The Exceptional Sales Leader Podcast

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, sleezy, untrustworthy, inauthentic.  Very rarely do I hear positive perceptions, which is disappointing. I often share with teams 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. That is the topic for today’s episode.

For many sales leaders, this time of year is not an enjoyable experience, particularly around having to prepare and then conduct the formalised annual performance review. One of the key reasons for this is they dust off the performance review document, and then wrack their brain on what elements can be included in the document to then be able to conduct the conversation. No wonder they don’t enjoy it. Exceptional sales leaders do not wait until the formalised review to discuss performance – they make it their priority to conduct laser focused conversations around performance next to real time, so that there are no surprises come the formalised review. This is what I discuss in today’s episode as well as provide some tips on how to make these conversations more effective.

In working with sales leaders and their teams for many years now, I’m staggered at the number of individuals, whether it be sales people, or in some cases, sales leaders, who search for the easy road – the shortcut. Many of them expect instant results and will often only apply ‘token efforts’ to achieve results. And when the ideal results are not forthcoming, they will look to external forces to justify the outcome. No matter what industry you look at, or what role within that industry, both ‘success’ and ‘failure’ leaves clues. And it is the astute individual who will be a student, who will observe and ask curious based questions, who will search for and analyse those clues, and who will tap into the one force which separates exceptional performers from everyone else – excellence. That is the topic that I explore in today’s episode.

I’m so thrilled to be able to have Doug C Brown, Sales Revenue & Profit Growth Expert from CEO Sales Strategies, back on the podcast for a second conversation. Today’s conversation is a continuation of exploring the inner sales voice that we as sales people and sales leaders must be attuned to, as well as building awareness of the labels we apply to ourselves and others, which can either enhance, or diminish our chances of being successful. If you have a desire to become a 1% sales earner in your business and industry, then we must be crystal clear on who we are, what we stand for, why we do what we do, and who is our key target customer. Doug has built a phenomenal sales & sales leadership career, and worked with some of the world’s highest achievers, so the value he brings to this episode is not based on theory, it is based on experience. I trust you enjoy the conversation. Doug is also about to release a brand new e-book on how to be a non-stop 1% sales earner, which he will be selling upon its release. However, for listeners of this podcast, if you send Doug an email at [email protected] and mention this episode, Doug will provide you with a copy of the book free of charge. If you are serious about lifting your sales performance and becoming a 1% earner, this book is a must.

Are you curious as to what it is that separates the exceptional performers, whether they be in business, sport, or entertainment, from their competitors? Many point to talent as being a key reason. Talent is a contributor but it is not the defining factor. Others point to connections – who they know – as a factor. Being connected certainly helps, but again, it is not the defining factor. Some even point to luck. Yes, luck does play a part, but again, it is not the defining factor. And many also point to hard work. Yes, not a single successful person became successful without working hard. That is a given. However, what’s really interesting about exceptionally successful people is their relentless focus on ‘one more’. It is this focus that separates them from their competition. That’s the topic for today’s episode.

Working in sales for over 20 years, I was staggered at the number of sales managers and teams that would frown upon failure – to the point where sales people would do whatever they could to avoid making mistakes. And in working as a coach & mentor to sales leaders and their teams for the last 8 years, unfortunately nothing much has changed. The pressure to hit the number is all consuming and within the sales environment, the expectation is to convert every opportunity because the forensic investigation if we ‘fail’ is more about apportioning blame, not learning so as to improve. Not a recipe for exceptional performance. In today’s episode, I explore why failure is a necessary ingredient to sales success.

