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The key to identifying a winning sales rep isn’t about whether they have deep industry knowledge. Instead, it has to do with character. In this episode, I interview Nigel Hobson, Head of Sales, Americas, at Afex, about how to look for A+ reps during the hiring process. What we talked about: Motivation & who is responsible for it Why self-discipline is tied to professionalism You need a blend of more & less experienced salespeople For more engaging sales conversations, subscribe to The Sales Engagement Podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or on our website.

It’s been really tough to keep positive, especially in, yes, a pandemic. But positivity pays dividends. In this episode, I interview Hugh Ghods, Sr. Sales Leader at Hootsuite, about the best of the COVID-19 workplace changes and how we can all practice optimism about the future. What we talked about: The frenzy of the first 2 weeks Shifting from video calls to phone calls on a walk The importance of nurture Hugh’s hopes for 2021 For more engaging sales conversations, subscribe to The Sales Engagement Podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or on our website.

You post a video on LinkedIn that might reach a few thousand people. From all of those, you might get half a dozen messages, only one of which you could turn into a six-figure deal. Was the video worth it? In this episode, I interview Russ Macumber, Strategy Director & General Manager at Impress!ve Digital, about how his video posts keep crushing it on LinkedIn. What we talked about: The best sales reps are efficient & constantly better themselves How to develop your online presence with authenticity 3 insider tips about video (including how to bucket inspiration) For more engaging sales conversations, subscribe to The Sales Engagement Podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or on our website.

Most people want to go somewhere with their careers. They’re usually not comfortable staying in one spot for too long. Sure there are some folks who get into a role and they want to do that role for their entire careers, but most people aren’t like that. Most folks want to use a role to learn, grow, and help them move into the next role. But how do you do that, particularly in a sales role? What does an entry level cold-calling sales rep have to do to put themselves in a position for the next role, and then once they get there, how do they keep setting themselves up for success? On this episode of the Sales Engagement podcast, we talked with Ryann Leonard. Ryann is the Director of Global Restaurant Operations & Enablement at Slice. She’s had an amazing career run, and spent over 2 years as a cold-calling sales rep, all while setting herself up for the next thing. We talked all about: What enabled her to spend two and a half years as a cold-calling sales rep, and how she turned rejection into opportunity How to set yourself up as the no-brainer for the next big promotion What to do if and when you’re passed over for the promotion and how to recover Actions you can take today to make your role more than what it currently is For more engaging sales conversations, subscribe to The Sales Engagement Podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or on our website.

Look, we’re all busy. Everybody is doing far more now than they’ve ever had to do before. We’re all wearing hats that we likely never intended to wear. But the truth is, the work still has to get done. Your company still has to bring in revenue, and “I’m not used to doing this thing” isn’t an excuse. Maybe you’ve found yourself with more teams reporting to you. Maybe you’re not quite sure how to integrate all those teams to achieve the most success. On this episode of the Sales Engagement podcast, we sit down with Liz Sophia. Liz is the VP of Field Marketing at Manhattan Associates, and was kind enough to come on the show and talk all about the schedule. How does her team organize their week to fire on all cylinders? How do they set up meetings, who is invited to those meetings, and what was the driving force behind including product in their weekly meetings? For more engaging sales conversations, subscribe to The Sales Engagement Podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or on our website.

By 2021, 25-30% of the workforce will (still) be working from home multiple days a week. Remote work isn’t going away anytime soon. In this episode, I interview Rob Falcone, Sr. Director of Sales Engineering and Strategy at Guru and author of Just F*ing Demo!, about collecting and spreading information through your org… virtually. What we talked about: How to serve up info in your org 3 yes to providing info virtually Where to star improving your process (with an audit) Who should own responsibility for updating information For more engaging sales conversations, subscribe to The Sales Engagement Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website

You roll out this fantastic new talk track… and only 2 people use it. You can’t get discouraged or offended. You have to cheerlead for their success. In this episode of the Sales Engagement podcast, I had a chance to talk with Jamin Fochtman, Head of Sales Enablement at Addepar, about sales enablement. Jamin told me about: The critical skills of a sales enablement professional Some hurdles to implementing change His favorite technology & how he uses it for coaching For more engaging sales conversations, subscribe to The Sales Engagement Podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or on our website.

