The Thoughts on Selling™ Podcast

Lee Levitt
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The Thoughts on Selling™ Podcast

The Thoughts On Selling™ podcast explores the issues in driving enterprise sales revenue through effective pipeline development, account planning and sales performance management. Join us to learn best practices and things to avoid, with the goal of maximizing the account penetration, customer share of wallet, customer satisfaction and sales productivity of your organization. For more information and to browse the podcast library, please visit http://podcast.thoughtsonselling.com

  1. 12月2日

    42. Sales in service of the buyer

    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: Empathy and Human Connection Matter: In a world saturated with technology, maintaining human connections and showing empathy towards customers remain crucial. 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. 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. 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.

    37 分鐘

  2. 10月11日

    41. Supercharge Your Sales with Effective RevOps Strategies

    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.

    44 分鐘

  3. 10月7日

    40. Unleashing Sales Success: Leveraging Compensation Strategies with Ryan Milligan

    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: 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. 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. 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.

    34 分鐘

  4. 9月30日

    39. Transforming Sales Teams: The Art of Sales Management and Creating Impact

    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: 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. 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. 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.

    45 分鐘

  5. 9月20日

    38. Cultivating Sales Culture with Daniel Levine

    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.

    35 分鐘

  6. 9月6日

    37. Taming Your Inner Voices

    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: 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. 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. 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. 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. 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: 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. Break the Cycle with Mindfulness: Simple techniques like deep breathing can interrupt the cycle of negative thinking, letting rational and positive thoughts come through. 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!

    39 分鐘

  7. 8月13日

    36. Effective strategic sales planning and the inclusion of diverse perspectives will drive your revenue attainment!

    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: 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. 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. 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.

    36 分鐘

  8. 8月7日

    35. Throw away your tech stack. Critical thinking...and curiosity...and empathy...are still the critical tools for success in sales!

    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!" 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. 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. 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

    45 分鐘
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簡介

The Thoughts On Selling™ podcast explores the issues in driving enterprise sales revenue through effective pipeline development, account planning and sales performance management. Join us to learn best practices and things to avoid, with the goal of maximizing the account penetration, customer share of wallet, customer satisfaction and sales productivity of your organization. For more information and to browse the podcast library, please visit http://podcast.thoughtsonselling.com

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