I often talk about sales being the ultimate form of service, and irrespective of whether we have a sales role or not, we are all in sales. Unfortunately though, many sales people have a poor reputation because of how they approach sales, which can be off putting for many people. We can learn to love sales and even become a master of sales, if we master some fundamentals. In today’s episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Gail Kasper, Author, Speaker, Producer and Sales Innovator. We talk all things sales and sales leadership, including how to be unstoppable in sales, as well as how to sell like a cockatoo. It is a fabulous conversation that I hope you enjoy. To connect with Gail, please go to: Website – https://gailkasper.com/ LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/gailkasper/ Email – [email protected]

If there is one thing that has come out of the last 3 years, it is that the world feels a lot smaller. The sheer volume of news and information being front of mind globally has been almost unlike any other time in history. And with this has come a much sharper focus on leadership. To say that there is a huge void in quality leadership around the world right now would be a massive understatement. For young people with ambitions of leading others in the future, unfortunately they do not have great examples of leaders to emulate. The role models do not model great leadership behaviours. Even more concerning, there is a fear that these young people observe the current leaders and believe that is leadership. It’s not. We need to change the narrative. We need leaders to step up and provide a different and better example of what real leadership is. And it starts with me and it starts with you. It’s time to become the Leader that your team needs and deserves.

I share with groups all the time that irrespective of the position or the organisation, every single person is in sales, whether we like it or not. Whether we are selling a product, a service or an idea, we must exert influence in order for a change to be created and an experience to be had. In today’s episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Elia Donati, Personal Chef, and a man on a mission. From working in his father’s business making cold calls each day, to moving to Australia at the age of 21 without being able to speak any english, Elia’s story one of passion, enthusiasm and persistence. And today, he creates exceptional in home dining experiences for people as a personal chef. To connect with Elia, please check out his Instagram page or website: Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/eliadonati/ Website – https://www.eliadonati.com/

As sales leaders, we all want to increase our level of influence – people in the team, our peers, key partners, customers and certainly senior executives. Interestingly, many believe the way to do that is through telling, through providing information, and in many cases, through trying to convince and impress people. This may work for some, but often this influence is short lived. The secret to influence is realising that it is not about you – you don’t have to try to impress or convince, just be you. It may be a cliche, but people will not necessarily remember what you told them or what content you delivered, but they will always remember how you made them feel. Influence is not rocket science, and in today’s episode, I explore 10 principles that can help you significantly improve your ability to influence. Hope you enjoy it.

Over 100 years ago, James Allen wrote the incredible book ‘As A Man Thinketh’ and in it he described the principle that we become who we think about. It was perhaps one of the first personal development books that delved into the power of mindset, attitude and emotional intelligence. The principle is still true today as it was over 100 years ago, and as sales leaders we must be constantly vigilant over the thinking patterns we choose to employ and the actions we take from those patterns. And closely aligned to these thinking patterns are the choices we make around who we surround ourselves with. This is what I discuss on today’s episode.

In working with sales leaders and their teams, I am constantly fascinated by what separates the average performers from the exceptional performers, especially when it appears, on the surface at least, that they have equal levels of talent, capability and opportunity. I have come to understand more and more, the power of the conversations we have in the 6 inches between our ears. Our inner voice is super powerful, and it can either massively enhance our ability to perform, or if we listen to it, sabotage our performance. And the great news is that we can control the conversation. In today’s episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Doug C Brown, CEO of CEO Sales Strategies, and creator of the Top 1% Academy, about how we can better control the inner conversation and utilise this to drive exceptional performance. To secure a free copy of Doug’s upcoming ebook on how to become a top 1% sales earner, send an email to: [email protected] To connect with Doug and to learn more about CEO Sales Strategies, go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougbrown123/ Website – https://ceosalesstrategies.com/

In many organisations, high performing sales people are often gifted with sales leadership responsibility based on their level of performance and level of potential – they sit in the ‘top right’ quadrant. It is often the next logical step in their sales journey. The challenge though is many high performing sales people are not prepared for the opportunity when it presents itself, and as such, feel thrusted into a leadership role without the transition blueprint or game plan. Many of them had not consciously considered a sales leadership role, and often find themselves floundering, especially in the first 90 days. It is why many sales leaders end up deciding that sales leadership is not for them, and instead, they return to an individual contributor role. The real reason though, is they have not yet developed their ‘Why’. That is the topic for today’s conversation.

