Explore every episode of the podcast Tea and Timbits

We've all seen them. A wall of impressive logos, a few glowing claims, and perhaps a suspiciously round percentage improvement.

But does any of that actually build trust?

In our latest episode, we're talking about how case studies can become genuine business development tools rather than expensive exercises in congratulating ourselves.

We explore:

• Why evidence beats a polished sales pitch.

• How to tell meaningful success stories without exposing confidential client details.

• Why independent perspectives can make your credibility stronger.

• How to turn a case study into something that benefits BOTH you and your client.

And here's the idea that got us particularly excited:

Instead of asking clients to help tell our success stories, why don't we help them tell theirs?

It's a subtle shift, but one that could make the whole conversation much more interesting.

We also manage a detour into emotional intelligence, team culture, and the value of actually checking in with people before racing through the meeting agenda.

Another 20 minutes of British and Canadian business wisdom. Or at least two people enthusiastically discovering ideas they probably should have implemented years ago.

#TeaAndTimbits #BuildingTrust #BusinessDevelopment #CaseStudies #B2BSales

We’re back with a bonus episode on negotiations, because apparently four weeks of talking about contracts, deals, and difficult decisions just wasn’t enough.

This time, we’re tackling due diligence. How much homework should you really do before signing on the dotted line? And at what point does being thorough turn into chasing certainty that simply doesn't exist?

We explore the dangers of rushing into agreements, the equally frustrating trap of analysis paralysis, and why understanding the people behind a deal can be just as important as understanding the numbers.

Along the way, we take an unexpected detour into British political conferences, what they can teach businesses about running better events, and why building genuine relationships delivers value long after everyone has gone home.

It's a bonus helping of Tea and Timbits, complete with practical business lessons, a few tangents, and the occasional reminder that even the best preparation can't guarantee a perfect outcome.

“Just sign the contract. It’ll be fine.”Possibly one of the least reassuring sentences in business.In this week’s Tea and Timbits, we’re talking about negotiation tools — and not the kind that require another software subscription, three dashboards and a consultant to explain the dashboard.We mean the practical stuff:• A letter of intent that records what everyone thought they were agreeing to • A negotiation brief that captures objections, boundaries and desired outcomes • A commercial model that makes sure the deal can actually be delivered profitably • A proper handover document so the delivery team doesn’t have to interrogate the salesperson afterwardsBecause the contract is only part of the story.The real danger is all the promises, assumptions and “oh yes, we talked about that” details floating around outside it.We also get into a recent negotiation where changing expectations and a slightly casual attitude to contracts raised a much bigger question: is this actually a business relationship we want?Sometimes the smartest negotiation move isn’t getting the deal signed.It’s knowing when not to.🎙️ Tea and Timbits — global perspectives on business development to help you prosper.#Negotiation #BusinessDevelopment #Sales #Contracts #Leadership

Negotiations have an annoying habit of refusing to follow the script.

In this episode, we look at why a negotiation playbook isn’t about memorising clever lines or predicting every possible objection. It’s about doing the thinking before the pressure is on.

We dig into setting principles and walk-away points, agreeing internally on what success actually looks like, preparing alternative packages, involving the people who’ll eventually have to deliver what you’ve promised, and even doing a bit of role play before the big conversation.

We also wander into the dangers of waiting for the “perfect” moment to launch something — because sometimes the best validation is simply putting it in front of the market.

Our conclusion? Standardise the preparation, not the customer. Have a playbook, know your boundaries, prepare some alternatives…and then be ready for the other side to completely ignore your beautifully prepared scenario.

A deal can survive months of selling, negotiating and relationship-building… only to wander into legal and emerge looking like it’s been through customs twice.

In our latest episode, we talk about contract reviews and one of the biggest mistakes we see: treating the legal stage as a handoff.

It isn’t.

Legal teams are there to identify and manage risk. Commercial teams still need to stay involved so the agreement reflects what was actually promised, what the customer values, and what the business can realistically deliver.

We cover:

• Why “standard terms” aren’t always commercially neutral
• Why a legally acceptable clause can still be operationally painful
• Why sales shouldn’t disappear once the lawyers arrive
• Why reading the contract yourself is still worth the effort
• And why legal should be an adviser, not automatically the gatekeeper

Our basic rule: if the contract makes a good deal impossible to deliver profitably, the paperwork hasn’t protected the deal—it’s changed it.

And yes, we have a few contract-war stories. Apparently we’ve collected more of them than we realised.

#BusinessDevelopment #Negotiation #Contracts #Sales #CommercialStrategy #Legal #B2B

Negotiation has a bit of a reputation. It can sound like two sides digging in, guarding their territory, and waiting to see who blinks first.

In this episode, we talk about why the best negotiations rarely feel like that.

We explore the difference between collaboration and negotiation, why the two should work together rather than compete with each other, and how a collaborative mindset can take a lot of unnecessary friction out of pricing, contracts, scope, liabilities, payment terms and all the other cheerful topics that make everyone suddenly very interested in their coffee.

We also kick things off with a customer-service story involving a digital platform that was apparently working perfectly… apart from the small detail that customers couldn’t actually use it.

The bigger lesson? Whether you’re selling, buying, troubleshooting or finalizing a contract, good outcomes usually start with empathy, curiosity and a willingness to solve the problem together.

Because negotiation doesn’t have to mean buyer versus seller. Sometimes it’s simply two sides trying to find a version of the deal that works for everyone.

