from ghosting him. He asks a question that plagues salespeople everywhere: "What can I do about prospects who go through the process, seem interested, and then disappear into the witness protection program after I give them my information?"If you've been in sales for more than a week, you know exactly what Brian is talking about. You have a great discovery call, you build rapport, you send over your proposal or pricing...and suddenlyβradio silence.The prospect ghosts you, leaving you frantically checking your email every five minutes and wondering what the hell happened.In this Ask Jeb episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast I'm going to teach you how to prevent it.You Gave Away Your Leverage for FreeDuring our conversation, I asked Brian to consider what he'd do if I offered him $100 to go get me a Big Mac. He wasn't interested. When I upped it to $200, he started considering it. At $500, he was ready to make the trip.Why? Because at $500, the value exchange made sense to him.Your sales information works exactly the same way. Your pricing, specs, and solutions have real value. When you hand them over without getting anything in returnβespecially before completing your sales processβyou're essentially giving away hundred-dollar bills for free.And once you give away all your value, the prospect has no more reason to talk to you.Understanding Power and Leverage in SalesIn most sales situations, your prospect has more power than you do because they have more alternatives than you. They can choose your competitors or simply decide to do nothing.The only way to level the playing field is through leverageβsomething you have that they want because it provides value to them.It's like that hurricane example I gave Brian: If there's a hurricane in Miami, all the power is out, and you're the only person selling ice, you have all the power because there are no other options. But in normal business situations, your prospect has plenty of options, which gives them power.Your information is the leverage that gets prospects to "dance to your tune." Once you give that away without getting anything in return, you've surrendered all your power.Your Sales Process Should Be a Value ExchangeHere's what your sales process should look like instead: Use discovery calls to build value: Ask questions that help prospects think differently about their problems. Create insights they can't get elsewhere. Meet multiple stakeholders: Insist on speaking with everyone involved in the decision. This builds relationships across the organization and prevents ghosting. Present your proposal in person: NEVER email a proposal. Your proposal meeting should be a closing meeting where you're getting a yes or no. Look for engagement at every step: If prospects aren't willing to invest time and effort in your process, they're showing you they aren't serious.Each step of your process should involve the prospect giving something (usually time and information) to get something from you. This creates what psychologists call the "investment effect"βthe more effort people put into something, the more they value it.The RFP TrapThe clearest example of giving away leverage is responding to RFPs without conditions. When you fill out all that information and send it without meeting the decision-makers, you'll rarely hear back.My approach? "I'm not filling out all that information until you meet with me." If they want your solution badly enough, they'll meet. If they don't, you've saved yourself hours of wasted time.I practice what I preach, but I'm not perfect. Just last November, I spent 12 hours on a proposal I knew had little chance of closing because I'd skipped steps in my own process. I gave away my leverage for free, and they ghosted meβexactly as I predicted they would.I have to relearn this lesson once or twice a year. Maybe you do too.=
Your quota doesn't take a summer vacation, so your pipeline-building efforts can't afford to either. This is a reality check. Summer is coming fast, and if you donβt get your pipeline positioned for success now, youβll be scrambling come mid-July.The summer sales slowdown is a documented phenomenon across almost every industry. According to data from HubSpot, prospecting response rates can drop by as much as 25% between June and August.Β Appointment conversion rates decline by similar percentages. And overall deal velocityβhow quickly opportunities move through your pipelineβslows dramatically during this period.Why does this happen? It's simple: Decision-makers take vacations. Buying committees become fragmented with staggered time off. Business momentum slows as organizations shift to a summer mindset. And you are distracted with the pool, the beach, your kids, and fun travel.Β Salespeople Wait Until it is Too LateThatβs reality. Now, here's the brutal truth. Each summer salespeople make the same bad mistakeβthey wait until they're already in the summer slump to try to climb out of it. By the time they realize their pipeline is drying up in late June, it's already too late to course-correct, leading to stress and anxiety as their sales numbers and income drop as the temperature rises.If you are not focused on building your summer pipeline now, you are in big damn trouble.First, your prospects become harder to reach, which means your connection rates drop. With lower connection rates, you get fewer meetings. Fewer meetings lead to fewer opportunities entering your pipeline. Meanwhile, your existing pipeline is moving slower than normal due to vacation schedules.These factors don't just add upβthey multiply.Β And here's the kickerβwhile you're experiencing this slowdown, your quota isn't taking a vacation. Your revenue targets remain unchanged. In fact, for many organizations, Q3 is when quota ramps up higher and the pressure really starts to build to hit annual targets.The Sales Psychology of Going Into Summer Prepared to Make QuotaBeyond the pure mathematics of pipeline building, there's a psychological advantage to preparing now. When you're proactively filling your pipeline ahead of the summer slowdown, you operate from a position of confidence and abundance.Sales professionals who hit the summer slump with a thin pipeline typically find themselves in panic mode. When you're in panic mode, prospects can sense it. Your conversations become more about your needs than theirs and your willingness to discount increases. These behaviors ultimately reduce deal profitability and your income, and damage your relationships with potential customers.Contrast this with the sales professional who's already built a healthy summer pipeline. They can approach each conversation with genuine curiosity and patience. They can focus on value creation rather than transaction acceleration. They can maintain price integrity because they're not desperate for the deal. And they can actually have summer fun rather than summer stress.Β Double Down on Prospecting NowThe simple reality is that connecting with prospects will get harder during summer. So you need to double your outreach volume now. If you normally make 30 prospecting calls daily, bump that to 60 for the next six weeks.The 30-Day Rule states that the prospecting you do in this 30-day period will pay off for the next 90 days. In other words, the seeds you plant today will determine your harvest in July and August. Knowing your pipeline is healthy going into summer allows you to enjoy any vacation time you take without constantly checking emails. When you're not scrambling for deals, you can be more selective about which opportunities you pursue, focusing on ideal customer profiles rather than anyone with a pulse. A well-built summer pipeline might actually allow you periods of lower activity that you can use for s...
Hereβs a hard truth most salespeople never hear: The most dangerous thing you can do is think like an employee.On this weekβs episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, business consultant for entrepreneurs David Neagle says: βYou've got to see yourself above the place that you actually want to accomplish.βThe highest-earning reps? They think like owners. They take responsibility for their number, their mindset, and their mission. They donβt wait for leads to be handed to them or settle for βgood enough.β They build a pipeline like a business, because it is.Β So whether you run a company or just run your territory, these lessons from a successful entrepreneur will harden your mindset and help you sell with more purpose, more urgency, and more grit.Making Money Isnβt Hard.You need to come around to a simple idea: Making money isnβt the hard part. Getting over your mental baggage about making money is infinitely more difficult.Most salespeople riding the feast-or-famine rollercoaster find themselves desperate more often than not. When that happens, they unconsciously sabotage themselves. They discount too quickly, hesitate to ask for the sale, or talk themselves out of big goals.Hereβs the truth: Money is everywhere, and opportunity is endless. But if you believe sales is a grind and success is for βthose people,β youβll work three times harder for half the reward. Donβt undersell yourself.Entrepreneurs donβt apologize for making moneyβthey design their lives around it. If you want to earn like a business owner, stop treating money like a taboo topic. Start treating it like a scoreboard you want to climb.Stop Caring What People Think (Especially About You Winning)The moment you start succeedingβwildly succeedingβis the moment people will have opinions about it.You close a big deal or hit the top of the leaderboard? Somebody will whisper. Someone else will be resentful. Thatβs not your problem. Itβs theirs.Youβll never hit your peak if you canβt stomach a little hate from the nay-sayers.Entrepreneurs learn early that approval wonβt pay your bills. If you want to win in sales, stop seeking validation from people who arenβt playing game at your level.You canβt serve your buyer and care what others think at the same time. Choose your future over fitting in.Believe Youβre Worth the WinMost reps think their biggest problem is weak leads or tight markets. Itβs not. Itβs that they donβt believe theyβre worthy of success.They donβt think they deserve the close, the commission, or the praise. Instead of swinging for the fences or building consistency, they settle for mediocre wins some of the time. Instead of dealing with confidence, they let insecurity take over.Business owners donβt have that luxury. Their livelihood depends on selling themselvesβand believing in what they offer. The same should go for you.When you believe youβre worth the success, your tone changes. Your body language shifts. Your presence becomes undeniableβand buyers feel it.Push past doubt by honing your skills through practice and reviewing past successes. You deserve everything youβve worked hard to gain.Sales Isnβt About GettingβItβs About GivingA lot of people treat sales like theyβre trying to take something. Thatβs why they feel pushy, needy, or βicky.βBut the best sellers think like business ownersβand owners know theyβre in the business of solving problems. They're giving value, outcomes, and transformation.If your mindset is βI need to get this deal,β your buyer will feel that. But if you shift to βIβve got something that can truly help them,β everything changes. You show up with confidence, not desperation; with curiosity, not pressure.Sales isnβt just hunting. Itβs serving. And your commission is just the reward for solving someone elseβs problem.Start thinking like a consultative seller. Listen closely to your prospectβs needs and position yourself as a trusted advisor who...
Tyler Goss, from Tampa, has two critical sales questions: 1) How do we achieve those "crazy" prospecting numbers I talk about in my books? 2) When should a lead become a pipeline opportunity?In this podcast, I break down these answers in plain English.When to Create a Deal: Finding the Sweet SpotThere's no shortage of opinions on when to create a deal in your CRM. Some sales leaders will tell you to create a deal before you even make the first call (ridiculous). Others won't let you create one until the contract is practically signed (equally absurd).Here's my take: Both extremes are problematic. You need a pipeline that gives you meaningful data. Here'sΒ how we handle this at Sales Gravy:For Inbound Leads:We categorize inbound leads into three distinct groups:1. List LeadsThese are people who sign up for our newsletter or download basic resources where we only ask for a name and email address. They're joining our community, and while some might become customers down the road, they're not pipeline opportunities yet.2. MQLs (Marketing Qualified Leads)These folks have given us more detailed information through webinars or content downloads. They've provided their phone number, email address, company, role, etc. There's an implicit understanding that we might reach out, but they haven't expressed a direct interest in buying. I don't want these in my pipeline just yet.3. Hot LeadsThese people come to us with their hands up, saying things like: "We've got a team of nine and want to do sales training" or "Our SKO is in February, and we want to hire Jeb. How much does he cost?" These leads have an open buying window and go straight into the pipeline. We'll close 95% of these because they've already self-identified as buyers.For Outbound Prospecting:When prospecting outbound we only put opportunities into the pipeline after the prospect has agreed to a first-time appointment (FTA).Here's why: First-time appointments are your Money Ball metricβthey indicate the health of your prospecting efforts. When an FTA is in your pipeline, you can measure critical data points like: Show/no-show rates by rep Advancement rates from FTA to next stages Conversion rates from FTA to closed businessIf I have a rep setting tons of FTAs with only a 10% show rate, I need to diagnose that problem. If another rep is advancing 50% of their FTAs to the next stage, that tells me something completely different.The qualification point is simple: Both parties have agreed to step into the sales process. That's when it becomes a pipeline opportunity.Some organizations resist this approach because they only want "fully qualified" opportunities in their pipeline. I get it, but you're missing valuable data if you wait too long.Consider this example: If you work in an industry where everyone's under contract, and you know contract expiration dates, you might be tempted to automatically add prospects to your pipeline as their contract end dates approach. I wouldn't do that. Wait until you've had a conversation where they agree to meet with you to discuss options. That agreement to step into the process is your trigger.If you're putting everything into your pipeline, you're diluting your data. If you're waiting until deals are practically closed, why even have a pipeline? The sweet spot is somewhere in betweenβand for most B2B sales organizations, it's at the first-time appointment stage.Maximizing Prospecting Efficiency: How We Make So Many CallsTyler also asked about those "crazy" prospecting numbers I mention in my books. How do my teams make hundreds of calls during designated call blocks? The answer boils down to three key principles:1. Separate List Building from ProspectingResearch and building lists is NOT prospecting. When we're prospecting, we're just chopping wood. We have our lists ready in advance, and when it's time to prospect, that's all we do.
During a practice round at a major golf tournament recently, one of the players hit an exceptionally beautiful shot. A fan in the gallery exclaimed, "Man, I wish I could hit a shot like that!" The player walked over to the fan and said, tongue-in-cheek, "No, you don't."The fan looked confused. "What do you mean?"The player replied, "You don't want to hit a shot like that because that means hitting a thousand balls a day, every day, for the next 20 years. That's what it takes to hit a shot like that."And that's true for pretty much everything you want to accomplish lifeβwhether it's playing golf, the piano, selling, investing, or mastering AI. If you want to be elite, you have to do a lot of repetitions of the same thing to reach the top.Β Adopt The Mamba MentalityYou've got to practice constantly. And this is what a lot of people miss. See, the truth is you can have anything in life you wantβpretty much within reasonβas long as you're willing to do the boring work.You know what separates Warren Buffett, the greatest investor of our generation, from other investors? He's read over 100,000 financial statements in his lifetime. Think about that. 100,000 financial statements. That's not exciting work. That's not sexy. It is sitting alone, poring over numbers, analyzing balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, day after day, year after year, decade after decade. But that boring work made him one of the richest people on the planet.Or look at Kobe Bryant. Kobe was famous for his "Mamba Mentality" which meant showing up at 4 AM to practice, hours before his teammates. It meant shooting thousands of the same shots over and over. His trainer once said Kobe would practice one simple move 700-800 times in a single session. Not 10 times, not 50 times. 700-800 times. The same move, over and over and over again. That's the boring work that made him a legend.Going out to the driving range and hitting a thousand balls with your seven iron is one of the most boring things you can possibly do. Crap, hitting 50 balls with your seven iron is boring. But that's what separates the top performers from the low performersβthey're willing to do the boring things.Top Performers are Always Working at ItIn sales, top performers are constantly studying. I meet them all the time. They show up in my seminars, read my books and listen to my podcasts. Theyβre taking courses on Sales Gravy University. They invest in learning and practicing every single day.Β When we run role plays, they jump right in. They recognize that, yeah, that's boring work. But you've got to do the boring things, the repetitive things, to get what you want.Β Be Careful What You Wish ForSo the questions you have to ask yourself when you make that wish for what you want or set a goal is: How bad do you want it? Are you willing to do the work?Β Are you willing to make the sacrifice?Β Are you willing to grind day in and day out?Β Are you willing to do all of boring reps that nobody ever sees in order to reach the very top?Β Success is Paid for In Advance With Boring WorkYou can accomplish anything once you accept that the price for success is paid for in advance. The price of admission to the elite levels of any profession is doing the boring work that most people aren't willing to do. Let me give you an example from my own life.Years ago, when I was starting out in my sales career, I made a commitment to make 100 cold calls every single day no matter what. Rain or shine. Good mood or bad mood. Whether I felt like it or not. You know first hand that cold calling is not exciting work. It's tedious, repetitive, and rejection dense. Honestly, most peopleβincluding my bossβthought I was nuts.Β But those 100 calls a day allowed me to out perform and out earn all of my peers. It made me the top sales rep in my fortune 200 company. It bought houses, made me wealthy, and eventually gave me the platform to write book...
Here's the brutal truth: Self-awareness is the ultimate sales skill.We obsess over skills like closing techniques, objection handling, and prospecting cadence. But self-awareness is the real make-or-break. Self-awareness is the lever that separates ethical, high-performance sellers from out-of-touch order takers.If youβre not self-aware, youβre leaving money on the table and damaging trust.Sales Without Self-Awareness is a Wrecking BallLetβs get honest. Lack of self-awareness is a deal-killer. Itβs what causes reps to: Over-talk and under-listen Project their objections onto the buyer Miss subtle cues because theyβre too focused on a static script Push when they should pauseThis isnβt just a skill gapβitβs a blind spot. When you donβt know how best to connect with your prospect because youβre not listeningβthatβs a dangerous place to sell from.Self-awareness is your internal compass. Without it, you canβt navigate objections, establish trust, or conduct a real discovery conversation. You canβt be consultative without being conscious.The Ego Trap: Overconfidence Kills AwarenessIt might seem counterintuitive, but your biggest blind spot in sales might be your own ego.Close a few deals, and suddenly you stop prepping, shortcut discovery, and assume you know the buyer. Thatβs when self-awareness can tank.Confidence is good until it turns into arrogance. When you stop reflecting, stop asking questions, and stop listening, you lose your edge. Sales is a what βs-happening-today game. Yesterdayβs win doesnβt guarantee todayβs deal.Top sellers stay humble enough to ask: Β βDid I connect, or just perform?β Β βAm I guiding, or just trying to sound impressive?β βDoes my solution fit their problem, or am I just trying to land a quick deal?βThe most crucial part of self-awareness? Checking your mindsetβand your overconfidenceβbefore it derails a lucrative deal.Ego says youβve got it handled. Self-awareness asks if thatβs really true.Only one of those gets you to President's Club.The Two Lanes of Emotionally Intelligent AwarenessAwareness in sales isnβt just about having βemotional intelligenceβ and keeping arrogance in check. Itβs about two critical lanes:1. Seller Self-AwarenessYou must know how your tone, presence, and mindset affect the buyer. That means recognizing when: Youβre chasing approval instead of guiding decisions Youβre hesitating out of fear of rejection Youβre overexplaining because you're insecure You're emotionally reacting instead of staying neutralTop sellers audit themselves for these moments constantly. They ask:Β "Was I too defensive there?" Β "Did I listen or just wait to talk?"Β "Am I showing up with certainty or neediness?"A self-inventory is no picnic. But this self-audit allows the elite to stay composed, curious, and in controlβespecially when things get tense.2. Buyerβs State AwarenessA self-aware seller is tuned in. They're not just listening to what is said, but why itβs being said, and what isnβt being said at all.Consultative selling is all about sensing, so itβs: Knowing when a buyerβs guard is up Being alert to when theyβre overwhelmed Learning when theyβre intrigued but afraid to say yes Watching the micro-expressions Noticing the shift in toneThe best lead by aligning with the buyerβs state. By understanding the buyerβs motivations, emotional triggers, and decision-making pace, self-aware sellers engage in deal-making, not manipulation.Β Self-Awareness Might Be New to YouSo thereβs no doubt self-awareness nets meetings and closes deals. But hereβs the problem: Most sellers have never been coached to insightfully reflect.Β Theyβre trained on scripts, not self-regulation. Theyβre told to βjust make the calls,β but not how to manage the emotions that come with rejection, hesitation, or being ghosted.Itβs easy to understand the challenges.
If you're doing any kind of cold calling or prospecting, you'll eventually hear this objection: "I'm in a meeting right now." Paul Wise, a heavy cold caller from Normandy, France, targets product managers at software companies and says that nine times out of ten when he gets a decision-maker on the phone, they claim to be "in a meeting."Three Ways to Handle the "I'm in a Meeting" Prospecting ObjectionAs I explained to Paul, how you respond in that moment can make or break your opportunity to move forward.First, let's acknowledge something important: If someone is genuinely in the middle of an important meeting, they typically don't answer calls from unknown numbers. The fact that they picked up your call suggests they might not be as unavailable as they claim.That said, they might be between meetings, heading into a meeting, or simply using this as a brush-off technique. Regardless of their true situation, you need an objection handling strategy.Based on my conversation with Paul, here are three effective approaches to handle this common situation:Approach #1: The Quick Pitch StrategyThis is what Paul has been doing: When he gets someone on the phone who says they're in a meeting, he delivers his DMX (Decision Maker Express) pitch as quickly as possible, then tries to secure a meeting.Paul mentioned this sometimes works for him. He gets the meeting scheduled, then works hard to ensure they show up by engaging with them on LinkedIn, sending follow-up emails, and basically "surrounding" them with touch points.The upside: You've got them on the line, so why not take your shot? The downside: Rushing through your pitch can make you sound desperate and reduce your effectiveness.When to use it: If you have a high-energy personality and can deliver a compelling, concise pitch without sounding rushed, this approach can work. It's especially effective if you have a solid follow-up strategy to ensure they show up to the meeting.Approach #2: The Acknowledge and Pivot StrategyInstead of trying to pitch someone who's claimed to be busy, simply acknowledge their situation and pivot directly to scheduling:"I totally expected you to be in a meeting and not able to talk. That's exactly why I calledβto find a time that's more convenient for you. Why don't I send you a meeting invite for Thursday at 2:00, and then we can get together when you do have time to talk?"This approach demonstrates respect for their time while simultaneously accomplishing your objective of setting an appointment.What happens next reveals a lot: If they agree to the meeting, you've accomplished your goal without the rushed pitch. If they ask, "Who are you again?" they're actually signaling they have more time than they initially let on. If they say they're not available Thursday, they're engaging in a scheduling conversationβwhich means they're interested enough to find an alternative time.When to use it: This works particularly well when you sense the prospect is genuinely busy, but they might be interested with the right approach. It's respectful, professional, and surprisingly effective.Approach #3: The Non-Complementary Behavior StrategyThis is my personal favorite because it uses psychology to your advantage.When the prospect answers with high energy, saying they're busy or in a meeting, don't match their energy. Instead, deliberately slow down and use a calm, relaxed tone:"Totally get that. I figured you would be busy. Look, I only have two questions."Thenβand this is criticalβbe quiet. Let the silence do the work.If they truly have no time, they'll hang up. But most won't. Instead, they'll likely say something like, "Okay, but go fast."Now you need to ask a question that gets them engagedβsomething they can easily answer that reveals qualification information:"How many data points are you connected to in your current configuration?"The magic happens in what follows:
Self-talk, what you say to yourself internally, manifests itself in your outward attitude and actions. As any elite athlete will tell you, the mental games you play with yourself between your ears will make or break you. When all things are equal, mindset is one thing that separates winners and losers.This is one of the reasons that I love golf so much. Once you understand the basic mechanics of the golf swing the only thing that really matters is mindset. On every shot your ability to focus, calm your mind, and remain mentally disciplined is the thin line between brilliance and disaster. Allow the wrong thoughts to creep in and before you know it youβve shanked your shot into a water hazard.Β You Become What You ThinkIn golf and in sales, you cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought.Β Self-talk is crazy powerful. You become what you think. When you expect to win, youβll win far more often than the person who believes they are going to lose. When you learn how to block out negative thoughts and inputs and remain focused on your process youβll consistently out perform those who donβt.Β Understanding this is crucial in these crazy times full of volatility, uncertainty, negativity and divisiveness. In this environment where everything can hit the fan in an instant on any given day, it is super easy to become mired in stinking thinking.Β Beware of Stinking ThinkingStinking thinking is the toxic inner soundtrack that loops in your head after a bad conversation with your boss, seeing a negative story on the news or social media, a lost deal, a bad quarter, or hitting five straight voicemails on cold calls. Itβs every βNobody answers the phone anymore,β βNo oneβs buying in this economy,β or βIβm just not cut out for sales.βline you feed yourself. Itβs catastrophizing. Itβs victim-talk.Imagine the impact on your mindset when your internal conversation is constantly filled with negativity. Itβs the mental equivalent of leaving a half-eaten tuna sandwich in your backpack for a weekβeventually the smell becomes unbearable.Mindset drives attitude, attitude drives behavior, and behavior drives outcomes. When stinking thinking settles in: Your Reticular Activating Systemβthe brainβs spam filterβstarts looking for evidence youβre doomed, and sure enough, you find it. Call reluctance skyrockets. You protect your fragile ego instead of filling the pipe and asking confidently for the sale. Every βmaybeβ sounds like a βno,β every objection feels personal, and every tiny setback reinforces the lie that youβre stuck.Left unchecked, that negative monologue becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Your pipeline shrinks, numbers dip, confidence tanks, and pretty soon youβre blaming the market instead of owning the mirror.Thoughts are Just ChoicesThe good news is that thoughts are just choices. You control your mindset. You have the ability to flip the switch from victim to driver. From rain barrel to rainmaker.Β What you must never forget is that momentum follows mindset, not the other way around. Manage your self-talk and the results follow suit.Β When your self-talk turns negative, take control and change it. Learn to replace negative self-talk with positive affirmations and statements. Get in the habit of looking in the mirror and answering the question: βWhat can I control right now?β Focus on that.Β Knowing vs DoingNow, hereβs the rub, everybody knows self-talk matters. Socrates hammered on it. Marcus Aurelius journaled about it. Your grandmother probably told you to βstop being so negative.β The concept of mental discipline isnβt new, itβs universal.But intellectual agreement and day-to-day execution are two very different zip codes. You can post quotes from every Stoic on LinkedIn and still spend the morning telling yourself, βIβll never hit quota in this economy.β Knowledge without application is just trivia.So flip the switch from knowing to doing.
Letβs kill the myth: sales coaching isnβt just for newbies or underperformers.Β Itβs for closers, leaders, and the ones who want moreβmore pipeline, more wins, more control over their career. If you're in sales, you need coaching. Period.This isnβt feel-good fluff. Sales is a performance sport. Every high-performance athlete has a coach, and every inspiring performer has a mentor for a reason.Everyone, and I mean everyone, needs a coach. From the elite to the desperate, everyone can benefit from guidance.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCOY793fA5E1. The Desperate: The Bottom 20%You know who you are. Youβre missing quotaβagain. Every call feels heavier, your confidence is tanking, and youβre out of answers.Hereβs the truth: you donβt need more timeβyou need better habits, tighter processes, and someone to call out your excuses. You need guidance.Sales coaching forces you to stop guessing and start fixing. A good coach will rip the blinders off: Are you dodging the phones? Are you hesitating at the close? Are you talking too much and listening too little?You're not going to claw your way out of the bottom 20% by working harder. You get out by working smarter, with someone whoβs done it before and wonβt let you off the hook.Find yourself a coachβdo it nowβbefore the hole youβve dug gets any deeper.2. The Mediocre MiddleYouβre not bottom of the pack, but youβre not standing out either. Youβre just β¦ fine. Quietly average. Here you are, coasting on a couple of decent months, dodging attention, not making waves, paying your bills but treading water accomplishment-wise.And that should scare you. This is not where you want to be.This is where most reps stay stuckβnot because they donβt care, but because they donβt change. Coaching breaks the cycle of complacency. Itβs the flashlight in the dark that shows you exactly whatβs holding you back. Weak discovery? Inconsistent follow-ups? Soft closes?You donβt need a miracle. You need fresh eyes and someone who pushes you past the edge of βfine.βSeek out a coach whoβs been there and knows how to break through the ceiling youβre trapped under.3. The Ultra High PerformerYouβre already top tier. Youβve pushed your way into the 5%. Presidentβs Club. Youβve got the trophies, the income, and the T-shirt to prove it.So why do you need coaching?Because the best never stop training. They donβt rest on winsβthey refine, seek out marginal gains, and build muscle when others relax. Coaching helps you identify the 2mm adjustments that turn a winner into a legend.The ultra-high performers Iβve seen who get coaching consistently shorten deal cycles, multiply referrals, and close with precision. The ego stays in check, the mindset stays sharp, and the momentum stays up. Theyβre breaking into enterprise-level sales on the regular.The moment you stop chasing growth is the moment someone else starts catching up.Your ideal coach has climbed to the top of the mountain themselves and is willing to help you scale it, too.4. The SolopreneurYouβre running a business, selling the service, delivering the product, and following up with the clients. Youβre building the plane mid-air.But letβs be realβmost solopreneurs need some help to truly master sales. With your passion, youβre the best sales rep for your product youβll ever haveβbut right now, youβre winging it.βCoaching helps you build a real sales processβconsistent outreach, confident pricing, and predictable revenue.Β You canβt afford wasted time or wasted energy. A coach helps you cut distractions, stop chasing bad-fit leads, and finally build the kind of pipeline that scales with you.If you want to play a bigger game, youβve got to start selling like a proβnot an amateur.Go land a coach whoβs as committed to making you a top-tier sales rep as you are to your business.5. The Sales LeaderYou coach your team, run the numbers, and lead the meetings.
Kyle, a field sales rep from British Columbia, is struggling with a common prospecting challenge: how to consistently prospect when you're constantly on the move.Kyle's situation likely resonates with many of you in outside sales. He described his typical dayβstarting at job sites at 7:30 AM, running between appointments, sending proposals from his truck, and working from Starbucks in between meetings. Sound familiar?He had read my book, Fanatical Prospecting, where I advocate for dedicated time blocks for prospecting. But Kyle's reality made traditional time blocking nearly impossible. So what's a field rep to do?What follows is the advice I gave Kyle, cleaned up and expanded so every field seller, territory manager, and outside sales road warrior can put it to workβright now.Focus on Activity Count, Not Time BlocksIf you're in Kyle's shoes (or truck), here's my advice: Stop obsessing over time and start focusing on activity counts.Instead of trying to carve out a rigid one- or two-hour block, set a daily activity goal. For someone in Kyle's position, committing to 30 quality outbound touches per day is likely sufficient. In my early days, I personally made 100 dials daily, no matter whatβbut you need to find your number.It's amazing what you can accomplish in small pockets of time. Got 10 minutes between appointments? You can make 10 dials. These micro-prospecting sessions add up throughout your day.Instead of asking, βHow do I find two uninterrupted hours?β ask, βHow many outbound touches do I need to hit my pipeline goal?β Reverse-engineer your math. If 30 dials typically create two meetingsβand two meetings a day keep your funnel fatβcommit to 30 dials, period. Activity over chronology. Whether you burn those calls in one block or in six five-minute bursts between site visits doesnβt matter. Hitting the activity target does.Prospecting is like push-ups: the muscle only cares that you completed the reps, not whether you did them all at once.Practical Fanatical Prospecting Implementation for Field RepsHere's how to make this work in the field: Set up your list the night before: Don't waste precious morning energy building your call list. Have everything ready to go when you start your day. A pre-built list eliminates the mental drag of figuring out who to call while youβre juggling mud, invoices, and traffic. Use the gaps: Those small windows between appointments are prospecting gold. Five minutes here, ten minutes thereβuse them. Capture information efficiently: Most calls will go to voicemail. For the ones who answer, quickly note any important information to input into your CRM later. Don't try to update your CRM in real-time between every call. Be safe: Obviously, don't text and drive. Pull over if you need to take notes or send follow-up messages.What Kyle is experiencing is common for outside sales professionals. You can't prospect the same way as an inside sales rep with a dedicated desk and phone. Your office is your vehicle. Your desk is wherever you can find a flat surface. Your schedule is dictated by customers and job sites.Create a Mobile Prospecting KitSalesforce is greatβwhen you have stable Wi-Fi and two hands on a keyboard. Field reps need something that works when the LTE bars dip to one. Print or export your list with phone numbers and a skinny note column. Hyperlink mobile numbers in a notes app so a single tap dials the next contactβno scrolling, no fumbling. Use a hands-free auto-dial app (tons exist) if local regulations allow. Safety first; quotas second. Capture notes on paper or dictate voice memos. At dayβs end, batch-enter critical intel into your CRM. Perfect data hygiene is optional; capturing deal-moving facts is mandatory.Rule of thumb: Log information, not activity. Managers love call-count metrics, but conversations and follow-up triggers win deals.
On this Money Monday, we're going back to Augusta where Rory McIlroy finally won The Masters and in doing so gave us 5 lessons for chasing and achieving dreams.Β It wasnβt pretty. It wasnβt clean. It was gritty, emotional, and one of the most unforgettable moments in sports history.Β Rory stepped onto the first tee looking calm, focused. Like a man whoβd been here before, and this time, was ready to finish it. He was 12-under. Two shots clear. It was his tournament to lose.Then it unraveled almost immediately. A loose drive. Bad bounce. Scrambled recovery. Double bogey. That kind of start can break a player, especially at Augusta National, especially when the stakes are this high. But this year would be different.Here are five lessons we can learn from Rory Mcllroy's journey to immortality at the Masters:Lesson #1: Pressure Doesnβt Break YouβIt Reveals YouThat double bogey on the first hole couldβve crushed him. It has crushed players before. Itβs crushed him before. But this time, Rory leaned into the moment.In sales, the pressure hits you just as fast. A lost deal, a missed number, or an impossible quarter. You donβt get to run from it. You fail to the level of your habits, your mindset, and your preparation. What shows up when youβre squeezed is your true game.Lesson #2: Respect the Long GameRory didnβt panic; he recalibrated. He birdied 3, then 4. No showboating. No hero shots. Just control. He played tight through the front 9. His game wasnβt flashyβjust steady. He didnβt chase. He didnβt press.Β Rory played smart. He trusted the process and took what the course gave him.Β He didnβt win with a miracle chip. He won with patience. Tempo. Smart decisions. He trusted the process.Thatβs how deals close. Thatβs how pipeline builds. You qualify. You follow up. You show up again. And you earn the right to close when the buyerβs readyβnot when youβre desperate to sell. Trust the process, be consistent, and believe in your system. Lesson #3: How You Lose Matters More Than How You WinBut the Augusta National did what the Augusta National always doesβit tightened its grip.The 11th is long, brutal, and unforgiving. His approach caught the small bumpy hills that line the green side fairway and scuttled left. The ball screamed toward the left pond and stopped just short. Rory was able to make the save for bogey."Amen Corner," he must have whispered to himself, exasperated. Raeβs Creek was, again, waiting on 13βand it got him. His 89-yard chip landed short and skipped into the water. Another bogey.He was slipping. You could see it in his face. The sweat. The searching for focus. The doubt that has haunted his Mastersβ history creeping in around the edges. The crowd got quiet. Could it be another collapse.On the 15th, after his tee shot put him left of the fairway blocked by three Georgia Pines, Rory stood at the top of the hillβone of the last true scoring chances on the course.He pulled a 7-iron for 220 yards. A high, arching draw that tracked perfectly, landing soft on the right side of the green and rolling to within five feet of the pin. Rory bounced down the fairway to the green, walking on clouds. The crowd enveloped him in a unified chant.Then he landed another birdie on 17. Suddenly, he was back to 11-underβtied with Justin Rose, who was charging from behind with a 66 and had the crowd buzzing.18 was Roryβs chance to seal it. But his second shot found the bunker. The blast out was clean, but the putt too strong. He missed. The gallery groaned. Another Masters heartbreak? Was this all too much to fight in one day? Did he have one more, two more, three more holes?Β But Rory didnβt show frustration or melt down. He reset and walked back to the tee box for the playoff with Rose. For years, Rory has taken losses on the chin. No excuses. No drama. Just class.Grace matters. Your mindset matters. Clients see that in sales. They notice how you act when the deal doesnβt go y...
You crushed your quota. Commission check hits the account.Β Your first instinct? Celebrate! You earned it, right?Not quite. Youβve earned a reward, sure. But if every check disappears faster than a cold call prospect can hang up the phone, then youβre just renting a lifestyle.Hereβs the truth: Top sales pros donβt just sell like professionalsβthey manage their money like professionals. They know the high of a commission check canβt replace long-term financial freedom.Iβve got the financial low-down.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Da7U2PviPI1. Donβt Spend It All in One PlaceβOr All at OnceWhen a big check hits, itβs tempting to splurge. New watch. Fancy dinner. Extra drinks on you.But hereβs the catch: commission highs come and go. Quarters fluctuate. Markets shift. Now more than ever, you canβt treat every paycheck like a lottery win.Try this instead: Split your check. A solid money rule: 50% to lifestyle, 30% to savings/investments, 20% to debt. Set auto-transfers. Remove temptation. Have a percentage automatically move to savings or investments the minute you get paid.Living below your means is how you avoid feeling brokeβeven during dry spells.2. Build the "Oh Crap" FundSales is high-risk, high-reward. One quarter, you're crushing it, the next you're staring down a dry pipeline and a mortgage payment.Enter your emergency fund.This isnβt optionalβitβs survival. Ideally, you want 3β6 months of living expenses saved in a separate account, untouched unless itβs a true money emergency.Having this cushion keeps you from making desperate decisions when things get tightβand keeps your mind clear to prospect fanatically.3. Debt Doesnβt Care About Your CommissionCredit cards. Car payments. Student loans.Debt is a silent killer of long-term wealth. And the more you make, the more it sneaks in. Why? Because itβs easy to think, βIβll just pay it off with my next check.βThen the check comes. And goes.Start taking control: List your debts. Highest interest first. Choose a strategy. Snowball (smallest balance first) or Avalanche (highest interest first). Stick to it. Automate payments. No missed due dates. No excuses. Pay with cash. And stick to it. If you canβt afford to pay for it all now. You canβt afford it, period.Freedom means having money that belongs to youβnot a credit card company.4. Your Future Self is Counting on YouItβs easy to feel invincible when youβre 25, 30, 35βclosing deals, stacking checks.But time moves fast. And if you donβt start investing for the long haul, future-you will be making cold calls at 70.Start with your 401(k) if your company offers oneβespecially if thereβs a match (thatβs free money). If not, look into IRAs or Roth IRAs. Even small monthly contributions grow massively over time thanks to compounding interest.The earlier you start, the easier it is. The later you start, the harder it gets.5. Plan, Donβt Wing ItYou wouldnβt wing a sales call with a high-value prospect, right? The same goes for your finances.You need a plan. Set financial goals. Pay off $10K in debt. Save $20K this year. Max out your Roth IRA. Track your spending. Use an app or spreadsheet. Know where every dollar goes. Meet with a financial advisor. Let a pro help map the path.Sales success without financial structure is just noise. You work too hard to have nothing to show for it in the end.6. Discipline is FreedomThis isnβt about deprivation. Itβs about choice.When your moneyβs right, you can: Stop chasing bad deals. Invest in coaching, property, or your own business. Sleep well, knowing you're not one missed quota away from panic.The people who look rich often arenβt. The people who stay rich? They play the long game.Protect the Bank AccountYou already know how to grind. You already know how to win.Now itβs time to build a life where that effort creates lasting freedomβn...
Ross from Houston faces a common challenge in channel sales: how do you create brand preference for your product when youβre selling through distributors who carry multiple competing lines and competitors who undercut your price?His company builds industrial dust-collection equipment and ducting, but they donβt sell directβmeaning they rely heavily on distributors, contractors, and engineers to choose their brand over cheaper alternatives.Below, youβll find key insights on how to drive more βpull-throughβ sales to your channel partners and convince every stakeholderβfrom designers to installersβto pick your product.Why Pull-Through in Channel Sales MattersWhen you sell through distribution, you lose a lot of direct control. Your product is on the shelf (literally or figuratively) alongside competitors, and the distributor or contractor can often steer buyers toward any brand they choose. Pull-through happens when the end user, contractor, or engineer specifically requests your brandβmaking your distributor the middleman who fulfills the preference you created.Educate & Collaborate With SpecifiersRossβ sales team already does lunch-and-learn sessions with engineering firms. Those engineers create the specs that contractors must follow, so if your product is βbaked inβ early, thatβs a massive advantage later when the contractor goes shopping. But the real test comes when the contractor or installer sees a cheaper alternative on the distributorβs line card.Key Steps: Educate engineers on the deeper value and functionality of your product, so theyβll insist on it in their specs. Collaborate with contractors. Even if theyβre not the final decision-maker, they can heavily influence whether your premium line or a cheaper knockoff is chosen.Brand Preference vs. Price ObjectionsThe toughest hurdle for a premium brand is the classic price objection. If the competitorβs line undercuts you, how do you prove your extra value? Unearth the Real Cost of Going Cheap. Show specifiers and end users the Total Cost of Ownershipβthat cheaper or less-robust solutions can lead to higher maintenance, safety issues, or inefficiencies down the line. Highlight Success Stories. Gather testimonials or case studies from buyers who saved time, boosted reliability, or lowered total cost of ownership by choosing your brand. Create Tools and Guides. Develop clear documentation or ROI calculators that help buyers see beyond sticker priceβespecially useful if the distributorβs rep isnβt fully equipped to present your value.Dealing with the Distributor as a GatekeeperYou can do all the contractor or engineer training you want, but if the distributorβs inside salesperson steers a buyer to a cheaper product, you still lose. Thatβs why building the distributor relationship is non-negotiable.Action Items: Train the Distributorβs Sales Reps. Show them exactly how to pitch your brandβs advantages, from installation ease to long-term reliability. Reward Them for Advocacy. If possible, offer spiffs or incentives when they successfully sell your line. In some cases, highlight how your product can reduce their support headaches and returns, making their life easier. Co-Sell on Big Deals. Bring major opportunities to the distributor, or volunteer to go on key calls together. When you help them close deals, they become more loyal to you.Get Proactive and StrategicOne pitfall in channel sales is that your rep can become just a βhelp deskβ for the distributorβalways fixing problems instead of actively driving new deals. But a proactive approach can turn that support into a competitive edge: Offer On-Site or Virtual Coaching. Whenever the distributor or contractor hits a snag, your rep steps in, demonstrating expertise. This builds trust and brand loyalty. Balance Support with Hunting. While your reps should help,
There is a big challenge in todayβs marketplace thatβs popping up left and right for sales professionalsβDecision Deferment Objections.If youβre running into stakeholders who say, βLetβs just hold off a bit,β βWe need more time,β or βWe want to wait until the market settles,β then we're going to dive into why this is happening and, more importantly, how you can handle these sales objections with confidence and skill.Turbulent Times Breed Buyer FearThe market is swinging like a pendulum on steroids, and itβs making everyone skittish. Youβve got tariffs, trade wars, and a spike in economic uncertainty.Buyers read The Wall Street Journal or check their news feeds, and the headlines scream βTurmoil!β They panic. So they defer decisions, walk away from deals, or play the βwait and seeβ game.Decision deferment objections are a natural consequence of fear. People want to avoid making the wrong move. Itβs easier to hit the pause button than to commit to something theyβre not 100% sure about. That fear, in many ways, is irrational. But itβs a brick wall that will shut down your deal if you let it.So how do you avoid letting hesitation, stalling, and decision deferment kill your deals during market uncertainty?It starts with a fundamental truth: to succeed in this environment, you must sell better. Because when people are fearful, indecisive, or uncertain, how you sell matters far more than what you sell.Why Buyers Pull Back and Defer DecisionsIn uncertain and volatile times, mistakes come with severe penalties. A stakeholder who chooses the wrong vendor, invests in the wrong technology, or commits resources too soon might put their entire business or career at risk.So they freeze. They put it off. They say, βWeβll need a little more time to think about it,β or βWe need to run the numbers again,β or βLet me talk to my boss.βIf you havenβt uncovered real fears, addressed them, and methodically advanced the deal, youβll hit a wall of deferment decision objections at maximum force.Β Thatβs why I often sound like a broken recordβbut repetition is the mother of skill. The basic steps to closing in an uncertain market are fundamental: Execute your sales process flawlessly Consistently ask for micro-commitments to advance the sale Present a compelling, airtight case for change Ask your stakeholders to make a decision confidently and without hesitation Handle objections with empathyClosing Is Not a Single Moment in TimeA lot of sales reps treat the close as one magic momentβlike flicking a switch. But in reality, closing is a series of micro-commitments that happen throughout the sales process. Every time you get a commitment to a next step, your buyer to leans in just a bit more, and you set the stage for a final βyes.βWhen times are normal, a halfway-decent rep can skip a few steps and still get deals across the finish line. But in a crisis or uncertain market, that sloppy approach falls apart.You must consistently get micro-commitments and keep advancingβbecause if you let the ball drop even once, youβll give your stakeholders an opening to stall or back out with objections like βWe going to hold off,βΒ or βWeβre just going to stick with what we have until the economy gets better.βTough Objections? Check Your Upstream Sales ProcessFor this reason, if you are getting hammered at the close with brutal objections, it usually means you made mistakes earlier in the process.So instead of obsessing over how to wordsmith your objection rebuttals, you might need to re-examine how you qualified and sold from the get-go. Tough objections at the 11th hour are typically a symptom of an earlier problem.So, what do you do? Qualify better upfrontβAre these the right prospects? Are you sure they have a budget, authority, need, and timeline? Is there a compelling reason for them to change? Ensure youβre dealing with real decision makersβIf youβre stuck with βinfluencersβ ...
Everybody wants the hacks.The quick fix. The shiny new tool. The LinkedIn post that magically draws leads like moths to a flame.But let me give it to you straight: Sales isnβt won with hacks. Itβs won with habits. And the habits that win are the ones most reps abandon the minute things get uncomfortable or boring.If youβre not hitting your number, itβs probably not because you need better leads, better tech, or better timing.Itβs because youβve drifted from the basics.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omnoVAopK8UThe Fancy Stuff Is Failing YouWe see it all the timeβsalespeople hiding behind automation tools, social selling gimmicks, and relationship-building fluff. They talk a big game on Zoom, but when itβs time to dial the phone or ask for the sale, they freeze like a deer in headlights.Letβs call this what it is: avoidance.Youβre avoiding real sales conversations because theyβre uncomfortable. Youβre hoping your sequence will βnurtureβ your prospect into buying without you having to actually sell. But automation doesnβt close deals. YOU do.The truth? Most salespeople would rather look productive than be productive. Fancy decks, CRM tagging, and custom email flows feel like progressβbut they donβt get the contract signed.Top producers know: The tools support the basics. They donβt replace them.What Actually Wins: The FundamentalsIf you want to win more, stop searching for better tactics and start doing the boring stuff better. Because these five basics are still undefeated:1. Phone CallsCold calls. Warm calls. Follow-up calls. Call blocks. Whatever the flavor, the phone remains your fastest path to building pipeline. And yet itβs the most avoided.Most reps send five emails and give up. Not top performers. They make the call. Because conversations close dealsβperiod.2. Discovery QuestionsStop pitching. Start digging. The best reps are curious, not convincing. They lead with questions that uncover pain, urgency, and decision dynamics. And they clam up long enough to actually listen.You donβt earn trust by explaining. You earn it by understanding.3. Objection HandlingIf objections scare you, itβs because you donβt practice. It's because you haven't made a habit of practicing.Objections arenβt stop signsβtheyβre buying signals. But if youβre caught off guard every time someone says, βI need to think about it,β youβre not preparing. Youβre winging it. And amateurs who wing it get smoked.4. Follow-UpHereβs the truth: the sale is almost never made on the first call. Or the second. Or even the fifth. 80% of sales happen after the 5th touch, but most reps quit after two. Why? Emotion.They feel rejected. Embarrassed. βI donβt want to bother them.β Bother them? Youβre solving a problem they canβt fix alone. Follow up until they buy or you find them a better solution.5. Asking for the SaleMost reps are afraid to ask. Why?Β Because theyβre afraid of hearing no. But hereβs the thing: no is part of the process. If youβre not hearing no, youβre not asking enough.Youβre a consultant. Youβre a closer. Your job isnβt to make the prospect feel warm and fuzzyβitβs to guide them to a decision. And that means asking with courage and confidence.Why Reps Quit the BasicsThree big reasons: Ego. βIβve been selling for yearsβI donβt need to practice this stuff.β Wrong. The minute you think youβre too good for the basics is the minute your numbers start tanking. Fear. Fear of rejection. Fear of sounding pushy. Fear of failing. So instead of doing the work, you procrastinate with busywork. Laziness. The basics arenβt sexy. Theyβre repetitive. They take discipline. So most reps quitβand thatβs why most reps are average.Want to stand out? Donβt be like most reps.Go Pro or Go HomeTop athletes donβt get bored of running drills. They know repetition sharpens instinct. They know that under pressure, you donβt rise to the occasionβyou fall to your level ...
Steve from Portland, Oregon, faces and an all-too-common consultative selling dilemma: how to sell to prospects who claim they already know everything, have already βdone the researchβ and question what value he can bring. In this Ask Jeb episode we break down what true consultative selling entails, how to detach from βalways be closing,β and why being a genuine expert is more vital now than ever.From Information Scarcity to Information OverloadNot long ago, salespeople had the upper hand simply by having more data or insight than their prospects. Today, everyone has a blog, video, or TikTok to help them βfigure it out.β This can leave a buyer believing, βI know just as much as youβso why should I trust your approach?β Thatβs where consultative selling comes in, but only if you do it right.Consultative selling isnβt about showing off your expertise. Itβs about guiding the customer to understand the real nature of their problemβoften one they didnβt fully realize or thatβs more complex than they initially thought.What True Consultative Selling Looks LikeConsultants by definition donβt barge in declaring, βHereβs the solution.β They start by asking informed, open-ended questions and listening for patterns. They bring a sense of curiosityβan acknowledgment that they canβt help until they deeply understand the clientβs unique environment.Four Steps of a Consultative Approach Assess and Analyze: Listen, observe, and probe with specific questions. Gain clarity on how the business operates and where potential issues lie. Design or Develop Solutions: Tailor ideas or strategies based on the actual problems your client is facing. No cookie-cutter templates here. Integrate and Implement:Work with the client to fold your solution into their workflows. Show them the path forward, not just a list of theoretical bullet points. Optimize and Operationalize: Stay engaged. Help the client refine and sustain the changes for long-term success.The Power of Detaching from the OutcomeWhen youβre obsessed with βthe close,β you risk pushing your own agenda rather than uncovering the clientβs real challenges. Buyers can smell desperation a mile away. Detachment works with consultative selling because: It builds trust. Youβre not rushing to pitch; youβre learning and diagnosing first. It reveals the real issues. Prospects open up more when they sense youβre genuinely trying to see if you can help, not just bulldoze them into a sale. It prevents the βsleazyβ vibe. Instead of coming off like yet another sales rep bragging about your knowledge, you show youβre a collaborator ready to craft a solution ifβand only ifβit fits.Being the Expert Without Acting Like a Know-It-AllIn todayβs age of surplus information, it isnβt enough just to learn a skill once. You have to remain curious and update your knowledge constantly. Thatβs especially true in fields like digital marketing, sales tech, or AIβareas that can evolve daily. You'll be more credible when you Commit to ongoing learning. Read, watch, and listen to everything you can, including contrary opinions. Embrace nuance. Real expertise means recognizing that not every trend or hack will work for every client. Use informed questions. The best proof of your knowledge is the quality of the questions you ask. Clients can tell when your questions hit the root of their problem.Addressing Distrust in Competitive IndustriesIn spaces like digital marketing, where so many agencies promise miracles, skepticism runs high. By entering a conversation with a consultative mindset, you set yourself apart from the noise: Focus on your prospectβs specific context. Donβt lump them into one-size-fits-all solutions. Acknowledge the clientβs prior experiences. They may have been burned by poor service or overhyped promises. Show empathy for their concerns.
We are coming off of a week that can only be described as a stock market bloodbathβamping up uncertainty and making selling even harder.Β As the new tariffs imposed by the US government were announced, kicking off what is expected to devolve into a global trade war, the Dow Jones plunged by over 2,200 points, the S&P 500 lost more than 10%, the Nasdaq entered into a bear market and more than $6.6 trillion dollars were wiped from the US stock market in two days. These losses compounded in markets all across the globe.If you were brave enough to take a peek at your 401k, I have no doubt that you felt this pain and at least a twinge of the fear that raced through business communities across the globe.Β Uncertainty and a Stream of Bad NewsIn an instant, everything changed.Starting today, selling just got even harder. Your buyers are facing uncertainty and a relentless stream of bad news; and where there is uncertainty, your prospects and customers will put off making decisions and doing anything that they perceive as risky.Β Β The penalties for making mistakes can be severe. Mistakes can put their business, company, career, finances, or family at risk. This is why, for buyers, doing nothingβmaking no decisionβis often the emotionally safe choice, even when staying put is illogical.In Uncertainty Buyers Start Scrutinizing Your Sales BehaviorsIn an environment of uncertainty, when buyers feel even the tiniest bit of unease about you, they will not buy from you.Β This is the human negativity bias: Negative perceptions have a greater impact than positive perceptions when it comes to decision making.Β Buyers will be scrutinizing your every behavior, word, and action. They will not be looking for what you are doing right, they will only see what you do wrong. Anything negative will stick out like a sore thumb.Β Their negative perceptions about you cause distrust. Your good intentions donβt matter because buyers are judging you based on their intentions, not yours. If they donβt trust you, they will not buy from you.Β You Must Sell Better During Times of UncertaintyTo win consistently, during times of uncertainty you must sell better. You need to bring your A-Game into every sales conversation.Β You must commit to executing the sales process as perfectly and faithfully as humanly possible. No mistakes. No shortcuts. No mediocrity.Β You must sell as if there is no margin for error. When the stakes were lower, buyers may have given you the benefit of the doubt and agreed to move forward even when they are still unsure. But not now. To close the sale, you must be perfect.Β There is No Sales Easy ButtonOf course, with the suddenness of this massive economic disruption it is human nature to seek out Jedi mind tricks to make things easier.Iβve got some harsh news for you. There isnβt anything easy about selling in a crisis of uncertainty. Nor are there mystical Jedi mind tricks that will help you set appointments on prospecting calls, handle objections, or close the deal in this environment.Β If thatβs not what you wanted to hear, Iβm sorry. Money Monday is a no-pander zone. Here youβll only hear the brutal truth.Β And the truth is that no technique, no move, no play, no gambit will save you from failure should you get lax with the basics and fundamentals of selling.Β When you show up and throw up, rush headlong into sales calls without planning, pitch rather than discover, challenge before understanding, fail to build emotional connections with stakeholders, and ask for the sale without earning the right, you'll hit the brick wall of objections at maximum forceβand people will not buy from you.Β If you take shortcuts in the sales process, you will experience stalled deals, prospects will ghost you, and competitors will eat your lunch. Your income will drop along with your reputation which can put your career at risk when the stakes for failing are highest.
Allβs fair in love and warβand sales.At the end of the day, what really matters is whether the deal closed or if you were left holding the bag.Β Did you make quota this quarter? Did you crush your numbers? Or did you fall short?If you missed quota, chances are you played it too safe. You followed the so-called 'best practices'βthe ones that average reps cling to.Top performers donβt just follow the playbook. They know when to bend the rules, take calculated risks, and do what it takes to win.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDTi-bw6wtUBe a Pattern BreakerThe greatest donβt stick to rules and expectations. They forge their own path in a sea of conformity.They constantly reinvent themselves and their practices to push boundaries and find new ways to win.What you wonβt see is an elite sales rep following the same script day after day and struggling to escape mediocrity.As venture capitalist Mike Maples Jr. put it on this weekβs Sales Gravy Podcast, βPeople who are winning are the ones who change the rules and tell people how to think about it.βNowβs the time to shake up your own sales routine and adopt the practices of Ultra High Performers.Fanatically ProspectYou donβt have an optionβprospect every day, or get left behind. The pipe is life. If youβre not feeding it, youβre starving.Fanatical prospectors donβt just carve out timeβthey demand it. Every single day. You make calls, period. Distractions? They donβt exist.Β But too many sales reps think they need to follow traditional suggestions: Prioritize research over calls; call when you think your prospects will be available; warm leads up with social touches and emails.These βrulesβ are screaming to be broken.Thereβs no room in sales to avoid cold calling. The telephone is still the single most powerful weapon you have when it comes to selling.Sure, the norm is to hate cold calling, avoid the phone, and send out dozens of emails because itβs easy. Rule breakers donβt do easyβtheyβre on the phone every day.The best reps value prospecting and know thatβeven when theyβre closing dealsβthey need to be watching out for tomorrow. Mediocre reps make fewer calls, qualify fewer prospects, and close fewer deals.Donβt be mediocre.Β Ruthlessly Disqualify; Pursue Those Who Will BuyNever waste your time on a prospect who simply won't pull the trigger. There are lots of tire kickers out there who will intentionally or unintentionally waste your time.Recognize early the deals that will never be done.Most sales reps chase every lead because theyβre told to βalways be closing.β The best reps break that rule by disqualifying early.Be intentional in your discovery; ask all pertinent questions before spending precious time wooing a lead.Β You donβt have time to find out weeks down the road that your prospect wasnβt the decision maker or that thereβs no budget for the deal.You can even disqualify before you start prospecting.When generating cold calling lists, zero in on a subset of your market that is most likely to buyβdonβt squander energy parsing through every single business simply to tell your boss you called everyone.Β Jerome, a media rep in Texas, covered all of Austin. Instead of cold calling tens of thousands of businesses, he zeroed in on the ones most likely to be in the market for his services and who could afford them.He weaned out businesses that werenβt strictly his target demographic and saved himself thousands of useless calls.Β Break the norm by cutting deadweight fast.Play the Long GameΒ Mediocre reps make useless calls and let the fear of annoying prospects sabotage their follow up game.Β Forget the outdated advice about not being βtoo persistent.β Elite pros break that rule and keep showing up until they hear βyesβ or βno.βThey bend the rules of social niceties (i.e. donβt annoy your prospect) and keep calling, no matter how long it takes.
Dennis from Chesterfield, Missouri, wants to know if sales coaching truly moves the performance needle, especially when shifting from transactional approaches to more consultative selling.Below are the key insights from our conversation on why coaching matters, how it boosts sales and culture, and what leaders should do right now to make it happen.Why Sales Coaching Is EssentialSales is a skill position. Even the best reps lose their edge if theyβre left on their own for too long.Much like elite athletes, sales professionals need ongoing input to fine-tune their mechanics, recharge their motivation, and keep small errors from turning into big problems.Coaching can be the difference between a rep who has plateaued and one who keeps climbingβbecause it provides immediate, personalized feedback when it counts most.From Knowledge Acquisition to Knowledge ApplicationTraining is vital for learning new strategies, product details, and selling techniques, but it doesnβt guarantee that anyone will actually use those ideas. Thatβs where coaching comes in.A coach helps each individual absorb and adapt those lessons to their unique style, role, or territory. Research shows that simply sending people to training without one-on-one follow-up leads to a big dip in retention and performance. But when coaching supports training, skill application soarsβalong with results.Leading, Managing, and Coaching: The Three Pillars of LeadershipSales leadership has three core pillars. Leading sets the emotional vision of where the team is headed. It's getting people emotionally connected to a future state. Managing is driving the step by step processes that execute strategy. Coaching is developing your people to execute at a high level. It is the force that keeps every member of the rowing in the right direction.Think about it this way. 90% of strategy (leading) is execution (managing) AND 90% of execution is people (coaching). Everything depends on people which is why you canβt afford not to coach.Sales Leadership and Coaching PrioritiesLeaders who prioritized weekly one-on-ones, real-time one-to-one coaching, and rigorous sales pipeline reviews consistently deliver better results and productivity.One of my top clients reconfigured its leadership approach with inside sales reps, focusing on call-by-call coaching in real time. While the broader industry shrank, this company grew by over 20%.The common thread? Leaders were present. They werenβt waiting for problems to surface; they intervened early and often, guiding reps through each challenge.Why Simply Showing Up Makes a DifferenceLeaders sometimes fear that sitting with their reps will feel intrusive, yet just being there raises performance.When a coach or manager listens in on a sales call or rides along on an outside sales appointment, reps immediately sharpen their focus. Theyβre more likely to use proven techniques and avoid shortcuts.Even better is when the leader offers coaching in the momentβhelping the rep pivot if the call starts going sideways. Catching issues before they snowball is how reps maintain a consistently high standard of performance.The Power of Being Side by SideOne sales organization I work with discovered, after a big dip in sales productivity, that none of its sales managers were spending time on the floor. Rather than spending time on the sales floor coaching, the leaders were in their offices, behind closed doors grading calls.As soon as the managers started actively coachingβright next to their people, liveβthe entire teamβs win-rates rose sharply. True coaching works best in real time, because your rep can implement what they just learned to get better on the next call.The Culture Shift from Transactional to ConsultativeWhen a coach is on the floor or in the car, they can see how a rep handles difficult questions, responds to objections, or frames value to a hesitant buyer.
This is a very important Monday because this is the first Monday of the second quarter, and itβs time for a major gut check and assessment of where you are against your number coming out of Q1, and what you need to adjust and think about as we move into Q2.Start with setting aside a dedicated, focused time block of one to two hours for reviewing your: Q1 Results Current state of your pipeline 2025 goals & personal business planEvaluate Your Q1 Performance Against Your Sales GoalsBegin with an honest evaluation of your Q1 sales performance. Itβs likely that your performance falls into one of three scenarios:Β You Crushed It β You had a killer quarter, blew away your goals, and you are walking on cloud nine.Β You Hit Quota β You're on track and right where you are supposed to be against your number You are in trouble β You missed your number, are behind quota, and are feeling the pressure.Incredible Quarter. Crushing It!If You Crushed It, and youβre on the top of the ranking report: Congratulations, this is exactly where you want to be at the end of Q1. Being ahead of your number now is an insurance policy against unforeseen setbacks in the future.Β It also can make life much easier if your sales plan and quota gets bigger in the back half of the year as many do.Β The most important thing you can do right now is conduct a deep dive analysis of your pipeline. Itβs not unusual to work hard to close so many deals at the end of the quarter that you start off in a weak position at the beginning of the quarter.Β Get your calculator out and do the math on how much you need in your pipeline to crush your Q2 number. Then get to work immediately building the pipe you need to hit that goal.Β Do not wait to do this. With a great quarter behind you, the temptation will be there to take a breather and take your foot off of the accelerator. After all, you deserve it. But be very careful because if your pipeline needs work, the failure to take immediate action will come back to bite you.Β If you feel a bit burned out from working so hard to deliver such a great quarter, it might make sense to take a few days off to rest, recover, and recommit to your goals or raise the bar with stretch goals.Youβve set the foundation for what could be a massive year and a trip to the Presidentβs Club. Take advantage of what you accomplished in Q1 to get even better in Q2.On Quota. On Track.If you hit your quota in Q1 and ended up right where you should be: Nice job! Quota isnβt easy to achieve. Youβve executed and done exactly what your company asked you to do. Youβve kept your promise.Β Your biggest challenge now is that it's not going to get any easier as the year progresses. You'll need to keep executing and keep grinding.Β For you, this is a good time to step back and take a look at what is working well for you, where you can improve, and where you might have gotten off track. Itβs a good time to reacquaint yourself with the basics and fundamentals that create success in both sales and your industry.Β Of course, after battling it out in Q1 you may need to refill your tank. This is the perfect time to double down on investing in yourself. With so much volatility in the market place at the moment, I highly recommend listening to my book Selling in a Crisis on Audible or Spotify or taking my courses on Selling During Uncertainty on Sales Gravy University.Β Iβve always found that investing in myself and learning gives me a boost of energy and motivation when I need it the most.Β Β Bad Quarter, In TroubleIf you had a bad Q1 and you are behind your number, then you are likely in trouble and are feeling the pressure. You might already have been put on a plan, which is not fun. The good news is that this is survivable, if you choose to survive. I know this isnβt where you want to be. No one tanks their sales number on purpose. But where you are now is almost always a result of small s...
