The Exceptional Sales Leader Podcast

When it comes to exceptional performance, especially in sales, we tend to focus on the ‘doing’ components of the selling craft, the calls made, meetings attended, the pitches and demonstrations conducted. This is a legitimate focus, however, through the process, we also tend to not focus as much attention on the ‘being’ components, as in exercise, recovery, and especially, diet. In this episode, I’m joined by Angel Luk, a registered Dietician, who has worked with high performance athletes and leaders, and we delve into the critical connection between exceptional performance and diet. It is a fascinating conversation and one that can provide simple tips on how to better understand diet and how it affects energy, focus and overall productivity. To connect with Angel, and to learn more about what she does, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelluk/ Website – https://fixbaddiet.com/biohacking

When it comes to creating sustainably successful sales teams, many organisations focus their attention on product training & sales competency training, believing that this will deliver the results. Whilst these areas are key pillars, often overlooked is the critical role the sales leader plays in the environment. Exceptional sales organisations are fanatical about developing exceptional sales leaders, who develop their people, who help their salespeople become guides and critical problem solvers, and who focus on 4 key areas, skillset, toolkit, mindset and helpset. In this episode, I’m joined by Alan Versteeg, Global Chief Revenue Officer and Co-Founder of Growth Matters International and we delve into how to unlock sales leadership success to deliver exceptional results. To connect with Alan and to learn more about Growth Matters International, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanversteeg/ Website – https://www.growthmattersintl.com/

Whether you are part of a large business, or an individual looking to increase your influence and market relevance, branding and strategic positioning is critically important. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Emma Schermer Tamir, an expert in branding strategy, marketing psychology, and strategic positioning. Emma shares her perspectives and experience from working in this space over many years, emphasises the need for thorough competitive research, the importance of understanding the ideal customer profile, and being in tune with company and personal identity and values, ensuring a consistent and cohesive brand presentation across all platforms. She also delves into the psychology of marketing, illustrating how familiarity and likeness can exponentially increase customer trust and engagement. It is a fascinating conversation, and one in which I hope you enjoy. To connect with Emma, and to learn more about what she does, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-schermer-tamir/ Website – https://marketingbyemma.com/ YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/@MarketingbyEmma

A special episode today – the first time I have interviewed 2 guests on the show. Today I’m joined by Gregg Murphy & Mike Latch from Patter Intelligence as we explore the intersection between technology & sales. With backgrounds spanning defence contracting, strategic sales, and advanced tech enablement, Mike & Gregg delve into the importance of ethics in sales, strategic sales methodologies, and the role of AI in modernising the sales process. Gregg highlights how breaking down complex sales interactions into digestible scripts can elevate middle-tier performers significantly, while Mike explains how advanced software can assist sales reps in real-time, ensuring they stay on point and aligned with customer needs. It is a fascinating conversation and one well worth listening to more than once. To connect with Gregg & mike, and to learn more about Patter Intelligence, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaellatch1/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregg-murphy-6830ba57/ Website – https://www.salespatter.io/

In large enterprise and corporate sales, there is often a perception that the balance of power sits with the customer, or buying organisation, and that the selling organisation will eventually ‘come around’ to the customer terms & deliver what they want. This does not result in a long term, sustainable & mutually valuable relationship. There is a way to buy better and sell smarter, and in this episode, I’m joined by Jonathan Gardner to discuss just that. Jonathan is the Principal & Founder of J. Gardner Group Executive Advisory, and has enjoyed a very successful career in strategic sourcing, and now works with buyers and sellers to strike better business deals, that facilitates highly valuable sustainable business relationships. To connect with Jonathan and to learn more about what he does, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-gardner-profit-improvement-expert/ Website – https://www.jgardnergroup.com/

If there was ever a definition of an unstoppable sales leader, it is Dipti Pandit. From a successful corporate career in India, moving over to Australia & effectively starting again, Dipti made her way from selling burgers to gracing corporate boardrooms, never once losing the fire in the belly to drive & deliver sales excellence. It was such a thrill to have her back on the podcast for episode #700 as we explore sales enablement, fractional sales leadership, grit, perception management, and all things exceptional sales leadership. She is making a huge impact on sales leaders and their teams through her business, Sales Pundit Consulting. Dipti even turned the tables on me and asked me some questions around my podcasting journey. I loved the conversation, and I trust you enjoy listening in. To connect with Dipti and to learn more about Sales Pundit Consulting, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/diptipandit/ Website – https://salespundit.com.au/ Previous Podcast Episode – https://darrenmitchell.com.au/2024/06/18/from-burgers-to-boardrooms-dipti-pandits-inspiring-journey/