This week, we’re talking proposal tools… although, in classic Tea & Timbits fashion, we spend a fair chunk of the episode explaining why the shiny tools probably aren’t the first thing you need.

We start with a reminder that good sales often comes back to the basics: a defined process, clear next steps, and the courage to recognize when a prospect is quietly telling you “no.” From there, we get into the idea of a proposal operating system — a repeatable structure for qualification, commercial thinking, reviews, templates, and governance, rather than relying on heroic late nights and favours from whoever happens to be good at PowerPoint.

AI inevitably joins the conversation too. We look at why business context, licensing, access to company knowledge, and choosing the right ecosystem matter far more than obsessing over which model happens to be “best” this month.

The big takeaway? Tools can make a good process better. They can’t rescue a process that doesn’t exist. And yes, one of us had a lovely list of tools prepared that never actually made it into the episode. We’re very professional like that.

We sat down to talk about tools for sales proposals.

Naturally, we ended up talking about why the tools might not be the problem.

A lot of businesses try to fix an inconsistent sales or proposal process by adding technology: a better CRM, a slicker website, a new integration, an AI assistant, another template…

But if the underlying process is unclear, all you’ve really done is automate the confusion.

In this episode of Tea & Timbits, we get into:

• Why “back to basics” is still good sales advice.
• The value of always agreeing the next meeting before the current one ends.
• Why a prospect who won’t commit to a next step may already be giving you your answer.
• The idea of a proposal operating system for consistent qualification, reviews, commercial thinking and governance.
• Where AI genuinely helps — and why context, licensing and company knowledge matter more than model tribalism.
• Why templates should evolve as you use them, rather than becoming dusty relics from three rebrands ago.

Our conclusion: tools should optimize a good process, not substitute for one.

Also, one of us arrived with an actual list of tools to share. The other one successfully talked long enough that the list never saw daylight.

Teamwork.

#Sales #BusinessDevelopment #Proposals #AI #SalesProcess #B2BSales

Proposal templates are useful.

Until they aren’t.

In this episode, we talk about one of those deceptively simple sales questions: what format should a proposal actually take?

A polished PDF?

A PowerPoint?

A response inside the buyer’s RFP template?

A simple statement of work?

A video?

A one-page website?

Our conclusion: the format should follow the buyer, the decision, and the situation—not our internal attachment to “the way we always do proposals.”

We also get into the slightly uncomfortable bit: sometimes the buyer has asked the wrong question.

That doesn’t mean ignoring their process. It means answering what they asked for and, when appropriate, giving them the context they may not yet know they need.

Which sounds wonderfully strategic until you realise you’ve spent three weeks politely trying to expand an RFP and the buyer is effectively saying, “Yes, lovely… but can you please just fill in the form?”

We’ve all been there.

This episode covers:

- choosing a proposal format that fits the audience

- when to follow an RFP exactly

- when to add supporting material

- how to avoid overloading buyers

- why sometimes the best proposal is the simplest one

And, because this is us, we also manage to connect proposal strategy with new babies, uncertainty, and recovering from an audio glitch without a second take.

🎙️ Tea & Timbits: Global Perspectives on Business Development to Help You Prosper!

RFP arrives.

Cue excitement.

Then, occasionally, several days of frantic proposal writing followed by the dawning realisation that perhaps we should have asked a few questions first.

In this week’s episode, we talk about the three broad choices we think businesses have when an RFP lands:

Try to win it. Reshape the process. Or walk away.

The important bit is deciding which one before mobilising half the company, cancelling everyone’s weekend, and asking AI to produce 47 slightly different versions of the executive summary.

We cover why even an RFP from an existing client should be treated as a fresh opportunity, why you still need to qualify the buyer, budget, stakeholders and competitive landscape, and why procurement’s process does not automatically have to become your entire sales process.

We also touch on something we’re starting to notice more with AI: it can compress an extraordinary amount of work into a much shorter period… which is brilliant, until your brain sends you an invoice.

Our main takeaway?

Permission to participate is not probability of winning.

If you’re responding to RFPs, that distinction can save an enormous amount of time, energy and disappointment.

Most proposals explain the solution.

The best proposals prove the decision.

In our latest episode, we explore “proof architecture” — the combination of evidence, structure and story that helps a buyer feel confident saying yes.

A strong proposal should show:

• Why the problem matters
• Why acting now makes sense
• Why your approach is credible
• Why you can actually deliver
• What success looks like
• How the decision can be defended internally

That final point matters more than most sellers realise.

The person you are speaking to may love the proposal, but finance, operations, sales and the rest of the buying committee will still have questions. Usually when you are not in the room, which is always convenient.

We also talk about market expansion, ambitious plans, shiny new offices and the minor strategic detail of having a strategy before spending all the money.

The big takeaway: your proposal should not just describe what you do. It should make the decision feel safer, clearer and easier to support.

Visibility without direction is just noise.

That was one of the slightly uncomfortable conclusions we reached in our latest bonus episode.

It is easy to assume that building an executive profile means posting more, speaking more and generally making sure our face appears everywhere short of the side of a bus.

But being seen is not the same as being useful.

A strong executive visibility plan needs:

• A clear audience
• Relevant content themes
• A consistent publishing rhythm
• Meaningful relationships
• Commercial purpose
• Enough flexibility to respond when the market changes

We also discussed the importance of revisiting ideal customer profiles, collaborating with credible partners and grounding our opinions in actual experience rather than simply adding another inspirational paragraph to the internet.

Our big takeaway: be consistently visible to the right people, with the right ideas, for the right reasons.

