Top Down: Sales Growth Stories

Equal parts teacher, connecter, and founder, Darrah Brustein stands for entrepreneurial empowerment. In the fall of 2018, Darrah launched "Life by Design, Not by Default" sharing stories with visionaries like Deepak Chopra, Adam Grant and Jen Sincero in a 45 speaker online summit reaching over 7,000 people. For the past 10 years, she founded and scaled two businesses in tandem: a networking events company serving 30,000+ people and a payment processing company spanning 38 states. A prolific writer and interviewer, Darrah's thought leadership articles on lifestyle design have been read by over 1 million people across Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Thrive Global.  Her motivating motto "build a life of your own design, a career to fund it, and a network to support it" has inspired thousands to reach higher and dream bigger. She was even named “#1 to follow” by BossBabes. Most recently, Darrah launched the video series “Diving Deep With Deepak & Darrah” to make deep topics relatable and translatable into your life. 

Dr. Todd Dewett is a successful author, renowned educator, a TEDx speaker, and an Inc. Magazine Top 100 leadership speaker.  After beginning his career with Andersen Consulting and Ernst & Young, he completed his PhD in Organizational Behavior at Texas A&M University and enjoyed a career as an award-winning professor.  Today he speaks, writes, and coaches full-time with clients around the world including Microsoft, ExxonMobil, Pepsi, General Electric, State Farm, Boeing, Linkedin and hundreds more.  His educational library at LinkedIn Learning has been enjoyed by over 20,000,000 people in over one hundred countries.   

Jake Dunlap, the CEO of Skaled is a C-level sales leader and highly sought-after industry thought leader, quoted by Forbes, Inc. and Huffington Post. His mission is to shape the future of the modern sales organization. Join us in this podcast episode as we chat through the current state and future of sales and marketing. You can follow Jake at: Linkedin -- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakedunlap/ Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3iZTOnj-KC1qOBdUmpOagw  Instagram: @jake_dunlap Site -- www.skaled.com 

Menlo Innovations CEO Rich Sheridan became disillusioned in the middle of his career in the chaotic technology industry. He had an all-consuming thought…things can be better.  Much better.  He had to find a way. Why couldn't a workplace be filled with camaraderie, human energy, creativity, and productivity? Ultimately, Rich co-founded Menlo Innovations in 2001 to end human suffering in the workplace.  His unique approach to custom software creation is so surprisingly different, that 3,000 people a year travel from around the world just to see how they do it. His passion for creating joyful work environments led to his bestselling and widely-celebrated book, Joy, Inc. - How We Built a Workplace People Love.  His highly-anticipated second book, Chief Joy Officer, came out December 4th and will continue to prove that a positive and engaging leadership style is actually good for business. Find and follow Rich and Menlo Innovations using: Twitter - @menloinnovation and @menloprez  Facebook - menloinnovations LinkedIn - menlo-innovations https://menloinnovations.com/ 

Join us on a fireside chat with the life coach, Ryan Borawski.  Ryan has dedicated himself to helping others discover the power within them that can lead to an extraordinary life. He brings a wealth of experience coaching others in the sales industry. He works full-time in Training and Development for a national insurance company where he helps sales professionals maximize their potential both personally and professionally. He also has a life coaching business. He has personally coached over 200 people in their career, finances, relationships, health, leadership and societal impact. He lives in Charlotte, NC with his wife Ashley and Golden Retriever, Cali. Ryan’s on a mission to help people rewrite their future and live an extraordinary life of meaning and purpose.  You can find Ryan at www.ryanborawski.com 

E.J. Snyder is highly decorated Army Combat Veteran with 25 years military service under his belt, serving Ranger positions in Infantry and Airborne units. He joined the armed forces at 19. He moved up the ranks quickly, seeing combat in both the Gulf War in 1991 and a 15-month tour during Operation Iraqi Freedom 2 in 2004 to 2005. EJ earned two Bronze Star Medals, the Legion of Merit, the Order of St. Maurice (Centurion), and over 40 other Medals and decorations while serving the Nation. During his time in the Army, EJ attended a vast number of schools highly increasing his diverse set of skills, deployed on training and missions all over the world, and received many accolades throughout his career. He stepped up as a Ranger Instructor, Survival & Tracking Instructor, and Drill Sergeant, EJ was a renowned athlete and fighter during his time, earning the nickname “Skullcrusher”.  EJ retired at the Rank of Sergeant Major/E-9. He joins us in the episode to cover skills all of us can adopt to overcome hard times, control our mindset, and survive in the business world.

