Episodes

6h ago

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 "if-only" 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 Year For 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 year—the 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 you’ve been and where you are going. The Trouble With Regret Let’s 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 didn’t do) and wish you could change it. In many ways, regret is similar to worry, except it’s focused on the past instead of the future. Worry is about what might happen; regret is about what already happened. That’s 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 Loop I’ve observed so many people get stuck in this endless loop of regret. They keep lamenting, "If only I had . . ." "made that call.” “handled that prospect differently.” “taken that chance.” “been there or done that.” Those “if onlys” can paralyze you. They sap your energy, crush your confidence, and keep you from moving forward. On one hand, regret can push you to change—you don’t 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 “would’ve, could’ve, should’ve.” But no matter how many times you complete that loop, it doesn’t change the outcome. It becomes an emotional anchor that weighs you down as you start the new year. The Power of Reflection Reflection, on the other hand, is entirely different—and 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. You’re asking the questions, “What went well? What didn’t go so well? What did I learn?” You consider the wins that made you proud and the moments you’d rather forget. You figure out why you won so you can repeat those winning behaviors. You extract value from the lessons of failure. Reflection isn’t about punishing yourself for what went wrong. It’s about gaining clarity on why it went wrong—and what you can do about it next time. How Reflection Creates Awareness Reflection also helps you find gratitude in unexpected places. Maybe there’s a hidden lesson in overcoming an obstacle, or perhaps you gained a new perspective because a challenging person came into your life. It’s 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-End The reason I’m 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. There’s an air of possibility as we think: “This year is going to be different. “This year, I’m going to crush my numbers.” “Hit my income targets.” “Make it to President’s club.” “Get a promotion.” “Finally, close that dream account I’ve been chasing.” But if you don’t take a moment to reflect on what worked and what didn’t, you’re likely to find yourself repeating the same missteps. Reflection is like an internal debrief—a chance to say, “Here’s what happened, here’s why, and here’s how I’m going to fix it.” Why Clarity Arises From Reflection Let 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, “What happened and why didn’t I achieve this goal?” As I mulled over those questions, the answers came more clearly than I expected. One of the biggest insights I gained was that I'd set this big goal, but didn’t establish a system or plan to make it happen. You see, a goal without a system is basically just a wish—as they say, “hope is not a strategy.” Build a System that Supports Your Goals If, for example, you set a goal to prospect a hundred potential customers per week, but you haven’t built a disciplined daily routine, built targeted lists, set aside specific times for calls, and created accountability checkpoints, it’s 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 year's 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: “You messed up. You’ll never fix this. It’s too late.” Reflection says: “You messed up. Now let’s find out why, learn from it, and do better next time.” How to Conduct a Year-End Sales Reflection To 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 "Why?" to uncover the root cause of the miss without self-judgment. Build Systems, Not Just Goals: Replace "hope-based" strategies with disciplined routines, targeted lists, and accountability checkpoints. Practice Gratitude: Identify the "silver linings" and lessons learned from challenges to maintain an optimistic outlook for the new sales season. Here’s 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 Blount's popular on-demand course: The Essentials of Setting Winning Goals

3d ago

Why Do So Many Mentorship Relationships Fail Before They Ever Work? “You can't be more committed to somebody’s success than they are.” That insight comes from Colleen Stanley, author of Be the Mentor Who Mattered, during a recent conversation on the Sales Gravy Podcast. It's 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 who's 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 don't follow through. So they stop offering help altogether. The problem isn't 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 Mentorship Most people treat mentorship like a magic pill, assuming that simply being near someone successful will transfer that success to them. It doesn’t 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 Directly The biggest barrier to mentorship isn’t that successful people won’t help you. It’s that you never ask. You assume they’re too busy, too important, or too far removed from your situation to care. You’re 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 they’re not mind readers. If you want help, ask for it directly. Respect Their Time When you do ask, come prepared. Don’t ask for “15 minutes to pick your brain.” That’s code for “I haven’t thought about what I actually need, so I’m going to waste your time figuring it out.” Instead, be specific. “I’m struggling with qualifying early in the sales process. Could you share how you approach qualification conversations?” Specific questions get specific answers. Vague requests get vague responses—or none at all. Do What They Tell You to Do This 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 won’t work for your situation. Stop that. If you’re going to ask someone for their expertise, try their approach before explaining why your situation is different. You’re there because they know more than you do. Acting like you know better defeats the entire purpose. Your mentor’s reward isn’t money or recognition. It’s watching you take their advice and succeed because of it. When you implement what they teach and come back with results, they’ll invest even more in your development. When you make excuses, they’ll move on. Take Tough Feedback Without Getting Defensive Not 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 truth—even when it’s uncomfortable—that’s a gift. Don’t reject it because it wasn’t wrapped perfectly. The best mentors don’t sugarcoat feedback because they respect you enough to be honest. They see potential in you that you can’t see yet, and they’re not going to let you waste it by staying comfortable. What Mentors Get Wrong About Mentorship If you’re in a position to mentor others, you already know the frustration of investing in someone who doesn’t follow through. It’s exhausting. Eventually, you start to wonder if it’s worth your time at all. Before you close yourself off completely, it’s important to understand the common patterns that cause mentoring relationships to stall. Waiting for the Perfect Mentee There is no perfect mentee. Everyone who asks for your help is going to be rough around the edges. They’ll make mistakes. They might waste some of your time. That’s the cost of mentoring. The real question isn’t whether someone is polished. It’s whether they’re committed. Are they showing up prepared? Are they implementing what you teach? Are they making progress, even if it’s slow? If the answer is yes, keep investing. If it’s no, redirect your energy elsewhere. Just don’t let one bad experience make you cynical about everyone. Trying to Control Their Path Your job as a mentor isn’t to create a clone of yourself. It’s 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. That’s not wrong. That’s the point. Stay unattached to the outcome. You can’t 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 People Not 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 doesn’t 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 Mentorship Mentorship isn’t a transaction. It’s not about what you can get from someone more successful or what you owe someone less experienced. It’s 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 potential—even when you don’t—can 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 else’s trajectory. Ready to take the next step in your development? Finding the right mentor or coach can transform your sales career—if you know what to look for. Learn how to identify the coach who’s right for you with our FREE How to Find the Right Coach for You Guide.

5d ago

Here's a truth that'll make you uncomfortable: Getting rejected isn't the real problem. The real problem is that you're not doing the work upfront to lower the probability of rejection in the first place. That's 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 week's episode about handling rejection on Ask Jeb on The Sales Gravy Podcast. After forty years in sales, I've been rejected yesterday, I'll get rejected tomorrow, and I've been rejected so many times that I almost don't even feel it anymore. But that doesn't mean you can just "let it roll off your back" like some sales trainers tell you. If you're struggling with rejection, you're not alone. And more importantly, you're not broken. There's 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 You Here's what most sales trainers won't tell you: Rejection is supposed to hurt. It's 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 weren't 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 it's still with us today. That's why selling is so hard. It's why most people don't want to go into sales. Walk into the accounting department and ask if anyone wants to make cold calls with you. They're going to look at you like you've 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 in most of our life. You need to get along with your family, your coworkers, 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? It's killing your performance. The Truth About Objections: You're Creating Them When people reject you or give you an objection, what they're expressing is their fear. They're expressing their fear of moving forward, their fear of change, their fear about whether or not you'll do what you say you're going to do. And here's 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 don't have any ammunition. So the rejection sounds like this: "Your price is too high." That's the only way a person really knows how to explain it. If they don't like you, they'll say, "We need to go think about this." 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 you've 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. You're just bringing back and putting on the table the things that they already told you. The worst rejections I've gotten? They're usually when I lost a deal because I didn't do discovery. And then I found out after the fact that I missed something I shouldn't have missed. It's not so much the rejection that hurts. It's the shame and the gut punch that I didn't do my job as a salesperson, and therefore I created the environment that made that objection so big that I couldn't get past it because I had no information to work with. The Ledge Technique: Your Magic Quarter Second Let's get practical. You're on a prospecting call, you're engaging another person, and they hit you with an objection which 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 you've memorized that you say automatically whenever you get that particular objection. The thing about prospecting objections is that we know every potential one. They're not surprising. People are going to say, "I don't have any time," "I'm not interested," "I'm already working with someone," "Your prices are too high," "This is not a good time for me," "I'm not the right person." So if someone says, "I'm too busy right now," I just say, "I figured you would be. And that's exactly why I called." That's 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 that's smart takes over and says, "This is not a threat. This is just a person who says they don't have enough time right now, and you know exactly how to handle it." Relating: The Slower Form of the Ledge If you're in a slower type of objection (let's say you're asking someone to buy from you), use a form of the ledge by relating with them. When someone gives you an objection, they're expecting conflict because we're just human beings. If I tell you no, I'm expecting you to come back at me. So they give you the objection and they're ready for it. If you punch back, they're 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. Here's what that sounds like in practice: Someone says, "This is more than I wanted to pay." You could say, "Well, look, it's really not that expensive and you're going to get so much out of it." Or you could say, "I totally get where you're coming from. It sounds to me like you're someone who makes really good decisions with their money." You're not agreeing that the price is too high. You're agreeing that they're a person who makes good decisions with their money. You're lowering the conflict level and increasing the collaborative level. You're diffusing them and breaking their pattern. Then you can go into, "When you say it's a little bit more than you wanted to pay, how do you mean? What does that mean to you?" But you always start with relating to them. The One Basic Truth About Objections Here's something you need to understand: In every sales conversation, while facing every objection, it is the human being that 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. There's nothing that handles objections better than pure old confidence. Persistence Always Finds a Way to Win Let 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 you're persistent, the more you keep asking, the more likely you're going to get what you want. The more you face rejection, the more likely you're 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, "Run, don't do this, don't face it," 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 you're willing to go through it, around it, under it. No matter what it takes. You're willing to do whatever it takes to get that thing that you want. That's 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, Jeb’s latest book on combining LinkedIn, AI, and proven outbound strategies to sell more and close bigger deals.

Dec 14

If you’ve 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 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 Taxes In 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 don’t 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 processes—right now—rather than hand over a large chunk of their profits to Uncle Sam come tax season. Business Owners Hate Paying Taxes To understand why this year-end period is so critical, let’s 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 company’s financial results because those results are essentially their income. It’s 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, they’re looking at their bottom line and thinking about the upcoming tax bill. For many of these business owners, profit is a double-edged sword. Don’t 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, it's 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 Spend As 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 Case I 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 can’t 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. It’s 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 you’re 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: “This is an opportune moment to upgrade your systems, so you’ll enter the new year with a competitive edge and potentially lower your tax liabilities this season.” “By 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.” "If we get the equipment ordered now, it will be delivered in Q1, giving you plenty of time to get a high ROI next year." 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 Approach While 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 you’re 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 they’re 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, Compelling I don’t want to sweep under the rug how important timing and urgency are with this tactic. While you don’t 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. They’re 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: “I’m 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." 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. It’s 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 don’t make their purchase by December 31st, they will miss out on the potential tax advantages. This deadline isn’t artificial—it’s a reality. Use it to frame your conversations. Urgency helps prospects prioritize your offer over other distractions in their busy schedule. Handling Objections You might encounter objections like: “We’re too busy to consider new solutions right now,” or “We don’t have enough budget.” In these cases, it’s 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 year’s 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 Year 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. Frame your product as a strategic investment: Highlight the value, ROI, and tax benefits that come with a year-end purchase. Avoid being transactional: Follow the sales process and position yourself as a partner who can help them navigate this critical period. Tailor your approach to each SMB’s situation: Research their needs and adjust your prospecting message accordingly, showing empathy and relevance. Create urgency with a real deadline: The calendar itself is your ally; emphasize that the benefits come from acting before December 31st. Here's 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. It's the perfect gift for the sales professional in your life!

Dec 11

Is Your LinkedIn Personal Branding Built for Buyers or Bystanders? "Respectfully, you are not my audience." Performance coach Giselle Ugarte said that on a recent episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, and it might be the most liberating thing you'll hear about LinkedIn personal branding this year. Because somewhere between building your profile and hitting publish on that post, you've 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 Flat You've heard "be authentic" and "show up as yourself" so often that the advice has lost all meaning. So you end up in a strange middle ground where you’re not polished enough to impress executives and not human enough to connect with actual buyers. Your LinkedIn personal branding suffers because you're creating content for ghosts. People who will never hire you, never refer you, never sign a contract. You're worried about the wrong audience, and that hesitation shows up in every word you type. Think about the last post you almost published but didn't. What stopped you? Probably not a legitimate business concern. More likely, you had a flash of "what will people think?" and that voice didn't belong to your ideal client. It belonged to someone in your network who wouldn't buy from you if you were the last salesperson on earth. Who Your LinkedIn Content Is Really For Your LinkedIn personal branding should speak to three groups: Current clients Prospective clients People who can refer you to clients That’s it. Everyone else is background noise. When you post about closing a tough deal, your brother who works in IT might think you're 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 you're airing dirty laundry. Your prospect is realizing you understand their world. The disconnect happens because you're 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 Works If you're going to shift your LinkedIn personal branding from performative to productive, you need a system. Not another "post three times a week" generic advice pile, but something that forces you to focus on real humans instead of vanity metrics. Giselle’s 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. “Let me know” is where leads go to die. Meaningful DMs teach the algorithm who matters to you — 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. “Hey, I was thinking about you because…” It’s 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 won't do it because it feels like work. But if you woke up to 20 qualified leads tomorrow, would that change your business? That's what you're building here. What Your LinkedIn Profile Should Actually Show Buyers want to know you’re 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 it’s more professional, you’re 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. "Mom of four," or "Proud Michigan alum," 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 Buy You 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? They've never sent you a referral. Your friend from college who thinks sales is beneath them? They're not signing contracts. Your family member who wants you to be more buttoned up? They're not in your market. Have the clarity to know that you can't build an effective LinkedIn personal branding presence while trying to please everyone. You'll 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 don’t 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 — and the courage to show up as a real human. The salespeople winning on LinkedIn aren’t the most polished. They’re 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. That’s how you win on LinkedIn — and everywhere else. Want the full LinkedIn playbook? Buy The LinkedIn Edge by Jeb Blount and Brynne Tillman. It’s packed with non-negotiables that will turn your profile into a pipeline-building machine.

Dec 9

Here's the scenario that's 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 they're ready to coast through December. That's the exact situation Kyle Begbie, a regional sales director at Fuse HR Solutions in Ontario, Canada, brought to this week's Ask Jeb. His team overcame massive market disruption, economic headwinds, and buyer hesitation to finish the year strong. Now he's facing the most dangerous challenge of all: keeping that momentum alive through the holidays and into January. If you're nodding your head right now, you're 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 Trap Here's what happened to Kyle's team, and it's 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 they're 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. Here's the deal: Nothing really changed in the market from the first half of the year to the second half. Kyle's 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 here's the problem: If you take your foot off the accelerator now, you're going to pay for it in January and February. That's not motivation speak. That's math. The 30-Day Rule Will Make or Break Your Q1 The 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 doesn't prospect, you're going to have a catastrophic January and February. It's 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 you're 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, you're going to be golden. Close What's Closable Before January 1 The second critical action is closing every deal in your pipeline that's actually closable right now. Your customers are thinking they have time. Your salespeople are thinking they have time. Nobody's pushing anybody. But here's the reality: If those deals roll over past Christmas into the New Year, the likelihood of closing them is almost zero. You're 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. Everything's qualified. The only thing keeping you from closing is they haven't 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 January This 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 wasn't 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 couldn't move because of timing or market conditions. Gather those up and get lists together for your team. What you're doing here is acting like a coach getting your players in position to win. Because here's what happens if you don't: 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, you're running prospecting blocks, talking to customers, and working deals. Not figuring out what you should be doing. The Power of Celebration and Storytelling The 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. That's what happened. Tell them they did a great job. Make sure they're 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 here's the truth: Nothing changed this year except for them. And if that's true, then nothing can stop them next year either. It doesn't matter what happens in the marketplace. Even if we go into a recession, people are still hiring. The money is still there. It's just that more people are chasing it. Teach your team that it doesn't make a difference what happens. The economy can fall apart, but they're good enough to go find where the money is and take it. Because while everyone else is sitting around telling themselves what they can't do, your team is telling themselves what they can do. That's how you carry momentum. That's how you avoid the January hole. And that's 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 world’s most powerful B2B social selling platform to fill your pipeline, build relationships, and close more deals.

Dec 7

What Does a Perfect Bowling Game Have in Common With Top-Performing Sales Reps? Walk into a bowling alley on a Friday night, and you’ll 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. That’s the real game. And it’s 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 — Fanatical Prospecting In bowling, the shot starts before the ball ever moves. The routine is deliberate: same steps, same breath, same commitment. That’s where consistency begins. In sales, your approach is prospecting. It’s the moment you decide whether you’re a professional or a hobbyist. Pros don’t wait for a pipeline crisis. They build a non-negotiable daily rhythm of fanatical prospecting, exactly the way Jeb teaches it. “One more call. One more conversation. One more connection.” That mindset is your approach. That’s 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 — Owning Your Sales Process A 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 can’t control a buyer’s 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 — Your Message and the Triangle of Trust A bowler’s ball is drilled to fit their hand, weighted for their style, and chosen for the conditions. Your ball is your message—your 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 buyer’s 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 — Prospects, Objections, and Physics Pins obey physics. They aren’t 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 “no” into a story about themselves. Objections aren’t judgment. They’re feedback. “We’re happy with our current vendor.” “Call me next quarter.” 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 isn’t over until you quit. Frame 5: The Shoes — Mindset and Emotional Control No one bowls in street shoes. You’ll 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 they’ll 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 — Tech as an Amplifier, Not a Crutch Pros carry multiple balls, tape, tools—gear 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 “oil pattern” of your territory. But at the end of the day, it’s still you, a buyer, and a conversation. No technology closes deals for you. Frame 7: The Team — 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. You’re competing, but you’re not competing against each other. You’re competing against your potential. Frame 8: The Scoreboard — Metrics and Truth The scoreboard doesn’t lie. It doesn’t 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 can’t manage what you don’t measure. Frame 9: The Follow-Through — Closing with Composure A bowler’s 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 — Finishing Strong with Follow-Up The 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. It’s the week after the demo. The stalled proposal. The buyer who goes quiet. Most sellers mentally check out and tell themselves the wrong story: “If they wanted it, they’d call me.” Pros don’t buy that lie. Deals are won in the follow-up—professional, relevant, value-driven persistence. That’s where reliability is proven. The Game That Never Ends Sales doesn’t 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. You’ve 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.

Dec 4

You’re Coachable, But Are You Truly Humble? You’ve been coachable your entire career. You take feedback, adjust your approach, read books, listen to podcasts, and implement what works. Yet being coachable doesn’t automatically make you humble—and 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: “What advice would I give myself ten years ago? Be humble. There’s a difference between being coachable and being humble.” Most sales leaders assume coachability covers everything. If you’re open to learning, you’re set—right? 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 Means A coachable leader stays receptive. Feedback isn’t a threat. Adjustments aren’t 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 don’t cling to “the way we’ve always done it” when the market shifts. Adaptability is their baseline. But it’s only half the picture. What Being Humble Actually Means Humility isn’t self-deprecation. It’s 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 “we did that” instead of “I did that.” It changes the way you speak, how you coach, and how your team shows up around you. Why Sales Leaders Confuse the Two It’s easy to blur the lines. Coachability requires some humility. You have to acknowledge you don’t know everything. But it’s 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 One Coachability 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 won’t 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. They’ll accept advice when it arrives but rarely seek it out until they’re 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 Leadership Consider 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 don’t 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 Leadership Sales leadership is a long game. You’re not just managing this quarter’s number. You’re 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 you’ll listen. They fight for deals because their effort is seen. They stay through hard quarters because they trust you’re not in it for personal glory. How to Develop Both Traits To 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 you’re stuck. Start meetings by recognizing someone else’s win. Pay attention to how often you use “I” versus “we.” 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 Line Being 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, you’re 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.

Dec 2

Here's a question that'll 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. That's insane. But if you're in sales and you let rejection stop you from making calls, booking appointments, and closing deals, that's exactly what you're doing. You're 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, you're literally taking money away from your family. Let that sink in. The Science of Why Rejection Hurts Let's get one thing straight right now: I'm not going to sit here and glorify rejection. Nobody wants to be rejected. Unless you're a pure sociopath who feels nothing (and there aren't many of those in sales), rejection is going to hurt you. It doesn't matter if you're highly outcome-driven like me or highly empathetic. Rejection hurts everyone in different degrees, but it hurts. Period. Here's what's actually happening inside your body when you get rejected: Your brain treats rejection like a physical threat. Fight or flight kicks in. It's 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? That's not weakness. That's just science. The Problem: Sales Is a Rejection-Dense Profession Here's the brutal reality about selling: If you don't face rejection, you're going to fail. Sales is what I call a rejection-dense profession. When you hit rejection in sales, you don't 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. That's the job description. That's 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. Army's elite parachute team. I'm not a skydiver (just like I'm 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 he'd jumped. Ten thousand times, he said. So I asked him, "Do you ever get afraid?" His answer changed everything for me: "Of course I get afraid. I'm jumping out of an airplane. Your body is going to get afraid. I've just done it so many times that I know exactly what the process is. I'm able to get myself to jump even though my brain says this is the wrong thing to do." That's exactly what you have to do in sales. Building Obstacle Immunity In my book Objections, I talk about something called obstacle immunity. It's 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. Here's 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. It's about taking control of the conversation when someone gives you an objection. Understand the Difference Between Objections and Rejection An objection isn't the same as a rejection, even though they feel essentially the same in your body. When someone objects, they're giving you information. When someone rejects you, they're saying no. Learn to tell the difference. Focus on Emotional Discipline In emotionally tense situations, you've got to be emotionally disciplined. You've 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 Difference Sales 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 what's in your head. This is no different than athletics. Elite athletes all operate at similar skill and talent levels. They'll tell you that winning or losing happens between the ears. I'm a big golfer. The difference between me having a really good game or a really bad game is one hundred percent what's in my head. My body knows what to do. I know how to swing the club. The mental game is everything. If you don't fix your mindset, you're not going to get the results you're expecting. People think they're stuck and can't move forward. But it's just about moving your mindset. Get more information. Learn something new. Apply what you learn. That's how you increase your mindset and get better results. Stop Giving Away Your Power When Wendy said, "When you give to the clients, when you give to the people that rejected you, the power to stop you, that's what exactly you do," it hit me like a freight train. You wouldn't let someone take your wallet. You wouldn't 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 it's supposed to do. It's not telling you to quit. It's telling you that you're 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 isn't talent. It's the willingness to go through rejection instead of around it. That's how you win. Ready to take your sales game to the next level? Check out The LinkedIn Edge to learn how to leverage the world's most powerful B2B social selling platform to fill your pipeline, build relationships, and close more deals.

Nov 30

Your prospects know when you're waiting for your turn to talk. They can feel when you're performing instead of partnering. And the moment they sense you're treating them like a transaction, you've already lost the sale, or at least the loyalty that comes after it. The difference between good salespeople and unforgettable ones isn't about closing techniques or fancy proposals. It's about becoming the trusted sales advisor your buyers can't imagine doing business without. It's about evolving from vendor to linchpin—the 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 you're more than someone who takes orders or delivers quotes. You're the trusted sales advisor buyers turn to for guidance, validation, and expertise. They don't just buy from you; they believe in you. They want your opinion. They rely on your consistency. And when things get messy, they know you'll 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. It's safe. It hits metrics. But safety doesn't create loyalty. Why Most Sellers Stay Vendors The vendor zone is comfortable. You know what to do. You have a process. You check boxes. But here's the problem: your prospect can feel when you're focused on yourself instead of them. They know when you're running through a script or waiting to launch into your pitch. And that feeling—that sense of being just another number—kills 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. That's where the magic happens. Build Emotional Connection Through Reading the Room The best salespeople don't take behavior at face value. They interpret it. When a buyer seems distracted or cold, linchpin sellers pause and ask themselves: What's really happening here? Is this person overwhelmed? Skeptical because of a bad past experience? Or just thinking deeply because they need time to process? Here's 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 you're thinking. Use your inside voice as your outside voice. Try: "It sounds like this project has a lot of pressure behind it" or "You seem hesitant—can I ask what's causing that?" Naming emotions and behaviors politely opens doors. Embrace the silence. Silence doesn't 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 can't 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 don't take the time. Lead With Curiosity Curiosity is the trait that rarely gets enough attention in sales training. But when you're genuinely curious about what makes your buyers tick—what drives their decisions, what matters most to them, what keeps them up at night—you 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 that's the moment you become essential to solving their problems. Here's how to leverage curiosity as a trusted sales advisor: Ask one more question. When your buyer answers, don't jump into your pitch. Say, "Tell me more about that" or "What else is behind that concern?" That extra question is where the truth often lives. Replace judgment with wonder. When a prospect makes an odd request, don't think "That's ridiculous." Think "I wonder what's driving that?" That mindset shift changes your energy completely—and they can feel it. Prep curiosity prompts before each meeting. Write down three open-ended questions that start with "how" or "what." Questions like "How will this impact your team's workload?" or "What happens if nothing changes?" uncover real motivation. The phrase "I'm so curious about..." 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 Consultant Most 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 clients' success feels harder to imagine without them. When you become indispensable, things don't function properly without you. People need you, not just want you. You bring unique value that can't easily be replaced, because nobody is you. Here's how to go beyond helpful and become essential: Diagnose before you recommend. Don't rush to fix. Take time to fully understand the client's situation. Ask deeper questions. Look for patterns. Confirm what really matters before offering solutions. You'll 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 haven't considered. When they walk away from a meeting thinking differently because of you, you're no longer just a vendor—you're a resource. Lead with consistency and integrity. Show up when it's easy, but also show up when it's not. Be steady, dependable, and transparent, especially when outcomes are uncertain. Indispensable consultants don't 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 clients' strategy. You become the trusted sales advisor they call first. People Buy You First Being a linchpin isn't about what you sell. It's about how you show up for the buyer. When markets shift or leadership changes, your product might change—but your presence shouldn't. 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. That's how you go from vendor to linchpin. Ready to master the techniques that turn you into the trusted sales advisor your buyers can't 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.

Nov 27

The automated "Great job, team!" email blasted to 47 people at 4:37 PM on a Friday isn’t authentic appreciation. Neither is the generic gift basket ordered by someone in HR who’s 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 tasks—seeing 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 can’t 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 Recognition Most 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 territory—nice 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 Results There’s 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 don’t need a massive recognition program. You don’t 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 tomorrow’s 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 they’re scanning for the big wins. But your team isn’t just looking for recognition when they close the monster deal. They’re looking for it on Tuesday afternoon when they’re grinding through their 50th prospecting call. They’re looking for it when they’ve 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 Appreciation Authentic 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 creativity—you reframed value instead of dropping price, and that's exactly the approach we need more of." Timely means you don’t wait for the quarterly review or the annual celebration. You recognize the effort when it happens, while it’s 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. Here’s 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. That’s the difference between authentic and outsourced. Integrate Authentic Appreciation Into How You Already Work Most 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 you’re already doing. You’re already having one-on-ones. Reviewing deals. Walking the floor or jumping on calls. The question isn’t whether you have time—it’s whether you’re paying attention in those moments. When reviewing pipeline, don’t just look at the numbers. Notice the effort. "I see you’ve 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 “thanks.” Take 30 seconds to acknowledge what they did: "This breakdown made my job easier. I didn’t have to dig for answers. That kind of communication makes our team more efficient." These aren’t grand gestures. They’re 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 Ways The best team cultures don’t 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 leader’s approval to everyone building each other up. One practice that works: create space in team meetings for peer recognition. Not forced or formal—just an open moment where anyone can call out something they appreciated from a teammate that week. Keep it optional. Keep it genuine. You’ll be surprised how quickly it becomes part of your team’s 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: “What’s a win from this week?” Make them say it out loud. Make them acknowledge their own growth. That internal recognition builds resilience and momentum that external praise alone can’t create. What Happens When You Get This Right When 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, they’re 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 Week Stop 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 “What’s a win from this week?” and let them acknowledge their own progress. Catch someone doing something right—however small—and 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 Human The 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 effort—those matter most of all. Your team isn’t waiting for the next corporate initiative or the annual awards ceremony. They’re waiting for you to notice. They’re waiting for you to care enough to say something about the work they’re doing right now. Stop outsourcing what should be human. Lead with authentic appreciation today, and watch your team thrive. 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 — even in hard times.

Nov 25

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 You Let'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 Matters Now, 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 Solution If 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 Messaging Here'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 Job Michael 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 Line Stop 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.

Nov 24

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 Mindset Sales 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 don’t have, you appreciate the lessons you’ve learned and the opportunities still in front of you. But it goes deeper than just feeling better. Gratitude Builds Resilience In 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 Thinking When you focus on what you do have—your skills, your relationships, your opportunities, your resources—you 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 Gratitude But here’s 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, who’s 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. 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. 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. 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 you’ve 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 You Before 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 Gratitude So as we head into Thanksgiving week, I’ll 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 you’ve 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 day—and 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.

Nov 20

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. 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. "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 Planning Here'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 names The 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 Planning The 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 Role Don'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 Material Wikipedia 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 sector If 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 Persona If 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 Intelligence AI 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 Messages The 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?" Here’s how you’ve 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 Workflow This 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 aren’t 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 Practice Let'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 quarters Now 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 Meeting Your 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:

Nov 19

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 Fear Let'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 For Here'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 One Let'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 Strategy When 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 Professionals If 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 Daily The 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 Line Getting 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.

Nov 17

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 wouldn’t 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. 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 couldn’t 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 … 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 Equity Finally, out of options and patience, I took the advice of an antique store owner. "Go see a woodworker," she said. 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: “I can’t build you a table for that price.” Just as I was giving him an obligatory thanks and turning to leave, he hit me with an unexpected question: “Are you interested in learning how to make one? It might cost you less than what I’ve already made.” He wasn’t selling me a table. He was selling me an experience. A partnership. Becoming a Co-Creator And 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 we’d 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 gladly—despite all its imperfections (I am not a professional carpenter.). This was my table, built with my sweat, crafted with my hands. I’d earned it. One leg was a half-inch too short. The decorative edges I’d spent hours on didn’t quite match. And the lacquer? Let’s 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 wasn’t just furniture; it was a blinding flash of the obvious and a lesson in the concept called The IKEA Effect. Applying the Principle in Sales Not 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. “How about this,” I said, "I know our price is higher, but I think we—you and I—can 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 Deal With our co-created plan in hand, the client happily paid our higher fee. We’d 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 solution—by making him a co-creator rather than just a buyer—we triggered the same psychological principle. He didn't just purchase a program; he helped design it. The Lesson: Ownership Matters When people build something—whether it's furniture, solutions, or relationships—they don't just create the thing itself. They create ownership. Here’s 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 process—even just by providing a little bit of input—the 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 Takeaway The 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 aren’t buying a product or a service—they're buying the feeling of a win. 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. You don’t 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.’s podcast 30 Minutes or Less: How Flawed Sales Incentive Programs Cost Domino’s $78 Million, part of The Sales Gravy Podcast.

Nov 13

To a sales leader, it’s a familiar story. Month one: Your new SDR is on fire. Energy through the roof. They’re 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 energy’s gone. That superstar you hired 90 days ago is updating their LinkedIn profile—and you know exactly what that means. Now you’re back in hiring mode, your team’s pipeline is slipping, and your recruiting budget just took another hit. But it’s not that the SDR role is broken—the 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 they’re growing, not just grinding. It’s a tactical framework that stops inefficiency. The Problem: You’re Forcing SDRs to Run Without a Finish Line When 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? “Just wait your turn” doesn’t cut it anymore. Maybe it never did. The wake-up call came when Tim realized something critical: The things that kill SDR motivation aren’t trainable. Work ethic. Mindset. How someone approaches their day and prospecting blocks. That’s character. You can’t 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 there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, no amount of training fixes that. That’s on leadership, not the rep. The Solution: Build a Roadmap That Rewards Performance, Not Tenure Tim 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 “when a spot opens up.” The 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. It’s the sales leader’s 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. There’s 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 wasn’t a holding pattern. It was a launchpad. The Dashboard: Four Metrics That Actually Matter Metrics are your scoreboard. If your reps don’t 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 didn’t know what half the numbers meant or how they connected to their success. Tim stripped it down to four metrics: Dials – Shows effort and how they’re working the database. Everyone can pick up the phone. Connections – Only counts conversations with decision-makers. Not gatekeepers. Not assistants. This shows outreach quality. Meetings Scheduled – The conversion from connection to meeting. This is where you see who’s actually selling. Meetings Ran – If they don’t show up, what’s the point? For Tim, the most important is the latter three because of their impact. He’s 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 – CRM management, using the dialer, and objection handling. These are fundamental basics that must be mastered before there can be further movement. Knowledge – Developing an ICP and persona basics. Narrow and focused. Build your knowledge on the people who matter. Art – 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 they’re executing, gaining confidence, and booking meetings in week two instead of week eight. SDRs aren’t closing six-figure deals. They’re 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 Impact Before Tim was a leader, he spent too much time searching for the silver bullet. He’d 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 Doesn’t Have to Be the End The SDR graveyard isn’t 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. 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.

Nov 11

Here’s a truth most car dealerships don’t want to admit: people don’t hate buying cars. They hate buying cars from salespeople who make the customer experience painful. That’s 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. What’s missing is training that teaches sales pros how to create an experience people actually enjoy. The vehicle isn’t the differentiator. The experience is. Why the Experience Matters More Than the Product I 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 Frameworks Brendan 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 Guide If you are in car sales or any sales role where buyers can research online, here is the playbook: Unpack your customer’s 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 Again Brendan shared something I loved. Before car sales, he worked in the Vegas nightlife industry and he asked, “Why can’t buying a car be fun?” 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 Lesson At 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.

Nov 9

We are moving into the most dangerous time of year for sales professionals . . . the holidays. 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. It’s not until the end of December that they realize they’re in trouble, but by then, it’s too late. The Trouble With the Holidays The 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 let’s be honest, you’ve been grinding hard for the entire year, and you’re ready to let your guard down and coast a bit before the end of the year. 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 you’re so mentally checked out that you're barely doing any prospecting at all. 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 you’ve missed your forecast. You convince yourself there's no point in even trying. And just like that, you've lost an entire month of selling. My book The LinkedIn Edge gives you the master blueprint for turning LinkedIn into an optimized, revenue-generating sales engine—whether 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. Holiday Sales Math But 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. 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. 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. 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 Die The 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. 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. I’ve said this before, and I’ll 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 don’t 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. The Holiday Discipline Advantage When 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. 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 Holidays Here's what you need to do right now, and I mean this week: Step One: Conduct a Pipeline Audit Go 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. 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 Calendar Pull 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 Targets This 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. Then—and this is the important part—review 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 December We 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 January Don'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. Take Action Now Now here’s 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.

Nov 6

Every salesperson knows that feeling, the one right before the big meeting when confidence wavers and doubt creeps in. Alex Weber knows it, too. He’s 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: “Winners believe they're going to win. You’re not going to win every deal. But even as I say that, I’m never going to let myself actually believe that.” This is a masterclass in sales mindset—the 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. Stop Managing Doubt, Start Dictating Belief The 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 On In high-stakes competitive environments, you can’t 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 Pressure You 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. Stop Waiting for Motivation: Execute on Discipline The 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-Check Before 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 don’t eliminate fear or doubt—they 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 Application Belief 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, it’s 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 In The 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 don’t wait for confidence to appear—they tell themselves they’re going to win, then act like it until it’s true. The deep end isn’t where you sink. It’s where you prove you belong. If you’re ready to build the mindset, discipline, and belief that top performers rely on, we can help. Whether you’re a salesperson leveling up, a leader developing your team, or a business owner driving growth, we’ll build a coaching path around you. Check out our coaching programs!

Nov 4

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 … 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 Enemy Let 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 Achievement Here'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 Vision When 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 Doing Matthew 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.

Nov 3

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." This short-sighted thinking doesn’t 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 Performance Sales leaders should consider peak performance in any high-stakes environment. In the military, or in elite professional sports, ongoing training is not a choice—it is a non-negotiable, daily priority. 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. The same principle applies to your sales team’s 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 Ford’s 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 Turnover Look at the numbers. Assume three of your representatives are consistently missing quota by just 20%. That deficit is lost revenue—but 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 & Managers To 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 Disengagement Talent 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 don’t have the necessary tools and coaching, is highly likely to seek opportunities elsewhere. The cost of recruiting, onboarding, and ramping a replacement—which includes the loss of established customer relationships and the disruption to team morale—significantly outweighs the expense of proactive investment. How to Take a Struggling Rep From Liability to Asset A 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). 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 Culture When you commit to consistent training, you don't just sharpen skills—you 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. Training sharpens individual skills, but it also creates a culture where representatives feel supported, valued, and fundamentally equipped to win. The world’s 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. 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. Don’t 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.

Oct 30

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 who’s 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 Death This 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 he’d been the “Angel of Death” at several franchises—Sears, 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 wouldn’t 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 Ashley Ashley 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, “I don’t really want to follow up. I’m not sure that’s appropriate.” The Telecom Contractors Who Started a Gunfight I 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. 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 other—he 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 salon’s 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 VP—two levels below the CEO. It wasn’t elegant, but the problem got fixed. I still use that hair salon to this day/ The $1.4 Million HIPAA Violation One 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. 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 Everything Ashley 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 you—not because of performance but because of hidden agendas—takes a serious toll. The First Door Knock That Went Horribly Wrong Sales 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 Do These sales horror stories all share something important: Sales will always put you in situations you can’t predict or control. You can do everything right—prospect well, qualify hard, deliver value—and still watch a deal unravel for reasons that make no sense. What matters is how you respond. The best reps don’t disappear or point fingers. They show up fast, escalate when needed, and take ownership even when the problem isn’t 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. That’s what defines a true professional. The pain doesn’t 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 that’s what the best reps do. You're Not Alone 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 doesn’t define your career. How you respond does. If you’ve lived through your own sales nightmare, don’t 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 “no” into a comeback story.

Oct 29

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 Problem Here'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 Strategy If 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 Shortcut Here'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 Sandbox Peter 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 Required Peter'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 Plan If 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.

Oct 26

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 wasn’t 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." 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 Deal Welles 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 surge—heartbeats rising, eyes widening—before 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 they’ve 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 Command Welles 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 isn’t arrogance; it’s commanding belief. Sound like someone who’s 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, you’ll never build a foundation of trust. Stay Steady to Control the Chaos Welles 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 anxiety—it 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. Your Action Plan: Develop Your Sales EQ Mastering 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 prospect’s delivery: tone, pace, hesitation. This drill sharpens social awareness and forces you to catch subtle emotional cues—the things they won’t email. This is how you truly understand their situation. Implement the 'Two-Second Pause' Rule. When a high-stakes moment occurs—a sharp objection, competitor mention, or deal crisis—pause for two seconds before speaking. This creates a cognitive buffer, shifting you from reactive to controlled. Your Story Is Your Greatest Weapon The 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 hasn’t 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 prospect’s 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. Master your emotions, and you will close deals your competition can’t. The real battlefield in sales is psychological, and if you can't master your own emotions, you will never master your prospects. Jeb Blount’s book Sales EQ gives you the psychological edge to win the business your competition can't even touch.

Oct 23

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." 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 Humans Most 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 can’t 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 buyer’s point of view Demonstrating real expertise Keeping the buyer’s best interest front and center When 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 Rep 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 end—cold outreach, basic prospecting, routine follow-ups—is 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. What You Should Be Doing Right Now Most salespeople are waiting while AI transforms the industry. Don’t make that mistake. Here’s 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 AI So 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 I’m wrong? AI can show data, ROI models, and comparison charts—but building buyer confidence still requires human judgment. That's the skill that matters: Building buyer confidence. You need to get exceptional at reading hesitation—when a buyer goes quiet or starts asking the same questions in different ways. They’re not confused about your product. They’re 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 Line AI isn’t 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.

Oct 21

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 Check Let'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 Dilemma Greg 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 Trying The 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 Problem Greg'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 Everything Getting 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 Growth Start 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 Line At $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 millions—start Jeb Blount's Sales Leadership Essentials course on Sales Gravy University today.

Oct 19

I've been intrigued by all of the LinkedIn posts lately from sales professionals, leaders, and experts proclaiming the phone is back! Even the “phone-is-dead” evangelists seem to have had a change of heart and are encouraging salespeople to “phone a customer.” My favorite posts are from salespeople who took this advice, called a customer, and were surprised—even stunned—to discover that their customer actually wanted to talk. It’s more proof that buyers are starving for real, authentic, human-to-human conversations with their sales reps and account managers. When Sellers Make Their First Call in Years I 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 conversation—as if this was some new revelation. He said that even though the phone was “old school,” he had given it a try because his customers weren’t responding to his emails anymore. 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 guy’s leadership team. Seriously, how is it possible that his leaders and company allowed him to avoid having actual conversations with his customers for years? Pick Up the Phone and Talk to Your Customers Account managers who are not talking with their customers, the ones who keep their customers at digital arm's length and send random “just checking in emails,” are swinging the door open and inviting competitors in. When you fail to proactively manage relationships—when you don’t talk with your customers—those 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. It’s 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. 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 doesn’t need to be anything particularly special. You don’t need to schedule it on their calendar. You don’t need a reason to tell your customers that you appreciate them. Pick up the phone and say “hello” because it doesn’t cost a thing to pay attention to your customers. A “How AI Will Replace You” Reality Check But it’s 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 Gravy’s 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. So, let’s start with a reality check: The telephone is not old school. Talking in real time with your prospects and customers on the phone is not old school. Pay attention: Talking with people is THE School with a capital THE. That’s 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. 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. 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. The Workhorse of Selling Ever 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. I’ll 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, I’m 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. The Lazy Excuse for Not Using the Phone If you are one of the many salespeople who are quick to say, “My customers like it better when I use email,” I’ve got a message for you. The “My customers like it better when I use email” 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. What I’m trying to get through to you is that when you consistently default to an asynchronous communication channel like email—because emotionally it’s easier for you to keep people at arm's length—human connections begin breaking. How the Phone Improves Productivity What’s 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. 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, I’ve 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. When in Doubt, Pick Up the Phone I 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. I’m positive that they’ll appreciate not needing to schedule time on their calendar and be on camera when you can both just jump on the phone. Empty pipeline? Put the cat video down and pick up the damn phone! And when it’s the end of the day and you’re tired and ready to go home, always stop and will yourself to pick up the phone and make one more call. If you haven’t 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. Here’s what one five-star reviewer said on Amazon: “I’m 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 process—reminding us that relationships are at the heart of sales.” If you don’t have The LinkedIn Edge, go now and get your copy at Barnes & Noble or Amazon.

Oct 16

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 Teams Walk into any sales bullpen and you’ll hear the same beliefs on repeat: “I’m not good at cold calling.” “Nobody wants to hear from me.” “I don’t know if I can hit these numbers.” Most 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 desks—and nothing changes. Here’s what’s being missed: These aren’t attitude problems. They’re belief systems that determine behavior. And behavior determines results. Nobody was born knowing how to sell. Your top performer didn’t start with the ability to handle objections or close deals. They learned it. But the reps who believe they can’t learn it won’t put in the work to improve. They’ll make half the calls, avoid the hard conversations, and prove themselves right. The real work of building elite performers is getting inside your reps’ heads and rooting out the thought processes that are killing their performance. That’s where true coaching separates managers from leaders. Why One-on-One Coaching Unlocks Growth Group training builds skill, but addressing mental blocks requires one-on-one coaching—where 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 that’s 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. That’s the difference between feel-good conversations and actual performance improvement. The Coaching Gap in Sales Leadership Most 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 didn’t 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 Develop The 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 mediocrity—it means being relentless about the activities while being patient with the results. Your new reps are going to struggle. It’s 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 can’t do this if you’re constantly freaking out about weekly results or applying pressure instead of providing coaching. High-performance sales teams aren’t built on fear. They’re built on consistent execution supported by leaders who actually develop their people. What Building a High-Performance Sales Team Looks Like in Practice Working one-on-one with reps creates breakthrough moments. They start to recognize the patterns that have been holding them back—the 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 they’ve done differently since your last conversation. Revisit commitments. Remind them of what they promised to work on. Hold the line. Don’t let them slip back into the comfort of old habits. Celebrate progress. Reinforce small wins that build long-term confidence. That’s the unglamorous work of building a high-performance sales team. It’s not about motivational speeches or new methodologies. It’s 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 Numbers Building high-performance sales teams through connection instead of pressure doesn’t mean ignoring activity—it 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 don’t just hit the number—you build a team that crushes it again and again. Most sales leaders know they should coach—few actually know how. Learn the framework that works and book a free consultation.

Oct 14

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 Impossible Remember 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 Think When 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 Works In 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 Team If 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 Conversations Look, 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.

Oct 13

You’ve probably heard it a hundred times lately—AI is coming for your job. Every week, there’s a new headline about another role being automated, another company replacing people with bots, another “AI agent” that can do the work of ten humans in half the time. And if you spend too much time reading those headlines, it’s 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 Stay You 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 it’s not going to replace everyone. Because no matter how smart machines get, they can’t feel or connect the way you and I can. Sales is, and always will be, the ultimate human profession. It’s the one job built entirely on human emotion, human judgment, and human connection. What You Can Do That AI Can't Just think about it: AI can write words. But it can’t create belief. It can predict who might buy. But it can’t build trust. It can score a lead. But it can’t lead a human being through uncertainty, fear and doubt while giving them confidence to make the right decision in complex situations. That’s what you do. That’s what we do. That’s what salespeople have always done—long before there was technology, long before there was AI, and long before algorithms tried to simulate emotion. In sales, it’s not about the product. It’s 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. Every sale is a transfer of emotion from one human being to another. It’s the transfer of belief and confidence and trust. When a customer says “Yes,” they’re not just saying yes to a proposal or a price. They’re saying 'Yes' to you. No matter how powerful technology becomes, that moment—that human moment—will never be replaced by a line of code. As modern sellers, what we need to understand is that AI isn’t the end of selling. It’s just the next leap forward in our incredibly resilient profession. Keeping it Real AI 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. But the top performers—the ones who combine human empathy with AI-powered insight—will be unstoppable. Because when you merge the intelligence of machines with the intuition of a human being, it becomes a force multiplier. How to Become Irreplaceable with AI Right this moment, top sales professionals and high-earners are elevating their performance with AI tools that do the grunt work. It’ll build your lists, do your research, automate your follow-ups, and write every sort of draft. 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 isn’t whether AI will replace you. The question is whether you’ll 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 “Trust me. We can solve this together.” and close the sale. Your Emotional Intelligence Seals the Deal That’s The AI Edge. It’s not about the tools. It’s about using the tools to amplify your humanity. In the age of AI, your #1 competitive advantage is emotional intelligence. It’s your ability to understand how people feel, adapt to their emotions, and guide them through uncertainty toward a decision. Think about the last time you made a big decision. It could’ve been buying a car, changing jobs, or moving to a new city. You didn’t make that decision because of pure logic. You made it because someone—maybe a friend, maybe a spouse, maybe a salesperson—made you feel confident. They helped you believe it was the right move. That’s exactly what elite salespeople do every single day. They help other humans feel confident. And confidence can’t be coded. As AI floods the marketplace with automation and shallow, synthetic communication, real human connection becomes even more valuable. Buyers are exhausted from automated everything and are craving authenticity they can feel. You Must Develop Your Humanity So, what does this mean in practical terms? It means you need to double down right now on the one thing AI can’t replicate: your humanity. Develop your listening skills. Grow your emotional intelligence. Learn how to become a more convincing communicator. Build your skills for influencing buying decisions. Learn how to connect and build relationships with people. Because in our brave new world, soft-skills are the new hard skills. The future belongs to the sales pros who merge emotional intelligence with artificial intelligence. Leverage AI—Or Lose to It Look, AI isn't going away. You can choose to fear it, or you can choose to leverage it. You can choose to complain about it, or you can choose to get curious and learn. You can choose to stand still or evolve. Powerful AI still needs a human guide. A sales rep who understands how to lead a conversation, build trust, read a face, and feel what another person feels. That’s the magic of sales. That’s what makes our profession the ultimate human career choice. If you don’t have my new book The LinkedIn Edge: New Sales Strategies for Unleashing the Power of LinkedIn + AI to Cold Call Less and Sell More, go get this book now at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and where ever books are sold. And remember, at the end of the day, when you're tired, worn-out, and all you want to do is quit, always stop and make one more call.

Oct 9

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 you’re 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 Emotions Your 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, you’re the only conversation they’re 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 Mindset Ask 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 ‘No.’ 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 business—not 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 Weakness If 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 you’ve 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 Business What if your clients felt less like transactions and more like VIPs getting an exclusive invitation? That is the power of the Velvet Rope framework, a human-centered sales strategy developed by Kristin Andree that makes prospects want to work with you. Kristin observed that people get excited to attend exclusive events. Her insight led to a three-part framework built around Know, Find, Love: Know your people: Get crystal clear on your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). Find your people: Execute disciplined activity that consistently fills your pipeline. Love your people: Deliver experiences so exceptional that customers become your most effective marketing channel. The "Love your people" element is where most drop the ball. Kristin focuses on "surprise and delight", doing something unexpected that clients don't see coming. For example, giving personalized, curated gifts as a surprise creates a ripple effect. Clients talk about these personalized gifts with friends and colleagues, resulting in more referrals because there is a buzz about you. Curated clients don't just stay; they sell for you. This is genuine relationship building at scale. 5. Develop Velocity Mindset: Speed With Direction Most salespeople confuse activity with progress. They move fast, make lots of calls, send countless emails, but they are not actually getting anywhere because they are chasing the wrong outcome. When Ron Karr asks what velocity means, everyone says "fast." But that's not velocity. Velocity is speed with direction. Direction requires knowing the destination before you start the journey. The biggest problem for most salespeople is that they are not going after the right outcome. Ron's solution? Hold a board meeting with yourself. When you're stuck or not getting traction, step back and reframe your thinking. Ask yourself: What outcome am I really chasing? Am I pitching features when I should be diagnosing the real problem? This shift in perspective changes everything. When you get clear on the outcome that matters to your prospect—not the one that matters to you—you stop competing on specs and start filling gaps that matter deeply to them. When you master the velocity mindset, the close becomes inevitable because you have made the decision obvious. The Choice is Yours. Stop Making Excuses. Elite salespeople don’t wait to “feel” motivated. They execute proven sales strategies daily, regardless. These insights from Jeb Blount, Jessica Stokes, Kristin Andree, and Ron Karr give you the roadmap to stop selling on hope and start selling with discipline and certainty. You have the knowledge. Now it is time to choose. Do you keep making excuses—or do you show up, execute, and finish strong? Start winning more on cold calls with our free guide: 25 Ways to Ask for the Appointment on Cold Calls, and boost your results today.

Oct 8

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 Carrot My 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 Discipline Let'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 Example Look 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 Cue Go 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 Superpower Here'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, that milestone, that college fund), it's going to doubly remind you that the reason you're doing this is to serve others first. Sales is really hard because it's hard to put other human beings before yourself. If you have a carrot to motivate you to push through, and you know deep down that your intrinsic motivation is to help someone else, you will do great. That's what turns things around. That's what creates longevity in sales. The Bottom Line Stop overthinking this. The formula is simple: Define your specific, tangible carrot Put a visual reminder where you'll see it every day Remember that you're here to make your customer the star Show up and execute with discipline, even when it's hard When you're tired, hungry, worn out, and ready to go home, make one more call That's how you prepare your mindset, create discipline, and separate yourself from everyone else who's just going through the motions. Ready to dominate your prospecting game? Check out my new book, The LinkedIn Edge, and discover how to leverage LinkedIn to fill your pipeline with qualified prospects.

Oct 6

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. 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. It’s a Noisy World The 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. So, if you don’t stand out, you lose. But I doubt I’m telling you anything that you don’t already know. It’s 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 they’d still ignore you. The Sledgehammer Approach Is Dead One 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 channel—typically a series of automated emails sent through a sales engagement platform like Outreach or SalesLoft. Sadly, this sledgehammer approach just doesn’t 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. A big reason prospects are tuning out is that AI-powered sales automation tools have scaled email prospecting activity to an extraordinary level. 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. 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 messages—good or bad, human or AI-generated. Break Through the Noise Most 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. 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 Now It 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, “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you.” The 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. Smartphones put powerful computers in our pockets and made communication ubiquitous. Video calling shrunk the globe and accelerated sales cycles. CRM (we still hate it) made it possible to efficiently capture, organize, and access data. Artificial intelligence is transforming the way we develop insight from this data—revolutionizing targeting, prospecting, communication, deal strategy, and forecasting. But, of all these advances, none has had a more dramatic impact on the sales profession and your ability to connect with almost anybody, anywhere, at any time than LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a Vibrant Sales Ecosystem LinkedIn is a vibrant ecosystem where a billion business professionals are linked together. It's a prospecting and sales Swiss Army knife with dozens of tools and applications for a variety of purposes: Prospecting Networking Research, qualifying, and list building Multi-threading and stakeholder mapping Pre-call planning Discovery Communicating Building familiarity and personal branding Projecting thought leadership and authority What makes LinkedIn truly unique is that this giant database and sales ecosystem is constantly self-updating. This means that the data and contacts are never stale. It is the only sales data center where you are always working with the most current information about prospects and their companies, which makes it an excellent list-building tool. It gets even more powerful when you combine LinkedIn with AI and data platforms like ZoomInfo. This matters because when prospecting, the better your list, the better your outcomes. When you consider that the very essence of selling is connecting with people, building relationships, and solving problems, it's easy to understand why LinkedIn is the most important technological advancement in the history of the sales profession. A Prospecting Swiss Army Knife To break through the noise and earn attention, you need to ditch the sledgehammer and pick up a multi-function Swiss Army Knife. Multichannel prospecting sequences that leverage LinkedIn are that Swiss Army Knife. Sequences diversify your outbound strategies with a multi-channel, multi-touch, interwoven-message strategy that helps you stand out. And LinkedIn amplifies the impact of these sequences. A multichannel sequence gives you the opportunity to meet prospects where they are and how they prefer to communicate. It also allows you to experiment with multiple iterations and formats of your message to hone in on the one message that pulls your prospect in. LinkedIn, when combined with AI and traditional communication channels like the phone and email, can give you almost superhuman prospecting powers. Superhuman Prospecting Powers Sales professionals who harness LinkedIn in their Fanatical Prospecting sequences can transform their prospecting strategy and explode their pipeline with high-quality opportunities by generating more leads, opening more doors, and engaging in more meaningful conversations. To be sure, LinkedIn is not a prospecting panacea. It will not provide an endless stream of inbound leads with little effort. It requires hard work and time investment, and it must be combined with other communication channels to be effective. LinkedIn is, however, a key component of a complete prospecting system. From list building and direct outreach to lead generation and long-term cultivation of future opportunities, LinkedIn's panorama of features can be a crazy powerful weapon in your prospecting arsenal. This is why I want you to stop today and consider how you are using LinkedIn. Do you feel like you are getting everything out of LinkedIn that you should be? Are you scheduling consistent LinkedIn blocks on your calendar, or are you erratic with your efforts? Take some time this week to consider new possibilities for how to make LinkedIn work better for you and recommit to making LinkedIn a core part of your fanatical prospecting routine. The LinkedIn Edge: The “Fill Up the Pipeline” LinkedIn Book In my new book, The LinkedIn Edge, I give you a comprehensive prospecting playbook. You'll gain tools, tactics, and techniques for building a robust pipeline with both fast and long-game strategies for landing big, lucrative deals and dream accounts. Prospecting on LinkedIn can feel utterly overwhelming, so I’m going to teach you: How and where to get started. How to build better prospecting lists and find who and what you are looking for. Develop effective prospecting messaging for InMail and LinkedIn Direct Messages. How to communicate on LinkedIn and conduct more effective prospecting conversations. How to get found and generate inbound leads. How to generate referrals and warm introductions. How to differentiate, build trust, and stand out in a world that wants to commoditize you. My mission is to teach you exactly how to enhance, elevate, and accelerate your prospecting efforts by blending LinkedIn seamlessly into your sales toolkit. Don’t wait, go get my new book: The LinkedIn Edge. And here’s a bonus: Once you purchase The LinkedIn Edge, you’ll get access to a comprehensive LinkedIn Course (a $50 value) with 10 videos and a reading & reflection guide. Just purchase the book and then take your receipt to salesgravy.com/edge to redeem your free course. And never forget, when it’s time to go home, always stop and make one more call.

Oct 3

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. "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 Call Most 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 First You 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 isn’t in danger, and a hung-up phone or curt “not interested” 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 you’re 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 Delivery When 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 Don’t Need to Know Everything One 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. When you release yourself from the pressure to be perfect, cold calling becomes about investigation rather than performance. Ask Questions Nobody Else Does Most salespeople treat cold calls like a race to present their solution. They barely understand the prospect's world before pitching features and pricing. The top performers do the opposite. They ask questions competitors ignore. Instead of, “Can I get fifteen minutes to show you our platform?” try, “What’s changed in your business in the last six months that’s making you rethink how you handle [specific problem]?” Lead with understanding rather than your product. What are they dealing with that nobody else is asking about? What assumptions are they operating under that might not serve them? This approach positions you as someone who cares about their situation while giving you information that makes every future conversation more valuable. Not Yet Isn't No You're going to lose deals you thought you had won, make calls that go nowhere, and have weeks where it feels like every door is closed. That's not failure. That's the process. Deals lost today often become wins 12 to 18 months from now. Budgets shift, new decision-makers emerge, priorities change. Every no is simply “not yet.” If you internalize that, cold calling becomes less emotionally charged. You're not getting rejected—you're planting seeds, gathering information, and building a pipeline of future opportunities. Athletes understand this intuitively. You can't dwell on the last play. Maybe you got burned. Maybe you made a mistake. Doesn't matter. What matters is what you do next. Bad call? Someone hung up on you? Got rejected? Move on to the next conversation. Your success isn't determined by any single interaction. It's determined by whether you keep showing up. You've Already Earned Your Spot If you’re in sales, you’ve already proven you belong by getting hired and closing deals. Stop waiting for permission to be confident. The voice in your head telling you to wait, prepare more, or improve is lying. It’s protecting you from discomfort, not danger. Cold calling requires perspective and repetition. The more you do it, the more the worst-case scenario barely registers as a problem. The salespeople who excel at cold calling aren't special. They're just willing to be uncomfortable more often than you are. They've done the mental work to separate their self-worth from their call outcomes. They understand that this is a numbers game and a skill that improves with practice. You can do the same thing. You just have to start dialing. The Real Competition Your biggest competitor isn't the salesperson at another company. It's the voice in your head that convinces you to do anything except pick up the phone. That voice will always find reasons to wait. More research. Better timing. A warmer lead. These are perfect conditions that never actually arrive. Meanwhile, the salespeople who are winning aren't smarter or more talented. They're just dialing while you're hesitating. Silence the self-doubt and dial. Then dial the next one. Take your prospecting sequences to the next level, set more appointments, build deeper relationships, and close more deals with the techniques in our FREE guide, The Seven Steps To Building Effective Prospecting Sequences.

Sep 30

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 Everything When 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 Matter Forget 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 Everything The 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?" Objection D'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. Here's Will's brilliant reframe: That question is a gift. It's a pattern interrupt that means they're actually listening to you. When someone says "How'd you get my number?" they've stopped what they were doing and turned their brain on. Don't panic. Just repeat what you said, clearer and slower, then move forward. Will's approach: "I got your cell phone number because I'm reaching out to you. I heard on your team that you're looking to grow into the software space, and what I hear is there's a lot of noise from people trying to train sales teams. What I'd love to do is set some time … " My response is even simpler: "I got it right out of the CRM. And the reason I'm calling you is to grab some of your time because … " Then I go right into my value hook. The key is confidence. You're not apologizing for cold calling like a professional. You're explaining why this conversation matters to them. The Bottom Line Building pipeline without tools isn't a disadvantage. It's actually an advantage because it forces you to master the fundamentals that matter: targeting the right prospects, delivering a compelling hook, and having conversations that advance to next steps. Will and Jane scaled from zero to $3 million in one year. They hired five additional people. They became the fastest growing office in their company. And they did it all without fancy technology or massive budgets. How? By staying focused on what works, getting ruthlessly honest feedback, and showing up every single day with the discipline to execute the system. That's the blueprint for every successful first sales hire who's ever built something from nothing. Ready to turn LinkedIn into your ultimate prospecting engine? Discover the strategies that combine outbound excellence with social selling in The LinkedIn Edge by Jeb Blount and Brynne Tillman.

Sep 29

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 problems—that'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 screens—but rarely thinking. 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 Think William 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. 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. Schedule Thinking Time That's exactly why scheduling thinking time is so important. Most people don’t take the time to think because they don’t 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 phone—just 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 Time Taking time to just think is powerful. It slows you down, helps you relax, and frequently generates incredible ideas and inspiration. 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. The Quiet Corner Think 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 Think This 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 neighborhood. The gentle, repetitive motion of walking seems to free up your brain to make connections it might miss while sitting still. The Shower Think Some of the world's greatest discoveries and business breakthroughs have happened in the shower. There's actual science behind this. The warm water and routine nature of showering creates the perfect environment for what psychologists call "divergent thinking." Your mind relaxes, and suddenly solutions appear. Don't underestimate the power of a long, hot shower for generating breakthrough insights. Archimedes discovered the principle of displacement in his bathtub. The idea to write my blockbuster bestselling book Virtual Selling hit me in the shower. The Commute Think If you have a regular commute, turn off the radio, the podcasts, the music—everything. Use that drive time as thinking time. Obviously, keep your eyes on the road and drive safely, but let your mind wander to your sales challenges, opportunities, and strategies. The Early Morning Think Get up 30 minutes earlier and use that quiet time before the world wakes up. Grab a cup of coffee, sit somewhere comfortable, and let your mind work through whatever needs processing. I do this every morning. It makes all the difference for how I start the day. The Universal Principles of Thinking Time Regardless of which approach you choose, here are the key principles for effective thinking time: Breathe slowly and listen closely to your inner voice. Just like a GPS, it always knows where you are and will tell you when you're on the wrong path or when you're on the right path. Don't force specific thoughts. Let your mind wander. Sometimes the most valuable insights come from unexpected directions. Your brain is incredibly good at making connections when you give it space to work. Eliminate distractions. No phone, no music, no multitasking. This is pure, undiluted thinking time. Keep a notebook nearby. Not to take notes during the thinking time, but to capture thoughts immediately afterward while they're still fresh. Some of your best insights will come in the final moments or right after your thinking session ends. Be patient with the process. Your first few attempts might feel unproductive. That's normal. Your brain needs time to remember how to think without constant stimulation. Gaining Clarity Here's why thinking time gives you such a powerful competitive advantage: While your competitors are running around like chickens with their heads cut off, reacting to everything and thinking about nothing, you're developing clarity, insight, and strategic perspective. You're seeing patterns they miss. You identify opportunities they overlook. You're solving problems they don't even recognize exist. The insights that come from thinking time often seem obvious in retrospect. But they're only obvious after you've taken the time to think them through. I can't tell you how many times I've been stuck on a problem, frustrated and spinning my wheels, only to have the solution become crystal clear during a thinking session. It's like your subconscious mind has been working on the problem in the background, and silence gives it the space to deliver the answer. The Ripple Effects Thinking and contemplating taps you into the amazing power of your mind. The more you practice thinking, the better you get at it and the more ideas, aha moments, and insights you produce. But the benefits of thinking time extend far beyond your sales results. You'll find that you sleep better because your mind isn't racing with unprocessed thoughts. You will make better decisions because you're operating from clarity rather than confusion. Your confidence will build because you'll have a clearer sense of direction. Relationships will improve—both professional and personal—because you'll be more present and thoughtful in your interactions. Your stress and anxiety levels will decrease because you'll be responding to situations from a place of calm consideration rather than knee-jerk reaction. The power of thinking time isn't just about becoming a better salesperson, though you will. It's about becoming a better version of yourself. Everybody wants to stand out and grab the attention of qualified prospects. Learn how to cut through the noise in Jeb Blount's new book: The LinkedIn Edge

Sep 25

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. But while they’re busy organizing, their prospects are mentally checking out—and the meeting hasn’t 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 Sight Ask 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 here’s what it communicates: This meeting is about me. When prospects can’t see immediate value in the conversation, they resist. They may decline the meeting altogether, or worse—they show up already skeptical, arms crossed, counting down the minutes until they can escape. Why Traditional Discovery Is Failing You Sales 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 here’s the problem—buyers don’t experience value when they educate you. They already have suppliers, vendors, and service providers. Another salesperson asking them to “tell me about your challenges” just feels like more work. Worse, traditional discovery feels like an interrogation. You’re pulling data without leaving anything behind. And prospects are savvy enough to sense when you’re there to take rather than give. The Emotion Gap in Every Sales Meeting You already know people buy on emotion and justify with logic. You’ve heard it in every sales book, every training, every keynote. Walk into the average first meeting, and you’ll 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 isn’t good enough, but because you failed to make them feel anything. Your competitors who are consistently winning aren’t necessarily better at selling features. They’re 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 Meeting High-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. 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 Success The outcome of the meeting is decided long before you show up. Top performers treat preparation like a competitive advantage. Here's how to shift from extraction to consultation: Before You Meet Research industry challenges and company-specific developments that affect your prospect. Prepare insights you can share that will make them smarter about their situation. Come ready to give first, gather second. During the Meeting Open with a relevant insight or observation about their industry or situation. Ask questions that help them think differently about their challenges rather than just documenting the current state. Position yourself as someone who understands their world, not someone trying to learn about it. After the Meeting Continue the consultation with additional resources or insights that reference specific conversation points. Keep building the advisory relationship with value, not noise. Why Feelings Beat Features Every Time Everyone has experienced this scenario: working with a service provider who delivers exactly what they promised, on time and within budget. And yet, you didn’t hire them again. Why? Because of how they made you feel from the first meeting to the end result. You might deliver perfect presentations with all the right information, but if prospects feel interrogated, patronized, or undervalued during your interactions, they'll find reasons to work with someone else. The most successful salespeople understand this intuitively. They focus as much on how prospects feel during meetings as on what prospects learn during meetings. Transform Your Sales Mindset Here’s the critical insight from Lee Salz’s observation: winning first meetings requires rewiring habits. Extraction is easy. Providing insight takes work. You can continue treating sales meetings like data-gathering exercises, competing on features and price. Or you can step into the room as a trusted advisor who delivers insight, perspective, and immediate value. Doing so shortens sales cycles, increases win rates, and builds pricing power. When prospects leave your meetings smarter about their situation, they’re eager to continue the conversation. When they leave feeling like a data source, they avoid follow-ups. Your Win Rate Transformation Starts Here The difference between winning and losing is often decided in the first 15 minutes of your initial sales meeting. Position yourself as a consultant, not just a salesperson. Bring insight, perspective, and tangible value from the first interaction. This choice determines whether you’re seen as just another vendor—or as someone worth premium pricing. Your win rates—and your commission checks—depend on it. If you want to take your sales discovery to the next level, you need to understand how different buyers think and make decisions. Download your free copy of the ACED Buyer Style Playbook and learn how to adapt your discovery approach to every buyer type.

Sep 23

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 technical—it's mental. Salespeople are asking the wrong question entirely. The Wrong Question That's Keeping You Stuck Most 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 ask—it'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 Everything Twenty 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 response—not perfect, but a starting point. I refined my prompt, asking for typos organized slide by slide, and boom—seven 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 AI Will 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 Google—congratulations, 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 Act Stop 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 research—each 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 Point Stop 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 preparation—anything that's necessary but not your highest value activity. Step 3: Ask the AI how it can help with that specific task. Don't ask what you should ask it. Tell it what you need done. Step 4: When the first response isn't perfect (and it won't be), refine your request. Think of it like managing a new employee: give feedback, clarify expectations, iterate. The key is starting with problems you actually have, not theoretical use cases you've read about online. The Efficiency Multiplier Effect Remember my proofreading example? That's not just about saving time—it's about the multiplier effect of sales efficiency. When AI handles your routine tasks better and faster than you can, you free up cognitive bandwidth for the high-value activities that actually drive revenue. Instead of spending 45 minutes proofreading, I can spend that time on strategic thinking, relationship building, or developing new programs. That's the real power of AI in sales. It doesn't replace what makes you valuable; it amplifies it. The Learning Curve Is Shorter Than You Think Will shared a perfect example: He used ChatGPT to help organize his kids' toys after a move. He just said "help me" and got a 20-minute action plan that would have taken him much longer to figure out himself. That's the sophistication we're talking about. Not complex prompts or technical wizardry, just asking for help with real problems you need to solve. The learning curve isn't about mastering AI; it's about remembering how to learn by doing instead of overthinking. Your Competitive Advantage Is Starting Now While your competitors are still debating what the perfect AI question should be, you can be building your conductor skills. Every day you wait is a day your competition might be getting ahead by simply starting. The salespeople who embrace this mindset now—who start thinking "How can AI do this?" instead of "How can I do this?"—will have an insurmountable advantage in 12 months. The Bottom Line Stop waiting for someone to hand you the perfect AI playbook. The best way to learn is to start solving real problems with the tools available to you right now. Change your question from "What should I ask AI?" to "How can AI help me with this specific thing I need to get done today?" Then ask it, iterate, and watch your productivity soar. That's how you step into AI. Not with perfect questions, but with practical problems and the willingness to start conducting your own symphony. 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.

Sep 21

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. Write Your Sales Comeback Story If 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. 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. 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. 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 catchphrase—it'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. It’s 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. It’s 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. Your Pipeline Reality Check Here'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 here’s the deal, during Grind Season, hope is not a strategy. 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, “stalled” is not a step in the sales process. 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, calculate your real pipeline coverage. Take your remaining quota and multiply it by four. That's how much qualified pipeline you need to finish the year strong. And if you don’t have it, get fanatical about building it. Third, assess your pipeline velocity. Get real about how long deals are actually taking to close. This number will tell you exactly when you need to get qualified opportunities into your pipeline to close them before the year ends. You should also use the assessment to find ways to increase velocity and shorten the sales cycle. Recommit to Fanatical Prospecting Too many salespeople are trapped by hope. They hope that inbound leads will be enough, that a few referrals will carry them through, or that their existing accounts will magically deliver new opportunities. Grind Season is the antidote to this passive approach. It demands a recommitment to consistent, high-impact Fanatical Prospecting. This means establishing non-negotiable, daily prospecting blocks with a focus on creating new opportunities with a vengeance. The No. 1 reason for missing quota is an empty pipeline, and the No. 1 reason you have an empty pipeline is that you are not prospecting consistently, using every possible communication channel, every single day. Advance Deals With Unwavering Decisiveness Once an opportunity is in your pipeline, the Grind Season mindset dictates that you move it forward with intention and purpose. This means confidently asking for and securing clear and calendared next-step commitments in every sales conversation. This decisiveness prevents deals from stalling in the pipeline, which you cannot afford at this time of year. Likewise, you cannot afford to waste time with uncommitted buyers or unqualified deals. Do not be afraid to ask tough questions and address objections directly, because this process eliminates tire-kickers and keeps your time and energy focused on truly qualified deals that you can close. Embrace the Grind Season Suck Grind Season is hard. If you want to end your year strong, then you’ll have to embrace the suck and accept the discomfort that comes with hard work and running headlong into the grinder of daily rejection. The essence of Grind Season is an unwavering commitment to outworking the competition. It’s about the mindset that no one will out-hustle you. For me, this means adopting a "blue-collar" approach to a "white-collar" profession—come in early, stay late, face adversity head-on, and always make one more call. Repeat this daily and you’ll gain a significant competitive advantage. Time is Short, Act Now The clock is already ticking on Grind Season. It feels like you have time, but you don't. End-of-year judgment day will be here sooner than you think. This short window of opportunity will close soon, so you have a choice to make right now. You can keep going the way you have been and take what you get OR you can decide that this will be the most focused, disciplined, and productive period of your career. The choice is yours. But whatever you choose, choose it now, because time is running out. And remember, when you're tired, worn out, and ready to go home, always make one more call. Because that one more call might be the one that saves your year. Jeb Blount's new book, The LinkedIn Edge, will give you almost superhuman prospecting powers that will explode your pipeline and your income. Get your copy today.

Sep 18

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 don’t take seriously—or don’t even notice. They’re 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 Goldmines The best markets are often the ones no one is talking about. When the crowd decides a territory is “too small,” “too tough,” or “not worth the time,” they leave the door wide open. That’s where the opportunity lives. And let’s be clear: An untapped market doesn’t have to mean a new zip code. It could be a niche industry your competitors dismiss, a customer population they ignore, or a vertical nobody’s paying attention to yet. If you don’t know much about a market, chances are your competitors don’t either. That ignorance is your advantage—if you’re willing to dig in. The Data-Driven Discovery Method Most salespeople gamble on gut instinct when picking new markets. That’s why they waste time chasing “big name” 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 – Expanding sectors often fly under the radar. Investment flows – Follow where capital is going before sales catch up. Labor market trends – Job growth exposes emerging business needs. Government spending – Public dollars usually spark private demand. Data doesn’t close deals. But it stacks the odds in your favor and ensures you’re hunting where opportunity actually exists. The 100-Conversation Rule Numbers tell you where to look. Conversations tell you what’s real. Don't just study demographics—talk to 100 people tied to the market. Customers. Ex-customers. Prospects who should buy from you but don’t. Even suppliers and partners. Ask them about their challenges, their frustrations, and the gaps they see. Don’t pitch—listen. By the time you’ve had 100 conversations, you’ll know more about that market than your competitors ever will. And you’ll have built a network of early relationships that pay off down the line. Look for Adjacent Opportunities The 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 Formula 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 Accelerator Don't ignore what already exists—leverage it. The most counterintuitive insight about untapped markets is that the best ones build on foundations you already have. Your "legacy assets" might include: Current customer relationships that could expand into new product lines or referrals to adjacent industries. Industry expertise that applies to related markets you haven't considered. Existing partnerships that could introduce you to unexplored segments. Geographic knowledge that gives you advantages in nearby territories. Technical skills that solve problems in unexpected industries. Stop looking for completely greenfield opportunities. Start asking: "What do I already know that could apply somewhere else?" The fastest path to market penetration often builds on existing strengths rather than starting from scratch. The Ecosystem Approach to Market Development Most reps make the mistake of focusing only on decision-makers. But ecosystems drive markets, not individuals. The service tech fixing machines knows which plants are expanding. The HR manager sees where budgets are growing. The facilities lead knows who’s signing leases. When you build relationships beyond decision-makers, entire communities can support your expansion. The Long-Term Vision That Drives Short-Term Action This is the part most salespeople hate: Building market presence takes patience. It’s a long-term play, not a quick win. But here’s the paradox: when you stop expecting overnight wins, the wins come faster. That’s because you start making the right investments—building relationships, educating buyers, and sticking with markets that others abandon too soon. Compounding effort always beats chasing quick hits. Turn Market Intelligence Into Sales Gold Untapped markets aren’t about chasing “new.” They’re about being first. Getting in early. Building relationships before anyone else does. Start with your own blank slate analysis. What markets do you dismiss without investigation? What adjacencies exist around your current success? Where could you concentrate effort instead of spreading it thin? Your untapped territory is waiting for someone smart enough to find it. Stop fighting for scraps in oversaturated markets and start building your own $200 million opportunity. Want to turn your new market insights into a prospecting machine? Download our Seven Steps to Building Effective Prospecting Sequences guide and learn how to build outreach that cuts through the noise in fresh territory.

Sep 16

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 deals—both now and in the future. The "Buy or Die" Misconception That's Killing Your Pipeline Most salespeople completely misunderstand what "buy or die" actually means. They think it's about hammering prospects until they crack, but that's not persistence—that'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 signal—yes, 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 them—use it strategically. Why Generic Messages Get You Blocked Every Time This 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 Credibility Want 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 right—multi-channel approach, proper timing, professional voicemails—but 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 Conversations The problem isn't lack of information—it'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 earnings reports, which accounts are most likely to need our solution right now?" The most insatiable human need is the need to feel important and significant. When you demonstrate that you invested even minimal time researching them, you instantly make them feel like they matter. But here's what separates elite performers from average reps: They use information to craft messages that feel personal and relevant without being creepy or overly familiar. The Three Pillars of Relevant Prospecting Consistent Value Without Seasonality: If you solve a real problem today, you probably solve that same problem every day of the year. Don't abandon strong messaging just because they haven't responded yet. Your value proposition doesn't change based on their response timing. Strategic Information Usage: Look for recent posts, company news, hiring patterns, or industry challenges that you can reference naturally. The goal isn't to prove you stalked them—it's to show you understand their world. Response Readiness: The worst prospecting sin is getting engagement and then going dark. If someone takes time to respond to your outreach, respond quickly and meaningfully. This is where many reps completely drop the ball. Your Prospecting Success Framework For Sequence Strategy: Map sequence length to deal complexity, not arbitrary timelines. Space touchpoints every 2-3 days maximum for executives. Track meaningful engagement signals, not just activity metrics. Build systematic re-engagement for non-responders after 90+ days. For Research and Relevance: Spend 5 minutes minimum researching each high-value prospect. Use AI tools to generate conversation starters based on real data. Reference specific, recent information without being invasive. Focus on their business challenges, not personal details. The Integration That Changes Everything Here's where it all comes together: The best prospecting sequences combine persistent methodology with relevant messaging. You're not choosing between being persistent or being relevant—you're doing both systematically. Your sequences should maintain consistent value while incorporating fresh, relevant information at each touchpoint. This keeps you top of mind without feeling repetitive or generic. Most competitors give up after 1-2 attempts with weak messaging. You'll stand out by combining systematic prospecting with research-driven relevance over extended timelines. Stop Making Excuses and Start Getting Results The tools exist. The information is available. The frameworks are proven. What separates winners from wannabes is execution discipline. Stop overthinking sequences and start working them systematically. Stop sending generic messages and start doing basic research. Elite performers work smarter, with systems that balance persistence with respect and relevance with scalability. That's how you build sustainable sales success. That's how you maintain "buy or die intensity" without burning bridges. And that's how you turn prospecting from a numbers game into a relationship investment that pays dividends for years. Effective prospecting sequences start with working the right opportunities. The LinkedIn Edge is the definitive guide to combining LinkedIn, AI, and proven outbound strategies to sell more, win more, and earn more. Get your copy today.

Sep 15

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 America On 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 that—murdered 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 Politics Before I go any further, let me be crystal clear: This is not a political message. This is not a religious message. It 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 Me What 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 future—today, right now. The Human Cost I 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 Face Everywhere in our lives with other people, we have disagreement. Everywhere in our lives, we have conflict. It's not just politics or religion. It's not just philosophy. We have this conflict in our families. We have this conflict at work. If you're in sales, you know this because you're always in conflict with other people at work. You know the internal sell is harder than the external sell. You know there are people inside your organization who just don't believe the same things you believe. The choice you make is this: You either push them aside, shun them, treat them like objects, choose to hate them—or you can make the choice to go sit down and have a conversation with them. The Power of Face-to-Face Conversation Here's the thing about talking with people: While you're talking with people, it's hard to hate them while you're standing in front of them. You can't see them as less than human. You have to see them as another person. It's just necessary to have that conversation. Sometimes you can agree to disagree, but the act of sitting down and talking changes everything. Utah Governor Spencer Cox said something profound after Charlie's assassination: "Words are not violence. Violence is violence." He also said that social media is a cancer, and I partly agree with him. Social media has been huge for me as a businessperson. I use it all the time. I love LinkedIn; I even have a brand new book coming out on LinkedIn. But social media becomes a cancer when, instead of stepping into our empathy and feeling what other people feel and looking at the world through their lens, we're able to write the most horrific things about them. We're able to create memes about a young man who was killed, who was assassinated in the public square. When you're celebrating someone else's assassination on social media, it's because you no longer see them as a human being. That's when it becomes a cancer. We Have a Choice Governor Cox wasn't sure whether Charlie Kirk's assassination would be a pivot point that changes us. He said only history will reveal that. But he did say that each of us has a choice. We can make the choice to change how we disagree with each other, to change how we debate. You have a choice. You can choose to disagree better. The choice is that you can see people—whether you're looking at them through the lens of social media, a TV screen, or a phone screen—and choose to step into their shoes and see them as a person. You can use your God-given empathy to take a moment and try to see their point of view. You don't have to agree with it, but you can still view things through their lens. And if you can see someone else's point of view, there might be an opportunity to find common ground or compromise. America Was Built on Disagreement The thing I love about America is that we were founded on debate. America was founded on disagreement. Our entire system is built for us to have multiple sides coming together. It works because we have all these different voices, and it's messy because we don't agree with each other. But the beautiful thing about that mess, the beautiful thing about all those people disagreeing, is that one side almost never gets all the power. Our founding fathers understood that absolute power corrupts absolutely. Because we have all those dissenting voices, because we have to compromise we make progress. In recent years though, an evil mindset has slowly creeped into society. "You don't agree with me, therefore you're bad, and bad people like you deserve to die." But when all those voices begin to debate and sit down and see each other as human beings, somewhere along the line we make small agreements that move us forward. As a country, we have consistently moved forward and gotten better over time because we disagree with each other. The Call to Action Governor Cox said something I love. Put social media down. Put the phone down. Go out and touch some grass. Go hug someone. Tell them that you love them. Go sit down and talk with someone you don't agree with. You might walk away and still disagree, but you can still have a meal together. Back in college, when we were having debates—and when I was in college, you actually got to have debates with two sides—we would debate with each other in classrooms. We would debate our ideas all the way to the point where we basically had to shake hands and say we're walking away. And then we would go hang out with each other. We can do this. As human beings, we have the agency to make this choice. As long as we're talking with people, as long as we're connected with people, it's easier to love and harder to hate. What This Means for How We Work and Live This applies to every area of our lives, including our professional relationships. In sales, you're constantly dealing with people who see things differently than you do. Prospects who have different priorities. Colleagues who have different approaches. Managers who have different expectations. The principles that made Charlie Kirk effective in his debates are the same principles that make great salespeople: Listen first. Really listen to understand, not just to respond. Show respect for the person, even when you disagree with their position. Control your emotions. Focus on the making your case rather than making the other person wrong. Focus on ideas, not personalities. Attack the problem, not the person. Be willing to be wrong. Sometimes the other person has better information or a better perspective. Find common ground. Look for areas where you can agree before addressing areas where you differ. The Legacy We Choose Charlie Kirk was willing to engage respectfully with people who vehemently disagreed with him. He showed us that you can hold strong convictions while still treating others with dignity and respect. His assassination was an attempt to silence that kind of civil discourse.

