Episode SummaryAre you selling, or are you just performing? In this episode of Thoughts on Selling, Lee Levitt sits down with the fabulous Stacy Bishop to cover some serious ground—from Midwest values and fintech sales to the surprising wisdom of improv comedy.

If you have ever tried on a "sales persona" like an ill-fitting suit (and watched it fail), this episode is for you. We discuss the "Inner Game" of selling: why your brain is your own worst enemy in a pivot, and why you can't think your way through a tennis swing—or a sales call.

Stacy breaks down the improv concept that "every statement is an offer," transforming how we view objections. Instead of fighting the customer, we explore how to use "Yes, And..." to build momentum.

Memorable Quotes:

• "Give me the opportunity to surprise you." — Stacy Bishop

• "Are you being of service… or serving your ego?" — Lee Levitt

• "Every statement is an offer, not an objection."

3 Actionable Takeaways for Leaders:

1. The "Tenure" Question: Want to open doors you never expected? Stacy suggests asking your customer: "Why have you stayed with this company for 25 years?" It cuts through the transactional noise and gets straight to their values and motivations.

2. Treat "No" as an Offer: In improv, if you reject a partner's statement, the scene dies. In sales, if you fight a "No," the deal dies. Treat every objection as an offer—a new piece of information to pivot on. As Stacy notes, today's "not now" might be tomorrow's "hell yes."

3. Go Slow to Go Fast: Whether it is racing cars, parenting, or selling, rushing leads to mistakes. We discuss why high-performing sellers deliberately slow down the conversation to ensure they are present, rather than just waiting for their turn to talk.

Key Topics:

• Authenticity over Ego: How growing up in the Midwest shaped a career in banking and fintech.

• The "Persona" Trap: Why wearing a "sales mask" exhausts you and alienates buyers.

• Improv Wisdom: Applying "Yes, And..." to sales conversations.

• The Inner Game: Why you can't "think" your way through a pivot (The Tennis Analogy).

• The Practice Deficit: Why salespeople are the only professionals who don't practice their craft before game day.

• The Power of Silence: When the customer starts nodding... ZIP IT.

About Our Guest:

Stacy Bishop is a seasoned sales professional with a background in banking and fintech. She is passionate about helping sellers navigate the wild world of sales without losing their sanity, advocating for authenticity, resilience, and the power of human connection.

About the Host:

Lee Levitt is a seasoned sales performance consultant, sales coach and the Principal of The Acelera Group.

With decades of experience in Sales, Sales Leadership, Sales Enablement, Revenue Operations, and Sales Performance Management, Lee helps emerging and enterprise organizations build disciplined, replicable sales operating systems.

He is the voice behind the Thoughts on Selling™ brand, covering the intersection of deal mechanics and the "Inner Game" of selling.

Resources & Links:

• Connect with Stacy: Find Stacy Bishop on LinkedIn.

• Subscribe: Get the Thoughts on Selling newsletter at thoughtsonselling.com.

Keywords:Authentic Selling, Improv in Sales, Fintech Sales, Sales Psychology, Active Listening, Objection Handling, Sales Coaching, Inner Game, Women in Sales, B2B Sales Strategy.

For this episode I’m joined by Vance Morris—a guy whose journey goes from rock bands to Disney to running premium home services, and now helping businesses “Disney-fy” their customer experience. And let me tell you, the parallels to sales are everywhere.

If you’re in sales and think “customer experience” doesn’t apply to you—this episode will change your mind.

✅ Systems Create Freedom… and Room for Delight
At Disney, every detail is scripted and systematized so cast members can focus on the magic. It’s the same in sales: if you’ve got your basics dialed in—your research, your process, your CRM—you’re free to actually connect with buyers and deliver value instead of scrambling.

✅ First and Last Touches Make or Break You
Disney obsesses over the first impression (parking, music, greetings) and the final moment (fireworks). As salespeople, our first touch is the brand experience. Whether it’s an email, call, or meeting, buyers decide quickly whether they trust us—or not. And how we end a conversation matters just as much.

✅ Experiences Beat Transactions
Vance’s carpet cleaning business sends a $5 gift box to every customer—just a small delight that led to a 26% increase in higher-tier sales. In sales, it might be a thoughtful follow-up, a handwritten note, or sending a “lumpy mail” package that stands out. It’s about making buyers say: “These people are different.”

✅ Don’t Race to the Bottom
Salespeople who lead with discounts or lowest price become commodities. Vance urges businesses to charge for the experience they deliver. In sales, we need to sell on value, not price—and confidently walk away from bad deals.

✅ Retention > Acquisition
It costs Vance $135 to get a new customer, but only $22 a year to keep one. Salespeople too often chase new logos and forget that existing customers are way more profitable. Delight your customers, and they’ll stay—and buy more.

✅ Delight = Revenue
Disney servers giving FastPasses to stressed-out families is a perfect metaphor for sales: solve problems proactively, even ones that “aren’t your department.” It builds loyalty, trust, and bigger deals.

We also dig into:

• Creative ways to stand out (cowbells, coffee mailers, even rubber feet for “getting a foot in the door”)

• Why salespeople should never be boring

• Why “what would Grandma do?” might be the best sales strategy ever

• The real meaning of primacy and recency in sales conversations

• Why you should never assume buyers think like you do

Bottom line: As salespeople, we’re in the experience business. Every touchpoint is your chance to create delight—and separate yourself from the crowd.

Get more from Vance:
→ Grab his free guide: 52 Ways to Wow Without Breaking the Bank
→ Check out his business and Disney bootcamps: deliverservicenow.com

Thanks, Vance, for an awesome conversation that’s pure gold for anyone selling anything!

#Sales #CustomerExperience #RevenueGrowth #DisneySecrets #ThoughtsOnSelling

In this episode of the Thoughts on Selling podcast, I welcome Steven Ethridge, an accomplished sales trainer, coach, and expert in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). Our conversation dives into the pivotal roles that mindset and intentional communication play in driving meaningful sales outcomes.

Steven shares his structured two-part methodology: Sales Mindset Self-Mastery and his NLP-based Five-Step Sales Process. He highlights how a salesperson's internal belief system shapes external performance and how aligning communication with a buyer's motivations fosters authentic connections and improved results.

Key discussion points:

• Mindset as a foundation. Steven explains how reshaping internal narratives and removing limiting beliefs can dramatically enhance sales performance.

• Building rapport effectively. We discuss the importance of observing and mirroring both verbal and non-verbal cues to establish deep, authentic rapport.

• Tailoring communication. Steven emphasizes the need to adapt language to a prospect’s preferred style—whether visual, auditory, or kinesthetic—for greater influence.

✅ Key takeaways:

• A strong, intentional mindset is crucial for long-term sales success.

• Sales is most effective when it is a collaborative, value-driven process.

• Attuning your communication style to match that of your prospect can deepen trust and engagement.

To explore Steven’s sales training programs, visit ethridge.com.

Thank you for listening to this episode. I look forward to hearing how you incorporate these strategies into your sales approach.

— Lee

Welcome back to Thoughts on Selling. This one’s a little different — and a little deeper. I had the chance to sit down with fellow ultrarunner, entrepreneur, and coach Troy Meadows to talk about something foundational: your why — personally, professionally, and organizationally.

Just like an ultramarathon, building something meaningful in sales (or life) demands more than tactics. You need a reason to keep going when it gets hard. And believe me, it will get hard.

🏃‍♂️ Key Takeaways

• Your “why” is your North Star: Whether you're selling software or running 100 miles, the why behind your effort determines how you show up when it gets tough.

• Good sales isn’t about features — it’s about values: If your customer’s why and your company’s values align, magic happens. Think 20-year partnerships, not transactional closes.

• Hire for values, not just skills: High performers who aren’t aligned to the mission will quietly (or loudly) tank your culture and your customer experience.

• The "family provider" and "community role model" stories that show how powerful a personal why can be.

• Troy’s perspective on vesting sales commissions over time to drive customer-centric behavior.

• A classic Merck example that shows what institutional alignment really looks like — and how sales reps need to meet their customer’s mission head-on.

• Leaders: Post your values where your team and your customers can see them — literally. Make them part of the conversation.

• Sellers: Stop pitching and start listening for your customer’s why. Align there, and the deal follows.

• Marketers: Build messaging from the inside out — starting with mission, vision, and values, not product specs.

• Everyone: Revisit your personal why often. It evolves. Make sure your work still serves it.

🏔️ Big thanks to Troy for helping me stretch this episode beyond the usual sales playbook. If you're into running, business building, or just figuring out what makes you tick, check out the Mid Packer Pod and connect with him on LinkedIn.

As always, I’d love to hear what resonated for you — and what action you’re taking next.

Dustin Beaudoin joined the Thoughts on Selling podcast to discuss the intersection of AI and sales strategy, the critical importance of in-depth preparation, and how these elements are shaping the future of sales. Here’s a deeper dive into our conversation:

Dustin's Background and Sales Philosophy

• Dustin Beaudoin, with his extensive background in enterprise SaaS sales, brings a unique perspective to the sales process, particularly through the lens of strategic enterprise sales. His journey through the ranks of sales has made him a staunch advocate for leveraging AI to enhance sales effectiveness.

• He shares insights on how he has developed a passion for integrating AI into sales to make strategic engagements more impactful. His approach revolves around smart utilization of technology to augment the human elements of sales.

Deep Preparation in Sales

• Dustin emphasizes that successful sales strategies heavily rely on meticulous preparation. This involves understanding not just the overarching goals of the organizations but also the nuanced needs of the individuals within these organizations.

• Effective preparation includes researching potential clients’ business models, their industry challenges, and the specific pain points of the contacts within these companies. Dustin points out that this level of preparation allows salespeople to approach discussions with valuable insights and tailored solutions that resonate on a personal level with the client.

Strategic Utilization of AI

• Our discussion highlights the transformative potential of AI in reshaping sales strategies. Dustin is particularly interested in how AI can be used to prepare for sales interactions more effectively, ensuring communications are timely and relevant.

• The conversation explores how AI could automate the gathering of strategic information, thus allowing sales professionals to focus on creating more personalized engagement strategies. This is not just about automating tasks but enriching the quality of interactions.

Key Takeaways and Practical Advice

• Preparation is key: Both Dustin and I agree that whether you are a seasoned account manager or a sales development representative (SDR), preparation is non-negotiable. Coming to each conversation with a robust, researched point of view is crucial.

• Quality over quantity: It’s essential to focus on the quality of sales interactions rather than just the volume. High-quality, well-researched interactions are more likely to build trust and lead to successful outcomes.

