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Matt Defirdinando is an external wholesaler in the Pacific Northwest. 3 times in his career he's taken his sales territory from the bottom of the trade run to the top. He discusses a few ways he's done that, specifically: mistakes to avoid, leverage to get in front of more advisors, and some fun stories/examples along the way.

Check out his series "10x Wholesaling Blueprint" to skyrocket sales & commissions while avoiding burnout. 


This information is educational in nature and does not constitute a financial promotion, investment advice or an inducement or incitement to participate in any product, offering or investment.  The opinions expressed are solely those of the speakers and do not reflect the opinions of Bluerock Capital Markets, LLC or its affiliates. Bluerock is not adopting, making a recommendation for or endorsing any investment strategy or particular security. All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of principal.

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Brian Margolis of PG Wholesaling joins the show. We discuss a 7 step framework to ensure 2025 becomes the best year of your sales career. 

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Bryan Jordan is a former economist that set the investment policy framework for over $100b in AUM at Nationwide. He joins today's show to talk about:

• Bad macro calls during his career
• Distinguishing sound financial advice vs. noise
• Why investors can expect more lengthy investment cycles than in previous eras

https://www.cycleframework.com/

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Adam Schwab manages $1b in alternatives and $700m pension assets for Modern Woodman of America. He joins todays show to share his opinions about conferences and events. We break down 12 ways that conferences can be improved for everyone involved -- Investors, Asset Managers that Sponsor, and event organizers themselves. 

https://adamdschwab.com/articles/conferences

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Billy Kelly, CEO of the CAIA Association, joins todays show to discuss the State of Private credit. We cover: AUM growth for the asset class, risk/return profile of private credit, and the pros and cons of more retail investors accessing traditionally alternative asset classes. 

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Mary Anne Doggett has worked with several asset managers and distribution teams , with a focus on the role of the internal wholesaler. She talks about those client experiences and what the evolution of the role has in store .

Final day to complete the listener survey !

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The host runs the first mailbag episode, where listeners submitted questions about trending topics in the industry, wholesaler culture, and travel.

Submit our listener survey for a chance to win $$ and podcast merch

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Russ D'Argento is the Founder and CEO of Fintrx. He joins todays show to discuss:

• His experience selling funds into channels like RIAs , Family Offices, and Private Wealth Groups -- and how getting good prospecting data was hard to come by
• Why he founded Fintrx to make contact information and hundreds of other data points easily available for RIAs, FOs, and Private Wealth Groups
• How AI is embedded in their platform to easily build list, gather competitive intel, and prepare for meeting

Fintrx free preview

Submit our listener survey for a chance to win $$ and podcast merch

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Dave Lubnik, SVP of Institutional Sales at YCharts, joins todays show. We discuss Fund Flows (end of Q3), commentary from national sales conferences, and the new YCharts proposal tool.

Start your free trial of YCharts

Also, win up to $150 in cash, cash prizes, or merch by taking our listener survey:

Listener Feedback Survey

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The host briefly breaks down the most expensive tables in the industry: Schwab Impact's vendor hall. 

Best booth set up, best activations, and best giveaways are discussed

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Kurt Dupuis and Steve Seid from Touchstone Investments join Dan to discuss career decisions that almost every wholesaler or advisor face in their career. They include:

• going from a wholesaler to an advisor
• going from a Wirehouse to an Independent BD
• going from external to management 

This is a crossover episode that was recorded for the Internal Use Only podcast and the Whole Truth podcast for financial professionals.

-Dan

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Steven Jarvis, CEO of Retirement Tax Services, joins todays show. We cover:

• Tax topics that advisors actually focus on for their clients (hint: it's way less of an investment product focus than you'd think)
• How advisors do and don't network with Centers of Influences like CPAs
• What it's like to get an IRS letter or audit

https://retirementtaxservices.com/about/

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Jeff Ringdahl has spent 25+ years in the industry, most recently as President and CEO of Resolute Investment Managers (~$80b AUM). He joins today's show to offer his perspective on how senior leadership interacts with sales/distribution efforts, including:

• Compensation plan strategy, reasons for change
• Product Development, Launching New Products
• Business impact and how alternatives are shaping the retail channels

Check out Jeff's blog - it's one of the better ones I've come across:

