Episode 86 is packed with several of Mike’s biggest takeaways from his work in 2024. Buckle up as he unleashes blunt observations touching on various topics including…

• C-Suite and corporate executives who’ve completely lost sight of the sales manager’s primary job
• How the “slowdown” and having to sell into economic headwinds has exposed a significant number of salespeople (who thrived “fulfilling demand” when business was dropped in their laps) lack the propensity and ability to “create demand” and new opportunities in the pipeline
• The unpopular reality that the past five years of working virtually has taken its toll on the career development of sellers – particularly new salespeople whose careers started during Covid and who’ve never benefitted from working alongside more experienced sales professionals

Mike then offers an exhortation for sales leaders to radically focus in three simple, specific areas to drive more NEW SALES in the year ahead.

Finally, Mike wraps up inviting listeners who are interested to stay for “the episode after the episode” where he shares his gratefulness and personal reflections on a record year.

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RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

The First-Time Manager: Sales

February 19th Supercharge Your Sales Leadership Full-Day Intensive

This episode is sponsored by Pursuit Sales Solutions. If you are looking for help adding A-player talent to your team, contact Mike’s friends at pursuitsalessolutions.com/weinberg

Episode 85 features a unique conversation between Mike and his friend, Greg Stanley, who specializes in helping small and medium-sized companies unlock growth potential by optimizing their revenue function and increasing valuation.

Greg founded Accelerant Consultants after a long, successful stint at one of the Big 4 firms.

This dialogue touches on foundational sales management topics including getting the right people in the right jobs, ensuring that the sales deployment model aligns with the corporate strategy, and that the compensation plan not supports (instead of hinders) the c-suite’s strategic objectives.

Greg also shares how private equity firms are moving downstream and adding much smaller businesses to their portfolios is changing the competitive landscape and forcing small company leaders to become more sophisticated sales managers. And finally, he makes the strong pitch that management should be taking a hard look at a salesperson’s “revenue contribution” rather than simply looking at “revenue attribution.”

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Accelerant Consultants

Greg on LinkedIn

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This episode is sponsored by Pursuit Sales Solutions. If you are looking for help adding A-player talent to your team, contact Mike’s friends at pursuitsalessolutions.com/weinberg

Episode 84 was inspired by a recent discovery meeting between Mike and a smaller company looking for his help to take their new business development game to a new level.

During the conversation, Mike shared his simple “Buckets of Blame” framework to help these executives get a big picture 30,000-foot view of five potential obstacles that may be preventing their sales team from bringing in new business at the desired rate – and to estimate the percentage of “blame” to attribute to each of the five buckets.

Take a listen to see which of these buckets might be preventing you (or your team) from winning MORE NEW SALES.

Mike wraps up the episode with a reminder to sales leaders about the power and value from having salespeople draft individual business plans for the coming year and points you to several valuable resources to help with that initiative.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Mike is joined by sales management expert and coach (former golf pro and top-ranked salesperson), Matt Ferguson for a wide-ranging conversation covering….

• The fact that almost every sales manager they know feels overwhelmed, overworked, under-appreciated and under-supported
• Almost 90% of sales leaders say they received ZERO training for their current role
• Why the transition from top-producing individual contributor into sales manager is so difficult
• How the phrase “you are who you hang out with” is not just wise advice for picking your friends, but also applies to salespeople targeting the right accounts to pursue for new business
• The importance of smart talent management and danger of managers constantly living in what Matt refers to as “The Mess”

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

The current PROMOTION on the Sales Management. Simplified. Video Coaching Series

Connect with Matt Ferguson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdfcoaching/

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This episode is sponsored by Pursuit Sales Solutions. If you are looking for help adding A-player talent to your team, contact Mike’s friends at pursuitsalessolutions.com/weinberg

This episode was inspired by a session Mike facilitated last week at a client’s award trip gathering where he challenged these “Pacesetters” by sharing…

5 Powerful Ways The Best Get Better.

Mike recorded this episode believing it would not only benefit sales leaders but their teams as well, particularly those sellers looking to take their game to the next level and become perennial top producers.