One of the key challenges for sales leaders and their organisations is being able to identify their key market differentiation, what makes them unique, and then identifying how to exploit that differentiation to disrupt the market. Not many succeed. In today’s episode, I have the pleasure of speaking with Evan Montero, the Co-Founder and CEO of DIY Blinds, a fully Australian-owned and made eServices start up that has achieved a $100m+ valuation in less than 5 years. We chat about the importance of customer service as a key differentiator, what are the key elements to building a solid sales team, as well as exploring Evan’s leadership style that has helped his organisation become very successful. A very insightful conversation that I’m sure you’ll enjoy. To connect with Evan or to learn more about DIY Blinds, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-montero-17956091/ Website – https://www.diyblinds.com.au/

If there is one key differentiator that separates Exceptional Sales Leaders from their peers, it is their ability to build high quality connections. They genuinely care about their people and everyone they come in contact with, and through this process, become almost like a lightning rod to attract talent and build a high quality and an elite performance culture. They especially become Masters of 5 key principles which I discuss on today’s episode.

Sales teams are made up of different people, with difference characteristics, different attributes, different experiences and different strengths. We hear a-lot about sales leaders conducting SWOT analyses and then focusing their attention on identified weaknesses, and building strategies and plans to turn those weaknesses into strengths. How about we instead hone in on the strengths and encourage people to play to these? That’s that topic of discussion in today’s episode.

In working with sales leaders and their teams, I come across lots of different people, with many different behaviour and communication styles. What intrigues me though is the number of leaders and aspiring leaders who compare themselves to others, and often in an unhealthy way. They look at senior leaders or leaders who have more experience or who appear to have more ‘success’, and either wish they could be like them, or in some cases, hold them up as an example to which they could never step up to. This is sad, and can be dangerous. In today’s episode, the key message is never compare yourself with anyone else.

As a sales leader, there is a huge responsibility that sits on your shoulders, including driving an engaged culture, driving high performance, coaching, mentoring, as well as being able to articulate a strong message to your senior stakeholders. The expectation that senior leaders have is that you must know your numbers, and if you don’t, you seriously run the risk of diminishing your credibility, which can impact your profile, reputation, as well as hindering the ability of the team to deliver. In today’s episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Tommy McNulty, Founder & CEO of Rhythm, and we discuss the critical importance of sales leaders having financial fluency, and what some of the key numbers that sales leaders must understand in order to drive strong performance, especially in uncertain market conditions. To connect with Tommy and to find out more about Rhythm, go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommcnulty1/ Website – https://www.onrhythm.io/ Email – [email protected]

When working with leaders, I often encourage them to become feedback machines. There are countless opportunities on a daily basis for feedback, and exceptional leaders are constantly maximising them. Creating an environment where feedback is not only expected, it is demanded, is one of the keys to high performance. What’s fascinating though is that many leaders, for some reason, have a level of trepidation about 360 degree feedback. They say that feedback is important, are more than happy to receive the accolades for great results, however, where there may be some different perspectives or disagreements, they often quickly move into defensive mode, or in some cases, aggressive mode. Exceptional leaders embrace and lean into 360 degree feedback. That is the topic of today’s episode.

If there is one characteristic that separates exceptional leaders from their peers, it is their ability to flex their leadership style depending on the current situation and the people in it. Being able to adjust communication style based on either the personal style or behaviour style of the person in your team is vital to build credibility and ultimately trust, and the vast majority of leaders can do this almost intuitively. How often though do we stop to consider where a member of the team sits in terms of their development and competency? And how often do you find out what motivates your team? In speaking with & working with sales leaders, when asking that question of what motivates their team, it is rare that leaders have a definitive answer. However, knowing what motivates the team does provide a clue as to how they should be lead. If we can demonstrate leadership flexibility, we can further unlock the potential of the team based on these 2 elements – motivation & competency, or also known as will & skill. That’s what I discuss in today’s episode.

What is interesting as I observe leaders, especially in sales, is that many of them are driven by certainty, have a need to follow a proven formula and possess a relentless focus on achieving the numbers. Many of them unfortunately do not acknowledge that this approach is, in many cases, actually preventing them from becoming exceptional. They are following what they consider to be a tried and true pathway, and yet, they are not achieving the results they desire or the fulfilment and satisfaction they crave.  What they need to do is quit. And perhaps you need to quit as well. Are you prepared to quit? In this episode, I consider some things you may need to quit.