For years I have held a belief that exceptional sales results is directly related to an exceptional sales culture. It may be a cliché, but an exceptional sales culture will eat a great sales strategy for breakfast every day of the week. Some may disagree, however, I’m yet to observe a sustainably successful sales team or business that does not have a powerfully strong sales culture as its foundation. In this episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Richard Cogswell, Vice President of Business Development APAC at Nium, and published author of the recently released book, The Cultural Sales Leader – Sustaining People, Attaining Results. We chat about the importance of structured planning, servant leadership & culture as well as executive presence in sales. It is a fantastic conversation, and one that I hope can help you on your own journey to becoming an exceptional sales leader. To connect with Richard, and to learn more about him, including where to grab a copy of his book, go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardcogswell/ Website – https://www.richardcogswell.com/

Many sales organisations believe they are buyer centric and place the customer at the centre of everything they do, and yet, often their behaviour and strategies tell a different story. Especially in B2B selling, creating a safe environment for the buyer is crucial to building and retaining their trust and leading them to making a purchase. The sales leader has a critical role to play here, especially when it comes to training, coaching and mentoring. In this episode, I’m joined by Hamish Knox, a highly successful sales leader & trainer, and owner of Sales4 Training & Consulting Inc, a leading Sandler franchisee in Canada. It is a terrific conversation, filled with ideas on exceptional selling. To connect with Hamish and to learn more about what he does, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamishknox/ Website – https://go.sandler.com/hamish/ Full Funnel Freedom Podcast – https://www.fullfunnelfreedom.com/

In working with sales leaders and their teams, it is intriguing to observe the language that is used and the behaviours demonstrated, that often leads to results that the salesperson and/or sales leader does not want. And when trying to get sales people back on track, the leader or the ‘coach’ often looks directly at the behaviour and seeks to make behavioural changes, that will lead to a different result. This can very often only have short term results, because the root cause of the challenge hasn’t been dealt with. Highly successful people, exceptional performance, maintain an abundance mindset, and it is something that they have developed and continue to work on. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Charm Moore, a sales leader, registered nurse, leader in biotech and a specialist in digital wealth, and we explore the abundance mindset and how it can hep fast track performance and result. To connect with Charm, and to learn more about what she does, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/charminmoore/ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/iamcharmin/ Website – https://www.thevibrationofcharm.com/

When it comes to sales, the words integrity and honesty are probably not 2 words many people would lead with to describe the profession. Over many years, sales has endured a poor image in many industries based on the tactics and behaviours of salespeople – wanting to ‘convince’ you to purchase a product or service, irrespective of whether you need it or not. However, sales can be the ultimate form of service and when selling with integrity and honesty, sales people and sales leaders can enjoy exceptional levels of success. In today’s episode, I enjoy a sensational conversation with Ryan Tuckwood, Australia’s #1 Sales Coach, and Founder & CEO of SWISH Sales Coaching. From beginning his career as a Mechanical Engineer, to now running a highly successful sales coaching business, Ryan shares loads of gold for any sales person or sales leader seeking to drive to become exceptional in their field. To connect with Ryan and to learn more about SWISH Sales Coaching, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-tuckwood/ Website – https://www.swishsalescoaching.com/

In the modern world of business, especially post COVID, more and more organisations are embracing hybrid working, and leaders must demonstrate flexibility in how they lead teams, whether they have team members all in the one state or in different countries. The utilisation of technology and productivity tools are critical to continue to deliver exceptional performance in these environments. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Deniero Bartolini, The Remote CEO. Deniero has an extensive sales, leadership and entrepreneurial background and oversees a very successful business as The Remote CEO. He shares loads of insights around leadership, ethical sales and driving productivity, which I hope can add value to your environment. To connect with Deniero and learn more about what he does, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-business-coach/ Website – https://www.denierob.com/

When it comes to selling, many people and often organisations seek to complicate it – through complex selling methodologies and processes, strategic frameworks, and all manner of systems. Whilst systems, methods and frameworks can certainly assist, super successful sales people have the ability to keep things simple. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Will Barron, a self confessed mediocre salesperson in his early years, who embarked on a journey to become a super successful sales person and influencer in the sales training industry. His approach of making selling simple is as pragmatic as it is effective. Some super gold nuggets to hang on to in this episode. To connect with Will, and to download a free copy of his 2 books, ‘Selling Made Simple’ & ‘SalesCode’, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/willbarron/ Website – https://salesman.com/

Building awareness for businesses continues to be challenging, especially in highly competitive markets. Grabbing the attention of your ideal customer is constantly top of mind, and this process can sometimes be complex, and often, expensive. It doesn’t have to be though. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Senthil Subramanian, Founder at SEO with Senthil, and a man who is building a very successful business through leveraging the power of SEO. He specialises in building a consistent and low cost lead generation system that is sustainable. To connect with Senthil, as well as to download his 5 Step SEO checklist, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/senthilkumar-subramanian-ba02a783/ Website – https://www.seowithsenthil.com/

