Untap Your Sales Potential

Ian Koniak
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Untap Your Sales Potential helps tech sellers close the gap between good and elite. Through real stories of sellers who transformed their results, you’ll learn the mindset, habits, and skills behind top 1% performance. If you know you’re capable of more and want a clear path to get there, this podcast will show you what’s possible and how to achieve it.

  1. 5 days ago

    #18 - She Sold $200M Despite Her Childhood | Crystal Ives

    $200,000,000. That's how much Crystal Ives has sold in her career against all odds.  Her mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia and spent 7 years in and out of mental hospitals starting when she was 5 years old.  Her father murdered two people and served time in prison.  At 7, her grandfather went bankrupt and gave her up for adoption for a month because he couldn't afford to keep her. Read that again. I recently sat down with Crystal for one of the most powerful Fireside Chats we’ve done. And what struck me wasn’t just what she accomplished. It was how she responded to what happened to her. She refused to let her circumstances define her future. Instead, she decided to break the cycle. As Crystal told me: “My children will have the life I did not have.” One of the things I love most about sales is that it’s a true meritocracy. Anybody can succeed at the highest level, despite the hardships or obstacles they may face growing up.  In fact, many top sellers use those hardships as fuel to move away from a life  they don’t want which they experienced firsthand growing up.  A few of my biggest takeaways from our conversation: 1. Nothing replaces hard work. Pay the price required today for the life you want tomorrow.  2. Find people who can accelerate your growth. Crystal learned from great sellers, mentors, coaches and executives throughout her career. You don’t have to figure everything out on your own.  3. Your energy is your superpower. Crystal shared that what makes her successful is not sales tactics, but her energy and positivity. The best sellers don’t become someone else. They maximize who they already are. 4. Make it easy for customers to buy. Her formula for enterprise sales is simple: make the buying process easy, build widespread organizational support, and minimize friction with the customer during the sales process so they enjoy working with you.  But the biggest lesson had nothing to do with sales. It has to do with resilience.  You don’t get to choose the life you are born into. But you absolutely get to decide what you want to build from it.  Crystal chose to build a life of financial security, success, and safety because that’s what she didn’t have growing up.  And because of her choices, her children will never experience the pain she went through.  “It ran in my family until it ran into me…”  If you've ever told yourself your circumstance and background is the reason you can't win, this one’s for you. Connect with Crystal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalives/ Learn more at: https://www.untapyoursalespotential.com/podcast

    #18 - She Sold $200M Despite Her Childhood | Crystal Ives

  2. 4 Aug

    #17 - He Sold $1.2 Billion With a 90% Win Rate! | Bob Koviak

    In this episode, I sat down with Bob Koviak, who sold 1.2B in his career while maintaining a 90% win rate! In his own words, “I don’t lose deals.”  Bob has crossed 7 figures multiple times in his career, and In his last year at Microsoft, he finished at 345% of quota selling Agentic AI solutions. His previous nickname was “Big Deal Bob,” but during our conversation we all agreed that “Billionaire Bob” was more appropriate based on his insane results.  This was one of the most powerful, inspiring conversations I’ve had with any guest. Bob shared his full playbook for finding big deals, gaining access to the C-suite, and selling large transformational deals year after year.  Here’s what we covered in detail:  The 3 non-negotiable things you need in place to win every big deal How to easily identify “change agents” in a large organizationHow to empower your champions to sell when you’re not in the room Why selling outcomes is much more effective than selling softwareHow to get your customers promoted after they do a large deal with youWhy “joint action plans” are more powerful than close plans How sellers can stay relevant in the Age of AIThe downsides of being extremely successful, and the sacrifices Bob madeWhy Bob got sober 7 years ago, and how his life has changed since.  And SO MUCH MORE!  If you are serious about your career and want to know EXACTLY what it takes to become a top software seller, this one’s for you!  Learn more at: http://untapyoursalespotential.com/podcast

    #17 - He Sold $1.2 Billion With a 90% Win Rate! | Bob Koviak

  3. 28 Jul

    #16 - She Spent Half Her Savings on Coaching That Turned Into 189% of Quota | Miriam John (MJ)