Today on the show we have a bit of a unique episode, where we get to listen to host, Josh Mastel, as the guest being interviewed. They dig into Josh’s background as the Founder and CEO of UpRoar Partners and how he spent the majority of his career in the tech service industry building and scaling large sales teams. He has interviewed thousands, hired hundreds and his last team had over 100 sales reps! As you may already know, Josh’s company, UpRoar Partners, provides hiring, training and managing consulting services. In this episode, Josh shares his advice for anyone who is hesitant to join the sales industry today and how to successfully learn from your failures. We also discover how Josh manages his team, his time and the art of saying “No.” Josh is loaded with wisdom, knowledge and practical tips to help you up your sales game in every aspect. By the end of this episode, you’ll be inspired to get up earlier, get laser focused on your goals, embrace the process and jump off the cliff and just do it! Key Topics: Learn more about Josh’s free sales content for the public (2:05) Josh’s advice for someone who is hesitant to get started in sales (3:20) How Josh faced his own fears when first leaving corporate America (5:30) Josh shares his many failures and how to learn from your own (7:10) What a typical sales rep meeting looks like for Josh (10:10) Josh shares his biggest piece of advice for time management (12:40) Find out what The Monkey Business Rule is and how to use it (15:55) Tips for goal setting and how to achieve your goals with laser focus (20:00) Josh’s advice for sales reps who have a lack of knowledge (24:47) How to get passed the gatekeeper by embracing them (31:50) Tips and tools for dealing with competitors and tough sales (35:50) The power of manager patience and self-discipline (37:00) Discover how to best handle price objection (41:15) The key to an effective sales close today (44:40) The characteristics Josh has found in his top sales performers (47:20)   Interact with Josh Mastel: LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshmastel/ Twitter — https://twitter.com/Jdmastel Skype — Website — https://www.uproarpartners.com/ Email — letshunt@uproarparners.com   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: UpRoar Partners – https://www.uproarpartners.com/ UpRoar Podcast – https://www.uproarpartners.com/top-down-podcast-sales-management-stories UpRoar Email – letshunt@uproarparners.com Josh Mastel on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshmastel/ Josh Mastel on Twitter – https://twitter.com/Jdmastel

Thanks for tuning in to this undercover special edition of the Topdown Podcast. In this episode, we welcome “Jesse”, a top performer from an undisclosed company, which we refer to here as “ABC Inc.” ABC Inc. lost their top performer, who we have named Jesse here, due to some cultural and managerial problems that they were having. Jesse is here to share his experience as to why he left the company for us to learn from. This episode is not designed to be a bashing session but rather, a learning resource for managers and anyone out there in a leadership role. The key takeaways from this conversation are: 1.) Understanding the importance of expectations for your current and new employees. 2.) The importance of managing on an individual level and getting to know your employees. 3.) Why people leave managers, they don’t leave companies. This episode is filled with tips and tricks that can be used to better our culture, cultivate healthy teams and broaden our perspectives on the role of leaders today. If you want to keep your top performers and create a healthy team culture, then take a listen to this episode!   Key Points From This Episode: Find out how Jesse came up the ranks in rep sales. (02:45) Jesse highlights the successes he has had in sales. (04:28) Discover what Jesse’s first onboarding experience was like. (05:25) The importance of letting the team know about new team members. (06:30) The three key pieces of a successful onboarding process. (07:20) The sales process: Training, indoctrination and the “playbook.” (07:50) Metric management and managing employee expectations. (08:55) The value Jesse sees in being assigned a work mentor. (12:25) Creating company culture and the fear-mongering culture Jesse faced. (14:25) No pressure, no diamond: Creating a balance for healthy performance. (15:50) Jesse shares his experience of leadership relationships and respect levels. (19:00) Remember that people never forget how you made them feel. (20:00) The two main things you want your sales team to feel at all times. (20:35) Why managers need to put their team first and show interest. (21:15) How can managers get the most out of their people? (22:35) Why we need to use more collaboration and brainstorming for efficiency. (24:35) Find out the main driver that pushed Jesse to leave ABC Ink. (27:00) And much more!   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: UpRoar Partners – https://www.uproarpartners.com/ UpRoar Email – letshunt@uproarparners.com Josh Mastel on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshmastel/ Josh Mastel on Twitter – https://twitter.com/Jdmastel