Simple in theory. Slightly more awkward when we look at our own LinkedIn habits.

We have discovered the fastest way to waste money in marketing:

Buy a shiny new tool before deciding what problem it is meant to solve.

In this episode of Tea and Timbits, we talk about the marketing tools we actually use—and, more importantly, the thinking that should come before them.

We cover:

• Turning recorded conversations into blogs, posts and short-form video
• Using StreamYard, Opus Pro, YouTube and AI in a practical content workflow
• Choosing between Campaign Monitor and Mailchimp
• Where HubSpot and Salesforce fit
• Why a spreadsheet, a pen or a sensible process may still beat an expensive platform
• Why AI should accelerate judgment rather than replace it

We also compare marketing prioritization to planning a music festival. You cannot see every band, just as you cannot pursue every customer with equal intensity. Sometimes the better opportunity is not the biggest stage—it is the one where you can actually get close enough to make an impact.

Our conclusion: build the engine first. Then buy the tools.

Otherwise, you are simply collecting very expensive digital spanners.

#BusinessDevelopment #MarketingTools #ContentMarketing #SalesStrategy #AIForBusiness #CRM #TeaAndTimbits

What happens when your marketing department is missing, disconnected or simply not giving sales what it needs? You build your own marketing engine.

In this episode, we explore how salespeople, business development professionals and commercial leaders can create the content, systems and momentum needed to move prospects from visibility to trust — and from trust to an actual commercial conversation.

We look at the difference between sales and marketing, why a clearly defined sales process matters, and how useful content, proof points and follow-up systems can support every stage of the buyer journey. We also discuss the danger of generating plenty of attention without having a sensible next step for the people who are ready to work with you.

Along the way, we somehow turn an aggressively talkative, expiring smoke detector into a lesson about customer experience. Because apparently even household safety equipment can teach us something about poor communication.

Whether you have a brilliant marketing team, no marketing team or one that feels several postal codes away, this episode will help you think more intentionally about building a marketing engine that actually supports growth.

This week, we’re talking about what happens when sales and marketing either work beautifully together… or stare at each other across the office wondering who dropped the lead-shaped ball.

We dig into the classic sales-versus-marketing tension: marketing says sales ignores the resources and leads, sales says marketing sends things that look suspiciously like “busy work with a logo on it,” and somewhere in the middle sits the customer, quietly wondering what problem we actually solve.

We also look at what to do when there isn’t a marketing department. Spoiler: marketing still has to happen. Whether it’s building a clear narrative, answering customer questions publicly, or turning everyday sales conversations into useful content, we make the case that marketing is a function, not just a department with branded pens.

Naturally, we also find time for a maple-syrup old fashioned, a life lesson from the CN Tower, and the shocking revelation that “more leads” is not always the same as “more sales.” Who knew? Well… apparently we should have.

Sales says marketing doesn’t send good leads.
Marketing says sales doesn’t follow up properly.
Customers say, “Sorry, what do you actually do again?”

In this episode, we talk about working with — or without — a marketing department, and why the real issue is usually alignment, not effort.

A few things we unpacked:

Marketing is not just logos, events, giveaways, or “making things look nice.” It’s the function that helps the market understand who you help, what problems you solve, why those problems matter, and why anyone should trust you.

Sales is not just waiting for perfect leads to arrive in a neatly wrapped bow. If the marketing function disappeared tomorrow, someone still has to build credibility, create conversations, and help customers move from “vaguely interested” to “yes, this might actually solve my problem.”

The big takeaway for us: sales and marketing need to align not just on the big commercial outcome, but on the journey. What counts as a good lead? What happens next? Who owns each step? What metrics tell us whether the system is working, rather than just keeping everyone impressively busy?

And for smaller teams without a marketing department, we shared a simple cheat code: when a customer asks a good question, don’t just answer it privately. Turn that answer into a post, article, or reusable piece of content. Then send the answer. Congratulations, you’ve just done marketing without needing a committee, a lanyard, or a suspiciously expensive booth backdrop.

As ever, we remain humble, mostly aligned, and only mildly distracted by maple syrup cocktails.

We kick off our July marketing theme by tackling personal branding — which, despite sounding like something you’d find printed on a suspiciously expensive notebook, is actually quite useful.

We talk about why personal branding isn’t really about vanity, self-promotion, or becoming a LinkedIn superstar — thankfully, because that sounds exhausting. It’s about being deliberate with how people understand who we are, what we stand for, and why we might be useful before that first proper conversation even happens.

We also get into the awkward early days of posting online, why AI can help shape a narrative without replacing the actual thinking, and why deleting your professional history when changing industries might create more work than it solves. Along the way, there’s Canada Day, Paris, old-fashions with maple syrup, and the usual amount of self-inflicted microphone-related anxiety.

Personal branding may not close deals on its own, but it can make the next conversation a lot easier. And honestly, we’ll take all the help we can get.

In this episode, we make the case that personal branding doesn’t have to be cringe.

It’s not about pretending to be a guru.
It’s not about posting for the sake of posting.
And it’s definitely not about outsourcing your entire personality to AI and hoping nobody notices.

It’s about being intentional.

Because whether we like it or not, people already form an opinion of us before we’re in the room. They search. They scroll. They ask around. And if we haven’t shaped that narrative at all, someone — or something — else will do it for us.

We talked about:

• why personal branding helps before the first conversation, not magically at the end of the sales process
• why showing up consistently feels awkward before it feels useful
• how AI can support the thinking without replacing the thinker
• why your career history still has value, even when you change industries
• and why “nobody liked my post” is not the same as “nobody noticed”

Also, there’s Canada Day, Paris, and a suggestion involving maple syrup in an old-fashioned. So, you know, serious business thinking as always.

