Make It Happen Mondays - B2B Sales Talk with John Barrows

John Barrows
  • 4.6 (201)
  • Business
  • Updated Weekly

John Barrows helps sales leaders decide whether to replace or rebuild their teams for the AI era, drawing on 25+ years working with Salesforce, LinkedIn, Google, and Amazon. He advises CROs and VPs of Sales on AI readiness, team structure, and go-to-market strategy. He trains sales teams on the fundamentals that drive consistent performance, with or without AI.

  1. 5d ago

    AI Is Changing Sales How Salespeople Can Stay Valuable in 2026 with Tim Sanders

    Half of your buyers already picked their shortlist before your sales team even knew they existed. The only question left is whether your team knows what they typed in to get there. In this episode, John sits down with Tim Sanders, Chief Innovation Officer at G2 and author of five books including Love Is The Killer App, to talk about why half of all software buyers now start their research inside ChatGPT, how BDRs have quietly become the frontline of business intelligence for companies trying to win AI search, and why the one thing AI still can't replace in a sales rep is domain expertise. If you are in sales, sales leadership, or building a go-to-market team that needs to hold up in the AI era, this conversation gives you a practical way to think about what AI search means for your pipeline, why your BDRs might be sitting on your most valuable data, and how to make sure the human in the deal still has something the algorithm doesn't. Want to build a sales team that can hold its own in the AI era? Visit www.jbarrows.com and learn how you can Make It Happen. What You'll Learn Why half of all software buyers now start their research inside ChatGPT or Gemini, and are eighty percent through their purchase before a sales rep ever talks to themWhy the BDR, not the AE, has become the frontline of business intelligence for companies trying to win inside AI searchWhy Tim says today's best AE is a sommelier, not a closer, and what that metaphor means for a buyer drowning in AI-generated optionsWhy verifier's law explains what AI still can't be trusted to do in sales outreach, and why domain expertise is the one thing that makes a generalist model useful Tim Sanders is Chief Innovation Officer at G2, where he researches how AI is reshaping B2B buying and helps G2's customers adapt their go-to-market strategy. Before G2, he was Chief Innovation Officer at Upwork and spent years as an executive at Yahoo, following his early career with Mark Cuban's audio net, which became broadcast.com. He is the author of five books, including Love Is The Killer App and Today We Are Rich. Visit timsanders.com to learn more about Tim's work and books. Connect with Tim Sanders: Website: https://timsanders.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanderssays John Barrows is a sales trainer, speaker, and founder of JB Sales with over 25 years of experience in the industry. He has made hundreds of cold calls a week, led startups to acquisition, and trained high-performing teams at companies like Salesforce, LinkedIn, Amazon, and Okta. Through JB Sales, John focuses on practical sales execution, helping reps fill pipeline, close deals, and build trust with buyers in today's AI-driven sales environment. Connect with John Barrows: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows Instagram: instagram.com/johnmbarrows TikTok: tiktok.com/@johnmbarrows Check out John's Membership: https://learn.jbarrows.com/pages/individual-packages Join John's Newsletter: https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletter

  2. Sep 21

    How Steve Jobs Built the Apple Store: Big Ideas, Innovation & Leadership with Ron Johnson

