The Sales Management. Simplified. Podcast with Mike Weinberg

Episode 46 features one of Mike’s all-time favorite senior sales executives.  Dennis Sorenson is a seasoned global sales leader with a reputation for building high-performance teams. He currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Revenue and Sales at Alegeus and Mike claims that no client has stretched or challenged him more than Dennis. Listen as Dennis drops gem after gem offering… His sales management secret for effectively “managing up” and how to keep your executive boss from distracting and derailing you  That consistency is one of the most underrated characteristics of great leaders His 4 P’s when it comes to coaching sellers for big sales calls and presentations (Plan, Prepare, Practice, Play) 3 F’s for leading the team through tough times (Filter negativity, Focus on what you can control, and stick to the Fundamentals)  Dennis and Mike also address the move from individual contributor into sales management and point out… The positives and pitfalls when a salesperson gets promoted to lead the team they were a part of How (counterintuitively) new managers must slow down to speed up their ramp up! The transition from winning on your own to winning through your people Mike’s favorite response came when he asked how Dennis found/made time for so many 1:1 conversations with individuals at every level of the sales organization: “The number one thing on my list as a sales leader is talent. If I don’t make time to find, attract, and bring in great talent, and take the talent that I have and develop that talent, then I’m not doing my job.” Links: February 28th, Supercharge Your Sales Leadership Event:  mikeweinberg.com/atlanta2023 Sales Leadership Coaching Cohort:  mikeweinberg.com/leadercohort Previous Episode featuring Dennis Sorenson: https://mikeweinberg.com/podcast/episode8

In Episode 45 Mike puts the wraps on 2022, shares highlights, stats, reflections, and frustrations from a fantastic year, while challenging sales leaders to… Celebrate significant victories  Identify the time and energy “draculas” sucking the life out of them and stealing their passion and productivity Articulate two BIG business goals for 2023 and tie significant rewards to achieving those goals Become more selfishly productive by better time-blocking high-payoff sales management activities Provide better support to drive even more production from their A-Players Quickly coach-up (or coach-out) underperformers   Mike offers leaders two powerful opportunities to maximize sales management effectiveness for 2023 — one is lower cost, lower commitment (mikeweinberg.com/atlanta2023) and the other is longer-term and includes ongoing support (mikeweinberg.com/leadercohort)   Thank you for making the Sales Management. Simplified. Podcast a success in 2022. Here’s to GREAT SALES LEADERSHIP and your team winning MORE NEW SALES in the new year!

Mike tackles two topics in Episode 44 inspired by sessions he led this past week.   1. Your Sellers’ “Why” and Motivation to Sell Matter — a lot Mike shares his dad’s powerful advice that has served as the foundation for his successful sales career. He also addresses the significant mental and emotional baggage that hinders hesitant sellers from proactively pursuing prospects, pushing past resistance, and persistently following-up. When we understand “why” we sell and view ourselves as professional problem solvers instead of as pests, everything changes! Hear the strong message Mike delivered to help get a sales teams’ heads and heart in the right place so their motivation to sell is pure and honorable! 2. Reflect, Reset, Refocus to End & Start the Year Right During a session with the sales leadership cohort, Mike and the members discussed the importance of “seasons” in life and the unique opportunity that year-end/new year presents for leaders with their teams. Let’s not miss the chance celebrate major accomplishments, personal growth, and for some, even just surviving a crazy year. It’s also the perfect time to ask thoughtful questions about what worked well this past year that your people should repeat, and alternatively, what strategies and approaches didn’t work so we don’t live out the definition of insanity, doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result! Take advantage of this season to help your team (and yourself) reset and refocus to begin the new year with energy, excitement, and a plan to win. Get more info on the sales leadership coaching cohort here:  mikeweinberg.com/leadercohort ___________________________________ TWO EARLY 2023 DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR SALES LEADERS Supercharge Your Sales Leadership events are back and the first one is scheduled for February 28 at the Porsche Experience Center adjacent to Atlanta Airport. Join 50 driven sales leader colleagues and Mike for this powerful 1-day intensive or 2-day VIP experience. INFO & REGISTER at mikeweinberg.com/atlanta2023  The first Sales Leadership Coaching Cohort of 2023 will start in late January. This comprehensive 6-month program is limited to 12 sales leaders. If you are ready to maximize your effectiveness as a sales leader and your team’s results, and would benefit from coaching, community, care, and proven, powerful content, get more info and schedule an exploratory conversation at mikeweinberg.com/leadercohort