I continue to be staggered at the number of sales people who lead the sales conversation with their product or service, and then wonder why they are not converting the conversation into a sale. Sales at its core is problem solving, and when we can clearly understand or uncover a problem that a customer has, they will be significantly more receptive to considering a solution to the problem. To do this well takes a high level of curiosity and today’s guest has that in spades. Theresa French is the Founder & CEO of SellMark 360, and specialises in helping sales people, business owners and entrepreneurs become exceptional at selling without being ‘salesy’. We explore her Serve-n-Solve Sales Method™️ as well as her CARE Conversational Framework™️, which is helping organisations transform their sales approach. To connect with Theresa and to learn more about what she does, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjsellingcoach/ To download a copy of the CARE Conversational Framework, please go to https://sellingsuccesssuite.com/care

Most people understand the concept that we are the product of our upbringing, the people we surround ourselves with, and ultimately the story we tell ourselves. These stories can be uplifting and edifying, and they can also limit our potential. As a result, each of us have created a version of reality that in some form, seeks to serve us, but through this, we often find ourselves in a comfort zone, or stuck at a particular level of performance. We can break through and create a new reality. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Shiraz Baboo, a Reality Interventionist, a man who has experienced significant challenges in his life, and who has redefined reality to create an exceptional level of performance for himself, as well as for others. If you find yourself or your team plateauing in performance, this is an episode to definitely listen to more than once. To connect to Shiraz, and to learn more about what he does, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/shirazbaboo/ Website – https://energeticmagic.com/

In the modern business world, with such high expectations and pressure to deliver results, many leaders continue to lead with a command and control approach. Whilst this approach may deliver some short term wins, it does not create a strong and engaged culture for sustainable success. Leading with empathy can be the secret sauce, and in today’s episode, I’m joined by Amer Tadayon, the CEO and Founder of LuciHub, and we talk about why leading with empathy can be so powerful in business, combined with picking and nurturing the right talent. Amer also shares some key lessons from his ‘other’ profession, being a professional musician. If you are looking for the key to unlock the potential of your team, this episode is a must listen. To connect with Amer, and to learn more about LuciHub, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/amertadayon/ Website – https://lucihub.com/ Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/at.drums/

For many sales professionals, the next logical step in their career development is to move into sales leadership, with a key criteria being exceptional sales performance as a baseline. The challenge though is that many make the leap into leadership with little or no transition plan, blueprint, or support. They are literally thrown to the wolves. It doesn’t have to be like this, nor should it. In this episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Rebecca Gebhardt, President of Rise Up Consulting, and a person who is on a mission to support sales people make the leap from Leaderboard to Leadership, and equip them with the tools, framework and systems to develop exceptional sales leadership. It is a powerful conversation that is filled with genuine insights that can benefit aspiring sales leaders, new sales leaders, as well as established sales leaders. To connect with Rebecca, and to learn more about Rise Up Consulting, including her forthcoming book “Leaderboard to Leadership”, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/riseup/ Website – https://www.riseupconsultinggroup.com/

In the busy world we live in, when expectations for results are high, it is often easy to prioritise activities that will drive sales and revenue, and in the process, de-prioritise our health and fitness. I’m a firm believer though, if you are not healthy, it makes it really difficult to enjoy any success that you have created. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Coen Fryer, Co Founder of PeakAI Health, and we discuss the critical importance of health optimisation to driving exceptional performance. If you are dedicated to becoming exceptional, then health optimisation is a key pillar to performance. To connect with Coen, & to download his free e-book, go to: Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/coenn.f/ E-book – https://go.peakaihealth.com.au/free-ebook

In B2B sales, the pressure to drive exceptional results continues to exponentially increase, and often as a result of this, genuine strategic planning can take a back seat – the focus becomes the short term result. Exceptional sales leaders understand and embrace the need for strategic planning, and they prioritise this. A key pillar is the alignment between sales and pre-sales. In this episode, I am joined by Mark Winey, Head of Sales & GTM Strategy North America for SwarmDynamics, and we explore the evolving role of sales engineers, as well as emphasising the need for preparation, collaboration, and an emotional connection with customers. He also provides practical tips on avoiding common pitfalls in sales engagements and enhancing customer relationships. If you are committed to driving exceptional results, this is a must listen episode. To connect with Mark, & to learn more about SwarmDynamics, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/markwiney/ Website – https://swarmdynamics.ai/

Whether in sales, business, or in life, the pace in which people are operating at in 2024 is at an all time high. There are so many expectations placed upon us in the journey to ‘success’, that very rarely do we have time to stop, reflect and recharge. Everywhere we look, there are distractions, with people and organisations vying for our instant attention. Is it any wonder, that burnout, and poor performance is becoming a real issue. In this episode, I welcome back Dr. Eric Recker, Dentist, Speaker, Coach, and Author of the brand new book, That Damn Analogy. We delve into the importance of being present, understanding one’s purpose, and the critical balance between high performance and preventing burnout. Dr. Recker describes his journey from experiencing severe burnout to redefining success and achieving balance in life. If you find yourself in the constant cycle of busyness & urgency, then this is an episode you will want to consume more than once. To connect with Eric, to learn more about him, and to grab a copy of his book, go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-recker-583849278/ Website – https://ericrecker.com/ Download his 160 Refuelling Hacks – https://ericrecker.com/refuelinghacks/