• AI as a strategic enhancer: Smart deployment of AI can make a significant difference in how sales teams operate. AI should be used to enhance strategic engagement, not replace the human elements that are vital to building relationships.

The Future of Sales with AI

• Dustin shares his vision for the tools he is developing, aimed at enhancing the capabilities of sales professionals through AI. These tools are designed to help salespeople be better prepared and more responsive to client needs, using AI-driven insights to inform their sales strategies.

Engage with Dustin's Work

• For those interested in strategic sales and AI, Dustin’s ongoing work and insights could be incredibly beneficial. Reaching out to him on LinkedIn or via email provides opportunities to learn more about the integration of AI in sales strategies.

This conversation underscores the importance of blending traditional sales techniques with innovative technologies like AI to stay ahead in the competitive landscape of sales. The key is to maintain a balance where technology enhances human capabilities without overshadowing the essential human touch that is so crucial to building and maintaining strong client relationships.

I sat down with my good friend and former Oracle teammate Jane Scott for a deep dive into customer success. Jane and I worked together for years on the key account team supporting Xerox, and she was the glue that held it all together — truly the most important person in the room.

We covered a lot in this conversation: from the foundational elements of long-term account management, to the evolving role of customer success in today’s SaaS world. Jane brings a wealth of experience and a refreshingly candid perspective on what it takes to really support customers.

Here are a few key points we dug into:

• Why consistency and historical knowledge matter — and how Jane’s 12 years on a single account gave her unmatched influence and insight.

• How customer success is about enabling outcomes, not just solving problems.

• The importance of aligning to the customer’s business rhythm and strategic objectives.

• Why some SaaS companies may not need a dedicated CS team — but the function must still be owned somewhere.

• How internal alignment between sales, operations, and product impacts the customer experience.

Takeaways:
✅ Understand the rhythm of your customer’s business — timing is everything.
✅ Great customer success starts with empathy and ends with results.
✅ Whether or not you have a CSM team, someone needs to own the customer journey.
✅ The best relationships go beyond QBRs — think industry events, shared learning, and meaningful connection.
✅ Ask early: “What will keep us from being successful together?”

🌟 Jane reminds us: “It doesn’t have to be a huge, elaborate plan. Sometimes it’s just asking, ‘How can I help?’”

🔗 Connect with Jane: LinkedIn

Thanks for tuning in — don’t forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review if you’re enjoying the podcast. Until next time!

Welcome back to another episode of the "Thoughts on Selling" podcast. In this episode, we delve into the nuanced world of sales negotiations with Ron Hubsher, a seasoned expert in the field.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of our conversation and the key insights we uncovered.

Introduction to Sales Negotiations:Ron introduces himself as an engineer turned sales professional who applies engineering principles to sales, advocating for a systematic approach to sales akin to a manufacturing process. This ensures consistent, quality outcomes through qualified opportunities and repeatable best practices.

The Underappreciated Art of Negotiation Training:Ron observes that while many sales professionals have undergone various forms of sales training, few have deeply explored negotiation training. He highlights the complexity of negotiations, comparing it to different branches of mathematics, where skills range from basic arithmetic to complex calculus. He stresses that negotiations in sales differ significantly from conflict resolution or transactional negotiations, which often have higher stakes or simpler transactional goals.

Integrating Sales and Negotiation:Ron emphasizes that everything omitted in the sales process will surface during negotiations. He advocates starting with the end in mind, ensuring that every step of the sales process aligns with the final negotiation, thus avoiding last-minute concessions and emphasizing value over price.

Negotiation as an Ongoing Process:Ron and Lee discuss that negotiation isn't just a phase but an integral part of the entire sales process. Effective negotiation involves understanding both the business impact and personal stakes for the buyer, leveraging these insights to align the sales approach closely with the buyer's needs and minimizing their perceived risk.

The Importance of Personal Connections:A significant part of the discussion revolves around the personal connections that salespeople must forge with their clients. Understanding both the professional and personal motivations of buyers can dramatically shift the dynamics of a sales negotiation, making it more about mutual benefit and long-term relationships rather than a one-off transaction.

Insights on Discovery and Value Proposition:The conversation also covers the importance of discovery in sales, where understanding the client's needs goes beyond superficial interactions. Effective discovery involves deep listening, asking the right questions, and positioning oneself as a facilitator who helps clients articulate and understand their own needs better.

Takeaways:

• Prepare Thoroughly for Negotiations: Anticipate potential challenges in the negotiation phase by addressing them early in the sales process. This preparation prevents surprises and builds a stronger value proposition.
• Focus on Reducing Buyer's Risk: Tailor your approach to minimize both the business and personal risks for the buyer. This strategy shifts the focus from selling to helping, thereby fostering trust and partnership.
• Build Personal and Business Agendas: In negotiations, recognize and address both the stated business objectives and the unstated personal goals of the buyer. This dual approach can significantly enhance the relevance and appeal of your proposal.
• Negotiation is Relational, Not Transactional: Foster a negotiation environment that views success as a mutual achievement rather than a zero-sum game. This perspective encourages ongoing relationships and future business.
• Use Discovery to Build Value: Continuously engage in discovery throughout the sales process to better understand and respond to the customer’s evolving needs and conditions, ensuring that your solutions remain aligned with their goals.

These insights underline the importance of a sophisticated, integrated approach to sales and negotiations, emphasizing preparation, personal connection, and a deep understanding of the client's business and personal risks.

In this episode, I sit down with Steven Werley, a sales expert, entrepreneur, and endurance athlete with a background in both marketing and military service. We dive into why pushing yourself to do hard things—whether in sports, business, or sales—builds resilience and long-term success.

Steven shares his insights on the role of AI in sales, explaining that AI isn’t here to replace salespeople but to help them perform better. By automating follow-ups, streamlining call reviews, and taking over tedious CRM tasks, AI allows sales teams to focus on high-value interactions. We also discuss his latest project—a new podcast where he builds AI tools for businesses live on air.

• Sales is about helping, not just closing. The best salespeople focus on real conversations and problem-solving, not just pushing a pitch.
• AI is a game-changer, but not a replacement. AI can handle time-consuming tasks like tracking call insights, drafting follow-up emails, and managing CRM updates—freeing up salespeople to focus on selling.
• Efficiency + effectiveness = better sales. Companies that embrace AI-driven insights can improve both their processes and performance, helping teams work smarter.

✅ Sales is human-first. AI can enhance the process, but people still buy from people.
✅ The best sales reps embrace AI. Those who adapt and leverage AI will gain an edge over the competition.
✅ Doing hard things prepares you for success. Whether it’s endurance sports, military service, or pushing through tough sales cycles, resilience is key.

🔗 Connect with Steven:
👉 LinkedIn | Facebook

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, share, and leave a review!

In this episode ofThoughts on Selling, host Lee Levitt is joined by Todd Busler, founder of Champify. Todd shares his journey from sales engineering to leading revenue organizations and launching a company designed to revolutionize outbound sales efficiency.

Lee and Todd dive into the evolving nature of sales, the importance of coaching over managing, and why the best salespeople are often ex-athletes, musicians, or gamers. They also explore how reps can leverage relationships and first-party data to improve efficiency in an increasingly difficult outbound sales environment.

Key Takeaways

1. The Art of Selling Hasn’t Changed – But the Tools Have

   • Sales is still about relationships, trust, and persistence. While AI and automation can assist, the best reps still prioritize human connection.
   • The most effective sellers don’t rely on scripts; they deeply understand their customers and help them solve real problems.

2. Great Sales Leaders Coach, Not Manage

   • The transition from top-performing rep to manager can be tough—many fall into the trap of becoming a "super rep" instead of a true coach.
   • The best leaders create a culture of accountability, continuous learning, and execution rather than micromanaging or seeking to be liked.

3. Outbound Sales is Harder – But Relationships Unlock Success

   • Traditional outbound strategies are less effective than they were 5-10 years ago. The best reps leverage past relationships, advocates, and past customers who already know and trust them.
   • Tools like Champify systematize what great reps do naturally—tracking job changes and using existing relationships to warm up cold outbound efforts.

Actionable Insights

• If you’re a sales rep, commit to continuous learning—whether through listening to podcasts, reading, or studying top performers.
• As a sales leader, prioritize enablement and structured coaching. The best results come from investing in A-players rather than spending too much time trying to "fix" C-players.
• If you’re running an outbound motion, take a hard look at how you’re leveraging existing relationships. Are you tracking past champions and advocates in your pipeline?

Resources Mentioned

• Book:High Probability Sellingby Jacques Werth
• Podcast:For The Long Run(Exploring ultra-running as a metaphor for life and sales)
• Tool:Champify – Helping sales teams tap into past customers and advocates
• Conference: GTM 2024Pavilion Conference in Austin, TX

Connect with Us

• Visit our website:podcast.thoughtsonselling.com
• Connect with Lee Levitt:LinkedIn
• Connect with Todd Bussler:LinkedIn

If you enjoyed this episode, take a moment to leave a review -- it helps others find and benefit from the show. And, please, share this episode with a colleague who could use these insights!

Take one or two key insights from this episode, apply them in your sales role, and let us know how it impacts your success.

Thanks for tuning in!

In this episode, I had an amazing conversation with Estefania (Fani) Rodriguez Marino, a sales enablement pro joining in from Paris.

We talked about what sales enablement really means and how it’s not just about training or content—it’s about helping the company achieve its goals by aligning sales efforts with strategy. Fani shared her journey, her passion for embracing challenges, and why motivation and context are crucial for sales success.

One of the biggest takeaways from our conversation is how sales enablement needs to balance scalability with personalization. While it’s easy to create one-size-fits-all training programs, real impact comes when we tailor initiatives to the individual needs of sales reps.

We also discussed the importance (and power!) of listening—not just hearing words, but truly understanding what prospects and sales teams need to succeed.

Another key point we touched on is how sales enablement is really about selling change to sellers. Just like in sales, we have to position new tools and processes in a way that resonates with reps and helps them see the benefits. Fani emphasized that salespeople need to understand their role within the bigger picture to stay motivated and engaged.

Key Takeaways:

Sales enablement is about aligning sales execution with company strategy, not just training and content. Listening is a superpower—great salespeople don’t just hear, they understand and adapt. To drive change, enablement leaders must “sell” new initiatives to reps by focusing on tangible benefits. Balancing scalable programs with personalized support is the key to effective sales enablement.Want to connect with Fani? Find her on LinkedIn and stay tuned for exciting things coming in 2025!