Following on from yesterday’s episode, I have just enjoyed a great conversation with Ryan Warriner on his Podcast, The Professionally Speaking Podcast, about communication, effectively influencing and the importance of being authentic. Being someone who you are not is tiring and exhausting, and often puts pressure on to remember how to behave in certain situations. In today’s episode, I share some thoughts on how to be authentic and what can happen when we are.

As a sales leader, it is critical that we build and maintain a multi dimensional team if we are to have the possibility of achieving sustainable success. Unfortunately far too many sales leaders build one dimensional teams – teams filled with people who are almost carbon copies of each other, which over time, only stifles potential, growth and ultimately, results. A challenge for many leaders is to become more of a chameleon, a person who is able to adapt their style to suit the environment they find themselves in, and to be able to exert influence within that environment. In today’s episode, I discuss this and share thoughts on how to become more self aware, and more aware of others, based on different characteristics. Are you a chameleon?

Last week I recorded a podcast on emotional intelligence & how important it is as a sales leader to develop that EQ muscle. Today I want to go a little deeper and address a topic that I see & hear a-lot of sales leaders partake in, and it is not healthy. I’m really big on listening skills, so the title of this episode may be a little counter intuitive – I want to encourage you to stop listening and start talking – please listen to this episode to find out why.

As sales leaders, we must understand that we are being watched like a hawk. Our team are eagerly watching everything we do, as well as watching what we don’t do. They are also listening to what we are saying as well as listening to what we are not saying. It is therefore critical that we are clear on our intentions. With this in mind, how often are you intentional with the impression you are wanting to create, in every interaction? Even with people we know really well, we are constantly creating an impression, as well as when we meet people for the first time. As these impressions are formed very quickly, it stands to reason that we look at what we can control so as to create the best impression possible. So how can we do this? By consciously thinking about and applying 7 key behaviours which will stack the odds in our favour of creating a powerful first impression. That is what I cover in today’s episode.

Emotional Intelligence is becoming more and more critical to the ability of leaders to be exceptional. Companies are no longer simply looking at a person’s performance track record, or how smart they may be, as an indicator of their employability. They are now looking deeper into the cognitive abilities of the leader, can they think on their feet, can they regulate their emotions, and can they remain calm in difficult situations. If we are to lead in 2023 and beyond, and if we have the desire to become exceptional, we must learn to lead with emotional intelligence.

One of the key areas I focus on when coaching and mentoring Sales Leaders is the behaviours and actions that must be taken in order to deliver exceptional results. Far too many sales leaders revert to driving relentless focus on the numbers often at the expense of the behaviours, which can often result in poor outcomes, or at best, short term spikes in performance. If we are to oversee an exceptional team and become in the process an exceptional sales leader, then we must learn to step back and focus our attention on progress rather than perfection. However, there are 2 key things that we as sales leaders must get straight so that we can do this with confidence: 1) Define current reality & 2) Know our numbers. That’s the topic of today’s episode.

Many leaders ‘fall’ into a leadership role after being recognised as a high potential and high performer, and yet often do not have the guidance or blueprint to make the transition a smooth one. This can often lead them to considering whether the role is right for them. Having access to a leadership and career coach can definitely help in this area. In today’s episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Sonja Price, Career & Leadership Coach and Founder of Dynamo Careers, and we discuss a number of topics, including taking control of your own career, building a career strategy and whether higher qualifications like a MBA is required. Hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. To connect with Sonja, go to https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonjaprice/ To take advantage of a free career assessment, go to https://dynamocareers.com/assessment

If there is one key area the vast majority of sales people could improve, as could many Sales Leaders, it is their in call performance. Irrespective of the industry, product or service, it is incredible how many sales people lead the conversation with information, providing a plethora of amazing features of their product or service, and in many cases, not noticing the eyes of their customer glaze over. They end up walking out of the call thinking they have delivered a high quality sales call, and yet have nothing tangible to show for it. There is a better way, and that is the topic of today’s episode.

Interesting conversations this week with sales leaders and sales directors, all around sales and the unrelenting focus on numbers. Depending on who you talk to, the numbers are king and all conversations are geared around the number, which can often be overwhelming for sales people and create incredible pressure. There is a better way, and this is what I discuss on today’s episode. Enjoy.