Great advice is everywhere, but most of it is fluff. In sales, you donβt need clichΓ©sβyou need real strategies that help you win more deals.Weβve pulled together five of the biggest game-changing sales tips from the Sales Gravy Podcast so far this year.Β These are proven tactics from top sales pros who know what it takes to close deals, stay sharp, and dominate the competition.If you want to crush your numbers, start here.Β https://youtu.be/gmf7YzzlPkQ?feature=sharedThe Grind Gets You GoldYou wonβt become a sales expert overnight.Β But you can practice your way to excellence and thenβone dayβreach elite levels of selling.As sales guru Tony Morris said, βYou get out what you put in. β¦ You donβt have to be the greatest; youβve got to be the hardest [worker].βIn other words, be ready to roll up your sleeves and get in the trenches.Everyone sees the skills of great athletes, but not everyone considers all the consistent work it took to hit that home run or make that perfect golf swing. Sales success is no differentβitβs the result of countless daily reps, not just the big wins.Top performers make it all look fluidβlike a dance that should be easy to learn. But itβs not. Developing sales acumen takes time and massive effort, plus dedication to the grind.You have to dedicate time every day to getting betterβno matter what. Practice is an integral part of the grind. Drill your frameworks. Roleplay with mentors. Ask for feedback.You have to pick up the phone and make calls no one else willβthatβs how you win.Donβt give up before you see results.Β You Must Learn to SellOnce youβve learned the basics, the grind perfects them. But you better start with some solid foundational skills.Sales strategist Dawnna St. Louis puts it this way: βThe first thing you need to do is learn to sell.βBecause trying to sell without knowing how to sell is an uphill climb that most never finish.Learn to sell, or risk losing everything. Itβs an ultimatum that no sales rep can afford to ignore.Even the best subject matter experts fail without sales skills.Β Take courses and identify a mentorβa seasoned veteran who can provide feedback on your calls and negotiation techniques. Find a personal sales coach to teach you the ropes.Β Perfect Your Digital ProfileStick to the simple; nix the jargon. As Breaking B2B Founder Sam Dunning says, βDoes it pass the Caveman Grunt test?βΒ Given a few seconds, could a caveman successfully grunt what you do based on your websiteβor your social media presenceβalone?If not, youβre in trouble. No one is going to buy from you if they donβt understand what you do or your expertise.Β A website is the online lobby of a businessβthe introduction to your service or product for potential digital customers.Β But take Dunningβs advice one step further and apply it to your Linkedin profile and social media accounts that are your lobby to your potential customers.Lean into the basics: Who are you? What do you do? Why should a customer pick you?The quality of your messaging can encourage prospects to reach out to you or establish you as a trustworthy source of business.Create content that positions you as a thought leader and advisor.Β Otherwise? Your social presence is useless.Wasted Time is the EnemyTime is the one commodity that you canβt replenish. Once itβs gone, itβs gone.Thatβs why you must dedicate time to filling your pipeline every week. Protect your Golden Hours at all costs and then use that time wisely to make as many calls as you can.Whether youβre in the same building or your team includes remote workers, pick a mutual time and start dialing numbers.As best-selling author and sales expert Jeb Blount put it in a recent Ask Jeb, βPick a period of time and say βWeβre going to run call blocks.β β¦ Be ready with your list and weβre going to chop wood.βΒ Eat the frogβcarve out specific time to focus on your hardes...
Wes from Flower Mound, Texas, has a familiar challenge: how to attract more qualified B2B leads and convert them before they slip away. Heβs already tried a variety of channels, including inside sales, social media, and email, but is struggling to ramp up both volume and quality.Below are the key insights from our conversation, along with practical strategies to multiply your lead count and build a system that secures face-to-face meetings with the right buyers.Why a Multi-Channel Strategy MattersThereβs rarely a single magic trick that opens the floodgates of perfect leads. In B2B lead gen often requires multiple touch points before prospects even see why they need to talk to you. A blend of outbound prospecting, inbound content marketing, and nurturing activities generally works best. The sum of these efforts can accelerate your pipeline more effectively than leaning on one channel alone.Lead with Pain-Focused MessagingIf you expect busy decision-makers to respond, talk about their painβnot your credentials. Itβs easier to draw someone in by asking a question they canβt ignore: βIs high turnover costing you millions in lost productivity?β or βHas rapid growth left your culture in shambles?β The goal is to make them nod in agreement before they realize theyβre reading a marketing pitch. Thatβs when they self-select into your funnel and become receptive to a follow-up call.Close the Speed-to-Lead GapWes wanted advice on better leads, but high-quality leads can still go cold if your response lags. Once someone opts in or fills out a form, you have a limited window to capitalize on that interest. Even a 30-minute delay can drop contact rates dramatically. Set strict targets for response time and measure them. Make phone calls the first touch whenever possible, not a generic email. Remind them that prospects seeking help have a pressing trigger eventβact fast, or theyβll move on.Enhance Leads With Thought Leadership TouchesBecause B2B solutions arenβt often top-of-mind until thereβs an obvious buying window, thought leadership and content marketing are critical. Position your business as a problem-solver. Short webinars, white papers, or case studies can showcase real transformations youβve facilitated. Offer timely webinars on pain points you see trending in your market. Gate them with a simple registration form to capture new leads. Follow up quickly, ideally within hours, to schedule a deeper conversation.Stay Narrow on Your Ideal Customer ProfileWes asked whether to target a handful of organizations deeply or go wide. In B2B, sales randomness is the enemy of effectiveness. Identify the types of companiesβsize, leadership style, growth trajectoryβthat consistently need your help. Zero in on those decision-makers who likely hold budget authority, whether thatβs a CEO, COO, or line-of-business leader. Aim higher first and multi-thread down later, if needed.Ace the Last MileItβs one thing to get leads in the door and another to turn them into appointments. That βlast mileβ is where your marketing spend either pays off or gets wasted. By the time leads get to you, theyβre often aware of a problem. Your job is to connect that problem to a tangible path forward: Coach reps to identify the pain, clarify it, and propose a next step. Track and revisit call recordings or email exchanges to spot recurring objections. If you see a patternβlike pricing concernsβequip your team with a fast, concise way to handle it without sinking the opportunity.Keep Tweaking and TestingEven the most robust strategy will fade if you arenβt iterating. Launch new ad campaigns in short sprints, measure cost per lead, and pivot quickly if the numbers donβt add up. Tweak email subject lines and social copy. Identify high-potential communities (like certain LinkedIn groups or niche events) where your target ICP congregates. Expect to experiment regularly to keep your funnel act...
George Foreman gave us a masterclass in resilience, on never giving up. His pivots and comebacks from defeat were legendary. He was a force of nature and one of the greatest boxers, salesmen and personalities the world has ever known.Β His inspirational story matters to us because one of the most critical mental disciplines for sales professionals is resilience.Β Foremanβs "In the Mud" MomentThe George Foreman most of us remember, the man with the big charismatic smile selling grills on TV, was a far cry from the young man growing up in poverty in Houstonβs Fifth Ward, where lunch was often a mayonnaise sandwich.Β As a teenager, George was an angry, mean bully who stole from kids at school and was shoplifting and mugging his way through his neighborhood. He was living on the edge, one arrest away from landing in a jail cell and potentially a life behind bars.One night, he was lying flat on his face in stinking mud, hiding from the police, when it hit him like a left hook that he was going nowhere like this. It was a moment of truth that changed the trajectory of his life.Lying there covered in filth, he made a promise to himself to change his path. He realized that if he wanted to avoid going nowhere, he had to make a massive mindset shift.Β He enrolled in the Job Corpsβa federal program that helps disadvantaged youth pick up real life skillsβand soon after discovered boxing. And from that moment on, he replaced petty crime with gloves, replaced street fights with disciplined training, replaced despair with a sense of purpose.Β This type of mindset shift is exactly what resilience is about. Sometimes youβve got to face the fact that your old excuses, old habits, or old environment arenβt working for you anymore. And when you decide to do something differentβreally decideβyou set the stage for everything else that follows.That stinking mud moment is where you get real about your situation. Itβs where you decide that youβve had enough and realize that the change you are looking for can only be found inside yourself because thatβs where resilience comes from.Β Developing Resilience in the Face of Devastating DefeatOnce George got serious about boxing, he rocketed to stardom. He won gold in the 1968 Olympics, then tore through the heavyweight division.Β In one of his most famous fights, he defeated Joe Frazier in just two rounds, creating the iconic moment when Howard Cosell screams, βDown goes Frazier, down goes Frazier, down goes Frazier!β Foreman emerged from that fight as a heavyweight wrecking ball, the unstoppable champion of the world.Then, he ran into a wall called Muhammad Ali. Millions of people tuned in to watch Foreman and Ali battle it out in what was hyped as the βRumble in the Jungle.βΒ Going into the fight, Foreman was the overwhelming favorite. But it was his overconfidence that lulled him into Aliβs famous rope-a-dope strategy. This led to a crushing and embarrassing defeat.Ali knocked Foreman out in the eighth round, shocking the world and pulling off the upset of the century. Foreman was humiliated on the global stage. In that moment, he went from being the hardest hitting, baddest man on the planet to an also-ran.Β Sales and life can be the same way. You might have soared for months, hitting every goal. Then the bottom falls out. The real test isnβt whether you can ride success, but whether you can respond to defeat with resilience. The real question is, will you pick yourself up and make a comeback or fold up like a cheap lawn chair and quit. Will your failure become a tattoo or temporary bruise?Β Retreat and Reinvention β The Next PivotAfter that loss to Ali, Foreman was devastated. But he continued fighting until at the age of 28, he had a near death experience in Puerto Rico following a loss to Jimmy Young. It was one more lapse into overconfidence in which Foreman failed to prepare for the fight and was taken down by yet another underdog.
Wherever you are in your sales journey, you need a mentorβnow.Β If youβre serious about becoming a top performer or want to stay at the top of your game, you need more than just grit and determination. You need a guide. A mentor whoβs been through the fire and who can help you avoid costly mistakes.Β Sales expert Tony Morris stands behind the power of mentorship and the impact it can have on confidence in The Sales Gravy Podcast. Sales is about 80% confidenceβyou canβt afford to miss out.The truth is, the best salespeople arenβt bornβtheyβre built. And behind almost every top closer is a mentor who showed them the ropes.https://youtu.be/QqXHY7ONs_kMentorship Means a Better You. Period.Letβs imagine youβre new to sales. Or youβve got some time under your belt. Or maybe youβre a seasoned vet.What do you all have in common? You all need a mentor.Most salespeople fail not because they lack talent, but because they try to figure everything out on their own. They treat sales like a solo sport when itβs really a team effort.When Itβs All Going Wrong, You Need HelpTake the case of Paulβfresh out of college and hungry to make a name for himself in sales. He had the energy and the drive, but he was missing something critical: guidance.Β Paul made call after call, sent countless emails, and chased leads relentlessly. But his close rate was abysmal.Β Heβd get shut down early, lose deals at the negotiation table, and get ghosted by prospects who had initially shown interest.But sales isnβt just about following a scriptβitβs about reading the room.Β Timing, tone, objection handling, and reading the prospectβs emotional state. Thatβs where a mentor comes in.Advice from a Veteran is KeyAfter months of frustration, Paul finally got paired with Mark. Mark was a legendβconsistently at the top of the leaderboard, always winning deals that seemed impossible.Β Mark had also been in the trenches. Heβd faced every objection and lost more deals than Paul had even pitched.Mark didnβt give Paul a playbookβhe gave him a framework. He taught Paul how to listen instead of just hearing. He showed him how to control the flow of a conversation and ask better questions.Β Mark didnβt just give Paul advice. He let him shadow his calls, debrief after tough conversations, and sharpen his approach through roleplay.Within three months, Paulβs close rate skyrocketed. Why? Because Mark showed him what works. Paul didnβt have to figure it out through trial and errorβhe had a shortcut.Ask for FeedbackPositive or negative, feedback makes you a better closer. It cuts down your learning curve and sharpens your edge.Thereβs constructive criticism: how to fix your call framework, how your because statement falls flat, how your questions didnβt draw out the prospectβs pain. How your buyer wasnβt in the roomThen thereβs positive feedbackβevery salespersonβs favorite. What youβre doing right that you can lean into, continue to hone, and repeat.Β Three Edges a Mentor Gives YouGreat sales mentors arenβt a dime a dozen. But the guidance they provide is invaluable. Hereβs what a mentor gives you: Pattern Recognition: The best mentors will point out where youβre consistently falling shortβso you can fix it and move on. Accountability: Mentors keep you on track because theyβll check your progressβand keep you focused on specific goals. When you slip into bad habits, theyβll call you out. Emotional Control: Rejection stinks and itβs hard to get overβespecially when youβre new to sales. A mentor helps you separate rejection from self-worth so you can bounce back faster.Master The GameHereβs the reality: You can figure sales out on your own. You can take your lumps, learn from failures, and eventually get better.Β Or you can bypass the struggle by finding a mentor whoβs already walked that path.Having a mentor isnβt just about getting better at salesβitβs about becoming the kind of per...
Gaius, who runs an insurance brokerage in Ohio wants to know how to get his new sales agents cold calling and building pipeline earlier in their training cycle, without making them feel overwhelmed and sabotaging their confidence.If youβve ever hired a sales class or tried to ramp up new hires in an industry with complex products or strict guidelines, youβll relate to Gaiusβs dilemma. Below, youβll find the key takeaways from our conversation on accelerating new rep success, establishing realistic expectations, and blending company marketing with individual agent prospecting efforts.The Challenge: New Hires, Big Learning CurvesGaius plans to hire new property-casualty agents in classes of four, each going through about 3β4 months of training. During that time, they have to learn multiple carriers, underwriting guidelines, and compliance rules so they donβt accidentally write poor-fit policies or lose deals over technicalities.Itβs crucial they build confidence before being βthrown to the wolves.βBut hereβs the catch: If new hires only focus on product and system knowledge for months, their pipeline remains empty. By the time theyβre βreadyβ to sell, theyβll be way behind on prospecting βand might even lose that DAy One enthusiasm for building relationships.The question is, how soon can they start generating leads and setting up sales conversations?Why Pipeline Activities Canβt WaitAs I shared with Gaius, Iβve seen many companies assume new reps arenβt βreadyβ to prospect until theyβve absorbed the entire knowledge library. Yet waiting too long to do real sales activities can backfire.Early Wins Boost ConfidenceIf new hires can set even a few appointments or pass warm leads to experienced agents, it gives them a sense of accomplishment. That momentum helps them stick with the grind of more complex training.Practical Learning Beats Textbook LearningIn industries with loads of carriers and underwriting rules, real-life sales scenarios actually teach new reps faster than purely theoretical training. Once theyβve got a potential client on the hook, the rep has motivation to find the answers.Improved Onboarding SpeedCompanies that mix early pipeline-building with supported team selling often see new hires reach quota fasterβsometimes shaving weeks or months off the usual ramp-up. And yes, thereβs a risk of missteps. But thatβs where a collaborative culture (βsell as a teamβ) ensures mistakes become teachable moments, not deal-killers.The Team-Selling ApproachWhen new agents donβt have full carrier knowledge, theyβll naturally hit roadblocks. How do you keep them from burning deals (and morale)?Encourage βHand-RaisesβIf a new rep snags an interested customer, let them wave the flag: βHey, I have a lead who needs home and auto coverage. Hereβs what theyβre telling me. What do I do?β Then a veteran agent or manager steps in to guide the quote or finalize the sale, with the rookie learning through an actual client scenario.Shared CommissionsMake sure new reps see a direct benefit. If they hand off a deal, they might get a partial commission or spiff for their contribution. Over time, theyβll rely less on helpβbut theyβre still building pipeline from Day One.Hands-On CoachingEach real conversation is a goldmine for coaching. The rep sees how an experienced teammate answers tricky questions, navigates underwriting guidelines, and pivots between carriers. Itβs in-the-field training, not just theoretical.Structuring Training + ProspectingGaius is worried that his new agents need a full 3β4 months before picking up the phone. The short answer is no. They can start small while still in training. Hereβs how:A Few Leads a DayInstead of waiting for them to finish product modules, drip leads early. Let them call 5 or 10 leads each morning, focusing on booking appointments (rather than doing in-depth quoting). This keeps them from drowning in complexity,
One of the most vivid memories from my childhood was the day I was bucked off of my pony. The ponyβs name was Macaroni and I was six. We were in an arena where my mother was giving me my very first riding lessons.Β Macaroni was stung by a bee, and she reacted by bucking. I couldnβt hang on and I landed hard on my back. It knocked the breath out of me. I gasped for air. Then as I finally caught my breath, I started bawling at the shock of being involuntarily dismounted.Β My mom caught the pony, led her back over to me, and gently told me to dust myself off and get back on. But by this time I was sobbing the way kids do when theyβve cried so hard that they canβt stop.Β Failure is Just a BruiseI shook my head and refused to get back on the pony. My mother tried her best to calm me down and reason with me but I still refused to get back on.Β Then she took a different tact and got tough. Her stern, direct tone of voice made it clear that she was not asking me to get back on the ponyβshe was telling me. That's what I remember the most because my mom had never talked to me like that before and has rarely ever used that tone and directness since.Β βGet up, and get back on that pony now!β she admonished.Β She was unmovable. Like Teflon. My tears and pleading made no difference. I knew I had no choice so I stood up, shaking, still trying to catch my breath and she helped me get back on the pony.Β Right there in the riding ring, at six years old, I experienced one of the most pivotal lessons of my life. My mother taught me that failure is just a bruise, not a tattoo.Β She wasnβt being cruel; she was being protectiveβprotective of my future self, the one who might otherwise have carried an irrational fear of horses, or an ingrained habit of backing down at the first taste of adversity into the rest of my life.She knew that if she had let me off the hook and let me walk away from that pony that there was a good chance that Iβd never get back on again. That the fear I felt when I landed on my back in the sand would grow and gain a life of its own. That I would vow to never let the pain and embarrassment of falling off happen to me again and with that, my brush with failure would become permanent.Β Failure Can't Really Bite YouThe truth is, failure is usually a short-lived event. Yes, itβs jarring, unexpected, and can momentarily knock the breath out of you. But it doesnβt have to be the defining chapter of your story.Β Thatβs what my mother understood so well in that riding ring. She insisted that I face my fear, effectively telling me, βHey, the worst partβs over. Now that youβve experienced fear and failure, get back on and prove to yourself you can handle it.βΒ Because once you push through that initial sting, you discover that the fear canβt really bite you unless you give it teeth in your own mind.Β When Failure Becomes PermanentFor far too many people, though, the pain of failure does become permanent. Instead of allowing themselves a moment to dust off and try again, they walk away in defeatβoften without fully grasping the long-term impact of that decision.Β Rather than letting the bruise fade, they opt to memorialize failure in their minds, assigning it more meaning than it deserves. They replay the embarrassment and pain over and over, until it becomes an unspoken vow: βNever again.βΒ And in that single choice, a brief setback can morph into a defining moment in which they forfeit the chance to learn, grow and eventually experience the sweetness of victory.Think about how this scenario plays out in everyday life. Maybe you dream of learning a new skillβpainting, playing guitar, writing a book, starting a podcastβbut in your first attempt, you falter or feel foolish. Rather than chalking it up to βbeginnerβs missteps,β you decide: βIβm terrible at this; Iβll never try again.βAnd that small bruise becomes a tattoo right there, on the spot. You miss out on the personal growth,
How many times have you gotten to the meeting but your pitch fell flat?You went in guns blazing, thinking the hard part was over and youβd land the dealβbut instead you face-planted.Itβs not your product or your pricing. Itβs your messaging thatβs failing youβand blocking you from a sale.A Framework to Tap Into Your Prospectβs PainSo whatβs missing?Β A framework that actually speaks to your prospectβs pain, builds urgency, and moves them toward a βyes.βΒ As The Sales Gravy Podcast guest Mike Malloy points out, the PASTOR messaging method can solve that disconnect. You tap into your customerβs pain points and you close.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkML4D0BPIUThe PASTOR MethodCreated by renowned copywriter Ray Edwards, the word βPASTORβ is about guiding your prospect through the process with messaging that grabs attention and prompts action. As a salesperson, you lead your potential client toward a solution.True sales relationships arenβt forcedβitβs natural and authentic. Youβre not stereotypically pushy or desperate. You have the magic answer to a customerβs problem.Think of it like leading a prospect down a sales path where they see the problem clearly, understand the solution, and feel confident saying βYESβ to a deal.P - Problem & PainAn eventual βYesβ stems from painβpain from stalled business, lost revenue, or missed quotas.Until you unearth the problem, thereβs no need for you or your solution. Translation: No sale. Your job is to identify the pain point and get your prospect to acknowledge that, yeah, itβs ruining their business, too.Donβt gloss over the painβlean into it. Show you understand. Your understanding will connect with the customer and start building your relationshipβa relationship that leads to closing.A - Amplify the ConsequencesDonβt be afraid to twist the knife. This isnβt just a little problem. Itβs debilitatingβcosting the customer time and money. Itβs a huge pain point.What will the prospectβs life be next quarter, next year, if they donβt solve it this minute? How much worse will it get?Fear of loss is a powerful motivator. Prospects need to feel the urgency to fix the problem now.S - Story, Solution, SystemThis is where you offer the solutionβbut donβt just drop a pitch. Tell a story.Β Give your prospect an example that they can hold on to and that helps them connect.Β Tomβs sales team was floundering. They couldnβt make quota. Then they found our [your service].Jillβs company needed a new distributor. Her current distributor was often late, goods were damaged and it was hurting her bottom line. Then she learned about [your service].Make it clear that hiring you isnβt just smartβitβs the game-changer theyβve been looking for.Show them you get it. Lay out a clear, systematic solution that wipes out their painβonce they see youβve got the answer, the dealβs as good as closed.T - Transformation & TestimonyAnd what does it look like when all that pain goes away? Paint the picture.You highlighted all the real and future pain not hiring you would cause. Now, tell your prospect what life will be like after they embrace your solution.People donβt buy productsβthey buy results. They need to see exactly how theyβll save time, make money, and come out ahead. Show them the win, and theyβll say yes.This is also where you leverage testimonials to build credibility. Personal accounts from past customers who can bolster your position.When they believe others have succeeded, theyβll trust they can too. Theyβll be signing with you before you know it.O - OfferYour offer isn't just about priceβitβs about making the value so clear that saying 'no' feels like a mistake.Remove any friction to the deal by emphasizing the ease of transition and fast onboarding.Your offer needs to entice with solid, actionable steps to cutting out their pain points. Thereβs no room for waffling here.
Cindy is struggling to set appointments and handle the "How Much Does it Cost?" objection. She recently switched from media sales to the home services industry. Suddenly, she finds herself making all her own cold callsβno marketing team, no pre-existing territory full of warm leads. And unlike her old desk-bound clients, these new prospects are likely to be on a roof or at a job site when she calls.Not surprisingly, Cindyβs facing more objections than sheβs used to: βIs this advertising?β βWhatβs the price?β βIβm busyβcall me later.βBelow, youβll find the strategies we discussed to help Cindy navigate these challenges, book more appointments, and build a solid pipeline in a brand-new industry.Donβt Let Your Assumptions Become Their ObjectionsWhen Cindy began calling busy contractors who often pick up the phone on a roof, she caught herself feeling anxious or apologetic in her delivery. The lesson? Emotions are contagious. If you sound insecure or rushed, your prospects sense it.Stop ProjectingYou might worry about βbotheringβ them, but for the business owner, a ringing phone can mean new opportunities. Give them a chance to decide whatβs important.Own Your Value and Be ConfidentIf youβre convinced your call mattersβbecause it can grow their bottom lineβtheyβre more likely to listen, even if theyβre currently juggling tasks on a job site.Adjust Your Cold Call Timing to Their ScheduleCindyβs used to calling people who sit behind desks from 9 to 5. But in the home-improvement industry, a prospect is often up at 6 a.m., on a ladder by 7, and swamped all day long.In many home services sectors, the sweet spot is early morningβabout 7 a.m.βbecause the owner is up, thinking about the day ahead, and hasnβt started the physical labor yet. Even 6:30 a.m. might work. Evening can be another window, but theyβre tired. For best results, aim for early. Keep a simple log of call times vs. responses and double down on what works.Tackle Objections with ConfidenceCindy mentioned getting quick-fire objectionsβlike βIs this advertising?β or βHow much does it cost?ββwhich often derail her. To handle them, remember:Agree and PivotWhen someone uses the, βHow much does it cost?β objection, respond with something like, βThatβs exactly why Iβm callingβyouβll want to see what we can offer first so we can tailor a solution. Letβs schedule a short meeting, so I can learn more about your business.βDo not jump straight into an explanation of how your pricing βdepends.β Instead, show them why a tailored approach matters.Use a Stat or BenefitIf they ask, βIs this advertising?β answer βYes, but not the kind youβre used to. Weβre helping home improvement companies increase their profit margin by 25% on retail jobs.βImmediately pivot to: βIβd love 15 minutes to show you exactly how we do that. How about we meet at your job site Thursday at 2? Iβll bring lunch.βEmphasize ConvenienceHome services pros might not have the bandwidth for a formal sit-down. Offer to meet them where they are. Show you respect their time by fitting into their schedule rather than demanding they fit into yours.Reframe βBusyβ Objections as Expected ObjectionsIf a contractor says, βIβm swamped!β or βCall me later,β donβt take it as a hard βNo.β Instead, realize that busy = normal. Of course theyβre busyβthatβs part of the gig. Let them know you anticipated theyβd be slammed.βI figured youβd be buried this morningβno problem. Thatβs exactly why I called. Letβs find a time thatβs actually convenient for you. How about Friday at 7 a.m.? Iβll bring coffee.βOffer to Meet Them Where They AreIn desk-bound industries, you can say, βLetβs meet at your office.β But in construction, a prospectβs βofficeβ might be the bed of a work truck or the roof of a house. Get creative:Bring Lunch, Coffee, or DonutsIf a contractorβs day starts at dawn, a quick coffee at 7 a.m. might be the perfect in-person βmeeting.
No matter if you've had a great month, closed a big deal, or made it to the winner's circle at President's club, winning makes you more vulnerable to losing.A Winning Message for Sales WinnersLast week, I delivered a keynote at a large company's Presidentβs club event. It was fun! Great hotel. Tropical destination. People were upbeat and happy because they were celebrating success. And frankly, I love hanging out with ultra-high performers. Itβs so energizing to be with winners.The challenge though was figuring out exactly what I was going to say to them.Β Think about it. These sales professionals are the best of the best. Cream of the crop. The Beeβs Knees in the words of their VP of Sales. Theyβve proven that they know what to do. They already are motivated. The last thing I wanted to do was bore them to tears or cause them to feel that I was talking down to them.So I spent several weeks nervously working on my keynote speech for this group of winners. I went around and around in circles unable to nail down the perfect message until it hit me that these sales professionals were in a very vulnerable position for the very fact that they were winners.Welcome to the Sales GraveyardThe sales graveyard is full of former Presidentβs Club winners who: Came home with a trophy and were fired because they quit selling.Β Were one hit wondersβwinning once and never getting back into the club again.Β Came back with so much promise and potential only to drift along in mediocrity because they stopped doing the things that got them to the podium in the first place.Β Too often when we win, we see it as an opportunity to take our foot off of the accelerator and coast for a while. It happens to Presidentβs club winners and everyday sales reps. Have a good month, take a break from prospecting. Close a big deal. Start taking shortcuts. Win the big trip, celebrate a little too long.Some winners spend a little too much time reading their own press clippings. After working hard and doing all of the right things, they no longer believe that the rules of physics apply to them.Rather than going back home and honoring the basics and fundamentals of selling that brought them to the dance in the first place, they become undisciplinedβdelusional that they possess some sales superpower that guarantees their success.Β Maintain your edge by taking courses on Sales Gravy Universityβthe worldβs most powerful sales training engine featuring more than 1500 hours of classes from over 40 of the worldβs top sales experts and authors. plus live workshops each week and mastermind group coaching sessions. There is nothing else like it in the sales world.Β You Cannot Be Delusional and Successful at the Same TimeWeβve all been there in big and little ways. It happened to me just yesterday. While playing golf I hit a screaming driveβone of my longest everβright down the middle of the fairway to within 50 yards of the hole. On that drive, Iβd done everything right. I slowed down, followed my routine, focused myself on the fundamentals, and executed. It was an incredible feeling. I celebrated with a big fist pump and high fives all around.Β Confident, I walked right up to my second shotβa short pitch into the greenβtasting a birdie and thenβ¦I chunked it. For those of you who play golf you know exactly how this feels. Itβs awful. But what was the difference between the first shotβthe winner βand the second shotβthe loser? It was me!Instead of running through my routine and being disciplined and intentional with my approach to that crucial shot, I became lazy. Rather focusing my mind on the basics and fundamentals, I believed that after that beautiful drive, the basics no longer applied to me. Trust me on this, gravity is a bitch. I walked away with a sad double-bogey proving once again that you cannot be delusional and successful at the same time.
Youβre stalled. Youβre stuck. Youβve plateaued.No matter how you put it, youβre seeing your sales hit a rut. And letβs face it, youβre in a rut, too.So, how do you pull yourself out of it? The answer: invest in yourself.https://youtu.be/odBObaiywlg?feature=sharedThe Power of Personal DevelopmentIn sales, it's easy to get caught up in the grindβcalls to make and deals to close. But if you donβt make time to invest in yourself, sooner or later, youβll hit a wall and fall into a rut.Β As Sales Gravy Podcast guest Robert Herbst points out, one of the key reasons that sales people stagnate is a lack of personal development.The reason top performers prioritize learning new skills and pushing their boundaries is because it makes them better and helps them sell more. When you choose to prioritize yourself and your professional development you are choosing a better and happier you.Personal development isnβt a βnice-to-haveββitβs the backbone of sustained success.Β Cultivating a Growth MindsetA growth mindset is essential for embracing personal development.This is the process of cultivating the belief that your abilities and talents can be improved through effort, learning, and perseverance.Developing a growth mindset leads to higher achievement, resilience, adaptability, and a more positive approach to self-improvement. It helps you grow from setbacks and adversity, rather than being defined by themβdriving you to reach further and achieve goals others might think are impossible.Read a BookEverything you want to know about anything can be found in a book.Β Reading isnβt just a habitβitβs a weapon that keeps you ahead of your competition.Seriously, if you want to grow and develop, start by reading books. An author spends a lifetime accumulating knowledge that they put into a book you can buy for only $20. Thatβs a massive value for the investment.Β A best practice of top performers is to carve out 15-30 minutes each morning specifically for professional reading.Listen to LearnIf you have a hard time reading or finding time, listen to an audiobook, a podcast, or an audio course.Β Many top performers listen to learn while they workout, walk the dog, or do chores around the house. Itβs also a great way to turn your commute or drivetime in the field on sales calls into Automobile University.Β The point is: audio resources are so convenient you never have to stop learning.Β Take Online CoursesOne of the key traits of top performers is that they invest in online training from sources like Sales Gravy University and their own company learning management systems.Β E-learning offers the opportunity to gain and sustain winning sales skills anywhere, anytime and on any device, making it easy for on-the-go sales professionals to invest in themselves.These days, itβs easy to gain access to the top trainers and thought leaders in sales through affordable, on-demand training modules.From virtual training to in-person workshops, thereβs no greater investment than in yourself and your sales game. Itβs even worth traveling to get to transformational conferences that lift you to new heights.Β In-Person Training and ConferencesSeek out every opportunity to attend in-person training. Start by reaching out to your sales leader for information on in-house training offered by your company. Then look for external training events and industry conferences that fit your professional development plan.Β Beyond the training and skill development gained from these events, youβll spend time with peers, build your network and share best practices that will often boost your income.Level Up Every Day β Never Stop GrowingLevel up or lose out.Β Personal development doesnβt work if you donβt make time for it. This means setting time aside thatβs blocked specifically for learning every single dayβwhether itβs an audiobook, reading, online learning or a training event.
Matt from Grand Rapids says, βIf I donβt make my cold calls, our pipeline will go dry.β He is juggling everything from operations to customer service escalations, all while trying to generate fresh leads through cold calls.Sound familiar? In this Ask Jeb segment of the Sales Gravy Podcast, I walk Matt through practical strategies to carve out time for prospecting and target the right prospects, so that he can keep his sales pipeline fullβeven while being pulled in a dozen directions.The Problem: Too Many Hats, Too Little TimeMattβs role covers operations, customer support, escalations, and sales. Thatβs a lot of hats for one head. Between urgent issues (like system outages) and everyday distractions (Slack messages, emails, ticket follow-ups), his cold-calling efforts often get pushed to the back burner.If urgent tasks always overshadow your pipeline-building activities, youβll end up with a dangerously thin pipeline. Remember: βThe Pipe is life.β The longer you allow other priorities to get in the way, the more your sales (and stress levels) suffer down the road.Triage βUrgent vs. Non-Urgentβ TasksYes, certain crises truly are urgent. If your clientβs phones are down, you canβt ignore that. But not everything that feels urgent is urgent. Often, we treat every Slack ping or email notification like a five-alarm fire.Identify Real Emergencies: A system outage that halts business? Absolutely that requires immediate action. A non-critical support request? Schedule it for later. Set boundaries so routine tasks donβt hijack your entire day.Use Focus BlocksTurn Off Notifications: Close Slack, kill your email window, silence your phoneβwhatever it takes to create an uninterrupted block.Leverage High-Intensity Sprints: Prospect in short bursts (15β30 minutes) where all you do is dial. Make notes on a physical list to avoid toggling between multiple browser tabs.DelegateIf youβre not the only one who can handle support tickets, let others take them. Own the customer relationship; let your team own the problem resolution.The Art of Owning the Customer, Not the ProblemOne of the biggest time-sucks for salespeople is diving headfirst into problem-solving. If youβre an empathetic type, you might be tempted to fix every issue yourself. But that drains your time and divides your focus.Own the RelationshipWhen a customer meltdown looms, they want reassurance. Youβre the friendly face they trust. Let them know youβre on it, but donβt dive into the technical fix if thereβs someone else better equipped.Set Expectations and Follow UpGet a clear commitment from your support team: βCan you resolve this by 3 p.m.?β Check in before the deadline, not after. That way, you can give the customer a timely update.Balance AccountabilityYou, as the salesperson, remain responsible for the customerβs happiness. Your support or operations team, however, is responsible for execution. Keep close tabs on them, but donβt do their job for them.Sharpen Targeting To Build Better Prospecting ListsMattβs telecom company has a strong base of medical practicesβmostly gained through referrals. Now he wants to proactively call into that same niche. But how do you successfully cold call a vertical youβve never actively prospected before?Define Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)Look at your existing medical clients. How big are they? What specialties do they serve? Who handles IT decisions? Notice any patterns in the types of practices or roles you consistently serve.Craft a Relevant MessageMedical offices might not realize theyβre missing features that could improve patient flow. Translate βtelecom upgradesβ into benefits that matterβlike reducing patient wait times, integrating scheduling, or enabling secure remote access. If you offer advanced AI features (like intelligent call routing or sentiment analysis), frame it around operational efficiency and cost savings.Focus on the Conversation,
If youβve hung around me for longer than five minutes, youβve heard me say that sales is about talking with people. The fact is, the more people you talk with, the more youβll sell. The good news is that there are lots of people to talk with to make a sale. The problem is, far too many salespeople have quit talking with people.Email Prospecting Has Suddenly Stop WorkingInstead they keep prospects and customers at arms length through asynchronous communication channels like email - especially when prospecting.Β They lean on email because itβs easier to hide behind a keyboard than pick up the phone and face rejection. But hereβs the cold, hard truth: Email as a prospecting channel has suddenly stopped working.Β Recent data indicate that salespeople today are sending three to eight times more emails than they were just a couple of years ago β¦ yet theyβre getting only a tenth of the response.Β Let that sink in for a moment. Three times more email and a tenth of the response. These days you can send your prospecting emails dressed up in a pink bunny suit, riding a unicorn, tossing hundred dollar bills in the air and prospects are still going to ignore you.Β Essentially salespeople and their AI minions are banging out more and more email to make up for the lower response rates leading to a vicious cycle of diminishing returns. At this point, for all intents and purposes, email prospecting is dead.Β The Decline of Email ProspectingΒ What happened?Β In the past, crafting cold email involved strategic thought and personalized messages unique to each prospect. It was a slow process which meant salespeople sent fewer but more effective prospecting emails that were at least tolerable for prospects.Β If your email didnβt connect, your prospect would just delete it and, sometimes, at least respond that they were not interested.Β Ten years ago, the slow decline of email as a prospecting channel began with the advent of sales engagement platforms like OutReach and SalesLoft. These platforms opened the door to reps to send streams of automated emails in multi-step cadences at the push of a button.Then two years ago, AI burst onto the scene and suddenly everything changed. A legion of enterprising tech entrepreneurs promised magical prospecting engines that would βreplaceβ salespeople altogether. Just push a button and AI does the hard work to fill the pipeline.All Prospecting Email is SuspiciousΒ These AI apps churn out prospecting emails using βhyper-personalization,β scraping tokens off your LinkedIn profile, grabbing a crumb of information from your Facebook feed, and slapping that into an email to make it look human.Β But hereβs the problem: buyers arenβt stupid. The second they sniff out that a robot is behind the curtain, it completely turns them off. People donβt like to be manipulated β especially by AI. Once they realize theyβve been duped by AI, they trust nothing else in their inbox.Β And because AI can send emails 24/7 β relentlessly β without taking a coffee break or a vacation, inboxes have been flooded with this shallow AI-generated drivel.Β The reality is that these platforms are basically spam machines that turned the slow decline of email prospecting into a fast moving avalanche of pain. These AI powered sales automation tools have scaled email volume to an extraordinary and unsustainable level.The deluge of AI generated email led to a phenomenon called the Great Ignore in which all prospecting messages β good or bad, human or AI generated β are cast into the same bucket and ignored by the prospects.Sales Prospecting CynicismBuyers are drained, exasperated, and exhausted with this crap. I talk to decision-makers every day who say, βI donβt open any email from someone I donβt already know anymore. I just delete it. I donβt have time for that.β And if they do open your email and see itβs obviously AI text, rather than just deleting your email,
You nailed the pitch. The budget was there. The decision-maker was engaged. So why did the deal go cold?The problem might not be your process. It might be you. Before a prospect buys from you, they have to buy into you. Your professional presence sets the stage for every interaction.Β https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELR-Mhzv7eAFirst Impressions MatterIf you donβt make a strong first impression, it wonβt matter how great your service is.Your appearance tells a prospect what to expect before you even open your mouth.Β Well-groomed, polished, and with a professional presence? Youβre perceived as credible and competent. Over the phone or through email, if youβre engaging, confident and well-spoken, then youβre going to open more doors.Match your appearance and tone to the company youβre approaching. A simple LinkedIn search or visit to a company website will shed light on company culture. If this is a more informal environment, donβt show up in a suit. If everyone dresses sharp, then your polo and khakis arenβt going to cut it. You want to show an understanding of the work culture by doing your research and fitting in.Confidence is ContagiousConfidence comes from preparation β knowing your client, their business, and your value. You are how you present yourself. Trust in yourself and display confidence, and your prospect will see you as confident, too.Β However, donβt fall into the trap of arrogance.Β Avoid overpromising, looking to be right rather than helpful, and speaking more than you listen.When you do speak, speak confidently. Eliminate filler words like βumβ and βahβ from your conversation. These undermine your confident demeanor and cause your prospect to doubt your credibility.Β Instead, take intentional pauses when youβre not sure what to say or to avoid tripping over your words. A brief pause wonβt make you look like you donβt know what youβre talking about β itβll look like youβre taking a moment to choose exactly the right words.Nonverbal Communication is KeyYour body language needs to project authority. A firm handshake and steady eye contact show confidence and can put your client at ease. They establish you as a professional presence, ready to combat a companyβs issues with excellence. If youβre on a video call, speak up, introduce yourself with some key details and ask your prospect to do the same. Give them an opportunity to tell you who they are.Smile and be open toward your prospect. This helps establish trust, and mirroring your prospectβs body language is an easy way to develop rapport. Sit up straight and lean in, showing youβre listening carefully to their pain points and issues.Β Your Online Brand MattersIn this digital age, you canβt be surprised to know that potential customers might Google you, find you on LinkedIn, or otherwise look you up online. After all, didnβt you do your research on them before you reached out? Itβs your responsibility to present a professional front online as well as in person.Youβre cultivating a personal brand online the same way youβre doing with every call and email. Use your LinkedIn profile to establish yourself as an expert in your area and youβll see that payoff in your credibility with clients. Make a practice of sharing industry insights, commenting on relevant posts, and posting your own observations on trends, challenges, or best practices.Listening is a SuperpowerThe power of your professional presence isnβt limited to first impressions. Itβs relevant in every step of the selling process β including how you present yourself as an engaged listener.Stop thinking of yourself as a seller and start thinking of yourself as a solutions-provider. What youβre offering prospects is the chance to solve a problem costing them money, time or both. That starts with mastering the art of listening.From the first phone call to the initial meeting and every touch after, establish yourself as a consultative seller whoβs...
Caroline is dealing with a dilemma so many sales professionals face this time of year: How do you shake off a mid-winter rut and regain your momentum when itβs cold, dark, and everyone else seems to be dragging too?On this Ask Jeb episode, I offer practical, real-world strategies to help you thaw out from the winter freeze. Whether youβre fighting the gloom of early sunsets, the aftereffects of holiday downtime, or the struggle to get your customers back in βbuying mode,β these tips will help you power through and regain your momentum.Surround Yourself with Positive InputsWhen youβre in a mid-winter sales rutβespecially in cold, gray weatherβyour environment can either lift you up or drag you down. The content you consume and the people you interact with have a direct impact on your attitude.Limit NegativitySkip cable news and doom scrolling. Itβs toxic and drains energy. Steer clear of co-workers who only want to complain. Instead, find colleagues or mentors who keep the conversation upbeat and productive.Engage in βAutomobile UniversityβTurn windshield time into learning time. Load up on podcasts, audiobooks, or uplifting content. If youβre on the road for field sales, use that dead time to sharpen your skills or motivation.Pro Tip: Tune in to the Sales Gravy Podcast (yes, shameless plug!) or revisit classic audio programs by Zig Ziglar, Brian Tracy, or Jim Rohn for a quick confidence boost.Create a βWinβ FileSave glowing emails, client testimonials, or kudos from your boss in one place. On days when you feel like a zero, open that folder and remember your wins. Believing in yourself often wavers most when external results are slow. A targeted self-esteem boost can snap you out of that funk.Read (or Listen) Your Way Out of the SlumpWhen you canβt rely on external circumstances (like sunny weather or a jam-packed pipeline) to motivate you, itβs time to feed your mind intentionally.Pick Up a BookI once pulled myself out of a rut by alternating 10 minutes of prospecting with 10 minutes of reading No Bull Selling by Hank Trisler. That pattern helped him stay focused and eventually led him to top-performer status in his region.Audio AlliesIf reading a physical book doesnβt fit your schedule, try audiobooks. Caroline mentioned sheβs listening to The AI Edge on Audible. Whether you dive into James Clearβs Atomic Habits or any other self-improvement or sales guide, consistent listening can reset your mindset.Revisit (or Set) Your Goals and Business PlanAimlessness often fuels a sales rut. Getting clear on why youβre putting in the work refocuses your daily efforts.Craft a Personal Business PlanBreak your annual quota or goals into quarterly, monthly, and weekly targets. Then, identify the daily actions that lead to those targets. Write them down, review them often, and adjust as needed.Check In with Your PlanIf youβve already set goals: Take them out of the drawer and ask, βAm I doing what I said I would do each day?β If you havenβt set goals yet: Itβs never too late to start. Use the lull to plan out the rest of your year.Try the βBTNβ (Better Than Nothing) ApproachOn a recent Money Monday episode, we introduced the concept of doing somethingβeven if itβs smallβto maintain momentum. One call, one follow-up, or one networking email is better than none at all. Doing a little bit every day builds massive momentum over time. Even if youβre not closing big deals right now, small actions (e.g., 15 minutes of prospecting, 10 minutes of follow-ups) add up.βEat the Frogβ Early in the DayThe Eat the Frog concept (mentioned in Fanatical Prospecting) is about tackling the hardest or most dreaded tasks first. If winter weather and post-holiday inertia already have you feeling sluggish, donβt let procrastination compound the problem.Schedule Tough Calls in the MorningIf you tend to stall on prospecting, block out time when youβre freshest. Once you conquer the hardest thing on your list,...
Three weeks ago it warmed up here in Augusta, Georgia, so I played hooky from work to take advantage of the nice weather and play a round of golf. While I was waiting for the group in front of me to clear the green my phone rang. I answered but I couldnβt hear anything on the other end so I hung up.Β Ten minutes later it rang again with a call from the same number. This time, however, I was walking up to a birdie putt, so I sent the call to voicemail.Β After finishing my round, I looked at my voice messages to see who had called, but there was no message so I didnβt give it another thought.Β Later that day, I found an email from the rep asking for a meeting. He said he had called but we'd been disconnected.Β It was at that moment that I realized I had my earbuds in when I answered the phone the first time. Sometimes calls do not automatically transfer to them. That is why I couldnβt hear him when I picked up the phone.Β I considered responding to his email at that moment, but it was dinner time, and I was getting ready to grill some steaks. So, I put his note aside for later. The next morning, life happened, priorities got in the way, and I completely forgot about it. I havenβt heard from him since.Β After three attempts (and no voice message) he gave up. The sad thing is, because of my guilt about hanging up on him, had he made one more call or email, I would have responded.Β Other than not prospecting altogether, giving up too soon is the primary reason salespeople are failing at prospecting on an epic scale.Β 92% of Prospectors Give Up After Only 4 AttemptsOnce after another attempt at creating a viable light bulb went down in flames, inventor Thomas Edison said that he hadnβt failed. Heβd just found 10,000 ways that didnβt work. Because of his relentless persistence, he changed the world.Β Now juxtapose this against the statistics on sales prospecting persistence:Β 44% of salespeople make only one prospecting attempt before giving up.Β 78% make only two prospecting attempts before giving up. 92% never make more than four prospecting attempts. 94% of these attempts are lame, poorly written emails.Β Deeper into the weeds, the data tells us that it takes many prospecting touches to compel prospects to engage.Β 4 touches to engage a hot inbound lead.Β 5 touches to engage a prospect in a buying window who is familiar with you and your brand. 7 touches to engage an inactive customer or previously closed/lost deal. 9 touches to engage a warm inbound lead. 11 touches to engage a prospect in the buying window with no familiarity with you or your brand. 13 touches to engage a prospect with some familiarity with you or your brand but not in a buying window. 20+ touches to engage a cold prospect who is not familiar with you or your brand.Keep in mind that these are averages across a wide statistical distribution. Depending on your brand recognition, geographic location, prospecting channel, product, service, sales cycle, industry vertical, and the role (CEO, Director, Manager) you might find that these numbers shift.The point, however, is not the numbers. It is the story these numbers tell us. In most cases, it takes around 8 touches to get meaningful engagement from a prospect. But 92% of salespeople give up after no more than four attempts.Β Itβs no wonder that pipelines are bone dry and last year, according to recent data, 91% of sales teams failed to achieve quota.Β Emotional Hangups in ProspectingWhen I tell stories of prospecting persistence from the stage during keynotes and training sessionsβfor instance, the rep who contacted me 71 times before finally convincing me to buy from himβpeople in the audience visually squirm.Β Invariably, when I tell the true story of the time I left a voicemail for a prospective client every day for 52 days in a row before he called me back leading to a $1.2 million deal and punching my ticket to Presidents Clu...
In sales - especially in product knowledge training - weβre taught from day one how to pitch, how to present, and how to overcome objections. We rehearse our spiels, memorize talking points, and perfect our scripts.Β But too often we forget one of the most basic truths in sales: The more you listen, the more you learn. And the more you learn, the faster and easier it is to close a deal. Silence β shutting up and listening β is your secret weapon.Β Yes, you need to speak confidently about the value you bring to the table, and you need to be clear when youβre asking for the deal. But the words that actually sway a prospect donβt come from you β they come from them.Β Prospects convince themselves to buy. Your job is to guide the conversation in such a way that they articulate the problems theyβre trying to solve, the goals they want to achieve, and the obstacles blocking their path. When you can get them to articulate those issues in their own words, you close deals.Β Β https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovBdhmangUUEmbrace the PauseA common mistake reps make is rushing in to pitch a solution, answer a question, or tackle a perceived objection. They jump in prematurely, before letting the prospect fully voice whatβs on their mind.Β But if you can stay silent, if you can resist the urge to speak immediately, your prospect will usually elaborate. Theyβll keep talking, often divulging the root cause of their hesitation.Β That root cause might be very different from what you assumed at first glance. If you jump in too soon, you risk addressing a superficial objection and missing the real issue entirely.Iβve seen too many sales professionals sabotage deals because they were afraid of a little silence. They ramble on, trying to fill every pause, unnerved by any lull in the conversation.Β But in the pause, in the silence, is where your prospect gathers their thoughts. If you just wait, if youβll just shut up, what comes next is where the real magic lies.Β Your prospect will begin to share deeper insights. They might reveal the internal politics at play, the budget constraints, or the personal motivations driving their buying decision. Theyβll teach you exactly how to close the sale.Β Build Trust Through SilenceLearning to be comfortable with silence is also about showing genuine respect for the other person. When you give someone space to talk, you send an unspoken message: βI value your thoughts, your insights, and your experiences.βΒ Thatβs a powerful psychological signal. It builds trust faster than any perfectly rehearsed line. People buy from those they trust, and trust often begins with the simple act of listening.Now, Iβm not saying you should clam up entirely. Strategic silence is not about becoming a mute. Itβs about knowing when to speak, what to say, and when to remain quiet.Β Ask a probing question, and then zip your lips. Sit there, look them in the eye, and nod empathetically while they talk. Let them finish. Then pause a moment.Β Usually, that extra beat of silence after they finish speaking nudges them to continue, and theyβll share even more valuable information.Β If itβs truly time for you to respond, do so thoughtfully, directly, and concisely. Then hand the baton of conversation back to your prospect with another question or an invitation to elaborate.Six Strategies For Leveraging Silence to Sell More Plan Your Questions: Before any meeting, plan the key questions you want to ask. Keep them open-ended and designed to encourage deep, detailed answers. Practice The 3-Count Rule: After the other person finishes answering the question, mentally count βone β¦ two β¦ threeβ before you talk again. Let those seconds of silence hang in the air. Leaving the gap of silence almost always compels the other person to fill it.Β Embrace Discomfort: Silence can be awkward. Learn to live with that. Recognize that this discomfort is exactly what triggers prospects to open ...
Marcin from Warsaw, Poland, asks: What are the top sales trends shaping the future of sales?Our conversation ranged from the impact of AI to the growing importance of a consultative selling mindset in modern selling. Below, youβll discover practical insights you can leverage to sharpen your competitive edgeβregardless of what industry or region you sell intoβand take advantage of these emerging trends.AI Will Power Sales Efficiency and IntelligenceWhen we think about the future of sales, AI inevitably dominates the conversation. Whether youβre a software rep, selling capital equipment, or providing professional services, artificial intelligence is quickly transforming the salescape. Elevated EfficiencyAI will eliminate many repetitive tasks, surface the best leads, track deal progress, and remind you when a prospect stalls. At a basic level, AI can be your 24/7 virtual assistant that never forgets an appointment or misses a follow-up. Smarter Data ManagementAI will digest massive data sets, then deliver concise insights that help you identify buying signals, forecast deal closures, and spot hidden risk factors in your pipeline. Relationships Still MatterAs advanced as AI might be, it canβt replace human conversationsβespecially in complex or consultative sales. Ultimately, people buy from people they trust. Keep that fact front and center as you adopt AI-driven tools. Theyβre there to free you up for higher-value activities, not to take over your role.The Return to Humanity: Relationships Make the DifferenceIn an age where we can automate just about anything with tech, your core differentiator will be your ability to build trust and engage deeply with clients. Human Connection Is a Competitive AdvantageIf everything can be automated or self-served, how do you stand out? By demonstrating genuine empathy, patience, and an interest in solving unique business problems. Buyers are craving human interaction that goes beyond transactional sales. Adapt to Cultural NuancesYour ability to adapt and flex to the nuance of both cultural differences between countries, regions, industries, and companies gives you a competitive edge when building trust.Β In some markets, diving straight into business is a sign of respect and efficiency; in others, building rapport is crucial before any serious conversation can start. Being agile enough to flex your communication style to fit local norms is a hallmark of top-performing sales consultants.Embrace a Consultative Selling MindsetIn the age of AI there is a massive shift toward consultative selling. If youβre selling complex products, services, or solutions, you canβt just pitch features and benefits anymore. To survive and thrive you must become a business advisor, diagnosing problems and developing creative and innovative solutions.Key Skills to Develop Deep DiscoveryΒ Great consultants donβt leap in with a pre-packaged pitch; they ask probing questions, explore unarticulated pain points, and let clients talk. This patient approach sets you up to deliver precisely what the customer needs. Business Acumen and Technical KnowledgeIn consultative sales, you often speak with senior executives who expect you to know how business worksβeverything from supply chain issues to profitability metrics. If you show up unprepared, someone else with deeper business insight will get the sale. Creative, Innovative SolutionsOnce youβve gathered the facts, your job is to co-create a roadmap. That means pulling from your experience, internal product knowledge, and general business know-how to design a solution that resonates across multiple stakeholders. This requires both IQ (to connect the dots) and EQ (to communicate the vision persuasively).Stay Curious and Keep LearningA big part of stepping into a consultative role is adopting a lifelong learning mentality. Too many sales professionals stop reading or stop trying ne...
WARNING: This Mondayβs message will be one of the most powerful hacks youβll ever integrate into your lifeβbecause itβs simple, easy to put into practice, and it works. It has the potential, over the course of time, to change everything for you.Itβs the BTN method, and I learned it from a friend of mine who completely transformed his life and his habits by mastering this one straight-forward tactic.Forgiving Yourself When You Get Off TrackIn James Clearβs book, Atomic Habits, he talks about a strategy for making a habit stick: never miss two days in a row.In other words, if you mess up on Mondayβif you skip your workout or drop the ball on your new habitβyou give yourself permission to let it go.But get right back on track by Tuesday. You never miss two days in a row and allow those mistakes to pile up and push you right back into the bad habit you are trying to change.I love this advice because it reminds us weβre all human. Weβre going to slip up. Life happensβkids get sick, you get sick, clients call with emergencies, your boss piles extra tasks on your desk, or your flight is delayed and youβre stranded in an airportβ sometimes you've just have to eat that piece of cake.James Clearβs approach is, when this happens, to give yourself a break. Itβs okay that you messed up once. Forgive yourself but just donβt let it spiral downward by stringing together multiple days of misses together. It's a great approach.But there is another strategy that works even better for staying track, makes it easier to bounce back, still allows you to be human, and over time yields far better results. If you really want to build unstoppable sales habits and supercharge your performance youβll love this approach.The BTN SecretA few years back, I was meeting a good friend of mine for dinner. We hadnβt seen each other in a couple of years.Heβs the CEO of a large companyβconstantly flying all over the world, dealing with high-level negotiations, board meetings, you name it.I know from experience that this kind of schedule can wreak havoc on your diet, your sleep, and especially your exercise routine.When Chris walked into the restaurant, I was stunned. He looked incredibleβlike a completely different person.Heβd lost a bunch of weight and was in fantastic shape. As we sat down at our table I couldnβt help but blurt out, βDude, you look incredible, how on earth do you manage to find the time to exercise and take care of yourself like that with your insane schedule.βThe truth is that at the time, I was really struggling with my own health. Iβd been traveling without a break and gained far too much weight. I felt bad. And even though I knew I needed to do something about it, I was wrestling with the typical excuses: busy travel itinerary, client dinners, lack of time in the mornings for a real workout, late nights in airports, and exhaustion.Chris looked at me, smiled, and said, βI use the BTN method.βI instantly reached for my phone to Google βBTNβ because I thought it was some new, miracle workout program and I was looking for anything that could help me get my health back on track.Chris just started laughing. βYouβre not gonna find that on Google,β he said. βBTN stands for Better Than Nothing.βWhy Doing βJust a Little Bitβ Matters More Than You ThinkChris explained his philosophy: No matter where he isβno matter how jam-packed his day, no matter how exhausted he feelsβhe refuses to let a single day pass without doing some form of exerciseβno matter how little.On a good day, when he has time, he does an intense 45-minute workout. But if he doesnβt have time, if heβs been in back-to-back meetings from dawn to dusk, then heβll at least drop down on the floor in his hotel room and do five push-ups, or 20 jumping jacks, or a two-minute plank. Something. Anything. Just not nothing.He explained that five push-ups is better than none and over time it all adds up.
On the surface, youβd think that βsellingβ and βaskingβ go hand in hand. In reality, salespeople at all experience levels often hesitate, tiptoe around, or dodge direct closes because theyβre afraid of rejection, worried about coming across as pushy, or insecure about asking.On this episode of theΒ Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount explores why salespeople fear asking for the sale and what to do about it with author and Sales Gravy University instructor, Tony MorrisΒ Every salesperson starts somewhere. Tony Morris started turning a profit buying 10 pounds of sweets from a shop and selling them for 20 pounds. Before that, he sold car washing door to door. But before all that, he spent hours watching his father prep for sales calls in the mirror, honing his language and mastering his message. It drove home one idea for a young Tony: To be a sales success, you have to practice, practice, practice learning how to ask for the sale.Β https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1KKPbXHCj8The Fear Factor That Holds Salespeople Back From Asking for the SaleThereβs an underlying, deeply human factor that derails many capable sales professionals: The fear of asking for the sale.Rejection stings, whether itβs a βnoβ from a potential client or crickets after your presented a proposal you believed was bulletproof.Β We fear hearing βnoβ because we interpret it, consciously or not, as a sign that our competence or worth is lacking. Ironically, the more empathetic and relationship-focused a salesperson is, the more they tend to shy away from scenarios that might lead to an uncomfortable refusal.When you allow the fear of rejection for creep in when attempting to close the sales it often leads to: Hesitation: You wait for the buyer to βsignalβ readiness, rather than proactively closing. Defensiveness: If a conversation veers toward potential objections, you steer away or gloss over critical next steps. Over-Explaining: To avoid a direct ask, you bury the buyer in details, hoping theyβll volunteer a βyes.βPractice Is the Key to Asking Confidently for the SaleWatch any top performer in any fieldβa pro golfer, a concert pianist, or an elite salespersonβand they often make it look effortless. People assume they were simply βborn with it.β In truth, consistent practice is usually the reason theyβre able to operate at such a high level without appearing scripted or nervous.One reason salespeople hesitate to ask for the sale is that they donβt feel comfortable with what to sayβor how to say itβwhen the conversation reaches its critical moment. Practice, especially under realistic conditions, engrains talk tracks, responses to objections, and emotional composure. Practice allows you to lean on muscle memory rather than fumbling for words or panicking at a curveball question or objection.The more you prepare, the more comfortable you are in the moment. When you are well-prepared you come across as βunscriptedβ and fluid because youβre not scrambling to find the right words. Youβve internalized the dialogue, so it sounds like a calm, authentic conversation rather than a memorized monologue.Make Peace with the Word βNoβTime and again, top sales performers cite a simple truth: a fast βnoβ can be better than a lingering βmaybe.β It allows you to save time, refocus energy, and cultivate a pipeline of engaged prospects. Learning to handle βnoβ as a data pointβrather than personal rejectionβkeeps you in motion. Categorize the βNosβ: Some are βnot now,β others are βnot a fit,β and a few are βnever.β Understanding which type of no youβre dealing with can shape follow-up strategies. Seek Feedback: If appropriate, ask, βI respect your decision. May I ask what caused you to decline?β That insight can sharpen future presentations. Stay Professional: Burn no bridges. A gracious exit can leave the door cracked open; circumstances often change.Shift Your Mindset About What Asking for the Sale ...