In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jeff Lipsius about his concept of the Inner Game of Selling.Drawing inspiration from his friend Timothy Gallwey, and Tim's renowned work, The Inner Game of Tennis, Jeff explains how understanding and mastering the inner game can dramatically improve sales performance.

We explore how shifting focus from selling to buying, embracing the customer as the ultimate teacher, and cultivating self-trust in customers can lead to extraordinary sales outcomes.
Jeff documents his learnings in his own book, Selling To The Point: Because the Information Age Demands a New Way to Sell.

Key Takeaways:
- The Goal of Selling is Buying: Jeff helped me understand that the true objective of selling is to facilitate the customer's buying process, not just to sell. This requires a shift in mindset from self-consciousness to customer-consciousness.
- The Customer is the Teacher: Jeff highlighted the importance of viewing customers as our primary source of learning. We should adapt our approach based on each customer's unique needs and decision-making process.
- Three C's of Decision Making: Jeff outlined the three essential elements for high-quality decision-making: self-trust, empowerment (choice), and clarity. Salespeople can act as decision coaches, helping customers cultivate these elements.
- Achieving Peak Performance: I learned that, similar to athletes, salespeople can achieve peak performance by focusing on the present moment and the customer's needs, rather than getting caught up in self-doubt or trying to force a sale.
- Authenticity is Key: Jeff emphasized that building genuine trust with customers requires authenticity. Salespeople must genuinely prioritize the customer's best interests to foster a collaborative relationship.
I encourage you to discuss these concepts with your team and take one specific step to improve your sales productivity. I'd also love to hear your feedback on the podcast and any recommendations you have for colleagues.
This episode offers a wealth of knowledge for sales professionals and leaders looking to elevate their game. By understanding and implementing the principles of the Inner Game of Selling, salespeople can create a more collaborative and successful sales experience for both themselves and their customers.

In this episode of the "Thoughts on Selling" podcast, hosted by Lee Levitt, we dive into a rich conversation with Judy Sunblade, a seasoned expert in sales enablement. The discussion centers around the evolution of sales enablement into what is now more fittingly called revenue enablement.

This shift reflects a broader scope that includes all revenue streams, from direct sales to customer success and channel partner management.

Key Messaging:

• Revenue Enablement: We're talking about moving from traditional sales enablement to a more inclusive approach that considers all avenues of revenue. It's not just about sales anymore; it's about nurturing every channel through which revenue flows.
• Human Element in Sales: Even as technology, like AI, becomes integral to sales processes, the human connection stands out as irreplaceable. Today's conversation emphasizes empathy, understanding, and genuine connections as the bedrock of effective selling.
• Change in Seller Behavior: There's a big focus on changing seller behavior to better engage with customers. It’s about adapting to how modern buyers operate and ensuring that sales approaches resonate with these evolving behaviors.

Key Takeaways:

1. Empathy and Human Connection Matter: In a world saturated with technology, maintaining human connections and showing empathy towards customers remain crucial.
2. Adapt to Modern Buying Behaviors: Sales strategies need to evolve to align with modern buyers' preferences and behaviors. Understanding these changes is crucial for sales teams to stay effective.
3. Comprehensive Enablement: Enablement should go beyond traditional training. It needs to provide strategic support across all phases of the customer and revenue lifecycle to make sure every potential revenue stream is effectively tapped.
4. Active Listening and Customer Guidance: Sales professionals should focus on actively listening to truly understand and address customer needs. It’s about guiding customers through their decision-making processes rather than just pushing products.

We encourage listeners to think about these insights, discuss them with your teams, and consider ways to enhance your sales productivity based on these concepts.

This engaging dialogue with Judy Sunblade is a reminder of how dynamic the sales landscape is and the ongoing need for adaptation and a human-centric approach in this fast-evolving business environment.

This episode was an absolute blast. I’m joined by Guy Rubin, CEO of Ebsta, who brings not just revenue intelligence expertise—but also a love of physics, football (the British kind), and skiing—to the conversation.

We talk about the problem that’s plagued sales teams for decades: data that’s incomplete, inaccurate, or invisible. Guy shares how Ebsta evolved from solving Salesforce data issues into building a revenue intelligence platform that helps companies truly understand what’s driving wins—and where deals stall.

Some of the big takeaways from our chat:

✅ Your CRM isn’t the whole truth. Email, calendars, and “hidden” stakeholder interactions hold critical data about deals. Mining that signals where opportunities are real—and where they’re just wishful thinking.

✅ Sales is the last department to get truly data-driven. Imagine marketing running on gut feel—it’s unthinkable. Sales orgs need to catch up.

✅ B and C players can level up. Guy makes a strong case that coaching and data insights—not just “cutting the bottom third”—can help more reps replicate A-player behavior.

✅ Pipeline inspection needs consistency AND context. It’s not enough to follow a checklist; you need to tie activities and engagement to outcomes you can actually prove.

✅ Discovery is co-creation. We both rant (a bit) about how discovery is more than just running through questions. It’s a collaborative process that evolves throughout the deal.

✅ Retention > new logos (sometimes). Ebsta’s data shows that in B2B SaaS, existing customers generated more new revenue than new logos last year. The key? C-level engagement during QBRs.

We geek out about pipeline forecasting, coaching, the role of RevOps, and why “happy ears” still kill deals. Guy also shares fascinating benchmarks—like how engaging six stakeholders (including finance and a C-level exec) in stage two of a deal can nearly triple win rates.

Guy’s message is clear: Sales can (and must) become data-driven if we want predictable, scalable growth.

Check it out—and let me know which insights resonate with you most!

#sales #revenuestrategy #salescoaching #salesenablement #revenueintelligence #thoughtsonselling

James McKay, a remarkable figure in revenue operations, former inside sales leader and I explore the power of RevOps (revenue operations) in supercharging sales effectiveness.

Let's unpack some of the invaluable insights from our discussion.

1. Embrace Your Sales Identity:James kicked off by sharing his personal life—highlighting the importance of balancing professional and personal roles. He shifted his career focus from inside sales to revenue operations, influenced by his preferences and strengths in strategic outreach and market research.

2. The Evolution of Inside Sales:Inside sales, as James notes, has morphed significantly. What once involved extensive face-to-face interactions now capitalizes on technological advancements, allowing sales professionals to focus on what they do best without the logistics hassles of traditional sales.

3. The Impact of Sales on Brand Reputation:James and I discussed the profound impact of sales interactions on a company's market reputation. Ineffective or aggressive sales tactics can damage a brand's image, making it crucial for sales strategies to be thoughtful and well-executed.

4. The Significance of Revenue Operations:Moving into the realm of revenue operations, James highlighted its comprehensive scope—from initial customer interaction through to retention. Effective revenue operations provide clarity and streamline processes across departments, enhancing overall business efficiency.

Key Takeaways:

• Understand Your Sales Identity: Recognize and harness your strengths within the sales domain, whether it's face-to-face interaction or strategic behind-the-scenes work.
• Monitor Sales Impact: Always consider the long-term effects of your sales approach on your brand's reputation in the market.
• Leverage Revenue Operations: Utilize RevOps not just as a function but as a strategic partner across all stages of the customer lifecycle to optimize business operations and revenue.

For our next steps, let's reflect on these insights with our teams. Consider how you can integrate a more holistic view of sales and operations into your strategies to enhance productivity and market reputation.

Ryan Milligan from QuotaPath and I take a deep dive into how automating and optimizing sales compensation can drive the behaviors that are most beneficial for businesses.

Key Points We Discussed:

1. The Impact of Compensation on Sales Behavior:

   • Ryan emphasized that your compensation plans need to motivate you directly. Often, compensation structures are too complex and fail to guide you on which deals to prioritize, leading to inefficiency and a lack of motivation.
   • An effective compensation plan should be simple for you to understand and directly tied to the outcomes you are expected to achieve.

2. Compensation as a Driver for Business Strategy:

   • Ryan shared insights on adjusting compensation strategies to help shift a business's focus, such as moving from mid-market to enterprise sales. By doubling commission rates for enterprise deals, a business can realign your efforts towards more lucrative and strategic deals.
   • It’s crucial for the entire organization, not just the sales team, to have aligned incentives that support overall business goals.

3. The Role of RevOps in Modern Sales Organizations:

   • RevOps plays a critical role in crafting and managing compensation plans that motivate individual sellers and drive broader business objectives.
   • We discussed the importance of using compensation plans as tools for strategic alignment and operational efficiency across all customer-facing roles.

Insights on Sales Operations and Compensation Challenges:

• We talked about the complexity of modern sales environments where compensation plans can become outdated or misaligned with current business objectives. It’s important for you to continually assess and adapt your compensation strategies to meet evolving market and business needs.

Conclusion:Ryan’s insights underscore the importance of a well-structured, clearly communicated compensation plan that aligns with your motivations and the strategic goals of the organization. Consider how your current compensation framework can drive desired behaviors and outcomes, ensuring that these plans are simple, motivating, and strategically aligned.

Call to Action:

• Reflect on your current compensation plan: Is it straightforward and easy for reps to understand? Does it motivate the right behaviors?
• Consider your strategic goals for the upcoming year and evaluate if your current compensation structure supports these aims.
• Discuss these insights with your team to explore potential adjustments for improved sales productivity and alignment with broader business objectives.

Closing Remarks:Thanks for joining us on this exploration into the mechanics and strategies behind effective sales compensation. Remember to share your feedback and recommend this episode to your colleagues.

Alan Versteeg, a seasoned sales management expert, takes a deep dive into effective sales practices and the critical role of sales management in nurturing successful sales teams.

Key Discussions:

• Sales as a Profession: Alan views sales as a professional career, prompted by a pivotal conversation on the dedication required in the field, similar to law or medicine.
• Sales Management as a Catalyst: Focusing on how excellent sales management is essential for sustainable sales performance, Alan highlights a gap in the market where companies often promote top sales performers without providing adequate training or systems for management development.
• Intrinsic Motivation and Managerial Impact: Alan discusses the influence of intrinsic motivation on sales teams, citing Daniel Pink’s work, and how effective managers help sales professionals find deeper purpose and alignment in their roles, significantly affecting retention and performance.

Three Key Takeaways:

1. Sales as Continuous Learning: Embrace sales as a continuous learning process. Alan’s story underscores the importance of viewing sales not just as a job but as a profession that requires ongoing education and practice.
2. Focus on Sales Management: Invest in developing sales managers. As they are crucial to the growth and success of sales teams, providing them with the tools and training to succeed is essential for overall business performance.
3. Purpose-Driven Sales Culture: Cultivate a sales culture that goes beyond quotas and metrics to include a sense of purpose and fulfillment, aligning sales efforts with broader business impacts and personal growth.