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Maryam Rusch, former wholesaler now co-founder of Cycle Framework Insights, joins the show:

• Her best value-add resource as an advisor
• Why she decided to Co-Found Cycle Framework
• Why outsourcing your economist makes sense
• 4 Key Cycles of their Economic Framework

Learn More and Subscribe Today

Disclaimer:
The information provided through this recording are provided solely for informational, educational, or entertainment purposes. Cycle Framework Insights is not endorsed by or affiliated with FINRA. The views expressed today, are not intended to provide legal, tax, investment, or insurance advice. Additionally, the insights, views, and other information provided today do not guarantee future performance of investments. Nothing stated should be construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any security or other financial decision.

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The host & special guest facilitate a live "Fantasy Football Draft," episode, but focused on something that wholesalers and sales teams know well:  the National Sales Call

16 common occurrences are ranked and drafted to form the ultimate Fantasy Team for your next team call.

Submit your rankings, feedback, comments, or bashing of their team names to:
internaluseonlypodcast@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram for more show updates and banter: @internaluseonlypodcast 

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Robyn Crane, CFP joins today’s show. She coaches financial advisors on all things prospecting and sales, with a focus on serving female FA’s (although not exclusively):

We cover:

• Communication gaps between men and women in the industry
• Robyn’s most successful prospecting frameworks
• Why high-volume, dial for dollars approach is outdated

Check out her website  to access a number of FREE resources, including my favorite - the masterclass on getting an ENDLESS Supply of Ideal Prospects

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Gui Costin, Founder and CEO of Dakota joins today show. We cover:

• Gui's career influences and how that inspired him to found Dakota 
• Dakota's sales process and the core principals for successfully booking meetings, storytelling, and follow-up
• Career advice for investment sales professionals
• The latest offerings and updates from Dakota

Follow us on Instagram @Internaluseonlypodcast

Disclosures 

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Kathleen B Jucar , Financial Paraplanner with Monarch Wealth & Retirement Strategies, joins today show. We cover her wholesaling career path, which brings a very unique perspective. We talk about:

• The grind from internal to external, how she positioned herself for a top tier external territory in California
• How grief shaped her career path towards helping others financially
• Mentoring women in the industry 

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Barry Nelson, Private Wealth Advisor and former wholesaler, joins today show. We discuss:

• The advisor's perspective: things wholesalers should know about FA's goals
• Get Good: the 7 Habits of Highly Successful Financial Professionals
• The Bleeding Edge: how to win conversations with your prospects

Buy your copy of Get Good: the 7 Habits of Highly Successful Financial Professionals 

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Brian Margolis of PG Wholesaling joins today's show (3:00) to discuss ideas to get more meetings. He covers:

• Taking the long-view to booking meetings and building relationships
• 2 tactics that will help you get more meetings
• Examples from successful wholesalers that work with Brian to improve their sales success

Contact Brian directly brian@productivitygiant.com if you'd like to get your calendar more full & build more meaningful relationships with your prospects.

You can also access many of his FREE tools and resources at https://pgwholesaling.com/

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Leading 400 registered reps as Founder and CEO at Coastal Wealth , Jeremy Straub joins today show. We discuss:

• His investment team's tiered-access approach to working with wholesalers and fund families, including stories of successful partnerships
• Funny stories from his time as an advisor and early sales training
• Overcoming throat cancer, and how that shaped his outlook on life and the impact that financial advisors have on clients

Jeremy is also the co-host of the Mindset Meets Money podcast.

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Kevin Baker of Kevin Baker Presents joins today show. A former wholesaler, Kevin has a remarkable story of addiction and recovery. We discuss:

• His best sales years as a wholesaler at MetLife
• How work played a role in his addiction
• Losing $1,000,000+ dollars to opioids 
• His arrest in 2016
• His road to recovery & how the wholesaling community can hear his story

If you, anyone on your sales team, or anyone at home is struggling with substance use or addiction, Kevin is available to talk. You can reach him directly at kevin@kevinbakerpresents.com

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Ryan George, Chief Marketing Officer at Docupace, joins today's show. We talk about wholesaler / marketing dynamics and a few contrarian takes about topics trending in the industry today.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rageorge/

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2024 Fantasy Football Draft - Wholesaler Edition. The guest and host draft 7-man rosters of thing sales people (wholesalers) typically experience. 