    Miriam John (MJ) had $27,000 left in her savings account, and took the bold move of spending half of it on coaching.  She had recently moved from India to the UK with her husband and was working in a difficult environment where she was being criticized constantly with no real feedback on how to improve. She was crying herself to sleep most nights. Making the decision meant a hard conversation with her husband, and then with her parents to get their support. That kind of decision takes real courage. For MJ, it paid off completely. Three years later, she has averaged 189% of quota every single year at Mailchimp, where she was the founding EMEA account executive brought in to lead the company's move from mid-market into enterprise. She has landed massive logos including Dyson and Mercedes. She has spoken on stages across Europe, including OMR Hamburg and Mailchimp Connect events in Madrid and London. And she has invested over $30,000 total in her own development between our coaching program and leadership coaching with Kevin Dorsey. But the numbers are not really what this conversation is about. This conversation is about what it actually takes to go from a person who cries every night after work to someone who walks on stage in front of hundreds of people and trains them. It is about the specific, practical tools MJ uses to manage anxiety, protect her relationship, and hit her number every single quarter without burning herself into the ground. Here is what we covered: Leaving a well-established career and reputation in India to move to the UK for her husband's opportunity, and starting over completelyThe toxic work environment at her first UK role, where she was criticized constantly without ever being told what to do differentlyThe moment she and her husband decided to invest nearly half their savings into coaching, and the conversation it took with her parentsWhat it means to be in the valley of despair, and why the breakthrough happens on the other side of the breakdownBeing vulnerable with a new manager about a bad past experience, and what happened when he actually kept his wordThe exact daily system MJ uses to consistently hit 189% of quota: RGAs, time-blocking, and saying no to distractionHer specific prospecting playbook using Gong to mine past conversations for signals, then building hyper-targeted outreach around themWhy she gets a 10% response rate on cold outreach when the industry average is closer to 1%Learning industry-specific jargon and mirroring exact customer language inside every demoHer ongoing IVF journey, sharing it publicly for the first time, and the emotional weight of building a family while building a careerWhat real anxiety management looks like day to day, and the specific habit of catching herself before she falls into old patternsHer advice to anyone hesitant to invest in themselves: find the right person, find the right time, and show up MJ's story is proof that the biggest results rarely come from a single tactic. They come from a person deciding, at real financial and emotional risk, that she was worth the investment. And then showing up, again and again, even on the days it was hardest to. Connect with MJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miriamjohn1/ Learn more at: http://untapyoursalespotential.com/podcast

    #16 - She Spent Half Her Savings on Coaching That Turned Into 189% of Quota | Miriam John (MJ)

  4. 21 Jul

    #15 - Fireside Chat with Jamal Reimer: How to Close Mega Deals | Jamal Reimer

    In this episode, I interviewed Jamal Reimer, author of Mega Deal Secrets and Founder of Enterprise Sellers. Jamal sold 160M as an individual contributor at Oracle and now writes, coaches, and consults on how to find and close mega deals. In this episode, Jamal openly shares his playbook as we cover the following topics in detail: Why humility is his secret weaponTeam selling: how to lead and quarterback your deal teamExecutive MappingCrossing the chasm: going from average AE to top performerKeys to powerful executive conversations And much, much more! Enjoy! Learn more at: https://www.untapyoursalespotential.com/podcast

    #15 - Fireside Chat with Jamal Reimer: How to Close Mega Deals | Jamal Reimer

  5. 14 Jul

    #14 - He Hit Rock Bottom, Almost Quit Sales, Then Tripled His Income to $970K | Greg Cummings