Closing Thoughts:Lee and Alan emphasize the need for a purpose-driven approach to sales, where strategic focus and professional development converge to enhance both individual and organizational success. Listeners are encouraged to reflect on these insights, discuss them with their teams, and apply them to foster a more productive and fulfilling sales environment.

Join host Lee Levitt and Daniel Levine, an expert in sales management and leadership, to discuss building transformative sales cultures. This episode dives into the essentials of creating a strong sales culture that empowers teams and drives performance.

Key Takeaways:

• Sales Culture Importance: Daniel emphasizes that sales culture is foundational to a team’s success, describing it as the backbone that supports team members to perform optimally even in the leader's absence.
• Building Sales Culture: True culture builds when actions align with the company's core values consistently, not through superficial means like office perks. Daniel shares strategies like engaging team members through personal stories and meaningful traditions to deepen connections and trust.
• Leadership vs. Management: The conversation highlights the difference between managing and leading. Daniel points out that leadership is about setting directions and providing the team with the autonomy to follow through.
• Feedback and Candor: The discussion delves into the significance of feedback and using tools like Kim Scott's Radical Candor for effective communication.
• Accountability in Sales: Accountability should be fostered through shared goals and collective responsibility, rather than siloed successes.
• Sales Enablement as a Secret Sauce: Daniel and Lee discuss how proper sales enablement is crucial for equipping sales teams with the tools, training, and information needed to succeed.

Actionable Advice:

• Reflect on your team’s culture and initiate one change that could make a significant positive impact.
• Implement regular, honest feedback sessions using principles from Radical Candor to enhance team communication and trust.
• Evaluate your sales enablement strategies to ensure they align with your team's needs and organizational goals.

Karen Clark Salinas, a good friend, fellow coach and Colgate graduate joins me to unpack how our mindsets can really make or break our professional and personal lives.

Discussion Highlights:

1. Meet Karen:

   • Karen introduces herself as a work-life coach specializing in helping mid-career leaders manage their time and energy effectively, balancing career success with personal life.

2. The Power of Inner Voices:

   • We discuss how subconscious 'programming' and internal dialogues, or 'emotional saboteurs and judges' can influence our actions and how we see ourselves, often putting a brake on our career growth.

3. Typical Emotional Saboteurs in Sales:

   • We identify common saboteurs in sales, like the 'hyperachiever' and the 'pleaser,' discussing how these can skew our interactions and self-image in sales roles.

4. How to Manage Those Inner Criticisms:

   • Karen shares tips on recognizing and pausing these sabotaging voices to let our positive traits, like creativity and curiosity, take the wheel.

5. The Sales Impact:

   • We dive into how getting a handle on our internal dialogues can affect our sales performance, well-being, and professional relationships.

Three Key Takeaways:

1. Spot and Understand Your Saboteurs:

   • It’s crucial for sales pros to pinpoint their main emotional saboteurs and understand how these responses have been conditioned over time to react under stress.

2. Break the Cycle with Mindfulness:

   • Simple techniques like deep breathing can interrupt the cycle of negative thinking, letting rational and positive thoughts come through.

3. Boost Self-Awareness and Seek Feedback:

   • Regular self-check-ins and getting feedback from others can help you notice and tweak your behavior, boosting your growth and effectiveness in sales.

Closing Thoughts:Karen and I encourage you to think about how your inner voices shape your approach to sales. Chat about these ideas with your team and pick one actionable step to improve your sales productivity. We'd love to hear about your progress, so do share your stories with us!

Special guest Bethany Ibarra, a seasoned sales leader from notable technology companies including Motorola, Google, and Lenovo, shares experiences and recommendations for our fellow chief revenue officers.

Key Takeaways:

1. Sustainable Growth Strategies:

   • Bethany shares her experience launching a new market in Colombia, emphasizing the importance of sustainable practices in business growth. She highlights the risks of non-sustainable growth as seen in her project, where success was initially achieved but not maintained after her departure. Sustainable growth, according to Bethany, involves building solid foundations and long-term planning that outlasts individual leadership.

2. Importance of Planning Over Plans:

   • Bethany argues that static plans are less valuable than the planning process itself. She stresses that dynamic, ongoing planning enables businesses to adapt to changes effectively and mitigate risks promptly. This approach fosters deeper understanding and readiness within the team, aligning actions with evolving market conditions and business objectives.

3. Role of Leadership in Sales Performance:

   • Effective leadership in sales involves not only setting clear goals and expectations but also fostering an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives lead to innovative solutions. Bethany discusses the significance of involving the team in the planning process and ensuring all members understand and contribute to the objectives, thereby enhancing overall productivity and engagement.

Conclusion:Bethany Ibarra's insights shed light on the crucial aspects of enterprise sales and business growth, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and strategic planning. Listeners are encouraged to discuss these insights within their teams and implement changes to enhance their sales productivity.

Mike Pinkel, founder of PSI Selling and I take a deep dive into the strategic activities of successful selling. Discovery should focus on solving problems and helping people, which contrasts with the adversarial nature often seen in sales qualification.

As Mike says, "Sell with themes, not techniques!"

1. The Value of Discovery in Sales: Mike emphasizes the importance of continuous discovery throughout the sales process, not just at the beginning. Discovery should focus on solving problems and helping people, which contrasts with the adversarial nature often seen in sales qualification.
2. Co-Creation and Problem Solving: A favorite aspect of the sales process for both Mike and Lee is the discovery phase, specifically co-creation with clients. He loves helping clients envision new solutions and paths, emphasizing that this creative collaboration is key to successful sales strategies.
3. Introduction of the PSI Model: Mike introduces his PSI (Problem, Solution, Impact) model, aimed at structuring sales processes in early-stage startups. This model helps define and connect the problems a company solves to the solutions it offers and the impact of these solutions, fostering clearer communication and value demonstration to potential clients.

To follow up with Mike, you can reach him on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ or via his company ⁠website⁠

To follow up with me, you can reach me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠or via the Acelera Group ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠.

To provide feedback on this podcast or to suggest additional topics or guests, please visit The Thoughts On Selling™ podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. To follow up with me, you can reach me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠or via the Acelera Group ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠.

I would appreciate your sharing this podcast with one or two coworkers or peers. And I would very much appreciate positive reviews on the Spotify and Apple podcast sites or wherever you get your podcasts. Positive reviews help others to find this podcast!

Thank you!

Lee Levitt

Bob Meindl, a seasoned field marketing expert and Lee explore how field sales and marketing can synergize to put the customer first and drive meaningful engagement.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Value-Driven Content Marketing: Bob emphasizes the importance of content marketing that truly addresses customer needs at various stages of their buying journey, particularly when they are not ready to make a purchase. Effective content marketing should educate and guide potential customers, paving the way for sales by shaping their perceptions and expectations in favor of the solutions offered.
• Customer-Centric Sales Approach: The discussion highlights the necessity of understanding the customer’s problems and needs deeply. Sales and marketing teams should work hand-in-hand to ensure that all communications are coherent and genuinely useful to the customer, which in turn helps in reducing the perceived risk and building trust.
• Unified Sales and Marketing Strategy: Bob and Lee advocate for a seamless integration of sales and marketing efforts, stressing consistency across all channels and touchpoints. This alignment enhances the customer’s journey from awareness through to the decision-making process, ensuring that every interaction adds value and supports the overarching goal of solving the customer's problem effectively.

This episode is based on Lee’s presentation at the Pavilion Palooza in June 2024, offering insights into navigating the complexities of modern sales environments.

Key Discussion Points:

• Challenges in Contemporary Selling:Lee discusses the increasingly difficult landscape of sales, characterized by informed customers who often choose to stick with the status quo due to the perceived risks of change. He highlights how today’s buyers are overwhelmed with information, leading to decision paralysis.

• Effective Sales Strategies:The conversation shifts to strategies that can overcome these challenges. Lee stresses the importance of reducing the overload of information to buyers and instead providing fact-based recommendations and proactive guidance, which have shown to triple win rates.

• Lee’s Secret Formula for Sales Success:Lee introduces his "secret formula" for sales success, emphasizing the need to do "less with less" by focusing on key activities that drive results. He advocates for a guided discovery process in sales interactions that aids buyers in understanding their own needs better and how they can address them.

Practical Insights and Recommendations:

• Understanding Buyer Motivations:Buyers typically make decisions based on the need to innovate, to solve operational problems, or to gain competitive advantage. Understanding these motivations is crucial in addressing their hesitations and guiding them towards making a decision.

• Salesperson as a Trusted Advisor:Lee reiterates that in today’s information-rich environment, the role of the salesperson is less about disseminating information and more about being a trusted advisor who can guide the buyer through the decision-making process effectively.

Lee’s To-Do List for Sales Professionals:

1. Build a Value Selling Culture:Focus on creating value for customers rather than just pushing products. This involves understanding the customer's business deeply and aligning your offerings to their needs.

2. Implement the Value Hypothesis Methodology:Develop hypotheses on how your solutions can create significant value for the customer and validate these through engagements.

3. Improve Conversion Rates:Focus on enhancing conversion rates through strategic interventions at different stages of the sales funnel rather than just increasing the number of leads.

4. Document Customer Value Attainment:Keep track of how customers achieve value through your solutions, which can provide compelling stories for future sales pitches.

Reena Ambai and our host, Lee Levitt, discuss the ability of sales enablement to improve sales rep productivity and effectiveness through a focus on behavior change.

Curiosity, empathy, and listening are the three key traits of successful salespeople.

According to Reena, great sales enablement follows a five-step process:

1. Gather key data points
2. Prioritize focus
3. Design program
4. Deliver and analyze
5. Reinforce

Key takeaways:

In this episode of Thoughts on Selling, I sit down with Britt White—sales leader, edtech evangelist, former VP of Sales at SmartPass, and a force of nature when it comes to bringing passion to work.

This isn’t a scripted “how-to” chat. It’s a real conversation between two humans unpacking what it means to love what you do—and how that love shows up (or doesn’t) in sales, leadership, and culture.

🔥 Key Takeaways

• Passion isn’t optional—it’s fuel. Passion doesn’t just live inside us—it’s contagious. Britt talks about how her energy draws people in, builds trust, and lifts her teams.

• Process enables freedom. Passion without process? Chaos. But the right systems let us lead, coach, and innovate without falling into micromanagement.

