In sales, everyone is looking for help, yet so few are willing to give it unselfishly. Scott and Richard teamed up to bring their best advice from their own life experiences, real-world job experiences, and what they see sales reps and leaders do right, and equally important do wrong so you don't…
Richard Harris and Scott Leese
Riley shares his fascinating journey, from being a high school dropout to building a successful sales career. Key Takeaways: Riley's early entrepreneurial spirit, selling candy and snacks as a kid to buy ice cream His struggles with getting into trouble as a young adult, and how a mentor's disappointment in him was a turning point The importance of surrounding yourself with the right people and mentors to help you grow Riley's impressive sales accomplishments, including turning a $500 deal into a $4.5 million account The value of patience, persistence, and developing business acumen in sales
Lori, Scott, and Richard discuss the evolving sales landscape, including the impact of AI and the importance of sales education programs to prepare the next generation. They explore the challenges and concerns around AI's role in sales, as well as the opportunities to enhance the sales profession through technology. The group also highlights Lori's work with the Barb Giamanco scholarship, which provides financial support to women in university sales programs, and the need for more industry involvement in academia.
In this episode of the Surf and Sales Podcast, hosts Scott Leese and Richard Harris sit down with Cory Terre, a sales performance coach at Cellfire. Cory breaks down the 3 key factors he looks for when evaluating new job opportunities - people, product, and potential. Cory shares wild stories from his early days working at Main Street Hub alongside Scott, including the time Scott gave him a brutal wake-up call that changed the trajectory of his sales career. Scott and Richard share their thoughts on the latest AI and automation tools impacting the sales world. This episode is packed with valuable insights for anyone looking to level up their sales game or make a smart career move. Don't miss it!
his powerful episode of the Surf and Sales podcast features Cynthia Barnes in a candid conversation with hosts Richard Harris and Scott Leese. Cynthia shares her journey from a toxic marriage to becoming a successful entrepreneur, executive coach, and founder of the "Thank You It's True" movement. The conversation covers critical topics including AI's impact on critical thinking, the power of small curated communities vs. massive networking events, and the importance of recognizing your self-worth in both personal and professional settings. Cynthia reveals how she built resilience through difficult experiences and turned challenges into purpose. This episode offers genuine inspiration, practical career advice, and powerful insights on developing authentic confidence.
Chris Cicconi joins the Surf and Sales Podcast to discuss what it was like to officially cut the W2 cord and go out on his own. Topics include... Importance of focusing on revenue-generating activities vs. getting bogged down in branding/marketing tasks when starting a consulting business Strategies for building a sustainable client base through networking, partnerships, and leveraging your personal brand Challenges of scaling a consulting business too quickly and the risks of over-hiring/overhead Benefits of maintaining multiple income streams and not being overly reliant on a single client or project Differences in approaches between "jumping in" full-time vs. building a consulting business gradually alongside a day job
In this episode of the Surface Sales Podcast, we sit down with Sean Tepper, the founder of Tykr, a SaaS platform that helps investors make informed decisions in the stock market. Sean shares his expertise on building a successful SaaS business, as well as his insights on the current state of the market and how investors can navigate the turbulence. Key Takeaways: Sean discusses the importance of focusing on product-market fit and churn rates as key metrics for SaaS growth. He shares his strategies for building partnerships and leveraging channel sales to scale a SaaS business. Sean provides valuable advice for both experienced and novice investors on how to approach the current market conditions, including the importance of compound interest and long-term thinking. The conversation also touches on the psychology of investing and overcoming the fear of the unknown.
The Professor of Prospecting reveals why cold calling isn't dead but your approach might be killing you. The founder of INeverAnswer.com, Sean Sease, shares his deep expertise on effective outbound prospecting and why the traditional cold calling approach fails for most companies. Key topics covered: Why there's no "secret sauce" in prospecting—it's about doing the work properly The surprising data on follow-up calls generating 2-12x more meetings than first-time connects How to rethink your first-call objectives to build a pipeline of follow-ups Sean's innovative "Round Table" approach that transforms cold outreach effectiveness Why making SDR roles a stepping stone to AE positions is "one of the most egregious errors in sales today" The talent challenges in outbound teams and how to address them Whether you're a sales leader struggling with outbound results or an SDR looking to improve your approach, Sean's human-centered philosophy on prospecting will change how you think about cold calling forever.