Sep 11

What if one simple discovery question could close your next big deal? Here’s the one I used: “Tell me what’s going on with your team?” Then 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. That’s not a fairy tale—it 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 Deals Dr. 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, you’re eroding trust. Sure, buyers are evaluating your product—but they’re also evaluating whether you understand their world. And if you can’t help them gain clarity, even the best solution won’t move the deal forward. The Science of Deep Sales Discovery The 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 Question The most powerful discovery conversations start with one well-crafted, open-ended question that invites the buyer to tell their story—not your story about how great your product is. The question I used—"Tell me what's going on with your team?"—worked 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. 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 Maker Dr. 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 empathy—actually feeling what your buyers feel—will 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. It’s 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. In discovery, cognitive empathy shows up in the emotional nuance most salespeople miss—a pause before they answer, a change in tone, or hesitation in their voice. That’s your cue to lean in, ask a clarifying question, and uncover what’s 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. The AI Factor: Why Discovery Matters More Than Ever Artificial intelligence is democratizing sales presentations. Everyone can now generate polished decks, sharp ROI models, and slick proposals. When everything looks perfect, how do buyers decide? They choose the salesperson who understands them best. The one who helped them see their situation more clearly than they saw it themselves. AI can’t replicate that. It can’t read the unspoken hesitation in a prospect’s voice or ask the follow-up question that unlocks the real issue. That’s human territory. And it’s where skilled discovery gives you the ultimate edge. The 5-Step Discovery Revolution Framework Here's how to revolutionize your discovery process: Start Broad, Then Narrow: Begin with one expansive question that invites storytelling. Let them paint the full picture before you start drilling down into specifics. Listen for Stories, Not Data Points: People communicate in narratives, not bullet points. Pay attention to the story they're telling and help them connect the dots. Guide, Don't Interrogate: Your job isn't to extract information. It's to help them organize their thoughts and gain clarity on their situation. Follow the Energy: When you notice emotional shifts, that's where the real information lives. Dig in instead of sticking to your script. Reflect and Clarify: "Here's what I'm hearing..." proves you're listening and helps them hear their own story from a new perspective. The Path Forward The future belongs to sellers who understand that sales discovery is about helping buyers gain the certainty they need to move forward with confidence, not checking boxes. Master this approach, and buyers will thank you for helping them see their situation more clearly. And you'll wonder why you ever thought you needed to talk so much to sell so much. Stop interrogating. Start facilitating. The difference will transform your sales results—and how you think about selling. The revolution starts with one question. What will yours be? If you want to take your sales discovery to the next level, you need to understand how different buyers think and make decisions. Grab your free copy of the ACED Buyer Style Playbook and learn how to adapt your discovery approach to every buyer type.

Sep 9

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 regret—pushing 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 Performance Here'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 Completely The reason most sales organizations ignore emotional regulation is the same reason they obsess over talk time metrics—it'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 Sales Personal 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 management—these 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 culture—not just something you talk about during tough times—it 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. If a deal doesn't cross their probability threshold, they walk away. The Courage to Trust Your Instincts One of the most powerful forms of emotional regulation is learning to trust your instincts about deals, prospects, and opportunities. We've all had that immediate "no" feeling about something, but then overridden it because we wanted to please someone or didn't want to let anyone down. When you go against that inner guidance, you lose trust in yourself. And when the deal inevitably falls apart, you're not mad at the situation—you're mad at yourself for not listening to what you knew was true from the beginning. Building confidence means having the courage to feel that feeling and move with it instantly. Every choice you make is a trade-off. The choice to work on a deal that's not a strong fit is the choice to deal that is a fit on the backburner. How to Build Regulation Into Your Process For Sales Leaders: Create daily opportunities for team emotional regulation, even if it's just a few minutes of shared breathing or tension release. Implement sales coaching methodologies that address both the skill and emotional components of performance. Stop penalizing reps for walking away from low-probability deals when they're following proper qualifying discipline. For Sales Professionals: Define your deeper why beyond just quota achievement. What does success enable you to do or become? Master prospecting disciplines that keep your pipeline full so you can afford to walk away from poor-fit opportunities. Create qualifying thresholds that remove emotion from deal decisions. For Everyone: Treat emotional regulation as seriously as any other sales skill, and recognize that it requires practice and consistency. Develop your Sales EQ alongside your technical sales abilities. Remember that emotion is just energy in motion. You can always redirect it toward your purpose. The Bottom Line Stop treating emotional regulation as a "soft skill" that's separate from sales performance. Your ability to manage your emotional state under pressure directly impacts your ability to execute your sales process, make good decisions, and maintain the energy needed for consistent prospecting. The best sales professionals are both skilled and emotionally regulated. They've created the internal infrastructure that allows their skills to show up consistently, regardless of external circumstances. That's how you build sustainable sales success. That's how you maintain peak performance under pressure. And that's how you create the mental and emotional foundation that turns good salespeople into elite performers. Emotional regulation starts with working the right opportunities. The LinkedIn Edge is the definitive guide to combining LinkedIn, AI, and proven outbound strategies to sell more, win more, and earn more. Pre-order your copy today.

Sep 4

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." This mindset shift transforms how you approach every conversation so that it compounds into trust, referrals, and revenue. The Real Problem with Your Pipeline You’re sending out hundreds of emails, making dozens of cold calls, and hoping something sticks. It’s exhausting—and 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. So what’s the alternative? It’s 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 system—a four-step process that transforms a single podcast conversation into a flow of qualified leads. Step 1: Finding the Right Stage The process is about being smart, not getting famous. You don’t 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? Ask your best clients what they listen to. Research key influencers in your space. Look for shows that specifically address the problems you solve. 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 Doesn’t Sound Like a Pitch Once you’ve identified your target shows, the next step is getting invited. This is a crucial moment. A generic email won’t cut it. You have to craft a message that offers value, not asks for a favor. Your outreach needs to be personalized and direct. Don’t talk about how great you are. Talk about the host’s 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 you’ve done your homework. And don’t limit yourself to email. LinkedIn is one of the most effective platforms for securing podcast invitations. Sending a thoughtful, personalized LinkedIn message—paired with a strong profile that showcases your expertise—positions 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. You’re not begging for airtime. You’re 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 Conversation The interview itself is not a sales call. Your goal is to be a helpful, insightful expert who provides value to the audience and, critically, to the host. The host is your most important qualified sales lead. They are the gateway to the audience you want to reach. Your job is to actively listen, respond with your expertise, and share personal solutions to audience dilemmas. Listen: Pay attention to the host’s questions. They’re a direct line to what your target market cares about. Ask: Use the opportunity to ask them questions in return, such as “That’s a great point, what are you seeing as the biggest challenge with that for your listeners?” Context: Share stories and examples that illustrate how you help clients solve problems. Never say, "My company does X." Instead, say, "I recently worked with a client who faced that exact problem. Here's how we helped them solve it." By the end of the conversation, you've built rapport, demonstrated your expertise, and learned more about the host’s business or industry. Step 4: The Follow-Up That Closes the Loop Most people get on a podcast, say thank you, and move on. They let the opportunity die. This is a fatal mistake. The post-interview period is your window to convert that connection into a qualified sales lead. Your follow-up should be systematic and focused on providing continued value. Immediate Thank You: Within 24 hours, send a personal note mentioning a specific part of the conversation you appreciated. The Value-Add: A week or two later, send them a resource, article, or introduction that’s relevant to something they mentioned. This proves you were listening and keeps the relationship alive. The Referral Ask: Once the episode airs and you’ve shared it, ask for a warm introduction. Since they’ve seen your expertise firsthand, they are in the perfect position to make a powerful referral. The Compounding Effect The power of this strategy isn't in a single transaction. It’s in the compounding effect. Every interview builds your authority. You are no longer just a salesperson; you become a trusted expert and a connector in your industry. Every host who interviews you becomes a potential referral source. They are constantly talking to people in your market and can become a powerful advocate for your business. And here’s where LinkedIn supercharges the process: every podcast appearance adds depth to your digital footprint. When you share the episode, tag the host, and highlight insights from the conversation, you’re signaling to the LinkedIn algorithm who you are and who you serve. Over time, the platform begins showing you to more of the right people—the prospects, buyers, and decision-makers who match your ideal customer profile. This isn't just about closing one deal. It's about building a sustainable, referral-based business that fuels your pipeline for years to come. The Choice Is Yours Most salespeople will keep fighting for attention. They'll read this and call it "too much work." But a select few will embrace the power of conversation. They will turn every podcast interview into a powerful way to find a qualified sales lead. They’ll master the art of conversation, follow through with intention, and turn hosts into referral engines. So here’s your choice: Keep spinning your wheels, or step onto the right stage and let the conversation do the heavy lifting. If you’re ready to take this strategy even further, Jeb Blount’s new book The LinkedIn Edge gives you the playbook for turning every conversation—online or off—into a qualified sales lead. Grab your copy today and start building the kind of pipeline your competitors can’t touch.

Sep 2

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. 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 tired—it'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 Them Let'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 ineffective—exactly when you need to be sharp, confident, and persuasive. The solution isn't complicated, but it requires preparation and discipline. Start with breakfast—period. 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 fanatic—it'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 Instead Now 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 FOMO—fear of missing out—when 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 honor—it's a recipe for burnout and poor performance. It takes confidence and self-ownership to say, "I'm going to take these 30 minutes for myself because I am the priority." Build in real recovery time. You cannot go from Zoom meeting to Zoom meeting without breaks and expect to perform at your best. Schedule 15-minute buffers between calls. Take a walk, even if it's just around the parking lot. Get human-to-human connection throughout the day—a phone call, an in-person conversation, anything that gives you that energetic feedback you can't get through a screen. The goal isn't to fill every minute of your day. The goal is to be effective in the minutes that matter most. Sales professionals who master Fanatical Prospecting Bootcamp principles know that consistency and preparation beat frantic activity every time. The True Cost of Sales Burnout on Your Deal Pipeline and Commission Here's what Angela and Marcus—and maybe you—don't realize: Poor energy management and burnout are deal killers. When you're running on empty, you make lazy prospecting calls. You skip the hard questions in discovery. You don't push for commitments. You accept "think it over" instead of advancing the sale. You become reactive instead of proactive. The ability to handle objections with confidence and maintain mental sharpness is a competitive advantage. When you're energized and mentally sharp, you ask better questions, create urgency that moves deals forward, and close more effectively. Step-by-Step Plan to Prevent Sales Burnout and Boost Performance If you're struggling with energy crashes like Angela: Prepare the night before. Pack your cooler, plan your meals, set yourself up for success. Don't leave nutrition to chance or convenience. Eat protein in the morning. This isn't about being perfect—it's about being consistent. Find something that works and stick with it. Stay ahead of hunger. Don't wait for the crash. Fuel consistently throughout the day with real, whole foods. If you're burning out like Marcus: Audit your calendar ruthlessly. How much of your scheduling problem is self-inflicted? Start saying no to meetings that don't move deals forward. Schedule recovery time. Build 15-minute buffers between meetings. Take walks. Get human connection. Treat recovery as seriously as you treat your prospect meetings. Focus on effectiveness over activity. A packed calendar doesn't equal productivity. Virtual Selling Skills training teaches that peak performance in remote sales requires both intense focus and intentional recovery between calls. Conclusion Your energy and mental state aren't personal issues—they're professional imperatives. When you're running on empty or burning out, you're not just hurting yourself, you're hurting your prospects, your company, and your income. The solution isn't complicated: Fuel your body properly, control your calendar intentionally, and build recovery into your day. It's about being disciplined enough to invest in the foundation that makes everything else possible. Stop treating energy management and burnout prevention as luxuries. They're the difference between good salespeople and great ones. They're the difference between hitting your numbers and exceeding them. Take control of your energy, and you'll take control of your results. Ready to develop the mental toughness and discipline that separates top performers from the rest? Explore Sales Gravy University's comprehensive training programs and start leveling up your sales game.

Aug 29

Leadership is the single most important factor in a sales team’s 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.” In 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. 1. Clear Communication: No Confusion, No Excuses Sales teams don’t fail because of a lack of talent—they fail because of unclear expectations. Leadership starts with communication. If your reps don’t know exactly what you expect, how you measure success, or where they’re falling short, you’re 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 “read between the lines.” Giving feedback in real time: Don’t 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 Numbers A sales leader isn’t just a scoreboard watcher. Your job is to give your team something bigger to aim at than just “hitting quota.” Without a clear vision, teams drift into reactive mode and lack initiative. People perform better when they’re chasing a clear, meaningful vision. Effective goal setting requires more than revenue targets. It’s 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 Builder Micromanagers 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 Change Markets shift, customers evolve, and strategies that worked yesterday won’t guarantee tomorrow’s 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 don’t go according to plan. Practical tip: Hold monthly “market pulse” 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 Balance Leadership is about balance, not being a cheerleader or tyrant. The best sales managers enforce accountability while recognizing wins. Too much pressure without acknowledgment breeds burnout; too much recognition without accountability creates complacency. Accountability means measuring results, holding reps responsible, and addressing performance gaps immediately. Recognition means calling out progress, effort, and achievement in ways that inspire. Practical tip: Implement a simple framework: Inspect what you expect, and celebrate what you respect. Use weekly scorecards to track KPIs, then highlight one specific win for each rep in team meetings. This builds both discipline and morale. How These Leadership Skills Work Together Individually, each of these skills will make you a stronger manager. But when combined, they create a powerful leadership framework: Clear communication sets the direction. Goal setting gives your team purpose. Coaching builds their skills and confidence. Adaptability keeps them ahead of the curve. Accountability and recognition sustain performance. When sales leaders integrate these disciplines, they build teams that execute consistently and, even under pressure, perform at the highest level. Your Next Step as a Sales Leader Being a sales manager isn’t about hitting your own number anymore. It’s about multiplying results through your team. Your reps don’t need a boss. They need a leader who communicates clearly, sets a compelling vision, coaches consistently, adapts with confidence, and balances accountability with recognition. Start small: Audit your leadership against these five skills. Where are you strong? Where are you slipping? Then pick one area to strengthen this quarter. Because these five sales leadership skills can’t be faked. Either you live them out daily, or your team knows you’re just managing, not leading. As a sales leader, one of your most powerful tools for boosting team performance is the strategic use of sales contests and incentives. In this micro-course, Jessica Stokes provides you with essential insights on how to design and implement effective sales competitions.

Aug 26

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 … 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 Wars Salespeople 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 money—it's about winning, recognition, and status. The Real Cost of Territorial Thinking Territory 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 Ownership For Kayla's HOA challenge—and similar overlapping territory situations—here'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 contacts—facility 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 The hardest part of solving territory wars is the leadership mindset required to manage them effectively. As I told Kayla, moving into VP-level roles means stepping into two worlds simultaneously. You need to be tactical enough to manage these day-to-day disputes, while being strategic enough to build systems that prevent them. The tactical side requires you to be King Solomon when reps can't agree, making decisions that nobody loves but everyone can live with. The strategic side means creating compensation structures and territory designs that naturally encourage collaboration. But here's what most new sales leaders miss: You're not just managing sales processes anymore. You're part of the executive team, and your territory decisions impact operations, finance, and overall business strategy. Your sales leadership needs to balance team dynamics with business objectives. The "We Win as a Team" Reality Check I tell my team constantly: "We win as a team." And yes, fistfights still ensue. The phrase doesn't magically solve territorial disputes, but it sets the expectation that collaboration is the standard, not the exception. Leadership sometimes means repeating yourself until you're blue in the face, then getting up and repeating yourself some more. The message needs to be consistent: Individual wins that hurt team performance are losses for everyone. This requires recognizing and rewarding collaborative behavior publicly while addressing territorial behavior privately and directly. You can't let territorial thinking fester because it spreads faster than good teamwork habits. Your Action Plan If you're dealing with territory wars: Audit Your Current Structure: Map out where overlaps occur and which accounts create the most disputes. These are your highest priority fixes. Design Commission Pools: Create clear, written agreements about how shared opportunities will be compensated before deals begin. Define Relationship Ownership: Establish who owns which relationships and what their responsibilities are for retention versus expansion. Invest in Team Culture: Make collaboration a measured and rewarded behavior, not just something you talk about in meetings. The companies that solve the territory puzzle don't eliminate competition—they channel it toward the right targets. Instead of fighting each other, your team fights together to win more business and serve customers better. That's how you transform territorial lone wolves into a collaborative pack that dominates your market. For more insights on building effective sales teams and leadership strategies, explore our sales management training programs on Sales Gravy University.

Aug 22

Sales activity is the lifeblood of your career. But for too many salespeople, it’s the very thing holding them back. You’re generating a ton of activity, your calendar is packed, your inbox is overflowing, and by the end of the day, you’re drained. But your numbers aren’t moving. You’re not gaining ground; you’re just driving in circles. As Ron Karr, author of Velocity Mindset, says, the difference between amateurs and top performers isn’t how fast they move, but whether they’re moving with a clear, defined direction. The problem isn’t laziness. It’s that you’re mistaking motion for momentum. And that’s why you feel stuck. The Problem: Sales Activity Without Purpose Most 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 don’t move the needle. They pull you onto a field controlled by competitors. You’re responding to bids, filling out forms, and competing on price. That’s not selling—it’s order-taking. And order-taking will keep you broke no matter how much activity you pile on. The Real Cost of “Busyness” Busyness isn’t just about wasted time. It’s 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 you’re really afraid of: rejection. Instead of calling the prospect who’s gone cold, you refresh your CRM. Rather then reaching out to the big account you’ve been circling, you tidy your inbox. Instead of pushing into a tough conversation, you polish the proposal one more time. You’re not lazy. You’re 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. The Solution: High-Leverage Sales Activity Not all sales activity is created equal. Some actions produce a 10x return. Others are pure waste. Top performers know the difference—and ruthlessly prioritize the former. Here are three high-leverage sales activities that separate pros from amateurs: Proactive Prospecting Your sales pipeline is the fuel tank for your career. If it’s empty, you’re not going anywhere. Prospecting isn’t 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 aren’t already in your orbit. Stop waiting for the phone to ring. Go make it ring. Meaningful Conversations Once you get a prospect’s attention, the goal isn’t to rattle off product features. It’s 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 customer’s needs, you become indispensable. Prospects should feel like they’d be foolish not to work with you. The Power of “No” Not 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 “Just Busy” To Productive Breaking the cycle of wasted sales activity requires intention and discipline. Here’s how to start: Step 1: The Activity Audit For one week, track everything you do—calls, 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 won’t make the cut. Step 2: Time-Block for High-Leverage Work You would never cancel a meeting with your top client. Treat your most important sales activity—prospecting—the same way. Block it on your calendar as non-negotiable. Protect it from distractions. Turn off email, silence notifications, and shut your door. This is your sacred time to build pipeline. Nothing else takes priority. Step 3: Make the Mindset Shift The best salespeople aren’t the ones who never get rejected. They’re the ones who get rejected the most—because they’re taking the most shots. Every no gets you closer to a yes. Every uncomfortable conversation sharpens your skills. Once you accept rejection as the path to progress, the busywork loses its grip. Stop Confusing Motion with Momentum Sales activity alone doesn’t make you successful. Purposeful, high-leverage sales activity does. Audit your work, protect your prospecting time, lean into rejection, and commit to the actions that actually build pipeline and close deals. Stop being busy. Start being a top performer. Ready to maximize your time? Check out this course on How to Calendar Your Sales Week on Sales Gravy University.

Aug 20

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 influence—principles that work whether you're closing deals in boardrooms or winning over teenagers in Spanish classrooms. The Universal Language of Human Connection Spencer had already absorbed one of the key lessons from Sales EQ—the 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 you—Do I like you? Do you listen to me? Do you make me feel important? Do you get me? Do I trust and believe you?—are 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 Barriers Most 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 listening—the 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 English—it'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 concept—it'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 features—they speak the language of their prospect's business challenges, industry pressures, and personal goals. The Power of Making People Feel Heard There'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 them—parents, teachers, social media. But how many people are actually listening to them? When Spencer takes time to hear their stories, understand their challenges, and remember their dreams, he's giving them something rare: the feeling that they matter. And when people feel like they matter to you, the law of reciprocity kicks in. They want to give something back. At minimum, they'll give him their attention. More likely, they'll drop their emotional walls and give him a genuine chance. The Cultural Bridge Strategy Here's the advanced play: Use their language to build the bridge to your world. When Spencer discovers that Maria loves photography, he doesn't just teach her photography vocabulary in English. He asks her to describe her favorite photo in Spanish first, then helps her translate that passion into English. Now English isn't a foreign language—it's a way to share her passion with a wider world. This strategy works in sales too. The best salespeople don't pitch their solution in business jargon. They take what the prospect cares about most and show how their solution helps them achieve those specific goals. Building Global Influence Skills What Spencer doesn't realize yet is that this eight-month experience will become the foundation of elite-level influence skills that will serve him throughout his entire sales career. Every interaction in Spain—from family dinners to classroom conversations—becomes practice in reading people across cultural differences, adapting his communication style, and finding common ground with people who seem completely different from him. These are the exact skills that separate good salespeople from great ones. The ability to walk into any room, with any group of people, and quickly build rapport and trust. The Compound Effect of Curiosity The final piece of Spencer's success strategy: Genuine curiosity about others' stories. Whether it's asking Spanish families about their traditions, learning from his students about their dreams, or understanding local customs, every conversation becomes an opportunity to practice the art of making others feel important. Research on what makes listening truly effective shows this skill compounds. The more you practice being genuinely interested in others, the more natural it becomes. You develop the patience to calm your mind and step into someone else's world—a skill that creates friends, builds trust, and opens doors everywhere you go. The Bottom Line Spencer's heading to Spain thinking he needs to learn how to teach English. What he'll actually learn is far more valuable: how to connect with anyone, anywhere, regardless of language or cultural barriers. The principles of Sales EQ aren't just for salespeople—they're for anyone who wants to influence, connect, and make a difference in other people's lives. Whether you're teaching teenagers in Spain or closing deals in corporate America, the fundamentals remain the same: Listen first, make people feel important, speak their language, and always remember that behind every interaction is a human being who wants to feel understood. That's how you win hearts. That's how you create influence. And that's how you turn any challenge into an opportunity for deeper connection. Want to master the art of prospecting across every platform? Pre-order The LinkedIn Edge (releasing Oct. 6th) and discover how to turn social selling into systematic revenue generation with both fast outbound prospecting and relationship-building sequences that actually convert.

Aug 14

In today's economy, being the account manager who keeps clients happy and renewals steady simply isn’t 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 hunters—finding 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? The Three-Step Hunter’s Playbook for Account Managers Top account managers share one thing in common: they work their accounts daily. They’re 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 Accounts Prospecting isn't just for new business reps—your 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 you’re 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. 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 Sale Expansion sales aren’t about pushing more products—they’re about solving more of your customers’ 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 what’s the cost of those bottlenecks?" “What’s the next big initiative you’re planning?” “What are you under the most pressure to deliver this quarter?” Link to measurable outcomes. If your solution saves time, estimate the cost savings. If it improves output, quantify the gain. Position the expansion as risk reduction. Many leaders will spend to avoid failure before they’ll 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 Referrals Referrals are one of the most underused growth levers in account management. The key is asking at the right time—after you’ve delivered a clear, measurable win. Earn the right first. Advocacy follows impact. When you’ve helped your client hit a major milestone, save significant costs, or achieve a strategic goal, that’s your moment. Make it easy for them to say yes. Draft a short email or LinkedIn message they can forward. Give them a specific ask, like an introduction to someone in a similar role at another company. Example: Hi [Peer’s Name], I thought you’d benefit from connecting with [Your Name]. They helped us achieve [Specific Result] and might be able to do something similar for you Offer value in return. If they introduce you to a peer, share insights, benchmarks, or make a connection they’ll value. Leverage public platforms. Encourage satisfied clients to share their success story on LinkedIn, in an industry forum, or in a peer review. These public endorsements carry significant weight with decision-makers you haven’t met yet. Owning Your Pipeline as an Account Manager To be a top-performing account manager, you must own your pipeline. This means you are responsible for filling it with new opportunities, not just waiting for them to appear. It's a fundamental shift from service to sales. By adopting the mindset of a hunter—prospecting within your accounts, actively seeking expansion sales, and leveraging your network for referrals—you’ll not only protect your current book of business, but you'll also become an indispensable revenue driver for your company. Top account managers master every conversation. Download the free ACED Buyer Style Playbook to identify buyer styles fast and adapt your approach for maximum impact.

Aug 12

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 pitch—it 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 You Kirk's challenge is rooted in something I call projection—deciding 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 Welcome Nobody 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 Prospects Do 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 Outreach Build messaging that resonates with a clearly defined group—people 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 Prospecting Here'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 it—because it does. From Pushy to Helpful: Reframing Interruption Kirk'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 empathy—that'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 Reluctance If you're struggling like Kirk, here's how to push past the hesitation: 1. Recognize Projection Catch yourself when you assume how a prospect will feel before you've even made the call. 2. Build Relevance First Create either personalized or targeted messaging that speaks directly to the prospect's world. 3. Schedule Prep Time Separately Do research and message-building outside your prospecting block. 4. Make the Mindset Shift Every morning, before you start prospecting, tell yourself: "I interrupt people to help them." The right message at the right time isn't an interruption—it's a gift. Master the psychology behind prospecting consistency with proven techniques. 5. Practice Until It's Normal The more often you execute this process, the less emotional resistance you'll feel. The Bottom Line Your empathy is one of your greatest sales assets, but only if you don't let it paralyze you. Yes, interruption is uncomfortable. But if you've done the work to make your outreach relevant, you've earned the right to make that call. Stop deciding for your prospects in advance. Step into the conversation, bring value, and let them decide if it's the right time. Your prospects are out there right now, struggling with problems you can solve. They're waiting for someone—someone like you—to reach out with the right solution at the right time. Don't let your fear of a five-second interruption rob them of months or years of better results. Learn the proven cure for prospecting paralysis that stops most salespeople. Because the truth is, the opportunity they've been waiting for might be sitting on the other end of your "interruption." Ready to master virtual selling and remote prospecting? Check out Jeb'sVirtual Selling Skills Master Classfor comprehensive virtual sales development.

Aug 11

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 growth—it 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 Company Here'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 faster—they 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 it—literally. 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 Compensation Here'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 patience—it 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 see—and what Domino's executives refused to acknowledge—was 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 do—they 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 Backfiring Take Wells Fargo's aggressive cross-selling goals in the mid-2010s. Supervisors told bankers to open more accounts, sell more products, and hit quotas—or else. Employees did exactly what they were told, opening fake accounts and forging signatures. Wells Fargo didn't create fraudsters; they created an incentive system that made fraud feel like survival. There's a name for this phenomenon: the Cobra Effect. When a metric becomes a target, it ceases to be a good metric. Here are the warning signs your sales incentives need fixing—red flags that indicate you're prioritizing activity over results, enabling ethical shortcuts, and creating feast-or-famine revenue patterns: Team focuses on activity over outcomes - More calls and emails don't matter if they're not creating meaningful prospect conversations Short-term wins at expense of customer relationships - Discounting heavily to hit monthly numbers while sacrificing long-term value High turnover among top performers - Your best people leave because the system rewards the wrong behaviors Ethical corners being cut to hit numbers - When quotas become more important than integrity Feast-or-famine revenue patterns - Inconsistent results month to month because the focus is on quick fixes, not sustainable processes How to Design Sales Compensation That Drives Sustainable Growth The best compensation systems reward leading indicators and sustainable behaviors, not just outcomes. Domino's learned this lesson the hard way, but they didn't just bury their story—they changed course entirely. In the late 2000s, they made a stunning move, publicly admitting: "Our pizza isn't very good." They showed real customer complaints, took the hits, then got to work. Their stock climbed from $8 in 2008 to over $300 within a decade. They learned to build better incentives that reward the right behaviors and align with long-term success. Here's how to build incentives that drive sustainable success: Focus on Leading Indicators, Not Just Outcomes. Instead of only rewarding closed deals, reward the activities that create deals: thorough discovery calls, proper qualification, and relationship-building activities that compound over time. Reward Quality Over Quantity. One well-qualified opportunity built through genuine relationship-building is worth more than ten tire-kickers. Incentivize salespeople to walk away from bad fits and invest time in prospects who match your ideal customer profile. Align Short-Term Actions with Long-Term Goals. If customer retention is crucial to your business model, make sure your compensation plan doesn't punish salespeople for taking time to ensure proper onboarding and implementation. Build in Safety Valves. Create mechanisms to catch unintended consequences before they become systemic problems. Regular feedback loops and management oversight can prevent small cracks from becoming major fractures. Make Values Visible in Your Metrics. If integrity, customer success, and teamwork matter, find ways to measure and reward these behaviors alongside revenue production. The Bottom Line Whether you're running a sales team or delivering pizzas, the principle remains the same: if you want better results, build better incentives. Your incentive system is either your greatest asset or your greatest liability. The choice is yours, but the consequences—good or bad—are inevitable. As you design your next compensation plan or set your next team goals, remember the Domino's dilemma. Speed without wisdom is just recklessness with a deadline. The question isn't whether your incentives will shape behavior—it's whether they'll shape it in the direction you actually want to go. Don't just move fast. Learn when to hit the brakes. An important part of developing a high performing sales team and creating a collaborative work environment is hiring the right salespeople. Download our FREE Ultimate Sales Interview Guide and learn how to source, recruit, hire, and retain top sales talent.

Aug 7

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, you’ve 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; it’s team-wide. As Kyle Jager, founder of Vendi Consulting, states in this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, “If 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.” Why Most New Sales Leaders Fail Most 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 follow—and your results will suffer. Stop Being the Hero: Your New Job Description As 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. That means: Your success is now measured by your team's results, not yours. You’re 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 Leader 1. Master the Art of Sales Coaching Coaching 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. Establish a consistent coaching cadence. Hold weekly one-on-ones to dig into deals, metrics, and skills. 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 Discipline As 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. 3. Become a Hiring Machine Your 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. Likability doesn't close deals. Skills, drive, and coachability close deals. Develop an interview process that focuses on past performance, not potential. Ask behavioral questions that reveal how candidates have handled specific sales situations. Check references religiously—mediocre salespeople often interview well but have questionable track records. A bad hire costs you months of quota attainment, team morale, and your own credibility. Take hiring seriously or pay the price. 4. Master the Numbers That Matter You can’t improve what you don’t measure—and you can’t lead without tracking what matters. Focus on leading indicators, not lagging indicators. Revenue is a lagging indicator—it tells you what already happened. Activity metrics (calls made, emails sent, meetings scheduled) are leading indicators that predict future revenue. Track these critical metrics religiously: Activity levels (calls, emails, social touches) Conversion rates at each stage of your sales process Average deal size and sales cycle length Pipeline velocity and win rates Use these metrics to identify problems before they become crises and opportunities before your competition spots them. 5. Create a Culture of Accountability Accountability is not punishment—it's clarity. Your team needs to know exactly what's expected, when it's expected, and what happens if expectations aren't met. Establish clear performance standards and communicate them relentlessly. Your top performers want to know they're winning, and your bottom performers need to know they're losing. Hold consistent performance reviews that focus on behaviors, not just results. A salesperson might miss quota due to external factors, but missing activity targets is entirely within their control. Most importantly, follow through on consequences. Empty threats destroy credibility faster than no standards at all. As a new sales leader, clarity and consistency are your greatest leadership tools. Leadership Is a Choice, Not a Title You can keep trying to be the best rep on your team—or you can become the leader your team needs. But you can’t be both. This transition is hard. It demands new skills, new priorities, and a different definition of success. But if you commit to it, you’ll have the power to multiply your impact far beyond what any individual rep can do. Your team is watching. Your company is counting on you. Are you ready to stop being the hero and start building heroes? One of the hardest parts of sales leadership is coaching reps to make more effective outbound calls. In this Sales Gravy University course, you’ll learn a proven framework for call coaching that boosts rep performance, improves productivity, and drives more pipeline.

Aug 5

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 Broke Laura 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 theory—it'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 Leverage—Not Your Gift Here'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. Then—and only then—do 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 Salespeople When 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-smart—street-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 friends—but they won't convert anybody into customers. You need someone who can say with conviction and confidence: "Look, everything you've told me, we're the right law firm for you. We need to go ahead and get this moving because you have a court date coming up, and we cannot afford for any more time to go by." The Assessment Solution Finding this balance isn't guesswork. There are tools like the Sales Drive assessment that can help you identify whether candidates lean too far toward relationship-building or deal-closing. It won't tell you someone is the greatest person in the world, but it will definitely tell you not to hire someone. Use assessments to eliminate people more than to bring them in. If someone scores in a place you don't want them to be, end the interview and keep moving. This is exactly what successful sales leaders do when hiring top performers. Breaking the Conditioning The biggest challenge Laura and Adam face is breaking years of conditioning. Their attorneys and intake team have been trained to give strategy sessions as a differentiating factor. Their entire team is thinking, "How can we help without giving legal strategy?" This is normal resistance. When you make changes in your organization, people are going to push back. You have to keep repeating your vision over and over until people start to believe and understand it. It's not a switch you turn on overnight—it's a process that takes months of consistent reinforcement. The Process Makes the Difference Remember: Your expertise and knowledge are what clients pay for. When you give that away for free on sales calls, you're devaluing your service and overwhelming prospects with information they can't properly contextualize. Instead, focus on understanding the problem and building trust. Get prospects to answer those five critical questions that determine whether they buy: Do I like you? Do you listen to me? Do you make me feel important? Do I trust you? Do I believe you? When you focus on these fundamentals instead of showing off your knowledge, you'll be amazed at how much your conversion rates improve. Your Action Plan If you're selling professional services: Reframe your sales conversations. You're not there to teach—you're there to identify problems and demonstrate that you're the right solution. Train your team on information control. Teach them how to acknowledge great questions while redirecting to the value of working with your firm. Invest in the right salespeople. Use assessments and role-playing to find people who can balance relationship-building with outcome drive. Prepare for resistance. Change is hard, and your team will push back. Stay committed to your vision and keep reinforcing the message. Frequently Asked Questions Q: How do I train my team to stop giving away free advice? A: Focus on teaching them to ask questions and guide prospects through a process rather than providing solutions. Train them to redirect strategy questions to paid consultations using the exact script provided above. Q: What qualities should I look for in a professional services salesperson? A: Look for three key traits: intelligence to think on their feet, high emotional intelligence to build relationships quickly, and outcome drive to ask for commitments without hesitation. Use assessments to find the right balance. Q: How do I balance relationship-building with closing in professional services? A: Use tools like the Sales Drive assessment to find candidates who can connect with prospects while maintaining the confidence to ask for the sale. Avoid hiring people who are too relationship-focused or too pushy. The Bottom Line Selling professional services isn't about proving how smart you are—it's about proving you understand the client's problem and can solve it effectively. Save your brilliance for after they've signed the contract and you're getting paid for your expertise. Everything else is just expensive show-and-tell that's bankrupting your firm. That's how you build a scalable professional services business. That's how you stop giving away your most valuable asset for free. And that's how you finally start converting your expertise into the revenue it deserves. Ready to master the complete sales methodology that drives results? Check out our comprehensive sales training system at Sales Gravy.

Jul 31

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. "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, you’re missing [prospects] that don’t 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 optional—it's essential. The Prospecting Maze: Why Single-Channel Fails The modern buyer isn’t linear. They don’t follow a step-by-step funnel. Instead, they’re 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. 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 Works Among your core outreach tools—phone, email, social—LinkedIn stands out. It doesn’t replace cold calling. It reinforces it. Used strategically, it extends your credibility, warms up cold conversations, and drives responses other channels can’t. Here’s 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 you’ve done, and how you show up in your industry. Deep Prospect Insights: LinkedIn offers unmatched visibility into a buyer’s job history, interests, content, and network. That context powers personalization that cuts through the noise. Soft-Touch Engagement: You don’t 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 System You don’t need to spend hours scrolling LinkedIn. In fact, you can see results in just 15 focused minutes a day — if you have a plan. That’s where the LINK Framework comes in. It’s a repeatable system for integrating LinkedIn with your outreach strategy and making every touchpoint count. L – Leverage LinkedIn for Insight Your first call sets the tone. Before you pick up the phone, use LinkedIn to gather quick intelligence such as your prospect’s role, recent posts, company news, and shared connections. Example Cold Call Opener: “Hi [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].” I – Integrate Channels with Purpose Don’t 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 asset N – Nurture Through Engagement Your prospects see who shows up. Stay in their world by regularly interacting with their content. These light-touch engagements—liking, commenting, sharing insights—build rapport without adding pressure. Tip: Set a recurring 10-minute calendar block to engage with your top 10 prospects on LinkedIn. K – Keep Track and Optimize Use your CRM to track every interaction—calls, messages, connection requests, replies. Patterns will emerge. You’ll spot which combinations generate conversations and which fall flat. Test Everything: Does your sequence perform better when you start with a call and follow with LinkedIn? Or when you comment on a post first, then email? Track it. Adjust. Repeat. Multi-Channel Prospecting Success Story A cybersecurity rep at a mid-sized B2B firm had been struggling to break through to CISOs. Cold emails were getting buried. So she shifted her approach: Started with a cold call, referencing a recent industry breach. Sent a LinkedIn connection request after leaving a voicemail. Followed up with a short voice note and a message on LinkedIn linking to a third-party security report. Closed with a personalized email linking her solution to specific compliance gaps on their roadmap. In three weeks, she landed meetings with five accounts that had gone dark for months. The difference? Each channel reinforced the others. Social Selling Isn’t the Future—It’s the Now You’re not just cold calling. You’re not just emailing. You’re not just commenting on LinkedIn. You’re doing all of it—strategically and consistently. The goal isn’t to become a social media expert. It’s to use LinkedIn as efficiently as you use your phone or CRM. Block 15 minutes on your calendar today. Use it to research, connect, and engage with high-value prospects. In 30 days, you won’t just have more conversations—you’ll have a sustainable system that shortens your sales cycle, fills your pipeline, and opens doors your competitors can’t. If you want to unlock LinkedIn’s true selling power and learn the real-world strategy that led to a million-dollar deal, then check out this micro-course from Daniel Disney.

Jul 29

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 It I 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 Performance Scripts 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 Instead The best salespeople I know don't use scripts. They use frameworks—a 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. Here's how we handle that." The One-Call Close Reality Here's what I learned from watching top performers: They don't use scripts, but they do ask for the sale on every qualified call. At the end of the conversation, after they've connected, explored fears, understood motivations, and made recommendations, they say something like: "Based on everything you've told me, it sounds like it makes sense for us to move forward. Let's get this scheduled." No pressure. No manipulation. Just a logical next step in a collaborative process. And when prospects say they need to think about it? The response isn't a scripted objection-handling sequence. It's authentic curiosity: "That makes sense—this is a big decision. What's worrying you?" Then they listen to the real concern and address it directly. Not with a canned response, but with genuine problem-solving. Breaking Free from Script Dependency If you've been using scripts and want to develop real skills, here's your roadmap: Start with frameworks, not words. Know the process you want to follow in every conversation, but let your natural personality deliver the content. Practice authentic discovery. Get comfortable with follow-up questions. "Tell me more about that." "What does that look like?" "How is that impacting you?" Build your objection-handling skills. Learn to unpack the real concerns behind common objections. Often, "I need to think about it" means "I don't trust you yet" – and that's something you can address through better relationship building, not scripted rebuttals. Study your best conversations. What questions led to breakthroughs? How did you handle concerns? Turn these insights into your personal framework. Measure what matters. Track your conversion rates, not your script delivery. How many first appointments turn into second appointments? These metrics reveal the real impact of trust-based selling. The Process Makes the Difference The most successful salespeople have the discipline to follow proven processes while maintaining complete authenticity in how they execute them. They always start conversations the same way—with genuine curiosity. They always explore fears and motivations before making recommendations. They always ask for the business at the end of qualified conversations. But they never sound scripted doing it. They sound like consultants who care about solving problems, not vendors who care about making quotas. This is pure Fanatical Prospecting in action: Success isn't about having the perfect words—it's about having the discipline to execute a proven process with authenticity and skill. Your Competitive Advantage Here's the truth that script-dependent salespeople don't want to hear: Developing authentic sales skills takes work. It requires you to get comfortable with uncertainty, to think on your feet, to genuinely care about your prospects' outcomes. But that's also your competitive advantage. While your competitors are reading the same scripts to the same prospects, you're having real conversations that build real trust. While they're sounding like every other salesperson, you're standing out as someone worth listening to. Scripts might feel like the easy path, but they're actually the hardest way to build a successful sales career. They cap your potential, limit your authenticity, and make you dependent on others for your success. The Bottom Line Stop hiding behind scripts that make you sound like everyone else. Your prospects can tell the difference between authentic consultation and robotic presentation—and they're making buying decisions based on that difference. Scripts are a crutch that prevent you from developing the skills that actually close deals: the ability to build rapport, unpack concerns, understand motivations, and respond authentically to what prospects actually need. The best salespeople don't need scripts because they've developed the confidence to have real conversations that build real trust. They know their process inside and out, but they execute it with their own personality and authentic concern for their prospects' success. That's how you build a championship sales career. That's how you develop unshakeable confidence. And that's how you stop losing deals to competitors who understand what really drives buying decisions: trust, not perfect pitch delivery. Ready to ditch the scripts and develop real sales skills? Download our FREE A.C.E.D. Buyer Style Playbook to understand how to connect with buyers based on their communication style.

Jul 24

You know the feeling. You're mid-pitch, and you watch your prospect's eyes glaze over—their mind somewhere else entirely. It's exhausting, demoralizing, and it's killing your close rate. But what if you didn’t have to push so hard? What if you could create the kind of pull where prospects actually leaned in and said, “How do I get started?” In 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 talent—it's their prospecting approach. Elite salespeople don't convince prospects to buy. They make prospects want to buy. The Exhaustion of the Old Way If you feel like you’re always running uphill, you’re not imagining it. Most salespeople are stuck in a reactive mindset—constantly pursuing leads who haven’t 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 you’re 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 You Attraction in sales is about relevance and resonance. You stop pushing your solution on people who don’t care and start showing up in a way that makes the right people take notice. That’s the core of value-based selling. It's not about feature dumps, aggressive closes, or chasing "maybe" prospects. It’s about clearly communicating how your solution solves urgent problems, accelerates outcomes, and makes your buyer’s 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. Here’s how to put that into action: 1. Lead With Curiosity, Not Pitch Decks Before you ever think about pitching, dedicate time to genuinely understanding your prospect's world. Research their industry, their company, and their specific role. 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 Magnet You don’t need to be an influencer to build credibility. Every rep can become a curator of insight—and that’s 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. Prospects start to see you not just as a seller, but as someone they can trust to make sense of a noisy market. 3. Let Your Successes Do the Talking In an era of skepticism, what others say about you and your solution carries far more weight than what you can say yourself. Case Studies: Detail how you've helped similar clients overcome challenges and achieve specific, measurable results. Focus on the transformation, not just the transaction. Testimonials: Collect and share strong, specific testimonials that highlight the benefits and outcomes your clients experienced. Video testimonials are especially compelling. Success Stories: Weave anecdotes into your conversations that illustrate how you've guided others to success. 4. Become a Valued Partner, Not a Vendor This strategy is the bedrock of value-based selling. It requires a fundamental shift from a transactional mindset to one of a problem-solving partner. Diagnosis Before Prescription: Just as a doctor diagnoses before prescribing, your role is to understand the prospect's "ailment" before offering "medicine." Focus on Outcomes: Instead of talking about features, translate them into benefits and tangible outcomes. How will your solution make their life easier, save them money, increase revenue, or reduce risk? Tailored Value Proposition: Every prospect is unique. Your value proposition should be meticulously crafted to address their specific challenges and help them achieve their particular goals. This personalization demonstrates true understanding and investment in their success. When you do this consistently, prospects start to see you as someone who understands their business—not someone who’s just trying to make a sale. Turning Cold Prospects Into Warm Conversations Sales doesn’t have to feel like chasing. When you shift from pushing your solution to attracting the right buyers through value, you stand out. You earn trust before the first pitch. You show up differently—more prepared, more confident, more credible. And your prospects respond in kind. This isn’t about waiting around for leads to magically appear. It’s about positioning yourself in a way that invites them in. Stop convincing. Start connecting. And watch what happens. Download this FREE A.C.E.D. Buyer Style Playbook to help you build deeper emotional connections when you interact with buyers and stakeholders based on who they are, not who you are.

Jul 22

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 Complacency Dhruv'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 do—he 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 Style I 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 everything—looking 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 techniques—you need to execute the proven process with precision and discipline. Process Goals vs. Outcome Goals: The Confidence Builder When 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 Down Dhruv'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 Crisis—when economic conditions get tough, the fundamentals become even more critical. Your Confidence Comeback Action Plan If 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 there—it'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 process correctly. Focus on the Process Track your activities, not just your outcomes. How many dials? How many conversations? How many discovery questions asked? Celebrate the process execution. Get Back to Your Routine Just like my golf recovery story, when things go sideways, don't change everything—get back to your proven routine and rhythm. Double Down on Activity If the market is tighter, you need more activity to find the same opportunities. More calls, more emails, more touchpoints. The Mental Game: Confidence Comes From Within Here's what I told Dhruv, and what I'm telling you: I can't give you confidence. Confidence comes from the inside, not from the outside. Yes, success builds confidence. But when you're not getting external validation, the only place confidence comes from is your commitment to the process. Every time you make that call when you don't feel like it, every time you follow the script when you want to wing it, every time you push through the discomfort—that's where real confidence is built. The Bottom Line Your slump isn't permanent. Your confidence crisis isn't career-ending. But your response determines everything. Stop looking for shortcuts. Stop changing what already worked. Trust the process that got you there in the first place, and execute it with the discipline of a champion. Remember: The fundamentals never fail—we just fail to execute them consistently. Get back to basics. Trust the process. Make the calls. That's how you build lasting confidence. That's how you turn slumps into comebacks. And that's how you develop into an elite sales professional who can weather any storm. Ready to master the fundamentals that build unshakeable confidence? Check out our comprehensive prospecting and pipeline management training to develop the skills and mindset of elite performers.

Jul 17

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 team’s 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 Automation Most sales leaders think AI is about efficiency, and they’re wrong. They think teams will only send more emails, make more calls, and process more leads. That's old-school automation thinking, not agentic AI Agentic AI refers to artificial intelligence systems that can independently make choices and take actions while working toward complicated objectives—all 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 Built Too 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 Start Before 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 cliché 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. It’s more than removing duplicate contacts. It’s 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 Change Picture this: You announce your AI initiative in Monday's sales meeting. Instead of excitement, you're met with crossed arms, skeptical looks, and the kind of silence that screams "we're updating our résumés tonight." Your top performer, Linda, who's been crushing quota for three years, is wondering if a machine will soon do her job better. Your veteran rep, Mike, who built his career on relationship-building and gut instinct, feels like you're asking him to trust a calculator over his 20 years of experience. Your newer reps are caught between fear and curiosity. Will AI help them catch up faster, or will it expose their inexperience? This emotional rollercoaster isn't unique to your team. It's happening in sales organizations everywhere, and it's completely normal. Your people are worried and questioning their professional identity and future security. As a sales leader, you need to address these emotional barriers to AI adoption. Your team needs to feel safe to experiment, fail, and learn. This means creating an environment where questions are welcomed, mistakes are learning opportunities, and success is celebrated publicly. Start with transparency. Share your vision for how AI will enhance their roles, not replace them. Be specific about what AI will handle (data analysis, pattern recognition, administrative tasks) and what humans will still own (relationship building, creative problem-solving, strategic thinking). Be clear about expectations. Yes, they'll need to develop new skills. Yes, they'll need to adapt their approaches. But emphasize that this evolution actually elevates the profession by allowing them to focus on high-value activities that directly impact customer success. The Evolution of Sales Roles AI will fundamentally reshape what it means to be a salesperson. This transformation won't happen overnight, but it will be profound. The administrative and analytical aspects of sales will increasingly be handled by AI, freeing your team to focus on relationship building, strategic thinking, and creative problem-solving. Your salespeople will spend more time on high-value activities that directly impact customer success, like understanding complex business challenges, crafting tailored solutions, and building long-term partnerships. This AI evolution requires continuous learning and skill development. Your sales professionals will need to become more comfortable with data interpretation, more sophisticated in their use of technology, and more strategic in their approach to customer relationships. Your 90-Day Action Plan for Successful AI Implementation Successful AI implementation requires a strategic approach. Here's your roadmap for getting it right: Phase 1: Foundation Assessment Audit your current data quality across all systems (CRM, marketing automation, customer service) Identify your top 3 sales performance metrics that AI could impact Survey your team anonymously about their AI concerns and expectations Benchmark your current sales process efficiency and effectiveness Phase 2: Data Preparation Launch a data cleanup initiative with clear ownership and deadlines Standardize contact fields, deal stages, and activity tracking Integrate data sources into a unified view Phase 3: Solution Selection and Customization Define your specific AI use cases (lead scoring, conversation analysis, forecasting) Evaluate vendors based on customization capabilities, not just features Run pilot tests with 2-3 solutions using real data Negotiate contracts that include extensive customization and training Phase 4: Pilot Implementation Start with your most AI-curious reps, not necessarily your top performers Implement in one specific area (prospecting, deal progression, or customer expansion) Create daily feedback loops to capture what's working and what isn't Document concrete wins and share them with the broader team The Bottom Line AI won't replace salespeople who master it. It'll replace salespeople who don't. If you stall debating whether AI is worth the investment, your competitors will build an unfair advantage. Their reps will close deals faster, predict customer needs with scary accuracy, and cultivate relationships that your team can't match. The sales leaders who embrace human-AI collaboration will dominate their markets. The ones who wait will spend the next five years playing catch-up. The best AI tips and tactics are inside best-selling author Jeb Blount's The AI Edge. Pick it up today.

Jul 15

How can one comp plan mistake sabotage your sales team before they even start? 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 Conundrum Most 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 Favor Before 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 Works When 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 Salary This 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 completion These 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 Everyone participates in firm-level success, making your sales team feel like partners in growth, not just employees grinding for a paycheck. The Scenario Planning You Can't Skip Here's where most law firms mess up: They create a compensation plan without thinking through the unintended consequences. Since you're lawyers, you're better equipped than most industries to do this right. Sit down and scenario plan every possible worst-case behavior: What if they rush through calls to hit quantity goals? What if they only focus on easy cases and ignore complex ones? What if they oversell and create client satisfaction issues? What if they start competing against one another instead of collaborating? For each scenario, ask: "Are we willing to accept this risk?" If not, adjust the plan. If yes, commit to coaching against those behaviors through leadership, not just compensation design. The Power of Non-Monetary Incentives Don't underestimate the power of recognition, trophies, and status. Some of your best performers will work harder for public recognition than for an extra $500 bonus. Consider creating: Monthly recognition programs Quarterly awards ceremonies Annual top performer retreats Public acknowledgment in firm communications You'd be amazed how people will work for a trophy or recognition when combined with fair monetary compensation. How to Implement Without Paralysis The biggest mistake I see law firms make is overthinking this to the point of paralysis. You'll never solve for every scenario upfront, and that's okay. Here's your action plan: Start with a solid base salary that attracts quality talent Add simple, measurable monthly bonuses tied to key activities Layer in team and firm bonuses for broader ownership Plan for quarterly reviews to adjust based on what you learn Watch for unintended behaviors and coach through them Remember: You can't legislate perfect behavior through compensation alone. The best compensation plans create motivation, while good leadership creates the culture that sustains high performance. Building Your Sales Team the Right Way This compensation challenge is really about something bigger: building a professional sales culture within a legal framework. When you get this right, you're building a revenue engine that respects your profession's ethics while driving sustainable growth. The firms that figure this out survive the transition to non-attorney sales teams, and they dominate their markets while maintaining the professional standards that make great law firms great. Ready to build a high-performance sales team that works within legal industry constraints? Get access to our complete Sales Gravy University training platform with courses specifically designed for professional services firms and sales leadership development.

Jul 10

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: “We 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.” This common behavior defines The 3-Call Fallacy—the flawed belief that if someone doesn’t respond after a few tries, they’re not interested. It’s where you probably tap out and tell yourself you’ve done enough. You haven’t. Persistence is key. Why Salespeople Quit Prospecting Too Early The premature retreat from prospecting isn't about laziness; it's rooted in fundamental misconceptions and fear. The Fear of Being Annoying The most common excuse? “I don’t want to be a pest.” You leave a voicemail, send an email, maybe try LinkedIn, and then you back off. You tell yourself you’re giving them space. But your prospect doesn't remember you. When you're looking at your CRM thinking, "This is my sixth attempt—I'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 Killer Spacing out your touchpoints destroys any traction you might have built. Waiting a week—or worse, a month—between 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 Sequence The fix? Being fanatical about sequencing. It’s about consistent, well-timed, multi-channel outreach that keeps your message fresh and front of mind. Stay Consistent: Don’t let more than a few days pass between touchpoints. Regular rhythm creates recall. Think of it like a steady drumbeat—not 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: You’re not bothering people—you’re 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 Challenge Ready 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. You’ll 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. Let’s 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. "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 Counts Just 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. Start Small: Don't try to overhaul your entire prospecting approach overnight. Pick 20 leads and build a 30-45 day sequence. Master this small batch, then scale up. Use Your CRM: If it’s not tracked, it didn’t happen. Consistent CRM usage is non-negotiable for understanding your efforts and optimizing your results. Over time, the data will show you patterns about when prospects typically engage. Get Comfortable with "No": “No” isn’t failure. “No, not now,” “No, we’re under contract,” or “No, budget’s tight” are all valuable intel. A clear no means you can move on clean—or set a strategic follow-up for the future. The Bottom Line While your competitors are giving up after a few attempts, you can be the persistent professional who stays in front of prospects until they engage. Your prospect's lack of immediate response isn't personal rejection—it's just bad timing. Your job is to be there when the timing improves. Stop making excuses. Stop being afraid of annoying people. Start being fanatical about your follow-up. Take your prospecting sequences to the next level, set more appointments, build deeper relationships, and close more deals with the techniques in our FREE guide, The Seven Steps To Building Effective Prospecting Sequences.

Jul 8

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 Time Remember 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 Perfection Here'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 feelings—they 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 Generation When 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 System Here'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. But don't just share them—add your own insight. Become an expert by building on other people's content. Engagement Content: This is where most people fail. They post and ghost. They put content out there and disappear. Social media is called "social" for a reason. When people comment, respond. When they share, acknowledge it. When they ask questions, answer them. The magic happens in the comments section, not in the original post. Why This Feels Impossible (And How to Do It Anyway) Let me be straight with you: Social media for sales professionals is a freaking grind. It's hard. It's exhausting. Every day you're trying to figure out what to post, how to engage, what to say. You can use AI to help generate ideas and even draft content, but you still need to show up, be authentic, and put in the work. There's no shortcut, no hack, no magic bullet. But here's the good news: If you're established in your field like Margarita, you have a massive advantage. You already know how to build relationships, ask questions, and solve problems. You already understand your clients' pain points and concerns. Social media is just a new channel for doing what you already do well. The 6-Month Reality Check Don't expect miracles in the first month. Or the second. Or even the third. You're looking at 6 to 18 months of consistent effort before you see real traction. That's not because social media doesn't work. It's because trust takes time to build, and the algorithms need time to understand who you are and who your content should reach. During those first six months, you're going to want to quit. You're going to post something you think is brilliant and get zero engagement. You're going to see competitors getting more likes and followers and wonder what you're doing wrong. That's normal. That's the price of admission. That's what separates the professionals from the wannabes. Building Your Digital Prospecting System Here's where social media integrates with everything else you're already doing. Remember, nothing is dead in sales. Cold calling works, door knocking works, referrals work, and social media works. The key is building a complete system where all these channels work together. Your social media presence should feed your email newsletter, which should drive people to your website, which should capture leads for your CRM, which should trigger your follow-up sequences. It's all connected. If you're not already building an email list from your social media followers, you're missing a huge opportunity. Social media platforms come and go, but your email list is an asset you own forever. The Anti-Vanity Metric Approach Don't get caught up in follower counts and likes. Those are vanity metrics that make you feel good but don't necessarily drive revenue. Instead, focus on: Engagement Rate: Are people actually interacting with your content? Direct Messages: Are prospects reaching out to you directly? Appointment Requests: Are social interactions converting to sales conversations? Email Signups: Are people joining your newsletter or downloading your resources? Remember: You don't need thousands of followers to build a successful business. You need the right followers who are actually in your market and ready to buy or sell. Your Next Steps: Making the Shift If you're ready to build your social media presence, here's your action plan: Week 1-2: Choose your platforms. Don't try to be everywhere. Pick 2-3 platforms where your ideal clients actually spend time. Week 3-4: Create your content calendar. Plan 30 days of posts mixing original content, curated content, and engagement prompts. Month 2: Start posting consistently. Track your engagement and adjust your strategy based on what resonates. Month 3-6: Double down on what works. Analyze your top-performing content and create more of it. Throughout this process, remember that your goal isn't to become an influencer. You want to become the go-to expert in your market. Focus on providing value, answering questions, and building relationships one post at a time. The Integration Strategy: Social + Traditional Here's what I love about professionals like Margarita: They understand that social media isn't replacing traditional prospecting—it's enhancing it. Cold calling isn't dead. Door knocking isn't dead. Referrals aren't dead. But social media allows you to warm up cold prospects, stay connected with past clients, and build relationships at scale. The most successful sales professionals I know use social media as part of their complete prospecting system. They're not abandoning what works. They're just adding new tools to their toolkit. The Bottom Line: No Shortcuts, Just Systems Social media success in sales isn't about going viral or becoming internet famous. It's about building a systematic approach to digital relationship building that compounds over time. It's about showing up consistently, providing value relentlessly, and converting digital interactions into real conversations that lead to closed deals. The professionals who understand that social media should be treated like the long-term relationship-building tool it is will have a massive competitive advantage over those who are still trying to figure out how to "hack" the algorithms. There are no shortcuts. There are no hacks. There's just showing up, every single day, and doing the work. The question is: Are you ready to start grinding? Want to dive deeper into using social media specifically for real estate sales? Check out How to Sell Real Estate (and Almost Anything Else) with TikTok & Instagram at Sales Gravy University—the exact course mentioned in this episode that teaches you how to leverage social platforms for real estate success.

Jul 3

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." 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 Away The 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 Framework Instead of guessing what works, use this framework to optimize your communication: Ask Direct Questions Early During 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 Adjust It'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. Make Every Interaction Count When 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 Boundaries Be 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." Clear boundaries create mutual respect and prevent communication chaos that frustrates both parties. The Business Impact of Getting It Right Getting client communication right builds trust. When clients see that you respect their time and communication preferences, they're more likely to: Respond quickly when you do reach out because they know it matters. Refer you to other prospects. Renew or expand their relationship with you. Give you honest feedback when issues arise. These outcomes directly impact your bottom line and long-term career success. Adapting to Different Client Types Successful sales professionals recognize that communication preferences vary dramatically across client types: Busy Executives managing multiple initiatives don't want weekly strategy calls. They prefer concise summaries and action-oriented updates that respect their limited time. Detail-Oriented Managers might appreciate more frequent updates but want structured, organized information that helps them track progress systematically. Entrepreneurs often prefer everything condensed into single weekly summaries that cover all relevant points without requiring multiple interactions. The key is matching your communication style to their working style, not your personal preferences. Building Long-Term Sales Success Through Smart Communication As Justin learned, dialing back communication frequency doesn't mean caring less about clients. It means caring enough to communicate in ways that work best for them, not you. Start by auditing your current communication patterns. Are you adding value with each interaction, or just maintaining visibility? Master this balance, and you'll discover that less truly can be more—more trust, more engagement, and ultimately, more closed deals. Download this FREE A.C.E.D. Buyer Style Playbook to help you build deeper emotional connections when you interact with buyers and stakeholders based on who they are–not who you are.

Jul 1

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 it—doing $10 million in revenue with individual reps generating $2 million each—but 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 State Most 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 door—and that energy determines whether they trust you enough to invite you in. The Compartmentalization Imperative The 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 asset—the 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 Reset The 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't—but 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." Your Mobile Reset Strategy Here's a practical question: What's coming out of the speakers in your truck between appointments? If you're listening to the news, you're filling your mind with negativity. If you're listening to sports radio while thinking about your next call, your focus is scattered. But if you're listening to sales training content, motivational audiobooks, or fanatical prospecting techniques, you're programming your mind for success. Your drive time between appointments is prime real estate for mental conditioning. Use it to stay focused, positive, and sharp. The Power of Self-Talk The conversation happening in your head determines everything. When you mess up a call or get rejected, what are you saying to yourself? Most salespeople spiral into negative self-talk: "I'm terrible at this. I can't close anything. This customer was never going to buy anyway. Maybe I'm not cut out for sales." Elite performers catch themselves in that spiral and flip the script: "I can do this. I'm getting better every day. That last call was just practice for this next one. I'm going to slow down, stick to my process, and deliver value." It sounds simple, but changing your internal dialogue is one of the most powerful performance improvements you can make. Your mind believes what you tell it—so tell it something that serves your success. Building Your Support System When all else fails, phone a friend. Having teammates you can call between appointments to reset your mindset isn't weakness—it's professional. The best sales organizations create cultures where reps lift each other up instead of competing against each other. Build relationships with colleagues who can talk you off the ledge when you're spiraling. Sometimes all it takes is hearing someone say, "You've got this. That last call doesn't define you. Go show them what you're made of." The Scottie Scheffler Standard Your goal is to become the Scottie Scheffler of your industry—calm, cool, and consistent regardless of what's happening around you. That doesn't mean you don't feel emotions; it means you don't let those emotions dictate your performance. Every appointment is a fresh start. Every prospect deserves your best self. Every interaction is an opportunity to demonstrate the professionalism and expertise that separates you from your competition. When you master emotional consistency, everything else becomes easier. Your objection handling improves because you're not defensive. Your closing gets stronger because you're confident rather than desperate. Your relationships deepen because you're genuinely focused on serving your prospect rather than serving your quota. Your Action Plan If you're ready to stop letting your emotions sabotage your sales performance: Develop your reset routine. What will you do between every call to clear your head and refocus? Make it systematic and stick to it religiously. Master compartmentalization. Each prospect gets a fresh, fully-engaged version of you. Their experience with you is their entire experience with your company. Focus on process, not outcomes. Perfect your sales methodology and trust it to deliver results over time. Control your inputs. What you listen to, read, and consume between calls directly impacts your mindset and performance. Build your support network. Identify colleagues who can help you reset when you're struggling. Monitor your self-talk. Catch negative spirals early and redirect them toward confidence and competence. The Bottom Line Your technical skills might get you in the door, but your emotional state determines whether you walk out with a signed contract. Master your inner game, and your outer results will follow. Stay emotionally consistent, trust your process, and watch your closing ratio soar. That's how you build a championship sales career. That's how you dominate your market. And that's how you turn emotional intelligence into competitive advantage. Jeb Blount’s bestselling book Sales EQ: How Ultra High Performers Leverage Sales-Specific Emotional Intelligence to Close the Complex Deal helps guide salespeople through the many hurdles that many struggle with in building authentic relationships with prospects. Download our free Sales EQ Book Club Guide HERE.

Jun 27

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 Outcomes The 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 control—the 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 ‘No’ Then Aim for a ‘Yes’ The 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 advantage This approach leverages the psychological principle that people want what they can't have. When you're not desperate, you become magnetic. 3. Align Your Entire Organization's Message The 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 delivery When 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% Premium The 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 distrust—just 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 consistently Trust is worth dollars. 5. Get Your Math Right The 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 average—compare 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 value As David puts it: "It's hard to do $50,000 a month if you're selling your service for $1,000 a pop." You can't hustle your way to seven figures if you're selling dollars for fifty cents. The Bottom Line These insights are practical strategies being used by top performers right now. The difference between successful salespeople and everyone else isn't talent or luck. It's implementing systems that work consistently. Pick one of these strategies and commit to implementing it this week. Maybe it's time-blocking your prospecting like Cynthia, practicing the takeaway technique like Mike, or finally having that pricing conversation like David suggests. Remember: people pay more for trust, and the harder you work, the luckier you get. When you're tired and ready to go home, make one more call.

Jun 24

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 Fantasy Remember 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 Strategy The 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 Everything Instead 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 question—it'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 deal—that'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 work—sending proposals, scheduling calls, following up—while 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 System When 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. Who Are You Actually Talking To? In my experience selling sales training, if I'm talking to an influencer instead of the person with the money, the probability of closing is about 2%. The person with the budget doesn't see training as valuable unless it was their idea. This applies to every industry. You need to know: Are you talking to someone who can say yes, or someone who can only say no? 3. Are They Matching Your Efforts? Real buyers show up to demos. They bring their team to meetings. They respond to your emails. They give you the information you need to build proposals. If you're doing all the heavy lifting while they're giving you crickets, you're not in a sales process—you're in a procurement process where you're getting used for free consulting. The Probability Revolution: Moving Beyond Stage-Based Forecasting Here's where most companies completely lose the plot: They forecast based on sales stages instead of actual deal probability. They say if you're in discovery, it's 40% probable. If you're doing a demo, it's 60% probable. This is pure fantasy. Just because you're 60% of the way through your sales process doesn't mean there's a 60% chance the deal will close in this quarter. It might mean you're 60% of the way to getting rejected. Real probability is collaborative. After inspecting next steps, stakeholder engagement, and competitive positioning, you sit down with your rep and ask: "Based on everything we know, what's the real probability this closes in the next 90 days?" Maybe it's 80% because all the stakeholders are engaged and there's a signed agreement on next steps. Maybe it's 10% because they're not returning calls and keep pushing meetings. The key is that it's based on deal reality, not process stages. The Pipeline Discipline That Changes Everything This approach requires one thing most sales leaders aren't willing to give: actual leadership. You can't just look at dashboards and ask surface-level questions. You have to: Run regular pipeline reviews where you dig into deal strategy, not just deal status. Coach on next steps constantly—not just in formal meetings, but in hallway conversations and phone call debriefs. Push deals forward or pull them back based on real engagement, not wishful thinking. Force decisions on dead deals. Sometimes you have to tell your rep: "Take this out of the pipeline. Turn it into a prospect. Come back to it later. But stop using this as an excuse not to go find real deals." The Bottom Line: Stop Managing Hope, Start Managing Reality The best sales organizations don't manage hope—they manage reality. They know the difference between a qualified prospect and an engaged buyer. They measure deal momentum, not process completion. They forecast based on stakeholder commitment, not stage progression. That's how you build accurate forecasts. That's how you develop elite sales judgment. And that's how you stop wasting time on deals that were never going to close in the first place. Your pipeline isn't a parking lot for prospects who might buy someday. It's a commitment engine for deals that are moving toward a close. Start inspecting what actually matters, and watch your forecast accuracy—and your revenue—transform. Learn how to ensure that you have enough pipe to make your number with this simple sales pipeline reality check technique in this microbite course: How to Give Your Pipeline a Reality Check

Jun 24

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. 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. Most Sellers Obsess Over Outcomes Most 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 Goals Here'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 – 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 Goals Process 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 Goals Create predictable results. When you focus on the right activities consistently, the outcomes take care of themselves. It's like compound interest – 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 Goals Here'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 opportunities Top performers focus on: How many new prospects they contact daily How many discovery calls they conduct weekly How many proposals they deliver monthly How consistently they follow up with existing prospects The difference is control. You can't control whether someone buys today, but you can control how many people you talk to today. Examples of Effective Sales Process Goals Notice how none of these process goals depend on prospects saying yes. They're all activities you can control through discipline and effort. Daily Process Goals: Make 30 prospecting calls before 10 AM Send 15 personalized LinkedIn messages Follow up with 10 existing prospects Update CRM for every interaction Weekly Process Goals: Conduct 8 discovery calls Deliver 3 proposals or presentations Schedule 5 demos or next-step meetings Have 2 conversations with existing customers Monthly Process Goals: Add 50 new qualified prospects to pipeline Complete needs analysis on 20 opportunities Present to 10 decision-making teams Ask for referrals from 15 customers Leveraging the Compound Effect When you focus on process goals consistently, something magical happens: the compound effect kicks in. If you make 30 prospecting calls every day, that's 150 calls per week, 600 per month, 7,200 per year. Even with low conversion rates, that volume creates massive pipeline. When you follow up consistently with every prospect using a proven sequence, your closing percentage improves dramatically over time. By asking every customer for referrals using a systematic approach, your prospecting gets easier and more effective. Process goals create a flywheel effect where each activity makes the next activity more effective. Yes, Outcomes Still Matter This doesn't mean outcomes don't matter. Of course they do. You still need to hit your quota and close deals. But here's the key: When you focus obsessively on the right processes, the outcomes become predictable byproducts rather than uncertain hopes. Top performers track outcomes to measure the effectiveness of their process, not to determine their self-worth or emotional state. If outcomes aren't meeting expectations, they adjust their process, not their emotional investment in individual deals. Process Goals Create Emotional Freedom One of the biggest benefits of process goals is the emotional freedom they create. When your identity and confidence are tied to activities you control rather than outcomes you don't, rejection stops hurting. "No" becomes another data point that helps you improve your process. You can walk away from bad deals because you're not desperate for any individual outcome. Your pipeline is constantly full because you're always feeding it. You sleep better at night because you know that if you executed your process well today, you're moving toward your goals regardless of what happened in any specific conversation. Playing the Long Game Process goals require patience and faith. You might make 30 calls today and not close anything. But if you make 30 calls every day for six months, you will close deals. Average performers want immediate gratification. They want every call to turn into a meeting, every meeting to turn into a proposal, every proposal to turn into a close. Top performers understand that sales is a long-term game where consistent process execution creates inevitable success. Your brain will resist process goals because they're not as emotionally exciting as big outcome goals. Closing a million-dollar deal feels better than making 30 prospecting calls. But remember: The calls create the deals. The process creates the outcomes. The activities create the results. Top performers get excited about process goals because they understand that controlling the process is how you control your destiny in sales. The Bottom Line The next time you catch yourself getting emotionally invested in whether a particular prospect buys or not, stop and redirect your focus to your process. Ask yourself: "Did I execute my process perfectly with this prospect? Did I ask the right questions, follow the right methodology, and advance the opportunity appropriately?" If the answer is yes, then you've succeeded regardless of the outcome. If the answer is no, then you have something specific to improve for next time. Your job isn't to close every deal. Your job is to execute your process so well and so consistently that closing deals becomes an inevitable byproduct. As the great Ben Hogan said, focus on the cause and the results will follow. And remember, when it's time to go home, always make one more call. Because that one more call is a process goal you can control, and it might just be the one that changes everything. What if you could reduce cold calling while increasing your pipeline? What if you could become a lead magnet that compelled more prospects to reach out to you? What if you could leverage AI + LinkedIn to sell more than you've ever imagined possible? Well, "what if" is here in my brand new book: The LinkedIn Edge: New Sales Strategies for Unleashing the Power of LinkedIn + AI to Cold Call Less and Sell More

Jun 20

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: “Building 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.” 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 Commissions Let'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 Everything Most 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. 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 Selling Consider 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 solution in contention. Eight months later, David bought Mary's $180,000 three-year contract. More importantly, he became her biggest advocate, introducing her to his former colleague, his brother-in-law in logistics, and even bringing her to present at his industry association. That single relationship has now generated millions in revenue across multiple deals—all because Mary chose to consult rather than convince. While her competitors chased quick wins, Mary built a referral engine that continues to compound. The consultative approach saved her from losing the deal and created a decade of sustainable revenue. In sales, the fastest way to lose a deal is to act desperate to win it. When you focus on serving the customer's needs rather than your own quota, you increase your chances of closing that deal and build the foundation for a referral-driven career. Your 30-Day Relationship-Building Challenge Ready to make the shift? Here's your roadmap: Week 1: Audit your current pipeline. Identify five prospects you've been pushing too hard. Reach out with something valuable, but send it with no pitch attached. Just help them solve a problem. Week 2: Research 10 prospects you want to target. Find three meaningful insights about each company. Reach out with personalized messages that reference these insights. Week 3: Set up "no-ask" meetings with existing prospects. Your only agenda is understanding their business better. Come prepared with thoughtful questions, not sales materials. Week 4: Create a follow-up system for staying in touch with prospects who aren't ready to buy. Send monthly check-ins with industry insights, relevant articles, or useful introductions. The Bottom Line In a world where everyone is trying to close faster, your competitive advantage lies in slowing down. While your competitors are burning through leads with aggressive tactics, you'll be building a sustainable pipeline of high-value, long-term relationships. Your prospects remember the rep who listened. Who showed up with solutions, not pitches. Who cared about their success, not commission checks. Be the rep who gets the referrals, the repeat business, and the career everyone envies. Tap into the secrets of becoming a client's trusted advisor with this Sales Gravy University course.

Jun 18

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 Authentic Remember 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 Fakeness Here'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 off—even if you can't pinpoint why—you 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 Do This 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 Formula Smart salespeople aren't running from AI—they're running toward it—but 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 present you with a list of prospects who are in a buying window. They're not random companies that fit your ICP, but organizations where multiple signals indicate they're ready to buy what you're selling. AI can analyze intent data, website traffic, job postings, financial reports, and social media activity to identify these opportunities. It can cross-reference all this disparate information and say, "Here are the 20 people you need to call today, because they have the highest probability of converting to pipeline." The Art of Sales Conversation Matters When AI handles the research, data analysis, and list building, you're free to focus on having meaningful conversations that create value and build relationships. This means mastering: Discovery skills that uncover real business problems Listening techniques that make prospects feel heard and understood Questioning frameworks that advance the sales process Objection handling that addresses concerns without being pushy Closing skills that create urgency and commitment These are the skills that will separate top performers from everyone else in an AI-dominated world. Embrace AI Without Losing Your Soul If you're a sales leader: Stop buying into the "AI will replace salespeople" hype from software vendors trying to sell you their latest bot. Invest in AI tools that enhance your team's capabilities rather than replace their human interactions. Focus on training your reps to have better conversations, not just more conversations. Use AI for research and organization, but never for actual prospect outreach. If you're a salesperson: Learn to use AI as your research assistant and writing coach, not your replacement. Never let AI write emails or make calls on your behalf. People will know, and they'll hate it. Double down on developing your conversation skills, empathy, and relationship-building abilities. Remember the Golden Rule: Never trust, always verify. AI will lie to you, so double check everything. The Bottom Line In a world where everything can be faked, the only thing that's real is authentic human conversation. It's your competitive edge, your job security, and how you win in the age of AI. The future belongs to salespeople who can leverage artificial intelligence to become more effective while never losing the human touch that makes people want to buy from them. That's how you build relationships that last. That's how you create value that can't be commoditized. And that's how you ensure AI works for you instead of against you. Want to learn more about how AI can lift you over your competition? Read Jeb Blount’s The AI Edge for more tools and tips.

Jun 16

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 Game When 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 “backyard golf” with a wiffle ball. 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 didn’t grow up playing. But we went down to Walmart, bought some cheap golf clubs, and started chasing little white balls. We played at a legendary course in Augusta called The Patch—a 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 we’d 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 recreation—usually 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. The Myth of Natural Talent Stole My Joy After getting out of college, I continued to play—mostly in business situations—and that’s 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. 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. 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 Comeback If 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. 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. 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. 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, I’ve 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. The Power of an Open vs Closed Mindset Once 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 things happen for you. For example, a couple of weeks ago, my good friend Mike Weinberg sent me a book called Putting Out of Your Mind. I read it and started putting those lessons into practice on the green. Over the next round that I played, I took 10 putts off my game. Ten putts! Just from the lessons I learned in that book. I've gotten better because I have a different mindset. I changed the way I look at the game because I changed the way I look at myself. Rather than believing I'm not naturally gifted, I started to believe that through coaching, reading, training, learning, and focus, I could get better. And I have. Sales Professionals are Made, Not Born The irony of all of this is that I’m a sales trainer and coach who for years has said emphatically that salespeople are not born, they are made. I’ve written 17 books on the subject including my latest book The LinkedIn Edge. People who read my books, attend Sales Gravy training, and put the techniques they learn into practice get better and sell more. Yet it's not uncommon for me to be working with leaders who hire a young rep, stick them in the field or put them on the phones, and then when this inexperienced rep somehow doesn't display natural intuition or natural ability to sell, they begin doubting whether this person is a good fit for their team. When I sit down with these leaders, I ask them: "How would the rep know what they're doing wrong if you never taught them how to do it right? How are they going to change what they cannot see if you don't provide any coaching or feedback?" Just yesterday, as an illustration, I was out at the range working on my swing. The PGA professional I take lessons from stopped by where I was hitting. He gave me one small tip about where my club face was on the swing plane, and I immediately started hitting better. That had nothing to do with natural ability and everything to do with someone teaching me technique. I couldn't see what I was doing wrong. But with a coach holding a mirror up to my swing, I could. Breaking the Myth of Natural Sales Talent Here's the truth: There is no such thing as natural sales talent. What we call "natural talent" is usually just someone who had good coaching, learned the right techniques, or developed good habits through trial and error. But none of it is innate. None of it is genetic. None of it is a gift from above. Earlier in my sales career, I had great training and a coach who invested in me. I read every sales book I could get my hands on and listened to sales training programs in my car. I ran the sales process and leveraged the techniques I was taught. That’s how I became the top sales rep in my company and was always at the top of the leader board. It had nothing to do with natural talent. If you are a leader who believes that somehow people are naturally gifted to sell, then you're always going to have lower-performing salespeople because you will not invest in training and coaching them. Should you believe this as a salesperson, you're never going to focus on making yourself better because why do so when you think you don't have natural sales talent. But the truth is, you can learn how to sell. Everybody can. You can learn the skills and exactly how to run the sales process. If you come to a Fanatical Prospecting Bootcamp with me, I can teach you how to make a cold call that will get you results - how to ask better questions, overcome objections, present, close and negotiate. Being great at sales has nothing to do with "natural sales talent," whether you're an introvert or extrovert, or whether you have "the gift of gab." It has everything to do with mastering techniques and process. The Learnable Components of Sales Success Just like golf, sales success comes down to several learnable components: Fundamentals: In golf, it's your grip, stance, swing mechanics, and course management. In sales, it's your prospecting discipline, discovery and communication skills, closing techniques and sales strategy. Mental Game: In golf, it's focus, staying calm under pressure. In sales, it's managing rejection, maintaining confidence, and staying true to the process. Practice: In golf, it's hours on the range and playing rounds. In sales, it's role-playing, getting reps on sales calls, and continuously honing your skills. Coaching: In golf, it's working with a pro who can see what you can't see. In sales, it's having mentors, managers, and trainers who can guide your development. Continuous Learning: In golf, it's studying the game, reading books, and learning from better players. In sales, it's consuming sales content, attending training, and learning from top performers. None of these components require natural sales talent. They all require commitment, practice, and the right instruction. You Don’t Have to Be Naturally Talented to Pursue Your Goals The belief in natural talent is not just wrong. It holds people from reaching their potential, pursuing their goals, and doing things that give them joy. You don't have to be naturally gifted to be great at sales. Rather, you need to be willing to learn, practice, and get better every day. Looking back now, having re-discovered my love for golf and that I can actually improve, I have deep regret for all those years I could have been playing a game that brings me so much joy because I believed I didn't have the natural talent. Don't let the same thing happen to you. Do not allow limiting beliefs prevent you from achieving the success you're capable of or waste years believing you're not cut out for golf, sales or anything else in life when all you really need is proper coaching and training. If you are finally ready to break through and get better Sales Gravy has a plan for you. Start learning new skills on Sales Gravy University or working one to one with a master Sales Gravy Coach.

