The Sales Management. Simplified. Podcast with Mike Weinberg

Latest Episodes:

Unpacking My Recent "Business Sentiment Whiplash" and Having to Tell Procurement to "Pound Sand" Jul 06, 2022

Show notes

In the episode Mike talks about two recent experiences with great relevance for sales leaders.

First, he shares his reaction to what he is calling "business sentiment whiplash." In just a period of a few weeks it feels like business momentum and sentiment has shifted from boom to bust. Mike expresses his bewilderment that we so quickly pivoted from go, go, go, hire, hire, hire, spend, spend, spend to a posture of pessimism as job offers are being rescinded, conferences being postponed, and companies talking about cutting back. There are enormous sales management implications as we work through this whiplash. The strong reaction to this post prompted Mike to unpack his thoughts further in this episode.

Next, Mike reveals a recent painful experience with a large company's procurement department that would be humorous if it wasn't true. The reaction to this LinkedIn post inspired him to share more of the story in this episode.

Hear Mike's reaction to receiving a 36-page guide to help his team navigate this company's procurement portal. That's right. A 36-page guide on how to get set up as a "vendor." If you're familiar with Sales Truth, you can imagine that this did not end well. Quoting Chapter 13, he offers a strong reminder on why we need to own our rules of engagement, and that it's imperative to maintain a full pipeline of opportunities so we can sell from an abundance mentality.

"…we decided a few years ago that 100 percent of my effort goes into creating value for clients; I promised myself and my clients that all of our energy will be focused solely on creating and delivering the best speaking/workshop/coaching/consulting engagement possible. Due to that commitment to my clients, I refuse to put even one ounce of energy jumping through procurement hoops…"

Books mentioned in Episode 33:

Let's Get Real or Let's Not Play by Mahan Khalsa
Baseline Selling by Dave Kurlan

Finally, Mike wraps the episode with an announcement about a new offering, The Sales Leadership Coaching Cohort. You can hear the "why" and the "what" behind this coaching cohort in this short video.

Upcoming Opportunities for Sales Leaders:

September 14th, London, UK – Mike is co-hosting SALES EXECUTION SIMPLIFIED, a special one-day event for sales execs, leaders and managers. More info here: https://event.growthmattersintl.com/ses22/

October 11th, Atlanta, GA – Supercharge Your Sales Leadership, one-day intensive at The Porsche Experience Center. Just 6 spots (of 50) are still available. More info here: https://mikeweinberg.com/atlanta2022/

Great Sales Management Execution Produces Exponentially Greater Sales Results (than anything else) Jun 20, 2022

Show notes

This may be Mike's all-time favorite sales management conversation as he hosts his favorite international sales management experts, Tony Cross and Alan Versteeg.

If you believe in the fundamentals and appreciate the blunt truth about sales, this episode is for you!

Tony and Alan's specialty is sales management execution, and triggered by Mike's questions, they hold nothing back and provide more tweetable one-liners than you'll be able to capture.

Buckle up as these three make the strong case that executing the fundamentals well (particularly accountability and coaching) drives exponentially more sales results than anything else, and specifically more than simply "enabling" sellers.

Take a listen as Mike and his guests address…

How it feels like the lunatics are running the asylum as sales leaders have been blinded by shiny, new, fancy toys and ignoring the fundamentals
Why sales managers were often more effective decades ago when they were "in-field" and laser-focused on coaching sellers
That after all the hype and major investment in enablement, there has not been a proportional increase in sales effectiveness; in fact, the opposite has occurred
The problem with "execution" often lies with senior executives who have lost sight of the sales leader's primary job and highest-value activities

Mike and his guests also preview a special one-day event they are co-hosting in London on September 14. Sales leaders in UK, be sure to check out Sales Execution Simplified. All of Mike's previous trips to Europe have been private events hosted by his clients. This is the first time he is doing a session with public availability for sales leaders!

More info here: https://event.growthmattersintl.com/ses22/

How This Sales Superstar Thrived Through the Pandemic, Supply Challenges & Passing Along Price Increases Jun 10, 2022

Show notes

For Episode 31 Mike brings back sales superstar Dominic Testo for a command performance. Dominic was featured in the wildly popular Episode 3: How a Top Producer Prospects, Owns Sales Process, Beats Procurement & Drives Profit.

Much has transpired in the past 18 months and Mike wanted sales leaders and salespeople alike to hear how Dominic has not only survived, but thrived through the pandemic, massive supply chain challenges, and passing on what feels like perpetual price increases.

Hear how this top-producer took advantage of challenging times to elevate his already strong sales game to become…

More patient
More strategic
More consultative
More proactive
Even more successful
And more valuable to his customers

As Dominic told Mike during pre-show prep, "There's a tremendous amount of opportunity in hard times. The best of the best will not let it slip by."