When facilitating workshops with sales teams, I often ask how many of them love to be sold to. How many do think stick their hands up? Literally none. When I ask how many of them love to buy, just about every hand goes up. What’s fascinating is that often sales people are the ones who do not like to be sold to, and yet, they are trained to be the sales person who is constantly looking for clues to sniff out an opportunity, and to close a live prospect at every chance. In other words, often act like a douchebag, at least in the eyes of their prospect. There is a better way-selling authentically. In today’s episode, I’m joined by Coach Dan Gordon, Executive Business Coach & Speaker, as he shares insights and ideas from many years in sales & marketing, on how to sell like a badass & not like a douche. He also provides his cell number for you to take advantage of some free resources. To connect with Dan and to learn more about what he does, go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachdangordon/ Website – https://dangordonenterprise.com/

For years, bigger organisations have been leveraging technology to gather customer intelligence, to better identify and understand their ideal customer profile, and then create compelling solutions that speak directly to those customers. Interestingly, this is not as common in the mid enterprise, small enterprise and start up space. In fact, many of these organisations don’t actually utilise a defined sales methodology. This is changing. In today’s episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Kieran Krohn, Head of Growth at ScaleStation, a Revenue Operations & Growth Marketing Agency. It was a fascinating conversation where Kieran shared key insights on the importance of revenue operations and sales enablement, and why these are the key to driving exceptional results. Whether you are an experienced sales leader in a large corporate, involved in small to medium enterprise, or even in the start up space, there are nuggets of gold from Kieran to apply immediately. To connect with Kieran, to plug into his Podcast, Growth Unlocked, and to learn more about ScaleStation, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kierankrohn/ Podcast – https://open.spotify.com/show/1XPOkwLfHrFSWZshidKhMY?si=e10c01c099bc4bcb Website – https://scalestation.io/

The brilliant thing about sales is that people can become successful in the sales game, irrespective of their background & knowledge – there are skills and competencies that can be learned, developed and magnified along the journey. In today’s episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Dipti Pandit, a sales leader with an inspiring journey. Leaving a successful sales leadership career in India, Dipti made the monumental decision to move to Australia, leaving her husband and young son behind for 7 months, in search of better opportunities. Her inspiring story is literally one of burgers to boardrooms, as she shares her insights and perspectives on how she forged a successful sales and sales leadership career in Australia, and how she is now paying it forward through helping aspiring sales leaders make an impact. I hope you enjoy listening to the conversation as much as I enjoyed having it. To connect with Dipti, as well as to learn more about what she does, including information on her Masterclass for Aspiring Sales Leaders, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/diptipandit/ Website – https://salespundit.com.au/

With 2 working weeks left until the end of the Financial Year (or end of Quarter if your company has a different Financial Year), many companies are scrounging to get the deals closed as quickly as possible – to hit the number by the end of the month. Often, as a result of this, the focus is ‘all hands to the pump’, meaning that other activities and investments take a back seat, or are discarded altogether. If the activity or investment is not directly related to closing deals by June 30th, it is not a priority. And unfortunately this is often the directive from Senior Management which sets the tone for the entire team, resulting in short term, immediate attention. We must resist this and continue to invest in the sales team.

In today’s incredibly competitive and instant gratification society, the definition of success is often tied directly to external factors, especially in sales. Many organisations run sales campaigns that promote internal competition, with the top sales person winning cash, a fully paid trip or some other ‘tangible’ external reward. Whilst this may create some short term motivation, rarely does it result in long term sustainable success. As sales leaders, sales people, or business owners, we must get specific around what the definition of success is for us, and not have it tied to external forces. In today’s episode, I had the privilege of speaking with Kelly Resendez, EVP of Talent Development & Growth at GoodLeap, and Founder of GoBundance Women. She has enjoyed an incredibly successful sales career and is now dedicated to helping others redefine success and unleash their potential. To connect with Kelly and to learn more about GoBundance Women, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyresendez/ Website – https://gobundancewomen.com/ To access a free 3 part training series on How to Get Out of Your Own Way (From stuck to Unstuck), go to: https://downloadthepod.com

In sales, the temptation to launch into the product and service pitch early in the sales process can sometimes be overwhelming, especially when there is direct or implied pressure being applied to hit a number. This can lead to the seller being focused more on what is in it for them, rather than being focused on what is in it for the buyer. The end result is often no sale, at least some form of objection, and a loss of reputation and credibility. Sellers need to be better at sales discovery, at working out whether there is an opportunity in the first place, and slowing down the sales process in order to speed up. In this episode, I enjoyed a terrific conversation with Tom Stearns, a sales leader, coach & trainer, as well as co-founder of Graphic Sales Stories, about mastering the art of sales discovery and storytelling. I hope you enjoy the conversation. To connect with Tom, and to learn more about Graphic Sales Stories, go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomstearns/ Website – https://www.stearns.io/ Website – https://www.graphicsalesstories.com/