This week, we wrap up our month on sales methodologies by getting practical: what tools actually help teams turn clever frameworks into real commercial outcomes?

We start, naturally, with a highly professional sports briefing involving Blue Jays baseball, Canadian hockey confusion, and cricket formats that may or may not require a week off work. Then we get into the useful stuff: training, coaching, playbooks, process diagrams, call-planning cards, stakeholder maps, opportunity strategy documents, scorecards, and the slightly awkward truth that none of these matter unless you actually use them.

We also get an accidental live demonstration of contingency planning when the UK internet/power situation decides to contribute to the episode. Very on-brand. Very educational. Slightly stressful.

If you’ve ever wondered how to make sales methodologies less like a poster on the wall and more like something your team can apply every day, this one’s for you.

This week, we continue our sales methodology mini-series with Sandler, the one that politely asks: “Is this actually a real opportunity, or are we just getting excited because someone said the word ‘proposal’?”

We look at how Sandler fits alongside Challenger and SPIN, especially in complex B2B sales where enthusiasm, budget, authority, and commitment are definitely not the same thing. We also get into the importance of uncovering the real pain—or ambition—behind a buying conversation, mapping who else is affected, and knowing when to protect your time by walking away from a deal that was never really a deal.

There’s also a very modern detour into AI-written briefs, AI tropes, and the uncomfortable moment when something sounds brilliant because a robot made it sound brilliant. As ever, we learn lessons the easy way, by admitting the slightly awkward bits out loud.

We’ve all had that moment when a prospect says, “We need you to build X.”

And the tempting response is: “Brilliant. Where do we send the invoice?”

But this week’s episode reminded us that the better response is probably: “Interesting — how did you get to X?”

That’s where SPIN Selling comes in.

Situation.Problem.Implication.Need-Payoff.

It’s a simple framework, but a useful one. Not because it magically closes deals while we sit back looking smug — sadly, no methodology has managed that yet — but because it helps structure better conversations.

We talked about how SPIN can be used in discovery, prospecting, account management, customer service, and even those moments when someone arrives already convinced they know the solution. It gives us a way to slow down, understand the real issue, and reflect the customer’s world back to them before leaping into advice mode.

We also compared it with Challenger Selling and landed on something that feels pretty important: these frameworks work best when they’re combined thoughtfully, not treated like sacred tablets from Mount Sales.

Because, as usual, the answer is: “It depends.”
Deeply annoying. Often true.

Sales methodologies month has begun, and we’re starting with the Challenger Sale.

This one is all about helping customers think differently — which sounds noble until you realize it also means saying, “Are we sure that’s actually the problem?” without getting escorted out of the room.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How Challenger is built around teaching, tailoring, and taking control
• Why it works best in complex sales
• The danger of using a heavyweight methodology on a lightweight opportunity
• How consultative selling can uncover the real business issue hiding behind the obvious one
  

We also get into the Digital Momentum Summit and how to think about ROI across prospects, clients, partners, and brand amplification — because apparently “it felt useful” is not always accepted by finance.

A useful one for anyone selling complex work, running events, or trying to prove that business development is more than just a mysterious cloud of coffees, conversations, and hopeful follow-ups.

#Sales #BusinessDevelopment #ChallengerSale #ConsultativeSelling #B2BMarketing #TeaAndTimbits

Complex selling sounds like it should require a giant tech stack, seven dashboards, and at least one acronym nobody fully understands.

But in this episode, we discovered something slightly annoying: the best tools are often the simplest ones.

We talked about:

– borrowing ideas from completely different industries
– using design thinking to untangle messy business problems
– reading broadly, not just another sales book
– showing up at events and learning from real conversations
– using note-takers, AI transcription, or even the ancient technology known as “pen and paper”
– managing complex sales more like projects
– turning repeated customer friction points into useful content

The slightly humbling conclusion?

Complex sales do not always need complex tools. They need curiosity, structure, perspective, and a willingness to say, “I don’t know — who can help?”

Which is far less glamorous than a new platform subscription, but probably cheaper. And harder to lose than an Apple Pencil.

Complex selling is never just about “the buyer” and “the seller.”

We wish it were. It would make life much easier, and we could probably all spend less time in meetings pretending the spreadsheet is “basically under control.”

In this episode, we talk about stakeholder engagement — the people inside and outside the deal who can quietly make everything work… or loudly make everything fall apart.

That includes executives, delivery teams, partners, suppliers, finance, operations, customer service, and sometimes the person who appears halfway through the process with a very strong opinion and absolutely no context.

The big takeaway?

Stakeholder management does not have to be perfect. But it does have to exist.

Even a simple list of who is involved, what they care about, what they are worried about, and how they affect the outcome can prevent a lot of firefighting later.

And if you are always firefighting, well… we may have accidentally diagnosed the problem.

In this week’s episode, we get into:

• Why stakeholder management goes beyond executive selling
• How to uncover hidden risks before they become expensive surprises
• Why internal delivery teams need to be involved earlier
• How partners and suppliers shape the customer experience
• Why “known unknowns” are far better than “unknown unknowns”

Have a listen, especially if your complex sales process currently relies on optimism, crossed fingers, and a heroic amount of Slack messages.

This week, we’re recording together in London for a rare in-person episode, which naturally means things go slightly off the rails before we even get to the topic.

