How many times have you questioned your value as a seller? You’re not alone. It’s the existential question that most of us carry, and confronting it head-on takes strength. As does challenging the transactional nature of relationships and the realities of aging out of sales. This episode kicks off Season 4 with an impactful discussion featuring Nikki Ivy, a seasoned tech sales professional and coach helping women business owners secure corporate clients. The conversation dives into the nature of uncomfortable conversations, exploring existential crises in tech sales, the impact of age on perceived relevance in the industry, and the journey toward finding purpose and power in work. Nikki shares insights on her journey to embrace inspiration as a key differentiator and the importance of having uncomfortable conversations with oneself. Additionally, the episode touches on the challenges women face in the tech industry and the significance of building meaningful, non-transactional professional networks. Nikki's work focuses on empowering women entrepreneurs through practical frameworks for business positioning and storytelling, aiming to address the significant disparity in revenue achievements among women-owned businesses.02:52 - Exploring the Value of Self in Sales and Beyond04:49 - The Hope for Tech Sales: Challenges and Opportunities08:51 - Embracing Uncomfortable Conversations for Growth and Justice18:50 - Navigating Age and Perception in Sales23:33 - Starting the Conversation on Age and Relevance24:56 - Empowering Women in Business: Strategies and ChallengesWhere to Find Nikki IveyNikki's LinkedIn profileStimulystRevenue Real Linkswww.revenuereal.comAmy’s LinkedIn profile
Amy’s guest today is kind of a badass. Not only in the world of selling and sales enablement, but she’s also a world record holder in strength competitions! Kathryn Bennett is a Tech Co-Founder, TEDx Speaker, and author. They talk about what best motivates a team, and how emotional intelligence is so vital to be able to best inspire and interact with each individual member. She stresses the importance of putting new focus on how people work, and to ask how the systems we use support them to create their best work most efficiently.Kathryn also discusses the new, and unusual phenomenon she is encountering during the job interview process, what the cause of it might be. Check Kathryn out on TikTok and IG (@warmaiden_official)Connect with her on LInkedIn
In part 2 of Amy’s conversation with Nick McGowan, Nick talks about his work with MediaLab, which then segues into a discussion on being able to identify and solve problems effectively for clients and customers. Amy identifies three main types of problems and why some are much more difficult to address than others.Nick and Amy also talk about feeling trapped as an AE. Nick reflects on the fact that all of us build our own cages, and gives his advice on how to get out. They finish with Nick’s most uncomfortable conversation and some great advice on how to start the changes that you want to make in your life.Check out Nick's podcast The Mindset & Self-Mastery ShowConnect with Amy at RevenueReal.com and at Selling School
Amy’s guest Nick McGowan describes howhe knew from a young age that he could influence people through his words andactions. His parents knew he was a born salesman, and he knew as well. Nick andAmy talk about his connection with Stoicism, and traverse through his journeyin sales, making hard choices in a family business, reaching greater levels of success,finding himself in a beautiful high-rise apartment overlooking a tranquil park,but with the thought running through his mind – should I just jump and end it?