• Leadership and management are not the same. Britt puts it clearly: “If I have to manage you, I’m probably managing you out.” Leadership is about direction and inspiration, not control.

• Curiosity keeps the work fresh. We talk about how early career environments often crush curiosity—but the best sellers never stop asking questions or challenging assumptions.

• Break the routine. Britt runs cold call power hours with her team sitting on the floor, snacks in hand. It shifts the vibe, lowers pressure, and opens people up.

• Comfort breeds confidence. Whether it’s taking my shoes off before a keynote or visualizing a client’s challenge like it’s my own—getting grounded helps me show up as my best self.

• Question the sacred cows. From SKOs to quotas, we ask: do we do this because it works—or because it’s just always been done?

💭 One idea to try this week:

Take something routine—your next 1:1, your team huddle, your practice session—and flip it. Sit on the floor. Skip the slides. Shake it up. See what changes.

🎧 Listen in if you’re into:

• Leading with heart, not control

• Sales teams that actually care

• Edtech sales and mission-driven work

• Ditching the mask and doing work that matters

👋 You can find Britt on LinkedIn here—and if you’re thinking about working with her, get to know her in person before listening. Trust me—it’ll hit different.

Thanks for listening—and remember: get comfortable-er.

—Lee

Leah Borges brings sales experience in hospitality, high-risk industry consulting, and most recently tech sales. discusses her journey and her mission through her consulting company, Sales Done Right, advocating for ethical sales practices.

Discussion Overview:Leah starts by sharing her diverse background in sales, emphasizing how her start in the hospitality business laid the foundation for her customer-centric approach. She delves into her experiences in consulting sales within high-risk industries, such as construction and mining, where the stakes are exceptionally high, and the importance of deeply understanding customer needs is paramount. This background gives her a unique perspective when she moved into tech sales, where she noticed significant disconnects in how sales processes were managed and how customers were treated.

One key attribute Leah highlights as essential for salespeople is curiosity. She argues that a genuine curiosity about customers and their challenges not only helps in understanding them better but is also critical in providing solutions that genuinely meet their needs. This attribute fuels her critique of current sales management practices, which she believes often lack a true connection with customers and fail to consider the broader impact of sales decisions on their business.

Leah’s discussion on the importance of ethical engagement in sales touches on the need for integrity and the avoidance of manipulative practices that prioritize short-term gains over long-term client relationships. She emphasizes the transformative power of proper sales training that extends beyond product knowledge to building comprehensive business acumen. This kind of training enables salespeople to make meaningful connections with clients, understanding not just what they are selling but how it impacts the buyer's business landscape.

Key Takeaways:

• The importance of building long-term relationships with clients through trust and ethical engagement, focusing on real value creation rather than just closing a quick sale
• Sales training that equips sales professionals with robust business acumen enables them to better understand and meet their clients' needs
• Curiosity and a deep knowledge of the industry are crucial for all salespeople if they are to truly understand and solve the challenges their clients face

Conclusion:Leah offers a refreshing perspective on what it means to be successful in sales. Her approach emphasizes ethical practices, a deep understanding of customer needs, and the cultivation of long-term relationships. Her insights are invaluable for anyone looking to refine their sales approach and build meaningful engagements with clients.

Rob Durant, a social enablement expert and I explore the concept of social enablement, sharing insights on how sales teams can leverage social media to improve their long term sales performance. We share personal anecdotes, practical advice, and strategies to elevate your sales approach.

Key takeaways

1. Be Approachable: Establish a social presence that reflects your true self, making it easy for others to connect with you on a personal level. This is the foundation for building meaningful relationships
2. Be Sociable: Engage actively with your network by participating in conversations, sharing insights, and showing genuine interest in others. This goes beyond just connecting; it's about fostering real interactions
3. Be Generous: Share valuable content and insights freely. Offer help and support to your network without expecting anything in return. This builds trust and positions you as a valuable resource

Things to do now!

• Evaluate your current social media presence and make adjustments to ensure it reflects who you truly are
• Set a goal to engage with your network regularly, whether by commenting on posts, sharing insights, or starting conversations
• Identify ways to provide real value to your network. This could be through sharing industry knowledge, offering help, or simply being a supportive connection

Rob covers this topic in more detail in his new book - The Social Enablement Blueprint. Highly recommended

Matt Stinson, a sales coach and former VP of Sales and podcast host (and fellow sales coach) Lee Levitt delve into the intricacies of sales leadership, coaching, and how to improve enterprise sales productivity.

Our conversation covers personal experiences, practical advice, and strategies to elevate your sales team’s performance.

Key takeaways:

1. Effective Coaching: Great coaching is about asking the right questions and facilitating self-discovery, rather than simply providing answers. It's essential to focus on long-term development over short-term wins.
2. Empathy and Active Listening: Building trust through empathy and active listening is crucial for successful leadership and coaching. This creates a supportive environment where team members feel valued and understood.
3. Addressing Beliefs, Activities, and Skills: Identifying and addressing the underlying beliefs, activities, and skills that influence sales performance is key. Leaders must be willing to engage with the emotional and psychological aspects of their team's challenges.

Recommendations:

• Discuss with your team the importance of coaching and how it can improve sales productivity.
• Reflect on your current coaching practices. Are you focusing on short-term fixes or long-term development?
• Emphasize active listening and empathy in your leadership approach to build stronger relationships with your team.

Emre Vatansever shares his unexpected journey into the world of sales. Together we discuss the importance of curiosity, learning from customers, and the significance of coaching in achieving sales success.

Emre's insights are backed by his extensive background in international relations, international business, and his current role in improving commercial performance for technology-oriented, midsize family-owned businesses.

Through stories and examples, Emre shares how his perspective on sales evolved and why he believes in the power of coaching and customer engagement as key drivers of selling without selling out.

Key takeaways include:

- Curiosity and learning are key sales tools

- Sales coaching is a force multiplier

- Peak performance mostly counts on human factors, rather than any specific tech stack

Mike Conrad and I dive into the nuanced world of inside sales. Mike, a seasoned sales professional with extensive experience in inside sales management, shares his lessons learned.

We explore the evolving landscape of inside sales and the importance of strategic leadership and development within inside sales teams. We discuss the transformative impact of thoughtful sales approaches, mentorship, challenges of adapting to modern sales tools, and advice on career pathing.

Mike and I share our experiences with inside sales teams at a variety of tech companies, highlighting the balanced approach between human interaction and technological advancements in achieving sales success.

Jim Schaffer and Lee discuss the role of mindfulness and awareness in sales. We explore the relevance of being present, the power of emotional intelligence (EQ) in sales interactions and the importance of understanding the context of who you're selling to.

Jim shares his personal journey of discovering mindfulness and how it transformed his approach to sales. We discuss the benefits of being present and reframing perspectives to find joy in any situation.

We also highlight the role of managers in supporting mindfulness and integrating it into sales organizations. Jim discusses importance of individual practice and self-awareness in sales success.

Takeaways

• Embrace impermanence and reframe your mindset to reduce stress and increase joy in the sales profession
• Practice radical responsibility by owning your response to events and handling them without drama
• Make a daily decision to be present and fully engaged in your work, embracing the four pillars of mindfulness: be still, be here, stop weaving stories, and embrace impermanence

In this episode of the Thoughts on Selling podcast, we sit down with Deb Berman, an experienced sales consultant specializing in assisting early-stage tech startups, and a fellow Colgate alum! Join us as she shares her insights on building successful sales organizations, navigating the transition from startup employee to consultant, and the key elements for effective B2B sales.

Discussion Highlights:

• Transitioning from founder-led sales to fielding a successful sales organization: Deb sheds light on the challenges founders face in growing the business and letting go of the founder-led sales process.
• Building Buyer Personas and Effective Discovery: The significance of understanding the buyer's needs and building accurate personas in the B2B sales process.
• Balancing People, Process, and Technology: Deb emphasizes the need for a harmonious investment in these three elements to create a thriving sales organization.
• The Power of Warm Introductions and Referrals: Discussing the value of leveraging personal networks for warm introductions and referrals in sales.
• Onboarding and Setting Clear Expectations: Highlighting the importance of a structured onboarding process and clear communication when bringing new salespeople on board.
• Structuring Sales Teams with Flexibility: Deb advocates for flexibility in designing sales teams to meet the specific needs of customers and the company.
• Preparation in Sales Calls: The crucial role of preparation in sales calls and its profound impact on the outcome of the sales process.
• Common Mistakes: Assigning Homework to Buyers: Deb discusses the common mistake of burdening buyers with homework and emphasizes simplifying the sales (buying) process for them.
• LinkedIn as a Sales Tool: Insights on leveraging LinkedIn for sales, focusing on engagement with prospects and participating in relevant conversations.
• Caution Against Relying Solely on Social Selling: Deb provides a balanced perspective on social selling, urging listeners to complement it with other effective sales strategies.

Key Takeaways:

• Flexibility in Sales Roles: Adapt to the specific needs of the company.
• Preparation is Key: Significantly impacts the outcome of sales calls.
• Simplify the Sales Process: Avoid assigning homework to buyers; make it easy for them.
• LinkedIn Engagement: Use LinkedIn for engagement and conversations, not just promotion.
• Strategic Use of Social Selling: Complement social selling with other effective sales strategies.

As we conclude our conversation with Deb Berman, we're reminded of the vital lessons in sales strategy, team building, and the nuanced use of tools like LinkedIn. Join us in implementing these key takeaways to elevate your approach to sales and drive more revenue!

To follow up with Deb, you can reach her on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ or via her company website.

To follow up with me, you can reach me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠or via the Acelera Group ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠.

To provide feedback on this podcast or to suggest additional topics or guests, please visit The Thoughts On Selling™ podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

I would appreciate your sharing this podcast with one or two coworkers or peers. And I would very much appreciate positive reviews on the Apple podcast site or wherever you get your podcasts. Positive reviews help others to find this podcast!

Thank you!

Lee Levitt

Nancy Maluso, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at Edgio and I take a deep dive into the power of curiosity and authenticity in the customer engagement process, and the practices of value selling to ensure positive outcomes for all.

Nancy and I cover the practices that allow a good sales person to drive great results.

Key takeaways:

 - High performing sales people don’t provide information about products. Instead, they provide insight into how a company’s business can be changed by change in process, tech or people. They help the customer explore the “why change/why now” conversation and guide them through the change management considerations

 - Sellers have to be incredibly curious and interested…it’s not something they can fake.  They can’t cram a few minutes before a customer call and then truly engage the way they need to.  Instead they have to keep probing into what is going on in the customers environment including politics, goals and objectives, functional objectives, individual objectives etc. They have to understand a day in the life of their key stakeholders.