We kick things off with a story about hiring event security, where we learned the hard way that ticking qualification boxes doesn’t always mean someone can actually do the job. Turns out “having the badge” and “being able to climb stairs without needing a lie down” are apparently separate competencies.

From there, we dive into the world of complex selling and executive selling — and why most big deals are won (or lost) long before the final proposal lands.

We explore:

• Why executive selling is more than just presenting to senior leadership
• How to use your own executives as part of the sales strategy
• The importance of coaching leadership teams before customer meetings
• Why one uninformed stakeholder can derail an entire deal
• How to tactfully expand conversations to include hidden decision-makers
• The role of context, repetition, and preparation in complex sales
• Why executives need exposure to real customer conversations

Along the way, we also accidentally turn the conversation into relationship advice and realise that executive communication skills might be just as useful at home as they are in the boardroom.

It’s a practical, slightly chaotic conversation about influence, credibility, preparation, and the human side of complex deals.

This week, we dive headfirst into the world of complex deals and team selling — and discover that the secret to winning big opportunities isn’t bringing eleven people and a 300-slide deck into a meeting. In fact… it’s usually the opposite.

We explore why complex deals are more often lost to internal chaos than to competitors, how healthy businesses create healthier sales processes, and why clarity beats noise every single time. Along the way, we talk about overloaded pipelines, managing urgency without panic, executive sponsorship, customer alignment, and the importance of having one person truly “own” the opportunity.

There’s also a cautionary tale involving eleven people heading into a defense contractor meeting… which thankfully became two people and three slides before anyone got hurt.

As always, we manage to make complex sales sound both strategic and mildly ridiculous — which, honestly, is probably the most accurate description of enterprise selling anyone’s ever come up with.

In this bonus episode, we doubled down on what actually drives healthy teams and results—and spoiler alert: it’s not luck, and it’s definitely not another fancy spreadsheet.

We kicked things off with a simple but powerful reminder: just showing up (literally, in person) can unlock opportunities you didn’t even know existed. Turns out, a casual “while you’re here…” can be worth six figures. Not bad for a day out of the office.

From there, we unpacked our slightly cheesy but surprisingly effective framework: capability, culture, capacity, and consistency. We talked about why consistency is usually the first thing to slip (guilty), and how without it, everything else quietly falls apart.

We also got into the habit most teams get wrong—only reviewing what went badly. Instead, we made the case for digging into wins and understanding what actually worked (because let’s be honest, “we lost on price” tells you absolutely nothing).

And finally, we brought it all together with one key idea: healthy businesses are built by design, not by accident. No shortcuts, no magic—just deliberate effort, reflection, and a bit of resilience when things don’t go to plan.

If you’ve been chasing better results without stepping back to look at how you’re operating, this one’s for you.

This week, we wrap up our “Healthy Team, Healthy Results” series with a tools episode—but not the kind you’d expect.

We kick things off with a story that perfectly proves why getting out from behind the screen still matters. What started as a routine 15-minute client meeting turned into a game-changing discovery… all because we were physically in the room. Turns out, you can’t replicate hallway chats and off-script insights on Zoom (we’ve tried—awkwardly).

From there, we dig into tools—not just the usual suspects like CRMs and calendars—but the ones that actually support culture, collaboration, and long-term business health. Think corporate social media used properly (yes, really), peer-to-peer recognition platforms, learning systems that don’t make you want to cry, and even… office chairs.

The big takeaway? Tools don’t fix broken processes—they amplify whatever discipline you already have. So if things are messy… well… congratulations, you’ve just bought yourself a faster mess.

We used to think “healthy body” in business conversations meant… well… eating a salad and pretending we enjoy it.

Turns out, it’s a bit more important than that.

In our latest episode, we got into something that doesn’t get talked about enough:
> Leaders set the tone — not just with strategy, but with how they live and work

If you’re constantly stressed, skipping breaks, and powering through holidays… guess what your team thinks “normal” looks like?

A few things we discussed:

• Why blocking vacation time in advance actually works
• The difference between customer service and customer experience (and why it matters more than you think)
• How a lack of structure quietly leads to burnout, bad decisions, and takeout-for-the-third-time-this-week energy
• And why “treating yourself” can become a slippery slope if you’re not careful

None of this is revolutionary.
But it is the stuff that quietly separates healthy teams from chaotic ones.

We’re not perfect at it (far from it), but we’re trying to be more intentional — and this episode was a good reminder.

If you’ve ever said “I’ll take a break after this week”… this one’s for you.

#Leadership #TeamCulture #Wellbeing #BusinessGrowth #CustomerExperience

In our latest episode, we got into a conversation that started with a global meeting powered by live AI translation (very cool, slightly sci-fi), and quickly turned into something deeper:

Why do some teams just work… while others feel like chaos in slow motion?

We’ve both seen businesses where:

• The values are beautifully written… but completely ignored
• Everyone is “busy”… but nothing moves forward
• And somehow everything is urgent all the time

And we’ve also seen the opposite:

• Clear expectations
• Real accountability
• Different working styles… but shared standards

That’s culture.

Not perks. Not posters. Not pizza Fridays.

Just clarity, consistency, and what actually gets reinforced when no one’s looking.

If you’re leading a team right now, ask yourself one question:
“What behaviours are we accidentally rewarding?”

That answer will tell you everything.

Give it a listen if you’re trying to build a healthier team (or fix one that’s gone a bit sideways like ours have in the past…)

Ever sat through “training” where you click play, zone out, and hope there’s no quiz at the end? 😅

Yeah… we’ve all been there.

