Breaking Sales

Why do even experienced sales professionals struggle to move prospects from initial interest to closed deals?  The answer often lies in a fundamental misunderstanding of how prospects make decisions about change. Most salespeople jump straight to demonstrating their value without understanding where prospects are in their decision-making journey, assuming they're ready for solutions when they're still figuring out if they even have problems worth solving. In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan and Pam break down the four distinct phases that every meaningful sales conversation must navigate. They explore why the sequence of these phases matters, how to assess whether prospects are truly ready for change, and how the time and effort prospects invest in working through decisions with you creates natural momentum toward partnership. You'll come away with a roadmap for creating conversations that honor how people actually work through complex decisions.  If you're ready to start having interactions that feel collaborative rather than transactional, this episode will show you how.

What determines whether your 2026 becomes a breakthrough year or just another year of good intentions? Most sales professionals approach year-end planning the same way they approach everything else: they only focus on what they want without examining why they don't already have it.  This Breaking Sales episode provides a planning methodology that flips that approach on its head: Instead of starting with ambitious goals and hoping for the best, you begin with brutal honesty about the behaviors and thinking patterns that have kept you stuck—and the ones that will move you forward.  In this episode, Dan walks you through exercises that help you connect what you want to achieve with the mental shifts required to get there. You'll also discover how your natural tendency to imagine negative outcomes causes you to avoid taking action, and why the most successful people have learned to reframe their internal dialogue around risk and opportunity.  Whether you're looking to break through a performance plateau or finally bridge the gap between your potential and your results, this framework provides the foundation for creating lasting change in the new year.  

Why do we avoid giving feedback when we know someone needs to hear it? It's not a lack of time or unclear expectations; it's the fear that speaking up will damage the relationship. But the uncomfortable truth is that withholding feedback because you're afraid denies people the chance to fix the patterns that are holding them back. In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan and Pam explore what happens when the need to be liked overtakes the responsibility to help people improve. Their conversation reveals how passivity and people-pleasing keep you from sharing valuable observations, the three questions to ask yourself before giving someone feedback, and what body language signals tell you that they aren't ready to receive what you're about to say. If you've been sitting on a piece of feedback because you don't know how to deliver it, this episode reveals how to make it land—and why staying silent isn't protecting anyone.  

How do you respond to pressure and repeated rejection?  Most sales professionals can spot a victim mentality in their colleagues instantly: the rep who blames the CRM, the veteran who insists the territory is cursed, the coworker who always has an excuse for missed quota. But recognizing when you're the one deflecting responsibility? That's where it gets difficult and uncomfortable.
  In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan and Pam explore how victim mentality creeps into sales performance—not as a permanent character flaw, but as a natural response to the demanding pursuit of success, and the delayed results that often come with it. Through candid personal reflections, they discuss how blaming external factors can feel like a relief, but strips away your power to improve—and why catching yourself at that critical moment changes everything.  Listen to discover why stress and frustration make victim mentality almost irresistible, why dwelling on what you can't control keeps you stuck, and what it takes to maintain agency even when circumstances feel overwhelming.  

What separates the sales professionals who consistently close deals from those who accept rejection too easily isn't charisma, product knowledge, or years of experience. It's conversation resilience: the ability to maintain composure and curiosity when discussions take unwelcome turns.  In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan explores this critical skill. Through his personal story of landing his first coaching client after sixteen months of failures, Dan demonstrates how conversation resilience converted apparent rejection into a closed deal.  You'll discover what it actually takes to stay engaged in conversations when your instinct screams to retreat, apologize, or accept defeat—and why the professionals who master this skill don't panic when conversations go south. Whether you're encountering prospects who seem disengaged despite strong referrals, facing unexpected resistance, or struggling to maintain confidence when discussions turn negative, this episode will show you how to build the mindset that keeps you in the game when it matters most.  

What happens to your brain when a prospect says something you didn't expect to hear? In this episode, Dan and Kristie explore why even seasoned sales professionals can freeze up or panic when conversations take unexpected turns, and the specific preparation process that prevents it from happening. You'll learn why conversation resilience isn't about personality or experience, how top performers build mental frameworks before important meetings, and why the same principles apply whether you're in a high-stakes negotiation or making prospecting calls. This episode challenges the assumption that you can handle surprises without intentional preparation.