 - Know your customers at the organizational, functional and personal level. Be curious about their world and dig deep. help them to be successful even if not with your offerings.

To follow up with Nancy, you can reach her on ⁠LinkedIn⁠.

To follow up with me, you can reach me on ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠or via the Acelera Group ⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠.

To provide feedback on this podcast or to suggest additional topics or guests, please visit The Thoughts On Selling™ podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

I would appreciate your sharing this podcast with one or two coworkers or peers. And I would very much appreciate positive reviews on the Apple podcast site or wherever you get your podcasts. Positive reviews help others to find this podcast!

Thank you!

Lee Levitt

Jonathan Mahon, cofounder of The Practice Lab and I take a deep dive into the value of discovery in the sales process, and the application of “deliberate practice” to improve selling skills. 

While some believe that discovery “belongs” in a discrete stage of the sales process, and is sometimes delegated to a presales engineer, Jonathan and I share a different perspective.

Discovery should start long before the first contact, with the sales person and presales engineer conducting background research on the company, key stakeholders, installed base, etc., to begin the development of business value, financial value and stakeholder hypotheses.

Jonathan shares significant insights on how to conduct effective discovery, approaches to powerful open-ended questions during demos and other engagements

Through this conversation, Jonathan also shares his overall philosophy to effective training, “deliberate practice” designed to improve actual performance while in stressful situations (engaging with prospects and customers) as opposed to making people “book smart”.

If you need to improve your (or your team’s) discovery effectiveness, spend some time listening to this podcast and then reach out to Jonathan and me to continue the conversation.

To follow up with Jonathan, you can reach him on LinkedIn or via his company website

To follow up with me, you can reach me on ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠or via the Acelera Group ⁠⁠website⁠⁠.

To provide feedback on this podcast or to suggest additional topics or guests, please visit The Thoughts On Selling™ podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. To follow up with me, you can reach me on ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠or via the Acelera Group ⁠⁠website⁠⁠.

I would appreciate your sharing this podcast with one or two coworkers or peers. And I would very much appreciate positive reviews on the Apple podcast site or wherever you get your podcasts. Positive reviews help others to find this podcast!

Thank you!

Lee Levitt

Special guest Mark Goloboy brings an extensive background in both large and small companies driving demand using data, analytics, process improvement and elbow grease. Together we nerd out on the value of data and shared goals to help drive pipeline size and shape. We also dig into the processes that help to ensure success.

Some companies play the blame game (it’s your fault, no yours!) while others focus on the goals of driving revenue and customer value. This latter focus requires both good data and a partnership between sales and marketing executives to continually improve the demand generation function. With feedback, marketing can improve the lead quality, and with better quality leads, sales can close more business.

Key takeaways:

• Improving conversion rates at the top of the funnel…or at any stage of the funnel, is vastly more impactful (and less costly) than adding more leads.
• Aligned objectives and ongoing dialog drive continuous improvement in sales productivity
• A voice of the customer perspective has to be pervasive in sales, marketing, product management and more.

To follow up with Mark, you can reach him on LinkedIn or via his company website

To provide feedback on this podcast or to suggest additional topics or guests, please visit The Thoughts On Selling™ podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. To follow up with me, you can reach me on ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠or via the Acelera Group ⁠⁠website⁠⁠.

I would appreciate your sharing this podcast with one or two coworkers or peers. And I would very much appreciate positive reviews on the Apple podcast site or wherever you get your podcasts. Positive reviews help others to find this podcast!

Thank you!

Lee Levitt

On this episode of Thoughts on Selling, I sit down with Jackie Retig, a passionate sales enablement leader and COO at EnableWorks. Jackie recently made the leap into entrepreneurship after years in the tech space, and she brings a grounded, practical perspective to what it really takes to build consistent, scalable sales teams.

We get into why enablement is more than just onboarding and training—it's about creating the conditions for consistency, repeatability, and predictability in your sales org. Jackie and I talk about the transformation that comes from good enablement, how to help reps lean in and grow, and why the founder-led sales playbook doesn’t scale.

We also dive into:

• Why enablement is finally being seen as a force multiplier by CROs and VPs of Sales

• How tribal knowledge is great—but institutional knowledge wins

• What makes discovery truly impactful (hint: it’s not about checking boxes)

• Why AI is an assist—not a substitute—for great selling

• The power of deliberate practice and role play in building sales muscle

Key takeaways:

• 🎯 Consistency, repeatability, and predictability are the north stars of effective enablement.

• 🔁 Discovery isn’t a stage—it’s a mindset. Great sellers co-create value throughout the sales process.

• ⚙️ AI can streamline the busywork, but insight and connection still require the human touch.

• 💡 Sales enablement isn’t just tactical—it’s transformational when tied to business outcomes and measured impact.

Whether you're in enablement, sales leadership, or building out your first team, Jackie’s insights on modernizing and scaling sales efforts are well worth your time.

The purpose of a sales enablement charter is to define sales enablement, the sales enablement group mission, its focus, how it measures success, the key stakeholders and internal customers. It sets the boundaries of what the group will do and importantly, what the group will not or should not do.

The charter is a tool to help communicate what others should and should not expect from the sales enablement team.

High performing teams include the following critical components in their sales enablement charter:

• group mission statement - what is the focus
• team structure, roles and responsibilities
• priorities
• internal customers - who do you serve, what are their needs
• stakeholders, both receivers and supporters (and acommunication plan to stay connected to those stakeholders)
• what is outside of scope
• one and three year goals of the group
• metrics - how to measure the success of each priority, initiative, investment and activity
• engagement model

and more...

Key takeaways

A strong sales enablement charter will help your organization to focus on three things:

First, it will help you to focus your efforts, and to defer those that are secondary or tertiary to your mission

Second, it will help you to align with key stakeholders and establish value with them, so that you get time and access with them, and their support when necessary

Third, it will help you to have strategic impact, so that you can achieve your personal and organizational goals.

If you want help developing/supercharging your sales enablement charter, let me know. We can review an existing chart, build a new charter framework, if necessary and work with you to develop the mission, the story and the details. And we will facilitate the conversations between the enablement team and the stakeholders to ensure that you set appropriate expectations, target key goals, KPIs or OKRs, and gain the necessary support. 

With a strong sales enablement charter, you will have a much more successful, enjoyable, fruitful 2024.

To follow up, you can reach me on ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠or via the Acelera Group ⁠⁠website⁠⁠.

To provide feedback on this podcast or to suggest additional topics or guests, please visit The Thoughts On Selling™ podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

I would appreciate your sharing this podcast with one or two coworkers or peers. And I would very much appreciate positive reviews on the Apple podcast site or wherever you get your podcasts. Positive reviews help others to find this podcast!

Thank you!

Lee Levitt

Senior sales leadership (and Wall Street analysts) talk a lot about strategic accounts. Of course, that’s where the money is, and more importantly that’s where the profit is. While your top tier of customers may generate 60 or 80% of your revenue, they will generate all of your company’s profits.

Strategic accounts spend more, they are customers longer, and make specific long-lasting platform, technology and relationship commitments.

But it takes work. You need expertise, process excellence and good platform support. For expertise, the Strategic Account Management Association is the source of truth. And ⁠ARPEDIO⁠ provides a great tech platform that fully supports these efforts, and account-based selling more broadly.

But…most strategic account initiatives are set up to fail. “Lone wolves” are promoted to SAM or KADs and they have no ability to manage teams or complex processes and workflows.

Another failing is that the planning process typically focuses on sales planning or opportunity planning rather than relationship planning and management.

Account based selling counts on the latter. And the ARPEDIO platform, for instance, has a specific set of resources to support relationship development and management.

Here are a few lessons learned along the way. Success requires the following:

• Hiring SAMs with strong team management skills and providing an effective coaching environment
• Building a comp plan that supports the multi year and perhaps global nature of the SAM activities, while also properly motivating pillar reps.
• Developing programmatic analysis of customer financials, industry growth trends, key stakeholder profiles, installed base, competitive SOW and more…
• Enrolling management of each portfolio sales organization in the process and creating a consistent set of rules of engagement
• Developing a process for thoughtfully identifying the strategic opportunities and challenges within the customer organization
• Implementing a technology platform like ARPEDIO to support the process, both for the team and to provide ongoing management visibility
• Installing a team governance process to ensure success on an ongoing basis

To follow up, you can reach me on ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠⁠or via the Acelera Group ⁠⁠website⁠⁠.

To provide feedback on this podcast or to suggest additional topics or guests, please visit The Thoughts On Selling™ podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

I would appreciate your sharing this podcast with one or two coworkers or peers. And I would very much appreciate positive reviews on the Apple podcast site or wherever you get your podcasts. Positive reviews help others to find this podcast!

Thank you!

Lee Levitt

While most people think of opportunity reviews as a necessary evil to build pipeline visibility, effective opportunity review sessions serve as a critical planning process to ensure timely deal closings.

Yes…a planning process. Good opportunity reviews identify unknown unknowns and action plans that dramatically boost close rates.

And a good platform for capturing those relationship maps and action plan tasks helps to ensure good organization and effective follow through. I mention ARPEDIO as a great example of a tech platform that fully supports these efforts, and account-based selling more broadly.

Here are a few lessons learned along the way:

• Preparation should start months in advance, with the development of influence or relationship maps and hypotheses regarding business value, financial impact and stakeholder involvement
• Getting the right people in the room, prepared with sufficient data and customer intimacy, helps to ensure an effective discovery and planning process
• Given the many unknowns and increasing time pressures, the process must be bullet proof, and ideally, should be led by a trusted professional facilitator

To follow up, you can reach me on ⁠⁠LinkedIn ⁠or via the Acelera Group ⁠website⁠.

To provide feedback on this podcast or to suggest additional topics or guests, please visit The Thoughts On Selling™ podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

I would appreciate your sharing this podcast with one or two coworkers or peers. And I would very much appreciate positive reviews on the Apple podcast site or wherever you get your podcasts. Positive reviews help others to find this podcast!

Thank you!

Lee Levitt

I've been deeply involved in account planning process development, improvement and facilitation for many years and have seen the strong positive impact on value creation, customer satisfaction and loyalty and revenue.