Two Unique 1-Day Opportunities for Execs, Sales Leaders, and Sales Managers

Just announced: SALES EXECUTION SIMPLIFIED – London, September 14, 2022. Mike is co-hosting this full-day session in his favorite city with sales management guru friends from South Africa, Tony Cross and Alan Versteeg. More info here: https://event.growthmattersintl.com/ses22/

SUPERCHARGE YOUR SALES LEADERSHIP – Atlanta, October 11, 2022 at Mike's happy place - The Porsche Experience Center. Only 13 (of 50) seats remaining. More info here: mikeweinberg.com/atlanta2022

4 Likely Reasons Your Sales Team Is Not Creating Opportunities at the Top of the Pipeline Jun 02, 2022

Show notes

These 12 minutes will very likely expose exactly why you (or your sales team's) pipeline is not sufficiently full and why you (they) are not creating more new opportunities at the top of the funnel.

Mike recorded this short, unscripted, unplanned episode immediately after wrapping up a 3-hour Sales Management. Simplified. workshop for a group of sales leaders who were sharing their frustration around pipeline health, and particularly about lack of new sales opportunities being created.

Take a listen and use this brief episode as an 'Opportunity Creation Checklist' as Mike quickly unpacks four causes/reasons that the top of your pipeline (and your sales results) may not be as healthy as you'd like.

Leaders Occupy More Emotional & Mental Bandwidth in Our People's Minds & Hearts than We Appreciate May 17, 2022

Show notes

In this unique episode, leaders are confronted with the weighty reality that they take up way more emotional and mental space in their people's minds and hearts than they often recognize or appreciate.

There is nothing mutually exclusive about maintaining a results-focused, kickass sales culture and simultaneously creating a community that cares for, supports, encourages, and values salespeople. In fact, the very best sales cultures and sales leaders balance accountability and empathy exceedingly well!

Buckle up as Mike rails against the devolution of sales management into a desk/CRM jockey job (and the dangers of faux leadership via email) and forcefully reminds leaders that they are managing human beings with emotions, not drones.

Prepare to be challenged about your own self-awareness regarding the head and heart space you occupy in your team members and learn four simple, practical tips to help you become better stewards of this awesome responsibility.

How to Be a "One-Up" Sales Pro, Truly Consultative, and Elevate Your Sales Game Apr 18, 2022

Show notes

In episode 28 Mike hosts Anthony Iannarino, the man he often refers to as the smartest person in the sales improvement business and Mike's #1 go-to sales guru.

Anthony is on a mission to elevate the sales profession and is laser focused on helping sellers become truly consultative. His brand-new book, Elite Sales Strategies, show salespeople how to put themselves in a "One-Up" position where they approach prospects and clients from a position of authority and strength.

In this powerful interview, expect to be challenged about everything from your mindset, to how you're upgrading your (or your team's) business acumen, to how you (or your team) prepare for and conduct sales calls. And buckle up because Anthony makes the argument that the traditional method of conducting discovery sales calls actually contributes to salespeople getting commoditized.

Within the first few minutes of this conversation, you'll understand Mike's affection and respect for Anthony and also be hungry to elevate your sales game and become a "One-Up" Sales Pro!

Links:

Elite Sales Strategies on Amazon

Anthony Iannarino on LinkedIn

Mike's Episode 18: Ineffective Sales Calls, Premature Presentations/Demos, and Selling Like Everyone Else Gets You Commoditized

The 5 Fundamental Focus Areas for a Successful Sales Attack Mar 23, 2022

Show notes

Sales is simple. And so is the process of developing new business. Regardless how complex your business or marketplace, the fundamentals for executing a successful sales attack are not!

With golf season around the corner, Mike, in his quest to improve his game, went old school and has been reading the classic book published in 1957, Ben Hogan's Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf. He was blown away by two realties from this priceless book. First, how absolutely clear, basic, and simple these fundamentals are. And second, the fact that the "modern" lessons from 65 years ago are still very much applicable and true today, despite the "changes" in the golf world and advances in technology! Sound familiar, sales leaders?

Studying Ben Hogan's Five Lessons inspired this episode and prompted Mike to list and briefly unpack his five fundamental focus areas that he helps sales teams master:

1. A Strategic, Finite, Workable Target List

2. Compelling Messaging (a customer issue and outcome-focused "Sales Story")

3. Proactive Pursuit and Prospecting (ability to secure a meeting)

4. Effective Consultative/Discovery/Early Stage Sales Calls

5. The Calendar, Personal Productivity, Pipeline Accountability

If you're looking to up your (or your team's) new business development sales game, this episode is for you. The five fundamental focus areas are a great checklist and the table stakes for executing a successful sales attack, creating more new opportunities, filling the pipeline, and WINNING MORE NEW SALES.