Deb Calvert is the president of People First Productivity Solutions. She is also the Co-Author of Stop Selling And Start Leading: How to Make Extraordinary Sales Happen. She is a certified Master of Sales Coach and Master Trainer. She is also a charter member of the Salesforce Advisory Board and graduate of the Accelerating Salesforce Performance Execution Program out of Northwestern University. Deb is a member of various organizations including the American Society for Training and Development. There is nothing this girl does not do! In addition, she is a certified practitioner in the Myers Briggs type indicator tools. Deb is one of the top sales trainers and sales leadership trainers in the world today, and she really knows her stuff. In this episode she will share actionable wisdom around enabling your team, how to be an effective leader, and avoiding the biggest pitfalls of sales leaders. Key Topics: What is keeping Deb busy in her career currently (1:56) What would happen if sellers adopted the behaviors that are proven for leaders to cause others to want to willingly follow them (2:53) Enabling Others to Act: one of the five practices (4:24) Behaviors involved in enabling others to act (4:36) Impact technology has on the buying process (5:17) How to be effective leaders (9:12) What to look for in sellers (9:58) Stereotype of seller persona (11:57) Leading people vs managing work (12:49) Biggest flaws in the ways leaders or sales managers are managing and leading people (14:14) Advice for sales managers (15:33) What to do if you don’t have the right resources (16:05) The element of “softness” (17:10) Reasons people leave (17:40) Bringing in outside resources (20:50) Leadership in the military (23:11) Advice for college-age individuals (25:30) Interact with Deb: LinkedIn - Deb Calvert Twitter/Skype – PeopleFirstPS Website - PeopleFirstPS.com Email - Deb.calvert@peoplefirstps.com Tweetable Quotes: “Buyers don’t know what they don’t know” (6:50) “Sellers who listen to buyers carefully and then give them the missing ingredients--those are the ones who stand out.” (8:27) “Buyers have raised the bar for sellers.” (9:46) “You manage work; you lead people.” (9:52) “One of the most important things to buyers is that we simply follow through on our promises and commitments.” (10:58) “Hiring is such a fear in people’s minds--it cripples them sometimes.” (11:42) “The more the sales manager does the front line work, the less the sellers are capable of doing it.” (15:10) “Sales managers have always been rewarded for and expected to do things on their own, so they don’t know how to delegate and trust others and collaborate to, let’s say, teach the HR person what it looks like to select the right candidate in sales.” (15:42) “You have to start showing the downside. The downside is, and it’s always there, we’re not making numbers or we are making numbers at the very last minute. We are never going to get ahead this way. And there is some serious ROI and lost opportunity costs that comes with that. You got to run the numbers and make the business case for being able to staff up appropriately.” (16:09) “Leadership philosophy is an exercise any leader can do. And it’s powerful.” (23:58) “Be flexible. The world is changing so fast. So instead of deciding on a job or title, think about the skills, your natural abilities. If you are really good and enjoy public speaking, think about all the options you have and keep an open mind to pursuing that passion using that skill.” (25:40) “Leverage your skills, know yourself well enough and don’t limit yourself to a job title that seems attractive.” (26:02)

Tony Hughes is the CEO and Managing Director of RSVP Selling and author of multiple books, including Combo Prospecting. As a best-selling author and award winning blogger, Tony is ranked by Top Sales Magazine as the Most Influential Person in Professional Selling in Asia Pacific. He is the most read LinkedIn author on the topic of leadership and speaks at conferences internationally, including the Salesforce World Tour event. He also teaches modernized selling within the MBA Program at The University of Technology in Sydney and sits on a number of advisory boards. Tony is a powerhouse of knowledge and is going to share a variety of amazing tactical sales processes and tips in this episode. Gain insight on the world of selling, tools you should be using and how to be successful in sales. Key Topics How technology is changing the world of selling Sales tools you need Unrealistic expectations of buyers Objections are for amateurs Negotiation Action items to shift away from a silent sales floor Time blocking Digging deep to find the perfect messaging How to effectively prospect and sell Book Recommendations Cracking the Sales Management Code - Jason Jordan Interact with Tony LinkedIn -Tony Hughes Rsvpselling.com Tonyhughes.com.au The Joshua Principle Combo Prospecting Notable Quotes “The thing all sellers need to think about is - I’m seeking alignment. I’m trying to find people that fit my ideal customer profile that feel, think and believe the things that line them up really well to be a great fit for us, to be a good client.” “We misinterpret people not responding to us as rejecting us.” “Phone on it’s own doesn’t work. Email on it’s own doesn’t work. Digital on it’s own doesn’t work. Social on it’s own doesn’t work… To break through we’ve got to use combinations.” “So long as your narrative is all about them and not about you and they believe they are going to get something out of a conversation, as opposed to a pitch as a salesperson, then you’re not an annoying pest, you are someone who earned the right for engagement. “The number one mistake people make is they try to manage by results instead of managing the activities that feed into the objectives then that create the results.” “Selling is about the transference of beliefs.” “We don’t know what channel works best for our buyer so try all of them until you figure out which one does.” “You need to be a true believer. You need to have great values. Buyers aren’t stupid. If you aren’t all in on what you are doing, people will really sense that. You need to be passionate about the difference you can make in customers lives with that solution you go and take to market.” “You have to quickly embrace the technologies that are changing everything.” Would you like to see more great stuff like this? I'm on a mission to connect with the most inspiring sales leaders and share their wisdom and insights with the world. If you'd like to get updates when I share new stuff please sign up here.