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Andrew Blake is a Senior Analyst in the Wealth Management Division of Cerulli Associates. He works daily with asset management firms and their sales leaders. He joins the Internal Use Only podcast to preview the results from their 2023 Intermediary Distribution Trends Report. This report is focused specifically on retail sales and distribution trends and will be available in June 2023. 

Reach out to Andrew directly to learn more about Cerulli and to get access to the full report. 

ablake@cerulli.com 
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewwrightblake/

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Chat GPT, the more advanced version of Smarterchild (for those millennials out there familiar with AOL instant messanger), has become increasingly popular. 

It's very effective for sales professionals, even wholesalers and advisors. Today, the host breaks down 3 ways that you can use Chat GPT for yourself and for any advisor clients:

• Prospecting emails
• Meeting notes summary with calls to action
• FA marketing , new business 

As a bonus, the host reads examples live -- showing the capabilities of the platform in real time. 

https://potomacfund.com/chatgpt-for-financial-advisors/
https://www.advisorperspectives.com/articles/2023/03/07/embracing-chatgpt-in-wealth-management

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Libby Greiwe, CEO of the Effecient Advisor LLC joins today show. 

Libby grew her own financial advisor practice to 7 figures before selling it. She found a passion for coaching advisors and helping them create their own processes and strategies to have a more successful, stress-free practice. Today, Libby works with wholesalers and advisors that want to help financial planners and financial advisors. We discuss her personal background and how it lead her to the industry, her time as an advisor, balancing work with a newborn , the 7 things that most advisors need to bring structure to in their practice, and some stories from good and bad wholesalers.

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Brendan Frazier (not the movie star but a star in his own right), joins today's show. We talk about the value of the internal sales role, and how that experience fueled him to start his own platform serving the advisor community. You can find Brendan's podcast and website below:

Human Side of Money Podcast
Wired Planning 

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Brian Kirk, Managing Partner of LC Kirk & Co (recruitment firm focusing on Wholesalers and Asset Managers), joins today's show. We discuss compensation and how it impacts wholesalers:

• Comp structure (base/bonus, BPS, commissions)
• Variable / Changes to Comp plans and how that impacts selling
• Stories from Brian's recent conversations with wholesalers across the country

Skip to (5:50) to get right to comp conversation.

Follow Brian on LinkedIn
Follow us on Instagram @Internaluseonlypodcast
Email internaluseonlypodcast@gmail.com

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We kick off 2023 with an easy-going episode. The host was recently interviewed as part of a small business podcast titled "Keep Going," which highlights the stories of small business owners across the country.  This short (17 minute) interview profiles the podcast and the host's inspiration.

Internal Use Only started as a passion project 2 years ago (and very much still is), but there's more plans ahead this year and beyond. In this episode you'll learn more about the show including:

• The show's background and why the host started recording
• Successes and failures building the audience and booking guest interviews
• Plans for the future

If you'd like to connect with the host to learn more about being involved, please reach out to internaluseonlypodcast@gmail.com

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YCharts recently published a fantastic report that details the advisor-wholesaler relationship. This report is applicable for Heads of Distribution, National Sales Managers, Divisional Managers, Externals and Internals alike.

The host highlights a few key survey results, and offers an opinion on how these data points might impact distribution professionals.

Disclaimer: the opinions expressed by the host are purely his own and are not affiliated with YCharts or any other entity.



Click here to download the full report
Start Your FREE 7-Day YCharts Trial 

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Fall 2022 Conferences are back in full force. What are 5 things that sales professionals love and hate about attending conferences? The host share some opinions based on his own experiences, and the top priorities for vendors/sales professionals that attend (and sponsor) conferences or events.

Skip to ~2:30min mark if you'd like to get right to the point.

Email us at internaluseonlypodcast@gmail.com or Connect with the host on LinkedIn to share your thoughts, feedback, or anything he missed in today's breakdown.