Sales team meetings don’t have to be drudgery for the sales leader or salespeople, and they shouldn’t be painful and unproductive either! In Episode 43, Mike… Reminds leaders of the purpose and impact of great team meetings  Rants about the most common sales meeting sins Challenges sales managers that if you cannot answer this question with an emphatic “yes” then something needs to change quickly:  Do your salespeople leave sales team meetings with more energy and better equipped to sell than when the meeting began?   Unpacks several suggested agenda topics that will radically increase the impact of your team meetings Reveals the secret to turn “role play” from something awkward and cringeworthy into the important practice session it should be Take a listen and learn to “give the work away,” create more interaction and more value for your salespeople so they leave team meetings more energized and better equipped to sell than ever. _________________________________________________________ JUST ANNOUNCED – TWO EARLY 2023 DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR SALES LEADERS Supercharge Your Sales Leadership events are back and the first one is scheduled for February 28 at the Porsche Experience Center adjacent to Atlanta Airport. Join 50 driven sales leader colleagues and Mike for this powerful 1-day intensive or 2-day VIP experience. INFO & REGISTER at mikeweinberg.com/atlanta2023    The first Sales Leadership Coaching Cohort of 2023 will start in late January. This comprehensive 6-month program is limited to 12 sales leaders. If you are ready to maximize your effectiveness as a sales leader and your team’s results, and would benefit from coaching, community, care, and proven, powerful content, get more info and schedule an exploratory conversation at mikeweinberg.com/cohortinfo  

The feedback and appreciation for Mike’s recent special web session: "Boom Times or Bust - The 5 Keys to Winning More New Sales” has been so positive, it prompted him to share the full recording with podcast listeners. In this audio recording, Mike… Explains what he is seeing that prompted him to offer this session Cautions sellers and sales leaders to beware of fads and bandwagon jumpers in the sales improvement space Shares his confusion about a giant company that asked him to propose a virtual selling training program  Unpacks five foundational keys for a successful new business development focused sales attack (regardless of economic conditions) Announces the once-per-year limited offer for the New Sales. Simplified. Video Coaching Series If you prefer to watch the video recording (which incorporates the slides Mike used for the special web session), visit the episode page:  mikeweinberg.com/episode42  And if you would like to set yourself or your sales team up to maximize sales in 2023, take advantage of the limited-time offer on the New Sales. Simplified. Video Coaching Series (including special packages for sales leaders who purchase access for their teams).

While waiting for a connecting flight at Chicago O’Hare last week, Mike dialed in for an impromptu Q&A session with a sales team going through the New Sales. Simplified. Video Coaching Series. That Q&A evolved into an impactful coaching conversation around overcoming a prospect’s resistance to meeting in-person. In this episode, Mike recaps three powerful tips for securing the meeting after the contact resists the salesperson’s initial request to meet. He also spends a few minutes thanking the sales community for supporting New Sales. Simplified. and celebrating its 10 years as a bestseller. Most importantly, Mike invites listeners to a special free web session on November 10th.  Join him for… BOOM OR BUST, THE 5 KEYS TO WINNING MORE NEW SALES Register at mikeweinberg.com/5keys Amidst all the confusion and concern around the changing business climate… Mike wants to remind sellers and sales leaders of the five simple keys for a successful new business development focused sales attack. Regardless of whether we’re panicking from a pandemic, struggling with supply chain shortages, or now facing headwinds as we potentially head into a recession, the fundamentals for WINNING MORE NEW SALES remain the same.  Links: Register for the free web session New Sales. Simplified. Selling in a Crisis