One thing I have realised over the years is that not everyone is suited to leadership. With leadership comes responsibility and my belief that has been formed is that a person must want to take on a leadership role in order to have an opportunity of being successful, and not have the role simply thrust upon them. Unfortunately too many people are thrust into a leadership role based on their performance as an individual contributor, and find it challenging. In today’s episode, I discuss some of the key attributes that we need to possess in order to be a good leader, whilst also recognising that it is okay if we choose not to be a leader. Enjoy.

As leaders, one of the key responsibilities we have is to communicate a message to our team, to our business, to key stakeholders, to customers, as well as to the market. Unfortunately many leaders do not spend enough time considering their message and more importantly, how that message needs to be delivered. The result? Often the message falls flat, and even worse, the receiver of the message not taking the action we want. We need to get better at delivering our message, and in today’s episode, Ryan Warriner does just that. Ryan is a Professor of Communication, an Author, Speaker, Podcaster, Executive Trainer and Coach, and has a fascinating background, starting his career in teaching children. If you are looking to improve your communication capabilities, especially presenting, then this episode is a must listen. To connect with Ryan, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanjwarriner/ Website – https://www.professionalpresentationservices.com/ Podcast – https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-professionally-speaking-podcast/id1600699083 To purchase a copy of Ryan’s book, ‘The Effective Presenter’, please go to : https://www.amazon.com/Effective-Presenter-Winning-Business-Presentations-ebook/dp/B09MMNX8PG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3FVO6QZCUONOU&keywords=The+effective+presenter&qid=1676598218&sprefix=the+effective+presenter%2Caps%2C330&sr=8-1

Working with lots of teams and aspiring leaders, many of then seem to have an interesting view of what leadership is about, almost an idealistic view. They think leadership will come with prestige, status, influence and accolades, all the positive stuff. However, they often do not look at the other side of leadership – the grind, the hard conversations and the uncertainty. There are no medals in leadership.

When it comes to sales, most sale executives and sales leaders are blinded by their own beliefs about their offerings and their solutions. This results in them often coming across as pushy, or trying to convince a customer to take a specific course of action. We know that sales is all about problem solving and in order to help a customer solve a problem, we must change the way we think, and therefore how we interact with them. In order to influence, we need to consider what are the elements that will enable us to persuade them in an authentic way. This is where ‘so what?’ comes into it. Enjoy this episode.

One of the fascinating areas of sales is the psychology of selling, both from a selling perspective, as well as from a buyers perspective. So many sales people are conditioned to focus on their own company’s products, services and solutions and hence their behaviours in a sales call reflect that. When they are challenged by a customer on price or functionality, they have the ‘answers’ – the problem though is often those answers are not enough to tip the customer over the edge from curious to committed. They are very product focused and not problem, solution or value focused. Exceptional sales people know their value and they hold the line. That’s the topic of today’s episode.

When speaking with sales leaders and their teams, more often than not they are searching for improvements in their technique, or a tweak to their process or methodology, hoping that the tweaking will lead to improved results. What is often not front of mind is the importance of their mindset. Why is that? Often it is such a difficult topic to quantify and measure, hence it is somewhat de-prioritised. Mindset though is the difference that makes all the difference, especially at the elite level. And if we are to become an exceptional sales leader, we must adopt an exceptional sales leader mindset.

Over the last 8 years, I have thoroughly enjoyed working with sales leaders & their teams to help them unleash their sales potential, engaging with sales teams across a very wide spectrum of industries. The vast majority have their customers best interests at heart. The one consistent element though through just about every single sales team is the propensity to introduce & talk about their product or service too early in the buyers purchasing cycle. And sales leaders, we are often the biggest culprits (I have both of my hands in the air right now!!) It is absolutely essential that we believe in our product or service, but we must recognise one very important point – customers do not want your product & they do not want your service. What they want is a solution to either a known problem or a problem that has been identified through having a conversation with you. Can you resist the urge?