In this episode of the Surf and Sales podcast, hosts Richard, Scott, and special guest Eric Iannello, Head of Sales at Commsor, dive deep into the evolving landscape of sales outreach. The discussion covers a range of topics, including: Eric's journey from experiencing consecutive layoffs to embracing a network-driven sales approach, and how that shaped his perspective on the value of relationships. The pros and cons of leveraging AI and automation in the sales process, particularly when it comes to managing warm introductions and preserving the human element of prospecting. The panelists' predictions on the future of outbound sales tactics, with insights on the gradual decline of traditional cold calling and emailing, and the rise of more personalized, referral-based strategies. Thought-provoking perspectives on the ethics and challenges of scaling a network-driven sales model, including the potential pitfalls of over-automating relationship-building. Don't forget to join us at the next Surf and Sales event, www.surfandsales.com
Richard and Kevin go head-to-head in an epic battle of sales tactics, AI hype, and generational warfare. Discover the secret to booking meetings on Discord and why email will never die (no matter how hard we try). And how the future of the top of funnel will begin in Reddit more than Google This episode has it all - don't miss out!
In this episode of Surf and Sales, Richard Harris and Scott Leese interview Anis Bennaceur, CEO and co-founder of Attention.com, a platform revolutionizing sales with AI agents that automate sales conversations. Anis shares his journey from hacking web servers as a kid to working at Tinder in its early days, and then founding his own startups. The most fascinating revelation? He joined forces with his biggest competitor to create Attention.com after years of "waging war" against each other. Key highlights: Why Attention.com's AI was able to identify the exact reason a six-figure deal was stalling (and how they fixed it) The surprising use case from dental implant sales teams that pushed their platform beyond what B2B clients typically do Why founders should sell their first $300K in ARR themselves before hiring sales reps The controversial take on equity for founding sales reps (Anis reveals exactly how much they offered) Scott's passionate rant on why LinkedIn desperately needs a competitor Plus: Why hiring two founding AEs creates the perfect competitive environment, and Scott's counterargument for why three is the magic number
Scott Leese and Richard Harris talk with Mark Ackers, founder of My Sales Coach, about the massive disconnect in sales coaching today. Mark reveals shocking stats from his 1,600-person survey showing 38% of reps rarely or never receive coaching, while 90% of leaders claim they coach monthly. Mark also shares his personal journey from mediocre sales rep to successful founder, including the brutal first coaching session that changed everything. The hosts also explore the future of coaching with AI and why human coaches will remain essential for accountability and relationship building. Key topics discussed: Why top performers often make terrible managers and how to bridge this skills gap The "random acts of coaching" approach that creates real improvement How Mark discovered he was "crap" at sales for 8 years until proper coaching transformed his career The critical importance of accountability that AI can't replace The challenge of "letting reps crash the car" during live call coaching
In this episode of the Surf and Sales Podcast, Scott Leese and Richard Harris are joined by John Karsant, Founder and CEO of Level Up Leads, an appointment setting and sales development agency. Key Topics Covered: How Level Up Leads helps companies implement sales campaigns and book more demos Why only 8% of companies report positive experiences with outsourced sales development The importance of setting realistic expectations with clients How to stand out in a commoditized industry Latest effective cold calling tactics that are working in 2025 The debate on permission-based openers vs. natural conversation starters How AI tools are transforming SDR training and coaching John's journey from tennis coach to entrepreneur The power of authenticity and honesty in sales conversations Why tone and pace matter more than the actual script What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com John Karsant is the Founder and CEO of Level Up Leads, a sales development agency that has been helping companies book more demos since 2021. Find him on LinkedIn or Twitter, or visit levelupleads.io. Sponsored by Winn.AI - Always be winning. Close more deals by making your phone faster, smarter, and smoother.