Why do prospects choose competitors even when you clearly have the superior solution? In this episode, Dan and Pam uncover a critical gap that's costing sales professionals deals every day: the failure to understand what prospects actually mean by the descriptive words they use. Through real client examples and personal experiences, they reveal how making assumptions about terms like "innovative," "strategic," or "creative" leads to wasted time, missed opportunities, and lost trust. You'll discover why this seemingly simple skill creates such powerful results, the psychology behind why prospects become more engaged when you make them think critically, and the mindset shift required to resist the urge to jump into solution mode when you think you have the answers. This isn't about asking more questions. It's about asking the right questions that help prospects define what's actually worth solving for.  

What if the secret to higher closing rates isn't better techniques, but better preparation? In this episode, Dan and Kristie break down one of the most common mistakes they've observed in client calls: professionals who force conversations instead of letting them unfold naturally. Drawing from extensive study of recorded sales calls, they reveal why experienced salespeople often jump too quickly to solutions, pepper prospects with lazy leading questions, and ultimately sabotage their own success. You'll learn the specific preparation techniques that build confidence to trust the conversation process, how to identify and prepare for your personal triggers that knock you off your game, and why "selling on feel" is just an excuse for poor preparation. Whether you're struggling with conversation flow or wondering why your closing rates remain stuck, this episode offers a fundamentally different approach to sales dialogue.  

What if your sales success has more to do with luck and timing than actual skill?  In this conversation, Dan and Pam tackle the uncomfortable truth that many sales professionals are operating in the dark—putting substantial effort into their pipelines without tracking the metrics that reveal whether their efforts are actually working. Pam shares her humbling story of going from a top performer to nearly losing her job when her boss moved her from a high-performing territory to the company's worst neighborhood. The result? Two months without a single sale and a harsh wake-up call that her previous success had nothing to do with her abilities.  Listen to discover why tracking isn't just about numbers—it's about developing the clarity that separates environmental advantages from genuine performance, and eliminating the anxiety that comes from not knowing where your business actually stands.  

Are you proud of the nos you're getting? Most sales professionals celebrate any rejection as progress, but here's the uncomfortable truth: there are nos you should feel accomplished about, and then there are nos that are filled with regret.  In this episode of Breaking Sales, Dan and Pam break down the critical difference between an easy no and a hard no. You'll discover why making prospects work hard isn't about being difficult—it's about being responsible, and why your role isn't to solve for prospects, but to help them figure out if there's anything worth solving for. Dan and Pam share real examples from client situations, including how to handle middle management decision-makers who seem reluctant to engage, and Pam's "last ditch effort" technique that can transform a failing conversation into meaningful dialogue. If you're tired of easy nos and ready to earn the rejections that actually mean something, this episode will fundamentally change how you approach every sales conversation.

What separates high performers from everyone else when it comes to prospecting? It's not their message, their experience, or their market. It's how they think about the activity itself. Most sales professionals make the critical mistake of allowing their feelings in the moment to dictate whether they follow through on their prospecting commitments. They convince themselves that how they feel right now—tired, unmotivated, or overwhelmed—should determine whether they make those calls or send those emails. But here's the uncomfortable truth: your best client is still out there, and they're not coming to you.    In this episode, Dan challenges everything you think you know about prospecting by breaking down seven powerful mindset shifts that separate high performers from everyone else. He'll walk you through the difference between short-term discomfort and long-term pain, why motivation is overrated compared to process, and how every hour you spend prospecting is actually a vote for your future.  If you're ready to stop letting your mood dictate your prospecting success, this episode provides the mental framework to build consistency in your outreach efforts.  

Pain today or pain tomorrow. That should be the mantra for anyone trying to achieve or create something new and different in their life. Mark it #1 for sales professionals trying to achieve at a high level.  High performance demands you pick your pain. Most sales professionals avoid the daily discomfort of prospecting, asking tough questions, and taking risks—only to experience crushing long-term regret when they miss their numbers. In this episode, Dan explores why avoiding short-term discomfort creates exponential long-term pain, how to redefine relationship selling beyond the "friendly zone," and the critical difference between pressuring prospects with competency versus helping them gain perspective through meaningful questions. If this show has challenged your thinking or shifted your approach to sales conversations, we'd be honored to have your support: Breaking Sales is officially in the running for the 2025 People's Choice Podcast Awards. Just visit www.podcastawards.com between now and July 31 and nominate Breaking Sales in the Business category and Adam Curry's People's Choice category!