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Raema Mauriello, owner and founder of GiftyGal, specializes in custom gift giving for sales professionals. We discuss:

• Gift ideas in the $100-$300 dollar range
• Customizing gifts based on hobbies, interests, and activities of the recipient
• Standing out from the boring, unmemorable corporate gifts
• Appropriate gifts that don't cross the line of professional/personal gifting

Contact Raema directly, mention the Internal Use Only Podcast, and she'll prepare your custom gift ideas ready to be delivered by the holidays. 

raema@giftygal.co

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Paul Anderson, long-time investment professional and wholesaler, joins today's show. Paul has spent decades in the investment industry and has had a successful sales career working with Institutional, Bank Trust, RIA and Wealth channels. We cover:

• Navigating the manager selection process with Public Pensions & Consultants
• Tricks and tips when organizing sales presentations with CPMs, PMs, etc.
• Paul’s process oriented-approach to life and professionalism

Paul's stories and experiences are riddled with nuggets of truth applicable to sales careers and life outside of work. Connect with Paul on LinkedIn.

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Inspired by nearly 2 decades as wholesaler, Alex Knight recently co-founded  Asset Align . Asset align helps individuals access financial planning resources at no cost, and helping advisors get matched with qualified prospects. 

Wholesalers looking to be added to Asset Align's wholesaler referral program can email "Asset Align" to internaluseonlypodcast@gmail.com , or you can text us directly via the Apple podcast or spotify app.

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The host invites two battle-tested, former wholesalers to the show. They share their experiences working as internals at various asset managers. They break down some of the lovable, ever-present Characters You'll Find on a Sales Desk. They include:

• The career internal
• The one that isn't cut out for sales or doesn't want to be there
• The Hot Shot Recent Grad / Wolf of Wall Street wannabe
• The Degenerate
• The Stat Juicer / Fraud
• The over-qualified individual

Heads up, this has a longer intro than normal to explain the format and structure of today's show.

Disclaimer: the opinions expressed by the hosts are based on personal experiences and are solely their own. 

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Jason Cutter, founder of Cutter Consulting, has a knack for sales training and coaching. With 2022 coming to a close, and 2023 planning on the horizon, Jason shares his perspective on relevant sales topics like:

• Internal and external motivating factors for sales professionals
• Authentic relationships -- and understanding how you can treat clients, prospects, and even friends/family in a way that makes them feel valued
• Positive mindset & breaking out of sales slumps

https://www.cutterconsultinggroup.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jascut/
Buy Jason's book,  "Selling with Authentic Persuasion"

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Orian Williams, JD, LL.M, CFP® joins today's show. We discuss:

• Receiving the 2022 Rising Star award presented by the Association for Wholesaling Diversity
• How his law background helps him serve RIA's on tax resources/education
• How family life has influenced his work habits...and contributes to success in the field

https://www.linkedin.com/in/korianwilliams/

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Kurt Dupuis and Steve Seid, Co-Hosts of the Whole Truth Podcast for Financial Advisors & externals at Touchstone Investments, present today's show 

• 00min-25 mins: Dan Sullivan, Host of the Internal Use Only podcast, gets interviewed about the origins of the show and it's early success. Dan also asks Kurt and Steve about their show, and how they built their library of 40+ episodes
• 25:00-47:00 They discuss "Things Wholesalers Wish Advisors Knew." 

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Anybody that's ever studied for an industry exam like CAIA, Series 7, CFA, CIMA etc. will appreciate today's episode. Bill Kelly, President and CEO of the CAIA Association, joins today's show. We discuss:

• Studying for the CAIA charter, which Bill completed in 2022
• Why he wanted to lead an organization like CAIA
• State of CAIA membership globally
• Resources and Programs to enhance your knowledge of Alternative Investments

UniFi by CAIA™
Portfolio for the Future
Bill Kelly on LinkedIn

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You know that glorious feeling when a 45 minute meeting only lasts 10 minutes and everyone leaves? We bring that energy to today's show.

Call To Action: Suggest Topics + Guests

Email Us - internaluseonlypodcast@gmail.com
text: +1 804-380-3225

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Penny Phillips, Co-Founder and President  of Journey Strategic Wealth, has an extensive career as a coach and consultant for advisors. She is well-versed in a handful of industry trends and brings her perspective to today's show. We cover:

• Penny's early career as a wholesaler 
• Coaching, and why wholesalers and advisors need to have it as a skillset
• Wealth Management vs. Investment Management - transitioning away from a product-driven world towards services
• Fintech & AI in wealth management 
• Building a firm culture as a Founder of an RIA

https://journeyswadvisor.com/who-we-are/penny-phillips/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pennyaphillips/
Practice Management with Penny