Amy jumps right into the second half of her conversation with Yoav Susz, asking him about the most uncomfortable conversations that he is having right now. He talks about the difficulty for sales teams to understand that people don't care about them or their product; they care about themselves and their own problems. He knows that shifting into that mindset opens a new world to you when working with clients, and reiterates that the best sellers are the most empathetic, skilled listeners that move to solve problems. Yoav also delves into the interview process and the importance of connection, curiosity, and generosity when building a sales team which has been shown to result in higher win rates. Connect with Yoav Connect with Amy at Selling School
Contracts… Intimidating, long, confusing, complicated, often put together by multiple people or departments over a substantial amount of time. These multiple hands are trying to keep track of each change that happens along the way, but outdated processes often lead to communication breakdowns making the contract generation process a black hole.Former VP of Global Revenue at Contractbook, and now CRO at Vi Engage, Yoav Susz sees beyond the messiness and is here to talk with Amy about streamlining, simplifying, and modernizing the process through automation, whether it involves working with an inside legal counsel or not. This ensures the right contract can be generated easily by using the right template, clauses, entities, and sign-off saving time and expenses along the way.Connect with Yoav Connect with Amy at Selling School
Cultural, religious, generational, andregional differences in how we ask questions and communicate, Active listeners and question askers. Buyers want activelisteners! Sam talks about how you can practice this and the huge effect it canhave on the relationships with your clients. Amy discusses the importance ofpractice using certain question types that will draw out information whilebuilding trust and connection. Sam also gives some incredible tips on replyingto a prospect that has declined your offer. *Spoiler alert – the first thing isto actually respond! This episode is so overflowing with valuable advice that you mayneed to listen a few times to catch it all!Connect with Samantha at #samsalesConnect with Amy at Selling School
Today Amy welcomes Samantha McKenna, Founder of #samsales, keynote speaker, sales outperformer, and former Head of Enterprise Sales at LinkedIn.Sam is one of the best that Amy’s ever seen at pure, effective sales technique, and one of her bedrock guiding principlesis leading with the mindset of “show me you know me”. Today she discusses howto build credibility and rapport while gaining loads of discovery knowledge withoutthe client even realizing it. Sam spills her techniques for getting potentialclients to reveal large amounts of valuable information both before and during discovery.And the best part is that it’s packaged in comfortable conversation that makesyou seem more caring and supportive while simultaneously building trust,connection, and confidence. Find more about Sam and #samsalesConnect with Amy and Selling School
Jumping into part two with Shawn Buxton, he talks about helping sales managers who are struggling to transition from being top-performing individual contributors to effective sales leaders. They often feel a bit lost like a fish out of water. Add to that that many companies do not offer specific programs or support for new managers, and it can lead to confusion and a lack of confidence in their abilities. Shawn advises that everyone needs a coach, and to find one who can teach best practices and provide guidance on how to fast-track their careers. The conversation also touches on the importance of empathy in sales leadership and how effective sales leaders can balance driving results while also showing compassion for their team.
Today’s guest, Shawn Buxton is a Frontline Sales Leader Coach. He's worked for many years helping sales managers transform into sales leaders. Shawn explains his approach with sales enablement with 5 C’s - Content, Context, Coaching, Consistency, and Calibration. He brings real world information, not just theories or frameworks, but the real deal knowledge that take sales teams from competency to proficiency.He and Amy dig into the differences between a sales manager and a sales leader, their view of the current state of onboarding for sales managers, plus the strange aversion to technology by tech leaders.Find more about SeanConnect with Amy and Selling School
On this installment of RRH, we’ve got part two of Amy’s discussion with the fabulous Ned Arick, Head of Growth over at ClozeLoop. They dive into Ned’s most uncomfortable conversation, discuss how what we say to others matters, and what happens when mentorship goes wrong and how to take your power back. Resources: Ned Arick Part One: Execution is the KeyThe Customer is Number One with Lori DunnMeditations by Marcus AreliusThe Sales Enablement Playbook by Cory Bray and Hilman Sorey Sell Without Selling Out by Andy Paul Find more about Ned:Ned Arick LinkedInClozeLoopFor more Amy: Connect with Amy on LinkedInConnect with Amy on TwitterJoin the ConversationAndy Paul's Selling School
On part 2 of Amy’s conversation withGB, they get into the performance of great SDR’s and BDR’s. Specifically howmanagement and leadership can drive their performance and results throughexpectations, communication, and focusing on connection vs. activity. Goodleaders know their team and leverage individual’s strengths even if theiractivity level is less – as long as their conversion level is high. Find out more about GB here Connect with Amy and Selling School
Today’s show is all aboutrelationships. Relationships in sales usually brings to mind the seller andbuyer, but today it’s the internal relationships of BDR’s and AE’s that are topof mind. Amy knew that Gabrielle ‘GB’ Blackwell was the guest to have for thisone. GB likens the DDR/AE pairing as the closest thing to a marriage. Buildinga “house” together, giving constructive feedback, having open communication, fosteringtrust, managing expectations, focusing on context over control, and realize ittakes work. As always Amy brings conversations that other sales podcasts don’t. Find out more about GB here Connect with Amy and Selling School
For women in sales, it’s not always an easy road. In the second half of Amy’s conversation with Lori Richardson (Listen to Part 1 from July 8th, 2022) they get into everything from the deal take- overs, the micro-aggressions, the aggressions, and flat-out sexual harassment. They discuss the best ways to choose a company to work for, when and how to respond when confronted with these situations, how the same BS of old is often repackaged in a more modern way, and how engaged male allies are so vital to making progress.Find out more about Lori RichardsonBuy Lori's book She SellsLIsten to Lori's podcast Listen to Davidson Hang's interview with Amy
In this Part 2 episode with Donne Boivin, he and Amy start off by talking about connection and how it is both situational and largely driven by your personality type. Having a better understanding of yourself can help you to create strategies that work. They discuss how you have to be ready to alter your approach geographically as well.Donnie continues with the importance of dreaming big, changing your preconceived notions of networking, opening doors for others, what question to ask to have a prospect tell you everything you need to know, why you should be a connector instead of a networker, and Donnie gives one of the best “uncomfortable conversation” answers that Amy’s heard. Also – Check out Donnie’s Badass Business Summit coming up this September in Texas!