Workplace diversity and inclusion is a huge topic in society today and will only continue to get bigger. As sales leaders, it is incredibly important that we embrace diversity and be more consciously aware of any stereotypes or biases that may be impacting our decision making, both with our existing team, and especially when it comes to bringing on new talent. And being truly diverse and truly inclusive will not require organisations to have specific targets or quotas for specific people. How diverse is your team?

It is not often that I get the opportunity to have a conversation with a fellow Sales Trainer, Sales Consultant and Sales Speaker. Why? Because many people in this industry are highly competitive and not willing to share their insights, thoughts and ideas to help improve the sales profession. Many of them are very protective. L’areal is not one of them. As Founder and CEO of Lipkins Consulting Group, L’areal has built a very successful career in the sales training and consulting field and is highly sought after by organisations seeking to significantly improve their sales approach, customer retention and customer conversion. In this episode, we discuss what top performing salespeople do differently that enables them to achieve exceptional results. If you are a salesperson looking to drive better results, or a sales leader looking for strategies to maximise the potential of your sales team, this conversation is a must listen. To connect with and learn more about L’areal, including getting notification of her soon to be released book, ‘What Top Performing Salespeople Do Different’, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/lareallipkins/ Website – https://www.lareallipkins.com/

If there is one thing that I have consistently seen over many years working with sales leaders and their teams, it is the lack of preparation for sales calls. Many sales executives sit in front of either customers or prospective customers and ‘wing it’, often defaulting to speaking about their product or service, or even worse, pricing!! Unfortunately the vast majority have learned this behaviour from their sales managers or dare I say it, senior executives who are wheeled in for the ‘royal visit’. And in the process, the customer is working overtime to stay awake and pay attention – a snore fest!! With business executives and business owners constantly busy and lacking time, we must search for ways to be more effective in our sales calls, to provide a legitimate reason as to why the customer should prioritise seeing you again, over every other sales executive who knocks on their door. And it doesn’t need to be complicated. In this episode, I share a simple hack that can revolutionise your sales calls, but please do not be fooled by its simplicity.

It has often been said that it is lonely at the top – and anyone who has been in a senior leadership position would probably agree whole heartedly with that statement. The pressure on a leader to set the strategy, cast the vision, and deliver the result has never been greater than now, and for many leaders, they have no one who they can confide in, bounce ideas off, or seek guidance and counsel from. They often feel like a lone wolf. Enter the fool. In today’s episode, I enjoy a 2nd conversation with the wonderful Paul Glover, and we discuss in detail why everyone needs a fool in their life. And please do not be fooled – the fool is not what you think. Buckle in, and get ready to understand why a fool is a necessary character in your life. To connect with Paul, and to be notified when his free resource ‘How to Identify a Fool’ is available, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulglovercoaching/ Email – [email protected] Website – https://paulglovercoaching.com/

In the busyness of sales, it is easy to get caught up in the moment, and react to the situation we find ourselves and our team in. How often though do we, as sales leaders, take a step back and ask ourselves ‘Am I helping or am I hindering?’ If you are like me when I was leading sales teams, the answer is not very often. Over the years, the more I have worked with sales leaders and their teams, the more I have realised that we must be 100% conscious of the each moment, and must build better awareness around what we are projecting. This is what I explore in today’s episode.

In elite sporting environments, we hear more and more the reference to culture and if a team is to perform sustainably at an exceptional level, there must be an engaged and inclusive culture. There is also a huge amount of pressure, both externally and internally on the leaders to maximise performance and to deliver results, which can often have leaders questioning their priorities and where they invest their time and energy. What has not been spoken about at length is the importance of character, and how character can help define the culture, and directly contribute to the results. In today’s episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Jon Haines, author of the book ‘Rock Solid Character’, and we delve into the key traits of character and how sporting teams, sales teams and organisations can utilise these to build a high performing and engaged culture. Jon has spent many years of his adult life in elite sporting organisations, including the Fremantle Football Club, North Melbourne Football club, and more recently, the Gold Coast SUNS, and witnessed first hand what happens to a culture when there are people of great character, as well as understanding what can happen when ‘talent & performance’ is prioritised over character. It is a fascinating conversation and well worth listening to and absorbing. To connect with Jon and to grab a copy of his book, ‘Rock Solid Character’, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-haines-8378ba25/ Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Solid-Character-Jon-Haines/dp/1922890022