Elli in Galveston, Texas, faces a scenario that many young sales professionals know all too well: How do you earn respect and project confidence in selling when youβre dealing with people who are older and more experienced than you?Ellieβs question highlights a universal issue in sales. Whether youβre dealing with age differences or expertise gaps, itβs easy to feel anxious if your buyer is decades older or has been in the industry for a long time.Below, youβll find practical strategies to bridge that confidence gap, project authority, and demonstrate a relaxed assertiveness that resonates with prospects of any age.1. Recognize That Itβs Mostly in Your HeadA significant part of Ellieβs challenge stems from internal dialogue rather than external facts. As I reminded her, rarely will a prospect openly declare, βI donβt respect you because youβre young.β Instead, we often impose that narrative on ourselves. Negative Self-TalkTelling yourself, βTheyβll never take me seriously,β can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. When you believe you lack standing, that energy radiates, and prospects pick up on it. Flip Your MindsetMost professionalsβolder or otherwiseβcare primarily about whether you can solve their problems, save them time, or increase their revenue. Your birth year is less important than your ability to address their business needs.2. Win Through QuestionsThe simplest way to defuse insecurities about age or experience is to ask better questions. Listening is far more powerful than talking in most sales situations. Tap Into Their ExpertiseIf theyβve been in the business for decades, demonstrate sincere curiosity: βHow have you seen this industry evolve since you started?β or βWhat are some of the biggest shifts youβre preparing for next?β By making them the expert, you earn respect through authentic engagement. Use Youth as a StrengthBeing new or younger often means a fresh perspective. Admit what you donβt know and say, βIβd love to learn from someone with your track record. What advice would you give to someone like me?β Youβll be amazed at how many seasoned pros want to mentor enthusiastic newcomers. Donβt Fear βI Donβt KnowβIf you get a technical question you canβt answer on the spot, say, βThatβs a great question. Iβm not 100% sure, but let me check with my team and get back to you.β This approach does two things: it proves youβre honest (rather than bluffing), and it gives you a solid reason to continue the conversation later.3. Relaxed, Assertive ConfidenceβThe βJedi Mind TrickβIf thereβs a secret weapon in sales, itβs projecting selling confidence. But this isnβt about memorizing every rebuttal or faking bravado. Itβs about becoming relaxed and assertive enough to handle anything that comes your way. Rely on Frameworks and ProcessesKnow the steps youβll take to open a call, overcome objections, or ask for the business. When you trust your proven framework, youβre less likely to freeze under pressure. For instance, if you have a system for handling objections, youβll approach objections with calm anticipation rather than dread. Practice and Role-PlayJust like athletes rehearse plays, sales pros need to rehearse calls. Role playing with a manager or teammate builds βmuscle memory.β When real-world situations or questions arise, itβll feel familiarβsomething youβve already navigated. Overcome Obstacle FearFace the age-gap issue repeatedly until it no longer feels daunting. Think of it as exposure therapy. The more you engage with senior-level buyers, the more you realize theyβre just people with specific needs and pain points. Keep Your Pipeline FullNothing nurtures confidence like having multiple deals in progress. A robust pipeline means you can approach each conversation without desperation, which projects a sense of calm authority.4. Rewiring Your Internal Scripts
A few weeks back, I was delivering a Fanatical Prospecting Bootcamp to a group of sales reps - all in their 20s.Β They had been assigned to me because their boss was tired of listening to their excuses about why they werenβt consistently picking up the phone and prospecting.Β When he brought me in, he said matter of factly: βThey wonβt pay any attention to me, but before I start firing people, Iβm hoping you can get through to them.βThe reps didnβt want to be there. It was a hostile audience from the start.Β Just as I kicked off the training, one of the reps challenged me with, βYour book Fanatical ProspectingΒ was written a long time ago. Is it even relevant anymore?β His sneering words were more of a statement than a question.Β Cold Calling is Old School DistractionLike many reluctant prospectors, he wanted to engage in a distracting argument over whether or not outbound telephone prospecting (a.k.a cold calling) was old school. He wanted validation that his avoidance of prospecting was OK, and to make the point that marketing should be responsible for delivering hot, ready-to-buy leads on a silver platter.Sales reps of all generations -- for at least the past 125 years -- have been eager to make any excuse -- and I mean any excuse -- to avoid picking up a phone or knocking on a door. The most common excuse always has been that synchronous prospecting (a.k.a talking with people) is old school.Β There were a couple of snickers from the back of the room in anticipation for what I would do next. But Iβd been to this rodeo many times before.Β Β βWhat do you think has changed since I wrote the book?β I asked calmly.Β The young rep shot back condescendingly. βWell, for one thing, nobody answers the phone anymore.βSo I challenged him right back. βOk, letβs test your hypothesis. Let me see the prospecting list that you brought with you.β (We run live call blocks in our Fanatical Prospecting Boot Camps and require participants to bring a list with them to class.)Β Cold Calling Reality BitesI waited patiently as he pulled the list up on his laptop. Then, I began dialing his prospects, right in front of the class. Instantly I had their attention. They all leaned in to watch. Reality TV is a hell of a magnet.Β I made 11 dials to his list, spoke to two decision makers and set one appointmentβall within a span of about 15 minutes. As I handed him back his laptop, I turned to the group and asked, βAny more questions?βΒ Elvis Presley said, βThe truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ainβt goinβ away.β The reason telephone prospecting wasnβt working for the petulant sales rep who challenged me was that he wasnβt doing it.Β The cold truth about cold calling is that nobody answers a phone that doesnβt ring.Β Sales Success is Paid for In Advance with ProspectingWhat was true when I wrote Fanatical Prospecting is still true today:Β If you wait for people to come to you, youβll starve to death.Β If you think your marketing team is going to supply you with an endless stream of qualified, ready-to-buy prospects, then you are delusional.Β Hereβs another truth for you: When it comes to prospecting, you cannot be delusional and have a full pipeline at the same time.Β Β There are certainly sales jobs where your phone rings and inbound chat dings with people who are ready to buy. If you absolutely cannot stand interrupting people through outbound prospecting, but you like selling, perhaps one these roles are for you.Β However, if you take a sales job where you never have to make a cold call, be prepared for a paycut. Sales reps in these types of roles typically get paid by the hour with minimum commission upside.[Also be aware that some people, including Victor Antonio, are projecting that many of these jobs will be taken over by AI in the future.]Cold Calling is a Prized Meta-Skill in Today's Noisy MarketplaceThe most coveted,
Is your website truly working as hard as your sales team? In todayβs competitive digital landscape, your website isnβt just an online brochureβit can be one of your best salespeople. Podcaster and influencer Sam Dunning joins The Sales Gravy Podcast to discuss the Caveman Grunt Website Test, why effective SEO strategies are never a one-and-done exercise, and how to build and how to maximize website performance for consistent sales growth.If your site isnβt converting visitors into customers, itβs time to rethink your approach. In this blog post, weβll show you how to apply Dunningβs key strategies to turn your website into a dynamic, lead-generating sales machine.Key Takeaways: Caveman Grunt Website Test: Follow the βWe do X that solves Yβ formula for clarity and effective conversion. Understanding Customer Pain Points: Craft landing pages that directly address customer pain points using simple, jargon-free solutions. Leveraging Podcasts for Lead Generation: Use podcasting to build authority, get referrals, and increase inbound traffic. Turn Your Passions Into Profit: Experiment with activities you enjoy to see if they can be monetized, and give them three months to generate results. SEO is a Long-Term Commitment: Donβt treat SEO as a one-time task. Ongoing optimization, including backlinks, keyword updates, and metadata improvements, is key to keeping your website visible.https://youtu.be/y3-ALV67iT41. SEO Strategies are Not DeadSure, the introduction of AI optimization has some professionals running to figure out the algorithm for getting high rankings from AI platforms like ChatGPT or even Googleβs AI overviews. But as far as we know, for Google β which still dominates the landscape β the same effective SEO strategies make for high rankings on AI overviews.Β That means overall you still need to focus on Googleβs EEAT format: Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust.If you decide that SEO is worth your time then the best place to start is coming up with what your potential customers will be searching for to solve their problem.Consider: Industries where youβve already seen success selling your products or services Companies or organizations that can afford your solutions What those companies might currently have cobbled together to solve their problems2. The Caveman Grunt Website Test: A Simple Formula for SuccessDoes your website pass the Caveman Grunt Test? The premise is simple: If a caveman visited your website, would it be immediately clear what problem you solve and how you solve it? Keep your messaging straightforwardβavoid jargon and unnecessary complexity.Tip: Focus on the "We do X that solves Y" formula for a clear value proposition. Too many businesses miss out on potential conversions by overcomplicating their website copy. Simple, direct language can drastically improve your conversion rates.3. The Importance of Identifying and Addressing Customer Pain PointsThe most successful websites address specific pain points right away. Your landing pages should immediately highlight the problem your customer faces and present your solution in a simple, jargon-free manner.Hereβs what to include: Clear, Benefit-Focused Headlines that speak to your customer's pain point. If you confuse, you lose. Trust Signals like customer reviews, testimonials, and case studies. Explainer Videos or step-by-step guides to show how your product or service solves the problem.Why this works: Customers are most likely to convert when they feel you understand their challenges and have effective solutions. Ensure that your landing pages and home page are designed to address these pain points quickly4. Using Podcasts to Build Authority and Generate LeadsOnce youβve optimized your website for clarity and customer pain points, itβs time to extend your reach. Podcasting is a powerful tool for building your brand, establishing authority,
Zack in Defiance, Ohio, faces a unique challenge that might sound specific at first but is more common than you think: he can only close a deal if his customer closes a deal of their own first.In other words, they must βsellβ a project to their own clients before Zackβs solution can come into play. This scenario appears in industries like construction, engineering, software licensing, and more. The conversation with Zack revealed practical strategies you can use to overcome these hurdles and keep your own pipeline healthy.Welcome to another Ask Jeb segment on the Sales Gravy Podcast! Iβm Jeb Blountβbestselling author of Fanatical Prospecting, Objections, Sales EQ, and INKED. In each of these special episodes, we shine a spotlight on your questions, challenges, and roadblocksβoffering real-world advice from sales pros who are in the trenches every single day.1. Recognize the Real-World ObstaclesWhether your customer has to bid on government contracts, secure large client projects, or get internal buy-in from multiple stakeholders, their success dictates your sale. While itβs easy to be frustrated by this extra layer, itβs crucial to acknowledge a few realities:-- Your Customerβs Motivation: Theyβre laser-focused on winning their own deal. Your product or service is secondaryβimportant, but not top of mind until theyβre assured of a win.-- Lead Time: Deals can stretch out because youβre waiting on an entire chain of approvals or external decisions.-- Competition: If your customers finally land the big deal, they might still shop around to find the best supplier, leaving you in a second round of competition.Understanding these pressures helps you empathize with your buyer. It also positions you to offer support in ways that make them want to stick with youβrather than jumping to a competitor at the eleventh hour.2. Be a Genuine Partner, Not a PeddlerItβs tempting to keep nudging your buyers with hard-closing tactics, but that rarely works when they havenβt secured their own contract. Instead, pivot to a mindset of partnership: Build Real RelationshipsInvest time getting to know your buyer on a personal level. Talk about local sports teams, industry news, or shared hobbies. Real rapport fosters loyalty. When your customer finally wins their deal, theyβll feel comfortable turning to a friendβyouβfor the solution they need. Offer Strategic ExpertiseIf your offering requires complex configurations or specialized knowledge, step in as a consultant. For instance, share best practices on how to optimize a design, or explain how to streamline a process. By helping them present stronger bids or more compelling proposals, you become integral to their success. Stay ResponsiveIf theyβre scrambling to nail down specifics for a bid, be the easiest person on their call list. Quick turnaround times and thorough answers showcase that youβre a reliable partner. Nobody wants a vendor who goes dark when the pressure is on.3. Avoid Becoming a βQuote FactoryβOne of the biggest pitfalls in this scenario is turning into a βquote factoryβ who does piles of work for prospects who never buy. While itβs true you miss 100% of the shots you donβt take, you also waste valuable hours if you keep shooting at targets that never pan out.-- Track Buying HistoryLook at your records: are there customers or accounts for which you consistently provide proposals and never see a sale? Identify these patterns.-- Have Candid ConversationsLet them know your time and expertise arenβt free. Youβre happy to help, but if they continually choose other suppliers or undercut your prices, you need to reevaluate the partnership. Sometimes, a direct discussion is enough to shift their approach and earn you real business. If not, you can focus on more promising leads.-- Prioritize Strategic DealsIf youβre caught up producing endless quotes for βlong-shotβ clients,
On this first Monday of the second month of the year, itβs time for a gut check. First we need to check where we are against our new year goals. Next we need to take stock of our first month sales performance and make adjustments.Weβre just a little more than 30 days away from our new year intentions, resolutions, and goals. A month ago, we set out into the new year with hope and ambition that this year would be our best ever and that weβd make positive lasting changes in our lives.Β Itβs Easy to Slip Off the TrackYouβll remember that discipline is sacrificing what you want now for what you want most. But as time goes by and sticking with new habits gets more challenging, itβs easy to forget what motivated us to make the changes in the first place. Itβs easy to let down our guard and go back to our comfort zone.The farther away we get from our intentions, the more likely it is that we allow our discipline to slip and get off track. Itβs just human nature.Β Small Slips in Discipline Can Add Up QuicklyLetβs say you kicked off the new year determined to have your best sales year ever, and you knew that meant filling your pipeline daily by getting Fanatical about Prospecting. But upon reflection, you realize that days have passed since you picked up the phone, knocked on a door, or talked with customers.Β Youβve been making excuses to avoid the very activities that move you closer to your goals.Iβll admit that it happened to me just this past week. This month has been non-stop travel β 12 flights, 10 cities, 8 keynotes, 5 full days delivering training to sales teams. Toward the end of the week I got tired, made excuses, and let my exercise and nutrition routine slide.Β This was something I promised myself I wouldnβt do when the year started. I know that if I donβt stop right now and recommit to my goals, then there is a good chance that Iβll continue down this negative path β because itβs easy.Revisit Your Goals and ResolutionsThis is exactly why NOW is a good time for a gut check and a look in the mirror. Pause and carve out time today, to revisit your goals, resolutions, and intentions.Β Sit down and think about what you decided to achieve back in early January. Visualize what it was that motivated you. Picture what you want most and where you want to be at the end of this year.Β Go back and re-listen to the Money Monday episodes on building a personal business plan, reflection vs. regret, and why personal goals are essential for sales discipline.Then recommit to your goals. Remember the feelings you had when you set them, and make an intentional decision to get back on track.Evaluate Your First Monthβs Performance Against Your Sales GoalsNext, step back and evaluate your first monthβs sales performance. As you do, youβll likely find one of three scenarios: You Crushed It β You had a killer month and blew your goals out of the water. You Were Average β You hit quota or did βokay,β but you know youβre capable of much higher performance. You Bombed β You missed your number and ended the month worse than you hoped.Great Sales MonthIf You Crushed it, and youβre on the top of the ranking report fantastic, congratulations!But be very careful not to let off the gas. Itβs likely you worked very hard last month to achieve these results. There will be the temptation to take a breather.Β Trust me, if you do, this complacency will come back to bite you.Β Now is the time to recommit to doing the activity that fueled your success last month so you donβt end up with a lackluster February and a disastrous March.In other words, youβve set the foundation for a huge year, take advantage of what you have accomplished and keep the pedal to the metal!Average Sales MonthIf you had an average or just OK month β maybe you hit quota, maybe you came close, but you know youβve got more in the tank β then itβs time for some honest self-reflection. Ask yourself:
Insights into embracing conflict, staying mindful, battling internal doubt, and communicating effectively from motivational speaker and co-founder of The Constance Group Brian Parsley.Key Takeaways Conflict Isnβt the Enemy: Whether itβs internal (βme-meβ) or between you and others, conflict can be a catalyst for growth if handled with empathy and awareness. Self-Awareness Is Critical: Recognize when youβre slipping into negative self-talk or procrastination. Do one uncomfortable thing on purpose to regain momentum. Mindfulness Works: A short pause before responding can prevent knee-jerk reactions and help you focus on problem-solving instead of point-scoring. Communication Styles Differ: Tailor your approach to the other personβs style, and clarify misunderstandings by asking what they actually heard. Find a Coach or Mentor: Donβt underestimate the value of someone elseβs perspective. A coach sees the βswing flawsβ in your sales approach that you might never notice on your own.Β https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2049xdXQ5AcWhy Conflict Is Everywhere in SalesSales is an inherently conflict-laden profession. Youβre asking people for time and resources, youβre persuading them to make decisions, and youβre often balancing multiple interestsβyour clientβs, your companyβs, and your own. The tension stems from:-- Negotiations with buyers who might have competing priorities.-- Internal pressures from bosses or teammates who expect certain results.-- Personal conflicts within yourself β especially if youβre unsure of your own capabilities.The Three Types of ConflictConflict can be broken down into three categories: Me vs. You Conflict β Disagreements between individuals (customers, peers, bosses). Me vs. Job Conflict β Situations where your personal values clash with your job role or tasks. Me vs. Me Conflict β Internal struggles, such as procrastination or fear of failure.Theβme vs. meβ conflict might be the most insidious, because it can sabotage your motivation, self-esteem, and willingness to accept feedback.Β The βMe-Meβ Conflict: Your Biggest ObstacleMany sales professionals fail because they lose the internal battle with themselves in βme-meβ conflict. They know they should spend an extra hour prospecting, turn off the TV a little earlier for a fresh start the next morning, or follow up diligently with new leads. Yet, fear of failure or simple inertia holds them back.How βMe-Meβ Conflict SnowballsLetting small tasks slipβlike hitting the snooze button or blowing off a follow-up callβquickly turns into a domino effect: You skip a small task or ignore a responsibility. Guilt or anxiety sets in, making you more emotionally reactive. This emotional reaction, often anger or irritability, spills over into other areas of your lifeβleading to more conflict, and sometimes even lower productivity.Overcoming Internal Doubts Through AwarenessThe ultimate toolΒ to combat negative self-talk and βme-meβ conflict is awareness. Hereβs a simple yet powerful strategy: do something uncomfortable on purpose, like making a difficult prospecting call. By choosing the harder path in small, manageable increments, you train your brain to seek out the dopamine rush of achieving a win. Each small success can become addictiveβin the best wayβhelping you build the self-confidence to tackle bigger challenges.Practical Tip:When you notice youβre about to avoid something importantβlike a call blockβstop and say, βThis is hard, but Iβm doing it anyway.β That small statement of intent can be enough to reset your mindset for action.Why Self-Talk Shapes Your Sales ResultsIn sales, negative self-talk is especially damaging because of the constant rejection and fast-paced environment. One bad day can lead to a downward spiral:-- One lost deal leads to βIβm not good enough.β-- One tough call leads to βTheyβll never buy from me.β
If youβve been banging your head against the wall trying to get your team (or yourself!) to prospect consistently, these tips are for you.In this episode, I answer a question from Paul in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., whoβs building and leading a remote sales team in the logistics industry and needs to find a way to get his salespeople to prospect consistently .Then I tackle a follow-up question from a sales leader at one of our live events on how to keep his salespeople motivated to prospect every day.Β Paulβs Challenge: Driving Consistent Prospecting Call BlocksPaul leads a medium-sized logistics company with reps spread out in California, Utah, and El Salvador. Heβs already done a great job by running a book club around my book, Fanatical Prospecting, but he needed practical tips for ensuring his team actually implements daily call blocks. Hereβs the advice I shared:Make Prospecting a Daily ConversationAs a leader, you need to talk about prospecting every single day. Yes, youβll feel like a broken record, but that repetition is crucial for setting expectations.βShow Upβ for the Call BlocksIf your team was all in one building, youβd simply gather them on the sales floor and power through. Remotely, you can replicate this by scheduling a set time (e.g., 8:00 a.m. PT) and getting everyone on a video call.You canβt stand next to them physically, but you can still see them, and they can see you. Itβs social pressure and moral support rolled into one.Run High-Intensity Sprints (HIPS)Instead of asking for hours of uninterrupted calling, break it into short burstsβ10, 15, or 20-minute sprints. Let them pause to catch their breath, then go again. Keep a virtual whiteboard and track dials, contacts, and appointments in real time. Make it fun and competitive.Overcome the ComplaintsReps might moan about being βmicromanaged,β but if you keep it fun and energetic, theyβll often appreciate the structure. Focus on results, not just the dials.Question: How Do I Motivate My Salespeople to Keep Prospecting?We also addressed a question from a leader who was attending one of our Sales Gravy Live events. Their team struggles to maintain high call numbers consistently. They might hit 100 dials a day for three days, then crash back down. The sales leader asked: βHow do we keep our reps pumped for prospecting?βHereβs the Reality CheckNobody Truly βLovesβ Prospecting: Prospecting is hard, and most of us wonβt naturally get excited about it. But we do get excited about closing deals, landing appointments, and hitting our numbers.You Must Be a Teflon Sales Leader: Stay relentlessly focused on prospecting, day in and day out. The moment you relax your standards, the team will follow suit. If you donβt treat prospecting as a top priority, neither will they. Be like teflon: no excuses stick.Lead by ExampleGet out on the βfloorβ (or on the Zoom call) and make calls with them. Donβt hide in your office. When they see you doing the work, theyβll know you mean business.Use the Power of HIPSThose high-intensity sprints work just as well here. Run βpower hoursβ with quick breaks in between and track your teamβs progress publicly.Leading Prospecting Activity Is an Infinite GameLetβs face it: prospecting is often the least-liked activity in sales. Itβs easy to push aside because it involves repeated rejection, logistical juggling, and tight discipline. Yet itβs the lifeblood of any thriving pipelineβno prospecting, no leads, no deals, no revenue.And if you have a remote team, like Paul does, youβre dealing with additional hurdles: time zones, limited supervision, and diminished peer pressure. Itβs all too easy for your reps to skip their βcall blockβ if youβre not right there to keep them accountable.As a sales leader, you canβt just βfixβ prospecting once and forget about it. The moment you move on, your team will start slacking. You have to show up, be present,
As humans, we naturally fear rejection and do everything possible to avoid it. Weβre social creatures at our core, and being rejected feels like weβre being shunned, banished, or kicked out of the group. In fact, the two biggest human fears are rejection and deathβand as strange as this may sound, in our hearts we fear rejection more than we fear death.This, by the way, is a huge problem in sales because, as a sales professional, itβs your job to go out into the world, find rejection, and bring it home. And even though objections are not really rejection, it can still feel that way.Itβs the fear of rejection that makes selling so difficult for most peopleβand why most people will never do your job. Sales is such a lucrative career choice simply because itβs a rejection-dense job. Companies are willing to pay big bucks to rainmakers who can control their emotions, face rejection head-on, and find a way to win.Ask and You Shall ReceiveThe good news is that if you fear rejection and want to avoid it at all costs, the easiest way to do so is to never ask for anything. Of course, if you donβt ask, you wonβt get.You might steer clear of the pain of rejection for a while, but sooner or later itβll catch up with you when you find yourself unable to provide for your family, missing your mortgage payment, or stuck in a dead-end job. These things, Iβve found, hurt far worse over the long run than rejection.Thereβs a verse in the Christian Bible, Matthew 7:7, that goes, βAsk, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.β Now, I recognize that Jesus isnβt talking about sales in this verse, but he could be.Youβll often hear it expressed as, βAsk and you shall receive.β If you think about that for a moment, youβll notice that asking comes before receiving. In other words, asking is the beginning of receiving. If you want something, you have to ask first.Ditch Your WishboneFar too often, we become rain barrels. We sit and wait. We hesitate and hope. We wish our prospect or customer would do the job for us, but they donβtβbecause it doesnβt work that way.If you want to sell more and earn more, you need to ditch your wishbone and grow a backbone. Itβs up to you to ask. Asking is the beginning of receiving, so you wonβt get the appointment, the next step, the information, access to the decision-maker, or a buying commitment unless you ask.And the truth is, on the other side of asking, thereβs always the potential for objections and rejection. Thereβs always the chance you wonβt get what you asked for. Thatβs just how asking works.The Hardest Part of Asking: Learning to Shut UpThis is why the hardest part of asking is learning how to shut up afterward. You need to allow space for silence to do its work and for objections or questions to be put on the table. Itβs hard to shut up when youβve put it all out there and left yourself vulnerable to rejection. That awkward moment after you ask can feel like an eternity as you brace for a βno.βTo protect yourself from hearing a rejection, you might start talking, and talking, and talkingβdeluding yourself into believing that as long as you keep talking, your prospect canβt reject you.The problem is, in that moment of emotional weakness, you come across as insecure and untrustworthy. You introduce objections that didnβt previously exist. You start blabbing on and on about features and benefits, terms and conditions, your dog, or what you had for lunchβuntil your stakeholder, who was ready to say yes, gets talked into saying no by you.Your insecurity in that moment of vulnerability invited rejection.Why Silence Is Your Secret WeaponHereβs the most important rule of asking: After you ask, you must shut up. Despite the alarm bells going off in your adrenaline-soaked mindβdespite your pounding heart, sweaty palms, and fearβyou have to bite your tongue, sit on your hands, mute the phone,
Sales Leadership is a continuous journey of self-awareness, connection, and growth. By cultivating courage, emotional intelligence, and authenticity, leaders can navigate challenges effectively and inspire their teams to reach new heights. Through active listening, thoughtful decision-making, and a focus on personal and collective improvement, leaders create environments where individuals and teams can thrive.In this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, Keith Lubner is joined by Markus Neukom to delve into the key traits and practices ofΒ effective sales leaders, including self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and authenticity. Key Takeaways:- Courage in Leadership: Effective sales leaders need the courage to act on their potential without fear of success or failure. This courage often differentiates genuine leadership from insecure or arrogant behaviors.- Emotional Intelligence Development: Emotional intelligence begins with self-awareness. Leaders must understand themselves before they can effectively lead or enhance team dynamics.- Leadership as a Learned Skill: Leadership is not an innate talent but an art form that requires intentional development and refinement.- The Importance of Listening: Listening, including using all senses, is a critical skill for sales leaders. It fosters understanding, prevents assumptions, and enables effective conflict resolution.- Slowing Down for Effectiveness: Leaders benefit from slowing down to observe and connect with others, which ultimately leads to faster and more accurate outcomes.- The Shift Toward Authenticity: Modern sales leadership demands authenticity, as younger generations of employees and clients value genuine and transparent leadership styles.- Reframing Imposter Syndrome as a Sign of Growth: Imposter syndrome is a signal that you're pursuing something meaningful, despite lingering self-doubt. Recognizing it as a sign of growth can help leaders and professionals push forward with confidence and authenticity.- Challenges for Women in Leadership: Women face unique challenges, including workplace toxicity and imposter syndrome. Encouraging authenticity rather than adopting stereotypical traits is crucial for their success.- Intuition vs. Gut Feeling: Leaders are encouraged to trust their intuition, which transcends learned gut feelings and is often a more reliable guide in decision-making.- Conflict Resolution Through Coaching: Executive coaching plays a vital role in resolving workplace conflicts by emphasizing observation, asking questions, and active listening.- Self-Care Practices for Leaders: Practices like meditation and structured routines can help leaders manage stress, prevent burnout, and achieve a higher level of personal and professional effectiveness.https://youtu.be/h5OLDcbI66cSales Leadership thrives on self-awareness, connection, and a commitment to growth. These principles shape how leaders inspire their teams, handle challenges, and foster an environment of trust and collaboration. By focusing on key qualities like courage, emotional intelligence, and authenticity, leaders can create positive and lasting impacts in their organizations.Courage as a FoundationCourage is essential for effective leadership. It allows leaders to take risks, embrace uncertainty, and act decisively. Leaders must have the bravery to act decisively and embrace their potential without fear of success or failure. Overcoming these fears requires bravery to step out of comfort zones and pursue opportunities for growth. Courage also plays a role in admitting when help is needed or answers are unclear, which fosters an environment of honesty and collaboration.Emotional Intelligence Starts WithinEmotional intelligence (EQ) is a crucial skill for understanding and managing emotions, both in oneself and in others. The foundation of EQ is self-awarenessβknowing personal strengths, weaknesses, and triggers.
Ron wants to know how to get CEOs to actually answer his cold calls (or at least respond). He runs a recruiting firm and finds that his cold calls to top executives often go unanswered, and itβs driving him nuts. He wants to know if thereβs a better way to break through all the noiseβor if he just needs to buckle down and make more calls.On this Ask Jeb podcast episode I give Ron specific strategies for connecting with hard-to-reach prospects like CEOs.Β Why Sales Feels Harder Than EverLetβs face it: sales is tough, and itβs not getting any easier. With an explosion of AI-driven messages and automated outreach, our prospectsβespecially C-suite executivesβare tuning out more than ever. We call this phenomenon the βgreat ignore.βIf you donβt stand out from the torrent of spam, you will get lost in the shuffle.Ronβs questionββDo I just need to make more calls, or is there some next-best method?ββis a dilemma many of us face. The short answer?Itβs both. You do need volume, but you also have to differentiate. If youβre just another voice in the crowd, youβll be ignored, no matter how many dials you make.Β Tactic #1: Multi-Threading (Donβt Just Call the CEO)A key point I shared with Ron is the power of multi-threading. That means calling multiple people in the organizationβnot just the CEO. While the CEO might be the ultimate decision-maker, other stakeholders, like the COO or HR director, might be easier to reach. These people can also give you valuable intel on hiring needs, budget constraints, or timing. Call the CEO: Leave a compelling message or send a short, punchy email. Call Other Stakeholders: Dig for inside info on immediate hiring needs or open reqs. Use That Intel: Let the CEO know, βIβve spoken with your COO; youβre looking for a VP of Sales. I have a candidate you need to meetβ¦βThis top-down, bottom-up approach helps you gather context, build rapport, and earn the right to talk to the CEO by proving youβre not just randomly dialing.Β Tactic #2: Leave VoicemailsβBut Make Them CountRon admitted heβs not always sure whether to leave voicemails. Most of us have left hundreds of voicemails and gotten very few callbacks, so itβs tempting to skip them. But hereβs the thing: in todayβs world, voicemail transcripts often end up in a prospectβs email inbox or text messages. Keep It Short: No more than 30 seconds. Make It Compelling: Name-drop a role you know theyβre hiring for or highlight your unique solution in a single sentence. Use a Teaser: βIβve got the perfect candidate for your open VP of Sales positionβletβs talk.βEven if they donβt call back immediately, theyβre hearing your name and your pitch. Over time, that repetition can pay offβespecially if you combine voicemails with other forms of outreach.Β Tactic #3: Build Sequences That Tell a StoryThe real magic is in creating a multichannel sequence over 30 to 60 days. Itβs not just βcall once and cross your fingers.β Instead, plan multiple touches that tie together: Voicemail #1 Follow-Up Email (within 24β48 hours) LinkedIn Connection Request or DM Voicemail #2 (referencing your email) A Handwritten Note or Card (really stands out) Voicemail #3 (referencing the note)Be creative. Use each step to reinforce the last, rather than just repeating the same βHey, itβs me again!β message. Tell a story or highlight different benefits at each step. Show them youβre genuinely interested in their businessβnot just cold-calling from a script.Β Tactic #4: Know Your Prospectβs Buying WindowSometimes the CEO wonβt respond because thereβs no immediate need for your product or service. For Ron, if theyβre not hiring, they wonβt care about a recruiter. Thatβs okayβit doesnβt mean you should vanish. Keep Dripping: A low-frequency sequence keeps you on their radar. Listen for Signals: Maybe they just received funding or theyβre expanding into a new market.
Hereβs an important question: Are you coachable?Β Now, before you jump to answer that, I want you to pause and really think about what being coachable or coachability really means."Coachability" is essential for top performance in sales - and for that matter ANY endeavor. It simply describes how receptive you are to feedback and guidance; AND, how willingly and effectively you apply coaching to improve your performance.Β Coachability is an open mindsetβbeing flexible, adaptable, the willingness to learn and consider different perspectives, and inviting criticism and critiqueβwithout getting defensive.Β Itβs about keeping yourself from slipping into the βI already know it allβ or βThereβs nothing new hereβ trap or deciding flatly that you donβt need help because youβre just that good.Β Mindset and Self-AwarenessTrue coachability begins with a belief that you can improve and a deep seated desire to grow. This belief opens the door to being more receptive to feedback and coaching.Β It also requires self-awareness. It's about recognizing and being honest about your strengths, weaknesses and areas where you can improve. It is the vulnerability and the courage to look in the mirror at your imperfections.Β Where there is self-awareness there is the opportunity for transformationβeven, by the way, when you already feel that you are at the top of your game.The truth though is, most of us, at one point or another, are not coachable. We get stuck in our own heads, resist change, and bristle at feedbackβespecially when it challenges what we believe about ourselves.Β Coachability is the Hallmark of Ultra-High PerformersBut hereβs the kicker: coachability is the hallmark of ultra-high performers. Look at any elite athlete, and youβll find a coach nearby. Many of them have an entire team of coaches.Iβm a huge golf fan. Golf, for me, is more than a sport; itβs a metaphor for sales and life. Itβs hard, humbling, and mastering it is an infinite game.Β The best golfers in the world spend a ton of money on coaches. Theyβll have a swing coach, a putting coach, and even a mental coach to keep their head in the game. Why? Because coaches can see what they cannot.Β When Iβm working with my own golf coach it sometimes hurts to have him stand there and critique my swing - especially when I think what Iβm doing is right. But when I swallow my pride, take it in, and apply it, I see results. I get better, I score lower, and I have more fun.A Great Coach Exposes Your Blind SpotsSales is no different. Itβs tough, itβs competitive, and it seems impossible to ever reach βperfection.β A sales great coach exposes your blind spots. They can help you see what youβre doing right (and need to do more of) and what youβre doing wrong (and need to correct).Β The challenge is, so many salespeople resist the feedback. They sit in training sessions or roleplays with their arms crossed, telling themselves that they donβt need this.Β Veterans, in particular, get stuck in their ways, acting like theyβve got nothing left to learn. But I also see the opposite problem with rookies or young reps who canβt handle any criticism without interpreting it as a personal attack. Both groups end up shutting down, pushing their coaches away and missing an opportunity to grow.Coaches Invest in You Because They CareThe fact is, coaches are investing time in you because they care about you and want to see you succeed. That doesnβt mean they wonβt be tough on you, but it does mean they have your best interests at heart.Early in my career, I was blessed with a fantastic sales coach named Bob Blackwell. He pushed me hardβprobably harder than anyone ever hadβand at first, it rubbed me the wrong way. Iβd go home, complain to my wife about how he was criticizing me. I was convinced that he was intentionally picking on me.Β One day I was complaining about Bob to my dadβwho knew a little something about life. He said,
Sales leadership demands the ability to adapt, motivate, and guide teams toward consistent, high-level performance. In this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast,Β Jeb Blount is joined by Charley Bible of KaTom to discuss key strategies for sales leaders, focusing on teamwork, skill refinement, and the power of effective coaching. These insights bridge the gap between individual development and team success, offering actionable takeaways for anyone in sales leadership.Key Takeaways:- Team Collaboration Creates Wins: Focusing on the team rather than individual achievements builds a culture of collaboration and shared purpose. Sales leaders who emphasize collective success foster environments where everyone contributes, elevating overall performance and morale.- Energizing Through Friendly Competition: Workplace challengesβlike those inspired by sports or creative competitionsβinject energy into teams. Sales leaders can use these lighthearted activities to foster camaraderie, engagement, and a sense of fun that drives motivation and productivity.- Reflection Drives Growth: Reviewing past results and analyzing setbacks is essential for improvement. Just as athletes study game footage, sales leaders should encourage their teams to evaluate performance trends, pinpoint mistakes, and strategize better approaches moving forward.- Sales Is a Skill-Based Craft: Sales isnβt just about personality; itβs a disciplined profession requiring constant development. Leaders must instill a growth mindset in their teams, encouraging training and practice to refine techniques, build confidence, and maintain a competitive edge.- The Power of Fundamentals: When performance dips, returning to the basics can help sales teams regain their footing. Leaders should coach their teams on foundational skills like effective communication, active listening, and prospecting to rebuild momentum and confidence.- Coaching as a Leadership Tool: Sales leaders play a pivotal role in their teamsβ success by offering real-time coaching and feedback. By identifying blind spots, providing encouragement, and correcting missteps, leaders can significantly impact their teamβs performance and professional growth.- Self-Awareness Is Key: Encouraging sales reps to recognize and address performance dips is crucial. Leaders should teach their teams to pause, assess their approach, and implement small adjustments to get back on track. Building this habit can prevent minor issues from becoming major roadblocks.Β - Discovery Conversations Open Doors: Strong sales leaders emphasize the importance of discoveryβasking thoughtful questions and listening carefully to uncover client needs. This approach not only builds trust but also reveals opportunities that can lead to larger, more impactful deals.- Consistency Beats the Rollercoaster: The βdesperation rollercoasterβ can plague sales teamsβperiods of intense effort followed by complacency. Leaders should emphasize the importance of consistent daily effort, reminding teams that resilience and steady focus yield long-term results.- Celebrate Hard Work and Achievements: Acknowledging milestones, whether through personal rewards or team recognition, reinforces the value of persistence. Sales leaders should celebrate wins to inspire continued effort and show their teams the tangible benefits of dedication.https://youtu.be/3SOtxMRWpmATeam Success Over Individual GloryPrioritizing team achievement fosters collaboration and a sense of unity. Sales environments that emphasize collective wins over individual accolades create a culture where everyone thrives. Collaboration fuels creativity, encourages accountability, and leads to stronger overall performance. In sales, success often hinges on the strength of the team rather than the brilliance of a single contributor.Energizing with Friendly CompetitionHealthy competition sparks energy and enthusiasm within teams.
Eric in Lewiston, Maine, asks how to use last yearβs data to create and accurate sales plans and evaluate software tools (like CRMs and ZoomInfo) to make those goals happen.Sales planning is vitalβwithout a roadmap, youβre just hoping your revenue targets magically come to life. If you havenβt defined clear performance metricsβlike call activity, lead generation, conversion rates, or daily prospecting targetsβthen you donβt really have a plan. You have a wish list.Looking Back at Last Year: Which Metrics Matter?Eric wanted to know which metrics from the previous year he and his team should be analyzing to inform this year's targets. The short answer? All of them, if they are metrics that matter to your business goals. Consider: Conversion Rates from Inbound Leads Speed to Lead (How fast are you following up?) Outbound Touches vs. Opportunities in Pipeline Opportunities-to-Proposal Ratios Proposal-to-Closed Deals Ratios Upsells, Cross-Sells, and Expansion DealsBy mapping out how each step in your funnel converts to the nextβcalls to first appointments, first appointments to proposals, proposals to closed dealsβyou can see exactly where to focus in the new sales year.Maybe you need more first appointments. Maybe you need to tighten up your proposals so more of them convert. Or maybe youβre missing upsell opportunities with existing clients. Data points you to the gaps.Pro Tip: Once you understand your ratios, you can decide if youβre aiming to improve them by, say, 25% (a stretch goal) or if youβre reaching higher. However, be careful not to βfixβ one area and inadvertently break another. Success in sales is about balance across the entire funnel.Choosing the Right CRM: Beware of OverkillEric also mentioned his teamβs struggle with an outdated CRM thatβs not built for strong tracking. As they look ahead, theyβre weighing big guns like Salesforce. But hereβs the deal: Salesforce is an excellent platformβif youβre a larger organization with the bandwidth, budget, and complexity to justify it. For smaller teams (like Ericβs with just two salespeople), adopting a massive enterprise CRM can be overkill. Zoho, Pipedrive, Nimble, and HubSpot are great alternatives for small-to-midsize sales teams. Theyβre user-friendly, more cost-effective, and far simpler to deploy.The rule of thumb? Choose a CRM that matches your current size and selling process. The last thing you want is to waste months configuring a powerhouse system that nobody uses because itβs too big or too confusing.Making Sense of βBig Dataβ Tools Like ZoomInfoEricβs final question was about whether to invest in a data-intelligence tool (e.g., ZoomInfo, Apollo, LeadIQ) to identify new leads and tap into βintent data.β My take: ZoomInfo: This is what we use at Sales Gravy, and we love it. It delivers reliable data, helps us expand into new verticals, multi-thread inside target accounts, and dramatically speeds up our list building. Intent Data: Tools like ZoomInfo can show you whoβs actively looking for solutions like yours. While itβs not perfect, it can be a game-changer for prioritizing outreach to the prospects most likely to buy. Beware the Shelfware Trap: If you invest in a high-end data platform, make sure you have a solid plan (and the discipline) to use it consistently. Itβs easy to drop serious money on software and then let it collect dust.Pro Tip: Start with a limited number of βpower usersβ on your team who will commit to mastering the tool. Then expand usage as you integrate it into your sales workflow.How We Made It Work: A Cautionary TaleWeβve been using ZoomInfo for years. Early on, we blew through a lot of money because we didnβt fully implement it. It wasnβt until we got seriousβtrained our people, integrated it with our CRM, and held each other accountableβthat we started seeing results. Today, ZoomInfo is essential to how we prospect, grow pipeline,
Iβm hearing sob stories from leaders and individuals everywhere who are waking up to the cold, hard truth that they are staring down the barrel of a thin or empty pipeline.If you are in this situation and donβt have enough pipe to cover your numberβeither for this month or the first quarterβthen you need to take action now to close that gap becauseΒ getting behind your number at the beginning of the year means loads of stress and chasing your tail - for the rest of the quarter or the entire year if you get too far behind.Β Your Empty Pipeline Started Last MonthStepping back for a moment, the reason your pipeline is empty today can usually be traced back to your sales activity in November or December.Some teams get tunnel vision in the fourth quarter. They focus on closing deals and finishing the year strong but fail to balance that with prospecting activity for the future.Other folks just get distracted by the holidays and let the final weeks of the year slip by without prospecting to fill the pipe with enough new opportunities to cover January.In other cases, the pipeline opportunities that you were counting on this monthβthe ones that pushed decisions until after the holidays - have suddenly gone silent and are ghosting you. Youβre finding out the hard way that it is very, very difficult to reignite these deals once youβve allowed this much time to pass.Iβm not going to sugarcoat this because the truth is the truth. No matter what got you to this point, you need to get to work right now to turn this around.So the question is, how do you do this?Β Block Time for ProspectingOne of the biggest pitfalls I see is that when pipelines are empty, salespeople get overwhelmed and paralyzed. They donβt know where to begin, so they waste time worrying and βgetting organized.β They "plan to plan to plan" to prospect but donβt get any actual prospecting done.Thereβs an old saying that goes, βWhen youβre in a hole, stop digging.β Likewise, the first rule of an empty pipeline is: When have one, start prospecting. Thatβs it. Thereβs no magic to it. It's a blinding flash of common sense.Therefore step one is to block one to two hours at the start of your day specifically for prospecting. Close your email and company chat, put devices on do not disturb, and place a singular focus on picking up the phone and calling potential customers.Put these morning blocks on your calendar as an immovable meeting. No excuses, no last-minute changes. Keep this time sacred for outbound prospecting.Why first thing in the morning? Because thatβs when youβre fresh, your prospects are fresh and neither of you have gotten buried in your day yet.Β And the truth is, if you put off prospecting until the afternoon, your willpower is often depleted and you are more likely not to do it.Β Fast vs Slow ProspectingNext you need to focus on the right kind of prospecting. This isnβt the time for a slow, meandering approach in which you cultivate long-term opportunities on LinkedIn and through networking. While building the future through slow prospecting activities is important, right now you need to move fast.You need to target, engage, interrupt and convert prospects that can move into your pipeline as viable opportunities, right now.By βinterrupt,β I mean dialing the phone, knocking on doors, sending personalized emails, text messages, video messages and direct messages βwhatever it takes to get attention and engage in conversations with high potential, high probability prospects.Β 5 Sources for Targeted Prospecting ListsWhen I say target, I mean not random. Randomness is the enemy of effectiveness. At this moment in time, spray and pray will not turn your pipeline around. You need a rifle rather than a shotgun approach.The key is building a targeted list because the better your list you, the better your prospecting outcomes. There are five sources for building a targeted prospecting list,
Entrepreneurship and Sales demands massive resilience. Itβs a skill, not a fixed trait, developed through intentional practice and persistence. Whether managing personal loss or professional setbacks, resilient entrepreneurs navigate challenges with focus and adaptability. This mental toughness enables them to push forward, align their business with their values, and create a lasting impact.In this episode ofΒ The Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount, Jr. is joined by Deb Sellinger to explore the power of resilience and adaptability in entrepreneurship. Hear Deb's inspiring story about overcoming challenges, building businesses that align with personal values, and creating a clear vision for sustainable success.Key Takeaways- Resilience as a Skill: Resilience is not innate. It can be cultivated through intentional practice and perseverance, even in the face of significant challenges.- Impact Over Income: Prioritizing making an impact over chasing financial rewards can lead to greater fulfillment and long-term success.- Adapting After Loss: Balancing personal grief with professional responsibilities requires courage and discipline to maintain stability for those relying on your leadership.- Reinvention of Business Models: Adapting or reinventing a business model to align with personal values or market changes can drive growth and create operational efficiencies.- Facing Judgment with Integrity: Leaders may face criticism for prioritizing their team or clients over personal interests, but integrity and resilience ensure a focus on long-term goals.- Importance of Succession Planning: Establishing a succession plan provides stability for employees and clients, ensuring continuity during transitions.- Clarity in Leadership Vision: Refining a business's focus can align its trajectory with the leaderβs strengths and values, driving sustainable growth.- Leveraging Team Strengths: Recognizing the unique contributions of team members fosters collaboration, strengthens culture, and supports growth.- Navigating Rapid Growth: Managing fast-paced growth often requires tough decisions to streamline operations and recalibrate priorities.- Building for the Future: Involving teams in planning for the businessβs future creates shared success and loyalty.https://youtu.be/CPYTTet0CUMBalancing Grief and Professional ResponsibilitiesPersonal loss doesnβt pause professional obligations. Entrepreneurs often face the challenge of balancing grief with the demands of running a business. For some, maintaining commitments like showing up for a client meeting or fulfilling an obligation becomes a pathway to healing. These moments underscore the duality of leadership: staying present for others while navigating personal struggles.Turning Challenges into OpportunitiesEvery challenge hides an opportunity for growth. A leader who maintained a client relationship during a particularly difficult time discovered that vulnerability and perseverance can deepen trust and create new opportunities. Itβs often the toughest moments that forge the strongest connections.Adapting to New RealitiesStepping into unfamiliar territory like inheriting a business or pivoting to a new market requires courage and adaptability. One entrepreneur, faced with an industry they knew little about, redefined their businessβs focus and implemented a sustainable model. This reinvention not only stabilized the company but positioned it for future success.Aligning Business with Personal ValuesSuccess without alignment can feel hollow. When one entrepreneurβs wellness business scaled rapidly, they found themselves disconnected from their original mission. By simplifying operations and returning to their hands-on approach, they built a business that resonated with their values and fostered deeper client relationships.Leading with ResponsibilityTrue leadership shines in tough times. Faced with personal challenges,
Welcome to a new segment of the Sales Gravy Podcast called Ask Jeb!I believe sales professionals are the heartbeat of the economy. Youβre the ones generating revenue for your organization and fueling innovations that keep businesses thriving. Without your hustle, your company doesnβt move forwardβand, frankly, neither does the global economy. Youβre the elite athletes of the business world.Ask Jeb is about you and your real world challenges. It's your agenda and you are in control.On this Sales Gravy Podcast segment, I answer your burning questions on driving revenue, growing your pipeline, leading your teams, and staying ahead of the competition. If you want to get on the show with me and ask your question, sign up HEREQuestion One: Cutting Through the Noise When ProspectingΒ Bob from Tullahoma, Tennessee (whom we affectionately call βOutbound Bobβ because heβs been to our Outbound Conference so many times!) asked a critical question:βMoving into next year, what prospecting advice, piece of technology, or technique would you offer that could apply across all sales organizations and industries? Whatβs our βsilver bulletββeven if it doesnβt really exist?βNo Silver Bullet, But...Iβm the first to say thereβs no magic wand in salesβno easy button that instantly books appointments or closes deals. What we do have is the reality of AI-generated βcrapβ flooding our inboxes and social feeds. This onslaught of automated noise means salespeople must stand out more than ever.Embrace Deep, Differentiated SequencesMy top recommendation is to lean heavily into deep, multichannel prospecting sequences. Use everything at your disposal: Telephone (still the fastest way to close deals) In-person visits (yes, face-to-face still worksβand people love seeing a real human) Email (but make it personal and relevant) Direct Messaging (LinkedIn, Messengerβwherever your prospect is, be there) Snail Mail (because physical mailboxes are shockingly empty) Networking & Referrals (the original social media)Itβs not just about persistence; itβs about persistence plus differentiation. If youβre simply bombarding prospects with a bunch of generic touches, youβre just adding to the noise. Instead, craft messaging that proves you understand their world.Messaging That Speaks to ThemGood news: the tsunami of poorly written AI outreach actually helps you stand out if your message is empathetic, clear, and focused on the prospectβs key interests. Take the time to truly step into their shoes. Know their persona, their industry, and how you solve their burning issues. Show them youβve done your homework.Think of It as One Extended ConversationEach touchβvoicemail, email, text, or social messageβshould flow logically from the last. You donβt want to leave the same voicemail three times in a row or send βJust bumping this to the top of your inboxβ emails day after day. Instead, let your communication build a case for why a conversation is worthwhile. And remember: the number of touches needed to break through keeps rising (15+ touches for warm prospects, 50+ for cold). So, buckle up, play the long game, and keep your messaging sharp.Question Two: Targeted vs. Personalized MessagingAfter Bobβs question, we tackled another big one from a Sales Gravy Coaching client who wished to remain anonymous:How to handle short-burst prospecting and whether it helps to call businesses that share something in common, like location.Short-Burst SprintsIβm a fan of high-intensity prospecting sprints. Carve out 10β15 minutes, chop wood as fast as you can, then take a break. This approach keeps your energy up and your head in the game.Narrow Your ListsWhenever possible, focus on a list of prospects that have something in commonβsame industry, similar role, or even the same town. That way, your messaging can be targeted, speaking directly to a collective pain point or shared experience.
Happy New Sales Year!This is the first Monday of the year. The slate is clean. The opportunity to excel, to level up, to make this your best year ever is yours for the taking. The world is your oyster.Itβs time to shake off distractions, get focused, and execute. As we look forward to the next twelve months, there are only three things you control. Your actions, reactions, and mindset.ActionsYou have absolute control over your actions. These are the choices you make about how you spend your time, what you prioritize, and where you focus. Choose the right actions and you are going to have a great year; the wrong actions, not so much.And when it comes to choosing how and on what you invest your time, commit to being ruthless about what you prioritize.Do the things that have the greatest impact on revenue generation, hitting your sales numbers, and achieving your personal goals.ReactionsYou have control over how you react and respond to the many challenges you will face over the next twelve months. And trust me, there will be lots of challenges and roadblocks.One of those challenges will be dealing with all of the people and distractions that steal your time and pull your attention away from your priorities.It will take discipline to respond to these things with a polite no and stay on course. Remember that discipline is sacrificing what you want now for what you want most.Β Therefore, you can better manage your responses by keeping your eyes on the prize.Leverage MindfulnessWhen you face emotionally challenging situations, one way to manage your reactions is through mindfulness.I always thought mindfulness was some frou frou yoga crap until a learned what it really means and how especially powerful it is for managing emotional reactions when you face conflict with another person. Which is important because sales is full of conflict.Mindfulness is simply the gap you leave between something happening to you and when you respond to it.Β In this gap you have the opportunity to exert control over your emotions and response. And let's be clear: you have complete control of when you respond, how you respond, and if you respond.The way I activate mindfulness is through a simple mental exercise in which I answer the question: Do I want this or do I want that?For example, if I get into an argument with my wife and my emotional reaction is to dig in and fight for my point of view,Β before I do, Iβll ask myself: Do I want to be happy or do I want to be right?If you are dealing with a tough customer who is pushing your buttons and you really want to give them your mind, you might stop and ask yourself "Do I want to hit my sales number or do I want to tell this jerk what I think about them?MindsetAnd finally, you control your mindset - your attitudes and beliefs. Of the three things you control, mindset is the most important.Sales is a mental game. It is a truth that 90% of your success is going to be determined by what goes on between your ears.There are two prevailing mindsets among salespeople in the world today. My good friend and co-author of The AI Edge Anthony Iannarino labels these the rain barrel mindset and the rainmaker mindset.Rain Barrel SalespeopleThink for a moment about a rain barrel. What does it do? The rain barrel sits in the backyard rusting waiting for rain.This is exactly what rain barrel salespeople do.Β They sit around waiting for something to happen to them. Hoping for a lead to come their way. Waiting for their prospect to do the work and close the sale themselves.Rain Barrels are defined by their circumstances. They complain and whine but take no action to change them. When it doesnβt rain, they blame everything and everyone except for themselves. The rain barrel resides in mediocrity and never reaches their potential.RainmakersThen there is the rainmaker mindset. Rain makers believe in themselves and their ability to make things happen....
Discover the secrets to lead follow up and conversion after trade show, conference, and events. OnΒ this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, Harriet Mellor shares proven strategies for maximizing trade show ROI with personalized outreach, leveraging CRM tools, and building lasting relationships that convert leads into valuable long-term customers.Key Takeaways:- Follow-up Touchpoints: An eight-touchpoint follow-up strategy is recommended, with touchpoints spread over a 12-week period, incorporating multiple communication methods like email, phone, social media, and video.- Importance of Patience: Building relationships and converting leads into customers takes time. Long sales cycles, such as 20 months for some deals, highlight the need for persistence and patience.- Consistent Outreach: Regular and consistent communication helps ensure that leads donβt forget about the company or its offerings.- Tracking Interactions: Meticulous tracking of every touchpoint and interaction provides insight into what strategies work, enabling continuous refinement.- Personalization: Customizing outreach efforts, such as referencing personal details from interactions, enhances engagement and builds rapport.- Variety of Channels: Using diverse communication platforms, such as phone calls, emails, video, and social media, increases the likelihood of connecting with leads.- Value-Driven Engagement: Sharing valuable resources like podcasts, webinars, or helpful information adds value to the relationship and builds trust with leads.- Utilizing CRM Systems: Leveraging CRM tools aids in organizing, tracking, and automating follow-up activities, ensuring efficiency and consistency.- Planning and Strategy: Having a clear plan and a structured system for follow-up ensures effectiveness and prevents a disorganized approach.- Positive and Authentic Interactions: Being genuine and enjoying the process of building relationships can positively influence the success of follow-up efforts.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjGI-z-AA3cThe Value of Patience With Lead Follow UpFollowing up with leads requires patience. Many deals do not happen overnight, especially in industries with long sales cycles. For instance, a lead might take 20 months to convert into a customer due to factors like contract timing or budget availability. Despite the wait, these deals can be significant, justifying the costs of attending the event. Patience allows salespeople to build meaningful relationships with prospects over time, which often leads to successful outcomes.The Importance of Outreach ConsistencyConsistency in follow-ups is crucial for staying on a leadβs radar. Without regular communication, potential customers may forget about your business, especially if they have interacted with multiple vendors at the event. A consistent approach ensures that your company remains top-of-mind when they are ready to make a purchase decision.Sequence Multiple Channels for Lead Follow UpEffective follow-ups involve reaching out through various channels. Email, social media, phone calls, and video messages all offer opportunities to connect with leads. Different people respond to different methods, so using a mix increases the likelihood of engagement. Video, in particular, can add a personal touch and help stand out in a crowded inbox.Track Every Interaction Trade ShowTracking all touchpoints with leads is essential for evaluating what works and refining your approach. This includes keeping detailed notes in your customer relationship management (CRM) system. For instance, noting personal details like a leadβs hobbies or recent activities can make follow-ups more personalized and engaging. These small details can help spark meaningful conversations and demonstrate genuine interest in the lead.Create a Structured Trade Show Lead Follow Up PlanA well-structured follow-up plan ensures that no leads fall th...
Your personal goals are the aspirations that drive you, inspire you, and push you through the tough days. As you'll learn in this Monday Money podcast episode and article, these goals are essential to helping you maintain sales discipline throughout your sales year.Personal Goal BucketsWhen developing personal goals, I break them down into three buckets:To-Have GoalsThese are the things you want to acquire or buy. For example, this year, I set a goal to purchase a new homeβand I did. Whether itβs a house, a new car, or building up your savings, to-have goals are about acquiring something that enhances your life.To-Be GoalsThese are about evolving into the person you want to become. Maybe you want to be a sales manager, or if youβre a manager, you want to be a director or VP of sales. You might want to go back to school for a degree or an MBA. Or you want to be a better spouse, a better leader, or a better peer. Maybe you want to be a Presidentβs club winner or be recognized as an expert in your industryβwhatever it is, to-be goals help you level up as a person and a professional.To-Do GoalsThese are experience goals. My wife and I had a big one a couple of years ago: going on a horseback trek across the Masai Mara in Kenya. It was a massive, life-changing adventure we saved for, planned for, and worked toward. Think about experiences that create lifelong memoriesβmaybe you want to travel somewhere special or take on a meaningful project or hobby youβve always dreamed about.Four Reasons Why Personal Goals MatterNumber one, goals massively increase the likelihood that youβll actually achieve the things you want. Speaking your goal out loud, writing it down, and being intentional about it has a powerful psychological effect.Number two, goals make life meaningful. Itβs unbelievably fulfilling to look back and see what you accomplishedβhow far youβve come over the course of a year, five years, or a decade.Number three, we work in a tough, competitive profession, and itβs just plain satisfying to put your commission checks, bonuses, and hard-won earnings toward something that improves your life or the lives of the people you love.But the biggest reason to set goalsβespecially in salesβis that the sales profession is hard work and it can be brutal.Β Itβs loaded with rejection.At every turn, we face potential βnos,β whether itβs prospecting calls, asking for next steps, pushing to level up to a decision-maker, or closing the deal. We even face internal rejection when we try to sell a complex deal internally to our own company or get approval for special pricing. Rejection is everywhere, and the fear of rejectionβor avoiding itβis the number one reason salespeople fail to perform.Add to that the grind: making call after call, stuffing data into the CRM, pushing through proposals, handling endless follow-ups and sellingΒ becomes tedious, hard, rejection dense work.For this reason it requires discipline to stay on track and keep grinding day after day and month after month over the course of the sales year. But hereβs the rub: discipline can wane, especially if weβre not hyper-focused on a bigger prize.The Real Definition of DisciplineI want you to pay attention to this next part because understanding the real definition of discipline itβs critical.Β Discipline is sacrificing what you want now for what you want most.Human nature wants easy. Weβd rather that customers call us than having to chase them. Weβd rather deals close themselves than investing hours into multi-step follow-ups. We donβt want to face that βno.βBut in success in sales is paid for in advance with facing rejection and hard work. Therefore If you donβt have a clear, compelling reasonβsomething you want mostβitβs easy to cave in and take the easy route instead of doing what really needs to be done.This is the reason why having a strong set personal goals is crucial for sales professionals.
In this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, take a look back at the best insights from the year. These moments arenβt just memorable, theyβre actionable advice that sales professionals can take into 2025 to thrive in an ever-evolving landscape.Key Takeaways:This year reinforced a crucial truth: the fundamentals of sales never go out of style, but adapting to the environment around you is key. Buyers are sharper, busier, and more discerning, which means the best salespeople need to work smarter and harder to stay ahead. Hereβs what stood out from our conversations this year:β Objections Are Opportunities: Objections arenβt something to avoid, theyβre invitations to build trust. When a buyer pushes back, itβs a sign theyβre engaged. Instead of sidestepping concerns, lean into them. Acknowledge the issue, ask thoughtful questions, and use the conversation to demonstrate your understanding of their needs.β Relentless Prospecting Wins Deals: The deals you close tomorrow start with the work you do today. This year, we discussed the importance of consistent prospecting and how staying disciplined with your outreach pays off. Whether itβs calls, emails, or social touches, keeping your pipeline full is the foundation of success.β Empathy Drives Connection: In a crowded marketplace, standing out often comes down to how well you connect with your prospects. Leading with empathy and emotional intelligence helps uncover the real problems you can solve. Listening, not just to respond, but to understand, creates trust and sets you apart from competitors.β Simplify the Process: A complicated sales process creates unnecessary barriers for your buyers. Instead, focus on making every step clear and straightforward. Simplify presentations, eliminate unnecessary details, and provide actionable next steps. Buyers are more likely to move forward when it feels easy to do so.β Consistency Is King: Talent might get you started, but consistency is what keeps you winning. Showing up daily, sticking to your routines, and doing the small things consistently makes a big difference over time. Success in 2025 will be about maintaining that focus, even when motivation dips.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k2hJ3pyNBUThriving Under Pressure with a SEALβs StrategyIn high-stakes sales situations, maintaining composure is crucial. Drawing from his extensive military experience, retired Navy SEAL Master Chief Stephen Drum emphasizesΒ the importance of preparation, adaptability, and mental resilience. By implementing a structured approachβcommit, prepare, execute, and reflectβsales professionals can enhance their performance under pressure. This method enables individuals to stay focused, adjust to changing circumstances, and continuously improve their strategies.Physical Fitness Fuels Sales SuccessJosh Hulsebosch dives into how physical fitness directly impacts sales performance by enhancing energy levels, mental clarity, and resilience. Maintaining a "proud posture," standing tall with shoulders back and chest open, not only boosts confidence but also improves breathing and communication, essential for effective selling. Prioritizing regular exercise, proper nutrition, and adequate sleep equips sales professionals to handle the demands of their role, leading to increased productivity and success.Itβs Not About YouβItβs About ThemThe moment you realize sales isnβt about you is the moment you start winning. Too many salespeople and entrepreneurs fall into the trap of making their pitch the center of the conversation, focusing on their product, their needs, or their numbers. But hereβs the truth: your prospects donβt care about youβthey care about themselves. Success comes when you shift your mindset and make everything about the customer. Carole Mahoney discusses how to ask better questions, listen deeply, and focus on their pain points, goals, and dreams. When you solve their problems and make them the hero of the ...