Welcome to the new season of the Revenue Real Hotline, and it starts off with a bang because Amy has invited Donnie Boivin, CEO of Success Champion Networking. He begins by telling his story of nearly losing it all, and then picking himself up and starting Success Champion Networking, which now operates three companies and has two of the top podcasts in the world. They discuss the frustration with salespeople still leaning into coercion and manipulation, the difference between influence and persuasion, and changing the game around networking. Find more about Donnie on LInkedIn and his websiteConnect with Amy on LinkedIn and Selling School
On this installment of the RRH, we’ve got AJ Alonzo. AJ is a principle at Demand Drive and an absolute master on all things SDRs. And together we get into some serious myth busting on all that is and can be a high performance SDR function. Topics Discussed: What’s the difference between the old SDR model v. new model? (3:30)When is the SDR model a good fit? (6:48)Why do many sales bosses settle for so little? (10:10)What is special about this moment in time? (15:21)Resources Mentioned: Aligning SDR Hiring Expectations with Modern Buyers by AJ Alonzo (2:26)For more Guest:AJ Alonzo on LinkedInDemand DriveUnsubscribe PodcastFor more Amy: Connect with Amy on LinkedInConnect with Amy on TwitterJoin the Conversation
On this installment of RRH, we’ve got Jonathan Mahan. Long-time tech seller. Co-founder of The Practice Lab. All-around amazing human. Together we get real about two of Jonathan’s hardest revenue conversations. What happened? What did he learn? And how to be better. Topics Discussed: What were Jonathan’s most uncomfortable revenue conversations? Story time! (2:59)What did you learn? (7:41)What happens to your behavior when you feel like you’re losing control? (9:10)Resources Mentioned: The Practice Lab (1:19)For more Guest:Jonathan Mahan LinkedInThe Practice LabFor more Amy: Connect with Amy on LinkedInConnect with Amy on TwitterJoin the Conversation
On this installment of RRH, we’ve got the fabulous Sebastien van Heyningen. Sebastien is the President of Central Metric and rev ops consultant. Considering Sebastien is an SDR turned business owner, today we dig into all that is great and ridiculous about the SDR culture. And what to do about it. Topics Discussed: Has tech leadership really turned the corner on the treatment of SDRs? (2:57)What does a great AE/SDR relationship look like? (9:01)Why are we still missing the mark on diversity and exclusion at the AE/AE manager level? (11:21)What are symptoms of a poor SDR/AE culture? (18:07)When is the SDR business model a good fit? (21:02) For more Guest:Sebastien van Heyningen on LinkedInRev Ops Co Op Community For more Amy: Connect with Amy on LinkedInConnect with Amy on TwitterJoin the Conversation
On this episode of the RRH, we’ve got the wo-man, the myth, the legend Lori Richardson. And together we unravel fact from fiction on the gender gap in tech sales and tech sales leadership. And what to do about it. Topics Discussed: Problem statement (5:18)Is the gender gap in tech sales really a “women’s problem”? Really?! (10:10)What does *real* male allyship look like, sound like, and act like? (14:00)What can male individual contributors do to to drive progress en route to leadership roles? (17:50) Resources Mentioned: The Greatest Advantage You’ll Ever Know: Mental Health (3:57)What’s Your Problem To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve (7:54)White Fragility Why It’s So Hard for White People To Talk About Race (12:11)For more Guest:Lori Richardson on LinkedInWomen Sales ProsShe Sells SummitFor more Amy: Connect with Amy on LinkedInConnect with Amy on TwitterJoin the Conversation