Jun 12

"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. If you say 'I can't do that,' guess what? You're absolutely right. You won't. But here's what’s surprising: The solution is simpler than you think. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddjRyIHq6LA The 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. "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 they’re someone who freezes up in front of crowds, why would they want to be that person in that moment? Although you can’t 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 Performers Elite 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. "The Black Mamba is something I created to get through the lowest points," Bryant explained. "It's a mindset, a way of approaching challenges." Beyoncé morphs into "Sasha Fierce" on stage—a fearless, magnetic performer—but off stage, Beyoncé 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. Your 3-Step Transformation Process Ready to make it happen? Here's your simple framework: Identify Your Limitation What 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 Persona Who 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 Switch Before 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 Perform The 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. Here are some examples of identities to cultivate in sales: The Cold Calling Champion When 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 conviction—like you’re 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 Closer When it's time to close the deal, don't get stuck in the part of you that feels pushy or uncomfortable with money conversations. Become the trusted advisor who recognizes that not asking for commitment is failing your prospect. This persona understands closing is the natural conclusion of a value-driven conversation. Next time you go to close, adopt the stance of someone who never apologizes for requesting a decision. The Networking Navigator At industry events or sales conferences, don't be the version of you who feels intimidated by successful executives or worried about seeming too eager. Transform into the business professional who understands that networking is about mutual value creation, not self-promotion. Adopt a persona who approaches high-level contacts with genuine curiosity about their challenges and an authentic interest in how you might collaborate or assist them. The Science Behind the Shift When you consciously adopt a different persona, you're permitting yourself to act outside your typical behavioral patterns. This phenomenon works because your brain doesn't distinguish between "real" confidence and "performed” confidence in the moment. When you act confidently, your nervous system responds as if you are actually confident, helping you navigate difficult moments. Adopting an alter ego is a practice backed by research. Columbia Business School studies suggest that people who adopt professional personas report higher confidence levels and better performance outcomes in challenging situations. The Compound Effect of Not Being You Each successful interaction while in your sales persona creates a feedback loop of confidence. When you close a deal you thought was out of reach or handle an objection with unexpected finesse, your brain files away these experiences as evidence of your capabilities. The impostor syndrome that once whispered "you're not cut out for this" gets quieter with every win. Over time, the gap between your "regular" self and your "performance" self narrows. The behaviors, thought patterns, and confidence levels that once felt like acting become easier to access. Be the Sales Rep You Need to Be The next time you catch yourself saying "I can't do that," remember Steve Chandler's four-word revolution: "Then don't be you." The most successful salespeople refuse to let their insecurities drive them. They step into whoever they need to be, make the call, close the deal, and prove that their current limitations don't define their future possibilities. The world doesn’t need another hesitant sales rep. It needs the best version of you. That confident sales professional already exists inside you. It's time to transform. Find more ways to improve your sales process and crush your quota at Sales Gravy University.

Jun 10

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 solutions—transitioning from owning her own childcare center to selling back into that same industry—she 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 Forecast Most 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 Creation There 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 Replacement If 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 appointments Working 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 Opportunity Here'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, we generate more than a thousand leads per month. Most of those don't go directly into the pipe because nobody had a conversation with them. They go to the sales team for vetting and qualifying first. The only leads that go straight into the pipeline are our "hot" leads. People who come in saying, "I have 30 salespeople and I need Fanatical Prospecting training right now." Those people have pre-qualified themselves, and we close about 90% of them. The Win Rate Reality Check If you're running win rates against junk that marketing stuffed into your pipeline, those numbers are meaningless. Your win rate should be calculated against deals you sent written offers to buy. Here's how I define a real win rate: Number of deals closed divided by number of proposals given. Until you give someone a proposal, you haven't asked them to buy. Everything before that is just conversation. How to Build Predictable Pipeline When you're ready to get scientific about your pipeline, here's the formula: 1. Define Your Time Period Look at your pipeline on a 60-90 day rolling period, depending on your sales cycle. Don't try to forecast a year out if your deals close in 60 days. 2. Assign Real Revenue Numbers Every opportunity needs an accurate revenue number. Don't inflate deals to hit your multiplier target—that's just lying to yourself. 3. Calculate Probability by Deal, Not by Stage Your CRM stages are fiction. A deal in "discovery" isn't automatically 50% likely to close. Look at the evidence for each individual deal and assign probability based on what you actually know about their buying process, budget, and timeline. 4. Do the Math Take your pipeline revenue and multiply by the probability of each deal closing. That's your real forecast for the period. Get disciplined about this process, and you'll find you can predict your results with scary accuracy. The Daily Discipline That Changes Everything Here's what separates elite performers like Maryellen from everyone else: They maximize their prospecting time every single day, regardless of how their pipeline looks. When you hit 134% of quota, nobody cares what your pipeline multiplier was. They care about results. The most effective approach is simple: Block time every morning for prospecting. Fill gaps throughout the day with outreach. Follow your proven process religiously. Never stop feeding the machine. Stop Playing Pipeline Games Most sales teams are playing games with their pipeline instead of focusing on what actually matters. They're: Stuffing CRMs with unqualified leads to hit multiplier targets Chasing deals that were never real opportunities "Checking in" on pipe dreams instead of prospecting for new business Missing forecasts because their pipeline was built on hope, not evidence Your Action Plan If you're a sales rep: Maximize daily prospecting time regardless of current pipeline size. Know your real closing ratios based on actual proposals, not marketing leads. Be ruthless about qualification before putting deals in your pipeline. Track what matters: first-time appointments, conversion rates, and revenue per proposal. If you're a sales leader: Stop obsessing over pipeline multipliers and start focusing on pipeline quality. Don't let marketing stuff your CRM with unqualified leads that skew your metrics. Coach reps on qualification standards rather than just demanding more pipeline. Measure probability by deal evidence, not by arbitrary stage percentages. The Bottom Line Pipeline multipliers are vanity metrics that create false confidence and poor forecasting. Clean pipeline built through daily prospecting discipline and rigorous qualification creates predictable revenue. The Law of Replacement isn't just a concept—it's your lifeline. Master it, and you'll never worry about pipeline size again. Ignore it, and you'll ride the desperation roller coaster every quarter. Your commission check doesn't care about your pipeline multiplier. It only cares about one thing: Did you close the deal or didn't you? The next time someone asks about your pipeline, don't tell them how big it is. Tell them how clean it is. Because clean pipelines close deals, and dirty pipelines just create false hope. Learn the keys to developing a Fanatical Prospecting Mindset in Jeb Blount’s course: Fanatical Prospecting Essentials

Jun 9

Have you ever been working on a deal where you had this feeling, this intuition, this Spidey sense—something 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 you—an 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 you’ve 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. Top Sales Pros are Quick to Walk Away From Bad Deals 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 close—a 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 on—hoping 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 Properly Too 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. These are all quantifiable metrics that we can measure and check off our list. 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 enemies—people who are actively working against you—then your deal might be a bridge too far. 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. Reason #2: An Empty Pipeline This brings us to the second reason salespeople stay in bad deals—desperation 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? I can walk away from this (probably very bad) deal at a dysfunctional company and not worry about hitting my sales goal. With their current leadership, they'll be a terrible client. Helping them will be painful. And I know I can help them with creativity, doing things differently, and giving them a lot of what they want and have at better pricing and higher quality. But I'm not freaking out. Because I have 15 other prospects, three that are advancing well, and about a dozen additional companies with buying windows later this year or early next. The Psychology of Pipeline Abundance When your pipeline is thin, every prospect feels like life or death, leading to poor decisions and desperate behavior. You cling to bad deals because they're all you have. When you're desperate, you get delusional. And when you get delusional, you lose perspective. You become unable to see the truth, so you keep working on a deal that's never going to close—even though your intuition and everyone around one are telling you to walk away. The Power to Walk Away from Bad Deals What strikes me most about Dennis' story is the psychological shift that happens when you're selling from a position of abundance versus scarcity. A robust sales pipeline is about more than numbers—it's about the freedom to make better decisions. When you invest in building a pipeline, if you're prospecting every single day, if you're out there talking with people—knocking on doors, picking up the phone, working LinkedIn, doing the hard work of filling your funnel—then when you get that Spidey sense that you should be walking away from a deal, it's a lot easier to find the exit. It's a lot easier to pull out of that deal because you know you have lots of other options. You gain clarity. You can see the situation for what it really is instead of what you desperately need it to be. How many of us have stayed in toxic sales situations simply because we didn't have better options lined up? Whether you're in sales, consulting, or running your own business, this principle applies universally. A strong pipeline helps you maintain your standards and allows you to focus on clients who truly value what you bring to the table. How to Recognize Bad Deal Warning Signs So what are the warning signs that you should be looking for? When should your internal alarm bells start going off? Lack of Engagement: Stakeholders aren't returning calls promptly, they're not asking questions, they're not doing the homework you give them. They're treating you like a vendor, not a partner. Internal Politics: You discover there are significant internal battles you weren't aware of, or you realize you're being used as leverage against an incumbent or preferred vendor. Moving Goalposts: Requirements keep changing, timelines keep shifting, and new stakeholders keep appearing who weren't a part of the original process. Budget Issues: The budget that was "approved" suddenly needs "additional review," or you're being asked to match prices that seem unrealistically low. Decision-Making Dysfunction: The decision-making process is unclear, constantly changing, or involves people who refuse to meet with you. Your Gut: Sometimes you just know. That intuition, that Spidey sense—don't ignore it. Your subconscious is picking up on signals your conscious mind hasn't fully processed yet. Situational Awareness Matters in Sales Take a look at the deals you're working on right now. If you're working on an opportunity that everything inside you says is not going to close, if the people around you are telling you it's not going to close, maybe it's time to pick up your sticks and walk away. And if you don't feel like you have the ability to walk away, perhaps it's time to take a deeper, harder look at your pipeline and decide whether prospecting is your issue—not the fact that you've got bad deals in your pipe. Remember, in complex deals, situation awareness matters. You must always know where the exit is. And the best exit strategy is having so many options that walking away from bad deals becomes easy. Top sales pros don't just know where the exit is, and they're not afraid to use it. Hear more about how Ultra-High Performers sniff out bad deals on the Sales Gravy Podcast.

Jun 5

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 random—and 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 Line The 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." Another issue is messaging. Marketing can be blind to the value propositions that are working for sales if they do not understand the sellers’ 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 Journey The most important aspect that sales and marketing need to align on is the customer journey. This involves mapping out every touchpoint—from initial awareness to final purchase to customer retention. Map the customer journey together—then 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 Together Every 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. Marketing’s 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 doesn’t know exist. Sales knows which objections are the hardest to overcome but doesn’t 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 Now How can businesses foster a stronger cohesion between sales and marketing? Here are six key strategies: Establish Shared Goals and Metrics Sales and marketing should work together to define common objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs). Action item: Schedule a joint planning session within the next 2 weeks to agree on 3-5 shared KPIs, such as the conversion rate from marketing qualified leads (MQLs) to sales qualified leads (SQLs). Foster Open Communication Regular communication is essential. Sales and marketing teams should meet frequently to share insights, discuss challenges, and provide feedback. Action item: Institute weekly 30-minute alignment calls where sales shares feedback on lead quality and marketing reports on campaign performance. Develop a Unified Customer Journey Map Sales and marketing must collaborate to create a comprehensive map that outlines every touchpoint and identifies opportunities for engagement. Action item: Schedule monthly journey-mapping sessions where both teams review touchpoint data, identify gaps, and agree on lead scoring criteria. Create Consensus On Responsibilities Define the expectations and responsibilities of both sales and marketing. Outline lead qualification criteria, follow-up procedures, and other key processes to ensure clarity and accountability. Action item: Document and get both teams to agree on what constitutes a qualified lead, response timeframes, and follow-up requirements. Embrace a Customer-Centric Approach When sales and marketing think alike, they can work together to deliver a seamless and consistent journey, building trust and loyalty. Action item: Implement a monthly "customer journey audit" where one team member from sales and one from marketing jointly follow up with 3 customers who purchased in the last 90 days to identify friction points, unexpected value drivers, and missed opportunities in their buying experience, then present joint recommendations. Make the Choice to Change Start today with building the roadmap: shared goals, open communication, unified customer journeys, and collaborative objection-handling. The choice is clear. Continue operating with sales and marketing working separately or unite them into a revenue-generating machine. Learn more about uniting sales and marking, tackling objections, and skyrocketing your revenue by taking sales training courses through Sales Gravy University.

Jun 4

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 Religion Remember 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 Crutch The 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 Needle Instead 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 Appointments How many new conversations is each rep having? In sales, FTAs are your Moneyball. If a rep isn’t setting enough first-time appointments, they are sub-optimizing their sales potential. Next Step Conversion Rates What 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 Rates How many scheduled appointments actually happen? This reveals qualification skills, the ability to create urgency and commitment, and the quality of prospecting conversations. Pipeline Velocity How 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 Hour The ultimate sales efficiency KPI is who is generating the most revenue per hour of phone time. Stop Obsessing Over the KPI and Start Coaching When 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: Focus on discovery questions, relationship building, and value articulation. For the rep with high talk time but low revenue: They're probably becoming friends instead of salespeople. Coach them on advancing the sale and creating urgency. For the efficient closer like Josh: Analyze their process and see where small improvements could yield massive results. Maybe 10 more minutes per call to deepen discovery could move them from 18th to No. 1. The Process Makes the Difference Here's what I loved about Josh's situation: His mentor noted that Josh "literally follows the script" and holds up the paper saying, "It says it right here, so I do it." That's the power of a repeatable, proven process. While other reps with more talk time were struggling because they didn't follow the system, Josh was winning because he had the discipline to execute consistently. This is pure Fanatical Prospecting in action: Success isn't about working harder or longer—it's about working the system with precision and discipline. The Balance Between Quality and Quantity Don't misunderstand me—quality conversations absolutely matter. You don't want reps burning through leads with transactional, 2-minute calls. But you also can't let "quality" become an excuse for inefficiency. The sweet spot is having enough conversations to fill your pipeline while making each conversation count. Use talk time as one data point among many, not as your primary success metric. If someone has extremely low talk time (say, 1 hour per day) and poor conversion rates, they're probably rushing through calls. If someone has extremely high talk time but poor results, they're probably avoiding the hard parts of selling—like asking for the appointment or creating urgency. Your Action Plan: Making the Shift If you're a sales leader: Audit your current metrics. What are you measuring, and does it correlate with revenue? Implement outcome-based KPIs. Track first-time appointments, conversion rates, and show rates alongside talk time. Invest in call coaching. Listen to your reps' calls and provide specific feedback on technique, not just effort. Stop penalizing efficiency. If someone is hitting their numbers with less talk time, study their process instead of criticizing their hours. If you're a sales rep: Self-coach relentlessly. Track your own ratios and identify where small improvements could yield big results. Follow your process religiously. Like Josh, have the discipline to execute your proven system consistently. Focus on effectiveness, not activity. Your job isn't to clock hours—it's to move deals forward with purpose. The Bottom Line Stop being a slave to lazy metrics. Talk time might feel like objective measurement, but it's actually just noise disguised as data. The best sales organizations measure what matters: conversations that convert, relationships that advance, and revenue that compounds. That's how you build a championship sales team. That's how you develop elite performers. And that's how you stop losing your best people to companies that understand what really drives results. Learn how to boost performance and retain top talent with practical strength-based coaching strategies.

Jun 2

If you are spending more time staring at your windshield instead of looking into your customers' eyes, you are doing field sales wrong. Over the past couple of years, there's been a resurgence in field sales. Businesses everywhere are adding field salespeople and sending representatives out into the territory to meet with customers face-to-face. And for good reason—human 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. 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. 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 reality—the 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 Delusion Too 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. 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. Don’t confuse activity with productivity. Just because you drove all over creation, that doesn’t mean you had a productive day. 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 Management 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 balance—they absolutely dominate their territories and blow past their quotas while their competitors are still driving around wastefully. Map Your Territory Into Quadrants This is why the first rule of field sales is getting your territory mapped, segmented, and planned to reduce drive time. I remember when I started out in field sales that the first thing my sales manager, a guy named Bob Blackwell, did was sit down with me and help me map my territory into daily quadrants where I’d be working on specific days of the week. He said if it’s Monday and you are in your Thursday quadrant, you better have a damn good reason. At the time, I didn’t understand exactly what we were doing but soon it made sense. By concentrating my focus each day in a tighter geographic area I wasted less time and made a lot more money. It was a lesson I never forgot. Start by printing out a map and grabbing a sharpie. Monday might be the northeast quadrant. Tuesday, the southeast. Wednesday, the southwest. Thursday, the northwest. Friday could be your flex day for special situations or your highest-priority accounts regardless of location. Keep that map visible where you can see it. The tighter your route planning, the more selling time you create and the less windshield time you waste. Yes, you will get off track from time to time. That’s the real world. But because you have built a set of tracks, when you get off, you’ll know where to get back on. The Hub-and-Spoke Model Then use the hub-and-spoke model to maximize your time in each geographic area. It works like this: Once you have an appointment booked on your calendar, use your CRM and mapping tools to pre-plan and route five additional drop-ins or door swings around that appointment. This will both increase the number of prospecting calls you make each day, and help you avoid the temptation to just head back to the office after your appointment. The T-Calling Technique to Boost Prospecting Activity You’ll increase your productivity further with the practice of T-Calling. As you walk into or out of those pre-planned prospecting calls, look to your left, look to your right, and look behind you, then knock on those doors, too. Walk in. Introduce yourself. Build relationships. You're already ther—you've already invested the windshield time to get to that location. Maximize your return on that investment. Think about it, with this methodology you can easily make an additional 10 to 15 additional prospecting touches after each scheduled appointment. It’s how you squeeze every ounce of productivity out of your sales day. Stay on Track With Better Decisions Territory planning also helps you make better decisions about responding to customer requests. If a customer calls on Tuesday needing help, rather than dropping everything and driving all the way to their location, assess whether it's truly an emergency or if it can wait until you're in that part of your territory on Thursday. Learn to say, "I'll be in your area Thursday morning. Can I schedule some time with you then?" Most requests that feel urgent really aren't. Don't let poor planning by others derail your territory strategy. When you do need to leave one part of your territory to handle a high-priority customer, don't dead-head straight back to your office or home base. Look left, look right, and look behind you to make additional calls in that immediate area before you leave. Make Drive Time Learning Time No matter how well you plan, you're still going to spend time behind the wheel. So here's the critical question: When you're driving between accounts, what's coming through your speakers? Is it lifting you up, making you better, helping you make more money—or is it tearing you down? Top performers attend Automobile University. Instead of listening to news or sports radio that usually puts you in a negative mindset, they're listening to audiobooks, training courses, and business podcasts. The compound effect of consistently investing in yourself during windshield time is enormous. If you spend just 60 minutes a day listening to educational content in your car while you are driving , that's 5 hours per week, 20 hours per month, 240 hours per year of professional development. That's the equivalent of 6 full work weeks of training annually—just from your drive time. When you're always learning, you improve your skills, build stronger business acumen, stay current with industry trends, and develop a competitive edge over reps who waste their windshield time listening to talk radio. Most importantly, consistent learning maintains a stronger belief system and winning attitude. You arrive at each appointment energized and confident, instead of drained and negative. Territory Action Plan Here's what I want you to do this week to transform your territory productivity: Step 1: Audit Your Current Windshield Time: For the next week, track exactly how much time you spend driving. Calculate the total hours you spend behind the wheel. I guarantee the number will shock you. Step 2: Map Your Territory into Quadrants: Get out a map or use Google Maps to divide your territory into logical geographic sections. Assign each section to specific days of the week and commit to staying in your designated areas except when absolutely necessary. Step 3: Plan Routes in Advance: Every evening or first thing each morning, use your CRM and mapping tools to plan your most efficient route through your designated quadrant. No more winging it. Step 4: Implement Hub and Spoke Planning: For every scheduled appointment, pre-plan five additional stops in that immediate area. Turn single appointments into territory blitzes. Step 5: Create Your Learning Playlist: Download 3 audiobooks, subscribe to 5 relevant podcasts, and enroll in at least 1 audio training course. Build your Automobile University curriculum. By the way, the new re-mastered audiobook version of my international best selling book Sales EQ was just released, so perhaps that might be one of your first choices.

May 30

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 Value Think 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, and 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 data—recent 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 Integrate The mistake most sales reps make is thinking AI means "set it and forget it." That’s 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. It’s taking your experience and making it work for you at warp speed. What's Coming Next for AI Wait until you see what’s on the docket for AI advancements: AI agents that anticipate what you need before you even ask. 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. That’s why the time to adopt is now. Don’t let AI’s growth outpace your own knowledge of how to use it. Stay on top of new systems and improvements. The Human Element Remains King But 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 doesn’t 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 problem-solving. These uniquely human skills become more valuable, not less, in an AI-enhanced world. The most successful salespeople will be those who use AI to eliminate the mundane so they can focus entirely on these high-value human interactions. They'll show up to every conversation better prepared, with more relevant insights, and more time to actually listen. The Bottom Line Look, change is uncomfortable. You might be hesitant to shift your workflow, adopt new tools, or rethink how you sell. But the market won't wait for you to feel ready. The time to start is now. Start small. Pick one area where you're spending too much time on low-value tasks. Find an AI tool that addresses that specific area and test it for a month. Don't let AI make you less human. AI can't replace emotional intelligence, creativity, or the gut instinct you've developed from years in the field. But it can help you perform at your peak. It can make you faster, more focused, and more effective. So don't fear it. Use it. Make AI your co-pilot. Let it handle the grunt work while you focus on the thing that actually closes deals: building genuine relationships. Stay curious; start experimenting. Keep the heart of your sales process with you, exactly where it belongs. Want to learn more about how AI can lift you over your competition? Read Jeb Blount's The AI Edge for more tools and tips.

May 28

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 thing—this 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 Accomplishment First, let's get something straight: Driving is not an accomplishment. I don't care if you put 200 miles on your car today—that 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 Time Before 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 you—can 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 time—if 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 Friend Today'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 companies Learn to use these tools, and you'll be amazed how much more productive your windshield time becomes. Welcome to Automobile University The 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 better at your job? Here's your Automobile University curriculum: Sales audiobooks: There are hundreds of excellent sales books available in audio format. Start with the classics and work your way through modern sales methodology. Podcasts: The Sales Gravy podcast runs three days a week. That's hours of free sales training every week. But don't stop there—find other quality sales and business podcasts that challenge your thinking. Audio courses: We've created specific audio courses on Sales Gravy University designed for people exactly like you who spend time in their cars. Push a button and learn while you drive. Industry-specific content: Listen to podcasts and audiobooks specific to your industry. The more you understand your prospects' world, the better conversations you'll have. The Compound Effect of Automobile University Here's what most reps don't understand: The compound effect of consistently investing in yourself during windshield time is enormous. If you spend just 30 minutes a day listening to sales training content, that's 2.5 hours per week, 10 hours per month, 120 hours per year of professional development. That's the equivalent of three full work weeks of training annually—just from your commute time. Elite athletes in the business world constantly invest in themselves. We're in skill positions. The better your skills, the better your results. When you're always learning, you: Have better conversations with prospects Ask more insightful questions Think more strategically about your territory Stay current with industry trends Develop a competitive edge over reps who waste their windshield time Make It a Non-Negotiable Habit The difference between successful field reps and mediocre ones often comes down to how they use their "dead time." Traffic jams are going to happen. Construction zones are unavoidable. Rush hour is inevitable. You can either let these situations frustrate you, or you can turn them into opportunities to get better. Make Automobile University a non-negotiable part of your daily routine. Every time you get in your car, something educational should be playing through those speakers. Your Windshield Time Action Plan Starting tomorrow: Audit your current windshield time habits: What are you listening to right now? Is it making you better or just killing time? Create your learning playlist: Download sales audiobooks, subscribe to relevant podcasts, sign up for audio courses. Plan your territory more efficiently: Map out your weekly quadrants and commit to staying in your designated areas. Set up hands-free prospecting tools: Research safe, legal ways to make calls from the road. Track your progress: Keep a log of what you're learning and how it's impacting your performance. Your competition is sitting in the same traffic you are, listening to music or complaining about their day. While they're wasting time, you'll be getting better, smarter, and more prepared for every sales conversation. Turn that windshield time into your competitive advantage. Your future self—and your bank account—will thank you. Ready to maximize your learning time? Check out Sales Gravy University for audio courses designed specifically for reps on the road.

May 23

Most value propositions stink. They’re boring, generic, feature-heavy garbage that make buyers’ eyes glaze over. And the worst part? Most salespeople don’t even realize their value proposition messaging is hurting them. On this week’s Sales Gravy Podcast, Lisa Dennis breaks down her process for building value propositions that actually work—the kind that grab buyers by the heart and don’t let go. But before we get to the solution, let’s talk about why most value propositions fail miserably. Reason #1: You’re Talking About Yourself, Not Them Here’s the fundamental problem with 90% of value propositions: They’re all about you. “We’re the industry leader with cutting-edge technology and award-winning customer service that delivers best-in-class solutions…” Blah, blah, blah. Do you hear that sound? That’s the sound of your prospect mentally checking out. Here’s 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, “What does this mean for me?” And if you don’t answer that question immediately, you’ve lost them. Your value proposition isn’t a corporate brochure. It’s not a marketing slick. It’s the value-bridge between what you do and what they need. If it’s a monologue about you, your company, and your product features you’ve 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: You’re Using Generic, Meaningless Buzzwords Most value propositions include phrases like “industry leader,” “best-in-class,” “cutting-edge,” or “world-class customer service.” “We’re a one-stop shop with purpose-built solutions that increase efficiency and decrease costs.” Really? And I suppose your competitors specialize in decreasing efficiency and increasing costs? These phrases and buzzwords make you sound exactly like every other salesperson who’s ever walked through your prospect’s door: boring. Here’s the brutal truth: If your competitor could copy and paste your value proposition and use it for their company, it’s not a value proposition—it’s forgettable noise. What to do instead: Get specific. Use numbers. Use their language, not yours. Instead of “increase efficiency,” say “reduce your monthly reporting time from 40 hours to 4 hours.” Instead of “industry leader,” show them exactly how you’re different and why that difference matters to them. Reason #3: You Haven’t Done Your Homework Most salespeople build their value propositions standing in their own shoes rather than those of their buyers. If you don’t know what keeps your prospects awake at 3 AM, if you don’t understand their specific challenges, and if you haven’t talked to real customers about why they bought from you (or didn’t), 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 you’re not in the room? What specific problem did you solve that made them heroes in their organization? Your Likers: These are satisfied customers who aren’t 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 Works Now that we’ve covered why most value propositions fail, let’s talk about how to build one that wins deals. Step 1: Start With Their Problem, Not Your Product Your value proposition should begin with their problem, not your product. Here’s the formula: “For [specific type of customer] who [specific problem/challenge], [your company] provides [specific solution] that [specific, measurable benefit].” Step 2: Get Brutally Specific Vague value propositions are worthless. Don’t say you “increase efficiency”—say you “reduce month-end close time from 15 days to 3 days.” Don’t claim you’re the “industry leader”—prove it with specific, verifiable metrics. Step 3: Use Their Language Stop using your internal jargon and corporate-speak. Use the exact words your prospects use to describe their problems. If they say they’re “drowning in manual processes,” don’t translate that to “seeking automation solutions.” Use their words. Step 4: Prove It Every claim in your value proposition should be provable. Can a third party verify what you’re saying? Do you have case studies, testimonials, or data to back it up? If not, cut it out. Step 5: Make It Human People buy from people. Your value proposition can’t be purely clinical and business-focused. Acknowledge the human element. What does success look like for the individual making this decision? How will solving this problem make their life better? What Your Differentiators Should Actually Differentiate Your differentiators are proof points that you’re uniquely qualified to solve your prospect’s specific problem. Ask yourself: What can we do that competitors literally cannot do? Where are we measurably better than alternatives? What gaps do we fill that others leave open? If your “differentiator” could apply to any company in your industry, it’s table stakes rather than a true competitive edge. The Bottom Line Building an effective value proposition isn’t about clever wordsmithing or marketing magic. It’s about doing the hard work of truly understanding your buyers and then articulating—in their language—exactly how you solve their unique challenges better than anyone else. Most salespeople won’t do this work because it’s difficult and uncomfortable. They’d rather stick with generic, safe language that offends no one and excites no one. But if you’re willing to have the tough conversations, do the real research, and build a value proposition that’s genuinely focused on your buyers’ needs, you’ll gain a massive competitive advantage. Because while your competitors are still talking about their “industry-leading, best-in-class solutions,” you’ll be speaking your prospect’s language with a value proposition that compels them to engage and buy. Learn how to build buyer-centric value propositions that resonate, differentiate, and drive sales, using Lisa Dennis’ proven framework that transforms your messaging into a deal-winning asset. Check out her sales training course Value Propositions That Sell

May 20

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 Paradox Prospecting 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"—a 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 Prospecting The 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 deteriorate In short, when you're desperate for deals, you sell terribly. Inconsistent prospecting doesn't just hurt your pipeline—it undermines your entire sales approach. The 30-Day Rule: Why Consistency Matters More Than Intensity In 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 Motivation So how do you maintain your prospecting discipline when motivation inevitably fades? I use the "Pain and Pull" method. The Pain: Visualize the Consequences When 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 approach By 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 Why My 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, or achieving financial independence. When prospecting feels hard, don't focus on the calls. Focus on what those calls will create in your life. What's on the other side of those dials that makes them worth doing? Is it the vacation you're saving for? The home you want to buy? The financial security you're building? The career advancement you're pursuing? As I often say, the only thing that matters in prospecting is how bad you want it. Not how bad you want to prospect (no one wants that), but how bad you want what prospecting will give you. Building an Identity-Based Prospecting Habit Beyond motivation, the ultimate solution is to make prospecting a non-negotiable habit—something you do automatically without requiring willpower or motivation. James Clear's excellent book Atomic Habits provides a framework for this approach. The key is shifting from outcome-based habits ("I need to make 20 calls today.") to identity-based habits ("I am the kind of salesperson who prospects every day, no matter what"). When prospecting becomes part of your identity—something you simply do because it's who you are—consistency becomes much easier to maintain. Here are some practical steps to build this habit: Schedule prospecting blocks early in your day - before distractions and fatigue set in Make it ridiculously easy to start - commit to just 5 calls to overcome initial resistance Create an environment that eliminates distractions - turn off notifications, close unnecessary tabs Track your activity religiously - what gets measured gets managed Celebrate small wins - reward yourself for consistency, not just outcomes The Bottom Line Prospecting is like rent; it's due every single day. Your income, your confidence, and your future pipeline are paid for in advance with consistent daily activity. The next time you feel like skipping your call block, remember this: The salespeople who win are the ones who prospect when it's inconvenient, when it's uncomfortable, and when no one is watching. When you're tired, when you've given everything you've got, and when you're tempted to call it a day, make one more call. That's where the difference between average and extraordinary happens. Because in the end, your success in sales isn't determined by what you do occasionally. It's determined by what you do consistently. Learn the keys to developing a Fanatical Prospecting Mindset in Jeb Blount's course: Fanatical Prospecting Essentials

May 19

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 Grind Quail Hollow is beautiful, but make no mistake—this 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" – 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 grind—every 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 Winning There's one statistic from the tournament that explains everything – 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 Sales So 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 you—bad stuff is going to happen in your sales career. You're going to fail, lose, and face adversity. That's not a possibility—it'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 – it defines who you are as a sales professional. It is the key to winning. Full stop. The Goldfish Paradigm When I'm hiring salespeople, one of the things I'm measuring for is optimism. It's essentially Ted Lasso's goldfish paradigm—the ability to forget fast. On the show, Lasso asks his players:"You know what the happiest animal on Earth is? It's a goldfish. You know why? It's got a 10-second memory. Be a goldfish." Being a "goldfish" is about letting go of mistakes, setbacks, or negative moments quickly—just like a goldfish forgets almost instantly. What You Think is What You Become If something bad happens to a pessimistic person, rather than forgetting, they believe something bad is going to happen again. Their mind starts spinning a story: "This always happens to me." "I knew this wouldn't work out." "Nobody wants to talk to me today." What you think is often what you become. When you dwell on negative outcomes, you invite more of them into your life. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy that crushes your results. But optimistic people? They forget fast. They get a "no" and immediately think, "Great! My next 'yes' must be right around the corner." That's the definition of optimism in sales—the unshakable belief that success is just one more attempt away. Competitiveness is a Key Component of Bouncing Back Competitiveness is equally crucial. When competitors get knocked down, they don't stay down. They get back up, and when they do, they're not defeated—they're fired up. They use that emotion, that drive, to propel themselves to win the next time. I see too many salespeople these days start a downward spiral after a single setback. It's no different than what happens to amateur golfers on the course. You have one bad shot, which leads to another bad shot, which leads to a bad decision, which leads to another bad shot. Pretty soon, you're ready to throw your clubs in the pond and call it a day. That spiral will kill your sales career faster than any market downturn or tough competitor ever could. How to Build Your Bounce Back Muscle So how do you build this mental resilience? How do you develop your bounce back muscle? I've got several strategies that have worked for me and for the top-performing sales professionals I've coached. 1. Create a Bounce-Back Routine The first key is having a specific bounce-back routine—a set of actions you take immediately after facing rejection or adversity. My sales bounce-back routine is different from my golf bounce-back routine. In sales, when something knocks me back, I often step away briefly and read a passage from a book I keep nearby. I deliberately put something positive into my mind to redirect my thinking. Sometimes it's listening to a specific podcast or audio clip that I know will shift my mindset. The key is that I don't leave my mental recovery to chance. I have a deliberate, planned response to adversity that I've practiced so many times it becomes automatic. What's your bounce-back routine? If you don't have one, create one today. Maybe it's taking three deep breaths, saying a specific affirmation, or reviewing your biggest sales wins. Whatever it is, make it concrete and practice it until it becomes second nature. 2. Stay in the Present Moment One of the biggest killers of bounce-back ability is letting your mind drift away from the present moment. When something goes wrong, most people immediately do one of two things—they dwell on the past or they worry about the future. Dwelling on the past is pointless. You can't change what's already happened. Getting caught up in replaying the failure, the rejection, or the mistake only ensures you'll bring that negative energy into your next interaction. Equally dangerous is projecting into the future, worrying about what might happen. "What if I never close another deal this month?" "What if my pipeline dries up?" "What if I miss quota again?" The only thing that's real is the present moment. The only thing you can control is your next action. When I'm on the golf course and hit a bad shot, I remind myself to stay present. "This shot. This moment." Then I refocus and execute. The same principle applies perfectly to sales. After a tough call, don't ruminate. Reset. Focus only on the next call, the next conversation, the next opportunity. Nothing else matters. 3. Build Obstacle Immunity Through Exposure This is counterintuitive for many people, but the more adversity you face, the better you get at handling it. I call this "obstacle immunity." Top performers don't avoid difficult situations; they seek them out, knowing that each challenge strengthens their resilience muscle. Think of it like weight training. The resistance isn't your enemy; it's the very thing making you stronger. Make more prospecting calls than required. Have the tough conversations others avoid. Pursue the challenging deals others shy away from. Each time you face resistance and push through, you're building your bounce-back capability. The salespeople who avoid discomfort to protect their egos are the same ones who crumble when inevitable challenges arise. They haven't built their obstacle immunity. Scottie Scheffler hasn't won all those tournaments because he's never faced adversity. He's won because he's faced so much adversity that he's developed immunity to its effects. 4. Master Your Self-Talk You're talking to yourself all day long. The question is: What are you saying? Are you telling yourself you're going to win or you're going to lose? Are you feeding yourself excuses or solutions? Are you reinforcing resilience or fragility? If you watched coverage of the PGA Championship, you saw plenty of players have emotional meltdowns after bad shots. Remember Shane Lowry's explosion? Those emotional outbursts might feel cathartic in the moment, but they rarely improve performance. Notice that Scheffler doesn't have those explosions. He stays remarkably calm, even when things aren't going his way. He's mastered his self-talk. After a setback, he doesn't tell himself a story about how unfair it is or how he's losing his edge. He tells himself he has the ability to bounce back. He teaches his mind to believe it,

May 15

Sales is a trust game. Always has been; always will be. It’s not about features, price points, or flashy presentations. It’s about conviction. And conviction is born from trust: deep, unshakable trust across four critical fronts. Ignore even one, and you’re leaving deals on the table. The First Deal You Close Every Day is YOU Before you ever make a cold call, send an email, or walk into a meeting, you’ve got to sell you to you. 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 don’t have fewer fears—they 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 isn’t optional. It’s the launchpad for everything else you do. Trust in Your Product If you don't believe in what you're selling, neither will your prospect. Prospects can smell when you’re 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 problems—and you’ve seen it do so again and again—you sell with conviction. You don’t overpromise. You stop folding under pressure, and stop chasing price shoppers. Trust in your product doesn’t mean it’s perfect. It means you know where it fits, what it does well, and who it helps—and you’re not afraid to walk away when it’s not the right match. Your Process is Your Competitive Edge Amateurs wing it. Top performers trust their process. A rock-solid sales process is your roadmap to predictable success. It’s 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. 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. Trust in your process gives you the courage to disqualify bad fits and the discipline to execute consistently. Building Trust with Prospects: Where Deals Live or Die Prospects don’t buy from people they don’t trust. They buy from people who understand them, demonstrate competence, and follow through on every promise. 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 In”: Every touch should add value. Send industry reports, introduce them to potential partners, share competitive intelligence. Make them glad they took your call. The Trust Killers to Avoid Talking Too Much: When you dominate the conversation, trust dies Rushing the Process: Pushing for a close before earning the right Breaking Small Promises: Missing a callback destroys credibility Faking Knowledge: Pretending to know something you don't Being Unavailable After the Sale: Ghosting kills referrals How AI Influences Trust in Modern Sales Here's the paradox: In an AI-powered sales world, your humanity becomes your biggest competitive advantage. Used strategically, it amplifies trust. Used carelessly, it destroys it. AI as a Trust Builder Intelligent Research: AI helps you research prospects and tailor your approach. When you understand their specific challenges before the first call, you demonstrate preparation and respect. Consistent Follow-Through: AI ensures nothing falls through the cracks. Automated reminders, follow-up sequences, and activity tracking help you keep every promise. More Time for Relationships: By automating routine tasks, AI frees you to focus on meaningful conversations and strategic thinking. AI as a Trust Destroyer The Automation Trap: When every touchpoint feels robotic, relationships die. Use AI to enhance personalization, not replace it. Losing the Human Touch: When you let AI do all the talking, you become irrelevant. AI should amplify your voice, not replace it. Trust More, Sell More In a world of infinite options and instant information, trust becomes your only true differentiator. It's the foundation of your career and the legacy you leave behind. Stop treating trust as a nice-to-have. Start treating it as your most valuable asset. Because people don't buy what you sell. They buy who you are and how much they trust you to deliver. Do your customers trust you? In this 2-minute micro-bite, Cheryl Parks reveals the signs that your customer views you as a trusted advisor.

May 14

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 suddenly—radio 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 Free During 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 return—especially before completing your sales process—you'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 Sales In 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 leverage—something 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 Exchange Here'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"—the more effort people put into something, the more they value it. The RFP Trap The 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 me—exactly as I predicted they would. I have to relearn this lesson once or twice a year. Maybe you do too.= You Need the Power to Walk Away For this approach to work, you need a full pipeline. Because a full pipeline gives you more alternatives allowing you to walk away from prospects who won't engage in your process. This is precisely why I'm so fanatical about prospecting. When your pipeline is full, you have options. You can afford to lose deals that were never going to close anyway. You can sell without selling. Look for the Warning Signs As you engage with prospects, watch for these warning signs of future ghosting: Unwillingness to introduce you to other stakeholders Reluctance to share budgets or timelines Resistance to following your sales process Lack of engagement in discovery conversations Pushing for pricing or proposals too early When you see these signs, address them directly: "I notice you're hesitant to introduce me to your team. For us to create the right solution, I need to understand all stakeholders' needs. Is there a reason you're uncomfortable with that?" The Bottom Line on Ghosting Prospects ghost you when they've gotten what they wanted without having to commit to anything. The solution is simple but requires discipline: Don't give away valuable information for free Insist that prospects follow your sales process Look for reciprocal investment at every stage Be willing to walk away when prospects won't engage Keep your pipeline full so you can afford to lose bad deals Remember: What are prospects willing to do for your information? Hold the line on that question, and you'll dramatically reduce the number of people who ghost you and disappear into the "witness protection program." To learn more about how to avoid being ghosted take Jeb Blount's course on Sales Gravy University: The Real Secrets to Avoiding Stalled Deals and Prospects Who Ghost You

May 12

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 don’t get your pipeline positioned for success now, you’ll 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. Appointment conversion rates decline by similar percentages. And overall deal velocity—how quickly opportunities move through your pipeline—slows 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. Salespeople Wait Until it is Too Late That’s reality. Now, here's the brutal truth. Each summer salespeople make the same bad mistake—they 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 up—they multiply. And here's the kicker—while 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 Quota Beyond 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. Double Down on Prospecting Now The 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 skill development, process refinement, or strategic planning. While your competitors are experiencing the summer slump, you'll be maintaining momentum—potentially winning deals with less competitive pressure. Take Proactive Action Now to Protect Your Summer Quota Summer sales slowdowns are predictable and, with the right preparation, entirely manageable. The key is taking proactive action now. Remember these three principles: The best time to build your summer pipeline was last month. The second-best time is today. Your quota doesn't take a summer vacation, so your pipeline-building efforts can't afford to either. The confidence that comes from preparation will be evident in every customer interaction, creating a virtuous cycle that boosts your win-rate. I challenge you to block time on your calendar today—not tomorrow, not next week, but today—to double down on prospecting. And remember, when at the end of each of those blocks, always make one more call. Want to make more prospecting touches, in less time, with better outcomes? Then learn Jeb Blount's H.I.P.S. Prospecting Method. It could change everything for you.

May 8

Here’s a hard truth most salespeople never hear: The most dangerous thing you can do is think like an employee. On this week’s episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, business consultant for entrepreneurs David Neagle says: “You've got to see yourself above the place that you actually want to accomplish.” The highest-earning reps? They think like owners. They take responsibility for their number, their mindset, and their mission. They don’t wait for leads to be handed to them or settle for “good enough.” They build a pipeline like a business, because it is. 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 Isn’t Hard. You need to come around to a simple idea: Making money isn’t 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. Here’s the truth: Money is everywhere, and opportunity is endless. But if you believe sales is a grind and success is for “those people,” you’ll work three times harder for half the reward. Don’t undersell yourself. Entrepreneurs don’t apologize for making money—they 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 succeeding—wildly succeeding—is 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. That’s not your problem. It’s theirs. You’ll never hit your peak if you can’t stomach a little hate from the nay-sayers. Entrepreneurs learn early that approval won’t pay your bills. If you want to win in sales, stop seeking validation from people who aren’t playing game at your level. You can’t serve your buyer and care what others think at the same time. Choose your future over fitting in. Believe You’re Worth the Win Most reps think their biggest problem is weak leads or tight markets. It’s not. It’s that they don’t believe they’re worthy of success. They don’t 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 don’t have that luxury. Their livelihood depends on selling themselves—and believing in what they offer. The same should go for you. When you believe you’re worth the success, your tone changes. Your body language shifts. Your presence becomes undeniable—and buyers feel it. Push past doubt by honing your skills through practice and reviewing past successes. You deserve everything you’ve worked hard to gain. Sales Isn’t About Getting—It’s About Giving A lot of people treat sales like they’re trying to take something. That’s why they feel pushy, needy, or “icky.” But the best sellers think like business owners—and owners know they’re in the business of solving problems. They're giving value, outcomes, and transformation. If your mindset is “I need to get this deal,” your buyer will feel that. But if you shift to “I’ve got something that can truly help them,” everything changes. You show up with confidence, not desperation; with curiosity, not pressure. Sales isn’t just hunting. It’s serving. And your commission is just the reward for solving someone else’s problem. Start thinking like a consultative seller. Listen closely to your prospect’s needs and position yourself as a trusted advisor who has the answers to their specific challenges. You Can’t Do It All Yourself This one hits especially hard for both entrepreneurs and lone-wolf reps: If you try to do everything on your own, you’ll burn out or stagnate. Business owners grow when they learn to delegate. Sales pros grow when they learn to lean on their team—mentors, coaches, marketing, support, and systems. You don’t have to be good at everything. You just have to be great at the one thing that moves the needle: selling. Protect your time. Focus on high-value activities. Trust your support system to help you execute faster and smarter. Think Like a CEO You don’t need a corner office. You just need to take ownership of your attitude, activity, and outcomes. Entrepreneurs don’t wait for permission, and neither should you. They don’t second-guess their worth, apologize for winning, or try to do it all alone—and if you want to level up your sales game, you shouldn’t either. Own your number like it’s your business. Sell like you mean it. And remember: You are not just in sales—you are the CEO of your results. Don’t just think like a C-suite level exec, act like a CEO. Download our Small Business Owner's Guide to Sales Training here.

May 6

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 Spot There'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's how we handle this at Sales Gravy: For Inbound Leads: We categorize inbound leads into three distinct groups: 1. List Leads These 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 Leads These 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 metric—they 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 business If 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 between—and for most B2B sales organizations, it's at the first-time appointment stage. Maximizing Prospecting Efficiency: How We Make So Many Calls Tyler 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 Prospecting Research 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. Too many salespeople mix research and prospecting, which kills efficiency. They take 12 minutes between calls, check email, watch cat videos, and then wonder why they can't get anything done. 2. Use High-Intensity Prospecting Sprints In our Fanatical Prospecting Boot Camps, we run high-intensity prospecting sprints. If I give you 15 minutes to make calls with the goal of setting one appointment, most salespeople will make at least 10 calls. Run four of these sprints, and you've made 40 calls minimum. Do that three times, and you've made 120 calls in just three hours. This isn't theory. We run these events for clients all over the country. Sales teams are consistently stunned by how many calls they can make when properly focused. 3. Create the Right Conditions The key is setting the right conditions. Use a simple dialer that lets you click and move to the next call quickly. Have your list ready. Eliminate distractions. Focus solely on making calls during your designated block. The Hard Truth About Prospecting Most B2B salespeople don't need to make hundreds of cold calls daily. With one solid hour of focused prospecting every day, most will set all the meetings they need. But here's the kicker—almost no one actually does this. They don't set the conditions for success. They don't separate list building from calling. They don't eliminate distractions. They don't create a cadence. Everyone is capable of hitting extraordinary prospecting numbers. They just need to decide to do it. Most people don't make that decision. Putting It All Together So, when should you create a deal? When both you and the prospect agree to step into the sales process, which is typically at the first-time appointment stage. And how do you hit those crazy prospecting numbers? By separating list building from calling, running high-intensity sprints, and creating the right conditions for success. The beauty of these approaches is that they're simple. No fancy technology or complex methodologies required. Just disciplined execution of the fundamentals. What I've learned over decades in sales is that success isn't about finding the magic bullet—it's about consistently executing the basics better than everyone else. Whether that's knowing exactly when to create a deal or understanding how to maximize your prospecting efficiency, the fundamentals will always drive results. Got a sales question or tough challenge and need answers? Then go to https://salesgravy.com/ask and Ask Jeb!

May 5

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 life—whether 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. Adopt The Mamba Mentality You'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 want—pretty much within reason—as 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 performers—they're willing to do the boring things. Top Performers are Always Working at It In 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. They’re taking courses on Sales Gravy University. They invest in learning and practicing every single day. 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. Be Careful What You Wish For So 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? Are you willing to make the sacrifice? Are you willing to grind day in and day out? Are you willing to do all of boring reps that nobody ever sees in order to reach the very top? Success is Paid for In Advance With Boring Work You 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 people—including my boss—thought I was nuts. 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 books, speak on stages and build Sales Gravy. The Michelangelo Principle I like to think about it as the Michelangelo Principle. You know the story—someone once asked Michelangelo how he created his masterpiece David from a block of marble. And he replied, "I just chipped away everything that didn't look like David." Excellence works the same way. You chip away at your limitations through practice and repetition. Every cold call you make chips away at your fear of rejection. Every role play you participate in chips away at your awkwardness around handling objections. Every book you read chips away at your ignorance about your industry or your craft. The Invisible Work Nobody Every Sees It's not glamorous. Nobody's going to film you making your hundredth cold call of the week and post it on social media. Nobody's going to celebrate you for doing pre-call planning on a Sunday evening. You are not going to give you a standing ovation for waking up an hour early to invest in professional development before work. This is the invisible work that no one ever sees. The small, seemingly insignificant actions, performed consistently over time, yield massive results. This is the Law of Cumulative Impact. Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time with 28 medals, trained for 5 straight years without missing a single day—even on Christmas, even on his birthdays. His coach said that by training 365 days a year, Phelps gained a 52-day advantage over competitors who took Sundays off. Those single days compounded into the most dominant swimming career in history. The problem is, most people quit before the compound effect kicks in. They do the boring work for a week, maybe a month, don't see immediate results, and give up. They never experience the exponential growth that comes from consistent, boring effort applied over years. Embrace Discomfort Look at Tom Brady. For 23 seasons, he was typically the first player to arrive at the facility and the last to leave. At 44 years old, he was still doing the same boring drills he did as a rookie. His former teammate once said that Brady would spend hours studying game film that most quarterbacks would skip over. While other players were enjoying their off-seasons, Brady was working with his receivers on timing routes. While they were taking vacation, he was perfecting his footwork. That commitment to uncomfortable, boring work is why he has seven Super Bowl rings. But that discomfort? That's where growth happens. It's like working out. If you've ever done any serious physical training, you know that muscle growth happens when you push past comfort. When your muscles burn, when you feel like you can't do one more rep—that's precisely when you need to do one more. Sales excellence works the same way. When you're tired of practicing your pitch, do it five more times. When you're dreading making another cold call, make ten more. When you think you think you've prepared enough, do more. Get into the habit of Eating the Frog. "Do the thing you least want to do first thing in the morning." That thing you're avoiding is exactly what you need to do to move your career and income forward. Tedious Discipline is Your Competitive Edge Recently I was working with a sales team.There was this one rep, Mike. He was middle of the pack—not terrible, but not stellar either. During our training, I emphasized the importance of research and reading to develop industry knowledge. Most of the team nodded along, but Mike took it to heart. He committed to spending 15 minutes each morning specifically to gain a better understanding of his industry and grow his business acumen. Six months later, I got an email from Mike's sales manager. Mike was now the top performer on the team. His close rate had doubled. His average deal size had increased by 40%. All from a simple, boring discipline of spending 15 minutes learning about his industry. . When I called Mike to congratulate him, he made a confession. He said, "Jeb, to be honest, I hated doing the research at first. It was boring and felt like a waste of time. But after about two months, I started noticing patterns and understanding my customers better. Discovery calls went deeper. I saw opportunities to help them that I would have missed before. My customers gave me a seat at the table because they viewed me as an expert." That's how the boring work transforms. What starts as tedious discipline eventually becomes your competitive edge. There is No Such Thing as Natural Talent Before going any further, let's address the myth of natural talent. I hear it all the time: "Oh, she's just a natural salesperson." "He is a born closer." It’s pure BS. I've coached plenty of "naturals" who failed because they relied on charm instead of working to master the craft. True sales excellence isn't about what you were born with—it's about process and skills. And skills are built through the discipline to do the boring, repetitive work. Take Jerry Rice, widely considered the greatest wide receiver in NFL history. Was he the most naturally gifted athlete? No. He wasn't the fastest, strongest or the tallest. But his work ethic was legendary. His off-season hill training program was so grueling that teammates who tried to join him would literally vomit. He would run the same routes thousands of times until they were perfect. He would catch hundreds of balls after practice when everyone else had gone home. That's not natural talent—that's an unnatural commitment to doing the boring work. The truth is that repetition is the mother of skill. Greatness Has a Price Before the Beatles became famous, they played over 1,200 live shows in Hamburg, Germany. They would play eight hours a night, seven days a week. That's over 10,000 hours of practice in just a few years. That's what made them the Beatles—not just natural musical ability,

May 1

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 you’re not self-aware, you’re leaving money on the table and damaging trust. Sales Without Self-Awareness is a Wrecking Ball Let’s get honest. Lack of self-awareness is a deal-killer. It’s what causes reps to: Over-talk and under-listen Project their objections onto the buyer Miss subtle cues because they’re too focused on a static script Push when they should pause This isn’t just a skill gap—it’s a blind spot. When you don’t know how best to connect with your prospect because you’re not listening—that’s a dangerous place to sell from. Self-awareness is your internal compass. Without it, you can’t navigate objections, establish trust, or conduct a real discovery conversation. You can’t be consultative without being conscious. The Ego Trap: Overconfidence Kills Awareness It 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. That’s 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 ’s-happening-today game. Yesterday’s win doesn’t guarantee today’s deal. Top sellers stay humble enough to ask: “Did I connect, or just perform?” “Am I guiding, or just trying to sound impressive?” “Does my solution fit their problem, or am I just trying to land a quick deal?” The most crucial part of self-awareness? Checking your mindset—and your overconfidence—before it derails a lucrative deal. Ego says you’ve got it handled. Self-awareness asks if that’s really true. Only one of those gets you to President's Club. The Two Lanes of Emotionally Intelligent Awareness Awareness in sales isn’t just about having “emotional intelligence” and keeping arrogance in check. It’s about two critical lanes: 1. Seller Self-Awareness You must know how your tone, presence, and mindset affect the buyer. That means recognizing when: You’re chasing approval instead of guiding decisions You’re hesitating out of fear of rejection You’re overexplaining because you're insecure You're emotionally reacting instead of staying neutral Top sellers audit themselves for these moments constantly. They ask: "Was I too defensive there?" "Did I listen or just wait to talk?" "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 control—especially when things get tense. 2. Buyer’s State Awareness A self-aware seller is tuned in. They're not just listening to what is said, but why it’s being said, and what isn’t being said at all. Consultative selling is all about sensing, so it’s: Knowing when a buyer’s guard is up Being alert to when they’re overwhelmed Learning when they’re intrigued but afraid to say yes Watching the micro-expressions Noticing the shift in tone The best lead by aligning with the buyer’s state. By understanding the buyer’s motivations, emotional triggers, and decision-making pace, self-aware sellers engage in deal-making, not manipulation. Self-Awareness Might Be New to You So there’s no doubt self-awareness nets meetings and closes deals. But here’s the problem: Most sellers have never been coached to insightfully reflect. They’re trained on scripts, not self-regulation. They’re told to “just make the calls,” but not how to manage the emotions that come with rejection, hesitation, or being ghosted. It’s easy to understand the challenges. Not everyone is naturally wired to be self-reflective. Many think confidence means speaking first, talking fast, and sounding “impressive.” But what buyers respond to—what makes real deals happen—is slowing down, paying attention, and showing up with awareness instead of ego. Want to change? Practice more, seek more feedback, and become coachable. Spend time reflecting on past sales and buyer needs. Most importantly, listen—to buyers, mentors, and yourself. How to Build Awareness (Because It’s Not Optional Anymore) If you want to become more self-aware in sales, start with these actionable items: Record Your Calls – Listen back not to critique performance, but to observe how you show up. Were you tense? Rushed? Defensive? Detached? Ask for Feedback Often – From your coach, your peers, even your buyers. How do people feel when they interact with you? Track Emotional Triggers – What rattles you in a sales conversation? Is it a certain objection? A tone of voice? A personality type? Practice Presence – Before each call, take 60 seconds to breathe and ground yourself. Think: Where are my feet? What am I doing right now? How can I be more present for my buyer? Rainmakers are Masters of Self The best sellers aren’t just good at tactics. They’re masters of self. They can read the room, check their own ego, and adapt in real time, because they’re paying attention to what actually matters. They’re watching their buyer, keying into clues about their mindset, and putting the prospect’s needs first. If you want to become a consultative, trusted advisor—and sell with ethics, excellence, and compassion—start by turning inward. That’s where the real work begins. And the best part? Self-awareness is a skill. That means it’s trainable. It simply demands intention. So look honestly into the mirror and start turning your self-awareness blind spot into an asset. Ready to double-down on your self-awareness and set a goal to become a more consultative seller? Download our FREE Sales Gravy Goal Planning Guide here.

Apr 29

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 Objection As 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 Strategy This 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 Strategy Instead 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 called—to 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 conversation—which 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 Strategy This 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." Then—and this is critical—be 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 engaged—something 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: If they answer quickly and try to end the call, say: "That's exactly why we need to get together. Let me send you a meeting invite for Thursday at 2:00." If they slow down and give you detailed information, you've got them talking. Ask another question and build momentum. The key to this approach is using non-complementary behavior—when they speed up, you slow down. This pattern interrupt makes you stand out from every other salesperson they've encountered. When to use it: This approach works best when you sense the prospect isn't actually as busy as they claim, but is using "I'm in a meeting" as a reflexive defense mechanism. Reading the Situation Matters Regardless of which approach you choose, pay close attention to how they respond to your first question: If they answer slowly and thoughtfully, they likely have more time than they initially claimed If they're genuinely rushing, respect that and pivot to scheduling If they hang up immediately, you've lost nothing—they weren't going to talk anyway The best strategy depends on several factors: Your personal style: Paul has a high-energy, engaging personality that makes the quick pitch approach viable for him. Know your strengths. Your results: As I told Paul, if what you're doing is working, keep doing it. If your show rate for meetings is poor, try a different approach. The prospect's tone: Listen carefully to how they say "I'm in a meeting." Sometimes their tone will tell you which approach is most likely to succeed. Test and measure: Try all three approaches with different prospects and track your results. The data will tell you which method works best for your specific situation. How you handle this moment separates average salespeople from top performers. The best reps have multiple strategies ready and know when to deploy each one. Remember, in sales, objections aren't roadblocks—they're detours that lead to the same destination. Master these three approaches to the "I'm in a meeting" objection, and you'll turn what most salespeople see as a dead end into a pathway to more meetings and more deals. Want more sales tips and strategies for overcoming prospecting objections? Download Jeb Blount's FREE Objections Book Club Guide

Apr 28

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 you’ve shanked your shot into a water hazard. You Become What You Think In golf and in sales, you cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought. Self-talk is crazy powerful. You become what you think. When you expect to win, you’ll 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 you’ll consistently out perform those who don’t. 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. Beware of Stinking Thinking Stinking 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. It’s every “Nobody answers the phone anymore,” “No one’s buying in this economy,” or “I’m just not cut out for sales.”line you feed yourself. It’s catastrophizing. It’s victim-talk. Imagine the impact on your mindset when your internal conversation is constantly filled with negativity. It’s the mental equivalent of leaving a half-eaten tuna sandwich in your backpack for a week—eventually the smell becomes unbearable. Mindset drives attitude, attitude drives behavior, and behavior drives outcomes. When stinking thinking settles in: Your Reticular Activating System—the brain’s spam filter—starts looking for evidence you’re 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 “maybe” sounds like a “no,” every objection feels personal, and every tiny setback reinforces the lie that you’re stuck. Left unchecked, that negative monologue becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Your pipeline shrinks, numbers dip, confidence tanks, and pretty soon you’re blaming the market instead of owning the mirror. Thoughts are Just Choices The 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. What you must never forget is that momentum follows mindset, not the other way around. Manage your self-talk and the results follow suit. 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: “What can I control right now?” Focus on that. Knowing vs Doing Now, here’s the rub, everybody knows self-talk matters. Socrates hammered on it. Marcus Aurelius journaled about it. Your grandmother probably told you to “stop being so negative.” The concept of mental discipline isn’t new, it’s 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, “I’ll never hit quota in this economy.” Knowledge without application is just trivia. So flip the switch from knowing to doing. The instant a negative phrase spins in your head—“This deal is DOA,” “The client hates our price,” “I’m terrible at cold calls”—pause and label it: stinking thinking. Then replace that rotten thinking with a power statement tied to action. “I’m terrible with cold calls.” becomes “Each dial sharpens my skills and makes me stronger.” Be ruthless about this exercise. Set an hourly chime on your phone if you have to. Negative thoughts are squatters; the longer they occupy space, the harder they are to evict. Kick them out in real time and your attitude will gain altitude. The Trouble With Doom Scrolling One of the challenges you face in today’s environment is that you’re under a constant barrage of negativity from external forces on social media, in your news feed, on coming through the speakers of your car. When you are reading, watching, listening to, and scrolling through negativity it will shape your mindset and self-talk Attention is currency. News organizations and social media platforms make money by selling your attention to advertisers. They know that the easiest way to grab your attention is with bad news. Their entire apparatus is set up to take advantage of the way your brain works. In the mornings you wake up and, like a moth to a flame, you are drawn to your phone. You roll over and open your news app or social media app. Instantly you are immersed in negativity. As you watch news, scroll through your news apps, and follow the chatter on social media you feel panic and fear. Your mind turns to the worst-case scenarios. Rather than focusing on what you can control, you dwell on doom and gloom. Perhaps the most depressing aspect of modern society is the news. Disaster is always the story of the day. As they say: “If it bleeds it leads.” Spending an hour watching a cable news channel or scrolling through a social media feed will leave you in need of an antidepressant and a therapist. And the more you watch, the more addictive it becomes. So stop. Turn it off. Put your phone down. Right now. Putting an end to this destructive and negative input will have an immediate, positive impact on your attitude. You will feel better and your belief system will strengthen. 8 Ways to Improve Your Mindset Right Now Focus on what you can control. Here are eight things you can do right now to mind your mindset. Block at least 15 minutes on your calendar every day for professional reading. Listen to an audiobook while you take a walk or exercise. Take an online course on Sales Gravy University. Listen to motivational and professional podcasts. Podcasts are free and the content is amazing. Spend 10 minutes each day in silence for spiritual contemplation or prayer. Get focused and anchor your mindset. Exercise a minimum of 30 minutes every day. It doesn’t matter what you do. Just get up, get moving, and break a sweat. Eat a well-balanced diet and never skip breakfast. Go to bed early and get enough sleep. Posture is a Shortcut to Mindset One of the fastest attitude-adjustment hacks on the planet sits right on top of your spine. Stand up and roll those shoulders back. Plant your feet like you own the ground beneath them. Lift your chin so your eyes are on the horizon, not the floor. Do that and—bang—your biochemistry follows orders. Cortisol (the stress hormone) drops, testosterone edges up, and your brain gets a fresh hit of confidence. Harvard research calls it “power posing.” I call it common sense. You can’t slouch like a question mark and expect to sell like an exclamation point. The next time you’re about to dial a prospect, step out from behind the desk, stand tall, and smile so wide you can feel it in your ears. Your voice will warm up, your pace will steady, and the person on the other end will hear a pro who believes in their own value. Same thing before a big presentation or a tough negotiation—straighten up, breathe from the diaphragm, and let your body tell your mind, “We’ve got this.” Your prospects will feel the difference, and so will you. Misery Wants You to Join the Team It's also crucial that you understand that misery loves company, and it desperately wants you to join the team. Picture a lone crabber easing across the bay at dawn. He hauls up a wire trap, shakes the catch into a five-gallon bucket, and keeps working his line. Before long, one ambitious crustacean decides he’s not sticking around for the boiling pot. Claw over claw, he inches up the plastic wall—almost free. But every time he reaches the rim, the other crabs latch on and drag him back to the bottom. No escape. No hope. Everyone loses. These days there is plenty of misery to go around. Miserable people whine about the economy, inflation, prospects, customers, too-few leads, and that no one is buying. They complain about the company, the commission plan, and the boss. Negative, miserable people grab you with their claws and pull you down into the bucket with them. Pretty soon the words coming out of your mouth are negative too. You’ll start to believe that you are stuck in that bucket and there is no way out. You’ll begin to feel contempt for your company, customers, and boss. Proximity is Power You and your mindset are a composite of the people you spend the most time with. Hang out with people who have a negative mindset, and they’ll destroy yours. Start by excusing yourself from negative conversations. Just walk away. Seek out people who build you up rather than tear you down. Connect with people who see opportunity in adversity. Stick close to peers who bang out their call blocks every morning, the ones that consistently hit their number, the rainmakers who accept no excuses and believe that they alone control their destiny. Their pace becomes your pace. Their standards become your standards. Your mindset will quickly shift from impossible to possible. Mindset and momentum have a tendency to rub off. Remember,

Apr 24

Let’s kill the myth: sales coaching isn’t just for newbies or underperformers. It’s for closers, leaders, and the ones who want more—more pipeline, more wins, more control over their career. If you're in sales, you need coaching. Period. This isn’t 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=HCOY793fA5E 1. The Desperate: The Bottom 20% You know who you are. You’re missing quota—again. Every call feels heavier, your confidence is tanking, and you’re out of answers. Here’s the truth: you don’t need more time—you 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 who’s done it before and won’t let you off the hook. Find yourself a coach—do it now—before the hole you’ve dug gets any deeper. 2. The Mediocre Middle You’re not bottom of the pack, but you’re not standing out either. You’re just … 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 stuck—not because they don’t care, but because they don’t change. Coaching breaks the cycle of complacency. It’s the flashlight in the dark that shows you exactly what’s holding you back. Weak discovery? Inconsistent follow-ups? Soft closes? You don’t need a miracle. You need fresh eyes and someone who pushes you past the edge of “fine.” Seek out a coach who’s been there and knows how to break through the ceiling you’re trapped under. 3. The Ultra High Performer You’re already top tier. You’ve pushed your way into the 5%. President’s Club. You’ve 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 don’t rest on wins—they 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 I’ve 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. They’re 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 Solopreneur You’re running a business, selling the service, delivering the product, and following up with the clients. You’re building the plane mid-air. But let’s be real—most solopreneurs need some help to truly master sales. With your passion, you’re the best sales rep for your product you’ll ever have—but right now, you’re winging it. “Coaching helps you build a real sales process—consistent outreach, confident pricing, and predictable revenue. You can’t 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, you’ve got to start selling like a pro—not an amateur. Go land a coach who’s as committed to making you a top-tier sales rep as you are to your business. 5. The Sales Leader You coach your team, run the numbers, and lead the meetings. You’re trying to hit your own number while calling all the plays. So who’s coaching you? Sales leaders need a different kind of pressure. A coach helps you rise above the daily chaos and lead with vision. They help you recognize your blind spots, develop your people faster, and build a culture where coaching is the norm, not a rescue mission. If you're not growing, your team won't grow. If you're not learning, they're not learning. You can’t preach growth if you’re not showing it—and that includes being coachable. You want your reps to invest in themselves? Start by investing in yourself first. Sales Coaching is Absolutely Necessary If you're in sales and you're not getting coached, you're leaving deals, dollars, and development on the table. Coaching is the edge that keeps you ahead—not the crutch you reach for when you're behind. It builds skill, confidence, and the consistency that separates the average from the elite. If you're still thinking, "Do I really need coaching?"—you’re already answering your own question. You don’t need to wait until you’re struggling. You need to decide you’re worth it—because staying the same is the most expensive decision you can make. Ready to stop winging it and start winning it? Get a coach. Get serious. Download our FREE How to Find the Right Coach guide.

Apr 23

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 day—starting 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 work—right now. Focus on Activity Count, Not Time Blocks If 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 what—but 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, “How do I find two uninterrupted hours?” ask, “How many outbound touches do I need to hit my pipeline goal?” Reverse-engineer your math. If 30 dials typically create two meetings—and two meetings a day keep your funnel fat—commit to 30 dials, period. Activity over chronology. Whether you burn those calls in one block or in six five-minute bursts between site visits doesn’t 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 Reps Here'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 you’re juggling mud, invoices, and traffic. Use the gaps: Those small windows between appointments are prospecting gold. Five minutes here, ten minutes there—use 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 Kit Salesforce is great—when 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 contact—no 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 day’s 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. Prospect in the Micro-Moments I built my career on a simple principle: five dials fit in five minutes. Waiting for the site supervisor? Dial. Stuck at a railroad crossing? Dial. Early for lunch with a GC? Dial. If you rinse and repeat ten times a day, that’s 50 dials—without ever blocking a formal hour. Your smartphone is a Swiss Army knife; flip out the prospecting blade at every lull. Respect the Platinum Hours—But Redefine Them Kyle also asked about "platinum hours" for prospecting in the construction world. This is where understanding your market's rhythm becomes crucial. Kyle noted that contractors and builders are easier to reach in the morning, while homeowners are more accessible in the afternoon. This creates a "sandwich" with potentially lighter activity in the middle of the day. This midday lull is your opportunity. Use this time to build lists, handle admin work, and prepare proposals. Unlike the evening when you're exhausted from a full day in the field, these midday hours could be your most productive for planning and organizing your prospecting efforts. Another strategy: dedicate time on Sunday evenings to build your entire week's prospecting list. Create a master list of 100 names and work through it all week, making adjustments as needed when new leads come in. Creating a Predictable Pipeline Consistent prospecting—even in small chunks—creates a predictable pipeline. For field reps, this approach is actually more sustainable than trying to force traditional time blocks into an already chaotic schedule. When you hit your daily outbound touch goal consistently, you create a steady stream of new opportunities flowing into your pipeline. This prevents the feast-or-famine cycle that plagues so many field sales professionals. Remember, it's not about how much time you spend prospecting—it's about how many quality touches you make each day. Set your number, stick to it religiously, and watch your pipeline grow. Prospect the Way Your Territory Demands Kyle’s biggest burden wasn’t time—it was guilt. He felt like a prospecting slacker because he wasn’t doing textbook blocks. Let me settle it: If your role is to be on-site talking to buyers, that is high-value selling time. The goal of prospecting is pipeline, not calendar purity. Flexible, numbers-driven activity beats rigid, time-driven blocks every day of the week. Give yourself permission to sell the way your territory demands. Outside sales is messy, chaotic, and wildly fun. You’ll spill coffee on contracts, burn through playlists, and hunt for cell service in cornfields—but none of that excuses an empty pipeline. If you're like Kyle—constantly on the move but committed to growth—focus on activity goals rather than time blocks. Your truck becomes your prospecting command center, and those small gaps in your day become opportunities to move your business forward. Keep hustling. Keep prospecting. And at the end of the day, when it is time to go home, always make one more call. Want to set more appointments from the road? Download our FREE guide 25 Ways to Ask For the Appointment on a Cold Call

Apr 21

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. It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t clean. It was gritty, emotional, and one of the most unforgettable moments in sports history. Rory stepped onto the first tee looking calm, focused. Like a man who’d 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 Doesn’t Break You—It Reveals You That double bogey on the first hole could’ve crushed him. It has crushed players before. It’s 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 don’t get to run from it. You fail to the level of your habits, your mindset, and your preparation. What shows up when you’re squeezed is your true game. Lesson #2: Respect the Long Game Rory didn’t panic; he recalibrated. He birdied 3, then 4. No showboating. No hero shots. Just control. He played tight through the front 9. His game wasn’t flashy—just steady. He didn’t chase. He didn’t press. Rory played smart. He trusted the process and took what the course gave him. He didn’t win with a miracle chip. He won with patience. Tempo. Smart decisions. He trusted the process. That’s how deals close. That’s how pipeline builds. You qualify. You follow up. You show up again. And you earn the right to close when the buyer’s ready—not when you’re desperate to sell. Trust the process, be consistent, and believe in your system. Lesson #3: How You Lose Matters More Than How You Win But the Augusta National did what the Augusta National always does—it 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. Rae’s Creek was, again, waiting on 13—and 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 Masters’ 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 hill—one 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-under—tied with Justin Rose, who was charging from behind with a 66 and had the crowd buzzing. 18 was Rory’s 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? But Rory didn’t 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 doesn’t go your way. They remember how you lose. That memory could be the reason they give you another shot later. Lesson #4: The Loudest Cheers Come From the Longest Roads Playoff. 18, Holly. One more time. Rose struck first—a solid approach to 10 feet. Then Rory stepped up—and he flushed it. The ball hit the backstop behind the pin, checked, and rolled to four feet. And then he made the putt! Years of pressure came off his shoulders. Sure he had won, but in that second, it felt like we all had won. After fifteen tries, finally, Rory McIlroy was wearing the Green Jacket. Not gifted—earned. The patrons at the Augusta National erupted. They weren't just cheering a shot. They were releasing years of tension, releasing heartbreak, waiting and what-ifs. They’d been on this ride with him. If you want that kind of response in sales—loyalty, referrals, reputation—you have to let people see your journey. Let them see the hard stuff: the missed quotas, the tough quarters, the grind, and they way you pick yourself up and dust yourself off when you lose. Then, when you finally win, they’ll cheer. Lesson #5: Legacy is Earned Over Time Rory didn’t become great on Sunday. He became great over years of showing up—through doubt, defeat, and disappointment. Sunday was just the moment that made it official. In sales, legacy isn’t built on one quarter. It’s built on how you carry yourself through a hundred difficult conversations. It’s built on follow-ups, follow-through, late nights, and early mornings. Lean into grind and do the work. And when your moment comes it won’t feel like luck. It’ll feel like validation. Final Thoughts I saw Rory win The Masters. But what I really saw was what greatness looks like when it refuses to quit. You just have to keep showing up. Now go take your swing. And remember, when you’ve been taking punches all day. When you’re tired, worn out and ready to pack it in. Pick yourself up and will yourself to make one more call, because that’s how champions win. Every dream needs a plan. Get yours started on the right path with our FREE Goal Planning Guide.

Apr 17

You crushed your quota. Commission check hits the account. Your first instinct? Celebrate! You earned it, right? Not quite. You’ve earned a reward, sure. But if every check disappears faster than a cold call prospect can hang up the phone, then you’re just renting a lifestyle. Here’s the truth: Top sales pros don’t just sell like professionals—they manage their money like professionals. They know the high of a commission check can’t replace long-term financial freedom. I’ve got the financial low-down. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Da7U2PviPI 1. Don’t Spend It All in One Place—Or All at Once When a big check hits, it’s tempting to splurge. New watch. Fancy dinner. Extra drinks on you. But here’s the catch: commission highs come and go. Quarters fluctuate. Markets shift. Now more than ever, you can’t 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 broke—even during dry spells. 2. Build the "Oh Crap" Fund Sales 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 isn’t optional—it’s survival. Ideally, you want 3–6 months of living expenses saved in a separate account, untouched unless it’s a true money emergency. Having this cushion keeps you from making desperate decisions when things get tight—and keeps your mind clear to prospect fanatically. 3. Debt Doesn’t Care About Your Commission Credit 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 it’s easy to think, “I’ll just pay it off with my next check.” Then 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 can’t afford to pay for it all now. You can’t afford it, period. Freedom means having money that belongs to you—not a credit card company. 4. Your Future Self is Counting on You It’s easy to feel invincible when you’re 25, 30, 35—closing deals, stacking checks. But time moves fast. And if you don’t start investing for the long haul, future-you will be making cold calls at 70. Start with your 401(k) if your company offers one—especially if there’s a match (that’s 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, Don’t Wing It You wouldn’t 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 Freedom This isn’t about deprivation. It’s about choice. When your money’s 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 aren’t. The people who stay rich? They play the long game. Protect the Bank Account You already know how to grind. You already know how to win. Now it’s time to build a life where that effort creates lasting freedom—not just fleeting dopamine hits. Take control of your finances like you take control of your pipeline. Don’t just close deals—build wealth. Make your financial goals part of your sales goals. If you don't know where to start, download our FREE Goal Planning Guide!

Apr 16

Ross from Houston faces a common challenge in channel sales: how do you create brand preference for your product when you’re 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 don’t sell direct—meaning they rely heavily on distributors, contractors, and engineers to choose their brand over cheaper alternatives. Below, you’ll find key insights on how to drive more “pull-through” sales to your channel partners and convince every stakeholder—from designers to installers—to pick your product. Why Pull-Through in Channel Sales Matters When 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 brand—making your distributor the middleman who fulfills the preference you created. Educate & Collaborate With Specifiers Ross’ 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 “baked in” early, that’s 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 distributor’s line card. Key Steps: Educate engineers on the deeper value and functionality of your product, so they’ll insist on it in their specs. Collaborate with contractors. Even if they’re not the final decision-maker, they can heavily influence whether your premium line or a cheaper knockoff is chosen. Brand Preference vs. Price Objections The toughest hurdle for a premium brand is the classic price objection. If the competitor’s 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 Ownership—that 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 price—especially useful if the distributor’s rep isn’t fully equipped to present your value. Dealing with the Distributor as a Gatekeeper You can do all the contractor or engineer training you want, but if the distributor’s inside salesperson steers a buyer to a cheaper product, you still lose. That’s why building the distributor relationship is non-negotiable. Action Items: Train the Distributor’s Sales Reps. Show them exactly how to pitch your brand’s 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 Strategic One pitfall in channel sales is that your rep can become just a “help desk” for the distributor—always 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, they also need time to create demand among engineers, contractors, and end users. If their entire day is spent resolving small issues, they’ll miss bigger opportunities. Combine Marketing and Sales Efforts To truly differentiate your product, marketing must work hand-in-hand with sales. You need targeted content—white papers, case studies, videos, ROI calculators—that highlight your product's unique benefits. Ensure your sellers share these assets during lunch-and-learns, in prospecting emails, or at trade shows. Possible Tactics: Webinars. Showcase how your product solves real problems more effectively than DIY or cheaper alternatives. Distributor Portal. Provide easily accessible resources (FAQ sheets, training modules) that help the distributor’s reps pitch your product with confidence. Customer Spotlight Videos. Interview customers who switched from cheaper knockoffs to your premium brand—and never looked back. Putting It All Together Ultimately, it’s about controlling the narrative and making sure every stakeholder sees the bigger picture. You’ve got to hammer home: “Sure, there’s a cheaper widget over there. But ours wins on performance and total cost of ownership.” If you can get that message across in channel sales early—before anyone starts price shopping—then you’ll have a far easier time at the final point of sale. Building pull-through demand in a channel sales environment requires a multi-pronged approach. You must: Educate so your product is specified from the start. Convince users that your brand is worth the investment and eliminates future headaches. Equip distributors with simple, persuasive messaging that helps them advocate for you over the competition. Demonstrate unwavering support and expertise whenever they need it. When done right, this synergy creates a ripple effect. Engineers specify your line, contractors request it by name, and distributors become your ambassadors. Follow this playbook consistently, and watch how quickly “we’ll consider your product” turns into “that’s the only product we’ll consider.” If you're facing a sales or leadership problem and have a question for me, head over to to salesgravy.com/ask and we'll get you on the show.