For me, the last full week of the year has always been the chance to pause, take a break from the grind of selling, and really think about what happened over the past yearβthe good, the bad, and the ugly.If you are anything like me and do the same, there are two ways to look back on your last twelve months. You can do so with regret or reflection.These two opposing lenses are vastly different in the way they affect your view of where youβve been and where you are going.RegretLetβs start by unpacking regret.Some of you are already feeling regret about goals you missed, deals you lost, opportunities that slipped through your fingers, or the people in your life you may have let down.Regret is that feeling you get when you look back on something you did (or didnβt do) and wish you could change it.In many ways, regret is similar to worry, except itβs focused on the past instead of the future. Worry is about what might happen; regret is about what already happened. Thatβs a big distinction.Although you can turn worry into action and change the future, you cannot rewrite the past. No amount of regret changes history. All it does is create a feedback loop in your mind where you keep reliving your mistakes, misses, and failures over and over again.Β Stuck in the Endless Loop of RegretΒ Iβve observed so many people get stuck in this endless loop of regret. They keep lamenting, "If only I had . . ." "made that call,β βhandled that prospect differently,β βtaken that chance,β βbeen there or done that.βThose βif only'sβ can paralyze you. They sap your energy, crush your confidence, and keep you from moving forward.On one hand, regret can push you to changeβyou donβt want to feel that kind of pain again, so you work hard to avoid repeating the same mistakes.On the other hand, regret can become a debilitating emotion that drags you into an exhausting and useless mental loop of βwouldβve, couldβve, shouldβve.βBut no matter how many times you complete that loop, it doesnβt change the outcome. It becomes an emotional anchor that weighs you down as you start the new year.ReflectionReflection, on the other hand, is entirely differentβand far more productive.When you reflect, you detach from your emotions with objectivity to look at your entire body of work from the past year. Youβre asking the questions, βWhat went well? What didnβt go so well? What did I learn?β You consider the wins that made you proud and the moments youβd rather forget. You figure out why you won so you can repeat those winning behaviors. You extract value from the lessons of failure.Reflection isnβt about punishing yourself for what went wrong. Itβs about gaining clarity on why it went wrongβand what you can do about it next time.Reflection Creates AwarenessReflection also helps you find gratitude in unexpected places. Maybe thereβs a hidden lesson in overcoming an obstacle or perhaps you gained a new perspective because a challenging person came into your life.Itβs important to realize that each decision you made over the past year shaped your present circumstances. But you are not defined by these circumstances, only by how you respond to them.Reflection creates awareness. Where there is awareness there is the potential for change. Awareness is like the sun, anything it touches has a tendency to transform.The bottom line is that reflection is about learning, growing, and transforming. Regret is stagnation.Why Reflection Matters at Year-EndThe reason Iβm talking about the impact of reflection as we close out this year is because, for most of us, the slate really does feel clean come January 1st.In the sales world, we get a brand-new quota and brand-new targets. Thereβs an air of possibility as we think, βThis year is going to be different. βThis year, Iβm going to crush my numbers.β βHit my income targets.β βMake it to Presidentβs club.β
In this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, discover how Alex Niswander used the Fanatical Prospecting framework to maximize outreach and build meaningful client relationships. Learn about creative touchpoints, High-Intensity Prospecting call blocking (HIPs), and actionable tips to fill, move, and close your sales pipeline effectively.Key Takeaways:β Multiple Touchpoints for Better Engagement: Combining weekly calls, text messages, and video messages in a month-long sequence creates many cell phone interactions, helping to maintain visibility with prospects.β Text Messaging as a Follow-Up Tool: Texting becomes effective later in the process, especially after leaving voicemails or sending emails, as it creates a softer approach to earning a prospectβs time rather than jumping in and selling immediately.β Personalized Video Messages: Video messages create an opportunity to add a human touch to prospecting by showing prospects thereβs a real person behind the outreach.β Call Blocking to Maximize Productivity: High-Intensity Prospecting (HIP) sessions involve short, focused sprints of 15-30 minutes dedicated to making as many calls as possible, ensuring consistent and impactful outreach.β The 90-Day Prospecting Payoff: Prospecting efforts often show results after 90 days, emphasizing the importance of daily consistency to maintain a steady pipeline of opportunities.β Building Respect Through Personalization: Small gestures, like sending photos or handwritten notes, help prospects feel valued, making them more likely to engage and build trust with the salesperson.β Balancing Sales Activities: Effective prospecting balances three essential activitiesβfilling, moving, and closing the pipelineβto ensure steady progress and avoid periods of downtime or overwork by planning your time effectively.β Fundamentals Still Deliver Results: Basic strategies, like leaving business cards or sending physical mail, remain effective over time.Β β Creativity in Prospecting: Unique and memorable approaches, such as sending coffee with a note, can differentiate outreach efforts and leave lasting impressions.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzhdC4YwflAThe Power of Multiple TouchpointsWhen it comes to prospecting, repetition, and persistence are the name of the game. A well-structured outreach plan includes multiple touchpoints, particularly through cell phone communication. Over a month, combining calls, text messages, and video messages can result in many meaningful interactions. Each touchpoint serves to maintain visibility with prospects and gently guide them toward engagement.Using Text Messaging EffectivelyTexting has become a more accepted form of communication, especially post-COVID. While it may not be appropriate for the first interaction, texting later in the process can be effective. The goal of these messages is to earn a prospect's time rather than immediately sell a product or service. For example, following up on a voicemail with a polite and informative text can soften the approach and make the interaction feel less intrusive.Video Messaging for a Human TouchVideo messaging is another way to connect with prospects. Including a short, personalized video message in a text or email can make outreach more human and relatable. It doesn't require additional content, recording and sending a video version of a voicemail can have a significant impact. Video messages show prospects that there is a real person behind the communication, which can increase the likelihood of securing a meeting.Expanding Communication ChannelsRelying on emails or LinkedIn messages limits opportunities to engage with prospects. A diverse approach, including calls, texts, and even creative methods like mailing physical items, increases touch points and keeps the process dynamic. For instance, sending a photo of yourself outside your prospectβs local franchise location or mailing a small,
Over the past two months, the team at Sales Gravy has been working hard on our business plan for next year. Like so many other companies, we build an annual business plan because we need to know where weβre going and how to get there.Β Weβre not leaving our fate to chance. Our business plan is the compass that helps us navigate and stay on track to reach our goals.Β Β Randomness is the Enemy of EffectivenessBut what about you? Have you ever stopped to think that you need the exact same thing for your upcoming sales year?Without a plan, itβs easy to drift and fall into randomnessβjust waking up every day and hoping something good happens.Β But hereβs the deal: Randomness is the enemy of effectiveness.Β If you donβt set a clear direction, youβll never hit the target youβre aiming for. Youβll be like a boat without a rudderβdrifting and, eventually, ending up someplace you never intended to go.Β Yogi Berra said it best: βIf you donβt know where youβre going, youβll end up someplace else.βΒ Trust me, βsomeplace elseβ isnβt where you want to be at the end of next year.Adopt a CEO MindsetThe difference between average salespeople and top performers often comes down to one key mindset: top performers donβt act like employees; they think like entrepreneurs.The moment you start treating your territory as if itβs your own business, your mindset changes. You stop feeling like a cog in the wheel and start seeing yourself as the driver, not the passenger.Your company shoulders the big financial risksβproviding you with the product, the brand, and the support. But you own your market, solve the problems, and build relationships that turn into revenue. You own your time and results. Thatβs the entrepreneurial mindset.Β Creating Your Personal Business Plan Starts With A VisionTo create your personal business plan, you start your vision.Β Where do you want to be a year from now?Β What do you want to accomplish in your territory or area of responsibility? What income do you want to earn? What awards do you want to win?Β What does winning look like?Β Define it. Get crystal clear. Then think about your values.Β What do you stand for?Β What kind of impact do you want to make? What kind of relationships do you want to build?Β How will you show up for your clients, team members, and company every single day?Once youβve nailed this down, put your strategy in place.Β Break your territory into logical quadrants so that you know where youβll be investing time each day.Β Identify the industry verticals that have the highest potential. Pinpoint your ideal customers.Β Segment your prospects and customers into High Potential, Medium Potential, and Low Potential.Β Create a list of your top ten dream accounts, 25-50 conquest accounts, and 100-500 high-potential and medium-potential targeted accounts. This will help you attack your territory with a targeted vs random approach.Β Identify your key competitors and do an analysis of each of their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Then do the same for yourself. Define your daily battle rhythm, disciplines, and activities that drive pipeline growth.Β Get intentional about your priorities and how you manage your calendar. After all, time is your greatest asset and as the CEO of you, your time is money.Β Once you have clarity on your vision and strategy, get granular. A vision without action is just a fantasy.Β Break Your Personal Business Plan Into Small Steps to SuccessBreak your plan down into achievable goals. Iβm a fan of activity-based metrics because you can control them. This is about setting standards that become non-negotiable habits. The key is to choose metrics that move the needle on revenue and are fully within your controlYou canβt always control who picks up the phone or who says yes, but you can control how many doors you knock on, how many calls you make,
In this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount, Jr. welcomes Kirk Richardson, author of Craft Beer Country, to dive into the world of craft beer, exploring trends, challenges, and the rise of IPAs. Discover how the craft beer industry has blended innovation and tradition to become a cultural phenomenon.Key Takeaways:β Resilience in Craft Beer Market: Despite challenges in the beer industry, craft beer gained a 13% increase in market share in 2023, weathering the storm better than large-scale breweries.β Significance of Hops: Hops, a core ingredient in beer, play a vital role in flavor, aroma, and shelf life. Varieties include aroma, bittering, and dual-purpose hops, each contributing to unique brewing profiles.β Historical Roots of Sours: Sour beers trace their origins to Belgium, where open fermentation with wild yeast created distinctive flavors, making them one of the oldest beer styles still enjoyed today.β Seasonal Beer Preferences: Beer choices often align with the seasons, with lighter options like sours and lagers favored by many in warmer months and darker stouts and porters during colder seasons.β Challenging Stereotypes: While there is often some misconception around craft beer enthusiasts, the craft beer experience is accessible and welcoming, offering something for everyone regardless of expertise.β Cultural Significance of Brewing: Brewing dates back thousands of years, with craft beer continuing traditions like those of ancient Egypt, where beer was used as both sustenance and currency.β Breweries as Social Hubs: Breweries cater to diverse personalities, providing spaces for extroverts to socialize and introverts to enjoy solitude, fostering connections and memorable experiences.β Storytelling in Craft Beer: The industry thrives on the stories of its people, from the challenges of sourcing ingredients to the inspirations behind unique brews, enriching the craft beer community.β Navigating Supply Challenges: Craft brewers often face supply chain hurdles, particularly in sourcing specific hops, yet their creativity and adaptability in dealing with these issues are often what drive the industry forward.β Craft Beerβs Universal Appeal: With its wide range of styles and flavors, craft beer continues to bring people together, celebrating diversity in taste and creating lasting bonds through shared experiences.https://youtu.be/r_7XsernY7Y?feature=sharedThe Role of Craft Beer in Modern CultureCraft beer holds a unique place in todayβs beverage market, offering a blend of tradition, innovation, and community. With its roots deeply embedded in history and its appeal growing across diverse audiences, craft beer has become more of a cultural experience than just a drink.Craft Beerβs Market Growth and ResilienceThe beer industry has faced significant challenges in recent years, from shifts in consumer preferences to economic pressures. Despite this, craft beer has demonstrated resilience, gaining a 13% increase in market share in 2023. While larger breweries have struggled, craft beerβs ability to innovate and connect with its audience has allowed it to thrive.The Essential Role of HopsHops, one of beerβs four primary ingredients, are integral to the brewing process. They contribute to the beerβs flavor, aroma, and longevity. Brewers use different types of hops (ex. aroma, bittering, and dual-purpose) to craft a wide range of styles. However, the supply chain for hops can be unpredictable, with shortages and oversupply cycles creating challenges for brewers.A Historical Perspective on Sour BeersSour beers, one of the oldest styles of beer, have a storied history dating back to Belgium. These beers were traditionally made through open fermentation, allowing wild yeast to develop their signature tart flavor. Today, sours remain popular for their unique taste and connection to brewingβs historical roots,
Learn how to sell more at the end of the year by helping small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) reduce their tax bill while making strategic investments in their company on this Money Monday episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast.If youβve been looking for a way to hit or exceed your annual quota, qualify for President's Club, or simply earn a bigger paycheck or bonus, focusing on SMBs in the final weeks of the year might give you the edge you need.SMBs are Motivated to Reduce TaxesIn the United States there are millions of SMBs and the vast majority of these businesses are what we call pass-through organizations for tax purposes. This means that the owners or partners in these businesses report the profits on their personal tax filings.Unlike big companies, small companies donβt have the luxury of rolling profits over to the next year. So whatever they made this year, they have to pay taxes on.As the calendar winds down SMB business owners are often motivated to invest in products, services, and software solutions in order to reduce taxable income.In other words, if a business has shown strong profits throughout the year, its owners might be keen to spend some of that money on improving their operations, expanding their capabilities, or streamlining their processesβright nowβrather than hand over a large chunk of their profits to Uncle Sam come tax season.Business Owners Hate Paying TaxesTo understand why this year-end period is so critical, letβs get into the mindset of a small or medium-sized business owner.Unlike large enterprises with multiple departments and complex accounting strategies, SMB owners are often personally invested in the companyβs financial results because those results are essentially their income. Itβs how they pay their mortgage and put food on the table.For this reason, they watch their revenue and expenses closely. As the year comes to an end, theyβre looking at their bottom line and thinking about the upcoming tax bill.For many of these business owners, profit is a double-edged sword. Donβt get me wrong, they want to make a profit. But at some point, too much profit triggers a much higher tax bill.If there is one thing I know about small and medium sized business owners its that they hate taxes. They are always looking for ways to legally minimize their tax liability.One easy and productive way to do this is to make fully or partially depreciable investments in the business before December 31st. That could mean buying new equipment, software, training packages, or services that will not only improve the business long-term but also reduce taxable income for the current year.An Urgent Need to SpendAs a salesperson, the key takeaway here is that your prospects have a natural, time-bound incentive to spend. If you can position your product or service as the right investment at the right time, you might find it easier to close those deals that seemed just out of reach during the rest of the year.And by the way, if you are dealing with decision-makers who are pushing off decisions to next year, this is a great way to get past that objection.Framing Your Business CaseI want to be clear though that most businesses are not going to spend money for the sake of spending money. Savvy business owners want to reduce taxes and do the right thing for their company.Therefore, you canβt just be transactional. You still must follow the sales process and build a bridge to the value of tax savings AND business improvement when making your business case.Itβs all about framing your product or service as a strategic investment rather than a mere expense.For example: If you sell software tools that improve operational efficiency, make the case for how your solution will help them save on labor costs, reduce errors, and streamline workflows. If youβre selling advertising, highlight how a year-end launch of a new campaign will lead to immediate result...
In this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount interviews Keith Peiris, CEO of Tome, to discuss how AI is transforming sales, from prospecting and building lists to crafting personalized emails and uncovering hidden opportunities.Key Takeaways:β Understanding Strategic Alignment is Key: Successful enterprise sales go beyond impressing with technology. It is essential to understand a prospectβs business strategy and align solutions with their key initiatives.β Effective Discovery is More Important than the Demo: Sales success hinges on understanding what the prospect cares about and tailoring the conversation around their needs.β Vetting Opportunities Saves Time and Resources: It's not enough to have an excited champion. The real question is whether the solution aligns with the companyβs strategic goals and can gain executive buy-in.β Develop a Point of View (POV) Before Outreach: Instead of waiting for a meeting, develop a POV on why a prospect needs your solution and use that to guide outbound efforts.β Human Relationships Still Matter Most: AI can accelerate research and help craft messaging, but building trust and making prospects feel understood and valued remain the most consistent predictors of sales success.β Outbound Prospecting Must Be Consultative: Hunting effectively requires approaching prospects with a well-researched, consultative mindset rather than relying solely on automated, impersonal outreach.β Over-automation Leads to Diminished Trust: Prospects can easily detect AI-generated emails, and overuse of automation can lead to being blocked by potential clients.β Sequencing Tools Must Be Used Thoughtfully: Sequencing tools are valuable when used for multi-touch, multi-channel strategies, but they should complement, not replace genuine human outreach. These tools can be effective if used for synchronous and strategic touches, like personalized emails, calls, and handwritten notes.β Slow Prospecting Wins: AI has accelerated email prospecting, but the resulting automation flood has led to blocking and decreased trust. Personalized, thoughtful prospecting, where each touchpoint is meaningful, stands out, and builds credibility.β Sales Leaders Are Banning AI-Generated Emails: Sales leaders are increasingly banning AI email tools and automated SDR platforms due to the damage they cause to domain reputation and customer trust. Thoughtful, human-crafted communication is becoming a necessity.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIsMpNvHYqoThe Balance Between Technology and Human ConnectionThe sales industry has evolved significantly over the past few years, and a major driver of this change is artificial intelligence (AI). Tools that automate prospecting, communication, and customer insights have become a standard part of the sales process. While AI offers immense advantages, it's not a magic bullet. Success in sales still requires a balance between leveraging technology and maintaining human connection.As companies race to adopt AI-powered tools, many salespeople have fallen into a common trap: over-automation. The temptation to let AI handle everything, from prospecting to follow-ups, is strong. After all, these tools can send hundreds of emails, automate responses, and even draft messages that mimic human speech. However, over-reliance on automation has led to new challenges.The Pitfalls of Over-AutomationOne of the biggest issues with over-automation is the flood of generic, AI-generated emails and messages. These communications often lack personalization and fail to connect with prospects on a meaningful level. The result? Prospects are increasingly blocking or ignoring automated outreach. In some cases, entire domains are being flagged as spam, cutting off communication entirely.Sales leaders are starting to recognize the dangers of this trend. Many have banned the use of AI-generated emails and automated outreach tools altogether.
In this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, I highlight a key sales opportunity as we approach the final stretch of the year.There is no doubt that this has been a strange year, right? With the election, inflation, and so much uncertainty a lot of businesses held back on spending β even though, as a whole, the economy was pretty good.Β Now that the election is over, these same businesses have a budget left over that they need to spend before the end of the year.Buyers are in a Good MoodThe good news is the executives and owners who run these businesses are suddenly in a very good mood.Β Β Over the past few weeks, Iβve been in multiple states and cities asking business leaders how they are feeling now that the election is over. The responses have been overwhelmingly positive. People are feeling good. Many are enthusiastic about the economy. Most tell me that their sales are up following the election.Β How to Look for Unused Budget With a Simple QuestionIβve also had my sales team calling our customers and asking specifically about the unused budget that needs to be spent by the end of the year. The strategy is working. We have the largest pipeline weβve had in years and have inked more big deals in the last three weeks than we have in the last three months with more to come.Β Last week, I was out with a field sales rep, and we called on one of his large conquest accounts. The rep was frustrated because every proposal heβd given them had stalled in the pipeline. He said, βI just canβt get them to pull the trigger and make a decision.βΒ Before walking in I coached him to ask his contact, βHow do you feel about business now that the election is over?βΒ After asking this question, his contact, the director of operations lit upβbusiness was booming he said. Many of his customers whoβd had their hands tied by budget constraints were now spending.Β Four hours after our visit the contact called to say that his boss had given him a budget to spend by the end of the year and placed an order for almost a million dollars.Prime Time for Unused BudgetSo hereβs the deal: if youβre in sales, now is prime time. What you need to do is pick up the phone, call your existing customers, your inactive customers, and even your closed/lost deals from earlier this year, and simply initiate a conversation.So, hereβs the moral of this story. If youβre in sales or a business owner, now is the time to reach out to your customers. Engage them in a dialogue about how theyβre feeling post-election, and find the money that's out there and needs to be spent by the end of the year.Β Keep it SimpleDonβt overcomplicate this. Initiate the conversation by asking about their post-election outlook. This will naturally lead to discussions about their immediate needs and leftover budget and how your product, service, or software can help them utilize their remaining budget effectively.Move fast because the clock is ticking. Once this year is over, todayβs leftover budget will be gone forever.ACE your next sales conversation with our FREE guide to buyer communication skills. Download Here
In this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount Jr. sits down with sales guru Kristie Jones as she shares her secrets to success, including powerful mindset shifts and strategies to unlock your full potential.Key Takeaways:Β β The Importance of Positivity in Decision-Making: Positive decisions about entering a sales role, rather than trying to escape a current job, can lead to more fulfilling outcomes. Sales success often comes when you're focused on going toward something, not just getting away from something else.β The Power of Financial Transparency: Open conversations about money and commissions lead to better financial decisions. Early exposure to financial planning, like saving for retirement, gives a long-term advantage in wealth-building.Β β Understanding Your Sales Superpower: Knowing yourself is key to excelling in sales. The first step is to identify your sales superpowerβyour unique strength that sets you apart in the sales process. Once you understand this, you can match it to the right product, industry, and role.β Self-Awareness is Crucial: True self-awareness, including recognizing strengths, weaknesses, and natural abilities, is critical in achieving success. You need to ask yourself and others about your strengths to identify your superpower, which helps guide career decisions.β Leveraging Your Secret Weapon: A secret weapon is a strategy or skill that, while not always obvious, can turn the tide in a difficult situation. Itβs the βace up your sleeveβ you can use when you need to close a deal, much like leveraging your unique strengths at the right moment to get results.β Leveraging Your Strengths: Focus on identifying and doubling down on what you're naturally good at, especially in negotiations and closing deals. Emphasizing your strengths allows you to excel in areas where others may struggle.β Mindset Matters: A positive mindset is crucial for success. Self-talk plays a significant role in shaping this mindset. Avoid statements like "I'm bad at sales" or "I'm not a good negotiator" and instead focus on positive actions, such as "I made a mistake, but I'm not a failure."β Challenge Negative Self-Talk: Negative self-talk is natural but can be countered. Recognizing when it's happening and replacing it with affirmations or positive phrases like "I'm the winner" helps refocus your mind and combat doubt.β Visualization for Success: Mental visualization is a powerful tool for success. Visualize achieving your goalsβwhether that's winning a tennis match or closing a deal. This helps your brain work towards these outcomes even when you're not actively working on them.β Proactive Career Management: Don't be reactive about your career. Be proactive, conduct research, and approach potential employers with a tailored message, showing why you're the right fit even when no job is advertised. This sets you apart from others who take a more passive approach.β Intentional Job Search: Treat your job search like a search for a life partner, not just a "job." A career should align with your long-term goals, and you should actively seek out companies and positions that match your vision. A more intentional, tailored approach is more effective than just applying everywhere.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laJlmjse754Negotiation: A Key to Unlocking OpportunitiesNegotiation is often seen as a key skill in sales, and rightfully so. However, what if negotiation could be viewed as a superpower, a tool that could unlock countless opportunities and elevate one's sales game? In many ways, getting an appointment or making the initial connection is already a negotiation in itself. By shifting the mindset to view negotiation as a strength, it opens up a world of potential. Instead of focusing on weaknesses, one can use what they excel at to create better outcomes in sales. This mindset can be incredibly powerful, particularly in a competitive field where every advantage...
In this lively episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount welcomes Patrick "Pops" Garrett, Founder & Chief Drinking Officer of DrinkCurious, to explore the unique intersection between bourbon tasting and sales engagement.Key Takeaways:β Virtual Tastings as Sales Hooks: Virtual bourbon tastings became an effective "hook" to attract attendees to sales demos, webinars, and client meetings, increasing engagement and helping to break through typical sales communication noise.β Engagement and Word-of-Mouth: The interactive and educational nature of DrinkCuriousβs tastings fostered memorable experiences that spurred word-of-mouth promotion, leading to increased client requests.β Holiday and Retention Use: Drink tastings are popular not only for prospecting but also for employee rewards, client retention, and holiday gifting, with options for virtual events that clients can record and revisit.β Bourbon as Cultural and Historical Icon: DrinkCurious incorporates bourbonβs cultural history into tastings, educating participants on bourbonβs evolution, production, and how it has influenced American culture over decades.Β β Gamification in Tastings: To increase engagement, DrinkCurious includes gamified elements where clients guess the bourbon or earn rewards, which can further connect the tasting to the clientβs sales objectives.β Event Flexibility: DrinkCurious provides both virtual and in-person tastings, including options for trade shows, private gatherings, and post-conference events, accommodating various client needs.β Building Client Connections: Tastings help establish rapport between clients and sales teams, providing a memorable, relationship-building experience that offers a strong foundation for ongoing conversations.β VIP and Exclusive Gatherings: DrinkCurious organizes exclusive, high-end tastings for VIP clients, offering a tailored, premium experience that enhances client relations and creates unique business opportunities.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdxWUVM0fDEThe Power of ExperienceSales teams today face an ever-increasing challenge to capture the attention of their clients and prospects. In a world filled with automated emails, digital advertising, and competing messages, itβs easy for outreach to get lost in the noise. DrinkCurious, a unique company specializing in bourbon tastings and whiskey experiences, has found a way to break through this clutter. Founded in early 2021, DrinkCurious uses virtual and in-person bourbon tastings to help sales teams engage with clients in a memorable, personal way. By blending education, entertainment, and a bit of gamification, DrinkCurious provides a creative, impactful solution to the challenges of modern sales outreach.Origins of DrinkCuriousDrinkCurious originated as a bold step from its founder, who left a traditional advertising career to pursue something he was passionate about: whiskey. With a mission to create deeper, more meaningful interactions between companies and clients, he developed a strategy to use bourbon tastings as a hook to draw in clients and keep them engaged. These tastings are more than just sampling different spiritsβtheyβre interactive experiences that teach clients about the history, culture, and science behind bourbon. By helping people understand the product, DrinkCurious creates a shared experience that builds rapport and leaves a lasting impression.The Virtual Tasting SolutionOne of DrinkCuriousβs primary offerings is the virtual tasting, which became a popular option during the pandemic. Many companies were looking for new ways to engage clients when in-person meetings and events werenβt possible. The virtual tasting quickly became a solution to this problem. By offering clients and prospects a fun, interactive experience that could be enjoyed from anywhere, DrinkCurious helped sales teams keep relationships strong even during a time when in-person interactions were limited.
In this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount sits down with Andy Matheou from RHM Staffing to dive deep into the challenges and triumphs of selling in the staffing industry. Andy shares his journey from individual contributor to a leadership role, offering invaluable insights on hustle, resilience, and the unique demands of staffing sales.Key Takeaways:β Early success in sales can be attributed to a strong work ethic, with long hours and dedication playing a significant role in career growth from sales contributor to leadership roles.β Competitiveness and resilience are essential traits in both sales and personal life, helping individuals push through challenges and setbacks.β The staffing industry presents unique challenges, as selling intangible services such as staffing solutions requires resilience and the ability to manage client skepticism.β Transitioning from an individual contributor to a leadership position often involves a shift in focus, prioritizing team success and development over personal financial gain.β Successful leadership requires setting aside personal ego and prioritizing the success of the team, with the focus on empowering others rather than seeking individual recognition.β A strong sales team culture is built around humility and mutual respect, where talented individuals support one another and work collaboratively toward shared goals.β Cold calling and consistent outreach are crucial strategies for success in sales, helping to gather information about decision-makers and open doors to larger deals.β Securing large accounts is often the result of thorough groundwork, including mapping out stakeholders and targeting the right individuals through persistent outreach.β Trust in the sales process and discipline in following proven methods are critical factors for long-term success in sales, especially for those new to the field.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KVaLlF-UbEThe Importance of Hard Work in SalesSuccess in sales often begins with hard work. Putting in long hours and demonstrating a strong work ethic can lay the foundation for career growth. Early in a sales career, working weekends, making countless cold calls, and attending numerous meetings is essential. Hard work helps develop resilience and stamina, which are critical in the competitive nature of sales.In many cases, individuals who start as contributors in sales work their way up to leadership roles by consistently showing dedication to their work. The early success they achieve is often a result of their tireless efforts, setting the stage for future career advancements.Resilience and Competitiveness Drive SuccessSales is not an easy field. There are frequent setbacks, rejections, and obstacles to overcome. A key factor that helps individuals succeed is their resilience and competitiveness. In both personal and professional life, being able to handle challenges and bounce back after failures is essential.Resilience allows sales professionals to learn from their experiences and adjust their strategies. It helps them stay focused and motivated, even when facing tough markets or challenging clients. Competitiveness pushes individuals to keep improving, always striving for better results.Navigating the Challenges of Selling ServicesIn certain sectors, such as the staffing industry, selling services can present unique challenges. Unlike tangible products, services like staffing solutions can be harder to sell. Potential clients may be skeptical about the value of intangible offerings, and building trust becomes a critical part of the sales process.This requires a combination of patience, persistence, and the ability to manage client expectations. Understanding the specific needs of each client and effectively communicating how a service can solve their problems is crucial. Success in these industries comes from learning how to sell the intangible.
On this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, host Jeb Blount Jr. and guest Neil Cameron discuss the evolving landscape of B2B sales, focusing on how to adapt to millennial buyers, the importance of authenticity in digital sales, and strategies for building trust in the modern sales environment.Neil emphasizes the significance of understanding buyer psychology in today's digital age.Key Takeaways:β Shift from Traditional Sales to Digital Proficiency: The old sales model is broken. Sales professionals now need digital skills, especially in social media, AI, and data, to meet todayβs digital buyers.β Importance of a Digital Sales Strategy: Building an effective digital sales strategy requires orchestrating multiple online touch points to create a harmonious customer experience.β Customer-Driven Buying Process: Buyers today conduct independent research, with 68% of B2B buyers preferring self-research before engaging with sales reps, making the process buyer-centric.β Content as a Sales Beacon: Quality content acts like a lighthouse, guiding potential buyers in a vast digital landscape. Effective content marketing draws buyers by providing engaging, informative resources.β Data-Driven Sales as a Predictive Tool: Using data to understand buyer behavior is like detective work, piecing together clues to anticipate buyer needs, often before the buyer realizes them.β Psychology in Digital Sales: Neilβs "Virtual Persuasion Engagement and Psychology Pyramid" uses psychological tactics like social proof, price anchoring, and loss aversion to influence buying decisions.β Millennials as Decision Makers: Millennials make up a significant portion of B2B decision-makers, expecting seamless digital interactions, self-service options, and freedom to research independently.β Purpose-Driven Purchasing: Millennial buyers value ethical, sustainable practices and prefer brands aligned with their values, impacting purchasing decisions.β Collaborative Decision-Making: Millennials consult multiple departments in decision-making, meaning sales teams must be ready to address diverse stakeholdersβ needs, from finance to IT.β Transparency and Authenticity: Millennials value transparency and avoid overly polished sales pitches. Honesty and authenticity help build trust, the cornerstone of successful digital sales.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGqdWks3MX8Adapting to a Digital Sales EraWe are in an evolving sales landscape. Digital strategies are taking center stage and the need for adaptability has never been more crucial. As buyers increasingly turn to online research and self-guided journeys, traditional sales approaches are shifting. Modern sales professionals must adapt to engage a digital-savvy customer base effectively. Itβs important to use strategies, key frameworks, and new tools to empower sales teams and increase success in the digital age.The Buyer-Centric RevolutionA primary shift in digital sales is the βbuyer-centric revolution,β where customers are now more autonomous in their purchasing journey. According to recent research, 68% of B2B buyers prefer to conduct their own research online before contacting a sales representative. This independence has turned the traditional sales model on its head, as buyers seek information and reassurance without the pressure of a salespersonβs guidance. Sales teams must be mindful of this shift, engaging only when the customer needs support, expertise, or guidance in making a final decision. The days of hand-holding through the buying process are largely over. They are replaced by a need for sharp, targeted interactions that add value at just the right moments.Content as a CornerstoneContent marketing has become a cornerstone of the modern sales strategy, as it functions as a βlighthouseβ guiding buyers through a sea of online information. Brands with compelling, relevant content gain a distinct advantage in this new environment.
Join host Jeb Blount Jr. as he welcomes legendary sales expert, Mark Hunter, to The Sales Gravy Podcast! In this episode they dive into actionable Outbound strategies, discuss the latest AI trends, and reveal why authentic relationships are the cornerstone of every successful sale.Key Takeawaysβ Success in outbound selling relies on maintaining strict discipline, consistent activity, and following a structured process to keep momentum and drive results.β Results in prospecting donβt happen overnight; staying consistent over time is key to building a strong pipeline and generating lasting success.β The opening of a conversation is just as important as closing a deal, making daily prospecting essential for building new relationships.β Focusing prospecting activities during peak energy hours increases the likelihood of success, allowing reps to engage with full focus.β A multi-channel outreach approachβintegrating phone, email, and social mediaβreaches a wider audience and meets prospects where they are.β Persistence is non-negotiable in outbound sales; overcoming rejection is part of the journey to closing more deals.β Selling "for people" instead of "to people" fosters trust, and delivering genuine value makes sales interactions more meaningful and memorable.β Handling multiple Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) is doable by creating tailored strategies, specific value propositions, and allowing focused time blocks for each profile.β Reducing scattered, unfocused activity by batching outreach for a specific ICP minimizes burnout, increases productivity, and improves employee retention.β AB testing and trial-and-error are essential to determine if an ICP approach is effective, focusing on factors like potential value and customer lifetime worth.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5FOoCcHP-gDiversifying Sales ActivitiesSuccess often comes down to the right mix of activities and strategies. To achieve goals, sales professionals must focus not only on the end results but also on the daily actions that contribute to those results.Understanding the importance of a balanced approach to activities is crucial. Relying on a single tactic, like a pass play in football, can lead to stagnation if opponents catch on. Salespeople must diversify their activities based on various factors, such as their Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), the sales cycle's stage, and their mental state. When these elements align, the rhythm of successful sales becomes apparent.The Obligation to HelpA key principle is that if a salesperson has the ability to help someone, they have an obligation to reach out. Many professionals fall into the trap of merely making appointments without considering the value they can bring to potential clients. It's essential to approach sales with the mindset of genuinely helping others rather than pushing a sale. This shift in perspective leads to more meaningful interactions and better results.Building Relationships in SalesSales is not just about transactions; itβs about building relationships. Effective salespeople engage in sales "for" people rather than "to" people. This distinction is crucial for developing trust and creating positive experiences. Sales professionals can often recall encounters with exceptional sales representatives who made a lasting impression, highlighting the importance of providing a memorable sales process.Tailoring Strategies for Multiple ICPsWhen dealing with multiple ICPs, sales professionals can adopt strategies that allow them to tailor their approach to different customer segments. Itβs possible to have two or three distinct ICPs, each requiring unique strategies, questions, and value propositions. A suggested approach is to dedicate specific days to focus on each ICP. For instance, a salesperson might spend Tuesdays on one ICP and Wednesdays on another, allowing them to immerse themselves fully in the specific language and needs of ...
On this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, JBJ sits down with Amy Franko, a sales expert specializing in the mid-market, to discuss pipeline velocity, qualifying deals, and the importance of asking the right questions in sales.Amy shares her insights on how to overcome common sales obstacles and provides practical advice for improving sales performance.Key Takeaways:Β β Pipeline Velocity as a Critical Metric: Pipeline velocity is essential for sales success, particularly in the mid-market segment where businesses are reaching for ambitious goals. Monitoring how quickly deals move through the pipeline can significantly impact quarterly and yearly outcomes.β Balancing Quality and Speed: Sales teams often struggle to balance quality with pipeline velocity. Moving deals through the pipeline quickly while maintaining high standards, avoiding the pitfall of focusing solely on speed without closing quality deals.β Breaking Up with Prospects: One challenge for sellers is recognizing when to disengage from prospects who show little progress. Find strategies for professionally and respectfully "breaking up" with prospects to avoid wasting time on deals that are unlikely to close.β Adapting to New Products: Sales teams can face difficulties when launching new products. Adoption often picks up once new products become measurable within the sales compensation plan, highlighting the importance of aligning comp plans with product priorities.β Coaching Through Adversity: Amy talks about how mindset plays a critical role in sales success. Coaching sellers to handle adversity effectively, particularly when deals stall or face internal resistance from stakeholders, can make a significant difference in closing deals.β The Importance of Ongoing Training: Continuous learning and training are vital for improving sales performance, especially in qualifying deals. The OutBound Conference provides an excellent opportunity for sales professionals to refine their skills, interact with industry leaders, and learn new strategies to enhance their pipeline management.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuBcg1JB2yEUnderstanding Pipeline VelocityPipeline velocity is a crucial metric for sales teams, especially for those operating in the mid-market. Many companies in this space have dedicated sales teams and hefty goals, and pipeline velocity can be the difference between meeting targets or falling short. At its core, pipeline velocity measures how quickly deals move through the sales pipeline. Itβs not just about the number of deals in the pipeline but also how fast they progress from one stage to the next. If deals are moving too slowly, thereβs a risk of losing momentum, and opportunities may slip away. On the other hand, moving deals too quickly without considering quality can result in low win rates or deals that arenβt truly solid.In many mid-market organizations, sales teams find themselves in a balancing act. They want to move deals through quickly to meet their goals, but at the same time, they need to maintain a high level of quality. This balance is tricky, and many teams either rush deals that arenβt ready or slow down too much, risking missed opportunities.The Challenge of New ProductsOne of the challenges sales teams often face is launching new products or services. Salespeople who are comfortable selling established products may be hesitant to push new offerings, even if they know those products are key to the companyβs growth. Without the right level of comfort and confidence, sellers may not focus on the new product, preferring to stick with what they know.However, when new products become part of a measurable sales goal or compensation plan, things can change. Sellers are more motivated to include the new product in their conversations with prospects. This shift can lead to increased pipeline velocity, as salespeople become more confident in discussing and selling the new product.
In this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, host Jeb Blount Jr. sits down with LinkedIn expert and OutBound speaker Brynne Tillman to discuss the keys to leveraging LinkedIn for sales success.Brynne shares essential information on avoiding common mistakes like the dreaded "pitch slap," the importance of personalization over automation, and how to truly engage with prospects on LinkedIn.Key Takeaways:β LinkedIn as a Networking Tool: Approach LinkedIn interactions like networking at an event. Your first conversation should not be a pitch but rather meaningful engagement with others' content, showing genuine interest and adding value.β The Power of Engagement: Engaging with someone's content purposefully, by reading and leaving thoughtful comments, is a better strategy than sending unsolicited pitches. It creates a connection by making the interaction about them, not you.β Avoiding the "Pitch Slap": Sending unsolicited, impersonal sales pitches (referred to as a "pitch slap") is ineffective and can be perceived as obnoxious. Personalized, relationship-driven outreach is far more impactful.β Personalization vs. Automation: When using sales automation, it's crucial to remain authentic. Don't try to appear personalized if your outreach is automated. Authenticity in personalization makes a big difference in building genuine connections.β The Importance of OutBound Conference: OutBound is a key event for sales professionals, offering insights into improving pipeline productivity and performance. It's described as a must-attend for those wanting a competitive edge in sales.β Sales Gravy University Resources: Sales Gravy University offers valuable courses, taught by top experts like Brynne, providing resources to improve skills in sales and LinkedIn prospecting.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LFShEROylYAvoiding Common Mistakes on LinkedInLinkedIn is a powerful platform for sales professionals, but many people miss its potential by using the wrong approach. While it can seem like a place to make a quick pitch, the real strength of LinkedIn lies in how it mirrors a networking event. Building relationships and establishing trust are far more valuable than rushing to sell.Β LinkedIn is Like a Networking EventWhen thinking about LinkedIn, itβs important to compare it to how you act at a networking event. At an event, your first conversation with someone isnβt about immediately selling a product or service. Instead, itβs about making connections, learning about the other person, and finding common ground.This same concept applies to LinkedIn. The first step should be to engage with someone's content in a meaningful way. By commenting mindfully on their posts, you show interest in what they care about. This approach gets you noticed in a more positive light than jumping straight into a pitch.Engage, Donβt PitchA common mistake that salespeople make on LinkedIn is pitching too early. Sending a message that dives right into selling feels impersonal and can be easily ignored. However, if you take the time to engage with someoneβs posts by leaving thoughtful comments, you build a connection. These comments should clearly relate to the content, showing that you took the time to read and understand it. This makes your interactions feel more genuine and builds trust over time.For instance, instead of sending a cold pitch, you should be liking their posts and sharing insightful comments about them.Β This can make a huge difference. Over time, these kinds of interactions can naturally lead to a conversation about sales without feeling forced.Avoid the βPitch SlapβOne of the most disliked tactics on LinkedIn is whatβs known as the "pitch slap"βa sudden, unsolicited sales message that appears right after connecting with someone. This method often leads to frustration. People receiving these messages view them as intrusive and, in most cases, simply delete them.
Join Jeb Blount Jr. and, special guest, Anthony Iannarino on The Sales Gravy podcast as they dive deep into the world of sales. Discover the secrets to successful outbound strategies, learn how to elevate your executive briefings, and gain valuable insights on navigating a potential recession.Key Takeaways:Β β Behavioral Changes for Success: Incremental improvements and a willingness to change behavior are critical for success in sales. Consistent effort, particularly in prospecting, is emphasized as key to long-term success.β Economic Outlook: Economic headwinds suggest a potential recession, and sales teams should be proactive by focusing on activity, knowledge, and behavioral adjustments to stay competitive.β Sales as Self-Competition: Sales is often a competition with oneself. A disciplined, daily commitment to prospecting is essential, especially during challenging economic times.β Sales Leadership in Challenging Times: Sales leaders should focus on guiding their teams through tough economic conditions by emphasizing activity, skill development, and adapting behaviors to maintain a competitive edge.β Value of OutBound Conference: Attendees of the OutBound Conference will gain insights and strategies to enhance their sales performance, especially as the year-end approaches, making it a valuable opportunity for those looking to improve their results.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBWwl_fLFmMUnlock Sales Success at the OutBound ConferenceThe OutBound Conference, happening from November 6th to the 8th in San Antonio, Texas, is set to be one of the most impactful sales events of the year. Salespeople, sales leaders, and executives are encouraged to attend to gain valuable insights that can help them elevate their sales performance. This event is designed for anyone in the sales field who wants to sharpen their skills and learn from top industry experts.Stay Ahead of the CompetitionOne of the key benefits of attending OutBound is the opportunity to stay ahead of the competition. With economic uncertainty on the horizon, many companies are coming out of some of their most successful years but now face challenges in maintaining growth. By attending OutBound 2024, sales professionals can learn strategies that will help them navigate these tough times, adapt their behavior, and position themselves for success, no matter what the market brings.Guiding Sales Teams Through Tough TimesAs companies face economic headwinds, staying active, increasing knowledge, and adapting behaviors will be essential for continued growth. OutBound offers key strategies on how to guide teams through tough economic periods. Encouraging a culture of continuous improvement, focusing on daily activities that lead to success, and fostering a positive mindset within the team will be critical to maintaining high performance.The Power of Behavioral ChangeBehavioral change is a critical theme that sales professionals need to focus on if they want to succeed. Consistent, incremental improvements can make all the difference in a competitive market. Success doesnβt happen overnight. Instead, it comes from daily actions, like prospecting, following up with leads, and continuously refining oneβs approach. Attendees of OutBound 2024 will learn how to apply these small changes in a way that leads to significant long-term results.Positivity Fuels Sales SuccessIn addition to learning actionable sales techniques, attendees can benefit from insights on personal development. One key takeaway is the importance of reducing negativity in everyday life. Just like the phrase βcrap in, crap out,β the idea is to reduce negative influences to create a more positive mindset. In sales, having the right mindset is often the difference between hitting goals and falling short. Learning how to maintain positivity, even in challenging situations, will give sales professionals an edge in their careers.
On this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount Jr. and special guest Victor Antonio, renowned sales expert and author, dive deep into the world of sales, AI, and mindset. Victor offers valuable insights onΒ how to leverage cutting-edge technology to boost your sales productivity, overcome common challenges, and achieve peak performance in 2024 and beyond.Key Takeaways:Β β The Role of AI in Sales: Sellers are being inserted deeper into the sales process, with AI managing much of the early stages such as lead generation and pipeline building. This shift makes human skills even more essential in later stages of the sales process.β Mindset Shift for Sellers: Salespeople often need to adjust their mindset when handling objections and friction. For example, instead of fearing customer reactions based on past experiences, sellers should prioritize addressing concerns promptly, reducing anxiety and maintaining customer trust.β Value-Based Selling: One of the major challenges in sales is convincing prospects to see beyond the initial costs and focus on the long-term benefits. This is crucial for sellers to prevent buyers from shortchanging their own success by opting for cheaper but less effective solutions.β Action Over Avoidance: Procrastination in sales, such as delaying difficult customer conversations, can lead to missed opportunities. A proactive approach, where sellers "rip the Band-Aid off" and address issues head-on, often leads to smoother resolutions.β Continuous Improvement: Moving from a "B+ seller" to an "A+ sellerβ requires mindset improvements, including overcoming mental blocks, addressing challenges quickly, and refining the approach to proposals and customer interactions.β Networking and Learning at OutBound: The OutBound Conference offers a unique opportunity for sales professionals to learn from top industry experts. Attendees can network with peers, gain insights from successful speakers, and improve productivity, prospecting, and sales pipeline strategies.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lygNfsTjdUkUnlocking Sales Success at OutBound 2024Sales professionals are constantly looking for ways to improve their strategies and stay ahead in a competitive market. The OutBound Conference, taking place from November 6th-8th, 2024, at the J.W. Marriott Resort in San Antonio, Texas, is the perfect event for sellers who want to sharpen their skills. With top industry speakers, practical sales strategies, and opportunities to connect with fellow salespeople, this yearβs OutBound promises to deliver the ultimate sales bootcamp.Whether focusing on mindset, productivity, or pipeline building, OutBound 2024 has something for every salesperson looking to finish the year strong and charge into 2025 with fresh energy.Embracing the Role of AI in SalesOne of the key topics discussed at OutBound is the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the sales process. AI has made significant advances in automating lead generation and building robust pipelines, but that doesnβt mean the human touch is becoming less important. In fact, itβs the opposite.As AI takes over many of the early stages in sales, sellers are now responsible for mastering the later stages of the process, where human interaction is critical. At OutBound, participants will learn how to use AI to their advantage while refining their interpersonal skills to close deals. This combination of AI and human skill sets the stage for salespeople to be more effective than ever.Developing the Right Mindset for Sales SuccessThe mindset of a salesperson plays a crucial role in determining success. One of the major themes of OutBound 2024 is how sales professionals can shift their mindset to overcome common challenges. Every seller faces friction at some point, whether it's objections from prospects, hesitations in decision-making, or issues with pricing.What separates great salespeople from average ones is how...
"Early sales careers canΒ involve a lot of cold calling, rejection, and setbacks. However, having a competitive spirit can drive you to keep pushing, knowing that persistence will eventually pay off."On this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, Lucy Beth Adams sits down with Master Sales Trainer, Jessica Stokes to discuss her journey in sales, from her early days in cold calling to becoming a top trainer. She offers valuable insights on maintaining customer relationships, handling objections, and staying motivated in a challenging sales career.Key Takeaways:Β β Facing Rejection with Determination: Early sales careers canΒ involve a lot of cold calling, rejection, and setbacks. However, having a competitive spirit can drive you to keep pushing, knowing that persistence will eventually pay off.β Self-Motivation and Rewards: Using personal rewards as motivation throughout your career and setting specific goals, such as a trip to Las Vegas, and continuing to find ways to reward yourself with commission-based incentives can help you reach your goals.Β β Building and Maintaining Relationships: Focus on nurturing customer relationships, both past and present. You can do this by using traditional methods, such as handwritten notes, to stand out and stay connected, along with maintaining a presence on LinkedIn.β Engaging Disengaged Learners: To connect with disengaged learners, itβs effective to engage them directly, whether by calling on them in class or approaching them during breaks. Building rapport can help break down their defenses and encourage a more open attitude toward learning.β Preparation for Handling Objections: Sales professionals should anticipate common objections and prepare responses in advance, similar to bringing a study guide to an exam. This preparation helps maintain composure during uncomfortable moments and prevents rambling.β Recognizing Common Objections: The most common objections encountered by salespeople often include being "not interested," "too busy," and requests to "just send an email." Acknowledging these objections as knee-jerk reactions can help salespeople better handle them.β Persistence After Losing Deals: After losing a deal, itβs crucial to maintain a positive mindset. Finding ways to uplift oneself, such as connecting with friends or engaging in enjoyable activities, can help restore motivation. Additionally, continuing to prospect for new opportunities is essential.β The Importance of Micro Commitments: Gaining micro commitmentsβsmall agreements to follow up or have another meetingβthroughout the sales process can reduce the likelihood of being ghosted. This strategy fosters engagement and provides opportunities to understand why a deal was lost.β Time Blocking for Efficiency: Time blocking, a strategy learned from sales, is effective for managing tasks and maintaining focus. By dedicating specific time slots to activities without multitasking, individuals can increase productivity in both professional and personal life.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbwmDaaNm-QDiverse Life ExperiencesDiverse experiences before entering sales can provide valuable perspectives. Serving in the military, for example, instills discipline and a sense of adventure, both of which are beneficial in a sales career. Transitioning through different industries, such as hospitality, also helps build resilience and adaptabilityβtraits essential for success in sales.Overcoming Early ChallengesCold calling is one of the toughest aspects of starting in sales. Rejection is common, but embracing a competitive spirit and focusing on the long-term goals can push through these hurdles. The key takeaway is that perseverance, even in the face of frequent setbacks, is essential to achieving sales success.Changing Perceptions of SalesSales is often misunderstood and mischaracterized. Initially, there may be hesitancy to fully embrace the role of a salesperson due to ...
In this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, host Brad Adams interviews Stephen Drum, a retired Navy SEAL Master Chief, renowned keynote speaker, and author.Drum shares his unique insights on leadership, team building, and performance under pressure, drawing from his extensive military experience and his work as the co-creator of the US Navy Warrior Toughness program.Key Takeaways:β Agility in sales involves being prepared to pivot and adjust based on the situation and the customer's needs.β Effective salespeople assess the context before presenting their offerings to ensure it is the right moment.β Reflection on experiences is crucial for continuous improvement and learning in a corporate setting.β Establishing a framework for learning allows for efficient integration of lessons into future interactions.β Simplifying complex processes into frameworks, like commit, prepare, execute, and reflect, aids in clarity and focus.β Receiving feedback from clients can provide insights into the impact of sales efforts on individuals and organizations.β Building rapport and human connections is fundamental to effective sales and teaching.β Embracing nervousness before speaking can indicate a serious commitment to delivering quality presentations.β Transitioning from professional to personal life requires conscious effort to maintain focus and presence.β Utilizing mental skills, such as mindfulness and breathing exercises, can help reset focus and reduce anxiety before critical interactions.β After every engagement, analyzing what contributed to success or failure informs better preparation for future opportunities.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNpE70uu_v4Understanding Agility in SalesIn sales, the ability to adapt and respond effectively to various situations is crucial. Agility and intentionality are two key components that can lead to success. Sales professionals who enter a meeting with a flexible mindset are better equipped to understand their potential customersβ needs and respond accordingly.When a salesperson walks into a room, they must remain aware of their surroundings. Whatβs happening in the customerβs life? Instead of diving straight into a pitch about products or services, itβs essential to gauge whether the timing is right. Should the salesperson make adjustments based on the customerβs mood or current circumstances? Being aware of these nuances can greatly influence the outcome of the conversation.The Importance of ReflectionSalespeople should aim to reflect on their experiences regularly. Reflection allows individuals to learn from their successes and failures, and itβs an aspect often overlooked in corporate environments. Many companies dismiss the need for reflection, claiming they donβt have time for it. However, taking a moment to analyze what went well and what could have been improved can yield significant benefits. Itβs not just about celebrating victories; itβs about understanding the lessons learned, what worked well, and how can it be replicated. Conversely, what went wrong, and how can adjustments be made.Simplifying Processes with a FrameworkOne effective approach is to simplify processes into a framework thatβs easy to follow. A powerful framework to consider is: commit, prepare, execute, and reflect. Simplifying these steps helps sales professionals remain focused and intentional in their approach. The importance of being intentional in sales cannot be overstated. Intentionality drives the actions that lead to meaningful interactions with customers.The Impact of FeedbackFeedback from clients serves as a vital tool for understanding the impact of oneβs efforts. Often, during engagements, comments received can be gratifying and affirm the effectiveness of a presentation. However, itβs essential to recognize that such positive feedback shouldnβt be taken for granted. While it feels good to receive praise,
Sales professionals are always looking for fresh strategies to boost their performance and outshine the competition. Surprisingly, one key factor thatβs often neglected is their physical fitness for sales.On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount discusses how physical fitness impacts sales success with online fitness coach Josh Hulsebosch.Key Takeawaysβ Importance of Posture: Maintaining a "proud posture" is crucial for both physical health and psychological confidence during workouts and daily activities.β Habit Formation: Developing a consistent awareness of posture and practicing corrective habits over time can help shift oneβs natural stance to a more aligned position.β Physical and Mental Energy: Maintaining a proud posture can reduce fatigue and boost energy levels, leading to increased confidence over time. Deep diaphragmatic breathing, facilitated by good posture, can boost energy and reduce fatigue, impacting both physical and mental performance.β Long-term Muscle Growth Strategies: Prioritizing recovery, nutrition, and consistent resistance training, while focusing on proper form, is essential for sustainable muscle growth and overall fitness improvement.β Proper Posture Enhances Breathing and Communication: Maintaining proud posture expands the chest, improving breathing and vocal projection, which is especially important for professionals like salespeople who rely on strong communication.β Sleep and Recovery: Adequate sleep and nutrition, particularly protein intake, are vital for muscle recovery and growth, especially as one ages.β Mindset and Stoicism: Emphasizing control over actions and reactions, rather than focusing on external outcomes, can improve mindset, productivity, and overall well-being.β Regular Posture Self-Checks: Developing good posture habits requires consistent self-checks throughout the day. Simple reminders can combat the effects of prolonged sedentary activities like desk work. Instead of pulling the shoulder blades back unnaturally, focusing on lowering the shoulders can alleviate tightness and promote better posture.β Tempo Training for Muscle Control: Slowing down the eccentric phase of exercises like squats enhances muscle stabilization, control, and strength, supporting better posture and overall fitness.β Muscle Strengthening: Strengthening the posterior muscles is essential for supporting good posture. Recommended exercises include rows, lat pulldowns, and hip flexor stretches.β Core Engagement: Exercises like planks are emphasized for their role in core stabilization, essential for maintaining proper posture and functional strength.β Resistance Band Training: Resistance bands are effective tools for muscle building, especially when access to traditional gym equipment is limited. Compound exercises are preferred over isolation movements.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlJdAEZ86cIA Path to Better Health and ConfidenceMany people struggle with maintaining proper posture. Whether sitting at a desk, driving, or working out, poor posture can lead to discomfort and fatigue. The concept of "proud posture" plays a crucial role in both fitness and daily activities. Understanding how to achieve and maintain this posture can significantly enhance physical well-being and confidence.Understanding Proud PostureProud posture involves standing tall with shoulders back and chest open. This position not only makes a person appear more confident but also contributes to better physical health. Unfortunately, many individuals often find themselves hunching over, especially when engaged in everyday tasks. This common issue can lead to energy loss and discomfort, making it essential to focus on posture throughout the day.Common Posture MistakesIt is important to have correct shoulder positioning to achieve proud posture. Many people mistakenly pull their shoulder blades back too much,
In this episode of The Sales Gravy podcast, Jeb Blount Jr. hosts Barrett King, Senior Director of Revenue and Partnerships. In this episode they dive into key insights on building effective sales training, the importance of a well-defined go-to-market strategy, and the power of partnerships to drive customer success.Barrett's approach to how sales enablement and partnerships can dramatically reduce the time it takes for a sales team to become proficient, creating stronger, faster results.Key Takeaways:β Training vs. Coaching Distinction: Successful organizations differentiate between training (knowledge transfer) and coaching (enhancement of skills). Training provides the foundational knowledge, while coaching develops and fine-tunes the skills that have been learned, allowing individuals to apply them effectively.β Proficiency Framework: Organizations that excel in training have a clear framework for progressionβfrom theory to practice and application. This framework accelerates skill development, enabling employees to achieve in two months what typically takes twelve, improving overall organizational efficiency.β Ongoing Development: Training doesnβt stop at onboarding. Continuous development and management of employees' growth are crucial. Organizations that treat training as a continuous process, rather than a one-time event, maintain higher levels of talent retention and skill proficiency.β Value of Partnerships: Partnerships in a go-to-market strategy are about delivering exponential value to customers by combining the strengths of two businesses. The "value triangle" concept emphasizes that a business, its partner, and the intersection of their services create more value for the customer than each could individually.β Customer-Centered Strategy: A customer-first approach drives effective go-to-market strategies. Partnerships, particularly for startups, should focus on aligning with partners who already have customer trust. By understanding customer needs and other solutions theyβre using, organizations can better strategize and offer more meaningful, value-driven collaborations.β Listen to Customer Patterns: Even with a small customer base, patterns emerge in how customers use your product or service. Identifying and understanding why certain customers adopt similar practices helps inform product strategy and go-to-market approaches, ensuring you're addressing real needs.β Customer-Centric Messaging: When reaching out to partners or customers, focus on how your solution will improve the customerβs experience, rather than simply pushing your product. It's crucial to show how you can add value to the customerβs existing operations, rather than expecting them to sell or adopt your product without a clear benefit.β Keep Outreach Simple and Genuine: Authentic, straightforward communication is often the most effective. Instead of overcomplicating messages with details about your offerings, a simple approach that highlights shared networks or experiences can open doors to meaningful conversations and partnerships.β Ego Can Be a Barrier: In the early stages of a sales career, ego can cloud judgment. Itβs crucial to focus on genuinely helping prospects rather than trying to prove oneself. Authentic engagement is key to fostering successful partnerships.β Timing and Personalization Matter: Sending emails at unconventional times (e.g., evenings or early mornings) can improve response rates. Tailoring outreach to when your prospects are more likely to be free and receptive helps break through the noise of their day-to-day work.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KExatzKuSkQBuild Strong PartnershipsBuilding meaningful partnerships can be a game-changer for your growth. But how do you move beyond just pitching products and get partners genuinely interested in what you offer? Itβs not just about numbers or features. Itβs about people working together for a shared purpose.
On this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, host Jeb Blount sits down with sales expert Brian Parsley to tackle one of the most common objections faced by sales professionalsβprice. Brian shares actionable strategies on how to shift conversations away from price and towards value, helping salespeople overcome objections and close more deals.Key Takeaways:- Understanding Communication Styles: Everyone has their own unique communication style, whether direct, indirect, consensus-building, or energizing. Tailoring communication to these styles is essential to engage the prospect effectively.- Importance of Questions Over Solutions: Instead of focusing on presenting solutions and features, salespeople should prioritize asking the right questions. This approach differentiates them and drives the conversation forward.- Multi-directional Listening: Listening is not just about hearing words but involves observing body language, tone, and using intuition. Salespeople should engage all senses to truly understand the prospect's needs.- Detachment from the Outcome: Salespeople should detach from the outcome of a deal by maintaining a full pipeline. This mindset reduces pressure, allowing them to focus on the conversation rather than the result.- Ego Management: Ego can be a significant barrier in sales. Salespeople need to manage their ego, especially when they feel the urge to impress or react defensively.- Precision and Eloquence in Communication: Words should be simple yet precise. Overcomplicating language can alienate prospects, while clarity and simplicity enhance understanding and trust.- Observing Behavioral Cues: Salespeople can learn a lot from observing behaviors and body language. These cues offer insights into how a prospect prefers to communicate and consume information.- Redirection in Responses: Instead of immediately responding to a prospect's questions or concerns, salespeople should redirect the conversation to uncover the underlying pain or challenge, leading to more meaningful dialogue.- Intentional Language: Being intentional with words, especially in text or written communication, is crucial. The impact of words goes beyond their meaning; it's about how they are perceived by the prospect.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_lLkJtC1aMMastering the Human ConnectionIn sales, one thing is clear: communication is key. But itβs not just about what you sayβitβs about how you say it, how you listen, and how you adapt to the unique styles of the people youβre engaging with. Every person you interact with has their own communication style. Whether theyβre direct, indirect, focused on building consensus, or full of energy, understanding these styles is crucial for any salesperson.But hereβs the catch: your communication style doesnβt matter if youβre not speaking the language of your prospect. Itβs only when you start talking and really connecting with them that your style becomes important. If you jump straight into talking about your productβs features and benefits, youβre just like every other salesperson out there. What sets you apart isnβt your product, but the questions you ask and how you communicate.The Power of QuestionsOne of the biggest mistakes salespeople make is focusing too much on their solution. They think that if they just explain how great their product is, the prospect will automatically see the value. But the truth is, itβs the questions you ask that drive the conversation forward. Instead of talking about your solution, ask questions that uncover the prospectβs needs, challenges, and goals. This approach not only differentiates you but also builds trust and rapport.Listening with All Your SensesWe often talk about the importance of listening in sales, but listening is more than just hearing the words someone says. Itβs about observing their body language, paying attention to their tone of voice,
On this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount Jr.had the pleasure of speaking with Pablo Pefaur, a seasoned sales professional who specializes in the Latin American market. Pablo shares some key insights on prospecting, the importance of follow-ups, and cultural nuances that every salesperson should know.Key Takeaways:Β - Value of Outbound Conference: The Outbound Conference 2024 is a critical event for sales professionals, focusing on productivity, prospecting, and performance.- Help Announcement Strategy: The concept of a "help announcementβ is introduced, where sales professionals should approach prospects with a specific, value-driven message to solve a particular problem, rather than overwhelming them with multiple pitches at once.- Systematic Approach to Prospecting: Effective prospecting requires a systematic approach, focusing on delivering a clear, single message to avoid getting lost in the noise and to resonate with the prospect.- Importance of Follow-Up: Following up after initial contact is crucial. We discuss the strategies to help sales professionals improve their follow-up processes, ensuring continued engagement with prospects.- Cultural Considerations in Latin America: Understanding cultural differences is key to successful prospecting in Latin America. These cultural nuances and how they impact sales strategies are highlighted.- Continual Learning: Sales professionals are encouraged to continually learn and adapt their strategies by attending events like the Outbound Conference and by engaging with thought leaders in the industry.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7mtPgiAFRALatin Americaβs Unique Market ChallengesLatin America is a diverse and rapidly growing market with unique opportunities for businesses looking to expand. However, many sales professionals struggle with the challenges of entering this market. These challenges include understanding cultural differences, navigating language barriers, and tailoring sales pitches to resonate with Latin American prospects. Pablo has spent years mastering these elements, and his expertise is invaluable for anyone looking to succeed in this region.Latin American culture places a high value on relationships and trust. Unlike some other markets where sales can be more transactional, in Latin America, building a genuine relationship with your prospect is crucial. This means taking the time to understand their needs, showing empathy, and demonstrating that you are there to help them, not just to close a deal.The Power of a βHelp AnnouncementβA key strategy for successful prospecting is a concept called a βhelp announcement.β This is a simple yet powerful concept. When reaching out to a potential client, your goal should be to offer a specific piece of help or a solution to a problem they are facing. The idea is to be clear and direct about how you can add value to their business.For instance, instead of bombarding a prospect with a long list of services or products, focus on one particular area where you know you can make a difference. This approach not only makes your message more effective but also helps in establishing trust with the prospect. Theyβll see you as someone who genuinely wants to help, rather than just trying to make a sale.Being too broad or trying to cover too many points in one pitch can overwhelm the prospect. Itβs better to address one issue at a time, making sure your help announcement is relevant and tailored to the prospectβs specific needs. This targeted approach increases the chances of your message being heard and appreciated.Systematic Follow-Up is KeyAnother crucial aspect of successful sales is the follow-up. Making an initial contact is just the first step; what you do afterward is equally, if not more, important. Too often, salespeople make the mistake of either not following up at all or doing so in a way that feels impersonal or generic.
In the competitive world of sales, adopting the right mindset is crucial for success. On this episode of theΒ Sales Gravy podcast, Jeb Blount Jr. sits down with Dre Baldwin, a former professional basketball player in the NBA turned business guru to discuss why sales professionals who adopt an opportunistic mindset have greater long-term success.Key TakeawaysΒ - Importance of Personal Initiative: Personal initiative is crucial for success. It involves taking proactive steps, like attending events or reaching out to potential opportunities, to create paths where none existed.- Mindset Tools: The mindset tools that lead to successβsuch as discipline, confidence, and mental toughnessβare universally applicable, whether in sports, business, or any other area.- Role of Discipline: Discipline acts as the "steering wheel" that keeps you on course, while motivation serves as the "gas" that drives action. Discipline ensures consistent effort, even when motivation wanes.- Cold-Calling and Selling Yourself: Selling yourself is key, especially in scenarios like cold-calling. Being able to present yourself credibly and persuasively is crucial to securing opportunities.- Long-Term Thinking: Adopting a long-term mindset is valuable. It's important to think beyond immediate goals and consider where your actions will lead in the future.- Finding Opportunity in Opposites: There's often opportunity in doing what others are not. Thinking differently and looking for opportunities in unconventional places can lead to success.- Playing the Long Game: Success is a long-term effort. Cumulative actions and consistent effort over time are more important than short-term gains.- Value of Asking the Right Questions: Career transformation often begins with asking the right questions. Reflecting on how to combine your skills into a sustainable career can lead to significant growth and success.- Building a Personal Brand: Building a personal brand is important. Your experiences and successes can establish your credibility and open new opportunities, helping to build trust and expand your influence.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tvi5ARbDLsQThe Power of Personal InitiativeSuccess is a journey built on a series of steps that anyone can take if theyβre willing to put in the effort. Itβs about creating opportunities for yourself, rather than waiting for them to appear.Β Success often begins with a simple decision: the decision to take action, even when the outcome is uncertain. Personal initiative means doing what others might notβlike attending events to network, cold-calling potential employers, or pursuing opportunities that seem out of reach. These proactive steps can open doors you didnβt even know existed.The Role of Discipline and ConfidenceDiscipline is the backbone of success. Think of it as the steering wheel that keeps you on track, while motivation is the gas pedal that gets you moving. Motivation might start your journey, but itβs discipline that ensures you keep going, especially when the road gets tough.Confidence isnβt something youβre born with; itβs something you build over time. Every time you take initiative or tackle a challenge, youβre building a little more confidence. This confidence then fuels your ability to take even more initiative, creating a positive cycle that propels you forward.The more you step out of your comfort zone, the more confident you become. This newfound confidence helps you tackle bigger challenges, creating a solid foundation for future success.The Importance of Long-Term ThinkingWhile itβs easy to focus on immediate goals, true success often requires thinking ahead. Where do you want to be in five or ten years? The most successful people make decisions today that will benefit them in the long run, not just in the moment.Asking yourself questions like, βHow can I combine my skills to create something sustainable?