    The Apple Store almost didn't happen. Not because the idea was bad, because it was too big for anyone but Steve Jobs to say yes to. In this episode, John sits down with Ron Johnson, the retail executive who built the original Apple Store and Genius Bar alongside Steve Jobs, led Target's design transformation, and later served as CEO of JC Penney, to talk about why he turned down a scaled down test of the Apple Store concept, what actually went wrong with the JC Penney pricing overhaul he's still willing to own, and why he tells people to challenge every answer AI gives them the same way he had to challenge decades of accepted retail wisdom. If you are in sales, sales leadership, retail, or building anything that requires a team to believe in an idea before the proof exists, this conversation gives you a practical way to think about pitching big ideas instead of small tests, building a culture of believers instead of skeptics, and using AI to speed up research without letting it make the decision for you. Want to build a sales team that can think as boldly as Ron Johnson built the Apple Store? Visit www.jbarrows.com and learn how you can Make It Happen. What You'll Learn Why Ron turned down a scaled down test of the Apple Store, and the four billion dollar answer from Steve Jobs that changed his mindWhy doubling Target's kids' clothing business came down to something as simple as how the sizes were labeledWhy the JC Penney pricing overhaul improved customer satisfaction but still failed, and why Ron says the mistake was the pace, not the ideaWhy Steve Jobs wanted believers on his team, not skeptics, and how many skeptics is actually too manyWhy Ron says to challenge every answer AI gives you before you accept it, the same way he had to challenge decades of accepted retail wisdom Ron Johnson is the retail executive who led Apple's retail strategy and built the Apple Store and Genius Bar concept alongside Steve Jobs. Before Apple, he spent years at Target leading the company's design transformation, including its original Michael Graves partnership, and he later served as CEO of JC Penney. He is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Business School, and his new book releases September 22nd. Visit RonJohnsonShopsDifferent.com to learn more about Ron's work and his new book. Connect with Ron Johnson: Website: RonJohnsonShopsDifferent.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/shopdifferent John Barrows is a sales trainer, speaker, and founder of JB Sales with over 25 years of experience in the industry. He has made hundreds of cold calls a week, led startups to acquisition, and trained high-performing teams at companies like Salesforce, LinkedIn, Amazon, and Okta. Through JB Sales, John focuses on practical sales execution, helping reps fill pipeline, close deals, and build trust with buyers in today's AI-driven sales environment. Connect with John Barrows: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows Instagram: instagram.com/johnmbarrows TikTok: tiktok.com/@johnmbarrows Check out John's Membership: https://learn.jbarrows.com/pages/individual-packages Join John's Newsletter: https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletter

  3. Sep 14

    AI Is Changing Sales Leadership: The New Skills Every Sales Rep Needs with Kristie Jones

    AI didn't kill the sales fundamentals. It just made everyone forget what they actually are. In this episode, John sits down with Kristie Jones, Author and Founder of Sales Acceleration Group, to talk about why the buyer now wants to talk to a human 80 to 90 percent of the way through their own research, why the post-mortem meeting needs to be replaced with a pre-call meeting, and why AI is forcing sales leaders to teach objective judgment for the first time in their careers. If you are in sales, sales leadership, RevOps, or GTM, this conversation gives you a practical way to think about writing a role brief for the AI tools on your team, replacing the post-mortem with a pre-call meeting, testing for objective judgment instead of just tactical skill, and why the old playbook is dead even though playbooks aren't. Want to build a sales team that can think critically in the AI era? Visit www.jbarrows.com and learn how you can Make It Happen. What You'll Learn Why the buyer now wants to talk to a human 80 to 90 percent of the way through their own research, and what that means for how a rep opens the callWhy the post-mortem meeting needs to be replaced with a pre-call meeting built around objective judgmentWhy every AI tool on your team needs a role brief, the same way every hire needs a job descriptionWhy Kristie tests candidates by making them argue with an AI generated plan live, not just use oneWhy the four skills sales leaders need now are systems thinking, workflow design, decision leadership, and accountability clarity Kristie Jones is the Author and Founder of Sales Acceleration Group, where she works with sales organizations on hiring, training, and leadership development. She's the author of Selling Your Way In and the upcoming The Sales Leadership Gap, releasing October 2026, which looks at how AI is forcing a fundamental rethink of how sales leaders hire, coach, and make decisions. Visit kristiekjones.com to learn more about Kristie's work and get updates on The Sales Leadership Gap. Connect with Kristie Jones: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kristiekjones Website: kristiekjones.com Instagram: instagram.com/kristiejones.sales YouTube: youtube.com/@kristiekjones John Barrows is a sales trainer, speaker, and founder of JB Sales with over 25 years of experience in the industry. He has made hundreds of cold calls a week, led startups to acquisition, and trained high-performing teams at companies like Salesforce, LinkedIn, Amazon, and Okta. Through JB Sales, John focuses on practical sales execution, helping reps fill pipeline, close deals, and build trust with buyers in today's AI-driven sales environment. Connect with John Barrows: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows Instagram: instagram.com/johnmbarrows TikTok: tiktok.com/@johnmbarrows Check out John's Membership: https://learn.jbarrows.com/pages/individual-packages Join John's Newsletter: https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletter

  4. Sep 7

    How Customer Success Drives Retention, Revenue & Growth with Elizabeth Salmoun

    AI is not replacing customer success. It's turning it into the most important revenue function in the business. In this episode, John sits down with Elizabeth Salmoun, Head of Customer Success at Otter.ai, to talk about why products and tooling have become table stakes in the AI era, why the sales to CS handoff decides whether a client renews inside the first 90 days, and why AI is turning CSMs into AI advisors and workflow consultants instead of relationship managers. If you are in sales, customer success, RevOps, or GTM leadership, this conversation gives you a practical way to think about handoff timing between AE and CSM, segmenting a book of business by tier instead of treating every renewal the same, the three W's framework for discovery, and why AI generated work should never go out the door without a human reviewing it first. Want to build a customer success team that turns renewals into your biggest growth lever? Visit www.jbarrows.com and learn how you can Make It Happen. What You'll Learn Why products and tooling became table stakes, and why the relationship is what actually differentiates you nowWhy the first 90 days after a deal closes decide whether a client renews or churnsWhy Elizabeth starts every renewal conversation 120 days out instead of waiting for the discount fightWhy AI is turning CSMs into AI advisors and workflow consultants instead of relationship managersWhy a sales rep who's just running the process is already irrelevant, and what still makes the role critical Elizabeth Salmoun is the Head of Customer Success at Otter.ai, where she leads retention and expansion strategy in one of the most competitive corners of the AI tooling market. She built her career in retail before moving into tech sales and account management, and she has spent the last several years turning customer success into a revenue generating function built on discovery, relationship building, and clear rules of engagement with sales. Visit otter.ai to learn more about Otter.ai's AI meeting assistant and how its customer success team helps teams capture, act on, and get real value from every conversation. Connect with Elizabeth Salmoun: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/esalmoun Connect with Otter.ai: Website: otter.ai LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/otter-ai YouTube: youtube.com/@Otterai Instagram: instagram.com/otter.ai John Barrows is a sales trainer, speaker, and founder of JB Sales with over 25 years of experience in the industry. He has made hundreds of cold calls a week, led startups to acquisition, and trained high-performing teams at companies like Salesforce, LinkedIn, Amazon, and Okta. Through JB Sales, John focuses on practical sales execution, helping reps fill pipeline, close deals, and build trust with buyers in today's AI-driven sales environment. Connect with John Barrows: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows Instagram: instagram.com/johnmbarrows TikTok: tiktok.com/@johnmbarrows Check out John's Membership: https://learn.jbarrows.com/pages/individual-packages Join John's Newsletter: https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletter

  5. Aug 31

    Why AI Will NEVER Replace Real Sales with Jeff Kirchick

    AI is not going to replace real sales. It's going to expose who was never really selling in the first place. In this episode, John sits down with Jeff Kirchick, author of Authentic Selling and a sales leader who has closed multi-million dollar contracts without ever going through formal sales training, to talk about why AI made personalization easier to fake and easier for buyers to spot, why authenticity is not the same as being liked, and why disqualifying the wrong buyer matters more than qualifying the right one. If you are in sales, sales leadership, enablement, or RevOps, this conversation gives you a practical way to think about AI-generated outreach, hiring for coachability over polish, the give and get scorecard behind real qualification, and why a smooth call is not always a good sign. Want to build a sales team that stays authentic as AI changes the job? Visit www.jbarrows.com and learn how you can Make It Happen. What You'll Learn Why AI made personalization easier to fake, and easier for buyers to spotWhy authenticity is about being trusted, not being likedWhy Jeff hires SDRs on exactly two traits, work ethic and coachabilityWhy a smooth sales call without objections is a warning sign, not a good signWhy disqualifying the wrong buyer matters more than qualifying the right one Jeff Kirchick is the author of Authentic Selling and a sales leader who built his career without formal sales training, closing multi-million dollar enterprise contracts through intuition, empathy, and direct relationship building. He hires his team on two filters, work ethic and coachability, and has built his own sales org's AI infrastructure in house, including deal scoring and call coaching. Visit jeffkirchick.com to read more of Jeff's writing on sales, authenticity, and AI. Connect with Jeff Kirchick: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeffkirchick Website: jeffkirchick.com John Barrows is a sales trainer, speaker, and founder of JB Sales with over 25 years of experience in the industry. He has made hundreds of cold calls a week, led startups to acquisition, and trained high-performing teams at companies like Salesforce, LinkedIn, Amazon, and Okta. Through JB Sales, John focuses on practical sales execution, helping reps fill pipeline, close deals, and build trust with buyers in today's AI-driven sales environment. Connect with John Barrows: LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows Instagram: instagram.com/johnmbarrows TikTok: tiktok.com/@johnmbarrows Check out John's Membership: https://learn.jbarrows.com/pages/individual-packages Join John's Newsletter: https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletter

  6. Aug 24

    Why Platform Sales Are Breaking Traditional B2B Sales with Zachary Gropper

    Buyers have more information than ever, but that does not mean they have more confidence. In this episode, John sits down with Zachary Gropper, Founder and CEO of Insight Revenue, to talk about Challenger, platform sales, AI research, buyer validation, and why old sales motions are breaking under modern buying pressure. Zachary brings a practical lens from his years around CEB, Gartner, Challenger, Pavilion, and the teams now trying to sell more complex platform solutions in a market full of stalled deals. If you are in sales, leadership, enablement, or go-to-market strategy, this conversation gives you a clearer way to think about insight, trust, buyer confidence, change management, and what sales reps still need to do when buyers already show up with AI-generated research. Want to build a stronger sales motion before buyers get even harder to move? Visit Visit www.jbarrows.com and learn how you can Make It Happen. What You’ll Learn Why simply sending methodology books does not change sales behaviorHow AI can make reps sound smart while weakening real credibilityWhy buyers now need validation and trust before they commitHow platform sales require change management, not just product positioningWhy sellers need to build a bridge from customer strategy to the outcomeWhy asking why matters when buyers come to the call with AI research Zachary Gropper is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Insight Revenue. With more than twenty years studying the art and science of B2B sales and marketing best practice at CEB, Gartner, Challenger, and Pavilion, he helps commercial teams bring repeatable practices, processes, and go-to-market strategies into companies of any size or industry. Connect with Zachary Gropper: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zgropper/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zgropper/ Learn more About Insight Revenue: Website: https://www.insightrevenue.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/insightrevenue/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCutptmXap5pi5PuPZcU1fDQ John Barrows is a sales trainer, speaker, and founder of JB Sales with over 25 years of experience in the industry. He has made hundreds of cold calls a week, led startups to acquisition, and trained high-performing teams at companies like Salesforce, LinkedIn, Amazon, and Okta. Through JB Sales, John focuses on practical sales execution—helping reps fill pipeline, close deals, and build trust with buyers in today’s AI-driven sales environment. Connect with John Barrows: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnmbarrows/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@johnmbarrows Check out John's Membership: https://go.jbarrows.com/ Join John's Newsletter: https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletter

  7. Aug 17

    Why AI Role-Play Is the Missing Piece in Sales Training with Neha Gupta

    AI role-play is not another tool to dump on your sales team. In this episode, John sits down with Neha Gupta, Founder and CEO of Breakthrough AI, to talk about why traditional role-play fails, why managers are often asked to coach without the tools or time to do it, and how AI can help reps practice hard conversations before the pressure hits. Neha breaks down what makes AI role-play feel realistic, why audio can be more effective than distracting avatars, and why adoption depends on structure, leadership energy, and deliberate practice. If you are in sales, leadership, enablement, RevOps, or any role responsible for improving rep performance, this conversation gives you a practical way to think about AI coaching, realistic role-play, feedback loops, remote sales teams, and the communication skills that still separate good reps from average ones. Want to help your team practice before the pressure hits? Visit www.jbarrows.com and learn how you can Make It Happen. What You’ll Learn Why traditional role-play feels awkward, subjective, and hard to scaleHow AI role-play can help reps build realistic muscle memory before live conversationsWhy sales managers are often expected to coach without enough tools, time, or trainingHow leadership energy and structure can make AI training adoption actually workWhy remote teams lost some of the bullpen learning that used to happen naturallyWhy communication skills need deliberate practice before the pressure moment hits Neha Gupta is the Founder and CEO of Breakthrough AI, a practice-first AI coaching platform helping teams master the high-stakes conversations that shape performance, client relationships, and career growth. With more than twenty years of experience across client management, strategic marketing and sales, growth strategy, brand marketing, product marketing, and business development, Neha is focused on helping teams spot communication blind spots, strengthen feedback processes, and build stronger practice loops. Visit https://joinbreakthrough.ai/ to see Breakthrough AI in action, including a demo comparing weak versus strong responses to price objections. Connect with Neha Gupta: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nehagupta/ John Barrows is a sales trainer, speaker, and founder of JB Sales with over 25 years of experience in the industry. He has made hundreds of cold calls a week, led startups to acquisition, and trained high-performing teams at companies like Salesforce, LinkedIn, Amazon, and Okta. Through JB Sales, John focuses on practical sales execution—helping reps fill pipeline, close deals, and build trust with buyers in today’s AI-driven sales environment. Connect with John Barrows: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnmbarrows/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@johnmbarrows Check out John's Membership: https://learn.jbarrows.com/pages/individual-packages?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast Join John's Newsletter: https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletter

  8. Aug 10

    Why Charisma Is a Sales Skill You Can Actually Learn with Olivia Fox Cabane

    Charisma is not just something you either have or do not have. It is a skill buyers can feel before the pitch even starts. In this episode, John sits down with Olivia Fox Cabane, bestselling author of The Charisma Myth, to talk about the science of charisma, presence, body language, curiosity, manipulation, and why real connection still matters in sales. If you are in sales, leadership, or any role where trust matters, this conversation gives you a practical way to think about how you show up in front of buyers. You will learn why preparation makes curiosity stronger, why presence can change the quality of a conversation, and why trying to impress people often gets in the way of real connection. Want to build stronger sales conversations before the market gets even more transactional? Visit www.jbarrows.com and learn how you can Make It Happen. What You’ll Learn Why charisma is a behavior that can be learnedHow presence, power, and warmth shape trustWhy preparation can make salespeople more curiousWhy trying to impress people often backfiresHow body language starts with mindsetWhy sales should help people solve problems, not convince them into decisions Olivia Fox Cabane is a leading authority on the science of charisma and the bestselling author of The Charisma Myth and The Net and the Butterfly, which have been translated into more than thirty languages. She previously served as Director of Innovative Leadership for Stanford's StartX accelerator and has taught on charisma, leadership, and innovation at Harvard and MIT. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, and The Wall Street Journal, and she is a cofounder of the KindEarth.Tech Foundation. Visit charismamyth.com for free sample chapters, videos, and downloadable exercises. Connect with Olivia Fox Cabane: Website: https://charismamyth.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oliviafoxcabane/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ofc/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@oliviafoxcabaneofficial John Barrows is a sales trainer, speaker, and founder of JB Sales with over 25 years of experience in the industry. He has made hundreds of cold calls a week, led startups to acquisition, and trained high-performing teams at companies like Salesforce, LinkedIn, Amazon, and Okta. Through JB Sales, John focuses on practical sales execution—helping reps fill pipeline, close deals, and build trust with buyers in today’s AI-driven sales environment. Connect with John Barrows: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarrows/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnmbarrows/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@johnmbarrows Check out John's Membership: https://learn.jbarrows.com/pages/individual-packages?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=podcast Join John's Newsletter: https://www.jbarrows.com/newsletter

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4.6
out of 5
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About

John Barrows helps sales leaders decide whether to replace or rebuild their teams for the AI era, drawing on 25+ years working with Salesforce, LinkedIn, Google, and Amazon. He advises CROs and VPs of Sales on AI readiness, team structure, and go-to-market strategy. He trains sales teams on the fundamentals that drive consistent performance, with or without AI.

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