Apr 14

There is a big challenge in today’s marketplace that’s popping up left and right for sales professionals—Decision Deferment Objections. If you’re running into stakeholders who say, “Let’s just hold off a bit,” “We need more time,” or “We want to wait until the market settles,” 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 Fear The market is swinging like a pendulum on steroids, and it’s making everyone skittish. You’ve 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 “Turmoil!” They panic. So they defer decisions, walk away from deals, or play the “wait and see” game. Decision deferment objections are a natural consequence of fear. People want to avoid making the wrong move. It’s easier to hit the pause button than to commit to something they’re not 100% sure about. That fear, in many ways, is irrational. But it’s 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 Decisions In 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, “We’ll need a little more time to think about it,” or “We need to run the numbers again,” or “Let me talk to my boss.” If you haven’t uncovered real fears, addressed them, and methodically advanced the deal, you’ll hit a wall of deferment decision objections at maximum force. That’s why I often sound like a broken record—but 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 empathy Closing Is Not a Single Moment in Time A lot of sales reps treat the close as one magic moment—like 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 “yes.” When 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 advancing—because if you let the ball drop even once, you’ll give your stakeholders an opening to stall or back out with objections like “We going to hold off,” or “We’re just going to stick with what we have until the economy gets better.” Tough Objections? Check Your Upstream Sales Process For 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 upfront—Are 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 you’re dealing with real decision makers—If you’re stuck with “influencers” who keep punting it up the chain, guess what? You’re in for a bumpy ride. Surface concerns early—If you wait until the end to discover that your buyer has major financial fears, you’ve already lost. Get the Truth on the Table Early That brings us to one of the most important sales tactics in uncertain times like these. It is absolutely crucial that you get buyer worries, fears, and potential objections out in the open and on the table as soon as possible. That means you need deeper discovery and the courage to ask tough questions like: "What are you most afraid of?" “How do you see the current market volatility impacting your decisions?” “What’s your biggest concern about moving forward right now?” “If you don’t address this problem soon, what do you think might happen?” It takes confidence and tact to get your stakeholders talking openly about concerns—and yes, you’ll risk hearing truths that might scare you or them. But the alternative is to bury your head in the sand and get blindsided at the last minute when they say, “We’re gonna wait till next quarter.” The Emotional Barrier: Fear of Conflict and Rejection Asking the hard questions is where many reps falter. Let’s be honest: nobody likes conflict. And direct questions can feel confrontational. We worry, “What if they shut me down or I push them away?” So we back off, we tiptoe around real issues, we avoid pressing them on timelines or next steps. That might keep the conversation calm, but it sets you up for a big heartbreak later. The biggest agony in sales is pouring time, energy, and emotion into a deal—only to lose it at the finish line when a stakeholder reveals an objection that, had you known about it weeks ago, you could have handled. This is why you must push through your own discomfort and bring hidden fears to the surface early. It’s infinitely less painful to deal with them upfront than to discover them at the worst possible moment. Deal With Sales Objections Head On There’s a quote I love from philosopher Julian Baggini: “If you believe you are right, then you should believe that you can make the case that you’re right. This requires you to deal with serious objections properly.” I can’t think of a better summary of what it takes to handle decision deferment objections. If you truly believe your offering is the best path forward, it’s your duty to address your buyer’s fears, hesitations, and perceived alternatives. You’ve got to want them to put every worry on the table so you can tackle it head-on. Sure, you’ll get your nose bloodied sometimes. But if you’re truly confident in your solution, you’ll find a way to show your buyer why moving forward makes sense—even in choppy waters. Common Decision Deferment Objections Most of the objections you’ll face during times of uncertainty are decision deferment objections like: “Give us a few days to consider your proposal.” “We’d like to run this by the entire team before we commit.” “We’re going to hold off for a month and see what happens with the economy.” “We want to compare a few other vendors before making a decision.” “We’re just not ready to make a long-term commitment right now.” “We decided to give our current vendor one last chance.” The reality is that they are afraid so they’re stalling. They’re not saying “no” outright; they’re saying “maybe,” “later,” or “we’ll see.” And that’s the tricky part. Because “maybe” can feel like a small open door, but it’s actually a massive speed bump that can drag your deal out indefinitely if you accept it and walk away. 5 Steps to Overcome Decision Deferment Objections That's why when buyers hit you with decision deferment objections, you need a systematic approach to help them break through their fear. Use this five-step framework: Relate Start with empathy. This isn’t about agreeing with their reasons, but acknowledging them as a human. “I get where you’re coming from, and it’s smart to be cautious.” That’s it. No discounting their worry, no jumping into a debate. Just letting them know you’re listening. Why? Because they’re braced for you to argue or push. By empathizing, you lower their guard and show you’re on their side. It also buys you a moment to compose yourself and think strategically before responding. Isolate You want to make sure there aren’t multiple hidden objections. If they say, “Let us think about it,” is that the only issue, or are they also worried about budget, timelines, or a preference for a competitor? Gently probe: “Aside from needing more time, is there anything else holding you back?” The last thing you want is to solve one problem only to be ambushed by a bigger one later. Clarify Never assume you know exactly what they mean. Always take a moment to clarify their objection. When they say: “We need to run the numbers.” Maybe they really do need a cost breakdown, maybe they doubt the ROI, or maybe they’re afraid of something else. Ask open-ended questions: “When you say you need to review the math, how do you mean?” Good clarifying questions unearth the real meaning behind the words. Minimize Now that you know the real deal, you want to minimize their fear by reconnecting them to their desired outcomes. Remind them of the pains they wanted solved, the benefits they hoped to gain, and how your solution addresses that. Show them the math if needed, demonstrate ROI, and paint the brighter future. By focusing on what they stand to gain—and the cost of doing nothing—you shrink the size of their fear while maximizing the benefit of moving forward. Ask Finally, ask again. Your buyer won’t do the job for you. The key is asking with relaxed, assertive confidence because your confidence gives them confidence to push past their fear and make the right decision. Buyers are Jumpy, Be Ready For It Look, times are unstable. Buyers are jumpy. They’d rather punt than make a risky call. But you’re a sales professional,

Apr 10

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 isn’t won with hacks. It’s won with habits. And the habits that win are the ones most reps abandon the minute things get uncomfortable or boring. If you’re not hitting your number, it’s probably not because you need better leads, better tech, or better timing. It’s because you’ve drifted from the basics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omnoVAopK8U The Fancy Stuff Is Failing You We see it all the time—salespeople hiding behind automation tools, social selling gimmicks, and relationship-building fluff. They talk a big game on Zoom, but when it’s time to dial the phone or ask for the sale, they freeze like a deer in headlights. Let’s call this what it is: avoidance. You’re avoiding real sales conversations because they’re uncomfortable. You’re hoping your sequence will “nurture” your prospect into buying without you having to actually sell. But automation doesn’t 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 progress—but they don’t get the contract signed. Top producers know: The tools support the basics. They don’t replace them. What Actually Wins: The Fundamentals If 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 Calls Cold calls. Warm calls. Follow-up calls. Call blocks. Whatever the flavor, the phone remains your fastest path to building pipeline. And yet it’s the most avoided. Most reps send five emails and give up. Not top performers. They make the call. Because conversations close deals—period. 2. Discovery Questions Stop 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 don’t earn trust by explaining. You earn it by understanding. 3. Objection Handling If objections scare you, it’s because you don’t practice. It's because you haven't made a habit of practicing. Objections aren’t stop signs—they’re buying signals. But if you’re caught off guard every time someone says, “I need to think about it,” you’re not preparing. You’re winging it. And amateurs who wing it get smoked. 4. Follow-Up Here’s 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. “I don’t want to bother them.” Bother them? You’re solving a problem they can’t fix alone. Follow up until they buy or you find them a better solution. 5. Asking for the Sale Most reps are afraid to ask. Why? Because they’re afraid of hearing no. But here’s the thing: no is part of the process. If you’re not hearing no, you’re not asking enough. You’re a consultant. You’re a closer. Your job isn’t to make the prospect feel warm and fuzzy—it’s to guide them to a decision. And that means asking with courage and confidence. Why Reps Quit the Basics Three big reasons: Ego. “I’ve been selling for years—I don’t need to practice this stuff.” Wrong. The minute you think you’re 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 aren’t sexy. They’re repetitive. They take discipline. So most reps quit—and that’s why most reps are average. Want to stand out? Don’t be like most reps. Go Pro or Go Home Top athletes don’t get bored of running drills. They know repetition sharpens instinct. They know that under pressure, you don’t rise to the occasion—you fall to your level of training. Same with sales. You don’t magically handle objections—you drill them. You don’t get confident on the phone—you rehearse. You don’t close deals consistently—you follow a process that’s been forged by reps, failure, and grit. Pros don’t “kind of” practice. They live in the fundamentals. Over and over. Because muscle memory wins when pressure hits. If you want to be great in sales, stop trying to be creative. Start being consistent. Back to Basics, Back to Winning Let’s be real—if your pipeline’s dry, your quota’s slipping, or you feel like you're spinning your wheels, the answer isn’t out there. It’s in your calendar. It’s in your call blocks. Your follow-ups. Your prospecting power hours. Those script reps. The boring, brutal, beautiful habits that build champions. Because when you do the basics better than anyone else, you don’t have to be flashy. You just win. Here’s your challenge: What habits have you been avoiding lately? Make it your priority today. Practice it. Drill it. Master it. Because sales success isn’t about finding something new. It’s about doing what works—relentlessly.

Apr 8

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 “done the research” and question what value he can bring. In this Ask Jeb episode we break down what true consultative selling entails, how to detach from “always be closing,” and why being a genuine expert is more vital now than ever. From Information Scarcity to Information Overload Not 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 “figure it out.” This can leave a buyer believing, “I know just as much as you—so why should I trust your approach?” That’s where consultative selling comes in, but only if you do it right. Consultative selling isn’t about showing off your expertise. It’s about guiding the customer to understand the real nature of their problem—often one they didn’t fully realize or that’s more complex than they initially thought. What True Consultative Selling Looks Like Consultants by definition don’t barge in declaring, “Here’s the solution.” They start by asking informed, open-ended questions and listening for patterns. They bring a sense of curiosity—an acknowledgment that they can’t help until they deeply understand the client’s 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 Outcome When you’re obsessed with “the close,” you risk pushing your own agenda rather than uncovering the client’s real challenges. Buyers can smell desperation a mile away. Detachment works with consultative selling because: It builds trust. You’re not rushing to pitch; you’re learning and diagnosing first. It reveals the real issues. Prospects open up more when they sense you’re genuinely trying to see if you can help, not just bulldoze them into a sale. It prevents the “sleazy” vibe. Instead of coming off like yet another sales rep bragging about your knowledge, you show you’re a collaborator ready to craft a solution if—and only if—it fits. Being the Expert Without Acting Like a Know-It-All In today’s age of surplus information, it isn’t enough just to learn a skill once. You have to remain curious and update your knowledge constantly. That’s especially true in fields like digital marketing, sales tech, or AI—areas 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 Industries In 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 prospect’s specific context. Don’t lump them into one-size-fits-all solutions. Acknowledge the client’s prior experiences. They may have been burned by poor service or overhyped promises. Show empathy for their concerns. Offer to walk away if it’s not the right fit. This willingness to say “no” boosts your authenticity tenfold. When They Already “Know It All” If a buyer has read every blog post or watched every video, your role isn’t to arm-wrestle over knowledge. Instead, demonstrate the value of personalized guidance that no quick Google search can replicate. AI-driven search might be the buzz, but how does that apply to a real, live company’s marketing funnel? That’s where your on-the-ground insight matters. If you’ve tracked trends across dozens of client accounts, you can spot patterns or pitfalls a do-it-yourselfer misses. The Full Pipeline Advantage None of this is easy if your pipeline is empty. Desperation kills consultative selling because you can’t afford to walk away from a deal that isn’t a good match. That’s all the more reason to stay on top of your prospecting game—so you can approach each interaction with calm, genuine curiosity. Key Takeaways Stop trying to prove you’re the expert. Prove you’re the right person to uncover their unique issues. Detach from the outcome. Your job is to see if you can help, not to force a close at any cost. Ask better questions. Use your ongoing research and pattern recognition to frame questions that reveal real pain points. Stay curious. The information age isn’t slowing down, so never settle for “I’m already up to speed.” Aim for trust, not just data. Even if a prospect has all the facts, they still need someone to interpret and guide them effectively. Consultative selling in an information-saturated world requires humility, expertise, and the courage to say, “Maybe this isn’t right for you.” Yet when it does match, the value you provide extends far beyond what any self-guided research can deliver. If you’re ready to transform how you engage clients, let consultative selling lead the way—stepping in with curiosity, listening intently, and building solutions that align with real problems. Got a question or challenge for me? Head over to salesgravy.com/ask to share what’s on your mind. We might feature your question next and help you refine your approach to sales—consultative or otherwise.

Apr 6

We are coming off of a week that can only be described as a stock market bloodbath—amping up uncertainty and making selling even harder. 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. Uncertainty and a Stream of Bad News In 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. 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 nothing–making no decision–is often the emotionally safe choice, even when staying put is illogical. In Uncertainty Buyers Start Scrutinizing Your Sales Behaviors In an environment of uncertainty, when buyers feel even the tiniest bit of unease about you, they will not buy from you. This is the human negativity bias: Negative perceptions have a greater impact than positive perceptions when it comes to decision making. 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. Their negative perceptions about you cause distrust. Your good intentions don’t matter because buyers are judging you based on their intentions, not yours. If they don’t trust you, they will not buy from you. You Must Sell Better During Times of Uncertainty To win consistently, during times of uncertainty you must sell better. You need to bring your A-Game into every sales conversation. You must commit to executing the sales process as perfectly and faithfully as humanly possible. No mistakes. No shortcuts. No mediocrity. 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. There is No Sales Easy Button Of course, with the suddenness of this massive economic disruption it is human nature to seek out Jedi mind tricks to make things easier. I’ve got some harsh news for you. There isn’t 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. If that’s not what you wanted to hear, I’m sorry. Money Monday is a no-pander zone. Here you’ll only hear the brutal truth. 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. 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 force–and people will not buy from you. 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. Execute the Sales Process Perfectly Sales outcomes in this environment are predictable based on how you leverage, execute, and advance opportunities through the sales process. When you faithfully execute each step of the sales process, you create certainty for your buyer, lower the risk of moving forward, set yourself apart from competitors and bend win probability in your favor. You will close more deals, make more money, and succeed in this uncertain economic environment. It’s the truth, and it’s a guarantee. Read or Listen to Selling in a Crisis Jon Kabat-Zinn once said, "You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf." What I want you to do right now is read my book Selling in a Crisis. It is available in hardback, kindle, and audio. I wrote and recorded this book to be your companion and help you stay motivated and sell more in moments like this. Selling in a Crisis gives you 55 short, easy to consume lessons that will help you will find the inspiration and confidence to rise above all of this negativity, catch your wave, and take control. Remember that no matter what’s happening in the economy you are always in control of your actions, re-actions, and mindset. After you purchase your book, download the FREE Selling in a Crisis Workbook. It will help you navigate the lessons and put them into action.

Apr 3

All’s fair in love and war—and sales. At the end of the day, what really matters is whether the deal closed or if you were left holding the bag. 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'—the ones that average reps cling to. Top performers don’t 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-bw6wtU Be a Pattern Breaker The greatest don’t 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 won’t 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 week’s Sales Gravy Podcast, “People who are winning are the ones who change the rules and tell people how to think about it.” Now’s the time to shake up your own sales routine and adopt the practices of Ultra High Performers. Fanatically Prospect You don’t have an option—prospect every day, or get left behind. The pipe is life. If you’re not feeding it, you’re starving. Fanatical prospectors don’t just carve out time—they demand it. Every single day. You make calls, period. Distractions? They don’t exist. 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 “rules” are screaming to be broken. There’s 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 it’s easy. Rule breakers don’t do easy—they’re on the phone every day. The best reps value prospecting and know that—even when they’re closing deals—they need to be watching out for tomorrow. Mediocre reps make fewer calls, qualify fewer prospects, and close fewer deals. Don’t be mediocre. Ruthlessly Disqualify; Pursue Those Who Will Buy Never 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 they’re told to ‘always be closing.’ 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. You don’t have time to find out weeks down the road that your prospect wasn’t the decision maker or that there’s 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 buy—don’t squander energy parsing through every single business simply to tell your boss you called everyone. 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 weren’t strictly his target demographic and saved himself thousands of useless calls. Break the norm by cutting deadweight fast. Play the Long Game Mediocre reps make useless calls and let the fear of annoying prospects sabotage their follow up game. Forget the outdated advice about not being ‘too persistent.’ Elite pros break that rule and keep showing up until they hear ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ They bend the rules of social niceties (i.e. don’t annoy your prospect) and keep calling, no matter how long it takes. Xant found that 50% of sales happen after the 5th follow-up, but most reps stop at 2. But it can take 20+ touches to engage a cold prospect. And great reps don’t stop there. While most sales reps give up after a few attempts, rule breakers defy conventional wisdom by relentlessly pursuing prospects, knowing that success often comes after many touches. I once picked up a call from a rep on the 73rd time he called. I admired the persistence. Had he stopped at 72, all he would have gotten was my voicemail and a missed opportunity for my business. The lesson? Don’t let the rules of polite society stand in your way when prospecting or following up. Be the interrupter that you are and keep interrupting until you get in front of or back in front of your lead. Don’t limit yourself to only calling either. Break out your social prospecting skills with LinkedIn connections, comments and notes. Send emails. Send snail mail. Find your way to a conversation—and potentially a deal. Be Willing to Walk Away Prospects can smell your misery. And they won’t respond when you’re overly eager, pushy or driving the deal too fast. Top reps master the ‘takeaway,’ knowing when to make it seem like the deal might no longer be available. It’s about leveraging the fear of loss to make the prospect more eager to move forward. If you approach a deal knowing you’re behind on your quota and lagging at the end of the quarter, you’re doomed because desperation stinks. Sometimes ‘never take no for an answer’ and ‘always be closing’ just won’t work—rule breakers know when to execute the takeaway, forcing the prospect to make a decision and potentially flipping the deal in their favor. Rule breakers won’t push endlessly for a deal with someone who can’t make a decision. They’ll walk away knowing it will force a choice that could land in their favor. Strikeouts Don’t Matter Rule breakers aren’t concerned with closing every deal. Sure, that’s the ideal. But the best reps know that strikeouts don’t matter. You’re going to swing and miss the majority of the time in sales. That’s a fact. The best reps close just 15%-20% of the time. It’s the grand slams that really count. Most reps play it safe, always sticking to small deals and quota-chasing. But rule-breakers hit singles and doubles week in and week out—and go after whales. Winners know not to let a big deal slip by just because it’s hard, going to take extra time, or might not pan out. Elite sales reps know when to go big at the bat. You should, too. Keep swinging until you knock one out of the park. Break the Rules. Win More Deals. Sales isn’t about playing it safe—it’s about playing to win. The best reps break the rules that hold them back and push past the limits of “how it’s always been done.”. They prospect fanatically, refuse to waste time on dead-end leads, and chase big deals without fear of striking out. They don’t let outdated processes or hesitation slow them down. At the end of the day, the scoreboard doesn’t care how well you followed the rules—it only cares about results. So step up, take bold swings, and keep breaking the norms that don’t serve you. There's still time to work on your Q2 goals. Check out our Goal Planning Guide for tips on how to crush your numbers this quarter.

Apr 2

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 Essential Sales is a skill position. Even the best reps lose their edge if they’re 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 climbing—because it provides immediate, personalized feedback when it counts most. From Knowledge Acquisition to Knowledge Application Training is vital for learning new strategies, product details, and selling techniques, but it doesn’t guarantee that anyone will actually use those ideas. That’s 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 soars—along with results. Leading, Managing, and Coaching: The Three Pillars of Leadership Sales 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 can’t afford not to coach. Sales Leadership and Coaching Priorities Leaders 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 weren’t waiting for problems to surface; they intervened early and often, guiding reps through each challenge. Why Simply Showing Up Makes a Difference Leaders 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. They’re more likely to use proven techniques and avoid shortcuts. Even better is when the leader offers coaching in the moment—helping 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 Side One 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 coaching—right next to their people, live—the entire team’s 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 Consultative When 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 immediate feedback helps sellers move beyond rote “scripts” to deeper conversations about the client’s real needs. Over time, that consultative style becomes the team’s default approach. The rep’s confidence grows and the client feels genuinely heard leading to higher win-rates and a better buying experience. That shift can’t be taught in a one-off session; it must be nurtured call after call, meeting after meeting. Effective Sales Coaching is Personalized Ongoing coaching is the lever that prevents skills from slipping and helps each rep adopt best practices in a way that feels authentic. Like a golf pro practicing with a swing coach at the range before a major tournament, a dedicated sales leader who invests in day-to-day coaching can bring out the absolute best in each team member—and transform the entire organization’s culture in the process. Make time for real-time coaching. Recorded reviews are helpful, but nothing beats observing and intervening on the spot. Remember that your physical presence boosts performance. Your reps behave differently just by knowing you’re there to guide and support them. Treat each rep’s challenges as unique. Coaching is a customized process that addresses individual gaps in skill, mindset, or strategy. Embed coaching into your culture with weekly one-on-ones, pipeline reviews, field visits, or inside call monitoring. Whatever your model, consistency is everything. When you, as a leader, close your computer and get away from the dashboards and reports to spend time on the sales floor or out in the field with your people, you’re showing them that you care about them and value their growth as much as you value hitting the numbers. And that belief, investment, and attention, tends to come back around in the form of higher motivation, better relationships, and more wins. Coaching also turns mistakes into momentum. You catch a slip in the moment, you fix it, and—boom—your rep is back on track for the rest of the day. Without coaching, a single bad call or awkward client meeting can spiral into a week of self-doubt. So if there’s one takeaway I hope you’ll remember, it’s this: Your direct presence and real-time feedback are the secret sauce that keeps your sales engine humming, your people engaged, and your culture thriving. If you have a question for me or want help working through a challenge or roadblock head to salesgravy.com/ask

Mar 30

This is a very important Monday because this is the first Monday of the second quarter, and it’s 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 plan Evaluate Your Q1 Performance Against Your Sales Goals Begin with an honest evaluation of your Q1 sales performance. It’s likely that your performance falls into one of three scenarios: You Crushed It – You had a killer quarter, blew away your goals, and you are walking on cloud nine. You Hit Quota – You're on track and right where you are supposed to be against your number You are in trouble – You missed your number, are behind quota, and are feeling the pressure. Incredible Quarter. Crushing It! If You Crushed It, and you’re 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. 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. The most important thing you can do right now is conduct a deep dive analysis of your pipeline. It’s 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. 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. 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. 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. You’ve set the foundation for what could be a massive year and a trip to the President’s 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 isn’t easy to achieve. You’ve executed and done exactly what your company asked you to do. You’ve kept your promise. 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. 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. It’s a good time to reacquaint yourself with the basics and fundamentals that create success in both sales and your industry. 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. I’ve always found that investing in myself and learning gives me a boost of energy and motivation when I need it the most. Bad Quarter, In Trouble If 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 isn’t 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 slips in discipline that added up over the course of the quarter and led to the hole you are in now. And the first rule of holes is when you are in one, stop digging. Take Control of Your Time & Priorities If you are honest with yourself, over the past three months, you haven’t managed your time well or focused on the right priorities. So if you want to survive the predicament you are in, this is exactly where you want to start. Success in sales comes from a relentless focus on putting new opportunities into your pipeline and advancing them through it. Everything else is academic. Sadly, when salespeople get behind the eight ball, it is almost always because they are spending their time on everything else. Therefore, if you want to make a comeback in Q2, you need to sit down with your calendar right now. Start with creating non-negotiable time blocks on your calendar at the beginning and end of the day during which you will dedicate focus to prospecting. Every single day. Then continue blocking time so that every moment of your prime selling time (golden hours) is dedicated to activity that is either adding new deals to your pipeline or moving them through your pipeline. Nothing else matters. Anything else needs to be removed from your calendar or done before or after the golden hours. The process of re-prioritizing your calendar, day, and activities can be very challenging—especially when you are under pressure. If you struggle with this, ask your sales leader for help or seek out a coach. If you don’t have a coach, my coaches are standing by to give you a hand. Just go to SalesGravy.com/coach to schedule a free assessment and consultation. Avoid Shortcutting the Sales Process As you work to pull yourself out of your hole, it is crucial that you avoid taking short cuts and skipping steps in the sales process. When you are under pressure it is natural to want to speed up and get a win. In this emotional state you come off as pushy, pitchy, insecure, and desperate to buyers—rather than relaxed and confident. People don’t buy from desperate salespeople. Therefore, no matter how impatient you feel, slow down and execute each step of the sales process. That’s the real key to improving your win-rate. Love Money Monday? Follow the Money Monday Playlist on Spotify.

Mar 27

Great advice is everywhere, but most of it is fluff. In sales, you don’t need clichés—you need real strategies that help you win more deals. We’ve pulled together five of the biggest game-changing sales tips from the Sales Gravy Podcast so far this year. 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. https://youtu.be/gmf7YzzlPkQ?feature=shared The Grind Gets You Gold You won’t become a sales expert overnight. But you can practice your way to excellence and then—one day—reach elite levels of selling. As sales guru Tony Morris said, “You get out what you put in. … You don’t have to be the greatest; you’ve got to be the hardest [worker].” In 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 different—it’s the result of countless daily reps, not just the big wins. Top performers make it all look fluid—like a dance that should be easy to learn. But it’s not. Developing sales acumen takes time and massive effort, plus dedication to the grind. You have to dedicate time every day to getting better—no 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 will—that’s how you win. Don’t give up before you see results. You Must Learn to Sell Once you’ve 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: “The first thing you need to do is learn to sell.” Because trying to sell without knowing how to sell is an uphill climb that most never finish. Learn to sell, or risk losing everything. It’s an ultimatum that no sales rep can afford to ignore. Even the best subject matter experts fail without sales skills. Take courses and identify a mentor—a seasoned veteran who can provide feedback on your calls and negotiation techniques. Find a personal sales coach to teach you the ropes. Perfect Your Digital Profile Stick to the simple; nix the jargon. As Breaking B2B Founder Sam Dunning says, “Does it pass the Caveman Grunt test?” Given a few seconds, could a caveman successfully grunt what you do based on your website—or your social media presence—alone? If not, you’re in trouble. No one is going to buy from you if they don’t understand what you do or your expertise. A website is the online lobby of a business—the introduction to your service or product for potential digital customers. But take Dunning’s 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. Otherwise? Your social presence is useless. Wasted Time is the Enemy Time is the one commodity that you can’t replenish. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. That’s 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 you’re 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, “Pick a period of time and say ‘We’re going to run call blocks.’ … Be ready with your list and we’re going to chop wood.” Eat the frog—carve out specific time to focus on your hardest task of the day. Pull out your pre-prepared call sheet and run it through without distractions. And always, commit to one more call. Sell Hard—Step On Some Toes KaTom Executive Sales Leader Charley Bible put it best: “If you’re not stepping on each other’s toes occasionally, then y’all aren’t dancing hard enough.” Territory and prospect disputes among sales reps will happen—if you’re doing your job right. Don’t miss out on opportunities by being too much of a stickler for territorial details. Sure, a rep is covering one market, but that shouldn’t stop inbound prospects from connecting with the first salesperson in line. Healthy competition drives performance and prevents complacency. It’s the best way to stay sharp and motivated. If a prospect reaches out, engage immediately rather than worrying about boundaries. Challenge your teammates, but never at the expense of the customer‘s experience. Push harder, be more present, and win the business. Hard Work Pays Off in Deals Success in sales isn’t about luck—it’s about execution. The reps who commit to the grind, sharpen their skills, and stay disciplined will always outperform those who wing it. If you’re not refining your approach, protecting your time, and pushing yourself to improve, someone else will—and they’ll win the deals you should have closed. It’s time to get crystal clear on your messaging, commit to learning (and keep learning), put in the work, and go all in. And of course, keep listening to The Sales Gravy Podcast! The sales game rewards those who play to win. Map out your quarter’s next steps with our FREE Goal Planning Guide

Mar 26

Wes from Flower Mound, Texas, has a familiar challenge: how to attract more qualified B2B leads and convert them before they slip away. He’s 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 Matters There’s 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 Messaging If you expect busy decision-makers to respond, talk about their pain—not your credentials. It’s easier to draw someone in by asking a question they can’t ignore: “Is high turnover costing you millions in lost productivity?” or “Has rapid growth left your culture in shambles?” The goal is to make them nod in agreement before they realize they’re reading a marketing pitch. That’s when they self-select into your funnel and become receptive to a follow-up call. Close the Speed-to-Lead Gap Wes 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 event—act fast, or they’ll move on. Enhance Leads With Thought Leadership Touches Because B2B solutions aren’t often top-of-mind until there’s 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 you’ve 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 Profile Wes 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 companies—size, leadership style, growth trajectory—that consistently need your help. Zero in on those decision-makers who likely hold budget authority, whether that’s a CEO, COO, or line-of-business leader. Aim higher first and multi-thread down later, if needed. Ace the Last Mile It’s one thing to get leads in the door and another to turn them into appointments. That “last mile” is where your marketing spend either pays off or gets wasted. By the time leads get to you, they’re 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 pattern—like pricing concerns—equip your team with a fast, concise way to handle it without sinking the opportunity. Keep Tweaking and Testing Even the most robust strategy will fade if you aren’t iterating. Launch new ad campaigns in short sprints, measure cost per lead, and pivot quickly if the numbers don’t 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 active. Generating better B2B leads means speaking directly to your prospects’ pain, providing a fast path to get help, and ensuring your team engages the moment an opportunity appears. Avoid random broad strokes—focus on the segment where you repeatedly succeed. Combine outbound and inbound activities for maximum coverage. Most importantly, never let leads linger. Speed and empathy on the first call often mean the difference between closing a 90% prospect and watching them vanish. If you have a question for me, head to salesgravy.com/ask and let me know what’s on your mind.

Mar 23

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. His inspirational story matters to us because one of the most critical mental disciplines for sales professionals is resilience. Foreman’s "In the Mud" Moment The 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 Houston’s Fifth Ward, where lunch was often a mayonnaise sandwich. 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. He enrolled in the Job Corps—a federal program that helps disadvantaged youth pick up real life skills—and 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. This type of mindset shift is exactly what resilience is about. Sometimes you’ve got to face the fact that your old excuses, old habits, or old environment aren’t working for you anymore. And when you decide to do something different—really decide—you set the stage for everything else that follows. That stinking mud moment is where you get real about your situation. It’s where you decide that you’ve had enough and realize that the change you are looking for can only be found inside yourself because that’s where resilience comes from. Developing Resilience in the Face of Devastating Defeat Once George got serious about boxing, he rocketed to stardom. He won gold in the 1968 Olympics, then tore through the heavyweight division. In one of his most famous fights, he defeated Joe Frazier in just two rounds, creating the iconic moment when Howard Cosell screams, “Down goes Frazier, down goes Frazier, down goes Frazier!” 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 “Rumble in the Jungle.” Going into the fight, Foreman was the overwhelming favorite. But it was his overconfidence that lulled him into Ali’s 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. 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 isn’t 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? Retreat and Reinvention — The Next Pivot After 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. Following the fight, Foreman collapsed in the locker room suffering from exhaustion and heatstroke. There, in that pivotal moment, after being revived, he became a born-again Christian, and retired from the sport to lead a life as an ordained minister. But sometimes that’s what you need—a chance to heal, refocus, and reconnect with what matters. Resilience doesn’t mean plowing ahead blindly. Sometimes it means taking a step away so you can come back stronger. And that’s exactly what George Foreman did. Resilience and Comebacks Twenty years after losing to Muhammed Ali, Foreman faced a new challenge. His church was struggling to pay its bills and needed money to build a youth center. Broke and needing money, at 38 years old, he announced what would become one of the most stunning comebacks in sports history. He was returning to the ring At his age, he was ancient by boxing standards. People scoffed. Critics laughed, fans were skeptical, but George believed he had another act in him. Success didn’t come right away. He fought 30 comeback fights and lost titles to Evander Holyfield and Tommy Morrison. But in 1994, Michael Moorer accepted a heavyweight championship bout with Foreman, seeing him as a washed up old man he could easily knockout. Ten rounds into the fight, Foreman—who was wearing the same boxing trunks he had worn when losing to Muhammad Ali 20 years earlier—landed a devastating blow to Moorer knocking him out to reclaim the heavyweight crown. Then George sank to his knees in the corner and prayed. He was 46 years old. It was an incredible full-circle moment of triumph and redemption that instantly made him a hero to people everywhere. The “washed-up” old man proved to millions that age is just a number. With hard work, faith, and unwavering perseverance, almost anything is possible. You’re never “too old” or “too washed up.” You can adapt, learn new tools, and surprise the doubters. Young George Foreman relied on aggressiveness and raw power but overconfidence was his kryptonite. The older, wiser George Foreman flipped the script on his younger, overconfident opponents and fought smarter, pacing himself, patiently waiting for the right moment to land the knockout punch. Foreman’s Third Act George Foreman’s three-decade boxing career ended with an incredible record of 76 wins, 5 losses and 68 KOs. But what is most remarkable is that’s not where the story ends. After regaining the heavyweight title at age 46, suddenly, Foreman wasn’t just the champ—he was a beloved celebrity. He then leveraged this newfound love and trust along his trademark smile into something that transcended boxing entirely: the George Foreman grill. A whole generation—many who never saw him throw a single punch—came to know him only for that grill. He was on TV constantly—becoming one of the world’s most recognizable people. He even had a television sit-com. Over 100 million George Foreman Grills have sold worldwide, and it still outsells its competitors today. Foreman personally walked away with over $200 million from the endorsement deal (more than Tiger Woods earned from his deal with Nike). Get Out of the Mud George Foreman was a onetime street kid growing up in poverty who hid in muddy filth to escape the police, a man who suffered humiliating defeats on the world stage, who came back at age 46 to reclaim the heavyweight title, and then became a household icon for healthier cooking and a beloved American hero. George Foreman’s amazing life is a testament to the unstoppable force of resilience. If you’re lying in your own stinking mud, this could be your moment of truth. You might be one big pivot away from your own comeback story. But only you can make the choice to stay facedown in the mud or get up, clean up and jump back into the fight. Always remember that when it’s time to go home, make one more call. That’s how you stay in the fight and that’s how champions are made. Raise your game, unleash your potential, make the pivot to your next big thing with our FREE Goal Planning Guide

Mar 20

Wherever you are in your sales journey, you need a mentor—now. If you’re 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 who’s been through the fire and who can help you avoid costly mistakes. 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% confidence—you can’t afford to miss out. The truth is, the best salespeople aren’t born—they’re built. And behind almost every top closer is a mentor who showed them the ropes. https://youtu.be/QqXHY7ONs_k Mentorship Means a Better You. Period. Let’s imagine you’re new to sales. Or you’ve got some time under your belt. Or maybe you’re 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 it’s really a team effort. When It’s All Going Wrong, You Need Help Take the case of Paul—fresh 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. Paul made call after call, sent countless emails, and chased leads relentlessly. But his close rate was abysmal. He’d get shut down early, lose deals at the negotiation table, and get ghosted by prospects who had initially shown interest. But sales isn’t just about following a script—it’s about reading the room. Timing, tone, objection handling, and reading the prospect’s emotional state. That’s where a mentor comes in. Advice from a Veteran is Key After months of frustration, Paul finally got paired with Mark. Mark was a legend—consistently at the top of the leaderboard, always winning deals that seemed impossible. Mark had also been in the trenches. He’d faced every objection and lost more deals than Paul had even pitched. Mark didn’t give Paul a playbook—he 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. Mark didn’t just give Paul advice. He let him shadow his calls, debrief after tough conversations, and sharpen his approach through roleplay. Within three months, Paul’s close rate skyrocketed. Why? Because Mark showed him what works. Paul didn’t have to figure it out through trial and error—he had a shortcut. Ask for Feedback Positive or negative, feedback makes you a better closer. It cuts down your learning curve and sharpens your edge. There’s constructive criticism: how to fix your call framework, how your because statement falls flat, how your questions didn’t draw out the prospect’s pain. How your buyer wasn’t in the room Then there’s positive feedback—every salesperson’s favorite. What you’re doing right that you can lean into, continue to hone, and repeat. Three Edges a Mentor Gives You Great sales mentors aren’t a dime a dozen. But the guidance they provide is invaluable. Here’s what a mentor gives you: Pattern Recognition: The best mentors will point out where you’re consistently falling short—so you can fix it and move on. Accountability: Mentors keep you on track because they’ll check your progress—and keep you focused on specific goals. When you slip into bad habits, they’ll call you out. Emotional Control: Rejection stinks and it’s hard to get over—especially when you’re new to sales. A mentor helps you separate rejection from self-worth so you can bounce back faster. Master The Game Here’s the reality: You can figure sales out on your own. You can take your lumps, learn from failures, and eventually get better. Or you can bypass the struggle by finding a mentor who’s already walked that path. Having a mentor isn’t just about getting better at sales—it’s about becoming the kind of person who wins consistently. A good mentor won’t just teach you how to close deals; they’ll teach you how to think like a closer. That’s the difference between an average sales career and an elite one. You don’t have to go it alone. Find a mentor. Learn the process. Master the game. Need help finding a mentor? We'll help you develop a personalized mentoring and coaching path that fits you. Set up a free assessment here: https://salesgravy.com/coach/

Mar 19

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 you’ve ever hired a sales class or tried to ramp up new hires in an industry with complex products or strict guidelines, you’ll relate to Gaius’s dilemma. Below, you’ll 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 Curves Gaius plans to hire new property-casualty agents in classes of four, each going through about 3–4 months of training. During that time, they have to learn multiple carriers, underwriting guidelines, and compliance rules so they don’t accidentally write poor-fit policies or lose deals over technicalities. It’s crucial they build confidence before being “thrown to the wolves.” But here’s the catch: If new hires only focus on product and system knowledge for months, their pipeline remains empty. By the time they’re “ready” to sell, they’ll be way behind on prospecting —and 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 Can’t Wait As I shared with Gaius, I’ve seen many companies assume new reps aren’t “ready” to prospect until they’ve absorbed the entire knowledge library. Yet waiting too long to do real sales activities can backfire. Early Wins Boost Confidence If 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 Learning In industries with loads of carriers and underwriting rules, real-life sales scenarios actually teach new reps faster than purely theoretical training. Once they’ve got a potential client on the hook, the rep has motivation to find the answers. Improved Onboarding Speed Companies that mix early pipeline-building with supported team selling often see new hires reach quota faster—sometimes shaving weeks or months off the usual ramp-up. And yes, there’s a risk of missteps. But that’s where a collaborative culture (“sell as a team”) ensures mistakes become teachable moments, not deal-killers. The Team-Selling Approach When new agents don’t have full carrier knowledge, they’ll naturally hit roadblocks. How do you keep them from burning deals (and morale)? Encourage “Hand-Raises” If a new rep snags an interested customer, let them wave the flag: “Hey, I have a lead who needs home and auto coverage. Here’s what they’re telling me. What do I do?” 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 Commissions Make 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, they’ll rely less on help—but they’re still building pipeline from Day One. Hands-On Coaching Each real conversation is a goldmine for coaching. The rep sees how an experienced teammate answers tricky questions, navigates underwriting guidelines, and pivots between carriers. It’s in-the-field training, not just theoretical. Structuring Training + Prospecting Gaius is worried that his new agents need a full 3–4 months before picking up the phone. The short answer is no. They can start small while still in training. Here’s how: A Few Leads a Day Instead 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, but still gives them “real world” prospects. Scheduled “Ask an Expert” Blocks Have daily or weekly times when a senior agent or manager is free for quick consults. The new hire can pop in with, “Client says they recently replaced their roof but not the plumbing—what do I do?” That immediate feedback cements knowledge better than PowerPoint slides ever could. Clear Milestones: Map out 3 months of onboarding with explicit checkboxes: Month 1: Master basic call scripting, do 5 calls/day, practice “hand-off” protocol if a lead is hot. Month 2: Increase calls to 10/day, conduct partial quoting for simpler cases, attend 2 coaching sessions/week. Month 3: Sell with minimal assistance, handle common underwriting scenarios, start building personal brand on social media. Pairing Company Marketing with Individual Agent Efforts The second big question: How do you blend your brokerage’s formal marketing activities (like brand campaigns or leads from your website) with each agent’s personal prospecting? Provide Starting Leads If you’re running ads or generating inbound leads, new hires can cut their teeth on less-coveted prospects (like “closed/lost” or older leads). Let them gain confidence responding to these, then earn the right to handle prime leads. Build Personal Brands In B2C insurance, it’s often about relationships. Encourage new reps to network in their communities, join local groups, and use social media responsibly (respecting all compliance rules). If your agency runs a local radio ad, for instance, your new hires can promote that talking point when they connect with neighbors or friends. Content Library Arm them with digital and print assets they can share on their own channels – e.g., short videos on “Top 3 Mistakes in Home Insurance,” or infographics about “Why You Need More Than Minimum Auto Coverage.” Make it easy for them to align with the company’s brand while showcasing their personal touch. Accountability and Metrics Set targets. For example, “Attend 2 local networking events each month, post weekly on social media about a relevant insurance tip, schedule 3 coffee meetups with new community contacts, etc.” Pair that with your marketing team’s leads to create a one-two punch. Reaping the Benefits of Faster Pipeline Growth When you let new agents “wait” for months before prospecting, you risk: Lost Momentum: They might lose confidence or develop call reluctance if they’re not used to consistent outreach. Zero Early Wins: Without a single success story in the first few months, new hires feel pressure, question themselves, and sometimes churn. Delayed Revenue: The longer it takes a new rep to start building pipeline, the fewer deals you close in that critical first year. On the flip side, training them to prospect earlier (even if just setting appointments for someone else) provides real sales experience right away. They see how the process works end-to-end, gain incremental confidence, and bring in revenue sooner. Final Thoughts: Onboarding for Early Success One of the biggest challenges for sales leaders and executives is getting new salespeople ramped up faster. An unproductive sales head is costly, draining the P&L. So, getting them prospecting, filling their pipeline, and making those cold calls quickly is crucial. At Sales Gravy, we believe in getting new hires on the phone as soon as possible—within their first week. By starting with a few leads and gradually increasing their call volume, we build their confidence and get them productive faster. Remember, a long onboarding process delays success. So pull that band-aid off quickly and start building pipelines from day one. If you’re serious about accelerating new rep success, don’t quarantine them in a training bubble. Integrate real-world prospecting early. Show them that pipeline building is the lifeblood of the agency—and get them excited about bridging their education with on-the-ground sales. Likewise, unify your company marketing with each agent’s personal outreach. Give them guidelines, brand assets, and expectations around networking and social media. Encourage them to talk about your brand in everyday life, and to rely on your marketing team for ongoing support. Because here’s the truth: In property and casualty insurance—or any complex field—a new hire can’t master everything in a few weeks. But if you wait until they’re “100% ready” before making calls, you’ll sabotage the ramp-up process and miss countless early opportunities. Let them start early, help them as a team, and watch as they transform into confident, quota-busting agents. Need help with your new hire sales onboarding process? Download our FREE guide: The Small Business Owner's Guide to Sales Training

Mar 16

One of the most vivid memories from my childhood was the day I was bucked off of my pony. The pony’s name was Macaroni and I was six. 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 couldn’t 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 they’ve cried so hard that they can’t stop. Failure is Just a Bruise I 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 tact and got tough. Her stern, direct tone of voice made it clear that she was not asking me to get back on the pony—she 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. “Get up, and get back on that pony now!” 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 and 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 wasn’t being cruel; she was being protective—protective 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 I’d 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 Can't Really Bite You The truth is, failure is usually a short-lived event. Yes, it’s jarring, unexpected, and can momentarily knock the breath out of you. But it doesn’t have to be the defining chapter of your story. That’s what my mother understood so well in that riding ring. She insisted that I face my fear, effectively telling me, “Hey, the worst part’s over. Now that you’ve experienced fear and failure, get back on and prove to yourself you can handle it.” Because once you push through that initial sting, you discover that the fear can’t really bite you unless you give it teeth in your own mind. When Failure Becomes Permanent For 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 defeat—often 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: “Never again.” 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 skill—painting, playing guitar, writing a book, starting a podcast—but in your first attempt, you falter or feel foolish. Rather than chalking it up to “beginner’s missteps,” you decide: “I’m terrible at this; I’ll never try again.” 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 you’d simply dusted yourself off and tried again. Sales is a Tapestry of Failure In 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 rails—the 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 it’s “safer” 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, “I’m never calling anyone that high up again.” And while that might spare them from momentary embarrassment and discomfort, the long-term consequences are enormous. Their pipeline shrinks and income tanks because they’re playing it safe. And, ultimately, their career crashes because they’re afraid to push outside of their comfort zone. Sales Failure: Where the Bruise Can Really Hurt Sales can be bruising. Each rejection takes a piece out of you and can feel like a blow to your self-worth. It’s easy to internalize it. Over time, a string of “no’s” 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 negativity—“I can’t believe I said that,” “What was I thinking,” “I’m so stupid.” In reality, the prospect might barely remember it or might even respect your courage. But to you, it’s all-consuming. But remember, a “no” in sales is rarely personal. Often, it’s circumstantial—maybe the prospect is having a bad day, or their budget cycle doesn’t 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 “nos” as a permanent markers of failure. Instead, you'll shift your mindset. You begin to view failure as data that you can use to gain insight on how to improve. You start to treat each rejection as a chance to refine your approach. Success Stories are Forged in Failure The true success stories in sales almost always come from people who learned to pick themselves up, analyze the failure, and adapt. They didn't let the fear of failure overshadow their potential for greatness. The best salespeople—and frankly, the happiest people—know 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 doesn’t always feel like one, especially in the raw moments right after you’ve 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 on—whether it’s a literal or figurative pony—you’ll 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 Choice So, 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 haven’t grabbed our brand new FREE guide 25 Ways to Ask for an Appointment on a Cold Call your going to want to download it today at salesgravy.com/appointment/

Mar 13

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 you’d land the deal—but instead you face-planted. It’s not your product or your pricing. It’s your messaging that’s failing you—and blocking you from a sale. A Framework to Tap Into Your Prospect’s Pain So what’s missing? A framework that actually speaks to your prospect’s pain, builds urgency, and moves them toward a ‘yes.’ As The Sales Gravy Podcast guest Mike Malloy points out, the PASTOR messaging method can solve that disconnect. You tap into your customer’s pain points and you close. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkML4D0BPIU The PASTOR Method Created by renowned copywriter Ray Edwards, the word “PASTOR’ 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 aren’t forced—it’s natural and authentic. You’re not stereotypically pushy or desperate. You have the magic answer to a customer’s 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 ‘YES’ to a deal. P - Problem & Pain An eventual ‘Yes’ stems from pain—pain from stalled business, lost revenue, or missed quotas. Until you unearth the problem, there’s 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, it’s ruining their business, too. Don’t gloss over the pain—lean into it. Show you understand. Your understanding will connect with the customer and start building your relationship—a relationship that leads to closing. A - Amplify the Consequences Don’t be afraid to twist the knife. This isn’t just a little problem. It’s debilitating—costing the customer time and money. It’s a huge pain point. What will the prospect’s life be next quarter, next year, if they don’t 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, System This is where you offer the solution—but don’t just drop a pitch. Tell a story. Give your prospect an example that they can hold on to and that helps them connect. Tom’s sales team was floundering. They couldn’t make quota. Then they found our [your service]. Jill’s 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 isn’t just smart—it’s the game-changer they’ve been looking for. Show them you get it. Lay out a clear, systematic solution that wipes out their pain—once they see you’ve got the answer, the deal’s as good as closed. T - Transformation & Testimony And 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 don’t buy products—they buy results. They need to see exactly how they’ll save time, make money, and come out ahead. Show them the win, and they’ll 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, they’ll trust they can too. They’ll be signing with you before you know it. O - Offer Your offer isn't just about price—it’s 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. There’s no room for waffling here. Outline the ROI clearly and make it simple, easy, and obvious to say ‘yes.’ R - Response (Call to Action) Don’t let your offer grow cold; get them to buy. Make a crystal clear call to action—stop wasting time, commit to excellence now. Introduce urgency. Are spots limited? Is there an upside to signing faster? Keep it simple. No hesitation; no confusion. Just a next step to act now. Use PASTOR, Close More Deals At the end of the day, the only answer that counts is 'Yes.’ If your pitch keeps falling flat, it’s not because you’re bad at sales—it’s because your messaging isn’t cutting through. PASTOR gives you the blueprint to close. Stick to it, and you won’t just get meetings—you’ll start closing them. Start winning more on cold calls with our FREE sales training guide: 25 Ways to Ask for the Appointment on Cold Calls

Mar 12

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 calls—no 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, Cindy’s facing more objections than she’s used to: “Is this advertising?” “What’s the price?” “I’m busy—call me later.” Below, you’ll find the strategies we discussed to help Cindy navigate these challenges, book more appointments, and build a solid pipeline in a brand-new industry. Don’t Let Your Assumptions Become Their Objections When 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 Projecting You might worry about “bothering” them, but for the business owner, a ringing phone can mean new opportunities. Give them a chance to decide what’s important. Own Your Value and Be Confident If you’re convinced your call matters—because it can grow their bottom line—they’re more likely to listen, even if they’re currently juggling tasks on a job site. Adjust Your Cold Call Timing to Their Schedule Cindy’s 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 morning—about 7 a.m.—because the owner is up, thinking about the day ahead, and hasn’t started the physical labor yet. Even 6:30 a.m. might work. Evening can be another window, but they’re 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 Confidence Cindy mentioned getting quick-fire objections—like “Is this advertising?” or “How much does it cost?”—which often derail her. To handle them, remember: Agree and Pivot When someone uses the, “How much does it cost?” objection, respond with something like, “That’s exactly why I’m calling—you’ll want to see what we can offer first so we can tailor a solution. Let’s schedule a short meeting, so I can learn more about your business.” Do not jump straight into an explanation of how your pricing “depends.” Instead, show them why a tailored approach matters. Use a Stat or Benefit If they ask, “Is this advertising?” answer “Yes, but not the kind you’re used to. We’re helping home improvement companies increase their profit margin by 25% on retail jobs.” Immediately pivot to: “I’d love 15 minutes to show you exactly how we do that. How about we meet at your job site Thursday at 2? I’ll bring lunch.” Emphasize Convenience Home 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 “Busy” Objections as Expected Objections If a contractor says, “I’m swamped!” or “Call me later,” don’t take it as a hard “No.” Instead, realize that busy = normal. Of course they’re busy—that’s part of the gig. Let them know you anticipated they’d be slammed. “I figured you’d be buried this morning—no problem. That’s exactly why I called. Let’s find a time that’s actually convenient for you. How about Friday at 7 a.m.? I’ll bring coffee.” Offer to Meet Them Where They Are In desk-bound industries, you can say, “Let’s meet at your office.” But in construction, a prospect’s “office” might be the bed of a work truck or the roof of a house. Get creative: Bring Lunch, Coffee, or Donuts If a contractor’s day starts at dawn, a quick coffee at 7 a.m. might be the perfect in-person “meeting.” Show up with an understanding of their job—maybe in boots and jeans if you’re heading to a muddy job site. Adapt to Their Workflow If they can’t peel away from the job, suggest walking the site with them for 10 minutes. Ask them to show you their current challenges. This not only helps build rapport but also lets you tailor your value proposition on the spot. Move Fast, Adjust Confidently, and Meet Them Early Cindy’s situation reveals a common scenario: you’ve switched industries, and now your prospects behave differently. They’re not behind desks—they’re on ladders or in crawl spaces. The principles, however, remain the same: Don’t Project Your Insecurities: If you believe you’re intruding, your voice will betray that feeling. Own your offer; it genuinely solves their problems. Call Early, Call Often: Try 7 a.m., or even 6:30, to catch decision-makers before they start their back-breaking work. Handle Objections with Firm, Confident Phrasing: “Yes, it’s advertising—but not the kind you’re used to. Here’s how we’re boosting contractors’ profit margins by 25%.” Make It Easy for Them to Meet: Offer to bring coffee or lunch, show up on site, and respect their time. And always remember: When it’s late in the day, you’ve been dodging objections left and right, and you're ready to give up, always make one more call. That extra call could be the conversation that cements your next big success in a brand-new industry. Are you struggling to set appointments when prospecting? Download our FREE guide: 25 Ways to Set an Appointment on a Cold Call

Mar 9

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 Winners Last week, I delivered a keynote at a large company's President’s 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. It’s so energizing to be with winners. The challenge though was figuring out exactly what I was going to say to them. Think about it. These sales professionals are the best of the best. Cream of the crop. The Bee’s Knees in the words of their VP of Sales. They’ve 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 Graveyard The sales graveyard is full of former President’s Club winners who: Came home with a trophy and were fired because they quit selling. Were one hit wonders—winning once and never getting back into the club again. 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. 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 President’s 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 undisciplined—delusional that they possess some sales superpower that guarantees their success. Maintain your edge by taking courses on Sales Gravy University—the world’s most powerful sales training engine featuring more than 1500 hours of classes from over 40 of the world’s 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. You Cannot Be Delusional and Successful at the Same Time We’ve all been there in big and little ways. It happened to me just yesterday. While playing golf I hit a screaming drive—one of my longest ever—right down the middle of the fairway to within 50 yards of the hole. On that drive, I’d 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. Confident, I walked right up to my second shot—a short pitch into the green—tasting a birdie and then…I chunked it. For those of you who play golf you know exactly how this feels. It’s awful. But what was the difference between the first shot—the winner —and the second shot—the 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. You Cannot Afford the Luxury of a Negative Thought You become what you think. When you tell yourself that you have a magic success wand, you’ll start to believe it and act like it. You become delusional. Studies indicate that we talk to ourselves at the rate of up to 300 words a minute. That little voice inside your head jabbers away 24/7. Self-talk, what you say to yourself internally, manifests itself in your outward attitude and actions. Pay attention to what you are saying to yourself. When your self-talk turns lazy, when it tells you that it's ok to rest, take your eye off of the ball, take a short cut, or skip the fundamentals—stop and change it. Replace lazy, undisciplined self-talk with the words of a disciplined winner, because if you want to keep winning, you cannot afford the luxury of a lazy thought. In Sales, Boring Works Warren Buffett said that, “only when the tide goes out do we get to see who has been swimming naked.” This is his way of saying that people who drift away from or believe that the basics and fundamentals no longer apply to them will eventually be exposed. It’s fascinating how often humans quit doing the very things that are working for them—especially President’s club winners. You were disciplined for a while but as soon as you saw some success, you abandoned what got you there. It’s natural to go looking for easy buttons because the basics are boring. But do not get drawn in by this siren song. Put your swimming suit on because, in sales, boring works. Success in Sales is Rented There is a saying that when you are in second place you are competing with the person in front of you. But when you are in first place, you are competing with yourself. What you must never forget is that success in sales is rented, and the rent is due every day, every month, every quarter. You don’t have the luxury of resting on your laurels after a big win, because that person in second place is going to blow right past you while you are sitting on the side of the road basking in your own glory. How you respond to winning is just as important as how you respond to losing. When you view winning as an opportunity to take your foot off of the accelerator, you will go back to losing. But when you shift your mindset to view winning as a reason to get even better you will become more disciplined and determined. You’ll see winning as validation that you need to double down on the activities, disciplines, and behaviors that got you there in the first place. You will stay in front of the pack and produce even bigger results. How to Make Winning Predictable In any endeavor, especially in sales, when the right actions are repeated consistently, winning becomes predictable. The key words here are consistent and repeated. This is the real secret to getting back on the podium next year, closing your next big deal, or sinking that elusive birdie putt. Never forget, when it’s time to go home, when you are tired, worn out, and your mind starts telling you that it's ok to quit, change your self-talk and will yourself to make one more call, because that is what winners do. Start winning more on cold calls with our FREE sales training guide: 25 Ways to Ask for the Appointment on Cold Calls

Mar 6

You’re stalled. You’re stuck. You’ve plateaued. No matter how you put it, you’re seeing your sales hit a rut. And let’s face it, you’re in a rut, too. So, how do you pull yourself out of it? The answer: invest in yourself. https://youtu.be/odBObaiywlg?feature=shared The Power of Personal Development In sales, it's easy to get caught up in the grind—calls to make and deals to close. But if you don’t make time to invest in yourself, sooner or later, you’ll hit a wall and fall into a rut. 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 isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’—it’s the backbone of sustained success. Cultivating a Growth Mindset A 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 them—driving you to reach further and achieve goals others might think are impossible. Read a Book Everything you want to know about anything can be found in a book. Reading isn’t just a habit—it’s 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. That’s a massive value for the investment. A best practice of top performers is to carve out 15-30 minutes each morning specifically for professional reading. Listen to Learn If you have a hard time reading or finding time, listen to an audiobook, a podcast, or an audio course. Many top performers listen to learn while they workout, walk the dog, or do chores around the house. It’s also a great way to turn your commute or drivetime in the field on sales calls into Automobile University. The point is: audio resources are so convenient you never have to stop learning. Take Online Courses One 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. 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, it’s 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, there’s no greater investment than in yourself and your sales game. It’s even worth traveling to get to transformational conferences that lift you to new heights. In-Person Training and Conferences Seek 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. Beyond the training and skill development gained from these events, you’ll spend time with peers, build your network and share best practices that will often boost your income. Level Up Every Day — Never Stop Growing Level up or lose out. Personal development doesn’t work if you don’t make time for it. This means setting time aside that’s blocked specifically for learning every single day—whether it’s an audiobook, reading, online learning or a training event. The cumulative impact of working on yourself every day is massive because in sales when you out learn, you out earn. Start today. Download the 25 Ways to Ask for An Appointment On A Cold Call or sign up for a course at Sales Gravy University.

Mar 5

Matt from Grand Rapids says, “If I don’t make my cold calls, our pipeline will go dry.” 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 full—even while being pulled in a dozen directions. The Problem: Too Many Hats, Too Little Time Matt’s role covers operations, customer support, escalations, and sales. That’s 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, you’ll end up with a dangerously thin pipeline. Remember: “The Pipe is life.” The longer you allow other priorities to get in the way, the more your sales (and stress levels) suffer down the road. Triage “Urgent vs. Non-Urgent” Tasks Yes, certain crises truly are urgent. If your client’s phones are down, you can’t 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 don’t hijack your entire day. Use Focus Blocks Turn Off Notifications: Close Slack, kill your email window, silence your phone—whatever it takes to create an uninterrupted block. Leverage High-Intensity Sprints: Prospect in short bursts (15–30 minutes) where all you do is dial. Make notes on a physical list to avoid toggling between multiple browser tabs. Delegate If you’re 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 Problem One of the biggest time-sucks for salespeople is diving headfirst into problem-solving. If you’re an empathetic type, you might be tempted to fix every issue yourself. But that drains your time and divides your focus. Own the Relationship When a customer meltdown looms, they want reassurance. You’re the friendly face they trust. Let them know you’re on it, but don’t dive into the technical fix if there’s someone else better equipped. Set Expectations and Follow Up Get a clear commitment from your support team: “Can you resolve this by 3 p.m.?” Check in before the deadline, not after. That way, you can give the customer a timely update. Balance Accountability You, as the salesperson, remain responsible for the customer’s happiness. Your support or operations team, however, is responsible for execution. Keep close tabs on them, but don’t do their job for them. Sharpen Targeting To Build Better Prospecting Lists Matt’s telecom company has a strong base of medical practices—mostly gained through referrals. Now he wants to proactively call into that same niche. But how do you successfully cold call a vertical you’ve 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 Message Medical offices might not realize they’re missing features that could improve patient flow. Translate “telecom upgrades” into benefits that matter—like 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, Not the Sale In the initial call, your only goal is a deeper conversation—an appointment, a demo, a chance to learn more about their practice’s pains. Don’t try to close them on the phone. Earn the right to a serious meeting by showing genuine understanding of their challenges. High-Intensity Prospecting Sprints: Go Old-School When you’re juggling 100 tasks, the simplest method often works best. If your CRM is a magnet for distractions, go pen and paper: Pen, List, Phone (from Fanatical Prospecting) Prep a physical list of 20–25 leads you plan to dial in a short block. Put the CRM away. Jot quick notes in the margins—who picked up, who didn’t, outcome of each call. After you’re done, block 10 minutes to update your CRM. No more toggling and no wasted cycles. Front-Load Your Day Medical offices are typically more reachable early in the morning (before they’re swamped with patients). Tackle your call block first, then switch to operations or email triage. Stay Consistent Even a “BTN” (Better Than Nothing) approach ensures you don’t roll a zero on any given day. Make it a habit to achieve some number of outbound calls before lunch. You Control the Clock Matt’s question boiled down to two points: (1) How do I make time for prospecting when operational fires pop up? and (2) How do I penetrate a new (but familiar) niche? Focus Blocks: Turn off Slack and email. Give yourself short, intense windows for pure prospecting. Delegate and Own: Maintain the customer relationship, but don’t let every support ticket consume your day. Target Smartly: If you’ve already succeeded in a niche—like medical—mine that data to craft a strong value proposition. Execute with Simple Systems: Use pen-and-paper call lists and schedule your CRM updates afterward. When you’re tired at day’s end, battling an inbox full of escalations and half-finished tasks, remember: always make one more call. That extra push keeps your pipeline alive and your sales career thriving—even when you’re juggling a half-dozen hats. Got a burning question about sales, leadership, or juggling multiple roles? Ask me about it. Head to https://salesgravy.com/ask. One of our producers might schedule you for an upcoming Ask Jeb episode, where we tackle your biggest challenges together!

Mar 2

If you’ve hung around me for longer than five minutes, you’ve heard me say that sales is about talking with people. The fact is, the more people you talk with, the more you’ll 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 Working Instead they keep prospects and customers at arms length through asynchronous communication channels like email - especially when prospecting. They lean on email because it’s easier to hide behind a keyboard than pick up the phone and face rejection. But here’s the cold, hard truth: Email as a prospecting channel has suddenly stopped working. Recent data indicate that salespeople today are sending three to eight times more emails than they were just a couple of years ago … yet they’re getting only a tenth of the response. 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. 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. The Decline of Email Prospecting What happened? 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. If your email didn’t connect, your prospect would just delete it and, sometimes, at least respond that they were not interested. 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 “replace” salespeople altogether. Just push a button and AI does the hard work to fill the pipeline. All Prospecting Email is Suspicious These AI apps churn out prospecting emails using “hyper-personalization,” 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. But here’s the problem: buyers aren’t stupid. The second they sniff out that a robot is behind the curtain, it completely turns them off. People don’t like to be manipulated — especially by AI. Once they realize they’ve been duped by AI, they trust nothing else in their inbox. And because AI can send emails 24/7 — relentlessly — without taking a coffee break or a vacation, inboxes have been flooded with this shallow AI-generated drivel. 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 — good or bad, human or AI generated — are cast into the same bucket and ignored by the prospects. Sales Prospecting Cynicism Buyers are drained, exasperated, and exhausted with this crap. I talk to decision-makers every day who say, “I don’t open any email from someone I don’t already know anymore. I just delete it. I don’t have time for that.” And if they do open your email and see it’s obviously AI text, rather than just deleting your email, they’ll block you permanently. Think about it. How often have you looked at your own inbox and found an email with an awkwardly “hyper-personalized” opener that references your dog’s name, a local restaurant, or a sports team. The minute you realize it’s not truly personal, that it's a a cheap AI gimmick, you feel manipulated. You become cynical. You trust nothing. So you delete or block the sender. Multiply that by thousands or millions of prospects doing the same thing, and you see why email as a prospecting channel has just quit working. The Root Cause: Why Email Prospecting Quit Working The root cause of this problem is that the vast majority of sales professionals rely on email as their sole prospecting channel — primarily because they fear synchronous channels like the phone and face-to-face prospecting. So they double down and send even more emails. As they scramble to get noticed, the consequence is paradoxical: the more they try to connect with email, the more they resort to cheesy tricks and manipulation, the more prospects shut down and ignore them. With thousands of sales organizations and millions of salespeople using this same approach, it’s just not sustainable. And this is exactly how we’ve ended up with three times the email volume and one-tenth the response rate. Pick Up the Damn Phone For the modern salesperson, this presents a profound challenge — how to capture attention in a world that is learning to ignore you. The answer is: Pick Up the Damn Phone! The phone is your single greatest secret weapon for breaking through the noise and getting the attention of spammed-out prospects. The truth is nothing will ever beat a real-time, interactive, synchronous prospecting conversation. You can hear their tone of voice, address objections instantly, and actually have a conversation. Hardly anyone calls anymore, because they’re scared of rejection or they assume that no-one answers the phone. But guess what? Prospects do answer the phone and they will talk with you. And even if they don’t, you can leave a sincere, voicemail message in your own voice, that puts you miles ahead of the AI-generated garbage in their inbox. Prospecting In-Person If you’re an outside sales rep, get out in the field and swing some doors. I’ve spent a lot of time out in the field lately, going door-to-door with sales teams. Time after time, we walk in, ask to speak with a decision-maker, and we get immediate face-to-face conversations. No hostility; no one kicking us out. Prospects are starved for genuine human interaction. They are tired of video calls and chatbots. They’ll talk with you if you show up. Your Action Plan for the Week This week, I want you to put email prospecting on pause. Instead, focus on the phone and in-person prospecting. Block an hour each morning, first thing, for telephone prospecting. Make at least 25 dials each day. Then, while you are out in the field, set a daily goal of five door knocks or drop-ins. Ten is better if you can pull it off. After each appointment, look to your left, look to your right, and look behind you — then walk in those doors. You’ll be shocked at how receptive people are when you’re standing right in front of them. Lean Into Being Human In a world where robots are faking sincerity and spamming the universe, your best asset is your genuine, authentic, flawed-but-real human self. That’s what resonates. That’s what triggers trust. You have a personal brand, a vibe and style that AI can’t replicate. So show it off. Pick up the phone, knock a door, get out there and talk with people. Because in this age of spam and robotic nonsense, human contact is the key to building a winning pipeline. Learn how to reduce objections and increase cold call conversions with 25 winning scripts that earn more appointments. Download our FREE guide: 25 Ways to Ask for the Appointment on a Cold Call

Feb 27

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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELR-Mhzv7eA First Impressions Matter If you don’t make a strong first impression, it won’t matter how great your service is. Your appearance tells a prospect what to expect before you even open your mouth. Well-groomed, polished, and with a professional presence? You’re perceived as credible and competent. Over the phone or through email, if you’re engaging, confident and well-spoken, then you’re going to open more doors. Match your appearance and tone to the company you’re approaching. A simple LinkedIn search or visit to a company website will shed light on company culture. If this is a more informal environment, don’t show up in a suit. If everyone dresses sharp, then your polo and khakis aren’t going to cut it. You want to show an understanding of the work culture by doing your research and fitting in. Confidence is Contagious Confidence comes from preparation — 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. However, don’t fall into the trap of arrogance. 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 ‘um’ and ‘ah’ from your conversation. These undermine your confident demeanor and cause your prospect to doubt your credibility. Instead, take intentional pauses when you’re not sure what to say or to avoid tripping over your words. A brief pause won’t make you look like you don’t know what you’re talking about — it’ll look like you’re taking a moment to choose exactly the right words. Nonverbal Communication is Key Your 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 company’s issues with excellence. If you’re 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 prospect’s body language is an easy way to develop rapport. Sit up straight and lean in, showing you’re listening carefully to their pain points and issues. Your Online Brand Matters In this digital age, you can’t be surprised to know that potential customers might Google you, find you on LinkedIn, or otherwise look you up online. After all, didn’t you do your research on them before you reached out? It’s your responsibility to present a professional front online as well as in person. You’re cultivating a personal brand online the same way you’re doing with every call and email. Use your LinkedIn profile to establish yourself as an expert in your area and you’ll 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 Superpower The power of your professional presence isn’t limited to first impressions. It’s relevant in every step of the selling process — 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 you’re 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 who’s more interested in eliminating pain points than simply selling a product. Ask thoughtful follow-up questions and repeat key points to show you understand your prospect’s point of view and issues. Follow Up with Excellence From voicemails to emails to social touches, follow up with persistence and thoughtfulness. Personalized follow-ups show you’ve paid genuine attention to the prospect’s concerns. It also reaffirms your professionalism and genuine interest in negotiating a deal that benefits both parties. Many salespeople quit too soon. Studies show it can take up to eight touches for engagement, yet most give up after three or four. If you’re not following up 11 or 12 times, then you’re wasting your time. Don’t let impatience kill your deal. Don’t give up one touch too early. Sell Yourself, Sell Your Product, Sell More Sales is about influence, and the first thing you influence is how people see you. Sell yourself first, and the rest will follow. Your professional presence is the foundation of trust and credibility in sales. Every interaction you have, from the first handshake to the final follow-up, shapes how a prospect views you—and whether they’ll buy from you. Mastering the art of first impressions, exuding relaxed confidence, refining your nonverbal communication, and maintaining a strong digital presence aren’t just extras—they’re essential to winning deals. Sharpen your professional presence, and you’ll not only sell more but also build lasting relationships that drive long-term success.

Feb 26

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 it’s 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 you’re fighting the gloom of early sunsets, the aftereffects of holiday downtime, or the struggle to get your customers back in “buying mode,” these tips will help you power through and regain your momentum. Surround Yourself with Positive Inputs When you’re in a mid-winter sales rut—especially in cold, gray weather—your 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. It’s 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 “Automobile University”Turn windshield time into learning time. Load up on podcasts, audiobooks, or uplifting content. If you’re 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 “Win” 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 Slump When you can’t rely on external circumstances (like sunny weather or a jam-packed pipeline) to motivate you, it’s 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 doesn’t fit your schedule, try audiobooks. Caroline mentioned she’s listening to The AI Edge on Audible. Whether you dive into James Clear’s Atomic Habits or any other self-improvement or sales guide, consistent listening can reset your mindset. Revisit (or Set) Your Goals and Business Plan Aimlessness often fuels a sales rut. Getting clear on why you’re 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 Plan If you’ve already set goals: Take them out of the drawer and ask, “Am I doing what I said I would do each day?” If you haven’t set goals yet: It’s never too late to start. Use the lull to plan out the rest of your year. Try the “BTN” (Better Than Nothing) ApproachOn a recent Money Monday episode, we introduced the concept of doing something—even if it’s small—to 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 you’re not closing big deals right now, small actions (e.g., 15 minutes of prospecting, 10 minutes of follow-ups) add up. “Eat the Frog” Early in the Day The 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, don’t let procrastination compound the problem. Schedule Tough Calls in the MorningIf you tend to stall on prospecting, block out time when you’re freshest. Once you conquer the hardest thing on your list, everything else feels easier. Celebrate Small VictoriesEven if you only manage a handful of calls, pat yourself on the back. Remind yourself that a day with 5 calls beats a day with none. Lean into Action and Let Momentum Build Motion begets emotion—meaning the more you do, the more you feel like doing. Conversely, idle time often magnifies a slump. The Power of Micro-CommitmentsPromise yourself you’ll make 5 dials or send 3 targeted emails before checking social media. Then, if you’re up for more, keep going. These little commitments help you sidestep analysis paralysis. Reap the “Sales Endorphins”Keith Lubner, calls it “sales endorphins.” Each positive action—be it a successful call, a good conversation, or a micro-goal achieved—releases a jolt of motivation. You Control the Thaw Mid-winter, post-holiday ruts can feel like trudging through snow drifts in frigid temps. The key is recognizing that you have the power to pull out of this sales rut. Surround yourself with positivity, draw on small wins, and “eat the frog” before your day disappears under a cozy blanket of procrastination. Whether you rely on motivational audio, daily micro-commitments, or a well-curated folder of glowing testimonials, do what it takes to spark the engine. And if you find yourself at the end of the day, worn down and tempted to punch out early—make one more call. That simple action can ignite momentum and get your motor running. Got a burning sales question? Head to salesgravy.com/ask. Our producers will reach out to get you scheduled on an upcoming Ask Jeb show where we tackle your biggest sales and leadership challenges.

Feb 24

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 couldn’t hear anything on the other end so I hung up. 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. After finishing my round, I looked at my voice messages to see who had called, but there was no message so I didn’t give it another thought. Later that day, I found an email from the rep asking for a meeting. He said he had called but we'd been disconnected. 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 couldn’t hear him when I picked up the phone. 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 haven’t heard from him since. 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. Other than not prospecting altogether, giving up too soon is the primary reason salespeople are failing at prospecting on an epic scale. 92% of Prospectors Give Up After Only 4 Attempts Once after another attempt at creating a viable light bulb went down in flames, inventor Thomas Edison said that he hadn’t failed. He’d just found 10,000 ways that didn’t work. Because of his relentless persistence, he changed the world. Now juxtapose this against the statistics on sales prospecting persistence: 44% of salespeople make only one prospecting attempt before giving up. 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. Deeper into the weeds, the data tells us that it takes many prospecting touches to compel prospects to engage. 4 touches to engage a hot inbound lead. 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. It’s no wonder that pipelines are bone dry and last year, according to recent data, 91% of sales teams failed to achieve quota. Emotional Hangups in Prospecting When I tell stories of prospecting persistence from the stage during keynotes and training sessions—for instance, the rep who contacted me 71 times before finally convincing me to buy from him—people in the audience visually squirm. 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 Club, there is an audible gasp of disbelief. This type of raw prospecting persistence carries negative connotations. People will come up to me and say things like: “I could never do that!” “I’d be pissed if anyone called me that many times.” “If someone did that to me, I’d block them.” Sometimes they attack me with: “Anyone who would call that many times is an awful person.” “I don’t care what you were selling or how badly I needed it, I would never buy from you!” “That’s horrible; it’s stalking!” I want to be clear that I am not suggesting that salespeople should engage in gratuitous stalking. That makes no sense and will not earn you meaningful engagement. Professional, intentional, systematic, multi-touch prospecting, is not stalking. Projecting is the Enemy of Persistence Although nearly every sales professional worth their salt understands the power of persistence in prospecting, most struggle to be persistent prospectors. For most salespeople, the level of persistence required to grab the attention of modern buyers can feel like you’re being pushy—crossing the line, bothering, and annoying people. This wave of emotional hang-ups in the form of projecting is why most salespeople give up too soon. Projecting, in a psychological context, is the act of attributing your own emotions, feelings, assumptions, experiences, or biases to your prospect. It causes you to decide what they are feeling through the lens of your own emotions rather than theirs. Think about the rep who called me while I was on the golf course. If, in his mind’s eye, he pictured me angry at him because I hung up, he might feel that a fourth or fifth touch was “too pushy” or “annoying me,” even though those feelings couldn’t be further from the truth. I might have found what he was selling interesting, but we’ll never know now. Or, if you feel anxious about interrupting people with a phone call, you might project that anxiety onto your prospect, assuming it makes them uncomfortable. However, your prospect may not feel that way at all—especially if they are in a buying window and receptive to talking with you. Projecting Allows for an Easy Excuse to Give Up Projecting, which is all too common for salespeople, costs you dearly and holds you back from being persistent. When you project your feelings of annoyance or frustration about being interrupted onto prospects, it can cause you to give up prematurely. When you project your fear of rejection onto prospects, it can cause you to interpret a lack of immediate response or a vague objection as a definitive “no.” Projecting can also cause you to stick to a single communication channel like email, believing that it is less intrusive and aligns with how the prospect wants to be contacted. When the prospect doesn’t respond, you quit rather than reach out through different channels. Projecting your own discomfort with prospecting persistence causes you to rationalize that your prospect doesn’t want to be contacted. This becomes an easy excuse not to prospect or to give up after one or two touches. Emotional Detachment Breaking through the challenge of projecting when prospecting and truly embracing persistence is not easy. You know as well as anyone else that detaching from emotional hang-ups is easier said than done. But emotional detachment is exactly what has to be done in order to free yourself from what is holding you back. When it comes to the persistence of prospecting—where rejection and non-responsiveness are common—emotional detachment is a crucial meta-skill. Detachment doesn’t mean being cold or indifferent. It means not allowing your own personal emotions to cause you to decide what your prospect feels. When you learn to detach, you are less likely to take rejection personally, you’ll bounce back more quickly, and you’ll find the persistence required to win. Resistance Does Not Equal Rejection Detachment begins with internalizing that your prospect’s initial resistance does not equate to outright rejection. We all resist new things and change. Resistance is a natural response to your outreach. Especially when people are not yet familiar with you, your brand, or your product, service, or software. It is just human nature. Persistence is often required to move beyond this initial familiarity barrier. This helps compel your prospect to engage in a meaningful conversation and build a deeper connection. This is why making multiple prospecting touches is a normal part of the prospecting and familiarity journey. Instead of viewing a lack of response, a rejection, or an unexpected outcome as a personal failure, try reframing these moments. Recognize that each step, whether positive or negative, contributes to your growth and eventual success and is a part of the process. This helps you avoid getting caught up in the negative emotions that cause you to give up too early. It is easier to detach from your emotions when you view each persistent prospecting touch as a natural step toward meaningful engagement. Instead of focusing solely on the success or failure of any given touch, shift your perspective to see the bigger picture of building relationships over time. Shift your mindset from equating persistence with being pushy and resistance with rejection. Then you step into a prospecting framework that values consistency, patience, and a focus on persistently playing the long game. Edison once said that “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” So when you are tired, worn out, and you feel like you can’t take anymore rejection, always will yourself to make one more call! Learn how to convert more prospecting calls into appointments with our FREE Guide 25 Ways to Ask for the Appointment on a Cold Call

Feb 20

In sales - especially in product knowledge training - we’re 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. 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 — shutting up and listening — is your secret weapon. Yes, you need to speak confidently about the value you bring to the table, and you need to be clear when you’re asking for the deal. But the words that actually sway a prospect don’t come from you — they come from them. Prospects convince themselves to buy. Your job is to guide the conversation in such a way that they articulate the problems they’re 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovBdhmangUU Embrace the Pause A 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 what’s on their mind. But if you can stay silent, if you can resist the urge to speak immediately, your prospect will usually elaborate. They’ll keep talking, often divulging the root cause of their hesitation. 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. I’ve 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. But in the pause, in the silence, is where your prospect gathers their thoughts. If you just wait, if you’ll just shut up, what comes next is where the real magic lies. 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. They’ll teach you exactly how to close the sale. Build Trust Through Silence Learning 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: “I value your thoughts, your insights, and your experiences.” That’s 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, I’m not saying you should clam up entirely. Strategic silence is not about becoming a mute. It’s about knowing when to speak, what to say, and when to remain quiet. 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. Usually, that extra beat of silence after they finish speaking nudges them to continue, and they’ll share even more valuable information. If it’s 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 “one … two … three” 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. Embrace Discomfort: Silence can be awkward. Learn to live with that. Recognize that this discomfort is exactly what triggers prospects to open up further. Be in the Moment: After asking a question, resist the urge to start planning your response or thinking about your next question in your head. Listen Deeply: When they talk, focus on their words and the emotions behind them. Don’t just listen; truly hear what they’re saying and ask follow up questions around their emotional cues. Ask Follow-Up Questions: Instead of immediately trying to solve their problem or deliver a solution, ask another question that goes deeper. “Can you tell me more about that?” or “How does that issue affect you personally?” can uncover hidden gold. Recap and Confirm: Once the prospect has shared, summarize what you heard. Confirm that you understand their concerns correctly. This step builds trust and ensures everyone’s on the same page. When you unlock the power of silence in your sales conversations, you’ll get below the surface to the real issues your prospect is facing and build stronger relationships. Never forget that sales isn’t about talking more; it’s about learning more. And you learn more by closing your mouth and opening your ears. Sales Gravy Live's Fanatical Prospecting Bootcamp teaches tactics and tricks to 5x your pipeline in 90 days. Learn more about it here. For more sales tips, listen to the Ask Jeb Podcast, where Jeb answers viewers' burning questions live. Listen here. Download Jeb’s FREE Fanatical Prospecting Book Club and Study Guide. This 31-page guide includes summaries, discussion prompts, individual reflections, and exercises. Get it Here

Feb 18

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, you’ll discover practical insights you can leverage to sharpen your competitive edge—regardless of what industry or region you sell into—and take advantage of these emerging trends. AI Will Power Sales Efficiency and Intelligence When we think about the future of sales, AI inevitably dominates the conversation. Whether you’re 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 can’t replace human conversations—especially in complex or consultative sales. Ultimately, people buy from people they trust. Keep that fact front and center as you adopt AI-driven tools. They’re there to free you up for higher-value activities, not to take over your role. The Return to Humanity: Relationships Make the Difference In 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. 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 Mindset In the age of AI there is a massive shift toward consultative selling. If you’re selling complex products, services, or solutions, you can’t 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 Discovery Great consultants don’t 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 works—everything 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 you’ve 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 Learning A big part of stepping into a consultative role is adopting a lifelong learning mentality. Too many sales professionals stop reading or stop trying new things once they feel confident in their current role. But the pace of change is accelerating, and complacency is dangerous. Read WidelyI personally read (or listen to) a steady stream of books. I’m an advocate of doubling up with Kindle and Audible to keep learning wherever I go. If you want to understand AI’s impact on sales more deeply, my latest book—The AI Edge—is a great place to start. Study Your Industry and MarketsKeep track of industry-specific trade journals, financial news, and market trend reports. If you’re selling in healthcare, finance, manufacturing, or nonprofits, dive deep into how those sectors operate and adapt. Role-Play and PracticeBeing a consultant means mastering the art of conversation. Role-playing different scenarios with a colleague or sales manager isn’t just for novices; it helps even seasoned pros refine their questioning techniques and adapt to complex buying committees. Transforming from “Just a Salesperson” to Trusted Advisor Problem solvers are the champions of the business world. It is crucial that you make the mindset shift needed to go from a mere “vendor” to a high-level consultant or trusted advisor. It starts with seeing yourself in that new identity. Once you do, you’ll naturally invest time into building deeper business acumen, strengthening your listening skills, and shaping creative solutions.While AI and automation will continue to reshape sales, your ability to interpret data, ask incisive questions, and connect personally with buyers will set you apart. Got a Sales Challenge? Ask Jeb! If you’re struggling with a tricky sales scenario—whether it’s prospecting woes, AI adoption, or mastering consultative conversations—I’d love to help. Go to salesgravy.com/ask, fill out the short form, and our producers will reach out to schedule you for a future Ask Jeb segment.