In our latest episode, we talk about why most training doesn’t work—and what actually does.

Turns out:

• It’s not about more content
• It’s not about clever hacks
• And it’s definitely not about ticking a box

It’s about changing behaviour.

We break down:
Why great teams obsess over the basics (yes… again)
Why managers need to be trained before their teams
And a simple framework (EDIP) that actually makes training stick

Also… a gentle reminder:
You can take your work seriously without taking yourself too seriously.

That might just be the secret ingredient.

Give it a listen if you want your team to stop “doing training”… and start actually improving.

#SalesLeadership #Training #TeamPerformance #B2B #Leadership

We wrapped up our sales channels series the only way we know how—by slightly going off-script.

This week, we dove into the tools behind partnerships, social selling, and referrals… but not before questioning whether following “the process” too perfectly might actually slow you down. Turns out, sometimes the best move is to politely ignore your own rules.

We explored CRMs as your system of record, why most reporting is… let’s say “aspirational,” and how tools like analytics platforms, social schedulers, and even good old-fashioned PDFs can make or break your channel strategy.

Big takeaway? Tools matter. Process matters. But common sense might matter just a little bit more.

(Also, our audio worked this time, which frankly deserves its own celebration.)

In this episode , we stumble through a slightly chaotic start (audio equipment: 1, us: 0) before diving into one of the most powerful — and most underused — sales channels in business: referrals.

We talk about why referrals are the cleanest path to growth, how trust transfers instantly when someone introduces you, and why simply doing good work isn’t always enough to generate them.

Along the way we explore:

• Why referrals don’t scale organically unless you’re intentional
• The difference between testimonials and real referrals
• How to ask for introductions without making it awkward
• Why sometimes your clients treat you like their secret weapon
• And how offering referrals first can unlock more opportunities than asking for them

We also kick things off with a story about walking into a situation wildly underqualified… and still coming out on top — proving that preparation and curiosity can sometimes beat credentials.

If you’re looking for practical ways to grow your business through trust, relationships, and a little strategic asking, this one’s for you.

This week we kick off a new theme: sales channels—and where your next stream of revenue might come from.

Naturally, we start with one of our favourite topics: partnerships.

We explore the difference between partnerships that look good on paper and the ones that genuinely generate business. From big-name ecosystem partnerships to informal alliances with trusted peers, we share what actually creates value—and what’s just logo-swapping.

Along the way we talk about:

• Why storytelling is one of the most powerful tools in sales

• The difference between brand partnerships vs. revenue partnerships

• Why mutual value matters more than equality in a partnership

• How strategic alliances can quietly expand your reach

• The importance of measuring partnerships instead of letting them run on autopilot

As usual, we also wander slightly off course (in a very British-Canadian way), but we eventually arrive at a simple truth:

A real partnership isn't about signing an agreement.
It's about creating value together that neither side could create alone.

Grab a cup of tea (and maybe a donut) and join us.

In this episode, we continue our March theme of sales channels and turn our attention to one that many businesses misunderstand: social media.

We share a story about collaborating with peers to launch a research initiative—an example of how networks can amplify reach far beyond what any one of us could do alone. It’s a reminder that in a world increasingly flooded with AI-generated content, authentic voices and real collaboration stand out more than ever.

From there, we dive into how social media fits into the sales ecosystem. We talk about why it’s not just a broadcasting platform, how it helps build credibility before the first meeting, and why showing up with a point of view matters more than posting constantly.

We also cover:

• Why LinkedIn isn’t the only platform that matters for business

• The difference between thought leadership and content noise

• How often you actually need to post (spoiler: less than you think)

• Why experimentation beats perfection

• The importance of knowing who your content is actually for

In short: social media shouldn’t feel like shouting into the void. Done well, it becomes a bridge between conversations, relationships, and real opportunities.

Greetings from Cambridge (where it’s damp but dignified) and Toronto (where winter is clinging on like an overenthusiastic house guest)

In this episode, we wrap up our February focus on the sales process by diving into the tools that actually support it — without falling into the classic trap of buying shiny software to fix a process you haven’t defined.

We kick things off with a story about presentation overload (yes, we’ve all been there). When you show all the work instead of clarifying the intention, you lose the room. So we talk about starting with the outcome, guiding the journey, and trimming the fluff — sometimes by half.

Then we explore the tools that support the three pillars we’ve been building all month:

• Building the sales process – Digital whiteboards like Miro and Figma to brainstorm and structure.

• Implementing the process – A properly configured CRM (emphasis on properly).

• Managing performance – Dashboards, reporting tools like Microsoft Power BI, and call intelligence tools such as Gong and Chorus.

• Prospecting smarter – Using LinkedIn Sales Navigator or ZoomInfo to feed the funnel with intention, not hope.

And somewhere in there, we quietly champion checklists, presentation templates, and the radical idea of defining your process before buying tech.

It’s practical. It’s slightly self-deprecating. And yes — we probably got mildly passionate about dashboards again.

Is your sales process helping your team win, or just giving off strong "compliance factory" vibes? 😅

In this episode, we get real about what happens after you’ve built your sales process. Managing it isn’t about beating people with a CRM stick—it’s about coaching, adapting, and focusing on outcomes over task completion.

We chat:> What to do with those rogue lone wolves (who keep winning)
> Why “yes” and “no” are the only good answers in sales
> How leaders accidentally kill their own process with micromanagement
> And Andy’s self-roast for falling into the “planning forever” trap with his book project. (Accountability is live, folks.)