In the highly competitive and increasingly overcrowded marketplace that we operate in, it is becoming more and more difficult to stand out from the competition. Capturing inbound leads through campaigns is still a legitimate marketing strategy, as is targeted outbound campaigns to build awareness in the marketplace. However, often these leads are not as qualified and the time it takes to analyse them and explore them, can result in longer sales cycles. By better utilising technology, sales teams can be more targeted, be more relevant and more specific, especially when it comes to identifying inbound leads. In today’s episode, I enjoyed a fascinating conversation with Loredana Qvist, CEO & Co-Founder at Salestools, and CEO at ExactVisitor, the only company in the B2B market helping organisations identify the exact person visiting their website. Loredana has a deep rooted passion for merging cutting edge technology with strategic business initiatives, and through her solutions, creating significant sales acceleration tools. Loredana is also offering listeners to this podcast $5,000 credit in ExactVisitor, to stress test the technology. To take advantage of this offer, simply send Loredana a LinkedIn message or email to [email protected] and mention the podcast. To connect with Loredana, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/loredanaqvist/ Website – https://exactvisitor.com/ Website – https://salestools.io/

In today’s business world, there is a great deal of emphasis on Customer Success, on being customer centric, as a lever to drive sustained revenue growth and market capture. Whilst organisations may ‘focus’ on that through their advertising and marketing, the reality is their sales teams often still lead with products and services. In this episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Tamara McMillen, a CRO, operating partner and growth adviser to Fortune 50 organisations as well as privately funded businesses (start-up, scale up & stable enterprises). We discuss the importance of customer success and the evolution of the customer journey as businesses grow. Whether you are new to sales and sales leadership or whether you have been in the game for a while, this is a conversation you want to listen to more than once. Tamara shares a number of insights and perspectives from her vast experience, which can only help you fast track your organisation’s growth path. To connect with Tamara and to learn more about what she does, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamaramcmillen/

One of the most important skills any salesperson and sales leader must learn is the ability to effectively negotiate. Often when sales people are under pressure to hit a number and to close a deal, the balance of power can sit with the buyer, especially when the person in the buying organisation is an experienced negotiator. This can result in the sales person giving too much away in order to close the deal, thereby diluting margin and quite often, credibility in the eyes of the customer. In today’s episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Mike Inman, an experienced sales leader, procurement specialist, and now, highly sought after negotiations trainer. He is the partner at NegotiationTraining.com by Tableforce, and shares tonnes of value for any sales person and sales leader seeking to increase their capabilities in sales negotiations. To connect with Mike and to learn more about what he does, go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/negotiatormike/ Website – https://negotiationtraining.com/

Sales leaders and their teams are constantly searching for strategies and tactics to get in front of their ideal customer, and remain front of mind. Whether it be marketing campaigns through Facebook, LinkedIn, industry forums, or even through specific outreach via the phone, many organisations don’t play the long game and hence miss out on the harvest. Interestingly, for many organisations, cold email outreach does not appear to be at the top of their strategy list. That is where Namit Jindal comes in. Namit is the founder of Deliverability Ninja and over the last few years, has fine tuned a cold email outreach approach that is delivering remarkable results. In fact, he guarantees to double open rates and response rates within 90 days, or his service is free. This is a phenomenal conversation where Namit unpacks the 4 pillar strategy that creates booked meetings, and ultimately, sales revenue. To connect with Namit and to learn more about Deliverability Ninja, go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenamitj/ Website – https://www.deliverabilityninja.com/

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is continuing to creep into every area of society at a rapid rate, and with this growth comes opportunities as well as challenges. For sales leaders and their teams, AI can be an enabler to fast track opportunity and pipeline development, and as long as they can maintain the human connection with clients, there is the opportunity to leverage AI to create exceptional results. In this episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Amarpreet Kalkat, Founder & CEO of Humantic AI, an organisation that is committed to building buyer intelligence for revenue teams. It is a fascinating conversation, especially when it comes to developing a deeper understanding of our buyers. I hope you enjoy the episode. To connect with Amarpreet and to learn more about Humantic AI and how they may be able to assist you ad your sales team, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/amarpreetkalkat/ Website – https://humantic.ai/