On this episode ofΒ The Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount Jr. sits down with Dayna Williams to discuss cutting-edge strategies for sales success. She gives expert insights on how to develop a winning sales culture, boost your team's performance, and leverage the power of Sales Gravy University for unparalleled training opportunities.Key Takeaways- Shift from Episodic Training: Traditional sales training has often been episodic, focused on reactive, one-time events that don't drive long-term behavioral change. This model is outdated and ineffective.- Importance of Reinforcement: Learning and development must go beyond the initial training event. Without sustained reinforcement, any skills or knowledge gained are quickly forgotten, leading to little long-term impact.- The 3 P's:Β Master persona, practice, and product knowledge to transform your team's effectiveness. Build a capability development plan that addresses these critical areas. Hoping for a change without a plan won't cut it.- Four-Step Learning Process: A robust learning and development strategy should follow four steps: strategic planning, design and pilot, sustained reinforcement, and outcome measurement. Skipping any of these steps, particularly reinforcement, diminishes the effectiveness of training.- Cultural Change Required: To move away from episodic training, organizations need to embed learning into their culture, ensuring that training is seen as an ongoing process rather than a one-off event.- Proactive vs. Reactive Learning: Many organizations fall into a reactive mode, responding to immediate needs rather than proactively planning for long-term capability development. This approach limits the effectiveness of training.- Overcoming the Forgetting Curve: Without intentional reinforcement, the majority of what is learned during training is forgotten. Effective learning programs must include strategies to counteract this forgetting curve.- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Sales enablement and training should address the entire sales process, including the often-overlooked handoffs between departments like marketing and sales, where breakdowns frequently occur.- Getting a Seat at the Table: Learning and development teams need to better communicate the value of their work to business leaders. This requires stepping out of their comfort zone and understanding the business's operational challenges and goals.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiamtIdNDCQThe Secret to Mastering Your CraftItβs easy to fall into the trap of seeking shortcuts and instant success. We often hear about βovernight sensationsβ or those who seemed to have made it big with minimal effort. But the truth is, most of these stories donβt tell the whole picture. Behind every βovernight successβ is usually years of hard work, dedication, and persistence.Success doesnβt come from cutting corners or avoiding the tough parts of the job. It comes from embracing the hard work, from putting in the effort every single day, and from being willing to do what others wonβt.Β The Role of Hard Work in SalesWhen we talk about hard work in sales, weβre not just talking about working long hours. Itβs about working smart, being strategic, and continuously improving your skills. Hard work is doing the research before making a call, understanding your clientβs needs, and finding the best solution for them. You have to follow up, stay organized, and be persistent even when you donβt see immediate results.Sales isnβt easy. Itβs a profession that requires resilience, adaptability, and a thick skin. Youβre going to face rejection, sometimes daily. Youβre going to encounter clients who donβt want to hear from you, who are happy with their current providers, or who simply donβt have the budget. But if youβre willing to push through these challenges, youβll find that the rewards are worth it.The Myth of Natural Talent
On this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount sits down with sales coach Cheryl Parks to discuss how she used skills like resilience, empathy, adaptability, relationship-building, continuous learning, and goal-setting to enhance sales performance. Youβll learn how to turn every experience into an opportunity for growth and success.Key Takeaways:Β - Resilience is Crucial: Use rejection as a learning opportunity rather than a setback. Analyze what went wrong and apply those lessons to improve your future pitches. View each experience, whether successful or not, as a chance to grow.- Adaptability is Key: Stay flexible and open to change. New trends and shifts in the market require you to adjust your strategies to remain competitive. Be willing to experiment with new approaches and adjust based on results.- Build Strong Relationships: Invest time in fostering positive relationships with clients and colleagues. Trust and rapport can lead to repeat business and valuable referrals.- Set Clear Goals: Establish specific, measurable sales goals. Breaking them into smaller targets can help you stay focused and motivated.- Be Persistent: Stay committed to your goals, even when faced with challenges. Persistence is often the key to long-term success in sales.- Value Relationships Beyond Sales: Show genuine interest in your clients' success and provide value beyond just closing deals. Active listening and empathetic responses can help you offer the right solutions. Building lasting relationships can lead to sustained success and growth.- Using Breaks for Inspiration: Taking breaks and engaging in activities like walking or listening to music can help reset the brain and inspire new ideas, particularly when facing creative blocks.- Mindset Shifts: Focus on changing your mindset, especially when overcoming shyness and self-doubt, by assessing your reactions and using affirmations such as βbe your excellent best.βhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tlmtfE9fPQUnlock the Power of ExperienceLife is full of lessons. We learn some in school, others at work, and many through the ups and downs of daily living. These lessons shape who we are and how we interact with the world. But have you ever thought about how these life lessons can translate into sales success? It turns out that some of the most valuable sales skills arenβt taught in a textbook but are developed through lifeβs experiences. Hereβs how you can turn these life lessons into powerful tools for sales success.Resilience in the Face of RejectionOne of the most universal lessons we learn in life is that rejection is inevitable. Whether it's a job application, a proposal, or a personal relationship, we've all faced rejection at some point. The key to overcoming rejection is resilienceβand this is just as important in sales.In sales, rejection is a common experience. For every successful pitch, there are countless "no's." However, itβs not the rejection that defines us; itβs how we handle it. Viewing rejection as a step towards success rather than a failure can turn a "no" into a motivator. Rejection teaches us resilience, and resilience leads to persistence. In sales, persistence is often what separates the winners from the losers.Instead of dwelling on a lost deal, take a moment to analyze what went wrong. Learn from the experience and apply those lessons to your next pitch. Use rejection as a tool for growth rather than a setback.Empathy and UnderstandingEmpathy is another vital lesson that can greatly benefit your sales career. Throughout our lives, we learn to understand and connect with others by putting ourselves in their shoes. This ability to relate to others is invaluable in sales.In sales, itβs crucial to understand your customerβs needs, desires, and pain points. Selling isnβt just about pushing a product or service; itβs about solving a problem for your customer. The better you understand them,
On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Jeb Blount sits down with Victor Antonio, Sales Gravy University Instructor, to debate the future of human interaction in sales, emphasizing why personal connections remain pivotal in an increasingly automated world. Youβll listen to their engaging discussions and thought-provoking perspectives on the intersection of sales and artificial intelligence (AI).Key Takeaways:- AI and Buying Windows: The conversation highlights the potential of AI in identifying buying windows by analyzing customer behavior across multiple data sources, including websites and databases.- List-Building Challenges: Despite advancements in sales techniques, Victor and JebΒ agree that list-building remains a significant challenge for sales teams.- Future of AI in CRMs: There's a strong belief that AI will become integral to CRM systems, consolidating various tools and data to create a hub essential for sales operations.- Automated Data Integration: The future of sales will involve AI automatically gathering and analyzing data from emails, calendars, social media, PR, and more, without the need for manual input.- Personalization by AI: AI will eventually tailor sales processes to individual companies, with larger companies likely adopting these technologies sooner due to their complexity and resources.- Evolving Sales Engagement Platforms: The conversation anticipates the development of comprehensive sales engagement platforms that integrate all business data, including operations and manufacturing, analyzed by AI.- AI vs. Human Interaction: While AI will handle more straightforward sales tasks, human interaction will remain crucial for complex sales, especially when trust and personalized service are needed.- AI-Driven Marketing and Operations: AI will not only influence sales but will also impact marketing and operational decisions by analyzing patterns and suggesting actions to optimize business processes.- Long-Term AI Development: Victor and Jeb foresee that some aspects of AI integration in sales might become operational within five years, particularly in large companies, but acknowledge that widespread, seamless AI use is still a decade or more away.Β Β Sales Strategies for Unleashing the Power of AI to Save Time, Sell More, and Crush the CompetitionΒ Β Β Β The Future of Sales: AI, CRM, and the Evolving LandscapeThe intersection of AI and sales is rapidly transforming how businesses approach prospecting, lead generation, and customer relationship management (CRM). We're standing on the brink of a major shift that promises to reshape the sales landscape, and understanding these changes can give us a competitive edge.The Power of AI in SalesOne of the most exciting advancements in sales technology is the ability of AI to identify a buying window. Imagine AI systems capable of analyzing vast amounts of data from websites, search engines, and various databases to determine when a potential customer is in the market for a product or service. This capability promises to refine our targeting strategies, making the sales process more efficient and effective.We predict that in the future, AI will likely consolidate into CRMs, becoming the central hub for sales teams. This evolution will make CRM systems indispensable, offering insights into buying patterns, competitor activity, and customer behavior. AI will pull in data from emails, calendars, and social media, alerting sales teams to key changes, such as a new decision-maker at a company or shifts in customer needs.The Evolution of CRM SystemsHistorically, CRM systems have been underutilized. Sales teams often struggle with lead generation and list building, operating with outdated methods that don't leverage the full potential of their CRM tools. But as AI integrates more deeply with CRM platforms, this will change. The future CRM will be more than a repository of customer info...
On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount Jr. sits down with Founder and Sales Leader Advisor, Nigel Green, to discuss his approach to hiring elite salespeople by using his four rules.Β Nigel teaches us that the only skill a sales leader should have is the ability to hire elite salespeople. Elite salespeople donβt find us, we have to go find them.Β Key TakeawaysHiring Challenges: Many VPs of sales and CEOs find hiring salespeople to be one of their biggest challenges, as they strive to maximize and optimize their current talent pool.Importance of Training: Sales leaders should ensure that their sales teams have access to necessary training resources, and platforms like Sales Gravy can be valuable for continuous learning.Scouting vs. Tryouts: Unlike traditional hiring methods, scouting for elite salespeople involves actively recruiting top talent rather than waiting for applicants, akin to sports scouting.Non-Obvious Qualities: Hiring managers should look for non-obvious qualities in candidates that indicate potential for elite performance, rather than just obvious traits like hard work and prospecting skills.Prospecting for Talent: Sales leaders should prospect for new hires much like they prospect for new business, using networking, customer referrals, and tools like LinkedIn to identify top talent.Four Rules for Hiring Elite Salespeople: Elite salespeople do not apply to job postings. They are the stars and should be treated accordingly. They often require customized compensation plans that may exceed standard budgets.They typically do not already work for your company and require active recruitment.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZnVk40pmmEThe Importance of Hiring Elite SalespeopleIf you're in a leadership role within a sales organization, you probably know that hiring the right salespeople can be one of the biggest challenges. The need to hire top-notch salespeople is critical. Itβs not just about filling a position; it's about finding those who can truly excel and drive your business forward. Nigel Green emphasizes that hiring the right people is the only skill that really matters for sales leaders. Without this skill, even the best sales strategies and training programs won't lead to the results you want.Why Traditional Hiring Methods FailOne common mistake is relying on traditional hiring methods like posting a job and waiting for applications. The problem with this approach is that elite salespeople are not actively looking for new jobs. Theyβre usually too busy being successful in their current roles. This means you have to be proactive in finding and recruiting them. Simply waiting for the best candidates to come to you might result in missed opportunities.The Importance of Scouting Your Sales TeamThink of hiring elite salespeople like scouting for a sports team. Just as a football scout looks beyond physical attributes to find exceptional players, sales leaders need to look beyond resumes and job applications. Elite salespeople are often not in the job market; they are too busy focussing on their current roles. This is why a scouting approach is necessary. Instead of waiting for applications, you should actively seek out potential candidates and evaluate their performance in real-world scenarios.How to Scout for Elite Salespeople- Network with Your Top Performers: Ask your top sales reps who they know in the industry. High-performing salespeople often network with others who are also top performers. Their recommendations can lead you to potential candidates who may not be actively looking for a new job.- Leverage Your Customers: Your customers interact with many salespeople in their daily lives. Ask them who they believe are the best sales reps theyβve encountered. This can give you leads on high-caliber salespeople who might not be on your radar.- Use LinkedIn Smartly: LinkedIn's Sales Navigator tool can be incredibly ...
On this episode of theΒ Sales Gravy podcast, Jeb Blount sits down with author and speaker, Carole Mahoney, to discuss her path to becoming an entrepreneur by using a buyer first approach.Carole teaches us that when it comes to sales, you've gotta get out of your own head. It's not about you, your quota, or even how great your product is. It's all about the customer. You have to put yourself in their shoes and understand what they are really after. Ditch the rehearsed pitch and have a real conversation. When you genuinely care about helping people, not just closing deals, that's when the magic happens.Key Takeaways:- Mission to Change Perception of Sales: Carole is dedicated to changing how sales is perceived. She wants to shift the view of sales from being seen as pushy to being a respected and collaborative profession.- Reconnect for New Opportunities: Reaching out to past prospects who initially said no can uncover new opportunities. Many former prospects may reconsider and become interested in your services again.- Revive Closed Lost Deals: Revisiting deals that were previously closed lost can be fruitful. This approach can re-engage customers who have since realized their initial choice wasnβt the best fit.- Re-engage Former Clients: Donβt overlook former clients who stopped working with you. They may be ready to come back, especially if their current solution isnβt meeting their needs.- Leverage Anchor Clients for Growth: Securing a key client can provide a strong foundation for expanding your business. Use this anchor client to build credibility and grow your sales practice.- Embrace Public Speaking: Use public speaking and keynotes to amplify your message and reshape industry perceptions. Listening to others insights can significantly broaden your impact.How Carole Mahoney Crushed Her Business GoalsCarole Mahoneyβs story is one of determination, innovation, and resilience. Her journey from struggling entrepreneur to a successful speaker and author offers valuable lessons for anyone looking to crush their business goals.Turning Challenges into OpportunitiesEvery entrepreneur faces obstacles, and Carole Mahoney was no exception. She encountered financial constraints and doubts about her ability to succeed. But rather than letting these challenges hold her back, Carole used them as stepping stones. When things didnβt go as planned, she adapted her strategies and pushed forward. This mindset of turning setbacks into opportunities was crucial for her success. Instead of seeing a closed door, Carole saw a chance to find a new path.The Power of PersistencePersistence was a key factor in Caroleβs success. Early in her career, she faced rejection from potential clients. Instead of giving up, she followed up with them even after they had said no. Her persistence paid off when these clients returned, eager to work with her once again. This demonstrates the power of follow-up and how it can turn past rejections into new opportunities.Leveraging Past OpportunitiesOne of Caroleβs smart strategies involved revisiting past opportunities that hadnβt worked out. She called up former prospects who had initially been interested but couldnβt proceed. Many of these prospects were still interested in her services and were willing to re-engage. By revisiting these past opportunities, Carole was able to generate new business and build stronger relationships. This approach highlights the value of maintaining connections and the potential of second chances.Embracing Public SpeakingAnother significant shift in Caroleβs career was her move into public speaking. She began speaking at conferences and giving keynote addresses, sharing her insights and experiences with larger audiences. This new focus allowed her to spread her message about sales and its collaborative nature. Caroleβs public speaking efforts not only broadened her influence but also helped change the perception of sales.
On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Jeb Blount engages Denim CRO, Will Yarbrough, in a fascinating discussion on how to sell more and grow faster by linking the customer journey through a One Funnel Strategy.Sales and marketing strategies come and go, but one approach has been gaining traction for its simplicity and effectiveness: The One Funnel Mindset. This powerful concept challenges the traditional notion that more is better, instead focusing on perfecting a single, highly optimized sales funnel.At its core, the one funnel mindset is about streamlining your sales process. Instead of creating multiple funnels for different products or customer segments, you concentrate on building and refining one comprehensive funnel that guides potential customers from initial awareness to final purchase.Key Takeaways:- Unified Revenue Goals: Aligning marketing and sales under a single One Funnel Customer Journey and revenue goal eliminates internal competition and focuses on overall business growth.- Avoiding Complacency: Maintaining a focus on growth and continuous improvement is crucial to avoid stagnation in sales.- Customer Experience: Enhancing customer experience by providing a more unified customer journey.- Human Connection: Despite advancements in AI, human-to-human interaction remains vital in sales, especially for high-value deals.- Preparation and Investment: Sales success often depends on thorough preparation and continuous investment in personal development and training.- Shorter Sales Cycles: Buyers are increasingly making quicker decisions due to more readily available information, making each sales interaction critical.- Managerβs Role: Effective frontline managers are essential in motivating sales teams by understanding and aligning individual goals with One Funnel goals and providing tailored support.- Big Pull Concept: Identifying and leveraging what drives each salesperson is key to maintaining their motivation and focus.The One Funnel Mindset: Unifying Marketing and SalesYarborough introduced the concept of the "One Funnel Mindset," a unified approach where marketing and sales teams work together seamlessly towards common revenue goals. Traditional models often create a divide between marketing-qualified leads (MQLs) and sales-qualified leads (SQLs), leading to misalignment and inefficiencies. The One Funnel Mindset eliminates these silos, ensuring that both teams are aligned and focused on the same objectives.In this approach, leads are simply "qualified leads," with no distinction between marketing and sales. This unified perspective fosters collaboration, reduces friction, and ensures a smoother customer journey from awareness to purchase. By sharing goals, metrics, and strategies, marketing and sales teams can create a more cohesive and effective revenue engine.Enhancing Customer Experience: The Human TouchDespite the rise of artificial intelligence and automation, Yarborough emphasized the irreplaceable value of human interaction in sales. High-value deals, in particular, require a personal touch to build trust and rapport with customers. While AI can enhance the sales process by automating routine tasks and providing data-driven insights, it cannot replicate the nuances of human connection.Sales professionals must prioritize building strong relationships with their customers. This involves active listening, understanding their pain points, and offering tailored solutions. By focusing on the human element, salespeople can create lasting impressions and foster long-term customer loyalty.Shortening Sales Cycles: The Impact of PreparednessAnother significant trend discussed in the podcast is the shortening of sales cycles. With buyers conducting extensive research before engaging with sales representatives, decisions are being made faster than ever. This shift places a premium on preparedness.
On this important episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount, Jr a.k.a JBJ discusses personal finance for sales professionals Ben Lex, a former B2B sales superstar turned financial advisor. Ben shares game-changing insights tailored specifically for sales professionals.The Financial Fitness MindsetIn sales, we're all about closing deals, hitting targets, and making more money. But what happens after you receive that hefty commission check?Too often, sales professionals fall into the trap of spending impulsively, only to face financial stress later. This is exactly why you need to adopt a financial fitness mindset which means making deliberate, strategic decisions about your money, just as you do with your sales strategy.Delayed Gratification: Your Secret WeaponOne of the most powerful tools in your financial arsenal is the ability to delay gratification. True financial stability comes from resisting the urge to splurge on every big commission check. Instead, consider setting aside a portion of your earnings for future goals. This practice not only builds financial security but also reduces stress during lean months.Build An Emergency FundAn emergency fund is non-negotiable. Sales professionals, especially those with variable incomes, should have enough saved to cover six months to one year of living expenses. This safety net acts as a buffer, ensuring youβre not living paycheck to paycheck and allowing you to make decisions from a place of strength rather than desperation.Unload High-Interest DebtCarrying high-interest debt is like running a marathon with a backpack full of bricks. It slows you down and makes reaching your financial goals much harder. Paying off high-interest debt should be your top priority. This includes credit card balances and high-interest car loans. Eliminating this debt frees up your income and allows you to invest more effectively in your future.Smart Investing: The Path to WealthOnce your debt is under control and you have an emergency fund, itβs time to think about investing. Focus on diversification. This means spreading your investments across various asset classes to mitigate risk and ensure steady growth.If your company offers a 401(k) max it out before you make any other investments. If your company matches investments you make in your 401(k) make sure that you take full advantage of this free money. Leave nothing on the table.Remember, investing is a long-term game. It's about building wealth gradually, not getting rich overnight.Set Clear Financial GoalsJust as you set sales targets, setting clear financial goals is essential. Whether youβre planning for retirement, saving for your childβs education, or aiming to buy a lake house, having specific goals will guide your financial decisions. Take the time to map out your goals. Consult with a financial advisor when possible. This process helps you stay focused and make informed choices about where to allocate your resources.Actionable Steps to Financial Mastery Assess Your Financial Health: Start by evaluating your current financial situation. Look at your income, expenses, and debts to get a clear picture of where you stand. Create a Budget: Develop a budget that tracks your earnings and expenditures. This will help you identify areas where you can cut back and save more. Prioritize Debt Repayment: Focus on paying off high-interest debt first. This will free up more of your income for savings and investments. Build Your Emergency Fund: Aim to save enough to cover at least six months of living expenses. This fund will provide financial stability during tough times. Maximize Retirement Contributions: Take full advantage of employer-sponsored retirement plans, especially if they offer matching contributions. This is essentially free money that can significantly boost your savings. Diversify Your Investments: Work with a financial advisor to create a diversified investment portfo...
On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Jeb Blount sits down with sales coach Cheryl Parks to discuss why modern sales professionals need to shift from traditional selling to a more consultative and insightful approach that leverages business acumen, industry knowledge, and the right questions. You'll learn the keys to differentiating yourself and gaining a competitive advantage by becoming a trusted advisor.Key takeaways include: Business Acumen is Crucial: Sales professionals need to deepen their understanding of how businesses operate to effectively meet the needs of their clients. Building Trust: Trust is foundational in sales, emphasized through understanding customer needs and proving reliable over transactions. The Importance of Asking the Right Questions: Effective questioning is vital to uncover the real needs and challenges of customers, which guides them towards the right solutions. Authenticity in Sales: Authenticity isn't just a trait but a necessity in building long-term customer relationships where customers trust the salesperson's intentions and insights. Continuous Learning and Adaptation: Salespeople must continually update their industry knowledge and adapt to new market trends and technologies. Customer Insight Over Selling: The focus should shift from merely selling products to providing valuable insights that help customers understand their own needs better. Understanding Customer Outcomes: Sales professionals should know not just what they are selling, but how it helps the customer achieve specific business outcomes. The Role of Positivity and Energy: A positive outlook and high energy are infectious and can significantly impact customer interactions and outcomes. Personal Growth from Experiences: Personal experiences, such as overcoming shyness, can deeply influence one's approach to sales, emphasizing resilience and adaptability. Impact of Multithreading: Understanding and interacting with multiple stakeholders in a business can provide a more comprehensive view of the customer's needs and challenges, leading to better solutions.The Evolution of the Salesperson: Becoming a Trusted AdvisorIn today's rapidly changing business landscape, the role of the salesperson has undergone a profound transformation. Gone are the days when simply pitching a product or service was enough to seal the deal. Modern buyers are savvier than ever, armed with an abundance of information at their fingertips. They don't merely seek a transaction; they crave a meaningful relationship built on trust and expertise. This shift has given rise to a new breed of salespeople: the trusted advisors.The Human Connection MattersAt the heart of this evolution lies a fundamental truth β authenticity cannot be faked. In a world dominated by AI, where everything can be replicated or automated, the one thing that remains irreplaceable is the human connection. Buyers yearn for authentic relationships with people they can trust to guide them through complex decisions. Trusted advisors understand this need and strive to be more than just salespeople; they become partners in their clients' success.But what does it take to earn the coveted title of "trusted advisor"? It starts with a mindset shift. Instead of solely focusing on closing the deal, trusted advisors adopt a "student and leader" mentality. They actively listen, asking insightful questions to uncover their clients' true needs and challenges. This curiosity not only demonstrates genuine interest but also helps advisors gain a deeper understanding of the client's industry and the broader context surrounding their decisions.Continuous Learning, Expertise, Critical Thinking and Business AcumenTrusted advisors also recognize the importance of continuous learning. They voraciously consume industry publications, follow relevant blogs, and stay abreast of the latest trends and terminologies. This knowledge equips them to engage in meanin...
On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, master sales trainer Gina Trimarco sits down with Neil Rogers, author of "Bar Tips" and a veteran in sales and marketing. Their conversation provides invaluable insights into how experiences from seemingly unrelated fields, like bartending, can significantly impact your sales performance.Neil Rogers, with his diverse background spanning from bartending to high-level sales roles across various industries, brings a unique perspective to the table. His journey began in the bustling bars of Boston, where he honed skills that would later prove instrumental in his sales career. His recent book, "Bar Tips," encapsulates these experiences, offering readers a blend of entertaining anecdotes and practical sales advice derived from his time behind the bar.The Bartending Foundation of Sales SuccessNeil's journey began in the lively bars of Boston, where he learned more than just mixing drinks. He mastered the art of quick connection, a skill essential to both bartending and sales.In our conversation, Neil shared how the fast-paced, diverse interactions at the bar were his first lessons in customer relationship management. He learned to read body language and verbal cues, which later enabled him to tailor his sales approaches to different customer personalities effectively."One of the most important lessons from bartending was the ability to establish rapport quickly," Neil explained. "In sales, just like in bartending, you don't have the luxury of time. You need to make a connection the moment you meet a potential client."Adapting on the Fly: The Bartenderβs Edge in SalesNeil emphasized the critical importance of adaptability, a skill he refined during his time as a bartender. He explained how the fast-paced, unpredictable environment of a bar prepared him for the dynamic nature of sales. "Every customer who walks into a bar brings a unique set of expectations and even their mood can change the service dynamic. Adapting quickly to meet those expectations, or even to elevate the customer's mood, is something you learn to do almost instinctively," Neil shared.He continued to draw parallels between these experiences and his current role in sales. "In sales, just like in bartending, you're constantly on your toes. Each client presents a new set of challenges and goals. The ability to pivot and adapt your strategy not only helps in meeting their needs but often exceeds them, which is essential for closing deals and fostering long-term relationships."Neil detailed how adaptability in sales involves: Active Listening: Tuning into the clientβs words for understanding their true needs. Flexibility in Problem Solving: Being prepared to offer multiple solutions tailored to the clientβs specific challenges. Rapid Response: Adjusting your approach in real-time during client interactions to address emerging concerns or opportunities."Adaptability also means staying up-to-date with market trends and continuously evolving your product knowledge," Neil pointed out. This ongoing learning process ensures that you can always bring fresh, relevant ideas to the table, which is particularly important in today's fast-paced business environments.He also discussed the importance of emotional adaptability in sales. "Just as a bartender might need to shift from being an entertainer to a confidant within minutes, a salesperson might need to shift their communication style based on the client's mood or the meeting's tone. Being emotionally intelligent and adaptable in these situations can make the difference between a successful sale and a missed opportunity."To illustrate his point, Neil shared a story from his bartending days: "I remember once I had to serve a couple who were clearly having a bad day. By recognizing their mood and adjusting my approach to be more subdued and respectful of their space, I was able to make them feel comfortable. Later,
On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount, the author of People Love You: The Real Secret to Delivering a Legendary Customer Experience, sits down with Talroo's Vice President of Success and Enablement Barry Klein to discuss why a focus on customer retention is crucial for revenue growth.Jeb and Barry explore and focus on the strategic importance of customer success, the value of human interaction, and the role of company culture in shaping customer experiences and relationships. Customer Success as a Priority: Emphasizing the importance of customer success in maintaining and expanding business relationships. Retention Over Acquisition: Highlighting the significance of retaining existing customers as a more sustainable and profitable strategy compared to acquiring new ones, especially in challenging economic times. Human Interaction: Despite advancements in technology, the conversation underscores the irreplaceable value of human touch in customer relationships. Proactive Engagement: The need for businesses to proactively engage with customers to understand and adapt to their evolving needs. Impact of Company Culture: A company's culture, particularly one that values ethical behavior and respect, can significantly influence customer success strategies and outcomes. Adaptability and Responsiveness: The importance of being adaptable and responsive to customer needs as a way to ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty. Long-term Relationships: The focus on building long-term relationships with customers rather than short-term transactions.Customer Retention is at The Heart of Business GrowthWhen it comes to growing a business, the real magic happens long after the sale is made. Think about your own experiences: every time you buy something, that's just the beginning of your journey with that brand. And if they treat you right, you're not just going to come backβyou're going to become a loyal fan, maybe even spend more over time.That's the secret ingredient to business growth. It's not about constantly chasing new customers; it's about keeping the ones you already have coming back for more.The Power of Customer RetentionFinding new customers is hard work and expensive. It's like throwing a party and hoping people you've never met will show up.Now, think about the friends who already love your parties. You don't need to convince them to come; they're already on board. They might even bring along a few friends of their own.That's the beauty of focusing on your existing customers. You've already won them over once; now it's about making sure they feel valued and continue to enjoy what you offer.A satisfied customer is your best advocate. They become ambassadors for your brand, sharing their positive experiences with others. This word-of-mouth is invaluable. It's authentic, powerful, and best of all, it's free. Every happy customer is a potential win, not just for another sale, but for bringing in new customers who've already heard good things about you.Building a CommunityAt its core, keeping customers happy is about more than just good business sense; it's about building a community around your brand. It's about creating a space where people feel valued, heard, and connected. This community isn't just loyal; they're engaged. They're not just buying a product or a service; they're buying into an experience, a relationship.One of the keys to keeping customers close is listening to them. It's about being open to feedback, even when it's tough to hear. Every piece of feedback is a gift, an opportunity to improve and to show your customers that you're invested in their satisfaction. It's about continually adapting and evolving to meet their needs.The Long-Term ViewThe relationship with a customer doesn't end at the sale; that's where it begins. It's about the follow-up, the check-in, the unexpected delight that shows them they're more than just...
On this fascinating episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, master sales trainer Jessica Stokes spends time with Steven Farber of Take Flight Learning discussing why it is important for salespeople and leaders to understand and adapt to different personality styles. You'll learn the significance of how understanding personality styles will elevate your sales skills, help you build deeper relationships, and improve your closing ratio.Key Takeaways: Importance of Personality Tests in Sales: Jessica expresses her enthusiasm for personality tests and their application in sales, emphasizing how understanding one's own personality and adapting to others' can enhance sales interactions and relationships. Bird Personality Types: The conversation delves into the bird personality types, a concept used by Take Flight Learning to categorize different personality styles. These include the eagle (confident, direct, results-driven), the parrot (social, talkative, enthusiastic), the dove (peaceful, harmonious, methodical), and the owl (wise, analytical, observant). Each bird type has its unique communication style and approach to problem-solving. Adapting to Different Personalities: Steven discusses the importance of recognizing and adapting to the various bird personality types in sales and everyday interactions. He shares anecdotes and examples to illustrate how understanding and flexing to different personality styles can lead to more effective communication and better outcomes in sales. Practical Tips for Salespeople: The episode provides practical advice for salespeople on how to identify and adapt to different personality types in their prospects and clients. This includes paying attention to cues like tone of voice, body language, and response patterns to tailor their approach accordingly. Personal Growth and Flexibility: Both Jessica and Steven emphasize the value of personal growth and flexibility in sales. They encourage salespeople to stretch beyond their comfort zones, be kind to themselves during the learning process, and continuously strive to improve their skills and adaptability.Understanding Personality Styles is a Game Changer in SalesPeople are different. You know it, I know it. You've got your quiet thinkers, your chatty Kathys, your decision-makers, and those who need a bit more hand-holding. If you're treating them all the same, you're missing out.Think about your last sales call. Maybe it was smooth sailing, or maybe it was like talking to a brick wall. Ever wonder why? It's not always about the product or the pitch. Sometimes, it's about not clicking with the person you're talking to. That's where knowing a bit about personality styles comes in handy.Understanding personality styles isn't just about making sales; it's about building relationships. When you get where someone is coming from, you're not just another salesperson trying to hit a quota; you become a trusted advisor. Think about it. Would you rather buy from someone who gets you or someone who's just pushing a product? It's a no-brainer.Speaking the Same LanguageLet's break it down. Some folks are all about the facts. They want the nitty-gritty details, the stats, the ROI. Then you've got the ones who are looking for a connection. They want to know you get them, that you're on the same wavelength. And let's not forget the decision-makers who want the bottom line, no fluff, just straight talk.Now, imagine you're pitching to someone who loves details, and you go in all guns blazing with big-picture talk. It's like you're speaking French, and they only understand Italian. Not exactly a recipe for success, right?Here's where it gets interesting. Once you start paying attention to these styles, you can tailor your approach. It's like having a secret weapon. You start speaking their language, and suddenly, doors start opening. You're not just another salesperson; you're someone who gets them.
On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount sits down with KaTom CEO Patricia Bible to discuss what it takes to lead and sustain a hyper-growth company.Β Reflecting on her journey with KaTom, Patricia shared insights into the exponential growth of this hyper-growth organization. "It's been a whirlwind of achievements, challenges, and invaluable lessons," she remarked.The Essence of Courage and WisdomPatricia's philosophy revolves around the courage to face adversity and the wisdom to learn from every experience. She fondly recalled a quote by Winston Churchill that resonates with her: "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." This mantra has guided her through the highs and lows, enabling her to lead KaTom with resilience and foresight.Overcoming Adversity with GraceThe conversation took a deeply personal turn as Patricia recounted the challenges she faced following the unexpected loss of her husband and co-founder of KaTom. "It was a pivotal moment that tested my resolve, but it also brought to light the incredible strength and support of our team," she shared. Her ability to navigate through grief and lead the company forward is a powerful narrative of leadership in the face of adversity.Fostering a Culture of Accountability and InnovationPatricia's leadership style is characterized by a strong emphasis on accountability and a culture that encourages innovation. "Creating an environment where every team member feels empowered to contribute and challenge the status quo is crucial for sustained growth," she explained. This approach has not only propelled KaTom to new heights but has also cultivated a sense of ownership and pride among the employees.Leading a hyper-growth company like KaTom involves navigating complex challenges and seizing opportunities with strategic foresight. Here are some key elements to successfully leading such a dynamic organization:Visionary LeadershipSetting a clear, ambitious, and achievable vision for the company's future is crucial. This vision should inspire the team and guide decision-making at all levels. Being able to pivot and adapt strategies in response to market changes, technological advancements, and customer needs is essential for sustaining growth.Building a Strong CultureCreating a culture where employees feel empowered to take initiative, innovate, and contribute to the company's success. Fostering a sense of responsibility where team members are accountable for their results, encouraging a high-performance environment.Talent ManagementHyper-growth companies need to attract top talent by offering compelling opportunities for growth, learning, and impact. Retaining top performers through continuous development, recognition, and providing pathways for advancement within the organization.Scalable Systems and ProcessesImplementing scalable systems and processes that can accommodate rapid growth without compromising on service quality or operational efficiency. Continuously seeking out and integrating new technologies and methodologies to improve productivity and stay ahead of the competition.Customer-Centric ApproachMaintaining a deep understanding of customer needs, preferences, and feedback to tailor products and services accordingly. Developing strong relationships with customers, suppliers, and partners to ensure long-term loyalty and support.Financial AcumenManaging financial resources wisely to fuel growth while maintaining healthy margins and cash flow. Strategically investing in areas that will drive future growth, such as marketing and expanding into new markets or product lines.Resilience and PerseveranceBeing prepared to face setbacks and challenges without losing sight of the long-term goals. Encouraging a culture where failures are seen as opportunities to learn and improve, rather than reasons to give up.Communication and Transparency
On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast Jeb Blount and Carole Mahoney, author of the hit new book Buyer First, underscore the importance of putting buyers first and aligning with the buyer's journey. They dive into the power of empathy, the art of listening, and innovative ways of selling that prioritize the buyer's needs and experiences to increase closing ratios.Human Centric, Buyer First SellingIn the whirlwind of today's sales scene, there's a fresh, more human approach taking center stage. It's all about walking in step with the buyer's journey, tuning into empathy, mastering the art of listening, and flipping the script on traditional selling to truly put the buyer's needs first.Navigating The Buyer's JourneyPicture the buyer's journey not as a straight shot from point A to B, but more like a winding road, complete with twists, turns, and the occasional backtrack. It's a ride through awareness, consideration, and finally, decision.For sales folks looking to really connect, it's about getting the map to this journey, understanding the lay of the land at each stage, and customizing their pitch to meet the buyer right where they are. It's less about sealing the deal and more about being a trusted guide, helping the buyer navigate their options to find the perfect fit for their needs.This shift towards empathy doesn't just feel good; it makes solid business sense, too. It transforms the buyer-seller dynamic into a partnership built on trust, paving the way for not just a one-off sale but a lasting relationship.Empathy: The Soul of Sales TodayAt the heart of putting buyers first is empathy. It's about seeing the world through the buyer's eyes, feeling their pain points, and genuinely wanting to help. This human connection is what sets apart the modern sales pro in a sea of information overload. By showing real care for the buyer's challenges and goals, salespeople can break through the noise, offering not just a product, but a solution that truly resonates.But don't mistake empathy for mere niceness. It's a strategic ace, giving salespeople the insight to tailor their messages and solutions in a way that truly hits home for the buyer.Listening is KeyListening β really listening β is where the magic happens. It's about tuning in with all senses, catching not just the words but the emotions and unspoken needs behind them. This deep dive into the buyer's world uncovers golden nuggets of insight, enabling sales pros to craft responses and solutions that are as unique as the buyer's own story.Today's buyer is savvy, connected, and expects more. They want interactions that are relevant, personal, and respectful. To sell more, adopt strategies that put the buyer's experience front and center.This pivot to a buyer-centric approach heralds a new chapter in sales, one where understanding, empathy, and genuine connection are give you a competitive edge. As the world continues to evolve, those who embrace a buyer first mindset are set to not just survive but thrive, building relationships that last and driving success that's both sustainable and fulfilling.Learn why more than 50,000 sales professionals and sales teams get the tools, tactics, and techniques to sell more on Sales Gravy University
On this must-listen episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount sits down with Ryan Taft. Ryan is the author ofΒ the hit new sales book Story Getter.Jeb and Ryan explore how buying is an emotional experience and sales pros that ask questions that get the story βwhyβ behind the buyerβs βwhatβ sell more. They dive into how curiosity and empathy are pivotal for transforming your sales approach.Curiosity Is the Fuel of Story GettersTop sales professionals understanding the human element. They have mastered the subtle art of connecting with people and leverage natural curiosity to get people to open up and share their stories.Curiosity is the unsung hero in the sales process. It's about getting below the surface. This isn't about interrogating; it's about engaging in a conversation that uncovers deeper needs and desires. When a salesperson is genuinely curious, they ask questions that go beyond the standard script. It's about understanding the customer's journey, their challenges, and what they truly value.Story Getters understand that curiosity is a gateway to understanding their business needs, challenges, and even apprehensions. It's a step towards a solution that's not just a product but a tailored answer to their unique problem.Empathy is More Than Just a BuzzwordEmpathy in sales is about connecting on a human level. It's about seeing the world from the customer's perspective, feeling what they feel. This emotional intelligence allows salespeople to build a rapport that goes beyond the transactional. When customers feel understood, they are more open to listening and engaging.Consider a situation where a customer is afraid of making a decision. An empathetic response involves recognizing their fear, validating their feelings, and then collaboratively finding a way to move forward. This approach not only addresses the immediate concern but also strengthens the long-term relationship.The Art of Balancing Curiosity and EmpathyMastering the balance between curiosity and empathy is crucial. It's about asking the right questions and then genuinely listening to the answers. This balance creates a dialogue where the customer feels valued, understood, and want to share their story.For instance, a salesperson might ask, "How does this challenge affect you personally?" This question shows that you're not just interested in selling a product but are invested in understanding their feeling. Listening actively to their response, and showing understanding, builds a deeper emotional connection.Implementing Curiosity and Empathy in Your Sales StrategyIntegrating Story Getting into your sales strategy involves a shift in mindset. It's about moving from a selling mindset to a helping mindset.Β Adopting a curious and empathetic approach to sales conversations along with more effective questions, will give you a clear competitive edge.Furthermore, this approach can lead to better problem-solving. Understanding the customer's needs and challenges, through their stories, allows for more tailored solutions, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.Remember, people don't just buy products or services; they buy experiences and relationships. By putting the human back into sales, we can redefine success in this ever-evolving field.Learn the art of selling on Sales Gravy University, the world's most powerful sales training engine.
In the latest episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, we had the privilege of diving deep into the world of prospecting and sales with Kristin Andree from the Andree Group. Hosted by Sales Gravy Master Trainer Jessica Stokes, this episode offers a treasure trove of strategies, tips, and personal anecdotes that are essential for anyone looking for innovative ways to scale their sales career or business.This episode is a blend of practical advice, innovative techniques, and motivational insights that can transform your approach to sales and client relationships. So, tune in, take notes, and embark on your journey to sales excellence.The Bedrock of Sales Success: Truly Understanding Your AudienceLet's take a deeper dive into this enlightening conversation between Jessica and Kristin on Innovative Prospecting for Scaling Your Business and Sales Career. This episode is not just a discussion; it's a masterclass in understanding, engaging, and growing in the complex world of sales.Kristin Andre begins by unraveling the essence of sales - understanding your target market. Her approach is straightforward yet profound: βKnow your people, find your people, love them hard.βThis mantra goes beyond the surface, urging sales professionals to dive deep into the psyche of their target market. It's about empathy, understanding their needs, and aligning your solutions to meet those needs effectively.Segmenting Your Market: A Strategic ApproachExpanding on knowing your audience, Kristin highlights the importance of market segmentation. By identifying niche markets and tailoring your approach to each segment, sales professionals can enhance their effectiveness. This targeted approach ensures that your message resonates more deeply with each unique group within your broader audience.Innovative Prospecting: Leveraging Modern Tools for Maximum ImpactIn today's digital-first world, Kristin emphasizes the need to think outside the traditional prospecting box. Using podcasts, social media, and content creation, salespeople can reach a wider audience and establish themselves as thought leaders in their field. This section of the podcast offers a goldmine of ideas for digital prospecting, including leveraging LinkedIn for networking and content distribution.Crafting Engaging Content: A Key to Digital ProspectingKristin talks about the power of creating engaging, value-driven content. She delves into strategies for developing content that not only attracts attention but also establishes credibility and trust. This includes tips on understanding what resonates with your audience and how to consistently deliver content that keeps them engaged and interested.The Art of Client Engagement: Beyond the TransactionKristin's perspective on client engagement is a refreshing take on building lasting relationships. She advocates for a personal touch in client interactions, suggesting thoughtful gifting strategies and meaningful communication that demonstrate genuine care. This section provides practical tips on how to transform client interactions from transactional to relational.Building Lasting Relationships: The Long-Term ApproachExpanding on client engagement, Kristin discusses the importance of a long-term approach to building client relationships. This includes understanding client needs over time, being responsive to changes, and consistently delivering value beyond the initial sale. She shares personal anecdotes and examples that illustrate the power of long-term relationship building.Personal Growth: The Intersection of Self-Awareness and Sales SuccessKristin's insights on personal growth highlight the importance of self-awareness in sales. She talks about the need to recognize and play to your strengths while seeking opportunities for growth and improvement. This part of the podcast includes actionable advice on personal development strategies that can enhance your sales performance.
Sales professionals are constantly seeking new strategies to enhance their performance and edge out the competition. Interestingly, one crucial aspect that often gets overlooked is physical sales fitness.On this game changing episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount discusses how physical fitness impact sales success with online fitness coach Josh Hulsebosch.Sales is a demanding profession that requires both mental and physical stamina. We need to be able to think on our feet, manage emotions, think creatively, and solve problems. This requires a tremendous amount of mental energy. Energy that is not there when you are in poor physical shape.How Physical Fitness Can Drive Sales SuccessThe podcast kicks off by addressing the undeniable impact of physical appearance in the sales industry. It underscores that first impressions are vital and that a fit appearance can project a positive image of discipline, dedication, and energy.Salespeople who maintain a healthy and fit physique can significantly influence client perceptions and decisions, often leading to more favorable outcomes in sales interactions.Energy Levels and StaminaA major highlight of the discussion is the correlation between physical fitness and energy levels. The speakers share personal anecdotes and scientific evidence to illustrate how regular physical activity can boost stamina and endurance. This is particularly beneficial for sales professionals who often face long hours, extensive travel, and high-pressure situations.By staying physically fit, salespeople can maintain high energy levels throughout their demanding schedules, ensuring they are always at the top of their game.Stress ManagementThe conversation then shifts to the topic of stress management, a critical aspect for any salesperson. The speakers discuss how the high-pressure environment of sales can lead to significant stress, affecting both mental and physical health.They advocate for physical fitness as a powerful tool for stress relief, noting that exercise can significantly reduce anxiety and improve mental clarity. Josh and Jeb offer practical tips on incorporating regular physical activity into one's routine to manage stress effectively.Health and Reduced Sick DaysFurther into the podcast, the focus turns to the health benefits of physical fitness, particularly its impact on immunity and overall well-being. Jeb and Josh discuss how staying fit can lead to fewer sick days, ensuring continuous engagement in sales activities and client interactions. They highlight that consistent performance is key in sales, and maintaining good health is essential to achieving this consistency.Confidence and Self-EsteemAn interesting segment of the podcast explores the relationship between physical fitness, confidence, and self-esteem. Feeling good about one's body can lead to a more confident and assertive presence, which is incredibly valuable in sales contexts. They share stories of how their fitness journeys have positively influenced their professional interactions and sales outcomes.Cognitive Benefits of Improved Sales FitnessThe podcast also touches on the cognitive benefits of regular physical activity, including improved memory, concentration, and problem-solving skills. The speakers provide evidence from various studies and personal experiences to illustrate how fitness can enhance cognitive function, leading to better decision-making and more effective sales strategies.Building Rapport and RelationshipsAn engaging part of the discussion revolves around using fitness as a tool to build rapport with clients. The speakers share how sharing fitness tips or experiences can serve as an excellent conversation starter or bonding activity, especially with clients who value health and wellness. They emphasize that building strong relationships is fundamental in sales, and fitness can be a unique and effective way to connect with clients on a de...
On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, LinkedIn Guru Brynne Tillman shares her best tips and secrets for how to Sell More with LinkedIn. This episode is a goldmine for sales professionals seeking to harness the power of digital tools in their sales strategies.Brynne Tillmanβs approach to digital sales is both innovative and practical. Her ability to simplify complex concepts and relate them to everyday sales scenarios makes her advice incredibly valuable.Revolutionizing Sales with AI and TechnologyBrynne emphasized how AI and technological advancements are reshaping the sales landscape. She discussed how these tools can help salespeople understand and predict customer behavior, automate routine tasks, and personalize their sales approaches. For instance, she mentioned the use of AI in analyzing customer interaction data to identify potential leads and opportunities.Practical Tips for LinkedIn and Digital Sales SuccessA highlight of the episode was Brynneβs take on social selling. She stressed the importance of using platforms like LinkedIn not just as a sales tool but as a means to build genuine, long-lasting relationships. She shared anecdotes of how creating valuable content and engaging authentically with oneβs network can lead to trust-building, which is crucial for successful sales.Practical Strategies to Sell More on LinkedInLinkedIn has evolved from a mere professional networking site to a robust platform where the art of selling can be refined and executed with precision. It's a treasure trove for salespeople who know how to tap into its potential. As Brynne eloquently put it, "LinkedIn is a goldmine for those willing to dig deeper."Building a Magnetic LinkedIn ProfileThe journey on LinkedIn begins with your profile. It's your digital handshake, the first impression you make on potential clients. Brynne emphasized the need for a client-centric profile. She said, "Your profile shouldnβt be a resume; it should be a resource."This means crafting a profile that speaks directly to your target audience, addressing their pain points, and offering solutions. Use a professional headshot, craft a compelling headline, and ensure every section of your profile showcases your expertise and the value you can bring to your clients.Content is KingOn LinkedIn, content reigns supreme. Sharing valuable content positions you as a thought leader and helps build trust with your network. But it's not just about posting for the sake of it. The content needs to resonate with your audience.Brynne suggested a mix of original and curated content that addresses the latest trends, challenges, and solutions in your industry. Regularly posting articles, insights, and even engaging in thoughtful discussions on relevant posts can significantly increase your visibility and credibility.Engagement: The Key to Building RelationshipsLinkedIn is not just a platform to broadcast your achievements and content; it's a community. Engaging with your network's content is just as important as posting your own. Brynne advised, "Like, comment, and share. Engage genuinely and consistently." This engagement should be thoughtful and add value, showing that you are not just there to sell, but to be a part of the conversation.Leveraging LinkedIn for Sales ProspectingThe true power of LinkedIn for sales professionals lies in its ability to find and connect with potential clients. Brynne shared several tactics for effective prospecting.Advanced search features, alumni networks, and joining relevant groups can help you identify and connect with potential leads. But the key is in the approach. She recommended personalizing connection requests and messages, avoiding the hard sell, and focusing on building a relationship first.The blend of Brynneβs expert insights, practical strategies, and real-world success stories make it an invaluable resource for sales professionals eager to adapt and succeed in the digit...
On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, I dive into part two of my conversation with sales leadership expert Mike Weinberg on what new sales managers need to do to get off to a successful start. The information in this episode is so good that you'll want to listen twice and take good notes.Navigating the Challenges of Being a New Sales ManagerThe episode kicks off with an engaging story from Jeb Blount about his early days in sales leadership. Thrust into a managerial role at just 23 years old due to an unexpected incident, Jeb shares rapid rise to responsibility highlights the often-unpredictable path to sales leadership and the importance of adaptability and quick learning in such roles.A key highlight of Jebβs story is the impact of mentorship on his career. He credits Mary Gardner, the Area Vice President of his group, for fundamentally shaping his approach to sales leadership. Maryβs emphasis on coaching and her advice on being observant and patient offers timeless wisdom for new sales managers.Core Principles for New Sales ManagersMike Weinberg stresses the importance of 'keeping your mouth shut and your ears open' as a new leader. This approach is not about being passive but rather about being strategically observant, identifying opportunities for improvement, and understanding team dynamics before jumping into action.One of the critical roles of a sales manager is to coach rather than directly involve oneself in every sale. This part of the discussion sheds light on the common mistake new managers make - trying to be the hero in every sales call, which ultimately hampers the development of their team.Mike and Jeb discuss the balance between personal sales contributions and the development of the team. The insight here is clear: sales leadership is less about personal selling skills and more about elevating the capabilities of the team.Challenges in Sales LeadershipMany sales leaders are overwhelmed with non-sales-related tasks, preventing them from focusing on key activities like coaching, mentoring, and strategy development.The discussion underscores the need for support from higher management. Often, new sales leaders are not given clear priorities, leading to misaligned efforts and burnout. It is crucial for executives to understand and support the primary role of sales managers - revenue generation.Key Takeaways for New Sales ManagersNew sales leaders must prioritize coaching, adaptability, and team development over individual sales achievements. The journey of a sales leader is unique and challenging, but with the right approach and support, it can be incredibly rewarding.Remember, as a new sales manager, your success lies in how well you can elevate your team, not just your personal sales achievements. So listen, observe, coach, and lead your team to new heights.Getting off to a good start in yourΒ first 90 days as a new sales manager is crucial. The key to successΒ is knowing where to start, where to focus, and what to avoid.In this brilliant, must watch Expert Voice, sales leadership expert and bestselling author Mike Weinberg shares seven keys to success for new sales managers. Watch Now
On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, I sit down with Mike Weinberg for Part One of our conversation on the state of the Sales Profession, sales leadership, and getting started as a new sales manager.This conversation was a special treat because Mike is such an important and trusted voice within the sales profession and it is rare that Mike and I can find the time to get together.Embracing the Fundamentals: Getting Started as a New Sales Manager in a Rapidly Changing WorldAs we work to sell more in the face of constant change, the wisdom of industry veterans like Mike Weinberg stands out as a beacon, guiding us through the evolving landscape of customer relationships, technology, sales strategies, and sales leadership. His insights, derived from decades of experience, provide a roadmap for both aspiring and seasoned sales manager in navigating the complex and often misunderstood profession of sales.Understanding the Core of SalesThe art of selling, despite technological advancements and evolving methodologies, remains fundamentally anchored in human interaction and relationships. Weinberg underscores that the crux of effective selling lies in understanding and addressing customer needs, clear communication, and building trust. These timeless principles are the bedrock upon which successful sales strategies are built, regardless of the industry or market dynamics.The Evolution of Sales Training and LeadershipSales training and leadership have undergone significant transformation over the years. Weinberg points out a critical gap in many organizations - the transition from being a top-performing salesperson to an effective sales manager. This shift requires not only a change in skills but also a fundamental shift in mindset.Sales Management is about nurturing and developing talent, fostering a culture of accountability, and leading by example. It's about guiding teams through challenges and inspiring them to achieve collective success.Technology: A Tool, Not a ReplacementIn our tech-driven age, there's a growing tendency to rely heavily on technology for sales processes. While technology undoubtedly offers efficiency and data-driven insights, Weinberg cautions against allowing it to overshadow the human element.Automation and AI are tools to enhance, not replace, the personal touch that is central to building and maintaining customer relationships. The challenge for modern sales professionals is to integrate technology into their strategies without losing the essence of personal connection.Debunking the Myths of Social SellingSocial selling has been touted as a revolutionary approach in the digital era. However, Weinberg challenges this notion, arguing that while it is a valuable component of a broader strategy, it is not a standalone solution. The effectiveness of traditional methods like phone calls and face-to-face meetings remains significant. Social selling should complement, not replace, these time-tested techniques.Navigating Crises in Sales ManagementLeading a sales team through periods of crisis requires more than just strategic acumen. It demands adaptability, empathy, and clear communication. Weinberg emphasizes the importance of maintaining team morale and productivity during such times. Sales leaders must be beacons of stability and clarity, guiding their teams through uncertainty with a steady hand and an empathetic approach.Personal Growth and Future TrendsWeinbergβs journey also highlights the importance of personal growth and adaptation in a rapidly changing industry. The future of sales lies in balancing technological advancements with the irreplaceable human elements. As AI and machine learning continue to shape the landscape, sales professionals and leaders must remain agile, constantly learning and evolving to integrate new tools and techniques without losing sight of the fundamental human connections that drive sales.Master the Fundamentals
On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount and Will Frattini, Head of Enterprise Revenue & Growth at Zoominfo, take on account management and account expansion selling. You'll learn why a focused and intentional account management strategy is essential for net revenue retention and account expansion.Why Account Management MattersIn sales, closing deals and prospecting often steal the spotlight from account management and customer retention. Yet, account retention and expansion are essential for sustainable business growth.Account management is vital because retaining an existing customer is often more cost-effective than acquiring a new one. As such, focusing on account management can significantly impact a company's bottom line.Best Practices in Account ManagementOne of the most critical aspects of effective account management is maintaining regular communication with clients. This doesn't mean only reaching out when it's time to renew a contract. Regular check-ins, updates on new offerings, and discussions about the client's evolving needs can make them feel valued and understood.To effectively manage and expand accounts, it's crucial to have a deep understanding of the client's business and objectives. This knowledge allows account managers to align their offerings with the client's goals and present solutions that genuinely resonate with their needs.Successful account management often involves collaboration with customer success and support teams. These teams play a critical role in ensuring that the client is successfully using the product or service and achieving their desired outcomes. Their insights can be invaluable for account managers looking to deepen client relationships.Account Expansion SellingOnce a strong relationship is established, account managers can identify opportunities for expansion. This could mean introducing new products or services, expanding into different departments within the client's organization, or simply ensuring that the client is fully utilizing the existing solutions. Account expansion is not just about selling more; it's about deepening the relationship and providing more value.Account expansion selling involves a range of strategies, including cross-selling and upselling, but it goes beyond these tactics. Itβs about understanding the evolving needs of your clients and adapting your offerings to meet those needs over time. The goal is to become an indispensable partner rather than just another vendor.The cost of selling to an existing customer is typically lower, and the probability of success is higher because of the established relationship and trust.Long-term client relationships fostered through account expansion often result in more predictable and stable revenue streams. Clients who have grown with your business are more likely to remain loyal and less sensitive to price changes or market fluctuations.How to Excel in Account Expansion SellingDeep Understanding of Client Needs: The first step is to have a thorough understanding of your clients' businesses, challenges, and goals. This understanding allows you to identify opportunities where your products or services can add value.Regular Communication and Relationship Building: Regular, meaningful communication is key. This involves not just checking in on service delivery but also discussing industry trends, sharing insights, and becoming a trusted advisor.Tailored Solutions and Personalized Experiences: Offer solutions that are tailored to your clientβs specific needs. Personalization in your offerings demonstrates that you understand and value their unique challenges and goals.Leveraging Data and Analytics: Use data and analytics to gain insights into client behavior, preferences, and potential needs. This information can guide your approach to offering relevant products or services.Collaboration Across Teams: Successful account expansion often requires collab...
In the competitive world of sales, adopting the right mindset is crucial for success. On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Jeb Blount spends time with Dre Baldwin, a former professional basketball player in the NBA turned business guru to discuss why sales professionals who adopt a pro athlete mindset have greater success.Journey from the Court to the BoardroomDre's journey from the basketball court to the boardroom offers invaluable lessons for sales professionals. His story is a testament to perseverance and adaptability.Transitioning from scoring points in the NBA to scoring wins in business, Dre has demonstrated how the principles of sports excellence can be effectively applied to sales. His philosophy revolves around four pillars: discipline, confidence, mental toughness, and personal initiative.The Four Pillars of Success1. Discipline: The Foundation of Success At the core of Dre's philosophy is discipline. In sales, as in sports, consistent effort and a structured approach are non-negotiable. Dre emphasizes that discipline isn't about forcing oneself to work but about creating a structure that naturally fosters productivity. For sales professionals, this means meticulously planning your day, prioritizing tasks, and sticking to a routine that aligns with your goals.2. Confidence: More Than Just a Feeling Confidence, as Dre describes, is about boldly presenting oneself authentically. It's not about faking it till you make it, but about genuinely believing in your abilities and value. For a salesperson, this means trusting in your product, your approach, and your capacity to deliver solutions that genuinely benefit your clients.3. Mental Toughness: Staying Resilient Amid Challenges Dre's third pillar, mental toughness, is about maintaining discipline and confidence, even when results aren't immediately visible. In sales, rejection and setbacks are part of the journey. Developing mental toughness means not getting overly discouraged by a lost sale or overly elated by a big win. It's about finding an emotional equilibrium that allows you to stay focused and effective.4. Personal Initiative: The Drive to Take Action The final piece of the puzzle is personal initiative β the willingness to take charge and make things happen. Dre's story of proactively reaching out to agents to kickstart his basketball career exemplifies this. In sales, it translates to not waiting for opportunities but creating them through proactive outreach and seizing the moment.Applying the Pro-Athlete Mindset to SalesAdopting a pro-athlete mindset in sales means more than just being disciplined, confident, mentally tough, and proactive. It's about seeing each interaction, each pitch, and each deal as part of a larger journey towards mastery.Just as athletes train relentlessly to perfect their craft, sales professionals must continuously hone their skills, adapt to new challenges, and remain committed to their personal and professional growth.Drawing parallels between elite sports and sales, success is not just a matter of chance or natural talent. It's the result of a consistent, disciplined approach, much like the journey of a professional athlete.The Foundation: Discipline and ConfidenceDiscipline in sales, as in sports, is about more than just hard work. It's about setting a routine, adhering to best practices, and staying committed even when the results aren't immediate.Pro-athletes dedicate countless hours to training, understanding that each session builds towards a greater goal. Similarly, sales professionals must commit to their process, whether it's researching prospects, refining pitches, or analyzing feedback.Confidence, an important key to sales success, stems from this disciplined approach. Just as athletes trust their training and abilities, sales professionals must believe in their strategies and skills. This confidence isn't about arrogance; it's a calm assurance that ...
This 90-Day Negativity Fast Will Change Your LifeOn this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Anthony Iannarino discusses the importance of avoiding negativity and engaging in positive thinking. He suggests leaving phones behind to have meaningful conversations, consuming positive content, and practicing forgiveness to let go of anger and resentment. The goal is to focus on personal mental health and maintain a positive mindset, while acknowledging that some negative reactions are necessary in certain situations.10 Strategies For Eliminating NegativityIn today's fast-paced and often negative world, it's important to actively work on cultivating a positive mindset. By adopting certain habits and perspectives, we can navigate through life's challenges with grace and find more joy and fulfillment along the way. Here are 10 powerful strategies to help you foster a positive mindset:Disconnect to ConnectLeave your phone behind during conversations to fully engage with others and avoid distractions. This allows for more meaningful interactions and deeper connections.Choose Balanced SourcesWhen consuming news, select balanced and reputable sources that provide accurate information without promoting divisiveness. Being well-informed is essential, but it's important to avoid getting caught up in the negativity often associated with certain news outlets.Respect Diverse OpinionsRegardless of political beliefs, it is crucial to focus on understanding and respecting others. Recognize that people may have different perspectives, and instead of engaging in unnecessary arguments, aim for empathy and open-mindedness.Happiness Over WinningPrioritize happiness over winning arguments. Engaging in arguments that serve no purpose only leads to frustration and negativity. Choosing happiness and letting go of the need to prove oneself right can contribute to a more peaceful and fulfilling life.Assume Positive IntentGive people the benefit of the doubt and assume positive intent in their actions. It is easy to jump to negative conclusions, but assuming positive intent allows for more harmonious relationships and reduces unnecessary conflict.Practice ForgivenessForgiveness is not for the benefit of the person who wronged you, but rather for your own mental health. Holding onto anger and resentment only eats away at you. Let go of grudges and find peace within yourself.Surround Yourself With PositivitySurround yourself with positive influences and consume uplifting content. Seek out individuals who radiate positivity and consume media that inspires and motivates you. This will cultivate a positive mindset and help counteract negativity.Change Your NarrativeChallenge negative beliefs and narratives that contribute to negativity. Instead of assuming the worst in situations, consciously choose to focus on positive interpretations. By changing your beliefs, you can shift your mindset towards a more optimistic outlook.Emotional AutonomyRecognize that external events and actions do not have to dictate your own emotional state. Take responsibility for your reactions and choose to respond positively, even in challenging situations. Cultivating emotional autonomy empowers you to maintain a positive mindset regardless of external circumstances.Positive Responses to Negative EventsInstead of reacting negatively to negative events, find positive ways to respond. Rather than letting anger consume you, find ways to reframe and reinterpret situations to maintain your own peace of mind. Responding with positivity can lead to better outcomes and a more fulfilling life.By implementing these strategies into your daily life, you can cultivate a positive mindset that will not only benefit your own well-being but also positively impact those around you. Remember, fostering a positive mindset is a journey that requires consistent effort and practice.Don't Take Our Word For ItThe Negativity Fast offers a transformative app...
The Best Sales Leaders Share These 4 TraitsOn this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Sales Gravy Senior Master Sales Trainer Brad Adams talks with Learnit CEO Damon Lembi about maintaining authenticity and integrity as a sales leader. They discuss the importance of doing the right thing, the four key traits for successful leadership (humility, curiosity, integrity, and courage), the significance of continuous learning and sharing knowledge with the team, and why organizations should invest in training and support for their leaders. Damon's book, "The Learn It All Leader," focuses on leadership in times of rapid change. It provides his unique perspective on leadership, gained through his experiences in the corporate learning world. Leading with integrity and making ethical choices, even in sales, starts with making a commitment to always doing the right thing. There are four key traits for successful leadership: humility, curiosity, integrity, and courage. Each of these traits are specifically important for sales leaders and positively impact their teams. It is critical for sales leaders to be curious and open-minded, as it helps them understand their team members' perspectives and provide effective guidance and support. Leaders must always be seeking opportunities to learn and grow, in turn building a culture of continuous learning and development. Organizations should invest in training and support for their leaders, ensuring they have the necessary skills to succeed. Consistent reinforcement and follow-up ensures the effectiveness of training initiatives.Taking An All-In Approach to LeadershipBeing a leader doesn't necessarily mean managing a large team. Each of us has the potential to be a leader in our own way. As an individual sales rep, you have the opportunity to be a leader within your team and also in your role as a parent. I want to emphasize that the term "leader" includes all of us.Taking an all-in approach to leadership means giving your full effort and putting in 100% commitment. It's about giving your best in everything you do.This concept also applies to sales. Sales is not a profession where you can casually say, "I'll give sales a try today" or "I'll make ten calls and see what happens." You need to be fully dedicated to sales or to your leadership role, or whatever it is you're doing. Even if you give your all and face failure, there are valuable learning opportunities that can benefit you in the future.If you want to lead, influence, motivate, and guide others, you can't just dip your toe in. You have to be fully committed, and people will recognize and appreciate it. If you're not authentic and engaged, it will be a problem.4 Traits Of Successful Sales Leaders1. Humility: Acknowledging Limitations: A humble sales leader recognizes their limitations and leverages the expertise of their team. It's about understanding that the collective knowledge of the team often surpasses individual understanding. Embracing Collaboration: Encouraging open communication and collaboration among team members fosters an environment where ideas flow freely, leading to innovative sales strategies.2. Curiosity: Effective Questioning: Curiosity in sales involves asking probing questions to truly understand the client's needs and challenges. This curiosity leads to valuable insights that can be utilized to tailor solutions to meet the client's specific requirements. Active Listening: Cultivating curiosity also means being an active listener. Sales leaders should encourage their teams to listen attentively, allowing them to grasp the nuances of client conversations and respond thoughtfully.3. Integrity: Doing the Right Thing: Sales leaders should emphasize ethical sales practices. This means being honest with clients, even if it means redirecting them to a different, more suitable solution. Long-term relationships are built on trust,
Silence Isn't Awkwardβ It's A Powerful ToolOn this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Keith Lubner, Sales Gravy Executive VP, and Jessica Stokes, Sales Gravy Master Sales Trainer, discuss strategies that leverage discomfort on sales calls to drive engaging conversations and achieve better outcomes. By intentionally using silence, sales professionals can prompt prospects to actively engage and lean into the conversation.Preparation is key, and when executed correctly, this technique can inspire meaningful connections and foster a deeper understanding of customer needs. The goal is to strike a balance and avoid excessive discomfort, while still capturing attention and prompting thoughtful responses from your prospect.This approach can be effective in both in-person and phone sales meetings, as long as the sales professional is both intentional and well-prepared. Leveraging discomfort can drive engaging sales conversations, lead to more successful sales interactions, and yield better outcomes. Introducing discomfort helps reset the typical cadence of sales meetings. Creating a brief moment of silence by taking a sip of water or a beverage, for example, prompts prospects to fill the void with their thoughts and opinions. Sales professionals should aim to actively engage prospects and encourage them to share their perspectives. Meaningful connections are fostered when prospects are given the opportunity to actively participate in the conversation and a deeper understanding of customer needs can be achieved through this approach. Preparation is key to confidently employ this strategy. Sales professionals should have a list of well-thought-out questions ready to guide the conversation.Discomfort Is A Misunderstood Emotional ResponseWe've all experienced that awkward silence during a call with a prospect. When faced with uncomfortable situations, it can trigger fear or avoidance. As sales professionals, what do we tend to do?We want to fill the silence, right? Because it's uncomfortable. Our heart races a little faster, and our amygdala kicks in. We start blurting things out, talking over the prospect, and never really getting what we need from them or triggering their self-disclosure loop. This is where the power of discomfort comes into play.Use Silence To Your AdvantageIn those moments of silence, it's important to let the silence marinate a bit. As a sales professional, you need to be intentional about allowing the silence to exist. Both you and the prospect feel the anxieties of filling the void, but you don't want to win the race of who talks first. You want to sit back, listen more, and let them do the talking.In the virtual world, with technology lags and transmission delays, it becomes even more challenging. When you ask a question, there's a pause before they even hear it. If you start answering the question without realizing this, you're speaking over them. This isGive Your Prospect A Chance To RespondTo leverage the power of discomfort in virtual meetings, try this simple trick:Have a cup of coffee or a bottle of water with you. Ask a question, then take a sip of your drink. This prevents you from talking while giving the prospect time to answer. When you create a lag by pausing after asking a question, it prompts the other person to respond.Reframe Your QuestionHowever, it's important not to wait too long and make it uncomfortable. If they don't answer in a reasonable amount of time, you can fill the silence by reframing the question and clarifying what you meant. Taking another sip of water can also signal that you expect a response. This discomfort can be used in a positive way to encourage conversation.What To Do If Reframing Doesnβt WorkAgain, this is the art of having a conversation too. At that point, you're not going to ask the question and reframe it yet again. Instead, you can say something like, "Let's table that for now.