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Dan Giegerich (American Century Investments) brings 17 years of wholesaling experience to today's show. We discuss:

• His career background, and his blend of selling insurance products and traditional investment products
• Hybrid wholesaling & how he's observed the progression of the role during his career
• Pros/Cons of being a hybrid wholesaler vs. living in the territory
• Lessons learned , success stories from his time as a hybrid
• Scotch & Marketing, lessons he learned after diving down a rabbit hole of Scotch research

https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-giegerich-8601a18/

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Dr. Daniel Crosby, Chief Behavioral Officer at Brinker Capital, joins today's show. We discuss:

• His non-traditional route to the finance industry
• How people are impacted by "gamification" of Robinhood and Netflix
• Tool & Resources for behavioral finance that can be used by advisors and wholesalers

https://blog.brinkercapital.com/category/behavioral-finance/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielcrosby/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/standard-deviations-with-dr-daniel-crosby/id1241946146

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Mallory Pazder spent a decade working as a wholesaler, and the experience helped her launch two new business ventures. She joins today's show to discuss:

• Maturing into the role after being promoted to an external wholesaler at a young age
• Managing her territory like a business and delegate responsibility to her internal team
• What it's like being a woman in wholesaling -- including one particularly cringe-worthy story about an advisor pushing boundaries
• Her entrepreneurial spirit, which has lead her to purse a career in Real Estate
• MPowered Coaching, her new coaching business, and the inspiration she gained for helping women in sales, business, and confidence

You can find Mallory and view her coaching plans by visiting:
https://www.mallorypazder.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallorykpazder/ 

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Mark Warren spent close to 4 decades as a wholesaler and divisional manager. He joins today's podcast to talk about 5 risks that wholesalers experience, and ways to overcome those risks. 

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Hi (Client First Name),

I hope all is well. (insert  generic line about time flying and Q1 being complete) .  As requested, please see attached materials for Q1 2022:

• Podcast Performance YTD
• PM Commentary - Thank You's to Guests + Listeners
• Market Outlook / Opportunities Ahead
• How YOU can help grow the show

As always, we appreciate your continued support and continued business. Don't hesitate to reach out with any further questions.

Best/Kind/Warm Regards,

Internal Use Only Podcast
internaluseonlypodcast@gmail.com

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Jeff Cerutti, Founder of Rutti Consulting, has over 30 years experience leading, managing, and interacting with wholesalers.  As an industry veteran working with asset managers and distribution teams, he shares his unique perspective on the wholesaling gig. This conversation isn't for the faint of heart -- we discuss habits, behaviors, and real life examples of the financial sales ecosystem. Notable topics include:

• Measuring wholesaler performance with Jeff's 5-Criteria system
• Culture between internals and externals
• Juicing talk time and activity stats on the desk
• The worst bagel selection in Wirehouse breakfast history
• Ridiculous ride-along & sales meeting encounters
• Taking advantage of your regions sights and experiences while traveling -- and never taking the red eye flight home

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-cerutti-9794266
http://rutticonsulting.com/

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Brian Margolis built his wholesaling consulting/coaching business from the ground up by getting big results for wholesalers and then letting the word spread. In addition to his work with asset managers and insurance companies, he averages over 1,000 individual wholesaler coaching sessions a year. 

In this episode, we discuss what is the truth about wholesaling today and what is actually working

 We cover:

• Running your territory as a business, not just saying it 
• The ROI of "Getting it Right" with email copy
• The Pulse of wholesalers in 2022
• Weaponizing Value Add
• Tactics that you can apply today as an external or internal

Get access to exclusive wholesaler content at PGwholesaling.com or you can email

Brian (brian@productivitygiant.com) with the subject line "Internal Use Only Podcast"

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Industry veteran Jim Roach joins the show today. He details his career as a wholesaler and experience in sales leadership. We cover:

• The skills required to successfully manage a sales desk
• Identifying  & evaluating talent of successful internal/external wholesalers 
• Coaching internals into externals
• Using data to focus efforts on prospects within your territory
• "Behind the Scenes" story of relocating to Canada and building out a new sales team 
• Manager's perspective during a ride-along
• The host shares his expert knowledge of Canadian craft beers 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesnroach/

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