Nobody likes change.  Whether it’s a major change like a move or a new CEO, or a minor change like a new chef at your favorite restaurant, or a redesign of your phone’s layout, change is hard for everyone. But some people deal with it better than others.  Which is why understanding change management is so crucial for your organization. Specifically in the midst of the COVID pandemic, we’re all dealing with a lot more change than normal, and if we don’t know how to implement it correctly within our organization, it can be daunting.  Thankfully, there are people like Bosman du Plessis. Bosman is the Director of Sales Operations at Locumtenens.com, and was kind enough to come on the show recently and discuss: -His four principles of change management -Why change management is more like a rugby match than you may realize -The common pitfalls teams face when implementing change -Why empathy is the most underrated aspect of successful change management  For more engaging sales conversations, subscribe to The Sales Engagement Podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or on our website.

There’s a stereotype in the sales world. One about field sales and inside sales. And it’s one that isn’t doing anybody any favors, especially as we navigate through COVID.  Jake Tatel, Global Director of Inside Sales & Marketing Automation, Intel. What we talked about: How the WFH pandemic has caused a lot of us to adopt an “inside seller” mindset Why the “inside sales vs. field sales” game isn’t going to do anybody any favors The changes that have been brought about by COVID that are here to stay For more engaging sales conversations, subscribe to The Sales Engagement Podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or on our website.

Where do you start creating your sequences in cadences? If you already have your sequences, how do you optimize them? In this episode, I interview Patricia McLaren, Cofounder at RevShoppe, about building and optimizing sequences. What we talked about: -Segmenting your sequences (go persona-based) -Using the right touchpoints -Incorporating creativity & emotion into sequences For more engaging sales conversations, subscribe to The Sales Engagement Podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or on our website.

When you multi-thread in sales, you’re taking control of the outcome. You worked hard to get that big meeting — why wouldn’t you do everything in your power to close? CEO of Skaled Consulting and multi-threading wizard, Jake Dunlap, joins me in this episode of The Sales Engagement Podcast to chat about everything multi-threading: -How to get the meetings that matter at the ToFu -3 practical tips for a successful Discovery Meeting -How to successfully use LinkedIn to multi-thread For more engaging sales conversations, subscribe to The Sales Engagement Podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or on our website.

We feel the pressure to drive results, but performance is what we should obsess about. In this episode, I interview Steve McKenzie, VP of Sales at Mimecast, about sales leadership and what it takes to be successful. Steve & I talked about: -Obsessing about performance, not results -3 performance measurements for sales -Steve’s philosophy of losing is about learning -Bonus: Don’t surf on the white water… Go for the green water For more engaging sales conversations, subscribe to The Sales Engagement Podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or on our website.

If you’ve not added the 10K to your sales arsenal, you’re missing out.  What’s a 10K? It’s a document that public companies are required by the SEC to publish every year. And it’s essentially a report that provides transparency into how a company is performing.  It’s all there. Risks, deals, mergers, acquisitions, management discussions, and financial reports. And if you use it the right way, it can be a crucial tool in your sales toolbox.  But you’ve got to know how to use it. How to read it. How it’s organized. And that’s where Jamal Reimer comes in. Jamal was our guest on this special episode of the Sales Engagement podcast. Special because it’s not just an audio podcast. Jamal was nice enough to use Zoom to walk us through how to read and utilize a 10k report. But Jamal walked us through  What a 10K actually is The 4 major areas of every 10K Why the quarterly analyst calls are a goldmine if you’re looking for information on a company.  For more engaging sales conversations, subscribe to The Sales Engagement Podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or on our website.

For someone so successful to admit to making leadership mistakes — that’s powerful. In this episode, I interview Stratford Canning, Director of Sales Development at Forrester, about a few things he wishes he’d known as a new sales development leader. We talked about: -What’s changed in sales development over the last few years -Why balance makes an effective leader -3 technology-related mistakes you could be making For more engaging sales conversations, subscribe to The Sales Engagement Podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or on our website.