Burnout Is 100% PreventableIn the world of sales, it's easy to lose sight of how our mental and physical health are connected. We're so focused on hitting our targets that we often ignore the signs of burnout until it's too late. Unfortunately, neglecting this balance can really take a toll on our overall well-being.On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount and Jahmie Hilecher, founder of The Move Wellness, discuss the importance of prioritizing health and wellness to support productivity and success.They emphasize the significance of making conscious choices about food and nutrition, as well as the impact of deep breathing on reducing stress and improving mental clarity. They also highlight the connections between physical and mental well-being and provide practical tips for incorporating healthy habits into daily routines. Prioritizing health and wellness is crucial for supporting productivity and success. Our well-being directly affects our ability to perform at our best and achieve our goals. Making conscious choices about food and nutrition can have a significant impact on energy levels and mental clarity. It is essential to nourish our bodies with wholesome and nutritious food that provides the necessary fuel for optimal performance. Deep breathing exercises help reduce stress and improve focus during sales calls and meetings. Taking a moment to focus on our breath and engage in deep breathing exercises can help us manage stress and promote a calm and centered state of mind. Physical and mental well-being are interconnected, and taking care of one supports the other. By engaging in regular physical activity, we not only improve our physical fitness but also support our mental health by reducing stress and promoting a positive mood. Starting the day with stretching and movement can enhance overall well-being. Incorporating stretching and movement into our morning routine can help wake up our bodies and increase blood flow, leading to improved flexibility and overall well-being. Taking intentional breaths throughout the day can bring a sense of presence. In the midst of a busy day, it is important to pause and take intentional breaths to bring ourselves back to the present moment. Focus on your breath and take deep, mindful breaths to increase oxygen flow to your brain.Stopping Burnout In Its Tracks Begins With AwarenessIt's only when we experience burnout that we realize we've overlooked our physical health and need to address it.However, without a healthy body to support you, this mindset is not sustainable. Sleep is crucial not only for your physical well-being but also for your brain function. Certain systems in your body need time to restore and recharge, enabling you to achieve greater success in the long run.Taking care of your basic needs, such as getting enough sleep, eating clean and healthy, taking proper breaks and rest throughout the day, having fun, and engaging in daily movement, is essential. It doesn't have to be lifting weights in the gym; any form of movement can enhance communication, clarity, and creativity in your brain. Prioritizing these aspects will ultimately support you in achieving your goals for a longer period and with greater strength.Sales Professionals Are The Elite Athletes of The Business WorldIf we consider salespeople, especially top salespeople, from a different perspective, we can see that they possess crucial skills for modern selling.However, your mental capacity to be creative and find solutions, as well as your ability to be a consultant, will always be limited by your physical capacity. Many people don't think about it this way. But when I talk about sales professionals being the elite athletes of the business world, I mean that you need both physical and mental strength.When we think about mind, body, and spirit, we can see that the combination of the mind and body creates a flow.
Why Roleplay Should Be A Key Part of Your Sales CultureIn this podcast, Jeb Blount, Jeremy Olson, and Kristin Isaacson discuss the importance of role-playing in sales. They emphasize the need for leaders to create a culture of role-playing and accountability within their teams. They also highlight the benefits of roleplaying in helping salespeople improve their skills, gain empathy for the customer's perspective, and build confidence. They encourage individuals to find their preferred style of roleplaying and commit to regular practice, even if it feels uncomfortable at first. Roleplaying in sales is a powerful tool that helps salespeople improve their skills, gain empathy for the customer's perspective, and build confidence. It allows them to practice and refine their sales techniques in a safe environment. Leaders play a crucial role in creating a culture of roleplaying and accountability within their teams. By embracing and encouraging roleplaying, leaders can foster a collaborative and growth-oriented atmosphere that drives individual and team improvement. Consistency and commitment are key to successful roleplaying. It should be a regular part of the sales process, rather than a one-time activity. Salespeople should make a commitment to practice regularly, even if it feels uncomfortable at first. Roleplaying exposes weaknesses and areas for improvement. By simulating different scenarios, salespeople can identify their strengths and weaknesses, allowing them to focus on areas that need development and enhancing their overall performance. Constructive feedback and coaching are essential for growth in roleplaying. Salespeople should seek feedback from their leaders, peers, or even trusted individuals outside the team. This feedback helps them identify areas for improvement and refine their approach.Creating a Culture of Role-PlayingOne key takeaway from this podcast episode is the role of leaders in fostering a culture of role-playing within their teams. By encouraging and embracing roleplaying exercises, leaders can establish an environment where individuals feel safe to practice and refine their sales techniques. This culture of accountability sets the stage for continuous growth and improvement.Benefits of Role-PlayingRoleplaying allows salespeople to step into the shoes of their customers, understand their perspective, and develop empathy. By simulating real-life scenarios, sales professionals gain insight into the challenges and concerns their customers may face. This understanding enables them to ask the right questions, provide tailored solutions, and build stronger relationships.Moreover, roleplaying serves as a platform for salespeople to enhance their skills and build confidence. Through practice and repetition, they can refine their pitch, overcome objections, and improve their overall sales performance. Roleplaying provides a controlled environment where individuals can experiment, receive feedback, and make necessary adjustments.The Role of ConsistencyConsistency is a vital component of effective roleplaying. Just as athletes train regularly to maintain peak performance, salespeople must commit to regular practice. Consistent roleplaying ensures that skills remain sharp, and individuals continue to grow. It is not a one-time activity but an ongoing process that drives continuous improvement.Unifying the TeamRoleplaying has a unifying effect on sales teams. It establishes a shared language, understanding, and approach to sales. By engaging in roleplaying exercises together, team members develop a collaborative mindset and foster a sense of camaraderie. This collaborative atmosphere promotes knowledge-sharing, peer feedback, and mutual support, leading to a stronger, more cohesive team.Overcoming Discomfort and Embracing GrowthWhile role-playing may initially feel uncomfortable, it is crucial to overcome this discomfort to reap its benefits fully.
Sales Presentation Skills That Get You To "Yes" FasterIn this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount talks to renowned sales experts Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz about their βGo For Noβ approach to embracing rejection in sales. They discuss how the fear of βnoβ sabotages sales presentations and what salespeople can do to deliver more successful and engaging presentations that get them to βyesβ. The fear of failure and rejection can sabotage sales presentations and affect performance. Embracing rejection and understanding its value can lead to more successful sales presentations. The "Go for No" strategy involves intentionally increasing failure rate and using each "no" as valuable data for growth. Preparation and structure are essential in delivering compelling sales presentations. Improvisation in sales presentations can come across as unprofessional or unprepared. Don't just show up and throw up. Storytelling is a powerful tool to engage the audience and connect with them on a deeper level. Sharing stories about overcoming challenges and how your solution helped can capture attention and emotions. Losing your place or stumbling over words during a presentation is common, but maintaining composure and smoothly continuing is key. Well-prepared presentations instill confidence in the salesperson and engage the audience more effectively. But it's important to bring passion and authenticity to sales presentations rather than striving for perfection.The Fear Of βNoβ Derails Sales PresentationsIn the dynamic world of sales, where each presentation is an opportunity to forge valuable connections and secure vital deals, a formidable adversary often lurks in the shadowsβthe fear of failure and rejection. It's a sentiment that frequently courses through the veins of salespeople, affecting their confidence and ultimately their performance. This fear, while entirely human, can become an insidious obstacle to delivering compelling sales presentations.But here's the paradox: it's precisely this fear, when understood and harnessed, that can catapult a salesperson from mediocrity to mastery. This podcast delves into the heart of this challenge, exploring why salespeople often grapple with the fear of rejection and failure, how it affects their ability to engage their audience, and most importantly, why embracing this fear can be a game-changer in the competitive world of sales.What Is βGo For Noβ All About?The concept of "Go for No" is about intentionally increasing your failure rate and intentionally hearing "no" more often. The idea behind this is that when you embrace rejection, it paves the way for more "yeses" to come.However, this doesn't mean that you should simply keep hearing "no" without making any improvements or using the feedback from those rejections. It's important to treat each "no" as valuable data for growth. For instance, you can set goals based on the number of "no" responses you aim to receive, and actively seek out opportunities to hear "no."Don't Show Up and Throw UpIn the world of sales presentations, there's a phrase that often rings true: "Don't show up and throw up." It's a cautionary mantra that reminds salespeople of the importance of preparation and structure in their interactions with potential clients. Showing up unprepared, with no more than a vague idea of what to say, can lead to a meandering and unconvincing pitch. Instead, successful sales presentations require careful planning.Salespeople should have their notes ready to go, create a basic outline for the conversation, and prepare specific talking points. While improvisation might seem like a way to appear more "natural," it often results in coming across as unprofessional or unprepared. A well-prepared presentation not only instills confidence in the salesperson but also engages the audience more effectively.And the truth is, when people speak without preparation,
Delivering A Next-Level Customer ExperienceIn this Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount talks to Clare Dorrian, SugarCRM's CMO, about putting people first, building human connections, and prioritizing the customer experience in a saturated market.Clare shares expert insights on outbound prospecting, multi-channel engagement, and building a strong sales culture.Their conversation covers a range of topics, including the evolution of sales and marketing, the role of relationships in modern selling, and driving pipeline growth through real connection. In a highly competitive market, differentiation is key. Sales organizations should prioritize customer service and engagement as a means to drive pipeline growth and set themselves apart from competitors. Outbound prospecting is essential for building pipeline and requires a team effort, with every member of the organization contributing to pipeline growth. Building a strong sales culture means aligning goals and KPIs across departments, and promoting a team sport mentality that encourages collaboration and communication. By identifying customer challenges and demonstrating how a recommended product or solution can help solve them, sales professionals can build trust and create value for their customers. Sales professionals must leverage multichannel, multilayer engagement for reaching decision-making committees. Salespeople can deliver a next-level buying experience by meeting customers where they are and understanding their communication preferences. Companies can differentiate themselves in a highly competitive market by prioritizing people, building strong relationships, and providing value to customers. When sales organizations focus on the customer experience, build a strong sales culture, and promote collaboration and communication across departments, they can drive pipeline growth and set themselves up for long-term success.Sales And Marketing Are Human EndeavorsMaintaining a focus on human relationships is a differentiating factor for sales organizations, especially in a world where technology seems to be pushing us further away from personal connection.From a marketing standpoint, this emphasis on connection can be leveraged to generate leads and get more opportunities.Ultimately, success in your sales organization depends on having the right people who not only understand what your product or service is designed to do, but also know its boundaries. In fact, this expertise is exactly what allows smaller sales forces to be nimble, show more appreciation for customers, and differentiate from their Goliath competitors.This philosophy should be ingrained in your culture from top to bottom, from the way you recruit to the way you collaborate.This focus on people is an important differentiator in marketing and go-to-market strategies, but when it is a key part of your DNA, competitors take notice.Make It Easy For The Customer To Do Business With YouIn terms of customer experience, It's not just about believing that the customer is always right, but rather prioritizing the customer above all else. This mentality should extend to sales professionals as well. It's important to remember that a prospect is not yet a customer, but their emotional experience during their journey with you is a consistent predictor of outcomes more so than any other variable.Have you ever been on the receiving end of a sales pitch? We all have at some point in our lifetime.But which pitches do you remember? You probably remember the ones where the salespeople had an emotional connection with you.Of course, the price had to be right and the product had to fit your requirements. But what made the difference was when the experience was memorable, and these memories accumulate over time.It should be easy and enjoyable for people to do business with you. Each time a customer interacts with your organization,
Great Modern Sellers Leverage These 5 Skills In this podcast, Jeb Blount and Amy Franko discuss the importance of modern sellers having strong business acumen and an ownership mindset. They emphasize the value of being able to provide insight to executives based on knowledge of their organization, rather than regurgitating information that can be found online. They also discuss the importance of discipline and habits in maintaining success as a salesperson, especially when working from home. Finally, they touch on the rebirth of field sales and the importance of building strong relationships with leadership.
Instead of simply regurgitating information that can be found online, sellers must have a deep knowledge of their clients' organizations in order to provide business insights that are truly valuable. Ask provocative questions that create awareness of potential problems or opportunities within the organization. Build strong relationships with leadership and even going as far as getting into the "bowels" of the organization to get a better understanding of what's happening. Modern sellers must also have an ownership, or entrepreneur, mindset. They should look at their sales territory as a business, and make decisions based on the top and bottom line as well as weigh risks and opportunities. Discipline and habits are also crucial for maintaining success as a modern seller. For instance, you should build a strong plan, set goals, track your activities and metrics, and adapt to changes in the sales landscape. Building strong relationships with leadership and being able to adapt to changes in the sales landscape.
You can learn more about what it takes to be a modern seller, how to be more agile, and develop an entrepreneurial approach to selling in Amy Franko's courses on Sales Gravy University.
If You Don't Take Action, You Won't Get ResultsIn this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount and David Newman, author of Do It! Marketing and Do It! Selling, discuss exactly how to connect and engage with decision makers and avoid the "middle management trap". One of the most effective approaches that salespeople can leverage to close bigger deals is using interviews as a sales strategy to gather intelligence, build relationships, and connect with high-level decision makers. Through asking penetrating questions and providing valuable resources, consultants and salespeople can establish themselves as experts and earn the right to have pivotal conversations with their top prospects. Strategic planning and research are paramount for sales and marketing professionals, including targeting a specific market, establishing credibility, using interviews as a prospecting channel, and planning for the future. Target a specific market instead of trying to target everyone. Determine where to publish, speak, network, post, and participate in blogs, portals, forums, and communities to reach this audience. Establish credibility in one industry before expanding into others. This requires deep-dive research on market forces, disruption, and compliance regulations. When you track where the money is going, you can prepare for unexpected events and pivot when necessary. Using interviews as a prospecting channel to gather intelligence, build relationships, and connect with high-level decision makers. focusing on providing value rather than seeking approval or sounding smart during conversations with economic buyers. To plan for the future, dedicate time to strategic planning based on research, conversations, and feedback from past clients. It's important to always have a plan B in place and be ready to shift gears and change direction when necessary. By focusing on specific markets, establishing credibility, and using interviews as a prospecting channel, professionals can connect with high-level decision makers and achieve their business goals.To Sell, You Have to Take ActionAs a sales professional, you face a simple choice.Stay put or go out and do something. Believing that "if you build it, they will come" is a fallacy.Planning is essential, but without conversations, it won't lead to success. It's time to take action and start having those conversations.Shake hands and create familiarity with your voice, face, and message. This way, when people see you, they will recognize you and remember your message. This is where serendipity happens.The key message of David's new book, Do It! Selling is that without action, there will be no results. Leads do not come out of the blue. Sometimes these leads may seem serendipitous, but they actually result from the actions you take to create an environment conducive to generating leads.If you consistently put in effort, the universe has a way of rewarding you, but it won't reward you for simply waiting for success to come to you. Waiting around for leads to come to you is a reactive approach.Instead, you need to be proactive and actively seek fresh targets on a regular basis.The 3 PR Game Plan: Personalized, Professional, Public RelationsFor those who are a bit reluctant to sell, David presents a new definition for sales: 'Are you sending enough invitations to a conversation with enough of the right people about how you can help them?' This conversation may not always lead to a commercial relationship, but results in an introduction or referral.Sometimes, the person may not be the right fit at the moment, but they may come back in the future with an opportunity to work together. Therefore, it's important to put fresh prospects on your radar daily by sending enough invitations to a conversation with real people whom you can help, with the intention of opening a conversation and seeing where it goes.Enter the Three P. R. Game Plan,
Mastermind Group Incredible Asks Jeb Blount Their Toughest Sales Questions In this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Mastermind Group Incredible asks Jeb Blount their real-life questions as he provides solutions to overcome their toughest sales challenges. Some of their questions include: standing out in a final round interview process, targeting and selling into larger accounts, losing to a competitor, and ways to contact hard-to-reach stakeholders on LinkedIn. Whether you're a solopreneur, small business owner, sales professional, you'll take away powerful strategies to advance your career, grow your business, or land your dream account.
Small companies lose customers because they take them for granted and don't address their concerns. To win big deals, put a wedge between the incumbent vendor and the customer and look for issues that can be addressed. Personalized service and attention are selling points for small companies managing accounts with larger competitors. The hardest thing to do when scaling a business is moving from where you are to the next place. To get big accounts, create a list of 10-25 dream accounts and target them specifically. When using LinkedIn, sending a voice message or using Vidyard for video messages can be effective. Layering on other parts of a messaging sequence, such as phone calls or handwritten notes, can increase effectiveness. Chat GPT can be a useful tool for writing proposals and creating sales messages, but it can also degrade the quality of written communication if used lazily.
Q: How Do I Stand Out In The Final Round Of The Interview Process? To leave a lasting impression during a presentation in your final round of interviews, use a strategic approach. A useful tactic is to speak last, also known as the availability bias.
In a final presentation interview, demonstrating ROI is crucial, especially in today's economy. Use a business case to showcase the value you bring. Start by discussing what you discovered during the discovery phase, the problems you faced, and the future state after your program is implemented. Highlight values that are important to individual stakeholders, like personal outcomes and emotional outcomes such as peace of mind and trust in the vendor. Be sure to make your case using business language, not just marketing brochures, and support it with math.
To provide a value framework, follow these steps: articulate the problem you discovered, make a recommendation to solve it, and describe the outcomes your recommendation will generate in terms of measurable business outcomes, personal outcomes, and emotional outcomes. Use the audience's language and be specific. By following this structure, you'll help the audience absorb information more effectively. Q: How Do I start Targeting Larger Accounts? Scaling up into larger businesses can be overwhelming, but the first step is to take action. While hitting singles may be easier, it's important to pursue bigger opportunities to gain experience selling larger deals.
However, it's also important to not overlook the value of smaller deals and to have a consistent pipeline of singles, doubles, triples, and home runs. This helps de-risk your pipeline and income while providing opportunities for growth and a bigger income.
To reduce risk in your pipeline, it's crucial to have strong qualifying mechanisms and a solid understanding of a potential client's fit with your company. Identifying decision-making roles and stakeholders is also essential.
When pursuing a deal, it's important to build an unassailable business case for why your company is the right choice. This involves mapping out every detail and identifying potential challenges and solutions.
Finally, use murder boarding to identify potential obstacles and develop strategies to overcome them. By the time of the final presentation, you should feel confident that the client has already made the decision to do busin...
Curiosity Is Your Key To Effective Cold Calling On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Ulysses Price, filling in for Jeb Blount, interviews Chris Beall, CEO of ConnectAndSell. ConnectAndSell is a software service that helps salespeople initiate conversations with prospects. Beall explains how market dominance and the humble cold call are connected. His prospecting philosophy requires the salesperson to build trust and demonstrate curiosity, master the first few seconds of the conversation to create emotional buy-in, and avoid triggering psychological reactance. By breaking down the conversation and practicing each part in training, sales reps can improve their skills and conduct more successful sales conversations.
Chris Beall connected the dots between market dominance and the potential impact of a humble cold call. Calibrated callers are comfortable using a psychological framework, playful curiosity, and confidence to create a clean read from potential customers and insist on a meeting. The seven-second rule is a technique for building trust in a cold call by demonstrating tactical empathy and competence to solve the problem of the caller being an interruption. The risk of B2B sales is a career risk, not a financial risk. B2B salespeople are necessary because buyers risk their careers when making buying decisions. Salespeople must gain the trust of potential customers to become the expert and be on their side. Sales reps must be able to make a clean read of a potential customer, understand their needs and interests, and provide value. Handle objections in a delicate and curious manner, stick to your guns, and position yourself as an expert to establish trust quickly.
Gain Your Prospect's Trust In Seven Seconds Cold calling is still one of the most effective ways of reaching potential customers, but it can be a daunting task for many salespeople, especially when you don't know where to start.
To start a conversation, we need to gain someone's trust. Without trust, they won't listen to us, and we won't get far. When we make a cold call, the person we're speaking with only wants to end the conversation while keeping their self-image intact. If they didn't care about their self-image, they would just hang up. So we have a small window of opportunity to gain their trustβ just seven seconds.
In those seven seconds is to help the other party see that we see the world through their eyes. We call it tactical empathy. Secondly, we need to demonstrate to them that we're competent in solving a problem they have right now. Their problem could be me, but I can always offer to go away in exchange for something.
You want them to listen to you, so you make that offer. For example, you might open the call with a statement like:
"I know I'm an interruption. Can I take 27 seconds to tell you why I called?"
By saying this, you're self-indicting right at the beginning. That's what the other party is already thinking about you. You beat them to the punch. As a seller, it's essential to establish trust with your audience, especially in B2B sales. Eventually, they have to trust you more than they trust themselves and view you as the expert. This is why the first seven seconds are crucial in establishing trust with your audience. Do it wisely, and they will trust you forever, but try selling to them, and you'll lose their trust in an instant.
Then comes the pitch:
"We've made a breakthrough that eliminates the waste and frustration that hinder your best sales reps from being effective on the phone. My call today is to request 15 minutes of your time to share this with you. Do you have your calendar handy?"
Sounds easy, right? But it's not. The waste is economic, and the frustration is emotional. That's because frustration triggers the part of our brain that causes us to lash out. Be careful not to trigger anger and instead, use a tone of voice that shows you understand what frustration mean...
Building and Leading a Successful Sales Team On this episode of the podcast, Allison Walsh, Vice President of Business Development and Branding for Advanced Recovery Systems, a national behavioral healthcare company, discusses her experience in building and leading a successful sales team. Starting as the second employee of the company, she has been instrumental in its growth to a team of a thousand and counting. The organization offers inpatient substance abuse treatment, mental health treatment, and a mental wellness application called Nobu. Walsh shares insights on the importance of trust, relationships, and professional development in nurturing and retaining sales talent, as well as the challenges and opportunities of pivoting to virtual selling during the pandemic.
Allison shares her experience of nurturing and developing sales talent, and her journey as a young leader managing more experienced team members. Trust, relationships, and professional development are instrumental in nurturing and retaining sales talent. Focus on personal and professional development instead of financial incentives. Showing extreme compassion and support for your team pays off in the long run for both company culture and retention. Create other career pathways for people to develop personally and professionally, even if they don't want the responsibility of managing humans. Motions that leaders do to create relationship and trust with their people are the same behaviors that salespeople can emulate to build relationship and trust with their prospects. Allison shares how her organization pivoted to virtual selling during the pandemic and invested in video technology to communicate with their partners for a blended approach to sales. Discover the power of seeing, valuing, and hearing every employee and looking at the world from the perspective of "everybody matters."
Sales Training Is An Investment In YOU In this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount is joined by Sarah Browner, the Global Sales Enablement Manager at Adobe. If you are a sales leader, sales enablement professional, or training facilitator, you will want to tune in for their conversation about keeping learners engaged and using feedback to improve enablement initiatives.
As for salespeople, youβll find out why itβs critical to continue advancing your skills and investing in yourself throughout your sales career.
Sales enablement is a critical investment for companies looking to increase sales. Sales skills, particularly soft skills, are perishable and need to be continuously developed. Taking advantage of free training opportunities is crucial for personal and professional development. Learning is never wasted, and even reviewing familiar concepts can provide new perspectives. Leaders and trainers should give learners options and ask for feedback to keep them engaged. Meeting learners where they are means providing information in a modality that works best for them.
Increase Skills to Increase Sales As part of Sarahβs role, she is responsible for curating enablement for over 2000 individual contributing sales reps for Adobe, globally. She either finds or creates the information that their sales reps need to perform their jobs more effectively.
Adobe, like hundreds of other companies that we work with at Sales Gravy, invest in sales enablement and training for one simple reasonβ to increase sales, sellers need to continually increase their skillset. Why Invest In Sales Enablement? Sales training and enablement isnβt just for new hires. Salespeople must not only master the basics and fundamentals of selling, but in order to see continued success and growth, it is crucial that they advance their skillsβ long after the onboarding process has concluded.
One of the frustrations that sales enablement leaders face is hearing dissent from salespeople who think they know everything and don't need to learn more.
This way of thinking is dangerous. Sales as a profession is changing constantly, especially with the never-ending advances in technology.
To make your number and stay ahead, you need to be adept with these new technologies and always be looking for opportunities to expand your knowledge when it comes to your product, your competition, and the selling tools at your disposal. There Is No Unused Learning You might be instructed or advised to join a team-wide training session or read a book as part of a team book club. And you might think, βThereβs nothing new here.β
The truth is, this cynicism is holding you back. Almost everything we learn, everything that's presented to us, someone has already thought of.
The important part of taking in information, even if itβs something you knew already, is the chance to reconfigure your thinking. In sales, we apply the fundamental basics of how we interact with people, from soft skills to how we develop our products, to different contexts and circumstances.
Products, services, and software change, and we must learn to navigate those changes out of necessity. In training, you might learn a concept or hear a practical piece of advice youβve heard before, but you can get a new perspective on existing knowledge because itβs presented or applied in a different context.
Learning is never wasted. Never Turn Down Free Training Your company likely provides training opportunities, so it's wise to take advantage of them.
Workshops, even virtual ones, are delivered in a live format and watching a recording won't provide the same benefit. Attending training sessions live or in person allows you to learn from your coworkers, share ideas, and expand your way of thinking.
Investing in your education and training is important, because it makes a difference. At Sales Gravy University, we have 30,000 users,
Emotional Intelligence Is A Sales Superpower On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount sits down with Robin Hills, a business psychologist and expert in emotional intelligence from the UK.
Emotional intelligence is a concept that Daniel Goleman launched and popularized approximately 30 years ago.
Robin began his career in sales in the 1980s and has been selling consistently ever since. Although he no longer holds the title of salesperson, he proudly wore that badge for well over a quarter of a century.
Today, Robin's company Ei4ChangeΒ (Emotional Intelligence 4 Change) trains individuals and organizations on emotional intelligence, positive psychology, and neuroscience in the workplace. What Is Emotional Intelligence? Emotional intelligence is the ability to combine your thinking with your feelings in order to build high-quality relationships and make authentic decisions. While it is a simple concept, it can be difficult to execute, particularly in situations with intense emotions or pressure.
Relationships and decision-making play a crucial role in this process. It is essential to have high-quality relationships with people you can turn to and say, "Hey, I'm having a bad day. Can we talk about something other than work? Or do something together that can take my mind off things and help me get back to it tomorrow?" This allows you to step away from the situation and take a break.
Salespeople, in general, are mentally resilient and must demonstrate high levels of emotional intelligence in order to be effective.
Field-based salespeople, who may not work in an office, often need to motivate themselves and have an inner drive to sell to their clients.
Salespeople handle a lot from customers and clients, and have good and bad days like everyone else. Emotional intelligence in sales involves understanding and managing your own emotions to influence the emotions of others. You Choose How You React to Your Emotions Emotions are a natural reaction to our environment, and we cannot control their occurrence. However, we can choose how we respond to them.
Emotions prepare our body mentally and physically for events, and the intensity of emotions compounds with each event. At a certain point, emotions can become so intense that making a simple, effective choice becomes difficult.
Experiencing fear, for example, is not something that we can control or prevent.
In such moments, we are faced with a choice: do we react irrationally to our fear and potentially put ourselves in danger, or do we use the presence of our emotions as information to assist us in productive, clear decision-making?
We can choose to become immobilized, paralyzed, or act out in self-destructive ways. and we can choose to handle our emotions, turn them into something constructive, and create positive outcomes.
This is where mental resilience comes into play. When under pressure and stress, mental resilience β the ability to go from setback to comeback β becomes essential. Why Having A Support Network Is Crucial Having the right relationships and support network is crucial, especially in sales when you are faced with difficult emotions like rejection, fear, and stress every day. When you need help, don't hesitate to turn to your network for support.
It's also important to establish a relationship of trust with your manager during good times, so that you can have a discussion about handling challenges when necessary.
In general, opening up to someone about a problem you are dealing with can be helpful. You may have heard the oft-quoted saying, "A problem shared is a problem halved."
Consider talking to your spouse, friends, or colleagues at work. Who in your network can provide support for you when you need it? Who can you provide support to in return? Think Before You Complain Having a support group of people to talk to is a great idea. It gives you a much needed space to have cathartic conversations beca...
Great Sales Messaging Isn't Rocket Science On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jim Karrh, Ph.D. and Jeb Blount discuss the essentials of sales messaging, how poor communication skills damage your brand, the stories we tell ourselves and our prospective customers, and what the advent of automation tools like Chat GPT means for salespeople. Youβll learn how to translate marketing messages into effective sales conversations, whether in person, virtually, or over the phone.
Prioritize positioning and lead the conversation to close more deals CMOs and marketing teams must take ownership of the writing that their salespeople produce. This can be accomplished by incorporating writing development into sales training and coaching efforts Use empathy and insight to connect with prospects and ensure that you establish trust at the beginning of the sales conversation. Focus on the buyer's problem and the urgency behind it, rather than just promoting the product's features and benefits. Then, simplify messaging to get customers to say yes and move forward. Create a framework and sequence for conversations, especially in discovery and closing conversations. Use automation tools like Chat GPT to improve written communication, but remember that authenticity is key and phony, robotic messaging won't close deals.
Strategic Messaging Is Crucial For Any Sales or Marketing Organization In today's market, it's increasingly difficult to find and take full advantage of precious sales opportunities. That's why it's so important to prioritize positioning and lead the conversation to close more deals.
At the University of Alabama, Jim Karrh, Ph.D. teaches coursework around innovative marketing and sales messaging. His curriculum is informed by his background in B2B consulting and his previous experience as a CMO for a private company.
During his time as a CMO, Jim became frustrated with the sales team's inability to effectively communicate the brandβs core messaging to both their direct sales team and independent distributors.
This experience led Jim to focus on bridging the gap between marketing and sales in his consulting work with B2B sales teams. Now, Jim uses his understanding of communication and psychology to help improve the practical day-to-day realities of salespeople and sales leaders. Writing Ability Is Key For Clear Communication Salespeople, even those with a college education, often face challenges with writing. If you're a leader and observe this trend within your organization, rest assured you're not alone. Nonetheless, writing and communication skills hold immense value and should be seamlessly integrated into your sales training and coaching efforts.
It's common for individuals to believe they lack writing ability, but in roles like sales, management, or leadership, writing is an essential skillβand usually an untapped secret weapon.
Writing compels you to structure your ideas coherently, enhancing focus on essential aspects, connecting concepts, establishing sequence, refining structure, and avoiding unnecessary wordiness. This process instills discipline, thereby fostering improved thinking and communication. Sadly, it's a rare skill and discipline in today's professional landscape.
The importance of writing extends beyond mere formality; it reflects our value as professionals. Throughout the selling process and in the eyes of customers, how we sound and come across in writing can significantly influence judgments.
Teams often need to revisit this aspect as people may not possess the ability to write naturally due to a lack of prior teaching or experience. By addressing this deficit and incorporating writing development into training, individuals can unlock their full potential as effective communicators and salespeople. Poor Written And Verbal Communication Is Killing Your Brand And Your Bottom Line If you're a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO),
On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Sales Mastermind Group "Awesome" asks Jeb Blount sales questions. If you've ever had a question you wanted to ask Jeb then you'll love this episode. It's free flowing, insightful, and informative.
Mastermind Groups: A Powerful Way to Start Selling and Leading Better A Mastermind Group is a peer-to-peer mentoring group where individuals come together to help each other solve their problems and improve their lives or businesses.
Mastermind Groups are powerful tools for personal and professional growth. They can foster a sense of community and connection, help members overcome challenges, and facilitate significant progress towards their goals.
The concept was popularized by Napoleon Hill in his 1937 book "Think and Grow Rich" who believed that the collective intelligence of a group is far greater than the sum of its parts.
The members of a Mastermind Group are typically successful individuals who are motivated and dedicated to achieving their goals. They meet regularly (either in-person or virtually) to discuss their challenges, set goals, brainstorm ideas, and offer each other advice and support.
In a Mastermind Group, the focus is on collaboration, growth, and mutual support. Each member benefits from the wisdom, experiences, and perspectives of the others. This dynamic leads to fresh insights, new ideas, and powerful motivation. Participants can hold each other accountable for their goals, offer encouragement, and provide honest and constructive feedback.
A Mastermind Group can be focused on various topics, such as business, personal development, health and wellness, education, and more. They can be informal and self-organized or facilitated by a professional coach or mentor.
Sales Gravy Mastermind Groups are an excellent way to improve your sales skills, become a more effective leader, or solve problems. Our masterminds are facilitated by a Master Sales Trainer and include additional training resources to build on group discussions. 7 Reasons You Should Consider Joining a Mastermind Group
Knowledge Sharing: Mastermind groups can offer a wealth of shared experiences and insights. The diverse backgrounds and skill sets of the group can provide different perspectives on sales techniques, strategies, and approaches. Networking Opportunities: Mastermind groups often bring together professionals from various industries, offering the opportunity to build a strong professional network. These relationships can lead to business partnerships, referrals, or other collaboration opportunities that can help grow your sales. Problem Solving: You can bring your sales challenges to the group, and together, brainstorm and strategize solutions. The collective intelligence and creativity of the group can help you solve problems faster and more effectively than you might alone. Accountability: Setting goals is easy, but maintaining momentum and staying accountable can be challenging. In a mastermind group, members help hold each other accountable, which can be very motivating and contribute to better sales results. Emotional Support and Motivation: Sales can be a tough job with frequent rejections and setbacks. Being a part of a supportive group of peers who understand the challenges can provide emotional support, boost morale, and motivate you to keep going even during difficult times. Professional Development: Many mastermind groups bring in experts for talks or workshops, or provide resources for learning. This can give you access to high-level professional development opportunities that can refine your sales skills and techniques. Staying Current: In a rapidly evolving field like sales, it's important to stay current with the latest trends, technologies, and methodologies. Being part of a mastermind group can help you stay up-to-date with the newest and most effective sales strategies, tools, and technologies.
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When They Say No: Overcoming Rejection And Shifting Your Mindset
Introduces Andrea and Richard's new book, When They Say No,Β and provides valuable insights on overcoming rejection in sales. The fear of rejection has evolutionary roots, but it can be reframed to reach positive sales outcomes. Breaking the negative thought spiral that follows rejection is crucial and should be given due importance. The opening phase in sales, though often overlooked, holds significant value in establishing rapport and understanding customer needs. Learn practical strategies to effectively handle rejection and rewire the mindset for success. Salespeople should endeavor to embrace rejection as an opportunity for growth and relationship-building. When salespeople overcome the fear of rejection, they achieve lasting sales success.
Your Fear of "No" Is Holding You Back Are you tired of feeling defeated by rejection in sales and find yourself avoiding potential opportunities because the fear of hearing "no" holds you back? It's time to shift your mindset and embrace rejection as a stepping stone to success.
In this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, renowned sales experts Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz share valuable insights from their book When They Say No that will revolutionize your sales approach.
The Power of Reframing Rejection Our fear of rejection is deeply rooted in our evolutionary history.
Throughout human evolution, being accepted by the tribe was crucial for survival. Rejection meant being cast out and left to fend for oneself, facing increased vulnerability to predators and the loss of the collective support and resources provided by the group.
Our brains developed a powerful instinct to avoid rejection at all costs.
However, the good news is that we possess the ability to hack our brains and change our perception of rejection. Instead of automatically equating rejection with death or social isolation, we can actively reframe our thoughts.
By recognizing that rejection in the modern world does not carry the same life-or-death consequences, we can replace our negative thoughts with more productive ones.
We can remind ourselves that rejection is often subjective and influenced by various factors beyond our control. With this shift in perspective, we can approach rejection as a valuable learning experience, an opportunity to grow and improve rather than a definitive judgment of our worth. Breaking the Cycle of Negative Thoughts Salespeople, in particular, are often vulnerable to a dangerous spiral of negative thoughts following rejection. When faced with a rejection, it is easy to get caught in a downward spiral of worry, anxiety, and self-doubt.
This negative cycle not only hampers our emotional well-being but also impairs our effectiveness in sales. The more we dwell on negative outcomes, the more our confidence wavers, and the less persuasive and motivated we become.
Recognizing this pattern is crucial for breaking free from its grasp. By actively reframing our thoughts, we can disrupt the negative cycle and redirect our focus towards positive outcomes.
Instead of dwelling on what went wrong or personalizing the rejection, we can shift our attention to the lessons learned, the potential for improvement, and the possibilities of future success.
It is essential to understand that rejection is not solely a psychological problem but also a physiological one. The fear of rejection triggers stress responses in our bodies, which further perpetuate the negative thought patterns.
By recognizing this physiological aspect and consciously choosing to reframe our thoughts, we can liberate ourselves from the chains of fear and propel ourselves towards success in sales and beyond. The Power of the Opening Phase The opening phase of the sales process is an aspect often overlooked in sales literature. Selling goes beyond pitching product features and freebies.
Moving From A Culture of Efficiency to A Culture of Effectiveness
Acting and improv skills are similar to soft skills in salesβ leading with empathy and understanding your audience and your customer is paramount. Sales leaders need to build a strong sales culture and eliminate mediocrity, which starts with the willingness to invite, embrace, and accept feedback. Synchronous conversations are making a comeback. Whether you get coffee with a prospect in your own town or fly to your prospect's city to close a deal, face-to-face interactions are invaluable. Sales isn't an easy profession, and leaders should be honest and transparent with their teams about the work required to close deals. Efficiency does not equal effectiveness. Sales technology should focus on making people better, not just faster. Sales organizations need to adapt to changes in the market and rethink what's working and what's not. In this podcast, Mike Cabot and Jeb Blount discuss the challenges of sales in the current climate, including the impact of technology and the need for emotional intelligence when dealing with analytical stakeholders. They also emphasize the importance of celebrating small victories and providing feedback to improve performance.
The innovativeΒ Sales Gravy UniversityΒ sales training platform gives on the go individuals and entire teams easy, affordable access to the worldβs top sales trainers in both live and on-demand courses. Now you can learn how to win in sales anywhere, anytime, and on any device.
Human Connection Is Key To Sales Professionalism In this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Jeb Blount talks to Will Yarbrough, VP of Sales at Fleetio, about what it means to be a human seller in modern society. Yarbrough shares his experience selling fleet management software to a tough, blue-collar demographic, and the challenges of hiring for industry experience versus coaching new hires with the right mindset.
Jeb and Will also dive into the importance of having organic conversations versus over-engineering the sales process. In this conversation, you'll learn the value of a good first impression, how to maintain engagement with a prospect following a demo, and why being coachable is a strength in sales. Key Takeaways:
Dress appropriately for the situation and audienceβ it's the little things that close the sale. Do research on who you're trying to sell to and a personalized follow-up email after a demo or meeting that adds value to the conversation. Video messages following a meeting are a unique way to stay in front of your prospect and show them you truly care about helping them solve their business challenges. Use handwritten notes to show appreciation and make your communication more human. Taking the time to write a note to your prospect demonstrates your commitment to professionalism and helps built trust. Taking a phone first sales approach still matters, especially in a world taken over by AI. Leverage checklists to remember and systematize important tasks. Even surgeons and pilots use checklists to make sure that details don't fall through the cracks. Sales is a contact sport. Leaders should train, drill, and reinforce the basics and fundamentals with their sales team every single day.
Transitioning Into A Career In Sales In this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Art Munin, Ph.D. from Liaison International joins guest host Gina Trimarco, Sales Gravy Master Trainer and Director of Coaching Programs, after impressively pitching himself with a Bonjovi guitar serenade.
They delve into the topic of salespeople transitioning from non-sales careers later in life, and explore a shared passion for the arts and how it influences sales success. This episode is a must-listen for sales leaders who may be neglecting non-traditional talent in their recruitment strategies.
Leading In A Changing Sales LandscapeIn this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount (Sales Gravy CEO and author of Sales EQ) and Graham Hooper (CEO of Ellison Technologies) discuss the keys to leading your sales team in uncertain times. You'll learn how to succeed in volatile economic times by effectively handling decision deferment objections and conducting thorough research during the discovery phase of the sales process.Key Takeaways: Salespeople can successfully navigate the transition from a red hot market to a stagnant down market, but it requires grit, discipline, and creativity. In uncertain economic times and a world increasingly influenced by the power of AI, sales-specific emotional intelligence and human-to-human communication are the most important skills a salesperson can have when establishing trust and building relationships with buyers. Conducting effective, deep discovery and handling buying decision deferment objections will give salespeople a competitive edge in any economic climate.Transitioning From A Red Hot Market To A Stagnant Down MarketMany salespeople today are struggling to make the transition from taking advantage of a red hot market to navigating the doldrums of volatile economic times. Some sectors, like real estate, are experiencing the brunt of these changes in the market, where other sectors, like defense are seeing more profit.Economic swings are cyclical and always will be, but especially in the last twenty four months, sales organizations are moving to a more traditional kind of selling.Salespeople who know how to get creative, grind it out, and prioritize the fundamentals will see the most success in times like these. However, itβs not easy to make that mindset shift and truly rise to the moment.The One Thing That Will Always Guarantee Your Success in SalesFor the individual salesperson, the most important thing that you can have in your arsenal to make it out on top in volatile economic times is not above-average intellect or a winning personalityβ itβs grit.This is this ability to dig deep and take your career, your future, and your life into your own hands when things are difficult and it seems like there is very little in your control.Getting up, getting yourself ready for the day, protecting your time and your energy, and making sure that you are putting yourself in front of the right people at the right time with the right message.Nothing Compares to Real Human ConnectionAnother strength that will set you apart from other salespeople and allow you to break through the noise and truly connect with the right customers is sales-specific emotional intelligenceβ Sales EQ.Salespeople arenβt the only ones experiencing tough times. Real human connection matters today more than ever. You must have the ability to see eye to eye with your customers, meet them where they are, and make them comfortable enough to open up and share their toughest business challenges.When you connect the dots between their biggest problems and how you can help solve them, you build the foundation for trust and create lasting business relationships as a result. Conducting deep discovery is the key to helping your customers close the gaps and see positive change from your solutions.The Only Communication You Can Trust is Human-to-HumanIn today's world, human-to-human communication is the only trustworthy form of communication. With more AI tools and services than any one person could take full advantage of, it's not secret that we rely heavily on automation to maintain productivity and be maximally effective.The downside of this is that written communication can easily be created and distributed by AI, which is often seen as inauthentic or untrustworthy.So has the role of the salesperson changed in the expanding world of automatic and artificial intelligence? The short answer is yes. The rise and mass adoption of automation has certainly chan...
On this special episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Sales Gravy Senior Master Sales Trainer Brad Adams and bestselling author of Coffee's for Closers, Tony Morris, dive into the art of great discovery, how to ask questions that build rapport and create engagement, and why better questions set the groundwork for better results.Podcast Takeaways The ability to listen actively and conduct effective discovery is the most important skill for salespeople. Authentic engagement is a direct result of great discovery, which is not possible without deep and active listening. Autopilot is the reason why many salespeople struggle to ask the right questions during the discovery call. Before every discovery call, salespeople should establish a clear desired outcome, create a list of criteria to frame questions, and prepare to lead prospects through the process. There are five questions that salespeople should ask in every discovery call, including tag on questions, statement questions, replay questions, clarification questions, and future questions. By seeing the world through customers' eyes, salespeople can achieve authentic engagement and effective discovery.Great Discovery Is A Sales SuperpowerThe two biggest priorities for salespeople are building pipeline through prospecting and discovery. Not expert negotiation, perfect presentation skills, or even closing.Those steps are integral to the sales process, but not as fundamentally critical as getting in front of as many potential clients as possible, and authentically engaging with as many of them as you can.Authentic engagement is the result of great discovery, and you can't conduct bulletproof discovery without deep and active listening.The Biggest Mistake You Can Make In SalesListening is one of the most vital skills that a salesperson can hone and develop.Failure to really listen to your prospect, especially on a discovery call, only sets you up to make more mistakes later on in the sales process, causing you to risk jeopardizing the opportunity.In discovery conversations, if you're talking more than your prospect, you are reducing your likelihood of effectively connecting with and engaging them.Don't just listen to respond, listen to learn.Additionally, it's difficult to do effective discovery without the right questions, and without listening to your prospect, you will ask terrible questions.If there's one thing that will doom an opportunity before it even picks up speed is wasting your and your prospect's time on the wrong questions.Derailing the focus of the conversation with surface level questions, or misinterpreting your prospect's answers because you're too busy thinking of a response to actually listen, will only make your job harder and your prospect feel ignored.Autopilot Is Killing Your Discovery ProcessOne of the reasons that many salespeople struggle to ask the right questions during the discovery call is that they run on autopilot.This is a serious problem because instead of approaching the discovery call with proper preparation, confidence, and awareness, they ask questions without thinking about what they're asking.And as we know, asking bad questions will reap poor results.Luckily, the solution to this is preparing before every discovery call. Here are three steps you can take before your next conversation to ensure that you are ready to conduct great discovery.Establish a clear desired outcome.What are you aiming towards? Is it to set up a demo, meeting, presentation, or is it to make a sale? Have a clear, defined outcome for the conversation, before you even get started. This will help you to get the most value out of the conversation while staying on the right track.Create a list of criteria to frame your questions.What are the key criteria you need to know by the end of the conversation in order to set the deal up for success? Before a call,
On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount sits down with celebrity chef and entrepreneur Vera Stewart, to learn how persistence and a "never take no for an answer" mindset help her build a business empire.Β Southern Home Cook Turned Nationally Recognized Celebrity ChefVeraβs entrepreneurial journey started back in her undergrad days, baking cakes and pies for her chemistry professor just to get a passing grade. After graduating from the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!) she taught school for four years before starting her family and becoming a stay at home mom.Β But Vera missed the sense of self-reliance that having an income brought her, and started a catering business out of her home kitchen in Cartersville, Georgia.The rest of the story is legendary as she leveraged luck, chance meetings, relentless persistence, and an infectious competitive spirit to build a business empire and nationally known brand in hospitality and cooking.Β Β Taking Risks Creates Opportunity for SuccessAs her business grew, Vera took advantage of opportunities as they arose. What some might have considered a risk, Vera saw as an area of potential. From catering the governor's luncheon, to appearing on Food Network, starting her own TV show, and writing amazing cookbooks, Vera always rose to the challenge, to advantage of every opportunity, and never took no for an answer.She was able to climb to the next level again and again at different points in her story because she held on to a simple, but powerful mantra: βAll they can do is say no.βThe VeryVera Show Origin StoryThrough a stroke of luck and the willingness to say yes in the face of uncertainty, Vera landed a spot on Throwdown With Bobby Flay. It was a pivot point that changed everything.Β Following her appearance with Bobby Flay, a local Augusta, Ga TV station offered to let Vera record six episodes for her own show. It was an instant hit and she wanted more. When she was that it would take five years to get syndicated, Vera was undaunted. She approached a station in Savannah, GA with a pitch to syndicate her new show.Β Value FirstVera pitched her show to WSAV, with a crucial mindsetβshe led with value and focused on what was in it for them. She demonstrated exactly how she could help them sell more advertising.This is how The VeryVera Show landed its first syndicated market. Today, The VeryVera Show is in 40 markets with over 300 episodes to date and has never had a station cancel.Β Resilience. Tenacity. Adversity.Vera's entrepreneurial journey is as inspiring as it is informative. What we can learn from her story is that resilience, tenacity, and the willingness to face adversity are invaluable to paving the way to a successful business or career.Sales is a unique profession that affords salespeople the opportunity to essentially work as an entrepreneur within an organization to earn commission. In many respects, you are your own boss, call your own shots, and have an incredibly high earning potential compared to other lines of work. The only way to take advantage of that potential is to overcome obstacles, take risks, deal with rejection, and not take no for an answer.Sales professionals who adopt an entrepreneurial mindset can leverage their skills, knowledge, and experience to achieve remarkable success. Entrepreneurs are known for their ability to innovate, take risks, and seize opportunities, and salespeople who embody these traits can excel in their careers. Here are four ways that salespeople can harness an entrepreneurial mindset to be successful.5 Ways Salespeople Can Harness An Entrepreneurial Spirit to Advance Their CareerApproach Your Career With A Growth MindsetA growth mindset is the belief that one's abilities can be developed through hard work and dedication. Salespeople who have a growth mindset are more likely to see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow.
On this fun episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount is joined by the incredible social media influencer and successful real estate agent, Alexander Zakharin.Jeb and Alexander discuss that when the going gets tough in the real estate market, the toughest real estate agents get fanatical about prospecting.Alexander's story is inspirational. He emigrated to the United States in 2017 with a dream to live and work in the greatest city in the world. He then leveraged Fanatical Prospecting, grit, hard work and social media to climb the brutal real estate ladder in New York City.Alexander Zakharin has since sold over 31 million dollars in real estate proving that anything is possible when you set your mind to it.Β His astronomical success illustrates how the power of relentless prospecting combined with savvy social media strategies have become keys to success in real estate market, no matter the economic conditions.Fanatical ProspectingFanatical Prospecting is a sales strategy that involves consistently and proactively reaching out to potential customers or clients. The idea behind fanatical prospecting is that by consistently generating new leads and actively pursuing them, real estate agents can create a steady stream of business and avoid the ups and downs of a feast-or-famine sales cycle.Fanatical prospecting involves a disciplined approach to identifying potential customers, reaching out to them through various channels - phone, email, social media, and in-person - and building relationships with them over time. This approach requires persistence, dedication, and a willingness to work through rejection and failure.The goal of fanatical prospecting is to fill the sales pipeline with a steady stream of new leads, so that you can focus on building relationships and closing deals with those who are most likely to convert into customers.
On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Jeb Blount (People Follow You) sits down with Leigh Cantrell and Rob Matura who are Regional Vice Presidents at Cigna to discuss the keys to leading multi-generational sales teams. It's a fascinating conversation in which you'll learn about the challenges and rewards of building sales teams from diverse age groups.Challenges With Leading Multi-Generational Sales TeamLeading a multi-generational sales team can be challenging. The differences in values, work styles, communication preferences, and technological competencies will stretch you as a leader. These challenges include: Different work values: Different generations may have varying work ethics and priorities, making it difficult to align everyone towards common goals. Communication differences: Younger generations may prefer digital communication, while older generations may prefer face-to-face or phone conversations. Technological competency: Younger generations may be more familiar with technology and digital tools, while older generations may require additional training and support. Different learning styles: Different generations may have different preferences for how they learn and receive information, making it challenging to provide training and development opportunities that accommodate everyone. Resistance to change: Some team members may resist new technologies, processes, or ways of working that are introduced to the team.To effectively lead a multi-generational sales team, you must adapt to these differences and foster collaboration, communication, and teamwork across generations.The Strengths of Multi-Generational Sales TeamsThe good news is that multi-generational sales teams bring a diverse range of skills, perspectives, and experiences to the table. ThisΒ leads to numerous strengths over teams that lack this level of diversity. Diversity of ideas: Team members from different generations can bring unique perspectives, experiences, and creative approaches to problem-solving and decision-making. Range of skills: Different generations bring different skill sets and competencies to the table, such as expertise in different technologies or a deep understanding of traditional sales techniques. Mentorship: Older team members can provide mentorship to younger team members, while younger team members can bring help their older team members embrace new ideas and tech. Flexibility: A multi-generational sales team can be more flexible and adaptable to changing market conditions, customer needs, and technological innovations. Increased customer understanding: Team members from different generations can help the team better understand and connect with customers from different age groups and backgrounds.By leveraging the strengths of multi-generational sales teams, you will quickly increase sales and deliver better numbers.Seven Keys to Leading and Coaching Multi-Generational Sales TeamsLeading a multi-generational sales team requires understanding and accommodating the differences and unique strengths of each generation. It can be rewarding, but it's not easy.Here are a few tips to effectively lead a multi-generational sales team: Communicate effectively: Use clear, concise, and consistent communication to ensure everyone understands their role, goals, and expectations. Provide opportunities for development: Offer ongoing training and professional development opportunities to help your team grow and meet their career aspirations. Foster a positive work environment: Encourage collaboration, teamwork, and open communication, and celebrate the successes of your team. Flexibility in work styles: Recognize and accommodate different work styles, preferences, and technological needs of each generation. Embrace diversity: Recognize and respect the diversity of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences of each team member.
On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, we are switching things up to take on a very important topicβ Chronic Lyme Disease.Jeb Blount (Sales Gravy) and Fred Diamond, co-founder of the Institute for Excellence in Sales (IES) discuss Fred's latest book, Love, Hope, Lyme and his personal journey supporting a loved one with Chronic Lyme Disease.You'll learn what Lyme Disease is, the devastating effects that Chronic Lyme Disease has on hundreds of thousands of people each year, why prevention is key, and how you can support anyone in your life who is battling a chronic illness.Living With Someone Who Has Chronic Lyme DiseaseLiving with a loved one who has Chronic Lyme Disease can be emotionally and mentally challenging, as the condition can cause a wide range of symptoms that can affect the person's physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Your loved one may experience depression, anxiety, and irritability as a result of their condition.Fred discusses how important it is to be supportive, patience, and understanding. He explains that everyone's experience with Chronic Lyme Disease is different, so it's important to be flexible and open to different approaches to treatment and care.One of the most difficult aspects of living with someone who has Chronic Lyme Disease is dealing with the person's ongoing fatigue and pain. These symptoms can make it difficult for the person to perform daily tasks and can also affect their mood and ability to socialize.But, as Fred says, where there is love, there is hope.What is Lyme DiseaseLyme disease is an infectious disease caused by a bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi. It is primarily spread through the bite of infected black-legged ticks, also known as deer ticks. The black-legged tick is found in wooded, brushy, and grassy areas, and when it bites, it can transmit the bacteria to the person.The most common early symptoms of Lyme disease include fever, fatigue, headache, muscle and joint pain, and a bull's-eye rash. The rash, called erythema migraines (EM), usually appears at the site of the tick bite and can expand to become a large red area.Chronic Lyme DiseaseChronic Lyme disease, also known as post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS), is a condition that can occur after a person has been treated for an initial infection with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.People with PTLDS may continue to experience symptoms, such as fatigue, pain, and cognitive difficulties, long after the bacteria have been cleared from their body. Fred explains that this is why it is difficult and frustrating for people who are living with Chronic Lyme disease to get physicians and loved ones to believe them.The cause of PTLDS is not fully understood, but it is thought that it may be related to ongoing inflammation or damage to tissues caused by the initial infection. Some researchers also believe that the bacteria may persist in the body, despite treatment, and continue to cause symptoms.Lyme Disease SymptomsThe symptoms of Lyme disease can vary widely and may be different for each person. The most common symptoms include: Erythema migrans (EM) rash: A bull's-eye rash that appears at the site of the tick bite, usually within 3 to 30 days after the tick bite. The rash can expand to become a large red area and may or may not be itchy or painful. Flu-like symptoms: fever, chills, fatigue, headache, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes. Neurological symptoms: difficulty concentrating, memory problems, and headaches. Some people may also experience facial palsy, which is a temporary weakness or drooping of the facial muscles. Cardiovascular symptoms: irregular heartbeats, or chest pain. Arthritis: joint pain and swelling, especially in the knees. Bell's palsy: It is a sudden weakness or paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face.Symptoms of Lyme disease can appear in stages.
On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount and Colleen Stanley discuss the importance of Reality Testing sales pipeline opportunities. **Please note that this episode was recorded in a restaurant in Milan Italy. The content quality is excellent. The sound quality not so much.Reality testing sales pipeline opportunities is an important step in ensuring the success of your sales efforts and the effective use of your time. It's important to regularly check the accuracy of your assumptions about the viability of the deals in your pipeline against hard evidence that those deals are advancing in line with your sales process.Reality testing is described as the ability to see things as they are, rather than what you would like them to be. You cannot afford to waste time with pipeline opportunities that you won't win. Nor can you spend time with stakeholders who can't or won't buy. For sellers, the greatest waste of time is spending it with the wrong prospect. As we move into a period of market volatility, it is critical for self-professionals to get real about what's in their pipeline.Β The Problem With Confirmation Bias Confirmation bias is a type of cognitive bias that involves paying more attention to information that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or hypotheses, while giving less attention to information that contradicts those beliefs. It is the human tendencyΒ to see what we want to see and hear what we want to hear.Β With sales pipeline opportunities, confirmation bias can lead salespeople to interpret new information in a way that fits with their preexisting views, even if that interpretation is not necessarily accurate. It's the act of putting on rose colored lenses.Β For example: When a buyer says, "I might be interested." It is interpreted to mean, "I absolutely want to do business with you."Confirmation bias can have a number of negative effects. It causes salespeople to hold onto false beliefs, make flawed decisions, have clouded judgement, and to be more resistant to pushback from leaders during pipeline reviews. Awareness is the key to overcoming this natural human bias. This, in fact is what reality testing is all about - considering a diversity of viewpoints from your leaders and team members along with actively testing and challenging your own beliefs and assumptions.Β Empty Pipeline Lead Confirmation BiasΒ Confirmation bias and false beliefs about sales pipeline opportunities run rampant on sales floors. Just sit in a pipeline review for ten minutes and you'll hear salespeople using all manner of excuses to justify deals that will never close. This is why most sales pipelines are little more than pipe dreams and sales teams consistently miss forecasts.The culprit, in most cases though, is simple: Empty pipelines.When salespeople are consistently prospecting and keeping their pipe full, they are much more in tune with reality. When an opportunity is not advancing they quickly run a reality test and if it doesn't meet their win probability standards, they'll walk away.In other words, a full pipeline begets clear judgement.On the other hand, salespeople with empty pipelines are desperate. They are consumed with confirmation bias. They hold on to loser deals and waste inordinate amounts of time working opportunities that will never close.Therefore, the easiest way to get good at reality testing your pipeline opportunities is to start prospecting and keep your pipeline full.Focus on Winnable DealsThis may be a blinding flash of the obvious but if you want to sell more, spend your time with and invest resources in deals that will close. Desperate sales reps have a bad tendency to ignore win probability and scratch lottery tickets.High-performing sales professionals are consistency reality testing on every deal to gauge win probability. When WP drops below a comfortable threshold, they walk away and focus their time and attention on winnable d...
In today's world there are few barriers to career change. Top sales talent can walk out of your door to another career opportunity at any time. This puts more pressure on sales leaders than ever before to foster a sales culture and team environment that compels people to stay.
On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount (People Follow You) sits down with Helen Fanucci author of the brand new book, Love Your Team, to discuss what sales leaders must do to retain talent build and stronger teams through human connection.
In this wide ranging discussion on modern sales leadership you'll learn:
The language of sales coaching Why sales leadership is personal What you really get paid for as a sales leader Tactics for 1-2-1 meetings How to approach turn-around situations How to prepare for a future sales leadership role What to do when you meet your team for the first time And much more . . .
In her new book, Helen writes that the hybrid work revolution has made sales management the most pivotal role in the innovation economy. Pivotal means that your team's performance rest squarely on your shoulders. To be successful you must be adept at both implementing and executing a system of sales management AND winning the hearts of your sellers.
Hiring the right salespeople is a huge challenge for sales leaders. This is why we developed the Sales Managers Ultimate Interview Guide. This FREE 25 page guide walks you through a step-by-step process for hiring your next sales superstar: https://salesgravy.com/ultimate-sales-interview-guide/
They say you can't make more time. On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, I challenge you to consider how you can make more time through improvements in sales productivity and reinventing the way that you work.
I want you to take a moment and think back to the early days of the pandemic. You were likely working at home because everything was locked down.Β
Then fast forward a couple of months to the summer of 2020. Sales teams were hitting all time records. Many individual sales professionals were selling more and earning more than ever before.Β
The secret to their success? They were suddenly more productive.
Sellers were getting more done, in less time, with better outcomes because all of the distractions that typically took them away from high impact sales activities were gone.Β The Three Choices Each moment of your sales day you make one of three choices about time. You can do:
Trivial things like watch cat videos.Β Important things like entering data into the CRM or responding to e-mail. Impactful things that generate revenue growth.
The most impactful thing you can do is put new opportunities into the pipeline and then advance those opportunities through the pipeline. If you're an account manager, you make an impact by expanding and retaining your accounts.Β Impact = Productivity The equation for productivity is: Efficiency + Effectiveness = Productivity
Simply put, the key to productivity is getting more done, in less time, with better outcomes. That's how you win in sales. It is also the key to making more time in your life for the things that really matter. Time Leakers I'm always shocked by just how much time sales professionals waste.Β For example, a recent study demonstrated that salespeople leak two to three hours each day from distractions - little things like looking down at their phone when it buzzes, beeps, or the screen lights up.Β
At one point in my career, I was the number one sales professional in my company with a high six-figure income to show for it. I was able to accomplish this by working hard for about 10 hours a week because I allowed no leakage of time. I sold more more, in less time than my peers who wasted an extraordinary amount of time on superfluous activities. This afforded me time to invest with my family and in other pursuits.Β
If you take an honest look at your own day, you're likely leaking time everywhere.
When I'm working with sales professionals on productivity improvement initiatives, I'll often break their day apart into blocks and demonstrate how they can get their normal eight to ten hours of work accomplished in five to six hours through time blocking, attention control, and work compression.Β
Veterans who have a good handle on their territories and pipeline, can do their job in about four hours a day once they learn how to compress work into short sprints.Β Trade Productivity For More Time One of the big things that we learned during the pandemic is the importance of making more quality time in our lives for family, friends, and ourselves.Β
Yet, now that the pandemic has ended, the workplace is quickly snapping back from the days of work from home productivity to trading time for money. In other words, the boss or the company dictates an "8 hour day" or "5 day work week" and therefore we expand our work into those constructs regardless of how long it actually takes to get the work done.Β
In sales, at least in field sales, you have much more autonomy with how you manage your time than most employees. Because of this, you have the unique luxury to break free from the time for money handcuffs and begin trading productivity for more time.