Feb 17

WARNING: This Monday’s message will be one of the most powerful hacks you’ll ever integrate into your life—because it’s simple, easy to put into practice, and it works. It has the potential, over the course of time, to change everything for you. It’s 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 Track In James Clear’s 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 Monday—if you skip your workout or drop the ball on your new habit—you 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 we’re all human. We’re going to slip up. Life happens—kids get sick, you get sick, clients call with emergencies, your boss piles extra tasks on your desk, or your flight is delayed and you’re stranded in an airport— sometimes you've just have to eat that piece of cake. James Clear’s approach is, when this happens, to give yourself a break. It’s okay that you messed up once. Forgive yourself but just don’t 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 you’ll love this approach. The BTN Secret A few years back, I was meeting a good friend of mine for dinner. We hadn’t seen each other in a couple of years. He’s the CEO of a large company—constantly 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 incredible—like a completely different person. He’d lost a bunch of weight and was in fantastic shape. As we sat down at our table I couldn’t help but blurt out, “Dude, 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.” The truth is that at the time, I was really struggling with my own health. I’d 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, “I use the BTN method.” I instantly reached for my phone to Google “BTN” 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. “You’re not gonna find that on Google,” he said. “BTN stands for Better Than Nothing.” Why Doing “Just a Little Bit” Matters More Than You Think Chris explained his philosophy: No matter where he is—no matter how jam-packed his day, no matter how exhausted he feels—he refuses to let a single day pass without doing some form of exercise—no matter how little. On a good day, when he has time, he does an intense 45-minute workout. But if he doesn’t have time, if he’s been in back-to-back meetings from dawn to dusk, then he’ll 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. That’s the BTN method—Something is Better Than Nothing. The Mental Hurdle One big reason most of us haven’t adopted the BTN mindset is that it feels too small to matter. If you’re used to a 60-minute workout, you might think, “Ten push-ups? That’s useless. Might as well not do anything." The truth is that doing anything is infinitely better than doing nothing because of the cumulative impact of doing a little bit every day. For Chris, the months and years of never missing a day completely transformed his health. Plus, BTN keeps you tethered to your routine, your discipline, momentum, and your sense of identity as someone who follows through and never misses a day. Applying “Better Than Nothing” to Prospecting In my book Fanatical Prospecting, I talk about how prospecting is one of those non-negotiable activities you must do every single day to keep your pipeline full. Yet, if we’re honest, nobody really likes prospecting. We’ll dream up any excuse, and I mean any excuse to put it off: proposals that need writing, admin tasks, emails, that one big client who demands your attention 24/7, meetings, the boss, it’s Wednesday, a full moon or maybe just the allure of another cup of coffee in the break room. Of course there are real, legitimate issues that impact how much time you have for prospecting during your sales day. I know you’re busy. You have fires to put out. Big presentations. And a packed schedule of demos, discovery, and closing meetings. On these days when your schedule is that packed it's not unusual to roll a zero and skip prospecting altogether. It’s not like you did it on purpose. But that’s a big problem because those zeros add up to zero. The number one reason for failure in sales is an empty pipeline and the number one reason why you have an empty pipeline is because you did zero prospecting. The Law of Cumulative Impact A zero day is a day when you do absolutely nothing toward your goal. In fitness, that means no movement, no push-ups, not even a single squat. In sales, it means ignoring prospecting entirely. Zero days are the real enemy because zero days compound your inaction leading to crash and burn failure. By contrast though, when you adopt a something is better than nothing mindset and commit to never rolling a zero, you’ll accomplish more than you ever thought possible because you tap into the law of cumulative impact. The Law of Cumulative Impact states that small, consistent actions, when repeated regularly over time, add up to produce massive results. In other words, even seemingly insignificant efforts—like making a few prospecting calls or doing a short workout—lead to major transformations in performance, health, and personal growth over time. Something is Better than Nothing Some days you’ll knock out 50 cold calls. Other days you might only manage to make five. That’s okay! Because the last time I checked, five is better than zero. By continuously stacking small wins, you harness the compounding effect and far exceed what can be achieved with occasional bursts of high effort followed by long stretches of inaction. Doing five push-ups every single day for a year accumulates to nearly 2,000 push-ups. That’s going to tone your upper body, build endurance, and keep your metabolism humming. Doing five calls a day is 25 calls a week, over 100 calls a month, and well above 1,000 calls a year. That’s a massive chunk of pipeline-building activity from “just five calls a day.” The key is allowing yourself to be proud of those micro-wins. You’re aiming for progress, not perfection. And the days when you can do more—fantastic. But on others you have to accept that doing something is a win because it’s better than nothing. Greatness in sales comes from consistent daily effort. The pipeline is always flowing because you never stop feeding it. The “Better Than Nothing” approach ensures you’re always adding logs to the fire—maybe just a few some days, maybe a whole bundle on others, but never letting it burn out completely. Over time, that’s how you create unstoppable momentum. Putting the BTN Method Into Action Here are the keys to putting the BTN Method into practice in your sales day and life. Adopt “No Zeros” Mindset: Wake up each morning telling yourself that you are a person who never has a zero day of prospecting—no matter how swamped or frazzled you feel. Say it out loud. Plan for BTN Activities: Identify the simplest tasks you can do if you’re pressed for time (like calling five leads or sending three emails). Fill the Gaps: Always carry a prospecting list with you. That way you are always prepared. Whenever you find yourself with a tiny window—maybe someone cancels a Zoom meeting or you have 20 minutes between appointments—use the gap to make a few calls. No chunk of time is too small. Celebrate Small Wins: It might feel silly to fist-bump yourself for just doing something, but that mental reinforcement works. You’re rewarding yourself for no zeros. And remember, this doesn’t just apply to prospecting. Never let a day go by without some form of progress toward your sales goals. Five minutes, ten minutes, one micro-task—it’s always better than nothing. Whether it's your first year in sales or you are a seasoned veteran, our FREE Goal Planning guide gives you proven tips, tools and tactics for developing a winning game plan to achieve your biggest goals.

Feb 14

On the surface, you’d think that “selling” and “asking” go hand in hand. In reality, salespeople at all experience levels often hesitate, tiptoe around, or dodge direct closes because they’re afraid of rejection, worried about coming across as pushy, or insecure about asking. On this episode of the 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 Morris 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1KKPbXHCj8 The Fear Factor That Holds Salespeople Back From Asking for the Sale There’s an underlying, deeply human factor that derails many capable sales professionals: The fear of asking for the sale. Rejection stings, whether it’s a “no” from a potential client or crickets after your presented a proposal you believed was bulletproof. We fear hearing “no” 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 “signal” 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 they’ll volunteer a “yes.” Practice Is the Key to Asking Confidently for the Sale Watch any top performer in any field—a pro golfer, a concert pianist, or an elite salesperson—and they often make it look effortless. People assume they were simply “born with it.” In truth, consistent practice is usually the reason they’re 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 don’t feel comfortable with what to say—or how to say it—when 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 “unscripted” and fluid because you’re not scrambling to find the right words. You’ve internalized the dialogue, so it sounds like a calm, authentic conversation rather than a memorized monologue. Make Peace with the Word “No” Time and again, top sales performers cite a simple truth: a fast “no” can be better than a lingering “maybe.” It allows you to save time, refocus energy, and cultivate a pipeline of engaged prospects. Learning to handle “no” as a data point—rather than personal rejection—keeps you in motion. Categorize the “Nos”: Some are “not now,” others are “not a fit,” and a few are “never.” Understanding which type of no you’re dealing with can shape follow-up strategies. Seek Feedback: If appropriate, ask, “I respect your decision. May I ask what caused you to decline?” 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 Really Means Whether you’re selling software, consulting services, or coffee machines, if you never ask, you’ll never receive. Fear of rejection and worries about being too pushy can sabotage your success long before you even get to the handshake stage. Authentic confidence, grounded in genuine concern for the buyer’s wellbeing, is the antidote. Combine that mindset with disciplined practice, and you become unstoppable. You don’t need to “push” people; you just need to guide them. You don’t need to coerce; you simply open the door and invite them to walk through. And if you believe wholeheartedly in your solution, this moment of asking becomes a service to your prospect, not an intrusion. That shift in perspective can transform your entire sales career—and perhaps even your life. The Courage to Ask Is Your Greatest Sales Superpower It’s one thing to know you should ask for the sale; it’s another to do it regularly and effectively. Every week, set aside time to measure how consistently you close your conversations. Are you ending calls with vague next steps? Or are you confidently moving opportunities toward a clear yes or no? Daily Reflection: At the end of each day, ask: “Did I ask for the sale or a firm next step in every relevant conversation?” If not, why not? Peer Accountability: Partner with a colleague or coach to share stats on how many direct asks you made. A little external encouragement can work wonders. Celebrate the Asks: Even if you hear “no,” congratulate yourself for actually posing the question. The more you do, the less intimidating it becomes. The next time you catch yourself hesitating at the close, remember: it’s not about you—it’s about helping them solve a problem. Take a breath, trust your preparation, and ask. Then stay silent long enough for the buyer to answer. You might be surprised how often they say “yes.” Jeb Blount’s bestselling book Fanatical Prospecting: The Ultimate Guide to Opening Sales Conversations and Filling the Pipeline by Leveraging Social Selling, Telephone, Email, Text, and Cold Calling. is a practical, eye-opening guide that clearly explains the why and how behind the most important activity in sales and business development―prospecting. Download our free Fanatical Prospecting Book Club Guide HERE.

Feb 12

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 you’re dealing with people who are older and more experienced than you? Ellie’s question highlights a universal issue in sales. Whether you’re dealing with age differences or expertise gaps, it’s easy to feel anxious if your buyer is decades older or has been in the industry for a long time. Below, you’ll 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 It’s Mostly in Your Head A significant part of Ellie’s challenge stems from internal dialogue rather than external facts. As I reminded her, rarely will a prospect openly declare, “I don’t respect you because you’re young.” Instead, we often impose that narrative on ourselves. Negative Self-TalkTelling yourself, “They’ll never take me seriously,” can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. When you believe you lack standing, that energy radiates, and prospects pick up on it. Flip Your MindsetMost professionals—older or otherwise—care 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 Questions The 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 they’ve been in the business for decades, demonstrate sincere curiosity: “How have you seen this industry evolve since you started?” or “What are some of the biggest shifts you’re preparing for next?” 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 don’t know and say, “I’d love to learn from someone with your track record. What advice would you give to someone like me?” You’ll be amazed at how many seasoned pros want to mentor enthusiastic newcomers. Don’t Fear “I Don’t Know”If you get a technical question you can’t answer on the spot, say, “That’s a great question. I’m not 100% sure, but let me check with my team and get back to you.” This approach does two things: it proves you’re honest (rather than bluffing), and it gives you a solid reason to continue the conversation later. 3. Relaxed, Assertive Confidence—The “Jedi Mind Trick” If there’s a secret weapon in sales, it’s projecting selling confidence. But this isn’t about memorizing every rebuttal or faking bravado. It’s about becoming relaxed and assertive enough to handle anything that comes your way. Rely on Frameworks and Processes Know the steps you’ll take to open a call, overcome objections, or ask for the business. When you trust your proven framework, you’re less likely to freeze under pressure. For instance, if you have a system for handling objections, you’ll approach objections with calm anticipation rather than dread. Practice and Role-Play Just like athletes rehearse plays, sales pros need to rehearse calls. Role playing with a manager or teammate builds “muscle memory.” When real-world situations or questions arise, it’ll feel familiar—something you’ve already navigated. Overcome Obstacle Fear Face 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 they’re just people with specific needs and pain points. Keep Your Pipeline Full Nothing 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 Even the best frameworks won’t help if your own thoughts tear you down. Here’s how to realign your mindset: Self-AwarenessListen to the messages in your head. Are you mentally telling yourself you don’t belong, or that you lack the expertise to help a big-name prospect? Recognize those thoughts for what they are—self-imposed limitations. Positive AffirmationsReplace negative chatter with empowering statements: “I’ve prepared carefully, and I know how to ask the right questions. I’m here to help.” Simple but effective. Visualize SuccessBefore stepping into a meeting, picture the conversation unfolding smoothly. Imagine asking incisive questions and guiding the prospect to a positive next step. That mental rehearsal can soothe nerves and raise your confidence. 5. Making “Older” Prospects Feel Familiar Intimidation often stems from the unknown. When you deal with a large, entrenched prospect, it’s easy to see them as unapproachable. But frequent interaction turns intimidation into familiarity. Aim for Micro-CommitmentsInstead of pushing for a big purchase right away, propose a short introductory meeting or a quick product demo. Build the relationship gradually, letting familiarity replace doubt, and boost your selling confidence. Don’t Confuse Longevity with RigiditySome of the most established companies are eager for fresh ideas. If you display genuine interest in helping them innovate, you’ll stand out among reps who assume older clients won’t consider new solutions. 6. The Bottom Line: Confidence Is Contagious Whether you’re talking to a brand-new entrepreneur or a CEO with decades of experience, confidence is a feeling people sense and respond to. If you walk in unsure of yourself, that doubt can quietly poison the interaction. But if you arrive calm, prepared, and sincerely invested in understanding your buyer’s world, you’ll find that even the most seasoned executives lean in with curiosity and respect. Remember: You don’t need to know everything. You just need to show genuine interest, have a reliable process, and let your passion for helping them shine through. That’s the real secret to selling confidence across any age gap—making the other person feel heard, validated, and supported. Got a Burning Sales Question? If you’re wrestling with a tough scenario—whether it’s about age gaps, prospecting woes, or tricky objections—I’d love to help you tackle it. Head over to salesgravy.com/ask, fill out a short form, and our team will reach out to schedule you for a future Ask Jeb episode.

Feb 10

A few weeks back, I was delivering a Fanatical Prospecting Bootcamp to a group of sales reps - all in their 20s. They had been assigned to me because their boss was tired of listening to their excuses about why they weren’t consistently picking up the phone and prospecting. When he brought me in, he said matter of factly: “They won’t pay any attention to me, but before I start firing people, I’m hoping you can get through to them.” The reps didn’t want to be there. It was a hostile audience from the start. Just as I kicked off the training, one of the reps challenged me with, “Your book Fanatical Prospecting was written a long time ago. Is it even relevant anymore?” His sneering words were more of a statement than a question. Cold Calling is Old School Distraction Like 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. There were a couple of snickers from the back of the room in anticipation for what I would do next. But I’d been to this rodeo many times before. “What do you think has changed since I wrote the book?” I asked calmly. The young rep shot back condescendingly. “Well, for one thing, nobody answers the phone anymore.” So I challenged him right back. “Ok, let’s test your hypothesis. Let me see the prospecting list that you brought with you.” (We run live call blocks in our Fanatical Prospecting Boot Camps and require participants to bring a list with them to class.) Cold Calling Reality Bites I 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. I made 11 dials to his list, spoke to two decision makers and set one appointment—all within a span of about 15 minutes. As I handed him back his laptop, I turned to the group and asked, “Any more questions?” Elvis Presley said, “The truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain’t goin’ away.” The reason telephone prospecting wasn’t working for the petulant sales rep who challenged me was that he wasn’t doing it. The cold truth about cold calling is that nobody answers a phone that doesn’t ring. Sales Success is Paid for In Advance with Prospecting What was true when I wrote Fanatical Prospecting is still true today: If you wait for people to come to you, you’ll starve to death. 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. Here’s another truth for you: When it comes to prospecting, you cannot be delusional and have a full pipeline at the same time. 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. 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 Marketplace The most coveted, highest-earning sales jobs are reserved for rainmakers who have the ability to fill their pipeline through outbound prospecting and cold calling activity. This is a prized and highly rewarded meta-skill in today’s noisy marketplace. The top-earning sales professionals in every industry, everywhere, understand this at a visceral level. This is why they are absolutely fanatical about prospecting. If you want to make more money, be successful in your sales career or business, earn the income and get the awards you feel you deserve, then you need to get right with this truth right now. This is a binary choice: Do you want to be successful in sales OR linger in mediocrity, failure and eventually be replaced by a robot? Go look yourself in the mirror right now and answer that question. Success in sales is paid for in advance with prospecting. If you are not willing to pay this price, get out now. Go do something else. Life is far too short to spend it doing something you hate. Fanatical Prospecting Gives Your Sales Career Wings On the other hand, if the answer is yes and you choose to embrace success, then make the commitment to be a relentless, unstoppable, fanatical prospector. Ditch your wishbone; grow a prospecting backbone. Fanatical Prospecting is the path to freedom. Embracing it gives you wings. It is the difference between earning enough income to create generational wealth or living paycheck to paycheck for the rest of your life, living in your dream home or paying rent for some flea-bitten place someone else owns, settling for a low budget staycation or taking your family on an epic dream vacation. It will change your life. Fanatical prospectors are always on, all the time, everywhere. They fill every available moment in their sales day with prospecting activity. They prospect day and night, anywhere and anytime. They are always on the hunt for the next opportunity. Fanatical Prospectors are fearless. They strike up conversations with strangers in line to get coffee, in elevators, on planes, trains, and anywhere they can talk with people and qualify potential prospects. They ask people where they work, what they do, and who makes decisions at their company. Fanatical Prospectors get up early in the morning and bang the phone. During the day, they knock on doors. They go to networking events, conferences, and tradeshows. They invest in their professional network and ask for referrals. At night they engage prospects on social media. And when it's time to go home, they always make one more call. The pipe is life and this is why Fanatical Prospecting is as relevant today as it was the day I wrote it. That’s the cold hard truth. Download Jeb's FREE Fanatical Prospecting Book Club and Study Guide. This 31-page guide includes summaries, discussion prompts, individual reflections, and exercises. Get it Here Find out more on the Fanatical Prospecting Live Curriculum HERE

Feb 6

Is your website truly working as hard as your sales team? In today’s competitive digital landscape, your website isn’t just an online brochure—it 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 isn’t converting visitors into customers, it’s time to rethink your approach. In this blog post, we’ll show you how to apply Dunning’s key strategies to turn your website into a dynamic, lead-generating sales machine. Key Takeaways: Caveman Grunt Website Test: Follow the “We do X that solves Y” 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: Don’t 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-ALV67iT4 1. SEO Strategies are Not Dead Sure, 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 Google’s AI overviews. But as far as we know, for Google – which still dominates the landscape – the same effective SEO strategies make for high rankings on AI overviews. That means overall you still need to focus on Google’s 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 you’ve 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 problems 2. The Caveman Grunt Website Test: A Simple Formula for Success Does 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 straightforward—avoid 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 Points The 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. Here’s 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 quickly 4. Using Podcasts to Build Authority and Generate Leads Once you’ve optimized your website for clarity and customer pain points, it’s time to extend your reach. Podcasting is a powerful tool for building your brand, establishing authority, and generating inbound leads. By hosting or guesting on podcasts, you can: Build credibility in your industry. Attract referral-based leads and audience-driven prospects. Leverage your podcast content to drive traffic back to your website. Tip: Focus on building relationships with other podcasters. Once you've established your authority, use your podcast to actively engage with prospects and customers. 5. Turn Passions Into Profit: A Strategic Experimentation Framework Sam Dunning's approach to business is all about experimentation. He believes that successful business ideas come from testing what you love and seeing if it can generate revenue. Here's how to apply it: Choose a project or activity you’re passionate about. Form a hypothesis about how it could create revenue. Give it three months to see if the hypothesis holds up. This experimentation mindset allows you to innovate and explore new ways to engage your audience. Whether it’s social media, cold calling, or podcasting, focus on the activities that align with your business goals. 6. Effective SEO is Never a One-and-Done Task Many businesses make the mistake of thinking SEO is a one-time task that ends once you’ve uploaded a plugin or added keywords to your site. In reality, SEO is a continuous process that requires regular updates and attention. Here’s what you need to do: Ongoing Keyword Research: Update your keywords based on trends and changing search behaviors. Backlink Building: Engage in link-building strategies to improve your domain authority. Content Optimization: Refresh old blog posts and pages with updated, relevant content. Technical SEO: Ensure your site is mobile-friendly, loads quickly, and is free from technical errors. Tip: SEO is a long-term investment. It’s not enough to optimize once and forget about it—consistently work to improve your search engine visibility. Final Thoughts: Build a Website that Converts and Grows Your Business In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, there’s no shortcut to success. To build a high-converting website, focus on: Simplicity: Follow the Caveman Grunt Test for clear, effective messaging. Trust-building: Layer in testimonials, reviews, and proof of your product's value. Constant iteration: Regularly review and update your website to keep it aligned with customer needs and effective SEO strategies. Experimentation: Leverage new channels like podcasting and keep testing to find what works for your business. With the right approach, your website can become one of your best salespeople, driving leads and growth. Remember, building a successful website is a long-term strategy that requires patience, experimentation, and consistent improvement. Jeb Blount’s bestselling book Fanatical Prospecting: The Ultimate Guide to Opening Sales Conversations and Filling the Pipeline by Leveraging Social Selling, Telephone, Email, Text, and Cold Calling. is a practical, eye-opening guide that clearly explains the why and how behind the most important activity in sales and business development―prospecting. Download our free Fanatical Prospecting Book Club Guide HERE.

Feb 4

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 “sell” a project to their own clients before Zack’s 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! I’m Jeb Blount—bestselling author of Fanatical Prospecting, Objections, Sales EQ, and INKED. In each of these special episodes, we shine a spotlight on your questions, challenges, and roadblocks—offering real-world advice from sales pros who are in the trenches every single day. 1. Recognize the Real-World Obstacles Whether 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 it’s easy to be frustrated by this extra layer, it’s crucial to acknowledge a few realities: -- Your Customer’s Motivation: They’re laser-focused on winning their own deal. Your product or service is secondary—important, but not top of mind until they’re assured of a win. -- Lead Time: Deals can stretch out because you’re 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 you—rather than jumping to a competitor at the eleventh hour. 2. Be a Genuine Partner, Not a Peddler It’s tempting to keep nudging your buyers with hard-closing tactics, but that rarely works when they haven’t secured their own contract. Instead, pivot to a mindset of partnership: Build Real Relationships Invest 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, they’ll feel comfortable turning to a friend—you—for the solution they need. Offer Strategic Expertise If 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 Responsive If they’re scrambling to nail down specifics for a bid, be the easiest person on their call list. Quick turnaround times and thorough answers showcase that you’re a reliable partner. Nobody wants a vendor who goes dark when the pressure is on. 3. Avoid Becoming a “Quote Factory” One of the biggest pitfalls in this scenario is turning into a “quote factory” who does piles of work for prospects who never buy. While it’s true you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, you also waste valuable hours if you keep shooting at targets that never pan out. -- Track Buying History Look at your records: are there customers or accounts for which you consistently provide proposals and never see a sale? Identify these patterns. -- Have Candid Conversations Let them know your time and expertise aren’t free. You’re 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 Deals If you’re caught up producing endless quotes for “long-shot” clients, you’ll lack bandwidth to develop deeper relationships where you can add real value. By focusing your time on viable buyers who have a history of awarding you the deal—or who show strong potential—you improve your overall win probability. 4. Arm Them to “Sell You” Internally Even if you’re not strictly dealing with a bid environment, many of us rely on champions who must pitch our solutions to higher-ups. They effectively “resell” what we offer inside their organization. To help them succeed: Provide Clear, Concise Value Propositions Offer bullet-pointed benefits, case studies, and ROI data they can share internally—without overwhelming them. Simplicity wins. Volunteer Your Presence In some cases, you can join a call or meeting with executives. This direct access gives you a chance to handle objections and demonstrate credibility first-hand. Check In Without Hovering Balanced follow-up is key. Too many check-ins can feel pushy. Too few and you disappear from their radar. Develop a steady, empathetic cadence that ensures you remain top-of-mind. 5. Bend the Win Probability in Your Favor Remember, you don’t control whether your customers win their own deals, but you do control your approach to the relationship. If you focus on becoming indispensable, customers will fight to include you when it’s time to deliver. -- Stay Price-Competitive, But Don’t Race to the Bottom If your margin is too high, your customer might choose someone else. However, if you’re always the lowest-priced vendor, you risk becoming a commodity. Earn business through value and trust. -- Provide Critical Insights If you can highlight cost savings, faster implementation, or greater efficiency—particularly in ways your competitors haven’t—your customer has a stronger pitch to their client or internal stakeholders. -- Expand Your Network Speak with multiple stakeholders. If one contact disappears or the champion moves on, having other relationships in the organization can keep your deal alive. 6. Final Thoughts Even if you’re not technically waiting for your customer to sell something first, you often are relying on someone to champion your cause internally. In both cases, the takeaway is the same: support your customer, become a trusted advisor, and make sure they see you as vital to their success. If you do, when they finally land that contract or secure that budget approval, you’ll be the first person they call. That means less time fighting for scraps and more time closing real, profitable deals. Have a Sales Challenge of Your Own? If you’ve got a question, a snag, or a pressing issue in your sales life, I want to hear about it! Head over to salesgravy.com/ask, fill out the quick form, and one of our amazing producers will reach out to schedule you for an upcoming Ask Jeb episode. In the meantime, remember: when you’re tired, when you’re frustrated, when you’ve had enough—always make one more call. It could be the one that changes everything.

Feb 2

On this first Monday of the second month of the year, it’s 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. We’re 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 we’d make positive lasting changes in our lives. It’s Easy to Slip Off the Track You’ll 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, it’s easy to forget what motivated us to make the changes in the first place. It’s 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. It’s just human nature. Small Slips in Discipline Can Add Up Quickly Let’s 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. You’ve been making excuses to avoid the very activities that move you closer to your goals. I’ll admit that it happened to me just this past week. This month has been non-stop travel — 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 wouldn’t do when the year started. I know that if I don’t stop right now and recommit to my goals, then there is a good chance that I’ll continue down this negative path — because it’s easy. Revisit Your Goals and Resolutions This 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 Month’s Performance Against Your Sales Goals Next, step back and evaluate your first month’s sales performance. As you do, you’ll likely find one of three scenarios: You Crushed It – You had a killer month and blew your goals out of the water. You Were Average – You hit quota or did “okay,” but you know you’re capable of much higher performance. You Bombed – You missed your number and ended the month worse than you hoped. Great Sales Month If You Crushed it, and you’re on the top of the ranking report fantastic, congratulations! But be very careful not to let off the gas. It’s 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 don’t end up with a lackluster February and a disastrous March. In other words, you’ve set the foundation for a huge year, take advantage of what you have accomplished and keep the pedal to the metal! Average Sales Month If you had an average or just OK month — maybe you hit quota, maybe you came close, but you know you’ve got more in the tank — then it’s 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 more to get some of your pipeline opportunities to close. It could have been that your pipeline wasn’t big enough from the start, and you ended up scrambling to make your numbers; but, otherwise you did everything right. It’s okay, you haven’t hurt yourself. You are still in a good position to have a great year. But you’ll 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, breakdown your performance, and get guidance on where you can make tweaks and get better. If you don’t have a coach and you want to talk with someone go to https://salesgravy.com/coach to get help. Bad Sales Month If you bombed, if your month was downright awful, then you’re going to need to move fast to make adjustments. Getting behind the eight ball at the beginning of the year is no fun. You don't want to chase your tail for the rest of the year. The key is taking positive action now. Rather than dwelling on the negatives — which is super easy to do — pull your head up and start breaking down what happened. Empty Pipe Did 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 Pushed Were there closable pipeline opportunities that simply pushed into this month? Make sure you’re on top of them so they don’t vanish for good. But also make sure you have the pipe to cover this month so you’re not solely depending on last month’s leftovers. Shortcutting the Sales Process Is 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 selling— 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 Goals We 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 — say it out loud: “I’m going to be better in February than I was in January.” Need help setting winning Sales Goals? Check out our FREE Goal Planning Guide

Jan 30

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 Isn’t the Enemy: Whether it’s internal (“me-me”) or between you and others, conflict can be a catalyst for growth if handled with empathy and awareness. Self-Awareness Is Critical: Recognize when you’re 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 person’s style, and clarify misunderstandings by asking what they actually heard. Find a Coach or Mentor: Don’t underestimate the value of someone else’s perspective. A coach sees the “swing flaws” in your sales approach that you might never notice on your own. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2049xdXQ5Ac Why Conflict Is Everywhere in Sales Sales is an inherently conflict-laden profession. You’re asking people for time and resources, you’re persuading them to make decisions, and you’re often balancing multiple interests—your client’s, your company’s, 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 — especially if you’re unsure of your own capabilities. The Three Types of Conflict Conflict can be broken down into three categories: Me vs. You Conflict – Disagreements between individuals (customers, peers, bosses). Me vs. Job Conflict – Situations where your personal values clash with your job role or tasks. Me vs. Me Conflict – Internal struggles, such as procrastination or fear of failure. The“me vs. me” conflict might be the most insidious, because it can sabotage your motivation, self-esteem, and willingness to accept feedback. The “Me-Me” Conflict: Your Biggest Obstacle Many sales professionals fail because they lose the internal battle with themselves in “me-me” 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 “Me-Me” Conflict Snowballs Letting small tasks slip—like hitting the snooze button or blowing off a follow-up call—quickly 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 life—leading to more conflict, and sometimes even lower productivity. Overcoming Internal Doubts Through Awareness The ultimate tool to combat negative self-talk and “me-me” conflict is awareness. Here’s 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 addictive—in the best way—helping you build the self-confidence to tackle bigger challenges. Practical Tip: When you notice you’re about to avoid something important—like a call block—stop and say, “This is hard, but I’m doing it anyway.” That small statement of intent can be enough to reset your mindset for action. Why Self-Talk Shapes Your Sales Results In 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 “I’m not good enough.” -- One tough call leads to “They’ll never buy from me.” -- One missed quota leads to “I’m going to fail.” Bottom line: Self-talk matters. The real measure of your success in sales often lies between your ears. If you speak kindly and honestly to yourself, and allow for vulnerability, you’ll have a far easier time letting go of fears and focusing on solutions. Me-You Conflict: Turning Tension into a Win-Win While internal conflict can sabotage sales careers from within, “me-you” conflict is equally prevalent—whether it’s with a boss, a coworker, or a spouse. Some communication styles are naturally more direct, while others are more cautious and relationship-oriented. In many organizations, leaders and reps clash simply because they have different default modes of interacting. How to Resolve Me-You Conflict Start with Empathy: Recognize the other person’s communication style. If they’re more reserved, ease into sensitive topics. If they’re a high-energy type, be ready for rapid-fire conversation. Overreact, Then Respond, Then Recover: This might sound counterintuitive, but by initially “overreacting” in a positive, empathetic way—“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry this happened!”—you invite the other person to calm down and reassure you it’s not that big a deal. Argue from Their Perspective: Even if you believe you’re right, try to make a case for the other person’s position. It helps you see the flaws in your own argument and fosters empathy. Building a Culture of Communication in Your Team Conflict resolution is at the heart of building a positive organizational culture. If you want your team to thrive, you need to encourage open communication and teach employees how to handle tension productively. This is especially critical in sales, where reps face an onslaught of customer objections and internal performance pressures. Practical Strategies for Leaders: -- Positive-Framing Technique: Start a tough conversation by reinforcing your respect for the other person. Then address the specific issue or behavior that needs to change, and end by reaffirming the person’s value. -- Seek Feedback: After giving instructions in a meeting, ask, “What did you hear me say?” This clarifies misunderstandings and reduces errors down the line. -- Hire and Reward Coaching: A coaching culture within sales teams can defuse conflict before it escalates. If your people know they’ll receive—and are expected to give—constructive feedback, “me-you” conflict becomes less personal and more about mutual growth. Ultimately, conflict is unavoidable in sales. The real question is whether you’ll allow it to derail your goals, or use it as a chance to deepen relationships, refine your technique, and grow as a professional. With the right tools, training, and mindset, you can turn every disagreement or challenge into a stepping stone toward higher performance and success. Learn more about how to avoid “you-me” conflicts over email by reading our blog “How Email Can Sabotage Our Work Relationships” by Rick Kirschner, author of “How to Click with People.” https://salesgravy.com/effective-sales-managers-embrace-conflict/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JffemCMeDQI https://salesgravy.com/remove-negativity-from-your-life-in-90-days/

Jan 28

If you’ve 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., who’s 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. Paul’s Challenge: Driving Consistent Prospecting Call Blocks Paul leads a medium-sized logistics company with reps spread out in California, Utah, and El Salvador. He’s 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. Here’s the advice I shared: Make Prospecting a Daily Conversation As a leader, you need to talk about prospecting every single day. Yes, you’ll feel like a broken record, but that repetition is crucial for setting expectations. “Show Up” for the Call Blocks If your team was all in one building, you’d 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 can’t stand next to them physically, but you can still see them, and they can see you. It’s 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 bursts—10, 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 Complaints Reps might moan about being “micromanaged,” but if you keep it fun and energetic, they’ll 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: “How do we keep our reps pumped for prospecting?” Here’s the Reality Check Nobody Truly “Loves” Prospecting: Prospecting is hard, and most of us won’t 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 don’t treat prospecting as a top priority, neither will they. Be like teflon: no excuses stick. Lead by Example Get out on the “floor” (or on the Zoom call) and make calls with them. Don’t hide in your office. When they see you doing the work, they’ll know you mean business. Use the Power of HIPS Those high-intensity sprints work just as well here. Run “power hours” with quick breaks in between and track your team’s progress publicly. Leading Prospecting Activity Is an Infinite Game Let’s face it: prospecting is often the least-liked activity in sales. It’s easy to push aside because it involves repeated rejection, logistical juggling, and tight discipline. Yet it’s the lifeblood of any thriving pipeline—no prospecting, no leads, no deals, no revenue. And if you have a remote team, like Paul does, you’re dealing with additional hurdles: time zones, limited supervision, and diminished peer pressure. It’s all too easy for your reps to skip their “call block” if you’re not right there to keep them accountable. As a sales leader, you can’t just “fix” prospecting once and forget about it. The moment you move on, your team will start slacking. You have to show up, be present, keep the energy up, and run those call blocks every day. There’s no shortcut, but with the right structure, accountability, and mindset, you’ll maintain a full pipeline and keep hitting those targets—even if your team is spread across the globe. Key Takeaways Make Prospecting Non-Negotiable: If it’s not a core daily priority for you, it won’t be for your team. Use Technology to Close the Remote Gap: Schedule video call blocks, share screens, or split into breakout rooms. Presence leads to productivity. Short, Intense Bursts Outperform Marathon Sessions: Quick sprints keep energy high and reduce mental fatigue. Accept That Prospecting “Isn’t Fun”—But Necessary: Stop waiting for everyone to be “excited.” Focus on discipline and wins will follow. Lead From the Front: Consistency in your message and your personal involvement is everything. Want to Be on the Show? If you’ve got a burning question about prospecting, sales leadership, or closing deals, I want to hear from you! Head over to salesgravy.com/ask, fill out the form, and one of our awesome producers will reach out to schedule you on a future episode of Ask Jeb.

Jan 26

As humans, we naturally fear rejection and do everything possible to avoid it. We’re social creatures at our core, and being rejected feels like we’re being shunned, banished, or kicked out of the group. In fact, the two biggest human fears are rejection and death—and 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, it’s 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. It’s the fear of rejection that makes selling so difficult for most people—and why most people will never do your job. Sales is such a lucrative career choice simply because it’s 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 Receive The 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 don’t ask, you won’t get. You might steer clear of the pain of rejection for a while, but sooner or later it’ll 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, I’ve found, hurt far worse over the long run than rejection. There’s a verse in the Christian Bible, Matthew 7:7, that goes, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Now, I recognize that Jesus isn’t talking about sales in this verse, but he could be. You’ll often hear it expressed as, “Ask and you shall receive.” If you think about that for a moment, you’ll 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 Wishbone Far 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 don’t—because it doesn’t work that way. If you want to sell more and earn more, you need to ditch your wishbone and grow a backbone. It’s up to you to ask. Asking is the beginning of receiving, so you won’t 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, there’s always the potential for objections and rejection. There’s always the chance you won’t get what you asked for. That’s just how asking works. The Hardest Part of Asking: Learning to Shut Up This 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. It’s hard to shut up when you’ve 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 “no.” To protect yourself from hearing a rejection, you might start talking, and talking, and talking—deluding yourself into believing that as long as you keep talking, your prospect can’t reject you. The problem is, in that moment of emotional weakness, you come across as insecure and untrustworthy. You introduce objections that didn’t previously exist. You start blabbing on and on about features and benefits, terms and conditions, your dog, or what you had for lunch—until 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 Weapon Here’s the most important rule of asking: After you ask, you must shut up. Despite the alarm bells going off in your adrenaline-soaked mind—despite your pounding heart, sweaty palms, and fear—you have to bite your tongue, sit on your hands, mute the phone, do whatever it takes to remain silent and allow your prospect to answer. Sometimes they say yes. Sometimes you get a flat no. Most often, though, you’ll get a maybe, which usually shows up as an objection, a question, or a negotiation. And right there is your opportunity to turn maybe into yes, because objections are not rejection. Objections Are Not Rejection Objections are signs of confusion, concern, the sorting out of options, risk aversion, cognitive overload, and the fear of change. Objections are a natural part of the human decision-making process. They show that your prospect is still engaged and simply needs your help to make a tough decision. Questions are also not rejection. People often ask legitimate, but difficult, questions they need answered before they feel comfortable moving forward. Confidently and calmly answer their questions, and you’ll get the yes you’re seeking. Negotiation is not rejection either. Negotiation is a clear indication that your prospect is engaged and ready to buy. The door is open to a yes—you just need to collaborate with your stakeholder to gain consensus on a mutually beneficial deal. Improve Your Closing and Negotiation Skills If you want to become a better closer and negotiator in these situations, check out my book, Inked: The Ultimate Guide to Powerful Closing and Sales Negotiation Tactics that Unlock YES and Seal the Deal. Inked is a comprehensive guide that will teach you exactly how to improve your win rate. You can get it in hardcover or listen to the audio version on Audible or Spotify. Put On Your “Courage Boots” To be a rainmaker in sales—and in life—you must put on your courage boots, walk out into the world, and face rejection head-on. Rather than running from it, you have to go through, over, under, or around it—whatever it takes to get to a yes. What makes rainmakers unstoppable is their willingness to run headlong into rejection again and again, enduring it with the unwavering belief that they will find a way to win. Embrace the ask, shut up to let silence do its work, respond to objections with confidence, and you’ll discover just how powerful you really are.

Jan 23

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 of 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/h5OLDcbI66c Sales 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 Foundation Courage 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 Within Emotional intelligence (EQ) is a crucial skill for understanding and managing emotions, both in oneself and in others. The foundation of EQ is self-awareness—knowing personal strengths, weaknesses, and triggers. Leaders who prioritize self-awareness are better equipped to navigate relationships and team dynamics. EQ also involves empathy and active listening. Leaders who genuinely seek to understand their team members' perspectives can create stronger connections and build trust. Slowing down, observing, and asking thoughtful questions are critical steps in enhancing EQ. In fast-paced environments, pausing to assess situations and people carefully can lead to more informed and effective decision-making. The Art of Listening Listening is a cornerstone of great leadership. It requires full attention, a willingness to ask open-ended questions, and the ability to avoid assumptions. Active listening goes beyond hearing words; it involves paying attention to tone, body language, and the emotional context of conversations. Leaders who listen well can uncover valuable insights, prevent misunderstandings, and demonstrate respect for their teams. Authenticity and Vulnerability Authenticity is increasingly valued in leadership. Employees and clients alike seek leaders who are transparent, genuine, and aligned with their values. Being authentic means staying true to personal principles while encouraging others to do the same. Vulnerability is a critical component of authenticity, as it allows leaders to admit mistakes, express doubts, and show their human side. This openness fosters a culture of trust and psychological safety. Women in Sales Leadership Women in Sales Leadership often face unique challenges, including workplace bias and higher rates of imposter syndrome. Despite their accomplishments, many women doubt their abilities and feel pressure to conform to traditional leadership styles. Encouraging authenticity and confidence in their unique strengths can empower women to excel in leadership roles. Increasing the representation of women in leadership positions also helps amplify diverse perspectives, creating a more inclusive and effective workplace. Conflict Resolution with EQ Effective conflict resolution is an important skill for leaders. Leaders can navigate workplace conflicts by observing situations, asking thoughtful questions, and listening carefully to all parties involved. Emotional intelligence plays a key role in effectively understanding different perspectives and finding common ground. Executive coaching can help leaders develop these skills, enabling them to address conflicts constructively and foster harmony within their teams. The Role of Intuition Decision-making often involves balancing data-driven insights with intuition. While gut feelings are shaped by past experiences, intuition goes deeper and reflects an understanding that is not easily quantified. Leaders who trust their intuition can navigate uncertain situations and make sound decisions even when the path forward is unclear. Recognizing the distinction between intuition and gut feelings can help leaders refine their decision-making processes. Self-Care and Resilience Leadership can be demanding, and self-care is essential for maintaining resilience. Structured routines, such as meditation or mindfulness practices, can help leaders stay focused and manage stress. Taking time for self-reflection and personal growth allows leaders to recharge and approach challenges with renewed energy and clarity. Building a Culture of Trust and Growth Leaders who prioritize trust, empathy, and growth create a solid foundation for long-term success. Encouraging collaboration, valuing diverse perspectives, and fostering open communication strengthen team dynamics. Celebrating achievements and acknowledging hard work also reinforce a culture of positivity and perseverance. Jeb Blount’s bestselling book Sales EQ: How Ultra High Performers Leverage Sales-Specific Emotional Intelligence to Close the Complex Deal helps guide salespeople through the many hurdles that many struggle with in building authentic relationships with prospects. Download our free Sales EQ Book Club Guide HERE.

Jan 21

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 it’s driving him nuts. He wants to know if there’s a better way to break through all the noise—or 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. Why Sales Feels Harder Than Ever Let’s face it: sales is tough, and it’s not getting any easier. With an explosion of AI-driven messages and automated outreach, our prospects—especially C-suite executives—are tuning out more than ever. We call this phenomenon the “great ignore.” If you don’t stand out from the torrent of spam, you will get lost in the shuffle. Ron’s question—“Do I just need to make more calls, or is there some next-best method?”—is a dilemma many of us face. The short answer? It’s both. You do need volume, but you also have to differentiate. If you’re just another voice in the crowd, you’ll be ignored, no matter how many dials you make. Tactic #1: Multi-Threading (Don’t Just Call the CEO) A key point I shared with Ron is the power of multi-threading. That means calling multiple people in the organization—not 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, “I’ve spoken with your COO; you’re looking for a VP of Sales. I have a candidate you need to meet…” This top-down, bottom-up approach helps you gather context, build rapport, and earn the right to talk to the CEO by proving you’re not just randomly dialing. Tactic #2: Leave Voicemails—But Make Them Count Ron admitted he’s not always sure whether to leave voicemails. Most of us have left hundreds of voicemails and gotten very few callbacks, so it’s tempting to skip them. But here’s the thing: in today’s world, voicemail transcripts often end up in a prospect’s email inbox or text messages. Keep It Short: No more than 30 seconds. Make It Compelling: Name-drop a role you know they’re hiring for or highlight your unique solution in a single sentence. Use a Teaser: “I’ve got the perfect candidate for your open VP of Sales position—let’s talk.” Even if they don’t call back immediately, they’re hearing your name and your pitch. Over time, that repetition can pay off—especially if you combine voicemails with other forms of outreach. Tactic #3: Build Sequences That Tell a Story The real magic is in creating a multichannel sequence over 30 to 60 days. It’s not just “call once and cross your fingers.” Instead, plan multiple touches that tie together: Voicemail #1 Follow-Up Email (within 24–48 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 “Hey, it’s me again!” message. Tell a story or highlight different benefits at each step. Show them you’re genuinely interested in their business—not just cold-calling from a script. Tactic #4: Know Your Prospect’s Buying Window Sometimes the CEO won’t respond because there’s no immediate need for your product or service. For Ron, if they’re not hiring, they won’t care about a recruiter. That’s okay—it doesn’t mean you should vanish. Keep Dripping: A low-frequency sequence keeps you on their radar. Listen for Signals: Maybe they just received funding or they’re expanding into a new market. That’s your cue to ramp up the touches. Remember, timing is everything. The moment they do need your service, you want to be top of mind. Tactic #5: Tighten the Gaps, Shorten the Sequence When you discover a hot lead—someone is hiring, or they are launching a new division—compress your timeline: Hit them daily for two weeks. Vary the channels (phone, video DM, LinkedIn, email). Mention that you already know they have an immediate need. With a clear business driver, you can (and should) dial up your frequency. If you’re genuinely offering a solution to a pressing problem, they want to hear from you. Key Takeaways: Getting CEOs to Answer Cold Calls -Don’t Rely on a Single Contact: Multi-threading is your friend. -Always Leave a Voicemail: It’s a free shot to get your message in their ear or inbox. -Build Thoughtful Sequences: Each touch should reference the last, giving your outreach momentum. -Match Frequency to Need: Slow drip for “lukewarm,” heavy pursuit for “red hot.” -Stay the Course: You won’t always see immediate ROI, but consistency wins over time. Got a Question for Me? Be on the Next Ask Jeb! If you’re wrestling with a tough sales or leadership challenge, I want to hear about it. Head to salesgravy.com/ask, fill out the form, and my producers will reach out to schedule you on an upcoming episode. It’s your chance to get real-world advice from someone who’s in the trenches every day.

Jan 19

Here’s an important question: Are you coachable? 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. Coachability is an open mindset—being flexible, adaptable, the willingness to learn and consider different perspectives, and inviting criticism and critique—without getting defensive. It’s about keeping yourself from slipping into the “I already know it all” or “There’s nothing new here” trap or deciding flatly that you don’t need help because you’re just that good. Mindset and Self-Awareness True 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. 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. Where there is self-awareness there is the opportunity for transformation—even, 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 feedback—especially when it challenges what we believe about ourselves. Coachability is the Hallmark of Ultra-High Performers But here’s the kicker: coachability is the hallmark of ultra-high performers. Look at any elite athlete, and you’ll find a coach nearby. Many of them have an entire team of coaches. I’m a huge golf fan. Golf, for me, is more than a sport; it’s a metaphor for sales and life. It’s hard, humbling, and mastering it is an infinite game. The best golfers in the world spend a ton of money on coaches. They’ll 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. When I’m working with my own golf coach it sometimes hurts to have him stand there and critique my swing - especially when I think what I’m 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 Spots Sales is no different. It’s tough, it’s competitive, and it seems impossible to ever reach “perfection.” A sales great coach exposes your blind spots. They can help you see what you’re doing right (and need to do more of) and what you’re doing wrong (and need to correct). The challenge is, so many salespeople resist the feedback. They sit in training sessions or roleplays with their arms crossed, telling themselves that they don’t need this. Veterans, in particular, get stuck in their ways, acting like they’ve got nothing left to learn. But I also see the opposite problem with rookies or young reps who can’t 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 Care The fact is, coaches are investing time in you because they care about you and want to see you succeed. That doesn’t mean they won’t 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 hard—probably harder than anyone ever had—and at first, it rubbed me the wrong way. I’d go home, complain to my wife about how he was criticizing me. I was convinced that he was intentionally picking on me. One day I was complaining about Bob to my dad—who knew a little something about life. He said, “Maybe you should pay attention to Bob. Sounds to me like he’s been pretty successful. Perhaps he sees potential in you and wants you to win.” My dad’s advice hit me like a ton of bricks: Bob’s coaching wasn’t an insult; it was a gift. He was showing me what I couldn’t see, and once I opened my mind to that, my career and income soared. The impact of his coaching helped make me who I am today. Are You Coachable? So, back to my original question: Are you coachable? Are you open to letting someone “break down your swing”? How about letting a coach dissect your cold call approach or how you conduct discovery conversations or presentations? Or does your ego get in the way? The magic happens when you stay open. When you have the emotional discipline to hear the feedback without melting down or getting defensive. When no matter how good you think you are, you believe that you can still get even better. Coachability Attracts Coaches Coachability isn't something you either have or don't have. It's a skill that can be developed and improved over time. By consciously practicing the key components of coachability – like actively seeking feedback and being open to new ideas you can and will become more coachable. With coachability comes improved performance, increased win rates, and a higher income. When you are coachable, you will sell more. The greatest thing? When you’re coachable, you attract coaches. People love to coach someone who’s receptive, engaged, and willing to apply what they’re learning. Coaches want to see you progress. They want to see you lean in, make adjustments, and when you fail, try again. As you do that more and more, you’ll attract mentors and coaches into your life who are eager to help you succeed because they’ll see that you’re worth investing in. Seek Out Coaching If you don’t currently have a coach—or a leader who is willing to invest in you - there are still ways to get the support you need. If you feel like you need someone in your corner check out Sales Gravy coaching options at SalesGravy.com/coach Our programs are not for everyone, but it might be the perfect next step for you to check out if you’re serious about leveling up your game. But whether you work with us or not, the takeaway is this: Seek out coaching. Don’t wait for it to come to you. Embrace Discomfort Remember, a coach’s job is to push you beyond your comfort zone, to point out what you can’t see, to help you connect the dots between your potential and the reality of where you currently stand. Don’t hide in the back row of the training room with your arms folded and your mind closed. Embrace it—especially if it feels uncomfortable. That discomfort is a sign you’re being challenged and pushed to grow. That’s not always easy. You might feel exposed when someone points out your weaknesses, but that’s the only way to transform them into strengths. No matter how many deals you’ve closed or how many years you’ve been in the game, there’s always a next level—if you’re open to it. Download our FREE guide and learn the 10 things you need to know to Find The Right Coach for You

Jan 16

Sales leadership demands the ability to adapt, motivate, and guide teams toward consistent, high-level performance. In this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, 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 challenges—like those inspired by sports or creative competitions—inject 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 isn’t just about personality; it’s 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 teams’ success by offering real-time coaching and feedback. By identifying blind spots, providing encouragement, and correcting missteps, leaders can significantly impact their team’s 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. - Discovery Conversations Open Doors: Strong sales leaders emphasize the importance of discovery—asking 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 “desperation rollercoaster” can plague sales teams—periods 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/3SOtxMRWpmA Team Success Over Individual Glory Prioritizing 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 Competition Healthy competition sparks energy and enthusiasm within teams. Creative workplace challenges, like sports-themed bets or fun competitions, provide an opportunity to build camaraderie while motivating team members to excel. This approach blends motivation with connection, creating an environment where individuals push each other toward shared goals. The Power of Reflection Reflection is a cornerstone of continuous improvement. Whether analyzing why deals fell through or identifying areas of missed opportunity, taking a step back allows teams to learn and adjust. Like athletes reviewing game footage, sales teams benefit from examining past performances to identify strategies for future success. Reflection helps pinpoint what’s working and what needs to change. Sales as a Skill Profession Sales is a craft that requires constant refinement. Effective salespeople understand that raw talent only goes so far. It’s consistent skill development and practice that drive excellence. Leaders can support their teams by promoting a growth mindset, encouraging ongoing learning, and providing opportunities for training. This approach keeps teams sharp, adaptable, and ready for challenges. Returning to Fundamentals When performance dips, revisiting the basics is a powerful tool for recovery. Fundamentals like clear communication, active listening, and effective prospecting often hold the key to overcoming slumps. Sales leaders can encourage their teams to maintain a checklist of core skills, using it to recalibrate and regain momentum during challenging periods. The Role of Coaching Coaching is one of the most effective ways to unlock potential and address performance gaps. A good coach provides valuable insights, helping individuals recognize blind spots and refine their strategies. Sales leaders who invest time in coaching their teams create an environment where constructive feedback is welcomed, fostering growth and improvement at every level. Building Self-Awareness Self-awareness is essential for sustained success. Salespeople who recognize when their performance is slipping can take proactive steps to adjust their approach. Encouraging self-awareness helps individuals spot patterns, evaluate their methods, and make targeted changes to stay on track. This skill prevents minor setbacks from escalating into significant challenges. The Importance of Discovery Discovery is the foundation of successful sales. By asking the right questions and listening actively, sales professionals uncover client needs and identify hidden opportunities. Thoughtful discovery not only builds trust but also strengthens relationships, paving the way for larger, more meaningful deals. Maintaining Consistency Sales success requires consistency. High performers avoid the trap of fluctuating effort, staying focused and steady even after achieving significant wins. Leaders can help their teams build resilience by promoting daily disciplines that maintain momentum and mitigate the risks of complacency. Celebrating Hard Work Acknowledging effort and achievement reinforces a culture of perseverance. Celebrating milestones—whether through team recognition or personal rewards—motivates individuals to continue striving for excellence. These moments highlight the value of hard work and remind teams of what’s possible when dedication and effort align. Big Picture Sales leadership is about more than hitting targets; it’s about creating an environment where individuals and teams can thrive. By fostering collaboration, focusing on fundamentals, and encouraging consistent growth, sales leaders lay the foundation for long-term success. Through reflection, coaching, and celebrating the wins, teams can build resilience, stay motivated, and achieve their full potential. Building a great sales team begins with hiring the right people. Start your journey to better hiring with our FREE download: The Sales Manager's Ultimate Interview Guide

Jan 15

Eric in Lewiston, Maine, asks how to use last year’s data to create and accurate sales plans and evaluate software tools (like CRMs and ZoomInfo) to make those goals happen. Sales planning is vital—without a roadmap, you’re just hoping your revenue targets magically come to life. If you haven’t defined clear performance metrics—like call activity, lead generation, conversion rates, or daily prospecting targets—then you don’t 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 Deals By mapping out how each step in your funnel converts to the next—calls to first appointments, first appointments to proposals, proposals to closed deals—you 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 you’re missing upsell opportunities with existing clients. Data points you to the gaps. Pro Tip: Once you understand your ratios, you can decide if you’re aiming to improve them by, say, 25% (a stretch goal) or if you’re reaching higher. However, be careful not to “fix” one area and inadvertently break another. Success in sales is about balance across the entire funnel. Choosing the Right CRM: Beware of Overkill Eric also mentioned his team’s struggle with an outdated CRM that’s not built for strong tracking. As they look ahead, they’re weighing big guns like Salesforce. But here’s the deal: Salesforce is an excellent platform—if you’re a larger organization with the bandwidth, budget, and complexity to justify it. For smaller teams (like Eric’s 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. They’re 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 it’s too big or too confusing. Making Sense of “Big Data” Tools Like ZoomInfo Eric’s final question was about whether to invest in a data-intelligence tool (e.g., ZoomInfo, Apollo, LeadIQ) to identify new leads and tap into “intent data.” 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 who’s actively looking for solutions like yours. While it’s 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. It’s easy to drop serious money on software and then let it collect dust. Pro Tip: Start with a limited number of “power users” 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 Tale We’ve been using ZoomInfo for years. Early on, we blew through a lot of money because we didn’t fully implement it. It wasn’t until we got serious—trained our people, integrated it with our CRM, and held each other accountable—that we started seeing results. Today, ZoomInfo is essential to how we prospect, grow pipeline, and clean up our database. But it took time, patience, and leadership buy-in to get there. Key Takeaways: Building Your Sales Roadmap Review Previous Year Metrics Thoroughly Identify your strongest conversion points—and your biggest leaks. Use ratio-based forecasting to set realistic (but ambitious) goals. Choose the Right CRM for Your Team If you have a small salesforce, consider user-friendly systems like Zoho, Pipedrive, Nimble, or HubSpot. Avoid “CRM bloat” that slows you down rather than fuels productivity. Max Out the Value of Data Tools Tools like ZoomInfo can seriously boost prospecting efforts if you use them daily. Don’t just buy them—train your team, integrate with your CRM, and measure ROI. Build Accountability It’s one thing to have the software; it’s another to ensure people log in, update data, and consistently leverage the platform. Set specific adoption goals and schedule check-ins to make sure everyone stays on track. Got a Question? Join Me on the Next Ask Jeb! If you’ve got a burning sales or leadership question, I want to hear it! Head over to salesgravy.com/ask, fill out the form, and one of our producers will be in touch to get you on the show. Until then, keep prospecting, keep hustling, and keep crushing your quotas. Remember: You are the lifeblood of your organization and the economy itself.

Jan 12

I’m 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 don’t have enough pipe to cover your number—either for this month or the first quarter—then you need to take action now to close that gap because 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. Your Empty Pipeline Started Last Month Stepping 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 month—the ones that pushed decisions until after the holidays - have suddenly gone silent and are ghosting you. You’re finding out the hard way that it is very, very difficult to reignite these deals once you’ve allowed this much time to pass. I’m 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? Block Time for Prospecting One of the biggest pitfalls I see is that when pipelines are empty, salespeople get overwhelmed and paralyzed. They don’t know where to begin, so they waste time worrying and “getting organized.” They "plan to plan to plan" to prospect but don’t get any actual prospecting done. There’s an old saying that goes, “When you’re in a hole, stop digging.” Likewise, the first rule of an empty pipeline is: When have one, start prospecting. That’s it. There’s 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 that’s when you’re fresh, your prospects are fresh and neither of you have gotten buried in your day yet. 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. Fast vs Slow Prospecting Next you need to focus on the right kind of prospecting. This isn’t 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 “interrupt,” I mean dialing the phone, knocking on doors, sending personalized emails, text messages, video messages and direct messages —whatever it takes to get attention and engage in conversations with high potential, high probability prospects. 5 Sources for Targeted Prospecting Lists When 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, fast. Inbound Leads Look at inbound leads that came in over the last quarter, or maybe the last six months. These folks have already expressed some level of interest in what you offer—maybe they downloaded a white paper, attended a webinar, or even reached out directly. They might have ghosted you, gone quiet around the holidays, or perhaps you were busy and didn’t follow up as aggressively as you should have. Regardless, this is an easy list to build and there is a good chance that you can reactivate some of these leads, now that we are in a new year. Closed-Lost Deals Build a list of all of the pipeline opportunities that were lost over the past year. Pull your own out of the CRM plus those of any reps that have left your company—you may need to ask your sales leader for permission to do this but ask, because it is surprising how much gold you can find in deals that other people have lost. Many of these prospects didn’t end up choosing any solution at all—and are still living with the same old problems. But because it's a brand-new year, they may be open to exploring solutions. Inactive Customers Inactive or dormant customers are a true gold mine. These are people that bought from you or your company in the past but haven’t purchased in a while. They are already familiar with your brand, product, software, or service and they are easy to talk with. The conversation might be as simple as calling and saying, “Hey, when will you be buying again?” or “What’s new on your end since we last worked together?” Because there’s already a relationship, it’s not really a cold call; it’s more like a warm re-introduction. Active Customers Target existing customers where there may be expansion or cross-sell opportunities. This is a list you’ll want to build thoughtfully so that you target the right, high potential accounts. Because you are already doing business with these people the conversations are easy to initiate. Just call to say "Happy New Year," ask about their upcoming plans, and learn about potential needs you can fill right now. Prospects with Q1 Buying Windows Go into your CRM and run a search for prospects that meet your ICP and have an identified Q1 buying window. This buying window may be a contract expiring with your competitor, a seasonal swing in demand, a budgetary period, equipment coming off of lease, or they told you on past prospecting calls that they would be making changes or decisions in the first quarter. Pro Tip: You may also want to look at industry verticals that are doing well and flush with budget. Set Micro-Goals and Embrace the 30 Day Rule When you are in a hole like this, digging out can be both overwhelming and tedious. You are going to be doing a lot of work and it won’t always feel like you are getting anywhere. This can be demotivating and make you want to quit. Therefore, to stay on track, set micro-goals—a certain number of calls, touches, conversations, or qualifying information that you want to achieve each day. Track your results religiously and celebrate even the smallest wins. If you get a bad number, for example, celebrate the fact that you now know not to call that number. At the same time, use your micro-goals to hold yourself accountable. If your goal is to make 25 calls, don’t let yourself off the hook at 20. This level of discipline keeps your momentum going. The 30-day rule states that the prospecting you do in any 30-day period will pay off over the following 90 days. It’s about having faith that the prospecting you do now will begin paying dividends in the weeks and months to come. You won’t see miracles overnight, but if you stay consistent, you will get the results you are looking for. Remember How This Feels Before moving on, I want you to stop and remember how this feels. Lock this stress and anxiety into your emotional memory. Then make a commitment not to allow this to happen to you again next year because it is completely avoidable. Later this year as we move into the fourth quarter, remember that you must keep prospecting even while you’re trying to close deals. This lesson is going to stick a lot better if you internalize it right now, while the pain is fresh. Action Steps for This Week Stop Digging – If your pipeline is empty, don’t waste time worrying. Accept the reality and get to work fixing it. Block Time For Prospecting – Schedule and keep sacred one to two hours each morning for focused prospecting when your energy is highest. Build Targeted Lists – Start with inbound leads, closed-lost deals, inactive customers, active customers, and high-probability prospects in Q1 buying windows Set Micro-Goals and Embrace the 30-Day Rule – Focus on small daily goals and have faith that the hard work you put in now will pay off in the future even if, at times it feels like you are spinning your wheels. Remember the Pain – Promise yourself that you won’t fall into the same trap at the end of this year. Embrace and make prospecting a daily discipline. It’s not something you do when you “feel like it” or only when your pipeline is on life support. It’s like working out. You don’t go to the gym once, get in shape, and then you’re done. You have to keep going, keep working at it, and keep putting in the reps. Remember: The number one reason for failure in sales is an empty pipeline and the number one reason you will have an empty pipeline is that you failed to prospect every day, every day, every day.

Jan 10

Entrepreneurship and Sales demands massive resilience. It’s 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 of 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 leader’s 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 business’s future creates shared success and loyalty. https://youtu.be/CPYTTet0CUM Balancing Grief and Professional Responsibilities Personal loss doesn’t 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 Opportunities Every 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. It’s often the toughest moments that forge the strongest connections. Adapting to New Realities Stepping 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 business’s focus and implemented a sustainable model. This reinvention not only stabilized the company but positioned it for future success. Aligning Business with Personal Values Success without alignment can feel hollow. When one entrepreneur’s 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 Responsibility True leadership shines in tough times. Faced with personal challenges, one business leader prioritized their team’s stability and clients’ needs over their own. While this drew criticism, it also highlighted the responsibility and integrity that define exceptional leaders. Simplifying for Strategic Growth Complexity can kill progress. By narrowing focus and optimizing operations, businesses can thrive. A leader who transitioned their services from residential to commercial achieved not only growth but also clarity in their business model. Simplifying often leads to scalable, sustainable success. Persistence is the Entrepreneur’s Superpower Entrepreneurship rewards persistence. Success often comes not from brilliance but from refusing to quit. Each small victory provides the fuel needed to keep moving forward, even when the path ahead seems uncertain. Creating Long-Term Vision Sustainable businesses are built on clear, forward-thinking strategies. With a solid plan in place, businesses can prepare for future challenges and be positioned for long-term success as everyone is aligned on the same objectives. A well-thought-out plan serves as a roadmap, guiding the business toward its goals and paving the way for continued growth. Balancing Growth and Personal Priorities Entrepreneurs often juggle rapid growth with personal commitments. Striking this balance requires strategic decisions and prioritization. Involving family in decision-making and focusing on shared goals allows entrepreneurs to achieve harmony between their personal and professional lives. The Finish Line Entrepreneurship is not a sprint, it’s a marathon that demands resilience, adaptability, and focus. Leaders who prioritize impact, align their business with personal values, and stay committed to their vision can weather any storm. By balancing personal challenges with professional responsibilities, simplifying operations, and planning for the future, they build businesses that thrive in the face of adversity. Download the Small Business Owner’s Guide to Sales Training to learn key strategies and tactics for giving your team a competitive edge through sales training without breaking the bank, eating up your valuable time, or adding more to your plate.

Jan 7

Welcome to a new segment of the Sales Gravy Podcast called Ask Jeb! I believe sales professionals are the heartbeat of the economy. You’re the ones generating revenue for your organization and fueling innovations that keep businesses thriving. Without your hustle, your company doesn’t move forward—and, frankly, neither does the global economy. You’re 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 HERE Question One: Cutting Through the Noise When Prospecting Bob from Tullahoma, Tennessee (whom we affectionately call “Outbound Bob” because he’s been to our Outbound Conference so many times!) asked a critical question: “Moving into next year, what prospecting advice, piece of technology, or technique would you offer that could apply across all sales organizations and industries? What’s our ‘silver bullet’—even if it doesn’t really exist?” No Silver Bullet, But... I’m the first to say there’s no magic wand in sales—no easy button that instantly books appointments or closes deals. What we do have is the reality of AI-generated “crap” flooding our inboxes and social feeds. This onslaught of automated noise means salespeople must stand out more than ever. Embrace Deep, Differentiated Sequences My 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 works—and people love seeing a real human) Email (but make it personal and relevant) Direct Messaging (LinkedIn, Messenger—wherever your prospect is, be there) Snail Mail (because physical mailboxes are shockingly empty) Networking & Referrals (the original social media) It’s not just about persistence; it’s about persistence plus differentiation. If you’re simply bombarding prospects with a bunch of generic touches, you’re just adding to the noise. Instead, craft messaging that proves you understand their world. Messaging That Speaks to Them Good news: the tsunami of poorly written AI outreach actually helps you stand out if your message is empathetic, clear, and focused on the prospect’s 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 you’ve done your homework. Think of It as One Extended Conversation Each touch—voicemail, email, text, or social message—should flow logically from the last. You don’t want to leave the same voicemail three times in a row or send “Just bumping this to the top of your inbox” 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 Messaging After Bob’s 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 Sprints I’m a fan of high-intensity prospecting sprints. Carve out 10–15 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 Lists Whenever possible, focus on a list of prospects that have something in common—same 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. Targeted Messaging: Useful for a homogenous group (e.g., a batch of CFOs). It may not be perfect for everyone, but it keeps you efficient. Personalized Messaging: Time-consuming, but worth it for your highest-value prospects (C-suite, board-level, or highly specialized buyers). Craft these messages uniquely for that individual or account. More Resources to Up Your Prospecting Game Ready to dive deeper? Head over to salesgravy.com/resources to download our free guide: “The 7 Steps to Building Effective Prospecting Sequences.” You can also pick up my new book, The AI Edge, available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or wherever you get your books. It’s packed with actionable strategies for prospecting in the age of AI. And if you want to sharpen your skills or ask follow-up questions, check out our coaching programs at salesgravy.com/coach. My team and I work directly with sales pros at every level, helping them craft winning sequences and hit new performance highs.

Jan 5

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. It’s 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. Actions You 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. Reactions You 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. Therefore, you can better manage your responses by keeping your eyes on the prize. Leverage Mindfulness When 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. 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, before I do, I’ll 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? Mindset And 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 Salespeople Think 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. 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 doesn’t rain, they blame everything and everyone except for themselves. The rain barrel resides in mediocrity and never reaches their potential. Rainmakers Then there is the rainmaker mindset. Rain makers believe in themselves and their ability to make things happen. They don’t wait around for anyone or anything. They replace hope with action. They win and achieve no matter what the circumstances because they believe at the core that they control their destiny. In sales, rain makers are the apex predators who sell more, earn more, and win more. Manage Your Self-Talk But here’s the deal. All day long there is a little voice inside your head that is jabbering away. That voice is either building you up or breaking you down. Allowed to run unfettered, it tells you that you are not good enough, that the world is against you, that you should just give up and quit. Why work hard and give your best effort when the competition, prospects, boss, economy, internal team are all against you it says. Negative self-talk will sap your confidence and energy. It will cause you to take short cuts, the easy way out, and give up too soon. It will turn you into a cynical pessimist and steal your joy. Therefore, you must vigilantly monitor and manage your self-talk and have the intentional discipline to stop and turn it around when it goes negative. Otherwise it's easy to slip into mediocrity and become a rain barrel. So on this first monday of the year which mindset will you adopt? What will be your identity? Will you be a rain barrel and hope for the best? Or, will you become a rainmaker and be your best? Take control and build a rainmaker mindset with Jeb's FREE Fanatical Prospecting Book Club Guide

Jan 2

Discover the secrets to lead follow up and conversion after trade show, conference, and events. On 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 don’t 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-AA3c The Value of Patience With Lead Follow Up Following 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 Consistency Consistency in follow-ups is crucial for staying on a lead’s 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 Up Effective 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 Show Tracking 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 lead’s 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 Plan A well-structured follow-up plan ensures that no leads fall through the cracks. This plan should outline the timing and content of touchpoints, spreading them out over a period of weeks or months. For example, an eight-touchpoint strategy over 12 weeks can include emails, phone calls, LinkedIn messages, and sharing relevant resources. A clear plan prevents follow-ups from becoming sporadic or disorganized. Leverage CRM Tools CRM systems are invaluable for managing lead follow-ups. They help track interactions, automate tasks, and organize leads efficiently. By using a CRM, salespeople can ensure that they consistently engage with leads and maintain a record of all communications. This data is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of different follow-up strategies. Personalize Post Trade Show Outreach Personalization is key to successful lead follow-ups. Generic messages often fail to capture attention, while personalized communications show that you value the lead as an individual. Referencing specific details from past conversations, such as a lead’s interest in a conference topic or an upcoming trip, can make interactions more engaging and memorable. Provide Value Salespeople who provide value during follow-ups are more likely to build trust with leads. This could include sharing relevant resources like podcasts, articles, or invitations to webinars. Offering something useful shows that you are invested in the lead’s success, not just closing a deal. Measuring ROI from Trade Shows, Conferences, and Events Measuring ROI from sales events can be challenging but is critical for evaluating their effectiveness. ROI often goes beyond immediate deals. It includes factors like brand awareness, long-term relationships, and leads that convert months or even years after the event. While some deals might justify the cost of attending a conference, others may require additional follow-ups to determine their true value. The Power of Persistence Persistence is a cornerstone of effective follow-ups. Many leads require multiple touchpoints before they respond. Salespeople should not be discouraged by a lack of immediate results. Instead, they should focus on consistent, thoughtful outreach to keep the conversation going. A long-term approach often leads to successful outcomes. Balancing Relationships and Sales Goals While the ultimate goal of follow-ups is to close deals, building strong relationships with leads should be the priority. Genuine, authentic interactions create trust and lay the foundation for future business. This means taking the time to understand a prospect's needs and providing solutions that align with their goals. Following Up With Trade Show Leads: Putting it All Together Following up with leads from trade shows and conferences is both an art and a science. It requires patience, consistency, and a thoughtful approach to outreach. By using multiple channels, tracking interactions, and leveraging CRM tools, salespeople can stay organized and increase their chances of success. Personalization, persistence, and providing value further enhance the effectiveness of follow-ups. Ultimately, the key to turning leads into customers lies in building relationships. When salespeople focus on genuine connections and thoughtful engagement, they create opportunities for lasting success and a strong ROI from their event efforts. Discover practical tips to improving Trade Show ROI in Jessica Stokes popular on-demand course: How to Improve Conference and Tradeshow ROI

Dec 29, 2024

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 Buckets When developing personal goals, I break them down into three buckets: To-Have Goals These are the things you want to acquire or buy. For example, this year, I set a goal to purchase a new home—and I did. Whether it’s a house, a new car, or building up your savings, to-have goals are about acquiring something that enhances your life. To-Be Goals These are about evolving into the person you want to become. Maybe you want to be a sales manager, or if you’re 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 President’s club winner or be recognized as an expert in your industry—whatever it is, to-be goals help you level up as a person and a professional. To-Do Goals These 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 memories—maybe you want to travel somewhere special or take on a meaningful project or hobby you’ve always dreamed about. Four Reasons Why Personal Goals Matter Number one, goals massively increase the likelihood that you’ll 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. It’s unbelievably fulfilling to look back and see what you accomplished—how far you’ve come over the course of a year, five years, or a decade. Number three, we work in a tough, competitive profession, and it’s 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 goals—especially in sales—is that the sales profession is hard work and it can be brutal. It’s loaded with rejection. At every turn, we face potential “nos,” whether it’s 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 rejection—or avoiding it—is 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 here’s the rub: discipline can wane, especially if we’re not hyper-focused on a bigger prize. The Real Definition of Discipline I want you to pay attention to this next part because understanding the real definition of discipline it’s critical. Discipline is sacrificing what you want now for what you want most. Human nature wants easy. We’d rather that customers call us than having to chase them. We’d rather deals close themselves than investing hours into multi-step follow-ups. We don’t want to face that “no.” But in success in sales is paid for in advance with facing rejection and hard work. Therefore If you don’t have a clear, compelling reason—something you want most—it’s 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. You need that powerful “why” to keep grinding when the going gets tough. When the pipeline’s not as full as you’d like or you’re hitting roadblocks, you need something more important than convenience to drag you back into the fight. How to Set Goals Let’s talk about how to do this. If you’ve 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, it’s not. We’re so busy scrolling through social media, bingeing on TikTok, or juggling daily distractions that we never pause to ask, “What do I really want from my life?” So step one is to get specific. Define it. When Do You Want It? Because we’re talking about next year’s personal goals, let’s keep them within a 12-month horizon. But any truly effective goal requires a deadline or target date—otherwise, it’s 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, you’ll burn out or give up once it’s clear you’re not making meaningful progress. Stretch goals are great—big, hairy, audacious goals will push you—but balance those with goals you can realistically achieve. How Bad Do You Want It? This is the ultimate question. If your goal doesn’t fire you up, if it’s not something you’d move mountains to achieve, you won’t push through the tough days. Remember, discipline means sacrificing what you want now for what you want most. If the desire isn’t there, the sacrifices won’t be made. How Are You Going to Get There? These are your steps to success—your system, your process, your roadmap. As James Clear says in Atomic Habits, you don’t 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, you’ll keep moving toward the goal—even 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 income—maybe you need a bigger commission check to afford that new pool or a bucket-list vacation—then you have to hit your sales targets. This means building a discipline system that ensures you’re 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. Build a Personal Goal Sheet Sit 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 it’s attainable, how bad you want it, and how you plan to get there. Sketch it all out—just let the ideas flow. Once you’ve got it all down, build a formal goal sheet. Yes, I’m talking about physically writing it out. There’s 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 roadmap—put 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 Blount's comprehensive course: The Essentials of Setting Winning Goals

Dec 26, 2024

In this episode of The Sales Gravy Podcast, take a look back at the best insights from the year. These moments aren’t just memorable, they’re 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. Here’s what stood out from our conversations this year: – Objections Are Opportunities: Objections aren’t something to avoid, they’re invitations to build trust. When a buyer pushes back, it’s a sign they’re 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. – 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 it’s calls, emails, or social touches, keeping your pipeline full is the foundation of success. – 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. – 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. – 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=9k2hJ3pyNBU Thriving Under Pressure with a SEAL’s Strategy In high-stakes sales situations, maintaining composure is crucial. Drawing from his extensive military experience, retired Navy SEAL Master Chief Stephen Drum emphasizes the importance of preparation, adaptability, and mental resilience. By implementing a structured approach—commit, prepare, execute, and reflect—sales 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 Success Josh 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. It’s Not About You—It’s About Them The moment you realize sales isn’t 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 here’s the truth: your prospects don’t care about you—they 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 story, you’ll not only close more deals but also build lasting relationships that fuel your business. The Power of Discipline to Drive Success Discipline is the steering wheel that keeps you on course, while motivation is the gas pedal that drives you forward—and Dre Baldwin mastered both. He didn’t wait for opportunities to come knocking; he created them. Dre’s story is a blueprint for sales pros and entrepreneurs: consistency in your daily actions builds momentum, and staying disciplined keeps you laser-focused, even when motivation fades. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about showing up, doing the work, and staying in the game long enough to turn possibilities into realities. That’s how you move from dreaming to doing. Leveraging AI Without Losing the Human Touch AI is changing the sales game, but here’s the deal: it’s a tool, not a replacement for your hustle. Victor Antonio demonstrates that the best salespeople know how to blend the power of AI with human connection. Use AI to gather insights, predict buyer behavior, and streamline processes, but don’t forget that people buy from people they trust. Your ability to empathize, build relationships, and create value is what sets you apart. AI can enhance your strategy, but it’s your skill, grit, and adaptability that close deals and build long-term success. Eyes Forward Looking ahead to 2025, the key to thriving in sales is staying grounded in these principles while being flexible enough to adapt. Whether it’s perfecting your prospecting routine, mastering the art of connection, or streamlining your process, every action compounds toward bigger results. Here’s to a successful new year filled with growth, opportunity, and plenty of closed deals. Get your New Year off to a winning start with Jeb Blount’s popular on-demand course: The Essentials of Setting Winning Goals

Dec 19, 2024

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: – 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. – 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 prospect’s time rather than jumping in and selling immediately. – Personalized Video Messages: Video messages create an opportunity to add a human touch to prospecting by showing prospects there’s a real person behind the outreach. – 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. – 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. – 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. – Balancing Sales Activities: Effective prospecting balances three essential activities—filling, moving, and closing the pipeline—to ensure steady progress and avoid periods of downtime or overwork by planning your time effectively. – Fundamentals Still Deliver Results: Basic strategies, like leaving business cards or sending physical mail, remain effective over time. – 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=rzhdC4YwflA The Power of Multiple Touchpoints When 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 Effectively Texting 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 Touch Video 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 Channels Relying 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 prospect’s local franchise location or mailing a small, personalized gift demonstrates effort and creativity. Maximizing Time with Call Blocking Time is one of the most valuable resources for sales professionals. Call blocking, or setting aside dedicated time for high-intensity prospecting, ensures that this resource is used effectively. These blocks focus on making as many calls as possible within a set timeframe. During these sprints, salespeople concentrate solely on dialing and connecting with prospects, without distractions like logging notes or updating the CRM. Regularly scheduling these sessions leads to robust pipeline building. The 90-Day Rule Results from prospecting efforts typically become evident after about 90 days. Consistent, daily outreach activities may not show immediate results but accumulate over time. By committing to daily prospecting activities, sales professionals can ensure a more predictable flow of opportunities. Building Respect Through Personalization Personalized efforts in prospecting can build respect and establish trust with the right buyers. Actions like sending a picture of yourself outside a prospect’s business or delivering a handwritten note show genuine care and effort. These approaches can create stronger connections and encourage prospects to engage with someone who has taken the time to understand and value their needs. Balancing the Pipeline A well-rounded sales process involves three key activities: filling the pipeline, moving the pipeline, and closing the pipeline. Neglecting any of these can lead to an unbalanced workflow and periods of high stress. For example, focusing solely on closing existing deals may leave the pipeline empty for future months, creating inconsistent results. By dedicating time to each of these activities, professionals can maintain a steady rhythm and avoid the “desperation roller coaster.” The Role of Fundamentals Simple actions, like leaving behind a business card or sending a one-pager, may seem outdated but can yield surprising results. For example, Alex’s story about a prospect who kept their business card for five years before reaching out to make a purchase. Even the smallest gestures can have a lasting impact. Consistency Is Key Prospecting is about more than just making calls or sending emails. It’s about creating a balanced, multi-channel approach that combines traditional strategies with modern tools. By diversifying communication methods, personalizing outreach, and dedicating time to consistent effort, sales professionals can build trust, stand out, and achieve long-term success. Take your sales prospecting game to new levels with our free sales training guides. Download Here

Dec 16, 2024

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 we’re going and how to get there. We’re not leaving our fate to chance. Our business plan is the compass that helps us navigate and stay on track to reach our goals. Randomness is the Enemy of Effectiveness But what about you? Have you ever stopped to think that you need the exact same thing for your upcoming sales year? Without a plan, it’s easy to drift and fall into randomness—just waking up every day and hoping something good happens. But here’s the deal: Randomness is the enemy of effectiveness. If you don’t set a clear direction, you’ll never hit the target you’re aiming for. You’ll be like a boat without a rudder—drifting and, eventually, ending up someplace you never intended to go. Yogi Berra said it best: “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up someplace else.” Trust me, “someplace else” isn’t where you want to be at the end of next year. Adopt a CEO Mindset The difference between average salespeople and top performers often comes down to one key mindset: top performers don’t act like employees; they think like entrepreneurs. The moment you start treating your territory as if it’s 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 risks—providing 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. That’s the entrepreneurial mindset. Creating Your Personal Business Plan Starts With A Vision To create your personal business plan, you start your vision. Where do you want to be a year from now? 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? What does winning look like? Define it. Get crystal clear. Then think about your values. What do you stand for? What kind of impact do you want to make? What kind of relationships do you want to build? How will you show up for your clients, team members, and company every single day? Once you’ve nailed this down, put your strategy in place. Break your territory into logical quadrants so that you know where you’ll be investing time each day. Identify the industry verticals that have the highest potential. Pinpoint your ideal customers. Segment your prospects and customers into High Potential, Medium Potential, and Low Potential. 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. 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. 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. Once you have clarity on your vision and strategy, get granular. A vision without action is just a fantasy. Break Your Personal Business Plan Into Small Steps to Success Break your plan down into achievable goals. I’m 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 control You can’t 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, how many referrals you ask for, and how many proposals you give. Start by setting your daily prospecting targets. For example, you might commit to making at least 30 outbound calls every morning before noon—no exceptions, no negotiations with yourself. Or maybe you set a goal to add five new qualified leads to your pipeline every single day. Perhaps it’s securing a minimum of five new appointments per week. Push yourself to diversify your outreach. Set targets for LinkedIn connections and meaningful engagement. Block time on your calendar to send personalized follow-up emails, record short video messages, or send handwritten notes that differentiate you from all the “just checking in” reps out there. Consider a weekly goal for conversations with existing clients to deepen relationships and drive cross-sell and upsell opportunities that drive account expansion. Align Activity Metrics To Your Big Goals Then, align these activity metrics with your year-end goals. If your annual quota is, say, $1.5 million, break it down by quarter, then by month, then by week. If you know your average deal size and your historical close rate, you can figure out how many deals you need to put in your pipeline each month. From there, calculate how many prospects you need to engage to consistently hit that number. This is how you move from “hope” to “execution”—and that’s where winners live. Your Personal Business Plan Should Be A Living Breathing Roadmap This plan won’t work if it just lives in your head. Write it down. Keep it visible. This is your personal roadmap. At the end of each month and quarter, sit down and ask yourself: Did I hit my targets? Did I follow through on my daily prospecting standards? If you didn’t, why not? Be brutally honest, assess the situation, and then adjust. A personal business plan is a living document. Markets change, customers change, and even you change, so be willing to adapt. But don’t let yourself off the hook—use your plan to hold your own feet to the fire. This is your income and career we’re talking about. When you work like this—intentionally, strategically, and with discipline—everything changes. You walk into each day, week, and month with confidence because you know exactly what you need to do. The Rainmaker Mission You have a mission, and that mission is to build a pipeline of high-value prospects who trust you, buy from you, and turn into long-term clients. Plus, when you own your territory like this, you’re not just aligning with your company’s goals; you’re leading the way. Your leaders, peers, and customers will notice. Remember: Rainmakers don’t leave their success to chance. They don’t rely on luck or wait for opportunities to fall into their lap. They chart their course, track their progress, and adjust when necessary. That’s what your personal business plan is all about. It sets you apart from the crowd and puts you in the driver’s seat of your career. Take Action Now Carve out the time over the next three weeks to think about, build, and hone your personal business plan. Get crystal clear on your vision, set those daily activity standards, and commit to hitting them. A year from now, when you look back, you won’t believe how far you’ve come. More importantly, you’ll know exactly how you got there. Get your year started off on the right foot with our comprehensive on-demand course: The Essentials of Setting Winning Goals

Dec 12, 2024

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: – 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. – 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. – 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. – 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. – 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. – 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. – 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. – 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. – 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. – Craft Beer’s 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=shared The Role of Craft Beer in Modern Culture Craft beer holds a unique place in today’s 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 Beer’s Market Growth and Resilience The 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 beer’s ability to innovate and connect with its audience has allowed it to thrive. The Essential Role of Hops Hops, one of beer’s four primary ingredients, are integral to the brewing process. They contribute to the beer’s 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 Beers Sour 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 brewing’s historical roots, appealing to those looking for something beyond conventional beer styles. Seasonal Preferences in Beer Beer consumption often changes with the seasons. Many people gravitate toward lighter options like sours and lagers during warm months, while darker styles such as stouts and porters become favorites in cooler weather. This seasonal variety allows breweries to experiment and keep offerings fresh for their audience. Breaking Stereotypes in Craft Beer Craft beer is sometimes associated with stereotypes of snobbish enthusiasts who look down on mainstream options. However, the reality is that craft breweries are designed to be welcoming and inclusive. They provide spaces where people can explore a wide variety of flavors and styles, regardless of their level of beer knowledge. A Connection to Ancient Traditions Brewing has been a part of human history for thousands of years. In ancient Egypt, for example, beer was both sustenance and currency, highlighting its importance to daily life. This long tradition continues today in the craft beer industry. Breweries as Social Hubs Craft breweries serve as gathering places that cater to diverse personalities and preferences. Extroverts might enjoy conversations with fellow patrons, while introverts can find solace in a quiet corner with a good brew. The Stories Behind the Beer Every beer has a story, whether it’s the inspiration behind the recipe, the challenges in sourcing ingredients, or the people who bring it to life. Craft brewers often weave these narratives into their work, adding depth and personality to the beers they create. Craft Beer as a Unifying Force At its core, craft beer brings people together. Whether it’s sharing a drink at a local brewery, discovering a new favorite style, or bonding over a mutual appreciation for the craft, beer creates connections. It’s a tradition that has endured for centuries and shows no signs of fading. A Blend of History, Innovation, and Culture Craft beer’s appeal lies in its ability to combine history, innovation, and community. It offers a unique experience that resonates with people from all walks of life. From its historical roots to its modern-day adaptability, craft beer continues to prove that it’s more than just a beverage, but a cultural phenomenon. Discover practical tips to deepen your client relationships in a way that becomes a springboard for both prospecting new business and communicating real value with the Selling From the Heart Keynote.