What if the biggest factor in whether someone makes a change isn't their current pain?  Most sales professionals are obsessed with the present. They dig into problems, poke at pain points, and highlight what's broken today. But Dan and Pam reveal what they're missing: human beings don't change because of where they are. They change because of where they're going. This episode explores future narrative—the art of helping prospects think beyond today's chaos and into tomorrow's clarity. You'll hear a real client story about navigating internal politics, the psychology of regret minimization, and why sometimes you need to take prospects backwards to move them forward. If you find value in today's episode, we would love your help. Breaking Sales is officially in the running for the 2025 People's Choice Podcast Awards. If this show has challenged your thinking or shifted your approach to sales conversations, we'd be honored to have your support. Just visit www.podcastawards.com between July 1–31 and nominate Breaking Sales in the Business category. Thank you in advance for your support!   

There's a devastating invisible force awaiting you in every prospect and client conversation you have, and you hold the key that either lets it out or keeps it at bay. The good and bad news - it's all controlled by you.  In this episode, Dan and Kristie explore how anxiety shows up in sales conversations and why it's such a performance killer. Through real client stories, they reveal how trying to control uncontrollable outcomes sabotages our best skills—and what to do about it.   

Every closing technique you've been taught is training your prospects to resist you. While you're focused on "Always Be Closing," your prospects are running in the opposite direction, "Avoid Being Closed." The harder you push, the further they pull away. It's a losing game. In Part I, we revealed why traditional closing tactics backfire and the three stages prospects go through when debating change. Now, in Part II, we're sharing the results of interviews with almost 100 top sales performers to reveal the four closing skills that your prospects will actually value.  This isn't about manipulation or pressure. It's about having the patience to use common sense in your conversations.   

Traditional closing tactics focus on winning the deal—but that's not the process your prospects and clients experience. They experience a process that requires them to debate change. If you want to get better at closing, then you'll need to master the process that your prospects go through. The ABC, or "always be closing" method, is great for the movies, but detrimental to your real world conversations.    In Part 1 of this two-part series on mastering the art of closing without closing, Dan and Pam challenge everything you thought you knew about closing sales—namely, that you get what you put in. They break down the three phases of decision-making prospects go through, reveal why your urgency to close actually delays deals, and explain why being trusted matters infinitely more than being liked. You'll discover why positive tension is essential for change, and how to create it without being self-serving.  

In this revealing second part of our conversation with Lappin180 and top commercial real estate advisor Emily Smith, we dive deep on one of the most damaging barriers to successful selling: - anxiety, and how detachment is a practical and proven way to reduce the thoughts that hold you back.  Emily shares the remarkable transformation that occurred when she stopped trying to control things that she couldn't, and started creating space for her clients to reach their own conclusions.  Whether you're struggling with work anxiety, feeling frustrated by stalled deals, or trying to build more authentic professional relationships, Emily's practical wisdom might help you find more fulfillment and success in your sales journey.   

After 12 successful years in commercial real estate, Emily Smith thought she had the perfect formula: be the most prepared, most knowledgeable person in every room. Then she started working w/ Lappin180. In this candid conversation, Emily reveals how she completely transformed her approach by letting go of the "expert" persona that had defined her career. She shares the humbling process of recognizing that her success had come despite her attachment and scarcity mindset, not because of it. Whether you're in sales, leadership, or any field where relationships matter, Emily's journey offers a refreshing alternative to traditional performance advice and a roadmap to more meaningful client engagements.  

Do you view your calendar as a constraint or an asset? In this episode, Dan and Pam discuss why your relationship with time is the foundation of high performance. They explore the zero-sum approach to time management, revealing why traditional time blocking doesn't work for most sales professionals and how to build the discipline to stop re-prioritizing in the moment. Learn practical strategies to stop wasting the ample personal time you have available each day and discover why the average employee is only productive for less than 3 hours in an 8-hour day. If you're ready to stop being average and start making real progress toward your goals, this conversation will transform how you think about and use your most valuable resource: time.  

When was the last time you sat comfortably in silence during a sales conversation?  In this episode, Dan Lappin and Pam Evanson explore the transformative power of giving prospects space to think. You'll learn:  Why jumping in to fill every pause can cost you valuable insights  Practical techniques for creating space in your conversation, and  How to practice the art of detachment from labeling interactions as "good" or "bad."  This episode will transform how you approach questioning in sales conversations and help you create the ideal conditions for prospects to share what's truly on their minds.