If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that for the vast majority of us, COVID has caused us to spend more time sitting. Most of us aren’t commuting to the office, unless you count the 10 steps from the bedroom to the desk.  We’re spending less time walking to the car, walking to the building, and as a result, many of us are spending less time on exercise.  Our gyms are closed, and we either don’t have the equipment to work out at home, or we don’t know how. What are you supposed to use in place of a dumbbell? What do you do if you don’t have a spin bike?  And besides physical exercise, a lot of us have neglected taking care of ourselves in a lot of other ways. Mentally, emotionally, spiritually, we’re not exercising. So what are we going to do about it?  On this episode of The Sales Engagement Podcast, we talk with Nieka Mamczak. Nieka is the Sales Enablement & Productivity Manger at Udemy, and came to chat all about: -Self-care, and why it’s more than just physical exercise -How to make taking care of yourself  a priority -How to help your team embrace it -Why it will pay dividends in the long run

Some things never change. Optimism is still the only free stimulus. Tuning out the news improves your mental health. And if you focus on your customer, you'll be fine. In this episode, I interview Bill McDermott, president and CEO at ServiceNow, about the biggest transformation in our generation and what's not changing. Bill & I talked about: -What's different about the most recent economic downturn -How to highlight racial and social inequality in this country -Staying connected to the hustle spirit -And using systems of action to expand your market Resource mentioned: Winners Dream: A Journey from Corner Store to Corner Office For more engaging sales conversations, subscribe to The Sales Engagement Podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or on our website.

Customers have changed their buying behaviors, and we need to meet them where they are now. In this episode, I interview Britney Bartlett, senior director of global virtual sales specialists at Cisco, about how to create a virtual sales specialist team with the people you already have. Britney & I talked about: -Creating a global virtual sales specialist team -How to implement change in a big organization -Piloting to learn -Hindsight 2020: What leaders should be thinking about For more engaging sales conversations, subscribe to The Sales Engagement Podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or on our website.

It may be the understatement of the century, but COVID-19 and the ensuing pandemic  has completely altered the sales industry, likely forever. There is no longer such a thing as “business as usual.” And being a sales leader comes with an added set of challenges. You’re going through all of the same emotions, and feeling a lot of the same impact as everyone else, but you’ve got a team to lead. People that depend on you.  So how should your strategy shift as you accommodate this “new normal?” What are you dealing with now that would’ve been unheard of 6 months ago? How have you had to grow yourself as a leader? On this special Unleash Summit episode of the Sales Engagement podcast, we sat down with LaKendra Davis, who is the Assistant Vice President of Government Solutions at AT&T. We talked all about (among other things)  -How the sales leadership role has changed, -Shifting strategies as a result of COVID -How she keeps morale up in the midst of a pandemic -Why vulnerability might just be your greatest asset

An awful lot of people are stressed out right now. A whole generation of sales professionals are living through the most turbulent sales landscape they’ve ever encountered.  Maybe you weren’t a sales professional during the 2008 economic downturn, or you were too young to have been in the industry during the dot com bubble burst of 2000 & 2001.  If we’re completely honest with ourselves, it can be really tempting to wallow in negativity. To look at the current landscape and write the whole thing off as a lost cause. Maybe it’s time to pack it up and change careers. Throw in the towel.  Not so fast.  On this episode of the Sales Engagement Podcast, we got to sit down with Steve DeMarco. Steve is the Chief Revenue Officer at LeanData, and has been a sales professional during some of the most volatile and turbulent times the industry has seen in the last several decades, and we talked all about:  -Some of the major life events he’s seen in the last 20 years -How crisis can make you a better salesperson -Why now is the perfect time to focus on enablement -Why it’s never the wrong time to master the fundamentals

It’s the one thing you have to get right along the way — a sales process. How you’re adhering to the buyer’s journey & your market/product mix. In this episode, I interview Joshua Stalnaker, VP of Inside Sales at Amplify, about building a sales process that doesn’t lose. What we talked about: -The components of a winning sales process -Best practices for research, discovery, & positioning -It’s the little things that make a big difference Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast: -Selling to Zebras by Jeff and Chad Koser For more engaging sales conversations, subscribe to The Sales Engagement Podcast on Apple Podcasts, on Spotify, or on our website.