Tune in for laughs, lessons, and the occasional uncomfortable truth!

One of us is podcasting from beside a backyard rink. The other? A hotel at Heathrow. Together, we're solving the world’s sales implementation problems—bad Wi-Fi and all.

In our latest episode, we unpack what it really takes to implement a sales process. Not “announce it and pray”... but actually make it stick.

Some takeaways we loved:
✅ Salespeople use processes that help them win—not ones they’re told to use
✅ You don’t roll out a sales process—you install a new standard
✅ Leadership isn’t just inspection; it’s asking the curious questions that unlock growth

We also debate:
➡️ Should tools be rolled out with the process or phased in?
➡️ Can you really change habits without changing hearts?

Tune in if you’ve ever faced blank stares during a sales kickoff. Or if you're leading one soon. Or if you just like awkward podcast silences and Heathrow ambience.

#SalesLeadership #SalesEnablement #TeaAndTimbits #SalesProcess #ImplementationNotImposition #B2Bsales #Podcast

We just kicked off a brand-new theme for February: SALES PROCESS! (We know, hold your excitement... or don’t.)

In this episode, we:
> Share how one company went from chaos to $37M in revenue gains by implementing the right rhythm
> Talk about why skipping the basics is like building IKEA furniture without the screws
> Break down how to qualify leads, align internal teams, and not let your CRM boss you around

Plus, we discuss the one thing almost everyone forgets to include: how to coach your sales team using the actual process. 🤯

Whether you're sales-adjacent or living in the pipeline daily, you'll walk away with ideas you can implement right now. Or at the very least, you'll hear us confuse "tactical" with "tactile" at some point.

#sales #B2B #salesprocess #leadgeneration #foundationsmatter #businessgrowth #TandTimbits #podcastlife

We're closing out January with a bang—and a whiteboard marker—as we round up our favourite tools for strategy and planning. From digital whiteboards to the unavoidable CRM groan, we're getting real about the tech we love, the tools we tolerate, and the dashboards that make us feel like data wizards. There's talk of Notion (if you can stay disciplined), the mighty Power BI, and a nod to Trello and Asana. We also get a bit deep on risk matrices, reclaiming downtime, and whether the weather is just gaslighting us. If your strategy plan includes "panic and wing it," this one’s for you.

In this episode, we take a brisk stroll through sales team design—yes, really. After Andy kicks things off with a heroic tale of impeccable event planning marred only by the tragic absence of, well, everything he needed, we dive headfirst into the serious business of sales strategy.

We unpack why structure and clarity matter more than ever when it comes to setting your sales team up for success. From aligning roles with business goals, to building for collaboration over competition, to the underrated power of subject matter experts—you'll get insight, humour, and just enough vulnerability to remind you we're all just trying not to leave our laptop on a plane.

If you're leading a sales org, building a team, or wondering why your best people keep burning out, this one’s for you.

Let’s be honest—forecasting and budgeting rarely top anyone’s list of thrilling business topics. But in this episode, we do our level best to prove they can be surprisingly engaging... or at least slightly less soul-crushing.

We dig into what forecasting actually means, why budgets matter even when they feel like guesswork in a spreadsheet, and how misaligned expectations between finance and sales can turn your well-laid plans into a finger-pointing circus. With tales of procurement purgatory and hot takes on top-down forecasting vs. zero-based planning, we reflect on how to make your strategy stick, and your forecast work with your team, not against them.

If you're feeling behind on planning for the year, or just want a little therapy session on how to survive Q1 with your sanity intact—this one’s for you.

Our Grand Plan to Help You Make a Grand Plan

New year, new goals... new excuses? Not this time!

We kick off 2026 by diving headfirst into the warm, welcoming waters of strategy and planning. In this episode, we dust off the whiteboards, dodge post-holiday flu bugs, and talk through how to build a practical, personal, and professional plan that doesn't fall apart by February.

We talk about goal-setting without the guilt, building accountability structures that work, and why writing things down (on actual paper!) still rules. Whether you're aiming to crush sales targets, finally run that 10K, or just avoid total burnout—this episode’s for you.

You'll hear us reflect on the chaos of the holiday season, the wisdom that comes from injury-induced downtime, and why Scott’s knee and Andy’s lungs both staged rebellions over the break. Cheers to planning smarter, not harder!

It’s New Year’s Eve, and as usual - one of us is in London, one of us is in Toronto, and—purely coincidentally :) —both of us are holding a glass of something barrel-aged. In this slightly longer, slightly looser year-end episode, we look back on what actually worked in the past year and look ahead to what might work next year—assuming we show up and do the work.

We talk personal branding without the buzzwords, why LinkedIn hygiene is a real thing (sorry), and how discipline quietly beats optimism every single time. We also reflect on why doing this podcast week after week has been as useful for us as it (hopefully) has been for you.

Think of this one as part reflection, part gentle nudge, and part clinking-glasses-across-the-Atlantic moment before the fireworks start. Cheers to the year ahead.

It’s Christmas Eve, one of us is in Toronto, the other is knee-deep in European holiday food… and somehow we still end up talking about sales teams fudging numbers and why your calendar might be the most important tool you own.

In this episode, we get a little festive before diving into a very real leadership issue: people cutting corners, chasing short-term wins, and quietly torching long-term trust. From dodgy CRM data to “camera-off but definitely-on-the-sofa” meetings, we’ve seen it all — and yes, we’ve learned a few lessons the hard way.

