The Influence Gap with Bernadette McClelland

Bernadette McClelland
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Business

Sales and leadership coach and speaker Bernadette McClelland connects with leaders and top performers who are helping to close the gap between message and impact.

  1. 3d ago

    23: Jen Mueller: I Talk to Losers - From The Locker Room to The Sales Floor

    After every game, win or lose, Jen Mueller walks into the locker room and does four to six interviews, most of them over in two minutes and 15 seconds. So she’s learned to make one question count. Jen is an Emmy award-winning producer and sports broadcaster with 25 years in the business. She’s been the Seattle Seahawks’ radio sideline reporter since 2009, which has earned her two Super Bowl rings, and spent 19 years on the Seattle Mariners television broadcast team. She’s also the founder of Talk Sporty to Me. Jen and Bernadette McClelland get into why you can be authentic and prepared at the same time, and how to ask a question with only one answer. They also discuss Jen’s keynote, I Talk to Losers, and why tough conversations get muddy in business when nobody agrees on what the win looks like. WHAT WE COVER: Why preparation is far bigger than the game planThe question with only one answer, and how it puts a reluctant buyer at easeBeing direct and kind at the same timeWhat high-performing teams do after a winWhy athletes measure success by process, not the scoreboard ABOUT JEN MUELLER:Jen Mueller is an Emmy award-winning sports broadcaster, the Seattle Seahawks’ radio sideline reporter, and founder of Talk Sporty to Me. Her fourth book, Cook Like a Rookie, is out early next year.Learn more: talksportytome.com WANT TO GO DEEPER ON DECISIONS THAT DRIVE REVENUE?Stop guessing and access your personalised Missing Revenue Radar 👉 salesleaderofinfluence.com

    23: Jen Mueller: I Talk to Losers - From The Locker Room to The Sales Floor

  2. Oct 7

    22: Henning Schwinum: The Rise of Fractional Sales Leadership

    Most CEOs looking for a sales leader ask for a rock star from their industry. Henning Schwinum says that brief is close to meaningless, because everyone's a rock star on their LinkedIn profile. Henning has spent more than 25 years leading sales in Fortune 500 companies and startups. In 2019 he co-founded Vendux, which matches CEOs with fractional sales leaders, and he's the author of the new book Right-Sized, Right-Skilled. Henning and Bernadette McClelland get into the player-coach trap that keeps small sales teams stuck, why fractional engagements go sideways (it's almost never the executive's skills), and the "don't call my baby ugly" syndrome: founders who pay for help and then won't let anything change. WHAT WE COVER: Interim vs. fractional, and what each one meansWhy three reps might need 10 hours of leadership a week, not a full-time player-coachThe matching criteria that matter more than industry or President's ClubThe 15-minute weekly check-in that keeps an engagement on trackWhy your network decides whether a fractional career worksABOUT HENNING SCHWINUM:Henning Schwinum is co-founder of Vendux and author of Right-Sized, Right-Skilled. He spent more than 25 years leading sales in Fortune 500 companies and startups.Learn more: vendux.org, or find Henning on LinkedIn. WANT TO GO DEEPER ON DECISIONS THAT DRIVE REVENUE?Stop guessing and access your personalised Missing Revenue Radar 👉 salesleaderofinfluence.com or visit 👉 bernadettemcclelland.com

    22: Henning Schwinum: The Rise of Fractional Sales Leadership

  3. Oct 1

    21: Bernadette McClelland: My Coaching Confession

    There’s a word I’ve had a complicated relationship with for a long time. Which is slightly ironic given my background, the work I do, and what I believe sales leaders need to do more of — not less. So in this solo episode of The Influence Gap, I’m coming clean about it. But this isn't really an episode about a title or a label. It's about what happens when you're responsible for a revenue number through other people — and the decisions you make about when to step in, when to step back, what to question, and what your team needs from you. I share my own relationship with coaching before unpacking the five leadership decisions at the heart of my new book, Sales ≠ Revenue: The Five Leadership Decisions That Do. Because coaching isn't about carrying the number for your team. And it isn't about having all the answers. Sometimes the most important shift isn't what you do for your people. It's what you help them learn to do for themselves. In this episode, I explore why that matters — not only for the capability of your team, but for the revenue result you're ultimately responsible for. 📕 Sales ≠ Revenue: The Five Leadership Decisions That DoAvailable October 14. Pre-order on Amazon: Quarterly Revenue Masterclass: https://www.bernadettemcclelland.com/masterclass