Are you struggling to close more deals in your transactional sales role? Looking for a scientific approach that actually works in the real world? In this value-packed episode of the Surf and Sales podcast, hosts Scott Leese and Richard Harris welcome AJ Mahar and Butch Hodson, co-authors of "Sales Lab Scripting: The Proven Playbook to Scientifically Crush Your Sales Goals" and sales performance leaders at Sellfire. AJ and Butch have perfected the art and science of transactional sales. They share their journey from discovering the power of a single effective script (which doubled or tripled sales in just 30 days) to developing a comprehensive methodology that has helped countless sales teams scale successfully. This episode cuts through the theory to deliver practical insights you can apply immediately to improve your sales results. Learn exactly what makes transactional sales different from enterprise sales, and why many sales professionals thrive in this fast-paced environment. The guests break down the critical sales skills needed for high-velocity success, including active listening techniques, handling rejection, maintaining a growth mindset, and making strong first impressions in seconds rather than months. For sales leaders and founders, discover how to build scalable processes that create predictable revenue, and learn about Sellfire's unique approach to combining CRM technology with hands-on coaching. If you're tired of sales tools that don't help you hit your numbers, you'll want to hear how this team approaches sales tech differently. Whether you're an SDR looking to improve your prospecting, an AE wanting to close more deals, or a sales leader building out your team, this episode delivers the tactical, word-for-word guidance you need to succeed in transactional sales environments. Don't miss the valuable book marketing advice shared at the end - perfect for anyone considering writing their own book or looking to increase their authority in the sales space. Listen now to learn how to scientifically approach your sales process and start crushing your goals tomorrow. #SalesTraining #Prospecting #TransactionalSales #SalesScripting #SalesTips #HighVelocitySales #SalesProcess #SalesAutomation #SalesCRM #AIinSales Please be sure to check out their book The Playbook to Crush Your Sales Goals at sellfire.com/saleslabscripting
Senior Sales Manager at Warmly and CEO and Founder of AsyncSalesCo joins us on the podcast today. Melissa shares her incredible career transformation from elementary school teacher and news reporter to a successful sales professional and entrepreneur. Key Highlights: Navigating career transitions from education to journalism to sales Strategies for identifying and following market opportunities Insights into signal-based selling and AI-powered demand generation Advice for early-stage sales leaders on prioritizing learning and growth The importance of understanding your industry and product before scaling What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Join Scott Leese and Richard Harris as they dive deep with Thibaut Souyris, founder of Sales Labs, in this exciting episode exploring: The realities of relocating a business to Mexico Authentic content creation strategies in the age of AI LinkedIn growth hacks and newsletter development Staying motivated when sales and content creation feel repetitive Innovative approaches to sales training and personal branding Highlights: Thibaut's unexpected challenges registering as a business in Mexico Strategies for creating engaging LinkedIn and newsletter content The importance of consistency and authenticity in professional content Balancing work motivation during challenging periods What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Revenue Reimagined partners Adam and Dale join us to discuss the future of fractional work and how to choose the right one. How and when to take that leap of faith. Understanding people need to execute on the small tactical things while you are also focusing on the overall strategy. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Woody from AskElephant.ai shares some of the best and easiest to understand approaches to AI in sales that we've ever heard including: The future of revenue work. What do the next 12 months vs next 5 years look like in sales? He goes deep on the specifics on the future of prospecting and the jobs that cannot go away in sales. He also provides the best advice for those of us in sales in the next 5-10 years. And he does it all while maintaining a strong belief of understanding the humanity that still needs to be addressed. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Mark Fleming a true entreprenurial spirt with a true Fortune exit and shares his experience on turning a non-technical industry into a tech approach with an old school pen and paper company. And then how to stay motivated post exit. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Partners in Excellence and author of "The Sales Managers Survival Guide", Dave Brock joins the podcast and shares some of the most amazing stories about life, sales, and business growth. And more importantly how they are all intertwined. At the core, it's about finding your purpose and building that into your whole being. You will never full potential otherwise
