Explore every episode of the podcast The Sales Director Podcast

Most business owners with a sales problem reach for a quick fix; a telesales agency, a lead generation agency, an "AI-powered" outreach tool, a two-day sales training course, hiring a salesperson, or bringing in a fractional sales director. This week, Jerry breaks down which of these actually work, which don't, and how to tell the difference before you spend the money.

He starts with the solutions to use with real caution: telesales agencies (why they only work if you already have market reputation to capitalise on, and why sales needs consistency; including the real story of 49 touches to land one conversation), lead generation agencies (why they'll charge you for every lead whether it converts or not, and what to look for if you do use one), and the newest trend, AI-generated appointments and AI SDR tools; why Jerry calls a lot of it "AI snake oil" and why sales is ultimately built on emotion, not just volume.

Then he covers the solutions that genuinely work, if you go in with the right expectations: hiring your own outbound salesperson (and the groundwork you need in place first), sales training (why most training is forgotten within weeks unless it's reinforced, and why culture matters more than content), and getting fractional sales director support, including when it's the right fit and when it isn't. Jerry also makes the case for when hiring a full-time sales director outright is the better move, and why a cheap sales director hire is really just an expensive sales manager.

The theme running through it all: diagnose your actual sales problem first, then match the right fix to it. Short-term outsourced solutions should complement an existing sales function, not replace one.

If you're a business owner trying to work out whether you need a salesperson, a sales trainer, a fractional sales director, or something else entirely, this episode will help you make that call with your eyes open.

Free pipeline module, plus how to work with Jerry: https://linktr.ee/aheadofsales

Most sales problems don't announce themselves. They hide behind numbers that look perfectly healthy, until suddenly it's too late to fix easily.

This week, Jerry goes back a step from episode one and tackles the question underneath it all: how do you actually know whether your business has a sales problem in the first place? Because whether you're doing all the selling yourself or you've got a small team, the warning signs are usually the same, and they're easy to miss.

He breaks it down into three signs to look for. First, standing still: why flat revenue year on year isn't "stable" at all, and why you're probably watching the wrong number entirely. Second, a pipeline that's lying to you: how renewals, weak "maybe" deals, and a couple of big bets can make an unhealthy pipeline look reassuringly full. And third, the difference between taking orders and actually selling, including why heavy discounting is usually a sign the selling never really happened.

Along the way: a friend's awning saga, the end of the DFS sale, and why "all our business comes from word of mouth" might be the riskiest thing a business owner can proudly tell you.

Jerry finishes with one simple thing you can start tracking this week, a leading indicator that spots trouble long before your revenue ever shows it.

If your sales feel more like luck than a system, this one's for you.

Want to check whether your own pipeline is telling you the truth? Grab the free pipeline module: Click Here

Most businesses don't set out to build their sales function; it grows by accident, works for a while, and then something starts to creak. This week, Jerry unpacks what he calls the silver bullet problem: the mistake of reaching for one big fix to solve your sales issues, when the answer was never a single fix at all.

It shows up at both ends. Early on, businesses either hire an inexperienced seller and leave them to sink with no process to follow, or spend six figures on a senior sales director expecting them to go and hunt deals; when that's not the job. And at the other extreme, businesses wait far too long to get support, then pile impossible pressure on whoever they bring in to fix things overnight.

Jerry breaks down why both happen, what to do instead, and finishes with three practical checks you can run on your own business this week to tell whether you've got a sales problem worth acting on; from pipeline coverage to your revenue mix.

If your sales feel more like luck than a system, this one's for you.