Here are a few lessons learned along the way:

• Account planning, as the basis for account based selling, is vastly different from writing an account plan
• Effective preparation helps to ensure the success of an individual account planning initiative
• Good account planning requires the ongoing participation of key customer stakeholders...and this, by itself, is a decent judge of the relationship strength
• Well defined processes help to ensure success...it's the secret sauce of every good facilitator
• Trained facilitators help to ensure that goals and objectives are achieved.

To follow up, you can reach me on ⁠LinkedIn or via my company website.

To provide feedback on this podcast or to suggest additional topics or guests, please visit The Thoughts On Selling™ podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

I would appreciate your sharing this podcast with one or two coworkers or peers. And I would very much appreciate positive reviews on the Apple podcast site or wherever you get your podcasts. Positive reviews help others to find this podcast!

Thank you!

Lee Levitt

Special guest Jonathan Levitt answers the question “why do we choose to do hard things?”, like running an ultramarathon or selling corporate wellness services (blood analytics) to government agencies.

As the top sales person at InsideTracker, a blood analytics company, Jonathan moved from ambassador program management, influencer development and direct-to-consumer sales to a focus on enterprise and public sector. Along the way he’s worked with leading professional and elite athletes, and more recently larger public service agencies and some of the largest consumer brands.

He’s sold many million of dollars in blood analytics and has built his own podcast, For the Long Run, into a pretty good sized operation in its own right.

He’s been to the Olympics, run the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim and recently placed in the top ten in a high altitude ultra!

Jonathan suggests that curiosity, relationship and rapport building are some of his key tools for success. He also comments that enthusiasm and patience come into play, particularly when a public sector agency has its own immutable timeline. He also comments that retrospection - thinking back about what happened and why - has led to some significant breakthroughs in awareness and strategy.

He advises that success in sales, like running an ultra, requires many small steps along the way. You can’t just be successful in the fourth quarter…you have to plant the seeds and do the work in the first and subsequent quarters, when the finish line is a long way off.

Key takeaways of our conversation:

• Reverse calendaring is an effective approach to help prospects commit to specific activities and timelines
• Identifying decision makers takes curiosity and the willingness to ask direct questions
• Taking on hard things teaches us the limits (or lack thereof) of our capabilities, and translates across personal and professional boundaries

To follow up with Jonathan, you can reach him on ⁠LinkedIn or via his company website.

To provide feedback on this podcast or to suggest additional topics or guests, please visit The Thoughts On Selling™ podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

I would appreciate your sharing this podcast with one or two coworkers or peers. And I would very much appreciate positive reviews on the Apple podcast site or wherever you get your podcasts. Positive reviews help others to find this podcast!

Thank you!

Lee Levitt

Join me for a discussion in how to study, measure and improve sales productivity.

Sales productivity is the intersection of sales effectiveness, efficiency and revenue, and is the backbone of a growing and profitable organization.

Here are some highlights:

• Sales enablement is one of the five levers of sales productivity and is the glue that sticks all of the others together. While content is a component of sales enablement, enablement is much more. And while training is a component of sales enablement, enablement is not training.
• Adult learning theory drives effective sales enablement
• Facilitation means "to make it easy" and is the essence of enablement. It is our job, as enablers, to make it easy for sales and other customer facing people to perform at their best, to co-create with customers, to maximize revenue and profitability
• Curiosity is a key attribute of successful sales people

If you want help evaluating or improving your sales profitability, visit aceleragroup.com to send me a note!

Shout-outs in this podcast

ARPEDIO - the account-based selling platform

NCR Primer - the original sales enablement asset, published by John Patterson at National Cash Register, in 1887

Showpad - a comprensive sales enablement platform

RNMKRS - AI based sales skills training

Objective Management Group - sales team evaluations and sales candidate screening

Gerhard Gschwandtner - first to use the term "co-creation" with regard to complex selling

To provide feedback on this podcast or to suggest additional topics or guests, please visit The Thoughts On Selling™ podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

I would appreciate your sharing this podcast with one or two coworkers or peers. And I would very much appreciate positive reviews on the Apple podcast site or wherever you get your podcasts. Positive reviews help others to find this podcast!

Thank you!

Lee Levitt

Episode SummaryIs your CRM just a graveyard for contact info? In this episode of Thoughts on Selling, Lee Levitt sits down with Ulrik Monberg, CEO of ARPEDIO, to solve a problem plaguing sales teams: Why do "Account Plans" end up as static documents stuck in a drawer?

Ulrik identified that most tools store data but fail to guide behavior. He built ARPEDIO to bridge this gap. We discuss the shift from Account Planning (a document) to Account-Based Selling (ABS) (a process) and how the Strategic Account Manager (SAM) must evolve into an "Orchestrator" of cross-functional value.

Memorable Quotes:

• "Account plans are static, stale documents... Account-Based Selling is a living, breathing process."

• "Selling is all about helping the customer to find different—more effective, profitable—ways of doing business."

• "We focus on building a learning organization... leveraging tribal knowledge."

3 Actionable Takeaways for Leaders:

1. Orchestrate, Don't Just Sell: The modern SAM must act as a conductor, pulling in product, success, and execs to co-create value. Silos leave revenue on the table.

2. The "Good Data" Mandate: AI is only as good as its context. Ulrik warns that unstructured CRM data leads to "hallucinated" strategies. Codify Best Practices first, then scale with AI.

3. Audit Your "6 Pillars": If ABS fails, audit Ulrik's keys: Process, Value, Orchestration, Data, Tech Stack, and Leadership. A broken link (e.g., Tech not supporting Process) is usually the culprit.

Key Topics & Timestamps:

• (00:00) – Intro: Why CRM fails to guide behavior.

• (04:20) – ARPEDIO Defined: Assess, Reflect, Plan, Execute.

• (10:15) – Static vs. Dynamic: Why "living" account plans win.

• (16:40) – The 6 Pillars of ABS: Process, Value, Orchestration, Data, Tech Stack, Leadership.

• (28:30) – The SAM as Orchestrator: Engaging the "customer's customer."

• (35:00) – AI in Account Strategy: From "Generative" to "Strategic."

• (41:50) – Building a Learning Org: Capturing tribal knowledge.

About Our Guest:Ulrik Monberg is the CEO/Co-Founder of ARPEDIO, a platform making Account-Based Selling actionable in Salesforce. He helps organizations move from "data entry" to "value creation" and is a thought leader on Strategic Account Management (SAM).

About the Host:Lee Levitt is a seasoned sales performance consultant, sales coach and the Principal of The Acelera Group.

With decades of experience in Sales, Sales Leadership, Sales Enablement, Revenue Operations, and Sales Performance Management, Lee helps enterprise organizations build disciplined, replicable sales operating systems.

He is the voice behind the Thoughts on Selling™ brand, covering the intersection of deal mechanics and the "Inner Game" of selling.

Related Episodes:

• Ep [Prev]: Escaping the Sales Treadmill w/ Pete Smith

• Ep [Prev]: The Unicorn Model is Dead w/ Amos Bar-Joseph

• Ep 25: When Sales People Do Their Homework w/ Deb Berman

Resources & Links:

• Platform: Learn more about ARPEDIO.

• Connect: Find Ulrik Monberg on LinkedIn.

• Subscribe: thoughtsonselling.com.

Keywords:Account Based Selling, ABS, Account Planning, Strategic Account Management, SAM, KAM, Salesforce, CRM Strategy, ARPEDIO, Sales Orchestration, Value Selling, B2B Sales Process, RevOps, Sales Methodology, Cross-Functional Selling, AI in Sales.

Special guest ⁠Laurie Schloff and I discuss the value of effective communication in the selling realm. This episode will help you to become a better communicator, and to help your team communicate better as well!

Good communicators are able to motivate their prospects more effectively than weak communicators, and most of selling involves helping others to see different ways of being, to lower the perception of risk in acting, and to show a useful path forward.

Laurie shares some tips regarding effective communicating, including the “power” of your communication. Are you too assertive a communicator, too passive.  She asks: “what exactly do you want to say with your communication?” What do you actually say? 

Laurie suggests considering style words — the words that people will attribute to you after seeing you in a work situation. For me, the two style words that came to mind are “curious” and “motivating.” For Laurie, her words are “approachable” and “expert.” These two style words serve each of us in our daily activities. What are your style words?

We share some war stories of communication, good and bad. What’s the best way to avoid that latter category? Preparation and practice, of course! We also explore the purpose of a typical presentation…after all few people remember more than a small amount of the information presented…so why bother? Well…the purpose is to create a feeling…which causes people to act! (They can always find the information later.)

Key takeaways of our conversation:

• Sales is all about communicating
• You create your world with your words
• You can control how you communicate
• Let your passion show
• Prepare, don’t despair!

To follow up with Laurie, you can reach her on ⁠LinkedIn or via her website.

To provide feedback on this podcast or to suggest additional topics or guests, please visit The Thoughts On Selling™ podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

I would appreciate your sharing this podcast with one or two coworkers or peers. And I would very much appreciate positive reviews on the Apple podcast site or wherever you get your podcasts. Positive reviews help others to find this podcast!

Thank you!

Lee Levitt

Special guest ⁠Jackie Quint and I discuss the value of customer success as a key to revenue generation and why smart AEs partner with CSMs to win more deals and help customers achieve their strategic goals!

Too much of selling focuses on the hero's journey of bringing in new logos and undervalues the shorter-cycle, lower-cost, higher-win-rate sale to existing customers. Jackie, with her experience in carrying a bag, consulting with multiple companies and then running Sales Enablement, Operations and Customer Success at Sophos, Extreme Networks, Salesforce and Hitch, offers a remedy.

Organizations need to move beyond their functional silos and deliver on higher customer lifetime value. Great SaaS companies treat customer success not only as a key driver of customer outcomes and NPS, but also an essential part of the revenue operating rhythm.  We all know renewals are key to any revenue picture, but how else does customer success add a boost to sales for new or existing customers?

Key takeaways of our conversation include the three unexpected ways customer success boosts sales:

• Expansion Opportunity Boost - CSMs act as trusted product advisors, opening up qualified expansion opportunities, with fleshed out buyer maps and internal value stories that drive ROI. Try that with an MQL!
• Win Rate Boost - CSMs participate in high-value, new-logo deals building buyer confidence by sharing implementation, adoption, success and change best practices that become a core differentiator!
• Sales Confidence Boost - Via sales enablement, CSMs share stories with relatable quotes, anecdotes - and specifically how we overcame obstacles - that take AE conversational competence to a new level!

Next actions? Sales Enablement teams need more knowledge of the post-sales role in selling and Customer Success Enablement teams need to build better CSM skills in selling. To follow up with Jackie, you can reach her on ⁠LinkedIn⁠.