Profits are better than wages. If there's a problem to be solved, there's a business to be built. It only takes massive action in 30 days to determine if your business idea is worth your time. These are the topics our guest, Tobi Oluwole CEO and founder of Magnate shares with us on the latest episode of the Surf and Sales podcast. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Joel Graber of Modern Outbound and Modern Inbound joins us on the Surf and Sales podcast to discuss why only 8% of outsourced sales team succeed. Understanding the difference between the modern approach to outbound in 2025 vs something old school. For example being driven by people on your team and then build the process before before building the process and then adding the people What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Brian Smith joins us on the Surf and Sales podcast to discuss truly scaling. He's a visionary that helps organizatons grow by not simply focusing on the bottom line. He's got an amazing approach to figuring this out and shares it with us in a real world scenario. And he shares why so few founders are able to actually scale a business. Be sure to find him at www.strategyladders.com and check out What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Jason Moss joins us on the Surf and Sales podcast and go deep on so much including the emotional elements in sales and marketing. The intersection of old and new, what changes and what doesn't, that daily content is not required to gain the traction you really need for your content. And he shares what's also unique is his focus on Instagram, YouTube, and NOT LinkedIn. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Leslie Venetz a Surf and Sales alum joins us on the Surf and Sales podcast to discuss all things good and bad about sales, outbound, inbound and life. Her biggest love for 2025 is around stacked signals to drive sales best practices What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Kristi Faltorusso Chief Customer Officer from Client Success joins us on the Surf and Sales podcast to discuss how she failed herself forward. Her favorite underrated customer success metrics. A good customer success comp plan. Should SDRs be used to do lead gen on the expansion model motion with current customers. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Gabe Lullo of Alleyoop joins us on the Surf and Sales podcast to discuss the future of the SDR role by focusing on calls, content, and collaboration. Partnerships and referrals as a channel. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Patrick Joyce of Level Up joins us on the Surf and Sales podcast to discuss the best practices for hiring an outsource agency for your sales motion. Leveraging AI in the right way based on where we are in 2024. Going network first is the most important thing in your career. And what he HATES about LinkedIn. Reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Kathleen Booth SVP of Marketing from Pavillion joins us to share her insights on everything from community versus conference, The best events are not held by vendors, you can't run the industry playbook and expect the same results of others, leveraging pattern interupts, understanding the problem is more important than the solution, and first team thinking. joins us on the Surf and Sales podcast to discuss What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
If you've ever wanted to know what it's like to be a founder of two different companies at the same time, this is the episode you need to hear. When a founder turns around the 4 month slump. When to find a new product market fit. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Patrick Monnot of www.workwithpod.com joins us from in a real office! And yes we discuss WFH and ROT, and why he decided to go from WFH to Hybrid. And we definitely get into proper alignment on realistic revenue targets. joins us on the Surf and Sales podcast to discuss. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Chris Karger joins us on the Surf and Sales podcast to discuss. Referrals no longer a nice to have and how to get them. As well as understanding cultural differences often means communication differences. The differences between scaling in the US than the EU. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Luke Wilson us on the Surf and Sales podcast to discuss entrepreneurship and discuss the pivot from sales leader to CEO, the fastest way to solve the problems, what it means to go from sales leader to CEO, and of course why it takes more than just hustle to be successful. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Devon Henning of Board Room Confidential joins us to discuss the what, how, and why around compensation from the candidate level. the misalignment of compensation. Learning how to negotiate salary without fear. Understanding short term thinking vs long term as you. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Appy joins us and discuss building a sales development to IPO. Understanding the lock-up periods post IPO. What a multi-channel approach really means in 2024. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Mike Lander is a former procurement person who has transitioned to training sales people on how to leverage procurement to a mutual advantage. He shares some amazing insights including, uderstanding their role of managing risk is the top priority. How procurement is interested in reducing risk, savings, innovation, quality, reliability, a well governed process. How to talk about risk in a proactive way. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Ben joins us and shares his 5-Step Prospecting Framework targeting approaches beyond simple personalization and social media. He also shares the best ways a leader and a rep can confirm learning has actually occurred and been remembered. And a host of other practical sales tips. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