As you listen, be encouraged that there is no secret sauce or shortcut to staying on top or breaking through to even higher levels of performance. As Mike so powerfully points out, those who continue to improve and remain at the very top of the sales ranking don’t do that with tricks or hacks. They continue to dominate because they double down on the proven foundational fundamentals that always lead to success.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Who Is On Your Team Podcast Episode

New Sales. Simplified.: The Essential Handbook for Prospecting & New Business Development

Be on the lookout for our The Sales Management. Simplified. Video Coaching Series annual special. If you’re looking to provide access for multiple managers, contact us for special pricing and packages. Email us at contact@mikeweinberg.com

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This episode is sponsored by Pursuit Sales Solutions. If you are looking for help adding A-player talent to your team, contact Mike’s friends at pursuitsalessolutions.com/weinberg

This episode was inspired by recent conversations between Mike and sales leaders at three different clients — all in very different industries, and all currently selling into some significant headwinds.

Building off this powerful mantra that his dad often preached: "In good times we need to get our fair share of the business, but when things are tough we need to get an unfair share…"

...Mike unpacks the old school concept of creating a focused, intense, orchestrated sales blitz (or campaign) and his theory that these types of short-duration campaigns are often so successful because they incorporate all three elements of his NEW SALES DRIVER framework from New Sales. Simplified.

1. Select Targets
2. Create & Deploy Weapons
3. Plan & Execute the Attack

If you or your team would benefit from creating additional intensity, focus, and accountability, while at the same time sharpening both your strategic target list and your sales weapons, then this episode is for you.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

New Sales. Simplified.: The Essential Handbook for Prospecting & New Business Development

2024’s Final Supercharge Your Sales Leadership Event: https://mikeweinberg.com/atlanta2024/

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This episode is sponsored by Pursuit Sales Solutions. If you are looking for help adding A-player talent to your team, contact Mike’s friends at pursuitsalessolutions.com/weinberg

In this episode Mike hosts his long-time friend, Larry Levine (who he often refers to as the most authentic and generous person in the sales improvement industry), for a very different conversation about the current “State of Sales” and how we can respond to it.

Their discussion revolves around how salespeople (and leaders) must adapt to thrive while Selling in a Post-Trust World. And as Mike declares in the foreword to Larry’s new book (with that title), it is very rare when a literary work is so perfectly timed to address a situation that is both urgent and critically important.

We are indeed living (and attempting to sell) in a post-trust world. Everywhere you turn there is deep skepticism – and unfortunately, it’s deserved. Truly, this is the issue of the day. Artificial intelligence. Deep fakes. Spam. Bots. Add to that the horrendous, annoying, trust-busting approaches causing sellers to come across as the self-absorbed, transactional, uncaring and unprofessional salespeople Larry unapologetically labels as Empty Suits.

Listen in as Larry and Mike address topics you haven’t heard tackled on this show before. This is one of those episodes you’ll likely want to pass along to your sales team!

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:

https://sellinginaposttrustworld.com/

Text the word Trust to 21000

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This episode is sponsored by Pursuit Sales Solutions. If you are looking for help adding A-player talent to your team, contact Mike’s friends at pursuitsalessolutions.com/weinberg

Episode 79 was unplanned but Mike felt compelled to describe his recent encounter with a bold, hungry 19-year-old.

Stuart was so impressive that Mike took a few minutes to record his impromptu reaction and also deliver a rant to salespeople who still (falsely) believe/proclaim that the telephone isn’t an effective way to secure a conversation with strategic target prospects.

Not only will you be blown away by what this young man Stuart accomplished with a few dials of the phone and high EQ, you’ll likely want to share this story with members of your sales team – particularly the ones sitting around waiting for leads or who continue their futile and pathetic efforts “bumping” their lame, spammy emails to the top of prospects’ inboxes – hoping beyond hope that someone will respond!

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Episode 26: Why the Phone Is Sexier than Ever and Puts a Person Behind the Prospecting

The Next Supercharge Your Sales Leadership Event (with available seats)

New Sales. Simplified. (the book)

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This episode is sponsored by Pursuit Sales Solutions. If you are looking for help adding A-player talent to your team, contact Mike’s friends at pursuitsalessolutions.com/weinberg