Dec 5, 2024

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: – Understanding Strategic Alignment is Key: Successful enterprise sales go beyond impressing with technology. It is essential to understand a prospect’s business strategy and align solutions with their key initiatives. – 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. – 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 company’s strategic goals and can gain executive buy-in. – 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. – 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. – Outbound Prospecting Must Be Consultative: Hunting effectively requires approaching prospects with a well-researched, consultative mindset rather than relying solely on automated, impersonal outreach. – 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. – 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. – 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. – 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=nIsMpNvHYqo The Balance Between Technology and Human Connection The 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-Automation One 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. Instead, they are encouraging their teams to focus on personalized, human-crafted messages that build trust and credibility. It turns out that slowing down the prospecting process and taking the time to understand each potential customer can make a significant difference. The Power of Personalization Personalization has always been a cornerstone of effective sales, and it's even more critical in the age of AI. Prospects can easily spot the difference between a generic message and one that has been tailored to their specific needs and pain points. Personalized outreach demonstrates that the salesperson has taken the time to research and understand the prospect’s business, challenges, and goals. This level of personalization requires effort and attention to detail. Salespeople who are willing to put in the work are more likely to stand out in a crowded marketplace. In an era where many sales teams are relying on automation, the human touch is a powerful differentiator. The Role of AI in Sales Research While AI may fall short in relationship-building, it excels in research and preparation. AI-powered tools can quickly gather and analyze data about prospects, industries, and market trends. This information can be invaluable for salespeople, helping them tailor their approach and make informed decisions. For example, AI can identify key decision-makers within a target company, provide insights into their recent activities, and even suggest potential pain points based on industry trends. Armed with this information, salespeople can craft more targeted and relevant outreach, increasing their chances of success. However, it’s important to remember that AI is a tool, not a replacement for human effort. Sales professionals must use these insights to enhance their communication, not replace it. The goal is to use AI to work smarter, not to eliminate the human element entirely from the sales process. Mastering AI with a Human Touch As AI continues to shape the sales industry, the most successful salespeople will be those who can master both technology and human connection. They will use AI to gather insights, automate repetitive tasks, and streamline their workflows. At the same time, they will prioritize personalization, empathy, and trust in their interactions with prospects and customers. At its core, sales is a human endeavor. People buy from people they trust, and trust is built through genuine connections and thoughtful communication. AI can assist in the sales process, but it can’t replace the human touch. Sales professionals who understand this balance will be well-positioned to thrive in the age of AI. Additionally, sales leaders are emphasizing the importance of synchronous touchpoints—interactions that happen in real-time, such as phone calls, video meetings, and face-to-face conversations. These touchpoints allow salespeople to connect with prospects on a deeper level, building trust and rapport that automated messages simply can’t achieve. In the end, the message is clear: slow down, personalize your approach, and use AI as a tool—not a crutch. By focusing on quality over quantity and building meaningful relationships, salespeople can navigate the challenges of modern sales and achieve lasting success. Embrace a future where technology and humanity come together with The AI Edge.

Dec 2, 2024

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 – even though, as a whole, the economy was pretty good. 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 Mood The good news is the executives and owners who run these businesses are suddenly in a very good mood. Over the past few weeks, I’ve 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. How to Look for Unused Budget With a Simple Question I’ve 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 we’ve 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. 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 he’d given them had stalled in the pipeline. He said, “I just can’t get them to pull the trigger and make a decision.” Before walking in I coached him to ask his contact, “How do you feel about business now that the election is over?” After asking this question, his contact, the director of operations lit up—business was booming he said. Many of his customers who’d had their hands tied by budget constraints were now spending. 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 Budget So here’s the deal: if you’re 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, here’s the moral of this story. If you’re in sales or a business owner, now is the time to reach out to your customers. Engage them in a dialogue about how they’re feeling post-election, and find the money that's out there and needs to be spent by the end of the year. Keep it Simple Don’t 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, today’s leftover budget will be gone forever. ACE your next sales conversation with our FREE guide to buyer communication skills. Download Here

Nov 21, 2024

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: – 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. – 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. – Understanding Your Sales Superpower: Knowing yourself is key to excelling in sales. The first step is to identify your sales superpower—your 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. – 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. – 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. It’s the “ace up your sleeve” you can use when you need to close a deal, much like leveraging your unique strengths at the right moment to get results. – 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. – 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." – 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. – Visualization for Success: Mental visualization is a powerful tool for success. Visualize achieving your goals—whether 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. – 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. – 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=laJlmjse754 Negotiation: A Key to Unlocking Opportunities Negotiation 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 matters. Leveraging Strengths for Success Sales professionals can often find themselves overthinking or doubting their abilities, but the key is to focus on the skills that already make them great. By doubling down on these strengths, a salesperson can turn simple actions into powerful tools for success. It’s not about making everything your own but rather amplifying the things you do well. This strategic focus on strengths can be the difference between closing a deal and letting it slip away. Overcoming Mental Barriers Even with a mindset focused on leveraging strengths, there are still challenges to overcome. One of the biggest obstacles many face is mental barriers. Negative thoughts, fears, and doubts can often get in the way of making the best decisions. In sales, these mental barriers can be detrimental, especially when a person feels stuck or uncertain. Recognizing that these thoughts are just temporary can make all the difference. Reframing Negative Thoughts A negative mindset is often one of the primary reasons people struggle in sales. Negative self-talk, such as thinking “I’m bad at this” or “I’ll never succeed,” is a common trap. However, reframing these thoughts can lead to a better mental state. Instead of viewing mistakes as evidence of failure, successful salespeople learn to see them as part of the process. The key is to focus on what can be improved rather than getting bogged down by what went wrong. For example, if a call doesn’t go as planned, instead of thinking “I’m bad at sales,” try shifting the perspective to “I made a mistake during this call, but I can do better next time.” This subtle change in mindset helps to view the situation as an action, not a reflection of personal worth. The action is what can be controlled, and learning from it is what leads to growth. Building Mental Resilience Another important aspect of overcoming mental barriers is the idea of building mental resilience. Sometimes, it can feel almost impossible to push past negative thoughts, but it’s not as difficult as it seems. There are techniques that can help individuals strengthen their mental resilience, one of which involves repeating positive mantras or affirmations. A popular method is using a simple, positive phrase, such as “I’m the winner,” and repeating it during moments of doubt or stress. This repetition of positive thoughts can help override any negative mental chatter, refocusing the mind on success. It’s like building mental muscle—by practicing this technique, it becomes easier to maintain a positive mindset even in challenging situations. This is similar to how athletes use mental imagery and affirmations to improve performance. The Power of Visualization In addition to mantras, visualization plays an important role in shifting the mind toward positive outcomes. By imagining success, one begins to form a belief that success is inevitable. Whether it’s visualizing a successful sales call or imagining a goal being reached, this form of mental preparation can have a significant impact on performance. Visualizing success primes the mind to act in ways that align with that vision. Self-Reflection and Positive Affirmations Sales professionals can also benefit from self-reflection and positive affirmations. A simple question such as “Why am I a great salesperson?” can help shift focus toward past successes and strengths. Asking “why” helps the brain to generate answers, creating a mindset of confidence and readiness. This technique is an easy but effective way to break free from negative thoughts and create a more empowered outlook on sales. Being Proactive in Sales and Career It’s also important to recognize the value of being proactive in one’s career. Being reactive is often a recipe for stagnation. Instead of waiting for opportunities to come to you, it’s essential to take the initiative and make your presence known. Proactively reaching out, whether it’s to a potential client or an employer, can set you apart from others. This approach isn’t about bombarding people with messages, but rather about demonstrating genuine interest and taking action. Take Charge of Your Career This proactive mindset can also be applied to career development. Rather than sitting back and hoping for the perfect job opportunity to come along, take charge of your career path. Do research, build connections, and actively position yourself as the ideal candidate. By showcasing your skills and passion, you increase your chances of standing out. Showing initiative can help you land the job or client you desire. The Importance of Intentional Choices The concept of being intentional with career choices is another key factor in achieving success. Instead of casting a wide net and hoping for the best, focus on quality and research. Tailoring your approach is far more effective than mass-sending applications or cold calls. The same principle applies in sales: targeted outreach with purpose and strategy will almost always lead to better results than casting a broad net. Building Confidence for Success Confidence plays a large role in both sales and career advancement. Confidence is about believing in your abilities and knowing that you can perform well in any situation. However, self-confidence takes this a step further. Self-confidence is the belief that even if things go wrong, you can handle the situation and learn from it. This type of confidence builds resilience and prepares you for the ups and downs that are inevitable in both sales and career growth. Unlocking Your Superpower By focusing on strengths, overcoming mental barriers, and being proactive in both career and sales, individuals can build the resilience needed to succeed. It’s about creating a mindset that not only expects success but also embraces the challenges along the way. With this approach, any salesperson can unlock their superpower and rise to the top.

Nov 14, 2024

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: – 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. – Engagement and Word-of-Mouth: The interactive and educational nature of DrinkCurious’s tastings fostered memorable experiences that spurred word-of-mouth promotion, leading to increased client requests. – 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. – Bourbon as Cultural and Historical Icon: DrinkCurious incorporates bourbon’s cultural history into tastings, educating participants on bourbon’s evolution, production, and how it has influenced American culture over decades. – 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 client’s sales objectives. – 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. – 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. – 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=XdxWUVM0fDE The Power of Experience Sales 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, it’s 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 DrinkCurious DrinkCurious 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 spirits—they’re 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 Solution One of DrinkCurious’s 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 weren’t 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. The tastings offer various elements, from Q&A sessions to gamified guessing games that encourage interaction, making these events both informative and enjoyable. Generating Positive Buzz and Word of Mouth A key benefit of DrinkCurious’s tastings is that they allow clients to engage with their customers in a memorable way, which often leads to word-of-mouth referrals. DrinkCurious reports that their clients receive overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many attendees saying it was the best virtual event they’ve experienced. This positive buzz often leads to repeat engagements, as more and more companies look to use tastings as a method of keeping clients interested and engaged. This approach not only helps with immediate engagement but also strengthens long-term relationships, as attendees continue to talk about the unique experience with colleagues and friends. Flexible Applications for Client Engagement Beyond client engagement, DrinkCurious tastings are also used for prospecting, employee rewards, and client retention. For example, companies can use these tastings as a holiday gift to express appreciation to top clients. Instead of a typical gift, like a bottle of wine or a gift basket, a virtual or in-person tasting offers a more personal, interactive experience. Clients don’t even have to be in the same location to participate, which makes it a convenient option for companies with a dispersed customer base. In addition, the sessions can be recorded, allowing clients to revisit the experience or share it with others who couldn’t attend. Why Bourbon? The Appeal and History Behind the Spirit The appeal of bourbon has been on the rise for years, and DrinkCurious uses this trend to its advantage. Bourbon, a distinctly American spirit with a rich history, is gaining popularity as people discover the variety of flavors and complexity it offers. DrinkCurious incorporates this history into their tastings, giving clients a timeline of bourbon’s journey and explaining its deep connection to American culture. From its early popularity in the mid-20th century to its decline and eventual resurgence, bourbon’s story is full of interesting twists and turns. The founder also highlights how mixologists, pop culture, and even TV shows like Mad Men contributed to bourbon’s recent boom in popularity. This context adds depth to the tasting experience, making it more than just a casual drink but a journey through history and culture. Gamification in Tastings for Increased Engagement DrinkCurious adds gamification elements to their tastings to make the events more engaging and competitive. Participants are often invited to guess the bourbon they’re tasting, with prizes like gift cards or bottles for those who guess correctly. This small touch of competition adds excitement and keeps attendees actively participating. Sometimes, clients use these events as incentives by offering follow-up tastings or demos for those who enjoyed the event, making it an excellent tool to advance the sales conversation. Options for In-Person and Exclusive Gatherings In addition to virtual tastings, they offer in-person tastings at conferences, trade shows, or private gatherings. For example, DrinkCurious has hosted exclusive tastings at large industry events, even taking over pubs or private suites to create a VIP experience for select clients. These intimate gatherings offer companies the chance to connect with clients on a deeper level in an exclusive setting. The Value of Experiential Marketing in Sales The rise of DrinkCurious showcases the potential of experiential marketing as a way to deepen client relationships and stand out in a crowded market. By combining entertainment, education, and personalization, DrinkCurious helps companies create a lasting impression that goes beyond traditional outreach methods. With each tasting, clients gain not only a better understanding of bourbon but also a stronger connection to the company hosting the event. Making Every Sip Count In a world where attention is hard to capture, DrinkCurious has found a way to make every sip count. The experiential approach it offers through bourbon tastings provides an opportunity to kick off relationships on the right foot and create stories worth sharing. DrinkCurious proves that a memorable, personalized experience can make all the difference. Discover practical tips to deepen your client relationships in a way that becomes a springboard for both prospecting new business and communicating real value with the Selling From the Heart Keynote.

Nov 7, 2024

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: – 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. – Competitiveness and resilience are essential traits in both sales and personal life, helping individuals push through challenges and setbacks. – The staffing industry presents unique challenges, as selling intangible services such as staffing solutions requires resilience and the ability to manage client skepticism. – Transitioning from an individual contributor to a leadership position often involves a shift in focus, prioritizing team success and development over personal financial gain. – 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. – A strong sales team culture is built around humility and mutual respect, where talented individuals support one another and work collaboratively toward shared goals. – 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. – Securing large accounts is often the result of thorough groundwork, including mapping out stakeholders and targeting the right individuals through persistent outreach. – 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-UbE The Importance of Hard Work in Sales Success 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 Success Sales 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 Services In 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. Shifting from Contributor to Leader As sales professionals progress in their careers, many move from individual contributor roles to leadership positions. This transition involves a major shift in focus. Instead of concentrating on personal sales and financial gains, the priority becomes leading and developing a team. Being a leader in sales requires focusing on the success of others. The ability to mentor, guide, and empower team members becomes the primary goal. Leaders must develop strategies for the team, helping them reach their targets and grow professionally. Personal achievements take a backseat to the success of the group. Building a Strong Team Culture One of the most important elements of successful leadership in sales is fostering a strong team culture. Sales teams need to be built around humility, respect, and collaboration. Creating an environment where talented individuals support one another is essential. A strong sales team culture encourages open communication, teamwork, and shared goals. When team members feel supported and valued, they are more likely to contribute to the overall success of the organization. It is also important for leaders to lead by example, demonstrating the qualities they want to see in their teams. Cold Calling & Consistent Outreach Essentials Cold calling and consistent outreach remain vital strategies for generating new business in sales. By staying disciplined in reaching out to potential clients, sales professionals can gather information about decision-makers and identify opportunities. Cold calling helps salespeople break through barriers and build relationships with new prospects. It also helps create a pipeline of opportunities, which is critical for maintaining momentum. Even in a digital age, phone calls can open doors to valuable conversations and business deals. Securing Large Accounts Requires Preparation Successfully securing large accounts is often the result of thorough groundwork. Sales professionals need to map out the decision-makers, understand the company's needs, and strategically approach the right individuals. Targeting large accounts requires patience and persistence. Developing relationships with key stakeholders and consistently following up on leads is essential. Success with larger clients rarely happens overnight. It takes time to build trust and demonstrate the value of a solution. The Role of Trust in Leadership and Sales Trust plays a major role in both leadership and sales success. In leadership, trust is built when leaders prioritize the needs of their team members and consistently work to empower them. Trust fosters a positive and collaborative work environment, where employees feel secure and supported. Clients are more likely to work with professionals they trust. Building trust requires honesty, transparency, and a genuine interest in solving the client's problems. Without trust, it is difficult to build lasting client relationships. Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement Even after achieving success, it is important to maintain a culture of continuous improvement. Sales teams need to stay focused on evolving their strategies, finding new ways to meet client needs, and improving their skills. A strong company culture embraces hard work, collaboration, and a commitment to growth. When individuals remain humble and dedicated to learning, they can adapt to changing markets and continue to thrive. Discipline and Consistency Lead to Long-Term Success For sales professionals, discipline and consistency are key factors in achieving long-term success. Whether through cold calls, follow-ups, or ongoing client engagement, staying disciplined helps build a foundation for sustained success. By following proven methods and staying focused on the process, sales professionals can maintain momentum and continue to grow their careers. In the long run, these habits help individuals overcome challenges and build lasting success in their sales roles. Get tips, techniques, and tactics that will help take your prospecting campaigns to the next level getting you into more doors, build deeper relationships, and close more deals with the Seven Steps to Building Effective Prospecting Sequences Guide.

Oct 31, 2024

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: – 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 today’s digital buyers. – Importance of a Digital Sales Strategy: Building an effective digital sales strategy requires orchestrating multiple online touch points to create a harmonious customer experience. – 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. – 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. – 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. – Psychology in Digital Sales: Neil’s "Virtual Persuasion Engagement and Psychology Pyramid" uses psychological tactics like social proof, price anchoring, and loss aversion to influence buying decisions. – 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. – Purpose-Driven Purchasing: Millennial buyers value ethical, sustainable practices and prefer brands aligned with their values, impacting purchasing decisions. – Collaborative Decision-Making: Millennials consult multiple departments in decision-making, meaning sales teams must be ready to address diverse stakeholders’ needs, from finance to IT. – 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=BGqdWks3MX8 Adapting to a Digital Sales Era We 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. It’s important to use strategies, key frameworks, and new tools to empower sales teams and increase success in the digital age. The Buyer-Centric Revolution A primary shift in digital sales is the “buyer-centric revolution,” 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 salesperson’s 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 Cornerstone Content marketing has become a cornerstone of the modern sales strategy, as it functions as a “lighthouse” guiding buyers through a sea of online information. Brands with compelling, relevant content gain a distinct advantage in this new environment. High-quality content serves as a beacon, drawing potential buyers to a company’s offerings. To succeed, brands need a strategy focused on creating engaging and informative content, positioning themselves as authorities in their industries. Content should no longer just be about marketing but should actively support sales by providing valuable insights and resources to prospective customers. Data-Driven Sales Strategies Data-driven sales strategies are equally essential, enabling teams to understand and anticipate customer needs through analytics and predictive insights. It's like detective work, where each click, page visit, and search term acts as a clue to uncover what the buyer genuinely seeks. Using data to understand buyer behavior is not only advantageous but has become a requirement for success. With predictive sales intelligence, sales teams can anticipate buyer needs, providing solutions at the perfect moment to enhance customer satisfaction and improve conversion rates. The Psychology Pyramid One framework salespeople can use is the “Virtual Persuasion Engagement and Psychology Pyramid,” a model that outlines seven key levels of online buyer psychology to drive digital sales. This framework is designed to help sales teams better understand and influence the buying process. The pyramid’s foundation is built on the concept of a “mutual benefit exchange,” where offering something valuable to the buyer, like a sample or special offer, creates a sense of obligation or reciprocity. Building on this, the next levels focus on tapping into digital consumer emotions, offering exclusive options, and creating brand familiarity. As customers move up the pyramid, they encounter increasingly persuasive tactics, from social proof and industry expertise to price anchoring and loss aversion strategies. Leveraging Loss Aversion to Drive Action The top of the pyramid uses the concept of loss aversion, a psychological principle suggesting that people are more motivated by the fear of losing something than by the possibility of gaining something. Framing sales messages around potential losses or missed opportunities can effectively encourage customers to act and make purchases. This comprehensive approach to digital sales not only captures buyer attention but also strengthens brand trust and loyalty. The Millennial Influence The shift in the buyer’s journey is also heavily influenced by the millennial generation, which now plays a major role in B2B purchasing decisions. According to a recent study, 73% of millennials are involved in B2B purchasing decisions, making them a key demographic for sales teams. Millennials, as digital natives, are well-versed in technology and expect a streamlined, self-service buying experience. They prefer self-guided research over traditional sales interactions, and they demand a seamless, data-driven approach that mirrors the convenience of a consumer purchase. For sales teams, this means adapting by investing in an interactive online presence, with features like instant quotes, automated tools, and video demos that provide a full product experience. Building Trust and Loyalty with Millennials Purpose-driven values and ethical practices are also critical when appealing to millennials. This generation is deeply concerned with sustainability, social responsibility, and transparency. They’re not just buying a product; they’re supporting a brand’s mission and values. For sales teams to appeal to millennial buyers, it’s essential to communicate these values clearly, whether through highlighting eco-friendly practices or showcasing ethical sourcing. Millennials’ desire for authenticity means that flashy sales pitches are less effective than straightforward, honest communication about a product’s strengths and limitations. Collaborating with Diverse Stakeholders in B2B Sales Sales professionals also face the challenge of engaging a diverse range of stakeholders in the B2B buying process, as millennials value collaborative decision-making. When selling to millennial-driven teams, it’s important to provide information relevant to each department involved, from finance to IT. Digital sales representatives must be ready to present data-backed information that addresses the needs and concerns of all parties. Millennials are keen on evidence and hard data. They expect sales teams to provide factual information that reinforces a product’s return on investment, performance metrics, and success stories. Adapting to the Future of Digital Sales Success in modern digital sales depends on a strategic approach that blends content, data, and psychology. By focusing on the customer’s journey, creating value-driven content, and utilizing predictive analytics, sales teams can stay relevant in today’s digital landscape. Additionally, understanding the expectations of millennial buyers—who seek transparency, convenience, and purpose—will further help sales teams adapt and succeed. With these tools, digital sales professionals are better equipped to navigate the evolving sales world, ensuring that they not only meet customer needs but also create a lasting, positive impression. Keep prospects engaged, create true competitive differentiation, and shape and influence buying decisions with the Sales EQ Book Club Guide.

Oct 29, 2024

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 Takeaways – Success in outbound selling relies on maintaining strict discipline, consistent activity, and following a structured process to keep momentum and drive results. – Results in prospecting don’t happen overnight; staying consistent over time is key to building a strong pipeline and generating lasting success. – The opening of a conversation is just as important as closing a deal, making daily prospecting essential for building new relationships. – Focusing prospecting activities during peak energy hours increases the likelihood of success, allowing reps to engage with full focus. – A multi-channel outreach approach—integrating phone, email, and social media—reaches a wider audience and meets prospects where they are. – Persistence is non-negotiable in outbound sales; overcoming rejection is part of the journey to closing more deals. – Selling "for people" instead of "to people" fosters trust, and delivering genuine value makes sales interactions more meaningful and memorable. – Handling multiple Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) is doable by creating tailored strategies, specific value propositions, and allowing focused time blocks for each profile. – Reducing scattered, unfocused activity by batching outreach for a specific ICP minimizes burnout, increases productivity, and improves employee retention. – 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-g Diversifying Sales Activities Success 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 Help A 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 Sales Sales is not just about transactions; it’s 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 ICPs When dealing with multiple ICPs, sales professionals can adopt strategies that allow them to tailor their approach to different customer segments. It’s 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 that audience. Avoiding the Scattergun Approach It's essential to avoid a scattergun approach to sales. Jumping between calls and customer segments without a clear strategy can lead to inefficiency. Sales professionals should concentrate on one ICP for a focused period, such as three or four hours. This method fosters deeper understanding and more effective communication. Over time, organizations can structure teams to specialize in different ICPs, further enhancing productivity. Knowing When to Adjust Strategies Determining when to adjust strategies or ICPs requires patience and analysis. A recommended approach is to commit to a process for a set period, such as three months, before considering changes. This timeframe allows sales professionals to gather enough data to evaluate the effectiveness of their efforts. Criteria for Evaluation In addition to time, several criteria can guide the decision to stick with or adjust an ICP. These criteria include the opportunity size, the industry’s standing, learning potential, and the lifetime value of customers. By assessing these factors, sales professionals can identify whether it’s worthwhile to invest time in pursuing a particular ICP. The Power of Consistency For example, one sales company recently closed a significant deal after 46 interactions over 18 months. Despite the lengthy process, the salesperson continued to provide valuable insights through emails and social media, which kept the prospect engaged. When the time was right, the conversation led to a swift closing, highlighting that consistent value delivery can lead to successful outcomes. The Importance of Continuous Learning Success in sales also hinges on learning and growth. Continual self-improvement is vital in a competitive landscape. Sales professionals should never end their day without acquiring new knowledge or insights. Engaging with industry experts and peers at events like the OutBound Conference can significantly enhance one’s skills and network. Networking as a Tool for Success Networking is a powerful tool in sales. Interacting with other motivated individuals can lead to valuable connections and friendships. Many attendees leave events like OutBound with new job opportunities or collaborations, emphasizing the importance of relationship-building. Sales professionals should aim to leave with actionable ideas and new relationships that they can implement within days. Engaging with like-minded individuals fosters a collaborative environment that enhances overall performance. Embracing a Holistic Approach to Sales Success Mastering the art of sales requires a blend of strategies, consistent effort, and a focus on building relationships. By understanding their ICPs, diversifying activities, and committing to continuous learning, sales professionals can significantly improve their success rates. Events like OutBound provide opportunities to learn from others and expand one’s network, ultimately leading to greater achievements. Level up your sales game with Mark's courses on Sales Gravy University. Find all of his courses HERE.

Oct 24, 2024

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: – 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. – 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. – 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. – 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. – 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. – 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=fuBcg1JB2yE Understanding Pipeline Velocity Pipeline 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. It’s 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, there’s 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 aren’t 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 aren’t ready or slow down too much, risking missed opportunities. The Challenge of New Products One 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 company’s 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. Knowing When to Move On Another key to pipeline management is knowing when to walk away from a prospect. It’s common for sellers to get stuck on deals that are moving slowly. They may have good conversations with the main contact, but other stakeholders in the organization aren’t as engaged. This can lead to frustration and wasted time. In these situations, sellers need to recognize the signs that it’s time to "break up: with the prospect. You can do this respectfully and professionally by placing the ball back in the prospect’s court. Sellers might say something like, “It seems like we’re on the same page, but the rest of the organization may not be ready. Why don’t we revisit this in six months?” This approach helps the seller avoid wasting time and energy on deals that are unlikely to close while maintaining a positive relationship with the prospect. Continuous Learning and Improvement One thing all sales professionals can agree on is the value of ongoing training. No matter how experienced a seller is, there’s always room for improvement, particularly in areas like qualifying deals and pipeline management. Training sessions, such as those offered at the OutBound Conference, help salespeople refine their skills, stay motivated, and stay up to date on the latest sales strategies. By focusing on pipeline velocity, balancing quality and speed, knowing when to walk away, and continuously improving through training, sales teams can increase their chances of success. Whether they’re launching new products or fine-tuning their approach to closing deals, these strategies are essential for boosting pipeline performance. Check out Amy's Five Traits of Modern Selling and learn why these traits are setting top performers apart in the new sales economy.

Oct 22, 2024

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: – 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. – 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. – 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. – 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. – 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. – 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=2LFShEROylY Avoiding Common Mistakes on LinkedIn LinkedIn 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. LinkedIn is Like a Networking Event When thinking about LinkedIn, it’s important to compare it to how you act at a networking event. At an event, your first conversation with someone isn’t about immediately selling a product or service. Instead, it’s 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, Don’t Pitch A 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 someone’s 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. 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 “Pitch Slap” One of the most disliked tactics on LinkedIn is what’s known as the "pitch slap"—a 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. Many professionals on LinkedIn experience this kind of message frequently. Instead of helping, it hurts the chances of building a productive relationship. It’s essential to remember that LinkedIn is not just another sales platform but a community. Being patient and building a connection first can have a lasting impact on your sales prospects. Personalization Over Automation Another issue in modern sales is finding the balance between automation and personalization. While sales tools can help save time, they shouldn’t take away the personal touch. Automated messages often lack the authenticity needed to build trust. Personalized outreach, on the other hand, shows that you’ve done your homework. Instead of sending a generic message, a personalized one reflects that you’ve taken the time to learn about the person you’re reaching out to. This approach is far more effective in generating interest and meaningful responses. Building Authentic Relationships on LinkedIn LinkedIn offers a unique opportunity to connect with prospects in a way that feels more natural and less sales-focused. By treating LinkedIn like a networking event, avoiding hard pitches, and focusing on genuine engagement, sales professionals can build better relationships. Avoiding the common mistakes of "pitch slapping" and focusing on personalized interactions instead of automation can go a long way in increasing success on the platform. A Salesperson’s Resource: The OutBound Conference For sales professionals looking to improve their skills, conferences like OutBound offer valuable insights. OutBound is described as one of the top events for salespeople who want to get better at pipeline productivity, performance, and prospecting. It brings together industry experts who share strategies and tips to improve sales tactics. Attending events like these helps salespeople stay ahead of trends and sharpen their skills. If you're serious about improving in sales, conferences and resources like Sales Gravy University offer courses that can further develop your abilities in areas like LinkedIn selling. Explore Brynne Tillman's courses on Sales Gravy University to master your social selling so you can sell more.

Oct 17, 2024

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: – 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. – 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. – Sales as Self-Competition: Sales is often a competition with oneself. A disciplined, daily commitment to prospecting is essential, especially during challenging economic times. – 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. – 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_fLFmM Unlock Sales Success at the OutBound Conference The 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 Competition One 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 Times As 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 Change Behavioral 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 doesn’t happen overnight. Instead, it comes from daily actions, like prospecting, following up with leads, and continuously refining one’s 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 Success In 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 “crap in, crap out,” 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. Sales is a Competition with Yourself An important concept to keep in mind is that sales is often more of a competition with oneself than with others. Just like in golf, where players compete against their own previous scores, salespeople must constantly strive to beat their own performance. This requires discipline, focus, and the willingness to push forward even when results aren’t immediate. Consistency in prospecting and maintaining a positive attitude, even when appointments aren’t being set, will separate top performers from the rest. Equip Yourself with the Right Tools The OutBound Conference promises to provide attendees with the tools and strategies needed to excel, especially as the end of the year approaches. Those looking to get ahead in sales, improve their results, or lead their teams through challenging times should consider attending this transformative event. Check out Anthony Iannarino and Jeb Blount's new book, The AI Edge.

Oct 15, 2024

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 on how to leverage cutting-edge technology to boost your sales productivity, overcome common challenges, and achieve peak performance in 2024 and beyond. Key Takeaways: – 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. – 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. – 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. – 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. – Continuous Improvement: Moving from a "B+ seller" to an "A+ seller” requires mindset improvements, including overcoming mental blocks, addressing challenges quickly, and refining the approach to proposals and customer interactions. – 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=lygNfsTjdUk Unlocking Sales Success at OutBound 2024 Sales 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 year’s 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 Sales One 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 doesn’t mean the human touch is becoming less important. In fact, it’s 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 Success The 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 they deal with these roadblocks. Instead of fearing difficult conversations or avoiding follow-ups because of past rejections, successful sellers tackle issues head-on. Speakers at OutBound will provide actionable advice on shifting from a mindset of avoidance to one of proactivity. Attendees will learn how to embrace challenges and find solutions rather than letting fear hold them back. Tackling Value-Based Selling One of the toughest parts of sales is getting customers to understand the long-term value of what they are purchasing. Many buyers look at the initial cost of a product or service and hesitate to invest because it seems like a high expense upfront. However, successful sellers know that focusing on long-term value rather than short-term savings is key to closing bigger deals. At OutBound, this principle of value-based selling will be a major focus. Sales professionals will learn how to present their proposals in a way that highlights the benefits a customer will gain over time. By shifting the conversation from immediate costs to long-term returns, sellers can help their prospects see that an investment now can prevent bigger problems down the road. Turning B+ Sellers into A+ Sellers Sales professionals often find themselves stuck in a middle zone of competence. They may be doing well, making decent money, but they aren’t reaching their full potential. OutBound 2024 aims to help these "B+ sellers" break through to the next level. A key element of this transformation is overcoming mental barriers that hold people back. Many salespeople have moments where they delay responding to emails or avoid making a follow-up call because they are afraid of what the customer might say. This type of procrastination can cost valuable deals. At OutBound, experts will provide insight into how sellers can develop the confidence to act quickly and deal with challenges as soon as they arise. Speakers will focus on techniques to help sales professionals avoid letting past negative experiences influence future decisions. With the right mindset, salespeople can move from good to great, taking control of their outcomes rather than letting fear dictate their actions. Why You Should Attend OutBound 2024 OutBound is unlike any other sales conference. It brings together some of the biggest names in sales, like Victor Antonio, Anthony Iannarino, Jeb Blount, and Amy Franko. These experts have not only mastered the art of selling but have also become renowned speakers and trainers. They know what it takes to succeed in sales, and they are ready to share their insights with attendees. The J.W. Marriott Resort in San Antonio provides the perfect backdrop for this event. Situated just outside the city, the resort offers everything you need in one place, allowing attendees to fully immerse themselves in the conference without distractions. Whether you're looking to boost productivity, sharpen your prospecting skills, or build a more efficient sales pipeline, OutBound 2024 is the event that will take your career to the next level. Beyond the main conference sessions, there will be plenty of opportunities for networking. OutBound brings together a diverse group of sales professionals facing similar challenges. The chance to connect with peers, share strategies, and learn from each other is one of the highlights of the conference. It's a rare opportunity to meet industry leaders and discuss sales strategies with those who truly understand the field. Join the OutBound Experience For anyone serious about sales, attending OutBound 2024 is a must. The combination of cutting-edge sales techniques, mindset coaching, and the unique opportunity to learn from the best in the business makes this event an invaluable experience. Whether you're a seasoned sales veteran or just starting out in the industry, OutBound will equip you with the tools and knowledge you need to succeed. If you haven’t already secured your ticket, head over to OutboundConference.com to grab yours today. Don’t miss out on the chance to learn from the best, network with top professionals, and take your sales game to the next level. You can learn more about value-centric selling, creating compelling virtual sales presentations, and having better business conversations in Victor Antonio’s courses on Sales Gravy University.

Oct 10, 2024

"Early sales careers can 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: – Facing Rejection with Determination: Early sales careers can 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. – 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. – 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. – Engaging Disengaged Learners: To connect with disengaged learners, it’s 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. – 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. – 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. – Persistence After Losing Deals: After losing a deal, it’s 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. – The Importance of Micro Commitments: Gaining micro commitments—small agreements to follow up or have another meeting—throughout the sales process can reduce the likelihood of being ghosted. This strategy fosters engagement and provides opportunities to understand why a deal was lost. – 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-Q Diverse Life Experiences Diverse 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 adaptability—traits essential for success in sales. Overcoming Early Challenges Cold 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 Sales Sales is often misunderstood and mischaracterized. Initially, there may be hesitancy to fully embrace the role of a salesperson due to negative stereotypes. However, direct experience in the field reveals that sales is not about being pushy or gimmicky, but about solving problems and building trust. The advice here is to embrace the sales profession confidently and redefine what it means through personal integrity and service. The Importance of Self-Talk Positive self-talk is a powerful tool for staying motivated and resilient. Sales can be a rollercoaster of highs and lows, and internal dialogue plays a crucial role in maintaining focus. Regularly setting personal rewards for achieving targets also helps to stay motivated. The lesson is to practice positive reinforcement and create small incentives that boost long-term success. Building Lasting Relationships Building strong, lasting customer relationships is key to sustainable success in sales. Personalized outreach, such as handwritten notes, can make a significant difference in how customers perceive a salesperson. The advice is to find ways to stand out by showing genuine appreciation for customers, which can set one apart in an increasingly digital world. The Power of Micro Commitments Another effective strategy is gaining micro commitments throughout the sales process. By asking for small agreements, such as scheduling a follow-up meeting, salespeople can create a sense of engagement and prevent potential customers from going silent. These commitments lead to better conversations and provide valuable insights into why a deal may not have moved forward. Time Management Techniques Time management is crucial for both sales and everyday life. Implementing time blocking can significantly enhance productivity. This involves dedicating specific time slots for focused work without distractions. By using this method, individuals can improve their efficiency in both professional tasks and personal responsibilities. Adopting these strategies can lead to greater success in engaging learners and customers alike. The Joy of Training Others Sharing knowledge and helping others succeed brings a unique sense of fulfillment in a sales career. When techniques shared in training positively impact others, it highlights the importance of continuous learning. The lesson here is that the journey of growth never stops, and teaching others is an effective way to reinforce personal skills while contributing to the success of the broader team. Connecting with Disengaged Learners Connecting with disengaged learners and potential customers can be challenging. To build a meaningful connection with those who seem uninterested, it is important to engage them directly. For example, educators can call on disengaged students during class or approach them during breaks. These small interactions help break the ice and lower defenses, especially for individuals with Type-A personalities who may initially resist engagement. Once those barriers come down, they often become more open to learning and discussion. Handling Customer Objections When it comes to handling objections from potential customers, preparation is key. Sales professionals should anticipate the most common objections and have their responses ready. Common objections include “I’m not interested,” “I’m too busy,” and requests to “just send me an email.” It is crucial to recognize that these responses are often knee-jerk reactions to an unexpected sales call. Being prepared can help salespeople maintain their composure during these challenging moments and prevent them from rambling or panicking. Coping with Rejection After losing a deal, it is natural to feel discouraged. However, it is important to maintain a positive mindset. Finding support from friends, family, or colleagues can provide the motivation needed to move forward. Engaging in enjoyable activities, such as watching a favorite show or listening to music, can also help lift spirits. Additionally, immediately returning to prospecting for new opportunities is essential to replacing lost deals. Embrace Continuous Growth The journey through sales is a dynamic process that blends diverse life experiences, resilience, and strategic thinking. From overcoming the challenges of cold calling to mastering time management and handling objections, each lesson contributes to a foundation for long-term success. Building lasting relationships and staying motivated through positive self-talk are essential skills, while the joy of training others and sharing knowledge brings fulfillment to the sales profession. By embracing continuous growth and adapting strategies like micro commitments, sales professionals can thrive in an ever-evolving landscape. See what courses Jessica has to offer on Sales Gravy University HERE.

Oct 7, 2024

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: – Agility in sales involves being prepared to pivot and adjust based on the situation and the customer's needs. – Effective salespeople assess the context before presenting their offerings to ensure it is the right moment. – Reflection on experiences is crucial for continuous improvement and learning in a corporate setting. – Establishing a framework for learning allows for efficient integration of lessons into future interactions. – Simplifying complex processes into frameworks, like commit, prepare, execute, and reflect, aids in clarity and focus. – Receiving feedback from clients can provide insights into the impact of sales efforts on individuals and organizations. – Building rapport and human connections is fundamental to effective sales and teaching. – Embracing nervousness before speaking can indicate a serious commitment to delivering quality presentations. – Transitioning from professional to personal life requires conscious effort to maintain focus and presence. – Utilizing mental skills, such as mindfulness and breathing exercises, can help reset focus and reduce anxiety before critical interactions. – After every engagement, analyzing what contributed to success or failure informs better preparation for future opportunities. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNpE70uu_v4 Understanding Agility in Sales In 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 customers’ needs and respond accordingly. When a salesperson walks into a room, they must remain aware of their surroundings. What’s happening in the customer’s life? Instead of diving straight into a pitch about products or services, it’s essential to gauge whether the timing is right. Should the salesperson make adjustments based on the customer’s mood or current circumstances? Being aware of these nuances can greatly influence the outcome of the conversation. The Importance of Reflection Salespeople should aim to reflect on their experiences regularly. Reflection allows individuals to learn from their successes and failures, and it’s an aspect often overlooked in corporate environments. Many companies dismiss the need for reflection, claiming they don’t have time for it. However, taking a moment to analyze what went well and what could have been improved can yield significant benefits. It’s not just about celebrating victories; it’s 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 Framework One effective approach is to simplify processes into a framework that’s 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 Feedback Feedback from clients serves as a vital tool for understanding the impact of one’s efforts. Often, during engagements, comments received can be gratifying and affirm the effectiveness of a presentation. However, it’s essential to recognize that such positive feedback shouldn’t be taken for granted. While it feels good to receive praise, it’s important to consider whether the impact will be long-lasting. Connecting with Others Creating opportunities for meaningful connections is a core motivation for many sales professionals. Engaging with others allows them to share knowledge, facilitate growth, and inspire change. There is an intrinsic value in making an impact, and that drives individuals to put in the hard work necessary to succeed. Embracing Pre-Presentation Nerves Even seasoned speakers experience a level of anxiety before addressing an audience. This feeling serves as a reminder of the responsibility they hold and the need to deliver quality content. Feeling nervous before a presentation indicates that one is taking the opportunity seriously. This approach aligns with the idea that complacency can lead to missed opportunities. Transitioning Between Work and Home Life Transitions from professional to personal life also require attention. It’s easy to carry the stresses of a workday into personal time, especially when commuting takes little time. Unlike lengthy drives that offer a chance to decompress, shorter commutes can lead to a rush into home life without proper mental preparation. Recognizing this transition is essential. Practicing mindfulness or breathing exercises can help reset the focus and ease the shift from work to home life. Creating Your Own Luck Ultimately, success in sales involves creating one’s own luck through preparation and dedication. It’s essential to forecast potential challenges and identify what resources and rehearsals are necessary to meet goals. Confidence plays a crucial role in executing sales strategies. This confidence should be rooted in the knowledge that preparation has been thorough. The Importance of Continuous Learning After each engagement, it’s vital to analyze the factors that contributed to either success or failure. This feedback loop informs future preparations and ensures continuous growth. By committing to the framework of commit, prepare, execute, and reflect, sales professionals can enhance their approach and drive positive outcomes in their interactions. Building Lasting Relationships The combination of agility and intentionality can lead to meaningful connections and impactful results in sales. Embracing a reflective mindset allows for ongoing learning and adaptation, paving the way for greater success. Sales is not just about transactions; it’s about building relationships, understanding needs, and making a difference. By focusing on these core principles, sales professionals can enhance their effectiveness and foster lasting change within their organizations and among their clients. Download the free Seven Steps to Building Effective Prospecting Sequences Guide to help take your prospecting campaigns to the next level.

Sep 26, 2024

Sales professionals are always looking for fresh strategies to boost their performance and outshine the competition. Surprisingly, one key factor that’s 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 Takeaways – Importance of Posture: Maintaining a "proud posture" is crucial for both physical health and psychological confidence during workouts and daily activities. – Habit Formation: Developing a consistent awareness of posture and practicing corrective habits over time can help shift one’s natural stance to a more aligned position. – 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. – 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. – 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. – Sleep and Recovery: Adequate sleep and nutrition, particularly protein intake, are vital for muscle recovery and growth, especially as one ages. – Mindset and Stoicism: Emphasizing control over actions and reactions, rather than focusing on external outcomes, can improve mindset, productivity, and overall well-being. – 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. – 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. – Muscle Strengthening: Strengthening the posterior muscles is essential for supporting good posture. Recommended exercises include rows, lat pulldowns, and hip flexor stretches. – Core Engagement: Exercises like planks are emphasized for their role in core stabilization, essential for maintaining proper posture and functional strength. – 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=VlJdAEZ86cI A Path to Better Health and Confidence Many 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 Posture Proud 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 Mistakes It is important to have correct shoulder positioning to achieve proud posture. Many people mistakenly pull their shoulder blades back too much, which can cause unnecessary tension. Instead, you should draw the shoulders down to engage the lats while relaxing the traps. This adjustment helps create a more natural and comfortable posture. Another vital area to consider is the thoracic cavity. Opening the chest and activating back muscles can improve breathing and overall communication skills. This is particularly beneficial in professional settings like sales, where clear communication is essential. Poor posture often leads to shallow breathing, which can negatively impact projection and confidence. By correcting posture, individuals can enhance their breathing, enunciation, and overall communication abilities. Overcoming Posture Challenges Despite understanding the importance of proud posture, many people struggle to maintain it throughout the day. Routine activities like typing or driving often lead to hunching over, a habit that has developed over the years. Recognizing this issue is the first step toward making positive changes. Strengthening posterior muscles supports better posture. Exercises such as rows, lat pulldowns, and back stretches can help activate these muscles and improve alignment. Additionally, incorporating dynamic hip flexor stretches can loosen tight muscles and contribute to proper posture. Regular activation of these muscles is essential for maintaining proud posture over time. Creating lasting change in posture comes down to habit formation. With consistent awareness and practice, individuals can shift their natural posture toward a more aligned and confident stance. This requires dedication and a commitment to being mindful of posture throughout the day. Techniques for Posture Correction One effective technique for improving posture involves standing against a wall with your feet about two feet away. Keeping the head in contact with the wall while pulling the hips slightly away can help activate key muscles. After a minute or two, this exercise encourages the body to follow suit into a natural upright position. In addition to exercises, modern fitness wearables can provide reminders to adjust posture. Gadgets like apps or hardware can alert users when they start to hunch, serving as helpful tools for maintaining awareness. Another method involves placing body tape along the back to provide tactile feedback when posture slips. This technique trains muscle memory, helping individuals maintain proper alignment. The Importance of Core Strength Core strength plays a crucial role in maintaining good posture. The plank is emphasized as the most important core exercise, as it engages the core in its primary function: stabilization. While sit-ups and crunches focus on aesthetics, planks help improve overall strength and posture. Variations of planks, such as side planks, are also recommended. These exercises engage lateral muscles and offer a comprehensive workout for the entire core. Integrating planks into workout routines can enhance core strength while reinforcing proper posture. Flexibility and Strength Training A well-rounded fitness routine should focus on improving flexibility, strength, and posture. Dynamic exercises targeting multiple muscle groups can significantly enhance overall physical well-being. For example, starting with a hamstring stretch while bending the knees and transitioning into a plank position can activate the core and improve flexibility. Deadlifts are another essential exercise for building strength and improving posture. They work the posterior chain, which includes the legs, glutes, and back. Proper glute activation is crucial during deadlifts to alleviate lower back pain and ensure the body remains aligned. Focusing on form, such as driving the hips back instead of lowering the weight, can prevent injuries and ensure effective muscle engagement. Nutritional Considerations Building muscle and maintaining proper posture also require attention to nutrition. Protein intake is essential for muscle repair and growth. Experts recommend consuming between 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass. While this amount can be challenging to achieve, it's vital for supporting physical health. Unlock Your Well-Being Incorporating proud posture into daily life can lead to significant benefits, both physically and psychologically. By understanding the importance of posture, addressing common mistakes, and implementing effective techniques, individuals can improve their overall well-being. Consistent practice, awareness, and a commitment to strengthening the appropriate muscles will help maintain proud posture, enhancing confidence and health for years to come. Join The Sales Fitness Journey Learning Path to go on a life changing journey to transform your body, mind, and sales performance.

Sep 19, 2024

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: – 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. – Proficiency Framework: Organizations that excel in training have a clear framework for progression—from 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. – Ongoing Development: Training doesn’t 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. – 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. – 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 they’re using, organizations can better strategize and offer more meaningful, value-driven collaborations. – 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. – Customer-Centric Messaging: When reaching out to partners or customers, focus on how your solution will improve the customer’s experience, rather than simply pushing your product. It's crucial to show how you can add value to the customer’s existing operations, rather than expecting them to sell or adopt your product without a clear benefit. – 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. – Ego Can Be a Barrier: In the early stages of a sales career, ego can cloud judgment. It’s crucial to focus on genuinely helping prospects rather than trying to prove oneself. Authentic engagement is key to fostering successful partnerships. – 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=KExatzKuSkQ Build Strong Partnerships Building 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? It’s not just about numbers or features. It’s about people working together for a shared purpose. It Starts with Being Human One of the most common mistakes salespeople make is focusing too much on technical benefits and outcomes. Sure, increasing ROI by 448% sounds great, but at the core, partnerships are about people. When reaching out to a potential partner, the conversation should feel natural, like you’re trying to build a genuine relationship. Instead of diving straight into the pitch, start by saying something simple like, “I want to help you.” It sounds basic, but being clear and genuine goes a long way. It’s also realistic—out of the thousands of people you may reach out to, many won’t be interested, and that’s okay. Focus on the ones who are, and keep your message simple and authentic. Those genuine conversations are what spark real partnerships. Avoid Overcomplicating It Many sales professionals tend to overthink their outreach. We get caught up in scripts, email templates, and trying to perfect every little detail. But sometimes, it’s better to strip it all down. Success can come from simply reaching out to agency partners and saying, “Let’s chat for five minutes to see if we’re a good fit.” This approach isn't complicated or flashy—it is about starting a real conversation. If you approach someone and say, “I think we can help each other,” it makes the whole interaction feel less like a sales pitch and more like a collaboration. That’s what people want—a partner, not a salesperson. And when they see that you genuinely care about helping them, it’s easier to gain their trust. Listening is Your Superpower Partnerships are built on understanding, not selling. It’s easy to forget that when we’re so focused on what we’re offering. The best way to build trust with a partner is to listen. Take the time to research and understand their business, their challenges, and what their customers need. It's importance to observe, listen, and then act on what you’ve learned. For example, if you’re reaching out to a partner, you might say, “I’ve been talking to some of your customers, and they mentioned that while your services are great, they could use a better way to manage their tech support.” This shows that you’ve done your homework and understand their business. It also gives you a foot in the door to offer a solution that fits into their strategy. The more you listen, the better you can tailor your outreach to meet their specific needs. Think About the Timing It's not just about what you say, but also when you say it that makes a difference. Timing can play a huge role in whether someone opens your email or takes your call. The speaker mentions an interesting tactic: sending emails at obscure times, like 8:37 p.m. or 6:12 a.m. The logic here is simple—your target audience is probably winding down at the end of the day or just starting their morning. That’s when they’re most likely to check their phones and see your message. By reaching out to them when they’re more available, you increase the chances of getting a response. Sending a well-timed email with a simple message like, “I’ve been on your website and noticed this challenge. I’d love to spend five minutes talking about how we can help,” feels personal and relevant. Create Real Value Ultimately, your goal isn’t just to make a sale. You’re trying to create value for your partners and their customers. If what you’re offering makes their business better, it becomes a win-win situation. True partnerships are about aligning with the customer’s needs, not just pitching a product. If your partner can see that by working together, their customers will benefit, they’ll be much more open to collaborating. Great partnerships are all about being people-first and focusing on creating better outcomes for everyone involved. If your message highlights how both of you can win by working together, the relationship becomes much more powerful than a simple transaction. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask At the end of the day, a lot of us hesitate to ask for partnerships because we’re afraid of rejection. If you’ve done your homework, listened to your potential partners, and have a clear understanding of how you can help them, there’s no harm in asking. Worst case scenario? They say no, and you move on. Best case? You build a strong, lasting partnership that drives growth for both sides. The next time you’re reaching out to a potential partner, remember to keep it simple, stay human, and always focus on how you can create value together. Building partnerships is about helping each other succeed—one genuine conversation at a time. Download the free A.C.E.D. Buyer Style Playbook to learn how to build deeper emotional connections when you interact with buyers and stakeholders.

Sep 12, 2024

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 professionals—price. 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_lLkJtC1aM Mastering the Human Connection In sales, one thing is clear: communication is key. But it’s not just about what you say—it’s about how you say it, how you listen, and how you adapt to the unique styles of the people you’re engaging with. Every person you interact with has their own communication style. Whether they’re direct, indirect, focused on building consensus, or full of energy, understanding these styles is crucial for any salesperson. But here’s the catch: your communication style doesn’t matter if you’re not speaking the language of your prospect. It’s only when you start talking and really connecting with them that your style becomes important. If you jump straight into talking about your product’s features and benefits, you’re just like every other salesperson out there. What sets you apart isn’t your product, but the questions you ask and how you communicate. The Power of Questions One 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, it’s the questions you ask that drive the conversation forward. Instead of talking about your solution, ask questions that uncover the prospect’s needs, challenges, and goals. This approach not only differentiates you but also builds trust and rapport. Listening with All Your Senses We often talk about the importance of listening in sales, but listening is more than just hearing the words someone says. It’s about observing their body language, paying attention to their tone of voice, and using your intuition to pick up on unspoken cues. Listening is multi-directional; you listen with your eyes, ears, and gut. Unfortunately, many salespeople only listen with their ears, focusing solely on the words being said. This narrow focus can cause them to miss out on crucial information about what the prospect is truly feeling or thinking. So, how can you turn on all your senses when engaging with a buyer? The secret isn’t just in knowing this technique, but in practicing it consistently. Like many things in sales, it’s about building a habit. The more you practice observing and listening with all your senses, the better you’ll become at understanding your prospect’s needs and how to communicate with them effectively. Detaching from the Outcome One of the biggest challenges salespeople face is the pressure to close the deal. This pressure can cause them to focus more on the outcome than on the conversation itself. But the secret to effective selling is to detach from the outcome. How? By maintaining a full pipeline of prospects. When you have plenty of opportunities in the pipeline, the pressure to close any single deal diminishes. This allows you to step back, listen more carefully, and engage in the conversation without the stress of needing to close the deal at all costs. Managing Your Ego A common obstacle in sales is ego. As humans, we all have an ego, and it often gets in the way of effective communication. For instance, you might feel the need to impress the prospect or worry about what they think of you. This can cause you to talk too much or react defensively, which can derail the conversation. The key is to manage your ego and stay focused on the prospect’s needs. Remember, ego is not your amigo. By keeping your ego in check, you can communicate more effectively and build stronger relationships with your prospects. The Importance of Precision and Eloquence When it comes to communication, the words you choose matter. But that doesn’t mean you need to use big, complicated words to impress your prospect. In fact, simplicity is often more effective. Using common, straightforward language helps ensure that your message is clear and easily understood. Precision in communication is also important, especially in written communication like emails or texts. The words you choose can be interpreted in different ways, so it’s crucial to be intentional with your language. You’re not judged by your intent, but by how your words are perceived. By being precise and intentional, you can avoid misunderstandings and ensure your message is received as you intended. Redirecting the Conversation One of the most powerful communication techniques in sales is redirection. When a prospect asks a question or raises a concern, it’s tempting to respond immediately with a solution. But instead of jumping to answer, take a step back and ask a follow-up question to understand the deeper issue. For example, if a prospect asks how quickly you can deliver a product, instead of just giving a timeline, ask what’s driving their urgency. This helps you uncover the real need behind the question and allows you to address it more effectively. Mastering communication in sales is about more than just talking. It’s about listening, observing, and adapting your style to meet the needs of your prospect. By focusing on asking the right questions, managing your ego, and being precise in your language, you can build stronger connections and close more deals. Download the FREE Objections Book Club Guide for tips on getting past no—even with the most challenging objections.

Sep 10, 2024

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: - 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 announcement” 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=z7mtPgiAFRA Latin America’s Unique Market Challenges Latin 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 “Help Announcement” A key strategy for successful prospecting is a concept called a “help announcement.” 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. They’ll 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. It’s better to address one issue at a time, making sure your help announcement is relevant and tailored to the prospect’s specific needs. This targeted approach increases the chances of your message being heard and appreciated. Systematic Follow-Up is Key Another 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. A good follow-up should reinforce your help announcement and continue to add value to the prospect. This might involve sharing additional insights, answering questions, or providing more detailed information about how your solution can address their specific needs. The key is to stay engaged without being pushy, keeping the conversation going in a way that builds trust and moves the relationship forward. Understanding Cultural Nuances When it comes to Latin America, understanding the cultural nuances can make or break your sales efforts. For example, in many Latin American countries, business dealings are heavily influenced by personal relationships. It’s not uncommon for business meetings to begin with small talk, discussing family or other personal matters before getting down to business. This isn’t just a formality; it’s a way of building rapport and trust. Being aware of these cultural differences and adapting your approach accordingly can significantly improve your success rate. It’s more than just speaking the language; it’s about connecting with people on a deeper level and showing that you understand and respect their culture. The Importance of Learning from Experts For sales professionals looking to improve their skills and learn more about prospecting in markets like Latin America, attending industry events like the Outbound Conference can be incredibly beneficial. The Outbound Conference is a must-attend event for anyone serious about sales. It’s a gathering of some of the best minds in the industry, offering insights into productivity, prospecting, and performance. Whether you’re new to sales or a seasoned pro, there’s always something new to learn. A Roadmap for Market Expansion Expanding into new markets can be daunting, but with the right approach and a deep understanding of the cultural and business landscape, it’s entirely possible to succeed. By focusing on building relationships, delivering targeted help announcements, and following up systematically, you can tap into the potential of the Latin American market and take your sales game to the next level. Download this FREE A.C.E.D. Buyer Style Playbook to help you build deeper emotional connections when you interact with buyers and stakeholders based on who they are–not who you are.

Sep 5, 2024

In the competitive world of sales, adopting the right mindset is crucial for success. On this episode of the 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 Takeaways - 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 success—such as discipline, confidence, and mental toughness—are 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=Tvi5ARbDLsQ The Power of Personal Initiative Success is a journey built on a series of steps that anyone can take if they’re willing to put in the effort. It’s about creating opportunities for yourself, rather than waiting for them to appear. 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 not—like attending events to network, cold-calling potential employers, or pursuing opportunities that seem out of reach. These proactive steps can open doors you didn’t even know existed. The Role of Discipline and Confidence Discipline 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 it’s discipline that ensures you keep going, especially when the road gets tough. Confidence isn’t something you’re born with; it’s something you build over time. Every time you take initiative or tackle a challenge, you’re 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 Thinking While it’s 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, “How can I combine my skills to create something sustainable?” can lead to breakthroughs in your career or personal life. Understanding your strengths and how to use them effectively is key to long-term success. Success isn’t about quick wins; it’s about consistent effort over time. Show up every day, put in the work, and don’t be discouraged by setbacks. These small, consistent actions will eventually add up to significant achievements. The Importance of Building a Personal Brand Your personal brand is your reputation—it’s what people think of when they hear your name. By building a strong personal brand through your experiences and successes, you open up new opportunities and build trust with others. It’s not just about selling yourself; it’s about being authentic and consistent in everything you do. Creating Opportunities For Your Path to Success Sometimes, the best opportunities come from looking where others aren’t. This might mean taking an unconventional approach or trying something new. By doing what others won’t, you often find success in unexpected places. Success isn’t a mystery or something reserved for a select few. It’s the result of personal initiative, discipline, confidence, and long-term thinking. By taking proactive steps, staying disciplined, and playing the long game, anyone can create their own opportunities and achieve their goals. Whether you’re starting out in your career, looking to make a change, or simply wanting to improve in some area of your life, these principles can guide you on your path to success. The journey may be challenging, but with the right mindset, you can achieve more than you ever thought possible. Become more confident, gain a pro athlete mindset and achieve your goals faster with Dre Baldwin’s challenge course 30 Days to Confidence.

Aug 29, 2024

On this episode of 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: 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=kiamtIdNDCQ The Secret to Mastering Your Craft It’s easy to fall into the trap of seeking shortcuts and instant success. We often hear about “overnight sensations” or those who seemed to have made it big with minimal effort. But the truth is, most of these stories don’t tell the whole picture. Behind every “overnight success” is usually years of hard work, dedication, and persistence. Success doesn’t 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 won’t. The Role of Hard Work in Sales When we talk about hard work in sales, we’re not just talking about working long hours. It’s about working smart, being strategic, and continuously improving your skills. Hard work is doing the research before making a call, understanding your client’s needs, and finding the best solution for them. You have to follow up, stay organized, and be persistent even when you don’t see immediate results. Sales isn’t easy. It’s a profession that requires resilience, adaptability, and a thick skin. You’re going to face rejection, sometimes daily. You’re going to encounter clients who don’t want to hear from you, who are happy with their current providers, or who simply don’t have the budget. But if you’re willing to push through these challenges, you’ll find that the rewards are worth it. The Myth of Natural Talent One of the biggest misconceptions in any profession, including sales, is the idea that some people are just “naturally” good at it. While it’s true that some individuals may have certain qualities that give them an edge, like charisma or a knack for communication, these traits alone won’t lead to sustained success. Being good at sales—or any other skill—requires continuous practice, learning, and refinement. The people who seem to be “naturally” good are usually the ones who have put in the most effort behind the scenes. They’re the ones who have read the books, attended the seminars, practiced their pitch, and studied their industry. They’ve made mistakes, learned from them, and kept going. Embrace the Process If you want to succeed, you need to embrace the process of getting there. This means accepting that there will be ups and downs, that you won’t always close the deal, and that sometimes, you’ll have to take a step back to move forward. It means being patient and understanding that success doesn’t happen overnight. One main key to embracing the process is to set realistic expectations. Understand that you’re not going to be perfect right away, and that’s okay. What’s important is that you’re committed to improving. Resilience is another crucial step to embracing the process. You’re going to face challenges, setbacks, and failures. Instead of letting these discourage you, use them as learning opportunities. Ask yourself what went wrong, what you can do differently next time, and how you can use this experience to grow. The Power of Consistency Staying consistent is key when it comes to success. It’s not enough to work hard occasionally; you need to be consistent in your efforts. This means showing up every day, putting in the work, and maintaining a positive attitude even when things aren’t going your way. Consistency builds trust with your clients, your colleagues, and yourself. It shows that you’re reliable, dedicated, and committed to your work. Over time, this consistency will pay off in the form of stronger relationships, more opportunities, and ultimately, greater success. Hard Work Pays Off There’s no magic formula for success. Whether you’re in sales or any other field, the road to mastery is paved with hard work, persistence, and a willingness to embrace the challenges that come your way. The people who achieve great things aren’t necessarily the most talented or the luckiest—they’re the ones who are willing to put in the work, day in and day out. Stop looking for shortcuts and start embracing the hard work. It might not be easy, but in the end, it will be worth it. Master your craft with the right sales coach. Download this free guide for tips on How to Find the Right Coach for You.

Aug 22, 2024

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. You’ll learn how to turn every experience into an opportunity for growth and success. Key Takeaways: - 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 “be your excellent best.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tlmtfE9fPQ Unlock the Power of Experience Life 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 aren’t taught in a textbook but are developed through life’s experiences. Here’s how you can turn these life lessons into powerful tools for sales success. Resilience in the Face of Rejection One 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 resilience—and this is just as important in sales. In sales, rejection is a common experience. For every successful pitch, there are countless "no's." However, it’s not the rejection that defines us; it’s 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 Understanding Empathy 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, it’s crucial to understand your customer’s needs, desires, and pain points. Selling isn’t just about pushing a product or service; it’s about solving a problem for your customer. The better you understand them, the more effectively you can position your offering as the solution they need. Practice active listening during sales conversations to help you truly understand your customer’s needs before you start pitching. Ask open-ended questions to uncover their challenges and listen carefully to their responses without interrupting or jumping to conclusions. Adaptability and Flexibility Life rarely goes according to plan. Whether it’s a career change, unexpected personal circumstances, or a global event, being adaptable is a crucial life skill. This ability to pivot and adjust is just as important in sales. The sales landscape is constantly evolving. New technologies, shifting market conditions, and changing customer behaviors require sales professionals to be adaptable. Those who stick to outdated methods without adapting will quickly fall behind. Conversely, those who embrace change and remain flexible will discover new opportunities and continue to thrive. Stay updated on industry trends and be open to experimenting with new sales strategies. Don’t hesitate to adjust your approach based on what’s effective and what’s not. Flexibility in your sales techniques can lead to greater success in a constantly changing market. The Power of Positive Relationships Life teaches us the importance of relationships. Whether personal or professional, the quality of our relationships often defines the quality of our lives. This principle holds true in sales as well. Building and maintaining positive relationships with clients, colleagues, and your network is crucial for long-term success. Trust and rapport are the foundation of any successful sales relationship. When clients trust you, they’re more likely to buy from you—not just once, but repeatedly. Additionally, strong relationships can lead to referrals, which are invaluable in sales. Invest time in nurturing strong relationships with your clients. Follow up regularly, offer value beyond the sale, and show genuine interest in their success. Remember, sales are about building relationships, not just making transactions. The Importance of Continuous Learning Life is a journey of continuous learning. Once we stop learning, we stop growing. This lesson is especially relevant in sales, where ongoing improvement is key to staying competitive. The most successful sales professionals are those who never stop learning. They actively seek out new knowledge, whether through formal education, mentorship, or self-directed learning. By staying curious and committed to personal and professional growth, you can stay ahead of the competition and continue to succeed. Dedicate time each week to learning something new about your industry, products, or customers. Attend webinars, read relevant books, or seek out a mentor who can provide guidance. The more you learn, the more value you can offer in your sales conversations. Goal Setting and Persistence One of the earliest life lessons many of us learn is the importance of setting goals and working persistently to achieve them. This lesson is particularly relevant in sales, where goal-setting is essential. Sales is often considered a numbers game. Setting clear, achievable goals and working consistently toward them is crucial for long-term success. It’s not just about setting goals; it’s about persisting in your efforts, even when faced with challenges. Set specific, measurable goals for your sales activities. Break them down into daily, weekly, and monthly targets, and regularly track your progress. Persistence is key—keep pushing forward even when things don’t go as planned. Turn Experience into Success Life lessons are more than just personal growth tools; they are the building blocks of professional success. By applying the resilience, empathy, adaptability, relationship-building, continuous learning, and goal-setting skills you’ve developed through life, you can elevate your sales performance to new heights. Remember, every experience is an opportunity to learn and grow, and every lesson learned brings you one step closer to sales success. Learn why developing a high Sales EQ is the path to turning your life experiences into success. Download Free Guide

Aug 15, 2024

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. You’ll 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 Jeb 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. Businesses are increasingly relying on AI tools for marketing to better understand customer behavior, personalize campaigns, and improve overall strategy execution. - 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. Sales Strategies for Unleashing the Power of AI to Save Time, Sell More, and Crush the Competition The Future of Sales: AI, CRM, and the Evolving Landscape The 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 Sales One 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 Systems Historically, 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 information—it will be a dynamic system that actively contributes to sales strategies. Imagine starting your day with a curated list of prospects identified by AI, who are currently in the buying window. This list would be generated based on a sophisticated analysis of various data points, including intent data and social media signals. The CRM would not only provide this list but also integrate with sales sequences to streamline outreach and follow-ups. AI and the Sales Process Despite these advancements, the human element in sales remains crucial. Complex sales, where trust and personal relationships are paramount, cannot be fully automated. AI excels in handling simple, transactional tasks, but when it comes to nuanced, relationship-driven sales, human interaction is irreplaceable. For instance, while AI can handle initial customer inquiries and manage routine tasks, it cannot replace the value of a personal conversation, especially in high-stakes or complex sales scenarios. Salespeople still need to build relationships and trust, which AI cannot replicate. The Future Outlook Looking ahead, large organizations are poised to benefit the most from AI and CRM advancements. These companies will likely see operational efficiencies and enhanced sales strategies sooner than smaller firms. The integration of AI into CRM systems will drive a more intelligent sales process, offering predictive insights and automating routine tasks, thus allowing sales teams to focus on strategic activities. As we move forward, it's clear that while AI will transform many aspects of sales, the human touch will remain essential. Sales professionals who can leverage AI's capabilities while maintaining personal connections with clients will be best positioned for success. The key is to embrace these technological advancements without losing sight of the interpersonal skills that drive sales. ALERT: Anthony Iannarino and Jeb Blount, the world's most prolific sales book authors and trainers, have come together to transform how you navigate the sales process by helping you plug into artificial intelligence. Read their new book: The AI Edge

Aug 8, 2024

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. Nigel teaches us that the only skill a sales leader should have is the ability to hire elite salespeople. Elite salespeople don’t find us, we have to go find them. Key Takeaways Hiring 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=FZnVk40pmmE The Importance of Hiring Elite Salespeople If 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. It’s 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 Fail One 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. They’re 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 Team Think 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 they’ve 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 useful. Look at profiles of your top-performing salespeople and see who they’re connected with. This can help you find other top performers who might be a good fit for your team. Key Criteria for Elite Salespeople Identifying elite salespeople requires more than just assessing their work ethic and skills. It’s about understanding the non-obvious traits that set them apart. Just like in sports, where not all great players are obvious choices, the same applies to sales. Here are some qualities to look for: - Grit and Resilience: Elite salespeople have a high level of perseverance. They don’t give up easily and can handle rejection and setbacks without losing motivation. - Ability to Create Value: They don’t just sell a product; they create value for their clients. This means they understand their clients’ needs deeply and provide tailored solutions that genuinely benefit the customer. - Proven Track Record: Look for a history of exceeding sales targets and building strong client relationships. This track record is often a good indicator of their potential to succeed in your organization. Common Mistakes in Hiring When you're in urgent need of sales talent, it's easy to make mistakes. One common error is hiring someone simply because they seem like a good fit on paper or they have a compelling interview performance. However, if they don’t meet the criteria for being elite, they might not bring the results you need. Another mistake is undervaluing the compensation package. Elite salespeople are not going to accept a lower salary than what they currently earn without significant perks or bonuses. Be prepared to offer a competitive package that reflects their worth. Be Proactive When Hiring Hiring elite salespeople is a game-changer for any organization. By moving beyond traditional hiring methods and using a scouting approach, you increase your chances of finding those exceptional candidates who can make a significant impact. Remember, elite salespeople are often not actively looking for a job, so you need to be proactive in your recruitment efforts. Download the Sales Manager’s Ultimate Interview Guide HERE.

Jul 31, 2024

On this episode of the 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 wasn’t the best fit. - Re-engage Former Clients: Don’t overlook former clients who stopped working with you. They may be ready to come back, especially if their current solution isn’t 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 Goals Carole Mahoney’s 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 Opportunities Every 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 didn’t 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 Persistence Persistence was a key factor in Carole’s 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 Opportunities One of Carole’s smart strategies involved revisiting past opportunities that hadn’t worked out. She called up former prospects who had initially been interested but couldn’t 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 Speaking Another significant shift in Carole’s 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. Carole’s public speaking efforts not only broadened her influence but also helped change the perception of sales. Her aim was to show that sales is not about you, but about solving problems and creating value. A Powerful Example Carole Mahoney’s journey from a struggling entrepreneur to a successful author and speaker is a powerful example of how persistence, innovation, and resilience can lead to achieving business goals. Her story is full of valuable lessons for anyone looking to overcome obstacles and succeed in their own ventures. By turning challenges into opportunities and embracing new strategies, Carole has built a thriving business and continues to inspire others with her success. Learn how to crush your sales and growth goals in Carole's new course The Buyer First Approach on Sales Gravy University

Jul 31, 2024

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. - Manager’s 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 Sales Yarborough 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 Touch Despite 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 Preparedness Another 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. Salespeople must be ready to provide immediate value and address potential concerns efficiently. To excel in this environment, sales professionals should invest in thorough preparation. This includes researching prospects, understanding their needs, and anticipating objections. Being well-prepared enables salespeople to make the most of every interaction, increasing the likelihood of closing deals quickly and effectively. Avoiding Complacency: The Continuous Pursuit of Excellence One of the central themes of Yarborough’s discussion was the danger of complacency in sales. He stressed the necessity of continuously pushing for growth and improvement. Complacency can creep in easily, especially when salespeople become comfortable with their routines and achievements. Yarborough highlighted the importance of staying vigilant and maintaining a growth mindset. To avoid stagnation, sales professionals and their companies must constantly seek new challenges and opportunities. This involves setting ambitious goals, staying updated with industry trends, and being proactive in addressing customer needs. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement, sales teams can keep their competitive edge sharp. Managerial Support: Developing Knowledge and Skills Yarborough highlighted the crucial role of frontline managers in driving sales success. Effective managers do more than just push their teams for higher numbers; they invest in the development of their team’s knowledge and skills. This involves providing training, mentorship, and regular feedback to help salespeople grow and excel in their roles. By focusing on skill development, managers can create a more competent and confident sales team. This not only improves individual performance but also contributes to the overall success of the organization. Encouraging continuous learning and providing resources for professional growth are essential components of effective sales leadership. The Big Pull: Identifying Personal Motivators Understanding what drives each salesperson is key to maintaining motivation and focus. Jeb Blount referred to this as the "Big Pull" – the personal goals and aspirations that motivate individuals to perform at their best. These motivators can vary widely, from financial incentives to personal achievements or career growth. Sales leaders should take the time to understand the unique motivators of their team members. By aligning individual goals with organizational objectives, managers can create a more engaged and driven workforce. This alignment ensures that salespeople are not only working towards company goals but also achieving their personal aspirations. Continuous Learning: Staying Competitive In an ever-changing sales landscape, continuous learning is vital. Yarborough underscored the importance of leveraging resources like Sales Gravy University and industry content to stay updated with the latest trends and techniques. Sales professionals who invest in their development are better equipped to adapt to new challenges and seize opportunities. Sales training platforms and resources provide valuable insights and practical skills that can enhance performance. By committing to lifelong learning, salespeople can maintain their competitive edge and achieve sustained success. Embracing a Unified One Funnel Approach for Success Jeb and Will shed light on several critical aspects of sales success. From avoiding complacency and embracing the One Funnel Customer Journey Mindset to prioritizing customer experience and continuous learning, these insights offer a roadmap for achieving excellence in sales. By fostering collaboration, staying prepared, and focusing on personal motivators, sales professionals and leaders can unlock their full potential and drive sustainable growth. Download Sales Gravy free training guides and workbooks HERE

May 31, 2024

On this important episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount, Jr (a.k.a JBJ) discusses personal finance for sales professionals with Ben Lex, a former B2B sales superstar turned financial advisor. Ben shares game-changing insights tailored specifically for sales professionals. The Financial Fitness Mindset In 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 Weapon One 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 Fund An 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 you’re not living paycheck to paycheck and allowing you to make decisions from a place of strength rather than desperation. Unload High-Interest Debt Carrying 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 Wealth Once your debt is under control and you have an emergency fund, it’s 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 Goals Just as you set sales targets, setting clear financial goals is essential. Whether you’re planning for retirement, saving for your child’s 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 portfolio. Avoid the temptation to chase high-risk, high-reward opportunities without proper guidance. Seek Professional Guidance: Engage with financial advisors and tax professionals who can provide personalized strategies to help you achieve your goals. Take Control of Your Financial Future Sales professionals have a unique advantage when it comes to building wealth, thanks to the potential for high earnings. However, achieving financial success requires more than just making money; it requires strategic planning, disciplined spending, and smart investing. By adopting a financial fitness mindset, practicing delayed gratification, building a robust emergency fund, tackling high-interest debt, managing mortgage loans, and making informed, and making informed investment decisions, you can secure a prosperous future. Stay focused, stay disciplined, and watch your financial success unfold! At Sales Gravy University we help you master the game of sales and take your income to new heights. Learn from more than 40 top sales trainers on the world's most powerful sales training engine.

May 2, 2024

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 Advisor In 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 Matters At the heart of this evolution lies a fundamental truth – 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 Acumen Trusted 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 meaningful conversations, using language that resonates with their clients and showcasing their expertise. For instance, understanding the concept of "multi-threading" can instantly establish credibility. Crucially, trusted advisors possess the ability to think critically and connect seemingly disparate ideas. They don't just regurgitate information; they analyze patterns, synthesize insights, and provide guidance tailored to their clients' unique circumstances. This level of business acumen positions them as true authorities in their field, capable of advising clients on making the best decisions for their organizations. Detachment and Authenticity Detachment from the outcome is another hallmark of a trusted advisor. While they strive to align their solutions with their clients' needs, they understand that their ultimate goal is to help clients make the right choice, even if it means walking away from a deal. This level of integrity and selflessness further reinforces the trust they have built. Above all, trusted advisors embrace authenticity. They are not afraid to have difficult conversations or challenge their clients' assumptions when necessary. This level of candor, coupled with a deep understanding of their clients' goals and challenges, creates a bond that transcends the typical buyer-seller relationship. The Future of Sales is the Trusted Advisor As products and services become increasingly commoditized, the role of the trusted advisor will only grow in importance. Buyers will continue to seek out those who can help them navigate complex decisions, cut through the noise, and provide valuable guidance. For salespeople willing to embrace this transformation, the rewards are plentiful – from becoming a go-to resource and receiving referrals, to enjoying long-lasting, rewarding relationships built on mutual respect and trust. The rise of the trusted advisor is a testament to the enduring power of human connection in a world where artificial intelligence and automation are increasingly prevalent. The ability to forge authentic relationships and provide personalized advice will remain the domain of skilled salespeople. Those who embrace this evolution will not only thrive but also shape the future of sales, one trusted relationship at a time. Learn why developing a high Sales EQ is the path to becoming an authentic, trusted advisor. Download Free Guide

Apr 24, 2024

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 Success Neil'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 Bartender’s Edge in Sales Neil 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 client’s words for understanding their true needs. Flexibility in Problem Solving: Being prepared to offer multiple solutions tailored to the client’s 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, they thanked me for the 'peaceful oasis' I provided them. It’s the same in sales; recognizing and adapting to such nuances can significantly enhance client satisfaction. "Adaptability is not just about changing according to circumstances; it's about being perceptive enough to know when to change and how to do it effectively. This ability to adapt on the fly, honed behind the bar, has been instrumental in my sales career, helping me to not just meet but anticipate the needs of my clients, ensuring their satisfaction and loyalty." Deep Empathy and Understanding is the Cornerstone of Sales Success As our conversation delved deeper into the soft skills that elevate a salesperson's capabilities, Neil emphasized the profound role that empathy played in his career trajectory, a skill refined during his days behind the bar. "Bartending isn't just about mixing drinks," Neil shared. "It's about tuning into the customer's mood from the moment they walk through the door. You quickly learn to pick up on subtle cues that indicate what kind of day they've had, what they might need from you beyond a drink—whether it’s a quick joke to lift their spirits or just a listening ear." This nuanced understanding of human behavior is crucial in sales. Neil explained how this bartending-acquired empathy translates effectively into the sales domain. "When you’re dealing with clients, it’s similar. Each client comes to you with a different set of needs and expectations. Just as in a bar, where no two patrons are the same, no two clients are identical either. Understanding this allows you to tailor your approach uniquely to each situation." Neil went on to describe how empathy goes beyond just sensing what customers need in the moment; it involves a deeper comprehension of their long-term goals and challenges. "In sales, as in bartending, you're not just responding to immediate requests—you're anticipating needs that the clients themselves may not have fully recognized. This could mean recommending a product that could solve an upcoming challenge or offering a service tweak that enhances their operational efficiency," he noted. Moreover, Neil highlighted that this empathetic approach helps in building trust and loyalty, which are paramount in sales. "When clients feel understood, they are more likely to trust your recommendations and consider you a partner in their success, rather than just a vendor. This relationship is built over many interactions, and each interaction counts." To foster this level of empathy, Neil shared practical advice for sales professionals: "Spend more time listening than talking. Ask open-ended questions that encourage clients to express their true concerns and desires. Then, reflect on what is said and what is left unsaid to better serve them." Neil reiterated, "Deep empathy developed through my bartending experience has been a cornerstone of my success in sales. It’s about connecting on a human level, understanding a day in the life of your clients, and making their concerns your concerns. This is what drives customer satisfaction and loyalty, which are the bedrocks of sustainable sales success." Embracing a Broad Spectrum of Experiences to Hone Sales Skills Wrapping up our conversation, Neil Rogers shared how his book "Bar Tips" and his professional journey illuminate the unexpected ways diverse experiences can enrich a sales career. He encouraged our listeners to look beyond conventional career paths and draw lessons from all aspects of life. "Every interaction, every job, and every challenge has something to teach us about selling, relating to others, and understanding ourselves," Neil concluded. His journey from the lively bars of Boston to the strategic boardrooms of sales illustrates that the best salespeople often bring a wide array of experiences to their roles, making them more relatable, adaptable, and ultimately, successful.