The great thing about being successful in sales is that there is no prerequisite in terms of qualification or background. Sales is such a level playing field that it creates the opportunity for anyone who wants to work hard, stay the course, learn and develop, to become successful. William Gilchrist is the perfect example. Growing up in Chicago and then moving to South East Asia, William has forged a very successful career, starting out in business development, working in senior roles for a number of years in Google, to now leading his own successful business, Konsyg. Throughout this conversation, William shares tonnes of value, whether you are new to sales or sales leadership, or have been in the role for a while. William’s career has followed the title of this episode, a quote that he heard from his father, “You can either be a cat in a castle, or a lion in a jungle”. It is a great conversation and one that I hope you enjoy. To connect with William and to learn more about what he does, please go to: Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamgilchristkonsyg/ Website – https://konsyg.com/

In working with Sales Leaders and their teams over many years, I am still staggered at the number of sales professionals who ‘wing it’ when it comes to engaging with their customers and prospective customers. They rely on having a ‘strong relationship’ believing that this will get them through the sales call, and close the deal. In today’s episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Nathan Jamail, an author, speaker and coach, with over 30 years of sales and sales leadership experience. Nathan is a big believer in scrimmaging as a mechanism to drive exceptional sales performance and shares nuggets of gold as to why we should continue to practice our selling skills in a safe environment, and not practice live in front of a customer. It is a tremendous conversation that is well worth listening to more than once. To connect with Nathan and to learn more about him, as well as checking out his 5 best selling books, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesalesleadersplaybook/ Website – https://nathanjamail.com/

In this insightful episode of the Exceptional Sales Letter podcast, host Darren Mitchell engages in a deep and motivational conversation with Casey Stubbs, a veteran entrepreneur and investment educator with extensive experience in sales, marketing, and value creation. The podcast delves into Casey’s multifaceted career journey, starting from his initial investments in the stock market at a young age to his venture into entrepreneurship through a carpet cleaning business and his eventual pivot back to the financial industry after military service. Casey shares valuable lessons from his career, emphasising the importance of positioning oneself strategically in the market and identifying the ideal customer avatar for successful entrepreneurship. The discussion dives into the challenges and steep learning curves faced by Casey, including his transition from the carpet cleaning business to investing in stocks and running an online business in a post-recession economy. Key themes arise as Casey emphasises the significance of perseverance, mindset, and the transformative power of self-investment. The conversation is rich with actionable advice for entrepreneurs and sales professionals alike, highlighting the importance of focusing on productive activities that move the needle and building a strong team culture.

It was the movie, Terminator, that brought the concept of artificial intelligence (ai) to people’s awareness, albeit in quite a scary way. The reality is that artificial intelligence in some form has been with us for over 30 years, and is only now starting to exponentially accelerate in relation to the value it can add to businesses and organisations. The organisations that are able to leverage it effectively are the ones which will enjoy incredible success over the next few years. Whilst there may be some roles replaced with ai, the vast majority of roles, especially in sales, can be complemented by the use of ai. In this episode, I enjoyed a tremendous conversation with Nick Caruso, the Co-Founder & CRO of KnowledgeNet.ai, an organisation that has created a streamlined ai engine that reveals valuable relationship insights & provides actionable intelligence. In fact, Nick’s approach is that true ai is ‘Augmented Intelligence’, which can enhance our ability to be truly effective and drive exceptional results. The organisations that capture this concept are the ones who will differentiate themselves from their competition. To connect with Nick and to learn more about KnowledgeNet.ai, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ncaruso/ Website – https://knowledgenet.ai/

In many business organisations, there is almost an unwritten ‘ground rule’ that sales & marketing are internal competitors of each other. When sales are not converting prospects into customers, it is often marketing’s fault, and when marketing provide what they consider to be great leads to sales that do not get converted, it is sales’ fault. To be sustainably successful, organisations need to take a more strategically aligned approach and that is where Sam Shaper comes in. Sam is a Fractional RevOps specialist, and helps support businesses through creating and implementing peak performance systems to improve revenue efficiency, enable businesses to keep more profit in their pockets, as well as help create exceptional buying experiences. It is a fantastic conversation filled with value.

A key element of being in business is to grow, be profitable, and to add significant value to the marketplace. This is a key focus of almost every business on the planet. The fact that not every business achieves this is very often down to the leaders running the business as well as their ability to create and maintain a high performing environment. Too many CEO’s and leaders unfortunately are the reason why their business is not growing at the rate they expected and not achieving the outcomes they expected. This is where Mandi Ellefson comes in. Mandi is The Hands-Off CEO and specialises in helping businesses scale without the heavy dependency on the CEO. We enjoyed a fantastic conversation where Mandi shares nuggets of gold for any CEO, Senior Leader and Sales Leader grappling with the challenge of scaling and growing a profitable business. This is an episode worth listening to more than once. To connect with Mandi, as well as to grab a copy of her book “The Hands-Off CEO”, go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandiellefson/ Website – https://handsoffceo.com/ Podcast – https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/hands-off-ceo/id1432688023