To provide feedback on this podcast or to suggest additional topics or guests, please visit The Thoughts On Selling™ podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Special guest ⁠Christine McKay and I discuss how to get the most from a sales engagement, starting with a value selling mindset —  understanding requirements, aligning with the customer’s business goals and demonstrating value. Christine, as an experienced sales negotiator, outlines how most organizations leave value on the table and assume additional costs in virtually every deal.

While sales people tend to focus on price as a primary contract term, most customers care more about implementation costs and downside risks. Sales enablement has an opportunity improve their contract fluency and financial acumen.

Key takeaways of our conversation:

• Total transaction costs go way beyond price
• Contracts are strategic documents
• Sales people need training on contract creation/management and on financial acumen
• Curiosity is the most important trait for a sales person
• Resist taking the founder on sales calls

To follow up with Christine, you can reach her on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ or ⁠⁠via her ⁠website⁠.

To provide feedback on this podcast or to suggest additional topics or guests, please visit The Thoughts On Selling™ podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

I would appreciate your sharing this podcast with one or two coworkers or peers. And I would very much appreciate positive reviews on the Apple podcast site or wherever you get your podcasts. Positive reviews help others to find this podcast!

Thank you!

Lee Levitt

In this episode of Thoughts on Selling, I sit down with Borja Cuan, co-founder of Four15 Digital, to talk all things demand gen, agency life, and what it takes to deliver results—not just leads. Borja's been in the digital marketing game since the late '90s, and his perspective on execution, transparency, and the importance of asking the right questions is both refreshing and, frankly, necessary in today’s B2B landscape.

We dig into the realities of running a growth agency in a high-pressure environment, including the need to go deep with clients—not just generate leads and toss them over the fence. Borja shares how they push for real alignment and results, why communication is everything, and how referrals and transparency build trust in an industry plagued by skepticism.

We also talk about the importance of recognizing client pressure, being honest about what’s working (and what’s not), and how to keep your team focused on delivering high-quality outcomes every single time.

Oh, and we had some laughs too. That’s always part of the plan.

• Execution is everything. Tools and platforms are accessible to all—it's what you do with them that sets you apart.

• Leads ≠ Results. Agencies need to care about what happens after the lead is generated.

• Communication wins. Weekly check-ins, note-takers, action items—it's the small things that keep relationships strong.

• Referrals help, but trust is earned. Even warm intros come with skepticism. Be ready to prove yourself.

• Curiosity matters. Ask why something’s working. Or not. Dig deep into the data and the client's goals.

• Push back (respectfully). If a client’s idea isn’t the best for their business, say so.

• Ask your clients: What are we not doing today that you wish we were?

• Get clear on what success looks like—then document it, track it, and revisit it often.

• Keep your "house" (aka accounts and campaigns) clean—small details build (or break) trust.

• Set up a regular client health score review—don’t assume silence means satisfaction.

• Don't just celebrate wins—use them to reinforce value and deepen the relationship.

🔑 Key Takeaways✅ Action Items

Special guest ⁠Kevin Dixon⁠ and I discuss a key factor in value selling — understanding the participants on the buying team, mapping the relationships and dynamics and coming up with a plan to address their individual and group care-abouts.

Kevin is a long term sales exec turned company founder, who has brought a powerful tool to the market. Boxxstep provides the capability to map relationships, share that information cross the sales team and to poll individual buyers post engagement to determine where sales enablement can provide support to improve individual sales people skills and capabilities.

Kevin shares many lessons learned. Selling is a team sport, just as Tammi Warfield in an earlier episode described it as a baton hand-off from one teammate to another. Kevin reiterates that the “Why Change, Why Now” conversation is a whole lot more fruitful than the “Why Us” or “Hey, isn’t this cool” conversation (I don’t think Kevin actually said cool…)

Key takeaways of our conversation:

• Creating a mutual action plan, or as Kevin calls it, an “outcome enablement plan” is the second step
• And the third step is to learn from the engagement — solicit candid buying committee feedback and take action on the information.

To follow up with Kevin, you can reach him on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ or ⁠⁠via his ⁠website⁠.

To provide feedback on this podcast or to suggest additional topics or guests, please visit The Thoughts On Selling™ podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

I would appreciate your sharing this podcast with one or two coworkers or peers. And I would very much appreciate positive reviews on the Apple podcast site or wherever you get your podcasts. Positive reviews help others to find this podcast!

Thank you!

Lee Levitt

Special guest ⁠Meagan Davis and I discuss the essence of sales enablement and how it’s similar to long distance running — you have to prepare, set a project plan, to train, be ready for speed bumps, broken shoe laces, SMEs that don’t show up or other anticipated/surprising events that may impede your ability to succeed. 

Meagan recently published How to Start a Sales Enablement Program, available on Amazon. Her goal in writing the book was to capture and share her own learnings in launching a sales enablement function at a security tech company.

Meagan discusses her belief in the value of big, audacious goals.  She has a “make it happen” attitude that helps her to get the job done, to deliver results in an emerging tech company with limited (or occasionally no) budgets.

She also shares her best practices in winning over and working with executive stakeholders, an evergreen topic in the sales enablement community.

We discuss the value of focusing on people, process and then technology, ensuring that the technology helps to deliver the individuals’ and organizational goals, rather than forcing the organization to fit into a specific technology operating model.

Five key takeaways of our conversation:

1. Find a coach or mentor who has been there before and is willing to talk through your challenges or be a sounding board for ideas.
2. Be humble and disciplined
3. Be hungry to learn, and broaden your definition of what a "lesson is."
4. Don’t let perfection be the enemy of the good
5. Have audacious goals

To follow up with Meagan, you can reach her on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ or ⁠⁠via her ⁠website⁠.

To provide feedback on this podcast or to suggest additional topics or guests, please visit The Thoughts On Selling™ podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Meagan and I would appreciate your sharing this podcast with one or two coworkers or peers. And we would very much appreciate positive reviews on the Apple podcast site or wherever you get your podcasts. Positive reviews help others to find this podcast!

Thank you!

Lee Levitt

Special guest Tammi Warfield and I discuss the full customer buying relationship versus the much more limited traditional selling approach. Tammi has held senior leadership roles at Microsoft, BMC, Delphix and more, where she owned the customer relationship process and business practices across the entire lifecycle. She's carried a bag and, generously, she has many lessons to share.

She also happens to be a long time friend and former coworker.

We explore Tammi's Value Realization model of Engagement -> Presales Journey -> Discovery & CoCreation -> Adoption/Rollout -> Value Realization -> (Next) Engagement.

While Tammi and I are both strong proponents of the Value Selling mindset, she outlines a holistic approach for the customer engagement process, while the traditional Value Selling perspective focuses more narrowly on the sales person and surrounding personas (the inside out view). Tammi's model builds on itself -- value realization loops back to (re)engagement, and to useful learnings for the sales person to take to their next customer conversation.

Key takeaways of our conversation:

• Do not overlook the "small things" in sales, because the small things really matter
• Think of the sales journey as the passing of a baton from team member to team member, with the customer as an integral part of that team
• Understand, confirm, reaffirm the customer's value basis. When the customer uses your slide in discussions with other stakeholders, you've gotten it right

To follow up with Tammi, you can reach her on LinkedIn or ⁠⁠via her website.

To provide feedback on this podcast or to suggest additional topics or guests, please visit The Thoughts On Selling™ podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

I would appreciate your sharing this podcast with one or two coworkers or peers. And I would very much appreciate positive reviews on the Apple podcast site or wherever you get your podcasts. Positive reviews help others to find this podcast!

Thank you!

Lee Levitt

Stefanie Boyer, Ph.D is an author, TEDx and keynote speaker, sales trainer and named Forbes Next 1,000. Stefanie speaks and writes about how businesses can create growth while keeping their teams happy and loyal. Cited by AMA as the Sales Professor of the Year and recognized as a sales innovation expert, Dr. Boyer runs the sales program at Bryant University and is co-founder of RNMKRS, a technology company using AI to bring unbiased sales training to students around the world.

Stefanie has carried a bag, worked as a firefighter and held the javelin-throwing record.

We dive into the topic of sales training and its link to sales performance. You probably know that the typical sales person might do one or two role plays a month; motivated sales people will do more. Stefanie's research suggests that a sales rep must go through thirty or more role plays to get good at a particular selling skill. In fact, after just one or two their skill level may temporarily decrease!

Our current process of sales training is out of step with what we know about adult learning theory. Typical training asks the learner to parse a lengthy, detail heavy content module and then take a "review" test to determine whether they've retained that knowledge. There frequently no feedback as to why an answer is incorrect, and seldom is that knowledge tested in context.

Compare this with how a child learns to ride a bike. First the child watches others actually ride a bike, and then, with help, learns what balance feels like. Feedback is immediate. Then, the child may try a few pedal strokes on their own, again with support and immediate feedback.

Adult learning theory isn't that different. You just don't want people going too far without coaching and feedback, or "incorrect" muscle memory and learning is planted along with everything else (and then must be unlearned.)

We discuss the role of the sales person as the initial and primary point of contact with prospects. Why do we leave their success up to chance?

This is not a new conversation...James Knox covered this in his excellent book, The Science and Art of Selling, published in 1921, which you can find on Amazon.

We need more science in the preparation of selling...and Stefanie and I take a deep dive into how to go about it!

Stefanie introduces https://www.rnmkrs.org/https://www.rnmkrs.org/, a company she co-founded, which has helped train more than 20,000 students worldwide and thousands of sales people at companies including Dell, Forrester, Gartner, Allstate, Bitsight, Cintas and more.

Based on her years of experience in the field, Stefanie recently co-authored a book, 9 Ways to Develop Highly Effective Salespeople, which you can find on Amazon. She's pretty passionate about the power of social media and also recently co-authored a book, The Little Black Book of Social Media, about building an online brand using social.

Key takeaways of our conversation:

• Executive and alignment, along with accountability measures, are critical for the success of any sales training initiative
• Creating a safe environment promotes effective learning
• When people feel supported, they perform better

To follow up with Stefanie, you can reach her on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠

To provide feedback on this podcast or to suggest additional topics or guests, please visit The Thoughts On Selling™ podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

I would appreciate your sharing this podcast with one or two coworkers or peers. And I would very much appreciate positive reviews on the Apple podcast site or wherever you get your podcasts. Positive reviews help others to find this podcast!

Thank you!

Lee Levitt