Elinor Stutz is the Founder of smoothsale.net as well as a best-selling author and speaker. She Started her career at a time when women were blocked in the sales and business world. She broke through barriers to become a top producing Salesperson in every company she worked for. She eventually became a trainer for sales leaders. After an accident that left Elinor diagnosed as paralyzed for life, she started her sales teaching career. She used sales techniques and positive thinking to overcome this life-changing event as well as many other obstacles. Learn more about Elinor, her success and how to succeed in life in sales in this episode. Key Topics Thoughtfulness and importance of addressing people by their name Common errors, mistakes and pitfalls Elinor sees Asking good questions Elinor’s life-threatening story Making the decision to be positive Lack of confidence as an issue Creating a culture around personal development Vetting coaches Using awful words as motivation Breaking through barriers What makes a good manager and the lack of good managers Interact with Elinor: Smoothsale.net Nice Girls Do Get The Sale Hired, How to Use Sales Techniques to Sell Yourself in Interviews Phone 408-209-0550 Email: elinor@smoothsal.net Tweetable Quotes: “There are lots of twists and turns in anyone’s career and the worst lessons are the best lessons for the future.” “It’s about people not thinking about the other person with whom they are trying to sell.” “Because software and technology makes things so convenient and fast fast fast, the personalization is disappearing.” “Now if you are in a good corporate setting, and you are getting good training, pay attention.” “By the fourth month, not knowing a thing about what I was selling or how to sell, I became the top rep of the branch.” “A first vision came in front of me in the form of a report card on the left-hand side, I had very high life marks, but on the right-hand side it was entitled community service and it was completely blank. So, in the moment, I made a pledge that I would begin giving back to communities, and I’m a salesperson 100%. So, in my mind and with the great beyond, I pledged that I would do so but with a condition, I would have full recovery and be able to walk out of her hospital on my own.” “I think the most important part of that to me is that you’re clear on what you should be doing, and I think there are so many people especially young people out there that are lost on what they should be doing.” “Sales honestly saved my life.” “That night a brain surgeon came into my room it was unusual he was there and asked if they could do an experiment on me, so I’m a risk taker and I try things to experiment and I instantly said, ‘sure.’” “After surgery when I finally awoke he was standing over me and he said, ‘’there’s no rhyme or reason for what happened, but you will walk out of this hospital in four days.’’ And when I was put in my room, almost the entire medical staff on duty came to see me and they kept calling me the walking miracle.” “Adversity is a reality of our world.” “I had to stand up for myself throughout my childhood, and I was in a city where I didn’t fit in, and so I turned to reading. And reading changed the way I dealt with life.” “You can decide at any point in time to be negative or positive.” “I learned early in my sales career to focus on my goals and what the long-term vision is, and every single night I was diligent about what I wanted to accomplish the next day.” “I think that young people should figure out what you’re good at first and go do that and everybody was born with gifts, go figure out what your gift is, use it and use that to build confidence, and then You’ll find your passion.” “As long as you’re willing to learn from things that went awry, there’s no failure because you learned from it.” “As we start growing, people are going to put us down for our novel ideas, and what I’ve come to learn later in life is that the very worst snare sentiment hurled at you are awful words. That means you are on to something very very exciting that they never saw coming, and that you should proceed with it.”

Today we're talking with Jarod Latch the co-founder of Spiracle Media, Jarod has worked in broadcasting, media, and digital for almost 20 years. He started his career in radio, moved on into the TV world, into the social media world, he was a sports anchor, a reporter, this guy has a ton of background. Jarod has covered the Super bowl, the Masters, NCAA tournament, and the Daytona 500 in creative media and especially moving into his new business now Spiracle Media,where he's creating great video using storytelling.

Today my guest is Kirby Steil, the VP of Sales at Insight Global--a mammoth in the IT staffing business. We're going to dig into the nitty-gritty of creating, maintaining, and directing sales culture within your organization--especially within sales organizations. He's going to share a ton of fun stories around sales management and some of the wars going on in the staffing business. Enjoy!

Everyone stands on the shoulders of the people around them that have shared their wisdom, guidance, and care as we develop. I’m no different, and neither is my mentor, Chris Dale, a man who has built and scaled dozens of successful sales teams in the IT staffing world. In this article, I’m going to share the principles and tactics I learned from Chris about How to quickly identify the intangibles in a sales hire A trick to find out if your sales candidate is motivated or not The difference between motivation and inspiration and why you should never motivate people How to define and understand your job as a sales manager When to part ways with a struggling salesperson Perseverance and mindset over matter How to get out of a personal slump Let’s dig right in.