If you make the choice to become disciplined with time and your sales day, so that you accomplish more impactful work, in less time with greater outcomes, you'll quickly make time to do the fun things in your life that really matter.Β Protect Your Career
Economic winter is coming. Storm clouds are brewing. And with it is going to be a recession. On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount discusses why you need to prepare right now for the economic storm. This Time Will Be Different This recession will be different than anything we've recently experienced because we'll also be dealing with inflation.Β There will be the potential for the long slog of stagflation in some some economies.Β
We are still going to have some supply chain issues and interest rates are going to be crazy. If you need to borrow money, it will be painful.
There will be poverty and hunger. People who can't afford the cost of energy will be shivering in the cold.Β In the midst of this economic downturn and disruption we'll be dealing with war and the potential for a nuclear confrontation.Β
All you need to do is look at your news feed and it's frightening. Get Right With Reality If you are a sales professional, the big question is what should you do to prepare for the storm right now?Β
Helping you to prepare is one of the key reasons I wrote my new book Selling In A Crisis.
Sales professionals are always on the leading edge of the economy. We are going to get hit hardest by the economic storm and we're the ones that are going lead the world out of this mess.Β
The most important thing you can do is to be right now. Focus on what you can control in the present.Β Β You've got to get right with reality and reality is, winter is coming.Β This Ain't Easy Street It is not going to be easy. A few months ago your phone's ringing off the hook today. Today, nobody is going to call you.
Therefore, you are going to need to start hunting to find the money that's still moving.Β And there's always money moving. But it's going to be a tough grind to find it.Β
Look around. Half the people that you work with right now won't be here when we get to the end of this economic downturn.Β They won't be willing to step up to the plate and do the hard work.Β Β
This ain't easy street. That's why you have to get right with reality. Right now and prepare to work harder.Β Start With Right Now Actions What can you do right now to:
get your mindset right? get connected to reality? let go of your need to find Easy Street? protect your income, family and career? invest in yourself? improve your sales skills?
Rather than worrying, focus on the three things you can control. Your actions, reactions, and mindset. Β
InΒ Selling In A Crisis Jeb gives you 55 easy to consume tips, techniques, and tactics that are time-tested and proven to help you stay on top when everything and everyone else is down.
Recession. Inflation. Stagflation. Stockmarket Free Fall. Energy Crisis. Supply Chain Crisis. Political Divisiveness.War.
We are living and selling in a time of deep volatility. It is more challenging to close business, objections are harsher, and qualified buyers are becoming more scarce.
On this special episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount delivers a powerful message about what it takes to outsell this crisis. You'll learn why it pays to think like a squirrel, why rainmakers are already digging for ponies, and why you need to get right with reality and put your swimsuit on.
Right now you have to be better than you ever were before, get back to the fundamental and basics, and stay out of buckets with crabs. In this podcast you'll learn the truth about winning and selling in a crisis.
InΒ Selling In A CrisisΒ Jeb gives you 55 easy to consume tips, techniques, and tactics that are time-tested and proven to help you stay on top when everything and everyone else is down.Β Read the first three chapters, FREE.
On this episode of theΒ Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount and Jennifer Smith, CEO of Scribe, give you tips and tactics for working smarter, dealing with repetitive tasks that slow you down, and getting more done in less time with better outcomes.
You must protect your prime selling time at all costs. Time is your most precious resource. You cannot make more, add more, or find more. Do not allow it to be diluted by non-sales activities.Β
Time is the great equalizer. Every person on earth has exactly 24 hours each day. No more. The choices you make about how you invest your time, directly correlates to the sales outcomes you deliver.Β
Only 6 to 8 hours each day are available for sales activities, that is, prospecting, advancing pipeline opportunities, and closing. Your daily mission is to squeeze as much selling out of these Golden Hours as possible. Sales professionals who protect their prime selling timeβthe Golden Hoursβwill get ahead, stay ahead, and win while others lose.Β
Your most pressing challenge is keeping non-sales activities from interfering with your Golden Hours. This includes interruptions from customers who use you their Chief Problem Solver. When you make it easier for customers to help themselves, you'll get more time back in your sales day for selling. Jennifer Smith is on a mission to help you protect your Golden Hours.Β
Try SCRIBE for free at: https://scribe.how/salesgravy with Promo Code - SALESGRAVY
Ever wondered how you can get the attention of that elusive prospect you've been chasing? You know the one. The big fish that is your ticket to President's club a huge commission check.
You know how to sell - that's your job, after all - but getting CEOs and other VIPs to call you back is the tricky part.Β So what if that impossible-to-reach person weren't so impossible to reach after all?
Hall of fame-nominated marketer and Wall Street Journal cartoonist Stu Heinecke discovered that he could get past traditional gatekeepers and reach those elusive executives by thinking outside the box and using personalized approaches that he calls "contact campaigns".
On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Fanatical Prospecting author Jeb Blount and Stu discuss creative ways to get meetings with anyone. You'll learn that the secret is about being creative, thinking out of the box, demonstrating authenticity and sincerity, and having a little fun along the way.
Get more meeting with effective Prospecting Sequences. Download our free how to guide here: https://salesgravy.com/seven-steps-prospecting-sequence-guide/
If you want to succeed at any job, make yourself invaluable. Go the extra mile; make them never be able to imagine what life without you there would be like. - Ross Mathews Selling in a crisis is tough. Losing your job during an economic downturn is worse. Now more than ever, you need your income. If you lose your job, there is a much higher probability that you will take a pay cut when you land your next one or end up in a role or company that you dislike.Β No Mercy for Anchors The good news for you and sales professionals everywhere is that most organizations and their leaders are smart. They understand that in volatile times like this, they need productive salespeople more than ever. Businesses cannot survive without a steady stream of new sales and loyal customers.Β
The optimum word here is productive. In a recession, everything and everyone will be examined for its value. If you drain resources rather than generating sales and profits, you are gone. There is no mercy for anchors when the ship is sinking. How to Get Fired in a Crisis:
Failure to prospect Low activity and productivity Lose customers Mediocre performanceΒ Poor time management and organization Wasting resources Coasting along Quiet quitting Making excuses Surprising the boss with bad news Complaining Being difficult to work with
The bottom line is, when your leadership team is faced with making decisions about sales force reductions, the dead wood gets cut first. Therefore you need to be indispensable to your boss and organization.Β Excellence is a Choice Mediocrity, just like excellence, is a choice. Therefore, the most effective way to protect your job is to make the decision to be excellent. Hereβs how you become indispensable and advance your career in a crisis:
Get back to the basics Be fanatical about prospecting and fill your pipeline Sell better Retain your customers Contribute and be a team player Volunteer for projects and always offer to lend a hand Look for ways to add value Consistently ask the boss how you can help Come in early and stay late Give more effort Mentor struggling team membersΒ Contribute in team meetings Attack the day with drive and optimism Be a beacon of light with your positive attitude Go the extra mile
Change your way of thinking about work. Devote yourself to your companyβs survival. Make a commitment to prove your worth to your boss, company, prospects, and customers every day. Be and become a person that your organization cannot live without. Going the Extra MileΒ Going the extra mile is powerful in a world where mediocrity is the norm and most people wonβt. These things may seem small, but in todayβs world the majority of your competition fails in these obvious areas:Β
Showing up early for meetings and being preparedΒ Following upΒ Checking spelling and grammar on your emails and written documents Always looking, acting, and dressing like a professional Volunteering for special projects Coming in early and staying late Keeping your wordΒ Doing more than is required Really listening to your prospects and looking for ways to solve their problemsβregardless of the impact on your commission checkΒ Taking personal responsibility to ensure that your support team follows through on their obligationsΒ Telling the truth when youβve made a mistake or cannot come through on a promise Constantly looking for ways to add value and do more A commitment to excellence in everything you doβeven when no one is looking Being persistent and relentless Blocking your time and wading through a massive amount of rejection to find people who will buy from you At the end of the day, when you are exhausted, frustrated, and ready to quit, willing yourself to make one more call
There are no traffic jams on the extra mile. When you are there, you will stand out and your career will flourish.
Putting Aside Time Every Day to Prospect Will Keep Your Pipeline Full Kaizen is a theory that developed in Japan after World War II and revived the country, their spirit, and their commerce. Itβs similar to what we call βfeeding the pipeline,β and involves the art of cumulative prospecting. If you set aside time every day for prospecting, you will find a steady flow of success and less stress! I recently posted a podcast of my discussion with Kristin Austin, where we talked about the importance of perseverance in life and sales and how you can apply the same theory of continuously moving forward to finding satisfaction and success in both.
Japan was in ruins after World War II, and the nation had the task of cleaning up the devastation and overcoming the hopelessness and helplessness that had taken hold. A movement developed that is now a part of their national ideation to this day. Itβs called βKaizen,β and is similar to what Kristin and I discussed. What is Kaizen? Kaizen in Japanese means βa change for continuous improvement.β In this case, itβs a business philosophy rooted in making small progress every day to improve your life and find success. Kaizen is based on the idea that it isnβt so much about the grand changes and ideas that we have; change is found in the small steps that add up to large-scale and lasting habits that lead to success.
After hitting rock bottom, the Japanese realized that thinking about the gravity of the destruction and what they had to do to overcome it could become paralyzing. The same is true of sales. The enormity of hitting quota, closing a big sale, and feeding the pipeline can be overwhelming. This can put many salespeople in a state of paralysis where they missΒ the methodical and gradual steps to get there. Why the Kaizen Theory is the Key to Cumulative Prospecting After Kristin was in an accident that permanently altered her life, she had the choice to either give up and retire, or take small steps to get back to her career, pick up the business she had built, and do what she loved again. It initially seemed like a daunting task, so she took minuscule steps, as she called them. One was picking up the Fanatical Prospecting book to gain inspiration.
Then every day, she would do one small thing that would bring her closer to her goal. She didnβt try to set the world on fire; she set out to make one small daily improvement toward rebuilding her life. Kristin emphasized, "If you are moving in the right direction even slightly, you are moving, which differs from being paralyzed." Kaizen and the Pipeline In the podcast, we also discussed the notion of βfeeding the pipeline.β The mistake I often see salespeople make is that they fill the pipeline by prospecting up front, but once the sales start coming in, they stop feeding it.
Theyβre on a roll, so they arenβt paying attention to the fact that their pipeline is emptying. And when they do notice, they recognize that nothing is coming down the pipeline because it has gone dry. That puts them in a situation where they become desperate and focus on closing the sale, rather than solving the problems that their clients are having and making an improvement in their lives. Keeping Your Pipeline Flowing with the Philosophy of Kaizen So the key to being successful in prospecting is not letting your pipeline run dry. Letβs face it: not many people enjoy cold-calling others and asking them to buy something they may or may not want. However, thatβs not what pipelining is.
Filling your pipeline means seeking out those people who not only need your product or service; it means finding the people who would most benefit from what youβre offering. When you change your mindset from closing to helping, you increase your satisfaction, decrease your stress, and stop feeling the weight of paralyzing stress.
By taking one small and continuous step every day, or putting aside time to prospect for just one hour a day,
Are You Using LinkedIn's Marketing Power to the Fullest? I sat down with my good friend Daniel Disney, author of The Real Secret to Becoming a LinkedIn Selling Machine. He is a guru for using LinkedIn's marketing power, and as mentioned in Fanatical Prospecting, I believe that it is one of the greatest sales tools ever created - along with the car, Google, the internet, email, and the telephone. Why You Should Use LinkedIn's Marketing Power LinkedIn offers a huge opportunity for salespeople, but it isnβt easy and not everyone was born with the skills to use it. Salespeople need to learn and practice using LinkedIn. It isnβt something that you can jump into headfirst and be successful.
As salespeople, you tend to automatically sell, but with LinkedIn, you have to take a step back from your regular habits. It is all about the long game and building relationships, not quick sales.Β You Have to Find the Balance Between Your Professional Persona and the Personal You Another problem that most salespeople have when using LinkedIn is that they have a hard time finding a balance.Β
We are so used to using social media in our personal lives that when we have to use LinkedIn professionally, it feels strange and can become a balancing act between being our professional self and staying social.Β
When you get it, however, it is a very powerful tool.
LinkedIn is about nuance and building familiarity to create awareness for your product, and it is also a direct message tool. People Have Different Preferences for Receiving Messages That Resonate One thing to remember is that people have different preferences when it comes to engaging. Some like the phone, some like email, while some donβt have the time to talk and others have full email boxes.Β
LinkedIn is a different way to reach someone to start a conversation, so in some respects, it can be a pirateβs way in - but only if you use it effectively.Β
The key is reaching the prospect with the right message at the right time, and that often takes sequencing your communication so that it is cumulative and encompassing.Β
When you think about the numerous ways that we now communicate, you canβt just use one channel, be it email, telephone, instant messaging, or snail mail. You have to be the master of all of them and master using LinkedIn's marketing power.
If you only choose one silo, then statistically you are going to miss prospects. And if you do, you miss building familiarity through a channel and the cumulative effect.Β
Success lies not in one over the other; it is about using all the tools and being persistent in an authentic way.Β Persistence is the Key to Building a Certain Amount of Reciprocity Persistence is a mental skill for people, and it demonstrates that you care about them and believe that you have the solution to help them.Β
Also, when you are persistent on a genuine level of obligations, you develop a certain amount of reciprocity.Β
When someone does something nice for you, and you are in the right place at the right time, you are likely to gain their business. You have to blend and sequence all the channels that you have to reach your prospect, which involves cumulative messaging.Β
People have so many different ways of communicating that you need to hit them from every angle you have at your disposal. Using LinkedIn's marketing power comprehensively can help you achieve that! Consistency Adds Cumulative Layers of Messaging The key to LinkedIn is consistency. If you walk into a conference room and you stand in the corner and donβt say a word, you arenβt going to make any connections.Β
If you walk in, however, and you strike up conversations with people, you are going to create connections that will generate business. That is the nature of LinkedIn.Β
If you show up consistently and people see you more and more, they build familiarity with you and get to know you. It is all of those cumulative layers where every time they see yo...
βLife is short. Hug the people that you love and make sure that they know you love them without hesitation. Anything can happen to anyone, at any time. We all live with this concept that we are safe if we can control everything, but sometimes the Universe has different plans. That applies to sales too. Sometimes you think you have a sale in the bag and it all falls apart without anything that you have done. You have to roll with it and keep on keeping on." - Kristen Austin When Kristin Austin was hit by a car, her world fell apart. On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast she shares how she climbed out of a deep hole to resurrect her business and life, one prospecting call at a time.
There is no doubt that we all find ourselves hitting roadblocks that seem impossible to overcome. If you are in that situation, Kristin's story is sure to inspire you to take action and get past whatever is holding you back. You'll learn how to get back up when life knocks you down. Life Knocks Kristen Down Kristin Austin was hit by a vehicle in May 2018. After regaining consciousness, she began two-years of recovery. This required her to rebuild her life from the ground up.Β
Kristin owned a business for over ten years that was rooted in marketing and sales; she was a university instructor, a wife, and a mother - and suddenly it all stopped. She was forced to put things in place to keep her business running in her absence and focus on the basics of relearning how to be Kristin. Kristen Gets Back Up Forced to stay home and slow her pace, she decided to go back to the basics. Her mission was to get out of her own head and figure out how to get back to the life she left behind out of necessity.
The Fanatical Prospecting Book awakened her spirit because it put her back into a mindset of figuring out a plan about what she had to do, how she was going to do it, and how to get back out there. Throughout her life, Kristin was a salesperson, starting early as a child selling watermelon on Bondi Beach, and moving on to ultimately being a pharmaceutical rep.
The message from Fanatical Prospecting that inspired Kristin was, βIf you do the work, the sales gods will reward you.β Once she read that phrase, she immediately got onto LinkedIn and posted about it. And the same day, people responded by coming out of the woodwork to inspire her with words of encouragement to get back up and do what she did best: SELL.Β The More You Prospecting, The Luckier You Get At her lowest, Kristen stuck in her house recovering, feeling worthless, insecure, and shut down. Then the pandemic presented a surprise opportunity when Kristin took over as head of sales with a new company.
There was still the negative self-talk and insecurity. She focused an important lesson from Fanatical Prospecting:Β βThe more you prospect, the luckier you get.β This inspired her to keep moving forward.Β
Some days were really hard, and others were like shooting fish in a barrel - but above all, she was back in the game and this gave her life purpose. Put in the Work Kristen's story teaches us that when life knocks you down, you can get back up. You just have to put in the work. We can all become paralyzed with fear, negativity, and hopelessness - but the trick is to move forward. Kristin, even at her lowest, found the faith to know that if you continue trudging ahead, things will change.
"Nothing happens until you move. Nothing happens until someone sells something. The big lesson I learned is that you have to do something. If what you are currently doing isnβt working, then do something else. Donβt keep doing the same old thing."
When Kristin hit rock-bottom, she turned to Sales Gravy University, knowing that it might be a small step to go back to the basics, but it was a step nonetheless. If things werenβt converting on a daily basis, she had to take a breath and not freak out. Kristin developed the faith to believe that as long as she was moving forward,
Are you willing to do whatever it takes to reach your goals and dreams, build your business, climb the sales leaderboard at your company, or bounce back from failure?
Lot's of people have dreams but few actually grind it out and turn those dreams into reality. The good news is that you can defy the odds to get everything that you want in business and in life if you are willing to do whatever it takes.
On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount and Brandon Bornancin dive into what it really means to be willing to do what ever it takes.
No matter who you are or where you come from, your education, or your network, you can create the life you want and build the business youβve only dreamed about.
Brandon's journey is all the proof you need.
He graduated college flat broke. He started a business that was an epic failure. Then he turned it all around β before he was 30 β closing over $100 million in sales for Google and IBM and founding two multimillion-dollar companies, the second named βLinkedInβs Top 50 Startups.β
How did he do it? By doingΒ Whatever It Takes.
Grab a free copy of Jeb Blount's brand new book Selling the Price Increase here: https://salesgravy.com/selling-the-price-increase-free/
On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast Jeb Blount, Jr sits down with author Andy Paul to discuss what it means to Sell Without Selling Out. Together they discuss why it is so important to make selling more human.
You'll learn that persuasion is not a sales skill. Instead it is a blunt instrument of last resort that sellers use when they donβt know how to influence the choices buyers make.
Get a leg up on your sales career with our free sales training resources. Check them out here: https://salesgravy.com/resources/
Video messaging is hot and it is a core component of effective prospecting sequences because it works! At Sales Gravy we love using video messages to grab the attention of prospects.
Our favorite tool for sending those messages is Vidyard. That's why we were thrilled when Vidyard CEO and Co-Founder, Michael Litt agreed to sit down with Jeb Blount, Jr. on the Sales Gravy Podcast to discuss the future of video messaging.
If you are the kind of person that likes to be on the leading edge of sales technology and techniques, you will love this episode!
LinkedIn is one of the greatest tools ever created for sales professionals. It ranks right up there with the car, telephone, and the internet.
Leveraging LinkedIn gives you the ability to connect with and learn more about prospects and customers than at any other time in history. Sales professionals who master LinkedIn quickly rise to the top of the ranking report.
On this Sales Gravy podcast episode, Jeb Blount and Daniel Disney discuss the real secrets to becoming a LinkedIn selling machine. You'll learn the keys to to filling your pipeline with qualified opportunities, building your personal brand, improving your closing ratios, and increasing your income.
NEW BOOK: Jeb Blount's new book, Selling the Price IncreaseΒ is an essential handbook for sales professionals, account managers, customer success teams, and other revenue generation leaders looking for a page-turning and insightful roadmap to navigating the essentialβand nerve-wrackingβworld of price increases. Get your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Selling-Price-Increase-Ultimate-Customers/dp/111989929X/
The buyers in procurement are professionally trained to negotiate. Salespeople not so much. This can put you at a huge disadvantage when you are forced to negotiate with them. But not anymore.
On this fascinating Sales Gravy Podcast episode, Jeb Blount who is the author of the sales negotiating book INKED and Mike Landers an ex-procurement buyer turned sales trainer teach you the secrets to playing to win, when negotiating with procurement.
You'll learn the keys to mastering the sales negotiating chessboard and going toe to toe with professional buyers who are paid to extract maximum concessions from you.
Want more tips on effective sales negotiation? Then download our free training guide on the Seven Rules of Sales Negotiation here: https://salesgravy.com/7-rules-sales-negotiation-guide/
On this special episode of the Sales Gravy podcast you'll step into the shoes of a Senior Vice President of Sales.Β Jeb Blount, Jr. (A.K.A. JBJ) interviews Ammon Woods who is the Senior Vice President of Sales for Shred-It and Communication Solutions at Stericycle.
If you love sales and sales origin stories you'll enjoy this wide ranging interview on the keys to high-performance in sales. If you aspire to rise to the upper echelons in your organization, this episode will give you a peak behind the curtain into what it's like lead a large, national sales team.
Looking for more free resources to help you boost your sales career? We've got them here: https://salesgravy.com/resources/
On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Jeb Blount (author of Selling the Price Increase) and Donald C. Kelly (host of the Sales Evangelist podcast) discuss how to approach customers with price increases. You'll learn techniques, tactics, and strategies for crafting price increase messages, planning price increase conversations, and compelling customers to accept price increases without losing their business.
At Sales Gravy we are constantly adding free sales training resources to our growing library of downloads. Check them out here:Β https://salesgravy.com/resources/
Most sales organizations and sales enablement teams are actively seeking ways to ramp salespeople up fast on new sales technology.
Likewise, many sales leaders and executives have experienced the frustration of investing in Sales Tech only to see it go unused by their sellers. If you've been there, you know that it's a huge waste of money when sales teams fail to adopt sales tools.
On this episode of theΒ Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount, Sr (Author of Fanatical Prospecting) and Sean Adams (Head of Sales for iorad), discuss how to ramp salespeople up fast on new sales technology and the keys to teaching salespeople how leverage sales technology to become more productive.
At Sales Gravy we are constantly adding free sales training resources to our growing library of downloads. Check them out here: https://salesgravy.com/resources/
βGod, when I cross the truth, give me the awareness to receive it the consciousness to recognize it the presence to personalize it the patience to preserve it and the courage to live it.β β Matthew McConaughey, Greenlights
The number one reason for failure in sales is an empty pipeline. The number one reason for an empty pipeline is the failure to prospect every day, every day, every day.
This is the truth. A brutal, universal, and undeniable truth. But, of course, the truth, as the saying goes, is like poetry and everyone effing hates poetry.
A few weeks back, my 24-year-oldΒ sonΒ was delivering a telephone prospecting workshop to a group of sales development reps (SDRs) who were all about his age. Early in the training, one of the reps pointed out that my mega-bestselling bookΒ Fanatical Prospecting, βWas written a while back.β And asked, βIs it even relevant anymore?β
The young, always eager for the next bright, shiny thing and ready to chunk any ideas perceived to be βold.β Thatβs always been true from one generation to the other. ANY EXCUSE NOT TO PROSPECT What is also true though is that sales reps of all generations, for at least the past 125 years, have been willing to make any excuse, and I mean any excuse, to avoid the grind and pain of prospecting. And thatβs exactly what this young man was seeking to do.
He wanted my son to let him off the hook. To say that prospecting was old-school, that the marketing department should deliver hot leads on a silver platter and that he could while away the sales day sending asynchronous, automated email spam to prospects on his companyβs sales engagement platform and call that prospecting.
Mostly, he wanted validation that βthat the telephone didnβt work anymoreβ and he could avoidΒ talking to people.
My son responded,Β βWhat do you think has changed in the past six years?β
The young SRD shot back,Β βWell, nobody answers the phone anymore.β
At that, my son pulled up his prospecting list for the day, showed it to the group, and said, βOk, letβs test your hypothesis.β Then, he began dialing, right in front of the SDRs.
In the first fifteen dials, he spoke to four decision makers and set two appointments. Then turned to the group and asked,Β βAny more questions?β
Cased closed. As Elvis Presley said so aptly, βThe truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ainβt goinβ away.β YOU CANNOT BE DELUSIONAL AND SUCCESSFUL AT THE SAME TIME Of course, there are loud voices, mostly onΒ social media outlets, who shout that cold calling is dead, the telephone is dead, sales is dead, and one form or another of prospecting is dead β depending on which way the wind is blowing that day.
Still others shout loudly from their βholier than thouβ mountain top that robots and AI should take the place of people for sales prospecting activity. They argue that allowing these bots to spam stupid humans via email, text, and direct messaging is the secret to all present and future sales success.
It isnβt. People hate robots and spammers. Put these two annoyances together and it only serves to turn prospects off and teach them to ignore generic, mindless robot messages.
βBeing loud,β says Mark Homer, in Uncommon Sense, βdoesnβt increase the value or validity of their opinion. In fact, often by the very nature of being the loudest, those opinions are typically the furthest from reality.β
The young sales rep in the story above is among the multitudes of sales professionals who are susceptible to these messages that pander to their fear and discomfort with interrupting strangers with prospecting activity.
On a perpetual trip to delusionville and burdened by confirmation bias, sales professionals who believe that they can avoid prospecting seek out any information or excuse that contravenes the truth and gives them an easy way out.
But you cannot be delusional and successful in sales at the same time.
The results are predictable.
During the holiday season, sales professionals face a host of difficult challenges. The holidays offer a perfect excuse not to go out and prospect new business. It is harder to close deals in December and create urgency with pipeline opportunities, let alone engage and get meetings with new prospects.
And now more than ever, it's critical to have proper time discipline to reach your goals and crush your number as the end of the year approaches, while also setting yourself up to have a robust Q1 pipeline in the new year.
In this conversation between Jeb Blount (Fanatical Prospecting) and Anthony Iannarino (Eat Their Lunch), they break down exactly how to deal with these end of year roadblocks and truly outsell the holidays.
You'll learn how to sell more and still have fun over the holidays!
You get specific tips, tactics, and techniques for compelling buyers to act, prospecting, time management, and keeping your pipeline full so you start the new year strong.
Jeb and Anthony will also teach you how to:
Target high potential prospects who have an urgency to buy nowβ maybe they have left over budget or are looking for year-end specials for products or services Create urgency with pipeline opportunities by using the emotional and business outcome value equation Build your Q1 pipeline with targeted lists and daily outbound prospecting Develop a daily battle rhythm with high intensity activity sprints and time blocking strategies
Also find out:
How much is too much when it comes to holiday promotions and marketing offers.
Listen to the podcast or watch the video HERE.
You may also want to read: Why Holiday Parties Can Make or Break Your Sales Career
This is another episode of #AskJeb where Jeb answers a question, from Justin, a sales leader based in Dallas. Justin asked: "What's the best predictive indicator of a person becoming a sales champion."
Sales Champions Are Optimists This is a question that sales leaders all across the globe grapple with because they all want to hire sales champions and build sales champions. The answer is relatively simple, and it's based on studies that have come from numerous places. It comes down to optimism. Salespeople who have a higher degree of optimism tend to become champions, and for good reason.
Salespeople face a lot of defeat, a lot of rejection, and so many things can go wrong in sales that salespeople who wallow in that defeat have a tendency to crash and burn pretty quickly. Sales Champs Forget Failure Fast However, the salespeople who forget rejection fast or forget failure fast and see the next yes, the next opportunity around the cornerβ those are the salespeople who are more likely to be more mentally resilient. They have a stronger ability to make a shift or be more agile.
They're the ones that when things go wrong, rather than saying, "Why me? Why is this happening to me?" they're more likely to say, "What am I supposed to learn from this failure? What am I supposed to learn from this defeat?" Therefore, they continue to grow and improve over time. So How Do You Find Salespeople Like That? The key is in your interview process. During the interview, you're looking for that glimmer of optimism. You need to ask questions about what they have done in the past when they faced defeat. Have them give you a specific situation where they failed and what they did next. Create A Winning Atmosphere As a leader, you want to hire people who have a high degree of optimism, but you also want to build that optimism by creating an atmosphere that people want to be in.
That's a winning atmosphere that rewards people for the good work that they do by patting them on the back and doesn't beat them up for the things that they do wrong.
Instead, it coaches them when they do things that don't work out to get better or to learn from that.
Through your coaching and through your leadership, you want to build an environment where you're fostering and nurturing that optimism because optimism is the greatest predictor of a person becoming a sales champion.
Take your prospecting campaigns to the next level, get into more doors, build deeper relationships, and close more deals with the techniques in our FREE guide,Β The Seven Steps To Building Effective Prospecting Sequences.
It's How You Sell That Matters Most On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount Jr. and Larry Levine, author of Selling From the Heart, discuss why how you sell is often more important than what you sell.
Larry and JBJ break down why sales professionals who demonstrate authenticity and empathy gain a clear competitive advantage and what it really means to sell from the heart. Watch the Video ο»Ώ
On this #AskJeb, Jeb Blount takes a question from Becca who wants to know what to do when prospects hang up on cold calls.
Getting hung up on can be disconcerting, discouraging, and often feel like rejection. But, they don't have to be.
Jeb gives you tips and tactics for dealing effectively with prospects who hang up during cold calls.
Listen above or watch the video below.
ProΒ Tip:Β Play this at your next weeklyΒ sales meeting.
On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Jeb Blount, Jr makes his debut with discussion about leveraging the telephone with Alex Goldfayn who is author of the new book, Pick Up The Phone and Sell.
In this insightful conversation, JBJ and Alex make the case that you should pick up the phone and sell because picking up the phone proactively can help you quickly double your sales.
Listen above or watch the video below:
Take your first course for FREE on Sales Gravy University with coupon code FREECOURSE.
This hard-hitting and thought provoking episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast features a deep conversation on the state of sales leadership.
Jeb Blount, author of People Follow You and Frank Cespedes, a Harvard Business school professor and author of the new book Sales Management That Works, discuss modern sales leadership challenges in a world that never stops changing.
With so much data coming at sales leaders these days, the failure to separate fact from hype, can create faulty assumptions leading to poor decisions.
Cespedes makes the point that leaders, at all levels, who embrace data while executing the tired and true fundamentals of sales management are better positioned to accelerate sales productivity and capture marketshare.
Listen to more episodes of the Sales Gravy Podcast
On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount, author of Virtual Selling, discusses the power of collecting video testimonials from your customers with film maker and producer Bruce Himmelblau. You'll learn just how easy it can be to grab these short videos and leverage them to close more sales.
On this #AskJeb, Jeb Blount takes a question from Jennifer who is looking for the best times of the day or week to make outbound cold calls. Jeb offers three of his best Fanatical Prospecting tips for timing prospecting calls. You may be surprised at his answer.
Listen above or watch the video below.
ProΒ Tip:Β Play this at your next weeklyΒ sales meeting.
On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount who is the author of People Follow You, sits down with Wanda Wallace, author of You Can't Know it All.
In this power-packed conversation Wanda and Jeb discuss why exceptional leaders don't need to have all of the answers.
Instead, top leaders focus on making themselves obsolete through coaching and developing a team of experts who know how to get the job done.
There is so much truth about leadership to unpack in this episode that you'll likely want to listen to it again and again.
Check out Jeb's Zip Line trip that was arranged by Blueboard:
Brett asks Jeb, "I made 40 prospecting calls and couldn't get anyone to pick up the phone. How to I get people to answer the telephone when I call?"
On this Ask Jeb episode, Fanatical Prospecting author Jeb Blount gives Brett three reasons why he is struggling to get people to answer his cold calls and what to do about it.
Listen above or watch the video below.
ProΒ Tip:Β Play this at your next weeklyΒ sales meeting.
Got a question you want to ask Jeb just text it to 1-706-397-4599 or CLICK HERE TO TEXT.
On this powerful episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount sits down with AJ and Johnny, hosts of The Art of Charm podcast, discuss tips and techniques for building rapport and conducting engaging sales conversations that motivate stakeholders to do business with you and close the deal.
Got a question for Jeb or comment about this episode? Text it to 1-706-397-4599 or CLICK HERE TO TEXT.
If more sales reps would do this one thing (hint: talk to people) their sales would instantly increase.
On this short, powerful episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount answers a fan question while dropping a major sales truth bomb!
Listen above or watch the video below.
Pro Tip: Play this at your next weekly sales meeting.
Got a question for Jeb just text it to 1-706-397-4599 or CLICK HERE TO TEXT.
On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast Jeb Blount and Bernie Weiss explore how to Ace It in Sales with lessons learned from selling radio advertising on the streets of New York City and the Bronx.
They take on heavy metal selling, cold calling in New York City , how to sell more by becoming an expert in industry categories, why routines matter, and how a sales career makes you a better leader.
Bernie Weiss is the President of iHeart Media New York, a lifelong student of the sales profession, and the author of the new book called Ace It!. This was one of our favorite interviews this season because Bernie is a top level executives who truly understands the value of the sales profession.
Each year, on July 4th, I reflect on the blessing to have been born in a country where anything is possible and anyone, no matter economic background, heritage, culture, race, gender, sexuality, or religion has the opportunity to succeed. This is the reason why so many people around the world dream of coming here.
Is America a perfect place? Of course not! We are a country wedded in paradox.
We fight bitterly amongst ourselves but quickly come together when there are threats or tragedy at home and abroad.
We are materialistic, yet generous when others need help.
Even though we celebrate a level playing field of one person one vote, we allow special interests on all sides to dilute the power of those votes.
There is racism, prejudice, poverty, and exclusion.
Though each person has equal opportunity to succeed, we donβt all start at the same place with the same resources.
Though we celebrate those who pull themselves up by their own bootstraps we willingly provide hand-outs to others who claim that they are victims and take advantage of the system.
In America where opportunity abounds, there is not and will never be a level playing field.
The brutal reality is that life is not fair in America. Bad things happen to good people. Bad people sometimes win.
There is defeat, failure, and plenty of roadblocks.
There are poor people and rich people.
Some people have to work harder than others to get ahead because they were born into unfortunate circumstances, dangerous neighborhoods, non-existent parents, poor schools, poverty, or are immigrants held back by language and cultural barriers.
Some believe the government uses taxation to penalize the success of those who have worked hard to make something of their lives. Others think that not everyone is paying their fair share.
Some people give, some people take.
Some people work hard and become phenomenally successful while others whine about their circumstances.
If you live in America there are myriad external forces beyond your control. There will always be obstacles in your way. There will always be something or someone to complain about.
However, when you allow these external forces to control your actions and thoughts you hand over control of your life to the government, the company, the boss, your heritage, your circumstances, the whims and opinions of others, and to your own internal voice that keeps telling you that bullshit story about βwhat you canβt do.β But what if today you stood up and declared: βStarting today I will not depend on, wait on, or hope for luck, the lottery, the company, fate, or the government to help me change my life!Β I will take responsibility. I will set my own course. I will make my own success. I will take action. I will persist. I will find lessons in setbacks. I will look forward not backward. I will turn haters into motivators. I will be empowered by my circumstances not impeded by them. I can achieve whatever I want and nothing can hold me back. I own my future. This is my Independence Day!β
True freedom is accepting and believing that you and you alone must be responsible for your life. This is how you take back control. This is how you reach your dreams. This is the spirit and foundation on which this great country was built.
This is REAL independence. Make this your Independence Day!
Listen to more Sales Gravy Podcast episodes HERE
On this episode of theΒ Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount and Anthony Iannarino recap some of the many lessons and takeaways from the OutBound Conference. In particular, they dive into two mindsets - Scarcity and Abundance - and how these mindsets can either make you a winner or inhibit your long-term success.
What does emotional intelligence have to do with sales leadership?
According to Colleen Stanley, who is the author of the hit new book Emotional Intelligence for Sales Leadership, a high EQ matters a lot. In fact, it is the real secret to building a high-performance sales team.
On this Sales Gravy podcast episode, Jeb Blount, the author of Sales EQ, and Colleen use stories of failure, successes, and personal experiences to illustrate why EQ is so important and how to apply it as a sales leader.
Download your FREE leaders guide to Sales Incentive Programs from Blueboard HERE
On this episode of theΒ Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount and Michelle Rockwood teach you how to avoid coming across as pushy and desperate and instead compel people to lean into you by leveraging the choice based closing method. It's all about selling without selling.
Before you jump on your next virtual sales call, download ourΒ FREE Video Sales Call Checklist
On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount and Cherilynn Castleman, author of What's in the C.A.R.D.S., discuss sales team diversity, why women are better at sales than men, the power of empathy, and key things you need to know about selling in a post-pandemic world. You'll love this conversation and you'll especially want to pay attention to Cherilynn's 4Fs!
Before you jump on your next virtual sales call, download our FREE Video Sales Call Checklist
OUCH! The internal sale was more challenging than closing the actual deal!
A brutal truth about B2B sales is that the internal sale (the sale after the sale) is often more challenging than the external sale (getting your prospect to sign the deal). Many sales professionals struggle with the internal sale because they don't understand how to get past those organizational hurdles.
On this powerful episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount and Victor Antonio take you step-by-step through the behavioral and mindset shifts you must make in order to master the internal sale. You'll learn immediate techniques and tactics for getting your deals embraced and approved by your organization.
TEXT JEB: We want to hear from you. Let us know what you think about this episode β we love your comments and questions. Just send Jeb a text message at 1-706-397-4599 or CLICK HERE TO TEXT.
If you are tired of being tired, you'll love this Sales Gravy Podcast episode.
Jeb Blount and Rachel Pitts (Women Your Mother Warned You About) offer tips for staying fit. For sales professionals, to out wit and out perform your competitors, you need to be physically fit because mental energy is limited by your physical energy.
Jeb and Rachel focus on the golden triangle of fitness: Sleep, Nutrition, and Motion
We want to hear from you. Let us know what you think about this episode β we love your comments and questions. Just send Jeb a text message at 1-706-397-4599 orΒ CLICK HERE TO TEXT.
On thisΒ Sales Gravy PodcastΒ episode Jeb Blount (Sales EQ) and Diane Helbig (Succeed Without Selling) discuss the power of mapping and uncovering sales process pivot points.
You will learn how these pivot points help bend win probability in your favor and offer important clues for when it may be time to walk away from a deal.
Listen to Part One β Selling Without Selling Listen to Part Two β Intentional Empathy Listen to Part Three - Sales is a Process
On thisΒ Sales Gravy PodcastΒ episode Jeb Blount (Sales EQ) and Diane Helbig (Succeed Without Selling) discuss why sales is a process. You will learn about pre-call planning, the science of selling and why winging it on sales calls is wickedly stupid.
Listen to Part One - Selling Without Selling Listen to Part Two - Intentional Empathy
On this Sales Gravy Podcast episode Jeb Blount (Sales EQ) and Diane Helbig (Succeed Without Selling) discuss intentional empathy discuss and it is a meta-skill in complex sales.
Empathy is the key to stepping into your buyer's shoes, understanding their situation, and building relationships.
Yet, the best salespeople are naturally less empathetic and more self-centered. Therefore, to be more effective at closing complex sales, they must focus on and leverage intentional empathy.
Listen to Part One β Selling Without Selling Listen to Part Three β Sales is a Process
Becoming Other-Focused Jeb: The statistics and scientific data tell us that salespeople who are more self-centered over time, have a tendency to do better than people who are more empathetic. Now there's a reason for that.
That exists in sales, and even as a business owner, you need to be a little bit self-centered because you have to put all your effort into your business. How do we, as naturally self-centered people, shift into becoming other-focused? Really Get To Know Your Prospect Diane: If you believe that being interested in other people is how you're going to get to a goal, and that goal is to have really great business with people and companies you really like and can really help, you naturally want to do whatever it takes to make that happen. Long-term, that's going to be what's best for your business and best for you.
So then if you say, βThe only way I'm going to know whether this is a relationship I should enter into is by learning about them. So I just have to make that happen.β Your focus has to be on discovery, investigation, archeology, whatever you want to call it, so that I can learn as much about themβ not just about the problem they're having that I could solveβ but about them, how they work, their philosophies, their values, etc.
Those things are all part of being in a business relationship. The more I know, the more I'm going to be able to identify how I can help them. And then I can shine because I'm going to be able to point it out to them. I'm really able to say, βThis is what I heard, this is how we can help.β
It's hard to have objections when I really heard what you said and Iβm matching everything that you told me. Then we're both walking down the same road. I think it comes down to really understanding what you want and the way to get there is by knowing as much as you possibly can about your prospect. The Best Objection In Sales Jeb: Yesterday, I was doing a training with a group of veteran salespeople and we were talking about objections. And one of the things I said to them is, βThe best objection that you get is the one that never shows up.β And it doesn't show up because you did all the work up front and you got to know them.
As you got to know them, either the objections got on the table or the objections just went away and it's often when you go, βHello, wanna buy?β you know, that's when the objections go up. So I think what you said about making sure that you're doing all of that homework is really important.
You're doing sales archeology and understanding them and as you pull all of that information in, you're matching your recommendations to what they see as both their success criteria and their evaluation criteria for doing business with you. And when you match it up, there's no objection. It just makes sense to do business together for both of you. Build Trust And Show Up As A Professional Diane: If it doesn't match up, it doesn't match up. So you say, βListen, I'm not the best resource for you. Let me point you towards somebody who is.β And there's no weird conversation, but this is also why the salesperson has to ask a lot of questions and questions that are uncomfortable like the budget question or the decision-making question.
There are ways of asking those questions so that you just continue to build trust and show up as a professional.
This Sales Gravy Podcast episode is part one of Jeb Blount's (Virtual Selling) conversation with Diane Helbig (Succeed Without Selling) about why for business owners, entrepreneurs, and sales professionals success in selling and business growth really isn't about "selling." Instead, when you focus on solving problems, that's when the real magic happens.
Listen to Part Two β Intentional Empathy Listen to Part Three β Sales is a Process
We want to hear from you. Let us know what you think about this episode β we love your comments and questions. Just send Jeb a text message at 1-706-397-4599 orΒ CLICK HERE TO TEXT.
Ps. You can accessΒ Sales Gravy University Here
Why Did You Choose To Write This Book? Diane: The book is called Succeed Without Selling: The More You Think About Selling The Less You'll Sell. I decided to write it because so many salespeople and small business owners are, in my estimation, behaving badly because they are so focused on selling that they're not getting what they want. They're not getting the results that they want and it's frustrating.
And so I thought, this is what I teach when I do sales training. What if I could put it into a book and just tell them everything about sales mindset? You know, what happens when you do this, but what happens when you do that, with scripts and, and templates in the back of the book.
If I can just give them everything, hopefully, a bell will go off in their head and they'll start doing things differently and achieve better results. So Why Does Being Successful in Sales Have Nothing To Do With Selling? Diane: When salespeople are selling, they are thinking about themselves. They're thinking about the fact that they have to hit quota, that they have to get revenue, that they have to do all of these things. Their mindset is, βI need to convince you that you need what I have to sell. I have to be eloquent enough and say the right things. I have to be persuasive.β
They do it at networking events, they do it when they're in a sales meeting, they do it all the time. And the truth is that when salespeople behave that way, they don't get the sale because they're not listening. They're not matching what they have to what that person needs. They're not hearing what the situation is.
So that's why I say that it's not about selling. It's about solving, right? It's about connecting and making sure that it's a good fit because that's how you get long-term business relationships that serve your business for decades. Sales Is Not About Selling, It's About Solving Jeb: I totally agree with you. Not that long ago, I was doing training out in Oregon and one of the people in my class was an ex CIA agent. I was teaching some concepts out of Sales EQ around human influence frameworks.
And he grabbed me and said, βWhat's the difference between what you're teaching and what we were doing as CIA agents? Essentially, when we were bringing people in, we were using the same frameworks you're teaching to get people to turn over information or rat out someone else. And I said, βThe human brain works the way the human brain works."
For example, if you listen to someone, it makes them like you more. It's just how we operate. And if they like you more and you listen to them, they're more likely to give you something because you made them feel good. I mean, that's just basic influence frameworks, but what you said is exactly how I explained it to him.
I said, βIn your line of work, you were using these influence frameworks to manipulate people into giving you what you wanted. And in my line of work, I help people, and I solve problems." "I'm Not The Right Fit For You" Jeb: The very last thing I want to do is sell someone something, or do something for someone that they don't want or don't need. And that doesn't mean that I couldn't because I'm pretty good at influencing people and persuading people. I could certainly do that.
On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Jeb Blount focuses on brokeness and the two common mindsets of highly successful people and how to grow from adversity.
This past week I stumbled on this quote passage from Vance Havner.Β
This is God uses broken things, broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength and broken people to do great things.Β
We have all been broken in some way, no matter what your path, no matter where you came from, no matter where you started, no matter where you finished, no matter how rich you are, how poor you are, everyone at some level has been broken.Β
That's good news because as human beings,Β brokenessΒ binds us together.Β It's the one thing that we all have in common.Β
When we have faced that adversity and we have grown from it, is a story that we can tell other people. It's something we have that's part of us that we can share, and we can help other people with.Β
One of the things I've noticed recently is that there are a lot of people out there that are doing everything possible to avoid being broken, avoid adversity, and avoid even being bent.Β
They avoid pain and they shy away from obstacles. This is a mistake because adversity - being broken -Β is our greatest teacher. It is through the crucible of adversity that we become stronger.Β Transformation Sometimes we're so broken that it transforms us.Β It changes us. We come back from that deep pain, different than who we were before.Β
Sometimes it opens up our eyes so that we can truly see. Other times it opens up our heart so that we can truly feel and love. That's the power of brokenness.Β
God uses broken things.Β The Two Most Important Mindsets I've had the privilege of traveling to every continent on the globe except Antarctica. Along the way I've met some incredible people from all walks of life. What I've learned about successful people, is that ultimately they share two mindsets in common.Β
First, they believe that there is a higher power in their lives that put them on Earth for a purpose, and they're supposed to fulfill that purpose. In other words, they believe that they're supposed to be successful in their walk in life.
The second thing they believe is that everything happens for a reason. This isΒ the strongest of the two because this mindset gives you strength.Β This mindset frees you from the chains of victimhood.Β
This mindset that everything happens for a reason, allows you to learn from being broken.
Learn from adversity, learn from pain, learn from the bad things that are going to happen to you; and trust me, bad things are going to happen to you.Β You will be broken again and again and again.Β Β The Choice What successful people realize is that this is just part of walking through life and you have a choice about how you view this brokenness.Β
If it makes you a victim, you learn nothing.Β It holds you down, holds you back, and leads to misery and suffering.Β Β
On the other hand, if you believe that God (or your personal higher power) uses broken things on purpose, then you ask to most uplifting question: "What am I supposed to learn from this?"
Sometimes what you learn is that you were broken because you were on the wrong path and that you need to get back to your purpose. In other situations,Β it's a signal that you need to make a quick course correction.Β What you were doing wasn't working. Try something new.
Sometimes being broken gets you fired up. It's becomes the fuel and the motivation to get back up, dust yourself off, and run back into the game.Β
God uses broken things, broken soul to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength and broken people to do great things.Β
We want to hear from you. Let us know what you think about this episode β we love your comments and questions. Just send Jeb a text message at 1-706-397-4599 orΒ CLICK H...
On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Jeb Blount (Fanatical Prospecting) answers a listener's question about how to effectively balance prospecting for new logos with serving and managing existing accounts. Balance Prospecting and Account Management Maggie is a member of my insider group, and she asked me a pretty important question about how to balance prospecting and account management. βI'm a top salesperson, and I want to stay on top. But one of the things about my job is that I have to manage and service my existing accounts, and I have to go out and look for new logos and new opportunities. And the more business that I sell, the harder it is for me to prospect to go find new opportunities so that I can sell more." If in your sales job, you have to go hunt new accounts and you have to manage the accounts that you go out and close, then Maggie's question makes a lot of sense. It's hard to be a hunter and a zookeeper at the same time.
Going out, prospecting, facing rejection, knocking on doors, picking up the phone, and calling people is completely different than servicing your accounts, upselling, cross-selling, and retaining the business that you have.
This is one of the key reasons why people struggle to balance prospecting with account management. Prospecting Sucks The truth is, in most cases, you struggle to strike a balance because prospecting sucks and you don't want to do it. It's a whole lot easier to call up an existing account, solve their problems, do customer service, and upsell and cross-sell with people that already know you than it is to pick up the phone and call an invisible stranger.
It's a whole lot easier to call a friend than to call someone that will probably reject you, because that's what happens in prospecting. You get a lot of rejection. So you say that you struggle with balance, but the reason that you're struggling is that you don't have any balance. You spend all of your time managing accounts and none of your time prospecting.
Next, you procrastinate and put off prospecting. You find every excuse not to prospect. Having an account base gives you really good excuses not to prospect, so you don't. The need to prospect and the need to fill up your pipeline begins to add up. You Can't Do All of Your Prospecting At Once Your sales manager is saying, βHey, you have to go find me some new business,β and you're not making the commissions that you want to make. There's a lot of pressure on you. So suddenly you're faced with, βOh my goodness gracious, I have to prospect.β Then you try to pile all of your prospecting into one day.
Desperately, you try to do it all at one time. That's when you start to run into big problems because you have the demands of your existing account base and you have to prospect. And nobody wants to spend an entire day prospecting because as I said earlier, prospecting sucks. Suddenly, you're overwhelmed with this big old pile of prospecting that you have to do.
So you don't prospect. Instead, you go back to account management, which makes the problem worse. Because you're overwhelmed and stressed out, you feel out of balance.
You start looking for an easy button solution to a problem that, if you're honest with yourself, you created. Not because of your workload, but because you were avoiding prospecting in the first place. Prospect Every Single Day The key is that you need to prospect a little bit every day. And when you do a little bit of prospecting every single day, you begin to take advantage of the cumulative impact of all those little bits of activity.
Breaking up your prospecting activity into little bits that you do every single day also makes it easier. It's a lot more palatable to do the things that you don't want to do in small chunks than to save it all up and do it at one time.
The first thing you want to do is begin blocking time out for prospecting. That means that it needs to be on your calendar.
On my final Coronavirus talk, I discuss what happens post-pandemic, the power of blending, and what you need to do right now to now to future-proof your sales career. The Pipe Is Life A year ago, I made the first coronavirus talk about outbound prospecting. No matter when, where, or how as a salesperson, your number one job is to go out and fill up the pipeline. A lot of people were asking questions at the outset of the coronavirus about whether or not they should prospect at all.
And if we take a look at the last year, the salespeople who kept the pipeline full, crushed it, and salespeople across all industries had the year of their life because they kept prospecting. Salespeople who were prospecting by foot and in-person moved to the telephone. People that were using the telephone found that because they were working at home and not driving as much, they could double up on their prospecting compared to the year before.
A year ago, prospecting consistently was the most important thing that you could do. And today, it is still the most important thing that you can do because the pipe is life. The number one reason why people fail in sales is that they fail to prospect. It's just that simple.
We've been through a lot this year. But as we start looking to the future, as salespeople we've got to think, βHow do we future-proof ourselves?β There's A Whole New Playing Field In Sales The one thing that is absolutely true about the last year is that we compressed about 10 yearsβ worth of innovation into a period of about 12 months. Salespeople everywhere woke up to a new playing field.Β
This playing field was being driven primarily by buyers because buyers had changed. The new playing field was, βI'm not going in person, I'm going to be on a video. I've got to learn how to leverage an omnichannel approach for connecting with my customers and moving deals through my pipeline.βΒ
What top sales professionals discovered over the last year is something called blending. How To Win With Blending Blending is choosing the communication channel at any given point in the sales process that gives you the highest probability of achieving your sales outcome at the lowest cost of time, energy, and money. This is the formula for the future: choosing the communication channel that gives you the highest probability of getting the outcome that you desire, at any given place in the sales process, with any given customer, at the lowest cost of time, energy, and money.
Essentially, itβs efficiency + effectiveness = productivity. Itβs that simple. So as you start thinking about future-proofing yourself, the number one thing you have to do is start mastering every single communication channel, whether it's direct messaging, the phone, video, email, snail mail, you name it.
It's the ability to use every possible way to connect with someone. Even with social media or smoke signals if you have to. Mastering all of those channels so that you gain a competitive edge. You can meet your buyers where they are and blend these different communication channels so that you can have more conversations with people. We Can Talk To More People In Less Time If you just go back to what I said earlier, a year ago, I talked about prospecting because one of the truths about sales is that the more people you talk with, the more you're going to sell. But because we have all these different channels to use, now it makes sense that we can talk to more people in less time, which puts more in the pipeline. That means that we're going to sell a lot more in the long run.
This is future-proofing. Sadly, over the last year, I've noticed that there are two basic types of salespeople. There are wishbones and there are rainmakers. The wishbones are the folks that were hoping and wishing that things would go back to the way they were. There are people right now looking at the end of the pandemic, which is in front of us and it's going to end very soon,
On this fun Sales Gravy Podcast episode, Sales Gravy Master Trainer Gina Trimarco and Account Executive Jeb Blount Jr discuss how they learned to love selling. From cold calling, to losing deals, and all of the challenges in between, you'll love the story of how a young college grad finds his way in the sale profession.
We want to hear from you. Let us know what you think about this episode β we love your comments and questions. Just send Jeb a text message at 1-706-397-4599 or CLICK HERE TO TEXT.
Ps. You can accessΒ Sales Gravy University Here
On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Jeb Blount is joined by the Women Your Mother Warned You About - Gina Trimarco & Rachel Pitts.
We get behind the scenes with the WYMWYA podcast, learn how Gina and Rachel almost broke up, the value of getting a coach, and why when you are coachable, other people will invest in helping you reach your goals.
We want to hear from you. Let us know what you think about this episode β we love your comments and questions. Just send Jeb a text message at 1-706-397-4599 or justΒ CLICK HERE TO TEXT.
Sales teams that read together, succeed together. Download our FREE Virtual Selling Book Club Guide for a complete kit for starting and running a book club for your sales team.
On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast Jeb Blount and Keith Lubner explore sales messaging tactics for closing bigger deals. From stories to images to stepping into your buyer's shoes, these tried and true techniques will help you both grab and hold your buyer's attention and rise above your competition.
There is no doubt that developing powerful sales messaging is one of the most challenging skill sets for modern sales professionals. Jeb and Keith break the process of down in a way that makes it easy to begin crafting sales messages that resonate.
We want to hear from you. Let us know what you think about this episode - we love your comments and questions. Just send Jeb a text message at 1-706-397-4599 or just CLICK HERE TO TEXT.
Ps. You can access Sales Gravy University Here
How to celebrate success during the pandemic? Salespeople and their leaders are asking this question.
This season, the pandemic has canceled President's Club and moved Sales Kickoffs from physical meetings to virtual. Its left many sales professionals feeling that the work they did to reach the top is anti-climatic and empty.
In this Sales Gravy Podcast episode,Β Jeb Blount and Victor Antonio discuss the keys to celebrating success and staying motivated this year and beyond.
We want to hear from you. What are you doing this year to celebrate success, reward yourself, and stay motivated? Send Jeb a text message at 1-706-397-4599 or just CLICK HERE TO TEXT. Jeb: Celebrating Victories, Big and Small We are here in studio blue with the great Victor Antonio, who I believe is one of the greatest orators of our generation. His presence on stage excites me. It's incredible, it's engaging, and his stories are real. The path that Victor took to get to where he is today is inspiring. You came up from poverty and you've built an empire since then.
I want to talk about some of the issues that people are dealing with today in that context. We're in the third wave of the pandemic right now, and I'm hearing stories of salespeople who just feel down. One of the people in my insider group sent me a text message and it broke my heart.
She's like, βI worked all year long. I put everything into getting to President's Club, and then we had our virtual sales kick-off. I saw my name on a bullet point on a slide and it was just completely anti-climatic. How do I celebrate this? How do I tell my family and friends that I had this victory in my life?β It hurt me because I know how that feels.
I loved to walk on stage and get a trophy, I lived for that as a salesperson. In fact, I told my sales manager, βI don't care about the money. I want to win. I want the trophy.β So in this world, I thought there was no better person than you to have a conversation with. What can salespeople do to celebrate their victories, both big and small? Victor: Donβt Let Others Determine Your Value It's interesting to me that people want that external validation. A trophy is an inanimate object, you know what I mean? The real victory comes from looking at everything you've done. Take a moment to reflect and say, βLook at what I did!β and walk on your own mental stage. We all want recognition.
We all want our successes to be meaningful. But if I just nailed that year, my biggest trophy was always the check. That was my trophy. For people who need that external validation, why do you need it? Why depend on somebody elseβs appreciation of you to determine your value? Appreciate it. Live in that space, man. Jeb: Trophies Are The Past, Live in The Present One of the things that I've always lived by is that when you're in second place, your job is to take first place. When you're in first place, you're competing with yourself.
The problem with getting good is that you get in first place, you win the trophy, and you forget who you're competing with. You forget that your job is to put the accelerator on instead of getting complacent. Looking at your trophies is living in the past. There are basically three places that you can live at any given time. You can live in the past. You can live in the present. You can live in the future.
The only place that's real is the present right now, the future hasn't been written, and the past doesn't exist anymore. It's just something that happened. One of the problems that we face when weβre struggling to motivate ourselves or feel that recognition is that we're living in the wrong place. We need to spend more time in the present than these other places. Victor: The Thrill of the Journey I want to challenge your perception of your success a little. I think your joy really comes in the process of getting to the next level. It has nothing to do with actually reaching the next level.
Coronavirus is Testing Mental Resilience The Coronavirus third wave is putting a strain on the mental resilience of sales professionals and impacting performance. From New Possibilities to Managing MentalΒ Resilience Β The last time I came to you with the coronavirus talk was back in July. Back thenΒ we were talking about new possibilitiesβΒ about how going through aΒ crucible of adversity helps you lift the chains of limitations off ofΒ yourself so that you can see that anything is possible if you make the choice to persevere.Β
I come to you now in January,Β duringΒ the third wave of the coronavirus,Β because Iβm noticing a big problem. Salespeople are beginning to wear out. In some cases, it's depressionΒ andΒ loneliness.Β In otherΒ cases,Β it's waiting and hoping for this to all be overΒ and constantly having your hopes dashed.Β
All of this stress and anxiety combine to put you in a situation where you just don't feel very good about life. In sales, if you don't feel good about life, it's going to be really, really hard to feel good about selling.Β Mental and Physical Drain The net result isΒ that many peopleΒ just feelΒ mentally and physically drained. In sales, you need a great deal of mental resilience because you often face so much rejection. The job is hard. And now, you have to work twice as hard to accomplish your sales goals.Β
In this environment, you need a great deal of intellectual acuity in order to outwit your competitors. Mental acuity requires a great deal of physical stamina. Likewise, mental resilience is directly impacted by physical resilience.Β
If you're allowing those days when you just feel depressed to take you down with them, then it's going to be a lot harder to to to gain the physical stamina that you need.Β A Challenge to Focus on You So my challenge to you on this Coronavirus Talk is to go look in the mirror:
Are you taking care of yourself? Drinking too much? Eating too much or the wrong things? Getting enough exercise? Are you doing things to your body that make it harder for you to recover mentally?Β
If the answer is yes, resolve to make changes. Reach deep down inside of yourself and find the discipline.
Before I made these changes, I didn't feel good, didn't really look good, and I wasn't performing at my very best. Flip forward a couple of months, with a real focus and discipline on taking care of my physical health, and I'm in a much better place.
I've got so much more energy and feel much more equipped to handle the disappointments, stress, and anxiety that come along with this horrible pandemic.Β Take Action So take action now. Start eating right, getting enough sleep, and exercising. Do this and I promise you that you will not only get through this, but you'll also put yourself in a position to win on the other side.Β
I want to hear from you. What are you doing to keep yourself mentally and physically fit during this pandemic? Send me a text message at 1-706-397-4599 or just CLICK HERE TO TEXT. More Coronavirus Talk Episodes:
Prospecting Coronavirus Talk #1 Excuses Coronavirus Talk #2 The Gift of Time Coronavirus Talk #3 Confusion Coronavirus Talk #4 Fear and Worry Coronavirus Talk #5 On Mourning Coronavirus Talk #6 GratitudeΒ Coronavirus Talk #7 On New Possibilities #8
On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount (Virtual Selling) and Matthew Pollard (The Introverts Edge to Networking) take on networking for introverts.
One of the biggest myths about networking is that to be an effective networker you need to have the βgift-of-gab" and be an outgoing self-promoter. The truth is, it's just the opposite. In fact, introverts often make the best networkers. You just need a plan, system, and authenticity.
On this paradigm-shifting podcast episode, you learn tips and tactics for leveraging your innate introvert superpowers to target prospects and influencers, engage in networking conversations, and turn networking into a repeatable system that helps you build your business and pipeline.
Join Jeb Blount's Insider Group. Text "insider" to 1-706-397-4599 or HERE
Matthew: The Inspiration Behind The Introvertβs Edge to Networking A lot of people don't like networking and I think it's because they don't understand what networking really is. They go to networking events and they see these people that do transactional networking. They have these surface-level conversations with people and they walk out with all these business cards without having a real conversation with anyone.
The cards sit on their desk and they think, βIf they call me, then I'll work with them.β And of course, they never do. So they had this mindset that networking just doesn't work. People need to be more strategic when theyβre networking. Secondly, networking doesn't just take place in a networking room.
People assume you have to be face to face because it doesn't work virtually. And now people are realizing they can actually sell more if they stay at home. Networking is the same way. Most people don't even know how to articulate the value of what they offer in three minutes when someone is politely listening.
What chance do they have when someone gives them half a second online? Jeb: What to Do With That Stack of Business Cards I was working with a group of CPAs who were going to networking events, but they weren't really getting anything out of them. When I asked about their process, they said, βWe talk to people, collect their business cards, and then we come back and wait for them to call us.β
I asked why they donβt call them, and they said, βWell, we do call them, but sometimes we'll call them like three or four weeks later. We donβt want to bother them right after the networking event.β This is not hard. Why don't you try calling them 24 hours after the networking event? Because they're probably going to remember you right away. They wonβt remember you in a month from now.
The advice I gave them was this: The next networking event you go to, when you get their business card, write down something about the person on the back of the business card. As I walk away, I go to my LinkedIn app on my phone and I send them a connection request.
The probability that they accept my request goes up exponentially. They also gave me a business card that usually has their cell phone number on it. So I send them a text message that says, βIt was so nice meeting you, thank you so much for the conversation. I'll give you a call tomorrow.β
And then I call them the next day. If you do that, appointments go up exponentially. We followed up with this group a couple of weeks later, and sure enough, it was working for them. Suddenly they were meeting people, calling them, and getting meetings.
Whatβs your take on starting conversations, following up, and making connections online? Matthew: Follow-Up Doesnβt Have To Be Awkward If I take a sales mindset, maybe with people on social media, after I walking out of the room means that we are starting to foster that relationship. I'll connect with them on LinkedIn. Depending on your relationship, why not connect with them on Facebook? Check them out on Instagram.
One of the things I tell people is to look people up on LinkedIn beforehand who you kno...
On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast Jeb Blount (People Follow You) and Kristie Jones discuss the trials and tribulations of building and sustaining a sales accountability culture. You'll learn that without accountability your sales team will generate inconsistent results and devolve into the wild, wild west. Kristie: How I Developed My Passion for Creating a Sales Accountability Culture I actually started in SaaS sales leadership back in 2000. As I progressed through my career, I started to work for some VC-backed companies, and I got that VC-backed startup bug. Accountability is so critical when you're dealing with people who have given you money and expect a return on the investment. Early-stage startups and fast-growing startups are all about urgency and results. I was working as a VP of Sales and it was clear that those environments needed to have a sales accountability culture. We needed to create and maintain one. In about 2016, I left the W2 world and started my own sales consultancy. I'm passionate about helping early-stage tech startups build their sales teams and formalize their process. I spend a ton of time doing executive coaching on accountability culture. I'm still walking into companies and talking to them about accountability culture after really not seeing it. That includes everything from not having firm quotas, to not dealing with βaccountability dodgersβ.