From there, we pivot into personal productivity. Spoiler: it’s not about shiny apps or magic systems. It’s about operating discipline, clarity, and actually putting the work in your calendar (including thinking time, reflection time, and yes… rest).

We also talk about the tools we do rely on — calendars, accountability partners, and project management — and why none of them work unless you do.

Festive, practical, slightly ranty, and very honest. Merry Christmas. 🎄

This week we embrace the chaos of teamwork and tech tools — and somehow make sense of it all. From "vibe coding" with Replit (yes, it’s a thing) to CRM philosophies, sales toolboxes, and the mysterious magic of CDPs, we reflect on the tools that actually help teams get stuff done.

We dive into:

• Why English is the new coding language

• The magic of cloud collaboration (and the rage when it goes wrong)

• What a “Sales Toolbox” is and why it should still exist

• How to avoid death-by-governance when using email or CMS tools

• The rise of Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) — and how they’re different from CRMs

Also: we pretend we didn’t nearly forget what this episode was supposed to be about. Classic us.

In this episode we bravely wade into the world of CRMs — not the most glamorous topic, but definitely one that can make or break your business sanity. We kick things off with a cautionary tale about mysterious contract clauses (spoiler: they weren’t included, but were somehow still binding?), before diving into the myth that picking the "right" CRM tool is the secret to sales success. Spoiler #2: it’s not.

We explore why your CRM should enable your team — not just generate pretty reports for the execs — and why bad implementation often starts with a tool and not your actual business needs. From Salesforce to Dynamics to HubSpot (and even a shoutout to Atomic Habits), we dish out practical, painfully-learned advice on how to make your CRM actually work for you.

Come for the tips, stay for the rants about unread contracts and self-built CRM nightmares.

In this episode, we kick off our new series on technology and tools by diving headfirst into the buzz (and occasional chaos) surrounding AI. From echoey mics to echo chambers of bad RFPs, we talk about the real-world applications, risks, and etiquette of using AI in business. Scott shares hard-won wisdom from the trenches of proposal hell, while Andy questions whether AI wrote that overly nice email you just got. We break down how to use AI responsibly, why business accounts matter, and the importance of keeping your human voice in a machine-assisted world. Come for the tech talk, stay for the rants.

In this episode, we go from nostalgic concerts to cold, hard conversions as we break down pipeline stages that actually move the needle. Spoiler: ticking boxes and wishful thinking won’t cut it. We riff on why your pipeline should be guided by buyer behavior (not your internal task list), how to avoid zombie deals haunting your CRM, and the magic of knowing when to walk away. Plus, Andy has a mini identity crisis after realizing our podcast is basically a touring rock band without the groupies.

Join us for laughs, practical insights, and a dash of midlife musical reflection as we help you tighten up your sales process without turning into a robot.

This week we go deep (well, as deep as we ever go) on target market analysis—or as we like to call it, “the thing that stops you from chasing every shiny object on the internet.” We unpack the difference between total addressable market (a.k.a. the fantasy) and actual target market (a.k.a. the people who might pay you this year).

Scott shares a cautionary tale from a Chicago business trip turned unexpected road trip to Toronto, and we both make the case for being in the room—yes, despite our love for comfy sweatpants and virtual calls. There's also some accidental relationship counseling along the way.

It’s messy, occasionally insightful, and exactly the level of seriousness you’ve come to expect.

We’re back and celebrating two whole years of Tea & Timbits! 🎉 And what better way to mark the occasion than by talking about one of the driest-yet-most-vital topics in business development: forecasting and pipeline management?

In this episode, we kick things off with a tale of boardroom betrayal and the ever-predictable rise of internal politics (spoiler alert: it doesn’t end with a contract). Then, we dive headfirst into the murky waters of sales forecasting. Is it useful? Is it theatre? Turns out... it's both.

We unpack:

• Why most forecasts are a polite fiction

• What actually makes a forecast useful (spoiler: it's not wishful thinking)

• The critical link between past data, client insights, and reality-based projections

• Why a well-weighted pipeline is your best friend

• The danger of promoting deals just because someone said “let’s talk again”

Plus, we argue about percentages, reminisce about bad decisions, and resist the urge to turn this into a three-part forecasting saga (for now).

Whether you're a sales vet or just trying to get a handle on your numbers, this one’s got something for everyone—especially if you enjoy a bit of schadenfreude.

In this episode, we toss aside the spreadsheets and strategy decks to talk about something more primal—like whether we can still function after a Spartan race or a surprise Swedish frost. We explore how keeping your body moving (even if just to the fridge) can lead to a sharper mind, better leadership, and fewer contracts that make you want to cry in legalese.

We also poke fun at those hyper-polished health gurus and their “12-week miracle” programs that ignore little things like time zones, toddlers, and the trauma of delayed flights. Instead, we keep it real—hydration, walking, and the radical act of just not giving up. Plus, a heartfelt conversation about burnout, executive guilt, and why “just push through” is terrible advice.

Ever feel like your content plan is just a fancy spreadsheet collecting digital dust? In this episode, we explore why so many businesses struggle to build and stick to a content or branding strategy — and how to fix it before everything catches fire (metaphorically... hopefully).

We share a real-world example of a top-tier company that hit rock bottom due to a missing sales plan, zero accountability, and more Excel spreadsheets than actual action. From shock-and-awe interventions to brainstorming your way to 52 weeks of content in just 2 hours, we’ve got tips, tough love, and a few chuckles along the way.

Spoiler: Having a content calendar doesn’t mean anything if no one’s actually using it. Let’s change that.