8 (of the 50) spots are left for the upcoming Supercharge Your Sales Leadership 1-Day Intensive in Atlanta on May 3rd.

Ready to radically increase sales management effectiveness, create a healthy, high-performance sales culture, and tackle today's biggest sales leadership challenges? Join Mike and 50 hungry, driven sales leaders at The Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta!

Why the Phone Is Sexier than Ever and Puts a Person behind the Prospecting Feb 28, 2022

Show notes

If you or your team are charged with initiating sales conversations, creating new sales opportunities, and bringing in new business, then this cross-continent conversation is for you.

This episode is like no other! Mike was actually the guest on the Deal Podcast hosted by Jiri Siklar, a top-producing senior account executive for AWS based in Europe. Mike was so blown away with his Jiri's sales brilliance and his philosophy on prospecting that he turned the interview around, started asking questions of Jiri, and received his permission to use excerpts of this powerful conversation in this episode.

Enjoy this power-packed dialogue as Jiri and Mike…

Discuss the #SalesTruth that everyone is sick of the LinkedIn "connect and pitch" approach and the constant cold outreach and spammy messages
Confront the nonsense from the #SocialSelling charlatans that everything in sales has changed, nothing that used to work is still effective, and the lie that the phone is dead or only deployed by dinosaurs
Reveal the reality that the telephone is sexier (and in many cases, more effective) than ever, and offers an amazing opportunity for sales hunters to stand out simply because so few sellers use it
Make the case that the most successful salespeople use ALL effective, ethical, and appropriate methods to prospect for new opportunities, and that newer tools and approaches are wonderful supplements to, not replacements for, traditional methods like the phone
Provide practical tips for picking up the phone and using voicemail effectively

More About Mike's new friend:

Jiri Siklar was born in the Czech Republic, and currently lives near Vienna, Austria. He's made quota 52 consecutive months and was the #1 salesperson is his region of Europe four straight years. His Deal Podcast (most episodes in German) has 10,000 listeners. Jiri will be joining Mike as a guest on The Sales Management. Simplified. Podcast in the near future.

Mike referred listeners to Episode 25: A Foolproof Framework to Guarantee Consistent Deal Flow and a Full, Healthy Pipeline

Dates and Details are now available for the May and October Supercharge Your Sales Leadership Events! If you're ready to radically increase sales management effectiveness, these elite experience events are for you.

A Foolproof Framework to Guarantee Consistent Deal Flow and a Full, Healthy Pipeline Feb 15, 2022

Show notes

We ALL crave a full, healthy (fat), balanced, moving pipeline of sales opportunities!

In this solo episode (for both sales leaders and individual contributors), Mike reviews why and how the top of the sales funnel so often gets ignored and offers his foolproof framework to ensure a healthy pipeline and consistent deal flow.

Mike challenges sellers to stop defaulting to service mode and explains the dangerous consequences that result from sales hunters always working their hottest deals first.

DOWNLOAD THIS HELPFUL GRAPHIC and take a listen to learn why it is absolutely critical that sellers divide their time and attention across accounts and opportunities at all phases of sales cycle.

** UPDATE: The location and dates have been secured for the 2022 Supercharge Your Sales Leadership Elite Events! If you're ready for a 1-day intensive at a premium venue with other hungry, driven sales leaders looking to radically increase sales management effectiveness, check out the details and videos HERE.

Helping Salespeople Own Their Sales Process Is Also Best for the Client! Jan 28, 2022

Show notes

Mike unequivocally declared that this episode (Part 2 of his interview with Nick Hejna) is The. Single. Best. conversation he's ever had with a sales leader around sales process.

Nick and Mike paint the clearest possible picture of why having, following, and owning a sales process is not only important for the seller, but is actually in THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PROSPECT/CLIENT!

You'll also be challenged to consider that the best sales leaders don't play "hero" of their teams but focus on making heroes of their people, and that not every top producer fits the bill for a management role. And Nick concludes this powerful conversation by sharing his love for the sales profession and the opportunity it offers top performers to achieve financial (and life) freedom.

If you are enjoying and getting value from Mike's podcast, please rate the show and leave a brief review on Apple Podcasts.

Books Mentioned in this Episode:

Let's Get Real or Let's Not Play by Mahan Khalsa (the 1st Edition from 1999, beige paperback is Mike's choice)

Baseline Selling by Dave Kurlan

The Lost Art of Closing by Anthony Iannarino