    It’s not the wins in our life that showcase our true strength - it’s how we respond when we get knocked down…badly!  Greg Cummings had just been laid off from a startup after underperforming. He came back to Salesforce, put everything he had into proving he belonged there, and still fell short of where he thought he should be.  When he looked at his territory for the following year, stripped down and reassigned to industries he had no excitement for, he contemplated a decision that a lot of sellers consider but never talk about. Should I leave sales entirely?  Greg spent six years in the Marine Corps before starting his career in medical device sales, walking into operating rooms at four in the morning to tell neurosurgeons what they were doing wrong.  He transitioned into tech, found his way to Salesforce, and spent years hovering between $100,000-$200,000 W2 income. Good, but not great. Definitely not what he knew he was capable of. Then came the layoff, the return to Salesforce, another underperforming year, and a moment of real reckoning.  Was he even cut out for this? Was his early success just luck? Instead of quitting, Greg made a different decision. He decided to invest in himself and get help by enrolling in Untap Your Sales Potential.  His first year, he doubled his income to $360K. His second year, working with me 1:1, he made $970K. But his income growth is not the most interesting part of our conversation. What’s most interesting is who he had to become in order to reach that level.  During our interview, Greg talks about how he stopped pitching and became genuinely curious about people's problems. He talks about only working deals with executive engagement, and what it takes to have the courage to bring executives into deals early on or walk away.  We also got super personal and Greg discussed the changes he had to make at home to begin truly enjoying his life outside of work. Prior to coaching, Greg was doing all the cooking, yard work, house projects, and felt constantly depleted and drained.  On our first 1:1 coaching session, the first assignment I had him do was hire somebody to mow his lawn. This first step began the process of outsourcing everything that didn’t bring him joy and robbed his free time, then re-allocating that time to spend with family.  Here is what we covered on the podcast: Going from the Marine Corps to medical sales to SalesforceThe layoff, the underperforming year, and questioning whether he should leave salesWhy he finally reached out for help when he admitted he couldn’t succeed on his ownThe inward to outward mindset shiftHow to sell to CEO’s Why executives are much easier to talk to than mid-level buyersThe playbook Greg now teaches new hires: spend almost no time learning product, spend all your time learning how to talk to executivesThe mindset shift behind outsourcing: what your time is actually worth, and why doing everything yourself is not a badge of honorClearing mental clutter and why Sunday night no longer feels heavyWhy he moved from sales coaching into therapy, men's groups, and church involvement His message to anyone who is stuck: be humble enough to ask for help, because the journey never stops Greg's story is not just about hitting a number most sellers only dream about. It is about what happens after you hit it, and having the courage to keep growing in the parts of your life that success alone will never fix. Learn more at: https://www.untapyoursalespotential.com/podcast

    #14 - He Hit Rock Bottom, Almost Quit Sales, Then Tripled His Income to $970K | Greg Cummings

  6. 6 Jul

    #13 - Fireside Chat with the Legendary Bob Burg | Bob Burg

    Bob Burg is one of the most influential authors in the world of sales and business. His bestselling book, The Go-Giver, has sold more than one million copies and teaches a simple but powerful philosophy: the greatest success comes from creating value, building trust, and serving others first. His message perfectly aligns with what we teach at Untap Your Sales Potential: shifting from inward-focused selling to outward-focused selling by putting your customer's success ahead of your own.  If I can summarize this philosophy in one sentence:  When you help others succeed, your success is guaranteed.  In this Fireside Chat, we discuss: • How the most successful salespeople shift their focus from getting to giving and why this approach actually leads to greater financial success. • Why nobody buys because you have a quota to hit. They buy because they believe they'll be better off by working with you.  • Why customers can sense "commission breath" and how genuine curiosity creates trust. • The importance of authenticity and why Bob defines it as living congruently with your values rather than trying to imitate someone else's personality. • Why discovery is the most important part of every sales conversation and how understanding the real problem is more important than overcoming objections. Bob also walks through his Five Laws of Stratospheric Success: The Law of Value: Your true worth is determined by how much more value you give than you take in payment.The Law of Compensation: Your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.The Law of Influence: Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people's interests first.The Law of Authenticity: The most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.The Law of Receptivity: The key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving. One idea that especially resonated with me was Bob's perspective on authenticity. True confidence doesn't come from being the most skilled. It comes from living your values and showing up consistently as the same person in every interaction. Another insight I loved was his explanation of the Law of Receptivity. Giving and receiving aren't opposites; they're partners. The more open you are to receiving gratitude, support, opportunities, and success, the greater your capacity becomes to continue serving others. If you're a sales professional, leader, or entrepreneur who wants to build more trust, create more value, and grow your influence, I think you'll get a tremendous amount from this conversation. Learn more at: https://www.untapyoursalespotential.com/podcast