Sales is the lifeblood of every business, period. And yet many organisations, small and large, struggle with selling their products and services and therefore miss out on maximising their potential. In many cases, smaller organisations which have grown from start up, rely heavily on the founder to ‘sell’, and often this person is not a salesperson, and does not want to be a salesperson. As a result, the growth of the organisation is stifled. In today’s episode, I enjoy a fabulous conversation with Andy Dickens, Founder and CEO of Virtual Sales Ltd, an organisation that has been helping companies & businesses drive qualified sales pipelines for over 21 years, turning curious prospects into committed customers. We talk all things sales, from lead generation through LinkedIn to cold calling. To connect with Andy and to learn more about Virtual Sales Ltd, please go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/andydickens-ittelemarketing/ Website – https://www.virtual-sales.com/

As a leader, it is vital that we are aware that our every move is being watched like a hawk. Our team expects us to set the example. To ‘Be’ the Model of Excellence that will lead to exceptional and sustainable results. And it starts with the small things. Everything we do is a strategy and whilst the small ‘stuff’ may not appear important or relevant on the surface, it is the strategy behind it which will indicate how successful we will be, and ultimately how influential we will be.

Sales Leaders today are under more and more pressure, and this will only ramp up further as 2023 progresses. Getting requests from left, right and centre can sometimes feel overwhelming as multiple stakeholders hold different expectations. We need to understand this key principle – if we do not control our diary, others will, and we will therefore be at the mercy of other people’s agendas. Hence, we need to get better at saying no. That is what I explore in today’s episode.

As a sales leader, what environment are you creating? It’s a question that I often ask sales leaders and the response is often ‘high performing, empowering….’ – often positive. And yet when I look at them in action, the focus is always on the numbers, and hence the conversation is always centred on numbers. So as long as the numbers are good, we have a high performing environment. Numbers are important, but they are not the be all and end all. Exceptional Sales Leaders are intentional about the environment they create, and they ensure that the environment is sustainable over a long period of time.

Happy New Year. With a new year comes new hopes, new ambitions and new levels of energy. The slate is clean and we can create whatever we want. Use 2022 as a platform for exponential growth in 2023 and decide to make this year your most exceptional year yet. For that to happen, we know we must think differently, behave differently and lead differently. If we expect a different result in 2023 without making some changes from what we did in 2022, then we know the outcome – same same. The first 90 days are critical and present us with the opportunity to really shape the year. Here are 9 things to embrace to get off to a great start.

This year has been another phenomenal year of challenges, obstacles, growth and opportunities, and in this last podcast episode for 2022, I would like to thank every guest who gave up their time to provide their guidance, insights and expertise to the listeners, as well as thank you the listener, for plugging into The Exceptional Sales Leader Podcast. I continue to be humbled by the opportunity to provide insights on sales and sales leadership, as well as to be able to speak to the calibre of people that I have, with the express intention of helping as many people as possible become exceptional sales leaders. I am also incredibly grateful for this podcast being heard in over 72 countries around the world. Thank you. May you and your family enjoy a Very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and I look forward to providing more value to you in 2023.

There are many attributes and characteristics that sales leaders and their teams must embrace and develop in order to become exceptional – understanding their buyers cycle, key problems in the marketplace, sales strategy, just to name a few. An area that is often overlooked is the art of negotiation. Too many sales leaders and their teams ‘wing it’ when it comes to negotiations, whether that be with internal stakeholders or external stakeholders, and hope that the strength of their solution or the perceived strength of their relationship, will deliver the outcome. It rarely does. In today’s episode, I had the privilege of speaking with Mark Raffan, CEO and Founder of Negotiations Ninja™, and host of the Negotiations Ninja™ Podcast. We discuss the challenges faced by many sales people when it comes to negotiating, and delve into the 3 core habits that must be developed in order to become a negotiating ninja. Mark offers some very sound guidance when it comes to building our negotiating muscle. To connect with Mark, and to learn more about Negotiations Ninja™, go to: LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/markraffan/ Website – https://negotiations.ninja/ Podcast – https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/negotiations-ninja-podcast/id1300435924