Jeb: Too Much Money, Not Enough Leadership In some cases, thereβs zero leadership, too much money, and people run wild. In other cases, you've just got a founder who is trying to put everything together. There's an inflection point where if you don't create some accountability, it's a disaster. What advice do you have for a business, no matter where they fit on that spectrum, for sales leaders or executives, to shift into an accountability culture?
Kristie: Expectations Are The Foundation Of A Sales Accountability Culture It starts with setting expectations and putting those in writing. In the middle of this pandemic, itβs more important than ever. There's more uncertainty than ever before, which also means that sales reps need accountability more than ever before. They need to understand: βWhat will cause me to lose my job?β Everybody's worried about that. They need to understand the circumstances around that. A sales accountability culture starts during the interview process. During the interview process, I'm already starting to set expectations just by the behavioral-based interview questions that I'm asking to ensure that people will walk their talk and that people will fall on the sword when they need to. During the start of COVID-19, I went back to all of my clients and former clients and wrote a little how-to menu and said, βYou have to create accountability around the work schedule because the work schedule is not eight-to-five anymore. You have to understand what you can expect from them, even from a work schedule standpoint.β Also, expectations are a two-way street. As a leader, I can't just sit down with you and say, "Here are my expectations, letβs negotiate them and put them in writing." I also need to say, βHere's what you can expect from me.β And then, at the end of our expectations meeting, I ask, βWhat do you want me to do if you don't hold up your end of the bargain?β I let them set their own consequences. Why would I wait until it's gone south on me, just to go back to fix it in a way that may not work for the rep? I hear everything from, βI need a gentle reminder,β to, βI need you to take me out to lunch, clearly something's going on and I need some one-on-one attention.β I hear a lot of different answers to that question, but I write those down on the document, too. And so it's so much easier for me to go to a rep who's not walking their talk and say, βWe had this conversation and this is what we discussed. This is what you told me to do if you werenβt holding yourself accountable. I think we're at that place,
On this inspiring episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Jeb Blount (Virtual Selling) talks to Brian Knox, owner and founder of B Knox Photography. This young entrepreneur leveraged Fanatical Prospecting to quickly ramp up his successful and fast-growing photography business that he started this year.
This conversation about sales and entrepreneurship is both educational and inspirational. Sales and the things that we do in sales matter, wherever we are in life. And we can all chase and achieve our dreams if we just make the decision to take action.Β Β Β Β
Listen all Sales Gravy Podcast episodes here. Brian: Why I Started My Business I was in corporate life from the time I graduated college in 2000, all the way up until 2020, and the last four jobs that I had in the corporate world were inside sales and customer service. Then between 2013 and 2015, I moved into more of a pure sales role where I was cold calling.Β
Our training was basically watching a guy do it for two days. Then they hand you a computer and a phone and you're kind of on your own. There wasn't a lot of sales training. That was when I first found your material, because I was honestly trying to ease the pain of, βHow do I sit here for eight hours a day and drum up business?β I was averse to it.
Then, I moved into a sales coaching role with a local plumbing, air, and electric company where I was teaching their technicians some of the basics of sales psychology, and going out in the field, and helping them with their sales process.
After that, I was in development at Habitat for Humanity of Greenville, which was essentially a sales role. That's where I put into practice what I had learned in those first few years, and what I was teaching the guys on the field, in order to bring in donations for Habitat for Humanity. I finally left that job to start the photography business full-time in February of this year. Brian: What Photography Means to Me I got my first digital camera in 2004 or 2005. My dad was into photography. He didn't train me, but I was at least exposed to him having a camera. When I got my own digital camera, that kind of launched it for me. It was very simple to make art by just going out and clicking a shutter.
I did it as a hobby and on the side. I started picking up initial gigs, which were typically family. I chugged along making a little money for about ten years. But then I began to apply sales techniques to what was my side hustle, at that point. I started to get traction with that and then I went through six months of wrestling with the question, "Do I quit and go full time with this, or do I just kind of keep it as a side thing?"
I felt that it was more of a contribution to society and to the world to take my skill and talent and give that in the form of photography, as opposed to being in the sales trenches.Β Jeb: On Entrepreneurial Journeys I remember when I first started Sales Gravy 13 years ago, we were in the middle of the Great Recession and I had to make a pivot in my career. I decided that at that point in my life, I was either going to be an entrepreneur, or not.
I always wanted to run my own business. Because I was good at selling and great in the corporate world, there wasn't a lot of incentive until I found myself on the street trying to figure out what I was going to do.
But for about three years, I was constantly terrified that I was going to fail. I would wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat. Like, am I going to make it, am I going to have to crawl back and beg for a job?
What was it like when you first started? And are you still in that place of, "Do I let go of what I'm used to"? Brian: If You Try, You Can't Fail It's gone really well this year, but I definitely have those same concerns. I also remember waking up in the middle of the night and wrestling with things like, "Well, what if it rains that whole next day? Then I can't do the outdoor construction shoot,
Sales Myth: You Have to Sell Yourself Most of us, at one time or another in our careers, have heard some trainer or manager exclaim,
βYou have to sell yourself.β βIf you want to get that job, son, you have to sell yourself.β βThe real key to sales is your ability to sell yourself.β βIf you want others to like you, youβll have to sell yourself.β
The Sell Yourself Cliche This philosophy is prevalent in business culture.
A while back, I was at an Ivy League University for a speech by a successful businessman to a group of MBA students from the top business schools in the world. The speaker was so well respected that when he walked into the room there was a hush.
The audience members were on the edge of their seats in anticipation.
And what was the message?
What was the secret of success that this revered businessman offered?
βNever forget how important it is in business to first sell yourself.β
The entire audience nodded in unison.
For this wise man and many others, the phrase sell yourself Β has become an easy-to-use clicheΒ΄. It just rolls off the tongue. Like the audience at the speech I attended, most people will nod their heads in agreement to the statement as if some prophet on a hill had just read it from stone tablets. People Buy You for Their Reasons, Not Yours Sales expert and bestselling author Jeffrey Gitomer teaches a simple philosophy, βPeople love to buy but they hate to be sold.β
In other words, most people prefer to buy on their terms. They do not want or appreciate a hard pitch or a features dump. They buy for their reasons not yours.
Yet daily salespeople across the globe, on the phone, video calls, email, social media, and in person, sell to their customers by dumping data, pushing their position, or simply trying to talk their way into a sale.
They sell themselves to anyone else they can get to stand still for more than five minutes.
But it does not work, because people like to buy, they donβt like to be sold. When You Try to Sell Yourself You Push People Away The harder you try to sell yourself to others, the more you push them away. A conversation where the other person tells you all about themselves, their accomplishments, and how great they are is a turnoff. It is a features dump.
Think about it, the most unlikeable human in the world is the person standing in front of you talking about themself.
You donβt walk away from that conversation thinking how much you would like to spend more time with them. Instead you think, βWhat a jerk,β or βHow boring,β or βWow,Β that guy is full of himself.β We Love to Talk About Our Favorite Person Still, we do love the opportunity to sell ourselves. Most of us, if given the opportunity, will talk for hours about our favorite person, oblivious to the negative impact it has on how we are viewed by others.
When pressed, experts who are quick to tell you to sell yourself, are unable to explain exactly how to do it. Sure, they will offer tips, but it's mostly hyperbole.
Here is the brutal truth: You cannot sell yourself to others; you have to get others to buy you on their terms. You're Talking, They Aren't Buying Even if you are preceded by a great reputation and others are anticipating meeting you, your attempts to sell yourself can backfire. I learned this lesson at a speech I gave to a large dinner group. One of the audience members was such a big fan of one of my books, that he lobbied the meeting organizer to be seated right next to me.
During dinner he asked me questions, and I talked and talked and talkedβabout me. A few days after the speech, I called the meeting organizer to follow up and offer my thanks. I thanked him for seating Daniel next to me and asked him if Daniel had had a good time.
He hesitated for a moment and finally said, βIβm telling you this because I like you; but Daniel did not come away with a very good opinion of you.β It was like being punched in the gut!
The Fine Art of Blending Text Messaging Into Your Account Management Process I love blending text messaging into my account management process. As a communication tool, itβs fast, efficient, less formal than email, and allows for armβs-length, nonintrusive, synchronous communication that still feels personal.Β
There are two reasons why blending text messaging into your account management process works:
Itβs mobile. Text messaging is integrated into the mobile and wearable devices that are attached to us 24/7. These are the primary communications devices in our lives and businesses. Everyone has a mobile phone, and for Apple users, text is integrated across all devices and desktops.Β Β Itβs treated as a priority. One of the key reasons why text messages work so well is that most people feel compelled to read and/or respond to them immediately.Β Β
Text is a Versatile For Account Management Text messaging is extremely versatile virtual communication channel. You can attach videos, images, voice messages, and links to articles and resources. And, when the person you are texting is not available, texting shifts from synchronous to asynchronous communication.Β
For account management and communicating with customers text messaging is a tremendous tool. It helps you nurture and maintain relationships, keeps customers updated, and allows you to quickly respond to concerns from anywhere.Β
It's for these reasons that text messaging is the perfect virtual communication channel to blend into your account management system and process. Text messages are an easy way to:Β
Check the pulse of your accounts Show appreciation Send account updates and data. Send insight and educational resources. Keep key contacts apprised of shipments and order information. Be proactive with solving issues. Send offers and specials.
The real key to blending text into your account management process is ensuring that your text messages are intentional, systematic, and part of an account management plan The Truth About Why You Really Lose Accounts A brutal truth is that most customers are lost because of neglect. Not prices, not products, not the economy, not aggressive competitors. Neglect!
Neglect happens slowly. It creeps up on customer relationships.Β
Salespeople delude themselves into believing that if their customers are not complaining, they must be happy. So, they spend all of their time putting out fires and dealing with squeaky wheels, all the while ignoring accounts that that donβt raise their hand.Β
Wrapped up in this warm blanket of delusion, salespeople swing the door open and invite competitors in. Assume Every Account is At Risk Aggressive competitors donβt miss an opportunity to displace salespeople who neglect their customers. When you fail to proactively anchor your customer relationships, those competitors slip through and encourage buyers to consider other options.Β
This is exactly why you must never lose sight of the long-term consequences of neglecting accounts.Β
Relationships matter and must be protected against an onslaught of competitors. You must not take any relationship for granted. Assume that every customer and every relationship is at risk.Β
Iβm not saying this is easy. One of the hardest things to do is keep your fingers on the pulse of your customer base.Β
Quarterly business reviews and other formal meeting are time consuming. You probably have a large account base and you canβt possibly meet with everyone. Every single day you are putting out fires and dealing with immediate customer service issues.Β Pay Attention to Your Accounts The good news is the one secret to defending your accounts is completely in your control. Pay attention to them.Β Β
A simple, regular, inexpensive check-in by text message can make all the difference. It doesnβt need to be anything particularly special. You donβt need a reason to tell your customers that you appreciate them.
Sales Follow Up Superpowers On this Sales Gravy Podcast episode Jeb Blount (Virtual Selling) and Jeff Shore (Follow Up and Close the Sale) discuss the two sales follow up superpowers: Speed and Personalization.
The brutal truth is that salespeople have a big problem with follow up and it is holding them back. The good news, is this is a problem that is easy to fix.
On this episode you'll actionable tips and tactics that will instantly improve your sales follow up skills.
BONUS: Download our FREE How to Manage Your B2B Sales Team From Home guide to get the scoop on how top sales leaders are getting more productivity from their remote sales teams.
On this episode of theΒ Sales Gravy podcast,Β Jeb Blount (Virtual Selling) and Alex Goldfayn (5 Minute Selling) discuss the massive impact of small actions, done a little bit, every day. Listen to the other episodes in the series: Part One | Part Two | Part Three Jeb β Does Faith Matter in Sales? Alex, I've got a question for you about faith. This is not a religious question. It's a faith question.Β Β
You are very convincing human being. You say that sales can be done in 5 minutes a day. Talk to people, call old customers, run the system. It works.Β
So, I do it one day. Nothing happens. Then do it the next day and nothing happens. I do it the next day and still nothing happens. Then by the 4th day I'm like, βAlex told me to do this stuff, and I made these phone calls, but I didn't sell anything. So, Iβm going back to sending emails because thatβs easier.βΒ
How important is faith in the system, over a long period of time, to actualizing the five-minuteΒ sellingΒ process?Β Alex β On Faith in Yourself Great question. Faith is a great word in sales. Β Faith in the system is really about faith in yourself.Β Β
This is important because, in salesΒ we deal with failure and overcoming failure is the key to success.Β
Faith is continuing to do the right things even when they're not working as well as you would like, because they are still the right things.Β Β Β
In the book I have a two-week challenge: Give me 5-minutes a day for two weeks - that's 50 minutes over 10 days. That is just five proactive outbound prospecting calls a day. Β
If you do that for two weeks, you will find more open opportunities and more close opportunities. Itβs just two weeks of faith and here is no way that you won't improve your sales position.Β Β Jebβ On TheΒ Cumulative Impact of Small Actions It's all about cumulative impact. The cumulative impact of small actions every day. Over time, these small actions add up to real numbers.Β Β
But this requires faith because you can't prospect for a day, you can't do follow up for a day, you canβt do anything for a day and expect everything to suddenly change. It just doesn't work that way. You've got to do a little bit every day and keep doing it over time.Β Β
Now let me give you the flip side of this question. What happens when it starts working?Β
Salespeople have a bad habit of quitting the things that are working. Let's just say that I give you the two weeks and then it starts working. Then suddenly my pipeline is a little bit bigger, the deals in my pipeline start to move. Suddenly people areΒ actually spendingΒ time with me and weβre having conversations.Β Β
What happens then? I get busy and then I quit. How do I make sure that I don't stop doing what's working?Β Alex β StayingΒ On Track With Small Daily Actions You're totally right. Salespeople are busy. They're not sitting around. Therefore, the answer is youΒ mustΒ schedule proactive, outbound sales calls into your day.Β Β
Mark Twain said, βif you'reΒ gonnaΒ eat a frog, you might as well eat it first thing in the morningΒ 'causeΒ it's notΒ gonnaΒ taste any better later in the day.βΒ Β
Firstly, do it first thing in the morning - at 8:00 or 8:30 or at 9:00. By 10:00 o'clock you want to be long done with this.Β Β
Second, what do you do if you miss a day? The next day you come back to it and you get right back on track. Β
It's like if you have a bad eating day. I've been trying to lose some weight. Yesterday was my wedding anniversary. My wife and I went out to eat and celebrate 19-years. We had a gigantic meal, and a huge dessert. I ate like a jerk, but it was awesome - a fabulous meal.Β Β
So, my weight loss effort over? Am I done? Am I just going to give up and go back to the to the chips and the and the Donuts?Β nNo, I woke this morning and got back in the saddle.Β
The easy way to do this is to use a timer. Set it for five minutes.Β WhenΒ the Clock is running, you're doing your proactive work. You're making your calls.
On this episode of theΒ Sales Gravy podcast,Β Jeb Blountβs (Virtual Selling) and Alex Goldfayn (5 Minute Selling) offer a simple strategy for overcoming your natural fear of rejection by breaking it into doable doses. Jeb On Breaking the Fear of Rejection Into Doable Doses Human beings fear rejection. We hate and avoid rejection at all costs. But, in Sales, your job is to go out and find rejection and bring it home. Β
However, when you break your fear of rejection into doable doses, it gets easier to handle because, over time, when you face a fearΒ repeatedly, you gain obstacle immunity. Β Alex On Using the Phone Yesterday I had a video call set up with prospect. It was at the end of a long day of video calls. You know, where everybody is a little box on the screen, right? My brain was tired of being on camera, I just wanted to walk around with my phone - just put my feet up and not be on a camera. Β
In some cases, I feel like there's more dimension and depth to a phone call as compared to a video call.Β
If you can get good at the telephone you will put so much distance between yourself and the 95% of sales people who don't do well on the telephone, that they will never be able to catch up with you.Β Β
That's how important the telephone is right now.Β Jeb On Blending Itβs about blending. Salespeople need to get used to the word blending because, blending is how we will be selling going forward. With Virtual Selling, it is about meeting the buyer where they are. You should use the communication channel that is right for the moment. Β
But salespeople are not having synchronous conversations β especially by phone β because they are afraid of being rejected.Β Β
This is exactly why I think your 5 Minute Selling System is powerful.
If you just do it a little bit every day β even five outbound calls per day β you reduce these fears to a small part of your day.Β But, as you start facing that fear, a little bit every day, itΒ will get easier for you to handle the rejection.Β
And basically, what you start doing, is building a chain of days in a row where you're investing in conversations with customers.Β
Think about it, 30-days of five minutes a day talking to your customers. What happens to your pipeline? Your business? Your income?
What happens inside of you? Β Alex On Asking More Often In baseball, if you fail 70% of the time, you go to the Hall of Fame. For salespeople, if you're failing 80 to 90% of the time, you're doing damnΒ good!Β
So, when we try to avoid every single no, we don't give ourselves the opportunity to get the yeses that make us successful.Β
The salespeople who get the most no's, the ones who get the most rejection, are the ones who are most successful. Because, they're the ones who are asking the most.Β
It's simple. If you get the most no's you get the most yeses. Β
Thomas Edison said that many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.Β
So,Β if you've already been rejected eight times by this prospect, the ninth rejection is literally no worse. It's the same. There is no difference.Β Jeb on High-Intensity Prospecting Sprints I'm working with a group right now and we are running high-intensity prospecting sprints. We're doing 10-minute phone blocks.
Itβs a simple cadence: 10-minutes, 10 dials, with a goal to set one appointment.Β Β
It's just so easy for people to rip off 10 dials. Leveraging this methodology allows them to get a whole lot prospecting done in a short period time with better outcomes.
Because we break rejection into doable doses (10-minutes at a time) itβs easier for them to remain motivated and focused. Β On Accomplishment in Small Doses And it makes you feel more confident and accomplished because you're having positive interactions! Youβre going to feel better about yourself. Β
You connected with someone. You feel positive and that's a much better feeling than avoiding the p...
On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast,Β Jeb Blount's (Virtual Selling) and Alex Goldfayn (5 Minute Selling) teach you how to eliminate cold calling by talking with people you already know. Jeb: On Why Talking to People You Know Can Eliminate Cold Calling βWelcome back to part two of my conversation with author Alex Goldfayn about 5 Minute Selling Skills. On this episode, we discuss one of the greatest sources of new pipeline opportunities. Β Β
It's the people that you already know. Talking with the people you know is an easy way to eliminate cold calling.β Alex:Β On Planning Who You Will Call Β "I feel like we don't call people because we don't know who to call, right? Unless you're using a CRM perfectly, it's notΒ going to tell you who to call. It's a list of names and numbers.Β Β
At the beginning of the week for five minutes, write down who you're going to call that week. For example, customers that just made an order with you.
Right now, try thinking of five customers you haven't talked to in three months or more, you can't do itΒ because you're not talking to them. They're not in your head.
Customers who used to buy from you but stopped are another group of people that's very difficult to think of because they don't call you to break up with you. They just go away. You know, they go away quietly, so we need to plan who to call.Β
And then we have the whole rest of the week to call a few each day. If you don't want to call them directly send a text or email to set up that phone call.
I think the only semi valuable use of email in the sales process job is to set up the phone call. Otherwise, it's nearly useless.Β In business to business, selling right and email is just slightlyΒ better than doing nothing at all.
Plan your calls and then write down what happens. What did you say? What did they say and then? What's the dollar amount associated with that interaction?
Because then once you fill that in, that becomes a goldmine that you can follow up on. The most successful people follow up a lot more than other people.Β
So,Β plan who to call and then track how those calls went and what was said and what the opportunity dollar value is. If you do those two things, each thing takes 5 minutes. The calls take 5 minutes. The things to say on the calls take 5 minutes.Β
How can you not grow if you're making hundreds of additional proactive communications a year?" Jeb:Β On Eliminating Cold Calling By Talking With Inactive Customers "It really is that simple.
Letβs start with customers that just aren't doing business with you anymore. To me, this is the gold mind of all gold mines.
When we're working with clients who want to accelerate growth, engaging inactive customers is almost always where we go first.
I had one client, for example, that had a half a million inactive customers in their database. We pulled the list and just picked up the phone and started calling them. We did exactly what you said Alex. All we did was call them up to say hello.
In oneΒ hour,Β we sold $1,000,000Β inΒ business.
Now most of that was to one business that was expanding rapidly. We got the owner on the phone and the he was ready to buy. He said he was just about to put out an RFP." Alex: On the Rewards for Being Present "It was so hard for me not to jump in in the middle of that, I had to really practice my silence technique there because I got excited by what you were saying.
You got that business sitting at that conference table because you were present and nobody else was. The guy even said I was just about to take his business somewhere else. But you're here,Β soΒ I'm going to reward you withΒ business
If you're the customer, you feel an obligation to a salesperson who makes the effort to pick up the phone and be present.
And, by the way, they. It wasn't like you were cold calling. I mean, it wasn't like there was somebody who didn't know you. They had a relationship with your business in the past....
On this Sales Gravy podcast episode Jeb Blount (Virtual Selling) and Alex Goldfayn (5 Minute Selling) discuss why text messaging is not a substitute for talking with people.
This is Part One in our series on 5 Minute Selling - how to get a massive amount of sales activity done, a few minutes at a time. Just Texting It In On this episode Jeb tells the story of a lazy sales rep who lost his business that because he began "texting it in" rather than interacting by phone. "A year earlier, text became his primary channel. Where we used to talk, now he never called. He was no longer blending texting into his account management process; texting had become his account management process. If he had an upsell or special offer, he sent it via text. When it was time to restock, he sent a text. Soon, I started to feel that he was taking me for granted, like he felt he no longer needed to make an effort in order to keep my business. Sadly, for this account manager, one of his competitors called me. She invested in the relationship. I gave her a little of my business and she did a great job. As the business relationship bloomed, I gave her more and more of my business. Soon she had it all."
Text Messaging is Not a Substitute for Talking With People This is the dark side of text messaging. Itβs fast and easy, but it is not a substitute for talking with people and investing in relationships.
Interpersonal communication is a combination of words, voice tone, body language, and facial expression.
Since stakeholders cannot associate the words in your text messages with the context of your voice tone and facial expressions, they assign their own meaning, which can lead to miscommunication, or, in Jeb's case, resentment.
Virtual Selling Skills Training gives your sales team the tactics, tools, techniques, and strategies to remain relevant and competitive in the ever-changing environment of modern sales.
On this Sales Gravy Podcast episode Jeb Blount (Virtual Selling) and Anthony Iannarino (Eat Their Lunch) get down and dirty about why salespeople need to adopt a phone first approach to outbound prospecting sequences. Three Reasons Salespeople Default to Email for Outbound Prospecting There is no tool in your sales arsenal that is more powerful than the phone. None. Yet sales professionals across the spectrum have abandoned the phone for spamming prospects with an endless stream of email. Fear of the Phone In many cases this destructive behavior has its origin in fear. These salespeople are afraid of rejection and therefore avoid talking to people. Email allows them to keep people at arms length. Ignorance of the Power of the Phone in Outbound Prospecting In other circumstances, it is a case of ignorance. Salespeople have been blasted with the false message that the "phone no longer works."
They've been lead to believe that the only way to effectively prospect is by email. Therefore, they stuff outbound prospecting sequences with spammy emails rather than leading with the phone first. Leadership Failures Finally, there is the failure of leadership. From sales managers to marketing organizations, salespeople are not being taught how to do outbound prospecting by phone or held accountable for talking to people.
Leaders, through their actions and inaction, encourage email first vs phone first outbound prospecting sequences. This results in thin pipelines and, in many cases, a negative impact to the company's brand. Phone First Outbound Prospecting Sequences The objective of outbound prospecting sequences is to improve the probability of engaging a prospect. For this reason, sequences deploy multiple communication channels and prospecting touches over set duration of time.
The key to effective outbound prospecting is talking to people. So, for best results, front load your outbound prospecting sequences with phone touches.
The phone is the easiest and fastest means of engaging in conversations with and setting appointments with high quality prospects. Therefore, to fill your pipeline faster, in less time, lead with a phone first approach on outbound prospecting sequences.
We created a new FREE guide to help you build better prospecting sequences called Seven Steps to Building Effective Prospecting Sequences
Mastering the "Yes - And" Sales Improv Framework Ever been caught flatfooted when a buyer throws an unexpected objection at you? It turns out that improv can help you handle it and increase sales. On this Sales Gravy Podcast episode, Jeb Blount (Virtual Selling) and Gina Trimarco engage in a fun discussion on how to increase sales with improv.Β You'll learn how developing the same skills comedians and actors use on stage, can help you in front of buyers during sales conversations.
Improv is the art of off-the-cuff, un-scripted comedy in which the actors respond to cues from each other rather than reading from a set script. The most important keys to effective improv are listening, accepting, and leveraging the "yes-and" framework. Sales improv helps you increase sales by:
Becoming more confident Being present and in the moment Building sales conversation organically Asking better questions Being a better listener Keeping buyers engaged Detaching from outcomes
During the podcast, Jeb and Gina demonstrate the "Yes-And" improv framework and Jeb fails miserably. The good news is the βyes-andβ improv motion is easy to learn with practice. Mastering this framework is the key to increasing sales with improv.
Gina also shares her inspiring entrepreneurial story about how she built her sales improv training business.Β Gina combines street smarts and improv comedy skills with her experience in the corporate and entrepreneurial worlds to teach sales professionals improv techniques.
Starting a B2B Podcast is a Smart Virtual Selling Strategy On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Jeb Blount (Virtual Selling) and James Carbary (Content-Based Networking) discuss how starting a B2B podcast can elevate your personal brand and build familiarity. Familiarity Leads to Liking In Sales, familiarity is powerful because familiarity leads to liking. When people are familiar with you, the more likely they'll be to engage on prospecting calls and feel comfortable with you on virtual sales calls.
Familiarity is virtual selling lubrication. It takes the friction out of virtual communication and makes everything easier. The lack of familiarity is why you get so many objections. When people donβt know you, itβs much harder for them to trust you.
To build familiarity, you must make a direct investment in improving the awareness of your name, expertise, and reputation. Starting a B2B podcast is such an investment and, one that will pay huge dividends.
The Virtual Selling Book Virtual Selling is hot. Smoking hot! Because, to remain relevant and competitive sales professionals must learn how to engage prospects and close deals in a virtual environment.
This is exactly why you need my new book Virtual Selling.
In Virtual Selling I teach you exactly how to gain a powerful competitive edge and crush your competitors by leveraging virtual communication channels.
Donβt walk, donβt wait, donβt hesitate. Go get Virtual Selling now. It is a run-away best seller for one simple reason. The techniques, tactics, and skills I teach you in Virtual Selling work.
Open yourself up to new opportunities It's difficult to see new possibilities during this crisis. It seems like we've been in this pandemic for years rather than months. Secretly, most of us have been living with the hope that the coronavirus pandemic would be over quickly and that we'd get back to normal. With the new surge in cases, what is becoming clear is that everything has changed, that there is no going back, and that the only thing we can count on is new possibilities. In Coronavirus Talk #8, I discuss why it is important that you shift your mindset now so that you are looking though the windshield rather than in the rear view mirror. Adapting to A New Reality The last time I came to you with a Coronavirus talk, it was way back in April. We were talking about gratitude. And a lot's happened since April.
One of the things that happened to me was that I wrote an entire book, an 85,000 word book on Virtual Selling. And it's something that normally takes me 18 to 24 months. And I was able to focus my attention and get it done.
This is one of the lessons that I've learned during coronavirus. There are all these new possibilities, different things that we can do. And I've heard a lot of people, very smart people, talk about how, even though it seems a little bleak right now, this coronavirus pandemic is going to launch an entire new wave of innovation and it's making a lot of us think differently.
I think I told you in a previous talk that I was rethinking in fact, a lot of my values, and it's helped me, as a CEO, begin to transform my company, Sales Gravy, into a different company, and to grow faster.
The reason that I'm back, because I really wasn't planning on any more coronavirus talks, is because the coronavirus is back with a fury. We're seeing cases popping up everywhere. Now we're shutting things down again. There's a little bit of panic. I think we're looking at some stiff economic headwinds if we don't get this under control. Everything Has Changed, Especially in Sales And a lot of folks who were thinking that we were going to get back to normal are now faced with the truth, that there is not going to be a "back to normal." Everything has changed and it will continue to change.
And it's no different than what happened to us after 9/11. After 9/11, we were expecting things to go back to normal and they never really did. We've traveled again and we continued on with our lives, but security never changed in airports. And the way that we looked at the world, it was always jaded after that moment.
Now, I'm not saying that the coronavirus caused us to look at the world with a jaded view. I think it's going to, like I said, open up new possibilities. And I think for all of the folks who were holding on to the hope that we will go back to normal, I think right now you're getting a massive wake up call, in particular with salespeople. Differentiate with Virtual Selling Because if you're in sales, you know that everything has changed and it is not going back. If you want to be relevant, if you want to be competitive, if you want to differentiate, you have to learn how to sell differently, which means you have to adopt new tools, which means you have to become good at virtual selling, and you have to do it now. That is a fact.
Look, I'll admit that I was like a lot of folks. I believed that this would be over quickly. I wrote a book called Virtual Selling, expecting that it would have a short life cycle that it wouldn't live very long because people would get back to what we were doing before and back to normal.
And now you can see, as the cases have picked up and as we are really coming to grips with the fact that we're in this for the long haul, that the truth is, is virtual selling is the way that we're going to move forward. Rise to the Occasion But here's the good news-- and we're getting this in from everywhere across industries, the size of companies, in different countries,
Shifting Initial Sales Meetings From Face to Face to Video Calls One of the most effective points in the sales process to leverage video sales calls and virtual selling skills is the initial meeting. The initial meeting is first step in the sales process. It is the appointment you (or your sales development rep) set during outbound prospecting or from an inbound lead.
The objective of the initial sales meeting (often the first step in the discovery process) is three-fold:
Make a great first impression and develop an early emotional connection with the stakeholder(s) Fully qualify the opportunity to determine if it makes sense for you to move to the next step with the prospect. Generate enough interest with the stakeholder(s) to motivate them to advance to the next step in the sales process.
Effective Initial Meetings An effective initial meeting should be about 30 minutes in length and no more than sixty. Your primary goal is to close for the next meeting (based on the complexity and length of your sales cycle).
discovery demo presentation
In situations where the opportunity is not a good fit, poorly qualified, or the timing is wrong, youβll want to walk away.
Sometimes the stakeholders will not have enough interest to move forward and wonβt set the next meeting with you.
I disqualify between 30% and 50% of prospects on initial meetings and never move forward with the next step.
For example:Β If you conduct ten initial meetings over the course of a week, about half will advance to the next step. Depending on your closing ratio, 1-2 of those will move on to closed/won.
Of course, some delusional salespeople throw proposals at every prospect, regardless of qualification. This is a terrible drain on productivity and a waste of resources. Video Sales Calls are More Efficient for Initial Meetings A good field rep can handle no more than ten face to face, initial meetings per week and still have time for other important sales activities such as prospecting, discovery calls, follow-ups, and presentations.
Most reps never even get close to ten a week. There just isnβt enough time in the day to do more.Β Driving to initial meetings, and other sales calls eats up the day.
But, that all changes when sales reps cut out the windshield time and shift initial meetings from in-person to video.
There are four benefits to shifting initial meetings toΒ video sales calls:
Youβll increase the number of initial meetings you can conduct a week, which increases the number of new opportunities advancing through your pipeline, which in turn increases the number of deals you close. Because video sales calls tend to be shorter than in-person calls and you eliminate drive time, you immediately become more efficient. Youβll face fewer prospectingΒ objections.Β More prospects will agree to meet with you because a short video call (to determine if it makes sense to work together) is easier for them consume and lowers their risk of wasting time with you. Reduced travel costs.
In Modern Sales, Speed Matters For many field salespeople, the idea of conducting initial meetings via video, rather than in-person, seems un-imaginable. There is no doubt that in-person communication is more effective.
However, the efficiency you gain by shifting initial meetings to video sales calls more than makes up for not being there face to face. Youβll be able to conduct far more initial meetings, resulting in a bigger pipeline, and more sales.
The good news is video sales calls, are the closest facsimile to being there in person. Done well, they open the door to deeper relationships, understanding, emotional connections and trust.
In modern sales, speed matters. Blending virtual selling into your sales process makes you more agile. This allows you to move faster, become more productive, and shorten the sales cycle.
Learn more about virtual selling and improve your virtual sales skills with Je...
On part five of this Sales Gravy podcast series on sleepΒ and sales performance, Jeb Blount (author ofΒ Sales EQ) and Jeff Kahn (CEO of Rise Science) discuss how sleep can help you deliver better sales presentations. You'll learn the same technique that Jeff uses to help athletes lock in practice, improve memory, and reach peak performance. More Episodes of Sleep and Sales Performance
Listen to Part One of Sleep and Sales Performance Listen to Part Two of Sleep and Sales Performance Listen to Part Three of Sleep and Sales Performance Listen to Part Four of Sleep and Sales Performance
On part four of this Sales Gravy podcast series on sleepΒ and sales performance, Jeb Blount (author ofΒ Sales EQ) and Jeff Kahn (CEO of Rise Science) discuss the two laws of sleep.
Jeb and Jeff explore:
Sleep Debt Circadian Rhythm Sleep Procrastination Techniques for battling insomnia
More Episodes of Sleep and Sales Performance
Listen to Part One of Sleep and Sales Performance Listen to Part Two of Sleep and Sales Performance Listen to Part Three of Sleep and Sales Performance
In part three of this Sales Gravy podcast series,Β Jeb Blount (author ofΒ Sales EQ) and Jeff Kahn (CEO of Rise Science) discuss the bad things that happen to you when you don't get enough sleep, and how sleep impacts sales performance.
Scientists have been studying sleep and health for over 100 years. They have proven that without enough sleep your health, motivation, passion, and cognitive abilities deteriorate. The good news is you can instantly feel and perform better by simply getting enough sleep.
Listen to Part One of Sleep and Sales Performance Listen to Part Two of Sleep and Sales Performance
On part two of this Sales Gravy podcast series on sleep and sales performance, Jeb Blount (author of Sales EQ) and Jeff Kahn (CEO of Rise Science) discuss the impact of sleep on emotional intelligence and positive mindset.
You will be surprised to learn that the lack of sleep makes it more difficult:
to control your emotions perceive the emotions of others effectively manage sales meetings build relationships
Jeff says that walking into a sales meeting without enough sleep is the same as going in drunk.
You'll learn that the sleep you get tonight is the beginning of your performance tomorrow.
Listen to Part One of Sleep and Sales Performance
On part one of this Sales Gravy podcast series on sleep and sales performance, Jeb Blount (author of Sales EQ) and Jeff Kahn (CEO of Rise Science) discuss how sleep impacts sales performance.
Listen to Part Two of Sleep and Sales Performance
In every sales conversation, the person who exerts the greatest emotional control has the highest probability of gaining the outcome they desire.
On this bonus Selling in a Crisis Daily Sales Briefing, Jeb Blount and and Jeffrey Gitomer discuss what you should be doing now to get ahead of the curve and read for recovery on the other side of the coronavirus shutdown.
On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Jeb Blount discusses entrepreneurship, self-reliance and why sales professionals need to view themselves as entrepreneurs with Duct Tape Marketing's John Jantsch, the author of the new book, The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur.
On this Selling in a Crisis Daily Sales Briefing, Jeb Blount discusses what salespeople need to be doing now to prepare to accelerate once the recovery begins.
In an economic crisis, retaining customers is job number one. You need to do whatever it takes to keep competitors at bay and work with your customers to ensure that they remain your customers. You will need them when the crisis is over.
In this crisis, when working and selling from home, it is easy for small distractions to have big consequences on your sales day. To be at your best and be productive, you must take steps now to protect the golden hours, block your time, and set a daily battle rhythm.
On this special, unscripted Coronavirus Talk, Jeb Blount discusses the powerful gift of gratitude and why you are not defined by what happens to you, but rather how you respond to adversity.
Listen to Coronavirus Talk #1 β On Prospecting Listen to Coronavirus Talk #2 β On Excuses Listen to Coronavirus Talk #3 β The Gift of Time Listen to Coronavirus Talk #4 β On Confusion Listen to Coronavirus Talk #5 β On Fear and Worry Listen to Coronavirus Talk #6 - On Mourning
On this Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount (Fanatical Prospecting) discusses the danger of task saturation for Sales Professionals with Will Frattini of ZoomInfo. Prioritization is a big issue for salespeople who want to be productive and on this episode you'll learn tips and tactics for organizing your sales day so that you can focus on selling.
The Coronavirus Crisis has left many sales professionals with extra time on their hands. If you are one of them, don't waste it. Now is the time to get your CRM in order and clean up your database. Don't waste this precious time, you will not get it back again.
In the worst economic meltdown since the great depression, we need sales professionals on the front lines because you will save the economy.
On this special, unscripted Coronavirus talk, Jeb Blount addresses mourning what is lost and the sadness that comes with it. It is human, normal and eventually leads to rebirth.
Listen to Coronavirus Talk #1 β On Prospecting Listen to Coronavirus Talk #2 β On Excuses Listen to Coronavirus Talk #3 β The Gift of Time Listen to Coronavirus Talk #4 β On Confusion Listen to Coronavirus Talk #5 - On Fear and Worry
In this crisis, it is ok to get down. That makes you human. It's just not ok to stay down. If you can look up, you can get up.
In a crisis like this it is easy to move away from the basics that matter most in sales in the search of bright shiny things. The basics are boring but, in a crisis, boring works.
On this daily sales briefing, Jeb Blount discusses the four things you need to be doing right now to protect your sales job during the coronavirus crisis.
On Coronavirus Talk #5, Iβm not going to presume to tell you that the fear of losing your health, job, house, income, or retirement account is unfounded because it is not.
This is not an empty message telling you that if you just manage your attitude everything else will work out. Though attitude is very important, attitude without direction will hurt you in this environment.
What I am going to tell you is if you want to come out of this crisis swinging, you have got to take action, now.Β Worry changes nothing. Action, though, changes everything.
Listen to Coronavirus Talk #1 β On Prospecting Listen to Coronavirus Talk #2 β On Excuses Listen to Coronavirus Talk #3 β The Gift of Time Listen to Coronavirus Talk #4 - On Confusion
In this crisis, time is your greatest asset. Yet you cannot control time, you can only control YOU. On this selling in a crisis daily briefing you'll learn why protecting the Golden Hours is so important.
It seems counter-intuitive that people are still picking up the phone during the coronavirus shutdown but, they still are. This is a great time to reach out to your prospects and customers and make a positive impression.
On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount and Mark Hunter, Author of the new book A Mind for Sales,Β discuss what it takes to develop a winning sales mindset. You'll learn tips, tactics, and techniques that top performers leverage to build a mind for sales.
On this special Coronavirus Talk,Β Jeb Blount takes on confusion and the state of confusion so many people seem to be in these days. You'll learn why confusion is dangerous to you, your company, team, and family and exactly what you need to do right now to keep moving forward.
Listen to Coronavirus Talk #1 β On Prospecting Listen to Coronavirus Talk #2 β On Excuses Listen to Coronavirus Talk #3 - On Confusion
On this special unscripted podcast, Jeb Blount discusses time and the sudden gift of time that has been given to so many people during the unprecedented Coronavirus crisis. How will you use this opportunity? Do you see is as a gift or a curse? In what ways will you invest this newly found time?
Listen to Coronavirus Talk #1 - On Prospecting Listen to Coronavirus Talk #2 - On Excuses Listen to CoronavirusTalk #4 - On Confusion
On this special unscripted and uncut podcast, Jeb Blount discusses why it is is so easy to make excuses during the unprecedented Coronavirus crisis. Excuses though can be addicting, like a drug, the more excuses you make the easier it is to keep making them. Instead of excuses, you should double down on discipline and focus on the only three things you can control.
Listen to Coronavirus Talk #1 - On Prospecting Listen to Coronavirus Talk #3 - On the Gift of Time Listen to Coronavirus Talk #4 - On Confusion
On this special unscripted and uncut podcast, Jeb Blount addresses questions leaders and salespeople are asking about whether or not they should continue prospecting during the Coronavirus shutdown.
Listen to Coronavirus Talk #2 - On Excuses Listen to Coronavirus Talk #3 - On Time Listen to Coronavirus Talk #4 - On Excuses
On this Sales Gravy Quick Tip, Jeb Blount reveals the real secret to superstar sales success. The good news is it's obvious and within your grasp.
On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Jeb Blount (author of INKED) and Darryl Praill (CMO of Vanilla Soft) discuss the new paradigm and mash-up of sales and marketing. If you want to engage more prospects, build a bigger pipeline, and close more sales, then you'll want to pay attention to and heed Jeb's and Darryl's advice.
There are new rules for sales and marketing. Sales professionals who embrace these rules will thrive. Those who don't may soon go extinct.
Many so-called "sales experts" are quick to tell you that they have the one path to prospecting salvation or the top secret for making sales prospecting easy. Run away from these charlatans as fast as you can!
There is no one way and there is no secret. The key to effective sales prospecting, is adopting a balanced prospecting methodology that spans across all prospecting channels. Balance gives you the highest statistical probability of getting in front of the right prospect, with the right message, at the right time.
Get Jeb Blount's New Book INKED: The Ultimate Guide to Powerful Closing and Sales Negotiation Tactics that Unlock YES and Seal the Deal At the strategic level, sales negotiation is like a chess game, but at the tactical level, itβs like playing poker. The parties hide their emotions behind poker faces in an attempt to obscure the strength of their real hand - keeping their cards close to the vest.
The most effective way to get a peek at those cards is to keep your ears open and your mouth shut.
Listening builds deep emotional connections with other people. The more you listen, the more connected your stakeholder will feel to you. As this emotional connection deepens, emotional walls crumble. As the walls come down, they talk more. The more they talk, the more they reveal. This gets you below the surface and lets you access their cards. Listening is where effective sales negotiators earn their stripes.
Projecting, which is all too common for salespeople, will cost you dearly at the sales negotiation table.
A few years back, my wife and I bought our dream home. It was on a stretch of farmlandβexactly what weβd always wanted. We both knew in our hearts that it would be the last home we ever bought. This was where we planned to spend the rest of our lives.
This house, however, had to be completely remodeled. The work was so extensive that the contractor estimated that it would take eighteen months before we could even move in.
Through the years, Carrie and I had remodeled eleven houses. Each time, weβd done the work on a tight budget and made sacrifices with want we wanted so we stayed within budget. This time, though, we had the budget to create the home that we wanted. We promised ourselves there would be no shortcuts and no compromises. We planned to do it right.
After months of work, we were finally finishing up the bathrooms, and it was time to order the glass doors for the showers. The representative for the glass company met us at the house. We carefully explained exactly what we wanted. He gathered measurements and took notes. Jeb's New Book INKED Teaches You to Become a Master Sales Negotiator The last stop was the bathroom in our master bedroom. He collected the measurements and started writing up the order. As he did, a worried look crossed his face, and he shook his head. Then he looked up said, βYou know, all this custom work is going to be really expensive. Are you sure you donβt want to go with our standard doors? It will save you a ton of money.β
He clearly missed that the walls and floors of the newly remodeled bathroom had Β freshly installed imported marble costing more than $30,000. Rather than up-selling and showing us even more options, he was negotiating down, projecting the size of his wallet on us instead of focusing on the size of ours.
Projecting, which is all too common for salespeople, will cost you dearly at the sales negotiation table. When you negotiate with the size of your wallet, you routinely apologize for your prices, give concessions without being asked, and decide for your buyers what they can afford.
The Four Types of Sales Objections Jeb Blount, the Author of Objections: The Ultimate Guide for Mastering The Art and Science of Getting Past No Β does a deep dive into the four objections you face in sales. You'll learn techniques that you can use on your next sales call to skip past sales objections. On this episode, I have a conversation with Chris McDonough. He's a talented and successful sales leader at ZoomInfo.
Chris and I talk about why it's stupid to avoid objections, how to reduce buyer resistance, how to manage your disruptive emotions in the face of objections, and techniques for skipping past objections.
There's four key types of objections that we run into in sales. And they're not what you normally think about. So typically when we think about objections, we think about objections like, "I'm not interested," or "It costs too much," or "I've got to go talk to my boss." Those are the things we typically fixate on.
But if you think about sales as a process, all the way from prospecting into closing a deal, you get objections in the deal in four places. Prospecting Objections The first are prospecting objections. They typically become the most harsh objections. They're the reason why people don't prospect, because these objections can be tough. They can be difficult.
And because you're interrupting a stranger, they happen really, really fast, and you have to be good on your feet when you're dealing with these objections. Red Herring Objections Then there are red herring objections, and these are not necessarily objections.
They are things that prospects typically say at the beginning of a sales call that have a tendency to derail salespeople inside of a sales call.
So for example, a rep is doing a demo and at the very beginning of the process gets interrupted, then off to the races, the rep goes, getting off of process, chasing down that red herring.
Then you end up burning up the 30 minutes you had for the demo chasing something that didn't really matter that much. So red herring objections are much more about getting control of the call. Micro Commitment and Next Step Objections Then there are a micro commitment and next step objections. And these are the objections that reps get when they're trying to advance a deal through the pipeline.
So where reps really mess up is, and you've probably seen this as a sales manager, you've got deals in the pipeline that are stalled. Almost every stalled deal in your pipeline exists because the rep didn't secure a next step.
And the next step is something that's on the prospect's calendar and on your calendar. So next step objections happen when you ask the person, "Hey, let's set up this," or "Let's do a pilot," or "Let's talk to your boss," or what have you. Whatever the next step is, you get those. Buying Commitment Objections And then finally there are buying commitment objections, and these are the objections that we traditionally get. These are the sexy objections, if you want to call them that.
Usually they're the objections that, when I ask for the deal, when I'm trying to close the deal, the person says, "Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, Whoa. I need to go think about it," or "This costs too much." Listen to the podcast to learn more about these objections and how to get past them.
On this Sales Gravy Quick Tip, Jeb Blount reveals a tried and true technique for closing your next sale.
On the final episode of our podcast series on Why Introverts Can Sell, Jeb BlountΒ (Inked)Β and Mathew Pollard (The Introvertβs Edge) discuss why emotional resilience is a requirement for introverts in sales. Then they reveal the introvert's super power and how this makes introverts better salespeople than extroverts.
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On part FIVE of our podcast series on Why Introverts Can Sell, Jeb BlountΒ (Inked)Β and Mathew Pollard (The Introvertβs Edge) discuss the pursuit of happiness and why knowing what makes you happy is one of the keys to success for introverts in sales and life.
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On part FOUR of our podcast series on Why Introverts Can Sell, Jeb Blount (Inked) and Mathew Pollard (The Introvertβs Edge) discuss a powerful technique that introverts and extroverts may leverage, in emotionally charged situations, to make better, rational decisions.
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On part three of our podcast series on Why Introverts Can Sell, Jeb Blount (Inked) and Mathew Pollard (The Introvert's Edge) engage in a deep discussion about what introvert's are and are not. You'll probably be surprised at their conclusion.
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In part two of Jeb Blount's (Inked) conversation with Mathew Pollard (The Introvert's Edge), the two authors discuss why it's so important that you understand your energy rules. For introverts to be successful in sales, it is critical that you take steps to protect your energy so that you can be the best version of you.
Listen to Part One of Introverts Can SellΒ Listen to Part Three of Introverts Can Sell Listen to Part Four of Introverts Can Sell Listen to Part Five of Introverts Can Sell Listen to Part Six of Introverts Can Sell
Can introverts sell?Β Jeb Blount author of Sales EQ, and Mathew Pollard author of The Introvert's Edge, break down the myths about introverts and selling. In part one of this series, you'll learn why successful introverts employ a consistent, repeatable sales system.
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On this podcast, you get the uncut replay of Virtual Sales Kickoff with Jeb Blount, Anthony Iannarino, Mike Weinberg, and Mark Hunter. The Four Titans focus on productivity and time management strategies.
There are two types of sellers - Rain Barrels and Rain Makers. One waits for leads to show up, the other gets after it and makes it rain. On this podcast episode, Jeb Blount, Mark Hunter, Anthony Iannarino, and Mike Weinberg discuss what it takes to become a Rain Maker.
As you look ahead into the new year, your future is unwritten. At this pivot point you have the opportunity to shape your future. In this podcast, Jeb gives you the 3 keys to making this your best year ever.
Salespeople make egregious mistakes on LinkedIn that kill both sales and reputations. On this podcast, Jeb Blount discusses those mistakes and how to avoid them with LinkedIn expert Brynne Tillman.
On this podcast, Anthony Iannarino and Jeb Blount discuss why is critical to find the CEO of the problem.
On this podcast, Jeb Blount and Anthony Iannarino do a deep dive into discovery - the most important part of competitive displacement selling.
On this podcast, Jeb Blount and Anthony Iannarino discuss why it is so important to capture mindshare in competitive sales situations.
On this podcast, Jeb Blount and Anthony Iannarino discuss to get below the surface and create value by asking great questions in competitive differentiation situations.
In part two of The Art of Competitive Displacement, Jeb Blount and Anthony Iannarino discuss why YOU are the key to differentiation.
Jeb Blount (Fanatical Prospecting) and Anthony Iannarino (Eat Their Lunch) discuss why getting in the door in the first place is the most crucial step to eat their lunch.
Each moment of the day there are three choices you make about how to invest your time. You can do trivial things, important activities, or make an impact.
For human to human relationships, no skill is more important than listening. On this Sales Gravy Quick Tip, you'll learn seven keys to effective listening.
On this podcast Jeb Blount, author of People Follow You, and Will Frattini, Sales Leader at Zoominfo, discuss the challenges of leading sales teams in rapidly changing environments.
In this podcast, Jeb Blount gives you seven rules that will help you win for your team in sales negotiations.
On this Sales Gravy Quick Tip, you learn why the easiest and fastest way to connect with someone is to smile.
On this final podcast of our series on Sales Differentiation, Jeb Blount and Lee Salz discuss that to truly differentiate, you must be able to articulate the value that YOU bring to the table.
In part six of the Sales Differentiation series, Jeb Blount and Lee Salz teach you exactly what to do when your prospect asks for references.
On this podcast, Jeb Blount and Lee Salz discuss tips and tactics for standing out and grabbing the attention of hard-to-reach prospects.
In part four of this multi-episode series on how differentiation can give you the winning edge in sales, Jeb Blount, author of Objections, and Lee Salz, author of Sales Differentiation, discuss the power of discovery and how to use positioning questions to gain control of the conversation and separate from your competitors.
In part three of this multi-episode series on how differentiation can give you the winning edge in sales, Jeb Blount, author of Objections, and Lee Salz, author of Sales Differentiation, discuss how stories evoke emotions and set you apart from your competitors.
In part two of this multi-episode series on how differentiation can give you the winning edge in sales, Jeb Blount, author of Objections, and Lee Salz, author of Sales Differentiation, discuss some of the biggest mistakes salespeople make.
In this multi-episode series Jeb Blount, author of Objections, and Lee Salz, author of Sales Differentiation discuss tips, techniques, and mindsets that set you apart from your competition and give you the winning edge.
On this podcast, Jeb Blount and MixMax CRO - Don Erwin - discuss Discovery and why this crucial part of the sales process is the real key to closing the sale.
Leaders must never forget that every action they take and word they speak is being analyzed by their people for meaning.
On this Sales Gravy Quick Tip, Jeb Blount teaches that it takes just as much energy to think small as it does to think BIG.
On this podcast, Jeb Blount (Fanatical Prospecting) and Kody Bateman (The Human Connection) discuss why intentional focus on connecting human-to-human is essential for success in both prospecting and sales.
On this Sales Gravy Quick Tip, Jeb Blount explains why optimism is fuel for winners. You will love this story!
There will always be people who are smarter than you, stronger than you, more talented than you, and more advantaged than you. But no one should ever be able to out hustle you.
We live in a society that thrives on the 24 hour news cycle where there always seems to be an endless stream of stories about leaders gone bad. In the midst of this barrage, it is easy to lose faith that leaders can actually do good and serve others and that men and women of character still exist.
Sales is a grind filled with ups and downs. In this grind it is easy to allow your attitude to turn sour. But doing so can sink your sales day and put your career in jeopardy. On this podcast, Jeb Blount gives you three tips for maintaining a strong and positive attitude.
On this podcast, Jeb Blount gives you a four part framework for sales conversations that keeps you in control, builds deep emotional connections with your stakeholder, and allows you to listen and uncover problems.
On this Sales Gravy Quick Tip, you will learn why becoming content after achieving a goal can keep you from reaching your true potential.
On this Sales Gravy Quick Tip, Jeb Blount introduces you to the five levers of effective leaders. This is how you get people to follow you!
The holiday season holds peril for sales professionals who let their guard down and discipline slip. In this podcast, Jeb Blount teaches you exactly what to do to outsell the holidays.
On this Sales Gravy Quick Tip, Jeb Blount gives you the real secret to living a long, healthy, and happy life.
Are you boring your prospects and customers because you are talking rather than listening?
The Four Types of Sales Objections Jeb Blount explores strategies and techniques for effectively skipping past the 4 types of sales objections. On this episode, I have a conversation with Chris McDonough. He's a talented and successful sales leader at ZoomInfo.
Chris and I talk about why it's stupid to avoid objections, how to reduce buyer resistance, how to manage your disruptive emotions in the face of objections, and techniques for skipping past objections.
There's four key types of objections that we run into in sales. And they're not what you normally think about. So typically when we think about objections, we think about objections like, "I'm not interested," or "It costs too much," or "I've got to go talk to my boss." Those are the things we typically fixate on.
But if you think about sales as a process, all the way from prospecting into getting a deal closed, There are four places where you get objections in the deal. Prospecting Objections The first are prospecting objections. They typically become the most harsh objections. They're the reason why people don't prospect, because these objections can be tough. They can be difficult.
And because you're interrupting a stranger, they happen really, really fast, and you have to be good on your feet when you're dealing with these objections. Red Herring Objections Then there are red herring objections, and these are not necessarily objections.
They are things that prospects typically say at the beginning of a sales call that have a tendency to derail salespeople inside of a sales call.
So for example, a rep is doing a demo and at the very beginning of the process gets interrupted, then off to the races, the rep goes, getting off of process, chasing down that red herring.
Then you end up burning up the 30 minutes you had for the demo chasing something that didn't really matter that much. So red herring objections are much more about getting control of the call. Micro Commitment and Next Step Objections Then there are a micro commitment and next step objections. And these are the objections that reps get when they're trying to advance a deal through the pipeline.
So where reps really mess up is, and you've probably seen this as a sales manager, you've got deals in the pipeline that are stalled. Almost every deal in your pipeline that is stalledΒ is because the rep didn't get and secure a next step.
And the next step is something that's on the prospect's calendar and on your calendar. So next step objections happen when you ask the person, "Hey, let's set up this," or "Let's do a pilot," or "Let's talk to your boss," or what have you. Whatever the next step is, you get those. Buying Commitment Objections And then finally there are buying commitment objections, and these are the objections that we traditionally get. These are the sexy objections, if you want to call them that.
Usually they're the objections that, when I ask for the deal, when I'm trying to close the deal, the person says, "Whoa, Whoa, Whoa, Whoa. I need to go think about it," or "This costs too much." Listen to the podcast to learn more about these objections and how to get past them.
On this Sales Gravy Quick Tip, Jeb Blount explains why leadership is personal, and why leaders must engage their people at the human level.
Discipline with time means giving up what you want NOW for what you want MOST. When you master time, you reduce stress, make your number, and improve your quality of life.
The difference between average salespeople and UHPs is, more often than not, their mindset about prospecting and pipeline.
In this podcast, Jeb Blount tells the real truth about why you suck at prospecting and gives you the tips, tactics, and techniques you need to keep your sales pipeline full.
On this episode Jeb Blount and Kevin Eikenberry give you best practices and actionable tactics for leading and managing remote employees.
In sales, you are always on stage. Prospects watch your every move to determine if you are trustworthy. Here's why trust is the currency of sales.
Red Herrings derail sales calls and cause you to lose control when not handled effectively. On this podcast, Jeb Blount teaches you why you should avoid chasing red herring objections at all costs.
In part four of this impactful conversation on sales negotiation strategies and tactics, Jeb Blount and Patrick Tinney help you become a more effective negotiator.
Jeb Blount and Patrick Tinney continue their conversation on sales negotiation and examine specific sales negotiation techniques and tactics.
In Part Two of Unlocking Yes, Jeb Blount and Patrick Tinney dive deeper into strategies that will help you become a better, more effective negotiator.
Every sales professional must negotiate at some point in the sales process. This is Part One of a conversation with Patrick Tinney, negotiation expert and author of Unlocking Yes.
On this podcast, Jeb goes head to head with the great Jeffrey Gitomer on some of the toughest objections faced by sales professionals.
Rejection points you in the right direction. It toughens you up and makes you stronger. It tells you when you are on to something big!
Winging it in sales is stupid. For this reason you must always plan for each sales call. On this podcast, Jeb gives you the 4 pre-call questions you must answer before your next sales meeting.
On this podcast, Jeb Blount and Chris Beall (CEO of ConnectAndSell) discuss the keys to getting real ROI from your sales organization.
Building relationships with stakeholders who make and influence buying decisions in your deals is key to gaining a competitive advantage.
In this podcast, Jeb Blount discusses how to get Psyched Up for sales with psyched up Dan McGinn.
Jeb Blount and Izabella Bray (ClearSlide) discuss how to engage prospects and accelerate sales pipeline velocity with powerful messaging.
The Social Proof Heuristic is a powerful way to minimize fear. On this podcast, you'll learn how to leverage it to make it easy for your buyer to move forward.
When prospects put up emotional walls and smoke screens that impede discovery, this technique can get them to open up and tell you everything.
Referrals are higher quality leads, easier to close, and shorten the sales cycle. And, most salespeople never ask for them. In this podcast with Joanne Black, you learn how to build your pipeline with referrals.
Whenever you have a dream or goal there will always be someone there to steal your joy or put up road blocks. It is crucial that you learn to use these losers and haters as fuel and never allow them to get in your way.
On this podcast, Jeb Blount and Chris Beall (CEO of ConnectAndSell) discuss why salespeople are afraid of the phone and how to sell to the invisible stranger.
The reason salespeople fail to get what they want is they fail to ask. Instead of asking they beat around the bush and passively wait for their prospect to do the work for them. Asking is the most important discipline in sales and failing to ask means you fail.
In one of our most intense podcast episodes ever, Jeb Blount and Alex Goldfayn discuss why salespeople who want to make more money must re-learn how to use the phone.
The fourth quarter is prime time for sales teams. Manage Q4 well and you'll make your number and more. Manage it poorly and you'll pay for your mistake well into the new year.
For leaders, nothing is more important or critical than trust. If people do not trust you, they will not follow you.
On this podcast episode learn the keys to leading and coaching ultra-high performance from respected sales thought leaders, Jeb Blount and Alice Heiman.
If you are using these three words you need to stop. They add no value, trigger reflex buyer scripts, and stall your deals in the pipe.
On this podcast episode, Jeb Blount and sales leadership guru, Ken Thoreson, discuss how and why modern sales management has changed and where sales leaders need to place their focus to be successful.
When it comes right down to it, there is only one question that matters in life. On this podcast episode Jeb Blount tells the story ofΒ how a rag-tag, under-dog football team learned this lesson and how to apply it to your life.
In sales, its easy to become the buyer's little puppet - they pull the strings and you dance. On this podcast episode you will learn how to use engagement tests, take aways, and emotional detachment to flip the script and gain control of the sales process.
When buyers are not engaged at the emotional level your deal will stall. This is why ultra-high performers are constantly focused on building emotional connections with stakeholders.
On this final installment, Jeb Blount and Tom Hopkins discuss the keys to becoming a Sales PROFESSIONAL.
For many salespeople, the fear of getting a no is real and holds them back. In part four of Jeb Blount's interview with Tom Hopkins, they discuss sales objections and what to do when buyers say no.
In part three of Jeb Blount's conversation with the legendary Tom Hopkins, they discuss the power of follow up and why you need to prospect so that you no longer need to prospect.
In part two of Jeb Blount's interview with the legendary Tom Hopkins, the two discuss the power of setting and writing down goals and, why you should never give up on your dreams.
Jeb Blount and Tom Hopkins discuss leveraging the Yes Strategy for getting past the fear of rejection.
Each working day salespeople are surprised to find out, after investing blood, sweat, and tears, and of course promises to the boss, the account they have been working on will not close. But, walking away from a bad deal is one of the hardest things to do in sales. On this podcast episode Jeb Blount explores the pitfalls of poor qualifying and throwing good money after bad.
As individual contributors top Sales Professionals have the luxury of only thinking about themselves. They can selfishly protect their own interests, act as lone wolves, and win at the expense of others. But as Sales Managers the words I and me no longer work. On this podcast episode, Jeb Blount author of People Follow You, discusses how new sales manager must make the shift from sales rep to leader.
On this podcast episode Jeb Blount and Brandon Bruce, COO of Cirrus Insight, discuss how to get the most out of the modern CRM.
Despite all of the bright, new, shiny apps and digital tools that promise to make sales easier, a failure to focus on and embrace the basics and fundamentals is a sure path to mediocrity and eventual failure. On this podcast Jeb Blount challenges you to answer 21 questions that lead to sales success.
Your CRM can either be your most valuable sales tool or your greatest waste of time. It depends on how you treat it and your mindset about it. On this podcast episode Jeb Blount explores why salespeople choose not to leverage the CRM and why this is a big mistake.
It often feels like life would be better without competitors. But more often than not, our hated competitors make us better, stronger, faster, and more agile. Change your mindset. Change your game.
On this podcast episode, Sales Gravy's Jeb Blount discusses the key to blending social media into your sales day to keep the pipe full and close more deals.
Many salespeople become so comfortable with bad habits that they continue to repeat these behaviors even when faced with overwhelming evidence that a habit is causing them to fail.
Ultra-High Sales Performers are masters at levering sales specific emotional intelligence to bend win probability in their favor and gain a decisive competitive advantage.
You have done it. I have done it. And most of us will do it again. We ask this question without considering the consequences - which almost always turn out badly. On this podcast episode, Jeb Blount discusses the one question ultra-high performing sales professionals never ask.
The most pressing issues facing sales professionals and sales leaders are, Prospecting, Pipeline, and Productivity. In this exclusive re-broadcast of VSKO17, four of the world's most cutting edge thought leaders, shatter modern day sales productivity myths that are holding you back and give you their secrets for closing more sales and increasing your income.
On this podcast episode Jeb Blount answers the number one question we get about prospecting and gives you the secret to timing your telephone prospecting calls.
Stalled deals are the bane of the sales profession. The number one reason why deals stall is the failure to get to the next step. On this podcast episode, Anthony Iannarino and Jeb Blount discuss the keys to getting next steps and micro-commitments in the sales process.
People buy on emotion and justify with logic. In fact, human emotions have a massive impact on buying behavior. On this podcast episode, Jeb Blount discusses why ultra-high performing sales professionals are astute students of human behavior and emotions.
What is the most persuasive communication style in sales? How to you draw your prospects in and keep their attention during sales calls and presentations? Jeb Blount answers these questions and more on this Sales Gravy podcast episode when he interviews Paul Smith, the author of Sell With a Story.
On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Kendra Lee and Jeb Blount discuss cold email prospecting techniques. Kendra Lee is the author of The Sales Magnet and one of the top experts on email prospecting. Jeb Blount is the author of the mega-hit book Fanatical Prospecting.