    21: Bernadette McClelland: My Coaching Confession

  4. Sep 23

    20: Bernadette McClelland: The Revenue Decision You May Be Missing

    The revenue you're expecting three months from now isn't being created three months from now. It's being created today — in the conversations you're having, the ones you're avoiding, and the decisions you make when the number is under pressure. In this solo episode, Bernadette McClelland walks through a simple, confronting way to look at your future revenue differently, using a Past → Today → Future exercise you can do right along with her. This is Part 1 of a two-part series — next week she covers the five leadership decisions that sit inside the gap. WHAT WE COVER: Why the dashboard shows the outcome, not what created it The Past → Today → Future exercise Why a revenue gap is often a leadership gap The live exercise you can do right now with a piece of paper A first look at the five decisions coming in Part 2 Did the exercise? Message Bernadette on LinkedIn: "The decision I circled was…" This episode is built on the premise behind her new book, Sales ≠ Revenue: The Five Leadership Decisions That Do, out October 14. Get on the list: bernadettemcclelland.com/booklist WANT TO GO DEEPER ON DECISIONS THAT DRIVE REVENUE? Stop guessing and access your personalised Missing Revenue Radar 👉 salesleaderofinfluence.com

    20: Bernadette McClelland: The Revenue Decision You May Be Missing

  5. Sep 16

    19: Holly Shipley: Beyond The Hype - From Google Search To AI

    She carried her Google badge through airport security back when TSA had no idea what Google was. Twenty years later, she was telling Texas Instruments' senior leadership that ChatGPT was an emergency worth paying attention to. Holly Shipley spent 20 years at Google and Texas Instruments before founding her own AI strategy practice. That mix of digital and hardware experience meant that when generative AI broke in 2022, she already understood the pieces — she became TI's internal AI advisor and sat at the table with the labs building it in real time. Holly and Bernadette McClelland get into the difference between a strategic AI decision and pure FOMO, the three things every leader needs to prep before rolling out an AI tool, and a wild real story about 700 AI testing agents at OpenAI who found a shared file system, started messaging each other, and coordinated to avoid getting caught cheating on their own tests. WHAT WE COVER: Strategic AI decisions vs. pure FOMO The three-step prep every leader needs before rolling out an AI tool The "washing machine principle" for where AI actually belongs The 700-agent OpenAI story and what it means for your business's security Why a personal AI account is a bigger risk than most leaders realize ABOUT HOLLY SHIPLEY: Holly Shipley spent 20 years at Google and Texas Instruments before founding her own AI strategy practice, advising executives — largely at women-owned and small-to-medium businesses — on the real risks and opportunities of generative AI. Learn more: hollyshipleyconsulting.com WANT TO GO DEEPER ON DECISIONS THAT DRIVE REVENUE? Stop guessing and access your personalised Missing Revenue Radar 👉 revenueleaderofinfluence.com

    19: Holly Shipley: Beyond The Hype - From Google Search To AI

  6. Sep 9

    18: Victor Antonio: Influence In The Age Of AI

    Host Bernadette McClelland is joined by sales expert and author Victor Antonio, who wrote the first book on AI in sales back in 2017 — years before anyone believed him. Together, they explore when AI actually replaces salespeople, and where human influence still closes the deal. Tune in as they discuss:- - How Victor predicted AI's impact on sales in 2017, and why the industry laughed him off - The "70% test" for knowing when a sales role gets automated, and why SDR and BDR jobs won't exist in two to three years - The real difference between influence and persuasion — why a nudge always beats a push - The psychology behind buyer resistance, and what Victor calls the "confidence margin" - Response Block Selling — killing an objection before the buyer ever says it out loud - The "last 1%" of every deal AI still can't close, and why it always comes down to a human - A first look at Victor's new book, Priced to Win, and the real cost of discounting - Rapid-fire questions on what buyers want most, what kills deals, and where revenue really comes from If you're a sales leader, CEO, or salesperson trying to figure out where AI actually changes your job — and where it doesn't — this episode packs real-world wisdom you won't want to miss. Subscribe for more leadership and sales mastery! Learn more about Victor Antonio at victorantonio.com and connect with Bernadette McClelland at bernadettemclelland.com. #TheInfluenceGap #Leadership #Sales #AIinSales #VictorAntonio #BernadetteMcClelland #LeadershipPodcast #SalesPodcast