While observing the launch of Jeb Blount’s brand new bestseller, Mike sensed something different. Just seeing the fun Jeb was having promoting Selling in a Crisis, and enjoying the excited reaction from so many sellers and sales influencers, Mike texted Jeb with a crazy question:   “Jeb, I’m seeing the reaction to the book from sellers and influencers.  The timing is absolutely perfect as my client sales teams are preparing to sell into strong headwinds next year. The community needs this book. Do you think it’s possible that Selling in a Crisis could be even bigger than Fanatical Prospecting?” That text led to a phone call which led to this wide ranging conversation. In Episode 40, Mike has Jeb share his take on the “State of Sales,” what we learned selling through the pandemic, dealing with supply chain challenges and passing along price increases, and now how we must prepare to sell in a very different business climate than we’ve experienced in the past fifteen years.   Books Mentioned in this Episode: Selling in a Crisis Selling the Price Increase New Sales. Simplified.

Mike provoked the sales leaders gathered at the Sales Execution Simplified event in London with this statement that generated a healthy dialogue in the room:  Struggling salespeople (who are neither hitting their sales numbers nor maintaining a healthy pipeline) should have a feeling of discomfort as they leave their 1:1 accountability meeting! In this short episode recorded in Belfast, Mike shares highlights from his trip to the UK during the historic week following the death of Her Majesty The Queen, and regarding the all important 1:1 regular manager-salesperson accountability meeting, he reminds sales leaders that… - this meeting is most effective when kept short and focused on thing - accountability - should be completely fact/data-based and not based on feelings - the impact of these critical sessions gets diluted when managers pivot from accountability to coaching - we actually seek to create discomfort for underperforming salespeople -  if sellers are falling short of their sales goals and their pipelines are weak (not enough total coverage, not enough new opportunities being created, not enough existing opportunities being advanced) then we do not want them walking away thinking everything is fine - while we should be coaching and encouraging our struggling salespeople, we should NOT be doing that in our regular, brief accountability meeting

Episode 38 is a must listen for every sales leader - veteran, new, or aspiring.  Mike continues the powerful conversation with super impressive new sales leader Drew Ellis as they cover Drew’s transition from top-producing individual contributor into leadership. Hear how Drew… Built frameworks for leading his team before he even had the job Hired for culture, grit, and fit Was secure enough to bring people onto his team better than himself Implemented disciplines around proactive new business development and sales process Stressed the importance of “first dates” and continually filling the top of funnel Adapted Mike’s “Accountability Framework” (results, pipeline, activity) for his new team Stays sharp and motivated If you missed the first half of Mike’s conversation with Drew, listen at mikeweinberg.com/episode37  Please leave a review on Apple Podcasts (or wherever you listen) if you were inspired by this dialogue and received value from this episode. Drew Ellis on Linkedin

In this powerful episode Mike hosts impressive sales leader Drew Ellis, a mid-market vice president for SAP.  Drew is the very first guest whom Mike did not know personally to be invited on the show.  Their new relationship started with a LinkedIn message thanking Mike for Sales Management. Simplified. The online dialogue led to a Zoom meeting where Drew shared the trajectory of his sales, and now sales management, career. Mike was so blown away by Drew’s sales acumen and passion for sales leadership and excellence that he asked Drew to come on the podcast. In Part One of this conversation hear how Drew became a sales rock star during the Great Recession of 2008-2009 which opened new doors and opportunities.  Listen to Drew share how his career progressed and his secret to becoming a true trusted advisor (and “thick as thieves”) with your most important customers! This episode is not just for leaders and is a great dialogue to share with your sales team members as well. Drew Ellis on Linkedin ___________________________________________ SUPERCHARGE YOUR SALES LEADERSHIP - ONLY 4 SPOTS REMAINING! The upcoming October 11th event at the Porsche Experience Center was sold out but one group had to shift to the November session which opened up four spots. If you are looking to radically increase your sales management effectiveness in a one-day intensive with Mike and 50 hungry, energized sales leaders, get more info here on the premium venue (Porsche Experience Center Atlanta), packed agenda, and powerful outcomes from attending.