Even though sales is one of, if not, the oldest professions on the planet, it continues to evolve. Customers today are more savvy and educated than ever before, which means organisations and sales people need to evolve and adapt as well. Research suggests that 53% of organisations have made a buying decision before they even decide to engage with a service provider. This means that as sales people we can no longer lead with our product or our service, as sales is being redefined. In today’s episode, I enjoyed a terrific conversation with Abbie White, Founder & CEO of Sales Redefined, and a person with a very successful sales and sales leadership background. In this episode, Abbie shares powerful ideas on how we can redefine our approach to sales, be more relevant to our marketplace, and ultimately drive exceptional results. To connect with Abbie and to learn more about Sales Redefined, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbiecwhite/ Website – https://salesredefined.com.au/

For many sales leaders, the path to the position of leadership often comes through being an exceptional sales individual contributor. This is almost the first pre-requisite. Some then consciously choose to take on a leadership role, yet for many, it is a responsibility that is bestowed upon them, or dare I say, forced upon them, based on their levels of performance. For many, it is an opportunity that is very difficult to say no to. Unfortunately not many people are then provided with the blueprint or playbook to make the transition to leadership a successful one, and often, leaders flounder. In today’s episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Anna Glynn, Sales Leadership Specialist, Speaker, Coach & Author of the new book “Strong – How The Best Sales Leaders Engage, Achieve & Thrive”. Based on research, experience and positive psychology, Anna has put together the blueprint that many sales leaders can utilise to drive outstanding success. It is a conversation well worth listening to more than once. To connect with Anna and to grab a copy of her book, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-glynn-mapp-0797b639/ Website – https://annaglynn.com.au/

When working with sales leaders and their teams, I often share with them the important message around creating and maintaining a terrific reputation, both from a company perspective, and especially from a personal perspective. People want to do business with people who they know, they like and they trust, and as sales people, as business people, we cannot ever take that for granted. Reputation is everything. In this episode, I had a tremendous conversation with Luis Garotti, the Founder of 292 Creative, and a man who has built a solid and successful business on the back of a great reputation. As you’ll hear, a huge percentage of Luis’ business is referral based, and this does not happen unless you have a terrific reputation. I trust you enjoy the episode. To connect with Luis and to learn more about 292 Creative, please go to : LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/luisgarotti/ Website – https://292creative.com.au/ Socials – Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/292creative/, https://www.facebook.com/292creative

Business owners, organisations, sales leaders, and sales people all share one common challenge – finding effective ways to gain access to their ideal future customer and then determining how to provide tangible value, so that the customer raises their hand and a business relationship can be formed. Many organisations adopt the hope and pray strategy, where they use multiple marketing channels to spread the word, hoping that some of the ‘mud’ sticks. One of the most effective channels to leverage is LinkedIn, but, unfortunately, many do not use it to its fullest potential. In today’s episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Amy Smith, Founder of Aligned Tribe. Amy has been able to leverage the power of LinkedIn over both a corporate career, and now as a business owner and entrepreneur, and in this episode, she unpacks a number of key insights that can help sales leaders and their teams take full advantage of LinkedIn to drive exceptional sales performance. To connect with Amy, and to learn more about what she does, including grabbing a copy of her LinkedIn Blueprint, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/amylsmithcoach/ Website – https://amylsmith.com/blueprint/

In B2B sales, many sales people love to be part of the big complex deals, the ones that often have a great deal of prestige and status attached to them, because, more often than not, they include iconic brands or industry leaders. The challenge though is that many sales teams and organisations are not set up well enough in order to build a compelling proposition to attract the big sale. They lack planning, they lack strategy, and they lack effective execution. In today’s episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Barbara Weaver Smith, Founder and CEO of The Whale Hunters, an organisation that specialises in helping companies build a winning strategy for big complex deals, to maximise their opportunity to land the ‘big whale’. If you are focused on landing deals with the big end of town, then this episode is an absolute must. To connect with Barbara and to learn more about The Whale Hunters, including The Whale Hunters Institute, go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbaraweaversmith/ Website – https://thewhalehunters.com/ Email – [email protected]

I firmly believe that sales is one of the most fulfilling and satisfying careers available, and yet, when speaking with sales people, I often hear them describe their role as Customer Success Manager, Account Director, Customer Experience Manager, amongst other ‘titles’. Why don’t people simply say “I’m in Sales”? Whether we like it or not, sales is central to every business and every organisation, and whether you carry a sales target or not, everyone is in sales. In today’s episode, I enjoy a terrific conversation with Richard Harris, Founder of the Harris Consulting Group, and an exceptional sales leader. We talk about the seller’s journey, why the ‘buyer’s journey’ is a fallacy, how to maintain your value despite customers asking for discounts, as well as other sales gold. I hope you get as much out of listening to this episode as I did having the conversation. To connect with Richard, as well as grabbing a copy of his book “The Sellers Journey”, which by the way Richard offers a money back guarantee on, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rharris415/ Website – https://www.thesellersjourney.co/the-sellers-journey https://www.surfandsales.com/ Richard’s mobile number – +1 415 596 9149