The co-founders of Hyperbound joins us on the Surf and Sales podcast to discuss some amazing concepts around the true value of AI in sales including Why SDR AI tools are not sticking. The top of the funnel SDR role, deeper in the funnel uses for AI, and most importantly the strategy component tht AI cannot yet solve. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Adam Smith of Workbounce joins us on the Surf and Sales podcast to discuss why the human is being replaced by AI in the sales process, just yet. Specifically buyers still need help navigating through the messy parts of purchasing. How AI assists the human by analyzing disperate communication channels to provide real insights beyond a sales motion. And how the human connection is still required. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Alyson's career spans diverse roles from medical sales to software, with experiences at Intuit, SendGrid, Zoom, and Outreach. And sharing his wisdom around Career Path and Company Selection and how to handle a large scale layoff professionally. You will definitely want to paddle out and ride the set of waves. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Enablement is not a babysitting role. If you can't do the function, you gotta pay for the function to be done right and its all the things that don't show up in KPIs. Katie Chatterton joins us on the Surf and Sales podcast to discuss the true value of sales enablement and how they make things better for everyone, not simply the sales organization. I've been breaking rules consciously since I was 4 years old. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Janice B Gordon joins us on the Surf and Sales podcast to discuss transforming sales teams to accelerate growth through a customer centric approach. What is driving the change in sales is coming from the customer behaviors not the corporate desires. Janice explains why a better way to sell starts with your customers What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Manuel Hartmann joins us on the Surf and Sales podcast to discuss so interesting topics including Understanding the value of culture from country to country in your $0-$10m GTM strategy. Founder sales to founder led sales and founder enabled sales. And then we shift to what's going to happening in outbound in 2024 and beyond. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Rasheeda Hughes an amazing sales leader joins us on the podcast and shares so much wisdom including: Technology has drastically changed sales, but building relationships and having conversations remains crucial. AI will be an assistant to successful salespeople, not a replacement - people still want to buy from people. Confidence, finding allies/mentors, and being authentic are key for underrepresented groups to succeed in sales and last but not least, sales can be a powerful path for changing one's family's trajectory and building generational wealth #BlackWomenInLeadership #SistasInSales #WomenInSales What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Shawn Rhodes of Bulletproof Selling joins us on the Surf and Sales podcast to discuss The soft side of the metrics that are overlooked. How to manage the fear in the moment. The best ways to get into conversations with the people you want and bypass the gatekeepers. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
BAM! This episode will leave you craving more of Mesheel Baker! Her wisdom is amazing and she is the master of inspiration. Here's a few nuggets to wet your whistle. Recognizing something that feels impossible and exhilerating at the same time is something to focus on. Chaos is merely an illusion. And your circumstances are external and temorary, your confidence is internal and unlimited.
Matt Wolach joins us on the Surf and Sales podcast to discuss why the best products have the worst sales motion. How hating to lose is better than wanting to win. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Archie joins us on the Surf and Sales podcast to discuss the mistakes you will make on your start-up ideation journey. He also gives the best advice on how to find the right thing to focus on as you build your start-up idea or side hustle. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Lexy Franklin of Sidebar joins us on the Surf and Sales podcast to discuss the next evolution of communities. He goes deep on helping people realize that the problems you solve in life and business of your career are interdisciplinary and cross-functional. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Chris Caldwell joins us on the Surf and Sales podcast to discuss how you are showing up, why you are showing up and understanding your own internal wobble and how to adjust. And he explains why teachers are the best sales superstars. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Ryan French from Pigment joins us on the Surf and Sales podcast to discuss a multitude of things including the right character and drive to find the full-cycle AE's who know how to prospect into the Fortune 100. And how he had to knock-down the door of tech sales when nobody would give him a shot. What are you waiting for? Time to reserve your spot at www.surfandsales.com
Vivek Nanda Chief Growth Officer at SwiftShift joins us and drops some amazing wisdom around sales, marketing, and building an audience that converts to customers. Highlights include his vision that sales and marketing are twin siblings in B2B, working closely together. And how he has grown his newsletter to be much more than just a newsletter including demand creation, audience building, and the new "Attention, Affinity, Action" framework.
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