Mar 24, 2024

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 Growth When 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 back—you'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 Retention Finding 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 Community At 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 View The 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 a transaction. It's about creating moments that surprise and delight, that make your customers feel special and appreciated. In the rush to grow, it's easy to get caught up in the numbers game, focusing on metrics like new customer acquisition. But true growth is a marathon, not a sprint. It's about looking at the long-term health of your business. Retaining customers means lower marketing costs, higher sales, and, ultimately, a more sustainable business model. Learn the keys to delivering a legendary customer experience in Jeb Blount's on-demand Customer Experience Workshop on Sales Gravy University

Mar 9, 2024

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 Sales People 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 Language Let'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. It's About Making Genuine Connections But here's the thing: it's not about manipulating or being fake. It's about genuine connection. It's about listening, observing, and then adapting. It's about respect. You're showing your potential clients that you value their way of thinking and communicating. And let's be real, who doesn't want to feel understood? When you take the time to tune into someone's personality style, you're not just selling a product or a service; you're building a relationship. And in sales, relationships are gold. Understanding Personality Styles is Like Having a Secret Weapon Understanding personality styles isn't just good for sales; it's a life skill. It makes you a better communicator, team member, and leader. It's like having a secret weapon in your back pocket that you can use in and out of the sales world. So, how do you get started? First, pay attention. Listen to how people talk, what they emphasize, and how they react. Are they all about the big picture, or do they dive into the details? Do they make decisions quickly, or do they need time to think it over? These clues can help you figure out their style. Next, adapt. Once you have a read on someone's style, adjust your approach. If you're dealing with an eagle, cut to the chase. If it's a dove, take the time to build a rapport. It's like being a chameleon, changing your colors to match the environment. And finally, practice. Like any skill, understanding personality styles gets better with time. The more you do it, the more natural it becomes, until one day, you're doing it without even thinking about it. It's All About Making Connections In the end, understanding personality styles is about more than just making sales. It's about connecting with people on a deeper level, and in a world that's becoming more automated and impersonal, that's a skill worth having. So, the next time you're preparing for a sales call or meeting, take a moment to think about not just what you're selling, but who you're selling to. It might just make all the difference. For more information on selling to different buyer personalities, download our A.C.E.D. Buyer Style Playbook

Feb 25, 2024

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. 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 Wisdom Patricia'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 Grace The 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 Innovation Patricia'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 Leadership Setting 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 Culture Creating 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 Management Hyper-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 Processes Implementing 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 Approach Maintaining 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 Acumen Managing 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 Perseverance Being 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 Ensuring that the vision, goals, and expectations are communicated clearly and frequently to all team members. Fostering an environment of openness where feedback is encouraged and valued, and decisions are made transparently. Community and Social Responsibility Recognizing the company's role in the broader community and actively contributing to social causes and sustainability initiatives. Upholding high ethical standards in all business dealings, reinforcing the company's reputation and trustworthiness. Looking Ahead: Legacy and Continuous Improvement In a world that often prioritizes short-term gains over long-term vision, Patricia Bible stands out as a leader who understands the true essence of success. Her journey with KaTom is a compelling story of resilience, wisdom, and the unwavering belief in the potential of her team. As KaTom continues to thrive and expand its horizons, Patricia's leadership will undoubtedly inspire many more to pursue their dreams with courage and conviction. As we concluded our conversation, Patricia shared her vision for the future of KaTom. "It's not just about reaching financial milestones; it's about building a legacy of excellence, integrity, and continuous improvement," she stated. Her commitment to her team, her customers, and the broader community is a guiding light for aspiring leaders in any industry. It serves as a reminder that in the fast-paced world of business, it's the values of courage, wisdom, and continuous learning that pave the way for true success. Sales Gravy University gives hyper-growth companies sales wings. Our innovative Team Training Hub gives scaling sales teams access to enterprise quality sales training at a fraction of the cost.

Feb 5, 2024

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 Selling In 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 Journey Picture 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 Today At 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 Key Listening – really listening – 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

Jan 9, 2024

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 Audience Let'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: “Know your people, find your people, love them hard.” This 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 Approach Expanding 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 Impact In 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 Prospecting Kristin 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 Transaction Kristin'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 Approach Expanding 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 Success Kristin'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. Embracing Continuous Learning: A Salesperson's Journey The podcast delves into the concept of continuous learning in the sales industry. Kristin and Jessica discuss the importance of staying updated with the latest trends, learning from peers and mentors, and constantly seeking knowledge to stay ahead in the ever-evolving sales landscape. Time Management: Prioritizing Client Engagement in a Busy Schedule Kristin challenges common excuses about time constraints in sales. She stresses the importance of making client engagement a priority and shares effective time management techniques. This includes practical advice on scheduling and prioritizing tasks to ensure consistent and meaningful client interactions. Balancing Act: Juggling Sales Activities Efficiently Building on the time management theme, the podcast offers insights into balancing various sales activities. This includes tips on managing your sales pipeline, allocating time for prospecting, and ensuring that existing client relationships are nurtured. Take your sales prospecting game to new levels with our free sales training guides. Download Here

Jan 1, 2024

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 Success The 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 Stamina A 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 Management The 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 Days Further 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-Esteem An 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 Fitness The 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 Relationships An 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 deeper level. Long-Term Career Sustainability As the podcast nears its conclusion, the focus shifts to the long-term benefits of physical fitness in sales. The speakers discuss how staying fit can contribute to a more sustainable and successful career by preventing burnout and ensuring overall well-being. They urge listeners to view physical fitness not just as a short-term goal but as a lifelong commitment that can significantly impact their professional trajectory. A Call to Action for Sales Professionals The podcast wraps up with a powerful call to action, urging sales professionals to integrate physical fitness into their daily lives. It provides a series of actionable steps, including committing to regular exercise, adopting healthy eating habits, utilizing stress management techniques, and staying informed about fitness trends. The final message is clear: physical fitness is a strategic tool that can enhance various aspects of a sales professional's work life, leading to not only better health but also greater success in the competitive world of sales.

Dec 13, 2023

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 Tillman’s 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 Technology Brynne 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 Success A highlight of the episode was Brynne’s 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 one’s network can lead to trust-building, which is crucial for successful sales. Practical Strategies to Sell More on LinkedIn LinkedIn 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 Profile The 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 shouldn’t 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 King On 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 Relationships LinkedIn 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 Prospecting The 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 Brynne’s expert insights, practical strategies, and real-world success stories make it an invaluable resource for sales professionals eager to adapt and succeed in the digital era. Get more valuable insights on LinkedIn and digital selling in Brynne's new course: 21 Tenets of Social Selling

Dec 4, 2023

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 Manager The 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 Jeb’s 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. Mary’s emphasis on coaching and her advice on being observant and patient offers timeless wisdom for new sales managers. Core Principles for New Sales Managers Mike 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 Leadership Many 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 Managers New 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 your first 90 days as a new sales manager is crucial. The key to success 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

Nov 27, 2023

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 World As 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 Sales The 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 Leadership Sales 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 Replacement In 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 Selling Social 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 Management Leading 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 Trends Weinberg’s 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 As we navigate through the complexities of modern sales, lessons from experienced voices like Weinberg are invaluable in helping us stay grounded yet adaptive, ensuring we thrive in this dynamic environment. Weinberg’s insights serve as a reminder of the importance of the fundamentals. Embracing change while holding firm to the core principles of understanding customer needs, building trust, and maintaining personal connections is the key to success. Take Mike Weinberg's new course: 7 Keys to Success During Your First 90 Days As A New Sales Manager

Nov 20, 2023

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 Matters In 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 Management One 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 Selling Once 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. It’s 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 Selling Deep 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 client’s 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 collaboration across various teams within your organization, including sales, customer service, product development, and marketing. Avoiding Complacency: One challenge in account expansion is avoiding complacency with existing clients. Continuous effort is required to keep the relationship dynamic and evolving. Balancing New Client Acquisition: While focusing on account expansion, it’s important not to neglect new client acquisition. A balanced approach ensures overall business growth and diversification. The Future of Account Management As we look to the future, the integration of technology in account management will continue to grow. Tools like CRM systems, data analytics, and AI can help account managers gain deeper insights into client behavior and preferences. However, the human touch remains irreplaceable. The blend of technology and personal relationships will define the future of successful account management. Investing in the training and development of account managers is essential. Equipping them with the right skills and knowledge, from understanding the nuances of different industries to mastering negotiation and relationship-building techniques, can make a significant difference in their performance. Develop your account managers' Account Expansion Selling Skills on Sales Gravy University where you'll find more than 1000 hours of on-demand sales training and courses from the world's top sales experts.

Nov 10, 2023

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 Boardroom Dre'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 Success 1. 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 – 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtzAHNxUb7w Applying the Pro-Athlete Mindset to Sales Adopting 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 Confidence Discipline 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 comes from preparation and experience. Mental Toughness: Overcoming Challenges Mental toughness is a hallmark of both athletes and top sales performers. It's the ability to stay focused and resilient in the face of challenges and setbacks. In sales, rejection is a common hurdle. Like athletes who face losses or injuries, sales professionals must learn to bounce back, draw lessons from their experiences, and not let failures define them. Being Proactive: Anticipating the Play Proactivity in sports means anticipating the opponent's moves and being prepared to counter them. In sales, this translates to understanding the market, knowing your competition, and predicting customer needs. It's about being one step ahead, which requires both research and intuition. Continuous Learning: The Path to Mastery Perhaps the most crucial aspect of the pro-athlete mindset is the commitment to continuous learning and improvement. Elite athletes spend hours analyzing their performance, learning new techniques, and staying abreast of developments in their sport. In sales, this means staying informed about industry trends, understanding evolving customer expectations, and constantly refining sales techniques. The Larger Journey: Beyond Individual Deals Finally, adopting a pro-athlete mindset in sales is about seeing the bigger picture. Each interaction, pitch, and deal is part of a larger journey towards mastery. This perspective helps sales professionals maintain their motivation and perspective, especially during tough times. It's not just about the individual successes or failures, but about the overall growth and development as a sales professional. Embrace a Pro Athlete Mindset Dre Baldwin's journey and insights provide a powerful blueprint for sales success. Embracing the pro-athlete mindset in your sales approach can lead to significant improvements in performance, resilience, and overall career satisfaction. Remember, pro athlete mindset and principles that drive champions on the sports field can equally create winners in the world of sales. Become more disciplined, gain a pro athlete mindset and achieve your goals faster with Dre Baldwin's challenge course 30 Days to Discipline

Oct 27, 2023

This 90-Day Negativity Fast Will Change Your Life On 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 Negativity In 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 Connect Leave your phone behind during conversations to fully engage with others and avoid distractions. This allows for more meaningful interactions and deeper connections. Choose Balanced Sources When 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 Opinions Regardless 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 Winning Prioritize 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 Intent Give 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 Forgiveness Forgiveness 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 Positivity Surround 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 Narrative Challenge 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 Autonomy Recognize 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 Events Instead 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 It The Negativity Fast offers a transformative approach to overcoming negativity and cultivating a more positive and fulfilling life. By removing negative sources and practicing gratitude, individuals can experience profound changes in their mental, emotional, and physical well-being. The book provides practical strategies, supported by scientific research, to help individuals break free from the cycle of negativity and embrace a more positive and fulfilling life. So why not embark on your own negativity fast and see the incredible impact it can have on your life? No matter if you are an individual looking for an edge or a leader looking to boost your sales team's productivity and performance, Sales Gravy University builds the skills to Sell More, Win More, and Earn More. Take Anthony Iannarino's courses on Sales Gravy University here.

Oct 25, 2023

The Best Sales Leaders Share These 4 Traits On 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 Leadership Being 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 Leaders 1. 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, which stems from integrity. Customer-Centric Approach: Leading with integrity involves prioritizing the customer's success above all else. Sales leaders should guide their teams to focus on solutions that genuinely benefit the client, aligning with the company's values. 4. Courage: Embracing Rejection: Sales inherently involves facing rejection. A courageous sales leader teaches their team to view rejection as a learning opportunity rather than a setback. This resilience is key to maintaining motivation and confidence. Innovative Risk-Taking: Encouraging calculated risks in sales approaches can lead to breakthroughs. Sales leaders should inspire their teams to experiment with new techniques and technologies, fostering an environment where innovative ideas are valued. Look for Learning As a leader, you should always be looking for opportunities to learn. This is equal parts necessary for personal growth and advocacy for your team and creating opportunities for their development. The importance of constantly seeking opportunities to learn may seem obvious, but it is essential for continuous growth. Every person we interact with has knowledge in areas that we may not, presenting countless learning opportunities. As a leader, whether in sales or any other role, it is crucial to have a strong desire for continuous learning and personal growth in order to evolve. Once we acquire knowledge, it becomes imperative to share it with our team. Ultimately, the success of our team determines our own success. Therefore, we should approach learning with passion and excitement, and then pass on that knowledge to our team. Exceptional leaders are also avid learners. They demonstrate curiosity in extracting information from others and then generously share that knowledge to aid in the growth and development of their team. Why Should Leaders Invest In Sales Training? Top-performing sales representatives often get promoted to sales leadership roles without receiving any coaching, training, or resources. Unfortunately, this often leads to less favorable outcomes. Therefore, when transitioning someone into a new role, it is crucial to provide them with the necessary skills, training, and support to help them succeed. From the perspective of a sales representative, it is similar to playing golf. You may have your own swing, but if you do not practice and make adjustments, such as correcting your grip or stance, you will not achieve the desired results. The same applies to activities like making outbound prospecting calls or conducting discovery meetings. Through coaching and training, individuals can learn the right techniques and strategies, which can have a positive impact on organizations. Furthermore, studies indicate that younger generations are increasingly demanding professional growth opportunities and engagement from their employers. Investing in training not only reduces attrition, which can be costly, but also demonstrates a commitment to employee development. This, in turn, boosts engagement and keeps employees motivated. Don't Just Set-It-And-Forget-it Being an effective leader is crucial. It is not enough to simply delegate training and then ignore it. You must actively follow up, provide guidance, and ensure implementation. This requires combining leadership and coaching skills, and consistently investing in the development of your team. Merely sending someone through a training program is insufficient. As a leader, it is important to regularly reinforce the learning by conducting meetings with your team. Engage them in discussions about what they have learned and how they are applying it. Hold them accountable for putting their knowledge into practice, whether it be through reading books or participating in training sessions. Learning and training should not be treated as a one-time event. It requires ongoing effort and commitment. It is a continuous process that demands daily coaching, without exceptions. Remember, just because you have influence over someone, it doesn't guarantee lasting impact. It is often said that people need to hear and understand something at least seven times before it truly sinks in. Therefore, adopting a "set it and forget it" mentality is not effective. Consistent practice is necessary, but the long-term benefits are well worth it. Cheaters Will Kill Your Sales Culture Sales culture is important, and doing the right thing by your team as a leader is crucial. If you have someone in your sales culture who isn't making calls or putting in effort, it impacts the team. For a winning sales culture, you want everyone aligned with the same purpose and values. Keeping someone who blatantly lies or cheats sets a bad example, especially when other team members are aware of it. Short-term gains won't make up for the long-term impact on culture. It's a challenging situation because as a sales professional, you want to make sales. And as a sales leader, you need to guide your team to success. Your executive team expects you to achieve results through your team. But when you have an exceptional performer who is producing results but causing problems within the team, it becomes difficult to influence others because they see someone doing things the wrong way. You lose trust with your team. You need to put them on a coaching plan to address the issue. If you haven't tried to address it before, that's the first step. But if you've already had these conversations and nothing has changed, the only option is to introduce them to your competitor. Yes, you have targets to meet, but it erodes the long-term culture and affects the other representatives. You can't expect the rest of the team to follow the rules while someone else takes shortcuts. Until you address this, you'll have a dysfunctional or negative culture.

Oct 13, 2023

Silence Isn't Awkward— It's A Powerful Tool On 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 Response We'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 Advantage In 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 is Give Your Prospect A Chance To Respond To 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 Question However, 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 Doesn’t Work Again, 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. I was going down this path and was interested in something else. Help me understand this a little bit more. I'm really curious," and use probing questions. The phrase "help me understand" tends to invoke reciprocity and encourages them to answer your question. When you ask for help, people usually want to assist you. By asking questions, you give them space to talk, and it becomes a conversation. You can then ask for more details, saying things like, "Tell me more about that," or "What's that about?" The goal is to let them talk while you listen. Then you can continue probing and showing interest. When the call ends, they will feel like it was the best conversation because they did most of the talking and you did most of the listening. Your aim is to have less than 50 percent of the talking and let them do more than 50 percent. In this way, leveraging silence and pausing to listen helps your prospect to focus more and stay engaged in the conversation. Prepare For Every Sales Call, No Matter What Always be prepared with great questions as a sales professional. Without them, the conversation can become uncomfortable. It's crucial to have a primary question to initiate engagement and a secondary question ready to keep the conversation flowing. One way to make sure that you are prepared for sales conversations is to keep a pad of notes with you during meetings to jot down questions for discovery sessions. Let your prospect know upfront that you have your questions written down, as it helps you focus on listening to their responses. By setting this expectation, you encourage them to share more. If there's a moment of silence, refer to your notes for the next question. This approach allows you to actively listen and prevents you from constantly thinking about the next question, which can make the conversation feel like an interrogation. The Four Second Rule It's important to truly listen to the responses instead of just focusing on asking the next question. Interestingly, science has shown that about four seconds of silence can evoke emotions in people, which is valuable in sales since emotions play a significant role in purchasing decisions. By triggering positive emotions during conversations, you gain an advantage over the competition and create a deeper connection with the person you're speaking to. Break The Pattern Prospects have conversations all the time, and their brains create patterns around these conversations. If every conversation looks the same, they stop really listening because the pattern takes over. As a salesperson, your mission is to break that pattern. Discomfort can work because it snaps their attention and engages them. It resets the cadence that everyone is used to when a salesperson shows up to a meeting. They're used to being talked at, pitched a product, asked one question, and then the salesperson rushing to present. So when we pause, take those drinks of water, ask a few more questions, and ask them to expand on something, it gets them more involved in a sales conversation than they typically are. The innovative Sales Gravy University sales training platform gives on the go individuals and entire teams easy, affordable access to the world’s 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.

Oct 9, 2023

Burnout Is 100% Preventable In 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 Awareness It'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 World If 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. This flow leads to finding solutions and experiencing happiness and joy. We have been taught, especially as Americans, to work first and then play, rarely considering the connection between the two. 3 Ways To Improve Your Mind-Body Connection and Prevent Burnout Prioritize Daily Movement Firstly, movement increases oxygen circulation to the brain, supporting cognitive thinking and enhancing focus during sales calls and important meetings. Secondly, consistent movement throughout the day can help reduce stress levels and activate the body's relaxation response, leading to a calmer and more confident state of mind. Additionally, movement promotes better physical health, which is crucial for sales professionals to maintain high energy levels and a sharp mind. Engaging in regular exercise and movement also supports better sleep quality, which is essential for optimal cognitive function and decision-making. By incorporating daily movement into their routine, sales professionals can boost their overall well-being, increase their productivity, and ultimately achieve greater success in their sales endeavors. Be Conscious Of Your Nutrition Sales professionals should be conscious of their diet and make healthful nutritional choices because what they eat directly impacts their physical and mental well-being, which in turn affects their performance. Making conscious choices about food can provide sales professionals with sustained energy, mental clarity, and focus throughout the day. By fueling their bodies with nutritious foods, such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains, sales professionals can maintain stable blood sugar levels, avoid energy crashes, and enhance their cognitive function. Additionally, a healthful diet supports overall physical health, including maintaining a healthy weight, boosting immune function, and reducing the risk of chronic diseases. By prioritizing their nutrition, sales professionals can optimize their energy levels, improve their ability to handle stress, and project confidence, ultimately leading to more effective sales interactions and greater success in their careers. Focus On Your Breath Taking a moment to intentionally focus on your breath can have several positive effects on your well-being and performance. Stress reduction: When you pause to slow your breath, you activate the body's relaxation response. This helps counteract the fight-or-flight response that is often triggered during busy or stressful situations. Slowing down your breath signals to your brain that you are safe and not in immediate danger, promoting a sense of calm and reducing stress levels. Increased focus and mental clarity: By becoming aware of your breath, you bring your attention to the present moment. This can help quiet the mind and reduce distractions, allowing you to focus more effectively on the task at hand. Slow, conscious breathing provides a steady flow of oxygen to the brain, improving cognitive function and enhancing mental clarity. Emotional regulation: Taking a pause to slow your breath can help regulate your emotions during a busy or stressful day. It allows you to observe and acknowledge any negative emotions or stressors without immediately reacting to them. This increased self-awareness gives you the opportunity to choose how you respond to challenging situations, promoting emotional balance and resilience. Enhanced decision-making: Slowing your breath and being aware of your breathing can help you make better decisions, especially in high-pressure situations. When you are calm and present, you can access the executive functions of your brain more effectively, allowing for clearer thinking, problem-solving, and rational decision-making. Improved physical well-being: Deep, intentional breathing supports proper oxygenation of the body, promoting overall physical well-being. It can help regulate heart rate, lower blood pressure, and reduce muscle tension. Additionally, conscious breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and relaxation, promoting a state of physical ease and reducing the negative effects of stress on the body. By prioritizing movement, nutrition, and breath, sales professionals can nurture their physical and mental well-being, prevent burnout, and promote a strong mind-body connection. These practices contribute to sustained energy, enhanced cognitive function, improved emotional regulation, and increased resilience in the face of challenges. Ultimately, they support sales professionals in achieving optimal performance, maintaining a healthy work-life balance, and enjoying long-term success in their careers. Finding a sense of balance, investing in our physical health, and protecting our mental well-being are all steps we can take to ensuring that we are in the right mindset to tackle our sales day. For more tips around mindset, productivity, and advancing your sales career, go to Sales Gravy University, the world's most powerful sales training engine.

Oct 3, 2023

Why Roleplay Should Be A Key Part of Your Sales Culture In 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-Playing One 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-Playing Roleplaying 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 Consistency Consistency 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 Team Roleplaying 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 Growth While role-playing may initially feel uncomfortable, it is crucial to overcome this discomfort to reap its benefits fully. Sales professionals should recognize that discomfort is a sign of growth and improvement. Embracing the practice of role-playing with a growth mindset allows individuals to step outside their comfort zones, challenge themselves, and continually enhance their skills. Feedback and Coaching Constructive feedback and coaching play a pivotal role in maximizing the impact of role-playing. Salespeople should actively seek feedback from their leaders, peers, or trusted individuals outside their team. This feedback helps identify areas for improvement and provides valuable insights for refining sales techniques. Regular coaching sessions allow sales professionals to address weaknesses, build on strengths, and continuously enhance their performance. Making Roleplaying a Priority To make roleplaying effective, it must become an integral part of the sales process. It should be viewed as a non-negotiable activity, similar to going to the gym. Just as consistency is key in physical fitness, regular roleplaying is crucial for sales fitness. By prioritizing role-playing, sales teams can develop a culture of continuous learning, improvement, and success. There is immense value in roleplaying in sales. From building empathy and enhancing skills to fostering team unity and personal growth, roleplaying is an essential tool for sales professionals. By creating a culture of roleplaying and embracing its benefits, sales teams can unlock their full potential and achieve extraordinary results. The innovative Sales Gravy University sales training platform gives on the go individuals and entire teams easy, affordable access to the world’s 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.

Sep 25, 2023

Sales Presentation Skills That Get You To "Yes" Faster In this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount talks to renowned sales experts Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz about their “Go For No” approach to embracing rejection in sales. They discuss how the fear of “no” sabotages sales presentations and what salespeople can do to deliver more successful and engaging presentations that get them to “yes”. 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 “No” Derails Sales Presentations In 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 shadows—the 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 “Go For No” 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 Up In 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, they often start in the middle and then backtrack to mention something they forgot. Eventually, they reveal their main point, which they were saving for the end. Sometimes, the desire to sound natural can be exaggerated. However, it is perfectly fine to take a step-by-step approach. For example, lawyers in a courtroom follow a clear path. They ask a question, receive an answer, and mark it as completed on their yellow notepad. Feature Dumps Don't Engage Audiences, Storytelling Does Sales presentations are not just about pitching products or services; they're about engaging the audience. One powerful way to achieve this is through storytelling. Rather than launching into a dry pitch, consider weaving a compelling narrative into your presentation. Share a story about someone who faced a challenge similar to what your audience might be experiencing and highlight how your solution came to their rescue. Stories have a unique ability to capture people's attention and emotions, making them lean in and connect with your message on a deeper level. In the realm of sales, it's not just about what you're selling, but the story you're telling. What to Do If You Lose Your Place During a Presentation Even with the best preparation, unexpected hiccups can occur during a sales presentation. One common fear is losing your place or stumbling over your words. The important thing to remember in such moments is not to freeze. A momentary pause to collect your thoughts can work wonders. Your audience is unlikely to remember a minor fumble in your presentation. What they will remember is how you handled it. By maintaining composure and continuing smoothly, you demonstrate professionalism and resilience. So, the next time you find yourself momentarily lost during a presentation, take a deep breath, regain your bearings, and confidently continue. It's a small hiccup in the grand scheme of your presentation's impact. Bring Passion To Your Presentations, Not Perfection However, when I started out, I would replay my speeches and criticize myself. I would be embarrassed and beat myself up over mistakes or missed elements. It was excruciating, and I would feel so horrible that I didn't want to face anyone. But then, people would tell me that it was the best speech they had ever heard. I realized that nobody really notices when you make a mistake, unless it's a major blunder. People don't pay much attention to it. You may notice and feel the mistakes, but they don't. They see you responding to adversity with grace, and they can relate to that. But I realized that people appreciate me giving my all, even if I stumble or make up words sometimes. As a salesperson, you may not be speaking in front of thousands of people, but the same principles apply. I bring my own energy and authenticity, and that's what people love. So, first off, remember that you don't need to be perfect. Be yourself and bring your passion to your presentations. That's what will resonate with your audience. Overcoming The Fear Of Failure Is Crucial To Your Success Embracing rejection and overcoming the fear of failure is crucial for success in the dynamic world of sales. By intentionally increasing our failure rate and treating each "no" as an opportunity for growth, we pave the way for more "yeses" to come. It is important to approach sales presentations with careful planning, preparation, and structure, avoiding the pitfall of showing up unprepared. Utilizing storytelling techniques helps to engage the audience on a deeper level, while maintaining composure and confidently continuing in the face of unexpected hiccups showcases professionalism and resilience. Ultimately, it is not about striving for perfection, but about bringing our passion and authenticity to our presentations, resonating with our audience and forging valuable connections in the competitive realm of sales. The innovative Sales Gravy University sales training platform gives on the go individuals and entire teams easy, affordable access to the world’s 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.

Sep 16, 2023

Delivering A Next-Level Customer Experience In 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 Endeavors Maintaining 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 You In 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, their experiences add up, which creates customer loyalty and long-term retention. Sales And Marketing Alignment Means Working Together— Not In Siloes There has been a complete revolution in the last 20 years. Today, sales and marketing are more connected than ever before. The pressure on CMOs to generate inbound leads and build the pipeline is immense. However, they are often measured against the success of the sales organization, which they have little control over. CMOs who recognize the amount of money spent on creating opportunities and bringing in leads understand that their ability to deliver on goals is impacted if they are not directly tied to the sales organization and driving their activity. Similarly, if the sales organization is not giving feedback to the CMOs or not directly tied to them, they will also struggle to achieve their goals. Some organizations make the marketing team solely responsible for generating leads, but it should be a team sport. Marketing should work toward a demand generation goal, but so should the sales team. It's not effective to simply lob marketing materials over the fence to sales— that's not how partnerships are built. To achieve true partnership, start by aligning our goals and KPIs and then stack your initiatives accordingly. Getting everyone working together is essential. Sales and Marketing are more likely to see the fruits of their combined efforts when both teams take accountability for revenue. Don't Let Distance Get In The Way In recent years, it has become more challenging since we are all more distributed than ever before. Sales teams are accustomed to being on the road and visiting customer sites, dealing with forecasts and sending communications while on the go. Certain marketing functions, on the other hand, may not require as much travel. The past couple of years have taught marketing teams that we all share a level playing field, because so many of us are working remotely. This level playing field provided opportunities for agile organizations to take advantage of the situation. How Sugar CRM Uses “Shark Week” To Build Their Pipeline A few years ago, SugarCRM introduced a competition called "Shark Week" to bring together marketing, business development, sales, partners, and others, to focus on driving pipeline together. They formed teams and had prizes throughout the day and at the end of the week, including top team and individual prizes. This intentional effort to work towards shared goals was transformational in introducing a DNA into their culture for outbound prospecting that they previously lacked. They only saw a material difference in the results when they introduced a fun, competitive team approach to prospecting where everyone had skin in the game. Salespeople like to win, after all. Are Sales Contests Worth The Investment? For their mid-market business, it generated two million dollars in revenue and only cost sixty thousand in prize funds. The return on investment was phenomenal for their organization. Sales contests like Shark Week can be used as a training tool, but it also puts pressure on competitors. When everyone in the company participates, competitors' phones are ringing with inquiries and they have to work harder to keep their business. This presents an opportunity to gain a competitive edge, take their business, and grow your own in the process. 2 Sales Strategies That Stand The Test Of Time Understand Their Business Challenges At the end of the day, nobody likes feeling pressured. As a salesperson, your responsibility is to find a challenge or pain point that you can help solve. Start by identifying the pain point and demonstrating to the customer how you can help. Avoid conversations that focus solely on pricing or perks without an understanding of the core business problem. Put your ego aside and focus on how you can help the customer. Avoid a hard sell and instead focus on finding a pain point that you can confidently speak to. Don't overlook the influencer in the decision-making process and make sure to communicate in a way that is meaningful to all involved parties. Multi-Channel and Multi-Layered Outreach When engaging with potential customers, think multi-channel and multi-layered. Decision-making committees are getting larger every day, so winning over the CEO or CFO is not enough. Make sure you are touching everyone involved in the decision-making process and doing it in a way that is meaningful to them. Ask them how they prefer to be communicated with and meet them where they are. Building Pipeline Is A Team Sport Sales and marketing alignment can be achieved when there is a dedicated focus on setting shared goals and KPIs, promoting a team sport mentality, and encouraging collaboration and communication across departments. Likewise, with outbound prospecting, a team effort is essential for building pipeline, and every member of the organization needs to contribute. 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. 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. Learn more about how to deliver a legendary customer experience, stand out in a saturated market, and align sales and marketing efforts on Sales Gravy University.

Sep 8, 2023

A Great Modern Seller Leverages 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. What Differentiates A Modern Seller? The truth is that there are core basic activities that every salesperson must perform. Modern sellers have elevated these skills, honing the craft of selling to rise above their competitors and sell differently - and better. When Amy was doing research for her new book, The Modern Seller, she noticed a particular set of skills that stood out from the rest in terms of indicators of success for salespeople. There are the "everyday skills" of prospecting, presenting, negotiating, and closing. Then there are five skills that modern sellers consistently do better than others, and are clear differentiators. Agility Entrepreneurship Holistic Sales Territory and Pipeline Management Strategic Relationship Building Ambassadorship Through Amy’s career and observations, she has found that mastering these five skills is key to standing out as a top seller. Whether you are an individual seller or a leader building these skills in yourself or your team, these are skills that you should prioritize for the future. Modern Sellers Are Masters Of Business Acumen One of the biggest challenges for sellers today is the level of business acumen that they are expected to have. It's not just about having a feature-benefit-price conversation anymore. Instead, sellers must study the client's business and industry to have more in-depth, business-oriented conversations. Modern sellers need to display a level of business acumen that other sellers may not possess, or they may need to focus on improving these skills. Ultimately, a modern seller is someone who truly differentiates themselves and stands out for their clients. The best sellers out there cannot be separated from their product or service because they are a crucial factor in the equation of their client's success. Business acumen is essential to connect with clients and demonstrate the value of your services or products in addressing their individual and unique business challenges, issues, and opportunities. In longer cycle sales, where the complexity is higher, simply providing a standardized proposal deck is not be enough to stand out. Instead, you need to be able to build a bullet proof business case that clearly demonstrates ROI. This requires the ability to show the actual outcomes that the client can expect by implementing your service or product, and how it will impact their business. If you excel at building relationships and connecting with people, but are unable to articulate how you can help their business, build a compelling business case, or provide guidance in finding an alternative path, then your efforts will be in vain. The Effectiveness Quotient Is A Game Changer Being able to build relationships while also having a high IQ about your client's industry and their specific business is crucial. In addition to having a high IQ and emotional intelligence, understanding your clients' industry and business, there is also the value of a high effectiveness quotient. Being effective means analyzing the tactics that you use in your sales week and determining exactly how they help your clients. One of the key differences between modern sellers and those who came before is their focus on both efficiency and effectiveness. They know how to achieve the greatest possible outcomes in the shortest amount of time possible. How A High Technical Quotient Keeps You Agile One of the reasons why modern sellers have a high TQ (technical quotient) is their ability to leverage technology and information. This allows them to spend more time with people and be more efficient with their time. They adopt and adapt technology to their particular situation, while still prioritizing the human-to-human connection that is essential in sales. What separates the highest performing salespeople from other sellers is the ability to use technology effectively and use the right tools to take their performance to the next level. Embracing technology and the right tools can move you from being an A player to a top performer. Remember that though technology is advancing at a rapid pace, it should never overshadow the importance of the human element in sales. Customers buy the salesperson first, then the product or service. 2 Ways You Can Get Ahead In Today’s World First, take a look at your relationship with your direct manager and leadership team. Do you have a healthy and connected relationship with them? By building strong relationships with your leaders, they become more aware of your work and are less likely to be unaware of what you're doing. This is one way to ensure good communication with your superiors. Another important factor is developing effective habits and discipline in your daily routine. Are you focusing on the right strategic activities? If you are, and you track your progress as needed, your leadership will recognize your efforts, which can significantly contribute to exceeding your quota. What It Takes To Be A Modern Seller Being a modern seller requires discipline, good habits, and following a sales plan. These fundamentals will help you work towards achieving excellence. However, you must also have the internal drive and motivation to pursue excellence. You must take ownership of your day, your sales life, and be willing to make the necessary sacrifices to be successful. Working from home and being in front of clients is a privilege, and when you view it as such, along with your desire to be excellent, you will have the internal fire and motivation to do what needs to be done. 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.

Sep 1, 2023

If You Don't Take Action, You Won't Get Results In 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 Action As 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 Relations For 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, which stands for Personalized, Professional, Public Relations. This is not the same as traditional public relations involving press releases and media interviews. Instead, it consists of three components: speaking, publishing, and social media. Speaking Speaking is the first leg of the Three P. R. strategy, which involves generating leads and sales through speaking engagements. This can include speaking in person to groups, participating in podcasts, live streaming, or creating short video emails to send to prospects. Publishing This doesn't mean publishing a book, but rather creating articles, blogs, cheat sheets, and other content that is relevant and valuable to your target market. These pieces help establish credibility and expertise. Social Media Being active on online platforms where your target market is already engaging helps raise your visibility and shareability. This can include social media platforms, blogs, portals, communities, and forums. By implementing the Three P. R. strategy, you can generate more leads and increase your visibility, credibility, and shareability. Remember, it's important to put fresh targets on your radar every day to keep the momentum going. Targeting Your Ideal Qualified Prospect (IQP) Every salesperson, whether you are a consultant, solopreneur, or work for a big company, faces the challenge of identifying their target audience and the different layers of people to target within that audience. we are living in a time of insane volatility and uncertainty, so The target audience is constantly moving and changing. Your ideal qualified prospect (IQP) is not static. Finding the money is a problem in a world where everything is changing. Here are three frameworks you use to identify where the money is in a changing landscape. You need to define the niche or target market that you want to focus on. The mistake many people make is trying to target everyone, assuming that everyone needs their product or service. However, not everyone has the need or resources to purchase your product or service. If you zero in on exactly the right people that you want to serve, where you have some track records, experience, and expertise, you will have a high degree of confidence that you can help them. This makes your life so much easier because you know where to speak, where to network, and where to build relationships. To build a universe of influence, it's essential to focus on a narrow and deep market. Establish credibility in one industry, then expand into adjacent or different markets. If you keep working with a variety of customers and clients, you'll never gain momentum or a track record within a specific industry. Without a track record, repeat business, referrals, upselling, and cross-selling become impossible. To get started, consider where you've done your best work and who you can help the most. Identify the people who have given you the most significant results and gather testimonials, testimonial clips, and testimonial videos. These individuals are your target audience, and you should focus your efforts on them. Determine where to publish, speak, network, post, and participate in blogs, portals, forums, and communities to reach this audience. Once you've established yourself, the snowball effect will kick in, and you won't need to bounce from one market or target group to another constantly. It's Simple Economics As you go through this process, keep in mind that not only must your prospects have the ability to pay, but they must also be eager to pay for our services. It's not enough that they have a budget; they must have an urgent, pervasive, and expensive problem that they are willing to pay a premium fee to solve. This is why it is crucial to choose a target market with financial viability. Otherwise, we may waste our time talking to people who desperately need our services but cannot afford them. Using Interviews As A Sales Strategy Did you know that you can use interviewing as a prospecting channel, especially when you want to meet people in the C suite? The goal is to gather intelligence, build relationships, and connect with high-level C-suite executives whom you might not be able to reach otherwise. These individuals are often behind multiple layers of security, and their emails and phone calls are screened. During the interview, start by asking about their biggest successes. Focus on the positive at first to build trust and rapport before moving on to more difficult topics. Ask about their unique insights or nuggets of information that only they know, and the best advice they've received on the topic. Then, transition to their next goals and challenges, asking what they're currently working on and what obstacles they're facing. Follow-Up Is Where The Magic Happens The magic of the interview is not in the interview itself or even the publishing of the interview. It's in the follow-up touch points after the interview. This includes sending a handwritten thank-you note, an email with the finished article, and giving the interviewee the opportunity to make any changes or updates to the article. Make sure to follow up every 7 to 10 days, continuing to offer helpful information and solutions to their challenges. By the sixth or seventh touchpoint, you will have positioned yourself as an expert and authority in your industry and earned the right to have a pivotal conversation with them. For example, you could say, "Hey Jeb, we've been talking a lot about your challenges with problem A, problem B, and problem C. I believe I can help you in a more formal manner. Would a short chat be worth your time?" Often, the answer will be yes. Even if it doesn't pay off immediately, the person you interviewed will never forget that you thought their perspective was important, and they may loop back around to you in the future.

Aug 25, 2023

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 business with you. In summary, take action, carefully qualify leads, and focus on strategy for each deal. Surround yourself with knowledgeable individuals who can assist with awareness and strategy. With the right deals in your pipeline and discipline to work your strategy, success is achievable. Q: Why Did We Lose To A Competitor? Small companies often lose customers because they don't value them enough. In fact, studies show that 70% of the time, when a loyal customer switches to another business, it's because they felt unappreciated. Competitors use this as an opportunity to ask the right questions and find weaknesses in your business. If they discover mistakes or billing issues, the buyer may become defensive and turn to the competition. As a smaller company, it can be difficult to save the deal when you have limited resources and other priorities. Meanwhile, the competitor has already done the math and convinced the stakeholder group to switch. To win big deals, you need to create distance between the customer and the incumbent vendor. I recommend taking a course on Sales Group University called "competitive displacement selling" for guidance on how to do this. Start by assessing the strength of the incumbent vendor and look for ways to highlight any issues or concerns. Personalized service is a selling point for small companies, especially when competing against larger competitors. However, don't take your customers for granted. There are always salespeople waiting for you to slip up. Stay in touch with your customers, even if it's just once a month, to show them that you care. If you do make mistakes, apologize and be patient. It may take time to earn back their trust. Q: How Do I Get In Touch With A Hard-To-Reach Stakeholder? Video Will Help You Stand Out From The Crowd If you want to connect with a stakeholder and are struggling to capture their attention, there are a few steps you can take that will help you stand out. First, create a short video that explains how your skills or services can help them achieve their business goals. You can upload the video directly to LinkedIn. CEOs are primarily interested in making money, so be sure to emphasize how your approach can help them get from point A to point B. Snail Mail Still Works Next, follow up with a handwritten letter to their office. Reiterate the same points you made in the video in a letter format. Put the letter in an envelope, add postage, and send it. To make it more impactful, consider using an overnight mail service like FedEx. This way, when the CEO receives the envelope and sees that it's important, they are more likely to read it. Handwritten notes are affordable and effective, so it's worth incorporating them into your outreach strategy. Focus On Building A Relationship Over Time Avoid sending LinkedIn messages too frequently, but give yourself a year to engage with this person, as relationship-building is a long-term effort. Keep trying until you receive a definitive "no." Remember, circumstances can change, and they may need your services in the future. If that happens, it would be a significant win for you and worth the effort. Hone Your Messaging With A Value Bridge Another thing to keep in mind is the importance of checking your message. If you're not getting any engagement despite sending lots of content, people may lose interest. To grab their attention, start by showing that you can relate to them. Instead of beginning with something like, "Hey, I want to talk to you because...", try starting with something like, "I can't even imagine what it's like to be the CEO of a software company in today's world, where it's hard to find people who can code at a high level." This approach instantly captures their attention and shows that you're thinking about their specific situation. After you've established a connection, make a value bridge that connects the problem or issue to how you can help them. For instance, you could say something like, "Here's what I do in this situation - I help companies with this. I don't know whether or not I'm a fit for you, but wouldn't it at least make sense for us to get together so I can ask a few questions and learn more about you to see if it makes sense for us to keep talking?" Leverage An Omni-Channel Approach With High Priority Accounts Keep your goals in mind as you prioritize your outreach efforts. Identify a list of 10 to 25 dream accounts, which are your top priority prospects. Share this list with your team and start targeting them with a variety of tactics, such as monthly mailings. Adjust your plan every year as you learn what works and what doesn't. It's impossible to maintain the same level of intensity with every opportunity, so it's essential to set priorities. Consider incorporating other parts of the sequence, such as phone, voice, video, and written messages in addition to LinkedIn. Handwritten notes or in-person meetings can also be effective, especially if the people you're reaching out to are local. In-person prospecting is making a comeback and people are generally receptive to it. Join A Sales Gravy Mastermind Group 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. It is a powerful tool for personal and professional growth. 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. You can learn more about Mastermind Groups and how they can help you reach your goals here. Looking to go beyond a mastermind group and get one-to-one personalized coaching? Well, we have a free guide to help you identify the right coach for you. Download HERE

Aug 19, 2023

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 trust— 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 means. You want to connect with your listener on an emotional level and build trust. Remember, your voice is more important than your words. Use it skillfully to deliver emotional information and show that you truly get them, their needs, and their challenges and want to help solve them together. What Is A Calibrated Caller? There are two things that make a calibrated caller. First, they become very comfortable using a psychological framework, which I'll call a script framework. They get good at it and become comfortable with it. The framework consists of several steps: throwing yourself under the bus, making your voice playful, leading with curiosity instead of value, and insisting that the person take the meeting. The reps are trained to lead with value, but the resonance comes from leading with curiosity to see if somebody is curious enough to take a meeting. Insisting that the person take the meeting requires a kind of confidence and belief in the value of the meeting, which isn't equal across all reps. You need somebody who can do the whole thing, who can throw themselves under the bus, make their voice playful, go to curiosity, and insist they take the meeting. A calibrated caller is somebody who has proven they can do all of that work in a cold call, which we call an ambush call, and they can do it in any topic or product area. They're not dependent on the message, just a belief in the potential value of the meeting for the person they're talking with. Live Calling Is The Best Way To Practice Learning to cold call can be really challenging. Cold calling is associated with several issues. One of the problems is that until you can use your voice effectively under pressure, it can be problematic. People on the other end can detect insincerity and uncertainty in the same way that wolves can smell fear. Therefore, it's essential to overcome this hurdle. How can you do it? By practicing under pressure. Live calling is an excellent way to practice. It's also important to keep the cycle time of practice in mind. Here are the four steps to learning how to make effective cold calls that convert. Learn How to Make Effective Cold Calls In 4 Steps The first stage is getting the opener right. This is where the seller needs to grab the prospect's attention within the first few seconds of the call. Using a playful, curious tone encourages the prospect to want to hear more. The second stage is getting the curiosity message out. This is where the seller needs to pique the prospect's interest and make them curious about what the seller has to offer. Using a storytelling approach will help you to build a narrative that will engage the prospect and make them want to learn more. The third stage is learning how to handle objections. As you well know, the best objection is the one you don't get in the first place. Avoid objections by staying away from value-based statements that could make the prospect feel like they are not doing their job well. Instead, he suggests using a curiosity-based approach that focuses on the prospect's needs and pain points. The fourth stage is asking for the meeting and sticking to your guns. This is where the seller needs to be confident in the value of the meeting they are offering. They need to deeply believe that the meeting will provide potential value to the prospect, even if they never do business together. By sticking to their guns and asking for the meeting, the seller can build trust with the prospect and establish a relationship that could lead to future business opportunities. This approach to cold calling focuses on building trust with the prospect and understanding their needs. By using a curiosity framework and deeply believing in the potential value of the meeting being offered, salespeople can master the art of cold calling and achieve great success in sales. Always Lead With Curiosity Mastering cold calling requires a well-thought-out approach that takes into account the prospect's needs and unique challenges. According to Chris Beall, the purpose of a cold call is to establish trust with the prospect. This can be achieved by using a curiosity framework to build a narrative that will engage the prospect and make them want to learn more. By following the four-stage process outlined by Beall, salespeople can master the art of cold calling and achieve great success in sales. The first stage is getting the opener right, followed by getting the curiosity message out, learning how to handle objections, and finally, asking for the meeting and sticking to your guns. By using a curiosity-based approach and deeply believing in the potential value of the meeting being offered, salespeople can build trust with their prospects and establish a relationship that could lead to future business opportunities.

Aug 11, 2023

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."

Aug 5, 2023

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, you’ll find out why it’s 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 Sarah’s 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 reason— to increase sales, sellers need to continually increase their skillset. Why Invest In Sales Enablement? Sales training and enablement isn’t 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 skills— 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, “There’s nothing new here.” 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 it’s 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 you’ve heard before, but you can get a new perspective on existing knowledge because it’s 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, most of whom work for small companies that typically don't have a significant training budget. These users are paying their way to get educated because they believe in the value of training. If you work for a larger company that pays for training, it's already provided for you. It's free, so why not take it? Even when you're looking for a new job and a potential employer asks, "What have you done to advance your career?" answering "nothing" because you haven't taken advantage of available training opportunities seems like a waste of time and effort for everyone, especially in sales. If you're not improving, you're wasting your time and effort. Passing on the opportunity to take company-provided training is self-destructive. So why not make the effort to improve yourself and your own personal bottom line? Sales Skills Are Perishable Investing in yourself is crucial because sales skills, especially soft skills, can deteriorate over time. Selling involves doing discovery, interacting with people, asking questions, dealing with rejection, handling objections, sales strategy, and adapting to change, all of which are perishable skills. Bad habits can develop, and even subtle changes can have an impact. Most sales training is designed to help you get back to the basics. If you work for a company like Adobe, where innovation and software changes happen frequently, knowing their products inside and out is essential. To effectively engage with your customers, you must be able to ask meaningful questions, understand what matters to them, and demonstrate how your solution aligns with their desired outcomes. Without knowledge of the product, your learning and expertise will be useless. Even if you have a deep understanding of the product, if you are unable to communicate its value to others, your knowledge will be wasted. It's essential to know how to effectively communicate the information to others, as that is ultimately your job. How To Help Salespeople Develop The Right Learning Mindset It’s the responsibility of sales leaders, trainers, and enablement professionals to help salespeople build and maintain an open mindset towards continuing their learning. One of the best ways to approach this, especially for individuals who are particularly hesitant or even resistant to attending or participating in training, is by giving them options. Not everyone is going to have a naturally instilled drive to take every opportunity to learn something new and expand their skills. Truly meeting learners where they are means giving them the information in a modality that is most conducive to their preferred learning style, whether it's through a podcast, a book, or in-person training. At scale, this could mean implementing a system where learners can subscribe to a class of their choosing, enroll, and stack and blend training in different ways. No matter how they want to consume the training, there's something for everyone. Leaders And Facilitators— Ask For Feedback! To keep learners engaged in the classroom, they need to receive the kind of training and facilitation that works best for them. The only way to know what is working for some people and not working for others, is by asking for feedback. You or your organization may already do this in the form of surveys and assessments. These are a couple of examples of feedback in practice. However, this might prompt mostly negative reactions and comments that aren’t necessarily productive. If people don't tell you what's working for them, you won't know. Instead of fielding complaints about why your salespeople “hate” being in training, studying materials, or taking assigned courses, ask them what they want to see more of. Ask learners what they like, or what their preferences are. Perhaps the content is rich, but too overwhelming and they would like shorter, video-based content because they learn better visually. Or for some learners, a workshop session would be more helpful for a chance to role play or ask questions in real time. Take this feedback with a grain of salt, but by opening the door to feedback, you will discover whether you’re meeting your audience's learning preferences, and if not— how to get there. The innovative Sales Gravy University sales training platform gives on the go individuals and entire teams easy, affordable access to the world’s 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.

Jul 28, 2023

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 the ability to combine thinking and feelings to make good decisions and build high-quality relationships. Emotional resilience is essential in sales, and it involves understanding and managing your own emotions to influence the emotions of others. Mental resilience is also important in sales, and it involves having a clear vision of what you want to achieve, being flexible and adaptable, and having a support network. Emotional resilience involves having a clear understanding of realistic optimism, which means having a clear vision of what you want to achieve, what outcomes you are looking for, and understanding that there is meaning in what you're doing. It's important to have a support network of people you can turn to for help, and to establish a relationship of trust with your manager. It's important to interrupt negative self-talk and replace it with something positive, such as listening to a podcast or reading a book. Complaining can turn a support group into a negative space, and it's important to have constructive conversations and avoid cynicism. 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 Ei4Change (Emotional Intelligence 4 Change) coaches and 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 — the ability to go from setback to comeback — 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 because sometimes, it's crucial to vent and express frustrations. Unfortunately, it's easy for these groups to turn into complaining sessions rather than support groups. Complaining is like misery's mating call. The more you complain, the more negative you become, and misery loves company. This is especially true on sales floors, where people can start to believe that all buyers are liars, leading to poor decisions in the sales process and more misery. When bad things happen, it's important to talk about it and not hold onto it. However, it's equally important to have constructive conversations about what happened and what the next steps should be. Know when to draw the line and redirect the conversation towards something positive. Don’t Allow Cynicism to Destroy Your Faith This is why you should turn to the people in your support network who can help you make good decisions, such as your manager who can remind you of your strengths as a salesperson. Don't allow cynicism to destroy your faith in the systems and processes that, statistically speaking, will result in more wins than losses if executed consistently. We should view our emotions as something to be handled intelligently in order to build quality relationships and make authentic decisions. If you have a bad sales day, have coping mechanisms and practice in place to help rebuild your confidence so that you can make the next sale effectively. Remember that you wouldn't have the job if you weren't good at what you do. Reflect on what made you successful and identify how you can replicate that success. These are questions that only you can answer, but you can also seek support from people who can offer you the right guidance and encouragement. Manage Your Internal Messages When faced with a problem, our internal voice can start chattering away, often negatively, which can have a massive impact on our ability to stage a comeback. Affirmations may seem metaphysical to some people, but the important thing is to interrupt negative self-talk. Sometimes, you just have to accept that there will be times when you need to take a break. There may be nothing anyone can do or say. You just have to make the decision that enough is enough and get away from the situation. Other times, you may need to force yourself to keep going because you need to prove to yourself that you can do it and you’re strong enough to deal with the circumstances. In sales conversations and situations, the person who exerts the most emotional resilience usually has the highest probability of achieving their desired outcome. A breakdown in emotional resilience when things go wrong, or when you perceive that they are going wrong, can seriously impact your ability to make an income. Always Replace The Negative With A Positive Sometimes, when you are stuck in a negative headspace, it can help to say something nice to somebody. You have to change the words that you are saying and hearing in order to fix the little messages you are telling yourself internally. If you don't manage that internal message, the words you say to yourself could be your worst enemy. They can break down your resilience and tear it apart more than anything else. Replacing your negative inputs with positive outputs can help you disrupt any spiraling and get you back on track, using your emotions in a constructive way. Jeb Blount's bestselling book Sales EQ: How Ultra High Performers Leverage Sales-Specific Emotional Intelligence to Close the Complex Deal helps guide salespeople through the many hurdles that many struggle with in building authentic relationships with prospects. Download our free Sales EQ Book Club Guide HERE.

Jul 21, 2023

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. You’ll 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 brand’s 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 skill—and 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), your salespeople can damage your brand if you allow them to write poorly. The responsibility for this falls on you and your marketing organization. Marketing should not write everything for salespeople because that approach can be disastrous, but every time a salesperson interacts with a customer, they become the face of your brand, so it's crucial that marketing monitors what salespeople write. This is because writing can make or break a deal. Sales are often won or lost by a small margin, and emotions play a significant role in decision-making. If your writing is sloppy, you'll put yourself in a position to lose the deal. This is no different from showing up to a meeting looking unprofessional. If you're a salesperson, leader, or trainer, you should spend time teaching people how to write for business. Verbal communication is also crucial because you'll be presenting to customers. However, in most cases, someone else will read your written proposals. This person may be in middle management or have to seek approval from someone else. If they can't understand your writing, you'll lose the deal. CMOs and marketing teams must take ownership of the writing that their salespeople produce. By doing so, they can ensure that their brand is protected and that they have a better chance of winning deals. Salespeople, on the other hand, should focus on improving their writing skills to communicate effectively with customers. Your Message Should Be Easily Translated Whether it's writing or speaking, it's crucial to be clear and concise in your message. Salespeople, in particular, need to have well-structured messaging that not only gets the point across in the moment but can also be easily retold and shared with others. Sales messaging needs to be tight and well-structured, as buying teams are generally larger and more complex than ever before. Your message needs to be memorable and easily translated for someone else when you're not around. This is what sets you apart from the competition and establishes your identity as a problem solver. Professionals communicate like human beings in an authentic conversation, walking the customer through how they will solve the problem and what the results will be. The ability to stand in front of another human being, tell a story, and connect with them on a personal level is a valuable skill for salespeople. However, relying too much on charisma can lead to suboptimal income and even harm your brand. As a salesperson, you can control and manage what comes out of your mouth and what you write. It's important to take the time to structure your message effectively, so it can be easily remembered and shared. This is what will ultimately set you apart and make you a successful problem solver. How To Improve Your Sales Messaging For A Winning GTM Strategy Regardless of whether you're responsible for revenue, on the sales team, a frontline manager, an individual rep, or working on the marketing or product side of things, all those involved in messaging and driving sales face challenges. Bringing together sales and marketing is consistently viewed as both a goal and a challenge. So what can we do about that? You mentioned the influence of chemicals in the brain and the importance of conversation structure. Let me unpack what you said. As a training development company, you probably have a conversation with companies that fit your ideal customer profile. You know which companies will be most valuable to talk to, and you focus on those that are committed to developing their people and have a track record of doing so. This means you're having the right conversation with the right kind of organization. You also know that certain words can make a difference in that conversation, such as using "because," "recommend," and "options." You've developed a discipline around the preparation and tactics of your message, including the stories you share, the questions you ask, and how you actively listen and reflect back to move the conversation forward. All of this comes together to create a finely honed discipline that everyone in the company needs to think through to make great sales messages and tailored conversations that are memorable, distinctive, and likely to bring value. Over time, this kind of discipline becomes more natural, but it is not our natural state as humans. We are built for comfort and pleasure. Human Brains Are Wired For Stories The human brain is wired for stories and follows a pattern throughout history. This applies to sales and messaging too. There are different types of messaging, such as prospecting, creating interest, and getting to the next step. The goal is to create a picture that makes someone feel unique. Messaging also builds your business case, outlining the challenge, recommendation, and outcome. When organizations don't understand this, sales and marketing suffer. Simplify messaging to get customers to say yes and move forward. Understand messaging progression and how the human brain operates. Establish trust at the beginning to get more time with the customer. Follow the hero's journey pattern, showing the customer a better place. The challenge comes with multiple stakeholders, each with their own outcomes. Tell stories that connect with each stakeholder based on what's important to them. It's important to simplify messaging and understand how the human brain operates to get customers to say yes and move forward. Our brains are not wired for selling conversations focused on the customer or prospect. We are wired for comfort and pleasure, and talking about ourselves. Understand the other person's perspective based on research and work done. Use empathy and insight to connect with prospects. Establish trustworthiness through empathy and expertise. Conversation is where empathy is demonstrated, and where language is learned to reflect back in messaging. Listening is vital to make people feel significant.

Jul 14, 2023

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. There is so much to learn from this episode including: - How to get more prospecting done in less time. - Building targeted prospecting lists and leveraging social proof to get engagement. - Keys to building better prospecting lists. - How to be more confident with your messaging. - How to be more consistent with Fanatical Prospecting Sequences. The sales lessons you'll learn in this episode are so powerful that you'll want to listen to it multiple times and share it with your entire team. 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 prospecting, time management, large account strategies, proposal and presentation skills, account management and retention, 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 (like Jeb Blount) 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. In short, a Sales Mastermind Group, will help you gain a competitive edge, build your knowledge base, advance your skills, and build support network and accountability partners that will help you navigate the many ups and downs of a your sales career. Looking to go beyond a mastermind group and get one-to-one personalized coaching? Well, we have a free guide to help you identify the right coach for you. Download HERE

Jul 8, 2023

When They Say No: Overcoming Rejection And Shifting Your Mindset Introduces Andrea and Richard's new book, When They Say No, 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. It involves building rapport, asking questions, and understanding the customer's needs. A strong opening early on in the sales process sets the stage for a successful close. The opening phase in sales is a critical juncture that is often overlooked or rushed through in the pursuit of closing a deal. However, this initial stage holds immense significance in building rapport, establishing trust, and gaining a deep understanding of the customer's needs and desires. When sales professionals invest time and effort into creating meaningful connections with their prospects early on, they lay the foundation for a successful and mutually beneficial relationship. Building Trust Is Essential To Winning The Sale One of the key reasons why establishing connections with prospects during the opening phase is crucial is the building of trust. In any sales interaction, trust forms the bedrock of a successful relationship. By taking the time to truly listen to prospects, showing genuine interest, and demonstrating empathy, sales professionals can cultivate trust and credibility. When prospects feel understood and valued, they are more likely to open up about their challenges, goals, and pain points, which provides invaluable insight for tailoring the sales approach and offering relevant solutions. Prevent Objections Before They Arise Moreover, establishing connections early on helps curb objections that may arise during the sales process. When prospects feel a sense of connection and trust, they are more receptive to the sales professional's message and less likely to raise objections or barriers. By investing time in the opening phase to understand the prospect's motivations, concerns, and preferences, sales professionals can address potential objections proactively. They can align their pitch with the prospect's specific needs and present compelling solutions that directly address their pain points. This personalized approach not only minimizes objections but also increases the chances of a successful sale. Furthermore, the opening phase allows sales professionals to gather vital information about the prospect's decision-making process and the key stakeholders involved. By building relationships early on, they can uncover valuable insights into the prospect's organizational structure, decision-making dynamics, and the specific criteria that influence their purchasing decisions. Armed with this knowledge, sales professionals can tailor their approach, navigate internal challenges, and present a persuasive case that resonates with the prospect and aligns with their unique context. The Opening Phase Sets The Stage Recognizing the importance of the opening phase in sales is crucial for building rapport, establishing trust, and gaining a deep understanding of the customer's needs. By investing time and effort into creating connections with prospects early on, sales professionals can lay a solid foundation for successful relationships, mitigate objections, and increase their chances of closing deals. The opening phase serves as a valuable opportunity to establish a strong rapport, gather key insights, and pave the way for a fruitful sales journey. The innovative Sales Gravy University sales training platform gives on the go individuals and entire teams easy, affordable access to the world’s 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.

Jun 30, 2023

Moving From A Culture of Efficiency to A Culture of Effectiveness Acting and improv skills are similar to soft skills in sales— 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. Sales Is Like Acting— Empathy Is Essential As a child, Mike Cabot and his sister starred in a local cable television show for seven years. Later on, Cabot gained acting experience both in theater and through featuring in commercials. In his sales career, he has been able to leverage the improv skills he learned from acting at an early age to connect, engage in deep listening, and show empathy to prospects and clients. The job of a sales professional isn't just to sell a product or service, it's to help people. And in order to truly help people, great sales professionals have to be great empathizers. The same can be said for actors. To tell a story convincingly, an actor must take on the character's persona. She must step into their shoes and see the world through their eyes. Otherwise, it's not authentic. Empathy is a critical skill for sales professionals, and acting is an excellent way to hone this skill by putting yourself in someone else's shoes. This is what sets the best salespeople apart. They can quickly and easily see the world through someone else's eyes and adjust their messaging, style, and strategy accordingly. The Show Must Go On Often, people make excuses for why they can't sell, such as a lack of leads or poor marketing. As sales professionals, we must deliver for the audience in front of us, no matter what. Embracing this idea is crucial in building a strong sales culture. Mastering the same soft skills that improv actors use is critical because you must listen not only with your ears, but also with your eyes and intuition. On stage, if you weren't paying attention, you wouldn't know how to respond when something gets thrown back at you. Dealing With Analytical Stakeholders Buyers use emotions to make decisions. Tap into their emotions and stories to meet their needs. Engaging with analytical stakeholders in sales requires a thoughtful and empathetic approach. Understanding the different levels and roles within the stakeholder groups is crucial, as each individual has unique concerns and priorities. While these stakeholders are analytical by nature, it's important to recognize that emotions play a significant role in their decision-making process. By tapping into their emotional needs and sharing relevant stories, sales professionals can connect with them on a deeper level and demonstrate how their product or service can help solve their problems. Building trust and showing the value of saving time or avoiding negative outcomes are key strategies for engaging with these stakeholders. Salespeople often encounter challenges when engaging with analytical stakeholders. The lack of immediate emotional response from these stakeholders can sometimes make salespeople feel insecure and lead them to overcompensate by talking too much. Developing emotional control and patience becomes essential in these situations. Sales professionals should maintain faith in their approach, asking the right questions, and genuinely trying to help. Over time, as trust is built and the salesperson demonstrates the ability to address the stakeholder's concerns, these analytical stakeholders can become strong allies, paving the way for successful sales interactions. Mastering the art of engaging with analyzers opens doors to success in various sales scenarios. Celebrate The Small Victories Recognizing and celebrating small wins in sales is crucial for both individual salespeople and sales teams. It starts with transparency and setting realistic expectations, acknowledging that success requires effort. While closing deals is important, it's equally vital to track other metrics like account outreach and pipeline generation. By highlighting these milestones, individuals are encouraged to keep going and find motivation in the journey. Celebrating every win, no matter how small, creates a positive and supportive environment, fostering desired behaviors and instilling a sense of accomplishment throughout the sales process. Viewing sales as a series of building blocks and acknowledging the value of each step taken before closing a deal reinforces the idea that consistent effort leads to success. By celebrating incremental achievements and focusing on building a strong foundation, sales professionals can stay motivated, sustain momentum, and achieve greater success. Feedback Is How We Grow Feedback plays a crucial role in personal and professional growth, regardless of one's position within the organization. It's a two-way street where both sales leaders and their sales team can benefit from open and candid communication. Offering feedback allows leaders to provide guidance and constructive criticism, while accepting feedback demonstrates a willingness to learn and improve. Feedback is valuable, no matter one's position or authority. By creating an environment where feedback is encouraged, leaders can foster a culture of continuous improvement and learning, which benefits the entire organization in the long run. "Before And After" Coaching Routine Another effective practice in sales leadership is the "before and after routine". This coaching routine involves setting objectives and targets before a sales call, discussing the strengths and successes afterward, and then openly discussing areas for improvement. By starting with the positives and creating a safe space for team members to voice their opinions, leaders can encourage collaborative conversation where everyone's input is valued, regardless of their age or experience level. In the end, feedback is a vital component of growth and development in the sales profession. Both sales leaders and team members can benefit from actively seeking and providing feedback. By embracing feedback and incorporating it into routine coaching and reflection processes, sales organizations can create a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, and success. The innovative Sales Gravy University sales training platform gives on the go individuals and entire teams easy, affordable access to the world’s 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.

Jun 22, 2023

Human Connection Is Irreplaceable Dress appropriately for the situation and audience— 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 personalized and 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. On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Jeb Blount and Will Yarbrough, VP of Sales at Fleetio, discuss what it means to be a human seller in the age of robots. Jeb and Will 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. Selling In A Tough Industry Takes Grit— And Emotional Intelligence Industry experience— especially when selling to blue-collar workers out in the field who are more accustomed to turning wrenches than punching buttons on an app — can be a strength or a weakness for new sales professionals. Most sales organizations seek individuals who are good communicators, curious, and confident, but also have enough industry knowledge to be credible. And while industry knowledge is important is sales, the ability to deal with people is crucial. People with industry experience tend to want everything to be perfect before they can close a deal. As a result, they may take longer to ramp up in a sales organization than those without as much experience, but they can still be taught the right questions to ask. New sales professionals who don't have much industry experience will be successful if they know how to ask the right questions, find opportunities for ROI, and learn how to close deals in the process. Taking a more human approach to selling means that experience pales in comparison to the importance of heart and mindset. The Sales Process Is Overcomplicated Too many sales organizations are guilty of over-engineering the selling process. The most important thing to remember is that you're a human being having a conversation with another human being. Here are a few ways to simplify the sales process (that don't require the help of a robot). Professionalism Builds Trust Buying is an emotional and deeply human experience. In order to close sales and maintain positive customer relationships, you need to keep in mind that prospects buy the person before they buy the product. The little things matter. It's not about the outcome, but the steps that you take to get to that outcome. So if you choose not to wear a collared shirt on virtual calls, you put on a hat, decide not to shave, or don't take care in making sure your video presence and audio quality are top-notch, you are taking a series of small risks. And those risks can greatly impact the velocity of the sale, getting the sale, or the trust that you build with your prospect. Present yourself in a professional manner, including your appearance, lighting, audio, and video quality. These details may seem small, but they can have a big impact on the trust and velocity of the sale. Remember, the little things matter. The Humble Checklist Pilots and brain surgeons implement a checklist for every task they must perform. They aren't stupid; they have a lot to remember and many high-stakes elements that can slip through the cracks. Utilizing a checklist throughout the sales process can make it easier to remember and execute on important tasks, something that busy sales professionals often struggle to do. When you refer to a checklist every time you engage with a prospect, you're more likely to remember and complete each necessary task to help you advance the sale. Personalization Over Systems One of the most effortless and foolproof ways to make a lasting impression with your prospect and create competitive differentiation is by sending a handwritten note or a personal video message thanking your prospect for their time after your meeting. It's a small, but essential gesture that makes a difference. The best part is, you don't need a system to write a note. Simply make it a habit to write and send a note right after conversations with your prospects. It's a simple way to show gratitude that they will notice, appreciate, and remember. Remember To Engage In Real Conversation Especially in the world of data and systems, the human element of selling can get lost. Every sales team these days has five or more systems in their tech stack to support sales acceleration. With that comes a more robust playbook and guidance on how to sell and use those systems. However, one of the big pitfalls in modern sales is becoming too robotic. You might think, "I have to follow this process. I'm going to ask this discovery question, and this discovery question, and this discovery question," and forget that you're just having a conversation with someone. In doing so, you put undue pressure on yourself to follow the process and check every box, instead of just having a conversation like two human beings. Asking questions like, "What is the downstream impact of missing a preventative maintenance activity?" can help humanize the experience and encourage conversation. We lose credibility when we forget that we're just talking to somebody and opt for asking a robotic, textbook question that should be on a form or a survey. Don't Be Afraid to Lead It's easy to take shortcuts, but investing time and effort in doing the little things right increases the chances of success. As a leader, it's important to remind and educate sellers about the value of the basics and fundamentals. Athletic coaches understand the importance of drilling the basics and reinforcing muscle memory. Coaches and leaders must train, drill, and reinforce the basics and fundamentals every day because one bad habit or easy win can undo everything you teach. Accountability and Motivation Are Key Many leaders avoid conflict and fail to address problems because they are afraid to confront bad sales behaviors, which allows them to continue. In the past, it was not uncommon for sales leaders to directly confront you and tell you to stop doing something that isn't effective. They would push you to improve. Today, some leaders lack the courage to lead sales in a more traditional way. Sales is a human endeavor that requires excellence, protection of the brand and the process, and achieving targets. It's a survival of the fittest. You need to be good at your craft and be willing to learn from your mistakes. Leaders must have the ability to motivate their sellers when they're doing well, provide constructive feedback when they're not, and offer support when they need it. In his bestselling book, Fanatical Prospecting, Jeb Blount outlines his innovative approach to prospecting that works for real people, in the real world, with real prospects. Download your FREE chapters of Fanatical Prospecting here.

Jun 15, 2023

Art Munin, Ph.D. from Liaison International is the guest on this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, hosted by Sales Gravy Master Trainer, Gina Trimarco. They discussed Munin's transition into a sales career. Munin debunked the myth that one must choose a lifelong career straight out of college, highlighting that more individuals are transitioning into different career paths, such as sales, later in life. Sales is presented as an exciting, dynamic career with opportunities for personal growth, financial success, and professional satisfaction. Various reasons for transitioning into sales later in life are discussed, including dissatisfaction with previous jobs, the desire for higher income, and the allure of competition inherent in sales. Professionals transitioning from non-sales careers bring valuable transferable skills. Examples include communication and people skills from educators, technical expertise from engineers, and analytical skills from financial professionals. The transition into sales can be challenging, particularly for those with no direct experience. Adapting to the performance-driven nature of sales and mastering Sales Specific Emotional Intelligence are key. It's possible to transition into a sales career later in life and thrive with the right mindset, transferable skills, and a willingness to learn and adapt. On 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, to discuss how he made the transition into a career in sales. You'll love the story of how Art talked his way onto the podcast by serenading Gina with a Bon Jovi tune. This episode is a must-listen for people who are interested in exploring new horizons and sales leaders who may be neglecting non-traditional talent in their recruitment strategies. Debunking Career Myths There's a myth that continues to pervade the corporate landscape: you need to pick your lifelong career fresh out of college and stick to it. However, the modern work environment paints a more varied picture, with more people transitioning into entirely different career paths well into their professional lives. One such transition that's gaining traction is the move into sales from non-sales careers. Sales is Exciting Sales is an exciting career, brimming with potential for personal growth, financial success, and professional satisfaction. It offers a dynamic work environment where no two days are alike. It is also a role where direct, tangible outcomes (like meeting quotas or securing contracts) can lead to immediate rewards. Furthermore, the advent of technology has made it possible for salespeople to work from diverse locations, offering both flexibility and freedom. Why Transition Later in Life? There are various reasons why people choose to transition into sales later in life. Some find their previous jobs unfulfilling or stagnant, some are driven by the desire for higher income potential, and others are enticed by the challenge and competitive spirit inherent in sales. Moreover, many skills acquired in other professions - such as communication, problem-solving, and relationship building - are directly transferrable to sales roles. Transferrable Skills from Non-Sales Careers Regardless of their previous career path, professionals transitioning into sales bring a wealth of transferable skills. For example, educators have exceptional communication and people skills, which are vital for engaging clients and building relationships. Likewise, engineers or technicians might have the technical expertise that's invaluable for sales in the tech sector. Professionals from financial or consulting backgrounds bring analytical and problem-solving skills, enabling them to understand a customer's needs and craft appropriate solutions. Building on these existing skills, many find that they already have the foundation necessary for sales success. The key is to identify these skills and learn how to apply them effectively in a sales context. Navigating the Transition Despite the potential advantages, transitioning into sales can also bring its share of challenges. One of the most significant hurdles is breaking into the field without direct experience. It's crucial for individuals to leverage their transferable skills effectively during the application and interview process. Another challenge is adapting to the performance-driven nature of sales, which can be stressful and highly competitive. To overcome this, new salespeople should focus on building resilience and a growth mindset, viewing challenges as opportunities for learning and development. Finally, newcomers to sales will have to master soft skills and Sales EQ: Sales Specific Emotional Intelligence. This includes learning how to listen effectively, ask the right questions, and present products or services in a way that meets the needs of the potential customer. Make the Leap Into a Career in Sales Transitioning into a sales career later in life can be an enriching and rewarding experience. With the right mindset, transferable skills, and a willingness to learn and adapt, individuals from non-sales careers can thrive in the dynamic world of sales. It's never too late to make the leap and embrace the opportunities that a sales career has to offer. Our Foundations in Selling on-demand learning path is designed to help new sales professionals gain the skills and confidence they need to launch a successful career in Sales. Learn More Here

May 4, 2023

On 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 Market Many 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, it’s not easy to make that mindset shift and truly rise to the moment. The One Thing That Will Always Guarantee Your Success in Sales For 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 personality— it’s 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 Connection Another 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 intelligence— Sales EQ. Salespeople aren’t 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-Human In 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 changed the value and responsibility of salespeople to be effective communicators. In a world where robots are increasingly doing work for us, it is important for sales professionals to have strong communication skills, know how to build genuine trust, and establish close business relationships. Spend 80% of The Sales Process In Discovery That's precisely why salespeople should invest about 80% of the time in the sales process in discovery. What are you learning about your buyer? What are you asking them? Discovery is where salespeople face the most heartache, because when buyers are holding back, sellers don't have any ammunition to reduce fear because they didn't ask great discovery questions and do the work upfront. In times of abundance and prosperity, salespeople skip that crucial step because buyers will decide to buy anyway. Salespeople often let their guard down and get transactional. Doing deep level discovery is the only way to stay afloat in a down market because buyers are vulnerable, hesitant, and hard to reach. The transactional sale will not get the job done in volatile times. You Need A Solid Business Case To Be Competitive It's easy to be complacent when times are good. But things have changed, even in growing industries. The competitive landscape is now much more intense than it used to be. To succeed in this environment, you need to do your homework. You must have a solid business case for why your product is a good fit for the customer, and that requires a a great deal of research. Once you have a use case and understand the challenges of the industry, you need to address any concerns that are specific to your buyers' unique situation, business, or sector and show proven ROI. Doing your homework is fundamental to success, and that homework is done in discovery. 4 Ways to Handle Buying Decision Deferment Objections Inevitably, buyers will present salespeople with decision deferment objections. It is imperative that salespeople handle these objections with tact, at both the emotional and rational level. Salespeople can prepare for these objections in a couple of ways. Ask "Why" Questions to Uncover Fears Ask questions that reveal their hesitation to buy, the perceived risk of purchase or adoption, and what is at stake for them in this relationship. This will allow you to understand the fundamental reason why they don't want to buy, and give you insight into how you can help them move forward in their purchasing decision, and ultimately create a sense of trust that reassures your buyer that you know what is most important to them and their company. Get Creative With Soft Benefits Whether this is providing extra training, additional customer support, access to premium features, or other similar benefits, giving your buyer an improved experience at little to no additional cost to you, while drawing their focus away from pricing alone. Giving them some added benefits or bonus features helps them feel that they are getting value from your product or service that increases the return on their investment. Create a Sense of Urgency Sometimes it helps to instill a sense of urgency so that buyers are less likely to pull back from a purchasing decision. In this case, offer pricing that's only available for a limited time, or offer an add-on that has limited availability. Target Companies That Hold Steady In Down Markets Of course, this isn't always possible, but targeting larger companies with more flexible budgets, versus smaller companies that are on a feast or famine cycle will make it easier to prevent facing buying deferment objections in the first place. A Slow Market Is Not A Dead-End Salespeople can navigate the transition from a thriving market to a slow one by staying tough, focused, and innovative. In uncertain times, sales-specific emotional intelligence and authentic human-to-human communication are crucial skills to establish trust and build relationships with buyers. By dedicating 80% of the sales process to discovery, salespeople can make a compelling case for why their product is a good fit for their buyer and learn what matters most to them, so that decision deferment objections don't clog up the pipeline. In this on-demand sales training on Sales Gravy University the world’s most sought-after sales trainer, Jeb Blount, delivers an essential blueprint for staying motivated, keeping your pipeline full, increasing sales, retaining your customers, and advancing your career in times of uncertainty and change.

Mar 28, 2023

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 Superpower The 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 Sales Listening 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 Process One 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, determine the right questions to ask to get the information you need. For example, you might want to know how many stakeholders are involved in the purchasing decision. Prepare questions in advance that will help you to specifically get to that answer. Prepare to lead them through the process. Every call discovery call should entail different information, but follow a similar path. You, as the salesperson, are in control of where you take the prospect during your conversation. It's the salesperson's job to lead, educate, and take them along the established process. The Five Discovery Questions As you lead your prospect through the discovery process, take the time to really listen, and use the resources you've prepared in advance to guide your conversation, here are five questions you should be weaving into every discovery call. Tag On Question This one is very simple— when your prospect asks a question or shares some information, question them back or ask them about the information they provided. Tag on to what they've said to immerse yourself in the conversation and go deeper with them about what matters most. Statement Question When your prospect provides you with information related to their business or the problems they are facing, use a statement to imply an area of interest or curiosity. This will prompt them to share some details or context, and takes the interrogative pressure off of your end of the conversation. For example, they may share some information around a certain market trend they're seeing. To which you could reply, "That's interesting, I haven't done a lot of research on that. Tell me what impact that's had on your business." Replay Question As you listen to their responses or the information they provide during your conversation, take note of a few details and circle back to them. This show that you're not only listening to them, but what they're saying is important enough for you to pay attention, make note, remember, and seek more information about the subject. It's an amazing technique for bridging the connection between you and your prospect. Clarification Question Prospects will often say things like, "Look, we need this fixed quickly." This is where you would ask a clarifying question like, "What does quickly mean to you in this case?" Or, they might say something along the lines of, "We are just looking for an easy to use software." You might reply, "So I can understand a little bit more, what does easy to use look like in your world?" This allows you to get to the heart of what matters to them, why it matters, so you can demonstrate true value. Future Question Instead of asking what immediate outcome they want to see by using your solution, ask them a question like this one: "Let's fast forward a year from today. How do you know my product/service has been successful for you?" Why? Because it's thought provoking and it's a disruption. When you get your prospect thinking differently about their desired future state, you are forcing them to open up and be honest as opposed to firing off a canned response to a question that they already anticipated. See The World Through Your Customer's Eyes 99% of salespeople see the world through their own eyes. The top 1% see it through their customer's lens. The easiest way to connect with your prospect is to simply make them comfortable, match their tone, and use terms and language that they have previously referenced. Over the telephone, 83% of communication is how you sound. Listen to their tone, their pace, their timber, and their volume. Be a chameleon. Use those clues to inform how you speak and what information is most important to them. When you frame the conversation and mirror their tone, you show your prospect that you're listening, you care, you're like them, and you understand them. The more you do that, the more connected your prospect will be and the more likely they are to buy from you. Sales Gravy University features the world's most sought after sales & leadership trainers, authors, and thought leaders. Brad Adams and Tony Morris are instructors on Sales Gravy University where you can take their courses on prospecting, communication skills, closing, negotiation and more.

Mar 20, 2023

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 helped her build a business empire. Southern Home Cook Turned Nationally Recognized Celebrity Chef Vera’s 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. 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. Taking Risks Creates Opportunity for Success As 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, took 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: “All they can do is say no.” The VeryVera Show Origin Story Through 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. Following her appearance with Bobby Flay, a local Augusta, Georgia 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 told 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. Value First Vera pitched her show to WSAV, with a crucial mindset—she 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. 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 five ways that salespeople can harness an entrepreneurial mindset to be successful. 5 Ways Salespeople Can Harness An Entrepreneurial Spirit to Advance Their Career Approach Your Career With A Growth Mindset A 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. They are also more likely to embrace new technologies, methodologies, and sales techniques that can help them improve and achieve their goals. Take Initiative and Ownership of Your Future Entrepreneurs are known for their ability to take initiative and create their own opportunities. Similarly, salespeople who take ownership of their work are more likely to be successful. They should take the initiative to identify new prospects, develop new sales strategies, and take risks when necessary to close deals. Adapt and Pivot In The Face of Change Entrepreneurs are known for their ability to pivot when necessary and adapt to changing market conditions. Salespeople who can adapt to changing customer needs, new sales techniques, and market trends are more likely to succeed. They should be open to feedback, willing to try new approaches, and able to pivot quickly when circumstances change. Put Customers First— Always Entrepreneurs know that their customers are the key to their success, and salespeople should adopt the same mindset. They should focus on building strong relationships with their customers, understanding their needs and preferences, and delivering value in every interaction. Salespeople who prioritize the customer experience are more likely to build long-term relationships that lead to repeat business and referrals. Be Confidence Vera attributes much of her success to asking for what she wants with relaxed, assertive confidence. Confidence is key in both sales and the entertainment industry, and Vera’s story reinforces just how important assertiveness is in achieving success. People lean into relaxed confidence. Assertiveness demonstrates that you expect to win. When you want something— a meeting, a next step, a sale— ask in a way that shows you believe the answer will be yes, rather than in a way that suggests you already expect a no. Challenge Vera Stewart proved doubters wrong and built a food and hospitality empire because she wouldn't take no for an answer. Take a moment to consider how you can break through barriers that are holding you back by adopting a "never take no for an answer" mindset.