When it comes to marketing, many organisations adopt the ‘hope and pray’ strategy, where they throw a heap of information into the marketplace hoping some of it will stick. And when the sales team is unable to convert the leads that come from this strategy, often they blame marketing for providing poor leads, and marketing blame sales for their inability to convert. Organisations that are able to build a more tangible and intentional marketing strategy, and ensure that both sales and marketing are aligned in that strategy, achieve much better results. In today’s episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Chris Peer, the Founder & CEO of G8P & SyncShow, and Chris takes me through the Great 8 Pillars of marketing, that when followed, can significantly improve the results of any organisation. It is a fascinating conversation and one that I trust you enjoy. To connect with Chris and to learn more about G8P & SyncShow, including grabbing a copy of his book “The Great 8 Pillars”, go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrispeer/ Websites – https://chrispeer.com/ , https://g8p.co/ , https://www.syncshow.com/

Just about every sales person on the planet is looking for a way to differentiate themselves from their competition, and for the most part, they look for product or service differentiation. Not nearly enough salespeople look inwardly and consider what it is about themselves that can become the catalyst for differentiation and hence miss out on the opportunity to become exceptional. Gail Kasper is on a mission to change that and in today’s episode, Gail shares what it means to sell like a cockatoo, to be able to differentiate against the competition and to be able to amplify a sales process to drive exceptional results. To connect with Gail, and to grab a copy of her upcoming book “Sell Like a Cockatoo – How to Master The New Way of Selling in a Rapidly Changing World”, go to: Website – https://gailkasper.com/ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/gailkasper/

When it comes to selling in the B2B marketplace, not only can selling become quite complex, it also requires involvement and buy-in from multiple stakeholders in the selling organisation. Whilst the sales team may take the lead on strategy development and sales execution, there is a role to play for multiple people within the organisation, so that the organisation can create a profitable revenue engine, that is also sustainable. In today’s episode, I enjoyed a terrific conversation with Tom Kaiser, President at SeaVista Management LLC and Co-Author of the book “The Great Wheel of Sales Success”. Tom covers the 12 key catalytic conversations that sales organisations must have in order to create a profitable revenue engine. To connect with Tom and to learn more about the revenue engine, please go to https://www.masterfulcoaching.com/

I love asking teams, especially sales teams about their perceptions of sales. Many of them, especially those not directly involved in a sales role, often have less than savoury things to say about sales – perceptions such as pushy, sleazy, untrustworthy, inauthentic.  Very rarely do I hear positive perceptions, which is disappointing. I often share with teams that I truly believe that sales is the ultimate form of service, and can be not only very lucrative, it can also be a profession of high integrity, authenticity and trust. And one of the key pillars around this is understanding that the sale actually doesn’t start until after the sale is made. This is what I explore in today’s episode.

It’s amazing when talking with sales people, the number who share with me that they are so conditioned by their Sales Manager &/or business to not make mistakes, they rarely take a chance. Often the feedback when they get something wrong is so negative and discriminatory, it discourages them from even trying. Not a great environment to operate in, wouldn’t you agree? And unfortunately a byproduct of this environment is lack of progress, and lack of results. Which in many people’s eyes is ‘failure’. In this episode, I share why mistakes should be encouraged. In fact, mistakes are a key part of becoming successful.

If you have been in sales for any length of time, you would appreciate that whilst it can be a very fulfilling and lucrative career, it is not easy, and it can present numerous challenges. It is therefore so critical to have a great Sales Manager or mentor in your corner to help guide you, assist you and also challenge you, as well as developing competency and confidence in a number of key areas. In this episode, I have a fascinating conversation with Jon Alwinson, Senior Regional Sales Manager at Boston Scientific, and author of the recently released book “Relentless Sales – the Skills, Mentality & Faith Needed To Be Great in Sales”. We talk about a number of the key principles in the book, and how mastering these can keep us on the path towards becoming exceptional. To connect with Jon and to learn more about him, including grabbing a copy of his book, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-alwinson-4599ab46/ Website – https://jonalwinson.com/

Every organisation relies on sales for its success, however, many organisations utilise the ‘hope & pray’ strategy, where they implement a marketing or sales campaign, throw as much ‘mud at the wall’ as possible, and hope that some of it will stick. And many organisations have no clear mechanism from which to measure the effectiveness of their strategies, hence they keep throwing mud. Whilst sales can be a game of numbers, there is a better way – a way to target the ideal future customer and to capture demand in the environment where that customer hangs out. In today’s episode, I had the privilege of speaking with Solomon Thimothy, the Co-Founder & CEO of IMS & Clickx, a leading inbound marketing and sales agency, which helps businesses increase their revenue utilising the 10X Framework. It is a fascinating conversation, which I hope you enjoy. To connect with Solomon and to learn more about what he does please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/solomonthimothy/ Website – https://www.thimothy.com/