    18: Victor Antonio: Influence In The Age Of AI

  7. Sep 2

    17: Leslie Greenwood: Visibility Creates Opportunity

    On this episode of THE INFLUENCE GAP PODCAST, Bernadette McClelland welcomes Leslie Greenwood, co-founder of Wednesday Women and founder of Chief Evangelist Consulting. Wednesday Women began in 2023 with one simple LinkedIn post asking: “Who are the women CEOs I should know?” That question revealed a much larger visibility gap. Too many accomplished women were being overlooked for keynote stages, podcast interviews, consulting opportunities and executive roles—not because they lacked expertise, but because decision-makers did not know they existed. What started as a shared Google Sheet and a commitment to highlight one remarkable woman each week quickly became a global movement. Within approximately 14 months, Wednesday Women attracted 10,000 organic LinkedIn followers. After receiving more than 100 messages asking how to join, Leslie and her co-founder created a private executive membership dedicated to deeper connections, meaningful support and shared momentum. In this conversation, Leslie and Bernadette explore: • Why community is more than a marketing tactic • The difference between public visibility and private support • How Wednesday Women grew by giving without demanding anything in return • Why authenticity creates stronger connections than polished personas • The continued lack of diversity and representation in technology • How leaders can close the gap between their intentions and their real-world impact • Why awareness remains one of the greatest barriers facing women leaders Wednesday Women exists to amplify the extraordinary executives everyone should know, learn from and be inspired by—while revealing the real woman behind the title. 🎙️ THE INFLUENCE GAP PODCAST 🎤 Hosted by Bernadette McClelland ⭐ Featuring Leslie Greenwood 🌐 Learn more: https://www.wednesdaywomen.org/ 🔗 Connect with Leslie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-greenwood/ 🎧 Listen to The Ripple podcast for inspiring stories from executive women. #TheInfluenceGap #LeslieGreenwood #BernadetteMcClelland #WomenInLeadership

    17: Leslie Greenwood: Visibility Creates Opportunity

  8. Aug 26

    16: Karen Gately: Dojo Discipline For Boardroom Decisions

    A TITLE MAY GIVE YOU AUTHORITY - BUT IT DOESN’T GUARANTEE INFLUENCE. On today’s episode of THE INFLUENCE GAP, host Bernadette McClelland welcomes leadership consultant and 3rd Dan black belt and multiple state, national and international karate title holder Karen Gately for a powerful conversation about what truly earns a leader trust, respect and influence. After more than 25 years of training and competing in karate, Karen carried one defining lesson from the dojo into the business world: title does not equal capability—and capability alone does not equal influence.Karen and Bernadette explore the difference between positional authority and genuine leadership. They discuss why psychological safety must be supported by competence, how self-management shapes a leader’s impact and why influencing change in someone else must begin with creating change within yourself. Karen also shares a revealing consulting story about a sales manager who generated 60% of his company’s revenue while quietly damaging the culture around him. It took two years to persuade the CEO to address the situation - but one courageous conversation ultimately created the opportunity for change.If you are leading a sales team through a difficult quarter, carrying a decision you have been avoiding or wondering why your title is not producing the results you expected, this conversation is for you. True influence is not something a title gives you. It is something your character, competence and consistency earn. Connect with Karen on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-gately-peopleleadershipexpert Or buy your copy of The Corporate Dojo here - https://www.corporatedojo.com/books #TheInfluenceGap #BernadetteMcClelland #KarenGately #Leadership #Influence

    16: Karen Gately: Dojo Discipline For Boardroom Decisions
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Sales and leadership coach and speaker Bernadette McClelland connects with leaders and top performers who are helping to close the gap between message and impact.

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