Mar 7, 2023

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 Zakharin's Inspiring Real Estate Journey Alexander Zakharin is a New York City real estate guru and a force on TikTok. He emigrated from Russia to the United States in 2017 with a dream to live and work in the greatest city in the world. When he had visited NYC a few years before, it was love at first sight as he rode a greyhound bus all the way from Chicago into Midtown West. Drawn to the skyscrapers and beautiful buildings he would later rent and sell, Zakharin took the leap after attending college in the UK and moving back to Russia for work. He arrived in the states without a job or a plan and stumbled into real estate by pure chance— with no real estate experience. He had a background in oil and gas that provided him some sales experience, but he’d never sold real estate. He jokes that his first real estate transaction was renting out his apartment in St. Petersburg the day before he left Russia. Through a personal connection who rented apartments in Manhattan, Zakharin got an interview as a real estate agent. He then leveraged Fanatical Prospecting, grit, hard work and social media to climb the brutal real estate ladder in New York City. Since then, Zakharin has sold over 31 million dollars in real estate proving that anything is possible when you set your mind to it. His astronomical success illustrates how the power of relentless prospecting combined with savvy social media strategies have become keys to success in the real estate market, no matter the economic conditions. It Pays To Have An Entrepreneurial Mindset Real estate is a highly competitive industry that is constantly influenced by market fluctuations. As a real estate agent, you are essentially your own boss, which means that you have the freedom to control your own earning potential. This is ultimately what draws so many people into real estate, but it requires a significant mindset shift. You are responsible for your own success and income. In order to thrive in the real estate industry, you must be self-motivated and highly disciplined with a love for competition. As a real estate agent, you work for yourself, and you are a self-employed entity. You earn exactly what you work for, and it’s up to you to make it happen. This was one of the main reasons that Zakharin saw early success in real estate and decided to stay on that path. However, it’s important to remember that this success doesn’t come easily. Real estate agents must put in the time and effort to build their network, find leads, and close deals. What It Takes To Be Great In Real Estate Overwhelmingly, your ticket to success, regardless of what business or vertical you’re in (especially if it’s a service business), is meeting people and making connections. The more you focus on the human side of sales or service, the faster you close deals and the longer you hold onto relationships. High performing professionals understand the value of building networks. Likewise, in real estate, the most successful agents are those who focus on the human aspect of their work and prioritize personal connections with potential clients. Zakharin explains that the most successful new agents aren't the one with the fanciest Excel sheets or the perfect messaging, they're the ones who aren't afraid to call up people in their network and say, "By the way, I'm doing real estate now. If you're looking to rent or buy, reach out to me." Having conversations with people helps any professional gain practical knowledge and experience through learning by doing. There is no substitute for having real conversations with people and maintaining that personal connection is the key to achieving excellence in any business, but particularly in sales and real estate. Why Shortcuts Don't Work In Volatile Times During times of crisis, such as a recession or turbulence, it's important to go back to basics and fundamentals. Top professionals in various industries practice fundamental skills regularly, regardless of any crisis. The problem is that many people quit doing the things that work once they start seeing success. This is human nature, and it's why people struggle during tough times. In times of abundance, people start believing that they are the ones responsible for their success, and they hit cruise control. However, when the economy takes a downturn, they're left wondering what happened and start looking for the next shortcut to success as they fall behind their competitors. So, during both times of crisis and times of abundance, it's essential to focus on the basics and not wait for the next opportunity to come to you. How To Combat Market Fluctuations In Real Estate Zakharin discusses the real estate market in New York, mentioning the low inventory of resale apartments and the high demand for new developments. He suggests that developers are incentivized to sell their inventory and that buyers often try to take advantage of creative financing options like mortgage buyouts to get lower interest rates. He also notes that his agency is seeing more cash buyers and walkaways from contracts. Zakharin cold calls anywhere from 25 to 50 expired listings each morning, and this technique is highly effective as many people who previously listed their apartments are still trying to sell them. By building a prospecting routine into his day, Zakharin is able to combat the unpredictable market fluctuations that have been characteristic of the last several years. Fanatical Prospecting Fanatical Prospecting is a sales strategy that involves consistently and proactively reaching out to potential customers or clients. 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. In terms of real estate, by consistently generating new leads and actively pursuing them, agents can create a steady stream of business and avoid the ups and downs of a feast-or-famine 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. Alexander Zakharin's success in New York real estate correlates directly with his persistence in fanatical prospecting and never being afraid to pick up the phone or start a conversation with someone on the street. Instead of being at the mercy of a volatile economy, Zakharin leverages his connections and constantly seeks out new business so that there's always another opportunity right around the corner. In his bestselling book, Fanatical Prospecting, Jeb Blount outlines his innovative approach to prospecting that works for real people, in the real world, with real prospects. Download your FREE chapters of Fanatical Prospecting here.

Feb 9, 2023

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 Team Leading 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 Teams The good news is that multi-generational sales teams bring a diverse range of skills, perspectives, and experiences to the table. This 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 Teams Leading 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. Lead by example: Demonstrate the behaviors and values that you expect from your team, and maintain a positive and professional attitude at all times. Regular check-ins and feedback: Schedule regular one-on-one meetings to check in with each team member and provide constructive feedback. By being proactive and mindful of the different needs of your team members, you can create a positive, productive, and successful sales team. Better Hiring in an Evolving Sales Talent Landscape One of the key benefits of hiring a multi-generational sales team is the diversity of skills. For example, older salespeople may have years of experience in traditional sales techniques, while younger salespeople may be more familiar with leveraging digital sales tools. Leaders who are adept at leveraging this range of skills build more agile teams that are more responsive to changing market conditions and customer demands. Younger salespeople may bring fresh ideas and enthusiasm to the team, while veteran salespeople may bring a wealth of experience and knowledge. This combination of skills, perspectives, and energy is exactly why multi-generational teams are so strong. This also leads to cross-generational coaching. The veterans provide guidance to younger salespeople, helping them to develop their skills. At the same time, younger salespeople can bring energy, helping to keep the team motivated and engaged. Finally, being open to hiring multi-generational salespeople gives you access to a wider pool of candidates. This makes it easier to recruit and hire top talent. The more talented your sales team, the more likely you are to crush your competition. Download our FREE 25-page Interview and Hiring Guide that teaches you exactly how to conduct more effective interviews and engage sales candidates in deeper and more authentic conversations that allow you to make better sales hiring decisions.

Jan 29, 2023

On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, we are switching things up to take on a very important topic— 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 Disease Living 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 Disease Lyme 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 Disease Chronic 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 Symptoms The 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. Early symptoms usually appear within days to weeks after a tick bite. However, if left untreated, the infection can become chronic Lyme disease. It can spread to other parts of the body and cause more serious symptoms such as neurological problems, heart problems, and joint inflammation. This is why it is important to seek medical attention immediately if you suspect you have been bitten by a tick and experience symptoms of Lyme disease. Symptoms of Chronic Lyme Disease can be similar to those of early Lyme disease, but they may also include: Fatigue Muscle and joint pain Cognitive difficulties (such as memory problems and difficulty concentrating) Sleep disturbances Depression Irritable bowel syndrome Headaches It is important to note that, diagnosis of PTLDS can be difficult, as there is no specific test for the condition, and symptoms are often non-specific. Due to lack of specific diagnostic criteria, treatment for PTLDS is also not well defined, often results in misdiagnose, and can be controversial. Treating Lyme Disease In most cases, Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics, such as doxycycline or amoxicillin, and symptoms usually improve within a few weeks. However, if left untreated, the infection can spread to other parts of the body and cause more serious symptoms such as neurological problems, heart problems, and joint inflammation. Treatment for Chronic Lyme Disease typically involves symptom management and may include medications to reduce pain and inflammation, and physical therapy to help manage joint pain. Some people may also benefit from cognitive behavioral therapy or counseling to help cope with the emotional and psychological effects of the condition. How to Protect Yourself from Tick Bites There are several steps you can take to avoid tick bites and reduce your risk of contracting Lyme disease: Wear protective clothing: When spending time in wooded or grassy areas, wear long sleeves and pants to cover your skin. Light-colored clothing makes it easier to spot ticks. Tuck pants in boots and shirts in pants to create barriers. Use tick repellent: There are many tick repellents available, including sprays, lotions, and permethrin-treated clothing. Check your body for ticks: After spending time in tick-infested areas, thoroughly check your body for ticks, paying close attention to the areas around your waist, armpits, and scalp. Keep ticks out of your yard: Keep your lawn trimmed and maintain a wood chip or gravel barrier between lawns and wooded areas. Avoid wooded and brushy areas with high grass, and walk in the center of trails to avoid contact with overgrown grass and bushes. Keep pets protected: Pets can bring ticks into your home, so be sure to keep them protected with tick repellents and by regularly checking them for ticks. Know the symptoms of Lyme disease and seek medical attention immediately if you suspect you have been bitten by a tick and experience symptoms such as fever, fatigue, headache, muscle and joint pain, and a bull's-eye rash. It is important to note that, even if you take all the precautions, you may still get a tick bite. Therefore, it is important to check your body regularly for ticks, especially after spending time in tick-infested areas. What to Do If You've Been Bitten By a Tick If you have been bitten by a tick, it's important to take the following steps to reduce your risk of contracting Lyme disease or other tick-borne illnesses: Remove the tick as soon as possible: Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible, and pull it straight out. Do not twist or crush the tick, as this can cause the tick to release more bacteria into your skin. Clean the bite area: After removing the tick, clean the bite area with soap and water, and apply an antiseptic to the area to prevent infection. Save the tick: Put the tick in a small container with a moistened cotton ball, and store it in the refrigerator or freezer. This can be helpful for identifying the tick species and for testing for tick-borne diseases. Watch for symptoms: Symptoms of Lyme disease typically appear within 3 to 30 days of a tick bite and include fever, fatigue, headache, muscle and joint pain, and a bull's-eye rash. If you experience any of these symptoms, contact your healthcare provider. Take preventative measures: Use tick repellent and wear protective clothing to reduce your risk of tick bites. Notify your doctor: Inform your doctor that you have been bitten by a tick and they may monitor you for the symptoms of Lyme disease or other tick-borne illnesses. They may also advise you to take antibiotics as a prophylactic treatment to prevent the disease. It's important to note that not all ticks carry Lyme disease and not all tick bites result in infection. But if you have been bitten by a tick and you have symptoms of Lyme disease, it is important to seek medical attention right away because, untreated, it can become Chronic Lyme Disease.

Jan 4, 2023

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. 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 tendency to see what we want to see and hear what we want to hear. 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. 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. Empty Pipeline Lead Confirmation Bias 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 Deals This 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 deals. Ideal Qualified Prospects Reality testing starts with getting clear on your ideal qualified prospect. An ideal qualified prospect is a potential customer that is a good fit for your company's products or services; AND that is also likely to make a purchase. In other words, high win probability. In order to identify ideal qualified prospects, you'll typically use criteria such as industry vertical, business size, demographics, geographic location, budget, purchasing habits, and other relevant characteristics. The best place to begin when developing your IQP is by building a detailed description of the characteristics of your best existing customers. Take time to analyze customers that are the best fit, easy to work with, generate the most profit, and view you as a long-term partner. Then, focus your time and attention on finding more of these types of customers. Test Engagement and Commitment During sales conversations, be careful not to brush over signs that your prospect may not be committed to the process. Sometimes they are just not that into you or the process. Never forget that you cannot force someone to buy from you. When a buyer seems to be hedging their bet or hesitating ask them about it directly. Say: "I'm sensing some hesitance. It seems like you have a lot going on right now. I'm just curious, on a scale of 1-10, how committed are you to this project?" The objective of this question is to switch hats with your buyer and compel them to sell you on why you should invest more time with them. Likewise, test engagement by asking stakeholders to do things for you. If they are willing to give you information, lean in and answer questions honestly, willingly introduce you to other stakeholders, and agree to next steps, and show up to meetings it's a good sign that they are engaged. Conduct Pipeline Opportunity Reality Testing With Your Team and Sales Leader No matter how hard you try, sometimes you are just too close to the deal. Sometimes confirmation bias is so strong you can't break its gravitational force. This is where reviewing your deals with your sales team and leaders can help you get right with reality. One key objective a deal review is to help you make an informed decision about whether to continue to pursue a particular deal or not. The key is being open to hearing out the opinions of your sales team members no matter how bad the truth hurts. You'll be surprised how often the members of your team can see through the BS story that you are telling yourself about the viability of the deal and cut right to the truth - your pipeline opportunity is never going to close. Additional Tips for Reality Testing Sales Pipeline Opportunities Review your pipeline regularly: Set aside time to review your pipeline opportunities on a regular basis, such as weekly or monthly. Identify any deals that are stuck in the pipeline and determine what action needs to be taken to move them forward. Verify the accuracy of your pipeline: Check that all of the deals in your pipeline are accurate and reflect the current status of each opportunity within the sales process and stages. Assess the likelihood of each deal closing: Evaluate the likelihood (win probability) of each deal closing and make adjustments to your pipeline accordingly. This could involve moving deals to a different stage or removing them from the pipeline if they are no longer viable. Identify any bottlenecks: Look for any bottlenecks in your sales process that may be stalling opportunity advancement. Collaborate with your team: Keep your sales team informed about the status of deals in your pipeline and encourage them to collaborate with you to find solutions to advance stalled pipeline opportunities. Reality testing sales pipeline opportunities on a regular basis, ensures that your sales efforts are prioritized on deals that you can win. Learn more about effective qualifying and reality testing in Jeb Blount's bestselling audiobook Sales EQ: How Ultra High Performers Leverage Sales-Specific Emotional Intelligence to Close the Complex Deal

Nov 1, 2022

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/

Oct 23, 2022

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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Protect Your Career It is also important to understand how crucial it is that you become more productive in this time of extreme economic volatility. Executives are already taking a microscope to their sales teams, and they're starting to make cuts. The salespeople they're cutting are the ones who are less productive. During an economic downturn, you must work harder, sometimes a lot harder to get the same results you were getting before the crisis began. If you're more productive than other people, you can deliver the same results you were getting before the downturn, plus more. This high level of productivity allows you to win while everyone else is losing - protecting both your income and career. The Work Compression Model The formula for becoming more productive is relatively simple. The first and most important step is blocking your sales day into high intensity sprints. During these short sprints, you're going to focus on only one thing at a time. It's all about attention control. Turn everything else off and remove all distractions. High-intensity activity sprints can be 10 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour, or four hours depending on the activity or project. The key is concentrating all of your power on one thing with no leakage of time to distractions. Territory Management If you're a field sales representative, this also means managing your territory better. Map and segment your territory by day then develop the discipline to plan appointments and cold calling activity inside those segments. Driving is not an accomplishment. It is the often the biggest waste of time in your sales day. For this reason, just like concentrating your focus within a time block, you should be concentrating the time you spend in your territory each day within one tight geographical area. Homework Now some homework: Take an honest, transparent look at how you are using your time - monthly, weekly, and daily. Identify where and how you are allowing distractions to usurp your attention and leak time - including how that device that you carry around in your pocket is negatively impacting your productivity. Consider how much time you waste each week driving around in your territory. Resolve to start breaking your sales day into the short high intensity sprints. You won't change everything at once. Habits and patterns are hard to break. So begin with small changes. For example, outbound prospecting blocks. Tomorrow morning try running this sprint: 15 minutes, 15 dials, with a goal to set one appointment. Run the sprint. Take a break to update your CRM. Run it again 2-3 more times. Then move on with the rest of your sales day. You will be stunned with how much prospecting you accomplish inside of these short sprints. Efficiency + effectiveness = productivity. In Jeb Blount's hit NEW Book Selling In A Crisis you'll learn 55 proven tips, techniques, and tactics to stay motivated and increase sales in volatile times. Download three free chapters here.

Oct 23, 2022

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. There will be the potential for the long slog of stagflation in some some economies. 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. In the midst of this economic downturn and disruption we'll be dealing with war and the potential for a nuclear confrontation. 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? 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. The most important thing you can do is to be right now. Focus on what you can control in the present. You've got to get right with reality and reality is, winter is coming. 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. And there's always money moving. But it's going to be a tough grind to find it. 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. They won't be willing to step up to the plate and do the hard work. This ain't easy street. That's why you have to get right with reality. Right now and prepare to work harder. 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. In 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.

Oct 13, 2022

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. In 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. Read the first three chapters, FREE.

Oct 6, 2022

On this episode of the 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. 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. 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 time–the Golden Hours–will get ahead, stay ahead, and win while others lose. 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. Try SCRIBE for free at: https://scribe.how/salesgravy with Promo Code - SALESGRAVY

Sep 8, 2022

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. 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/

Aug 27, 2022

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. 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. 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 performance 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. 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. Here’s 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 members 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 company’s 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 Mile Going the extra mile is powerful in a world where mediocrity is the norm and most people won’t. These things may seem small, but in today’s world the majority of your competition fails in these obvious areas: Showing up early for meetings and being prepared Following up 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 word Doing more than is required Really listening to your prospects and looking for ways to solve their problems–regardless of the impact on your commission check Taking personal responsibility to ensure that your support team follows through on their obligations Telling the truth when you’ve 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 do–even 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. Jeb Blount's NEW book Selling is a Crisis gives you the tactics and inspiration you need to stay motivated and increase sales in ant economy. Get it now on Amazon.

Aug 12, 2022

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. It’s similar to what we call “feeding the pipeline,” 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. It’s called “Kaizen,” and is similar to what Kristin and I discussed. What is Kaizen? Kaizen in Japanese means “a change for continuous improvement.” In this case, it’s 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 isn’t 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 miss 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 didn’t 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 “feeding the pipeline.” 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. They’re on a roll, so they aren’t 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. Let’s face it: not many people enjoy cold-calling others and asking them to buy something they may or may not want. However, that’s 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 you’re 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, you will improve your career, your life, and feed your pipeline so that you can prevent it from running dry. Believe me, we have all been there, and that is not a great or inspirational place to be. Every Day, Make One Small and Continuous Change That Will Lead to Cumulative Prospecting I had many takeaways from my sit-down with Kristin, but the theory of Kaizen and the pipeline are especially important - not just for your success as a salesperson, but for your continual growth and satisfaction in your professional and personal career. “Prospecting is one thing that you have to do that most people don’t want to. When you fill up your pipeline, it frees you up to do a better job. Setting aside an hour every morning for prospecting, which I call the ‘chop the wood,’ has a cumulative impact because it begins to build up like compound interest. The moment you begin to stop prospecting is the moment your pipeline runs dry. The fuller the pipeline, the pickier you can be about your prospects. A little bit every day is all that you need.” - Jeb Blount Jeb Blount’s book, Fanatical Prospecting, gives salespeople, sales leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives a practical, eye-opening guide. It outlines the most important activity in sales and business development – prospecting. Download our free Fanatical Prospecting Book Club Guide HERE.

Jul 21, 2022

“Life 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. 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, “If you do the work, the sales gods will reward you.” 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. 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: “The more you prospect, the luckier you get.” This inspired her to keep moving forward. 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 isn’t working, then do something else. Don’t 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 weren’t 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, opportunities would convert - and they did. If you do the right things consistently, a little bit every day, you are going to win. To learn more about Sales Gravy University go to https://learn.salesgravy.com

Jun 23, 2022

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 you’ve 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 – before he was 30 – closing over $100 million in sales for Google and IBM and founding two multimillion-dollar companies, the second named “LinkedIn’s Top 50 Startups.” How did he do it? By doing Whatever It Takes. Listen above or watch the video below: Download a free chapter of Jeb Blount's brand new book Selling the Price Increase here: https://salesgravy.com/selling-the-price-increase-free/

Jun 12, 2022

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 don’t 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/

May 25, 2022

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!

Apr 22, 2022

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. Why You Should Use LinkedIn’s Marketing Power 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. LinkedIn offers a huge opportunity for salespeople, but it isn’t easy and not everyone was born with the skills to use it. Salespeople need to learn and practice using LinkedIn. It isn’t 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. 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. 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. 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 don’t have the time to talk and others have full email boxes. LinkedIn is a different way to reach someone to start a conversation, so in some respects, it can be a pirate’s way in – but only if you use it effectively. 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. When you think about the numerous ways that we now communicate, you can’t 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. Success lies not in one over the other; it is about using all the tools and being persistent in an authentic way. 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. Also, when you are persistent on a genuine level of obligations, you develop a certain amount of reciprocity. 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. 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 don’t say a word, you aren’t going to make any connections. 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. 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 your face or your name, they come to recognize you and ultimately build a relationship with you. Without consistency, it becomes harder for you to pitch. Familiarity leads to liking. The more I see you, the more I like you. It is like a song that you hear; often you have to hear it many times before the tune catches on, and once it does, you feel a connection to it. We call it LCS – like, comment, share – that creates a connection. Building A Routine Feed Your LinkedIn Pipeline Like feeding your pipeline, LinkedIn requires building a routine so every day you are doing a little bit more to create brand familiarity. Set time aside like you would with prospecting and feeding the pipeline – whether it is 30 minutes or an hour – and commit to posting. After three months, it will become routine. Repetition leads to habit and some days are going to be harder than others, but consistency is a must. Putting in the work will be a game-changer. Curation Can Give You Some Breathing Room From Creative Burnout Sometimes you can get burnout from creating new content and it can feel like a grind. Curated content gives you some breathing room and allows you to step back and recharge your social batteries. Going completely MIA could jeopardize the progress made. This is where your professional and personal persona have to balance. Putting more of “you” into your engagements leads to authenticity and diving deeper into relationships with people. It Isn’t All About Likes When Using LinkedIn’s Marketing Power We get so caught up in scoring the highest likes, but likes don’t always convert as well as quality. It is about how well you are “speaking” to the audience and giving them something value-added that is relevant to them personally. Find ways to be creative while still staying within the parameters of your overall marketing message. Taking Cumulative Steps To Familiarity LinkedIn is not something that you jump into too deeply. It is important not to get burned out and not to get into trouble. Disclose parts about yourself, but don’t be too self-disclosed. Whatever it is that you do well, do it on LinkedIn. It is all about being “you” since you are your own brand. When you connect as a person, it is 100% more impactful. Try not to get into your own head and overthink being “creative.” Sometimes the best engagement is found in just being authentic and genuine. Good Behavior And Bad Behavior On LinkedIn There are good ways and bad ways to connect on LinkedIn. The “bait and switch” is one of the quickest ways to turn someone off. It involves sending a connection request with something that is favorable to your prospect, and then going in for the hard sell when they accept. It makes you appear disingenuous, leading to the prospect feeling manipulated. You wouldn’t make a prospecting call where you pretended to be interested in your prospect and the very next second try to sell them something, so don’t do it on LinkedIn. As salespeople, sometimes we go on autopilot and all we think about is the sale and close. When you switch off autopilot, that is when the real sales happen. Hyper-personalization is the key to creating relationships. The more you make your message about them, the more conversions you will create. The “Spray And Pray” Campaign Won’t Work On LinkedIn, Either! Don’t try to lure them in or you will lose them right out of the gate. The “spray and pray” campaign doesn’t work anywhere else, so don’t think that it is appropriate on LinkedIn. If you remain genuine in your conversation with someone, they are much more likely to grant you a sit-down. LinkedIn is one of the best sales resources out there to build your brand and create relationships. But you have to be consistent, add variety, and build relationships not sales. For more tips, check out Jeb Blount's book Fanatical Prospecting. It provides you all you need to be a marketing guru, using cumulative prospecting and the channel sequencing you need to get your message across. NEW BOOK: Jeb Blount's new book, Selling the Price Increase 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 essential—and nerve-wracking—world of price increases. Get your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Selling-Price-Increase-Ultimate-Customers/dp/111989929X/

Mar 30, 2022

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/

Feb 24, 2022

On this special episode of the Sales Gravy podcast you'll step into the shoes of a Senior Vice President of Sales. 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/

Feb 2, 2022

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: https://salesgravy.com/resources/

Jan 18, 2022

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 the 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/

Dec 17, 2021

“God, 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.” ― 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-old son 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 book Fanatical Prospecting, “Was written a while back.” And asked, “Is it even relevant anymore?” The young, always eager for the next bright, shiny thing and ready to chunk any ideas perceived to be “old.” That’s 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 that’s 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 company’s sales engagement platform and call that prospecting. Mostly, he wanted validation that “that the telephone didn’t work anymore” and he could avoid talking to people. My son responded, “What do you think has changed in the past six years?” The young SRD shot back, “Well, nobody answers the phone anymore.” At that, my son pulled up his prospecting list for the day, showed it to the group, and said, “Ok, let’s test your hypothesis.” 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, “Any more questions?” Cased closed. As Elvis Presley said so aptly, “The truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain’t goin’ away.” YOU CANNOT BE DELUSIONAL AND SUCCESSFUL AT THE SAME TIME Of course, there are loud voices, mostly on 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 – depending on which way the wind is blowing that day. Still others shout loudly from their “holier than thou” 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 isn’t. 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. “Being loud,” says Mark Homer, in Uncommon Sense, “doesn’t 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.” 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. Sales professionals who avoid prospecting spend their days at the Feast or Famine Amusement Park riding the desperation roller coaster. Abandon prospecting. Hide behind excuses. Complain that the leads are weak. Suffer with a thin pipeline. Sell from a place of desperation. Miss quota consistently. Get fired. Move on to the next sales job. Rinse and repeat the same loser behaviors. SALES SUCCESS IS PAID FOR IN ADVANCE WITH PROSPECTING The truth is: The more people you talk with, the larger your pipeline will grow and the more you will sell. And talking with people means you need to engage both strangers and existing accounts in conversations. If you don’t consistently prospect you will sub-optimize your income, fail and get fired. Prospecting is hard work. It is long stretches of pain and grind, interrupted by a few brief moments of elation. Prospecting is not blissful, fun, easy or an activity that you are likely to look forward to. It sucks and nothing will make it suck less. There is no easy button for prospecting. In Sales, success is paid for in advance with prospecting, and the rent is due every single day. Therefore, you must face the truth and make a choice for success or failure. Ultra-High Performance or mediocrity. Losing or winning. Some salespeople get offended when I confront them with these binary and brutal choices. I get it. The truth hurts and feels offensive when you are lying to yourself. Cognitive dissonance is a painful emotion. But the lies will cripple you. Never forget that 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. In the most comprehensive book ever written about sales prospecting, you learn the real secret to improving sales productivity and growing your income fast. DOWNLOAD THE FREE FANATICAL PROSPECTING BOOK CLUB GUIDE HERE.

Dec 9, 2021

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 now— 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

Dec 7, 2021

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 corner— 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, The Seven Steps To Building Effective Prospecting Sequences.

Dec 1, 2021

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

Oct 8, 2021

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.

Sep 29, 2021

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.

Sep 27, 2021

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

Sep 8, 2021

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.

Aug 11, 2021

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. Pro Tip: Play this at your next weekly sales meeting.

Aug 2, 2021

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:

Jul 28, 2021

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. Pro Tip: Play this at your next weekly sales meeting. Got a question you want to ask Jeb just text it to 1-706-397-4599 or CLICK HERE TO TEXT.

Jul 23, 2021

In sales, deals are often won or lost on how well you engage stakeholder's in sales conversations. On this 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. Discover over 1000 hours of sales training courses from the world top experts on Sales Gravy University

Jul 20, 2021

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.

Jul 15, 2021

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.

Jul 3, 2021

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 don’t 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 “what you can’t do.” But what if today you stood up and declared: “Starting 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! 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!” 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

Jun 25, 2021

On this episode of the 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.

Jun 4, 2021

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

May 28, 2021

On this episode of the 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 our FREE Video Sales Call Checklist

May 21, 2021

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

May 6, 2021

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 – we love your comments and questions. Just send Jeb a text message at 1-706-397-4599 or CLICK HERE TO TEXT.

May 3, 2021

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 – we love your comments and questions. Just send Jeb a text message at 1-706-397-4599 or CLICK HERE TO TEXT.

Apr 30, 2021

On this Sales Gravy Podcast 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 – Selling Without Selling Listen to Part Two – Intentional Empathy Listen to Part Three - Sales is a Process

Apr 23, 2021

On this Sales Gravy Podcast 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

Apr 15, 2021

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 – Selling Without Selling Listen to Part Three – 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, “The 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.” Your focus has to be on discovery, investigation, archeology, whatever you want to call it, so that I can learn as much about them— not just about the problem they're having that I could solve— 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, “This is what I heard, this is how we can help.” It's hard to have objections when I really heard what you said and I’m 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, “The best objection that you get is the one that never shows up.” 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, “Hello, wanna buy?” 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, “Listen, I'm not the best resource for you. Let me point you towards somebody who is.” 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. You show up as someone who really knows what they're doing and really understands that you need that information in order to be able to accurately propose a solution with that person or not. The Shift From Outcome-Focused to Other-Focused Selling Jeb: I made a statement earlier that salespeople who overperform have a tendency to be lower on the empathy scale, so they're more self-centered. And what you're saying is that we need to be more other-focused. When I say self-centered, I mean outcome-focused. So when I'm in a meeting, I'm always thinking about the outcome. What's the next step? What am I getting to? What am I closing for? And that's one of the reasons why people who are more self-centered and less other-focused have a tendency to do better over time. They're much more likely to advance the sale through the process. People who are high empathy and really other-focused when it comes down to asking for the next step, they're thinking, “Oh my God, I don't want to be too pushy.” So they end up with a lot of “call me maybe’s” and you know, “I'll get with you next week,” and things like that. A Customer For Now or A Customer For Life? One of the problems is that people who are more self-centric or lower on the empathy scale, work great in transactional sales. So if I need to sell you something and it's a one-call close, probably the best attribute you can have is no empathy, close the deal. But when you're talking about building long-term relationships, when you’re talking about complex sales and spending a lot of money, and serving your customers over time, you can't live in that world. All you're focused on is getting as much out of your customer in the shortest amount of time, with the least amount of emotional investment, and it just doesn't work. So you have to start getting intentional about being-other focused. In other words, before you walk into a conversation with a customer, you have to tell your brain to stop, listen, pay attention, get out of your own head. Remember The Benefits The way that I do that is I remind myself of the benefits. As you said, if I really listen, if I'm really doing that sales archeology, it helps me focus on what I really want. Do I want to close the sale really quickly and burn the customer relationship? Or do I want a customer for life? Do I want to turn a small sale into something big? I made a sale in 2012, then that company spent more than $3 million with my company. It was a tiny sale back then. Focusing on that long-term relationship has paid off over and over for us.

Apr 13, 2021

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 – Intentional Empathy Listen to Part Three – Sales is a Process 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 CLICK HERE TO TEXT. Ps. You can access 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, “I 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.” 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, “What'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, “The 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, “In 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. I could go out and sell things to people that they didn't need, but I never do that. It's a normal thing for me and my business to turn customers away and say, “We're the wrong fit for you. You should not do this because you're going to spend money with me and you're not going to get the outcome that you desire." And I've always led with that. And I believe that people know there's sincerity in that. What’s so funny about it is when you tell them, “I'm the wrong fit for you,” they start trying to figure out how you can be a fit for them. Diane: That is so true! Exactly. I had someone say to me, once I said, “Listen, I'm not the right resource for you.” She said, “Well, I sure hope you are because I trust you.” And I said, “Well, then you're going to have to trust me when I tell you I am not the right resource for you.” It's exactly what you say. And those people will refer you to people because you're honest. People Gravitate Towards Salespeople Who Don't Sell Jeb: Exactly right. You're honest. There’s a local place where I live called C&C Tire, we only take our cars there because we trust Tommy and he’s honest. If he can’t fix it, he won’t say, “Yeah I can fix it.” And then you spend money with him. He'll say this isn't going to happen here, let me get you someone that can do that. Or if you come in and say, “I need this fixed. Cause I think this is the problem.” He'll say, “Nah, it's a $2 part. You don't have this problem.” And he's always been that way. If you look at his business, there are people waiting in line to get him to work on their cars because he's not trying to sell you something that you don't need. Diane: And because we are so used to mechanics selling us things we don't need that, he’s a gem, right? So the salespeople who don't sell are the ones that people gravitate toward because they know they're going to be told the truth. It's a total integrity thing. And I'll add something to what you were talking about, which is when you convince somebody they need what you have, it's a really bad relationship. And neither of you like it. So why would you do it? You're going to end up spending time with someone that it's just difficult all the time. The Gangrene of Business Relationships Jeb: If I sell you something that you don't need and you realize that I did that, then you resent me. Maybe you’re a small business. I’ve been in this position before where I needed a sale or I needed to get a deal done. I would lower my price, or add on services in order to convince someone that I could help to do business with me. But down the road, as my business grew, I started resenting that customer because I felt like they were taking advantage of me. Resentment leads to contempt, which is the gangrene of business relationships. It will rot them out at the core until there's a point where you cannot save the relationship. There won't be any referrals, you don't like each other, and it almost always ends badly. So when your focus is on solving rather than selling, you only solve problems you can solve. You solve the problems you can solve at a price point that allows you to provide the service that the person is expecting you to deliver down the road, post-sale.

Apr 3, 2021

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. 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. 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. That's good news because as human beings, brokeness binds us together. It's the one thing that we all have in common. 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. 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. They avoid pain and they shy away from obstacles. This is a mistake because adversity - being broken - is our greatest teacher. It is through the crucible of adversity that we become stronger. Transformation Sometimes we're so broken that it transforms us. It changes us. We come back from that deep pain, different than who we were before. 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. God uses broken things. 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. 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 is the strongest of the two because this mindset gives you strength. This mindset frees you from the chains of victimhood. 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. You will be broken again and again and again. 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. If it makes you a victim, you learn nothing. It holds you down, holds you back, and leads to misery and suffering. 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, it's a signal that you need to make a quick course correction. 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. 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. Ps. You can access Sales Gravy University Here

Mar 28, 2021

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. “I'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, “Hey, you have to go find me some new business,” 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, “Oh my goodness gracious, I have to prospect.” 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. You need an actual time block on your calendar every single day for prospecting. Account management is going to consume most of your day, spending time with your existing customers. Those customers are going to be calling you. They're going to be interacting with you. They're going to be sending emails to you. So the best time to schedule your prospecting block is at the very beginning of the day. Front-Load Your Day With A Prospecting Block If you wait, you will never do it. First of all, you don't want to do it, so it's easy to procrastinate. And second, because so many things are going to be hitting you every time you sit down to prospect, another problem is going to show up and you're going to go chase the problem for an existing customer rather than prospect. So front-load your day with prospecting. That means the very first thing you do in the morning is prospect. The next thing you want to think about is how much prospecting you actually have to do. And if you're really honest with yourself, it's not that much. How Much Prospecting Do I Need to Do Everyday? In Maggie's case, for example, she's a top salesperson and she's got a full book of accounts that she's managing. Those accounts are putting commissions in her pocket and they're producing revenue. So what she needs to do is sell enough new business to make sure that she's covering any accounts that she loses and she closes enough new business to continually grow her account base and stay on top of the sales rankings. So the truth is, for Maggie and most salespeople who have to balance account management and prospecting, you only need to dedicate about an hour a day of prospecting to do all of those things. When I say dedicate, I mean actually prospecting with your head down during that block of time. You're not researching. You're not getting coffee. You're not talking to friends. You're not texting people. You're not answering your email. You're not answering your phone. You're not taking incoming calls and you're not watching cat videos. You are prospecting. You have to dedicate the time to prospecting. If you really think about this, it's not that hard. Discipline, Sacrifice, and Mindset In fact, it's really not even about balancing account management and prospecting. It's about having the discipline to manage your day. Discipline is sacrificing what you want now for what you want most. And if what you want most is to stay on top of the rankings, to produce new business, to earn more money, and to gain the praise and the adoration of your leaders and your peers, then simply tap into that desire to shift your mindset and do a little bit of prospecting every single day. 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 CLICK HERE TO TEXT. P.S. You can access Sales Gravy University Here

Mar 22, 2021

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, “How do we future-proof ourselves?” 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 years’ worth of innovation into a period of about 12 months. Salespeople everywhere woke up to a new playing field. This playing field was being driven primarily by buyers because buyers had changed. The new playing field was, “I'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.” 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, it’s efficiency + effectiveness = productivity. It’s 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, who are saying, “I can just go back to the way I was before.” But let me give you a couple of stats. Why We Will Never Go Back To "Normal" in Sales McKinsey did a study of B2B sales and they found that 77% of customers prefer virtual when they're dealing with an existing vendor. 71% of buyers say that they prefer a virtual interaction at the top of the sales funnel when they're evaluating a new vendor. 76% of buyers said that if they have a choice between a telephone call and a video call, they want a video call. What buyers are telling us is that they like virtual because it's fast, it's easy, and it's frictionless. And the salespeople who are adopting this new technology, they're the ones that are owning the future. The wishbones who wish things didn't have to change, the wishbones who think maybe things will go back to the way they were are deluding themselves. And in sales, you cannot be delusional and successful at the same time. To the wishbones who are hoping and wishing that they can go back to their comfort zones: it's never going to go back, ever. We have changed forever. So in order to future-proof yourself, what you have to begin to do is invest and start learning. Sales Is About Probabilities I use a simple formula called Adopt, Adapt, Adept. Adopt means that I'm constantly looking for new technology, new ways to communicate, new ways to interact with my customers, new ways to sell, new ways to make myself better at the craft of selling. And then I adapt those new ways to my way of going to market, to my customer base, to my industry. And so I don't just take everything and say, “Well, there's one black and white way of doing things.” Because there's not, right? Sales is about probabilities. I want to choose things and use things that give me the highest probability in any given situation. So I adapt it to my particular way of doing things. And then I practice and practice and practice until I become adept at it. The Difference Between Rainmakers and Wishbones That's what rainmakers do. Rainmakers practice. They put it into practice and you know, they're going to fail. That's okay. You're going to make a mistake here and there. That's okay. They keep trying. Wishbones? They try it once and it doesn't work, then they just go back to the way things were before. The word of the day is future-proofing. Future-proof, yourself. This is what I believe. There has never been a better time ever in the history of the sales profession to be in the sales profession. We have so many things in front of us and so many innovations that are coming our way. We have so many ways to connect with buyers. Salespeople who step into this future, step into this innovation, they're going to own the world. They're going to be the ones that are helping buyers and cashing huge commission checks. They're going to be the ones on the top of the ranking report at their company and their sales organization. Future-proofing is the word of the day. Ride the Wave to Future Success So as a sales professional, right now, as we start looking toward the end of the pandemic, instead of looking backward, and thinking, “Maybe things will go back to the way they were,” I want you to think about moving forward. And I want you to think about the explosion of innovation that is going to be coming your way, the digital transformation that is going to be rolling over. It's like a tsunami. And I want you to get on your surfboard and I want you to ride that wave because you, the sales professionals, the rainmakers that adopt these new techniques, you're the ones that will own the future. And you are the ones that will take sales to a completely new level. 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 Gratitude Coronavirus Talk #7 On New Possibilities #8 On Mental and Physical Resilience #9

Mar 19, 2021

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 – 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 access Sales Gravy University Here

Feb 21, 2021

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 – we love your comments and questions. Just send Jeb a text message at 1-706-397-4599 or just 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.

Feb 5, 2021

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

Jan 30, 2021

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, 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, “I 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?” 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, “I don't care about the money. I want to win. I want the trophy.” 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: Don’t 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, “Look at what I did!” 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 else’s 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 we’re 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. Everything’s a game of inches, and you’re a guy who lives like that. “How do I make it a little better?” “How do I fix that?” That in itself is your thrill. You’re always thinking, “What else can we do?” And there's a joy in that. For us, the fun part of the journey is to see if I can take it to the next level. Some people see that as effort or work or almost fatiguing. The person who was disappointed in just having their name in a bullet point on a presentation is one of those people. What they're not looking at are all the things they probably did that year to adjust, to make it happen. Even if they hit the same number in a pandemic year, I think that's a win. Now, if you killed it, congratulations! Really celebrate. High five yourself! Jeb: Celebrate The Little Wins Along The Way If you are building anything, whether it's a sales pipeline, a sales year, or a business, it's long stretches of grind and suck interrupted by a few brief moments of elation. So when you get the elation, you have to be able to celebrate it. You can't celebrate too long, but I do think it's part of the journey. In many cases, people don't take the time to celebrate the little wins. You have to be in the moment, enjoy the journey and the small victories along the way. Long stretches of pain, long stretches of grind, and a few brief moments of elation. That’s the formula. It's not a lot of elation and a little bit of grind. It doesn't work that way. You've got to pay for success in advance with some pain. Victor: Little Celebrations Every Day I want to go back to the person with their name on a bullet point. They think, “I did all of this work. I expected something at the end and for somebody to give it to me.” And what you're saying is, why don't you just give it to yourself every day on a daily basis after you do something cool? I'd rather have a lot of small little celebrations over 365 days than wait for one big one at the end. A big one's always going to disappoint me, but man, if I can celebrate 365 wins, I'm good. Jeb: Changing Your Self-Talk An optimist says, “Hey, let me move to the next thing, move to the next thing, move to the next thing.” And I think that optimism also allows you to change your self-talk. And one of the things that I read recently is that the way that we talk to ourselves is much faster than the way that we speak normally. We're speaking up to 4,000 words per minute to ourselves in our head because we compress the way that we talk to ourselves in our brains. Let's say that you went to your sales kickoff and your name got up there, and then you felt like it was anti-climatic. If you're telling yourself that over and over and over again, when you leave, you're like, “Oh God, I didn't get what I needed.” And you become the victim, instead of saying, “My name was on the bullet point. I mean, there were a thousand other salespeople out there. None of the other people got recognized.” It’s all in the way you look at it and how you talk to yourself. Jeb: Learn How To Fail Fast In this environment, you have to learn how to fail fast. When you're in a situation and you are trying new things, you have to always be iterating. I've probably got a hundred thousand dollars of studio equipment in a closet someplace because we tried them and they didn't work. So we said, “Let's do it again.” We didn't say we're never going to buy anything again. We said, “We still know what we want to accomplish. What we're looking for, this just isn't going to get us there. Let's do something else.” So we get better and better and better. I think this is also part of optimism. It’s looking around and every time you see something, explore it. You have to be present and say, "Look, this didn't work.” And instead of beating yourself up for it, say, “I learned that it didn't work. Let's try something else. Let's do something else." You have to keep trying. Do it again, do it again, do it again. Iterate, iterate, iterate. And I think that is a big part of me being in the present. I love iteration. I love doing something and finding out, “Okay. I can make it a little bit better. Let's do it again. I can make it a little bit better. I can get a little bit better at this.” Over time, that creates small victories. Victor: Just Be Better Than You Were Yesterday I think it's all momentum, isn't it? Just be better than who you were yesterday. That's all it is, right? That's your motivation to be better— who you were yesterday. That's the true competition because if you start looking at what other people are doing, you lose focus on what you should be doing and what is meaningful to you. When you look at what other people have, you start saying, “Why don't I have that? I should have that.” It really takes the focus off of what you really want. Your journey is your journey alone. It sounds so cliche, but the toughest road to success is the road back to you. It isn't until you figure out who you want to be, how you want to roll, that you're going to be happy. There is no external validation that can beat that. I don't know about you, but I have my own happy dance. I do a 30-second happy dance. And I do it at my desk. Nobody else sees it. Nobody else will ever see it. But it's my dance. I love that because it's my personal celebration moment. That's what matters.

Jan 19, 2021

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 Mental Resilience The last time I came to you with the coronavirus talk was back in July. Back then we were talking about new possibilities— about how going through a crucible of adversity helps you lift the chains of limitations off of yourself so that you can see that anything is possible if you make the choice to persevere. I come to you now in January, during the third wave of the coronavirus, because I’m noticing a big problem. Salespeople are beginning to wear out. In some cases, it's depression and loneliness. In other cases, it's waiting and hoping for this to all be over and constantly having your hopes dashed. 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. Mental and Physical Drain The net result is that many people just feel 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. 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. 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. 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? 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. 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. 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 Gratitude Coronavirus Talk #7 On New Possibilities #8

Jan 8, 2021

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 “gift-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 Introvert’s 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, “If they call me, then I'll work with them.” And of course, they never do. So they had this mindset that networking just doesn't work. People need to be more strategic when they’re 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, “We talk to people, collect their business cards, and then we come back and wait for them to call us.” I asked why they don’t call them, and they said, “Well, we do call them, but sometimes we'll call them like three or four weeks later. We don’t want to bother them right after the networking event.” 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 won’t 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, “It was so nice meeting you, thank you so much for the conversation. I'll give you a call tomorrow.” 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. What’s your take on starting conversations, following up, and making connections online? Matthew: Follow-Up Doesn’t 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 know will be there. Instead of all these unfamiliar faces, you actually have a bunch of people you've already connected with before you go. It shouldn't be a bunch of preplanned conversations, but tell them, “I look forward to speaking with you tomorrow.” You should never stop a conversation without a plan for your next follow-up. The problem is when you introduce yourself incorrectly, it leads to this kind of awkward conversation where you say, “Oh, I'm in insurance.” They’ll say something like, “I've already got insurance. Thanks.” Now you have an awkward exchange before you have to ask them what they do and then the conversation's over. Change the Dynamic of Networking Conversations My suggestion is to change the dynamic altogether. I had this guy come to me and he said, “I love selling insurance. But when I go to networking events and tell people I sell insurance, I watch their eyes scream. They're like, ‘How do I get out of this conversation in less than three minutes? Can I go to the bathroom? Can I go to the bar?’” So he explains to people what he does, but he already knows what they’re going to say. And then he feels obligated to ask them. Now he’s just wasted the money and the time of going. It's stressful. If you're commoditizing yourself and saying, “I fit in this category,” I already know from the moment I speak to you, I can disqualify you or say I don’t need it. That's what most people do in the numbers game of transactional sales networks. You want to introduce yourself differently, but to do that, I need to know why you actually care about this product. If you don't care about the product or service that you're selling and you don't think it adds value, find something else. What I find is that most people gravitate to the products and services that they are connected with in some way, shape, or form. Why Are You Passionate About What You Sell? I asked him why he was passionate about selling insurance, and he said he likes to help people. I told him it needs to get deeper than that. Between a person that earns $50k a year versus somebody that earns $250k, which one do you care about helping most? He said he would pick the person who makes $250k because he can sell them more stuff. I told him that's not really where we want to go with this. What about a guy that hustles to get into a Harvard degree and got into a C-level executive role where he makes $250k, versus someone that started their own business out of nothing, hired on a bunch of people, and now they make $250k. Which one of those do you care about helping most? And he said, “Obviously the small business owner. I just feel like they deserve more help because my grandfather got a business, owned a farm, and hired all these people. Then he got sick and ended up having to sell it. I just watched him wither away and die for 10 years in front of the TV in this little apartment, because that's what he could afford.” Story Matters So I said, “Here’s what I want you to think about instead of going in and introducing yourself as an insurance salesperson. Why not introduce yourself as the 'hustle lifeguard'? When people ask what that is, you then talk about your passion and mission, helping the hustlers of this world, the people who create something out of nothing. You'll find that people will gravitate to you.” What was funny is that the small business owners that heard that, they're like, “I need that. You're right. I'm not prioritizing, I don't want to end up like your grandfather.” But people who aren’t small business owners almost never seem passionate about what they do, so they hear his story and they want to extend his passion into what they do. They're like, “I'm not in a small business, but could I work with you too?” It transformed everything. He went from an employee to starting his own business, and his business exploded. Matthew: Get Them Talking First One of the introvert’s strengths is our ability to be empathetic, ask great questions, and really listen to what the answers are. An extrovert often wants to talk about themselves. Extroverts can learn how to actively listen and empathize, but introverts believe they can't learn to do those other behaviors, and the key isn't about being more extroverted. That's a true recipe for failure and feeling inauthentic. You have to learn a system that channels your introverted strengths. The thing that I will tell you though, is absolutely like when you go and speak to someone for the first time, it's about being interested, not interesting. A lot of people get worried that they've got nothing to add. The person that's networking wants to talk about themselves. So if you ask, “What brought you to this networking event?” something will come up. Or, “What's going on in your life at the moment?” Maybe they’ll say, “Oh, I just got promoted.” Be genuinely excited for them. Or if they say, “Oh, no, I always didn't get here because something's going on at the office,” ask them questions about it. Empathize with them. Offer assistance or advice. Somebody will say, “Oh my gosh, I can't believe I haven't even asked you what it is that you do!” And then you get permission to answer. Networking In Everyday Situations I like to travel economy sometimes, because going on a short flight, I find that a lot of people these days don't want to spend the extra money on first-class for a short flight. So I'll sit down and I'll have a conversation where the first thing I'll say is, “Are you going home, or are you heading out for a meeting?” And a lot of times they'll say, “Oh, I'm heading out to a meeting,” especially if it's the morning. And we'll then have a dialogue. I'll joke about the fact that I won't pay for first-class for short rides to create this dialogue. Now we're having a dialogue about all the people that are in first class. There's a story in the book actually about one of the best relationships I created was literally at an airport.

Dec 29, 2020

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 “accountability dodgers”. Jeb: Too Much Money, Not Enough Leadership In some cases, there’s 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, it’s 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: “What will cause me to lose my job?” 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, “You 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.” Also, expectations are a two-way street. As a leader, I can't just sit down with you and say, "Here are my expectations, let’s negotiate them and put them in writing." I also need to say, “Here's what you can expect from me.” And then, at the end of our expectations meeting, I ask, “What do you want me to do if you don't hold up your end of the bargain?” 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, “I need a gentle reminder,” to, “I need you to take me out to lunch, clearly something's going on and I need some one-on-one attention.” 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, “We had this conversation and this is what we discussed. This is what you told me to do if you weren’t holding yourself accountable. I think we're at that place, so now we can have that conversation.” Kristie: Don't Wait For A Crisis To Have Clear Communication I let the conversation happen a couple of different ways. So I want that first conversation to happen in the first one or two weeks of onboarding. I spend a lot of time helping my founders onboard new reps, and I build that in. I create an hour-by-hour, day-by-day, formal onboarding plan for the first two weeks for my founders, including a two-hour expectations conversation. If I worked with the founder before, they can run through that themselves. I want them to understand not only expectations but also communication. For example, how does the employee want to be communicated with? We're dealing with a lot of Gen Y and Gen Z, right? So they like having conversations over Slack. And I always say to people, when my door is open, you're welcome to come in. But I run a very tight schedule. I say to them, if it's a 911, you better text me. If you need an answer in 24 hours, email me. Those are expectation conversations, too, that people just don't think about. Business is shifting so quickly that you really need quarterly expectations conversations. You can't just set expectations in week two and expect them to not change by month nine. So we need to sit down quarterly as a team. What are the expectations of the team, as well as individual expectations? We're going to have these conversations upfront so we don't have to have a very awkward conversation in the middle of a crisis. Jeb: Why Expectations Matter That expectation meeting matters, because when I look back on the early stages of our company, our biggest mistake was not having those conversations. So when there was a crisis, it was pretty easy for the employee to look at me and say, "You didn't tell me what to do." And there is a truth in the fact that if people think they're doing the right thing, it didn't even occur to them to do anything else. Kristie: A Rep's Failure Is Also The Leader's Failure You've got to go in with that attitude. I assume everyone is doing the best they can. Sometimes the best they can do is subpar, but only because I failed them as the leader. When executive coaching, I’m teaching them how to do this because my clients can not afford to make hiring mistakes. They can't afford to let people go because they didn't know they should have had these conversations. And now things are so left of center that there's no coming back to the center. I think one of the harder things for people who are the hiring manager, whether that be the founder, whether that be HR, whether it be the VP of sales, is that you might’ve mis-hired. That's accountability for yourself. That's saying, "I made a bad hire. I've got to fix my own problem." And again, it's not the employee's fault. I always take full responsibility for bad hires because I should know better. We had a mis-hire that happened, and I consulted with the founder and said, "This person is not qualified for this job. You're going to set them up to fail, and it's never going to be their fault." And now seven months later, after two of the four sales reps quit, now we've got ourselves a problem. Now we have to make the decision we should've made if we were disciplined during the hiring process. But the other thing that people don't realize is the morale problem that it causes. When I terminate a rep for accountability issues or non-performance and another rep walks in my office and closes the door and says, "We weren't sure how long it was going to take you," it's embarrassing. The managers always are the last to know, right? We're not living amongst the gossip and we're not going out for a beer afterward with the employees, but I've had that happen to me two or three times over 20 years. And it is embarrassing and humiliating that your team was waiting patiently for you to get rid of the bad apple so we could change the culture on the sales floor. Jeb: Leaders Must Be Accountable To Themselves That is one of the keys to creating a sales accountability culture. You've got to recognize that people who aren't accountable pull down and hold back the very best of the best salespeople. They are lifted up when they're surrounded by people who are accountable to the mission, accountable to the numbers, and accountable to integrity. I think sales is a competitive environment where everybody is working to get to the top of the leaderboard. There can't be backbiting and people doing side deals behind your back. And I've had that happen in my own business and people didn't tell me, so I found out later on. It pulls the entire organization down. Even if they are your top salesperson, it pulls everybody down around them. That’s just a key part of building that accountability. One of my early leaders and mentors, Mary Gardner, who in my early twenties taught me how to be a sales leader, said to me: If you have to fire somebody, the first thing you do is go into the restroom, look in the mirror, look yourself in the eye, and you say, “This is my fault. It is my fault that I have to fire this person. I own this, I'm accountable for this.” Then you go fire them. It sounds weird on the outside, but it was a really important lesson. I'll have leaders even say to me, “Well, I didn't hire that person.” But they don’t get a free pass on that, either. You’re firing this person and it's your fault because you couldn't coach them. It's your fault because you couldn't make them better, and it’s usually your fault because you hired them in the first place. You did it too quickly and you didn't ask the right questions. I think that as leaders, if we're accountable to ourselves, then it's easier for us to lead from a place where we're saying that this is a place where we're all going to be accountable for the things we've promised the organization. Kristie: How To Begin Creating A Sales Accountability Culture Don't forget that it's a two-way street.

Dec 18, 2020

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. 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. 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, “How do I sit here for eight hours a day and drum up business?” 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. 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, so I don't make any money." Your brain just goes to all of these irrational places about why you're going to fail. Someone told me to remember that it's reversible. If at some point it's not going well, you can turn around and go back and get a day job or a W2 job. You also hear people say to burn the boats and don't give yourself an opportunity to go back, then you'll drive yourself to success. I was in that first group that was like, I'm going to go try this. I'll regret it if I don't. And if all else fails, then I can go back and get a regular job. The stakes were higher because I had the Habitat job, which was the best job that I ever had. Those are the best people. It was the best mission. It was my favorite job. I felt like if I failed, I'd have to go back to something that just wasn't as great. But if you go out and try, I don't see it as a failure. If you don't have great success, and you do have to turn around, I think the credit still goes to the person in the arena, the person who goes out and tries their hand at their dream. Jeb: Attracting Customers in A Competitive Industry I think there's a lot to be said about how your belief system and your attitude attract people and opportunities into your life. I believe that about prospecting as well. I think the salespeople who are prospecting get lucky. It's not always a direct, "I talked to this person, therefore I get", but more like, "I talked to this person, they told somebody that links with somebody else, my phone rings."And sometimes we don't put all those dots together, but I do believe that's true. Photography is one of those professions where people have that dream and then they get into it and they don't realize how insanely competitive it is. Everybody wants to be a photographer. Many people get into photography and very quickly exit because they find it hard to make a living. I think this is important for salespeople as well. They're out there thinking, "Man, my competitors, they got lower prices, they got this, they're beating me up, blah, blah, blah." You jumped into one of the most competitive industries in the world and tried to make a living in it. Talk to me about that. Brian: People Buy You I think people buy you. I really believe that. The marketplace is super crowded. There are a hundred other photographers that can come and take your real estate listing photos, your headshot photos, your company's website photos, and do it well. You really end up, especially as an entrepreneur, selling yourself, your vision, your passion, your process, how you go through homework before the shoot, your personality, and how you respond to texts and emails. Jumping into a crowded marketplace is daunting, but in another way, it really lets you express yourself fully and be who you are. By being a little different, by being unique in some way, you can separate yourself from the competition. I just started to sell myself. I shared my life and my photos on social media, and that started to attract what I've been able to build into a pipeline. Jeb: Real World Applications — Clients in Real Estate The more people you talk with, the more pictures you take, the more clients you have, the more opportunities that come in. Let’s break down the real estate example. If you're working with a couple of brokers and they're listing houses, what they really want is they want to trust that you're going to pick up the phone when they call. You're going to go get the job done. You're going to go get the photos that they want because you've taken time to understand them. And then you're going to get it up and running for them fast on Zillow so that they don't have to think about it, so they can go focus on real estate. They could probably go take the pictures themselves, right? But they want to go knock on another door and get another listing. Brian: Time is Money Exactly. I'm not selling just a well-exposed bedroom photograph, I'm selling that real estate agent their time back. I was able to understand the value of sales. I started to see it in my own journey, my own life. The realtors are selling their butts off every day. They can have another meeting, another coffee, get another contract. That's what's paying their bills. Shooting photos is a very low-value activity for them. That's what I would put right in the copy I would send to real estate agents. I'm not saying my photos are tremendously better than anyone else's, but you can trust me and rely on me to operate efficiently so that you can move on to a higher leverage activity, like getting the next lead into your pipeline. Jeb: Problem Solvers Are The Champions of The World Problem solvers are the champions of the world. Photographers, they're pitching pictures, but you're pitching what your pictures solve. It's the service. It's peace of mind. For example, if you're taking pictures of a wedding or of someone's family pictures, there's a lot of emotion involved. What I’ve found with those types of relationships is that it's the photographer that sits down and creates the entire experience. It's not just that they're snapping photos, but they're sitting down and talking with us and asking us, what do you want? And what's important to you? What do you want to capture? What are you looking for? What are your family values? And by listening to us and making us feel like we're part of the process. Then there's the artwork on the back end to make them look the way that you want them to look. But it’s still the same thing. It's not about the picture, it's about the emotion that we feel while we're working with that individual person. And it's that emotion that causes us to tell other people. Your buyer's emotional experience while they're working with you is a more consistent predictor of outcome than any other variable. You said this, people buy you, right? But you have to talk to people. As an entrepreneur,

Oct 24, 2020

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, “You have to sell yourself.” “If you want to get that job, son, you have to sell yourself.” “The real key to sales is your ability to sell yourself.” “If you want others to like you, you’ll have to sell yourself.” 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? “Never forget how important it is in business to first sell yourself.” The entire audience nodded in unison. For this wise man and many others, the phrase sell yourself has become an easy-to-use cliche´. 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, “People love to buy but they hate to be sold.” 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 don’t 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 don’t walk away from that conversation thinking how much you would like to spend more time with them. Instead you think, “What a jerk,” or “How boring,” or “Wow, that guy is full of himself.” 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 talked—about 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, “I’m telling you this because I like you; but Daniel did not come away with a very good opinion of you.” It was like being punched in the gut! I responded that I thought that we had a great conversation and asked what went wrong. The meeting planner explained that Daniel felt that all I did was talk about myself. The truth hurts. I sold, but Daniel did not buy. Stop Trying to Sell Yourself, and Step Into The Other Person's Shoes People buy you for their reasons, not for your reasons. So, when we sell people on why they should like us or buy from us, it backfires. However, when step into their shoes, truly listen, and build bridges to what is important to them, it creates a powerful connection that makes almost anything possible. Learn how to gain influence through Effective Listening Skills

Oct 16, 2020

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, it’s fast, efficient, less formal than email, and allows for arm’s-length, nonintrusive, synchronous communication that still feels personal. There are two reasons why blending text messaging into your account management process works: It’s 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. It’s 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. 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. 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. 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: 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. 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 don’t raise their hand. 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 don’t 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. This is exactly why you must never lose sight of the long-term consequences of neglecting accounts. 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. I’m not saying this is easy. One of the hardest things to do is keep your fingers on the pulse of your customer base. Quarterly business reviews and other formal meeting are time consuming. You probably have a large account base and you can’t possibly meet with everyone. Every single day you are putting out fires and dealing with immediate customer service issues. 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. A simple, regular, inexpensive check-in by text message can make all the difference. It doesn’t need to be anything particularly special. You don’t need a reason to tell your customers that you appreciate them. How are you doing? What can I do to help you? I have an idea for you. I thought you might like to read this article. Here is a link to a resource that I thought you might find valuable. Have a great weekend. Thank you for your business. Staying in regular contact with your accounts ensures that you are top of mind with customers. It lets them know that you care. Just remember, it doesn’t cost a thing to pay attention to your customers. The Dark Side of Text Messaging and Account Management Even though text messaging is a quick and convenient channel for communicating with your accounts, you must not allow text messaging to become a substitute for meeting with you customers by phone, video, and in-person. I recently ended a several-year relationship with one of my vendors because my account manager was just “texting it in.” We’d always used text as a way to stay in touch. I appreciated being able to communicate with him and quickly get questions asked or problems solved. I’d even made several purchases after he sent me special offers in text messages. A year earlier, though, 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. This is the dark side of text messaging. It’s fast and easy, but it is not a substitute for talking with people and investing in relationships. Sadly, for my 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. And my old account manager? He has still not called. But I did get a text message from him this morning asking how I was doing. All I can do is SMH. Take a moment now and do two things: Send a text message to a customer just to say that you appreciate them. Consider how you might begin blending text messaging into your account management process. Direct messaging is a SALES MEGA-TREND. More than four billion people communicate on mobile messaging tools each day. Learn how to gain a massive competitive edge with strategies, tactics, techniques, and tips for leveraging text & direct messaging for prospecting, sales, and account management in our course: The NEW Essentials of Text & Direct Messaging

Oct 2, 2020

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.

Sep 18, 2020

On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, 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 – 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. 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. 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, “Alex told me to do this stuff, and I made these phone calls, but I didn't sell anything. So, I’m going back to sending emails because that’s easier.” How important is faith in the system, over a long period of time, to actualizing the five-minute selling process? Alex – On Faith in Yourself Great question. Faith is a great word in sales. Faith in the system is really about faith in yourself. This is important because, in sales we deal with failure and overcoming failure is the key to success. 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. 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. If you do that for two weeks, you will find more open opportunities and more close opportunities. It’s just two weeks of faith and here is no way that you won't improve your sales position. Jeb– On The 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. But this requires faith because you can't prospect for a day, you can't do follow up for a day, you can’t 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. Now let me give you the flip side of this question. What happens when it starts working? 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 are actually spending time with me and we’re having conversations. What happens then? I get busy and then I quit. How do I make sure that I don't stop doing what's working? Alex – Staying On Track With Small Daily Actions You're totally right. Salespeople are busy. They're not sitting around. Therefore, the answer is you must schedule proactive, outbound sales calls into your day. Mark Twain said, “if you're gonna eat a frog, you might as well eat it first thing in the morning 'cause it's not gonna taste any better later in the day.” 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. 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. 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. 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? nNo, I woke this morning and got back in the saddle. The easy way to do this is to use a timer. Set it for five minutes. When the Clock is running, you're doing your proactive work. You're making your calls. Then when it dings, your 5 minutes are up. Jeb – On High-Intensity Activity Sprints I love the frog eating analogy. There's a chapter in Fanatical Prospecting titled Eat the Frog. The point that I make in that chapter is that you should start your morning doing the hard stuff first because it's not going to get better for you the rest of the day. The timer method is how my mother, who is the most productive human being on Earth, runs her entire day. She carries a little timer with her and breaks everything up into 15-minute blocks. For example, she will be in the garden weeding. She sets the timer for 15-minutes and when 15-minutes is over she moves on to the next task in her day. Three hours of gardening feels like it's a lot just like three hours of rejection is too much. But, 15-minutes or 5-minutes, that’s doable. And, with just 15-minutes a day of effort, she has a pristine garden. Jeb – On Why Cold Calling Days Don’t Work I had this client who was very serious about getting all of his salespeople in the office on Mondays for cold calling day. When I questioned him about it, he balked, “It’s very important for our company,” he said. So, I said, "Here’s what we’re going to do. I'll come to your office and we’ll sit together and observed cold calling day so you can show me how it works." At eight o'clock everyone came it, got coffee, and opened their laptops. At 8:30 a sales manager walks out onto the sales floor and says, “Everybody we need to get on the phones.” The salespeople slowly start calling. Satisfied, the sales manager goes back into her office where she resumes sending emails. By 9:00 the salespeople are back up, walking around, getting coffee and talking to each other. The sales manager comes back out tells them to get on the phones. This occurs several times. By 11:00, the sales manager has given up and the salespeople are roaming halls. The senior leader I was sitting with was stunned. He truly believed that his salespeople were diligently spending 8-hours making cold calls. But this is not how humans work and it is certainly not how salespeople work. This is why I'm all about high-intensity prospecting sprints, done a little bit, every day. It's not about prospecting day, it's prospecting every day. Small actions add up. Sequencing is the real secret to engaging hard to reach prospects. In our FREE guide Seven Steps to Building Effective Prospecting Sequences, we show you exactly how to build a sales prospecting system that works. Download it Free Now.

Sep 4, 2020

On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, Jeb Blount’s (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. However, when you break your fear of rejection into doable doses, it gets easier to handle because, over time, when you face a fear repeatedly, you gain obstacle immunity. 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. In some cases, I feel like there's more dimension and depth to a phone call as compared to a video call. 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. That's how important the telephone is right now. Jeb On Blending It’s 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. But salespeople are not having synchronous conversations – especially by phone – because they are afraid of being rejected. This is exactly why I think your 5 Minute Selling System is powerful. If you just do it a little bit every day – even five outbound calls per day – you reduce these fears to a small part of your day. But, as you start facing that fear, a little bit every day, it will get easier for you to handle the rejection. And basically, what you start doing, is building a chain of days in a row where you're investing in conversations with customers. 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? 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 damn good! So, when we try to avoid every single no, we don't give ourselves the opportunity to get the yeses that make us successful. 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. It's simple. If you get the most no's you get the most yeses. 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. So, 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. 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. It’s a simple cadence: 10-minutes, 10 dials, with a goal to set one appointment. 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) it’s easier for them to remain motivated and focused. On Accomplishment in Small Doses And it makes you feel more confident and accomplished because you're having positive interactions! You’re going to feel better about yourself. You connected with someone. You feel positive and that's a much better feeling than avoiding the phone and procrastinating. That bit of success is going to make you want to do it again. If you get focused on talking to people 5 minutes a day you can grow your sales tremendously. But, you're going to want to do more than that. And, you will.

Aug 28, 2020

On this episode of the Sales Gravy podcast, 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 “Welcome 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. It's the people that you already know. Talking with the people you know is an easy way to eliminate cold calling.” Alex: On Planning Who You Will Call "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 not going to tell you who to call. It's a list of names and numbers. 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 it 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. 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. In business to business, selling right and email is just slightly 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. So, 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. How can you not grow if you're making hundreds of additional proactive communications a year?" Jeb: On Eliminating Cold Calling By Talking With Inactive Customers "It really is that simple. Let’s 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 one hour, we sold $1,000,000 in 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, so I'm going to reward you with 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. They were familiar with your brand. There's nothing to lose by calling them. In no place in any of my books or any of my consulting work do I say that salespeople should be cold calling. All of us should be calling people who we know. I understand, some people have to cold call, but we all know hundreds of people that we can connect with them, catch up with, and some of them, as you said, have already spent money with us. Your customers want to hear from you because they want to know you care. And the tragedy of it, is because of our fear, when we don't call them, we hurt them, and we hurt ourselves, and we hurt our families. Because of stupid fear." Learn exactly how to grab your prospect's attention and engage them in conversations in our FREE E-Book called Seven Steps for Building Effective Prospecting Sequences

Aug 27, 2020

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. It’s 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.

Aug 16, 2020

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

Jul 30, 2020

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. 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 “yes-and” 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. Gina combines street smarts and improv comedy skills with her experience in the corporate and entrepreneurial worlds to teach sales professionals improv techniques.

Jul 23, 2020

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 don’t know you, it’s 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. Listening to a 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. Don’t walk, don’t wait, don’t 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.

Jul 19, 2020

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, everywhere-- we're hearing over and over and over again about sales professionals and companies, including my company, who have had the best months, best quarters of their entire history in sales. They're crushing records. My company's had three months in a row of record sales at a time when I truly believed that we would be in deep trouble. And what we're finding is that virtual selling has made us more productive. We're able to have more conversations, talk to more people. We're able to accelerate sales cycles. We're able to connect with people when we weren't able to connect with people before, because virtual selling makes it easy. What does this mean? Well, it means that the coronavirus pandemic has been transformative for the sales profession. It has made us better. And salespeople everywhere are improving their skills and they're making more money because they rose to the occasion. This in fact is the lesson that I hope to teach you in this coronavirus talk. You have a choice, you can change your mindset and you can open yourself up to all the new possibilities. You can create a new vision for yourself. Or you can look backwards and hope that things will go back to the way they were before. You can see the world as a dark place with no hope. That's a choice. And if you look at the world with new eyes and you see those possibilities, you never know which one of those possibilities that you might capture, that could change everything for you and your family. Create a Vision So here's my challenge to you: What I want you to do is peel away some time to just sit quietly in silence. Turn everything off, no phone or devices. It's okay to have a pen and a piece of paper if you want to take some notes. And I want you to sit and think about all of the possibilities for your career, for your life, for your family, for your business, even for your community, and your country. And I want you in that moment to begin the process of sketching a new vision for yourself, who you're going to be, what you're going to be, what makes you happy? Where do you want to go? This is Just the Beginning Now, this doesn't have to be big and audacious. This can be small. It can be incremental. The exercise itself is just a starting point. It's a beginning, it's a shifting of your mindset. It is getting you to start looking out of the windshield to the road ahead of you versus staring in the rearview mirror and looking at what's behind you. And in that moment, you will begin to transform because you will see that there are tons of new possibilities that lie before you. I mentioned my brand new book, Virtual Selling, and you can pick it up right now at Amazon, iBooks, at GooglePlay, or wherever books are sold. More Coronavirus Talk Episodes for New Possibilities: 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 Gratitude Coronavirus Talk #7 Find out for yourself why more than 10,000 people have already enrolled in the Selling in a Crisis course. In this comprehensive course, you'll learn the techniques and mindsets required to navigate and sell effectively in the current economic crisis.

Jul 9, 2020

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, you’ll want to walk away. Sometimes the stakeholders will not have enough interest to move forward and won’t 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: 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 isn’t enough time in the day to do more. 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 to video sales calls: You’ll 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. You’ll face fewer prospecting objections. 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. You’ll 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 Jeb Blount’s blockbuster bestseller: Virtual Selling: A Quick-Start Guide to Leveraging Video, Technology, and Virtual Communication Channels to Engage Remote Buyers and Close Deals Fast

Jun 25, 2020

On part five 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 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

Jun 22, 2020

On part four 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 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

Jun 19, 2020

In part three of this Sales Gravy podcast series, Jeb Blount (author of 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

Jun 15, 2020

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

May 29, 2020

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

Apr 28, 2020

In every sales conversation, the person who exerts the greatest emotional control has the highest probability of gaining the outcome they desire.

Apr 24, 2020

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.

Apr 23, 2020

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.

Apr 22, 2020

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.

Apr 21, 2020

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.

Apr 17, 2020

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.

Apr 15, 2020

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 – On Prospecting Listen to Coronavirus Talk #2 – On Excuses Listen to Coronavirus Talk #3 – The Gift of Time Listen to Coronavirus Talk #4 – On Confusion Listen to Coronavirus Talk #5 – On Fear and Worry Listen to Coronavirus Talk #6 - On Mourning

Apr 13, 2020

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.

Apr 12, 2020

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.

Apr 10, 2020

In the worst economic meltdown since the great depression, we need sales professionals on the front lines because you will save the economy.

Apr 8, 2020

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 – On Prospecting Listen to Coronavirus Talk #2 – On Excuses Listen to Coronavirus Talk #3 – The Gift of Time Listen to Coronavirus Talk #4 – On Confusion Listen to Coronavirus Talk #5 - On Fear and Worry

Apr 8, 2020

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.

Apr 7, 2020

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.

Apr 6, 2020

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.

Apr 3, 2020

On Coronavirus Talk #5, I’m 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. Worry changes nothing. Action, though, changes everything. Listen to Coronavirus Talk #1 – On Prospecting Listen to Coronavirus Talk #2 – On Excuses Listen to Coronavirus Talk #3 – The Gift of Time Listen to Coronavirus Talk #4 - On Confusion

Apr 2, 2020

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.

Apr 2, 2020

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.

Mar 30, 2020

On this episode of the Sales Gravy Podcast, Jeb Blount and Mark Hunter, Author of the new book A Mind for Sales, 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.

Mar 24, 2020

On this special Coronavirus Talk, 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 – On Prospecting Listen to Coronavirus Talk #2 – On Excuses Listen to Coronavirus Talk #3 - On Confusion

Mar 21, 2020

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

Mar 16, 2020

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

Mar 15, 2020

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

Mar 13, 2020

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.

Mar 8, 2020

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.

Mar 5, 2020

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.

Mar 1, 2020

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, it’s 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.

Feb 26, 2020

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 farmland—exactly what we’d 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, we’d 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, “You know, all this custom work is going to be really expensive. Are you sure you don’t want to go with our standard doors? It will save you a ton of money.” He clearly missed that the walls and floors of the newly remodeled bathroom had 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.

Feb 23, 2020

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 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.

Feb 21, 2020

On this Sales Gravy Quick Tip, Jeb Blount reveals a tried and true technique for closing your next sale.

Feb 19, 2020

On the final episode of our podcast series on Why Introverts Can Sell, Jeb Blount (Inked) and Mathew Pollard (The Introvert’s 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. Listen to Part One of Introverts Can Sell Listen to Part Two of Introverts Can Sell Listen to Part Three of Introverts Can Sell Listen to Part Four of Introverts Can Sell Listen to Part Five of Introverts Can Sell

Feb 17, 2020

On part FIVE of our podcast series on Why Introverts Can Sell, Jeb Blount (Inked) and Mathew Pollard (The Introvert’s 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. Listen to Part One of Introverts Can Sell Listen to Part Two of Introverts Can Sell Listen to Part Three of Introverts Can Sell Listen to Part Four of Introverts Can Sell Listen to Part Six of Introverts Can Sell

Feb 9, 2020

On part FOUR of our podcast series on Why Introverts Can Sell, Jeb Blount (Inked) and Mathew Pollard (The Introvert’s Edge) discuss a powerful technique that introverts and extroverts may leverage, in emotionally charged situations, to make better, rational decisions. Listen to Part One of Introverts Can Sell Listen to Part Two of Introverts Can Sell Listen to Part Three of Introverts Can Sell Listen to Part Five of Introverts Can Sell Listen to Part Six of Introverts Can Sell

Feb 2, 2020

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. Listen to Part One of Introverts Can Sell Listen to Part Two 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

Jan 26, 2020

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 Sell 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

Jan 20, 2020

Can introverts sell? 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. Listen to Part Two of Introverts Can Sell 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

Jan 19, 2020

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.

Jan 14, 2020

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.

Dec 31, 2019

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.

Dec 29, 2019

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.

Dec 23, 2019

On this podcast, Anthony Iannarino and Jeb Blount discuss why is critical to find the CEO of the problem.

Dec 23, 2019

On this podcast, Jeb Blount and Anthony Iannarino do a deep dive into discovery - the most important part of competitive displacement selling.

Dec 23, 2019

On this podcast, Jeb Blount and Anthony Iannarino discuss why it is so important to capture mindshare in competitive sales situations.

Dec 23, 2019

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.

Dec 23, 2019

In part two of The Art of Competitive Displacement, Jeb Blount and Anthony Iannarino discuss why YOU are the key to differentiation.

Dec 23, 2019

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.

Dec 23, 2019

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.

Dec 23, 2019

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.

Dec 23, 2019

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.

Dec 23, 2019

In this podcast, Jeb Blount gives you seven rules that will help you win for your team in sales negotiations.

Dec 23, 2019

On this Sales Gravy Quick Tip, you learn why the easiest and fastest way to connect with someone is to smile.

Dec 23, 2019

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.

Dec 23, 2019

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.

Dec 23, 2019

On this podcast, Jeb Blount and Lee Salz discuss tips and tactics for standing out and grabbing the attention of hard-to-reach prospects.

Dec 23, 2019

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.

Dec 23, 2019

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.

Dec 23, 2019

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.

Dec 23, 2019

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.

Dec 23, 2019

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.

Dec 23, 2019

Leaders must never forget that every action they take and word they speak is being analyzed by their people for meaning.

Dec 23, 2019

On this podcast, Jeb Blount shares the real secret to emerging from a sales rut.

Dec 23, 2019

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.

Dec 23, 2019

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.

Dec 23, 2019

On this Sales Gravy Quick Tip, Jeb Blount explains why optimism is fuel for winners. You will love this story!

Dec 23, 2019

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.

Dec 23, 2019

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.

Dec 23, 2019

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.

Dec 23, 2019

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.

Dec 23, 2019

On this Sales Gravy Quick Tip, you will learn why becoming content after achieving a goal can keep you from reaching your true potential.

Dec 23, 2019

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!

Dec 23, 2019

On this Sales Gravy Quick Tip, Jeb Blount gives you the real secret to living a long, healthy, and happy life.

Dec 19, 2019

Are you boring your prospects and customers because you are talking rather than listening?

Dec 19, 2019

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 stalled 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.

Dec 19, 2019

On this Sales Gravy Quick Tip, Jeb Blount explains why leadership is personal, and why leaders must engage their people at the human level.

Dec 19, 2019

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.

Dec 19, 2019

The difference between average salespeople and UHPs is, more often than not, their mindset about prospecting and pipeline.

Dec 19, 2019

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.

Dec 19, 2019

On this episode Jeb Blount and Kevin Eikenberry give you best practices and actionable tactics for leading and managing remote employees.

Dec 19, 2019

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.

Dec 19, 2019

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.

Dec 19, 2019

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.

Dec 19, 2019

Jeb Blount and Patrick Tinney continue their conversation on sales negotiation and examine specific sales negotiation techniques and tactics.

Dec 19, 2019

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.

Dec 19, 2019

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.

Dec 19, 2019

On this podcast, Jeb goes head to head with the great Jeffrey Gitomer on some of the toughest objections faced by sales professionals.

Dec 19, 2019

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!

Dec 19, 2019

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.

Dec 19, 2019

On this podcast, Jeb Blount and Chris Beall (CEO of ConnectAndSell) discuss the keys to getting real ROI from your sales organization.

Dec 18, 2019

Building relationships with stakeholders who make and influence buying decisions in your deals is key to gaining a competitive advantage.

Dec 18, 2019

In this podcast, Jeb Blount discusses how to get Psyched Up for sales with psyched up Dan McGinn.

Dec 18, 2019

Jeb Blount and Izabella Bray (ClearSlide) discuss how to engage prospects and accelerate sales pipeline velocity with powerful messaging.

Dec 18, 2019

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.

Dec 18, 2019

When prospects put up emotional walls and smoke screens that impede discovery, this technique can get them to open up and tell you everything.

Dec 18, 2019

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.

Dec 18, 2019

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.

Dec 18, 2019

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.

Dec 18, 2019

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.

Dec 17, 2019

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.

Dec 17, 2019

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.

Dec 17, 2019

For leaders, nothing is more important or critical than trust. If people do not trust you, they will not follow you.

Dec 17, 2019

On this podcast episode learn the keys to leading and coaching ultra-high performance from respected sales thought leaders, Jeb Blount and Alice Heiman.

Dec 17, 2019

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.

Dec 17, 2019

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.

Dec 17, 2019

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 of how a rag-tag, under-dog football team learned this lesson and how to apply it to your life.

Dec 9, 2019

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.

Dec 9, 2019

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.

Dec 6, 2019

On this final installment, Jeb Blount and Tom Hopkins discuss the keys to becoming a Sales PROFESSIONAL.

Dec 6, 2019

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.

Dec 6, 2019

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.

Dec 6, 2019

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.

Dec 6, 2019

Jeb Blount and Tom Hopkins discuss leveraging the Yes Strategy for getting past the fear of rejection.

Dec 6, 2019

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 taking loans for bad credit.

Dec 6, 2019

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.

Dec 5, 2019

On this podcast episode Jeb Blount and Brandon Bruce, COO of Cirrus Insight, discuss how to get the most out of the modern CRM.

Dec 5, 2019

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.

Dec 5, 2019

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.

Dec 5, 2019

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.

Dec 5, 2019

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.

Dec 5, 2019

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.

Dec 5, 2019

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.

Dec 4, 2019

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.

Dec 4, 2019

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.

Dec 4, 2019

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.

Dec 4, 2019

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.

Dec 4, 2019

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.

Nov 29, 2019

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.

Nov 29, 2019

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.