    #13 - Fireside Chat with the Legendary Bob Burg | Bob Burg

  7. 30 Jun

    #12 - He Closed a $75M Deal at Oracle and Shares Exactly How | Brad Harmon

    When I first started selling software, I would hear about massive deals closing. I always wondered who sold these mega deals, how they actually got done.  Not long ago, I sat down with Brad Harmon, who recently closed a $75M deal and finished AE of the Year at Oracle.  Brad rose the ranks of software from BDR to Strategic Seller, and has earned 7 figures multiple years. He’s also extremely consistent, hitting quota 14 of 15 years in his career. Brad joined me for a Fireside Chat and broke down exactly how that $75M deal came together, step by step. He walked through: • How he quarterbacked this massive deal without losing control • Why over-communicating internally became his secret weapon • How to use mutual action plans to create joint accountability with customers • How to ask for “unnatural acts” without damaging trust • How to manage immense pressure when your deal has so much visibility with execs. •How he detaches his self-worth from his quota • Why being a “good person” and caring about his customers is his superpower Brad’s journey is the blueprint every AE dreams about –  becoming AE of the Year at one of the largest companies in the world while making truly life-changing money.  If you want to see what it actually takes to get there, this conversation will light a fire in you. Learn more at: https://www.untapyoursalespotential.com/

    #12 - He Closed a $75M Deal at Oracle and Shares Exactly How | Brad Harmon

  8. 23 Jun

    #11 - How to Sell Like a Consultant | Noah Flower

    What’s the difference between how a consultant sells, and how a typical software AE sells?  In one word: EVERYTHING!  My first four years at Salesforce, I spoke to customers like many AE’s do.  I was friendly, charismatic, and asked a lot of questions about their current situation.  If I thought we could help the client, I shared our value proposition, overview of the software, and asked for next steps, such as a demo or deeper discovery.  I worked hard and considered myself a good “closer,” who could reel in any fish I had on the line using discounts, incentives, and old-fashioned persistence.  Overall, this approach worked okay, and allowed me to make 200K-300K/year on average. Pretty good living, right?  I thought so too.  But I never BLEW IT OUT of the water.  During my first four years as an Enterprise AE, I hit quota my first year, missed it badly in my second and third years, and finished 95% my fourth year (that one stung the most!) While my income was decent, I felt like a failure compared to so many reps who were blowing it out of the water, selling over 200% of quota, and making BIG money at Salesforce!  I wanted to know what they were doing differently.  One thing I consistently heard is that the top performers were using a “consultative selling” approach, and many of them engaged a group at Salesforce called “Ignite.” This group only worked with the most strategic accounts who wanted to transform their business, and their approach centered around design thinking to drive digital transformations.  I was determined to run an Ignite in one of my largest new logos: Berkshire Hathaway Home Services.  I engaged my Ignite Partner, a man named Noah Flower.   I was fortunate to book a meeting with the COO of BHHS, and invited Noah to join me.  When I saw how Noah interacted with him, my mind was blown.  It was like nothing I had ever seen before.  He asked strategic questions focused on the COO’s highest priorities, biggest challenges, and long term vision for the company.  He asked about competitive threats, shifting market dynamics, and his personal goals.  He listened attentively, dug deeper to understand everything the COO shared, and was deeply curious and interested in the clients business.  Not once did he mention anything about our Salesforce or our solutions, nor did he try to pitch an Ignite Engagement.  At the very end of the meeting, he said that he believed we could help, and shared a bit more about Ignite.  For this approach to work, we would first need to gain consensus from the entire C-suite, and Noah offered to help our COO prepare for an internal stakeholder meeting.  Within just a month, the COO had arranged for us to have 1:1 interviews with their CEO, CFO, and CIO prior to the Ignite Workshop.  Within 6 months, we had closed the largest deal of my career.  The reason why Noah was so effective in front of customers is because he was not a “seller.”  Learn more at: https://www.untapyoursalespotential.com/podcast/

    #11 - How to Sell Like a Consultant | Noah Flower
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Untap Your Sales Potential helps tech sellers close the gap between good and elite. Through real stories of sellers who transformed their results, you’ll learn the mindset, habits, and skills behind top 1% performance. If you know you’re capable of more and want a clear path to get there, this podcast will show you what’s possible and how to achieve it.

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